We are a volunteer group of American Armenians with diverse backgrounds. We have no religious or political affiliation and we do not pursue any ideology other than to help the people of Armenia and Artsakh. All donors are members. The active members are called the "Organizing Committee". Everyone is welcome to join.
Hagop Bashmakian, Levon Thorose, Parunak Celikian, Hagop Aliksanian, Shushan Vartanian, Kenny Mosikian, Harry Sarkisian, Hratch Der Stepanian, Karlen Gorian, Olga Kirakossian, Hayro Koseian, Mihran Mahmouzian, SEtrak Kirec. Osep Ardic, Miran Sasounian, Levon Celikian, Vahe Kazanjian.
Sevan Aliksanian, Stepan Sargsyan, Burag Celikian, Berj Aliksanian, Sayyad Chakarian, Shant Der Ashodian, Garen Aliksanian, Siran Alexandrian, Narod Koseian, Kristina Badem, Andrew Kaamajian, Sevan Ardic, Hagop Boghosian, Hrant Minasian.
We meet every other Thursday in a room behind the Montebello City Hall. Often we communicate through E-Mails. We fund projects in open voting of the Organizing Committee. We have no overhead other than office supplies and $ 100 a month paid to our representatives in Armenia and Artsakh.
We choose projects mostly in remote villages of Armenia and Artsakh. We fund the projects based on need and urgency. We generally rebuild community infrastructures and help the people to remain on their land. The projects we fund are within $ 20,000 unless a benefactor comes forward to donate for a project of higher value.
Our representative communicates with the village head. We require the people of the village to get involved and help to do the project. A list of materials needed is prepared as well as expert labor cost is estimated. Based on combined estimate of material and labor we make a decision to fund the project. We require a letter of request from the local authorities and secure their help before authorizing to start.
Our representative buys the material and hires the expert labor. The supervision is also performed by our representative or a trusted individual who works with FOA time to time. Most often a member of the organizing committee is on location to guide the project and handle the money.
Once the project is completed, our representative approves the job and makes the final payments. Both the local authorities and FOA representative must approve before the project is considered done.
If the project is a building that has an opening day, a member of the committee is present to join the ceremonies.
All FOA projects are subject to inspection time to time by the members of the committee or our representatives to assure that it is still functional and maintained. If needed we devote resources to help them do repairs.
THIS IS THE 20 YEAR HISTORY OF "FRIENDS OF ARMENIA" aka HAYRENIK MIYUTYUN, FROM SEPTEMBER 1992 - MARCH 2012.
It all started with an inspiring vision, that,our national independence must be preserved at all costs and that the people of the Diaspora have the profound obligation to help their fatherland however and whenever possible. Armenians all over the world must organize and take initiative to help both Armenia and Artsakh survive the economic hardship that is forced upon them.
"For almost 80 years, we craved for an independent Armenia crying with the songs while promising ourselves that if we ever have independence again, it will not be compromised." With these words on September 11, 1992 in the Montebello Tumanjian Hall, Varujan Karian touched us all and moved us to establish an organization that was named "Hayrenik Miyutyun," aka Friends of Armenia.
The muse behind Varujan's charged state of mind, after his return from Armenia, was an articulate and forceful man named Sarkis Hatsbanian, who later volunteered to serve as our representative in Armenia and Artsakh. Sarkis knew the potential of Armenians in the Diaspora, because he recently had immigrated to Armenia from France to participate in the liberation of Artsakh. He became the enabler of our mission.
Establishment of the Friends of Armenia brought together Armenians from many countries who call America home. Many Russian Armenians pledged cooperation, Armenians from Turkey joined the ranks, and Armenians from Lebanon, Egypt, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and some 2nd generation American Armenians became active members.
THE LOGO FOR THE ORGANIZATION. FOUR Hands holding together in Frienship inSIDE a circle with LA written on bottom right corner, in the center of THE Red, Blue, Orange Flag, was designed by Artist Samvel Sevada.
A few ground rules were established and became the core principals of this organization.
1. Find the most effective and direct way to provide assistance to people who need help.
2. Collected funds must be transferred to Armenia/Artsakh and put to use as soon as possible.
3. All requests for help by the people and governments of Armenia and Artsakh will be considered and acted upon within the budget of the organization.
4. The organization will do it's utmost to rebuild institutions, infrastructure and provide tools and equipment to villages. Funds may be distributed to orphaned families and the poor, providing that the distribution is direct and fair.
5. We will cooperate with other organizations regardless of their political or denominational affiliations.
6. Members who travel to Armenia for FOA business will do so voluntarily and pay for it themselves. No member would be compensated for his or her services.
7. Anyone who wants to join and help is welcome. Meetings will be open to the public. There would be no mandate to serve any terms or obligation to become a member.
8. Our accounting and finances would be open to the public.
The transparency of the process and purity of its vision inspired everyone, growing the membership of Friends of Armenia within six months to over 400 by the end of April 1993.
Tragically, on May 28, 1993 Friends of Armenia lost its inspiring founder. Varujan Karian passed away, leaving a void in the organization.
Varujan Karian's farewell funeral was one of the most heavily attended in the history of Montebello. FOA logo pins that had just arrived were distributed to all the attendees as a reminder of his accomplishments.
Over the next 20 years we lost several more members who believed in and worked for the organization. We miss them all dearly.
The founding members of FOA ARE: Varujan Karian, Hagop Bashmakian, Yervant Donigian, Sushan Vartanian, Hratch Der Stepanian, Hovsep Soibatian, Berj Mechechian, Bedros Gagosian, Mardiros Soibatian, Kenny Mosikian, Ralph Sarkisian, Hagop Aliksanian, Gayane Karian, Harout Asatrian, Parunak Chelikian, Harry Sarkisian, Levon Kirakosian, Norayr Aliksanian, Leo Hovanesian, Karekin Goncu, Pakrat Asikian, Samuel Karay, Karlin Goryan, Simon Karian and Garbis Nishanian.
In 1993, FOA received Non-Profit status from the Internal Revenue Service thanks to our friend and well-known attorney Levon Kirakosian, who was instrumental in drafting the bylaws and forming the structure of the organization. After an adjustment period, the operation was back on track. During the past 20 years, we utilized several locations for meetings including Holly Cross Church offices, member residences and an assembly area in the senior citizen center of Montebello. Finally we settled in a room behind the Montebello City Hall where we currently meet thanks to the generosity of city officials.
From the very beginning all the secretarial, accounting and bank related work had been on the shoulders of Gayane Karian, who for 9 years kept the records, made the deposits ETC. THE DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN MANAGED BY HAGOP ALIKSANIAN. the accounting system IS maintainED BY Parunak Celikian. In order to keep with the IRS regulations, and to produce the annual financial reports, a well-established CPA, Harout Hamassian, has voluntarily been doing our taxes, PRODUCE THEFINANCIAL reports AND ACT AS THE AGENT ON RECORD FOR FOA since 1994.
Having the flexibility to finance a variety of projects, along with our involvement in construction planning and supervision, was an effective way of keeping project costs at a minimum. Over the years, many individuals have come to join the Organizing Committee and do their best to lend a helping hand. One person stands alone in that regard however. Levon Thorose, who joined FOA in 1998, has been one of the most active members of the committee to date. Levon has not only shown the commitment to take on difficult projects, but he has provided the fire needed to keep others active and has managed to recruit other organizations to help us accomplish the tasks on hand.
Our organization in Armenia and Artsakh is registered under the name of "Hayastani paregamner branch of Hayrenik Union of USA." In 2002 Sarkis Hatsbanian resigned as our representative to pursue other personal endeavors. Alexander Tamanyan (a well respected scientist, war hero and the grandson of Yerevan's main architect) accepted the responsibilities. Unfortunately in 2004 Alexander passed away. Since then, Ashod Boghosyan and Viken Avedian have served as FOA representatives. Currently Lusine Azoyan is our representative in Armenia, while Vahram Kevorkyan is our Arstakh representative. As always, we depend on Garbis Nisanian (who moved from LA to Yerevan in 2001) to oversee the distribution of funds.
During the past 20 years more than 46 major (and many more minor) projects have been completed. 80 containers of food, clothing, construction materials, medical equipment and supplies, school and hospital furnishings as well as emergency vehicles, furniture and electronic equipment have been sent and distributed. The total value of these outlays to date is over $3.5 million dollars.
We also provided monetary assistance to universities for scholarship, to scientists for research, to villages in Artsakh to purchase fuel, to schools for purchase of books and supplies, and to the authorities in Artsakh for various items needed for national security. We shipped 2 jeep vehicles for goods distribution, 2 passenger vans for summer camps, an ambulance for a hospital, a paramedic unit for the city of Stepanagerd and a storage trailer for Armenia's emergency services.
We built a high school in the Gusabad village of Artsakh, which was named after our founder Varujan Karian. We sent 2 flour mills, one to Hatrud and one to Mardagerd. We renovated schools in Sisian, Ardashad, Charentsavan, Echmiazin, Gatnaghbyur, Aykepar, Vardablur, Tumanian and Hovdashen. We furnished summer camps in Vanadzor and Dilijan. We built a new hospital in Araler, which was named after the donor's son Bedros Akpulat. We sent 2,000 boxes of school supplies, 5,200 shoes, 470 computers, 48 metric tons of food, 2,600 boxes of clothing and blankets, 650 boxes of medical equipment and supplies, five dental chairs, 12 boxes of dental tools, and hundreds of chairs and tables.
