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The growth of big data and IoT has exposed the bottlenecks and failures of traditional storage methods, especially with regards to unstructured data. Object storage addresses these issues, while also providing flexibility, cost-effectiveness, security, and availability—making it ideally suited for hosting unstructured data.
With object storage, data is managed by creating a unique identifier for each item stored. Unlike hierarchically stored data, object storage enables the number of stored items to grow beyond the limits of traditional storage systems, while still maintaining the integrity and consistency of the data.
Object stores also protect every piece of data placed on them by design. No other backup or copy of the data needs to occur. Intrinsically, objects are fully protected, and every object storage system provides protection using two of three possible methods:
- Redundant Nodes
All object storage systems use a multi-node system. Each "node" is a rack-mounted server filled with internal disks. None of the disks use RAID protection. Each disk is formatted and controlled by the object store as an individual place to store objects. By design, nodes are spread out across multiple data centers to provide protection in case of complete site failure.
- Full Object Copy
Some object stores take an object and protect it by making three copies of the object and placing the copies on different nodes. Any individual disk failure or complete node failure is a non-event as there are always two other copies of the object available. A background scan is always running across the object store system to verify the integrity of each object, and if it identifies any damage or missing data, it'll build a new copy of the object.
With some object stores, you can change the protection level to a number of copies other than three.
- Erasure-codes
Other object stores use an erasure-code, an advance mathematical process, to protect data. Here's how it works:
- An object is run through a math process to increase its size with redundant data from the object itself.
- The inflated object is sliced into multiple pieces.
- The different pieces are scattered across all the nodes—and individual disks within each node—in the system.
The goal of these steps is to provide a protection scheme that can be described as #/#/#. A very small protection scheme might be 5/7/13. There are different protection schemes available that use larger numbers. However, in this example:
- The object was expanded and sliced into thirteen pieces.
- Seven of the thirteen pieces are needed to have a read-write version of all the data in the object.
- Only five of the thirteen pieces are needed to have a read-only copy of the data.
By copying the "slices" to as many geographically dispersed nodes as possible, erasure-codes offer full protection against any disk, node, or site failure—while using storage that's 160% to 180% of the original size of the files. By comparison, full object copy protection, in the normal three-copy mode, takes 300% of the original size of the files.
But like full object copy, erasure-code protection includes a scan process running in the background to ensure the integrity of each slice, to verify that all of the slices are present, and to rebuild missing slices as necessary.
We'll continue to explore the inherent benefits of object storage, so come back soon.


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The 2018 model year marked the production of two new Jeep Wrangler models simultaneously: the Jeep Wrangler JK, and the all-new Jeep Wrangler JL. While the 2018 Jeep Wrangler JK continues a decade-old model, the Jeep Wrangler JL offers a new evolution to assume the Wrangler mantle. With a variety of undercarriage adjustments and mechanical enhancements, the Jeep Wrangler JL seeks to rectify drivers' complaints with the Jeep Wrangler JK.
Standalone Hydro-Electric Steering and Reinforced Mechanics
The Jeep Wrangler JK featured an engine-driven power steering system. Due to its linkage with the Wrangler JK's engine, drivers received maximum "steering boost" when the engine was operating at higher RPMs. When tacking off-road trails and terrain, it's often best to avoid spinning your tires at higher engine RPMs to maintain proper control and traction. Due to these two factors, Wrangler JK owners frequently faced a loss of power in steering while navigating trails at slow speeds. The Jeep Wrangler JL solves this issue by utilizing a standalone hydro-electric steering system, that allows for full steering boost to be received regardless of engine RPMs.
Additionally, the Jeep Wrangler JK often encountered shearing of a steering assembly component known as the "pitman arm". This component is responsible for assisting in converting the torsional movement of the rotating gearbox into the lateral movement that turns your wheels. Often, while off-road, the excessive strain on this component could result in the pitman arm snapping or shearing off. To solve this issue, the Jeep Wrangler JL reinforces the steering assembly with an aluminum sector shaft to ensure the components all stay securely in location.
Redesigned Undercarriage - Optimized for Off-Road Usage and Modification
Many Jeep Wrangler owners are avid off-road adventurers. To maximize their Jeep's off-road potential, drivers of the Rubicon trim will often activate their sway bar disconnect, causing enhanced articulation of the wheels and axles. On the Jeep Wrangler JK, the additional travel caused some metal-on-metal rubbing of certain components, and occasional driveshaft and exhaust rubbing. By redesigning the exhaust route, and changing the shock mounts along with other relocated components, the Jeep Wrangler JL neatly tucks away its components for a smooth, uncompromised driving experience - even while fully flexed off-road.
Experience The Improved 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL at Koons Tysons Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
The new Jeep Wrangler JL provides drivers and off-road enthusiasts with the robust off-road aptitude they seek, with a variety of redesigned components and optimized engineering. Stop by Koons Tysons Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram to discover the exceptional performance of the new Jeep Wrangler JL, or give us a call to schedule a test drive!

subset: commoncrawl


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The 5th General Assembly of the Asian Methodist Council (AMC) brought together 104 delegates from Methodist churches in the 12 countries comprising the AMC. Organised by The Methodist Church in Singapore, it was held from 18 to 23 Sep 2018.
The AMC's purpose is to strengthen solidarity, improve cooperation and facilitate information sharing among its churches, so as to maximise the vocation of evangelism, education, fellowship and service in Asia, through cooperation in missions, leadership training, education projects, social services and ecumenical solidarity. In keeping with these goals, the programme for the General Assembly included services, plenary sessions and some meals hosted by Wesley Methodist Church (MC), Paya Lebar MC and Short Street Tamil MC. Wesley MC sponsored all the meals, as well as hotel accommodation for the overseas bishops and pastors. The General Conference WSCS was involved in organising outings for spouses of AMC delegates and a half-day tour for all delegates on the last day of conference.
Striving side by side, with one mind, for the gospel
The Opening Holy Communion Service at Paya Lebar Methodist Church began with a procession of each country's representatives, each carrying their church banners.
Outgoing AMC President, the Rev Dr Lam Sung Che, then preached on the challenges of Christianity in Asia. The world's biggest continent, Asia, houses two-thirds of the world's population, but only 9% identify with the Christian faith even after 400 years of evangelism. Moreover, Asian Christians live in some of the world's poorest countries and their faith is not well-tolerated, he said. Their ability to practise their faith is under constant threat from governments and other religions, while spiritual needs are being sacrificed for money, sex, power and success.
While churches in Asia may seem weak and small compared to other religious institutions, the Rev Dr Lam exhorted Methodists not to be discouraged by the apparent magnitude of the task of reaching the lost in Asia. He encouraged the Church to emulate the Apostle Paul, whose life had a singular focus—to share the gospel. "Great and high goals and dreams are important, but it is more important to divide a great goal into smaller goals, and concrete actions that can be seen and achieved within a shorter period of time," like the Olympic hurdler who runs his race one hurdle at a time to win the gold medal.
The Rev Dr Lam advised against attempting too many things and not doing them well. Instead, he said, we should go and share the gospel in a localised way, among the communities and groups who have never heard the gospel and need it the most, without waiting for an invitation. We should also work together closely and regularly pray for one another.
Challenges and opportunities for Asian churches
The keynote address was delivered by the Rev Dr John Chew, the retired eighth archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore. "With great challenges come overwhelming opportunities," he reminded his hearers. Crisis, he said, begets opportunity, and the pressing question is: "What then?"
Asia, the Rev Dr Chew noted, is in the heart of the storm and we are in its eye, where things seem peaceful, but so much turbulence is swirling around us. He took the participants to the book of Acts, which does not end happily—Stephen has been martyred, Paul is in semi-custody, and the disciples have been pushed outside their comfort zones. Similarly, some of us in the Asian Church will have to undergo great transformation under the hand of God, just as Paul did, in order to be useful.
He cautioned against denominationalism, because no one knows who is leading the charge. We should all take responsibility for spreading the gospel—"it is not your church or my church, but the flock that has been bought by the blood of Christ". One way to win souls is through good works—when we do good to non-Christians, they are more likely to protect the Church.
Leadership and its pitfalls
The morning of 21 Sep saw Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon addressing the topic of "The Leader and the Self"—a matter that not only strikes at the heart of what makes certain parishes more successful than others, but also one that has rarely been thought about or even discussed amongst the clergy who might feel that such a notion belongs to the corporate world rather than an ecclesiastical one.
Casting a constant shadow upon what would otherwise be sound and effective leadership is the notion of the "self"—a major inner opponent that can stymie even the best of leaders. The Christian narrative is one that is rife with such examples, and denying the self is a topic much emphasised by Christ and His disciples.
Referencing American best-selling author and entrepreneur, Ryan Holiday (author of Ego is the Enemy), Bishop Emeritus Dr Solomon pointed out that the unconquered ego is the biggest problem in leadership. He reiterated Holiday's observation that while history is filled with stories of visionaries who remade the world in their image with sheer, almost irrational force, it is at the same time made by individuals who fought their egos at every turn, and put their higher goals above their desire for recognition.
Bishop Emeritus Dr Solomon highlighted five key potential pitfalls to effective church leadership:
- sinful ambition
- dangerous entrepreneurship (the tendency to pride oneself as a go-getter and a trailblazer)
- stardom and celebrity
- professionalism (the overemphasis on skillsets rather than the importance of character and being right with God)
- discouragement, doubt and depression
These pitfalls have a common root in the "self"—when worldly values and perspectives overshadow the imperative to follow God. Possible solutions to steer church leaders away from such traps range from a deliberate effort to pursue humility in the case of sinful ambitions, to open oneself to others' counsel and encouragement when church leaders feel discouraged or mired in self-doubt and depression.
Bishop Dr Solomon concluded with a quote from Methodism's founder, John Wesley: "Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O be not weary of well doing!"
On engaging persons facing same-sex attraction
Dr Roland Chia, Chew Hock Hin Professor of Christian Doctrine at Trinity Theological College, was the second plenary speaker. He shared on the collective efforts of Singapore's Christian community to engage with persons facing same-sex attraction.
The debate over whether Section 377A of the Penal Code, which criminalises sexual relations between men, should be repealed was revived in Singapore following the decision by India, a former British colony, to legalise gay sex in September.
Dr Chia detailed episodes which occurred in the course of Singapore churches' engagement with the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community since 1997. He also presented statistics that highlighted how various local and regional public and governmental institutions have responded to the LGBTQ community's drive to achieve social recognition, as well as graphs showing the results of a survey by the ETHOS Institute for Public Christianity that looked into top-of-the-mind issues amongst local Christian communities concerning LGBTQ issues.
A deeper commitment to the Great Commission
The Closing Service and a farewell lunch was held at Tamil MC at Short Street. Bishop Rodolfo Juan from the Philippines, who serves as the Resident Bishop of the Manila Episcopal Area, gave the sermon in place of the new AMC President, Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung, who had to leave for an overseas engagement.
Bishop Juan preached on humble obedience to the Lord. He cited the example of Simon Peter who, though a fisherman by trade, still took instructions from Jesus, a carpenter, to lower his nets once more after a night of fishing without success. Peter's obedience was rewarded with a catch so huge that it threatened to sink his boat.
Bishop Juan also called for a deeper level of commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission—though it was Jesus' last command, it has to be the Church's first priority.
"Even as we claim the world as our parish, there is still much to do… Let us cast our nets deeper and with greater reach for the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
The 6th AMC General Assembly will take place in 2021.
Jason Woo is the Editorial Executive, and Sheri Goh, Editor, of Methodist Message. They were present at the 5th AMC GA.


