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In the past week, the first commercial Lexus LC500 Convertible was put up for auction during the Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale, Arizona. It is also the first commercially produced LC500 Convertible and is the only car to carry this attractive color scheme.
The first Lexus LC500 Convertible in the series called LC Inspiration Series Launch Exclusive 1 of 1. This is also the car numbered VIN 100001 with a similar appearance to the version introduced earlier at the Los Angeles Autoshow 2019 exhibition.
This auctioned car has a unique Structual Blue paint and a luxurious white-blue interior. On the white background of the interior are prominent blue details, similar to the exterior paint color of the car. According to Lexus, the Lc500 Convertible 100001 will be the only car to own this color scheme when the commercial version is officially mass produced.
On the convertible version, Lexus equips the LC500 with an advanced air-conditioning system called Lexus Climate Concierge, including heating in the upper half of the cockpit. This special heating system has the ability to automatically adjust the air conditioning system as well as heating the seats and steering wheel to prevent passengers from being affected by the outside weather when opening the roof. The rear bumper has also been redesigned to reduce air turbulence with transparent wind resistance.
In addition to owning a beautiful color scheme, the Lexus LC500 Convertible is also accompanied by a number of special things such as a number of special commemorative souvenirs and souvenirs signed from Lexus such as signature pictures from techniques. chief and general manager at the Motomachi factory, where Lexus assembles the LC500, the experience of driving with Hall of Fame racer Scott Pruett and a custom Zero Halliburton suitcase and other perks such as 3 nights of luxury stay for two people at the Pebble Beach Resort, once playing golf at Pebble Beach Golf Course with the owner's friends of this particular vehicle.
In the auction taking place last week, the Lexus LC500 Convertible was sold for $ 2 million after about 3 minutes of starting price. All proceeds from this auction will be sent to social organizations in the US for charity purposes.
Source link: The first commercial Lexus LC500 Convertible sold for $ 2 million
McLaren Senna Can-Am Edition appeared with only 3 produced Review


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Having a record in your collection meant that you could spend time poring over its liner notes: familiarizing yourself with the names of musicians, producers, engineers, and managers; memorizing lyrics; and studying photos of musicians' faces, stances and attire. These were the intangible qualities that made music more than just a service, but something to be collected.
What bothers me the most about streaming services is the lack of ownership. It's simply renting music, but that will be in another post.


