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First look at the newest food court stall in Chinatown.
Steak, grilled barramundi and Hai nam chicken. And the owners are…
Shiok!, a popular Eating World food court attraction, is no more. The punters used to flock there for their Hainanese chicken – boiled in a broth flavoured with onion, ginger, lemongrass and pandan leaves over high and low heat at different periods to extract maximum flavour.
Stall 213 is now Tiger Cave. It’s just one week old. While Shiok! was pretty singled minded in its offering, this new place makes you do a double take. Steak, fish and chips sit side by side with yen ta fo and hai nam chicken.
It’s hard to categorize, what is this new beast?
And it’s a presumptuous new beast too, declaring eight dishes as their ‘beast seller’, though they’re a week old.
A brief chat to the staff, and a glance at the winter special poster below, solve the mystery. The owners are Thai. And it seems like they’re hedging their bets with the menu, picking Chinese and Thai standards as well as quick Aussie fixes (I’m an awe at #12 that, umm interesting looking chicken schnitzel)
I’m at a loss and out of loyalty for Shiok! as well as at least establishing some comparison point, I order the hai nam chicken (or hai nan as equally correctly spelt on the menu).
It’s not hard to spot the Thai hands in the kitchen; the chilli sauce is rich, dark and spicy while the side clear soup has a tad more flavour than usual thanks to generous additions of coriander and black pepper. These slightly tricked up additions are pretty good (hey I’m a Viet, we spice everything up a notch, too). The chicken is generous; silky and well cooked, it completely covers the piled-high steamed rice. Purists will rejoice – there aren’t any bean sprouts to be seen.
The menu might be a little confusing at first, but the first take is positive. I’m liking the hai nam chicken. Will try a Chinese, Thai and of course Aussie dish in the future to round up the Tiger Cave experience.
Eating World Food Court, Harbour Plaza
25 Dixon St, Haymarket


Customs duty payable on imported items at the nation‘s seaports has increased after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), adjusted the the official exchange rate used by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), for import duties and levies from N770.88/$1 to N783.174/$1.
With this adjustment, the prices of imported goods which Nigeria practically depends on will escalate further in the coming days with attendant untold hardship on many Nigerians. LEADERSHIP reports that the CBN had on June 24th, adjusted the exchange rate from N422.30/$1 to N589/$1, on July 6th, it was adjusted to N770.88/$1
It was gathered that the changes were officially reflected on the Customs portal on Thursday through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). However, with the adjustment in the exchange rate, importers bringing goods through the nation’s seaports will now be paying more as import duty tariffs following the addition of N12.294 to any one dollar of the total value used in calculating import duty.
However, maritime experts have argued that the new customs exchange rate effectively means there would be an increase in import duty payable by clearing agents to the Customs service and would overall affect price of goods at the market.
Confirming the increment, the public relations officer, Tin Can Island chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licenced Customs Agents (ANLCA), Comrade Onome Monije, rued the increment, saying clearing agents will now pay more for cargo clearance at the various seaports. She said the increment will affect vehicle clearance, saying clearing agents should engage their clients to forestall disagreement.


This text is translated into Russian by google automatic human level neural machine.
EastRussia is not responsible for any mistakes in the translated text. Sorry for the inconvinience.
Please refer to the text in Russian as a source.
Coronavirus is not a hindrance: in the Amur region roads are made on the national project
This year, about 1,4 billion rubles have been allocated for safe and high-quality roads in the Amur Region
The coronavirus epidemic made undesirable adjustments to the implementation of a number of federal programs included in national projects. At a regular meeting with the government on May 19, Vladimir Putin already announced that all the tasks planned in this direction in 2020 will not be possible to fulfill: money needs to be directed to more important goals, including restoring the economy in the country. The redistribution of the budget will require corrections in the initiatives already launched: in particular, information appeared on the sidelines of the Cabinet of Ministers on the suspension of the construction of new roads. Nevertheless, while the regions continue to work according to the schedules outlined at the beginning of the year, the Amur Region was no exception.
MORE WORK AND MONEY
The second year of participation in the national project brought Amur large-scale plans and a huge amount of work. According to the Ministry of Transport and Roads of the Amur Region, over six years of participation in the national project “Safe and High-Quality Roads”, the share of regional routes that comply with federal regulations will increase from 75,7% to 76,8%.
The share of spending for these purposes from the federal and regional budgets is recounted every year, and in 2020 will amount to about 1,4 billion rubles. At the same time, 720,6 million will be spent on expanding the video surveillance system, including the installation of stationary cameras for photo and video recording of traffic violations on highways of all levels. These measures help to significantly reduce the accident rate on the roads.
Another 667 million this year will go directly to repair and restore the road network: 405 million will be provided by the federal treasury, another 262 million will be allocated from the Amur Region from its own funds. The general plan, which the regional authorities announced for 2020, provides for 17,5 km of tracks - 14 sections will be put in order before the onset of winter. At the same time, the main attention will be paid to the highways of the Blagoveshchensk agglomeration - the regional capital received 598 million rubles for these purposes, and part of the work is already in full swing.
ROADS FOR THE CAPITAL
In Blagoveshchensk, meter-by-meter meter reconstruction is continuing. In the capital of the Amur Region, repair of Kalinin Street is in full swing - one of the main roads connecting the city center with the microdistrict. Since April 28, road services have been working together with municipal organizations: along with the transformation of the roadway, they are changing sections of the thermal communications network. Before the next heating season, the city authorities have more than three months. In order not to create traffic interference, local authorities partially blocked the highway for the movement of all types of vehicles.
“In the area of the crossroads of Kalinin and Proletarskaya, an integrated approach to repairing the highway is being applied - these are both networks and road works. According to the technology of work, at this stage it is necessary to completely overlap the city highway. This will allow us to efficiently and promptly complete the entire amount of work on time, ”explained Oleg Imameev, First Deputy Head of the Blagoveshchensk Administration.
The finished work will be handed over in three stages. The main sections of the Amurstroy Road Construction Company, acting as the main contractor, will be repaired during the summer.
“The first stage of the task was the dismantling of the shabby elements of communications, then the dismantling of the curb fences, the dismantling of the old asphalt layer began. After that, the entire height of the carriageway is re-laid - from the heat pipe to the sand cushion and asphalt pavement. A lot of work, but so far we are not out of schedule. We even pass ahead of some sections, ”a source at DSK Amurstroy told EastRussia.
On May 5, the contractor StroyUyut LLC began repairing the bypass road from the microdistrict to the center of Blagoveshchensk - Nagornaya Street. The roadway was expanded on this site, now experts are laying gravel and sand cover and equipping the drainage system. By the end of May, the road service promises to fully commission the facility - free movement along Nagornaya is necessary due to the fact that the bridge structure is being repaired on Zagorodnaya Street.
These works were also funded by the national project “Safe and High-Quality Roads”. On May 13, another company began repairing a section of the carriageway of Teplichnaya Street - about 500 meters of the road will be put in order. The renewed site will be commissioned at the end of October, and immediately after that the contractor will begin to reconstruct the section from Voronkov Street to Ignatyevskoye Highway. In addition, in Blagoveshchensk this year, sections of Zelenaya and Polytechnic streets will be repaired, as well as entrances to four medical institutions.
BRIDGES AND ROADS
Reconstruction of roads is also ongoing in other municipalities of the Amur Region. In Blagoveshchensk district, repair work has already begun at once on two streets of the village of Chigiri - Chigirinskaya and Central. In the village of Ust-Ivanovka, until the end of October, Novaya Street will be repaired - it leads to a recently commissioned kindergarten. Almost 250 million rubles were allocated for these purposes from the general expenditure plan for 2020.
In Tynda, road repair will begin in June, where overhaul will take place on two km of city roads, and will also affect about one km of sidewalks. Also, the regional government will continue to work on intercity highways, including on the way to Svobodny, where this year they will hand over a long stretch of about six km. The sections of the route connecting Blagoveshchensk and Gomelevka will also be put in order. The authorities plan to complete the bulk of the work under the national project in early September, by the new school year.
The special attention of the Government of the Amur Region is now focused on the situation with the automobile bridge over the Zeya River. Due to damage to the slabs and load-bearing supports, on April 26, both freight and passenger vehicles were suspended on it. The overpass, built in 1981, is the only thread directly connecting Blagoveshchensk with the federal road network - an alternative route through Svobodny adds about 300 km to the path.
The very next day, April 27, the Governor of the Amur Region Vasily Orlov at a meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation announced the incident to President Vladimir Putin.
“On April 26, on the road bridge over Zeya in Blagoveshchensk, the supporting part of the roadway slab was destroyed, which resulted in a ban on the movement of vehicles weighing over 3,5 tons and the organization of reverse traffic in one lane. Traffic jams form. An operational survey of the emergency site is underway, a technical solution for recovery is being prepared. Estimated duration of the repair will be from 20 to 30 days, the preliminary cost is 20 million rubles. Overhaul of the bridge is planned for August 2020, and preparation of project documentation is currently underway, ”Orlov announced then.
The head of state instructed to repair the bridge as soon as possible. Financing the construction of a new overpass has been shifted by a year - the Minister of Finance of Russia Anton Siluanov is in charge of monitoring this issue. The contract for the construction of a transport overpass through Zeya, with a total value of 19,8 billion rubles, was originally designed for 2021-2024, but the current critical situation became an occasion to expedite the project: no one will guarantee that a construction with a 40-year history will not collapse in another place.
As part of the Safe and High-Quality Roads National Project, money has already been allocated to prepare for the construction of a new bridge - USK Most, which has recently built a crossing over the Amur River, connecting the borders of Russia and China for cars, will work on the site. She is now repairing the first span of the bridge across the Zeya, where defects were found. Regional Transport Minister Alexander Zelenin noted that the incident forced to accelerate the overhaul of the structure.
“There is a direct instruction from the president to finance the overhaul, and we understand that this year we must begin the overhaul of the bridge,” the minister said.
By September 1, it is necessary to complete the production of project documentation and get a state examination for the overhaul of the old bridge. The preliminary cost of these works will be two billion rubles.
“Now everything will depend on how many contractors working in the Amur Region will be able to master this year,” the head of the Amur region said.
They plan to start work this year, with the help of the federal Ministry of Transport. The department is also actively considering the allocation of five billion rubles this year for the Amur Region in order to begin construction of a new bridge over Zeya. At the same time, 300 million of the two billion that the region requested for restoration of roads after the flood have already been allocated in the Amur Region.


