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Here's the transcript!
Thanks for doing this thing with me. I think the first one went pretty well and people were excited and wanting to check it out. It's almost been a year that you've been working here which is pretty exciting. I have a lot of questions about that. But first, let's slate. Who are you?
I am Brooke Smith and I'm the arts education director and an artistic associate here at Festival Theatre!
Of course, I want to talk to you on the podcast anytime because you and I started around the same time and it's interesting to hear from the staff what their lives are like. But I definitely wanted to get you on right now because I know art in action is debuting in a couple weeks so I figured this would be another good chance to approach that from a different avenue and keep getting the word out.
Yes art in action! Yay!
Yay! Can you tell me a little bit about art in action? What is it?
So art in action is our week long theatre summer camp. We do five of those. So it's five weeks, but they're all in different places, which is great because we can bring our philosophy and our teaching artists at Festival Theatre to different cities around St. Croix Falls to different people who we may not have met before at our weeklong summer camp. It's all about process-based learning and allowing our campers to take a hold of the creative process themselves. They will come in and they will create their own play from a game that we play together on the first day. They will be cast in it. They will come up with designs for a set with costume designs. At the end of the week they will put on a play for their family members or friends or anyone who wants to come and see it. It's always a wonderful really inspiring experience to see these young people take hold of these ideas and make it their own.
Yeah. I like the sounds of that because it sounds like it really approaches theatre from a very broad perspective. A lot of times when people think of theatre camps as acting, acting, acting. But it sounds like it kind of goes through a lot of the different processes of theatre which I think is really neat.
Yeah. Definitely because they are starting up creating a story that's playwriting right there 101 and then they get to also think about technical elements like scenic design. They do paint their own backdrop which is a very fun, messy day for all of us.
So, you said that the story is brought up by a game that happens on the first day. Is it kind of an improv game in a way, or what is that game like?
Yeah, definitely! It's a game called Story Ball. So one person starts with a ball or any sort of object (it doesn't have to be a ball) and passes it around the circle and when ball is in your hand it's your turn to add something else to the story. The only real rule is that you can't negate anything that was said before you. So you can add whatever you want, you just can't take away something that someone else has said.
That's so "Yes and"! Classic improv! Improv starts tonight! .
Do you remember one of the stories from art in action or a brief example of either if you've trained recently with the teaching company of this year or a story that happened? Like a brief synopsis of what came about from Story Ball?
Yes. One of my favorites from last year was a story called "Gus!" Exclamation point and it was about a police chicken working at a local mall who had to stop a group of young adult shoplifters. And the twist was you find out at the end that the chicken's name is Gus. So that's where the title comes from.
Wow! I would watch that!
Yeah it was beautiful.
I would watch adults put that on, but kids? That would be delightful! So last year, you went through the process of being taught art in action to be a teaching artist. This year, you're teaching the teaching artists how to be teaching artists. Can you talk about what that's like or how that transition has been and how Brook Smith teaches art in action in a different way? How do you put your own flavor on it as the arts education director?
Yeah, definitely. So you know last year I was a teaching artist and I did three of the four camps that we did last year so I got a lot of experience which was really great. It's really nice to be able to bring that experience into teaching teaching artists. The biggest thing that I have found helpful in teaching other teachers is making sure everything's very clear, which was really well laid out by my predecessor, Rachel Kuhnle, who is fantastic and lovely and wonderful.
Yeah, she's great.
So she had a lot of that information laid out in all these beautiful documents. So it's been so easy to take that over and then take it into the classroom with our interns this year and give them some real hands on experience. This year, I guess a little differently, we've delved more into the psychology of ourselves as teaching artists. We talk a lot about teacher personas as well as the co-teaching relationship. So at art in action, every teacher has a co-teacher; you are both co-teachers for the week. So you always have someone in the room with you helping you out and playing the games and being in the plays. So it's very integrated and fun. And we are a true co-teachers. There are different sorts of co-teaching philosophies like "one teach one observe". That's not as helpful for us. We need both teachers to be just as engaged even if they're not necessarily the person leading the game. So it's been a really great experience seeing how our teaching artists are learning to deal with that and learning to work with each other. And this week, actually, they will all go into turns being co teachers and they will have a great time I'm sure and do wonderfully.
How do you figure out that different philosophies like "both teachers need to be engaged"? How do you figure that out? Just from the experience of running these camps last year?
Yeah, I think a lot of it is just experience doing it, but also and this goes along with experience, it's seeing how the kids react. If we've got two people who are equally engaged, then the kids are going to be equally engaged. We always say that our best classroom management tool is our teaching persona. So if we come in and we are excited to be there and we are jumping in and having a great time then everyone else will too. And that's pretty much the case across the board. We have very few classroom management issues, which you know, speaks to obviously we're in a great region with some great kids, but it also speaks to the power of our teaching artists and the way they come in and take control of the room and make sure everyone's having a great time.
Any funny or weird anecdotes about this process of teaching your summer company? Anything crazy happen?
Last week, they have all been experimenting with their facilitation of games which means that while they are facilitating, the rest of us get to be children. So that has obviously been a wonderful time as they all tap into their little child selves and show us exactly what they were like as children and it's exactly what you think if you have met any of these people. So you've got people who are very strict rule followers and then kids who are fun little weirdos who will say whatever comes to their mind, which is true for you know the kids who will be at camp. But it's also true for us when we think back to ourselves as children.
That's funny. Yeah now we're all fun big weirdos. I can see how that personality would translate. That would be a fun exercise. While you're on staff here, you also said you're an artistic associate and I feel like summer is where things get crazy for the Arts Education Director because you've got Marvelous Wonderettes. Four girls, they're onstage singing almost the entire time and then Fools, you've got a great part and a huge part in Crimes of the Heart. There's also improv going on. There's a whole lot going on for the arts education director this summer at Festival Theatre. How are you doing with all that?
I think I'm doing well. So far you know we're still at the beginning, but we've already got a lot of balls in the air. We've got the resource guides that come out with every show that tell a little about the show and that's Arts Ed. And then we've got teacher training shows, like you said, in improv. We really have a great team of interns this year. I mean, we always do. But this year, you know they're so willing to jump in and help out with everything. It's been so helpful. I'm so proud of them. Just how they're handling all the work that comes their way because sometimes they have more than I do when they come in for work calls: to paint and everything. They're so willing to help each other, which is very helpful for all of us on staff, I think, when they can jump in and help each other with things.
Yeah, they're a good group.
So they have really made things a lot easier than I ever could have imagined. Though obviously, it is a busy summer and it will continue to be a busy summer. But it's all things I love. So it's a wonderful time.
You're doing great work. I love watching you perform. I love watching your arts education stuff. You're an inspiration. Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
I look forward to hearing more about art in action camp. The first one is in two weeks?
Yes, our first one is July 15th in St. Croix Falls. The next week we are back in St. Croix Falls, so two in St. Croix Falls. Then we are in luck. Then Grantsburg then finishing it out in Scandia.
And if somebody were, to say, want to find more information they can go to our Web site?
Yes, they can go to our website: festivaltheatre.org or come into the box office. We have registration forms here in our lobby and we also have posters hanging up that say a little more about it.
Super! Actually one last question! I probably won't get around to interviewing you again before you've officially been here for a year. So, what are your thoughts a year into being on staff at Festival Theatre?
It doesn't feel like a year at all. I guess, because we move very quickly here. So that takes away some of the time, but also because it hasn't felt like work. It's been so fun to be around my friends and to be around this community that loves us so much, and who we love so much, that it's gone by so quickly! It doesn't feel like it's been a year at all.
That's great! All right. Thank you Brooke.
Thank you Isaac.


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subset: commoncrawl


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A new article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) practical tips for physicians on airplanes who may step in to help in a medical emergency.
"Hearing the call go out for a doctor onboard at 36 000 feet can be anxiety-provoking for any physician," says Dr. Alun Ackery, an emergency physician at St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto. "If the health professional offers their expertise, they may have to manage an unfamiliar clinical scenario, in a foreign and limited environment without knowledge of the available resources. This article provides practical tips to inform physicians about what to expect if they are in this situation."
The article reviews the policies and procedures of Canada's two major airlines, Air Canada and WestJet Airlines Ltd. and literally unpacks the medical equipment found onboard these carriers in a video to help health care professionals understand what they might encounter during an in-flight medical emergency and what resources are available to help with treatment.
An estimated 2.75 billion passengers worldwide fly each year on commercial airlines, with 133.4 million fliers in Canada in 2015, a 27% increase over 2009. The increased number of passengers is one reason for an increase in in-flight medical emergencies. Another reason is longer flights, which subject people to stressors, such as lower oxygen humidity levels, for a longer period of time.
There are no standardized methods for identifying in-flight emergencies making it difficult to find reliable incidence rates. Estimates range from one medical emergency per every 604 flights (16 events per one million passengers) to one per 7700 passengers. The top five causes of medical emergencies are lightheadedness/loss of consciousness (37.4%), respiratory symptoms (12.1%), nausea or vomiting (9.5%), cardiac symptoms (7.7%) and seizures (5.8%).
Physicians are the primary responders in 40% to 50% of in-flight emergencies, nurses and paramedics in 5% to 25% and flight attendants alone in almost half (45%) of incidents. The authors suggest that in complex medical situations, a team-based approach, assigning clear roles and responsibilities to use the skills of other health care professionals, is valuable. Flight attendants should be involved as key resources who know the aircraft, emergency procedures and can liaise with the cockpit and ground communications staff for telemedicine support and potential emergency landings.
"The incidence of in-flight medical emergencies continues to rise and it is likely that many physicians will hear a call to attend to a fellow passenger. Knowing what to expect may help physicians be better prepared the next time that fateful call goes out at 36 000 feet," says Dr. Ackery.
Watch the authors unpack in-flight medical kits from Air Canada and WestJet Airlines Ltd. in a video https://youtu.be/h5iKxHO5oVY.
Researchers from St. Michael's Hospital, the University of Toronto, Air Canada, WestJet Airlines Ltd. and ORNGE Air Ambulance collaborated on the article.
""Is there a doctor on board?": Practical recommendations for management of in-flight medical emergencies" is published February 26, 2018.
Video link pre-embargo: https://youtu.be/h5iKxHO5oVY
Canadian Medical Association Journal


