text:
Joe Farrell wants to play in the dirt.
Don't try to stop him.
The founder and president of the largest building company in the Hamptons is seated in the conference room of his office in Bridgehampton, sun streaming in through the glass enclosure as if ordered on cue. He isn't pinstriped up, no suit or corporate airs. The man has his hands in every aspect of Farrell Building Company, every day, and he likes nothing more than to get those hands dirty.
"I have mud all over me right now," he says with an openly joyful pride in the vestige of his visit to a job site on Lumber Lane. "I was just telling someone, this is the 400th project I've done, and I don't tire of it. Ever. Being in the dirt, digging holes, I love ripping stuff apart and putting it back together."
The enthusiasm is infectious from the man whose company delivered 39 houses last year and has created not just a definitive style but a market within the Hamptons real estate market itself. With their distinctive looks and creative culture—his homes are designed quickly, built quickly, sold quickly, and clients include the likes of Kelly Ripa and Bill O'Reilly—Farrell is, without question, a brand name.
"I don't think there's been a brand like us before in the Hamptons. There's five or six great builders here, but by accident we have a brand. It wasn't by design," he admits. "It's by design now that we're really building up the brand—now that, six or seven years ago, we realized we had one."
The self-deprecation comes across genuinely, mixed as it is with the traits of tough business acumen and professional passion that Farrell is known for. Yes, he's built a massive team of talent that allows him to produce more homes that his competitors—"My managers are so good at what they do, it's like we're a building company with 15 or 17 builders within the company," he says—a team complete with fulltime lawyers and a paralegal, marketing experts and architects and engineers who he praises at every turn. Yet it is his vision that remains clearly at the fore, not just for the company at the top but right down to its most granular level. "I'm the guy who, when we buy property, I know exactly how to lay that property out. I'll take a piece of paper and just draw a shape and then I'll box it up inside and say 'this room goes here, this room goes here,'" he says. "That's always been my gift—space."
Farrell had a sense of this calling some four decades ago—"I used to build really great tree houses when I was 13," he notes—and can trace his inspiration back to an even earlier time. "In fourth grade I moved onto a street in Dix Hills, and I used to follow this builder around. I moved onto a street with nine houses, and this guy built all the shells. And he used to drive a Coupe de Ville Cadillac. In 1971, if you had a Cadillac, man, that was the car—you were rich. So I went through architecture in high school, I won the awards, but I went into finance, fortunately, not architecture. I didn't have any money to buy a piece of land to build, or else I would have started building when I was 23. So I took a different route, I became an oil trader when I was 27, I made some money, I saved some money, and I bought a piece of land in '95." Upon that land in Brookville he built a spec house, sold it, and upon that success he'd build his empire.
Over nearly two decades, Farrell has followed the beat of his own drum in striving to separate his firm from the pack. "We don't design a house from an elevation," he says by way of example. "A lot of architects will design and say, 'It'll be a beautiful elevation,' then you go into the house and there will be lousy rooms, or there won't be enough windows to see the beautiful view. We always develop the floor plan first, and then come up with the elevation throughout the great floor plan."
He sticks with what works, while also evolving. Give the market what it wants, keeping ahead of trends and making them his own. "The trend is modern. I don't do 'modern modern' houses, because I think they need to be on the water and places like that. But three years ago we really went modern on the interiors, kitchens, cabinetry, faucets, tiles—but leaving a traditional exterior.
"My wife, Kristen Farrell, took on the design of all the interiors and exteriors about 15 months ago. She's done so many houses over the years with me here, and our own houses, she's a huge talent. We have an architect that works with her full time, so now they take the plans when they're done from the architect, the plans go right to her and her team and the house gets a feel, right down to the exterior, the paint colors, the siding we're using, right down to the interior, the stones, the faucets we're using—so we have elevated our game three notches in the last 15 months, so our interiors are unbelievable.
Farrell used to do this work himself, "and we were good, really good, but now there are so many builders who've come here, from all over the island, from New York City—dentists, doctors, everybody's a builder now, and there are spec houses everywhere. I really felt it was the time to really separate ourselves from everyone else, and we have."
His company's success has not come without its detractors, a fact Farrell openly acknowledges. Size has aided his growth and abetted the naysayers. "Being big has helped us be efficient, build quickly and maintain an incredible level of quality, because we have so many people who work just for us. It's not like new subs here, new subs there—it's the same trimmers on every house, the same plumbers.
"A lot of people look at us, especially the competition that wants to criticize us because we get it done so quickly, and they say 'You can't build that way, that quickly, with quality.' And it's nonsense. Complete nonsense. It takes a certain amount of man hours to build a house, and if everything is ordered when it should be ordered and it's all waiting for you, you're not waiting for it, and you go by the job site six days a week and you see a ton of cars and trucks and you see 50 people every day, you can build a great house in 6 months. If you add up all the down time and waiting time in these other people's projects, there's a year a half, two years. Is the quality better? No."
His approach is a function of the times we live in. It's driven by a clientele that is in turn driven by the breakneck pace of a world ever more consuming. "Our lives have gotten so busy with gadget, the internet, constant emails, that our days fly by," says Farrell, upon whom the concept of home being where the hearts is does not get lost. "My clients have more money than they have time left. They don't want to lose a summer, it's just too precious, too valuable.
"All the people who summer out here, these are the greatest times of their lives, from Memorial Day to Labor Day with their families in these homes. And they want that summer. It means everything to them. During the week, they're crazy. They're nuts, they're stressed. They come here, they're on their bikes, they're at the beach, and they want it done. And that's the kind of business we get—their lives are too fun, too important, they don't want a three-year job. They want to get it done."
He's has taken that same get-it-done approach down the coastline to Point Manalapan, Florida, just south of Palm Beach. A few years ago he began building a house there for himself and found that "the overhead was so much that it made more sense for me to build four houses than one, because I wanted to hire some really talented full-time people. So we started a business, all around building my own house. So within two years, we're just finishing our fifth and sixth house, and we have a lot of spec, and now we have $30 million houses on the ocean."
He may be making his mark in the Sunshine State, but Farrell isn't leaving the Hamptons any time soon. He loves what he has here. The market's potential and its resiliency in crises like the one that hit in 2008. That doesn't mean he doesn't see warning signs for the future, of course.
"There are so many guys out here, and I see them overpaying for land, and they're asking prices that are absurd," he says, truly astonished. "They're building on main roads where you'd never see a house—they're building on every piece of dirt they can find, in front of all the traffic. And I think in the next downturn you're going to see a lot of guys hit. There's a lot of spec houses for sale right now.
"I have a lot for sale, but it sells pretty steadily, and I'm taking the foot off the gas a little. In 2011 we really stepped on it, but there was nobody building. We were pretty much alone. Because they couldn't borrow. Everyone was scared—including me. In the future I think you'll see less builders, I think a lot will be washed out in the next downturn. We're in a very long bull market right now, we're in our sixth year—that's a long time. But for the moment the world looks okay."
He speaks with the optimistic tenor of man with no rearview mirror, who has his priorities aligned with personal and professional passions. "I take a tremendous amount of time off with my children—that's a regret I'll never have, which most people like me regret because they work too much." If there's anything he might even think about doing differently, he notes, it's that "I did all this with very little leverage, because I was terrified of going bust. So I wish I leveraged. I don't really look back, I'm not one of those people, because I'm grateful for what I did. But I was very conservative. People think I'm crazy—I have 28 spec houses. But I have no debt. If the market tanks tomorrow, I tell my wife we'll go furniture shopping and be in the rental business. So I have a plan B, C and D. So, I didn't use enough debt. But I really have no regrets."
You can't look back if you're constantly looking ahead like Farrell. Whether it's the building in Southampton for Gold Coast Bank, of which he's part owner, 830 self-storage units in Port Jefferson or 160 apartments in Newburgh, New York, Farrell is keeping his company moving forward into new territory. "We're going in that direction, because when the music stops—which it will—we're going to have other things to do, because I have all these people I have to keep busy."
As for himself, Farrell does make sure to balance work and family time, his office joyfully close to his Bridgehampton home known as the Sandcastle. The Bridgehampton property with amenities such at the basketball court and indoor half-pipe, and summer renters like Beyoncé and Jay-Z, has become part of Hamptons real estate lore. For all its grand image, its origin story began simply, when the land was offered to him by the widow of a friend, Ahmet Ertegun, who was the head of Atlantic Records. Farrell was able to purchase 14 acres for $11 million, then sold off 2 acres for $5.5 million plus a building contract, and then he turned to building his own home. Combining aspects of homes from a few other clients, he designed the house not just from the ground up, but from below ground up.
"I wanted this great basement, I wanted a bowling alley I wanted a squash court, I wanted a spa, I wanted this crazy kids room," he says with a the enthusiasm of a kid given the go-ahead to design his own playroom. "So I figure out a footprint for this crazy basement, and I designed the basement. And that's how the house became that size—for the basement. So here was a footprint, and we just filled it in. It's not as big as they say—it's like 17,000 feet, the first two floors, which is huge, and the basement is huge, but I did it because I loved doing it. It was the most fun thing I ever did."
Despite ongoing rumors of its going on the market, "it was never really for sale," Farrell says. But no summer rental season would be complete without a story about its temporary-availability status. Not that renting it out was in the initial plans. He built the home during the real estate market implosion, "and during the meltdown there was this Russian oligarch who heard about it and offered me 400-and-something thousand in rent for two weeks, the first summer. My wife almost killed me, because we had to move out like eight weeks after we moved in, but it was only for two weeks," he adds with a smile.
"And then the next year I had this woman, she rented it for $550,000 for two weeks. So I did that every summer since then. Every year someone offers to rent it for the whole summer—they offered me a million and a half dollars for the whole summer. Which I would do in a heartbeat and go live in a tent, but my wife would kill me," he laughs. "Last year we rented it for a week for $300,000—just a week—to the family of the man who invented the Chicken McNugget. The guy had just died and they had always cruised Europe, and they just wanted to be together and have a beautiful week."
For each summer renter, each admirer, the Sandcastle is the stuff of which Hamptons dream homes are made. As for Farrell himself…
"When I moved into that house, somebody asked me, is that your dream house? And I said, God, no. And they looked at me like I had two heads. It's not your dream house?" He pauses, a small smile emerging.
"And I said, I never dreamed that big."


