text:
As was true with every navy during World War Two, the German Navy or Kriegsmarine greatly expanded their AA fit as the war progressed. Again as true with others, the quantity as well as size of AA guns increased over time.
The smallest effective weapon was the 2cm C30 developed by Rheinmetall. The weapon was developed from an earlier design, the Solothurn ST-5. The weapon did not swing freely like the 20mm Oerlikon cannon used by the allies but instead was transversed and elevated by handwheel. The weapon originally appeared as a single or twin mount. In 1939 German destroyers and cruisers mounted a number of these weapons and these gave them a significantly better AA fit than other navies at the time. These 65-calibre weapons were fully automatic. This weapon had a fairly slow rate of fire of 280 rounds cyclical rate and 120 rounds per minute practical rate of fire. The slow rate was due in part to an unsatisfactory breech mechanism that was prone to jamming. The C30 20mm were supplanted during the war with the C38 improved 20mm gun.
The redesign of the 20mm was given to Mauserwerke. The breech mechanism was changed and the rate of fire increased to 480-420 rounds per minute design but only 220-180 rounds per minute actual. Production started in 1940 however, the C38 gun was outwardly indistinguishable from the earlier C30 guns.
Also in 1940 a new mount was developed to further increase armament. Designed by Mauser and produced by Rheinmetall, the weapon was the very effective quad 20mm. Known as the 2cm Flak 35 im Vierling L/38, the new mount had four C38 guns on a new mount.
The 37mm twin gun mount, 3.7cm DoppelFlak C30, was the main anti aircraft weapon of the warships of the Kriegsmarine at the start of the war. Also manufactured by Rheinmetall. This weapon had a monoblock barrel with a drawn-on breech ring and a vertical sliding block breech mechanism. The gun was semi-automatic and used eight round clips of High Explosive and Tracer ammunition. They also came equipped with gyro-stabilization to compensate for pitch, roll and corkscrew but this proved too weak during sharp turns in combat. Designed for 160 rounds per minute the weapon’s effective rate was 80 rounds per minute. By late war the C30 guns were scheduled for replacement by the newer 3.7cm Flak M/42 gun and even newer M/43 on some cruisers. It was not until late war that shielding was introduced to the light AA guns.
The Kriegsmarine also imported some 40mm Flak 28 Bofors guns from Sweden. These were mounted on some of the surviving cruisers by 1944. Large numbers were used by 1945, replacing twin 37mm and quad 20mm mounts.
Now that you know some of the history behind the light anti aircraft guns of the Kriegsmarine, you may better appreciate one of the newest brass photo-etch frets from White Ensign Models. Since this set WEM PE 4006 is in 1:400 scale, the clear modeler audience are the builders of the Kriegsmarine warships from Heller. Although there are some 1:400 scale kits of Kriegsmarine subjects produced in Poland, the battleship, cruiser and panzerschiffe kits in this scale are all from Heller.
The Heller kits are a good starting point, they certainly can be dramatically improved by this new WEM photo-etch. Would you build your Heller Scharnhorst or Gneisenau with the plastic railing provided in the kit? The odds are that you replace that with photo-etch railing. If you compare the stock Heller light AA guns with the brass pieces from this fret, you would have to ask yourself the same question.
WEM PE 4006 provides five types of light AA weapons on this fret. There are fourteen single 20mm guns, 2cm Flak C30, each of which consists of three parts, pedestal with handwheel, barrel with folding shoulder rests and ammunition clip. There are ten twin 20mm mounts, each of which has seven parts, barrels with folding shoulder rests, pedestal, two ammunition clips, half shield, full shield and base plate. There are six of the quad 20mm mounts, 2cm Flakveirling, each with seven parts, two twin barrels, mount, two shield halves, base with two folding gunner’s seats and a separate site/gunner’s seat piece. You have to shape the center part of the mount from resin scrap or plasticard.
The fret provides two pieces of ordnance for the heavier guns. There are six 37mm twin mounts, 3.7cm DoppelFlak C30, each of which has six parts, barrels, mount, gunner’s seats, foot plate, base plate and frontal bar. Lastly you get fourteen Flak 28 single Bofors 40mm mount for your late war Kriegsmarine. Each Bofors has four parts, combined barrel/mechanism, shield and two base plates.
Mad Pete strikes again. Peter Hall turns out fret after fret at a dizzying pace and yet continues to produce first class designs without missing a beat. If you build the warships of the Kriegsmarine in 1:400 scale from Heller or from any other company for that matter, these should be as indispensable as brass railing or inclined ladders.

industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


text:
As an eCommerce paid search manager, you know your success depends upon being efficient day-in, day-out. After all, if you’re going to push a real-time lead generation strategy, then you must be able to read and react to your customer's needs every time. However, with so many lead generation strategies to employ, and so many different digital marketing campaigns to manage, how does a paid search manager stay on top of it all?
You’ve likely heard of the saying “work smarter, not harder.” Well, it’s often easier said than done, especially when so much of your time is spent managing incoming requests. In fact, your time is driven by your customers, and they can easily ruin a forward-looking plan any day of the week. So, to help you better manage your time and become more efficient, here are several tools that will cut down on manual work and keep you focused on the task at hand.
You know how much IT hates it when you use a post-it to list all your passwords. Yep, it’s a big no-no. So, instead of having to remember every password for each of your client’s accounts, you can simply use Chrome Profiles to easily navigate and toggle between each customer. This tool allows you to create customized startup pages so you’re all logged in and ready to go. No more straining to remember your username and password and no more requests to reset your credentials.
SimplyFile is one of several filing solutions available to paid search managers, and while there are other options, in our opinion, nothing tops this resource. This is the ideal solution for those days when you’re inundated with emails and simply can’t keep up. Try their 30-day free trial. This one-click email filing solution for Microsoft office will clean up your inbox, direct emails to their appropriate files, and empower you to turn messages into appointments and tasks.
An Excel Plugin that’s a Real Time-Saver.
Isn’t it amazing how reliant paid search account managers are on Excel? No matter how advanced your CRM, at some point you’re going to have to download all that data into an Excel sheet. Unfortunately, nobody ever seems to have the time to create Excel shortcuts – that is until now.
Kutools is an Excel plugin that combines over 200 advance functions in Excel, and it will save you hours of manual work, data entry and extrapolation. You’ll no longer have to create manual formulas or double-check those formulas. This tool will simplify your tasks with a few clicks. Here are some of the most helpful solutions based on our experience.
Currency Conversion: This is especially helpful for account managers with customers in different countries or situations where a client’s Adwords account is in CDN dollars, but your budget, metrics and analytics are set up in US dollars. With one click, you can update to the latest exchange rate, and the remaining cells are updated.
Concatenation Ninja: You’ll no longer have to create complex concatenation formulas to merge search terms together or amalgamate other critical data. With Concatenation Ninja, you simply create columns of search terms and use the “list all combinations” tool to quickly create every possible combination of search terms within your list.
Data Validation Criteria Rules: This insightful tool helps you prevent duplicate data while also comparing that data in a few easy steps. You’ll no longer have to mess around with formulas when data-mining critical customer numbers.
Removing Spaces, Changing Text and Split Names: A single click of the "Removing Spaces" icon and you’ve removed unwanted boxes and empty spaces. The "Changing Text" tool allows you to instantly change text from uppercase to lowercase, proper case or even sentence case. Finally, the "Split Names" feature allows you to split up a keyword phrase into separate cells of single keywords.
You know not all industries are the same. Managing multiple clients in multiple markets takes research. You need to know the market’s most common search terms, your customer’s competitors and what steps need to be taken to improve your customer's SERP whether that be through organic or paid search. Ultimately, you want to hit the ground running, and the following two solutions help you do exactly that.
Word Stream Benchmark Article: This is content at its best. The article provides invaluable data into multiple industries and markets. It breaks those markets down by click-through-rates (CTR), conversion rates, cost-per-acquisition (CPA), and cost-per-clicks (CPC). Not only are you provided with a plethora of data, but you can use that data to benchmark your own metrics and KPI for future customers.
Google Analytics Benchmarking: Google is always providing publishers and advertisers with essential free tools, and they’ve yet again provided a critical tool for paid search managers. This benchmarking solution allows you to segment data by channel groupings, locations and devices, while also providing engagement metrics like bounce rates, time on page and number of pages per session.
Have you ever had a customer that just couldn’t visualize what you were presenting or describing? If so, these advertising preview tools are just what you’re looking for. Karooya Expanded Text Ad Preview Tool allows you show what that text ad will look like live. Google Rich Media Gallery – Ad Formats allows you to view future Google ad formats from a single interface. You can get a live preview showing layout, fonts, images and text. You can also go through the setup steps and review case studies and success stories for every single ad type.
Finally, draw inspiration from the latest ad formats. Granted, your eCommerce, fashion and retail customers likely don’t have the budgets for a full-blown Hollywood-style extravaganza, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get the creative juices flowing. Google Rich Media Gallery Showcase shows the top ads from its rich media catalog, while Moat Google Display Ads will give you insight into your competitor’s most recent creative ads.
Get accustomed to each of these tools. They're great time management tools and they can help you get that new customer relationship off on the right foot, while also helping you manage the daily grind that comes from being a paid search manager.
If you want more insight on how to get that new customer relationship off the ground, then read E-Commerce Insight: Top 8 Shopping & Feed Tips.