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R.·. L.·. Obreros de Hiram nº 24, 2014
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Last weekend, we braved the stormy roads of EDSA and North Luzon Expressway, as we headed for Angeles, Pampanga. We stayed at my cousins' place and used the time for a much needed rest and relaxation. After a buffet of lechon, pancit, large prawns, spareribs, embutido and mixed vegetables, everyone was more than full, so we took a tour around their huge rest house to give our digestive systems ample time to rest before attacking the dessert table. The tour lasted for about half an hour, and as we gathered once more around the dinner table, with plate-loads of sweets in our hands, happily yakking away the latest momentous adventure each one of us had, I began to take notice of the quickly disappearing rice cake in front of me.
My curiosity of the said rice cake's creator prompted me to tag along with my cousins for a short drive to the town. Apparently, the makers were quite famous around the city. We arrive in front of a small restaurant slash store of Susie's Cuisine, a purveyor of Pampanga's native delicacies.
The place is small, filled with a few tables for dining customers. One thing I noticed though, at least one person would go through the door every 5 minutes (to the direction of the restaurant of course). This is a good sign, I thought with approval.
The menu board revealed that the place was indeed more than a kakanin store. From pancit to pasta to even siomai and halo halo, its Filipino snack-filled menu had us craving again (and this is just a couple of hours after eating).
I made my way to the shelves of assorted sweets. I can see tarts, marzipan, choco bars, turrones de casoy, assorted flavors of polvoron...
The rack on the side provided different variants of tamarind balls and some dried mangoes.
The opposite shelf on the other hand, showcased banana chips, garlic buttered toasts and some marblenuts.
Excitedly, I went up to the counter and began to survey the different kakanin lining up the counter top. Nearest to me was the Special Cassava (P140 per box; P12 per slice) which was light in density and not too sweet. But though my taste buds welcomed the cake, I knew it wasn't what I came here for.
A better personal preference would be the Rice Cake (P140 per box; P12 per slice). Much sweeter in nature, it is best served warm until it becomes soft and a bit chewy inside the mouth. I ate about 4 slices of this when we got back to the rest house (I forgot that (1) I just had lunch and dessert a couple of hours earlier which already included a slice of this rice cake, and (2) more than 2 slices were too heavy for the stomach to consume in one sitting).
Perhaps more than anything, Susie's was known for their Tibok-Tibok (P400 per bilao; P20 per slice). Akin to the more familiar maja blanca, it's made of carabao milk topped with latik or caramel toppings. It was my first time to try one and I love its silky consistency as it glides smoothly through your palate. That melt-in-your-mouth effect will have you take in bite after bite, if only to prolong that sweet, velvety feeling its texture brings. A word of warning though, this particular kakanin isn't destined to last for a long period of time. Better finish it within a couple of days. And don't mix in the latik if you are not yet to consume it within the next ten minutes, or it will spoil faster.
Another of their specialties is the Moche (P250 per bilao; P5 per piece). It's rice dough with bean paste filling. It's best served hot, with equally hot sweetened gata poured all over it, enveloping and drenching the bland moche with its rich and sweet flavor.
Other kakanins are the Aleya Ube, Sapin-Sapin, Bico Kalabasa and Kalame Ube. I passed up on these other glutinous rice cakes after buying a total of four boxes of the aforementioned Filipino desserts.
Lest I forget, I should already mention that kakanin is not the only type of food that established Susie's Cuisine's fame. Another fare of worth is their pancit palabok. I've made the unfortunate decision of not leaving enough empty room to have a taste of this dish. Indeed it looks scrumptious and all my cousins rave about it. They swear by its unparalleled taste. And judging by the look of this picture, I'm not one to disagree. I guess that's just another reason to go back to Pampanga.


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"When speaking of trios, TRI-FI is at the top of the list by staying true to form in presenting nothing but the ultimate in original compositions."
- Esther Callens, The Birmingham Times
Review: Holiday Jazz 2013 – Joy to the jingle
By Derrick Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 12.11.13
Back-up combos associated with vocalists have a long tradition of "moonlighting" with a few albums of their own, and that's the case with a trio that dubs itself Tri-Fi. By day, these guys — Matthew Fries, piano; Phil Palombi, bass; and Keith Hall, drums — are the rhythm section behind rock/pop singer-turned-jazz vocalist Curtis Stigers. By night, they fund genuinely terrific instrumental albums via Kickstarter campaigns; during a quick 20 days in the summer of 2011, they raised the scratch needed to produce A Tri-Fi Christmas (Tri-Fi TR309).
And, in the process, they delivered what is guaranteed to be one of my all-time favorite piano trio holiday albums.
Review: Neil Tesser at Chicago Jazz Music Examiner
Here's what Neil Tesser had to say about A TRI-FI Christmas. Thanks Neil!
"…One other piano trio, which you've almost certainly never heard of, shines even a little brighter. Tri-Fi is the quirkily named combo better known as the rhythm section behind the popular vocalist Curtis Stigers: drummer Keith Hall, bassist Phil Palombi, and pianist Matthew Fries. On A Tri-Fi Christmas, they cover plenty of the expected material (including five of the tunes on Marcus Roberts' album, among them "Carol of the Bells" and "We Three Kings"). But Tri-Fi also include a couple genuine surprises – "In The Bleak Midwinter," a balladic carol by the 20th-century classical composer Gustav Holst; and the obscure "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" (based on a poem by Longfellow). More important, this trio snaps and crackles like a fireplace full of well-seasoned Yule logs; their nicely honed interplay makes even these chestnuts sound fresh. Tri-Fi rides along on great arrangements, and pianist Fries' uncluttered solo lines, to offer a new Christmas classic."
DownBeat Holiday Music Roundup
The folks at DownBeat were nice enough to include the new TRI-FI Christmas CD in their Holiday Music Roundup. They even had some nice words about us:
"Tri-Fi is a terrific piano trio based out of New York City featuring Matthew Fries on piano, Phil Palombi on bass and Keith Hall on drums. And A Tri-Fi Christmas is one of the more surprising holiday records jazz fans will hear this season. The cover promises total schlock, but don't be fooled. In the finest jazz tradition, this tight-knit trio turns tired chestnuts into launchpads of improvisation. On the menu are songs you've heard a million times, like "Frosty The Snowman," "Joy To The World" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" done in amazingly tasteful, interesting ways."


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This book has been a hard work of love. I am excited to share this book of healthy and delicious recipes with you. It can be found online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble for the hard copy and the e-version at many different sites. I also have it available in my store. It is my joy to share these recipes that make Whole Food Plant Based eating such an adventure. Join me on that adventure through all my recipes.
Also, I would really like to hear from you for ideas for my next book. What kind of book would you like next? Expanded recipes? Meal Plans? Just drop me a line or two here cathryn@cathryn'skitchen.com
The recipes are tried and true. They are recipes that I use often and even some of them daily. I cover everything from basic items to keep your plant based gluten-free kitchen stocked. Of course, there is a section just for condiments. The condiments take the meal to the next level of goodness. Need some soup or salad ideas? Maybe some appetizers for a gathering. I have got all of those in this book.
Cathryn's Kitchen: Plant Powered and Gluten-free Cookbook will give you ideas for just about any meal or snack, and even some treats. It is a good resource when you have run out of ideas for meals, or you are just wanting to expand your culinary repertoire.
All the recipes have been tested multiple times and approved by omnivores and vegans alike. My hope is that this cookbook will be a go to friend that is well loved. Because this cookbook was written with love and a desire to share the goodness of a plant powered and gluten-free kitchen.


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This is what happens when you mix rapology with Ivy League education!
Hip-hop pioneer DJ Afrika Bambaataa will be taking his talents, not to South Beach, but to the hallowed halls of Cornell University.
The celebrated musician was announced Tuesday by the Ivy League school's music department in conjunction with Cornell University Library's Hip-Hop Collection. The South Bronx, New York native will visit Cornell's upstate New York campus several days each year to talk to classes, meet with student and community groups, and perform the music within a culture he helped to create and expand.
Bambaataa's first trip to Cornell will be in November.
Cornell celebrates having the largest national archive on Hip-Hop culture, documenting its birth and growth by preserving thousands of recordings, fliers, photographs and other artifacts. It makes us want to re-enroll into university, so that we can learn premium jewels from one of the Masters of Ceremonies.
Revisit one of Afrika Bambaataa's timeless classics below:
Props: Good Education