text: If you can't find fold over elastic there are 2 other ways to get the same effect! Here is a quick tutorial on two different ways to gather pockets! Pocket A: First fold the 7"X 14" pocket fabric in half to find the center. Draw a chalk line 1/2" below the center line. Set up your machine for shirring and shirr the fabric across the chalk line. It should start to pucker up and the gather as you sew across the pocket. OR Pocket B: Fold the fold the 7"X 14" pocket fabric in half to find the center. Draw a chalk line 1/2" below the center line on the back of the pocket fabric. Place one piece of 1/4" wide elastic measuring 10" along the chalk line. Set your sewing machine to a wide, open zig zag stitch. While you stretch the elastic zig zag stitch in a straight line. Pin your pocket right sides together! The 1/4" elastic is on the left side and the elastic thread technique is on the right side. Sew down the two sides, tack stitching the elastic at the top of the pockets. Turn right side o

subset: commoncrawl


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DISTANCE: 5.12 km DURATION: 57 minutes
Rivers are definitely a favourite venue for dogs on hot days. It was the place that Andorra and I chose to visit today. Andorra enjoyed the cool of the water and was gracious enough to spray some on me. She found a tennis-ball-sized rock and it became her tennis ball, although it wasn't great to chew. Next time, I'll bring a real ball. Anyways, Andorra, I'll see you on Thursday. The Scoop: 1 poop, 4 pees.
Runner: Noah
DISTANCE: 8.83 km DURATION: 1:00:28
It was lovely to see you again today Samantha! And what a great morning for a run! We did a loop today instead of an out and back run to try to avoid the pulling on the way home. I think it worked quite well! Samantha did pull a little bit when we were getting closer to home, but not nearly as much as the last few runs! She was quite excited about a few rabbits we passed, and steered clear of any other dogs or cars. Samantha seemed happy as we jogged along, and stopped to sniff a few times. Thanks for running with me these last few weeks Samantha! Doggy Business: not today!
Runner: Andrina
DISTANCE: 8.41 km DURATION: 1:07:48
Well when a dog run goes this wrong, you just have to laugh and count the things that went well. First off, I somehow managed to pause Runkeeper early on so our map looks like Juno and I teleported a little. But score one for Juno's slightly extended outing. Next, as Juno and I were admiring the downtown skyline and started our pivot towards home, I decided to zig when we clearly should have zagged and we were... just lost. I was sure the trail I was searching for was just over the next rise. But the good news here is Juno had plenty of opportunities to sniff out new trails, back track and enjoy that trail again, and head in circles and find the same trail one more time. And when we finally emerged from the bushes, Juno wore a big smile while I was picking leaves from my hair and wiping mud from my calves. I'm thrilled to say that Juno had a great time, and I'm laughing at my embarrassment. Good times. The scoop: 1 poop, far too many pees to count.
Runner: Sheri
DISTANCE: 5.48 km DURATION: 51:30
LONG TIME NO SEE - Molson!!! I think he remembered who I was but it was hard to tell as Rusty and Sasha were also running around frantically hoping they too were heading out for a run 😄😎. It was so great getting to run off-leash most of the time and hanging out in the "old stomping grounds." And the run began with much socializing!! Afterwards, when it was just the two of us, we were both checking out the new builds, fancy renos and old sights along the way while at the same time enjoying our outing together. All in all, so much fun to be back with him, even just for today! He's still a really good runner. Doggy Business: one poop and many pees.
Runner: Liz
Heidi has a thirsty run
DISTANCE: 7.81 km DURATION: 55:31
Great run with sweet girl Heidi today! It was a hot one and she would take some breaks in the shade and roll in the grass! She doesn't seem to want a drink from my hand or bottle but there is a spot we found mid-way with an indentation in the cement and I put water in there for her to drink! She liked that! Lots of grass sniffing on the way! She usually runs behind me and I feel like this helps her to keep moving at a good pace! She was very thirsty when we got back. I waited till she drank her water and refilled the bowl again. I wiped the floor as water was everywhere! 😂 I also let her out in the backyard for few minutes, just in case she needed to pee one more time after all that water!! 1 poop and 4 pees today. Great time!
Runner: Oxana
DISTANCE: 7.08 km DURATION: 57:59
Gogol was looking extra handsome today with clean fur and a bandana around his neck. We were both eager to get going but slowed down quick with the sun beating down. We tried out a new route, heading towards Stanley Park, and we were pleased to find out it offered quite a bit of shade. Gogol was up to his usual antics; chasing bunnies and being cute. We opted for a walking lap today for "cool-down" and boy did we need it. I think I have really gained Gogs' trust now that I know of all his hidden "itchy spots" and remember to scratch them often. Sweat continued to drip down my face and Gogol's tongue hung from his mouth, right through the front door. Thanks for the great workout today buddy! The scoop: 2 poops, 2 pees.
Runner: Jaime
DISTANCE: 9.05 km DURATION: 1:07:47
Good Morning sugar pockets! (I don't know what that means.) Reilly and I had a pleasant run today. It was nice and easy, we took our time perusing about saying hello to all those enjoying this beautiful day.😊 My friend was getting a touch toasty so we opted for a little trail running. Well, this didn't last but a minute! Reilly and I came around a corner and I got a full Monty! 🙈😂There were some screams and some apologies ... I get it when you gotta go you gotta go but COME ON! 😆 Needless to say, that was the end of our trail running. Reilly and I hit the streets for safety and eventually made it back to the abode. Thanks for another crazy adventure my friend! 2 poos and many pees today. Cheers!
Runner: Tracy
Off-leash fun for Nikita and Lucy
DISTANCE: 2.00 km DURATION: 28:58
Hello girls! Yes, it's me again. Today's greeting report sees Nikita giving me just a brief little bark, and then she seemed to realize it was me so sat and wagged her tail! Definite progress. 👍😃Today the two pictures summed up our walk. Off-leash fun! The girls were literally galloping from one gopher hole to the next. They'd bury their noses in and then try to dig down to find them! I tried to discourage them from the digging. No point making the holes even bigger. They demonstrated excellent recall, and were oblivious to the walkers and cyclists that passed nearby. That is to say, the recall was excellent until it was time to go back on leash. While they didn't run away, they were definitely reluctant to come when called. I had to go to them, but from there they readily let me attach them to me. We walked home with just a couple of stops in the shade for some well-deserved belly scratches. Scoop today: one of each for Nikita and three pees for Lucy.
Runner: Tammy
DISTANCE: 6.04 km DURATION: 1:03:53
Oh, it was so nice to see Miss Freckles today. It has been a while since I ran with her and she was very happy to see me. She was waiting at the door, that should tell you how anxious she was to go for a little run. Since no Archie today, it was just Freckles and me... and we made the best out of it for sure. The weather has been so hot and humid. We went straight for the trails where there was a lot of shady areas as well as nice streams to cool off in. As we ran along a path, I was wondering if we could find trails to go directly to the stream. Freckles must have picked up on it as she bolted left through the bushes.. I was surprised at first but then I realized there was a hidden trail right there... Freckles is a smart cookie... haha! With this weather, we took time to rest by the stream, not once but twice. Freckles also found some cool grass to roll in.. her favourite sport I would say. We had great time.. Poop scoop. Freckles had 2 poos, one good and the other was looser as well as 4 pees.
Runner: Fab
Toki is small but strong!
DISTANCE: 7.32 km DURATION: 1:02:21
Gibbons was in charge this morning, and after greeting me enthusiastically and then insisting on coming for a walk, she led the way with a complete disregard for me and Toki. Gibbons decided that she wanted to go around the block instead of the pond, so that's what we did. Then when Gibbons decided she had gone far enough, we went on back home. After that, Toki and I took off for our run. Even though it was cooler than yesterday, it was still hot outside so we took it fairly easy. Toki has fun pulling towards magpies and squirrels (for such a small girl she's pretty strong) and even made a new friend in the form of a young boy who thought Toki was "cool!". Toki then pulled me up the hill back into Crestmont, and we headed back home. The scoop: pees for both the girls and no poos.
Runner: Taylor
DISTANCE: 9.01 km DURATION: 1:39:26
Loki was feeling much better this week.👍🏿 He partied in the backyard ripping and tearing up the newly planted grass. 😳 True to Loki's style, his enthusiasm for running only lasted for about a kilometre and then we were back to our usual carefree, dilly dallying pace.😬 We headed to the creek for a refreshing dip when I looked up and saw the hill moving. Loki and I went over to investigate and within seconds approximately a hundred goats came barreling down the mountain (hill). I've seen them in Confluence Park before but not this many.... apparently they have their work cut out for them. 😜 Loki and I kept our distance and hit the wide open fields for some free ranging fun and a couple more dips in the creek. Thanks for hanging with me Loki! Good time as always sweet cheeks! 1 poo and many pees today. Cheers!
Runner: Tracy
DISTANCE: 6.81 km DURATION: 1:10:14
Today promised to be a hot one again so we finished before 9:00 to keep Stormy feeling nice and cool. Not much out of the ordinary occurred, Stormy was lovely as usual; she is so good on and off leash. We've been working on a sort of trick where I throw a treat to her and then get rid of her logs as fast as humanly possible which has about a fifty percent success rate. Today was just a very easy nice run to the river and then jog back. Stanley has also continued his breaks with me which is always nice to see. I'll see you guys this Thursday, and thanks for the great run Stormy! Scoop: Stormy had no poos, several pees. Stanley had 2 poos, several pees.
Runner: Sarah
Woah! This is what we would call a real summer day, not that we should complain but maybe we could do with couple degrees cooler... haha! My car showed 33 Celsius, and this is too hot for a mid-day walk for any pooches, and am not even talking about the street been too hot for our little furry friends' little toes. Carly and Gryphon were anxious to see me this morning, I could hear Carly's vocals here and there... haha! She is always a hoot early in the morning. She gets so exited before our walk. I have to admit she is probably the cutest Labradoodle I have ever met.; something so special about her! Our morning walk was lovely as always. I then left for some errands and came back to let the kids enjoy some time in the yard (under surveillance right Mr Gryphon!! Shade, breeze, and stream were perfect for them. Today, I also made sure to water and feed a little birdy as well as water the flowers! Later on, Gryphon and Carly's dad will be back, and I am gone. I will miss the kids. It is so strange how we get used to new furry friends in a heartbeat! Thank you for a wonderful time Carly and Gryphon!! Hope to see you again.
Pet Sitter: Fab
DISTANCE: 6.45 km DURATION: 1:00:49
Kahlua goes together well with a morning coffee, but Kahlua also pairs together even better with an afternoon jog. We went up and down, looped around, crossed the street, and found some shade to escape the heat. We ran because we wanted to and walked because we needed to. Under the trees where there's a light breeze? Yes, please. We saw fellow DGR Runner, Noah running Kahlua's cousin, Andorra along the way too. From a distance, we said our hellos and then continued on the path back home. 1 poo, 6 pees.
Runner; Ryan
Linc does his twirling dance!
DISTANCE: 8.42 km DURATION: 55:01
It was a great run today despite how hot it was this morning! We tried to pick cooler streets to run on and stayed hydrated! We saw lots of squirrels on the way! We also heard some barking dogs from some houses and Linc did his twirling dance each time😉. A couple breaks in the cool grass felt great! We had an awesome time! 2 poops and 4 pees today!
Runner: Oxana
July 2022


