What better way to unwind after the busy holidays than a soothing spa day in the mountains? Treat yourself to a day of relaxation and unwind at one of our many spa locations. Many of Dahlonega's day spas offer a wide range of massages, facials, body wraps, manicures, and pedicures to help you feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the new year!
The Dahlonega Spa Resort is located on 72 acres a short drive from downtown Dahlonega, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. If you are looking for a weekend away to re-center, there is no better place in Dahlonega. Settle into a rocking chair and take in the incredible, panoramic view of our mountains while sipping a cup of herbal tea or freshly roasted coffee. Reconnect with nature on one of their walking trails, then pamper yourself with a relaxing massage. Guests are also welcome to enjoy a meal at the Pura Vida Restaurant during their stay. The Dahlonega Spa Resort is a popular destination for yoga retreats throughout the year. Visit their calendar to find out more information.
Walk through the doors of Jolie Day Spa & Salon and you are immediately filled with a sense of calm and peace. This full-service salon and spa is located directly off the square and offers a wide variety of pampering services, such as massage, facials, manicures and pedicures, as well as, complete salon services and bridal packages. View their full list of services online.
Oasis Spa at Mountain Laurel Creek offers exceptionally unique skin care and therapeutic massages as the perfect accompaniment to a mountain getaway. Each treatment is individually customized for your own personal needs and will truly improve the condition of your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Mountain Laurel Creek Inn and Spa will be closed during the month of January in order to expand their spa by 2,300 square feet! Be sure to visit them later this year to enjoy all of their hard work.
If one of your resolutions is to be healthier and more in-tune with your body, look no further than North Georgia Yoga Center. Located in downtown Dahlonega, NGYC offers classes led by Mindy Searcey, whose teaching style is a combination of Iyengar Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga, as well as therapeutic massage and a yoga boutique. Mindy focuses on alignment and being grounded in the flow of the breath through the movement of practice, and believes that the marriage of these two styles is the ideal way to practice. If you have always wanted to try yoga, don't be intimidated -- North Georgia Yoga Center offers classes for all levels! Finish your yoga session with a therapeutic massage or browse their yoga boutique for new items. View their class schedule online.
Dahlonega Healing Arts provides a serene, nurturing, healing environment for you to get in touch with deeper aspects of yourself. They use massage, hypnosis, meditation, Qigong, Tai Chi, yoga, Reiki, life coaching and other integrative therapies as a means to support you as you heal physically, emotionally and spiritually. Learn more online.
We hope you let 2016 be a prosperous year of good health, mindfulness, and peace. When those resolutions seem impossible, just remember, an escape to the mountains is not so far away.
Kristyn Iodice is the Communications Coordinator at the Dahlonega-Lumpkin Chamber & Visitors Bureau. She fell in love with Dahlonega during her time earning her BA in English at North Georgia College and State University, and now spends her days helping others discover our little, mountain gem.


On a day traditionally celebrated with the gathering of Chinese families, WildAid is launching the "I'm FINished with Fins" campaign in Mainland China during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The campaign, which launched earlier this year in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan, aims to raise awareness of shark finning and help China's residents pledge not to eat shark fin. The launch will be showcased at Shanghai's Touch Mall to allow hundreds of supporters and notable figures to pledge their commitment to "refuse to eat shark fin." Headlining the festivities will be members of "Happy Camp", a wildly popular television show throughout China, including He Jiong, Xie Na, Li Weijia, Wu Xin, and Du Haitao.
"I'm FINished with Fins" was originally launched by Shark Savers in partnership with WWF-Hong Kong, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, and WildAid in Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan. The campaign is currently seeking 100,000Hong Kongers to pledge through an online platform not to consume shark fin soup.


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PIC TALK: Nagarjuna And Amala Akkineni Invite A Special Guest Over Dinner!
Wow! 😍
Nagarjuna and Amala Akkineni have hosted several house parties and love inviting rather special guests. The latest to have joined the guestlist would be none other than Bollywood's legendary actor Anupam Kher. The veteran actor launched his new book last year and has been presenting it to many celebrities and politicians. He decided to visit Nagarjuna and clearly, they had a gala time together. Anupam Kher with Nagarjuna and Amala discussed films, food and good old memories.
Taking to social media, Anupam wrote, "Thank you dearest @amalaakkineni1 @iamnagarjuna for a wonderful evening. We revived our memories of working together. Talked about film schools, pandemic & cinema . Loved the trailer of his film releasing tomorrow #WildDog. Was happy to give them my book #YourBestDayIsToday."
Thank you dearest @amalaakkineni1 @iamnagarjuna for a wonderful evening. We revived our memories of working together. Talked about film schools, pandemic & cinema . Loved the trailer of his film releasing tomorrow #WildDog. Was happy to give them my book #YourBestDayIsToday 😍 pic.twitter.com/Sw6x5FAjYc
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) April 1, 2021
With back to back hits, Amala was at the peak of her career when she decided to marry Nagarjuna. With a blush on her face and glitter in her eyes, she shares her sweet little love story, "Well like movies, love and marriage also happened. Nag surprised me out of the blue and asked me to marry him. After all the euphoria and excitement subsided, I asked him, "Will we move to Hyderabad?"
He said, "Yes." I said, "I don't have to rush to work?" He said, "If you don't want to you need not my dear. You can do whatever you like to do." I was so excited at that thought. I was tired of continuously working and living life out of a suitcase. About 50 films in 8 years is a lot, so I was really exhausted. When Nag proposed to me, I felt like I was going on a long holiday. It's been 23 years now and it has been a very beautiful journey with him."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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'Jeopardy!' Champion Goes Viral With Quirky Style, Big Bets
Published October 5, 2017 at 4:25 PM CDT
Austin Rogers is not your typical Jeopardy! champion.
Sure, he's got brains — answering rapid-fire trivia in the form of a question to the tune of $278,000 in winnings.
But Rogers, a New York City bartender, has also got plenty of flair (not to mention hair!). His goofy contestant intro segments are far from the stiff pose and awkward smile that have become a mainstay of America's Favorite Quiz Show. In one, he pretends to be talking on a phone; in another, he shifts to profile and mimes opening a bottle.
Whenever he gets an answer correct, he breaks into what he describes as "celebratory histrionics."
And to top it all off, he bets big!
Some say he's the best thing to happen to the game show since IBM's Watson trounced its human Jeopardy! opponents six years ago. Rogers has even spawned his own trending hashtag, #austinonjeopardy.
My boyfriend and I desperately want to have #AustinonJeopardy make us a hipster cocktail. Who do I call to make that happen?
— S (@sarahpatchkids1) September 29, 2017
There are two types of people in this world: people that like #austinonjeopardy and people that don't matter.
— Jay Bennett (@JayBennay) September 29, 2017
"He's got hair; he's got chutzpah. He's got broad-based knowledge," Jeopardy!host Alex Trebek says.
Elsewhere, Rogers has been described as a cross between actor Zach Galifianakis and Martin Prince, the teacher's pet character from The Simpsons.
Shorn of his signature mop-top, Rogers told ABC's Good Morning America on Thursday that he doesn't own a television but nonetheless found ways to watch "hundreds upon hundreds of episodes" of the game show in preparation for his first appearance.
"I'm not going to say that there's a system or a code, but if you watch enough, you'll start seeing things repeat," he says.
Example? "If it ever says 'sculptor' it's probably going to be Auguste Rodin. If it ever says 'American sculptor,' it'll probably be Alexander Calder. If it ever says 'Romanian poet,' it'll be Eminescu."
"I have no idea who Eminescu is, but I've seen that come up three times in episodes across the decades," he says.
Asked by Trebek how he got to be so smart, Rogers replies drolly: "Genetics. Luck. Karma."
What about school? "School? Nah!" he scoffs with a wave of the hand.
3 scientists share Nobel Prize in physics for their work on quantum information
Cameron County gives roads, official support to SpaceX as opposition to company grows
A parade of planets is visible in the pre-dawn sky
Storm Chasers Search For Beauty In Nature's Fury


Our "crustacean" pillow, inspired both by the crayfish parties of Sweden, and the lobster dinners of our fine state of Maine. Sewn with an envelope closure on the backside in navy blue linen cotton. Measuring 18x18, this pillow comes stuffed with a poly-fill insert.


