The JL Customs team at Jack Lilley Ashford have been planning a very exciting, one off special custom motorcycle during the lockdown months. A few months ago when it all started we got thinking, what bike would we love to see in our range? The decision was unanimous! We all wanted to see a Speed Twin with suspension as per the prototype.
As you may already be aware, Jack Lilley Ashford are no strangers to customisation and are regularly working on unique designs, planning special projects and making dreams a reality for so many customers every year. So as lockdown eased, our plans were born and we set to work on our new masterpiece; the Speed Twin JLC.
- We took the rear suspension, headlight brackets and front fender from the Thruxton R
- A Thruxton TFC provides The Ohlins fork, Brembo Brakes and bottom yoke
- TFC inspired engine badges
- LSL supplied the Top Yoke so we could refit the Speed Twins Fat bars
- Our friends over at Surrey Customs painted the wheels, bottom yoke and rear fender
- The Tail Tidy is from FreeSpirits
- Our Prototype includes the SC Project exhausts
This custom has been one we set out to create as a unique, one off piece but knowing how much our team loved it, we’ve decided to offer out the design to our customers too. The finished article can be re-created just for you for £17,000 or We can build you an R Version for £16,000.
The Speed Twin JLC is available for viewing at Jack Lilley Ashford now. Be sure to come down and see it in the flesh, you won’t be disappointed!


text:
Tuesday, 23 May 2000
Dáil Eireann Debate
280. Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the views on the issues raised in the submission from the Ballyfermot Business Watch entitled Ballyfermot Policing Crisis (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14138/00]
Minister for Justce, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue): I am informed by the Garda Authorities that there have been a number of operations carried out by the local drug unit which have resulted in large seizures of controlled drugs and cash within the Ballyfermot district. In this context, Operation Cleanstreet has been utilised in this area and, during the period 11 January 2000 to 15 April 2000 268 people have been detained under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Acts, 1977 to 1984, in the Ballyfermot Road/Le Fanu Park area.
I am also informed by the Garda authorities that the local gardaí, having attended many meetings with community groups, business watch, Cherryorchard Development Council, neighbourhood watch and Ballyfermot local drugs task force, are very much aware of local concerns.
I am informed that the following measures  have been taken by the local Garda management to address the problem: special public order patrol units are in operation from Monday to Saturday, inclusive. Patrol times are reviewed on a weekly basis for optimum effectiveness. Special operations are mounted from time to time in order to target particular areas where it is anticipated that problems may arise. For instance, last autumn “operation lawns” targeted the Le Fanu Road/Lawns Park area of Ballyfermot, where drug dealing and alcohol abuse were occurring. Special beats, backed up by patrol jeeps and the task force unit, were used. The local drugs unit also patrolled the area. This operation, resulted in a large number of arrests under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977. Further arrests were made for public order offences. This operation was repeated for a week last January.
The gardaí in Ballyfermot are also very involved in a number of Government-funded, community-based projects, which are designed to benefit young people in the area who are likely to become involved in crime. The success of these projects is due to the hard work of dedicated local individuals with the assistance of the Garda.
In addition, the Garda authorities have also informed me that monthly meetings have been held between the Garda and Dublin Corporation to discuss estate management. In 1998-99 there were 33 evictions in the Ballyfermot sub-district for anti-social behaviour, many involving co-operation between the Garda and the local authority.
The first report of the ministerial task force on measures to reduce the demand for drugs identified Ballyfermot upper and lower as one of the 13 areas with the most acute heroin problem. A local drugs task force was established. Funding of £922,000 was allocated to support the implementation of the Ballyfermot local drugs task force service development plan.
The Ashling Centre on Ballyfermot Road is used by the Eastern Region Health Authority as a dispensary centre for physeptone. Drug addicts from outside the area attend this centre. My colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, has informed me that the provision of drug misuse services in the Ballyfermot area is the responsibility of the South Western Area Health Board. He has further informed me that the board will meet traders from the Ballyfermot area on Thursday, 25 May 2000 to discuss issues in relation to drug misuse services and the concerns which traders have.
The CCTV advisory committee, which was established by the Garda Commissioner to evaluate CCTV applications, is considering an application which was received for a Garda CCTV system in the shops area of Ballyfermot. No application for CCTV has been received to date for the Cherry Orchard area.
The community policing forum is being piloted in Kevin Street Garda Station, and a review, of the pilot scheme will be carried out to assess its merits. On completion of this review consider ation will be given to having this scheme extended to other areas.
Finally, I have been assured by the Garda Authorities that crime and drug-related activity is monitored on an ongoing basis in the Ballyfermot district with a view to curbing and dealing effectively with such activity.
|Last Updated: 11/09/2010 03:17:28||Page of 291|

domain: law


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Wendams Williams & # 39; estranged husband Kevin Hunter accused of poisoning her by an anonymous tipster who called the police to check with talk show host
Police in New Jersey visited the home of Wendy Williams and her husband Kevin Hunter in January to perform a welfare check on the 55-year-old, according to a new TMZ report on Tuesday.
The outlet reports that the caller claimed to be an employee of the Williams production company and stated that they believed the host of the talk show was poisoned.
A police report states that the call came early 2018 from a & # 39; random caller & # 39; who claimed that Wendy's hunter, Kevin, & # 39; the host of the talk show poisoned & # 39 ;.
Welfare check: Police responded to Wendy Williams and alienated husband Kevin Hunter's home in January after a reporter called authorities to report that the presenter of the talk show was reportedly poisoned by Hunter, TMZ said on Tuesday
& # 39; The caller believed Kevin made Wendy a little more damaging, and he or she wanted the police to keep an eye on her, & # 39; TMZ reported.
Two officers responded to the call and went to Wendy's home in New Jersey for a & # 39; welfare check & # 39; to be carried out.
When the officers asked the star if there was any truth to the anonymous tip that she was poisoned, she did not directly deny it, and she said something as a result of & # 39; well, I am very popular & # 39 ;.
When the police insist, TMZ reports that Wendy & # 39; became sad, but denied that there was any truth. & # 39;
& # 39; The caller believed Kevin made Wendy a little more damaging, and he or she wanted the police to keep an eye on her, & # 39; TMZ reported
The outlet also said that when the police came home, Hunter opened the door and initially & # 39; hesitantly & # 39; was to let them in and claimed that Wendy was under the weather.
At the time, Wendy was on a gap in her show and claimed it was for medical reasons.
DailyMail.com later revealed, which Wendy confirmed, that she had had a relapse in the addition of drugs and alcohol.
& # 39; Cops say they explained to Hunter that they should talk to Williams because of the anonymous call & # 39 ;, TMZ wrote. & # 39; When he allowed them to come in, they found Williams in bed & # 39; with the blanket from neck to toe. & # 39; & # 39;
On the better side: when the police arrived, Wendy was in bed and claimed that she was recovering from a broken shoulder that she appeared on her talk show on December 17
The officers only asked to talk to Wendy, the report said, but Kevin would not leave her bed.
The presenter told the police that she recovered from a broken shoulder.
Before Christmas, Wendy missed a 17 December episode of her show and the next day appeared with her arm in a sling under a pink sweater.
She explained to the public that she had a hairline shoulder fracture.
Problems: When the officers asked the star if there was any truth to the anonymous tip that she was poisoned, she didn't just deny it and say something as a result of & # 39; well, I'm very popular & # 39;
Wendy did not return to her show after her holiday gap and announced in January that for medical reasons she was going to have an & # 39; extended pause & # 39; and would broadcast new episodes to hosts.
DailyMail.com had simultaneously published news about a ten-year affair between Hunter and massage therapist Sharina Hudson, which resulted in a little girl.
The recent birth, just a few weeks ago, drove Wendy to a second unfortunate relapse in her drug and alcohol abuse.
She has since started the recovery and has returned to the helm of her hit talk show and has recently filed for divorce from Kevin.
It's over: Wendy has since filed for Kevin's divorce and fired him from her talk show she recently returned to after a gap in recovering from drug and alcohol addiction after a relapse when she learned the extent of his extramarital affair


Justin and Affleck and Leo, oh my!
This is going to be QUITE the project!
Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck have reportedly been cast in a new thriller called Runner, Runner, which will focus on on-line gambling communities, and be produced by Leonardo DiCaprio!
The project is helmed by Brad Furman, written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, and expected to begin filming in Puerto Rico this summer!
Yum! Here's hoping they'll be filming lots of scenes on the beach - and in as little clothing as possible!
Hey! We can dream, can't we?!
[Image via WENN.]
Tags: ben affleck, brad furman, brian koppelman, casting, community, david levien, director, justin timberlake, leonardo dicaprio, new movie, on-line gambling, producer, production, puerto rico, writer


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United States, United States of America, America, the States, US, U.S., USA, U.S.A.(noun)
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
United States Army, US Army, U. S. Army, Army, USA(noun)
the army of the United States of America; the agency that organizes and trains soldiers for land warfare
USA is a live album by the English band King Crimson, released in 1975. It was mostly recorded at the Casino, Asbury Park, on 28 June 1974. The exceptions are track 7, which was recorded at the Palace Theatre, Providence, USA, on 30 June 1974, and Eddie Jobson's overdubs on tracks 2, 3 and 7, which were recorded in a studio. Track 1 is a brief performance of material from. While it was not listed as a separate track on the original album, it is present on all releases.
What does USA stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the USA acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.
British National Corpus
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'USA' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1987
The numerical value of USA in Chaldean Numerology is: 1
The numerical value of USA in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5
Sample Sentences & Example Usage
Usa la Forza del Web, Luke.
Go USA, four hours. We're ready!
It's like small town USA, but really small.
Republican Ted Cruz rakes in the cash - USA Today :.
Trump botches excuse for canceled London visit - USA Today :.
Images & Illustrations of USA
Translations for USA
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
Get even more translations for USA »
Find a translation for the USA definition in other languages:
Select another language:

domain: geography


text:
Activities kids - easy crafts printables kids, Holiday activities and crafts for kids. birthday party themes with games and recipes. classroom printables including custom printouts all at activities for. 50 indoor activities kids - ' autumn, Keep your kids busy and having fun inside on rainy winter days with this selection of 50 fantastic indoor activities for kids. easy crafts + games.. Crafts | disney family, Grab your scissors, grab your glue! find hundreds of disney-inspired art and craft ideas for kids of all ages including holiday and seasonal crafts.
Easy nature crafts kids - red ted art' blog, Easy nature crafts kids. great set colourful nature crafts kids easily. , explore, collect !. 11 easy paper crafts kids - 101 craft ideas., 11 easy paper crafts kids. paper invention. lot imaginative crafts . lets bests kids!. Crafts kids - easy crafts activities children, Holiday, parties seasonal activities, printouts crafts kids..