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Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Of Blizzards and Resolutions
We were lucky. It was summer and we didn't have anywhere to be, and I work for myself. We stayed calm. Others among us—namely the other passengers on our first flight—all must have been heart surgeons with actual hearts in their carry-on luggage because everyone needed to get home ON THAT DAY. No ifs, ands, or buts. We watched in amusement as people plugged numbers into their cell phones with such force that we were surprised that the phones didn't break on contact. We watched as every single passenger berated the ticket agents for this inconvenience, as if the ticket agents were responsible for the fifty mile an hour winds in New York. We watched as husbands yelled at wives, and wives yelled at children, and children played in the aisles, blissfully unaware that their trip to Hilton Head had been extended by one, or maybe two, days.
It all came back to me as I watched the news coverage of the "Blizzard of the Century" these past days. Oh, and since the century is only a decade old, should we have trotted out that moniker too quickly? So willy-nilly? Surely there will be other blizzards in the next ninety years; what will we call them? Anyway, many reporters worked through the night to bring us this news: "It's snowing. A lot." But pity the poor reporter who was stranded in LaGuardia Airport—a hell hole on regular days—to talk with travelers who had just a slim hope of getting home before New Year's Eve or in this calendar year. Amazingly, they were all extremely calm. One woman, carrying her Port Authority-issue mat with her in case she needed to sleep on the floor again, spoke of washing up in the rest room, eating lots of healthy airport food instead of junk, drinking water, and waiting it out patiently. She knew that there was nothing to do but be positive, and as a result, was incredibly calm and poised. She even had on makeup! I don't know about you all, but the first thing to go in the face of life's inconvenience is makeup. But this woman was all made up, dressed fashionably and appropriately for the weather, and had every hair in place. She talked about the beauty of the snow and the kindness of airport employees. Jim and I looked at each other in awe, wondering where this Zen-filled woman had come from. And if she would ever make it back there.
How we react to life's inconveniences really shows our true colors, don't you think? I know it's easy to go with our first instinct, which for me is to rail at the injustice of it all. But by taking the high road along with a deep breath, accepting that things sometimes are out of our control, is not to relinquish the upper hand. It's called 'going with the flow' and one of my New Year's resolutions is to do that whenever I can. (I can hear my family members laughing heartily at this proclamation but I'm going to give it my best shot; I'm proven myself to be spectacularly pig-headed and not flow-going.) This resolution will prove to be challenging and will definitely take me out of my Type-A comfort zone but hey, it's worth a try. And it will be far less challenging than sleeping on a Port Authority-issue mat in the middle of LaGuardia airport. That, my friends, takes a force of will I just don't have.
How did you weather the storm, Stiletto friends? And what are your resolutions for the new year?
Maggie Barbieri
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Here in the west (Central California foothills) we've been dealing with lots of rain, mud slides, bridge closures. Bridges opened yesterday, but it's pouring again and the river is raging, so they'll probably close the bridges again. Doesn't affect us unless we want to visit someone who lives on the other side. Need to be careful when going to town though, because of flooded roads and mud. Plenty of snow in the mountains.ReplyDelete
A truer statement couldn't be said: How we react to life's inconveniences really shows our true colors.ReplyDelete
I absolutely agree. Keeping perspective, being thankful for the little things, and appreciating what we do have can definitely help. Some people won't ever 'get' it, I don't think, but hopefully those people who react badly to whatever situation they're in will gain a little perspective in retrospect and apply a new philosophy the next time around.
We can hope, anyway.
A truer statement couldn't be said: How we react to life's inconveniences really shows our true colors.ReplyDelete
I absolutely agree. Keeping perspective, being thankful for the little things, and appreciating what we do have can definitely help. Some people won't ever 'get' it, I don't think, but hopefully those people who react badly to whatever situation they're in will gain a little perspective in retrospect and apply a new philosophy the next time around.
We can hope, anyway.
My NYC-bound sister had her Monday morning flight canceled. So she's heading back tomorrow after being home an extra three days. I don't think she's minded, as it's meant more time with Mom, a pedicure, and seeing her friends! I've been stranded plenty in the past with all the book-related traveling. And I think I was one of those people punching numbers hard into cell phones and whining to the ticket agents. Maybe that's why I travel a lot less now. If I'm going to be stuck anywhere, I'd rather it be home. ;-)ReplyDelete
- Vicky PolitoDecember 29, 2010 at 1:05 PM
I love when we get bad weather and the local news talks to any idiot they can find who, in a very agitated and loud voice, says something like "This is just complete bull! I mean some of us need to get home/to work!" Yes, it is total bull that WEATHER, you moron, is purposely standing in the way of your important life. Why, somebody should do something for you to resolve this to your satisfaction!ReplyDelete
It's terrible to be caught without comforts and food, etc. (like the people who stranded on a train in Queens over night or maybe trapped in a car on a snow-bound expressway for hours). If you are safe and have at least some basic amenities, there's nothing to do but try to be positive and ride it out. You only make it worse by insisting on being futilely worked up.
Lastly, I'll say that when I've been open to any sort of positive aspect of a real derailing of my plans or situation, there have been times--not every time, but still--when I get some benefit from what actors have called "happy accidents". Basically, I discover or receive something I would never have otherwise gotten because things went hay-wire or close to it.
Glad all of you seem fine in all that NYC snow, Mags.
Luckily everyone in my family lives within 20 minutes of each other. We really don't have any travel problems over the holidays. The weather here in PA was cold and we only had a few flurries so we had no problems.ReplyDelete
I love weather like this because if no trains are running, I don't have to go to work. The snowstorm did cause an outage with my cable service (no phone, internet and TV), but luckily I had plenty of books to read and hot chocolate to drink. As for communicating with the outside world, I had my blackberry and use the web browser of my kindle. Who knew I would be using it. Glad I had one.ReplyDelete
Well, we were blessed that we didn't have to go anywhere when the snow was falling and we haven't been able to think about things like vacations in years, so we don't travel much anyway.ReplyDelete
Just the same its important to be flexible and have a 'go with the flow' mindset rather than get bent by weather or traffic. I like to think I do pretty well with that. (Still working on DH ;)
Its true, there are a lot of hold-ups and inconveniences in life we can do nothing about....except thank God for the blessings remaining and use whatever resources we have left to cope. I've had a lot of practice with that in recent years. DH has had seven major surgeries since 2005 (and innumerable check-ups and follow-up procedures.) Spent a lot of time waiting for procedures. Everyone wants to be done NOW and getting away from there, but that's not possible. You wait all day sometimes to see the doctors. You wait to be called, you wait for each stage of the procedure, you wait to be told when you can go, then you wait to hear the results. Sometimes it even took two or three trips around their parking deck just to get in there and start all the other waiting!
Maybe its not all the same thing but it kinda sounds like it is to me.
Well, anyway,
Happy New Year!
Susan M
Oh, boy, do I know about waiting in doctors' offices (and looking for parking spots in their lots!). Hope 2011 is a healthy one for you guys.ReplyDelete
Happy New Year to you, Susan M!
Cheers from another Susan M :-)
Thank you! Hope 2011 is great for you as well.ReplyDelete
I like your name too ;-)
Susan McGaw


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Disttrack Malware Distribution Suggests Link between Shamoon 2 and Magic Hound
In November 2016, the security community first learned of a series of attacks known as "Shamoon 2." The campaign has launched three waves as of this writing. In the first wave, bad actors infected an organization in Saudi Arabia with Disttrack. This trojan used a wiper component to overwrite protected parts of a system, including the Master Boot Record (MBR) and partition tables. Doing so prevented the machine from booting properly.
The second wave of Shamoon 2 occurred on 29 November 2016–less than two weeks after the first incident. This iteration also dropped Disttrack as its payload. But unlike the first wave, the malware contained administrator account credentials for Huawei's virtualized desktop infrastructure (VDI) products. The Shamoon 2 attackers may have implemented the technique to prevent victims from restoring their systems.
Wave 3 of Shamoon 2 took place on 23 January 2017. The event didn't differ from either the first or second waves in terms of attack vectors, payloads, or actions taken. But it did yield valuable intelligence regarding how the threat actor delivers Disttrack to hostnames they know exist on the targeted network. The attack also illuminated a distribution vector for Disttrack that might link Shamoon 2 with a network reconnaissance campaign.
Malware Delivered! Analyzing Disttrack's Distribution Server
While they were collecting files from the third wave of Shamoon 2, Unit 42 threat researchers at Palo Alto Networks discovered something new: a ZIP archive containing files that help Disttrack infect other systems in the target network. The threat actor deploys this archive from a single compromised system on the network once they've logged in with Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) using legitimate credentials. Currently, it's not clear how the attackers initially compromise that system and gain RDP access.
Among other files, the ZIP archive contains files "1.txt" through "400.txt." These are text files that contain a list of hostnames of systems on the network. These are essential to "ok.bat," another file contained in the archive.
Unit 42 researchers Robert Falcone and Bryan Lee explain in a blog post:
"The 'ok.bat' batch script runs once per hostname mentioned above. This batch script is responsible for deploying Disttrack on each of these systems on the network. The script begins by copying two files to the 'C:\Windows\temp' folder on the remote system. The two copied files – named 'ntertmgr32.exe' and 'ntertmgr32.bat' – are the Disttrack payload and a batch script used to install the Disttrack payload on the local system, respectively. The 'ok.bat' script uses the PAExec ('pa.exe') application to run the 'ntertmgr32.bat' installation script on the remote system. The batch script also attempts to clear event logs via the Windows built-in 'wevtutil' utility in an attempt to conceal their activities and disrupt incident response and forensic analysis."
Once the 'ntertmgr32.bat' batch script installs Disttrack on the local system and the malware executes, it begins to overwrite the MBR and partition tables. It also attempts to spread by logging in to the system, copying itself, and executing on other systems in the same subnet.
You can learn more about how Shamoon 2 deploys Disttrack in the video below:
Connected to Magic Hound?
The behavior illustrated above raises an important question: how does Shamoon 2 gain a list of relevant hostnames for "1.txt" through "400.txt"?
Unit 42 has traced the ZIP archive back to 45.76.128[.]71. The IP address, which resides in the range of a cloud hosting service, is located on the same Class C IP range as 45.76.128[.]165. This is the location of a command and control server for Magic Hound.
Since mid-2016, the Magic Hound campaign has been leveraging Microsoft Office documents with malicious macros to infect systems with two payloads: the Pupy remote administration tool (RAT) and an IRC bot called "MagicHound.Leash." It's believed Magic Hound is focused solely on conducting espionage against victim organizations in the Middle East.
Given the two campaigns' focus on entities in Saudi Arabia, use of the same cloud computing service in the same Class C IP range, and abuse of both PowerShell and meterpreter, Falcone and Lee believe the two may be connected. They explain why that's significant:
"If the Magic Hound attacks are indeed related to the Shamoon attack cycle, we may be able to hypothesize that the Magic Hound attacks were used as a beachhead to perform reconnaissance for the adversaries and gather network information and credentials. This may be further supported by the initial Magic Hound payloads we discovered, Pupy RAT and meterpreter, both of which have these types of capabilities."
In other words, a link between Magic Hound and Shamoon 2 means the former would likely collect a list of hostnames on the target network. The latter would then incorporate this information into Disttrack's ZIP archive, which it deploys from a compromised system.
Protecting against Shamoon 2 and Magic Hound
Unit 42 will continue to research any linkages between Shamoon 2 and Magic Hound as well as how Shamoon 2 gains RDP access to a system on a target network. In the meantime, organizations should protect themselves by creating strong network credentials, encrypting them, and storing them in a secure location. They should also train their employees to be on the lookout for phishing scams and other social engineering attacks.