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


text: Poor Bajee...say it isn't so! And hmmm, could it be that the Master is Sunny's actual sister??

industry_corpus2: Others


text:
It’s extremely sad that even after all the recent success that Asian stars have enjoyed globally, producers and casting agents are still so blind to see beyond the stereotypical impression that all Asians are the next Bruce Lee! ‘Bulletproof Monk’ is the latest in a long line of films that seems to prove this and sees veteran actor Chow Yun-Fat placed in the over-familiar mould as a monk with extraordinary martial arts skills.
Under the rulings of a Tibetan religion, every 60 years a protector is chosen for an ancient scroll that is said to gives it’s possessor the power to rule the world. The current candidate is a mystery monk (Yun-Fat) who has given up all luxuries to fulfil his duties. However, the open spaces of Tibet are no longer safe so he relocates to the streets of New York in an attempt to keep the scroll out of trouble. Along his travels, he discovers a young thief by the name of Kar (Scott) who shows signs of potential so the monk decides to team up with him so he can keep him under a watchful eye. Of course, where there is an all-powerful scroll there is normally a bad guy and this one comes in the form of a German soldier who has spent years trying to track down the monk. Now the question remains as to whether the scroll will stay on the side of good or fall into the hands of pure evil?
If you were expecting ‘Bulletproof Monk’ to be a modern-day ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’, then I suggest you look away now as sadly that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, Chow’s attempt to follow up his smash hit is probably best described as a cliché-ridden mess that is condemned by a combination of a poor script, bad casting and laughable action. This may sound harsh but its a fair description of a movie that contains a concept that could have been devised within minutes, and fails to deliver in any of the proposed elements of excitement, comedy or drama. Coupled with this, the bizarre pairing of an acting legend and members of the “teen comedy” genre is a total failure, and there is no sign of any chemistry or impressive acting ability even though Yun-Fat tries his best with the cheesy one-liners.
The final nail in the coffin for ‘Bulletproof Monk’ is the action, which is clearly intended to be the film’s saving grace. Unfortunately, it winds up being its worst attribute and it’s surprising to see it was choreographed by Hong Kong’s own Stephen Tung Wai. Basically, it consists of an ensemble of clumsy wirework, noticeable doubling and blatant CGI, all of which make the assembled cast of non-martial artists look exactly like the amateurs they are. No attempt seems to have been made to train them and it’s ridiculous that they expect the audience to believe what they are seeing. One minute the actors look about as graceful as a water-skiing Rhino, and the next they are flying expertly through the air thanks to Mr. Stuntman and Mrs. CGI. Perhaps the most important revelation of this sorry excuse for action though is that it does make you realise just how experienced Yuen Woo-Ping is. Whatever other criticisms could be levelled at ‘The Matrix’, there is no disguising the fact that Woo-Ping did manage to make the cast (who were also non-martial artists) look semi-competent in the work they did.
‘Bulletproof Monk’ is a stinker, plain and simple. Even the presence of one of my most favoured actors can’t save it from leaving a bad impression, and the film just seems to fall flat in just about every department. Yun-Fat’s talent has been horrendously misinterpreted and I just hope that this isn’t the way that his career will continue in the US. Hopefully he will pick something better for his next project and we can all forget about ‘Bulletproof… what was it again?

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


text:
With massive global electronic communication, few people on this planet are unaware of the horrible terrorism act in New Zealand, which claimed 50 lives with the possibility of that figure rising owing to a number still being listed as in critical condition.
The enraged gunman not only targeted two places of worship to inflict such carnage, but was brazen enough to spread his evil via a camera to the world internet system as he brutally took innocent lives and left much of the world in a state of shock.
Technical officials scrambled to shut down the horror sweeping through cyberspace, but not before many had witnessed people being killed before their very eyes as many pleaded for help. That in itself raised questions around the world about online mind-poisoning that can lead to a very dangerous new chapter in international domestic violence.
In an act of utter bravery, two New Zealand police officers put their lives on the line in taking down the armed culprit after a chase. Although the individual was placed in custody, ending the most brutal crime in that nation’s history, the emotional pain is still being felt around the world.
Many world leaders weighed in on what had happened with condemnation of mass killings by extremist groups, and of individuals who feel people outside of their twisted ideology have no right to exist.
Many expressed concerns that leaders need to be very careful with words they use when commenting on various situations. United States president Donald Trump drew considerable criticism after claiming such acts are caused by a small number of people with serious problems. That was seen by many as a reluctance openly to condemn extremist groups, a posture many recalled he took when openly racist groups marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, resulting in violent clashes with police and the death of one person.
The real point here is that leaders of any democratic country should be seen and heard to defend decent principles without concern about their political image, even it means losing support of those who cling to outdated concepts that skin colour and religious affiliation are grounds for rejection in open society.
There are many good, peaceful citizens in every country, but every country will have in the shadows people who have hidden motives about who is entitled to freedom as citizens.
A frightening aspect to this came to light when it was revealed that there were people around the world, including some New Zealanders, who were cheering as the gunman committed mass murder to promote vicious extremist ideology that is rejected by most of the world.
Most of us are familiar with vaccines used against a wide range of diseases, including polio, measles, chickenpox and other serious ailments. In many cases, early inoculation helps to guard against health-threatening viruses.
When it comes to the disease of hatred, which comes in many forms, it would seem that an early inoculation of love, compassion and tolerance could be effective in reducing the number people who have no desire for others to live in peace and harmony.
A real challenge for the world today is how to cope with a fast-moving pace of negative cyberspace material, which could poison a young mind before being taught the values of love, compassion and tolerance.
The tragedy in New Zealand sparked condemnation from millions from every corner of the planet and a clamour to reject all forms of hatred. At least that was a sign that people who believe in decency and freedom will never allow hatred to destroy the hope of living together in peace.

industry_corpus2: Politics & Administration


text:
Less than a year after the Me Too and “We Said Enough” movements reverberated around California’s Capitol, a pack of bills that seek to address sexual harassment in the workplace is drawing pushback from business groups that fear a sharp increase in lawsuits.
Among them: efforts to ban nondisclosure and limit nondisparagement agreements, end forced arbitration, make harassers personally liable, and extend the statute of limitations to file a claim with the state.
One measure, AB 3080 by Asm. Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego), would ban employers from requiring workers to participate in private arbitration to settle disputes such as sexual harassment claims, rather than going to court.
CalChamber has placed the bill on its “job killer” list, which has historically held great sway with moderate Democrats, as well as Gov. Jerry Brown.
“It has been couched and presented as a sexual harassment bill as a part of the Me Too movement, but it’s really much broader than that,” Barrera said.
Examples of claims that Barrera said could be forced into court include rest and meal breaks, sick leave and discrimination claims that aren’t related to sexual harassment.
“It not only creates massive confusion for employers attempting to comply with the law, but it also creates immense opportunity for trial lawyers to sue,” John Kabateck with the National Federation of Independent Businesses wrote in a statement.
But the measure has already passed the Assembly, which is seen as having a stronger bloc of moderates. Unless it’s amended, it need only win Senate approval before advancing to the governor’s desk.
Another bill, SB 1300 by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), is also on the Chamber’s job killer list. It would prohibit employers from requiring workers to sign away two rights as a condition of employment or receiving a raise: nondisparagement agreements that block victims from speaking publicly, and filing legal claims.
However, under the law, those agreements could still be signed as part of a settlement — a common practice in exchange for a severance package.
The Chamber opposes the bill but is preparing to withdraw its “job killer” label after Jackson removes a separate provision from the measure. It must still pass both the Assembly and Senate.
Two other bills by Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino) are also active in the Legislature’s final weeks of session.
SB 820 would ban the use of nondisclosure agreements in sexual harassment, assault and discrimination cases. And SB 1038 would make harassers personally liable for retaliating against anyone who filed a claim against them. Both measures require both Assembly and Senate approval.
And AB 1870, by Asm. Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Grand Terrace), would extend the deadline to file a harassment or discrimination complaint with the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing from one year after an incident occured to three. This measure only needs a final vote in the Senate.
The Chamber withdrew its opposition to SB 1038 earlier this summer but opposes the other measures.
California would bar forced arbitration and nondisclosure agreements under a bill sent to Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday that enjoys celebrity backing from some in the #MeToo movement.
The California state legislative session only has three weeks left, but lawmakers have yet to decide the fate of several important bills.

industry_corpus2: Law & Justice


text:
Pickering Interfaces Expands PCI Fault Insertion Switch Range for Differential Serial Interfaces_Shenzhen ZhongFeng Electronic Technology Co.,Ltd.
Pickering Interfaces, a leading supplier of modular signal switching for electronic test and simulation, is expanding its range of PCI Fault Insertion switching with the introduction of two new modules (models 50-200 and 50-201) designed for use with differential serial interfaces.
Pickering Interfaces continues to promote its test solutions in multiple platforms by offering fault insertion in different form factors (PXI and PCI) with the same options. This offering allows the user to choose the most appropriate platform for their test system. These two new PCI Fault Insertion Cards have the same functionality as their recently announced PXI Fault Insertion Modules (models 40-200 and 40-201).
The new PCI modules include the Differential PCI Fault Insertion Switch (model 50-200) which is designed for lower data rate serial interfaces such as CAN and FlexRay, and the High Bandwidth Differential PCI Fault Insertion Switch (model 50-201) which is designed for higher data rate serial interfaces such as AFDX and 1000BaseT Ethernet. Each module allows the introduction of fault connections that include data paths open, data paths shorted together, and data paths shorted to externally applied faults such as power supplies and ground. The software driver defaults to a protective mode where conflicting faults are prevented to avoid accidentally shorting unintended paths, such as power to ground. A separate mode allows complete freedom in setting fault patterns.
These PCI fault insertion modules will find application in testing the response of safety-critical communication systems used in automotive and aerospace environments. Each module is available with a choice of channel counts, allowing users to choose the most appropriate solution for the intended application.
Both modules are supported by Pickering’s new eBIRST switching system test tool. These tools simplify switching system fault-finding by quickly testing the system and identifying the faulty relays. Once identified, the tools then display a graphical representation of the switching system’s PCB assembly, highlighting the relays that need to be replaced.
Connections are available on an easy to use 78-way D connector and are supported by Pickering’s range of cable and connector options. In addition, Pickering Interfaces can design and supply interface adaptors to application specific connectors. Pickering Interfaces stands behind all of their manufactured products with a standard three-year warranty and guaranteed long-term product support. Pricing and availability information is supplied on their website at www.pickeringtest.com.
14+years in providing PCB Fab, PCB Assembly and One-Stop EMS service (electronics manufacturing services), we always can provide the best quality PCB & PCBA boards with low cost and quick lead time. Our Services including Electronic design, PCB manufacture, PCB assembly, components sourcing, injection mold and box build. Our clients include big companies like CTS, FEV, Delta and Premo, and also many small companies and individuals.


