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Italians embrace the holiday season with many seasonal market, events and festivals. There are many religious holidays between December and January. The festivities generally begin on December 6th with “La Festa di San Nicola” to honor St. Nicholas, the patron Saint of the Sheperds and end on January 6 with “La Festa dell’ Epifania” ( The Epiphany). After Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity, instead of ending the holiday at the New Year, it was extended to the Epiphany. The Epiphany is the 12th day of Christmas when the three Wise Men gave gifts to Baby Jesus. December 8th is the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, a national holiday. Rome celebrates with floral wreaths and a ceremony at the Spanish Steps by the Pope.
The primary symbol of the Christmas season is the “presepio”, the nativity scene. They depict the birth of Christ. It is believed that in the 13th century, St. Francis, a modest monk, created the first replica of the scene by portraying the child born in Bethlehem. He placed an ox and a donkey next to a manger near the hermitage he built in Greccio, near the town of Assisi.
By the 18th century, the patronage of King Charles elevated the status of “Il Precepio” to stratosperic levels. During the reign of Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, famous artists like Giuesspe Sanmartino were even commissioned to create the figures. Most of the prized figures made of terra cotta and wood are produced in the workshops of Naples on Via Gregorio Armeno.
Today, elaborate scenes are set up in churches throughout Italy. In some towns, living nativity scenes are usually staged when costumed participants wander through the streets.The first Christmas mass was conducted at the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and the earliest known permanent Nativity Scene was created for the Rome Jubilee of 1300.
Vatican City erects a huge presepe in St. Peter’s Square for Christmas and is usually unveiled on Christmas Eve. A Christmas Eve mass is held in St. Peter’s square, usually at 10 pm.
In Rome, some of the biggest and most elaborate presepi are erected in Piazza del Poplo with 100 presepi on display from November 26th to January 6th www.presepi.it. Piazza Euclide, Santa Maria in Trastevere and Santa Maria D’Aracoeli on Capitoline Hill also host elaborate displays. A life-sized nativity scene is set up in Piazza Navona with a large Christmas Market from November 26th to January 6th with a Mercato della Bufana. The Church of Saints Cosma e Damiano has a large nativity scene from Naples on display all year long. It is located by the main entrance of the Roman Forum. Il Museo Tipologico is under the Church of Saints Quirico e Giulitta and has over 3000 figurines from all over the world. It is open each afternoon between December 24th to January 6th.
Gifts are exchanged on the day of the Epiphany. Children hang up their stockings on the evening of January 5th awaiting a visit from “La Befana” a legendary old woman who flys around on a broom bearing gifts. According to legend, the Three Wise Men asked La Befana for directions to Bethlehem but she declined. It took an unusually bright light and a band of angels to convince La Befana that she must join the Wise Men, but she was too late. She never found the Christ child and has been looking for him ever since. So on the January 5th, she goes out on her broom delivering treats to the sleeping children of Italy. The Santa figure in Italy is called “Babbo Natale”, Father Christmas. Charlemagne’s coronation took place in Rome on Christmas day in 800 AD.
A trip to the Vatican City for Christmas is very exciting. The Vatican City erects a huge presepi in St. Peter’s Square and it is usually unveiled on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, the Pope celebrates midnight mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. On Christmas day in St. Peter’s Square at noon the Pope gives his blessing from the window of his apartment overlooking the Square to the crowds gathered at the Vatican. On December 8th, the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, the Pope leads a procession to honor the Virgin Mary near the Spanish Steps.
Stay in Rome for the New Year Parade on January 1st and the Epiphany tradition when hundreds of people in medieval costumes walk along the wide avenue leading up to the Vatican, carrying symbollic gifts for the Pope. The Pope says a morning mass in St. Peter’s Basilica to commemorate the visit of the Wise Men bearing gifts for Jesus.
In Rome, the traditional dish of Christmas Eve is “Capitone”, a big female eel that is roasted, baked or fried. Common Italian Christmas sweets are Panettone (a cake filled with candied fruit), torrone (nougat), and panforte (gingerbread).
Christmas in Italy includes Nativity Scenes and other Christmas Celebrations.


text: *ONLY AT BOB HOWARD ACURA, #1 ACURA DEALER IN OKLAHOMA. LOCATED IN BOB HOWARD AUTOMALL. CALL TODAY AT 405-753-8770! FINANCING AVAILABLE! BAD CREDIT NO CREDIT! We are excited to offer this 2016 Acura TLX. Drive home in your new pre-owned vehicle with the knowledge you're fully backed by the CARFAX Buyback Guarantee. When it comes to high fuel economy, plenty of versatility and a great looks, this AcuraTLX cannot be beat. This Acura TLX's superior fuel-efficiency is proof that not all vehicles are created equal. Low, low mileage coupled with an exacting maintenance program make this vehicle a rare find. More information about the 2016 Acura TLX: The TLX represents an excellent value. Competitors include the Lexus ES350, the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the Audi A4 and the BMW 3-series. The TLX, with its strong feature set and low price of entry, undercuts many of its rivals, while still offering plenty of space, sophisticated drivetrains and a modern chassis. Interesting features of this model are advanced transmission options, available all-wheel drive, Good balance between luxury and sportiness, and good fuel economy We look forward to seeing you soon! Please call us for more information.

industry_corpus2: Automobiles


text:
The March 26 and April 4 sing-along movie screenings of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring Donny Osmond, have been postponed. According to a representative of the show, Osmond has been placed on vocal rest by his doctors and is unable to perform for the planned live event. No new dates have been announced.
The production on which the film is based originally opened at the London Palladium in 1991 and went on to tour globally. Filmed in 1999, it also features Maria Friedman as the Narrator, Joan Collins as Mrs. Potiphar, and Sir Richard Attenborough as Jacob. The pre-recorded version of the musical was originally shot at London’s Pinewood Studios. The event, sponsored by NCM Fathom and Omniverse Vision, was slated to have an introduction and question-and-answer session with Osmond live from Salt Lake City, plus an animated opening sequence which features an 80-piece orchestra.

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


text:
Juan Francisco Catalá is a third generation small nursery coffee grower in the mountains of Yauco. In addition to his work at the farm, he has dedicated his efforts to teach farming to children through summer camps at the family’s farm, Hacienda La Leonor. He is also an activist who is fighting for the rights of nursery coffee growers, who have limited protections in comparison to regular coffee growers.
In this interview, Catalá speaks about how his nursery of over 150,000 coffee plants in his family’s farm, La Leonor, was destroyed by Hurricane María. Catalá also speaks about the lack of governmental support for farmers in Puerto Rico both before and after María. He insists on the need to educate people, especially children, to grow their own food given Puerto Rico’s extreme vulnerability due to its dependency on imported products.

industry_corpus2: Agriculture & Fisheries


text:
With bright colors and expressive lines, Stephen Fishwick puts a unique spin on pop culture portraits. “Aloha” is a limited edition giclee on stretched canvas, numbered and bears the artist’s authorized signature. This piece comes gallery wrapped and ready to hang! Includes Certificate of Authenticity! Measures approx. 16″ x 20″ (image).
“Aloha” LIMITED EDITION Giclee on Canvas by Stephen Fishwick, Numbered and Signed with Certificate of Authenticity! Gallery Wrapped and Ready to Hang!


text:
Camden County College will hold its 50th annual commencement ceremony on May 11.
The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. May 11 in the Truman Courtyard on the Blackwood Campus. The procession will start at 10 a.m. The recession will go into the Presidential Courtyard at noon.
The ceremony will be simulcast inside Civic Hall in the Connector Building, in case no seating, which is on a first-come, first-serve basis, remains in the courtyard.
More than 1,700 potential graduates are in this year’s class, says Jacqueline Tenuto, assistant dean of student development and support.
Graduates are allowed to decorate their graduation caps with personal messages and designs. Graduates who are members of honor societies are allowed to wear ornamentation that’s designated and approved for their honor society.
The campus’ Barnes and Noble bookstore will be open from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 11 in case relatives or friends want to purchase flowers, balloons or other memorabilia.
The Connector Café in the Connector Building will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will provide coffee services along with assorted pastries before the ceremony.
As a safety measure, “no backpacks or large bags will be permitted in or near the graduation site in Truman Courtyard,” states the Office of Public Safety.
In the event of extreme weather that could cause a delay or postponement of the ceremony, an announcement will be made on KYW Newsradio 1060 by 8 a.m. on the day of commencement, but the college says the best place to check for updates on commencement is on its website, camdencc.edu.