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Eleftheria Theodoroudi
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) was founded in 1926, has 41 Faculties and Schools offering all kinds of studies in a vast array of scientific fields, ranging from natural and technological to social and health sciences, arts and humanities. It hosts about 81,500 students (72,140 in undergraduate programmes and 8,360 in postgraduate programmes). The University aims to offer equal opportunities for learning, research and communication; it supports research projects in a wide variety of disciplines, promotes interdisciplinary cooperation, participates in European research programmes and projects, cooperates with international institutions and organizations, and attracts researchers from within Greece and abroad.
The School of History and Archaeology has a long history in the University. It was among the first Schools to be established within the Faculty of Philosophy.
The School consists of four Departments, namely:
It also has four Departmental libraries and moreover, research and teaching at the School are supported by a number of archives, collections and Museums.
The Department of Archaeology consists of 20 professors, undertakes 20 excavations and has more or less 2,000 undergraduate, master and PhD students. The Department specializes in different thematic aspects of archaeology, namely Prehistoric, Classical and Byzantine archaeology, but covers also other themes such as Bioarchaeology, Museology etc. The department has its own cast museum and organizes each year the meeting for Archaeological Works in Macedonia and Thrace.
The Laboratory of Prehistory AUTh is situated at the building of Old Philosophy School and supports two prehistoric excavations one in Toumba Thessaloniki and the other at Paliambela Kolindros. Techniques and analysis carried out at the lab include material cultural analysis (ceramic technology, archaebotonical – archaeozological), archaeometry and chemical analysis, as well as use of new technologies (GIS, interactive interpretation of data). There is an increasing interest for the dissemination of archaeology as a practice (archaeological events in newspapers, educational programmes) but also for museology, heritage management and public outreach. In this framework European and national research projects have been implemented including Past, Temper, the Information Society, ACE project, Thalis.
Eleftheria Theodoroudi
Faculty of Philosophy - School of History and Archaeology
54124 Thessaloniki
+30 2310 998780
+30 2310 995222


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Corporate & Residential Fine Art Leasing
Leasing artwork can be the perfect solution to any decoration decisions you have to make in your home or office. Leasing in an excellent option for businesses and companies who appreciate beautiful artwork and variety, but have a budget to consider or do not want to commit to any one certain aesthetic. By leasing artwork, you can find the right style for your business while adding another dimension of atmosphere for your clients.
Contact us to discuss leasing options!


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Discovery serving seconds, sneak peeks
Discovery is set to launch today ad-supported, full-length episodes of series and specials from across its networks on its Web sites and VOD service, Discovery on Demand. The digital initiative includes sneak peeks and day-after episodes from shows and initially will feature Animal Planet's "Meerkat Manor," Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" and TLC's "LA Ink." Additional programs will be added regularly.
Sony has international 'Spirit'
The Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group has acquired all rights in select international territories to Will Eisner's "The Spirit." The territories include but are not limited to France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia and Latin America (excluding Brazil and Mexico). Frank Miller is writing and directing the fantasy thriller about a rookie cop who returns from the dead to fight crime. Lionsgate holds domestic and U.K. rights to the film, which will be released in 2009.
'Spidey' swings to DVD in October
"Spider-Man 3" has become the second summer theatrical blockbuster to get a home video release date in the lucrative fourth-quarter sales season. The year's No. 1 movie, with a U.S. theatrical gross of $336 million, will be released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on Oct. 30 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc high-definition format. Also available are three-packs of all three "Spider-Man" movies in standard DVD and Blu-ray. The latter package, "Spider-Man High-Definition Trilogy," offers consumers the first two "Spider-Man" movies on Blu-ray Disc.
UMG shareholders OK Sanctuary buy
Universal Music Group will take London-based Sanctuary Group Plc. into private hands after winning shareholder approval for a buyout Thursday. In a statement issued just before the close of trading on the London Stock Exchange, UMG confirmed that it had reached the 90% required level of acceptance for the purchase. At least 14 days' notice will be given before the offer is closed. UMG in June announced its intention to acquire London-based Sanctuary at 20 pence ($0.40) a share in cash, valuing the company at about £44.5 million ($87.68 million). A combined UMG-Sanctuary will pool a wealth of reggae catalog and give Universal a valuable foothold in the live music business.
New York's Fox stations share Giants
NEW YORK — Fox's two local New York stations said Thursday that they had reached a programming agreement with the NFL's New York Giants. WNYW Fox 5, the market's Fox O&O station, already carries Giants games as part of the network's NFC package. Now Giants programming will be on Fox 5 and WWOR My9, a MyNetworkTV affiliate also owned by Fox Tele-vision Stations Group. The programming begins Sunday with a weekly "Giants Training Camp Report." During the season, "Giants Game Plan" will air for a half-hour at 11:30 a.m. Sundays beginning Sept. 9.
AIT to digitize 116 MJR megaplexes
Access Integrated Technologies has announced a digital-cinema deployment and preshow programming deal with MJR Theatres. Independent exhibitor MJR will convert 116 megaplex screens in seven locations to digital cinema using AccessIT's Theatre Command Center software and preshow programming and Christie DLP Cinema projectors.
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Custom publishing update II: T-Mobile
is launching a customer magazine for small companies "to encourage
loyalty and highlight the network's understanding of business needs."
InFocus, a 32-page magazine, will be published three times a
year, with the first edition coming out this spring. The publication will be sent to around 44,000 companies that have
fewer than 10 employees and operate multiple handsets on a T-Mobile
account. Customers range from small accountancy firms, architects and
graphic designers, to florists, builders and plumbers.


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From Kadeart:
This is what caught my attention! Just look at the lil Kili and Fili hanging on their Uncle Thorin. Awww.
From Reammm:
Thranduil is a party animal.
All the feelings.
I want to hug all the dwarves and Bilbo now! I'll just go count the days until The Hobbit is released on Blu-ray.


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Panic! At The Disco Channel Frank Sinatra On New Single 'Death Of A Bachelor': Listen
Tuesday (Sept. 1) on Beats 1's World Record radio show, Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz premiered a brand-spanking-new, Frank Sinatra-evoking Panic! At The Disco song called "Death Of A Bachelor." This is notable for three reasons:
Zane Lowe normally hosts the World Record show.
Looks like Pete was just filling in, though can we get him his own show ASAP plz?
Pete helped Panic! get their big break back in 2004-2005.
So this was extremely fitting.
Come to think of it, this definitely should have been the No. 1 reason.
Panic! singer/songwriter Brendon Urie told Wentz the song is autobiographical and refers to Urie's own marriage to Sarah Orzechowski, which began in 2013. And stylistically, he said it's like "Beyoncé and Sinatra made a song together." We totally hear it -- it swings AND it pops. You can listen to it here via Apple Music.
Indeed, Urie wrote on the band's website that "Death Of A Bachelor" was heavily inspired by Frank Sinatra, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year. Though the song "doesn't sound remotely similar" to anything the crooner sang, Urie said he wrote it while feeling Sinatra's unique influence.
"I attach his music to so many memories: Opening presents on Christmas day, my grandparents teaching the rest of the family to swing dance, watching 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' with my siblings (Sinatra makes a cameo in the form of a cartoon sword singing 'Witchcraft'). His music has been a major player in the soundtrack of my life. So it's only right that I return the favor and/or pay it forward," Urie wrote.
No *official* word if "Death Of A Bachelor" will appear on Panic!'s still-untitled fifth album, which may or may nor also include previously released single "Hallelujah." But luckily, Urie told Wentz that the album is totally done (!) and in the final mixing stages.
We're pumped to hear the rest, especially if it's full of more crooner-meets-pop-star numbers -- Dean Martin as sung by Rihanna, anyone?


text: The latest showcased Nike Air VaporMax comes dressed in a Midnight Fog, Cargo, Khaki and Desert Moss color combination. Constructed with your traditional Flyknit upper along with Dynamic Flywire cables. In addition we have 3M reflective accents which land on the heel. Completing the look is the bubble midsole and icy translucent outsole.