domain: hobby


New BFPA Promotional Video
19 Jun 2019
BFPA CEO Chris Buxton announces the release of a new Promotional video on BFPA Membership.
Who has time to read lengthy promotional material and e-mail shots these days?! Well… as the CEO of the BFPA and someone who regularly communicates with members by e-mail I hope the answer is ‘most people!’ But joking aside, in reality, I know as well as anyone, that in a busy working day with an Outlook Inbox of eighty unread e-mails, there is every chance that a communication from the BFPA might be missed and I am always pleased when I receive an acknowledgment or a response. When I do, I answer everyone personally!
However, accepting all of this – there is no doubt that it is easier to watch a brief video clip than to read a lengthy and potentially fairly ‘dry’ document. That is why BFPA and its Marketing and Communications Committee under the excellent Chairmanship of Paul Newnham are seeking to make greater use of this ever-popular medium.
To start the process, Members are encouraged to click on the following link to see an unscripted, unrehearsed video of a selection of BFPA members expounding on the benefits of BFPA membership. It was filmed at the recent 2019 AGM.
We hope that you like it. It will ultimately be placed on the front page of the BFPA website and used as a general aid in promoting your Association.
Enjoy… We welcome any feedback!
(The password is case sensitive.)


Value-Based Purchasing: What is the Impact on Home Health Operations?
Home health providers are aware that the changes noted in the CMS 2016 Home Health Wage Index Final Rule represent the beginning of a fundamental shift in service provision for the home health industry and increased alignment with other health care providers. In this “Spotlight on Value Based Purchasing”, we will outline these requirements and offer real-time strategies to help prepare providers to operate within the value-based purchasing model, whether the agency is in the nine initial states or not. To ensure readiness for these changes, Home Health Agencies (HHAs) will need to ensure OASIS accuracy, provide education and evaluate operations as a whole to determine the most efficient structure and processes to provide and demonstrate high-quality care, compliance and successful operations in an integrated, streamlined and cost-effective manner. Over the next few months, Simione Healthcare Consultants will provide insights on these complex changes impacting the home health industry, and share realistic and measurable strategies to ensure provider readiness.
The implementation of a Home Health Value Based Purchasing (HH-VBP) model is required by the Accountable Care Act and is a key component of CMS’s plan to achieve the IHI Triple Aim goal of better health, better care and lower costs. The HH-VBP model aligns home health with other providers to fulfill this mandate that ties quality to payment through a system of value-based purchasing to improve beneficiaries’ experience and outcomes. As a result, CMS expects payment adjustments will incentivize providers by rewarding improved quality and penalizing poor performance to achieve a more sustainable payment system. There is no net impact on Medicare payments made to HHAs over the life of the HH-VBP pilot program, but CMS estimates $380 million in total savings through reductions in unnecessary hospitalizations and the use of skilled nursing facilities.
What is the Plan for Rollout and Payment Adjustments?
In the 2016 final rule, CMS provides a detailed explanation of the HH-VBP pilot program that begins January 1, 2016 with mandatory participation from all Medicare-certified HHAs in nine selected states – Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Washington, Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska and Tennessee.Providers in these states should contact CMS ([email protected]) for instructions on how to set up the agency contact person and obtain real-time information regarding the implementation of the model. HHAs in these states were recently invited to participate in the first of several CMS webinars designed to provide instructions and guidance on the HH-VBP model as the processes are implemented.
Even though the HH-VBP pilot program rule starts in 2016 for HHAs in these selected states, agencies will not see the payment adjustments until 2018 for their 2016 performance. The maximum payment adjustment is proposed as follows:
- 3% in 2018
- 5% in 2019
- 6% in 2020
- 7% in 2021
- 8% in 2022
The model is designed to have Medicare-certified HHAs compete only within their state and only within their sized cohort, which will be determined based on the agency’s participation in the Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey (Home Health CAHPS). HHAs will be evaluated quarterly and receive reports that include performance results from the baseline and prior quarters, as well as a comparison of performance among competing HHAs within the same cohort and state boundary. The highest performing HHAs (compared to both peer HHAs within the same state and their own baseline performance) will receive an increase in reimbursement payments. The lowest performing agencies (compared to both peer HHAs within the same state and their own baseline performance) will see their payments reduced. CMS will use the 2015 CASPER and Home Health CAHPS survey data as a baseline.
What Will Be Measured?
The HH-VBP model utilizes data from OASIS, Medicare claims, Home Health CAHPS surveys and other directly reported data to evaluate HHAs on a specific set of 24 measures:
- Outcome Measures (CASPER reports):
- Improvement in Ambulation (M1860)
- Improvement in Bed Transferring (M1850)
- Improvement in Bathing (M1830)
- Improvement in Dyspnea (M1400)
- Discharged to Community (M2420
- Acute Care Hospitalization (Claims)
- ER Utilization without Hospitalization (Claims)
- Improvement in Pain with Activity (M1242)
- Improved Management of Oral Medications (M2020)
- Prior Functioning ADL/IADL (M1900)
- NOTE: This measure is not currently reported
- Process Measures (CASPER reports):
- Care Management-Types/Sources of Assistance (M2102)
- Influenza Data Collection Period (M1041)
- Influenza Immunization Received for Current Flu Season (M1046)
- Pneumococcal Vaccine Ever Received (M1051)
- Reason Pneumococcal Not Received (M1056)
- Drug Education on All Medications Provided to the Patient/Caregiver (M2015)
- Home Health CAHPS Satisfaction Survey Measures:
- Care of Patients
- Communication between Providers and Patients
- Specific Care Issues
- Overall Rating of Home Health Care
- Willingness to Recommend the Agency
- Agency-Reported Measures (NEW):
- Influenza Vaccination Coverage for Home Health Personnel
- Herpes Zoster (Shingles) Vaccination Ever Received by Patient
- Advance Care Planning
Based on these 24 measures, HHAs will receive a Total Performance Score (TPS) that will be determined using the higher of an agency’s achievement or improvement score. An agency’s achievement and improvement scores will be based on the performance score it receives for each measure for which they report at least 20 episodes. The achievement score will be calculated based on the performance score in relation to a selected benchmark and achievement threshold for each measure. The improvement score will be calculated based on the performance score in relation to a selected benchmark and the baseline period score for each measure.
For the first performance year, each of the six process and 15 outcome measures (or the total number of applicable measures that meet the 20-episode requirement) will be weighted equally and account for 90% of the TPS, while each of new measures will be weighted equally over the remaining 10%. CMS will require HHAs in the nine initial states to inform CMS of their performance on each of the individual quality measures used to calculate the TPS on a quarterly basis.
What Does this Mean for Providers?
Now, more than ever, HHAs need to put their Quality Assessment/Performance Improvement (QAPI) programs to the forefront. OASIS accuracy is key in this effort. Equally important is the patient experience of care, which is measured through the CAHPS Home Health Survey. Agencies must closely monitor all outcome reports and the Home Health CAHPS report to identify and address trends and issues. Even agencies who are not in the HH-VBP pilot states can implement these requirements.
It is important to note that the calculation for each measure under the HH-VBP has not been fully defined, and some of the measures are not currently reported. Providers may use their current publicly available measures from Home Health Compare to establish a ballpark estimate of where they stand in relation to their state as a whole. But, agencies should bear in mind that the actual calculation will be based directly from the CASPER reports in comparison to the specific cohort within each state. Therefore, it is important to review the CASPER reports currently available and compare the differences between these reports and Home Health Compare. Immediate implementation of these strategies is extremely important for the nine states, but providers in other states can also begin to assess their readiness in the following ways:
- Become familiar with the HH-VBP Model measures and the source data that are currently available through CASPER, Home Health Compare and the Home Health CAHPS Survey
- Review your agency’s current performance in these process, outcome and CAHPS Home Health Survey data.
- Provide OASIS education to ensure accuracy in these data. This is a key recommendation, as OASIS data drives the majority of the measures. It is important that your agency implements a rigorous OASIS oversight program.
- Incorporate a plan for improving the HH-VBP measures in your agency’s QAPI Program.
- Stay abreast of information from CMS regarding the HH-VBP requirements.
How Can Simione Help?
As the largest consulting firm in the U.S. dedicated to home health and hospice providers, Simione Healthcare Consultants can guide you through these changes by providing real-time, concise information and realistic strategies to assist you in preparing for HH-VBP model implementation. Simione can perform a “snapshot assessment” of your HHA’s currently reported measures and status. We can work with you to develop specific strategies to prepare for the measures not currently reported, and assess your agency’s QAPI Program to ensure that these measures are incorporated in an efficient manner. In addition, Simione will provide OASIS training/validation and Home Health CAHPS training for your staff to ensure accuracy and improve their understanding of the impact of these measures on your agency’s performance for public reporting, survey readiness – and now for HH-VBP.
For more information, call 844.215.8820 or visit Simione.com


text:
400+ Sourced quotes
Holland is a dream, Monsieur, a dream of gold and smoke-smokier by day, more gilded by night. And night and day that dream is peopled with Lohengrins like these, dreamily riding their black bicycles with high handle-bars, funereal swans constantly drifting throughout the whole country, around the seas, along the canals.
I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came.
Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
And the ship went out into the High Sea and passed into the West, until at last on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.
It is a pleasure to stand upon the shore, and to see ships tosed upon the sea: a pleasure to stand in the window of a castle, and to see a battle and the adventures thereof below: but no pleasure is comparable to standing upon the vantage ground of truth... and to see the errors, and wanderings, and mists, and tempests, in the vale below.
I long to embrace, to include in my own short life, all that is accessible to man. I long to speak, to read, to wield a hammer in a great factory, to keep watch at sea, to plow. I want to be walking along the Nevsky Prospect, or in the open fields, or on the ocean - wherever my imagination ranges.

