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Isn’t it awkward when you fail at your own meme? I guess it’s just really bad beginner’s luck on my part, and I am so sorry! You might have done today’s prompt already, but feel free to still link it up anyway, because I really want to read your posts! Anyway, today’s prompt is all about your own country in English books. I live in the Netherlands, so I’ll be discussing Dutch things in international books!
I gotta be honest here; I came up with this topic myself but I really struggled. We obviously all know about how Hazel in Gus go to Amsterdam in The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, but that’s where it kind of ends for me. I enjoyed (and cried very badly at) the movie, but I read the book a long time ago and barely even remember it. I wouldn’t consider it as one of my favourite John Green books.
The Netherlands isn’t a stranger to American and British books, though! Often, it’s in the little details. Like Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones. It was set in either Germany or Austria and even though I can’t recall it, there was something about the Netherlands/the Dutch in that book! I remember a little more about The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice & Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. The main characters didn’t actually visit Holland on their European tour, but spoke about it quite a lot… The reason why is a bit spoilery, so I’ll keep it at that. Speaking of Holland… Who’s read the Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab? Okay, this has nothing to do with my actual country, but I squealed a bit every time Holland (the character) came up in this series because I really, genuinely liked the name! And that wasn’t because of where I live… hehe!
A book I haven’t read yet, but heard great things about AND is loosely inspired by Amsterdam the Dutch Republic of the 1700s is Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology. I had to do a little digging for this, but Leigh herself has answered a Goodreads question about Ketterdam (the fictional city it is set in) saying the city “is inspired by Amsterdam, Antwerp, Las Vegas, London, and old New York (aka New Amsterdam)” I really can’t wait to read the books and see if anything about it is familiar!
Feel free to link your own post down below! Do you know any international books with Dutch elements in them?
PS. The linkup is open till Sunday March 4th 23.00PM CET!


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Every single era in history has idealised a different type of woman’s body. You had slim and athletic for the Ancient Egyptians, plump and curvy for the Renaissance, hourglass for the 1950s, heroin chic for the 1990s and bootylicious for today. Let me tell you something. Our bodies are not fashion trends! However, these idealised body types dictate fashion trends, to such an extent that even Vogue said cleavage was dead in 2016.
Fashions that are inspired by a certain type of female body constantly change and consequently they don’t fit and suit everyone. Yet because its a trend many of us follow them without thinking. As much as I love 1920s fashion, it definitely would not have suited my hourglass shape. If I had been alive during that time I would have had to wait 30 YEARS until the 1950s when trends emerged that suited my body shape. The point I am trying to make is that why wait for the trends, that will suit us perfectly while wearing our ill fitted outfits that don’t suit us now. Basically, many trends lie to us and tell us that we look good and that we are supposed to feel good. However, feeling good is something that can’t be dictated to us by an external force, it is something that comes from within.
Wearing something that makes us feel bad is like wearing the clothing equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. Its something that sends a shiver down our spine and lingers in our mind for hours after. If your dress is too tight, you can’t eat a big lunch or sit down too quickly in case you tear your dress. A lot of people operate with the mindset “I will dress to look good” but this is completely missing the point. Operating with that mindset means that feeling good is at the very least your second priority when dressing, when it should be your first priority.
Feeling good means to wear clothing that makes you feel good on the outside and inside. When you dress to feel good, you are focused entirely on you and what you like, not what some random stranger likes. This doesn’t mean you have to abandon style, because style doesn’t have to mean frivolity or discomfort. Style literally means fashionable and sophisticated, that definition is pretty subjective. Your own personal style is therefore what is reflective of you. Personal style is individual it should be tailored to your needs and likes.
There are three key things that make you feel good when wearing clothes, if it fits, if it suits and if its comfortable. The greatest thing about feeling good is the changes it makes to your overall appearance. It changes your expression and it changes the way you walk. You don’t have to be the most conventionally attractive or keep up with the latest styles to be the best dressed in the room. The best dressed person is always the one who prioritises themselves first. They dress the way they do because it feels right, it makes everything come together.
Often it isn’t the clothes you wear but how you wear them that determines how you’ll feel in them. You can’t wear clothes well if you don’t feel good in them. You don’t have to ditch the fashion trends, just remember that no one is a mannequin in a store. We are all unique individuals with a wide variety of body shapes, therefore we all need to dress to feel good. It is the most important thing because we don’t need to worry about our outfits, we don’t need to wear that expression of discomfort on our faces. Feeling good means we can feel more confident and happy. Feeling good is the essential ingredient that ties everything we are wearing together. We can never take it for granted.
Next Post Thank God for the 1920s!

industry_corpus2: Others


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I've written a little over 400 entries in my blog in the last four years. Now it appears like that's a bit more than what Nanoblogger can handle. It's taking more and more time to update the site and worst of all, I've been getting reports that the archive pages are badly broken.
I've first tried to fix Nanoblogger, but that's nearly impossible. Imagine 2500 lines of bash code, with functions that use global variables to pass data around and no comments.
Obviously it's time I move the site to some other software. In fact, if I've looked into the core code earlier, I probably wouldn't use Nanoblogger in the first place (the plug-in interface is relatively clean in comparison).
I played with the idea to write my own replacement for Nanoblogger, because I really like the idea of managing the site from a command line interface and having all my posts available in flat files. I even wrote some experimental code, when I figured that I'm just reinventing the wheel.
Colleagues at work suggested that I try Wordpress.
So I got a shared web host with Wordpress and started importing my data in it. I decided to write a Wordpress Extended RSS file containing all the posts and comments. There's no documentation for this format, but I managed to replicate it by example using a short Perl script and XML::Writer.
Well, it turned out all my imported posts came out of Wordpress garbled with line breaks inserted everywhere and worst of all, badly broken HTML (for example <p<br/>>).
Since I couldn't find a reason for that in my WXR file (it checked out as valid XML - I could hardly make anything else with XML::Writer), I started digging around Wordpress code.
Riiight. I guess nobody told Wordpress developers that the eighth circle of hell is reserved for people parsing XML with regular expressions.
Ok, but maybe I can forgive them one mistake. This is after all just code for importing entries that is used once in the life time of a Wordpress installation.
and on for 2300 more lines like that. You can see where this is going.
This is code that gets executed for every piece of text that is posted through Wordpress. It's a miracle it works as well as it does!
This convinced me that going from Nanoblogger to Wordpress isn't that much of an improvement in regard to code quality.
And the third thing that makes Wordpress a joke is security. It's a little more than an afterthought. There's the wonderful security record of PHP written web applications and then there's the fact that there is no way to make Wordpress secure. Out of the box it doesn't even support SSL and the plug-in that adds support only does that for the page where you enter your password.
That's only marginally better than having no SSL at all. What good is securing the password entry page when all the administrative interface is getting sent in clear? Also, I find the practice of having code that is capable of modifying itself (by design!) very questionable.
If I would use Wordpress I could say goodbye to writing anything from events like the CCC.
That's it as far as I'm concerned about Wordpress. I'm never looking in that direction again.
I guess when everyone is rolling around on pentagons you sometimes have to reinvent the wheel.
Pentagon, hexagon, whatever. As long as the reinvented wheel is a better approximation of a circle than the last idea.
The only reason why I haven't moved from WordPress to something else is lack of time. I feel like an abused spouse that constantly suffers but I don't write often enough to find courage and time to break this painful cycle.
Thanks for getting this information out there!! What's worse than WordPress source code is how much it is revered throughout even the "professional" world.

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


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SuperRetro16 SNES Emulator is developed from the ground up to deliver the fastest play as possible. And also you able to easily locate and play your favorite game by scanning your phone to see your list of rooms installed on your phone.
The game will provide its users to the fastest emulation with the best game compatibility. It has a superuser interface to connect with the system which is easy to use. You can download the game for Free from our website. We have also developed a Hack for the game.
The superretro16 SNES emulator android game has chrome cast streaming feature and native Android TV support in its design. It also has a cloud syncing support for continuous play across all devices. There are more than 1000 of famous SNES cheat codes. They are available on the internet to break the difficulties in this game.
The basic construction of SuperRetro16 SNES Emulator android game has an excellent support for Bluetooth controllers. It gives you visual effects shades by means of CRT simulator and high-quality 2x*3x screen.
It is designed with an advanced layout editor which allows the users to control the on-screen actions. You can also use a mouse support for the selected games.
SuperRetro16 SNES Emulator android game is available with an in-game walkthrough and guide integration. It has a support for turbo mode to fast-forward games. This superretro16 SNES emulator android game gives support for many ROM and compressed file formats. This supports a network multiplayer using a wi-fi or Bluetooth connection.
This android game has auto-detects games and a display cover art. It has an ultra-fast super fx and DSP chipset support. It gives you the support for SMC, fig, SFC, zip and 7z formats. The Android game company supports the preservation of classic gaming via corporate sponsorship of the digital game museum.

industry_corpus2: Gaming


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Progressive Online Car Insurance is offering a new innovative 100% online. lower cost car insurance alternative.
Since 1999, car insurance in Australia has become steadily more expensive. Without getting into too much detail, a large insurer collapsed, another demutualised, and many were acquired. Since 2007, two groups have been in control of over 70% of the Australian car insurance market, and premiums have continued to rise. Progressive entered the market in 2009 to help shake things up .
They are Internet savvy. Buy buying and managing their car insurance 100% online, it keeps our costs low so we can offer lower premiums. Over 80% of our customers even report their claims online to reduce our costs, and it earns them $25 off their excess.
This means we provide very, very cheap car insurance for our customers, and you’ll see at various car insurance review sites that we delight our customers if they ever need to make a claim. See Mozo reviews of Progressive .