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Research in Humanities, Religion & Philosophy
The School of Humanities, Religion and Philosophy is home to a thriving, stimulating and innovative research culture.
Research in the School is organised around the core discipline areas of History, Geography, Theology, Religious Studies and Philosophy, Political Science, English Literature, Creative Writing and Media Studies. The School also has two virtual research centres: The Centre for Religion in Society and The York Centre for Writing.
We have undertaken research in collaboration with a range of external partners in academia, professional and government bodies, NGOs and religious communities and organisations both locally, nationally and internationally.
School Research Lead:
E: email@example.com | T: +44 (0)1904 87657


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10 Perfect Mini Wire Mesh Baskets Solutions
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Other recommended ideas:
Perfect Mini Wire Mesh Baskets Solutions - Whether you're escaping the metropolis for the weekend, camping with the youngsters, on a avenue trip with pals or considering a big purchasing spree, the metallic mesh basket can handle your shipment. Maintain the indoors of your automobile for buddies and circle of relatives as opposed to bulky tools and go away nothing critical behind. Please be aware that your roof rack crossbars ought to be wider than the width of the basket. You can require additional becoming kits to evolve on your roof rack pass bars. Further, please refer to your car producer specs for optimum roof loading contemplating the load of your crossbars and accessories.
The rhino-rack steel mesh basket has the maximum tie-down points viable so your ability to utilise roof area is unrivalled. The basket layout lets in you to without difficulty relaxed rounded shipment to the raised side rails. Easy to put in and get rid of; the mesh basket is the fast alternative for a avenue-ride or when transporting any gear. Mesh baskets are available various sizes for all of your needs. The half lengthy basket is designed so that you can healthy other add-ons alongside it along with ski holders, bikes vendors and extra. A2. The majority want to place the metallic mesh basket within the centre in their automobile for aesthetic motives however keep in mind utilizing the edge of your crossbars in order that while you need to load and sell off your equipment it is simpler.
These cord mesh baskets have a vinyl sleeve at the manage for selling a relaxed grip. The merchandise boxes include a black powder-lined metal stand for placement of the holders. Those cord mesh baskets are made with a brushed silver mesh high-quality for holding small objects. The product holders measure's 12 x nine x 7 (l x w x h). Those cord mesh baskets are available in a fixed of four. Those mesh baskets has a black vinyl cushioned hand grip for at ease wearing. The packing containers are brushed metal for sturdiness. Those mesh baskets include the black powder lined metal stand. The holder is designed to be tip resistant. These mesh baskets have 12 containers in line with set.


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NFHS & US Lacrosse Institute Field Marking Additions to Girls' Lacrosse Diagram
Effective with the 2016 season, Rule 1, Section 9: Two small circles/dots shall be added to the field marking and placed five yards below the goal line in line with the 8-meter mark on goal line extended. These marks will designate the spot for the ball to be put in play when a foul occurs in the critical scoring area below the goal line.
Diagram courtesy of USLacrosse.org


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You date a perfectly nice guy for a few months. You think it's going well. And then suddenly, POOF! He stops responding to texts or calls. He's ghosted you, literally disappeared from your life. Or not? Maybe he has a perfectly good reason to vanish with no explanation.
Honey, no. There is no legit excuse for ghosting, except maybe spontaneous combustion, and even then only if it's fatal. But that doesn't stop women from making excuses for ghosts anyway. Oh, sisters, have you ever given someone a pass like this in the hopes that he'll resurface again someday?
1. It just got too intense, emotionally. Oh yeah, we hear you. Feeling all the feels can be hard ... if you're an immature manchild.
2. He's going through a lot of stuff right now. Yup, and by "stuff" you must mean "dating other people at the same time." Because if he's that into you, he will not let "stuff" get in the way.
3. He is scared of love. It's not love he's scared of. It's cutting off his options and having an adult relationship.
4. It's probably a thing with his phone. Let me guess: He lost his phone, right? Or his contact list suddenly disappeared and he's been desperately trying to reach you but he forgot the Internet exists and also he forgot where you live. I got it.
5. He was intimidated by how awesome I am. Yup, definitely. And yet, you are not awesome enough to deserve a decent breakup conversation.
6. He's suuuper busy with his career. He's not, and anyway, you don't want to date a workaholic.
7. His wife got in the way. Wait, his wife?!?
8. Well, maybe we weren't really dating and ... Admittedly, things can sometimes get a little murky. Maybe what you thought was dating was, for him, a series of hookups. And now he's actually in a relationship with someone new and he's blocked your number. Don't take it personally, but also don't wait for him to come back. He missed the boat.
9. You kind of ghosted him first. You weren't sure how you felt about him so you checked out for a week or two. And then you put out feelers again and he has the nerve to ignore you. What's up with that?!? Self-respect, that's what.
He sucked all the delicious sweetness out of you and then discarded you like a wad of stale bubblegum. It's confusing because he seemed so happy with you. It also feels rotten and you don't deserve it. So don't let him do it again. Don't make excuses for him, and if he contacts you again, don't respond. Move on, lady. Make room in your life for a real man.
Image via elwynn/Shutterstock


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Neum and the Dalmatian Coast in Bosnia & Herzegovina
What do you know about Bosnia? Probably the war, probably a vague knowledge of its geographic position as "somewhere in Eastern Europe," probably that it once was part of Yugoslavia, probably not much else. But did you know that this little-landlocked country isn't landlocked? The town of Neum actually splits Croatia in two (anyone driving from Dubrovnik to Split must pass through it). It's certainly true that, even just passing through, one can see the socioeconomic difference between these two Balkan countries; Croatia has a certain shine to it that Bosnia does not–but that doesn't stop the view from being gorgeous! While Mostar is probably Bosnia's crown jewel, it's still exciting to pass through this small town and take a moment to remember all this little country has been through in recent years. While one day, I'd love to visit the beautiful Mostar and its famous bridge, for now, I can make due with Bosnia's little slice of the Dalmatian Coast!


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After spending yesterday in the 'Therapy Cupboard' colouring and stitcherizing 🙂 this is the result. A new full sized colour pattern with full colour instructions!! (24″ x 51″ finished)
I hope you like it?
Message me if you would like to purchase the pattern, £10 +p&p.
My new website shop will be up and running on Sunday and will be available on there too.


