text:
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Announces $10 Trillion Plan to Flight Climate Crisis
Jul. 26, 2019 02:54PM EST Popular
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speaking with attendees at the 2019 California Democratic Party State Convention at the George R. Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. Gage Skidmore / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is the latest 2020 Democratic primary contender to announce an ambitious plan to tackle the climate crisis.
Gillibrand's plan, published on Medium Thursday, would mobilize $10 trillion in private and public funds to pay for a Green New Deal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy within 10 years and net zero emissions across the economy by 2050.
"Climate action should be this generation's moonshot," Gillibrand wrote. "To save our planet, the energy, talents, and commitment of every American will be required, from our farmers and workers to our scientists and entrepreneurs. The next president has to be willing to take bold leaps to lead this effort and stand up to the climate change deniers, polluters, and oil and gas special interests. I will, because we can't afford not to."
Climate change is the most serious threat to humanity that exists today. We need to take immediate and bold action before it's too late. Here's my plan to do it as president: https://t.co/XDE5Ys79Jx
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) July 25, 2019
The plan has seven major components.
1. Achieve Net-Zero Carbon Emissions: In addition boosting renewable energy, Gillibrand's plan would focus on transportation, with a goal of net zero vehicle emissions by the end of the decade. She would also increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations and improve infrastructure for public transit, bicycles and pedestrians.
2. Hold Polluters Accountable: Gillibrand would create a Climate Change Mitigation Trust Fund, paid for with a tax on fossil fuel production, that would generate $100 billion a year for adaptations to sea level rise and extreme weather events. She would also put a starting price on carbon of $52 per metric ton. The carbon tax would generate an estimated $200 billion a year for renewable energy development.
3. Phase Out Fossil Fuels: Gillibrand would end oil and gas drilling and fracking both offshore and on public lands and strengthen regulation for extraction on private land. She would also work with Congress to end fossil fuel subsidies.
4. Build a Green Jobs Economy: Gillibrand's plan would create a "green jobs recovery fund" to help communities impacted by the loss of fossil fuel jobs to transition to clean energy jobs. She would also work to provide access to these new jobs to impoverished communities, depopulating rural areas and frontline communities.
5. Lead the World on Clean Energy: The plan also calls for the U.S. to challenge other countries to a clean energy "space race" in order to harness innovation towards global solutions to the climate crisis. She also said her administration would rejoin the Paris agreement and help countries that had done less to cause the climate crisis adapt to its consequences.
6. Protect Clean Air and Clean Water: Gillibrand also promised to strengthen the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. As a senator, she passed legislation to address the contamination of drinking water near military bases with PFAS and she promised that, as president, she would work to end this contamination nationwide.
7. Center Frontline Communities: Gillibrand said she would work to address the concerns of communities of color and low-income communities that have been disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution, funding the cleanup of ongoing contamination and seeking the input of impacted communities to craft just climate policy. She also said she would order government agencies not to approve any large projects on indigenous land without the informed consent of Tribal governments.
Gillibrand's plan was met with enthusiasm from environmental groups. Greenpeace raised her grade on its Climate 2020 scorecard to an A minus, putting her second only to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who is running on fighting climate change. She was originally in the No. 4 slot.
This morning, @SenGillibrand released an ambitious climate plan that would phase out fossil production, hold polluters accountable, and enact the #GreenNewDeal.
Check out her updated score on our #Climate2020 scorecard! 👉 https://t.co/lDZyZMLUqAhttps://t.co/nd3Qy99nU9
— Greenpeace USA (@greenpeaceusa) July 25, 2019
Friends of the Earth also applauded the plan.
"By prioritizing frontline, rural and marginalized communities, opposing fracking and new fossil fuel leasing on public lands and waters and committing to end fossil fuel subsidies, Gillibrand has demonstrated her leadership on climate issues in 2020," the group's senior fossil fuels program manager Nicole Ghio said in a statement.
Politico said Gillibrand's plan shares elements with the promises of other Democratic primary candidates, including the 2050 carbon neutrality deadline and the pledge to end fossil fuel leasing on public lands.
One major area in which she differs is her proposed carbon tax. Only South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney have officially come out in support of the policy, Politico said.
Vox's Umair Irfan wrote that Gillibrand might also be trying to set herself apart from the crowded primary field by directly attacking the fossil fuel industry and asking them to foot the bill for climate mitigation, though Inslee has also promised to charge carbon polluters for the harm they have done.
"So will calling out the climate change miscreants pay off for Gillibrand?" Irfan asked. "Right now, she barely registers in several polls. And while climate change is a top-tier issue for voters, it received scant attention in the last round of Democratic primary debates. So it's unlikely to give her much of a boost when she returns to the debate stage next week. However, climate change has implications that will ripple throughout the U.S. economy and around the world, so Gillibrand adding her voice to the conversation is a step toward giving the topic the attention it deserves."
Billionaire Philanthropist Tom Steyer Announces 2020 Presidential Bid ›
Kirsten Gillibrand on Climate Change: Where the Candidate Stands ... ›
Kirsten Gillibrand on climate change: Senator releases $10 trillion ... ›
climate crisis climate change climate action green new deal carbon tax fossil fuels environmental justice renewable energy fracking 2020 election kirsten gillibrand


text:
Q: Which Power Adapter is the correct one for Powerbook G4 15inch FW800 - 45watts or 65watts I have a Powerbook G4 15inch FW800 with a 45watts Apple style power adapter. Recently it would not boot up. I removed the battery and it did. However after a shutdown, later on it did not boot up without battery. Only after I reinserted the battery and after waiting for a few minutes did it boot up again. I heard that I should use a 65watts Power Adapter and not a 45watts. However, when I search for a power adapter based on my Powerbook's Apple Order number: M8981LL/A and/or the Model Number: A1046 - I sometimes get a match with a 45watt adapter and other times with a 65watts adapter. So, which adapter should I use with my Powerbook?

A: In practice, I've never seen a properly working 45 watt adapter not be able to boot a properly working PowerBook when you remove the battery.
The 45 watt adapter was intended for smaller devices and would often not be enough to both charge and run a 15 inch PowerBook in all situations even when everything was working properly.
At this point, with ten year old equipment, it's possible you will need a 65 watt adapter or have some power management issues with the adapter or the Mac.
That Mac should have a 65 watt adapter for best results, power on and charging since the G4 and battery do need that much power to work as designed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Here we present two posts from Francis De Bernardo of New Ways Ministries in support of full inclusion of the LGBTQ community at the Table and in marriage blessing. May this be a blessed New Year of love, compassion, equality and justice for all of God's beautiful children.
As we begin a new year today, the Catholic Church also celebrates the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. As we remember the year gone by and contemplate the unknown ahead of us, let those of us who hope, pray, and work for LGBT equality and justice take a moment to consider Mary, God's Mother.
She was a woman who responded freely and fully to God's call, and she helped instill lessons and values in her Son, and then saw him rejected and maligned by civil and religious authorities.
As a new year's resolution, let's strive to follow Mary's example as we work for justice and equality for LGBT people. Let us model her courage in saying "yes" to God's will, even when it may bring us the shame and scorn of others. Let us remember to always care for the least among us, even those with whom we may disagree. Let us make choices that Jesus would make, in the spirit of forgiving love and mercy for all. Let us choose actions that will build up the church and the reign of God. And let us make sure we make time to build up our faith and to renew our hope.
We will continue to update you as other insightful comments appear, as well as keeping you informed on any further developments in this story.