text: Cum leaks from Joy's ass after a raunchy breeding session! Joy's body is first class in just heels and a black bra pantie set. Joy displays her pretty uncut cock and gives an eye contact blowjob. Having Joy look up at you with cock in her mouth is pure joy. Joy is fucked missionary with her legs in the air. Her anal ring gapes and passage is slick and silky. Joy is rammed wildly until sperm splashes up her Ladyboy backside. With drops of sperm still dripping from the freshly orgasmed cock a big river of spunk flows from Joy's open ass-pussy.


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MTN Water Based Marker - Chisel 8mm
MTN Water Based Marker - Chisel 8mm
Brand: Montana Colors
Product Code:
Availability:Out of stock
$ 4.49 4.49
Have a question?
New from Montana Colors, the 8m Water Based Chisel Tip Marker is a welcomed addition to the line. With a high quality nib that allows for excellent flow and coverage this is a must have for any serious artist.


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Necker Island BVI Recovery
Good News! Necker Island re-opens October 2018!
Necker Island BVI Recovery…Richard Branson's Necker Island suffered severe damage from Hurricane Irma, but recovery is in sight.
The 74-acre paradise, just off the coast of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin islands, plans to partially reopen in October!
The island has been shuttered since September when Irma destroyed most of the buildings and even the island's plant life over the several hours it made landfall.
Construction is almost complete on the Great House, which is on the highest point of the island and is the main gathering place for guests. The Great House will reopen in October 2018. Guest cottages, however, are slated to reopen later, however, in 2019.
"Guests can look forward to white sandy beaches, luxurious accommodations, water sports and top-class food in one of the most beautiful regions of the world," Branson's company, Virgin Group, said in a statement.
Branson, who rode out the hurricane on the island alongside staff, has been very involved in the recovery effort in the Caribbean after a devastating hurricane season.
There will be 11 bedrooms in the Great House, including the fabulous Master suite, and a bunkroom that sleeps up to six children. The total number of guests that can easily be accommodated on the island is 22, plus six children in the bunkroom. If your party is larger than 22, accommodations can be made for an additional 16 guests on neighboring Moskito Island (only a 5 minute boat ride from Necker) using Beach Villa and Mangrove Villa, each with four bedrooms.
More rooms will be added in December 2018 and at various stages throughout 2019 and we will keep you up to date with this exciting news as it develops. One thing is for sure we will be able to accommodate groups of all sizes, in true Necker style!
Celebration Weeks
Book your stay for October
Book an individual room on the island and share your stay with like-minded guests!
Enjoy a 7-night stay as a couple, individual or family.
Dates include:
- October 20th – 27th, 2018
- October 27th – 3rd November 3rd 2018
Rates are from US$ 31,675 per room, based on a 7 night stay.
Autumn in the BVI
November 3, 2018 – December 21, 2018
Rates will be $57,500 per night for up to 22 adults on Necker Island.
For a larger party Beach Villa and Mangrove Villa on neighboring Moskito Island can accommodate an additional 16 guests in 8 bedrooms for a total of 38 guests over both islands. Rates are up to $18,000 per villa, per night.
Winter Retreat
December 21, 2018 – February 15, 2019
Rates will be from $72,500 per night for up to 28 adults staying on Necker Island. This includes use of the Great House with 11 bedrooms inclusive of the Master Suite as well as Bali Lo, Bali Buah and Bali Kukila.
For a larger party Beach Villa and Mangrove Villa on neighbouring Moskito Island can accommodate an additional 16 guests in 8 bedrooms for a total of 44 guests over both islands. Rates up to $18,000 per villa, per night.
Rates Include
- Accommodation
- All meals and drinks (including all alcoholic beverages)
- Return launch transfer from Virgin Gorda or Beef Island airports
- Water sports equipment
- Disco DJ on one night
- Wifi throughout the island
- Boat transfer between Necker and Moskito Island
- 10% BVI accommodation tax
- A dedicated team to ensure a memorable stay and much more!
For more info on Necker Island BVI recovery , Contact BVISAIL Charters, a division of CKIM Group, at (321) 777-1707Contact us at 1-321-777-1707 or complete this form to discuss your vacation plans.


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Then Came You (An Animal Magnetism Novel, #5) by Jill Shalvis
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Reviewed by: Reading In Pajamas/ Dawn
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rated: 5 Stars
From the New York Times bestselling author of Rumor Has It and the Lucky Harbor series comes the story of a woman whose world is turned upside down by one night's torrid fling…
Veterinary intern Emily can't believe she wound up in the small town of Sunshine, Idaho, instead of the Los Angeles clinic she had always imagined. Now she has to put her plans to move to L.A. on hold for a whole year while she fulfills the obligation of her vet school scholarship.
Then Wyatt, her gorgeous one-night stand from a Reno vet conference, introduces himself as her new boss. And Emily is just as drawn to his seductive looks and quiet strength as she was on that very steamy night. She soon learns that Wyatt isn't just a laid-back doctor, but a delicious alpha male tempting her away from her carefully laid-out plans…
This just might be my favorite Jill Shalvis book yet! Emily and Wyatt's story literally had me laughing out loud. Emily and Wyatt had a one night stand at a conference. End of story or so the both thought. Emily gets an internship at a vets office in the middle nowhere. She has her whole career mapped out and Sunshine, Idaho was not part of the plan. Seeing Wyatt again was definitely not her plan, and him now being her boss was really not part of her plan. Both Emily and Wyatt are shocked when they see each other again. Although it was the best sex either ever had, they both chalked it up to a liberating one night stand. Emily's internship is supposed to last 365 long days and nights. She has the countdown all mapped out on her phone. Working that close with Wyatt, and not being able to keep her hands to herself will make it the longest year of her life. They both agree to keep it purely professional and pretend 'it' never happened. Wyatt wants to settle down, but not with a woman that wants to leave Sunshine, Idaho. All Emily wants to do is go back to LA and stay on plan. Will the time spent with Wyatt be enough to change her plan and Wyatt ever be able to tell her what he really wants? I really loved their story and highly recommend this book for romance lovers. It's a fun and sexy read!
*Review copy provided by Berkley/NAL in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon http://amzn.to/1ja73o7 | B&N (PBK $4.99/ Nook $5.99) http://bit.ly/TulwNV | Kobo $7.99 http://bit.ly/1x0oBEj | Books-A-Million http://bit.ly/1mbbCrZ | iTunes http://bit.ly/1obNrhm
Emily sat on a fallen log and leaned back. When she was little, she'd loved to try to star watch. In LA, this was tricky because of all the city lights, not to mention smog. Doing it here, in the land of the big sky, was a whole new ball game. "I'm not lonely," she said to the horse, who snorted again and swished his tail.
"Good. Cuz you're not alone."
Two long legs came into her peripheral. Wyatt crouched at her side and looked into her face. "How are you?"
"Fine," she said.
Nodding, he sat on the log at her side and leaned back, presumably to look at whatever she was looking at. "Pretty night."
His hands were behind him, his shoulder and a part of his chest brushing her arm and shoulder. Actually it was more like he was encircling her within his arm span, which was considerable. It was a guy move, an alpha guy move, and it made her feel … protected.
She was getting far too used to that, she thought with a sigh. "Where is everyone?"
"Gone," he said, and there was an odd quality to his voice that had her taking a second look at him. He didn't take his gaze off the sky so she got him in profile, the tousled hair, the fine lines crinkling the corners of his eyes from long days out in the sun, the square, scruffy jaw. A broad shoulder built to take on the weight of the world.
He'd been working his ass off, here at Belle Haven, helping Dell take up the slack for the out-of-town Jade, and then going home and helping his sisters with the monstrous house they were fixing up. He did so much for everyone, and she found herself wanting to do something for him. Make him smile. Make him relax. Make him forget, even for a few minutes… She nudged him with her shoulder.
He nudged her back and turned to look at her then, his eyes dark and unfathomable behind his glasses.
Chickening out, she turned her head this time, and stared up at the sky as he had been only a few seconds before.
When she didn't tear her gaze off the stars, he leaned in and nipped her ear.
Sucking in a breath, she looked at him again. His was still dark, but there were things swirling in those dark depths now. Need. Heat.
He stole her breath.
"Let the record state," she said, reaching out to snatch off his glasses, "that I don't always make the first move."
He blinked in momentary confusion, and probably also because he could no longer see. He opened his mouth to say something, but she sank her fingers into his hair and kissed him, hard and long and deep.
"Emily," he said when they broke for air, his voice rough and husky.
She climbed into his lap and then pushed him backwards off the log so that he fell to his back in the wild grass with her straddling him.
Laughing, he slid his hands beneath her top and up her back, drawing out a delicious shiver from her. Then his hands slid slowly down her spine, and into the backs of her jeans. "Let the record also state," he said in a delicious growl. "Who made the rest of the moves."
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.
Social Networking Links:
Website – http://www.JillShalvis.com
Facebook – http://www.Facebook.com/jillshalvis
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JillShalvis
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22370.Jill_Shalvis
✦Book 1: Animal Magnetism ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/18B8kJb
✦Book 2: Animal Attraction ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/1fzOEwS
✦Book 3: Rescue My Heart ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/1dQdnss
✦Book 4: Rumor Has It ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/1fzNe5w | Review 5 Stars http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-IT
✦Book 5: Then Came You ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/1ja73o7 | Review 5 Stars http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-1oM
✦Book 6: Still the One ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/1FToqTT | Review 4 Stars http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-2ic
✦Book 7: All I Want ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/1MaQOhd


