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I woke up in a room that wasn’t mine, with Jasper curled up at my feet. It was early morning, I could hear the roosters crowing, but this room wasn’t flooded with sunlight. It was dimmer, and the furniture was overall darker, red oak, from what I could tell. It was a more masculine bedroom. It took me a few moments to organize my thoughts enough to realize that I was in my grandfather’s bedroom. I double checked and saw that I was now dressed in my bathrobe. I almost blushed at the faint memory of Phil helping me put on the robe, but I simply lacked the willpower to care.
Phil was sleeping in the chair next to the bed, his head leaning on the mattress. My brain was finally catching up, and it didn’t like where it was. It was a nasty head-space to be in. Greg had used me, proposed to use me again for his demonic purposes, and then vanished. Phil came and held me while I cried, and then he must have brought me down here. I had to admit that it was very thoughtful of him. I didn’t think that I could have handled sleeping, much less waking, in my own bed after last night.
I watched the red headed demon sleep. I strongly resisted the urge to run my fingers through his hair, like a puppy dog. He was a demon. One of them. I was afraid to trust him, but wanted nothing more than to trust him fully. I needed a friend. I noticed that he was still wearing the same thing that he had been wearing last night. He must have come straight home and up to my room to tell me something important. But then… I thought that there had to be some explanation, something that I had missed. Greg would not have done that. We dated for the past six months, and I was certain that I would have known if he was really a demon out to get me. Wouldn’t I?
I sat up and moved to get out of the bed, and Jasper moved as well, scampering out of the room. The movement of the mattress woke Phil up.
“Morning,” I said, without feeling, and without ever really looking at him. I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eyes after last night. I could only guess what he must have thought of me. I went to leave, but he lightly put his hand on my wrist.
“Wait, Riesa,” he said, “I need to tell you something.”
I looked in the opposite direction and said, “Tell me later.” I wasn’t ready to hear what he had to say. Not yet.
His hand dropped, and he let me leave the bedroom, but before I did, he said, “I called Clarice. She’s in the kitchen.” He sounded dejected. I hated myself because I knew it was my fault.
I nodded and walked on down the hall. I took a turn and walked up the stairs first, grabbing a clean outfit. I walked a wide path around my bed and went straight to my shower. I looked down at my arm, and took off the bandage that Greg had dressed it with, throwing it in the trash. Even if I had still needed the bandage, I wanted nothing to do with it. I got clean, and then got dressed; nothing fancy, just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I looked examined my arm one last time and decided to let it be for the time being. I didn’t even think that getting dolled up could make me feel better this morning. I left my room and my stomach growled at the smells of breakfast cooking in the kitchen. It was obvious that Clarice was here.
By the time I got downstairs, Phil was in the kitchen with Clarice, drinking a cup of coffee. He had gotten cleaned up as well, because he had changed his cloths. This time it was jeans and what was probably the worst looking green and purple short sleeved plaid shirt that I had ever seen. Seeing that shirt almost made me feel like myself again. Almost. I failed to make a comment and continued straight to the coffee cups.
“You go sit down, honey. I’ll bring you something to eat,” she shooed me away back to the table. She caught a glimpse of my arm and examined it a bit. She made a “tisk” sound, and pointed again to the chair. I sat down obediently beside Phil and waited patiently as she poured coffee into a cup and handed it to me, along with some creamer and sugar, in actual creamer and sugar servers. I didn’t even know my grandfather had anything like that. I wondered for a moment if Clarice had brought it with her, or if she just knew my grandfather’s house better than I had guessed.
Phil stood up. “I’m going out for a bit,” he stated. I nodded at him, and Clarice ignored him.
I fixed my coffee, heavy on the creamer, light on the sugar, and sipped it. Clarice brought a couple of plates of fried eggs and bacon with toast, and put them down in front of us. She stood back and frowned. “The two of you look like you are getting ready to head out to your own funerals. I’ve seen beheaded chickens act more lively than you.” She commented distastefully. I took a bite so that I wouldn’t have to answer.
“This is delicious, Clarice,” I said. “Thank you.” I think the toast was my favorite part. I was feeling sick to my stomach and dry was just what I needed. A major upset will do that to a person. Plus, I was beyond the greater echelons of embarrassment. It was safe to assume that this woman who was much like a grandmother to me knew what had happened last night, and I was not looking forward to discussing it.
She sat down across from me with a cup of coffee and nodded. “Anything you need, honey,” she said and drank her coffee. I saw her look at me out of the corner of my eye. She cleared her throat. “Azaraphel told me everything,” she said. My heart dropped into my stomach. I really didn’t want to talk about it. “I have my doubts about that demon, but he’s done right by you, for the most part. You need to talk to him.”
“Yeah, I’ll get around to it,” I replied.
She gave one of those sighs that told me I was being exasperating. “Look, honey, It wasn’t your fault, it wasn’t Azaraphel’s fault, it wasn’t my fault. None of us could have known the truth about that womanizing demon, so don’t you wallow in self pity. It won’t hurt him a bit, and it only makes all of us miserable.”
It was good advice. I acknowledged her with a nod, and we finished our breakfast in silence. I ate my toast and a little of the eggs and bacon, and gave up on the rest.
I opted to clean the kitchen, and Clarice could not dissuade me from doing it. I needed to do something productive. She did maintain her spot at the table, and watched me while she sipped her coffee. Phil came back in through the back door with my cat in his arms while I was watching the dishes. He brushed against me as he tried to pass, sending a shiver down my spine. I recognized it as his energy. It was positively humming.
“Sorry,” he said softly enough for me to hear. He grabbed a bowl and a can of tuna out of the cabinet. He was spoiling my cat, but at least Jasper got fed.
He put the tabby by the back door with the bowl and sat down next to Clarice. They both kept watching me as if they thought I should be on bed rest or suicide watch. I wasn’t sure what made me more furious; being used and betrayed or being treated like a fragile person to walk on eggshells around afterward. By the time I had the kitchen clean I think that my ire had met full fruition. I wiped one last dish dry, put it in the cabinet, and closed the door with a decisive thud. And then, I turned to my friends.
“Okay, let’s get this over with,” I said. I looked at Phil, “So, you told Clarice everything already?”
He nodded. “Yes. Even the stuff that I haven’t told you yet,” he replied.
“Then tell me,” I said, sitting down at the end of the table, between him and Clarice. “How did things go all to hell without me seeing it coming?”
He cleared his throat and put the Goetica Grimshaw on the table. “I realized who Mister B was, last night on the walk home. I was clearing my head and sorting out everything that Gamori had said, when it hit me. She had said ‘Gregory Behr sends his love’ and then later said that he was safe and at your house.” He looked pointedly at me. “I’ve known Gamori for centuries, if you didn’t notice, and I can tell when she is lying. She was playing my emotions as much as she was playing yours last night, and it wasn’t until after you had left that I realized that she was telling the truth both times.” He slid the Goetica Grimshaw towards me and showed me a name. “Bael-Gregorovich. Gregorovich was a Russian demonologist who perfected his art, so to speak. He made a pact so complete as to fully merge himself with the king Bael, and become a demon in his own right. He holds the power of a King, even though he is not, himself, one of the fallen host. Power over invisibility, knowledge of the mystic arts, and power over sexuality, which is Gamori’s specialty, if you haven’t noticed.”
I looked at the full entry and read it. It had a bit more to it, but Phil had practically summarized it perfectly. I noticed that teaches knowledge of the mystic arts perfectly and instantaneously was heavily underlined. “Did you do this?” I asked Phil. He shook his head.
“Your grandfather did,” Clarice spoke up. I looked at her. “He told me once, about a type of demon. One that offers power, lots of it, but at a heavy price. Do you remember, honey, that first night when I brought you home? I tried to warn you about certain kinds of demons.” I nodded. “Well, that time I was speaking about an incubus.”
“Why would my grandfather…” I began to ask, but then it clicked. “He summoned Bael-Gregorovich so that he could learn the mystic arts from him.”
Clarice nodded. “I am afraid that may be the case.”
“What kind of pact did he make?” I asked, even though I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer.
She shook her head. “I don’t know, honey,” she said with a dejected sigh. “I wish I did, but he never told me. I think he was too ashamed.”
I looked at Phil, but he shook his head as well. “Well,” I said, getting up from the table, “This has been swell, but I think that it is time me and Gramps had a chat. How many more nights until the full moon?” I asked.
“Three,” Clarice replied.
“Plenty of time to renew your amulet and take a few precautions,” Phil added. I nodded at him.
I looked out the door, towards the shed and then had a nasty thought. “He never left.” I said. Everything was starting to click together. “He told me that he was going back to Atlanta for work, but he never left Salem. I’ll bet just about anything that he was the one who staged the deer, and set fire to the library, and killed Phil and set it up so that I’d bring him back.”
Phil shook his head. “No, I don’t think that he is the one who left the spell. I don’t doubt that he’d kill me, but he would have left me dead. With me next to you, you have more power to withstand him, and that would not fit into whatever his plans were.”
I frowned at him. “Then what about the fire and the Krampus? Why is he trying to kill me?”
“I don’t think that you were his target, honey,” Clarice answered.
Phil agreed with her. “Greg knew that I was doing the research in Toliver’s journals. His goal was the books, and possibly me if he could get me.”
Clarice nodded once at Phil. It was a small concession. “I was suppose to be the one helping Holly with the Bad Man. And if you remember, Holly and Greg are acquaintances.”
I blanched. “You don’t think that Holly was in on it do you?”
She shook her head. “No. That child is too honest, and too good of a mother. She just had the bad luck to meet up with the wrong man.”
“So, Greg was trying to get rid of the both of you,” I summarized, letting it sink in. “The next time I see him, I’m going to castrate him and make him eat his own balls for breakfast.”
“Wow,” Phil whistled. “The amazing thing is that she means every word of that,” he whispered to Clarice, who harrumphed at him.
“I need to find a way to break Grandfather’s spell,” I said. “The one replacing my real memories with these crappy fake ones,” I clarified. “Bael said things about my past, and I want to know if they are true.” I looked at Phil. “Do you remember seeing Greg anywhere in my past?”
He shook his head. “No, but that doesn’t prove anything.”
Clarice nodded. “I’ll look and see what I can do, but without knowing what exactly your grandfather did, it will be like trying to find the right door in a room full of keyholes.”
I shrugged, tapping Phil on the shoulder. “Whatever works,” I replied. “Come on, Red, it’s time to do some ritualistic burning, starting with that shirt.”
I was feeling much better now that the righteous anger had set in.
* * *
Clarice gave me a hug and returned to her house once she was convinced that I was going to be okay. I hated to worry my oldest friend, but I suppose she wouldn’t be as great a friend as she was if she didn’t worry. I watched her drive away from the doorway and wondered what my life would have been like if I had never forgotten her. There would probably have been a lot of mistakes that I wouldn’t have made. But there was no use in crying over spilled milk, as she would no doubt say, and I just counted myself lucky that I could count her as my oldest friend now.
I turned and snapped my fingers at Phil. “Okay, Red, time to get to work.”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “What do you have in mind?”
I headed towards the stairs. “That ritualistic burning, remember? I wasn’t kidding.”
He laughed at me, but followed me anyway. “Whatever makes you happy,” He replied.
“This will make me very happy, indeed,” I replied, opening the window. I bundled up all the sheets from my bed and threw them out into the front yard. I held out my hand to Phil, who looked at me with that raised eyebrow.
“What?” He asked.
I pointed at his shirt and waved my hand in the universal “gimme” gesture. “Hand it over. It’s getting burned too.”
He crossed his hands over his chest. “I don’t think so. This shirt has done nothing to you.”
I crossed my arms as well and gave him the evil eye. “I beg to differ. Every time I look at that hideous green and purple plaid, it makes me think of moldy eggplant, and that makes me want to throw up. Plus it clashes terribly with your hair, and I can’t stand it. Hand over the shirt now, or I will fine a way to make your life a living hell for the next 48 hours.”
He uncrossed his arms and gave a sigh of resignation. I held out my hand expectantly while I waited for him to unbutton his shirt and take it off. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that he was actually wearing a white undershirt. I chuckled a little. “By the way, no more raiding my grandfather’s closet. I absolutely forbid it.”
He threw the shirt at me and I threw it out the window with the rest of the linens. It felt very satisfying.
“Is that all, madam?” he asked, sounding amused.
I shook my head and started pulling the full mattress off of my bed. “No. This won’t fit in the window. Help me get it outside.”
“Riesa…” he started, before I cut him off.
“No! No ‘ifs’, ‘ands’, or ‘buts’, burning this mattress will make me feel so much better than you can even begin to understand,” I grunted, handling the mattress by myself.
He shook his head at me and grabbed the other end of the mattress, helping me get it out the door. “Thanks,” I said.
“Yeah, well if you want to burn your bed, who am I to argue?”
We managed to get the mattress out into the front yard. I gathered the strewn sheets plus one hideous shirt and threw them on top. “Got a lighter?” I asked Phil.
He crossed his arms and looked at the pile. It erupted into a little fire that quickly engulfed the whole mattress. “Whoa!” he exclaimed taking a step back. Apparently he wasn’t expecting it to be that flammable.
I stepped next to him and leaned over while I watched the fire. “It needed to be burned anyway. That mattress was probably a good twenty years old.” It was just as satisfying as I thought it would be. I wished I had some marshmallows.
“That wasn’t why the mattress went up so fast,” he replied. “I borrowed just a little bit of power from you to get it started and instead of it acting like a match, it acted like a blowtorch.” He looked at me. “You are amazing.”
I was puzzled. “Thanks? But what do you mean?”
He pointed at the raging fire. “That is pure untamed energy.” He focused to tone the fire down since it was getting so out of control. He shook his head. “I hate to admit it, but I think that if you could just gain control of your potential, you could be one seriously powerful practitioner, even without me.” He gave me a very strange look. It was like he was looking for something in my face, but wasn’t finding it. “I’ve never seen a human with this much power before.”
I shrugged and turned back to the fire. “Something in my family history, maybe?”
“Maybe,” he replied.
We stood there listening to the soft sound of the fire for a little while. I rubbed my arm. It was itching pretty bad, but I didn’t want to scratch it. “Phil, why are you so weak?” I asked, and then I realized how horrible that sounded. “Oh, gosh, I didn’t mean that you are weak!” I said, backtracking.
He just gave me a half smile. “No, you are right. I’m pretty darn weak.” He shifted from one foot to the other, trying to piece together his next statement. “Remember when Gamori was talking about allegiances? She made the allusion that I no longer honored any of mine, and she was right.” He sat down in the grass and looked up at me. I sat down, also, since looking down at him just seemed silly. “You see, those ranks and things that demons have are like badges of honor, and the higher a demon’s rank, the more power he gains from his masters.”
“So what happened to you? It wasn’t because I sealed you away was it?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, it was nothing that you had done. I was pretty powerless a good fifty years before you came along.” He plucked at the grass and threw it into the fire. “I got tired of everything. I didn’t want to follow the whim of my superiors anymore, so I broke ties and started working towards becoming a free agent.”
He had mentioned something about this before. I think it was when we first met, but I had never cared to ask. “So, what is a free agent?”
He smiled at me. “Not every demon is a power-crazed sociopath. There are demons out there who strive for redemption, and the ones who gain a piece of it become Free Agents.”
“So you aren’t one yet?”
He shook his head. “No. Haven’t made it yet. Guess I still have a bit more atoning to do.”
“What do you have to atone for?” I asked, probably being a bit more curious than I had any right to be.
He gave a half smile to the fire. “Don’t remember all of it. I died sometime during the War of the Fourth Coalition in 1806, and was revived during the Peninsular War in 1812, so I can’t tell you anything about the time before that. I can tell you that I did enough during the rest of the Napoleonic Wars, and many other wars since, that I am not surprised that becoming a Free Agent has eluded me.”
I stared at him for several long moments. It was that awkward moment when I realized that the person I was talking to had probably once met Napoleon Bonaparte.
He looked at me, and very innocently asked, “What?”
“I just realized that you are old enough to have met my great, great, great, great grandfather. And probably his father. And probably several fathers before him.” I gaped at him. “Dear heavens, you probably remember the Civil War!”
He laughed. “Well, I hope that doesn’t make you think less of me.”
I shook my head. “I just can’t believe that this is only sinking in just now.”
“I guess it is Q and A time. Any more burning questions?” he quipped.
I thought about it, and realized that there was a lot about him that never got answered. “Do demons ever age?”
He shrugged. “Depends on the demon’s preference. We can appear whatever age we like. We can simulate the effects of aging while on earth if we are here for long periods of time.”
“Do you always look the same way, or can you change your appearance?”
He smiled. “I’m a natural red-head, if that is what you are asking.”
“So that is a no?” I regarded him with my head leaned to the side.
He shook his head “Its not in my skill set. That isn’t true for all demon’s though. There are Changelings and Chameleons. They can change their appearance. And then there are demons with the powers of illusion and magic. Like I said, not my skill set.”
I stopped and thought about that. “But magic is in Bael’s skill set.” Phil’s facial expression told me that he saw where my thought process was going. “He could have been anyone that I knew when I was younger.”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah, he could have. No one stands out to me, though, that I would have considered suspicious.”
I frowned and sighed dejectedly. “Oh well. I’m going to remember sooner or later, anyway. One way or another.”
“Yes, you will,” he replied, though he didn’t sound all that happy. I let it slide and enjoyed watching the fire burn down to nothing.


