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By Ed Clark and Nate Birt
Biggest crop insurance scheme in history could spoil the program
For several years running, North Carolina farmer Harry Dean Canady found the lure of padding his income was too much to resist. His revenue stream involved illegal paper transactions and deliberate twisting of production information to collect a crop insurance check. He wasn't the only one, however.
The $100 million North Carolina crop insurance corruption ring has been likened by federal prosecutors to a drug cartel. Canady is just one of 41 farmers, agents, adjusters, warehouse workers and grain merchants involved in the chain of participants necessary for the ruse to succeed undetected for years, according to officials. This is the largest crop insurance fraud in the history of the federal program dating back to 1938.
Those prosecuted in North Carolina raked in millions for years without detection until 2005, when USDA auditors realized numbers weren't adding up. While the U.S. Attorney's Office in North Carolina has been issuing news releases about the fraud cases for years, the scheme went viral in March after The Associated Press did a major story on the issue and other news organizations followed suit.
Canady has pleaded guilty to charges and agreed to voluntary exclusion from the program in accordance with plea agreements. His sentencing is scheduled for late May. Others involved in the cases have been sentenced to as many as nine years in prison, plus fines. A number have been debarred from selling federal crop insurance. (See "How the Fraud Unfolded in North Carolina" on page 26.)
Farmers are harmed through higher premiums to the extent that fraud increases indemnity claims
In perspective. Although the North Carolina fraud ring has been highly publicized, crop insurance fraud is rare. An analysis of claims made in 2011 by USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) found that 4% of payouts were improper, slightly less than 2008 to 2010, although the figure does not distinguish fraud from other types of improper payments.
"This is a great example that the checks and balances system works and should send a positive message to Congress, not a negative one," says Brandon Willis, RMA administrator. "While 4% is low, we have plans to reduce it."
With the farm bill back at square one, many farmers wonder whether the conspiracy will be the impetus for sweeping changes in the crop insurance program or in future enforcement efforts that could change how producers do business.
Willis says RMA is not contemplating changes in the crop insurance program or investigation and enforcement procedures because of the North Carolina case. That said, the agency is always tweaking programs and looking for new ways to reduce fraud, abuse and waste, he adds.
Lawmakers on the Senate and House Agriculture Committees are staunch supporters of the crop insurance program, notes Bruce Babcock, ag economist at Iowa State University.
"It's highly unlikely that the [North Carolina] case will propel Congress into making crop insurance program changes," Babcock says.
The good apples. Taxpayers and farmers alike are hurt by fraud. "For farmers nationwide, fraud increases indemnity claims paid out and premiums," Willis notes.
"It's just very unfortunate because it puts a bad light on the whole program," says Curt Sindergard, who farms near Rolfe, Iowa, and spent three years on RMA's Federal Crop Insurance Corporation board of directors. "It's possible the North Carolina fraud case might lead RMA to conduct more farm audits in the future, even on operations playing by the rules."
Also unfortunate, notes Jay Boyette, commodities director for the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, is that the negative publicity paints all farmers with a broad brush. "Farmers who don't abuse the system are nonetheless competitors of those who do, putting them at a disadvantage," he says.
The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, frequently calls on RMA to help reduce fraud, abuse and waste. RMA has cracked down on fraud largely through data mining. Using sophisticated computer technology, the agency can more easily discover abnormalities in claims and repeated payments to farmers in areas with not many claims and other red flags. Data mining is how the North Carolina cases were discovered, before the investigation by USDA, RMA and the Internal Revenue Service was turned over to the Department of Justice for prosecution, Willis says.
In recent years, RMA has also used satellite images to verify claims. For example, when a Texas farmer claimed crop losses, satellite imagery revealed there wasn't a crop growing in that field, only cows, says Art Barnaby, ag economist at Kansas State University. In a Colorado case, satellite imagery showed that on a supposedly irrigated field that suffered a loss, the farmer never applied water, Barnaby adds.
To further curb cases of fraud, Keith Coble, ag economist at Mississippi State University, says data between RMA and USDA's Farm Service Agency needs to be more compatible, making it easier to spot discrepancies in crop production records.
"It is my sincere hope that these prosecutions send a clear message that crop insurance fraud will not be tolerated," says U.S. attorney Thomas Walker, lead prosecutor in the cases. "The conviction rate is proof that these matters are taken seriously, and punishment can be severe."
It is unfair to implicate North Carolina as being the only place where fraud and abuse have taken place, although for the past five years that region has been the epicenter of several major cases. Fraud cases have been prose-cuted in Iowa, California, Michigan, South Dakota and Texas.
In light of the North Carolina bust, it is true that fraud does exist—but it is infrequent. "The vast majority of farmers play by the rules," Walker says. "Unfortunately, the honest farmers get penalized by those who don't."
How the Fraud Unfolded in North Carolina
The North Carolina crop insurance conspiracy played out during the course of eight years and involved farmers, agents, adjusters, warehouse workers and grain buyers. According to federal court documents, Harry Dean Canady and others filed phony crop insurance claims, hid production by selling it under other names and shifted yields by falsely reporting small production quantities on some farms/entities and larger production elsewhere.
Canady hired someone to create a farm corporation called MC Farms so he could obtain a "new producer" guarantee, but he placed part of his land in the corporation. He also created people to be paid crop insurance revenue, as well as entities in the names of his grandchildren, according to charges.
Farmer and crop insurance agent William Larry Rogers of Mebane, N.C., co-conspired with other farmers to manipulate their crop production records to reflect a loss. Rogers was sentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of nearly $8.4 million.
In addition to the double sales scheme, Rogers instructed one farmer to lie to federal investigators, according to charges.
Crop insurance agent Robert Carl Stokes of Wilson, N.C., recruited additional farmers by promising a profitable insurance claim, regardless of whether they suffered a crop loss. He worked with the farmers to make false insurance claims and to hide some or all of their production by selling it under other names or for cash to co-conspiring warehousemen. He received farmer payoffs for these inflated adjustments.
Convicted adjuster Jimmy Thomas Sasser threatened to cause bodily harm to a cooperating defendant, according to court documents. He pled guilty to several charges and was sentenced to four years in prison and restitution of more than $21 million.
For continued coverage of the North Carolina crop insurance fraud ring, visit www.FarmJournal.com/insurance_fraud
You can e-mail Ed Clark at [email protected].