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You're sure to get a jungle's worth of Valentines with these three card holders.
1. Paint. For each animal, paint empty tissue box with a base coat of white paint. Let dry. Using bright colors, paint legs on each corner of box. Paint box sides and top with designs (see photo).
2. Cut. Cut out heads, ears, trunk, and tails using photos as your guide.
3. Glue. Glue animal features onto boxes.
Note: For neck and head of giraffe, paint cardboard tube with a base coat of white paint. Let dry and then paint a design to match the body. Let dry. Cut bottom of tube to fit over the box edge. Cut off top of tube at an angle so head doesn't tilt up.

domain: artistic


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The extra passport checks the UK has requested after leaving the EU are “unsustainable”: That is the scathing view of Jacques Damas, outgoing Eurostar CEO.
The boss of the cross-channel train operator revealed that post-Brexit border regulations have reduced capacity on London to Brussels and Paris services by a third – forcing Eurostar to “charge our customers higher prices”.
Earlier this month, Huw Merriman, Chair of the Transport Select Committee, wrote to Eurostar expressing concern at the impact of the ongoing closure of the international stations Ebbsfleet and Ashford in Kent. Trains to Brussels and Paris ended their connections there when the coronavirus pandemic began.
They will not open until 2025 at the earliest. Eurostar will also discontinue direct trains to Disneyland Paris in June 2023.
In his response to the parliamentary committee, Mr Damas explained in harrowing detail the damage Brexit has done to international rail travel to and from the UK.
His letter, which Mr Merriman published, begins by saying: “I fully understand the disappointment that many feel at the continued closure of Kent’s train stations and the recent announcements regarding Disneyland Paris – a popular destination for many of ours British customers including those previously from Ashford.
“I also appreciate the economic impact of such a decision on the Southeast and the loss of choice for individual travelers. I can understand people comparing these decisions to the recovery in travel this year and wondering why we haven’t moved on to reopening stations.”
While financial constraints and technical issues were partly to blame, Mr Damas explained that Brexit has reduced Eurostar capacity by 30 per cent – simply because the new passport requirements take time and require more space.
“Additional border controls will apply to UK citizens wishing to enter Schengen, as well as to all ‘third-country nationals’. As around 40 per cent of our customers are British nationals, this has led to a significant increase in processing times at stations.
“The stamping of UK passports by continental police adds at least 15 seconds to individual passengers’ border crossing times.
“Even with all cabins occupied, St Pancras can currently handle a maximum of 1,500 passengers per hour, up from 2,200 in 2019.
“Just the fact that Eurostar has limited capacity trains and has significantly reduced its timetable from 2019 levels means we don’t see daily queues in central London akin to those in the English Channel ports.
“This situation has obvious commercial consequences and is not sustainable in the medium to long term.”
With supply so constrained, Mr Damas said, “we are currently unable to respond to the high demand on our main inter-capital routes”.
He explained that the reopening of intermediate stations, where demand and average fares are much lower, “would make things worse as it would take key Border Police resources away from London”.
Officials at the major terminals – London, Brussels and Paris – carry five or ten times more passengers at the major Eurostar terminals than at the intermediate stations.
As an immediate consequence, Mr. Damas writes: “Despite the return to tourist traffic, Eurostar is currently unable to pursue a volume and growth strategy. We need to focus on the core routes that make the maximum contribution per train and charge our customers higher prices.
“The whole focus of this effort is to manage and reduce the debt we have had to incur; Until then, there is no prospect of dividends to shareholders.”
Mr Damas revealed the severe financial damage caused by the pandemic, with shareholders pouring £250million into the company – almost double the total dividends since Eurostar was founded.
Revenue has been slashed by 95 per cent for 15 months in 2020-21 and the Omicron surge in December 2021 and early 2022 cost Eurostar at least €50m (£43m) more.
“Eurostar had to find an extra £500m in trade debt to survive,” he said.
Mr Damas added: “The uncertainty surrounding the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) – much discussed with the Committee – hangs over us.”
The Withdrawal Agreement negotiated by the UK and European Union means British travelers to the EU will be photographed and fingerprinted from November 2023, increasing transaction time.
In reply, Mr. Merriman tweeted: “The transport committee will write to the new railway minister [Kevin Foster] and the rail regulator for observations and interventions in support of Eurostar – a vital cog in our transport system.”
The Independent has asked the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of the Interior for an answer.
#Brexit #reduced #Eurostar #capacity #percent #CEO

domain: news


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Submitting a list of works cited or references at the end of an academic text is a critical step in demonstrating your credibility on the subject. It can be frustrating to complete that component of your work, only to learn that you did not format the information correctly. Research Guides: How to Cite Your Resources: APA style The author’s name is also the first to appear in the “Works Cited” page at the end of the essay. APA Format is used most often in psychology , education , nursing , and other social sciences . MLA Format Works Cited | MLAFormat.org The list of Works Cited is an alphabetical list of sources that you used to gather information for your research paper. You place this works cited list at the end of your research paper. Formatting Your MLA Format Works Cited: Page Format: Use the heading “Works Cited” centered one inch below the top edge of Sample Works Cited - Citing Information - LibGuides at ... MLA 8 th edition: Sample Works Cited Page. Note: all of these citations will are examined more in-depth in the pages on Print Sources and Online Sources. Many of these examples come directly from MLA Handbook 8 th Edition. Spacing. In MLA style, the works-cited page is double spaced, with the same spacing within and between citations.
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It’s important to do your research and cite your sources in writing a research paper for Biology class. Check out our works cited page example here. apa work cited example | business proposal templated The whole group of resume templates is composed of a choice of creative resume layouts. It’s offered in PSD format. The CV template isn’t just straightforward to edit, but nonetheless, it also comes in two colour variants and can be utilized… works cited template – theredteadetox.co format works cited website example template of essay cover page sample apa generator MLA Works Cited Page Example for Different Types of Sources
Citations for works in print or on the Web have a number of common elements. These include the author's name, the work's title, and the date on which the cited work was published or revised. There is no uniform agreement on all of the details of a citation for information found on the Web or the Internet.
APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6 th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. APA Sample Paper // Purdue Writing Lab Media File: APA Sample Paper. This resource is enhanced by an Acrobat PDF file. Click on the link above in the Media box to download the pdf handout, APA Sample Paper. How to Format an APA Works Cited List - EasyBib Blog How to Format an APA Works Cited List. Double space the entire list. Every line after the first line of a citation should be indented one-half inch from the left margin (also known as hanging indentations). Alphabetize your entire bibliography list. Add the annotation on the next line below the citation. Further indent the annotation two more spaces (for a total of four spaces). Sample References Page - Citing Information - LibGuides at ...
APA citation examples of source types, including: ... Page or paragraph numbers ..... When citing a specific part of a work, provide the relevant page number or ...
When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, for example, (Jones, 1998), and a complete reference should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper. APA Writing Style Guide - The Learning Center
How to Cite Sources in APA Format How to: APA Citing How to Write a Works Cited Page in APA Style How to Indent APA Style in Microsoft Word How to Make a Works Cited Page in APA Format How to Cite APA Style How to Cite APA Works How to Cite a Website in APA Format You May Like Cute Kid-Friendly Floating Leaf Place Cards Craft Watch Video
page 2, but it does include the first page in the page count: [Example: Smith 2] • The Works Cited (MLA)/References (APA) page must begin on a new page after the end of the text. • The title Works Cited (MLA)/References (APA) must appear at the top of the page, centered and one inch from the top of the page. PDF Apa Works Cited Web Page No Author - WordPress.com Apa Works Cited Web Page No Author Unknown Author: If the work does not have an author, cite the source by its title in Unknown Author and Unknown Date: If no author or date is given, use the title in Note: Never use the page numbers of Web pages you print out, different. -MLA Guide · -APA Guide · -How to
According to APA style guide, the "Works Cited" would appear A. on a separate page at the end of the document. As with most citation styles, they always appear at the end of the document for easy reference once the reader has finished and wants to refer to your sources. There are no styles that... QUT cite|write - QUT Cite tool - APA Examples - Getting started...

domain: library


|(a) Requirement to file an application. Any person who plans to commence or continue coal extraction after the effective date of §12.25, this section, and §§12.27-12.33 of this title (relating to Exemption for Coal Extraction Incidental to the Extraction of Other Minerals), in reliance on the incidental mining exemption shall file a complete application for exemption with the Commission for each mining area. A person may not commence coal extraction based upon the exemption until the Commission approves such application, except as provided in subsection (e)(3) of this section. (b) Existing operations. Any person who has commenced coal extraction at a mining area in reliance upon the incidental mining exemption prior to the effective date of §12.25, this section, and §§12.27-12.33 of this title, may continue mining operations for 60 days after the effective date of §12.25, this section, and §§12.27-12.33 of
this title. Coal extraction may not continue after such 60 day period unless that person files an administratively complete application for exemption with the Commission. An application will be determined to be administratively complete when it contains the information responsive to the requirements of §12.27 of this title (relating to Contents of Application for Exemption). If an administratively complete application is filed within 60 days, the person may continue extracting coal in reliance on the exemption beyond the 60-day period until the Commission makes an administrative decision on such application. (c) Additional information. The Commission shall notify the applicant if the application for exemption is incomplete and may at any time require submittal of additional information. (d) Public comment period. Following publication of the newspaper notice required by §12.27(i) of this title, the Commission shall provide a period of
no less than 30 days, during which time any person having an interest which is or may be adversely affected by a decision on the application may submit written comments or objections. (e) Exemption determination. (1) No later than 90 days after filing of an administratively complete application, the Commission shall make a written determination whether, and under what conditions, the persons claiming the exemption are exempt under §12.25, this section, and §§12.27-12.33 of this title, and shall notify the applicant and persons submitting comments on the application of the determination and the basis for the determination. (2) The determination of exemption shall be based upon information contained in the application and any other information available to the Commission at that time. (3) If the Commission fails to provide an applicant with the determination as specified in paragraph (1) of
this subsection, an applicant who has not begun may commence coal extraction pending a determination on the application unless the Commission issues an interim finding, together with reasons therefor, that the applicant may not begin coal extraction. (f) Appeal and review. Any adversely affected person may request appeal or review of a determination under subsection (e) of this section in accordance with procedures established under §12.222 of this title (relating to Administrative Review).


