text:
Loves the western U.P.
To the editor:
In the summer of 1944, my sister Elaine, 11 years old, and I, 9, were offered bittersweet choices. As the taxi driver was waiting in Grandmother’s yard, our mom urged us to go back to Detroit with her and our younger sister, Vienna, seven.
Scripture tells us that God hates divorce. Elaine and I were in complete accord.
Try as she may, Mom couldn’t convince us to go with them. Our decision wasn’t based on the choice of one parent over the other, but it was the beauty and intimacy of Ironwood and surrounding areas that had made our decision steadfast.
The love I have for our area has intensified since then and so much the more as I had enjoyed many comparisons over the years. For example, when I first laid eyes on Sheridan, Wyo., I was enamored as the town is semi-circled by the Bighorn Mountains. My thoughts were, “I’ll never get tired of viewing these surroundings.” But my interest had steadily waned in the ten days I was there.
In a conversation with two fellow workers near Detroit, each told me that they had seen much of the U.S.A., and each were in agreement that the western end of the Upper Peninsula didn’t have to take a back seat to any area for true beauty, and variety. Have you noticed that many of the people who have moved into our area are quick to buy, “Yooper,” or other bumper stickers as a token of belonging?

domain: geography


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Let’s talk about WALK OF SHAME by Avery Flynn! This is my first book from Avery Flynn and a fantastic intro to hockey romances. The story of a one-night stand that turns into a “can’t happen again”, all while dipping the reader into the exciting world of hockey … it’s a
home run laser beam? (ignoring my poor hockey slang!)
But don’t just take my word for it … go read this icy gem yourself!
My First Thoughts About WALK OF SHAME
WALK OF SHAME starts with Astrid, who is about to marry a goalie who plays for her dad’s hockey team. Putting on her wedding dress to walk down the aisle and he FaceTimes her … from an airport.
My first thoughts? What a douche! My second, third and fourth thoughts? Tig is still a dick.
I felt for Astrid right away. She’s getting ready to marry this guy in her deceased mom’s wedding dress and she’s dumped at the altar.
But he’s a famous goalie. So shit hits the fan when he leaves. And she needs to pick up the pieces and put her life back together – minus hockey (even though her dad’s this super successful coach). Intense start.
“What kind of a**hole would dump his fiancée via FaceTime minutes before their wedding ceremony was about to begin?”
And the “extra” family!
I am a huge fan of characters who have a non-biological extended family. In Astrid’s case, it’s all the coaches who work with her dad (former hockey players, etc.) and each one of them has become a sort of extra family member.
I love love LOVE how protective they are of her (especially Bear!). Every single parent needs a support behind him/her like the one Astrid’s dad has. WALK OF SHAME gives the reader the perfect “extra” family feeling!
Mrs. Duffy is HILARIOUS!
It’s rare that side characters stand out for me, but the entire short interaction Astrid had with her neighbor, Mrs. Duffy, had me giggling and highlighting. She’s this ex-sorta-crime boss lady? And Astrid’s best friend’s Aunt-ish-Granny. Whatever she was … she’s hilarious!
She’s blunt and tells Astrid in no-nonsense that if she was decades younger, she’d go after Cal. So “buy some glue for that heart of yours” and go after him …
“Mrs. Duffy was more likely to trip a toddler with her tennis-ball-tipped cane than let Astrid borrow a cup of sugar.”
Avery Flynn does a great job of building her characters. Right from the start, she creates ones you want to hate and ones you really love. I loved Avery because she's my favorite type of heroine - the strong, doesn't-need-a-man one who can take care of herself. And Cal is the sexy, broody, knight in shining armor.
Let's add sexual tension to this category. Because there was some serious chemistry between Cal and Astrid. Literally sparking off the page. But it's not only sexual tension - it's the sweetness that comes as Cal and Astrid get to know each other, even though Astrid keeps trying to convince herself that it's nothing.
As a hockey romance, a good portion of this book takes place on the ice. Thanks to the description used, I felt like I actually was in the hockey arena and it made everything cohesive.
I really enjoyed the writing style in WALK OF SHAME. Although I read a NetGalley copy that wasn't formatted very well (thanks a lot, NetGalley), I was still hooked by the seamless writing.
Also, 3rd person is my favorite perspective, as the author isn't confined to what the characters can sense/feel/think.
I am brand new to hockey romances but oh my gosh, I loved this one! Astrid is dumped at the altar (though we later find out that the jacka** thought SHE was the one who dumped him ... what a loser!) and swears off all things hockey. Then she hooks up with a sexy guy - Cal - who comes to her 'rescue' at a bar where she's working. Fate steps in and they end up working together to help her ex get his goalie mojo back. All the while, sparks fly between Astrid and Cal, though Astrid insists nothing can come of it.
I loved the plot of WALK OF SHAME - intense attraction but characters who insist that they can't (or shouldn't) be together.
And the ending - just wow! I adored watching Astrid and Cal when they thought it was nothing, then seeing everything start blooming ... but the ending had me nearly in tears. I loved it!
I had no issues staying hooked on WALK OF SHAME. I would sit down and read multiple chapters in the blink of an eye.
The tension between Astrid and Cal made each page turn more satisfying than the last. I found myself (not-so-secretly) hoping they would find a way to be together, despite Astrid's belief that she couldn't be with Cal if she was going to make her dad's last season as coach a good one. Poor girl.
I had zero issues with logic in WALK OF SHAME. The story progressed as I expected, characters came in and out as made sense, and the romance didn't feel rushed.
Absolutely! Yes, I enjoyed WALK OF SHAME! I loved Astrid and Cal, the side characters, the "it's not happening again" romance aspect of it. I liked that the story didn't revolve around jacka** Tig, even though they were trying to help him get his goalie mojo back. All-in-all, this book made me want to reach for another Avery Flynn book ASAP. Definitely another of her hockey romances because she knows what she's doing!
WALK OF SHAME by Avery Flynn is the story of a one-night stand between a hockey has-been and the daughter of the coach (who swore off hockey when she was left at the altar by a jacka** goalie).
A Summary of WALK OF SHAME
Walk of Shame by Avery Flynn
Series: Downside of Dating #2
Also in the Series: Anger Bang
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Pub Date: March 18, 2024
Source: Valentine PR
Tropes: hockey romance, close proximity, forbidden romance, workplace romance
WALK OF SHAME is the perfect read for hockey romance fans, or fans of the "it can't happen again" trope! I'll definitely be reading more of Avery Flynn in the very near future!
Sharing is caring 💕 If you enjoyed this review, please pin one of the images below to your favorite BOOKISH board on Pinterest! Thank you!
Hey book friends! Are you joining the A to Z Reading Challenge and need a recommendation for W?
If you need to fill the letter W, look no further than WALK OF SHAME by Avery Flynn! This rom-com hockey romance is the perfect choice to fill that pesky W spot.
Haven't signed up for the A to Z Reading Challenge yet? No worries! Click the button below and don't forget to snag your FREE challenge printable trackers! Happy reading, xo!

domain: library


text:
From Amsterdam: Haarlem Private Day-Trip
- Private group
- Pickup available
- Duration: 5 hours
per group up to 5
Want to discover all there is to do in Haarlem? Click here for a full list.
Was too cold and windy to fully enjoy. It would have been a great time in the summer.

domain: travel


text:
The official rasp berrymouse captivates by its good handling and high-quality switches which guarantee a long life. The weight of the mouse has been adjusted for ergonomic handling.Start immediately – no batteries requiredUnlike wireless mice that take their power from batteries, the Raspberry Pi® USB Mouse is bus-powered. This means that there is no need for an additional power supply via batteries. So you can be sure that the mouse is always ready to use, without having to worry about the charging status of a battery. Ready to use immediately – Plug and Play No special software is required. Simply connect the mouse to a USB port – you can start.This text is machine translated.
- Drones Solution, Educational
GPS Development System0 out of 5(0)
With advanced in RF and signal conditioning technology, today GPS receivers are capable of providing positions accurate to within a centimetre! These receivers have revolutionsed lots of industries, where highly accurate positioning is used for so many different tasks. Aviation, Marine, Farming, Surveying to name but few. Imagination is only limitation to the possibilities of Global Positioning System GPS.SKU: n/a
Renkforce K-1470 Power cable Raspberry Pi, Arduino [1x USB 2.0 connector A – 1x USB 2.0 connector Micro B] 1.50 m Black On/Off switchEducational
Renkforce K-1470 Power cable Raspberry Pi, Arduino [1x USB 2.0 connector A – 1x USB 2.0 connector Micro B] 1.50 m Black On/Off switch0 out of 5(0)SKU: 6049400678012030

domain: hobby


text:
Request a book
Did you know you can request a book from any library? For a small fee, we can provide you with copies of articles, chapters, whole books, even photographs, pictures, maps, manuscripts, music and sound recordings. If they're available, we can get them.
Attend a reader education workshop
Did you know we can help you find things in our collections? Attend a reader education session and find out how to use our catalogue, how to request books from home and how to use our website.
Listen to oral history recordings
Did you know you can hear Dame Mary Gilmore recite Old Days, Old Ways? In our oral history collection you can listen to folk songs, speeches, songs and stories from the past.