domain: library


text:
Fighting Fraudulent Car Accidents, Part 1: Florida
Two people get in a car accident in a parking lot. Afterwards they go to a clinic to get treated for injuries. It’s not an uncommon scenario. But what if it’s a fraud?
Accidents often get staged, and treatment for nonexistent injuries meted out in order to scam insurance companies. It’s an illegal practice that generates massive amounts of revenue yearly, especially in Florida. The Sunshine State has three of the five American cities where this type of fraudulent accident is most common: Tampa, Miami, and Orlando.
Between 2007 and 2009, over 3,000 staged managed accidents were reported in Florida, more than double the number found in New York, which ranked number two. The thing that’s really surprising, though, is the fact that the Florida Division of Insurance Fraud tops in the nation for both arrests and conviction of these scam artists.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater has recently begun a campaign to put some brakes on the rampant problem. He detailed some of his objectives in a recent piece for The St. Petersburg Times (via TampaBay.com):
During the coming legislative session, I am proposing the following policy solutions:
- Strengthen billing practices so only appropriate services rendered are covered, curtailing the incentive for kickbacks and improper referrals.
- Create civil penalties for those convicted of automobile insurance fraud, the proceeds of which will be used to fund additional antifraud efforts.
- Require law officers to list all passengers in accident reports to eliminate fraud perpetrators from later claiming passengers.
- Address litigation costs that drive up the costs of auto insurance for Floridians.
- Tighten requirements for clinic ownership.
I wonder how much this is spurred by the arrest at the beginning of March of no less than 25 people in the Miami-Dade area? Those arrests were made at the New Horizon Practice, described by the State as an accident clinic where therapists fill out paperwork for insurance claims for phony car wrecks. [See “Dozens Arrested in Auto Insurance Fraud,” WSVN-TV.]
Atwater is not alone in his crusade, as Aaron Sharockman, a writer for The St. Petersburg Times, points out:
Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, and Rep. Jim Boyd, R-Manatee, propose SB 1930 and HB 1411, which, among other things, would increase penalties for medical providers who participate in auto accident fraud, require law enforcement to conduct a more thorough investigation of an auto accident and give insurance companies more time to investigate suspicious claims.
This was a big issue in the 2007 session, when then-House Speaker Marco Rubio said he would let the mandatory insurance coverage expire unless more antifraud measures were enacted.
Rubio gave in after a compromise bill limited prices some medical facilities and doctors can charge insurers for nonemergency care and required that PIP clinics be owned or overseen by licensed doctors.
There is a long way to go on this matter, and Florida has the worst of it, but progress can be made. Fraudulentaccidents are highly profitable for the scammers who get away with them, but it costs everyone else money. There is no legal requirement for insurance companies to just sit there and take the loss, which gets passed on to everyone else’s insurance premiums.
While Florida may have it the worst, it is far from the only hot spot. In our next post, we will take a look at the similar outrage and the measures being taken to fight auto insurance fraud in New York state.

domain: news


text:
Join an event hosted by the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), World Resources Institute (WRI) and China Agricultural University on 24 May to launch two papers focusing on climate neutrality for food and land use systems in China.
Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C by the end of this century is essential if we are to safeguard life on this planet. But the latest climate research shows that there is a more than 50% chance that global temperature rise will reach or surpass 1.5 degrees C between 2021 and 2024, which could lead to devastating impacts globally.
While food and land use systems are extremely vulnerable to climate change, they are also major greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters.
As the world’s biggest producer, importer, and consumer of food and largest GHG emitter, China needs a holistic and systemic approach that will not only accelerate low-carbon transitions in its energy, transport and building sectors, but also promotes sustainable, healthy, just and resilient climate mitigation measures in its food and land use systems in line with global targets.
This meeting marks the launch of two papers examining the role that food and land use systems can play in meeting China’s carbon neutrality target. The first paper identifies supply- and demand-oriented mitigation measures and associated co-benefits in China’s food and land use systems, and provides recommendations for the roles that government, research institutions and civil society can play. The second paper evaluates existing greenhouse gas (GHG) projections for the Chinese agriculture, forestry and land use (AFOLU) sector and the models being used to create them, as well as giving recommendations on how to better harmonize these models.
- Haijun Zhao, China Coordinator, FOLU China
- Helen Ding, Senior Economist, WRI
- Minpeng Chen, Professor, Renmin University
- Shenggen Fan, Dean of Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy, China Agricultural University, and Ambassador of the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) – Moderator
- Fei Teng, Professor, Tsinghua University
- Min Hu, Principal and Co-Founder, Innovative Green Development Program
- Shuqin Jin, Deputy Division Chief, Research Center for Rural Economy (RCRE)
- Yumei Zhang, Professor, China Agricultural University
The event will be live-streamed via zoom here: https://wri.zoom.us/j/93362677552
Please note that this event will be fully in Chinese.
Reports are available in both English and Chinese on our Knowledge Hub.


text:
Last week Dallas Contemporary opened Dan Colen: Oil Paintings an exhibition surveying the past fifteen years of Colen´s paintings. The exhibition provides a great opportunity to explore the major developments in the artist’s practice, beginning with his earliest works and continuing through his most recent paintings. To this in depth inquiry of his paintings, Astrup Fearnley Collection has contributed the large scale work `Me, Jesus and the Children´ representing an early period of his work.
At the beautiful Villa Paloma, a part of the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco, Duane Hansons Housewife resides from February – September 2016 as a focal part of the exhibition Duane Hanson. The exhibition is initiated by the Serpentine Galleries, London, and presents key works from the artist’s oeuvre showing a selection of Hansons hyper-realistic sculptures. Hansons characteristic work results directly from his artistic approach using polyester resin, casting figures from live models in his studio, paying attention to every detail, from body hair to veins and bruises.
At ARoS, Aarhus Art Museum in Denmark, the exhibition Between War and Peace by Leonard Rickhard one of Norway’s leading painters for the last 30 years, is on view. Rickhard is distinct part of a painterly tradition addressing history’s great questions and in 2001 Astrup Fearnley Museet presented Soft Whispers in the Birch Wood, the first large scale exhibition of his work. Rickhards imagery and painterly style is well represented in the Astrup Fearnley Collection. Between War and Peace is the first large-scale show outside Norway and features 65 paintings and 200 drawings, of which Astrup Feranley Museet has contributed with the loan of 4 paintings dating from 1988 – 2014.
The presence of the Astrup Fearnley Collecton in Norway is visible with Cindy Sherman’s Untitled #402 on loan at the Kaviar Factory in Henningsvær, Northern Norway. Representatives of the new generation of Norwegian abstract artists in our traveling exhibition NN-A NN-A NN-A - New Norwegian Abstraction is now at Stavanger Kunstmuseum, and Hanne Borchgrevinks Husdikt is on loan at Lillehammer Kunstmuseum

domain: artistic


text:
forma condo price list.House prices in Canada have been falling for 2 years! RBC Bank of Canada has predicted that house prices in Canada, especially in BC and Ontario, will fall sharply to $776900 in 2023.Please Visit: forma condo price list to Get Your VVIP Registration Today!
“We expect more downward pressure on prices in Vancouver, Toronto and other high-priced markets,” Robert Hogue, assistant chief economist at Royal Bank of Canada, wrote in the latest housing outlook.
“by contrast, we expect market activity and prices in Alberta to be more flexible, with more catch-up work to be done in the local market after the prolonged downturn before the outbreak.”
Vancouver real estate and property tax experts believe that Vancouver’s real estate market is beginning to slump, which could last as long as two years.
Total real estate prices in BC province are expected to fall 3.8% to about $1.02 million in 2023. This is the biggest drop in the country, with Ontario expected to fall by 2.3%.
Paul Sullivan is B.C. Property tax expert, head of Ryan Co., Ltd. (Ryan LLC), who leads the relationship with B.C. A business tax alliance formed in cooperation with the Business improvement Association. ‘The market changed in a near-perfect environmental storm,’he said.
“there’s nothing worse in the world than right now,” Sullivan said. “there’s war, there’s interest rates, there’s a supply chain crisis.” “this is a very bad situation.”
‘Even if house prices are falling, it doesn’t help people’s affordability, ‘says Sullivan. Record high inflation and rising interest rates mean buyers cannot afford to buy, making it increasingly difficult and expensive to build.
“our raw materials are priced very high because of transport problems, and we are facing a labour shortage,” he said. ” “now, the price of delivering new homes to the market is soaring.”
The RBC Bank of Canada forecasts that “prices will peak this spring as market sentiment worsens” and then fall back.
“I don’t agree with that,” Sullivan said. “I think prices went up in the last quarter of last year or even at the end of last year. The level of demand has fallen, and interest rates will exacerbate this situation. ”
As for how long the downturn will last, Sullivan says Vancouver’s real estate cycle is usually shorter, but he thinks it will last longer this time.
“I think this time house prices will fall for more than six or 12 months, and we may be in a state of low house prices for up to two years,” he said. “

domain: finance


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Written November 26, 2015
If you want to go out and have a laugh or two, you could do much worse than seeing "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.". I went on a Saturday afternoon and I really enjoyed the flick. You have a pair who have been doing magic for 10 years, but they soon become old and a new guy comes into fold and tries to take their fame away. They will battle it out, and learn some new tricks in order to bring the audience back to them. Who will win? When you are in Vegas, everyone is up against one another and will do everything they can to top one another and be the main man. Go check it out, it was a funny movie and the critics are wrong. It is not the best movie, but it was worth the money.
Written March 15, 2013
Review body (optional)
Written June 26, 2016
Don't waste your time and bucks on this movie. It's an insult to the otherwise fine cast, who could only do so much with the awful script and story. Pass this one up.
Written August 30, 2016
This movie was sooo boring. At times it felt like the lead actors filmed their scenes on different days....ok, this is what's happening...now, react...except they didn't react. The 'hot box' scene could have been very funny, but wasn't. I found myself laughing just because it felt weird not laughing at a comedy. I have to admit I laughed my ***off at one point...at the very end, I mean seconds before the credits, when they showed how they pulled off the "grand illusion". I was so looking forward to seeing this movie too. The only thing enjoyable, for me, was Olivia Wilde. The comedic talent was just wasted on this movie. Such a shame too.
Written July 25, 2016
From watching the trailer, my wife and I decided we should see this movie, and I'm glad we did! Turned an almost boring weekend into a great one.