Prices were up 4.3pc nationally in the year to February, according to the Central Statistics Office.
This compares with an annual rise of 12.5pc in February the previous year.
In the month of February this year prices fell by 0.1pc. It was the fourth month in a row of price drops.
Dublin prices rose by just 1.4pc in the last year.
But when the capital is excluded, the CSO said property values were 7.5pc higher in the year.
The region outside of Dublin that saw the largest rise in property prices was the Mid-West at 14.1pc, while the smallest rise was recorded in the Mid-East at 2.9pc.
Overall, the national index is almost 19pc lower than its highest level in 2007.
Dublin residential property prices are 22pc lower than their February 2007 peak, while residential property prices in the Rest of Ireland are 23pc lower than their May 2007 peak.
Households paid a typical price of €250,000 for a residential property in the year to February.
The median price in Dublin was €368,875.
In the Dublin region, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown had the highest median price at €540,000, while Fingal had the lowest at €330,000.
The highest median prices outside Dublin were in Wicklow at €317,500 and Kildare at €294,999, while the lowest were €98,000 in Longford and €100,000 in Leitrim.


text:
Joshua Bassett (actor)
American actor and singer
For the English academic, see Joshua Bassett.
Joshua Bassett
(2000-12-22) December 22, 2000 (age 20)
Oceanside, California, U.S.
Musical career
www.joshuatbassett.com
Joshua T. Bassett (born December 22, 2000)[1] is an American actor and singer. He is known for starring as Ricky Bowen in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.[2][3][4]
3.1 Extended plays
3.2.1 Other charted songs
Bassett was born and raised in Oceanside, California to parents Taylor and Laura, and he has five sisters.[5][6][7][8] He was home-schooled.[9]
His first introduction to musical theater was at age 8, over a decade before he starred as Ricky in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, when he was in a community theater production of High School Musical as J.V. Jock No. 2.[9] Since then, he has starred in over 30 musical productions.[10]
Bassett also sings and plays piano, guitar, and drums.[8][11][12]
Bassett's first substantial role was in 2018, when he played the recurring role of Aidan Peters on the Disney Channel television series Stuck in the Middle.[10]
Bassett was cast in his first starring role at age 17 as Ricky Bowen, the male lead, in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.[13] According to Playbill, Bassett co-wrote "Just for a Moment" with co-star Olivia Rodrigo for the series' soundtrack.[14][15]
In early 2020, Bassett signed with talent and entertainment company United Talent Agency[16] as well as signed a recording contract with Warner Records.[17] He released his first single, "Common Sense," on music platforms on April 3, 2020.[18] His second single, "Anyone Else," was released on July 16, 2020.[19] Bassett will release his debut EP in early 2021, with the lead single, "Lie Lie Lie," being released on January 14, 2021.[20]
Label: Warner Records
"Common Sense"[21]
"Anyone Else"[22]
"Lie Lie Lie"[23]
2021 Joshua Bassett
Other charted songs
Peak chart positions
"Just For A Moment"
(with Olivia Rodrigo)
2020 32 High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
Television roles
2017 Lethal Weapon Will Episode: "Flight Risk"
2018 Game Shakers Brock Episode: "Babe & The Boys"
2018 Dirty John Teenage John Episode: "Lord High Executioner"
2018 Stuck in the Middle Aidan Peters Recurring role, 9 episodes
2019 Grey's Anatomy Linus Episodes: "Girlfriend in a Coma", "I Want a New Drug"
2019–present High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Ricky Bowen Main role
2020 Nickelodeon's Unfiltered Himself Episode: "It's Raining Penguins!"
2018 Calvin Berger Matt[25] Hudson Backstage Theatre, Hollywood[26]
Nominated work
2020 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Male TV Star High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Nominated [27][28]
^ Hanson-Firestone, Dana (November 14, 2019). "10 Things You Didn't Know About Joshua Bassett". TVOvermind. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
^ Otterson, Joe (October 17, 2018). "'High School Musical' Disney Streaming Series Casts Joshua Bassett in Lead Role". Variety. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
^ Petski, Denise (October 17, 2018). "'High School Musical': Joshua Bassett To Star In Disney Streaming Series Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
^ Elizabeth, Devon (October 17, 2018). ""High School Musical: The Musical" Casts Joshua Bassett in Lead Role". Teen Vogue. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
^ ""High School Musical: The Musical" Casts Joshua Bassett in Lead Role". Feeling the Vibe. February 21, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
^ "Disney+ Bio – Joshua Bassett" (PDF). Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International Media Center. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
^ Hipes, Patrick (January 30, 2020). "'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' Star Joshua Bassett Inks With UTA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
^ a b "8 Things You Didn't Know About Joshua Bassett | TigerBeat". 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
^ a b Miller, Bruce (November 10, 2019). "New 'High School Musical' pays homage, say Matt Cornett and Joshua Bassett". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
^ a b Hsiao, Jeremy (November 2, 2019). "'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' winks to the past with a modern take". High School Insider – Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
^ "Joshua Bassett on Instagram: "Not Right Now Written by me"". Instagram. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
^ "Joshua Bassett on Instagram: "I Know (Lie Lie Lie) -written by me-"". Instagram. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
^ McHenry, Jackson (November 11, 2019). "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Premise: The Explanation". Vulture. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
^ Sorren, Martha (November 15, 2019). "There Are Now New Songs In The HSM Canon". Refinery29. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
^ Gans, Andrew (November 7, 2019). "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Soundtrack, Out in January, to Feature HSM Classics and New Tunes". Playbill. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
^ Hipes, Patrick (2020-01-30). "'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' Star Joshua Bassett Inks With UTA". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
^ "'Triple Threat' 'High School Musical' Star Joshua Bassett Signs With Warner Records". Billboard. 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
^ "Joshua Bassett Makes His Major Label Debut With "Common Sense"". idolator. 2020-04-03. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
^ https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Joshua-Bassett-Releases-New-Song-Video-Anyone-Else-20200716
^ https://www.yahoo.com/gma/high-school-musical-star-joshua-115132735.html
^ Common Sense, retrieved 2020-04-03
^ "Joshua Bassett Releases New Song & Video 'Anyone Else'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
^ "Joshua Bassett on Instagram: "Lie Lie Lie January 14th !!!!!"". Instagram. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. January 13, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
^ "Calvin Berger L.A." www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
^ "Standing Room Only and Graceful Productions Present Staged Reading of New Musical CALVIN BERGER". BroadwayWorld. July 26, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
^ Nordyke, Kimberly (February 13, 2020). "Kids' Choice Awards: Chance the Rapper Set as Host; 'Avengers: Endgame' Leads Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
^ Calvario, Liz (2 May 2020). "Kids' Choice Awards 2020: Complete List of Winners". Entertainment Tonight Online. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
Joshua Bassett on IMDb
WorldCat Identities (via VIAF): 11158488456611730942
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joshua_Bassett_(actor)&oldid=1001451115"
People from Oceanside, California
Wikipedia temporarily semi-protected biographies of living people
Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Food price hike continues in Nigeria, says NBS
There was a general hike in food prices in March, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated in its report on 'Selected food prices watch' for March' on Thursday.
Selected food price watch data for March 2021 reflected that the average price of one dozen of agric eggs medium size increased year-on-year by 13.73 per cent and month-on-month by 1.19 per cent to N524.47 in March 2021 from N518.30 in February 2021.
It added that the average price of a piece of agric egg medium size (price of one) increased year-on-year by 21.39 per cent and month-on-month by 2.29 per cent to N48.43 in March 2021 from N47.35 in February 2021.
The average price of 1kg of tomato increased year-on-year by 4.75 per cent and decreased month-on-month by 0.64 per cent to N267.45 in March 2021 from N269.18 in February 2021.
The average price of 1kg of rice (imported high quality sold loose) increased year-on-year by 24.06 per cent and month-on-month by 1.27 per cent to N544.21 in March 2021 from N537.37 in February 2021.
Similarly, the average price of 1kg of yam tuber increased year-on-year by 18.77 per cent and month on month by 0.82 per cent to N244.82 in March 2021 from N242.82 in February 2021.
The NBS had earlier disclosed that the consumer price index, which measures inflation increased by 18.17 per cent (year-on-year) in March 2021.
This is 0.82 per cent points higher than the rate recorded in February 2021 (17.33 per cent).
Increases were recorded in all classification of individual consumption by purpose divisions that yielded the headline index.
On month-on-month basis, the headline index increased by 1.56 per cent in March 2021.
This is 0.02 percentage points higher than the rate recorded in February 2021 (1.54 per cent).
The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the 12 months period ending March 2021, over the average of the CPI for the previous 12 months period was 14.55 per cent, representing a 0.50 per cent point increase over 14.05 per cent recorded in February 2021. – Punch.
Previous: Financial institutions to fund N1.8tr COVID-19 stimulus package – FG
Next: Nollywood actor in police net for allegedly defiling 14-year-old girl
Unity Bank partners RIFAN to unveil mega rice pyramid, pledges more support for farmers
FirstBank rewards customers in Transact & Win promo
Cash-strapped banks borrow N9.17tr from CBN in 7 months
Buhari assures drop in rice price as PDP mocks president, APC over pyramids
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that with expansion in rice farming, prices of food would be more affordable for all.


