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Warnings: violence, themes of war and pestilence, touches on implied sexual violence. No strong language or overt sexuality.
In short, this is a very detailed and often scary account of the end of the world at the hands of a vast, devouring Intruder. Humanity is in desperate straits as all of its institutions (kingdoms, armies and religions) crumble. In the end, the earth's only chance lies in those on the fringes of society.
Monsters, shapeshifters and a little magic.
This is my story that's currently ongoing.
Just wanna say that it indeed contain triggering content, so I want you to read the description for the short warning before you read this.
This is my current story!There was a little bit of a break in episodes because of a death in the family but I'm up and running again and I'm really excited about this one
I've got three so far.
Romance in a bookstore in London:Fantasy about a magical princess reincarnated into a school girl:(on-going)Adventure of high schoolers with magic powers saving their friend from the government:
Thanks so much for posting this! I entered my story in Tapas Writers Camp competition and could really use some subs, or at least feedback on whether its a good story or not. After seeing all the other entries with 80+ subs, one even has ~370 subs, I'm starting to get anxious on whether my writing's any good... So, if you're willing to try out a possibly crappy novel, here's Yours (Thanks for giving it a shot if you do):
Here is my submission for the writers camp (I just finished it last night!) https://tapas.io/series/The-Helmuth-Chronicles
Here is one I wish qualified for the writers camp (lol) where the main character dies at the end of every day https://tapas.io/series/Dead-Man-Walking1
and here is my most popular one, but still under 100 subs https://tapas.io/series/Symco-and-Hodge
My super last minute entry for Writer's Camp
The concept comes from what if your feelings morphed the very world around you? What would such a world be like? And what if you were blind, but could hear the very essence of things through sound? (e.g. a sad person sounds like a weepy mandolin, and a happy person sounds like an airy flute)
I'm actually not sure if this should be classified as Fantasy or Slice of Life... if someone has any pointers please let me know!
Hi everyone! I'm working on a new novel as well! Thanks for creating this thread!
Writing a sappy story that's first person, seen through the eyes of Gray; a ghost who makes everything out to be melodramatic. Its mystery with the classic detective searches for murderer, plus some other things.
@fwoom Maybe put it under drama and tag it with fantasy and slice of life.
Joining in on this one!
The story contains violence and some heavy themes, but it's not R-rated by any means. It feels like a young adult novel.
This is a story with a likable(?) villain main character.
Can I join in on this? Forewarning, all of mine are about queer girls
Oh well, you can't really turn down shameless self-promotion, can you...Here it is :
Warning : every single character (except the rats) are dealing with, have dealt with, or are close to people suffering from PTSD. Actually PTSD and all it's little friends (anxiety, depression etc) are the core of this story. Abby's Hope is about how this disorder affects people and their relashionship to others.Well, that and how complete amateurs find themselves filming a movie based on a complete amateur's first book. And there are dancing rats.
As minerrale said, where would we be without shameless self-promotion? XDHere's my Writers Camp submission, The Marriage Interloper (BL). It's a bit of an oddball and whimsical romance. I'm so happy and grateful to everyone who has read, commented, liked, and subscribed to it.
Hello everyone!
Waiting Under the Stars, last chapter is posted now. I need your support. Read, subscribe, and comment. Here is the link:Happy reading! <3
Love & Peace,Valerie
My current series I update every day.
(Trigger warning for some violence, minor character deaths, angst and mentions of homophobia.)
connected anthology short stories, with a haft man haft dragon emperor,
hey , If you bored of your daily novel and wanted something fresh which can instantly attract your mind and free you from boredom , here is something new which will make you laugh , engross in mystery and captive your mind
try this https://tapas.io/series/Devil-Spawn-And-His-OP-System
Hey, here's mine which is apart of the July Writer's Camp.
And here we are. Now I'm off to start writing the second chapter.


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R and I made it through our roughly 18 hours in transit and are residing in Cairo right now.
We were met by a man from the company we hired at midnight and the airport and he guided us through customs and got us to our hotel. The hotel was changed at the last minute and not for the better. It is clean and we're on in it for a couple of days before we leave so it doesn't matter much.
We actually managed to sleep during the night, being exhausted from our flights. (As an aside, I finally got to watch the new Indiana Jones movie on the flight and I actually liked it…)
We took it easy today and stayed near the hotel. We did arrange for an afternoon felucca ride on the Nile here in Cairo, right near downtown. I took a few pictures and was able to upload them from this cafe (a block from our hotel).
Tomorrow, I arranged for us to take a day trip to Alexandria because we had the day free. We're getting picked up in the early morning and driving the couple of hours to it. The following morning, we see the sites around Cairo, such as the Pyramids, before leaving for Aswan and our boat trip down the Nile.

subset: commoncrawl


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After potentially scaring a few fans off with their two previously released americana-like singles "Tidal Wave" and "You Can't Look Back," longtime scene staples Taking Back Sunday have returned with a new lyric video for their very Where You Want To Be-friendly track "Death Wolf."
Beginning with a bit of a slow build up similar to the start of Happiness Is (aka "Preface"), "Death Wolf" quickly kicks into gear with a heavy riff, punchy punk-ish drums and continues with a large sweeping chorus – you know, just like the classic Taking Back Sunday sound you've grown to love over the past 15-plus years.
Interesting enough, the lyric video for "Death Wolf" – which we'll dive deeper into in just a second – is pretty minimal. Instead of a high-tech animated clip, the band instead chose to feature frontman Adam Lazzara and guitarist John Nolan sharing a beer and a sandwich. Yes, you read that right; a beer and a sandwich.
Now, that leads us to our next point. While the video is incredible and hilariously simple, it does makes us wonder if the first couple americana tracks were a bit of a facade. Of course, the two songs will be on the record, but what if the band knew all along that "Death Wolf" would be the track to re-remind listeners that Taking Back Sunday knows exactly what they're doing musically and the video is a bit of a nod like, "Hey, we know some of you may have felt differently about the first two songs but this is a good one and we know you're going to like it. So… here's Adam and John eating a sandwich."
Obviously, this could be a bit of a stretch on our end being that we haven't heard the full album yet. Guess we'll find out on Friday just like everybody else! Until then, hear "Death Wolf" below and pre-order Tidal Wave before it hits stores here.


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We can often choose between more basic, highly grammaticalized, ways to express a given meaning, and more verbose ways of doing so. Thus, in English, we may say "Brenda can catch the train" or "it is possible that Brenda will catch the train", with quite similar interpretations. In my article with Anna Margetts, we argue that expressions of possibility in Daakaka and Saliba-Logea correspond to it is possible that in terms of their syntactic complexity, but to can in terms of their paradigmatic properties, frequencies and meaning. Look at the publication here or download the preprint.
Tag: modality
APLL in Leiden
My colleagues Ana Krajinović and Manfred Krifka are currently at APLL in Leiden to present our joint work on timitive structures in Oceanic, which have the shape it's not good/it's bad if… . Timitive modality is a category often found in Oceanic, which typically occurs in warnings (Watch out, you might fall!) or negative purpose clauses (You should take an umbrella, lest you get wet!). Download the poster here.
Tagging tense and modality in Oceanic
I just came back from an inspiring and informative trip to Saarbrücken. I gave a talk in the FEAST series about tagging tense, aspect, modality and polarity in Oceanic languages. Here are my slides for the talk.
Storyboards for TAM expressions
For our project, we primarily work with corpus data, but we also have funding to do further field work and elicit contexts that are rare or unattested in the corpora. As our primary method of elicitation, we have decided to use storyboards, which are short scripts accompanied by pictures.
I have created the pictures for our stories in Inkscape. The stories and SVG source files are being made available on our project wiki. The SVG files can simply be customised, just credit the project and me with the original creation.
The future is what the universe wants
There was a remarkable small workshop on imperatives at ZAS last week that I was happy to be part of. It was a welcome opportunity to take up my work on potential mood directives in Daakaka and their relations to future assertions and embedded clauses. You can see my slides here.
Towards an ontology of modal flavours
I'm still feeling warm and fuzzy from the wonderful workshop we had last week at the DGfS conference about modal flavours. The idea for this workshop had formed last year during the SIAS summer institute on the investigation of linguistic meaning, together with Ryan Bochnak and Anne Mucha. We were very happy to win Aynat Rubinstein as our invited speaker and get some excellent submissions from various subfields of linguistics. We gave an overview of background motivations and common themes of the talks in our introduction.
Poster for Sinn und Bedeutung 2016
I'm excited about the upcoming Sinn und Bedeutung conference in Edinburgh. The program looks very promising and I'll have an opportunity to discuss some of my latest thoughts on the Daakaka distal and modal semantics more generally. If you can't come but would like to see my poster, here it is.
It was created with XeLaTeX, graphics with Inkscape, maps with GMT.


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He is. Read this, and remember that it's written by a Hall of Famer who is more in tune with the inner workings of Boston Red Sox than just about anyone.
And then, on top of all of this, Manny fails to run out a ground ball deep in the hole at third while the Sox were being no-hit by the Angels' John Lackey.
Mr. Gammons says it all, and then some. The Sox, the media and the fans all tried to laugh it all off as "Manny being Manny."
No, it was always just "Manny being about Manny", and "Manny meaning Money."


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Thanks to all who participated in this winter's winter trap league at NWCSA.
We had a very competitive league with 26 shooters. Thanks to Trish Mellor who donated the great hand made mugs for the prizes.
Remember to keep on your calendar the Fran Root Memorial shoot on Sunday May 12th.