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Tour Eiffel brooch by YSL
Another tribute to the city of love by YSL, this time representing the iconic silhouette of the Eiffel Tower.
Gold tone metal brooch pin. Vintage, from the '80s.
– Label reads: "YSL Made in France" signed at the back.
– Made (and bought) in France.
– Perfect Vintage Condition.
Please note: we have a shipping flat rate in case there's anything else you may like.
Sold Out


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January 10, 2017
Porsche Cayman
Porsche Cayman
A woman traveling on Highway 101 in San Mateo was forced to pull over when her Porsche suddenly caught fire. A California Highway Patrol officer said the cause of the fire remains unknown and luckily no one was injured when the car became fully engulfed near the Hillsdale Boulevard exit. - See more at: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2016-02-11/one-hot-car/1776425158278.html#sthash.e2Fh1KLF.dpuf


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The M & Bookatable Young Chef of the Year Contest is back for its third year, showcasing the wealth of great young talent in the industry. Following grueling heats in London and Manchester, the finalists will now each host their own pop-up night, with points awarded by both judges and diners – and with top chefs such as Adam Handling and James Knappett on the judging panel, the heat is on.
The chefs will be judged on the quality of their 4-course menu, but also on their approach to sustainability and their ability to demonstrate a zero-waste philosophy and ethical sourcing of produce. The winner will not only be crowned Young Chef of the Year 2019, but they will get the chance to cook their signature dish at the awards ceremony on 4 September, as well as receiving mentoring from M Restaurants Culinary Director Mike Reid, and a trip to Champagne courtesy of Champagne Pommery.
Sixteen talented chefs have made the final stages, and will be serving their signature menus throughout July. Find out more about the chefs below, and click book to sample cooking from what could be the next big name in the restaurant world… and remember, 50% of the finalists' scores are awarded by diners, so this is your chance to help crown 2019's Young Chef of the Year.
Patrick Metselaar – From Kricket: Tuesday 9th July
Lilly Stock – From Boodle's: Wednesday 10th July
Jamie Warley – From St Ermin's Hotel: Thursday 11th July
Stefano Camplone – From Barge East: Friday 12th July
John Carreon – From Holiday Inn: Saturday 13th July
Davide Mastrangeli – Fairmont: Tuesday 16th July
Jordan Kerridge – From The Stafford Hotel: Wednesday 17th July
Kishun Chhiba – From The Cinnamon Club: Thursday 18th July
Milan Maffioli – Bokan 37: Friday 19th July
Lucy Wigmore – From Tewin Bury Farm Hotel: Saturday 20th July
Luke Bryan – From Kricket: Tuesday 23rd July
Roberto Teccolo – From Umu: Wednesday 24th July
Matthew Hurry – From Laurent at Hotel Café Royal: Thursday 25th July
Salvatore Ascolese – From Gaucho: Friday 26th July
Will Bowman Smith – From The Red Lion: Tuesday 30th July
Michael Turner – From Gordon Ramsay Restaurants: Wednesday 31st July


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Knowing who you have to become to live the legacy lifestyle is about becoming the Read More
Faith, in yourself and something even bigger, is the cornerstone to building the life you Read More
And still felt like a failure… I live a very goal-oriented, outcome-based life. That applies to Read More
You can program yourself to become ruthlessly committed. And it's easier than you may think. Read More
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I am living life on my terms. And you can too! Why run 50k's? Why Read More
What Legacy are you creating in your life right now? We often get caught up Read More
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Championship is an aim of winning, and leadership is setting an example for those Read More
If you're the leader of champions you set an example for EVERYONE to follow. Read More
Championship leaders are the best of the best: those who are creating paths for Read More
Pick up Ryan's latest life changing book that will transform your life called "G-Code". Buy Read More
Not paying attention to details can derail even your best efforts. For those of you Read More
You cannot create a life that never has conflict or hardships. Believing that is possible Read More
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It's how you show up when things get rough that define you. A while back Read More
Each and every day you have to make the choice to show up. But that's Read More
Your "Why" is your Holy Cause. No matter what your "Why" is. Holy Cause is Read More


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City of Manhattan BeachHome Menu
Parking Enforcement
Parking Enforcement duties are provided by Community Services Officers, who work collectively with Area Traffic Officers and Neighborhood Watch Block Captains to minimize parking problems in residential neighborhoods.
Responsibilities include managing limited parking resources through effective enforcement, investigating municipal code violations, monitoring parking and traffic flow at construction sites, and providing traffic control for accidents and street closures because of incidents (power lines down, gas leaks, hazardous material spills, etc.
- Pay a Parking Ticket or Contest a Parking Ticket
- Parking Tips & Common Vehicle Code Violations
- Detached Trailer and Oversized Vehicle Parking Regulations
- Parking and Animal Control FAQs
Parking and Animal Control duties are fulfilled by Community Services Officers (CSOs). Community Services Officers perform a variety of non-sworn duties, including enforcing parking regulations by vehicle or foot patrol, assisting with animal control matters, assisting with licensing activities, and inspecting, investigating, and citing municipal code violations. CSOs are civilian employees who wear uniforms, but are unarmed.
Their primary functions are parking enforcement and animal control, although CSOs serve many secondary functions such as supporting the Traffic and Patrol Sections, assisting the Fire Department, and responding to general emergencies as needed. CSOs regularly coordinate with other city departments, and this teamwork helps ensure the success of our community's numerous special events.Our officers will do their best to:
- Provide consistent and effective enforcement of all parking laws
- Work with the Community Development Department and contractors to address parking concerns at specific construction sites
- Be proactive toward problem solving as a result of complaints or calls for service
- Work collaboratively with residents on specific parking violation concerns to enhance a safe community.