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Paro Tourist Guide
Paro Tourist Guide - Destination Overview
Standard Prices Starting From INR 11000/-(2 night 3 days)
How to reach Paro ,Bhutan
By Air : Paro International Airport is the gateway to the country
When to visit Paro, Bhutan
The best seasons to visit Bhutan are during Spring (March, April
Best Hotels in Paro,Bhutan
Uma by COMO, Paro #1 of 16 hotels in Paro Zhiwa Ling
Shopping in Paro,Bhutan
Weekend bazaars and small shops sell precious stones brought from
Paro is the gateway to the country of Bhutan. Situated in the Paro Valley of Eastern Himalaya, the town is full of legends, heroism, and natural splendour.The town is located at an altitude of 2,250 m above the sea level with river flowing gently on its side and making it the most beautiful valley in the country. Though, the capital of Bhutan is Thimphu, but for a longer time of the history Paro had the control of this part of the country. The town of Paro in western Bhutan attracts tourists due to its scenic locales, beautiful landscapes, wooded villages and historic buildings. The Paro valley is unique in beauty and in history. The only airport of Bhutan is located in Paro. To the north, Mount Chamolhari (Mountain of the Goddess), reigns in white glory and the waters from its "five sisters" peaks passes through deep gorges, finally meeting in the end to form the Paro Chu river that nourishes the rice fields and apple and peach orchards.
Tourist Attraction in Paro
The various tourist attractions in Paro are the National Museum, Philatellic Gallery, Taktsang Monastery, Rimpung Dzong and Thongdroel.
National Museum :
The National Museum is the main tourist attraction in Paro. This national museum is housed in Ta dzong which is an ancient watchtower. The white and brown ringed fortress, built in 1657 was made as the National Museum in 1967. This museum is the country's only archive. The museum has the collection of old coins, stamps, birds and mammals and the costumes of the people of Bhutan at various times of its history. The ancient weapons including the
National Museum Paro :
bows used in archery, brass and copper house wares and a good display of ancient Bhutanese art and artefacts. A fragment of moon's surface brought by Neil Armstrong in July 1969 is also displayed in the museum.
Philatellic Gallery :
The Philatellic Gallery near the top of the museum is also one of the great tourist interest. This gallery contains a large collection of stamps. Stamps are a big business in Bhutan and are an important source of foreign exchange. The postage stamps are also brought by visitors as they cover a wide range of subjects and are beautifully printed. On 30 October 1967, Bhutan issued the world's first three-dimensional stamps in commemoration of man's conquest of space. The world's first steel stamps, printed on hair thin steel foil, reflects the importance of steel industry in the economic development of Bhutan. Silk stamps with religious motifs of Bhutan were also printed. The king of Bhutan has been featured on a series of gold embossed coin stamps. Bhutan was also the first country to introduce "Talking Stamps" in 1973. These stamps were gummed miniature phonograph records playing Bhutan's national anthem. However, in spite of having some of the finest postage stamps, Bhutan has no strong postal system. Even today, runners carry messages across the country where no road links exist.
Taktsang Monastery :
The Taktsang Monastery means the Tiger's Nest. This monastery is the most important religious site for the Bhutanese people, and located at a distance of around 80 km from Paro, precariously perched on the edge of a cliff. This monastery has been built around the cave where Guru Rimpoche and later his follower Dubthak Singye meditated. It clings to a cliff of rock which is about 800 meters above the valley. A visit to this monastery is a challenge, exhausting, thrilling and
Taktsang Monastery Paro :
mystical. According to the legend, Guru Padmasambhava arrived more than a million ago on the back of a tiger from Tibet to this place. He mediated in a cave for around two months where this monastery was built later. This monastery can be visited by either trekking or on horse. The Taktsang monastery is a pilgrimage place that every Bhutanese tries to visit at least once in a lifetime.
Rimpung Dzong :
The Rimpung Dzong or Paro Dzong is situated on the hillside above the gently meandering Paro River. Rimpung means the heap of jewels. Paro Dzong is the symbolic centre of religious and secular affairs of entire Paro Valley. This fortress offers the view of the Paro Valley stretched out below. Some centuries ago, it was an unreachable fortress that repelled invasions from Tibet. But, today, it houses the Paro monastic body and the office of the Dzongda (district commissioner) and Thrimpon (district judge). Consecrated in 1646, the Dzong is an architectural wonder that showcases the cultural strength of kingdom's strength.
Thongdroel :
The Thongdroel is the most sacred giant which is painted and an appliquéd scroll. This giant depicts the eight manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava with its two attendants, Khendu Yeshey Tsogyel and Khandu Minona Rawa. It is displayed for a few hours on the concluding days of the Paro Tesechu festival held from the 10th to 14th day of the Bhutanese lunar calendar's second month. It is unfurled before dawn for the few hours before the direct rays of the sun strikes it. This giant is about 400 years old, and can be easily damaged by sun rays.
Excursions around Paro Valley
Haa valley :
aStart the day early for drive to Haa via Chele-la pass. 4 Km away at Bondey village the road to Haa diverts towards the right hand side and ascends towards the chele-la pass starts. After driving through blue pine & rhododendron forest for 45 km, reach Chele-la pass ( 4200 meters). From this point one can have a superb views of Mt. Chomolhari & Jichu Drakey. This is a very good place to walk around for few minutes enjoying the view. Drive on to Haa, descending all the way for another 22 km (under an hours drive), finally reaching Haa. The Haa Dzong is presently occupied by military, but the view from outside is stunning. After picnic lunch visit to the famous Monastery of Lhakhang Karpo (White Temple) followed by visit to Lhakhang Nagpo (Black Temple).
The central shrine in Lhakhang Nagpo is said to have no difference with that of Lhasa JOWO in Tibet. The construction of the Lakhang Karpo is believed to have been assisted by the locality. As a result the place came to be locally known as "Hay" meaning" surprise" which later became "Haa" due to the differences in interpretations and pronunciations of different people over time.
The three giant hills looming over the fringes of Haa valley were called "Me Rig Puen Sum" especially after the incidence of the Lhakhang Karpo construction. Today the three hills are popularly known as "Rig Sum Goenpa" signifying three deities-Jambayang Chana Dorji and Chenrizig.
Later, other Buddhist saints like Guru Rinpoche and "Machi Labdorn" came to the Jungney Drag in Haa and blessed the locality. The principal religion followed is Drukpa Kagyupa. After the arrival of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, the chief guardian deity of Haa became, Ap Chundu.
Later in the afternoon drive to Paro same way back. The drive will be under 3 hours.
Kila Goemba :
It is the serene home of Buddhist nuns who have dedicated their life for spiritual fulfillment and leading undisturbed life of religious studies, prayer and meditation. The goemba is nestled in a craggy patch on mountain side below the Chelela pass and perched precariously along the rock face. From Chelela pass, the lhakhang is about an hour walk amidst magnificent wooded area.
Chelela pass :
Chele la (pass), at an elevation 3,988 meters is considered to be one of the highest motorable passes in Bhutan. About an hour's drive along a thickly-forested road, is this Pass-a botanical paradise. The pass provides stunning views of the sacred mountain Jomolhari and Jichu Drake. It is also marked by hundreds of prayer flags fluttering in the wind. Here, visitors can see cascades of wild roses; purple and yellow primulas; and swathes of deep blue iris covering the forest floor. The top of the pass bloom with rhododendrons in a variety of colours-pale pink, deep pink, burnt orange, mauve, white and scarlet.


The European Medicines Authority's Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) has issued a positive opinion recommending the designation of orphan medicinal product to Arch Biopartners Inc.'s AB569 as a potential treatment of infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.
AB569 was invented at the University of Cincinnati (UC) in the laboratory of Dr. Daniel Hassett. The drug combines two active ingredients, sodium nitrite and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), both approved as safe for use in people. In tests, AB569 has shown a dramatic effect at killing the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa both in vitro and in vivo, including antibiotic-resistant strains.
"This very positive development will serve to accelerate our transition into CF clinical trials that are already planned at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital," said Dr. Hassett in a company news release. Arch Biopartners recently entered an exclusive license agreement with UC for commercial rights to the drug candidate.
P. aeruginosa is the most common pathogen in CF patients' lungs, which are especially vulnerable to chronic infections. Its prevalence in infections is estimated to be 40 percent in CF patients between the ages of 6 and 10, a frequency that increases to 60 percent by age 17, and reaches about 75 percent between the ages of 25 and 34. Antibiotic resistance to these infections complicates treatment, often leading to a progressive decline in lung function.
COMP's recommendation will be forward to the European Commission (EC) for final approval, which is expected shortly.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also designated AB569 an orphan drug for the treatment of antibiotic resistant P. aeruginosa pulmonary infections in patients with CF.
"The positive opinion by the COMP in favour of orphan medicinal status for the treatment of CF is indicative of the clinical need to combat antibiotic resistant airway infections often found in CF patients," said Dr. Daniel Muruve, chief science officer of Arch Biopartners.
The company recently developed a manufacturing and toxicology program for AB569, and future plans include the submission of an Investigational New Drug Application to the FDA in the second half of 2016.
Tagged AB569, Arch Biopartners, COMP, European Medicines Agency, Orphan Drug Designation, orphan medicinal product, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.


All of our products are bespoke, and due to the vastness of our range it is difficult to provide an accurate quotation without first seeing your house.
Our online quotation tool is useful in giving you a guide price for your home improvements, but we like to follow up your quotation with a visit from one of our advisors who can talk to you about your requirements, and consequently tailor our advice and quotation to suit your home.
All of our quotations will include installation costs, but we are happy to quote for supply-only double glazing upon request. We manufacture all of our own products from within our factory in the heart of Lincoln, giving us direct control of our costs and allowing us to cut out the middle man.
This gives us confidence that on a like for like basis, we cannot be beaten on price. We're certain that all of our products represent the highest quality – for the best price.
However, if you do find a cheaper quote within 7 days of placing an order or receiving a survey and quotation from us for the same products, designed, manufactured and installed with the same specifications and guarantees, then we promise to match it.
(1) Put your claim in writing for the attention of your sales advisor to Starglaze Home Improvements, Waterside South, Lincoln, LN5 7JD or email sales@starglaze-windows.com.
(2) Include copies of the competing quotation including the specification of the competing product.
(3) If you have signed a Purchase Agreement with us, we must receive your claim within 7 days of this.
(4) If you have received a written quotation* from us, then we must receive your claim during the period that your survey is valid, which will be clearly stated.
(5) We can only accept one claim per customer, per Purchase Agreement.
(6) Upon receipt of your claim, we will make a final decision on whether the competitor's product and specifications match ours and we will confirm our response in writing to you within 7 days.
* Please note that a written quotation means a quotation received following a home visit and demonstration by a Starglaze sales advisor, and not an online quotation which is to be used as a guide only.


