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Trump sets up fight with Congress over plan to cut dues to WHO immediately
The US has given a year's notice of withdrawal from the world health body but is obliged to continue funding until next July
The US had already paid $58m of its 'assessed contributions' to the World Health Organization when it gave notice of its withdrawal. It still owes a further $65m. Photograph: Laurent Gilliéron/AP
Wed 2 Sep 2020 15.32 EDT
First published on Wed 2 Sep 2020 14.29 EDT
The Trump administration is planning to cut its membership dues to the World Health Organization, in a legally controversial move that will be challenged by Congress.
The US issued its formal notice of withdrawal from the WHO in July, after Donald Trump accused the body of being pro-China and of failing to contain the coronavirus pandemic. However, the withdrawal does not take effect until next July, and until then – according to a 72-year-old agreement with Congress – the US is obliged to maintain its financial contributions.
By the time of the withdrawal notice, the first tranche of $58m of its "assessed contributions" – national membership dues – had already been paid, leaving a second tranche ofabout $62m.
The deputy assistant secretary of state for international organisation affairs, Nerissa Cook, said on Wednesday those funds, as well as $18m owing from the previous year "will be reprogrammed to the UN to pay other assessments". Cook said the details had to yet to be worked out, but made it clear the money would be diverted away from the WHO towards paying other UN dues.
US refuses to join international effort to develop Covid-19 vaccine
The administration will also make limited voluntary contributions to the WHO in areas where there is no alternative. That includes a "one-time disbursement" of $68 million to WHO humanitarian health assistance in Libya and Syria and its efforts to eradicate polio, mostly in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"These exceptions reflect the few cases in which WHO has the unique capabilities that an alternate partner could not replicate at this time," said Alma Golden, assistant administrator for global health at the United States Agency for International Development.
Democrats in Congress have challenged the president's right to reduce or divert funds from the WHO, saying it is a violation of the joint resolution of Congress that marked the agreement made with Congress at the time of US accession to the global health body in 1948.
"Our understanding of the law is that if the United States decides to withdraw, a year has to elapse before it takes effect, and during that period we have to pay what we owe. That means what we still owe for 2019, 2020, and for at least a portion of 2021," Tim Rieser, foreign policy aide to Patrick Leahy, Democratic Senator from Vermont.
"Knowing this administration, they will interpret the law in a way that doesn't require them to do what it says, and then we will have to argue with them," Rieser said.
"Senator Leahy, like just about every public health expert in the world, believes this is a terribly shortsighted and supremely ill-timed decision, driven by the President's attempt to blame others for his administration's abysmal handling of this pandemic," he added. "WHO made mistakes, and those need to be addressed. But it is reckless to withdraw from an organization that we need to combat not only this pandemic but countless other public health threats around the world."
Lawrence Gostin, professor of global health law at Georgetown University said: "I think what [Trump] is doing is blatantly unlawful and also deeply detrimental to the health and security interests of the United States."
Alexandra Phelan, adjunct professor in global and public health law and ethics at Georgetown University, said that according to the legal consensus, Trump "either has to fulfill the assessed contributions and financial commitments and then he is able to withdraw, or if he if he wants to divert or freeze any of the financial commitments the US has made to the WHO, then he cannot withdraw."
The US is also expected to announce that over the next few months it will recall US health experts from the Department of Health and Human Services currently serving at the WHO headquarters in Geneva and its regional and country offices.
On Tuesday, the US made clear it would not be joining an international effort to develop a vaccine for Covid-19 because the WHO is helping lead that initiative, and rejected WHO concerns about US plans to distribute a vaccine before it had completed full trials.


Actress and animal rights activist graced the halls of France's National Assembly yesterday, to advocate on behalf of the foie gras law, designed to ban force-feeding of geese and ducks to enlarge their livers (known as gavage). The bill has been proposed by the MP Laurence Abeille of France's Green party.
Cifog also stated it was "indecent" that she should be asked to back the ban when "thousands of jobs in the industry are threatened" because of the threat of bird flu," while countryside movement Chasse, Pêche, Nature et Traditions (Hunting, Fishing, Nature and Traditions) said Abeille preferred "birds inflated with silicon to the fine geese filled with the corn of the Landes and the Périgord".
In turn, the UK Guardian reported that Abeille returned fire by attacking what she called." particularly shocking, sexist, macho and misogynist comments".
Anderson, who has also raised negative publicity by participating in anti-fur campaigns for PETA, has her own animal rights foundation, In December, she was admitted to the Kremlin in Moscow, where she criticized whale fishing, seal hunting and the treatment of polar bears in the wild.


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[Edge1.1.10] Thug Life
When they got to the department, Frank went inside while Joe stayed with Art to keep an eye on him. Art saw a doughnut shop just across the street.
"Is it true that here in America, all cops eat doughnuts when they are on patrol?" Art asked. "If so, that's a great place to put a doughnut shop right in front of the police department."
"Of course," Joe laughed. "Actually, it's the other way around though. The doughnut shop was here first. The police decided to put the department right in front of it for easy access."
They both chuckled over the irony of that.
"Why? Don't Brazilian police eat doughnuts too?" Joe asked.
"No way," Art replied. "We don't have many doughnut shops there."
"So, what do they eat then?" Joe asked.
"They prefer salty food like coxinhas made with chicken and kibes made with beef. They're deep fried with the meat in them." Art said.
His mouth watered at the thought of the delicious food.
"What are we talking about?" Frank asked as he came back to the car. He hopped in and started backing out.
"Brazilian food," Art replied. "On your next vacation, you should come to Brazil. You can stay at my house with my family. My mother will cook a different dish for you each day. You'll love it and never want to leave Brazil again."
"Your momma's a good cook. Huh?" Joe said.
"I tried calling Johnny, but he's not answering his phone. I made a few phone calls, but nobody seems to know where he is. His secretary said she saw him at work today, so he must be around."
"Oh, good," Joe said. "Maybe he's just sleeping with his phone on silent. You should be able to get ahold of him tomorrow then."
"Yeah, that would be great," Art said half-heartedly. He sank back into the seat and rode in silence the rest of the way. Frank and Joe dropped him off at a Denny's that was in a residential area near the airport.
"If Carla lives near the airport, this is probably the most likely place you'll find her," Joe said cheerily.
Art thanked them and waved as they drove off. He stood at the door till they were out of sight. Then he started walking towards the airport.
The trip there was fairly uneventful. Art dragged himself along. He was exhausted from his long trip and the crazy unfolding of events. He still managed to enjoy the cool pre-dawn breeze and the view of the neighborhood. It was nothing like the area he lived in.
He lived with his parents in a small house without much of a yard in a middle-class section of the town. All the yards around his had high walls, and here in America the houses were all out in the open with large yards. Some of them had a small picket or chain-link fence. It was completely different from the life he was used to on the other side of the equator. It would have been nice to have sealed the deal with LocTech and moved here to Brimhill. His mother and girlfriend would have loved living in a place with wide open spaces like this.
Art made it to the airport a little before sunrise. The sky was still dark, but he could see the edge of the horizon turning into a lighter shade of grey with a tinge of pink along the edges of the clouds. He took a deep breath of the fresh cool air, and listened intently to the birds twittering and shaking themselves awake in the trees that bordered the road leading up to the airport.
Art made his way to the ticket counter of the same airline he had flown in on earlier. He asked about flights to Brazil. The red-head behind the counter and helped him book a ticket for a flight that was leaving at 9:15 a.m. with a layover at an airport in the U.S. and another in Brazil. He could have waited to catch a direct flight to a large city near his. But it wouldn't leave until 7:00 p.m. and he didn't want to sit around in the airport that long with Tony and the henchmen in the SUV out looking for him.
He paid with his company credit card and thanked the cute woman for her help. She was surprised he didn't have any baggage to check on but didn't ask why for which he was grateful.
Art mosied on down to the gate where his plane would leave from in a few hours. He picked up a coffee and blueberry muffin. He savored the sweet, tangy flavor as it wasn't something that was easy to find around the area where he lived.
The seats in the lounge were comfortable. Art stretched out as best he could and closed his eyes. It was a little noisy with the sounds of people running up and down the aisles talking loudly. It was irritating, but he reasoned to himself that most of them had gotten a decent night's sleep. They were rested and refreshed. But what bugged him the most was the volume of the announcer's voice over the loudspeaker each time a gate opened or a flight was preparing to take off.
But in the end, Art managed to drift off for a bit. He woke up a bit later and was startled by the silence around him. He opened his eyes to see that he was surrounded by several serious-looking Brimhill cops. Art blinked several times to get the sleep out of his eyes. Frank stood in front of him with his hand on his gun. Joe was off to the side a bit with half a dozen officers fanned out around him.
"Arthur Costa, you're under arrest for the murder of Johnny and Berta Silva.
Art jumped to his feet and considered making a run for it until he looked behind him. There were several other policemen at strategic locations. Tony had set him up. He cursed inwardly, but at the same time smiled at the man's efficiency in getting what he wanted.
"Hey, Frank," he said. "What's going on?"
"Put your hands on your head and turn around slowly, son. There's no need for this to get ugly. We just want to talk to you about what happened last night."
Art sighed in resignation and complied with Frank's orders. Several officers grabbed his arms and pushed them roughly behind his back as they snapped the cuffs on him.
"You have the right to remain silent," Art heard them say. He mouthed the words silently along with them. This was just like some crazy movie he was watching on tv. Or maybe it was just a crazy nightmare that he would soon wake up from. Art wanted to pinch himself, but that was kind of hard to do with his hands cuffed behind his back.
Joe looked at him with a mixture of sadness and remorse. "I'm sorry, Art. I was looking forward to that visit to Brazil. My mouth was already watering over your momma's cooking."
"Don't worry, Joe." Art replied. "This is all a huge misunderstanding. We'll get it straightened out here. I can explain everything."
"For your sake, I sure hope so," Joe said. "Because this doesn't look good for you at all."
"Shut up, Joe," Frank said. "I keep telling you that you gotta stop getting attached to the people you arrest. You're a professional, now act like one. Go put him in the cruiser. I'm gonna grab some coffee."
He looked at Art and shook his head as he walked off muttering something about young people nowadays. Joe took Art's arm firmly by the elbow on one side and guided him toward the car with another cop on the other side.
Everyone stared at him as whispered as he walked by. "News must travel fast," he thought. Art felt like a celebrity as they walked down the hall and out the airport. As Joe pushed his head down to put him in the car, Art could almost see everything going on around him taking place in slow motion with loud rap music playing in the background. He grinned to himself as he settled into the back of the car and waited for Frank.
[Edge1.1.19] I Wanna Be A Billionaire
[Edge1.1.18] Only A Father's Love

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Raghunath boards a train from Mumbai to Vajraghat, and shares his compartment with a stranger. Raghunath's curiosity is piqued when the mysterious stranger starts speaking in numbers.
This original story by Soumitra Ranade and Rudradutt Ranade features three alternative endings by Sonali Arun Bhatia, Archana Rao-D'Cruz, and Mira Desai. Illustrated stylishly in pen-and-ink by Ambika Sambasivan, 8563 is a delightful mystery for all readers.


