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The 2019 North Carolina Science Festival will feature the Statewide Star Party as a signature event, thanks to generous grant support from the North Carolina Space Grant.
During this 7th annual Statewide Star Party, astronomy clubs, state and local parks, universities, planetariums, science centers, nature centers, and libraries will host public skywatching sessions at more than 50 sites across North Carolina on Friday, April 12, and Saturday, April 13, 2019. About 5,000 visitors and 200 STEM professionals and volunteers are expected to participate.
This year’s Star Party theme is “The Moon and Beyond” in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first humans to walk on the moon. Hosts will lead moon observing and hands-on activities from the Star Party kit to help visitors explore all things lunar.
The Statewide Star Party is made possible with the support of NC Space Grant and the NC Science Festival.

industry_corpus2: Technology & Research


text:
Covert agent Zachary Griffin and FBI Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick are sidetracked from an ongoing investigation to follow up on a potential lead. In a small Arizona border town, gunrunning and drug trafficking into Mexico are a part of the landscape—but not when they're orchestrated by an officer in uniform. At least that's the story told to agents Griffin and Fitzpatrick.
But the dirty cop is now missing, and his sister says he's innocent, a victim of a corrupt police department. She is convinced they set him up to take the fall, then killed him, and she can prove it—with help from a highly unusual witness. Suddenly an open-and-shut case seems anything but, and the clock is ticking as Griffin and Fitzpatrick take on an entire police department in a deadly match that could go up in smoke at the last second.

industry_corpus2: Law & Justice


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Do you mean canned milk or sweetened condensed? I could see the second type working like glue, but the not the first type unless you boiled it until it thickened. Yes, I believe it would be the sugar that would make it stick like glue.
Casein is the glue product in milk. Google it, there is a ton of information.
It is the casin (protein) that makes the plastic like elastic, but the sugar is also a bonding agent....you how sugar is sticky! My mom also used carnation milk to fix things, thats what brought me here. Use it, it really works well.!

industry_corpus2: Agriculture & Fisheries


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THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA - talk musical & non-musical influences!
Commented the band: "There are people who argue that rock 'n' roll ain‘t what it used to be. That going to a rock show these days is a safe, boring and conformistic experience. Well, those people have never seen THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA live and in action. Because once you do, you will soon start to expect the impossible, dream the unimaginable, recieve the undeliverable and forget about everything else except for the drunken, delirious, ecstatic experience of the here and now as everything you thought that you had left behind you becomes an emergency in the resolute urgency of now!
For those of you wanting something to commemorate the inevitable amnesia of spending a night out on the town with THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, we also have a competition in collaboration with our friends at ESP guitars, where you can win an LTD guitar signed by and decorated by the members of THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA."
The band recently announced that they will be re-releasing their early albums; their debut, »Internal Affairs«, as well as its successor, »Skyline Whispers«. The records include modern classics like 'West Ruth Ave', 'Transatlantic Blues', 'Living For The Nighttime' and 'Stiletto' amongst many more.
»Internal Affairs« and »Skyline Whispers« will be released on November 23, 2018 via Nuclear Blast.
THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA - exclusive show!

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


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War of the Rebellion: Serial 019 Page 0802 MO., ARK., KANS., IND. T., AND DEPT. N. W. Chapter XXV.
SAINT LOUIS, MO., November 6, 1862.
GENERAL: Herewith find communication of Governor Robinson, of Kansas asking for authority to arm such portion of our militia as may be sufficient to protect our border against the violence of lawless bands in Missouri. I unite in this earnest appeal of the Governor. The citizens of Kansas along the eastern line of the State bordering upon that part of Missouri south of the river feel no security for life or property, and many, in despair that the Government will afford them aid, are leaving the State or moving back into the interior, abandoning crops, houses, and other improvements to the mercy of the enemy. It seems hard that the loyal people of this most loyal State, after sending their twelve regiments to the field, should thus be left with inadequate protection to the mercies of a vindictive and relentless foe. Even now, with the handful left, we do not ask for help, but ask only that we allowed to defend ourselves, and in order to do this we have appealed to you for arms, clothing and subsistence for our people while in the field in active service. In behalf of our State may I ask, general, for our wants and dangers your most serious consideration?
Major-General, Northern Division Kansas State Militia.
SIR: The Secretary of War informs me that with your approval arms and equipments may be furnished the militia of Kansas for purposes of defense against our enemies. Our citizens are ready to protect our border, provided they can have arms, clothing, and subsistence for such as take the field. If you would authorize the equipment and subsistence of 500 cavalry and the same number of infantry I think the border from Wyandotte to Fort Scott could be well protected, and 500 more infantry would be able to protect the north side of the Kansas River, including the fort.
P. S. - I forward this to General Halderman, with a request that he visit you in person to explain more fully our necessities.

industry_corpus2: Politics & Administration


text: Stunning ladies bra made of patterned knitted fabric and embroidered mesh. Side seam boning, demi padded cups. Adjustable, not separable shoulder straps come in different widths depending on the size. Three sets of two hook and eye back closure. Subtle bows added for extra charm. Comes in an elegant box - perfect for a gift. Composition: 88% polyamide, 8% cotton, 4% elastane.

industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


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Homes for sale in Rancho Del Mar are in high demand. With the recent boom in Rancho Del Mar Homes for sale, you can be assured that you have the best tools available for your search. Check out Rancho Del Mar market statistics and the latest listings to find your next Rancho Del Mar Home!
Remember, we empower the community with your transaction. Pick your favorite Rancho Del Mar Animal Shelter or Rancho Del Mar Charity and a sizable donation will be made at the close of the transaction.

industry_corpus2: Real Estate & Construction


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We usually per for Electric Well Water Pump , Electric Water Pump , electric well water pump , We sincerely welcome you come to visit us. Hope we have good cooperation in the future.
The really abundant projects management experiences and 1 to just one provider model make the high importance of business enterprise communication and our easy understanding of your expectations for Electric Well Water Pump , Electric Water Pump , electric well water pump , work together and create a brilliant future!"

industry_corpus2: Power & Energy


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Having a positive affirmation, prayer or mantra to repeat when things get rough can really help keep our brain on a positive track. Carry around your positive affirmation on a phone, notebook,bookmark, etc. Or you can ever memorize the positive affirmation, so you can repeat it whenever you are feeling down.
Some things are just truly out of our control. Learn how to differentiate between those things you can control and those you can’t. Once you know what you can control, you can begin making positive changes to avoid catastrophe in the future.

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


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• House - Villa • Bedroom(s): 3 • Bathroom(s): 3 • Year of build: 2007 • Live square: 117 Sq. m.
• Apartament • Bedroom(s): 3 • Bathroom(s): 2 • Year of build: 2002 • Live square: 90 Sq. m.
• Apartament • Bedroom(s): 2 • Bathroom(s): 1 • Total square: 55.60 Sq. m.
• Apartament • Bedroom(s): 2 • Bathroom(s): 1 • Year of build: 2000 • Live square: 75 Sq. m.
• Duplex • Bedroom(s): 4 • Bathroom(s): 4 • Year of build: 2006 • Live square: 187 Sq. m.


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The Bank of America Trading Facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the largest, most technically advanced trading facilities in the world. The project occupies several floors of Charlotte’s Hearst Tower, also designed by SOM, and one of the challenges was to integrate the 50-foot-high, column-free trading floor program into the podium of this high-rise building as it was being constructed. The interior design team worked closely with the architects to make necessary accommodations for infrastructure.
As one of the premier American financial facilities outside of New York City, the trading arena needed to entice talent from other financial companies with a technologically performative environment where workers could spend most of their time “plugged in” with immediate access to needed resources. Offices and workstations are designed with flexibility in mind, and readily adapt to changes in population and usage. The complex also includes an auxiliary trading floor, a data center, meeting facilities, a client center, central business support facilities, and a food service area.
The new trading floor is covered by a roof of folded planes that introduce clerestory daylight on three sides. A clear glass wall supported by structural glass fins brings in light and opens the building to sky and a spectacular view of the city. The design includes motorized horizontal sliding shades to shield the north-south workstation arrangement from glare, programmed to correspond with the sun’s year-round path. On sunny days, employees prefer to have the shades up and electric lights off.