domain: entertainment


By MaryBeth Matzek
Research shows that human and bovine waste is finding its way into wells in Kewaunee County.
Dr. Mark Borchardt, a microbiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, shared those findings during a presentation earlier this year at the 2017 Midwest Manure Summit in Green Bay. In a study funded by the Department of Natural Resources, Borchardt and his team used DNA sequencing to identify bacteria and pathogens in different Kewaunee County wells to determine if they came from cows or people.
The county has been ground zero in Wisconsin in the battle between some residents and large-scale farmers. In 2014, six environmental groups petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate groundwater contamination in the county. The DNR then brought together farmers, neighbors, environmental groups and government officials to find strategies to reduce groundwater pollution risk.
“There has been a lot of finger pointing and politics going on regarding water in Kewaunee County so we took a closer look at this issue to determine the source of the pollution,” Borchardt said. “The evidence shows both people and cows are contaminating the groundwater in Kewaunee County.”
Borchardt said three factors play a role in the problem: the county’s high animal population (it is home to 16 CAFOs), the presence of more than 4,700 septic systems and the area’s fractured karst bedrock, which means liquids on the surface can find their way quickly to the groundwater below.
“Septic systems, by their very nature, are designed to release effluent underground,” he said. “There’s a lot of septic systems in Kewaunee County and they’re holding a lot of waste.”
Borchardt designed a study to randomly sample wells that accounted for differences in the depth to bedrock and looked for bacteria at different times of the year, including “recharge” events, such as heavy rains or when the melting snow increases the amount of surface water.
In 2016, Borchardt’s team sampled water during three time periods and found contamination linked to sanitary septic systems during dry periods, such as the summer. During wet conditions, contamination was linked to cows.
A closer look at the study results:
• April: 11 cases of contamination linked to human sources and five cases linked to cows.
• July: Six cases tied to humans and five cases linked to cows.
• November: 16 cases linked to cows and one from humans. The samples were taken after a heavy rain event.
Based on those results, Borchardt hypothesized the county’s septic systems provide a continuous contamination source throughout the year but waste from cows is entering the groundwater after recharge events.
“This study is ongoing, but the data we have is sound. Our interpretation of the data may change over time, but this is where we are at now,” he said. “I think farmers and county residents recognize they bear some responsibility. I might be naïve, but I am hoping both parties can contribute to a solution.”


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Usage: Use the bite flash card in conjunction with the food and also apple flash cards. The goal is to help baby make the connection between the action of biting and objects her or she is likely to bite. Also consider combining the sign with teaching a baby not to bite.
As baby gets more advanced you can introduce the added challenge exploring sizes by introducing him or her to signs like small and big, with the idea of teaching your little one about a big bite and small bite. Consider using a banana or apple. You may also wish to introduce baby to a variety of food items on their plate and ask them if they would like a bite of apple and cheese, and bread or pizza respectively to help your baby identify and communicate food preferences
For an instructional video and tutorial on how to make the bite sign, see here.

domain: food


HireCentrix News Updates
QANTAS engineers say they are sick of the company's human resources (HR) managers telling them how to do their job as negotiations resume for the first time since the airline was grounded.
Steve Purvinas, secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, said Qantas was trying to get rid of 128 engineers who perform safety checks on each flight.
Such checks would only be conducted at the end of each day, he said, and the union wants the airline to retain 20 of those jobs to maintain a safety oversight over each flight.
"They just say we don't have to do anymore checks on aircraft that they think are unnecessary but we say they are required for safety reasons,'' Mr Purvinas said.
"Quite frankly, we're sick of Qantas and their HR managers telling us about safety and aircraft engineering.
"They don't know the difference between a wing and a wing nut.''
The parties have resumed discussions at Fair Work Australia in Melbourne today for the first time since the airline grounded its fleet last month.
Read more and watch Video
Healthcare Costs grew a cumulative 138% between 1999 and 2010 and outpacing cumulative wage growth of 42% over the same period. Average employer costs for health insurance per employee hour rose from $1.60 to $3.35 during the 1999 to 2010 period. This almost 110% increase in average costs per hour was much larger than the 39% increase in average employer payroll costs per hour for these workers KFF
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Through eight compelling stories we get to know the Gestalt therapist Vikram Kolmannskog and some of his clients. These include the businessman Carl who is suffering from chronic burnout, the overwhelmed Marianne who believes she may have been the victim of sexual assualt, the trans woman Annette who breaks with dominant gender norms, the prisoner Jonny who is now encircled by his own self-made wall of isolation, and the beautiful Ask, who falls in love and others fall in love with – including the therapist Vikram.
Through these tales of psychotherapy we see how both suffering and healing can occur. With increased awareness and through dialogue we can experience more of ourselves, the other and our world. We become more whole – and that is a good definition of health.

domain: psychology


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Layers of Looking in Great Poster for Nacho Vigalondo’s “OPEN WINDOWS”Movies/TV,News Samuel Zimmerman
A new film from Nacho Vigalondo is an exciting prospect. In his first two features—TIMECRIMES and EXTRATERRESTRIAL—he’s proved himself a varied, thrilling and heady filmmaker. If the layered, confrontational and immediately striking poster for his new Elijah Wood-starring thriller is any indication, OPEN WINDOWS follows the same trajectory.
OPEN WINDOWS seems a film about watching, or our predilection to. In it, Elijah Wood stars as a man who’s won a dinner date with his favorite actress Jill Goddard (Sasha Grey). Unfortunately, she’s cancelled. Some guy named Chord explains it’s Jill’s fault: she’s a high-maintenance diva, and everybody hates her guts. Chord says he can make up for it. He offers Nick the tools to spy on Jill from his computer for the rest of the night, in a way that no fan could dare dream of. The terrible truth begins to reveal itself. It looks like Chord has set up the whole situation, with Nick playing a part in a much bigger plan…
Assuming that’s Chord in the leathery, Eurosleaze getup, the OPEN WINDOWS one-sheet would indicate the viewer fixes into this as well. Whatever the implication, the layers of looking here make for one ominous gaze at poster art.
OPEN WINDOWS premieres Monday, March 10 at 9 p.m. at the Alamo Ritz as part of SXSW. Fango will be on hand, and you can expect much more on the film and the fest in the coming weeks. [Badass Digest]