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Have you ever been watching a movie and realized that you have no idea whats going on because you're checking out the wallpaper, draperies, and furniture in the set? We know the feeling and decided it was time to get inspired by some of these classic movie sets. These 7 iconic films are sure to leave you ready to redecorate!
Gone With The Wind 1939- epic historical romance set in 19-Century American South
Why We Love It: This movie set offers pictorial splendor, visual energy and a TRADITIONAL design aesthetic! Use rich wood finishes, ornate detailing, dramatic chandeliers, and traditional patterns in opulent fabrics for upholstery.
The Seven Year Itch 1955 -American Romantic Comedy
Why We Love It: Besides the iconic images of Marilyn Monroe, the interior design is brimming with MID CENTURY MODERN eye candy! If you love this look, keep design within the era by using fun floral and geometric patterned fabrics. Complete the look with gourd shaped vintage lamps, clean lined book cases, mid century modern tables and chairs and top it off with some fun, kitschy decor....a brass duck anyone?
Vertigo 1958 - masterpiece by Alfred Hitchcock set in 1950's San Francisco
Why We Love It: A retired San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia resides in the MINIMAL MODERN pad on Lombard Street, San Francisco. This iconic 1950's gent has minimalist style. It also has a west coast vibe; rattan elements such as the chair and ottoman, subtle tones in the drapery and furniture as well as natural elements in the woven window shades. A grey-blue and auburn color palette is the perfect way to create a modern replica.
Breakfast at Tiffany's 1961 -American romantic comedy set in New York
Why We Love It: Holly Golightly, the naive eccentric cafe society girl in her ECLECTIC apartment! Living the New York dream on a waitress salary, Holly was no stranger to getting big bang for her buck with her fun accents and repurposed decor. Glitzy vintage pieces, patterned wallpaper or wall panels, bold pops of color in accent pillows, zebra rug, repurposed items and a clean, neutral paint palette can accomplish this charming DIY glam/chic look!
Annie Hall 1977 -American Romantic Comedy set in New York
Why We Love It: The BOHEMIAN style in the film lends to the charm of this romantic comedy. The color palette in this film is fully 1970's with muted blue, persimmon red, sage green and browns. Use vintage furniture (that mom is ready to toss) along with patterned fabrics, psychedelic moody art and shaggy textured pillows to achieve this boho style.
Blade Runner 1982 -American dystopian science fiction film
Why We Love It: The dark and sultry space of bounty hunter Rick Deckard pushes visual vibrance from textures, neon lighting and pattern for the 1980's FUTURISTIC style. The most striking feature is the tile (actually a Frank Lloyd Wright design from 1924 for the Ennis Brown House where scenes were shot) which has an impressive graphic design reminiscent of a computer board. Everything in this look is high design. Intriguing light features, bold vignettes such as the Buddha head on the piano with framed art, neon lights and high technology all make this look.
Pulp Fiction 1994 -American crime film
Why We Love It: What an ironic mix of humor and violence...and amazing sets to die for! Mia's living room scene shows a glam CONTEMPORARY style which is exactly what you would expect from this foxy character. Make this look yours with a monotone cream and white palette, leather furniture, glam glass vases, art and artifacts on display, floor lamps and obviously a killer stereo system :)
Amalie 2001 -French romantic comedy of whimsical Parisian life set in Montmartre
Why We Love It: This film is the whimsical depiction of the life of a shy french waitress. Her home is full of VINTAGE ECLECTIC visual treats. Bold rich colors, wallpaper in intricate patterns, lamps with fun bases and frilly shades, Parisian furniture with gilt details, damask upholstery, fluffy fabrics, silk pillows and nonsensical well framed art will give you the look of this eclectic dreamer.
The Grand Budapest Hotel 2014-American film that recounts a concierge's adventures in a famous European hotel
Why We Love It: Brimming with opulence, this film is packed full of beauty, color, lighting and details! A gem of CLASSIC design with an adventurous twist! The name itself tells us of its grandness...the symmetrical design, red carpeted entry, art deco wall details, golden age lighting and wood inlaid features scream elegance and sophistication. Focus on bold colors such as red, coral, fuschia, art deco patterns and gilded lighting to make your Grand space come to life!
If you're charmed by the cinema we hope these sumptuous sets will spark some fun in your space!
Laurel & Wolf
Laurel & Wolf is the world's leading interior design marketplace. We provide online interior design services to residential and commercial spaces powered by our talented community of professional interior designers.
For a one time flat fee, you will receive multiple designs for your space with all the information you need to execute the design. All designs are fully customized to your space, budget, taste, and more!


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1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each baking soda and baking powder
1/4 tsp each ground cloves and salt
1/3 cup milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup brewed coffee
1/2 tsp vanilla
In bowl, beat butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg.
In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, cloves and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, making two additions of each and scraping down bowl between additions.
Stir in chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
Roll by generous 1 tbsp into 1-inch balls. Place, 2 inches (5 cm) apart, on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
Bake in top and bottom thirds of 350 F (180 C) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, for about 12 minutes or until tops begin to crack. Transfer to rack; let cool completely.
Glaze: Place rack on baking sheet. In bowl, whisk together sugar, coffee and vanilla; spoon 1 tsp (5 mL) on each cookie. Let set. (Make Ahead: Store layered between waxed paper in airtight container for up to five days.) Makes about 34 cookies.
Source: Canadian Living Magazine, June 2007.

domain: food


text:
It’s always a fair assumption that whenever a director can’t hire the cast they want for a movie, they punch a number into their cell, and get the casting agent to send someone else along – job done.
So it’s nice to hear that Zach Braff was so set on his dream cast for new movie Open Hearts, that when he failed to pull all the pieces together, he shoved the script in a drawer and stalled the project.
“I was going to do it this summer,” the Scrubs star told moviehole.net, “but since I couldn't get my top people I'm waiting until next summer.”
Open Hearts is set to take Braff’s career in yet another direction, the gag-slinging TV star having already garnered plaudits for his first turn as writer/director/star in 2004's cult hit Garden State. The offbeat tale about a troubled young actor who falls for a slightly wacky small-town girl (Natalie Portman) catapulted Braff into the hip-helmer niche.
“Open Hearts will be completely different. It’s a Danish movie that I adapted. It's a really dark drama about a car accident and the way the accident affects all the people involved in it.”

domain: entertainment


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Samson Adelekun joins Q3 as Bid Coordinator, working closely with our sales team on the development of PQQs and bid submissions. Based in London, Samson…Read More
The Q3 team at the Alhambra Centre in Barnsley has recently introduced a new, environmentally friendly soap system to the public loos in the shopping centre. The soap solution, called Soap2O is made from biodegradable materials and its unique design eliminates the use of single-use plastics, as well as drastically reducing packaging and waste.
Individual sachets, about the size of a small conventional bar of soap, contain the soap in a powder form. These are dropped into the reservoirs of the dispensers in the washroom and dissolved in water which is readily available from the washroom. The sachets are water soluble and break down as the solution is mixed, leaving only the outer carboard packaging to be recycled. So, there is no waste product, container, or cartridge, as one has come to expect with traditional hand-soap dispensers.
Each dispenser has a capacity of 1,500 shots so there is no pressure on our service teams to constantly replenish them. The soap is dispensed as a hygienic foam with a pomegranate and cranberry fragrance, and we really think they will be a hit with the shopping centre visitors.
Sustainability is an important part of Q3’s approach to its cleaning service and we are always keen to explore innovative alternatives that help reduce our carbon footprint and remove toxic chemicals and waste from our operations. Apart from the obvious advantages of this soap system, there are also additional benefits from shipping product in concentrate, in the form of reduced transportation cost and less storage space, which both contribute to a reduction in CO2 emissions.
Here are some more news and opinion articles that may be of interest:
Mark Hazelwood, the MD of our IFM business, talks about our partnership with Facilio and how it is helping to deliver a quality service to…Read More
Showcasing Q3 hard services' latest prestigious new contract in Chelsea The Q3 hard services team has secured a new, high-end, residential maintenance contract with GWRC…Read More

domain: chemistry


ABILENE, Texas - Starting Monday, the main entrance to the Taylor County Courthouse will be located at the southwest corner of the building.
It's the corner closest to the intersection of Chestnut and South 3rd Street.
The entry process will stay the same. No objects that could be used as weapons – including pocket knives – will be permitted inside the building.
County Judge Downing Bolls said he believes the change will make parking easier.
- Recycling, parking, discussed at special Abilene City Council meeting
- Thief climbs in through roof at Abilene High, steals electronics
- Abilene woman reunited with sister after travel ban struck down
- Abilene police receive $10,000 donation for new K-9
- Man lunges over counter, takes cash from Abilene convenience store