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Blu-ray: Recommended
Sale Price 40
3rd Party 12.68
Movie Release Year: 2003
Release Country: United States
COLLAPSE INFO -
Gods and Generals: Extended Director's Cut
Review Date June 1st, 2011 by Aaron Peck
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Warner has seen fit to release the extended version of 'Gods and Generals' in an expansive digibook edition. This new Extended Director's Cut adds around 60-odd minutes to the movie. While this certainly makes the movie longer, I feel that the Movie Itself review Ken Brown provided when 'Gods and Generals' was first released on Blu-ray still applies here.
See Full Rating Breakdown
TECH SPECS & RELEASE DETAILS
Technical Specs: Digibook
2 BD-50 Blu-ray Discs
Video Resolution/Codec: TBA
Length:280
Release Country:United States
Aspect Ratio(s):2.35:1
English Descriptive Audio: TBA
Subtitles/Captions: TBA
Special Features: New Commentary
New Intro by Ted Turner and Ronald Maxwell
Journey to the Past
The Authenticities of the Film
The Life of Thomas" Stonewall" Jackson
Visit Virginia
Movie Studio: Warner Brothers
Story Review Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take
Although it quickly disappeared from theaters upon its original release in 1993, 'Gettysburg' earned praise from critics and history teachers alike, and ultimately went on to greater success on VHS and DVD. Ten years later, producer Ted Turner and director Ronald Maxwell returned to the scene of the crime, releasing a prequel to 'Gettysburg' starring several of the earlier film's main cast members.
Based on the novel of the same name by Jeffrey Shaara, 'Gods and Generals' recounts the harrowing military encounters and maneuvers of the Confederate army in the two years preceding the Battle of Gettysburg. The story focuses on two opposing officers -- Union Colonel Joshua Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) and Confederacy Lieutenant Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang). Chamberlain is a former professor who left his career to enlist, while Jackson is a religious soldier who advanced through the ranks to become one of Robert E. Lee's (Robert Duvall) most-trusted officers. The film follows these men as they try to preserve their integrity and beliefs through the battles of First Bull Run, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville.
I have to confess that it took a tremendous amount of patience on my part to make it all the way through 'Gods and Generals.' While 'Gettysburg' is a stirring Civil War cinema that I'd compare favorably to masterpieces like 'Glory,' this prequel is incredibly flat. Many have complained about the film's three-and-a-half hour runtime, but that in and of itself was a non-issue for me. Instead, my problems were with the faulty script, uneven pacing, and plodding character development that litters the film from beginning to end.
The dialogue in 'Gods and Generals' should serve as a lesson to budding filmmakers in the dangers of exposition. The conversations seem directed at the audience more than at characters in the film. As a result, character interactions function as debates and lectures on Civil War history, while relationships rarely register as authentic. Most of the dialogue is overwritten, and the exchanges between the actors often feel unnatural and forced.
Making matters worse, the battle scenes aren't heart-wrenching or tense -– instead, they're often unintentionally laughable. The filmmakers enlisted Civil War re-enactors, and it shows. Battlefields are littered with blank-faced extras who are clearly in no danger whatsoever. If I had to watch one more person double over and slink dramatically to the ground, I myself might have longed for a similar fate.
I wasn't even impressed with the film's visual aesthetic -- overlit and boring, the backgrounds look like dressed sets instead of lived-in locations. The grime on uniforms appears slathered on, costumes look new and barely weathered, and the men don't register as people who have been living outdoors and on the move for years. Ugly matte paintings and transparent CG that looks clumsy and out of place certainly doesn't help, either.
With all that being said, 'Gods and Generals' isn't a terrible movie per se. It's just a flawed one that seems to crumble under its own ambitions. I admire the level of historical accuracy the filmmakers attempted to bring to the table and the story itself is refreshingly complex (most Civil War films would have us believe that the war was about slavery and nothing else). Still, I'm pretty sure a stronger screenplay, a bigger budget, and a tighter edit could've retained the positives while saving the film from becoming the rambling mess that it is.
Blu-ray Vital Statistics
This is an Extended Director's Cut of 'Gods and Generals' packaged in a digibook from Warner Bros. The entire 280 minutes has been crammed onto a single 50GB Dual-layer Disc. The movie itself is divided into five segments. Two disc hubs – one on the inside of the front cover and one on the inside of the back cover – hold the two discs of this release (disc one is the feature while disc two is used for the supplements). A 47-page booklet has been included that discusses everything from the director, to the actors, to a Civil War timeline that you can follow along with. This release is region free.
Video Resolution/Codec:
Aspect Ratio(s):
Audio Formats:
Subtitles/Captions:
New Commentary
The Extended Director's Cut of 'Gods and Generals' clocks in at a gargantuan 280 minutes. This wouldn't be a problem for the format if it had been spread across multiple discs, but it seems that even 50GB discs have their breaking points, as there are some glaring problems with this 1080p/AVC-encoded picture.
The reason why I say this, is that it seems cramming over 4 1/2 hours of movie onto one disc has caused noticeable compression issues throughout its lengthy runtime. Nighttime scenes are home to an abundance of compressed noise that becomes bothersome as soon as you begin to notice it. Banding is a nuisance in skies and other gradients. Ringing is also often apparent during the movie. Colors at times seem flat and lifeless, and other times seem to burst with vibrancy and life. The inconsistency of this video presentation doesn't bode well for the overall picture. Many of the scenes seem soft in nature, harkening back to the feel of 'Gettysburg', so I think it's more of a director's intent than a flaw with the video transfer.
There is evidence of DNR and edge enhancement usage, but it isn't egregious. A discerning eye will be able to pick out the spots that look a little too waxy, and the scenes with light halos, but it isn't something that's going to stick out to the layman viewer.
Overall, 'Gods and Generals' has a decent presentation going for it, but I have to believe that if this extended cut of the film was spread across two or even three more discs that the compression issues would quickly vanish, leaving a much cleaner transfer for us to enjoy.
Audio Review
I was, however, pleased with the way the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix turned out for 'Gods and Generals'. This is indeed the best aspect of this release. The 2007 release featured a lossy Dolby Digital track that never did the movie justice. Needless to say, I was looking forward to what a lossless track would sound like here.
I'm happy to announce that the lossless change was a huge one. It gives 'Gods and Generals' a breath of new life that isn't really provided by its hulking, compressed video presentation. The sounds of the Civil War are given ample room to breath. LFE booms during the battle scenes, while dialogue is always intelligible even during the more raucous battles. Rear channels suck you into the action as they engulf you in the eerie ambiance of war. Whether it be the screams of soldiers fighting for their lives, or the quiet chirping of unseen birds, the clarity of this track is striking.
The mix does feature some high-end brashness as sound effects seem to have a set ceiling before they seem to become slightly muffled. That's really the only complaint I have with this otherwise engrossing mix.
Audio Commentary (89 min.) — A chopped up version of the 2004 commentary has been provided here. This track pops in and out discussing specific scenes throughout the movie. If you don't fancy listening to commentaries that runs the length of the movie, then this is the one for you.
Film Authenticity (SD, 13 min.) — This is a behind-the-scenes featurette that talks about the extensive research that went into the movie. It covers how they were able to get their facts straight and how important it was to make a factual movie.
The Life of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (SD, 15 min..) — A long list of historical professionals provide an overview account of Jackson's famous life.
Journey to the Past (SD, 22 min.) — This is a television special where a few members of the cast and crew are interviewed about the movie.
The Journey Through Hallowed Ground (SD, 7 min.) — Maxwell gives a plug for the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership, which is a non-profit organization committed to trying to preserve Civil War sites around the country.
Music Video (SD, 3 min.) — A music video from Bob Dylan performing the song "Cross the Green Mountain."
Maxwell's 'Gods and Generals' is a sweeping epic. It wasn't particularly liked by Ken Brown when he reviewed the first Blu-ray release, but 'Gods and Generals' and 'Gettysburg' still provide a fantastic look at the Civil War. Fans should be ecstatic about the copious amounts of time added to this already long war epic for this Extended Director's Cut. Although, it's tough to love the video presentation because the 280 minutes of HD footage seems to have pushed a single Blu-ray disc to its absolute limits. Splitting the movie up onto a couple of discs would have helped tone down many of the compression issues. Fortunately, the audio has undergone a major upgrade to a near demo-worthy lossless mix. I enjoyed the inclusion of a brand new audio commentary and the other extras that came along with this release. This is recommended to anyone, but is a must have for fans of Maxwell's Civil War epics.
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Logistics and Operations Management
Cardiff University · Cardiff Business School
Suitable for graduates in business and management and associated subject areas. Graduates in mathematics and statistics are welcome to consider the Accounting and Finance research area, while graduates from politics, sociology and psychology are welcome to consider the Management, Employment and Organisation research area.
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I'm all about finding ways to save money, especially as our family grows! Because as the seasons change, so do our electricity bills. Every year I think they get more expensive, which can really kill the pocketbook. Like yesterday, when our furnace ran for over 23 hours continuously! Seriously, I'm cringing just thinking about our next electric bill. Luckily, if you live in a deregulated market in Texas (and millions do), there is a new technology company that is helping people save 40-60% off their energy bills.
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text:
A wintry mix this evening will transition to mainly snow overnight. Low 23F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precip 90%. Snow and ice accumulating 1 to 3 inches..
Winter Weather Advisory from 6PM CST TUE until 12PM CST WED
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO
NOON CST WEDNESDAY...
* WHAT...MIXED PRECIPITATION EXPECTED. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF
ONE TO THREE INCHES AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF A LIGHT GLAZE.
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* WHEN...FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST WEDNESDAY.
Greg Cote: America and Super Bowl host Miami have a rooting interest now. Ryan Tannehill, please!
By Greg Cote Miami Herald (TNS)
MIAMI — It's nothing personal, Kansas City, so please don't take it that way, Chiefs fans. But would you please lose? I know y'all haven't been in a Super Bowl since the 1969 season, so being one win away is a little bit of a feel-good story and all that.
No matter. K.C. winning the AFC championship would deny host city Miami the most intriguing possibility left in the NFL's final four playoff teams.
The Dolphins haven't been in a Super Bowl since 1984, so Miami hosting the game without tasting it can be bittersweet, a cruel tease.
So here we are, again, sifting through the Chiefs-Titans and 49ers-Packers semifinal matchups to find what is — or should be — of most interest in this final four to South Florida fans:
1. Ryan Tannehill, Ryan Tannehill, Ryan Tannehill: The story is so far-fetched you dare not make it up, but then it actually happens — this is why we love sports in all its unscripted glory. And the fall and rise of Tannehill is the best thing going right now.
Yes, I know. Tennessee rides on the back of running beast Derrick Henry and stout defense more than on Tannehill's arm. Nevertheless, the Titans season pivoted sharply when Tannehill replaced Marcus Mariota as starting quarterback in Week 7. It is why the team is this far. Tannehill led the NFL in passer rating, and if he doesn't get some MVP votes, call the cops.
Now Tannehill is one win from playing in a Miami Super Bowl in the same stadium where for seven seasons he tried and failed to make the Dolphins winners. It was unfathomable as he began the season traded and demoted, sitting as Mariota's backup.
Tannehill of course didn't fail here nearly as much as the Dolphins failed him by never doing what the Titans did in surrounding him with enough talent. Tannehill returning to Miami and maybe raising the Lombardi Trophy in the Dolphins' backyard would simply be one of the great redemption tales in sports history — and one every Dolfan with a heart should be rooting for.
So get out the way, Chiefs!
2. The Hall haul: The 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame class to be revealed just before the Super Bowl on Feb. 2 has a distinct local flavor.
Sunday night we saw the emotional reaction live on Fox TV as it was annoUnced Jimmy Johnson, former Hurricanes and Dolphins coach, had so deservedly made it to Canton, Ohio. I have not covered a man who took a loss harder, or who ultimately figured out how, when and why to quit coaching, before it ate him all up. Well done, J.J.
Finalists who still could make it include longtime Dolphins stalwart linebacker Zach Thomas, former Hurricanes star running back Edgerrin James and receiver Reggie Wayne, and Fort Lauderdale-born/Dillard High receiver Isaac Bruce.
