Every homeowner knows the importance of a well-maintained sewer line. It’s the unsung hero that keeps your home hygienic and safe, preventing both minor inconveniences and major issues. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essentials of sewer line maintenance and when to call the experts.
Sewer pipe cleaning – The Basics
Understanding the foundational elements of sewer lines is essential for effective maintenance and management. These integral components of your home’s plumbing system are designed with precision to ensure efficient waste management and optimal functionality.
Composition and Functionality
Sewer lines are composed of a network of pipes and fittings that seamlessly transport waste from household fixtures, including sinks, toilets, showers, and dishwashers. Incorporated within this system are traps, specialized mechanisms filled with water that act as barriers, preventing sewer gases from infiltrating your home.
Direction and Flow
The entire system is ingeniously designed to direct waste toward the sewer outlet, the junction where your home’s plumbing connects with municipal sewer lines or a septic tank. The pipes are strategically pitched to facilitate the gravitational flow of waste, ensuring efficiency and preventing backups.
Incorporated within the sewer lines are various elbows and tie-ins, intricate components that navigate the complex architecture of your home. Vents are strategically positioned to prevent the buildup of a vacuum, ensuring that the water-filled traps function effectively to block sewer gases.
A Unified System
Collectively, these components constitute your home’s drainage system. Though complex in its integration, its operation is streamlined, ensuring that waste management is conducted efficiently, safeguarding the hygiene and safety of your living spaces.
Signs Your Sewer Line Needs Cleaning
Regular maintenance is essential to keep your sewer line in optimal condition. While it’s advisable to schedule a professional cleaning every 18 months, certain signs indicate an urgent need for service. Here are refined insights on how to identify when your sewer line is crying out for attention.
A symphony of gurgling sounds from your drains is more than a minor inconvenience—it’s a red flag. These sounds are often the first indicator of a clog in the making. As obstructions form, air trapped in the water seeks to escape, producing those distinctive gurgling noises. If not addressed, these early warnings can escalate, leading to more severe issues like water pooling around the drains.
When you notice water amassing around drains or in your yard, it’s a clear sign that your sewer system requires immediate attention. Appliances connected to the sewer system, such as washing machines and dishwashers, can also be tell-tale spots for detecting pooling water. Slow drains are often a precursor to this issue, signaling a lurking clog that needs prompt action to prevent full-blown blockages.
Occasional odors from toilets and kitchen sinks are normal. However, persistent rotten or sulfur-like smells are indicative of a deeper issue. These odors often stem from bacteria buildup in the P-trap, resulting from slow drains that provide a breeding ground for microbial growth. If you detect a consistent rotten egg smell or any strong sewage odors, it’s a clarion call for professional cleaning.
What to Do If Your Sewer Line Needs Cleaning?
Discovering that your sewer line requires cleaning can be daunting, but taking immediate and appropriate actions can mitigate potential damage and restore your system’s efficiency. Here are three pivotal steps to take when faced with a sewer line that needs cleaning:
Evaluate the Situation
Before jumping to conclusions or actions, take a moment to assess the extent of the issue. Identify the specific signs that led to the realization that your sewer line needs cleaning, such as persistent odors, slow drains, or gurgling sounds. This initial evaluation is crucial as it helps in communicating the problem effectively to professionals and aids in understanding the severity of the issue.
Avoid DIY Solutions for Major Issues
While it might be tempting to resolve the issue yourself, especially if you’ve handled minor clogs before, it’s essential to recognize when a problem is beyond DIY solutions. Utilizing chemical cleaners or attempting to dislodge clogs without the right tools or knowledge can exacerbate the issue, leading to more significant damage and potential health risks.
Call to Professionals
This can’t be emphasized enough – when in doubt, call in the experts. Professionals are equipped with the skills, tools, and knowledge to diagnose and resolve sewer line issues effectively. They can identify the root cause of the problem, provide a comprehensive cleaning, and offer insights on preventive measures to keep your sewer line in optimal condition. Restoration Operators are always at your service, ensuring that expert help is just a call away.
Cost Factors When Cleaning Your Sewer
The cost of cleaning varies depending on several factors:
The cleaning techniques employed, from chemical cleaners to mechanical methods.
Older systems may require more intensive cleaning or repairs.
Complexity of the Clog
The nature and severity of the blockage.
Accessibility of the Clog
The location and ease of access to the blockage.
Tips for Keeping Your Sewer Line Clean
Maintaining a clean sewer line is integral to ensuring the efficiency and longevity of your plumbing system. Here, we’ve curated enhanced tips, drawing inspiration from proven methods, to help you in this essential aspect of home maintenance.
Proper Disposal of Grease
One of the cardinal rules of plumbing maintenance is to avoid pouring grease down the drain. Instead, collect it in a container and dispose of it in the trash. This practice prevents the buildup of grease that can lead to stubborn clogs.
Weekly Hot Water Flush
Make it a routine to pour boiling water down your sink and shower drains once a week. This simple practice helps dissolve minor obstructions and can prevent the accumulation of debris that leads to clogs.
Utilize a Soap and Water Mixture
Every so often, pour a concoction of dish soap and boiling water into each drain. The soap helps break down grease and oil, while the hot water flushes away debris, ensuring your pipes remain clean and clear.
Natural Cleaning Solutions
Embrace the cleaning prowess of baking soda and vinegar. Pouring this combination down the drain can effectively break down clogs and cleanse the pipes. It’s an eco-friendly option that’s gentle on your plumbing system yet tough on clogs.
The Salt and Vinegar Treatment
For a more intensive cleaning, consider the salt and vinegar method. Add a teaspoon of salt into the drain, followed by a quarter cup of white vinegar. Let the mixture sit for an hour to break down clogs, then flush with hot water to cleanse the pipes.
Sewer pipe cleaning – DIY vs. Hiring a Professional
While some minor issues can be resolved with DIY methods, severe blockages and maintenance require the expertise and equipment of professionals. They ensure a thorough job, extending the lifespan and efficiency of your sewer system.
Maintaining your sewer line is integral to the overall health of your home. While self-maintenance can address common issues, the expertise of professionals like Restoration company ensures your system is at its peak efficiency.
Is your sewer line up to the task? Trust Restoration Operators for comprehensive Sewage Cleanup services. As your go-to Restoration Company, we ensure your plumbing system is efficient and trouble-free. Contact us today!
Every 18-22 months is standard, but it can vary depending on the system’s age and usage.
Look out for slow drains, unpleasant odors, frequent clogs, gurgling sounds, and unexplained wet spots in the yard.
For minor clogs, yes. But professional service is advised for thorough cleaning and maintenance.
Avoid disposing of grease and non-biodegradable items down the drains and use enzyme-based cleaners regularly.


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AP Photo/PA, Dominic Lipinski
Time to meet great-grandpa!
Prince Philip reportedly held his seven-week-old great-grandson Prince George for the first time Sunday. The 92-year-old great-grandfather was the only senior royal who had not been introduced to Prince William and Kate Middleton's bundle of joy as he has been recovering from exploratory abdominal surgery.
According to U.K. Mirror, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge landed at Aberdeen airport yesterday afternoon with their son before they were taken by car to Balmoral Castle, where the family met with an elated Prince Philip at the Queen's residence on Royal Deeside.
The family trip marked the first holiday for William and Kate since their son's arrival on July 22.


