text:
A new joint action by the European Union, the ILO and the OECD on responsible supply chains will promote corporate social responsibility (CSR)/responsible business conduct (RBC) with regard to decent work, environmental sustainability and respect for human rights.
BRUSSELS (ILO News) - The new EUR 9 million project, funded by the European Union (EU) under the Partnership Instrument, and jointly implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), will cover six countries in Asia (China, Japan, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam).
The partnership aims at advancing sustainable and inclusive growth by encouraging businesses to adopt policies and practices in the areas of human and labour rights and environmental protection standards in line with international instruments, such as the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and human rights and the OECD MNE Guidelines.
Sector-focused interventions will be introduced under the project, wherein successful approaches to CSR/RBC will be collected and disseminated among key stakeholders in Europe and in Asia, including through policy advocacy and training activities.
The action, which will be implemented over a period of three years, was announced by EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström during the March EU-ASEAN Business Summit.
Asia is one of the largest trading partners of the EU. Many goods and services in the EU originate in or are sourced from Asia. This initiative is an expression of the EU's long-standing commitment to promote human rights, decent work and sustainable development.
This is the first time that the EU, the ILO and the OECD join forces to promote responsible supply chains on such a large scale. A similar project on responsible business conduct is currently under discussion for Latin America and the Caribbean.


text:
Toll Middle School was briefly locked down this morning after a student reported seeing a man with a gun on campus who turned out to be an armored vehicle driver on routine business, officials said.
The student was walking through the campus when he spotted the man and immediately alerted school officials, who locked down the campus about 9:55 a.m., said Steven Frasher, spokesman for the Glendale Unified School District.
The lockdown was lifted about 10:10 a.m. after police discovered the man’s identity.
The school’s principal called parents to notify them about the brief lockdown and will be sending a note home with students, Frasher said. School staff at nearby Hoover High and Keppel Elementary schools were also notified about the incident.

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


text: Exchangers of heat, radiators are important parts of your vehicle’s cooling system, keeping all of your parts at the right temperatures. Your engine is a natural heat producer, but too much heat can cause damage to the engine if the cooling system isn’t in place and working properly. Keeping your radiator maintained is something that can save you a headache down the line, so ensure it is in good health and shop our supply of replacement parts if needed.

industry_corpus2: Automobiles


text:
So I have a bit of a thing for drapes. Curtains. Side Panels.
Whatever you want to call them.
But the thing is…my husband doesn’t exactly share my thing for them.
Meaning, he doesn’t really like them at all.
In each of our previous houses I have sewn custom drapes of side panels to work with our decor scheme. But when we looked at this house he was so in love with all the thick craftsman style wooden trim that he tried to get me to promise that I wouldn’t hang drapes.
And, I tried. Really, I did.
But…it’s kind of like an addiction. Our home just felt naked without them.
I mean, how else do you cover a 9′ glass door other then with drapery panels??
So, needless to say, that drapes/side panels/curtains have been gradually sneaking their way into our home over the last couple of years.
And one of my favourite things about them?! How quickly and easily you can make simple & custom no sew or barely sew drapery panels in any fabric you love. Often at a fraction of the cost of buying them retail.
To get started, you need to measure the height of your window/rod. You want to figure out how long your curtains needs to END up being in order to hang nicely on your rod. I prefer if my drapes skim the floor – you don’t want there to be a gap between the bottom of your drapes and the floor.
To determine the height I needed my drapes to be FINISHED – I clipped up my fabric to the rod using the clips I planned to use and then used a measuring tape to measure the final finished length.
My panels needed to be 90.5″ finished so I added two inches for the hems at the top and bottom and cut my fabric lengths to 92.5″. (One inch for the top, one inch for the bottom).
For more advice about measuring and cutting long lengths of fabric for drapery panels- please read my tips in this post here.
I wanted neat hems on the back, so I folded over the top (and after, the bottom), a 1/2″ and then ironed it flat.
I then flipped it over AGAIN the other 1/2″ and ironed it flat. That meant that my sewn edge was folded and then folded again so it is very neat and tidy looking.
Because my edges were completely finished due to the fabric that I ordered, I didn’t actually bother hemming them over. I just left them with the finished side edges exposed. If your fabric edges aren’t perfectly finished like mine were (it depends on the fabric) then you can do the same type of double-fold-over hemmed edges on each long side of the drapery panels as well as on the top and bottom.
For the Barely SEW version that I did, I simply took my ironed edges over to my machine and stitched them neatly. Well, somewhat neatly. I’m not brilliant with straight lines, but who can tell??
If you want to do a NO SEW curtain – then just use some double sided hemming tape. I have done this style before on previous drapery side panels, and it turned out amazingly well.
The key to making these No Sew or Barely Sew drapery panels is in the hanging method. Using these simple drapery clips makes these fast and brainless.
I completed all four of these panels in about an hour one weekend, and was so excited that I totally overgrammed pictures of it. I mean, an hour? I could waste that playing solitaire on my phone. But, no, I had brand new drapes for the dining room….
And I love them! What do you think?
The print that I used for this is called Manchester Premier Navy and it is by Premier Prints. I ordered mine from Fabric.com and it cost $8.96 a yard. I also used a discount code, which saved some additional money, and if you live in the US you get free shipping over $35.
I love me a pretty and patterned drape.
We hope to see all our blogging friends back on Sunday evening to share their patterned or textured projects!
You did such a great job! Thanks for sharing the details. Been thinking about making some curtains for my kitchen area, but struggle with how much they need to match since it opens up to the living room and dining room. Any pointers on that?
I love that fabric! It is busy with great texture but not too much for the room. Gorgeous! I made my own curtains in our living room because I fell in love with a fabric.
Nice! I love the simplicity of these panels! They look great!
That fabric is amazing!! You know I love it! 🙂 Great job, they look fabulous.
thank you. I need drapes for my bedroom but the price is ridiculous! I love the fabrics you use. Where do you find fabric? The local store where I live doesn’t have a great selection.
Thank you so much. I always love new drape ideas and I love the simple hemming along with the clips for the rod!
these are great and i love the fabric!
Curtains, drapes, panels, whatever, always dress a room nicely. Love yours.
I totally agree Maria! The finish off a space perfectly… thanks!
Do you have the name of the fabric line and pattern? Just love it!

industry_corpus2: Real Estate & Construction


text:
A Members Voluntary Liquidation is suitable for solvent companies and is often used to unlock company assets in a tax efficient manner.
One of the main advantages of the process is that the capital gain on the distribution to company shareholders is taxed at 30% as opposed to receiving the funds in the form of a salary which would be taxed at the higher marginal rate. In certain circumstances, shareholders may also be able to avail of Retirement Relief to mitigate any tax liabilty.
•	The directors prepare a Declaration of Solvency stating that the company has sufficient assets to pay all its debts within twelve months.
•	It is a solvent liquidation with no creditor involvenent.
•	Following completion of the liquidation, the company is dissolved.