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It looks awesome man!! I love it! The grey bg works very well.
wow! really like this character! cool watercolors alexei! keep them coming!;)
Oi Alex valeu pela visita será sempre bem-vindo em meu blog, gostei de sua arte também. Quanto á caricatura da Bjork quem sabe... o futuro dirá :) hehe, abraço.
nice selective coloring Alexi! this character is awesome!!
Love his outfit! :)
Thank you everyone for your kind comments!!I love it!!!Afroman:Thank you dude!!!The color makes it easier to focus on the character!!Roland Mechael:thank you dude!!!!Soon!!Nelson Santos:Ficarei esperando por esse momento!!!Muito obrigado!!!Hehe!Até!!!PaulSketch:Thank you Paul, I used those colors to focus my character.Miss Silje:Thank you(>_<)!!!
Grande Alex!!!!Muito sucesso e muita saúde em 2007!Um abração amigo.
He looks so cool!!! great work, i really like it :)
He has baby feet.. haha! ;)
thank you very much!! I also love your blog!! your drawings are very nice!!
WOW! he is SUPER cool! can't wait to see what 2007 will bring :)Merry Christmas & Happy HAPPY New Year!! ;)
great man,i like his manga look....awesome!( º3º)and merry x-mas you too, my friend!
NICE!!! he looks so heroic. Is this for a comic book or something?? great job.
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domain: artistic