Norgate Data covers around 100 Futures markets drawn from 11 worldwide exchanges (or exchange groups). The coverage is selective rather than exhaustive. Generally-speaking, a contract has to establish a track-record of liquidity before it is added to the service.
Historical data extends back to around 1980 or to the first day of trading in a market (with a few exceptions).
Unless otherwise specified, the Close price in the data is the official settlement price (and not the last-traded price).
Along with individual futures contracts, the service provides spot-month continuous contracts in 2 forms - unadjusted and back-adjusted. Back-adjustment is calculated arithmetically. For cash-settled futures contracts, the roll out of the expiring contact is performed on the last day of trading; for deliverable contracts, the roll is performed on First Notice Day. For some futures markets that have lightly-traded "interstitial" or "minor" contract months, the "spot month" is not necessarily the next month, and instead is determined to be the next month in the major contract cycle.


text:
Q: File download using RESTful gives HTTP 406 Not Applicable Error I'm trying to download an Excel file using RESTful call. I thought it should be pretty simple, but I keep getting HTTP 406 Not Applicable Eror. This is what my controller method looks like:
@RequestMapping(value = "/gettemplate", method = RequestMethod.GET, produces = "application/vnd.ms-excel")
@ResponseBody
public Response getExcelTemplate() throws Exception {
    File templateFile = new File("TestFile.xlsx");
    ResponseBuilder builder = Response.ok(templateFile,"application/vnd.ms-excel");
    builder.header("Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=\"" + templateFile.getName() + "\"" );
    return builder.build();
}

I've tried setting request header to accept application/vnd.ms-excel, I've also tried using application/octet-stream instead of vnd.ms-excel. I get an HTML response back with 406 error message in either case. Here's what my Ajax test call looks like:
Ext.Ajax.request({
    url: 'myservice/gettemplate',
    //dataType: 'application/vnd.ms-excel',
    headers: {
        'Accept': 'application/vnd.ms-excel, text/plain, */*'
        //'Content-Type': 'application/vnd.ms-excel'
    },
    success: function (response, options) {
        alert(1);
    },
    failure: function (response, options) {
        alert(2);
    }
});

I've commented out the lines that I've tried and removed as it didn't help. This could be a very simple config change, but I can't seem to figure out.

A: When you annotate a request mapping return type with @ResponseBody, Spring will attempt to convert the object into the response using an HttpMessageConverter, as it says on the reference page:

@ResponseBody As with @RequestBody, Spring converts the returned object to a
  response body by using an HttpMessageConverter.

You can see the list of available converters here: Message converters
It looks like the application/vnd.ms-excel you specify is not supported by any of the converters. Maybe that is why you get a 406.

406 Not Acceptable
  The requested resource is only capable of generating content not acceptable according to the Accept headers sent
  in the request.

The solution in your case is to remove the @ResponseBody annotation and handle the file download in another way.
See here for examples on how to download a file from a Spring controller:
Downloading a file from Spring controllers
Returning a file from a controller in Spring

A: Somewhat based on ESala's answer I tried a few things. Finally got it working by setting header and content type to HttpServletResponse. Here's the code that worked for me. This works in both IE and Firefox flawlessly with just a simple anchor tag, without even an ajax call. Hope it helps someone else.
@RequestMapping(value ="/gettemplate", method = RequestMethod.GET)
@ResponseBody
public void getExcelTemplate(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws Exception{
    response.setContentType("application/vnd.ms-excel");
    response.setHeader("content-disposition", "attachment; filename=TestFile.xlsx");

    InputStream fis = getClass().getClassLoader().getResourceAsStream("templates/TestFile.xlsx");
    int x = fis.available();
    byte byteArray[] = new byte[x];
    logger.info(" File size :"+byteArray.length);
    fis.read(byteArray);

    response.getOutputStream().write(byteArray);
    response.flushBuffer();
    fis.close();
}


You can apply to the court to 'wind up' a company if it can't pay its debts of more than £750.
Your application to the court is known as a 'winding up petition'. If successful, the company will be put into liquidation.
You may not get all or any of the money you're owed – a debt specialist (eg a solicitor) can help you work out the best way to recover a debt and send your petition.
doesn't respond to the statutory demand within 21 days breaks a written promise to pay the debt.
To petition the court, you need to arrange to send the right forms to the court that can deal with your petition and pay the court fees.
You need form 4.2 and a statement of truth. You must fill in 3 copies and sign each one.
The statement of truth is a legal document which says that everything you've written in the petition is true. You can buy one from a legal stationers.
You need certain details about the company (eg the registered office address), you can get these from Companies House.
You might be able get the fees back if the company can afford to repay them.
You can pay using cash, postal orders or a building society, bank or solicitor's cheque made payable to Her Majesty's Courts & Tribunal Service.
If the company has a 'paid up share capital' of more than £120,000 (this will be shown in the company information) send the petition to the High Court.
For other companies, use the court finder to find a court dealing with insolvency. You must use a court nearest to the company's registered office.
If the court accepts your petition, they'll arrange a date for a hearing.
To prove that the petition was served, send a 'certificate of personal service' to the court where you submitted the petition.
At least 7 working days before the hearing, place an advert in the London Gazette saying the petition has been served.
At least 5 working days before the hearing, send a copy of the advertisement and a certificate of compliance to the court.
You must bring a list of everyone who will be attending the hearing.
If the petition is successful, the company will be wound up and put into liquidation.
The liquidator will decide if and how any available funds are distributed to creditors.


text:
BY the SWORD: SPOILS of OLYMPUS by Christian Kachel
Title: By the Sword: Spoils of Olympus
Author(s): Christian Kachel
Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Endeavor Press (2014)
Buy the book now at:
AmazonAuthor's Website
By the Sword is an atmospheric and character driven coming-of-age story that takes place in the years immediately following the untimely death of Alexander the Great. The news of his death traveled quickly throughout the land. He was born to the King of Macedon and was tutored as a noble and later by Aristotle. When he died, his kingdom was one of the largest the ancient world had known—more than 2 million square miles. His unexpected death left a vacuum of power and chaos. Civil wars and power grabs from Alexander's generals tore this great empire apart. This is when Kachel's enthralling Hellenic military epic begins.
Andrikos grew up during Alexander's rule. Now everything has changed. The story begins in his village when he is an errant adolescent more interested in his next drink or round of sex. He is in no hurry to have the responsibilities of an adult. Kachel illustrates the ages-old influence that peers may have on young men and how they can affect them and their actions—changing their lives forever—for better or for worse. Young Andrikos hangs out with the wrong crowd and is swept up in their illicit behaviors and actions. He finds that he must flee his family and his home to save himself from an unintentional crime—forever changing him and his life.
Andrikos has no real plans for his life. Suddenly he finds that the only option he has is to join the armies of Alexander to escape his past. However, he was unprepared for the brutal conditioning and the heartlessness of the recruiters whose job it is to ferret out the weak from the strong. Kachel vividly portrays these horrific and brutal experiences through the eyes and heart of Andrikos as he undergoes the physical and mental conditioning that is forced upon him and his fellow recruits. There is no turning back. The only way out is death or fight to live another day.
Kachel captures what could happen when trained killers are left to their own devices and their own greed and bloodlust without guidance and a chain of command in this satisfying read. He also brings forward the importance of having a mentor can be to the young and inexperienced. Vettias is a confident and self-reliant warrior with a complicated background in gathering intelligence. He recognizes potential in Andrikos and takes on the mantle of becoming his mentor and teacher. Under Vettias' guidance, Andrikos develops and matures into more than a foot soldier as he learns of honor and integrity, of treachery and deceit, and of friendship and loyalty.
By the Sword is a well-researched military historical epic where Christian Kachel, the author, portrays the effect that chaotic, warring times have on women and children, on the weak and infirmed, and the men who are caught up in the violent and ruthless swells of battles, and then the heartrending aftermath that follows even on the heels of victory.
One cannot help but think of the millions of young people who are going through their own coming of age throes in the heat of battles and skirmishes that are taking place at this very moment. Kachel, who has served three tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, writes with compelling adroitness about what Andrikos experiences as he makes his journey from an oblivious youth to a young man whose eyes have been opened to the cruelty of war but still manages to maintain his empathy for his fellow man and holds on to his humanity.
Be warned that Kachel does not whitewash the horrors of war, nor the rape and brutish treatment of women and children, nor the screams of pain and the blank eyes of starvation in the telling of his epic.
Christian Kachel's By the Sword is a fine debut novel that explores the little known, but fascinating, age of post-Alexandrian Greece. Its intriguing interwoven storylines of a young man's coming of age, of alliances and espionage, and of harrowing battles scenes will be sure to captivate readers and keep them turning the pages even as they wince and grimace with Kachel's no-holds- barred descriptions in this well-researched historical narrative. We look forward to reading more from Kachel about what awaits Andrikos in his next adventure.
Historical Fiction: Military, Classical Age
Targeted Audience: New Adult, military history buffs, Classical Studies
2015-04-02T09:28:41-08:00By kbrown|
A PROFESSOR and MRS. MORIARTY MYSTERY: Moriarty Takes His Medicine, Book 2 by Anna Castle – Historical Mystery