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Transitioning a Liturgy
By Lee Gatiss
Dec. 12, 2018
Lee Gatiss examines episcopal guidance on celebrating gender transition published yesterday.
The House of Bishops of the Church of England has issued guidance on the use of liturgy to mark and celebrate a person's gender transition. This follows a statement from the Bishops in January (responding to a motion at General Synod in July 2017) that the existing rite of affirmation of baptismal faith could be used for this purpose.
Church Society and other groups responded then, as we also have on previous occasions (see below for examples). We continue to have extremely serious concerns.
The bishops start by affirming that all people are welcome at church and celebrating the diversity of the body of Christ. Those are things that every evangelical Christian would want to endorse enthusiastically. Our astonishment at God's amazing grace, that embraces even a sinner like me, drives us to want others to share in that too.
However, this guidance is highly problematic for a number of reasons:
Distorting liturgy
As we noted back in January, this liturgy is not fit for this purpose. There is nothing in it that looks like a naming ceremony, so it is odd to use it to mark and celebrate a person's gender transition. The transition it is intended to celebrate is a transition to public faith in Christ via repentance and baptism, not a transition from male to female or female to male via medical or cosmetic alterations.
A Christian service will always have a penitent, sorrowful aspect, as well as notes of celebration.
Salvation demands repentance, an acknowledgement that our sin has marred our past. The impact of our fallen world on our past also calls for lament and intercession. By specifying only "celebration", therefore, this guidance smothers a vital aspect of a truly gospel-shaped liturgy. Focusing on unqualified affirmation and being "guided by the wishes of the candidate" does not help clergy know what to do when they find those wishes to be contrary to Scripture and the wider liturgical framework.
The repurposing of liturgy like this is troubling. As a church whose doctrine is derived from Scripture and expressed in our liturgy, transitioning the meaning and purpose of liturgy looks like changing our fundamental doctrine by stealth.
Why is what this says a problem?
The Affirmation of Baptismal Faith, as the name suggests, has at its heart the same declaration of faith used in the service of baptism.
There, candidates are asked (along with the whole church) whether they "believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth."
However, to use this service to mark and celebrate a person's gender transition undermines the words spoken. The new context asserts that God's creation -- whereby humankind is made male and female -- is not good, such that it needs to be remade, sometimes aggressively physically, at the deep level of a person's identity. It is true that the Fall has introduced a diversity of psychological and biological problems into our embodied existence. Nevertheless the scientific basis, let alone the theological and ethical basis, of medical intervention or social transition in response to gender dysphoria is far from established.
The candidates are asked (along with the whole church) whether they "believe in Jesus Christ, [God's] only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, [and] born of the Virgin Mary..."
At this time of year, churches up and down the country and across the world are preparing to celebrate the wonderful mystery of the incarnation, in which the eternal Son of God took to himself a human nature "for us and for our salvation." At countless services, the glorious words of John chapter 1 will again be heard: "the word became flesh and dwelt among us." That language of "flesh" is theologically rich, and clearly means more than just referring to him having a body. However, it does not mean less than that: Jesus's incarnation not only reveals God to us, he also reveals the nature of our own humanity, that our physical embodiment matters and is a good gift of the good God. That includes the gift of being male or female.
The candidates are asked (along with the whole church) whether they "believe in God the Holy Spirit..."
The Holy Spirit, as he dwells in his people, makes us new by giving us new hearts, new desires, enabling us to put self to death as we take up our cross and follow the Lord Jesus (in the company of all the "communion of saints"). That battle is constant and unending, hence the need to be called to faith in "the forgiveness of sins." Which means that throughout this life we will all experience, in different ways, disordered desires and conflicting identities -- until we arrive at the "resurrection of the body" at the return of the Lord Jesus.
Does this matter?
Some may say that this guidance is not as radical as it could have been, for various reasons (e.g. it is not providing a new liturgy as such, which some demanded, or allowing re-baptism). We gladly acknowledge the role that some of the evangelical bishops, in particular, have played in that. However, that does not mean that it is not bad, and worryingly so.
One point especially has already attracted a degree of confusion: The fact that the bishop's statement is described as "guidance" has meant that some have taken this to be of no real force, just offering some guidelines that people may follow or not as they wish and so will not have any impact.
This misses the role that bishops' guidance has. It is the basis on which many liturgical texts and practices are permitted within the Church of England. Previous "pastoral guidance" issued by the House of Bishops was also recognised as evidence for the doctrine of the Church of England, in the Pemberton Employment Appeal Tribunal for example, with disciplinary consequences.
Others, seeing all this, have expressed concern that churches will be forced to offer this service. That concern may be misplaced -- since it is "pastoral guidance" there is pastoral discretion whether to offer the service or not. It does not seem mandatory to do so, though some clarity on that would be welcomed because this could have significant impact on those who in good conscience cannot follow this guidance and celebrate an action that they would consider regrettable, unwise, and even wrong (on the basis of some scientific studies as well as from a theological point of view).
However, even though this may not change what happens in a particular parish church, it does affect the context within which we all operate, and it sends conflicting signals to our communities and our nation. It strongly implies that gender transition is a good thing to do, which most are far from convinced it is.
In other ways, this is also deeply un-pastoral. The guidance says, "If members of their family are to be present, the minister will wish to be sensitive to their pastoral needs." Yet it fails to give any pastoral guidance on how to deal with pertinent complexities, such as how to be sensitive to those family members who may have been negatively impacted by a transition (e.g. because it precipitated a marital breakdown or other pastoral difficulties) and who may be deeply hurt by the holding of such a service.
There are two consequences for our situation in the Church of England: one for the bishops and one for evangelicals more generally.
As Anglicans, we take our bishops seriously. However, offering pastoral guidance that has no clear or careful engagement with Scripture and doctrine makes that harder. The bishops suggest various biblical readings as "appropriate" for a celebration of transition, such as Genesis 17 where God changes Sarai's name to Sarah, and Genesis 32 where Jacob is given the new name Israel. These suggest a highly superficial handling of Scripture to make them seem relevant.
It would have been much better to act on more substantial and careful theological and biblical reflection, perhaps in the forthcoming suite of documents called Living in Love and Faith that we are promised in 2020. It is a great pity this has been pre-empted.
Moreover, the bishops' denial that they are offering new services or changing official doctrine, paired with the repurposing of liturgy for a new and different context, will feel like sophistry to many. This too will make it more difficult to trust our bishops, and a great many will refuse point blank to follow this guidance and hold such services, whatever the cost may be for doing so.
Secondly, as evangelicals, we care deeply about people -- both in this life and for the life to come. We rely daily on the promise of Jesus that "the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). There is no tension between the truth of God's word and loving people: if we love them, we will want to share with them the truth that we have received.
That is why we care about issues within the Church of England -- because the people it serves are important to us and to God. At this time of year, countless churches will be sharing God's gracious welcome with people and pointing them to the Son of God, born to bear our sin and our brokenness so that we might be made whole.
That is where our heartbeat is. Yet, because we want to see that wholeness brought into the whole of people's lives, we have to care about issues like this.
Regrettably, however, there will be people who find themselves more estranged from the Church of England as a result of the bishops' statement.
Recent articles on transgender issues from our blog:
Tim Edwards responds to the bishops' advice on welcoming transgender people into church using the existing Affirmation of Baptism service.
Ed Keene reviews Martin Davie's book on the issue of proposed transgender liturgies.
Tom Woolford reviews Vaughan Roberts book Transgender.
Peter Ould explores the confusing issue of gender dysphoria.
John Percival responds to the Church of England's report on homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic bullying.
Dr Lee Gatiss is the Director of Church Society. He wishes to thank the Revd Tim Edwards, the Rector of St Katharine's, Knockholt and St Margaret's, Halstead for his very significant contributions to this post.
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Asia's Wild Ride Is Getting Wilder
By Yeoh Siew Hoon, Travel Weekly (U.S.) | Nov. 15, 2016
Online travel in Asia was in its very early days. The only people taking it seriously were the handful of online travel companies that had just launched here -- names such as MakeMyTrip, Qunar, Ctrip and Zuji -- and hotel brands that were just beginning to set up distribution and e-commerce teams in the region.
(The first WIT was also memorable because we had a blackout during the opening keynote session featuring the owner of the hotel group whose property was the site of our event. You never forget that.)
Fast-forward to 2016. Last month, we celebrated 12 years of WIT with our annual conference, which drew 530 attendees to Singapore's Marina Bay Sands, and it was amazing to reflect on how far Asia had come in terms of online travel as well as project what the future holds.
Twelve years ago, it was clear that Asia was behind the curve. The common wisdom was, let's look to the U.S. for lessons because three to five years down the road the trends would come to our region. So our content was more about what the major international brands such as Expedia, Hotels.com and Booking.com were doing and what we could learn from them.
Asia Forging Its Own Way Forward
In 2016, it is clear that Asia has found its own way. In fact, in some instances, it is leading the way in terms of innovation. China, in particular, is setting the pace in mobile.
Melissa Yang, co-founder of Tujia, China's leading vacation-rentals site, said the reason why WeChat had a better user experience than Facebook Messenger was because it had been designed purely for mobile. In China, she said, when friends go out for meals, one pays and everyone taps their phones to transfer funds to that person. It's a paradigm shift in payments and shows the way messaging apps have become the new distribution channels.
Speaking at an airline conference last week in Amsterdam, Pieter Elbers, president and CEO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, said that WeChat was paving the way in innovation for Western companies. He added that the KLM shop on Alibaba attracted more visitors each day than the airline's own website drew in an entire year.
In his first appearance at WIT, Kayak CEO Steve Hafner said his company was making a serious commitment to Asia, and he was pleased with the growth it was seeing. He confessed to making a mistake 12 years ago when he turned down an offer for 25% of Qunar. The offer came from Fritz Demopoulos, co-founder of the Chinese metasearch giant, which was eventually acquired by Baidu and later by Ctrip.
Google executives also took the WIT stage for the first time to share their travel plans. Eric Zimmerman, director of Google Travel, reassured those in the audience that the company was out to make travel easier for customers, not to eat the industry's lunch.
"We're very focused on a wide gamut of travel problems," Zimmerman said. "Many of them overlap with things people [in the industry] are doing, but a lot of them aren't. We're really excited to connect with users to help them finish with their paths and move on to have a really nice trip. That's what matters to us."
Expedia, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, has clearly grown wiser through its experience in Asia, where its joint venture with AirAsia gave it a local partner that knows the area well and has regional reach. The AirAsia group has flown 60 million passengers in its 15 years of operations and is one of the largest people movers in the region.
Senior Expedia executives Cyril Ranque (lodging partner services) and Greg Schulze (in charge of anything that moves as senior vice president of commercial strategy and services) went onstage to share what Expedia was doing in the region.
Ranque said the tipping point for Expedia came when "we agreed to lock away our egos in the closet" and worked as a team to harness the global opportunity. Schulze relocated to Singapore in January to be in the thick of the region, the first time a global head at Expedia has been based in Asia.
Don't Ignore the Local Giants
But as important as the global brands are in terms of how they are expanding and investing more resources into the region, the diversity of Asia also means there has been plenty of room for homegrown brands to grow and consolidate the hold in their markets during the past 12 years. What's more, all are innovating to stay ahead.
According to Phocuswright, Ctrip is the world's third largest OTA, in terms of global gross bookings, after Expedia and Priceline, and there seems to be no slowing its momentum. Earlier this year, it invested US$180 million in India's MakeMyTrip, the other OTA giant in Asia. As WIT opened, there came the news that MakeMyTrip was merging with Goibibo, a move straight out of the Ctrip playbook: Buy out the competitor that's creating havoc in your market.
Jenny Wu, Ctrip's chief strategy officer, called it a milestone for the India market and said the consolidation would enable the two companies to "make a truce, put irrational competition aside and now refocus their energy on the real business and to think about how to improve products, efficiency and service for customers."
What's interesting is Ctrip's strategy to bring the offline market online, where the bulk of travel is still sold in Asia. That same week, it bought a controlling interest in Traveling Bestone, which has more than 5,000 brick-and-mortar storefronts in smaller cities in mainland China.
Wu said she watched the company for two years and found it had made great progress on its mobile platform. "The key to crack the online segment is to bring the offline online," she said. "It will help speed up penetration in lower-tier cities."
Alitrip is also not to be discounted. Being part of the massive Alibaba marketplace gives it power and customer reach. On Singles Day (Nov. 11, 2015), the one day when China's singles go crazy on shopping, Alitrip recorded 1.5 billion transactions and sold more than 800,000 outbound products, 860,000 room nights and 300,000 international plane tickets.
In Japan, Rakuten Travel recorded US$4.7 billion in gross merchandise sales in 2015, a 16.4% growth over the previous year, selling 39 million room nights. As part of the Rakuten marketplace, it has access to customer data, which it is using to become a matching platform between hoteliers and customers rather than a booking platform, and its membership-based model differentiates it from other OTAs in the market.
In South Korea, the daily-deals site Tmon has emerged from out of nowhere to become one of the top three players in travel, thanks to the swing toward mobile commerce in that mobile-savvy market.
So what will it take to compete in Asia during the next 12 years?
Patience. Asia is a long-term game. Even if Kayak's Hafner had taken up the 25% offer in Qunar, he would have had to wait at least eight years before he saw rewards. But what a reward it would have been.
I can rattle off the rest -- commitment, talent, the right partners -- but I think the most essential quality you need is the courage to disrupt yourself.
When asked who Ctrip's competition was, Wu replied, "Ourselves. Whether it is for a company or person, the most competition should be yourself. You should challenge yourself and go beyond your boundaries. Think about how to challenge yourself and go beyond your boundaries to achieve another level of success in a more efficient way."
So if you think the last 12 years has been a time of rapid change, you ain't seen nothing yet in Asia. Prepare yourself for a wild ride into the future.
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$60.00 - Digging In: Real Estate Litigation in the District of Columbia - Non-Member Price
$50.00 - Digging In: Real Estate Litigation in the District of Columbia - Member Price
Course book from CLE classes presented on July 18 and 25, 2017.
Description: Learn the law and practice of real estate litigation in the District of Columbia, focusing on current issues dealing with boundary disputes, foreclosure practice, easements, and more. Faculty will guide you through the initial case evaluation of a real estate case, motions practice, and pretrial discovery. Using examples from actual real estate trials, you also will learn trial techniques and strategies to use when trying complex real estate cases.
To preview this publication, please
click here.
To order materials in hard copy, please contact the D.C. Bar CLE Office at
202-626-3488. Additional charges of $20 per book will apply for printing and
shipping. Please allow ten business days for books to ship.