text:
Endless, Ceaseless is a yearning for something that was never really possessed, in this case artist Cody Gieselman’s family home and land. Prior rights by a coal company, whether they were sold or taken through eminent domain is unclear, has created this uneasy situation. Through the use of memory, as well as analogies with family photographs and art history, the reader realizes this poignant and impenetrable distance between connection and separation.
The small book is made of paper, hand-stitched binding, and stone colored pages and outer cover, with flecks of texture from the paper itself. These features lend to the overarching themes within the book itself, specifically referencing nature and the natural. When the reader opens the front cover, they find what appears to be soot (or possibly coal smears) on the edges. It is easy to read this part of the cover as burnt, although its identity becomes apparent as one progresses through the book. On the outside of the cover are little spots printed in a blocky, monochromatic manner; the reader will soon realize is a depiction of coal. The pages have a lined tooth, and the book alternates pages mostly with blocky, printed images that are small, with monochromatic/toned ink that merely darkens the stone paper except in certain cases, and letterpress text on the opposing pages.
Gieselman sets the scene with a block reproduction of a painting of Pan and text about panic. The first line, “(Panic and the loss of the wild),” tells us the state of mind and impending grief the author will explore. Using metaphor with the death of Pan, there is an attempt to rationalize what is to come as clearing the old for the new, though it seems like cold comfort. The reader is introduced to the artist’s family via a mildly distorted family photograph on the ensuing pages. It is mostly unremarkable, a simple group portrait typical of the era, with a patterned frame around the image that could date it from between the 1930s to perhaps no later than the 1960s. We are informed on the opposite page that her family had lived in the house she grew up in for multiple generations. Before we can contemplate the strength of that bond, Gieselman recounts her family receiving a letter about “active operation status,” which results in their departure that summer. The matter-of-factness belies what has clearly been a trauma, and this will continue to unfold throughout the book.
Next, the artist describes the wildlife and nature of the surrounding land; we are meant to feel this loss the more we understand what it was and what it represented. It is now we learn who sent this active status letter—a coal company. Gieselman rues the irony of this entity bringing “life” with jobs but immediately follows with the destruction inherent to coal mining to the earth: “Later remain the desolate abandoned sites, rocky with pits full of water, opaque and green as jade.” The illustrations opposite these pages underscore this unnatural transformation, showing an image of the land, then a close-up of a honeycomb, followed by the honeycomb-like structure of strands of chemical bonds of coal.
The succeeding pairs of pages turn the focus to the personal even more so. Black silhouettes of circling predatory birds appear on the left, and the opposing text notes “So common we would hardly notice. First the sound, then the ground shaking. Cracked windows, crumbled chimney.” Here, we see the changes slowly effected on the house, which is the same as the earth itself. However, because we know of her family’s history with the home and our own emotional ties to family homes, the reader feels this kind of death as sharply. Throughout the book, the artist jumps back and forth in time: before, during, and after the coal company has destroyed this ancestral place. The following sets of pages bring the apparatus of change, the shovel machinery. It is “as imposing as a city” to her youthful eyes, and Gieselman places an illustration of it digging into the darker ground to let us know that it is the coal it is excavating. The opposing page’s text underlines dramatically, as only a child can, what this means: “Buzzards circling while I lie on the ground very still, trying to convince them I’m dead to lure them closer.” The arrival of the coal company is the death of innocence and childhood wrapped together tightly.
It is here that we are informed that even before Gieselman’s birth, her family knew the house’s fate and chose to move in anyways. This quiet revelation is followed on the next page with the first non-monochromatic color scheme. We see a coyote in an ochre-red looking upwards, howling while spewing little bits of coal from its mouth. This stream starts small and grows into a large portion of the page, and for the first time, it intrudes into the text page on the other side.
Gieselman here links her family’s displacement to that of Native Americans that had been driven away before her family’s arrival. This mention perhaps hints at how governments, companies, and other entities are prioritized before the land and the people who live on it. The coal flecks continue on the next page, mimicking the cover. We have come to the penultimate page with Gieselman’s attempt to return to her home at an unspecified time in adulthood, long after her family has left and the coal company stripped the area. There is a particularly melancholy as she notes “but all my familiar indicators were gone.” Musing that perhaps someday far into the future, the landscape will reappear, the audience understands the gravity and long-term effects these companies and our energy choices make on the land.
The coal dots thin on the final page set, and Gieselman ends with a poetic coda that begins with listening to coyotes howl until their sudden silence. She ties this to her own connection with a place that was “always tenuous and fleeting;” she is filled with nostalgia for something she only slightly had and now is vanished. We as the reader cannot help but share her sorrow at this severed connection and the distress at what has been wrought on the earth. A cautionary tale of humans wrecking havoc on the earth and an elegiac monument to her family home, Endless, Ceaseless leaves us with much to consider as we persist down a path of devastation for our energy needs.

domain: library


text:
Bafana Bafana players and technical team were in high spirits as they departed for Cameroon on Tuesday (4 June) where they will face the Central African Republic (CAR) in a key 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
The match will take place in Yaoundé on Saturday, 8 June 2013 and is scheduled to kick off at 16h00 South African time.
Bafana Bafana go into this important match high on confidence following their convincing 2-0 victory over Lesotho in an international friendly match last Sunday.
Coach Gordon Igesund welcomed overseas-based striker Tokelo Rantie and midfielder May Mahlangu who missed the Lesotho clash due to club commitments.
South Africa who are second in Group A with five points, two behind leaders Ethiopia, defeated CAR 2-0 in the first leg played in Cape Town in March this year.
"We are well aware how difficult this match is going to be, and we can't bank on our last result hoping things will be easy. Football does not work like that.
“We have to work twice as hard to ensure we get the same result as in the first match, and I believe we are up to the task," said Bafana captain Itumeleng Khune, who is expected to return to the starting line-up after being rested for the Lesotho game.
"We are happy with the result in Lesotho because it's a huge morale booster going into this CAR encounter. We need to continue where we left off and continue working as hard as we always do. We would like to return to South Africa with all six points - and that is very possible."
His words were echoed by midfielder Dean Furman.
"This is a very massive game for us and the entire country. We know it’s not going to be easy but we have a strong belief that we can come back victorious. The win in CAR will set us up nicely for an even more difficult match in Ethiopia the following week, but we must take it one game at a time," said Furman.

domain: news


text:
On Thursday, 4th of September 2019, RMI participated in the Asia-Pacific Climate Week (APCW) that was held on 2-6 September 2019 in Bangkok. Through a presentation called “Indonesia’s Customary Forests: Indigenous People’s Fundamental Role to Build to Build Climate Resilient and a Long Struggle over Cultural Identity”, RMI delivers that indigenous ecological knowledge is the key to conserve land, forest, river, and the other natural resources. The indigenous peoples contributed in preserving the most protected lands as well as preventing the release of carbon emissions to the atmosphere. The determination of customary forests in addition to contributing to the achievement of the NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) target also means providing access for the indigenous peoples in Indonesia to legally manage their forests sustainably and recognizes the existence of these indigenous peoples and all their cultural identities that are still strongly attached to nature.
In this opportunity, it was also stated that the establishment of customary forests was not the only final destination, because the indigenous peoples need to be able to manage their customary forests in a sustainable manner. Based on the results of the pre and post determination research on customary forests conducted by RMI with FAO’s support, it is known that indigenous women and youth groups were still minimally involved in the management of these customary forests. In addition to the lack of opportunities and lack of space for participation, the capacity of women and indigenous youth to manage their customary forests is still limited. On this basis, RMI facilitates a variety of participatory and inclusive training – involving women and youth – for indigenous peoples to increase their capacity in terms of community management and their customary forests. Specifically RMI also opens opportunities for youth to build connectivity with fellow indigenous youths as well as rural and urban youth. One of these youth networks can be formed due to the collaboration between RMI and OROL (Our River Our Live) – the campaign for river biodiversity and environmental health throughout Southeast Asia.
In addition to the panel discussions and thematic dialogues; APCW also organizes Knowledge Corner activities, Action Hubs, and Side Events that provide opportunities for stakeholders to deliver climate actions / initiatives carried out in their respective countries. In general, all APCW activities discuss energy transitions, industrial transitions, natural-based solutions, local and urban action, and resilience and adaptation as the main sectors for implementing climate-based innovations.
The APCW can be a tool to develop multi-stakeholder climate action in accordance with the spirit of the Talanoa Dialogue in 2018. The dialogue initiated cooperation and discussion that were participatory, inclusive and transparent. Therefore APCW provides space for stakeholders (government representatives, the private sector, civil society organizations, academics and international institutions) to gather and together formulate recommendations for the achievement of the target of climate neutrality by 2050.
This event was organized by the UN ESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific) along with the other international organizations such as UNCC (United Nations Climate Change), IGES (Institute for Global Environmental Strategies).
Editor: Mardha Tillah and Dinda Tungga Dewi
Translator: Amanda So

domain: sociology


The President Of Ghana Passes Away at Age 68
Ghana’s President John Atta Mills, who won international praise for presiding over a stable model democracy in Africa, died suddenly on Tuesday and his vice-president was quickly sworn in to replace him at the helm of the oil, gold and cocoa producer.
Mills had celebrated his 68th birthday on Saturday and his unexpected death came months before he was due to stand for re-election in December as head of the world’s No. 2 cocoa grower, which is also a major African gold producer.
“It is with a heavy heart … that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the president of the Republic of Ghana,” the president’s office said. It added that Mills had died a few hours after being taken ill, but gave no further details.
A presidential aide, who asked not to be named, said the president had complained of pains on Monday evening and had died early on Tuesday afternoon when his condition worsened.
In line with Ghana’s constitution, Vice-President John Dramani Mahama, who is 53, took the oath of office as head of state before a somber parliament hours after the announcement of Mills’ death. Mahama will serve as caretaker president until the elections at the end of the year.


