text:
Fleas are a nuisance. These blood-sucking parasites not only hook up to your pet animals but lay eggs on the carpet, furniture, and other household items as well. Fleas tend to prefer four-legged hosts over humans. Therefore, if you have a pet animal that is infested with fleas, there are high chances that your house is as well. Fleas tend to be both agile and acrobatic. They can cover a significant distance is one jump, which allows them to escape easily.
Furthermore, fleas thrive in warm conditions. Even if the conditions are not ideal, fleas will not die, rather stay dormant and wait until the conditions become suitable. Therefore, the only way you are going to be able to get rid of fleas on your pets as well as in your house is if you follow the tips we have mentioned below.
Salt Flea Spray & Apple Cider Vinegar
Essential oils such as peppermint, citronella, and eucalyptus could be used to eliminate the flea problem. These are natural remedies but need to be carefully used as they can harm your pet if not diluted properly. Purchase a bottle of essential oil from your local store and dilute it with water. Then, rub it directly onto the dog’s coat. If you have a home-made essential oil solution, do not use it on your pet animal unless it is already tried and tested. You would not want to add to your troubles in case a reaction occurs.
The best thing about apple cider vinegar apart from being a natural remedy is that it balances the pH levels of your dog, which creates a perfectly healthy living environment for your pet animal but an unsustainable one for fleas. To make a solution, dilute six cups of apple cider vinegar with four cups of water. Then, add a bit of sea salt. Once, the mixture is created, spray it directly on your dog avoiding its eyes.
Lemon bath is another great natural remedy for your flea-infested pet. Not only will it keep your pet animal free of fleas but also keep it smelling fresh and healthy. Making a lemon solution is as easy as it could get. Grab yourself some lemons and squeeze them in two cups of water. Then, add some shampoo or pet-friendly soap to make it a natural solution. Give your pet a thorough bath and rinse the solution off.
Many pet owners are not aware that a lather bath could help your pet animal get rid of fleas. Purchase any pet-friendly shampoo or soap that produces lather and rub it in your pet animal. Allow the lather to remain on your pet animal for a while. The lather is supposed to suffocate the fleas until they are dead. You can try the lather bath remedy before you proceed with applying essential oil solutions. It is a beginner remedy that is known to work but if it doesn’t, move on to other solutions.
Animals particularly dogs love to play in the water. If your pet animal enjoys splashing water around, then a rosemary dip may sound like fun instead of a flea remedy. Purchase rosemary leaves and steep them in boiling water. After a while, strain the mixture and dilute it using warm water. Allow the solution/mixture to reach an appropriate temperature for application. Once it does, apply the solution to your pet animal and allow it to naturally dry.
When it comes to treating flea-infested animals, neem oil has remained an underestimated remedy. It is a multi-purpose oil that not only acts to get rid of fleas but helps improve the overall health of the animal as well. Therefore, if you were to get your hands on organic neem oil, you can apply it directly to your pet animal or mix it with a pet-friendly shampoo to make a solution. Neem creates an unfavorable environment for fleas. It is also one of the things that fleas cannot stand. Therefore, a win-win situation in every aspect.
Coconut Oil Rub
Coconut oil is known to possess a plethora of healthy nutrients. In addition to that, it also contains antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties that will instantly help your pet animal get rid of fleas but that is not it. Coconut oil is an excellent source for improving hair health. Humans apply it to make their hair shiny and healthy. The same applies to pet animals as well. If you were to apply it over your dog, the coat shall become shiny and odorless. Due to the existence of flea preventing properties, your pet animal is going to remain flea-free during warm seasons.
Collars & Combs
Cedar Oil or Lavender Oil Flea Collar
An ingenious way of helping your pet animal get rid of fleas is by using flea-repelling collars. Making a flee-repelling collar at home is not rocket science and the best thing is that you do not have to rub anything on your pet animal. Simply purchase a bandana or a collar and make a solution of lavender or cedar oil by diluting it with water. Apply the solution directly to the collar/bandana and make your pet animal wear it.
If you have furry pet animals, you must have multiple flea combs at your disposal. Readily available at any local store, you could use it to help your pet animal get rid of fleas instantly. Flea combs do not consist of chemicals, instead, they are designed in a way that allows them to remove fleas and their eggs while you comb through the animal’s coat. Before trying out other solutions, we would recommend using a flea comb. It will surely help you eliminate the flea problem.
The first telltale sign of flea infestation is your pet animal scratching itself continuously. Initially, it might be hard to detect but do not worry, you can eradicate them easily using the solutions above. As important it is to help your pet animal get rid of fleas, make sure that your house is flea-free as well. Regularly vacuum your house and inspect your pet animal. Every once in a while, give it a bath containing essential oils to prevent fleas. Remember to treat your pet, house, and yard at the same time. If the fleas are all over the house, treating your pet only will not help.


Looking for office or retail space for your business or organization?
Laurel VillageLaurel Village
Rental apartments in seven buildings. Laurel Village puts you in the center of the downtown scene with award winning dining, shopping and entertainment. Central to all major highways, the light rail, main bus lines and thoroughfares. If you work downtown, Laurel Village will redefine your commute!


text:
Are you sick of living in fear? I know I am. The TCK life can introduce a myriad of fears – fear of interacting with people who may stereotype you, fear of not knowing what will happen in the next country, fear of committing social faux pas … you name it.
A friend once recommended that I write my fears down. Let’s do this small mental exercise together, shall we? Grab a pencil and jot five fears that come to your mind. Try to be as specific and honest as possible.
For example, one of my fears is the pain of leaving people behind when I move to another country.
Now take a step back and look at your list. Ask yourself, “Why am I afraid of [insert fear]?” Note it down. Before you set your list aside, keep it near you throughout this article.
The Fears that Torments Us
When the fears on our list are triggered, the experiences are unpleasant. Dreads, worries, and anxieties can grow to consume you. It feels as though we are being tormented. According to 1 John 4:18, fear has, indeed, the attribute of torment.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18 KJV (emphasis added)
Our fears torment us because the object of our fears has replaced God’s position in our hearts. Anything that replaces God’s position in our hearts is idolatry. That is why this kind of fear is referred to as ungodly fear. We lose our focus on God and allow our fears to be rulers.
Fret not, dear friend. Fears don’t have to control our lives.
The Love that Casts Out Fears
How do we overthrow our fears? With perfect love. As John says, “… perfect love casteth out fear … He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18 KJV).
In Greek, the word love from this verse is written as agapē. The definition of agapē is God’s love – unconditional, perfect, and self-sacrificial.
The same word appears in Matthew: “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt [agapáō] the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matt. 22:37–38 KJV).
Thus, to cast out fears, we need to put God first. Although we can’t accomplish this perfectly, we need to keep choosing Him in each moment and day.
But how exactly? How does love cast out fears?
1. Love Begins with Jesus Christ.
It all started with the One who showed agapē by sacrificing Himself for us to be free from sin. We live a life of victory because He has already won and because of who He is – Love (1 John 4:16). Because of His love, our love towards Him is reciprocal.
“We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 KJV
2. Love Fears With a Godly Fear – the Fear of the Lord.
Godly fear is deep respect for the Lord. It breaks us free of idols, and it submits to the King on the throne, acknowledging Him as the great I AM. It lifts Him high above circumstances. Because of Him, we can face our fears head-on with praises in our hearts instead of dread. Godly fear seeks the Lord’s wisdom rather than our own understanding.
“And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Job 28:28 KJV
3. Love Does Not Torment Or Cause You to Fear
Agapē writes the truth of God on the table of our hearts (Prov. 3:3). It doesn’t allow thoughts of ungodly fear to continue to dwell within us. Instead, it rests in Jesus. It’s the peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7).
Agapē is a continuous process rather than a one-time moment. It’s the power of the Holy Spirit as opposed to the torment of fear.
“Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of [agapē], and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:6–7 KJV
The Decision is Ours
Because of Jesus Christ and His love, we can have victory over our fears by placing Him first. We can live a life of His peace instead of torment.
Ultimately, we have to continue to choose between Him or our fears. One will direct us to the path of agapē, while the other, to the way of sin.
Remember my fear I mentioned above – the fear of goodbyes and the pain of leaving people behind when I move to another country? It was a fear I confronted when I was living in the Czech Republic. The idol of my fear was myself. I wanted to protect myself from the pain of grief. When I involve myself with people, I tend to form an emotional connection with them. The deeper the connection, the more painful the grief becomes when that connection is severed by a goodbye.
So I kept my distance to protect myself. The church I attended needed more people to serve; however, my fear held me back from volunteering.
The truth that fought my fear was that Christ’s love that was shown on the cross is greater and higher regardless of the grief that would result from my leaving. His love is worth the pain, and He will comfort and carry me through when the pain comes (2 Cor. 1:3–4; Isa. 46:4). Eventually, I surrendered to Him. With His love as my direction and with His peace in my heart, I stepped forward to serve.
Has the fear threatened to return? Yes, but as long as I continue to cling to the truth, fear will not rule my life.
Now it’s your turn. Revert to your five fears. Counteract them by referring to the Bible and writing down five truths. Pray for forgiveness of your idols and submit every single one of them to the Lord. Then continue to do so when these fears threaten to arise.
Next time fear hits you, choose the love that casts out fears – agapē.
TCKs for Christ: Administrator
is a vessel used for Christ and desires to encourage TCKs to live victoriously in Him. She’s an ATCK, a former business kid, and has lived in four countries. She seeks to follow the Lord’s calling in her life to missions. She also serves at Light Unto Darkness. Connect with her Instagram at @ClarissaChooWriter.