Additionally we have shipped two 40-ft containers full of lumber and construction material, doors and windows. We have also donated $60,000 for the purchase of food for the Jambar, $48,000 to the 'All Armenia Fund' for roads in Artsakh. We renovated three hospitals near Yerevan and 43 homes in Karegah, Mrkavan and Araler. We provided the funds to perform cleft lip operations on 37 children. We renovated community centers in Mirik and Gatnaghbyur.
We have taken the opportunity presented to us by the US humanitarian programs to ship large quantities of school supplies, lab equipment, scientific equipment, farming equipment, books, school furnishings, clothing, blankets and many other supplies.
To distribute the goods to remote villages of Armenia and Artsakh, we shipped two off-road vehicles to Armenia. To transport students attending the Gusabad school we purchased a school bus that is now donated to TUFENKIAN FOUNDATION FOR USE AS MOBILE COMPUTER LAB.
In order to report on the projects and give the details of the annual accounting, our annual dinner dance has also been the stage for our annual membership meeting. The booklet produced every year is a testimonial of our accomplishments and a presentation of our finances.
We have operated on a shoe-string budget and directed almost all the donated funds to the humanitarian purposes for which they are intended. We have done our best to purchase goods at great discounts or have had them donated.
We have accumulated an impressive video library of goods distribution, inspection visits, TV appearances, and testimonials. Even though we have done some TV clips for informational purposes, we have done very little advertising. We have relied only on the disseminated information during the dinner dances.
During the past 20 years, we have had a lot of support from people in the USA and Armenia/Artsakh. These volunteers did their best to help keep with the spirit of the organization. They understood the value of their service and taking this obligation they demonstrated their love for their homeland. It is virtually impossible to mention them all but we can not resist to include a few that stand out.
In Armenia and Artsakh we had help from Sevag Arzruni, Garo Israelyan, Sirpazan Sebuh Chuljian, Sirpazan Barkev Mardirosyan, Armen Sarkisian, Prof. Kurken Melikian, Artush Soghomonyan, Marine Bedoyan, Dr. Alik Yesayan, Antranik Aydinyan, Anyuda Khachatryan, Melsida Kardumyan, Simon Ter Simonyan, Kevork Galstyan, Ardavast Galstyan, Khachig Khachadryan, Lilit Agajanyan, Mary Matosian, Tsovinar Ghazaryan, Ashot Hovanisyan, Vladimir Grigoriyan, Erik Grigoryan, and Nani Oshkanian.
In USA we had help from Herman Celik, Raffi Huverserian, Dr. Arto Hacerian, George Katcherian DVM, Zepure Aliksanian, Ronald Gabriel, Ralph Mosikian, Nune Sarkisian, Yervant Donigian, Miran Sasounian, Gohar Der Stepanian, John Kazanjian, Jack Mazmanian, Randal Knar, Paul Mahmouzian, Art Kazarian, Vahe Akpulat, Miran Poladian, Nouritza Abujamra, Antranik Kasbarian, Markar Melkonian, Gayzag Zeytlian, Koko Kalajian, Takvor Der Stepanian, Cesar Chekijian, Ralph Sarkisian, Vartkes Barsam, John Gabriel, garo hatun, RAFFI ZINZALIAN and SIRAN ALEXANDRIAN.
Organizations and Businesses that helped in our mission or contributed financially include the Holly Cross Cathedral, St. Sarkis Church, St Mary Church, Armenian Society of L.A., Monte Melkonian Fund, Bolsahay Miyutyun, Zaratsi compatriot org., Tbrevank Alumni, Anahid Org., Siera Jewelry, United Armenia Fund, Commerce Casino, Del Rey Restaurant, NASA, St Vincent Deli, Bridger Controls, Varna Jewelry, V & A jewelry, Wilma Jewelry, Asik Jewelry, Advanced Jewelry, Loran Diamonds, KNC Diamonds, Commercial Waste Disposal and Gabriel Containers.
Over the years many individuals and families have made substantial donations during towards our cause. The people who consistently donated over the past 20 years include … Ronald and Gohar Gabriel, Garabet and Mariam Akpulat, Bedros and Anna Oruncakciel, Garabet and Mariam Yerelek, Arman and Silva Akarakian, Vahe and Chouchan Akpulat, Etil Anan, Ann Aroian, Ohannes and Seta Avedikian, Arto and Tanya Badem, Hagop and Anoush Barin, Vartkes and Jean Barsam, Vahram and Polina Biricik, Dikran and Arpi Dalian, Karekin and Hilda Daron, Arto and Rose Hacerian, Agavni Hidirsah, Haig and Jean Kelegian, Mark and Annett Kosker, Sarkis and Valia Kumjian, Garo and Agavni Kurian, Hacik and Irma Madilian, Sebuh and Sirpuhi Madoian, Saro and Anoush Marukian, Mike and Lidia Minasian, Agop and Madlen Terzian, Misak and Rita Topalian, Osep and Rita Tokat, Dikran Sarkisian, Kevork Sarkisian, Sarhad and Nune Sarkisian, Raffiand Dede Sarkisian, Boris and Olga Kirakosian, Sahak and Vartuhi Tuna, Hrant and Alis Rakijian, Kirkor and Armenuhi Reisian, John Kazanjian, Misak and Hermine Canli, Yesayi and Rita Baljian, Simon and Hilda Acilacoglu, Pakrat and Hilda Asik, Sukyas and Anahis Chakarian, Kirkor and Filor Celik, Asadour and Anahid Chilingirian, Yetvart and Arlet Corluyan, Vartan and Sonia Fundukian, Mirican and Ani Guregian, Garo and Seta Hatun, Hampar and Marietta Karakesis, Samual and Aznif Karay, Avedis and Zepure Kasabian, Toros and Silva Migirdichian, Nadia and Gulbenk Movsesian, Raffi and Zoya Mosikian, Murat and Delfin Sherinian, Avedis Tekolian, Vahe and Armav Urun, Sebuh and Levontin Tomacan, Harutyun and Arpi Tokatlian, Gayzag and Zepure Mosikian, Harry and Angel Sarkisian, Hagop and Alisa Bashmakian, Parunak and Silva Celikian, Hagop and Zepure Aliksanian.
Virtually all funds received by FOA are from individuals and small businesses. Most donations are in the $100-$1000 range, but a few sizable donations have been received to fund special projects.
Even though the 1993 Dinner Dance was canceled due to the death of V. Karian, the plan for a fund raising event continued and on January 29, 1994FOA had it's first fund raising event in Aghazarian Hall. During the event, with Shushan Vartanian as the main speaker, we managed to collect donations raising the total income to $47,800.
Since that time we have had dinner dances every year. The guest speakers include Sarkis Hatspanian, Archbishops Barkev Mardirosian, ARCHBishop Sebuh Chuljian, Garo Israelian (Mayor of Abovian), and Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian who has supported us from the very beginning. The net income from all dinner dances has been over $900,000 (see dinner dance chart).
The six masters of ceremonies, who have done a great job in keeping the guests invigorated, are Shushan Vartanian, Osheen Keshishian, Hagop Zerunian, Hagop Bashmakian, Alin Donigian and Parsegh Kartalian. The owners and operators of the locations we hold our dinner dances (the Aghazarian Hall in Pasadena, the Ojagh banquet hall in North Hollywood, Palladio banquet Hall in Glendale, Bolsahay Miyutyun Hall in Winnetka and Baghramian Hall in Montebello) have all been very cooperative and supportive of FOA. Our friends Mihran Sasoonian and Krikor Hovannesian have catered several of our dinners. Mihran also is an active supporter and advisor to FOA.
The ad-book campaigns turned out to be the most effective way of receiving funds for FOA. Even though we all did our best to get at least a few ad-book donations, the majority of them came from the jewelers in downtown L.A., which were the results of three hard working individuals; Yervant Donigian, Osep Ardic and Parunak Celikian. Outside of this, Kenny Mosikian, Gayane Karian, Ralph Sarkisian, Harry Sarkisian, Norayr Aliksanian, Karekin Goncu and many others have also done more than their share to help raise funds.
Donations have been received from many individuals and businesses. The largest amounts have been donated by the United Investment Corp., Akpulat Families, Commerce Casino, Vartkes Barsam, Garabet Yerelek, Mark Kosker and Sarkisian Brothers.
The most memorable dinner dance was the March 22, 1997 event, when Yervant Donigian proposed naming of each classroom of V. Karian school for the sponsors during the dinner dance. With Hagop Zerunian as MC, we created an atmosphere where classrooms were sponsored by Hrant and Alis Rakijian, Simon and Hilda Acilacoglu, Sarkisian Brothers (Sarhad Dikran and Kevork), Bedros and Anna Oruncakciel, Stepan and Nadia Gozumian, Albert Karamanoukian, Norayr Aliksanian, Osep Ardic, Araxie Madoian, Barouir Grigorian, Nazo Chekijian and Satenik Moloyan. The United Investment Corp. sponsored the Gymnasium.
FOA has also received donations for special projects and in lieu of flowers. These donations total over $850,000. All monetary donations from 1992–2012 total $1.75 million dollars.
In the beginning we concentrated on helping the orphan families of Artsakh, as well as sending food and clothing. To help the farmers grow food we appropriated funds for seeds and fuel. When the war in Artsakh ended in 1994, we supplied building material and began planning to rebuild the infrastructure, all while sending vital goods from LA.
All major projects completed by FOA within the past 19 years are listed in the project PAGES. special projects where FOA did not incur any cost or the cost was borne by other entities. Here are a few of those projects ….
On an urgent request from the government of Artsakh we sent 3,000 pairs of boots and hundreds of communication supplies to be used by medical teams and field engineers DISTRIBUTED VIA Barkev Sirpazan (Primate of Artsagh Diocese).
It all started with a call from Mr. Hagop Zerunyan in June of 2009, concerning his son (the Honorable Frank Vram Zerunyan). Hagop's son desired to donate a fully operational ambulance to Yerevan's St. Grigor Lusavorich Hospital, lead by Dr. Ara Minasyan. The ambulance was initially donated by McCormick Ambulance Company in honor of Rolling Hills Estates Mayor Zerunyan.
FOA agreed to send the vehicle as long as the transfer of paperwork was completed and the Lincy Foundation agreed to provide a 40ft container for shipping. FOA took over the vehicle in a ceremony at the McCormick lot in Hawthorne in July of 2009, and shipped the vehicle along with other goods in August. The ambulance has already been delivered to the recipient and it is currently in operation.
In the beginning of 1993 the US government sponsored a container shipment program called "Operation Winter Rescue" to help the CIS countries with food, clothing and other humanitarian supplies they desperately needed. This was a people-to-people initiative where the government paid for the cost of transportation and provided safe delivery of the goods to the destination country. FOA took the opportunity and made the first such shipment on February 10, 1992 from a yard in Montebello graciously provided by Mrs. Adrine Sarkisian to whom we are very grateful. This historic shipment included all the clothing we had collected and 34 metric tons of rice we had purchased. Three containers were filled by the FOA volunteers and shipped to Armenia. The FOA logo (originated by Samuel Sevada) was painted on one of the containers by Karlin Goryan and was proudly displayed.