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Boston Minivan Rentals for Small Groups and Families
Minivan Rental Models
- Kia Sedona
The new model Kia Sedona is the minivan rental of choice for small groups and families. Both fuel-efficient models feature comfortable seating for up to eight passengers (perfect for long trips) with the option to fold seats away when extra storage is needed. Peter Fuller Rentals offers affordable Boston-area minivan rentals for groups who want to travel in the same vehicle.
Families Love Our Rental Minivans
Traveling together has never been easier or more efficient than with the minivan rentals from Peter Fuller. These affordable, spacious minivans can be rented for large families or smaller groups in the Boston area who are looking for an economical alternative to airplane, train or bus transport. With excellent fuel economy, minivans make an excellent companion for your next trip to the city, country, coast or mountains.
Getting just the right travel conditions on the inside is simple. Both minivan rental models seat up to eight passengers and offer fold-away seats for more luggage, sports equipment, pets, cameras, backpacks and anything else that needs to come along. Plus, the 12-volt power supplies ensure passengers can charge or use electronic devices on demand. When it comes to Boston-area minivan rentals, these models are truly flexible and accommodating.
For weeklong vacations, weekend getaways, short business trips or any other reason to get on the road, minivan rentals are perfect for smaller groups. All vans are low mileage with up to 25 hwy mpg.
Looking for extra seating?
Our 15-passenger Ford Transit van rentals offer more seating for weddings, sporting events, church groups, and band tours. These rental vans are ideal for the largest of groups who want to travel in one vehicle.

domain: travel


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The new 2013 Chrysler 300 Motown pays tribute to the Motor City’s resurgence and determination through Detroit-born style and world-class ingenuity. Harking back to the days when bright work ruled Woodward and Jefferson Avenues, this limited-edition Chrysler flagship sedan includes bright chrome front and rear fascia accents, mirror caps, door handles and daylight-opening surround, and a unique Mopar bright chrome grille with seven sculpted horizontal blades. Large 20-inch polished heritage design aluminum wheels provide an elegant look, while its touring-tuned suspension delivers world-class levels of ride, handling and comfort. Completing this Chrysler flagship sedan’s curb appeal are black accented Chrysler wing badges and Motown fender badges that transcend the city’s rhythm and spirit. Available exterior colors include Bright White, Gloss Black, Deep Cherry Red and new Jazz Blue.
Inside the Pearl White Nappa leather seating with perforated inserts are surrounded by a black interior environment for a contemporary look. Tying in the contrasting interior theme are black piping and accent stripes on the seats, while a debossed Motown logo on the front seatbacks provide thoughtful detail. Extensive use of Piano Black on interior center stack, instrument panel, steering wheel, gauge cluster and door panel elements provide a uniquely lacquered and highly detailed appearance. Completing this special-edition interior environment are authentic Black Olive Ash wood trim and satin silver finished accents.
Making sure the soul of Motown can be heard and felt, this limited-edition Chrysler sedan includes 100 tracks from original Motown recording artists loaded on the Uconnect 8.4’s SD card reader. State-of-the-art Uconnect 8.4 provides Chrysler 300 Motown passengers with the segment’s largest touchscreen display (8.4-inch) and mobile infotainment, connectivity and multimedia features. Delivering a sound experience as the artist intended, the segment-exclusive 10-speaker Beats Audio system with 12-channel amplifier and proprietary Beats Audio algorithm is also available.
The Chrysler 300 Motown features a segment-exclusive ZF eight-speed automatic transmission paired with its award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine with an EPA estimated 31 highway mpg. With 292 horsepower on tap and a state-of-the-art transmission design, the Chrysler 300 Motown delivers world-class precision and refinement. The 2013 Chrysler 300 Motown arrives at Chrysler dealerships nationwide in the spring of 2013 and has a U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $32,995, excluding $995 destination charge.

domain: design


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Specialty Medical Chairs Market in Asia Pacific to Log Highest CAGR of 7.1% by 202303 Mar 2016
According to a new market research report published by Transparency Market Research “Specialty Medical Chairs Market (By Product Types – Examination Chairs, Treatment Chairs and Rehabilitation Chairs) – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2015–2023” the Global Specialty Medical Chairs Market was valued at US$3.8 bn in 2014 and is estimated to reach a market value of US$6.8 bn in 2023 expanding at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2015 to 2023.
Specialty medical chairs are dedicated solutions equipped with medical accessories such as instrument tray and operating light for the convenience of physicians. Additionally, the market for specialty chairs covers different types of mobility chairs such as wheelchairs, geriatric chairs and pediatric chairs. The market for specialty medical chairs is expanding at a promising growth rate globally owing to consistent rise in geriatric population coupled with growing trend for home healthcare. Additionally, factors such as rising physical disability rate, increasing number of hospitals and private clinics and others further augments the market growth. However, high cost of the medical chairs such as dental chairs, ophthalmic chairs and others hampers the market growth. The global specialty medical chairs market was valued at US$3.8 bn in 2014 and is expected to reach US$6.8 bn by 2023, expanding at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2015 to 2023.
Get a PDF Brochure: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2115
Geographically, North America was the largest market for specialty medical chairs in 2014. Increasing number of private and government clinics and hospitals would primarily accentuates the specialty medical chairs market growth in the region. Moreover, increasing incidence of ophthalmic, dental and kidney related diseases, and rise in the number of disabled population support market growth in North America. For example, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 person out of 7 is mobility disabled in the U.S. Europe was considered the second largest share of the total specialty medical chairs market in 2014. Continuous rise in disabled, geriatric, and obese populations is expected to drive the specialty medical chairs market in the region. However, decreasing healthcare expenditure on medical devices due to economic crisis in countries such as Spain and Italy ultimately restrains the market growth.
Asia Pacific comprises countries such as India, China, Australia, Japan, and Malaysia. The specialty medical chairs market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period owing to introduction of advanced technology based medical chairs by key players coupled with rising disposable income of the population. Likewise, the specialty medical chairs market in Latin America is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period from 2015 to 2023. Improving health care scenario and rising demand for medical chairs such as wheelchairs, geriatric chairs and toilet chairs are the major factors fueling the growth of the market in Latin America. Growth of the Middle East and Africa market is driven by rise in financial capabilities of end-users such as hospitals and clinics to purchase expensive medical chairs.
Browse the full report at http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/specialty-medical-chairs-market.html
Key companies such as Stryker Corporation, Invacare Corporation, Fresenius Medical Care, Topcon Medical Systems, Inc., A-dec, Inc., DentalEZ, Inc., Forest Dental Products, Inc. and others are majorly operating in the global specialty medical chairs market.

domain: geography


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Personal finance is one big optimization problem that I’m constantly running through my head in order to think up new tricks that can save or earn me more money. This is what I refer to as the “Money Metagame” which inspired the name of this blog. How much I spend is one of the components I have the most control over and there’s two ways I see to improve that part at any given time. First, I can cut out unnecessary expenses to eliminate some spending completely. This can be done by identifying wasteful spending or looking at alternatives, but those kinds of decisions are extremely personal and will vary pretty heavily from person to person. Secondly, I can just find ways to reduce the amount I spend on the exact same products and services I already use. If you can find these opportunities, it’s a no-brainer to take advantage of them most of the time because you don’t have to change your lifestyle in any way. Groceries is one spending category where there is a lot of room for optimization (via both ways mentioned above) and that’s how I’m tying all this together. We recently picked up an Amex Blue Cash Preferred to take advantage of the 6% back on grocery purchases, but have to use a small trick to make it actually work with our regular grocery spending. Read on to find out why the regular method of getting 6% back doesn’t work for us and what trick we use to actually get MORE than 6% back.
Our Grocery Spending Pattern
The best way to optimize your finances in my opinion is to work backwards. First, figure out where all of your money is currently going and then come up with ways to improve it, NOT the other way around. Trying to create a budget for yourself without taking a look at where you’re currently spending money is a sure-fire way to make a impossible budget to follow.
For most people, groceries is one of those line items you certainly can’t get rid of completely and it probably makes up a good percentage of your monthly spending. For us, we determined that we spend hundreds of dollars on groceries per month and more specifically split that spending pretty evenly between Fred Meyer (a Kroger brand) and Target.
Once we determined where our grocery spending was going, it was easy to come up with a few ways to improve it. First, we now do all of our Target spending through Target gift cards that I obtained for 10-20% off of face value online. That’s an easy $30+ we save each and every month without changing any of the products we buy or where we buy them.
For our Fred Meyer spending though, it’s not quite as easy.
Optimizing Grocery Spending with Credit Cards
For optimizing Fred Meyer spending, it’s not as easy as simply going online to buy discount gift cards because they simply aren’t available for the same kind of discount that Target is. At any given time, you might be able to save 2-3% on the gift cards, but that’s not as good as the ~5% you can get from grocery categories with various credit cards. We took advantage of the 5% back on groceries in the first quarter of the year via the Chase Freedom, but then decided to get another credit card to extend that kind of bonus year round.
Our strategy when applying for credit cards involves two different goals, earn huge travel rewards and help us save money on everyday expenses. This application fit into the second category and our choice was between the Sallie Mae Mastercard which gives 5% cash back on up to $250 in grocery spending per month with a $25 signup bonus and the Amex Blue Cash Preferred (BCP) which gives 6% cash back on up to $6,000 in grocery spending per year with a signup bonus of $150. (I did a write-up of Sallie Mae card here: The Sallie Mae Mastercard: The Best Everyday Spending Card You’ve Never Heard Of)
The BCP does have an annual fee of $75 (the Sallie Mae has no annual fee), but we decided to take advantage of the larger signup bonus plus higher spending cap and apply for it anyway. The annual fee is cancelled out by the signup bonus in the first year (+$75 profit), but if we decide to keep it for an additional year, the effective return on groceries drops to 4.75% if we’re using the card only for grocery spending.
Anyway, should be simple right? We just use the BCP for all of our Fred Meyer purchases and we’re now saving 6% on everything. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be that simple…
Why We Had to Get Creative
While Fred Meyer was categorized as a grocery store in the VISA card system and worked for our Chase Freedom in the first quarter, it is NOT categorized as a grocery store on the Amex network. Much like Target and Walmart, our specific store falls into the “Merchandise & Supplies – Wholesale Stores” category which does NOT work for the 6% back on grocery stores bonus. At first, I thought we had reached a dead end and I would have to simply maximize the 6% bonus for other activities (gift card reselling, MS, etc.) and probably just cancel it at the end of the year.
Luckily, an idea popped in my head a few weeks later that would allow me to still get the 6% back at the exact same Fred Meyer store if I just added one more step to the process. As Fred Meyer is a Kroger brand along with several other stores such as QFC, their gift cards work interchangeably across any of the stores. Assuming the local QFC stores (much smaller than the Fred Meyer if that has anything to do with it) count at a grocery store in Amex’s network, I can simply buy Kroger gift cards there at face value, get the 6% back, and then use the Kroger gift cards at the Fred Meyer we prefer to shop at.
I decided to try it out by making a small gift card purchase at QFC with the Blue Cash Preferred card to see what it would code as and used the gift card at Fred Meyer to make sure there wasn’t anything I was missing. Sure enough, the QFC purchase coded as a grocery store and rewarded the full 6% back and I had no problem using the purchased gift card at Fred Meyer. Success!
It Gets Even Better
Not only does the QFC purchased gift card work at Fred Meyer, it also earns the regular Fred Meyer rewards just like paying any other way would! That means in addition to the 6% rewards I get from the BCP credit card, I also get 1% back from Fred Meyer directly, AND earn fuel points towards gas at the same time. I actually wasn’t sure if the 1% back would still be valid when using gift cards, but was pleasantly surprised when the receipt showed that it worked. Now we’re saving a minimum of 7% on ALL of our grocery purchases and it doesn’t require much extra work on our part.
We constantly have a supply of Target gift cards that I purchase online and we now stop at QFC once every couple months to get a $500 gift card that we slowly drain with regular purchases at Fred Meyer.
Gift cards aren’t just for reselling, they can often be leveraged to significantly reduce the cost of your everyday spending.
How have your optimized your return on everyday grocery spending?