Wade Nygaard's Runner-up at Cedar Lake Highlights Strong Weekend!
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (July 11th, 2017) – Wade Nygaard and the Auto Finance Super Center team had another busy weekend of racing, which as usual began Friday night at River Cities Speedway. On Saturday, the team threw their 360 motor in and competed with the UMSS Sprints at Cedar Lake Speedway where Nygaard contended for the win before coming home in second.
Nygaard began Saturday night by picking up his fifth heat race win of the season and charged from seventh to second in the challenge race.
That lined him up on the pole for the 25-lap main event.
Nygaard settled into second in the early going as Ryan Bowers paced the field. Around the midway point, Nygaard was shuffled back to fourth on a restart, but the Grand Forks, N.D. driver muscled his way back into the top three before challenging for the lead.
With nine to go, Nygaard drove around the outside of Derrik Lusk in turn four to take second before completing a slidejob on Bowers for the lead in turn one. Lusk followed Nygaard into second.
With seven to go, Nygaard and Lusk found themselves caught up in a thrilling battle for the lead where they traded slidejobs lap after lap while encountering lapped traffic.
With four to go, Nygaard completed another slider on Lusk to regain the lead, but the caution flew as he did so, negating the pass and putting him back to second.
On the restart Lusk drove away from the field, which forced Nygaard to settle for second, but the team was still pleased with that result.
On Friday night, the Nygaard Motorsports crew had two NOSA features on the docket, one of which included a make-up from the June 9th rainout.
In the first feature, Nygaard came home with a solid third place run. He followed that up later in the night with a fourth place effort.
In the second feature, a late-race restart slipped Nygaard back to eighth, but he was able to fight his way back into the top five to finish fourth.
← Brad Seng Steals River Cities Win by 0.037!
Wade Nygaard Scores 5th Win of 2017 at Devils Lake!
Wade Takes River Cities Win in Dramatic Fashion!


If you've missed some CIF blogs this fall and wonder where they went, we've got you covered! Here's a quick recap of some of the top blogs from the past couple of months – so you can keep up with what's happening in Ontario recycling programs and with key issues like managing contamination, markets, planning for the future and more. Without further ado…this fall's Top 4…!
Marketing recyclables: Find out what 14 programs representing 77% of the ON population can tell us about pros/cons of recyclables marketing options in: Marketing Blue Box Commodities Matters: What Strategies Do Ontario Programs Use?
Looking for a blast from the past? Want to make sure you're always on top of new developments?
Click the "See all posts" button at the bottom of thecif.ca for prior blogs. And, don't miss out on the next best thing! Keep your contact info current with the Preferences link at the bottom of any CIF blog, or the Subscribe Here button on our home page.
Questions about CIF Programs or Communications?


Homemade custom toolpost intended to hold two tools simultaneously in order to minimize tool changes.
Be the first to comment on this DIY Custom Toolpost, or add details on how to make a Custom Toolpost! Click the "add comment" button above to comment.


The multiple production facilities make possible the replication of manufacturing and packaging processes based on client's specifications. The cost of toll manufacturing is calculated on activity basis taking into account the exact workflow, operating times, headcount requirements, and analytical procedures. The toll manufacturing fee is charged on a per unit basis and adjusted annually to take into account changes in the underlying cost structure.
Primary Repacking and Regional Distribution Center.
The cost for these services is activity-based and depends primarily on volume for repacking and volume and movements for regional distribution.
This service offers clients customized materials, logistics planning and the benefits of group purchasing programs. The cost of planning and procurement is a margin on the materials purchased. The margin is dependent on the volume of purchasing, inventory holding periods and the level of benefit to the purchase price reductions achieved for the clients.
This service avails clients to develop new products, line extensions and new pack sizes of existing products. The service extends from formulation, process and analytical methods development, lab and pilot production runs, accelerated stability testing, technical dossiers preparation including assistance in the documentation in relation to licensing and registration of these products. The cost of product development may differ widely, depending on the nature and complexity of the development work. In general, Interphil would retain the know-how for the development work and secure intellectual property rights as well as the manufacturing rights for newly developed products.
In addition, Interphil made available to other institutions its Quality Control Laboratory for Third Party Product Testing Services. Its capability to extend this service is built on highly-qualified staff and analytical equipment. Testing capability ranges from physical, chemical, chromatographic, spectrophotometric to microbiological analysis. The accreditation of Quality Control Laboratory to ISO/IEC 17025, a global laboratory management system, is in-process.


Trying to conceive. Three words that, for most couples, really aren't that daunting. You try, you conceive. For couples dealing with infertility, however, "trying to conceive" becomes a lifestyle. At some point in your family planning journey, you go from being a regular couple who decided to become a trio to a TTCer, a part of an exclusive club you never asked to join. I was once part of that club for so long; I practically wrote the by-laws.
Sadly, that club is pretty big. While most couples dream of having a bag, the reality for many couples is that conceiving a child does not come as easily as they would have thought. In Canada, the incidence of fertility issues has risen in the past several decades, with one in six Canadian couples now experiencing fertility-related problems, according to the Ontario Ministry of Children & Youth Services. What is supposed to be an exciting and happy time can quickly become a significant source of stress and pressure for couples that experience challenges along the way?
With National Infertility Awareness Week around the corner (May 12th – 20th), Dr. David Greenberg, Family Physician at St. Joseph Hospital, has some tips for those trying to conceive.
Did you deal with challenges in trying to conceive? If you're comfortable doing so, please share your wisdom, tips and experiences below to help others going through the same problems.
For couples "trying" to conceive, every month can be filled with anxiety and worry. Heightened stress can cause more challenges. Therefore, it's important to live in the moment and just enjoy your partner.
I know what you're thinking, this is easier said than done when you've been TTC for years. Dr. Greenberg is so right, though. Stress can wreak havoc on your cycles and make a challenging time even more difficult.
Most couples who are trying to conceive will become pregnant within a year. For others, it can take longer. If it's taking longer than you expected to conceive, it's always a good idea to speak to your doctor about what you should be doing to improve your chances of conceiving.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Church & Dwight!
I am 35 years old and I was diagnosed with poor ovarian reserve and very bad prognosis of having a baby with my own eggs. I was even given the option to consider donor eggs. That was around july 2014. I was absolutely devastated with the news and I arranged an IVF for November 2014 and it failed also, given that I had nothing to lose, I contacted on facebook (Oduduwa Ajakaye) and he send me his herbal product,. Believe it or not… I am already pregnant!
Love this! I'm so glad there is help out there for couples who want to have a baby.
I was blessed to never have any challenges. I did go through a ton of tests though checking each week!
Fun fact: I used an ovulation kit and conceived in the first month of trying! These really do work.
These are great tips for those trying to have a baby. This wasn't something that affected me, but some of my friends struggled.
It can be heartwrenching for those trying to conceive that are unable to do so. I do know two recent success stories though, and that makes me very happy.
This is a great product for women who are trying for a baby. It could be used the other way as well for women who do not want to get pregnant. My friend has been trying to get pregnant for a year now, I will have to tell her about this.
What a great source of comfort for those trying to conceive. Knowing you're not alone is huge. It's great that there are products on the market to make life easier.
Oh, that's a neat test. That would be good information for those trying to conceive.
I have had various issues trying to get pregnant. I didn't find out until 1r weeks I was RH negative. I was pregnant twice, but suffered twice between those pregnancies with a miscarriage and have experienced another three miscarriages trying for our third. I don't think I have it in me to keep trying.
Great information about getting pregnant. Trying not to stress is very important.
Women can put so much pressure on themselves in this department. I couldn't tell you how many people I have heard of conceiving after they stopped trying.
Fortunately we did not struggle to conceive, but I had a few friends that did, These are great tips.
These are some good points. It helps to know exactly where you are in your cycle even if you're not trying.
These are all great tips! I love that there are products on shelves now for couples trying to conceive, it's so fantastic!
It took us 2 years and 2 miscarriages before we had our first baby. It can be so trying, but a hug from a friend makes a huge difference. Just knowing those around you love and support you is a huge deal.
I know so many couples who have struggled to conceive. These are great tips for people who are trying.
This is great information. I have a friend that has been having difficulty getting pregnant. I will share this with her.
This is a great resource. It's important to remember that trying to have a baby shouldn't be a point of stress. In fact, stressed couples actually have a harder time conceiving.
I'm so thankful that I never had to go through the pain and stress of difficulty trying to conceive. It was stressful enough just to be trying at all.
I was able to get pregnant the first 6 times no issues, but trying for #7 was so difficult. We used these First response ovulation kits and I swear they were so good its all we needed!