From then on the container loading operations became a part of FOA's activities. Each year at least 3 more containers were shipped carrying clothing, food, school supplies, hospital and medical supplies and other humanitarian supplies as appropriate and requested by the recipients in Armenia and Artsakh. As of 2002 we started shipping the containers provided by the United Armenia Fund located in Glendale. Working with Harut Sasounian and Nouritza Abujamra, we managed to ship 26 additional containers to Armenia and Artsakh. All the costs for rental and transportation of containers, as well as logistics, were paid for by UAF (funded mostly by the Lincy foundation).
The loading operations took place in lots provided to us by the following members, donors and friends; Adrine Sarkisian, Krikor Azarian, Parunak Chelikian, Zora Danielian, Art Kazarian, Phil Pace and Ronny Gabriel (site of the current operations).
Over the past 20 years FOA has shipped 80 containers to Armenia and Artsakh.
Many volunteers have worked diligently to collect, purchase, sort, pack and load these containers over the years. Gayane Karian, Harry and Angel Sarkisian, Kenny Mosikian, Armen Soibatian, Levon Thorose, Shushan and Harry Vartanian, Hratch and Kohar Der Stepanian, Nshan Oganesian, Karlin Goryan, Osep Ardic, Hagop and Zepure Aliksanian. and Hagop and Alisa Bashmakian. All have been instrumental to make the operations succeed. FOA has also been involved in a few joint operations with the Monte Melkonian Fund, lead by Monte's brother Markar Melkonian. Through this partnership FOA shipped much needed hospital supplies to Armenia. With the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America, led by Pedro Zarokian, FOA shipped computers to our motherland. We have also been working with Zuhrab and Seta Khazarian of the Paros Foundation to ship clothing.
Several members of the committee and prominent members of the organization made personal and group visits to Armenia and Artsakh to witness the distribution of goods and monitor the progress made on FOA sponsored projects, as well as to get first hand information of where the help is needed the most.
The first visitor to Artsakh was Hagop Bashmakian, who went there to deliver humanitarian aid on behalf of the Medical Outreach Org. and as a member of FOA. While there, Hagop made an urgent plea for equipment that was needed desperately.
The second person visiting was Garbis Nishanian, who in July of 1993 joined Sarkis Hatspanian for the rice distribution operation in Artsakh and in Armenia. His visit was videotaped and the goods distribution (both food and clothing) have been shown to be fairly and equitably distributed as planned.
The third group consisted of Harry Sarkisian, Ralph Sarkisian and Leo Hovannesian who went to Artsakh in October of 1993 while the liberation struggle was still in motion. They brought back the first live pictures and video of the people talking about the conditions in those villages. The videos helped us understand the severity of the situation while introducing the faces of these proud and brave people. Their visit not only helped accomplish a few small projects on the spot, but gave us the reasons we needed to move ahead more vigorously.
The fourth visitors from FOA were Hagop Aliksanian, Norayr Aliksanian and Hovsep Soybatian in 1994, just after the ceasefire was declared. This visit had a specific purpose in Artsakh, which was to join the opening ceremonies of the Varujan Karian memorial fountain built by the soldiers with materials purchased by FOA. This visit gave us the opportunity to establish a special relationship with the people of Mardagerd region and especially with the villagers of Gusabad, Moghratagh and Aghabegalench where FOA had been providing money and goods to help the farmers.
The following visit by Hagop Bashmakian, who visited the school construction site in Gusabad with Gurgen Melikian in 1996, was also well documented and the videos he brought back with him showed the stage of construction and the difficulties under which the work continued.
The next visit to Armenia by a large group of FOA committee members included Harry and Angel Sarkisian, Hagop and Zepure Aliksanian, Hratch and Kohar Der Stepanian, Gayane Karian, Yervant Donigian, Osep and Agavni Ardic, Parunak Chelikian and Levon and Soghig Thorose and accomplished a great deal.
The following FOA members and donors from LA (Karekin and Hilda Goncu, Bebo Ishanian, Simon and HildaAcilacoglu, Arsen Guleserian, Toros and Zarman Kazanci, Yetvart Khacatourian, Reymon Hallacoglu, Ari Ozohanian, Asadour and Anahid Chilingirian, Ani Tashjian) joined in the ride to Mardagerd for the opening of V. Karian school in Gusabad. Guided by Sarkis Hatsbanian, this large group of US residents not only inspected the school that was built with their contributions, but had the opportunity to dine with the people of Artsakh and took back a lot of memories, which will be told, to their friends, children and grandchildren for many years to come. Considering the conditions of the roads, lack of decent hotels, absence of some food and lack of toilet facilities, the warmth of the people of Artsakh and the expressions of appreciation in their eyes and their words more than made up for all the discomfort experienced.
Many successful visits were made to Mardagerd, Hatrud and other areas of Artsakh by Levon Thorose on behalf of FOA. One visit was almost entirely devoted to the distribution of clothing to many villages using the bus FOA had purchased for the Gusabad school. Levon and his wife Shoghig spent many days going village to village distributing the clothing. On his 2nd and 3rd visits in early 2000, and again 2001, Levon brought back pictures and videos showing the installations of the flour mills in Mardagerd and Hatrud. He also made some official contacts on behalf of FOA with the proper authorities to plan for our future projects in Artsakh. Levon's visit to several schools and villages in Armenia and Artsakh provided FOA the information needed to commit to other worthwhile projects, including the major undertaking of a Hospital construction in Araler.
Subsequent visits were made by Hagop Bashmakian, Hagop Aliksanian, and Garbis Nishanian to Artsakh in the year 2000 in order to see the flour mills in operation and find out about the progress made at the Gusabad school, as well as establish management in Hatrud Mill. The trip accomplished its mission and the report to the committee provided the information for appropriate action by the organization.
In 2001 Hagop Bashmakian and Norayr Aliksanian made a visit to Vanatsor where FOA had sent all the furnishings for the Zizernag Summer Camp operated by bishop Sebuh Chuljian of the Gugark Diocese. They also visited the city of Abovian and helped the mayor Garo Israelian distribute $3,000 in FOA funds to the needy families.
Visits by Hagop A. and Hagop B. were made in 2002 to Artsakh for inspection of Araler houses constructed with FOA funds by an organization called Aghedyats Yergir, represented by Sevag Arzruni, and a surprise was visit made to the Gusabad school to see if the building was well maintained. In Armenia the Vanatsor Camp was visited and furnishings were inspected in their installed locations. Sebuh Sirpazan has worked miracles in turning this old building into respectable living quarters for the children. Abovian was visited to verify that the cultural center was re-roofed as planned with FOA financing. The Mayor Garo Israelian had delivered what he promised by rebuilding the roof of this massive building within the budget. A school in the Malatya/Sepastia district was visited (as requested by the New Hope organization who donated $2,000 specifically for some renovations in this school). In Meghri, FOA provided funds to build a structure to dry apricots. Various other locations were visited to see if the projects for which financing have been requested are worthwhile projects.
Since 2002 FOA delegations made visits to Artsakh and villages of Armenia, some of which are border regions. We were represented during the opening of Araler Hospital, Gatnaghbyur community center and Vardablur kindergarten. We paid several visits to Karegah during home renovations, as well as to Aykepar and Vanadzor. Every year at least one group of FOA members makes a surprise visit to past and present project locations. Levon Thorose, Hagop Aliksanian, Hagop Bashmakian, and Parunak Celikian are the most frequent delegation members. Shushan Vartanian, Osep Ardic, Harry Sarkisian, Setrak Kirec, Hratch Der stepanian and Vahe Kazanjian have also been part of delegations.
A few youth members of FOA have also visited Armenia during our computer distribution project, including Sevan Aliksanian, Burag Celik, Garen Aliksanian, Hrant Minasian and Andrew Kapamajian. These youth members helped distribute and sett up 240 computers, which they had prepared and shipped from LA.
The visits by the members of the organization established a very important precedent for verification. The first means of verification includes letters and receipts from the people responsible for the use of the funds, the second includes pictures and videos to show the results, and the third is verification by a member of the organization who gives his eyewitness report. These processes must continue in order for the donors to feel confident about trusting their money to the organization for use in worthwhile projects.
For the third decade, Friends of Armenia must test its cultural resourcefulness and tenacity to help build a strong Armenia. We want to build on our experiences and successes of the past decade, to overcome challenges and test our limits in attaining objectives that exceed the expectations of our patriots who are looking to us for leadership. The trust and confidence of everyone has been earned and our resolve has been tested. We have done that by establishing a transparent operation with the interest of the fatherland always in mind.
As the economy of Armenia and Artsakh is improving and the people are becoming more self supportive, the expectations and the needs are rising. We must multiply our efforts more to rebuild many schools, hospitals, cultural centers, shelters for the homeless and help finance key elements of infrastructure such as water ways and roads. For now, the condition of the majority of all schools and hospitals are in dire need of help. In most cases the roofs and the toilet facilities of these institutions are in terrible condition.
Unfortunately the government does not have plans to fund these projects anytime soon. Continued rain damage is making the buildings uninhabitable, and lack of sanitary facilities is a major threat to health. Most of these buildings have no budget to purchase new furnishings or update systemS.