text:
306 S 12th Ave Ste 1, Yakima, WA 98902
Dr. Anita L Showalter, DO, is an Obstetrics/Gynecology specialist in Anchorage, Alaska. She attended and graduated from Ohio University Of Osteo Medicine in 1993, having over 26 years of diverse experience, especially in Obstetrics/Gynecology. Dr. Anita L Showalter also cooperates with other doctors and physicians in medical groups including Obhg Alaska Pc. Dr. Anita L Showalter accepts Medicare-approved amount as payment in full.
No insurances listed.
- Ohio Univ, Coll Of Osteo Med, Athens Oh 45701, 1993
- Doctors Hosp Of Stark Co-Core, Flexible Or Transitional Year
Special areas of practice expertise

domain: medical


George McDaniel, executive director of Drayton Hall (a National Trust Historic Site), will never forget the day in the spring of 2005 when he got the call from Bo and Mickey Barry, two longtime residents of the Ashley River Region and good friends to Drayton Hall. Mickey tearfully explained that the couple had agreed to sell their family property on the Ashley River in Charleston, S.C., only to learn from the local newspaper that the people who purchased it were developers who intended to use it to annex from North Charleston to a large tract of undeveloped timberland on the other side of the Barry property. Mickey exclaimed that she and her husband were now the “Judas Iscariots of the Ashley River Region.”
To understand the Barrys’ emotional phone call, one must know something about the historic region and what this threat of development would mean. A National Register Historic District, the Ashley River Region is a 13-mile corridor northwest of Charleston that is bound by the Ashley River, a State Scenic River,and Ashley River Road. Amidst this still-forested landscape are Drayton Hall, established as a plantation circa 1738 and now a National Historic Landmark; Middleton Place, a National Historic Landmark; and the 17th-century Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, all of which border the Ashley River. Archeological sites trace the region’s history from Native American habitation to 18th-century African American settlements to Civil War fortifications.
Concerns about development pressures and lack of coordinated regional planning in the area led the National Trust for Historic Preservation to include the Ashley River Historic District on its list of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 1995. Charles Duell, president of Middleton Place Foundation, declared,” It’s not just one thing, it’s everything in combination that makes this place a national treasure—and that’s why we have to preserve it.”
A REGIONAL THREAT EMERGES
The sale of the Barry property was just one aspect of a potentially catastrophic threat to the region. At stake was Watson Hill, a 6,600-acre, 10-square-mile tract of timberlands located in Dorchester County, S.C., just north of Charleston County. Historically rural, Dorchester had become one of the fastest growing counties in the state and its residents were deeply split over issues of suburban growth and private property rights. Watson Hill had been sold by the timber company MeadWestvaco to an out-of-state developer who proposed to build 5,000 homes, a hotel, a golf course, and a commercial center there. The plan would have required construction of a four-lane expressway paralleling the historic Ashley River Road, likely to trigger further suburban sprawl and a massive increase in traffic.
Since Dorchester County prohibited the type of density that the Watson Hill owners wanted, the developers approached the Barrys and attempted to buy their land in order to annex through to the property from North Charleston, whose leaders had promised the developers the higher density their development required. Having discovered the developers’ true intentions and identity, the Barrys courageously backed out of the contract, feeling they had signed it under false pretenses. Realizing that the Barrys were the linchpin in the developers’ plans and that a costly lawsuit might prove too much for them, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Drayton Hall partnered with the Historic Charleston Foundation, Middleton Place, and the Coastal Conservation League to indemnify the Barrys’ legal costs up to one million dollars.
Once the Barrys were comfortable with the indemnification agreement, McDaniel and others knew that they needed to look beyond traditional partnerships if they wanted to fight this behemoth and preserve the context of Drayton Hall. Fortunately for the preservationists in the Ashley River region, they didn’t have to look far to find willing and able partners right in their own backyard.
WHOLE PLACE PRESERVATION PUT TO THE TEST
What follows is a close look at a situation that historic sites across the country have faced for decades. As suburban sprawl continues its march across our landscape, historic sites have been forced to look beyond their gates to confront the roads, strip malls, and housing developments that continue to creep out of our urban centers. Thinking of our historic and cultural resources within the context of their communities and recognizing how sites are affected by their surroundings is the concept behind “Whole Place Preservation.”
In Drayton Hall’s case, McDaniel, a longtime educator, knew that preserving the plantation’s context to support place-based learning was critical to Drayton Hall’s survival long term, and that the Watson Hill development was a major threat to the site’s ability to engage its visitors. “When people visit Drayton Hall, they learn about our site’s history through verbal and written clues, obviously. But perhaps most importantly, they learn through the message that the site itself conveys. If we had jet skis zipping by on the banks of the river and high-rise hotels in the distance, our visitors’ learning would be impaired, and their connection to the site would be diminished.”
The same is true for visitors at most any historic site across the country, and that’s why historic sites need to put Whole Place Preservation front and center.
PRESERVATION, CONSERVATION, AND COMMUNITY INTERESTS CONVERGE
For the first time on the state level, one proposed development endangered several nationally recognized historic sites and some of the most important wildlife habitat in the South Carolina Lowcountry. While the most obvious partnerships were between the three major historic sites that lined the Ashley River Road, a regional conservation group, the Coastal Conservation League, proved to be one of the most important allies in the fight. The threat pushed the preservationists and conservationists beyond their traditional partnerships and onto new ground, proving to each group the necessity of the other.
Dana Beach, the director of the Coastal Conservation League (CCL), had spent years working in the Ashley River Region with landowners and developers, helping people make conservation-minded decisions about their property. Beach had poured resources into the area and wasn’t going to let one developer threaten the progress that had been made in the fragile region. Beyond the development itself, Beach and his group were worried about its larger impact on the region, also referred to as the “ACE Basin,” named after the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers. Beach says, “Had Watson Hill come to pass, more than two decades of private and public conservation investment in the ACE Basin would have been jeopardized. It was essential that environmental and habitat conservation groups joined forces with historic preservation advocates to secure the Ashley River. This is clearly a model for large-scale landscape-level protection here and elsewhere.”
SHARED CONCERNS LAUNCH A GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN
Whole Place Preservation, by its very definition, must involve partnerships, as preservationists look outward to find nontraditional allies. Far too often, historians think saving important landmarks or stopping development within a site’s viewshed should be reason enough for the public to heed a call to action. Fortunately in some cases it is, but in many situations the preservation argument alone isn’t sufficient to start a genuine grassroots movement. Looking beyond preservation in its purest form and tying it in to real-world concerns such as increased traffic, higher taxes, school overcrowding, and loss of quality of life can bring people into the fray who have never allied with preservationists before. In the case of Drayton Hall, this intersection of interests proved to be the foundation on which the campaign was built.
Drayton Hall and CCL knew that most residents would oppose Watson Hill if these allies could prove that the development would hurt residents where it counted most—their pocketbooks. So the partners hired University of South Carolina economists who produced an economic assessment showing that the development would mean higher taxes for everyone in the county. After the results of the study were published, taxpayers associations jumped on the bandwagon to help protect their constituents. Neighborhood associations that had little contact with their historic-site neighbors joined forces, and a true grassroots campaign was born.
Once the community was on board with the anti–Watson Hill agenda, Drayton Hall, CCL, the Historic Charleston Foundation, Middleton Place, Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Summerville Preservation Society, and others embarked upon a full-fledged grassroots campaign involving print and broadcast media, public hearings, and local rallies. Knowing that the pockets of the developers ran much deeper than those of the local nonprofits who were footing the bill for the campaign, the allies decided that their movement had to be more strategic than simply a negative campaign against this specific development. They needed to be taking steps to protect the Ashley River Historic District in its entirety and in perpetuity. That meant a comprehensive ordinance that would limit the density of development while also providing guidelines on buffers and different uses along the historic corridor.
After more than three years of contentious public meetings the ordinance was passed, to the consternation of the developers and others who saw the immense forests of the region as the perfect place for new high-density development. The ordinance limited density on the Watson Hill site to 825 units for the 3,300 acres of available uplands (the rest being wetlands), which was a far cry from the 5,000 homes originally proposed.
THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF POLITICAL SUPPORT
The lesson here was clear to the allies in the Ashley River Region: politics count. Despite having “right” on one’s side, if you don’t have the votes on the decision-making council, you lose. Winning political support required long-term political engagement, an education campaign to inform the public about alternatives to suburban sprawl and costs of unmanaged growth, and efforts by nonprofit preservation organizations to build and sustain a constituency for historic preservation.
A SURPRISING TURN OF EVENTS
Finally, in January of 2009, the partners in this fight got some shocking news. The developers of Watson Hill were bankrupt and the bank was moving ahead to foreclose on the property. That meant a public auction, and perhaps a new and even more determined developer. With this newest twist in the case, the allies took immediate action and contacted MeadWestvaco, the previous owner of Watson Hill. The company had since stopped selling its property in the Lowcountry and instead embarked upon a new venture to show shareholders increased revenues: It had decided that its bottom line would be better served by keeping its large property holdings and developing them. MeadWestvaco joined forces with local conservationists and worked to develop a master plan for its 70,000-acre property called “East Edisto”—land that happened to be adjacent to Watson Hill. After the Watson Hill developers went bankrupt, MeadWestvaco announced plans to buy back Watson Hill and fold it into East Edisto.
Looking back on the entire saga, McDaniel and the other partners in the fight realized that this case study could serve as a valuable model for nonprofits and historic sites across the country, to guide them in addressing similar issues in their own communities.
McDaniel says that one of the most important characteristics of the team at Drayton Hall was its ability to act quickly in response to the Watson Hill threat. “We felt strongly that [Drayton Hall’s] strategic plan should include preservation of the region, so that when issues like this arose, our response to them would be a clear part of our strategy for the site. Instead of asking, ‘Is the Watson Hill issue something we need to respond to?’ we made clear to our staff that this issue was going to become a top priority, and an ‘all hands on deck’ priority at that.”
Added to this was Drayton Hall’s status as a National Trust for Historic Preservation Site. National Trust staff helped the Drayton Hall team articulate the campaign vision, mission, and goals that were necessary to forge common bonds with stakeholders, guide the disparate groups, anticipate obstacles, and mobilize accordingly. Historic sites that may not have the distinct advantage of being part of a national organization can still benefit by working to develop strategic partnerships with local and regional groups that can provide needed expertise and resources to strengthen their planning and advocacy efforts.
Although Drayton Hall took a leadership role, the four-year campaign evolved and developed along the way, and Drayton Hall had to alter its role accordingly. “Although we jumped into the fray immediately,” says McDaniel, “we quickly realized the importance of adjusting our role as specific instances called for different competencies. This campaign necessitated a multi-leader, multi-pronged approach, and we were changing tack every week. That strategy allowed for a number of different voices to be heard and for a grassroots campaign to emerge. As in life, Watson Hill demanded that we be willing to lead, and also be willing to follow.”
Although this drawn-out campaign was a drain on the nonprofit’s budget, the team at Drayton Hall came to understand its profound and enduring importance: Its value became clear as Drayton Hall came to be recognized as a leader in the community. With one highly publicized campaign, Drayton Hall was able to change the common misconception that preservationists are focused solely on the past. The larger public saw Drayton Hall helping to negotiate decisions for the community based on the future of the region, and the site was able to connect to constituencies that had previously been regarded as outside of the purview of a house museum. Today, a greater number of stakeholders now view the historic site within the larger context of their community and the region, not separate and apart from it.
“Drayton Hall realized that conservation interests and preservation interests are not mutually exclusive; in fact, in many cases they’re inseparable,” McDaniel recounts. “The Watson Hill threat, now abated, actually has been a blessing in disguise for our site, and has helped us forge a new path forward while many sites around the country are struggling to remain relevant. We established a meaningful place for ourselves within the community and developed relationships with other organizations that are invaluable as we move into Drayton Hall’s next chapter.”
This case study provides a striking model for how historic sites can pursue Whole Place Preservation. It shows the importance and the imperative for historic sites to look beyond their property boundaries and to engage their local communities. Win or lose, context-sensitive preservation can generate new thinking and discussion within the preservation community on how sites can maintain their relevance in the face of declining admissions, federal budget cuts, and a depressed economy. “Drayton Hall was seen as a bit of a renegade a few decades back with the battles we chose to fight,” McDaniel says. “But our examples have become more and more mainstream, and I see sites across the country engaging their communities and negotiating their future like never before. Context-sensitive preservation must become a fundamental part of the mainstream preservation movement as we negotiate the role of these sites in the 21st-century.”
Monticello Preserves Its Viewshed
|Many other battles are being fought across America in an effort to achieve Whole Place Preservation. One notable example of partners allied for view-shed protection occurred at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home in Virginia (the only home in America on UNESCO’s World Heritage list). In 2008 the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns and operates Monticello, signed an agreement with the Piedmont Environmental Council to preserve as open space, in perpetuity, 150 acres on Montalto, the neighboring mountain that rises 410 feet above Monticello. There are no more important views to preserve from Monticello than those up to Montalto, Jefferson’s “high mountain.”
When the mountaintop first came on the market at $20 million in 2003, there weren’t many interested parties and the threat seemed minimal. When the price dropped to $15 million a year later and there were reports of strong interest in the development community, the Foundation decided that it had to act, and bought the mountain for the full purchase price, thus incurring debt and necessitating the immediate launch of a capital campaign. The president and CEO of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Leslie Greene Bowman, recalls the campaign to save the viewshed of the site as the “high-water mark of the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to safeguard the historic and scenic nature of the views from Monticello.” In this instance, Bowman explains, protecting land once owned by Jefferson was clearly in line with Monticello’s mission. “Land stewardship is a typically Jeffersonian concept. In our case, acquiring Montalto was a very natural extension for us of the work we were already doing at Monticello. This campaign underscored our ongoing commitment to the preservation of context of this highly significant site.”
Now Jefferson’s “high mountain” is used by the Foundation for events and interpretation and will forever be preserved. Guests of the site at last year’s Heritage Harvest Festival, held atop the mountain, marveled at the sublime view down the mountain to the home and truly understood the role the mountain played in preserving the authenticity of the site.
Petroglyph National Monument Connects With Community
|While not every battle ends in a victory, even losses can provide lessons. An example of this is recounted by Diane Souder, chief of interpretation and outreach for Petroglyph National Monument. A National Park owned cooperatively by the City of Albuquerque, the State of New Mexico, and the National Park Service, the site battled constantly against unmanaged growth as residential areas illegally encroached on its lands. In 1996 a special appropriations bill went through Congress, removing 8.5 acres of land from the park’s boundary to allow for a four- to six-lane freeway.
“The issue was incredibly divisive,” says Souder. “Homebuilders wanted to open up more lands for development, some local residents wanted shorter commutes to the other side of the river, and others wanted to protect the traditional cultural landscape and monument resources. Because the issue was precedent-setting for all National Park sites, the Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, Tribal Councils, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and others worked to stop the road, but lost the battle after seven years.
“In the face of defeat, the Park Service set out to heal the community’s wounds. Before the road issue, our employees were advised not to wear their uniforms out in public. Now they go to schools, business openings, and Indian festivals, and are an integral part of the community. During the summers, they knock on every door in the surrounding neighborhoods as part of our new urban outreach. We also use the incident in our interpretation and educational programs, teaching the concept of stewardship so that when children grow up they will help protect the natural and cultural resources of the Petroglyph and other National Parks and monuments.”
Fall 2010#DraytonHall #Landscapes #HistoricSites #ForumJournal