Expat night shop. Brussels, September 2014.
Being a Palestinian from Gaza means you are deprived of some of the most basic rights of being human—like the comfort of family. Due to the 11-year Israeli and Egyptian blockade of Gaza, I haven't been able to return home for six and a half years.
Yes, Egypt's Rafah Crossing with Gaza has technically been open since the middle of May, but it's not that simple. There is a waiting list of more than 20,000 for Gazans who wish to leave and are not on the "priority list" due to illness, etc. Plus, Palestinians have a very difficult time obtaining visas so they can visit most other countries; we are somehow "suspect." As for me, I am not allowed to leave my new home in Belgium while my asylum application is considered. And even if I could, as I just explained, getting out of Gaza so I can return to university would be a bit like playing Russian Roulette.
What this all means is that I miss many special events in my family. One of them was my youngest brother Mohammed 's wedding last year. The brother who has pretty much grown up without me.
The other day, I woke up to a message from my cousins, who also live in Gaza, with the news that I have become an aunt. Honestly, I couldn't feel happy, because what came to my mind was, "Why I am learning about this special event via WhatsApp? Why I am deprived of sharing moments like this with my family?" I felt anger and pain fill my heart; nobody can truly understand this feeling except those who also must live in exile.
I grabbed my mobile phone and started calling each member of my family in Gaza. Unfortunately, there was no answer. Either they were all busy visiting the new baby, or their batteries weren't charged and they were out of electricity. Gazans receive about four hours of electricity per day right now; if they get even half an hour extra, they are shocked and wonder if something is wrong. I hoped they were all busy with visiting. I didn't want to imagine a young woman surviving the hot weather in Gaza just after giving birth, with no way to turn on a fan. Tears dripped down my cheeks. Would I ever be able to visit Gaza again like relatives are supposed to do? When will I be able to hug my new niece tightly and spoil her with toys? It is all up to the Israeli occupation and the complicit Egyptian government.
Operation Protective Edge protest. Brussels, July 2014.
I realized I was being too negative. I inhaled and exhaled for a moment. I tried to replace the negative thoughts with positive ones. I imagined my parents' shouts of happiness. I envisioned my little brother's inability to hold the baby correctly while pretending and believing he can. I imagined the entire Abusalama clan (without me, my sisters and older brother) gathering in the hospital, making noise and ordering the nurses to fetch what is needed by mother and child. Reflecting on how patriarchal Gaza is, I cannot deny that I am happy the baby is a female. Growing up myself inside the oppressive social environment forced by the Israeli blockade, I know how lucky she is to have my encouraging and caring parents as grandparents and my little brother and his wife as parents.
I finally managed to contact my family after 48 hours. The first thing mum said was, "Our happiness is incomplete without your presence." I have heard that sentence repeatedly in my exile. It causes painful cracks in my soul. I mostly tend not to answer when she says that; I feel obliged to show the strongest part of me to my parents so that they don't worry. As our conversation continued, my parents mentioned the US cuts in funding for the UN agency that provides aid to the refugees in Gaza. My niece is a refugee since we are all descended from families forced out of Palestine when Israel was created. She could not be vaccinated when she was born, because U.N. employees were protesting job cuts that day. Why should a 2-day-old baby be punished because she happened to be born in occupied Palestine? Oh, beautiful baby, Palestinians grow up knowing this world is not ours. It belongs to self-centred elites who only care about their own interests. Despite this, believing in our just cause, we go on fighting.
There was much discussion about what our new family members should be named. We all agreed we wanted a name linked to our cause, so we finally decided on Elia'a. The ancient name for Jerusalem, it is a symbol of resistance. It is a message to all those trying to ignore the fact that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine.
Elia'a, I know you would never have chosen to be born in the biggest open-air prison in the world. But keep in your mind that our souls are like birds, capable of flying on the strength of our imagination, regardless of Israel's efforts to snuff it out. I also would like to apologize for placing you in a politicized context. But you will understand this later; the world is all about power relations.
Operation Protective Edge continues. Brussels, August 2014.
This article originally appeared in We Are Not Numbers and is republished with permission. Photographs courtesy of Joel Schalit. All rights reserved.


A walkthrough of computer science concepts you must know. Designed for readers who don't care for academic formalities, it's a fast and easy computer science guide. It teaches the foundations you need to program computers effectively. After a simple introduction to discrete math, it presents common algorithms and data structures. It also outlines the principles that make computers and programming languages work.


A beautiful 18k white gold diamond and onyx pendant by Cartier from the Caresse D'Orchidees collection. The pendant comprises of a circular onyx motif with 3 orchid motifs pave set with round brilliant cut diamonds. The pendant has 146 round brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of 0.81ct. The necklace features a box clasp fitting with a total length of 31.00 inches and a gross weight of 21.70 grams.
The pendant comes complete with a RichDiamond presentation box and our own certificate of authenticity.


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MAKKAH to PST Converter
Makkah GMT+3
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Pacific Standard Time (US)
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Converting Makkah Time to PST
This time zone converter lets you visually and very quickly convert Makkah, Saudi Arabia time to PST and vice-versa. Simply mouse over the colored hour-tiles and glance at the hours selected by the column... and done!
PST is known as Pacific Standard Time. PST is 11 hours behind Makkah, Saudi Arabia time. So, when it is 12:00 am in Makkah1:00 am in Makkah2:00 am in Makkah3:00 am in Makkah4:00 am in Makkah5:00 am in Makkah6:00 am in Makkah7:00 am in Makkah8:00 am in Makkah9:00 am in Makkah10:00 am in Makkah11:00 am in Makkah12:00 pm in Makkah1:00 pm in Makkah2:00 pm in Makkah3:00 pm in Makkah4:00 pm in Makkah5:00 pm in Makkah6:00 pm in Makkah7:00 pm in Makkah8:00 pm in Makkah9:00 pm in Makkah10:00 pm in Makkah11:00 pm in Makkah it will be 1:00 pm PST2:00 pm PST3:00 pm PST4:00 pm PST5:00 pm PST6:00 pm PST7:00 pm PST8:00 pm PST9:00 pm PST10:00 pm PST11:00 pm PST12:00 am PST1:00 am PST2:00 am PST3:00 am PST4:00 am PST5:00 am PST6:00 am PST7:00 am PST8:00 am PST9:00 am PST10:00 am PST11:00 am PST12:00 pm PST
Makkah, Saudi Arabia ( in Makkah) to Pacific Standard Time (PST)
12 am in Makkah is 1 pm PST
1 am in Makkah is 2 pm PST
9 am in Makkah is 10 pm PST
10 am in Makkah is 11 pm PST
11 am in Makkah is 12 am PST
12 pm in Makkah is 1 am PST
1 pm in Makkah is 2 am PST
9 pm in Makkah is 10 am PST
10 pm in Makkah is 11 am PST
11 pm in Makkah is 12 pm PST


The fact that our nation has experienced yet another school shooting is a reality that makes all of us question, "Are we safe anywhere in America?" Our community, and every community across the nation, wants and expects schools to be a safe place to drop off our most precious resource – our children.
The Hastings School District has taken great strides to make sure our schools are safe and our students are connected and know we care about them. We have implemented system wide security measures at all of our building sites, but more importantly we make a concentrated effort to connect our students to; another student, a staff member, or an affiliation with an organization, activity or athletic team. When a student feels isolated, and disconnected, there is a greater chance for a violent act to occur on school grounds.
Card Access System - Allows us to lock down all doors remotely. It also notifies staff and law enforcement in the event that a lockdown is initiate.
ALICE Training - Provides our staff and students with the knowledge base of how to best protect themselves in the event of a violent intruder.
Raptor Visitor Screening System - All visitors must have their state issued id scanned upon entering the building.
Employee are required to wear District ID badges.
Homeland Security Audit - In 2018 we invited Homeland Security to walk our buildings with us and review our crisis plans.
Redesigned School Entrances - Controlled entrance poisnts at most of our sites require visitors to enter through a main office or past an adult supervisor and be logged into the building.
Safety Drills - We practice a variety of violent intruder situations with our students and staff.
TIP411 – An anonymous tip line that students, staff or parents can access.
Walkie Talkies - Are carried by administrators and all staff going outside.
Upgraded glass in several key areas – We have placed a protective covering so that glass would not immediately shatter when struck by a blunt object or bullet.
Alert System at the middle school - Pull stations in several hallways at the middle school so that students and staff can quickly alert the entire building if there is a violent intruder. Activation will lock the building down, notify staff via email and initiate amber lights blinking both inside the building an on the exterior of the building, signifying the building is in lockdown.
Enhanced Security – Dollars from the 2017 Bond vote have been allocated to enhance security district wide including: more cameras, upgrade classroom doors at several sites, upgrade more areas of glass, install an alert system at our high school site, install interior door locking system for a 2nd layer of door protection, and redesign a safety entrance at Tilden.
Sternau and Associates - This psychology firm has been working with the Hastings School District for approximately 30 years now. Sternau and Associates provide mental health to our employees, students and families.
360 Community Social Workers - The district hires two social workers, from 360 Communities, who work with students at school and also assist families in their homes.