Exact name you would like to have on the trading card.
Exact breed name you would like to have on the trading card.
Photo should fit in proportional to 780 X 820 pixels (2.5"x2.75"). All extraneous image will be trimmed off.
Photo should fit in proportional to 780 X 520 pixels (2.5"x1.75"). All extraneous image will be trimmed off.


text:
Kim Kardashian's Shocking Face Evolution
Bella Hadid's 10-Year Face Evolution
Kylie Jenner's Face Evolution
Celebrities Who Look Completely Different With Their Natural Hair
By Olivia Di Pede	In	Beauty on August 22, 2018
Get Meghan Markle's Go-To Makeup Look On A Budget
Meghan Markle's Favorite Beauty Products Are Surprisingly Relatable
Source: Google | EPA/ROBERT PERRY
As a celebrity, it's important to be able to change your look to suit a certain role. Whether it be for a red carpet appearance or a new film, celebrities must undergo quite a few style and beauty transitions throughout their careers, which often begins with their hair! You'd be surprised how some of your favorite celebs looked before they were launched into the spotlight, so follow along for 12 celebrities who look completely different with their natural hair:
12. Ariana Grande
You likely recognize Ariana Grande for her signature sleek and shiny ponytail. She's made this her trademark over the years, but you'll be surprised to know her natural hair is actually quite curly. In January 2014, the singer revealed that she always wears her hair in a ponytail like this because her natural hair is quite damaged. "I had to bleach my hair and dye it red every other week for the first 4 years of playing Cat…as one would assume, that completely destroyed my hair… My real hair is back to brown and I wear extensions, but I wear it in a ponytail because my actual hair is so broken that it looks absolutely ratchet and absurd when I let it down."
11. Amy Adams
Many of the redheaded celebs you've come to know and love are shockingly not redheads at all! Amy Adams, for example, is a natural blonde and was cast in Vegas, alongside another blonde in which she was required to dye her hair to make the distinction between them more apparent. "She's tan with these beautiful lioness green eyes and this mane of blonde hair," Adams explained in 2012. "And I looked at her and me, with my pale freckles, and thought, Gee, I wonder which one of us is going to go red!" She also explained the shift in hair color changed the types of roles she was accepted for and the entire trajectory of her career. "People began to see me in a different way, for different roles," she shared with People.
10. Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston with her California sunkissed hair is shockingly not a natural blonde at all! "I have naturally wavy, frizzy Greek hair, and over the years it's taken a beating from blow-dryers, flatirons, curlers, and extensions, which I think are the most damaging," she shared in an interview. Aniston also opened up about how she was a brunette naturally and returned to her roots for a role, "I was born with this color, and after a few years of playing with highlights I lost complete track of my natural hair shade, so it's nice to be back."
9. Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson is another celebrity whose blonde, sun-kissed locks have been envied for years. Recently, she was cast for a role that required her to buzz off all her hair and when her roots began to grow in, many were shocked to see that she wasn't a natural blonde at all! "You can get caught up in the fact that, 'Oh no, what happens if the identity that people see me as is, like, gone?' I just don't care," she told ET of her transition in 2017. "I just don't think about stuff like that so, for me, I was just excited to get rid of all the old hair."
8. Mandy Moore
When thinking of Rebecca Pearson from This Is Us, our thoughts immediately float to a glossy chestnut-colored brunette mane. In reality, however, those who have followed Mandy Moore for years prior to this role will know that she is actually a natural blonde. In her early days as a pop singer circa 1999, her blonde locks were on full-display which allegedly makes her "shudder" to think about now. She admitted her signature brunette locks "feels the most like me" and was a change she made when she transitioned from the pop world to that of an actress in A Walk to Remember. "It was transformative because it came at a time in my life when I was only seen from the pop music landscape and through that lens. There was a real significance to coloring my hair," she told Entertainment Weekly.
7. Zendaya
Zendaya was launched into the Hollywood scene when she appeared as Rocky Blue on Disney's Shake it Up. In her role, stylists often straightened her natural curls, which at the time she agreed with. "Growing up, I wasn't very confident in my curls," she told People StyleWatch. "It wasn't like the hair that girls around me had. And nobody really knew what to do with my hair." Years later, Zendaya dished that she now loves to embrace her natural curls and teach others how to style curly, coarse hair. "When you've spent the past however many years growing your damaged hair back, avoiding heat, wearing wigs and trying every natural product in the world and you finally see a little curl pattern comin back," she wrote on Instagram while sharing a photo of her natural locks.
6. Leighton Meester
Many will recognize Leighton Meester for her role as the fierce brunette Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl. Although Blair and Serena are best-known for their blonde and brunette signature friendship dynamic, it's funny to learn that Meester isn't a brunette at all, but actually a natural blonde. Allegedly she was blonde throughout the entire casting process of Gossip Girl which series co-creator Josh Schwartz shared about in an interview, "She came in and she was really funny, and really smart and played vulnerable. But there was one problem: she was blonde."
5. Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde is known for her dark tresses that make her blue eyes pop in contrast, but when she first came onto the Hollywood scene she was actually a blonde. "I spent the first couple years of my career as a very blonde blonde," she told Into the Gloss in 2013. "And then I went brunette for a role, and suddenly all my offers changed — the types of roles people approached me with totally changed."
4. Gabrielle Union
If anyone can speak to embracing their natural hair, it's Gabrielle Union! The star recently launched her own haircare line called Flawless with the goal of helping women with textured hair to embrace their natural curls and "have great hair days." She opened up to WWD about her own hair journey and decision to go natural, "I went through a phase where I would leave my relaxer on so long, thinking the longer I leave this relaxer on, the straighter it's going to be," she said. "Cut to lesions, like open wounds in my scalp, trying to chase something that was unrealistic, and eventually probably in my mid- to late-20s I decided to give up my relaxer, and I went natural."
3. Nicole Kidman
Nowadays, Nicole Kidman is known for her platinum blonde locks, crystal blue eyes, and porcelain skin, but this wasn't always the case! Kidman is actually a natural redhead and has a full head of ringlet-style curls. Many will remember this look if they watch her in the 1990 film Days of Thunder, but she's embraced being blonde for so many years that blonde simply feels like her natural look now. Surprisingly, the Austrailian beauty actually admitted to regretting her decision to change her hair and dished, "I wish I had left my hair alone! Because I kept straightening it I would always be told, 'Your curls are so beautiful' and I never believed them."
2. Emma Stone
Emma Stone is one of those stars whose features seem to innately suit being a redhead. Her freckled skin and green eyes would fool many into believing she was born with red hair, but fans will be shocked to learn that she's actually a natural blonde! Tracey Cunningham, co-owner of the Byron & Tracey Salon in Los Angeles, dished on what it's like to work on Emma's hair: "I forget Emma is not a natural red-head — she's a blonde! She looks like such an authentic red-head with this coloring and her personality!"
Many will recognize Meghan Markle for her mane of soft waves while playing Rachel Zane on Suits and during appearances with Prince Harry. The Duchess' hair naturally, however, is actually quite curly! The star uses relaxers to soften her hair and dished her secrets to sleek texture. "Kerastase (masquintense & the oleo relax line) and Wella, which has a hair oil that I am obsessed with. It smells like vacation and makes your hair slippery and touchable." As much as we love Meghan's hair sleek and wavy, we also hope to see her rocking her natural full head of curls one day since it looks so beautiful on her!
RELATED on
10 Celebrity Hairstyles That Will Make You Look Younger
more on fame10
Favorite Celeb Beauty Products You Can Actually Afford
10 Celebrities Who Have Struggled With Acne
8 Celebrities Who Wear Way Too Much Eye Makeup
9 Celebrities Who Refuse To Fix Their Flaws!
10 Celebrities Who Look Better With Less Makeup!
11 Hot Celebrities And Their Favorite Beauty Products!
11 Most Outrageous Celebrity Beauty Secrets!
10 Stars With The Most Luscious Lashes!
11 Celebrities Who Pull off Red Lipstick Best!
15 Beauty Secrets From The Stars: How To Look Young
7 Best Anti-Aging Secrets From Popular Celebrities
Best Celebrity Beauty Secrets!
8 Celebrity Approved Hair Care Must-Haves
15 Celebrity-Approved Beauty Tricks
The Only 5 Beauty Products You Actually Need
12 Must-Have Celebrity Beauty Favorites Under $10
Fame10 Related
8 Celebrities Who Showed Their Flaws On Social Media
10 Super Hot Celebs Who Don't Wash Their Hair Everyday
10 Best Celebrity Makeup Free Selfies
9 Celebrities Who Wear Too Much Makeup
7 Celebrities Who Aren't Afraid To Show Off Their Flaws
top 5 trending
Khloe Kardashian's Shocking Face Evolution
Get Meghan Markle's Go-To Makeup Look On A Budget