text:
Within Temptation ist eine niederländische Symphonic-Metal-Band, die 1996 von Sharon den Adel und Robert Westerholt gegründet wurde. Mit weltweit über drei Millionen verkauften Tonträgern gehört die Band zu den erfolgreichsten niederländischen Gruppen.

Geschichte
Weniger als zwei Monate nach Gründung der Band unterschrieben Within Temptation einen Vertrag mit DSFA Records und im April des nächsten Jahres erschien ihr Debütalbum Enter. Im November 1997 machten sie eine zweiwöchige Tour durch Deutschland und Österreich. 1998 kam eine EP mit dem Titel The Dance heraus.

Nach einem Jahr Auszeit nahmen Within Temptation im Jahr 2000 ein neues Album mit dem Titel Mother Earth auf. Dieses wurde ein erster größerer Erfolg und die Band spielte auf einigen Festivals und Konzerten. Drei Singles folgten: Mother Earth, Our Farewell und Ice Queen.

Der internationale Durchbruch kam jedoch erst 2002: Die Single Ice Queen erreichte Platz eins in den Niederlanden und in Belgien, das Album Mother Earth verkaufte sich mehr als 750.000-mal in Europa und erreichte Dreifach-Platin in den Niederlanden und Gold in Belgien. Die Band spielte auf wichtigen deutschen Festivals (Rock am Ring, Bizarre-Festival, Summer Breeze) und Benelux-Festivals (Ozzfest, Lowlands, Dynamo). Zuvor hatte die Single Mother Earth zu einer Erhöhung des Bekanntheitsgrades in Deutschland geführt. Mother Earth ist der Titelsong der deutschen Version des japanischen Animes X.

Ihr drittes Album The Silent Force erschien am 15. November 2004. Die Single Stand My Ground wurde mehrmals im Radio gespielt und das Album selbst bekam innerhalb der ersten zwei Monate nach Veröffentlichung Platin in den Niederlanden und Gold in Belgien.

Zwei weitere Singles und eine Europatour (mit kleinem Abstecher nach Dubai) folgten. Auch die Festivalbesuche wurden weiterhin gepflegt. Im Sommer trat die Band beim Wacken Open Air in Wacken auf. Die Tour wurde am 22. Juli mit einem großen Konzert auf der Amsterdamer Hafeninsel Java Island vor 10.000 Fans beendet, das am 18. November 2005 auf DVD erschien. Im Juni 2006 mussten Within Temptation ihren Auftritt auf dem Hurricane Festival wegen eines starken Unwetters nach etwa einer Dreiviertelstunde vorzeitig beenden. Trotz Sharon den Adels Warnung "There's a storm coming up" kurz nach Beginn des Konzertes hatten nur wenige Festivalbesucher das Gelände verlassen. Noch im selben Monat spielten sie auch auf dem Southside Festival.

Am 30. November 2006 veröffentlichten Within Temptation zusammen mit den Spieleentwicklern von The Chronicles of Spellborn einen Trailer, der Ausschnitte aus dem Spiel zeigt und mit dem Lied The Howling unterlegt ist, das auf dem Album The Heart of Everything zu finden ist.

Am 16. Februar 2007 erschien die Single What Have You Done, bei der die Band von Mina Caputo (damals Keith Caputo) unterstützt wurde. Ihr viertes Album The Heart of Everything folgte am 9. März 2007. Am 22. Juni erschien eine weitere Singleauskopplung mit dem Titel Frozen, deren Erlös an das internationale Kinderhilfswerk "Child Helpline International" gespendet wurde.

Within Temptation gewann am 1. November 2007 bei den MTV Europe Music Awards 2007 in München den Award in der Kategorie Best Dutch and Belgian Act. Ebenfalls wurde die Band in der Kategorie Rock/Alternative international für den Echo 2008 nominiert, gewannen ihn jedoch nicht.

2008 erschien eine Doppel-DVD mit dem Titel Black Symphony. Die DVD enthält einen Mitschnitt des "Ahoy Rotterdam"-Konzertes vom 7. Februar 2008. Das Konzert war eine Zusammenarbeit von Within Temptation und dem "Metropole Orchestra".

Im März und April 2010 tourte Within Temptation erneut durch die Beneluxländer und trat dabei in verschiedenen Theatern auf. Nach dem Auftritt am 29. April in Antwerpen verließ Stephen die Gruppe, um sich in seiner eigenen Band zu engagieren und um mehr Zeit mit seiner Familie verbringen zu können.

Am 25. März 2011 erschien das Studioalbum The Unforgiving. Im Anschluss sollte es ursprünglich von Februar bis April eine Europa-Tour geben, diese musste aufgrund von Sharons dritter Schwangerschaft auf September bis November verschoben werden. Am 15. Dezember 2010 begann die Promotion des Albums The Unforgiving mit der Veröffentlichung eines ersten Liedes (Where Is the Edge) auf dem offiziellen Within-Temptation-Kanal bei YouTube., später folgten ein weiteres Lied (Faster) und zwei Kurzfilme zum neuen Album. Am 11. März 2011 erschien das online bereits veröffentlichte Stück Faster als Single.

Mit Beginn der Unforgiving-Welttournee gab die Band bekannt, dass sich Robert Westerholt aus der Funktion als Tourmusiker zurückziehe, um Sharons und seine gemeinsame drei Kinder zu betreuen und auch mehr Zeit für neue Ideen rund um die Musik und die Shows zu entwickeln. Er wurde ersetzt durch Stefan Helleblad, der schon seit längerer Zeit mit der Band zusammenarbeitete, u. a. als Toningenieur.

Am 13. November 2012 spielten sie zu ihrem 15-jährigen Bandbestehen eine große Show, die Elements genannt wurde, im Sportpaleis, Antwerpen.

Die Bandmitglieder schrieben seit 2012 an ihrem neuen Album. Das Album sollte eigentlich im September 2013 veröffentlicht werden. Die Band hat außerdem ein Album mit Coversongs mit dem Titel The Q-Music Sessions veröffentlicht, welche elf der 15 Coversongs enthält, die die Band für die belgische Radio Station Q-Music eingespielt hat. Diese Coversongs sind bekannte Hits, die im Within-Temptation-Stil gespielt wurden.

Am 30. August 2013 wurde von der Band angekündigt, dass das Lied Paradise (What about Us?) – ein Duett mit Tarja Turunen – als EP mit vier Liedern veröffentlicht werde, wobei die anderen drei Titel Demo-Versionen von Liedern des angekündigten neuen Albums seien. Die EP wurde am 21. September veröffentlicht. Das neue Album Hydra erschien schließlich am 22. Januar 2014, unter anderem in Zusammenarbeit mit Xzibit.

Nach einer Pause der Sängerin Sharon den Adel wurde am 20. November 2017 von der Band auf der offiziellen Webseite eine neue Tour für Ende 2018 angekündigt. Es sind Konzerte in 33 Städten in 18 Ländern geplant.  2019 trat die Band beim Wacken Open Air auf.