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MILWAUKEE (AP) — Eager voters lined up even before the polls opened at 7 a.m. in Wisconsin on this Election Day.
More than 300 people were in line when a south side Milwaukee polling place opened Tuesday morning. About 50 were in line at a St. Francis polling location.
It could be an indication of what's expected to be a busy day for poll workers in the battleground state of Wisconsin.
The Government Accountability Board has predicted nearly 70 percent of eligible voters will cast a ballot in the Badger State.
The big race is for president and the state's coveted 10 electoral votes. Wisconsin voters also will choose a new U.S. senator, a House representative and state legislators.
Wisconsin voters will deal with a wintry mix of rain and snow. An inch or more of snow is forecast for northern Wisconsin, with cold rain to the south.

subset: commoncrawl


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Meade remade: Playground gets the goods
Today, visitors to Meade Park find $46,000-worth of sparkling equipment complete with a variety of slides, monkey bars, new swings, and a child-size faux rock wall.
But it hasn't always been so.
When The Hook investigated local playgrounds last spring, some frightening defects were discovered. In addition to sharp peeling paint and aging equipment at several area parks, our investigation revealed that the playground at Meade Park had paint with nearly 10 times the amount of lead allowed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Much of the Meade equipment was removed soon thereafter, but it was nearly a year before new equipment was installed.
Yet the run-down toddler equipment remains. But not for long. A shining $15,000 tot unit is on order, says Charlottesville Parks and Rec Director Pat Plocek, and should be installed in the next few weeks.Read more on: Meade Park


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Home > Beads > Seed Beads > MIYUKI: Size 8 - Hex Cut Seed Beads > NEW! Miyuki #8 Hex Cut - 27 July 2015 > Miyuki size 8 hex: F643A - Frosted Lime Green
Miyuki seed beads are a high quality machine made Japanese bead. Japanese seed beads are known for their uniform size and cut. This consistency makes them excellent beads for bead weaving and looming. Are you wanting the same colour in a different size? Enter the colour code only into the search bar and all the available sizes will come up.
Miyuki size 8 hex: F643A - Frosted Lime Green
Size 8 (3mm) hexagonal seed bead from Miyuki, with a 1.5mm central hole. Packaged in 7 gram packs, approx 250 beads per pack.


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LONGMONT — The first time Longmont police heard of a four-year long abusive relationship between Daniel Sanchez and Beatriz "Betty" Cintora-Silva was on Saturday.
On Tuesday, just hours out of the Boulder County Jail, Sanchez shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, her sister Maria Cintora-Silva and brother-in-law Max Aguirre Ojeda in the couple's Longview Estates home east of Longmont. He then turned the gun on himself.
He was in jail on suspicion of charges stemming from a Saturday attack on his ex-girlfriend and his subsequent Sunday arrest. Now, Longmont police, the Boulder County Jail, and the Boulder County District Attorney's Office are reviewing how Sanchez's weekend domestic violence arrest was handled and whether any procedures were missed that could have saved lives.
"I think it is my responsibility as the district attorney to make sure we all take a close look at this," said Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett. "I think it is fair to say there will be a thorough review, but I don't know if 'formal' is the way to put it."
Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur said the case is also being reviewed internally.
"We understand this is a terrible, terrible tragedy," he said. "It just highlights the concerns of domestic violence and volatility.
Looking for answers
Roy Choudhary, Betty Cintora-Silva's friend, has been looking for answers since he learned of the shootings, and he said he believes that important information was either disregarded or fell through the cracks. He and another friend took Betty Cintora-Silva to the Longmont Police Department on Saturday at about 4 p.m. to report that Sanchez hurt her during a meeting earlier in the day.
Officer Chris Lucci took the report and ultimately arrested Sanchez. In the report, he notes that Cintora-Silva said she met with Sanchez on Saturday in his truck in the Best Buy parking lot to discuss repayment of a $1,000 loan she extended to him. She told police she and Sanchez had split up after an abusive four-year relationship on Thanksgiving after he hit her and told her to leave. She moved in with her sister and brother-in-law at their Longview Estates home.
During her meeting with Sanchez on Saturday, Cintora-Silva received a text message from Choudhary, which Sanchez saw and got jealous. He took her phone from her, left voice messages that warned Choudhary to stay away from her and threatened to beat him. He then drove away with her, confronted her about Choudhary, and threw her against the dashboard before cooling down and returning her to the parking lot.
She told police on Saturday that she didn't report earlier assaults, but reported this one at Choudhary's behest. She told police she was "very scared" of Sanchez's behavior, but declined an offer of shelter at Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley and said she would stay with Choudhary.
According to Longmont police reports, officers learned later that Sanchez visited the home where Cintora-Silva was staying with her sister and brother-in-law at Longview Estates at 6:34 p.m. on Saturday and banged on the door wanting to see her. However, Sanchez reportedly left before Weld County Sheriff's deputies arrived. The home is outside of Longmont city limits.
Sanchez visited the Longmont Police Department at 11 a.m. the next day, according to reports and asked if there was a warrant for his arrest. He left when he was told there was not, according to reports. But at 11:45 a.m., Lucci called Sanchez and asked him to return to the police department to talk about Cintora-Silva's and Choudhary's story about the Saturday attack.
Sanchez told police she had threatened suicide and that "they've never had any domestic violence issues." He said she was angry he was seeing another woman and took his phone from him. Police report that he, in turn, took her phone, went through it and determined she was dating Choudhary and then used her phone to contact Choudhary to let him know "Beatriz was his girl."
He told police he visited her sister's house because he learned she did not go to work and was worried she would hurt herself.
While Lucci was with Sanchez, Choudhary sent the officer a note offering more details about the relationship.
In an email dated 1:08 p.m. Sunday, Choudhary wrote, "Beatriz Cintora has been complaining of chest pain since last night due to the manhandling she received from Daniel. I request you to please record this matter. Betty is someone I know who will bear tremendous pain against fear of retaliation from Daniel. Her sister will also attest to this fact. She never had the courage to defend herself from this abuser until last night when she met you. Before me, her sister and her aunts have repeatedly advised her to call the police when she was being beaten by Daniel Sanchez. I hope that yesterday's violent encounter with him will be her last, of the pain that she has borne for over four years. She is still very afraid for her life or being attacked again by the suspect."
Lucci arrested Sanchez after the interview and called Cintora-Silva at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday to let her know Sanchez was in custody, according to the officer's report.
Who knew what, when
Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur said Lucci then went on a series of days off and did not get a second email from Choudhary on Monday morning that detailed fears that Sanchez may have access to weapons.
"The victim Beatriz Cintora told me that (Sanchez's wife) had brought some firearms with her from Texas while she was visiting the accused here in Longmont," he wrote.
Court records for Sanchez show he had a misdemeanor conviction for possession of brass knuckles in Texas in 2011.
Satur said Longmont Police officials are looking into whether the department's email system can be automated to reply to emails when officers are off so case information does not end up waiting for an officer's return.
"We are looking at what happened. We're looking if we can do things differently with notifications," he said. "We don't expect officers on their days off to review their emails."
Sanchez was held in the Boulder County Jail from Sunday to await his bond hearing at 2 p.m. on Monday.
During the hearing, a Boulder County Judge gave him a $10,000 bond.
Garnett said the prosecutor did not argue for a higher bond based on the facts of the case and Sanchez's relatively minor criminal record.
"I am pretty sure we thought $10,000 was sufficient," he said.
Still, he said that the murders and suicide highlight the struggle the criminal justice system faces when working to determine the level of threat a suspect may pose.
"The challenge is trying to predict lethality with domestic violence cases," he said. "It looks like everybody acted pretty reasonably based on what information we had."
Sgt. Tim Schwartz of the Weld County Sheriff's Office said investigators learned after the shootings that Sanchez had owned the gun for a while and that his roommate was aware of it. He said it would take time for the gun to be traced to determine when and where Sanchez bought it. Boulder County Jail Division Chief Bruce Haas said on Tuesday that Sanchez bonded out of the jail at 9:58 p.m. on Monday using a bondsman.
Choudhary, who was listed as a victim in the case, said he did not receive a call from the Boulder County Jail to warn him of Sanchez's release and claimed that Betty Cintora-Silva told him she was not notified, either. A message left on Choudhary's roommate's phone notified him of Sanchez's release, he said, and he went to Cintora-Silva's workplace on Monday night to warn her.
He told the Times-Call he asked her not to return to her sister's home because Sanchez knew where she was staying and that he offered her a spare room in his home. She declined the offer, he recalled.
Haas said on Wednesday that a deputy who filled out a victim notification form before the homicides noted that Choudhary was not notified, but that a message was left on the alternative phone number. The log notes that Cintora-Silva was notified, Haas said.
However, Haas said, she spoke with the deputy who made the notification and she indicated that she spoke with someone who answered the phone at Betty Cintora-Silva's number.
"They talked with the person who assured the deputy she would be notified," Haas said. "It wasn't Betty. It was whoever else answered the phone there."