text:
Start a GoFundMe
A Life Lost, Children left without their Rock
$1,382 raised of $10,000 goal ● 0 donor
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Kimberly Brown
Jacqueline Rowe
Katy Chau-Westfall
Patrice Figuereo
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Ann Beckford-Crosby is organizing this fundraiser.
On December 23, 2021 5 days before his 42nd birthday the life of Kentish Bennett/Kayla Stennett was tragically taken by people he trusted. The two most important people in Kentish's life is now left without their father. Kentish was everything to his children, although they lived in Trinidad there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't speak or FaceTime with them; if there was a day he had trouble reaching them that was his worry and topic of conversation until communication was made. The phone calls between his children and him often were about his dream of bringing them to live with him in the U.S, all the things he wanted them to experience with him, and if the conversation wasn't a serious one they would send each other funny faces or have an animal head while on the video call. In Kentish's last days of life, he had found an apartment that would accommodate his children and was in the process of trying to get his children here; unfortunately his life was cut short and he could not complete this task. Kentish and I had a conversation about his children during one of the times he was struggling with not having his children by his side, during that conversation he made me promise to take care of his children if he ever passed, and do what I could to offer them a better life here with his family in the U.S, and now that my brother is no longer here that is my sole focus from this day forward, to honor his wishes and allow him to be able to rest easy knowing his children are in a safer environment with unlimited opportunities.
Kentish was multitalented, from a young age he was always interested in the arts and performing; he was an Artist, Dancer, Gymnast, Musician, Model, Hair Stylist and Designer. One of his contributions to the PPE shortage surrounding the Covid Pandemic was working on a project with a longtime business owner to manufacture hospital gowns that were reusable, this article was published in Albany N.Y June 14, 2021.
Kentish was an active member in the LGBTQ+ community, his Drag Persona Kayla Stennett was a prominent picture in the Albany LGBTQ+ community for over fifteen years and helped to inspire many within the community; Performing on stages in Maine all the way to Miami Florida. Kayla was known as a "local legend" performing at Rocks, and Waterworks Pub in Albany. Kayla would captivate audiences with their rapping, singing, dancing abilities. In addition, Kayla sewed all her own costumes as well as constructed her own wigs. Kayla was not only talented but humble and welcomed everyone . Kentish/Kayla has performed at shows and sold clothing designed and sewn by himself/herself to raise money for organizations such as Breast Cancer Awareness and Homeless Shelters; he/she has also done work for Project Hope, a community program to help people living with HIV.
Kentish was described as a "creative designer, singer and overall kind soul" by one of his friends, someone who considered him to be a brother.
This fundraiser has been created for Kentish's children by his sister Ann Crosby. All donations raised will contribute to getting Kentish's children here in the U.S with his family and to help towards their future, his oldest child is 18 and she no longer has a parent to pay for her education expenses.
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Brooklyn hospital network reverts to paper charts for weeks after cyberattack
Fransiska January 2, 2023 2 min read
A network of three hospitals in Brooklyn, New York, has had to work off paper charts for weeks following a cyberattack on its computer systems in late November, the hospital group's chief executive told CNN Monday.
The hack affected "clinical applications," including "those used for imaging and other critical services," but many of those applications have been restored, One Brooklyn Health CEO LaRay Brown said in an email.
It's an example of how hacking incidents have continued to hamper hospitals as the coronavirus pandemic drags on — and of how recovering from the hacks can be painstaking and disruptive for hospital staff.
One Brooklyn Health operates Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, Interfaith Medical Center and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center.
One staff member at Brookdale told the New York Times that, because of the hack, diagnostic imaging at the medical center had to be sent out to a third party provider rather than done in-house.
"No patients were adversely effected," Brown told CNN in an email Monday, adding that the hospitals remain open to patients. "We continue to provide care for our patients using downtime procedures for which our clinicians and administrators have been trained."
More than 80% of the computer workstations that One Brooklyn Health doctors and staff use to support hospital operations have been restored, Brown said. Hospital administrators have begun putting some clinical data into patients' electronic medical records, she added.
Brown did not answer questions about whether One Brooklyn Health was dealing with a ransomware attack, which locks up computer systems until a ransom is paid. But plenty of other hospitals across the country have had to deal with such extortion attempts.
One IT administrator at a 100-bed hospital in Florida recounted to CNN how he shut down the facility's computer systems in January to prevent a ransomware attack from spreading throughout the hospital.
Many hospitals in rural or poor areas do not have the resources to defend their networks from hackers.
"Cyber safety and resilience cannot be allowed to break across socioeconomic lines," said Joshua Corman, who helped lead a taskforce at the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to protect coronavirus research from hacking. "The majority of US hospitals are target-rich, but cyber poor."
The cybersecurity of computer networks that can affect human safety "needs to become a national priority," said Corman, now a vice president at cybersecurity firm Claroty.
Brookdale Hospital is located in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, one of the poorest areas in New York City. It was so overwhelmed and desperate for resources at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in New York that one doctor told CNN at the time that his hospital had become "a war zone."
– CNN's Sarah Boxer contributed to this report
Tags: Brooklyn charts cyberattack hospital Network paper reverts weeks
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Discover a highly edited selection of the best in the best in beauty at Space NK. Indulge in must-have skincare from Eve Lom, Ren, Dr. Brandt and Kiehls, alongside directional make up from Nars, Chantecaille, By Terry, Laura Mercier and Lipstick Queen. Space NK's highly trained staff are on hand to offer customers a complementary makeover, mini-facial or skincare consultation, giving unbiased and expert opinion on the products best suited to your needs. In addition our Victoria Quarter store can be hired after hours so you can join friends or colleagues to browse the latest must-have skincare and colour collections at your leisure.


Is Kratom Crazy still in business?
I would assume they are. Aren't they responding to calls, emails? What's going on? I know the owner, but I need more info before I spend time on this.
That's correct no response from emails and could not leave message, mailbox full.
I will look into it for you & see if they are still up & Running.
I emailed them 3 times several days ago & no response. They might be on Vacation or taking a break or something another along that line of thought!


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Dancing with the Stars 2014 Spoilers: Finals Week Begins Tonight!
By: Todd Betzold | May 19, 2014 at 10:18 AM EDT
The couples on Dancing with the Stars 2014 have been shrunk down to just four and we begin Finals Week on Dancing with the Stars Season 18 tonight with the winner of DWTS 2014 and the Mirror Ball Trophy being handed out tomorrow night! We have another night of performances tonight on DWTS Season 18 and it all comes to an end with another elimination and three couples moving on to the final night tomorrow! Check out a preview of the week below in our Dancing with the Stars 2014 spoilers!
>>>Click here for our recap of DWTS 2014 tonight!!!
Last week on Dancing with the Stars Season 18, the producers were trying to mess with our heads and had all of the Olympian contestants (Amy Purdy, Charlie White and Meryl Davis) as the couples in jeopardy of going home. To be honest, I thought those three couples would be the final three couples remaining. However, it seemed like Charlie White and Sharna Burgess were not getting the love from the fans and they, shockingly, were eliminated from the competition last week!
[PHOTOS: Click here to check out Season 18 couples!]
For tonight, this is the official synopsis from ABC:
"On MONDAY, MAY 19 (8:00-9:30 p.m., ET), the four remaining couples will compete in two rounds of dance. In the first round, each couple will take on the 'Judges Pick' and repeat the same dance style they did the week of the 'Switch-Up.' In the second round, one of the biggest competitive dances of the season, the couples take on a supersized Freestyle featuring special effects, additional dancers and unexpected surprises. At the end of night, one couple will be eliminated based on the previous weeks' viewer votes, combined with the judges' scores from the previous Monday night."
So, who are you looking forward to see perform tonight on Dancing with the Stars 2014?
Join us tonight on Reality Rewind for our Dancing with the Stars 2014 Recap. Let's watch together and see who got eliminated on Dancing with the Stars Season 18 tonight! Subscribe to our Email and RSS or like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all our latest updates.
Tagged: Dancing with the Stars, dwts, dwts 2014, dwts season 18, dwts spoilers, Reality TV
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Commenting Rules: Keep the conversation civil and on topic. If your comment does not add to the conversation or is insulting to others, it will be removed. Debate intelligently. No ALL-CAPS.


A man and woman sat at a kitchen table together drinking and smoking.
She lit a cigarette and exhaled a large cloud of smoke that swirled in the dim light hanging from the ceiling above the table. The room was painted a yellow that was more upsetting than uplifting. Boxes of cereal cluttered the top of the fridge. An ashtray sat center of the table, filled with ash and butts. To the right of the ashtray was a copy of H.G. Wells' Time Machine.
"How many have you had tonight?" he asked.
"You shouldn't smoke so much," he replied as he poured himself a glass of whiskey.
An ad for chewing gum blared on a television in the background. It was a young man sitting at a table nervously shaking his leg, presumably waiting for someone. Probably a date. He pulled out a stick of gum and put it in his mouth. A tidal wave of fresh water came out of no where and drenched him. A woman in a short skirt and high heels walked by him and lent her hand to him and the two walked out.
"And you shouldn't drink so much," she pressed back.
"Oh no, I get it," she said, nodding her head up and down while rotating the wine glass clutched in her right hand in a counter-clockwise motion.
She finished her glass of wine in a slow tilt of hear head backwards.
He lit a cigarette now.
"Well, when you buy a car how many drivers would you want to have driven the car before you bought it?," he asked.
"I drive just fine, thank you," he replied.
The woman got up from the table and began to walk down the hall heading towards her bedroom.
"I can smell your whiskey breath from here," she replied.
A few hours later, the man rose from bed, dressed, and left the apartment. While she slept, he drove.
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Q: How to get response after integrating UPI using hyperlink In my iOS application, I need to accept payments from the user. I am using UPI for the same. I have followed the following document provided by UPI
http://www.npci.org.in/documents/UPI-Linking-Specs-ver-1.1_draft.pdf
I have created a deeplink as stated in the document. UIApplication.shared.open is used to open the deeplink url so that it opens any installed PSP(Payment Service Provider) application in my phone(like PhonePe, BHIM etc)
func payButtonClicked() {

        guard let urlString = "upi://pay?pa=samplevpa@ybl&pn=Sample Name&am=1&cu=INR".addingPercentEncoding(withAllowedCharacters: .urlQueryAllowed)
            else {
                return
            }

        guard let url = URL(string: urlString) else {
            return
        }

        if !UIApplication.shared.canOpenURL(url) {
            print("url cannot be opened")
            return
        }

        UIApplication.shared.open(url, options: [:], completionHandler: { (success) in

            print(success)

        })

    }

I have registered my application with custom URL schemes and have added the scheme upi for ApplicationQueriesScheme in plist file
<array>
        <dict>
            <key>CFBundleTypeRole</key>
            <string>Editor</string>
            <key>CFBundleURLSchemes</key>
            <array>
                <string>SampleApp</string>
            </array>
            <key>CFBundleURLName</key>
            <string>com.company.SampleApp</string>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>LSApplicationQueriesSchemes</key>
    <array>
        <string>upi</string>
    </array>

It is opening the PSP application and I'm able to make the transaction. The problem is I'm not able to get the response back from the PSP application. There is no callback method to UIApplication.shared.open method. I need to get the status of the transaction back from the PSP application and show the status to the user. Any help appreciated

A: the NPCI UPI Linking Specification states that the URL parameter used in the payment link is for information purpose which the payment apps may use to provide additional information to the payer upon clicking the link.
The link is only expected to show transaction details by the merchant or party that invoked the transaction.
It is not meant as a callback URL or a web hook for completion of transaction.