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Latest News
2019 EAMT Best Thesis Awardee
Felix Stahlberg's thesis "The Roles of Language Models and Hierarchical Models in Neural Sequence-to-Sequence Prediction" (University of Cambridge — now at Google) has been awarded in the 2019 edition of the EAMT Best Thesis Award...
EAMT 2020 Postponed Until November
It is with great reluctance that we announce today the decision to postpone our annual conference in Lisbon on the week of November 2 to 6, 2020...
EAMT 2020 first Call for Papers
The European Association for Machine Translation (EAMT) invites everyone interested in machine translation, translation-related tools and resources to participate in this conference.
EAMT Sponsorship of Activities 2020 [DEADLINE EXTENDED]
[DEADLINE EXTENDED: 25/10/2019] As part of the EAMT's commitment to promote research, development and awareness about translation technologies, it is launching a call for proposals to fund MT-related activities during 2020
2019 EAMT best thesis award: deadline EAMT 2020 research papers
The EAMT invites entries for its eighth EAMT Best Thesis Award for a PhD or equivalent thesis on a topic related to machine translation.Older news
Gennadi Lembersky, 2013 EAMT Best Thesis Awardee
Four PhD theses were received as candidates to the 2013 edition of the EAMT Best Thesis Award, and all were eligible. A panel of four EAMT members (Kepa Sarasola, Khalil Sima'an, Antonio Toral, and Mikel L. Forcada) was assembled to review the theses. The panel carefully considered how challenging the problem tackled in each thesis was, how relevant the results are for machine translation as a field, and what is the the strength of their impact in terms of scientific publications. After a final deliberation, the panel has decided to grant the 2013 edition of the EAMT Best Thesis Award to Gennadi Lembersky's thesis "The Effect of Translationese on Statistical Machine Translation" (University of Haifa, Israel, supervised by Shuly Wintner).
Dr. Gennadi Lemberski will receive a prize of €500, together with a suitably-inscribed certificate. In addition, Dr Lembersky has been invited to present a summary of the thesis at the Annual Conference of the EAMT (EAMT-2014) which will take place in Dubrovnik, Croatia, June 16-18, 2014. In order to facilitate this, the EAMT will waive the winner's registration costs, and will make available a travel bursary of €200.
Alacant, May 3, 2014
Mikel L. Forcada
EAMT Secretary


text: The Crusader Connection was created to nurture and support the community of teachers, staff, students, and families at First Presbyterian Academy. All parents and guardians of students currently enrolled become immediate members of our Crusader Connection; there are no membership fees. Our parent volunteers focus on classroom support, field trips, teacher appreciation, and school-wide community fellowship. The Crusader Connection is led by a volunteer committee. If you would like more information on how you can volunteer and get involved, please contact our Administration Office to connect with one of our Crusader Connection liaisons. Let's get connected!


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How would you describe stress? To you is it a tense feeling in your shoulders or between your eyes? Is stress felt in your chest when you are anxious about something? Maybe stress is a never-ending cycle of negative thoughts that won't seem to go away? Whatever your symptoms of stress are, they are not invalid. While stress may show up in other ways, it has a detrimental effect on your health. Stress can produce anxiety, depression, heightened blood pressure and even some skin conditions.
Luckily for our generation and the ever-growing fascination with mindfulness meditation, stress is being lowered in people all over the world. It is such a potent treatment for some with anxiety, ADHD, ADD, low self-esteem and others that it is catching on in popularity fast.
Using Self-Hypnosis
One method avid meditation users practice regularly is Self-Hypnosis. Self-Hypnosis works by relaxing your mind and body to such a deep state that your otherwise fully conscious mind doesn't react to stimuli as if you were fully alert. This causes you to relax and relieve a great deal of stress and anxiety.
Self-Hypnosis works to get to the root of your stress and negative thinking patterns, as per say your subconscious mind. Whatever negative beliefs that you may be holding about yourself, others or certain situations lies in your subconscious mind.
When you relax into a deep state by Self-Hypnosis, you can tap into these harmful beliefs and begin changing them into more positive, healthy ones. This works by reprogramming your mind into thinking calmer and more productive thoughts, thus eradicating the harmful thoughts and beliefs that were causing you stress and anxiety. One way to start getting rid of toxic thoughts is by using affirmations.
Using Affirmations
Affirmations are positive statements and phrases used to counteract negative beliefs one may hold about them self. For example, a young woman who is struggling in romantic relationships may seek therapy to change her thoughts to be able to have a more successful dating life. Many times, self-hypnosis is used to also create a stronger defense of stress. Affirmations we can use for example can be,"I am at peace. All is well in my world and I am safe." This affirmation would be used to counteract a possible high reaction to stressful situations, in which the person hypnotized would have a better reaction in their day to day life.
Stress reduction should be an important part of your healthcare routine. Stress management is a healthy habit to have and a regular routine of self-hypnosis can help you create a healthier life.
Related Video…


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January Jones is finally speaking out about the subject nobody will shut up about. Her son, Xander, is almost two, cute as a button… and nobody knows who his dad is. When January got pregnant, she wasn't romantically linked to anyone, not publicly, anyway. Just like the character she plays on Mad Men (Betty Draper), January Jones can sometimes come off as conceited, mysterious, and a bit secretive. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
She recently told the New York Times:
"It's just not something the public needs to know. I don't divulge my sexual preferences. There are parts of your life – no matter what your job – that should remain private. When I was starting out, other actors advised me to keep certain things close to the vest. When you become a public figure people want to know everything about you, and then [they] pick it apart – it becomes negative. When my son asks those questions, I want him to [hear it from me]. I don't want him to be able to Google it."
As for the rumor that her pregnancy was an "accident," January decided to clear that one up too. She says of her pregnancy:
"It was something I went in to knowingly, I was prepared mentally – and I was excited about it."
So, who could Xander's daddy be? Is it any of our business? Probably not, but that doesn't stop people from talking! Some people think that it could be her co-star from X-Men, Michael Fassbender. Others think that Xander Berkeley of "Seeking Justice" must be the dad, since the baby has the same name. "Sweetwater" filmmaker Noah Miller's name has also come up. And, even though he is married to Claudia Schiffer, and he denied ever having a relationship with January, director Matthew Vaughn somehow keeps having the finger pointed at him!
January isn't afraid of having secrets.
"Jack Nicholson once told me: 'You should never give your personal life away, otherwise people will pick you apart. They'll never believe in your character."
"Women should have lots of secrets," she joked. "It's right to have secrets. Otherwise, what would we write in our memoirs?"
So, it looks like curious fans will have to keep waiting, watching and looking for the answers to the personal questions! It looks to us like Miss Jones just isn't talking, no matter how badly we all want her to!