Best of luck to all, but let it be Zach's time. He has shouldered the weight of the wait.
3. The Bosa/Kumerow connection: Defensive end John Bosa was the Dolphins' No. 1 draft choice in 1987 and DE Eric Kumerow was the top pick the next year. They were brothers-in-law. They were not great NFL players. Oh but the bloodlines were good!
John's son is Niners' rookie pass rush star Nick Bosa, out of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas High. Eric's kid is Packers backup receiver Jake Kumerow — cousins vying to reach the Super Bowl in the town where their dads were top draft picks.
4. The ex-Cane and FIU Panther still standing: Most years, there are more former Canes in a final four, but this time it's only Jimmy Graham, the Packers' starting tight end.
FIU is repped by Jonnu Smith, also a starting tight end, for the Titans.
FAU Owls still playing: Titans kicker Greg Joseph and 49ers linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
5. Here's what happened to Sam Madison: He was one of the Dolpohins' best ever cornerbacks from 1997 to 2005. Now he's finishing his first season as defensive backs coach for the Chiefs.
Also of note, Packers inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti's name should be familiar because his father, Tom, was Canes defensive coordinator for UM's first national championship in 1983 and later directed Dolphins defenses from 1987 to 1995.
6. The other former Miami QBs and ex-Fins: It isn't just Tannehill. Matt Moore is K.C.'s backup QB (he started two games this season), and Chad Henne is the third stringer. Henne was a Dolphin from 2008 to 2011 and Moore from 2011 to 2017.
Other ex-Fins in the final four: Chiefs running back Damien Williams (Dolphins 2014-17), Titans guard Jamil Douglas (2015-16), Packers guard Billy Turner (2014-16) and 49ers nose tackle Earl Mitchell (2014-16).
7. Going, way, way back: San Francisco's third-string QB is C.J. Beathard. He is the grandson of Bobby Beathard, whose long tenure as an NFL executive famously included both Dolphins Super Bowl wins as the team's direct or player personnel from 1972 to 1977.
8. And the loose ends: San Francisco receivers coach Wes Welker is a former Dolphin, and Niners D-line coach Kris Kocurek was on Fins staff in 2018. Packers special teams coach Rayna Stewart was a Dolphin in 1998. And, no, we didn't forget Titans tackle Kevin Pamphile, Miami-born out of Central High.
Of all of the South Florida ties still alive in the playoffs as four teams try to reach Miami, we would be happy with just one:
Sorry, Chiefs.
Tannehill, please.
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The Complainant is Orient Express Travel Group Pty Ltd of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, represented by Norgate McLean Dolphin, Australia.
The Respondent is Mookstar Media Pty Ltd (ACN 083 167 293) of Glenside, South Australia, represented by Cooper Mills Lawyers, Australia.
The disputed domain name <etg.com.au> (the "Domain Name") is registered with Drop.com.au Pty Ltd (the "Registrar").
The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the "Center") on February 9, 2015. On February 10, 2015, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the Domain Name. On February 13, 2015, the Registrar transmitted by email to the Center its verification response confirming that the Respondent is listed as the registrant and providing the contact details.
The Center verified that the Complaint satisfied the formal requirements of the .au Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Policy"), the Rules for .au Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Rules"), and the WIPO Supplemental Rules for .au Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Supplemental Rules").
In accordance with the Rules, paragraphs 2(a) and 4(a), the Center formally notified the Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on February 26, 2015. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5(a), the due date for Response was March 18, 2015. The Response was filed with the Center on March 18, 2015.
The Center appointed David Levin Q.C., Nicholas Smith and John Swinson as panelists in this matter on April 9, 2015. The Panel finds that it was properly constituted. The Panel has submitted the Statement of Acceptance and Declaration of Impartiality and Independence, as required by the Center to ensure compliance with the Rules, paragraph 7.
The Complainant is an independent travel agency group that since 1983 has traded under the name "Orient Express Travel Group". The Complainant issues over 500,000 travel tickets annually, including tickets for Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airlines. Since 2004 the Complainant has provided a number of goods and services using the prefix "Express". It presently operates a website (the Complainant's Website) from "www.etg.travel" which displays a logo that consists of an eight-point star, the letters "ETG", and below that the words "Express Travel Group". There is no evidence as to the page displayed at the Complainant's Website as at the date of the Complaint. The Complainant issues and sells airplane tickets from the Complainant's Website.
On December 9, 2014, the Complainant applied for an Australian Trade Mark registration for the acronym ETG (the "ETG Mark") for goods and services relating to travel organisations. It owns numerous registered trade marks for marks that consist of or feature the word "express" (the "EXPRESS Marks") and had previously applied for an Australian Trade Mark for the words "Express Travel Group" (the "EXPRESS TRAVEL GROUP Mark").
The Domain Name <etg.com.au> was created by the Respondent on March 4, 2008. The Domain Name redirected to a website which consists of a stylized knife and fork, the acronym "ETG" and a contact link (the "Respondent's Website"). The contact link sends the visitor from the Respondent's Website to a website that appears to be operated by the Respondent and consists of a page where people are invited to contact the Respondent. The Respondent owns over 1071 registered domains including 335 domain names consisting of three-letter acronyms.
(iii) that the Domain Name has been registered and/or is subsequently being used in bad faith.
The Complainant has traded under the name "Orient Express Travel Group" since 1983. In early 2014 the Complainant decided to adopt the EXPRESS TRAVEL GROUP and ETG Mark. Later in 2014 it apparently decided to adopt the acronym ETG in association with the EXPRESS TRAVEL GROUP name. The Complainant has applied to register EXPRESS TRAVEL GROUP and ETG as trade marks and has developed common law rights in each of these marks by way of the registration of the domain name <etg.travel>, registering a twitter account using the handle "@etg_Travel", registering a Facebook account under the name "Express Travel Group – ETG", sending notifications of this change to various travel agents and operating the Complainant's Website.
The Domain Name <etg.com.au> is confusingly similar to the EXPRESS TRAVEL GROUP and ETG Marks.
The Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name. The Respondent does not hold a trade mark for "ETG" or any similar trade mark. The Respondent is not licensed or authorized by the Complainant to register the Domain Name. The Respondent does not have any other apparent rights in the Domain Name, nor does he appear to be commonly known by the Domain Name. The Domain Name is presently used in association with a holding page with the Respondent's associated business being in domain name trading. Furthermore, to the extent that the Respondent submits that it is using the Domain Name for providing a service of Australian restaurant listings referred to as the "E Taste Guide", there is no evidence of the development of a website, brand or business in the six years since the Domain Name was first registered.
The Domain Name was registered or is being used in bad faith. The Respondent has a history of registering domain names consisting of three-letter acronyms as well as deliberate misspellings of large and prominent business enterprises. The Respondent has been subject of adverse findings under auDRP proceedings and been the subject of online complaints relating to its conduct.
The Respondent submits that the Complainant is not known as ETG. The Complainant has not registered any such trading name nor has it (at the time of the Complaint) registered any such trade mark. The Complainant has only ever used ETG as part of its broader purported trading name EXPRESS TRAVEL GROUP (ETG). It has not established that it has common law rights in the ETG Mark. The EXPRESS TRAVEL GROUP (ETG) mark is clearly not identical or confusingly similar to the Domain Name. The mere fact that the Complainant's name could be abbreviated to ETG does not mean that it is confusingly similar.
The Respondent has made demonstrable preparations to use the Domain Name, as part of a business known as "E Taste Guide". The director of the Respondent has travelled the world and taken numerous Instagram shots of food for the purposes of the E Taste Guide. Furthermore the Respondent has prepared a logo for the E Taste Guide which is currently on the Respondent's Website.
The Complainant has not satisfied its burden to show that the Respondent registered the Domain Name in bad faith. The Complainant did not use Express Travel Group and ETG until well after the Domain Name was registered. Furthermore the Respondent's conduct does not fall within any of the circumstances under the Policy that amount to examples of bad faith. The Respondent did not register the Domain Name for the purposes of selling the Domain Name, preventing the owner of a mark from reflecting that mark in the Domain Name, to disrupt the business of a competitor, or to attract for commercial gain Internet users to a website by creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainant's name or mark.
The Panel should make a finding of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking against the Complainant. The Complainant has sought to recover a domain name consisting of a generic three-letter acronym which it adopted many years after the registration of the Domain Name. It attempted to purchase the Domain Name from the Respondent and withheld evidence of this attempted purchase and the Respondent's rejection. There was no reasonable prospect of the Complainant succeeding and on this basis the Panel ought to make a finding of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking.
To prove this element the Complainant must have a name or trade or service mark rights and the Domain Name must be identical or confusingly similar to the Complainant's name, trade or service mark.
The Complainant does not own a registered trade mark for the ETG Mark, rather it relies on its common law rights which arise from the launch of its new website at "www.etg.travel", its communication of its ETG brand to its travel agents and its development of business collateral. In particular the Complainant submits that, through its services, over 500,000 tickets are booked annually. The Complainant claims to have adopted the ETG and EXPRESS TRAVEL GROUP Marks. It says the use of its website at "www.etg.travel" is critical to its business, and refers to 500,000 travel tickets booked through its business. It refers to its substantial investment in "developing, promoting and launching its ETG brand."
"The requirement that the complainant has rights in a trademark or service mark is satisfied where the complainant can show that a name has acquired "secondary meaning" and become a distinctive identifier associated with the complainant or its goods or services – i.e., that it is a common law or unregistered trademark. Evidence relevant to establishing such secondary meaning includes the length and amount of sales under the name, the nature and extent of advertising using the name, surveys of consumer recognition of the name, and media references to the name. In at least one case, the panel treated as determinative of the issue the findings of an IP Australia Trade Marks Hearing Officer to the effect that the complainant had common law rights in an unregistered trademark.
To constitute a common law or unregistered trademark, the name does not need to be famous or well known. The key requirement is that the name has sufficient distinctiveness so as to be able to act as a badge of origin that distinguishes the goods or services of the complainant from those of other traders. However, merely trading under a name does not make that name distinctive. Where the complainant's alleged unregistered trademark consists of a generic or descriptive word, a strong case will be required to show that the word has become associated with the complainant and its goods or services. Operating a website which corresponds to an unregistered mark, and using that website in connection with business, will not necessarily give common law rights in that mark. Merely appending the domain name to an advertisement alongside other contact details will not suffice."
The Panel has closely reviewed the evidence in the Complaint regarding the transition to the ETG Brand. It appears from the Complaint that business cards with the ETG Mark were not due to arrive until '4/2', apparently February 4, 2015. The Complaint contains a rebranding announcement to airlines, agents and wholesalers which was sent on January 30, 2015 with the re-brand to be launched on February 2, 2015.
The Complainant in this Complaint filed on February 9, 2015, has submitted that common law rights arise by reason of its use of its website at "www.etg.travel". The domain name <etg.travel> was registered on September 9, 2014 and the website was not launched until February 2, 2015. While the Panel accepts that the Complainant sells 500,000 tickets a year to travel agents, the Complaint indicates that the travel agents purchase tickets from the Complainant using its Express Ticketing System. There is no basis to presume that those agents necessarily use the website at "www.etg.travel" to do so, nor that any reputation the Complainant has with those travel agents is found in the ETG Mark as opposed to the Complainant's reputation in and registered mark for EXPRESS TICKETING.
The Complainant has produced as an Annexure what it describes as a "Google Analytics audience overview report" for the Complainant's Website. Examination of that Annexure reveals that it purports to be an analysis of the Complainant's websites at "www.orientexpress.com.au", "www.selectravelgroup.com.au", "www.independentagents.com" and what is described as the "italktravel Member Platform". It does not purport to analyse <etg.travel>; indeed much of the Google Analytics report is for traffic in January 2015, before the launch of the website at "www.etg.travel".