domain: literature


text:
Due to the physical and cognitive limitations that often occur with age, managing one’s finances can become increasingly difficult. That’s why many seniors entrust their finances to someone else, such as a family member, professional money manager, friend or neighbor. And while the majority of these trustees are honest and responsible when managing another’s finances, there are unfortunately financial criminals targeting the elderly who take advantage of this opportunity and use it for their own personal gain.
While thousands of seniors’ retirement savings are stolen each year, it is possible to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from these criminals and scammers by educating yourself about the prevalence of this issue and the steps for preventing financial fraud.
The Reality of Seniors and Financial Abuse
It may not be typically thought of as a threat to seniors’ safety and well-being, but financial abuse among older adults is unfortunately becoming more and more prevalent. According to the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA), one in 20 older adults indicate that they’ve experienced some form of financial mistreatment.
But why are there so many financial criminals targeting the elderly? Not only do factors like cognitive decline, mobility limitations and isolation increase the risk of financial abuse, but scammers also know that seniors have more money than other generations, making them a big target. In fact, Baby Boomers control 70 percent of all disposable income in the United States alone.
While seniors are usually more wary of scammers contacting them via phone or email about a suspicious offer, the NAPSA notes that the majority of financial abuse cases actually aren’t carried out by complete strangers taking advantage of vulnerable adults. Unfortunately, 90 percent of abusers are family members or other trusted loved ones, which makes the whole experience so much more painful and emotionally damaging for seniors.
The Role of Activists in Preventing Financial Fraud
The increasing number of financial criminals targeting the elderly has not gone unnoticed by activists and lawmakers in many states. Last year alone, 33 states in addition to Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico considered measures against fraud, identity theft and the improper or illegal use of seniors’ money, according to a recent New York Times article entitled “Declaring War on Financial Abuse of Older People.”
Other states have even strengthened their existing laws to address the issue of seniors and financial abuse. Alabama, for example, recently passed a bill called the Protection of Vulnerable Adults from Financial Exploitation Act, which requires brokers and investment advisors who suspect that a client is being exploited to report it to the Alabama Securities Commission and Human Resources Department.
While these bills addressing the issue of seniors and financial abuse are a great start to protecting seniors nationwide, it’s an unfortunate reality that this abuse continues to be widely unreported since there is no national government-run system for intervention. Until such program exists, however, there are still plenty of things you can do to protect your wallet and savings.
6 Steps for Preventing Financial Fraud
In addition to stealing hard-earned retirement funds, financial criminals also cause deep, emotional pain for both the victim and their loved ones. That’s why it’s so important to familiarize yourself with the following steps for preventing financial fraud:
- Get engaged in your finances. Although you may not like thinking about your personal finances, doing so is an essential step in protecting your savings from potential scammers. Even if you haven’t taken an active role in your finances before now, it is never too late to start. From creating a budget to keeping an eye on your credit, there are plenty of simple things you can do to regain control over your finances.
- Surround yourself with trustworthy people. While socialization is a key element of healthy aging, you need to be cautious of who you spend time with, especially if you’re considering them to be the manager of your finances.
- Involve non-family members. Whether you choose to have a financial advisor, banker or attorney help manage your finances, they can provide insight and identify potential problems before they happen. They can even help you take the proper steps should you ever experience financial abuse.
- Don’t give in to pressure. Be wary of anyone -- whether it be a hired caregiver, friend or even a family member-- that is pressuring you to sign or purchase something. Take your time in making any decision, and don’t be afraid to consult with others first.
- Be aware of common scams. There are some common scams that financial criminals targeting the elderly regularly use, and familiarizing yourself with them can lower your risk of becoming a victim.
- Know how to get help. Even after taking all of these steps, however, it’s an unfortunate reality that you can still become the target of a scam. Knowing how to report a scam is essential, and with a Medical Guardian medical alert system, you can use your device to request either your local law enforcement or a loved one to come and help you investigate the situation further should you ever believe you’ve been the victim of a scam or financial abuse.
Regardless of your age, financial abuse is a very real threat in today’s world, but taking the steps to protect yourself and your finances will enable you to maintain your plans for retirement and beyond.

domain: news


text:
Dry skin or xerosis/xeroderma is a common skin disorder. It occurs along a spectrum from mild winter dry skin in those who are otherwise healthy to atopic dermatitis/eczema. Symptoms include rough, dry, flaky/scaly skin with varying degrees of itching. In more severe dermatitis/eczema, there may be cracking, weeping, swelling and inflammation.
Among its many functions, the skin forms part of the immune system acting as a physical barrier. The risk of infection increases when the skin barrier is compromised. Aside from the cosmetic implications, dry skin can be irritating and uncomfortable and may impact quality of life.
Xerosis occurs because of changes to the skin barrier, causing dehydration and alterations in skin cell (keratinocyte) behaviour.
What are the causes of dry skin?
A range of factors contribute to dry skin, and figuring out your underlying cause will help you with the most appropriate and effective treatment.
This is the classic “winter dry skin”.
- Cold temperatures
- Lower humidity
- Exposure to high heat, sitting too close to fires/heaters
- Solar radiation
- Long, hot showers
- Use of harsh soaps, disinfectants, alcohol-based hand sanitisers
Stage of life
Changes to skin barrier function can occur from the 40s onwards. By their mid-70s, 75% of people will have some degree of xerosis. This is due to age-related decreases in collagen formation and hormonal changes that impact sebum production.
Dry skin can be a symptom of some medical conditions, including
- Kidney disease
- Omega 3 fatty acids
- Linoleic acid
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
The best way to optimise for these nutrients is to eat a varied, wholefood diet. Linoleic acid is sensitive to degradation by trans fats, high refined sugar diets and alcohol.
Natural treatment guide for dry skin
- Be well hydrated with fluids and adequate electrolytes.
- Wear appropriate clothing for the conditions to protect from the cold, wind, and solar radiation (hats, gloves, scarves, long pants, thermals)
- Limit times spent in extreme weather conditions
- Don’t sit too close to fires, heaters. Consider using a humidifier.
- Limit caffeine and alcohol consumption
- Quit smoking and vaping. Nicotine constricts capillaries and reduces blood flow/nutrients to the skin.
- Have short, lukewarm showers/baths
- Avoid excess bathing, cleansing
- Use fragrance-free/essential oil-free/hypoallergic body products and laundry detergents.
- Wear comfortable clothing that doesn’t chafe
Topical treatments for dry skin
Regularly moisturising (1-2 times daily) with an appropriate product helps keep the skin barrier healthy. When using oils, quality is essential. You want organic, cold-pressed oils. Buy smaller quantities and store them in a cool/dark place so they don’t go rancid. Apply moisturiser directly after bathing.
Sunflower oil contains 60% linoleic acid, the primary fatty acid in the skin. It reduces inflammation and improves skin barrier function. Most skin types can tolerate sunflower oil.
Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, which is antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. Use Virgin Coconut oil. Coconut oil is an emollient that reduces transepidermal water loss as effectively as mineral oils (like Vaseline). Avoid using coconut oil on your face as it is high on the comedogenic (pore-clogging scale) at 4/5.
Oats (Avena sativa) have a long history of use as a topical treatment for dry, itchy and irritated skin. Modern research backs up this traditional wisdom with colloidal oats showing benefits in eczema and atopic dermatitis. Colloidal oats are a fancy term for finely ground oatmeal suspended in water. The fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals provide beneficial skin nutrients and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
In patients with mild to moderate eczema, a 1% colloidal oats cream showed decreased Staphylococcus aureus colonisation, improved skin microbiome diversity, and improved barrier function and hydration after 14 days of use. Eczema scores were reduced by 50%.
Topically oatmeal preparations are generally considered safe for both young and old unless you have an allergy to oats.
Making colloidal oats for an oat bath is quick, easy and affordable. The DIY approach means you will get a fresher product with higher levels of oils and nutrients.
Colloidal oats – instructions to make.
How long will it take to see results?
It takes four weeks for the epidermis in middle-aged skin to turn over. But the resolution of xerosis will also depend on the underlying drivers and the severity.
When to see a doctor
- Red patches
- Excessive itching, especially if disturbs sleep
- Any signs of infection
Need help with your skin?
Norelle Hentschel is an experienced Naturopath with a clinic in Stones Corner, Brisbane and Telehealth consults Australia-wide. She has helped many clients clear up their skin conditions and improve their health.
Want more articles like this?
Join us at Your Skin Remedy – the monthly missive for healthy skin from the inside out. Practical, actionable, and informative. Your clear, glowing skin starts here.
PS. Your inbox real estate is precious. Your Skin Remedy is pitch and promo free. I promise. One email a month — that’s it.

domain: medical


OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio -- Police in Olmsted Falls are investigating an armed robbery that happened at Discount Drug Mart on Monday.
At around 4:45 p.m., the suspect walked into the store on Columbia Road, armed with a silver handgun.
According to a post on the Olmsted Falls Police Department Facebook page, the male walked directly to the pharmacy, hopped the pharmacy counter and ordered the employee to fill a bag with medications.
Olmsted Falls Mayor Jim Graven told FOX 8 News, the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous.
The male is described by witnesses as being about 5'8" and 120-130 pounds, wearing a red jacket and black hoodie.
The store was shut down during the investigation, but did re-open.
Mayor Graven said no one was injured.
If you see or know the suspect, police say do not approach him; instead, please contact the Olmsted Falls Police Department immediately at (440) 235-1234 or call 911.