domain: finance


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Afiya S. Zia’s brilliant tome dismantles the academic fashionability of ‘Islamic feminism’ through a rigorous case study of Pakistan
Of late, the eggs -- all rotten -- hatched by postmodernism have been broken. We always knew that an omelet from broken eggs only stinks, expensive crockery and artistic decorations notwithstanding. However, such is the dictatorship of academic mainstream that every effort exposing the rottenness of postmodernist freemasonry is met with a conspiracy of silence. Afiya S. Zia’s Faith and Feminism in Pakistan: Religious Agency or Secular Autonomy , is/will be no exception.
However, the way Zia’s exceptionally brilliant tome dismantles the academic fashionability of ‘Islamic feminism’ through a rigorous case study of Pakistan, the conspiracy of silence may not work very long. At least every attempt should be made by scholars, activists and students to foreground critical narratives, such as Zia’s Faith and Feminism in Pakistan, that subvert the mainstream consensus achieved by way of power over knowledge. Zia’s work, however, does not deserve our attention merely because it is critical and subversive of mainstream. It is an important primer for anyone interested in feminist debates in the Pakistani context. It offers a secular alternative in the age of al-Huda and Tableeghi Jamaat. Above all, it opens theoretical and methodological possibilities for future research.
Zia begins by laying out (and questioning rival) definitions of feminism and Islamic feminism. Feminism, she claims, ‘is not limited to vague notions of empowerment, nor is female leadership a singular indicator or a criterion towards achieving goals of gender and class equality and justice’. On the contrary, feminism ‘actively challenges traditional, masculinist, patriarchal and class-based centres of power and authority and does not simply seek to replace male with female leadership. Most strains of feminism are also critical of those women who aspire and adhere to, promote, harbour, or mimic patriarchal ambitions, relations or agendas’.
In contrast, Islamic feminism, to quote Zia, ‘can be described as essentially a postmodernist, diasporic scholarly project that does not recognise any single (male) interpretation or dominant narrative of Islam…Instead, Islamist feminist epistemology claims an interest in research that includes multiple voices and historical debates in its endeavour to locate women’s rights within an Islamic discourse’. In other words, it is ‘an against the grain reading of the Sharia and Quran’.
An important clarification at this stage is important before proceeding further. While Zia flags up the limitations of Islamic feminism, her book’s thesis is directed against post-secular and post-feminist scholarship attributed to ‘diasporic’ academics such as Saba Mahmood, Humeira Iqtidar, Masooda Bano et al. Zia coins an interesting term, retro-Islamic, to characterise this ‘diasporic’ scholarship of Pakistani origin.
The retro-Islamic scholarship, anchored in post-feminism and post-secularism, is critical of Enlightenment ideals. It is heavily ‘invested in uncovering the "complex subjectivities" of Islamists’. This retro-Islamist scholarship ‘seems more of an anthropological interest to convalesce a reinvented identity of the "agentive" Muslim/Islamist woman’ while rejecting universalist liberal and socialist ideals in the name of Muslim exceptionalism. In fact, this scholarship is an attempt at recuperating Islamic fundamentalism (Zia deploys the term, ‘Islamism’. Arguably, an appropriate term would be Islamic fundamentalism).
What do they propagate? To answer this question, Zia reviews the key works produced by Islamic feminists and retro-Islamists. Esposito, for instance, differentiates between socioeconomic and the ethical -- religious categories in Quranic legislation. ‘Based on an acceptance of this divide, many Islamist and pietist women in Muslim contexts concede that while women’s status is inferior to men in socio-economic concerns, they are full equals as ethical subjects, and despite the specific spiritual and moral obligations imposed on them, they will be compensated in the Hereafter’.
Saba Mahmood, the most fashionable retro-Islamist, centre-stages the agency exercised by the Muslim woman. Mahmood conceives agency as something talking back to normative, liberal, mainstream notion of agency (the latter is complicit with imperialism). She decentres liberal/secular notion of agency synonymous with resistance and explores agency as a capacity for action through the ‘performance of gendered Islamic virtues’. In her view agency is the capacity to perform sacrifices, struggles and desires which result in women becoming virtuosos of piety.
Iqtidar goes a step further to argue that the women agency can be mediated by religion (i.e. religion can be motivating force) and, through Islamist movements, women find liberation (only if liberal values are re-defined). By bringing religious belief into public sphere and recognising it as a motivating factor, she absurdly argues that Muslim countries such as Pakistan are in fact secularising (one wishes she was living in Islamically secualrising Pakistan instead of the secularised infidel West).
Zia engages with some other Islamic feminists, such as Masooda Bano, and convincingly establishes the theoretical as well as empirical hollowness of the above mentioned scholars. For instance, she questions why Mahmood insists on the term ‘agency’ when there is nothing agentive in her conceptualisation of agency.
Next and very importantly, Zia demonstrates the empirical jugglery employed by Islamic feminists. A common methodological sophistry is to omit the evidence. On the one hand, Zia demonstrates, most retro-Islamist Pakistani scholars avoid mentioning political practices of Islamist groups in their academic inquiry, on the other, they do not document the ‘positive effects of modern, liberal, emancipatory or secular struggles and their yields for women, minorities and lower classes’.
For instance, Zia points out, retro-Islamists simply refuse to scrutinise the role of Islamic women parliamentarians. Similarly, such practices as observing Haya Day to counter Valentine’s day are not explored or questioned. Or, the Taliban-ruled Swat or MMA-governed NWFP never make as case studies in retro-Islamist discourses even when Swat under the Taliban and MMA government was making headlines as Islamic feminist narratives were literally being penned.
Finally, Zia looks at the actual consequences of Islamic feminism. Firstly and perhaps most importantly, in terms of consequences, ‘this project runs the risk of rehabilitating what are in Pakistan, Islamist men’s patriarchal and nationalist agendas. Such scholarly efforts dovetail with the broader masculinist, Islamist demands that seek to purge all rights-based initiatives and movements of Western and particularly, feminist, liberal and secular influences. In particular, it is women’s and minority rights that are targeted for being pollutant, Western, secular and complicit with neo-imperialist designs’.
Secondly, the process started by Islamic feminism as well as retro-Islamist scholars to redefine Islamism and feminism entails a thinning of the feminist agenda. Simultaneously, the Islamic factor in this hybradised identity is increasingly accommodating patriarchal possibilities. Proof? Conservative Muslim commentators, Afia shows, often take advantage of the Islamic-feminist agenda ‘to reference all the rights that Muslim women are granted in Islam -- however, they stop short on agreeing that these are unconditionally equal’.
Thirdly, retro-Islamist scholarship seems disinterested when it comes to vital issues facing the Muslim women such as ‘sexual, property or material-based rights or indeed, the relationship between Muslim men and women with reference to violence, marriage or livelihoods’.
Zia’s arguments and assertions listed above are not merely backed by sound theoretical constructs but have also been informed by a wealth of data. Her personal experiences as feminist-activist provide her with a rare privilege unavailable to researchers who land the site of research as outsiders. If one agrees with Zia’s findings and analysis, one is even compelled to question: if Mahmood, Iqtidar and Bano et al would even qualify as feminists. In short, Zia has single-handedly defeated the well-armed battalion of Islamic feminists and their post-secular Pakistani cousins.
Faith and Feminism in Pakistan: Religious Agency or Secular Autonomy
Author: Afiya S. Zia
Publishers: Folio Books Lahore

domain: sociology


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THE YEAR 2022
LAUNCHING AND COMMISSIONING CEREMONY FOR JAMAICA
Please join us for the Official Launching ceremony and commissioning of our chaplains in Jamaica on Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 12 Noon local time.
GLOBAL CHAPLAINS DAY 2022
February 5, 2022
THEME: "SAY THANK YOU TO A CHAPLAIN"
TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR GLOBAL CHAPLAINS DAY CELEBRATION PHOTOS BELOW
Celebration and Recognition of Chaplains are being held across the globe
Contact your local chaplain(s) for information on service times and local venue.
Thanks To Our Chaplains Currently Serving In:
Australia, The British Virgin Islands, Canada, the United Kingdom, Jamaica, Pakistan, The United States of America, Guyana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Cameroons, Kenya.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ABUJA: INTERNATIONAL CIRCLE OF FAITH CHAPLAINCY CORPS - ICOFCC
PORT HARCOURT: GLOBAL CHAPLAINS ALLIANCE
THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
GLOBAL CHAPLAINS DAY SERVICE FOR NORTH AMERICA
Service will be aired live on ALIVE Christian Center's Zoom, Youtube and FaceBook platforms.
Please Tune In.
GLOBAL CHAPLAINS DAY SERVICE FOR THE AFRICAN CONTINENT
Chaplains in other African countries, please contact your local chaplain(s) for information on service times and local venue.