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I think we can have something pretty special here in Minnesota.
— Former interim coach Sam Mitchell at practice before the team’s final game this year
The Minnesota Timberwolves have an opportunity to become what the Oklahoma City Thunder could have been. OKC reached the 2012 NBA Finals with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden — then dealt away Harden the next season. They haven’t been back since.
The Wolves have a generational star in Karl-Anthony Towns, a sublime scorer in Andrew Wiggins and an athletic marvel in Zach LaVine. Now they need the right coach to get the most out of their talents, the right management to put a team around them and ownership that will create a winning culture that encourages fans to fill the Target Center and Towns, Wiggins and LaVine to stay in Minnesota long enough to win it all.
Sam Mitchell, of course, won’t be around to see it through.
The final few days of Mitchell’s tenure as the interim head coach were as odd as they were unceremonious, a direct contrast to last year when the late Flip Saunders held a final press conference at the end of the season where the president of basketball operations and head coach offered his take on the team’s key players, tied up loose ends and explained his vision for the team once again.
The Wolves have a generational star in Karl-Anthony Towns, a sublime scorer in Andrew Wiggins and an athletic marvel in Zach LaVine
“When I look back, it’s not very many times where you lose as many games as we lost, and you feel you were able to accomplish something during the season,” he said. “But I felt we accomplished what we set out to do when we made that decision, and that our young players developed at a rapid pace.”
This year that synopsis came after the second-to-last game of the season, a 129-105 loss to the Houston Rockets at Target Center. Sam Mitchell offered his plea to be retained as head coach, relatively unprompted, in a five-plus minute speech at the end of his postgame press conference.
“No one talked about, ‘This was a good job.’ No one! It’s amazing to me!” he exclaimed. “Now, all of a sudden it’s a good job. But when we started the season, in training camp, no one thought it was a good job. No one thought we had a foundation. Did anybody see a foundation? I did not see one article about a foundation that we could start building around.”
Then he was relieved of his duties two days later.
Reports started to surface before the team’s final game suggesting that there would be a coaching search. “The Minnesota Timberwolves are planning to engage in a coaching search that will include interim coach Sam Mitchell as part of the process, league sources told The Vertical,” wrote Adrian Wojnarowski a couple hours before the game. The Star Tribune clarified that the search would begin with only outside candidates first, then Mitchell would be considered later. Finally, Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press reported that Mitchell would not be retained as head coach at the end of the game on a local radio program.
“No one talked about, ‘This was a good job.’ No one! It’s amazing to me!”
Mitchell apparently thought he would be considered in the process, because in his postgame press conference after a 144-109 blowout of the New Orleans Pelicans, he said, “I am happy that Mr. Taylor gave me the opportunity under difficult circumstances; he could’ve done a lot of other things. Now I’ll just go through the process and continue to work. I’m under contract, I think, until June 30 so we got draft work to do and things of that nature. I’ll take a few weeks off, like everybody. And then I’m sure you guys will see me around. I’ll be around until I hear, ‘Don’t come around no more.’”
It should be acknowledged that Mitchell got the head coaching position under undesirable conditions — Saunders, a close friend, had passed away — and essentially developed a strong core that another coach will take over. It’s not entirely true, however, that nobody said coaching the Wolves was a good job, as he was able to coach two No. 1 overall picks and one of the most athletic players ever to enter the league. But as he pointed out in his press conference after the second-to-last game, Towns and LaVine blossomed under his tutelage and Wiggins continues to be a reliable scorer.
The team also finished strong, including a late-season road trip where they beat the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers. What he lacked in in-game strategy and rotation logic, he made up for in player development. And he did it all after a tragic start to the season.
The team finished strong, including a late-season road trip where they beat the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers
Britt Robson wrote that the way Mitchell was fired was disrespectful in a recent MinnPost article. At the very least, it was pretty awkward. Other people knew he was going to be fired before he did, although the team did not issue a statement until well after the game was over.
“Due to the sudden onset of Flip Saunders’ illness leading to his untimely death, the team was unable to conduct a search for these two critical positions (head coach and GM) in the timetable leading up to the start of the 2015-16 season,” it read. “In these unusual circumstances, Sam Mitchell was named to interim head coach and Milt Newton was asked to act as the head of basketball operations, filling the void left by Saunders.”
In truth, he was a long shot to be retained once it became clear there would be a coaching search with bigger-name candidates. Jeff Van Gundy led the New York Knicks to the playoffs six times, including the 1999 NBA Finals, as well as the Yao Ming Rockets. Tom Thibodeau was named Coach of the Year in 2011 after tying the record for most wins by a rookie head coach with 62, and became the fastest coach to 100 victories the next year. Issues with the front office led to his firing last year, but the Bulls finished 42-40 this season and missed the playoffs without him. Scott Brooks is the guy who took the Durant-Westbrook-Harden Thunder to the 2012 Finals.
Tom Thibodeau was named Coach of the Year in 2011 after tying the record for most wins by a rookie head coach with 62, and became the fastest coach to 100 victories the next year
Mitchell coached the Toronto Raptors from 2004-08 and was named 2006-07 Coach of the Year, but the team appears to be aiming for someone to fill the head of basketball operations and head coaching position. His disdain for the media didn’t do him any favors with the local press, and his odd rotations and dismissal of advanced analytics upset fans and bloggers alike. But ultimately the opportunity to coach Towns, Wiggins and LaVine is enticing to people with more credentials than he has.
Thibodeau appears to be the frontrunner, being that management appears to have held him back in Chicago, and he could be both the head of basketball operations and head coach in Minnesota — although it should be noted that he has no front office experience. Van Gundy has been out of the coaching game for a while, but his brother, Stan, is head of basketball operations and head coach of the Detroit Pistons and it would set up a unique dynamic. Dave Joerger is from Minnesota, but is under contract with the Memphis Grizzlies and the team would have to work around that. Brooks could finish the job that he wasn’t able to once Harden was traded in OKC.
No matter who ends up coaching the team, one thing is certain: The Wolves have a good thing going on right now.


At issue are Gucci’s long-established Swiss operations. The prosecutor’s office, Italy’s white-collar criminal authority, says that Gucci declared profits in Switzerland that should have been declared in Italy. The Swiss tax authorities tend to tax companies at a more favorable rate.
The inquiry is the latest in a string of tax investigations in Italy against prominent companies. Google settled a tax bill with the Italian authorities this year for $334 million; in 2015, Apple settled for around $350 million.
It is also the latest in a series of investigations into Italian fashion brands, most of which were settled by the companies involved to avoid expensive, extended litigation and the tarnishing of their image. Giorgio Armani, for example, agreed to pay $373 million in 2014; Miuccia Prada and her husband, Patrizio Bertelli, paid a reported $571 million in 2013; and Bulgari settled for $78.6 million in 2015.
Dolce & Gabbana spent seven years fighting accusations that it created a Luxembourg-based company to shelter its profits. Though the brand and its owners, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, were originally convicted, in 2014 the Court of Cassation in Rome, Italy’s highest court, cleared them of all charges.
Even on such a list, however, Gucci’s case stands out, because of the extremely large sum involved; the fact that the fashion brand is owned by Kering, the French luxury and sports lifestyle group that also owns Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, among other names; and Gucci’s reputation as the fairy tale of fashion. (Kering declined to comment further.)
Gucci’s astonishing recent growth — 48 percent in comparable year-on-year sales in the first quarter of 2017, 39 percent in the second quarter and 49 percent in the third — has made both the chief executive, Marco Bizzarri, and the creative director, Alessandro Michele, the toast of the industry.
Gucci was ranked 47th on Forbes’s Most Valuable Brands list this year, with a value of $12.7 billion as of May. Last year at the Fashion Awards in London, Mr. Bizzarri was given the International Business Leader award, and Mr. Michele won the International Accessories designer award. The same year, Mr. Michele also won the International Award at the Council of Fashion Designers…


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PUBLISHED BY 2 A.M.
January 22, 2006
RICHARD ROSS / J. Paul Getty Trust
"Women and Children in Antiquity" is one of the many thematic galleries in the Getty Villa.
Youngsters get into the spirit at jazz conference
Old Town to get 'Forbidden'
Accidental traveler in a brave new world
As MCASD readies new space, it gets ready for new works
The opera's proving to be a boon for symphony's musicians
A star is reborn
The revamped Getty Villa, a much-improved showcase for the antiquities collection, is good news
By Robert L. Pincus
LOS ANGELES – Not so long ago, the Getty Villa in Malibu was the one and only site of the J. Paul Getty Museum.
They tried 'to respect and preserve the best aspect,' but the museum clashes with its surroundings
The giant's under the magnifying glass
It's the Big 250, and Mainly Mozart is ready to party like it's 1756
By Valerie Scher
CLASSICAL MUSIC CRITIC
Friday is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – the inspiration for worldwide celebrations that continue through the end of the year.
From Tijuana to Escondido, Mozart's breaking out all over
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Da Nang named among TripAdvisor’s top 10 trending destinations for 2020
TripAdvisor.com is a travel website that assists customers in gathering travel information, posting reviews and opinions of travel-related content and engaging in interactive travel forums….
TRAVEL TIPS TO DANANG CITY – YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE TRAVELLING TO DANANG
Da Nang is a city of bridges and you can visit The Hue Imperial – ancient capital of Vietnam, rich in political history is two…
10 BEST THING TO DO AT DANANG GOLDEN BAY – BEST HOTEL IN DANANG
Danang city is a best destination for travelers around the world in 2020. Da Nang marks the halfway point between the capital in the north,…
Danang Golden Bay Hotel – Where the sky meets the sea and mountains
Danang Golden Bay Hotel is sited on the golden location of Danang city. Coming to the hotel, you can be free in the majestic beauty…
The highest and largest 24K golden infinitive swimming pool in Danang and Vietnam
Located on the 29th floor, the 24K golden infinitive swimming pool is proud to be the highest and largest golden one in Danang and Vietnam….


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Please Note: This event has expired.
UMFA in the Wild: East Canyon State Park | Watercolor Landscapes- CANCELLED
Join the UMFA in Utah’s amazing wilderness to try your hand at painting the landscape with watercolors. We will get inspiration from watercolor artists from the UMFA collection to then try some special techniques to make our landscape.
5535 South Highway 66, Morgan, UT 84050


