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Currency Guide - Malpensa Airport (MXP)Milan–Malpensa Airport, formerly City of Busto Arsizio Airport, is the largest airport for the Milan metropolitan area in northern Italy.
Malpensa Airport (MXP)
The airport is located in the province of Varese, 50km at the NW of Milan, and there are two main terminals. The airport is connected to Milan by the Milano-Varese highway as well as by the “Malpensa Express” train starting from the Milan Cadorna railway station and taking about 29–36 minutes.
Milan or Milano is the second largest city in Italy and the capital of Lombardy. Is the main industrial, commercial and financial centre of Italy and is well known to host several international events and fairs.
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Cash Spend over £500 to qualify for the improved rate


Winter is on its way, and like we all know Monsieur Winter Wind likes breathing down our necks, leaving us yelping for the rays of warm summer air. Here are a few tips to help you to keep warm and stay toasty during those frosty days.
3.5mm Aux Cable for iPod Touch iPhone Audio/Data/Charger USB
USB Line Out Dock Cable lets you get high-quality line out audio from the dock connector of your iPad, iPhone, or iPod while charging. One end has a 30-pin connector that attaches to the bottom of your iPad, iPhone, or iPod, the end other splits into a 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo audio plug and a standard USB connector. Plug the audio into a home, portable, or car stereo to listen to high quality, line-out audio. Plug the USB into a computer or wall charger to charge the iPad, iPhone, or iPod while listening for hours.
2 in 1 cable with USB plug for connect to the computer
Car charger input: 12-24VDC, Output: 5.0VDC 1.0A
Connect your ipod or iphone to car audio or amplified speaker with aux input. Also you mey charge or sync data by pluging it to a computer
Gold plated 3.5mm jack connector
Length: 3.6 Feet
The dock connector sends line level audio out from your ipod / iphone, provides a better sound quality then the headphone jack output
Package Contents: 1 x 3.5mm Aux Cable for iPod Touch iPhone Audio/Data/Charger with USB


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Imphal, July 20:
Veteran Politician O. Joy Singh today urged the Governor of Manipur for dismissal of N. Biren Singh led government and demanded further actions to conduct the CBI probe into the alleged nexus between drug smugglers and the N Biren Singh government base on the affidavit filed by a woman police officer Brinda Devi.
Talking to media persons at his residence at Kakwa, O Joy said that as there has been a serious allegation from a police officer about the connection between drug lords and the Chief Minister, it is time that the governor intervened and dismissed the government and proceed to conduct CBI probe into the allegation.
A memorandum in the connection has been submitted to the Governor of Manipur today morning, O joy said.
In the affidavit all details of the affidavit filed by MPS Officer Th. Brinda about the alleged nexus with Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and drug dealers Lukhosei Zou who is currently in judicial custody that was flashed at various newspapers has been enclosed.
In the affidavit submitted by him, O Joy stated, “ .. dismissing him (N. Biren ) will bring some faith in the system and can ensure that ethical behavior is followed by one and all by those in public life”.
Meanwhile, Manipur Pradesh Mahila Committee today continue the sit-in protest in the office premises of the MPCC at BT road demanding CBI probe to the alleged nexus between accused drug smuggler Lukhosei Zou and Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
A large number of Mahila Congress workers joined the protest.

domain: law


Cracking the Case: How AI is Revolutionizing Cold Case Investigation
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has significantly changed various fields, including law enforcement. It has transformed how we approach problem-solving by analyzing vast amounts of data and revealing hidden connections and patterns. As a result, investigators can now narrow their search more accurately and efficiently, leading to more effective and efficient crime-solving methods.
New Jersey has many unsolved cold cases and missing children that have gone unexplained for years. Mark Himebaugh's disappearance over 30 years ago is one such case— nonetheless, the employment of technologies such as AI is giving agencies and families hope to find answers.
In an exciting move, South Jersey law enforcement announced their intent to tap into AI algorithms to uncover fresh evidence related to Himebaugh's case, which has remained cold for over three decades. Vollee Artificial Intelligence will be instrumental in investigating the disappearance.
Revolutionizing law enforcement has excellent potential through AI integration to solve crimes while analyzing vast amounts of data for identifying patterns. Investigators can obtain assistance using AI to solve cases, ultimately locating potential leads and resolving what would have remained unsolved cases. Advanced AI technology reveals insights to detect hidden patterns and connections that were not immediately visible to the human eye.
Expect an Increase in AI Implementation for Identifying Possible Connections Between Complex Cases Like Missing Children and Cold Cases.
Missing child cases could be solved through AI technology and its latest advancements. The impact of this technology is being closely watched by law enforcement.
South Jersey police are experimenting with AI technology to transform their process of solving crimes, especially those involving missing children. They're combining the power of AI with traditional approaches to gain fresh momentum in the search for Mark Himebaugh, a child who disappeared during the 1990s. Using this hybrid approach, investigators aim to unlock new leads and crack cases that have puzzled them. Ultimately, this innovative solution could have far-reaching effects on community safety and family reunification for years to come.
The future of AI in solving criminal cases such as these is looking bright.
When solving cold cases, the potential benefits and limitations of incorporating AI alongside conventional investigative methods must be weighed. On the one hand, AI can scrutinize copious amounts of data and discern patterns overlooked by detectives. However, it must align with the unique insight and astute intuition of experienced investigators.
Generative AI also prompts ethical concerns, primarily as it depicts violent crimes. Consequently, weighing the potential advantages and disadvantages of utilizing AI to resolve cases involving missing children is imperative.
The utilization of AI for missing child cases may have limitations, but it offers numerous advantages. An instance of this is in Indiana, where augmented reality technology helped unravel a murder and missing person case that had stumped investigators for years. AI technology can provide fresh perspectives on unresolved cases, uncover probable suspects, and provide bereaved families with the necessary closure. AI's growing popularity opens new doors for realizing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. For this reason, delving deeper into the potential of AI in improving crime-solving procedures, specifically for missing children, is imperative.
- AI could help solve NJ's missing child mystery in new step .... (n.d.) Retrieved June
- 5, 2023, from www.globeecho.com
- Investigators Using AI to Help Solve Cold Case of Missing .... (n.d.) Retrieved June
- 5, 2023, from www.nbcphiladelphia.com
- Investigators using AI in case of Middle Township boy .... (n.d.) Retrieved June 5, 2023, from www.pressofatlanticcity.com
- Real child murder victims recreated by AI in sick Deepfake.... (n.d.) Retrieved June
- 5, 2023, from www.nypost.com
- AI Deepfakes of Child Murder Victims Is New Worst Thing .... (n.d.) Retrieved June
- 5, 2023, from www.decrypt.co
- Missing links in AI governance - UNESCO Digital Library. (n.d.) Retrieved June
- 5, 2023, from www.unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000384787
- Digital Transformation of Cold Case Reviews. (n.d.) Retrieved June 5, 2023, from www.ojp.gov


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Sign Up for Jasmine's Newsletter | Receive a Free Book!
In Solantha, being a mage puts you at the top of the food chain. But for a shifter-mage hybrid Sunaya Baine, her abilities might just be the death of her.
When a Chicago police detective goes up against witches and fae to find her fiance's killer, the truth she discovers will destroy her world.
Demons tore her life apart. Can a sexy Scottish Druid put it back together again? Find out in this scorching paranormal romance!
NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY and WALL STREET JOURNAL Bestselling Author Jasmine Walt is obsessed with books, chocolate, and sharp, pointy objects. Somehow, those three things melded together in her head and transformed into a desire to write. Usually fantastical stuff, with a healthy dose of action and romance. Her characters are a little (okay, a lot) on the snarky side, and they swear, but they mean well. Even the villains sometimes.
When Jasmine isn't working on her next book, you can find her practicing her dao sword form, spending time with her family, or binge-watching superhero shows on Netflix. She loves to hear from her readers, so if you've got a question or just want to say hi, feel free to email her at jasmine[at]jasminewalt[dot]com.