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Our main level is open! Come in and pick out a book. Properly worn masks are required.
Contract- free pick-up is still available: 1.Place your holds online or over the phone. 2. We’ll notify you when your items are available. 3. Pick up your items in the library lobby.
Library hours: M/W/F 10a-3p and T/Th 2p-7p


Membership of individual leisure centres in Carrick, Ballymena and Larne is valid across the Mid and East Antrim area, councillors have heard.
The update was given during last Monday night’s meeting of the MEA Operational Committee during a discussion on leisure centre income.
Addressing queries on the varying price of membership across each of the legacy council’s facilities, head of Leisure, Arts and Culture Bernie Candlish said: “There is an agreement within the three main leisure centres that they will each accept membership from any of the other centres.”
Pointing out that each of the legacy council’s leisure centres had a “very good offering”, director of Operations Philip Thompson added that Carrickfergus Amphitheatre in particular had benefitted greatly from refurbishment work in recent years.
Last month, the local government authority indicated that prices across the three legacy council areas would be harmonised from April.
It followed a inquiry from a resident of Carrickfergus, who pointed out that while seniors could swim for free at Larne and Ballymena’s centres, they are required to pay a fee in Carrick.
“We are conducting a review of the pricing structure and aim to standardise pricing and concession rates as we move forward in the next financial year,” a spokesperson for the council said.
Meanwhile, figures provided to councillors in January indicated that while income was slightly down for each of the centre budgets, expenditure was also down, and the overall net cost was within budget.
In terms of memberships, there were different types in each area, with 1,462 in Larne, 1,600 in Carrickfergus and 1,277 in Ballymena.


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NORIACITAS CREEK. Noriacitas Creek rises seven miles southeast of Bruni in southeastern Webb County (at 27°19' N, 98°51' W) and runs southeast for sixteen miles before joining Mesquite Creek to form Palo Blanco Creek, three miles southeast of Hebbronville in northern Jim Hogg County (at 27°17' N, 98°37' W). The stream was named for Noriacitas, a Spanish land grant made to Simon Ynojosa. The local terrain is flat to gently rolling with local depressions, surfaced by shallow clay loams that support grasses and scrub brush.
The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article."NORIACITAS CREEK," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rbn29), accessed October 13, 2015. Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.


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Importance: Knowledge of the immunogenicity of biologic agents may be helpful for the development of strategies for treatment of chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
Objective: To summarize the influence of antibodies against biologic agents (AABs [seropositivity]) on efficacy and safety in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and the Web of Knowledge were searched for articles published in English, Spanish, French, Italian, or Portuguese between 2000 and March 2012. The search strategy focused on synonyms of diseases, immunogenicity, and biologic agents. Abstracts from 2001 to 2011 of the European League Against Rheumatism and American College of Rheumatology congresses were also included.
Study selection: The selection criteria were (1) observational or interventional studies in rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, spondyloarthritis, and psoriasis; (2) studies including patients who received biologic agents; and (3) studies collecting data on AABs.
Data extraction and synthesis: Data collected included publication details, study design, characteristics of patients and treatments, presence of antibodies, and definition of response.
Main outcomes and measures: The primary end point was the association of AABs with response to treatment. Secondary end points were the association of AABs with safety, the association of AABs with concentration of the drug, and the influence of use of concomitant immunosuppressive therapy in the formation of AABs.
Results: The search captured 10 728 articles and abstracts. By hand and reverse search, 31 articles were additionally included. After evaluation of the full reports, 60 references were selected. They included 59 studies of anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibodies: 1 with etanercept, 2 with rituximab, and 2 with abatacept. In rheumatoid arthritis but not in inflammatory bowel disease or spondyloarthritis, seropositive patients presented worse clinical response at 6 months or less (odds ratio [OR], 0.03; 95% CI, 0.01-0.21), and at 6 months or more (0.03; 0.00-0.30) by meta-analysis. In rheumatoid arthritis, discontinuation of the biologic agent for all reasons was more common in seropositive patients (OR, 3.53; 95% CI, 1.60-7.82). In all conditions, seropositive patients had a higher risk of hypersensitivity reactions (OR, 3.97; 95% CI, 2.36-6.67). Overall, concomitant treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, including azathioprine, decreased the risk of seropositivity (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.25-0.42).
Conclusions and relevance: Presence of antibodies against anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibodies confers a risk of discontinuation of treatment in rheumatoid arthritis and a risk of development of hypersensitivity reactions in all immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. The combined use of anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibodies and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs reduces the development of antibodies and subsequent risks. Information on other biologic agents is fragmentary.

domain: medical


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Edwardian Cabochon Ring
Edwardian filigree platinum ring with 18K white gold shank. Diamonds ( 9 pts total) with synthetic sapphire cabochon (1.9 ct) . The ring has a replaced shank which is 18K. The sapphire has light surface wear.
Size 5 1/4
Ring is of style that may be sized by a jeweler.


Marcus Foligno was back on the ice while Zemgus Girgensons was absent from it, but Buffalo Sabres coach Dan Bylsma expressed hope that both forwards will be ready come Tuesday night when the team plays host to the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers.
Foligno missed the game in Boston on Saturday with a lower-body injury. Bylsma said that Girgensons is dealing with a lower-body injury, but added that he hoped Monday's absence from practice was "nothing more than a maintenance day."
If both players do suit up, there's a good chance they'll return as linemates flanking Jack Eichel. Foligno joined the line of Girgensons and Eichel for Buffalo's game in Montreal on Feb. 3 and scored his fourth goal of the season. He was back alongside Eichel in line rushes on Monday morning.
"It's tough, it's frustrating," Foligno said. "You have a chance to play and do good things for this team and then you have a little setback again. It's just something where you have to keep grinding, you have to keep moving forward and I'm looking forward to get a chance hopefully back with [Eichel] next game."
Foligno sustained his injury on an attempted hit in the third period against the Bruins. He left the ice with six minutes remaining and did not return.
"I feel pretty good," Foligno said. "We'll see how tomorrow is. Right now, it's just a pain tolerance, that's all I can really say. There was nothing really major, just a tweak, but it was tough to really play or even skate a couple days ago. Yesterday felt a little bit better and today I was able to skate again."
Bylsma said that Tyler Ennis, meanwhile, is continuing to skate on his own but his timetable has not progressed. Ennis has missed 16 games with an upper-body injury.
"It's no better than week-to-week," Bylsma said. "He has progressed over the last 10 days but still needs to go a little bit further before he can be cleared to go onto the next level."
In the event that either Foligno or Girgensons can't go on Tuesday, it might open the door for Daniel Catenacci to remain in the Sabres' lineup. Catenacci made his NHL debut against the Bruins, tallying two shots and three hits in 7:42 of ice time.
The night had been a long time coming for Catenacci, who was drafted by the Sabres in the third round in 2011, but had yet to be recalled from Rochester midway through his third pro season. During the national anthem, he said, the nerves kicked in.
"I tried to hide the nerves but playing in my first NHL game, I was pretty nervous," he said. "I had a lot of butterflies. It took time as the game went on to gain confidence and lose those butterflies."
He had a scoring chance right off the bat, getting in position for a potential redirect goal just less than 10 seconds into the game. His line ended up drawing a hooking call on that possession to earn Buffalo its first power play of the night.
"My first shift actually went pretty well," he said. "But, again, it's nerve-racking. It's your first NHL game and you don’t want to screw up. But I think as the game went on I gained a lot of confidence and feel a lot better around the guys now."
After receiving what he said was "probably the best news" of his life, Catenacci said his Rochester teammates were gracious in helping him prepare. Players like Philip Varone, Cal O'Reilly and Tim Schaller told him what to pack and what to expect. He's shared the same enthusiasm when they've been called up in the past.
At the same time, it's seeing the success of players he's played with or against at various levels that makes Catenacci think he just might be cut out for the NHL too.
"You see guys you've played with in the past and have played against and they're doing very well in the NHL these days," he said. "They're getting called up and doing well so there's no reason you can't. Coming up, you want to make an impression and do well and that’s what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to show that I belong."
The hunger to do that, Bylsma said, has shown in the rookie's face in the few days he's spent in Buffalo. It's a familiar look for the Sabres coach, who had to wait a few years himself before making his NHL debut as a 25 year old in 1995.
"It's been a long time for him," Bylsma said. "He's paid some dues and had some lumps and I think he's worked through his game to another level and had to do it in through his years pro. It’s a big payoff for him to get his first game and, yes, I see some of the same look on his face and appreciation of finally getting here, finally playing a game that I remember a long time ago."
Whether Catenacci's second game in the NHL comes on Tuesday or sometime in the future, he's already thought about what he needs to build on from his debut – namely, showing patience with the puck. Catenacci said that there were times where he may have had a lot more time to make plays than he thought.
"That's just confidence," he said. "I think that's building every second."
88 Jamie McGinn – 90 Ryan O'Reilly – 23 Sam Reinhart
9 Evander Kane – 22 Johan Larsson – 12 Brian Gionta
26 Matt Moulson – 15 Jack Eichel – 82 Marcus Foligno
43 Daniel Catenacci – 17 David Legwand – 44 Nicolas Deslauriers
4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
29 Jake McCabe – 47 Zach Bogosian
6 Mike Weber – 3 Mark Pysyk
25 Carlo Colaiacovo – 46 Cody Franson
40 Robin Lehner
31 Chad Johnson