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Q. What Happened?
A. On Friday May 12th 2017, several organizations were affected by a new Ransomware strain.
The Ransomware was very successful in part because it used a SMB vulnerability to spread inside networks.
The vulnerability was patched by Microsoft in March for supported versions of Windows.
The exploit, known under the name ETERNALBLUE, was released in April as part of a leak of NSA tools.
Variants have been seen spreading Saturday/Sunday.
Q.How many infections?
A. Several large organizations world wide are known to be affected.
No obvious targeting. The organizations are from various countries and appear not to be related.
While large enterprises made the news, small business users and home users may be affected as well.
Estimated > 200,000 victims according to various anti virus vendors
Q.How do systems get infected?
A. E-Mail: Some organizations suggest that the initial infection originated from e-mail attachments, but little is known about the e-mails. It is easily possible that other malware was confused with WannaCry.
SMB: Affected organizations may have had vulnerable systems exposed via port 445.
Up to know, affected organizations have not shared a lot of proof to show how the initial infection happened.
Q. What happens to the victim?
A. Files with specific extensions will be encrypted.The victim will see a ransom message asking for approx. $300. Ransomware demands will increase to $600 after 3 days. After 7 days, the files may not longer be recoverable. The ransomware will also install a backdoor to access the system remotely via port 445 (Double Pulsar, also part of the NSA tool set).
Q. How to Prevent Infection: Patch
A. Newer Windows Versions (Windows Vista, 7-10, Windows Server 2008-2016) can be patched with MS17-010 released by Microsoft in March.
Microsoft released a patch for older systems going back to Windows XP and Windows 2003 on Friday.
Confirm that patch is installed. The catch here is that most people have cracked versions of windows and have to resort to manually downloading the patch and applying it which gets tricky most times.
Q. What are Other Mitigating Controls
A. This mostly is aimed at enterprises with the resources that can enforce these controls and not directly end users.
1. Segment Your Network
2. Prevent internal spreading via port 445 and RDP.
3. Block Port 445 at perimeter firewalls/filtering devices.
4. Disable SMBv1
5. Implement internal "kill switch" domains / do not block them through DNS monitoring
6. Set registry key or find a tool that does it automatically for you from a trusted vendor.
7. At least one additional variant of the malware was seen this weekend. It uses a different "kill switch".
Contact Summit Security For more information on the above mitigation tasks.
Q. How can you detect affected System?
- Systems that are infected by WannaCry will try to connect to a specific domain.
- Encrypted files will have the "wncry" extension.
- Systems will scan internally for port 445.
- Ransom message will be displayed.
- In addition, infected systems will reach out to sites for crypto keys.
- Anti-Malware has signatures now for WannaCry.
Q. How can one clean up the infected Systems
A. Anti-Malware vendors are offering removal tools.Removal tools which remove malware, but will not recover encrypted files. WannaCry will install a backdoor that could be used to compromise the system further. Note that not all files with the .wncry extension are encrypted. Some may still be readable.
Contact Summit Security for assistance or guidance and direction on the above.
Q. Do they have a Kill Switch
A.The malware will not run if it can access a specific website. This web site has been registered to stop the spread of malware. But proxies may prevent connections. An internal website may be more reliable and allows detecting infections. A registry entry was found that will prevent infection as well, and a tool was released to set the entry. Future versions will likely remove these kill switches or change the name of the registry entry.
Q. Will Paying the Ransom Help Us?
A. There is no public report from victims who paid the ransom. About a hundred victims paid so far.
The unlock code is transmitted in a manual process that requires the victim to contact the person behind the ransomware to transmit an unlock code. Due to the law enforcement and public attention, it is possible that the individual(s) behind this malware will disappear and not release unlock codes in the future.
Q. Impact / Summary
A. Availability
Affected organizations will loose access to the files encrypted by the malware. Recovery is uncertain even after paying the ransom.
The malware does install a backdoor that could be used to leak data from affected machines, but the malware itself does not exfiltrate data
Aside from encrypting the data, the malware does not alter data. But the backdoor could be used by others to cause additional damage.
Q. Where can i get more help on this?
A. Additional Links
Microsoft Guidance https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/msrc/2017/05/12/customer-guidance-for-wannacrypt-attacks/
Internet Storm Center: https://isc.sans.edu


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The 56th Fighter Wing Airman Leadership School graduated 35 senior airmen and one staff sergeant Dec. 13, 2018, at Luke Air Force Base:
The award winners are:
John L. Levitow Award: Ridge Shan, 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Distinguished graduates: Enrique Marquez, 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron; Korwin Nelson, 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron; and Malachi Speller, 56th Medical Operations Squadron
Commandant's Award: Malachi Speller, 56th MDOS
Academic Achievement Award: Bryson Anderson 144th Maintenance Squadron
The following graduates are senior airmen, unless otherwise noted:
56th Operations Support
Joshua Anderson and Dylan Hinnant
56th Maintenance Group
Alexa Huffman, Michael Huffman and Christopher Lyons
56th EMS
Jonathan Gonzalez, Matthew Green, Daniel Hackney, Giovanny Leontorres, Remington Niemchak and Nicholas Noker
56th Aircraft Maintenance
Rasheed Benjamin, Tanner Carden, Anthony Kachuck, Dakota Lanning, Jeremiah Opyoke and Benjamin Perez
756th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Kathryn Balster, Allan Harle Jr., Samuel Ness and Samuel Short
56th Civil Engineer Squadron
Ivan Stankewsky
56th Force Support Squadron
Chakaris Lewis
56th Security Forces Squadron
Brent Pico, Jonathan Temple and Joseph Turner
56th LRS
William Ramer and Desmond Satterfield
56th Dental Squadron
Jaelynne Hernandez
944th SFS
Alexandra Haytasingh
151st SFS
Staff Sgt. Lucin Macbride
Courtesy of Tech. Sgt. Kenneth Coderre, 56th FSS


text: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Flipboard 0 Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes. They may differ by age, gender, financial resources, work backgrounds or skillsets. But all entrepreneurs have several unifying traits: they believe in the core idea, are risk-takers, and are willing to work hard. That can be the combination for a rousing success. True entrepreneurs don't have a choice; they just have to do it; they just have to try. I've been an entrepreneur for years. I've started, run, marketed and sold businesses and I've consulted with many more entrepreneurs along the way. Whether you're a brand new entrepreneur or one with years of experience, these tips should be of value. Valuable Tips for Entrepreneurs 1. Coming up with an idea is the most fun; executing it…not so much. The idea is about 1% of the overall business but execution is about 99%. In other words, the day to day work is where success lies. 2. Most people just think about how great their idea is. They don't think about how they will let people know about their great idea. Figure out how you're going to market your business, and to whom (Who's your audience?), before you spend too much time or money on your idea. 3. Take criticism. Talk to people about your idea, show them what it does or how it works. Listen to what they have to say. You will not like everything you hear, or incorporate all of the suggested changes, additions, deletions or comments, but it's all valuable. 4. Being an entrepreneur is not a get-rich-quick-scheme. Most businesses are not overnight successes. The best way to succeed, and make money, is to work the business, everyday, for a long time. Even if your business is viable, you may not break even for three or four years. It may take even longer to show a profit. 5. You will be most successful operating a business that you like (or love!). Determine where your interests lie and what your passions are. Figure out a business that combines some or all of those. Making a lot of money should not be one of those things. Do something you can't wait to do, and the money will come. 6. Always have a contingency plan. What if things go wrong…or right? Do you have the financial, strategic, operations or marketing plans in place to cover what happens if you have too little, or too much, business? 7. Strive to be as passionate about your business after 20 years as you were when you started. Continue to learn about your industry, set new goals, expand your brand and most of all, challenge yourself to grow, change and improve your business. 8. Do what you know. Use the knowledge, experience and expertise you've acquired to start your own business. Do what you know…but do it differently, more efficiently, more cost-effectively, more sustainably or in a way that will improve results. Reinvent a better wheel. 9. Brand from the beginning. Take time (at the start) to create a Mission Statement, a Vision Statement, a Positioning Statement and a Core Values Statement. If you lose your way, these can get you back on the right track. 10. Offer something no one else does. Become the undisputed heavyweight in your field or design the widget with "wow!". 11. Work like you're getting paid. Get up every day and put the hours in — whether someone's paying you or not. Make the time…back burner jobs don't succeed. 12. Set goals for yourself and your business. Write them down. Be accountable to someone or to yourself. 13. Work backwards: decide where you want to be and then figure out the steps to get there. 14. We all have a favorite job; something we'd rather be doing. Don't address just your favorite part of your business but be mindful of the operational, financial, marketing, and strategic plans that need to be in place to make your business a success. 15. Be realistic as to the size of business you want to create. A business you run by yourself may support your lifestyle as well as a business that employs a dozen people (and with a lot less stress). If possible, create a business that is scalable. 16. Do it for the right reasons – not because you want to impress. Do whatever you do well and you'll earn both personal satisfaction and the esteem of others. 17. Don't quit. When you hit a wall and think, "I just can't do this anymore," keep going. My training as an endurance athlete taught me that when you doubt you can continue, when your brain says, "Stop!" is when you have to swim 10 more strokes, run 50 more steps or just bike to the top of the hill. By the time you've gone just a little further, the situation has probably changed and you'll find can keep going. Small business is the fastest growing sector in the United States and accounts for 54% of all sales in the US (Source: SBA). There are many reasons why the sector is growing so rapidly. But if you're an entrepreneur, or would like to start your own business, you already know why. And if you've haven't started yet, now is a good time. Want to share some entrepreneur tips of your own? Please comment on this post. Twitter Tweet Facebook Share Email This article originally appeared on Martha Spelman's Blog and has been republished with permission.Find out how to syndicate your content with B2C Join our Telegram channel to stay up to date on breaking news coverage Author: Connor Brooke Connor is a Scottish financial expert, specialising in wealth management and equity investing. Based in Glasgow, Connor writes full-time for a wide selection of financial websites, whilst also providing startup consulting to small businesses. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Finance, and a Master's degree in Investment Fund Management, Connor hasView full profile ›More by this author:ACH Crypto Price Prediction 2022 – Is it a Buy?Lucky Block Partners with Dillian Whyte ahead of Heavyweight Showdown with Tyson FuryNFT Pixel Art – The Best NFT Collections for 2022


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NTUC's commitment to the community
NTUC FairPrice is not just a familiar name to many Singaporeans, but a steward in meeting the needs of the community. Its house brand label FairPrice has not only been offering its prices at a competitively lower rate, but has also been expanding its selection to more than 2,000 products, all to ensure that necessities won't ever burn a hole in anyone's pockets. And in encouraging employees and even the public to volunteer, NTUC has truly committed to doing retail with heart.
Read more at the Business Times here.