domain: literature


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Durbar Marg in Kathmandu
Nepal is a beautiful landscape resplendent with mountains and cliffs. Although the major urban areas of this tiny country are well connected to good roads, some of the roads connecting the rural areas may be a little bumpy and difficult to ride through in rainy seasons.
The roads leading up to the best trekking and climbing regions may not be so worse to traverse through, yet taking road journey in the remote parts of the Karnali region may prove somewhat awkward and tough for the new travelers in this region.
Arniko highway: File photo
This is the situation when road safety may pose to be a major challenge for you. Therefore you may peruse the following few tips about road safety in Nepal. If you take care of these tips, you will never have a problem while traveling in Nepal.
- You should know that around 60% of the roads in Nepal are hard-surfaced roads that connect the major cities of the country including the capital city- Kathmandu.
- Around 40% of roads in the other regions of the country are usually graveled roads which may be bumpy as they are not well-maintained.
- To drive through these graveled roads is really a tough job.
- During the rainy season, frequent landslides may occur on these roads. So, be aware of the areas where landslides are likely to occur to avoid any accidents.
- But don’t worry too much about road safety as you will not be alone during your movements. You will always be guided by an expert guide.
- You should try to abide by the suggestions and warnings given by your guide while deciding to take a road.
- You are suggested to opt for public buses for travel as drivers of these local buses are experts in driving.
- If you are driving yourself, be prepared for any stray cow or buffaloes coming on your way. So, drive slowly.
Kathmandu: The cloudy weather that started from the west last night is spreading across th…

domain: travel


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2 results for "florida"
National recruiting reporter Jeremy Crabtree ranked the top 10 recruits who permanently altered the fortunes of their colleges. He breaks down the list with ESPN's Phil Murphy and picks which 2015 signee could join it.February 18, 2015
Rick Reilly tells how Jets wide receiver David Nelson's charitable work in Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake led to his caring for a number of orphans, who reside in a fully staffed home Nelson maintains on the island.September 22, 2014

domain: news


Seamless Aero Bib Short
Our new seamless aero short with built in gripper is our latest bib shorts featuring a seamless, non-stitched cuff with the gripper imbedded into the fabric. Constructed from the highest quality Italian fabric.
It is engineered for stability, delivering optimal muscle support and aerodynamics. Finished with our HCS (Hybrid Cell System) CYTECH chamois, providing exceptional performance and all round comfort
Designed with one purpose in mind, to be the most comfortable performance Bib shorts.
This new Aero Bib Short is our best yet.
- Premium Italian MITI fabric with compression technology
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- UPF 50+ sun protection factor
- Comfortable seamless bib straps
- Seamless, non-stitched cuff with imbedded gripper
- Elastic Interface Chamois with Hybrid Cell System
- Excellent moisture wicking treatment
- Engineered panel construction for optimal fit


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As if being brought to its knees by a corrupt family-owned conglomerate wasn’t enough, Portugal’s beleaguered Banco Espírito Santo (BES) is now facing further losses due to the failure of its Angolan subsidiary.
BES owns 55 percent of Angola’s second-largest bank, BES Angola (BESA). In recent years, BESA has become critically dependent on BES for funding because of its extraordinarily high loan/deposit ratio and deteriorating loan book. When the ESG empire collapsed, BES had not only an equity stake, but a loan exposure to BESA of around EUR3bn.
On the face of it, Portuguese investment in Angola makes sense. Angola is oil and mineral rich, and has experienced fast economic growth in recent years, though its economy has slowed recently due to falling oil prices. As the former colonial power, Portugal has strong historical and cultural ties to Angola.
But the Angolan regime is among the most corrupt on earth and its people among the poorest. Over 40 percent of the Angolan population live on less than $2 a day and the majority have little access to running water, sanitation or electricity. But the Angolan president is one of the richest men in Africa and his eldest daughter, Isabel, is the richest woman in Africa according to Forbes. There have been numerous allegations that the dos Santos family have systematically enriched themselves and their cronies at the expense of the Angolan people, but so far there are no signs of political instability and the regime appears well entrenched. Doing business in Angola is virtually impossible without the direct involvement of politicians in the Angolan ruling party, the MPLA. Businesses are either “partners of the state” or they don’t operate.
BESA is undoubtedly a “partner of the state”, though not because it has invested productively in the Angolan economy. No, it is because it has done its duty by the Angolan powers-that-be. According to the investigative journalist Rafael Marques de Morais at makaangola.org, much of BESA’s loan book is made up of loans to Angolan political interests, many of them directly connected with the dos Santos family.
Written by Fances Coppola/Read more at Forbes


By Staff Reporter : PNG Today
|High powered gun, Getty images|
The attack happened in a PMV bus. The three men killed were from different tribes in Wurup, Anglimp District of Jiwaka Province.
They were allegedly shot by armed men from Keltiga village in the Mt Hagen District.
Police reported that the killing was a revenge attack by maternal uncles of a young man from the Dani tribe who was killed by Mannga tribesmen last month.
Jiwaka police said peace negotiations between the Dani and Mannga tribes who were involved in a bitter tribal clash a couple of years ago were in progress when the Mannga tribe killed the young man.
The victim, identified as Kraip Luk Kond, is believed to be the lead gunman of the Dani tribe and was sought after by his tribal enemies. He was hiding in his maternal relatives place when word was sent for him to return and prepare for the peace process when he was gunned down and chopped to pieces.
Provincial police commander Joseph Tondop yesterday said the victim’s remains were buried in his mother’s village.
His uncles, armed themselves with high powered weapons and ambushed a 25 seater PMV bus heading for Wurup with some men from the Mannga tribe in it.
The driver and two others were killed instantly when the bus was sprayed with bullets. Four others are fighting for their lives at the Mt Hagen General Hospital.
All the three killed were from the Mimi, Roni and another Mannga tribe not involved in the fighting.
Peace negotiations headed by Chief Superintendent Tondop, local MP Komun Joe Koim and Governor William Tongamp to stop the fighting following the massacre of some six people two years ago was in progress when the murders occurred.
PPC Tondop and other Jiwaka leaders have called for peace and appealed to leaders in the Wurup area to prevent further killings and stop the animosity from escalating.
MP Koim, who made available K50,000 for peace process, pleaded for the tribes in Wurup to stop further bloodshed and destruction. Post Courier/PNG Today


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(8/7) Tuesday –
Today we woke up with hopes of kayaking; however, all of the tours were booked for the day so we basically had a free day. After breakfast, the first order of business was getting some laundry done, so we each dropped off a small bag of laundry at the cleaners to be picked up later in the day. Then we just bummed around town, hopping from shop to shop, eventually working our way into a place called Foxy John’s. Upon first glance, one might think that Foxy John’s is a pub . . . or a hardware store . . .well actually it’s both. Since we were technically still in a store, we considered this to be an extension of our shopping, even though the only things we were purchasing at this point were pints. I’d switched from beer to mojitos and now to cider. I like to have options. After everyone enjoyed a pint, we headed across the street to do some more “shopping” at another half pub, half clothing store. We each enjoyed another pint, the ladies having half-pints, and then set out to find something for lunch. Beer before lunch, that’s just how the Irish do it. We ended up at The Dingle Pub, where we enjoyed a late lunch and had some time to catch up on the Olympics.
Once our bellies were full, and we were out of shopping options (riiighht), we decided to go for an hour long boat tour of the Dingle bay. To date, this was one of my most favorite parts of the trip. Seeing the shore and all of Dingle from the water was amazing and I was able to get some great photos. We also got to see Dingle’s local celebrity, Fungie. Fungie is a dolphin who made his home in Dingle Bay in 1983 and has been living there ever since. The locals aren’t sure why Fungie chose Dingle Bay, but they’re definitely happy that he did because they’ve been able to create an entire industry around him – boat tours, kayak tours, Fungie paraphernalia, Fungie children’s books . . . you name it.
We didn't plan ahead for dinner, so we wandered town until we found a place that had room for us - The Old Smokehouse. The food was good, but not a place I'd rush back to. Mr. and Mrs. Dite headed back to the B&B after dinner and the rest of us went found a pub and enjoyed a few beverages before turning in. Yes, we definitely did a lot of eating and drinking on this trip. In hindsight, I wish I had taken a picture of each pub we stopped in. I could have had an entire Pub Tour photo album. Tomorrow is our last day in Dingle and then we're off to Kinsale.

domain: geography


If you’re an automotive sales skilled who has discovered themselves charged with handling internet leads then this Hub is for you. The UK Pavilion at Engine Expo 2016 exhibits that automotive supply chain corporations in Nice Britain and Northern Ireland have a real power within the space of innovation, and we have the support required to help these corporations bring their technologies to market. Nevertheless, there are a few items of the the puzzle that I nonetheless need to think about when purchasing all of the components I’ll want. Handle varied fame administration accounts and social media accounts for a serious unbiased franchised automotive dealership group primarily based out of Tampa, FL. So, these are all issues to keep in mind in case you’re looking for a laptop computer for mainstream engineering functions. It that does not work it’s possible you’ll must purge the tank, remove the leaky half and put some automotive sealant on the threads to type an hermetic seal. I’m a masters student in Chemical Engineering and I might endorse none of these.
This means that DIYers can now use a very good automotive multimeter — by itself or together with an aftermarket scan device — for automobile repairs at dwelling without spending a fortune in high-tech diagnostic instruments. As an automotive professional, your job is to help your buyer by a course of that for many shoppers, will not be simple and might even be scary at occasions. ON Semiconductor high-voltage technologies present the aptitude to … Read More