Stil
Enter und The Dance sind dem Gothic Metal zuzuordnen. So steuerte beispielsweise der Gitarrist Robert Westerholt bei einigen Liedern Grunts bei, was in den darauf folgenden Liedern nicht mehr der Fall war. Das Album The Silent Force dagegen setzt mit einem großen Orchester eher auf Symphonic Metal. Das Album Mother Earth liegt zwischen diesen beiden Stilen. Charakteristisch für den Gesang von Sharon den Adel ist vor allem die sehr hohe Stimmlage. Mit dem 2011 erschienenen Album The Unforgiving kamen noch typische Power-Metal-Elemente, wie die typischen Gitarrensoli und schnellen Gitarrenriffs dazu.

Diskografie

Auszeichnungen

 Metal Hammer Awards
 2014: in der Kategorie "Best Live Act"

Quellen

Weblinks

 Offizielle Website

 Interview mit Sharon den Adel zum An Acoustic Night at the Theatre-Album (deutsch)

Symphonic-Metal-Band
Dark-Music-Musikgruppe
Niederländische Band

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Have you made provision for your pets in case you are hospitalised, die or have to go into care?
It may be that family, friends or neighbours would be willing to care for your pets if you are taken ill. If none of these are an option, there are organisations who can help you.
We urge you to pre-register your cat before you find yourself in this situation, to avoid undue worry later.
The RSPCA runs a Home for Life scheme. They will take on most pet breeds. Animals will be taken to the nearest RSPCA shelter and assessed for the purpose of finding them a new home.


All themes of this soundtrack are in the Hawaiian style (as an example – Ka Makani Ka 'Ili Aloha by Gabby Pahinui. The other you just will not find). The film tells the story of what it means to live in Hawaii. In the course of the film, the protagonist declares several times that the very fact of his residence on the peninsula does not imply automatically the posh life, constant partying and all that ordinary people are usually associate with the geographical name.
Shailene Woodley – where she only takes the time, because this is already the fourth film only on the first page of this site with her participation – beautiful and charming, as ever. Her career in Hollywood grows rapidly. After that film, she can boast with collaboration with George Clooney himself! Incidentally, he played one of his best roles of his career, as a critics acclaimed after this video work.
The general nature of the soundtrack – a relaxing, easy, simple, imbued the listener with love for the Hawaiian themes (you know, the majority of them – not the tourist ones, but for "domestic consumption" – rather grim and dark). All conditions in the selection's mood are designed to play the music and do the daily business without thinking about what is played (and in general, all the songs on the local – Hawaiian – language, like Ka Loke by Makaha Sons or He Heia He Heia), but simply to listen to the general theme. But there are some to think of eternity.


Ms Ardern said officials estimated that the buy-back could cost "anywhere between $100m ($69m; £52m) and $200m. But that is the price that we must pay to ensure the safety of our communities".
Addressing the impact on gun-owners, the PM said she knew "many of you will have acted within the law". She said weapons used by farmers for pest control and animal welfare would be subject to exemptions, including "0.22 calibre rifles and shotguns commonly used for duck hunting".
"I strongly believe that the vast majority of legitimate gun owners in New Zealand will understand that these moves are in the national interest, and will take these changes in their stride," she added.


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Turbotax – all of us welcome the New Year with a lot of pomp and grandeur. However, on the back of our minds, we keep thinking about filing our tax returns. Usually, soon after a new year commences we mostly start making preparations for filing our taxes. Now, by no means, this is an easy task. There are so many things to be taken into account. For most of us who work as employees find this an uphill task. Generally, we resort to a tax lawyer to do the needful. Quite naturally, for this, we need to pay the guy a hefty fee. It is the perfect time to change our outlook. You can now make use of the tax software to do the necessary tax calculations. TurboTax at present is the best tax software for this purpose.
You will find different versions of the TurboTax software. You can use them according to your requirements. TurboTax Premier and TurboTax Deluxe are the most common versions. You will be able to file returns for both federal and state income tax. The makers of TurboTax know about the lack of knowledge of most users regarding tax calculations. Therefore, TurboTax offers a step by step guide for everyone. Each year, the makers release a new version of this software as soon as the IRS approves the revisions to the forms and the current version of the TurboTax. Over the years, TurboTax free and the other versions of the software have become very popular.
It is very Easy to operate: When you start using the TurboTax software, you will find it very easy to operate. As you go on working with the software, it will give you the impression as if you are attending a friendly questionnaire. As you finish answering these questions and verifying your information, you have already done the needful in preparing your tax calculations.
You can resume from where you left: It is always possible that while answering the questions you need to head for some critical work. In normal circumstances, you will need to restart the entire session. But, TurboTax gives you the advantage of resuming the questionnaire from where you left.
You can learn more about taxes: The established tax software will acquaint you with aspects like tax credits and deductions. When you are in a position to understand how these factors are going to affect your life, adequate preparations can be taken. As already mentioned above, just by answering simple questions you can expect the best tax refund.
Instant answers to queries: It is obvious, no matter how much you learn about your taxes, there will always be some questions plying on the back of your mind. When you use TurboTax, you can quench your thirst by participating in the live community which is now AnswerXchange. Right from laymen to experts, someone is always ready to respond to your queries.
Undoubtedly, you will feel at home when you start using the TurboTax tax software.
Facility to import the tax return of the previous year: It is possible that you are using TurboTax for the first time. So, you will need the last year's report so that you can modify it according to the format of TurboTax. You will be able to do so for free.
Advice and analysis: As you prepare to calculate your taxes, you can always rely on the help of experts. They are going to suggest you the best way for getting the maximum refund.
All those individuals who have used this feature have got a lot of help. The testimonials and feedback from satisfied customers can be found all over the web. Again, this highlights the importance of introducing TurboTax for your tax calculations for years to come.
Turbotax Login – Since TurboTax is an online filing service, firstly you have to create an account. For those of you intending to file a federal, you can do so with the TurboTax free option. When creating your account, you will need to visit the myturbotax page. After the successful creation of your account, you can log in with your credentials.
Always remember to prepare well before starting the online tax filing. For this, you should save your receipts related to business or work. Similarly, keep track of all your expenses. When you open the TurboTax page for the first time after creating your account, you will need to select the best plan. TurboTax can recommend you the best plan based on your inputs. The next step would require you to furnish information about your personal and financial life. The TurboTax self-guide will stop at intervals for you to verify all the details. Once you summarise them and find that they are perfectly fine, you can proceed towards the next steps.
You will now have to input details about your business, your name and address. If you are an employer, you need to enter the details of the number of employees you have and the amount spent on their wages. Next, you shall provide the details of your accounting method, your employer id number, and the mode you use to keep track of accounts. Next, supply the details of your business income, details about your inventory, the business expenses which you are going to claim, and details on your business assets; once all the above steps are completed, you are set to file your online tax returns.
You can sign in to your TurboTax account and select Help from the upper right corner of the screen.
Here, you will find the "Contact Us" option. Enter your query and then select continue.
You now have the option to choose and submit your question to the panel of experts or to talk personally with a TurboTax representative live.
The TurboTax phone number is 888-777-3066. Since many individuals are in the queue to inquire about various tax-related aspects, you may have to wait for a considerable period before you can speak with a customer care executive.
Intuit Inc, the company behind this successful tax filing software, has been serving consumers with state-of-the-art financial solutions. Since the year 1983, the company has successfully gone on to help more than 46 million customers worldwide. The countries using the services of the various Intuit products include Europe, North America, Australia, Brazil and India. TurboTax is one of its flagship products. There are several other flagship products of Intuit that include QuickBooks, Mint and ProConnect that aim at making life easier for individuals for varied financial requirements.
The central assertion of TurboTax is to make life easier for those who are looking to file their tax returns online. The move of the company is letting users pay the federal taxes with the TurboTax Free Edition is commendable. Moreover, TurboTax has been helping everyone willing to file their tax returns for the last 35 years. The self-guided portal is very helpful, and it aims at maximising how individuals will be able to get a tax refund.
Even for those who have never used online tax filing services before will find TurboTax very easy to use. It has been possible due to the years of experience that Intuit Inc has. At the same time, TurboTax also uses artificial intelligence whenever necessary to make the experience better for its esteemed users.
When you start using TurboTax, you will realise that this is the ultimate online tax filing software. Even for those who have experience of using different online tax filing software will be able to understand the difference.


text:
package org.pentaho.di.trans.safestop;

import org.junit.BeforeClass;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.pentaho.di.core.KettleClientEnvironment;
import org.pentaho.di.core.Props;
import org.pentaho.di.core.exception.KettleException;
import org.pentaho.di.core.plugins.PluginRegistry;
import org.pentaho.di.core.plugins.StepPluginType;
import org.pentaho.di.core.variables.Variables;
import org.pentaho.di.trans.Trans;
import org.pentaho.di.trans.TransMeta;

import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;

public class SafeStopTest {
  @Test
  public void testDownStreamStepsFinishProcessing() throws KettleException {
    String path = getClass().getResource( "/safe-stop-gen-rows.ktr" ).getPath();
    TransMeta transMeta = new TransMeta( path, new Variables() );
    Trans trans = new Trans( transMeta );
    trans.execute( new String[] {} );
    trans.safeStop();
    trans.waitUntilFinished();
    assertEquals( trans.getSteps().get( 0 ).step.getLinesWritten(), trans.getSteps().get( 2 ).step.getLinesRead() );
  }