A: Based on the below workflow, you need to have a tie up with Payer/Payee PSP to get notified for your payments. In your scenario, you are required to check with your bank PSP for getting notified on the payment receipt to your accoutns.
I could not see a way for individual Initiator to get notified.
Feel free to correct me.

A: Have not tried it but it was mentioned in the document about a url parameter on clicking of which we should show the transaction details to the user.

This should be a URL when  clicked provides customer  with further
  transaction  details like complete bill  details, bill copy, order
  copy,  ticket details, etc. This can  also be used to deliver digital
  goods such as mp3 files etc.  after payment.

We could send a url with a url scheme that redirects to the app or an universal link that our app can handle.
Again I have not tried this so I do not know if this works as I think it should or whether it would exactly solve your issue.
https://www.npci.org.in/sites/all/themes/npcl/images/PDF/UPI_Linking_Specs_ver_1.5.1.pdf

A: You can use the url parameter to pass your website url with the get method with order id or payment id as parameter. Once the payment is successful, it is mandate the UPI provider to hit the URL.
The purpose of the URL should be keep updating the transaction status and trigger then end user an email or SMS with the transaction status.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Join us April 1 and help beautify the downtown farm. We'll do a little weeding, plant some flowers, move some dirt and pick up a little trash that finds it way onto the farm from the park above. Questions? Want to bring a group? Email farmer@eatsouth.org.


When it comes to incubation, there are a few different substrates and a wide variety of methods that can be used to successfully hatch ball pythons. Vermiculite and Perilite remain the most industry preferred and popular substrates to date, but peat moss is also an acceptable substrate if used correctly. Peat moss can really come in handy when considering maternal incubation. I prefer vermiculite as base or perlite with the substrate-less incubation method since I've had a great deal of success using both incubation methods. These aren't the only two ways that ball python eggs can be incubated, just the two that I recommend. I'm somewhat old school, and prefer the finer Vermiculite as my number one choice.
Ball python eggs are super hardy. They can be incubated from temperature ranges anywhere between 75-95 degrees Fahrenheit. That being said, I highly recommend sticking closer to the industry preferred normal temperature range of 86-92 degrees Fahrenheit. The sweet spot is known as the temperature range between 88 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature range has been speculated to be the most accurately replicated temperature range that ball python eggs would endure in their natural environment during the maternal incubation period. In Africa, when given the chance, ball pythons will lay their eggs underground in large termite mounds. These termites will actually do a near perfect job of thermal regulating the temperatures within their mounds. While this is an optimal temperature for ball pythons mothers to incubate their eggs in, it also provides the exact temperature needed for the fungi these termites cultivate. This intricately designed super nest provides an optimal symbiotic relationship between the termites and ball pythons. It's probably safe to assume that gravid ball python mothers may also find other ideal areas in underground tunnels that provide optimum temperatures.
1. Avoid unnecessary temperature fluctuations at all costs. Get the eggs settled into the incubator as soon as possible after they have been laid. Fluctuations in temperature can cause birth defects; ranging from kinked spines, to snakes born with an over bite, no eyes, along with other external and internal defects. I have found that eggs are most vulnerable during the first few weeks after they have been laid. Avoid unnecessary handling and allow them adapt to artificial incubation in a timely manner.
2. Provide optimal levels of humidity. 90-100% humidity levels are ideal. It is much easier to correct an egg container that has too little humidity vs. an egg container that has too much humidity. If the eggs are starting to mold, try to air out the egg box or add dry paper towels to soak up some of the excess humidity. I have also heard that baby powder works great if in a bind, but I have no personal experience with this method. If at all possible, error on the drier side. Humidity levels can easily be boosted with the aid of a spray bottle, moist paper towel or damp peat moss. Remember never to spray the eggs. If the eggs themselves look like the are in dire need of more humidity, I like to lay a damp paper towel over the top of them and check repeatedly.
3. Find the ideal temperature to incubate at. For the sake of common practice, lets say that 89 degrees is the target incubation temperature. Invest in a good incubator or build a custom design with a reliable thermostat, fan(s) and heat source. Test the temperature within the incubator frequently by using a hand held temperature reader and other portable thermostats. It's typically wise to use multiple thermostats just incase one malfunctions. Always test out your incubator a few weeks before you are expecting eggs. This allows for plenty of time to make adjustment or replace parts that may not be functioning correctly.
4. Provide a reliable incubation substrate - We suggest experimenting with a few different mixtures until the desired mix and/or preferred substrate has been found. Everybody has their own "recipe" that they like to use. Some substrates work better than others depending on the desired incubation method and geographic location.
Our typical "go to" incubation substrate is a straight vermiculite mix with distilled water. We like to use the "clump test" rather than use exact measurements because clutch sizes can vary and we won't always use the exact same amount of vermiculite for each egg container. The vermiculite to water ratio is roughly 1:1 by weight. Start with a desired amount of vermiculite that should easily be able to cover all the eggs about 1/2 - 2/3s of the way up. This ensures that the eggs will have a nice resting spot with ample humidity levels during the entire incubation process. When using the clump test, grab a good amount of vermiculite in your hand. You should be able to squeeze it with a good amount of force without any water coming out of it. You want the vermiculite to hold together when the pressure is released. The vermiculite should also break away easily when compressed between the fingers after the initial clump test. It's best to play around with this method until the desired humidity level is found. If all else fails, place your tub on a scale; add the desired amount of vermiculite, then add water until the 1:1 ratio by weight has been reached. I also like to cover our egg containers with a layer of thick plastic or Reynolds wrap before applying the lid. This will ensure that the egg container will successfully hold humidity throughout the entire incubation process. This step may be less important or not needed at all in more humid climates. If the eggs are covered, don't worry, they will get enough air during the incubation period. Once the eggs near their hatch date and start to warm up, I find it is best to let them breath a little more, but it's not a necessity. In anticipation for the hatch, I'll typically be checking the eggs more frequently anyways.
Once the eggs near their hatch date, the egg box will actually start to increase in temperature and build up condensation near the parts of the container that are closest to the heat. Due to heat rising within the tub, condensation will typically occur on the top and high sides of the egg container. The hatching process itself will actually cause the temperature within the container to rise a few degrees. As the snakes near their hatch date, they can actually warm up the container 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit. This phenomenon is something that we like to refer to in the hobby as "sweating." It's time to get excited, because the eggs will be hatching soon! It is also possible to pinpoint future hatch dates with a desired incubation temperature. Once the incubation temperature is set, record the lay date and hatch date. All following clutches will hatch at that same hatch in that amount of time going forward, provided the temperature does not fluctuate within the incubator. This timeframe may also fluctuate slightly when moving egg boxes up or down within the incubator. I've found that I get about a one to three day fluctuation in hatch dates from top to bottom in our incubator depending on the amount of egg containers that are in the incubator at one time. This is because heat rises and even with a fan, the egg containers near the top tend to hatch a little quicker.
For more information regarding ball python eggs, breeding and incubation; please visit our Breeding Page.


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Private Group Sessions
About Toni
The Veggie Lady
Read a nice article on edible flowers at www.treehugger.com but too often they forget to give us the botanical names to avoid confusion (and potential poisoning). So here's the list again with botanical names.1. Allium (Allium sp.)
2. Angelica (Angeleica archangelica)
3. Anise hyssop (Hyssop officinalis)
4. Arugula (Eruca vesicaria sub. sativa) also called Rocket
5. Bachelor's button (Centauria cyanus)
6. Basil (Ocimum basilicum, O. sanctum )
7. Bee balm (Monarda didyma) also known as Bergamot, Lemon Balm also known as Bee Balm (Melissa officinalis) is also edible.
8. Borage (Borage officinalis)
9. Calendula (Calendula officinalis) also known as Pot Marigold. Marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia is edible, not other Tagetes sp.)
10. Carnations / dianthus (Dianthus plumarius, D. caryophyllus, D. barbatus) known as "Pinks" but only the blossom is edible, leaves quite toxic.
11. Chamomile (Chamaelum nobile, syn. Anthemis nobilis)
12. Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
13. Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
14. Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coranarium) also known as Garland Chrysanthemum.
15. Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
16. Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat)
17. Clover (Trifolium sp.)
18. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis)
19. Dill (Anthum graveolens)
20. English daisy (Bellis perennis)
21. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
22. Fuchsia (Fuchsia x hybrida)
23. Gladiolus (Gladiolus spp.)
24. Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa sinensis)
25. Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
26. Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana)
27. Jasmine (Jasminum sambac)
28. Johnny Jump-Up (Viola tricolor) also known as Heartsease.
29. Lavender (Lavandula sp.)
30. Lemon berbena (Aloysia triphylla) should be "Lemon Verbena"
31. Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
32. Mint (Mentha spp)
33. Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
34. Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
35. Pansy (Viola X wittrockiana)
36. Radish (Raphanus sativus)
37. Rose (Rosa sp.)
38. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
39. Sage (Salvia officinalis)
40. Squash and pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo)
41. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
42. Violets (Viola odorata) also try Australian native violets (Viola hederacea)
Copyright © 2020 · The Veggie Lady · All Rights Reserved