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Egypt's Sisi warns of new crackdown against domestic 'enemies'
President Abdel Fattah Sisi, paying tribute to his assassinated top prosecutor, on Tuesday signaled the start of an even harsher security crackdown targeting "enemies" of his government.
At the funeral of Hisham Barakat, the prosecutor general who was killed Monday by a massive car bomb, the Egyptian president vowed to take unspecified steps to strengthen the hand of authorities, who already wield extraordinary powers to crush dissent.
"The hand of justice is tied by laws," an angry-looking Sisi said, speaking outside the landmark Cairo mosque where funeral prayers were held. "We won't wait on this. We will amend the laws in order for us to achieve justice."
Flanked by mourners, the Egyptian leader added: "We are facing terrorism – there must be laws to confront this."
It was unclear what steps the president might be contemplating. Egypt spent three months under a state of emergency in 2013, after police and soldiers killed hundreds of supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
After the state of emergency was lifted, the government enacted a stringent law that banned unauthorized street protests. That has been used as a means of jailing both secular and Islamist opponents of the government, with many sentenced under it to lengthy prison terms.
In his remarks, Sisi hinted that a death sentence handed down against Morsi earlier in June could be expedited, though he did not mention the former president by name. Normally such capital cases take months or even years to wend their way through appeals and other delays.
"We are executing the law," said the Egyptian leader. "If a death sentence is issued, then it will be carried out." In addition to Morsi, hundreds of Brotherhood supporters and leaders have been sentenced to death, many of them in mass tribunals denounced by human rights groups and Western governments.
Egyptian officials and pro-government media outlets blamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood for Barakat's assassination, although the group publicly condemned the attack. No other known organization has claimed responsibility, but an Islamic State affiliate known as Sinai Province had claimed responsibility for earlier killing of judges, and called for more attacks directed at the judiciary.
Barakat's funeral took place under extremely tight security, and the atmosphere across the capital was tense, with armored personnel carriers dotting streets and squares. Television channels canceled programming to devote the day to hours-long coverage of the funeral.
Tuesday was a national holiday, honoring the second anniversary of the outbreak of mass protests that preceded Morsi's removal from office by Sisi, then the defense minister. Sisi was elected to the presidency last May.
During the ex-military chief's time in power, Egyptian security forces have battled a violent Islamist insurgency in the rugged Sinai peninsula, with hundreds of police and soldiers killed. The Brotherhood has publicly renounced violence, but the Sisi government consistently blames the banned movement for attacks, even those for which other groups claim responsibility.
Human rights groups have denounced sweeping rights abuses under Sisi, calling the climate more repressive than under longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak.
In the latest withering criticism by an international rights group, Amnesty International on Tuesday released a report accusing Egyptian authorities of arbitrarily imprisoning thousands, targeting young activists in particular. The report, entitled "Generation Jail," said Egypt's tough antiprotest law was wielded as a means of mass repression.
"By relentlessly targeting Egypt's youth activists, the authorities are crushing an entire generation's hopes for a brighter future," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director of Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa program.
Badr Abdelatty, a spokesman for Egypt's Foreign Ministry, called the report "baseless." The London-based organization, he said, is "targeting us. They are targeting Egypt."
In another ominous sign of the continuing threat to perceived critics, a Cairo-based correspondent for the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that his embassy in mid-June had advised him to leave Egypt immediately because he had been targeted for arrest by Egyptian authorities.
The reporter, Ricard Gonzalez, who has since left Egypt, told the newspaper Daily News Egypt that he had written a book about the Muslim Brotherhood and that his paper had been critical of the Sisi government in editorials, but that he had adhered to normal journalistic practices and not engaged in any wrongdoing.
Egypt in 2014 handed lengthy prison sentences to three journalists for the news channel Al Jazeera English, including an Australian, Peter Greste, after accusing them of acting on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood. Greste was deported after spending more than a year in jail, and his two co-defendants are in the midst of a retrial.
Special correspondent Amro Hassan contributed to this report.
Follow @LauraKingLAT on Twitter for news from the Middle East
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LeBron James halts prep basketball game to confront PA announcer over Bronny call
LeBron James went full basketball dad on Saturday in an arena with his name on it.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar was in the stands for a prep basketball game between his son Bronny's Strive for Greatness and Wildcat Select. The game was part of a three-day event called "The Battle: Summer Showcase" featuring high-level midwest teams and prospects.
The game was played at James' Akron, Ohio alma mater St. Vincent-St. Mary high school at the LeBron James Arena — on the same court where James made his name as a transcendent basketball prospect.
So when the game's public address announcer didn't paint Bronny in the brightest light on a call, James didn't hesitate to halt the game and give said announcer an earful.
LeBron walks onto court to confront PA announcer
The incident happened in the final minutes of Wildcat Select's 73-69 overtime victory. With Wildcat Select leading 67-62, James stood up from his seat near the baseline to yell at the PA announcer who was sitting at midcourt. After an exchange of words, James walked past a barrier and onto the court to confront the announcer face-to-face. Gameplay halted for a moment as James had his say before returning to his seat.
The action was all recorded on a video stream. Per the stream announcers, James was upset that the PA announcer said that Bronny got a foul call because he was playing in a gym with his dad's name on it:
(Ignore the title of the YouTube video below that purports that James "fights" the announcer. There was no fight.)
Was James right to approach announcer?
A PA announcer's job, of course, isn't to give commentary on gameplay. It's to call the action and hype up the crowd. James was right to be upset if the announcer did indeed suggest that the refs were giving Bronny favorable treatment — especially considering that the refs heard the call and could potentially be influenced.
Was James right to stop the game and confront the announcer? That one's up for debate.
But there's no debating that James is passionate about his son and his son's game.
More from Yahoo Sports:


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Surprise Guys! Two posts in one day 🙂 I just HAD to share this quick post with you. Last weekend, a lot of you were following along with my Instagram Stories, and I had so many people ask where my super cute winter jacket was from. And honestly… I don't think you're going to believe me!
See? So cute right?!
It's from freakin' Hollister! It's so warm and snuggly and it looks really expensive! And right now, it's on crazy sale. (For under $100!) So I just couldn't not share it with you! Find my Sherpa Lined Parka, here!
Have a great Friday my loves! I'll talk to you again on Sunday.


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Natural Gas Smell Prompts 911 Calls
Loudoun County's 911 call center reported a large number of calls about a natural gas smell this morning caused by Dominion Transmission.
The smell was part of a scheduled venting, when Dominion released all the gas from pipelines near a Dominion buildings on Cove Point Lane in Leesburg and off Bull Run Post Office Road in Fairfax to allow for pipeline upgrades.
"Dominion (Gas) Transmission is aware that a number of residents in parts of Loudoun County have reported the smell of natural gas odorant," Dominion stated this morning. "This is the result of scheduled venting that was announced last week that took place this morning. At no time was the public in any danger from the venting operation."
Venting concluded at 9:45 a.m. today, although Dominion says the odor may linger. If you smell a gas leak, the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Department urges you to report potential gas leaks or have concerns about the persistent smell for an extended time period. Call 911 or contact Dominion through its website, dom.com.


text: This latest single family house décor from BDA architect was very simple and stylish. See the front layout of this house and see how the surface layout of this house was very awesome and beautiful the white gate was perfectly combined with the white fence and green garden design. Go on to the inside of this house we will welcome by modern living room decoration ideas that have a glass sliding door decoration. This side we will maximize the work of the sun as the lighter of the world. From this side we can see the luxury open plan interior design from the uses of the glass door. The terrace was clearly can be seen from this space. The entire space if this contemporary beach house plans was maximized the structural design of the ground contour so that we can minimize the over uses of the materials. Complete with the natural master bedroom, luxury kitchen space, natural bathroom design, and outdoor garden ideas now you can try to improve your creativity trough this modern beach house inspirations.


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How to dress for stand-up paddleboarding in any temperature.
this article covers the basics of stand up paddle boarding (SUP) and includes info on essential gear and basic techniques on the water.
Stand up paddle boarding is a great way to exercise or even just enjoy being on the water totally free to move however you desire. A lot of women prefer the Sidefeel Women Tribal Printed Tankini as pictured which works really well for paddleboarding.
by: Marina Andriola. Stand Up Paddleboarding Essentials: What it is and How to Get Started. Standup paddling also known as sup has been around in its current modern …
Stand Up Paddle Board Photos Contents Photos and vectors Board paddle board can That you can always ratings Stand Up Paddle Board – A Lesson in Maui. Posted By Dave And Deb • 20 Comments » • United States. Thanks for the informative guide and I loved the photos ? I am wondering if you've used an Inflatable SUP paddle
Footwear – What Shoes to Wear Stand Up Paddle Boarding. Sneakers, flip flops, and sandals are never a good idea to wear while paddle boarding. The rules do change when it comes to figuring out what to wear when paddle boarding in Winter. If you're going for a casual paddling session or…
Stand Up Paddle Board Fishing Stuff Contents Most essential and convenient Contents paddlers who are capacity Top-rated brands and affordable stand Paddle board stuff Here are the most essential and convenient paddle board accessories for fishing … a Stand Up Paddle Board … your paddle board. Keep all of your gear out of … Stand Up Paddle Boards contents paddlers who
Women's Paddle Board Clothing Designed to Perform. Whether you're a novice wondering what to wear paddleboarding, or a seasoned expert who knows exactly what she likes, ROXY has the best stand up paddle clothing for you to choose from.
Stand Up Paddle Boards Contents Paddlers who are Capacity: each paddle board Paddle board can Paddle boards from top-rated brands and Affordable Stand Up Paddle Board Contents Boards 2017. the Inflatable 11′ explorer stand That you can always ratings Sup contents everything you get Board for under Most Five Stars SUPs 2017. Best Affordable Stand Up Paddle boards 2017.