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


text:
Statistics maintained by CB Insights show that 2017 is on track to be a record-setting year for cybersecurity funding activity.
There were a total of 291 funding deals involving private cybersecurity companies in the first two quarters of this year alone, making them the busiest from an investment standpoint in the last five years.
CB Insight's research shows that investors poured some $1.6 billion into private cybersecurity firms in Q2 2017: the most ever in a single quarter. Six companies — Cybereason, Data4 Group, CrowdStrike, Netskope, Tanium, and Illumio — had mega $100 million-plus funding rounds in the second quarter of this year. No other quarter has had this many $100 million funding rounds before, according to CB Insights.
Malware outbreaks like the WannaCry pandemic and breaches like the one at Equifax has heightened demand for a variety of security technologies and made cybersecurity vendors a hot commodity in investment circles. The surging demand for security tools and services also has generated considerable startup activity in the security space. Gartner estimates worldwide information spending will top $86 billion this year.
Here, in descending order of investment size, is a sampling of some of the cybersecurity funding activity for this period.
Why Continue Funding the Impossible?
We have seen it is impossible to protect data given the nature of data and the impossible feat to protect data. Why not take a new approach?
You should check out JASK, a super-hot new player that brings AI to the SOC.

industry_corpus2: Information Services


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SC Lab's Cyber Security Test Names NIKSUN "Best Analytics Tool"
Princeton, NJ - October 2nd, 2017 - NIKSUN® Inc., the world leader in developing real-time and forensics-based cyber security, network performance management, and financial data monitoring solutions, has been rated as the "best analytics tool" in the industry after SC Lab's cyber security group test.
NIKSUN was highlighted for its unique ability to record all data and perform real-time and retroactive analysis on it. According to Dr. Peter Stephenson, Technology Editor of SC Magazine, "The tool alerts on suspicious traffic based on [real-time generated] metadata content, for immediate notifications on policy violations, data exfiltration, malware and cyber attacks and records all data at the highest rates without dropping a single packet, and at the same time, also index all the data in real-time to allow for extremely fast searching. The tool provides robust analytics."
Recently, NIKSUN announced the revolutionary cyber security platform, NikOS Everest, is forming the backbone of the U.S. government infrastructure. NikOS Everest vitally provides a unique way to investigate cyber threats by offering complete context to every incident with just one click.
Crucially, because NIKSUN operates at the highest level of granularity and does not lose any data, every detected and undetected incident is recorded in full. This means that users could have searched in real-time or retroactively and immediately discovered vulnerabilities or data exfiltration like Equifax faced for rapid remediation.
Dr. Stephenson called NIKSUN's solution "A network search engine with the objective of mining such data as metadata and string searches." He continued, "These are remarkably fast given that the searches tend to be across large datasets. For example, using searches across the network for data in a DDoS attack revealed the IP address set for a botnet. The search took just a few seconds."
NIKSUN NikOS Everest makes cyber security intuitive. Users move straight from events, diagrams, and application reconstructions right into the data that caused those incidents, dramatically speeding up incident response. A case study run by one of NIKSUN’s customers demonstrated a 500% increase in cyber security efficiency when using NIKSUN's solution, marking it as the next big thing in the industry.
In addition, SC Lab highlighted the ease-of-use of implementing intelligence into the NIKSUN platform, which the research reported can be done "From a URL, a file or a STIX/TAXII feed." This capability puts NIKSUN at the forefront of the cyber security analytics industry by combining robust world intelligence with total context of every incident.
Read the entire review here or visit SC Magazine's website.
NIKSUN is the recognized worldwide leader in making the Unknown Known. The company develops a highly scalable array of real-time and forensics-based cyber security and network performance management solutions for government and intelligence agencies, service providers, financial services companies, and large enterprises such as retailers and manufacturers. NIKSUN's award-winning appliances deliver unprecedented flexibility and packet capture power. The company's patented real-time analysis and recording technology is the industry's most comprehensive solution for secure and reliable network infrastructure and services. NIKSUN, headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, has sales offices and distributors throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


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industry_corpus2: Others


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Can anyone recommend a good place(s) to buy high quality bread, i.e. soft on the inside crusty on the outside, and whole wheat?
I have been buying GREAT french bread the past two days at Cannelle -- 31st ave bet. 75/76. They have other kinds, but I haven't tried them yet. But I can strongly recommend their baguettes. They're crispy on the outside, with a light and airy inside. Enjoy!
Hey thanks for the tip. I always view that area as "out of the way and down the hill" although it really isn't that far, and I could walk off some calories. For those shorter trips, does anyone have other favorite spots for bread closer to 37th? Thanks!
A while back, Shelby2 recommended the Polish Market on 37th near 80th.

industry_corpus2: Hospitality & Catering


text: Scottish genre and historical painter. Exhibited at Royal Academy between 1860 and 1888. Was very fond of painting children, often with a great sense of humour!

industry_corpus2: Literature & Emotions


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6.At least 1 years captain level in the luxury hotel or 2 years captain level in the business hotel.
2.To take order and promote special items to guests.
3.To perform specialised skills such as carving and slicing.
4.To be responsible for own station mise-en-place.
5.To assign side duties to his FBSA III/II.
6.To be responsible for the recommendation and sale of wines (when Wine Sommelier is busy or on off day).
7.To be familiar with the menu and be able to train and guide his subordinates.
8.To relay any guest complaints to Manager.
10.To be responsible for billings.
11.To ensure that the guests are satisfied.


text:
This Microsoft Project 2010 training provides students with the knowledge and skills to create projects with Microsoft Project 2010. The course is intended for information workers with a basic understanding of project management concepts.
Learn to create project schedules.
Learn about project resources and assign them to tasks.
Learn to manage well changes in the project plan.
Learn to print, format and extract project information.
Learn to save project versions.
Learn to report and analyse project information.
Learn to manage connected projects.
How to set Microsoft Project 2010 general options?
How to set Microsoft Project 2010 user specific options?
Basic experience working with Windows Vista/ 7.
Basic knowledge how to work with files.
Basic knowledge for team work and project management.
Best instruction for all levels!
Things went smoothly and the instructor was helpful.


text:
Wetlands Wanderer is a project to further develop an interpretive trail and habitat gardens, greening the building, upgrading the exhibits and getting more communities to use the Sepang Environmental Interpretive Centre (EIC). Our latest partner JustLife Group Sdn Bhd came on board to support MNS financially for this project.
As eco friendly champions themselves, it is JustLife’s hope to have the Sepang community involvement in eco friendly practices. Therefore, the staff of Sepang EIC are expected to do some work the traditional way like some woodwork, using the “changkul” and hand weeding.
The project will start off as a CSR activity for JustLife in November 2013 where about 40 staffs will do some planting along the trails and fence, setting up the nursery, widening the water feature and planting the coastal, herb and aromatics garden. They will share the JustLife eco ways to the staffs and maybe audit the EIC for suggestions in greening the centre.
a visit to the Bagan Lallang or the mangrove planting site in Sepang Kecil.
help source for locally made eco friendly paint with non-VOC to paint the centre.
In financial terms, JustLife will help in: rain water harvesting and solar panels (for the EIC and gardens), upgrading the exhibitions, creating CEPA materials for Sepang area; creating an interpretive mangrove trail, setting up security fencing and a herbal, aromatic and coastal plant educational garden and relevant CEPA programes for KPA and local communities.

industry_corpus2: Travel & Geography


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Want to become a surrogate in Florida? You’re in luck – it’s one of the best states in the country for the process. That’s because while it’s not legal everywhere in the country, Florida law allows both gestational and traditional surrogacy. And the state has a very wide array of fertility clinics from which to choose.
That means that no matter what your preference is, you can probably find it in Florida. Do you want the intended parents to be Catholic? Jewish? Heterosexual? Gay? Perhaps you want them to be well-off, or professionals.
The number of clinics, spread across the state, also makes it very easy to find one that’s convenient to your location and your schedule. In Florida, your preferences as a surrogate can almost certainly be met.
– are between the ages of 21 and 38.
– have had at least one (or more) easy pregnancies and deliveries.
– have at least one healthy child with no genetic illnesses or other hereditary concerns.
– are physically healthy and height/weight appropriate per FDA guidelines.
– are a non-smoker, and not abuse drugs or alcohol.
– have a strong drive and desire to help others in this unique way.
If you meet all of the qualifications listed above, then we’d love to hear from you! The next step on your journey to become a surrogate mother is to fill out our easy online application. Once you’ve submitted your application, one of our friendly, knowledgeable caseworkers will be in touch (usually within 24 hours on business days) to discuss it with you and answer any questions you may have, as well as tell you what the next steps in the journey will be.
Click here to be taken to the gestational carrier application page. To get more answers right away, please see our Surrogate Mothers FAQ or download one (or all!) of our free reports. Thank you for your interest in becoming a surrogate mother with Florida Surrogate Agency!