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by Roaming Panda
Remember going to Toys R' Us as a kid? The feeling of glee and excitement you would get as you raced down the aisles to find your favorite toy section. Oh what simple times. Fast forward to present day, and while I still enjoy a good toy store, it's a place like Ponce City Market that now fills me with the same sense of glee and excitement.
This was my first food hall foray and while I came with an empty stomach, I would probably need a few more if I truly wanted to enjoy the complete experience. There were just stall after stall and section after section of incredible food and drinks.
This place is absolutely huge. The main food sections make up the entirety of the first and second floors. There's some shops sprinkled in between, but the mini-restaurants are the star attractions. Outside, you can go up to the upper levels where you can find more shops and dining in a little rooftop/boardwalk area. To be honest, we were so full and lethargic after eating, we couldn't muster the energy to venture further upstairs.
We started with a delectable charcuterie board alongside a decadent squid ink pasta.
Then moved on to a succulent fried chicken sandwich.
For the piece de resistance, more ramen with accompanying side dishes.
Heavy breathing ensues. Too full...must stop....eating....but......dessert. Got some donuts and pastries to go. Somewhere in between there were a few beers sprinkled in. There was so much more I wanted to try. One day and one stomach just wasn't enough. If you love to eat and you're a die hard foodie, forget every other attraction in Atlanta and just come to the Ponce City Market.
3/20/2019 09:16:08 pm
Based on your photos, it seems like having a food trip in Ponce City Market is ideal! I want to go there too if I will be given the chance. Hopefully, more people will discover Ponce City Market and its beauty because I can feel that it's a place that can feed not just your tummy, as well as your soul! I am a huge sucker of Ramen, that's why I will surely put first on my list. I don't know what to expect, but hopefully the Ramen I will get the chance to taste is delicious!
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Things a New Android User Might Be Afraid to Ask, but Needs to Know
Maybe you didn't grow up with a smartphone in your hand. Your children might make it look so effortless; they seem to know what to do intuitively. But to you, this smartphone thing is new and not so easy.
If they ever make you feel bad about it, just remind them that you had to show them how to put on pants.
If you are making the switch from iPhone to Android, things are bound to be a lot different. Android does not intend for every one of its phones or tablets look or behave the same way. Android's slogan is "Be together, not the same." Android celebrates differences, but with diversity comes some complexity. Nonetheless, it gets easier as you go, and sometimes the biggest challenges become the biggest rewards.
1. What is Android?
Is it a phone? Is it a tablet? A TV, a watch, headgear? The answer is yes.
Android is an operating system that can be used in any number of devices and by many different manufacturers. It's similar to the way Microsoft Windows is used on various types of PCs. Like Windows, it also has different versions. Currently, the newest version is Android 7.0 Nougat, but many users are just getting 6.0 Marshmallow. Most people have assorted versions like Lollipop or even older versions. To determine which version of Android your phone is running, go to your Settings menu (it looks like a tiny gear and can be found amongst your apps) and scroll all the down to where it says About Phone or About Device.
Android is the free and open source. What this amounts to is any third-party company or developer has a chance to create apps or products through Android. This is a move that's heavily criticized by Apple, who claims that it makes Android less secure because it doesn't exert the tight control that Apple does over every release. But this is not to say that Android doesn't exercise any oversight of its offerings; instead, it relies on the hope that being flexible and open will spur more creative and innovative solutions.
Google developed Android. The same company that's famous for its search engine and Gmail. At this point, Google has its hand in all kinds of endeavors, and one huge factor that enables this is that the Android operating system used in many types of products.
One of the first things you will be asked to do on your Android device is to create either or sign into your Google account.
2. What Makes Android Unique?
What makes Android unique is—you. There are far more customization options you can do with these devices than any iPhone. You can make your phone truly reflect you.
You can add to, remove, rearrange, and decorate your screen. You can organize how you want to. If you want a different feel, you can also use a different launcher. A launcher makes it easy to customize the home screen, try out what it would be like to have an Android phone made by a different manufacturer, exercise more control over how your phone behaves when switching screens, and more.
You can change out your keyboard if you don't like it. You can use widgets, which are mini-apps for your convenience. You can automate your phone to accomplish certain tasks.
And if you're ready to make big changes, you can tweak the operating system itself by rooting or installing a custom ROM. The last two options are not without risk, however. In these situations, it is important that you feel comfortable asking things a new Android user is afraid to ask, but need to know.
3. Data Transfer & Backup
If not right away, at some point you will most likely find it necessary to move content to or from your Android. There are desktop apps that you can use for this purpose, such as Wondershare's Dr. Fone, but you can also take advantage of inherent features on your Android phone.
Go to Settings -> Backup and Reset and ensure that both Backup My Data and Automatic Restore are enabled and linked to your Google account. That will backup app data, settings, and Wi-Fi passwords to your Google account. To preserve your contacts, go to Settings -> Account -> Google and enable Contacts Sync. The Contacts app should also allow you to import contacts from an old phone by going to the menu and choosing Import/Export.
Download: Dr. Fone
4. Know Your Interface
When you turn on your phone, the first thing you should encounter is your lock screen, which you have to swipe down to enter. It helps you keep intruders out by requiring a PIN, pattern, or password to go any further. You can set it up through Settings –> Security. Once you're in, you arrive at the home screen, where you will probably want to utilize some of the stock apps available.
Access the rest of your apps by tapping on the app drawer (a circle with dots) button located at the bottom of your screen. At any point you can relocate apps from the app drawer to your home screen by pressing, holding, and dragging the app to the home screen. A quick tap will launch an app. You can switch between apps by using the multitasking button (it looks like windows stacked on each other), long-pressing the home button, or double-tapping it.
Access your camera by either clicking on its icon, or many phones will allow you to bypass the lock screen to get to the camera by swiping the screen a certain direction or alternate gesture, even in the locked state. Use the Internet by launching your browser if you already have a data or Wi-Fi connection, or visit Settings –> Wireless & Networks to log into Wi-Fi.
See notifications from apps, battery strength, time and date, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS information, missed calls, texts, and emails from your notification bar. Access it by swiping downward from the top of your screen. Swipe downward again from the bar and you will find quick settings, which give you fast access to some of these same features and more.
5. Communication
It is still possible to use your phone as a phone. The calling function is an app represented by a picture of a more old-fashioned phone. Or send a text using the icon that looks like a chat bubble. Email is typically represented by an envelope icon, and you'll have a choice between the stock email icon that leads to several options for creating accounts and Gmail, which is already nestled amongst your apps.
6. Google Now Voice Commands
It's your personal digital assistant (or know-it-all). Open the Google search app (looks like a rainbow-colored capital G) and say "OK Google" or tap the microphone.
To ensure it can detect your voice, tap on the menu (three lines in the upper left corner) and go to Settings –> Voice –> "OK Google" detection.
7. Android Device Manager
Once you've spent some time with your device, or maybe even just after you've shelled out hundreds of dollars, losing your Android completely will seem devastating. Earlier we talked about backing up some of your data, but you will also want to have a plan if your phone is stolen or lost.
Google has thought of that and given us Android Device Manager. The app is capable of remotely helping you find, ring, reset your lock screen PIN, and if necessary, erase the data on your Android. You can download the app below to your phone, but when the time comes you will need to also access your Google account on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or another phone.
Download: Android Device Manager
8. The Google Play Store
Once you have your phone up and running you may want to explore more apps, games, movies, TV shows, books, or music. The Google Play Store is your superstore. Google Play (the service) also functions to give your apps updates, security patches, and new features automatically. You don't have to download the Google Play Store unless you have removed it. It should already be there on your home screen or amongst your apps.
If you are looking for a particular item in the store, use the search bar at the top or the magnifying glass in the upper right corner to conduct a search. Note that some apps require money, and others do not. Quite often the same app will offer both a paid and free version. You will likely have to endure more ads and perhaps fewer features on the free version. Building an app is work, and usually, nothing is totally free.
9. Just a Sampling of the Best Android Apps
You might find the Google Play Store's selection of over 2.2 million apps to be overwhelming. And of course, someone's opinion of an app largely depends on the person. Nonetheless, these are apps that a majority of users swear by. Nova Launcher is an extremely popular launcher.
Download: Nova Launcher
Google Drive gives you up to 15GB of storage stored on Google's servers and allows you to create and access documents, spreadsheets, slides, and photos anywhere you take your Android.
Download: Google Drive
SwiftKey Keyboard is a great customizable keyboard.
Download: SwiftKey Keyboard
Tasker will help you automate your Android.
Download: Tasker
Zedge can help you customize wallpapers, notifications, ringtones, and more.
Download: Zedge
7 Minute Workout helps you stay in shape.
Download: 7 Minute Workout
Mint: Personal Finance assists you in managing your money.
Download: Mint: Personal Finance
If you just bought your phone or have only now started using it, you are only at the beginning of your journey. There's a lot more to learn, and this was just to whet your appetite. There are plenty more apps, settings, customizations, and features to explore. And never be afraid to ask questions; no one can know everything.
Do you know of other ways to save Android battery life? Let us know in comments.