Minister says FG must respect privacy of looters
There have been calls from several quarters for the Federal Government to disclose the identity of those who looted funds.
The minister also said that some of those who returned money, did not know that the funds disbursed to them was diverted.
Mohammed also said “There are some people who voluntarily returned the loot and explained that when the money was given to them, they never knew the source of these funds. Can you in good conscience name and shame that kind of person?
“Those who has voluntarily returned the money, I think we owe them the obligation to respect their privacy. Because they said they did not know that this money was from a particular source and they returned it.
“Those people whose accounts have been temporarily forfeited, if you go to name them, they are going to hold you up in court for months or years. And we said that our major intention is to recover our loot first.
“Some people returned the money that was given to them for campaign when it has been established that that money was actually meant for the prosecution of Boko Haram. Such people, we do not feel that morally, it will be right to name them.
“Two, we don’t want to be bugged down by litigations. You name a person that he has stolen money or he has returned money, and you have fully recovered the money from him or you’re in the process of recovering it because probably there is just an interim forfeiture,…you’re going to be bugged down with all kinds of litigations.”
You will recall that a Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the Muhammadu Buhari administration to release information about public officials who allegedly looted the treasury.
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Please welcome Tracy J. Reid, co-author on the Blind Spot Anthology, coming up this September. She is also a life coach and entrepreneur, and I’m sure she has some pretty good advice on how to balance our lives between our careers and our writing life. But let’s get started!
Welcome Tracy! You are a talented life coach and entrepreneur, and you recently took part in an anthology. Can you tell me a little about this project? Why did you decide to write in an anthology?
I was invited to join the book project by Sonia Poleon, who is a best selling author and the Compiler of the Blind Spot Anthology. She heard my story of overcoming the challenging and debilitating side-effects of a particular type of contraception, burnout and adrenal fatigue. She suggested it would be a great opportunity for me to write a chapter on my health journey which could inspire women to investigate further into their own health concerns, especially if they are going through similar symptoms, but not necessarily aware of what the signs mean.
How was your relationship with the other authors of the anthology? Did you have any contacts? Have you discussed the whole project together?
The Blind Spot Anthology Co-authors are all from different backgrounds and professions, which makes the group so diverse and interesting. We meet once a month for dinner and a catch up chat in a local restaurant which is a fun way to get to know each other, connect, network and share ideas. We are all passionate about helping people to heal and transform from their own challenging experiences and writing the anthology has enabled us all to be a part of that process as we are all sharing our own real life experiences.
The anthology is a collection of true stories. Was it difficult to put your words onto paper to write about your own experience? How did you find your voice?
Yes, it was very difficult to get started in the beginning, because I struggled to remember all of the timeline and it was quite emotional having to go back and recollect everything I went through during that time. It was also quite scary to think that I am writing about myself and my feelings openly to the world. Giving my words on paper permission to be heard was was quite scary but there was something else driving me. Something that I needed to get out there and be said, because I do not think enough women talk about these emotions and how they truly feel.
However, once I opened up to the reality that I am writing for the book, the words just seemed to flow out onto the paper and although it was quite emotional in parts, I believe this book project has helped me to heal from the emotional roller coaster I went through. Even whilst writing the chapter and sometimes when reading it back, I still get quite emotional to think that I really did not know myself for those 2 years of my life, and on reflection I remind myself that I wrote this to help any woman out there that might be going through a similar situation.
Have you read your partners’ stories? Which one(s) inspired you the most?
We have spoken about our chapters at our monthly meetups, but we have not read each others yet. So it will be very exciting for us too, when the book launches.
Your story is about burnout and getting your life back. Any tips on how to better balance our lives?
My advice is very simple – SLOW DOWN! We must take time out for ourselves to connect our mind, body and soul in order to hear our own intuition tell us what feels good and what does not. Without taking a moment to slow down we cannot hear these messages and totally miss the signs. It is a very important part of my self-care daily rituals to meditate and be still, even if it is only 5 minutes a day.
As a writer, one of the biggest questions which pops up over and over is how do we find the time to write. Any tips on how to manage our time efficiently?
I agree it is really challenging to find time to write. These are my tips:
- Commit to a word count goal every day. i.e. 400 – 1,000 words a day
- Write for a set period of time (i.e. 1 hours writing a day)
- Have a timeline to follow from starting your writing journey to launch day i.e. 6 months, 1 year.
- Make a writing date with yourself and schedule that time into your diary.
- Choose a spot in the home or a location out of the home where you feel comfortable and just start writing.
- Have an accountability buddy to keep you on track.
You’ve been active on social media with the anthology’s promotion. What do you think is the best way to market a book?
There are so many ways to market a book. I personally love Instagram and feel really comfortable using that platform because it is so visual and easy to build rapport. Using Instagram live is a really cool feature for marketing and I intend to use more video leading up to the book launch. I also have some radio and blog interviews like this one that can help towards marketing for authors. I will also be doing some talks to women’s support groups.
Here are a few tips on how authors can market their books:
- Social media – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, whichever one you feel you can connect with your audience on best. Chose your best platform and remain consistent with posting on that one.
- Blogging on your own blog/website and sharing via social media.
- Radio shows online/offline are great for getting your message out there and will connect you to a totally different audience.
- Newspaper articles – you submit an article to the editor or they can do a feature on you and your book launch.
- Networking with other bloggers/authors is key as someone may want to interview you on their blog/website.
- Book tours in your local area at libraries and coffee shops.
- Speaking events that are relevant to your niche or expertise.
What’s next for you Tracy? Are you writing a new story?
I have been blogging more recently on The Feminine Code blog and loving it. I love writing and sharing my expertise and information to help people. Writing gives me so much peace, clarity and joy. I am currently working on releasing a couple of new coaching programmes to help women with their life and business goals.
I am also currently working on writing my 2nd book, which is coming together nicely as a guide book to help women create a life and business they love, the feminine way.
My mission is to get the message out there, of the importance for women to slow down, balance their lives and take care of their health.
Thank you so much for taking part in this interview! I wish you all the best in your author’s journey.
If you have any questions for Tracy, please feel free to leave it in the comments.
Tracy is a Certified Life Coach and has enjoyed coaching for over 15 years. She is a strong advocate for women being able to live their lives to the fullest, having a meaningful fulfilling career, whilst also being available for their families. Tracy dedicates her coaching career to supporting busy women who are feeling the pressures of the daily grind and are ready to press the restart button on their lives. Along with her coaching Tracy has years of experience working within the corporate arena in the areas of PR, Marketing and Sales.

domain: literature


Chambers agrees to divulge drugs details
Thursday 03 April 2008
Dwain Chambers has agreed to meet UK Sport's director of drug-free sport, John Scott, to provide inside knowledge on drug offences.
The 29-year-old, who has begun a month-long trial with the rugby league side Castleford, returned from a two-year suspension from athletics, for taking a banned substance, in 2005. He was recently criticised by Scott for not doing enough to help the anti-doping cause, but Chambers' lawyer, Nick Collins, has called Scott to arrange talks, which are set to take place later this month.
Scott said last month that the governing body had sounded out Chambers about such talks but had received no response.
Chambers is believed to be preparing a legal challenge to his lifetime Olympic ban. A willingness to supply information may boost his chances of competing in Beijing this summer, which remains his major goal despite his high-profile Super League move.
Precisely what Chambers will be required to divulge is unclear, but it is expected to include full disclosure of substances he took prior to being caught out by a test in 2003.
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- 4 Russell Brand calls Nigel Farage 'poundshop Enoch Powell' in BBC Question Time debate
- 5 Orange Wednesdays are no more
Disgruntled RBS worker writes hilarious open letter to Russell Brand after anti-capitalist publicity stunt leaves him hungry
Nigel Farage defends Kerry Smith 'ch***y' comment: 'If you are going for a Chinese, what do you say you’re going for?'
Nigel Farage's approval rating hits 'record low' as popularity suffers in wake of Ukip sex scandal
Pakistan school attack live: Taliban kill at least 132 children in 'horrifying' massacre
Sony hack: Angelina Jolie branded 'seriously out of her mind' in further embarrassing leaked email saga
Panic Saturday: 13 million Britons spend £1.2bn – while 13 million others across the country live in poverty unable to afford food
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HD 4k WiFi Functional Mirror Surveillance Camera W/ Live View WiFi + Dvr
Is there suspicious activity going on in your workplace? Anything can happen in the workplace, be prepared. Get the evidence you need, with the BB4KHALLMIRROR. This Half Dome Mirror will blend seamlessly into any workplace environment. All the while concealing a powerful camera that can give you the perfect view with its wide viewing angle of 90º.
View and Record - Simply download the free smartphone app, connect to your Wi-FI, and you can be streaming live video while recording in seconds!
Motion Detection - This mirror security camera can easily be set to record on motion detection, and can alert you when motion is detected through the app.
- Time/Date stamping
- Can be paired with Wi-Fi, or used as a DVR by directly connecting to the unit's wi-fi signal
- Live streaming and video playback on free app (Android/iOS)
- Record on to MicroSD Card (2 hours per 1GB)
- Toggleable audio streaming/recording with video
- Toggleable loop recording
- Three recording modes to choose from
- Motion Detection sensitivity adjustment
- Motion alerts via app*
- Able to operate in low light (1 lux or greater)
- Contrast/Brightness adjustment via app
- User friendly manuals made by Minigadgets located HERE
- Android/iOS App* (FREE DOWNLOAD): LookCamPro
- App Compatibility: Android 6 & up, iOS 8 & up
- Streaming Resolution: 4K, 2K, 1080P
- Recording Resolution: 720P
- Recording Modes: OFF, 24/7, Motion Detection (can also be set to record at specific times of the day)
- Recording Consumption: 1GB / 2 Hours
- Video Format: .AVI
- Viewing Angle: 90°
- Storage: External MicroSD Card up to 128GB* (Class 10)
- Hall Mirror Dimensions: 17" x 10" x 6"
- Power Supply: Hardwired
- 1 x BB4KWiFiHallMirror
- 1 x BB4KWiFi Manual & Quick Start Guide
- 1 x 128GB MicroSD Card
- 1 x MicroSD Card Reader