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Rihanna In Barbados: Flashing The Camera With Friends, Taking You Back To Her Childhood Days & More [20 Min Webisode]
Rihanna's Webisode The Road To Talk. s/o to @Honeydipp1
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Ex-aide to U.K. PM jailed for phone hacking
LONDON -- Andy Coulson went from the editor's office at Britain's best-selling newspaper to the corridors of 10 Downing St. as Prime Minister David Cameron's communications chief. On Friday, he went to prison for conspiring to hack phones.
Coulson was sentenced to 18 months by a judge who told him his considerable accomplishments "now count for nothing."
Coulson was convicted last week after an eight-month trial triggered by a tabloid-wrongdoing scandal that led Rupert Murdoch to shut down the News of the World in 2011. Another former editor, Rebekah Brooks, and four others were acquitted.
Judge John Saunders said that over several years Coulson and several senior News of the World journalists listened illegally to the voicemails of celebrities, royals, politicians and crime victims in a bid to beat the competition.
Saunders said 46-year-old Coulson "has to take the major share of the blame" for the hacking that took place while he was editor between 2003 and 2007.
"He knew about it. He encouraged it when he should have stopped it," the judge said.
The defendants have said they did not know phone hacking was illegal when they used the technique to get scoops. But the judge said they knew it was "morally wrong."
Saunders highlighted the now-infamous targeting of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old girl who was kidnapped and murdered in 2002. The News of the World listened to a voicemail left on the missing girl's phone, and staff delayed telling police so they could try to get a huge scoop by finding her.
"That was unforgivable," the judge said.
The hacking revelations outraged many Britons, and triggered police inquiries that led to the arrest of scores of journalists, police officers and other officials.
This was the first major trial to stem from the scandal, and Saunders acknowledged that "there will be those who will be outraged" that the sentences were so short - as well as those who saw the trial as an attack on press freedom.
He said the legal maximum for phone hacking was two years in prison, regardless of the number of victims.
Saunders said he was reducing Coulson's sentence from the maximum to reflect his "good character" and because it had taken years for the case to come to trial.
Coulson faces a retrial on two charges of bribing police officers for royal phone directories.
The judge sentenced former journalists Greg Miskiw and Neville Thurlbeck to six months in prison. Another reporter, James Weatherup, received a suspended four-month sentence and community service.
All received shorter sentences because they had pleaded guilty.
Saunders said they and Coulson had all been "distinguished journalists" who had achieved a great deal.
"Those achievements will now count for nothing," he said.
Private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, the newspaper's chief phone hacker, received a suspended six-month sentence.
The judge said Mulcaire had carried out so much eavesdropping for the newspaper that he said he "couldn't cope with being given any more targets to hack." But Mulcaire has already been sent to prison once for hacking, in 2007, and pleaded guilty this time.
"Mr. Mulcaire, you are truly the lucky one," the judge said.
The hacking scandal exposed a web of cozy ties between senior British journalists, politicians and police. It sparked criticism of Cameron, who hired Coulson after Muclaire's 2007 conviction.
Cameron, who has apologized for bad judgment in hiring Coulson, said the sentence showed that "no one is above the law."


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LOS ANGELES (AP) Zack Greinke showed up alone to a mid-November meeting at Dodger Stadium, asking as many questions as he answered. When he left three hours later, the pitcher thought he may have found his new team while the Dodgers brass knew they had to land the top arm on the open market.
They did, signing Greinke to a $147 million, six-year deal that is the richest for a right-hander in history. The Dodgers beat out Texas and the rival Los Angeles Angels, for whom Greinke pitched last season.
His introduction on Tuesday culminated a $183 million spending spree by the Dodgers in which they also signed South Korean left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin, who got a $36 million, six-year deal.
Greinke says he decided on the Dodgers because he believes they have a team in place that could win the World Series for several years. He says their offense is as deep as any team in baseball.


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Random bloke being Darren Gough.
Printable View
Random bloke being Darren Gough.
I don't se a problem with punching a pom, it should be a sport on it's own.
This incident is unforgivable considering that Warner was already 'skating on thin ice' after his run-in with the Murdoch press recently.Quote:
An ECB statement said: "England and Wales Cricket Board confirms that David Warner initiated an unprovoked physical attack on a member of the England team in a Birmingham bar following England's 48 run victory over Australia.
"Warner has admitted behaving inappropriately and has since apologised to the player involved who has accepted the apology.
"Following a full investigation the England team management has concluded that the England player was in no way responsible for nor retaliated to the attack."
If Warner was provoked or goaded then that would be different, and I may have some sympathy. But to a throw a punch just for the sake of it is just plain cowardly and something I'd expect from the U16s, not a member of the National team.
Warner incident 'covered-up': report
Nine News reports that when Australian team management in England initially found out about the incident on Sunday they felt it was minor enough to deal with internally, without punishment.
Former vice-captain Shane Watson wasn't happy with the lack of reprimand given to Warner, accusing coach Mickey Arthur of double-standards after he dropped Watson and three other players for one Test on the tour of India earlier this year for not completing a team "homework" task.
It was only after Watson's complaint to Arthur that Cricket Australia became involved and a further inquiry was launched. Warner was then dropped from Australia's Champions Trophy team that played New Zealand at Edgbaston on Wednesday.
Oh, Watto. :laugh:
i really want to open #shanewatsonthoughts
what a **** eh
I'm sure TNT will be along at any moment to admit he called this all wrong the other night and the big girl was in fact one of your own:laugh:
Seriously a bunch of oversized kids, aren't these guys? I remember my schooldays when we used to get our evaluated answer papers, how religiously we used to compare between peers and secretly go and complain about the other kid given more marks for a similar answer.
Watson is a sook though he does have a point. Its just not so important to jeopardise team unity. However this thing would have escalated anyway when the press got hold of it. CA would have to get involved from that point.
That's ****ing disgraceful. How can you have any kind of team unity or spirit with this kind of **** going on?
Guys, I'm not sure we can rule out the possibility that Watson paid Root to wear the beard and make an Amla reference...............