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December 17, 2007 Tape #026
The White County Drainage Board convened at 10:40 A.M. in the Commissioners' Room of the White County Building, Monticello, Indiana, with Board Members Ron Schmierer, John Heimlich and Steve Burton, Attorney George W. Loy, Surveyor Dennis Sterrett, Drainage Assistant Mary Sterrett and Secretary Jamie Rozzi in attendance.
Others in attendance were Charlie Mellon, Mike Ezra, Dow Dellinger, Jeff Woods, Irvin Furrer, Willis Gudeman, and Fred Yaggie.
Chairman Schmierer opened the meeting asking for approval of the minutes for the December 3rd, 2007 meeting. Board Member Heimlich moved to approve the minutes as presented. Board Member Burton seconded the motion. Motion carried.
The next item on the agenda is the Oliver Bell Ditch Landowner's Meeting.
Several photos were shown of the Oliver Bell Ditch. Surveyor Sterrett explained, "This is the headwall at the start of the Oliver Bell open ditch. As you can see it is under water. When we were out there a month ago there was about a two inch gap in the tile. About two months ago we had a repair where the tile blew up. The tile runs about 1.5 to 2 miles coming in from the west. I think the ditch needs cleaned out. We surveyed one-half mile from the headwall up to 700 West. There is approximately 1 ½ foot coming out there to get down to the culvert at 700 West."
"Do you think that will take care of it?" Chairman Schmierer asked.
Surveyor Sterrett replied, "Yes, there will be plenty of fall. There is 4 foot of fall in a half mile (.14%).
Chairman Schmierer asked, "Are you going to do it on maintenance?"
"Yes," Surveyor Sterrett replied.
"Is there anyone here that would like to speak to what we are doing?" Chairman Schmierer asked.
One landowner stated, "I just came to see what you were doing."
"We are cleaning out one-half mile of the ditch to get the tile to drain. I had an estimate of $2,503.94 to do that one-half mile," Surveyor Sterrett explained.
Board Member Heimlich asked, "How much is in the fund?"
"Right now there is $9,855 in the fund and we have not collected for 2007. It collects $5,284 per year," Surveyor Sterrett explained.
Chairman Schmierer asked, "Is it still being collected on?"
"Yes, it would have to get up to $20,000 before we would stop collecting," Surveyor Sterrett explained.
"So there is plenty of money in there," Board Member Heimlich stated.
"Yes, we looked up the claims we've had on it in the past seven years and many of them were tile repairs," Surveyor Sterrett added.
"That should stop some of that, shouldn't it?" Chairman Schmierer asked.
"It will stop it. I had a call from Larry Yerk this morning. He did not have anything against it. I also had a call from Beverly Overmeyer, she was a Bell, and they had no objections to it," Surveyor Sterrett stated.
Board Member Heimlich made a motion to approve the maintenance work on the Oliver Bell ditch as described by Surveyor Sterrett. Board Member Burton seconded the motion. Motion carried.
"Go ahead and get quotes on it and let's get it done," Chairman Schmierer stated.
Surveyor Sterrett recognized Jeff Woods, "Mr. Woods may have something to say about the Oliver Bell Ditch."
Mr. Woods explained, "We have a farm that the Oliver Bell goes through and the ditch is wandering through there. We are going to start losing property and the ditch banks are close to falling in. I said something to Surveyor Sterrett about getting in there with an excavator and moving the dirt to the opposite bank and put it back so it will quit cutting. Before too long the bank sides will fall in."
"Are we going through his property?" Chairman Schmierer asked.
Surveyor Sterrett replied, "No, not for this project. I can go out and take a look at it."
"Go take a look at it and see what we need to do. We've got the assessment to do it with," Chairman Schmierer
"It's only a couple of spots, but before long it's going to fall in. It's where we farm," Mr. Woods explained.
"If he only has a couple of spots, you could probably just have whoever is working on the maintenance project go down and do that work," Chairman Schmierer suggested.
The next item on the agenda is Mr. Dow Dellinger to discuss putting a silt trap on the J. M. Timmons drain.
Mr. Dellinger explained, "I spoke with Surveyor Sterrett about this. We started with SFLECC and they told us that since it was a regulated ditch to come talk to the Drainage Board. What we have is that at the end of Jim VanWheeldon's property that is on the lake, there is a bay that they have used, and that is filled in with silt. He has recently purchased the farm ground just to the east of his place. When I talked with Darrell about the silt build up in there, he said that it is coming from the ditch side, not the lake side and that it is a waste of time without stopping the silt from the ditch to really get in there and clean that bay out. He said they did it once before and it just almost immediately that summer filled back in with silt. Jim said he might be willing, depending on what the price might be, to go ahead and build a silt trap in there. The address is 6197 North East Shafer Drive. It is just to the north of Hughes Cemetery."
Surveyor Sterrett brought up the site on GIS and explained, "The J. M. Timmons Ditch is a regulated drain all along here."
Mr. Dellinger further explained, "He owns on both sides of it. The thought was that we would let the engineers tell us where the best place to put it would be. What is on back to the west of the county road is fairly wooded and we've been back in that ditch, it's been years ago, but the guys did some tree work back there and it is really steep; almost to the point where I think it would be hard to maintain a trap that was up close to the lake. We thought that the SFLECC engineer would do it, but SFLECC thought that the Drainage Engineer would be able to tell them where a good place to put it in and maintain it would be. We are just kind of here early on just to see if that was a decent idea to look into or not. We might be way ahead of ourselves, but we just want to see if the engineer can get us a price of how much he might charge to design it and tell us where to put it and how to put it together."
Board Member Heimlich stated, "I think IDEM would have to approve it also."
Mr. Dellinger replied, "Yes, I have the manual of how to fill out the application."
"We have been approached with this before. Sometimes that is where you get bogged down is in all of that paperwork," Chairman Schmierer stated.
"That is kind of what we thought too. What we also thought was that if your engineer told us a good location to put it we'd start with whatever they said and do the application. So then if IDEM were to come back to us we would at least be able have an explanation because your engineer knows more than we do. That is the thought anyway," Mr. Dellinger stated.
Board Member Heimlich stated, "It has to be someplace where you can get at it and have access to it."
Surveyor Sterrett showed a photo of the J. M. Timmons Ditch. He explained that the photo was facing east upstream from East Shafer Drive. He explained that there was a potential place, but that the water moves awfully fast down through there. He didn't know if it could be slowed down or not.
Chairman Schmierer recognized Mr. Ezra, "Mike, you've cleaned lots of ditches. Would a silt trap work on that?"
Mike Ezra replied, "The thing that bothers me about it is that this one is on the list of ditches to be cleaned, right?"
Surveyor Sterrett replied, "I don't know whether it is or not. I think it might be."
Mr. Ezra continued, "There are two ditches, the Carter-Hines and the J. M. Timmons that we wanted to get cleaned. I have property that has ditch on both ends. There is two feet that needs to come out of that ditch and I just wondered if the silt trap would be necessary if the ditch was cleaned."
"It might not be," Chairman Schmierer stated.
"You have all that dirt that is backed up in there and the water is trying to push that dirt down and out. If that dirt was gone…," Mike Ezra added.
"I don't think you're going to stop the silt from coming down whether you clean it or not," Surveyor Sterrett stated.
"I don't believe in silt traps," Mike Ezra commented.
Chairman Schmierer stated, "But cleaning it would probably help it as much as anything…"
Mr. Ezra explained, "One thing about it is that when you clean it there will be a lot that moves down through there until it's clean, but once you do that then you might re-dig that section. You might consider the possibility of re-digging the very bottom end of it a second time, maybe a year after you do it, to get the silt out of there."
"I don't know whether the cleanout would have to come clear down or not. I haven't looked at it that much," Surveyor Sterrett explained.
"There is a lot of fall there," Mr. Ezra stated.
"Well, if there is too much fall a silt trap won't do much good," Chairman Schmierer stated.
"Well, what else are you going to be talking about if not a silt trap, a dam? If you build a dam in it then the farmers upstream won't be happy," Mr. Ezra stated.
"Right, we couldn't get rid of the water fast enough then. We don't want to build a dam in there," Chairman Schmierer stated.
"Is the J. M. Timmons on the list of ditches to be cleaned?" Chairman Schmierer asked.
"I believe that the J. M. Timmons is on the list, but I am not sure," Surveyor Sterrett replied.
Chairman Schmierer asked, "Have we done anything with it yet?"
"No, we haven't done anything yet. It hasn't been surveyed," Surveyor Sterrett replied.
"How far it is from being done? A couple of years?" Chairman Schmierer asked.
"Yes, it's probably a couple of years out. I think the Carter Hines was petitioned first and that is eight or nine miles of ditch there," Surveyor Sterrett replied.
"I don't think it's something that's not a possibility Mr. Dellinger, it's just something…" Chairman Schmierer stated.
"Yes, if it's due to be cleaned out they aren't going to want to go in and start working on that," Mr. Dellinger replied.
Chairman Schmierer explained, "It's probably something that we'll just have to wait on until we get it cleaned out."
Mr. Dellinger stated, "My suggestion would be to see what the engineer says about cost and maybe he can give us an idea of a location that might work."
Surveyor Sterrett explained that he would get with the engineer and they could get a time scheduled to go out to the site the next time the engineer was in town.
Mr. Dellinger stated, "Let's do that. If he could do that and have him give us some suggestion and then try to see what we can do with the schedule."
"Who did you say bought the ground on both sides of it?" Chairman Schmierer asked.
"Jim VanWheeldon is the owner. We'll see what we get with the engineer and then we'll come back to you and we'll figure something out," Mr. Dellinger replied.
Mr. Ezra was in attendance to discuss the William Marion Ditch.
Mr. Ezra explained, "What we would like to do is get that cleaned. It is the same situation that Surveyor Sterrett says that it would be two years before we could get it cleaned. It is a short ditch and it only has a few landowners compared to some of the other ditches. We would like to try to get this done mutually if we can. So far we have a price set and everyone is in agreement on getting it done and the price. We are here to make sure that there are no problems and that it is ok that we are doing it this way."
"So what you are asking for is to do a friendly clean out?" Chairman Schmierer asked.
Chairman Schmierer asked, "How do we handle that? I can't remember."
"Whatever is done has to be approved by the Surveyor," Board Member Heimlich stated.
"I don't think that we get involved other than that," Chairman Schmierer added.
Mr. Ezra explained, "Everyone is in agreement, unless Charlie (Morris) has changed his mind. I've got a paper that everyone will sign before we start the project to make sure that everything is taken care of. The only problem we had to start was with the brush on Charlie and he didn't want to pay for clearing the brush. So, the rest of us have to pay to clear his brush in order to get the job done. He does want to go completely through all the way. There will be some maintenance that will need to be done on this ditch besides cleaning. There are two sewers that need work done to them and there is a bank starting to wash out behind Charlie (Morris) which he said he would like to have rip-rapped. We were hoping…We can use the maintenance money for repair work, right?"
"Yes," Surveyor Sterrett replied.
"Is there maintenance money in there now?" Board Member Heimlich asked.
"The William Marion has $5,270 in its maintenance fund," Surveyor Sterrett stated.
"I was wondering if the brushing could be done with maintenance money, because you wouldn't have to wait on that would you?" Board Member Heimlich asked.
Surveyor Sterrett replied, "Well, his quote for brushing is…"
Mr. Ezra stated, "It's all put together, I quoted $1,500 for brush. If I just take $1,500 off the quote and re-quote it without the brush and use maintenance money for the brush…"
"I think that Surveyor Sterrett can approve the brushing and the maintenance work to be done fixing the two spots, that's fine. The rest of it, just have a friendly cleanout and you can get it done a lot quicker. You'll just have to work with Surveyor Sterrett to make sure it is correctly," Chairman Schmierer stated.
Surveyor Sterrett added, "I know there is a tile outlet there that is under water. Mike has worked on the tile before."
"I think we are good to go then. Does anyone else have any questions? We'll use the maintenance money to fix where it comes into the ditch. There are two main county tiles. One sewer has been rusted out for years," Mr. Ezra stated.
"Where is that at?" Surveyor Sterrett asked.
"It comes through my field and then the other outlet that is right on the roadside, but that is ok," Mr. Ezra stated.
"Have you started on the Esther Fraser yet?" Chairman Schmierer asked.
"No, I have one done, the A. K. Ruth over by Thomasville. I talked with Surveyor Sterrett about it; there is a section that is going to have to be redone. In the little branch ditch, the banks are straight up and down and they slid in. We just need to go in there and touch it up. The other ditch looks great," Mr. Ezra explained.
"What did we find out from the Pulaski County Surveyor regarding the issue from last meeting on the Helfrick?" Chairman Schmierer asked.
"I called up there and told them what we requested and our office hasn't heard anything back. I haven't talked to the Surveyor, Joyce, but I did talk to the gentleman that works for her, Dan," Surveyor Sterrett replied.
"That one will probably be nasty," Mr. Ezra said.
"Well, we just don't do things without a landowner's meeting and letting people know what we want to do," Chairman Schmierer stated.
Chairman Schmierer asked if there was anything further for the Drainage Board.
Mr. Ezra addressed the board, "I hope I can do this and not step on anyone's toes. I have a question I'd like to bring up. Is there a way that we can…like this ditch for example it's small, does there have to be so much surveying done? Surveyor Sterrett just can't keep up with all of it, it's just too much and I just think that these smaller ditches that have several…I was just wondering if there were any rules or regulations regarding whether or not some of these ditches can't be cleaned with minor amounts of surveying. So, in other words, maybe you go out and survey just at stations where there are sewers to get a rough idea rather than the 400 feet. I realize that the larger ditches are quite a job and require extensive surveying, but some of these minor ones that are one or two miles long…it's a bad situation, it's just like this one we've talked about here. The farmers pay the money in, but they can't do anything about cleaning it out for two years. I just feel like it's unfair to the farmer and I am not blaming Surveyor Sterrett because I know he is loaded down, but somehow we need to speed up this process. When you start something that is three years behind, it's pretty hard to get caught up."
Chairman Schmierer replied, "When Board Member Heimlich and I first started on this board there were some ditches that were 21 years behind."
Board Member Heimlich added, "It is timelier now then it was back then."
"Then people just give up on that. I guess what I am getting at is there are so many ditches out there that need cleaned very badly. If you let those ditches go, the banks soften up and then when you come in to take out two feet, then the banks slide in. If the ditch is maintained where you dig it out, every time it needs a foot and a half taken out to get it cleaned the ditches will stay in better shape and it will be a much cleaner and nicer job," Mr. Ezra explained.
Chairman Schmierer stated, "I haven't talked to Surveyor Sterrett lately, I don't know how far behind we are. How far behind are we? Two or three years? That is minor compared to what it used to be."
Mr. Ezra stated, "I'm not arguing that, I'm trying to figure out if there is a better…"
"I'm not sure on the smaller ditches; we would have to ask Counsel…" Chairman Schmierer replied.
"I am just wondering if there is a law that states that it has to be done this way or just a county decision that was made," Mr. Ezra asked.
Chairman Schmierer replied, "I'm not sure there is a law. I don't know I'd have to ask Counsel, he'd have to tell you statute on that because I am not sure. What you get into is that I wouldn't want to clean any of them without a landowner's meeting. I absolutely would not want to do anything without a landowner's meeting because we didn't do those before. It wasn't done before John and I came on. We started doing landowner's meetings and the communication lines opened up and we had a lot less trouble."
"I guess the Surveyor could go out and measure the length of the ditch on the aerial photograph and come up with an estimate without surveying it," Surveyor Sterrett said.
"Well, at least to figure how much dirt, roughly, needs to come out. I don't know how everyone else figures, I use the yardage figure just as a back up, but I don't have to have a yardage figure, we go by the footage as much as anything. So what if there is a big hole where a sewer dumps in, it's just going to be a short section, it's not going to be that big of deal. For every place there is a hump, there is going to be a pocket somewhere else. I feel like it will all wash out one way or the other that way. It's just such a long way to go to get a ditch cleaned, that's the tough part. We have a couple other short ones that need something done to, but it's just…," Mr. Ezra explained.
Chairman Schmierer stated, "Well, bring them to the Surveyor and see what we can work out. Bring them to him and see what we can do."
Mr. Ezra continued, "We have brought them to him, but his hands are tied until he knows he can do differently."
Surveyor Sterrett stated, "The James Turnipseed, if that is one of them, doesn't have any money in it. It only brings in $79 per year. So, when it gets up to $400 we quit collecting."
Charlie Mellon stated, " Back several years ago when Ron (Schmierer) first came on…We used to have a rule that on a ditch that had really grown up on both sides, it was cleaned once and then if people didn't take care of it…the people that kept their ditch clean didn't have to pay. The ditch up there that the lady wants cleaned up in Pulaski County; she has oodles of brush on each side. When you get down to my property, it's clean. I don't think that rule should have ever been taken away. It's happened since you've been on the board."
"I didn't know they ever had that rule," Chairman Schmierer stated.
Mr. Ezra commented, "Now everything is on maintenance so once it is cleaned, it's still up to the landowner to call in and say 'this ditch needs to be cleaned'."
"Well, it needs to sprayed too," Chairman Schmierer added.
"I mean sprayed, that is what I meant to say. Charlie made that comment, but…If a landowner doesn't call in, how do you know that ditch needs to be sprayed? So, it still needs to be up to the landowner to make the phone call. Now if someone makes the phone call and it's not done, I guess that would come back on the Surveyor. The way it is now, you can't blame the county if you don't make a phone call," Mr. Ezra stated.
Chairman Schmierer asked, "We've been spraying more and more every year, haven't we?"
Surveyor Sterrett replied, "Yes, whenever someone calls and says that their ditch needs to be cleaned and it's got money in the fund, I write it down the day they call or come in."
"Some of these people think that someone else is looking out for them all the time and that just isn't going to happen," Mike Ezra stated.
Chairman Schmierer added, "No, there is just no way that could happen. We'll check into that Mr. Ezra and see what we can do and go from there."
"This is my personal opinion as a contractor. 400 feet apart on some of these ditches, I don't know how much more time it takes the Surveyor, but if you don't feel its necessary I know it's not necessary on my part," Mr. Ezra explained.
Surveyor Sterrett explained, "Well, if there is a culvert you still have to get out there and run your levels to that culvert to determine if it's too high or too low."
"Do you have to walk up and down the ditch every 400 feet?" Mr. Ezra asked.
Surveyor Sterrett replied, "It doesn't take that much more time. We have to know the distance between where we started and where that culvert is in order to establish some kind of grade."
"Won't this new outfit (GPS) do that for you?" Mr. Ezra asked.
"Yes, if there's not any brush on it. We're just experimenting with it now. We've surveyed ditches with the laser level and then we've gone out with GPS to check and see and there is a difference of a couple tenths," Surveyor Sterrett explained.
"That brings up another question you and I talked about. Let's bring it up before the Drainage Board. The Carter Hines is two or three years off from getting done. There is brush on it and there is maintenance money in there. I told the Surveyor that it makes more sense to me to go ahead within the next year or so and try and get the brush off. Then when it comes time for him to survey it, the brush is gone and he can come in and survey it and it will take less time," Mr. Ezra suggested.
Chairman Schmierer stated, "I don't see any reason why if Surveyor Sterrett wants to go to work and let a contract for brush, I don't see why we can't let a contract for brush. It's coming out of maintenance anyway. It's up to the Surveyor, but it makes sense to me if it works."
"Would it be more expensive to go in and take the brush and then come back and do the brush?" Chairman Schmierer asked.
Mr. Ezra stated, "Not from my end of it. Now there is something in the future that I do…I'm saying this because the ditch is on my property as well. The Carter Hines needs so much taken out of it that I would like to see it stated right on the contract (on the larger ditches) that the contractor goes through that ditch and just dips the center out and leaves it sit for 30 days and then the shelves can dry out. Once those dry and you come in and dip it, the sides don't slide in. If you take and dip it from shelf to shelf right away in one shot, the water sitting in there…the banks slide right in and you lose some of your banks. It will cost a little bit more in the short run because that contractor has to come back to it, but in the long run that ditch will go much longer before it needs to be cleaned. So, for 50 cents a foot more than it might have cost, you are going to save $1.50 a foot from not having to dip it as often. I'm saying over the next couple of years maybe I should watch ditches and see how that works, but I do that quite often if I have two or three feet coming out. I will go through and dig it ahead. I won't give it a month, but I'll send a machine way up front and then I'll be three or four days behind and get that water off there so the shelf will stay."
Surveyor Sterrett replied, "That is fine if you are not interfering with the farmers. If you have to wait and you're interfering with the farmers…"
Mr. Ezra added, "No, you can't do it and interfere with the farmers. If you send the bids out at the beginning of the year, even if you make a two week period, if a guy starts through there by the time he gets through, especially on the larger ditches, he may not have to do anything but load up and go back and start over again. I just value ditches in that I don't want them to slide back in. I see that ditch sliding back in really bad because there is so much that has to come out."
Chairman Schmierer stated, "Why don't you check into that and see if we can't get that brush…go ahead and get that contract on that brush. That might be good just to get that off of there. It would make it a lot simpler for you when you survey it, right Surveyor Sterrett? It would probably save you a lot of time. I never thought about that, and if it's going to be under maintenance then what's the difference."
"So, are you talking about when you take the brush off to go ahead and get the logs and brush out at the same time?" Surveyor Sterrett asked.
"Yes, you're going to burn that stuff. If you don't take those logs out of the bottom and you come back and dig it, you have all that stuff to mess with later. Yeah, if you're taking brush off you clean what's in the bottom at the same time," Mr. Ezra explained.
"He really means well when he dips out the center and lets that sludge dry off. Mr. Ezra doesn't really know me, I'm just a neighbor up the road and we are on the same ditch in regards to that friendly clean out. I am part of that. I really want to commend the board on how you handle things and the courtesy that you show each other. I just live across the road in Pulaski County. It is a joy to work with your board," a landowner stated.
"Thank you," stated Chairman Schmierer.
"Do we need to get quotes on getting the brush off?" Surveyor Sterrett asked.
Chairman Schmierer replied, "I would say yes, you need to get quotes if there is that much brush. I would say it would be just like a ditch, but just quote it for brushing. I never thought of that, but it would make the Surveyor's work easier."
"When you know that it's going to be two years, that gives you time. I can see doing that on many ditches that you have to clean if there is a lot of brush. If it makes the Surveyor's job easier, it's really not going to cost any more in the long run," Mike Ezra stated.
"What was the big one that we did over there about four years ago that came across State Road 16?" Chairman Schmierer asked.
"That was the Carter Hines. This is where the petition starts for this one, where that one ended on the other one," Surveyor Sterrett explained.
Chairman Schmierer asked if there was anything further for the drainage board.
Chairman Schmierer then adjourned the meeting.