text:
Kristin Kobes Du Mez: What We Believe in History
The disruptive power of history became clear to me last summer when my book “Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation” was published. The book traces how a militant ideal of white Christian virility pervaded evangelical popular culture in America. Over the past 75 years, heroic ideals inspired by mythical warriors, soldiers and cowboys – many of whom are portrayed onscreen by men like John Wayne and Mel Gibson in the movie “Braveheart” – have transformed faith itself, replacing foundational biblical teachings such as love one’s neighbors and enemies with a militant war cry.
A few days after my book came out, I started receiving letters and messages from readers. Almost a year later, they’re still flooding my inbox, several a day, mostly written by evangelicals. I had been warned to prepare for the vicious trolling, but it was not hate mail. Almost all of the posts contained a version of the same realization: “This is the story of my life. Thanks for helping me see. “
To prove their point, readers told their life stories in startling detail: They had been brainwashed into evangelizing family values by listening to James Dobson’s Focus on the Family radio show every day. They had shopped at Christian bookstores and attended Promise Keepers gatherings as part of the evangelical men’s movement. They had embraced the teachings of the culture of purity and structured their own marriages around male authority and female submission. They had proudly voted for Ronald Reagan and attended weekend warrior training camps sponsored by their churches.
Yet despite their intimate knowledge of the events I have traced, most readers also expressed astonishment upon seeing for the first time the outlines of the world they had inhabited much of their lives. As one man explained, “I came across so many of these trees, but I never saw the forest.” The emotional intensity of their responses and the frequency with which the writers expressed their bewilderment made me think.
Although evangelicals are not alone in preferring flattering tales of their own past, they have clung to these tales to distinctly evangelical reasons. Not long ago, I gave an interview about my book to a Christian radio station. Both hosts were respectful and engaging, but one was clearly more skeptical than the other. It was only after we stopped the airwaves that he asked the question that troubled him. Knowing that I was a Christian, he insisted on me how I thought anyone would want to become a Christian after reading my book.
The question did not surprise me. I had weighed a similar concern when I first embarked on the project. But the story is not a marketing campaign to gain converts. More importantly, my own research into the history of evangelism made me understand the dangers of covering up hard truths in the interests of protecting the brand – or, to use the words of evangelicals themselves, “the witness of the Church ”.


text:
NEW YORK CITY
SHOWS AND TICKETS
- Concerts / Events
- Family / Kids
- Magic Show
- Performance Art
- Solo Performance
- Stand-up/Sketch Comedy
AND reset dates
AMP is a multimedia solo horror play inspired by the writings of Mary Shelley, Luigi Galvani's discovery of "animal electricity," the birth of modern feminism, and the monsters society creates. This work explores scientist Luigi Galvani's discovery of animal electricity in 1790, the ways it informed the creation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as well as the development of electroshock therapy in the 1950s. As Mary Shelley begins the process of writing Frankenstein in 1816, her writings are interwoven with film interviews from inside an asylum with a woman who auditions for the Boston Symphony during their first historic "blind auditions" in 1952.
Ben Rimalower's addiction to spending beyond his means has driven him to extreme lengths all his life. In Bad With Money, he charts his sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing struggle to overcome his problem — or get rich trying. In this gripping play-by-play of some his biggest mistakes and their consequences, Rimalower offers a no-holds-barred self-portrait of an addict and casts light on an under-examined taboo. "People tend to be familiar now with alcohol and drug abuse — and I've got those too," the writer-performer says. "But spending money I don't have is really my drug of choice. And considering how many people suffer from the same problem, it's staggering how seldom that is discussed."
Based on true stories, The Bench, set in urban decay and rubble, explores the emotional heartbreak of five homeless characters and the catastrophic hysteria surrounding AIDs in the 1980s. The sparse set is accented with hand-drawn imagery from Daphne Arthur's graphic novel adaptation of the play, and audio design is by world-renowned composer and multi-instrumentalist Deep Singh. It's a unique and fresh solo theater piece wherein one actor plays five characters, written in dialogue form, not traditional "monologue black out, monologue black out" traditional solo theater form.
John Kevin Jones reprises his solo performance of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol for the fifth smash season, directed by Dr. Rhonda Dodd, in the intimate Greek revival double parlor of the landmark 1832 Merchant's House Museum.
December 1867: Charles Dickens (Jones) arrives in New York City for a month of sold-out performances of his beloved holiday classic A Christmas Carol. Join Mr. Dickens as he tells his timeless Christmas tale in the elegant and intimate parlors of a 19th century family home.
Toast the holiday season with Mr. Dickens in the original 19th century kitchen of the Merchant's House Museum at selected performances. Mulled wine, cider, and light fare will be served.
The Elephant in Every Room I Enter is an intimate solo piece about Gardiner Comfort's experience as an actor living with Tourette's syndrome. The play explores the week he spent at the Tourette Association of America National Conference in Washington, D.C., in April 2014. He'd never been around so many other people with Tourette's; it was the first time he could feel "normal." With mind-bending projections and sound design, which blend with Comfort's athletic, physical performance, this is a show unlike any other. The Elephant in Every Room I Enter is written by Gardiner Comfort and directed by Kel Haney.
Extraordinary Measures premiered off-Broadway in 1995, starring James Lecesne. The New York Times declared that "it is impossible not to be stirred by the emotional urgency behind Extraordinary Measures...Inspired by the final days of Paul Walker, a theater director, performer, and instructor who died of AIDS in 1993, the work presents death as the ultimate class in life study. The hospital room in which Mr. Walker lies unconscious, kept alive by medical support systems (the 'extraordinary measures' of the title), becomes a forum in which his brother, friends, and former students individually address the man, struggling to find emotional truth before a mentor who can no longer confirm or question their feelings. All of these people, as well as Mr. Walker himself, are portrayed by the magnetically vital James Lecesne, who [embodies] enough characters on New York stages to populate a small village."
A sexually charged and wickedly funny one-man thriller, Harry Clarke is the story of a shy Midwestern man who leads an outrageous double life as the cocky Londoner Harry Clarke. Moving to New York City and presenting himself as an Englishman, he charms his way into a wealthy family's life as the seductive and precocious Harry, whose increasingly risky behavior threatens to undo more than his persona.
During WWII in Seattle, University of Washington student Gordon Hirabayashi fights the U.S. government's orders to forcibly remove and mass incarcerate all people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast. As he struggles to reconcile his country's betrayal with his passionate belief in the U.S. Constitution, Gordon begins a 50-year journey toward a greater understanding of America's triumphs — and a confrontation with its failures.
Hold These Truths is inspired by this true story from a little-known chapter of American history, when civil liberties were under attack, constitutional rights violated, and issues of race hotly debated by a divided country. Joel de la Fuente (Inspector Kido on Amazon's The Man in the High Castle) stars as civil rights pioneer and 2012 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Gordon Hirabayashi.
A story reveals the illusion of one's identity in Derek DelGaudio's modern allegory, In & Of Itself. New ways of seeing the unseeable are explored, as memories from yesterday, inexplicable events witnessed today, and secrets imagined for tomorrow all blend together, creating a perpetual paradox of a show. The writer and producers of Nothing to Hide reunite with executive producer Neil Patrick Harris to present this theatrical experience directed by Frank Oz.
The Tony Award-winning author, performer, and activist Eve Ensler, whose Vagina Monologues is an international sensation, comes to Manhattan Theatre Club with a powerful new play based on her critically acclaimed memoir. While working with women suffering from the ravages of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ensler was stunned by a life-threatening diagnosis. Told with her signature brand of humor, Ensler's personal journey uncovers surprising connections between her body and the earth and how illness can be both transformative and transcendent. Directing this bold, unflinching, and inspiring piece is Tony winner Diane Paulus (Waitress).
Virtuosity and imagination combine in John Lithgow: Stories by Heart as Tony and Emmy Award winner John Lithgow creates a singularly intimate evening. With equal measures of humor and heart, he evokes memories of family, explores and expands the limits of the actor's craft, and masterfully conjures a cast of indelible characters from classic short stories by Ring Lardner and P. G. Wodehouse.
In A Kind Shot, a 6'1" blonde spitfire, Terri Mateer, tells her life story of becoming a pro basketball player in France. Raised by a single hippie mom, an African-American surrogate father stepped in and taught her how to play the game. Being 6'1" in the sixth grade, she's a natural, but dreams of becoming an architect. Terri's unbelievable journey includes playing pro ball, modeling, stripping, designing erotica, and taking lots of shots at life. It's an uplifting, honest, no-holds-barred personal account that illustrates we all need a little bit of kindness.
Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo (Ghetto Klown) returns to Broadway in this original one-man comedic play. In Latin History for Morons, Leguizamo schools his son — and the audience — on the buried history of Latinos in the Americas. Spurred by the near total absence of Latinos in his son's American history class, Leguizamo embarks on a frenzied search to find a Hispanic hero for his son's school project. From a mad recap of the Aztec empire to stories of unknown patriots of the American Revolution and beyond, Leguizamo breaks down the 3,000 years between the Maya and Ricky Ricardo into 95 irreverent, uncensored minutes in his trademark style.
The fun-loving producers behind the MAC Award-winning show Operation Opera are presenting a holiday version that offers the audience a few Christmas carols to sing along with, as well as the usual arias and irony.
The Operation Opera Christmas Spectacular is a live acoustic presentation featuring an array of instruments not usually linked with opera, including ukulele, banjo, guitar, trombone, accordion, kazoo, puppets, cookies, and a disco ball. This journey of music and mayhem will leave audience members feeling like a kid again as it sprinkles a breath of fresh air into the Christmas season.
The untold story of Mozart's prodigy sister.
DRAMA DESK, Off-Broadway Alliance and 8 New York Innovative Theater Awards nominations - winner of 2 New York Innovative Theatre Awards: Outstanding Solo Performance (Sylvia Milo) and Outstanding Original Music (Nathan Davis and Phyllis Chen)
September 23 - November 13, January 6 - 9
Performed (in rotation) by Sylvia Milo (the play's creator), Samantha Hoefer, Daniela Galli or Jody Christopherson.
Full schedule and tickets: www.theOtherMozart.com
Bruce Springsteen himself on his Broadway debut: "I wanted to do some shows that were as personal and as intimate as possible. I chose Broadway for this project because it has the beautiful old theaters, which seemed like the right setting for what I have in mind. In fact, with one or two exceptions, the 960 seats of the Walter Kerr Theatre is probably the smallest venue I've played in the last 40 years. My show is just me, the guitar, the piano, and the words and music. Some of the show is spoken; some of it is sung. It loosely follows the arc of my life and my work. All of it together is in pursuit of my constant goal to provide an entertaining evening and to communicate something of value."
Returning for the first time since its sold-out debut at Joe's Pub in February 2016, Squirrel Heart is written by Sarah Stiles and Holly Gewandter, with direction by Darren Katz and musical direction by Brian Nash. Last seen in New York as part of Broadway's Hand to God cast — a performance for which she received a Tony Award nomination — Stiles has in the meantime been playing Gladys in Get Shorty on Epix. Her cabaret extravaganza Squirrel Heart is a marathon of musical genres and caffeinated emotions wrapped up in 20 or so costume changes and big hair.
"You know I suppose to 'a been dead. Sugar is complicated, like love, full of pleasure and pain. It's complicated, gives you energy and can eat you up from the inside out."
So begins award-winning theater artist Robbie McCauley's autobiographical solo show about living with "a little bit of sugar" — diabetes, a disease that affects many Americans and many more African-Americans. Directed by Maureen Shea with music by Chauncey Moore and projections by Mirta Tocci, Sugar looks at everything there is to see about sugar, from slavery to colonialism to American mythologies to racism and diabetes. Against the backdrop of her own remarkable life as an internationally acclaimed performance artist, Sugar is also a chronicle of McCauley's life as a child in the Jim Crow South and as a young actress in the vibrant theater scene of 1960s-1970s NYC.
A candle that moves water, a paper cup that won't burn, a firefly without fire. An atomic flash, weaponized sugar, a hydrogen bomb. A genie in a bottle, secret writing, elephant toothpaste...yes! All these and more constitute That Chemistry Show, 80 minutes of incredible exploration led by longtime "mad scientist" Borislaw Bilash. Expect amazement and lots of laughter as Borislaw combines the world of chemistry and the world of show business.