  @BeforeClass
  public static void init() throws Exception {
    KettleClientEnvironment.init();
    PluginRegistry.addPluginType( StepPluginType.getInstance() );
    PluginRegistry.init();
    if ( !Props.isInitialized() ) {
      Props.init( 0 );
    }
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A week or so before Jason Calacanis was due to give his keynote at Search Engine Strategies New York, search marketers decided to start a movement to "out" him as being misinformed about search engine optimization. The idea was to submit questions to ringleader Liana Evans and then we'd all get to watch Jason squirm and look uncomfortable when we fired the collected questions at him on stage. If you caught the thread on Sphinn, you know my reaction at the time as something along the lines of "really? Are we five?"
And when the Jason keynote came around, something amazing happened – he didn't act like a jerk. In fact, he was humble in admitting his lack of search engine optimization knowledge, he was sincere about reaching out to the SEO community, and he was truthful regarding Mahalo, admitting that it's in the early stages and that he's still trying to figure it all out.
After that keynote and Jason's appearance at SES NY where he was seen making amends with skeptical SEOs, I thought perhaps we'd see an end to the community's polarization over Jason and Mahalo. That perhaps we could all act like adults and stop throwing stones. That we could be supportive of one another's efforts to improve search and maybe even embrace a new way of thinking, one that could someday evolve into a Google competitor.
And then I woke up from my crazy dream world.
Search marketers will never stop beating the Jason Calacanis horse. Mostly because it gets them links. And also because it's fun to have a common enemy to hate on when we're feeling a little insecure with our own search engine optimization efforts.
On Friday, Aaron Wall, someone I have an enormous amount of respect for, launched another SEO vs Jason Calacanis attack arguing that according to the leaked Google Internal Spam Documents, Mahalo is spam. Aaron says that if you remove the scraped content, the ads, and the links from Mahalo's pages, that there's nothing of value left. Oh, brother. Here we go again. Time to get out our SEO-branded sticks and beat Jason with them! Maybe we'll get him to say something stupid and then we'll have a reason to beat him even harder! Huzzah!
Seriously, aren't you over it? Can't we be one community united in our passion for search and trying to continually improve the system? Apparently not.
I haven't spent that much time navigating Mahalo, but I have looked at some of the basic listings and it's not spam. Perhaps it hasn't received the full SEO treatment. There are plenty of less than stellar results ranking because they haven't been noindex/nofollow'd. However, from a user perspective, a lot of those Mahalo pages have value. I wouldn't use them myself and you probably wouldn't either, but my mother might if she was looking for information. So would other beginner searchers. It's basically a poor man's Wikipedia at this point, acting as a portal page for people looking for links to real answers.
Does Jason claim that it is? No.
Was it too early to start trying to monetize? Yes.
What I find funny is that the same people who argue that Google can't tell you what to do with your site, that they're not your mother, and that you don't have to nofollow those damn paid links if you don't want to, are now tripping over themselves to get in line and point fingers that Mahalo breaks Google's guidelines. To be honest, I don't care about Mahalo. I don't really even care about Jason (I know. I'm sure he's totally offended, heh). It's the SEO attack mobs and our need to continually beat people with sticks to show how "right" and "cool" we are that bothers me. Dude, find a greater purpose.
The truth is, if Mahalo was a site we liked, we'd call it a portal page. Because we don't, it's "scraped content". This polarization in search helps no one. It does no one any good when we set others up to fail. And if we keep bashing every new engine attempt all we're going to end up with more Google. Do you want to write the Official "Google Gains 100 Percent Market Share" post? I don't. Move on.
Great read, Lisa. I sometimes think the biggest problem with the SEO community is that it's full of SEOs… oops, did I just scrape the Braveheart script pages?
Sounds like something I find myself saying again and again – forgive him, he's still learning.
As early technology adopters, we tend to forget that older does not necessarily mean wiser in this industry. I've run across many 40 and 50-somethings in social media or new media with barely a clue, but a lot of business savvy.
Let's not expect too much of someone just because they appear to be more for their age.
I totally hear you, Jason. I've had the same "scraping" arguments thrown at me, and we're definitely not in the game of copying content. It's absurd.
The funny part is we don't "scrape" any content. All of our pages have original guide notes. The most we'll ever do is quote someone, but that's not scraping. Very confused by that claim.


text:
Tapfuse PDF generation worker
=============================

Meteor package for generating PDF files using wkhtmltopdf and uploading it to AWS

Some of the available options for pdfs:

options = {
	pageSize: 'A4',
	marginBottom: '0',
	marginLeft: '0',
	marginRight: '0',
	marginTop: '0'
}


After fighting painful, chronic back pain for years, tennis great Andre Agassi retires from the court and prepares to serve up the next chapter of his life.
On Sept. 3, as he said goodbye to his fans at the U.S. Open, retiring tennis star Andre Agassi dabbed away tears. His lower lip quivered while he spoke, his voice on the verge of breaking during the minute-long farewell.
"You have given me your shoulders to stand on to reach for my dreams, dreams I could never have reached without you," he told the crowd at New York's Arthur Ashe Stadium.
For those watching, it was one of two indelible images from the final moments of Agassi's storied 21-year career. The other image is of Agassi in pain, his agile body seizing up during his last match, his long-injured back rebelling against the demands long made upon it.
Agassi, 36, had announced his retirement six weeks before, at Wimbledon. Though many factors influenced his decision, "I can't suggest that the pain didn't play a big part," he says. "It starts with your body and moves to your mind."
Asked how long he'd been suffering from back problems, he thought for a moment before timing it to a milestone in his life: his son's birth. Five years ago.
"It was a physical issue that grew to be a real physical concern," Agassi says of the degenerative disc disease spondylolisthesis, which caused one of the vertebrae in his lower back to slip out of place. As the disease progressed, the disc began pinching his sciatic nerve, a condition called sciatica that causes low back pain that shoots down the leg. By the end of the Open, even the injections of cortisone and other anti-inflammatories that he'd been taking since March could no longer help. He lost his final match to 25-year-old Benjamin Becker, a German who'd turned pro the year before and was ranked 112.
Still, when it was over, thunderous applause filled Arthur Ashe Stadium. The crowd gave Agassi a four-minute standing ovation as he rested in a courtside chair before making his goodbyes. To Agassi, it was not a loss. He had accomplished what he set out to do: finish the match, despite the pain.
"It was such a perfect end to what I consider to be a wonderful journey," Agassi says. "My goal was to do this as long as possible, and even if I'd been in a healthy place, I would have had to make this decision eventually."
When WebMD spoke with Agassi, about a month after his final match, he had yet to begin adapting to his new life. In fact, he says, it's business as usual.
"Of course, I [no longer] have to worry about training, about physical rehabilitation. I don't have to focus in those confines. But I'm as busy now, if not busier. It's quite typical, really. After each of the last 11 Opens, I've tended to shut down a bit and try to make up for lost time," he says. "My goals and commitments are always pushing me forward. I don't think the new lifestyle has been felt yet."
One thing he doesn't feel anymore, he says, is the pain.
"Now, I'm fine. I haven't been pushing my body to its limits. Tennis -- it's a pretty ballistic sport that we play. The pain has been a function of what I've asked of my body."
Agassi played his first professional match at age 16. But tennis had been part of his life even before he was conscious of it. As an infant, a tennis ball dangled above him as he lay in his crib, hung there by his father, a former boxer who had represented his native Iran in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics. Emmanuel "Mike" Agassi, who immigrated to the United States as a young man and settled in Las Vegas, wanted his child to be a champion.
He got his wish. In 1992, Andre, his fourth child, took the title at Wimbledon. He was 22.
Victory piled upon victory, as Agassi won both the U.S. and the Australian Opens, rising to No. 1 in the three years after Wimbledon. He became famous, however, for more than just his playing. Agassi brought an upstart's attitude to the game, flouting convention in spandex, denim cutoffs, and rock-star hair. His millions in prize money bought him a Lamborghini, a Ferrari, and three Porsches. On TV, he was the face of the Canon Rebel camera. You remember the slogan: Image Is Everything.
That image was complex, though. For the cameras, Agassi was all flash. But there was another side to him. In 1994, he founded the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which has raised more than $60 million for recreational and educational programs for at-risk children in southern Nevada. The foundation continues to support both the Andre Agassi Boys & Girls Club and the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, both in Las Vegas.
The same year, an injured wrist drastically reduced his ability to compete, and he played only 24 matches that season, less than a third of what he played in previous ones. His ranking plummeted to 141 in 1997. He found himself competing in Challenger Series tournaments, a circuit for pro players who couldn't make the top 50.
From that low point came a new focus on the game. Agassi discarded his flashy getup and donned conservative tennis whites. (He started shaving his head in 1995.) He worked out until his body was in the best shape it had ever been. He rethought and reworked his game. And he began the climb back to No. 1.
In 1998, he rocketed from 141 to 6. No player had gone from so low to so high so quickly. By 2003, he had won eight Grand Slam titles. He is one of only five players to win all four Grand Slam singles events.
Agassi's home life changed direction as well. His first marriage, to actress Brooke Shields, ended in divorce in 1999. Two and a half years later, Agassi married retired tennis great Steffi Graf. They have two children: 5-year-old Jaden and a daughter, Jaz Elle, 3.
By the time of his last Grand Slam victory -- the 2003 Australian Open -- Agassi's back had been hurting for months.
"I thought it was my hip," says Agassi, who says his only mistake in caring for his back was not getting it diagnosed sooner.
Would an earlier diagnosis have made any difference? Probably not, says Alan S. Hilibrand, MD, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery and director of orthopaedic medical education at Jefferson Medical College and the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia.
"From age 20 on, all people experience a process of drying out of the discs in the spine. In other words, everyone has degenerative disc disease," says Hilibrand, who is also a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Those discs act as cushions between vertebrae, helping to hold them in place. As they dry out, they begin to lose this ability, and the likelihood of one of the vertebrae slipping increases. When that starts to happen, the resulting condition is known as degenerative spondylolisthesis.
Lower back pain is the most obvious symptom, though many people have no symptoms at all. The drying out of the discs, says Hilibrand, can lead to painful tears in the fiber that surrounds them. How severe the pain is varies from person to person. "Some people, for genetic reasons, are very susceptible to that pain," he says.
Athletes have an advantage over couch potatoes when it comes to preventing back pain. Why? Because their strong trunk muscles are better able to support the spine, Hilibrand explains. They can also withstand a lot of suffering.
"Agassi obviously has very strong trunk muscles, but I don't think he would have gotten where he did without a great tolerance for pain."
This type of back pain is very familiar to Justin Gimelstob, a 27-year-old professional tennis player and friend of Agassi's. He underwent emergency back surgery in early September and at the U.S. Open suddenly found himself with two herniated or slipped discs after eight or nine years of back pain.
"The sport is tough on the back," says Gimelstob, who has commiserated with Agassi over their suffering. What frustrates athletes like Gimelstob is that the pain often strikes without warning, throwing off his rhythm. It was the same for Agassi, he says: "That's what Andre was feeling -- that inability to be properly prepared when you don't know what's going to happen."
Agassi doesn't anticipate needing surgery, especially now that he is out of the game. So, what is he preparing for now? In addition to his continued work with his foundation, he's bound to keep competing, if not on the court then in his new business ventures. He and Graf are working on an international chain of resort communities. They also unveiled plans for a luxury hotel, the Fairmont Tamarack, in Idaho.
"It's a lane change, not an exit," Agassi says of his new projects.
No matter how strenuous his new work may be, it won't require the superhuman physical conditioning demanded of him by tennis. And that's just fine with Agassi. For now, he's quite happy to miss a workout or two -- or three.
"To go to the gym and train now would feel more empty than focused," he says. "[Physical training] will always be a part of my life, but right now there would be too much nostalgia."