text:
Mary Margaret Harris
Mary Margaret Harris is a core member of Spencer Stuart's Leadership Advisory Practice. With a decade of experience in leadership consulting and corporate HR roles, she specializes in C-suite succession planning and senior executive assessments for selection and development.
Expert in executive assessment and succession planning
Mary Margaret has partnered with dozens of organizations to facilitate C-suite succession planning, ranging from family-owned businesses to multi-national organizations.
Due to her experience leading top team workshops and her deep assessment expertise, she is often enlisted to work alongside CEOs and CHROs as they build and strengthen their leadership teams.
Before joining Spencer Stuart, Mary Margaret developed the employee engagement strategy and led several global training programs at Levi Strauss & Co.
While completing her doctorate, she worked in talent management roles at multiple Fortune 500 companies, including Kellogg Company, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble.
Mary Margaret holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in industrial and organizational psychology from The University of Akron. She also earned a B.S. cum laude in business administration from Washington & Lee University.
T: +1 404.504.4400
Point of View: The Future of Leadership
Our Future of Leadership series looks at the highly complex and dynamic world organizations are operating in today.


The companies write a letter of invitation-business when they host business visitors from abroad or from the same region or country. The business visitors can be investors, potential buyers may be conference visitors, business partners, employees of any company or mere individuals who come for training at company's facilities. If a company is inviting any visitor, a representative of that company must write the letter.
Also, the firms must have some specific people who would sign the invitation letters. These letters are basically very much precise only containing the necessary information. The invitation letter should state that the name of the business organisation they represent and their relationship to the host (e.g., distributor, regional sales reps etc.). The letter should articulate the planned dates of travel, must be formatted in a professional manner.
First of all to write a business letter one must make sure that all the necessary details like date, time and venue of the business event are included properly in the letter.
The invitation letter should only mention the reason or the purpose for the business event.
The representative must not forget to mention his name, designation and the name of the company on whose behalf he is writing the letter.
State the purpose of the visit and the necessary details regarding it.
Use our free Letter of Invitation – Business to help you get started.
Date: (Date on Which Letter is Written).
I am cordially inviting____________ (Name of the individual) the Vice President of __________ (The name of the company) on behalf of __________ (Name of the invitee's company) to attend the ____________ (Name of the business event) on ____________ (Date and time of the event).
In this event, you will be one of our esteemed guests and we expect that you will meet our company officials to discuss on how to strengthen our business further.
I do hope for your presence in the event. Please do confirm your presence as early as possible.
This is a sample for Letter of Invitation-Business.
Subject: Letter of business invitation for attending an Educational Seminar event.
I would like to invite you on behalf of Zebronic Seminar Services to attend the inauguration of our new business at Chennai city on Monday at 8 pm. It is our pleasure to have you as one of our esteemed guests as you always have been good partners in other businesses for a long time. We are hoping to get the same support this time too.
You are requested to come as early as possible so that we can arrange you a comfortable seat. Please do inform us if you are coming or not.
I hope that you are surely going to come on that day and make the event a success with your presence.
This is an Email Format to be followed for the Letter of Invitation-Business.
I hope that this letter of mine finds you in the best of health and spirit. As you are our valued customer, we would like to thank you for your business and would take this opportunity to invite you for the mega launching of our new apparel series.
A small opening ceremony and then a dinner party at Hotel Hayat are organised just to extend our gratitude to our guests on 10th of June 2010 at 8 pm in the evening.
Besides this, our Chairman will announce about our new showrooms across the country. We want to introduce our new line of fashion apparel to our valued clients and customers, so we want all our guests to attend the party.
Please give us your confirmation by __________.
Your presence is thus sought for.