Ric Ocasek – Nexterday. Label: Sanctuary Records – 06076-83903-2.
Nexterday is an album released by former lead singer and songwriter of the Cars, Ric Ocasek. The album boasts a more DIY sound than previous albums, having been partially recorded in Ocasek's home studio with Ocasek playing many of the instruments himself. Musicians featured in his 1982 debut solo album, Beatitude were used on Nexterday, including fellow Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes, bassist Darryl Jenifer of Bad Brains, drummer/programmer Stephen George and guitarist Roger Greenawalt
Richard Theodore Otcasek (born 1943 or 1944) known as Ric Ocasek (/oʊˈkæsɛk/), is an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and songwriter for the rock band the Cars. In 2018, Ocasek was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Cars. Ocasek grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. When Ocasek was 16 years old, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he graduated from Maple Heights High School in 1963.
More Ric Ocasek albums. Show all albums by Ric Ocasek.
This album has an average beat per minute of 114 BPM (slowest/fastest tempos: 80/184 BPM). See its BPM profile at the bottom of the page. BPM Profile Nexterday. Album starts at 102BPM, ends at 142BPM (+40), with tempos within the -BPM range. Try refreshing the page if dots are missing). Recent albums by Ric Ocasek.
Ric Ocasek has been changing the face of pop music for nearly 30 years. His incredible musical odyssey began in the late 60s and includes opening shows for the MC5 and the Stooges, producing some of the most seminal artists of our time (including Weezer, No Doubt and Le Tigre) not to mention a decade-long stint leading The Cars, whose never-ending string of platinum albums and Top 40 hits helped define the. post-punk and new wave eras, selling over 25 million albums and creating a blueprint for many of todays most popular bands. Now Ric is preparing to influence a whole new generation. I believe he was originally going to release "Nexterday" on that label. Things must have fallen apart, and Ric quit the label and took his album to Sanctuary for distribution and release.
Last time around, Ric Ocasek went for a big sound in an attempt at a big comeback, enlisting Smashing Pumpkin Billy Corgan as a co-producer for about half the album and using such alt-rock luminaries as Bad Religion guitarist Brian Baker and Hole/Smashing Pumpkin alumna Melissa Auf der Maur as bassist. The record may have worked but it wasn't a hit, and Ocasek retreated back to his lucrative career as a producer, taking a full eight years to deliver his next solo album, 2005's Nexterday. There's no denying that Nexterday was deliberately made on a small scale: not only was it essentially homemade, but the songs are minimalist pop - they're catchy, but the clean lines and quiet nature of the production requires active participation from the listener.
|3||Don't Lose Me|
|4||In A Little Bit|
|9||Heard About You|
|10||Please Don't Let Me Down|
|11||It Gets Crazy|
Release Date: September 27, 2005
Barcode and Other Identifiers
- Mastering SID Code: IFPI L794
- Mould SID Code: IFPI 2D41
- Matrix / Runout: 6/15/05 SANSP 839032 01 DiscUSA
|06076-83903-2||Ric Ocasek||Nexterday (CD, Album)||Sanctuary Records||06076-83903-2||US||2005|
|none||Ric Ocasek||Nexterday (CDr, Album, Promo)||Sanctuary Records||none||US||2005|
|06076-83903-2||Ric Ocasek||Nexterday (CD, Album, Unofficial)||Sanctuary Records||06076-83903-2||Russia||2005|
|BVCM-41044, SANCD-399||Ric Ocasek||Nexterday (CD, Album, Promo)||BMG, Sanctuary Records||BVCM-41044, SANCD-399||Japan||2005|
|06076-83903-2||Ric Ocasek||Nexterday (CD, Album, Club)||Sanctuary Records||06076-83903-2||US||2005|


Today’s Daily Feature is “Black and Blue” by Scottish Pop Rock band PAGES. The tune was written with the vision of a sleazy strip club that you’d never be proud of entering in mind. You can hear this in the edginess features in the overall vibe. Although there might be a glimmer of brightness in the chorus, the overall vibe of “Black and Blue” is dark. The electric guitar pioneers this sound with its harsh riffs. Yet, this dark vibe is actually appealing as its allures listeners with an intoxicating soundscape.
Along with the edgy vocals, the mesmerizing synth riffs are things that listeners have to also listen for in PAGES.’s new single. Especially at the chorus! It is truly beautiful yet haunting with that vivid and thick synth riffs mixed in with airy vocals. The chorus is such a wonderful contrast from the verses: thick synth riffs compared to the harsh guitar riffs.
If you are looking for a great pop-rock song with an intoxicating dark landscape and thick synth riffs, then you have to check out “Black and Blue” by PAGES.
Make sure to check out “Black and Blue” down below. Let me know what you think in the comments!
Make sure to check out PAGES. at the following:
Spotify | Instagram | Facebook
This Post Has 7 Comments
I had never heard of the Band or song. It does have a dark vibe, and reminds me of the sleezy nightclubs you see on Television
I will try to listen to this song. And will add this to my playlist. I love your songs review!
This song is another one that gives me movie vibes. It’s a vibe though if you’re in the mood for this type of music.
nice song! nothing like I listen to but it has a nice clubbing vibe
I had never heard this song before, that is a nice review. Thanks for sharing.
Oh wow. What a unique take on a song. Really hot me all intrigued!
Checked on all the socmed how they were and aside from both colors are my favorite? I think I like what they have 🙂


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Friday, September 01, 2006
Five Ingredients Friday (BBQ Ribs)
It's Friday again and I'm off with my little family for a mini-vacation. I wanted to make sure to publish my regularly scheduled Five Ingredients Friday post before I leave and let my guest bloggers take over.
Most of you know by now that I love crockpot recipes. We received a 6 qt. crock pot as a wedding gift and we love to use it!
My Five Ingredients Friday recipe for this week is a family favorite!
Sweet BBQ Crockpot Ribs
- 3-1/2 lbs. pork loin back ribs
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup cola beverage
- 2/3 cup barbecue sauce
- Cut ribs into 2 or 3 rib portions and place in slow cooker.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and pour cola over.
- Cover crockpot and cook on low for 8-9 hours until the ribs are tender.
- Drain liquid and discard.
I look forward to seeing your Five Ingredients Friday recipe! Don't forget to link your blog on this post so I can see what's cooking at your house! Oh, and be sure to put in parenthesis your recipe title! It makes it so much quicker for me to go back and search for recipes as I build my weekly menu.
Have a safe and fun Labor day weekend!


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The Last Princess
Berkley Books, 1989 - 408 pages
Lily had almost everything she desired, and yet on the night of her wedding, she threw it all away--for the love of another man. From the high society of New York's Upper East Side, to the corrupting glamour of Hollywood, Lily and Harry's love faced the ultimate tests of hardship, struggle, and sudden wealth.
What people are saying - Write a review
LibraryThing ReviewUser Review - christinejoseph - LibraryThing
weak book Lily - saga Lily had beauty, fortune and a wealthy fiance. Yet on the night of her wedding she threw it all away...for the love of another man. Harry Kohle was everything her parents ... Read full review
Other editions - View all
Aaron Aaronsohn anger Archie Sanger arms asked baby beautiful began Cadeau can’t Charles child couldn’t cried CYNTHIA FREEMAN Daddy darling didn’t dinner don’t want door Drew Ellis Ellis’s eyes face father feel ﬁgure ﬁlled ﬁnal ﬁnally ﬁnd ﬁne ﬁnger ﬁnished ﬁrst ﬁve ﬂight ﬂoor gently going gone Goodhue hadn’t hand Hany happy Harry Kohle Harry’s he’d He’s hope I’ve Israel Jean-Paul Jeremy Jeremy’s death Kate kissed Lily felt Lily’s living looked magniﬁcent Manhattan marriage married Melissa months morning mother never night once parents Paris Randolph Randy realized Roger seemed she’d silent smiled sorry stared suddenly sure talk tears tell There’s thing thought told tonight took trying turned Valerie Valerie’s Violet voice wait walked wasn’t weeks What’s woman won’t wonderful words you’ll you’ve


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lundi, novembre 21, 2011
Alabama's HB 56: "Harshest immigration law in the country"
Retired Judge, UW Clemon, Alabama's first African American Federal Judge, talks about the civil rights crisis caused by HB 56, Alabama's new anti-immigrant law. Clemon himself was deeply involved in the Civil Rights movement and in this interview for the ACLU, he explains how the new immigration law reminds him of what he fought against in the sixties.
I edited this video for the ACLU.


Flood Exam Procedures Updated for Private Flood Insurance Rule
On August 22, 2019, the Federal Reserve announced the Task Force on Consumer Compliance of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council updated the Interagency Consumer Examination Procedures for the Flood Disaster Protection Act (FDPA). The Biggert-Water Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 changed the flood insurance rules for private flood insurance. There is now mandatory acceptance of a private insurance policy to satisfy the flood insurance purchase requirements if the policy meets the statutory and regulatory definition of private flood insurance. In addition, even if the policy does not meet the statutory and regulatory definition of private flood insurance, there can be a discretionary acceptance of a flood insurance policy issued by a private insurer. Finally, if certain criteria are met, there can be discretionary acceptance of a plan issued by a mutual aid society satisfying the flood insurance purchase requirement.


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Disney is defending the host of a new Star Wars web series amid tweets that some consider racist to white people.
Christina Ariel announced this month that she will host The High Republic Show, a web series offering news and insights on the latest multimedia subseries of the hugely popular science fiction franchise.
However, shortly after announcing Ariel as the host of the new two-month show, some reviewed her previous tweets and found a few who spoke with a few harsh words about the role of white people in eliminating racism.
The reaction was so bad that it prompted the official Star Wars Twitter account to issue a statement defending the host and condemning “harassment and racism.”
“MANDALOR” STAR GINA CARANO TALKS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDBACK TO CONSERVATIVE, ANTIMASIC COLORS
“Our Star Wars community is that of hope and inclusion. We are not advocating harassment and racism. We support @KrystinaArielle,” the tweet said.
Hours later, Ariel took to Twitter to share some of the virulent and racist responses she received in light of old tweets. Screens with comments, tweets, emails and more show that she was hired by the Disney franchise just because of her skin color, sent monkey emoticons and urged people to harass her even more because of her views on racing in America.
“You deserve all the hatred you get,” says a chilling post.
However, Airelle seems to be taking the hatred in stride. She tweeted the images: “We’ve been … not the greatest in the last 24 hours.”
She then shared the poem “I’m Still Rising” by Maya Angelou.
“STAR WARS” VOICE ACTOR TOM KANE CAN NEVER USE VOICE AGAIN AFTER PATIENCE
Like many, Ariel was open to the race in the summer as the nation battled protests sparked by George Floyd’s death by police in May. Several tweets she shared over the summer called on white people for what she saw as a performative act of solidarity.
“Just a reminder that white women are just as complicit in upholding and enforcing white supremacy,” she wrote in an Axios article on Kaylee McEnnany, defending the use of the term “kung flu” to describe the coronavirus.
“You don’t have to comment under every post about racism that you’re trying to be better.” “Read x, y, z”. Any combination of UV white people when you are white people. I do not care. Calls are cheap. I’m not here for your accountability checks, “she tweeted in June.
In October, shortly after the presidential debate, she complained, seeing two white candidates discussing racism.
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“Watching two white men discussing racism they will never experience will never sit right with me. # Debates2020,” she wrote.
Click here to get the FOX NEWS app
She continued in a tweet: “White men: this is not a topic you try to talk about authoritatively in my comments. I said what I said.”


