text:
RESOURCES: PAYROLL & HR
Payroll and HR obligations for Hong Kong employers
Payroll & HR services > Resources > Payroll and HR obligations for Hong Kong employers
Payroll and HR obligations for Hong Kong employers
Although Hong Kong is very business-friendly and constantly ranked among the top countries for its ease of doing business, when it comes to HR and payroll compliance, most foreign owned companies and start-up businesses find employer and employee compliance burdensome. This is often due to the limited resources available in time and funds. Hiring an employee early on solely for the administration of personnel matters for a small team can rarely justify the expense. However, the consequences of an oversight and the resulting potential non-compliance with labour laws and related regulations can be severe. In this short guide, we will highlight the most common issues business owners and directors should keep in mind.
- Conditions of service and records
- Employing foreigners
- Salary payment
- Statutory paid annual leave
- Paid sickness days
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Submissions to IRD
- Pay-records and MPF
- Valid reasons for termination
- Statutory restrictions on termination of employment contract
- Severance and long service payment
Conditions of service and records
Before the commencement of employment, the employer must inform the employee of the conditions of employment, including wages (eg rate of wages, overtime rate, etc), wage period, length of termination notice and any entitlement to year-end payment. The employer is required to keep records for each employee covering the period of the employment during the preceding 12 months, including: name and HKID, employment contract and any amendments to terms of employment, date of commencement of employment, job title, wages and amount of cash remuneration paid in respect of each wage period, non-cash and fringe benefits, employer’s and employee’s Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) contributions, wage period, periods of annual leave, sick leave, maternity/paternity leave and holidays entitled and taken, amount of year-end payment and the period to which it relates, period of notice required for termination of contract, and date of termination of employment. Business owners are required to keep business records, including payroll records, for at least seven years.
An employer must ensure that the employee is allowed to take up the employment (in other words is legally employable). The employment cannot start until the employee has a valid visa or HKID status permitting the holder to work. Any foreigner wishing to take up employment and the company intending to employ a foreigner may need to apply for the applicable visa with the Immigration Department.
Wages shall become due on the expiry of the last day of the wage period. An employer should pay wages to an employee as soon as practicable but in any case not later than seven days after the end of the wage period. An employer is required to pay interest on the outstanding amount of wages to the employee if he fails to pay wages to the employee within seven days when it becomes due.
Statutory paid annual leave
An employee shall enjoy rest days, statutory holidays and paid annual leave during employment.
The statutory rest day is at least one day in every period of seven days. The rest day may be either paid or unpaid.
There are 12 statutory holidays in Hong Kong. Employees are entitled to receive holiday pay on statutory holidays.
The number of paid annual leave days ranges from seven to 14 according to the length of employment for a period of every 12 months of employment. From the third year of employment, an employee is entitled to one additional paid leave day per year. The annual leave accumulated is to be taken within the following period of 12 months and should be granted for a consecutive period. Most employers however offer at least 14 days of annual leave and allow employees to take leave days during the current leave entitlement period rather than a year later.
Paid sickness days
An employee can accumulate paid sickness days after having been employed under a continuous contract. Paid sickness days are accumulated at the rate of two paid sickness days for each completed month of the employee’s employment during the first 12 months, and four paid sickness days for each completed month of employment thereafter. Paid sickness days can be accumulated throughout the whole employment period, but shall not exceed 120 days at any one time.
The daily rate of sickness allowance is a sum equivalent to four-fifths of the average daily wages earned by an employee in the 12-month period preceding the following specified dates. Sickness allowance should be paid to the employee no later than the normal pay day.
Maternity and paternity leave
A female employee employed under a continuous contract immediately before the commencement of her maternity leave and having given notice of pregnancy and her intention to take maternity leave to the employer is entitled to a continuous period of 14 weeks’ maternity leave. (The statutory maternity was extended from 10 weeks in December 2020).
Maternity leave should be paid for a period of 14 weeks and it should be paid on the normal pay day of the employee.
When the employee’s absence from work to attend medical examination in relation to her pregnancy, post confinement medical treatment or miscarriage is supported by an appropriate medical certificate, any such day on which she is absent shall be counted as a sickness day.
An employer is prohibited from dismissing a pregnant employee from the date on which she is confirmed pregnant by a medical certificate to the date on which she is due to return to work upon the expiry of her maternity leave.
A male employee is entitled to five days’ paternity leave for each confinement of his spouse if he is the father of a new-born child or a father-to-be. A male employee is entitled to paternity leave pay equivalent to four-fifths of the average daily wages.
Submissions to IRD
Employers are required to file the annual employer’s return (BIR56A) with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). In addition, an employer has to include a return for each individual employee (BIR56B) with the annual employer’s return. However, the reporting already begins when a new employee is hired. Within three month of the commencement of the employment, the employer is required to file a notification of the employment (IR56E) with the IRD. On termination or end of service or should the former employee intend to leave Hong Kong a notification to that effect (IR56F, IR56G respectively) should be filed.
Pay-records and MPF
Each month, after remitting contributions to their trustee, employers should also provide each employee with a monthly pay-record within seven working days. The information required to be shown in this written record includes:
- the amount of the employee’s relevant income
- the amounts of both the employer’s and employee’s mandatory contributions
- the amounts of both the employer’s and employee’s voluntary contributions, if any, and
- the date on which contributions were paid to the trustee.
Valid reasons for termination
A contract of employment may be terminated by the employer or employee through giving the other party due notice or payment in lieu of notice.
The five valid reasons for dismissal or variation of the terms of the employment contract are:
- the conduct of the employee
- the capability or qualifications of the employee for performing his work
- redundancy or other genuine operational requirements of the business
- statutory requirements (ie it would be contrary to the law to allow an employee to continue to work in his original position or to continue with the original terms in his employment contract), and
- other substantial reasons.
An employer may summarily dismiss an employee without notice or payment in lieu of notice if the employee, in relation to his employment:
- wilfully disobeys a lawful and reasonable order
- misconducts himself
- is guilty of fraud or dishonesty, or
- is habitually neglectful in his duties.
Statutory restrictions on termination of employment contract
An employer shall not dismiss an employee under the following circumstances:
- maternity protection
- paid sick leave
- giving evidence or information to the authorities
- trade union activities, or
- injury at work.
Severance and long service payment
An employee is eligible for severance payment or long service payment subject to the following conditions:
– Severance payment
Severance payment is applicable to a continuous employment of not less than 24 months to employees who are dismissed by reason of redundancy, or if a fixed term contract expires without being renewed by reason of redundancy.
– Long service payment
Employees who have been employed under a continuous contract of at least five years are entitled to long service payment unless the dismissal is by reason of redundancy or a summarily dismissal due to the employee’s serious misconduct. Long service payment is further applicable on the employee’s retirement or death.
Payroll Services and Solutions
Avoid the capital investment and overhead expenditure required to set up and manage a payroll team and portal with our subscription-based Payroll Solution. Our payroll service provides an end-to-end, single-source payroll solution to support your business operations and reduce the administrative burden in Hong Kong. We help to ensure that your payroll processing is timely, accurate, and compliant. We will make the gross-to-net calculation for you, set aside MPF and fringe benefit payments, distribute the net salary to employees and contributions to MPF providers, and provide a payslip record. All it will take from you, is one single payment for worry-free payroll processing.
Complete Payroll Solution
Marbury can also help manage your MPF or CPF contributions, employers tax return processing and employee annual salary summary processing as needed. Reduce your overhead cost without sacrificing quality delivery for your team with Marbury’s payroll solution.
Integrated Compliance Service
Making use of Marbury’s integrated compliance and administration outsourcing solution, we will automatically include the payroll records in your bookkeeping and prepare the annual employer’s tax return for the company and tax record for the employee.
Simply fill in your details and leave a message. We’ll be in touch within the next business day to discuss your requirements and answer any questions you might have.

domain: finance


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The International Day of Peace is observed annually around the world on 21st of September. The United Nations General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to sternghening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples. The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) wishes to join all Kenyans and the rest of the world in commemorating this year’s International Day of Peace. The 2019 Theme, “Climate Action for Peace” emphasises on the importance of combating climate change as a way to protect and promote peace throughout the world. This occassion therefore provides us with an important platform to educate the public on the challenges of climate change in relation to peace; to mobilize political will and resources to address environmental degradation, and to celebrate and reinforce sustainable development initiatives for the good of humanity.
The United Nations Members States adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 because they understoood that it would not be possible to build a peaceful world if steps were not taken to achieve economic and social development for all people everywhere, and ensure that their rights were protected. The Sustainable Goals cover a broad range of issues, including poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, environment and social justice. The Sustainable Development Goal number 13 “Climate Action” is a call for immediate action by all to lower greenhouse emissions, build resilience and improve education on climate change.
There is a very clear connection between enviromental conservation and peace. The unhealthy competition for and exploitation of natural resources and other environmental factors are linked to conflicts across the world in a variety of ways. The damage and degradation of the enviroment in most cases threatens livelihoods, aggravates tensions and in turn generating or furthering vulnerability to conflict. Severe enviromental damage such as deforestation or soil and water erosion usually fuel tensions as well as inhibit conservation efforts and consequently sustainable development.
Environmental education and awareness is an effective strategy for enviromental conservation and realisation of peaceful enviroments. The awareness on enviromental issues prepares the individual to be able to balance between his/her vital needs and the natural environment. It also increases the human capacity and capability to participate in environmental management and in solving environmental crisis and challenges. Therefore, in our endevour to promote “Climate Action for Peace” we need to create awareness in behavioral change, embracing ethical values to protect and conserve the environment and improve the quality of human life.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission is a statutory body, mandated to promote equality of opportunity, good relations, harmony and peaceful co-existence between persons of different ethnic and racial communities in Kenya and to advise the Government on all aspects thereof. The Commission, in collaboration with various peace actors across the country, have continued to put in place deliberate efforts and interventions in the peace sector with an aim of enhancing peaceful co-existence, cohesion, integration and realisation of a united nation.
In the lead up to the celebration and marking of the International Day of Peace, we want to urge all peace actors, and in particular the Amani (Peace) Clubs fraternity across all institutions of learning in Kenya, to heed the United Nations call that is directed to each one of us to take both an individual and collective responsibility to tackle climate change. Activities such as tree planting and cleaning our surroundings may be used to contribute towards improving on our environment. Every human being is part of the solution and every positive action, no matter how little, will impact on the enviroment and eventually transform our Nation and the World in general.
Happy International Day of Peace, 2019.
National Cohesion and Integration Commission
KMA Center, 6th Floor, Mara Rd, Upper Hill
P. O. Box 7055-00100,
Facebook: national cohesion and integration commission
Toll Free SMS NCIC – 15666
Toll Free SMS UWIANO - 108