domain: entertainment


text:
Take your photography to a whole new level. Photography Guide for Advance skills is an easy-to-listen book packed with tips from some of the world’s best photographers. Now, you can apply their secrets for capturing amazing photos. The valuable photography tips are made available from thousands of hours of interviews with photography masters.
Marc Silber has interviewed some of the world’s best photographers and learned their secrets for stunning composition. Now, he passes their wisdom along to you in an easy-to-understand book.
Forget about enrolling for a photography course for now. Save your money. This book is what you need to bring your A game in digital photography even if you’ve never been to a photography class. All you need is curiosity, passion for photography (which I assume you have since you have an expensive digital camera), and willingness to take action and experiment as you put what you learn here into action!

domain: library


text:
An author of young adult literature, she is best known for works such as Tru Confessions (1997) and For What It's Worth (2012). Her popular works contain elements of both fiction and non-fiction and have been translated into many languages.
She was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. Later in her life, she moved to Los Angeles, California, where she began her writing career.
Shia LeBeouf starred in the film adaptation of her popular 1997 book, Tru Confessions.
She and her husband had a son named Jake Tashjian, who worked as a successful illustrator and often created artwork for her novels.
Both she and writer Cormac McCarthy were born in Providence, Rhode Island.


With Halloween right around the corner, we wanted to see what scared students the most! We asked Ramapo College of New Jersey, “What is your greatest concern?” The list featured ISIS, Ebola, Climate Change, and the Economy. 200 students, making up a little over 3 percent of the student population, voiced their opinion. Their greatest concern with 36% of the vote was the economy. Next was Ebola with 27% followed by ISIS with 21% of the vote. Polling last representing their least concern was climate change. Only 16% of students had climate change as their greatest concern.
Some were willing to explain why climate change was their greatest concern. One student said her environmental class taught her there are many problems climate change will cause in the future. Other students said we need to get more involved and create awareness about the environment. Another was quoted saying, “because we use a total of 2.5 planet earths in resources.” We made sure they visited our website!


text:
JetBlue celebrates pre-hurricane levels of service to Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN – JetBlue marked the return of its full flight schedule for Puerto Rico after last year’s hurricanes by celebrating with customers, crewmembers and partners Friday at San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU).
The airline’s return of capacity, which coincides with its 16th anniversary of service in San Juan, “came six months earlier than originally planned,” it wrote in a release, “given the improved demand for travel to Puerto Rico as the island continues to recover from Hurricane Maria and welcomes new visitors.”
JetBlue has hired 50 new crewmembers for its San Juan operation ahead of the summer peak season. It has nearly 500 crewmembers based in Puerto Rico, supporting up to 48 daily flights between the island and 13 stateside and Caribbean cities.
In the days after Hurricane Maria made landfall, JetBlue introduced the 100x35JetBlue initiative, which provided immediate first needs for the community, while also focusing on long-term partnerships with entities such as the Puerto Rico Tourism Co. (PRTC), “to encourage the return of tourism, contribute to the local economy, and invest in the island’s future.”
JetBlue Puerto Rico relief program transitions to ‘long-term recovery phase’
“Our return to our pre-hurricane flight count is a testament to the incredible resilience of Puerto Rico and our crewmembers who kept flights operating during a very difficult period,” Dave Clark, vice president sales and revenue management for JetBlue, said in the release. “We are honored to be the airline that brings Puerto Rican families together and transports tourists to the beautiful beaches and attractions of this great region. We will continue to partner with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company to bring back tourism to this beautiful island.”
“The fact that JetBlue has been able to match seat capacity levels to pre-hurricane figures 6 months earlier than expected, shows that demand has increased and that we are on track for a historic recovery,” Carla Campos, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Co., added.
The JetBlue Foundation pledged $100,000 worth of grants to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs on the island this week. To help navigate the application process, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, a previous grant recipient for the “Girls in Aviation” program, will offer a grant-writing workshop.
The workshop will take place June 22 at the Inter American School of Law in Hato Rey. Guests can RSVP, which is required for attendance, at email@example.com. For grant criteria or to submit a letter of inquiry, interested organizations can visit jetbluefoundation.org/grants.
The foundation is accepting letters of inquiry for grants through June 29, and recipients will be announced “in fall 2018.”
“This summer,” the release adds, “the JetBlue Foundation and the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) will host their second annual Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy initiative in San Juan, introducing students ages 14 to 18 to careers in aviation.”
JetBlue’s recent “Green Up” campaign included two Puerto Rico-based conservation organizations customers could vote to select to receive “Green Up” grants, with Centro de Restauración: Vida Marina Center for Coastal Restoration and Conservation at the University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla having been chosen to receive a $15,000 grant.
JetBlue eco-campaign aims to aid Puerto Rico’s hurricane recovery
For more information on the 100x35JetBlue initiative, and ways to assist in Puerto Rico’s continued recovery, visit www.jetblue.com/100×35.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login

domain: travel


text:
The tale of casino video games is captivating and terrific, one of which lies The Game of Poker. Poker is a sport of playing cards, played for cash. The recreation become first delivered as its presence among gamblers, at some stage in the early 18th century. Since then, it has undergone numerous moulds, as and when its players felt the necessity. Today it has its presence as properly and is maximum extensively performed in casinos whether it’s miles on line or the old traditional manner.
As you get to analyze and discover the standard odds of any game, you begin heading in the direction of coming across what the game is all round and the way to act on it. Same is the case with this Game. As the instances changed, there ought to have developed the extraordinary variations of the game, however the fundamentals of the sport, lies the identical. Summarizing in a nutshell – The man or woman gambling the game with the satisfactory 5-card hand, wins the sport.
It is crucial to have a glance on the history of Casinos and Gambling, to get a grippy-hold at the concern. Man has started out to gamble for the want of money, estates and different luxuries, which won’t be without difficulty available via normal route if limited earnings, for some. He invented this manner, to grab the part of his needs in a quick-reduce way, even being aware of the reality that if overlooked may want to bring about dropping the whole thing he possesses.
Casino – refers back to the Italian phrase, this means that a little residence reachable to the public, meant for simply amusement cause with a neck for cash by using gambling cash-games. Such games were performed seeing that ancient instances. It is said that it started in China in round 2400 BC. During that time man used to apply a couple of dice to throw away for a judgmental selection as who wins the danger.
The time elapsed and the ดูบอลสด of playing took its very own turn and delivered many folds of it in the majority giving it a look of casinos. In cutting-edge America, Las Vegas and Mexico City are the main marked cities where in casinos the sport is performed optimally. There are different variations in current casino and poker games. With a few expectancies to win the jackpots, this exciting game has won its recognition in all age groups.
On the basis of categorization, the sport of poker is considered as an vital sport amongst different casino games. With the advent on net those games have were given their highest reputation as on-line games. Millions of gamers play it on-line, regarding large sums of money worldwide. Over the net, the first on line casino sport turned into introduced inside the late 1995. Since that time, new games are being introduced on a monthly basis.
Like all different games, the sport of poker additionally requires a approach to play. The great element lies within is being competitive, at the time at the same time as you have a hand. Another vital a part of this game is – bluffing, generally used to make money. It is your very own personal style, which leads you to play the game’s odds and win it.
To be the grasp of it, while gambling it you need to examine the artwork of a way to deal with the playing cards, a way to form hands, how to break up between high and low palms, the boundaries of bets and approximately the rounds of allowed making a bet. Moreover human beings are even making the sport extra famous through gaining extra factors to the game like poker event and championships. People participate in those to play and win in on line casinos.
The regulations of dealing cards and having a bet has given start to a few sub classes of this sport, namely – instantly, stud and draw poker, all of that are truly specific to their kind. Another modern variant to the sport are – flop poker, video poker, strip poker, pink dog poker and three cards Poker. These video games fluctuate simply barely, from the conventional poker sport, as as an example – Video poker is a played on computer, and in strip poker the players strip out garb if they free their sport.