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Referierte Publikation
- nein (1) (entfernen)
- Self-diagnostic fiber optical sensor (1) (entfernen)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 8.6 Faseroptische Sensorik (1) (entfernen)
A contribution to intelligent automatic validation of structure-integrated fibre optic strain sensors (2016)
Sensors integrated into devices and structures provide essential data to control, optimize or manage machines and structural components. In the last years, processes, applications and machine parts became more and more intelligent. Consequently, the need for sensor validation increased significantly in order to rely on sensor data and measurement results. Structure-integrated fibre optic strain sensors, such as fiber Bragg gratings (FBG), are of special interest in the composite manufacturing industry. This type of sensor makes it possible to gain information and to collect measurement data about entire production processes and whole life-time cycles of composite-made machine parts and structures. However, validation concepts and approaches for this type of sensors are barely reported in literature. Furthermore, all the reported activities have the drawback that the sensor diagnosis strategy is implemented as limited mathematical models and/or complex time-consuming spectral analysis tools which are applied in data post-processing loops. However, to automate sensor validation and to apply real-time and in-field sensor fault detection, it is necessary to acquire measurement data and information about the measurement reliability at the same time.


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Submitted by Tim Price of Sovereign Man blog,
Like Lehman Brothers before it, Cyprus may well come to be seen not so much as the cause of further crisis but as yet another symptom of the 'long emergency' that continues to suffocate the western economies.
We would describe this emergency as, fundamentally, an inevitable crisis triggered by an unsustainable explosion of credit; western banks and western governments are now like Macbeth's "…two spent swimmers, that do cling together / And choke their art."
The prime minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, has provided two clear insights into this world of deceit:
"We all know what to do, we just don't know how to get re-elected after we have done it."
"When it becomes serious, you have to lie."
This is what we now have by way of government: a self-serving elite who cannot be trusted, operating to a timetable defined by, and limited to, the electoral cycle.
This liberty deficit is possibly more severely damaging than the supposedly intractable fiscal one that lies beneath it. Yet whatever emerges from the disaster, Cyprus has reminded us of a couple of awkward truths:
- A deposit in a bank is not a riskless form of saving.
We may not see eye to eye with the FT's Martin Wolf on many aspects of modern economics and central banking in particular, but he described banks well last week:
"Banks are not vaults. They are thinly capitalised asset managers that make a promise– to return depositors' money on demand and at par– that cannot always be kept without the assistance of a solvent state."
- When states become insolvent, the piper must ultimately be paid. Fatal, embarrassing insolvency is not a problem that can be perpetually or painlessly deferred.
Cyprus matters not because of the size of its economy or because it is (for the time being) a member of the euro zone.
It matters because the inept handling of its crisis last week threw one facet of modern banking into sharp relief: if a deposit guarantee is seen to be fraudulent or sufficiently fragile to be easily smashed by politicians, then confidence in banks, and in unbacked paper currency itself, will be vulnerable to an unpredictable run.
CLSA strategist and financial market historian Russell Napier writes as follows:
"The key impact will be long term as the citizens of the Euro, like the citizens of the Soviet Union or the American colonies before them, eventually reject the sacrifice of political rights necessary to support the system."
"When the history books are written, the Brussels-imposed sequestration in Cyprus will be seen as the tipping point when the citizens of the Euro system realized that the socio-political sacrifice needed to sustain a single currency was just too great."
Actions have consequences. Cyprus may end up being a storm in a teacup. Like Russell Napier, we fear it may well be the start of something altogether more sinister.
If you have yet to consider the sanctity, stability, 'store of value-ness' and true safety of the paper currency you hold within the banking system, now might be a good time to start.


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UNESCO warns against Virunga oil exploration
Posted on 19 May 2014
"Any oil exploitation inside the property would seriously affect its integrity," UNESCO said.19 May 2014 – The United Nations agency that oversees World Heritage Sites has issued an urgent appeal for the end of oil exploration in Virunga National Park. After a field mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) property, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported "extreme concern" over the prospect of petroleum extraction in the park, which is home to the greatest variety of plants and animals in Africa. "Any oil exploitation inside the property would seriously affect its integrity," UNESCO said.
London-based oil company Soco International PLC began seismic testing in the park's Lake Edward last month despite repeated objections from the UK government. UNESCO urged Soco to withdraw from Virunga and pledge that the company will stay out of all natural World Heritage Sites. According to the agency, oil exploration and exploitation are incompatible with World Heritage status.
"Soco is putting in jeopardy the future of 50,000 families that depend on Virunga's Lake Edward for their jobs, food and fresh water. Drilling could destroy forever this extraordinary place that has survived so much," said Zach Abraham of WWF International. "The world should not stand by and allow Africa's oldest national park to become its newest oil field."
Virunga was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1979 as one of the first properties recognized in Africa as having outstanding universal natural value that should be preserved for future generations. It is best known for its population of critically endangered mountain gorillas and for its active volcanoes. WWF has worked on forest, freshwater and wildlife conservation in Virunga for 40 years and supports its heroic rangers, of which more than 140 have died in the line of duty. Last month Chief Warden Emmanuel de Merode narrowly survived being shot four times in an ambush.
The threats to the park, including oil, will be discussed at the World Heritage Committee meeting next month in Doha, Qatar. At the meeting, the committee will take into consideration recommendations from its expert bodies and issue a decision. Last year the group called for the cancelation of Virunga's petroleum exploration permits. A draft committee decision for this year repeats that call and urges state parties to the World Heritage convention "to do their utmost to ensure that the mining or petroleum companies established on their territories do not damage World Heritage properties."
"Virunga is protected by national laws and international treaties, which both DRC and the UK have an obligation to uphold," Abraham said. "Soco should abandon its plans to explore for oil in Virunga and come into compliance with corporate social responsibility standards before the issue goes before the World Heritage Committee."