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|Caliber||4,5 mm /.177 - 5,5 mm /.22|
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A Scottish couple recently experienced an unexpected and costly ordeal when their Tesla electric car suffered extensive damage during a rainstorm. Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey, owners of a Tesla Model 3, were shocked to receive a repair bill totalling £17,374 (RM100,306) after their car malfunctioned following exposure to heavy rain.
According to a report by Edinburgh Live, the couple had driven their Model 3 to a restaurant during torrential rains in the Scottish capital. However, upon attempting to drive back home, the car failed to operate. After a five-hour wait for roadside assistance, the car was transported to Tesla Edinburgh for assessment and repair.
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Bacigalupo and Hussey expressed their astonishment at the repair bill and sought answers from Tesla regarding the incident. They were informed that the battery had been submerged in water, with the automaker attributing the issue to Scotland’s adverse weather conditions.
“After finally getting to speak to a manager, he told me it had water in it due to the fact the weather in Scotland has been so bad. That was the issue,” said Bacigalupo, highlighting the blame on the Scottish climate.
The incident has raised questions about the vehicle’s suitability for the rainy Scottish landscape, as owners generally expect their electric cars to withstand regular rainstorms without incurring significant damage.
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Now that there's a new GI Joe series, I figure it's probably best to specify: this is set in the old Devil's Due storyline...
"Snakes… what is this?" she eyed the CD that she'd pulled from underneath the car's front seat with a little trepidation. w-inds? Who in the world? "Whose is this?"
He glanced over from emptying out the glove compartment, then shrugged, dropping the manuals and the registration into a paper bag by his feet. The floor mats were already in a pile by the front door, and they'd already emptied out all the little bits and pieces of receipts and paper and paraphernalia that cars seemed to collect. [Oh… Tommy sent that for Ophelia.]
Scarlett carefully suppressed the desire to fling the thing as far away from her as she could throw. CD cases were very aerodynamic… she'd probably be able to get it pretty far… but still, she grinned. "Doesn't say much about his taste that she hid it underneath the front seat."
Well, she hadn't known exactly what to think about Storm Shadow sending over a birthday gift for Snake's apprentice. And she definitely hadn't known what to think about the fact that she'd been the single person who was the least bit perturbed by this turn of events. The very suggestion that they test it for explosive material before opening it had been met with one horrified look—Ophelia's—two blank stares—Nunchuck and T'jbang—and one raised blond eyebrow—her boyfriend. How someone could be so suspicious that he checked the windows before they went to bed every night and yet think nothing about handing a sixteen-year-old girl a gift from a known Cobra assassin…
[No, I think she really likes that band,] Snake-Eyes signed, casually. [Wasn't that's the CD she put into the radio the last time we went into town?]
Scarlett eyed the CD dubiously, flipping it open—sure enough, the case was empty, but… "No, that can't be right. That Japanese band she was singing along to? No, I'm pretty sure those were guys. Didn't Ophi say something about having a crush on one of them?"
He glanced over his shoulder again, and that was definitely a smirk crossing his lips when he turned, touched her cheek and shook his head mockingly at her. [Scarlett, those are guys. Teenagers, but they're male.]
"What?" She stared down at the case in her hands, turning it over and around. No, they still looked a lot like girls from this point of view. Or… well, okay, that one on the left… maybe. But the other two? "Snake, you're pulling my leg. They're beanpoles!"
He laughed his silent laugh and rubbed her arm comfortingly—then handed her the CD from the case. [Fashion's different there.]
"Fashion, maybe, but genetics, no!" She knew enough Japanese men, and yes, they were shorter and slighter than many of the big military guys of her acquaintance, but the very idea of someone like Thomas Arashikage even trying to pass as a girl…
[If you're thinking of Tommy, he was born and raised here,] Snake-Eyes pointed out—this time, he really was full-on smirking at her, and not even trying to hide it. She scowled—she spent most of her time reading his body language, yes, but it was a little disconcerting when he did the same to her. [The one Ophelia has a crush on is the one on the right.]
"Oh, come on, now I know you're trying to pull one over on ol' Scarlett. For one thing, how would you even know that?" Scarlett demanded, shoving the CD back into the case and dropping it into the paper bag at his feet.
But to her surprise, the amusement melted into chagrin. This time, his expression was definitely a grimace. [I was sitting next to her. The whole ride into town.]
Actually… she did kind of remember kind of a conversation as to that effect… and glancing into the rear view mirror only to see a carefully bland, impossibly flat look pasted on Snake-Eyes face as Ophelia expounded on how one of the boys had such beautiful hair. "Your fault for choosing a teenaged girl at just the point when such creatures discover boys, Snake," she pointed out, not even bothering to hide her grin. "It's none of my doing that she wants to share everything with her Silent Master."
This time, he just shot her an adorably disgruntled look and rubbed the back of his head.
True, the girl was impressively disciplined—especially considering her history—and as far as ninja training went, Scarlett was pretty sure that none of the teenager's three masters had anything to complain about. Ophelia was fast, she was both mentally and physically flexible, and she never, ever pulled a strike she didn't have to. In a lot of ways, Scarlett thought that she wouldn't have minded having a sister like that little redhead… which was a good thing, because she was pretty sure she was going to be stuck with Snake's clan for… awhile. At least awhile.
The thought sent a strange little twinge through her, but she shrugged it off.
True, in a lot of ways Ophi was probably pretty ideal ninja-girl, heir-to-the-Arashikage material. But personally, Scarlett thought that the way Ophelia Gabriel just plain idolized Snake was adorable.
Bet he didn't see that one coming…
"You think that's everything in here?" Scarlett gave a quick survey of the back seat. They'd have to vacuum it, but… Snake-Eyes reached past her and plucked a lone magazine out of the seat-back pocket, offering it to her. "Yeah… that's it, I guess."
She'd saved the trunk for last for… well… a lot of reasons, really. The memories, mostly. She'd never been a cluttered person—she'd never had a cluttered existence; she'd lived so much of her life enclosed carefully in rules. But now, living entangled with two ninjas, an apprentice, and the love of her life, well… clutter was inevitable.
But she was… happy, wasn't she? She'd always paid lip service to the idea that she wanted to get out of the military, eventually, but the fact that she actually had, that she was actually content at it… that had surprised Scarlett. She wouldn't have been selling the Ford Focus at all if it weren't for the fact that it was really not big enough to fit her own five-ten self, a slight-but-solid apprentice girl, and two ninjas who definitely were not built like beanpoles. Much less a love-of-her-life who, while he didn't have an ounce of extra body fat on his rather delicious self, had a few inches and more than a few pounds on all of them.
Truthfully, though… Scarlett hated the idea of getting rid of her car.
Yes, it didn't even have power windows, and the engine was so old and the body heavy enough that the gas mileage was terrible. Yes, they really needed an SUV to fit them and all their junk, and she was already looking into some options. But… Scarlett gave the trunk a sad pat before she popped it open and looked at the things scattered around it.
This old taupe Ford Focus was, really, the last thing of her old life—a reminder of the time when her life had been her own, rather than revolving around the Arashikage ninja clan.
Well… she sighed—softly, so that he wouldn't see the heave of her shoulders. Hers and Snakes', anyway. Those few months alone with him… it'd been… well…
It'd been everything she'd hoped it'd be. Dreamed it'd be.
Scarlett glanced over at the tap on her shoulder. [I'll do it,] Snake offered, cocking his head. [Take a break?]
His blue, blue eyes were too clear, and she turned away with a shake of her head. "No, it's okay. Why don't you go inside and join them? It's time for afternoon sparring, right?"
Dreams… well… they didn't last, did they.
She could almost imagine the odd look he was probably giving her back—it was rare enough that they got any time alone together, these days, even if it was doing something so mundane as cleaning out the trunk of the car—but… he wouldn't argue. Scarlett knew that for all his scars, for all his wounds, for all the tragedy in his life, Snake-Eyes still loved the thrill of sparring. They were a lot alike that way. And he genuinely enjoyed teaching.
Wasn't that part of the reason she didn't really have any problems with the whole idea of living with his clan? It made him so happy, too.
She didn't hear Snake leave, even on the gravel, but she never did. It was more the feel of his eyes sliding off her shoulders, his gaze off the back of her head. It was more the knowledge that, really, he was easy to distract when he wanted to be distracted. This car didn't have the same meaning for him as it did for her—and why should it?
It wasn't that she was ambivalent about the Arashikage clan—oh, no, not at all. 'Chuck and 'Bang had styles that were different enough to always be a challenge and a thrill for her, especially since they were all close to the same level. And Ophi was just plain fun, and Scarlett and Jinx had had a blast whenever Kimi made it back from her overseas to visit. And Tommy, well… she might even think twice about trying to kill him on sight. Maybe.
No, she liked being wrapped in the goodness and the warm honor and the insane skill of the Arashikage ninjas, even if it meant that privacy was generally at a premium. The fact that this was Snake's family, just as much as her brothers and her father were hers… Scarlett got that, and she really did rejoice in the fact that he had one. Family meant as much to him as it did to her.
Scarlett wondered if he could even understand, though—the fact that she'd always shared him. He was Storm-Shadow's sword-brother. He was a wounded soldier. He was a ninja clan master. These things would always come first—she knew that. She did. She really, really did.
No, she'd never been cluttered, but it made her a little bit sad just how few things there were in the trunk from the few months they'd spent together. Before the ninjas had moved in, they'd taken long road trips in this little Focus—up to Charlottesville, down to Miami, everywhere in between and some places even further. They'd parked the car and spent days traipsing through forests just barely waking up for spring, curled up together in a shared sleeping bag, Snake's step so quiet even in the underbrush that deer didn't realize he was there until he was standing close enough to touch antlers draped with dangling strips of molting velvet.
Sometimes, Scarlett barely believed they'd had that time at all. Once upon a time, it'd been duffels, sleeping bags, camping gear, black Dutch ovens and the soil of a dozen different forests coating the rubber matting of her trunk. Nowadays the only things that lived in her car now were ordinary, free of everything but the most mundane memories.
The first things out of the trunk were the ubiquitous tote bags she kept stashed there, rather than using supermarket plastic bags. Then a few pairs of rolled-up socks, a well-loved pair of jeans, a t-shirt, in a paper bag… for some reason, she always needed extra clothes when she didn't have them. Then the duffel with several dirty dobok that she'd forgotten to take out, a bokken and shinai—for practice—and her spare wakizashi—not for practice. She drew it out and tested the edge against a callus—she knew better than to test it against the ball of her thumb.
She almost bobbled the old Snakes and Ladders board game that she'd brought to play with her sibs' kids the last time she'd visited—the box was so old it crumpled a little when she picked it up, and she shook her head and smiled, ruefully. She knew she should buy a new one, but this was the very same set she and her brothers had grown up squabbling over… and it was sort of nostalgic, watching her nephews and nieces accuse each other of cheating in the same tones.
There was a Barnes and Nobles bag crammed into the deepest corner—Scarlett opened it and found a smile deep inside herself: so that was where her last batch of chick-lit novels had gone!—and a car repair manual that she leafed through, carefully, before putting it into the bag with the junk food she fed her brain now and again. She wasn't one to turn down the chance to learn a useful skill, and Courtney had recommended this particular book very highly.
And then there was the false back that she carefully pulled down to extract the small black recurve crossbow and a sheaf of quarrels on a suspension board, because, well, maybe Snake wasn't the only one who could be a little paranoid sometimes. Just in case. She could always argue it was for hobby purposes and wasn't military-restricted—even though it was. If she even had to argue.
Scarlett chuckled and ran her fingertips over the smooth, well-used gloss of the crossbow's tang, fingering familiar scratches. No, she wasn't a ninja, but no, she didn't have to be. People could be so consciously blind sometimes. If her car's trunk had ever been inspected, an M-16 would have inspired arrest warrants. A crossbow? Maybe a smirk or two.
The trunk of her car was filled with reminders of the fact that he shared her with another life, too—so to speak, anyway. She was a Southern girl from a big family—a taekwondo instructor—a girl, a woman. But these things were less a life, more a hobby, maybe, where each of the things that pulled him away from her were each an entire existence, all on their own.
But they'd been Joes together. That was the one thing that they'd always shared fifty-fifty, and their job had never been what stood between them—as ironic as that had been.
But when she extracted the false back and fumbled into the very edges of the formerly hidden compartment, just to make sure she hadn't left a quarrel behind or something, her hand touched… leather? What's…
Scarlett pulled it out, and sucked in a soft breath.