domain: sociology


普通四人麻将 www.tqnpn.tw 广州★航一科技有限公司提供图尔克RS-25S6S-9A16B-R3M12,本公司是一家具有全球规模的仪器设备专业公司，致力引进国外的先进产品和技术.2003年取得美国世界品牌的衡器研究制作中国总代理，2004年-2010年年底获得韩国、德国、日本、瑞士、法国、西班牙、意大利、瑞士等多家知名品牌称重系统商家专业的工业备件分销商认可。图尔克RS-25S6S-9A16B-R3M12为衡器制造、冶金、石油化工、食品生产、机械制造、造纸、钢铁、交通、矿山、水泥、纺织等行业提供、可靠、专业的产品及技术服务。
The station description files of Profinet devices enable them to be integrated in the engineering systems of the controllers. In this way, all devices and parameters of controller networks can be created, maintained from a single system and saved. The system does not allow this in-depth integration for IO-link devices. Either manufac?turer specific software is required for this configuration or a solution must be programmed via the controller–often involving consider?able programming effort. SIDI from Turck now provides help here:
The new function in Turck's IO-link masters enables IO-link devices to be integrated directly in a Profinet engineering software such as the TIA Portal–allowing also the display of all device properties and plain text access to the device parameters.
IO-link masters with SIDI (Simple IO-link Device Integration) give IO-link devices the identity of a genuine Profinet module with its own GSDML entry; the function simplifies the engineering of IO-link devices in projects with Profinet controllers, since it allows access to all parameters and device properties from the engineering system without the need for additional software shortfall with regard to the integration of IO-link devices in Profinet systems. A GSDML file (generic station description markup language) is supplied with every Profinet device. This enables the control pro?grammer to already plan and parameterize the device in the project offline (mostly in the TIA Portal), before the project is really integrated with the network and the connected devices. These two processes can initially be carried out independently, particularly in large projects.
Manufacturers of IO-link devices do not equip them
with their own GSDML file, and the device description comes in the form of an IODD (IO-link device descrip?tion). The Profinet engineering software cannot therefore detect the devices directly. The user has so far been forced to enter properties such as device class or manufacturer ID manually. Parameters such as measuring ranges and output signals had to be programmed or set via additional software.
Wanted: integration helper for IO-link
What has so far not been mentioned in the eulogies:
IO-link also has its limits. There has particularly been a [email protected] 1 | 2019 22 | 23
involved and the great deal of know-how required for this, this solution is also error-prone. Not to mention the problems encountered by service technicians with projects which were configured with different tools
SIDI integrates IO-link devices in GSDML filesTurck identified this weakness in IO-link early on and has already been working on its SIDI function for several years. IO-link devices are entered here as Profinet submodules in the GSDML of the IO-link masters.
As an IO-link member from the very begin?ning, the company is now equipping its IO-link master in a block module design (in IP20 and IP67)
with the SIDI function. Anyone integrating one of these IO-link masters in a Profibus project can immediately use the connected IO-link devices as Profinet modules.
Turck integrates all its proprietary IO-link devices in the SIDI library, as well as the devices of its strategic partner for optical sensors, Banner Engineering.
The first IO-link devices of third party manufacturers are also already included. More devices of other manufac?turers are expected to be included in the SIDI library in future. For this, each device to be included must first be tested rigorously in order to ensure the smooth operation and the user-friendliness of the tool. Turck is also willing to integrate the devices of third party manufacturers on request–particularly those that are not included in the portfolio of the automation specialist. Turck has benefitted in the development of SIDI from its experience as manufacturers of IO-link
masters and devices. This double expertise is rare to find in the automation sector.
SIDI enables IO-link
devices to be integrat?ed directly in a Prof?inet engineering software such as the TIA Portal. The soft?ware can now be used on Turck's TBEN-S and TBEN-L IP67 IO-link masters as well as the IP20 variant FEN20
SIDI allows IO-link devices to be selected from the hardware catalog exactly like Profinet
Modules settings via a USB adapter. Consistent offline access from the office desk to all device data therefore saves a lot of time in large projects compared to integrating
IO-link without SIDI. The wiring of pure IO-link projects is basically childs' play for fitters and electronic technicians.Simple maintenance: Plug and play device replacement
world also for IO-link installations, Turck as an automa?tion manufacturer is trying to make the IO-link standard attractive for die-hard Profinet fans.
Author | Aurel Buda is product manager factory automation
systems at Turck
Web code | more11971e
The Profinet nodes are added in the device tree and
selected normally from the library of the TIA Portal.
Offline engineering is now also entirely possible with
IO-link devices. The devices therefore no longer have
to be available on the PLC programmer's desk. Pro?grammers also no longer have to visit each device in
advance with the laptop in order to enter the necessary
- Full configuration of IO-link devices directly from the Profinet
- No additional software required for configuring IO-link
- Intuitive operation and entry in plain text
- All devices in one project location
- Fast commissioning of large projects thanks to offline engineering
- Configuration-free device replacement of master and devices,
since all parameters are kept in the controller itself
SIDI–AT A GLANCE
SIDI operates with
different engineer?ing systems since
it is based on
The parameters of the IO-link devices can be set directly from the engineering system


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How Do I Build Trust in My Relationship?
Updated: Apr 23
Building trust in a relationship is one of the most important aspects of any successful and healthy relationship. Trust is the foundation upon which all healthy relationships are built. Without trust, there can be no communication, intimacy, or emotional connection. Trust is essential to the health and happiness of any relationship, and it takes time and effort to build. Here are some tips on how to build trust in your relationship.
1. Be honest and open
Honesty is the cornerstone of any healthy relationship. Being honest and open with your partner is essential to building trust. It's important to be transparent and truthful about your feelings, thoughts, and actions. This means being honest about your past and present, as well as your hopes and dreams for the future. When you are honest and open with your partner, it creates a safe and secure environment where trust can flourish.
2. Keep your promises
Keeping your promises is another crucial aspect of building trust. When you make a promise to your partner, it's important to follow through on it. This means being reliable and dependable, and doing what you say you will do. If you make a commitment to your partner, it's important to honor it. This shows your partner that they can trust you and depend on you.
3. Communicate effectively
Effective communication is another key ingredient in building trust. Communication is essential to building a deep and meaningful connection with your partner. It's important to listen to your partner and express yourself in a clear and concise manner. Effective communication means being able to express your thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or criticism. It also means being able to listen to your partner and understand their point of view.
4. Respect boundaries
Respecting your partner's boundaries is essential to building trust. It's important to understand and respect your partner's boundaries, whether they are physical, emotional, or psychological. This means not pressuring your partner to do anything they are uncomfortable with and not violating their trust. It also means respecting their privacy and personal space.
5. Be consistent
Consistency is another important factor in building trust. Consistency means being reliable and dependable, and doing what you say you will do. It means being consistent in your actions, your words, and your behavior. When you are consistent, it creates a sense of stability and predictability, which can help to build trust in your relationship.
6. Be understanding
Being understanding and empathetic is another important aspect of building trust. It's important to understand your partner's feelings, thoughts, and experiences. This means being able to put yourself in their shoes and see things from their perspective. It also means being supportive and validating their emotions.
7. Apologize and forgive
Apologizing and forgiving are crucial aspects of building trust. When you make a mistake or hurt your partner, it's important to apologize and take responsibility for your actions. This shows your partner that you are willing to admit your faults and make things right. Forgiveness is also important in building trust. It means letting go of past hurt and moving forward with a clean slate.
Building trust takes time and effort, but it's essential to the health and happiness of any relationship. By being honest, open, and consistent, respecting boundaries, communicating effectively, being understanding, and apologizing and forgiving, you can build a deep and meaningful connection with your partner. Trust is the foundation upon which all healthy relationships are built, and by working on building trust in your relationship, you can create a safe and secure environment where your relationship can thrive.