text:
The services we offer include search engine optimization and internet marketing services.
- Leadership:
- Veronica Romney
Other Inc. Honors
MORE COMPANY INFORMATIONWhat is this?
LoSoMo offers a number of SEO and internet marketing services that have been designed to cater to both the needs of companies who are just startups and to those who have well-established brands but have yet to reach their online potential. The services we offer include search engine optimization, social media management, local listings, email marketing, reputation management, web design & development, paid services, video marketing production and much more.
We can be your personal marketing managers. You can focus on the core aspects of your business and leave the promotion and online branding of your company to us.
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January 14, 2019
1: No matter how bad your last shot was, maintain Inner Peace by knowing that a worse one is yet to come. This powerful law does not expire at the 18th hole but extends over the course of a tournament, a summer and, eventually, a lifetime.
2: Your best round of golf will be followed almost immediately by your worst round ever. The probability of the latter increases with the number of people you tell about the former.
3: New golf balls are water-magnetic; and the more expensive the ball, the greater its attraction. Some expensive clubs are believed to be made with this unusual natural alloy.
4: Golf balls never bounce off trees back into play. If one does, the tree is breaking a law of the universe and should be cut down.
5: The higher a golfer's handicap, the more qualified he deems himself as an instructor.
6: A golfer hitting into your group will always be bigger than anyone in your group. Likewise, any group you accidentally hit into will consist of a football player, a professional wrestler, a convicted murderer and an IRS agent.
7: All 3-woods are possessed by demons. Your mother-in-law does not come close.
8: Golf balls from the same "sleeve" tend to follow one another, particularly out of bounds or into the water. (See Law 3.)
9: The last three holes of a round will automatically adjust your score to what it really should be.
10: Golf should be given up at least twice per month.
11: All vows taken on a golf course shall be valid only until sunset.
12: Since bad shots come in groups of three, your fourth consecutive bad shot is really the beginning of the next group of three.
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HMWC CPAs & Business Advisors of Tustin, Calif., finished its 37th annual "Death March" hiking adventure with great success in the Grand Canyon, in Arizona.
The firm encourages this type of team-building event to help with the firm's goals of creating a work environment that fosters trust, initiative, loyalty, work/life balance and mutual employer/employee success.
This annual event is held at different locations each year and involves an extensive, multi-day hiking and camping adventure in the wilderness. The 2015 event was attended by 19 firm members, family, clients and friends of HMWC, all of whom hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon for a two-night stay at Phantom Ranch before hiking out on July 13. Ages ranged from 16 to 72. The hike from the South Rim to Phantom Ranch on the Bright Angel Trail covered about 10 miles and a descent of over 4,300 feet.
The "Death March" is so-named because of the physical rigors of the event. It was started in 1979 by Gerry Herter, former MP, who has attended all 37 Death March outings. According to Herter, the event is not only fun and physically challenging, but it helps bring everyone together on a more personal level.