She'd wondered, she had to admit, why she hadn't seen him wearing this jacket in… well… awhile, really. Snake-Eyes didn't have a lot of favorite tangibles—his sword, maybe—but this black leather motorcycle jacket had been a gift from her. It'd been a lot more dear than she'd thought to spend on something for him, but… well… for one thing, it'd looked so good on him, like a warm touchable night stretched over those broad shoulders, and for another, he'd really seemed to like it.
She hadn't minded the cost, not really—especially when they were on the back of his 'bike, and she had her arms wrapped around him, tucked against the thick buttery leather.
But when Scarlett picked up the black motorcycle jacket and shook it out, she just had to hold it to her face and inhale its familiar smoky scent with a sigh, remembering just how long it'd been since they'd really spent any significant time together, just the two of them. He'd been so busy with training Ophi and getting 'Chuck and 'Bang settled in. Probably… well… close to months. It didn't explain what the jacket was doing in the secret compartment at the back of her car, but—
Oh. Wait. Yes… it did. The secret compartment was accessible from the back seat—that was why she'd had the divider made that precise way—and… well…
They'd kind of spent a fair amount of time in the back seat together that last night before the ninjas had arrived.
Yes, they'd been necking like teenagers, his mouth wet on her throat, his hands, oh, everywhere. Yes, they probably could have gone home after their little candlelight picnic, but frankly, that'd been her fault, for letting him pull her into the backseat rather than just insisting they return to the then-empty house. Yes, making out in a park overlooking Atlanta was probably beneath their dignity, even with, the scenery spangled with lights and the few brave stars that could shine through the city haze. Yes, it'd been all very uncomfortable in the exact way that two tall people in the back of a subcompact often were, with their knees hitting the front seat-backs even after she'd pushed them forward just as much as they could be pushed, and once, Snake even cracking his head against the window with a startled grunt, and Scarlett laughing until tears ran down her face.
No, she wouldn't have traded a moment of it for her nice, comfortable queen bed.
Even more ironically, that was the same bed they were currently sharing at day's end… rather chastely. He seemed so happy, but so tired at the end of the day… and she was, well… a little conscious of just how well sound could carry through the house anyway.
Sadly, she stroked the leather with one hand, and sighed again. This time, she didn't try to smother it. Why even bother? It was just her, her Focus, and the memories… again. He'd gone back inside the house to the rest of the ninjas… again.
But Scarlett knew just how unfair that idea was.
Carefully, she pulled the sleeves over and folded the jacket, rolling her eyes when she realized that he hadn't even gotten the chance to empty the pockets out… well, probably because she'd shucked the jacket off him quickly enough that it'd gotten caught on his elbows, she remembered that. Scarlett reached in, fumbled out a folded strip of condoms from one pocket—she blushed and crammed them into her own pocket after a startled moment. Considering the car's heat and how long ago that'd been, they were definitely no good anymore, but she'd walk those over to the trash herself! And in the other pocket—
Scarlett blinked as she pulled out a small, silver box with a miniature bow, and her name painstakingly printed on a tiny tag. Oh… he had a gift for me?
Well… they had been kind of, er, busy, and the thought brought the wistful smile to her face again. It was a couple of months late, but the present was still hers, wasn't it? He didn't give gifts often—mostly books, martial arts accessories, sometimes knives he thought were pretty or little souvenir knicknacks—but they were always small and thoughtful when he did. Or, well, when he had given her gifts… it'd kind of been awhile since he'd last done that, too.
But the sight of a small, square, navy-blue velvet case inside the silver box made her pulse pound inexplicably loud in her ears. Shakily, she draped the jacket over the trunk. He didn't give her jewelry, not ever—there wasn't any point. He knew that the simple gold studs she wore in her ears had been her mother's, and that she didn't really like the feel of anything around her neck and her wrists… a knee-jerk reaction, a bit; she'd spent enough time as a POW.
When she popped the box open, carefully, Scarlett was staring at the contents for a long, long, speechless time.
Finally, she touched it. She felt so calm, so utterly calm, that the fact that her fingers trembled when she carefully pulled it from its little holding-slot surprised her. The metal was hot from the car, the black jacket, its cradle of velveteen. The stones sparkling in the late afternoon were almost blinding with fire and rainbows and possibilities.
It was a very simple little ring, really—very elegant. Yellow gold to match her earrings—an inset diamond framed by two smaller ones. The inscription on the inside said, simply, To my heart.
And she wasn't even surprised when a careful hand brushed the small of her back, and she turned to find herself staring into that familiar pair of beautiful sky-blue eyes, set into a face scattered with the small shadow-remains of his old burn scars.
Scarlett studied him in silence for a long, long time, too—her stubborn, secretive lover of so many years. She had the strangest feeling that the white elephant that they had both carefully avoided for the vast majority of those years was standing in her driveway, trumpeting.
Finally… Snake fidgeted. He actually fidgeted.
[Do you like it?] Snake-Eyes signed, and she noticed that his hands were shaking a little; he was staring anxiously into her face.
She looked down at the ring cradled gently in the palm of her hand, then back up at him. "It's beautiful," she said, honestly. "You know me very well."
True, in many ways. In so many, many ways.
His tongue flicked quickly out, moistened his lips, and he cleared his throat, shifted his weight. She had a moment to think, with just the briefest pass of amusement, that some habits didn't go away—even if he was ninja, even if he couldn't and wasn't about to literally say anything. [Will you wear it?] he asked, quickly.
"That depends," she replied, slowly, and her voice sounded so strange, and she didn't even know why—but she reached up to touch his face, caressing his cheek with a finger, and saw his lips part on a small, shaky sigh, "on what you're actually asking, Snake-Eyes."
Snake-Eyes stared at her for a quiet moment—then brought her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss into her palm. He lowered himself to one knee in one of the easy, impossibly fluid motions that she so loved watching him make.
His face was tilted up to hers, and the uncertainty in his gaze… it was almost funny how that, that, was what made the stillness rise up and catch in her throat in a sob. [I've never been very good at… relationships. At making things work. At putting you first. There's so much better for you out there than me, and I've spent the better part of ten years wondering when you were going to realize that and walk away. But… but you've stayed with me through all this time, and I still don't know why. I don't, Scarlett. All I know is that I don't deserve to ask you for anything… much less for 'til death do us part.']
She laughed, and it sounded a little broken, more than a little shaky. That was probably one of the longest speeches she'd ever gotten out of him. And she could see in his eyes—he meant it. "Oh, Snake! Now, of all times, you couldn't lie to me?"
[I've never been able to lie to you, you know that.] His mouth twisted into a sad smile, and his hands tightened on hers. The diamonds on the band pressed into her fingers. [You're not exactly getting much out of the deal, Shana.]
Scarlett stared down at him—at his upturned gaze, the scars that marred a face no longer handsome, the love and the fear and the rejection written across eyes so blue they caught on her heart like a perfect summer day. Carefully, she extracted her hands from his and watched him swallow—watched her ninja's gaze fall down to the gravel before he closed his eyes.
Then she reached out and smacked him upside the head, feeling the laughter and the joy and the delight break free of that safe, cottony insulation of shock, lighting up every bulb in her body like she was made to shine.
"Oh, for godsakes, Snake-Eyes! I still don't know how someone like you could possibly be so bullheaded and insecure!" Scarlett giggled, grabbing his face between her hands and bending to plant a hard, sharp kiss on his lips. "All you had to say was 'Marry me!' and I'd be yours faster than Brer Rabbit hops into that briar patch!"
It took a long moment for the words to register, but she saw the moment that they did.
[What… do you mean?] he signed, hesitantly.
"Oh, for crying out loud! I love you, you big moron. I've always loved you. What, do you think I hang around you for my health? If you even contemplated the idea of me saying 'no,'" she warned, "I'm so going to hit you again!"
The expression on his face sharpened to that edge of readiness she loved so much, his shoulders straightening as he shot her just a hint of a narrow-eyed glare. This time, when he rose to his feet, it wasn't just graceful—it had that smooth, sleek edge of familiar danger to it. [It's not a joke, Shana.]
She felt the edge of half-hysterical half-delighted hilarity leave her shoulders, her body, the way she wanted to cry and fly and wrap herself around him and never let go. And when she reached up to press a hand to his chest, it was steady, and her voice was slow and serious. "And I wasn't kidding. I… I just… oh, Snake, yes. Of course I'll marry you. Just…" she nibbled on her lower lip, and ran a tentative finger along the collar of his black t-shirt. "Why… now? Why today?"
His lips flicked in just a hint of a smile, but his eyes… his eyes were warming again, past the danger, past the surprise, then past even the fire. [What makes you think I didn't just forget the ring in my jacket?]
"Uh-huh," she rolled her eyes. "Pull the other leg, buster, it's got bells on it."
Right. He was surprisingly careless about clothes—the jacket being forgotten in the trunk of her car wouldn't have surprised her too much. But Snake-Eyes could be a control freak the way only a career military man could be. He had a minor coronary every time his dog tags weren't exactly where he'd left them. She was supposed to believe that he'd left an engagement ring floating around in the trunk for the past few months?
But then Snake-Eyes stepped closer, and ran the back of his fingers in a slow glide down her own cheek. She shivered. Involuntarily, she still shivered, despite the warmth of the May outside, despite the strange sparkling elation that seemed to have taken her over. [You just…] he sighed, and cocked his head at her. [You love your car. You're not giving it up because you want to.]
What? Oh. She hadn't known he noticed that.
[I know how much you've been through, what you've sacrificed to… make it work between us.] He raised his hands as if he were going to touch her again… then drew back, shaking his head. [And it's not fair to you, Shana. It's never been fair.]
She definitely hadn't known he noticed that, either.
"It's… it's not like that, Snake," Scarlett started to say… but then she stopped. Yes, he was more than she'd ever even imagined in a person, in a lover, in someone who she could spend her life with. Yes. But… she never lied to him—not even when the truth was uncomfortable.
[It's exactly like that,] his mouth twisted… but then Snake-Eyes smiled, a little, and brought her hand to his lips again. This time, he slid the ring onto her finger, and she felt herself shudder a little with pleasure as its weight settled warmly on her hand, heavy with possibilities and promises and… [What I'm asking for is a lifetime to make it up to you, Scarlett.]
Oh. Whoever said that big, bad quiet ninjas didn't know how to be romantic deserved to be beheaded with the big, bad quiet ninja's favorite katana. And the look on his face was possessive and disbelieving and so pleased that it sent a little skip through her soul when she spread her fingers in front of him, and admired the way the gold and the sparkling stones looked on her tanned skin.
"You know… some people hide their engagement rings in dessert, but I've never heard of someone trying to stash it in the trunk before," she teased, tilting her hand and letting the diamonds flame in the late afternoon sun.
This time, when she looked up at him, his smile was a bit… unusual. Unfamiliar. Scarlett studied him, puzzled, for a long moment—then realized what exactly it was.
[I've got very good memories of this car,] he admitted, patting the trunk with one hand. [Do you really have to get rid of it?]
Hm. Scarlett studied him, her eyes momentarily wider before she broke into a more real smile than she thought she'd worn in months. Then she sobered. She hated having to be practical, but… "Well… I mean… we do need a bigger car, and… what with Nunchuk's, it's just a waste to have two sedans."
He sighed, but nodded, taking her hand and running his thumb lightly across the engagement ring. Scarlett smothered another smile—she suspected that that was going to be his new favorite way of showing his affection. He'd never been much of one to publicly show how he felt—except when it mattered. Except when it really, really mattered.
"But… I guess we could take one last little road trip," she offered, mischievously, cocking her head. "D'you think your clan might, I don't know, not implode without you for a few days? The Blue Ridges are awfully nice this time of year…"
[They'll be fine,] he answered, immediately. Then, a little more slowly, [I can't promise the house will be intact when we get back,] he warned.
But there was an excited smile spreading across his face, and his fingers rose to caress her cheek again. This time, they lingered on the line of her jaw, traced the shell of her ear, teased the curls at her nape, and tickled the vertebrae at the back of her neck… Scarlett had to take a moment to quiet her breathing.
"They break it, they clean it," she growled… but she was grinning just as widely as he was. Well… so maybe she wasn't the only one who'd missed it being just the two of them. "So… um. Snake?"
He cocked his head at her, and leaned against the trunk, lifting his black leather jacket from it and slinging it over his shoulder with one hand. Her eyes followed the long lines of tendon rippling in his forearms, the way the black t-shirt strained over muscles she knew very well indeed, the flow of his body when he so much as breathed.
Oh, yes. It'd been a long time.
"So the, um, party favors in the other pocket of your jacket," Scarlett cocked her head at him and raised a curious, assessing eyebrow. "Did you put them there today, too?"
His slow, warm smile was answer enough.
Start: July 14, 2009
End: July 15, 2009