text: The purpose of this cross sectional case control study was to examine the serofrequency and serointensity of (infection was examined using both indirect (ELISA) and direct (quantitative real-time PCR) detection methods by measuring IgG and IgM and DNA, respectively. demonstrated positive associations, others found the contrary [28,29]. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to specifically appraise the relationship between schizophrenia and infection using both indirect and direct methods by measuring antibodies and DNA, respectively, in comparison to the controls. The findings would further help in understanding the etiology of schizophrenia which in turn would contribute to the preventive measures and development of a new pharmacological treatment approach for schizophrenia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Subjects This was a cross-sectional case control study examining the serofrequency and serointensity of among patients with schizophrenia and controls, assessed through indirect and direct methods by measuring IgG and IgM antibodies and DNA, respectively. A total of 101 patients with schizophrenia and healthy individuals as controls (n=55) attending Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) who fulfilled the criteria were Motesanib recruited in this study. Controls were recruited from all consecutive patients attending medical out-patient clinic comprised of patients with chronic hypertension and diabetic with no psychiatry illness. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was made by psychiatrists using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), American Psychiatric Association, 1994 [30]. The ethical approvals were obtained from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), [UiTM 600-RMI(5/1/6)], UMMC (UMMC 932.46), and National Medical Register Research (NMRR), (NMRR-10-852-6764) Ethics Committees. The purpose of the study was explained and a written consent was obtained from patients or the legal guardians. Their demographic data were also recorded. Detection of IgG, IgM, and DNA Five ml of blood samples were collected, centrifuged at 1,500 rpm in 15 min at 4?C, and stored at -20?C. IgG and IgM antibodies and DNA were measured using ELISA (IBL Company, Hamburg, Germany) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), respectively. The extraction of DNA was performed using QIAamp? Blood Mini Motesanib Kit from Qiagen (Hilden, Germany). The assessments were all conducted according to the instructions from the manufacturers. IgG and IgM antibodies were measured from serum using the commercial ELISA kit according to the manufacturers instructions. Samples absorbance were read using the microtiter plate reader at absorbance of 450/620 nm. Patients and control sera were obtained from blood at the same time as the interviews. Each sample was done triplicate to ensure the reliability of results and the experiments were done in sterile conditions. Positive results were recorded when the quantity of antibodies of IgG and IgM were more than 35 IU/ml and 11 IU/ml, Mouse monoclonal to Calcyclin respectively. The forward primer for qPCR was (5-TCCCCTCTGCTGGCGAAAAGT-3), whilst (5-AGCGTTCGTGGTCAACTATCGATTG-3) was the reverse primer and (56FAM-TCTGTGCAACTTTGGTGTATTCGCA-BHQ1-3) was the probe primer. A 8-l of template DNA was added to the final volume of 25 l reaction mixture, which consists of 6.5 l of iTAQ Universal Probes Supermix, 0.25 l (20 M) Taqman probe, 0.625 l (20 M) of each primer, and distilled water. The amplification processes were performed using the Bio-Rad CFX96 machine (Bio-Rad, Motesanib Hercules, California, USA). The PCR cycling condition was done at 95?C for 10 min (initial denaturation), followed by 40 cycles at 95?C for 15 sec (further denaturation), 60?C for 1 min (annealing), they were then hold for 10?C. Several sets of PCR amplification using 6 different concentrations of positive samples were performed to calibrate the real-time PCR condition in order to obtain a standard curve with R2 more than 85% and Cq standard deviation of less than 0.5. The quantity of the gene was decided using the cycle threshold value (CT value) by BIORAD CFX Software Version 2.1 (Bio-Rad). Statistical analysis The results were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 (Chicago, Illinois, USA). The serofrequency of IgG and IgM antibodies were calculated by descriptive statistics (frequencies), and the differences between the groups were calculated using the chi-square or Fishers exact test. The differences in medians were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. The odd ratio (OR) and its 95% Confident Interval (CI) were utilized to estimate the effectiveness of the association between infections and schizophrenia. Outcomes The demographic information of the sufferers with schizopherenia (n=101) and handles (n=55) had been comparable with Motesanib regards to age group, gender, and ethnicity (Desk 1). The mean age range of handles and sufferers with schizophrenia had been 45.314.5 years (range; 21-63 years) and 41.110.9 years (18-65 years), respectively. The duration of disease for sufferers with schizophrenia was 6.54.9 years (1.0-13.5 years). Unemployment was considerably (IgG, IgM, and DNA are proven.


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Tickets on Sale Friday, October 10 at 10 a.m.;
Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Exclusive Social Media Presale Begins Thursday, October 9 at 10 a.m.
Hollywood, Fla. (October 7, 2014) – This February, Andrea Bocelli will return to Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for three special Valentine's shows on Thursday, February 12, Saturday, February 14and Sunday, February 15. Tickets go on sale Friday, October 10 at 10 a.m. Fans will have access to presale tickets beginning Thursday, October 9 at 10 a.m. through Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood's Facebook, Twitterand Google+ pages.
Bocelli, who purchased a home in Miami last year and now calls South Florida his second home, will perform love songs, his own classics, and a mix of arias that celebrate the romance and magic of Valentine's Day. Bocelli returns to South Florida for the fifth consecutive year after continuous sell-out successes, drawing multiple encores and standing ovations. Andrea Bocelli will be joined by Conductor Eugene Kohn, Soprano and Grammy winner Ana Maria Martinez, and Tony Award winner Heather Headley.
Thrilling audiences for over 20 years, Andrea Bocelli exploded onto the world's stage with his hit, "Con te Partiro" (and later its arrangement as a duet with Sarah Brightman with the title "Time To Say Goodbye"), and has since sold 80 million records and performed countless worldwide tours. Today, Bocelli is known for being one of the greatest tenors and singing talents in the world.
Tickets cost $554, $454, $304, & $204* all seats are reserved and available at all Ticketmaster outlets online atwww.myhrl.com, www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: 1-800-745-3000. Doors open one-hour prior to show start time. *Additional fees may apply.
About Hard Rock Live
Hard Rock Live, a spectacular state-of-the-art facility, further expands the ultimate entertainment experience at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. This 5,500-seat indoor arena has attracted more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 2005, and has regularly hosted South Florida's greatest variety of musical acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Marc Anthony, Billy Joel, Andrea Bocelli, Tim McGraw and Carlos Santana; top comedians including Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Kathy Griffin and George Lopez; as well as major sporting events and events of major sports stars, from UFC matches to charity galas for Jason Taylor, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade and more. For additional information, please visit www.hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com orwww.myhrl.com, facebook.com/MyHRL and twitter.com/hard_rock_live.
About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino invites you to play, stay, dine, and shop at South Florida's premier destination for fun and entertainment, Where Rock Royalty Lives. Over 90 tables offer Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker, Casino War and Let it Ride on a nearly three-acre casino floor. Additionally, over 2,200 slots include the Native-American Casino linked Multi-Area Progressive Jackpots and Mega Jackpots. Separate high-limit rooms for table games and slots, in addition to a non-smoking room, are available for guests to enjoy. Loyal Player's Club members also have access to the exclusive VIP Plum Lounge and VIP Chef's Table show kitchen. The Poker Room at Seminole Hard Rock hosts various games and tournaments of Limit and No Limit Texas Hold 'em, 7-Card Stud and two dollar and four dollar limit Omaha Hi Lo games. Located inside the casino is Hard Rock Cafe -Hollywood, part of Hard Rock's 142 globally recognized rock 'n' roll restaurants. The Green Lodging Certified by the State of Florida, AAA Four Diamond-rated resort showcases 500 luxurious guest rooms, 40,000 square feet of meeting room space, Rock Spa, award-winning restaurants, high-energy nightclubs, lounges and bars, boutique retail shops, the 350-seat Paradise Live theater and the 5,500–seat Hard Rock Live concert arena. Located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) in Hollywood, Florida. Take I-95, exit Stirling Rd. and travel west to 1 Seminole Way. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1 800-937-0010 or visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com,facebook.com/seminolehardrockhollywood, twitter.com/SHRHollywood, instagram.com/semhardrockhollywoodand youtube.com/semhardrockhollywood.


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February 28, 2016
Refine Your Restroom Options With Portable Restrooms!
The 14 Station Male Dominant Portable Restrooms Ror Rent that Husky selected is ideal for a long term facility solution with a large male demographic and is the best choice for industrial and manufacturing locations, military and male audience events. This unit provides 7 stalls, 4 urinals and 4 sinks in the Men's restroom, and 3 private stalls in the...Read More


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Exciting times!
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getAPPandGO uses leading edge technology to build your app quickly and affordably, with surprisingly reasonable ongoing costs.
Traditionally, smartphone apps cost tens of thousands of dollars to build and maintain. They are built from the ground up, tailor-made and require countless hours of intensive coding by highly paid software developers.
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Contact us today to find out how we can put you on the smartphone app map!


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Ford Motor Company, manufacturer of the best-selling police vehicles since 1996, trumped the competition in recent instrumented acceleration testing conducted separately by the Michigan State Police and Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.
The EcoBoost-powered Ford Police Interceptor sedan bested all V8-equipped competitors' sedans in testing by both Michigan and California authorities, while Ford Police Interceptor utility with EcoBoost out-accelerated the competition's all-new V8-equipped utility and all base V6-powered sedans.
"We are thrilled to repeat as having best acceleration," said Arie Groeneveld, Ford Taurus, Explorer and Police Interceptor chief engineer. "Quickly closing the distance between an officer and a target vehicle is key to safely avoiding high-speed pursuits. Our police vehicles are built around officer safety, and outstanding performance is yet another demonstration of that commitment."
Michigan State Police testing results
Preliminary results of Michigan State Police testing show the 2015 Ford Police Interceptor sedan with all-wheel drive is fastest of the fast – posting a 0-60 mph time of 5.85 seconds, compared to 6.31 seconds for a competing 5.7-liter V8 sedan with all-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is standard on Ford Police Interceptor sedan, optional on the competing model.
The Ford EcoBoost-powered sedan also topped a competing 6.0-liter V8-equipped sedan, which clocked a 0-60 mph time of 6.17 seconds.
"Ford Police Interceptors are the only police vehicles to be pursuit-tested for three years in a row by both Michigan State Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department with traction control and electronic stability control safety systems fully engaged," said Jonathan Honeycutt, marketing manager, Ford police vehicles. "Our safety philosophy entails testing our vehicles as our agencies will drive them."
Ford also took top honors in Michigan State Police 0-100 mph testing: Police Interceptor sedan turned a 14.19-second 0-100 mph time, while a competing 5.7-liter sedan posted 15.63 seconds and a rival 6.0-liter sedan took 14.69 seconds.
The results are similar for utility vehicles. Ford Police Interceptor utility with standard all-wheel drive hit 60 mph in 6.55 seconds and 100 mph in 16.13 seconds. A competing all-new utility vehicle powered by a 5.3-liter V8 posted a 0-60 mph time of 7.31 seconds and a 0-100 mph time of 18.99 seconds.
Additionally, Ford Police Interceptor utility repeated with fastest lap time around Grattan Raceway among police utility vehicles.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department testing results
Results from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department tests are even more dominant for Ford Police Interceptor. For the first time, the department conducted testing with a "key on and drive" policy – meaning stability and traction control settings were in default mode as when the vehicles are first turned on.
Ford Police Interceptor sedan repeated as the quickest-accelerating vehicle overall in Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department tests, with a 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds. The EcoBoost-equipped Ford Police Interceptor utility not only out-accelerated its competition, but was quicker at 0-60 mph than all base model (V6-powered) sedans.
At Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., where testing was conducted, Ford Police Interceptor sedan with EcoBoost placed first overall, posting a fastest lap of 1:20.47. The EcoBoost-equipped Police Interceptor utility also placed first and posted best-in-class stopping distances.
Through October 2014, the most recent data available, Ford has commanded more than half of the new police vehicle market – 56 percent – hitting a high of 66 percent market share for July.