The evidence of the Complainant is that the ETG Mark has only been used by it for a very limited period of time. Indeed at the date of this Complaint the acronym ETG in association with the name Express Travel Group had only been notified to the Complainant's agents and associates for just over a week. It is difficult to conclude, on the basis of the evidence before the Panel, that the ETG Mark has acquired "secondary meaning" and become a distinctive identifier associated with the Complainant or its goods or services in the one week between the launch of the ETG Mark and the filing of the Complainant. The Complainant has not established to the satisfaction of the Panel that it holds any common law rights in the ETG Mark.
The Domain Name <etg.com.au> consists of the acronym ETG and the country code Top-Level Domain suffix ".com.au". Disregarding the ".com.au" suffix, the Domain Name is identical to the acronym ETG being used by the Complainant. Notwithstanding this identicality, the requirement of paragraph 4(a)(i) of the Policy is not satisfied as the Complainant has not established "any name, trademark or service mark in which it has rights."
"The fact that domain names (14) and (15) both contain the letters <WC> is insufficient to satisfy the requirement of paragraph 4(a)(i) of the Uniform Policy. Whilst it can be argued that <WC> is an abbreviation of <WORLD CUP>, this Administrative Panel does not consider that this is the likely meaning which most people would give to these letters. These letters are open to being interpreted as meaning any number of things, as well as meaning nothing at all. There is nothing in the context of the use of these letters in the domain names that suggests they are an abbreviation of anything. Even if the context of their use did make clear that the letters <WC> were an abbreviation, it is quite likely many native speakers of the English language would consider they were an abbreviation either for "water closet" (and hence an allusion to "toilet") or "West Central" (see Concise Oxford English Dictionary, entry for "WC"), or for "without charge" (see Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, entry for "WC"). As for how native speakers of other languages using the Romanised alphabet would most likely interpret these letters as an abbreviation, this Administrative Panel is unable to decide. In short, the letters <WC>, even in conjunction with the year <2002> or the year abbreviation <02>, do not likely suggest <WORLD CUP>, and hence domain names (14) and (15) are not confusingly similar to any of the trademarks referred to in paragraph 4.4 above."
The same reasoning applies to the present case. Even if the Complainant were to establish rights in the EXPRESS TRAVEL GROUP Mark (and the Panel does not reach a conclusion on this question), the mere fact that "ETG" is used by the Complainant as an acronym of "Express Travel Group" is not enough to establish confusing similarity. These letters are open to being interpreted as meaning any number of things, as well as meaning nothing at all. The Domain Name is not confusingly similar to the EXPRESS TRAVEL GROUP Mark and the Complainant has not satisfied paragraph 4(a)(i) of the Policy.
To succeed on this element, a complainant may make out a prima facie case that the respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the domain name. If such a prima facie case is made out, then the burden of proof shifts to the respondent to demonstrate rights or legitimate interests in the domain name.
(iii) you are making a legitimate non-commercial or fair use of the domain name, without intent for commercial gain to misleadingly divert consumers or to tarnish the name, trademark or service mark at issue."
The Respondent is not affiliated with the Complainant in any way. It has not been authorised by the Complainant to register or use the Domain Name or to seek the registration of any domain name incorporating the acronym ETG. There is no evidence that the Respondent is commonly known by the Domain Name or any similar name. There is no evidence that the Respondent has used the Domain Name in connection with a legitimate non-commercial use.
The Respondent has submitted that it registered the Domain Name to provide a food review website under the name "E Taste Guide". The Respondent, in its Response, explains its supposed purpose and provides, as evidence of preparations to use the Domain Name, a series of Instagram pictures of food that was purportedly taken by the director of the Respondent. However, beyond the Instagram photos, the Response provides no documentary evidence of demonstrable preparations to use the Domain Name for a bona fide purpose. The Domain Name has been registered for almost seven years. The Respondent has provided no evidence that it has hired a developer, created a draft website, registered any rights for "E Taste Guide" or supplied any business documentation normally associated with the creation of a website or a new business. The Response contained no evidence that the Respondent had created written reviews or records of various restaurants that the Respondent's director has visited for the purpose of creating a food review website. Alternatively, given that the Domain Name has been registered for almost seven years, the Respondent has provided no explanation or evidence of circumstances that may have resulted in a delay in creating of the E Taste Guide website.
In summary, neither the Respondent's Website nor the evidence in the Response provides a basis for concluding that the Respondent has made a bona fide use or demonstrable preparations to use the Domain Name or a name corresponding to the Domain Name for a bona fide use.
The Complainant has established a prima facie case that the Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the Domain Name. The Respondent has had an opportunity to rebut the presumption that it lacks rights or legitimate interests. It has failed to supply sufficient evidence in support of its claims of legitimate interests and has not succeeded in rebutting the presumption.
(iv) by using the Domain Name, the Respondent has intentionally attempted to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to its website or other online location, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainant's name or mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of the Respondent's website or location or of a product or service on the Respondent's website or location.
There is no evidence before the Panel to suggest that at the time the Domain Name was registered (in 2008) the Respondent registered it in contemplation of the Complainant. The Complainant had no registered or unregistered rights in ETG at the time of filing this Complaint. Indeed the Complainant only lodged its application for the registration of ETG as a mark in December 2014. The Panel finds that the Domain Name was not registered by the Respondent in 2008 in bad faith. However, the requirement under the Policy that the Domain Name be registered or used in bad faith means that a finding that the Domain Name was registered prior to the Complainant acquiring rights in its mark or name will not protect the Respondent from a finding that the third requirement is satisfied where it is established that the Respondent subsequently used the domain name in bad faith.
There is no evidence that there are circumstances indicating that the Respondent has registered or has acquired the Domain Name primarily for the purpose of selling, renting, or otherwise transferring the Domain Name registration to another person for valuable consideration in excess of its documented out‑of-pocket costs directly related to the Domain Name. There is no evidence that the Domain Name has been offered for sale. Indeed, it appears to the Panel that prior to the filing of this Complaint the Complainant made an unsolicited offer to the Respondent to purchase the Domain Name, an offer that was rejected.
The Respondent does not appear to be using the Domain Name to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to its website or other online location, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainant's name or mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of the Respondent's website or location or of a product or service on the Respondent's website or location. The Complainant and the Respondent are not competitors, the Respondent's Website contains no advertising or reference to the Complainant and the Domain Name consists of a commonly used acronym. There is no evidence before the Panel that the Respondent, prior to the Complaint (or at least the Complainant's complaint to auDA), had ever contemplated the operations of the Complainant or its possible use of the acronym "ETG" in its use of the Domain Name.
The Panel finds that there is no evidence that the Respondent has registered the Domain Name primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business or activities of another person or to prevent the owner of the trade mark from reflecting the mark in a corresponding domain name. The Domain Name is a three-letter acronym that was registered six years before the Complainant applied for the registration of ETG as a trade mark in December 2014, a mark which it had not established as a common law mark at the date of this Complaint.
c) the Respondent and a related entity, DNS Advertising, have been the subject of online complaints.
The Panel is not prepared to accept unverified online complaints from 2006 as evidence that the Respondent registered or used the Domain Name in bad faith. Furthermore, while the Complainant may speculate as to the reasons why the Respondent registered other domain names it is necessary for the Panel to reach a conclusion as to whether the Domain Name that is the subject of the present proceeding was registered or used in bad faith. The conduct of the Respondent does not fall within the non-exclusive circumstances set out Paragraph 4(b) of the Policy, nor is there an obvious basis to assume bad faith outside these categories. The Respondent registered a Domain Name that did not correspond to any pre-existing trade mark of the Complainant and has not been shown to have used the Domain Name in bad faith.
Accordingly, the Panel finds that the Respondent did not register or use the Domain Name in bad faith.
Paragraph 15(e) of the Rules provides that, if the Panel finds that the complaint "was brought in bad faith, for example in an attempt at Reverse Domain Name Hijacking or was brought primarily to harass the domain-name holder", the Panel shall declare in its decision that the complaint was brought in bad faith and constitutes an abuse of the administrative proceeding. Paragraph 1 of the Rules defines "Reverse Domain Name Hijacking" to be "using the Policy in bad faith to attempt to deprive a registered domain name holder of a domain name".
"Circumstances that panels have considered to be indicative of a complaint having been brought in bad faith include: (i) the complainant knew it had no rights in the trademark or name upon which it relied and nevertheless brought the complaint; (ii) the complainant had, by the time the complaint was filed, been informed of and had otherwise ascertained all the facts necessary, to establish that the respondent had legitimate interests in the disputed domain name; (iii) the complainant had, in communications with the respondent, expressly acknowledged that the respondent had rights to the domain name; (iv) the complainant had knowledge of the respondent's rights or legitimate interests in the domain name and engaged in harassment or similar conduct in the face of such knowledge (such as repeated cease-and-desist communications, or prolonging the dispute in order to exploit superior financial resources); (v) the complainant had known from the beginning that its rights in the domain name were not exclusive, that the domain name was generic, and that the domain name described the activities for which the respondent used it; (vi) the complainant knew that its trademark was limited to a narrow field, and that the respondent's registration and use of the domain name could not, under any fair interpretation of the facts, constitute bad faith; and (vii) the complainant intentionally attempted to mislead the panel by omitting relevant evidence."
There are two aspects of the Complaint that raise the Panel's concern. The Complainant commenced an auDRP proceeding on October 2, 2014 in reliance on its "rights" in the three-letter acronym "ETG". As noted in the Response, the term ETG is an acronym that can be used by and may be used by a number of businesses in Australia (and globally). The Complainant does not have registered rights in ETG and relies on common law rights that could only be established from very late January 2015, almost six years after the Respondent registered the Domain Name. In the absence of any evidence that the Respondent was targeting the Complainant or had any awareness of the Complainant, the Complainant should have been aware that the Respondent's registration and use of the Domain Name could not, under any fair interpretation of the facts, constitute bad faith registration or use.
Equally concerning is the omission of relevant evidence in the Complaint, a fact that was drawn to the Panel's attention by the Respondent. Paragraph 3(b)(xiv) of the Rules requires the Complaint to include in its Complaint the following certification.
"Complainant certifies that the information contained in this Complaint is to the best of Complainant's knowledge complete and accurate, that this Complaint is not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, and that the assertions in this Complaint are warranted under these Rules and under applicable law, as it now exists or as it may be extended by a good faith and reasonable argument."
a) That the Complainant's administrative complaint to auDA about the Respondent had been dismissed.
b) That the Complainant attempted to purchase the Domain Name from the Respondent and was rebuffed.
The Complainant made an offer to purchase the Domain Name from the Respondent. This was rejected. The Complainant then commenced a proceeding to acquire a Domain Name that was registered six years before it could have conceivably acquired trade mark rights. In that proceeding it failed to disclose relevant information to the Panel. For all of these reasons, the Panel concludes that the Complainant was brought in bad faith and constitutes an abuse of the administrative proceeding.
1 The Panel notes that the Policy is, with some notable exceptions, substantially similar to the UDRP and, as such, the Panel has drawn on authority concerning the UDRP, in relation to similar terms of the Policy.