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


text:
I was diagnosed with bi hemispherical dysfunction 13 years ago and ever since then I have suffered a lot right from academic to relationship and friends. This condition of mine causes terrible headache and memory loss because of improper blood flow to my brain. Looking back to my days at school I was academically gifted and was *very* good at everything that I did except for sports. When this condition struck me it struck me hard, from someone securing very good grades I started to fail in my class. This was just the trigger required to my relatives to taunt and put me down which they could not do earlier. To me of all, academic drop was and is the biggest shock that I have ever and will have.
That wasn't the stop it physically drained me so much that I looked like malnourished child or someone who had starved or living on one meal for years . I was given a long list of things to do and not to by the doctors, which was hard to follow considering that I was a school going. I tried to move on and study harder but it did not help me either, I could not retain what I had studied because of poor memory. I visited several doctors to find a cure but failed at every avenue that I went to . I failed thrice in a class and wasted 3 long years and couldn't do much except listen to people mocking me at stages of life .
Relationships suffered, no friends because I could not hang out or help myself at sports . To this day I do not have anyone ( yea, none) to talk to and share my feelings , the words I speak on daily basis are countable, such is my situation. I do have a degree and have CGPA of 7 but I can not recollect anything from the years that I studied.
Being 25 I have already lost faith in life , feels like I'm being punished for things that I haven't committed like my issues isn't what I wanted or desired for. For the past 13 years I've being having headache every single day and it just doesn't seem to go and also bad memory which comes along it.
But for the past few days my headache seems to have resided and all thanks to gemstone therapy but the disaster left behind is no less than a torture for me. The depression is very hard on me , none to talk , no job, want to get my master degree but struggling to find a college and * Depression*. The only thing that I'm proud of is I write, something similar to sonnet and people who get to read it have appreciated me a lot and I feel extremely good when someone praises my work.
Why am I put through this much of ordeal , is it normal ?
But why am I being punished for health condition , can't I have a normal healthy life with friends , relationships and success or is it too much that I asking for?
Please note I stay with my parents and they don't know about my reverted to Islam because that would be serious disaster and hence I cannot pray 5 times a day and I did search masjid but they are very far from my place.
I was offering my dhuhr salah a couple of days ago and I could not continue the whole salah because of depression ,I don't know how to explain the overwhelming feelings that it has sank me in .
I was listening to YouTube video of brother Omar Suleiman in which he spoke about dua can change qadr, I need help .
Expect all the well informed people here on the board to help me with this.
This life is full of trials, tribulations, afflictions...etc, to 'test' of how patient and steadfast we can be.
Prophet Ayyub (Job) AS was extremely patient. His patience has been so exemplary that it is mentioned in the Qur'an. Research and Read about it.
Do not underestimate the Power of 'Duaa'. Keep making Duaa all the time, and do not expect an 'immediate' acceptance/reply from Allah SWT to your Duaa... just be patient.
And whatever you do... do not lose faith!
May Allah SWT Give you (and Give all of us) enough patience to remain steadfast in the face of all life's trials, tribulations and calamities. Aameen.
If a calamity befalls the Muslim in his health or his wealth, etc, what is the correct way of dealing with it according to Islam?.
Calamities and disasters are a test, and they are a sign of Allaah’s love for a person, because they are like medicine: even though it is bitter, despite its bitterness you give it to the one whom you love – and for Allaah is the highest description. In the saheeh hadeeth it says: “The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. When Allaah loves a people He tests them. Whoever accepts that wins His pleasure but whoever is discontent with that earns His wrath.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2396) and Ibn Maajah (4031); classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Calamities are good for the believer in the sense that reward is stored up for him the Hereafter thereby; how can it be otherwise when he is raised in status thereby and his bad deeds are expiated? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When Allaah wills good for His slave, He hastens the punishment for him in this world, and when Allaah wills ill for His slave, he withholds the punishment for his sins from him until he comes with all his sins on the Day of Resurrection.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2396); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Al-Fadl ibn Sahl said: “There is a blessing in calamity that the wise man should not ignore, for it erases sins, gives one the opportunity to attain the reward for patience, dispels negligence, reminds one of blessings at the time of health, calls one to repent and encourages one to give charity.
Through calamity the believer seeks reward, and there is no way to attain it but patience, and there is no way to be patient except with resolute faith and strong will.
Remember the words of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2999).
So if calamity befalls a Muslim, he must say Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon (Verily to Allah we belong and unto Him is our return), and say the du’aa’s that have been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
“but give glad tidings to As‑ Saabiroon (the patient).
She said: When Abu Salamah died, I said: Who among the Muslims is better than Abu Salamah, the first household to migrate to join the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? Then I said it, and Allaah compensated me with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
There are things which, if the one who is stricken with calamity thinks about them, that will make the calamity easier for him to bear.
1 – If he looks at what has befallen him, he will find that what his Lord has left for him is similar to it or better than it, and if he is patient and accepts it, He has stored up for him something that is many times greater than what he has lost through this calamity, and if He willed He could have made the calamity even greater.
2 – The fire of calamity can be extinguished by thinking of those who have been hit even harder. Let him look to his right, does he see anything but calamity? Then let him look to his left, does he see anything but loss? If he were to look at the people around him, he would not see anything but people who are tested, either by missing out on something that they like, or by having happen to them that which they dislike. The pains of this world are like dreams or like a passing shadow. If you laugh a little you will weep a lot, and if you are happy for a day you will be miserable for a lifetime, and if you have what you want for a little while, you will be deprived for a long time. There is no day of happiness but it is followed by a day of pain. Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: For every moment of joy there is a moment of sorrow, and no house is filled with joy but it will be filled with sorrow. And Ibn Sireen said: There is never any laughter but there comes weeping after it.
3 – It should be noted that panicking will not make the calamity go away, and in fact it makes it worse.
4 – It should be noted that missing out on the reward for patience and surrender, which is mercy and guidance that Allaah has granted as the reward for patience and turning to Him (by saying Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon (Verily to Allah we belong and unto Him is our return)), is worse than the calamity itself.
5 – It should be noted that panicking makes one’s enemy rejoice and makes one’s friend feel sad; it makes Allaah angry and makes the shaytaan happy; it destroys reward and weakens resolve. If he is patient, seeks reward, strives to please Allaah, to make his friend happy and to make his enemy sad, and seeks to relieve his brothers of their burdens and to console them before they console him, this is steadfastness and a sign of perfection – not slapping one's cheeks, rending one's garment, wishing for death and being discontent with the divine decree.
6 – It should be noted that what comes after being patient and seeking reward is pleasure and joy that is many times greater than what he could have got from keeping what he lost. Sufficient for him is the “house of praise” that will be built for him in Paradise as a reward for his praising his Lord and turning to Him (by saying Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon (Verily to Allah we belong and unto Him is our return)). So let him decide which of the two calamities is greater: a calamity in this world, or the calamity of missing out on the house of praise in eternal Paradise. In al-Tirmidhi it is narrated in a marfoo’ report: “On the Day of Resurrection people will wish that their skins had been cut with scissors in this world, when they see the reward of those who were struck with calamity.” One of the salaf said: Were it not for the calamities of this world, we would come empty-handed on the Day of Resurrection.
7 – It should be noted that the One Who is testing him is the Most Wise and the Most Merciful, and that He – may He be glorified – did not send this calamity in order to destroy him or cause him pain or finish him off, rather He is checking on him, testing his patience, acceptance and faith; it is so that He may hear his du’aa’ and supplication, so that He may see him standing before Him, seeking protection, filled with humility and complaining to Him.
Allaah may bless us with calamities even if that is hard, and Allaah may test some people with blessings.
9 – It should be noted that the bitterness of this world is the essence of sweetness in the Hereafter, as Allaah will turn the former into the latter. Similarly the sweetness of this world is the essence of bitterness in the Hereafter. It is better to move from temporary bitterness to eternal sweetness than the other way round. If this is still not clear to you, then think of what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Paradise is surrounded with difficulties, and Hell is surrounded with desires.” End quote.
In many cases, if a person responds well to calamity, they understand that it is a blessing and a gift, not a test.
Sufyaan said: What a person dislikes may be better for him than what he likes, because what he dislikes causes him to call upon Allaah, whereas what he likes may make him heedless.
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) regarded his imprisonment as a blessing that had been caused by his enemies.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: One day he – meaning Ibn Taymiyah – said to me: What can my enemies do to me? My garden is in my heart; wherever I go it is with me and never leaves me. My detainment is seclusion (an opportunity for worship), my being killed is martyrdom, and being expelled from my city is a journey.
He used to say of his detainment in the citadel: If I were to spend the fill of this citadel in gold, that would not be sufficient to express my gratitude for this blessing. Or he said: That would not be sufficient to reward them for what they have brought to me of goodness.
When he was imprisoned, he used to say when prostrating: “O Allaah, help me to remember You, give thanks to You and to worship You well. Ma sha Allaah. He said to me (Ibn al-Qayyim) one day: The one who is really detained is the one who keeps his heart away from his Lord, and the real prisoner is the one is captive to his whims and desires. When he entered the citadel and was within its walls, he looked at it and said: “So a wall will be put up between them, with a gate therein. Inside it will be mercy, and outside it will be torment” [al-Hadeed 57:13]. Allaah knows that I have never seen anyone who was more content with his life than him, despite all the hardship that he experienced, and the lack of luxury and comfort, in fact the opposite of that, and despite the imprisonment, threats and exhaustion that he faced; despite all of that, he was the happiest of people with his life, the most content, the most courageous, the most satisfied. You could see the signs of joy and happiness in his face. When we felt afraid and were expecting calamity, and we had nowhere to turn, we would go to him and as soon as we saw him and heard his voice, all those fears disappeared and were replaced with contentment, courage, certainty and tranquility. Glory be to the One who showed some of His slaves His Paradise before they met Him, and opened its gates to them when they were still in this world of deeds and actions, so some of its breezes and fragrance came to them, which made them devote their energy to seeking it and competing in attaining it. End quote.
I have a neck disease (spine) and because of it, I have my left part of the body very weak and a lot of dizziness for the same reason as you do and the problem with memory. Not only that my whole left part of the body is weak but also stoned and very painful. I need medical massages every day.
3 months ago I quit drinking coffee for some other reasons and I switched it with a lot of tea: black in a morning and 2L different herbal tea during the day. My memory is way better, concentration as well but most important is that I have no dizziness at all. My left part of the body is way better and relaxed. I'm not stoned anymore and I don't need massages at all.
If I'd try to explain this to my doctors they'd be in wonder because basically, my spine blocks blood circulation to my brain and also blocks all the nerves. It seems that coffee makes it way worse for so many reasons.
Next: I had really difficult 7-11 years of life till recently. By 7-11 I mean few months of normal life. I was very sick, very poor and very alone. Even though I have a family, a lots of friends, etc, nobody was in a position to help me in any way. Even though I have a great university degree and super skills I still had poverty issues. My life was impossible and I had all the doors locked. I fell into deep depression and also I had suicidal thoughts. I have a really strong iman, but in the end - yes, I didn't care anymore for myself so I was near to suicide.
No matter I was a believer and did a lot of repentance before, read and memorized Quran a lot... I realized that I need to do repentance over and over until I become disgusted by any form of sin. I did it with visualizing whole my life since I became responsible for my deeds.
If you understand who is your Lord, everything will be way easier. He knows you better than yourself. He sees you all the time. He knows your thoughts, desires, etc. If you have a bad desire, but you pretend you don't, you're actually lying to Allah. So tell Him everything. If you can cry out to your mother, imagine what you can do to the One Who Created you! Tell him "I don't understand this and that, please guide me." Tell Him: "I have desire for that and that and I'm sorry." Ask Him everything!
Wake up before Fajr and do salaat. Right before Fajr make dua for anything you need.
This may be the easiest thing and also the hardest, but my favorite one. When you go to bed, close your eyes and think of all blessings you have from Allah and repeat Alhamdulillah. Remember what you ate today, remember your shower and thank Him for warm and clean water, shower gel, shampoo, electricity, your clothes, living indoor, being on the bed (a lots of people don't have any of this and it's a real blessing). Syrian people would give everything to live our lives. Say thanks for the peace, for the sun, for no earthquake today... Don't think of your hardship at all, focus only on every single positive thing. Allah promised that he'll give more and more to grateful ones.
In the end, you will realize that your hardship had a sense for you will become a big person, very wise and successful. Be patient and do what I suggested you.
Good point for you sister Atra.
Your health is as important as your iman.
Please continue to make dua while seeking professional help from health workers.
May Allah help you overcome your difficulties.