text:
How American Collapse Is Becoming American Implosion, By Umair Haque
Oct 27, 2018 | Articles, civil liberties, Civil Unrest, Racism, Society In Decline, Trauma, Tyranny | 0 comments
Reposted from Medium
The Final Stage of Collapse and the Institutionalization of Mass Violence
Consider three events from the last two weeks in America. Fascists beat people on the streets of Manhattan. An organized campaign of mass political bombing, by an ardent member of an authoritarian movement, was thwarted just in time. And yet that very same authoritarian movement, expressing no remorse, let alone culpability, began to demonize refugees approaching the border as a caravan packed with mafias and terrorists — precisely the kind of delusion that had probably inspired the bomber.
American collapse is becoming American implosion, my friends. How so? As always, you are to judge, and I will simply state my case.
A decade or so ago, I used to point out — or at least try to — that America was a failing state. Now the pundits, cosseted in their bubbles, neatly swaddled in the safety blankets of ideology — a little more cruelty, it's good for everyone — laughed and cried: "failing! LOL — how!? Get a grip, dude!" Yet even then, if you cared enough to look, you could see, very clearly even then, the problems that would lead directly to American collapse. Skyrocketing inequality, a struggling middle, shrinking real incomes, failing public institutions of every kind, a long history of tribalism, seemingly no escape from all the preceding — hence, a growing sense of despair, rage, and frustration, a catastrophic loss of trust in institutions, faith in the future, and optimism for society. Bang! A perfect, classic, setup for social collapse. It's not that I'm some kind of oracle by any means — it's that I was one of a handful of people who bothered to look up at the gathering dust. I wondered, in fact, why more didn't. But I digress.
And then America did collapse. Funnily enough, ironically enough, when no one thought it would or even could. In three precise ways, which is what I'd always meant by American collapse. Society collapsed structurally, into a place where the middle was a minority, and mobility and opportunity were things of the past. The economy collapsed from one that offered something like a dream, to one in which 80% of people live paycheck to paycheck, will never retire, exploited mercilessly, and just as cleverly, by the very capitalism they go on believing in faithfully and cheering for. Hence, as a result, the polity collapsed, too — from something like a barely-democracy, to one which didn't function at all, as extremists took it over, and began the project of regress, stonewalling, paralyzing, and jamming up the gears of an already sputtering machine. System failure — wham!! — crash.
In such a society, there is only one route left — each stratum, each caste, must prey on the one below it, punching it down further, for the illusion of prosperity to appear. Bang! Already, perhaps you see the problem: now, such a society is descending into the abyss. There is nowhere to go but lower when everyone is pulling the next now down a little further. Where is the bottom, exactly?
This is the demagogue's moment. "It's their fault! Those dirty Jews, Mexicans, Muslims, those women, those gays!" That much is the story of the last decade, and its culmination, which was the election of a demagogue — social collapse becoming a grim reality, without often fully or consciously understanding, really, that it is collapsing, or why, or even how. Only desperately trying to survive it. I'll come back to that.
All this was the story of the last few years in America. But now collapse is becoming something different. It is approaching its final and terminal phase, which is implosion. Let me be precise in what I mean by that. A society collapses socially, politically, and economically — from an open society into a caste society, from democracy's fundamental goods of equality, justice, freedom, and truth, into authoritarianism's bads, of hate, spite, paranoia, lies, rage, vice, and from prosperity into predation.
But what comes next?
What comes next, my friends, is the institutionalization — the formalization, if you like, of all those things. And that is the final stage of collapse. When a society has built institutions which pervert democracy, and enshrine and formalize authoritarianism, fascism, and so on, then the work of collapse is done. Society is reborn now — from light into darkness — as a blind, keening thing, screaming for blood. It is just a knife, a gun, a fist now — a system of violence. But I will come to all that.
Democracy offers us the great primary goods above — which are the most valuable ones of all. Authoritarianism offers us, in their place, corresponding bads. It tells us to prey on our neighbours and peers and colleagues and friends — and in that way, to define ourselves as members of the tribe, who are the protected ones, or the true volk, or the party members. It tells us to give up on freedom, justice, equality, and truth, and instead seek spite, rage, hate, fear, and lies — often, so much so that collapsing societies come to call the latter the former — as the primary aims of society, of culture, of an economy, and, of course, the lives within them.
Now instead of institutions which enshrine and promote democracy's great goods of equality, freedom, truth, equality and justice, a society begins to build new institutions, which produce authoritarian bads — spite, hate, rage, fear, paranoia, lies — instead. How do they produce them? The same way institutions always do. By incentivizing them economically, socially, and culturally. By creating rules, codes, and laws, which punish their nonproduction. By creating values which normalize — spread, promote, and glamorize them — culturally. By creating role models of fine young Nazis, for example, who are profiled in august newspapers. By impressing upon people's minds that this is who we are now, and this is what we have become.
Let me give you a specific example of what I mean by "institutions of implosion." Today, courts try little infants from certain ethnic groups as if they were vicious criminals. It violates every principles of reason and civilization, doesn't it? But why — what is it an example of? Such a court is an implosive institutions, which enshrines — codifies, legalizes — the bads of hate, spite, delusion, paranoia, and fear.
Now, it's true that there are always dissidents and resistances and even freedom fighters. Alas, my friends, one of the most misunderstood components of social implosion is that it rarely takes an active, loud, participant majority. It only takes a minority of fanatics — and a majority who is too weary, too apathetic, too resigned, or too foolish, perhaps — to act before it is too late.
When is "too late"? When the new institutions of implosion have arisen. So what "too late" means is that by the time such institutions have come to replace enough of a democracy's institutions, then the game is over. When the courts, the government, the libraries, the polices, and the armies, as an incomplete list, have all been infiltrated, changed, transformed — from agents of democracy, to agents of authoritarianism — then what is there left not just to fight for, but more crucially, to fight with? This, my friends, is why it has never really taken a majority to implode a society — just a minority of committed enough fools.
The problem is that America has had those in spades, and still does. The Newts and Jeff Flakes and Ben Sasses. Men who abjure but do not reject, who are alarmed, but will not act. They do not seem to understand that complicity is not the just the action of bad people, but the inaction of good people, too — and much more so, where and when it matters most. America's minority of fools led it to the cliffs of collapse, and now it is pushing it off the cliffs of implosion.
Remember my three examples? Let's go through them to understand how badly institutions in America have already been perverted and corroded from democratic to authoritarianism.
When the fascist gang beat people on the Manhattan streets, the police were right there. In Manhattan, they are never more than a block away, really and in this instance, apparently, they stood there…watching. When the would-be mass bomber began to issue threats on Twitter, users reported him — but no action was taken. Then he was suspended — after he was arrested. LOL. And a "caravan" of refugees — which is to say a few hundred souls seeking refuge — is demonized as a criminal gang full of terrorists daily by some large component of the media, the intelligentsia, and the polity.
How many institutions is that, in just those three examples? You can judge for yourself. The point is that all this is the institutionalization of violence. And while it's true in a sophomoric grad-school way to say — "but a society always institutionalizes violence, dude!" (yes, we all know that) — wisdom is understanding there is a world of difference between a system that minimizes some necessary level of violence, so that the the public good is safeguarded, and one that maximizes violence, which trickles down in great waves, from caste to caste, from tribe to tribe, so that there is no longer any public good. One is democratic, and the other, fascist, to speak plainly.
The point is that many, perhaps the majority, of America's institutions are now beginning the process of institutionalizing authoritarianism's bads — hate, spite, rage, delusion, lies, paranoia, fear. They are institutionalizing violence — rewarding people for it, whether economically, socially, culturally, professionally, and punishing those, of course, who receive it. So by implosion, I mean the institutionalization of violence.
And when that process begins, it is often both unstoppable, and far swifter and more deadly than people realize. Soon enough, the brownshirts and death squads and morality police stroll down the streets, caning and beating those who look them in the eye. Soon enough people cheer publicly — even if they are disgusted on the inside — when the knives cut and the guns fire on the helpless, powerless, and weak.
Soon enough, a society is just a gun, just a knife, just a fist. Just violence, conducted over and over again, daily, by the mindless against the powerless, at the behest of the powerful. Violence which is ecstatically ritualized, celebrated, and applauded, whose rituals serve the purpose, of checking for and enforcing every last bit of absolute conformity in habit and in thought. Conformity, submission, obedience. To hate, to delusion, to the lie. The lie that is always violence. For the moment we see the truth of another, their grief, their sorrow, their mortality, we do not wish to harm them, do we? We take them in our arms, like a brother, like a mother, like a father. We only harm them when all we see is a monster, an infection, a stain, something to be rubbed away and cleansed, before it infects us, too. Should we think that — then we have become what the fascist wanted all along to reduce us to: the gun, the knife, the fist.
Ah — you see? You just thought it didn't you? "Don't be ridiculous!! It can't happen here!" Ah, my friend. You poor soul. But hasn't it been, all long? Vote, then, vote, as if your life depends on it. It does — only maybe you don't know it yet.


More elderly Ontarians are entering hospitals and long-term care-homes with their own teeth and need focused oral care — but facilities may not be equipped to provide it.
At Amherst Island's CJAI 92.1 FM, volunteers host shows, work the mixing board, and woo advertisers — it's just one of many small local radio stations across the province trying to do more with less.
In 2015, Abdel Malek Al-Jasem arrived here with his wife and children. But three years and countless application forms later, his brothers are still in Lebanon. What will it take to bring them to Canada?
From 1917 to 1934, the Trenton Film Plant made more than 1,500 silent films. We talked to local historian Peggy Dymond Leavey about the studio's heyday — and its biggest box-office bomb.
Deep River has, per capita, the most expensive fire department in Ontario — it's hoping that new legislation will allow it to cut costs without putting residents at risk.
In Ontario, the province funds operating costs but not equipment. So when Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital came up against a funding shortage, they started asking neighbouring towns for help.
Late-night commuters in Belleville now have a new transit option: their very own bus on demand. We go there to find out how it works.
Thanks to one Ontario company, the recently discovered Zuul crurivastator is seeing the light of day for the first time in 75 million years.
On municipal-election day, hundreds of candidates will win by acclamation in communities across Ontario — but what does that mean for democracy?
Candidates in Kingston's Portsmouth district won't use lawn signs during the 2018 municipal-election campaign. Will politicians elsewhere follow their lead?