text:
Last week my granddaughter turned 17. I made the Escargot cloche hat for her in one of her favorite color combinations.
Escargot by Veronica Parsons is available for free, check on Ravelry. It was interesting construction, and at times I feared I was misunderstanding, I didn't quite recognize where I was going. However if you just follow the instructions, everything works out simply. My only issue is that even after swatching and adjusting needles size to get correct gauge, the hat came out large. Checking projects on Ravelry, many others had the same problem. I managed to shrink it somewhat, even though the yarn was a washable/non feltable type yarn. If she chooses to tuck that thick braid of hers up and inside, the fit will be better.

domain: hobby


iPhone and iPad user will soon be able to make GIFs in the Facebook app.
Reports suggest the social network is set to add a built-in GIF maker to its iOS app which will for the creation of short looping videos that are just a few seconds long while messaging, reports the Mirror.
Those using the app across Bristol will have access to the feature which will also make it possible to share the GIFs with friends on Facebook, without having to leave the Facebook app.
The feature was first spotted by The Next Web's Matt Navarra, who shared a photo of the new GIF option on his Twitter account .
Facebook Messenger first launched in 2011.
The service - widely used by Bristolians - offers users a way to send text messages, share photos and videos, play games and make calls to their friends.
Users will be able to access the new GIF maker by opening the Facebook app, and swiping left to launch the in-app camera.
At the top of the screen next to the 'Normal' tab, there will be a 'GIF' option that lets you create a GIF using the full range of effects and frames from the Facebook camera.
You can add the GIF to your Facebook story, post it to your profile, or save it to your device, according to The Next Web .
The feature is currently in testing with a small number of users, so don't be surprised if it's not available on your iPhone yet.
While it may only be available on iOS devices at launch, the social network is likely to extend the functionality to Android phones before long.
Facebook has been slow to acknowledge the popularity of GIFs across the internet, but it seems to have finally embraced the medium.
Last month, the social network added the ability to post GIFs in comments, allowing users to respond to each other in all sorts of hilarious ways.
All you have to do is click or tap into the comment box, tap the 'GIF' icon, and search the Giphy database for any keyword you like.


text:
From Our Editors
Build your own burger at Scooter Mc Quades ? this Portland restaurant serves all-American food. You'll find a wonderful selection of drinks from this restaurant's full bar to top off your meal. Don't miss out on the great happy hour deals at Scooter Mc Quades.
You may be better off finding a table during the week, as weekends at the restaurant tend to be packed.
Scooter Mc Quades is surrounded by a number of street parking options for patrons. Scooter Mc Quades offers safe bike parking outside.
Treat yourself to an affordable meal at Scooter Mc Quades and save some cash for another day. For lunch or dinner, make plans to try Scooter Mc Quades.

domain: food


Teachers' strike set to go ahead with more than 23,000 schools expected to be affected
The latest wave of strikes is beginning to qualify, if not as a general strike, then certainly another winter of discontent. ITV News Political Correspondent Carl Dinnen reports.
Teachers in England and Wales will go ahead with seven days of walkouts this week in a dispute over pay.
The announcement comes after union leaders said the Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has “squandered an opportunity” to avert the strike action.
The National Education Union (NEU) has planned seven days of strike action in England and Wales, with the first on February 1 coinciding with walkouts by staff at universities, train drivers and 100,000 civil servants.
The NEU has said strike action could affect more than 23,000 schools.
This comes as firefighters and control room staff have voted to strike over pay, the Fire Brigades Union announced on Monday.
If the strikes go ahead this will be the first nation-wide fire strike over pay since 2003.
Following last-ditch talks with Ms Keegan on Monday afternoon, Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said: “Gillian Keegan has squandered an opportunity to avoid strike action on Wednesday.
“The Government has been unwilling to seriously engage with the causes of strike action.
“Real-terms pay cuts and cuts in pay relativities are leading to a recruitment and retention crisis with which the Education Secretary so far seems incapable of getting a grip. "
Teaching unions have branded last minute talks with the education secretary to avert a strike as a "squandered opportunity". Social Affairs Correspondent Sarah Corker reports.
Mr Courtney said teachers in England have a more “excessive workload” compared to teachers in other countries.
Speaking outside the Department for Education (DfE) after a meeting with its Ms Keegan, he said: “Teachers here work about the same amount of time in classrooms with children, but they do far more work outside the classroom.
“Teaching’s always been long hours but long hours preparing exciting lessons for your class is not the same as what we have now, which is unfeasible hours preparing evidence for a bureaucratic system that doesn’t trust you.
“Our members report that that’s how they feel, that lots of the work they’ve been asked to do isn’t about teaching better lessons or engaging the children it’s about … the system as a whole not trusting them.”
Mr Courtney added that though the dispute is primarily about “pay and funding”, and not workload, he would be “very happy” to “point” the Government to actions it could take to ease teachers’ workload in this country.
Ms Keegan said it was “hugely disappointing” that the NEU would proceed with strike action in England and Wales on Wednesday.
“These strikes will have a significant impact on children’s education, especially following the disruption of the past two years, and are creating huge uncertainly for parents,” she said.
“With talks ongoing on a range of issues, including around future pay, workload, behaviour and recruitment and retention, it is clear that strikes are not being used as a last resort.”
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know
Ms Keegan added: “I have been clear today that unions do not need to strike to meet with me. I also reiterated my call to union leaders to ask their members to let head teachers know if they intend to strike, helping schools to minimise the impact on children.
“I will continue doing everything possible to protect children’s education.”
The DfE has offered a 5% pay rise to most teachers for the current school year, but the NEU is demanding a fully funded above-inflation pay rise for teachers.
Mr Courtney said talks with the DfE on Monday revealed a “hint” that the Government might come back with “something that was more like an offer” for teachers to avoid further planned strikes after Wednesday.
“There certainly is time between February 1 and February 28 to find something that will enable us to call off the strikes on February 28 and later dates in March," he said.
“The question on whether they are prepared to move on it is something that we’re going to have to test out in practice.
“There was just a hint at the end of the discussions today that they might come back with something that was more like an offer … and so we’re hoping for further meetings, and we’re hoping for serious engagement because the issues we’re raising with them are very pertinent and very real.”
A headteachers’ union boss described the talks with the Education Secretary as “deeply disappointing”.
Following the meeting with Ms Keegan, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “Parents will have been looking for the Government to avert the planned strike on Wednesday.
“Instead, the Government continues to talk around the issues rather than putting anything on the table which allows for any meaningful negotiation. It is deeply disappointing.”
Mr Barton added: “We are sorry to report that there is therefore no resolution to the dispute and the strike is set to go ahead.”
Downing Street has said a decision by teaching unions to go ahead with strike action is “deeply disappointing”.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman urged the unions to keep head teachers informed of their plans so they can prepare accordingly.
“Children were some of the hardest hit during the pandemic when schools needed to be closed,” the spokesman said.
“To have the ability to get into classrooms taken away from them again is particularly difficult. Obviously it has a knock-on impact on parents who will have to scramble to get childcare. So, it is very disappointing.
“We do hope the unions will take the last few days (before the strike) to keep head teachers informed of their intentions so we can properly prepare and make sure children are safe and looked after in their classrooms.”
It was one of the biggest news stories of our time - and it's still not over. So what did Boris Johnson know about Downing Street’s notorious parties? With fresh revelations from our Number 10 sources, in their own words, listen to the inside story...


North Carolina medical marijuana just got real.
Medical marijuana legalization is the law in Georgia, and is advancing in South Carolina and Alabama. Recreational marijuana legalization is the law in Virginia. Here in North Carolina, nothing was happening. Only Democrats supported even medical marijuana.
But that changed overnight as two Republican State Senators came out in support of medical marijuana. So far as I know, they are the first GOP legislators to introduce a medical marijuana bill.
Here’s a first look.
The new GOP-backed bill, S.B. 711, doesn’t have the safest way to sell at retail, government monopoly stores, “the same way we do for liquor,” a plan advocated by Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate Bill Toole in 2020.
But so far, apparently, the fix is not in. Licensing decisions will be made by a nine-member Medical Cannabis Production Commission, with five members appointed by the Governor and two each (effectively) by the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
There seem to be no requirements for licensing that aim to serve targeted, identified interests – a problem in other states. Still, fees are high: “For first-year licensees,” there’s “a nonrefundable license fee in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).” That keeps poor folks out of the game, and social equity licensing doesn’t show up. Expect a lot of discussion, though targeting profits to deserving folks or poor folks has been hard to actually do.
But out-of-state interests don’t get to participate, if attribution rules work. And maybe municipalities could get retail licenses, as in Washington State.
There’s an 18 percent ad valorem retail tax. That raises two issues, base, and rate. First, base: Ad valorem (price-based taxation) is a weak tax base, for reasons explained repeatedly at www.newrevenue.org, but an easy one to establish. Second, 18 percent is a rate seen in the early days of recreational cannabis – in jurisdictions that don’t tax recreational much. So that rate will be controversial for “medicine.”
However this plays out, GOP support for medical marijuana is a crack in the dam of prohibition. Democrats couldn’t make progress alone. Marijuana prohibition in North Carolina is going to collapse before too long. More to come.


text:
In a match between Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalanders, Dilbar Hussain was found breaching code of conduct
Dilbar Hussain has violated Act 2.5 for which he has been fined 5% of the match fee.
Act 2.5 belongs to the inappropriate words or gestures during the play.
After getting rid of Peshawar Zalmi player Haider Ali, Dilbar Hussain did an inappropriate celebration that is considered in provoking the player.
Moreover, Peshawar Zalmi has been also fined for slow over-rate.