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With half of Australian franchisees struggling to get working capital to grow their business, could the key to unlocking flexible finance be sitting in their EFTPOS terminals?
According to the Franchising Australia 2014 survey an estimated 70,000 business across the country are part of a franchise group. When head office-owned stores are included, the number of franchise storefronts rises to 79,000, and in total represents almost four percent of all Australian businesses.
Sales growth across the sector is also growing — up from $62 billion in 2011 to $65 billion in 2014. And as an engine of growth, the sector is formidable for driving employment rates. In 2014 the total number of employees was recorded as 461,000, up from 407,000 people three years earlier.
But continuing this success story requires sustainable sources of funding. The survey noted that 48 percent of franchisors revealed that prospective franchisees experienced difficulty in obtaining finance.
For many would-be franchise owners, getting a financial foothold in this growing sector is often just the beginning of what can typically become an ongoing working capital struggle. Those who can’t access funding quickly and easily are often forced to delay shop refurbishments or hold off investing in new point of sale systems until they can secure finance at an affordable rate.
For head office, conscious of maintaining a national brand identity and standardised processes and technology platforms, these financing headaches and delayed investment at a store level can have group wide financial implications, with fewer customers through the door and marketing spend curbed.
And while many franchises attempt to assist store owners by introducing them to alternative finance providers who are more willing to offer unsecured or flexible finance, often complex pricing and hidden fees and charges by lenders can see franchisees sent into financial hardship.
So how could a simple and innovative working capital solution work for the majority of franchises? In this area, growing business banking provider Tyro is leading the way.
Armed with its new banking licence, Tyro will begin piloting its first EFTPOS powered growth funding solution in July. Tyro intends on letting business owners unlock the capital stored in their regular and reliable EFTPOS takings, all the while making repayments easy and flexible with seasonal highs and lows.
And rather than go through a lengthy application process with a bank or broker, franchises using Tyro EFTPOS will instead receive a customisable funding offer directly via their mobile, inside the Tyro App. With offers only being extended to pre-approved Tyro merchants, Tyro will take the stress and hassle out of physically applying for finance for franchise owners.
Many owners find traditional loan repayments aren’t flexible when it comes to the seasonal nature of their business. Instead, repayments for Tyro’s Growth Funding product will be made daily with a fixed percentage of everyday EFTPOS sales. So in a slow month, repayments will adjust accordingly, giving store owners a little breathing space when they need it.
The first release of growth funding will be made available to those Tyro EFTPOS customers who have taken up Tyro’s bank account, the Tyro Smart Account. The Smart Account is activated by Xero, and along with the standard features of a business bank account, allows for automatic bill payments.
By taking a technology first approach to cloud banking, soon Tyro will have a highly tailored package for franchise owners that all but makes banking invisible. And our bet is that franchise owners won’t mind that one bit at all.
Tyro has a number of large franchises in its client portfolio including Sumo Salad, Soul Origin, Go Vita, Coco Cubano, Food Co and the Cheesecake Shop.

industry_corpus2: Finance & Economics


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Antarctica’s Pine Island glacier could soon lose another massive chunk of ice, with signs of a 30 kilometre (19 mile) long crack appearing along its surface.
Only a year ago a 260 square kilometre (100 square mile) iceberg split free from the glacier – the fifth large calving event this century. That makes this one a potential number six, reflecting an alarming trend that could eventually have an impact on rising sea levels.
Remote sensing scientist Stef Lhermitte from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands noticed the rift last week, when he received a daily image update covering the site. He shared his findings on Twitter.
Satellite pictures of the glacier’s ice shelf clearly show a dark line appearing across its middle.
There are still roughly 10 kilometres of ice connecting the prospective iceberg to the end of the glacier; once that breaks free in the coming weeks or months, it will be a monstrous 300 square kilometre (115 square mile) island adrift in the Antarctic’s oceans.
Icebergs aren’t exactly rare objects in the South Pole’s surrounding oceans, of course, and a rift in the floating raft of ice at the end of an enormous glacier isn’t an alarming discovery on its own.
What is of concern is the nature and the timing of the break. Most calving events usually occur along the sides of the glacier. This one runs deep inside, straight along the middle, hinting at a hot water bath beneath.
These types of iceberg calvings are also starting to happen more often than we’d expect, in line with a rise in the rate of melting ice in West Antarctica.
Global warming is clearly not helping matters, but recent research suggests a subterranean source of energy might also be at work in the area, with news of volcanic heat potentially pushing up temperatures beneath the ice shelf.
This double whammy seems to be speeding up the disintegration of Pine Island glacier’s fat ice tongue.
Without that massive doorstop slowing the solid river at its back, we might expect the conveyor belt of ice to slide into the ocean at an ever-increasing rate.
If the entire Pine Island glacier were to be added to the world’s oceans, we’d see a sea level rise of around half a metre (about 1.7 feet).
This is a worst-case scenario, but given the way things are going, worst cases are actually starting to look more and more plausible. For now, scientists will be closely watching that ice rift.

industry_corpus2: Power & Energy


text: Cycling is an excellent way to explore Åland. Bring your own bike with you or rent one from us. We are happy to help organise a pleasant bike trip: we give advice on interesting routes and places and can help book accommodation on nearby islands.


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During the 2014 Deltron 3030 tour, I bought a lowrider bike that lasted only one day. I donated it to a bike shop Co-op in Brooklyn called Times Up and they sold me, at a discount, a Dahon foldable bike. I’ve been riding it almost every day. I rented a bike in Chicago and Dan The Automator and I rode around the lake; I love how alive I feel when I’m on a bicycle. It’s not only fun but it also brings friends together (like my buddy John Z and me, riding through Manhattan). On top of the fun aspect, it’s always wise to stay in shape on tour (or anytime, really!). If there’s a gym at the hotel, I usually hit the elliptical but I always try to get a ride in no matter what.
Tonight I start a US tour with Juliette Lewis, I always try and explore each stop on our tour and if we have a day off I definitely take advantage and try and bike around. The beautiful thing about being a musician is we get to travel, we get a different worldview when we travel and these experiences inform our own outlook. I've biked around on so many different continents and it's one of the easiest things you can do, but also one of the most fulfilling. So if you have the opportunity, the best way to familiarize yourself with a place you're not familiar with is to bike!