industry_corpus2: Finance & Economics


text:
The effectiveness of the process has been brought into question by organizations such as Global Witness (pulled out of the scheme on 5 December 2011) and IMPACT (pulled out on 14 December 2017), claiming it has failed in its purpose and does not provide markets with assurance that the diamonds are not conflict diamonds.
A man and two children sifting for diamonds in Sierra Leone.
The United Nations imposed sanctions against UNITA in 1998 through United Nations Security Council Resolution 1173, however investigators led by Robert Fowler presented the Fowler Report to the UN in March 2000, which detailed how the movement was able to continue financing its war efforts through the sale of diamonds on the international market. The UN wished to clamp down on this sanctions-breaking trade, but had limited powers of enforcement; the Fowler report therefore set out to name the countries, companies, government and individuals involved. This led to a meeting of Southern African diamond-producing states in Kimberley, Northern Cape in May 2000. A culminating ministerial meeting followed during September in Pretoria, from which the KPCS originated.
In December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/55/56, supporting the creation of an international certification scheme for rough diamonds, and this was followed by support from the United Nations Security Council in its Resolution 1459 passed in January 2003. Every year since, the General Assembly has renewed its support for the KP - most recently in March 2018.
In order for a country to be a participant, it must ensure that any diamond originating from the country does not finance a rebel group or other entity seeking to overthrow a UN-recognized government, that every diamond export be accompanied by a Kimberley Process certificate and that no diamond is imported from, or exported to, a non-member of the scheme. This three-step plan is a simple description of the steps taken to ensure a chain of countries that deal exclusively with non-conflict diamonds. By restricting diamond revenues to government-approved sources, the Kimberley Process is neutral towards different governments.
Failure to abide by these principles exposes the member to expulsion from industry organizations.
The working procedure of the KPCS is done by the chair, elected on an annual basis at a plenary meeting. A working group on monitoring, works to ensure that each participant is implementing the scheme correctly. The working group reports to the Chair. Other working groups include the technical working group (or working group of diamond experts) which reports on difficulties in implementation and proposes solutions, and the statistics working group, which reports diamond trading data.
While the Process has been broadly welcomed by groups aiming to improve human rights in countries previously affected by conflict diamonds, such as Angola, some say it does not go far enough. For instance, Amnesty International says "[We] welcome the Kimberley Process as an important step to dealing with the problem of conflict diamonds. But until the diamond trade is subject to mandatory, impartial monitoring, there is still no effective guarantee that all conflict diamonds will be identified and removed from the market." Canadian aid group One Sky (funded in part by the Canadian government) concurs with Amnesty's view saying "If effectively implemented, the Kimberley Process will ensure that diamonds cannot be used to finance war and atrocities... However, without a system of expert, independent and periodic reviews of all countries, the overall process remains open to abuse." Fatal Transactions campaign’s (started in 1998) founder Anne Jung in 2008 criticized KPCS for not being a legally binding agreement and suggested a revision of the scheme.
Another form of criticism by the African Diamond Council (ADC) is whether the Kimberley process is realistically enforceable. There are many factors that can jeopardize the "Officialdom of certificates and paperwork" from lack of enforcement on the ground to the secrecy in the diamond trading centers such as Antwerp.
KPCS has established a number of working groups for carrying out its programs. As of 2019, it had 7 working groups: Working Group of Diamond Experts (WGDE), Working Group on Monitoring (WGM), Working Group on Statistics (WGS), Working Group on Artisanal & Alluvial Production (WGAAP), Committee on Participation and Chairmanship (CPC), Committee on Rules and Procedures (CRP) and Ad Hoc Committee on Reform and Review (AHCRR).
As of 1 July 2013, there were 54 participants in the KPCS representing 81 countries, with the European Union counting as a single participant. The participants include all major rough diamond producing, exporting and importing countries. Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Panama, and Cambodia were admitted as participants in 2012. The following is a list of participant countries with their year of entry (and re-entry, as appropriate) in brackets.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) in December 2006 approved a waiver for the KPCS while recognizing the importance and effectiveness of the KPCS.
The following is a list of the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme's chairs and vice chairs. The Chair oversees the implementation of the program, the operations of the working groups and committees, and general administration. The Chair rotates annually. The current chair of KPCS is the nation that held the position of vice chair the previous year.
The DRC's position as the 2011 KPCS Chair is notable, in that it had been a known source of conflict diamonds and other minerals in recent years.
KPCS emphasizes collecting and publishing data relating to actual mining and international trade in diamonds. Member countries are required to officially submit statistics that can be verified through audit. Also, all member countries are required to produce and submit an Annual Report on the trade in diamonds. According to the Working Group on Statistics (WGS) of KPCS, in 2006, the KPCS monitored $35.7 billion in rough diamond exports representing more than 480 million carats. The number of Certificates issued by KPCS members was 55,000.
In 2014, 100 Reporters published an article showing how the use of KP certificates had allowed for the publication to identify transfer pricing manipulation in South Africa's trade of rough diamond exports, detailing "Most imported diamonds appear to be re-exported uncut and unpolished. While imports make up relatively small volume, or carats, they drastically increase the value of rough diamond exports. Subtracting the values and volume of imported diamonds shown on South Africa’s K.P. certificates from corresponding exports, the actual price per carat of rough diamonds being exported for the first time falls dramatically."
The article revealed that when, "asked about the anomalies in reported trade figures for diamonds under the Kimberley Process (K.P.) in South Africa, where De Beers is a dominant player, [Lynette] Gould, [head of media relations for De Beers], responded, “The primary purpose of the K.P. process (or the issuing of the certificates at least) is for Governments to certify the origin of diamonds, not to keep track of the volume and value of diamonds imported or exported."
Annual report by all KPCS members is a component of peer review mechanism established by KPCS. In the United States, for example, all companies that buy, sell, and ship rough diamonds must submit an annual report via email to the State Department, deadline April 1. The report must include the company's contact information and a detailed breakdown of the total carat weight and value in U.S. dollars of rough diamonds imported, exported, and stockpiled (still in inventory) for the previous calendar year. These are also sorted by HTS codes for unsorted (gem and industrial) rough diamonds, sorted rough industrial diamonds, and sorted rough gem diamonds—the latter of which is most likely to be polished into finished stones and jewelry for retail sale, while industrial diamonds are most likely to be used in cutting and drilling tools. Failure to submit this annual report in a timely fashion could result in a fine up to $10,000. If found to be in willful violation, the convicted offender could be fined up to $50,000 and sentenced to jail time up to ten years.
In 2004, Republic of the Congo was removed from the scheme because it was found unable to prove the origin of its gems, most of which were believed to have come from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. For countries economically dependent on diamond exports, this can be a substantial punishment, as it disallows trade with much of the rest of the world. Republic of the Congo's membership in the KPCS was reinstated in the Plenary of 2007.
In 2005, trade in diamonds from Côte d'Ivoire was prohibited. Ivorian diamonds and cocoa are considered conflict resources.
In 2008, Venezuela voluntarily removed itself from the KPCS, after it had been in non-compliance for several years. The nation ignored several attempts to communicate from Kimberley working groups, finally responding to an Angolan ambassador in 2007. Venezuela invited Kimberley officials to visit the nation, but this required authorization, and the deadline expired without further correspondence. Finally, Venezuela agreed to remove itself from the KPCS and work toward strengthening its infrastructure.
Côte d'Ivoire and Venezuela are still considered Kimberley Process members, but not Kimberley Process participants. As explained in the FAQ section of the Kimberley Process website, "Participants in the Kimberley Process (KP) are states or regional economic integration organisations (currently the European Community) that have met the minimum requirements of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) and are, therefore, eligible to trade in rough diamonds with one another. The KPCS prohibits participants from trading with non-participants. Therefore, while the aforementioned countries still retain membership in the KPCS, they do not fulfill the requirements for participation, and thus cannot be called "participants."
Global Witness is a London-based NGO, a key member of the KPCS and was one of the first organizations to bring the issue of 'conflict diamonds' to international attention. They state that a report they wrote, "A Rough Trade," was partial inspiration for the film Blood Diamond.
According to Global Witness, the Kimberley Process has ultimately failed to stem the flow of conflict diamonds, leading them to abandon the scheme in 2011.
In December 2013, the World Policy Journal published an investigative report by journalists Khadija Sharife and John Grobler, disclosing how $3.5 billion minimum in KP-certified diamonds from Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had been looted through KP-certified tax havens such as Dubai and Switzerland in collaboration with self-regulating 'KP-approved' governments including Angola, arms dealer Arkadi Gaydamak, diamond magnate Lev Leviev and certain international banks. The authors concluded that tax havens should not be allowed to handle resource revenues for they provide, "the legal and financial-secrecy infrastructure enabling illicit activities, while the former struggle to generate revenue for citizens’ needs." Under-invoicing and other illicit manipulation of reported income or tax avoidance were excluded from the definition of 'conflict diamond' used by the KP, they note, and this "has enabled a 99 percent clean diamond industry to exist largely because the real violence of the industry is whitewashed, ignored, or excluded entirely from the framework—the criminal portion of which continues to exist entirely on the periphery."
In 2013, US investigative platform 100 Reporters released another Khadija Sharife investigate through Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) documents, showing $3 billion in diamond revenues used to rig the Zimbabwean elections.
In June 2009, Ian Smillie of the Canadian-based NGO, Partnership Africa Canada (PAC), one of the founder members of the Kimberley Process resigned his position accusing the regulator of failing to regulate and saying he could no longer contribute to the "pretense that failure is success".
Another founding member of the process, UK-based NGO Global Witness said, "Despite having all tools in place, the Scheme was failing effectively to address issues of non-compliance, smuggling, money laundering and human rights abuses in the world's... diamond fields". The scheme came under further criticism from Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada in June 2010 after the Kimberley Monitor appointed to review diamond mining conditions in Zimbabwe recommended that the country be allowed to sell diamonds as conflict-free from its contested Marange diamond fields in Chiadzwa. For the first time the two NGOs jointly called for a redefined classification for conflict diamonds.
Ahead of this denunciation, the ADC unleashed a distressing TV infomercial that exposed internal problems at the front end of the African diamond industry. The broadcast was not only a huge boost for the ADC, it proved to be an enormous setback for the Kimberley Process and ultimately ended De Beers’ ascendancy on the African continent.
In December 2010 Time Magazine published a piece discussing the newly established rough diamond trade in Zimbabwe. The article questioned the legitimacy of the Kimberley Process, stating that it was unable to prevent Zimbabwean conflict diamonds from entering the market.
On 11 August 2011, a BBC radio documentary titled "Zimbabwe's Diamond Fields" repeated an interview with representatives of the Kimberley Process claiming officials were unaware of the tortures and killings exposed in the documentary. Official stated they were only aware of incidents uncovered by their brief visits to the field, implying that they were not staffed to do in-depth investigations.
The certification scheme lost a large amount of its integrity after Global Witness walked out on KP in December 2011. The human rights watchdog group has stated that in recent times, the governments of Zimbabwe, Côte d'Ivoire and Venezuela have all dishonored, breached and exploited the system without bearing any consequential penalties for their infringements.
^ "Official Kimberley Process Website". Kimberleyprocess.com. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
^ "Why we are leaving the Kimberley Process - A message from Global Witness Founding Director Charmian Gooch". Global Witness. 2011-12-05. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
^ "2017 Plenary - Statement of IMPACT". Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. December 14, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ Sanderson, Henry (March 22, 2018). "Ethical concerns grow over Kimberley Process diamond charter". Financial Times. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ Lewis, Barbara (June 18, 2018). "CAR struggling to resume diamond exports, tax revenue lags". Reuters. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ Robert Fowler (2000-03-10). "Final Report of the UN Panel of Experts (The "Fowler Report)". Global Policy Forum. Retrieved 2010-03-20.
^ "Sanctions in Angola". Global Policy Forum. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
^ United Nations Security Council Verbotim Report 3891. S/PV/3891 page 4. Mr. Amorim Brazil 12 June 1998. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
^ Armstrong, Paul (August 6, 2010). "Q&A: Africa's 'blood' diamond shame". CNN International. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ Berg, Goya (December 31, 2018). "Dangerous Diamonds Warning!". diamondspeacearmy.com. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ United Nations General Assembly Session 55 Verbotim Report 79. A/55/PV.79 page 2. Mr. Holbrooke United States 1 December 2000. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
^ United Nations General Assembly Session 55 Resolution 56. The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict: breaking the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict as a contribution to prevention and settlement of conflicts A/RES/55/56 1 December 2000. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
^ United Nations General Assembly Meeting General Assembly Adopts Resolution Seeking Alignment of Efforts to End Illicit Diamond Trade, Achieve 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development GA/12002 March 7, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ Ambler, Pamela (September 10, 2017). "Diamonds Are The Latest Industry To Benefit From Blockchain Technology". Forbes. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ Jung, Anne (2008). "INPUT: 10 YEARS OF FATAL TRANSACTIONS" (PDF). Medico International. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ "Reporter Discusses Dark Side of Diamonds". National Geographic. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ Richard Hughes. "Kimberley Process - Appeasement in the Diamond Trade". ruby-Sapphire.com. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Working Groups and Committees". kimberleyprocess.com. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ "Working together to stem the tide of conflict diamonds worldwide". kimberleyprocess.com. 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ El Dahan, Maha (May 24, 2016). "Venezuela to rejoin global group fighting conflict diamonds". Reuters. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ "Final Communiqué - the Kimberley Process Plenary Meeting" (PDF). United States Department of State. November 17, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ "Goods Council considers new EC enlargement, extends Kimberley waiver". World Trade Organization. November 20, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ "Chair". KimberleyProcess. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Diamond Activist to Miss Meeting - Inside Israel - News - Arutz Sheva". Israelnationalnews.com. 2010-06-18. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "World Diamond Council". worlddiamondcouncil.org. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Assistant Secretary Fernandez Appoints Kimberley Process Chair". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Kimberley Process - Rough Diamond Statistics". Kimberleyprocessstatistics.org. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Jewelers Vigilance Committee". Jvclegal.org. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ a b Khadija Sharife. "Rough and Polished: South Africa Shortchanged on Diamond Trade". 100 Reporters. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Kimberley Process for Rough Diamonds" (PDF). State.gov. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "USKPA Annual Import/Export Report" (PDF). Jvclegal.org. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury" (PDF). Edocket.access.gpo.gov. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Hot Chocolate : How Cocoa Fuelled the Conflict in Cote d'Ivoire" (PDF). Globalwitness.org. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ Mark Boulton Design. "Global Witness". Globalwitness.org. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Conflict Diamonds". Globalwitness.org. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "NGO Global Witness leaves diamond vetting scheme". BBC News. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ a b "Kimberley's Illicit Process - World Policy Institute". Worldpolicy.org. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ Khadija Sharife. "Made in China: The Secret of Mugabe's Election Success". 100 Reporters. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ a b "PAC", Partenariat Afrique Canada.
^ a b "IRIN Africa - GLOBAL: Credibility of Kimberley Process on the line, say NGOs - Angola - Namibia - Conflict - Economy - Governance". IRINnews. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Zimbabwe meets diamond trade standards: monitor". reuters.com. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "The Militarized Control of Diamonds and Power in Zimbabwe" (PDF). Partenariat Afrique Canada. June 14, 2010. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "BBC News - Diamonds: Does the Kimberley Process work?". BBC News. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Diamond boss blasts KP". Zimeye.org. Archived from the original on 2015-09-09. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Diamond boss blasts KP". The Zimbabwean. Archived from the original on 2013-05-01. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "YouTube". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "The Kimberley Process: Winners and Losers From the Two Year Zim-broglio". JCK Magazine. Archived from the original on 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Why Zimbabwe's New Diamonds Imperil Global Trade". Time. 5 December 2010. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "MP3 file" (PDF). Downloads.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ "Markets - BDlive". Business Day Live. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^ Gina-Marie Cheeseman (7 December 2011). "Global Witness Says Kimberley Process Not Preventing Blood Diamonds". Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit. Retrieved 2015-03-10.