industry_corpus2: Finance & Economics


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Let’s start with a Hawaiian perspective that illness reflects a lack of balance between pono (living right) and mana (life energy). Imbalances between pono and mana can result from unjust acts, limiting beliefs, displeasing your living and dead ancestors, obsessions, etc. Disease reflects unhealthy relationships and true healing requires healthy relationships and healthy food.
Aunty Mona helped me develop my knowledge of ho’oponopono gained from other teachers, and guided me as I integrated hooponopono with the information about working with dead spirits from Uncle John Kaimikaua of Moloka’i, with the angel work (awaiku) of Aunty Miriam Baker and with the methods of couple coaching and family therapy that I had learned from family therapist Annegret Hallanzy in Germany. This strange brew became a basis for my Soulwork systemic coaching.
Aunty Mona wrote the book Clouds of Memories, a personal account of life in South Kona from the 1930s to the 1990s. Her hanai (adopted) daughter Suzanne Kamaluhia Woolley continues Aunty Mona’s healing traditions at the Hale Ho’õla health spa in Ka’u.
Huna is a Hawaiian word for hidden or tiny thing, a word popularized by Max Freedom Long to refer to the philosophy and skills used by pre-Christian Hawaiians, particularly the mystics and healers, although no accepted Hawaiian sources refer to the word huna as any tradition of esoteric learning.
Max Long wrote that he derived huna from the word kahuna, a priest or master craftsman, although kahu means keeper and na means balance. An older Hawaiian word for magic is ho’omanamana, literally “creating life force”.
… where we live together in a small community surrounded by a mysterious world and an endless sea. We have known each other since birth, and most of us are related. We believe we are descended from the same gods. We know the best qualities of every person in our ‘ohana, and we know their problems.
Our highest goal is that we live in harmony. Our basic wisdom includes aloha, pono and kala. Aloha literally means, “we share breath” – and we share most things. Aloha is our guiding principle for living together in harmony. Aloha includes that we accept and acknowledge each person in our community. Pono (living right) and forgiveness (kala) are also important parts of our daily life.
We recognize and thank our ancestors (kupuna), our gods (akua) and our guardian spirits (aumakua) for all that we enjoy. We each have a guardian spirit and each personal spirit is part of our ‘ohana guardian spirit (po’e aumakua) that guides our community. Sometimes we ask our ancestors or guardian spirits for help, and they often visit us in dreams.
Our wise elders (kupuna) and experts (kahuna) help and guide us. We want harmony amongst ourselves, with nature, with other tribes and with the strange spirit worlds. Our chiefs (ali’i) are our wisest and bravest warriors; they provide stability and order within the daily life of our ‘ohana.
Our daily life is our religion; and we use many rituals to guide and help ourselves. We are careful not to offend spirits; instead we try to please them. Our elders help us by telling us what is right and what is forbidden (kapu). We need life-energy (mana) for all our actions. We create this life-energy (ho’omana) by living right. We use old rituals to create our highest energy (ho’omanamana) for special tasks of healing and power, with the guidance of our kupuna elders and kahuna experts.
We respect our elders as the keepers of our wisdom and as the teachers of our children. Our elders teach us the songs and chants (mele) of our wisdom, and we must carefully learn them. Our elders may choose children with special talents to be trained to become kahuna – experts.
We make our essentials, or we trade for them, and we build canoes and buildings together. We often hunt and work together, and we can communicate well without words. We are sensitive to details and know who has been in a place, or whether strangers have passed by. Our navigator-kahunas know every star and every current. On cloudy nights, away from land, they can navigate by tasting the seawater!
Disease shows imbalance in our ohana. Perhaps the diseased person has offended a family member, or an ancestor, or a spirit. We call illnesses caused by relationships mawaho while diseases caused by body imbalances are maloko. Mawaho illnesses require ho’oponopono with the living and the dead, while maloko disease require herbal remedies (la’au lapa’au) and massage (lomilomi). Both may need the huna knowledge (ho’omanamana and awaiku) of our healer-experts.
Our chants teach us our traditions. We chant to the goddess (Pele) in the volcano, and her lover (Kamapua’a) in the forests. Pele’s sisters, Hi’iaka teach us to dance (hula) and to heal many diseases. The high god (Kane) lives in the clouds, with wild Ku, civilized Lono and the god of the underworld (Kanaloa). There are four hundred thousand gods, we are told, all created by the first god, I’o.
We believe that Lono left and our kahuna-experts say that he will return, on a floating island with white trees. We await this eagerly, as Lono will bring us gifts. We thought that he returned once, but that was a haole man who died at Kealakekua Bay, near the village now called Captain Cook. We wait for Lono the god.
We need to be accepted and respected by other ‘ohana members. If we invite you into our ‘ohana, we have simple rules: Do not insult anybody – instead, respect our traditions. Do not violate our taboos – instead join us in our rituals. Do not make the ancestors or nature spirits angry – instead work with us in harmony, to keep balance with our ancestors, with local spirits, with nature and with each other.
You are so civilized, and to you we may be ignorant savages. You might call our traditions witchcraft. However, we can show you how to live in peace with yourself, how to live in harmony with each other and how to find your place in this world. We can teach you how to connect to nature and the universe.
There are few of us left; most of us have been lost to the diseases of mind, body and spirit that you call civilization. We are exhausted – and we are nearly extinct. This is sad, because our planet needs our love and our respect.
Do you believe that your life purpose is to save us from our ignorance of your ways? We who yet remain struggle to survive in remote places that you do not want … yet. And when we are gone – we will be gone forever. Can you help us come back?
Our heritage is harmony and balance. Your heritage is technology and information. Will you help us work with you, to make a technology that reflects a love of life, and information that helps us love this living planet? We can learn how to live together and create a global ‘ohana. Too soon it will be too late.
Mahalo a nui loa (great thanks) for your great gift of attention. A hui hou!
We offer experiential introductions to Hawaiian shamanism. Experience its beauty and power in our workshops that can expand your perception of reality. Hawaiian magic refers to a technology that few understand. Within this old magic are some of the roots of the systemic magic of Soulwork coaching.


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Work as RF/Analog IC Layout Engineer in London! A leading developer of electronically steerable antennas for broadband internet used in land-mobile, aeronautical and maritime satellite communication applications is looking for an Analog/RF IC Layout Engineer to join their team in London.
In this position you will be working on Analog/Mixed-Signal and RF IC Layout in smaller process nodes 40nm and lower in a Cadence Virtuoso environment. As the successful and industry degree qualified Analog/RF IC Layout Engineer you have several years of experience in Analog/RF IC Layout in CMOS and BiCMOS up to 15GHz and ideally experience working on 22nm CMOS layouts.
This is a great opportunity to move to London and work in a thriving start up environment for a layout Engineer with the right to work in the UK!

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


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On 1 January Bob receives an email from Mike Jones which reads: “I offer to purchase 30 Toshiba Satellite laptops for $ 300 each, inclusive of GST, delivery and insurance”. In response, on 2 January Bob sent an email to Mike saying “I accept your offer, but the price would have to be $ 300 plus GST. On 3 January Mike sends an email back saying “No, I can't agree to that”. On 5 January Bob then sends an email saying “OK, I accept your offer of 1 January”, however when he sends the computers to Mike with an invoice for $ 9 000, Mike sends the computers back and refuses to pay for them, saying that he has purchased computers elsewhere.
On 10 January, Bob sends a letter to Tom stating “Please send me 200 Pentium 5 hard-drives at $ 50 each”. On 12 January Tom puts a letter into the post stating “OK – I will deliver the hard-drives before the end of the month. Bob subsequently finds that he no longer needs the hard drives, and on 14 January sends Tom an email saying “Please cancel my order of 10 January”. Tom’s letter reaches Bob on 15 January, and the hard-drives are delivered a few days later with an invoice for $ 10 000, which Bob refuses to pay.
Steve has done favours for Bob, such as looking after Bob’s cat when he (Bob) went on holiday. On 1 February, Steve says to Bob “I need a new computer for my travel agency”. Bob says “OK, because you looked after my cat, I’ll give you a new computer”. Bob then changes his mind and says to Steve: “Sorry, mate, trading has been bad these last few weeks – I just can’t afford to give you the computers”.
Bob is thinking of buying a delivery van. He has been in negotiations with Capital Motors, whose sales manager is Mary. One Monday morning he sees a form sent by Mary in which she offers to sell him a Toyota Hilux 3000 automatic with airconditioning for $ 33 000. The top sheet of the form contains a line which says “I agree to the purchase of this vehicle as specified in this document” and with a space for a signature and date. Bob sets the document aside on his desk, and it soon gets mixed up with piles of other paperwork. Later during the day, he signs the form, thinking that it was the front page of another contract he had been sent by a supplier of microchips. He gives it to his office manager, Tim, and says “Send this by fax”. A few days later he receives a call from Mary asking him when he will pick up the vehicle. He tells Mary that he did not order a vehicle from her. When Mary tells him about the fax, he realizes what happened and tells her that he had sent it by accident and that he never intended to agree to the contract. She says “Too bad, we have a deal – I have already ordered another vehicle to replenish my stock”.
Assume that you are Bob’s legal adviser and that he has asked you for legal advice. Advise him as what contractual liability, if any, he has in the above circumstances, citing relevant statute and case law authority, using the ILAC format.