text:
I received a Harvard Business School tip a few months ago which has stuck with me for some time now. I do a lot of work in helping organizations maximize performance of their people. Often, leveraging diversity has been a barrier. People often resist outside input or just fail to consider additional perspectives.
I read this tip: “Give Women the Space to Contribute in Meetings”, which reminds us to be inclusive of all participants to gain diverse points of view and ideas.
The reality is This rarely happens. In fact, research shows women are interrupted in meetings far more often, and their ideas are taken less seriously.
This may be from something referred to as, unconscious bias. What can we do about this?
The solution starts by creating a culture where both men and women can speak up when this happens. You can “call it out” when they see someone being inadvertently silenced in a discussion. Encourage change agents through some of the more progressive men to lead by example. You can also create ground rules such as “no talking over each other.” If facilitating the meeting, or by proceed around the table, in order, when getting input.
It is unacceptable to allow this biased behavior to go unaddressed. Pull the offender(s) aside and draw their attention to this behavior which they may be unaware.


text:
Last night, I let the kids snuggle up in my bed and we had a movie watching slumber party in my room. My husband was out of town and it was storming so loud that we just opted to stick together.
"It tastes like Saturday morning. Like something you make on Saturdays."
Old-Fashioned Chelsea Waffles are a huge hit in our house. In fact, our 6yo ate so many this morning that my husband and I each only got half a waffle. Look at that crisp exterior and the center is moist and flavorful!
Breakfast is a often a hard one for new vegans, and for all parents maybe (I've been vegan as long as I've been a parent, so it's all the same to me). On the weekends, when we have more time, I like to make something special. One of my favorite tools in my kitchen for breakfast ideas is the book Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Isa never fails to impress me with her recipes, and her writing makes you feel like she's in the kitchen with you making it easy and fun.
The book has everything from savory to sweet, and they are universally crowd pleasing among vegans and non-vegans alike.

industry_corpus2: Hospitality & Catering


text:
overheads down, at least. A che ora arriva laereo a?
Dov' e' il prossimo distributore? October 6, 2017 by, daniel, as promised on Wednesday, Ive been working on the next boring list of words in the clubs vocabulary section. Qui ci sono meduse? Posso pagare in dollari?
Si puo' pagare in dollari? Hanno gia' iniziato il check-in? So, my aim with this vocabulary section rewrite is not to replicate the shiny, hi-tech gizmos available elsewhere. Our italo sconti sono personali residui esselunga kids help too, when they need cash. Dov'e la centrale di polizia?

industry_corpus2: Transportation


text:
Real Herbs Guide Treating Liver And Eczema Ailments With Milk Thistle English Edition is good choice for you that looking for nice reading experience. We hope you glad to visit our website. Please read our description and our privacy and policy page.
Finally I get this ebook, thanks for all these Real Herbs Guide Treating Liver And Eczema Ailments With Milk Thistle English Edition can get now!

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


text:
We’ve talked a lot about the Ruger 10/22 here at Pew Pew Tactical.
It’s one of the most popular rifles currently available and has an extensive market for third-party parts and accessories to upgrade your rifle. So extensive, in fact, that you can build a 10/22 exclusively from aftermarket parts.
But today I’m going to talk about one particular accessory for your Ruger 10/22 rifle, the scope.
Good optics are essential for precision shooting, especially at long ranges, particularly if you’re hunting or precision target shooting.
Some models (see our Best 10/22 Models), including the OG standard model Ruger 10/22 Carbine as well as the ever-popular Ruger 10/22 Takedown, come with a gold bead front sight and adjustable rear sight, which are okay if you don’t need to shoot very far with high precision.
Other models, like the 10/22 Tactical, the 10/22 Compact, and the 10/22 Competition, come with no sights at all, so you’ll need to get a scope or sight to use with them.
All but the Ruger 10/22 Competition come with a combination scope base adapter that works with both Weaver-style and .22 tip-off scope mounts.
All that is to say that the 10/22 is basically begging for you to put a scope on it. It’s an excellent precision rifle, so give it a scope to go with that.
First up on our list is the Simmons Truplex .22 Mag riflescope.
It’s one of the most popular consumer riflescopes currently on the market and is especially popular among hunters. And it’s made specifically for use with a .22 rifle like the Ruger 10/22.
At only around $50, it’s an affordable option, but Simmons didn’t cut corners with quality and durability.
For starters, the main tube of the scope is constructed from a single piece to make the scope lighter, stronger, and more durable. It’s also waterproof, fog proof, and shockproof.
Scope lenses are made of high-quality optical glass and have a HydroShield coating. This provides you with a sharp, high contrast picture no matter what the weather is like.
Eye relief is a nice 3.75” with the 3–9×32 version and 4” of eye relief with the 4×32 version.
Simmons has a proprietary version of a duplex reticle called the Truplex, but really it’s effectively the same thing and works well!
The Truplex .22 Mag scope features Simmons’s TrueZero windage and elevation adjustment system for more crisp clicks and precise adjustments that make it easier to zero your rifle and prevent the scope from losing zero, even after a thousand rounds.
Also handy are the SureGrip rubber surfaces on the eyepiece diopter adjustments, windage, and elevation caps, side parallax adjustment knobs, and power change rings to make adjustments even easier, even in cold or wet weather or when you’re wearing heavy gloves.
Finally, it comes with rimfire ⅜” dovetail mounting rings.
Another solid option for Ruger 10/22 shooters on a budget is the Tasco Rimfire Series .22 Riflescope.
If you’re a serious hunter or target shooter, you may want to just skip to the next scope on this list, but for plinking or hunting within the about 50-yard mark, such as varmint and small game hunting, this riflescope with definitely do the job.
It’s also great for shooters that are trying out scopes for the first time since it’s very easy to use.
The included scope rings make the scope a breeze to mount to your 10/22. The adjustment knobs on the top and side of the scope make it easy to sight in and zero the Tasco Rimfire Series .22 Riflescope.
The lenses offer a clear picture and are magenta multi-coated to protect the lens from scratches as well as to reduce glare and reflection. However, in low lighting or beyond about 100 yards, you may not get a great picture.
The parallax isn’t adjustable but is set at 50 yards which is plenty long enough for plinking and small game hunting.
Tasco Rimfire Series .22 Riflescope is well-constructed, made from a 14” long, one-inch diameter monotube. It’s also lightweight enough that it should be barely noticeable as you maneuver your 10/22 rifle.
However, Tasco offers a lifetime warranty should something happen to your scope.
Even if you haven’t been into guns for very long, you probably recognize the name, Nikon.
Nikon may be best known for their cameras and camera lenses, but they’re actually a huge brand that makes pretty much anything that has a lense, including cameras, binoculars, microscopes, and, yes, rifle scopes.
But don’t think that just because Nikon is present in a wide variety of industries means that they make sub-par products.
The Nikon PROSTAFF RIMFIRE II BDC 150 is just one example of that.
It’s an excellent, high-quality riflescope and it’s made specifically for use with rimfire rifles like the Ruger 10/22.
The PROSTAFF RIMFIRE II is particularly well-suited for shooting longer distances. The scope’s BDC reticle with see-through ballistic circles allows shooters to account for bullet drop up to 150 yards (hence “BDC 150”), but also allows for a clear picture when you need to make short-range shots.
In addition, every glass surface of the scope is coated with multiple anti-reflective layers to ensure bright, high definition pictures.
And to give yourself even more of an edge, use the PROSTAFF RIMFIRE II alongside the Nikon Spot On Ballistic Match Technology program to find your reticle’s aiming points for any range, accounting for both atmospheric conditions and your ammunition.
Another handy feature is the spring-loaded instant zero-reset turrets for both elevation and windage that make field adjustments way easier. Simply sight-in, lift the adjustment turret and rotate it “zero”, and release the turret to re-engage. Now you can just dial-in your ranges.
The PROSTAFF RIMFIRE II is waterproof, fog proof, and shockproof, but if something does happen to it, Nikon offers a lifetime repair or replacement warranty.
All of these great features come at a much higher price point than the other two scopes we’ve talked about so far, but if you have the cash to spend, it’s definitely worth it.
One thing to note: this scope doesn’t come with scope rings, so you’ll have to pick some up before you can use it with your Ruger 10/22.
The Nikon PROSTAFF RIMFIRE II BDC 150 comes in 3-9×40 and 4-12×40 versions.
What’s your take on the Nikon?
For a slightly more affordable option that’s also not short on features, consider the Vortex Optics Crossfire II 2-7x 32 Rimfire Riflescope.
It’s constructed from a single piece of hard anodized aircraft-grade aluminum which is nitrogen purged and O-ring sealed to make the scope waterproof, fog proof, and shockproof. It’s easy to handle, doesn’t add too much extra weight, and is simple to install.
The scope is durable enough that it should have a long service life, but Vortex Optics offers an unconditional, unlimited lifetime warranty for all of their scopes.
All air-to-glass surfaces are fully multi-coated to allow plenty of light to travel through them while also minimizing reflection and glare and protecting the lenses from scratches, dirt, and oil.
The result is a clear, bright picture that persists even at extended ranges and in low light conditions. An integrated sunshade further eliminates glare on the objective lens.
In addition, the objective lens is adjustable to prevent parallax errors.
This scope has a second focal plane reticle, which means that the reticle is installed past the magnifying lens so that it stays the same size regardless of the magnification level that the shooter is using. The V-plex MOA reticle is well suited for both hunting and target shooting.
The scope’s fast focus target lens makes it easy to quickly shift targets without major adjustments.
Plus, the Crossfire II also has wind and elevation reset turrets similar to those of the Nikon PROSTAFF RIMFIRE II, making it easy to zero the scope and make field adjustments. Caps protect the turrets from being moved out of position while attaching or detaching the scope and during travel.
The 2-7x 32 Rimfire model is particularly well-suited for the Ruger 10/22 rifle and performs well for both hunting and precision long-range shooting, but Vortex’s entire Crossfire II line is pretty great, so you may want to look at some of the other models in the line to see if there’s one that you think might be better for your particular needs.
Okay, so technically a red dot sight isn’t actually a scope, but red dots are still a great option if you just want something better than the 10/22’s sights (or no sights, if you have a model of the 10/22 that doesn’t have them) for times when you don’t need a magnifying optic.
The Bushnell TRS-25 is one of my favorite red dots, especially for shooters on a tight budget. In fact, we’ve recommended it several times, including on our Best AR-15 Scopes & Optics list, our Best Red Dot Sights list, and our Best 10/22 Upgrades list, so I’m obviously not the only Pew Pew Tactical staff member that feels this way.
The TRS-25 is waterproof up to 10 feet, fog proof, and shockproof. It stands up to round after round and a fair bit of knocking around (though I wouldn’t recommend testing the latter) without losing your zero.
Bushnell TRS-25 Red Dot on one of our AKs!
The lens is multi-coated with Bushnell’s Amber-Bright high contrast lens coating, making it easier to spot even the best-camouflaged prey, even in low light settings.
This red dot sight has a 3 MOA reticle and 11 brightness settings for a wide variety of lighting conditions. At the lowest setting, the TRS-25 has an advertised 3000 hours of battery life.
This is also a very low profile sight, certainly lower profile than a scope, and has unlimited eye relief, but some TRS-25 users have difficulty getting a solid, comfortable cheek weld. In this case, just using it with the included riser will generally fix the discomfort.
Some users have also said that using the sight with a riser makes target acquisition easier. You can try it both ways and see which one you prefer.
The TRS-25 is super easy to find, both online and at brick-and-mortar stores, but the price can vary wildly. Amazon usually has it for around $50.
An effective optic goes a long way in improving your precision; a shooter with a mediocre gun and a high-quality scope will often be able to outperform a shooter with a high-quality gun and only a mediocre scope.
In other words, treat buying any type of optics like an investment.
Scopes are not the place to pinch pennies and it’s definitely worth it to take the time to make sure that you’re choosing a quality scope that’s suitable for your needs, whether they are eliminating pests in your backyard, long range target shooting, or something in between.
All of the options that I’ve talked about here are excellent choices and you can’t go wrong with any of them, but they each have their own little nuances that make them best suited for different things.
Whichever one you go with, you’ll have an exceptional optic to put on your Ruger 10/22, an exceptional rifle.
Need .22lr ammo, take a look at the Best .22 Long Rifle Ammo! Or want to fully kit out your rifle? Check out Best 10/22 Upgrades.
What’s missing in this lineup is a low light alternative. When I’m driving out of the woods toward the end of the day of Grouse hunting, I want a scope that can handle low light to give me last crack, on those back country logging roads, just before end of shooting time.
3-9 magnification is utterly absurd for a rimfire scope, as it is for most centerfire hunting scopes, having ridiculously narrow field of view for finding moving targets, and it’s inability to focus at close range. The size and height above the bore line is disproportionate to the compactness of a 22. Thanks to silly marketing and a gullible public, scopes have gotten far too big for any practical use beyond extreme range shooting.
ProStaff is an OK scope. TRS-25 is a surprisingly decent red dot. Other optics mentioned here, forgive my bluntness, are best suited for shooting at, not shooting with.
I have a PROSTAFF Rimfire II mounted on a Ruger Precision Rimfire rifle. Perfect combo to practice distance shooting- I’ve been getting consistent 1/2 inch groupings at 100 yards even with my lack of experience. Combined with the inexpensive ammo, as a poor college student I couldn’t ask for a better setup!