industry_corpus2: Mining


text:
Grove Scientific & Engineering Company (GSE) has been providing quality and responsive environmental services to assist our clients with evaluating and managing the risks associated with environmental conditions of their properties and activities for over 30 years. Our engineers and scientists have the qualifications and experience to manage the most complex environmental assessment found in industrial, realestate, institutional, and governmental settings. GSE is also an approved FDEP contractor under the Pre-Approved Petroleum Restoration Program.
GSE’s professionals practice assures our project compliance with approved US EPA RCRA, ASTM, NESHAP, and FDEP rules and regulations relating to hazardous wastes, hazardous substances, petroleum products, and toxics impacts to buildings, air, soil and groundwater. Over the past 30 years, our staff has completed more than 1000 routine Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments, to complex investigations, some outside of the environmental field, but using the scientific method to identify and solve complex questions. Our multi-media experienced engineers and scientists will provide their expertise to solve your environmental problems.
Environmental services provided are listed below.
Industrial Environmental Assessment and Compliance Audits.
Phase I and II ESAs per ASTM E-1527-13 Due Diligence.
Contamination Assessments and Remediation of Hazardous Substances.
Contamination Assessment Reports for storage tanks.
Groundwater, stormwater, surface water, wetlands and wastewater sampling, project design and implementation.
Field Sampling per FDEP Rule 62-160 SOPs.

industry_corpus2: Petrochemicals


text: Are you looking to take your business to the next level through a franchisee model? If yes then Vorizen is the product for you. Vorizen is built to accommodate all your franchisee outlets so that each outlet can function individually while still being connected to the main entity. By doing so, you can gather operational data from each of your outlets that could further help you to incentivize them based on the business they get for you. Vorizen consists of various modules such as CRM, Point of Sale system, Inventory, Accounting, Internal Transfers, Commission Management and Human Resources. Further modules can be added based on individual business requirements.

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


text:
Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN) stock enjoyed an overall uptrend of 12.34% from the beginning of 2019. The closing share price quoted for April 05, 2019 was $26.21. The -0.15% drop might have been tempting for an investor to sell at this point but in fact that would prove a short-sighted mistake, as sell-side analysts think there is almost 29.72% more gain yet to come for shareholders. Analysts seemed to set $34 as highest price target on its way to greater gains. The average 12-month price target they expect from the stock is $28.19. This mean price target represents 7.55% upside over its previous closing price. The median price target they presented was $28.5 for the next 12-months, which suggests a 8.74% upside from current levels. Some analysts have a lowest price target on the stock of $23, which would mean a -12.25% gain in value.
A fresh roundup today notes that NLSN stock has lost around -18.63% of its value in the past 12 months, suggesting more investors have expressed concern about about in that time period. If we turn to the Street in general, the positives still outweigh the negatives as we can see that Nielsen Holdings plc (NLSN), have a ,neutral (2.1) analyst consensus rating. In the current time, the stock has 11 buy and 5 hold ratings. The stock registered its 52-week high of $34.86 on April 19 and its 52-week low of $20.53 on July 26. Currently, the shares are trading $0.37 above its YTD moving average of $25.84.
Moving on, Nielsen Holdings plc (NLSN) last reported its December 2019 earnings. For brief highlights, it performed weak in that quarter, with earnings down -67% year-over-year at $0.28. The company surprised analysts by -7 who were expecting $0.3 per share. Overall, its quarterly revenues dropped by -6% to reach $1.66 billion, while it had reported $1.76 billion in the same period a year ago. To see what investors should really expect from its March 2019 financial results consensus analyst estimates are calling for current quarter earnings per share of $0.27, up from $0.2 in the same quarter a year ago. However, earnings-per-share are expected to see growth of 10.19% in next year. From there, the company believes it can achieve a long-term annual earnings growth rate of 4.71 %. At the other end of the income statement, we have seen revenue of $6.52 billion over the trailing 12 months.
To help you decide whether it’s worth the wait (and the money), Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN) is currently trading at 0X the company’s trailing-12-month earnings per share, which represents a discount compared to the sector’s 19.28X and comes in below its industry’s 48.82X. The most popular method for valuing a stock is to study the historic Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio using reported earnings for the past 12 months. The EPS number for this stock in the most recent four quarters of earnings stood at $-2.65. P/E ratio is so popular because it’s simple, it’s effective, and, tautologically, because everyone uses it.
The 14-day Absolute ATR (Average True Range) on Friday, April 05 of 2019 shows that the price on average moves $0.8. The average daily volatility is 3.3% over the past week. Low volatility is good for the stock and it means we have calm and confident investors. If you check recent Nielsen Holdings plc (NLSN) volume, you will see that it has changed to 4.05 million shares versus the average daily volume of 3.87 million shares.
When you look at the daily chart for NLSN, you will observe the stock held -4.03% losses in the 6-month period and maintains 27.67% distance from its most recent low. The past 5-day performance for the share stays positive at 10.73% but down -0.12% from its three-week moving average. Comparing to 50-day SMA, Nielsen Holdings plc shares price is now up 0.56%. It also closed -0.79% higher from its 200-day SMA. This is often seen as the last line of defense for long term trends to find support at, else be considered broken and/or in a bear market. The daily chart of the stock more clearly reveals the slide in prices as it closed Friday with a 1-month performance at 0.31%.