Facing a legal challenge, the Internet search giant Google has relented and agreed to accept pro-life ads for the first time.
In April, The Christian Institute — a British organization — took legal action when Google did not approve an anti-abortion ad.
Google said at the time that its policy did not allow ads for Web sites containing “abortion and religion-related content.”
The Christian Institute argued in its lawsuit that Google’s policy was in breach of the U.K. Equality Act of 2006, which prohibits religious discrimination.
Google was taking ads “from pro-abortion groups, and our view is that was a free speech issue,” Mike Judge from The Christian Institute told The Times of London.
“What we want to do is set out the facts in a pretty factual and pretty sensible way.”
Instead of fighting the suit in court, Google has now agreed to revise its policy.
“The issue of abortion is an emotive subject and Google does not take a particular side,” the company said in a statement.
“Over the last few months we have been reviewing our abortion ads policy in order to make sure it was fair, up to date and consistent with local customs and practices. Following the review we have decided to amend our policy, creating a level field and enabling religious associations to place ads on abortion in a factual way.”
Asked was Google meant by “factual,” Google spokesman Ben Novick told ABC News it meant that “ads need to aim to educate and inform, not shock,” and “cannot link to Web sites which show graphic images that aim to shock people into changing their minds.”
The policy change applies worldwide.
“We really applaud Google for making the right decision and standing by freedom of speech,” Charmaine Yoest, a spokeswoman for the anti-abortion organization Americans United for Life, told ABC News.
“It really was outrageous to censor The Christian Institute.”
© 2017 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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SHOWS AND TICKETS
- Concerts / Events
- Family / Kids
- Magic Show
- Performance Art
- Solo Performance
- Stand-up/Sketch Comedy
AND reset dates
It's a hard knock life for Annie and the other orphans of Depression Era New York City, under the patronage of the wretched and scheming Miss Hannigan at the Hudson Street Orphanage.
One day, Annie's life is changed for ever when Grace, the beautiful assistant of the enigmatic millionaire Oscar (Daddy) Warbucks comes to ask for an orphan to stay at his mansion for the Christmas holidays.
This begins a wild and mad-cap adventure where Annie's bright and shining personality wins over the crochety business and teaches him the meaning of love, life and looking on the bright side.
Spectacular holiday carols and surprising time-bending classics whisk your family on a captivating ride with the three soulful, rockin' ghosts of Scrooge's transformative dream in an inspiring, original musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' beloved holiday classic. The traditional Victorian setting and gorgeous period costumes are re-imagined with a musical score that spans genres and eras, vis-à-vis film hits like Scrooged and The Great Gatsby.
Welcome to Harlem's famed Cotton Club in this stylish, brassy musical celebration of Duke Ellington's greatest musical hits. A full on-stage orchestra backs superb jazz vocalists, extraordinary tap dancers, dazzling deco costumes, and unforgettable torch singers who bring classics like "Mood Indigo," "Take the A Train," "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" to vivid life in this grand Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. Never before produced in Austin!
Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the story of how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were thirty. The show features such hits as "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," "Oh, What a Night" and many more.
On the sunny Greek Island of Kalokairi, Sophie is dreaming of her forthcoming wedding to Sky, but is saddened that her mother Donna has never told her about her father. Reading Donna?s diary, she identifies three suspects from her past, adventurer Bill, successful Sam and ex-rocker Harry and secretly invites them to the island, hoping to quiz them.
As Donna struggles to confront her past, her and two best friends take a trip down memory lane, recalling their glory days as glam rockers Donna and the Dynamos. But will seeing her ex-lovers rekindle old flames? And who is Sophie's father anyway?
Pulitzer Prize-winning actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith returns to ZACH's stage in her all-new play exploring the idea of grace, empathy and what it means to walk in another person's shoes. Musical compositions from renowned cellist Joshua Roman weave together with interviews Anna conducted with scholars, theologians and politicians in her singular brand of theater on the question of "What is grace?"
A passive busker named Guy is playing guitar when he meets Girl, with whom he shares a connection through a mutual love of music. The shy kindred spirits start to make music together, mixing their complementary style to create a melancholic folk-rock sound that explores the themes of love and loss.
Over the course of a week their lives change forever, there is poignancy and where there is a joyous celebration of love, there is also a bitter-sweet feeling that will stick with you long after you've left the theatre. This will not disappoint fans of the original movie and new theatre.
This swashbuckling pirate story tells what happened before a young orphan became the boy who never grew up—the boy we know as Peter Pan. The five-time Tony® Award-winning play will have you hooked from the moment you let your imagination take flight to Neverland! In an evening of madcap fun, a dozen brilliant actors play more than 100 unforgettable characters from James M. Barrie's Peter Pan, using their enormous talent, ingenious stagecraft and the limitless possibilities of imagination.
Together longer than The Beatles themselves, Rain has mastered every song, gesture and nuance of the legendary group, delivering a totally live, note-for-note performance that's as infectious as it is transporting.
From the early hits to later classics that The Beatles never got the chance to play live - including the most complex and challenging songs - this adoring tribute will take you back to a time when all you needed was love, peace and a little help from your friends!
No other rendition of The Beatles' music comes close to this level of performance, which has taken years of mastery and attention to detail that is unmatched. From the early days of The Beatles' appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964, through Shea Stadium, the Sgt. Pepper era and on to the Abbey Road years, the Rain captures it all flawlessly.
Craig Lucas' comedy has been called the modern Christmas fable of our time. It's Christmas Eve, and Rachel Fitzsimmons' euphoric existence is shattered when she learns her husband took a contract out on her life. She escapes into a snowstorm and is swept away into the most fractured of fairy tales filled with crazed killers, insane therapists, over the top game show hosts, would-be paraplegics, and much more. Dark and wickedly funny, it is a hilarious, and often poignant, fifteen year journey forcing us to face, head on, the slipperiness of fate and the illusion of coming home again.


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All texts by Stefan Briesenick
We know the actors, the key game features and additional pre-order incentives.
The German authority thinks that there is a realistic chance of a cyber-attack coming from a Russian IT company.
Combining the Soulslike genre with the Final Fantasy license sounds like a recipe for success, but Team Ninja's execution prevents us from recommending the title.
A little PR fun from the candy maker.
Get ahead in the Lands Between with these helpful tips and tricks.
The wait is finally over as Fromsoftware welcomes tarnished Soulslike fans to their first open world adventure. How did the collaboration with George R.R. Martin work out?
If you are interested in the dramatic sci-fi adventure, you can download a demo version right now.
Two iOS games have received some technical advantages in the process.
Blizzard also talk about item effects, game physics and animations.
From 2011 to 2019, employees are said to have suffered particularly badly from decision-makers who were given free rein by Bungie for far too long.
A new trailer was presented at the Granblue Fantasy FES 2021.
For their latest space odyssey, Fishlabs tells us the emotional story of a tragic heroine. Unfortunately, the developers are serving up too much.
It reminds us of Dead by Daylight or Identity V.
Ahead of the upcoming Closed Beta Test, FromSoftware has allowed us access to their next game. Let's take a look at what we found in The Lands Between.
Come watch some extended gameplay scenes of FromSoftware's upcoming adventure.
Atlus welcomes demons, gods and angels to the latest Nintendo hardware, to feast upon one of this year's best RPGs.
Create the vacation homes of your dreams.
The first will be called The Cloudy Climb and will bring a new single player activity.
We've condensed the biggest updates coming to Mojang's blocky world into one handy article.
In three weeks, Nintendo will add tons of new content to their successful simulation.
You can now experience the anime hit from Japan as a stylish fighting game.
After 30 minutes with Night School Studios' upcoming mystery adventure, we wonder if we're on the same wavelength.
Information on outstanding collab quests and the upcoming expansion was also shared.
We juxtapose old and new pictures taken from the Remaster.
Even after more than 20 years, this classic ARPG exudes an uncanny fascination. Now console gamers can finally face the lords of hell too.
A first look at the strategy RPG gameplay.
Norman Reedus should know what he's saying, right?
Apparently the game will be a little easier than Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Bandai Namco guided us towards the Lands Between in search for knowledge about the newly found RPG focus of FromSoftware.
Find guidance in your tools, Tarnished One.
The Saints need a fresh start and that's exactly what Volition is aiming for, with their latest over the top sandbox fun.
We're told that the game will feature around 80 hours of gameplay.
The first chapter of the latest Tales of installment shows us but a glimpse of the magical world we are about to save early next month.
You will be able to get hands-on with the combat system starting next week.
German media outlet Bild believes that the Chinese government wants to influence the military training of Western troops in this way.
The remade version of THPS 1+2 has finally arrived on Nintendo's hybrid-console. Let's find out if this port is good enough to present it at your local skatepark.
In Bandai Namco's latest action adventure you can defy fate with the powers of your brain.
The title, developed by Brass Token will see us face off against supernatural psychological horrors.
An intergalactic enemy wishes to destroy the remnants of humanity.
The humorous sci-fi RPG is set in 1976 and is about exploring a mysterious artefact called the Dome.
Real time strategy with base building, heavy warfare and global abilities.
No updates on the development were made, since the game needs more time in the oven.
No further info was shared.
Release is planned for 2023.
Mad Head Studio is describing their next game as "Alice in Wonderland meets Alien".
This adventure is planning to make use of the Unreal Engine 5.
Prime Matter gave us a taste of high-fantasy RPG as well as cosmic horror soulslike action.
Unfortunately, we couldn't play this time, but still managed to get new information out of it.
Some of Japan's craziest developers are launching a mobile game on the Nintendo Switch. We check out what nasty surprises lurk below the cute surface.
Supermassive Games used feedback from the first two entries of The Dark Pictures Anthology to improve their next grotesque instalment.