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Microsoft’s Seeing AI app, which relies on the iPhone camera, can read out short snippets of text, describe people, identify products and currency denominations, and take a stab at identifying the objects in a person’s surroundings.
Microsoft on Wednesday released a smartphone application far more ambitious than its bread and butter Office software: an effort to help the blind see.
The free Seeing AI app, available for iOS, can read out short snippets of text, describe people, identify products and currency denominations, and take a stab at identifying the objects in a person’s surroundings.
The app relies on the iPhone camera, backed by Microsoft’s machine-learning and image-recognition algorithms. The company didn’t say whether a version would be released for Android phones.
Seeing AI takes its name from the Microsoft research project that developed the tool. The Redmond company revealed the effort last year at its Build developer show, demonstrating how a more-developed version might help Saqib Shaikh, a Microsoft engineer on the team who lost his sight at age 7.
The app is available in the U.S., Canada, India, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
Seeing AI joins a small group of apps designed to help visually impaired people. Most others are aimed at a single task, like identifying a color or reading text aloud.

industry_corpus2: Artificial Intelligence


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New Nissan KICKS. The Intelligent SUV.
The New Nissan KICKS marks an evolution in its category by bringing in Intelligent Features to lead the way.
This first-in-class feature gives you a commanding view of your surroundings, increasing situational awareness and enhancing safety. With a 360° view of everything around you, the Around View Monitor gets you out of tight spaces with ease.
The New Nissan KICKS comes with NissanConnect – a connected car technology with first in class smartwatch connectivity that adds 50+ features like tow alerts, service reminders, speed alerts to tracking your KICKS real-time. Welcome to the world of cutting-edge security and convenience. NissanConnect is the first factory fitted connected car solution to use embedded TCU (Telematics Control Unit) and is able to read vehicle CAN signal.
With ABS, you don’t have to worry about your SUV skidding off the road. The anti-lock braking system prevents the wheels from locking up and ensures that they have enough traction.
Hill driving becomes a breeze with the Hill-assist function in the New Nissan KICKS. The assist prevents the car from rolling away on a gradient, making for safer, smoother drives to your favorite getaways.
Created while keeping your interests in mind, the New Nissan KICKS is the epitome of luxury. The leather-wrapped soft-touch dashboard and door trims give premium a new definition. So step-in with very high expectations and step out extremely pleased.
The interior of the New Nissan KICKS is a masterpiece of space and design. With best-in-class shoulder and knee room matched with a regal black and brown theme that delivers unprecedented luxury and comfort.
Roll over rumble strips, push through potholes with ease with the Class Leading Ground Clearance in the New Nissan KICKS. Let the 210mm of clearance let you coast with ease over any type of terrain, taking on bad roads with style.
Experience true intelligence in your driving with Vehicle Dynamic Control that gives you the best-in-class turning radius only on the New Nissan KICKS.
We go the extra mile when it comes it to driver’s protection. Which is why we bring dual air bags that keep your front and side protected from whatever that may come your way.
Anti-lock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution in all 4 wheels gives you absolute control over your drive as a standard feature.
The New Nissan Kicks is fortified with high-strength graphene structure that absorbs the impact energy and protects the passenger compartment from any unfortunate event.


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This website contains general information and documents regarding and produced by De Berti Jacchia Franchini Forlani (“DBJ”), which are published for information purposes only, and cannot be deemed to be a “publication” for the purposes of Law no. 62 of 7 March 2001. The website may contain content signed by third parties outside DBJ. All information, material, illustrations and documents published on this website (with the exception of those which are in the public domain) are the exclusive property of DBJ or the third party author, as the case may be. They are protected by copyright laws and shall not be reproduced or used without the express consent of DBJ.
Furthermore, some of the content or images to be found on the website may have been taken from the internet and are deemed to be in the public domain. In the event that the publication thereof on this website should infringe any copyright, please inform us immediately by e-mail. Such content or images will be immediately removed.
DBJ is not responsible for any comments posted by readers. If these are deemed offensive or prejuducial to the image or reputation of any person, racist, spam or contain personal data for the purposes of Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30 June 2003 (Data Protection Code), they will be removed.
DBJ does not intend to, and shall not, provide any legal advice and/or legal opinion through this website. Accordingly, DBJ makes no warranty of any kind with respect to the subject matter included in or the completeness or accuracy of this website. DBJ and the contributors are not responsible for any actions (or lack thereof) taken as a result of relying on or in any way using information contained in this website and in no event shall be liable for any damages resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Readers should take specific advice from a qualified professional when dealing with specific situations.
DBJ assumes no liability for references or links to other websites, and any such references or links do not imply endorsement of the content thereof.

industry_corpus2: Law & Justice


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Societe Generale Private Banking has appointed Olivier Gougeon as Chief Executive Officer for South Asia, effective 1 September 2010. Based in Singapore, the regional hub of Societe Generale Private Banking (Asia-Pacific)*, he replaces Pierre-F. Baer who will be taking up a new role within Societe Generale Group. Olivier Gougeon becomes a member of the Global and Asia Pacific Executive Committees of the private bank.
Olivier Gougeon will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Singapore office and pursuing the growth strategy of the private bank in South Asia alongside Alex Fung, Chief Executive Officer for Hong Kong & North Asia, and Patrick Dreyfuss, Regional Chief Operating Officer.
Prior to this appointment, Olivier Gougeon had been Global Head of Wealth Planning and Fiduciary Services centre of expertise for the private bank since 2007. Based in London (UK), Olivier Gougeon was responsible for a team of nearly 240 experts in Wealth Planning and Fiduciary Services covering 14 countries.
Since its establishment in 1998 in Asia, Societe Generale Private Banking has become a leading player in the Asian wealth management industry. Going forward, the private bank intends to continue its expansion in the region, providing a high-quality client service to meet business needs.
Olivier Gougeon, 44, joined Societe Generale Group in 1992. He started his career working for the bank’s Inspection department before being appointed Deputy Managing Director of SGPB Hambros Bank and Trust in the Bahamas in 1999. In 2004 he moved to SGPB Hambros in London to take charge of trust and wealth planning activities for corporate and institutional clients covering Great Britain, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar and the Bahamas. He then extended these responsibilities to the private clients in 2006.
Olivier Gougeon is a graduate of the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (“Sciences Po”) in Paris and has a Masters in European business law from the University of Paris Sorbonne.


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106.1 KISS FM (KBKS), Seattle, raised $804,236 in just 13 hours on Thursday, December 17, to bring its 14-year radiothon total to over $14 million dollars. Bender’s One Big KISS for Seattle Children’s Hospital Radiothon brought the stories of child patients, families, staff, and volunteers to KISS listeners across the region (and the U.S. via iHeartRadio), who responded with generous donations.
Online donations will be accepted through Christmas at www.KISSFMSEATTLE.com. Listeners can also text in a $10 donation by texting the word CARE to 50555.
Previous articleSalem is a Cool Place to Work.


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Impinj, Inc. has announced the availability of the Speedway Revolution (News - Alert) reader that incorporates Impinj’s Autopilot technology to deliver new standards in RFID reader performance, versatility and cost of ownership. Impinj, Inc. develops UHF Gen 2 RFID solutions for both item-level and supply-chain tagging.
Speedway Revolution builds on the reputation of the original Speedway reader. It is 80 percent smaller than the original Speedway reader, consumes less than half the power and has a 20 percent lower MSRP. The features present in the Speedway reader include Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) and support for the standard application interface and EPCglobal Low-Level Reader Protocol. In addition, Speedway Revolution provides low cost of ownership and also integrates easily with RFID middleware platforms.
The patented Autopilot technology from Impinj is critical to Speedway Revolution's outstanding performance and ease of use. The Autopilot technology will continuously and automatically optimize the reader for its operating environment to deliver peak performance at all times. Since RFID system performance depends upon a number of ever-changing environmental conditions, users configure readers for worst-case scenarios and thereby compromise on optimum performance. The Autopilot technology guarantees peak performance while eliminating the need for manual tuning by integrating several features.
The Autopilot technology contains a feature named Autoset, which continuously optimizes the reader's configuration for the most reliable performance. Speedway Revolution readers will automatically select the appropriate settings by sensing levels of RF noise and interference. Another feature integrated in the Autopilot is low duty cycle, which reduces RF interference, power consumption and energy costs. Speedway Revolution readers eliminate unnecessary RF noise by transmitting only when tags are in the field of view. Dynamic antenna switching, which improves throughput and efficiency is another feature integrated into the Autopilot. Speedway Revolution readers will sense where tags are in the field and automatically focus more time on antennas with the largest tag (News - Alert) populations in view.
According to Kerry Krause, vice president of marketing at Impinj, while end-users need RFID systems to deliver great performance in dynamic environments, they also look for easy-to-use and inexpensive readers. The combination of Autopilot along with Revolution's small size and low power consumption provides consistently superior performance, ease of use and significant cost savings for end-users.