It's official. The city of Toronto finally has a plan to govern its growth and development for the next 30 years. Well, sort of.The visionary three-volume document that chief planner Paul Bedford presented to city council's planning and transportation committee this week still has to run the gauntlet of public consultation before it's ready for political approval.
And that's the rub. With a municipal election less than 18 months away, more than a few councillors are all too ready to foment citizen opposition to the draft Official Plan in hopes of derailing an innovative concept that's been three years in the making.
Derail is the operative word here. In an effort to protect neighbourhood stability while accommodating population growth and demographic change, the plan focuses on considerable expansion of streetcar and subway lines along and below some of the city's major arterial roads.
Properties flanking thoroughfares like Eglinton Avenue and Kingston Road are ripe for higher-density development to accommodate the influx of up to 1 million more residents over the next three decades, Bedford advised. And an improved public transit system -- with streetcars running along both these routes -- is by far the best means of reducing the over-dependence on private motor vehicles and the traffic gridlock that now plagues the city.
"The integration of land use and transportation is a very key theme of the plan," Bedford told the committee. He said there are "wonderful opportunities to transform the feel and the look" of main roads that are "very sparsely developed" now.
"The potential to accommodate transit within that corridor is very good," the executive director of the city's planning division insisted. "We're not going to make more roads or new expressways."
This statement did not sit well with Paul Sutherland, the councillor for Ward 33 (Don Valley East).
Last year Sutherland proposed widening the Don Valley Parkway to accommodate more traffic from the suburbs to downtown. Clearly, he hasn't given up on the idea just yet.
"If you think this is a plan and the mayor and others think this is a plan the public is going to support, I think we're really deluding ourselves," the politician from the heart of old North York told Bedford.
Ah, yes, the mayor. To his credit, Mel Lastman at least showed up for the Official Plan presentation. This is something he couldn't be bothered to do late last year when the draft plan for revitalization of the city's waterfront was unveiled.
Still, His Washup appeared totally uninterested in Monday's OP proceedings. Not once did he even swivel his chair to observe the slide show that went along with Bedford's spirited but concise discourse on Toronto's future.
"This is serious stuff," the lead planner stressed. But the mayor just stared off into space -- an unmistakable look of boredom masking his face. Twice during the 45-minute show he appeared to be on the verge of falling asleep.
When the presentation ended, his verbal support for the plan came in the form of a prepared statement. It started off well.
"I think this is a terrific plan," Lastman said. "I like it. I've had time to digest it and I think it's good."
But then the mayor took off on an unscripted dissertation regarding "the biggest mistake ever made in the history of our city." Strip malls. "A blight on our community," he called the low-rise monstrosities that popped up like mushrooms when he was the mayor of North York.
"These strip plazas are falling apart," Lastman said. "They're a dog's breakfast. You drive into them and there's potholes all over the place. Nobody's responsible. You've got dirt. You've got litter. You've got all kinds of stuff flying around because they don't want to go together and get"
At this point, the mayor must have noticed people rolling their eyes and shaking their heads in dismay.
"I should look at my notes," Lastman said with a nervous laugh. But then he was right back at it.
"I just want to see somebody responsible," he said. "And if you get responsible development, you're going to get a conglomerate owning it. You're going to get one owner and there's going to be responsibility. Right now, they can fight for days, they can fight for months as to who has to fix that pothole, because everybody says it's not their responsibility, and cars are being damaged constantly in strip plazas and they never know who to sue."
With his mission statement delivered, the mayor was up from his chair and out the committee-room door in a flash. Noting the horde of reporters who rushed after Lastman, committee chair Joe Pantalone followed. He was determined to prevent the mayor from doing any more damage to the plan.
Alas, the councillor for Ward 19 (Trinity-Spadina) didn't get to the media scrum in time to stop the chief magistrate from discounting one of the plan's most important objectives.
"I'm not trying to discourage people from taking their cars downtown," Lastman said. "I have no intention of discouraging people from taking their cars downtown."
Pantalone immediately jumped into the fray, insisting that the fact that the city of Toronto hasn't built any new expressways in decades is proof positive it's trying to curtail dependence on smog-spewing automobiles. And as the mayor once again tried to scurry back to the safety of his office, the committee chair restated the Official Plan's intention to make public transit an ever more attractive alternative to private cars.
Back in the committee room, most of Pantalone's colleagues were busy singing the plan's praises.
Pam McConnell, the councillor for Ward 28 (Toronto Centre-Rosedale), called it "the biggest thing to happen since amalgamation.
"I'm looking forward to a very dynamic discussion over the next six months," she said.
"This is good stuff," Joanne Flint, the councillor for Ward 25 (Don Valley West) chimed in.
"We've got something here that is going to make politics exciting again," predicted Howard Moscoe, the councillor for Ward 15 (Eglinton-Lawrence).
But it's going to take more than just kudos from some of the more progressive city councillors to get the Official Plan adopted before the end of the current council term -- never mind the target date of this fall. It's going to take real leadership to ensure that legitimate public concerns are addressed without gutting the comprehensive blueprint and making it meaningless.
"We are in your hands from this point on," Bedford emphasized.
Given what's been going on at City Hall of late, that's one enormous obstacle.


The next factor to consider is around the plan and color. In the event you wish to create your jacquard comforter set king as a focal point, you then ought..
The 3rd, you have to know the use of your own 100 cotton comforter sets queen. bloom aqua comforter set might be drawn up from assorted materials. Ranging from skinny..


text:
Artist Name: goodnightLito
Tell us something about you that fans should know:
Questionable. The music I make is either one genre or two or more mixed together due to my influences.
Where are you from and what’s the music scene like there?
I was born in California in 2005, but I grew up mostly in Atlanta. I grew up listening to both the Atlanta Trap and California Pop Music.
How have your life experiences influenced your music?
Absolutely. I’ve been through a lot of challenges as a child and I still am. You’ll definitely hear a song or two about me talking about some of my challenges.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Song Title: Love Spells
Let’s have a listen to the new goodnightLito track:
THE SUPREME TEAM
There is a reason labels and artists from around the world trust us. We only work with influencers that are respected in the industry. Our promoters are in the US, Europe, and South America with chains full of active followers.

domain: artistic


The Socialist Party (PSRM) and its ally Partidul Nostru would get nearly 60% of seats in parliament in would-be early elections in Moldova, according to a poll released by the Association for Sociology and Demography, which took place between January 8-16. Only five parties would meet the 6% threshold needed to enter parliament.
Notably, neither the Liberal Party (PL), currently part of the parliamentary majority struggling to form a government, nor the Liberal Democrat Party (PLDM) of former prime minister Vlad Filat, who is currently under arrest amid corruption allegations, would meet the 6% parliamentary threshold.
Of the polled persons, 65% wanted early elections while 23% were against.
The new party of the civic platform DA (Dignity and Truth) would get 17.0% of the seats while the European Popular Party of former Prime Minister Iurie Leanca would get 12.1%. The pro-European parties would thus get just half of the vote of the pro-Russian parties.
The Democrat Party of Marian Lupu, but de facto headed by vice-president Vlad Plahotniuc, would barely meet the 6% threshold in would-be early elections.
The poll on the credibility enjoyed by politicians is consistent with the poll on parties. The Socialst Parties' Igor Dodon received 15.2% of the votes when the polled sample was asked about their most trusted politician. Renato Usatii (Partidul Nostru) followed with 14.9%. The third most trusted politician was former education minister Maia Sandu (9.4%), who is expected to launch her own political party.
|Party||main political leader||votes||seats|
|Partidul Nostru||Renato Usatii||14.8%||27.6%|
The competition body in Romania cleared the sale of 25% of Vestmoldtransgaz, currently fully owned by Romania’s Transgaz, to ... more
An Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) Eurasia Chapter has been launched in a bid to curtail regional exposure to trade-based money laundering and other financial ... more
The World Bank’s International Financial Corporation (IFC) said it will invest up to €15mn in the Southeast Europe-active BlackPeak SEE Growth Equity Fund (BlackPeak II) to support access to ... more


text:
In Batter Up!, players take on the role of a baker in a virtual bakery. They must baking cakes for customers using a variety of tools, and also decorate the bakery to make it more appealing. The game can be played solo or with friends, and also features a leaderboard to see how players stack up against each other.
Batter Up! VR is a baking simulation game for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. The game features a unique progression system that is designed to keep the player goal-oriented and relaxed. The player is in charge of a bakery and must bake cakes for customers. The game features local multiplayer for up to four players, 100% mouth-made sound effects, and a height adjuster.
Batter Up! VR Info
Batter Up! VR Developer: Polygon Dust Entertainment Ltd.
Batter Up! VR Publisher: Polygon Dust Entertainment Ltd.
Batter Up! VR Rating: Positive
Batter Up! VR Release Date: Jul 17, 2017
Batter Up! VR Review
Batter Up! VR System Requirements
Batter Up! VR Twitch Streams