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Dr David Monyae
Tel: 011 559 7501
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Dr David Monyae is Co-Director of the UJCI. An international relations and foreign policy expert, he holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Witwatersrand. He previously served as Section Manager: International Relations Policy Analysis at the South African Parliament, providing strategic management, parliamentary foreign policy formulation, and monitoring and analysis services. Prior to that he served as Policy Analyst at the Development Bank Southern Africa (DBSA), where he undertook extensive research on Regional Economic Communities (RECS) in Africa, with a special focus on infrastructure investment opportunities for the DBSA. He also designed and launched the DBSA's Policy Briefs and Working Papers, and represented the Bank on major infrastructure projects in Africa. He also formed part of the South African academic delegations at meetings of the India, Brazil, and South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum in 2010 and the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) summits in Beijing in 2011, New Delhi in 2012, and Durban in 2013. For nine years prior to that he lectured on South African foreign policy and African international relations at the University of the Witwatersrand. He has published widely and is a respected political analyst, featuring in the national and international media.
Prof Peng Yi
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Prof Peng Yi is Co-Director of the UJCI. A native of Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, Prof Peng has a background in law, and has served in various capacities, including lecturing in and researching the legal conflicts between Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China. She has also been involved in civil procedure law. Her term will last until early 2020.
Bhaso Ndzendze
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Bhaso Ndzendze is the Reserach Coordinator at the UJCI. He has taught at Wits University, and lectured on issues surrounding war and peace. Bhaso is a member of the Association of Political Studies, and has presented his work at meetings of the South African Historical Association (SAHA). He has also worked with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea on issues of public diplomacy and youth in Southern Africa, and was a registered delegate at the 2018 Japan-Africa Public-Private Sector Forum. He has received numerous awards (including the Sisulu Prize), and has been quoted in international media (in China, the United States, the Philippines, Spain, Greece, and Djibouti) as well as by the Ambassador of the United States. His research encompasses hegemonic stability theory, rational choice theory, Chinese foreign policy, international relations of the Asia-Pacific region, the Chinese economy, economic development and international trade, IR theory, transnational terrorism, the international political economy of energy, and domestic-foreign policy interactions. He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles and book reviews as well as two books, including a dictionary of current global affairs terminology which is used by the Department of International Relations at Wits University. For a list of his publications, click here.
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text:
Supplementary Reading
Here we present pointers to other related reading material, interesting links, etc. Feel free to suggest further additions by writing to us!
Supplementary Text for the Book
- Additional Remarks on the Linking Combinator. This short note explains the role played by the relabelling in the definition of the linking combinator used in Exercise 2.13 on page 30 of the book.
- Some Remarks on Time Additivity in Timed Labelled Transition Systems. This short note discusses some variations on the axioms for timed labelled transition systems, as defined on pages 164-165 of the book.
- SOS Meta-theory: A Very Short Introduction. This note discusses some possible generalizations of the congruence theorem for bisimilarity over CCS presented in Theorem 3.2, pages 46-49 of the book. It uses this topic to offer a very short introduction to the meta-theory of structural operational semantics.
- Deciding Bisimilarity over Finite Labelled Transition Systems is P-complete. This note discusses a proof of a result by José L. Balcázar, Joaquim Gabarró and Miklos Santha to the effect that checking various forms of bisimilarity introduced in the book is P-complete.
Papers in Concurrency Theory
- Computing with actions and communications by Wan Fokkink and Jan Willem Klop. Proc. Joint BeNeLuxFra Conference on Mathematics, Gent, Bulletin of the Belgian Mathematical Society – Simon Stevin, 13(5):789–805 (December 2006). This paper is an excellent high-level introduction to ACP and its basic theory.
- On the Origins of Bisimulation, Coinduction, and Fixed Points by Davide Sangiorgi. Technical Report 2007-24, Department of Computer Science, University of Bologna. This paper, which we warmly recommend, is a wonderful exposition on the origins of bisimulation and bisimilarity. It examines the role played by these notions in the three fields where they have been independently discovered: Computer Science, Modal Logic and Set Theory.
- What is this theory good for? This page offers a collection of links to resources motivating the study of the theory presented in the textbook.
- Papers in the Concurrency Column of the Bulletin of the EATCS This page offers a collection of links to interesting survey papers that appeared in the Concurrency Column.
- Roadmap of Infinite Results This is a live survey of known results on the decidability of problems in concurrency theory maintained by Jiri Srba.
- Characteristic Formulae: From Automata to Logic by Luca Aceto and Anna Ingolfsdottir.
Papers and Notes on Lattices and Fixed-point Theory
- A lattice-theoretical fixpoint theorem and its applications by Alfred Tarski. Pacific Journal of Mathematics 5:2: 285–309, 1955. The original reference for the fixed-point theorem presented in Chapter 4 of the book.
- Ordered Sets by Tero Harju. These are excellent lecture notes covering a substantial amount of material on ordered sets. We recommend them to the mathematically-oriented readers who would like to know more about the mathematics of such structures.
Books and Lecture Notes
- Communicating Sequential Processes by C. A. R. Hoare. This book was first published in 1985 by Prentice Hall International and is now freely available on line.