industry_corpus2: Technology & Research


text: Price Adjustment - Clearwater Income Property - Tenant in place in this beautiful home conveniently located from across the lake at Ed Wright Park in Clearwater, FL. Enjoy the serene peaceful view from the kitchen window. Nice floorplan with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and 1 car garage. Kitchen with pass-through window to the dining room area and nice large living room. Fenced backyard. Convenient location close to the park, restaurants, stores and access to the highways. Easy access to Rt 60 to go to the beach or to go to Tampa.

industry_corpus2: Real Estate & Construction


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Its been awhile since there’s been a Fandom Friday up on this blog. Mostly because I’ve just been so busy. Its about mid way through the semester, help and I’m trying to work on my novel, and I’m reading a TON so keeping up with those reviews is difficult but I want to keep doing this, and now that I have my three LOVELY contributors (Kat, Clarissa and Christina Marie), I’m feeling good.
For those of you who are new, or may not be familiar with the Fandom Friday, its basically this: every Friday (I try, I do), myself or a guest blogger will feature a fandom. See, I remember I was teasing someone about a book series they liked because I thought it was just downright awful. Then I remember someone doing the exact same thing to me about a book series that means a lot to me.
And I realized, we judge each other SO much, all THE TIME about the different shows and books and all that, and its just wrong. We want to believe that the stuff that we like is SO much better than what other people like. And a lot of times, its before even giving stuff a good try.
So the point of the Fandom Friday is either to teach you more about a fandom that you’re unsure of, and to show you why it means something to a particular person, or to introduce you to a new fandom that you may not have heard before. To open your mind a little bit, to new things :) I admit, its partly for my boyfriend too, who has a bit of a hard time with opening his mind to new things, especially things that aren’t “critically acclaimed”.
So I’m trying to bring this back and hopefully I can do so. If you’re interested in writing about a fandom, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to have you!
Now for this week’s Fandom Friday!
The Legend trilogy is a three book dystopian series written by Marie Lu.
The books in the series are Legend, Prodigy and Champion.
I know what you’re thinking: another dystopian novel? Well, fear not, my friends, I’m bringing you what I believe to be the best of them all. And this is coming from a good place. I adore The Hunger Games trilogy and the Divergent trilogy. You all know I absolutely love them. So you know that I’m speaking the truth, and that its truly meaningful when I say that I think this is the best of them all.
The books follow the story of two main characters, and two points of views, of June and Day. June has been born into the life of an elite, scored the highest possible on her tests, and has been groomed to be the perfect military leader. Day, on the other hand, was born in the slums, scored dangerously low on his tests, and converting to a life as a criminal in order to ensure the survival of his family. Two very different people with no chance of crossing until June’s brother Metias is murdered and Day is the prime suspect. Day is on a race to keep safe, and to continue the survival of his family, and June is out for revenge for her brother’s murderer.
However, when they collide, they discover there is a lot more going on in their society than they previously had thought, and the secrets they uncover shock the both of them, and the things that the country does to keep it secret. The choice is up to them to make an unlikely alliance but they were both raised differently and it is hard to trust the different, the unfamiliar.
The first two books have already been released, and the third and final book, Champion, will be released on November 5th. I am ANXIOUSLY waiting for its arrival.
I have my darling friend, Erin, from That One Geek Girl to thank for that! She had read Legend, and she literally threw it in my face, telling me that I HAD to read it. I was feeling sort of anti-dystopian at the time, right at the beginning of this year, so I was unsure of trying it, but she was pushy, and so I decided to buy it.
And I sped through it. It was sooooo good and so addicting and so compelling and so unique. As soon as it ended, I was like, WHERE IS THE SEQUEL? And by my awesome luck, the sequel was releasing the next day, so I waited until midnight, downloaded it to my Kindle and spent the rest of the night (morning) reading it. And even better, the third one coming out in less than a year.
I have been able to meet Marie quite a few times this year, and she’s a seriously amazing person, super funny and inspiring, and it only makes you want to read her books more.
Like I said, I know there’s a hundred million dystopians out there, and its hard to find whats good. I know that I hear a lot of readers saying “no, please, no more dystopian.” Well, I say you break this rule for just this one series.
One main reason why I think this trilogy is incredible is because its set in Los Angeles. I’m a California girl; I’m only a quick drive away from Los Angeles. And I “love” that most dystopian books have California sunk under the sea after an earthquake and tsunami, and all of that. I love that there is so much focus, so much centralized on a place that I feel familiar with. So yes, there is that.
But its also that Marie’s world is on such a grander scope than some of those others that I’ve read. In Hunger Games, there is only Panem in what used to be the United States. What about the rest of the world? Its the same in Divergent, except even more limited to Chicago, and the surrounding areas. I do have a feeling that we are going to see a bit more of the US in Allegiant, but still, so limited. If the United States went into ruin, and had to rebuild, what happened to the rest of the world? I love that Marie addresses the rest of the world, and talks about the various different groups and societies that exist outside of the United States. I think that takes a lot more work to recognize that there are other entities out there, and other players in the game. Its brilliant, and its really what compels me so much to this world.
But I also just love the story. The story is brilliant and its different than the others. I mean, sure, usually a dystopian has a society that built itself after disaster and is run by tyrannical leaders and someone must come and take them down. And that’s true of this series as well but its not so black and white, which is where you get those two points of view. Even after so much truth and secrets are revealed, June is hard to persuade. She knows how she is raised and what she believes and how she was trained and its not easy for her to abandon it. And the same goes with Day. Although the Republic has not treated him well in the SLIGHTEST, he has been concerned of his family’s safety and surviving. Its not a heroic moment or decision for either of them to join a cause, and to fight.
I also like the two points of you makes it hard for you to decide what is right as well. You’re in both of their heads, you see how both is raised and sometimes you can’t decide who is right and who is wrong, and its all so gray. You’re never sure of what the right move is to make and that’s what keeps you reading because you’re determined to find out how this works. I still don’t have any clue how this series is going to end, because its just so twisting and turning. You just don’t know what will happen next, and its just brilliant.
So seriously, why are you still here? You should be reading the first book now. I mean, honestly, I’m ready to pick them up, and reread them again, because now I’m getting OVERLY excited for the release of the third one in just a few weeks.
I hope you all will give this series a chance the way I did, and you’ll discover the amazing series that is.
Also, Marie is going on tour in November and December to celebrate the release of Champion, so make sure to check out the tour dates, and hopefully I’ll see you when she comes to California!


text: Given three String variables that have been declared and given values, firstName, middleName, and lastName, write an expression whose value is the initials of the three names: the first letter of each, joined together. So if firstName, middleName, and lastName, had the values “John”, “Fitzgerald”, and “Kennedy”, the expression ‘s value would be JFK”. Alternatively, if firstName, middleName, and lastName, had the values “Franklin”, “Delano”, and “Roosevelt”, the expression’s value would be “FDR”.

industry_corpus2: Programming


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Doing business outside of your jurisdiction and do not have a physical address, a registered agent? Need an agent in the Province of Ontario or Quebec?
Filing extra-provincial registrations and licences to conduct business in other jurisdictions requires you to maintain and appoint a registered agent with a physical location in those provinces where you will be carrying on business. Furthermore, your agent for service must always be available during business hours, throughout the year.
Use Carswell Legal Solutions in Ontario and Quebec as your agent for service. We will be your point of contact with government corporate registries. We will receive all official government documents on your company’s behalf; make sure they are handled properly so that you are aware of deadlines that may affect your business.


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Some people say shorts are the most important peice of clothing when cycling and we have recognised this and over many years developed what we believe to be one of the best quality shorts on the market. Our Silicone EDGE shorts are packed with technology and the latest fabrics from Miti and the latest pads from Italy. Silicone EDGE shorts also feature the new silicone leg bands, this ensures that your shorts stay put throughout your whole ride.
The central channel assures less pressure on the perineal area. The pad has shaped wings to improve the garment fitting and comfort. There are no superficial seams to avoid abrasions.

industry_corpus2: Sports


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How Do We Handle Our Pride While Engaging Social Media?
I can only imagine what Calvin would say about social media today! Even as I publish this blog, the leading experts in “online platform building” (yep, that’s a thing) recommend that I share a link to this blog post in three different ways through Twitter within just 24 hours of posting it. To be fair, I probably will. I believe in the things I write, and I hope my blogs can be beneficial to as many other people as possible. But it doesn’t take very many tweets or Facebook statuses to realize that “self-promotion” walks a fine line tempting my pride.
Maybe you don’t blog. Maybe you use social media for its originally stated purpose: being social. Yet, if you’re like me, you’ve still caught yourself checking on your profile throughout the day to see how many “likes,” “shares,” “favorites,” and “retweets” you’re getting. Is this a problem?
Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way from the start: social media is not inherently evil. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and the 10 new social media sites that have launched as I write this sentence are not the problem. We are. Social media may be a new medium, but it sheds light on the same old struggles. Whether it’s pride, gossip, anger, or a lack of self-control (just to name a few), social media can be sinful simply because we are sinful.
In regards to our pride, then, what’s most important is where the foundation for our interactions on social media comes from. I might genuinely desire to share silly and random details of my life through quirky tweets, statuses, and pictures, wanting to connect with others that I might not be able to regularly live with in physical community. Or I might just want you to think I have an incredibly interesting life and am much wittier than you. It all comes down to where my heart is and what my intentions are.
Maybe the best question we can ask ourselves as we guard against pride and the other issues that can creep up so easily with social media is simply, “Why?” With each tweet, Facebook status, or picture, take a moment to reflect on why you’re sharing what you’re sharing. There doesn’t have to be a deep purpose, but there always is some purpose. James 1:19 talks about how everyone should be “quick to hear, slow to speak, [and] slow to anger.” I think the same principles could be applied to how we engage on social media as well.
If looking on social media multiple times a day just to see if you have any new “likes,” “shares,” “favorites,” “retweets,” and “followers” is a consistent habit for you, you should check yourself.
If you have to pause to consider whether or not a post is prideful and decide to post it anyway, you should check yourself.
If you’re okay with “bending the truth” a little to produce an overall more enticing post, you should check yourself.
If you care more about your “follower” to “following” ratio then actually connecting with people, then you should check yourself.
If the majority of what you post is all about you, then you should check yourself.
In case you were wondering, all of these come from personal experience and struggle. Pride is a subtle but powerful trap that we can fight against in social media through defining our purpose, checking our motives, and doing everything for the glory of God.
1C.J. Mahaney. Humility: True Greatness (Sisters: Multnomah Publishers, 2005), 33.