Everyday, I read so-called Social Media Gurus expressing their thoughts and ideas about the psychological impacts of social media on people. Believe me, there is a lot of crap that has been said on this subject. How can these people think they have any kind of knowledge in Psychology? Most of them are Business School graduates. As far as I know, their training has nothing to do with Psychology or Sociology. So how can they make us believe that what they're thinking or saying is relevant? They are certainly good at developing a business and coming up with new ideas but when it comes to figuring out the profound psychological impacts of their inventions on people, they'd better let professionals deal with it.
Would you consider asking a psychologist or psychiatrist for financial advice? I guess not. So how can we ask entrepreneurs their take on psychology?
In the same line of thinking, many financial analysts talk about the psychological factors involved in the recent global financial crisis. I'm surprised that nobody has ever thought about asking a psychologist or psychiatrist about that. Once again, I wouldn't dare proclaim myself an expert in law or finance, so why would anyone think that they have any knowledge whatsoever in Psychology when they have never studied it?
Being rich or successful doesn't grant oneself instant total knowledge about everything. It, however, seems that most journalists think it is the case. Isn't it absurd?


text:
Charley Frank Pride (Sledge, Misisipi; 18 de marzo de 1934–Dallas, Texas; 12 de diciembre de 2020) fue un cantante, músico y beisbolista profesional estadounidense.