Charlie Ergen's satellite firm EchoStar (SATS) has built up a big chunk of satellite radio monopolist Sirius XM's (SIRI) debt, according to the Wall Street Journal. This could be an attempt to take control of the company.
So what could EchoStar do with Sirius? PaidContent's Rory Maher has two ideas: Run the company on its own -- once Sirius has a clean balance sheet, it's in better shape -- although growth is shrinking and competition is increasing. Or use Sirius's assets -- spectrum licenses, terrestrial repeaters -- for some sort of broadband Internet service.
Interesting idea, but any wireless Internet service would have a tremendous amount of competition from cellular companies, Clearwire (CLWR), etc.
Sirius shares jumped 16% to $0.165 today. They're down 96% from their 52-week high.
Is Charlie Ergen trying to take over for Mel?


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Home » Fashion + Beauty
Cesar Galindo isn't dye-ing to stay on The Fashion Show
Bayou City In Hollywood
Big Love's Ginnifer Goodwin truly adores Houston designers
Loves Houston & old K-SWISS
The end of frivolous shopping? Designer Billy Reid envisions more thoughtful fashion
By Dillon Sorensen
Billy Reid's store in the Galleria. "Houston seemed like a natural market for us logistically in regards to managing the shop and building a business," says Reid. Courtesy of Maguire Steele
Billy Reid working in his Florence, Ala., design studio Courtesy of Maguire Steele
"We want the shops to feel like you're visiting our home, so the decor and interior we take very personally," says Reid. Courtesy of Maguire Steele
"I try to focus on the clothes and make something we believe in. It's great when folks like it and support it, and I feel incredibly fortunate to get to do what I love," says Reid. Courtesy of Maguire Steele
Of his clothing, Reid states, "It's classic American clothing with a personal take that makes it what it is. We try to put as much integrity as possible into everything we do." Courtesy of Maguire Steele
2010 was an exciting year for Florence, Ala., based designer Billy Reid. He is the first to win both the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)/GQ award and the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award in the same year.
This is no small feat: Reid was chosen over such buzzed-about young designers as Prabal Gurung, Richard Chai and Joseph Altuzarra.
For the CFDA/GQ award, which goes to the year's top menswear designer, Reid received a $50,000 cash prize and got to design a one-of-a-kind collection in collaboration with Levi's. For the CFDA/Vogue award, which recognizes a top emerging designer in menswear, womenswear or accessories, he received a $300,000 cash price and was granted a design collaboration project with J. Crew.
Reid is also a very important part of the Houston fashion scene: Unlike many designers, he chose to open a store in Houston long before opening one in New York. His collection, which puts a sophisticated and contemporary twist on classic Southern haberdashery, has resonated in the Houston area. I am a particularly big fan of everything Billy Reid: I love both his designs and down to earth personality.
He is taking risks and making bold decisions in his clothing, and his monumental achievements and significance to Houston deserve some recognition. In an e-mail conversation, Reid told CultureMap about why he went into Houston before Manhattan, his personal (sneaker) style and the new direction of men's fashion.
CultureMap: Tell me a little bit about yourself — where did you go to school, where are you from, and what did you do before you started Billy Reid?
Billy Reid: My mother had a women's boutique in our small town of Amite, Louisiana where I grew up. Her shop was located in my grandmother's old home and she influenced my path to the industry at an early age. I started school at Southeastern Louisiana University and later went to art school at the Art Institute of Dallas.
CM: Tell me a little bit about the history of the brand.
BR: We launched in late 2004. I had originally started my own collection, William Reid, in fall of 1997, and had some unfortunate circumstances that forced me to close that business in 2002. After taking some time off and taking on freelance projects, I was approached by some friends with the idea to re-launch a collection by way of a new business model; by building through our own shops.
Typically, wholesaling to other stores is the first step. This strategy gave us the opportunity to control the shopping experience, the environment and message and essentially helped us build a foundation of good customers. It also gave me the freedom to build product without limitations. In other words, if we wanted to put it in the shop, then we'd make it and sell it.
CM: Obviously, you have been rather well received in the fashion community, winning both the CFDA/GQ and CFDA/Vogue awards this year. What do you think makes your collection so appealing and popular?
BR: I'm not sure if I'm the best person to answer that, but thank you. I try to focus on the clothes and make something we believe in. It's great when folks like it and support it and I feel incredibly fortunate to get do what I love.
CM: From where do you draw your inspiration? What kind of things do you look at when you are trying to create new pieces?
BR: Inspiration comes from so many places that a singular description is difficult to pinpoint. The process of being attracted to something, learning about it and expressing it and watching it come to life is what I enjoy the most.
CM: How would you describe the style of your designs?
BR: Its classic American clothing with a personal take that makes it what it is. We try to put as much integrity as possible into everything we do.
CM: Recently, there has been a resurgence of classic Americana and workwear styling in menswear. This influence is apparent in your designs. Do you think this is just another trend or here to stay?
BR: American menswear is rooted in the classic. What has been successful of late has been the evolution of American heritage and how it relates to today's customer — whether that be workwear or classic tailored clothing. Continuing to build on these roots with authentic products and branding will be an important factor. We will need great products and great brands to emerge.
CM: You only have six retail locations in the U.S. — one of which is in Houston. What made you pick Houston as opposed to other larger cities like Chicago, Boston, L.A., etc.?
BR: Houston seemed like a natural market for us logistically in regards to managing the shop and building a business. LA is a long way form Florence, Alabama.
CM: I always take people into the Houston store just to check out the décor — it complements the clothes perfectly. How much influence did you have in the interior design of the store?
BR: We want the shops to feel like you're visiting our home, so the decor and interior we take very personally. Having one voice, rather it is the clothes or the interior, helps things feel together.
CM: One of my favorite things about your brand is that it is distinctly Southern, yet still modern and sophisticated. How do you maintain the balance between your Southern heritage and designing pieces that appeal to people in, say, New York City?
BR: I travel back and forth between Alabama and New York a lot. Those two worlds coming together are a huge influence to me, so having things that work well in both places comes naturally. We try not to force it and just be ourselves.
CM: One of the prizes for your CDFA/Vogue award is collaboration with J. Crew. Can you tell us anything about the collaboration?
BR: All the details are not squared away yet, but we love what J. Crew has been doing as of late. We look forward to working with the folks there.
CM: What aspects of American fashion excite you the most right now?
BR: Fashion seems to be on the radar screen of even the most "non-fashionable" guy. Men are typically resistant to change. We have noticed that frivolous shopping is being replaced with a more thoughtful approach. There is a focus on the piece and whether or not it really fits into their life. There are guys out there that are all really different and offer something unique that answers that question.
CM: Who are some other designers that you admire?
BR: I got to know Robert Geller and the guys from Loden Dager through the Fashion Fund. But I also like brands like Carhartt and I am a Levi's junkie.
CM: Can you tell us a bit about your Spring/Summer 2011 collection?
BR: When I was working on the spring 2011 collection my head was on the Gulf Coast, so there is a huge dose of that reflected, whether that be cotton suiting or lightweight fishing shirts. I grew up with the Gulf and it is still something I love dearly.
CM: How would you describe your personal style? When and how did it develop? What are your favorite pieces of clothing that you own?
BR: I'm a traditionalist. I like to own things that have longevity, so some of my favorite things to wear are a pair of beat up K-SWISS shoes that I've had forever and a well-tailored navy blazer. I like things that get better with age. Not sure how it started, but it's just a mindset I have always stuck with.
CM: Why have you chosen to base your company in Florence as opposed to New York or L.A.?
BR: My wife is from Florence, and we decided many years ago that this is where we wanted to raise our family. We shape our work around our life, not the opposite. It wouldn't work for everyone, but it's how we've chosen to do it. We are part of this community and we appreciate that aspect of our life.
CM: Can you tell us a bit about how and where your products are manufactured?
BR: We build most of collection in the USA and Italy. We put everything we have into the making it the best it can be. The product is the first priority always.
Feeling inspired to learn more about Billy Reid and his designs? Visit his website, or his namesake store in The Galleria. While it primarily focuses on menswear, the Houston store does feature a small selection of the women's collection.


I use GoDaddy as my hosting and obviously have a WordPress install. A few months ago, I started running into this error on Google Chrome: "No data received [ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE] Unable to load the webpage because the server sent no data." I got a similar message in Firefox: "The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading." This happened whenever I tried to make a new post and really put a damper on my blog activities on my various blogs.
I searched numerous forums, checked out my GoDaddy CPanel, looked at my FTP files, uninstalled & deactivated plugins, and made sure WordPress & plugins were all up to date. Still nothing worked! I did discover that the error could be triggered when editing files, as well though.
Becoming frustrated, I checked line-by-line of a draft to see what triggered the error, and I discovered it. The error occurred anytime a post had links with "http:" & "https:".
Obviously removing the protocol declaration from links (and images) in a blog post could be problematic if I needed to link externally but thankfully, you don't need to declare a protocol to make links. You can instead point to a website like this: //www.google.com instead of http:||google.com (slashes would be here instead of pipes obviously).
With any post I now make, I just make sure my links use protocol-relative URLs instead of declaring the protocol and I no longer receive errors. Unfortunately, I have yet to discover the root cause of the problem, but for the time being, it allows me to blog again while I figure it out.