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Fantastic logo design work by VDesigns. Very responsive and great designer. Strongly recomend it!
Very good design. We'll have the opportunity to work with you again on an upcoming project.
- Autour de l'Image
Great job. Fast response. Would work with this designer again.
V'official nailed our brief and delivered a creative and unique design that was perfect for our business. They were also very responsive to our small edits and fast to deliver the final logo. Highly recommend working with V'official for a professional design and exceptional service.
How matthew.pulda started their logo design journey
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Mainstream Insurance Services
Tell us a bit about who you are and the people you reach
we sell personal and commercial insurance products and financial services in the state of wisconsin. looking for image such as JP Morgan, Edward Jones, Raymond James, Wall street
What industry do you think your business is most related to?


text:
|Reviews for What, No Balloons?|
| laraquick chapter 1 . 11/6
Poor Tony. Always has the worst luck.
| JimChou chapter 1 . 10/23
That was probably the funniest NCIS story I've read lately! Brilliant. I could so see Gibbs ready to explode and Tony trying his best to explain what happened. At least we can imagine it was worth it if this got Gibbs to get things moving faster. Hope your personal life is back on track...
| AlaskanFan chapter 1 . 2/12
HAHAHAHAHAHA - Fabulous scenarios.
| abrant554 chapter 1 . 9/15/2016
LOL...LOL. You certainly have a comedic vain in your body. This was incredibly funny. What a change from the Tony that keeps getting shot, tortured or beaten.
On the other note, sorry that you had experienced something so terrible, but happy you didn't stop writing. Love your work.
| bleeb90 chapter 1 . 8/24/2016
I've been LMAO, this fic is absolutely brilliant. Thank you.
| Gibbsgirl1961 chapter 1 . 6/18/2016
Love, love this story! I'm in total denial Tony is gone. Haven't watched the last 4 episodes of this season because I don't want it to end. More Tony/Papa Gibbs stories, please! I also love Abby/Papa Gibbs stories! Thanks for the great read!
| bjq chapter 1 . 1/14/2016
| Skimball4 chapter 1 . 8/13/2015
Poor Tony! I was laughing the whole time:)
| Saissa chapter 1 . 11/29/2014
This was hilarious! I just hope that this never happens to me in real life!
| MidwestDreamer chapter 1 . 4/23/2014
I laughed until tears were running down my face... this is fantastic!
| Smilessimile chapter 1 . 2/24/2014
This story had me in riddle of laughter... but I feel ya!
| JUNE ABERNATHY chapter 1 . 2/14/2014
TOO TOO TOO FUNNY! THIS STORY HAD ME LAUGHING SO HARD THAT MY STOMACH HURT AND I HAD TEARS IN MY EYES. IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE LIKE THIS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU DID ONE WITH GIBBS HAVING TO PROVE THAT HE IS ALIVE. GOOD WORK.
| weemcg33 chapter 1 . 1/25/2014
This was sooo funny! Poor Tony just can't catch à break lol
I will say i'm glad thé rumours of your death are false, i definitley couldn't go on without your awesome stories ;)
| sandirn chapter 1 . 10/12/2013
I abdolutely loved it! i have laughed so hard i have tears on my face. You were right on point with tony and gibbs. Please write more.
| The Reading Elf chapter 1 . 7/27/2013
I loved it, great job!

domain: literature


text:
Openness and light combined with metal and wood
Flow of kitchen to family room. Clean lines of kitchen with counters in two places. Allows for openness but room for storage and work in kitchen. Kitchen will need to have two ovens and gas stove. Industrial grade.
Ability to make outdoor space and indoor space one by opening up doors.
Built in furniture in all rooms.
Look of this house
Look of this house with wood and concrete
The outdoor space
Flooring, radiant heat capable.
Open shower, metal and wood plus I like the tile
Water feature on clean concrete outside area
Love the look of this. No concrete countertops though. Need different material that doesn't stain so easily
Love the overall look including floors
Love the drama of this space
The built ins are perfect
Materials and look are beautiful
Rooftop retreat to take advantage of north view
Love the light element even in areas of darkness like the garage entree acne etc
Like the built in seating and party area
This indoor outdoor design is perfect near spa
Combined laundry, mud room and built in dog wash. Want this room big enough to worth in with counter space for laundry.