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La scheda di valutazione per VOLKSWAGEN Golf è in preparazione.
Nei prossimi giorni ti spiegheremo in dettaglio il posizionamento di mercato della Golf al fine di illustrare come questo modello si svaluta nel tempo. Inoltre ti daremo indicazioni sui prezzi di mercato per acquistare o vendere il veicolo VOLKSWAGEN Golf e concludere il miglior affare!
2. (2018) Golf 1.4 TSI ACT 5p. Sport Edition BlueMotion Tech.
9. (2018) Golf 1.4 TSI ACT DSG 5p. Sport Edition BlueMotion Tech.
35. (2018) Golf Variant 1.0 TSI 115 CV Business BlueMotion Tech.
39. (2018) Golf Business 1.0 TSI 110 CV 5p. Trendline BlueMotion Tech.
45. (2018) Golf Business 1.0 TSI 85 CV 5p Trendline BlueMotion Tech.
64. (2018) Golf 1.6 TDI 110 CV DSG 5p. Sport Edition BlueMotion Tech.
65. (2018) Golf 1.6 TDI 110 CV DSG 3p. Sport Edition BlueMotion Tech.
66. (2018) Golf Variant 1.6 TDI 110 CV DSG Executive BlueMotion Tech.
67. (2018) Golf Variant 1.6 TDI 110 CV Comfortline BlueMotion Tech.
69. (2018) Golf Variant 1.6 TDI 115 CV DSG Executive BlueMotion Tech.
73. (2018) Golf 1.6 TDI 90 CV 5p. Business Trendline BlueMotion Tech.
74. (2018) Golf Variant 1.6 TDI 110 CV DSG Business BlueMotion Tech.
75. (2018) Golf 1.6 TDI 110 CV 5p. 4MOTION Highline BlueMotion Tech.
77. (2018) Golf 1.6 TDI 110 CV DSG 5p. Comfortline BlueMotion Tech.
79. (2018) Golf Variant 1.6 TDI 115 CV DSG Business BlueMotion Tech.
82. (2018) Golf 1.6 TDI 110 CV 3p. Sport Edition BlueMotion Tech.
87. (2018) Golf Variant Business 1.6 TDI Trendline BlueMotion Tech.
88. (2018) Golf Variant 1.6 TDI 115 CV DSG Highline BlueMotion Tech.
91. (2018) Golf 1.6 TDI 110 CV 5p. 4MOTION Executive BlueMotion Tech.
94. (2018) Golf Variant 1.6 TDI 110 CV Highline BlueMotion Tech.
101. (2018) Golf Variant 1.6 TDI 110 CV Business BlueMotion Tech.
104. (2018) Golf Variant 1.6 TDI 110 CV DSG Comfortline BlueMotion Tech.
116. (2018) Golf Variant Alltrack 2.0 TDI DSG 4MOTION BlueMotion Tech.
118. (2018) Golf 2.0 TDI 5p. Sport Edition BlueMotion Tech.
125. (2018) Golf 2.0 TDI DSG 5p. Sport Edition BlueMotion Tech.
127. (2018) Golf Variant 2.0 TDI DSG Executive BlueMotion Tech.

industry_corpus2: Automobiles


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I hate paper. And I want to have a paperless classroom ... one day. Until then I have found that color coding my classes is the easiest was for me to keep up with their paperwork. I teach 6 periods a day so red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple covers all my classes.
I have a set of cheap black trays. I cut strips of colored paper, laminated the strips and threaded the paper through the openings.
Back in the day I bought cheaper paper folders, and replaced them every year. Then I finally found plastic folders in every color and have had them several years without needing to replace them.
At one point I kept a print out of a spread sheet to record grades on in each folder, this year I printed grade sheets on colored papers and they started out the year in my teacher binder, but ended up in a folder behind my desk.
I only use the pockets of the folders. When I am on top of things, I take papers out of the trays daily and paper clip them together (I typically grade once a week).
I keep the folders in my desk drawer in hanging file folders. And I can just open the drawer and drop random paper into the appropriate folders.
I also have cheap cardboard magazine holders that I use to store graded papers. I used the same strips of colored papers and adhered them with packing tape that covered the entire strip of paper (to prevent the paper from fading quickly).
I don't spend class time passing back papers typically. Of course if we need to talk about tests or quizzes, we will use class time for those assignments, but most of the time I store the papers until one week past report cards then I recycle everything.
Most information I feel my student need to keep are part of their interactive notebooks, and AP kids have to keep up with everything.

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


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Owner operators appreciate the look and feel of our products and we enjoy hearing their success stories. We also appreciate all of our FlowBelow dealers and understand they play a very important role with each and every customer. Our goal is to deliver the best possible experience and results with all FlowBelow products. We strive to deliver outstanding support and education for our dealers and they enjoy sharing their experiences with us. Please read what some Owner/Operators and Dealers have to say about FlowBelow.
"I can't see any reason why you wouldn't use the FlowBelow AeroKit. It serves several purposes. The first one is increased fuel mileage by smoothing out the airflow (across the tractor wheels). In addition this is one of the easiest wheel covers to take off and inspect the wheels hub. Being a great improvement over many of the designs out there. It's light, easy and effective."
Freightliner Team Run Smart / Albert Transport Inc.
"We've had the FlowBelow kit for 2.5 years and we are very pleased and satisfied. We've had great success with the kit and recommend it to anyone looking to save fuel. The product is extremely durable and easy use. The customer service is excellent- good 'ol Texas hospitality!"


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"Dad, what's my blood type?" "Red."
We get it, parents are embarrassing. Whether they're writing shopping lists that absolutely, 100% do NOT have 'new car' on them (until you intervene), completely ignoring you when you get stuck inside a glass table, or manage to get themselves stuck in a compost bin, they're always doing something to piss you off.
When it comes to technology at least, it's far easier to record (and post worldwide) their transgressions against you. Like with text messages.

industry_corpus2: Technology & Research


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Away with You Dreary Dark Days!
I’ve had a couple things I’ve been juggling back-and-forth. Of course it goes without saying one of them is an art quilt, the other involves spring spruce ups, I will get to that later.
Aren’t you tired of winter? I am. All those dark rainy days begin to run together. When I first moved to Oregon, a long time resident said “Just when you reach the point where you can’t take even one more dark day, spring breaks out everywhere”. This is true.
As dark as the Winters in Oregon are, the Springs are glorious!! Colors, flowers and sweet fragrances waft through the air.Fields of tulips, irises, peonies, dahlias. Did I mention. camillas, daffodils?
For me the crowning beauty is when the cherry trees are in full bloom. I can go on for hours, enraptured.
Here’s my advice in purchasing art, wandering through an art fair or an online art venue such as Etsy. My advise is essentially the same.
1-Choose what makes your heart sing. Does this grab you and you simply must have it? If it is within your budget or maybe on the high end it may be worth it to you.
3-The real problem with all the leaping about is it makes it hard to retrace your steps, allowing you to compare what you have been looking at.Comparison is the base of most purchasing decisions.
4-No gazelleing. Rather take your time, stand there a while evaluating it.If you are at an artisan fair, which I highly recommend, write down the booth number, this is important so you return if you want.to do.Wander on looking leisurely at other art which captures your attention. Take you time. Remember to write down the booth number and perhaps a description and other pertinent information. Speak with the artists themselves, what is your impression? All these things can be done on an online venue as well.
One last thought.Original artwork gives years of enjoyment, you won’t see it everywhere, no rows of framed prints of the same picture. This piece of art is exclusively your own. That makes it special. I’m not saying this because I create and sell fiber art quilts, It is true..
Original art in the form of fiber art is a relatively new art form with interest growing rapidly, so for the time being, it is still possible to find reasonable original art.


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While there has been a lot of apprehension and uncertainty around the potential fallout of Brexit, the UK fintech sector remains one of the most prominent in Europe.
There are 1600 fintechs active in Britain with 2018 bringing continued investment in the sector. Monzo received £85 million in Series E funding propelling them to unicorn status, joined by Revolut who received over £190 million.
Are you looking to work in this lucrative sector? Here are 8 fintech companies currently hiring developers.
The team at 11:FS have a good track record with fintech successes having grown companies like Monzo, Starling and Tandem. They’re currently on the hunt for a VP of engineering to build out the engineering team, working closely with the CTO.
To land the role you’ll need to be comfortable in an agile environment and have the ability to lead the team in amidst chaos. You’ll also need to have full command of the development process so you can ensure best practice is being followed and deadlines are being hit.
To secure this role requires senior experience in all phases of the software development lifecycle. To excel at it you need to be open to sharing information, work well with others and make good decisions.
In return you’ll benefit from a working environment where you can really make an impact and take ownership of your own work. Max Eskell, Head of Product at Monese says it’s a great company to accelerate your career. “We are growing fast and like promoting internally, you will also have good support and opportunities to help you grow technically,” he said.
Seedrs is a crowdfunding platform that makes it easy for all types of investors to fund businesses they care about. They’re experiencing large growth and are looking to hire for a range of roles across product and sales.
As a Business Development Associate you’ll be charged with community building in the startup ecosystem and educating businesses about Seedrs’ products.
Every month, customers use WorldRemit to send money across 140 countries. This role involves working closely with multiple channel managers from social media to affiliates to display.
The successful candidate will be charged with the planning, optimising and execution of PPC campaigns globally. They will also be expected to contribute new ideas regarding the improvement of product and processes as the business expands.
The successful applicant will enjoy 25 days annual leave, private health coverage and an excellent share options scheme.
Modulr Finance is looking for a senior java developer to join their growing team. The successful candidate will need to combine agile strategy, innovation, domain expertise and discipline to help the team build a great business aimed at transforming the business payments market.
There’s an exciting opportunity open at LendIt for a passionate content creator interested in technology, finance and events. The responsibilities of this role include developing forward thinking whitepapers and event agendas.
This job also requires a close collaboration with the marketing and sales teams to promote content and build relationships.

industry_corpus2: Finance & Economics


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Red Team poses after winning regionals at the Boyd Law Center. They have now qualified to compete at the state competition.
Dressed in blazers and suits, the City High Mock Trial teams rolled into the Boyd Law School parking lot in hopes of claiming a regional title. They left hours later not only advancing, but having won the entire competition.
“The second team was much more aggressive than the first team, and that plays a large role into how we responded. The first round was easier because the team was passive,” Maya Durham ’19, a witness for the red team, said.
City High Mock Trial is composed of two teams, red and white. Regionals is made up of two rounds, a defense case and a plaintiff case.The red team placed first at regionals and will be continuing on to state, which will be held on the 27th-29th of March in Des Moines. They will be competing against 32 other teams.
“When the mock trial team started a couple of years ago I heard it was really rough and the progress that the coaches have made with their teams is incredible. Last year we had to petition for one of our teams to go to make state and this year we won,” Durham said.
The case itself is based on Karate Kid, with Terry Kreese from Cobra Kai Investments suing Danni Russo over securities fraud.
The team is now preparing for the state competition by practicing every Friday morning, during advisory, and on weekends.
This outstanding City High Mock Trial Team is heading to State AGAIN this year!! Good Luck Team!!


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Build entirely in the U.S. by the Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, the National Geographic Quest is the perfect ship to explore from the northern reaches of Alaskas's Inside Passage, south to the tropical coasts of Costa Rica, Panama, and through the Canal to Belize.
Designed with decades of expedition experience in the region, this unique vessel also features open decks, generous windows, and an ideal platform for sailing into these unique locations. Her twin expedition craft landing platforms allow you to rapidly get on and off the ship to take advantage of wildlife sightings and to ensure you maximize your time off the ship exploring.
The Nat-Geo Quest comfortably accommodates 100 guests in 50 outside-facing cabins. Cabins are efficiently designed, with sizes ranging from the 136-square-foot category 1 to the 185-square-foot category 5 suite. Half of them feature small balconies with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that bring in the spectacular views and ample natural light. Twelve of them connect via internal doorway access, allowing families to combine their rooms. Plus, all category 5 suite cabins can accommodate a third person on a convertible sofa bed.
Every cabin has two portholes, Wi-Fi access, and temperature controls. Bathrooms are modern and stocked with botanically inspired hair products, soap, shower gel, plus a hairdryer. Every room has USB outlets for charging your electronics, and space to store your luggage.
Alaska Savings - For Every two full-paying adults, bring a child at 50% and a second child for FREE. This offer is applicable on select 2019 departures, and is based on two full-paying adults. Contact us for details.
Book by July 31, 2019 to receive a $500 Air Credit per person on select 2019 departures. Subject to availability. Contact us for details.
Free One-Way Airfare - Book now to receive complimentary flights from Sitka to Seattle or Seattle to Sitka, depending on the itinerary. Select departures only. May be issued as a flight credit. Contact us for details.
Book now and receive complimentary round-trip airfare between Seattle and Alaska on select 2019 departures. Subject to availability. May be issued as a flight credit. Contact us for details.

industry_corpus2: Travel & Geography


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These are lyrics by Mike Oldfield feat. Anita Hegerland that we think are kind of repetitive.
Mike Oldfield feat. Anita Hegerland's, "Innocent"
Most verses of this song end in either of the two sets of lines.


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My name is Jacob Andrew Allegre. I visited Camp Augusta in the summer of 2010, and I must say I had the most fun I have ever had. I don’t expect to be remembered by any, for I can’t say I was an exceptional person. I regret that I did not apply myself more at camp, though it did teach me a lot of lessons. It taught me to be myself, regardless of what others thought. It taught me to go out and a take a chance, to explore something I’d never done. It taught me to care for my peers, even when that same luxury was not extended from them to me. Most of all, Camp Augusta imbued in me a love for all things primitive: that getaway from modern life, a return to a simpler time. Archery, hiking, and even the aatl-aatl (I believe I misspelled that) were activities that helped me to respect the wilder, ancient side of things. I loved the camp. Coincidentally, I find myself wearing my camp shirt as I type this letter. It is a shirt that reminds me of a better time. I attended your camp only months after the death of my mother. The experiences I had at camp not only helped me get through my trials, but also to be strong at all times, and to never give up. It taught me that kindness is still in the world. Camp Augusta taught me many things. Things I will never forget. Thank you for that. I’ve done a lot of maturing in the three years since my time at Camp, and now I can do more than just regret the mistakes I made; now I can simply float down that endless river of memory and enjoy the ride. Thank you, to Randy and all the Camp Augusta staff. Y’all (as we say in my new Oklahoma home) are a good bunch of folks.
Needless to say, Skylar is beaming with excitement for next summer already – just last night she was on the website, watching all of the videos for the millionth time and signing all of the camp songs. Camp Augusta serious changed her a bit last year. She was already an awesome human being, but she definitely grew while at camp with you all and it’s amazing to see how your talents and awesome personalities affect/influence the kids lucky enough o attend Camp with you!
Your ears must have been ringing on Thanksgiving! My two kids, Aidan and Clare, told Camp Augusta stories to their Grandparents for what must have been close to an hour. They were beaming. Brian and I were so thrilled that our experience at Camp Augusta family camp was the topic of conversation (and even Grandma and Grampa seemed engaged!) THANK YOU!
* Our holiday card this year (you’ll be getting one but you can hit the “review your proof” button and see it — hope that works.
* And a renewed urgency to sign-up again for next year!! Please, please let me know how we sign up on time for the family camp weekend of September 5, 6, 7 & 8.
Hope you have a wonderful holiday!! And that everyone is healthy and well.
Hi there! My name is Veronica Gunasekara. I am honored to be Celeste Gunasekara’s mother. She has been in communication via email initially with Dearv and now with Lizy about joining either your Junior Counselor or CIRCLE program. I think that they have decided that the CIRCLE work would be more beneficial. Her best friends, Thea Varley and Bruce Iverson have been sharing the work with her and with our family. I am so excited about your work and have been reading your website, the manual that Bruce shared with us and working on communicating more cleanly and non-violently in our family; it’s rigorous yet rewarding work. I have also been recommending the camp to families at our school. Thank you so much for your wonderful contribution the world.
I am truly loving what I am seeing!!! If only I could turn back the hands of time and be a camper! Thanks for the quick response, I’ve been watching the great videos and reading my evening / night away. I am truly amazed by your hard work and dedication, your camp is very unique !
I have had the pleasure of working at a handful of resident camps and visiting many camps through ACA and I can honestly say you are truly thinking outside the box and are running a truly remarkable camp!
I will continue to read through your website and try to absorb as much information as possible and I will be in touch soon.
Since I have left Augusta, life has indeed never been the same. I did expect that, but possibly not quite to the extent at which it impacts my daily life and that of those around me. Quite hard to put into words, but I do know that not a day goes by where I don’t think about camp and everyone in it, as well as in everyday conversations. I am now always aware of how I speak to others, and the way they speak back to me and those around them. It’s amazing to now be so aware of that when I never used to be. I have had people tell me they think I am different, and when I asked them to elaborate, all they could say is, you seem so much more grounded and sure of yourself and what you want and need now. I was stoked to hear that. Also…random fact…but I had a lot of people comment that I looked taller when I returned home, and I did in fact grow 1.5cm over the summer! Must have been the fresh Sierra Nevada air and maybe all of the Yuba swimming that did it!!
I survived a freak accident on the freeway in Utah a couple nights ago (ice avalanche from plow on overpass fell on my car in a storm, cracked windshield and barely held). Gave me a Lot of perspective and gratitude for life, as well as for all of the support I have received in friendship and in learning and in purposeful work in my life. I am so grateful for the big huge supportive force for warmth and growth that you and all the camp family have been for me over the past few years. Thank you Randy! Big love to you and the fam!


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A talented and innovative web designer can make a great deal of difference in your website project. Finding the right one is not always straightforward and easy though. You need to make sure they know what they are doing and that they are going to deliver what they promise.
Can you tell me about your web design process? If I was your client, what would you require from me? How involved would I need to be in the project?
The main thrust of this question is to gauge the ability of the candidates to plan and implement a project from start to completion. A website is not going to materialize out of thin air, after all. It requires a certain amount of planning; a great deal, in fact, if the scope of the website is large. In addition to explaining how they chalk out the project, the candidates must also be able to explain the general steps they will take to implement the project.
The question is also meant to probe how open the web designer is to receiving feedback from the client. It is essential for web designers never to forget that it is first and foremost the client’s website. While the client may not have the technical know-how about building a website and perhaps not even enough knowledge about the features a website ought to have, the web designer must still involve them as much as possible in the web design process. They must explain what they are doing, why they are doing it, and what the result will be. If the client wants any changes made, they should incorporate those. The client must give the final approval for the design.
How good are you at collaborative work? Tell us, for instance, how do you collaborate with web developers in creating a functional website?
You want to discover how articulate the web designer is and the level of their communication skills. Given the collaborative nature of website development, the web designer must be accustomed to working with web developers and other professionals. To make the project work smoothly, it is necessary for the collaborators to have a rough idea of each other’s roles. Web designers, for instance, need to know enough about web development to create designs that can be practically implemented. They must confer with the web developers about the design file formats and must modify the designs in case there are any issues with implementing them as the client wants.
When designing a website, how do plan for its end performance and consumer usage?
Consumer usage is one of the most basic things a web designer must consider when designing a website. The most innovative design will be of no use if visitors to the website cannot figure out how to navigate through it and find the information they want. To create a consumer-friendly website, the web designer has to take many things into account and tie them all together. For instance, the arrangement of the website content, the placement of the navigation buttons, the use of the proper fonts, the optimization of images so that they load quickly, and the various browsers and devices that consumers will use to access the website.
How do you stay on top of current design trends?
With rapidly evolving technologies, the web design field is in a constant state of flux. You want the candidate to be aware of this and show a willingness to adapt positively to changes. To have a long and successful career, both beginner and experienced web designers will have to keep up with current industry trends and update their skills regularly. It will help to read articles and blogs by leading industry figures and take courses to learn new, relevant technologies. In addition to these and other web designer interview questions, you should take the time to scan the candidate’s web design portfolio. A variety in design indicates versatility. Personal projects, especially in beginner portfolios, show drive, motivation, and the capability of handling a project from start to end. Such candidates will be very advantageous for your company.
Why You Should Hire Freelance Web Designers for Your Web Design Project?


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This week my colleague Dieter Vanderelst presented our paper: The Dark Side of Ethical Robots at AIES 2018 in New Orleans.
I blogged about Dieter's very elegant experiment here, but let me summarise. With two NAO robots he set up a demonstration of an ethical robot helping another robot acting as a proxy human, then showed that with a very simple alteration of the ethical robot's logic it is transformed into a distinctly unethical robot - behaving either competitively or aggressively toward the proxy human.
The ease of transformation from ethical to unethical robot is hardly surprising. It is a straightforward consequence of the fact that both ethical and unethical behaviours require the same cognitive machinery with – in our implementation – only a subtle difference in the way a single value is calculated. In fact, the difference between an ethical (i.e. seeking the most desirable outcomes for the human) robot and an aggressive (i.e. seeking the least desirable outcomes for the human) robot is a simple negation of this value.
On the face of it, given that we can (at least in principle) build explicitly ethical machines* then it would seem that we have a moral imperative to do so; it would appear to be unethical not to build ethical machines when we have that option. But the findings of our paper call this assumption into serious doubt. Let us examine the risks associated with ethical robots and if, and how, they might be mitigated. There are three.
First there is the risk that an unscrupulous manufacturer might insert some unethical behaviours into their robots in order to exploit naive or vulnerable users for financial gain, or perhaps to gain some market advantage (here the VW diesel emissions scandal of 2015 comes to mind). There are no technical steps that would mitigate this risk, but the reputational damage from being found out is undoubtedly a significant disincentive. Compliance with ethical standards such as BS 8611 guide to the ethical design and application of robots and robotic systems, or emerging new IEEE P700X ‘human’ standards would also support manufacturers in the ethical application of ethical robots.
Perhaps more serious is the risk arising from robots that have user adjustable ethics settings. Here the danger arises from the possibility that either the user or a technical support engineer mistakenly, or deliberately, chooses settings that move the robot’s behaviours outside an ‘ethical envelope’. Much depends of course on how the robot’s ethics are coded, but one can imagine the robot’s ethical rules expressed in a user-accessible format, for example, an XML like script. No doubt the best way to guard against this risk is for robots to have no user adjustable ethics settings, so that the robot’s ethics are hard-coded and not accessible to either users or support engineers.
But even hard-coded ethics would not guard against undoubtedly the most serious risk of all, which arises when those ethical rules are vulnerable to malicious hacking. Given that cases of white-hat hacking of cars have already been reported, it's not difficult to envisage a nightmare scenario in which the ethics settings for an entire fleet of driverless cars are hacked, transforming those vehicles into lethal weapons. Of course, driverless cars (or robots in general) without explicit ethics are also vulnerable to hacking, but weaponising such robots is far more challenging for the attacker. Explicitly ethical robots focus the robot’s behaviours to a small number of rules which make them, we think, uniquely vulnerable to cyber-attack.
Ok, taking the most serious of these risks: hacking, we can envisage several technical approaches to mitigating the risk of malicious hacking of a robot’s ethical rules. One would be to place those ethical rules behind strong encryption. Another would require a robot to authenticate its ethical rules by first connecting to a secure server. An authentication failure would disable those ethics, so that the robot defaults to operating without explicit ethical behaviours. Although feasible, these approaches would be unlikely to deter the most determined hackers, especially those who are prepared to resort to stealing encryption or authentication keys.
It is very clear that guaranteeing the security of ethical robots is beyond the scope of engineering and will need regulatory and legislative efforts. Considering the ethical, legal and societal implications of robots, it becomes obvious that robots themselves are not where responsibility lies. Robots are simply smart machines of various kinds and the responsibility to ensure they behave well must always lie with human beings. In other words, we require ethical governance, and this is equally true for robots with or without explicit ethical behaviours.
Two years ago I thought the benefits of ethical robots outweighed the risks. Now I'm not so sure. I now believe that - even with strong ethical governance - the risks that a robot’s ethics might be compromised by unscrupulous actors are so great as to raise very serious doubts over the wisdom of embedding ethical decision making in real-world safety critical robots, such as driverless cars. Ethical robots might not be such a good idea after all.
*As a footnote let me explain what I mean by explicitly ethical robots: these are robots that select behaviours on the basis of ethical rules - in a sense they can be said to reason about ethics (in our case by evaluating the ethical consequences of several possible actions). Here I'm using the terminology of James Moor, who proposed four kinds of ethical agents, as I explain here. Moor shows in his classification that all robots (and AIs) are ethical agents in the sense that they can all have an ethical impact.
Thus, even though we're calling into question the wisdom of explicitly ethical robots, that doesn't change the fact that we absolutely must design all robots to minimise the likelihood of ethical harms, in other words we should be designing implicitly ethical robots within Moor's schema.
Vanderelst D and Winfield AFT (2018), The Dark Side of Ethical Robots, AAAI/ACM Conf. on AI Ethics and Society (AIES 2018), New Orleans.
Could we make a moral machine?
How ethical is your ethical robot?
Ethical Governance: what is it and who's doing it?
These days I often find myself talking about ethical governance. Not just talking about but advocating: for instance in written evidence to the 2016 parliamentary select committee on robots and AI I made the link between ethical governance and trust. I believe that without transparent ethical governance robotics and AI will not win public trust, and without trust we will not see the societal benefits of robots and AI that we all hope for.
But what exactly is ethical governance and who is doing it, and perhaps more importantly, who in robotics and AI is doing it well?
The link I make here between ethical governance and responsible research and innovation is I think really important. Ethical governance is a key part of RRI. They are not the same thing but it would be hard to imagine good ethical governance without RRI, and vice versa.
Have an ethical code of conduct, so that everyone in the company understands what is expected of them. This should sit alongside a mechanism which allows employees to be able to raise ethical concerns, if necessary in confidence, without fear of displeasing a manager.
Provide ethics training for everyone, without exception. Ethics, like quality, is not something you can do as as add-on; simply appointing an ethics manager, while not a bad idea, is not enough. Ethical governance needs to become part of a company's culture and DNA, not just in product development but in management, finance, HR and marketing too.
Undertake ethical risk assessments of all new products, and act upon the findings of those assessments. A toolkit, or method, for ethical risk assessment of robots and robotic systems exists in British Standard BS 8611, which - alongside much else - sets out 20 ethical risks and hazards together with recommendations on how to mitigate these and verify that they have been addressed.
Be transparent about your ethical governance. Of course your robots and AIs must be transparent too, but here I mean transparency of process, not product. It's not enough to claim to be ethical, you need to show how you are ethical. That means publishing your ethical code of conduct, membership of your ethics board if you have one (and its terms of reference), and ideally case studies showing how you have conducted ethical risk assessments.
Really value ethical governance. Even if you have the four processes above in place you also needs to be sincere about ethical governance; that ethical governance is one of your core values, and just not a smokescreen for what you really value, like maximising shareholder returns.
My final point about really valuing ethical governance is of course hard to evidence. But, like trust, confidence in a company's claim to be ethical has to be earned and - as we've seen - can easily be damaged.
This brings me to my second question: who is doing ethical governance? And are there any examples of best practice? A week or so ago I asked Twitter this question. I've had quite a few nominations but haven't yet looked into them all. When I have, I will complete this blog post.
 Rainey, S., and Goujon, P. (2011). Toward a Normative Ethical of Governance of Technology. Contextual Pragmatism and Ethical Governance. In Ren von Schomberg (ed.) Towards Responsible Research and Innovation in the Information and Communication Technologies and Security Technologies Fields, Report of the European Commission-DG Research and Innovation.


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Campbell, Leroy, and H. Gute. “The Bas-Reliefs.” In _The Excavations at Dura-Europos Conducted by Yale University and the French Academy of Inscriptions and Letters: Preliminary Report on the Seventh and Eighth Seasons of Work, 1933–1934 and 1934–1935_, pp. 91-94, pl. XXIX.1. Ed. Michael I. Rostovtzeff, Frank E. Brown, and C. Bradford Welles (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1936).
Rostovtzeff, Michael I., and Franz Cumont. “Interpretation of the Reliefs.” In _The Excavations at Dura-Europos Conducted by Yale University and the French Academy of Inscriptions and Letters: Preliminary Report on the Seventh and Eighth Seasons of Work, 1933–1934 and 1934–1935_, pp. 100-101. Ed. Michael I. Rostovtzeff, Frank E. Brown, and C. Bradford Welles (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1936).
Torrey, C. “The Dedicatory Inscriptions.” In _The Excavations at Dura-Europos Conducted by Yale University and the French Academy of Inscriptions and Letters: Preliminary Report on the Seventh and Eighth Seasons of Work, 1933–1934 and 1934–1935_, pp. 83-89. Ed. Michael I. Rostovtzeff, Frank E. Brown, and C. Bradford Welles (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1936).
du Mesnil du Buisson, R. _Inventaire des inscriptions palmyréniennes de Doura Europos (32 avant J.-C. a 256 après J.-C.)_ (Paris: Geuthner, 1939), no. 19, pp. 11-12.
Perkins, Ann. _The Art of Dura-Europos_ (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1973), pp. 84-88, pl. 34.
Cumont, Franz. “The Dura Mithraeum.” In _Mithraic Studies_. Ed. John R. Hinnells, pp. 165-169. Manchester: Proceedings of the First International Congress of Mithraic Studies. Manchester, Eng.: Manchester University Press; Totowa, N.J.: Rowman and Littlefield, 1975.
Downey, Susan B. _The Stone and Plaster Sculpture. Excavations at Dura-Europos. Final Report III, Part I, Fasc 2_ (Los Angeles: Institute of Archaeology, University of California, 1977), no. 7, pp. 22-25.
Mathiesen, H. _Sculpture in the Parthian Empire: A Study in Chronology_, vol. 2 (Aarhus: Aarhus University, 1992), no. 172, fig. 52, pp. 196-197.


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While spend more time indoors and get outdoors when the weather is nice. New houses have decks, patios and sometimes balconies. Where safety is a concern, building codes require the use of balustrades or railing systems.
Patio or Deck: What’s Right for Your Backyard?

industry_corpus2: Real Estate & Construction


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Earlier this year, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos pegged Prime subscribers at 100 million. One analyst thinks the number will go much, much higher.
One of the biggest draws for some Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) shoppers is the company's Prime loyalty program. What began as essentially free two-day shipping now provides a host of benefits including free streaming music and video, e-books, and exclusive savings at Whole Foods. Members are also granted entry to Amazon's annual members-only Prime Day sale and early access to lightning deals -- sales of certain items "while supplies last."
It turns out that Prime members spend considerably more than the average shopper, becoming some of Amazon's best customers. One analyst says those valuable Prime subscribers are set to more than double over the next decade, bringing their ranks to 275 million.
Citi analyst Mark May has done the math, and believes that Amazon Prime subscribers are increasing by some 35% to 40% annually. Amazon doesn't disclose this info, though CEO Jeff Bezos did reveal earlier this year that Prime has topped 100 million members. May estimates that the subscriber base could grow to more than 275 million within the coming 10 years. He also calculated that Amazon will reap more than $500 billion in Prime-related gross sales each year within a decade, and reach total gross sales of $633 billion by 2029.
As a result of these estimates, Citi raised its 12-month price target on the stock to $2,250, more than 17% higher than the current level -- and that's on top of the 64% Amazon's stock has gained already this year.
"We remain positive on Amazon shares and view Amazon's large and growing global Prime member base as not only a source of recurring revenue but a key reason why brands and third-party sellers are increasingly relying on Amazon's marketplace," May wrote. "There are many benefits of having highly satisfied membership-based customers, but a simple metric is that most studies suggest Prime members spend twice as much as non-Prime members."
May's estimates regarding Prime customer spending habits may even be conservative. Research by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners suggests that Prime subcribers spend $1,400 per year, on average, compared to just $600 per year for non-member customers. The study also found that "Prime members with the longest tenure spend more, as customers with memberships longer than three years spend $1,500 per year."
Prime subscribers may make up roughly 80% of households in the U.S. -- the online retailer's most established market -- by 2029. The program has expanded internationally to 16 countries, but May believes it will take time for Prime to achieve significant penetration in those geographies. That said, he expects that international Prime members are likely spending an estimated $35 to $40 per month on Amazon, compared to about $120 per month for subscribers in the U.S.
There are lots of reasons to like Amazon, from its growing cadre of Prime members to its thriving business-to-business portal, and from its blooming advertising business to its industry-leading cloud computing service.
With all those ways to win, Amazon is still the one stock I'd buy right now.