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India is a land of rich cultural heritage with music in diverse genres representing the truly myriad mosaic of plurality—from the two main fountainheads of classical music—Carnatic and Hindustani—to a variety of folk music from every nook and corner to Sufi music, Qawwalis, Rabindra Sangeet to popular film music.
What defines India is this rich heritage of music and its unifying role in bringing people together cutting across religions, regions, castes and communities.
Dr. M.S. Subbulakshmi affectionately referred to as MS Amma was the face of Indian Carnatic music for several decades. She captivated the hearts of billions, not only in Tamil nadu, South India or India but in the entire world.
Friends! The roots of Indian music can be traced to Vedic literature, Sama Veda in particular and as such every note and cadence associated with our ancient music systems have to be preserved and propagated.
Music has no barriers or boundaries. This Sanskrit saying शिशुर्वेत्ति पशुर्वेत्ति वेत्ति गान रसं फणि: (Sisurvetti pasurvetti, vetti gana rasam phanihi) aptly sums up the magical power of music. Metaphysical and spiritual love finds sublime expression in the keertanas of Thyagaraja or Annamacharya, the bhajans of Meera or Tulsidas, among many highly evolved seers and sages of our literary and musical tradition. As Saint Thyagaraja said :“Sangeetha Gnanamu Bhakthi Vina Sanmargam Kaladhe”, which could be roughly translated as “unless you are able to blend devotion with music, it may not lead us to the blissful plane”
Music acquired a divine dimension when somebody like legendary Carnatic singer, late M.S. Subbulakshmi lent her voice to various compositions. Setting aside mere gimmicks and gymnastics of classical music, she delved deep into the soul of the music and brought forth the treasures from there, not only to the pundits or the elite but also to the common man.
In the enjoyment of such a fine expression of art all differences of caste creed, race and nationality evaporated.
She rose to heights where all differences vanished and she took us there with her. All the Nations stood united when she sang in the assembly of the United Nations Organisation.
Even Mahatma Gandhi was spell bound when he listened to her rendition of 'Vaishnava Janatho'.
Knowing that she might not be able to sing a song he had requested, Mahatma Gandhi is supposed to have said, “I would rather hear her recite the lines than hear anyone else sing it”.
Madurai Shanmugavadivu Subbulakshmi, remains an unsurpassed phenomenon in Carnatic music
It will be perhaps an understatement to say that M.S. Subbulakshmi is a well-known name not only in India but across the world.
She was a cult figure, who had mesmerized everyone from Mahatma Gandhi to the common man with her mellifluous voice. Upon Gandhiji’s insistence, she recorded his favourite Meera bhajan ‘Hari Tum Haro’ overnight and sent it to him on his birthday in 1947.
She was the first musician to be awarded Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour. She was also the first Indian musician to have performed at the United Nations General Assembly and the first Indian musician to be conferred with the Ramon Magsaysay award for public service.
She was called the ‘Nightingale of India’ by Sarojini Naidu and “Tapaswini” by Lata Mangeshkar, while Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan described her as “Suswaralakshmi Subbulakshmi. Apart from UN, she performed at the Edinburg International Festival and for Queen Elizabeth-II at the Royal Albert Hall, London. She mostly sang in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Meera Bhajans in Hindi.
For many decades now, it has been a common practice in most South Indian homes for people to wake up in the morning to the strains of M S Subbulakshmi’s rendition of Bhaja Govindam, the popular devotional composition written by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, Vishnu Sahasranaamam and Shri Venkateswara Suprabhatam, among others. Her Venkateswara Suprabhatham is played in Tirumala temple daily as part of the ritual.
Titans on the opposite sides of ideology, the likes of Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajaji, united and stood together when it came to appreciating the music that flowed in her mellifluous voice. Even the great sage of Kanchi, his holiness, the Paramacharya was not an exception.
She was an epitome of grace, respected by one and all. She was not only a singer par excellence, but was also a great actor who donned the roles of baktha meera and Sakunthala on silver screen.
She also made a huge contribution to popularizing Annanmacharya Kritis.
She also undertook more than 200 charity concerts and donated the royalties she had earned on devotional albums to the Tirumala temple.
When we celebrate the music of M S Subbulakshmi, we must also remember her husband Sri T.Sadasivam who visualized and orchestrated her career. We must also acknowledge another remarkable person in MS Subbulakshmi life – her daughter Smt Radha Viswanathan who accompanied her mother for almost 55 years on the concert stage and trained her granddaughters Aishwarya and Saundarya. The legacy continues.
I deem it a great honour to be part of centenary celebrations of the iconic M S Subbulakshmi, who lives through her immortal legacy of spreading spiritual bliss through her divine melodies.

domain: artistic


text:
Pope John Paul began an Asian tour Saturday with a call for reconciliation in the Korean peninsula but scolded activist priests there for disobeying a ban by their bishops on political protest.
The pope, who was presented with a model firebomb and tear gas canister by students, concentrated in his speeches on what he called the "painful divisions" both within South Korea and with the Communist north.He said disunity, rancor, hatred, envy and violence were all too frequent in the world. "You yourselves are witnesses of the painful divisions that affect your own people," he said, calling for reconciliation.
Immediately after landing on his 44th foreign tour, he urged Korea to prove to the world that division and war could be overcome and he later preached internal reconciliation while criticizing activist priests for disobeying the church's ban on political protests.
He was quickly reminded of the frequent civil strife between South Korean students and the government.
At an evening Mass for 10,000 young people in an Olympic gymnasium, he was presented with the composite bronze model of a firebomb and gas canister set into the pages of a bible.
During the service several thousand young students wore lapel stickers demanding an end to a national security law that critics say is used to silence opponents of the administration of President Roh Tae-Woo.
About 700 students at a Catholic university on the other side of town staged a noisy demonstration against the law while the pope celebrated Mass but Roh told the pontiff as he arrived that political oppression had disappeared.
The pope said some of the young people may have personally suffered for the sake of justice but he made clear that he shared the Korean church's opposition to political activity.
He told about 1,000 priests at a Seoul parish church earlier they must "have the prudence, maturity and humility to work in harmony and under lawful authority for the good of Christ's body and not arbitrarily on their own."
Church sources said this was aimed at activists who have broken the ban on political activity. Three Catholic priests are currently behind bars - one who went to North Korea to escort home a woman student who made an illegal visit and two who helped plan his trip.
During his 15-hour flight from Rome to Seoul, the pope strongly defended his visit later on the Asian tour to the disputed territory of East Timor, which was annexed by Indonesia in 1976.
Critics say that by visiting the territory while on a tour of Indonesia, the pope is granting de facto recognition to Jakarta's rule which is not accepted by the United Nations.
The pope told reporters this interpretation was false and he would be insulting the territory's predominantly Catholic population by not going there. "Let's leave politics to the politicians," he said.


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Korean actor Joo Won attended the press conference of the SBS drama "My Sassy Girl" on May 15, a day before he was scheduled to enlist in the military.
The 29-year-old star will be enlisting today at 2PM in Gangwon Province, South Korea without meeting the press in consideration of others who will be entering the training camp.
"My Sassy Girl" is based on the film of the same name that was released in 2001, which starred Jun Ji-hyun and Cha Tae-hyun.
The drama was fully pre-produced and will air in Korea starting on May 29.
"I chose it as my last work before enlistment so I made the decision more carefully," he said during the press conference.
"My Sassy Girl" is a historical romantic comedy focusing on the love story between Gyun Woo, played by Joo Won, and princess Hye Myung, played by actress Oh Yeon-seo.
Besides leaving his career for 21 months, Joo Won will also be separated from his girlfriend, singer BoA. Their relationship was revealed last January.
Joo Won said BoA told him to come back healthy from his military service.
BoA will be performing in Osaka, Japan today and will not be able to send him off but a report said they spent time together in Japan.
The two reportedly traveled from Gimpo Airport in Seoul to Haneda Airport on May 4. She went there for a concert while he attended a publicity event for "My Sassy Girl."
They were not seated together on the plane so they didn't draw attention from other passengers.
Joo Won also spent time with fans on May 13 in a fan meeting at Yonsei University called "See You Again! Talk & Concert."
He previously planned to serve as a duty police officer after passing the screening of the Seoul Police Promotion Committee last year but withdrew it and decided to join the active duty service.
The actor rose to fame through the drama "King of Baking, Kim Takgu," which aired in 2010. His other dramas included "Good Doctor" and "Yongpal."
He will be discharged from the army on February 15, 2019.

domain: entertainment


text:
Rural Population Density Effect on Socio-economic Characteristics: A Review
Ayoob K. Ismael and Ibrahim Ngah
DOI : 10.3844/jssp.2011.655.661
Journal of Social Sciences
Volume 7, Issue 4
Problem statement: Rural population density has a very significant independent influence over important demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the world rural communities. Thus, the understanding of rural population density becomes an important issue to be studied. Approach: Using the rural settled areas of Shaqlawa District as a case study, this study seeks to reveal the specific importance of rural population density as an important variable in understanding the socioeconomic characteristics of sparsely settled rural regions, where spares and falling density presents practical and conceptual problems for rural planners. Results and Conclusion: It is obvious that the need of rural areas for socioeconomic development and regeneration along with the need for diversification of their economic base so as to meet the changes is today greater than ever. The motivation behind of this project is based on the fact that during the last few decades the rural settlement in the study area has been dramatically changed. However at the same time there is a realization that certain parts of the rural area have been left behind in development and the authority is currently promoting rural area in order to sustain local economies and to enhance employment and growth.
© 2011 Ayoob K. Ismael and Ibrahim Ngah. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.