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The Carolina Amusement Park was located in Gastonia, NC (east of Charlotte). As you can imagine, researching for the terms Carolina mixed with amusement park will bring lots of interesting results.
As of the date of publication (8/15/2017), I was only able to find two years worth of advertisements for the amusement park, covering 1957 and 1958.
The Gastonia Gazette, Friday, April 19, 1957. Page 9.
HEY, KIDS…Carolina Amusement Park, corner Linwood Road and U.S. 74. Gastonia-Kings Mt. Highway, opens tomorrow…FREE ACTS—PRIZES. Entertainment for the whole family. Music—Dance Pavilion—Concessions—All Kinds of Rides—Games. EXTRA SPECIAL—Saturday and Sunday…See Charlie, The Wrestling Baboon and the Ventriloquist.
This advertisement appeared in the classified section of the Gastonia Gazette for the grand opening of the park on Saturday, April 20, 1957. Surprisingly, there were no interviews or articles in the local paper or any other news items about the opening.
Gastonia Gazette, Saturday, April 20, 1957. Page 18.
Charlie takes on three junior contestants at one time. Throw Charlie and win a valuable prize! Charlie is the world’s only wrestling’ baboon! Two days only, Saturday and Sunday. Five performances each day.
It’s noted that the park is open at 1 P.M. daily and Sunday. This advertisement was taken from the middle of the comic pages of the newspaper. A fairly generic line drawing of a fair is presented.
Gastonia Gazette, Wednesday, July 3, 1957. Page 4.
The advertisement focusing on the July 4 celebration at Carolina Amusement Park offers more information about the park. It lists the following features: boat ride; concession stand; live pony ride; merry-go-round; kiddie train; rock & roll swing; auto ride; free prizes daily; and Hazel “The Gator”. You can also clip the coupon for a free ride on the merry-go-round at any time. The park is listed as being open from 1:00 P.M. until midnight (seven days a week). There are also special rates for birthday parties, church or civic groups.
The next advertisement appeared in the Gastonia Gazette on Friday, May 30, 1958, page 9. It was another ad in the classified section. This time, the ad listed: rides for kiddies and teenagers; concessions and games; plenty of shade with free picnic tables and grill. Again, the park was open at 1 P.M. daily.
This rather sedate but large ad featured in June of 1958 mentions the open-air dance pavilion and the fact that you could buy 10 hot dogs for one dollar! I’m not sure if those were cooked hot dogs or that you could grill them yourself. I’m assuming it was a last-ditch effort to get people to come to the park.
WANTED – TO BOOK ON PERCENTAGE. Ferris wheel and any other major rides for Park located on U.S. 74 and 29 near Gastonia, N.C. Ned McGill, Carolina Amusement Park, 509 N Ramson St., Gastonia, North Carolina.
Billboard was the trade publication that focused on circuses, fairs and traveling exhibits in the early part of the 20th century before morphing into a trade publication for the music industry.
Ned Alexander McGill was born September 9, 1921 and died November 2, 1984. Based on digital city directories, during that time period, he listed his occupation as a salesman. Was he a salesman for the Carolina Amusement Park or the owner?
Carolina Amusement Park: Closed in 1958?
FOR SALE – FIFTY-FOOT TWO-ABREAST Parker Merry-Go-Round, gasoline powered, all gears and sweeps perfect: good top, needs 12 horses; $1,150 cash. Ned McGill, 509 North Ransom, Gastonia, N.C.
With the lack of articles for the park after 1958, I assume that it folded in the fall of 1958. Potentially, it could have held on for another season, but there is no mention of it. With the attempt to sell the merry-go-round and the fact that it needed 12 horses leads me to assume that Carolina Amusement Park probably did close in 1958. Did Ned sell off some of the horses? Were they damaged?
As I mentioned earlier, doing a search for “Carolina Amusement Park” in most online databases yields varied results, mostly articles on Carowinds or my NC Amusement Parks page on this site.
Do you have any information or photos about the Carolina Amusement Park located in Gastonia?
Most of the articles used in this post came from the Gastonia Gazette newspaper (as of 08/15/2017).
This article is part of an ongoing series detailing the history of amusement parks in North Carolina. Dates and information on the page may change due to new information being discovered. At its most basic level, I’m considering an amusement park to have at least one motorized ride (electrical, steam, gas-powered, etc.).


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Happy Monday! I hope your holiday season is going exactly according to plan. Mine’s been lovely, relaxing, and productive all at once. Another Ballet Austin Nutcracker has come and gone, and my bank account is deceptively full.
But enough happiness and gratitude, let’s talk Robert’s Rules of Order. No more lollygagging.
Today we’re talking about the motion, the parliamentary engine that allows us to get stuff done in spite of ourselves. The use of motions to enact the wishes of the assembled membership keeps us from doing more than one thing at a time, which is a good thing. When we’ve got a motion on the floor we have to deal with it. Admittedly, there are times when it feels like we’re not working on one item at a time (or not working on anything at all), especially when we’re hip deep in the amendments and fine details of a main motion. That’s where a strong chairperson comes in. A good chair can not only navigate those intricacies, he or she can bring the membership along for the ride. Being a presiding officer is a tough job to do well. I remember spending crazy amounts of time reading Robert’s Rules when I was president. I wonder if it makes sense to send our next chief executive and VP to parliamentary procedure class? They offer them online.
But there I go lollygagging.
Back to motions. They help us by keeping us focused on only one item of business at a time. They’re hierarchical. Certain motions take precedent over others. Some motions are debatable, some require a second and some don’t. Their interactions can get complex. Though that depth of parliamentary knowledge rarely comes into play for organizations like Local 205. It’s important to keep something in mind when learning the basics of Robert’s Rules of Order: as Brother Charlie Haymes put it, “Everything you need to know about Robert’s Rules of Order is in the first quarter inch.” He had something pithy to say about the remaining inch and a half of the book as well. But I’m pretty sure I’ve already misquoted him so I’ll stop. Even Robert’s Rules, in its preface, councils the novice to concentrate on the first five chapters. For now, just remember this about motions: A motion begins discussion, not the other way around. Do not be fooled by the deplorable habits of this local. It’s bad form to stand up and blather on about some idea you might have. Use the motion forms that I applaud the E-board for supplying and make a motion. Assuming it’s seconded, then it’s open for discussion. Not before.
Getting back to the beginning of Robert’s Rules. It starts off by defining a “deliberative assembly,” then it goes on to define it some more. It gets very in-depth. But we know “deliberative assembly” means members in good standing at an official meeting, so we’ll skip that part. Up next Robert defines more terminology, this time it’s the “Rules of Order.” [I’m telling you this stuff is riveting. I can’t believe you haven’t read it already.] The Rules of Order are not the by-laws. Ours can be found appended to our by-laws. These are simply the rules we’ve all agreed to play by as members of Local 205. For example, did you know the following was one of rules we all swore to abide by when we joined: “refreshment, other than cold water, shall not be allowed in the headquarters of this local while the meeting is in session?” I guess we ignore this one because we don’t have an HQ. Either way, I’m pretty sure I saw a couple of boxes of donuts at the last meeting.
Seems like it might be time to take a serious look at some of our standing rules and whether or not they really serve our interests. I, for one, am proudly pro-donut!
Again you’ve let me wander completely off topic. You’ve got to keep a tighter leash on me or we’ll never get through this.
Oh well, doesn’t matter. I just noticed I’m well over five hundred words, which means I can end this post. And since I’m really not feeling it today, I will.
I kind of want a donut.


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If you’re part of a group or want to set one up and think ACE could help please get in touch. Our rates vary on a sliding scale from free to £10 an hour, depending on your income.
Ace provides a meeting space as well as a mailbox address and offers a wide range of other support for members.
Information on each of the groups based at Ace can be found on the ‘Groups & Activities’ drop down menu.

industry_corpus2: Others


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Our consultants are specialists who constantly deal with the complex subject matter of tax law and further develop their knowledge. This professional qualification is the prerequisite for a detailed and client-specific consultation.
In the area of ongoing tax advice, we pay particular attention to tax optimization, the reduction of tax burden and a planned fiscal design. This will help you make more money or spend less money. We keep an eye on the constant changes in tax legislation and know to apply them for your benefit. Companies with an international focus profit from the in-depth knowledge of our consultants and access to know-how within the MSI Global Alliance.


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The budget last week was a bland and pallid affair, designed to try to create an illusion of prosperity, a Potemkin village of a performance. Thrupence here, a fiver there, a half percent somewhere else, it was devoid of any ambition other then keeping the FG/FF coalition, for that is what it is, in power. Touted as a budget to “Brexit proof the economy” it is in fact anything but.
Brexit is rolling along. With every passing day several things becomes clearer and clearer. It is clear that the UK government has no coherent approach to how it is going to manage the transition. It is clear that they have no clear unified achievable vision of that to which they will transition. It is clear that the level of delusion- that a UK in the wilderness of tariffs and non tariff barriers that is the WTO will somehow be wealthier and more attractive to the world than the present – is not decreasing. And it is clear that a hard Brexit , where they are outside the customs union and the single market in the WTO wilderness, that is where it is heading.
The consequence of this is a UK that , even if it hangs together, is rapidly becoming poorer. With sterling plunging to lows not seen since the early years of Queen Victoria the cost of imported goods and services is soaring. Meanwhile businesses are edging towards the door and demand for non-UK EU passports are at record levels. All this and a Scotland which seems keener than ever to depart. Our largest individual trading partner is undergoing a slow shuddering grinding stop. Meanwhile it remains unclear what status Northern Ireland will have in a post Brexit environment.
The budget misses an opportunity to truly Brexit proof the economy. This is all the more startling when one realises that there was a truly excellent publication on budget day on exposure to Brexit, published by department of finance and written by economists from the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service. This is a body that has been producing some very solid, cool, professional evaluations and analysis for some time now.
The report takes a sector by sector view of the economy, each sector’s exposure to the EU and the UK being evaluated, and summarized. Curiously the report, although published by the Department of Finance on budget day as part of the supporting package has a disclaimer “The analysis and views set out in this paper are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Finance or the Minister for Finance”. This of course robs it of impact – the Minister, in ignoring its broad thrust, as has been fairly broadly done, can say “well, sure that’s just expert opinion”. We know what views the Brexiteers hold on experts – its sad to see such being obliquely slipped into the Irish discourse. If it’s a department of finance paper then why is it not issued with the imprimatur of the Minister? If it’s a IGEES paper why is it published by the Department of Finance?
“the exposed sectors are mostly Irish owned, regionally based, have relatively low profit levels and have a greater share of small medium- sized enterprises. In addition they have a relatively high multiplier and account for a relatively high share of employment in regions which have experienced a slower labour market recovery since the financial crisis period” . Brexit in other words has the potential to knock the stuffing out of a large chunk of the non Dublin, non MNC, slowly recovering sector.
Services are no better, with the largest exposed sector, Tourism and Travel, employing over 100k persons, and with 40% of its custom from the UK. While traditionally this has not been very sensitive to exchange rate movements, uncertainty around the CTA will not help here. More exposed, proportionally, is transport, employing 70k persons. A very useful analysis is given in the paper on the import side, where we find that some of the most exposed manufacturing sectors, exposed from an export perspective, are also import exposed. Currency movements cut both ways of course and when they cause export prices to rise they generally result in falling import prices and vice versa.
Some fairly clear suggestions emerge from the sectorial analysis. The issue facing these sectors are common – the lack of development of large markets outside the UK. A marketing and sales support scheme, with a large emphasis on up skilling SME foreign language capacity, an increase in digital marketing capacity, support for sectorial initiatives towards sectorial sales and marketing in the EU and overseas, these would repay massive dividends. We need to break the habit of the UK being first port of call for SME’s seeking to export. We didn’t see anything like that in the budget. On the import side two elements suggest. First, we need to shift imports from the UK to the EU. The import part of the supply chain relies on the UK in large part due to cultural and linguistic inertia. Its easy to find the part in Lancashire. Its not as easy in Liguria. Second, how do we get our goods to market? A large part of our exports to the EU go via the UK, as do our imports indeed. A UK outside the EU will pose , at minimum, enhanced non tariff costs, with transit lading requirements shooting up. A beefing up of Rosslare and Cork ports, incentives for increased freight traffic via these, much improved access to same and incentives for new direct links to the continent would greatly reduce our reliance on what will soon be a third country. Again, we see nothing on this in the budget.
Overall the budget was cautious on the macroeconomic front, but fails deeply and badly on the microeconomic front. If this is the best plan for Brexit proofing the economy, gods help us.
This entry was posted in Blogpost, Journalism on October 16, 2016 by brianmlucey.
So, having run on a campaign of “taking back control (of our borders)” the latest cunning plan to deal with its only actual EU border is for Brixitian to ….cede control of its border to another EU state. Yep.
This entry was posted in Blogpost and tagged brexit, customs union, ireland, Northern Ireland, smuggling, UK on October 10, 2016 by brianmlucey.


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It’s that time of year… summer squash is plentiful and you’re looking at a pile of it right now, trying to figure out what to do with all those little yellow cuties. We recently ended up with a bunch of summer squash from our friend Alicia, who only has one squash plant in her yard. And yet, she had more squash than she could handle!
We took some home and came up with Sweet Summer Squash Bread. You can say it’s sweet because summer is sweet or because the bread is sweetened. Or both! Basically, we remade a zucchini bread recipe to be more, well, blonde. Just like our friend Alicia, who is also blonde!
Enjoy the bread and hope you find lots of fun ways to use up your summer squash – you know, besides all those endless stir-fries!
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and sit aside.
In a large bowl, combine applesauce, sugar, non-dairy milk, lemon zest and vanilla. Sift in all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Fold in grated summer squash and golden raisins.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cook’s Notes: Want to try this another way? Add a pinch of ginger or nutmeg instead. Or instead of golden raisins, go with chopped almonds, dried cranberries or walnuts. Some summer squash has tougher skin; you may want to peel it if that’s the case. The same goes for larger summer squash with big seeds. If your squash is seedy, so to speak, scrape the seeds before grating.


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Was thinking about going until I knew CYNIC are supporting, now I'm definitely going!!
Shepherds Bush here I come.
I don't know how can you listen to such crap.
Bands like this are killing metal.
Thank devil there are still REAL metal bands like OLD, or FAUSTCOVEN.
Anyone for replacing Opeth with Darkthrone on the tour?
Im going to se them In gothenburg 13 December.
I think will be great.


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When They Labeled Phil Heath a Future Mr. Olympia.....Did They Mean 2010?
After Kai Greene got things started in Part 1, the spotlight now shifts to Phil Heath for his final "Pre-Vegas" interview as PBW presents Part 2 of the official (3 part) Olympia Preview Series. Just six months after suffering a controversial loss at the Arnold Classic....and one year removed from a devastating food poisoning setback at the Olympia, "The Gift" has redemption on his mind as he prepares for the toughest battle of his career. Presented by MuscleTech, Part 2 of the 2010 Olympia Preview Series also includes lineup updates direct from the Olympia offices as well as a report from Madrid, Spain as the years final qualifying spots are claimed at the inaugural Mr. Europe Pro.
On Newstands Now: Flex Magazine's Olympia Collectors Edition!
Replay Part 1 of the 2010 Olympia Preview Series (featuring Kai Greene) Now available on-demand.
Exclusive Olympia Webcast: Bodybuilding.com will once again present an exclusive LIVE worldwide webcast!
and a proud supporter of the NPC's USA Championships!
i've never been a huge kai Greene fan... he's solid but isn't the biggest, or the most shredded, and I'm not crazy about the posing... but geez... these 5 weeks out pics are nuts. If Cutler is only at 99% of last year, and Kai is better than ever, Kai wins.
1. Is Kai Greene the favorite coming into this show, or is Phil Heath the golden one?
2. How is it that Jay Cutler still does not get the respect he deserves going into this contest, and is not the favorite again, to a number of people?
3. Can Branch Warren come in a dominate like he did last year, or will he fall out of the top 3?
4. What about the others? Victor Martinez?
5. Any other surprises coming in?
6. How much does Kai really weight? Does it matter?
7. Does Kai feel he has the respect of the bodybuilding community and other bodybuilders?
8. The jokes of Kai and his favorite fruit ... does that bother him?
he stood on a digital scale and it read 294, I believe. unless he was hiding a few rolls of quarters somewhere, it's accurate. And he LOOKS to be almost 300 pounds. Thick in places other guys don't have places.
Kai will Win - It's the year of the "Phil"aBuster!
Phil was featured on the SportsNation show, and was the only one to speak, correct?
Kai is a man that always goes "all in". Health? BAH! Health is overrated!
Anywho, You really can't argue that Kai is the number one contender. He's destroyed Heath the last couple times head to head, and while Branch beat him at last years O' (Fluke), Kai beat him again at the Arnold...It's going to be so awesome, I just hope his conditioning is on and he can get dry like at 09 Arnold Classic.
Bigger question...win or lose....will Jay retire?
Kai will win, jay will come back at the 2011 Arnold baby!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kai will prove to be a nightmare for other competitors come the Olympia.
kai is like the Frank Zane of our day. very mental with all this, and more ripped than anyone else.
Dan Solomon? Hell no...He praises him all the time on the radio or during show commentary...If there is anyone who doesn't care for him, it's Chick and I don't think Chick hates him, Chick doesn't like Kai's form of entertianment and he doesn't care for his grapefruit escapades.
Bob Chick said on the show that Kai Greene = Ronnie Coleman.
How dare you say Mr. Zane got jiggy with it with grapefruit. Take that back Sinner.
This show is between Jay and Kai. Phil is an oil filled fool. Cutler really fucked with Phils head. Jay (allegedly) told Phil to really fill up his arms with the "thol". Phil has obviously listened to Jay and now looks semi-retarded. To the point that the judges have to mark him down for kamali/valintino usaged.
I'd say that even if Phil does use the "thol" his arms still look 100% real. He just needs to keep his arms in proportion with the rest of his body.
yeah, phil's arms look as 'normal' as the next guys'.... some would just say they're TOO BIG for his body. Shawn ray could have possessed gigantic thighs, but scaled back on them to maintain symmetry. Should phil do the same?
As for Kai... he speaks like Zane in that whole mental thing... answering in weird phrases, running around quiestions, etc. Remember Zane dodging the Qs about the photoshopped pics?

industry_corpus2: Sports


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1Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyre'ne, Man'a-en a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
4So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleu'cia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5When they arrived at Sal'amis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. 6When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus. 7He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8But El'ymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith. 9But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 1013.10: Hos 14.9.and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
42As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next sabbath. 43And when the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
48And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God; and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49And the word of the Lord spread throughout all the region. 50But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and went to Ico'nium. 52And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.


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John Bornoty, president of The Big Salad, says the center will provide consistent training.
The Big Salad has teamed up with Livonia-based Madonna University to launch a new segment of its reality-based learning project for business majors.
Students in the Principles of Marketing course will create, design, test and market new products and business strategies for a partnering business during a semester. The Big Salad concept was initially piloted at Grosse Pointe North High School and will be offered at Madonna embedded in different business and marketing courses worth three credit hours.
"My wife’s a teacher and one of the places where we felt a gap was that there's a lot of classroom training," said John Bornoty, CEO of Grosse Pointe Farms-based The Big Salad. "Business needs real life training."
Cleamon Moorer, dean of Madonna's School of Business, said the projects typically run in three stages, each lasting a semester. Once one part is done, the next stage will fall on the students in the following semester. He said the objectives will vary.
The Big Salad-Madonna project will be called “Seal the Deal”. The experience will require student teams meet in groups, in classroom settings and on-site at The Big Salad's location in Novi to develop, test and market their menu creations, according to a news release. The four teams, comprised of 47 total students, will have the opportunity to market their proposed menu items during the weeks of March 28 and April 4, with the winning team to be announced April 11, the release said.
Moorer said financial contributions from the business to the program are not required.
“Seal the Deal” will run for the next three academic semesters.

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


text: The women's Converse All Star High presents an updated revision of the timeless sneaker. Constructed of sequins, this Navy high-top features a subtle iridescent finish for a shimming effect and a stitched leather All Star patch. With a contrast rubber toe-cap, this edition sits atop a vulcanised rubber midsole with a tonal heritage outsole. The perfect, no-nonsense option in your wardrobe, step out with colourful simplicity this summer.


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Zacchaeus: From a Hebrew name, possibly from a root word meaning “clean; pure.” As a chief tax collector, it seems that Zacchaeus was over other tax collectors in and around Jericho. The district around this city was fertile and productive, yielding considerable tax revenue. Zacchaeus was rich, and his own words (Lu 19:8) indicate that he used questionable practices to accumulate at least part of his wealth.
extorted: Or “extorted by false accusation.”—See study note on Lu 3:14.
four times over: Zacchaeus could likely calculate from his tax records just how much he had received from various Jews, and he vowed to make a fourfold restitution. That is even more than God’s Law required. In such cases of repentance and admission of guilt, the Law ordered that the defrauder pay back the full amount and “add to it a fifth [that is, 20 percent] of its value,” but Zacchaeus said that he would repay four times the amount. As fruitage of his repentance, he thus showed not only love for the poor but also justice toward oppressed ones.—Le 6:2-5; Nu 5:7.
to secure kingly power: Or “to secure a kingdom.” The Greek word ba·si·leiʹa, most often rendered “kingdom,” has a broad meaning and often refers to a royal government as well as to the territory and peoples under the rule of a king. (See study notes on Mt 3:2; 25:34.) It may also signify kingship, the royal office or position of the king, with its accompanying dignity, power, and authority. In the Roman Empire, it was not uncommon for a person of noble birth to travel to Rome in quest of kingly power. Jesus’ parable may well have reminded his listeners of Archelaus, a son of Herod the Great. Before Herod the Great died, he designated Archelaus as heir to rulership over Judea and other areas. However, to secure the rulership, Archelaus first made the long journey to Rome in order to get the approval of Caesar Augustus.
minas: A Greek mina was not a coin but a unit of weight of some 340 g (10.9 oz t) and, according to ancient Greek writers, was reckoned to have a monetary value equal to 100 drachmas. Since the drachma was worth nearly as much as a denarius, a mina was a considerable sum. (See Glossary, “Denarius.”) A Greek mina was different from the Hebrew mina.—See Glossary, “Mina,” and App. B14.
the kingly power: Or “the kingdom.”—See study note on Lu 19:12.
money: See study note on Mt 25:18.
bank: In the parable of the minas in Luke’s Gospel, as well as in the illustration about the talents in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus referred to a bank and to bankers who give interest on money deposited with them. (Mt 25:14-30; Lu 19:12-27) The Greek word traʹpe·za, here rendered “bank,” literally means “table.” (Mt 15:27) When associated with financial operations, such as the money changers, this word refers to a table or a counter for displaying coins. (Mt 21:12; Mr 11:15; Joh 2:15) During the first century C.E., moneylenders, or bankers, were prominent in Israel and surrounding nations.
interest: The Law forbade the Israelites to charge interest on loans to needy fellow Jews. (Ex 22:25) But interest was specifically allowed on loans to foreigners, likely for business ventures. (De 23:20) It seems that in Jesus’ day, it was common to receive interest on funds deposited with moneylenders.
—: The em dash helps the reader to see that there is a change of speaker, since this is not specifically indicated in the text. In verse 26, the master of the slaves is speaking.
Bethphage: See study note on Mt 21:1.
a colt: See study notes on Mt 21:2; Mr 11:2.
the stones would cry out: As the context shows, Jesus was speaking about the particular declaration his disciples were making and to which the Pharisees objected. (Lu 19:37-39) The disciples were using the words recorded at Ps 118:26. That prophetic psalm was certain to be fulfilled on this occasion, for Jehovah’s words do not return to him “without results.” (Isa 55:11) If the disciples had been forced to be silent at this time, the literal stones would have cried out in order to fulfill this prophecy.
wept: The Greek word for “wept” often refers to weeping audibly.
fortification of pointed stakes: Or “palisade.” The Greek word khaʹrax occurs only here in the Christian Greek Scriptures. It has been defined as a “pointed stick or post used to fence in an area; stake” and also as a “military installation involving the use of stakes; palisade.” Jesus’ words came true in the year 70 C.E. when the Romans, commanded by Titus, erected a siege wall, or palisade, around Jerusalem. Titus’ objective was threefold—to prevent the Jews from fleeing, to encourage their surrender, and to starve the inhabitants into submission. To provide materials for the construction of this fortification around Jerusalem, Roman troops stripped the countryside of trees.
they will not leave a stone upon a stone: See study note on Mt 24:2.
temple: See study note on Mt 21:12.
throw out those who were selling: On Nisan 10, 33 C.E., Jesus cleanses the temple a second time. This occasion is described in the Gospels of Matthew (21:12-17), Mark (11:15-18), and Luke. The first cleansing took place in connection with the Passover of 30 C.E. and is described at Joh 2:13-17.
cave of robbers: See study note on Mt 21:13.


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When using the dedicated server, it is possible to host your company’s intranet or use it as an e–mail or FTP web server. It includes unlimited hosted domain name quotas, one complimentary dedicated IP, a 24/7/365 support service as well as a 99.9% network uptime warranty.
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With every dedicated server, you’ll be given a collection of Control Panel installs. You can pick among the popularly accepted cPanel install, the more complex DirectAdmin solution or our gratis Control Panel, which has a point’n’click graphical user interface as well as unlimited domain hosting options and is readily available in about 10 languages. On the order page, just select the Control Panel that you want and we’ll add it for you while organizing your remote computer.
The US based datacenter in Chicago that we’re working with boasts appropriate network settings for your dedicated server. On–duty admins are keeping track of the network 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to make certain the server is operating in a secure climate. Moreover, in case you want our sys administrators to track your server’s performance too, you can use our recommended maintenance service.


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Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 12:13 am Post subject: SNAIL FORUM STICKERS.
I finally drew Snail Forum sticker!
Snail Crew hopes that stickers will be available in World Meeting Sweden!
Price will be 1 euro.
I am very interressé by the sticker, but I do not go by to Sweden!
étienne, can you m'en rammener one, I will refund you without soucy!
How those who won't be in Sweden can order ? (like me for example !).
Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 1:22 am Post subject: Re: Snail Forum Stickers!
After worldmeeting, I will ship for those won't come in Sweden!
Yeah ! The sticker is great ! I want some too ! And after looking at all these modified cars, I want to modify one of mine too ! Anyway with such a sticker I will need a modified car !
If you has some in Sweden, I t'en buy.
Profits of the sticker will be use to buy a better forum adress, like www.snailforeum.com or www.snail2cvforum.com !
Pascal, you have a cool Ami Super ready to make something cool with it! You should start a projekt topic!
The idea was to make a sticker in a very nostalgia custom way to illustrate the "spirit" of SNAIL forum!
So van with big wheel and iron cross is so obvious exagerate, we didn't want use that kind of illustration!
wow, thats amazing. love the design! the Ami will definitly be wearing one of them! will have to come and see you in Sweden for a few!
Are you also at Spa this year. The race is at saturday 10 and sunday 11 november.
but it will be still one of the hotest 2cv meeting!! I hope to be there again, and maybe Olli will be there too!
For the price with shipping, I will say that after worldmeeting!


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Bring a Map! Get FREE CASH!
The Jade Rose Casino Opens every Wednesday!
The Burly Barnacle is a traditional sailor tavern opening in the goblet. The proprietor, Logan Whytewood, is a retired Maelstrom galley chef who found himself working in Thanalan and missing the taverns of La Noscea. He’s bringing the sailor experience to the desert for those who seek the smokey, dim bar to toss back a few tankards while listening to sea shanties.
"Yer favorite sailors down at The Burly Barnacle are waitin’ fer ya. Bring a mate or make some new ones at the bar! As long as ya keep drinkin’ we keep the lanterns lit. Stage is open fer any aspirin’ bards or other performers."
A small little hole in the wall bar owned and run by an adventurer for adventurers.
The Burly Barnacle is a traditional sailor tavern opening in the goblet. The proprietor, A’khan Dhavha, is a retired Maelstrom galley chef who found himself working in Thanalan and missing the taverns of La Noscea. He’s bringing the sailor experience to the desert for those who seek the smokey, dim bar to toss back a few tankards while listening to sea shanties.
The Sirens Song tavern is opening its doors! Come swing by for a night of pirate-themed drinking, with rum, house ales, and good food. Enjoy the atmosphere, talk with other n'er do wells on the high seas!

industry_corpus2: Hospitality & Catering


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Carego's Connective Health Solutions are easy-to-use, cost-effective and designed to meet any healthcare organization´s clinical, financial and administrative needs. We are committed to delivering high quality products and best in class consulting and customer service for a seamless implementation and user experience.
Our open source, cloud-computing platform offers healthcare providers in emerging markets, a low-cost, high value solution to automate critical patient information, work flow and business functions. All you need is a computer (or a tablet or smart phone) and a web browser to get started.
With our portable, self-contained health facilities, you can quickly and inexpensively bring primary care to underserved regions and disasters areas anywhere in the world.
From best practices, workflow analysis, facility planning and implementation to IT infrastructure support, our team of experienced healthcare, technology and medical experts provide a full spectrum of consulting services to enhance efficiency and improve patient care.
With Carego's Connective Health Solutions, it has never been easier or more affordable to maximize efficiency, increase profits and improve patient care.


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In case you haven’t heard, the daytime lineup for the 2018 ESSENCE Festival is just as star-studded as our nightly concert lineups!
Joining an already-amazing list of your favorite names in film and television who will be on hand during our free ESSENCE Festival Conference & Expos at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will be Claws star Niecy Nash, actress/director Regina King, actress Regina Hall, Insecure’s Yvonne Orji, Oscar Award-winning director Barry Jenkins, businesswoman and momtrepreneur extraordinaire, Tina Knowles-Lawson, R&B singer/songwriter Ne-Yo and more.
Slated to be the Festival’s biggest year yet, our daytime conference and expos stages will see hear our phenomenal lineup of influential voices speak on a variety of topics relevant to massive impact Black culture has on politics, entertainment, activism, fashion, entrepreneurship and more. In addition to discussions and keynote conversations, the stages will feature interviews with the casts of your favorite shows and movies, interactive demonstrations, performances and more.
Other celebs recently added to the Conference & Expos daytime lineup include Marsai Martin and Miles Brown from Blackish, Black Panther costume designer Ruth Carter, Insecure’s Ylan Noel and more.
To see the full schedule of events for the Festival and even customize your own weekend itinerary with all the moments you and your squad don’t want to miss, be sure to download the official 2018 ESSENCE Festival App HERE.


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So because I have the Dinair Airbrush kit I'm considering just doing my own makeup for my wedding day. This is mainly because I've found airbrush makeup to be the most flawless and natural looking out of all the foundations I've tried out over the years. I decided to try out a kind of classic Dita Von Teese sort of look for the first one.
For this look I used my Physician's Formula 2-1 eyeliner pen (if you don't own it go get it! I seriously love that liner!), Wet n Wild Vanity palette, and MAC eye kohl in Fascinate.
So pretty! You have a fabulous eye colour!


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Choice of lunches to innovate and surprise: homemade, vegetarian, healthy, with local and artisan products to enjoy the flavors of Priorat.
From the Palau del Priorat we want to pamper every detail, that’s why we care about your well-being respecting your privacy and offering you our room service with special requests. Enjoy breakfast, a good wine or dig in your most intimate space, you just have to want it.
Transporting us to our origins, a basket fully equipped to discover the landscapes of the area with seasonal products and proximity and thus enjoy the flavors of the land as our ancestors did. Backpack and blanket for two people.
Discover the Montsant and the Priorat in e-bikes, that’s why we rent everything you need, we offer bike storage, infinite routes and experienced guides.
El Palauet del Priorat offers its customers products of km 0, wines and other handicrafts so you can take the flavors of the earth to your own home.


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Why not create a standing commission on Forensic Science Integrity in New York as well? One exists in Texas and is auditing the effects of flawed microscopic hair and bitemark matching in past cases. Much to the chagrin and ire of a few Texan bite mark matchers. The recent hearing in Texas had two renowned Texas Medical Examiners quoting their position on bitemark evidence.
Onto the prosecutors in NY.
From the The Daily Beast.
“Plagued by misconduct, New York is considering the establishment of independent review boards for prosecutors, just like the one for judges. Its about time.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged ABFO, Bad forensic science, bite mark, Bitemarks, Forensic science, National Commission on Forensic Science. Bookmark the permalink.


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Workplace-Training.net domain name is for sale. Inquire now.
When buying Workplace-Training.net, your transaction is securely processed by Escrow.com, a licensed escrow company.


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Restore is an earth-derived supplement that promotes an optimal gut environment. It is not a probiotic. It is not a prebiotic. Rather, it is a carbon rich, alkaline liquid, with lignite derived trace organics and essential trace amino acids. With 70% of the immune system located in the gut, this optimal gut environment leads to great gut health. Restore provides the communication network to support the return of biodiversity to the gut ecosystem that supports normal immune function.
Standard Usage: 1 teaspoon three times a day before or with meals for those over age 2, and 1/4 teaspoon three times a day typical usage for under two years old. You can increase to 1 tablespoon three times daily to support health goals, although 3 teaspoons per day is adequate for most individuals. Refrigeration is not required.
Taking Restore 30 minutes before meals is preferred for maximum efficacy. But you can take it immediately before, with or after a meal, or on an empty stomach, and still receive benefit.
Restore is vegan, naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, latex-free, sulfite-free, preservative-free, non-GMO, BPA-free, and is produced in a facility free of allergens, including peanuts and tree nuts.
Improvement in mental clarity and sensory processing may be noticed in as little as hours or days of first use. There is a subset of individuals, however, that can experience symptoms of tiredness, headache, bloating/increased gas, or bowel changes including constipation and greenish loose stool.
As Restore strengthens the tight junctions in the gut wall, it is not uncommon to experience mild, healing side effects. In these cases, the first and best response is to increase consumption of water and herbal teas.
It is helpful to take a slow and gentle approach to tight junction and immune and brain health. Temporary fatigue or anxiousness is experienced by some people. 3-5 drops of Restore in food or drink daily or twice daily is a good starting point in hypersensitive individuals. Dosing may be unique to each individual, your best daily dose may be less than the recommended 3 teaspoons per day.
Do not drink straight from the bottle. There are no preservatives in the formula to protect the ingredients from contamination. Also, it is best to keep track of the measured dose(s) that work best for you, consistency is the key.
Need a convenient travel size? Click here to purchase the 3 oz bottle!

industry_corpus2: Biopharmaceuticals


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Other surprises in the 2013 Poll, was how well some countries outperformed others that spend more per student. The United States had the highest per cost per student ($15,172) but ranked 18th; countries like Estonia 17th ($6,126), Finland 6th ($10,157) and even first place Japan spends less ($10,596) per student.
Let’s congratulate Japan as the winner for 2013.
Next articleWill Japan Rule the World Again in Education in 2014?


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I have the index and file structure on my desk top. How can I get this into the SmartRoom.
If you are a SmartRoom Manager or have been given permission by SmartRoom Management you will be able to drag and drop the index and file structure from your desktop into the SmartRoom.


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It is a truly bittersweet pill to swallow¨C the fact that I will have a sophmore in high school who jokingly likes to tell me, "I¡¯m outta here in three more years" every chance she gets and a newly minted middle schooler hitting the halls of sixth grade. WHERE DID MY LITTLE BABIES GO? the ones who needed to carry pictures of me in their lunch bags so that when they started to feel homesick, they could look at my picture?! Yes that is a true story- just ask my 15 year old daughter!
Well that¡¯s the cruel reality of time- it stops for no one so you might as well enjoy the ride. And in the spirit of making lemonade from my lemons- when ebags.com asked me if I wanted to review two bags from their treasure trove of back to school bags that you can have delivered to your door in two shakes of a lamb¡¯s tail- well I JUMPED at the opportunity because it would FORCE MY KIDS TO SPEND time with me.
Yes, I am not beneath forcing my kids to endure quality time with their mama and if I can use that time to get some school supply stuff tidied away it¡¯s a win win. Check out their video where they share what¡¯s in their ebags.com back to school bags below!
When it comes to back to school shopping, the first thing on your child¡¯s supply list is typically a new backpack. Finding the perfect color and best design may only take a few minutes, but what usually requires more time and energy involves combining your child¡¯s backpack desires to your safety and support standards.
Via customer reviews, quality inspections, durability, style and sales, ebags, the #1 online bag retailer, has identified two of the following backpacks as the season¡¯s very best picks.


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Sending money abroad isn’t easy and in most cases, it can involve large sums of money, therefore doing it right can save you time, money and a major headache. Here you will find all you need to know about sending money aboard, including how, why and where to compare the best transfer rates. Our aim is to arm you with the right information to make an informed comparison of the different ways you can transfer money.
Finding the best wire transfer provider in Singapore isn’t easy, especially as they are so many to choose from and we are so accustomed to using traditional banks. However, an online transfer provider could save you a considerable amount of cash and speed up the time it takes to receive your money in your chosen territory. In fact, the team here at EnjoyCompare regularly uses an online transfer provider for all our business needs.
When transferring money from Singapore to an international bank account, you need to look out for two key costs, which all providers should clearly display. If you find that your only given one cost with no breakdown, then question the provider, so you can make an informed comparison.
With every money transfer, your bank or transfer provider will charge a fee for the service. These fees can range from 0 to 3% depending on the amount you are transferring and to which country.
When you transfer money from Singapore, your provider will have to convert Singapore Dollars to your chosen destinations currency i.e. Great British Pounds (GBP). When doing this transfer they will share with you the exchange rate they have used. Transfer service providers historically make a portion of their margin from offering slightly different rates between the interbank exchange rates and the rates they offer to you. The exchange rates offered are usually locked-in for a certain period of time, as the interbank exchange rate is constantly fluctuation. Therefore make sure to understand how long you have to compare before the rate will change again and you are back to square one.
The transfer provider has two way to make money, openly charge a transfer fee and make a hidden margin on the exchange rate offered. If a provider offers a ‘No Fee’ transfer service it is possible that they are hiding the real cost in the exchange rate offered. Therefore the best way to compare provider is by the ‘Amount Received’ at your final destinations i.e. Singapore dollars (SGD) to Great British Pounds (GBP).
Find the best transfer provider isn’t necessarily about just the amount received, although cost is a major factor. You might also want to consider the following.
Speed– The time it will take for the transaction to be completed. With most online transfer providers taking 1-3 days, while traditional banks are usually longer at 3-5 working days.
Currency Availablity– Not all providers will offer the currency or destination routes, therefore you might need to shop around for a provider that will transfer to less common countries.
Convenience – Most online transfer providers have simple to use, mobile applications, while traditional banks still rely on you to complete a form and personally visit a local branch. Do what feels comfortable to you and don’t be rushed or pressured into making a transfer.
How you want the money to be accessed at the final destination is a major factor in choosing the right transfer provider. This can be more important if you are transferring money to someone without a bank account, or if the sum of money doesn’t warrant any major consideration i.e. splitting the bill. Therefore these are the options available.
Cash– Sending cash to a person is possible with some, but not all providers. Money transfer providers like Western Union or MoneyGram are key players in this space, with a network of retail stores to send and receive money.
Bank Account– The easiest option by far, with most, if not all providers offering this solution.
Prepaid Card– Money is transferred to a prepaid cash card, which allows the recipient to spend the funds. This payment method can sometimes be slower, however, the recipient can use an ATM to turn the funds into cash. However, some fees may apply.
Mobile Banking– The funds are received via the recipient’s mobile bank account, which can then be spent quickly and easily. This is normally as quick at using a bank account and can even be instant with PayPal and Facebook Payments.
This is an easy question to ask, but a difficult question to answer. However, some common sense rules apply, along with some terminology that will help you distinguish the good from the bad providers.
Be aware of the cost breakdown, which will let you do a fair comparison of the cost of transfer. The transfer fee and exchange rate are critical to this decision, but the final ‘Amount Received’ is the main focus. Watch out for hidden charges and make sure you are comparing the live rates and charges, not an estimation, which can change depending on when you go ahead with the transfer. What’s more, fees are sometimes charges in incremental “steps”, therefore it may be advantageous to transfer more money at the same time.
The time it takes to transfer the moneyis sometimes critical, but don’t pay for a guaranteed delivery date if it’s not necessary. Shop around for a payment solution that fits your needs and only pay for service deliverables that you need.
Combine your paymentsand don’t pay additional fees, this might sound simple but think ahead. Will you need additional money in your chosen currency in a few months time. If so, transfer in one lump sum and save on time, money and effort.
Change your behaviourand run a tab with friends. If you are constantly sharing the bill and transferring small sums of money to and from your bank account with friends and loved ones, then simply keep a running tally of what you owe to each other. That way you save on the transfer fee for each micropayment.
Double Check– Make sure you have confirmed the destination details, it can be very difficult to get the money back if you send funds to the wrong account.
Repeat the numbers– Ask the transfer representative to repeat the account details and final amounts or check read over the numbers again to make sure they are entered correctly.
Don’t go overdrawn– Make sure you have the available fund when scheduling future transfers, it’s easy to get lost when you have many recurring transfers set up.


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When you plan to go overseas, you try to munch on a country that is popular and caters you extensive scope for growth and job opportunity. Similarly, many people give so much important to cities and tourist destinations in that country. Well, even if you are planning to go to a country like Australia on a tourist visa, you will have to go through a stringent procedure before you get there.
Well, when you decide to go to another country by using a visa like Australia tourist visa, you have to be careful about certain things. Similarly, if you have decided to move to another nation, it is a huge step for you. You have to be well acquainting with the language, laws, culture and lifestyles of that country. These are only a few of the things that are going to pose a challenge for anybody who is planning on constructing a fresh life overseas. Despite all these hurdles, a country like Australia will give you all the facilities and pleasure you always desired.
Where to get started from?
Why should you take assistance of an officer?
There are many reasons that you should consider making use of a migration agent. Certainly you can apply for an Australian Visa on your own that might save you a lot of bugs too but it can turn out to be a big disadvantage when talking about knowing the ins and outs of the complete immigration process.
When you take assistance of a migration agent; chances of your application getting granted increases significantly. Though the migration agents are not going to give you a hundred % guarantee of having your visa accepted, they will end up with the supreme chances of getting that approval. They use all their knowledge, tactics and skills to get you through the procedure successfully.
First of all, always make sure that you have attached all the needed documents properly. It is better to get it crosschecked by a friend before you send it. It is because, if a single document is missing from your documents; thing might get delayed for you or ultimately end up in failure.
Secondly, don’t try to say anything that does not exist. Many people try to act over smartly, which actually digs their own grave. So, you have to be sure what you are saying is true and relevant.
So, whether you are trying for Australia visitor visa from India or any other visa; make sure you avoid these mistakes.

industry_corpus2: Travel & Geography


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Sanduo Hotel is located in Kaohsiung, a 15-minute drive from Kaohsiung Railway Station. The hotel offers a free pickup service from MRT R8 Station and free internet access. The hotel is a 15-minute drive from Kaohsiung International Airport. Tuntex Sky Tower, Sanduo Shopping District and Xingzhong Night Market are all a short distance away. Rooms at Sanduo feature attached bathrooms and modern décor. Flat-screen cable TVs, minibars and toiletries are included. Guests can arrange sightseeing trips at the front desk. The hotel also provides a 24-hour front desk, laundry and concierge services. A daily Chinese and western buffet breakfast is served at Sanduo’s café. Freshly brewed coffee and paid drinks are also provided.
Please note that extra beds are only available for guests who book Superior Double or Twin room and Family Quadruple Room. Extra beds or babycots are subject to availability and have to be confirmed by the hotel.


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The Chinese game scene is in a sort of holding pattern at the moment, with an overhaul to the regulatory system resulting in a hold on approvals for new games stretching back to March. It's not ideal for any game creator looking to launch in the country, but speaking with GamesIndustry.biz recently, Vicarious PR CEO Michael Brown said the effects of this hold are particularly concerning for independent developers.
"Already we've seen Tencent take a fairly large stock hit, but what isn't talked about is how this gap in approvals has hit the smaller developers and the smaller publishers," Brown said. "Unless you're Tencent and have financial power to ride this out, a lot of the smaller publishers and developers rely on quick development and release schedules to stay afloat, and that's not possible anymore. It's become a real issue for a lot of people, especially independent game developers within China. It's going to become a real problem for them because they're going to struggle now to release their games."
"A lot of the smaller publishers and developers rely on quick development and release schedules to stay afloat, and that's not possible anymore"
The head of a California-based PR firm might not seem like a natural interview subject to discuss the Chinese market, but Vicarious has more experience and insight on China than one might expect. Since its founding in 2015, Vicarious has partnered closely with Chinese owned-and-operated marketer-publisher New Code to bring Chinese games to Western markets (Brown doubles as New Code's PR director). It has provided marketing assistance and consulted on a number of projects from the likes of Tencent and Netease, including the battle royale shooters Ring of Elysium and PUBG Mobile.
While the time frame for approvals to restart was somewhat up in the air at the time we spoke, Brown's greater concern was the possibility that the Chinese government may seek to roll out new restrictions alongside the process, like aggressive time limits for younger players. There's also some concern about whether the approval process will slow down and fewer games will be permitted into the market. Whatever such burdens are imposed by the new system, Brown has a suspicion who will feel them the most.
"It's not going to affect the top 1% but it's certainly going to affect smaller developers and could potentially mean in the long run, developers and publishers that aren't giant multinational corporations could end up looking overseas for more financial security," Brown said. "If China's approval policy doesn't go back to the way it was, not only is it going to stifle growth overall for the market, but it could potentially mean a development shift toward building games from the start with a more global audience in mind."
This would be a significant change in the mindset of many Chinese developers, Brown said. To this point, the local scene there has been making games for the home market because that's been an entirely viable financial strategy.
"China by itself basically equates to nearly one-third of the global game market," Brown explained. "So if you develop a game within China, that's basically one-third of the entire globe you've already got an audience for. That means even for the AAA publishers of China, they still rely heavily on their core, home audience. As a developer within the Chinese market, you don't really need to consider another market to be successful. If you're successful within your home market, you're a success. But if you're a developer in the UK for example, if you're a success there but nowhere else, the numbers don't really equate."
"As a developer within the Chinese market, you don't really need to consider another market to be successful. If you're successful within your home market, you're a success"
On the other hand, Western publishers eager to access that untapped one-third of the global market have plenty of hurdles in front of them.
"Unless you're a AAA developer with unlimited resources and legal power, you have very limited options to get in the Chinese market," Brown said. "You can go with an existing publisher like Tencent, or partner with a medium-sized publisher. The pros are that you can get your game released in China very easily in terms of the process, the licenses from the government and stuff. But you're also sacrificing potentially a 70% cut [of revenue].
"On top of that, if you partner with a giant publisher like Tencent, the way Tencent has traditionally operated within the Chinese market--and this goes for all publishers within the Chinese market--is they'll take on 10 or 20 games. But within the first couple months, they'll see which three to five are doing really well, continue to support those, and drop the rest. So if your game does not perform well, you're between a rock and a hard place that way."
There are also significant cultural differences between the markets, so art styles and content need to be changed to meet the tastes of Chinese audiences (not to mention government censors). In short, Western publishers have already been creating games with a Chinese version in mind from day one, but the opposite has not been true, and the revamped approvals process may force Chinese developers to adapt on the fly.
"It's worrying because it not only stifles growth at almost every level, but it actively reduces the willingness to be creative and innovative within the Chinese market," Brown said. "Now, the Chinese market has a bit of a stigma for making cloned games. But that's only a section of the Chinese market. A lot of the developers there, particularly the independent developers, are very, very creative.
Even when looking at a game like Ring of Elysium, published by Tencent and very clearly riding the wave of battle royale games, Brown said the developers showed off their creativity in a host of quality of life improvements and new iterations on a successful formula.
"A lot of that doesn't get talked about very often, which is a really sad thing because there are a lot of creative developers from China," he said. "And I feel like these new policies and restrictions, if they go as bad as they could potentially go, are a direct threat to all that creativity and a $38 billion annual revenue industry."
Brown predicted that the next two years would see a significant increase in the number of games on Steam and Western mobile platforms from independent Chinese developers, in part because Vicarious has already seen an uptick in outreach from smaller developers looking to bring their titles West. Brown will presumably provide them with a sympathetic ear; he just hopes the press and players will do the same.
"The more exposure people get and can give particularly small Chinese developers is super important," Brown said. "Ultimately, it's them who are going to be most hurt by this. It's them who need advocates. You don't need to advocate for the Tencents and Neteases of the world; you need to advocate for the people who can't afford to advocate for themselves."