domain: literature


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Phillip, Sam, Aidan (7 months old) and Grandpa before court in Jan. 2009.
I had to say good bye to my little Shemiah, snow baby…she was 14yrs old.
Sara came to visit…This was taken in front of the Holy Family Shrine on a sunny day in Jan???
Crystal came up and then we headed down to the Ozarks. This was the highlight for me…my 1st horseback ride.
This is my grandpuppy, Stella and my new baby girl, Pebbles…Stella was almost 5 times her size…about 45lbs to Pebbles 5lbs.
I had the pleasure of taking prom photos of Angela…She is a special young lady in my life.
I got to go to Weeping Water, NE and watch Sasha and her friend, Miles, skydive…this was the walk to the Cessna.
On my way to Rapid City, SD to visit Jocelynn, I search for a cache in the town of Zobra, NE…but all I got was a couple cool photos.
While in SD with Jocelynn I managed to introduce and cause both of her and her neighbor to catch the geocaching bug/addiction. This was a cache involving the president statues throughout downtown Rapid City.
I went camping with several friends on one of their friend’s private land…this was the view when I climbed out of the tent at 5:30am.
One of the moments captured when I did the photos for Sasha and Sean. I love the bright and honest smiles.
This is the point in the USA that is exactly 1733 miles from the coast line west or east. It is at the Archway Bridge in Kearney, NE.
And this is a photo I did not take…but it is one of the best photos I have seen in about 18 months. Sharon is holding our grandson, Aidan, who had just gotten off the plane from CA. He has adjusted fabulously!!