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Biografies:
 Joan Bastardas i Parera (1919-2009) llatinista i romanista català
 Josep Buch i Parera (1902-1991), excursionista i historiador català
 Josep Maria Burset i Parera (1917-2004) futbolista català
 Narcís Cuyàs i Parera (1880-1953) fotògraf i cineasta català
 Matias Ferret i Parera (1888-1975) cantant català
 Josep Font i Parera (1913-1971) compositor català
 Joaquim Fornells i Parera (1898-1953) dirigent sindical i polític català
 Joan Marsillach i Parera (1821-1896), metge català
 Rafael Nadal i Parera (1986), tennista mallorquí
 Antoni Nicolau i Parera (1858-1933) compositor i director d'orquestra català
 Sílvia Parera i Carrau (1969), nedadora catalana
 Pere Parera i Cartró (1947) polític català
 Eva Parera i Escrichs (1973), política catalana
 Antoni Parera Fons (1943), músic i compositor mallorquí
 Valentín Parera Mora (1895-1986) actor de cine mut andalús
 Blai Parera i Moret (1776-1840), músic i compositor català
 Manuel Parera i Penella (1907-1975), futbolista català
 Ramon Parera i Penella (1912), futbolista català
 Joan Parera i Reinés (1893-1970), violinista i compositor català
 Josep Parera i Romero (1830-1902), pintor i dibuixant català
 Miquel Àngel Parera Salvà (1984), violoncel·lista mallorquí
 Joan Parera Sansó (1865-1927) religiós i historiador malloarquí
 Antoni Parera i Saurina (1868-1946), escultor i professor català
 Pere Pi i Parera (1940) empresari i antic pilot de motociclisme català
 Josep Pratmarsó i Parera (1913-1985), arquitecte i humanista català
 Rosa Sabater i Parera (1929-1983), pianista i pedagoga catalana
 Maria Àngels Solà i Parera (1948), historiadora catalana
 Francesc Subirà Parera (1798-1881) militar i polític català
 Rafael Tristany i Parera (1814-1899), militar i carlista català
 Valentí Vallès i Parera (?), excursionista català
Indrets:
 Cal Parera, edifici d'Igualada
 Can Parera, edifici d'Aiguaviva
 Can Parera, masia de Llagostera
 Can Parera, edifici de Mataró
 Mas la Parera, masia d'Avià
 Molí d'en Parera, masia d'Aiguaviva
Altres:
 Perfumeria Parera, empresa catalana desapareguda
 Premi Josep Parera, guardó atorgat per Caixa Penedès

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Great push to improve animal health for sub-Saharan farmers
Veterinary experts from several international research institutions are driving an initiative worth US$7.12 million to provide appropriate technology to improve animal health and productivity in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Supporting Evidence Based Interventions Initiative (SEBI) is a global scheme combining the expertise from several research institutions and partners to provide practical veterinary solutions to livestock farmers in the region.
The aim is to develop technology to provide sustainable solutions to the challenges these farmers face in rearing livestock, like disease, death rates and reproductive losses, poor access to data and analytics, and poor diagnoses of disease. "SEBI is a pilot project but we anticipate that, if we are successful, it will expand to become the "go to" organization for the evaluation of novel veterinary technologies and livestock improvement interventions in Africa," said project leader Professor Andy Peters.
According to the global science news service Eureka Alert, the scheme – funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – consists of three programmes to address the different challenges farmers face in sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative will be driven by an eight member team, based at the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.
The first programme will target dairy cattle farmers in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania to identify solutions to decrease death rates and reproductive losses in animals. Different organisations will receive sub-grants to investigate the losses. One such grant was awarded to the University of Glasgow and research institutions who launched a surveillance platform in Tanzania in May.
The project examines the impact of a range of diseases which causes mortality in livestock through a combination of new analysis of existing samples and data and new data collecting on abortion-related mortality.
The second programme, named the Livestock Data for Decisions (LD4D), provides a platform where researchers are setting up an international network for livestock practitioners. Farmers will be empowered to improve the quality and relevance of their decision-making by gaining access to specific livestock data and analytics.
The third project will fund researchers to evaluate innovative veterinary intervention specific to developing countries. So far, the University of Guelph has received US$162 000 for funding their field trials of a hand-held device that enables farmers to diagnose specific diseases in cows from a small amount of blood or milk.
Please mail news@24com-prod-africanfarming.azurewebsites.net with any news leads.


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As the largest integrated cash distribution network in the United States - with nearly 200 locations, 9,000+ employees, and 3,000+ vehicles - we are proud to provide cash-handling products and services to financial institutions and commercial/retail businesses nationwide.
With American roots more than 160 years old, we continue to provide reliable transport, just as our founding fathers did for the earliest American Gold Rush pioneers. In 1925, Loomis introduced the first armored car ("Old Number One") west of the Mississippi, which now resides in our Denver facility. Though retired, it still runs enthusiastically and makes occasional public appearances.
In 2001, Loomis, Fargo & Co. merged with Securitas AB, a diverse international security leader, with the intention of eventually consolidating Loomis, Fargo U.S. operations, and Securitas' European cash-handling group - ultimately spinning off as an independent cash-handling company. In 2007, the combined international cash-handling group was renamed Loomis. Today, our international network includes 400+ locations spanning the U.S. and eleven western European countries, making us the international leader of the cash-handling industry.
Our Values & Conduct
We believe in simplicity, sincerity, and clarity. In providing exceptional value to our customers, our values serve as the foundation of our actions - from our colleagues to our customers and stakeholders. It is how we live our values in everyday life that makes us different from our competitors. As we strive to be the industry employer of choice, reduce the environmental impact of our operations, and hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards, we always consider the following:
We are committed to developing quality people and treating everyone with respect.
We strive for exceptional quality, innovation, value, and customer satisfaction.
We perform with honesty, vigilance, and the highest ethics.
Visit us at: Loomis


text:
JP Lullaby
4.8 (1,517 évaluations) | 150K étudiants inscrits
Grasp the essentials needed to begin playing acoustic or electric guitar. You'll learn an easy approach to get you playing quickly, through a combination of exploring the instrument, performance technique, and basic music theory. For students who have long thought about picking up the acoustic or electric guitar, this course will provide an easy-access foundation that will get you playing. When first learning guitar, it is important to have the material presented in stages, in an enjoyable way that allows you to grasp the basics of the instrument and music. The course begins simply with the parts of the guitar, the names of the strings, tuning, and technique—whether finger-style or pick. It then explores the basics of music theory with such topics as scales, triads, power chords, and fingering and shapes. At the end of this course, students will understand the structure, parts, and accessories of the instrument, in addition to an understanding of its basic maintenance. Electric guitar players will learn the operation of their instrument along with basic options for amplification, effect pedals, and sounds. Students will also learn to develop correct technique and apply theory concepts to their playing. They will have the foundational knowledge necessary to pursue most intermediate guitar courses.
Tablature, Music notation, Guitar scales, Guitar chords, Guitar
This is a guitar class, done with class. Loved the teacher, Thaddius. After taking this class I got a job at a church playing guitar. This class increased my income by thousands a year.
Great introduction to guitar, before this course I already played acoustic guitar but with this course I've got many techical info I didn't know, e.g. on guitar positions and scales
Putting it All Together: The Pentatonic Scale and Songs
Now that you have the "science" of the guitar in your fingers, you will learn a couple of songs. You will do this by using melody (from the scales) and harmony (from the chords) we have learned. You will also learn an essential scale for playing melodies and soloing.
Pentatonic Song: Blue Guitar Blues10:20
JP Lullaby9:36
Thaddeus Hogarth
Choisissez une langueAnglaisCatalanNépalaisPortugais (brésilien)RusseSlovaqueTélougouVietnamien
[MUSIC] This week we're going to talk about songs. Songs might be described as melody over harmony coming together. Oftentimes the melody is made up of parts of scales. We've learned a few scales for this course so far. A harmony that's under the melody is usually made up of some kind of chordal progression, with chords played for a certain length of time at certain points. We're going to take a look at a song called JP Lullaby. Now this song, for the most part, uses notes that are made up from the major scale. It also uses some chords that we've learned. It uses some first position chords, of the open position chords that we've done along with a couple of bar chords. Now at this level, it's very hard for us to play the melody and the chords at the same time. So what I've done is I've recorded the chords into my little pedal which is called a looper, and I've recorded them at the correct time. Each quarter held for the right amount of beats. And then I'm going to play the melody over that recorded track so you can hear what the whole song sounds like together. Here we go, JP lullaby. One, two, three, four. [MUSIC] That was JP Lullaby, a very simple melody using some of the open position chords that we've already learned. Now, let's just take a look at this chart. Now, we can see here that on this chart, the chart has the chords and the melody. Often, when you look at charts, you're going to see both. Now, there's a couple different ways that you can play it after you progress. Hopefully, you'll be able to play both the melody and the chord at the same time on the same guitar. In the meantime, you can get a looper like the one I have, or you can have a friend play the chords while you play the melody then you can switch. You can play the chords and they can play the melody. In this case, we have a chord that has both codes and melody on it. One of the first things we're going to look at here is the time signature and we can see, that this is written in four, four. Most important thing for you to remember is a number on the top which is four and that means that there're four beats in every measure or bar. The melody in this tune, as we can see, is made up of notes from the C major scale. All, with the exception of when we get to measure seven, we have an A flat. That's the only note that has an accidental. Now for the most part, all of the notes of the melody of this song are either a quarter note or a whole note. Quarter notes we hold for one beat. For example the first measure, one, two, three, four. And then we get to the F, we have four beats, because the F is a whole note. So it would be like one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. Now, that rhythmic figure is repeated over next two measures. You have four quarter notes, followed by a whole note, and it sounds like this. One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. The next measure, we have four quarter notes again. One, two, three, four. And then we have two quarter notes followed by a half note. Half note we hold for two beats. One, two, three, four. The next measure is all quarter notes followed by a measure of a whole note. One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. Next measure, we start with a half note which is held for two beats followed by two quarter notes each held for a beat. One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. Now the measure with the E major chord, four quarter notes one, two, three, four and a whole note on the C one, two, three, four. Next measure quarter notes again one, two, three, four, half note two, three, four. Then quarter notes one, two, three, four, then a whole note C at the end held for four beats. One, two, three, four. Now just about all of the chords in this song are open position chords with the exception of an F minor and an F major. We have a C that's held for four beats. One, two, three, four. Then D minor for four beats. One, two, three, four. Then an F minor bar chord in first position one, two, three, four. Then a C major chord, open position chord, for four beats one, two, three, four. Then we have an A minor cord for four beats. One, two, three, four. Followed by a D major chord for four beats. One two, three, four. Now we have the first position F minor chord we'll use a bar chord for this and that is held for four beats. So it's one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. Then we're back at C for four beats. One, two, three, four. Now we're at G for four beats. One, two, three, four. And then we to C for four beats. One, two, three, four. And we're at E major for four beats. One, two, three, four. Now we're at F major for four beats. One, two, three, four. Next chord is an F minor in four beats. One, two, three, four. Next measure has two chords. It has a C major followed by an A major, each held for two beats. One, two, three, four. Moving right along, we're back at a D minor for two beats and a G for two beats, followed by a C for four beats. One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. So those are the chords for the song, JP Lullaby. Now, if you want to play it the same way I played it, with a single or a couple of downstrokes for each measure. Two, three four one, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two three, four. You can certainly play it the same way that I did. But you should also try experimenting with some of the finger style techniques that we've covered. So that's our song, JP Lullaby. Now, it uses a melody that's based on the major scale with the exception of one note that has an accidental, the A flat. And it uses a lot of the open position chords that we've learned along with a couple of the bar chords.