Biografía
Su época musical de mayor reconocimiento se dio a mediados de la década de 1970, cuando se convirtió en uno de los músicos más exitosos económicamente de RCA Records desde Elvis Presley. Durante el pico de su carrera como músico de country (1966–1987), ubicó 52 canciones en el Top 10 de la lista Billboard Hot Country, treinta de ellas en el número uno.

Pride fue uno de los tres únicos afroamericanos que se convirtieron en miembros del programa radiofónico Grand Ole Opry (junto con DeFord Bailey y Darius Rucker). Fue presentado en el Salón de la Fama del Country en 2000. Como beisbolista, jugó a nivel profesional entre 1953 y 1960.

Falleció en Dallas el 12 de diciembre de 2020 a los 86 años de edad por complicaciones derivadas de la enfermedad del COVID-19.

Discografía

Álbumes de estudio
{{lista de columnas|2|
 1966 - Country
 1967 - The Pride of Country Music
 1967 - The Country Way
 1968 - Make Mine Country
 1968 - Songs of Pride... Charley That Is
 1969 - Charley Pride in Person
 1969 - The Sensational Charley Pride
 1970 - Just Plain Charley
 1970 - Charley Pride's 10th Album
 1970 - Christmas in My Hometown
 1970 - From Me to You
 1971 - I'm Just Me
 1971 - Did You Think to Pray
 1971 - Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs
 1972 - A Sunshiny Day with Charley Pride
 1972 - Songs of Love by Charley Pride
 1973 - Sweet Country
 1973 - Amazing Love
 1973 - Charley Pride Presents the Pridesmen
 1974 - Country Feelin'''
 1974 - Pride of America 1975 - Charley 1975 - The Pridesmen 1975 - Sunday Morning with Charley Pride 1975 - The Happiness of Having You 1977 - She's Just an Old Love-Turned Memory 1978 - Someone Loves You Honey 1978 - Burgers and Fries 1979 - You're My Jamaica 1980 - There's a Little Bit of Hank in Me 1981 - Roll on Mississippi 1982 - Everybody's Choice 1983 - Charley Pride Sings Country Classics 1983 - Night Games 1984 - The Power of Love 1986 - Back to the Country 1986 - The Best There Is 1987 - After All This Time 1988 - I'm Gonna Love Her on the Radio 1989 - Moody Woman 1994 - My 6 Lastest & 6 Greatest 1996 - Classics with Pride 2001 - A Tribute to Jim Reeves 2003 - Comfort of Her Wings 2011 - Choices}}

Álbumes recopilatorios
 1969 - The Best of Charley Pride 1972 - The Best of Charley Pride Vol. 2 1972 - The Incomparable Charley Pride 1976 - The Best of Charley Pride Vol. 3 1981 - Greatest Hits 1985 - Greatest Hits Vol. 2 1985 - Collector's Series 2003 - Anthology 2003 - 22 All-Time Greatest Hits 2005 - 16 Biggest HitsÁlbumes en vivo
 1982 - Charley Pride Live 1998 - Branson City Limits''

Referencias

Enlaces externos
Charley Pride en Discogs

Músicos de country
Músicos de gospel
Guitarristas de Estados Unidos
Cantantes de country
Fallecidos por pandemia de COVID-19 en Estados Unidos
Beisbolistas de Estados Unidos
Fallecidos en Dallas
Afectados por enfermedades del espectro bipolar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
<?php

namespace Predis\Response\Iterator;

use Predis\Client;
use Predis\Connection\CompositeStreamConnection;
use Predis\Protocol\Text\ProtocolProcessor as TextProtocolProcessor;
use PredisTestCase;

/**
 * @group realm-iterators
 */
class MultiBulkTupleTest extends PredisTestCase
{
    /**
     * @group disconnected
     * @expectedException \InvalidArgumentException
     * @expectedExceptionMessage Cannot initialize a tuple iterator using an already initiated iterator.
     */
    public function testInitiatedMultiBulkIteratorsAreNotValid()
    {
        $connection = $this->getMock('Predis\Connection\NodeConnectionInterface');
        $iterator = new MultiBulk($connection, 2);
        $iterator->next();

        new MultiBulkTuple($iterator);
    }

    /**
     * @group disconnected
     * @expectedException \UnexpectedValueException
     * @expectedExceptionMessage Invalid response size for a tuple iterator.
     */
    public function testMultiBulkWithOddSizesAreInvalid()
    {
        $connection = $this->getMock('Predis\Connection\NodeConnectionInterface');
        $iterator = new MultiBulk($connection, 3);

        new MultiBulkTuple($iterator);
    }

    /**
     * @group connected
     */
    public function testIterableMultibulk()
    {
        $client = $this->getClient();
        $client->zadd('metavars', 1, 'foo', 2, 'hoge', 3, 'lol');

        $iterator = new MultiBulkTuple($client->zrange('metavars', '0', '-1', 'withscores'));

        $this->assertInstanceOf('OuterIterator', $iterator);
        $this->assertInstanceOf('Predis\Response\Iterator\MultiBulkTuple', $iterator);
        $this->assertInstanceOf('Predis\Response\Iterator\MultiBulk', $iterator->getInnerIterator());
        $this->assertTrue($iterator->valid());
        $this->assertSame(3, $iterator->count());

        $this->assertSame(array('foo', '1'), $iterator->current());
        $iterator->next();
        $this->assertTrue($iterator->valid());

        $this->assertSame(array('hoge', '2'), $iterator->current());
        $iterator->next();
        $this->assertTrue($iterator->valid());

        $this->assertSame(array('lol', '3'), $iterator->current());
        $iterator->next();
        $this->assertFalse($iterator->valid());

        $this->assertEquals('PONG', $client->ping());
    }

    /**
     * @group connected
     */
    public function testGarbageCollectorDropsUnderlyingConnection()
    {
        $client = $this->getClient();
        $client->zadd('metavars', 1, 'foo', 2, 'hoge', 3, 'lol');