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You'll never forget
World Heritage Places
Join this incredible 5 day Morocco tour! From the imperial city of Marrakesh and its bustling souk, we'll cross the High Atlas and pass by the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, and arrive at the peak of the highest dunes in Morocco. What are you waiting for? Choose this group trip around Morocco!
The best trip to visit Morocco
Groups of 2 people minimun
|2-3 pax
|4-6 pax
|7-9 pax
|+10 pax
On this Morocco tour, you'll have the day today to arrive to Marrakesh, where we'll pick you up from the hotel and take you to the hotel. Depending on the time when you arrive, you could potentially spend some time in the marvellous Marrakesh today.
Our Berber friends will pick us at the Airport to take us directly to the High Atlas mountains, crossing the mountain pass Tizi N'Tichka, stopping in the most picturesque points to take panoramic pictures of Berber villages that are surrounded by mountains. Ait Ben Haddou is a "must see" stop when descending. It is a fortified village where we will visit its famous Kasbah, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. After a lunch in the village, we will keep on going in the direction of Ouarzazate, which is considered the great gate of the desert and the place where many expeditions start. Afterwards we will depart towards Valley of Roses, passing huge date – growing palm trees. We will have dinner and a night in the Dades Gorge.
Did you know that…
-The word Marrakesh actually means "the land of God" in Bereber. This city is between the desert and the summit of High Atlas
-The legendary land of the 1000 moroccan kasbahs can be seen from the south of High Atlas. The kasbahs, or fortresses, are built for defensive purposes
– Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou are also known as "the door of the desert" due to their picturesque character. Many well-known movies such as Gladiator, The Jewel of the Nile, and Sahara were shot here
After the breakfast we will visit a climber's paradise: Gorges of Todra. The channel of river Todra has formed a gorge with enormous vertical walls of great beauty: walking between this natural wonder will make you feel tiny! We will stop for an included lunch in a typical Moroccan restaurant and then we continue towards the impressive dunes of Merzouga. Once in Merzouga, after trying the once in a lifetime experience of sandboarding and being offered a a cup of tea, we will hop on our charming friends the camels who will carry us for an hour and a half to the nomadic campsite called Haimas. Before a dinner celebrating the occasion, we'll head up the dune and enjoy the peace and quiet that the night offers us. We'll sleep in the Haima under a blanket of stars in the heart of the desert.
Did you know that…
– The Throat of Dades gets its name from the river that passes through it
– It's an enormous throat or gap that extends many kilometers above sea level
– It is also known as the "Route of the 1000 Kashbahs", showing the importance of this place
– Rissani is famous for its market. Locals initiated the market centuries ago and it still opens now on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays
– Rissani was the commercial center of the country in the 14th century and this tradition still stands
– Even though Merzouga is in the middle of the desert, it is still full of tourism so you will be able to find every type of hotel and activity you could want!
We will wake up early to see the sun rising over the dunes. We will get back to the hotel via our friends the dromedaries to take a relaxing shower and have a comforting breakfast. We will depart towards the Draa Valley, which has over 10 million palm trees. We'll head back over the high Atlas mountains once again, and make way for marrakesh. We'll arrive around 20.00.
Did you know that…
– Sand dunes only exist in some places on earth, and only in tropical areas, and these areas are names Erg in Morocco
– The dunes are a result of the 'weathering' of the rocks which are broken by high temperatures to be turned into sand, which later the wind accumulates in specific areas to form dunes
– The Erg Chebbi is the biggest ERG of sand in Morocco, which is around 30 km in length and 8 in width. Inside the dune areas there is a number of collections of Haimas belonging to hostels which are open to tourist visits.
After having a big breakfast, we will have a guided tour of Marrakesh, the pearl of southern Morocco. We will visint the reservoir of Menara, the palaces of El Badi and La Bahia, the Saadian tombs and many other hidden treasures of this city.
The time of your transfer to the airport will depend on the time of your flight!
All good things must come to an end, and so the time has come when we must say goodbye to this incredible trip…safe travels!
* This schedule may suffer changes due to traffic, weather or other external and uncontrollable circumstances.
Departure Point: Marrakesh Airport
To get to Marrakesh ayou have several flights EVERY DAY: Book your flights HERE
You can find the cheapest flights in this link
What is included:
- Pick up and drop off between airport and hotel
- 5 days and 4 nights:
- 2 nights in Marrakesh hotel with breakfast
- 1 night in a hotel in Dades Gorge with dinner and breakfast
- 1 night in Nomadic Haimas in Merzouga desert with breakfast and dinner
- Sandboarding
- Camel rides there and back to get to the haimas (1h30 + 1h30)
- Party with the berbers in the middle of the dunes in the desert
- Guided visit in Marrakesh
- Transport to all places mentioned in the program in minivan
- Travel insurance
- Extra nights in Marrakesh
Book your trip paying a small deposit…
…the outstanding balance will be payed once you arrive in Marrakesh
*Discounts cannot be applied
*Places subject to availability
Night 3 , Merzouga Desert: Bereberes Haimas
Please, check all your documents before departure. You must have a valid passport or VISA to travel to Morocco.
Travel Organization:
External travel organization
Still have doubts?
Don't worry, here's a link to all possible doubts about Moroccan tours resolved. Don't think twice and get packing!
Language of the tour:
The main language of this tour will be Spanish. However specific translations will be given as much as possible for those who speak english as it is not feasible to carry out the tour in 2 different languages simultaneously.


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Game id: com.enjen.streetlines.skateboard
Get on your skateboard and skate some sweet lines through the streets of world famous skate spots like San Francisco, Miami Beach, London, Barcelona and much more to come!
With an intuitive control system that is easy to learn, but hard to master, this arcade style game gives you the chance to become a pro sketeboarder!
Focused on gorgeous graphics and a relaxed gameplay style you can pull off some sweet stunts and tricks, and only your imagination and skill sets the limit!
– A bunch of awesome tricks, grinds, slides and manuals!
– Pull off extreme combos!
– Gorgeous graphics and real world skate spots!
– Unlock new maps, characters, tricks, and skateboards!
– Realistic physics!
– Intuitive controls that anyone can learn, but few will master!
From the independent developer EnJen Games, the team behind the wildly popular Skateboard Freestyle Extreme 3D, and Skateboarding FE3D 2.
Fixed a bug that made the tutorial unplayable.
Copyright© 2020 Android1free


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EPC reform may be necessary, EPO told
The independence of the EPO's appeal boards appears to be under scrutiny, but establishing how to make them more autonomous is proving tricky, as WIPR reports.
A way from the strike action, demonstrations, and the continuing dispute between the European Patent Office's (EPO) staff and management, it is easy to forget that the office actually has a job to do.
During much of the last year or so accusations were levelled against both EPO president Benoît Battistelli and his senior management.
Leaked documents apparently showing changes to staff guidelines, notices of strikes, public condemnation of the office's management by its staff union, and murmurings of suspensions have punctuated what should have been an exciting few months for the EPO as it prepares for the arrival of the unitary patent.
If you have already subscribed please login.
If you have any technical issues please email tech support.
EPLAW, EPO, SUEPO, EPC, Benoît Battistelli, boards of appeal, TRIPS


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Product Overview
Yummy World Vinyl Kidrobot
Collectible Figurine
Heidi Kenney for Kidrobot 2016
N.B. Each sold in Blind Box Packaging: You do not know which one you will get until opening the package. You will be excited and have fun to see what is in there. For ages 8+.
[3" H approximately depending on figure]
Yummy World is a deliciously fun world made up of a unique cast of characters. Yummy World is set in the town of Sprinkle Tree, a magically yummy place where food is fun and fresh baked friendships and adventures meet!!!


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NOTWO Automobile Enthusiast Magazine – Press Releases
*Monthly payment of $509.17 based on a purchase price of $50,000.00 with 15% down and 7.71% APR financing for 120 months. Monthly payment of $1,212.55 based on a purchase price of $145,000.00 with 20% down and 7.32% APR financing for 144 months. Monthly payment of $1,464.19 based on a purchase price of $200,000.00 with 20% down and 7.29% APR financing for 180 months. Standard bank monthly payment based on 5.5% interest for 72 months. Rates and terms are subject to change. TT&L may also be financed. Not all applicants will qualify.


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In case you're living under a hole (in the healthcare world we call that in the middle of an EHR implementation), the Supreme Court ruled on King v Burwell today. You can read the 47 page document here if you're interested in the details of the decision. If you've ever read a Scalia decision or dissent, then you'll know what to expect in his dissenting comments.
The reality is that the decision essentially made it a non-event. If they'd decided the other direction, then there would be a lot of scrambling to mitigate the damage of having all the federal health exchanges not be subsidized. That didn't happen and so ACA (Obamacare) will continue on as before.
I won't dive into the good and bad of ACA or the efforts to keep it around or get rid of it here. However, the one big takeaway I have from reading the SCOTUS decision is that the law making process is really awful. At one point in the decision they even reference a quote that "we need to pass the law to see what's in it" which I'm told is a common phrase in Washington. The decision also commented on how the law was poorly crafted because it wasn't put through the regular congressional procedures.
I understand that the US government has hundreds of years of overhead that they're dealing with when making laws. A lot of the procedures likely play a critical role in the law making process. However, I feel that the law making process has accrued so much complexity that it makes everything a challenge.
In the tech world we call this situation "technical debt." Over time as you're programming a piece of software, you accrue so much technical debt that making changes on the existing code base becomes really expensive. The solution in the software world is often to recode the software from scratch. It's almost like declaring bankruptcy and starting from scratch.
The SCOTUS decision highlights to me how much legislative debt our government has accrued in their processes. Unfortunately, they can't declare bankruptcy and start over without the debt. That's just not feasible or reasonable.
Since I live in the healthcare IT world, we've seen a lot of this "debt" impact legislation like meaningful use. We're going to see more of it around value based reimbursement and ACOs as the healthcare payment world evolves. Government involvement is a reality in healthcare for many reasons including the government being one of the biggest healthcare "customers." There can be a lot of benefits that come from government involvement, but there can also be a lot of challenges and loopholes that can snag you. That's the lesson I'm taking from the King v Burwell decision.