domain: game


text:
A start against the San Diego Padres could change that.
Hernandez will try to win a fifth straight start at San Diego and help the Mariners end their seven-game road losing streak in the series finale Thursday.
Hernandez (5-4, 2.51 ERA) has posted an 8.44 ERA while losing his last two outings after going 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA in his previous six starts. He's failed to pitch at least six innings in consecutive starts for the first time since May 1 and 7, 2010 after lasting 5 2-3 in a 5-2 loss to Texas on Saturday."The last couple of games he hasn't been his typical self, that's for sure," manager Eric Wedge said after the right-hander allowed five runs and a season-high 11 hits.
Hernandez, though, has posted a 1.10 ERA during his winning streak at San Diego. He threw seven innings of one-run ball in a 5-1 victory June 23 in his most recent appearance there.
He'll now try to help the Mariners (22-31) snap their road skid - their longest since an eight-game slide April 12-May 12, 2012 - following a 3-2, 10-inning defeat Wednesday. Seattle was three outs from ending that losing streak after Jason Bay 's ninth-inning solo homer, but closer Tom Wilhelmsen yielded the tying run in the ninth and Will Venable knocked in a run in the 10th.
The Padres (24-28), seeking a third consecutive victory, have won eight of 11 against the Mariners. They'll try to make it three of four in this split-venue series with Andrew Cashner (4-2, 3.38) on the mound.
Since joining the rotation April 20, the right-hander has gone 4-2 with a 3.27 ERA in seven games. The Padres have won five of those, including the last four after Cashner surrendered four runs in six-plus innings of a 10-4 victory at Arizona on Saturday.
San Diego has scored 23 runs in his last two outings, during which Cashner has gone 2 for 5 with an RBI.
He'll make his second appearance against the Mariners. He earned his first career save in the last one, a 3-2, 13-inning victory at Seattle on June 24, 2010, while with the Chicago Cubs .
The Mariners team he'll face has totaled three runs and eight hits in two games since a 9-0 series-opening victory Monday. Seattle struck out 13 times Wednesday."We have got to get the offense going," Wedge said. "That's what sticks with you during runs like this. We're not scoring enough runs and we're inconsistent. The guys have to step up."
Seattle will be without left fielder Michael Morse for a second straight game, but first baseman Justin Smoak could be back in the lineup after returning from a four-game absence Wednesday, flying out in a pinch-hitting appearance.
|May 16, 2013||Aaron Harang||Day-to-Day||Lower back stiffness|
|April 23, 2013||Franklin Gutierrez||15-Day DL||Strained right hamstring|
|April 22, 2013||Franklin Gutierrez||Day-to-Day||Torn right hamstring|
|April 15, 2013||Stephen Pryor||60-Day DL||Torn right lat muscle|
|April 12, 2013||Michael Morse||Day-to-Day||Fractured finger|
|April 11, 2013||Michael Saunders||15-Day DL||Sprained right shoulder|
|San Diego Padres|
|May 05, 2013||Clayton Richard||15-Day DL||Intestinal virus|
|May 05, 2013||Clayton Richard||15-Day DL||Intestinal virus|
|May 03, 2013||Carlos Quentin||Day-to-Day||Sore right knee|
|April 21, 2013||Kyle Blanks||Day-to-Day||Left game - Left shoulder injury|
|April 20, 2013||Clayton Richard||Day-to-Day||Flu|
|April 18, 2013||Tyson Ross||15-Day DL||Left shoulder subluxation|
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Nick Franklin left Petco Park with some nice souvenirs.
Franklin hit his first two big league home runs and Kendrys Morales , Brendan Ryan and Endy Chavez also went deep to give the Seattle Mariners a 7-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday.
Franklin, a second baseman who was a first-round draft pick in 2009, made his big league debut on Monday and got his first hit, a single, in a loss to the Padres on Wednesday night.
He got that ball, and someone in the Mariners' bullpen retrieved his first home run ball, which landed in the sandy play area beyond the fence in right-center.
"It's always nice just to get those out of the way," Franklin said. "Not only that, but to win and split the series with San Diego.
Franklin also got a beer shower from teammates.
"I wasn't expecting that. But I mean, it's awesome," he said. "I'm glad we won. It's a great win coming back from last night. I'm really happy that we won."
The Mariners lost 3-2 in 10 innings on Wednesday night.
"Wow, big day for Nick," manager Eric Wedge said. "Good for him. He hit a couple balls really good. You can see in the short period of time he's here he's a little bit more comfortable, gaining some confidence. It was an impressive day by him. He did a nice job at second base, too. `'
The five homers were a season high for the Mariners, who worked over Andrew Cashner and Petco Park in earning a split of their pair of home-and-home, two-game series with the Padres.
The five homers allowed were a season high by the Padres and tied for the most they allowed in Petco Park history. They surrendered five to Atlanta on July 14, 2006.
Franklin's first homer came off Cashner with two outs in the sixth inning. He connected again with two outs in the eighth, driving a pitch from Tim Stauffer deep into the seats in right.
"I wasn't thinking of it," Franklin said of getting his second homer so soon after the first. "I was just more trying to stick to my same approach and it hit my barrel."
Felix Hernandez (6-4) snapped a two-start losing streak, holding the Padres to one run and three hits in eight innings. He struck out six and walked three.
"He was really good today," Wedge said. "He stayed in his delivery better. Executed pitches, good stuff. Controlled the ballgame, which is what we want guys to do."
As well as he pitched, Hernandez was equally proud of his three plate appearances, including a walk ahead of Chavez's homer in the seventh.
"I saw 19 pitches, OK?" he said, repeating himself twice for emphasis. "I'm just trying to put together some good at-bats. That's all. It's always fun hitting."
Said Wedge: "That means something. That's the difference between that guy pitching another inning, or not, really. I thought he was really good. He was feeling the flow, man. He kept wanting to see pitches. If you put up those type of quality at-bats as a pitcher, you contribute to the offense, so he did a nice job."
Morales homered to straightaway center leading off the second and Ryan hit a high, arcing ball that just went over the fence in the left-field corner leading off the third, both off Cashner. It was Morales' seventh and Ryan's second.
Chavez hit a two-run homer off the top of the new fence in right-center off Stauffer with one out in the seventh. The fence in right field was brought in 11 feet in the offseason to make the spacious park play more fairly.
Hernandez had only one bad inning, allowing two singles, a walk and Carlos Quentin 's sacrifice fly in the fourth. Hernandez is 5-0 with a 1.54 ERA in six starts at Petco Park.
Hernandez got out of the fourth on a great play by shortstop Ryan, who laid out to get Jedd Gyorko 's grounder to start a double play.
"He's a guy who not only has been around for a long time, he's a good competitor that has control of his pitches at all times," San Diego's Yonder Alonso said of Hernandez. "He was commanding the zone pretty well and keeping the ball down."
Cashner (4-3) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings, struck out four and walked two.
"I just left a couple of balls up in the zone," Cashner said. "You can't really make mistakes against a guy like (Hernandez). My off-speed was really bad. I made a lot of mistakes with my changeup and breaking ball."
The Padres have lost six of nine.
NOTES: Franklin is the seventh-youngest Mariners player to record a multi-homer game, at 22 years, 89 days. Only Ken Griffey Jr. (three times) and Alex Rodriguez (three times) hit two homers in a game at a younger age. ... The Padres recalled RHP Nick Vincent and optioned RHP Anthony Bass to Triple-A Tucson. Vincent, who's from nearby Ramona, was 4-3 with a 4.15 ERA at Tucson. He made his big league debut last year with the Padres, going 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in 27 relief appearances. Bass had a 4.55 ERA in 18 relief appearances with the Padres. ... The Mariners open a three-game series at Minnesota on Friday, with RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (5-1, 2.35) facing RHP Mike Pelfry (3-5, 6.85). ... The Padres stay home and open a three-game series against Toronto, with RHP Jason Marquis (6-2, 3.70) opposing RHP Chad Jenkins (1-0, 3.60). Marquis has won five of his past six starts with a no-decision his last time out.


text:
Your work is wonderful!
Gorgeous! Love it :)
Sooooo lovely !!!
This a fun little composition...colorful and cute!
que bonitas imagenes animadas :)
Nice Post . . .:)may you want to stay in bali, you can book hotels in bali from my website ( List of Bali Hotels Discount ,Low Rates ):Bali HotelsKuta HotelsLegian HotelsNusa Dua HotelsSeminyak HotelsSanur HotelsPhuket HotelsBest Regards Bali Hotels Management
So cute! Very playful and fun.
Post a Comment


text:
|Category||Battle Royale Items|
Chiller was a trap in Battle Royale. It was a trap that could be placed on floors, walls, or ceiling that applies icy feet to players, causing them to slide around with low friction. Emoting, bandaging, shield potion usage and other movement cancellable actions would be used while affected by Chillers. It dropped in stacks of 3 and could be found in Supply Drops, Vending Machines, Supply Llamas, and Chests.
Stats[edit | edit source]
Battle Royale[edit | edit source]
Creative[edit | edit source]
|Freezes feet on contact|
|Hitpoints||Varies with placement|
Availability[edit | edit source]
Chiller has a chance to appear among other utility items and consumables per loot sources in the following circumstances:
Chiller has a chance to appear among all utility items and consumables in the following circumstances:
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Chiller Promotional Image.
Changes[edit | edit source]
Notes[edit | edit source]
- 2. This trap will only have the amount of hitpoints as the surface it is placed on.