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What year did you start fencing?
Acceptance of the rental equipment and its use during the rental period indicates that the goods were received in good condition. If there are any issues with the gear provided, please contact Marx Fencing Academy within a week of receipt. In the event that any of the rented equipment is lost, stolen, damaged beyond repair, or not returned for any reason, the renter will be liable for full replacement costs. Any damages outside of normal wear and tear will also be assessed. Marx Fencing Academy has full discretion regarding assessed damages and the renter is liable for repair costs. Refer to Rental Terms & Conditions for full details.
The RENTER shall keep and maintain the rented equipment and/or clothing during the terms of the rental at his/her own cost and expense. He/She shall keep the equipment and/or clothing in a good state of repair, normal wear and tear excepted.
WASHING INSTRUCTIONS: Wash all whites in warm water and place in dryer on low heat or hang dry.
The RENTER shall pay the OWNER full compensation for replacement and/or repair of any equipment and/or clothing which is not returned because it is lost or stolen or any equipment and/or clothing which is damaged and in need of repair to put it into the same condition it was in at the time of rental, normal wear and tear excepted. The OWNER’s invoice for replacement or repair is conclusive as to the amount RENTER shall pay under this paragraph for repair or replacement.
Approximate costs of replacement for the following items are: Fencing Bag $35, Mask $50, Underarm Protector $22, Chest Protector $28, Jacket $74, Glove $11.
The equipment shall be delivered to RENTER and returned to OWNER at the RENTER’s risk, cost and expense. If a periodic rental rate is charged by OWNER, rental charges are billed to the RENTER for each period or portions of the period from the time the equipment is delivered to RENTER until its return. If a term rental rate is charged by OWNER, rental charges are billed to the RENTER for the full term even if the equipment is returned before the end of the term. If the equipment is not returned during or at the end of the term, then the rental charges shall continue on a full term basis for any additional term or portion thereof until the equipment is returned.
No allowance will be made for partial equipment use or claim not to have been used. All bags will be rented as a complete equipment package. Acceptance of returned equipment by OWNER does not constitute a waiver of any of the rights OWNER has under the rental agreement.
The RENTER shall pay all reasonable attorney and other fees, the expenses and costs incurred by OWNER in protection of its rights under this rental agreement and for any action taken against OWNER to collect any amounts due to the OWNER under this rental agreement.
I understand that participation in any sport carries a risk of serious injuries. I knowingly accept and assume this risk and release Marx Fencing Academy, its sponsors, instructors and officers of any liability.
I give my consent to the staff and coaches of the Marx Fencing Academy to obtain medical care from any licensed physician, hospital or clinic for any injury or illness that arise during activities associated with Marx Fencing Academy. Marx Fencing Academy will make every attempt to contact parents/guardian prior to emergency treatment.
Marx Fencing Academy occasionally uses photos of fencers taken at the club or compeition for promotional purposes. Photos and video may be posted on our website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account, in informational brochures and similiar publications.
Yes, I give permission for my/my childs photo to be used for promotional purposes by Marx Fencing Academy.
The Marx Fencing Academy (MFA) is open to anyone with an interest in promoting or engaging in the Olympic sport of fencing. Membership and participation at MFA is a privilege with obligations, not a right. MFA expects all members, non-member participants, guests, coaches, and staff to follow these Rules and Code of Conduct. MFA reserves the right to update the Rules and Code of Conduct and inform athletes/parents accordingly.
No Discrimination: All MFA participants and guests are to treat, at all times and in all respects, all other members, participants, guests, staff and instructors in a manner free of discrimination or harassment including on the basis of race, color, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
Attendance and Push Up Policy: All athletes and or guests are required to check in at the front desk upon arrival. Failure to do so may require a vast amount of push ups. If arriving by the side door in order to avoid checking in, 2x the amount of pushups will be incurred and added to your account. Please arrive promptly for all classes and be warmed up prior to scheduled lessons. Failure to arrive on time and warmed up for lessons will not increase your lesson time.
Payments: Participants are expected to pay promptly when owed, all guest fees, membership dues, tournament fees, travel costs, equipment costs and any other amounts owed to MFA. If payments are in arrears by two months, member’s privileges may be suspended until payment is made. If payments are not made by the 15th of the month in which the term begins a late fee of $40.00 will be assesed.
Absences: If an absence is unavoidable, a make-up class may be taken only within the term it was missed. If a fencer will be absent, he or she must notify MFA either by email or a phone call within 24 hours prior to, or after, the missed class. An excused absence is one that is approved before the class is missed, verified with a doctor’s note for an illness, a death in the family, a religious obligation, a standardized test such as an SAT, or a college visit. MFA does not issue tuition refunds.
Physical Safety: Physical safety is the highest priority at the MFA. All participants are expected to exercise control of their actions and demeanor while fencing or otherwise participating at MFA. All participants are expected to exercise good judgment as to the degree of force when fencing, acknowledging what is reasonable and appropriate to the age, size and experience level of their opponents.
Sportsmanship: Good sportsmanship, like physical safety, is another priority of MFA. All fencing encounters are to be conducted in a respectful and courteous manner regardless of whether the encounter takes place during open bouting, at a tournament or during class. All participants are expected to salute their opponent and the referee, if any, before and after each encounter, and to shake hands with their opponent after each bout in a sportsmanlike manner.
Scoring/Referees: In non-refereed bouts, discussions of priority and valid touches are to be resolved quickly and amicably between the participants, or thrown out. In non-electric bouting, fencers are expected to acknowledge touches against them. In refereed bouts, the decision belongs solely to the referee and that decision is final unless, at a tournament, it is a question appropriate for the bout committee. Fencers and guests are expected to treat all referees with respect, regardless of the outcome of any particular call or encounter.
Equipment: All participants are expected to keep any equipment owned by them in a safe condition, and are responsible for the suitability and condition of that equipment. All participants using MFA equipment are not to use any equipment that appears damaged or unsafe, and to give such equipment to an instructor. If, when using MFA equipment, a weapon is broken, please give it directly to a coach or bring to the front desk. Beyond the beginning level all fencers are required to purchase their own equipment and fence in proper fencing attire at all times.
Armory: The MFA armory is a space provided for athletes and parents to do weapon repair. Athletes and parents are expected to pay for all screws, tips, wires etc that are directly from the MFA. Please follow rules of the armory by signing in and cleaning up after yourself.
MFA Activities: Non-involved participants or guests must treat all classes and programs at the MFA with respect. Participants and guests must not interrupt instructors or an ongoing activity except in an emergency.
Study Hall. The study hall is a space provided for athletes to do homework and quiet activities. The study hall is a non-supervised area and MFA takes no responsibility for accidents, injuries, etc., that may occur. Parents of children using the study hall are expected to exercise supervisory control over their children’s behavior. Athletes are expected to clean up and leave the room tidy. This room is provided as a courtesy; please treat MFA spaces with respect and care.
Tournament Conduct: Members attending tournaments represent MFA to the wider fencing community. Members are bound by these MFA rules and by the USFA and USOC codes of conduct regardless of whether the tournament is a local, regional, national or international competition. Any fencer representing the MFA who breaches any of these rules or the USFA or USOC codes of conduct may be subject to disciplinary action by Marx Fencing Academy.
Ejection: If at any time a participant or guest threatens the safety of another participant, guest, staff or instructor, the owners or coaching staff may immediately remove the threatening participant or guest from MFA premises. The owners will promptly determine the duration that such removal will remain in effect and any other penalties.
REVOCATION OF PRIVILEGES: MFA may revoke the membership and/or use privileges of any person whether member, non-member, guest, visitor, or participant whom we determine has violated any of these Rules.
Program fees are due on the 1st day of each term. Discounted payments for the full season must be received on or before September 15th, 2017.
I agree to pay program fees on time. For each late payment, a processing fee of $40.00 will be added to your account.
Marx Fencing does not issue tuition refunds.
Make up classes must be made in the term that they were missed. You must sign in and notify the front desk that you are attending the class as a make up.
This is a ten (10) month competitive program (from the date of enrollment till June 16th). Enrollment in this program is a contractual obligation to finish the program in full and students (including signatory parents and guardians) are responsible for payment of all tuition and related fees through the end of the program even if they withdraw prior to the end of completion of the program.
The club membership term is September 4, 2018, through August 31, 2019. Club membership fees are not subject to reimbursement in any case. Enrollment in a competitive program requires a current club membership and a competitive membership with US fencing.
I have read Marx Fencing Academy's commitment policy and agree to its terms. I am knowingly signing a binding 10-month contract and am aware of my contractual obligations.

industry_corpus2: Sports


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Sustainable practice has become an integral part of the culture at Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), the largest provider of technical and further education in the ACT.
CIT has implemented a number of innovative energy, water and waste management saving initiatives and continues to push the boundaries of environmental sustainability in a contemporary learning environment.
CIT Bruce, one of six CIT locations across Canberra, is 100% self-sufficient in terms of water supply for irrigation needs, and does not use a drop of town water. All rainwater is harvested from the rooftops and collected in purpose-built tanks, and the run-off from the carpark, roads and grounds is collected in a 5.2 ML dam and used for irrigation. Bore water is used for irrigation and as a back-up when dam and tank water is low. The need for irrigation has also been greatly reduced by incorporating low-maintenance native plants in the landscape design. The Raiders' oval is even kept green using only bore water supplied from CIT Bruce.
CIT as whole has also more than halved its water usage within five years, and reduced its energy usage by 14% within three years. Making simple but clever switches to better capture natural energy and conserve generated energy has made a stunning difference to CIT's carbon footprint. The installation of solar panels on all campuses captures the natural energy from the sun, and window film on windows reduces heat gain and loss. Automatic timers and movement detectors in classrooms negate the need for the old reminder to 'turn the lights off', and all lights are eco-friendly varieties.
All of CIT's sustainable initiatives are used together in CIT's eco-building - the Sustainable Skills Training Hub. Showcasing cutting-edge green technology, including solar and wind turbine generators, grey and black water recycling, the harnessing of waste heat and much more, this innovative facility will be used to teach and inspire students for years to come.
The pioneering purpose-built building will help industry, governments and communities to meet the challenges of climate change by providing workers with skills in sustainable practices.
Taking sustainability even further, sustainable work practices are built into all study areas of CIT. CIT Fashion teacher Steve Wright brings leading-edge sustainable techniques in fashion design into the classroom. Boldly challenging an industry where fashion trends change faster than the seasons, and a culture that systemically exploits people and the environment along the design process, Steve urges students to think about reducing wastage by using the whole piece of fabric in a design, and even creating designs that can be unpicked and reformed into something else.