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One of our team members spent a week as a camp leader with Gainesville’s Girls Rock Camp – turning girls into rockstars! Read more about Brianna’s experience here.
During the second week of July, I had the amazing, entertaining, and exhausting experience of volunteering with Gainesville Girls Rock Camp.
This empowering program is geared towards girls between the ages of 9 and 12 years old, and in one week, the campers learn to play instruments, form a band, and write a song. Then, at the end of the week, they perform their song on a big stage in front of cheering and supportive family and friends. Also during the course of this week, the girls participate in workshops about feminism, social justice, music, and other exciting activities. This year, the workshops included coding, yoga, songwriting, music video meanings, and a farm to table demo with Brave Harvest.
The day usually went like this: the campers and volunteers participated in a warm-up activity (karaoke or a game). Then, the campers go to workshops, followed by instrument instruction, where they were grouped together based on the instrument they were assigned for their band, and they worked with each other and an experienced volunteer to hone their skills. Next was lunch, which we would all eat while watching a local female-centered band or artist perform, followed by another workshop and band practice, and then the whole camp got together to sing the camp song, which each of the girls helped to write. As you can imagine, every day was jam-packed, but the girls maintained their energy and enthusiasm through it all.
My role in the camp was to be a band leader and a bass instructor. I worked with one other volunteer for one or two hours a day, teaching the five bassists in the camp all about the notes on the bass and how to shred on the strings. We also talked about working together with the other instruments in the band, and the role and importance that bass plays as a rhythm and time keeper.
As band leader, I was a coach, cheerleader, and source of guidance for five extremely hyper nine year olds trying to write a song. On day one, I realized it was crucial to make sure that these girls formed a strong bond, because working together and hearing everyone’s ideas is so important when making music as a group. I asked them a series of ice-breaker questions and tried to find common interests between them, while also trying to create a supportive and positive environment. The girls ended up making an amazing team. They all realized they loved bananas, and decided to call themselves, “The Banana Band”. They even brought a banana from home to be their mascot, and they put it on a guitar stand in front of the drum set every time they played. In the spirit of bananas and their mutual love of cats, they decided to write a song called “The Banana Rock”, which was about a banana cat wearing a banana hat. The girls worked hard with little to no arguing, they were able to talk about their ideas and every one of them got to share and contribute to the song. They worked so fluidly and quickly that they also had plenty of time for dance parties with the pre-programmed keyboard songs and to play games like “Statues in the Garden” or do gymnastics in between run-throughs of their song.
On Saturday at the showcase, they played beautifully, and their song was followed by thunderous applause, cheers, and chants about loving bananas. One of the camper’s moms even made banana earrings for all of the band members! The four other bands at the camp-Space Girlz, Empire State of Mind, the Funky French Fries, and 404 Band Not Found, also worked incredibly hard and were able to create and play amazing and original music at the showcase. I was so proud!
If you know anyone in Gainesville who would like to participate in Girls Rock Camp, either as a volunteer or as a camper, please email email@example.com.
Brianna Peterson, Education & Engagement Specialist


Recently, I reviewed both the Ss Brew Tech Brew Bucket and Half Barrel Chronical Fermentor, high end stainless fermentation vessels put out by Ss Brew Tech. In both of these pieces I detailed the upcoming release of something called the FTSs or Fermentation Temperature Stabilization System and guess what, it’s finally out! Check out the review and find out why you may want to get your hands on one now or add it to your holiday shopping list.
Ss Brew Tech (Recap)
A small start-up out based out of Irvine, CA aims to change how home brewers think about fermentation. Relatively new to the scene, Ss Brew Tech has been in operation for over a year, shipping its first round of products in late 2013. Their goal: to bring innovative, affordable, and high efficiency fermentation gear into home breweries.
The team at Ss Brew Tech sells 7 & 15 gallon “Chronical” Fermentors and 7 gallon Brew Buckets using 304/316 stainless steel. Recently, the fermentation expert launched their most sophisticated piece of gear, the FTSs or Fermentation Temperature Stabilization System, which acts as a thermostat during fermentation. Ss Brew Tech will soon be launching a full line of Brew Kettles along with updated versions of their core line-up of fermentors with new accessories.
The FTSs is like an advanced wort chiller with a robot butler attached. This is more of an accessory as it’s designed to be added to your Brew Bucket or Chronical and comes complete with a new lid with pre-drilled holes. In order to function it needs a water reservoir, which it uses to maintain the temperature in your fermentation vessel. The thermostat is attached to both a thermowell thermometer and a small submersible pump which activates when the temperature rises above your preset threshold. The pump draws cold water from the water reservoir (I used a Coleman cooler full of ice) and cycles the fluid through a large stainless coil heat exchanger that sits on the underside of your brew bucket lid. On the surface it seems complex, but setup and operation are incredibly easy and intuitive – one of those gadgets you can easily figure out without reading the instructions.
This is an interesting device and has a lot of potential to be tinkered with in terms of set up. You could easily set this system up with a glycol generator and use it to maintain your fermentation temperature just like the pros. You could hook it up to a cheap cooler and restock it with ice packs regularly to keep it nice and chilly. You could even put a water reservoir in a fridge and draw through insulated lines. Depending on how much space you have to work with in your home brewery, you’ll need to figure out what works for you, as some of these options may be more space intensive than others.
Packaging: The FTSs comes as a set of two boxes. In one box is a custom fitting neoprene sleeve designed to insulate your fermentor, an impressive piece on it own, and in the other box is the FTSs hardware with a predrilled lid. Everything is packaged nicely, securely, and it’s very easy to unpack.
Price: The FTS clocks in at a cool $250, which isn’t cheap by any means, but very worth it when you see all that’s included. Neoprene sleeve, thermostat, sump pump, vinyl tubing, thermowell thermometer, lid, and stainless coil – $250 seems just right.
Stainless: 304 Stainless construction. The stainless coil and fixtures are robust and very substantial. The coil is beautiful, and I found myself tearing up as I watched it disappear into the brew bucket.
Weight: The FTSs is light weight. Fully constructed it can easily be held in one hand, though at $250, you may want to use two hands just to be safe.
Lid: Coming packaged with a pre-drilled extra lid is a big plus. You’ll find two holes that act as the in and out for the coolant line, one hold for the thermowell, and a final hole for your airlock (4 holes total).
Thermostat: The FTSs glows a cool blue when it’s turned on. The readout is vibrant and is easy to see from afar. From the get go it’s easy to set up and operate. Pressing the Set button once allows you to set the temperature with the arrow buttons and pressing it a second time locks it in. You are also able to calibrate the device along with a few other advanced settings typical of thermostats, like delay protection.
Efficiency & Noise: The system works quickly. I was able to drop the temperature from 75 degrees to 60 degrees in a little over 13 min. The pump is whisper silent. I couldn’t tell that it had turned on until I heard the tell tale swish of water being pumped through the coil.
Cleaning: Because assembly is pretty straightforward, cleaning is also easy. You’ll want to use TSP to remove machine oil before the first use, and from then on it’s just soaking it in a cleaner like PBW. Everything can be disassembled so you wont run into any issues.
Customer Service: The team at Ss Brew Tech is incredibly responsive. If you have an issue or question, the solution is only an email away. Add in that these units ship for free and you’ve got yourself a winner.
Adjustable Coil Depth: Sometimes I brew a large batch and take the second runnings to make a smaller batch. I would love the ability to adjust the coil depth so that it could be used for smaller than average batches. This would take some engineering though, and I’m not exactly sure how it could be done…cleanly.
External Reservoir: The external reservoir isn’t really an improvement per say, but having an out of the box option that doesn’t involve buying extra equipment would be nice. I’m a big fan of out of the box solutions. Thankfully, coolers are inexpensive so this is one extra piece of equipment that should be available to everyone. Just keep in mind that whatever cooler you use, it’s best if you drill holes in it to feed the tubes through to minimize temperature fluctuation.
This is nice to have, but I would love to hook this thing up to a food grade glycol generator. They are very expensive though so I’m waiting for Ss Brew Tech to release a cost effective version of their own that’ll do the trick. The ability to recycle coolant and limiting the manual intervention of adding ice or cold packs regularly is something that is needed.
The FTSs is a beautiful piece of equipment, and it works like a charm. Its sturdy construction and easy-to-assemble/easy-to-operate nature makes it a slam dunk for anyone wishing to take their brew bucket or chronical to the next level. It’s especially handy for home brewers that are limited on space and refrigerated fermentation capacity. I have several dedicated refrigerators large enough to house my fermentors, but being able to increase my production by utilizing an FTSs when my fridges are full is a great option. I know I mentioned that not having the reservoir/cooler included is a possible improvement, but it’s also an extra layer of flexibility. If you’re in a confined space with limited room, you’ll more than likely be able to find a cooler that fits your needs at the hardware store rather than having to make do with whatever is provided.
The FTSs is very well made and is the perfect addition to any gadget-loving home brewer’s repertoire. You will, however, need an Ss Brew Tech fermentor to take full advantage of this device. The 7 gallon Brew Bucket and Chronical FTSs devices are available now. Expect the 14 gallon and Half Barrel Chronical to go live in December.


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Wing Young Huie
Wing Young Huie’s many photographic projects document the dizzying socioeconomic and cultural realities of American society, much of it centered on the urban cores of his home state of Minnesota. Whether in epic public installations or international museum exhibitions, he creates up-to-the-minute societal mirrors of who we are, seeking to reveal not only what is hidden, but also what is plainly visible and seldom noticed.
His most well known works—Frogtown (1995), Lake Street USA (2000), and The University Avenue Project (2010), produced by Public Art Saint Paul—transformed Twin Cities’ urban areas into public photo galleries, reflecting the everyday lives of thousands of its citizens in the midst of some of the most diverse concentrations of international immigrants in the country.
The Minneapolis StarTribune named Wing “Artist of the Year” in 2000, stating, “Lake Street USA is likely to stand as a milestone in the history of photography and public art.” His five published books: The University Avenue Project, Volume 1, The University Avenue Project Volume 2, Looking For Asian American: An Ethnocentric Tour, Lake Street USA, and Frogtown: Photographs and Conversations in an Urban Neighborhood. Lake Street USA was hailed by the Minneapolis StarTribune as one of 25 great books ever published about Minnesota.