◦ Personal Perspective and Conclusion = 20 pts.
◦ Content = 15 pts.
◦ Organization = 5 pts.
◦ Mechanics = 5 pts.
◦ MLA Format = 5 pts.
This paper is 5 -8 pages in length and demonstrates your ability to synthesize one specific area of study. This paper defines the origin of the subject matter including the following sections: genesis; denotation; connotation; opposing or divergent views; and systems/models/theories of the one specific area of study (your core topic) and the "issue" that you chose to research.
◦ GENESIS: This section contains research of the historical origins of both the core topic and the "issue". For example, How did Civic Responsibility begin? What are the origins of Ethics? What are some of the early, historical origins of leadership theory? How and where did Globalization originate? Your "issue" should also be researched, for example, let's say you selected, "Ethics", and you are interested in practice of animal testing, what are the origins of "animal testing"?
◦ DENOTATION: This section includes key terms that will be used in your research. Include key terms and their definitions (like a glossary). This section may contain to be expanded upon as your research progresses.
◦ CONNOTATION: This section includes your perspectives of how your core topic and "issue" is important in this current day. In other words, what is the relevance of your research today and how has it become popularized?
◦ OPPOSING / DIVERGENT VIEWS: This section includes "both sides of the coin"; elaborate on advantages and disadvantages; pro and con; ethical vs. unethical considerations, etc.
◦ SYSTEMS / MODEL / THEORIES: This section can include any theories, models, charts, graphs, pictures, time lines or other systems relevant to your research.
This first definition paper is fundamental to building the foundation of your research paper.
This section may vary in length and will demonstrate your ability to generate a thesis, which specifically narrows down your chosen topic of interest. Your thesis is your main statement of purpose and will be the driving force in your final paper. You should also include how you intend to research your core topic and issue.
This section may vary in length and will demonstrate your ability to research existing literature. The requirement is 10 sources, properly cited (MLA) that reflects your chosen topic. You can estimate writing at least one page per article. You should be thorough in summarizing the main intent of each article, paraphrasing in your own words the relevance of each article. You must also include a final statement and analysis with each of your articles; justify your sources, discuss their relevance to your thesis, and include any observations or questions pertaining to what your read. Every reference must be properly cited both within the Review of the Literature section and within your Works Cited page.
This section will vary in length and demonstrate your ability to utilize quantitative and/or qualitative data and scientific inquiry in development of your final paper. You may choose your methodology according to the data collection that best reflects your specific area of study. Qualitative data may include interviews or your own personal/professional experiences. Quantitative data may include surveys or questionnaires. You may design the questions for interviews or surveys yourself, or you may research existing interviews or surveys and cite your sources. Please include specific demographics of interviewees or survey respondents, i.e. gender, age, race, occupation, etc. You should be able to critically analyze your data and make sense of significant findings. Please include a discussion section sharing your own perspectives and critical analysis of your data.
This conclusion section will vary in length (3-5 page estimate) and should summarize your findings on your issue. Include your thesis and conclusions you arrived at through your research. Please provide key facts, reasons, evidence, and even charts or graphs from the various portions of your paper and research to support these conclusions and your thesis. Also include recommendations for future research.
◦ COVER PAGE (containing all pertinent student and class information and a title that truly captures the essence of both your core topic and issue).


The East Central Alberta Heritage Society needs your help to raise matching dollars for our Rails & Tales Project as part of Canada 150 celebrations which includes double-header excursions traveling from Stettler to Big Valley starting Wednesday, June 28 thru to Wednesday, July 5.
Feel free to use the Paypal Donate Button in the column on the right if you would like to give a donation.
We are now on RailServe! Check us out and look up other rail-related sites of interest.
East Central Alberta Heritage Society's five natural linear parks are now complete and ready for public use.
These long narrow parks are located on abandoned rail bed, south of Rumsey, south of Rowley, south of Big Valley, south of Edberg, and north of Meeting Creek. These natural linear parks include close to 11 miles of the society's rail rights of way – running one-half mile immediately south of Edberg, one and one-half miles north of Meeting Creek, two miles south of Big Valley parallel to Range Road 201A and 202A, two and one-half miles south of Rumsey, including the Rumsey swamp wetlands, and more than four miles immediately south from Rowley.
The natural linear parks welcome walking, jogging, and picnicking, and are accessible for all ages to the degree possible, regardless of physical ability, financial resources, or residence location. They are equipped with picnic tables, garbage cans, and washrooms. They are environmentally friendly, and protect and enhance environmentally sensitive areas. Public access is only by foot and no vehicular traffic is allowed.
These parks are fenced and gated for the public and adjacent landowner safety. Entrance gates, safety fencing, and cattle fencing will be maintained. There are no road crossings, industrial activity, or heavy equipment usage in the area, making the element of risk along the linear parks minimal to non-existent.
A total of slightly more than 200 birdhouses have been erected in the five parks and the Buffalo Lake Naturalists inventory of flora and fauna will be complete and included with maps showing park locations and access prior to the 2014 opening.
The Natural Linear Parks have been developed in a manner has not damaged or impacted the environment. The railway bed was constructed many years ago, well above any wetlands, and culverts and bridges already exist so that the least amount of disturbance has occurred.
The Natural Linear Parks project was completed for close to the planned financial expenditure of $732,000.00.
Click the highlighted link to see the Public Brochure.
…on the progress of the railway restoration project and what we can offer today's youth.
As we look forward to spring, warmer weather, and longer days, the East Central Alberta Heritage Society is preparing to continue our project of re-laying the rail to Donalda. Some significant progress was made in 2013, however, the wet weather did hamper our efforts considerably.
As you know, our Mission is to restore the rail line in order to highlight the historic significance of the rail in the settlement and development of the prairies of Western Canada. Trains were once the main mode of transportation for the movement of goods, the delivery of mail, and travel between destinations by settler residents of the area.
Cars were few and roads were not conducive to travel in less than perfect weather in the early days, so people came to rely on horses, and the train. The children of today find it hard to equate this with our current 'fast pace'. Our goal is to encourage mature adults to reminisce, and to physically 'show' youngsters how it was, by providing the rail line so that the tourist train operator can give them the opportunity to experience a taste of the past.
It is our Volunteers who keep this dream alive and flourishing. Being part of ECAHS is not a terribly timeconsuming job, as the Board of Directors meet once a month in order to keep things moving along. We have a website that we try to keep current, but we could really use some help with that from someone who is computer savvy and has a bit of time to donate to the cause. Many of our Directors have been at the helm for many years, and some are ready to retire, so we need volunteers who have an interest in Heritage to join us and would be willing to take on a bit of a leadership role. To be honest, we need some new 'blood', people with new ideas and just a bit of time to help out from time to time. We have been approved for a Casino license, and our Society will volunteer to work for 2 days at a Red Deer Casino as a fund raiser. We have not been assigned a date as yet, but it should be sometime in 2016, and we will need about 20 volunteers to work in 4-6 hour shift. The funds that we earn are significant and will be used to further our objectives.
Please consider taking out a membership in East Central Alberta Heritage Society. There is an application form available here, and we encourage your support.
Canadian Badlands Ltd. and Western Economic Diversification Canada are continuing to work with the society to find ways around weather delays and environmental protection restrictions on construction. Work on East Central Alberta Heritage Society's Cando Construction Way rail reconstruction project to Red Willow must take place prior to May 1 and after July 31 each year and when you add in weather delays it is not surprising that this project is not yet finished. Work on the society's second major project, the development of five Natural Linear Parks along portion of the former Canadian Northern and Central Western Railway right of way, was completed in 2012.
The funding for these projects comes from the Government of Canada's Community Adjustment Fund under the Canada Action Plan ended on March 31, 2011, and East Alberta Heritage Society has been grant and continues to be granted extensions on project completion. ECAHS expenditures on these projects already exceeds the funds receivable from Canadian Badlands and that there are still reserve funds from other sources to compete the work remaining. This assumes of course that community donations and corporate funding from outside the community continue to come in as expected.
East Central Alberta Heritage Society approved through the Canadian Badlands Ltd., partnered with the Federal Government and Western Economic Diversification Canada to receive $2.6 million to re-lay rail between Stettler and Donalda and another $732,000 for the development of up to seven "Natural Linear Parks".
As part of the funding conditions ECAHS must raise $400,000.00 in cash and/or acceptable gift-in-kind of materials or services to the Donalda – Stettler rail project and $60,000 in support of the "Natural Linear Park" project. Both projects must be completed by the spring of 2011. The deadline for accepting the fund and the attached conditions is April 15, 2010.
Alberta Prairie Railway agrees that it will operate excursion trains to Donalda when the line is rebuilt.
Met with Village of Donalda council to discuss arrangements that will allow ECAHS to reconstruct rail line and siding on station grounds owned by the Village. Arrangements are currently being made to grant a 99 year lease on rail rights of way through the property.