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Midway through the 20th century, the hotel became to the tiki bar what the tropics are to lei-bound plumeria: a profitable place to sprout up, where proliferation occurred naturally. "In the 1960s, expensively outfitted Polynesian restaurants could be found in many hotels," says tiki expert, author and Latitude 29 owner Jeff "Beachbum" Berry. "Sheraton had the Kon-Tiki restaurant franchise, Hilton had the Trader Vic's franchise and Marriott had the Kona-Kai chain." But the faux Polynesian bar and restaurant in the windowless basement of Fairmont San Francisco didn't follow suit. "What's interesting about the Tonga Room is that it was—and still is—a stand-alone restaurant in one Fairmont location, not part of a chain of Tonga Rooms in other Fairmonts across the country."
A singular site for drinks derived from tropical flavors for the past 74 years (which, according to a vintage menu, once included the Honolulu Cocktail, made with rum, pineapple juice and ¾ ounce of something called "pinky"), the Tonga Room has held its own beneath the Fairmont's palatial glamor and glitz, where former presidents are rumored to rest their heads while visiting the Golden City. The venue itself dates back to 1929 and begins with a swimming pool.
Nearly destroyed by fires following the city's 1906 earthquake two weeks prior to its planned opening, the Fairmont San Francisco welcomed its inaugural guests the following year and quickly became an oasis for the rich and famous. Soon, they required somewhere to splash. An Olympic-size hole in the ground formally known as the Terrace Plunge opened, and attracted aquatic-enthusiasts of inimitable skill. But eventually the pool lost its appeal and towel rentals declined. In a stroke of forward-thinking ingenuity, in 1945, the hotel's new owner sought to transform the lonely pool into a restaurant and bar, the type of place so over-the-top even travelers could momentarily escape their own vacations. Naturally, Hollywood was called.
Metro Goldwyn Mayer's lead set director, Mel Melvin, was hired to execute the job. Preserving the room's nautical ambiance, Melvin hauled the S.S. Forester, a lumber schooner that once coasted between San Francisco and the South Sea Islands, from the muck near Martinez, California to the basement of the ritzy hotel. Several weeks of construction later, the S.S. Tonga was born: the ship's deck hosted dance numbers, Chinese food was served alongside bright and boozy drinks, and smackdab in the center was the Plunge, now an electric-blue lagoon upon which an orchestra floated nightly. (It occasionally reprised its role as swimming pool for patrons after one too many Zombies: "Well, it finally happened; a couple of spiffligated gents stripped down to their shorts in the F'mont's Tonga Room the other night–and leaped into the swimming pool!" wrote Chronicle columnist Herb Caen in 1946.)
Several minor renovations occurred in the following decades, including the 1953 installation of lighting-bedazzled rainstorms scheduled roughly every 30 minutes. Though the Tonga Room received its most dramatic facelift in 1967 from architect Howard Hirsch, whose remodel solidified the space as a "high tiki" hallmark. Lava-rock walls, thatched-roof huts, canoes roped to the ceiling and custom-carved tikis followed the Polynesian Pop aesthetics of the time. "As much as I love it, I don't think it was ever a trendsetter," Berry says. "The Tonga Room jumped on the bamboo bandwagon in the 1967, well into the second decade of the Polynesian-themed restaurant boom."
But something about the bar proved uniquely alluring, and even as tiki lost ground to Margaritaville, the Tonga Room outlasted the competition, likely due to the bon vivants from above who ventured from their rooms to the subterranean hideout to mouth-wrestle two-foot-long plastic straws poking from fishbowl-sized drinks. (The bar, slowly modernizing, is now looking to go eco-friendly with paper or washable sucking devices.)
With the genre's revival, tiki enthusiasts have bountiful options across the country at which to raise a coconut. But San Franciscans, global travelers and tiki devotees all find themselves drawn back to the Tonga Room, the only one of its species, for a potent dose of the past. Anthony Bourdain once described it as "the greatest place in the history of the world." An estimated 750 guests now turn up nightly, many opting for the menu's golden child Mai Tai—alleged by some as the best in the Bay Area. It even survived a condominium-driven demolition plot in 2009 thanks to its rallied fans who claimed landmark status.
"Like an extinct exotic insect preserved in amber, it's an intact example of a midcentury 'Polynesian Palace' on a grand scale, which no new restaurant could ever afford to outfit today," says Berry, a fact that keeps the bar close to the hearts of purists. "It proves the validity of the aesthetic on an unironic level, not just as camp or kitsch. That classic, elegant, white-tablecloth Polynesian-themed boîtes haven't gone the way of the dinosaur."
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via HNHH
Alabama's Jay Dot Rain epitomizes the hustle in the new "Andale" video.
by Angus Walker
Earlier this month, Jay Dot Rain got his movement flowing way outside of his native Tuscaloosa, Alabama with the release of the Cooley Fly Chronicles 3. Jay has now introduced himself in front of the camera with the new video to the CFC3 standout "Andale." Donning a white durag while cruising in a doorless yellow Jeep, he's clearly got the look. And he seals the deal with his seamless delivery.
CFC3 stood out because of its slick lyricism and its array of different flows, both catchy and thoughtful. Whereas some of the tracks tell detailed stories of motivation and pain (see "Gotta Believe" and "Street Lights"), "Andale" is all about the hustle — how to keep moving when surrounded by fakeness. "I can't fuck with that pretend, I been real since the begin," snaps Jay. When at an impasse, there's just one word to keep in mind, and it ain't even English. Andale!!!
"Andale" is produced by JayeLL, and the video is shot by Bobby Neutron. Download the Cooley Fly Chronicles 3 here.


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I'm sorry to Jenny for not writing this review sooner, after I saw her show on Wednesday night. You see the reason for the delay was the fake nails I was wearing. Those damn things made it impossible to type, so today I endured the pain of removing them. But this isn't about me, it's about Jenny Wynter and her wonderful show currently playing at the Butterfly Club as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
For those who are regular readers of my blog, you will know this is a show I have already reviewed twice, but those times were as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, and this one is part of the Comedy Festival. But that's not the only difference.
The show now comes repackaged with a bonus piano player, freeing up Jenny to perform more in the show, with out worrying so much about the technical side. There were more jokes, more off the cuff laughs, more freedom within the performance. If you were someone watching the show for the first time, as most of her sell out audiences have been doing so far in the festival, you will love this as a comedy piece with music. I had the feeling the Fringe festival show audience were more looking for a musical show with comedy, and thankfully Jenny is such a professional, she can engage both kinds of audience with her talents.
An Unexpected Variety Show is a very personal journey for Jenny, but it's not an attempt to make an audience pay for her to get group therapy. Instead the show engages the audience to think about their own lives, and to realise they can achieve anything, even if they don't have a desire to move to Canada, like Jenny.
This really is a great show to see. It's a fun night of entertainment, that gives you all the emotional input you need to have a joyous night out. I don't want to type any more, because I don't want to spoil the show for you. Instead you should just click on this link to get your tickets. I give the show 4 and a half stars, which is pretty good given my scoring system only goes up to three stars.


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Japan's fiscal position is deteriorating continuously, and some argue that a debt write-off through managed inflation will be inevitable if public debt is to increase at the present pace. This article will first examine if inflation is an inevitable component of the attempt to solve the current government debt problem by looking at the history of debt reduction in other countries. Next, it will evaluate the economic theory on the interdependence between fiscal and monetary policies in light of the historical experience of inflation. In so doing, it finds that the gold standard imposed discipline on both fiscal and monetary policies while under the floating exchange rate regime budget institutions and the central bank system served as a guidepost to economic policymaking as an alternative to the gold standard. Based upon these theoretical, historical, and institutional findings, it will conclude by reflecting on the ways in which the experience of other countries can be useful for evaluating Japan's situation.
Keywords: Hyperinflation; Sustainability of government debt; Budget institution; Central bank independence; Zero interest rate policy; Structural reform
Views expressed in the paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Bank of Japan or Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies.
Copyright © 2001 Bank of Japan All Rights Reserved.


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August 6, 2019
Solihull Barons Junior Ice Hockey Club U15s and U18's are looking for netminders for the 19/20 season.
This could be a netminder looking to play games full time or several netminders looking to guest for a few games throughout the season.
Any netminders interested in this should contact Frank Bartlett firstname.lastname@example.com


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Enjoy Honey Stinger's 10g Protein Bar as a meal-replacement bar, during long rides, and after any workout. The bar contains 10 grams of high-quality whey protein to help rebuild muscle and promote recovery after intense aerobic workouts. Since good fuel means good workouts and recovery, the 10g Protein Bar uses honey as its main energy source. It's natural, easily digestible, and contains many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. - Gluten free ingredients - Kosher certified - 190-200 calories
Inspired by the Dutch Stroopwafel, Honey Stinger's Organic Stinger Waffle will become your favorite ride food. They've sandwiched the great taste of honey between two thin waffles for a treat that's crunchy on the outside and thick and syrupy on the inside. Since good fuel equals good workouts, the Stinger Waffle uses honey as its main energy source. It's natural, easily digestible, and contains many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. - USDA certified organic - 160 calories
Clif Bars are a delicious source of healthy energy and are full of essential vitamins and minerals. Made with high-quality, organic ingredients, Clif Bars are a perfect go-to food whether you're on the bike or just need a quick snack at the office. They contain 10 grams of protein and are made with real fruit, nuts, and whole grains. They contain no hydrogenated oils or artificial flavors.
A thin layer of honey infused with natural flavors sandwiched between two thin gluten free waffles. The delicious taste will satisfy your taste buds, keep you going as an afternoon snack or during your favorite activity, and go great with your cup of coffee or tea.
The athletes and foodies in the Clif kitchen have crafted a different kind of energy bar. CLIF Nut Butter Filled Bars bring together two great energy foods – a delicious, creamy nut butter inside an organic energy bar – to deliver sustained energy. - Certified USDA organic, non GMO - Low glycemic (low glycemic-index foods digest slowly for prolonged levels of energy) - Does not contain partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial flavors
You're not done. You're a work in progress, building toward something great. That's why we made CLIF BUILDER'S with 20g of complete protein, with essential amino acids to help repair and build muscle. It's the great-tasting protein bar that makes every ingredient count — so you can get the most out of your workout.
Skratch Labs Anytime Energy Bar is made with real ingredients such as fruits, nuts and quinoa. It has enough fuel to power you through endurance workouts and is tasty enough to be used as a snack any time of day.
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text: Syrian army targets ISIS terrorists in Deir Ezzor Category: Islam World Published: Saturday, 01 July 2017 21:38 Hits: 651 Print Email The Syrian Arab Army on Tuesday destroyed ISIS terrorists' hideouts and gatherings in Deir Ezzor province. The army air force had killed and wounded ISIS terrorists in raids on the neighborhoods of al-Hweiqa, al-Matar al-Qadim and al-Arfi. According to the reporter, a unit of the Syrian army clashed with an ISIS terrorist group which tried to attack the military checkpoints in the outskirts of the al-Reshdiyeh, killed five of its members and wounded others while the army's artillery destroyed ISIS terrorists' gatherings in the vicinity of al-Maqaber, al-Hweiqa, the Regiment 137 and al-Bgheliyah village. A number of ISIS terrorists were killed and a heavy machinegun-equipped vehicle was destroyed in the airstrikes on their positions and hideouts east of the paper factory, Hweijet al-Mre'iyah and in the village of al-Bouleel in the province eastern countryside. Syria ISIS terrorist