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Viking Skull Mug (Various Designs)
Questions?Email us or call us at +1 (650) 645 9944.
- Large and empowering tankard features the skull of a Viking warrior.
- Hand painted skull and helmet details on quality cast resin.
- 100% stainless steel insert for ease of cleaning.
- Hand wash only. Not dishwasher safe. Not microwave safe.
- Holds 13.5 oz / 400 ml
- Available in 2 designs: Viking Skull Mug & Battleaxe Skull Mug.
- Approx. 4.3" x 5.9" x 3.9" / 11 cm x 15 cm x 10 cm
Bottoms up in true warrior style with the Viking Skull tankard! This stunningly realistic mug is great for holding both hot and cold beverages including ale, lager, coffee, tea and more! Painstakingly painted by hand, this gothic drinking vessel will get your friends talking and impress the socks off them. Makes for a truly terrifying gift.
It arrived quickly, and that is impressive considering I live in Alaska. The beer mug, that's what I'm calling it anyway LOL, it is nice and sturdy and looks awesome!
Very pleased with the service I received, especially with the way you handled my problem with an order. Thanks for helping so quickly.
Great love the size and quality
Too nice to use. I'll display it as an ornament for now, and use it from time to time. Well pleased :-)
I'm engaged in a building project and decided to present 3 mugs to 3 workers in recognition and acknowledgement of their efforts. They loved them! Seriously they loved them!


text: Tell us what you are looking for! Give us as much information as possible as to what your needs and wants are so we can best assist you in getting into your dream home when you are ready to move. To look at what is active now just click the 'SEARCH FOR PROPERTY' link in the header toolbar above


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You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image.
Donald Trump thinks that Meghan, wife of Britain's Prince Harry, is "very nice" even if she has been "nasty" to him, the US President says in pre-released extracts of a broadcast interview.
The rest of the wide-ranging interview, which ITV said would touch on Iran, climate change and Brexit, would be broadcast on Wednesday.
Meghan Markle, a US-born actress and now the Duchess of Sussex, married Harry, a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II last year, having criticised Trump during his 2016 election campaign.
"She was nasty to me. And that's OK for her to be nasty. It's not good for me to be nasty to her and I wasn't."
The comments add to confusion surrounding Trump's feelings about the royal.
In an interview with British tabloid the Sun ahead of his trip, Trump was confronted with Meghan's 2016 comment that she would move to Canada if he won the presidency.
Trump said he was unaware she made that comment and said on audio tape: "I didn't know that she was nasty."
The comment sparked renewed criticism of how the president talks about women, but he denied calling Meghan nasty in a tweet on Sunday.
He sought to clarify further in the ITV interview.
"I wasn't referring to she's nasty. I said she was nasty about me. And essentially I didn't know she was nasty about me," Trump told ITV.
Trump is in Britain for a state visit, which will conclude on Wednesday when he goes to Portsmouth to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings of World War 2.
Trump and his wife Melania dined with Queen and her family on Monday at a state banquet. He toasted Elizabeth at the dinner and on Tuesday described her as a fantastic person.
The President also had warm words for Harry after meeting him at Buckingham Palace.
"I think he's a terrific guy. The royal family is really nice," Trump told ITV. "He couldn't have been nicer."


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Join forces with us against the root causes of global poverty, inequality and injustice.
Celebrating the Grunwick strike 40 years on
It's been 40 years since the Grunwick strike ended. On this day in 1976, six Asian women workers at Grunwick factory walked out in protest over the sacking of a fellow worker. The strikers were challenging racist and sexist abuse, and poverty wages.
By 2nd September, 137 workers were out on strike from their jobs at Grunwick, a photo processing plant in Willesden, North-West London. They demanded the right to form a trade union and have it recognised by their employer. They were sacked for doing so.
Led by Jayaben Desai, for the next two years, the workers – mainly Asian women from East Africa – turned the strike into a national movement for human rights and dignity.
The strike was also the first time that the Special Patrol Group (SPG), a notorious paramilitary police unit, had been deployed in an industrial dispute. The SPG had previously been the focus of many black community campaigns around police racism.
War on Want was proud to have supported the struggle of the Grunwick strikers, alongside workers and trade unionists from across the country, in what was one of the longest and most bitter labour struggles in British history.
The Grunwick dispute was also the first black and migrant worker struggle that won widespread support from the labour movement and beyond. Previous disputes involving black workers had been ignored by the trade union movement, or faced open racism from white union members and their leaders.
The lessons of that strike were as relevant then as they are now:
1) The labour movement must work with black and migrant workers in an intersectional response to tackle race, class and gender injustices.
2) We must stand in solidarity against the racists who blame black and migrant workers for the failures of free market economics.
3) Poverty wages, caused by the deregulation of the labour market and the weakening of trade unions, continue to disproportionately affect black and migrant workers.
The solution then and now is active solidarity with black and migrant workers, such as those in todays 'gig economy'. Like the Grunwick strikers, black and migrant workers today are at the forefront of struggles to tackle precarious work, outsourcing and privatisation – the drivers of low pay and insecurity across the economy. Only by standing with migrant workers and ending precarious contracts can we win rights at work for every worker.
Learn more about the Grunwick dispute.
Find out about the latest victory in the fight for migrant workers' rights in the UK.