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The Liebherr R 9150 Mining Excavator at Udachny kimberlite (diamond) mine, Russia operated by ALROSA.
The working conditions and the climate at this site are extremely harsh as mining is being done in permafrost ground where temperatures vary from –55°C to +40˚C (–67ºF to +104ºF).
In order to meet ALROSA´s requirements, a Liebherr R 9150 mining excavator has been chosen to fulfil this challenge.Read job report (PDF, 2.0 MB)
The Liebherr R 9100 Mining Excavator at Cobre Panama operated by First Quantum Minerals Ltd.
The first Liebherr R 9100 mining excavator was commissioned at the end of 2014 and there are currently eight R 9100 excavators in operation. The fleet also includes two Liebherr R 9350 mining excavators, twelve PR 744 and four PR 754 crawler tractors.Read job report (PDF, 2.4 MB)
Kalimantan Island
Fleet of three mining excavators R 9800 at the Kalimantan coal mine operated by PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) near Sangatta, on the east coast of Kalimantan Island, East Kalimantan province, Indonesia.
MARC (Maintenance and Repair Contract) to offer a solution to KPC's increasing production while reducing maintenance costs, in difficult climate conditions of high temperatures, humidity and precipitation levels.Read job report (PDF, 2.4 MB)
New South Wales
Fleet of mining excavator R 996 B and haul truck T 282 C at the Mt Arthur coal mine operated by BHP Billiton in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia.
As a result of planned increasing mine production and being located less than 10km from a large town, the mine installed sound attenuation features on the excavators and trucks.
Liebherr demonstrates that the new fleet would fall within the stringent environmental noise limits.Read job report (PDF, 94 KB)
Mining excavator R 9250 at Stockton coal mine operated by Coal Contractors in Pennsylvania, USA.
This report shows how the Liebherr R 9250 has been a major contributor to the success of Coal Contractors.Read job report (PDF, 752 KB)
Northern Cape
Fleet of mining excavator R 996 and haul truck T 282, at the Sishen iron ore mine owned by Kumba Resources, operated by Hitricon Contracting, located near Kathu, Northern Cape, South Africa.
Provide support information to show that Hitricon would be able to increase their fleet and production, but decrease operating costs.Read job report (PDF, 170 KB)
New South Wales
Mining haul truck T 282 C, at the Mt Arthur coal mine operated by BHP Billiton in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia.
Due to increased mine expansion and location in close proximity to a residential area, strict mandated environmental noise limits apply.
Installation of sound attenuation features on the T 282 C fleet.Read job report (PDF, 5.4 MB)
Mining haul truck T 282 C at the coal-producing North Antelope Rochelle Mine (NARM), operated by Peabody Energy, located in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, USA.
This report details the process undertaken by Peabody at NARM regarding upgrading their fleet of smaller mining trucks to increase profitable production, be versatile in hauling coal and waste, and to reduce costs through fuel-efficiency.Read job report (PDF, 634 KB)


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Astro-LOA, astrology, change, crisis, Eros, eros transits, learn astrology kim Falconer, release tolerations, self-transformation, virgin goddess, Virgo
Eros usually spends a month or so in each sign but once a year Asteroid 433 lingers for almost six months, direct, retrograde and direct, in a single sign. This year, from Jan 2, 2012, it's in Virgo!
What does this mean, to have Eros express through the symbol of the "virgin", the sacred feminine who relies on no one but herself for her sense of identity? What awakens when the god of love links with Virgo's ruler, the quick silver messenger, winged Mercury?
Think about Virgo the symbol of the possibility to learn and transform oneself through a personal 'crisis'—which may mean a catharsis. (I mean CRISIS, from the Greek KRINEIN, to separate, distinguish, decide)
A decision is the act of accepting to become different from what one has been—thus the acceptance of change and self transformation. — Dane Rudhyar
The operant words here are Change and Self-transformation. After all, Virgo is a mutable sign. That means fluid and transforming! Getting lose and easy with what is and what is about to be!
Virgo can express in the finely tuned development of skills and talents, discernment and exactitude. Represented by the 'Virgin' Goddesses, Virgo's resources include an animated and perceptive mind, quick assessment of precarious situations, flexibility of thought, articulate communication and the famous critical eye.
The natural seat of Virgo is the sixth house, ruling the health and well-being of the body, the link between psyche and soma, and anything that assists the ways and means in which we accomplish our will: service, employment, pets, gadgets and ritual magic. The relationships symbolic of this house are unequal, forming their basses from how one thing might enhance or support another.
Virgo is ruled by Mercury, quicksilver messenger of the gods. Co-ruler of Gemini, this planet oversees communications of all kinds, commerce, teaching, learning, expression through the written or spoken word and objective observation. It is Virgo's link with Mercury that gives extra zest and vigor, making it the most lively and inquisitive of the Earth signs. Virgo also expresses Mercury's aptitude for efficiency, systematic organization and the hard work necessary to turn thoughts into language, interchange and effective expertise.
With Eros in Virgo, there could be a lot of systematic or analytical thinking, and re-thinking, about erotic relationships of all kinds! Communication takes an erotic tone – it becomes intense, provocative and transforming. .
Where we find Virgo in the horoscope is where we need to analyze and discriminate, keeping what is valuable and eliminating what is not. Virgo by house is an area of life were we need to be organized, refine our purpose through talents, skills and abilities and use our vibrant nervous energy in creative and productive ways.
Is Eros here going to be "all talk and no action"? No way!
…Virgo stand(s) for instrumentation, implementation and technical competence. –Dennis Elwell
Eros in Virgo will want to explore the depths of the erotic in very tangible ways! Virgo is a sensual sign, and with Eros here, we are likely to notice all the little details of taste, touch, smell, sound, and visual observation. Eros will want to experience life through a duality of inputs, being mentally tuned by Mercury and at the same time acutely aware of the body through association with the earthy element.
With this Eros transit, we may be able to synthesis the two, bringing articulate intellectuality to the experiences of the senses and exploring physically the ideas of the mind. Eros transiting through Virgo may bring the CRISIS that enables us to separate, distinguish, appreciate and decide on issues relating to the house and planets contacted. It could be dramatic, and productive! You will feel alive!
In March Eros will conjunct Mars (also in a lengthy stay in Virgo) and his soulmate Psyche, a powerful connection to tap into! Where will Eros in Virgo affect your chart the most? Which houses and what planets will be activated over the next six months? Check it out (tutorial for discovering your Virgo sector here) and discuss in the comments!
Meanwhile, we can honor intimacy, passions and desires through tantric sensuality, sacred sex, direct communication and ritual with nature. Take time to attend to the finer details in life by appreciating of all the little things and releasing' tolerations'. By eliminating what is no longer genuine and respecting what is authentic, life itself becomes more and meaningful.


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To begin, thanks for taking the time to read this.
I recently came a cross a guy using DOS to do i would like to know how to do. The only thing i know how to do with DOS is VIEW, CREATE and DELETE directories. If any could direct me to a website, or post a tutorial on DOS networking. Such as accessing others computers on a network. I would be much appreciative.