I wanted to share some big news with you about the Camp Blue Skies team!
I am pleased to announce that Jim Guimond will become our Camp Director, a newly created position. As Camp Blue Skies enters our ninth year and continues our strong growth, the need for a Camp Director became more apparent. And we didn't have to look far for the perfect person.
Jim, as many of you know, is a long-time volunteer and cabin counselor. He teaches the Balance Your Body program, which he created, during camp. His qualifications and passions make him the perfect fit to oversee camp operations and programming.
Jim, who lives in Charlotte, is a life coach, fitness technology consultant, personal trainer, and triathlete. He owns Live Well Charlotte LLC and co-owns Kinetic Heights, which offers weekly classes for those with developmental disabilities and hosts special events, like the one Camp Blue Skies had there in December.
Along with leadership development and fitness training, he works one-on-one and with groups of individuals with developmental disabilities. Jim has worked and volunteered with Special Olympics, Camp SOAR, The Exceptional Foundation of Charlotte, and Autism After 18.
Another change for our team is that Liz Rumbaugh will be leaving her position as Program Director to pursue a career as a life coach. She is one of the first people who came to work with us and helped shape what Camp Blue Skies has become.
Liz developed the schedule and curriculum, building our camp culture with fun and exciting programs. She brought together a diverse mix of talented program instructors. And she has been the energetic "voice" of camp. All of this has made a lifelong impact on campers and volunteers.
Our camp community will miss her dearly and wishes her the best of luck with her new career. She promises she will visit… and you know I'll personally hold her to that.
Both Jim and Liz will be at the Georgia and Williams Syndrome sessions next month. Please join me in congratulating them!


Adidas originals' new "OT-Tech" range represents the cycling-inspired line of apparel and footwear of the Winterized collection. Between the clean cuts, snappy primary colors and premium materials (including GoreTex and ballistic nylon), these goods are sure to make the wishlist of many a streetwear aficionado.
adidas Originals Drops the Ultra Tech in "Blue/Rose"