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Alex's Square Sweater
I designed this sweater for Alex.
This pattern has been revised, updated and simplified. The look of the sweater has not changed!
This sweater is designed to be knit flat and seamed.
Feel free to use any dk yarn, not everyone likes to knit in cotton.
The borders are knit in k2, p2 rib stitch.
A=green, B=orange and C=turquoise, but the colour combinations are endless! The stripes on the sleeves are not set in gold, feel free to experiment and have fun.
Twist yarn securely where colours met and weave ends as you go.
I have done the maths for you, the pattern is written with clear, easy instructions; simply follow them row by row!
More information can be found here http://www.ravelry.com/designers/jane-terzza
Verified Purchase ・

domain: hobby


Yes, the plastic gear on the end of the SYE shaft that drives the speedo? Im gonna try to spin the speedo assembly a different way and see what happens. Just didn't want to install it wrong and have it mess the gear up. To my understanding, it wont be able to be installed all the way into the case before that happens.
1996 Jeep Cherokee- Project-- Rusty's 8in long arm, SYE kit, Teraflex driveshaft, Cragar soft 8's 15x10 with 33x12.5 Firestone Destination MT's, Eaton Tru Trac in the front


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Last updated April 12, 2019
Young people who heavily use computers and new and old cell phones have an increased risk of stress, sleep disorders and disturbed mental health, according to a new report from researchers in Sweden. Doctoral student and researcher Sara Thomee, together with colleagues from the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden, conducted four different studies that examined how the use of cell phones and computers affected the mental health of youths. The studies, which included interviews with 32 young people who are heavy users of ICT (information and communication technologies) and questionnaires for 4100 people aged between 20 and 24, showed that intense use of computers and cell phones can be linked to sleep disorders, stress and symptoms of depression.
“Public health advice should, therefore, include information on the healthy use of this technology,” says Thomee. “We looked at the effects both quantitatively and qualitatively and followed up the volunteers a year on. The conclusion is that intensive use of ICT can have an impact on mental health among young adults.”
The studies showed that heavy use of cell phones corresponds with a rise in sleeping issues for men and a rise in symptoms of depression for both sexes. Men who make intense use of computers are also more likely to have trouble sleeping.
“Regularly using a computer late at night is associated not only with sleep disorders but also with stress and depressive symptoms in both men and women,” Thomee claims.

domain: medical


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Adidas Women Shoes - Innovatives Design in seiner schönsten Form. adidas Originals TUBULAR DEFIANT… - We reveal the news in sneakers for spring summer We reveal the news in sneakers for spring summer 2017
Beautiful shutters on both the windows and the door. I really like how the curves in the design are reflected in so many places including the exterior light fixture. French Country and Dutch Colonial mix
Good example of breezeway idea. I don't like the look or function of an attached garage, but I like the breezeway concept. It acts as a mudroom and a good connection between the house and cold/smelly garage.
Architect Austin DePree, along with builders Dan Schmidt and David Haegeland, was careful to seamlessly weave the home’s L-shaped addition to the original house. In the front courtyard, landscape architect John Mariani planted containers with boxwood.

domain: artistic


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In August, two journalists in our newsroom teamed up to launch a small project they hoped would humanize a story that had come to resemble a crushing statistical death march: The heroin epidemic.
Assistant Managing Editor Stephanie Loder and medical and health reporter Nicole Leonard had noticed an alarming number of our obituaries contained the stories of South Jersey residents who had died by overdose.
And in an increasing number of those obituaries, families were discussing the addiction that stole their loved one.
After a year of reporting the grim stories of clusters of overdoses, year-end death totals and millions spent on treatment programs, the openness of the families felt somehow different.
Families wanted to share their stories.
So, with International Overdose Awareness Day approaching Aug. 31, Loder and Leonard suggested we offer families an outlet for sharing their stories. The invitation went out online and in our newspaper.
In no time, the responses began filling our inbox. The photographs capture the smiling faces of people sharing moments with family or friends, or posing in front of landmarks.
The photos were happy. The words that accompanied them reflected the pain and loss.
We collected more than 70 of them. Reporter and editor spoke to many of the families, some of whom responded from across the country. Their stories each began differently, but ended the same way.
The photo gallery went online Aug. 31.
Two months later, our online project “Faces of an Epidemic” still attracts reader interest.
Why? It’s a question we’ve asked ourselves, especially in light of the fact we’ve heard from a few readers of our newspaper that they’d prefer to see less heroin coverage on the front page.
It’s likely that for our print readers, the coverage can seem too grim and offer little hope. It certainly doesn’t offer them an opportunity to engage or share.
But online, the project exists as both a reminder and a gathering place for folks to share stories, channel their grief and perhaps help others deal with similar situations.
Examples like the epidemic gallery help us understand the importance of finding the right way to approach storytelling on our various platforms — print, digital, audio (podcasts) and video.
In the case of the Faces of an Epidemic project, our audience has been not just the families and friends who’ve lost a loved one, but also their neighbors and friends, all of whom have seen the devastating effects of addiction.
Starting next week, we’ll return to the project and reopen it to families who want to share their stories and photos of loved ones. This time, in addition to seeking stories about the deceased, we plan to explore how families are dealing with their loss.
If you’d like to be a part of conversation, email us at firstname.lastname@example.org and tell us your story.


ESSEX STRETCH SLIM PANTSsku: 1008317
FOX Essex Stretch Slim Pants - chai
The Essex stretch slim pants lend a tapered slim fit to classic chino-style pants.
- Classic chino pockets with elastic ribbed fabric to securely stash your essentials
- Durable stretch twill conforms to your movements
- Hidden stash pocket with additional secure stash pocket in the side seam of the leg
- Inner waistband and pocket lining made of quick-drying mesh for added comfort
- DWR coating repels light rain and dirt
- D-ring for hanging keys
- Slim tapered fit
- Logo button at center front + Fox label
- Inseam: 81 cm
Durable stretch twill offers unparalleled added stretch for increased comfort and freedom of movement. Featuring a DWR coating to repel light rain and dirt, and versatile pocket options including a classic chino pocket, hidden utility pocket and secure stash pocket, these pants are a must-have in any wardrobe.
Material 98% cotton, 2% elastane


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Comparing Apartments and Houses for Rent
One of the most common choices for renters is between apartments and houses for rent. Each choice offers its own advantages and disadvantages – from size and price to other amenities. It’s important to understand the benefits of both apartments and houses for rent before making a final decision.
Apartments and Houses for Rent – Benefits of Apartments
- Cost. Generally speaking, the rents for apartments are lower than for houses. While the calculation for rent has a lot to do with the location of the property, apartment complexes and other factors, it is also easier to keep rents lower when they are numerous tenants helping to pay for the costs of an apartment building.
- Maintenance and repair. This is the issue cited most often in favor of apartment living. The responsibility for an apartment building is totally in the hands of the landlord. That means the responsibility of a tenant in an apartment is to notify the landlord of the necessary repair or maintenance issue. With houses for rent, it is common for the renter to have additional duties, such as cutting the grass or shoveling snow.
- Amenities. One of the ways that apartment complexes, particularly larger ones, attract tenants is by offering amenities such as fitness centers, swimming pools and tennis courts. Other amenities in apartment complexes include gated entrances and security guards.
Apartments and Houses for Rent – Benefits of Houses
- More room. Even a small house is likely to offer 1,000 square feet of space, while a large apartment is usually smaller than that. If you have lots of furniture and other belongings, they are more likely to fit in a house as opposed to an apartment for rent. That can save money on storage costs. If decorating is your thing, there’s a lot more to be done in a house for rent than an apartment for rent.
- Privacy. If you value privacy, as well as a quiet living arrangement, then a house is clearly the choice. Even small apartment buildings adds neighbors, some of whom are just a wall away from your apartment. In addition to the other tenants, you also will be impacted by their visitors.
- Parking. Even in apartments where parking is provided, it’s impossible to compete with a driveway just a few feet from your front door. That’s what a house has to offer, and it’s an important difference between apartments and houses for rent for many people. Another advantage of the driveway of a home is that you never have to worry about another tenant taking parking space.

domain: economics


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Watch John Travolta and Robert De Niro in hilariously bad trailer for Killing Season
This is guaranteed to be the worst trailer for a movie about John Travolta trying to kill Robert De Niro with a bow and arrow that you'll see today.
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Things to know about the trailer for Killing Season:
But, seriously, this is seriously terrible. Unless it’s a buddy comedy, because then it’s really funny. Is it a buddy comedy?
Killing Season opens in August (July 12 in the U.S.) and is directed by Mark Steven Johnson, a filmmaker you may also blame for When in Rome, Ghost Rider and Daredevil.
- Forcillo 'lost (his) cool' in killing Sammy Yatim, Crown tells murder trial
- NEW Ontario can take in 4,000 refugees by end of year, health minister says
- Updated ‘Canada is back,’ says Trudeau in Paris. ‘We’re here to help’
- New Canadian renounces allegiance to Queen right after citizenship oath
- Turkey refuses to apologize to Russia for downing jet
- Do you know ‘Ken’? Toronto police are looking for him
- The public would be 'appalled': Peel police reveal sex-harassment records
- Video NEW Toronto Star Touch now on Android

domain: entertainment


text:
Paperback: 398 pages
Publisher: HardPress Publishing (January 10, 2012)
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
Format: PDF Text TXT book
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to ...
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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a final rule to implement the new integrated disclosures on November 20, 2013. The rule completes the Dodd-Frank mandate to combine the disclosures required by the Truth-in-Lending (TILA) and Real Estate Settlement Procedure Acts (RESPA).The Understanding and Implementing the Integrated Disclosures Training Manual explains the new disclosures for closed-end consumer credit transactions secured by real property contained in §1026.19, 1026.37, and 1026.38.
The new Loan Estimate form combines the old Good Faith Estimate with an early Truth in Lending Disclosure. The new Closing Disclosure combines the old HUD-1/A with the final Truth in Lending Disclosure. The forms are different, as are the rules surrounding the forms. Coverage, timing and many other requirements have changed.This manual covers the hundreds of pages of new regulations regarding the integrated disclosures, including the general rules from §1026.19; the content rules and the detailed instructions for completing the loan estimate from §1026.37; and the content rules and the detailed instructions for completing the closing disclosure from §1026.38