domain: design


text:
Fanny Hensel (née Fanny Mendelssohn-Bartholdy) born November 14, 1805, was a German composer and pianist, and the sister of composer Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.
As a child, her parents kept her performances limited to periodic Sonntagsmusik salons that she and her brother Felix delivered at the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy home, to a selected group of family friends. Her brother Felix was permitted many more opportunities to travel and further educate himself while Fanny was instructed to focus on her future responsibilities as a wife and mother.
Fanny married Wilhelm Hensel in 1829 and in 1839/40, she and her husband traveled Italy for a year. Fanny was incredibly happy, as she finally received recognition for her work outside her family circle, and met many musicians who encouraged her and inspired her creativity. Upon returning home from Italy, she composed her most important piano work, the biographical cycle Das Jahr (1841).
Throughout her life, she was discouraged from publishing her work. Some of her pieces were actually published under her brother Felix’s name. Were she alive today, surely Fanny Hensel would have also chimed in on the #MeToo Movement. Women were not thought to have the intellect to write music and were told they should focus on being good wives and mothers to their children. She must have faced a constant uphill battle against those, including her own brother, who thought she should not publish her works.
From a 1987 New York Times article:
”I think discrimination against women composers still exists because the prestigious conducting positions are still held by men. I think it’s a problem, especially for older women composers.”
– Dr. Marilyn Thomas, professor of theory and composition at Carnegie Mellon University
Fanny Hensel died May 14, 1847. At the request of Fanny’s husband, Wilhelm Hensel, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy had arranged for publishing of some of Fanny’s additional works, which happened after Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s death (November 4, 1847). These works appeared in 1850.
In 1987, the Furore Verlag began publishing those of her works which had remained unprinted.
This month, both our founder & principal author, Bard Suverkrop, as well as our business manager, Nora Miller Rubinoff, share a few Fanny Hensel selections from our collection, along with recommended listening links.
Warum sind denn die Rosen so blaß?
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/catalog/product/view/id/6555/category/662/
Listen to Diana Damrau: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Shaw6QibE
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/catalog/product/view/id/6553/category/662/
Listen to Elisabeth Breuer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fao0-otebeU
Ich kann wohl manchmal singen
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/catalog/product/view/id/6525/category/662/
Listen to Margarita Nosal-Strasser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbZGj3b64lY
Abendlich schon rauscht der Wald
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/abendlich-schon-rauscht-der-wald-6588.html
Listen to the Hollywood Master Chorale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI3sd8CoCi4
Dämmrung senkte sich von oben
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/catalog/product/view/id/6516/category/662/
Listen to Tobias Berndt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEKVdvz8bDs
View our complete collection of Fanny Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Hensel texts:


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Action News is digging through thousands of emails from Jacksonville's embattled Public Defender, Matt Shirk.
Shirk became the subject of a special prosecutor's probe after independent investigations by Action News and the Florida Times-Union revealed possible violations of public records laws.
Public Defender Matt Shirk's office released thousands of emails Wednesday. The latest release comes weeks after Action News' most recent request.
Action News starting making public records requests back in July, following accusations of inappropriate behavior by Shirk towards some of his young female staffers.
We dug through more than 3,500 emails to and from some of Shirks top staff, including Ron Mallet who is the now-outgoing Chief of Staff, and Public Information Officer Matt Bisbee.
We found for nearly six weeks Matt Shirk didn't use his government email. It started on July 15 when he sent a note to some of his staff saying, "I will no longer use government email," it read, and he gives a personal email address instead. "I have also returned my government cell phone. Effective immediately, please only use my personal cell number."
But the email does not explain the reason why.
On August 22, nearly six weeks later, Administrative Director Denise Ostertag sent a message to some staff: "The problem with Mr. Shirk's PD4 email address has now been fixed and the account has been reopened."
If Matt Shirk did, in fact, use his personal email for business during those six weeks, those emails were not turned over to Action News. Failure to disclose would also be a violation of public records laws. Matt Bisbee, a spokesperson for the Public Defender's Office, told Action News he hopes to explain the gap in emails by Thursday.
In April, Shirk his wife Michelle joined others in an inner-office March Madness betting pool. Despite emails indicating that the winnings would be distributed to participants, Bisbee tells Action News via text message that the proceeds were donated to charity, “Between $200 - $250 to “Vision for Excellence Youth Summer Camp” benefiting underprivileged, inner city teens. March Madness office pool contribution was a welcome donation!”
On June 3, Shirk shared an email with employees Alton Kelly, Bisbee and Kayle Chester that included a coupon to Whisky River, where Chester and another former staffer worked before being hired at the public defender’s office.
On June 14, the day after Michelle Shirk's confrontation with Tiffany Ice inside the public defender's office, we found an email to Ron Mallet from staff member Marleen Keehn saying Chester failed to sign paperwork. “You told me yesterday that she may not be going. Today's the deadline to cancel her room."
Kayle Chester was fired three days later on Monday, June 17.
Matt Shirk’s official email account was restored one month after Action News filed our initial public records request.


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22nd April 2022
IPRT welcomed the opportunity to make a brief submission to the Sub-Committee on Mental Health regarding its role in conducting Pre-Legislative Scrutiny (PLS) on the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill. This follows a letter to the Committee in January 2022 highlighting the mental health crisis arising in Ireland’s prisons and asking the Sub-Committee to consider the various parallel processes ongoing such as the work of the High-Level Task Force and the work ongoing on the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2021.
IPRT is gravely concerned by the ongoing detention and treatment of people with mental illness in Irish prisons, with people inappropriately held in isolation units and other areas of prisons while awaiting mental healthcare in appropriate settings. This is a situation that the Inspector of Mental Health Services has said “fundamentally breaches their human rights”.
It is important to emphasise when reading this submission that IPRT’s advocacy primarily focuses on the rights of people detained within prison, as opposed to those detained in forensic mental health settings and/or engaged in mental health treatment more widely. IPRT, therefore, has limited experience and expertise in the rights of patients receiving mental health services and the broader mental health legal framework. IPRT has started building our knowledge base in this area, primarily through the recent commissioning of an IHREC-funded scoping study on ‘Access to rights for people detained in forensic mental health settings in Ireland’.
Read the IPRT submission in full here.


As part of the framework of the IUCN Global
Freshwater Initiative, a work session was held June 19 in San José among specialists in
water resources and catchment management in the Mesoamerican region.
The workshop had the following goals:
- Develop a common knowledge based n participants' experiences in catchment management;
- Identify key activities in Freshwater Ecosystem Management;
- Identify the main gaps in catchment and freshwater resources administration; and
- Provide guidelines on how IUCN-Mesoamerica could support the development and
implementation of catchment management along with institutions in the region.
- Background: A presentation on IUCN's mission and activities and a summary of the
Freshwater Initiative and various aspects of freshwater ecosystems administration, such as
the environmental services provided by catchments, impacts from natural events, such as
Hurricane Mitch, from a perspective of catchment management, and considerations concerning
the Action Plan for Integrated Water Management in the Central American Isthmus (Plan de
Acción para el Manejo Integrado del Agua en el Istmo Centroamericano - PACADIRH), now in
a process of discussion.
- Identification of key actions being carried out in the region: In this section
certain institutions and regional projects for freshwater and catchment management were
identified through mapping of institutions and activities related to freshwater resources.
- Analysis of Gaps: Based on the information provided by participants and other
available information, such as the document analyzing the Action Plan for Water in the
Central American Isthmus, information gaps concerning catchment and freshwater ecosystems
management were identified.
- Definition of priority areas and guidelines for IUCN: The identification of general
themes and areas of work where IUCN could participate in collaboration with members and
Principal recommendations from workshop participants were to:
I. Direct efforts to create awareness through public information campaigns
- The current state of water resources
- The value of water
- Rights and obligations of water resource users
- Linkage between policies and practices in the administration of integrated catchment
II. Synthesis of existing knowledge:
- Continue to produce ongoing publications on the current state of management or advances
in the area of integrated catchment management
- Publish separate versions for the water-user public
- Identify and disseminate gaps in integrated management of freshwater ecosystems
III. Work on building capacity to monitor the quality and quantity of water
- Legal aspects of freshwater management
- Investigation of freshwater biodiversity
- Basic ecological requirements of freshwater ecosystems
IV. Influence government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and the
private sector concerning policy and guidelines for work:
- Influence in the area of freshwater ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation
- Influence strategies so they are directed at defined target groups
V. Promote a network of experts and decision makers, including:
- The private sector, consultants, companies connected with electrical generation, tourism
businesses and others
Copies of the workshop report and a series of forms have been distributed for
suggestions and contributions concerning the formation of the Freshwater Initiative in
Other activities have included informational meetings with regional IUCN members and
key institutions in the investigation and implementation of management projects, as well
as social and community participation. In addition, field visits were made to various
catchment areas for the purpose of learning about management experiences.
Institutions contacted included: Centro de Investigaciones en Desarrollo Sostenible
(CIEDES); the Costa Rican Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE); The Nature
Conservancy (TNC), Costa Rica-Panama Office; and the National Council of Nongovernmental
Organizations (Consejo Nacional de Organismos No gubernamentales (CONAO), in Costa Rica.
The catchment areas visited are located in Costa Rica, and included the Chirripó River
Basin, the communities of Buenavista and Quebradas; the Tempisque River, and the basin and
delta of the San Juan River, between Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
To collaborate in this IUCN-Mesoamerica initiative, send your contact information and
comments to us at the following addresses:
Rocío Córdoba, Coordinator of the Wetlands and Coastal Zones Program
Email: [email protected]
Tel: (506) 236-2733 Fax (506) 240-9934