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We live in a fast paced life dealing with stress all the time. Often we are in such a hurrying state that we do not get enough time to chew the food properly. Moreover, each day we burden our metabolism with loads of toxin and processed foods which we expect to digest and maintain our health with. In our day to day life we cannot completely wipe out stress however, we can try to handle stress in a more effective way so that it does not take a toll on our overall health. One of the most effective ways of stress management is to have a healthy diet to reduce stress.
There are certain foods which initiate stress whereas there are foods that helps you release stress and feel calm from within.
Junk foods are high in sugar and low in fibre, the refined grains present in them increase the fluctuation of mood due to stress hormones.
If your diet is filled with carbohydrate and lacks proper amount of vitamins and minerals then it can increase the toxin content of your body adding unwanted fat.
Often when you feel upset, you feel like having quick snacks containing sugar, salt and processed fat. These definitely brighten your mood for the time being but, it has long term negative effect on your health. It leads to craving for more of these junk leading to weight gain.
The type of diet you should encourage yourself in is a natural diet.
A diet low in sugar and refined carbohydrate and high in healthy fats, quality proteins, fruits and vegetables.
Keep yourself away from foods that accumulate fat to your body.
To follow de-stress diet it is important to understand whether you are hungry.
Never skip your meals. It can rise in insulin can result in weight gain.
Get a strong nervous system by taking vitamins B, C and E, along with minerals like; magnesium and zinc.
Drink plenty of water to keep your body and brain hydrated. This will help you cope with stress better.
You can include following food for stress relief in your diet plan and keep you healthy and active throughout the day.
Raspberry can be an excellent snack to calm you with valuable nutrients so that it helps you stay focused and full of energy.
Asparagus is an excellent source of folate which can keep an individual calm and balanced hence taking care of stress.
Avocados are rich in vitamin B, vitamin E, beta carotene and lutein. This creamy fruit prevents the body and mind from stress.
Blue berries are filled with anti oxidant and vitamin C which prevents from stress.
Chamomile tea soothes nerve for a restful sleep.
Green tea has amino acid called theanine which calms the mind releasing stress.
Chocolate plays an important role in fighting depression.
Cashews belong to the nut category and can be treated as snacks in between meals. Cashews are good source of zinc which helps to fight anxiety and depression. Low levels of zinc in body cause depression and stress.
Oatmeal helps your brain to secrete serotonin, a feel-good chemical which boosts mood in a positive way.
So, eat a healthy and balanced diet for a stress free and happy living.
|1 Month
|Monthly Rs. 3,500
|3 Month
|Monthly Rs. 2,833
|6 Month
|Monthly Rs. 2,500
|12 Month
|Monthly Rs. 2,333


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It is very unlikely that this work is public domain in the EU, or in any country where the copyright term is life-plus-70 years. However, it is in the public domain in Canada (where IMSLP is hosted) and other countries where the term is life-plus-50 years (such as China, Japan, Korea and many others worldwide). As this work was first published before 1927 or failed to meet notice or renewal requirements to secure statutory copyright with no "restoration" under the GATT amendments, it is very likely to be public domain in the USA as well.
|Composition Year
|1918-19 (prelude in 1917?)
|Genre Categories
|Incidental music; Theatrical Works; For orchestra; Scores featuring the orchestra
|Work Title
|Philip II
|Alternative. Title
|Goossens, Eugene
|Opus/Catalogue NumberOp./Cat. No.
|I-Catalogue NumberI-Cat. No.
|Year/Date of CompositionY/D of Comp.
|1918-19 (prelude in 1917?)
|First Publication.
|Average DurationAvg. Duration
|10 minutes (Prelude)
|Composer Time PeriodComp. Period
|Early 20th century
|Piece Style
|Early 20th century
|Prelude: Flute, oboe, clarinet in A, bassoon, 4 horns, trumpet, timpani, bell, triangle, cymbals, bass drum, harp, strings
Incidental music for Emile Verhaeren's "Philip II."
Mentioned in an article on Goossens in the July 1, 1919 Musical Times ("...an overture and incidental music for a performance of Verhaeren's 'Philip II' at the Court Theatre.") ("The music has since been remodeled as a suite, and will be heard again.") This prelude may be to the suite from the unsuccessful incidental music, not to the original- hard to say. The date 1917 in the bottom right corner of the last page suggests that it was in fact composed in that year?


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Beadle and Ephrussi's Technique to Transplant Optic Discs between Fruit Fly Larvae
In 1935, George Beadle and Boris Ephrussi developed a technique to transplant optic discs between fruit fly larvae. They developed it while at the California Institute of Technology in Pasedena, California. Optic discs are tissues from which the adult eyes develop. Beadle and Ephrussi used their technique to study the development of the eye and eye pigment. (1) The experimenter dissects a donor larva, which is in the third instar stage of development, and removes the optic disc (colored red) with a micropipette.
Format: Graphics
Subject: Technologies, Experiments, Organisms
Mechanism of Notch Signaling
Mechanism of Notch Signaling: The image depicts a type of cell signaling, in which two animal cells interact and transmit a molecular signal from one to the other. The process results in the production of proteins, which influence the cells as they differentiate, move, and contribute to embryological development. In the membrane of the signaling cell, there is a ligand (represented by a green oval). The ligand functions to activate a change in a receptor molecule. In the receiving cell, there are receptors; in this case, Notch proteins (represented by orange forks).
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Alden (Joe) Doolittle
About Story Circle
Siri Allison
East River Angels
A skinned knee in a deserted New York City park leads to an encounter with scruffy angels.
When Eve Got Lonesome
How God and Adam (almost) solved the first problem in the world.
Claire Beetlestone
Red Bird
He continued to climb into a darkness that was dark beyond imagining. He might have climbed for an hour, for a day, or for a lifetime. He could not know.
The Storm and the Stranger
In the shadows cast by the light of that old Tilly lamp she could almost see the images of those women waiting at the shore in the wake of the storm. Each waiting for her man to wash up, heavy, stiff and water logged.
Kent Busman
The Lost Tools of Schoharie
Taking care of your neighbors is what most people in rural areas do. But what happens when a village is flooded and the entire region responds? In the chaos, many items are lost, and a few important things are found.
Janet Carter
Tea Dance: Knoxville, Tennessee, 1914
Isabel revelled in being young and pretty and dancing. But then she discovered a reality her genteel world did not acknowledge.
Betty Cassidy
The Letters
Maps have no answer. Letters disappear. Minds fill with fear.
Lale Davidson
The Haunting of Zelda
Sometimes, I would lie there, listening to my own breath, and become frightened that the breath was not my own. Once, in the somber blues of dawn, beneath mourning dove's coo, one sound distinguished itself from all the others: a light footfall outside my bedroom door.
Alden (Joe) Doolittle
Pop's Whisper
My father and I shared a first name, Alden. Only once can I recall addressing him that way.
Traditions, Hands, Families and the Holy Spirit
We have always been challenged to observe my mother's birthday, since it fell on Christmas day. After years of angst our family was "handed" a solution to this dilemma.
Kate Dudding
The Story of One American Soldier
I feel so beholden to all those who protect our country. I feel extremely honored to tell one of their stories.
New Memories of Marilyn Monroe
I was astonished at how much I learned about Marilyn Monroe.
Margaret French
Song for Sunday Mornings
Why sing to someone who can never respond? And why the same song? One woman discovers life lessons in the song she sings to a woman suffering from Alzheimer's.
Locked into Teaching
A teacher's anxieties trip her up, sometimes hilariously, when she teaches for the first time in a maximum security prison for men.
Marni Gillard
One Toe In
On windy nights, the sea's lapping soothed her like a mother's lullaby. She imagined tall waves offering her piggy-back rides. But she couldn't run to them. At nine years old Maisie had never crossed the wooden walkway to the sea. She wasn't allowed.
Jeannine Laverty
Watching on the farm yields fruit nearly as nourishing as working on the farm.
Bonnie Mion
Nathaniel Schmidt: Adventures at the Dead Sea
On a biblical archeology expedition in 1905, Professor Nathaniel Schmidt and his three students were captured by Bedouins at the Dead Sea.
Eliud Nieves De La Rosa
The Selfish King
A king learns that sometimes things are best left untouched and that one's actions can have far reaching implications.
The Tater-Tater Man
An unusual potato does not see eyes to eye with the farmers who recently dug him up so, he runs away. Talk about fast food!
Merideth Nieves
Taming the Night
On a night with record breaking, below freezing temperatures on the way, strong, stubborn and independent Anna single-handedly does the impossible; and, for some, the unbelievable.
The Bullfrogs and the Big Race
A bunch of Bayou bullfrogs, or so the story goes, are determined to see who can run up an old tree the fastest. But they discover unanticipated obstacles that impede the race.
Claire Nolan
Growing Up Nolan
When I tell this story, many people ask, "Is it true? Did it really happen?" What I can tell you is this: I don't know for sure where I was the day my brother Tim jumped off the garage roof.
Colette Odell
The Fork
The young pastor dreaded the trip to Mease Manor Retirement Community and his required chat with the old saint. He did not know any old people, and he was sure old people were grouchy, unpleasant, and boring.
Gil Payette
Changing Times
This story symbolizes life's circles and life's changes. Nothing escapes and everything is renewed.
It Is a Dog
It is simple to say Best Friend. Your dog-friend touches your life and did so as well so long ago.
Snake Is Dying
Some believe we are all related. If that is true, we must look after our extended family. It is good to leave something to enrich their lives, even when we are not with them.
Sandor (Sandy) Schuman
It's Hard to Tell a Hug
My father was a storyteller, but my mother was not. And while it's easy to tell a story, it's hard to tell a hug.
Maggie Whelan
The Year Elmo Saved Our Christmas
Losing a child is one of the most heart wrenching experiences anyone can have. One grieving mother was able to turn the first anniversary of her daughter's death into a gift for another little girl.
Uncle Tom and the Horse's Head
This family's resident practical joker could not be topped, until …
Frank H. Wind
Columbus, We Have a Problem
There we were, one hundred miles from home, with the frame of the bus caught on the edge of the road and the rear wheels in the air.
The Puzzle Wizard
Every Monday on the ride into the City, the stranger would finish the whole New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle. How could he do it?
For quantity orders and bookseller pricing, contact the publisher.