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It hit me then that perhaps I had been looking at my assignment all wrong. I was serving the president, and the country, with an important task. I was responsible for protecting the things that were most important to him, personally- his wife and his children.
Special Agent Clint Hill had been in the Secret Service a little over a year before he was transferred from exiting President Eisenhower's detail to entering First Lady Jackie Kennedy's detail in November of 1960. He was upset at first, viewing the role as a demotion, but took his job very seriously and didn't question his orders.
This was a lovely book; Clint Hill's love and admiration for Mrs. Kennedy and her husband shines through every page, even when he is talking about the long hours and the weeks he went without seeing his own family. Despite being launched into the public eye by her husband's political ambitions Jackie Kennedy craved privacy and independence. Clint tried to balance her wishes with the realities of her situation which forever bonded the two of them together. The two got very close together and he eventually became something of a personal assistant for her too- he did a lot of her shopping so she wouldn't get bombarded by paparazzi!
Most of the stories are about her international trips, both official and unofficial, as well as her frequent stays outside of the confines of the White House to Glen Ora, Hyannis Port and Palm Beach. He also recounts her sense of humor and the loving relationship Jackie had with her children.
Hill also discusses the infamous trip the Kennedys took to Texas, a trip Jackie nearly skipped, in heartbreaking detail. While keeping a strong facade for Jackie, Caroline and John Jr Clint was privately dealing with his own personal grief surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy. He felt responsible for the death of JFK since he was right behind the car but Jackie clearly never blamed him. He stayed on her detail for an additional year, per her request, after LBJ was sworn in.
I've read a lot of books on and about the Kennedys, a lot- A LOT- of books on and about the Kennedys, but this was probably one of the best. Hill and McCubbin teamed up for another book focusing on the Kennedy administration as well as the other four presidents he served that I will most certainly be seeking out.
There are also a lot of fabulous photographs within the pages.


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Behghazi Gate, foreign contributions through sham credit card collections, Fast and Furious, Sibelius violating the Hatch Act, sending the IRS after political enemies, and that is just in the last month. Where is the outrage? Where is the investigative reporter bringing down a corrupt government?
Nobody died in Watergate, but the numbers of the dead from this Administration's actions keep growing, all the while they keep lying. If we had a Republican administration, the calls for resignation would have been overwhelming. Instead, the press agents for the Democrats remain mostly mute.
You want good clean government supervised by a watchdog press? It ain't going to happen with a Democrat in the White House.


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2nd August 2017
Woodhouse Close Church Community Centre supports people of all ages on the Woodhouse Close Estate and wider local area.
We offer a wide range of activities and services at a low cost. These include:
Many individuals come to us with complex needs and we offer support, advice and signposting as well as a safe, warm and welcoming environment.
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Rain Delay
I seem to be in a rain delay.
I want to be able to feel each and every cool drop falling on me, but my grounds crew has pulled a giant tarp over me
Everyone is waiting till the games resume. But it could be a while.
And even then, I'll likely be wet and muddy.


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Make a statement with this classic, three-row eternity band. Pavé diamond ring with comfort fit band is available in two to five rows.
Your browser is out of date and may not be able to properly display our website. A list of modern browsers is below; simply click an icon to go to the browser's download page.


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Green Stained Glass Cross with Green Flower Sun Catcher
This cross is a beautiful shade of green that will blend with many styles and colors. The pastel green tin flower adds a nice dimension and personality that is not found on most sun catchers.
The flower is soldered not glued to the cross. All four arms have wire filigree and iridescent green glass stones soldered on.
The cross is 11 1/4 inches tall including the hanger, and is is 8 inches wide.
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CHICAGO — Is there a "fixer" inside you? Maybe you don't even realize it yet. But drycleaning plant ownership might bring out the "wrencher" in you sooner or later. Or it already did.
Is there a DIY repair person in you waiting to get out? Who knows, you might even find out you like it. Hear from three drycleaning owners who do.
"Since I am not mechanically inclined, and I was taught to surround myself with people who are smarter and more skilled than I am, I went into partnership with Bill McClary, McClary Appliance Service, who had proven his competence at maintaining and repairing our drycleaning plants and Laundromats," relates Buddy Gritz, owner of Presto Valet of Virginia Inc.
"Bill and I opened and installed two additional drycleaning plants, a dry store, and a Laundromat. We designed the stores ourselves, purchased the equipment from the manufacturers ourselves, and installed the equipment ourselves," Gritz says.
"Bill has an uncanny knack for figuring out what's wrong and how to fix it when equipment breaks. Over the years, two additional team members have developed expertise at doing routine repair and preventive maintenance on our equipment. 'Chat' Chatelain, my business partner and vice president of production, and Frank Pannell, our production manager," Gritz points out.
"They can handle most of the day-to-day maintenance. If we're not sure what to do when the equipment breaks down or stops working, we can always rely on Bill to fix or replace it. Bill is now retired and in his 80s, but is always on call for us. We rarely need to call an outside service person to maintain, repair, or replace our equipment."
Presto Valet was opened on April 7, 1951, by Harold J. Weisblut, Gritz's father-in-law. Gritz notes it is a full-service dry cleaner using GreenEarth products and specializing in providing "superb customer care, processing theatrical costumes, and solving our customers' problems. I started working at Presto Valet on April 21, 1967, and took over the business in 1974."
After his discharge from the U.S. Air Force as a special investigator, Gritz says he was planning to join the FBI and pursue a career in law enforcement. "However, my father-in-law informed me that I needed to support his daughter until the FBI school started, and told me that his manager had quit, and suggested that I work at Presto Valet for a while."
After only a month, he notes, he was enjoying his interactions with customers and crew so much that he abandoned those law enforcement plans.
"I completed the National Institute of Drycleaning (now DLI) 139th general course, which was a comprehensive 10-week course that included basic repair and maintenance of drycleaning equipment," he explains. Between his training and the expert maintenance knowledge of partners McClary and Chatelain and manager Pannell, he is able to handle almost all equipment fixes.
Here are some tips Gritz passes along about maintaining your drycleaning equipment:
"The key to maintaining the essential equipment in a drycleaning or laundry business," he says, "is never be in the position of having to wait for the repair of a piece of equipment or for a small part. We check the working condition of every piece of equipment daily to make sure that everything is functioning properly, so that we can continue operating the plant and pleasing our customers."
Check back Thursday for the conclusion.


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MPs will debate the Budget later with Labour dismissing the government's claim to be ending austerity.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said welfare cuts were continuing and public services could face a further squeeze.
But Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss told BBC Newsnight tax cuts would put "more money in families' pockets".
In the Budget Chancellor Philip Hammond used a tax receipts windfall to put money into the NHS and universal credit and bring forward income tax cuts.
The personal allowance will rise to £12,500 and the higher rate threshold to £50,000 in April 2019, worth £130 a year for a typical base rate taxpayer.
Mr Hammond said the £1.7bn investment in universal credit would protect claimants moving onto the new system and save millions of families £630 a year. But some MPs said it was not enough to undo cuts already made to the system in previous years.
What else was announced?
- £400m to allow school to buy the little extras they need
- A digital service tax aimed at tech giants
- Help for first-time buyers of shared ownership properties
- Another freeze in fuel duty
- A £30bn package for England's roads, including repairs to motorways and potholes £900m in business rates relief for small business and £650m to rejuvenate high streets
- Tighter tax rules affecting private sector contractors
- A tax on plastic packaging which does not contain enough recycled materials – but no disposable plastic cup tax
- An extra 1bn pounds for the Ministry of Defence to boost cyber capabilities and anti-submarine warfare capacity
- A further £650m of grant funding for English local authorities to spend on social care
There was a freeze on beer, cider and spirits duty, saving 2p on a pint of beer, 1p on a pint of cider, and 30p on a bottle of Scotch or gin.
Wine duty will not be frozen and a bottle will go up by 8p from 1 February next year, and a packet of 20 cigarettes has gone up by 33p.
Healthier forecasts
Mr Hammond said borrowing this year would be £11.6bn lower than predicted in March, at £25.5bn.
This helped pay for the multi-billion pound boost for the NHS, as well as more money for defence, schools, welfare and above-inflation rises in the income tax personal allowance.
The Office for Budget Responsibility said the spending promises represented the biggest Budget giveaway since the independent fiscal watchdog was set up in 2010.
It was the last Budget before the UK's scheduled exit from the EU, and came with the final relationship between the two sides yet to be agreed.
There was an extra £500m to prepare for what happens if the UK leaves the EU without a deal – a scenario Mr Hammond has said would require a whole new Budget.
The chancellor also promised a "double deal dividend" if the UK and the EU reached agreement over Brexit.
You'll see headlines about the 'biggest giveaway' in a generation. That's accurate in terms of the overall numbers, and the sense that government departments on average from next year will see spending go up not down.
And it's different certainly to see a Conservative resident of No 11 putting that ahead of finishing off the attempts to clear the deficit. This chancellor is in fact seemingly content to let the deficit float up. That would have, until relatively recently, been considered heresy round his way.
Politically, it's a big change of priority and has allowed the government to change its rhetoric substantially.
But if you look carefully, a huge amount of that money will be gobbled up quickly by the health service. After that, by some calculations, there simply won't be much to go around – and some departments might even still face cuts.
Mr McDonnell dismissed Mr Hammond's claim that austerity – which refers to the public spending cuts that have been in place since 2010 – was "coming to an end".
He said: "It is now clear austerity is not over, the cuts to social security will continue and Philip Hammond gave no assurances that departments won't face further cuts."
There was nothing in the speech to "repair the damage to schools, the police and local councils" he said, adding that the universal credit cash was less than a third of the welfare cuts still scheduled.
The SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the UK was "wholly unprepared" for Brexit, and Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable said the Budget was "a standstill non-event".
Torsten Bell, director of the Resolution Foundation think tank, said the Budget had "significantly eased – but not ended – austerity for public services".
He added: "Tough times are far from over. The chancellor has set out plans to spend almost all of a very significant fiscal windfall on extra spending for the NHS, bringing to a close the era of falling overall public service spending."