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SBA.gov » Office of Advocacy » Regulatory Affairs » Regulatory Comment Letters » Letter dated 09/14/10 – Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Letter dated 09/14/10 – Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Dr. Donald Berwick, Administrator
Attention: CMS-1510-P
Mail Stop C4-26-05
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
Re: Medicare Program: Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011; Changes in Certification Requirements for Home Health Agencies and Hospices (RIN: 0938-AP88)
Dear Administrator Berwick:
Congress established the Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) under Pub. L. 94-305 to represent the views of small business before Federal agencies and Congress. Advocacy is an independent office within the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); as such the views expressed by Advocacy do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA or of the Administration. Section 612 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) also requires Advocacy to monitor agency compliance with the RFA, as amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act.(1)
On July 23, 2010, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published in the Federal Register a proposed rule titled, Medicare Program: Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011; Changes in Certification Requirements for Home Health Agencies and Hospices.(2) HHS indicates in the introductory section of this proposed rule that this proposed rule would: update the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HHPPS) rates effective January 1, 2011, update the wage index and outlier used under the HHPPS, and institute changes to the home health agency (HHA) capitalization requirements, among other changes.(3)
Advocacy was approached by home health care agencies (HHA) that are considered small businesses pursuant to the applicable SBA size standards. The stakeholders asked my office to review the above-captioned proposed rule because they believe that the regulation will significantly impact their businesses and potentially affect beneficiary access to quality care. These concerns primarily involve the rule's proposed changes to HHAs' certification and capitalization requirements. In addition, during Advocacy's review of the rule, certain aspects of CMS' compliance with the RFA arose. It is my hope that CMS will take the following comments into consideration and improve its regulatory flexibility analysis as it finalizes this rule.
HHS certified that this rule will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities pursuant to the requirements of the RFA.
CMS' regulatory analysis indicates that for the purposes of the RFA, small entities include small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions.(4) Most hospitals and most other providers and suppliers are small entities, either by nonprofit status or by having revenues of less than $7.0 million to $34.5 million in any given year. Therefore, for the purposes of this regulation CMS treats all health care providers affected by this rule as small entities, because 90 percent or more of the health care providers meet the SBA's size standards as measured either by their annual receipts or nonprofit status.(5) CMS states that the Secretary has concluded that the proposed rule will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.
Section 605 of the RFA requires that if the regulatory agency certifies that the rule will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small businesses, it must include a statement providing the factual basis supporting the certification. Advocacy suggests that CMS failed to provide an adequate factual basis for its certification of no impact. In fact, there is no language in the RFA section of the rule that discloses the reasons why CMS concluded that there we be no impact on the affected small HHAs. CMS should at a minimum have provided the public with information on the number of home health care agencies and other health care entities likely to be affected by the rule. Further, CMS has guidelines (usually based on small business revenues) in place that the agency uses to determine whether a rule will have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. CMS failed to discuss how the impacts of this rule fall within its guidelines. This is vital for the purposes of transparency as affected small entities can use this information to provide CMS with economic impact information on the rule's projected impact on their business. Based on the public input CMS can determine the validity of their decision to certify the rule in the publication of the final regulation.
Advocacy is concerned that while CMS has certified that the rule will not have a significant impact, the affected HHAs believe that the regulation will result in a significant burden on their businesses. Advocacy believes that there is merit in bringing these small business concerns to the attention of CMS in the hope that it will add to the transparency of the regulatory flexibility analysis contained in the final rule.
Background on the "36-Month Rule" that is of primary concern to HHAs
As part of the Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2010 Final Rule, CMS finalized a policy stating that "if an owner of a home health agency ["HHA"] sells (including asset sales or stock transfers), transfers or relinquishes ownership of the HHA within 36 months after the effective date of the HHA's enrollment in Medicare, the provider agreement and Medicare billing privileges do not convey to the new owner." This rule took effect for ownership changes on or after January 1, 2010. Prior to the effective date of the rule, however, CMS issued a Transmittal, CR 6750, on December 18, 2009 (the "Transmittal") that greatly expanded the application of the rule in several ways and instructed contractors on the implementation of the expanded rule.
On May 6, 2010, based upon significant concerns raised by the industry related to the underlying policy reasons for the rule and the expanded interpretation of the rule, CMS rescinded the Transmittal but left the underlying regulation in effect. On July 23, 2010, CMS issued the Proposed Rule re-affirming the 36-Month Rule. The Proposed Rule, however, also added a number of exemptions from the applicability of the 36-Month Rule. Specifically, CMS proposed to prohibit the transfer of a Medicare provider number (and billing privileges) by a Medicare home health provider undergoing an ownership change if the HHA originally enrolled in Medicare or underwent a previous ownership change within the prior 36 months, except under the following circumstances(6)
A publicly-traded company is acquiring another HHA, and both entities have submitted cost reports to Medicare for the previous five years;
An HHA parent company is undergoing an internal corporate restructuring and the HHA has submitted a cost report to Medicare for the previous five years;
The owners of an existing HHA decide to change the existing business structure (e.g., partnership to a limited liability corporation or sole proprietorship to subchapter S corporation), the individual owners remain the same, and there is no change in majority ownership (i.e., 50 percent or more ownership in the HHA); or
The death of an owner who owns 49 percent or less interest in an HHA (where several individuals and/or organizations are co-owners of an HHA and one of the owners dies).
HHAs' comments on the 36-Month Rule
HHAs are primarily concerned with interpretation and implementation of the "36-Month" Rule. HHAs told Advocacy that in the past CMS has indicated that the intent of the 36-Month Rule was to create a balance between the need to permit legitimate business transactions and the need to protect the Medicare program from fraud and abuse. The HHAs agree with the underlying purpose of the regulation; however, they feel that some aspects of the 36-Month Rule create unintended consequences that will negatively impact their businesses and patient access to care. Some of their concerns are as follows:
The HHAs acknowledge CMS' willingness to entertain and propose the four exemptions to the 36-Month Rule (as is encouraged by the RFA §603(c)). However, the HHAs are concerned that the purchaser of an HHA that does not qualify for one of the narrow exemptions would be required to enroll in the Medicare program as a new HHA and incur the time and expense of having to obtain a state survey or accreditation from an approved accreditation organization if such a transaction takes place within 36 months from the original date of enrollment or the last ownership change involving that HHA. The HHAs assert that this process could take months, impose additional administrative burdens and cost, create a competitive advantage to a small number of businesses and negatively impact Medicare beneficiary access to care.
HHAs believe that the 36-Month Rule will reduce their access to capital. This is because many banks have stopped lending money to HHAs as a result of the proposed 36-Month Rule. HHAs suggest that because of the nature of the home health industry and its relatively small amount of tangible fixed assets, lenders will loan to an HHA only if they can effectively secure that debt through foreclosure. Under the proposed 36-Month Rule, however, if a lender were forced to foreclose on an HHA within 36 months of its most recent ownership change, or even if the foreclosure occurred beyond 36 months but the lender desired to resell the HHA within 36 months of foreclosure, the existing provider number would be deactivated and new Medicare enrollment would be required. Thus, the proposed 36-Month Rule effectively eliminates the option of foreclosure as security for lenders. With no viable replacement for that security, finalization of the 36-Month rule as currently proposed will eliminate meaningful infusions of debt capital into the home health industry.
The proposed 36-Month Rule will significantly impair the ability of HHAs to obtain vital equity capital infusions, whether or not the HHA has been in existence for more than 36 months. A new enrollment and related survey can take up to a year to successfully obtain and it is difficult for any business to incur expenses absent revenue for that amount of time. Requiring new Medicare enrollment would result in this untenable reality. Moreover, the requirement in the proposed rule that the 36-Month Rule clock "restart" after each transaction is a significant deterrent to capital investment. While an individual or an organization may have every intention of maintaining their ownership for more than 36 months at the time of its initial investment, many personal and professional things can occur to impact that timing. Prohibiting these entities from exiting their investment for 36 months will simply cause many of them to be unwilling to invest in the home health industry.
HHAs believe that the 36-Month Rule will result in the disruption of access to care for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in the event that a HHA undergoes a prohibited transaction. For example, many states require a HHA to maintain a valid Medicare certification as a prerequisite for participation in the state's Medicaid program, even though the HHA does not provide services to Medicare beneficiaries. The HHAs point out that there already exists a shortage of Medicaid-certified home health providers in many areas, a problem that would be exacerbated by the 36-Month Rule.
HHAs suggest that the 36-Month Rule's requirement that a survey be undertaken is duplicative with CMS' authority to conduct a survey of any HHA within two months of a change in ownership, administration, or management.(7) The HHAs suggest that CMS should consider changes to this provision of the 36-Month Rule.
The HHAs point out that the majority of HHAs are small privately-held businesses that lack the resources of some publically-held HHAs. They suggest that CMS provided too much relief under the exemption for "public companies" in the 36-Month Rule that will serve to provide those businesses with a competitive advantage.
The HHAs offer an alternative to CMS that will solve some of the concerns outlined above. They suggest that CMS clarify in the regulation that the 36-Month Rule does not apply to HHAs that have submitted cost reports to Medicare for more than 36 months. They believe that this will allow CMS to balance the protection of the Medicare program without restricting legitimate transactions by HHAs. Advocacy has been told that the HHAs will provide CMS with language that will effectuate this recommendation in their comments to the proposed rule.
Advocacy requests that CMS take Advocacy's RFA comments and the concerns identified by the affected industry into consideration as the agency finalizes this rule. Thank you for your attention to the above matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me or Linwood Rayford at (202) 205-6533, or linwood.rayford@sba.gov.
/s/
Winslow Sargeant, Ph.D.
Linwood Lee Rayford, III
Assistant Chief Counsel Advocacy
Cc: Cass R. Sunstein, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
1. Pub. L. No. 96-354, 94 Stat. 1164 (1981) (codified at 5 U.S.C. §§ 601-612) amended by Subtitle II of the Contract with America Advancement Act, Pub. L. No. 104-121, 110 Stat.857 (1996). 5 U.S.C. §612(a).
2. 75 Fed. Reg. 43236, July 23, 2010.
6. A s defined at 42 CFR 489.18.
7. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395bbb(c)(2)(B)(i).


text:
Annie Laurie (* in Atlanta, Georgia; † 13. November 2006 in Titusville, Florida, USA) war eine US-amerikanische Rhythm-and-Blues-Sängerin.

Leben
Annie Laurie begann ihre Karriere in Territory Bands von Snookum Russell und Dallas Bartley, mit dem 1945 ihre erste Aufnahme entstand, eine Coverversion von W. C. Handys St. Louis Blues. Kurz danach kam sie nach New Orleans und wurde Mitglied der Band von Paul Gayten, mit dem sie eine Reihe von Titeln für das R&B-Label De Luxe Records einspielte, bei denen ab 1950 auch Sam Woodyard mitwirkte. Sie hatte 1947 einen Hit mit dem Song Since I Fell for You, bei dem Paul Gaytens Trio sie begleitete (Deluxe 1082); der Song stieg auf #3 der R&B Charts, wo er acht Wochen blieb. Sie spielte fast zwanzig weitere Einspielungen für das Label ein. 1949 wechselte Laurie nach einer Übernahme des Labels mit den Labeleignern zu Regal Records, wo sie im selben und im Folgejahr zwei weitere Hits in den Top Ten hatte. Weitere Songs der Laurie/Gayten-Band waren Lonely Blues (Deluxe 3192, 1948), Cutting Out (Regal, 1949), Annie's Blues (De Luxe 3211) und ein Cover des Lucky-Millinder-Hits I'll Never Be Free (Regal 3258, 1950).

Als das Regal-Label kurz vor seinem Aus stand, begann sie eine Solokarriere bei Okeh Records und wechselte dann Mitte der 1950er Jahre zu Savoy Records. 1956 kehrte sie zum DeLuxe-Labek zurück, um 1957 ihren größten Hit It Hurts to Be in Love aufzunehmen, der bis auf Platz 3 der R&B-Charts kam. 1960 folgte If You're Lonely, das ebenfalls chartete. Anfang der 1960er Jahre entstanden noch weitere Aufnahmen für das Label Ritz, bevor sie das Musikgeschäft verließ, um sich ausschließlich als Kirchenmusikerin zu betätigen. Annie Laurie war angeblich Vorbild von Dinah Washington.

Diskografische Hinweise
 Paul Gayten & Annie Laurie – Creole Gal (1947–1957)
 Annie Laurie/Various Artists Regal Records In New Orleans

Weblinks

Einzelnachweise

R&B-Sänger
Musiker (Vereinigte Staaten)
US-Amerikaner
Geboren im 20. Jahrhundert
Gestorben 2006
Frau


text:
What is the Mission?
The Mission's Symbol
3 Levels of the Mission
4 Cornerstones of the Mission
THE MISSION IS PRESENTED TO THE PARISH PRIEST OF PUERTO LÓPEZ/MANABI AND TO SEVERAL GROUPS OF COMMITTED FAITHFUL
Wed, 07/30/2014 - 00:00	By mision	0 comments
On Saturday July 12th 2014 at 6:00 pm., the Mission met with Fr. Jesus Pincay, parish priest of The Immaculate Conception of Puerto Lopez. Fr. Jesus welcomed the Mission and indicated that for the last 30 days he had given talks to the faithful, preparing them for the Consecration to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary on Sunday July 13th. Fr. Jose Fabian Camayo, spiritual adviser of the Mission had an extensive and cordial dialogue with Fr. Jesus analyzing each of the 4 Cornerstones of the Mission. Fr. Jesus received with much excitement the Enthronement Kit and gave his full support to the groups of the committed faithful that also attended the meeting and committed themselves to establish prayer cenacles of the Mission's Sorrowful Mysteries among their apostolic groups and with the citizens in general of Puerto Lopez and to work in the Enthronement of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the homes.
Consecration of families of St Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Broward
Tuesday, November 3, 2020 - 07:21
Rosary Coast to Coast
The Mission Houston has enthroned
Where are we stablished?
Where are we established?