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Do you like sweet potatoes? Me either. Do you like casseroles? Not particularly. Do you enjoy Chipotle in Adobo? Well… yeah. Do you like black beans and corn? How about a casserole smothered in cheese? Um, now I’m listening.
My point in all these question is to tell you that this dish doesn’t sound good. We’re aware of that. It doesn’t sound good and it doesn’t look that spectacular but let me tell you, you’re wrong. Any assumptions you might have about this recipe, throw them out. They’re wrong. Unless your assumption is that this sounds delicious, then you can keep that one.
When I saw the recipe this was inspire by, I was intrigued but not sure about it. Then I had a bite. And I was smitten. This is a casserole that I dream about. This casserole makes me want to sing and do a jig. When this casserole is on the menu for the month, I fantasize about it’s deliciousness. Alright, I’ll stop because I think you get the idea.
We serve this with a simple cheese or chicken quesadilla and hot sauce. Lots and lots of hot sauce. The sweet and spicy combo you get from the hot sauce and the sweet potatoes is what makes this dish! If you don’t like hot sauce, no worries. Our non-hot-sauce-loving family and friends enjoyed it as well. Happy Cinco de Mayo week, dear readers!
Mexican Sweet Potato Casserole
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 can corn, rinsed and patted dry
mexican seasoning (cumin, paprika, garlic powder, etc)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
1 ounce cream cheese
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 cup shredded extra sharp cheese (or more, if you prefer)
- Preheat oven to 350˚ and bake potatoes for about an hour.
- While potatoes are baking, place corn in a heavy skillet over medium high heat with no butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and Mexican seasoning and do not stir. Let the corn roast for 3-4 minutes before stirring. Stir and then let sit for another few minutes before stirring again. Continue for another 10 minutes until corn is brown and roasted. Set aside and mix in a medium bowl with black beans.
- Remove sweet potatoes from oven once they are fork-tender. Once they are cool enough to touch, cut in half and scrape the flesh of the sweet potatoes out and into a bowl.
- Mix the flesh with cream cheese, chipotle peppers, cream cheese, Greek yogurt and salt. With a potato masher, mix together until well combined. Once thoroughly combined, stir in black beans, corn, and cilantro.
- Place mixture into a large casserole dish and cover with cheese. Bake about 20 minutes or until cheese it melted and starting to bubble.
Source: Adapted from Pinch of Yum

domain: food


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First night in Paris was this bar/restaurant called Le Square Gardette. Sitting at the tables on the pavement with "vin" in hand, looking at Parisian apartments glistening as the sun goes down, it was a perfect first night amongst the locals. Then when our stomachs started rumbling we went inside. It is an eccentrically decorated dining room with moose heads hung on the wall. Feels like a grandma's house with old carpet and single stem flowers on the tables.
This place is further out from the centre but it is a developing hipster suburb with lots of restaurants popping up experimenting with modern French fare. Tenne Belles is a coffee bar fave amongst Aussies for coffee in Paris which is a few blocks up from this place.
This meal set the standard for the rest of the trip. Like most restaurants it is a set menu. For 41 Euro we got 3 courses which is pretty good value for what we got. The menu is written on the day depending on what the chefs source from the markets. The waitress had basic English skills and struggled to translate some dishes but we kind of got the gist of the main things. If you are that keen on the exact dishes you can translate from the menu below. . .
If in the arrondissement I highly recommend this place.
I forgot to take a pic of the amouse bouche and we also got this tasty starter as a surprise before our entrée. Forgive me it was a quite a few weeks ago but I cannot remember what this dish was. Sashimi with zucchini noodles I think!
Below was my entrée of fresh taglitelle, with slithers of cuttlefish, shallot, egg yolk and raspberry sauce! Amazing!
My husbands' entrée: Ceviche of white fish, with kiwi and popcorn and probably other things. It was an unusual combo but tasted great.
Main of poached chicken with mango and some type of vegetable puree. This was good but my least fave of the night, lucky it wasn't my choice lol!
My main of fish with ratatouille, eggplant puree and pamplemousse, which is grapefruit. This was delicious.
Dessert time! Chocolate tart with a yummy crumble. I clearly remember this chocolate to be so creamy but not that sickly rich. Even at the end of the meal you could scoff this and not feel ill afterwards. Must be a really good type of cocoa.
My dessert was a meringue with tarragon Chantilly cream and grapefruit. I left a few pieces of the "pamplemousse" (love that word) behind as it was just a bit too tangy.


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There are plenty of national statistics showing the state of diversity and inclusion in business across the UK, but how does that pan out specifically in creative industries and on our doorstep?
The MPA has collaborated with Planning Express, BIMA and Creative Resource to find out with the biggest ever study of diversity and inclusion of its kind across Greater Manchester.
MPA Chair and MD at Manchester’s IF Agency Christian James explains “I’ve been challenged on this issue at an MPA event last year and I didn’t have any answers. I made a commitment to myself right there and then to address it and that needs to start with understanding where we are now, in order to work out how to move forward.”
IF Agency Creative Director, Jo Whiteley added “As a female CD I’m hugely in the minority and gender diversity is just one aspect of it. I’m really hoping everyone in the industry will get behind this initiative and fill in the questionnaire. We need the data to be robust.”
To thank participants for their time there is a £100 Amazon voucher up for grabs and all answers are completely confidential.
For details and to complete the questionnaire please click here. The survey will close on Friday 26th July.


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Buyers' price pressure hits RMG profitability
The profitability of Bangladesh's readymade garments (RMG) is now hit hard by the persistent pressure from international buyers to lower the item's price, say industry insiders.
Such pressure also undermines efforts to improve the sector's working conditions, they said.
When garment factory owners struggle to raise workers' wages and sometimes they delay in paying them their dues because of the rise in operational costs and global competition, a denial of fair prices of RMG products by major portion of the foreign buyers has made the situation worse for the industry.
Many RMG owners also point to the fact that the wages issue leads to frequent labour unrests, which result in the loss of productivity and global competitiveness.
Meanwhile, in a letter sent to the head of government early last month by a group of 16 international buyers mounted its pressure to review the minimum wages of Bangladesh's RMG workers, according to the leader of the trade body for the apparel sector.
“But this letter didn't mention a single word on the necessity of the price-hike of apparels so that owners can go for pay-hike of workers,” said Abdus Salam Murshedy, the president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
In this context, Murshedy pointed his finger at the higher cost of doing business. He said such cost rose around 25 percent last year, but the clothing item prices remained either unchanged or declined because of the recession and intense competition globally.
Erratic gas and power supply, higher freight charges, hike in yarn prices, implementation of minimum wages for workers, higher costs of transport and capital machinery are the factors that led to the rise in the cost of doing business.
Faruque Hassan, owner of Shafi Processing, a local garment factory, points his finger at the exorbitant airfreight charge of $4.30 a kg.
Ghulam Faruque, chairman of SQ Group, a local garment factory, suggested the PMO ask buyers to increase the prices of per unit of garment products so that the owners can go for workers' pay-hike.


His hand began to dance on the empty face, his legs were swaying, swaying and shaking, casually playing, not caring who was listening, nor bothering to look at the money cap in front of him. It was 9am in Grand Central, New York subway station. The drummer was one of countless street artists playing music on the road and the intermittent subway station in New York. An American student studying here told me: “Street music is one of New York’s most interesting spots.”
After the long flight, I arrived in New York on an autumn day, a very beautiful season with clear sky and yellow leaves falling in Central Park. I met music in many places on the streets of New York. At the subway station there was a black guy sitting in a drum. On the train, I saw a group of Mexican long mustache with a guitar. The street corner is a violin tree pulling the Beatles song.
They are performing, performing, not just playing the money for passersby. They always rated the song. I saw that they were still calmly playing, even when no one was listening. Music of all kinds, classical, pop, hiphop, jazz, flamenco, opera, even genres that I don’t know what to call. Her bonus box received either roses, teddy bears or once a raw novel. Her job is street performances.
For most New Yorkers, street performances are considered a profession. That ‘s a very free profession. By law, anyone has the freedom to play music under the subway station, on the street or in the park and receive a guest reward.
It is because of such freedom that streets and subway stations are the places to welcome all the souls of adventure, those who fall into misfortune, talented artists but have no work, passionate people. A Chinese dragger who could not speak English, a bass guitarist frantically, a Russian girl who wrote music and played on the road from the age of 10.