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The latest creation from the modding laboratory of Eddie, this is the Battle of Dathomir. It's a very large map with a wide assortment and selection of vehicles. Enjoy!
Review: This map is fairly large, and it offers a complex range of ways to approach the battle. The scenery in the map makes you feel right at home, and you will always be looking at something new in the map.
The AI are coded well and they do drive the vehicles the AI even bomb enemy bases with the Y-Wing and such. Also, you can play this map on the Galactic Civil War or the Clone Wars.
Because the map is so large, battles can, however, become slightly few and far once and a while, and it takes some time to get around without the usage of a vehicle, sometimes that of which the computers take...and you know computers with vehicles. They don't wait.
A few bugs...there are some floating trees in the map. The texture on the ground is a little weird at times, the mountains look sort of odd with what seems to be metal plates on them. And there are objects in places sometimes that just don't seem to need to be there.
This is a very early release, so the bugs mentioned are probably going to not be there in the next version. Great job again Eddie, keep it up! I do recommend the downloading of this map. Enjoy!
*Todays Reviewer* - AndrewD (email@example.com)
Just run the installer (to the right directory) and play!
There are no comments yet. Be the first!


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Martin Seham wrote proudly of this accomplishment in Cleared for Takeoff: Airline Labor Relations Since Deregulation.
As general counsel to the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the independent certified representative of the American Airlines pilots, I was close to the negotiations that resulted, in 1983, in one of the earliest realization[s] of the two-tier system. APA was not faced with an insolvent or failing carrier; it was, however, forced to deal with an economic environment that had changed dramatically because of the effects of deregulation and was, by virtue of its independence, mandated to reach an agreement consistent with the needs and objectives of its constituency. — Martin C. Seham
Although B-scales were not a new concept, their initial format was unique to the airline industry. Following American's lead, other airlines began to demand similar packages—forcing the entire airline labor movement into a new era of concessions. Good for management; bad for pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, and all of the airline industry's workers.
While ALPA pilots were forced to deal with this blight brought to the industry by APA and the Sehams, not one ALPA pilot group accepted a non-merging two-tier scale. The clearest example of this was the ALPA strike at United in June 1985, when the pilots refused to agree to a non-merging two-tier pay scale.
Ironically, it was ALPA's success in preventing implementation of the Seham B-scale at UAL that led to the Rakestraw case, where replacement pilots who crossed the picket line attempted to reverse ALPA's successful efforts to negotiate seniority protection for hundreds of pro-ALPA new-hires who had refused management's demand to become strikebreakers. DPA's law firm now misinterprets and misrepresents this case—in which ALPA protected pilots who adhered to union principle and honored picket lines—as somehow giving it carte blanche to change seniority as it sees fit. To read more, click here.
In fact, following ALPA's win at United, ALPA pilot groups, through their strength at the bargaining table, led the effort to eliminate the B-scale structure. They did it by working together, forging a pattern and sticking to it—the same way ALPA pilots throughout our industry are working to rebuild our contracts after the era of bankruptcy and ATSB constraints.


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AFL greats, sporting heroes and much-loved Australian personalities worked in the Celebrity Phone Room as part of The Footy Show My Room Telethon last night on Nine in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
The Footy Show ran the three-hour spectacular to raise funds for My Room, the children's cancer charity. As of early Friday morning, the total raised was just over $800,000.
Rebecca Maddern, James Brayshaw, Sam Newman, Billy Brownless, Shane Crawford and Dave Hughes took part in crazy stunts across the special edition of the show.
More than 45 star AFL players answered calls and took donations in the Celebrity Phone Room supported by Telstra, including Luke Hodge, Dane Swan, Tom Hawkins, Trent Cotchin, Alex Rance, Jimmy Bartel, Joel Selwood, Brendon Goddard, Jordan Lewis, Jack Watts, Adam Cooney, Nick Dal Santo, Dustin Martin, Isaac Smith and Nick Riewoldt.
Rio gold medallist Mack Horton donated his time as did Shane Warne, Melbourne Vixens' Kate Moloney, Tegan Philip and Jo Weston, former Australian netball captain and world champion Sharelle McMahon and Women's Football League players Daisy Pearce and Moana Hope.
One hundred per cent of the proceeds from the telethon will go towards striving for better outcomes for children with cancer, funding clinical research projects and family care, as well as supporting the Monash Children's Hospital's Cancer Centre.


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When I left uni and began working full-time, I wish I had known these blogging top tips to help balance my time. I've been blogging with a full time job for almost three years and yet until the beginning of this year I did not give it, or my social media, the time it deserves.
In those years I have trained to be a journalist, interned for six months and then spent the last two years in full-time employment as a feature writer, as well as freelancing in journalism and copywriting.
I hope you can understand how, with such a busy workload, blogging with a full time job means I have struggled to get my blog and social media following off the ground.
(NOTE that I said understand why I have struggled, not why I have failed.)
My failure comes from poor time management and lack of motivation (A.K.A making excuses). That stops now. Anything is possible and this is how I am going to make it work.
Step one: Use my lunch hour effectively
I never take the full hour's lunch I am owed. I have started taking this time to go on Twitter and Instagram but I am going to spend this time planning what I need to do for my blog.
I love bullet points (at some point I will start a bullet journal, but baby steps ok?) so I will begin by bullet pointing everything I need to do and coming up with ideas.
Step two: Don't leave work on time
As a journalist I work to deadlines so in the office, my time management is brilliant and I very rarely work late. However, there is no pretending I will work on my blog when I get home. I just never do. I go to the gym most days and by the time I have returned home, had dinner and done any boring household chores that need doing I don't have the energy.
So instead of waiting until I get home and failing as per usual, I have decided that from now on at 5.30pm I will close all work related items on my laptop and spend the next hour at my desk working on my blog.
Step three: Wake up early
I don't have to wake up until 8am to get to work, but I realise now that by sleeping in I am taking this time for granted. I know that if I wake up an hour or two early I will get s**t done. I am a morning person, so why waste it sleeping?
Step four: Set reminders
I definitely don't utilise my work calendar and phone reminders like I should. After completing this post I will set daily reminders on either my work calendar or personal phone to ensure I do the following:
- Post blog links in Facebook groups and Pinterest boards (I'm pretty good at posting on Twitter/Instagram already)
- Attend Twitter chats (I've never done this before!)
- Set myself an insta-schedule – I read an advice post on roboweb.com that said it was good to post at the same time every day but as I am yet to discover a place on which you can pre-schedule posts so I will set myself reminders.
- Check my Bloglovin and interact with more others there
- What would you add to this list?
Step five: When at home, work at my damn desk!
I'm sure most of you are guilty of this as well. I spend too much time attempting to blog from my bed and getting sucked into distractions because I do not have the right frame of mind.
It is time to dust of my desk and take working from home seriously. If I am writing I think it will be best if I even turn off my Wi-Fi so I can't procrastinate.
These are my personal blogging top tips, but what are your words of advice? How do you do to manage your time? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to share ideas xxx


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PAD Challenge day 20: For today's Two-for-Tuesday prompt:
- Write a love poem. Or…
- Write an anti-love poem.
Sometimes I think that I could do without the ways of you
You rattle skin-bone cages with your grin-and-bear it jeer
And though I've come to expect all the wild, white things you do
Sometimes I weary of the armies that you commandeer
…but then I cozy up with quilts and listen to you wail
And feel so wealthy with home fires and supper-soup feast
And then I thank the Lord for shelter from your howling gale
A glimpse-of-heaven-haven when your weather is a beast
Sometimes I get enough of white fluff dazzling fields and streets
The beauty that we push, plow, shovel keeps me torn between
The wonder of your wander-lands swaddled in pristine sheets
And hunger for wild-flower strands and meadows em'rald green
But then I hold a mug of Hot after your cold halloo
And feel So Very Fine in fuzzy-slippered hearth-front chats
After I turned the other cheek and you fist-cuffed it too
Though I had put on armour of coats, mitts, boots, scarves and hats
Sometimes you are a flirt, your kiss soft, starry-eyed delight
Sometimes you are a jerk and push me hard across the yard
Sometimes you are a lonesome fellow calling through the night
Sometimes a rowdy, rough-neck rogue, sometimes a brooding bard
Belief is trust in Something that we cannot see or touch
Where Hope and truth comprise the age-old faith to which we cling
So I am not completely over-whelmed by your clutch
Knowing that given time enough, you always yield to spring
© Janet Martin