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I know that this is a bit of an old wedding now, but I have just discovered that Stephanie & Nathaniel's wedding pictures are featured in the Herefordshire & Wye Valley Life website. That's all to share at this time – just a sense of pride and satisfaction in seeing my pictures alongside the story…
KB Photoblog
An insight into the natural and contemporary photography of Karl Bungey
Welcome to my blog!
I often get asked how I got into wedding photography and the answer is quite simple - I got married!
When we had set a wedding date for September 2004, I was given the job of finding a wedding photographer for our wedding. Not an easy task at the time as the internet was still in its infancy and not many photographers had twigged as to the power or a website, let alone a blog.
I came up with three photographers, out of almost 30 that I looked at, who I felt would take better pictures than I could. Photographers who had something a little different about their pictures. Having such a short list created problems.
One was booking two years in advance (we had about 8 months to go at that time) and was already booked on our wedding date. Another was just too expensive for us when we had factored in all his 'extras' and one did not get back to me at all.
Given that I felt I could do better, I wanted to take our own wedding photographs but, not surprisingly, was not allowed to.
This then started me on a career change from teacher of outdoor activities to a wedding photographer and I have loved every minute of it.
With so many wonderful venues in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Shropshire, and so may fantastic people, I can't see myself getting bored with it anytime soon. I see it as an opportunity to be a little different to many photographers and to create fantastic photographs and albums that will be treasured for a long time to come.
Now our first son is old enough to understand what I do, and has always shown an interest in photography, cameras, technology, people and places (I wonder where he got that from?) it might be time to take him to a wedding with me. Then again, at only five years old, I may wait a little longer...
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This is the second in a two-part blog series on how advisors can take advantage of the opportunities among younger clients—the children and grandchildren of Baby Boomers.
We all want to work smarter, not harder. Yet thousands of advisors are draining resources and energy trying to gain Generation X business with strategies that were meant for this generation's parents.
In my last column, I wrote about some of the financial issues this generation faces that advisors should keep in mind as they tailor their services to a new and, in many cases, more difficult to reach, client base. However, there is opportunity to work smarter with this new wave of clients through the Boomers you are working with now. Advisors who are having the most success with wealth transfers are capitalizing on the direct channel they have to their Boomer clients' children and grandchildren, in order to build relationships and gain their trust. It may seem an impossible task since over 90% of heirs transfer their money from their parents' advisors once they receive it, but it's not. There are ways to reach this generation better, without much further effort and while working with your current clients.
Gen Xers are a unique bunch. They're "wary of hype and overselling" according to Karen Ritchie, late author of Marketing to Generation X and a leader in global marketing and media strategies. Because of this, advisors must penetrate through the noise and reach Gen Xers with a message that is tailored to their needs and that continues to grow and change as Gen X changes; advisors will need to appeal to their specific expectations and values. There are some general themes to keep in mind in order to tailor your business for working with this generation:
Working With Gen X, Theme 1: Start Early; Be Patient
Gen Xers tend to bounce around a lot. They've been accustomed to earning their keep and are resourceful—using technology to advance their careers rather than sticking around a company for many years to climb the ladder. This means they have generally been perceived as less loyal to corporations than past generations—mainly because they are opportunistic in seeking ways to better their situation. That means gaining loyalty from this generation is harder than it was with Boomers. Advisors will need to start working with this generation early on—they'll need to take time to build their trust and respect, and to keep it: waiting until a wealth transfer will be too late.
If you're dealing with Gen X children who will likely be heirs to your clients' estates, begin working with them as early as possible in any way you can. Ask your clients if they are comfortable with you sharing communications with their children as well, to develop a theme of transparency and build their trust so that when time comes for the transfer of wealth to them, they are aware of how you've worked with their parents and are more likely to keep their assets with you.
If your client is not comfortable with you communicating with their children, do what you can to provide your client with information they can share with their children to manage their financial priorities, such as college planning or home buying guidance. Though it's definitely more work up front, starting to work with this generation early will be necessary to gain their trust since this won't be a generation that will keep their assets with you just because their parents were.
Working With Gen X, Theme 2: Appeal to Competing Priorities
Gen X may face significant challenges in meeting long-term financial goals, but growing up in a consumer-oriented society has made it even more difficult to stay focused. According to an IRI study, 15% of Generation Xers made withdrawals from their 401(k) plans during the recession and 23% stopped contributing to their retirement accounts altogether. They continue to face issues in managing their daily finances—feeling uncomfortable with the amount of debt they have and not having a handle on their cash flow; 33% reported they did not have a handle on their cash flow in the second quarter of 2012, according to our research.
Unlike Boomers who came from an economic landscape that instilled in them a mentality to save and protect the money they earned, Gen Xers struggled and continue to struggle with more "wants" than they can usually obtain financially. Gen X clients will expect advisors to anticipate their concerns and be able to come up with creative solutions to overcome the obstacles they face in meeting long-term goals while also maintaining a lifestyle where they can enjoy short-term goals.
Advisors should keep this in mind from the forefront—Gen Xers are balancing student loan debt, the desires to buy a home, sending kids to college, paying for retirement and paying off high-interest credit card debt. Advisors need to emphasize the importance of retirement planning with Gen X in relation to their other priorities because clients who are focusing on other priorities may not be saving as much as they should and you might be losing out on assets as a result.
Connect with heirs of your clients who should be anticipating hefty or reasonably-sized inheritances, before the transfer occurs, to get them thinking about this. Again, though this may require more time up front, it will be imperative to gaining Gen X's trust—they must believe you "get" them.
Working With Gen X, Theme 3: Share Know-How That Effects Change in Habits
Behavioral finance has taught us more about what impacts our investing and financial decisions. For example, if we don't make change easy for people, they won't make the shifts necessary to improve their financial situations. Advisors need to keep in mind the principles of behavioral change in order to get clients to see the value in working with them.
If you are working with heirs through a wealth transfer, make it easy for them to work with you. Keep away from overloading them with information—walk them through every piece of the transfer, but also tell them how it will impact their lives. Start by getting a feel for their personal financial goals and desires, for how they will use the inheritance. Once you do this, provide information in a way that:
- Doesn't overload them with too many decisions to make. Walk heirs through each piece of the transfer and provide them with resources and advice that's easy to follow and easy to act on. Gen X investors will need information provided to them in a way that ties all of their competing financial priorities together, not in a vacuum the way advisors have traditionally worked with clients.
- Keeps reality in perspective. Heirs may feel overconfident about their ability to maintain their newly gained assets on their own and achieve their goals. Stress the importance of starting a plan and ask them if they want to do this simultaneously, so that they can ensure they have a plan for how to use the gain to achieve all of their goals.
Just like Boomers were molded by a specific set of financial and economic situations throughout their lifetime, Generation X has its own mindset about financial planning that stems from seeing a variety of economic situations and most recently having gone through two aggressive bear markets, multiple changes in their employee benefits and ongoing market uncertainty. Now is the time for advisors to adapt to a new generation's approach to wealth and retirement planning.


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Chopped Kale Salad
- 6 cups of chopped kale (chopped into small bites)
- ½ cup toasted almonds
- ½ cup Craisins
- 1½ cup cooked, whole grain quinoa
- Dijon vinaigrette (recipe below)
Dijon Vinaigrette
- 2 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard (store bought is great)
- 3 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the salad: In a large bowl, toss together the kale, almonds, Craisins and quinoa. Stir in dressing.
For the vinaigrette: Whisk together the mustard and the vinegar, slowly whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve alone or with a protein of your choice.
Amy Poore is a new mom, a wife and a foodie. To see more of Amy's delicious recipes, visit her blog, Poore Amy, at www.pooreamy.com
Photo: Amy Poore


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Exterior Painting Canton
Your Canton Painter
Applying exterior paint is relatively quick and easy - you could even say painting is fun, and I would agree. Just remember to do a good job preparing your home for painting or you may need to re-paint more often then you'd like.
The key to keeping all those gallons of fresh paint on your home is preparation. Exterior paint preparation is as simple as painting, just a bit more time consuming.
Exterior Painting - Preparing to Paint
All that's needed is a clean, dry, uniform surface. If preparing to paint a flat exterior surface, sand it smooth, if textured, use a wire brush to remove loose material. If you expect to have a lot of loose material, protect landscaping and other exterior items with tarps - makes cleanup easier as well.
Once all loose material is gone:
Remove window screens, storm doors and storm windows. Clean any areas of mildew with mildew cleaner, or bleach & water mix. Power wash your home's exterioir with a low pressure wide spray nozzle. After all exterior surfaces has thoroughly dried, caulk all gaps around windows, doors, etc. Now, the painting can begin.
Get started, Call Ray Monczka Today: (734) 330-5457