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APSCo Australia has released its Q3 Professional Staffing Trends Report.
Supply and demand are now showing a consistent pattern. Rates and days to fill are generally increasing along with contractor ratios, suggesting that businesses are in a holding pattern with respect to hiring. These results are not unexpected, and stem from a lack of confidence because of the nation’s political instability, which always causes caution in business hiring intentions.

industry_corpus2: Others


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Like many other Web sites, finishingandover.com makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user's movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to your users based on their visit to finishingandover.com and other sites on the Internet.
finishingandover.com has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.


text: Mix it up. Change the menu and even the timing. They don’t need our food but it’s nice when they visit.

industry_corpus2: Hospitality & Catering


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Having had my appetite whetted by finally catching Dan & Tom Mitchell live in Toronto last July, I have been looking for an opportunity to check out the whole group and a 2 1/2 hour drive down to Rochester looked like the best bet yet.
I met up with fellow Hixter Mark Bocko and his wife Kim for the first show at the Montage Grille last night. An online review of the venue referred to it as the kind of place where you should be sipping martinis instead of beer. On a chart that ranks clubs on several different items, the Montage rated a 6 out of 10 on the "Hook-up Factor" scale. It seemed to work pretty good for Mark.
There was a singer named Heather something opening for Dan and she seemed to lose the crowd after a couple of numbers judging by the murmer murmer of conversation in the room. Sorry, Heather, but we were there to see Dan and company.
I don't know if it was because of the chatting during the opening act but Dan seemed a little put off when he first came out. He made some of his usual cracks to the audience whenever shouted requests came but seemed to warm as the show went on. Later in the set he was getting annoyed about conversation and threatened us not to expect an encore if we couldn't pay attention during the main set. That seemed to do the trick.
The first number was the "updated" version of "Canned Music". After the song Dan said, "That's the show, folks. Thanks a lot. Drive safely. Pray for peace."
I'm sure we all have had difficulty explaining to the uninitiated what kind of music Dan plays. He clarified it somewhat by describing it as, I think, "folk swing roots acid jazz".
During the intros. of the musicians Dan introduced himself as John Waters just in from Baltimore (who was in town for the Lesbian & Gay Film Festival).
At one point Dan was referring to recent LPs "or CDs as they're called now. What's next FUs? A little caberet humor, there."
It was an amazing show. To take nothing away from Tom and Dan, the full sound with the (unknown) bass player and Brian on violin or mandolin and the Lickettes (Susan and someone else whose name I didn't catch) was so much better. I could listen to the solos all night long.
All in all well worth the drive. As I felt after the first time seeing Dan play live, it just left me wanting more. Let's see, if I hop in the car now I could get to Cleveland tonight .. then off to Ferndale Friday and then Pittsburgh on Saturday. OK, maybe I'm not quite a "Danhead" yet but I'm looking into airfares to San Francisco.
Nice meeting you Mark and Kim. It was fun sharing the Dan experience with true believers.

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


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The filming of the ninth episode of the high octane Fast & Furious movie series will apparently kick off in London. Diesel has also promised a tenth film to round out a trio of films following the passing of actor Paul Walker, who played Brian O'Connor until the seventh film.
Diesel said he has promised Universal Pictures three spinoffs, including one that focuses on a female protagonist.
Meanwhile the new spinoff film that stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham has an official premiere date of August 2, according to an IG post from Johnson.
The new blockbuster film is be officially titled "Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw," – the names of the characters played by Jason and Dwayne.
The film will see both characters, whose relationship hasn’t been exactly cordial, teaming up against a new villain portrayed by Idris Elba.


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Scott Anschuetz - Visualize, Inc.
As Founder and CEO of Visualize, Scott spearheads the company’s overall strategic direction, planning and execution. Scott has over 25 years of experience in sales and sales leadership, building profitable companies. He has trained thousands of clients around the globe at corporations including Interwoven, Mercury Interactive, Motorola, Salesforce.com, SuccessFactors and TELUS. Previously, he held sales leadership and sales roles at Clarify Inc., Dun & Bradstreet, and Extensity, Inc. at which he utilized ValueSelling to consistently exceed quotas and achieve top-selling honors.


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In the last installment of The Journey of Cotton, we reviewed the different finishes that can be applied to cotton. After moving through our multi-step purification process, purified cotton leaves Barnhardt’s facility in compact, 500-pound bales of fiber. We ship these bales to nonwoven roll goods manufacturers around the world. Manufacturers utilize several platforms of nonwoven fabric formations to produce cotton nonwoven fabrics. They can use purified cotton alone or blended with any other types of natural or synthetic staple fibers, depending on the desired fabric properties.
Today, let’s take a look some of the different techniques that manufacturers use to convert cotton into their final products.
Common practices among all all nonwoven fabric producers are opening the cotton fiber from the bale, fashioning the fibers into smaller tufts, and then forming a web of fibers. They can achieve this process by carding or air-laying (Rando-type machinery).
Carding is the most commonly-used method. The card will feed in the batt of fibers using a slow, sawtooth wire-covered roll to the main cylinder (which is also covered in sawtooth wire and traveling at much higher speed). The main cylinder will move the fibers very quickly past stationary plates, which are also wire-covered. The gap between the cylinder and stationary plates, where the carding action takes place, is very tight, as close as one-hundredth of an inch.
This process opens the fibers and individualizes them, combing them so the length of each fiber is oriented in the same direction the cylinder is moving (machine direction). At the exit, a slower wire-covered roll removes the fibers in the form of a web from the main cylinder and deposits the web on a conveyor that leads to bonding. Because the fibers are all oriented in the machine direction, fabric made of card webs is thus stronger in the machine direction.
In the air-laid (also known as dry-laid) process, the steps are much the same as carding, with wire-covered rolls that open and orient the fiber. However instead of using a wire-covered roll to remove the fibers,a wall of air blows each fiber from the cylinder. The fibers and air blow onto a rotating collection drum that has negative pressure inside. Machinery pulls the air though the drum, collecting the fibers on the outside of the drum and removing them as a web. Due to the air turbulence, the fibers are no longer in any ordered orientation (randomized). This web, when bonded, will produce fabrics with equal strength properties in all directions.
Manufacturers produce nonwoven fabrics by bonding the carded or air-laid fiber webs together by mechanical, thermal or chemical means. Next, let’s take a look at the bonding methods for purified cotton. Manufacturers may use 100 percent cotton fibers or blends of cotton and other fibers for all of the following bonding methods, with the exception of thermal bonding, which requires thermoplastic fibers.
Hydroentanglement, also known as spunlace, is a process where high-pressure water jets strike the fiber web, causing the fibers to mechanically entangle with each other. This entanglement gives the fabric its strength. Hydroentangled fabrics are the most “textile-like” of all nonwovens. Since only water is used to bond these fabrics, they are very soft, drapable, and pure.
Needle-punched fabrics result from having thousands of barbed needles driven through the fiber web. The barbs on the needles grab fibers from the top of the web and push them through the rest of the web. When the needle extracts itself, the punched fibers are left in place. This fiber entanglement gives needle-punched fabrics their strength. Manufacturers can produced needle-punched fabrics in very heavy weights.
Chemically-bonded fabrics feature a web of fibers applied with sticky chemicals.. Manufacturers apply chemicals via padding, spray, or foam into the web. After applying the chemical binders, they normally heat the web, and the fibers become glued together where they intersect, providing fabric strength.
The fiber web is passed between two heated rolls that melt the fibers together. This method produces a thin fabric due to the weight and pressure of the rolls.
Through-air bonding produces a lofty fabric. To produce these fabrics, the fiber web passes through an oven, where hot air is pulled through the web to melt the fibers together at their intersection points. Since there is no pressure, the fabric retains the loft of the web.
Any of the nonwoven fabrics produced by the various bonding methods discussed can be treated with other chemicals to impart any desired fabric properties. Just to name a couple of examples, manufacturers may treat fabrics to make them flame-retardant or feature a water-repellent finish.
During their last processing stop, Nonwoven fabrics then convert into final products. Conversion can be as simple as slitting and cutting the fabric, as with a a wipe product, where the fabric would be cut to size, folded, and packaged. Sometimes, manufacturers may combine certain nonwovens with other nonwoven fabrics or components to create complex products such as a disposable baby diapers, which can contain 15 or more separate components!
Please visit our blog for a range of articles on nonwoven fabrics and customization techniques. To learn more about how Barnhardt can meet your needs for nonwoven fabrics, contact us today.

industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


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Central California Asthma Collaborative (CCAC) is a non-profit entity focused at mitigating the burden of asthma and other chronic and acute respiratory conditions in the San Joaquin Valley. This is accomplished by advancing health knowledge; creating healthy home, outdoor and school environments; and by promoting access to quality healthcare. CCAC’s work spans the eight counties of the San Joaquin Valley and collaborates with dozens of organizations, agencies, and others to maximize regional impact. CCAC partners actively with School Districts, Asthma Coalitions, Community and Rural Health Centers, Primary Care Providers, Specialists in Respiratory and Allergic Medicine, County Public Health Departments and other community partners.
CCAC sees a San Joaquin Valley where the health of every resident is our foremost concern.
CCAC’s mission is to reduce the burden of asthma and related conditions through education, intervention, policy analysis and advocacy by improving care and reducing air pollution in the eight counties of the San Joaquin Valley.
To increase the capacity of CCAC as well as residents and institutions to sustain these efforts.
To support environments and systems of support for health reflected in the resources, information, activities, and policies in every community.
CCAC Now Accepting Applications for a Community Health Worker in Bakersfield!
Asthma affects the lives of nearly one million children in California. Your thoughtful contribution makes it possible for the Central California Asthma Collaborative to continue serving the community through programs, services, advocacy and research. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of children and adults affected by asthma.