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Please talk to our helper in live chat or
go to
for any support before ordering
Meet with GMP Standard.
- Doses and regimen used in the FIP study: MUTIAN® is given orally, 100mg/kg/day.
- MUTIAN® works best on an empty stomach and drink plenty of water after medicine.
- FIP is well known to involve both the eyes and CNS. In order to allow more MUTIAN® to penetrates the blood/brain and blood/eye barriers when a cat has neurological symptoms, it is recommended to take a double dose.
Total 84 days with Capsules.
How long will my cat need to take these supplements?
The dosing is between 12 weeks depending on your cat. Lab results will be considered to make the determination for FIP along with your cat's AG ratio. You want to see the AG ratio above 0.7 for two different lab results.
How many supplements should I give my cat?
The dosing for non-neuro and no ocular symptoms cats is 100mg/kg per day. For ocular symptoms, 150mg/kg per day. For neuro symptoms, it is 200mg/kg per day.
Can I feed my cat before giving my cat the pills?
Withhold food from your cat from one hour before you give the capsules to 30 minutes after you give the capsules.
How do I get my cat to take these pills?
You can coat the capsules in butter and rinse with water after the capsules are given.
What supplies will I need to help my cat?
This might be helpful supplies to have around.
- Thermometer
- Baby Scale
- Pill popper if you choose to use one
- Groomers bag to restrain your cat
- Milk thistle
*Before placing the order, please make sure clicking the chat button to consult with our experts online!


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Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has relieved three of his commissioners of their duties and subsequently nominated five other people as commissioner designates.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Akure on Tuesday by Mr Olusegun Ajiboye, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.
The statement gave the names of the nominated commissioner designates as Mrs Yetunde Adeyanju, Mrs Titilayo Adeyemi, Mr Temitayo Oluwatuyi, Mr Fatai Olotu and Mr Akindotun.
It said the names of the nominees would be forwarded to the state House of Assembly for confirmation.
The statement said that the governor also appointed two other people, Tunde Kolawole and Mr Oyebo Aladetan, as Special Advisers.
According to the statement, the cabinet reshuffle was part of Akeredolu's efforts to reposition his cabinet for optimum performance aimed at the administration's delivery on its mandate to the people.
"The governor made the announcement at the end of the State Executive Council meeting held on Monday.
"Akeredolu thanked the three commissioners for their service to the people of Ondo State and wished them well in their future endeavours.
"They were directed to hand over all government's property in their possession to the Permanent Secretaries of their respective ministries," the statement said.
It said Akeredolu pledged that the people would continue to be at the centre of the policies of his administration while he continued to deliver the dividends of good governance to the people of the state.
by Agency Reporter


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If there is ever a second civil war I believe that it will be started over BBQ. It is hard to find a food that people have such strong and passionate beliefs about.
I grew up in NC, so to me when you say BBQ I think pulled pork. Later in the year I will bring you other BBQ varieties, but today it is pulled pork. If you are looking for a good pulled pork sandwich then you will be hard pressed to find one better than the at Lexington BBQ in Lexington,NC.
Their sandwich comes from slow cooking a pork shoulder until the meat literally falls off the bone. Smoky, tender and juicy.
Finish with Lexington's home made sauce and you have a meal that you would drive an hour and a half to get; well at least I did. The experience would not be complete without a large sweet tea and hush puppies on the side.


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Nothing is better than a slasher twist on a fairy tale, even more so when you add porn stars, a cabin in the woods, creepy children, and over the top gory fun! That is exactly what I hope that Bread Crumbs has. Either way it is available to watch online for free via Snag Films (my recent one stop go to for watching movies online!).
Official Description: We all live in a house of candy in this Hansel and Gretel-inspired slasher fairy tale. Once upon a time, aging porn star Angie Hart reluctantly agreed to make one final film at an enchanting old cabin deep in a forest.
While on location, the cast and crew encounter Henry and Patti—two strange siblings who seem to live in the woods. A vicious attack during an evening shoot sends Angie and the rest of the crew into a frightened frenzy. They lock themselves into the secluded cabin, trapped by an unseen assailant. Could these two mysterious children somehow be responsible?
And when handsome leading man Billy takes Patti hostage to gain leverage against the killer, it proves to be the ultimate mistake…. Eat the candy, if you dare!
Bread Crumbs was directed by Mike Nichols, the producer of His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th, and stars Marianne Hagan (Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers), Steve Carey, Dan Shaked, Jim J Barnes, Zoe Sloane, and Shira Weitz. Click here to watch the movie for free!


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A few years ago, I posted the following question and answer as part of a longer examination of the call that was allegedly placed by Joe Esposito to Jerry Weintraub on August 16, 1977:
Q : Were you with the Colonel when you found out Elvis passed away?
Jerry Weintraub : No, I was at home and he was supposed to start a tour for me the next day in Maine and my telephone rang and it was Joe Esposito on one line. I don't know if he remembers this but it was Joe and he said, "Jerry, I got to talk to you," and my other line rang and I said, "Hold on one second, Joe." And I hit the other line it was Roone Arledge from ABC news and he said to me, "Jerry, Elvis is dead." And I said, "What? What?" I said, "Hold on", and I got back on with Joe. I said, "Joe, what's the matter?" Joe said, "I'm in the bathroom with Elvis. He just died. He hadn't gone. They hadn't taken him away yet." He said, "I just want you to know because your phone is gonna start ringing." I said, "It's already rung. Roone Arledge is on the phone."
In this interview, Weintraub places the call from Graceland during the time the paramedics were onsite, which was 2:33pm – 2:47pm, a 14-minute window.
He also states that Joe Esposito called first, then Arledge's call came in (on a second phone line) while Weintraub was on the phone with Esposito. However, in his 2010 memoir, "When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead," Weintraub places Arledge's call first.
Here is the pertinent section from the book (page 159):
The following questions are raised by this account:
1. Here, Weintraub places the Arledge call before the Esposito call. Why has Weintraub changed the order of the calls? (Granted, could be a simple recall error.)
2. Weintraub states that Arledge's "people" had picked up the 911 call on a police scanner in Memphis, but in 1977 there was no 911 emergency system in place, and from what Esposito and others have claimed, the call was placed for someone "in distress." How would Arledge have learned that anyone was dead based on this call, before the paramedics had even arrived at Graceland?
3. Further on this point, if the emergency call had been picked up by Arledge's sources on a police scanner, the alleged wording of the call still would not have given any clue as to the identity of the patient, nor the condition of the patient. From what we've been told, Elvis's name was not used when the emergency call was placed, which would have been standard protocol. How would Arledge's people have known that the call was placed for Elvis, specifically, if Elvis's name was not mentioned?
4. In Weintraub's previous statement, Joe Esposito called him before the paramedics had left Graceland en route to Baptist Memorial Hospital. My analysis, then, was based on the time-frame that the paramedics were in the bathroom attending to Elvis. One key statement was, "they hadn't taken him away yet," which presumably means that the body had not yet been removed by the paramedics. This places the call to Weintraub sometime between 2:33pm (when the paramedics arrived) and 2:47pm (when the paramedics departed Graceland for BMH). However, in his book, Weintraub states that Esposito called when Elvis's body still was on the bathroom floor, yet before the paramedics had arrived. This narrows the window of time for this call to the period of time when Esposito was "waiting for the police to arrive" (the EMTs, actually), which was a mere 3 minutes (from the time of the call to the fire station at 2:30pm to the time the ambulance arrived at 2:33pm).
5. Why has Joe Esposito never, to my knowledge, mentioned this call, and why was this call placed at this time, in the middle of what we have been told was a life-and-death crisis?
6. If this call was placed while Esposito was literally standing next to Elvis's body, why has no one ever said anything about this call, considering that the upstairs suite and bathroom began filling up with people as word got around the Graceland property/mansion that Elvis had been discovered in some sort of distress? From what we've been told, several people have stated that CPR was being administered to Elvis, and that Joe Esposito was one of the people working on Elvis before the paramedics arrived. But in Weintraub's account, Esposito was not involved in the resuscitation efforts for at least several minutes after the 2:30pm emergency call, and had, by that time, determined that Elvis was dead. Again, why has not one person who was in the bathroom at this critical time period mentioned this alleged phone call? Or, if the phone call did not take place, why would Jerry Weintraub, a man of considerable credibility in the entertainment industry with no reason to lie, state unequivocally that the call was placed?
As I stated previously, the content of the emergency call is a key issue here, since Esposito would not have identified the person's identity over the phone, and even the people who are familiar with the content of the call have said the emergency assistance was needed for an adult male in respiratory distress. There was no mention of Elvis, and the people who knew the address assumed the person in question was Vernon Presley. So, if there was no specific mention of Elvis on the call, how did Roone Arledge know within THREE minutes of the call that Elvis was dead? He would have had no access to such information at that time, neither the name of the person nor the condition of the person.


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I hope all of you have had the chance to meet my wonderful sponsors for the month of December! They are truly some of the best ladies around and it has been a joy working with each of them this month! In a perfect world, they all would stay over and over again, but the good thing, is that I have made friendships with all of them, so I know this isn't good bye!
Today, these lovely ladies and I have gotten together for a giveaway.
We know this time of year, most of your minds are all about Christmas! To help with the expense that is Christmas these days, we have a gift card for you, from the store of your choice!
1. All entries are verified. If a winner is chosen and didn't complete their entries, another winner will be chosen.
2. You have 48 hours to respond to my email letting you know that you won, if I haven't heard back, a new winner will be chosen.
3. Use the rafflecopter below and enter your little hearts out! Good luck!