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B2Gold Corp. (BTG) Expected to Post Q3 2018 Earnings of $0.04 Per Share
B2Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) (TSE:BTO) – Stock analysts at National Bank Financial issued their Q3 2018 EPS estimates for shares of B2Gold in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, August 15th. National Bank Financial analyst D. Demarco expects that the basic materials company will earn $0.04 per share for the quarter. National Bank Financial also issued estimates for B2Gold’s FY2020 earnings at $0.23 EPS.
B2Gold (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) (TSE:BTO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.04 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $284.81 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $285.55 million.
Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Two Sigma Advisers LP purchased a new stake in shares of B2Gold during the fourth quarter valued at about $396,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its position in shares of B2Gold by 13.6% during the first quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 1,329,388 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,629,000 after buying an additional 159,501 shares during the last quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale purchased a new stake in shares of B2Gold during the first quarter valued at about $1,318,000. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in shares of B2Gold by 35.0% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 983,182 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,689,000 after buying an additional 254,700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank lifted its position in shares of B2Gold by 7.8% during the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 1,784,429 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $4,883,000 after buying an additional 129,400 shares during the last quarter.
B2Gold Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in Nicaragua, the Philippines, Mali, Colombia, Burkina Faso, Finland, and Namibia. It primarily explores for gold and silver deposits. The company primarily holds 80% interest in Fekola mine, an open pit gold mine located in Mali; 90% interest in Otjikoto gold mine located north of Windhoek, Namibia; Masbate gold project located in the south-east of Manila, the Philippines; and 95% interest in El Limon mine, an underground gold mine located in northwestern Nicaragua.
Featured Article: Understanding Price to Earnings Ratio (PE)
Receive News & Ratings for B2Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for B2Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

domain: news


text:
Over the past few weeks, my blogs have focused on promoting our Petaluma Historical Museum and Research Library as a local “Treasure Chest” that contains many “Golden Nuggets” that enrich the legacy of “Our River Town.”
A discussion group of Petalumans, who were either born here or have lived in Petaluma for several years, has been meeting monthly at the Museum and sharing their personal memories of growing up, going to school, playing, working and living here. They’re known as “The Sages of Petaluma.”
A few years ago, an oral history project was initiated by students at Kenilworth Jr. High School. They interviewed several Sages, using a video camera. To date, seven of these interviews, plus DVDs featuring “The Petalumans of Yesteryear” (Capt. Tom Baylis, Isaac Wickersham, William Howard Pepper) and a talk about Fred Wiseman’s first air mail flight from Petaluma to Santa Rosa in 1911, have been given to the Museum and will be available for viewing by the public.
The Sages who have been interviewed include: Dick Dunbar, Jim Giovando, Growling Bear, Lily Krulevich, Shep Shepard, Tim Talamantes, and Don Waite. Hopefully, additional interviews will take place over the coming months and added to this collection of “Golden Nuggets” in our community’s “Treasure Chest.” Stay Tuned.


Tyler S. Popinov
Heading up the Schitz Popinov organization, is music mastermind Tyler Popinov. Tyler is renowned in Vancouver for his Dj schools education, as well as hosting some of the top events in the city. Tyler is the founder of The School of Remix studios, as well as the co founder of Lords of Gastown, a multi media arts and events company.
Setting his sights on a multi faceted business, Tyler has created a line of apparel that reflects the Schitz Popinov organized art collaborative.
Tyler has played alongside artists such as DJ AM (RIP), Alan Braxe, Simian Mobile Disco, Felix Cartal, Chromeo, Dada Life, Bass Kleph, Drop the Lime & Friendly Fires to name a few.
Tyler can usually be found in and around the downtown Vancouver area, riding his Harley and creating music magic where ever he goes.
Over his last four years as a DJ, Nick has shared the stage with top Canadian names such as Classified, Wristpect, Skratch Bastid, Keys N Krates, and the Eh! Team DJs. Besides club shows, he has played a wide variety of events, including public fund raisers, b-boy battles, festivals, and more. He has worked corporate events for names such as Red Bull Canada, Delta Hotels, and Tourism Charlottetown. His shows vary in genres from commercial top 40, disco, house, indie rock, boogie funk shit, and other good stuff in between. He contributes to the Schitz Popinov team based out of Vancouver, is 1/3 of Straight Up DJs in Hamilton, and is a recent add to the Remix86 roster.
Aaron started Djing back in 1998 at various clubs in and around the Saskatoon, Canada area. His trance/techno mix-tapes garnered him Canada-wide recognition as he acquired multiple 5 star reviews in the prestigious TRIBE MAGAZINE out of Toronto.
After scouring the country destroying dance floors, Aaron finally settled back down and dove head-first into production. His first single, SUBVERSION, was quickly snapped up by BK's label manager, SCOTT ATTRILL, and released a few months later. It landed in the Top 10 Trance charts on Trackitdown.net for 8 weeks alongside pioneers ARMIN VAN BUUREN, FERRY CORSTEN and NICK SENTIENCE.
Since then, nearly all of Aaron's releases has landed in one or more charts on BEATPORT, TRACKITDOWN or JUNODOWNLOAD. In fact, his second EP, EQUILIBRIUM, was hailed by BEATPORT as, “...one of the best packages of mixes ever to grace TRAFFIC RECORDS...”
His releases span multiple genre's including Hard Dance, Tech-Trance, Trance, Electro and Techno which have appeared on KUNG FU WAX, NUKLEUZ, RIOT!, TRAFFIC, TECH FU, ELECTRIC SHANDY, CONTACT, GLOBAL STATE, SYSTEM and TRUESPIN RECORDS.
DJ O Show
DJ O Show has the experience and skill to bring any event to life! After freelancing for more than 6 years, obtaining a Diploma in Technology from BCIT, and a Certificate from The School of Remix, Orene Askew has shown that she can achieve her goals with hard work and a strong commitment to her passion.
From DJing events from Vancouver to Ontario, always leaving the crowd wanting more, She has also hosted shows and mc’d numerous events; working for radio stations like Washingston’s Movin’ 92.5 and Vancouver’s own The Beat 94.5; hosting The O Show on Evolution 107.9, Sne’waylh on Coop Radio 100.5 as well as hosting The Bowling for Big Brother’s Classic.
Always driven by her passion, Orene has explored many genres of music but has remained true to her love for hip hop and R&B. She incorporates different beats to ensure the dance floor stays packed and her music makes people happy. With a humble yet outgoing personality, Orene is one of the easiest DJs to work with. With her education and experience, Orene is excited to teach; eager to raise the level of female DJs in the game and keep music at the forefront of all she does
Homebreakin Records / Saunasessions.ca / Intimate Productions
Vancouver's Darren Woodhead is a West Coast institution. Having cut his teeth touring Western Canada and the States with punk bands, he picked up DJing from one of his band mates. He then went on to host the now legendary Sauna Sessions podcast, broadcasting live from a mobile sauna party somewhere in East Van, and hosted the hugely popular Signal Saturdays at the now defunkt Lotus Lounge. He was a mainstay at the Renegade stage at another fabled West Coast festival, Soundwave.
Fast forward to the present and Woodhead has played every big festival in Western Canada to much aplomb. Famous for marathon sets at hours no one in their right mind wants to play, Woodhead thrives playing for people who want to keep the vibe alive. Whether the crowd is in the thousands or single digits he makes sure everyone is dancing.
He has been producing in the studio as well, having some great remixes and originals on scene stalwarts Homebreakin' Records, as well as local upstart East Van Digital, and currently co-organizes the hugely popular Body Language Series in Vancouver with other local luminaries like Neighbour.
Paul Kane (FKYA)
Paul is a Vancouver based producer and DJ with experience DJ’ing at various nightclubs around the city including: Celebrities, Venue, LED, and his current residency at Lamplighter. He has been playing and composing various types of music for over ten years. For the last three years Paul has been producing electronic music using Ableton. Paul honed in his production skills when he attended Dubspot in New York in 2012/13. Graduating at the top of his classes, he left his mark at Dubspot as one of the their top producers. Paul is currently employed by Daniel Wyatt, a Grammy Award nominated engineer, as head of mixing and mastering for Wyatt’s online company. With remixes for the likes of Zedd, Borgore, Steve Aoki, and Red City, Paul has production experience spanning a variety of genres. Recently Paul has joined forces with longtime Vancouver DJ, Brett Fabian to create FKYA. With lots of forward momentum and support, big things are expected for FKYA in the coming year.
James (PSYCHIC TYPE)
James started on his path towards Ableton domination 3 years ago after he heard Rusko's 'Pro Nails' Remix. Since then, his focus of genre has shifted from dubstep, to moombahton, to trap under 5 different aliases. Finally settling on Psychic Type in early 2013, James shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. His remixes for Hardwell's smash-hit, 'Apollo' and W&W's huge track, 'The Code' both landed in the Beatport top 100 Electro charts, cementing his place in the EDM scene. Subsequent to his pair of widely-supported bangers on Revealed Recordings, he remixed 'Revelation' by the Disco Fries, which was supported by the one-and-only Tiesto at some of the biggest festivals in the US. He has received massive support from the likes of Hardwell, Tiesto, Showtek, the Disco Fries, Excision, and Bro Safari. 2014 is set to be his year, as he is working hard on developing his own sound.
MUSIC:: PSYCHIC TYPE
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Oct 29, 2021
How to start a green community project
Practical advice and creative ideas to help you research, plan, fund and promote a green project in your local community.
Here at EcoTree, we have a team of specialist foresters who plant and nurture trees on a grand scale. But you don’t have to be a forestry expert to bring the natural world to where you live. In this post, we share some practical ideas that can help you start a green project that transforms your local community.
Do your research
Before you start planting trees or creating new green spaces, you need to do a little research. It’s important that your project is right for your neighbourhood and can be sustained over a period of time.
So you need to ask some questions.
- Is this the right environment for this particular project?
- How much work will it take to start and then keep going?
- Who will be responsible for maintaining the project?
- Are there any financial costs and who will pay for them?
- Does the local community support the project?
If you can answer clearly and feel positive about what you can achieve, you’re almost ready to go. However, most projects for a community are carried out by the community. Don’t take on all the work yourself. Ask for help.
Build a team of volunteers
Can you think of people who live in your area that might want to support the project? Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If people like your idea, you’ll find they want to get involved to make sure it happens.
Be clear about what you want from them though. Do you need people to get dirty and help plant trees? Do you want help to write a funding application for the project? Your community will get behind the project, but you may need to show some leadership and delegate tasks.
That said, be open to other people’s ideas too. Community projects work best when different people come together to achieve a shared goal. You’ll need to be a good listener and willing to adjust your plans as you go.
Choose a project
Time for the exciting part – picking a green project and getting started. Here are some ideas that might work well in your local environment.
Run a tree planting event
Through EcoTree, you can own a tree in one of our beautiful forests.
But what about planting trees where you live? Every tree helps fight climate change, but they also attract wildlife to your community, provide a space to play and shelter, and can even prevent flooding.
Depending on how many trees you aim to plant, the Trust also has a range of grants and funding options. If you’re not sure how to get started, why not organise a day for families to explore suitable land for your event?
Plant a community garden
You don’t need to live in a rural area to plant a community garden. In fact, cities and other built-up places tend to benefit from these green spaces the most. And the good news is they come in all shapes and sizes.
From local parks and patches of woodland to rooftop terraces and urban flowerbeds, a shared garden can be the central point of a community. It’s where children play, people meet and local wildlife thrives.
But how do you turn a project idea into reality? We recommend following this step-by-step guide from the Eden Project, which tells you exactly how to plant a community garden.
Organise a woodland walk
Is there a better way to appreciate nature and the magic of trees than a woodland walk? They also provide a fantastic opportunity for people in your community to learn more about where they live.
If you have a wood or forest you can explore, that’s fantastic. If you like in a city or urban area, look for green spaces amongst the sprawl that you can investigate together. Can your walk cover more than one location? Be creative and create a route that both educates and delights your neighbours.
Want to give your woodland walk some extra purpose? Ask people to collect donations that can go to a green charity or organisation.
Fund your project
Running a green community project costs money, but you don’t have to pay for everything yourself. Here are some ways you can fund your idea.
Ask the community
This is the simplest approach – share your idea with people in your community, tell them how much it will cost and then ask them to contribute. This may be the best tactic if you want to run a one-off event or cover your costs.
Apply for funding
For larger projects, you may need to apply for a grant or funding from a charity or organisation. The Woodland Trust offers funding for large-scale tree planting projects, for example.
If you want to ask for financial support from people beyond your community, crowdfunding is a great option. It’s also a brilliant way to test your idea and get funding in place before you invest lots of time and energy in your project.
Promote your project
You might have the best project idea in the world, but if no one knows about it you have a problem. Here’s how you can spread the word.
Use social media
Most people are on at least one social media platform, so this is a good place to start. You can create accounts to share information about your project or even use social media as an online place for people in your community to meet and discuss what you are all doing.
Pitch local media
Traditional media can be a useful way to get the word out about your project too. If you think there is a story to tell, you can get in touch with your local newspaper or radio station to see if they want to feature your work.
Community projects are all about specific real-world places and spaces. That means good old-fashioned posters, flyers and leaflets are likely to reach exactly the people you want to see them. Dust off those design skills!
Tell us about your project!
Do you have a green community project that you want to share with the world? We’d love to hear from you and find out what you’ve been up to. Just email the team or say hello on Twitter or Instagram.
And don’t forget, you can become a tree owner (or buy someone else a tree) right now through the EcoTree online tree shop.