        $iterator = new MultiBulkTuple($client->zrange('metavars', '0', '-1', 'withscores'));

        unset($iterator);

        $this->assertFalse($client->isConnected());
        $this->assertEquals('PONG', $client->ping());
    }

    // ******************************************************************** //
    // ---- HELPER METHODS ------------------------------------------------ //
    // ******************************************************************** //

    /**
     * Returns a new client instance.
     *
     * @return Client
     */
    protected function getClient()
    {
        $parameters = $this->getParameters(array('read_write_timeout' => 2));

        $protocol = new TextProtocolProcessor();
        $protocol->useIterableMultibulk(true);

        $connection = new CompositeStreamConnection($parameters, $protocol);

        $client = new Client($connection);
        $client->connect();
        $client->flushdb();

        return $client;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
United Nations Development Programme
Dear Delegate:
Welcome to Baylor's 2008 Model United Nations high school conference. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a development network sponsored by the United Nations (UN) that advocates availability of knowledge, experience, and resources to countries in an effort to help them build a better life for people in their nation.
The topics for this year's UNDP committee are:
1. Expanding public education in developing nations
2. Evaluation and implementation of the Millennium Campaign to end poverty
3. The impact and role of women empowerment on country development
The responsibility of a UNDP delegate is to know their committee's role in the UN and the global development effort. This requires a general knowledge of country status development in various nations and several efforts in achieving development. In committee, you will evaluate three areas of development.
Thus, in preparation for the conference, delegates shall acquire excellent knowledge of these topics, the role of the UNDP committee, and their country's position on policy with regard to the topics.
We look forward to meeting you this fall,
The UNDP Chairs
History and Introduction to the UNDP
"The fact is that globalization, the global market economy delivers to the upper half; it doesn't really deliver to the poor people. In some cities in the developing world, you have 50 percent of young people unemployed. So the challenge is huge and we have to focus on it.
"At the United Nations Development Programme, that's what we try to do. We try to find the right solutions, try to compare what worked in some places to what didn't work in other places, and build and bring capacity development to these countries...It is through democratic institutions, through participation, through people getting organized in democratic ways [that is] at the heart of the challenge. You have to have these institutions to accompany market development, to accompany what's happening in the technological and financial sphere, so that we indeed have a much more equitable and balanced human society."
- Kemal Derviº, UNDP Administrator
A programme administered by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was established in 1965. The purpose of the UNDP's establishment was to combine the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and the United Nations Special Fund. This merger was completed in 1971. The original purpose, as it continues today, was to assist countries in solving both national and global development challenges. Today, the UNDP holds offices in 166 countries, where these challenges are studied every day.
These challenges include: democratic governance, poverty reduction, crisis prevention and recovery, environment and energy, and HIV/AIDS. Other functions of the UNDP are human rights and women equality promotion. The UNDP is also responsible for commissioning the annual Human Development Report, which serves to focus "the global debate on key development issues, providing new measurement tools, innovative analysis and often controversial policy proposals." 1
Kemal Derviº, the current UNDP administrator, was confirmed unanimously by the 191 countries voting in the UN General assembly in May 2005. Dutch national, Ad Melkert, was appointed Associate Administer the following March.
1 http://www.undp.org/about/
Topic I: Addressing Family Planning and Over Population Epidemic
Due the increase of over population the under developing states are suffering an upsurge of infants and young women deaths. Many states are seeking for a solution that benefit a family planning program which goals are to prevent unplanned pregnancies, methods of prevention to avoid overpopulation and increase the likelihood of a surviving economic state. It is crucial to understand the factors that under developed states face when undergoing an unplanned family it is an issue that effects the individual as well as the surviving economic statues of the entire state(2). Healthier children can reduce the economic burden on the family and increases more emphasis on education, heath, childcare and breaking the cycle of poverty (3). Every minute at least one woman dies in the process of childbirth in poor states; it is estimated that 585,000 a year suffer preventable complications of pregnancy, childbirth and unsafe abortions (4).
USAID- Family Planning Ethiopia
The United Nations Foundation (UNF) in 1999 provided grants to the UN totaling approximately $30 million a year to support projects in the area of population and women. The program's framework aims at promoting the developing with information of HIV/ AIDS and family planning (United Nations Foundation). The crises facing Ethiopia today is family planning and death caused by childbirth. Traditionally, in Ethiopian culture it is acceptable to engage in marriage at an early age and the average size of a family is 6 children per household. The government health development is seeking for improvements in health services for its citizens. Alarmingly the ratio of women dying from causes relating pregnancy and childbirth is 871 deaths for every 100,000 live births (7). This ratio is a product of the lack of sexual method prevention and health aid. Many nations like Ethiopia look for alternatives to find the best way to reduce the over population and increase health benefits. In the past the nation of China has been very successful in the issue of "Family Planning Program" which consists of abortion, infanticide, and forced sterilization. In the case of China, the program required monitoring and control over agricultural land with the desire to sustain the current population (5). The case in Ethiopia is the lack of prevention of 75% of the population suffering from a preventable disease like HIV/AIDS and malnutrition (6).
UN Solution Approach
The state of Ethiopia is in need of a solution in which the average family size is reduced from 7 to 4 children and the use of contraceptives increased to 44% by 2015 (6). The over population in this state has made it difficult to control the deaths caused by childbirth and health issues that regularly face young women. The UNFPA and UNHCR join forces to efficiently respond to the sexual and reproductive health based on collection of accurate population- based data, effecting relief and identify more efficient resolutions(7).
In 2005, UNFPA and UNHCR provided over 2.7 million contraceptives in countries such as the Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Ethiopia (1). It is imperative to find a solution to the overpopulation crises that would efficiently and rapidly aid a state in order to stop the death rate from escalating an alarming number due to childbirth among young women.
There must be a solution that tackles all the issues that produce overpopulation such as the lack of health programs, sexual education, and economic issues that may contribute to the insufficient aid. It is unjustified for any nation to ignore the crises of overpopulation in deprived nations. It is the duty of the UN to aid the most unfortunate states by promoting as well as providing a solution to this matter. It is extremely important to urgently provide a solution that seeks to stop the death of young innocent lives.
1 http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=1125
2 http://www.globalissues.org/EnvIssues/Population/Gender.asp
3 http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADH039.pdf
4http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/family_planning/index.html
5http://www.tetrahedron.org/articles/new_world_order/U.N._World_
Food_and_Population. html
6 http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/pop/countries/ethiopia.html
Topic II: The evaluation and implementation of the UNDP's Millennium Project.
The United Nations Developmental Fund is a part of the United Nations global development network focused on helping the progression of countries around the world. By focusing on issues like democratic governance, poverty reduction, crisis prevention and recovery, HIV and AIDS and energy and environment, it has developed ground programs in 166 countries around the world. However, it wasn't until 2005 that the United Nations Developmental Fund launched the Millennium Project.
This is a multifaceted project that demands the funds and cooperation of everyone around the world. The ambitious goal of this project is to cut the poverty rate into half by the year 2015. Poverty is an issue that affects health, the economy and personal pursuit of happiness. There are billions of people around the world that live off a salary that is less than two dollars a day. It is a fact that only forty percent of the world's population only accounts for five percent of the world's income. According to UNICEF 26, 500-30,000 children suffer and die every day due to issues related to poverty. Though the concept that most people have to solve poverty issues it focused on the economy, the reality is that poverty is a multifaceted issue. This is where the Millennium project really has its opportunity to shine. It implements solutions that address issues such as eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child morality, improve maternal health, combat malaria, HIV/ AIDS and other diseases, ensure environmental stability, and global partnership for development. By acting in these areas in developing countries around the world the United Nations Developmental Fund plans to achieve its goal.
Currently, there has been many advancements, however, at the same time there have also been many set backs due to the nature of the differences between states such as history, political views, culture, religion and several other varying factors. Regarding the issue of poverty and hunger the UNDP has seen a slow growth in the economy yet progression being lead by Asia. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa there appears to be a steady decline in both food distribution and poverty rates. This is partially due to the high concentration that the agricultural market has had on producing crops for exportation and profit (cash crops), opposed to producing for families. The issue of universal primary education is improving. Five of the developing nations have almost reach total enrollment while the South Asia, Oceania, and Sub-Saharan region are lacking behind. This issue of equality and empowerment of women is slowly improving, simply because the issue of equality is closely linked to that of education. Women hold a mere sixteen percent of the seats in parliament worldwide. Child morality rates are still severe with about 11 million children a year, thirty-thousand a day still dying from preventable causes; it has been reduced but little. Maternal deaths have subsided in developing countries but not in places where birth is the most dangerous. HIV and AIDS is the number one killer in Sub-Saharan Africa and the fourth main killer in the world. Malaria and Tuberculosis have also been added to the problem and all these factors deeply hurt the working class in the world. Since there is no cure to AIDS, prevention is the only means of reduction which has shown improvement, but has had to fight through a lot of cultural resistance. When it involves the environment there have been many improvements to the ozone layer, yet there has been little done to improve the conditions of infrastructures such as toilets and other basic sanitary needs. The most important of all these issues is the growth of global partnership for development. The developing countries who have chosen to take part in this venture have agreed to the 2000 United Nations Millennium Declaration. This declaration states that every country will participate in the development of their own country and will provide necessary aide and encourage trade.
The Millennium Project is clearly a difficult endeavor and requires immediate attention to be achieved by 2015. However, with Sub-Saharan Africa slipping backwards instead of forward what can be done to reach those areas? There have been great difficulties working with countries who view this as a project that instills a western pattern of thought. How can the UNDP implement its project without stepping on toes and infringing on national sovereignty?
1 http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Facts.asp
2 United Nations Development Programme; www.UNDP.org
Topic III: the Impact and Role of Women Empowerment on Country's Development
"As we move forward with the implementation of the MDGs, it is important that we are fully committed to investing in policies and programmes that empower women and promote gender equality." – Kemal Dervis, UNDP Administrator, 6 Sept. 2005
Administer Dervis's plea is compelling as we consider the historical tendency to overlook women in society. Not only are women historically overlooked in society, but also within the political and economic realms. These attitudes exist today in varying severity and result in male dominance. Ignorance of female capabilities restricts women to accepted roles. The UNDP advocates the expansion and conversion of these female roles with predominately male roles in order to decrease inequality among genders.
Goal three of the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) is titled, "Promote gender Equality and Women Empowerment." Preceded only by two goals pertaining to education and hunger, goal number three indicates significant importance. The goal is to "Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015," these levels referred to are the ratio of girls to boys in primary, secondary, and tertiary education, the ratio of literate women to men from 15-24 years old, the share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector, and the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments.
UNDP Promoting Equality
The UNDP promotes equality between men and women through gender mainstreaming. This strategy rests on three points of interest: (1) Developing capacities – both in-country and in-house – to integrate gender concerns in all practice areas; (2) Providing policy advisory services that promote gender equality and women's empowerment; and (3) Supporting specific interventions that benefit women and innovative models such as those developed and tested by the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).2
Equality and Development
The UNDP uses the dimension gender equality in its four focus areas of poverty reduction, democratic governance, crisis prevention/ recovery, and environment and sustainable development to strive towards MDGs. This encompasses a plethora of areas, which range from topics already mentioned including social, economic, and political equality. As these three areas are breeding grounds for sub-areas for opportunity in development, the UNDP must delegate appropriate resources to promote gender equality.
Delegates should consider policies and programs that disperse resources most efficiently. These could potentially include focusing on gender equality in the non-agricultural sector, education (primary and/or secondary), in-home gender equality, HIV/AIDS gender disparity, etc.
1 http://www.undp.org/mdg/goal3.shtml
2 http://www.undp.org/women/mainstream/undp.shtml