The good news: the iconic train is there, and the ancient radiators, and the owl, and the lion, and the horse, and the crumbling old-timey cash register, and the stained-glass sign reading “Beer Parlour”. And the stage and sound system are better than ever. Gone is the grunge-y carpet, the awnings that blocked the light, and the unpleasant smell that hung around during the last days.
Gone too though are the signed photos and posters of bygone shows that marked the Railway Club’s historical importance in Vancouver’s music scene.
Nevertheless, the reopening of the downtown venue, refurbished as the Railway Stage and Beer Café (579 Dunsmuir St.), is mostly good news for fans of live music, comedy and craft beer.
The original bar dates back to the 1930s, when it was the official club of railway workers and membership was required. In the ’80s, the club became the unofficial hub of the local roots music scene, though it hosted all types of bands (including Radiohead, who played an infamous four-song set there in 1995) and singers throughout its long and storied run, well into the 2000s. (Membership was still required, owing to the club’s outdated liquor license, though enforcement extended to signing in at the door.) Unfortunately, the 84-year-old bar closed last April – some feared permanently – after the new owner, who had taken it over in 2008, failed to find buyer.
Earlier this year, however, the Donnelly Group bought the lease. With last night’s opening, the Railway Stage and Beer Café is officially back, albeit in a somewhat different iteration.
The new Railway is a much brighter, more open space. The Donnelly Group, which owns and operates a number of pubs in Vancouver’s downtown and Westside, has opened up the back and front rooms by removing all but two of the red-velvet banquets (although the two that formed the bar’s southwest corner, looking out onto Dunsmuir Street, have been moved to a different corner) and replacing them with long picnic-style tables, the better for convivial beer-drinking and conversation. Sightlines from the back of the bar to the main room’s stage have been improved, as has the stage itself, and a badly needed new sound system installed. Twenty-four taps and four cask engines pour local and Pacific Northwest craft beers.
The company has kept many of the odds and ends that the room had collected over the years, like the owl, the cash register, and the stained-glass Beer Parlour sign. The model train that once ran, on tracks suspended from the ceiling, from the back to the front room has been moved to the smaller back, or games, room (the tracks have been replaced but the train is the same). The outdoor patio is expected to open next month.
Paul Done of Epic Media says that a decision has yet to be made on what to do with some of the memorabilia that hung on the walls as a testament to acts, like k.d. lang and Blue Rodeo, who had played some of their earliest shows in the room.
For more info, and to see what shows the Railway Stage and Beer Café has coming up, visit donnellygroup.ca.


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Review Summary: Although it is essentially experimental, the unexpected balance makes Los Sounds de Krauts one of the most accessible and enjoyable albums of the band.
Colour Haze is a German band with a very consistent career - in 15 years they released nine albums with the same line-up. This is fairly remarkable, given that most of the bands that defined the roots of European Stoner-Rock don't exist anymore, or they are just reuniting recently due to the explosion of the genre in recent years. In this context, Los Sounds de Krauts is a milestone in the career of Colour Haze, and it is for most devoted fans their best album. However, it can never be compared to the objectivity of Tempel (2006) and Colour Haze (2004), albums that became classics in the psychedelic scene, and finally brought international recognition.
It is a milestone indeed because the band defines their sound and reaches maturity, and consequently starts to get discovered outside of Germany. But incredibly, they did it so using some experimentalism. In fact, Los Sounds de Krauts is the Colour Haze album where the experimentalism resulted better - All (2008) has good ideas, but as a whole, is far from excellence, and She Said (2012) is a chaotic outburst. The explosion of ideas and inspiration in Los Sounds de Krauts was so intense that Stefan Koglek, the virtuous guitar player, just had to polish the rough edges off to produce the following two albums, seen as perfect in terms of composition: Colour Haze (2004) and Tempel (2006).
So Los Sounds de Krauts begins the golden age of Colour Haze... The playlist points in different directions in their two discs, in order to pay tribute to the influences of the band, and consequently to create a more unique sound. This is much more noticeable on the first disc. "I Won't Stop" opens the album and is a succession of the best hard-rock riffs that Stefan Koglek has produced so far. The rest of the playlist expresses the will of the band to go further than just a bunch of riffs. In other words, "I Won't Stop" is a tribute to their first albums, but "Roses" is admittedly based on kraut-rock beats, and leads us to think that we are listening to a band that is much more than an European desert-rock successor. The track "Z.E.N." goes even further - the inimitable mix of jazz and kraut starts here, with Stefan showing his skills in the second part of the song by combining both technique and melody. So ends the first part of the album by paying tribute respectively to the band's three main influences: stoner-rock, kraut-rock, and jazz. Concerning kraut-rock, this album not only is named after this 'national' genre, but also uses it as it has never been done before, creating a new path to explore on the next albums.
Colour Haze decided to split this double album in 4 parts, each one representing a cardinal point. Therefore, the remaining three parts are a parade of 'colourazian' masterpieces (yes, from this album on it's allowed to use this terminology), interspersed by small compositions ranging from punk in "Other Side", to the lullabye in "Schlaflied". The times when Black Sabbath used acoustic instrumentals as breaks are gone. These fast tracks add little to the overall work of Colour Haze, but they give the necessary balance to an album mainly prized by "Plazmakeks", "Sundazed", "Weltraummantra" and "Overriding". These songs are long compositions and are a true test of patience for the unsuspecting listeners who are less familiar with their orgasmic climaxes, that reach doomy monoliths as the end of "Weltraummantra". "Love" (from Colour Haze, 2004) is such a masterpiece because Stefan Koglek had more than enough room in Los Sounds de Krauts, to work on the circular structures which seem to explode unpredictably at the right time. This generates an exceptional musical pleasure that can be confused with an hallucinogenic effect. "Plazmakeks" is actually the straightest example.
"Sundazed" and "Overriding" are, however, the most accomplished songs on the album, because their psychedelic tributes are more the result of composition than mere experimentation. "Sundazed" is guided by the most primitive kraut-rock; and "Overriding" is an amazing hymn to the psych heavy-metal born with Jimi Hendrix, and it comes with a great vocal performance, which is not particularly usual in Stefan Koglek.
"Overriding, in my mind, in my life, in my heart, in my soul, in my head..."
Combining conceptuality with genius could only give rise to an unforgettable album. Although it is essentially experimental, the unexpected balance makes Los Sounds de Krauts one of the most accessible and enjoyable albums of the band. It makes perfect sense to be in their Top 3 ever. Even if Colour Haze, despite going through a creative disorientation, has no plans to stop anytime soon.


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FREEPORT — The FHN Festival of Trees holiday movie series will be held in November and December at the Classic Cinemas Lindo Theatre, 115 S. Chicago Ave.
This year’s lineup is “Frozen 2” (PG) on Nov. 23, “The Polar Express” (G) on Nov. 30, “Playmobil: The Movie” (PG) on Dec. 7, “Jumanji: The Next Level” (PG-13_ on Dec. 14 and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (PG-13) on Dec. 21.
This year’s bonus movie will be “White Christmas” (G) at 1 and 7 p.m. Dec. 11. Admission is a free-will offering and/or a food donation. Barrels will be available for food contributions. Monetary contributions also will go to the drive.
Each movie begins at 10 a.m. with doors open at 9:30 a.m. Seating is limited, and there are no advance ticket sales. Each child attending the movie will receive a small holiday gift from FHN.
Ticket cost: $4, except for “The Polar Express,” which will be free. For information: fhn.org.


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These photos were taken Thursday, October 10, day 11 of Craft Beer Tour 2019; my annual craft beercation taken before and after the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver. The photos were taken at Edge Brewing and Woodland Empire in Boise, and Bella Brewing in Garden City, Idaho.
As I am spending three days in the Boise area, I wanted to split my time up evenly; and have new places to visit the next time I come here. Edge Brewing had been mentioned by a friend or two; and Woodland Empire was recommended by Charlie; the guy I had met at Square State Brewing; his recommendation of Western Collective was enough for me to trust his recommendation of Woodland Empire. Continue reading

domain: geography


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Kaiser Permanente offers free vaccinations Saturday
Uninsured and underinsured K-12 students in the Reynolds School District are eligible for free vaccinations from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15.
Vaccinations will take place at Rockwood Medical Office, Module A&B, Central Check-in, 19500 S.E. Stark St., and Interstate Medical Office East Pediatrics, first floor, Central Check-in, 3550 N. Interstate Ave., Portland.
The vaccination day also is available to all Kaiser Permanente members.
Volunteer through Reynolds ASPIRE program
Reynolds High School is seeking volunteers for ASPIRE (Access to Student Assistance Programs in Reach of Everyone), a statewide mentorship program in its second year at the high school.
ASPIRE volunteers mentor students once a week during and after high school, connecting them with college and career resources.
Volunteers mentor Reynolds students anywhere from one to five hours a week. Each volunteer works with up to 10 students in 20- to 30-minute increments.
Along with offering college and financial aid resources, mentors help students explore careers and offer a career assessment. All volunteers must pass a background check and go through an ASPIRE training before mentoring students.
To begin the process of becoming an ASPIRE mentor, contact David Hopper at 503-667-3186 or firstname.lastname@example.org. For more information about ASPIRE, visit OregonStudentAid.gov/ASPIRE.
Jobs Corps forum focuses on youth employment
Springdale Job Corps is hosting its Strategies to Employing Youth Forum Wednesday, March 12, on its campus.
Community leaders will gather to hear Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith discuss the barriers that exist to youth employment, along with a panel discussion on the strategies businesses can use to hire young people and give them experience.
The panel will include owners of local businesses who have employed young people as well as representatives from organizations whose missions are to increase the employability of youths.Add a comment

domain: news


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Year : 2016
Materials : PHA, PLA ( a manufactured bio-plastic produced from the starch found in corn and sugar cane )
Colors : Natural and brown.
Large bottle : H14" Diameter 4,33" ( H35 Diameter 11 cm )
Small bottle : H11" Diameter 3,8" ( H28 Diameter 9,7 cm )
The choice to design water bottles resulted from Talia Mukmel's desire to create an object expressing the spirit of a given historical period combined with a contemporary vision. During the process, Talia experimented with different techniques in order to find a way by which I could preserve the attributes found in ancient hand work, while utilizing techniques of production based on today’s modern materials.
Category : Limited Edition of 8 + 2AP + 2P, ( Numbered and signed pieces )