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On an unassuming plot of land, spitting distance from the train tracks that run through the center of Watts, you'll find one of the most stunning and improbable works of public art anywhere in the United States. Seventeen sculptures rise like giant, inverted ice cream cones toward the sky. The openwork spires are embedded with shells, tiles, soda bottles, mirrors, shards of pottery and two grinding wheels. It remains an island of whimsy in the middle of an urban landscape.
The Watts Towers are more remarkable when you know they were the vision of one man, an Italian immigrant who worked - with no outside help and only the most elemental tools - nearly every day for 34 years to build a monument at once impenetrably personal and joyously communal.
He was born Sabato Rodia on Feb. 12, 1879 in the tiny village of Ribottoli on the southwestern side of Italy. At age 15, he sailed for America. He settled in Philadelphia, then Seattle, then Northern California before moving to Southern California. He adopted the name Sam and worked as a laborer, laying cement and tile, among other things. Rodia was known as a hot-tempered man - something of a crank, complaining often about the government, the Catholic Church, the behavior of children, women who wore too much makeup.
In 1921, with help from his brother, Rodia bought an oddly shaped, triangular lot at 1765 E. 107th St. Back then, Watts was its own city - it would vote to become part of L.A. in 1926. With his third wife, Carmen, Rodia moved into the small house on the property, the last lot on a dead-end street. Located next to a railroad, it was loud and dusty with streetcars and freight trains rumbling past several times a day.
At age 42, Rodia began working on his masterpiece. Every day after work and all through the weekends, he would search for usable material and work, work, work. Carmen soon left him - according to Rodia, it was due to his obsession with the project.
If You Build It...
Although he lacked formal schooling, Rodia's years as a laborer and his natural ingenuity led him to develop a unique method for building his dream structure on a limited budget and with few tools. He bent salvaged steel into the shapes he desired, wrapped wire mesh around it and covered it with thin layers of cement mortar.
Since Rodia didn't have scaffolding, he laid out most of the elements he needed on the ground, carried them up in buckets along with his tools and assembled them in place.
As he worked, he was anchored only by a window-washer's belt and buckle. An innovator in the use of thin-shell concrete, Rodia never stopped strengthening the structures, especially after the Long Beach earthquake of 1933. He was perpetually adding columns and connected concentric circles to each tower.
Rodia was also mercurial, changing his mind while he worked, tearing down and rebuilding pinnacles when they didn't live up to his vision. The result was three tall spires and more than a dozen other sculptures, including a gazebo and the "Ship of Marco Polo."
...They Will Come
The Watts Towers were already a favorite among locals — jazz musician Charles Mingus, born in 1922 and raised in the shadow of the towers, was among many who drew inspiration from them — when they started getting attention from the wider world.
Watts became a predominantly black neighborhood in the 1940s, in large part because African Americans were prevented from living in many other areas by racist housing covenants. The Watts Towers became a symbol of pride for the often neglected and under-resourced neighborhood. When much of the area was destroyed during the Watts Riots in 1965, the towers were miraculously unharmed.
The towers appear on the covers of albums by Harold Land, Don Cherry and Tyrese. Rodia himself is one of the many faces on the famed cover of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, next to Bob Dylan.
Embedded In History
Look at the Watts Towers and you'll find bits of classic California pottery and ceramics dotting the structures. In addition to strengthening the columns, they provide eye-candy and a visual history of early 20th century California design.
The Watts Towers are known to include tiles from Malibu Potteries and Batchelder, as well as dishware from Fiesta, Harlequin and probably Bauer and Metlox. All of these were local companies who helped shape the colorful, functional Craftsman aesthetic.
Laying Down His Tools
Just as no one quite knew why Rodia had begun his work, no one knew why he stopped. One day in 1955, he deeded the property to his neighbor and hopped on a bus to Northern California, to be near his sister's family. Rodia was 76 years old and had spent 34 years, nearly half his life, building the Watts Towers. He would die 10 years later, a month before the Watts Riots.
The tallest of the towers, known as the West Tower, is 99.5 feet or nearly ten stories high. In the 1950s, city officials decided the structures were unsafe and ordered them demolished. The L.A. art community mobilized to save them and convinced officials to perform a stress test in 1959. A steel cable was attached to each tower and connected to a crane exerted 10,000 pounds of lateral force. When the towers didn't budge, the city was forced to declare the Watts Towers structurally sound and lift the demolition order. Public tours of the property began in 1960.
Cultural Legacy & Preservation
The Watts Towers are exemplars of folk art and outsider art, terms for unclassifiable works of great originality or beauty created by the disenfranchised. But like Salvation Mountain near the Salton Sea or Harvey Fite's immersive sculpture Opus 40, the Watts Towers aren't easy to maintain. In fact, they're among the most threatened works of landscape art in the country, according to the Cultural Landscape Foundation. In 2010, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) formed a partnership with the City of Los Angeles, which manages the site, to preserve the Watts Towers.
The Watts Towers were added to the National Register of Historic Places in April 1977. The towers were designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in March 1963, a California Historical Landmark in August 1990, and a U.S. National Historic Landmark in December 1990.
The towers are a 10-minute walk from the 103rd Street / Watts Towers Station on the Metro A Line (Blue). Since everything is outdoors, you can show up any time to view the site. After a five-year renovation, the Watts Towers reopened to the public in November 2022. An ongoing project will transform 2.96 acres surrounding the monument and extend the park into an adjacent empty lot.
If you want to step inside for a closer look at the cactus garden, the ship-shaped sculpture and other elements, you'll need to visit on Thursday or Friday and pay $7 ($3 for kids and seniors) for a guided tour. The Watts Towers Arts Center is open Wednesday through Friday.


4'x6' Denim Blue Machine Woven UV Treated Abstract Lines Indoor Outdoor Area Rug
Refresh your outdoor living space with our transitional denim landscape rug. This rug is easy to decorate with, easy to clean, and easy to love? This rug will rejuvenate any living space whether indoors or out. This is machine woven in Turkey of UV-treated polypropylene with texture and has a low pile height of 1/4" and with no backing. Vacuum with floor attachment if needed. Blot spills immediately. Spot clean stains with mild detergent and white cloth. If used outdoors, rug can be hosed off and dried on a flat surface.


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Exclusive, insightful audio interviews by our staff with banking/security leading practitioners and thought-leaders. Transcripts are also available on our site!
Manage episode 197740742 series 1583970
Brilliant branding is an investment of time, capital and know how, but does it pay off? Today we discuss the many ways a strong business brand delivers tangible returns in both the near and short term. Such benefits include... > Higher margins due to greater perceived value > Greater market capitalization (up to 35% more for branded companies) > Easier recall by potential clients > Better positioning (owning a sector of the market) > Greater resale value when your name, town or product are not in the brand > Easier to communicate your core essence and values with a branded name We'll also speak with a real life Tungsten client who went through the naming process, Jeff Burnett of Triple20, a sales consultancy. He'll share the benefits he's found through having a well named brand with a compelling backstory. Tune in today, and every Thursday, to hear successful tips, techniques and stories to further strengthen, brighten and enlighten your own brand!