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


text: “We are pleased to hear about the plan to expand the Javits Center on Manhattan’s Far West Side. This robust plan to add more convention and meetings space capacity is welcoming news for the more than 6 million meetings delegates that convene in New York City each year. This addition will ensure NYC continues to lead in the convention and exhibition industry."


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Well, considering what I plan to do and what I had planned, my desk is disturbingly untouched since last Thursday. Events, as they say, have overtaken me. Still, at least there's something to see that isn't just a mess!
See, last Wednesday afternoon was spent in the company of craft friends, and in the pursuit of craft shops. No problem, straight to Snazzy's at Swindon. On the basis that I have cards to make for the Marathon, I managed to score the two Hero Arts sets you see on my desk. Love 'em. Not sure if they'll appear in the Marathon though, but it was a very convincing excuse! My phone and ipad are in view, together they make look like an Apple jerk. My glasses are on my head, as a hair band, naturally. So the case is empty; I'm in the habit of using it because it makes me happy. You can clearly see Brilliance ink pads. Using them feels a bit like a blast from the past, but I love them, and the water colour thing I've been doing with them is, if I say so myself, very pretty!
And the elephant on the desk is the Diet Doodle Book. A really fab gift from Laura who knows that I've been on a diet for the last six centuries, and knows too that I need to write stuff down to stay focused. This doodly approach is fab, I might share some of it - kinda like journaling without having to make your own pages!
There's a recent post about joining in this WOYWW lark that elicited a lot of response and so gentle reader, please would you cast your eye over it too, at some stage...just to brush up on the housekeeping of all these desks. Thank you!
I knew that I'd do a review for the TeaPod as soon as I visited the website and watched the video. I drink tea. I like a great design. I really like choice. I like a new angle on an existing product if it works. And the TeaPod was all that..and I'm a sucker for great packaging! Did I ever tell you that it took me over a week to open my new iPod because I didn't want to spoil the sublime packaging...even the pristine cellophane.....Oh, I digress.
Mr TeaPod sent me a handful of samples from their range of eleven teas, all from Fair Trade estates in exotic Sri Lanka. Just as well he chose.... eleven to choose from for heaven's sake - I have trouble choosing a mug to drink from! So, I made a cuppa, following the directions. Not gruelling. Drop the TeaPod in the mug, pour on the freshly boiled water and allow the tea to infuse.
Then..use the TeaPod as a spoon, stir, add milk if desired and carry on as usual.The thing about the Teapod is that you can leave it in if you're a herbal/fruit tea enthusiast, you get a real infusion, as it should be. Unlike us 'builders tea' types who leave nothing but the spoon in - and here's an advantage...the TeaPod won't leave you with a blunt force trauma to the face like a teaspoon will! Although of course, you, dear Internet, are far too well mannered to even contemplate leaving a spoon in, I know.
Of course, with no tea bag, there's no squishing against the side and running to the sink or bin....indeed, a polite tap on the edge of the mug and there was no dripping. In the relative comfort of my kitchen, I had a fair trade brew which was very nice, perfectly measured and rather a fun thing to make. And then I popped the TeaPod and its envelope in the recycling bin.
So bring on another test. When I'm out delivering - and particularly if Mr D comes too, I take a flask of boiling water, a teaspoon, two mugs and four tea bags. We share a mug of tea made the normal way - the second mug is to drop the used teabags into. Colour me utterly delighted by the TeaPod then. We each chose our preferred tea, I had my own mug and I didn't need the teaspoon and extras. And the pod goes back in it's little envelope (re-christened a 'sleeping bag', because one of us couldn't think of the right word...). And now I don't have wet and mushy used teabags to deal with when sorting out the snack bag. Genius! Now this may not be a large thing for you - but for us tea drinkers on the go, it's an awesome step up!
And then of course, there's the erm, arty, decorative potential of the TeaPod .
You can buy TeaPods directly from this page of their website. Using that link will entitle you to a 15% discount. How cool is that. So cool, it's almost herbal, man.
Furthermore, to infuse you with a similar enthusiasm, there's a chance for you to win a year's supply of TeaPods - *insert little shriek* - I love this part! A year's supply - that's over £175 worth of TeaPods..how fab a delivery will that be! It's open to UK residents only - and worth a pop, huh! All you have to do is visit the competition page on the TeaPod website and answer a very simple question. Mr TeaPod assures me that you will not be bombarded with mailshots and spam emails if you enter, it's not the way they work. Like a lot of us, they intend to treat potential customers they way they would like to be treated as potential customers. Does that make sense? If it did, hurrah.
Excuse me now, I'm away to infuse myself. Probably fruity this time.
Hey gentle readers. Things arise as a result of being a blogger with a MEME that need a discussion. Or a gentle reminder...and so, in advance of another WOYWW, I thought to air a few often asked or commented upon issues.
Monica and I would like someone to explain how to comment on Google+. It makes me bad tempered that I had to join, had to open a GMail account and now can't work it out. I know you lot will be gentle with the explanation.
Loads of Deskers want to point out that Word Verification is incredibly frustrating. If you use it, please don't be disapponted if your comment numbers are lower than average..it's really difficult to do - especially from a tablet! There are alternatives that are pretty effective : comment modification means that you have to approve comments prior to publishing. It means that you 'manually' control any Spam. And you can also change settings so that Anonymous comments cannot be left. That cut out about 9000 spam comments a day for me!
Even MORE Deskers actually become quite agitated after going through the Word Verification process only to be told that the comment will then wait for Modification. I confess that I'm one of them..especially if I'm using the iPad which hates Google and makes any process on it as difficult as possible.
Wordpress users are not exempt - Verification by having to type in the email and URL is equally time consuming. Again, even Copy & Paste or Auto Fill aren't really the answer, but....I don't know if you have a choice or not - so Wordpress users, speak up!
Remember that the link list on WOYWW posts is exactly that - a list of links..click on any name at any number on the list and you will automatically have that particular blog load in your browser. You don't need to click on names in my comments to find their blogs.
When you link to WOYWW, you don't need to worry about leaving your link list number on MY comments. When you comment at other Deskers, you do need to tell them your link list number if you can possibly remember to do so...it's just easier/quicker to find you.
During the Northern Hemisphere winter, my WOYWW post goes up between 2 and 3 am. (I'm in the UK, that's a GMT time). This gives you exotic International Deskers a chance to be in the first and teens, number wise. As the world turns, and my mornings become lighter and more bearable, so I start to post WOYWW live - and that will be anything from 6.00am to 8.30am. It depends entirely on what my wednesday plans are!
If you wonder why your position on the list changes between typing in your blog address and the link appearing on my page - it's simple...someone else is loading their link in as well, and the computer will arrange them.....so, if you comment that you're number 15 and then discover that you're actually at number 19..take a smile from the fact that others were linking at the same time as you - that's real 'hands across the world ' stuff!
If your position on the list changes some time after your link appears - it's even less complicated. It means that I've removed a double, incorrect or unfair playing link, and the list automatically re-numbers. I figure that if you leave your number in your comment and it changes, your reciprocate will work out that actually, you're just above or below the number you mentioned. It's still easier than searching 3 columns and 100 odd names. Especially as we know each other by blog names even better than we know each other by Christian names!
I should re-iterate that whilst it's meant to simply be fun, some rules have had to develop...and yep, I sometimes do remove links that don't participate in the spirit of WOYWW. If you aren't getting comments from people on the list, it's because your post isn't in the spirit of showing your desk and telling about what's on it. Simple. If I remove your link and you can't work out why, do ask me...because I won't necessarily email you to say - I figure the handful of times I've done so, the reasons have been really obvious!
At some stage, I know not when, it became obvious to me that the stamps I overlooked when on a shopping spree were probably the genre of images that were 'arty' and the ones I wouldn't know what to do with. Or the ones that I looked at and thought 'oh that's great, but really, I can draw that'. Yeah. But I never did. And, I can't stamp and emboss my drawing can I? So little by little I got brave and equipped myself with stems, squiggles, splotches and blotches. This little gem stands out though, it really has been wonderfully useful. And remains so.
Ah well. It's just to show you one of my most loved and more importantly, most loved stamps. Yep, a wood mount. But it's available as a cling these days too. It's by Magenta (distributed in the UK by Woodware Crafts). I've had it for at least 10 years. And I use it on something - card or LO, at least once a month.
This card is for a Batik Style Backgrounds workshop coming up. I was unsure about it - because I was a bit unconvinced by the colours, but it's been well received in those terms of colour, and two people have said that they like a workshop card that gives them ideas for stamps they already own. Oh. OK then!
A couple of years ago at a Christmas Card making day, I used this stamp to make a wreath on a card front - that is still talked about amongst the Marathonati. I think it's because of the useful-ness of a seemingly plain image. Today, I'm planning at least two hours of uninterrupted desk time, and this stamp will be featuring. I have Card Marathon samples to make and I think it only right and fair that I try to use it again.
I might show you more of my long serving trusty friends stamps if you show me yours.
Please see the pages above if you're wondering 'what on earth 'or 'how doI?', and if none of that helps, please ask in a comment!
Welcome to WOYWW . I thought my desk was within reasonable control until I uploaded the photo. It's quite hard to complain at myself, but really - why don't I put stuff away when I've used it instead of apparently and quite literally, dropping it from my hand? The scissor sharpener being the case in point. Well, one case in point.
I managed an hour long daylight session on Tuesday afternoon...you get to enjoy the fall out. The card is for a workshop on using batik principles to create backgrounds. I know you can't see much of it, save that Paper Artsy stem image. That's one of my all time faves. You can't tell either, but having done tax returns, new vehicle paperwork, VAT returns and a year end analysis, my pile of scratch paper is about 1" high..it's not convenient when you work all over the place like this..things keep falling over the edge!
What are you working on today? We'd love to see the what and the where...put WOYWW in your post title and link the post here so that we can swing by and visit. It helps ENORMOUSLY if you can turn off word verification...try comment approval instead? Do some reciprocal visiting and enjoy!
..to my self-publicity circus! I'm involved in two upcoming events that I will inevitably talk about - my desk will be covered in ideas and makings for them, so you may as well have the full gratuitous self publicity thing all at once.
'It includes three card making workshops, home made lunch, refreshments, 10% off voucher to use in Japonica, and lots of fun and friendship as you craft together. This season's workshops will include stamping and using inks with many techniques. The day costs £42 and is great value - it would make a great Mother's Day Gift! If you need any more info or would like to book your place, please call the shop - Japonica, Exmouth, on 01395 271739, or email janetcaudrelier@msn.com'.