text: Steve Buscemi is an actor who has appeared in such films as Mystery Train, Fargo, Reservoir Dogs, and Armageddon. He also also directed such films as Trees. The Best of Steve Buscemi Monsters University -- when they weren't necessarily the best of friends. .. The Laramie Project ( TV Movie). For me, it's his film "Living In Oblivion," where he played Nick Reve, a frustrated director trying to shoot a low-low-low-budget Indie film, where.

domain: entertainment


text:
A novel, unusually small, and highly conserved domain of modular intracellular proteins is described. The domain was first recognized as three repeats in the yeast rsp5 gene product and named thereafter. The rsp5 protein is thought to interact with nuclear proteins but also contains a C2 domain typical for cytoplasmic proteins. Further analyses revealed several additional occurrences of this domain in diverse protein classes, including cytoplasmic signal transduction proteins, gene products interacting with the transcription machinery, structural proteins like dystrophin, and a putative RNA helicase.
|Evidence ID||Analyze ID||Interactor||Interactor Systematic Name||Interactor||Interactor Systematic Name||Type||Assay||Annotation||Action||Modification||Phenotype||Source||Reference||Note|
|Evidence ID||Analyze ID||Gene||Gene Systematic Name||Gene Ontology Term||Gene Ontology Term ID||Qualifier||Aspect||Method||Evidence||Source||Assigned On||Annotation Extension||Reference|
|Evidence ID||Analyze ID||Gene||Gene Systematic Name||Phenotype||Experiment Type||Experiment Type Category||Mutant Information||Strain Background||Chemical||Details||Reference|
|Evidence ID||Analyze ID||Regulator||Regulator Systematic Name||Target||Target Systematic Name||Experiment||Assay||Construct||Conditions||Strain Background||Reference|

domain: biology


text:
FILE PHOTO – Sick woman coughing. Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
A weekend of new coronavirus positive cases — reported Monday by the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) — averaged 517 a day for Friday, Saturday and Sunday — and helped push the updated seven-day average to 571 cases a day. The rolling seven-day average hasn’t been that high since early March.
A total of 1,551 Utahns contracted the virus the past three days. Friday 628 new cases were reported with 514 more Saturday and 409 on Sunday.
The three new COVID deaths reported Monday include men from Salt Lake, Weber and Davis counties who were all hospitalized at the time of death.
There have been 2,416 total deaths in Utah since the start of the pandemic.
With the new weekend numbers included, the total cases of coronavirus cases during 16 months of the pandemic number 424,171.
As of Monday 280 people are hospitalized with the virus which is one fewer than on Friday. Of those patients 121 are in intensive care, 13 more than Friday.
The Bear River Health Department (BRHD) reported 83 new cases since Friday. A total of 22,696 residents of Cache, Box Elder and Rich counties have contracted the virus.
BRHD also reported 22,321 of all cases in northern Utah are classified as “recovered.” To date 984 have been hospitalized in the district during the pandemic and there have been 113 coronavirus deaths.
As of Monday, 54.4 percent of all the district’s residents are fully vaccinated (70,654 people) including 56.9 percent of Cache County residents, 48.8 percent in Box Elder County and 48.1 percent in Rich County.
The state’s rolling seven-day average for percent positivity of “people over people” dropped from 13.8 percent Friday to 13.7 percent Monday while the rolling seven-day average for percent positivity of “tests over tests,” jumped to 9.5 percent from 9.3 percent.
There were 13,063 Utahns vaccinated during the weekend and there are now over 1.62 million statewide who are fully vaccinated.
As of Monday 2,169 Idahoans have lost their lives to the virus. Idaho’s total is now 196,940 confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide. Case counts in the three counties in southeast Idaho include 1,247 positive cases in Franklin County, 406 in Bear Lake County and 368 in Oneida County.

domain: news


text:
EB 5 Visa Requirements
An EB5 application covers the primary applicant, that applicant's spouse and the applicant's children who are under the age of 21.
General Requirements for EB 5 Visa
Generally, the requirements for EB5 are that the applicant has:
- USD 500,000, plus administrative fee, in funds from a documentable source of income
- A criminal history free of certain offenses
Funds from a Documented Source
Every Indian EB5 client D&A has ever represented has "white" money. Having white money and have funds from a documented source are, however, different things.
D&A has a specialist source funds documentation team that includes US EB5 lawyers, Indian lawyers and lawyers form other relevant jurisdictions. This team work together to guide clients through the complex EB5 source of funds documentation process.

domain: law


text:
LAS VEGAS (KSNV MyNews3.com) -- Three people were injured late this morning when a driver ran a red light at U.S. 95 and Las Vegas Boulevard North just north of downtown.
The accident happened about 11:30 a.m.
"Based on reports from people at the scene, a car exited the 95 and blew through a red light on Las Vegas Boulevard and hit two other vehicles," said Sgt. Kevin Honea of the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Honea said a woman suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and the two other injured people were treated and released from UMC Trauma. At least one victim had to be extricated from a vehicle.
Traffic has returned to normal after severalhours of congestion.


text:
'Big Brother' Showmance Couples Now: Who is still together? Who has split? Where are they now? (PHOTOS)
Big Brother repeatedly urges houseguests and viewers to "expect the unexpected" -- and Big Brother fans have come to expect that will probably include at least one showmance on each season of the CBS reality competition.


text:
Lasting from 1861 to 1865, the Civil War was a pivotal period in American history. More than a million lives were lost during the conflict, roughly adding up to the number of casualties in all other U.S. wars combined.
The war was also a pivotal period in George Custer's life. Recently graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Custer was thrown into the fighting at the First Battle of Bull Run. After the battle, Custer served as a staff officer under General George B. McClellan, and later, under Major General Alfred Pleasanton of the Army of the Potomac. Pleasanton promoted Custer to the rank of brigadier general at the age of 23, and it was in this position that Custer thrived.
As the Civil War waged on, Custer became renowned for his fearlessness and aggressiveness in battle. He won the loyalty of his troops through his consistent readiness to lead attacks from the front. Custer emerged victorious and unscathed after numerous cavalry charges, due in large part to what he described as one of his greatest attributes during the war: luck. Nonetheless, his continuous success in battle, paired with his self-promotion and political maneuvering, made Custer a well-known military leader by the war’s end.
Custer describes his feelings about the war and his experiences at his encampment in letters written to his cousin Augusta Frary on July 26 and October 3, 1862.