By James Button Herald Correspondent in London
HISTORY was almost certainly made in France yesterday. If voting trends in last week's first round of parliamentary elections have continued in the second round, the right-wing government of the President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has won by a landslide, and the Socialist Party has suffered a catastrophic defeat.
Mr Sarkozy has almost free rein to change France, while the Socialists are mired in division and despair. The party is paralysed by the vaudevillian squabbling over the leadership between its chairman, Francois Hollande, and his partner, the presidential candidate Segolene Royale. But there is a bigger failure, too.
The Socialist Party is the last substantial left-wing party in the West. But with its vote lower than in any election, bar one, since the foundation of the Fifth Republic in 1958, the old socialist-style left is breathing its last. When the Socialists regain power one day, the odds are it will be a different party.
The French left is furiously debating its future. It must see globalisation as a positive as well as a negative force, said a former Socialist minister, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who wants to make the party social democratic.
The sociologist Zaki Laidi calls on the left to go beyond social pessimism: a purely negative, anti-right message that holds no hope for the future.
"The left must reinvent everything: project, program, strategy," Le Monde said. The question of how it does so matters beyond France. But since France is the most left-wing country in the developed world, what happens there will shape the answer.
It seems odd to describe the country as left-wing, when the right-wing Union for a Popular Movement has just won its third presidential election in a row. But because the left inherited the French Revolution and was the force behind much 20th-century reform, it has enjoyed a moral ascendancy that few right-wing leaders have dared challenge.
The rhetoric of the former president Jacques Chirac - healing France's social divisions, rights for people with disabilities - was more centrist or leftist than right. He also refused, on principle, to seek votes from the far-right National Front.
Mr Sarkozy is a new kind of French politician: a culture warrior, bent on rolling back the perceived left dominance of cultural life. Like Richard Nixon and John Howard, he campaigned as the champion of the "silent majority" against the left elites.
He claimed that the legacy of France's 1968 revolts was to license a permissive attitude to crime and social breakdown. He chased votes on his right and, in so doing, absorbed and destroyed the National Front's support, as Mr Howard did with One Nation.
Mr Sarkozy may turn out to be the authoritarian demagogue the left says he is, but he is a complex figure. He has spoken frequently against the oppression of women and for human rights in France and abroad. He chose a maverick, and much-admired Socialist, Bernard Kouchner, as foreign minister.
Mr Kouchner took the post because he believed Mr Sarkozy's internationalist and human rights credentials were as good as, if not better than, those of his former party.
The left must learn from Mr Sarkozy, even if it repudiates his policies. He shows that in a post- ideological age, parties must be promiscuous in where they take good ideas from.
He also won on three issues - security and crime, national identity and employment - that the left has to address if it is to win power. Nationalism, with its historical echoes of fascism, and societies based on race are troubling for the left. But it must accept that national identity matters to people as they struggle for moorings in the face of globalisation.
Rather than being xenophobic, a progressive nationalism might contain a solidarity with others in the same community, of whatever background.
The Guardian reported last week that separatist tendencies in Belgium, Spain and northern Italy were growing, as wealthy regions accused governments of spending too much money on the poorest parts of the country.
If this is a real trend, the left could invoke national identity to argue why redistribution was fair. With a genuine global consciousness and effective global institutions far off, the nation is still the field on which most social change occurs.
Above all, jobs are the issue. When unemployment has stood at nearly 10 per cent for 25 years in France - and when it soared under a Socialist government - that was a lesson the left forgot.


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An author’s life is full of significant days. Whether we’re researching, writing, publishing or promoting our books, we are in some aspect of working with books. After publishing 11 children’s books, I’m taking what some people might consider to be a 180-degree turn in writing. For the past 3 years I’ve been interviewing World War... Continue Reading →
Make My Faithfulness Like a Double Shot of Espresso!
And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping and said to Peter, “So you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40) If there had been coffee shops during Jesus Christ’s time, I’m convinced He would have taken one look at Peter’s, James’ and John’s sleepy faces at Gethsemane... Continue Reading →


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It doesn't have to be the holiday season to enjoy rocking the Holiday Star Necklace! We love the detail of the twisted texture around the outside of the charm on this one.
- Stainless Steel + Gold Plated
- Tarnish + Water Resistant
- 18” + 2” Extender + .5” Charm


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Orlando Bloom takes time off from his West End play to join Freida Pinto on set of Needle In A Timestack
He's currently wowing audiences with his portrayal of a policeman turned killer-for-hire in Killer Joe which is playing in London's West End.
But Orlando Bloom took some time off the stage to make a cameo appearance in the new fantasy film Needle In A Timestack in Canada on Thursday.
The actor, 41, was in high spirits on set as he joined Freida Pinto, 33, and Leslie Odom Jr, 36, on set of John Ridley's time-travel drama.
New role: Orlando Bloom took time off from his West End play to join Freida Pinto on set of Needle In A Timestack on Thursday
Orlando is playing an as-yet-untitled character in the film, and was dressed casually for the scene as he stepped out in a double denim ensemble.
Donning a jacket over his jeans, the Lord Of The Rings star looked handsome as he sported a goatee while his brunet locks were swept back.
His look was completed with a pair of stylish brown trainers, and the actor seemed keen to fully immerse himself into the role by discussing things with the director the moment he stepped out on set.
Cosy: Freida kept warm during the night shoot on the beach by slipping on a duffel coat over her 3/4 length trousers and a pink top
Freida, meanwhile, kept warm during the night shoot on the beach by slipping on a duffel coat over her 3/4 length trousers and a pink top.
Stepping out in pink trainers, and pulling her raven tresses into a loose ponytail, the actress could be seen taking a picture of the sunset before they got ready to start shooting scenes together.
Adapted from the Robert Silverberg's short story of the same name, Needle In A Timestack follows a married couple trying desperately to save their marriage after things turn sour because of a time-travelling love rival.
On set: Orlando is playing an as-yet-untitled character in the film, but was keen to fully immerse himself into the role by discussing things with the director
Taking to Instagram to express his joy at having a cameo appearance, Orlando shared a group picture with the cast and said: 'I dropped in to this wonderful #squad #needleinatimestack group hug'
The actor has been in Canada since Monday and will remain on set until Sunday before returning to the UK to continue performing in the critically-acclaimed play.
Frieda also shared a sweet snap with her co-workers, and gushed to her 291k followers: 'This is why I am so proud to be an Actor! Creating magical moments with these fine humans.'
Excited: Taking to Instagram to express his joy at having a cameo appearance in the film, Orlando shared a group picture with the cast and said: 'I dropped in to this wonderful #squad'
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Sorry, this item sold. Have BridalBijou make something just for you, or try these other items:
The photos above are the butterfly accents we have available, please let me know which one you prefer in the notes to seller box upon checkout. You can also convo me if you have any questions about customization options because all feathers, ribbon, beads, and other embellishments can be based on your style and colors. This way, you get exactly what you want: a mask as one of a kind as you are!
Don't believe these are gorgeous masks? Here are some words from a satisfied customer:
"Amazingly perfect and beautiful masks, we love them! Seller was wonderfully patient, helpful and kind (not to mention incredibly fast shipping!) - thank you so much for everything!"
Thanks so much for looking!


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ATLANTA (AP) — A bill that would allow the production and sale of low-potency medical marijuana oil in Georgia has been passed by the House.
Lawmakers voted 123-40 to clear the measure on Tuesday. It awaits Senate consideration.
The bill would close a loophole created by the state's 2015 medical marijuana law that allows patients to possess the drug but provides no real way to obtain it. It is illegal to grow, process, buy, sell or transport the substance in Georgia.
The measure would allow patients who are already registered with the state as being allowed to possess low-potency marijuana oil to access the product.
Current state law allows individuals with 16 specific conditions, including cancer, seizure disorders and Parkinson's disease, to possess low-potency medical marijuana oil.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA NEWS:


EXETER, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vapotherm, Inc. today announced the publication of a key prospective, multi-center, controlled, order-randomized crossover trial. The study demonstrates that using the IntellO2 automated oxygen controller module helped clinicians maintain neonates in the physician-prescribed oxygen saturation range significantly better than manual control alone.
The results were published by Reynolds and colleagues in the Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, entitled “Randomised crossover study of automated oxygen control for preterm infants receiving nasal High Flow.” The data show that trained staff were able to keep the babies’ oxygen saturation in the target range 49% of the time with manual controls alone. When using the IntellO2 module staff was able to maintain the babies in range 80% of the time.
“We are very pleased with these results. This study shows the ability of the IntellO2 to help clinicians maintain premature babies in the prescribed target pulse oxygenation range. We now have strong evidence that when compared to manual control, using the IntellO2 improves the ability to keep babies within target saturation range,” said Joe Army, CEO of Vapotherm. “We are excited to continue development of this unique technology to help clinicians control oxygenation, since both too much and too little oxygen have important clinical consequences. We see applications for this technology initially in the neonate patient population, and eventually for oxygen vulnerable adult patients as well.”
The IntellO2 works with the Precision Flow system, using pulse oximetry to monitor blood oxygen saturation and adjust inspired oxygen concentration settings accordingly. It utilizes a unique proprietary software algorithm designed to work with Hi-VNI® Technology. This study was conducted on a prototype device, and the system is currently not commercially available.
Vapotherm, Inc. (NYSE:VAPO) is a global medical technology company based in Exeter, New Hampshire that is focused on the development and commercialization of its proprietary Hi-VNI Technology products that are used to treat patients of all ages suffering from respiratory distress. The company develops innovative, comfortable, non-invasive technologies for respiratory support of patients with chronic or acute breathing disorders. Over 1.5 million patients have been treated with Vapotherm Hi-VNI Technology. For more information, visit www.vapotherm.com.


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A good cause is worth supporting it, if possible. Well, the soccer B-juniors of our local sports club GSV Geldern needed new jerseys, and the juniors’ chairman asked us if we would sponsor them. Yes, we would. So now the B-juniors enter the game in new jerseys with our logo on them. Handing them over was a happy moment for (in the picture from the left) Andreas Pellens, trainer Karl Bozedomov, juniors’ chairman Paulo Gomes – and of course the team members. We cross our fingers for fair games, good team spirit and much success.
This post is also available in: Deutsch

domain: hobby


A motorist suffered a broken wrist after he was involved in a crash with a hit and run driver on a Staffordshire road.
The injured motorist who was in a grey Seat Ibiza was involved in a crash in Hollington Road, in Tean, heading towards Draycottin the Moors, at around 5.20pm on Monday, November 25. They broke a wrist in the collision and the car had to be written off.
The other car involved in the smash has been described as a 'dark blue vehicle' and did not stop after the accident.
Staffordshire Police are now urging anyone who may have been in the area at the time and may have seen something to get in touch.
A police spokesman said: "Officers are investigating a collision in Tean last week where a man was left with a broken wrist.
"Anyone with information, dasham or CCTV footage of the collision should message Staffordshire Police on Facebook or Twitter quoting incident number 573 of November 25, call 101 or alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
And if you download our app, you can sign up for push notifications for Burton by selecting 'discover' and choosing 'Burton' from the 'more topics' list.