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Black Women Jobless Rate
Unemployment is up. Joblessness has increased for African Americans. Black women are being hit especially hard. The question now is whether the people running the country really care? And if they do, why are they avoiding the subject?
According to the figures released last week by the Department of Labor, the economy added 244,000 jobs in March. Analysts used terms like "surprisingly strong," "better than expected" and "somewhat positive" to describe the statistic. On the other hand, economist Robert Reich described the number as "chicken feed," noting that, "We'd need 300,000 a month, every month for the next five years, simply to get unemployment back under 6 percent." Economic Policy Institute economist, Heidi Shierholz, concurs: "At April's job growth rate, it would take until the fall of 2016 to get back to the pre-recession unemployment rate."
Nothing now in the cards suggests that is about to happen.
The Labor Department also reported that the country's unemployment rate rose to 9.0 percent from 8.8 percent, after falling for four consecutive months. The number of unemployed persons stood at 13.7 million in April. The percent of working-age Americans actually working is stuck at 64.2 percent
Here's the real skinny on the street.
States and local governments are still shedding jobs, reported the New York Times May 6. "High school graduates under age 25 have had a jobless rate of nearly 22 percent in the past year. For young college graduates, the rate has been 9.6 percent, about the same as high school graduates over age 25. For black workers, unemployment was 16.1 percent in April, far higher than that of white workers. College-educated blacks are also more likely to be unemployed than their white peers. Among the jobless, 43.4 percent have been out of work for more than six months."
The jobless rate for African-American women rose to 13.4 percent last month from 12.5 in April. Unemployment for African-American men rose to 17.0 percent in April from 16.8 percent in March. Unemployment among Hispanic women rose increased from 11 percent in March, to 11.4 percent in April. Joblessness among Hispanic men declined from 11.1 in March, to 10.3 percent.
"Despite modest gains in job growth, today's report is a reminder that millions of American women and their families are still searching for work," said National Women's Law Center (NWLC) Co-President Nancy Duff Campbell to Minority News.
Nearly half a million people have lost their jobs since last summer. It is estimated that if those who have ceased looking for regular work and recent school leavers unable to find their first job are counted, the real jobless rate would be 15.7 percent rather than 9.8 percent, says Shierholz.
That private sector accounted for 268,000 of the new jobs was described as "sharply better" than the 200,000 predicted by some analysts. Big surprise. According to Bloomberg News, McDonald's hired 62,000 new workers in April after receiving over one million applications.
"While the April report appears somewhat positive, it does raise questions about the strength of the labor market going forward," says economist Dean Baker. "Employment growth for the month benefited from one-time factors that will not be repeated. With a decline in temporary employment and little change in the average workweek, there seems to be little pent-up demand for labor. A 242,000 job increase in short-term unemployment, coupled with a big jump in weekly unemployment claims, provides additional cause for concern." The day before the Labor Department's April report, it was announced that new claims for state jobless benefits increased 43,000 to 474,000, the steepest rise in eight months.
Meanwhile, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka observes, "While working families face increased economic pressure, U.S. corporations are raking in record profits. Figures released yesterday show that in 2010, the 500 largest U.S. corporations saw their profits rise by 81 percent - the third largest gain in the history of the Fortune 500. This could not be a clearer reminder that for a handful of Americans, times have never been better, while for most of our country, joblessness and economic insecurity are becoming the new normal."
Trumka says Congress should be taking every necessary step to create good jobs now to address economic inequality and insecurity, including investing in infrastructure and job creation, insisting that corporations and the super-wealthy pay their fair share of taxes and improving rather than cutting the social safety net of Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid.
"Instead we see state and national politicians doing everything they can to destroy jobs, heighten economic insecurity, and transfer more of our country's wealth to the richest Americans. The House Republican budget proposal would cost about 900,000 jobs in 2012, 1.3 million jobs by 2013, and 1.7 million or more jobs by 2014. It would constitute the single largest redistribution of income from the bottom to the top in U.S. history."
But as others have noted, neither major party can escape responsibility for a lack of alarm and action.
Economist Robert Reich writes, "And the percent of working-age Americans actually working – 64.2 percent – hasn't improved. It's almost as low as it was in the depths of the recession. 13.7 million people remain out of work."
"Hello Washington?"
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"Employment has risen from its low point, but it has grown no faster than the adult population," writes economist Paul Krugman. "And the plight of the unemployed continues to worsen: more than six million Americans have been out of work for six months or longer, and more than four million have been jobless for more than a year.
"It would be nice if someone in Washington actually cared."
"Why isn't Washington paying attention to what most Americans need in the here-and-now economy?" asks Reich. "Because the White House and congressional Democrats don't dare admit how bad the economy continues to be for so many people. They're holding their breath, hoping the recovery catches fire next year before Election Day.
"Republicans don't dare admit how bad the economy is because they don't want to increase public spending or strengthen safety nets. And their patrons on Wall Street don't want to modify mortgages. Republicans would rather Americans believe their big lie that taming the deficit will create jobs and restore the economy."
"So we're paying a heavy price for Washington's obsession with phantom menaces," says Krugman. "By looking for trouble in all the wrong places, our political class is preventing us from dealing with the real crisis: the millions of American men and women who can't find work." cont'd on page 2
President Obama's approval rate for handling the economy is at its lowest point and that of Congress is even lower, which should indicate a disconnect between the complacency in Washington and what the people on Main Streets are experiencing or seeing around them. "The fixation on the federal deficit has silenced talk of more fiscal stimulus," the Times said editorially. "But more aid to states could help stanch job loss. Programs that create public-works jobs could be tailored to groups with high unemployment, and job re-training could focus on the long-term unemployed."
"The sound of one hand clapping is what you hear when policy makers wave those kinds of ideas away."
"The economy still needs help and, specifically, a sustained focus on jobs and income. Instead, policy makers are gearing up for deep spending cuts, ignoring the damage they are likely to cause," the Times said editorially on May Day. "Last quarter, cutbacks by governments at all levels took a chunk out of overall growth. If cuts of similar or greater magnitude become the norm, the slow economic pace of the first quarter also could very well become the norm. It's nice to believe slowing growth is transitory. But as long as spending, jobs and incomes are at risk and policy priorities are skewed, it's hard to believe in a turnaround."
I am not suggesting here that the federal deficit is not a problem but as many able economists have pointed out, big steps to expand the economy, put people back to work, increase both exports and domestic spending - along with some progressive tax increases - would go a long way toward reining it in.
It's not like nobody in official Washington cares about the jobs situation or is sitting mute in the face of the crisis. For months now members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), organized labor and state and local advocacy groups around the country have raised the alarm and tried to get a message to the White House. But these voices and these efforts have gone relatively unreported by the major mass media – the Times included – caught up as they are in deficit mania.
"It's critical that policy makers focus on strategies to increase job opportunities instead of promoting deep budget cuts that could unravel the slow and fragile recovery," said Campbell, the Women's Law Caucus' Co-President.
"For the 16th straight month, we have seen growth in private sector jobs - last month being the strongest for job growth since February 2006," reads a statement by CBC chair Emanuel Cleaver, II. Nevertheless, the overall unemployment rate increased by .2 percent and unemployment in the African American community has increased by .6 percent to a painful 16.1 percent. The fact still remains that millions are still out of work, which is particularly challenging, given the fact that increasingly higher gas prices are putting a strain on every American family.
"After four months of controlling the House, the Republican Leadership has not considered or introduced one single jobs bill. Instead they continue to cut funding to critical programs that directly and negatively impact our country's most vulnerable communities, costing hundreds of thousands of jobs. I am fearful that reckless spending cuts will severely undermine and prevent recovery for every American community. The CBC remains committed to responsibly reducing the deficit, while safeguarding the progress that we have made in the job market by investing in our future. Investing in our communities goes hand in hand with full economic recovery. No investment, no recovery."
One could reasonably ask members of Congress and the Administration why there is no "National Commission on Economic Growth and Employment." Or, why there is no "gang" of six politicians working their tails off to come up with a solution to the nation's jobs crisis.
Instead we have a concerted campaign, abetted by a pliant media, to maneuver the country into accepting schemes that will actually slow down growth, reducing the number of jobs available in the public sector and increase the precariousness of workers in their retirement years.
And, some might ask why big companies and banks can be rescued while the powers-that-be act as if they have abandoned the jobless as the politicians embark on a frenzy of "deficit reduction."
Carl Bloice


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Transracial Adoption/Interracial Adoption
Please find some of our best articles, essays, videos and reviews on this topic.
Parenting children across racial lines brings on new challenges and joys. Pact has long been known for advanced insight into the experience of transracial adoption. Advice for parents of children of color, whether they were born domestically or internationally, includes addressing issues of racial pride, white privilege, racism and understanding how racial identity formation occurs. We also have a selection of personal stories from both parents and adopted people as well as suggestions for handling questions from outsiders when you become a "visible" family by adoption.
Pact offers support for adoptive parents who have already adopted (or are considering adopting) across racial lines through our pre-placement consultations and placement services for prospective parents who are looking to adopt a child of color as their first choice, our online chat groups, our educational workshops and conferences, our nationally acclaimed Pact Family Camp, one-on-one consultations focused on the special issues inherent to transracial/transnational parenting, and regional parent-organized affiliates in Northern California, Southern California, and throughout the U.S. Become a member of Pact to take advantage of all these resources and to receive our newsletter, Pact's Point of View, which features many articles on intersection of adoption, race, and parenting. Pact members receive a discount at our online bookstore, which features great reads on this topic carefully selected for both adults and kids of all ages. We also recommend blogs and other online resources that we believe have the very best advice and information for adoptive families of children of color about adoption, race, and parenting.
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Transracial Adoption/Interracial Adoption Articles
Transracial Adoption/Interracial Adoption Videos
What to know Before Considering Transracial Adoption
Acknowledging White Privilege in Interracial Adoption
Confronting Your Own Inner Racism when Considering Adoption
Are we parenting in a Post-Racial Society?
What Challenges come with Transracial Adoption?
Are There Differences Between Culture, Ethnicity, and Race?
What Is Pact Camp?
Advice for Raising Transracially Adopted Kids
Supporting Transracially Adopted Kids
The Importance of Living in a Diverse Community
International Adoptions and Connecting to a Local Community
Considering Transracial Adoption; Four Questions to Ask Yourself
Think Race Doesn't Matter Then Why the Difference in Adoption Fees Based on the Child's Race?