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Israeli Telephone Coin Cufflinks
Handsomely designed for the Jewish man, these silver plated Israeli cuff links feature authentic Israeli Telephone coins.
What a better way to show your true colors than with a pair of these beautifully designed Israeli cufflinks. They will impress all of your Jewish friends.
Each set of the Israeli Telephone coin cufflinks use authentic coins from Israel.
Presented in a handsome padded black flip-open box with velvet and satin interior lining. These Israeli cuff links will be cherished for years to come. These coins were used in Israel.


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The 32.15 oz Kookaburra (also known as the Kilo Kookaburra) is one the largest silver coins minted regularly by a national government in the world, and for that reason it is an undeniable favorite among collector's of semi-numismatic silver coins.
The Kilo Kookaburra is minted in 32.15 troy ounces of 99.9% fine silver and is popular for its beautiful, artists' grade finish. Each coin comes enclosed in a plastic air tight case and bears a stunning near-lifesize image of the Kookaburra, a native bird of eastern mainland Australia and Australia's head of State, dignity Queen Elizabeth II, on the reverse side of the Kilogram Kookaburra.
Kookaburras are the world's largest Kingfisher, with a body length nearing 1/2 meter. They are known as "laughing jackasses" because of their chattering calls and they form communities within Eastern and Southern Australia.
Silver Purity: 999 Fine Silver
Weight: 1 Kg (32.15 troy Oz)
Face Value: $30
Diameter: 101 mm
Refiner: Perth Mint (Perth, Australia)
Specifications for 2013 Australian Kookaburra Silver Coins
|1 Kilo
|10 oz
|1 oz
|Silver Content
|32.151 Troy oz
|10 Troy oz
|1 Troy oz
|Face Value
|Minimum Gross Weight
|1,001.002 gms
|311.347 gms
|31.135 gms
|Maximum Diameter
|100.60 mm
|75.60 mm
|40.60 mm
|Maximum Thickness
|14.60 mm
|8.70 mm
|4.00 mm
Considered the flagship coin series of the Perth Mint, silver Kookaburras were first introduced in 1990. This Kilogram silver semi-numismatic coin stands out in a league of its own.
The Kilogram Australian Kookaburra is probably best known of all the Australian silver coins on the market today. The Australian Silver Kookaburra was first released by the Perth Mint in 1990. These silver semi-numismatic coins have been a major hit with collectors, and oftentimes they are minted in limited numbers.
The Australian Silver Kookaburra has been minted in various bullion types and sizes. These silver bullion coins have been minted and released in proof finish, gild finish as well in many privy marked designs. These semi-numismatic silver coins are released in a number of weights and sizes, from the 1 oz silver semi-numismatic coin to the 1kg semi-numismatic weight.
The design of the Kookaburra on each Australian silver coin release changes year-to-year, thus making the silver Kookaburra a favorite collectible silver coin. The figures for mintage of the silver Kookaburra changes from year to year, but the usual yearly mintage is approximately 300,000 coins.The Silver Kookaburra Kilogram semi-numismatic silver coin are sought after by collectors, and a number of the earlier released coins carry very high premiums over the silver price.
Presently, the series has 23 coins in its collection, each with a unique image of the most famous bird in Australia on the obverse. The obverse design changes annually; one reason the silver coins are appealing to both investors and collectors.
What's even more interesting is that the reverse, which bears the image of Queen Elizabeth II, is set in a proof finish. The coins from 1990 to 1998 have the Queen Elizabeth sculpture of Raphael Maklouf, while the coins from 1999 to 2013 depict the sculpture of Ian Rank-Broadley.
Buy the Kilogram Australian Silver Kookaburra Today with Bitcoin(<10k), wire or check. It's Your Choice.


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HP Announces New Workflow Solutions
- Published: July 23, 2013
TEL AVIV, Israel | HP reports new end-to-end workflow solutions and product enhancements that span the HP Indigo portfolio for labels, folding cartons, and flexible packaging to help converters improve efficiency and accommodate high-value applications. HP's momentum across the labels and packaging industry continues, with more than 50 companies around the world now producing folding carton and flexible packaging on HP Indigo digital presses. In addition, more than 100 customers have agreed to purchase the HP Indigo 20000 and 30000 digital presses, including ten of the largest flexible packaging converters in the world and several multinational folding carton converters. First installations of the presses are planned for the end of 2013.
"Brands of all sizes are increasingly demanding packaging with higher shelf-appeal and are producing more and more packaging using HP Indigo digital printing capabilities, generating demand for our customers," says Alon Bar-Shany, VP and general manager, Indigo Div., HP. "Our latest product improvements and workflow solutions help print service providers and converters accommodate production of more jobs with greater efficiency and higher uptime, while supporting a wider range of applications without compromising quality."
The new HP SmartStream labels and packaging print server, version 4.0, powered by Esko, is said to be a solution for simplified color management and automated job preparation. This new color engine transforms existing processes by automating common, time-consuming procedures. For added flexibility in file preparation, the solution also includes new imposition and variable-data tools, including dynamic marks.
This new solution will be available in September at Labelexpo Europe in Brussels as an upgrade for all HP Indigo WS6000 and WS4000 Series digital presses, permitting existing customers the ability to protect their investment in HP Indigo equipment.
HP is working together with AB Graphic Intl. on new end-to-end solutions for label converting on a wide web. AB Graphics' Digicon 3000, designed specifically to support the HP Indigo 20000 digital press specifications, will be integrated in-line with the press, allowing one pass for optimized production of labels and flexible packaging. Its modular design will enable users to produce labels and a variety of flexible packaging laminates. The solution will be showcased at Labelexpo Europe.
Label producers RAKO-GROUP and Innovative Label Solutions will install the HP Indigo 20000 digital press by the end of the year. Both companies are already using HP Indigo presses to produce labels and flexible packaging.
TRESU Group, a supplier of coating solutions, will provide an in-line coater for the HP Indigo 30000. The Tresu iCoat 30000 will allow for both UV and aqueous post-print selective coating. Designed to match the 30000 capabilities, this in-line coater will offer an optimized process for the digital production environment.


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About Carly
About Carly:
I'm a portrait and wedding photographer based in Pontypridd, South Wales. I live with my bearded beauty of a husband and our maniac dogs. I picked up photography in 2012 and instantly fell in love and have found myself totally focused on wedding photography. I've taken after my hero of a Grandfather who is a retired wedding photographer.
Why choose me?
Photography is much more than a job to me and I feel that my passion for it comes across in my photographs. I have a dominant photojournalistic style as I feel this method best tells the story of a wedding day. I like to capture the emotion and atmosphere so that you get the very best experience. I love to experiment and am always introducing new techniques to keep my work fresh and original. My favorite compliment is "we didn't even know you were there most of the time!" I am a wedding ninja! When you look at your photos - I want you to be brought back to that amazing day!
Hopefully you like what you see! If you would like to see more and even see a full wedding, please get in touch to arrange a meeting. I also offer discounted engagement shoots to help you get used to being infront of the camera.
If you would like to book, deposits are only £200.
What do you get?
I offer 2 main packages click here!, but if you would like something else, please do get in touch so we can work out something to suit you.
With every package you get your images on a bottle USB, polaroids style prints and other treats in a wooden box. You can also purchase mini boxes with USBs for family and friends.
Hope to hear from you!


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Everything has a meaning and everyone has a story.
About Us
At Love Zoe 22 our name, "Zoe" means "Giver of Life". Transform your outfit by purchasing the hottest accessories from Love Zoe 22 and give your outfit life!
Our brand ambassadors travel the world in search of "must have" accessories. We have our finger on the pulse of what makes you look and feel fabulous! Our inventory is updated every 22 days which helps us stay one step ahead of the fashion curve! You will love the way you look and feel when you make your purchase from Love Zoe 22. We do have one disclaimer: Be prepared to receive numerous compliments! 🙂
Do you have an eye for fashion?
Talent Search
We are always in search of new, talented, fashion savvy ambassadors. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in joining our team as an ambassador or as a designer.
Change of Heart?
Return Policy
Life is funny. Sometimes things don't work out as planned. If you are not happy with your Love Zoe 22 purchase, we will gladly refund your purchase within 14 days of your original purchase (minus shipping fees). Your item must be unused and in its original packaging. Please include a copy of your receipt along with a note stating the reason for your return. Your refund will be credited within 14 days of receipt. We recommend that you track your package since we are not responsible for lost packages.