Anger was simmering in France over issues related to gambling for more than a year and Wednesday it arrived to a boil as more than 2,000 individuals took to the streets to protest possible changes to the horse racing industry.
More than 2,000 people descended on the Ministry of Finance office in Paris Wednesday to protest proposed changes to France’s horse racing industry.
The demonstrators had been comprised of mostly thoroughbred and trotting employees and assembled in Paris in front of the finance ministry building in a peaceful, but rally that is dynamic. They’ve been fearful proposed alterations could put them out of work.
They were voicing issues over a plan with wagering machines that the government wishes to install around the country, too as drops in revenue that they believe is also the fault of elected officials.
Wagering Machines Opposed
Horse racing is big business in France and has one of the globe’s premiere events, the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe, which is run the first Sunday of October and was in existence since 1920.
It’s widely thought that the sport of kings may be the best in every one of Europe.
The industry has been rich in tradition since free aristocrat pokies no download no registration Joseph Oller, who had been also co-founder of the Moulin-Rouge, invented pari-mutual betting in 1891. Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) was developed in 1930 and contains managed wagering since, both on and off the track.
The issue that is main authorities wanted to i Continue reading “French Protest Over Proposed Changes to Horse Racing Betting”


text:
Wizliecka is a'must see' attraction if you are in Krakow. Many metres under the ground it's the Polish Eighth Wonder of the world or so they would have you believe.
It's a long treck through the wondrous world of underground things made by salt. But, when we went there, it was mobbed and, after an hour and a half we were desperate to escape.
Yes the underground cathedral is stunning but it just goes on too long.
If you have a few days in Krakow then go and see it.
If, like us, you only have 2 days, then chill out and enjoy the restaurants.
If you own or manage Wieliczka Salt Mine, register now for free tools to enhance your listing, attract new reviews, and respond to reviewers.


text:
HOLYOKE -- Get ready for "Blade Runner Part 3." Maybe.
The man who directed the original "Blade Runner" in 1982 and executive-produced "Blade Runner 2049" that debuted in October told digitalspy.com's Megan Davies and Rosie Fletcher on Jan. 6 that he has ideas for a third installment in the franchise, which is based on a 1968 novel by Philip K. Dick.
"I think there is another story," Ridley Scott said to digitalspy.com. "I've got another one ready to evolve and be developed, so there is certainly one to be done for sure."
It's probably best not to let anticipation build given that 35 years elapsed between "Blade Runner" and "Blade Runner 2049."
Then again, don't be swayed by the seeming accord of critics that "Blade Runner 2049" was a failure because of the lack of millions reaped at the box office or its nearly three-hour length. Scott himself said "2049" was too long.
The same mud tossed at the original "Blade Runner" failed to stop that movie from rising into a cult favorite and now a science-fiction icon of grimy neon-lit dystopia that asked favorite Dick questions like, What's it mean to be human? and, How do we know this is real?
"Blade Runner" tells the tale of a special police officer known as a blade runner charged with hunting down and retiring -- killing -- replicants. That's the name in "Blade Runner" world for androids, which are synthetic beings.
In "Blade Runner 2049," the older model replicants must be removed so they don't clutter the world for the newer, more advanced, supposedly more docile replicants. Denis Villeneuve directed the sequel from a script by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green.
Harrison Ford starred as Rick Deckard in the original and brought back the character in the sequel that featured Ryan Gosling as K.
"Blade Runner" sprang from Dick's book "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" The movie was set in Los Angeles in 2019 as were the events of the sequel 30 years later.
Dick died in 1982 but his inventiveness continues to yield. A 10-episode anthology series based on his stories and called "Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams" is available on Amazon in partnership with Channel 4 in Britain and Sony Pictures Television.
That joins the Amazon series "The Man In The High Castle." Based on Dick's 1962 novel of the same name, the series re-imagines the events of World War II: Set in the early 1960's, the series asks, what would America be like if the Nazis and Japanese won the war and shared occupation of the country?
Stories and books by Dick, known to fans as PKD, have led to movies such as "Total Recall," "Minority Report," "A Scanner Darkly," "The Adjustment Bureau" and "Paycheck."
Also in this Philip K. Dick roundup:
- Members of the "Blade Runner" cast reunited for the movie's 35th anniversary in December at New York WinterCon in Queens, New York City. The event included Rutger Hauer (Roy Batty), Sean Young (Rachael), William Sanderson (J.F. Sebastian), Joanna Cassidy (Zhora) and Kevin Thompson (Napoleon Bear), according to Off-World News.
- Scott released different versions of "Blade Runner" over the years, including the theatrical film, the director's cut and the final cut. Don't expect similar dusting-offs from Villeneuve. A four-hour "Blade Runner 2049" exists somewhere but the movie that showed up in cinemas is the proper version, said Villeneuve, who told screencrush.com's E. Oliver Whitney he's no fan of director's cuts: "No, the best incarnation of the movie is what is in the theater."
- Success found Dick's work years after his death. A New York Times story by Jonathan Ringen on Jan. 5 dwelled on this with Dick's daughter, Isa Dick Hackett, whose production company Electric Shepherd oversees adaptations of her father's work: "It's a little hard to believe now, but during his lifetime Dick was a fringe figure, even in science fiction circles. 'I don't think he would ever have imagined that 'Jeopardy' would have a Philip K. Dick category,' Ms. Hackett said of her father."
- The virtually reality treatment of the "Blade Runner" mythology continues with a tour of Deckard's apartment in developer Quentin Lengele's "Blade Runner 9732." That refers to Deckard's apartment number. According to a story by Sarah Johnson on games.mxdwn.com: "Players will be allowed to explore a beautifully digitized version of his bleak hideaway and examine certain points of interest." There's the piano, the bold, almost imposing Frank Lloyd Wright architectural designs, the sunken living room and the balcony overlooking a busy rainy nightscape.
- Organizers of the annual "Philip K. Dick Film Festival" have established an online fundraiser to help with costs related to the Feb. 22 to 25 event. Click here to donate.
- The Folio Society has joined the Dick wave and produced illustrated versions of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and "A Scanner Darkly" in one "mind-bending format." Read one novel, turn the book upside down and there's the other. At $112, it's not cheap, but the illustrations are "jaw-dropping," as flavorwire.com said.
- Lastly, Piotr Orlov has an excellent story about how Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou -- known as Vangelis -- created the "Blade Runner" musical score, on vulture.com from Oct. 5.
Here is this installment's randomly selected quote from "The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick":
"I awoke abruptly to find myself with my Savior, and then entered Fellowship with God (the dreams of the delighting void)." (p. 148)


text:
CHELSEA fans have been given an early glimpse of the new Nike kits the team are rumoured to wear next season.
Images leaked on social media claim to reveal the Blues' official 2017/18 strip following the club's mega deal with Nike last year.
And it looks remarkably like a Chelsea kit from 30 years ago... when Chelsea were relegated from the top flight in shame.
The diamond grid shirt was worn by the likes of Pat Nevin and Kerry Dixon for two seasons, from 1987 to 1989.
Keep up to date with ALL the Chelsea news, gossip, transfers and goals on our club page plus fixtures, results and live match commentary
Chelsea were wearing the kit when they were relegated amid shaming scenes in 1988, when there was a riot at Stamford Bridge following defeat to Middlesbrough in the play-offs.
The Blues however were still wearing the Umbro-designed outfit when they bounced straight back up to the top flight the following season.
Chelsea hit THE jackpot with a British record £900m kit deal in October after announcing they were leaving adidas early to sign a contract for 15 seasons with Nike.
Since the takeover the American sportswear brand have failed to keep their new-look Chelsea shirts under wraps, with similar leaks of a potential third kit and club merchandise released earlier this month.
The images suggest Nike have opted for a diamond design on all three shirts next season, although variations of the home shirt in particular are now also doing the rounds on social media.
Most read in football
Chelsea could be going into the new era with the sportswear giants next season with a Premier League title to defend.
Stamford Bridge boss Antonio Conte hailed their victory over Stoke as significant, and with Chelsea leading by ten points after 28 matches, he went on to suggest his side will need just seven wins from their remaining games to clinch the title.


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At BloggingIO, I'm proud to write, this Thrive Architect Review in 2021 is the most updated content explaining things with latest UI of the plugin, new developments etc.
Let's see what's inside this Thrive Architect Review with live examples, pros and cons.
What is Thrive Architect?
Thrive Architect is the visual page builder plugin that's built from ground suitable for all business powered by large set of landing page templates.
The Thrive Architect WordPress page builder is the only plugin where you can build pages with conversion focused designs using building blocks like content box and several other elements as you will learn more about it below.
To get started, Add a new page or post or use your existing post and you'll get an option "Launch Thrive Architect" and upon clicking, you'll see a beautiful dashboard like this below
I got access to the plugin few days back when they rolled out the update for existing users. I just spent time designing new landing pages and updated old pages designed with TCB.
To be frank, when I started using it, things are not fine and I thought old version is better. But when I spent some more hours to work on the new plugin, the things seems to be ease and particularly the new version is more advanced to design complex web pages without the need for developers.
Getting Started With Thrive Architect Building Blocks
If you're an smart marketer, you'll love this and understand how good this content blocks is for your affiliate sites and content marketing.
Content Blocks comes with prebuilt conversion modules which you can use to skyrocket your conversions. Here are some of the content blocks
Below is the real example of how I choose a block and created an copy
Thrive Architect Review
Why I rate them as the #1 page builder?
Thousands of similar plugins in the market and there is no other plugin like this Architect which focused on conversion centric features rather than generic features which you don't find with any other plugin right now.
With contents ready, I just made the above module in just few minutes, nothing to design, just drag and drop the pre designed modules for resources page, quotes, pros/cons for product reviews, best product rating, call to action, teams and more.
Table of Contents
I was shocked to see none other plugin offers this stunning essential features which makes your CTR increase on a whole new level.
The Wikipedia style table of contents available doesn't offer much feature to design and here is how the table of contents looks
You can always edit between how many columns to display, which heading tags needs to be added etc.
Advanced Column Layout
In older version, the column layout can't be adjusted once it deployed but here, you can change as per your wish.
This gives the flexibility to change the site layouts in seconds rather than creating new codes for adjusted columns.
Using Thrive Architect visual page builder, one should have amazing column layouts in no time and all you have to do is drag-and-drop elements next to each other. As a matter of fact, there is hardly any technical complexities.
One can easily add the columns using "drag and drop” editing. One can also resize the columns by dragging them. Above all, with the flexible column layouts, you can have beautiful design with the greatest ease.
Responsive Table Templates
First of its kind, this plugin comes with responsive table templates which you don't find with any other page builder including the likes of Elementor while I updating this Architect Review in 2020.
If you're into affiliate marketing especially in Amazon niches comparison posts like best,cheap etc, this is going to improve your conversions on a whole new level.
Table Building plugins may be very useful but can be a lot more difficult to use. On top of that, HTML tables do not work well with WordPress. On the contrary, you can easily add an amazing customizable table to your content with Thrive architect.
$89 - $249
Integrations with 39
Lifetime updates, Yes
Unlimited site, NO
This above table is an simple example, there are more than 10+ eye catching table templates available in the dashboard.
Confused between Thrive Architect vs Divi Builder, our post will help to under you better.
That's why I always say, there might be plugins better than Architect but when it comes to affiliate marketing, I bet you can't match the features.
There are even more tables designs are added in recent times where you can add images, star ratings, color background.
Online marketing essentially revolves around text and image content these days. Creating amazing blog posts is a very effective way of promoting awareness for a certain brand among the traffic.
However, before a blog post can create its own impact on the visitors, it is the format of the blog post that would actually entice the visitors to read it.
Thrive Architect helps your blog posts look unimaginably beautiful brilliant with formatting options like highlight boxes, styled lists, social share buttons, and more. You can find all these options in Thrive Architect Tool Box.
You can check this post from your mobile device on how good it appears.
The essential part of business is conversion and this one has got everything needed to make your page stand out of the crowd.
While writing this content, there are over 100 styled box and look few below
Thrive Architect has added a new dimension to Hover Effects by taking it one step further. It allows you to add hover effects to anything inside a container element, on hover of that container element.
In this plugin, the hover can be done as per our idea while the earlier version lacks this. Just over the button and border of the above elements, you can check the hover effect.
The gif shows a good outline of the hover effects
More responsive now
Some of the elements with old version wont be responsive in all screens and this plugin solves the issues. Here, within this screen you can check the responsiveness of the design unlike older version where you need to manually preview the changes.
Even if you found some elements not responsive, you can simply adjust them later. Even you can add hide elements that are not needed for particular device users.
Here is the link where you can check the growing database of stunning templates for any of your needs including homepage templates, review, client business, webinar etc.
Needless to say, a well-conceived Homepage in terms of design and layout can have a huge impact on visitors. You should design it in such a way that it engages the visitors and this will subsequently help in increasing conversions. Thrive Architect visual page builder gives you everything that you might need to create the most powerful homepage for your website.
Thrive Architect page builder provides you with a wide range of professional templates to choose from. Besides, one can improve the looks of one’s existing homepage with the help of different elements like horizontal opt-in forms, columns, social share icons and more. Of course, you can add them as per your need and add whichever you like to make your homepage look incredibly attractive unlike ever before.
Webinars and Product Launches are part and parcel of every online business nowadays. Thrive Architect allows you to select from a wide range of stunning templates to build your webinar pages, and one should find a suitable template for every marketing strategy.
Even for creating pages for Product Launch, you will find it ridiculously easy to create unimaginably professional product launch pages with Thrive Architect page builder.
Over the years, Thrive Architect has helped many users easily publish their content on the Internet in the most attractive ways without having to take much time. This is one reason behind its outstanding popularity among users.
It has undoubtedly helped people materialize their imagination into real designs. Here are some advanced tricks which you could try out to get your design even better.
Thrive Architect allows you to have full-width vertical split layouts with background extended to the entire screen width. It is a brilliant feature to create an amazing visual impact on your visitors. However, with Thrive Architect Page builder's full-width layouts, it will work equally well on all themes and all screens (of your visitors).
Think about sales pages and what is the first thing to cross your mind? It is certainly excellent copywriting to draw the attention of visitors at once as they visit the page. Thrive Architect helps you have copywriting of professional quality without having to hire a expert.
However, with WordPress editor, you do not really have the complete freedom of editing sales pages. This is where Thrive Architect page builder comes in really handy and offers you amazing freedom to have the best copywriting on your sales pages.
Most importantly, one could use the tailor-made templates and have the most stunning copywriting by simply filling in the black spaces on the template.
The best thing about Thrive Architect is the fact that it allows you to edit and style every detail like editing the roundness of a button corner and more. Most importantly, you could do it with a live preview of the changes you make, and there is absolutely no need for coding to do this.
For those who have decided to use Thrive Architect, here is a list of few plugins that you could at once get rid of since Thrive Architect includes all of these as built-in elements and with better functionality.
With Membership, there are a lot of suite of tools and it offers very close integration for better results.
In this site, I use most other products and its easy to integrate if you use leads, ultimatum or quiz builder etc
Building a mailing list and helping it grow larger is essential for every online business nowadays. You need to have amazing landing pages for your business to capture the email addresses of the subscribers. One could achieve it with the help of brilliant lead magnets or offers.
However, the one most important factor to emphasize when creating a landing page is the navigation, and you could always strive to keep the navigation simple on your landing page for your visitors so that they can easily subscribe to your mailing list and have their offer in return.
With the Thrive Architect visual page builder, one can create attractive yet simple landing pages to have more subscribers in a short span of time.
Even Though you have a wide range of Contact Form Plugins in WordPress to choose from, most of them are pretty clunky and are also difficult to customize.
This is where Thrive Architect comes in really handy and it comes with a built-in contact form element that allows you to create fully customized contact form in just a few minutes. This is the reason that you should uninstall your old contact form plugin at once and start creating beautiful contact form using the Thrive Architect only.
The recent update offers inbuilt contact thus making you to disable of external plugins for contacts. Below is the sample form I've created.
Attractive Text-Image Combinations
Images can always extend the power of your text content to a large extent. With the Thrive Architect page builder, one can not only add amazing background images but also have images with text overlay to create a brilliant visual impact on your visitors.
However, text on images may not be very clear and visitors may find it a little difficult to read. Thrive Architect largely helps you overcome this issue as it offers you colored overlays or gradient overlays that you could add to your images for a proper text visibility. At the same time, it helps you easily add brand color to images.
You will have a perfect control over topography as long as you use Thrive Architect. With over 700 custom fonts to select from and brilliant typeface options, you certainly can have an amazing Glossy Magazine look with your titles really standing out to grab the attention of your visitors in no time.
Font Icon plugins is a pretty old fashioned way to add scalable icons to a site. You no longer need any third party Font Icon Plugin as long as you use Thrive Architect since it comes with a built-in modern SVG icon solution.
Click-to-Tweet Sharing Plugins
"Click-to-Tweet" is certainly a brilliant plugin to have more shares for your content as well as to engage readers on Twitter. However, as you install Thrive Architect, you can say goodbye to your old third party "Click-to-Tweet" plugin since Thrive Architect has "Click-to-Tweet" as a built-in element.
Thrive Architect Pricing
Thrive Architect now comes with Thrive Suite where you can get access to all Thrive Themes and plugins. The plan starts at $19 per month. I always love their pricing. Even with such a huge update, the pricing remains same and there is no better time to get the plugin for building high conversion pages.
I'll update this Review with pricing if there any changes happens in future. If you still looking for discounts, you can actually Membership where you can enjoy all the plugins & themes for such deal price .
For those new:
Thrive Content Builder is the WordPress plugin used to build effective conversion focused web pages and most of the beautiful sites you found over the internet is built using this WordPress Plugin.
Now the plugin is completely revamped which comes with additional features like the vertical layout and much-needed features as requested by existing users and launched an upgraded product and so as this new Thrive Architect Review 2020.
If for any reason, you're looking for Alternative, you can try Divi Builder through Elegant Themes Coupon Code or try Instapage which works even on non-WordPress sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does thrive architect work with any theme?
Thrive Architect works with any theme as long as the themes are getting updated to latest WordPress standards. Check our recommended list of themes here.
2. How much is thrive architect?
Thrive Architect is available at $67 with lifetime updates. From second year onwards, pay a limited amount for support alone.
3. How much is thrive themes?
Thrive Themes is base theme for any page builders including Architect. You can get Thrive Themes Membership for $19/month and get access to Thrive Themes now.

domain: design


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domain: economics


text:
MERRITT ISLAND -- Rick Rescott was skimming the Banana River at full throttle when he spotted the blue light and heard the siren howling from the boat behind him.
Like dozens of boaters each year, Rescott was being stopped for speeding through a federal manatee-protection zone.
But unlike most, Rescott was a towboat operator responding to a call of a sinking vessel.
Now the Merritt Island man, who refused to pay a $100 fine and opted to fight his case in court, faces a possible $25,000 fine and six months in federal prison.
His sentencing today after his conviction two weeks ago caps what Rescott calls a "ludicrous" chain of events that prompted him to leave his job.
It also underscores the battle between some boaters, who condemn Rescott's conviction, and some manatee advocates, who cheer it.
"I think Rick's getting a bad deal," said Tom McGill, a Merritt Island charter-boat captain who unsuccessfully sued the state over manatee-protection regulations. "This is a guy who was just trying to help people."
Save the Manatee Club spokeswoman Nancy Sadusky disagreed.
"The speed zones are there for a reason," she said. "We do agree with the judge's decision."
Rescott said during a preliminary hearing in August that he and several others cited for violating manatee-protection regulations were told by federal prosecutors they could either pay the $100 fine or face the possibility of a much stiffer penalty.
"This is how the government intimidates people into paying the fine and not wasting the court's time," Rescott said. "But I don't think I did anything wrong."
Federal prosecutors, who acknowledged that most folks pay the $100, would not discuss specifics of Rescott's case before today's sentencing in federal court in Orlando.
"All I can say is that our goal is to get people to slow down for manatees," said Steve Cole, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office. "People need to understand there are consequences, and he had his day in court."
On April 20, 2002, Rescott, a former firefighter and paramedic, was operating a SeaTow salvage and towing vessel in the Merritt Island Barge Canal when he received a call from his boss about "a sinker in the river."
Rescott, who insists he didn't know whether anyone was aboard the disabled boat, said he was stopped in the river by three federal wildlife officers in an unmarked vessel.
Rescott said he showed the officers a copy of a variance that SeaTow had obtained from the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, exempting its employees from manatee speed zones.
After a contentious 30-minute encounter, Rescott was allowed to continue to the disabled vessel in the area of Newfound Harbor, where he found his boss and John Overchuck, owner of the disabled boat.
Overchuck had called SeaTow after discovering that his 20-foot, $25,000 Talon had slid partially off the boat lift at his dock.
While they waited for Rescott, the boat sank to the bottom.
Two months later, Rescott received a notice of violation in the mail and left SeaTow after his boss said he should pay the $100, he said. On April 21, Rescott was convicted of engaging in an unlawful waterborne activity after a daylong trial before U.S. Magistrate David A. Baker.
In his ruling, Baker said SeaTow's variance allowed its operators to exceed posted speed limits only in the Barge Canal and Sykes Creek to reach disabled vessels in an emergency.
Federal law allows exemptions in all areas if it's "reasonably necessary to prevent the loss of life or property." But the magistrate ruled that the situation was not an emergency.
Baker said that although it was necessary to tow the sinking boat to a repair shop, it did not justify speeding through a manatee zone.
He said Rescott knew no one was aboard the Talon, was uncooperative with officers and lingered in the area to chat with another boater after he was stopped.
The owner of the sinking boat said this week that he had considered the circumstances urgent and was astounded by the judge's ruling.
"That's incredible that he got convicted," said Overchuck, an Orlando lawyer who testified at Rescott's trial. "I like manatees, but there are zealots taking this way too far."


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Western Massachusetts Council, Boy Scouts of America
Want to make a donation using Daffy?
Lower your income taxes with a charitable deduction this year when you donate to this non-profit via Daffy.
About this organization
The Mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Interesting data from their 2019 990 filing
The non-profit's aim, as stated in the filing, is “The mission of the boy scouts of america is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the scout oath and law.”.
When referring to its actions, they were outlined as: “The mission of the boy scouts of america is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the scout oath and law.”.
- The non-profit has complied with legal obligations by reporting their state of operation as MA.
- The non-profit's address in 2019 is noted in the filing as 1 ARCH ROAD, WESTFIELD, MA, 01086.
- The non-profit's form for 2019 reports a total of 62 employees.
- Is not a private foundation.
- Expenses are greater than $1,000,000.
- Revenue is greater than $1,000,000.
- Revenue less expenses is $780,064.
- The organization has 28 independent voting members.
- The organization was formed in 1965.
- The organization pays $608,027 in salary, compensation, and benefits to its employees.
- The organization pays $82,250 in fundraising expenses.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, Inc.Boston, MA
The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (BGCB) is to help young people, especially those who need us most, build strong character and realize their full potential as responsible citizens and leaders. We do this by providing: safe havens filled with hope and opportunity, ongoing relationships with caring adults, and life-enhancing programs.
Boys & Girls Club of Plymouth, Inc.Plymouth, MA
The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Plymouth is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as caring, productive, and responsible citizens. The Club will provide area youth with activities designed to build self-esteem, develop leadership skills, and promote positive life choices. We pursue these goals with purpose, passion, and patience.
Girls Incorporated of Greater LowellLowell, MA
Girls Incorporated of Greater Lowell provides out of school time enrichment programs that empower today's girls to be strong, smart and bold; to build self esteem through career and life planning, health/sexuality education, leadership and community service, sports and the arts.
Arlington Boys & Girls Club, IncArlington, MA
To provide a fun, safe, supportive place for children to learn and grow; to have ongoing relationships with caring adults; and to take part in life enhancing programs emphasizing leadership and character development, education, health and life skills and sports, fitness and recreation
Wendell P Clark Memorial Young Mens Christian Association Inc.Winchendon, MA
To build a sense of community by developing character and positive values through activities that promote social, physical, and emotional well-being for all men, women, and children of all ages, abilities, incomes, races, and religions.
Girls Inc. of the ValleyHolyoke, MA
Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, providing more than 140,000 girls across the U.S. and Canada with life-changing experiences and solutions to the unique challenges girls face. The Girls Inc. experience consists of people, an environment, and programming that, together, empower girls to succeed. Trained staff and volunteers build mentoring relationships in girls-only spaces where girls find a sisterhood of support with mutual respect, and high expectations. Research-based programs provide girls with the skills and knowledge to overcome obstacles, and improve academic performance. Girls Inc. also works with policymakers to advocate for legislation and initiatives that increase opportunities for girls.
Eastern Orthodox Management CorpWorcester, MA
The Eastern Orthodox Management Corporation (EOMC) is committed to assisting individuals to experience life fully with purpose and dignity by providing a broad range of social and health-related services in a framework of high quality care and Christian love.
Boys and Girls Club of Cape Cod, Inc.Mashpee, MA
Our mission is to provide a safe place to inspire and enable all young people on Cape Cod to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. The Boys & Girls Club of Cape Cod provides: a safe place to learn and to grow through ongoing relationships with caring adult professionals and life-enhancing programs and character development experiences that foster hope and opportunity.
By donating on this page you are making an irrevocable contribution to Daffy Charitable Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity, and a subsequent donation recommendation to the charity listed above, subject to our Member Agreement. Contributions are generally eligible for a charitable tax-deduction and a yearly consolidated receipt will be provided by Daffy. Processing fees may be applied and will reduce the value available to send to the end charity. The recipient organizations have not provided permission for this listing and have not reviewed the content.
Donations to organizations are distributed as soon as the donation is approved and the funds are available. In the rare event that Daffy is unable to fulfill the donation request to this charity, you will be notified and given the opportunity to choose another charity. This may occur if the charity is unresponsive or if the charity is no longer in good standing with regulatory authorities.

domain: sociology


South African Struggle Icon's Family Chides ANC Over Name
The family of Dullah Omar, the nation's first minister of justice following democratic elections in 1994, has requested the immediate removal of the struggle stalwart's name from the ANC Cape Town Metro Region in the Western Cape, saying his "integrity, honesty and humility contrasts sharply with the behaviour and actions in recent years of many ANC leaders and members, up to and including President Jacob Zuma".
South Africa: Family of Struggle Stalwart Dullah Omar Chides ANC
News24Wire, 4 August 2017
The family of late African National Congress struggle stalwart Dullah Omar has distanced itself from the ANC region bearing his name, who have indicated that they will lead a march… Read more »
South Africa: Omar Family Statement on ANC's Use of Dullah Omar's Name
Omar Family, 4 August 2017
Statement from the widow, children and family of the late Dullah Omar, former and first minister of justice in democratic South Africa: Read more »
Dullah Omar (file photo).


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Thursday, September 23, 2010; Posted: 12:09 PM - by Pat Cerasaro
Today we are taking a listen to one of the most hotly anticipated albums of the year from one of the biggest stars in entertainment history - Hollywood, Broadway and beyond - the incomparably divine Liza Minnelli and her new studio album CONFESSIONS. Having appeared in countless films, concerts, television specials and seemingly every other form of media over the years - not to mention her many appearances on Broadway, among them a 2009 Tony Winner for LIZA'S AT THE PALACE - this lady of the stage and screen needs no introduction. But, if pressed: CABARET, CHICAGO, NEW YORK NEW YORK, ALFIE, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT - and so many more. Surely, we thought she had done it all - and with very good reason - but then comes this moment, this album, this Liza. It's everything you would not expect - plus a few glorious things you would - which makes it the ultimate meta-Minnelli album. Music fans surely won't want to miss this truly Holy CONFESSIONS. Liza-lujah!
The Church of Liza
Like showbiz sacraments, so many moments on Liza Minnelli's road to stardom have heralded her truly transcendental gifts as an actress, a singer and a dancer - and as a performer par excellence. A life like hers deserves deep divining, particularly the depths of her definite divinity. As a world, we witnessed the wedding of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli and the birth of their only child together. As an audience, our First Communion was when we saw that daughter emerge as a star of the highest caliber in her own right, Baptized by Broadway in FLORA THE RED MENACE, directed by Harold Prince who would soon become the king of Broadway. The Confirmation rituals were the ceremonies where she won the Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and multiple Tony Awards. So, too, was she christened Hollywood royalty through the Holy Orders of Otto Preminger, Bob Fosse, Martin Scorsese and others. Her musical Marriage to Kander & Ebb has yielded some of the greatest specialty songs of all-time - and best barn-burners ever written. So, here we are, now, with what could have very well been Liza's Last Rites, yet it‘s a reawakening; a renaissance. And it's just right. CONFESSIONS is the album we have all been waiting for, fans of any and every feather, yellow, blue or grey. CONFESSIONS is consistently charming, cool, classy and carefully constructed. It is intimate, refined, atmospheric and - particularly "At Last" - heavenly.
A deceptively involving, delicate and incandescent album, CONFESSIONS is fodder with which to prove the naysayer wrong with the star of the show doing exactly what we would least and last expect her to do. After all, she always keeps us guessing, that's why she's lasted so long. She has done it all and she has attained it all, so now she is going to take no prisoners and strip it all away. She's going to bare-bones-blues it. Just a piano, maybe an occasional ensemble number, but letting the songs speak and sing and shine for themselves - and letting the supreme storyteller at the center weave her web, spider-like, over the audience with every song she tells and story she sings. In keeping with the naked nature of the album, all revealed: my particular bias lies with the first and last tracks, which I find to be sheer delectable perfection and - like the album itself - for all the most unexpected and surprising reasons. Understated, slightly mysterious and overflowing with emotion - much of it repressed, on the surface - this is not the album one would expect Liza Minnelli to make in 2010, particularly coming after her gaudy and glitzy appearance singing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" in SEX & THE CITY 2. But much like her heritage - familial and religious - she can do a return (never a "comeback") like no one else and become that bright-burning beacon of millions of Broadway marquee bulbs bursting simultaneously. Such is the power of Liza Minnelli, and she doesn't even need to be plugged in (this album is almost entirely unplugged) to wow you with her wattage. You can consider CONFESSIONS psalm-like proof of the fact of Minnelli‘s ever-maturing mastery of music, performance and storytelling through song has never been better - call it the Shroud of Turin. Or, as Sally Bowles (or Irving) would say: the Shroud of Berlin.
A sweet and sexy specialty song for a 1950s Judy Holliday album begets the title track "Confession" which begins the album with a bawdy and brusque bang. What a risqué and rowdy way to start the show! And so it goes... this is a very romantic and intimate album in all senses of both of those words. Furthermore, the sensual nature of Minnelli's delivery abets the enterprise even more alluring and enticing - reaching its apotheosis in the life-affirming glow and unadorned glory of Liza's take on Etta James's classic blues ballad "At Last" which closes out the album. It's ecstasy - religious, sexual, theatrical or otherwise. What comes in between the first and last tracks is consistently concentrated, carefully crafted musical magic. Each selection creates a specific mood, sound, style, feeling and je ne sais quoi. "You Fascinate Me So" evokes a nightclub scene in a 40s noir. "All The Way" goes a long way in showing that that song can be taKen Down a notch or nine from Sinatra and still have resonance as, alternately, an anthem, a war-cry and a proclamation of resilience. In performance, Liza usually takes it all the way - and sometimes much further - but it is the distinct pleasure of CONFESSIONS that she is doing everything but that and showing so many new and exciting sides of her personality, talent, instrument and performance style. CONFESSIONS is the preservation and distillation of all those fine and refined features in one place. "I Hadn't Anyone Til You" is rueful and revealing. "This Heart Of Mine" is succulent, rollicking and just right with just enough punch and pizzazz to appease the Liza lovers who only like their leading lady in one flavor: bold. "I Got Lost In His Arms" also fulfills the fantasy of many fans, and while we never got to see an Annie Oakley ala Minnelli (either mother or daughter) this is just as good. Maybe even better. It's so mature, so elegant, so studied. "Remind Me" reminds us why Liza is the greatest singing storyteller alive, bar none. No one lives her lyrics like Liza lives her lyrics. No one. We experience the story of each song with her as if we are discovering something together. We are always a part of it. With Liza, every performance is as much about the audience as it is about the songs or even the performer or performance itself. So, too, is CONFESSIONS a communal experience - like church. The Church of Liza.
Blessed indeed is "Close Your Eyes", which is probably the best sample track of the album, and if one were to introduce a friend to the world of Ms. Minnelli as she is now, today - not Sally Bowles or Roxie Hart or any of the many faces of Minnelli we have come to know over the years - this would be the very best example to utilize. After you hear it you may be compelled to ask yourself, whether fan or neophyte, "Who could do this better than she just did it?" To which the reply undoubtedly was, is and forever shall be: "No one." Following suit comes "He's A Tramp". A little bit like "Roxie" from CHICAGO - an intentional homage on the parts of les messieurs Kander et Ebb in CHICAGO - Liza may have done these numbers to utter perfection with unmatched energy and electricity in her heyday, but she can find world-weary pathos and add a life-learned lilt and verve to her phrasing now which makes songs of this order even richer as a result. "I Must Have That Man" is much more the sort of song that Liza fans have come to expect from her, and the next track has almost assuredly made its appearance on this album for far more than the lyric referencing her mama - "On Such A Night As This" - but, audience-appeasement aside, both paint a more complete picture of the lady with the torch at the center of the story, the total portrait that is created when the album is viewed as a complete, collective work of art - because, after all, art it is. Albums like this aren't easy. And, as Sondheim would say, neither is art. This is a new phase for Liza, both in the sound and timbre of her instrument and the songs which she can truly excel at performing now more than ever. A storyteller like Liza doesn't need the sparkles and sequins, as nice as they are. Actually, without them, her talent is even more astounding, as this album proves time and time again, moment by moment. "Moments Like This" is fun and funky, with some super-hot riffs and vivid vocalization (even a bit ala Mary J. Blige). "If I Had You" is perhaps a tad too slow at the get-go, but there is a damn good reason - you see, Liza has her own twist on every song she deigns sing, and the songs are almost always the better for it. In concert, you are always aware of her telling you the story but with the visual element eliminated all we have left is the most talented song-storyteller alive on an album like CONFESSIONS. The Aesop of arpeggios and Arlen, song-weaver Liza Minnelli.
If her greatest performance of all time in LIZA WITH A Z (as captured on video by Bob Fosse) is the main course, CONFESSIONS is the coffee, dessert and aperitif that come afterwards. Unquestionably, by the time we reach "At Last" it is clear from the shivers on our spine, the goose-bumps on our arms and the tears on our cheeks - and smiles, so many, many smiles, too - that, at last, we have arrived. We're here, we're home and aren't we lucky? What a trip we've had, what a ride - and what a tour-guide! Simply put, if "At Last" doesn't make you smile, you don't know how. If this album doesn't lift your spirits, you must be a heartless ghost. You can practically - hell, verifiably - hear her smiling. Who else can act that?! CONFESSIONS is so much of what we have loved about Liza in the past, so much of what we enjoy about her now and the enviable embodiment of what we anticipate the future will hold for her immense talent. She could record thirty more albums - this is her twenty-ninth studio album, by the way - in exactly this style and using these composers' song-stacks and the world of recorded music would be a much better place for it. As her husband Peter Allen once wrote, "Everything old is new again," and so is the case with CONFESSIONS - except that condition is compounded by the fact we have the very best getting even better while proving the adage true. This album is comfortably reminiscent of a time gone by in the sound and styling, yet fresh as a single long-stemmed rose in the delivery of the material by Ms. Minnelli. It's like your oldest, best friend showing up on your doorstep in vintage couture and with a perfect (but barely noticeable) face-lift. This album reveals all, spares none and wallows in it. It's brutally honest, unflinchingly real and raw humanity. It's a divine confession. Make it - and be absolutely absolved of your sins. You May Go in peace - and, after all she's been through, peace be with Liza. At last.
Read more: http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/SOUND_OFF_Holy_CONFESSIONS_20100923_page2#ixzz10PXcNax9


The range of power attenuators is available in the rating of 50w. It supports attenuation level of 5, 10, 20, 30dB.
The fixings of these devices are arranged to provide flexibility for inclusion within all types of equipment.
A wide variety of alternative base plates can be offered with drilled and tapped holes to suit customer requirements.
- Fixed from 5dB to 30dB
- Power capacity from 1w to 200w or higher
- Wide operating frequency range
- High power capacity
- Higher reliability
- Easy installation for indoor and outdoor


text:
For almost a decade Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic has been the dominant political figure in the country (even in the region) as well as its international representative. So when he makes his periodic announcements that he is going to leave politics they raise a lot of questions, in Serbia and abroad.
During those ten years, he didn’t only succeed in maintaining and increasing his power, but also in completely minimising the opposition. Vucic managed to become and remain the seemingly irreplaceable number one among his own people.
As a result, the vast majority of his supporters don’t see any of the people working with him as an eventual successor. Meanwhile, most of his opponents do not have anyone (yet) to put forward to replace him. This is a result of Vucic’s continuous hard work because he is in campaign mode every day, and every day is another chance to create a crisis and solve it (uniquely and gloriously) in order to boost his popularity.
Vucic himself works hard and he works in every field. He does the job of a statesman, but he also helps ordinary people with ordinary issues. As a statesman, he has elevated himself enough to be able to say: “L’etat, c’est moi”. By showing constantly how he also lives the life of a little man, he has come far enough to become a leader that many not only respect or support, but really love.
The ones that truly love him are mainly elderly and for them seeing the back of him is not just scary but unimaginable. Comments like these can often be heard on public transport or in public parks where pensioners sit and chat or play chess: “we are safe as long as we have him”, “we won’t be hungry while he is the president”, “there won’t be war while Vucic represents us”, “he is staying in politics because he cannot entrust us to anyone else” and so on.
Public expressions of admiration from those who work for Vucic are also quite common. Both groups are crucial for his political future.
A tricky legal question
Raising the subject of a third presidential mandate for Vucic started early — he just started his second five-year term in the spring of 2022. With his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) the largest party in parliament, his position is safe for the next few years.
However, thinking about the distant future is what he does (and what has kept him in power this long), and talking about the end of his political career is another common theme. According to local media, since 2017, he announced about ten times that he is resigning from the position of SNS head. He also often repeats that he is leaving politics, but he never actually says when.
The latest announcement was made during the president’s annual address to the nation on January 4, when Vucic said: “this is my last mandate, I’m not going to change the constitution, it’s not happening… In the first half of next year, I will not even be a president of a political party.”
When the statement is carefully read, nothing actually new was said. “Last mandate” as president still doesn’t mean last political mandate. Is “next year’ the lapse that everybody makes in the first week of January when they still call the new year next year, or he is talking about 2024? He won’t lead “a political party”, but what about coalition of parties or a citizen movement? There are so many options to stay in politics without being president of a political party. Serbs say: “every word has a tail”. In Vucic’s case that’s indeed true.
By saying he does not plan to change the constitution to extend his term, Vucic has set himself apart from leaders of former Soviet countries such as Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarus’ Aleksander Lukashenko, who, by changing the way the role of the president is defined in their constitutions, effectively reset the clock and allowed themselves to stand for two additional terms as president.
Should he change his mind and decide to go down this route (which can’t be ruled out), making a change to the Serbian constitution is a complex process. The first step would be to initiate a constitutional amendment in the parliament and obtain a two-thirds majority. Once a proposal for a constitutional change is approved, the parliament begins to work on the amendment and initiates a public debate. After this phase, the parliament again votes on the constitutional change and the votes of two-thirds of MPs are needed for approval. For some issues, including changes related to the role of the president, the parliament has to call a referendum. A constitutional amendment is considered accepted if the majority of people who vote in the referendum support it. This procedure (defined in the Article 206 in the Constitutional Act) is a long process and can take several years, which could be why Vucic has already spoken out loud about his thoughts.
At this moment, Vucic wouldn’t be able to easily secure 167 votes in the parliament (two thirds of the 250 MPs). According to the latest report of the Serbian Electoral Commission, the coalition around the SNS currently has 120 mandates. The coalition around its partner the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) adds 31. A small number of votes comes from parties of ethnic minorities, so Ana Brnabic’s SNS-led new cabinet passed parliament with 157 votes of support. However, before 2027, Serbia should hold one more round of parliamentary elections; the current parliamentary term ends in 2026, though Vucic has several times called early parliamentary elections.
When it comes to a referendum, that shouldn’t be a problem for Vucic, as his fans always vote. Supported by the SNS’s members and their families (the SNS is the largest political party in the country counting about 700,000 members), it could be an easy win over those that would bother to go and vote against. But, this still requires some work because of the anti-Vucic segment of society.
A cabinet post or ruling from the shadows
If amending the constitution is not an option for whatever reason, Vucic still has plenty of ways to stay in politics and keep ruling the country. As long as the SNS has a parliamentary majority or is able to create a coalition, Vucic will have a job — he can be prime minister, which he actually was for a couple of years before he became president. As PM, he could just continue doing what he already does with a different title.
If not PM, he can be a first deputy PM (PPV), a title created especially for him in 2012 when the SNS formed a government with the SPS and had to give the PM position to its president Ivica Dacic (Dacic never admitted it, but sitting in that chair was understood to be his condition for leaving his previous partner the Democratic Party and joining the SNS). Vucic can be a minister (of defence, perhaps, like he was while he was PPV). As long as he is president of the SNS, he won’t be unemployed.
In this, he would follow the example of Milo Djikanovic, current president of Montenegro but permanent de facto ruler of the country since the 1990s. Djukanovic has been president of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) since before Montenegro was an independent country. Even when Djukanovic didn’t hold a position in government, he always had power over it — just because he was president of the ruling party.
That could be a way to go for Vucic if he doesn’t want to constantly run election races. To date, his frequent announcements about a withdrawal from politics have been just part of these races. Whenever he says something like this, it sets the public on fire. It is not yet clear what’s the reason for such acts — political spin, to test the public and improve his rating, or just because he truly feels overwhelmed in the moment and has to vent. However, the way his media reports on his announcements is disturbing and creates panic in the country — some are scared that no one could be better than him while others are scared that he could be replaced by extremists who might cause disasters in the country.
No obvious successor
At this moment it is impossible to pick a potential successor as Vucic has surrounded himself with people whose political careers developed only once they became his close associates. Those people are extremely loyal and do not represent competition. They are known primarily as members of his team, making it difficult to single out any one of them to label as a future president.
Some, who have been close to Vucic since he first came to power, have a relatively high profile within Serbia. One of them is Sinisa Mali, current minister of finance and former mayor of Belgrade. However, he can’t hope to emulate Vucic’s popularity because he has been embroiled in numerous scandals — from media reports that he owns 24 apartments in Bulgaria, to accusations that he plagiarised his PhD.
Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabic is also very loyal and a hard worker, but as Serbia’s first openly gay PM she cannot be seen as a successor because Serbs are not yet ready to directly vote for a lesbian to become their president.
A third name from within the government ranks is the former mayor of Novi Sad who is now minister of defence, Milos Vucevic. His is a new name on the national scene and a name that Vucic promotes. Most voters still do not know him though, and for ordinary people, a minister of defence is not a key figure whose work they would follow and value.
On the opposition side it is hard to find anyone able to bring together multiple small parties and collect all their votes in order to really gain visibility and credibility. Vucic and his SNS used all available tools to destroy the opposition in the country but the opposition itself helped them by fighting among themselves and failing to unite effectively.
There are rumours that former minister of energy Zorana Mihajlovic might form a party and challenge Vucic, but nothing has happened yet. Mihajlovic is openly for faster EU integration, sanctions against Russia and energy diversification (or a decrease in Serbia’s dependance on Russia). As such, she is not a favourite with official Moscow and a lot of effort was put into destroying her reputation. She may be a choice of some that hold similar views, but that still wouldn’t be enough for a victory.
Right now, Serbia is poisoned by Putinism and “Zrbism”, a pejorative title for Serbian nationalists that support the invasion of Ukraine and believe that Russia is Serbia’s mother and its protector from the West. Most Serbs do not want someone with these views to come anywhere near the country’s institutions because Serbia is still a way more democratic society than Russia. Even for Serbs sympathetic to Russia and with strong anti-Vucic sentiment, the arrival of a successor from among the “Zrbs” is a scary idea.
The only thing really known about the succession in Serbia is that if Vucic was to resign today, the acting president would be current parliament speaker Vladimir Orlic — a 40-year-old SNS member since 2008 and holder of a PhD in telecommunication.
Tito after Tito, but after Vucic who?
Even though almost nothing about Vucic is certain, one thing is for sure — he wants to become part of history. Some in Serbia hope his final goal is to reach a deal with Pristina and earn a Nobel Peace Prize and then retire. If that is indeed his dream, it would secure a better future for the whole region. People that don’t like him don’t believe that this is his dream, instead, they say that he dreams of being the new Tito.
Joseph Broz Tito, the president and self declared marshal of post WWII Yugoslavia, was indeed loved throughout the federation and many still miss him and that country. Tito’s mandate only ended when he died. Those that remember the day of his death in May 1980 claim that there wasn’t a single person in Yugoslavia that didn’t cry.
Tito kept Yugoslavia outside of the Iron Curtain because of his antagonism with Joseph Stalin, head of the Soviet Union. Both were communists and, just like Stalin, Tito didn’t like those who had different political views from his, who usually ended up in political prisons. Vucic doesn’t like to hear criticism and doesn’t deal well with it, but is still far away from such political repression. But, just as Vucic’s supporters believe that if he leaves politics something bad will happen, many Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks and even Slovenians still remember Tito nostalgically and claim that the good life ended after his death.
This belief is in line with the main slogan of Tito’s communists: Tito after Tito. Yugoslavia broke up barely 10 years after Tito’s death. Many songs were written for Tito during his life but also after his death, as well as shortly before the collapse of the country he led. One of those, performed by the Sarajevo band Index even had words of this communist slogan: “and what now, southern country, if anyone asks us, we will say: Tito again, Tito after Tito!”
This slogan is often used to make fun of Vucic and the extent and duration of his power. However, the question of what comes after Vucic remains open, and it looks like even he doesn’t have a precise answer to it.
Ann Smith has been following and writing about transitional justice, war crimes, human rights, security (defence and terrorism), European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations and international relations in the Balkans since 2000. She holds a masters degree in humanitarian international law as well as in journalism/political sciences.


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Blog: Weekend of Intense ROCK
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ANYWAY, whilst enjoying a Well Deserved Pint at the end of our expedition into commerce i got a call from Claire Dicko, she of Kooba Radio, Virgin Stores Radio, Xfm and, most brilliantly, The Voice Of Film 4. She was recording some people saying "Hello!" for the show she works for on FM, so i RATHER GLAMOROUSLY recorded it there and then in THE PUB. "Ah, the work of an International Rock Star never ends!" said The Sparkle In My Tinsel when it was over, and i was forced to agree.
Next day I got an email from Rachel from The Friends Of The Heroes asking me to take part in this Spoken Word Songs PROJECT she's doing. She's getting lots of different people to read stories she'd written over music by (i think) her band - sounds like a SMASHING idea to me, so i am GEARING UP my VOICEOVER MUSCLES in preparation.
I also got a rather GROOVY email from Mr Jamieson Sutcliffe. Jamie is a pal of MANY MANY years standing who came to my gig in Leicester at Sumo at the end of the year and took part in the VAN GAME, where we all stood round making up song titles involving the word VAN. You might not be surprised to discover that DRINK had been taken at this point, and also that it got funnier as MORE drink was "used".
He was obviously MOVED by the occasion and so has started a WEBSITE dedicated to it -www.thevangame.co.uk. GO JAMIE!
And finally I done went and wrote yet ANOTHER new song, DINOSAUR PLANET, based LYRICALLY on an idea for a FILM i've been carting around with me for years and MUSICALLY on some of the tunes that Mr Francis Albert Machine sent me. In about fifteen minutes I'm off again to Studio Sonic to record a demo of it, along with the other songs I've done recently AND a Mystery Cover Version. News of how it goes, NEXT time!
posted 15/1/2007 by MJ Hibbett
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Does Mohs surgery require downtime?
We explore the answer to this and many other questions surrounding Mohs surgery, below.
What Is MOHs Surgery?
During Mohs surgery your surgeon will remove cancerous tissue from your body in a precise and measured way.
Your skin tissue that is extracted is methodically evaluated under a microscope to detect any sign of cancer.
Once you have had a layer of skin removed which presents with zero traces of cancer, your wound will be closed up and the procedure is complete.
Does Mohs Surgery Hurt?
You can expect your surgeon to perform this common surgery under a local anesthetic which will block any pain.
Once the anesthesia has worn off you will likely experience some soreness in the treatment area which can be relieved through over the counter medication.
How to Prepare for Mohs Surgery
Your doctor will likely provide a list of things to do to prepare for your surgery.
This can include stopping certain medications, instructions on what to eat before your appointment and cleaning instructions for the treatment area.
Does Mohs Surgery Require Downtime?
You should limit physical activity for one week or so after your Mohs surgery.
It is not uncommon to experience some bruising or swelling following your surgery.
Caring for a Mohs Surgery Wound
The proper steps to care for your wound will depend on your doctor’s choice for wound healing.
For example, if you received stitches, you will need to schedule to have them removed one week or two weeks after your surgery.
Mohs Surgery Facilities Near Me
Acworth Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center operates under the direction of Johnathan L. Chappell, MD.
Dr. Chappell is not only a board-certified dermatologist, but he is also a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon.
To schedule a consultation for your Mohs surgery at Acworth Dermatology today call us at (678)505-8030.

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