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De-Moulding Agent
SmartForm 100
Form Oil
SmartForm 100 is a ready-to-use light brownish liquid consisting of mineral oils and chemicals that provides excellent mold release properties. It operates by building up a water repellent interface which protects both steel and timber formwork thus giving uniformity of colour and texture to the concrete.
More Info
- Steel molds in pre-cast yards
- In-situ operation
- Timber formwork
- Suitable for all types of formwork
- Prevents corrosion of steel formwork
- Ensures high quality concrete appearance
- Non-staining
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SmartForm 200
Water-Based De-Moulding Agent
SmartForm 200 is a water-based, non-toxic surface consolidation agent with excellent form release properties. It works with all types of formwork including wood, steel, polyester or plywood where good surface finish and optimum release is required.
More Info
- In-place concrete
- Pre-stressed concrete
- Pre-cast concrete using steam curing process
- Reduces repair cost of defects
- Non-staining properties
- Reduces the need to clean forms frequently
- Promotes easy and efficient stripping of forms
- Suitable for both interior and exterior applications
- Easy and inexpensive to apply via spray
- Reduces rusting of steel forms
- High flash point which reduces risk of fire


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Cooking should start young. Not only does this teach cooking skills for life, but it encourages creativity and can hopefully broaden the types of food kids will eat – not to mention parents get a break from the cooking! Below we explore 3 simple ways to spread the cooking and share the love of food!
Start with small tasks
Start your child off with a small task, this could be whisking a cookie mixture, washing up or even licking the spoon. Small steps will be easily accomplished, leading to success and encouraging the child to continue to help in the future. Then, gradually increase the complexity, variety and number of tasks as they gain confidence, and age!
Set aside a day each week where they are in charge of cooking
Let the child take charge of cooking. Let them pick a recipe each week and assign which family member does what. Make sure to always be at hand and oversee the process, helping them out with complex tasks and new cooking methods. Remember, you set the example and they will be learning all they know from you.
Homemade Pizza and Cupcakes with the Niece! #cognitivecuisine #cc #foodforthought #foodie #foodpic #foodporn #foodstagram #food #dinner #itswhatsfordinner #dinnerisserved #delicious #eat #goodeats #igfood #tasty #yum #yummy #plate #plating #pizza #cupcakes #cupcake #niece #kidsinthekitchen #kids #cookingwithkids
Use a service
For busy parents, using a service such as WOOP can help the children get involved with minimal help from parents. All the recipe instructions are provided, all the ingredients are colour coded and the recipes are quick and easy to prepare. Always be nearby to provide support and help smaller children with tasks that involve the oven or hobs.


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The Macallan Estate Reserve forms part of The 1824 Collection and is a classic style of Macallan that includes a parcel of specially selected casks to deliver great richness and intensity.
A liquid gold appearance with with notes of citrus and boiled sweets.
Burnished Gold
Lemon citrus, then orange peel and an interlacing sweetness that softens but doesn't eliminate the zest. A quiet note of vanilla is followed by dark chocolate with lingering floral and light oak notes.
Citrus and boiled sweets rule the palate, along with hints of ginger and cinnamon, while soft oak tones reveal toasted apples.
Medium sweet, malty and slightly dry.


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Red and the Underground Railroad
Did you know that in the mid-1800's Jacksonville served as a haven for those wishing to escape the horror of slavery? When our 14-year-old Assistant Innkeeper was much younger, she read a children's book introducing the Underground Railroad (UGRR). Those of you who've gotten to know her won't be surprised to hear that when a guest asked about our local Underground Railroad sites, Valerie quickly replied, "Just so you know, it was neither underground, nor was it a railroad!" Truth in advertising, I guess. We adults had a good laugh. I never figured out if she'd read that line somewhere, or if it was just something her very logical mind put together. She didn't want them to be disappointed!
We have nine Underground Railroad sites in the Jacksonville area, more than most other towns in Illinois. According to the Jacksonville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau site, Benjamin Henderson, a former slave, came to Jacksonville in 1841 and immediately began working with the Underground Railroad. Edward Beecher, Harriet Beecher Stowe's brother and the first president of Illinois College, was a strong, well-educated Abolitionist. "These men and countless others kept the spirited torch of freedom burning bright."
Red visited the historic Woodlawn Farm, an early agricultural center and the "showcase homestead" on Jacksonville's Underground Railroad tour. Woodlawn is open for seasonal tours and by appointment. Additional local homes with significance in the Underground Railroad include The Benjamin Grierson Mansion, The Asa Talcott Home, The Gillett House, The Clay House, the Congregational Church and Illinois College. Join one of the organized Underground Railroad Bus Tours or spend part of your day following the path between these UGRR sites. We can give you a great brochure to guide your way.
Jacksonville is also well known for something else… something manufactured by a local company.
Can you identify the item next to Red in this picture? It's also a seat of sorts. It's manufactured in Jacksonville, by the Eli Bridge Company. Here's another clue: you can find several more of these in our Community Park. Have you figured it out, yet?
Now, do you know what it is? It's an amusement ride seat! The first photo shows one of the seats converted into one of the benches you may find downtown in Central Park. Community Park, at the corner of Main and Morton, offers a full Big Eli wheel, similar to a Ferris wheel, operated by the Rotary Club on sunny summer afternoons. Red didn't get a chance to take a ride, but we did make a visit. The family-owned Eli Bridge Company has a wonderful history and is still in operation in Jacksonville, today. In addition to the big wheels, they also make the Scrambler and other amusement rides. I'm not a big spinner, but I do enjoy a ride on a good wheel… as long as it's not stopping and starting every minute and a half!
Red casts a long shadow.
This final photo was taken at Illinois College. Thanks to Tiffany / Warmowski Photography Red visited a variety of sites throughout the Jacksonville area, some old and some new. Check in next week to learn more about our Red Chair photographer, Tiffany Warmowski.
For a compilation of Red Chair Travels blogs, visit http://www.redchairtravels.com/blog.html. For a complete view of Red Chair photos, visit http://www.redchairtravels.com and get ready to be inspired. To learn more about Blessings on State Bed & Breakfast visit www.BlessingsOnState.com or call 217.245.1013.
Photos: Tiffany/Warmowski Photography
About Blessings on State Bed & Breakfast
Experience a stay in our award-winning Bed & Breakfast located in a magnificently restored 130-year-old mansion in the heart of the historic district. Pampered luxury is our goal, to delight both business and leisure travelers. We offer two upscale guest suites, each with private sitting rooms and private baths. We provide multi-course gourmet breakfasts, 24/7 family-friendly hot and cold beverages and snacks, and cookies and milk at bedtime. Wi-Fi is available throughout our home and each suite has a digital satellite TV and all-season fireplace. We are located just steps away from Illinois College, the Governor Duncan Mansion and Illinois School for the Deaf and our neighborhood is highlighted on one of Jacksonville's historic walking tours. Escape the standard hotel room and enjoy your own private suite in the finest Jacksonville area lodging.


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Anrealage proposes a collection inspired by the deconstruction of forms that modify the whole shape of the body, enriching the femine figure.Read More
Time to be Mermaids
[:en] from somalinet from Designer Scene Who amongst us-as little girls-can affirm to have not dreamed of being a mermaid? Sea-dwelling creatures, mermaids fascinate all of us. Mermaids evoke in fact a sense of fantastic and magic, an awe at the unknown, the adventurous. Mermaids represent the promise of forbidden fruits. So every grown […]Read More
Borrowing from Spores!
Nature is one of the major sources of inspiration for designers. For nature offers a great deal of colours, materials and patterns to start off with. And, for the next seasons, the theme that the fashion world will borrow is that of spores. The morphology of spores combined with a vivid range of colours will […]Read More
Wedges: The Way out
High heels are beautiful to see on women. They slender the feminine figure, by highlighting the art of the body. High heels make a woman sexy, elegant, intriguing, fascinating and more confident in herself. However, in a world where women run from a place to another, where comfort has an increasingly role, more and more women […]Read More


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The topic of the team meeting was this blog and how we want to/will use it in the future.
We decided upon a couple of things:
– to just have a link rather than also the latest blog post on our KTH sustainability team webpage.
– send an e-mail to about updating the team webpage (we don't have access ourselves)
– change the blog theme and banner picture when we find something more suitable.
– write a blog post about each sustainability team publication (i.e. every article we hang in our physical "team publication tree"). Possibly a copy of the abstract with some added-value comments that gives a little context about the paper (why it was written, about the process, what will happen to the text afterwards (aims, goals) etc.).
– add a page about publications (and links to the each publication and/or a blog post about that publication)
– to write students' thesis (bachelor's, master's) proposals and also to date (year, month) when they were published/updated.
Next meeting will be Tuesday April 9 at 12-13 in the sofas at Media Technology (all seminar rooms are booked)!