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|The accident scene on the National Road 14. — VNA/VNS Photo Duong Giang
DAK LAK (VNS) — Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has directed the local police to investigate the truck crash that killed six people in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak this morning.
He also asked the People's Committees of the four provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum to step up patrol on the Ho Chi Minh National Road and the local road network across the region and to take strict action against any violations being reported.
Apart from those measures, the municipal Departments of Transport in the four provinces were asked to conduct inspections for transport safety at all national and provincial roads running across the region.
The accident occurred at about 4.15am in the Ea Drang Commune of the province's Ea H'Leo District on the National Road 14, which connects the two Central Highland provinces of Gia Lai and Dak Lak.
The Head of Dak Lak Province's Traffic Safety Committee, Bui Van Ngoc, said a truck with a Dak Lak registration plate, which was carrying bricks and was being driven towards Gia Lai, had collided head-on with a truck coming from Binh Duong.
The National Road is currently being upgraded, so the drivers might have been over speeding as it was early morning, he said.
Six people in the two trucks were killed on the spot, and one person was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.
Five out of the six killed in the accident and the one injured have been identified, said the Ea H'Leo District Transport Safety Board Deputy Head, Nguyen Xuan Huong. — VNS


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A gripping blend of family mystery, contemporary stories and the beautiful and bloody Viking tales, set against the starkly stunning landscape of Iceland.
Broadcaster Richard Fidler and author Kari Gislason are good friends. They share a deep attachment to the sagas of Iceland - the true stories of the first Viking families who settled on that remote island in the Middle Ages.These are tales of blood feuds, of dangerous women, and people who are compelled to kill the ones they love the most. The sagas are among the greatest stories ever written, but the identity of their authors is largely unknown.
Together, Richard and Kari travel across Iceland, to the places where the sagas unfolded a thousand years ago. They cross fields, streams and fjords to immerse themselves in the folklore of this fiercely beautiful island. And there is another mission: to resolve a longstanding family mystery - a gift from Kari's Icelandic father that might connect him to the greatest of the saga authors.
Reviewed by Robert at Angus & Robertson:
Iceland has long commanded our imaginations as a place of violent sagas and rugged unearthly landscapes that is unlike any other country in the world. It seems every mountain, volcano and glacier in this land has been a stage for the gods’ legendary bickerings, and there could be no better guide to these legends than Richard Fidler and Kári Gíslason.
Saga Land is part-travelogue, part-potted-history, but mainly an ode to the strange wonder of Iceland, with its isolation and harsh conditions that find expression in the wonderful and extraordinary sagas of its history. Kári, an Icelandic-Australian academic with a love of these sagas, is the guide, and Richard is the eager student, swotting on Icelandic history and asking odd questions. In this book we get two thoughtful voices nicely balancing each other as they alternate chapters. The resulting blend is very satisfying and lively, an earthy representation of the country itself; sometimes sweet, sometimes dour. Saga Land is a special book on a special place; evocative and reflective, humorous and informative. It would make a great gift for the curious.
PRAISE FOR FIDLER & GISLASON:
'Wise and unassuming, humorous and remarkably affecting all at the same time, The Promise of Iceland is an enchanting reflection of a fascinating life and a profound exploration of the human condition.' Krysi Egan, Stilts
"We already know Fidler is an interviewer of great empathy, now we know he mirrors that skill on the page, too." Andrew McMillan, The Australian


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The United Kingdom Recorded this Friday (17), for the third day in a row, more than 93,000 new cases and 111 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, according to health officials.
People’s hearts are painted on the wall of the National Govt Memorial, painted in memory of those who died of the corona virus in the UK – Photo: Louisiana Curra / AB
With more than 147,000 deaths, it is one of the most affected countries in the world.
Chris Witty, chairman of the UK’s Medical Commission, said on Thursday that the increase in cases was putting pressure on the health care system affected by sick workers.
France has banned travelers from the UK
Ômicron is highly contagious and although it proves to be milder than other types, it will still cause an increase in hospital admissions, Witty told lawmakers.
The number of hospital admissions with Covid-19 was 4,583 in January.
Although new cases have broken records according to official data, The United Kingdom It did not have mass testing capability in March 2020 when the epidemic first hit the country, so the extent of the epidemics was unknown at the time.
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Tonnes of ammonium nitrate found in Lebanon border town
The Lebanese army announced on Tuesday that it seized thousands of kilograms of ammonium nitrate in a northeastern town near the Syrian border, weeks after 20 tonnes of the explosive substance were found in the same district.
After receiving information about the presence of ammonium nitrate in the town of Arsal, a military patrol raided a fuel station there on Monday and found 28,275 kg of the fertiliser, an army statement said.
Lebanese authorities have been hunting down stockpiles of the substance after a huge store of ammonium nitrate in the Port of Beirut exploded in August 2020, killing more than 200 people.
In the latest swoop, one Lebanese and two Syrian nationals were arrested and referred to relevant authorities for investigation.
Text on the bags they were packed in stated that the nitrogen levels in them were 26 percent, according to the statement.
While the chemical compound is predominantly used in agriculture as a high nitrogen fertiliser, it is sometimes an ingredient in the manufacture of explosives.
Lebanese authorities found tons of ammonium nitrate in Iaat in the Baalbek district last month and have arrested several people since.
Investigations are looking into whether the chemicals seized are related to the ammonium nitrate responsible for the massive Beirut port explosion.


Andrew Freedman Environmental Journalist :
President Obama’s speech demonstrated both the return of the United States to the negotiating table on climate change, as well as the mounting frustrations nations have with the negotiating process and tactics up until this point. Mr. Obama’s core message was ‘we’re sick of this stalemate, we must break through this.’
A few things stood out in my mind. One was when Obama bluntly stated that the United States would not commit to an agreement that lacks transparency and verification procedures to ensure that countries are fulfilling their commitments. This was a clear shot at China, which has resisted such measures. It’s not often that you hear a world leader tell another that their solution, if implemented, “wouldn’t make sense,” and would be “a hollow victory,” as President Obama said.
Another interesting dynamic was that Obama was supported by Brazilian president Lula da Silva, who preceded Obama to the lectern and passionately argued for an end to the stalemate, and a recognition that transparency and verification need not infringe on national sovereignty.
I was pleased to see President Obama implicitly address critics of climate science, who are much more active in the United States than they are at this conference, by clearly stating that the overall scientific evidence pertaining to man-made climate change is not in question, but that the debate concerns what to do about the problem. “This is not fiction, this is science. Unchecked, climate change will pose unacceptable risks to our security, our economies, and our planet. That much we know,” Obama said.
It appeared to me that these lines were aimed in large part at those in the U.S. Senate who are more skeptical of climate science, and may therefore oppose climate legislation next year. A new poll discussed in today’s Washington Post, for example, shows evidence of declining support for the Obama administration’s approach on climate change, and increased skepticism of climate science.


The title of this blog is the one used by David Swanson, who wrote the book War Is a Lie and who writes frequently on peace and justice issues. I generally read Swanson in the Oregon Peaceworks newsletter. Swanson takes Attorney General Eric Holder to task for his many questionable and even hard-to-believe assertions made in his March 5 speech to the Northwestern University Law School at its Chicago branch.
David Swanson begins his piece by belittling Holder’s conception of war: he is not talking about a war that looks like a war; he is talking about a war “that is everywhere all the time.”
Swanson contrasts Holder’s view that military commissions have been successfully reformed with the view of the former chief prosecutor for military commissions at the Guantanamo Bay prison, who has said that the “decision to use both legal settings is a mistake. It will establish a legal double standard that gives some detainees superior rights and protections, and relegates others to the inferior rights and protections of military commissions. This will only perpetuate the perception that Guantanamo and justice are mutually exclusive.”
Attorney General Eric Holder said that the National Defense Authorization Act “mandated that a narrow category of al Qaeda terrorist suspects be placed in temporary military custody.” David Swanson counters that President Obama altered the NDAA by use of an unconstitutional signing statement, expanding the NDAA provision to apply to the largely non-Al Qaeda prisoners held in Afghanistan.
Holder argues that because the United States is in armed conflict, the nation is authorized to use force against any enemy belligerents under international law. Swanson’s counter-argument is that the 2001 authorization to use force resolution violates the Kellogg-Briand Act, the UN Charter and the U.S.Constitution. Swanson says, “No international law recognizes secret global war without limitations in time or space.”
Another claim made by Eric Holder in his March 5 speech is that the United States is at war “with a stateless enemy prone to shifting operations from country to country.” I would say that if this is true, there is no way to identify the enemy and our identification of the enemy would shift over time.
Attorney General Holder assured his listeners that the president will only kill someone in a foreign land if that country won’t do it for him and that constitutes “respect for another country’s sovereignty,” which is about as ridiculous a way of showing respect as can be imagined. Also, Holder contends that a kill order from Obama does not violate the executive order banning assassinations, because Obama would only kill those who constitute an imminent threat and U.S. citizens are not immune from being targeted. In reply, David Swanson wonders who knew that “the president alone can give due process without explaining it to anyone else.” Swanson is also very skeptical of Holder’s claim of “robust oversight,” because “informing a handful of Congress members, and no doubt forbidding them to repeat what they are told, does not create Congressional oversight.”
Looking at the specious claims made by Eric Holder in his March 5 speech to justify the war that the Obama administration is waging against Al Qaeda and “associated forces,” there are ample grounds to relieve him of his position as soon as possible; however, there is no reason to believe that Holder was not representing Obama administration positions.