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The PI's Perspective: No Sleeping Back on Earth!
Did this get your attention? It sure got mine! This provocative image of a scale model of Pluto "hanging" over a harbor was produced by the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and CuriosityStream.
Three weeks ago we put our New Horizons spacecraft into hibernation mode, the first time we'd done that since late 2014, before the Pluto flyby. By coincidence, that same day – April 7—was also the exact halfway mark on the calendar between our Pluto and Kuiper Belt object (KBO) flybys!
The hibernation period we're in will last through mid-September. Every Monday between now and then, the spacecraft will check in with a health report, in which it sends one of seven possible "beacon tones" ranging from what we call "green" (meaning all's well) to various shades of "red" (which mean something is amiss). On the way to Pluto we hibernated for a total of about 250 weeks during 2007-2014, and only saw a handful of red beacons over all those weeks. And so far in this hibernation, on all three Mondays, New Horizons has sent green beacons.
We've used spacecraft hibernation a lot since 2008. This mode turns off most onboard systems, but leaves the radios, main computer, power distribution and thermal control systems active. Our three space environment monitoring scientific instruments—SWAP, PEPSSI and SDC – also continue to operate. By turning off other electronics (like those for guidance and propulsion, and all backup systems) we save on time and, therefore, wear and tear on many spacecraft components, prolonging their life.
The other big advantage of hibernation is that our mission and science operations teams get a break from babysitting the bird and can concentrate on other things—in this case, detailed planning for that KBO flyby coming on Jan. 1, 2019. So while our spacecraft may be dozing, our team sure isn't—they are as busy as can be with the many hundreds of flyby planning details that have to be completed this year, so we can finish testing the plan early next year during another hibernation. After all, flyby operations begin in July 2018, which is less than 15 months away!
Meanwhile, as New Horizons hibernates, the three scientific instruments I mentioned earlier will gather more data on the radiation and dust environment of the Kuiper Belt, something we can do much better than the Voyagers did in the 1990s. The reason why we can do so much better is simply that we have the first detector ever to fly in the Kuiper Belt and our radiation instruments were built in the 2000s, and are therefore highly advanced compared to their cousins on the venerable Voyagers that were built in the 1970s.
Beginning May 1 and continuing across the summer, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope will take images of our flyby KBO against star fields. We'll use these images to refine our knowledge of the target's orbit so we can assess the need for any engine burns – course corrections – as we home in. The next such burn opportunity is in early December.
In June, our science team will hold a major workshop to evaluate the trades (pros and cons) involved in choosing the best altitude for the flyby. Our goal is to get the best science with the highest probability of mission success, and a lot of factors are involved. Choosing that distance is more complex than just "go as close as we can," since some objectives are better served with the spacecraft farther out, or at a more leisurely pace a more distant flyby that can fit more observations in while we're very close to the target. The ultimate flyby distance will be somewhere between about 3,000 and 20,000 kilometers (1,875 to 12,500 miles). We'll let you know later this summer what altitude came out on top.
On June 3, and then again on July 10 and 17, our flyby KBO—called 2014 MU69—will occult (block the light) from a different star on each date. No such "stellar occultation" of MU69 has ever been observed, so we're pretty excited. If we're successful in deploying telescopes to the occultation paths in South America and Africa and getting the goods, we will learn about MU69's size, if it has rings or other hazardous debris in orbit around it, and maybe even something about its shape. All of that will help feed our flyby planning effort.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope will be pressed into service for us again in June and July – this time to measure how fast MU69 rotates and how strongly its brightness varies as it turns on its axis. Because MU69 is so faint, not even the world's largest groundbased telescopes can make this measurement. But Hubble can, and we'll use this information to better plan the exact timing and other details of the close flyby activities on Jan. 1, 2019.
One last thing I want to tell you is something I get asked a lot about. Yes, we're going to give 2014 MU69 a real name, rather than just the "license plate" designator it has now. The details of how we'll name it are still being worked out, but NASA announced a few weeks back that it will involve a public naming contest, as we requested. Look for more information on that in the fall.
For news in the meantime, stay tuned to our websites and our social media channels. I'll write again in the summer.
Until then, I hope you'll keep on exploring—just as we do!

industry_corpus2: Aerospace


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Amnesia Ibiza dj, worldwide dj and producer.
Brian Cross have played already in 52 countries and the most important world events and festivals.
His tracks are consistently in the Spanish charts. He’s worked alongside some of the biggest names in the world including Armin Van Buuren, Marco V, Paul Oakenfold and Robbie Rivera. He’s resident for Amnesia Ibiza and has toured the globe as a DJ.
He is currently sitting on one of the hottest tunes of 2008. His name is Brian Cross and this is, without a doubt, the year he’ll break into dance music’s A-list. Born and raised in Barcelona, Brain’s profile in Spain is already that of a super star DJ. His productions have fired up the country’s dance floors for years. His first remix, Frank Trax’s ‘Alchemy’, saw him signed to Tempo Music where he continued to unleash track after track, not just in his native land but across Europe and as far afield as South America. His growing reputation was cemented when Amnesia in Ibiza named him as one of three new resident DJs in 2003. He joined Mar-T and Les Schmitz as the hot new generation chosen to represent the sound of one of the world’s most famous clubs, in Ibiza and on world tours that encompassed North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
It wasn’t long before two major acts on the global circuit were watching Brian with intent. Armin van Buuren and Robbie Rivera both snapped him up to play at their respective nights, Armada Nights and Juicy Ibiza. The young producer/DJ was exposed to some of the most passionate clubbers in existence as they flocked to the White Isle to revel in its infamously hedonistic atmosphere. Rocking the crowd with every performance, Brian impressed from the outset with his DJing skills and his own productions, which go with saying were beyond hot! Soon he was working closely with Armin’s Armada label, signing ‘4U’ as a single release, touring internationally with them and collaborating on new works and compilations. By 2005 he had more than made his mark and was asked to go into the studio with his all-time hero, the legendary Marco V, to create the new compilation series ‘Amnesia DJ Sessions’. The album won rave reviews from press and music fans, smashing into charts around the world. Cue another international tour, this time playing with Marco himself. Is it any wonder that Deejay Magazine Spain awarded him Best International DJ 2005?! Capitalising on his growing success, Brian went on to record Amnesia DJ Sessions Volume 2 in 2006, once again experiencing huge acclaim and commercial success. September of the same year saw his track ‘Over My Skin’ hit, with an insane 10 week playlist on Radio 1’s world-renowned Judge Jules show. Remixes flooded in from Robbie Rivera, David Vendetta, ORGAN, Elastica, Observer, Tony Arzadon, Roster & Peralta and Inphinity. Signed to JUICY MUSIC, it was licensed across the board including Universal Music’s HIT division, underlining Brian’s status as one of the hot new producers to keep an eye on. As 2008 gets well underway with Ibiza beckoning, and with Brian holding onto a packed international diary, there is another huge page to turn as Brian unleashes his next weapon – ‘Paradise’.
Not only Brian Cross is famous worldwide as a DJ but also as a producer of dance hits like the single “Dream Alive” with Monica Naranjo, which reached the Top 1 in sales the very day it was released in 2012 and held this top position for more than a week. In the other hand, Brian is the only DJ that has remixed so many artists of different music styles such as David Bisbal, Miguel Bose, Armin Van Buuren, Robbie Rivera and Marco V among many more.
After having signed with Sony Music Worldwide in February, Brian Cross will release in July his first artist album, called “Pop Star – The Album”, which includes 14 collaborations with top line pop artists such as Sophie Ellis Bextor, Marta Sanchez,rap singer Timati, superstar Inna, Monica Naranjo, US singer Leah Labelle and other outstanding artists.
All in all, Brian Cross is the one of the most international Spanish Dj and a reference in Spanish dance music scene with his innovative fusion of pop artists and dance music.