On Zo's first playdate with the neighbor baby, he pulled her hair so hard she cried. I told her it means he likes her (or else is jealous of her 3-month-old floppy mop of locks). I think she understood because on their next playdate, she stuck his hand in her mouth. Assertive and knows what she wants. Licking something to claim it as your own is a valuable life skill. Take these berry, herb, and cheese toast bites, for example. I licked them all. They're mine.
We're going to fancy up your 4th of July party with fruit, herb, & cheese pairings on top of toast plates for a quick but festive party app. Mostly I just wanted an excuse to turn an entire loaf of Bread SRSLY's sourdough into toast using my new KitchenAid Pro Line Series Automatic Toaster – it's like an exclusive penthouse-access elevator for toast. The slot senses when you drop bread in and automatically lowers to toast. A light ding lets you know the toast elevator is rising with perfectly golden toast. A high-end toast tanning bed with a button that reads – I kid you not – "A little longer." If the toast is not removed after 45 seconds, the lift lowers to keep it warm. TOAST SNOOZE BUTTON.
My red, white, and blue toasts are just two topping mash-ups – basil / blueberry / honeyed ricotta & rosemary / strawberry / brie – but toast knows no bounds. Go wild with your own berry / herb / cheese combos! For inspiration, try bringing the herbs to the fruit for a sniff pairing test at the market (totally normal, guys).
Here I've topped a mild honeyed ricotta with blueberries, whose subtle bright sweetness might get overpowered by a more assertive cheese. And a few sprigs of purple 'wild magic' basil from my neighbor's Zo's boyfriend's garden add a touch of spicy sweet freshness.
Next, summer's sweetest candy – s-s-s-s-strawberry – gets cozy with winter's woody rosemary in this luscious piney compote that's spooned atop a creamy buttery brie. Strawberries and cream, anyone?
Get the recipes over on KitchenAid's blog, The Kitchenthusiast!
Mmmm mmmm really loving that combination of flavours!! So delicious!
Such an elegant and delicious way to prepare cheese toast bites…gorgeous and mouthwatering.
Thank you! They're elegant, but so so easy!
I'm really loving the imagery here of you licking each and every one of these toasts. Baha!! Gorgeous as always Sarah!
Aww wow! How cute are these berry toasts? And with cheese too? Amazing!
I love how patriotic these are while still remaining natural. I don't really like using food coloring if I can help it and having deliciously simple and wholesome bites like these are the perfect way to be both patriotic and healthier!
Yes! I'm with you – I love how the blueberries are so vibrantly blue when left uncooked!
Say whaaaa? That auto toaster? I'd be toasting everything… and I'm all over the light ding… one must not be startled in the morning. And I say that with admiration for the developers of this toaster. My toaster oven has the LOUDEST five dings ever! It would wake up sleeping beauty in an instant! I gotta check out this new toaster. And these sweet little toasts.. Just delicious, Sarah and so festive!
Yeah – I keep pulling out slices to show friends the new toaster elevator. It's amazing. I'm shocked that your toaster dings at all! I've never had a toaster than dinged before…but then again, mine have all been about $10 from Target. Hehe.
all these summer colors are just too beautiful!! Ohh baby play dates! Cute!
Thanks! And what's cuter than a baby, you ask? Two babies.
Yummmmmm! Toast never looked lovelier. And now I'm dying to test out your toaster… Thursday toast party??
I want to live in your house with this toaster and these berries and that baby of yours. You need a room for rent!
Sure – you can be our live-in Nanny. It'll cost $200/month in rent. NBD.


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Camarillo sex crimes against children
Posted on October 18, 2016 by eileen peck
A Los Angeles man was sentenced to 75 years in prison for sex crimes committed against children. Luis Manuel Gonzalez, 62, was convicted of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old Camarillo girl while visiting the girl's family in November 2013.
While investigating the incident, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office discovered additional victims. After Gonzalez was arrested for the first three assaults, VCSO investigators found two additional victims. All five victims were minors at the time of the incidents, but at least two victims no longer reside in the area.
In June, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to three counts of child molestation. In August, he was sentenced to three consecutive prison terms of 25 years to life.
Camarillo sex crimes attorney
Sex crimes against children are prosecuted vigorously, and sentences can be exceptionally harsh. If you're arrested in Camarillo for sex crimes, whether or not they involve children, Robert Helfend is ready to take your case.
Mr. Helfend has more than 30 years of courtroom experience, exclusively in criminal defense. He does not judge his clients based on what they've been accused of, but he does fight aggressively for your rights and your freedom.
Under new sentencing requirements, the law may require prison sentences for certain sex crimes convictions. You may also be subject to sex offender registration requirements, which sometimes last a lifetime. When it's not possible to get charges against his clients reduced or dropped, Mr. Helfend works toward the best possible outcome in each case. That may include alternative sentencing, plea agreements or other strategies that will lessen the impact of a conviction.
Don't attempt to defend yourself and don't go into a courtroom as a defendant alone. Contact Robert Helfend or call toll-free at (800) 834-6434, (805) 273-5611, (310) 456-3317 or (818) 591-2809 for an immediate consultation on your Ventura County sex crimes case.
Photo Credit: Christian Ostrosky, via Flickr.com


text:
Home Home & Design Commercial
Facing 2021 with confidence
in Commercial
Century Properties rose above the hurdles of 2020 by addressing the roadblocks set by the times, from ensuring the safety of its employees and workers, to further boosting its digital efforts to keep homeowners informed.
When the country was put under strict quarantine measures, the company made sure that its frontliners were ready to serve while also keeping them safe. CPG's service champions in all its residential communities and establishments at Century City Mall and Centuria Medical Makati—from the concierge and security staff to the engineering, property management officers, and housekeeping teams – continued to report to duty despite the trying times, making certain that each property ran smoothly.
Digital homebuying experience
The company ramped up its digital efforts to meet clients on another platform. CPG enhanced its websites to include virtual tours—allowing potential homeowners to view the properties without having to go to the location. Not only can they see the amenities, they can also look around the neighborhood and tour the available units, dressed or bare.
The company also introduced the Client Credit Assistance Program which guides clients on the requirements needed when applying for a home loan in any of its accredited banks. It also developed CORA, the Customer Online Records Assistant, where homeowners can receive updates about their Century home, track receipts and documents, and pay for monthly amortizations via credit card.
The company posted Php1.6 billion in reservation sales for the first half of 2020, equivalent to 1,925 homes or 651 units under its in-city vertical developments business and 1,274 house and lot units under PHirst Park Homes.
PHirst Park Homes, the company's affordable housing brand, launched its sixth and seventh horizontal community this year – in Nasugbu, Batangas and in Magalang, Pampanga, respectively.
For commercial leasing, CPG acquired the 40% stake of joint venture partner Mitsubishi Corporation's subsidiary in the PEZA-accredited Century Diamond Tower in Makati City.
CPG also completed projects, turning over 1, 200 units this year. Another 1, 600 units will be turned over from February to April in 2021 as well. Construction is currently on-going at Commonwealth by Century in Quezon City, BatulaoArtscapes in Nasugbu, Batangas, and Azure North in San Fernando, Pampanga.
The company extended assistance to its employees by providing additional resources, setting up flexible work arrangements, and conducting regular testing.
Before resuming construction in its project sites, workers and employees underwent testing and protocols were put in place to avoid the spread of the virus.
CPG's three-step test levels include the Cellex antibody test, the RT-PCR test, and the Sofia 2 antigen test (Shown in photo). The same test is offered at Centuria Medical Makati in partnership with LabX Corp. via drive-thru service.
Additionally, the company temporarily closed and deferred the opening of its 310-room hotel operation at the Tower 6 of Acqua Private Residences, for the safety of staff and guests, and to protect stakeholder interest.
One with the nation
The company practiced good corporate citizenship by extending help where needed.
CPG contributed to convert the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan into a COVID-19 mega testing facility that has a minimum testing capacity of 1, 500 per day. Just recently, it also helped expedite the purchase of up to 3 million vaccines together with more than 30 other companies through a tripartite agreement with the government and AstraZeneca.
Tags: Centuria Medical MakatiCentury City MallCentury PropertiesClient Credit Assistance Program
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How is Eskom going to increase its financial yield while still struggling to retrieve the R34 billion it is currently owed by defaulting municipalities? Eskom is desperately trying to recoup money owed by municipalities – Soweto, in particular, is making that task all the more difficult. Eskom, South Africa's national electricity provider, had an exceptionally..