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- About USCCB
June 26, 2001
Dear Senator/Representative,
As the fiscal year 2002 appropriations process begins in earnest, I am writing to ask you to adopt a new direction for our country's foreign assistance program. In recent joint testimony before your subcommittee, the Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services, our development and relief agency, urged a foreign assistance program that offers more aid, more focused on overcoming poverty, and more effective in delivering help to the poorest people in the poorest countries. To accomplish these goals, we urge you to appropriate substantially higher funding levels for poverty reduction, education, and health programs, especially for sub-Saharan Africa.
Poverty and disease dominate this region. The attachments to this letter outline the staggering human toll, which has been exacerbated by significant declines in foreign aid over the last decade. The U.S. aid budget to the region has been cut by almost two-thirds since 1985. Today, our nation allocates far less to sub-Saharan Africa as a percentage of development aid than nearly all other donor countries. This response, starkly disproportionate to our country's prosperity and wealth, is scandalous.
We urge an increase of $1 billion for development programs in sub-Saharan Africa, and another $1 billion in new funding to combat the devastating health crises, including malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, that contribute to the region's deadly circle of poverty. These figures represent less than the U.S. share (based on GNP) of the investments needed to address poverty and disease in the region. We underscore that both health and development must be addressed at the same time. Investment in disease prevention and treatment will not succeed in the long term without a stable and strong social and economic infrastructure to support progress in the region. Increased development assistance is an essential ingredient to attaining this goal.
We recognize the need to make foreign aid more effective in reaching the poor, particularly as funding levels increase. Catholic Relief Services has extensive experience in international assistance over a long history and would welcome the opportunity to share its experience and participate in wider discussions on the effective delivery of foreign aid. CRS has recently launched a major campaign to draw attention to the urgent needs in Africa.
We strongly support the continued funding of the U.S. Cologne commitment on debt relief through an appropriation of $224 million (plus carryover funds of $16 million) for fiscal year 2002. To ensure that the enhanced HIPC initiative funded by these contributions is most effective, we urge you to support a technical correction to the initiative that would limit a country's debt payments to no more than 10 percent of government revenues. A lower limit of 5% of revenues would be appropriate for countries facing severe health crises from HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases.
With regard to U.S. refugee assistance and admissions programs, an appropriation of at least $800 million is needed for fiscal year 2002 for the Department of State's MRA Account, and $50 million is needed for the Emergency Refugee and Migrant Assistance Account. These levels of funding will ensure that the U.S. contributes an appropriate amount to protect refugees during the fiscal year.
Finally, I would like to reiterate our strong support for retaining the "Mexico City" policy that prevents our foreign aid program from being misused to subsidize organizations that perform and promote abortions in developing nations under the guise of family planning. The Kemp-Kasten appropriations rider preventing support of organizations involved in coercive population programs should also be retained.
With sincere thanks for your attention to these concerns, I am
Sincerely yours,
Bernard Cardinal Law
Archbishop of Boston
Chairman, USCCB Committee on International Policy
By accepting this message, you will be leaving the website of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This link is provided
solely for the user's convenience. By providing this link, the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops assumes no responsibility for,
nor does it necessarily endorse, the website, its content, or
sponsoring organizations.


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Bush Leagues wrote:If she's available, then I don't particularly take issue with trying to get with her, although I wouldn't want you to take advantage of her emotional vulnerability (seems like she is from your post). If it seems like she'll go back to him, you can consider telling her that he was cheating (although I might not mention who, if you know), and basically letting her know that he's not really into a serious relationship right now (evidenced by his cheating). I have no idea if you are or not either, although I would be clear up-front either way. Be aware that it will cause friction between you and this guy, and depending on his temperament, impulsiveness, etc, might cause you more serious problems than a strained relationship for a while.
Bush Leagues wrote:EDIT: I don't think I come off this way, but I want to make it clear - I'm not being judgmental of you or anything along those lines. I gave the advice I did because it's the best I can think of for your particular situation.
Sun Fin wrote:Personally I'd give some time for the whole situation to settle down. I don't think you want to get in to a messy love triangle, believe me those things are not fun. Instead I'd wait, hope that she rejects him outright and give them both time to move on. Then you make your move knowing that your not a rebound boyfriend, that she doesn't still have feelings for someone else and actually being confident that you can dismiss those rumours of being a 'home wrecker'.
mrbeate wrote:It has been almost a month since they broke up, the flirting started the day after they broke up. I don't want to snitch, It's not my thing. We may not like each other after but I don't mind.
mrbeate wrote:I'm not looking for anything serious, but I also want to see how far this goes. Being a known home wrecker SUCKS! Girls assume the worst of you and don't want to be around you.
Sun Fin wrote:I agree with Jake, staying for your team is not a great approach because if your feeling low and stressed others will be too and will probably be applying elsewhere. Especially when your boss has the attitude described. Nothing is going to get better. My advice would be apply to that other role!
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The 2017 edition of the Ligna trade show in Hanover was a special time for Biesse.
The great number of visitors from all over the world who came to the over 5,000 square meter stand and the positive feedback received from customers, partners and the press were a significant and gratifying response. They are the fruit of the company's investments toward providing increasingly efficient services, offering innovative products and strengthening its presence in markets throughout the world.
"We were particularly proud of the innovations Biesse presented at this edition" stated Federico Broccoli, Division Director Wood/Sales & Branch Division Director. "The layout of our stand was entirely based on the 4.0 concept," Broccoli continued, "with interconnected technologies that offer customers the significant benefit of reducing production times and creating efficiency. We like to refer to these solutions as IoB – Internet of Biesse". The interest garnered by the Machine Knowledge Center, a new platform developed in collaboration with Accenture that guarantees a series of features and services for obtaining more value from the machines, and by the renewed bSuite, a software suite made in Biesse that makes the most advanced technology accessible to anyone, are a testament to how strongly customers need products and services that can revolutionise traditional production areas.