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When your beliefs are challenged at work, plus how introverts can win on the job, and balancing your priorities with your family’s needs.
Featured musical artist: Nathan Tasker
Roundtable: When Your Workplace Challenges Your Convictions (Part 1)
Managing the daily grind at work is hard enough, but it’s particularly challenging when the environment is hostile to your faith and convictions. It’s not unheard of to see Christians ridiculed, canceled, pressured or even fired for standing up for what they believe. How should this kind of workplace culture be navigated? Our guests come from fields in education, medicine, mental health and the corporate world, and have experienced ideological challenges on the job. They spark a great discussion on how to stay true to your convictions in an increasingly hostile world.
Culture: Introverts at Work
Are extroverts more successful in their careers? Listening to workplace lore, you’d assume that it’s easier for extroverts to get ahead, make friends, influence others, and be recognized on the job. Sometimes that’s true — but introverts, take heart. Introvert Dr. Mike Bechtle says that introverts have unique gifts and temperaments that can spell success on the job. Whether you’re an introvert or you want to better understand your introverted friends and coworkers, you’ll be encouraged by this discussion.
Inbox: When Your Family Needs You
You want to focus on your own projects, priorities and friendships, but your family sometimes needs your help. How should you respond when things feel out of balance? Counselor Linda Miller gives a few tips.
Donate a gift of any amount to Boundless and you’ll receive “The Introvert’s Guide to Success in the Workplace: Becoming Confident in a Culture of Extroverted Expectations” by Dr. Mike Bechtle.

domain: psychology


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Delta expanding service at Dallas Love Field this summer
DALLAS - There will soon be more Delta flights in and out of Dallas Love Field.
Delta announced it will expand its service at Love Field this summer.
Starting June 5, the new routes out of Gate 11 include:
- Twice-daily service to New York-LGA
- Twice-daily service to LAX
- Increased frequency to Atlanta with five daily flights
"After a nearly decade-long effort, Delta has secured long-term access at Dallas Love Field, giving us the ability to serve more customers in Dallas and North Texas for years to come," said Joe Esposito, Delta’s Senior Vice President of Network Planning.
READ MORE: US investigating December flight cancellations at Southwest
The new flights will be on planes with free WiFi and entertainment screens included.
"These new routes will provide our residents and workers with more options for travel while bringing more visitors to Dallas to experience all the great opportunities and amazing amenities that our city has to offer," said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson.
Delta also flies out of DFW International Airport.
The airline says this July it will offer 20% more flights to Texas than in July 2022.

domain: travel


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As predicted in my article at the end of May - partly because Russian Deputy Prime Minister and key OPEC+ negotiator Alexander Novak clearly indicated that OPEC+ would definitely not announce a surprise cut in oil production - OPEC+ did announce a surprise cut in oil output at its meetings beginning 4 June. As also predicted in the same piece, the net effect of the 1.16 million barrels per day (bpd) production cut achieved nothing good for Saudi Arabia – either through the sustained oil price gains it anticipated or in repairing its shattered geopolitical relationships with the West. Instead, as with the previous ‘surprise’ OPEC+ production cut, Russia was the only major beneficiary. The key question from this point for the oil markets is where does this key energy relationship go from here? The genesis of the Russia-Saudi Arabia relationship as it pertains to the transition of ‘OPEC’ to ‘OPEC+’ (the major ‘+’ in this context being Russia, of course) is core to understanding why Saudi Arabia keeps being suckered in to doing stupid things in the oil markets by Russia. This is entirely separate from the reasons why Saudi Arabia keeps being suckered in to doing stupid things by China, which are analysed in depth in my new book on the new global oil market order. The catalyst for this seismic shift in geopolitical alliances between Saudi Arabia and Russia was the failure of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, as also analysed in the book, which was launched with the specific intention by Saudi Arabia to destroy - or at least severely disable for as many years as possible – the U.S.’s then-nascent shale oil sector. It was obvious to the Saudis at that point that ongoing build-out of the lower-cost U.S. shale oil sector would mean the gradual destruction of Riyadh’s power in the world and as a key player in the Middle East, given that its only true basis of power is its oil supplies. It would also mean that the U.S. would be less inclined to support Saudi Arabia on regional security issues, most notably the increasing threats from Iran. In short, the Saudis had no real choice but to try to take on the U.S.’s shale sector, and it did, and it lost and it – and every one of its OPEC brothers - paid a terrible economic price, further exacerbated by the 2020 Oil Price War.
The immediate aftermath of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War was that Saudi had devastated its own economy and those of other OPEC member states for years to come. Additionally, and more importantly from a geopolitical perspective, it had lost its credibility as the de facto leader of OPEC, and OPEC had lost its credibility as the indomitable force in global oil markets. This meant that OPEC’s pronouncements on future oil supply and demand levels – and therefore, on pricing – had lost much of their potency to move markets, and that their joint production deals were diminished in effectiveness. At the end of 2016, then, and fully cognisant of the enormous economic and geopolitical possibilities that were available to it by becoming a core participant in the crude oil supply/demand/pricing matrix, Russia agreed to support the OPEC production cut deal in what was to be called from then-on ‘OPEC+’, albeit in its own uniquely self-serving and ruthless fashion.
It is to their moral credit that the Saudis appear never to forget what they consider to be a good deed done for them, as also occurred in China’s case with the face-saving offer made to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when he was struggling to find big buyers for his initial public offering of Saudi Aramco. As also examined in depth in my new book, China’s offer to buy the entire 5 percent in the company being offered at that time in a private placement – the details of which were never to be revealed – was the key turning point in the relationship between Saudi Arabia and China. Similarly, Russia’s support for the end-2016 ‘OPEC+’ oil output cut was effective in bolstering oil prices and allowing OPEC members to begin to rebuild their finance after the 2014-2016 Oil Price War. It was also the key turning point in Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Russia.
Following this, October 2017 saw Russia’s President Vladimir Putin invite Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, to Moscow - the first ever visit to Russia’s capital city made by a sitting Saudi monarch. At this meeting, and the many meetings on the side-lines between officials of the two countries in which the real business is done, US$3 billion or so of specific deals were agreed across a wide range of areas, not just in the oil sector. Russia’s Energy Minister Alexander Novak flagged at the time that Russian gas producer Novatek was in talks for Saudi investors to take part in its Arctic LNG-2 project, a follow-up to its US$27 billion plant in the Yamal peninsula. It was also agreed that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), was to establish a US$1 billion fund alongside Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which would invest in Russian technology companies. In the same vein, Russian state-owned hydrocarbons companies Rosneft and Gazprom entered talks with their counterpart, Saudi Aramco, to conduct co-ordinated oil and gas trading operations and the establishing of a joint research and technology centre.
Bad though all of this was from Washington’s perspective, even worse were two broader political and military developments, as also analysed in depth in my new book on the new global oil market order. One of these was that Saudi Arabia rowed back on its demand that Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad be removed from power. The other, and perhaps even more extraordinary, was that Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding for the purchase from Russia of its S-400 air defence system. The apotheosis so far of Saudi Arabia’s profound commitment to Russia has been its unerring unwillingness to in any way downscale this relationship in light of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, of course.
The problem for Saudi Arabia and its fellow OPEC brothers is that Russia regards them all as - in the phraseology of the original KGB in which Putin was raised - ‘useful idiots’. For many years up to its invasion of Ukraine, Russia had a fiscal breakeven price per barrel of Brent of around US$40. This was for a long period about the same as the level at which U.S. shale producers can make decent profits and around half of Saudi Arabia’s longstanding fiscal breakeven oil price. Things have changed now, with a fiscal breakeven oil price for Russia of around US$115 pb of Brent this year, according to oil industry figures. But this is not the key point. The key point is that following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, various bans and price caps were introduced on its hydrocarbons products by differing groups of the U.S. and its allies, with a central one being the introduction of a general oil price cap on Russian oil at US$60 per barrel. This came in December from the G7 group of countries (comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US) and from the EU (which is also a ‘non-enumerated’ additional member of the G7), plus Australia. Given these factors, Russia’s strategy has been very straightforward, but very effective: persuade Saudi Arabia (the de facto leader of OPEC) to increase the group’s oil prices as much as possible while at the same time selling its own oil at a discount to this price, above the official oil price cap.
There are plenty of willing buyers for discounted Russian oil whether it is at or above the US$60 pb barrel price cap. China is the main one, but India is a huge buyer too – and the higher OPEC puts up its oil prices, the more attractive discounted Russian oil looks. As also analysed in my new book on the new global oil market order, neither China nor India (nor several other major oil-buying countries) care at all about existing U.S.-led sanctions against Russia and are happy to buy cheap Russian oil. Interestingly as well, the U.S. itself does not seem too bothered about such sales at discounted prices to the OPEC levels because this has the net effect of subduing oil prices generally within the wider global oil market. It is in this context, then, that the Kremlin’s official news release after the ‘surprise’ OPEC+ output cut should be read. “Both sides praised the level of cooperation within the OPEC+, which makes it possible to take timely and efficient steps in order to maintain the balance of oil demand and supply.” This is what used to pass for humour in Putin’s KGB circles.
By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com
More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
- Aramco To Supply Full Crude Volumes To Asian Refiners Despite Production Cut
- Oil Prices Under Pressure Ahead Of Fed Meeting
- U.S. Set To Unload Oil From Seized Iranian Tanker