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Hospital Paediatrics jobs in Specialty training (ST4)
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IWK Health Centre, invite applications for two full-time academic Pediatric Neurologists at the Assistant, Associate or Full Professor level
We require an enthusiastic Radiologist with a Specialist Interest in Paediatric Imaging, but would encourage participation in other sub-specialties.
We are looking for doctors with three years post specialist qualification experience and preferably with CCST
The post is a 6 month full-time hospital based middle grade position in General Paediatrics and Neonates. The post holder will work with the reside...
Courses you may be interested in
This is the third module of a five-part course aimed specifically at clinical leads and clinical directors.
Prepare using over 1,620 exam format question items!
Bobbi Pineda is an assistant professor of occupational therapy and paediatrics at Washington University in St. Louis. As an investigator in patient and family engagement, Bobbi ...
1st module of a 5-part course aimed specifically at clinical leads and clinical directors. "A fantastic opportunity to network and learn from peers"
Short courses in Paediatrics: February - June 2019 CPD accredited programmes for all healthcare professionals from our MSc in paediatrics and child health: Law and ethi...


After Balakrishna and Jr NTR, Kalyan Ram is the only hero of Nandamuri family, who is doing well and is able to withstand in the films, even facing the flops.
After a success like Pataas in the last year, many felt that, Kalyan Ram would bounce back again. But his ‘Sher’ could not attract in any way and left as a disaster.
Reportedly, director Puri Jagannath approached Kalyan Ram and the actor readily accepted the movie.
After Temper, NTR now got another huge hit in the form of Nannaku Prematho and thus got on to the success track. With the aim of throwing Kalyan Ram on the similar track, Puri now opted him and narrated a script, which was immensely liked by Ram.
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Imagine you are an administrator for the school district. In light of the Columbus controversy, you have been assigned to write a set of guidelines for teaching about Columbus in the district's elementary and junior high schools. These guidelines will explain official policy to parents and teachers in teaching children about Columbus and the significance of his voyages. They will also draw on arguments made on both sides of the controversy, as well as historical facts on which both sides agree.
The purpose of this assignment is to explain the official policy about teaching Columbus' voyages to parents and teachers.

domain: geography


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Chris Losh sees the current plight of Evans & Tate, which recently rebuffed a takeover bid by the smaller, US-listed Australian wine producer Yarraman Winery, as symptomatic of the problems facing the Australian wine industry.
Here's a look at what was happening on this day in...
Yarraman Winery has pulled out of talks with Drinks Americas Holdings over a possible acquisition of the Australian wine company.
Drinks Americas Holdings has lined up the acquisition of newly-named Global Beverage Asia.
Yarraman Winery has confirmed that it will merge with China-based wine and spirits distributor Asia Distribution Solutions (ADS).
Yarraman Winery is set to return with yet another offer for Evans & Tate, according to local reports.
Debt-stricken winemaker Evans & Tate appears set to escape financial collapse after its bankers agreed to a financial restructure today (18 June).
Speculation has surfaced again suggesting that Yarraman Winery is considering another bid for Australian wine group Evans & Tate.
Yarraman Winery has said today (15 March) that it wants to pursue its takeover of Evans & Tate despite the Australian wine group snubbing its latest proposal.
Evans & Tate has outlined the terms of the latest takeover bid from Yarraman Winery as the two companies embark on a period of due diligence.
Evans & Tate chairman John Hopkins said today (20 February) that the Australian wine group has yet to see the details of how Yarraman Winery would fund its bid for the company.
Australian wine group Evans & Tate has today (20 February) given a “tentative green light” to the latest takeover offer from Yarraman Winery.
Evans & Tate has called on Yarraman Winery to fully disclose all the information surrounding its latest offer for the Australian wine group.
Evans & Tate has extended its review period for consideration of the takeover bid from US-listed Australian group Yarraman Winery.
Yarraman Winery has moved to improve its takeover bid for Australian wine group Evans & Tate.
US-listed Yarraman Winery has insisted talks with Evans & Tate are “ongoing” despite the Australian wine group rejecting its A$131m (US$102m) takeover bid.
US financial giant GE has reportedly been named as the backer for Yarraman Winery’s pursuit of beleaguered wine group Evans & Tate.
The Evans & Tate board of directors has opted to take more time to mull over a takeover bid from US-listed Australian wine group Yarraman Winery. Evans & Tate’s board met on Boxing Day (26 December) to look at Yarraman’s offer, which values the West Australia-based wine group at around A$131m (US$103.3m).
Yarraman Winery CEO Wayne Rockall is hopeful an acquisition of Australian wine group Evans & Tate would be “the first of several” the US-listed company makes throughout New World wine territories. Rockall told just-drinks today (22 December) that Yarraman, which has tabled a takeover bid for Evans & Tate, is looking to significantly expand over the next five years.
The Evans & Tate board of directors will meet in the next week to consider a takeover bid from US-listed Australian wine group Yarraman Winery.
Australia’s Yarraman Winery has announced the resignation of company CEO and president Andrew Lyon.
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Residential area of Burgbreite
Sunny south sides of the hill, situated right at the forest’s edge and below the castle of Wernigerode’s pleasure garden and zoo form the green countryside of the acclaimed residential complex that holds ca. 1000 apartments. Apartment sizes in our portfolio range from one-room apartments to four-room apartments.
Additionally, this residential area that was built in the 70s feature an excellent infrastructure. It features an all-day school, a medical center, nurseries, and retirement home, as well as shopping facilities. The outstanding city bus line ensures accessibility and mobility.
The "old building" at the chestnut forest. An apartment house has been restored completely here and updated energetically in terms of insulation. The former 50 four-room apartments became 74 small one-room and two-room apartments with a new layout. Otmar Alt, a famous artist, created the exterior design. The notable artist was born in Wernigerode and honored with our city’s culture award in 2005.
Otmar Alt’s paintings are characterized by a particular expressivity in colors and his unique way of creating innovative imaginary figures by mingling organic forms with an implied figurativeness. So, the city of Wernigerode lives up to its reputation of being the “colorful city in Harz” a little more by the façade design of the building in “Burgbreite”.