domain: finance


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This is the amplicon context sequence in accordance with the minimum information for the publication of real-time quantitative PCR experiements (MIQE) guidelines. For more details, please refer to the following publication, "Primer Sequence Disclosure: A Clarification of the MIQE Guidelines."
ddPCR™ Evagreen assay for gene expression analysis. EvaGreen assays consist of unlabeled PCR primer.
Info: EG; Same primer pair as used in qPCR assay qHsaCED0033966; Exonic
This histidine-rich glycoprotein contains two cystatin-like domains and is located in plasma and platelets. The physiological function has not been determined but it is known that the protein binds heme dyes and divalent metal ions. It can inhibit rosette formation and interacts with heparin thrombospondin and plasminogen. Two of the protein's effects the inhibition of fibrinolysis and the reduction of inhibition of coagulation indicate a potential prothrombotic effect. Mutations in this gene lead to thrombophilia due to abnormal histidine-rich glycoprotein levels. [provided by RefSeq Jul 2008]

domain: health


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ABOUT HEARTS CONNECTED
We serve clients throughout the United States.
These are just a few of our team members that are available to help you and your family.
Meet Our Founder,
Hearts Connected, LLC was founded by DD Fritch. She is a pediatric nurse of over 30 years and mom of three. While she is now a healthcare leader and consultant, she was at the bedside for many years where she personally witnessed the impact that Child Life Specialist played on both the child and the child’s loved ones while they were facing situations during their medical care that was hard to understand.
She, along with Molly have a deep desire to bring the services that typically are only available to patients in pediatric hospitals to families while they are in their community. Connecting Child Life Specialist all over the United States with parents, caregivers, family members and most importantly, the children they love!
Providing services to help children cope, grieve and heal.
Meet Molly Porr Wilson,
Our Operational Manager
Molly Wilson is a Certified Child Life Specialist who provides clinical child life services to pediatric clients, siblings, and families, to promote coping with life’s most trying situations. After spending the last twelve years working in pediatric hospital settings, Molly is excited to partner with Hearts Connected to bring child life services into the community.
Molly believes that child life services are highly transferable and offer a wealth of support to children and families in the community who are facing many of life’s challenges.
Molly was a Child Life Specialist leader at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, providing child life services to patients and families in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, neurology, neurosurgery and GI/Endocrine units. Molly also successfully established child life services when Inova Fairfax Hospital opened their pediatric surgery center.
In addition to her child life certification, Molly has been a Certified Trauma Practitioner through the National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children.
Molly attended Auburn University where she obtained a BS in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in Child Life. She completed her Master’s in Clinical Social Work from Florida State University.
Meet Jeela Tavakoli,
Child Life Specialist
Jeela is a Certified Child Life Specialist that has been practicing Child Life since 2018. She received her undergraduate degree in Child Life from The University of Alabama.
Jeela completed her Child Life Internship at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital completing rotations in the Inpatient Trauma Unit, Orthopedic Clinic, and Lake Drive Surgery Center. Jeela started her career at Inova Children’s Hospital as the first full time Child Life Specialist in the Gastroenterology Lab. Jeela worked as part of the outpatient team and provided services to patients having Radiology procedures, Surgical procedures, and during Forensic Exams. Jeela additionally supported patients and families in Inova’s Trauma Intensive Care Unit.
Jeela is trained in Child Life Disaster Relief and was a speaker at Inova’s Pediatric Surgery Symposium presenting strategies for working with children with Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder. Jeela is passionate about advocating for children and dedicated to supporting families within the community.
Some of what our clients have said
“This was definitely helpful. I wish I had this available for all of MY medical procedures.”


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These appealing gold bullion bars are more than three times the size of a typical 1 oz bar, so are a great option if you are looking for a medium-sized gold bar.
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Size: 44 mm x 26 mm x 4.5 mm
Weight: 100 gram (3.215 troy oz)
Tax Status: No Tax/No GST
The Heraeus 100 gram minted gold bar is a popular investment grade gold bar from Germany’s most prestigious precious metals refining group.
Heraeus Precious Metals is part of the larger Heraeus technology group, and is involved in precious metals trading as well as processing gold, silver and platinum metals.
This 100 gram gold bar is made from 99.99% pure gold. The obverse of the bar displays the weight 100g, the bar’s gold fineness 999.9, and the famous Heraeus refinery stamp of a hand with roses. Encircling the refinery motif are the words “Heraeus Edelmetalle – Hanau”.
A number of Heraeus precious metals refineries around the world are members of the LBMA Good Delivery Lists for gold and silver, and the LPPM Good Delivery Lists for platinum and palladium, and Heraeus is one of the most respected names in the wholesale precious metals industry.
For customers looking for a handsome 100 gram gold bar that will be recognized for high precision design and craftsmanship as well as its investment appeal, the Heraeus 100 gram minted gold bar is a natural choice.
Sell to BullionStar:
*GST only applicable for Singapore Deliveries. Not applicable when exported.
The chart illustrates the historical purchasing price for one item of this product


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The latest Shibuya skyscraper, observatory and shopping complex opened on November 1, 2019. With direct access from Shibuya Station, Shibuya Scramble Square is home to a selection of restaurants covering a range of cuisines, international designer brands and favorite Japanese stores. The rooftop doubles as an observation spot where visitors can see a bird’s-eye view of the world-renown Shibuya Crossing, Yoyogi Park and beyond at a height of 229 meters.
Shibuya Scramble Square
Award-Winning Japanese Author Mieko Kawakami: “I Have a Problem With The Patriarchal System in This Country”