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Seven Little Stars (and the Man in the Moon)
Adam Swanson - 08|18|09
Price: $9.99
22 songs
Price: $9.99
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We have lost our lease and must move all our CDs but the end of May. Please help us by buying a copy of your favorite CD and telling your friends. Everything is on sale now until June for $9.99 per CD.
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Johnny Maddox
With over 45 albums and record sales of over 11 million, including 9 gold singles, it's no wonder Johnny Maddox is considered the
King of Ragtime
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I believe this is the earliest photos I have of my sister, Andra Ross. She will probably not be entirely pleased that I am displaying the earliest photographs I have of her. At any rate, with the whole baby kick and trying to find similarities at this point in the game, I thought I should post a picture of my full sister.
Andra Ross was born 16 September in the Cassia Memorial Hospital & Medical Center in Burley, Idaho (the same location as me). She weighed in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce at 19 inches long. Her parents are my parents, Milo Paul Ross and Sandra Jonas. My parents were then residing at 108 N. 3rd E. in Paul, Idaho. I believe the same address my Mom was living at when I was born. We also were delivered by the same doctor, Dr. A. L. Kircher. (If anyone knows his first and middle name, I would not mind having it.) Interestingly, Sandy purchased a 1956 Dodge Coronet from Dr. Kircher on 22 September 1978. The same "Old Dodge" in my possession, drivable, and will be lovingly restored at some point.
I do not want to give too much commentary on Andra's life. I will make a few mentions about the photos above though. Notice the full head of hair that she was born with. Honestly, her chubbiness covers up most of the features that distinguish her later in life. I look at these photos and do not recognize her. But then again, the trauma of a giving birth does a number on a baby's head and facial features and head shape change quite drastically over the first few months. I will say this. Looking at Andra's pictures as she grows older, much of the bone structure and facial features remind me of my Grandma Gladys Ross. As Andra approached adulthood she took on more of Sandy's characteristics. I still personally see much of Gladys in there, but so many people comment on how much she looks like my Mom. I think they are just going from memory and not comparing the actual pictures. Anyhow, I see no resemblance, except for hair, between little Aliza and my sister Andra. (I realize we already have too many "A" names in the family; ie. Amanda, Andra, Aliza, Alyssa).


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Fantastic - quite frankly: This pull-on body made of cuddly soft organic cotton tells fairytales. Cheerful illustrations put you in a good mood when just looking at it. The gathers at the back leg line provide for a great fit and offer sufficient room for the diaper. Nickel-free snap fasteners and a practical neckline make the eco body, produced under fair conditions, a pull-on miracle.
Made of 100% organic cotton, interlock 195 g/m²
Pack of 2 pieces.
About Living Crafts
Motivation: "Sustainability is not a fashion term. Quite the opposite - and we were proud of this tradition. We have been successful in manufacturing eco-textiles for almost 25 years, applying environmentally friendly and socioeconomic methods. We value credibility, consistency, and trust, and as a result, we get to work a fresh every day with joy and enthusiasm. Why? Because we believe that it's the only way to create transparency and sustainability. - Frank Shell (managing director).
Quality Controls & Fair Trade
Our standards. In addition to paying attention to the certification of our textiles pursuant to Control Union and Naturland, we are also particularly interested in the socioeconomic standards at our production sites. Most of our factories work in accordance with the SKAL guidelines as well as the SA 8000 social standards. Fair trade is a matter that is close to our heart. This includes adequate wages, fair working conditions and long-term partnership contracts with our producers. Naturally, we also pay attention that ecological requirements are met at our production sites abroad as well. This is mainly about adequate storage places, cleanness and the right treatment of our raw materials without the use of pesticides and herbicides.
Our site in Germany is by no means excluded from our socioeconomic ambitions. Here, we endeavour, as much as we can, to work on the area of conservation and toward social justice.
Our controls. Independent institutes such as Control Union (CU) check whether we adhere to our guidelines. The tests are carried out by the various manufacturing companies themselves in accordance with our quality directives. In addition, we have our textiles checked regularly by external laboratories which test them for harmful substances.
Manufacturing Process
The dyes. We dye fabrics without heavy metals, weighting agents, complex agents, and formaldehyde pursuant to the guidelines of Naturland and the International Association of the Natural Textile Industry (IVN). Our dyes are toxicologically harmless.
The process. Our fabrics are dyed in a water-dye bath. Afterwards, the dyes are fixed.
The conditions. Our factories have their own waste water treatment plants. In order to dye fabrics, a certain temperature is necessary. The waste heat which is generated in the heating process is used in our factories to generate electricity. Our factories also use wind energy.
Equipment We equip our textiles solely in a thermo-mechanical fashion and avoid chemical treatment of the fabrics altogether.
The process. The term equipping describes the physical/mechanical treatment of the fabrics to change their characteristics, adapt them to customer requests and to refine them. At LIVING CRAFTS, we equip our fabrics in a thermo-mechanic fashion only. First, the fabrics are washed; then they are crushed and roughened. Afterwards, the surface is steamed, fixed with heat or mechanically felted.
The characteristics. By applying the above methods, some of our textiles obtain a softer surface. Temperature treatment also prevents shrinking later on. Generally, our natural textiles are somewhat less soft than chemically treated fabrics since we avoid artificial additives such as for example bleach, resins, formaldehydes and salt.
Prints The production companies of LIVING CRAFTS print by using the screen printing technique. All pigments, pastes, dyes and additives that are required for this purpose, are water-based. The processes are in line with the directives of Naturland and the Control Union (CU).
Make & Production We produce our textiles in India and Croatia. Every step, from the raw material to the packing of the finished product is carried out under one roof to avoid long transport routes.
The production sites. All LIVING CRAFTS textiles are produced in India in accordance with socioeconomic and ecological standards. Generally, every step from the yarn to the refining all the way to packing the finished textiles is carried out under one roof. LIVING CRAFTS socks are an exception, they are processed in Croatia.
The process. The manufacturing process comprises mainly of the cutting of the fabrics as well as the joining of the different parts of entire articles, such as clothing items. The ingredients are added and everything is sewed into a finished item which is then checked.
Organic cotton


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UPDATE: I recently switched from yellow to fleshies, so I'd like to trade my yellow heads for your flesh ones.
Also, there's everything in my BL store up for trade. I have some BrickWarriors pieces listed there, so check out the custom pieces in my store.
I want:
-flesh heads
-flesh (not light flesh) minifig stuff
-dark orange leaves (the Lego one from the Council of Elrond set)
-dark tan 2x2 tiles
-reddish brown 1x1 brick with stud on the side
-reddish brown slopes (mostly 1x2 and 1x3 for building ships)
-trans clear headlight bricks
-trans clear 1x2 bricks without tube inside (around 150)
-dark tan bushes
-red islander canoes with stickers
-brown lone ranger canoes
-lone ranger Comanche
-skirt of the hula girl (collectibles, series 3) and the new islanders mask from series 11


text: Wannabe aFitChick 0 Posted June 9, 2013 Hi everyone, I'm after some advice. I've been training for the last maybe 2 - 3 months.. I'm in pretty bad shape (although not as bad as I was 3 months ago!!) I don't want to lose weight, im happy-ish with the scales.. labby skin after a 67kg but I really want to tone up some flabby skin after a 67kg weight loss... i am really weak and want to build up my strength and carve some really nice looking muscle (although I don't want to go schwarzenegger.. just nice and athletic looking.. what should I be doing? Currently I have 1 pt session per week at the gym and then i do a few classes like pump, combat and cx worx.. i also do 50 squats per day... I have just started a farily high protein diet (poached egg whites and multigrain toast for breaky, tuna & watercress on multigrain bread for lunch, banana and protein shake for arvo tea and then most nights it's chicken for dinner).. I have just started taking creatine 1/2 an hr before a workout to help muscle recovery.. I'm starting to see a little definition in my arms and now I'm hooked... what can I do to speed up the process? Are there any good supplements I can get that will build muscle faster?? Thanks so much, I hope this wasn't a dumb question!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites