Chris Paul drove right, picked up his dribble and tossed the ball back to Jamal Crawford who launched a 33 foot brick and as the buzzer sounded. Last nights loss 98-96 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans leaves the Los Angeles Clippers two and a half games back( 3 in the loss column) of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With the loss, the Clippers have basically created their seed ceiling ( the 3 seed in the west). In addition to this, they are now in a fight for that three seed with the Houston Rockets who are only a game back of the Clippers. Portland currently sits in the 5 spot and they are 5 games back of LAC meaning the Clippers will be locked in to either a three or a four seed when the season concludes.
A reader contacted me a while back telling me that Matt Barnes was a great defender and was a better option then Danny Granger. Well Anthony Morrow scored 27 points last night while Barnes was primarily the one who was checking him. That can’t happen in the playoffs because it wont be Anthony Morrow, it will be Kevin Durant, or Klay Thompson, or Kawhi Leonard etc. And that number wont be 27, it will be 47. So rotationally, adjustments could be made, and the idea of Granger getting more minutes should be floated around. The Clippers coaching staff now realizes a lot of their defensive success will be predicated on the management of how many minutes Barnes and Granger play and in what capacity they are uses defensively.
I am not a guy who typically rips Chris Paul, he’s my favorite player and I believe he is the best guard on the planet. He caused the Clippers loss last night, there is no way around that. He scored two points and was 0 for 12 from the floor. It was his worst shooting night of the season and lowest scoring night. Don’t expect to see that Chris Paul heading towards the playoffs.
Glass half full, this was actually a good loss for Loss Angeles considering it answered many questions for them in terms of their seeding, defensive scheming, and also CP3 got his worst game of the season out of the way before the playoffs. Also, Jamal Crawford looks to be back in form as he scored 31 points last night and was the games high scorer. With only 10 games left to play, LAC knows what they need to do to hang on to the 3 seed.


Following the release of Firefox 10.0.1 on Friday, the Mozilla organization has released version 10.0.1 of its Thunderbird E-mail client, for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. This new version of Thunderbird fixes the same Critical vulnerability fixed in Firefox 10.0.1, and also incorporates some other bug fixes. More details are available in the Release Notes.
Because of its security content, I recommend updating your system to the new version as soon as you conveniently can. You can get the new version via the built-in update mechanism (Help / About Thunderbird / Check for Updates), or you can download an installation package in a variety of languages.


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| Nov 11, 2004
To Spc. Jashua Woods, Sgt. Carlos Camacho-Rivera will always be the roommate he had to hide homemade cookies from, the friend who never failed to make him laugh and the soldier he always wanted to be more like.
"If he could find a way to pull a joke on...
| Jun 30, 2014
| 8:19 AM
Nearly 800,000 people voted in a nonbinding Hong Kong referendum aimed at agitating for greater democracy, organizers said early Monday, and the semi-autonomous Chinese city was bracing for hundreds of thousands of people to march through the streets...
| Jun 29, 2014
Mrs. Malaprop, a character in Richard Sheridan's play "The Rivals," replaced familiar terms with similar-sounding words and phrases, often with hilarious results. Can you find 35 malapropisms in this character profile? . . .
My eccentric uncle, who likes...
| May 29, 2014
| 2:24 PM
Accused National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden was handed a golden opportunity to justify himself Wednesday when he was asked by NBC's Brian Williams whether the American public should view his unauthorized release of thousands of classified U.S....
| Apr 12, 2014
| 6:18 PM
After spending a week whisking away nearly 400 cattle they said were illegally grazing on federal land in the Nevada desert, officials facing a battalion of protesters with horses and guns decided to free those cattle in a stunning reversal Saturday...
| Apr 29, 2014
| 4:47 PM
Iraq’s worst surge in sectarian violence since 2008, fueled by protracted political disputes, makes the first parliamentary election since the U.S.-led occupation anything but promising.
Over the last year, Islamic militants have targeted...
| Apr 10, 2014
| 4:50 PM
Dreadfully earnest about its politics in the manner of John Sayles at his preachiest, the indie historical thriller "No God, No Master" draws a line from the civil unrest of 1920s anti-immigrant America to today's terror-besotted society that's so...
| Feb 11, 2014
Chances are that if you had booked a tour to Bangkok for this spring, you're having an "agonizing reappraisal" right about now. Or if you're already there, you're thinking about avoiding the local hassle by going somewhere else or going home early. If so,...
| Aug 15, 2013
| 3:21 PM
The notion that religious freedom is under siege isn't just an American preoccupation. Some Christian leaders in Britain also have sounded the alarm, prompting a pointed rejoinder from the former spiritual leader of the Church of England that also...
| Dec 28, 2013
| 5:00 AM
MEXICO CITY — It's only a matter of a couple of pesos. On the other hand, it's a 66% fare increase — and it's got many Mexico City residents hopping mad.
A recent increase in subway fares in Mexico City has touched off a protest movement...
| Nov 16, 2013
| 5:07 AM
When "hacktivist" Jeremy Hammond stood in a Chicago federal courtroom seven years ago and explained that his cybercrimes were altruistic acts of civil disobedience, he was cut a break by a judge who chalked it up to youthful folly.
Not this time.

domain: news


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MANILA, Philippines–Franchising companies have reported losses in excess of P3-billion over recent months as a result of the expanded truck ban policy, as well as the problems arising from heavy congestion at the Port of Manila. This has made it all the more difficult for members of the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (Affi) to reach growth targets set by the group for 2014.
The amount of losses incurred could possibly escalate to P10-15-billion, if the government does not resolve the traffic and congestion issues plaguing the Port of Manila, according to Armando O. Bartolome, chairperson of the Affi board.
“The P3 billion in losses incurred were due to the rising costs of goods and brokerage fees, among other charges. Suppliers have no choice but to increase their charges, which means that the profitability of the franchisors becomes even thinner and franchisors cannot simply increase their selling prices. We see these losses starting to escalate after (Manila) implemented the truck ban policy in February,” Bartolome said, referring to the city government policy that has since been lifted.
He clarified that the potential losses of up to P10-15-billion may be incurred as a result of lost business opportunities, as “Franchisors are not pushing too hard right now because of the lack of supply.”
Bartolome noted that the Affi, however, remains hopeful that the government would be able to address the issues, which are realistically expected to continue up to the second quarter of 2015.
The group still maintains a bullish outlook on its prospects this year, and anticipates a growth in revenue of at least 25-percent from the P63.4 billion posted in 2013; which marked a 20-percent increase from the revenue of 2012.
Certain factors were pinpointed by Bartolome as drivers of this growth; such as the increasing number of overseas Filipino workers and retirees in search of an alternative livelihood, the strong fundamentals of the economy and increasing development in the countryside, the growing trend in the industry is the development of non-food franchises.


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domain: medical


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I have a confession, despite the well known teaching (preaching) of never to judge a book by it's cover being drummed into me ever since I was little...I admit I do. But before you all get worried I literally mean books (I never judge people), I just can't help it. I just love walking round book stores both old and new and just seeing what covers or titles jump out at me.
I actually quite encourage the idea as I have read many a book that I wouldn't have even picked up if solely based on the blurb or reviews.
Of course the secondhand book shop covers are the best because you never quite know what you are going to find both on the cover and the inside pages. I was recently in a secondhand bookshop searching through the poetry section for some Sylvia Plath (I didn't find any) when I picked up a collection of old poems up only to find someones essay which had been typed up on a typewriter and a cutout from a newspaper of young Ringo Starr.
It just made me smile to think of the previous owner of this collection who obviously had good taste (I myself have quite a thing for the young Ringo ever since I saw the 1964 film A Hard Day's Night in lower sixth for Film Studies although older Ringo is another matter). I wonder what she was thinking when she placed the cutout in among the poetry, did the poem beside it have any significance (I regret I never looked to see what it was)?
It really is fascinating so I encourage you if you are a judging book virgin to highly give it a go, even just the once you might be pleasantly surprised. Oh and it does not only have to be confined to books, it also works with music - I have bought whole albums never hearing a song from a band and I have yet to be disappointed so really give it a go and let me know how you get on.
PHOTO: recent secondhand book shop find.

domain: hobby


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Industry: Offices of lawyers
425 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1T6
No accessible law office near you? Axess Law offers flat fee & award-winning legal services in Ontario specializing in real estate, wills, notaries, and more!
We are collecting data to better understand who is looking for work and what kind of opportunities jobseekers are searching for. This data is completely anonymous and non-personally identifiable.

domain: law


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The first time I had Tomato Shorba, I thought that the restaurant had cheated me by giving me flavoured tomato water ;) I slowly and gradually developed a taste for it. And it has become one of my favourites now. I got so addicted at one time that whenever I had friends visiting me, I would literally kidnap them to this restaurant! Remember, Vrindu?
Note - This was in a restaurant in Adyar, Chennai. Since morning, I have been raking my brain (read Google and Google Maps) trying to remember the restaurant's name :( Even then, no complaints against google since I got the Tomato Shorba recipe using it :) The link is here. This is supposedly a Maharastrian recipe as per Tarla Dalal shown here.
Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
Large tomato - 3 chopped into cubes
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup (I used the Chakoah canned coconut milk.)
Gram Flour (Besan) - 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice from half a lemon
Salt - 1 tsp or as per taste
Sugar - 1/4 tsp or as per taste
Olive oil - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaf - 4
Small Green chilli - 4, sliced into halves
Fresh coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Pressure cook the chopped tomatoes for 1 whistle in medium-high heat with half a teaspoon of salt and sufficient water. After the whistle, cook for 10 mins in low heat. Mash the tomatoes. Use a strainer to separate the skin-seeds residue from the juice. We will only use the juice.
Mix the coconut milk with gram flour. Take care to avoid lumps of gram flour. To this, add the tomato juice prepared as part of Step 1. Add the lemon juice, salt and sugar. Mix it well.
Heat olive oil. Add butter. Olive oil is only being used to prevent the butter from burning (Tip from Paula's Cooking in Food Network).
Add cumin seeds, curry leaf and green chilli. Once the cumin is brown, add the tomato-coconut milk mixture prepared in Step 2.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fresh ground pepper powder.
I am submitting this for the Super Soup Challenge being hosted by Tami of Running with Tweezers. Due date for this is September 10th, 2007.

domain: food


Texas Troops to Teachers
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Unprecedented economic growth in a number of African countries is going hand in hand with soaring inequality, which national tax systems are failing to address, according to a new report.
Report authors, Tax Justice Network-Africa and international development agency Christian Aid, say the surge in inequality is not simply the result of the rich getting richer.
Instead, there is clear evidence that in many cases growth is taking place at the expense of the poor, who are becoming increasingly impoverished.
As a result, progress in human development has been disappointingly limited given the volume of wealth created during a decade of high growth across the continent
The report, ‘Africa Rising? Inequalities and the essential role of fair taxation’, says tax is one of the most potent tools governments have to address inequality, but tax systems in many African countries currently do not fulfil that function.
Instead, taxes have been introduced that disadvantage the poor, while tax systems that could be used to redistribute wealth more fairly are being undermined by tax dodging and illicit finance flows facilitated by off-shore secrecy.
The report investigates income inequality in eight sub-Saharan countries, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and examines the ability of the tax systems in each to raise money to address poverty by taxing companies and individuals with higher incomes.
Alvin Mosioma, spokesperson for Tax Justice Network, Africa, says the findings showed inequality is becoming a problem that should be of ‘huge concern’ to most of the governments concerned.
‘Inequality has been exacerbated by the growth model in many countries which has seen a concentration of income,’ he said. ‘It also reflects the inability of governments to tax the proceeds of growth, either because so much is given away in corporate tax breaks, or has escaped offshore into tax havens.
‘Until tax dodging is tackled effectively, nationally and internationally, and illicit finance flows from the continent halted, economic inequality will continue to rise.’
He added that a forthcoming report from the African high level panel on illicit financial flows from Africa, chaired by former South African president Thabo Mbeki, would present a key opportunity to recommend practical ways to address the problem*.
‘The panel has been looking at the scale of illicit wealth leaving Africa and investigating what can be done. This could not be more critical. Speaking with a unified African voice would have a huge impact in advocating for global change,’ he said.
Sophie Powell, Christian Aid’s Africa policy and advocacy manager, said: ‘African governments at present are finalising their position on the framework that should succeed the Millennium Development Goals at the end of 2015. They and other governments globally must prioritise the building of fair taxation systems to address inequality at its core.’
‘At present, while discussions on tax reform take place among the G8, G20 and OECD, it is still far from certain whether developing countries in Africa and elsewhere will be included in, or benefit from, the changes being discussed.’
The report examines the relationship between the national taxation systems in the countries examined, and international taxation issues.
The key problems it identifies include:
- A reliance in many parts of Africa on natural resource extraction, a sector the report says ‘is known to be rife with tax dodging techniques.’ In addition, it adds, it is more likely in such undiversified economies that wealth will be diverted by elites into tax havens.
- Weak tax authorities with limited expertise and resources to tackle tax abuse. Poor enforcement means the continent’s high net worth individuals often evade tax.
- The damaging impact of the tax consensus, led by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has focused, on reducing corporate, and to a lesser extent, personal income tax while expanding the base of both consumption and value added tax – both of which hit the poor hardest.
- Corporate income tax reduced because of both tax dodging, and through tax exemptions proffered by governments that mistakenly believe tax breaks will attract sustainable investment.
- Governments have struggled to introduce new taxes on income, wealth and property, often because of the resistance of the private sector, and elites, to reform.
- Major shortcomings in personal income tax systems, which place an unfair burden on employees, leaving higher earning, self-employed people rarely paying tax.
- Income tax thresholds are too low and do not protect the poor.
The report identifies tackling financial secrecy and tax havens as key to reform. ‘If countries in Africa cannot tax income and wealth correctly, they will shift the tax burden onto the poor,’ it says.
‘While individual governments must be held accountable for their policy choices, the international community must shoulder a lot of the responsibility for increasing economic inequalities and for the short comings of tax systems and public finances in sub-Saharan Africa.’
* Note: I have contributed to this report
I first addressed this issue in 2009 for the TUC, and again earlier this year.
We should tax these properties back into use by massively increasing the council tax charge on them. Some would still sit vacant. But many fewer would.
Tax can be a good thing. This is an occasion when it could definitely deliver.
If you want to rename national insurance and make it an ‘earnings tax’ it must be applied to all earnings
According to The Telegraph, a Taxpayers' Alliance campaign to have national insurance renamed Eranings Tax is likely to be successful.
A number if, inevitable thoughts follow on. The first is that this is, despite all the claims, not a tax. There is still a contributory principle in national insurance, for example, in pension rights. Given how keen the government is on that idea I wonder how this renaming helps them.
Second, if this is to be called an Earnings Tax the obvious question to ask us why then only earnings are taxed. Why should unearned income such as rents, dividends and interest not be taxed?
And third, the question as to why such large scale avoidance of the tax is permitted in the case of small limited companies.
I happen to believe in national insurance. But if others don't that's their right. But given that we cannot do without the £100 billion or more it raises a year (whatever the TPA thinks, or claims, or is deluded about) then renaming the tax requires that fundamental questions on its equity must be answered.
And there is an answer, which is to apply it to all investment income in excess of the annual NIC lower earnings limit each year except, as is the case for earnings, for pensioners. Many of the abuses and inequities would then disappear.
But I somehow don't think that is what those supporting this move have in mind.
I am amused to note that RBS has finally decided the time has come for it to get its core business right.
I am also a little worried it has taken so long. This was what I suggested the strategy of a nationalised RBS should be way back in October 2008 as it was being de facto nationalised.
The real question to ask is why it has taken so long to realise that this was the glaringly obvious thing to do all along?
I think the time has come to end any debate on whether or not Chris Moyles knew what his tax avoidance scheme involved. He unambiguously did. I know because of this report in the Daily Telegraph in 2012:
The former Radio One star Chris Moyles requested that a tax tribunal grant him anonymity in a battle with HM Revenue & Customs over a “marketed tax-avoidance scheme”, according to the Times.The appeals would normally be held in public, but Mr Moyles's lawyer argued that the publicity could damage his career if he were exposed as a tax avoider. “If it were to become public knowledge that he availed himself of a tax avoidance scheme, his career might be damaged and his earning capacity reduced,” Judge Colin Bishop said is reported to have said, summarising Mr Moyles's arguments. “He is already the focus of media interest for other reasons, much of it hostile.”
There is no suggestion Mr Moyles has avoided tax.
I think the last line now looks like history, but let's consider the rest of the implications of this case, which Moyles lost.First, Moyles by this time knew HMRC did not agree with the scheme with which he was involved. He must have known – because the application to have his case heard in private was made in his name – that the issues were contentious and that if he was found to be in the wrong his reputation would suffer.Someone must have told him he could settle his case. But Moyles decided to proceed – and took the risk of being found out. He must have known all the consequences. No one can say is not not competent enough to have appraised himself of all these risks.So Moyles knew he was avoiding. He must have known he could back out of the scheme and settle his tax bill with interest and, maybe, penalties (but these would have been modest given the legal advice he had received). And he could have avoided a lot of publicity.He didn't. The only obvious conclusion is that he put more emphasis on avoiding tax than saving face.It was his choice. But one he must have knowingly made.
Update: Alexi Mostrous of The Times has asked me to point out he first found the case referred to by The Telegraph
Attached to some version so the tax tribunal hearing decision that ruled that Chris Moyles had unsuccessfully sought to avoid paying tax was this diagram which shows what supposedly happened:
The supposed trade in cars is right in the middle. The Tribunal ruled there was no such trade.
All the rest are arrangements to create a massive supposed fee for arranging a loan – a fee of £1 million in this case.
SG Hambros is a Channel Islands bank. The money involved never left that bank.
The ‘bare trust’ and its ‘trustee’ (a functionary in the words of the ruling) were in the Channel Islands, clearing doing nothing more than lending their name to a sham arrangement.
The weirdly named boxes are all British Virgin Island companies.
The aim was to create what was called a manufactured dividend on a loaned stock which, it was claimed, was greater than that due if a dividend had been paid and so was a fee for arranging a loan (here £1 million) that was then, it was claimed, capable of offset for tax against trading income.
It was ruled there was no trade.
It was also ruled that there was no manufactured dividend as the payment made clearly did not relate to any reasonable dividend due.
And it was ruled there was no right to tax deduction on the supposed fee.
At every level the scheme failed. But the diagram shows the lengths such shenanigans go to. I doubt Moyles had a clue what was going on, but I do suspect, very much that he knew what the aim was.
Many are saying on this blog and elsewhere that the arrangements in the Moyles case were tax evasion, not avoidance. I think what the case actually proves is how meaningless the distinction between those two is, and how nebulous the concept of legal tax abuse has become. As I have already said, an alternative approach to the creation of deliberate tax risk is now needed.
What is do think useful is to share the key paragraph of the decision, which is as follows:
I think when a decision involves the phrase “as though by magic” the Judge is getting as close as he can to saying this scheme has crossed a boundary. That may be one of credibility. It may be something more. He did not say.
What I say is that even if the General Anti-Abuse Rule would have dealt with this case the fact that it has no penalty provisions within it renders it useless to deal with the consequences. I argued for such penalties throughout my involvement with that rule.
I also argued for a broadly based general anti-avoidance principle based on motive and not outcome. This case proves the need for that.
It’s time to get real on this issue.
I gave not redacted full decision in what will now inevitably be called the Chris Moyles tax case. I have read parts. It seems that this Guardian summary is fair:
Moyles, who billed himself as the “saviour of Radio 1″ before he quit as presenter of the breakfast show in 2012, claimed to have run up £1m of losses selling £3,731 worth of used cars. He tried to offset the claimed £1m loss in the 2007-08 financial year against tax he owed on his other income, including an estimated £700,000 salary from the BBC, which is funded by licence fee payers.
What happened was that Moyles was sold a tax avoidance scheme, apparently by one adviser but which was created by another adviser. About 450 were sold the scheme. Supposedly the people in question traded in second hand cars. As a result it was claimed they borrowed money. Costs relating to those loans were artificially inflated using arrangemnts that involved BVI companies. The whole arrangemnt lacked any commercial substance according to the tax tribunal decision now made. The losses have now not been allowed for tax purposes and tax will be due.
Moyles will suffer considerable embarrassment as a result if this, and so he should. He went out of his way to save tax and his instincts must have told him the scheme was artificial. He should have realised that this had to be abusive. He has revealed his own greed and that he believes his own self interest comes above any obligation to the society of which he is a member. People won't like that.
But the truth is that it is the advisers who are most at fault here. A now notorious firm of advisers created these schemes and others sold them. Moyles was foolish but these advisers knowingly created and sold tax risk with the intention of undermining the tax revenues of the UK. I believe that this should be a crime.
The creation of tax risk – a knowingly uncertain tax position created with the main or sole aim of securing a gain – can be defined. The taking of advice on the risk is the evidence of intent. It is quite distinct from the taking of advice to mitigate risk in a commercially existing situation, which is an entirely reasonable thing to do. There is no risk of confusion. And the process of sale – whether externally to clients or internally by the creation of structures within a group if companies – is identifiable. This makes all the triggers for a crime prosecution achievable.
I would hope the whole tax profession would support the creation of such a crime; we can do without people creating and selling such risk.
Late last year I published an analysis of the rapidly declining average declared income of the UK's self-employed people. The trend was profoundly marked in all available data, just as the same data showed considerable increases in the number of self-employed people in recent years.
There are three basic explanations for this trend. One is that those earning anything above modest sums from their own endeavours now incorporates a company to avoid and maybe even evade tax and as a result the average earnings of the remaining self-employed has fallen. This would make sense if average tax paid per small company was increasing, but it isn't. Nor do the trends in the number of trading companies probably justify such a proportionate claim over recent years, although they definitely did a decade ago. I will be publishing more on this soon.
Second, it is possible the self-employed know the risk of being investigated by HMRC is so low their rate of tax under declaration (and HMRC already estimate more than 40% do under declare) has risen significantly. I think there is a significant chance that this is true, but is not enough to explain the trend.
And third, the income of the self-employed may really be falling rapidly. This, I think is the most likely cause, especially given the current supposed rapid increase in the number of self-employed people who should really be placed in the ranks of the despairing who are being incentivised to move off unemployment statistics by declaring themselves to have this status irrespective of actually having any real income to justify it.
This is an illusion that can be played for a while but the one thing these people will not do is pay tax on non-existent income. That is one of the best available explanations for the shortfall in government tax income in January, one of the two months in the year when the self employed pay their taxes (the other is July).
You can manipulate unemployment stats to pretend growth is shared but cash talks. And here it is being loud and clear: these self-employed people are almost certainly no such thing and are struggling in poverty in the absence of any other prospect of any sort of support from a state that officially no longer cares.


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Starting a blog post with a definition of the topic to be discussed makes me feel rather like the captain of a school debating society. However, I've struggled to find a better introduction to the question of "What is information architecture?" than the definition provided by the Information Architecture Institute.
We define information architecture as the art and science of organizing and labeling websites, intranets, online communities and software to support usability.
Or as someone once put it to me: "You just draw boxes, don't you?".
Information architecture isn't just about drawing boxes. However, making wireframes, the blueprints of a digital design, are a large part of it. An IA might also produce a taxonomy of how content and products on a site should be classified, or a prototype illustrating how the information should change on screen as a user progresses through a task.
These solutions will be arrived at by research. This can take the form of competitor analysis, reading academic papers on human/computer interaction, or testing ideas on real users. At The Guardian, for example, we invited some users into our office to try out our iPhone app at an early stage of development. We filmed them using the application for the first time, and tested whether they could understand and make use of the functionality that was on offer.
A classic way to sum up information architecture is an image that appeared in 'the polar bear book' - "Information Architecture for the World Wide Web" by Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville. Their Venn diagram placed IA at the intersection of content, users and context of use.
In the end, however you try and define it, information architecture boils down to consciously organising the content and flow of a website, based on some principles that can be articulated, that have been derived through evidence gathering.
At a micro level this can mean deciding that products on a search page should be ordered by price rather than by name. On a larger scale it could be reorganising the content on a site to support some clear tasks that users want to perform. On a strategic level, an information architect might get involved in determining the way that articles and metadata are placed into a content management system.
Information architecture is just one component in an emerging field known as user experience design. This recognises that a good digital service isn't just about functionality. It is about how people feel as they use a digital service, and about the way it does things, not just what it does.
Over the next couple of weeks I'll be posting a look at what information architecture means specifically in the context of a news website like guardian.co.uk, and giving a more detailed view of the wireframes and research process that went into the design of the World Government Data section of the Data Store.
If you'd like to read more about IA, you can find a regular stream of excellent articles at Boxes and Arrows or in the 'user science' section of A List Apart. You can also watch a selection of videos on the topic on the IATV blog.

domain: design


text:
- Variety of tomatoes
What does a Green Zebra or Great White taste like? How about an Esterina or Wapsipinicon Peach? Find out in the tomato beds at Kelly Way Gardens, which supplies the Woodstock Inn & Resort's larder with fresh produce all summer long, as well as with preserves through the cooler seasons. This year, gardeners seeded 58 tomato varieties; on Saturday, September 1, they'll lead visitors on a tour of the fertile spread to offer a broad tasting of summer's juiciest nightshade.
5th Annual Great Tomato Tasting: Saturday, September 1, 3-4 p.m., Kelly Way Gardens, Woodstock. $25; reservations required. Info, 457-5595, woodstockinn.com.
More food events
Rosé All Day: Drinkers think pink with sips from a worldly selection of wines, with live music from Esther Rose and DJ Mae. Thursday, August 30, noon-10 p.m., Juniper, Burlington. Cost of food and drink. Info, 650-0080, hotelvt.com.
Garlic and Herb Festival: Vampires, steer clear — there's garlic in everything from ice cream to jelly as dozens of farmers, food artisans and beverage purveyors gather for a two-day celebration of everyone's favorite allium. Saturday, September 1, and Sunday, September 2, Camelot Village, Bennington. $2-12. Info, 447-3311, bennington.com/garlicfest.
Eat Up! at the Green: Locals skip cooking dinner in favor of a playground supper with sprinklers, live music, and food and drink from local purveyors. Sundays, 4-9 p.m., through September 30, Camp Meade, Middlesex. Free. Info, campmeade.today.


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|Object||Help the Hiker find a route across the critter-infested river|
|Difficulty||Level 8 - Demanding|
|Types||Puzzle Games, Andrea Gilbert|
|Dimensions||Board Measures 8 in x 5 1/ 8 in / 20 cm x 13 cm|
|Packaging||Cardboard and Plastic Box|
Can the hiker cross the river without getting up close and personal with 'gators snakes and piranha? Move the planks among the tree stumps to help our hero across! This innovative new brainteaser is as challenging as they come and the jungle adventure theme makes it compelling to play. The drawstring bag makes it great for travel. Forty beginner-to-expert challenge cards show where to place the stumps and planks to start each game and a magnet in our hiker's feet makes moving the planks a snap. Getting all the way across... that won't be so easy!
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domain: game


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Water is supposed to offer a fun way to cool off when it is hot outside – and most of the time it does. But be aware that in lakes, streams, rivers and ponds, there is an amoeba – Naegleria fowleri – that can cause a rare but usually fatal illness – Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis – or PAM. Fortunately, there are ways you can take precautions to stay safe and still enjoy the water.
Confirmed reports of this infection are very uncommon. It occurs when water enters the nose, and the amoeba travels to the brain. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the amoeba can be present in freshwater areas like rivers or lakes, but there are very rare instances of the organism surviving in inadequately chlorinated swimming pools or contaminated tap water. The CDC notes that people can’t be infected from swallowing water, and the disease cannot be spread from person to person. The infection only occurs when water enters the nose, and the amoeba is present.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) reports that the majority of PAM infections nationwide take place in July, August, or September, when the temperature is often hottest, and water levels are lower. While the amoeba is found around the world, it thrives in warm water with a temperature of at least 80 degrees. However, it is not found in salt water. It can also be found in sediment near the water. The CDC reports that from 2006-2015, there were 37 PAM infections reported in the United States, with 33 of those resulting from contaminated recreational water, and four cases from contaminated tap water. The TDSHS says that while the amoeba is a concern, the risk of drowning is far greater than of being affected by PAM.
According to the CDC, initial symptoms begin about five days after infection, but can start as early as one day and as late as nine days after infection. These symptoms may include headache, fever, and nausea at first. Later symptoms can include a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, seizures and hallucinations. The disease progresses rapidly and usually results in death within one to five days. The fatality rate is 97 percent, based on statistics from the CDC for 1962-2016. Four people known to have this infection (out of 143 total) in the U.S. have survived.
One of the victims of PAM in Texas was Kyle Lewis, a 7-year-old boy from Arlington who died after a swimming trip with his family to the Brazos River basin that included time in Glen Rose as well as Lake Granbury. Lewis’ family has founded the Kyle Cares Amoeba Awareness charity to help people be alert to the dangers of PAM.
Several drugs have proven to be effective against the amoeba in laboratory tests. The CDC notes that in recent years, two people survived the infection after being treated with miltefosine in combination with other drugs and efforts to reduce brain swelling. Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth has miltefosine on site to treat patients diagnosed with PAM. Most importantly, a fast and accurate diagnosis of the infection is extremely important. Those experiencing symptoms should see a physician or visit an emergency room immediately. The physician should be informed that the patient has taken part in activities in warm surface water. The disease has mistakenly been diagnosed as the flu or meningitis. Providing the physician with information that the patient has been swimming in surface water will allow for appropriate testing to be undertaken quickly.
One way to greatly reduce the risk of being infected is to avoid submerging your head when swimming in fresh water. Nose plugs can also offer an effective safeguard. The only way to completely reduce the risk is to avoid all freshwater activities. But using nose clips or a swimming mask, holding your nose while going underwater or simply not going underwater offers a way to greatly decrease the chance of infection while still allowing you to enjoy water activities. Also, avoid digging or stirring up sediment in the water.
The TDSHS reports that from 1972 to 2016, a total of 34 cases of PAM have been reported in Texas. The median age of those infected was 9.5 years, with reports of people ranging in age from 3 to 37 infected. The infections have taken place from July to November, with August being the most common month for PAM infections.
For more information about PAM, go here or contact the Texas Department of State Health Services Public Information Office at (512) 458-7400. More information about the Kyle Cares outreach can be found here.

domain: biology


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Diane Birch to Release New Album with Phenomenal Handclap Band
Diane Birch has recorded a seven-track covers collection with soul-indie group Phenomenal Handclap Band. The Velveteen Age features songs by The Cure, Joy Divison and Siouxse & the Banshees, among others. The album is scheduled for release on December 7.
“During my teenage years as a Goth these songs were amongst my nearest and dearest,” Birch said in a statement. “Sitting in my bedroom with my headphones pressed into my ears ‘til they hurt, each song gave me a weird kind of hope for my future. I would have never imagined I would get a chance to record them one day, let along with some of my closest friends.”
Diane Birch and The Phenomenal Handclap Band will host a late-night dance party at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl this Saturday, December 4.

domain: artistic


Coca-Cola’s ditching of its chief marketing officer role for a chief growth officer is a clear warning to CMOs: stand for growth, or lose it all. Thomas Barta, co-author of ‘The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader’, explains.
Marketers have a reputation for being overwhelmed and always late, but it does not have to be that way, says Thomas Barta, marketing leadership expert, speaker and co-author of ‘The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader’.
Marketers need to do a better job at marketing the value of marketing to the rest of their business. First step? Lose the jargon, says Thomas Barta, marketing leadership expert and co-author of leadership book ‘The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader’.
Twitter and Amazon’s broadcasts have failed to match TV’s enduring reach but digital viewing will inevitably grow, so are ad partnerships the answer or is that just another route in for digital’s Trojan horse?


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Is There a Criminal-Transmission-of-HIV Law in Your State?
Chances are there is. Mother Jones has a handy map.
Iowa's law does not require that the sexual partner at risk of transmission actually contract the virus, and prosecutors have even won cases where a condom was used.
That's what happened to Nick Rhoades. Though he and Adam Plendl used a condom when they had sex, and Plendl didn't contract HIV, Rhoades was arrested and charged with criminal transmission of HIV. He plead guilty on the advice of his lawyer and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. On Thursday, Rhoades' new lawyers appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court arguing that the conviction should be overturned because he had used a condom. "The law only applies to those who intend to expose others to HIV," said Christopher Clark, an attorney for the LGBT rights group Lambda Legal, Rhoades' new legal representation, in a statement posted on the organization's website.


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Chances are you’ll usually search the reasons behind your dog’s strange behaviors. Typically we regard one thing as cute antics and barely put a lot thought into what causes these behaviors in our pet. We’ve put collectively some eccentric behaviors your pooch shows together with the more than likely causes behind every of them, for the convenience of understanding your furry companion higher.
1. That cute head tilting pose has extra to it than eliciting these oohs and ahs in us: Within the e-book `Inside a Dog’ by Alexandra Horowitz, head tilting has been defined as a canine’s try to regulate its outer ear to listen to higher and find some outlined sounds.
2. Chasing the tail: Canines chase their tail for quite a lot of causes. At instances it’s finished to kill boredom. Being restricted inside a small area additionally incites the tail chasing exercise in canines. Playfulness is another excuse for it. Other than this there may very well be the presence of fleas or a medical situation at work. In case the pooch is obsessively after its tail, it’s time to seek the advice of a vet with out additional delay. Canines can sense your optimistic reactions to any motion carried by them and if their tail-chasing makes you chuckle, the canine will merely interact in it to get your consideration.
3. When your canine Rotates earlier than mendacity down: This conduct has been handed on in canine from their wild ancestors. The untamed canine would dig a gap within the earth and go round to flatten the bottom to show it into a comfortable resting spot. This train remains to be practiced by our domesticated pooches earlier than retiring to mattress. (vid.credit score – www.thedodo.com)
4. Consuming grass: In keeping with specialists canine eat grass to enhance digestion, to introduce fiber consumption and add sure vitamins to their food regimen.
5. Kick within the air whenever you tickle its stomach: The well-known stomach rub is technically scratch reflex. In keeping with Animal Planet this involuntary response occurs when one thing irritates the canine. The nerves beneath the pores and skin which might be linked to the spinal twine get activated and a message to the leg muscle tissues is distributed to kick for the aim of discarding the irritant.
6. Drag their butts alongside the bottom: A canine will drag its anus alongside the carpet/floor when one thing is inflicting it discomfort/irritation. It may very well be an indication of worms, an infection or swelling within the area of the anal space. When a canine’s anal sacs get blocked or swollen it might scoot its backside on the grass/floor in an effort to clear them. This downside particularly bothers small canine breeds. Canines talk utilizing the stinking fatty substance discovered within the anal sacs which might be positioned inside on both aspect of the anus.
7. Consuming poop: In keeping with Dr. Sherry Weaver a feminine canine will eat its puppies’ poop as a cleansing ritual. The mom canine often carries this clear up for concerning the first three weeks. Typically even puppies eat their very own or different canine’s feces as a part of satisfying their curiosity. This behavior naturally dissipates earlier than the pup turns about 9 months outdated.
Environmental stress may cause a canine to eat its personal poop: Spending an excessive amount of alone time in kennels/confined areas and nervousness attributable to harsh punishments adopted by proprietor throughout home coaching.

domain: pet


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When you golf in Dana Point and the surrounding South Orange County cities, you will find new meaning to the term “scenic oceanfront drive.” Here, waves of ocean blue provide the beautiful backdrop to rolling greens artfully poised atop historic cliffs, towering bluffs and legendary beaches. The championship holes are truly as challenging as they are mesmerizing.
For the ultimate golf retreat, experience one of the unlimited golf packages available at any of the AAA 5-diamond resorts throughout your stay. Both Monarch Beach Resort and Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel offer golfers unlimited rounds at the beautiful Monarch Beach Golf Links.
Aliso Viejo Country Club features one of only two private Nicklaus Design golf courses in Orange County. With some of the best holes of golf and some of the best views in the Orange County area, the par-72 course at Aliso Viejo Country Club leaves nothing to be desired, and offers an appropriate level of play for all skill levels. Both challenging from the back tees at over 6,500 yards and forgiving from the forward tees, the course at Aliso Viejo Country Club is uniquely appealing to the low-handicap golfer as well as the less experienced golfer.
A favorite of Orange County golfers, this Arthur Hills-designed par 72 layout stretches up to 6,756 challenging yards and incorporates several water features including a stunning waterfall off the 18th green, slight elevation changes, rolling hills, strategic bunkering and the incredible vistas.
Few golf experiences can match the blend of stunning natural beauty and variety of challenges presented at Monarch Beach Golf Links. Here, along the dramatic bluffs of Southern California, master architect, Robert Trent Jones, Jr., has fashioned an intriguing layout in the Scottish links tradition on one of the select few oceanfront golf courses in California. Commanding sweeping views to the sea, this par-70 championship course offers an unending variety of play. Guests at Monarch Beach Golf Links are members for a day. They are enchanted by the perfect golf experience provided by a Troon Golf Facility. The friendly, professional staff and impeccable grounds welcome guests and set the tone for the day. Each Troon Golf Staff member is attentive to the needs of members and guests as they find their way to the cart area and practice area. Guests are assured of a special day. All outside pressures and thoughts are pushed aside for the moment as the Troon Golf Experience takes over and puts them at ease.
In true Tom Fazio form, Oak Creek Golf Club beckons the competitive spirit of golf players at all levels. Each of the 18 holes throughout this Orange County golf course presents new challenges amid tapered fairways, scenic greens, beautiful lakes and bull-nose carved bunkers. With dense and dynamic flora, Oak Creek creates a sanctuary not only for your playing experience but for a variety of birds and other fauna as well.
The fundamentals of golf may not vary, but the way you experience the game certainly can. Tom Fazio designed our 54 holes of golf, including Pelican Hill’s 36 championship holes on our Ocean North and Ocean South courses and our 18 holes at nearby Oak Creek Golf Club®, to be unlike any that you’ve ever played before.
San Juan Hills Golf Club is a Championship Par 71 golf course and driving range featuring 19 Sports Bar & Grill: The Best New Sports Bar and Grill in Orange County located in the rolling hills of San Juan Capistrano. San Juan Hills provides an affordable and enjoyable round of golf and has been a favorite with the locals & golf tournaments for over 40 years. Open to the public, our staff is the friendliest in the business and we guarantee a great time!
Strawberry Farms Golf Course combines the rural beauty and tranquility of the surrounding area with the challenge of true championship golf. As the premier golf course in Southern California, Strawberry Farms is the preferred course among corporate groups and golf enthusiasts alike.
Talega Golf Club, located in the hills of San Clemente set above the “Spanish Village by the Sea,” is truly one of the best golf experiences in Southern California. Established in 2001, Talega features an 18-hole, par 72 Fred Couples “Signature” championship golf course in Orange County ranked America’s Top Golf Course (by Golf Digest/ESPN/Zagat Survey), driving range, and Spanish colonial clubhouse architecture with bell tower and village courtyard setting. Our event facilities can accommodate over 200 guests for weddings, banquets and tournaments. Stay equipped and stylish at The Shop at Talega, then relax, have a drink and a great meal at the Signature Grille Restaurant while enjoying ocean breezes, lush landscape, and golf course views on our relaxing patio.
Located in Rancho Santa Margarita, just minutes from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport, The Ted Robinson-designed Tijeras Creek Golf Club is the tale of two nines. The distinctive course layout at Tijeras Creek opens with a demanding front nine that is highlighted with shimmering water features that come into play in four out of the first nine holes. The back nine holes are legendary for the breathtaking scenery, and awe-inspiring elevation changes that wind through old growth sycamores, oaks and native chaparral. In fact, hole number sixteen was voted one of Orange County’s Best 18 Holes by members of the Southern California PGA.
This championship 18-hole Ted Robinson designed course offers private caddie service, unique to Orange County and extremely popular. Experience breathtaking scenery, sparkling lakes and cascading falls at this course, voted the “Best Orange County Golf Course 2009” by the readers of the Orange County Register. In addition, Tustin Ranch is a multiple-year, 4-Star recipient of Golf Digest Magazine’s “Places To Play “. Included on the grounds are a full service clubhouse, restaurant, wedding and banquet facility, pro shop, driving range, golf school, Group Outings Office and more.

domain: geography


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Synopses & Reviews
A renowned curator and respected insider of the international art scene since the mid-1960s, Michael Peppiatt has spent his professional life with many of the greatest artists of the 20th century. His close friendships and frequent studio visits with Dubuffet, Sonia Delaunay, Francis Bacon, Henry Moore, Balthus, Oldenburg, Brassaand#239;, and Cartier-Bresson, among many others, have produced an incredible archive of interviews, from formal question-and-answer sessions to off-the-cuff conversations. These interviews combine to give a unique perspective on art from World War II to the present day.
Peppiatt has selected forty-five of the most noteworthy and fascinating of his conversations with artists, from the world-famous to the under-recognized. The author approaches his subjects with a characteristic mix of passion, insight, and humor in a book that is consistently entertaining and informative, as the artists open up in unexpected ways about their work and their lives.
About the Author
Michael Peppiatt is a well-known writer and curator, who began his career as an art critic in London and Paris in the 1960s. He is the author of Alberto Giacometti in Postwar Paris, Francis Bacon in the 1950s, Francis Bacon: Studies for a Portrait, and In Giacometti's Studio (all Yale).


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- [Free Pattern] You Will Just Love This Headwrap In One Size Fits Most
- [Free Pattern] I Never Saw Granny Stripes Diagonal Before. They Are Amazing
- Very Easy And So Fabulous Crochet Tank Top Free Pattern
- [Free Pattern] Amazing Crochet Dreamy Dreamcatcher That Literally Everyone Will Want
- Sweet Floral Crochet Granny Square Stands Out In More Ways Than One
This beautiful pattern with such a gorgeous design is free for download until 7th March 2017. So, hurry up! 5 Favourite Things Wrap Blanket by Sharon Murphy is worked with Vs and Popcorn stitches in pastel, happy colors. This fabulous cozy lap blanket can be used as shawl too and you could wrap it around your shoulders whilst on the sofa relaxing.
Gorgeous Wrap Blanket In 5 Colors
The pattern uses Paintbox Yarns in Simply Aran, 5 balls for the wrap and baby blanket, and 15 balls for the adult blanket. This is worsted weight yarn in the US but you can also use other weight yarns.
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran 100g
1 3 x 100g ball in each colour A Pale lilac, B Banana cream, C Peach orange, D Vanilla cream, E Seafoam blue
Check out the original source for this Gorgeous Wrap Blanket In 5 Colors pattern with all the directions and full written pattern at: Sharon Murphy
Thanks to Sharon Murphy for this article inspiration and featured image.
If you enjoyed this article please share and Like our Facebook page.


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Four long-term care communities have been awarded the Governor’s Gold Seal Award by the Executive Office of the Governor and the Agency for Healthcare Administration – three of which are LeadingAge Florida member communities.
“The Gold Seal honors the best of the best in nursing home care and is one of the most prestigious recognitions Florida’s nursing homes can receive,” said LeadingAge Florida President & CEO Steve Bahmer. “Earning this recognition requires a continuous commitment to excellence and to ensuring the highest quality of life for residents. We are proud to represent so many of the award recipients and congratulate them on their well-deserved recognition.”
LeadingAge Florida member facilities that received the award include:
- The Pavilion for Health Care, Penney Farms
- River Garden Hebrew Home for the Aged, Jacksonville
- Village on the Green, Longwood
The Gold Seal Program awards and recognizes nursing homes that demonstrate excellence in long-term care over a sustained period, promotes the stability of the industry and facilitates the physical, social, and emotional well-being of nursing home facility residents.


Each year, the 11-day Toronto International Film Festival, also known as TIFF, brings celebrities and film enthusiasts from around the world to the city.
It also brings TTC streetcar delays.
For the fifth consecutive year, King St. W. was closed for the festival between University and Spadina Aves. from last Thursday to 5 a.m. Monday, forcing changes to the 504, 304 and 514 streetcar routes and delaying riders.
This year’s closure has proven more controversial as it arrives in spite of the King St. pilot project, designed to expedite traffic between Bathurst and Jarvis Sts.
To compensate, TIFF and the TTC gave riders vouchers for free movie tickets, valid both during the festival or at the TIFF Bell Lightbox until Dec. 31. Those who signed up in time were treated to a bonus screening of the festival’s opening night film, Outlaw King, starring Chris Pine, on Sunday morning.
In a news release, the organizations said the move was intended to make the festival more accessible to the Toronto community, opening it up to all TTC riders with a Metropass or Presto card.
Last year, TIFF gave away free popcorn for 20,000 riders. This year, riders received 4,800 free tickets at a total value of $96,000 for year-round screenings at the TIFF Bell Lightbox and daytime TIFF screenings, plus Sunday’s screening at Roy Thomson Hall.
The intent this year was to thank everyday customers who were inconvenienced travelling along King St. routes, said TTC spokesperson Stuart Green.
“Working with TIFF, we sort of came up with a way to thank them for their patience during the festival closure,” Green said.


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Tom Waits – Take Me Home tab
TAKE ME HOME By Tom Waits (From 'One From the Heart' Soundtrack) Very Simple Sweet song. Basic Chords. Lots of Room for improv G Bm Take me home C G you silly girl G Bm Put Your arms C D around me G Bm Take me home ++++++++++++++++++ C D Em + you silly girl STRUM + C CHORDS + All the worlds not around ONCE + D + without you ++++++++++++++++++ G Bm I'm so sorry C D that I borke your heart G Bm Please Don't Leave C D my side G Bm Take me home +++++++++++++++++ C D Em STRUM CHORDS + you silly girl ONCE + C ALSO FOR LAST + Cause I'm still SIX IN OUTRO + D G + in love with you +++++++++++++++++ OUTRO: G Bm C D G Bm C D G Bm C D Em C D G


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Save up to $603 by booking Flight + Hotel.
Search 590,000 properties and 550 airlines worldwide.
Search over a million flights, hotels, packages, and more
Booking both your flights and accommodation is easy with Expedia. Our wide variety of hotel and flight deals are a fantastic way to save your time and money. Think of all the things you can do in Pierrefiche with the extra cash.
Smart voyagers can save up to $583 by purchasing their combined package deals with us.
Our impressive international database offers 321,000 hotels worldwide and up to 400 partner airlines, and it also presents you with savings.
For Pierrefiche vacations, you will have a difficult time finding anything better than Expedia's package deals.
You can delay your travel reservations with us because we don't charge cancellation fees for almost all of our bookings.
From Pierrefiche, it's about 75 miles southeast to Montpellier and 95 miles southwest to Toulouse.
If you're longing to reconnect with the sights and sounds of nature, load up your daypack and head to Office de Tourisme Ispagnac, located 30 miles from Pierrefiche. Also consider Grottes de Dargilan, 30 miles away.
Looking for some winter sports fun? The powdery slopes of Station de ski du Bleymard Mont Lozere are only 40 miles away from the center of the city.
Head out to Sainte-Eulalie-d'Olt to visit Church of the Penitents and Paredous Park. It's 2 miles away from Pierrefiche, and worth the trip. Alternatively, Cruejouls is approximately 3 miles away. When you get there, go to Laissac Livestock Market and Bertholene Chateau.
Castelnau-de-Mandailles is only 7 miles north of Pierrefiche. This regional hub is home to a whole lot of things to do and see, for example, Abbey of Bonneval, Espalion Pont Vieux and Joseph Vaylet Museum. Bonnefon Tower and Pilgrims Bridge are more places that should be high on every traveler's list.
Often, a destination's heart and soul can be found in its culinary arts.
Make sure you sample some local meals, like aligot (cheese and potato dish) and garbure (duck and cabbage soup).
The spirit of a region resonates not just in its geography and architecture, but also in its native tongue. Memorizing just a handful of everyday phrases and idioms in French will make your vacation much more rewarding. Comment est-ce que vous vous appelez ? means what's your name. Joyeux anniversaire (happy birthday) is another handy one to keep up your sleeve.
If you're here for the 14th of July, you'll be able to immerse yourself in the festivities for Bastille Day, a day of celebration across the country.
As your vacation draws to a close, use your leftover euros on some last-minute souvenirs and say an emotional "À plus tard" to this wonderful place and the people who call it home.
The closest airport, Marcillac Airport, is roughly 20 miles to the west.
There are limited accommodations in Pierrefiche on the Expedia lodging page, so you would be wise to reserve a room early.
*Savings based on all vacation package bookings with Flight + Hotel on Expedia.com from January through December 2017, as compared to price of the same components booked separately. Savings will vary based on origin/destination, length of trip, stay dates and selected travel supplier(s). Savings not available on all packages. For Free Flight or 100% Off Flight deals, package savings is greater than or equal to the current cost of one component, when both are priced separately.
Located in the heart of Rodez, this hotel is within 1 mi (2 km) of Soulages Museum, Place d'Armes, and Rodez Cathedral. Gallery Sainte-Catherine and Fenaille Museum are also within 1 mi (2 km).
Situated on a river, this eco-friendly hotel is 2.8 mi (4.6 km) from Golf des Gorges du Tarn and within 12 mi (20 km) of Cevennes National Park and Sublime Point. Chateau de Severac and Utopix are also within 16 mi (25 km).
Situated in Nasbinals, this hotel is 5.1 mi (8.3 km) from Aubrac Botanical Garden and within 12 mi (20 km) of Requistat Castle and Pilgrims Bridge. Chateau de La Baume and Bonnefon Tower are also within 12 mi (20 km).
Located in the heart of Rodez, this hotel is steps from Place d'Armes and Rodez Cathedral. Soulages Museum and Gallery Sainte-Catherine are also within 10 minutes.
Situated in a rural location, this hotel is within 9 mi (15 km) of Place du General de Gaulle, Paredous Park, and Church of the Penitents. Cevennes National Park and Chateau de Severac are also within 12 mi (20 km).
Located in a regional park, this family-friendly bed & breakfast is 2.2 mi (3.5 km) from Laissac Livestock Market and 5 mi (8.1 km) from Bertholene Chateau. Sainte-Fauste Church and Chateau de Severac are also within 16 mi (25 km).
Situated near the airport, this hotel is within 1 mi (2 km) of Place d'Armes, Rodez Cathedral, and Gallery Sainte-Catherine. Fenaille Museum and Soulages Museum are also within 2 mi (3 km).
Situated in Onet-le-Chateau, this boutique guesthouse is 2.4 mi (3.8 km) from Golf du Grand Rodez and within 6 mi (10 km) of Soulages Museum and Church of Saint-Amans. Place d'Armes and Rodez Cathedral are also within 6 mi (10 km).


Editor’s note: This feature is third in a series of social media related stories.
Recent advances in social media have completely altered communication for today’s military families. Networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter enable them to share, connect and be part of events in real time. From base status updates to command messages, obtaining information has become as easy as loading an application on your smart-phone.
With each leap in technology, however, comes a greater responsibility to know how to communicate effectively in virtual media.
Social media such as Facebook and Twitter are perfect forums for military dependents to connect with unit commanders and leaders, service members and other spouses. Making connections through these easily-accessible forums, particularly during difficult times such as deployments, can open helpful avenues for families in stressful situations.
Most military families are already actively engaged in social media, and most military installations have established social media pages and groups for members within their community to stay linked with commanders as well as critical information.
Here are some ways military families can utilize social media:
Staying connected with family and friends doesn’t limit you to your current duty station; it also includes previous assignments as well as those service members that are deployed. Keep in mind before posting anything online that it is crucial for the safety of service members and their unit to remember OPSEC.
For more information on how military families can communicate using social media sites, check out the Social Media Guide For Military Families at www.cannon.af.mil.


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Cape Town - With governments across the economically afflicted eurozone under pressure to cut pension entitlements and the value of pension pots in freefall, it is becoming ever more important for expats in SA to take control of their own pension arrangements.
“People must take full responsibility for their own financial planning, if they aim to be able to retire comfortably,” said Craig Featherby, African head of the deVere group.
As part of its austerity package, Greece will cut state pension payouts to retirees by up to 10%, while the retirement age will increase from 65 to 67 in 2013.
With a rapidly ageing population, Greece’s pension payments represented up to 14% of its gross domestic product before the crisis hit.
This is not sustainable if the Greeks are to meet the spending cuts being demanded of them, and reductions in pensions and wages will make up the lion’s share of the €11.5bn to be saved.
The UK, France and Spain have resisted pressure to cut pensions so far, due to lobbying from voters. However, in the face of cries from international investors and the rest of the eurozone to improve their debt position, this resistance may not last.
In the UK, the value of pension pots is in freefall as annuity rates drop by record amounts due to the Bank of England’s quantitative easing (QE) programme.
QE works by electronically creating new money, which is used to buy UK government bonds, known as gilts, pushing down the interest rate, or yield paid on them.
As pension companies use the value of gilt yields to determine retirement or annuity incomes, there is increasing downward pressure on those payouts. The value of annuities has plunged by 7% in just three months, research has found.
“The deepening of the eurozone crisis means yet more pain for Britons nearing retirement because it could speed up the death spiral of annuity rates, which determine a person’s retirement income for life and are already at historic lows,” said deVere Group CEO Nigel Green.
Amid record high deficits in pension liabilities, even corporate pension schemes in the UK are under pressure.
According to a new report by consultants and actuaries Hymans Robertson, UK companies should do their utmost to mitigate the risk rather than use corporate cash contributions to make new investments.
The review shows that 5% of companies have unhedged pension liabilities that are greater than 100% of their current market capitalisation.
“Investors, whether they be expatriates or South African, should seek to manage their pension investments directly with an adviser who specialises in providing tax efficient bespoke products to suit their needs, rather than be at the mercy of a third party,” said Featherby.
“There’s no use waking up one day when you’re 60 and finding out the state, or your employer, has provided too little, too late to make you secure in your retirement.”
* Follow Fin24 on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.


A new edition of IEC 62442-2 has been published by the International Electrotechnical Committee. IEC 62442-2 applies to “Energy performance of lamp controlgear – Part 2: Controlgear for high intensity discharge lamps (excluding fluorescent lamps) – Method of measurement to determine the efficiency of the controlgear.” The new edition is available for purchase on the IEC website.
“IEC 62442-2:2014 defines a measurement method of the power losses of electromagnetic controlgear, the total input power and the standby power of electronic controlgear for high intensity discharged lamps (excluding fluorescent lamps). Also a calculation method of the efficiency for controlgear for high intensity discharged lamp(s) is defined.”
*Description from IEC website


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Handy Manny - Tooling Around
Frequently Bought Together
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
Top Customer Reviews
When you're Tooling Around with Manny and his boisterous bunch of tools, you'll find messages of teamwork, friendship and community." -- From the DVD backing
My son's a bit older than the probably target age range for Handy Manny, but he still enjoys the colorful animation and crazy antics of Manny, tools and the citizens of Sheetrock Hills (I think it's hilarious how Mr. Loport's comb-over is always getting flipped!)
This particular DVD has a 55 minute run-time and features these five episodes:
1. Squeeze's Day Off (The only never-before-seen episode)
2. Amigo Grande
3. A Sticky Fix
4. Pat the Screwdriver
There are two games: "Build it with Handy Manny" and "Set-Top Game".
If your kids like Bob Builder--or even Dora the Explorer--they'll likely love this DVD! (Spanish words are often peppered throughout the dialogue.) There are subtitles on Tooling around, as well.
Why this show? Because it displays some very good values without being preachy. Teamwork, honesty, integrity, and work ethic (not to mention a little spanish). Not to be all socio-political, but it also shows how to respect people of all social and economic classes. It's a very well written show for a young children's show, and I don't mean deep character development or anything like that. More like the pacing of the show is smooth with very few hiccups to move the simple story along.
The computer animation has a softer tone to it that makes me wonder if they were using some cell shading to give it the "cartoon" look and feel. Either way it's easy on the eyes. It looks like this DVD will have three episodes of the show plus a bonus, never before seen episode (Sweeze's Day off). Not much else besides and interactive game, but then again most parents get these DVDs to occupy their kid's time with the show, not the special features.
Overall its a pretty decent movie, and a nice change of pace from watching Spongebob repeatedly... ;( It has enough of an educational aspect that I think its worth it. My nephew seems to enjoy it and hes learning the names of tools and the idea of what they are used for so its good for that purpose.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
With Manny and his tools on the job, fun is always just around the corner! A great example of teamwork!!!Published 7 months ago by The Flea
The dvd arrived to me warped and would not play in my player my kids were heartbroken, demanding a full refund, and the whole thing sucks and I am very disappointed and... Read morePublished 11 months ago by Lauri Davis

domain: entertainment


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2011/12/24 Released (avantattaque-0086)
Since December 2016, by the intention of JINMO, we have decided to remove the price tags from all of his sonic art works that released from Avant-attaque.
A dollar, million dollars or as much as you like, you can make remittance us with following link.
(Of course, you can play all albums again and again without any remittance. All donations are welcome though!)
Your generosity will support JINMOfs future creative activities.
To listen to the tracks, no special device or software required.
Just press the ((PLAY)) button on each track and it starts automatically streaming with your computer, iPad or iPhone in CD quality sound.
And of course, you can download the music files to your computer.
Please enjoy JINMOfs sonic art anywhere anytime.
JINMO's 105th album "Incarnatio" has released from Avant-attaque.
A long-waited JINMO's Christmas album in 2011, grand Christmas album over 80 minutes which had been composed since this spring, "Incarnatio" is now available in Avant-attaque music !
"Mass" in 2007, "Melchior","Balthazar" and "Casper" in 2008, "amor et mors" in 2009
and "I'm praying" for Christmas in 2010.
JINMO had released Christmas albums every year since 2007.
For this year, it has composed translunary and futuristic guitar orchestration in the main.
Of course, you will hear the sound of church bells you've heard every Christmas.
The title "Incarnatio" is for "incarnation" in Latin.
Refer to Wikipedia, the Incarnation of Christ is a central Christian doctrine that God became flesh, assumed a human nature, and became a man in the form of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the second person of the Trinity.
JINMO says "It is practice of an allot from transcendental thing to humans, and it is still ongoing."
Cover picture is "Annunciation" by Jacopo Bellini in Early Renaissance ( in 1444).
It depicts the scene of Annunciation.
Symphonic guitar orchestration is pleasantly sacred drone, and it also has beautiful ultrasound part intensely.
Listening through the first to the last, it begins with infinite falling, and it ends with an infinite rising... it remind us the Incarnate which came down to earth and go back to heaven.
The more listen, closer to heaven.
Every track fills your soul with joy and love.
We recommend this album to contemporary music, edgy techno lovers and
experimental music but also recommend to Guitar Manias.
It comes with Apple Lossless (44.1kHz 16bit) high quality sound.
HARI Avant-attaque, Ageha Avant-attaque


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The fabric, produced from a variant of the cotton plant grown only in the area south of Dhaka, has a long history. Produced since pre-colonial times and especially favoured by the Mughal court, it was imported into Europe for much of the 17th and early 18th-centuries and was highly prized for its fine quality. The Bengali muslin industry, however, was eventually suppressed by the British colonial rulers in favour of machine-spun British textiles, and both the strain of cotton and knowledge of the intricate and arduous techniques used to produce the exquisite fabric slowly disappeared.
Bangladesh has applied for Geographical Indication (GI) of muslin, a designation that would protect it as a unique product of the country. This follows several efforts over the past decade to revive the original handwoven muslin products. On October 2014, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina instructed officials at the Textile Ministry to work on reviving muslin, and the government undertook a project “Restoring the technology of creating muslin clothing to create golden yarn and reviving muslin production“, which involved several Bangladeshi researchers.
A cloth ‘like the light vapours of dawn’
Muslin (also known in Bangladesh as mulmul) was hand-woven of finest handspun cotton yarns. The texture was so fine that the body of the wearer was visible through it; some varieties of Muslin were so thin and fine that an entire muslin saree made of such fabric could fit inside a single matchbox.
Yuan Chwang, a Chinese Buddhist monk and traveller, came across the fabric while visiting India in 629 and wrote ‘The cloth is like the light vapours of dawn’.
On Facebook, Tareq Aziz writes about the fame and decline of handwoven muslin fabrics in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh:
১৭৬৩ সালের জুন মাসের কথা। বাংলা থেকে রওয়ানা হয়ে এ বন্দর সে বন্দর পার হয়ে “দ্যা ফক্স” নামের জাহাজ পৌঁছেছে বিলাতে। ইউরোপের বিভিন্ন বাজারে বিক্রির জন্য জাহাজটি নিয়ে এসেছে নানান পণ্য যার মধ্যে একটা বড় অংশ জুড়ে রয়েছে হরেক রকম বস্ত্র। আর এই হরেক রকম বস্ত্রের সিংহভাগ জুড়ে আছে মলমল নামের একপ্রকার বস্ত্র। [..] ঢাকার সুপ্রসিদ্ধ মসলিন কারিগরদের অন্যতম শ্রেষ্ঠ সৃষ্টি এই মলমল। [..] পুরো ১৮ শতক জুড়েই এরকম শত সহস্র জাহাজ বাংলা থেকে নিয়ে গেছে সে সময়ের হিসাবে লক্ষ লক্ষ টাকার মসলিন।
১৮ শতকের দ্বিতীয়ার্ধে মসলিনের বিক্রি মুঘল সাম্রাজ্যে প্রায় শূণ্যের কোঠায় এসে ঠেকলেও ইউরোপের বাজারে তখনো টিকে ছিল। কিন্তু দুর্ভাগ্যজনক হল, ১৭৮০ তে বিলাতের শিল্প বিপ্লব মসলিন তাঁতীদের ঐ শেষ আশ্রয়টাও ধ্বংস করে দেয়।
বিলাতে ঢাকা থেকে আমদানিকৃত মসলিনের উপর তারা শতকরা ৭০-৮০ভাগ কর বসাল। [..] পত্রপত্রিকায় চললো মসলিন নিয়ে নানান অপপ্রচার, মসলিনকে হেয় করে ছাপাতে লাগল নানা রকম ক্যারিকেচার। শুধু তাই নয়, কথিত আছে, দেশীয় তাঁতীরা যাতে মসলিন বোনার কৌশল পরবর্তী প্রজন্মকে শেখাতে না পারে সেজন্য তাদের হাতের আঙুলও কেটে ফেলেছিল স্থানীয় ইংরেজ বনিকরা।
এভাবে ইংরেজ কুটকৌশল আর অত্যাচারের শিকার হয়ে ১৯ শতকের মাঝামাঝিতে পুরোপুরিই বিলুপ্ত হয়ে যায় ঢাকার মসলিনশিল্প।
It was June of 1763. A British ship named “the Fox” departed from Bengal, India and arrived in England. The ship carried a wide range of products for sale in various markets in Europe, including a wide range of assorted textiles. And the lion's share of these assorted garments belonged to a kind of garment called muslin (mulmul). [..] This fabric was one of the best creations of the famous muslin artisans of Dhaka. [..] Throughout the 18th century, hundreds of such ships transported from Bengal muslins worth millions of Indian Rupees.
In the second half of the 18th century, the sale of muslin in the Mughal Empire declined, but the European market was still thriving. Unfortunately, the industrial revolution in Britain in 1780 destroyed all hopes of the muslin weavers.
England imposed 60-70% tax on muslins imported from Dhaka. [..] There was a lot of propaganda about muslin and various caricatures were printed in the newspapers insulting muslin. Not only that, it is said that the local English merchants also cut off the fingers of the artisans so that the native weavers could not teach the next generation the technique of weaving muslin.
Thus, the muslin industry of Dhaka became extinct in the middle of the 19th century due to the British colonial rulers.
At present, the word “muslin” refers to almost any lightweight, gauzy, cotton fabric. These are usually machine-made and are used for various purposes, such as in cheese-making and, on the Indian sub-continent, making garments such as sarees.
The search for lost knowledge
Bangladeshis learn about the original and legendary muslin fabrics from schoolbooks and history texts, and perhaps also from the display of muslin products at the Bangladesh National Museum. Knowledge of both the cotton plant variant and the ancient techniques used to make genuine muslin, however, were largely lost, so the fabric could no longer be produced.
In 2014, a small team affiliated with Drik Picture Library, a Dhaka nonprofit led by internationally renowned photographer Shahidul Alam, extensively researched the origins of muslin with the assistance of curators, weavers and artisans. Their research culminated in the publishing of the book “Muslin: Our Story” and the staging of the first Muslin Festival on February 6, 2016. The festival showcased the history of the cloth and featured workshops and film presentations, and inspired renewed interest in reviving the legendary textile.
The first challenge was to find the right sample of muslin; the second was to find the right yarn. The government project team placed advertisements in newspapers seeking samples of old muslin from Bangladeshi museums and collectors, but the ones obtained were not of original and traditional muslin. A four-member team traveled to London in 2017 to collect a saree woven in 1710 from the Victoria and Albert Museum.
A seven-member team headed by the chairman of Bangladesh Handloom Board, meanwhile, embarked on a mission to find out about the yarn that was traditionally used to weave muslin, according to a report published in the popular daily Prothom Alo.
The quest for the original plant
The researchers circulated a drawing of the phuti karpas plant in national dailies and newspapers in the hope of finding a match. They also collected other varieties of cotton from several areas in the country in order to test whether any of them was a genetic match to the cotton from the saree from the Victoria and Albert museum. The team did find one that was a close match and cultivated the plant in the fields of the botany department of Rajshahi University.
They also located two weavers with ancestral knowledge, who were able to weave a muslin saree following the design of the saree from 1710. They produced six initial samples of sarees; the cost of each length of fabric was estimated to be BDT360,000 (US$4,245).
Netizens Kaniz Binte Zaman expressed jubilation on hearing the news:
#Muslin is reborn. Gratitude to the Chief Scientist #MonzurHossain sir & his fellow scientists whose hardwork has made Muslin back. It has recognized as the 4th GI product from Bangladesh. Bringing Muslin back was a stubborn desire of Hon'ble PM Sheikh Hasina from the yr of 2014. pic.twitter.com/yGsFD6JBvT
— ????? ℬℯ??ℯ ????? (@KanizBenteZaman) December 31, 2020
Ataur rahman kollol, a researcher, tweeted:
After 170 years, the scientists and researchers have been able to give rebirth to the Dhakai Muslin. Muslin has not only been a type of fabric for the bengali people, but also a part of the rich heritage that was long lost in the hand of British exploitation. pic.twitter.com/yfbaotRIHA
— Ataur rahman kollol (@MAR_kollol) January 2, 2021
Muslin fabric made from the original strain of cotton is supposed to be made commercially available within the next two years.

domain: history


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We have 2 full rolls of tan craft ribbon - it is vintage. The rolls are new and full, I couldn't even begin to guess how many yards, the rolls are about 5 1/4" across with the center hole being about 3/8" I would say at least 80 yards but most likely more. The ribbon is acetate rayon blend. It is tan with a decorative edge on both sides. This has the feel more of a sewing ribbon but was originally made for a craft ribbon (I aquired it with other craft ribbons).
$14.95 Regular Price


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U.S. Secretary of Labor appoints UNI’s Drew Conrad to federal advisory committee
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The United States Secretary of Labor has appointed Drew Conrad, director of the University of Northern Iowa’s Institute for Decision Making, to the 14-member Workforce Information Advisory Council (WIAC) as a representative of economic development related organizations. Conrad will hold this prestigious position for a three-year term.
The WIAC is a Federal Advisory Committee of workforce and labor market information experts representing a broad range of national, state and local data and information users and producers. Its purpose is to provide recommendations to the Secretary of Labor, working jointly through the Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training and the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, to address the evaluation and improvement of the nationwide workforce and labor market information system, and how the Department and the states cooperate in the management of those systems. These systems include programs to produce employment-related statistics and state and local workforce and labor market information.
With more than three decades of experience in statewide economic development planning, research and technical assistance, Conrad will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the WIAC. He has held the title of director of the Institute for Decision Making for seven years, where he facilitates strategic planning and regional economic research for communities and economic development organizations. Conrad was nominated for the appointment by The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) and the Labor Market Information Institute.
“It is an honor to be selected to serve on the Workforce Information Advisory Council,” said Conrad. “I look forward to representing economic development professionals and economic development organizations from across the nation on the Council and being actively engaged in the Council’s work to enhance the nation’s labor market information system.”
Outside of his appointment and role at UNI, Conrad is active in various professional and community organizations and volunteer activities. He currently represents the Board of Regents on the Iowa Workforce Development Board, serves on the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute Board and the UNI Alumni Association Board of Directors.