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It's time to move past the limitations of traditional platforms. Learn the key dimensions to consider when choosing the right software architecture for your business.
Software platforms have come a long way over the years, ping-ponging between converged and distributed systems of processing as technology evolves. It started with mainframes (very converged), then client-server (distributed), then the web server/browser (converged again) and we are now back in a massively distributed era. Information is processed on myriad mobile platforms, voice, AR/VR, and across numerous operating systems and devices. This makes it possible to do a lot of new things for your users, but it also adds tremendous complexity.
It once made sense to try and address your business needs with an all-in-one platform, but these days, do you really need another rigid platform, or everything that comes along with a SOA? That's the wrong way to think about solving today's business and technology problems. Many organizations want to move from commercial JavaEE applications servers like IBM WebSphere to open source alternatives like Red Hat. And while this may make sense from a licensing perspective, organizations need to think beyond these technologies to new forms of architecture.
Architectures have developed to the point where you no longer need to consider a closed, restrictive off-the-shelf platform. Platforms like that are liable to become outdated over time and inflexible when it comes to addressing the changing needs of the business. By carefully evaluating on an architecture level instead, you can solve your problems in a more tailored way for your business that enables greater efficiency and long-term success. A MASA is a great example of this kind of architectural design.
At Progress, we believe that instead of picking a monolithic platform, you should be able to pick the right technology for the right business initiatives. There are a number of key dimensions that factor into determining the right architecture for your business. By evaluating along these lines, you'll be able to ensure that you are choosing solutions that take advantage of today's technologies and can deliver the success you need for the long term.
Abstraction makes it easier to isolate capabilities and reduce complex dependencies between application code and development teams.
Benefits of Architecture Abstraction
• Facilitates teamwork—Allows different teams to focus on their area of specialization and reduces complexity so the teams can build using an agile approach.
• Encourages participation—An API approach lets you more easily integrate capabilities from other systems, as well as expose your own capabilities to partners and customers.
• Future-proof—Promotes the re-use of business logic and data from multiple interface types, including new types like chatbots, etc.
By designing your architecture with microservices, applications are easier to develop, manage and deploy, making teams more efficient.
Benefits of Serverless Microservices
• Flexibility—Properly constructed services, including macro-services that leverage underlying microservices, provide flexibility when it comes to making modifications or pushing new capabilities into production.
• Focus where it belongs—Using a serverless approach allows your developers to focus on the app, not the infrastructure, and spend more of their time building application services. This approach also takes containerization and DevOps to the next level with increased automation.
Fit for Purpose
Teams across your organization have different needs, and an inflexible platform that cannot adapt can't possibly serve them all well. An architecture that is fit for purpose makes it possible to work together — efficiently.
Benefits of a Fit for Purpose Architecture
• Support different constituents—Today's applications require a broad range of expertise supported by different job roles. A single interface approach for all involved simply won't work. The user experience needs to be tailored for different roles like frontend developers, backend developers, data scientists, business analysts, content providers, etc.
• Separate but integrated—While each application participant requires an environment that meets their needs, the end result of their work must be easily integrated. That's where microservices, APIs and abstraction comes into play.
Scale is more than the idea of scaling up and down based on transaction/user/data volume. Gartner defines Web-scale IT as "a system-oriented architectural pattern that enables the rapid and scalable development and delivery of Web-based IT services leveraging agile, lean and continuous principles." You need to be able to scale the right organizational and operational processes to move quickly.
Benefits of Internet-scale
• More versatile scaling—Scale not only compute capacity for individual workloads, but to support different types of application and user experience workloads, like IoT.
• Expanded automation—Move beyond just automating technology to "automating everything," including manual operations that DevOps, data scientists or other key roles are responsible for.
These dimensions are deeply embedded into the technology solutions we build at Progress. Our solutions are best-of-breed at every step, and designed to give our customers and partners critical flexibility when designing their architecture. Our industry-leading frontend UI solutions integrate seamlessly with other backends, and similarly our top-ranked serverless backend services works with other frontends. Or customers can simply adopt our whole stack to build their application, including native cross-platform mobile development, data connectivity, cognitive intelligence and more.
It's time to move past the search for a restrictive platform and consider an architecture-based "conceptual" platform, based on a cognitive-first mindset. You don't need another "traditional" platform, you need the right technology.
27 oktober 2020 (online seminar op 1 ochtend) Iedere organisatie heeft te maken met het integreren van systemen en applicaties. Maar hoe worden integratieprocessen en informatiestromen nu werkelijk geautomatiseerd? En hoe pakt u dit o...
24 november 2020 Praktisch seminar waarin Sander Hoogendoorn u laat zien hoe u microservices kunt inzetten in uw softwarearchitectuur.Het nieuwste architectuurprincipe microservices lijkt veelbelovend: verkorte time-to-market, schaalbaarheid, autonom...
25 en 26 november 2020 Praktische tweedaagse workshop met internationaal gerenommeerde spreker Alec Sharp over herkennen, beschrijven en ontwerpen van business processen. De workshop wordt ondersteund met praktijkvoorbeelden en duidelijke, herbr...
8 december 2020Workshop met BPM-specialist Christian Gijsels over business analyse, modelleren en simuleren met de nieuwste release van Sparx Systems' Enterprise Architect, versie 15.Intensieve cursus waarin alle basisfunctionaliteiten van Enterprise...


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In the News
Windowbox.com is the online destination for the gardener looking for information and supplies needed to grow flowers, vegetables, and herbs in any container on a porch, deck, terrace, patio, or windowsill. We carry a complete array of well-selected and market-tested garden tools, containers, seeds, plants, and gifts for small space gardens. But don't take our word for it - read some of our press!
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Best safety practices when dealing with hash oil
Safety is one of the first words you'll hear when talking about cannabis oil. Making hash oil requires a bit of know-how, but in layman terms it simply involves extracting THC from marijuana. Hash oil goes by many names, including dabs, honey, wax, shatter, butane hash oil, earwax and more.
Whatever you want to call it, there's no denying that hash oil is an incredibly powerful product, which means that you should always exercise caution when consuming or making it. Here are a few points to consider:
● Hash oil contains up to 80 per cent THC. This high concentration increases the likelihood of adverse effects.
● While dabbing has becoming relatively common in recent years, the long-term health effects are not yet fully understood.
● Do not make hash oil with flammable liquids. It is incredibly dangerous and many people have burned themselves and died from doing so.
● The safer option is to use dry ice or ice water. If you do decide to make hash oil, be sure to only use instructions from a reputable source. If you're in any doubt whatsoever, just stop.


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Having had the chance to use an Info Crank on the Haute Route, I have to say I wouldn't look at another power meter, I have 100% confidence on its data.
|"Its just a breath of fresh air to have a power meter doing exactly what it's supposed to do as opposed to some fancy number crunching as some others rely on! "
Needless to say I now ride with an Info Crank and can't wait for the pedal analysis to arrive, I was lucky to have a preview of this at the Haute Route.
Thank you Verve, great product and great support.