Remember Cal Ripken Jr.'s streak? No, no. Not that one. I'm talking about Ripken's All-Star Game streak. From his second big league season in 1983 through his final one in 2001, he appeared on every American League All-Star roster -- 19 consecutive seasons.You don't see that kind of stuff anymore.
Remember Cal Ripken Jr.'s streak? No, no. Not that one. I'm talking about Ripken's All-Star Game streak. From his second big league season in 1983 through his final one in 2001, he appeared on every American League All-Star roster -- 19 consecutive seasons.
You don't see that kind of stuff anymore. Injuries get in the way, certainly. And online balloting, which is officially open for business this year with the 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Ballot, has really changed the scope of the starters' vote. There have also been recent changes to the structure of the roster selection -- reducing the roster size and taking the final reserve spots out of the hands of the managers and into the hands of the Commissioner's Office.
What you have, ultimately, are fewer sacred cows who get in because of their legacies and more emphasis on the here and now. So when a player gets in year after year, he's either extremely, extremely popular or he's simply earned it.
Here are five players who are on the ballot and who have been staples at recent Midsummer Classics, with a look at their chance of extending their streak in 2018.
Harper's having what is, for him, a very unusual year -- lots of power but not a lot of hits, overall. If he were in the AL (and maybe at this point a year from now, he will be), he wouldn't have a favorable case against the likes of Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and Aaron Judge.
But it says here Harper is, in fact, in the National League. And he plays for the Nationals, who are hosting the All-Star Game. And he was the leading overall vote-getter in 2017. All of this points to Harper not only keeping his starting streak going but getting selected to the NL squad for the sixth time in his seven seasons.
Perez continues to put up solid numbers in the midst of the Royals' rebuild. He missed time at the start of the year with a left knee injury suffered in a freak accident at home, but he's recovered to continue to post above-average offensive output. But with Perez's club taking on a much lower profile these days and with Gary Sanchez swatting double-digit home run totals in the nation's largest market, it would not be a surprise to see Salvy unseated.
Sure, Altuve is off to a slow start only by his unusually absurd standards, but the MVP and World Series momentum will, in all likelihood, earn him a fourth straight start. The Astros have a passionate fan base, and Altuve's recent 10-for-10 stretch began to push his numbers back toward his more traditional territory.
The only caveat here is the presence of Gleyber Torres, a hot and hyped kid doing big things in the Bronx, where, again, that kind of thing gets noticed. Torres' Player of the Week turn and game-winning, extra-innings hit against Altuve's Astros just ahead of the ballot release is sure to help his cause.
There are a handful of quality NL catching candidates in the early going, but Posey's early numbers (.299/.370/.431 slash line) are plenty good enough -- and the Giants' fan base is plenty supportive enough -- for him to keep this strike alive. Posey has been in five of the past six All-Star Games and started four of them.
All things must pass, of course, but Goldschmidt has been a model of consistency in his big-league career, making his sudden offensive drop-off in 2018 so jarring. Strong starts from Brandon Belt and Freddie Freeman combine with Goldy's surprising sluggishness (.209 average, .719 OPS) to put this streak in real jeopardy.


Did you already see the new collection of Triangl bikinis? I fell in love with Farrah - brown sugar. I like the color blocking, where Tringl is famous for, but this bohemian collection I like more. I think it fits my style better. This Farrah bikini is also available in a great blue and green color and of course some mix and match sets.
Like I told you in this post, where I showed the Blueberry burst, Triangl bikinis do make you look a bit flat. So again, if you're not comfortable with your cupsize I would not recommend to buy a Triangl bikini. It's only the fabric (no padding) and it forms to your body once you hit the water. However, if your small (like me) the Farrah, Bambi, Lulu etc, so the triangle tops do look better than the bandeaus. Those really make you look flat haha! I'm wearing top and bottom both size S and that fits perfectly. Normally I wear jeans size 34/36 and top 36.
Prachtige bikini en foto's! Ik hou zo van jouw stijl!
Wauw wat een mooie foto's meis! En een prachtige bikini!
Oh wauw, zo mooi deze! Hij staat je ook erg goed.
Prachtige foto's! Die bikini is echt gaaf!
Waaauw, die is heel gaaf! Mooie foto's!
WAUW, de foto's zijn echt perfect! Het staat je erg mooi meid!
Prachtige bikini! De kleuren staan je ook erg goed.


One of two proof impressions aside from the numbered edition of 50; published by Arnéra, France.
Highlighted in light colors, an abstractly rendered woman curls up in a chair in Pablo Picasso Femme dans un fauteuil et guitarist (Woman in a Chair and Guitarist), 1959. Long, curving lines denote her flowing hair and sensuous limbs. Across from her, legs crossed, sits a man in a hat. He is drawn in darker colors, but the front of his legs is lit – almost as if the woman is exerting a tangible glow. He cradles a guitar in his hands and plays sweet music to the woman sitting beside him. None of the characters in this linocut are very detailed by Picasso, but each compels the viewer to lean in and learn more about what is unfolding in front of them.
Created in 1959, this color linocut on Arches wove paper is one of two proof impressions aside from the numbered edition of 50; published by Arnéra, France.
Pablo Picasso Woman in a Chair and Guitarist (Femme dans un fauteuil et guitarist), 1959 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).
3. McVinney, L. Donald, et al Picasso Linoleum Cuts: The Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kramer Collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Random House, 1985.
4. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.
Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Pablo Picasso Woman in a Chair and Guitarist (Femme dans un fauteuil et guitarist), 1959 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.


Grown in Queensland, Spotted Gum is the most harvested native hardwood, making it widely available in Australia.
Spotted Gum timber decking comes in a wide variety of colours based on where it was grown, ranging from a golden yellow to pale brown colour.
The timber is regularly used for decking in Australia as well as a variety of infrastructure and structural projects such as mining, construction, and railway sleepers.
Spotted Gum is a dense "in-ground contact," classed hardwood that will stand up to the elements.
Spotted Gum timber experiences 0.3% shrinkage when laid, which highlights its suitability for decking, as movement is rare.
It has natural oils and a lower tannin content, so it accepts oil and stain well and doesn't experience bleed-through.
How much will spotted gum timber decking cost for your project? Get 3 free quotes now!


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UK Government announces it will end support for fossil fuel sector overseas
The Prime Minister has announced that the UK will end direct government support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas.
The world-leading policy will see the UK end export finance, aid funding and trade promotion for new crude oil, natural gas or thermal coal projects, with very limited exceptions.
This is a significant change –in the last four years, the government supported £21 billion of UK oil and gas exports through trade promotion and export finance. The policy will be implemented after a short period of consultation and is intended to come into force as soon as possible, and before COP26 next November.
This announcement will expedite the shift to supporting green technology and renewable energy, creating jobs across the UK and driving international growth in the industry.
The government will work with the UK's oil and gas sector to support the move to low carbon energy sources through the North Sea Transition Deal, ensuring areas like Teesside and Aberdeen can become global hubs for wind energy, carbon capture and other clean technologies of the future.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Climate change is one of the great global challenges of our age, and it is already costing lives and livelihoods the world over. Our actions as leaders must be driven not by timidity or caution, but by ambition on a truly grand scale."
"By taking ambitious and decisive action today, we will create the jobs of the future, drive the recovery from coronavirus and protect our beautiful planet for generations to come."
Stephanie Pfeifer, CEO of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), said: "IIGCC welcomes the UK Government's announcement to end direct taxpayer support for fossil fuel projects overseas. The global economic transition to net zero will be secured through both the private and public sectors committing to real action."
Earlier this month the Prime Minister announced a new NDC, committing the UK to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% by the end of the decade compared to 1990 levels – the fastest rate of any major economy.
The ambitious target is supported by the Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution, which will create and support up to 250,000 British jobs by 2030 and make significant strides in cutting emissions across energy, transport and buildings.
In addition to this, the UK Government will also be submitting an 'Adaptation Communication' to the United Nations today, setting out what the whole of government is doing to help vulnerable countries adapt and become more resilient to the threat of climate change.
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Women's World Cup final shatters record for…
Women's World Cup final shatters record for most tweets per second
PUBLISHED: July 18, 2011 at 9:55 a.m. | UPDATED: August 15, 2016 at 2:34 p.m.
LONDON — The Women's World Cup final between Japan and the United States set the record for tweets per second, eclipsing the wedding of Prince William and Kate and the death of Osama bin Laden.
Japan rallied twice to tie the United States 2-2 after extra time before winning a penalty shootout on Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany. The U.S. was aiming for its third World Cup victory, while Japan lifted the World Cup trophy for the first time after going 0-25 against the Americans over the years.
The exciting climax drew 7,196 tweets per second, according to Twitter. Paraguay's penalty shootout win over Brazil in a Copa America quarterfinal later the same day came close to beating it with 7,166.
The previous record of 6,939 was set just after midnight in Japan on New Year's Day. Other spikes include bin Laden's death (5,106 per second) and the Super Bowl in February (4,064).
Spain's World Cup win over the Netherlands in July 2010 managed a high of 3,051, although the record for the tournament (3,283) was set when Japan beat Denmark in the group stage — another statistic pointing to Twitter's popularity in Japan.
The record-breaking numbers Sunday reflect a sharp rise in Twitter usage. Its users send 200 million tweets per day, compared to 10 million two years ago, according to Twitter.


Does revision rhinoplasty cost more?
Many of my Houston revision rhinoplasty patients who come in for consultation would like to know the cost of revision rhinoplasty and whether it costs more than primary rhinoplasty. This depends on the extent of work necessary for the revision. Some patients might feel that a revision rhinoplasty requires just a slight tweak, but revision rhinoplasty is a much more difficult operation than rhinoplasty the first time around. This is typically due to scar tissue.
After rhinoplasty, scar tissue builds up between the skin and cartilage and surrounds that cartilage of the nose making it more difficult to work with and shape. That cartilage is less malleable and much more fragile. In addition, there will now be a new layer of scar tissue over that older layer of scar tissue. This makes refining the nose, especially the tip, much more difficult.
The healing process during revision rhinoplasty is less predictable and the swelling typically takes much longer to improve after a revision.
Many of Houston patients inquire about having rhinoplasty and eyelid surgery at the same time. This is not uncommon. They say a good rhinoplasty is seen in the eyes and when lower eyelid bags surgery is done at the same time as nose job surgery, than this can really create a pop for the eyes with a more rested and refreshed appearance at the same time. Upper eyelid surgery can also be performed at the same time as rhinoplasty.
Dr. Funk is a top rhinoplasty surgeon in Houston and also performs blepharoplasty.