text:
/ Turkey to register at the UN with new name, 'Türkiye'
/ Rebel commander killed in Saudi-led airstrike in Yemen
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Emma Watson post shows Israel's anti-Semitism smears are beginning to break down
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Turkey to register at the UN with new name, 'Türkiye'
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Iran re-incarcerates French academic for violating house arrest
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France accuses Syrian of 'committing war crimes'
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Iraq, Lithuania seek to end crisis of stranded migrants on EU borders
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UK, Egypt vow to cooperate to fight climate change
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Not sure what type of inspection(s) you need?
Below is a brief summary of the types of inspections we provide.
accessible pool components and the inspection consists of four phases.
Visit our Home Inspection page for more information.
Construction Inspection page for more information.
Visit our Termite Inspection page for more information.


All River Batteries provides immediate response and assistance covering the Sunshine Coast to Tweed Coast, Ipswich and Brisbane West to Toowoomba and throughout the Hinterland to New South Wales.
Our service vehicles operate 7 days a week and carry a range of batteries from Budget to Performance. Our aim is to get you moving, fast! Contact us anytime to have us attend your home, office or your breakdown location immediately.


People use payday loans online for many reasons. The most important aspect of getting fast cash is to take care of emergency costs. One of the biggest causes for funds running low with no extra money saved is found by those who do not control the excess spending. Granted, there are people who just don't have enough to cover the basics, but those are not the ones who will be discussed here. Payday loans lenders provide fast cash to those who are able to keep up but end up with little in the bank when unexpected costs arise. It is tough to be consistent with feeding savings accounts, but there are ways to save extra cash which can be placed into savings instead. Using your own savings account to fall back on during financial struggles will help keep your finances from falling further into debt.
Prevention is the best medicine, even with your finances. Here are three ways in which you can save some cash and place it into your savings account instead.
1. Don't spend money on extended warranties for electronics. The person at the checkout or the one helping you out on the floor will always make it sound like these warranties are something you just don't want to go without. In fact, if the purchase you are making is expensive and the make or model is new to the industry and has not had time to work out any possible kinks in the system, it might be a good idea to purchase the warranty. With this said, you want to make sure you are not spending more than 10% of the purchase price for the warranty itself. Other than that, save the money you would spend on the warranty and put it in the bank. Most electronics will come with a factory warranty and if something is bad on your device, you will know within that time frame.Spending money on home warranties is not necessary unless you are buying a very old home where the wiring may not be up to par or the appliances are old as well.
2. Spending money on the insurance does not prevent you from possibly paying deductibles, service charges, or having to show proof on non-neglect. Take the amount going towards insurance each month and place it into a savings account will build up a nice nest egg quickly in case there is something that breaks down or needs replacement later. You will have money in the bank to use for any kind of emergency, and the chances that there will be lots left over are good.
3. Refrain from pet insurance. The money you would be paying in for the insurance could be used to build up a savings. Set up your own personal fund for pet care when the time comes. Besides paying for the premiums on the insurance, there will be deductibles, medicine costs and possible co-pays. As your pet gets older, most of these plans have price increases as coverage declines. Building your own fund for pet care will come in handy when it is time to take your pet in for care. In the meantime, if there are any other financial disasters you are looking to avoid, you will have access to free cash to cover the emergency cost.
Paying premium prices for insurances which do not get used or have many clauses for non-coverage may not be the best place to put your money. Building up a savings account, which will have at least six months living expense coverage, is the best way to protect yourself from having your debt go out of control. Direct payday loans lenders, credit cards, pawn shops, auto title loans, bank or credit union loans do provide cash, but they all carry a price tag.
Pay attention to where your money goes and make your savings account a personal payday loan account.


A workshop on Promotion tools for PhD will be conducted in Armenia from 16th to 17th of June 2014.
Two-day workshop will gather consortium members aiming at discussing the major tools to promote PhD at the institutions.
A half-day coordination meeting is also planned to focus on the next 6-month activities, as well as to the technical and financial issues within the project.