industry_corpus2: Gaming


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Syrian army on brink of capturing Al-Sukhnah, bringing closer final decisive battle with ISIS in Deir Ezzor.
According to the reliable and well-informed Al-Masdar news agency, the Syrian military is now just 700 metres from the “city gates” of the key ISIS held town of Al-Sukhnah on the road from Palmyra to Deir Ezzor.
Led by the 5th Corps and 18th Tank Division, the Syrian Arab Army stormed the western outskirts of Al-Sukhnah this morning, while receiving heavy air support from their Russian allies.
According to a military source in Palmyra, the Syrian Arab Army is steadily advancing on the Islamic State stronghold, leaving only 700 meters between their front-lines and the city’s gates.
Despite the recent gains, the Syrian Army has been struggling to break the Islamic State’s main line of defense west of Al-Sukhnah, as the terrorist group uses the rough terrain to their advantage.
It is not clear exactly what “the city gates” of Al-Sukhnah means exactly. However Al-Sukhnah is an old city with an Ottoman fort, which before the fall of the Ottoman empire used to house an Ottoman garrison. One way of reading this Al-Masdar report is that the Syrian army has successfully stormed the the town’s western suburbs but that ISIS is holding out in this fort.
An Al-Masdar report of 24th July 2017 reported that Al-Sukhnah was just a week from being liberated by the Syrian army. It is now clear that this will not happen as ISIS resistance has stiffened as the Syrian army advances deeper into ISIS held territory in Deir Ezzor province, and as the Syrian army – after its whirlwind advances on multiple fronts of the previous weeks – has focused on consolidating its gains by bringing up reinforcements and strengthening its supply lines.
This pattern of lighting advances followed by pauses and consolidations as enemy resistance stiffens is very typical of “blitzkrieg” war, as any student of the history of the Second World War in Europe knows.
The recent slow down in the Syrian army’s offensives into central and eastern Syria is however likely to be only temporary.
On the northern front in southern Raqqa attempts by ISIS to wrest back the initiative from the Syrian by staging ‘do-or-die’ counter-attacks have all ended in failure, with the Syrian army’s elite Tiger Forces – who are leading the Syrian army’s advance in this area – having successfully penetrated into Deir Ezzor province.
The highway east from Homs was expected to have been the route of the Syrian attack this month. Hence the vast earth “berms” and defensive sand walls erected by Isis along the length of the road. But for Isis, the now-infamous Syrian army tactic of assaulting its enemies from the rear and flank drove the caliphate from hundreds of square miles of land west of the Euphrates.
General Saleh, the one-legged commander of the Syrian division on the Euphrates – who has adapted this policy many times, along with his fellow officer and friend, Colonel “Tiger” Suheil – says that his forces could, if he wished, be in the centre of Raqqa within five hours “if we decided to do that”. He described how his men had first driven al-Qaeda and Isis from the Sheikh Najjar industrial city outside Aleppo back to the Assad lake, how they had protected the water supply to the city at great loss to their own forces, how they had moved east from the Koyeress airbase to capture Deir Hafer and Meskane and other towns in the Aleppo countryside – and then suddenly surged south east, south of the Euphrates towards Raqqa.
But, I suggested to General Saleh – because I had been studying my sand-blasted maps and had listened to many a military lecture in Damascus of late – surely his next target would be not Raqqa (already partly invested by American-backed forces) but the huge surrounded Syrian garrison city of Deir ez-Zour with its thousands of trapped civilians.
“Our President has said we will recover every square inch of Syria,” the general replied, repeating the mantra of all Syrian officers of the regime. “Why do you say Deir ez-Zour?” Because, I said, that would release the 10,000 Syrian soldiers in the city to fight on the war front. There was just a hint of a grin on the officer’s face, but then it faded. In fact, I don’t think the Syrians will get involved with the American-supported force fighting for Raqqa – that, after all, was the point of the little “coordination” centre I saw in the desert – but I do believe the Syrian army are heading for Deir ez-Zour. As for the general, of course, he was saying nothing about this. Nor, obviously, did he believe in body counts.
There is, in reality, another intriguing tactic being deployed by the Syrian administration. The local Rif Raqqa governor – “rif” indicates the countryside around a city, not to be confused with the town itself – is now setting up headquarters near General Saleh’s caravan. It’s a real campaign caravan, by the way, which rocks when you step aboard, his office and bedroom combined in one small room, his black walking stick by the bed-head. The local governor, however, is scarcely a mile away, planning the restoration of water and electricity supplies, the financing of public works and relief for refugees.
When I left the area, 29 families – cartloads of children and black-shrouded women and upturned sofas – had just arrived in Rasafeh from Deir ez-Zour to seek the Raqqa governor’s assistance. Another 50 had arrived the previous day. It seemed perfectly obvious that if the Syrian army lets America’s largely Kurdish friends occupy Raqqa, it is going to help the Syrian government civilian administration take over the city by the force of bureaucracy. How would that be for a bloodless victory?
But military self-confidence is often the handmaiden of misadventure. The highway that forms the tip of the Homs-Aleppo triangle has now been extended 60 miles to Resafeh, and General Saleh makes no secret that Isis and its fellow cultists return across the desert after dark to attack his soldiers. These men – many of whom are teenagers – are billeted in tent encampments beside the road, protected by tanks and anti-aircraft guns. And their battles are constant, Isis still placing IED bombs beside the highway today. When I later travelled across the desert to Homs, I followed for some time a truck carrying a 155mm artillery piece so overused that its barrel had split apart.
Yet already, Syrian engineers are restoring electricity capacity from the desert generating stations which have only recently been hideouts for Isis leaders, a power system intimately connected to the Syrian oil fields, slowly being recovered from the Isis enemy, which remain – modest though they are in comparison with the great Gulf, Iraqi and Iranian oil resources – Syria’s “pearl in the desert”. Who controls these wealth machines – how their product will be shared now it has been freed from the Isis mafia – will determine part of Syria’s future political history.
This report provides an interesting insight into Russian and Syrian government thinking on the Kurdish question.
As Robert Fisk has seen for himself political tensions between the Kurdish leadership and the Syrian government are belied by Russian brokered cooperation between the Kurdish and Syrian militaries on the ground.
For the moment the Syrian government has decided – probably following Russian and perhaps Iranian advice – to work with the Kurds in the area rather than against them, whilst using the time provided by Kurds’ focus on fighting ISIS in Raqqa to rebuild the Syrian state’s administrative structures in the area.
The calculation appears to be that once the Kurds have finally ousted ISIS from Raqqa they will have to look to the Syrian government to provide the essential services necessary for the successful administration of this large Arab (not Kurdish) populated area. The Syrian government apparently hopes that this will give it decisive leverage in its future negotiations with the Kurds.
Putting aside the tangled question of the future settlement of the Kurdish question, and notwithstanding Robert Fisk’s wise words about the dangers of over-confidence, it is clear that the Syrian army now holds a decisive advantage over ISIS in this area, even if General Saleh’s boast that he could be at the centre of Raqqa in five hours if given the order should not be taken too seriously.
Despite the Syrian army’s extraordinary march across northern Syria, and its recent penetration from southern Raqqa into Deir Ezzor province – which is rapidly becoming ISIS’s last major territorial bastion in Syria – it remains likely that the main advance on Deir Ezzor will not come from the north but from the west ie. along the main road from Palmyra through Al-Sukhnan to Deir Ezzor.
Though neither the Syrians nor the Russians say it openly, the primary purpose of the Syrian army’s advance across southern Raqqa province to the Euphrates river was probably not to prepare the ground for an advance on Deir Ezzor from there but to prevent the Kurds at the US’s instigation from doing that very thing.
That presumably explains General Saleh’s refusal to be drawn by Robert Fish into talking of an advance by his troops towards Deir Ezzor. General Saleh refused to tell Robert Fisk that he was preparing to do such a thing because that is almost certainly not the plan.
With the Syrian army having apparently now reached the Euphrates river – at least in some places – it seems that this part of the Syrian army’s mission may in large measure have been successfully accomplished.
The focus therefore is on the fighting at Al-Sukhnah.
Though it is clear that the battle for the town is fierce, once it is captured the last major urban centre between the Syrian army and Deir Ezzor will have been taken. Though on a map the distance between Al-Sukhnah and Deir Ezzor looks greater than the distance between Al-Sukhnah and Palmyra, the road from Palmyra to Al-Sukhnah crosses rugged and easily defended country, whilst east of Al-Sukhnah the country becomes flatter and more open, and better adapted to a rapid advance by motorised troops.
That of course is why ISIS is defending its positions in Al-Sukhnah so fiercely, and why the expectations of some people in the Syrian military of a week ago that the town would be liberated quickly have not so far been fulfilled.
The latest Al-Masdar report however points to the final liberation of Al-Sukhnah being no more than days or possibly even hours away.
If so then the final climactic battle between the Syrian army and ISIS in Deir Ezzor leading to the collapse of ISIS’s Caliphate will begin.


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Photo courtesy of Flickr user Todd Lappin.
Falling on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the much-feted Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu Festival, will take place on June 12 in Hong Kong. Originating in mainland China to commemorate the suicide of an honorable but ill-fated poet on the same day in 277 B.C., the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated around the world including Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Canada, and the United States.
In Hong Kong, the 2013 races will feature 199 teams, including 36 international groups, racing decorative wooden boats ranging from 250 to 500 meters long in a number of competitions. Annually, crowds flock to the former colonial enclave Stanley Beach to see some of the fast-pace action. Further afield on Lantau Island, catch the heats as planes fly overheard from the nearby airport. Even the tiny fishing island of Cheung Chau hosts its own race. Alas, the romance of the cultural festival is lessened by the abounding corporate teams who often dominate the matches, but the spectacle of hundreds of observers gathered beachside to cheer paddle-equipped racers is a treat in and of itself.
The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong opens Almas Caviar Bar, serving its namesake kingly roe.


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No Matter What, It’s a Good Day When – (Finding God’s Goodness in Difficult Days) is a gift book of encouragement that we have in the works. I’m the author and Patricia Hunter is the photographer.
This book was written because life’s crises can hit hard and fast, stay for a long time, and wear down your resolve and faith. Crises can come in many forms – cancer, heart attack or cystic fibrosis. Or you lose your job and then your house; or someone tries to ruin your reputation and everything you’ve worked for. You want to hang on to God, but you’re struggling. No Matter What, It’s a Good Day When brings biblical encouragement when life is difficult and God’s goodness seems hard to find.
of God’s glory, power, and goodness.
We’re trusting God to open the right doors and lead us to the right connections. As we send out queries and proposals to agents and publishers, we’ll keep you posted on our progress.
May you experience God’s goodness in both your good days and your difficult days.

industry_corpus2: Literature & Emotions