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A tingling sensation rises in my chest, accompanied by a gentle pressure and a bubbling up of emotion that lifts my shoulders and brings a smile to my face. The tingling spreads to my arms and I find myself singing a familiar song: I just feel like something good is about to happen. I just feel like something good is on its way.
Excitement. Sometimes, it overwhelms me. I'm usually at work, doing an ordinary task when, for a fleeting moment, I'm struck with jubilant anticipation. The feeling is almost always accompanied be the song, and it makes me want to jump to my feet and shout. Maybe these bursts of excitement are from too much caffeine (I drink an awful lot of caffeine,) but it feels more like the springing up of an eternal hope, like a hug from the Holy Spirit.
Am I alone in this, or do you feel it, too? Do everyday moments ever feel like the night before Christmas, or like there's one more number to be announced on a prize-winning ticket and all your numbers so far have been a match? That's what it's like for me. I just feel like something good is about to happen. I just feel like something good is on its way.
Granted, there are plenty of times where I feel anxiety or sadness in much the same way. But those occurrences seem more in line with my human nature. The excitement I experience has a supernatural sense to it. Maybe I feel it because the Lord is getting ready to drop a new idea into my spirit or reveal a new ministry opportunity. Maybe a personal dream is going to come true or someone in my family will accomplish something great. It sometimes feels like, at any moment, something unexpected and wonderful could happen to me. The next email I open or phone call I receive could be about marvelous, life-changing news. Any day now, the Lord could grant one of my heart's desires, simply because I delight in Him. (Psalms 37:4)
Or maybe the excitement is about something greater. I liken it to the feeling Zacchaeus must have had as he climbed down from the tree, knowing he was about to break bread with Jesus. It's the feeling I imagine in the parable of the ten virgins, for the ones who were ready for the bridegroom, when the cry was made at midnight, "He's coming! Go meet him!" The sensation could very well be my spirit "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:4) That's definitely something good that's on its way.
Whatever the cause, I'm thankful. Even if it's because of too much caffeine, I just feel like something good is about to happen. I hope you do, too.
I just feel like something good is about to happen
I just feel like something good is on its way
He has promised that He'd open all of heaven
And brother, it could happen any day
William J. Gaither, copyright 1974
Here's a link to the Gaither Homecoming version of the song referenced in this post. (Jessy Dixon's part in this gets me!) And another great version is below.
About the Blog
Thank you for visiting my blog. I share devotional articles and musings about life, parenting, and the writing journey, as well as important news about my books. I hope you find something of interest here!
Click below to sign up for my email newsletter, which includes links to my latest blog posts. Thank you!

domain: literature


Riverview grad Fisher takes on larger-than-expected role for Penn State volleyball
Volleyball always has come naturally for Penn State freshman Cal Fisher.
Between his mother, Charlotte, who played at Eastern Kentucky and then professionally in Spain, and two older sisters, Hannah (Wheeling Jesuit) and Arden (Robert Morris), who also played collegiately, he has been around the game his entire life.
Fisher, a Riverview grad who played one season at Penn Hills, has had to call on those instincts probably sooner and more often than he expected. A rash of injuries thrust him into a featured role for what traditionally has been one of the strongest men’s volleyball programs in the nation.
“We’ve had seven guys — about 46 feet, 4 inches of human — injured,” Nittany Lions coach Mark Pavlik said. “Through the fall, we really liked how (he) was picking up the game and the physicality of it.
“But you get on the court against the top teams in the country and have to do it every day, a lot of freshmen have never trained or played this long before. The thing I will say with him is he is not afraid to compete. He is not intimidated by anything.”
Through last weekend’s Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge, Fisher has put up solid numbers for the Nittany Lions (8-10, 5-2 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association). He has played in 16 of 18 matches (seven starts) and posted 83 kills with a .252 hitting percentage.
He has had three matches of double-digit kills, including a personal-best 12 against Lindenwood in January. He also had 10 kills in a loss to then-No. 4 BYU.
“I don’t think I expected the role I have now,” said Fisher, a 6-foot-3 hitter who plays outside and opposite. “But I put in the work necessary to get here. The biggest adjustment is the tempo and the size of the players.”
Fisher played just that one season at Penn Hills through a cooperative agreement — Riverview doesn’t have a boys team — and spent the rest of his organized playing days competing for Pittsburgh Volleyball Club. But, Pavlik said, he also spent time playing recreationally without a coach scrutinizing his every move.
Pavlik said he believes that has gone a long way toward Fisher’s rapid adjustment to the college level.
“Nothing happens in the game that truly surprises him,” Pavlik said. “The game is probably a little slower for him. Things don’t happen as quickly because he has seen it, been there, done that. I think that’s where ‘Fish’ has an advantage.”
Also helping Fisher’s adjustment is the presence of his friend and longtime Pittsburgh Volleyball Club teammate Canyon Tuman, a freshman from North Allegheny. Tuman, like Fisher, has been forced to play probably more than anticipated, so each can empathize with and help the other.
“It was a change of pace for me and Cal,” Tuman said. “Now, we’re playing with the big boys, and we’re making each other better.”
Fisher figures to keep getting better with more experience and fine-tuning of his technique. Being able to take some lumps while learning on the job, Pavlik said, will help him down the road.
“We’re throwing him into some matches where, in past years, guys wouldn’t have been in those positions,” Pavlik said. “His athletic self-esteem … has not been damaged by playing against guys across the net who have been playing for four years and are bigger, stronger and wiser.”
Chuck Curti is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chuck by email at [email protected] or via Twitter .


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A tile-based platformer that intentionally limits the player’s view, GLO features heavy trial-and-error gameplay. The higher challenge and demand for repetition might not please everyone but there is no denying the sense of accomplishment upon completing every stage.
Playing as a square, the goal is to reach the end tile. Shrouded in darkness, the player can only see a couple tile’s worth of distance ahead. Due to this purposely designed restriction, the player can easily walk off a ledge, miss a jump, or encounter an enemy, all of which results in an instant restart back to the beginning to try again.
The biggest problem with GLO is the lack of direction or a tutorial. If you watch my stream below, you will notice I start severely struggling a handful of stages into the campaign. It was here that I realized the player has the ability to double jump, albeit being a small extra hop, and can shoot a small projectile using the trigger button. After some experimenting, I found out this projectile can be used to destroy incoming enemies, making stages significantly easier. Further, I was then told by the developer that this projectile can be aimed using the right analog stick. Honestly, if I was not told this information, I would have had to clue as the game doesn’t provide a tutorial or even a button layout screen in the main menu. Having the player figure out these more obscure gameplay elements on their own is a little ridiculous but once you know, the entire experience becomes more pleasurable.
The presentation is rather simple as everything is nothing more than a colored box. At the same time, the player cannot really see much of the game at any given time anyway due to the darkness. Sometime there is text written in the background, attempting to give the player a slight clue, but these hints are often difficulty to read, again, because the game purposely limits the player’s perspective resulting in a moot point. The sound track is also subtle and almost calming which is a little strange for a game that carries a higher difficulty.
GLO is an acquired taste. Casual platform fans will be distracted by the difficulty and requirement to replay stages many times whereas completionists and players with high levels of perseverance will enjoy the sense of accomplishment. Either way, if you are curious, this is another low cost EastAsiaSoft game that doesn’t take much to snag that Platinum so Trophy hunters should take note.
Also Play: Blindy (Switch)
Better Than: those stupidly hard custom made Mario Maker levels
Wait For It: Thomas Was Alone 2

domain: design


A WEARSIDE engineering firm has been fined for endangering workers by allowing them to use machinery on which vital safety devices had been disabled.
Sunderland Magistrates’ Court heard today that Washington-based Penshaw Engineering Limited knowingly kept two computer-controlled lathes in use when safety devices were not working.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector visited the site on March 20 2011 and found that the safety devices had been disabled.
The court was told the safety devices were designed to protect the workers from the moving parts of the machinery, by preventing dangerous machine movements when they were open.
Butthey had been disabled to allow workers to use the rotating lathe to polish components under production with emery cloth.
Further investigation by the HSE found that the safety devices had been disabled for around a year prior to the inspection, and that management were aware this had happened.
The company had also been served with two Improvement Notices by HSE following an inspection in 2006 and had received advice on the disabling of interlocks on computer controlled machinery.
Penshaw Engineering Limited, of Harvey Close, Crowther Industrial Estate, Washington, was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £2,000 costs after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
After the hearing HSE inspector Fiona McGarry, said: “Safety devices are installed on machinery with dangerous moving parts to protect those who work with them. Deliberately disabling or switching off safety devices puts workers at unnecessary risk and is simply not acceptable.
“Employers should avoid polishing with emery cloth and lathes. Where necessary it should be applied using safety equipment such as a backing board, tool post or nutcracker. Polishing should not be carried out on computer controlled lathes.
“The circumstances in this case were made even worse by the fact that the company had previously been issued with Improvement Notices and had received advice relating to this very issue.
“HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action in cases such this.”


Property manager discusses California’s eviction ban
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California will ban evictions for unpaid rent through the end of September and will use federal money to pay off eligible tenants’ debt.
The agreement extends California’s current eviction moratorium that was scheduled to expire Wednesday.
To be eligible, tenants must make 80% or less of the area’s median income.
Tenants who are not eligible can still qualify for the eviction ban if they pay at least 25% of what they owe by Sept. 30.
Landlord groups say the state needs to move more quickly to distribute money to aid landlords who haven’t been getting paid.
FBS Property Management Vice President Lucinda Lilly, joined Good Morning San Diego to discuss the eviction moratoruim extension


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Despite his early interest in art, Calder originally decided to go into engineering. He studied Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology and spent the next few years dabbling in various jobs related to the field. It wasn't until 1923 that he decided to return to the world of art. He moved to New York and enrolled in the Arts Student League. In 1926, he took his interest in art a step further and moved to Paris, where he enrolled in the Académie de la Grand Chaumière. It was there that he began to further develop his skills and tinker with kinetic art. One of his earliest experiments with kinetic art was in his creation of his Cirque Calder (inspired from a two-week stint spent researching the Ringling Brother Circus for the National Police Gazette in 1925), which he designed and performed for people throughout France and the US, as seen here.
|Lobster Trap & Fish Tail - 1939|
|Man - 1967|
While Budding Artists cannot boast to have any of his stabiles or mobiles, we are honouring Alexander Calder's life and works this Saturday, June 23, 2012 during the weekly children's art workshop at the London Farmer's Market. Register your kids today and bring the world of kinetic art alive for them in 90 minutes of fun and adventure through the eyes of this master artist. Workshops are held at 10:30am and 1pm, with the cost of materials included in the price. They will thrill at the experience of creating their very own kinetic art and you will too, when you see that spark of creativity come alive. See you Saturday!