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Buy Dianabol Steroid in Gamprin Liechtenstein
- 1. Where to buy Dianabol Steroids in Gamprin Liechtenstein?
- 2. Exactly how does Dianabol functions?
- 3. Exactly how is Dianabol made use of by physical body building contractors in Gamprin Liechtenstein?
- 4. Side effects of Dianabol
- 5. Is it legal to take Dianabol?
- 6. Where to buy Dianabol for sale legitimately in Gamprin Liechtenstein?
Where to buy Dianabol Steroids in Gamprin Liechtenstein?
When initially introduced in 1960 dianabol aquired a gaining track record among top atheletes. It was called the morning meal of Champions and dianabol quickly ended up being the most preferred in Gamprin Liechtenstein and the majority of made use of anabolic steroid of all self-controls.
Dianabol is a dental steroid with a great influence on the protein. The affect of dianabol markets the healthy protein synthesis, thus it sustains the accumulate of muscle. This have an effect on manifests itself in a good nitrogen balance. Dianabol premotes calcium down payments in the bones and has a building up impact on the entire microorganism.
In the U.S.A. dianabol was presented in the 1960s by Ciba Giegy. The patent expired on the product and this is how a number of competing brands emerged with the exact same chemical constituents. Dianabol is a brand and not a chemical name, as a result any kind of product including methandrostenolone, is now called dianabol (consisting of Anabol).
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Exactly how does Dianabol functions?
Dianabol has actually been shown to increase anaerobic glycolysis, which raises lactic acid build up in the physical body. This is useful considering that lactic acid is used by the muscular tissues to develop glycogen, which consequently provides energy in anaerobic metabolism. Lactic acid is also a vital chemical in the disposal of dietary carbs, meanings that you are less most likely to obtain fat while using dianabol.
A research on weakening of bones showed that at a dosage of merely 2.5 milligrams each day for 9 months dianabol was a lot more reliable than calcium supplementation in lowering osteoporotic activity, it was also shown to increase muscle mass more effectively. An additional research on osteoporosis which lasted 24 months, showed just exactly how dianabol deals with weakening of bones; dianabol enhanced complete physical body calcium, as well as overall physical body potassium.
This may not imply much to you as a weight lifter, however the actions of calcium are extremely important to body builders, as it delivers multitudes of amino acids and also creatine and these two points are important in muscle growth. Potassium is likewise vital, as it assists in muscle contractions, sending nerve signals, and the hormone insulin release; so it is additionally a quite anabolic substance.
One very interesting research study, although not substantial in bodybuilding terms, revealed that dianabol boosts the sensitivity of laryngeal growth cells to radiotherapy, and wrapped up 'advising this hormone to be used during radiotherapy of patients with the laryngeal cancer cells'.
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Exactly how is Dianabol made use of by physical body building contractors in Gamprin Liechtenstein?
Dianabol aromatises easily to make sure that it is not a great anabolic steroid when exercising for a competitors but also for those desiring to get raw dimension, it is a superstar among dental steroids. Dianabol has a half-life time of simply 3.2-4.5 hrs, meaning that you must take Dianabol two times a day to take pleasure in a rich material in the blood stream.
Several body builders in Gamprin Liechtenstein ask if dianabol can be taken alone, the response is yes, yet, really terrific and rapid results are most ideal obtained when stacked with Nandrolone Decanoate (Deca) or Testosterone Compund (Sustanon). Take 10x 5mg tabs of dianabol a day and 4-6 amps of deca a week and expect some amazing results in toughness and dimension
Both Deca and Dianabol rely on top quality protein consumption. Steak has a particular affinity with this mix and more adds to raw power and growth. Dianabol will certainly convert your healthy protein intake to raw size so make sure to take in a healthy protein alcoholic beverage and consume chicken and steak and eat well.
Dianabol and deca are a well-known and gaining combo. Daniel Duchain filled in "The Underground Steroid Handbook If you cant grow on deca and dianabol you're not gonna expand in any way, despite just how elegant it is. Dianabol is ONE HUNDRED % a spectacular anabolic steroid when incorporated with an excellent consuming regime. Pro wrestlers flourish on this steroid for it's high power generating high qualities.
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Side effects of Dianabol
All anabolic androgenic steroids lug with them the capacity for unfavorable side effects. The likelihood greatly varies from one anabolic steroid to the following and often dosage and individual reaction play a large role; in-fact, specific in Gamprin Liechtenstein feedback could without a doubt be the most crucial factor.
As is with numerous points in life some individuals in Gamprin Liechtenstein have no adverse response regardless of the amount of of a specific item exists, for example, particular foods, while another person can consider the same meals and end up being sick. The very same can be said of most all anabolic androgenic steroids however fortunately is for healthy and balanced adult guys toleration is generally higher and side effects are typically preventable or relatively easy to fix when duty is begged.
Both most common Dianabol side effects lack concern Gynecomastia (male bust augmentation) and excess water retention or bloat. Both of these responses are because of the hormone aromatizing (converting into oestrogen) and as oestrogen rises in the body these effects can become existing.
For most Gynecomastia is preventable but also for several their sensitivity will be so fantastic that nothing except having their glands eliminated from their pecs will certainly conserve them. In most cases a great aromatic prevention will certainly protect against Gyno as it is frequently recognized with Arimidex and Letrozole being our best selections.
As it relates to water retention, the very same estrogenic result is accountable but again an aromatase prevention will mainly lower and usually protect against bloat to any significant degree. We must note, as it is a typical misconception; many that supplement with Dbol do so when bulking and when they bloat they right away point to this hormone as the culprit.
Absolutely, it could very well play a role yet nine breaks of ten the key wrongdoer is the specific consuming too much, especially in the method of carbohydrates. Yes, Dianabol side effects could consist of water retention but such a side effect is so effortlessly regulated that if it does become a problem for you then you need to check out various other components of your plan.
Two various other main Dianabol side effects include hypertension and inefficient cholesterol levels. For people in Gamprin Liechtenstein which already have hypertension this is a steroid you must stay clear of and if youre predisposed to a hypertension condition you are suggested to look for alternative steroids without doubt. Those that have a healthy blood stress and that do not overdo the dosage will generally be great; in-fact, its not unusual to view an athlete supplement with 30mg-50mg of Dbol a day and never ever view his blood tension increase.
The very same can be mentioned of cholesterol; your existing disorder and susceptibility will certainly play a big job. Further, if you are healthy and make use of properly you will more than likely be fine. Nevertheless, it is always best to err on the side of caution and therefore it is suggested you ensure your diet regimen is abundant in healthy and balanced fats, particularly those of an Omega Fatty-Acid character.
Such fats have actually been confirmed to improve overall cholesterol degrees greatly and several Dbol individuals in Gamprin Liechtenstein who have actually handled Dianabol side effects of a cholesterol attributes frequently view their levels enhance when omegas are included. Permits not fail to remember Omega Fatty-Acids are merely great for you to begin with and play several crucial functions in the muscle video game and in our general total health and wellness.
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Is it legal to take Dianabol?
Similar to Testosterone and Androlic, Methandienone (Dianabol) is a potent steroid, however likewise one which causes recognizable side effects. For beginners methandienone is rather estrogenic. Gynecomastia is also often a problem throughout therapy, and may present itself fairly early into a cycle (especially when higher amounts are made use of).
At the same time water loyalty could come to be an obvious issue, causing a remarkable loss of muscle meaning as both subcutaneous water and fat deposits develop. Delicate people may as a result want to keep the estrogen controlled with the addition of an antiestrogen such as Tamoxifen Citrate (Nolvadex) and/or Provironum.
Furthermore, androgenic side effects are common with this compound, and could consist of rounds of oily skin, pimples and body/facial hair growth. Aggressiveness could also be raised with a potent steroid such as this, so it would certainly be smart not to allow your personality adjustment for the even worse during a pattern.
With Dianabol there is also the opportunity of aggravating a male pattern baldness condition. Delicate individuals might for that reason want to prevent this medication and go with a milder anabolic such as Nandrolone Decanoate (Deca-Durabolin). While Methandienone (Dianabol) does change to a more powerful steroid using interaction with the 5-alpha reductase anzyme (the exact same enzyme in charge of transforming testosterone to dihydrotestosterone), it has very little affinity to do so in the human body's. The androgenic metabolite 5 alpha dihydromethandrostenolone is for that reason produced simply in map amounts at ideal. The benefit obtained from Proscar/Propecia would consequently be irrelevant, the medicine offering no genuine function.
Proposed dose Take 10(if you have 5mg tabs) per day-5 tabs in the early morning and 5 in the evening. Pattern needs to last no more than 12 weeks whilst the injections could take place for a longer period as much as 14 weeks. Pile with Nandrolone Decanoate (Deca) or Testosterone Mixture (Sustanon).
If taken alone then eat aprox 500 x 10mg tablets over a 12 week period. Danabol by Body Study are extremely typically known as "Blue Hearts" because of there uncommon heart like shape, they have actually also become as popular as the renowneded thai pinks (Anabols by B. D). They have been on the market many years now and shown to be quite reliable undoubtedly.
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Where to buy Dianabol for sale legitimately in Gamprin Liechtenstein?
It doesn't actually matter where you are in the world, there will be a legit Dianabol vendor near or a steroid dealership selling on the black market. If they offer anabolic steroids unlawfully, they need to generally manage to get Dianabol because of its appeal among sportsmens and body builders alike.
Both major sources of Dianabol will be online and in person by local health club dealerships. Health club dealers will often offer legit kinds of both pharmaceutical grade Dianabol and UGL Dianabol, however can be priced a great deal more than online or internet based steroid sources Why?
Due to the fact that web sources could equip such a wide range of Dianabol brand names offering a huge range of toughness and brands. There is additionally an included anonymity with internet sources as they operate utilizing money sending solutions and the postal service.
There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to both sourcing steroid as a whole online and by gym dealerships, and Dianabol is no different.
- Rate: Online steroid marketing electrical outlets are often more affordable compared to regional health club sources.
- Accessability of Products: Buy Dianabol from a fitness center dealer and the deal is instantaneous. Investing in online can take 2-3 weeks because of delivery time.
- Assortment: Online steroid sources supply a large choice of other steroids when you buy Dianabol. Gym sources may only offer minimal brand names and/or products.
- Privacy: Order on the internet and you could stay virtually anonymous. You can use a genuine or phony name when importing products and shipping addresses. You can likewise make use of a charge card to quit fraud. Buy Dianabol directly from a fitness center source or real person and you're not confidential.
- Seizure: All online steroid suppliers will provide steroid provided to your door through the postal system. This means they must pass customizeds rules and also interior postal assessments by companies or law enforcement.
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Deborah Owen is launching a new anthology this coming week. As a contributor, I have written a short story and she has asked me to post this message. Please remember this request is on behalf of sponsoring cancer patients and all money goes to that cause. Please read this, I know it's a bit long but if you can help please do. Further details coming soon.
Thanks for being part of our 2014 anthology! This year's anthology has been named WRONG! and we're very excited... about it. We're launching the book this Saturday, December 13, so get ready to place your order.
We'll be offering *free* *2013 Anthology eBooks* entitled OVERRULED! Be sure to request yours during the launch from Saturday, December 13, through Monday. We will also be *auctioning writing courses* during that time and offering other free gifts. In addition, we will have an ALL DAY marathon on
*Saturday,* so please drop by several times and leave comments to help keep the ball rolling.
If you aren't already on my Facebook friend list, please friend me. My address is
* https://www.facebook.com/deborah.owen.31
Another way you can help is to copy this letter and put it on your Facebook account (several times between now and Sunday) and your blog. Creative Writing Institute is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that sponsors cancer patients, and 100% of the funds we receive will support that cause.
I hope you'll be an active participant, and when you need help, please let me know and I'll make every effort to reciprocate! Thank you so much, and have a very Merry Christmas!
Deborah Owen
CEO, Creative Writing Institute
* <https://www.facebook.com/deborah.owen.31
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Welcome to my website. I write romances because there's nothing better than that feeling of falling into love.
June 2020