text:
Financial technology in investment banking careers explained
by Paul Clarke 12 September 2015
backend sourcecodes on computer monitor
Technology is inescapably intertwined with financial markets. Not only has it enabled investment banks to become more efficient, they're also engaged in a constant battle to ensure that their IT remains ahead of the competition.
While large tech companies like Google and Facebook are the obvious employment choices for any technology student, big banks employ nearly as many – if not more – people in their IT functions.
J.P. Morgan for instance has around 40,000 technology staff globally, 9,000 people at Goldman Sachs employees work in IT and Credit Suisse has 3,000 techies in Asia alone. Investment banks, retail banks, fund managers, brokers and insurance firms all spend billions on technology. By the end of 2015, the banking sector alone is likely to spend $196.7bn globally on IT, according to research from consultancy Celent.
Goldman Sachs is a "technology company", according to its CEO Lloyd Blankfein.
"That all industries are being disrupted to some extent by new entrants coming in from technology. We, again, being, you know, technology-oriented ourselves, try to disrupt ourselves and try to figure out what's the new thing, and come up with new platforms, new forms of distribution, new products," he said during a podcast in May.
Investment banks and financial services organisations are being disrupted by a new breed of 'fintech' start-up firms
Investment banks and financial services organisations are being disrupted by a new breed of 'fintech' start-up firms that are producing technology that challenges both retail banking products and are looking to bring more sophisticated technology to divisions in wholesale banking that still primarily rely in human interaction.
The big user of technology in investment banking is the trading floor and everything related to it. Whether it is buying and selling financial products electronically, processing them through smart-order routing systems, or communicating to ensure trades go through smoothly, multi-million dollar technology projects are at the centre of any banks' strategy.
Business areas like equities and foreign exchange (FX) have long been electronified, with investment banks competing to create the fastest and most client-friendly trading platforms. While algorithms have replaced scores of human traders over the last 15 years, the other areas of banks' fixed income divisions rely on human traders and salesman even now.
A good example of this is the corporate bond market, which due to the range and complexity of products on offer, has always been viewed as a market where technology would be too complex to implement. Last year, Goldman Sachs' GSessions bond trading platform, for instance, was quietly shelved after being released to much fanfare. Now, however, there are thought to be up to 30 platforms all competing for market share in the corporate bond market, suggesting that the inevitable creep of technology will affect most business areas in banking.
Banks therefore place huge emphasis on getting the right technology in place. It is often the differentiating factor in giving a financial services company the edge over its competitors. It also helps them save money, and comply with increasingly onerous compliance requirements demanded by financial regulators.
In fact, regulatory projects have become an increasingly important part of financial services organisations' technology functions. One example is the fact that increased regulation on reporting of financial trades has meant banks have had to invest in both new technology programmes for their compliance teams, but also spend heavily to ensure that their current systems are maintained.
Looking at that annual IT budget figure from Celent above, 75.4% - or $148.3bn – is spent on maintenance and compliance. This means that while banks strive to innovate, there's still a lot of work for tech teams just to keep the current systems running.
What's more, despite a proliferation of off-the-shelf technology solutions, large banks still prefer to develop most of their technology within the firm. "To anticipate what are often unique requirements means many of our systems are designed in house and are highly specialized," says Malcolm Harrow, managing director, head of technology for South East Asia at J.P. Morgan.
Analyst / Associate - M&A Advisory


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Dons to host the Blades
MK Dons will host Sheffield United in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup, in the week commencing 27th October.
Karl Robinson's side booked their place in the last 16 for the first time in the Club's history with a 2-0 victory over Bradford City at stadiummk last night, having previously seen off AFC Wimbledon and Manchester United in the first two rounds.
"We're really looking forward to the tie," the Dons boss told mkdons.com. "It provides two sides from the same division with the chance to progress to the quarter-finals of a national cup competition, and it goes without saying that we'll be doing everything we can to get through."
Ticket and further match details will be confirmed on mkdons.com in due course.
Win Wednesday - win a signed Lee Nicholls shirt!
MK Dons are giving away a signed, match-worn, Lee Nicholls goalkeeper shirt from the 2018/19 promotion-winning campaign to one lucky supporter.
Bid to win a George Williams shirt!
George Williams is auctioning off a signed match-worn MK Dons shirt from the promotion-winning campaign.
EFL clubs launch Extra Time Hubs
A number of EFL Clubs will come together this week to launch 'Extra Time Hubs', which are designed to engage retired and semi-retired people and combat loneliness and inactivity.
MK Dons SET charity walk for peace
MK Dons SET are pleased to invite you to a FREE Walk for Peace charity family event - taking place on Sunday 30th June 2019.


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Nursing faculty's experience broadens on path to master's
When Caroline Crumley returned to college for her master's of science degree in nursing, she took the opportunity during clinicals to broaden her knowledge in different areas of nursing.
"I had specialized in neonatal care and pediatrics and had always worked in the acute intensive care areas. Since I had seldom been in the outpatient setting I focused my clinical course time there. So I did my clinicals with a pediatrician, an internal medicine physician, a geriatric nurse practitioner, and a physician with dual internal medicine and pediatric specialty. All clinicals provided a wonderful experience and to be involved with these specialties outside of the hospital environment also met my course objectives," Crumley said.
Crumley recently earned her MSN through the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville's online degree program. She walked at the commencement ceremony on campus in December 2016 and was able to meet some of her fellow online classmates including a military nurse from Germany.
"I was so glad to meet her since we had share a part of the student life online," Crumley said. "I would encourage anyone wanting to refresh their training or continuing their education to give online education a try. It's a new way of learning, and your age doesn't matter".
Crumley grew up in Independence County and attended the University of Central Arkansas where she ultimately earned a master's degree in education. She also participated in a graduate assistantship. "I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world," Crumley said.
After teaching for a few years, Crumley decided to enroll in nursing school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She said she always knew she wanted to work in pediatrics. "I grew up with a disabled uncle, which probably instilled my love of working with disabled children and helped me relate to them," she said. "With both teaching and nursing, you do it because you want to be a service professional. They are selfless professions. You have to be willing to help wherever you are needed."
Crumley worked for over 15 years at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock and also worked in high-risk neonatal care at UAMS. She also assisted with on-the-job training for new nursing staff members. In addition to two master's degrees, Crumley also holds a national registered nurse certification in acute care neonatal and is a certified pediatric nurse.
Crumley returned to Independence County and joined the University of Arkansas Community College nursing and allied health faculty in 2012. She teaches certified nursing assistant courses to concurrent students attending UACCB as well as post-secondary students. Crumley also works with the RN entry-level nursing students and does online courses for students working toward a bachelor of science in nursing degree.
"I love working with the concurrent high school students. They are just so eager and delighted to learn," Crumley said.
Crumley is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys gardening, fishing, hunting and camping when she has the time to spare. She travels to Branson every year with her family and enjoys taking care of her "fur babies" which include two cats and a dog.


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TBO Things To Do
Sunscreen Film Festival brings stars and indie films to St. Pete
Members and fans of the film industry gather outside of the Palladium during opening night of 11th annual Sunscreen Film Festival at in St. Petersburg in 2016. LUIS SANTANA | Times
Published April 25 2017
Times Movie Critic
Escaping the heat in a dark movie theater this weekend?
Don't forget the Sunscreen.
St. Petersburg's 12th annual Sunscreen Film Festival won't be fast or furious. The beasts and beauties in these independent gems don't sing. Sunscreen celebrates films and their makers that modern movie audiences don't go out of their way to experience.
Which is exactly why we should.
This year's Sunscreen showcases 125 features, documentaries and shorts from around the world. Nearly half will be represented at Sunscreen by an actor, director and/or producer, enabling connections between artists and audiences that festivals offer.
Festivities Thursday at the Palladium Theater begin at 5 p.m. when Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story, Steel Magnolias) introduces his TV project Sugar, produced at Sarasota's Ringling College. After a Q&A session, McDermott joins the red carpet procession outside.
McDermott also co-stars in the opening night selection Blind (8 p.m.), a love story with Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore. He'll join director Michael Mailer for a post-show Q&A and reception.
Sunscreen career honorees Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos, The Matrix) and Robert Davi (Die Hard, Licence to Kill) will walk the red carpet, perhaps together, reuniting the Fratelli brothers from The Goonies.
Beginning Friday, Sundial 20 handles most festival screenings and industry panel discussions with detours to American Stage, Museum of Fine Arts and Studio@620.
Davi's charming Frank Sinatra concert re-creation Davi's Way makes its Florida premiere Saturday at 4 p.m. at Sundial 20. After the movie I'll moderate a Q&A with Davi. On Sunday I'll do the same with Pantoliano at 4 p.m. at Studio@620, 620 1st Ave. S.
Keep an eye open on the red carpet for Daphne Zuniga, headlining Saturday's 30th anniversary tribute to Mel Brooks' Spaceballs and starring in Those Left Behind, a drama in the Ordinary People vein.
The weekend's guest list also includes actor-director Bill Duke (Predator), Selenis Leyva (Orange is the New Black) and dozens of names and faces not yet as well-known, but that's what festivals like Sunscreen are all about.
PERSALL'S PICKS
As a Sunscreen jury member, I've watched seven features in competition and Davi's Way. Each is recommended according to viewer tastes.
I Can I Will I Did (Saturday, 8:30 p.m.) and Tracktown (Sunday 3:15) both use true-life athletes in fictionalized form — a tae kwon do grandmaster and Olympic distance runner, respectively — to uplifting effect. Carter & June (Friday 6:15) and Residue (Saturday 6:15) should satisfy action/horror genre fans. Those Left Behind (Saturday 4:10) is quietly wrenching with Zuniga in fine form. Duke's Created Equal turns Catholic dogma into solid courtroom theatrics.
My vote among narrative feature entries goes to Diani & Devine Meet the Apocalypse (Saturday, 4:15), a warmly absurd comedy showing at American Stage, 163 3rd St. N. Married comedians Gabriel Diani and Etta Devine play versions of themselves finding love at the end of civilization.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE
That's only scratching the Sunscreen surface. The weekend also includes sidebars of Latin cinema, Florida productions and Spotlight selections like The Hero (Friday 8:25) with Sam Elliott's lauded lead performance.
Panel discussions at American Stage cover industry topics like screenwriting, marketing and financing projects. Saturday's acting panels on male (11:15 a.m.) and female characters (2:15 p.m.) are always interesting places with for famous faces. For more information, times and tickets ($8-$150), visit sunscreenfilmfestival.com.
Contact Steve Persall at spersall@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8365. Follow @StevePersall.
Sports on TV/radio for Wednesday, July 17
Rays and more sports on the air.
Sports pn TV/radio for Tuesday, July 16
Rays at Yankees and more sports on the air.
Sports on TV/radio for Monday, July 15
Rays open series at Yankee Stadium and more sports on the air.
Sports on TV/radio for Sunday, July 14
Wimbledon, Rays and more sports on the air.
Sports on TV/radio for Saturday,July 13
Wimbledon and more sports on the air.