Netflix is continuing its aggressive expansion into international originals with its first Mandarin-language series and significant moves in Spain.
The SVOD service has set Nowhere Man as its first Mandarin-language original. The show, which will start shooting in Taiwan later this week, is written and directed by DJ Chen. It tells the story of brotherhood, Taiwanese gangsters and jailbreak. It marks the first collaboration between Joseph Chang and Alyssa Chia as well as cast including Mavis Fan, Bo-Chieh Wang, Jeremy Liu, Zhou Ming-Fu and Greg Hsu.
In Spain, the digital platform has ordered High Seas, an eight-episode mystery-drama series set in the 1940s. The series, which will launch in 2019, follows a transatlantic ship full of passengers, traveling from Europe to South America in search of a better future. It features two sisters, Carolina (Alejandra Onieva) and Eva (Ivana Baquero), as different as they are inseparable, a handsome officer, Nicolás Sala (Jon Kortajarena), a man that fate has put in the wrong place and a mystery: the murder of a passenger whose name does not appear in the passenger list and who no one remembers.
Created by Velvet Collection and Cocaine Coast producer Ramón Campos and Gema R. Neira and written by Campos, Neira Daniel Martín Serrano, Curro Novallas and José Antonio Valverde, the series will be directed by Grand Hotel's Carlos Sedes who will also Executive Produce with Teresa Fernández-Valdés and Campos.
This commission comes as the company unveils plans to launch an office in Madrid, Spain. The office follows outposts in Amsterdam, London and Paris and follows hot on the heels plans to open a major production space in the country.


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January 19, 2016 by tsubakuro
Canadian Hard Rock Invasion
The British Invasion of the sixties is well documented and regarded as a pivotal and defining moment in pop music history. The music of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, The Animals, and several others reached the American airwaves and music stores and had a tremendous influence on the development of Rock and Roll not only in the United States but across the world.
Much less documented and by no means famous or even well-known was the so-called Canadian Invasion of the 1970's. Several Canadian rock bands found audiences south of the border and were supported and promoted in the States. Other bands were less successful southward but nevertheless a part of the burgeoning rock music scene in Canada.
Naturally, Rock and Roll became popular in Canada almost simultaneously with the U.S., and a few Canadians, most famously Paul Anka, found success in the American market. But there was a real struggle back home for bands to get noticed. Canadian radio stations favoured American or British artists and local promotion on the air was not always easy to come by. Furthermore, there were few record companies in Canada and they were much more cautious about what bands they signed. A lot of great Canadian talent went south where there was a better chance of finding stardom.
The Guess Who was probably the first Canadian-based band to hit the American charts big time. Their 1970 #9 hit "American Woman" opened doors for them both stateside and at home in Canada. With proof that home grown talent could be successful, Canadian bands became regarded with less scepticism at home.
Two important developments were to take place in the early 1970's. One was the establishment of CanCon (Canadian Content), which refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requirements that radio and television broadcasters include a specified amount of Canadian material (content that was at least partly written, produced, presented or contributed to by Canadians). In 1971, this percentage was set at 25%. To acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of Canadian artists, the Juno Award was created by Stan Klees. Thus by the early seventies, Canadian music was on the rise at home, and with more bands getting their music on disc there was material to promote down south.
As the hard rock scene flourished in the nineteen seventies, so did many bands from the Great White North. Here are some of the (mostly) hard rock outfits that hit the charts at home and to varying degrees made themselves known stateside.
April Wine formed in Nova Scotia in 1969 but soon relocated to Montreal. Their eponymous debut album in 1971 scored a domestic hit for the band. Over the next two albums, the brothers Henman and their cousin would depart as the band's sound moved toward the arena rock style that they became famous for. Their success mounted in the mid-seventies and by the end of the decade, their album "Harder… Faster…" had peaked at spot #64 in the Billboard charts and reached Gold in the U.S. Back home in Canada, however, they had three Platinum albums and two Gold, plus a string of hits. Their international success continued into the early 80's.
Bachman Turner Overdrive was Canada's biggest success story in the 70's. It has been said that if The Guess Who had introduced Canadian rock to the States, then BTO had introduced it to the world. Formed by former Guess Who guitarist Randy Bachman, the band emerged from the collapse of Bachman's first project, a country rock band named Brave Belt. Encouraged to play more of a heavy rock style, Bachman's new band with Fred Turner (bass/vocals) spent a few years on the top of the charts, hitting the number one spot with "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" on November 9, 1974. The song went to number 1 in 21 countries! During their run of hits, BTO had 10 singles reach the Billboard Top 100.
Chilliwack's success south of the border actually came in the early 80's, even though they raked up six songs in the charts in Canada. Part of the problem was that the band kept changing labels, their first five albums being released by four different labels. When they finally found some stability with Mushroom Records and released three albums, the label went bankrupt. By the end of the seventies, only Bill Henderson from the original line-up remained, but with the addition of Brian McLeod (who would later form Headpins) the band's chart fortunes began to look up. Their music throughout the seventies was an array of styles including country rock, progressive rock, experimental music, hard rock, and lighter pop rock.
A Foot in Cold Water are perhaps known for their Canadian classic rock radio staple "(Make Me Do) Anything You Want)", a sweet ballad with strings that was later covered by the Canadian hard rock/glam metal band Helix in the 80's. The band released four albums in the 70's, starting out with a very hard, heavy and gritty sound on their debut, and then gradually spreading out to include a more mainstream sound, light rock, and somewhat progressive directions. Though the debut is an excellent heavy rock album and the band continued to write quality material, they weren't able to reach the heights of some of their contemporaries.
Mahogany Rush was a trio led by guitarist Frank Marino. The band name later changed to Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush and then just Frank Marino. Their style was like a heavy rock version of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, especially thanks to Marino's guitar playing style which on early albums had an uncanny similarity to the famous deceased musician's, so much in fact that there were rumours that Marino's body had become occupied by the sprit of Hendrix. The band's albums "Child of the Novelty" and "Strange Universe" made it to the Billboard Top 100 and "IV" to the top 200.
Max Webster was a hard rock/rock outfit that added some progressive flourishes. They were well known in Canada for touring with Rush and had a few singles in the charts in the seventies. "Paradise Skies" from their fourth album became a hit in the U.K. reaching the #43 spot. After five albums, the band's guitarist/vocalist Kim Mitchell established a solo career and scored international hits in the eighties with "Go For Soda" and "Patio Lanterns".
Moxy was a solid hard rock band from Toronto that formed in 1974. Thanks to support from KISS-FM in San Antonio, the band received American airplay early in their career. They toured frequently in the U.S. and opened for AC/DC in 1977. Due to disagreements between the producer and guitarist Earl Johnson, Johnson was kicked out of the studio and American guitarist Tommy Bolin, who was about to embark on a solo career and eventually take over for Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple, was in the studio next door and asked to play the solos on the debut album. By their second album, the band were getting comparisons to Aerosmith, Rush, and Deep Purple, and U.K. music journalist Geoff Barton would call Moxy the Canadian Led Zeppelin.
Prism was meant to be a vehicle for the music of Bruce Fairbairn. He put together a band comprising members of two other Vancouver bands and called it Sunshyne. Jim Vallance wrote some of the songs and a recording contract was pursued. The debut album was released in 1977 and produced the Canadian hit "Spaceship Superstar". Two more albums were released in the seventies and were successful in Canada, but it was not until 1981 that Prism would get a hit in America. The band split up in 1984 but later re-formed with some new members. On March 6, 2011, "Spaceship Superstar" was the wake-up song for the crew members of the International Space Station.
Rush probably needs no introduction but no list of Canadian music from the seventies would be complete without mentioning the band. Their fourth album "2112" was revolutionary for some and how they blended heavy rock with progressive rock has sometimes earned them the title of fathers of prog metal. Their biggest success was still ahead in 1981, but before then, Rush was already touring the U.S. and Europe.
Thundermug shares a similar history to A Foot in Cold Water. A hard rock outfit from Ontario, they scored a couple of hits with their debut in 1971, "Africa" and a cover of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me". They released two more albums, each one less heavy and more commercial than the previous, before finally coming to an end. Their first two albums were released in the U.S. as a single compilation album and their third Canadian album was released with a different cover in the U.S. as their second album. An excellent hard rock act in the beginning, it's a wonder they never had more success.
Triumph is, after The Guess Who, BTO, and Rush, perhaps one of the most successful Canadian hard rock acts to tour the States. Three albums were released in Canada in the seventies, their debut and sophomore made into a single compilation album for the American market. Rik Emmett's classical and electric guitar abilities gave the band both hard rock cred and a twist of prog. Their third album "Just a Game" scored two hits, "Lay It on the Line" and "Hold On" where the latter reached spot #40 in the U.S. charts. The album peaked on Billboard at #38, while "Hold On" reached number #1 in St. Louis. The band found even greater success in the early eighties and did a commercial for Pepsi.
Trooper is Canada's band, so it has been said. Always drawing crowds at home but never really breaking the U.S., Trooper continues to perform today. Their big Canadian hits include "Raise a Little Hell", "We're Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time)", "The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car", "General Hand Grenade", "3 Dressed Up as a 9", "Janine", "Two for the Show", "Oh, Pretty Lady", and "Santa Maria". From the release of their debut in 1975, Trooper began touring in the U.S. Though their albums second through fifth went gold, platinum, double-platinum, and quadruple platinum (a compilation album) in Canada, they only achieved one hit single in the U.S. with "Raise a Little Hell" which reached #59 in 1978.
There are plenty of other exciting bands from Canada who produced quality music in the 1970's and we will take a look a little later on at the Canadian progressive rock scene during this incredible decade.
For more reading check out this site and this one.
Posted in bands, Canadian music
Tagged A Foot in Cold Water, April Wine, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Canadian hard rock, Canadian invasion, Canadian music 1970's, Canadian rock, Chilliwack, Mahogany Rush, Max Webster, Moxy, Prism, Rush, Thundermug, Triumph, Trooper