domain: politics


Witnesses reveal horror of Hamas attack on festival
19 November 2023 | 11:03 am
DW correspondent Tania Krämer traveled to the site of the music festival that was attacked by militant Islamist Hamas. The terror attack left hundreds dead, with others taken hostage. Eyewitnesses told her how events there unfolded.
January 16, 2023
January 31, 2023
February 19, 2023
April 18, 2023
On Benin's national voodoo holiday, performers dressed as guardians of the night swirled in their costumes like technicolour haystacks, delighting worshippers and tourists alike.
The Lunar New Year is a huge holiday in China, but also in other Asian countries like Korea and Vietnam. More than one billion people will be celebrating the event, which begins on January 22. For most, it's the Year of the Rabbit but in Vietnam, people will mark the Year of the Cat.
More than 20 acts from across Africa have shown support for victims of conflict at a music festival in eastern Democratic Republic of COngo - taking to the stage despite rising insecurity in the area.
At the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, or FESPACO, African cinema has freed itself from Western models, with women leading the way.
For the tenth edition of FIMO, Togo's international fashion festival, founder Jacques Logoh wanted to raise awareness of environmental issues by paying homage to a group of women on the frontlines of that fight: the street sweepers of the capital Lomé. Designers, meanwhile, were keen to show off their recycling prowess.
The Songkran Festival has come as "a national relief" as Thailand celebrates a return to normality after three years of COVID-19. Revelers enjoyed water fights and other festivities throughout the country.
In Lomé, the capital of Togo, Jacques Logoh has good reason to be cheerful. The young designer and founder of the Togo International Fashion Festival has made it his mission to ensure the event embodies the values of diversity. Alex and Kim are androgynous models. They're walking for – among others – Fauvette Nacto, in a show that's a celebration of marriage in all its forms.
A weekly news show produced with photos, videos and personal accounts from France 24 Observers around the world - all checked by our staff here in Paris.
Film critic Lisa Nesselson flags up some of the headliners at this year's cinematic feast at Cannes, as new features from Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Glazer, Todd Haynes and Wes Anderson are set to premiere at the festival. We take a closer look at last year's winner of the Camera d'Or – the prize for best début at Cannes – as "War Pony" hits French cinemas.
The cinema industry in Nigeria, known as Nollywood, is the second-largest on the planet in terms of films produced, after Bollywood. Over the next few days, the best TV and films from across Africa are being showcased in Paris for the tenth edition of Nollywood Week. The festival celebrates the newest voices on the scene, highlights the best that African cinema has to offer and brings it to a French public.
South Africa plans to head up a peace mission with African nations set on mediating the war in Ukraine. Also, African and European innovators meet in Marseille to talk sustainability and the importance of re-imagining Africa's cities of the future. Finally, we celebrate African films at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Movies from Senegal and Tunisia are in the running for the prestigious Palme d'Or award.
1 hour ago
At COP28 in Dubai, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a phase out of fossil fuels, the US announced $3 billion in new climate funding and France pushed for nuclear energy as a way to reduce emissions.
1 hour ago
South Korea has been ramping up its surveillance capabilities in order to gain a strategic edge over North Korea. The move comes after North Korea launched a satellite of its own in violation of UN resolutions.
3 hours ago
Early drafts of the COP28 agreement refer to the "phasedown/out" of fossil fuels, which are responsible for most climate emissions. The final wording will likely be disputed. What's the difference — and does it matter?
3 hours ago
Britain and Rwanda have inked a new treaty aimed at rescuing failed plans for the UK to deport asylum-seekers. A top court ruling had blocked the policy, saying it violated human rights laws enshrined in UK legislation.
5 hours ago
After the military burned down their village, one community describe their efforts to survive in a diplaced person's camp on the fringes of the jungle in the Sagaing region.
5 hours ago
Junta-led Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have ditched the G5 anti-jihadist force. Experts say their intended confederation to tackle Islamist insurgents in the Sahel is bound to fail unless they mend ties with ECOWAS.
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.


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Wake Up to Tai Chi
July 27, 2019 @ 9:30 am - 10:30 am
The free Tai Chi classes on Saturday mornings are already proving very popular. If you think you may be interested but are not sure if Tai Chi is for you, come to this drop-in session in the library where you can find out more about it from the qualified instructor.

domain: library


text: I woke up and had breakfast downstairs. We got parked and ready and got in the car. We are driving to Conwy, Wales. We crossed the border from England to Wales to England to Wales about 8 times. Dad stopped us in a little town to find a plaque in the church of some ancestors but it was locked so we went to some live ancestors that had a key. There was a whole side chapel for them. In Wales, we stayed at the top floor of our B&B that looked at the castle. We ate Italian again.


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Social firms as a means of vocational recovery for people with mental illness: a UK survey
AuthorGilbert, E; Marwaha, S; Milton, A; Johnson, S; Morant, N; Parsons, N; Fisher, A; Singh, S; Cunliffe, D
Source TitleBMC Health Services Research
University of Melbourne Author/sCastle, David
Document TypeJournal Article
CitationsGilbert, E., Marwaha, S., Milton, A., Johnson, S., Morant, N., Parsons, N., Fisher, A., Singh, S. & Cunliffe, D. (2013). Social firms as a means of vocational recovery for people with mental illness: a UK survey. BMC HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, 13 (1), https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-13-270.
Access StatusOpen Access
BACKGROUND: Employment is associated with better quality of life and wellbeing in people with mental illness. Unemployment is associated with greater levels of psychological illness and is viewed as a core part of the social exclusion faced by people with mental illness. Social Firms offer paid employment to people with mental illness but are under-investigated in the UK. The aims of this phase of the Social Firms A Route to Recovery (SoFARR) project were to describe the availability and spread of Social Firms across the UK, to outline the range of opportunities Social Firms offer people with severe mental illness and to understand the extent to which they are employed within these firms. METHOD: A UK national survey of Social Firms, other social enterprises and supported businesses was completed to understand the extent to which they provide paid employment for the mentally ill. A study-specific questionnaire was developed. It covered two broad areas asking employers about the nature of the Social Firm itself and about the employees with mental illness working there. RESULTS: We obtained returns from 76 Social Firms and social enterprises / supported businesses employing 692 people with mental illness. Forty per cent of Social Firms were in the south of England, 24% in the North and the Midlands, 18% in Scotland and 18% in Wales. Other social enterprises/supported businesses were similarly distributed. Trading activities were confined mainly to manufacturing, service industry, recycling, horticulture and catering. The number of employees with mental illness working in Social Firms and other social enterprises/supported businesses was small (median of 3 and 6.5 respectively). Over 50% employed people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, though the greatest proportion of employees with mental illness had depression or anxiety. Over two thirds of Social Firms liaised with mental health services and over a quarter received funding from the NHS or a mental health charity. Most workers with mental illness in Social Firms had been employed for over 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Social Firms have significant potential to be a viable addition to Individual Placement and Support (IPS), supporting recovery orientated services for people with the full range of mental disorders. They are currently an underdeveloped sector in the UK.
- Click on "Export Reference in RIS Format" and choose "open with... Endnote".
- Click on "Export Reference in RIS Format". Login to Refworks, go to References => Import References

domain: sociology


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Ahead of the Assembly polls, which will be held in 2019, Republic TV, in association with CVoter, has come with the National Approval Ratings to bring forward the mood of the nation in the present time. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is presently in power in the centre, as well as 21 states, either alone or through a coalition of NDA.
In the Union Territory of Chandigarh, it seems a repeat of 2014 is on cards.
In the previous general elections, BJP won the only seat from the UT, with a vote share of 42.2%. Congress and AAP, the two other major parties who fought the elections, drew blank.
Everything is expected to remain the same in the state, except for the vote share. BJP will lose a mere 0.2%, ending with 42% of vote share. Congress will leap from 26.8% to 28.9%, while the others will be the biggest gainers, growing from 7% in 2014 to 16.3%. The losers of the coming elections look set to be AAP, who had won a healthy 24% in 2014, but is expected to win a mere 12.8% this time around.
In a fiery face of between the BJP, Congress and AAP. The present projections forsee a status quo scenario with the BJP retaining the solo Chandigarh seat it won in 2014.
While the BJP is set to reclaim it's Chandigarh seat, its voteshare is slated to decline by a meagre 0.2% , which is commendable given that 5 years later the BJP is managing to keep its voteshare at 42% in Chandigarh.
(The results of 2019 Lok Sabha elections may or may not reflect the results or scenarios of the state assembly elections, nevertheless, to establish where we stand at present, Republic TV and CVoter has presented the National Approval Ratings.)


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Feed two to three times daily the amount your fish will completely consume in a few minutes. Care should be taken to avoid over-feeding and always remove uneated food after feeding period to avoid health impacting water quality issues.
Note: Hikari® Vibra Bites™ contains higher levels of natural ingredients which may cause a slight change in color from one production lot to another. Rest assured because of our rigid quality standards each package meets our superior nutritional specifications.
Fish meal, krill meal, wheat flour, flaked corn, brewers dried yeast, cuttlefish meal, wheat germ meal, wheat gluten meal, fish oil, whole crushed silkworm pupae, hydrolyzed vegetable sucrose polyesters, ｍealworm, astaxanthin, DL-methionine, garlic, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (stabilized vitamin C), inositol, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, niacin, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, disodium phosphate, salt, ferrous sulfate, magnesium sulfate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, red 3, yellow 5 (artificial colors).* 00-52D * Because of our commitment to providing the highest quality nutrition available, some differences in ingredients may occur due to regular formula updates.
|Crude Protein||Crude Fat||Crude Fiber||Moisture||Ash|
|min. 46.0%||min. 7.0%||max. 5.0%||max. 10.0%||max. 13.0%|
|Phosphorus||Vitamin A||Vitamin D3||Vitamin E||Ascorbic Acid|
|min. 1.0%||min. 15,000 IU/kg||min. 2,300 IU/kg||min. 970 IU/kg||min. 350 mg/kg|
|0.176 oz (5g) - #22200||1.23 oz (35g) - #22206||4.4 oz (125g) - #22221|
|1.30 oz (37g) - #22205||2.57 oz (73g) – #22215||14.6 oz (415g) - #22238|