Paul Anka will be Crooning at the E Center
Singer-songwriter Paul Anka will regale audiences with his catalogue of hits in the E Center at the Edgewater on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. Ticket range is $45-$105.
Anka has recorded 125 albums to date including more than 10 albums in Japanese, German, Spanish, French and Italian, composing songs culturally tailored to each country. His new album “Rock Swings” featuring songs originally created and recorded by some of rock music’s raunchiest bad boys is performed with big-band, crooner-style interpretations of songs by Nirvana, Van Halen, the Cure, and Oasis. Starting as a teen idol, Anka has since sold close to 15 million albums worldwide. He’s garnered three No. 1 songs “Diana,” “Lonely Boy,” and “You’re Having My Baby,” as well as 22 Top 20 hits. Anka also has a staggering 900 songs to his credit with 130 being recorded by other artists including Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, and Robbie Williams. He is particularly well-known for penning signature songs for others including: “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” (Buddy Holly); “She’s a Lady” (Tom Jones); “Puppy Love” (Donny Osmond); and most notably “My Way” (Frank Sinatra).
Crystal Gale Will Charm Riverside Audiences
Crystal Gayle with her trademark dark long flowing hair will appear at the Riverside in Don’s Celebrity Theater Feb. 15-18 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35.
Gayle, whose older sister is country songstress Loretta Lynn, made her own indelible mark on country music and in 1977 delivered the worldwide smash hit, “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.” Gayle has had 20 number one country hits such as, “If You Ever Change Your Mind,” “Too Many Lovers,” “The Woman in Me,” “Til I Gain Control Again” and “The Sound of Goodbye.” In 1982, she recorded a duet with Eddie Rabbitt “You and I,” which became a really popular wedding song. Gayle is also the first female country artist to reach platinum sales with her album “We Must Believe in Magic!” She is the recipient of three American Music Awards, voted by the nation as America’s “Favorite Female Artist,” and was CMA’s “Female Vocalist of the Year,” for two consecutive years.
Riverwalk Festivals are Themed Celebrations
The Colorado Belle features free Riverwalk Festivals with live music and food and beverages for sale. The Mardi Gras Festival will be held Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 17-18 with southern style food and live music by the Mark St. Mary Band and Zydeco Mud Bugs. The Down Home Country Festival with country style cuisine will happen Friday-Sunday, Feb. 23-25 with live music by the Do Wah Riders and Walker Williams.
Alabama Will Rock Laughlin Event Center
American country/southern rock band Alabama will bring their string of hits to the Laughlin Event Center on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $50.
Alabama, formed 40 years ago in Fort Payne, Alabama, by Randy Owen, his cousin Teddy Gentry and another cousin, Jeff Cook, began performing in local bars blending country and Southern rock with gospel and pop under the name Wildcountry.
The trio’s unorthodox appearance for country musicians at the time made them renegades in sneakers and T-shirts with long hair and playing loudly. They began writing original tunes, and in 1977 changed their name to Alabama. The rest is history. The band has more than 30 number one country records on Billboard charts and have sold more than 75 million records, making them the most successful band in country music history.
— Jackie Brett


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News and Reviews
Events Around Casey
Get Rhythm – A Tribute to Johnny Cash & June Carter
20/08/2022, 8:00 pm
Got the blues? Get Rhythm! Mark and Joanne Caligiuri lead a fantastic ensemble as country music’s favourite couple, Johnny Cash
Find awesome listings near you!


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This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables.
The intent of our study was to show that diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma by ultrasonic scanning, like all other diagnostic techniques reported, has no effect on survival. However, ultrasonic scanning was remarkably reliable (abnormal in 24 of 28 patients) in providing a diagnosis. Ultrasonic scanning is considered to be safe, simple, and quite worthwhile. It continues to be the initial study of choice in our institution for patients suspected of having pancreatic cancer, before resorting to computerized tomographic (CT) scanning.Although it may not yet be proved that CT scanning will be more sensitive than ultrasonic scanning in diagnosing pancreatic malignant neoplasms, this is very likely to occur. However, it is somewhat less certain that CT scanning will be able to alter the survival of these patients any more than any other presently available technology. It also remains to be seen whether new programs of chemotherapy and radiotherapy
Strum WB. Ultrasonic Sounds and Pancreatic Carcinoma-Reply. JAMA. 1977;238(24):2599. doi:10.1001/jama.1977.03280250024009
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domain: medical


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U-School will play Indiana’s La Lumiere, the No. 1 team in the nation, according to USA Today, in the quarterfinals at 4 p.m. on April 4. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU, and all of the tournament’s games will be on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.
La Lumiere (28-0) features five-star center and Washington commit Isaiah Stewart, the No. 6 player in the nation in 247Sports’ composite rankings, and five-star small forward Keion Brooks, the No. 23 player in the nation.
The big question for U-School will be whether five-star center and Duke commit Vernon Carey Jr. will be healthy enough to play. The Sharks’ star missed both games in Lakeland due to an ankle sprain he suffered in the regional finals.
U-School still dominated the state playoffs without Carey. Led by five-star junior forward Scott Barnes, the Sharks had another dominant Lakeland appearance, winning their two games by a combined 64 points this year.
U-School was the runner-up at GEICO Nationals last year, losing to Montverde Academy in the title game. Montverde (No. 3 in the nation) returns this year, along with Bradenton IMG Academy (No. 4), Georgia’s McEachern High (No. 2), Virginia’s Oak Hill Academy (No. 9), Utah’s Wasatch Academy (No. 10) and Kansas’ Sunrise Christian Academy (No. 14).

domain: sports


INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana Senate Republicans have fired back at Sen. Mike Delph, removing him from leadership positions after Delph accused them of abandoning their principles in the HJR-3 debate.
On Friday, Senate President Pro Tem David Long, the Senate's leading Republican, told Delph he would lose his ranking within the GOP caucus and his press secretary. Delph's seat in the Senate chambers will also be moved to be among Senate Democrats.
The sanctions against Delph follow more than a week of infighting over the failed effort to place the proposed amendment on the ballot this November.
After the Senate failed to restore the second sentence of HJR-3 last Thursday, thus delaying its spot on a public referendum until at least 2016, Delph took to Twitter to voice his frustrations . In a prolific, three-day war of words, Delph criticized his fellow Republicans, saying they had turned their back on the conservative base of the Indiana Republican Party.
Delph also lashed out at the media and the "self-absorbed Godless culture that is fast-tracking our nation to ruin."
In a press conference Monday , Delph said he thought the state's voters deserved the chance to vote on the issue.
"The can keeps getting kicked down the road while culture change grows," Delph said. "The state of Indiana needs to bring this issue to closure once and for all."
On Friday, Delph told Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez that he has "no regrets" about anything he's said or tweeted following the HJR-3 decision.
See the full version of Rafael's exclusive interview with Sen. Mike Delph on Sunday at 6:30 a.m. on Indianapolis This Week on RTV6.
Associated Press writer Tom LoBianco contributed to this report.