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The books are still doing well and still 3 more on the way! I have been a bit remiss in not mentioning the illustrator for the Squidge series. Let me see if i can’t rectify that.
The illustrator of our fuzzy haired little friend is the very talented James Lightfoot. Working together, we managed to get Squidge just right, an action elf with a hint of cuteness. He also has created a wonderful new character that you will meet in the new book. A picture so good that he had to have a bigger role!
Not content with being a fantastic illustrator and graphic designer, he is also part of a successful London based band. Check out the links. The first 2 are some of his design/artwork and the last is his band website.

industry_corpus2: Literature & Emotions


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Hi, my name is Todd Arnedt.
at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
I have four broad learning objectives I hope to cover today.
safety of drug and non-drug insomnia treatments.
There have been a variety of different definitions.
requires a report of one or more of the following night time symptoms.
Difficulties initiating or falling asleep.
Difficulty maintaining or staying asleep.
Waking too early in the morning or earlier than one desires.
Or sleep that is chronically non-restorative or poor in quality.
In this way it differentiates it from behavioral sleep deprivation.
of daytime impairments that are associated with their nighttime complaints.
And this definition takes that into account.
that they attribute to their insomnia and nighttime complaints.
This can be things like fatigue or malaise which are extremely common.
Cognitive difficulties such as attention, concentration or memory impairment.
Mood disturbances such as irritability or frank daytime sleepiness.
complain of daytime impairments that contribute to their insomnia complaints.
So how common is insomnia?
Insomnia is one of the more common sleep disorders.
There have been a variety of studies that have looked at the prevalence of insomnia.
suffer from insomnia using common diagnostic criteria.
individuals met one of these diagnostic criteria for insomnia in the past 30 days.
Let's talk about why it's important to treat insomnia.
There are several reasons why it's important to treat insomnia.
One important reason is that insomnia adversely affects quality of life.
congestive heart failure and common mental health condition, depression.
a widely used measure of quality of life.
And you're looking at the eight sub-scales from this measure.
individuals who suffered from congestive heart failure and depression.
So it's true that insomnia individuals have adverse quality of life experiences.
This was a large scale study of more than a thousand adults from Pennsylvania.
objective levels of sleep duration and their association with hypertension risk.
were more than five times more likely to be at risk for hypertension.
per subjectively and had more than six hours of objective sleep duration.
a variety of different medical problems.
Several studies have also associated insomnia with mental health difficulties.
that looked at the association between insomnia and mental health conditions.
were roughly four times more likely to go on to develop depression at time two.
sort substance use disorder whether it was alcohol abuse or drug abuse.
These individuals had no evidence of mental health disturbances at base line.
criteria for a variety of different mental health problems.
might provide an opportunity for prevention of these devastating disorders.
insomnia individuals across one year.
and in need of treatment.
A final point is that insomnia is a chronic condition.
continue to report it, at a significant level, in a two year followup.
So if left untreated, it's very likely that insomnia difficulties will continue.


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Serving as a primary care provider in the Fort Worth area, Diamond Hill Medical Center sees mostly an appointment-driven patient population, however, they may support walk-in patients during certain hours. It appears as though their practice is routinely open 7 days a week at their clinic located at 2223 NE 28th St with today's hours being 8:00am to 5:00pm. It is certainly best to call the clinic to schedule an appointment, or ask about walk-in availability.
Diamond Hill Medical Center accepts many major insurance plans and multiple forms of payment, making it easier to get the affordable care you need. It is always a good idea to contact your insurance company before your visit to ensure the Clinicis in network for the service(s) you're seeking.


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Dill Pickle Cufflinks | Buy This Bling!
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I have a beautiful piece of Cashmere that would be great made up in this pattern! Who’d like to make something similar?
I like the collared version, with the welts. Smart enough for days out-warm enough to cover a jumper on an autumn walk.
This make is suitable for Improvers and Confident Makers, it’s a great way to learn coat finishes, without the complexity of sleeves and linings.
Methods learnt will be collar preparation and attachment, welt pocket edge and bias bound seam finishing.


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Robin Coste Lewis's electrifying collection is a triptych that begins and ends with lyric poems meditating on the roles desire and race play in the construction of the self. In the center of the collection is the title poem, "Voyage of the Sable Venus," an amazing narrative made up entirely of titles of artworks from ancient times to the present--titles that feature or in some way comment on the black female figure in Western art. Bracketed by Lewis's own autobiographical poems, "Voyage" is a tender and shocking meditation on the fragmentary mysteries of stereotype, juxtaposing our names for things with what we actually see and know. A new understanding of biography and the self, this collection questions just where, historically, do ideas about the black female figure truly begin--five hundred years ago, five thousand, or even longer? And what role did art play in this ancient, often heinous story? Here we meet a poet who adores her culture and the beauty to be found within it. Yet she is also a cultural critic alert to the nuances of race and desire--how they define us all, including her own sometimes painful history. Lewis's book is a thrilling aesthetic anthem to the complexity of race--a full embrace of its pleasure and horror, in equal parts.
ROBIN COSTE LEWIS, the winner of the National Book Award for Voyage of the Sable Venus, is the poet laureate of Los Angeles. She is writer-in-residence at the University of Southern California, as well as a Cave Canem fellow and a fellow of the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities. She received her BA from Hampshire College, her MFA in poetry from New York University, an MTS in Sanskrit and comparative religious literature from the Divinity School at Harvard University, and a PhD in poetry and visual studies from the University of Southern California. Lewis was born in Compton, California; her family is from New Orleans.


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When in Florence, one should eat roses-small, sugared petals of them that melt in your mouth and somehow seem suited to this old city, which is both artistic and austere, both an enchanted fairy land of floating lights at night, and a tourist mecca that overwhelms the senses. Here there is a bridge of gold, a duomo that drove its creator mad, and sugar spun delights of both architecture and art, of living statues and breathing history.
This is the birthplace of Michelangelo, the home of the Medicis, the burgeoning flower of the Renaissance. The hotel we stay in was once the servants’ quarters for the Medici family- the family palazzo is just up the street. There’s an old tunnel, with its entryway now bricked up, through which servants once went on cold winter mornings, and masters sometimes moved to hide their assignations with the lesser orders from the world. Now there’s a 12th century wine cellar where we drink a lovely Chianti and eat something that tastes good, but of which I am certain I do not want to know the provenance of its ingredients.
Here in this city lives the David, one of the greatest sculptures of all time, and despite having seen his image a thousand times he’s still a breathtaking sight. I could spend an hour just looking at the vein in his neck- this statue is a wonder for a good reason. It seems wrong to call him a statue, for he seems alive, bigger than life really, as if he might move off his pedestal and stride out of his rotunda to find a modern day Goliath to slay. I love that Michelangelo never believed he created his pieces, but rather that they already existed and were only waiting to be released from their marble prisons.
Throughout the trip I wanted to travel back in time, I wanted to see these cities at the height of their power, their glory, I wanted to hear the swish of skirts and the soft slip of Florentine leather on the cobblestones, and hear the cry of the peddlers. But as I lie on my bed in this servants’ house, I realize that sounds don’t change much through time, for below my shuttered window there is a woman singing to a baby in an effort to soothe it, there is music and the clink of wine glasses and laughter. And during the day I saw artists everywhere, and surely they do not change so much, regardless of the century. They were chalking the Mona Lisa upon hot cobblestones, painting sunflowers which are ubiqitous in this region, and yet still beautiful, and etching scenes of old Florence.
This is a city of art, first and foremost, students come from around the world to study here. Here is housed one of the world’s greatest collections of Renaissance art- so much beauty that one feels overwhelmed, the senses saturated in both the canvases and the names- Botticelli, Titian, Caravaggio, Tintoretto and last, but never least in this city which still bears his stamp in its piazzas and walkways- Michelangelo.
It is here that I find traces of characters, both real and imagined, from my favourite series of books- Dorothy Dunnett’s incomparable House of Niccolo. There is the triptych of Thommaso Portinari, here the former dwelling of the powerful Strozzi family, there a statue of Cosimo Medici. I imagine Nicholas here, tall and dimpled and plotting his next move. The books come alive on a different level for me, despite my having read them so many times before.
Florence is not a city one gets to know quickly, I suspect. This is a city of old manners and formalities, where your parcels are beautifully wrapped in stiff paper and siestas are rigorously observed. Florence, one senses, is a grande old dame who knows herself well, who understands her bones are still those of beauty, and holds her skirts with a delicate hand, a perfect cameo at her throat and a fan held demurely, yet flirtatiously, under her umber eyes. She will allow you to know her by degrees, as you earn it, as she sees fit.
I put away my journal, turn out the light and listen to the sounds of Florence, which might be any time at all, for here the centuries truly do melt together. In the dark, time is a false sort of construct anyway. I close my eyes, my tongue still tasting the sugar of roses.
While we landed in the melting pot that was Rome at a simmering 42 degrees celsius, it was to Tuscany we went to spend our first bit of time. Tuscany is one of those somewhat shimmery fairytale places- just the word conjures up cedars and starlit nights, and olives and lemons cascading down hillsides. Tuscany is one of those places of which we expect much. Well, Tuscany did not disappoint.
We stayed in a villa suspended in the hills above Siena. It was private and beautiful and the views were breathtaking, the food amazing and the hosts gracious. At night I would open the window to the balcony, feeling a little like Juliet awaiting Romeo. It was hot, hot, hot there, which made for amazing skies, strewn by an extravagant hand with the dust of diamonds.
Tuscany is wine and poetry, basilicas and lavender hip high and food that warms your blood and tongue like pepper. It is cypresses that sing in the night wind, and cicadas humming in the evenings. It’s sugar-dusted croissants eaten in the morning sun. It’s winding cobblestone streets in medieval towns and it is fields rolling in the distilled gold of sunflowers. It’s cobalt and golden pottery that dazzles the eye and oil-soaked truffles and wine that miraculously does not give you a headache.
It is 15th generation vintners, that extoll the virtues of wine and oil and vinegar until your head spins with the poetry of it. It is tour guides named Aeoli, whose name I’m certain must mean fierce wind- for he drove the hills of Tuscany like he was exactly that. It is groups of teenagers seated eating platters of pasta in the dipping closes of cobbled streets singing old Italian songs at the top of their lungs.
Tuscany, as you might have guessed, was one of my favourite parts of Italy. I would, like the lovely American couple we met at the villa, return every summer for thirty years, if I had my druthers.


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Your groom may be off the market, but chances are your ring bearer may want to keep his options open (at least for the evening). This adorable ring bearer banner will have the guests chuckling and the ladies swooning as he makes his way down the aisle.
This sign is made with Ivory paper, Black ink and Black ribbon. Colors may vary from screen to screen. Printed on one side only.
We are proud to offer easy mass customization on this item where you can pick out virtually any color combination. We also have a wider assortment of phrases and fonts available.