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


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Do I need to give a new round of actions?
I can only process the actions you folks take... Happy Easter!
So far, the only attack this round not directed at the champion is Sully's.
Yeunni don’t forget you’ve got a d6 to apply to a d20 roll in case it looks like you’ve got a low roll.
The wolf totem is up, and the protector is naked. It's now or never guys. Unload on him while it lasts because Axar ain't gonna be up next round.

industry_corpus2: Gaming


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It’s that time again. The grass at Lambeau is green, Jeff Janis’ halo has a new shine on it and Clay Matthews hasn’t gotten his uniform dirty enough to necessitate tweeting an #ad for Tide PODS plus Febreze Laundry Detergent. It’s the time of year when hope springs eternal.
It’s the time of year for Bold Predictions.
I’ve tried it the last two years, but this year I mean it. Like seriously. The Packers will win Super Bowl LI and once again return the Lombardi Tropy to its rightful home at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.
It won’t be easy. But it will be glorious.
The schedule starts out with a tough game in Jacksonville. No. Seriously. I mean it. Jacksonville is everyone’s darling “sleeper” team this year, which means, ironically, everyone is talking about them so they are, by definition, not a sleeper.
The Packers follow that game with a Sunday night tilt at the Big Stapler. Minnesota will surely be amped up for its first home game in its newly built stadium that closely resembles an appliance used for fastening sheets of paper together.
While they will lose one of these two opening games, they will then almost run the table, losing only one more after that. Pencil in Washington on November 20. Why? It fits the pattern. The Packers love to lose a game they should dominate.
With a record of 14-2, they will march to a first-round bye in the playoffs. With a rested, healthy team, the Packers will tear through the NFC field. First, they will dispose of Seattle at home, making Russell Wilson look like a clone of Jay Cutler when they pick him off five times.
After a thorough drubbing of the Seahawks, the Packers will finish last year’s task and take out the Arizona Cardinals at home. The Packers will score on a last-second Hail Mary. Just to be jerks. The final touchdown will make the score 42-13.
In the Super Bowl, the Packers will meet Tom “I’m-here-to-avenge-my-suspension” Brady. Green Bay will light up the sky against the Patriots in a shootout. In the end, the Patriots championship hopes will be deflated* as the Packers win 35-28.
There will be much rejoicing. The Lombardi Trophy will return to Titletown. Rodgers will reunite with his family and Dom Capers will be carried to the heavens in a flaming chariot.
*As a blogger, I am contractually obligated to include one Deflategate joke into every story that mentions Tom Brady and the Patriots.


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Newspaper and television news reports in recent weeks have bannered stories of abuse allegedly committed by teachers against helpless schoolchildren. We have, for example, that egregious case of a teacher punishing a Grade 2 student by asking her to swallow pencil shavings.
Authority and responsibility shall apply to all authorized activities whether inside or outside the premises of the school, entity or institution.
(8) To perform such other duties as are imposed by law upon parents and guardians.
Art. 221. Parents and other persons exercising parental authority shall be civilly liable for the injuries and damages caused by the acts or omissions of their unemancipated children living in their company and under their parental authority subject to the appropriate defenses provided by law.
Please take note especially of Article 233 which absolutely prohibits teachers from inflicting physical punishment on their students.
1. A complaint in writing and under oath is filed against a teacher. Anonymous complaints, under certain conditions, may be allowed. For example, the complaint is supported by documentary evidences upon which the truth can be ascertained, even without the presence of a complainant. If the complaint is filed with the DepEd Central Office or with its Regional Offices, the complaint is indorsed to the respective Division Office under which the teacher serves.
2. The complaint must contain a certification against non-forum shopping.
3. A fact-finding or preliminary investigation is conducted to determine whether the complaint is meritorious or not. The investigating officer or committee of the Division submits its Investigation Report to the Regional Office. The report may either recommend the filing of a formal charge against the teacher by the disciplining authority, OR the dismissal of the complaint.
If the complaint is dismissed, the complainant can file a Petition for Review with the Secretary of the DepEd.
4. The formal charge will require the respondent-teacher to submit within a maximum of five days from receipt of the charge to file his answer. In the answer, the teacher must state whether he chooses to exercise his right to a formal investigation.
5. The Division Office concerned creates its investigation committee. The composition of the committee can be challenged under the DECS Rules (or under the Magna Carta for Teachers).
The respondent may be placed under preventive suspension for a maximum of ninety days.
The formal investigation is conducted just like a courtroom trial, and both complainant and respondent are entitled to the services of lawyers. Testimonies of witnesses are under oath, and subject to cross-examination. Documentary evidences are marked and later on formally offered.
6. If the teacher-respondent is found guilty, his successive modes of appeal are as follows: (a) motion for reconsideration filed with the Regional Office; (2) appeal to the Secretary of DepEd; and (3) petition for judicial review with the Court of Appeals.
If the teacher-respondent is acquitted, however, the complainant must file a Petition for Review with the Civil Service Commission.

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


text: Many people experience exercise nausea. It’s common for people to vomit during a workout. Intense exercise has a number of effects on the body. One of them is, dizziness and nausea.


text: 600 East Cafe is a feature of the 600 East Business Center. Proprietor Dan Nelson, Jr. didnít initially plan on opening up a restaurant. He bought the building wanting to recapture the space and make it an efficient work environment for the employees of his advertising agency. As he was renovating he realized that this area, home to many business centers, was lacking good, nutritious, cost efficient dining for workers. He brought in his friend Jill Ruffing, general manager of the cafe, and she helped this idea come to fruition. The design of the space was done with his employees in mind. It has the color palette and vibe of the offices throughout the building, which appeals to both the employees and outside customers. Dan feels that 600 East Cafe has really benefited local workers, giving them a convenient, affordable place to grab coffee and a quick bite. 600 East Cafe makes their food with locally sourced ingredients. They offer favorite local brands like Colectivo and Sprecherís. They have a variety of specialty coffee drinks, like their Raspberry Bianca, with espresso and white chocolate, which are perfect for your morning caffeine fix. Their menu features sandwiches, wraps, handcrafted soups and salads, and sweet pastries. They offer gluten free and vegetarian options.600 East Cafe has a catering menu which is available on their website. They are open weekdays 6:30 AM-4 PM. They offer a meeting space complete with AV equipment which can be booked for business meetings. Come to 600 East Cafe for delicious and cost efficient, locally sourced food and coffee!


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All 2 inches of it here in the Twin Cities. Happened on the last day of the year. And yes, that's a deer trail.
And there were(was) Spots in the snow.

industry_corpus2: Others


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Jeff Rasmussen joined Bruce and David Fritz in starting Tricor Aviation, LLC, DBA Aero Insurance LLC, in 2012. Jeff works with Fixed Base Operators, Corporate Fleets, private owners, airports, and products manufacturers to provide them with risk management and insurance expertise.
He began his career with Rollins Hudig Hall in Chicago as an Insurance Analyst in the Research and Consulting Department, where he examined the risk management and insurance programs of a wide array of major clients and prospects. Jeff has experience with multi-national clients that have diverse operations and complex coverage needs including the oil production, construction, real estate, national retailing, manufacturing, and aviation industries. He started the aviation practices from scratch for two other large agencies over the past 20 years prior to starting Aero Insurance LLC.
Jeff has attained the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Certified Aviation Insurance Professional (CAIP), the Accredited Advisor In Insurance (AAI), and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designations. Jeff holds both a Master's and a Bachelor's degree in Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
He played football for the UW as an undergraduate and was twice named to the Academic All Big Ten Team. Jeff is also an active member of the National 'W' Club and the Mendota Gridiron Club. He has been named to the Young Agents of the Year in 1999 and Committee Chairperson of the Year in 2004 by the Independent Insurance Agents of Wisconsin. Jeff is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and the Aviation Insurance Association (AIA). He is a commercial, instrument-rated Single Engine Land and Single Engine Sea pilot. He and his father fly a Cessna 182.
MaryLu Mecklenburg began her career in insurance as a receptionist in 1990. She obtained her Property, Casualty, Life and Health insurance licenses and moved into a service representative role handling small, medium and large commercial accounts in 1991. MaryLu attended Aviation Insurance and Risk Management training in Atlanta, GA in 2009 and since then has worked on all aspects of aviation related accounts. She is currently working on obtaining her pilot's license.
MaryLu holds an Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR), Wisconsin Accredited Customer Service Representative (WISC) and the Professional Workers Compensation Account Manager (PWCAM) designations.


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Toyota Recalls 2.5 Million Vehicles in the U.S.
If you own a Toyota or Scion that’s affected by the recall, the automaker will inspect and disassemble the switch, and apply a special fluorine grease at no charge. Toyota says that it will begin sending notification letters to vehicles owners in late October, and that the repair will take one hour, depending on the dealer’s schedule. For more information, owners can contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or visit www.toyota.com/recall.
Shopping for a Toyota or Scion? Check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars. Then, look for a great deal on a new car by checking out this month’s best car deals. You can also find the best local prices in the area by using our Best Price Program. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

industry_corpus2: Automobiles