If you're a professional photographer, artist or illustrator, you no doubt have an online portfolio that showcases the best of your work. But what if you're just getting started, and don't necessarily want to spring for a domain name or a website of your own?
There are a lot of ways to easily create an online portfolio – from using a free photography service like 500px or Flickr, to a free blogging platform like WordPress or Tumblr. Google's latest venture also has all the ingredients to create an online portfolio for the budding photographer or artist – pretty much all you have to do is upload your photos.
On your About page, you have a space that is dedicated to showcasing five images of your choice.
Go to your About page, as it is viewed on your profile, and hit the Edit Profile button.
You will then be able to add the five images of your choice to the top of your profile.
As you begin to add images they will show up in your profile straight away, while also being added to an album called Scrapbook. Unfortunately there is no way to edit the visibility of this album. Ideally, it would be great to at least be able to rename the album to Showcase, or something similar.
If you want to update the images shown in your profile, you will have to physically delete from the bar, when editing your profile.
To avoid any confusion or duplicate images, it's probably best to choose which photos you want to appear on your About page and upload them from your computer. You can also add photos from your existing albums, but be sure not to select an image already uploaded to your Scrapbook , otherwise you will wind up with two identical images in the album.
You can also use the Scrapbook images on your profile as creatively as has been done on Facebook, by splitting a photo into a mosaic of five images, which when aligned will display the entire image.
The next step is to add your contact information, accolades, and other online profiles that may be of interest to prospective clients. You can also to choose to remove the Videos, Buzz and +1's tabs, if you want to de-clutter your profile as much as possible, and keep the focus on your art. When editing your profile, go to each tab and make sure "Show this tab on my profile" is unchecked.
What do you do with your Posts?
Google+ posts are so flexible, they can become whatever you want them to be. A lot of photographers or artists have a blog on their portfolio and your posts can easily be used in exactly the same way. Here you can share your thoughts and advice on photography, links to interesting articles you've read, photos you've taken on the go, or photos that you admire, and more.
Now for the most important part – your images. You can upload images from Google+, by going to your Photos tab in your profile and clicking the "Upload New Photos" button.
From there you can drag and drop photos, choose an album name, and upload them to your profile. You can also use this method to add more images to an existing album.
Google+ users get a few perks if they use the mobile app's Instant Upload feature. Google+ users get unlimited photo uploads, but photos larger than 2,048 x 2,048 pixels are automatically resized. They also get unlimited video uploads, as long as the video does not exceed 15 minutes in length.
Of course you might want to think twice before enabling Instant Upload because that means every single photo and video you take are uploaded to Google+, which could be a strain on your data plan. If you do want to use the feature, all material you upload is automatically set to private, allowing you to choose what you want to share with your followers.
Even if you don't have an Android phone, you can take advantage of unlimited storage with the same restrictions, when uploading images on the web.
Outside of Instant Upload and Google+ uploads, Picasa limits you to 1GB worth of free storage, so if you have a pretty large portfolio, or want to showcase as much of your work as possible, we'd recommend always uploading your images from Google+.
How are your photos going to look?
Google+ has put together a really aesthetically pleasing layout for your albums. Opening up any given album displays an asymmetrical grid of the photos. Hovering over a photo in the grid will enlarge it slightly.
Google+ also has a pretty slick slideshow feature, where you can scroll through photos and see comments that have been made.
Obviously there are certain features that are missing since Google+ wasn't built with a portfolio in mind. For one, there is no way to track visitor stats – for the time being. It's always possible that Google may continue to fold other products into the Google+ service, and so Google Analytics might eventually be available for your profile.
As a photographer you probably want to stand out from the crowd. Using Google+ won't necessarily do that because your portfolio won't look any different from anyone else using the service. Will Google be rolling out themes, and will we will be able to design our own themes? Only time will tell.
Google+ can easily be transformed into whatever you want it to be. There are several advantages to putting together a portfolio using the service. It's easy, it's free, and best of all, it's completely plugged in to Google's search engine, making it easy for people to find your page.
Add to that the fact that you already have an audience right there in the Google+ community, and your portfolio is optimized for mobile devices without having to lift a finger, there is certainly something to be said for using the service, either alone, or alongside your existing portfolio.
If you're not on Google+ yet, but know someone who is, ask them to try out this method to get you on to the network. It works intermittently, so you might not get an invite straight away.
Have you come up with any interesting ways you can use Google+ as more than just a social network? Let us know in the comments.
Update: It turns out that you can track visitor stats on your Picasa photos using Google Analytics. The feature has been there all along – simply follow these steps to set it up. This, of course, is under the assumption that any traffic on Google+ will also be reflected in the stats.


Perfect for lounging, heading out to yoga, tossing over your swimsuit or just add skates and boogie on down the road.
Wash cool - tumble dry no heat or hang dry - enjoy.
Measures waist - small 24-28" - medium 26-30" - large 28-32".
Models are 5' 3" wearing size medium.


Most guests aboard the Disney dream will eat at least one of their meals at Cabanas. On our last trip we ate there every day of our sailing! For breakfast and lunch, you can enjoy a buffet meal featuring a large array of dishes. At dinner Cabanas becomes a sit down restaurant featuring select dishes from the main dining rooms.
Make sure you check the navigator or the Disney cruise line app for opening times.
Located on deck 11, you can choose to sit inside or outside. Sitting outside on a day at sea is my favourite. It's so beautiful to just look out and see nothing but sea for miles in every direction. Be warned, it can get a bit windy out there.
Located throughout the restaurant, are drink stations. These feature juices, sodas, milk, coffee, hot chocolate and a great selection of teas.
On my first cruise, I was quite surprised at how large Cabanas is. This place is huge. However don't let that put you off. Due to its location, the restaurant flows round with the shape of the ship meaning it never really feels that busy as you are unable to see the other side of the restaurant. Also the buffet repeats itself so you never have to walk that far and you wont miss out on any items.
Just about every breakfast food item you can think of is available here, including the infamous Mickey waffles. There is a huge range of items available – cereal, fruit, pastries, omelettes, bacon, waffles, pancakes and more. I can guarantee everyone will find something they can eat here. Breakfast at Cabanas was a highlight of my cruise.
Between breakfast and lunch, the restaurant does close for a short period. When it opens back up the selection on the buffet is massive. There is no way you could try everything on here. There were salads, pasta, gnocchi, pizza, soup, sushi, seafood, chicken, fish, fries, potato, vegetables, breads, rice and so much more. I actually found the selection overwhelming. No matter your taste there is something here for you to eat. We were bad people and ate all the bad food but there are plenty of healthy options.
Cabanas has a slightly different set up for dinner as it is no longer a buffet restaurant. Instead you are able to order a selection of items from the menus in the main dining rooms. This is great if you dont want to be tied down to a set time to go for your meal or if you are looking for something slightly more casual.
All you have to do is rock up during the evening opening hours and you will be seated.
On the day you get on the ship there will be several places open to eat. Our suggestion is to head straight to eat at Cabana's. It closed at 2pm on our last cruise so if you are one of the last getting on the ship prepare for the restaurant to be busy.
When it comes to the day you leave the ship there are only two options for breakfast. The restaurant you ate at the night before at a set time based on which seating you are on. The other option is the buffet breakfast at cabanas. If you are on the second seating and are taking Disney Cruise Line transport back to the airport or Walt Disney World, you will most likely find your breakfast seating is after you need to be off the ship. In that instance your only option is Cabanas.
The opening times will also be different so make sure you check before heading up there to avoid disappointment.
Cabanas is a great dining option aboard the Disney Dream. The range of options is huge, there is something for everyone at every meal.
Next Post Chef Mickeys : Let me tell you why it is the worst Character meal on property!
I love Disney breakfasts and buffets! The food looks amazing! I'm drooling lol.


Welcome to the Prescott Elks Lodge #330.
Featuring Activities, News, Facilities, Officers, Calendar, Photos, History, Community,Veterans & Youth Programs + more.
Prescott and Prescott Valley, Arizona, located about 90 miles northwest of Phoenix.
With our mile high elevation (5230 ft), the cities enjoy a four-season climate with both mild winters and summers.
charted the original petition for a dispensation and later established the Prescott Elks Lodge.
Our Lounge is open 2PM to 7PM Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Saturday. Friday 2PM to 10PM with Music 6 to 10PM.
Dining Room hours are from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Wednesday and Friday. Come to the Lodge for a dinner meal you won't forget.
The Past Exalted Rulers Association of Prescott Lodge have a brunch the first Sunday of each month at 10:00am to 11:00am.