This is actually for a Workshop at Kraft Crazy this week, but I've done a very similar one for Janet!
The third 'experienced crafter and tutor in this scenario will be Francoise Read. It's worth the fee just to meet her and get an injection of her warm good humoured and gentle skills. She is a stamp designer - for Woodware, and Stampendous...and wears her skills so modestly. I should learn from her. I could. If i had any skills that were worth touting. To be honest, the skill I bring as a 'tutor' is probably bossy good humour...and I hope, making everyone leave with a finished something....because I hate going home with UFOs. They NEVER get finished!
And then, me and Scrap Lady Ally are doing a Card Marathon on April 12th. Yep, a Marathon. We supply samples, kits and tools to make 20 or so different cards, different themes, styles and sizes. You make cards, we feed you with cakes and lunch made by Lunch Lady Jan herself, and then you make more cards. It's gruelling. It's to be held in a Church Hall in Amesbury and booking is essential, the kit numbers and catering mean that we need numbers in advance! There is a separate page to view the flyer and booking form, a clickaway at the top of my blog, or you can visit www.2scrapladies.blogspot.co.uk just as soon as it's been updated. Please give us a chance, it's all a bit erm, argh!
This is the decoy photo. It's one of the LOs that I did for Luscious Life Studios. It features my 1980-something perm. I kinda thought you may like to see it. More to the point, an alternative colour way set of papers is available as a freebie download if you follow that link.
I think that's it. For now. Really, this 'all about me' way of living is becoming a bit exhausting. And, to finish where I started....I'd like to HOPE and THINK that my desk will betray signs of preparation for these events. If you don't notice, would you please prod my conscience?
I like a fast result, once I've made up my mind to do something. Perversely, I can put off actually doing it for ages. And, whilst doing it, I'm pretty patient with myself. A good example of this will be the blanket I made from 9956,248 six inch crocheted squares. Which I'm going to unpick and re-do because parts of it really bother me; I want the squares to be smaller and also one of the colours is wrong and I don't want it to be included and...well there we are.
So...when double sided tape became acid free, I started to use it in preference to glue. Wet glue that is. I had previously given up using the stick glues..after a 'front-dropping-off-the-card' incident at my parents home one Christmas. Pritt stick and dry central heating - lesson learned. I don't really have the patience for wet glue..all the drying and paper ribbling. So I stopped using it.
I did develop a passion for the glazes. And the first in my line of vision was Diamond Glaze. I guess that market is thoroughly cornered by Glossy Accents now, but the DG (as we used to call it) remains a fab product.
Yesterday, I finished a bottle of Diamond Glaze. it was a 14oz bottle, so quite large. And it has worked its magic on spots and dots for over 5 years. It was a white plastic bottle. To protect and prevent it from discolouring in daylight I expect. Which of course meant I couldn't tell how much I had left.
So I drizzled it over my newly decorated box, expecting to have to reach for the spatula and do some frantic spreading, just to get a protective glaze all over.
And I drizzled. And I squeezed. It's hard work. The bottle kept giving, so I kept drizzling. It was running slower than I remembered Diamond Glaze to do, and I cheerfully put that down to thickening - it has been on my shelf for so many years.
The part I neglected to think about was the possibility of accelerated drying time in such an 'old' product. And so, as drizzle faded to splatter, I discovered that the original 'lines' were too set to work into a smooth, dimensional, superb gloss coating. So now I have an artful drizzle topped box. Am quite liking it actually, and will very possibly do something else to it. After much procrastinating of course.
Meanwhile, I have a home for the unruly tapes, I have finished the old Diamond Glaze and the biggest bonus of all time - I didn't have to wait for it all to dry.
This box was a Bratz doll wardrobe I believe. I bought it for £2 from a Charity shop. The lady was mystified, and asked if I had dolls. I admitted that no, I did not, but I had lots of tapes waiting for a home.
Obviously, the lady was yet more mystified, but hey - she shouldn't have asked. It's like trying to explain scrapbooking - eyes glaze over and frankly, I just didn't have the patience!
Sum it up - a lot of everything...lots of stuff cleared off it - which is a good thing. And lots remaining. Not great, but not too onerous. My ipad poised toplay part of a crime drama I've been listening to. The black box at left is awaiting a cover or a lick of decent paint or something...it's to house my ridiculous washi and other tape collection which is frankly getting out of hand. It was once a wardrobe/case for Bratz dolls. Glasses case on top of that. You can still see some of the Luscious Valentine papers waiting to be put away...I'm not quite over them yet, so haven't stored them...or that's what I'm telling myself. And there's a new addition this week...indeed, just yesterday..
Jan and I were in a lovely kitchen shop in Salisbury. She on a mission, me browsing. She caught up with me in a section of the shop that was unstaffed and gave me this mug. I had strolled past the rack of mugs and not even noticed it. We howled. So much so that staff came to see what was so funny. And then of course, they didn't get it. And so we howled some more! Honestly, my face was aching. And now, in an effort to make my desk tidy....I'm using it for pens. Ta Na! You have to be in it to get it, huh!
Be in it then please, link your WOYWW post here and we'll trot round to visit. And can I add - word verification is incredibly difficult to negotiate for this old woman with an iPad that hates Google..it really makes it so hard to comment. And also...why do I have to tell every wordpress blog who I am, what my email address is and what my website is? It drives me nuts and causes heart sinking delays in getting a comment typed! And don't try to stop me being cross by telling me about auto fill. That is so not the point!
Oh and PS...I've put a few stamps for sale on my erm, for sale blog.
Quite innocently, I mentioned that I blog under half an assumed name. Dunnit. As a surname. Because back in the day when I used to sell my cards, I used to 'sign' the back of them with a stamped 'hand made by' and so I started adding Julia Dunnit. Because I did do it.
So what about the first name? The one I didn't make up or choose? Julia. I've no doubt a quick leap about Google will reveal it as descended from the Roman Julius in a female derivative. I cannot tell you why my parents chose it from the panoply of girls' names - I'm not aware that it was a particular trend at the time, and every now and then, I suspect it was a teeny rebellion against the name Julie. Because of course, the one letter difference has caused me a little irritation and some confusion over the years. But it's all good.
Until your dearest friends start defining it.
I've no doubt, gentle reader, that this was written with affection. But I've been considering it a lot. And I'm still walking around it. Because you see, although it was attached to a gift at Christmas, I'm not at all sure that the implication was innocent. And when I asked her, Jan just laughed hysterically.
So be careful. It's not how you choose the name, but how it comes to mean something that counts. Please, live your lives without blemish so that your friends can't write your epitaph on a gift tag.
Today I've moved on. I'll be conducting a workshop, the fixings for which you saw on my desk yesterday. So that's tidied that lot up. Underneath were the Valentine's papers that my clever Sissy designed. She is Stephanie of Luscious Life Studios. I appointed myself the Luscious Life Design Team member and it all kinda came home to roost and I had to put my money where my mouth is. So I've been playing, and how I've enjoyed just doing it for the sake of doing it.
I've tried to use the papers for non-valentinsey stuff in my scrapbook. Mainly because in 29 years, I don't have a Valentine story to tell yet. Hmm. But at least my deprivation proves that you can buy a set of something seasonal and not be trapped in the season. I think, anyway!
And here is my other sister, Sally, and her son, my only nephew.
Being very patriotic. I love this picture!
And then I sort of felt obliged to make some cards because - well, I can. And you know what - I decorated the inside too, and totally forgot to photograph it!
Quite busy, non! Well, it's only once a year and there's a message to be got across!
There's a couple more I could show you but I think Steph is planning to put them on the Luscious Life website or blog, so I'll leave you to go visit in the next few days if you're fascinated by the papers, the story, my family,or the perm I had in the early 1990s.
I know I've over linked, over abused and overdone the publicity, but hey - it's family. And also, this doesn't break my oh so up myself rule about endorsing something that I don't think is up to it. I'm loving the Luscious Life!
If mess makes your teeth itch - look away fast!
Oh my. I thought that I was a bit pushed for crafting time this week.....and I was certainly too pushed to clear up, apparently.
The lovely bright Valentines papers at left are from my sister's digital website, Luscious Life Studios...I've done some LOs and cards, will show 'em soon. The alpha stickers are slung there because they are slung there. I've no idea. There's even a receipt from Tesco supermarket promising me some pence off my next shop. Which will not come to pass if the receipt stays on the desk. The plastic bag is full of card kits for my first workshop of the year on Thursday and the yellow basket is one of four filled with the 'ingredients' for the cards. So my life...a clear up is in order..and strangely, because I'm at the end of 'making do' in this mess, I'm in the mood to do it!
Share with us do - what are you up to on your workspace this Wednesday? Put WOYWW in your post title, link your post here and we'll trot round for a visit. If you'd like to take part and can't fathom how, please click on the links at the top of the page. Don't be scared. It's easy and we're friendly.
Actually, it's Coffee. It always is if it's before 1pm. Oh the things you didn't know about me!
This little vignette set itself up last night actually; the mug of fresh coffee is this morning's addition..I come downstairs, make a cup of coffee and immediately throw myself into my comfy armchair to contemplate life whilst I drink the coffee. I'm bedraggled and usually chilly, and still in bedclothes and a charming fleece dressing gown (robe) that would do any woman of my age proud. It has a tassle on the zip...my daughter thinks this is the last resort in my becoming an old woman. And she's probably right. I did consider removing it when first I bought it, but that only lasted as long as it took me to do the zip up. A practical and attractive embellishment to a zip, I now think! Now that's a real digression folks, just in case you ever thought me incapable of such a thing! I'm linking to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's very civilised Tuesday sharing of cups and tea. It's so nice to join others with a brew.
I was going to try to answer some of the wonderful comments that were made following my post 'Please Sit, there will be questions'. But it's all a bit self evident really, as one reads the Comments. We are a bunch of internet users who, having searched a bit, found a community to be a part of, and we like it that way. And for validation of course. One of the big things that came out of it was some general surprise at my revelation that Julia Dunnit is not my real name. Well, your surprise surprised me! Julia is my name. Given at birth, of course, and chosen as a 'we like it...' type of name because I was the third daughter and they had already used up the two names they assumed they'd need. But Dunnit is made up. And not made up for security or even for reasons of big headedness. Just because it was a fun thing to write on the back of cards I'd made. And so when I started to blog, apparently about my crafting, it seemed sensible to use my craft name. See. Even my interesting parts are dull.
So fuelled by my first coffee, I'm off to face the day. Have a good one. Come back tomorrow to be amazed and erm, horrified by the desk, huh?!