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Some time beforea funerary monument was erected in his memory on the north wall, with a half-effigy of him in the act of writing.
The following paper topics, each with a sample outline, are designed to test your understanding of Much Ado About Nothing. Each deals with the play as a whole and requires analysis of important themes and literary devices.
Write an analytical essay on the ways in which they parallel or counterpoint each other in characterization, in dialogue, and in plot structure. The Claudio-Hero and the Benedick-Beatrice love stories are interwoven in Much Ado About Nothing through a series of parallels and contrasts in characterization, in dialogue, and in plot structure.
Hero and Beatrice are kinswomen and good friends and Claudio and Benedick are comrades-in-arms and good friends 2.
Both couples knew each other in the past 3. Claudio and Hero are slaves to convention and Benedick and Beatrice are free spirits 2. Claudio seeks a wooing intermediary and Benedick woos directly 3. Claudio and Hero rely on knowledge, and Benedick and Beatrice rely on their intuition. Both couples are educated aristocrats 2.
Both couples talk about marriage 3. Both Claudio and Benedick speak about their fears of cuckoldry 4. Both couples will learn to speak more directly B.
Claudio and Hero usually speak inverse and Benedick and Beatrice usually speak in prose 2.
Harmony of plots 1. The Claudio-Hero plot and the Benedick-Beatrice plot are harmonized because they are friends 2.
The Claudio-Hero plot and the Benedick-Beatrice plot are harmonized because they are both love stories 3. The Claudio-Hero and the Benedick-Beatrice plot are both harmonized by their gaiety until crisis occurs B. Polarization of plots 1.
The polarization of the plots begin when reflective Benedick will no longer play court jester for Claudio and Don Pedro 2. The crisis in the Claudio-Hero plot, the refusal and accusal of Hero, precipitates an extended crisis in the Benedick-Beatrice plot 3.
Hamlet is a play written by William Shakespeare that very closely follows the dramatic conventions of revenge in Elizabethan theater. All revenge tragedies originally stemmed from the Greeks, who wrote and performed the first plays. Music in Shakespeare's Plays: It was customary in Tudor and Stuart drama to include at least one song in every play. Only the most profound tragedies, in accordance with Senecan models, occasionally eschewed all music except for the sounds of trumpets and drums. In his later tragedies, William Shakespeare defied this orthodoxy. In Shakespeare’s time “nothing” was generally pronounced as “noting,” therefore making the title of the play “Much Ado about Noting.” Unsurprisingly as a result, Shakespeare abuses this homonym at every opportunity. “Nothing” could mean “nothing;” “nothing” could denote “noting” or listening in/eavesdropping.
The two plots are completely polarized when Benedick agrees to, and then challenges, Claudio C. Reconciliation of plots 1. The Claudio-Hero plot is reconciled with the Benedick-Beatrice plot when Benedick releases penitent Claudio from his challenge 2.
The Claudio-Hero plot is reconciled with the Beatrice-Benedick plot as both couples prepare for their double-wedding V. Shakespeare uses parallels and counterpoints to interweave two love stories, one based on convention, the other on invention, in a pattern that begins in harmony, splits in crisis, and resolves in reconciliation.Music in Shakespeare's Plays: It was customary in Tudor and Stuart drama to include at least one song in every play.
Only the most profound tragedies, in accordance with Senecan models, occasionally eschewed all music except for the sounds of trumpets and drums. In his later tragedies, William Shakespeare defied this orthodoxy.
'Much Ado About Nothing' is no exception and presents this plot structure through the pairings of Claudio and Hero, and Benedick and Beatrice. These couples illustrate two different types of love, and their portrayed experiences are revealing of Elizabethan attitudes and beliefs regarding love.
Contemporary Examples. of shakespeare. Shakespeare,” said Professor Watson, “wrote a story for each of us and in them we can hear what we want.
Complete Powerpoint lesson plan on Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. The historical context of the role of women is studied using primary source material, images and texts.
Essay William Shakespeare 's Much Ado About Nothing. The topic of loyalties and where they lie is a reoccurring theme in Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing; be it . Essay on Deception in Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare Deception in Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare Shakespeare was born in , in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Shakespeare did not go to university but worked.


Yesterday, we were looking at this picture from this post: “Technical Analysis: GBPJPY coiling like a snake“: This morning when I revisited the pair, we were looking at this picture from this post:” Technical Commentary: GBPJPY short…” The price trended away. … Continue reading
Forex headlines for Oct 1, 2014: US ADP employment report 213k vs 210k exp US ISM manufacturing PMI 56.6 vs 58.5 exp ISM comments reflect generally positive outlook September 2014 US Markit manufacturing PMI final 57.5 vs 58.0 exp SNB’s … Continue reading
USD/JPY touched a fresh session low of 108.99. That forms a bearish outside reversal on the daily chart after the 6-year high of 110.09 earlier today. Citi was out with a note earlier comparing a reversal on the first trading … Continue reading
Draghi delivered an unexpected speech a day ahead of the European Central Bank decision and used it to put the onus on governments to restore growth. That could be a preview of what Draghi will say after the ECB meeting. … Continue reading
Swiss National Bank President Jordan spoke with FAZ: Minimum exchange rate is absolutely central Negative interest rates can still be applied Doubts that franc will continue to strengthen No reaction in EUR/CHF, trading at 1.2069.
Draghi says fiscal, structural policies must also do their part, in a speech in Naples ahead of tomorrow’s ECB meeting. Eurozone faces cyclical and structural challenges Key to sustainable recovery is higher investment I hope this is the start of … Continue reading
Down from the blistering 17.45M pace in August but up from 15.42M in Aug 2014.
There’s no clear fundamental catalyst for the weakness in the S&P 500 today but three technical levels have given way. The 61.8% retracement of the Aug-Sept rally The 100-dma The April-August trendline Keep an eye on those levels on a … Continue reading
Relational Investors will wind down its $6 billion fund, likely due to the ill health of co-founder Ralph Whitworth who was diagnosed with throat cancer. The Wall Street Journal reports: One internal memo at a public pension fund said Relational … Continue reading
ForexLive Americas coverage captures all the forex news that can impact FX traders in this region. Get the top global bank news and politics from North and South America. Check in with our Forex news Americas coverage daily and keep up with our live updates to give your forex trading strategy an edge. Trading in realtime isn't easy so you need to have all the facts, data and information necessary to make FX trading decisions on American trading pairs in the region quickly. Get trading technical analysis tips on the Americas and find out ways to trade the news to your advantage. Whether it's the Canadian dollar, the U.S. dollar or the Mexican peso, you'll find all the news you need to know right here.


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And having options for the holidays! My mom is the hostess with the most-est, and one thing my parents do best is coffee. Whenever they have people over for parties, or even just their own children for holidays and other events, they give us the royal treatment. They put out mugs, sugar and cream in saucers, sugar substitutes in packets, whipped cream, stirring spoons, flavored creamers, syrups, and sugar-free syrups for us all to choose from. Some of us do decaf only. Some do caffeine or half-caf. And some do flavored. Some do plain. We love it festive!
First of all, have you tried Torani Sugar Free Syrups? We love them! As you know, Torani flavors are crafted to bring out the best in your drinks, so you can make them your own, and in a delicious way. Torani is made with simple and thoughtfully sourced ingredients, and even one flavor can create endless recipes. They’re easy to use! You can simply add a spoonful to your coffee, cocoa, latte, etc. for an every day treat. You can find Torani Sugar Free Syrups at a Walmart near you in the coffee and tea aisle. And in fun flavors too! It’s nice to buy them all.
Guilt-Free Vanilla Peppermint Coffee for the Holidays:
What You Need:
Large cup of your favorite coffee (approx. 1 ½ cups)
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp Torani sugar-free vanilla syrup, divided
1 drop red gel food coloring
2 candy canes
¼ tsp peppermint extract
1-2 Tbsp almond milk, to taste
Yields: One serving
What You Do:
1 – First, pour coffee in your favorite mug – and then set aside.
2 – In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat whipping cream, 2 Tbsp of Torani Sugar-Free Vanilla syrup, and red gel food coloring. Beat on high until pink whipped cream forms, and then set aside.
3 – Using a meat cleaver, crush one of the candy canes into fine bits. Set aside.
4 – Pour remaining Torani Sugar-Free Vanilla syrup into the coffee, followed by peppermint extract and almond milk. Stir.
5 – Top off with pink whipped cream and sprinkle with crushed candy cane. Serve with a candy cane and enjoy!
Fun ways to unwind on these long winter days:
1 – Head outside in daylight for ten minutes. It would have to be pretty cold for me to miss doing this.
2 – Take a brain break. Read a chapter of a book, do a crossword puzzle, or beat a Sudoku puzzle.
3 – Reach out to someone with an “I’m thinking about you” phone call, email, text, etc.
4 – Stretch! Stretching can provide a quick boost of energy, and it feels so good.
5 – Chew peppermint gum or sniff peppermint oil. Sometimes I’ll even put a drop in my hand.
6 – Take a catnap. My favorite? 20 minutes on the couch with the sun streaming onto my face while the kids watch a TV show, or are at school.
7 – Listen to energizing music and maybe even sing and dance. I do this, to the bewilderment of my pets.
8 – And of course, make a fun coffee recipe. Make it your own with Torani – and make it guilt-free with Torani Sugar-Free Syrups. Have some solo time (I hang out with my cat) or invite a friend over!
This time of year is full of hustle and bustle, and having some coffee time is crucial. You can have it by yourself, and it’s also nice to invite a friend over too! This Vanilla Peppermint Coffee recipe is guilt-free and totally makes my day! It’s wonderful to have time to unwind and enjoy.

domain: food


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Meeting de Braga 2023, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger, live stream, results, entry lists and meet schedule.
The event takes place on Wednesday, July 5 at the Estadio 1ro de Mayo in Braga, Portugal. The event will be highlighted by world-class fields in the middle-distance events.
The 2023 Meeting de Braga will be streamed live on the TV AABraga YouTube channel for free Worldwide. The live broadcast is scheduled to begin at 6:10pm Western European time (GMT +1).


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Subject Areas on Research
- A returning traveler with fever and rash.
- Acute viral infections in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: description of 23 cases and review of the literature.
- From crystal structure to clinic: highlights of the Tenth International Parvovirus Workshop.
- Management strategies for controlling endemic and seasonal mouse parvovirus infection in a barrier facility.
- Mapping and Engineering Functional Domains of the Assembly-Activating Protein of Adeno-associated Viruses.
- Multiple roles for sialylated glycans in determining the cardiopulmonary tropism of adeno-associated virus 4.
- Neutralizing antibodies against adeno-associated virus examined prospectively in pediatric patients with hemophilia.
- Persistent and Prolonged Parvovirus B19 Viremia in a Pediatric Patient With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
- Tyrosine cross-linking reveals interfacial dynamics in adeno-associated viral capsids during infection.
Keywords of People


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Veronica Sharon Photo
Author Seamus McGraw. Pennsylvania 2016
Prop Stylist and Crafter, Ashley Norton
Haitian musician Belo
Stained glass Artist Joseph Cavalieri and his installation at the Philipse Manor MTA Metro North train station.
Rose-May Hudicourt. Freres, Haiti, 2010.
Saint Elhomme. Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Adele and her daughter, Freres, Haiti.
Ashley Gibson. Fort Lauderdale, FL. 2009
Lee Sharon and his pet Genghis Khan. Port-au-Prince, Haiti.