A Natural Balance
During decades of controversy, FHWA and its State and local partners consistently included environmental stewardship as a goal of transportation projects.
The 1962 publication of Rachel Carson's classic, Silent Spring, about the effect of chemicals on ecosystems, especially bird populations, usually is cited as the start of the modern environmental movement. For the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the wake-up call came a few years earlier.
Once construction of the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways began shortly after enactment of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, citizens and local officials from coast to coast began letting FHWA know that they would not accept adverse impacts from the new highways. FHWA was forced to broaden its mission from that of providing highways to meet traffic demand to one that includes reflecting the cultural, economic, environmental, and social needs of U.S. cities and sensitive rural areas.
Since the start of the interstate era, FHWA has evolved into a different kind of agency than it used to be. Early on, the question was: How can we build interstate highways fast enough to complete the program by the early 1970s? By the time that President Richard M. Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on January 1, 1970, FHWA had to answer a very different question: How can we build our highways while minimizing or eliminating damage to the environment? Then, by the 1990s, FHWA expanded its mission to include protecting and enhancing the environment.
The Good News
Over the past 30 years, FHWA cooperated with State transportation officials to add a number of environmentally sensitive interstates to the system. (See "New Wonders of the World" on page 3.) In addition, the agency joined with State and local officials to complete thousands of environmentally sensitive projects on highways that are not part of the interstate system.
Other good news: Urban highways carry more people to and from work every day than any other means of transportation in history. At the same time, they have accommodated significant increases in population and motor vehicles over the years.
The Nation's air quality has improved steadily since the early 1970s in every category, across the board, in virtually every part of the country. A majority of the areas designated as nonattainment (that is, areas that do not meet air quality standards) since 1990 now meet national air quality standards. Air quality monitoring data through 2001 show that 77 out of 78 carbon monoxide nonattainment areas, 73 out of 85 coarse particulate matter (PM10) areas, and 69 out of 101 ozone areas no longer show air pollution levels that exceed the national ambient air quality standards. Even in areas where air quality is rated "severe," it is still better today than it was in 1970.
Since 1991, governments at all three levels spent a total of more than $3.7 billion on transportation enhancements, such as provision of facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians, scenic byways, and preservation of historic transportation structures and facilities.
In part because of transportation enhancements, Federal-aid funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects increased from $3 to $4 million per year in the 1980s to an annual expenditure of approximately $415 million today. These figures reflect decisions by State and local officials around the country to make bicycling and walking a larger part of our transportation network.
What's more, FHWA is partnering with the State transportation departments and environmental organizations to promote context-sensitive solutions. This concept—transportation improvements that are designed in cooperation with communities and stakeholders to "fit" the values and needs of adjacent neighborhoods and environmental features—is transforming how highway projects are conceived.
State and local transportation agencies and FHWA have learned how to build highways to protect and enhance our waterways, minimize harm to endangered and threatened species, reduce impacts to ecosystems, and moderate the effects of traffic noise.
Wetlands acreage affected by Federal-aid highway projects today is replaced at a rate of 2.7 acres (1 hectare) to 1 acre (0.4 hectares), well above the target level of 1.5 acres (0.6 hectares) for each acre lost. Since 1996, the Federal-aid highway program has provided a net gain of more than 20,000 new and restored acres of wetlands nationally.
All this was accomplished while pavement and bridge conditions improved, traffic volumes tripled, and U.S. highways became safer than ever.
In short, FHWA and its partners in State and local governments achieved a 30-year legacy of meeting highway transportation demands with environmental sensitivity. But the past three decades also were a learning process for FHWA and its partners—not too surprising, really, since our Nation as a whole and the world were experiencing a similar learning curve.
New Wonders of the World
Although the interstate system is sometimes criticized for its "cookie-cutter" look, many interstates feature one-of-a-kind designs carefully blended into the environment. The following interstates are among those that overcame technical and environmental challenges to emerge as wonders in their own right:
National Environmental Policy Act
The importance of NEPA to the history of the Federal-aid highway program—and its future—is difficult to exaggerate. FHWA worked with the States during the 1960s to address mounting concerns about highway development, especially in cities. In the 1970s, all parties accepted NEPA as a reasonable framework for taking up the issues specific to each project. The legislation also provided the framework for addressing other Federal environmental laws, which total more than 40 today.
When the highway community realized that it would be required to comply with NEPA, the highway builders had a hard time accepting that business as usual would have to change. As a former Illinois highway official recalled, "You were dealing with engineers [who], for one, didn't have any environmental training in their formal education; and they were told for so many years "get that thing built." After NEPA, he said, the engineers were saying "get that bit out of my mouth, let me get this thing done."
Some controversial highway projects, including more than 547 kilometers (340 miles) of interstates, were eliminated mainly because they were unable to pass the NEPA test. Other controversial highways were built, but in ways that mitigated or eliminated the social, environmental, and economic concerns identified during the NEPA review.
Experience taught the highway community an increasing number of ways to reduce the "footprint" of highway and bridge projects while enhancing the environment in many cases.
As the comment about getting the "bit out of my mouth" suggests, the big fear was that NEPA and the growing number of environmental requirements would create red tape that would block needed highway projects. For that reason, finding ways to streamline the NEPA review became a priority. In fact, when FHWA and the Urban Mass Transportation Administration—now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)—released their joint NEPA regulation in September 1987, they announced that it would "streamline environmental requirements" and "eliminate some of the red-tape and time-consuming legal processes" involved in NEPA compliance.
Experience with timing under the FHWA-FTA regulation was mixed. For example, 97 percent of projects are advanced relatively quickly without a full environmental impact statement (EIS). Thousands of projects every year require little or no NEPA review because they qualify as categorical exclusions. That is, they fall into a category of projects that, based on experience with similar actions, does not involve significant environmental impacts.
On the other hand, environmental impact statements for major projects can take 5, 6, 7 years or even longer. FHWA thinks that is too long. Stakeholders—whether they are for or against a proposed project—deserve an end to the process sooner rather than later.
The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, approved in 1998, made environmental streamlining a national priority. This renewed national emphasis resulted in a series of initiatives that are helping FHWA and its partners identify ways of streamlining the NEPA process. Elsewhere in this issue, Ruth Rentch ("Nurturing an Environmental Perspective" on page 6) and Kreig Larson ("The Road to Streamlining" on page 10) discuss these initiatives. In addition, Fred Skaer describes how the U.S. Department of Transportation is implementing President George W. Bush's Executive Order on Environmental Stewardship and Transportation Infrastructure Project Reviews issued September 18, 2002 ("Executing the Executive Order"on page 14).
One of the lessons to emerge from years of experience with NEPA is that highway builders must "think beyond the pavement." As Federal Highway Administrator Mary E. Peters says, "A transportation facility is an integral part of the community's fabric, and it can help define the character of the community or it can destroy it."
This realization, one of the legacies of NEPA, is reflected in the changing mix of personnel in highway agencies today. Although engineers remain a strong force, State departments of transportation (DOTs) also hire arborists, archaeologists, biologists, botanists, ecologists, landscape architects, noise specialists, planners, and other specialists who are essential to the NEPA reviews. As a result, State DOTs now may have as much or more environmental experience in certain areas as do their environmental counterparts in other State agencies.
The emergence of context-sensitive design in recent decades reflects the evolution of transportation demands and solutions. In the past, projected traffic demands or "throughput" per lane sometimes dictated solutions that harmed the natural and built environments. Context-sensitive design focuses attention on techniques for considering the total context of a transportation project. This approach involves a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort by all stakeholders to develop a transportation facility that fits its physical setting and preserves scenic, aesthetic, historic, and environmental resources, while maintaining safety and mobility.
The phrase "maintaining safety and mobility" is critical. Our Nation is growing—in population, jobs, leisure activities, and travel demand. FHWA and its State and local partners must increase U.S. surface transportation capacity through expanded transit, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, smarter operations—and, yes, through expanded highway lane capacity. Through context-sensitive design, FHWA and its partners can improve existing facilities; incorporate biking, walking, and transit improvements; and expand operational and infrastructure capacity, while retaining, even enhancing, the fabric and character of the surrounding environment.
The planned reconstruction of US 93 through Montana's Flathead Indian Reservation illustrates how context-sensitive design can lead to unexpected solutions. In the Montana project, transportation and tribal officials reached agreement on highway improvements that meet modern needs while respecting Native American culture. "We got away from this notion that the road is the important thing. The road is the visitor. You've got to be mindful that there's a history to be respected. What matters is not how you can go through things, but how you can make the highway fit," says consultant Jim Sipes. (For more information on the US 93 project, see "A Hallmark of Context-Sensitive Design," Public Roads, May/June 2002.)
Although context-sensitive design employs techniques developed over the years, the current initiative pulls those practices together to help transportation agencies think in a new way about how to meet old problems. The current concept emerged through the work of the member States of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), particularly the Maryland DOT, in cooperation with Federal agencies (FHWA, FTA, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), and a wide range of environmental, planning, and preservation groups, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Surface Transportation Policy Project, and Scenic America.
Maryland showcased context-sensitive design during a conference in May 1998. Since then, AASHTO, FHWA, and its partners have participated in several national and international meetings on context-sensitive design. Today, five pilot States—Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, and Utah—and the FHWA Federal Lands Highway Office are using the concept to balance transportation needs with the environmental and aesthetic concerns of communities. The experience in these efforts is providing important lessons that are spreading to other States.
Lori Irving, in her article on "A New Approach to Road Building" (page 18), describes some of the efforts underway to spread the word about context-sensitive design. In many ways, however, the projects themselves are the best advertisements.
A New Balance
The launch of the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways in 1956 inspired several generations of engineers to work on what has been called the "greatest public works project in history." The controversies that soon emerged on individual projects and their effects on U.S. cities and the environment came as a shock.
With the interstate program essentially complete, many decades of controversies haunt the ongoing debate about the American 21st century transportation system. One result of those stormy years is that FHWA and the State DOTs embraced the environmental ethic that began to emerge in the 1960s. The integration of transportation modes, the value of bicycling and walking, the preservation of ecosystems, the importance of public involvement, the improvement of air quality, the restoration of historic and cultural resources—these concepts and more became a routine part of meeting transportation demand.
The debate over the effects of transportation decisions on U.S. society will continue. Controversies over individual projects are inevitable. The transportation community can never stop learning. But as engineers and others continue to develop the transportation network that America needs to meet the challenges of the 21st century, environmental stewardship will continue to play a guiding role in FHWA's work.
Cynthia Burbank is associate administrator for planning, environment, and realty for FHWA. Prior to joining FHWA in 1991, she held positions in the Federal Aviation Administration, FTA, the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, and the U.S. Navy. Her multimodal experience also includes working for Amtrak, the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and a volunteer role with the Washington Area Bicyclists Association. She attended Duke University and Boston University, and received a bachelor's degree in economics from Georgetown University, Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude.


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Retro-inspired fashion has made a delightful comeback in recent years, embracing the timeless charm of bygone eras. From elegant silhouettes to vibrant patterns, retro dresses offer a perfect blend of nostalgia and contemporary style. If you’re a plus size fashionista with a love for all things vintage, you’ll be delighted to explore our curated collection of 6 must-have retro-inspired plus size dresses for your wardrobe. Get ready to channel your inner retro goddess and turn heads wherever you go!
The Polka Dot Delight: Polka dots are a quintessential retro pattern that never goes out of style. Embrace the playfulness of the ’50s with a flirty and flowy polka dot dress. Choose a fit-and-flare silhouette to accentuate your curves or opt for a wrap dress for a flattering look.
The Timeless Wrap Dress: The wrap dress is a classic silhouette that flatters every body shape. This versatile style was a favorite in the ’70s and continues to be a wardrobe staple today. Look for retro-inspired wrap dresses with bold prints or vintage-inspired florals for a touch of nostalgic elegance.
The Graceful Midi Dress: Midi dresses exude timeless elegance and offer a flattering length for plus size women. Look for retro-inspired midi dresses with A-line or fit-and-flare silhouettes. Choose bold colors or floral prints reminiscent of the ’40s and pair them with vintage-inspired accessories for an effortlessly glamorous look.
The Classic Swing Dress: The swing dress is synonymous with the carefree spirit of the ’50s. Its flowing silhouette and full skirt make it an excellent choice for plus size women. Opt for solid colors or fun prints like cherries or polka dots for an authentic retro vibe. Complete the look with a wide-brimmed hat and cat-eye sunglasses.
The Sassy Wiggle Dress: For those who adore the sultry styles of the ’50s and ’60s, a wiggle dress is a must-have. This form-fitting silhouette hugs your curves and exudes confidence. Look for wiggle dresses in bold colors or vintage-inspired prints like houndstooth or geometric patterns to create a statement-making look.
The Glamorous Evening Gown: For special occasions, embrace the glamour of the past with a retro-inspired evening gown. Choose a floor-length dress with sequins, beading, or a dramatic neckline. Look for retro styles that pay homage to the elegance of the ’20s, ’30s, or ’50s. Pair it with vintage-inspired jewelry and a vintage updo for an unforgettable red-carpet-worthy look.
With these 6 must-have retro-inspired plus size dresses, you can effortlessly embrace the charm and elegance of bygone eras while celebrating your unique style. From polka dots to floral prints, swing dresses to wiggle dresses, each piece brings its own touch of nostalgia and fashion-forward flair. Remember to accessorize with retro-inspired shoes, jewelry, and hairstyles to complete your vintage-inspired look.At Cheribomb Retro, we believe that every woman deserves to feel beautiful and confident, regardless of their size. Our collection of retro-inspired plus size dresses aims to empower and celebrate your curves, offering timeless and stylish options for every occasion.So go ahead, embrace your inner retro goddess, and let these dresses become the stars of your wardrobe. Unleash your creativity, mix and match different styles, and have fun expressing your unique fashion sense. Remember, fashion is a form of self-expression, and with retro-inspired plus size dresses, you can showcase your style while paying homage to the timeless beauty of the past. Get ready to turn heads and make a fashion statement that is all your own.Start building your dream retro-inspired plus size dress collection today and let Cheribomb Retro be your go-to destination for fabulous, size-inclusive fashion that celebrates your curves and your love for all things vintage.