text:
Monday, February 10, 2014
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Janet Mock spent much of her life hiding who she truly was. A girl trapped within a boy's body, she tried to free her spirit on several occasions but was shoved back into the box society placed her at birth. The moment she realized her authentic self was the moment when she dared to live her life her way.
Through the obstacles and hard choices, Janet forged a path of her own according to her vision of her true self. She presented her life for all to see, good or bad, in the hopes that her words might inspire another person to see their own true value and live their own authentic life.
I was always a lover of personal stories, especially when those stories vary from my own path. When I saw this particular book available upon request from NetGalley, I wanted to read it so that I could better understand Janet's journey. I don't think I was really prepared for the level of truth or how deeply Janet had come to terms with herself.
What I found in the pages was a mixture of courage, honesty and a true love for one's self that many aren't able to achieve in their lifetimes. No matter what path a person takes in life, many hide the differences that make them unique, lovable and human because they're outside the box society wants to place everyone. In truth, I had done that a number of times myself because I was uncomfortable about my illness or other things I felt set me apart. Instead of letting society demand obedience, Janet placed herself at the forefront of change, alongside a handful of others who advocate people accepting themselves as they are instead of contorting to fight society's image.
Janet put forth her story from her beginning to her present day. She gave voice to the struggles she faced within herself as she grew up, a girl born into the body of a boy and the social expectations that came with it. Add to that being a child of mixed race in poor living conditions, and she had the perfect storm for bad, desperate decision-making. Yet, she didn't shy away from the parts of her story which she admitted were unwise decisions. In order to give a true story, she wrote them anyway and I was thankful she did.
Knowing her reasons behind some of the paths she chose helped me to understand her better. It also helped to shine a light on the fact that we as a society still have a long way to go in talking the talk and walking the walk. When people who aren't the "norm" are left with little or no alternative to a dangerous path, we need to step up and say enough. People should be allowed to be themselves in this day and age. Overall, this book was truly enlightening for me. I'm very glad to have read it and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about Janet's path to womanhood.
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock is currently available in hardback and Kindle forms. It can be bought at Amazon by clicking the link below.
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womahood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock


text:
Brigit Forsyth is telling me how she missed out on a holiday in a Sardinian villa with her grandchildren to take up her latest role.
But she doesn’t seem too upset.
“There was really no option,” she says cheerfully. “I mean, it’s Bennett, at the National, with my good friend Sian. I told myself ‘Don’t be silly, you have to do this!’.”
The role is in Alan Bennett’s play People, a National Theatre production going on a UK tour. She stars alongside Sian Phillips, who plays aristocratic Dorothy, the owner of a crumbling Yorkshire mansion. Brigit plays her loyal companion Iris.
The tour kicks off at the Birmingham Rep on September 3 for three weeks.
“It’s just wonderful,” enthuses Brigit, who shot to fame as Thelma in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
“I have never worked for the National before and I have always wanted to, and I love Alan’s plays.
“I have a fantastic part in this, though it’s rather different from the last time I was in one of his plays. Then I was the Queen in Single Spies, about the double agent Anthony Blunt who was Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures.
“The Queen pays an unexpected visit to the gallery and is looking round at her objects. One of my favourite lines of all time is when she says ‘This ostrich was given us by the people of Samoa. It hasn’t quite found its place yet’.
“Alan writes so many amazing lines, and he’s like that when you meet him. I could listen to him talk all night.
“Quite long periods go by in People when I don’t say anything, but I will suddenly chip in with one line that’s a killer.
“That’s actually quite frightening as I will have to make sure I stay awake. If it’s a hot day, it could be quite dodgy. I must not fall asleep, ever!
“My outfit is to die for, just layers and layers of Oxfam clothing because the house is freezing – shirts and skirts and striped socks. I can hardly wait!
“I have an amazing wig, which looks like something a dog has chewed up. It’s yellowy grey and horrific.”
Iris looks like a hunched over pensioner on stage, but Brigit – without the wig – is full of fun and doesn’t look or sound like she is 73.
“I know, I can’t believe it either, it’s a bit of a shock! I think I stay young because I’m in a very childish profession, pretending to be other people and getting paid for it. Acting is such a great job for stopping you noticing that you are crumbling. We’re so busy having fun.
“The bad bit is when you are not doing it. Real life is a bit boring if you get too much of it, I don’t know what to do with myself.”
Brigit has recently found a new string to her bow to occupy herself – playing in a band.
It was while starring in Calendar Girls in 2008 – on tour and in the original West End show, alongside Sian Phillips which is how they became firm friends – that Brigit formed a band with some of her fellow cast members. She plays the cello and sings in The Fircones.
“We do gigs all over the place in London,” she says. “I’ve played the cello for years but I never thought I’d be a rock chick in a band. Better late than never.
“It’s terribly good for me because it’s so innovative and creative. It’s all very spur of the moment and exciting, we don’t have any time to rehearse.”
Brigit had two children with her late husband, TV director Brian Mills. Ben “has a proper job” as an engineer while Zoe Mills is an actress, also appearing at the National Theatre in Punchdrunk’s production of The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable. They’ve given her three “gorgeous” grandchildren, aged eight, six and three.
One of the themes of People is the National Trust, as Dorothy’s sister is determined to give the mansion away to the charity but she is firmly against people traipsing through her home.
“I used to be a member of the National Trust,” remembers Brigit. “I have mixed feelings about it. I used to get annoyed that we had paid quite a lot of money, but then discovered the property we were visiting wasn’t in the Trust so we still had to pay an entrance fee.
“But I think it’s admirable what they do. Thank goodness they restore places.”
Brigit last appeared at Birmingham Rep in Noises Off in May 2010, one of the final productions before the theatre closed for refurbishment. And now she is starring in the first play to reopen the theatre in September.
She returned to Birmingham more recently to film Doctors – “my first nun!” – and rediscovered an old haunt.
“I also remember being given a special tour of the Barber Institute art gallery , which was terrific.”
* People comes to Birmingham Rep from September 3-21. For tickets ring 0121 236 4455 or go to www.birmingham-rep.co.uk


text:
LONDON, Nov 23 (IFR) - Nordea Bank proved just how low investors are willing to go after selling a €750m 3.5% perp NC2025 Additional Tier 1 bond on Tuesday, the lowest coupon achieved in the sector by any European bank.
AT1, the most deeply subordinated form of bank debt, has been central to lenders’ efforts to raise billions in loss-absorbing capacity in a drive to safeguard the system in the next crisis.
The deal has once again left the market reassessing the price floor that many believed had already been reached, coming less than six months on from the first losses for the asset class when Banco Popular was resolved in June.
Despite pricing some 125bp through the next lowest euro AT1 coupons, the deal pulled in more than €5bn of orders from over 380 investors and was trading up around 100.5 on Thursday.
“It’s highly unusual to see a larger bank having equity-like capital issued at a cost of 3.5%,” said Michael Huenseler, head of credit portfolio management at Assenagon Asset Management.
“There is a huge of incentive for those banks that can issue at that low level to fill up the AT1 bucket.”
Nordea was a prime candidate to claim this record. It is one of Europe’s best capitalised banks with a 19.2% CET1 ratio, while its AT1 debt has rare investment-grade ratings - BBB by both S&P and Fitch.
“It’s really hard to see what could stress the bank to such an amount that it would touch the AT1,” said Huenseler.
“The bottom line is, this is a rock-solid bank with very little risk, and therefore 3.5% looks very low in the first place but decent by every competitive measure.”
Despite touching historic tights, the AT1 sector still looks attractive on a relative value basis, putting European junk debt - having recently breached the 2% yield barrier - in the shade.
The yield also offered a considerable pick-up versus Nordea’s Tier 2 debt - a €1bn 1% 2021 NC2026 (Baa1/A-/A+) is bid at just 66bp over swaps compared to the 300.3bp spread at reoffer on the AT1. Those factors help explain why there was limited price sensitivity in the book despite a move of 50bp-75bp from the 4%-4.25% IPT range.
On the other hand, this latest milestone may precipitate a shift in the way the asset class is traded.
“The gates are opening in terms of people starting to think more about relativity on a spread basis versus Tier 2 rather than an absolute yield consideration,” said Ed Mulderrig, a syndicate manager at UBS and a lead on the deal.
“It will be interesting to see the evolution of that as it’s going to be the determinant of whether you get further compression in the asset class or not.”
Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and Nordea were joint books alongside UBS.
With European banks estimated to be more two-thirds through their overall AT1 issuance, based on current requirements, rarity value also plays into the hands of issuers.
Though its first AT1 in euros, Nordea itself is done for the time being. The bank does not expect to return in the near term without regulatory changes or balance sheet development, but may consider further issuance when existing trades roll off.
Nordea had made public plans for AT1 issuance in 2017, though it had to navigate around its decision to shift headquarters to Finland in the hope that being headquartered within the EU’s banking union would place it on a level playing field with peers.
The AT1 emerged just a day after announcing the results of a consent solicitation, which targeted 14 tranches of capital instruments to facilitate technical amendments given the planned domicile change.
Whether other AT1 issuance follows before year-end remains to be seen, though time is running out. Nordea however succeeded in reinvigorating the asset class after a brief recent sell-off, particularly after the last euro benchmarks from ABN AMRO and Santander failed to galvanise investors in the same way.
“I thought it was just very impressive given the market backdrop over the course of the past 10 days or so, which has been anything but perfect,” said Mulderrig from UBS.
“For Nordea to print the lowest ever euro AT1 coupon, at this time of year, with that backdrop and get that reception, is exceptional.” (Reporting by Alice Gledhill, editing by Helene Durand, Julian Baker)


text:
Brick Expo is an entertaining and interesting exhibition of rare and unique LEGO® creations by interstate and local collectors and modellers.
Hundreds of static, moving and robotic models in themes including:
Star Wars™, Trains, Planes, Space Ships, Racing Cars, Monuments and
When is it?
8:30am to 5:30pm, Saturday 29th August 2015
8:30am to 5:30pm, Sunday 30th August 2015


text:
About 2% of the 1,000 top grossing apps on the Apple App Store are scams, The Washington Post
Market research firm Appfigures said that such apps have earned approximately $48 million while they were still in the app store, of which Apple
also had a cut.
The Post's analysis also showed that "fleeceware apps" that leverage phony customer reviews to boost App Store rankings are even more prevalent. Apple has already removed two-thirds of the 18 fleeceware apps flagged by The Post.
Apple has long touted the security of its App Store due to its exclusive control on the app marketplace for iOS users, but experts said that such monopoly has allowed Apple to be complacent and provide a false sense of security.
"If consumers were to have access to alternative app stores or other methods of distributing software, Apple would be a lot more likely to take this problem more seriously," said Stan Miles, economics professor at Thompson Rivers University in Canada.
However, Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz said that the company will continue acting against harmful apps.

domain: economics