industry_corpus2: Automobiles


text: Synopsis: Spatial separation of fishes in the littoral zone of a turbid prairie lake (Clear Lake, Iowa) was assessed with gill nets and fyke nets. Catch per unit of effort was used to determine differences among habitat types, sampling times within a 24 h period, and sampling months. Four of 10 species examined were significantly more numerous in one of the three habitats — nonvegetated, vegetated, or gravel-rock substrate. Black bullhead (Ictalurus melas) and bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus) were most abundant in vegetated areas, yellow bass (Morone mississippiensis) in gravel-rock areas, and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in both non-vegetated and gravel-rock areas. Temporal patterns in habitat use were indicated for these four species, as well as yellow perch (Perca flavescens), white bass (Morone chrysops), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum), black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), white sucker (Catostomus commersoni).

industry_corpus2: Agriculture & Fisheries


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Hello Readers. ! Using Smartphone for games and information is just one side of the android. How about using it in a complete different way? What about earning money (YES!! Money real cash) from android apps? Well when it comes to get money most of them think it’s fake. But let me tell you its verified and is trust able. There is no hard work to earn money from Android app.
Let me ask, how many times do you unlock your phone? Yes its lock screen I know it must be in 100’s or more. Well what about getting 0.10INR for every time you unlock your phone. It’s a small amount but getting something than nothing is worth acceptable. This app reminds me the tag line “Swipe karo Aish karo”.
Talking about application its name is “PAISA SWIPE” by the “market technologies” developers. As its names explain much about the application you just need to swipe through your lock screen to earn money. Isn’t it easy?
Press register after filling information.
Click GOOGLE PLAY tab and install the application.
If you refer your friends to download the application then you increase your chances of winning referral prizes!
This application runs on most of the android phone which are 2.2 and above.
There are more than 50,000 installs of this application.
You can keep checking above android for such awesome and unique applications. There are lots of more awesome applications to be discovered. We here at above android deliver you the best, unique and useful applications.


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Londons Afternoon Teas Revised And Expanded 2nd Edition A Guide To The Most Exquisite Tea Venues In London Imm Lifestyle 60 Of The Best Places To Take Tea With Recipes Venue History More is good choice for you that looking for nice reading experience. We hope you glad to visit our website. Please read our description and our privacy and policy page.
Finally I get this ebook, thanks for all these Londons Afternoon Teas Revised And Expanded 2nd Edition A Guide To The Most Exquisite Tea Venues In London Imm Lifestyle 60 Of The Best Places To Take Tea With Recipes Venue History More can get now!

industry_corpus2: Hospitality & Catering


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Download The Cabin in the Woods Full Movie (HD) | Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods.
The Cabin in the Woods Full Movie - Five teenagers head off for a weekend at a secluded cabin in the woods. They arrive to find they are quite isolated with no means of communicating with the outside world. When the cellar door flings itself open, they of course go down to investigate. They find an odd assortment of relics and curios but when one of the women, Dana, reads from a book she awakens a family of deadly zombie killers. There's far more going on however than meets the eye as the five campers are all under observation.

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


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Westminster drivers searching for a family vehicle can look with confidence to the Toyota Sienna. Providing drivers with a spacious interior, and a robust set of standard driver assistance features, the Sienna is modern Minivan with plenty to offer Baltimore and Rockville drivers. Available to Hanover, PA drivers in seven model variations, the Sienna meshes modern aesthetic with carefully balanced tech and functionality.
The Sienna features an array of many safety features that Frederick drivers would expect to come standard with a new vehicle: Airbags, seat belts for all seating positions, child rear door locks, a tire pressure monitor system, daytime running lights, hill start assist control, and an engine immobilizer are standard safety features. All Sienna models come standard with a bundle of driver assistance features, as well. The Toyota Safety Sense P bundles the following features together: pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams, and dynamic radar cruise control. Beyond this, all models come standard with the same 3.5-liter V6 engine and front-wheel drive functionality.
Want to Learn more about the Toyota Sienna? Visit Koons Westminster Toyota Today!
Outfitted to potentially by Rockville and Westminster drivers' next minivan of choice, the Sienna has a lot more to offer than what's listed above! Stop by our dealership to view a Sienna in person. While you're at our dealership, Frederick drivers are welcome to take a Toyota minivan for a test drive!


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The House budget will cost Harris County a bundle if it passes as is.
Harris County health care providers would lose more than $2 billion in Medicaid funding under the Texas House budget that passed Sunday night, according to an Austin think tank.
The Center for Public Policy Priorities’ county-by-county analysis found the hit, by far the most in the state, would reduce overall Medicaid funding for Harris County hospitals, doctors, nursing homes and other providers by 38 percent from the amount spent on such care in 2009.
Houston health care providers said it was too early to know how they’d respond if such a cut were signed into law. But they were unanimous in saying it would have a huge negative impact.
You can see the CPPP’s reports here. Nobody doubts that there will be an effect, and given the scope of the cuts at the state level, that it will be a large effect, right? And nobody doubts that the people who will be directly affected by this won’t just go away but will find some other way to get medical attention, right? That means more people showing up at emergency rooms. You can do the math from there.
Members of the Harris County Commissioners Court in 2009 said they were committed not to raise property taxes, but the district is coping with reduced tax revenues because of a decline in county property values in addition to coming legislative cuts.
Noting the court is still six months away from setting tax rates, a spokesman for County Judge Ed Emmett said Friday that nothing is on or off the table for the hospital district tax rate.
Yes, it’s still early in the process, the Senate is likely to make changes, and you shouldn’t read too much into such an equivocal statement. But if Harris County winds up raising taxes as a result of this, please be sure to put the blame for it where it belongs, on the Republicans in the Lege who voted for HB1.

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


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I totally sing along whenever it comes on the radio.
Is it me or does the radio play the same songs over and over again??
Anyone with curly hair knows, frizz isn't our friend.
Most frizz products are heavy and can't be used in fine hair like mine.
Unless, I want my hair to be a grease factory.
I had been using this when my hair was damp.
I decided to use it when it was all dry.
Totally got rid of my frizz and helped hold my curls all day long.
The best part it did not make my hair crunchy or greasing.
I only use a dime size amount.
It's a great product for curly hair that is also fine.
For me it's well worth it.
I have tried so many other products and they just don't work well with my hair.
If you have any recommendations for fine curly hair, PLEASE let me know.
Grant proposes to Demi Lovato.
as he proposes to Demi.
I have made this before and let me tell you it's delicious!!
And it's real easy to make.
I thought this would be the prefect thing to make.
Visit Sugary Sweet for the recipe.
and how she doesn't think she is beautiful like her classmates.
It really broke my heart because I was that little girl.
In elementary school, I was bullied, told I was ugly and fat.
All the time, it was really really bad.
It really affected me and I think deep down it still does to this day.
Words sometimes hurt more than bruises.
JenniSIxx and I are going to our friend's Halloween party!!
We are both so excited.
Wait til you see our costumes!!
The trash candy looks dangerous!!! So sorry to hear you were bullied, no one should have to deal with bullies. Looking forward to seeing your costume.
Awww that video is so cute and I love that quote. Happy Friday!
I LOVE that song!!! I've been listening to it nonstop lately! So good! Happy Friday!
Loved the little boy proposing - so sweet!! I've actually never heard that song so it will be on repeat today!! Hope you have a great weekend girl!!
That breaks my heart to hear about your friend's daughter-people (and society in general!) can be so cruel. And what a true quote...beauty is so much more than skin deep.
I have been meaning to try that curling cream. My hair is a bit wavy and definitely frizzy. Will have to check it out.
Oooo totally want to make the Halloween trash candy!


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i like Unicorns, fnaf, Roblox, Minecraft, and fortnite and more. I'm a girl. best friends on scratch are: wolfstarex, The_Mangle07, wolfsrock2007, Firepup13, And ninja110207.
Tash, Nolan, Scarlet, John, Jake, Spell, Wisey, Zack, Mercy (Spells Sister), Purple Girl, ZDFB, MoonStar, Oreo, And me and my brother.


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Annapurna Dental Clinic is located in the beautiful Indore, India. The Annapurna Dental Clinic specializes in Gynecology Treatment, Dentistry, Rehabilitation, General Surgery. Annapurna Dental Clinic is dedicated to the constant pursuit of excellence, committed to high quality medical care, featuring experienced and trained professionals and using the latest technology. In order to contact the medical center, please fill out the contact form.
How can Annapurna Dental Clinic reach you ?


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Create breath-taking video and give your audience a truly unique perspective with our stunning aerial filming.
Our specially designed remote drone cameras capture ultra-smooth, HD footage and high-resolution photography which will take your marketing to the next level.
Using this exciting method of filming we capture action, highlight stunning landscapes and deliver incredible close-ups, all at an affordable cost.
Our highly experienced, fully certified and insured UAV operators will create you an aerial video with a difference.
Want to create something stunning?
We can help – let’s chat today!


text: Changes are awfully unsettling for me. I like my little nest, where everything is just so and nothing jostles me too much. I like my routines and schedules, the comfort of knowing what’s going on—both immediately and in the future.