domain: design


Storm drains that are located in parking lots, on the property of businesses, as well as those along the street, act as a safety net to stop litter and other pollutants from reaching clean water such as streams, ponds, lakes, or even the ocean.
Cleaning these catch basins will prevent backups and flooding in parking lots or on the street. Proper maintenance also keeps your business in compliance with city ordinances protecting the fresh water connected to these storm drains.
Rite-Way Industrial Inc. provides consistent and comprehensive service for catch basins. We provide all the regulatory compliance documents required by the city such as, inspection sheets and cleaning records, every time we service our customers


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4 Influences That Led to the Creation of Star Wars
4 Influences That Led to the Creation of Star Wars
There's a really good chance that like millions of other people, you're completely aware of the fact that December 18th is a very special date. December 18th marks the long awaited release of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. Star Wars has affected popular culture like no other since the first film was released back in 1977 and continues to have a huge impact on everything from film and videogames to real life technology (such as laser technology, walking robots and even holograms). This new Star Wars film, directed by J.J. Abrams (the man that revived another influential science fiction series - Star Trek), is widely predicted to not just smash box office records, but to completely obliterate them. However, the original Star Wars - while hugely influential on modern culture - wasn't exactly as unique as you may have thought. The following are four huge influences that helped to form George Lucas's original Star Wars trilogy:
1. Serial Films
Lucas was a huge fan of the old serial films that ran towards the beginning of the 20th century. If you're unfamiliar with serial films, they are basically short films that were presented before features in the movie theater. These short films would often end in cliffhangers, which would only be resolved in the following week's serial - and the original Star Wars trilogy probably contains one of the best cliffhangers of all time in the form of Darth Vader revealing his true identity to Luke Skywalker. Serial films tended to be in the western and science fiction genre; in fact, Flash Gordon was one of the most popular serial science fiction films and was actually the film that Lucas set out to make before transitioning to his own Star Wars.
2. WWII Films
First of all, it should be obvious that WWII itself hugely influenced the Star Wars universe. The Empire that the rebels are fighting against is of course a sci-fi version of the Nazi party. The stormtroopers are based off of the Nazi stormtroopers. Even the shape of the stormtrooper helmets closely resemble those of the Nazi soldiers. The officers on board the Imperial Fleet are all dressed in uniforms that look suspiciously like Nazi officer uniforms as well.
Once you begin looking at some of the WWII films from the 1950s and 1960s, you'll see even more influences. Take for example the 1955 film, Dam Busters. In its climactic scene, British RAF pilots must simultaneously bomb three German held dams with incredible precision in order for their mission to succeed. The scenes play out very closely to those that Lucas filmed for the climactic X-Wing attack on the first film's Death Star. Then there's the 1961 film, Guns of Navarone, which was about a group of Allied soldiers whose mission was to infiltrate enemy territory in order to destroy two huge guns. If they failed, the Allied forces would be unable to get through in order to save 2,000 marooned British soldiers. Sound familiar? It should - it's basically the plot of the third film in the trilogy, Return of the Jedi, in which rebel fighters must take out an energy field station on the moon of the planet Endor so that the Rebel forces can take out the new Death Star.
3. Akira Kurosawa
Lucas has revealed on many occasions how influential the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa was to his work in general. This shouldn't come as a surprise to begin with considering how Kurosawa is often cited by modern filmmakers as a huge influence and is often considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. But look a little closer at the films of Kurosawa - specifically The Hidden Fortress - and you'll see that Lucas borrowed more than a few elements from Kurosawa's work for his Star Wars films. First of all, just look at how Luke Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi are dressed. Looks a bit Japanese doesn't it? Then there's the whole Jedi mythology and the way they do battle using lightsabers - if you pay attention, you'll realize that the Jedis are basically samurais, which are ancient Japanese warriors that fought using a strict code of honor.
Lucas borrowed a large amount of Japanese culture to create his Star Wars universe, but he also took story elements from Kurosawa's films. The Hidden Fortress begins with two poor farmers turned soldiers wandering around in the desert. These farmers are central to the film's plot, but they also act as the comic relief of the film. Remember how the first Star Wars begins? With two droids, C3PO and R2D2 wandering through a desert. They too are central to the plot, but act more as side characters that provide comic relief. Then there's the fierce warrior who is attempting to rescue the princess, who act as direct influence on Han Solo and Princess Leia.
4. Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell is a famous mythologist who write a book called The Hero With a Thousand Faces. This book introduced the concept of the hero's journey. If you look at the overall arc of Lucas's Star Wars films, you'll see that he took his structure directly from the mythological story structure, known as the hero's journey, outlined by Campbell in his book. The Hero's Journey consists of three acts - departure, initiation and return. Some of the beats that Campbell goes over within these three acts include the call to adventure, the refusal of the call, supernatural aid, the road of trials, atonement with the father, apotheosis, refusal of return, magic flight, master of two worlds and the freedom to live. And the hero of Star Wars, Luke Skywalker, hits every one of these beats.
Star Wars deserves its reputation as a cultural phenomenon due to the huge impact it has had on both popular culture and culture in general. However, as you desperately scramble to find tickets for a December 18th opening night showing, be sure to remember the many influences that led to the creation of Star Wars.
About the author: Sonny Choun is part of our Marketing Team here at Pivot Insurance. He enjoys playing outdoor sports, bowling with friends, and spending time with family. His talent and expertise are a reflection of the Pivot culture. He believes life insurance is an essential part of a family's financial security. Sonny can be contacted at 1-800-651-1953 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
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The primary materials used to manufacture aerosol cans are steel or aluminum with a tin coating. Steel aerosol cans contain approximately 25% recycled metal. While being processed, plastic parts are burned, and tin is recovered while being reheated. More than 5,000 North American communities have recycling programs for empty aerosol cans.
Many retail industries, including bag-on-valve applications, are becoming more reliant on aerosol products. Many brands use aerosol technology to produce high-quality goods in the healthcare, beauty, and food industries.
Although aerosol products have many benefits, there are still many misconceptions about how they work and how they affect the environment. We have compiled a list of the most common sources of misunderstanding about aerosols.
Fiction – There Is No Recycling For Aerosol Cans
Fact: Aerosol cans can be recycled, just like a lot of other empty steel containers. 70% of Americans have access to recycling programs for used aerosol cans, according to the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA), the leading trade association for consumer home goods.
The same study, according to D. Douglas Fratz, Staff Executive for the CSPA Aerosol Products Division, reveals that many consumers are unsure whether their empty aerosol containers can be recycled. The results of the study demonstrate that most recycling programs are willing, able, and ready to recycle empty aerosols. The EPA also advises that after being used up, all aerosol cans be properly recycled.
Fiction – Aerosols Harm The Environment
Fact: Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were no longer used by aerosol manufacturers after research revealed a potential connection between these substances and the thinning of the ozone layer. In 1978, CFCs were outlawed in the US.
Even though environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly important, there is still false information about the contribution of aerosol products. A recent poll found that 7 out of 10 people thought CFCs were still used in products even though they were banned in the late 1970s.
Modern aerosols do not harm the environment. In fact, some technologies only use common oxygen or nitrogen, like the bag on the valve. Aerosol cans are frequently made of recycled materials, and empty cans are simple to recycle after use.
Fiction – Aerosol Cans are neither practical nor useful
Fact: There are many uses for aerosol products in domestic and professional settings. Did you know that aerosol products were incredibly popular during World War II? Robert H. Abplanalp made the old aerosol can design better by substituting plastic valves for the erratic, rusted metal ones. These new valves were inexpensive and easy to mass produce. The US military could utilize this more dependable technology to supply soldiers with mosquito repellent.
Since then, aerosol products have changed to serve a range of consumer needs better. Because aerosol cans are hermetically sealed, they are airtight and won’t spill or leak. Tamper-resistant aerosol products are also available, which are particularly helpful in homes with kids or animals.
Cost-effective products include aerosol ones. Aerosol cans are made to deliver the right amount of product with the least amount of waste. The airtight seal extends the product’s shelf life, giving the consumer more time to enjoy it. Don’t let outdated misconceptions about aerosols prevent you from taking advantage of your regular products in this accessible and convenient manner.

domain: chemistry