Most cannabis connoisseurs will agree that there is something magical about a perfectly rolled joint that is both smooth burning and long lasting.
Unfortunately, not all cannabis users have the seemingly magical ability to produce a perfect joint and thus, they are forced to accept the fact that their joints often burn faster than they would like.
Fortunately, with a little knowledge, a little experimentation and, a little care, you too can become one of those stoners who rolls seemingly magical, everlasting, joints!
To roll a joint, you first must have rolling papers and having the right rolling paper is the first step to rolling a slow-burning joint. However, there are so many different brands of rolling papers made from so many different materials on the market today that choosing a single brand and type from among the many can be confusing. Cannabis users can choose papers made from corn husks, rice, hemp, and even transparent cellulose and each type has advantages and disadvantages over the other.
For instance, corn husk rolling papers are thick and sturdy and thus, some cannabis smokers are convinced that they extend the life of a joint. However, corn husk papers are among the least favorite type of rolling paper among cannabis coinsures.
Rice papers tend to be very popular even though they are thinner and more fragile than corn husk rolling papers.
Because they are thinner, many joint rollers feel that they are easier to roll with because you can feel what is going on between your fingers. Thin rolling papers enable them to roll a tighter, more even, joint.
Next, we have hemp papers which can be thick like corn husk papers or thin like rice papers. Because they are made from hemp, many cannabis cprefer them over all other types of rolling papers.
Then, there are transparent rolling papers which are made from vegetable cellulose and although they have never really caught on, some cannabis smokers prefer them because they allow smokers to see the cannabis inside of their joint as well as the smoke as it passes through the joint. However, like corn husk papers, transparent rolling papers tend to be a bit on the thick side and thus, they can be somewhat difficult to roll with. However, they do burn well.
Last, there are specialty rolling papers such as JOB's Sup'air which has hundreds of tiny holes in the paper to increase airflow. Pouch papers which have a built-in pouch to hold your pot before rolling and, Randy's Wired rolling papers which have a thin wire embedded in the glue strip to act as a built-in roach clip.
But, regardless of what type of rolling paper you choose, the first step to rolling a slow-burning joint is to choose a slow burning paper.
In addition to the many different types of rolling papers, there are also many different brands of rolling papers on the market today. If you visit any well-stocked head shop or cannabis dispensary and take a look at their selection of rolling papers, you will often see such a wide selection that it can be difficult to choose a single brand from among the many!
However, some brands have gained a loyal following such as Raw, Rowll, Zig Zag, Elements, Hempire, Pure Hemp, Zen, DLX, and Bambu; all of which occupy shelves alongside some of the less popular brands such as EZ Wider, Joker, and JOB.
Also, you should also be aware that many rolling paper manufacturers produce several different sub-brands and thus, you will need to be specific in what you select. For instance, Zig Zag has their famous single-wide paper in the white pack, the also famous Cut Corners, the ever popular 1 1/4 wide in the orange pack, the King Size and, both 1 1/4 wide and 1 1/2 wide ultra-thin papers. However, if you have a feel for it, both Ziz-Zag single-wide rice papers in the white pack and Elements single-wide rice papers along with Hempire single-wide hemp papers are all coinsuring favorites because all are very thin and yet, they also burn both evenly and slowly.
On the other hand, you should avoid purchasing economy rolling paper brands such as TOP and Bugler since rolling a joint with one of these inexpensive rolling papers is akin to rolling with a piece of newspaper, and they seldom burn slowly or evenly.
Now that you are aware of the many different types of rolling papers, let's examine the other side of how to roll a long-lasting joint which is the amount of moisture that your cannabis contains.
Anyone who has grown cannabis is well aware that it contains a significant amount of water when it's first harvested and thus, that water must be evaporated before the buds can be smoked. Then, to bring out the pleasant aroma and taste that some strains exhibit, the buds have to be "cured" to allow the chlorophyll to dissipate. Thus, depending on the amount of time spent drying and curing, cannabis can range from slightly moist to dry as a desert.
But, the more moisture your cannabis contains, the slower it will burn and, the less moisture it contains, the faster it will burn regardless of how tight you roll it. Therefore, using cannabis with the right moisture content is another key to rolling a slow-burning joint. Consequently, if your cannabis is too moist, then it can be dried by exposing it to the air in an air-conditioned room or even by placing it in your refrigerator or a dehydrator.
On the other hand, if your cannabis is too dry, it can be moistened by placing it in a sealed container with a such as those sold by tobacco shops although, sprinkling a few drops of water in the container will serve the same purpose.
Although the age-old method of preparing cannabis buds for rolling is to break them up with your fingers or to cut them up with a pair of scissors, neither of these methods provides the optimum consistency for producing a slow-burning joint. Thus, cannabis accessory manufacturers have addressed this issue by producing small herb grinders. So, by using one of these small herb grinders, you can easily produce pot that is perfect consistency for rolling a slow-burning joint.
However, this raises the issue of just how fine to grind your cannabis in order to achieve the optimum result. For instance, the larger the particles of pot in your joint are, the slower, but less evenly, they will burn. Conversely, the finer they are, the faster but more evenly they will burn. But, because cannabis requires oxygen to burn, small particles can be packed more tightly together which limits the air flow through the joint which, in turn, causes it to burn more slowly.
Then, there is the issue of how tight you roll your joint which is partially controlled by how fine you grind your cannabis. Even if you roll the joint tightly, large particles create a significant amount of space between each particle which drastically increases the speed at which air can be drawn through the joint which increases its burn rate. But, if you roll your joint with small particles and also roll it tightly, you will drastically reduce the amount of space between each particle while also decreasing the speed with which air can be drawn through the joint which reduces the rate at which it burns while also causing it to burn more evenly.
So, remember that in order to roll that magical, everlasting, joint there are several steps that you need to take and, the first step is to choose a high-quality rolling paper with a reputation for a slow, even, burn.
Next, you need to make certain that your cannabis has the proper level of hydration and, if not, then you need to adjust its moisture content by either drying it further or hydrating it.
In addition, your pot must have the proper consistency in order to burn evenly and slowly and thus, grinding your pot instead of breaking it up with your fingers or cutting it up with scissors is the final key to rolling a magical, slow-burning, joint.
Last but not least, don't forget to roll your joints tightly since a tight joint will always burn slower than a loose joint. However, it is also important that you not roll them so tightly.
If you take the time to follow all of these steps, then your joints will not only burn more evenly, they will last significantly longer!


The setup consists of single cylinder, four stroke, CRDI VCR (Variable Compression Ratio) engine connected to eddy current dynamometer. It is provided with necessary instruments for combustion pressure, crank-angle, airflow, fuel flow, temperatures and load measurements. These signals are interfaced to computer through high speed data acquisition device. The set up has stand-alone panel box consisting of air box, twin fuel tank, manometer, fuel measuring unit, transmitters for air and fuel flow measurements, process indicator and piezo powering unit. Rotameter are provided for engine cooling water flow measurement.
CRDI VCR engine works with programmable Open ECU for Diesel injection, fuel injector, common rail with rail pressure sensor and pressure regulating valve, crank position sensor, fuel pump and wiring harness. The setup enables study of CRDI VCR engine performance with programmable ECU at different compression ratios and with different EGR.
Engine performance study includes brake power, indicated power, frictional power, BMEP, IMEP, brake thermal efficiency, indicated thermal efficiency, Mechanical efficiency, volumetric efficiency, specific fuel consumption, Air fuel ratio, heat balance and combustion analysis.


1. Mark and label your boxes.
Without this, you don't know what's inside the dozen boxes you brought with you, much less do you know which box goes in what room. You'll end up having to open everything and scatter everything before you get anything done. It's tedious, and it's a mess. Make an inventory and list down the things you'll bring – make sure you only bring the things you want to and will fit your new home – so that you can keep track of all your belongings.
2. Know what the house or apartment will be like.
Make plans for your new home like what you're going to use a certain room for. You won't be able to organize properly when your boxes come if you don't do this very important step. Rushing around and deciding everything at the last minute will take a lot of time and will just wear you out needlessly, so best be prepared and have a plan early on.
3. Only bring the things you need and want.
It's astounding at times to see how much junk so many people bring with them when they move. They may feel somewhat "connected" to a certain piece of furniture or thing they found in the attic, bring it along and pay extra (since more weight and more things mean a bigger bill), and then just end up sticking it back up in their new attic. Why go through all those needless motions, when you can just sell off things you don't need or don't suit your new home and lifestyle? Whatever you do, leave all your junks behind and never look back.
4. Make sure that special items are packed well.
Some of your things may need special packaging or extra cushioning when you're packing them, such as breakables and sharp implements like knives. Make sure that these things are neatly and properly packed, then labelled accordingly to make sure that they aren't damaged (or cause damage) during transport.
Separate all the essential things you will need once you get to your new home. A couple of clothes, toiletries some pots and pans, spoons and forks, those kind of stuff. Pack these things separately so that you'll have an easier time setting up at least your most basic living needs once you get to your new home.


With our heroes back from the international break in various states of disrepair the transfer market saw a flurry of activity with (mostly the wrong) players being switched for alternatives.
& we kicked off at Standard Bilge where it looked like ManUre were staging an amazing comeback again thanks to Martial's 2 second half goals. But, in the dying seconds, Ross Barkley netted an equaliser that sparked a touchline kerfuffle as Chelski's assistant coach decided it'd be a good idea to troll JoMo in front of 40,000 of his adoring fans.
The South Coast derby was a dour affair & not really worth mentioning other than Sparky was glad not to have lost another game.
A 6 goal thriller at Cardiff saw the home side take their first win of the season while Burnley went to the Etihad for their annual ritual slaughter to the tune of 5-0.
Despite losing their star striker early one, the South Coast scum unlocked Newcastle's defence on the 29th minute & held on to win & pleasing the home fans no end.
Spurs once again made it look hard as they could only muster to the one goal at Wet Spam & Watford had obviously seen my new goalie selection as they ended Wolves' winning run.
Rounding up Saturday's events, Liverpool looked to keep up with Citeh at the top & against Uddersfield secured the 3 points, but they'll need to be racking up cricket scores to realistically stand a chance at the title.
Just the one game on Sunday featuring 2 late dammits to sink Premier League Favourites, Palace, as Hodgson apparently forgot he had substitutes until the 89th minute.
But it's a minor setback as, mathematically, the title is still within The Eagles' reach.
Monday & the Gunners make it 10 wins in all competitions on the trot.
Having gone behind to a Bellerin own goal, Arsenal turned it up a notch & were level by the half as Ozil bossed the midfield with some vintage Gunners football. The hosts aded 2 more through some of the best passing & team goals seen all season to keep their unbeaten run intact.
But the big news of the week is that the EIB won the classic this week by 91 points as they close down the gap on the BB&S to just 420 points.
Goes to figie 's high town F.C. for a superb 75 points in a GW where the average was just 43 globally.
& it was double bubble for the EIB, who also took the H2H by 7 points leaving them 16 behind the leaders.
is on the move again, as Brian Munich takes receipt of the shiny headgear.
As you can imagine, there was a bit of a party in the shed last night. We may have got a little carried away though. Not to worry. We ordered a temporary HQ which has just been delivered.
So while we spend the day carrying old tobacco tins of rusty screws & various old tea chests full of... I daren't even think.. to the hew pad I'll say tarah for this week & thanks to everyone playing.
See you for the super spooky pre-halloween encounter next weekend.