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The Swede Johan Norberg has written a book in which he describes how the world has made progress in many areas. The book, titled Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future, has ten chapters in which the following topics are treated: food, sanitation, life expectancy, poverty, violence, the environment, literacy, freedom, equality, and children's rights and perspectives.
In his treatment of these topics Norberg uses vivid examples and a lot of objective data. Even if you have read some things about the great progress in the world, you will probably still come across some informative new material in this book. The book is interesting although I have a point of criticism.
The central message of the book is that the world has made more progress in the last 100 years than in the 100.000 years before. For different reasons this can be a message which is hard to believe. One of those reasons is that we do not know a lot about how things actually were in the past. Several hundreds of years ago people died in big numbers at a young age from famines, diseases and violence.
Another reason is that we remember the past in a distorted way. Both on a macro level and in our personal lives we often fail to see progress because we remember the past as better than it actually was. Yet another reason is that the media do not systematically and frequently inform us about the worldwide progress which has been going on slowly but surely for decades. Instead the media mainly inform us about negative and frightful events which happen on a daily basis.
As can be read in the book, solving one problem (making progress) often goes together with the emergence of new problems. The industrialization, for example, which created more wealth for many, at the same time created serious air pollution. Another example is that the Green Revolution which prevented and solved famine on a large scale also lead to environmental problems and health problems, in particular due to the use of pesticides.
Norberg has many rational things to say about these types of 'progress problems' (my word). Firstly, he describes how predicted large scale problems often don't actually happen because people manage to solve them before they get a chance to happen. An example of this is that many of the doom predictions by the Club of Rome and by people like Paul Ehrlich have not become a reality.
Secondly, he acknowledges certain problems but he argues that the size of these problems is often small when compared to the benefits of the progress. The Green Revolution, for example, creates environmental problems but, at the same time, has made agriculture so efficient that the needed amount of farmland has decreased dramatically. The released farmland can be 'given back' to nature which is a push for biodiversity.
Thirdly, he says that real problems, like global warming, have to be solved and most likely will be solved. He argues that what is needed is not only more energy-aware behavior by individuals and organizations but also that technological innovation can contribute greatly to solving the problem.
What Norberg writes about these topics is interesting and largely convincing. It is hard for me to asses whether he does justice to different types of environmental problems and threats of which I am not completely reassured.
What are the causes of the progress?
My impression is that Norberg documents the progress he mentions carefully and convincingly. The next question is: how did humanity accomplish such progress? Which factors contributed to what extent to it? Many of the factors he mentions sound credible.
For example, he mentions how the availability of clean water for drinking, washing, and cooking has had a huge impact on the life expectancy of people. Also, he mentions the importance of the discovery of the germ theory of diseases and of penicillin and vaccines as very important. Beside these sorts of things he mentions as important factors behind progress many ideas which emerged in the Age of Enlightenment such as the idea of universal human rights and the belief in progress through the acquisition of knowledge. Also he says that the possibility of individual property, the emerges of trade and of democracies have contributed a lot.
What becomes clear throughout the book is that there appears to be a certain sequence in which progress has to happen. Whenever people find themselves in terrible circumstances they are only focused on their narrow interest of survival. In those circumstances, they can hardly be bothered by things like overpopulation, environmental problems and equal rights for certain groups of people. However, as people become more affluent their motivation for these types of things also increases.
A special case of what happens as people get wealthier is that they tend to get fewer children. Thus, if you want to fight overpopulation and future famine and environmental problems, there is probably nothing better you can do than to fight poverty.
Underestimation of the importance of governments?
Although I recommend the book I do have a criticism. I think the author is more convincing in his description of the progress that has been made than in pointing out the factors underlying it. I acknowledge that the second question is harder than the first question. But the question is quite important so it needs to be answered adequately. In particular, I suspect the author gives to much credit to the positive role of capitalism and wealth.
The role of governments gets too little credit, I think, and is even sometimes described as negative. After I read the book I noticed that the author is linked to a libertarian organization which may explain the previous point. I am skeptical about the libertarian belief in a minimal government. I think democratic governments play an essential role in many of the types of progress the book describes.
For example, governments are needed to define and confine the capitalist system (see Robert Reich's latest book). Without good regulation organizations can do harmful things and become to powerful (see the 2008 crisis and the current undermining of corporations of the American democracy). Also, I think that the importance of governments is underestimated in the development of knowledge and technology. Norberg does emphasize the great importance of knowledge and technology but hardly mentions the critical role which the government plays in its development (see for example here).

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


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Mumbai: In what could bring respite to the city, which generally remains hot and humid for most part of the year, Monday morning saw the minimum temperatures dipping to 16 degree Celsius by recording second lowest temperature of this year.
As per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) officials, not only Mumbai but even interior Maharashtra will see temperatures going further down and several cities will experience the chill. “Not only the minimum saw a dip but even the maximum temperature also came down to 31.1 degree Celsius,” said an IMD official. The minimum temperature recorded at Santacruz observatory on Saturday was 16 degrees Celsius, which is 2-3 degrees Celsius below normal, while the minimum at Colaba was 20 degrees Celsius, which was 0.8 degrees Celsius below normal.
Senior IMD official said for the past few days there has been a steady drop in the minimum temperature and in the coming week the temperature may decrease in the city. “While the winds are north of north-westerly, indicating cool breeze, the speed is not sufficient. The winds are not very strong but definitely one can observe a drop in minimum temperature. Due to all this reason, the city will witness a similar temperature for some days,” said KS Hosalikar, Deputy Director, IMD (Western Region).


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Machine Inventory: Pumps, Diaphragm - Banks Machinery Inc.
All stainless steel pump. It has threaded connections but sani clamp connections for the inlet and outlet. Inet and outlet are 2" outside daimeter but the piping is 1" outside diameter. In good working condition. Last used in a food facility.

industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


text:
TBS’s exclusive presentation of the 2017 National League Championship Series (NLCS) presented by Camping World Game 3 – the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs – averaged six million viewers and ranked as cable television’s top program of the night in primetime, based on metered markets. Viewership for last night’s NLCS Game 3 is up 40% over last year’s LCS Game 3 coverage airing on the network. The MLB Postseason and NLCS continue to deliver audience growth across Turner platforms.
Tuesday’s NLCS Game 3 telecast peaked with an average of 7.4 million viewers from 9:45-10 p.m. ET.
The NLCS on TBS has averaged 6.4 million viewers to date, a 73% increase over last year’s comparable LCS telecasts airing on the network.
TBS’s 2017 NLCS coverage to date has garnered 97% growth among People 18-34 and increases of 93% in Men 18-34, 91% in People 18-49 and 78% in People 25-54.
The Los Angeles market generated a 14.4 HH rating, the highest-rated Dodgers game telecast on any network on record (since 1998). Chicago was the No. 1 local market, posting an 18.5 HH rating.
Tuesday’s MLB on TBS studio coverage generated an 83% increase in average HH rating for its pre-game show and a 22% lift for the post-game show vs. 2016, based on metered market delivery.
Live streaming coverage of the 2017 National League Postseason to date across Turner’s TV Everywhere platforms has averaged 6.9 million minutes of consumption, up 126% over last year.
Bleacher Report’s MLB Twitter account has generated 24.4 million impressions for the MLB Postseason to date, an increase of 37% over last year.
TBS’s exclusive coverage of the 2017 National League Championship Series (NLCS) presented by Camping World will continue tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 18, with Game 4 between the Dodgers and Cubs at 9 p.m. ET. Pre-game coverage will begin at 8:30 p.m.
Source: Linear-Nielsen (STAR & Arianna). Live +SD Data. Online TVE Live Stream Starts-Users by Quarter Hour (rounded based on actual game time) from Omniture SiteCatalyst; Mobile TVE Live Stream Starts, Users based on Virtual Heartbeat from Omniture. Connected Devices are provided by Omniture Virtual Heartbeat. Total TV Minutes are based on Nielsen Live + SD with a 1 min qualifier.


text: Credited with over thirteen years in the field, Bethany teamed up with Tiffany Marie ten years ago and was instrumental in the renovation process of the 10,000 sq ft building that is home to La Fille Gallery. Acting as Tiffany’s right hand, Bethany is team lead on projects involving artistic finishes in addition to maintaining quality control standards on all art created inside or outside the gallery. You will often find Bethany hanging from scaffolding, covered in concrete, playing DJ with the work tunes, or offering to make the team a cup of coffee with a big smile and a side of sass.

industry_corpus2: Real Estate & Construction


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Tax Deductible Donation! Free Towing!
Donate your car, truck, boat, plane or RV and help men and women with developmental disabilities receive gainful employment in Orange County. Vocational Visions works with Pacific Wholesale Sales in Costa Mesa.


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So far danitroc has created 24 blog entries.
What a pleasure meeting such a humble man Daymond John you inspire all of us entrepreneurs.
The Seal Team representing at the Martha Stewart Headquarters. What an honor to learn from the nation's most influential innovators and successful small-business owners. Thank you for a wonderful event, and hope you enjoy your Seal Shoe Covers.


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October is the illustrious month of my birthday – consequently I have taken it upon myself to anoint this month the month of gifting myself handmade ties. Since I have taken to bespoke menswear which, be they shirts, suits or shoes, take time to acquire, all that remains for instant gratification is a nice hand-made tie or two, three, more… Ties have not been easy for me. There are so many choices of color and pattern and then when I researched ties further, I found that there is also a large variety of textures as well as lined and untipped. It is only of late that I had ever heard of Grenadine and Shantung ties. I probably still can’t even give you a sophisticated explanation of what they are other than textured. Nicely so, I might add. Since this is my first Tie-ctober, it is also the time that I am revamping my tie collection. I have a drawer full of ties that no longer cut it due to quality of fabric, stiffness or weight. Some of them hung around my neck like a piece of heavy cardboard. 19 out 27 will no longer be with us.
I watched a Kirby Allen video on ties at the Hanger Project, but as per usual got most of my information from Simon Crompton’s Permanent Style Blog and Hugo Jacomet’s Distinguished Gentlemen books. Simon is a huge Drake’s tie fan which have a great history and retail for $175 per tie. In Hugo Jacomet’s book “The Parisian Gentleman” he has a nice article on the French made Charvet ties which retail for $245 per tie. I find it interesting to read the history of how various brands began and why they are worth the cost. Before this October, I did all my tie shopping at Neiman Marcus. Neiman’s has a large selection of ties of various brands, especially online, that make the $150. – $300. price range seem standard for a quality tie.
I got rid of several Missoni ties which felt too stiff. I got ride of three large Tom Ford ties because they felt like heavy weights around my neck. But when I started replacing them with my new quality handmade ties I realized, for the first time myself, how wonderful ties can look and feel. I share with you my Tie-ctober ties for 2018 in the following five posts. All the ties are wonderful, from various parts of the world and of various price points.


text: Seal and end cap kit for SeaStar hydraulic steering front mount cylinders. Comes with 2 end caps and O-ring replacements. Does not come with wrench. Please see OST-0013 for SeaStar compatible wrench.