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Jim Power
Joe Gill
Oliver Mangan
Brian Keegan
John Whelan
Kyran Fitzgerald
Eamon Quinn
Geoff Percival
Ruth Doris
Nick Charalambous
Alan McQuaid
Conall MacCoille
Dermot O'Leary
Philip O'Sullivan
Late filing penalty fees make up 37% of Companies Registration Office's revenues in 2018
File image.
By Gordon Deegan
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 - 07:27 PM
Late filing penalty fees totalling €7.2m accounted for 37% of the Companies Registration Office's (CRO) revenues of €19.27m last year.
According to the CRO's 2018 annual report, the €7.2m received in late filing fees from 13,451 companies - working out at an average penalty payment of €535 - topped the €7m the CRO received in submission fees for all other documents filed in 2018. However, late filing fees were 29% down on the €10.08m generated in 2016 and 10% down on the €8.23m received under the same heading in 2017.
"There has continued to be a reduction in late filing fees paid," the CRO said.
The CRO's overall revenues for last year rose by 10% on the previous year. The chief factor behind the increase was miscellaneous income soaring from €1.5m to €5m. The CRO said this was made up of enquiries, bulk data sales, credit notes, and customer account balances.
The CRO's expenditure - at €7.1m - remained at the same level as 2017 and was made up of €4.6m in pay and €2.5m in non-pay resulting in a surplus of €12.17m. The figures show that there was at the end of last year, 223,013 companies registered and over half of those companies have registered between 2010 and 2018.
The report shows that there are only 173 companies that were incorporated prior to 1920 still registered at the CRO with only 96 incorporated between 1920 and 1929. The number of new companies registered last year totalled 22,428 - marginally higher than the 2017 figure.
The report also shows that over 350,000 documents were purchased from the CRO in 2018 and the CRO website was visited 2.3 million times. The number of companies to be struck off for failure to file returns totalled 7,619 in 2018.
OBR warns no-deal Brexit could push UK economy into recession
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Warning economy close to overheating; think tank recommends taxing the rich
Global publishing group announce 135 jobs in Waterford


Camp 5 at Anvil has a life of it's own. As our only camp just for gals, and it is specifically designed for girls age 9-12.
Though some gals age 8 are ready for camp and can join us and some gals age 13 can squeak in one more year, too. We think Camp 5 may well be the highlight of your summer! With a minimum of a two-to-one ratio of staff to campers, we are able to offer a level of warm care and attention that helps each girl to feel comfortable and to connect well at camp. Each day is jam packed full of crafts (we don't call it "Craft Nation" for nothing!), watersports, games, lively chapel times, and general crazy fun. Our video crew makes mountains of movie clips of our week to send home with every camper so the memories can just keep on being enjoyed year round. We are preparing our staff for this year and already have an enthusiastic experienced team that can't wait to share a life changing week at Anvil with you!
At Camp 5, 2018 they found the greatest superheros in the hearts of their awesome girls. We are super excited to see what they have in store for 2018!


This will be the fifth time the ESPN panel show will be live from Michigan State's campus.
There will be some extra company in East Lansing this weekend when the sixth-ranked Michigan State men's basketball team plays host to Indiana.
ESPN College GameDay, with a panel of host Rece Davis and analysts Jay Bilas, Jay Williams and Seth Greenberg, will be doing their show live from the Breslin Center on Saturday morning, beginning at 11 a.m.
The doors will open at 9:30 a.m. and admission is free.
Izzone members in attendance wearing their 2018-19 T-shirts will receive wristbands for early entry in Saturday night's game vs. the Hoosiers, which is slated for a 6 p.m. start and will air on ESPN.
Parking is free in the Breslin Center lots and Ramp 7 beginning at 7:30 a.m. All fans will enter through the Gilbert Pavilion/Hall of History Entrance on the southeast corner of the building. The Breslin Center "No-Bag Policy" will be in effect for this event.
"This, for me, is one of the more exciting moments in college basketball," said MSU coach Tom Izzo in a press release. "It's a great honor to have College GameDay come to our campus and I'm looking forward to seeing my friends Rece, Jay, Seth and Jay, who are among the best in the business. We've had some great crowds on GameDay and we're looking forward to showing the nation our great Spartan Spirit."
This is the fifth time the show, which is live on a different campus every weekend, will be broadcasting from Michigan State, the other times coming in 2007 (Indiana), 2011 (Illinois), 2014 (Michigan) and 2016 (Maryland).


The weekend before final exams Michael has made a tradition of inviting his college photography students over for dinner after spending time in the classroom critiquing their final projects. One group joins us on Saturday evening, the other on Sunday. This time, for his groups of omnivores, vegetarians and a few vegans, he spent the weekend afternoons grocery shopping and making killer white and red lasagnas. I pitched in salads and brownies with chocolate chips.
After putting Calvin to bed I managed to scrounge some of what was left over from a young, voracious crowd. I sat and chatted with the students about their art, their origins, what classes they are taking, what their major focus is, what professors they like (wouldn't some of you like to know) and how they see the world. They come from all over—Wyoming, Brooklyn, Bankok, Berkeley, Britain, Palo Alto, Switzerland. The students—I call them kids though they are really young adults—are smart, kind and thoughtful, well mannered and usually enjoy a good laugh. I do my best to clown it up for them. They also enjoy a good game, so after dessert Michael referees a Yankee swap where they battle each other in an effort to land their favorite classmates' photos.
Watching them interact and seeing the photographs they've taken, developed and printed, I saw glimpses of what our boy Calvin might have been like if whatever happened to his brain hadn't occurred. I looked into their eyes imagining Calvin as a college student.
might he have enjoyed lacrosse? would he have become a maker of films? might he have been a king of irony? would he have become an accomplished photographer? might he have traveled abroad and, if so, where? would he have been shy and reserved or rambunctious? would he have been like the kind and curious kid in the baseball cap who asked all about him? would he have excelled in his classes, made lots of friends, questioned authority, fallen in line, taken risks, felt like he didn't belong?
This morning, standing under a hot shower looking out the window into silver and trying to wash away my dark mood I thought about Calvin, his messed up brain and missed opportunities. Then, I remembered I am not alone. Patting my feet dry, imagining myself a monk, I thought about all of the other lost children. I thought of Lidia's Lily, Kyle's Rainier, Kris's Jennifer, Debbie's Kelli, Connie's Katie and Betty's Mike, of my friends and fellow swimmers Tom and Martin and Mikki and Kari, of little Ronan and Will and Sophie and Leland and Lindsey and Wendy's twins and Savannah and Olivia and George and Matthew and Charlie and Cyndimae and Cory and Kaylee and William and Margot and Addie and Kevin and Lisbeth and Sammy and Jacob Diego and so many more.
As a kaleidascope of these sweet faces swirled in my mind I realized how fortunate I am to know and love Calvin and for him to love me. I know how much my friends' parents doted—and still dote—on their children, whether having been born breathless or having been held only for minutes or hours, or having been robbed of so much because of a crash or an accident, a vaccination or a virus, a gene mutation or a fluke. We parents are not alone in our wish for a different outcome. We are not alone in our deep gratitude for knowing and having known our kids, though they'll never become athletes or scholars, travelers or writers, kings of irony or lovers of philosophy. Still, they are sages, and we see glimpses of them everywhere.
Your wisdom is awe-inspiring, as painful as it is.
Christie - it's all the same - this mom-love we feel - whether for a Calvin or a Rhodes Scholar. You inspire me and help me stay grounded in the truth of what love really is. thank you.