text:
Aurora borealis is a luminescence in the atmosphere. In ancient times flashes of cold fire were considered as words of gods, their fiery dance in the northern sky. The scientific explanation of appearing of these beautiful lights relates to the solar wind and Earth's magnetic field.
The aurora has different visual forms - stripes, rays, arcs, and twists through which we can see the stars. This atmospheric phenomenon, similar to long colorful curtains in the sky, may extend for thousands of kilometers from west to east. The lower edge of the aurora is usually sharp and clear, while the top edge is blurred. We always enjoy these spectacular shining views, continuously and rapidly changing, with the rich color spectrum.
Direction . Draw with the tool one or more base lines to choose the lower edge of the aurora. It's possible to rotate and move the lines, changing the position of the effect, with the Transform tool .
Eraser . Click with the tool on any part of the line to remove it. You can change the tool's size in a pop-up window appearing with a right mouse click on the image.
Colors. The color line with two sliders allows you to set colors of the aurora. The left edge of the line is responsible for the colors at the bottom of the glow, right - for the colors at the top.
Reverse Colors. The check-box reverses the order of colors.
Blend Mode. In the drop-down list, you can specify a method of mixing the image with the effect. The program provides 10 blend modes.
Color Blending (0-100). The parameter changes the level of color blending. At low values there is a clear separation between the colors. Increase the parameter to smooth the transition and mix the colors.
Lightness (0-100). The parameter defines the number of light tones.
Opacity (0-100). The parameter regulates the transparency of the aurora and visibility of the background. At value = 100, the glow is opaque. At lower values, it becomes lighter and weaker.
Glow Spots (0-100). The parameter adjusts the irregularity of brightness in different parts of the strip and adds bright and dark spots. At low values, the glow looks more uniform.
Spot Size (10-100). The parameter changes the size of the bright areas in the glow.
Blurring (0-100). The parameter lets stretching the glow spots in the horizontal direction making a uniform glowing strip.
Height (10-100). The parameter sets the vertical size of the glow (in % of the image height).
Uniformity (0-100). The parameter changes the uniformity of the aurora's structure. At low values, the surface is uneven. At high values, the glow looks smoother.
Smooth Transition (10-100). The parameter adjusts the width of the transition zone at the edges of the effect area. The lower the value, the clearer the edges are.
Deformation (0-100). The parameter adds random shifts and distortions to the aurora. Increasing the parameter can attenuate the glow or move it beyond the boundaries of the image.


text:
Combines three signigicant ingredients that all predators pursue. There is simply no other lure out there to compare Watch Tower with. Strong, enticing, natural, and made to rock on your trapline.
Combines three signigicant ingredients that all predators pursue.
There is simply no other lure out there to compare Watch Tower with.
Strong, enticing, natural, and made to rock on your trapline.

industry_corpus2: Gaming


text:
Recreational, Rec Extra, Comp Prep, Mini Metros, TIP, CPP, EST, and SAQ players who decide not to play after registration is complete will receive a 50% refund after 24 hours and up until one week before the season starts. No refunds thereafter. In the case of extenuating circumstances (major injury to the player, family relocation, etc.), refunds will be made in accordance with the percentage of the season missed for players missing 1/2 the season or more. A written request must be submitted to NMSA for consideration. Any full refunds in these programs will have a $10 admin fee deducted.
Competitive players who decide not to play after accepting team placement with full payment will NOT receive a refund. Competitive registration fees are non-refundable. Families facing extenuating circumstances (major injury to the player, family relocation, etc.) may submit a written request to NMSA for consideration. Any approved refunds will be made according to the percentage of the season missed for players missing 1/2 the season or more. Player ID costs will not be included in refunds.
Any full Competitive refunds will have a $40 admin fee deducted.


text:
Hurrah for silly season we cry! Soon the Olympics will be over, and us PRs will relish the joyful opportunity of more potential press space.
So will our clients. . . hey, anyone can have a great PR idea, right?
True. And herein lies the challenge for the PR rep.
The enthusiastic client, usually successful in business because they know a good idea when they see one, and eager to flex their creative muscles and ‘have a bit of fun’, begins throwing ideas out faster than a popcorn machine on overdrive.
I should stress at this point, I love to work closely with my clients and am always keen for them to get involved in their PR – it’s a great way of working and the best PR ideas can come from even the most unlikely places – picture that gem of a conversation between a PR rep. and a Displays Supervisor about what enrichment activities the creatures were doing which resulted in the global PR success of ‘Paul the Octopus’ during the World Cup in 2010.
But how to juggle those curve balls and effectively put them into practice… or not?
That’s not say one class of PR can’t support another, or that there won’t be some overlap, but generally you can find your starting point by classifying which of the above categories your idea will fall into.
Some of the ‘PR ideas’ clients would like to target to national press I get questioned about regularly are as follows . . .
Unless you have a huge budget, Banksy is going to do it for you, or you can invest thousands in a truly spectacular display combined with a strong newsworthy message for why you are doing the projection, this will produce nice ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhhs’ from passers by, but is unlikely to get that coveted national press picture.
Great its own sphere – if you want to raise awareness with people walking by and get their reactions etc for use in social media, these can be fab.
These ideas have usually involved a costumed character from one business experiencing a product at the other. These can make appearances in local press if you can create an unusual scenario for a brilliant picture or get schools and kids involved, but I haven’t come across a circumstance yet where I would use this for a national press story pitch!
I’m a huge fan of facebook as a PR tool … in the right sphere. Unless you are offering a money can’t buy, out of this world prize that’s highly unusual, or the competition is highly controversial, it’s unlikely to garner national press coverage. By all means use facebook as a competition vehicle, but choose carefully where you target it as a primary key message.
The Royal Wedding last year saw lookalikes of the royal family sky rocket to fame. I would advise this as the exception rather than the norm. Generally, using lookalikes is unsubtle and a turn off for a lot of journalists. They may give customers/ guests an added highlight at your event, but are unlikely to get you that national press picture.
Unless you are throwing banknotes out of the window of your building causing a mass mob, you’re unlikely to get press attention by giving away even quirky promotional gifts. Though perhaps if Apple gave away the newest version of the ipad before its general release that may get some coverage.
A good viral video or quirky you tube vid can work wonders and i’m a huge fan …. but do be satisfied with web awareness where it’s due. It’s a rare gem that would garner press coverage in its own right at a national press level. The effects of social media, however, can turn into a great story. Dave Caroll of United Guitars fame will ever remain one of my heroes.
I’m writing this with a wary hand. I’m not saying these never get national press coverage – there have been some great PR stunts of this kind… the polar bears on the Thames etc.
But I am saying approach with caution. These stunts usually cost a lot money to create something truly sensational and are 50/50 as to whether they will pay off and get you national coverage.
But given the success of the Pimms giant deck chair stunt in March just gone to celebrate the start of summer, it’s a type of PR I’m watching with an open mind.
I say hello ‘Santa Claws’ and hello picture in the national press!
In a an industry as creative and flexible as PR I never like to say never, and i’m sure there are instances that are exceptions to the points I’ve outlined above.
But generally, when I hear these ideas, I approach with caution.
Agree or disagree, I’d love to hear your comments, if it’s one thing we can safely say about PR, it’s an industry where we are constantly learning.
Ellie Cowley is a PR Consultant at Bournemouth based integrated marketing agency Cuco www.cucocreative.co.uk and tweets at @cucocreative. Before joining Cuco she spent four highly successful years managing PR for Merlin Entertainments’ Dungeon and SEA LIFE tourist attractions.