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Polymer and wood polymer composite are becoming one of the best decking choices for the people in most of the developed and developing countries today. These products are toughed to be the future of furniture industries and the method used is relatively new and result oriented. This product is popular for its pricing, highly durable in nature and importantly low on the maintenance aspects. Plastic and wood combination is the best and most useful for today’s environment and it is really good for helping the world with deforestation and recycling.
Wood plastic composite is basically prepared from the recycled plastic and wastes of wood. These are molded in to specific requirements and, then according to the needs of the users they are delivered. These products are quite natural and it doesn’t need any extra works or nourishments to make them look different and cool. You don’t have to paint or stain these products like the hard wood products because they have to be painted on a regular basis. This is one of the best reasons that are responsible for the less maintenance of these products.
Wood polymer composite is another popular product that is making a lot of noise in the market due to their feature and price. The advantages of going with these products are just unimaginable for our needs. If you are thinking of good design and colors then there are products which are provided in a variety of colors and designs that are just too good to match your homes and buildings. Using these products is a great boost for the environment and it will be a good thing because it is capable to satisfying the human needs and is also protecting our environment.
The prime compositions of recycled plastic are about 40 to 50% and the recycled wood chips are about 50 to 60%. This is one of the best ways to reduce the waste in the environment and to make such great products from recycled products is something which is really appreciated. With the wood polymer composite you can make a lot of things easier for your house and after knowing the features and advantages of these products will make you feel proud of it. Wood Polymer compositions are not only prepared from the recycled products but they are also recyclable in every manner. Their products can be later reproduced as similar materials for other outdoor areas. Indeed, some even call this "green" decking.
These are some of the best products that are available today in the market and trying to get even better with the passing of days. You can easily buy them from the online stores or can hire experts from different stores who can help you making different customized products that will help you in the best manner. Wood polymer composite is considered to be one of the best for the modern generation because it’s not only capable of providing good quality results but is able to keep a check over the environmental pollution.
Steve Lindsay highlights the growing demand of wood polymer composite in various sectors and provides very useful information about it in his articles. He has found that Tuflite Polymers is the leading supplier of anti-UV and weather resistant wood plastic composite in many varieties. Visit Tuflite.com for more details!


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Burley Design, makers of the well known "Burley Trailer," recently announced a recall of its Tailwind Racks due to a fall hazard. The aluminum Tailwind Racks were used in hitching children’s trailercycles to adult bicycles. Burley has received 11 reports of Tailwind Racks breaking, which can cause the trailercycles to disconnect. One cyclist has already suffered a broken leg.
The double-sided racks were either sold individually in black or silver or with Kazoo or Piccolo brand trailercycles in black. The Tailwind Racks were sold online and nationwide by authorized dealers from November 2011 to September 2013. The Racks themselves were priced at $65, while the trailercycles were sold from $300 to $350. If you suspect you may have a Burley Tailwind Rack, check the back plate to see if the Burley logo is present.
Purchasers of the recalled Tailwind Racks should immediately stop riding the trailercycles and contact Burley Design at (800) 311-5294 to receive a free replacement rack. Burley will replace your aluminum Tailwind Rack with a steel Moose Racks at no charge.
The Illinois Bicycle Attorneys at Keating Law Offices strongly encourage Illinois' bicyclists to stay informed regarding recalls that may affect their bicycles or equipment. While manufacturers rarely intend to sell defective products, recalls are a reminder that product defects posing serious risks to cyclists can be discovered once a product is already on the market. It is important to monitor the safety of your bicycle and cycling equipment both before and after a purchase. The fact that this product recall involves a product used exclusively by children is particularly alarming.
Under Illinois law, the manufacturer of a product can be held liable when their product fails and the person was using the product in a reasonably foreseeable manner. This means that if a bicycle crash occurs because a part of the bike broke or failed during normal use, the manufacturer of that product would be responsible for any injuries or other damages suffered by the rider.
The attorneys at Keating Law Offices have handled numerous product liability cases. If you have any questions regarding a product liability case or other personal injury matter, please contact the firm at 312-239-6787 or attorney Mike Keating at MKeating@KeatingLegal.com.


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Saturday was Three Floyds‘ “Dark Lord Day” at their brewery in Munster, Indiana. If you’ve never heard of Dark Lord Day or been there, it’s Three Floyds’ annual beer festival where they release their Russian-Style Imperial Stout, Dark Lord. It’s a limited brew sold yearly and only at the festival. I grew up and went to school in Northwest Indiana where the brewery is located and didn’t really realize how popular Three Floyds is until I heard about Dark Lord Day. I’ve always liked their beer (since I turned 21 of course), but had no idea that I lived so close to one of the best breweries in the country. People come from all over the country to get this beer! You can read more about the festival and also what else they brewed here.
In addition to the beer, there’s also food from local vendors and live bands that play all day. The bands are all metal bands (to go with the “Dark Lord” theme) which…let’s just say I’m not into that kind of music, but I appreciate their talents.
Since the event takes place in the midwest in April, it’s always a toss-up as far as weather goes. We’ve gone a few years and there was only one I can remember not needing an umbrella. The weather this year was 48 and persistent rain, so needless to say I was kind of grumpy. I didn’t go last year, but I heard it was worse somehow.
The way they sold their tickets this year made the lines move more quickly. I don’t want to give away any secrets, but there are two lines to enter the festival and one of the lines is always EXTREMELY shorter than the other. For some reason they don’t have any signs directing anyone to the other line, but we got a tip from my friend who made it inside before us. Finding this other entrance saved about an hour wait just to get inside.
Once we got our beer that our tickets entitled us to, we immediately met up with some friends in the huge tent to keep us out of the rain. (My mood immediately improved once we got out of the rain.) Most of my photos are from inside the tent because it was too rainy to venture outside. Other than the weather, the event is something I always look forward to every spring. I wish they’d hold it later in the year when the weather isn’t so bad, but what can you do?
If you went to DLD this year, I wanna see your photos! Let me know which beers you got! We ended up with the Temecula 3000 and the Dark Lord de Muerte variants.


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Rakeback Bonuses for Players in Asia?
No rakerace on Cake this month?
Non-US Members: Should I Promote This Free $50 Bankroll?
Can I have rakeback on redstar , after I got rakeback on cake ?


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School dinners are currently free to all children in reception, year one and year two. For children who are not entitled to a free school meal, the cost is currently £2.30.
Please use the link below to pay for and order meals.


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Thematic summer film festival with more than 10 years tradition is held on a regular basis at the Orlik medieval castle near the city of Humpolec in Czech Republic. Since 2002 the program portrays selected historical periods through the medium of cinematography with critical evaluation of the history representations in the cinema. We focus on the relationship between the cinematography and the historic memory where the film media isn't perceived as a simple means for recording and preserving historical facts, but rather as a tool for reflection with emphasis on critical evaluation of history representations in the film art. We will also try to analyze, on the other hand, how historic events, politic and economic situation, social and cultural trends of a selected era impacted the artistic production.
Program is composed of non-competitive presentation of documentary and fiction films from Central-European countries accompanied each year with thematic lectures and workshops targeted at interleaving both domains the history and cinematography and public debates with scholars and filmamakers involving both the professional and non-expert audiences especially the cinema and history enthusiasts in their active participation. Occasionally we host as well the cultural events such as photography exhibitions, poetry readings or amateur theather performances with collaboration of the festival partners.


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3....2...1... Mission Report.... Just a brief note from to let you know I am still alive. Who would have thought that after my exam the workload would have dramatically increased. I'll be back as soon with many stories to tell.
I am conflicted about what to tell you. I don't have a ton of time to blog, but I am going to try and get better about doing so. The conflict comes from whether to talk about what is going on at ISU, or what I am seeing and doing in China. Of course, I want to tell you everything, but I can only type so fast. You don't want to read a novel every day.
On one hand, the ISU schedule and curriculum is online, but that doesn't give you a good impression of what our daily life is like. On the other hand, China is a fascinating place, and I would like to share my stories. Likely you will get a mix of both.
What will tomorrow hold for you? What will you make of it? Anything you want.
Wow, Week two is over. I had planned to spend a large part of today updating the site, perhaps posting pictures.... but I got a headache... a big one. It not only kept me from going shopping, but also kept me off the computer. Instead of going into a lot of details, I will instead give you some thoughts from when I first left the US and arrived in Beijing. With the internet issues and my schedule, I haven't had time to post them before now. This covers the flight and my arrival in Beijing.
If you are reading this, I must have arrived in Beijing, buty this entry, I am typing from the flight from Washington D. C. Dulles to Beijing. Much to my surprise, I was upgraded to business class which makes a huge difference. The seats recline almost horizontal, I have a cool personal video display which I can control, and the food is pretty good.
The video display has a map that shows me where we are, the route, and some relevant statistics. It is hard to believe, but it has been 9 hours, 52 minutes since departure. Only 3 hours until arrival. Currently we are flying over Russia, but getting close to the border with Mongolia.
After leaving Dulles, I quickly fell asleep. I woke up long enough to eat, but for most of the first 6 hours of the flight, I was asleep. I woke up long enough to note that we flew due North, and at one point were very close to the North Pole.
Leaving was hard. I have been so busy over the past six months, I haven't had the time to really do the things that would allow me to get excited about this trip. (For example, reading my books about China, planing places to tour, etc) Within a day or so (perhaps hours) I will be excited and ready to embrace this experience. Right now, I am still well aware of what I am leaving behind.
It is now 11:00 PM in Beijing, China. I haven't yet got internet access in my room, but I wanted to type something up anyway.
Wow. I wish that I could have just recorded everything I saw and heard to play back. My broad opinion is as follows, it is not as foreign as I had expected. It is not just the prevalence of English or Western stores, it is also the big city attitude, the clothes, the attitudes of the people. I definitely feel as if I am in a foreign city, but it doesn't seem as foreign as I expected. Perhaps being in Dublin so recently has something to do with it.
From there, it took a bit of wandering to find the ISU folks. Having a bit of time before the bus arrived, I went to get a drink and perhaps some food (even though I wasn't hungry), My options were Starbucks and KFC Express. I settled for water and an egg sandwich from Starbucks. I only ate about 1/3 of the sandwich.
From there began the ISU experience. Meeting fellow classmates. I was really impressed with those with enough excitement and energy to run around introducing themselves to everyone. I talked to whomever I was near, but I didn't have the energy to implement a broader effort.
OK, so I finished this on the flight to Beijing. There is no really appropriate time to post it since it is so long overdue. Now is as good of a time as any.
Wow, was RavenCon really that long ago? I have been dreadfully remiss in posting about this great convention. It is kind of funny that it takes flying to China for me to finally get this post completed.
The whole experience started on Thursday. I was already taking Friday off work, and I had class on Thursday evening so didn't gel on the road to Richmond until very late. The drive was pretty uneventful, until I got to the Richmond airport. I drove around for 20 minutes trying to find the hotel. Once I found the hotel, I discovered that I hadn't extended the reservation to include Thursday night. (D'Oh) Did I mention that this was after 1:00 AM and I needed to meet folks at 8:00 AM? Of course, it turned out to not be a big deal. The very kind hotel staff just extended the stay.
In the week prior to the convention, I had been pooling a variety of sources for cool handouts. My efforts were rewarded with about 6 boxes of handouts for the high school and the convention. After checking into the hotel, I had to spend the next couple hours sorting out materials for the students and teachers of Monacan High School.
Friday was a day of highs and lows. The next morning I met Tee Morris, Peter Prellwitz , Rich White and many others. (Sorry to everyone I didn't mention.) With my several boxes of hand outs, Peter Prellwitz and I drove separately in my car. On the way to the high school, we were separated from the main car. Thank goodness that I had printed supplementary directions and that I had Peter with me to navigate. Despite being hungry and lost in Richmond, Virginia we managed to make it to Monacan High School on time.
As I posted earlier, I had a great time speaking to an astronomy class about the James Webb Space Telescope and working in the space industry.
After the high school event, we returned to the convention. My plan was to update my blog and take a nap. The blog update happened, but l the nap did not. While updating my blog, I turned on the television as I usually do. That eliminated the possibility of a nap. For the next few hours I was glued to the television watching the drama unfold at JPL. I posted a bit about this as it was happening, and I don't want to go into a major tangent here.
Remaining sleep deprived, I finished working on my two presentations for RavenCon. I decided that I should re-join the convention. I walked down to the dealers room and talked to a lot of great people. Two months after the convention, I can't remember everyone I met. Everyone humored me in my sleep deprived, depressed state.
I did meet the Geeklabel Podcast crew who I have been listening to for awhile. Not only to these guys do a funny, geeky podcast, they make awesome, custom, geek T-shirts at www, geeklabel.com.
The other major event from Friday evening was dinner. Tired, I wandered into the hotel restaurant expecting to eat alone. While there, I ran into my good friend Tee Morris. Joining his group of 2, the prospects for an interesting dinner improved. We were only a group of three for a short time as we kept accumulating new people, including the author guest of honor, Robert J. Sawyer.
Bob Sawyer is a great person. He is very social and approachable. He made a point to make sure that people were not eating alone. I shouldn't have been surprised that such a cool dinner event could occur at a con, especially a small convention like Ravencon. Yet, as I went to dinner, I had no idea that it was going to be such an interesting evening. Eventually I had to excuse myself for exhaustion, but it was a wonderful time.
Saturday was a pretty standard Convention day. John and I both had presentations that day. My presentation came first discussing private versus governmental space flight. I had a LOT of help with this presentation from Will Pomerantz. The talk went well, but not as well as I would like. The talk went a lot better once I stopped the presentation and opened it up for questions and discussions.
John's talk on the "Once and Flu-ture Pandemic" went very well. The room was packed and he gave an excellent presentation.
There was also the issue of the many boxes of hand out materials that I brought down to the convention. I had excellent materials of Hubble provided by the Space Telescope Science Institute, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) materials provided by the project office at NASA Goddard, and a few things from NASA Public affairs. Stocking the handout table turned out to be a bit of a logistical challenge. Overall, I ended up with some extra (which was distributed at Balticon 41) but I don't think that anyone who wanted something went without.
Outside the presentations, we did a lot of socializing, such as more chatting with the Geeklabel Crew. We also attended several of the other panels, specifically the podcasting panels. I think we may have gotten a bit of sleep, but not much.
Sunday was a half convention day. I gave my second presentation . This one went a little better than the first. It mostly covered my project, JWST, but I also made a point to cover other things going on within NASA. For this talk the room was packed.
RavenCon was a great time. I hope to be invited back next year, and regardless, I plan to visit Monacan High School again. As I am finishing this write up on a plane to China for the International Space University, if I do get invited back, who knows what the presentation topic will be. I expect to have lots of ideas.


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❶Time arrests them before they prepare adequately and hence produce sub-standard academic papers.
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April 4, 2017 was the first ever National Family Caregiver Day in Canada. In support of caregivers I attended the City of Toronto Caregiver Appreciation Event and watched Toronto Mayor Tory proclaim April 4th to be Family Caregiver Day in Toronto. I was reminded that caregiving can be a noble, exhausting, rewarding, challenging and isolating role.
As a health lawyer focusing on Family Health Law™, much of my time involves listening to, guiding, advising and representing family caregivers. I am frequently in awe of the dedication of my clients to their loved ones, and the sacrifices they make without hesitation. They prepare meals, change diapers, book appointments, administer injections, and perform extensive research. Often they have become experts in particular conditions and medications.
They are selfless. One recent client had not had so much as a date with his spouse in a decade because of his commitment to a parent with dementia.
They are advocates. Many of them are not comfortable in this role but feel they have no choice but to demand better.
They are substitute decision-makers. Often their loved ones have lost capacity and they find themselves in the difficult position of deciding whether to consent to a medication with unpleasant side effects or even whether to withdraw life support.
They are often frustrated and surprised by the many gaps in our health care and education systems.
Often they are battling not only against bureaucracy and public funding deficiencies, but also other relatives and their own anxieties.
In many cases they simply want to be heard and to ensure others do not experience the same challenges and, in some cases, the same tragedies.
Thank you to all family caregivers! In most cases you did not ask for this job (and it is often a job) but you work tirelessly every day at great personal cost to be a caregiver for your loved one. An annual day of recognition will not in itself make things easier, but will hopefully become an opportunity for your stories to be heard, to create public awareness of the challenges of caregiving, and to build a foundation for better and more caregiver supports in the future.


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For more information on prices and other models please contact: [email protected] Mexico Tel: 55-5774-1644 California Tel: 714-713-1806.
Title: Meistergram GEM1502 Embroidery Machine Demonstration Product name: Meistergram GEM1502 Interested in our products? Call us for more info!
Bernina Favorit 540 operational file shows some of the features, how to thread the machine, wind a bobbin and load a bobbin.
This gives you a little bit of insight on setting the timing on your machine and thread types that I use to this machine sizes: v69 v92 v138.
How to set the hook timing on a Singer 221 or 301.
This Singer 227 can pierce t 8 layers of Heavy Denim 12oz without hesitation will sew even on reverse.


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Wichita, KS, August 9, 2017 – Aerospace Turbine Rotables, Inc. became the second First Aviation Services Inc. subsidiary to announce the introduction of a new customer portal filled with many powerful features in an intuitive customer interface. The portal is being been rolled out to domestic and international customers with a very positive response.
Aerospace Turbine Rotables, Inc. (AeTR), a subsidiary of First Aviation Services Inc., has over 40 years’ experience as an FAA and EASA certified repair station in the repair and overhaul of various aircraft system components, primarily serving the corporate, paramilitary and military markets. AeTR’s extensive repair and overhaul capabilities include Landing Gear Systems, Struts & Actuators, Wheels and Brakes, Hydraulic Power Packs, Flap Actuators, Motors & Gear Boxes, Flight Control Actuators, Beacons, Landing Lights, Emergency Power Supplies, Strobe Lights, Power Supplies, Tach Generators, Voltage Regulators, Oxygen & Fire Bottles Hydrostatic Testing, Crew Masks & Oxygen Regulators, Control Surfaces, and other advanced composite and metal bond repairs. AeTR is also a certified Stratoflex hose distributor.
industry worldwide. FAvS’s principal operating subsidiaries are Aerospace Turbine Rotables, Inc.
may be found on the company’s website www.firstaviation.com.

industry_corpus2: Aerospace


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INAM Pitch Events are customized events based on the interest and needs of our members. These events bring the latest trends and innovations in Advanced Materials right to your doorstep.
Staying updated with the latest industry trends also means keeping an eye on the up-and-coming energy startups.
INAM brought 5 innovative startups to Berlin, giving them the opportunity to meet our members during an evening of engaging pitches and conversations.

industry_corpus2: Power & Energy


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Environmental Jobs in the Hertfordshire area are added on a regular basis to our website by leading employers.
Register today to ensure that you do not miss out on the latest environmental job opportunities in Hertfordshire.
Leading organisations use our job board as an integral part of their candidate attraction strategy to find talented environmental candidates in Hertfordshire.


text: Hanging Heart Taper Holder is a metal taper holder with an aged, gray finish. The top of the holder features a beautiful heart shape and a pre-drilled hole for hanging. The holder curves up at the base and holds a candle tray with a taper candle cup. Measures 12\” high by 2\” wide with a ⅞\” candle cup.


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A quick summary of many weeks of insanity!
It’s been pretty busy the last month or so, and I haven’t had the chance to write down the Limen’s House adventures. To right this a little, I’ll give an abbreviated recap. It might make as much sense in this abbreviated form as it would in full detail.
They fought a gorilla-sized Magma Elemental, a very stealthy ifrit ranger riding a hellcat. The Magma Elemental failed on a Murderous Command and Faugh beat the snot out of the hellcat. Picklick unfortunately took the stealthy way around the combat and didn’t get there in time. The ranger stealthed away after a few failed sniper shots.
The gang ultra-prepared themselves for a raid on the cult headquarters. All the buffs, all the stealth… then found it empty.
Turns out the cultists were across the way having beers in a beer garden. A beer garden suspended in the clouds that looked eerily familiar. Whilst looting the place and preparing haphazardly for an ambush, John found a lever labelled with “DO NOT TOUCH”. His twitchy hand instinctively pulled the switch… and nothing seemed to happen.
GM’s note: The idea for this fight was the epic church scene in Kingsmen. It was meant to be chaotic and completely unfair to the NPCs. Of course, Brus got too anxious and sprung the trap too early. The PCs won, but it could have been less messy.
The cultist’s ace-in-the-hole was a drunken halfling brawler (styled as an Irishman). He got into the fray quickly and laid down some hurt. Unfortunately we (YET AGAIN) had trouble with the grapple rules. Turns out if you save vs grapple whilst being pinned, you are out of the grapple. Not just downgraded to grappled. He should have been out of harm and punching like a champ. Alas.
Due to some confusion by the cultists and a Silence spell, the Bard noticed that - to his immense surprise - the tower base had exploded and something big and maybe draconic was flying about. They were replaying history! The tower that had collapsed near the plaza turned out to be the one they were now in. Afraid that they (or someone else - it wasn’t clear to the PCs) had unleashed a powerful dragon, they quickly scarpered. Faugh took the unconscious body of the halfling as everyone grabbed bits of evidence or loot. Some of the chaotic priests stayed in the collapsing tower laughing, sighing, screaming.
Bill and John watched the open portal door as the tower on the other side crumbled. As the physical structure was torn apart, the magical energies went haywire. The door on their side collapsed into a tiny black hole, taking part of the castle wall with it.
They weren’t out of danger yet! Turns out the ifrit scout from before had informed his higher-ups about the invaders. They sent a much tougher party to check it out.
GM’s note: Way back in level 5 or 6, Brus claimed a naginata from a samurai sent to kill the party. Paul (the person running Brus) had a habit of calling it a “naginita” instead of “naginata”. After a while, the table got sick of correcting him each and every time. I once dropped a -2 attack and damage penalty on him if he said “naginita”. That’s a little unfair, so I turned the weapon into a weird semi-intelligent weapon with bonuses to come. It immediately set up a rivalry between Brus and this samurai, and gave me an avenue to boost Brus in the future.
This fight was fairly brutal, although was significantly less than it would have been since John had given them all a Resist Fire in preparation for the cultists. A fireball exploded the unconscious halfling but didn’t hurt anyone else. When Bill was grappled by the magma ooze, this would have been a quite scary situation except for the fire protection.
Brus was brutalized by the samurai and fire elemental with reach, while Picklick sneaked his way to a shocking grasp backstab on a hapless sorceror. They survived without casualties, but it was close on Brus and Faugh.
The PCs were back, sans Wu-Chi but with a bunch of loot and the cultists mostly dead. There was this problem about temporal loops of causality, but they seemed to have not destroyed any universes… yet.
Quicksilver, the Paladin that had saved them initially and had avoided death by the dragonkin Xalanth.
The party chose to see Mother Urchin first.
GM’s note: I gave them the option of any of these, but they had to give me a heads up. This was to combat the fairly heavy-handed railroading thus far, but given that they aren’t told exactly what the adventures involve, it might be a bit of a lottery. I need to fix this.
Mother Urchin seemed to have some connection to Coin’s wife. In Coin’s wife’s attempts to rescue Coin from his fate, she had made some alliance with Mother Urchin. Coin was shaky on the actual alliance, but Mother Urchin was renowned for her interest in artifacts.
After tooling up, the PCs headed to the coast via their usual doorway portals. This one opened to a latrine in a bar so they had to casually all stumble from the same toilet into a room full of bored sailors. After some brusque diplomacy (helped by John Wilmarth buying the bar’s prized trophy fish for a handful of gold) they found out that fishing lately had been too dangerous. The region had become home to far too many beasties and their fishing economy plummeted. Many sailors blamed Mother Urchin for the arrival of these beasts. The PCs promised to solve their monster or Hag problem, one way or another.
They bribed a none-too-bright brute to row them out to the island where Mother Urchin lived. This took a little bit of planning on where they wanted to land.
GM’s note: I had set the island up to have a few major pathways with options. Each had an encounter or beastie, so it was a pick-your-poison via random dart throw.
The island itself was shaped vaguely like a flame. There were deep waters either side, a beach to the southeast and the main part of the island was elevated cliffs. To the southeast was a large rockpool with rocks they could clamber over, but not pilot a boat through.
The PCs chose to land on the sandy beach and head northwards. Faugh and Picklick couldn’t really swim, so they feared venturing out into the deeper water.
GM’s note: Which is lucky for them! There was a cranky Dragon Turtle or a Dire Shark waiting for them! Or if they clambered over the rocks, a shipwrecker or sharkeater crab, or a globster.
They wandered along the beach cautiously. Will and Brus noticed a weird draining of water from the cliff along the beach. They went to warn Faugh but it was too late! He was sinking into quicksand!
And that’s when they rolled initiative versus the attacking dire crocodile.
As they tried to pull him out of the quicksand, the crocodile chomped him mightily. Brus rescued him with his newly-acquired Travel domain teleportation ability… But didn’t rescue him far enough for the crocodile to advance and keep attacking.
GM’s note: It was looking dicey for Faugh there. He might have died if we didn’t have a rules dispute (that fell on the PCs side both times, when it should have been on the croc’s one side). If the dire crocodile got his free death roll, Faugh’s remains might have been fished out of the oversized handbag. Luckily the group banded together and kept him alive with healing spells and pikes to keep the crocodile at bay.
A little shaken up by the crocodile attack, they decided that instead of climbing along the cliff walls over the ocean, they’d climb on top of the central part of the island. They didn’t want to fall in and risk more crocodiles.
Luckily they made some good stealth and survival rolls to avoid a nest of Sea Drakes, and made their way to a hidden inlet on the north side.
The inlet was quite the sight - a ship had tried to squeeze into the cave but got caught and broke in half. Not quite sinking, but still blocking the inlet. Around the marooned ship was a thick carpet of bottles with messages inside them. This reminded the PCs of an encounter very early in the campaign. They were worried.
He jumped and landed flat on his face on a small outcropping of rock. He rolled to the side and slipped straight off the rock, plunging deep into the water with his heavy armour. He quickly launched a teleportation spell to the shipwreck… But emerged at the algae-slimed, diagonally angled deck… So he slipped again and plunged into the water in the inlet.
So from his party’s perspective they saw him brace courageously and jump. They then heard, CLANG CRASH, “by Yog-sothoth’s… whoa, whooooa”, SPLASH, “Yog-Sothoth help me!”, WHOOMP, “Whoa whoa whoa!”, THUD, *slide*, SPLASH. All out of sight. It was beautiful pratfall comedy.
Brus had fallen into a small coral cay, populated by a giant octopus, hungry moray eels and none of the rest of his party. He scrambled into the ship… only to be attacked by a giant crab. It was not Brus’ day.
After a lot of prevaricating, the rest of the team joined him and scared off the giant octopus. They then attempted some bizarre underwater cable-car experiment with Brus walking forward to provide a strong anchor line for the rest of them. He unfortunately drew the rope across sharp coral whilst fighting off moray eels and the rope snapped. The others eventually tried to follow him, only to be attacked by the giant octopus and more eels. Brus had had enough and bit the octopus with all his might, turning it into calamari chunks before everyone was drowned.
GM’s note: Another grappler animal that did quite well, but not as well as it could have. Apparently I was the only one who knew about octopus’ camouflage abilities so they were surprised when it emerged “from the sand”.
The moray eels were just nuisances, but one did get to use it’s double-mouth ability.
After collecting themselves, the PCs stomped down a coral corridor about ankle-deep in water. It turned into a dark cave, so they approached cautiously. A small clutch of fishmen (actually Ceratioidi) scampered between the rocks as the Bard lead the way. Out of the darkness came an alluring light, but the Bard was also doing a song and dance. A clash of the fascinate effects. It was an awkward standoff, but the bard talked to the ceratioidi and managed to negotiate that the PCs could walk on by (for a gold coin or so). Some of the PCs were outraged at the thought of parting with even a single GP, but they managed to walk through without a fight.
GM’s note: The ceratioidi were effectively contract men for the Hags. They were allowed to live on their island, in return they provided Mother Urchin with the occasional ancient relic. They had a few tricks up their sleeve: the fascinate effect, immunity to mind-affecting effects, home ground advantage and ambidexterity. It might have drained a few more resources from the PCs, but luckily we didn’t need the fight.
The PCs pushed on deeper into an underground cavern, illuminated by a hole in the ceiling up to the sky. The area was a large, shallow beach (mostly underwater) with a deep section to the northeast and huts along the south edge. In the middle of the huts - still in the water - was a half-ring of chairs. A hag sat in the main one, with a beautiful young woman (naked and covered in roiling sea foam) off to one side. They stood underneath a totem.
Mother Urchin was stirring starfish into a magma vent that doubled as her cauldron. Her turtle wearily opened an eye at them.
Meanwhile, Picklick and Faugh had Water Walking and Invisibility on and were attempting to sneak around the sides.
At that point, another hag emerged and screamed, “You!” at them. It was the hag from the lighthouse, Foetia, all those sessions ago. There was a bit of discussion amongst the witches (“It’s them!” “The lighthouse vandals?” “Yes!”) and it was getting more and more awkward, but diplomacy continued.
This was getting too witchy-poo creepy for the PCs. They were clearly on the backfoot and out of diplomatic ammunition, so it was then that Picklick decided he’d sneak attack her. Combat was on!
GM’s note: Mother Urchin was an Advanced Sea Hag with levels in Witch. Still much lower in level than the PCs, but that was okay. The sea foam beautiful hag was an Oceanid named Aelgin. Again, not so powerful but was in her element. Foetia the lighthouse hag had received the Advanced template, but was still far below the PCs in power.
I messed up initially because there were many, many buffs cast beforehand and some of them were really weird to deal with (how does Tremorsense (water) work with Water Walking? And stealth?) So when Picklick tried the stab and had his Invisibility go away, no-one mentioned that to me, so Mother Urchin acted as like he wasn’t there.
I had also not done my homework with regards to witches and Hexes. I had prepared the other paths into the area too well. Dangit.
Immediately, Foetia ran behind a hut, out of sight. She had released a captive of theirs and then banged on the hut to rouse her other hag sister. Faugh, however, was there waiting for her and quickly battered her brains out on the corner of the hut. At that time, her sister emerged from the hut (which had a weird cover of frost, despite the tropical setting.) It was Caelanthra, the Winter Hag from the observatory!
All of the PCs past sins were coming back to bite them. Almost literally!
Meanwhile, Foetia’s champion had emerged - a crackling, whirling cloud of electric eels in the form of a distraught man. The eelman dodged Faugh’s attempts to attack him and punched him hard back. While the party was split, it was looking a bit dicey for Faugh.
GM’s notes: Foetia’s familiar was a poor little octopus, who also got smashed. Caelanthra was also about the same level as Mother Urchin and Aelgin, but was more combat-ready.
The staggered nature of the fight (as well as some bad GM rolls and poor planning with Hexes) meant that the action economy of the PCs really paid off. Caelanthra and the Eelman did a bunch of damage, but were quickly knocked down once the pack focussed on them.
The eelman was a Galvo, repurposed to be the horrific sea-themed slave Alastair (from the lighthouse) captured in a eel swarm body.
I had a few other tricks (like a crab swarm and a roaming wereshark out in the deep) but they didn’t get used effectively. The swarm rules were confusing players (and GMs) so the crabs dissipated.
Eventually they cut Mother Urchin down, destroyed the eyes of Caelanthra with a Blindness spell, punched her snow monkey familiar to death, and beat down the eelman. Aelgin managed to make a quick escape, and the wereshark never made an appearance. The sea hag coven was dead, and the PCs picked over the loot.
A ghastly find - the totem was actually the remains of Coin’s wife, strung up like a crucifix. This was the hag’s twisted reverence for Coin’s wife and the reason for their chuckles before. They claimed a bunch of ancient relics from Mother Urchin’s stash, unceremoniously took the remains of Coin’s wife and the urchin-encrusted book of limenology she had written in, and made their way home.
GM’s notes: Phew! A few long sessions of complicated stuff! The PCs were only a little wiser than they were before, but a lot wealthier. Some near-deaths and amusing spectacle.
Ever since the PCs finished the tower run versus the Formians, the campaign has been on a downhill slope. Past deeds and plot threads have come back to bite them. The mess of loose ends are starting to tie together.
I have a few more sessions to write up, and hopefully I can do that before I get too busy again!
Note: Due to being very busy making the finale, I never finished these writeups. The players still mention set-pieces in the campaign, so I think it was a success.


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A group of Prince Albert pickleball players take to the Midtown Community Club Courts on Thursday. -- Jason Kerr/Daily Herald.
In the past, Mary Ruth Amundson and her husband have travelled as far away as Arizona for a good pickleball game.
That’s not due to a lack of talented players in Prince Albert either. Instead, limited court space in the city meant the Amundsons had to look elsewhere to get their sporting fix. Thankfully, that’s all going to change.
On Thursday, the City of Prince Albert officially unveiled the restored and reconfigured outdoor court facilities at the Midtown Community Club. The $170,000 refit means the area will have two fully resurfaced tennis courts, a basketball court, and last but not least, two pickleball courts.
The upgrades mean there are now three outdoor tennis venues in the city, two of which are public. The refurbished Midtown courts help make up for the loss of the old tennis facilities, which were torn down to make way for a new gym for Carlton Comprehensive Public High School.
Mayor Greg Dionne said the loss of those old courts left a gaping hole in the city’s recreation life. On Thursday he said he was happy to see that hole close.
“It’s great to have an outside facility, because at the end of the day, you want a healthy community, and you have a healthy community when you provide them with facilities,” Dionne said.
Getting the project approved wasn’t easy. The item faced some opposition in city council after a report showed just how far conditions at the midtown court had deteriorated, and how expensive it would be to refurbish. The court’s deteriorated asphalt base needed a complete restoration, and there were other common maintenance expenses involved in switching over from three non-regulation sized tennis courts to the current configuration.
Ward 7 Coun. Dennis Nowoselsky brought the original motion before council for consideration. On Thursday, he said he was elated to see the new courts being put to good use, but added that the deterioration of the facility in previous years gave everyone a valuable lesson.
If Nowoselsky has his way, this won’t be the only outdoor tennis and pickleball venue the city opens. He hopes the two sports receive more publicity in the coming years, which ideally will lead to more facilities opening in the years ahead.
“I would hope we promote it now, and then in the future, we add another one or two in the city over the next few years,” he said.
The Midtown Community Club Courts are open seasonally from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. They do not require a community club membership for use.

industry_corpus2: Sports


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Stonefields @ Sommerville Special School: Let's Listen!
We filled up bottles with different amounts of water. When you tap them with a pencil they make different sounds.


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Holifair Festival is an annual family-friendly, community-building fundraising celebration with over 30 live bands, talks, cabaret, barn dance, kids area with loads of great workshops, dance tent, chillout space, walkabout acts, firepit, theatre, storytelling, bar, craft and wellbeing area, plus local caterers and stalls set on the beautiful Holifield Farm Project in Gweek, at the head of the Helford Estuary. It attracts up to 3000 people.
2016 will be Holifair’s 9th year and it gets more popular every year. Holifair is a community fundraising event for the The Holifield Farm Project Day Care Centre for people with Special Needs. We are currently trying to raise £50 000 to complete our new classroom and are always on the lookout for donors. Past Holifair’s have paid for a tractor, the start of our classroom, Solar Panels to make us more self sufficient, amongst other useful tools for the trainees on the project.
We are proud to be an environmentally-friendly festival. We actively encourage public transport and car-sharing, by providing information & links on our website and a parking ticket incentive to car-share. The majority of all energy used on site from solar, and we keep the use of disposable plastic to a minimum. Our bar cups are re-usable and our Solar power is provided by Resource Living and Mobile Solar Stage Productions, as well as our own Solar Panels.
Holifair has a main stage, Marquee stage, DJ area, chillout and experimental areas for all kinds of musical enjoyment – which at Holifair ranges from folk, gypsy, punk, blues and reggae all the way to dance. There is a Kids Area with all kinds of workshops, storytelling, fun and games throughout the festival as well as The Secret Grove – our Wellbeing & Craft Area with artists, alternative therapists and practitioners of the mysterious and magical.
Get your tickets soon to avoid missing out on many wonderful festival delights, in this friendly community-feel festival based on this gorgeous site! This year there won’t be tickets available on the gate!
Please remember no fireworks, fire lanterns, glass, animals, open fires, petrol generators or unauthorised sound systems are permitted on site. If you bring any of these items you are putting the festivals licence at risk.


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Son of Aaron and Catherine E. Vardy, of Alexandria, New South Wales, Australia.
Cemetery/memorial reference: 7. B. 5.


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A practical and convivial way of traveling, joining our shared trip is a pleasant way of discovering one of the Cordillera's gems with a new set of friends. Best for those who are traveling solo or in a small group. Also works for big groups on a budget. This tour happens each weekend.
Inquire now to know our current promo rate!
Ready to travel with new friends?
1. Transportation: Round trip air-conditioned van land transfer from Metro Manila. Our usual meet-up point is located near EDSA, making it accessible for most participants. We can also pick up from Pampanga and Tarlac.
2. Accommodation: Our partner inns are located right smack in town where all the restaurants are within walking distance. You will get a private room. Please note that toilets and bathrooms are shared with other rooms unless you want to upgrade for a room that has its private bathroom.
3. Fees: Municipal/environmental, Cultural tour/Echo valley and Bomod-ok waterfall fees are included.
4. Tour guide: Licensed guide for the cultural and the waterfall trekking tours are both included.
5. Service: Transportation to the jump-off points of all the sites visited: the caves, the falls, Sagada weaving, Kiltepan, echo valley..

industry_corpus2: Travel & Geography


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April 13, 2017 NextEra Energy Inc., Oncor, Texas' largest electric utility, Uncategorized.
Texas regulators have rejected Juno Beach-based NextEra Energy’s proposed $18 billion deal to purchase Oncor Energy Delivery Co. from parent firm Energy Future Holdings, according to published reports.
Energy Future Holdings entered bankruptcy in 2014 facing more than $40 billion in debt fueled by low energy prices.
The Public Utilities Commission of Texas voted 3-O Thursday to adopt a draft order that stated the transaction was not in the public interest and would subject Oncor to new and potentially substantial risks.
In September 2016 a U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved Energy Future Holdings Corp. entering into an agreement with NextEra to acquire 100 percent of the equity of reorganized EFH, reorganized Energy Future Intermediate Holdings Corp, Oncor Electric Delivery Holdings Co. LLC and other subsidiaries including Oncor Holdings’ approximately 80 percent ownership in Oncor Electric Delivery Co.
NextEra officials said Thursday they were not offering any comment.
NextEra, headquartered in Juno Beach, is the parent company of Florida Power & Light Co., Florida’s largest electric utility.
Oncor is the largest regulated transmission and distribution utility in Texas.
NextEra’s attempt to purchase Oncor follows its failed 2016 attempt to buy Hawaiian Electric Industries, the parent company of Hawaii’s largest electric utility, for $4.3 billion.
In July 2016 the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission rejected the deal, saying the companies failed to show the merger would be in the public’s interest.
Smartphone addiction: Do you have it? Check out these signs.


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The Nida Azwer bridal collection for FPW is steeped in a world of enchantment and dreams. Titled “Mystical Garden”, the collection draws on enchanted elements one may find in such a garden, from grasshoppers, deer, rabbits, dragonflies, birds and bees, all imagined within a more whimsical interpretation.
This collection is based in a palette of soft neutrals from lavender to orchid pink, powder blue, gold and silver with accents of ash gray and magenta with metallic hints in luxe fabrics such as organzas, nets, silks, chiffons and Nida Azwer’s signature french lace.
In terms of silhouette, the collection presents a range of traditional and more experimental cuts, from lenghas, crop tops, peshwases, angarkhas, ghararas, jackets, dhoti shalwars and saris.
Mystical Garden has been embellished with pearl, bead and crystal work along with the modern interpretation of old craft using resham, kaamdani and zardozi. The Nida Azwer Atelier has also worked across 3D embroideries, creating added layers and dimension.
“At the Atelier, from our debut show in 2009 till now, we have worked consistently to develop and innovate our bridal work – from the embroideries, patterns, fabrics to silhouettes. My personal vision has always been to revive and reinterpret the more traditional craft elements and Mystical Garden is reflective of this”, said Nida Azwer on her collection.
Previous articleFHM Magazine For Men Discontinued!


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Passion is a wonderful trait and a powerful differentiator of nonprofit employees and for-purpose organisations. It can even be a mandatory job requirement. So what’s the problem?
The problem is that passion is not enough. Nonprofit organisations can incorrectly confuse passion with competent performance in the people they employ. No amount of passion can compensate for missing attributes such as innovation, adaptability, accountability, engagement, transparency, teamwork or professionalism.
Passionate employees who have not been measured against benchmarks can get defensive when they are provided with performance-based feedback. They can feel they have invested so much of themselves in terms of time, energy and dedication into the cause, that they take a lack of results as a personal criticism. They can think their passion is enough and should be accepted unquestioningly. They can find professional performance evaluation confronting.
The harsh reality is that even the greatest passion cannot excuse an absence of measurable outcomes on behalf of those the organisation serves. For passion to be effective, it must be channelled into performance.
Nonprofit leaders need to build trust and resilience so employees can hear performance-based feedback as guidance and support, rather than as criticism or a rejection of their self-worth. Effective coaching, training and mentoring can help employees improve their output to effort ratio – to achieve more for the same effort. In doing so, they gain the personal fulfilment that comes from seeing positive change unfold.
Leaders can help employees do their jobs more effectively by addressing three longstanding nonprofit HR practices that have become performance roadblocks.
Consulting widely with staff is a keystone of nonprofit organisations, but what constitutes too much consultation? Employees need to feel heard and acknowledged, and to provide input. But at some point, someone needs to make a decision. Nonprofits can cross this line by trying to please everyone – and it is invariably impossible to get everyone to agree to anything.
The aim of consultation is not to make everyone happy, but to solicit appropriate feedback and then transparently explain the reasons why and how the final decision was made. It is more important for employees to respect the decision making process than to ‘like’ any individual decision. The process, deadlines and planned extent of consultation must be crystal clear from the outset.
Over consultation can breed frustration and disengagement – the very opposite of what it was intended to do. It can get in the way of employees actually doing their jobs. The implicit message that employees receive from over consultation is that it is acceptable for things to go round in circles ad infinitum, and that inefficiency is tolerated. Duplication of effort is the enemy of outcomes. Doing things once and doing them properly is the essence of efficiency.
The consultation process sets the tone of accountability. It too, needs to be accountable. I’m not a fan of acronyms but one that I do like is DIFOT – delivered in full, on time. Most often used as a performance delivery metric within supply chains, the words also express an ethos of accountability and responsibility towards others. DIFOT underpins what good consultation should be – a clearly managed and transparent process.
Everyone loves a positive, friendly and harmonious working environment. Nonprofits often have high levels of amiability – people want to be nice. However, there are dangers in being too amiable.
Amiability becomes a roadblock when employees avoid doing things that might be unpopular. Being too nice can stifle productivity. When the need to be liked develops into a fear of upsetting sensitivities, or worse being the kind of person who always says what others want to hear but doesn’t actually do anything about it.
Amiability can disguise a lack of forthrightness. The employee who sends reassuring messages like “I’m working hard on this” to express amiable agreement can often fail to deliver on the task itself. Or the manager who tells each employee a different story, to keep them on side. Amiability can also be a coping mechanism to handle fear of rejection or retribution – whether real or perceived.
It is the CEO and the leadership team’s role to define a culture of authenticity where employees feel safe to raise issues for debate, and to be able to say ‘no’ openly. The opposite of over amiability is not rudeness. It is the courage to be authentic.
Gossip is a major cause of lost productivity that flourishes when there is fear or frustration. Fear can be created by a top down, punitive control and command ethos. Frustration can be created by over consultation, inefficient systems and a lack of accountability or transparency.
The CEO needs to lead by example. Once the leadership team presents a united front, they can begin to address the behaviour of specific gossip perpetrators to ensure bad behaviour is not rewarded. Or, where there are issues that warrant employee frustration or fear, to tackle them and create an environment where talk is channelled into productive, healthy debate.
Communicating transparently so all staff feel they know what is happening will help reduce any gaps in the management dialogue – because gaps feed the uncertainty that negative gossip fills. Encouraging positive gossip by actively listening to ideas from within (and taking action based on them) encourages employees to realise their voices are important.
Nonprofits concerned with upsetting sensitivities can find it hard to bring critical issues out into the open, where they can be dealt with. Paradoxically, this can have the opposite result and foster gossip which has a far more detrimental effect. Employees who rely on gossip can perpetuate an insular culture that makes open collaboration impossible. This is especially true of those who haven’t worked in environments that encourage open, healthy debate – they can find the process intimidating and incorrectly diagnose healthy debate as hostile because it is so overt.
Turning over-consultation into action, amiability into authenticity, and gossip into healthy debate are three of the most powerful things nonprofits can do to turn passion into performance.
This article is an excerpt from The Future of Associations and ran in the Third Sector newsletter in September 2017.
Omer Soker is the author of The Future of Associations and The Trust Future.


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The 2019 $0 down, VA home loan limit for Gaines County is $484,350.
Welcome the great local community of Gaines County, which is located in western Texas, and is within driving distance to many fun attractions. There are a multitude of fun and interesting attractions in the county, including a speedway and several museums. Be sure to visit all the beautiful outdoor spots within driving distance, including some of Texas’ most beautiful state parks. A great education is available in the area, thanks to the many nearby higher education options. Gaines County was officially founded in 1905, and was named after James Gaines, who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. The current population of the county is 20,478, including a veteran population of 475.
You and your family are sure to have a great time at any of the fun and interesting attractions in Gaines County. The Gaines County Golf Course is the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing game of golf, featuring beautiful views, golf kart rentals, a pro shop, and more. The County Museum is a great spot to learn about local history, featuring a variety of interesting exhibits and artifacts, including Pre-Columbian art and antique typewriters. Other great attractions in the area include the M.S. Doss Fitness Center, M.S. Doss Youth Center, Seminole Speedway, and more.
If you are a fan of the outdoors, then you will love the many beautiful outdoor spots in and nearby Gaines County. Gaines County Park offers some of the best views of the local landscape, and is home to many picnic shelters, playground equipment, walking trails, and more. Located within driving distance, Big Spring State Park is one of the most beautiful spots in the entire state. Big Spring State Park offers excellent opportunities for rock climbing, hiking, camping, and all aquatic activities. Other nearby outdoor spots include Copper Breaks State Park, Monahans Sandhills State Park, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
All local children are sure to receive an excellent education through the Gaines County School District. There are also many higher education options located nearby, perfect for those looking for a new career. South Plains College is located within driving distance, and offers a variety of Associate’s Degree and Certificate programs. Other nearby higher education options include Texas Tech University, Wayland Baptist University, and more.
The county is home to several veteran resources, including the Gaines County Veterans’ Services Office. The median housing cost in the county is $102,400, and the median household income is $58,788.
Contact the experts at VA Home Loan Centers for some of the best home financing options available to veterans and their families.
Easily finance your new home by applying for a VA loan!
Obtaining condo approval on any condo is easy with the help of VA Home Loan Centers.


text: Play as one of the mighty heroes and fight in a war against the enemy! Use your special attacks at the right time and team up with your allies. Do you have what it takes to defeat evil for once and for all?