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Rupesh Bane is an Indian dancer and actor and winner of the Indian television dance reality show “Dance Plus: Season 5.” He is popularly known as ‘T-shirt Boy.’
Rupesh Bane’s mother, Kirti is a security officer in government organisation. To earn extra income for the family, she also stitches clothes.He is in a relationship with a girl named Sana.
Why is he known as t-shirt boy?
He had a long T-shirt, which he used to wear while cleaning his house. While working in his house, he made dance step with the T-shirt. He performed the dance with his T-shirt for the first time during a competition and the audience liked it. After that, he started performing his trademark T-shirt dance in various competitions, earning the name ‘T-shirt Boy.’
RUPESH BANE AGE
His age is 20 years.
Before participating in the dance reality show “Dance Plus: Season 5,” he tried his luck in the dance competition, ‘Dance India Dance Li’l Masters and thrice for Dance Plus, but got eliminated in the auditions.He also participated in the Nexstar Dance Competition in 2019.
Sanskriti Kaladarpan (Best Child Actor,2016)
Dance Plus 5 winner


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Set the level of transaction security by selecting the features available in the Validation Options section. You can restrict transaction processing types, require the CVD/CVV number for credit card transactions, and billing address and card owner name optional.
Select your Validation Options
- On the menu, click administration> account settings> order settings.
- In the In the Payment Gateway section under Validation Options, there are four levels of transaction security.
Restrict Transaction Processing Types
Select this check box and one of these options to restrict the types of transaction you will accept:
- Purchase only
- Pre-Authorization only
- Purchase or Pre-Authorization only
Require CVD Number for Credit Card Transactions
Select this check box to require the Card Verification Data (CVD) for all credit card transactions. This may reduce credit card fraud by confirming the purchaser is the legal credit card owner. The CVV/CVD number is the 3-digit number on the back of a credit card; for AmEx, the 4 digits on the front of the card.
When this option is selected, a CVD field is added next to the credit card expiry field on the Simple Cart.
Note: Not applicable to MasterPass, Visa Checkout, Apple Pay transactions.
Billing Address Optional
By default, the Billing Address fields are required for each transaction request. When you select this check box, the Billing Address fields are optional, eliminating the need to pass all customer contact information with each order.
Note: Not applicable to Apple Pay transactions
Card Owner Name Optional
By default, the Card Owner Name field is required for each transaction request. When you select this check box, the Card Owner Name field is optional, eliminating the need to pass all customer contact information with each order.
Note: Not applicable to Apple Pay transactions.
- Click Update.

domain: finance


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We found 4 allergist/immunologists who accept Blue Choice Bronze PPO 006 near Lubbock, TX.
Dr. Eileen Talusan-Garcia is a Lubbock, TX physician who specializes in pediatric allergy & immunology. She attended medical school at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO are among the insurance carriers that Dr. Talusan-Garcia takes. Dr. Talusan-Garcia has received professional recognition including the following: Texas Super Doctors.
Dr. Goutam Shome is an adult allergy & immunology specialist. He has received a 3.5 out of 5 star rating by his patients. He honors several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Blue Choice, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze. Dr. Shome studied medicine at Dhaka Medical College.
Dr. Robert Mamlok practices allergy & immunology. Patients gave him an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. Dr. Mamlok honors Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, and more. He graduated from Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He has received the following distinction: Texas Super Doctors.
Dr. James Tarbox is a specialist in adult allergy & immunology. He works in Lubbock, TX. Dr. Tarbox attended medical school at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. He honors several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze.
Conditions / Treatments
Medicare Patient Age
Medicare Patient Conditions
Years Since Graduation
- Allergies affecting the respiratory tract, such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or asthma.
- Allergies affecting the skin, such as eczema, hives, welts, and allergic rashes.
- Adverse reactions to substances such as foods, drugs and vaccines, or stinging insects.
- Autoimmune diseases, where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues. Some examples are rheumatoid arthritis, where the immune system attacks the joints; celiac disease, where the lining of the small intestine is damaged; and Sjogren’s syndrome, where the glands producing tears and saliva are attacked.
- Certain diseases of the immune system, such as antibody deficiencies, primary immunodeficiency disease, or in some cases, HIV.


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Bush was keenly aware that not finding WMD could come back to bite him on the ass, so he proposed a different provocation: luring Saddam into shooting down a U-2 painted in UN colors.
Ironically, this is similar to how a summit between Eisenhower and Khrushchev to reduce Cold War tensions was scuttled. A U-2 with a CIA pilot was shot down over Russia. U-2s had flown over Russia before, but Russian missiles and planes could never reach their altitude until this moment when the Cold War could have ended a couple of decades early.
Khruschev came to power when Stalin died, visited the United States, and gave signs of being a Gorbachev-like reformer. After the U-2 incident and the Cuban missile crisis, he was pushed aside by hard-liners.
It is funny that Bush would choose the very old and sub-sonic U-2 when we have the fastest reconnaissance aircraft in the world that flies at much higher altitude, the SR-71. Maybe his dad suggested the U-2 trick since he was in the CIA at the time.
Bush planned to fake the immediate provocation for this war. Other researchers like Greg Palast of the BBC have clearly documented the real reason we attacked, oil, including talking to the oil execs who were in on the early planning, seeing the documents, and talking on film to the GOP strategist, Grover Norquist, who wrote the plan to privatize everything in Iraq and steal their oil.
Some of the more scholarly defenses of the Iraq War have said that it is about securing strategic access to the oil. It is not. If that's what we wanted, we would have done what China has done with Iran and Canada--negotiate long term contracts for a set percentage of their production. What we have done by invading is to simply put our oil companies hands on the spigot, so they can profit.
Our newspapers including the LA Times refuse to treat this seriously or even cover it most of the time. If Bush admitted he allowed or orchestrated 9/11, it would probably be a three paragraph story on page A17, and the Republicans in Congress, if forced to acknowledge it at all, would say any question of discussing it was a partisan ploy and then vote for another tax cut for the rich.
Something very fundamental has to change. A majority of Americans now know something is wrong, but don't seem to fathom the depth of the problem enough to act.
If that realization doesn't come until Bush attacks Iran, we could be drawn into a world war that would only profit the same people who are profiting from the Iraq War.
Blair-Bush deal before Iraq war revealed in secret memo
PM promised to be 'solidly behind' US invasion with or without UN backing
Friday February 3, 2006
A memo of a two-hour meeting between the two leaders at the White House on January 31 2003 - nearly two months before the invasion - reveals that Mr Bush made it clear the US intended to invade whether or not there was a second UN resolution and even if UN inspectors found no evidence of a banned Iraqi weapons programme.
"The diplomatic strategy had to be arranged around the military planning", the president told Mr Blair. The prime minister is said to have raised no objection. He is quoted as saying he was "solidly with the president and ready to do whatever it took to disarm Saddam".
- Mr Bush told Mr Blair that the US was so worried about the failure to find hard evidence against Saddam that it thought of "flying U2 reconnaissance aircraft planes with fighter cover over Iraq, painted in UN colours". Mr Bush added: "If Saddam fired on them, he would be in breach [of UN resolutions]".
- Mr Bush even expressed the hope that a defector would be extracted from Iraq and give a "public presentation about Saddam's WMD". He is also said to have referred Mr Blair to a "small possibility" that Saddam would be "assassinated".
- Mr Blair told the US president that a second UN resolution would be an "insurance policy", providing "international cover, including with the Arabs" if anything went wrong with the military campaign, or if Saddam increased the stakes by burning oil wells, killing children, or fomenting internal divisions within Iraq.
- Mr Bush told the prime minister that he "thought it unlikely that there would be internecine warfare between the different religious and ethnic groups". Mr Blair did not demur, according to the book.
Lawless World Phillipe Sands downing street memo tony blair iraq war wmd u-2 oil president george w bush colonialism white mans burden professor smartass lies peak oil political opinion false flag northwoods worst president ever failure war criminal smartass commentsresistance censored news rebel