ZTE was no exception, which officially announced work on new smartphones of the ZTE, Nubia and Red Magic brands with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 at the heart. At the same time, judging by the database of the 3C regulator, the first of them will be released soon – the Red Magic 7 gaming smartphone.
According to the available data, the device will receive support for 165W charging, Bluetooth 5.2 and 5G mobile networks. At the same time, the phone is also credited with the “best” OLED screen on the market with a frequency of 165 Hz.
All this should be supplemented by 16 GB of RAM, which can be increased to 18 GB using a special software feature.
At the moment there is no exact date for the announcement and release of Red Magic 7. But, judging by the appearance of the smartphone in the database of regulators, this should happen very soon.


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Discuss the impact of geography on the developement of Roman civilization.
Rome's rise as a civilization was heavily influcenced by geography. The Latin people who first settled on the Latin Penninsula chose to build their city near the Tiber River. The river's waters helped irrigate early crops and the easily navigatable waters allowed Rome to communicate, and learn, from it's neighbors.
Many of Rome's most important achievements were brought to them by traveling the Tiber. The cuniculus, or irrigation system, used by the Romans was an Etruscan invention. The Roman arch was also an Etruscan invention. The close proximity of Rome to these people helped them develope.
To the south lay Greek Sicily. The Greeks contributed ideas regarding art, religion, architecture and writing, all of which helped the Romans rise in power and prestige.
Eventually, when Rome dominated the Latin Pennisula, they enjoyed the benefits of the Alps to the north, which protected them from barbarian tribes in Germania and Gaul. They also had unpresidented access to the Mediterranean Sea, which allowed them to benefit from cultural exchanges and enrich themselves through maratime trade.


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Search 590,000 properties worldwide.
Search over a million flights, hotels, packages, and more
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I’m so sad I only had to stay for one night! My room was so spacious and clean. The bathroom was modern and appealing, and the bed was very comfortable. I’ll definitely come back in the future
Tuscany Suites & Casino$35Tuscany Suites & Casino$35
Just spent 6 days and hotel is ready for a renovation. Elevators are run down and furniture in the room is old. Smoke extraction in the lobby and casino areas needs improvement, especially for the non smokers like me, the rest was fine.
TI - Treasure Island Hotel and Casino$49TI - Treasure Island Hotel and Casino$49
The first night there I had to get moved to a different room because the sitting area table drawer kept popping out and the door had a gap where you could see the key lock from the outside. The front desk guy l, Luis, was really nice and changed our room to what I thought would be better, but we ...
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino$20Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino$20
Like to stay at the Excalibur because the staff is always cheerful and helpful. The location for us is very good.
Excalibur Hotel Casino$25Excalibur Hotel Casino$25
Great place to stay! Nice, renovated and good sized rooms. Staff was great! Pool was a good size and quiet, a person could really enjoy themselves there!
Bally's Las Vegas - Hotel & Casino$25Bally's Las Vegas - Hotel & Casino$25
Nice room with a comfortable bed. The shower dripped water constantly and the hing was coming off bathroom door.
Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino$23Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino$23
it is fine hotel for its location , better traffic condition than those at center of the strip,, but long wait for service in and out and help,, one stuff was mean and rude
Stratosphere Hotel, Casino & Tower, BW Premier Collection$24Stratosphere Hotel, Casino & Tower, BW Premier Collection$24
The hotel is about a twenty minute walk from the strip, it is way to far to walk there in the heat but somehow we did it. Also the hotel room does not come with a fridge or microwave (which is standard in all hotels here in Canada). Another thing we weren’t told is that this hotel is a place for ...
Circus Circus Hotel, Casino & Theme Park$12Circus Circus Hotel, Casino & Theme Park$12
This was a great place to stay. The rooms were really clean, comfortable, and the layout of the bathroom was great for a family of 4 to be able to get ready to go out. The food was great and reasonably priced in the hotel restaurants. It was nice to stay off of the strip but still feel like you were ...
South Point Hotel, Casino, and Spa$50South Point Hotel, Casino, and Spa$50
It was a great experience. Thank you for a wonderful honeymoon experience. Of course I’ve been twice and spent too much money. And didn’t win anything big. That’s my only disappointment.
Golden Nugget Las Vegas Hotel & Casino$32Golden Nugget Las Vegas Hotel & Casino$32
The new rooms are really nice and clean! No complaints. I would stay again.
Harrah's Hotel and Casino Las Vegas$18Harrah's Hotel and Casino Las Vegas$18
We stayed June 12 -16 2018. There are some renos still happening with the upper floors that has electric jackhammer noise starting at about 9am. There were earplugs supplied by housekeeping so it wasn't too bad. The room we had was freshly renovated and decorated, as we can best describe, like someone’s ...
Park MGM Las Vegas$38Park MGM Las Vegas$38
Awesome experience, friendly service. Everything was great. Room got a little humid at times and the tv malfunctioned for a while but all in all a great experience
Mirage Resort & Casino$59Mirage Resort & Casino$59
No complaints based on what you pay. Perfectly located! Next time I'd probably spend a little extra and stay at the sister resort Caesars Palace. Room was decent. Casino was ok. Never saw the pool area. Only complaint would be that we arrived at 11:45pm and still had to pay a full day resort fee. ...
Flamingo Las Vegas - Hotel & Casino$23Flamingo Las Vegas - Hotel & Casino$23
Work hard and play harder during your business trip to Las Vegas.
You know what they say about all work and no play, so combine the best of both worlds with our selection of business hotels in Las Vegas.
Designed for the most discerning business traveler, these sleek spots offer everything you need to dive into your work and unwind after a long day of meetings. You’ll receive access to the top tech amenities in the business centers, the most cutting-edge conference rooms, and a slew of personal services. Plus, when you’re ready to relax, you’ll find upscale cocktail bars, local entertainment options, and in-room amenities that let you kick back in a little business-class style.
Whether you’re having a debrief after a tradeshow at the Las Vegas Convention Center or hosting a company training session, the seminar rooms at the executive business hotels in Las Vegas offer the ideal venues. These meeting facilities provide ample space along with convenient presentation tools such as whiteboards, Wi-Fi access, and teleconference systems. Take advantage of these Las Vegas hotel conference centersfor teambuilding activities or sealing the deal with prospective clients.
Business travel hotels in Las Vegas also feature smaller-sized boardrooms for pitching a sale or video conferencing with your boss back on the East Coast. Use a room as a deposition space or a place to do some last-minute research. From practicing your big speech in one of the presentation rooms to coworking with your colleagues prior to hitting The Strip, you’ll find these areas meet all your business needs.
After a long day of schmoozing with your clients at the casinos or leading an important presentation on-site at the hotel, retreat to your business suite. When you browse the selection of executive suite and corporate housing right here on Expedia, you’ll find exactly what you need for your next work trip. Once you find the prime accommodation suiting all your personal and business preferences, use your business savvy skills to track down the best cheap deals and discounts. With our vast selection of can't-miss offers on executive housing, choosing a hotel has never been so simple for the business traveler.

domain: travel


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The emerging industries of Cellular & Acellular Agriculture has grown in leaps in and bounds over the last few years. This page lists the main companies that are working towards releasing products commercially.
Perfect Day FoodsPerfect Day Foods Contact: Perumal Gandhi
Perfect Day Foods is reinventing the way milk is produced industrially. They believe that factory farms, artificial insemination, and automated milking machines are not the way to go. They’re bad for cows, and they’re bad for the planet.
If milk were invented today, how would they make it? How would they produce enough to feed the whole world?
Their animal-free approach, based on the safe and proven techniques that give us beer or vegetarian rennet, will provide consumers and food manufacturers with the same product they all know and love – through a more sustainable, healthy, and humane process.
We help craft animal-free dairy products that taste like the real thing – just healthier, kinder & greener than ever before.
Additional and more in depth information on the companies listed above can be found at here.

domain: food


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Depression severity is associated with increased inflammation in veterans with peripheral artery disease
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
The present study examines the association between depressive symptoms and inflammatory markers in peripheral artery disease (PAD) to better understand the mechanistic relationship between depression and PAD. A cross-sectional sample of 117 patients with PAD (97% male, 76% Caucasian) was recruited from the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Patients were categorized into three subgroups based upon current depressive symptom severity, as defined by Patient Health Questionnaire-8 scores: no symptoms (score of 0–4, n = 62), mild symptoms (score of 5–9, n = 33), and moderate/severe symptoms (score ≥ 10, n = 22). Serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were assayed and log-transformed for multivariable analysis. To decrease the possibility of Type 1 errors, inflammatory markers were standardized and summed to create a total inflammatory score. In a multivariable analysis controlling for demographics, PAD severity, and atherosclerotic risk factors, mild and moderate/severe depressive symptoms were predictive of a higher total inflammatory score when compared to the group with no symptoms (mild symptoms p = 0.04, moderate/severe symptoms p = 0.007). Exploratory multivariable analyses of individual inflammatory markers found IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the moderate/severe symptoms group (p = 0.006) than in the no symptoms group. Moreover, hs-CRP and ICAM-1 trended upwards with increasing depression severity. TNF-α was not associated with depression severity. We conclude that depressive symptom severity was independently associated with greater inflammation in PAD. Future research should examine the strength and directionality of this association through larger prospective cohort studies, as well as investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible.
|Research areas and keywords||
Subject classification (UKÄ) – MANDATORY
|Number of pages||9|
|Journal||Vascular Medicine (United Kingdom)|
|Publication status||Published - 2018 Oct 1|


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With masterful control of photon energy, the Living Laser is a formidable criminal and villain.
Kids can position this photon-energized Marvel villain in their Super Hero and Super Villain figure collection to imagine a super battle for the ages! This figure features classic design and styling, so heroes-in-training can imagine scenes from the Marvel Universe happening right before their eyes!
·Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains
·Iconic figure with classic design
·Create scenes and adventures from the Marvel Universe
Action figure size: 3.75 inches
·Ages 4 and up