There are many innovative real estate investing opportunities in the various cities in Knox County, Illinois. One such opportunity is to invest in vacant land. There are numerous parcels of vacant land available for sale in Knox County, and many of these parcels are located in prime locations that would be ideal for future development. Another innovative real estate investing opportunity is to purchase a fixer-upper home and then either rent it out or sell it for a profit after making the necessary repairs and improvements. There are also a number of foreclosed homes available for sale in Knox County, which can often be purchased at a significant discount.
If you are looking for an innovative real estate investment opportunity, Knox County is definitely worth considering. With its prime location and vast amount of vacant land, there is great potential for future growth and development. And with its selection of fixer-upper homes and foreclosures, there are also great opportunities to make a profit through flipping houses or renting them out. Whatever your goals may be, there is sure to be an opportunity that meets your needs in Knox County, Illinois.


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|Amos Goncalves (Middle) preschool student from Tai-Ubu Suco Lasaun, |
“ I love to come to school because in the school I learn many things,
we dance, we sing, painting and learning ABC (Alphabet)”.
The Ermera Municipal Authority and the Ministry of Education with the support of UNICEF brought together Suco Chiefs and officials from the municipality to discuss how communities can support the early learning of children. The meeting, a first on this topic was aimed at raising the awareness of Ermera Suco leaders on the Early Childhood Development (ECD) and the importance of pre-school education for children. The village chiefs, who were elected in October 2016, play a key role in deciding priority projects for their communities and mobilizing community members to take action on specific issues.
“When we build a house, the foundation should be strong. The same with children. If they learn early and help them to stimulate their brains by engaging with them for various activities, then they will have a good foundation for learning. They can better adapt and absorb many ideas when they grow up,” Jose Martinho Dos Santos Suares, President Ermera Municipal Authority said in his opening speech.
|Suco chief are participating the group discussion on |
the importance of the community pre-school in Ermera Municipality
“What do we want for our children? We want them to be healthy, smart, and have a good future. Pre-school education is one of the surest ways to support children to build the foundation to read, write, and count. Also, how to solve problems, control their emotions, respect others, and be responsible adults,” UNICEF Timor-Leste Representative Valérie Taton said at the opening of the meeting.
“This is why UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Education to provide pre-school education in rural areas of Ermera and Viqueque Municipalities,” she continued. Locally known as “Pre-eskolar Alternativa,” these community-run pre-schools are located in aldeias [hamlets] where there is no public, private or church-run pre-schools.” Parenting education is also provided to parents of children who attend the community pre-schools.
“Pre-school education is important for our children but it remains very low in our country,” said Cidalio Leite, Director General for Pre-School, Basic Education and Recurrent Education while meeting the participants. “If we all just wait for government support, that pre-school age goes by really quick, and your children will miss pre-school. At least now, they can go to pre-school through the Pre-eskolar Alternativa,” he added calling on the Suco officials to support the pre-schools.
“Don’t wait for the State to do everything for you, also do something for your children; this meeting is on how we can all work together,” he continued. “Pre-school is not free by law, but the government recognizes its importance. With UNICEF support we are implementing this programme and get approval for scale-up in the country,” the Director General added.
“I appeal to community leaders, we should work together and collaborate to implement this programme for the future of our children,” said Jose Suares. He also thanked UNICEF for the support in starting the community pre-schools in Ermera, noting that the municipality has the second largest population next to the Timor-Leste capital of Dili and yet has low pre-school coverage.
Inspired to make pre-schools better
Facilities development was one topic discussed during the meeting, giving the community leaders the knowledge and tools to know where to seek support. Joao Bosco, Municipal Director of the Programa Nasional Dezenvolvimentu Suku (PNDS) (National Programme for Village Development) spoke at the meeting, shared the processes by which communities can receive PNDS funds. Sucos can apply for PNDS funding to build pre-schools or community centers which can also be used for pre-school classes. Some of the UNICEF-supported community pre-schools have already secured PNDS funding for this purpose.
Armindo da Silva, from the aldeia (hamlet) of Olekata told participants the community pre-school in his aldeia had 38 children enrolled in 2016, 18 of whom are now in Grade 1. “They are the most confident students in Grade 1. They are the ones who always volunteer to answer the teacher’s questions,” he said.
In 2016, Armindo da Silva offered his house for the pre-school classes as the aldeia does not have any community center. After 1.5 years, the community secured PNDS funding to build a community center where they can hold pre-school classes. “I recommend to Xefe Sucos to give importance to the community pre-schools. With support from the Suco Chief you can have good quality building (thru PNDS funding) and get support for teaching-learning,” he added.
Alarico Goncalves, Aldeai Chief of Raelia also noted that his house was used to hold pre-school classes in 2016. After a year, families contributed $10 each to construct a basic community center. He said the community still has challenges including the lack of water, but he is optimistic that if they all work together they can make their aldeia a better place for children.
The meeting concluded with the commitment of the Suco chiefs to further explore how they can support community pre-schools, including seeking for PNDS funding.
Suco Chief Amaro Silveiro dos Santos left the meeting with a conviction to improve Ponilala’s community pre-school. “I will bring back what I learned here to my suco. It takes time to make it happen, but I will work hard to develop my suco, especially for children before they start to study in primary school,” he said.
UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Education to ensure access to early learning in remote, rural areas of Ermera and Viqueque Municipalities by setting up community pre-schools.
By Tiffany Cao, UNICEF Timor-Leste Intern

domain: sociology


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Orange and Blue
Well, it's happened. Again. Disney has announced another 24-hour day at the Disneyland Resort (and Walt Disney World Resort). For the third year in a row, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will be open from 6AM to 6AM, and for the second year in a row, it will kick off the summer season on the Friday through Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Looks like the rumors of an the 24-hour Disney day being an annual event are coming true after all. To commemorate the announcement, here's a photo I took at last year's 24-hour day, the Monstrous Summer All Nighter.
|A misty early morning blue hour at Radiator Springs.|


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A landmark pilot scheme involving East Yorkshire farmers growing "pop-up rainforests" between seasonal pea crops is set to showcased on a global stage.
The Sustainable Landscapes Humber Project was launched last year with the aim of growing a specially-selected range of plant species capable of naturally capturing huge amounts of carbon dioxide, restoring soil organic matter and reducing flooding.
It features 40 local farmers who grow peas for frozen food giant Birds Eye in the Yorkshire Water catchment area.
Under the initiative, farmers grow cover crops in the window between harvesting peas and sowing their next food crop and also in the winter period before next year's peas are drilled.
Now the project is set to be featured in the United Nations Climate Change Conference being held in Glasgow in November.
James Hopwood, UK Agriculture Manager at Birds Eye, said early results from the pilot had been encouraging.
He said: "Birds Eye has worked with partner growers in the region to secure the planting of a variety of cover crops over 400 hectares.
"These crops were then sown to retain nutrients and protect the soil from the elements and capture carbon.
"In just 90 days, the cover crop programme had retained sufficient carbon to make 400 four-person UK families carbon neutral for a year.
"The programme generated sufficient benefit to offset the impact of cultivation, making ploughing a net zero carbon operation.
"We are now looking at how to repeat this project for other crops, such as wheat, and given all these benefits and the potential to scale this initiative across the world, we have submitted an application to jointly exhibit at COP26 later this year."
Guy Shelby, of Benningholme Grange Farm near Skirlaugh, is one of the pea farmers taking part in the project.
He said: "While this is just a pilot scheme, I think it demonstrates how farming can be part of a wider solution to climate change and biodiversity loss.
"It will help inform decision-makers what could be possible on a larger scale to reduce carbon emissions and create a more resilient and sustainable agricultural supply chain."