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Kristi Burton – Putting Faith into Action
2008 Mar - Apr | Amber Dolle
At a tender young age, Kristi Burton knew that she was called by God to be a part of something bigger than herself. Growing up in a pro-life family, Kristi's mother, Debra, took the time to teach her daughter about the pain and destruction of abortion. At just 13, Kristi realized that preborn babies needed her help. She said, "My mom really inspired me to get involved in pro-life work, to save people that don't have a voice."
Now as a young adult of 20, Kristi has answered the call with action. From Peyton, Colorado, she has spearheaded a pro-life campaign that is sweeping across the Centennial State. Kristi is the founder of Colorado for Equal Rights, an organization of four employees and countless volunteers working to protect all human persons with the guarantee of equal rights by law. Under the umbrella of CER, Kristi and her father, Mike, have cosponsored the Colorado Human Life Amendment/Proposed Initiative 36 and are working tirelessly to have it included on the November 2008 ballot.
"It just made sense to propose this state constitutional amendment because it lays the foundation for protecting all human life," said Kristi. "The language is concise and simply defines a person in Colorado as a human being from the moment of fertilization, the moment when life begins."
By May 13, Colorado for Equal Rights has to collect just over 75,000 signatures to ensure a spot for the proposed amendment on the November ballot. Kristi wants to obtain between 100,000 and 150,000 signatures and CER is circulating the petitions mostly through churches across the state. "We have seen that many Coloradans are excited about this approach because it focuses on the scientific fact that life begins at fertilization," she said. "By introducing a constitutional initiative that grants personhood from the moment of fertilization, any state or local law that safeguards human life would be applied to the unborn. This really is a total protection measure."
Kristi said that while Colorado for Equal Rights was specifically established to focus on the current ballot initiative, those involved want to keep the organization moving after the 2008 election. "I choose to fight this battle because I believe that every human being is a person and that every person deserves equal rights under our laws," she declared. "Just because a person can't be seen or doesn't have a voice doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to live."
Unquenchable zeal
Home schooled by her parents, Kristi became a high school graduate at age 15. Now she's a third year law student with an unquenchable zeal for truth and she conveys her beliefs simply but firmly. Kristi believes that the pro-life cause—and the Colorado Human Life Amendment in particular—should appeal to people from all backgrounds.
"When you stop and think about it, the facts are the facts. Life begins at the beginning—fertilization—and we need to protect those lives that are in danger of being lost," said Kristi. "It shouldn't matter if you vote Republican or Democrat, if you are a Christian or an atheist; we all have a responsibility to protect innocent life."
While there are many pro-lifers whom Kristi admires, she was deeply moved by the work of Corrie ten Boom, a Christian who helped Jews escape from the Nazis during World War II. Boom repeatedly risked her life to help those who were suffering. She focused on forgiveness and was known for her graciousness toward all people, regardless of their background. Thus, Kristi believes that today's pro-life work mirrors that which Boom did—working to save the most vulnerable people.
"I have seen firsthand how abortion not only ends a human life, but also hurts women," said Kristi. "I have friends and family members who have had abortions and now regret it. They feel they were lied to and made to believe that their babies weren't really babies, but just blobs of tissue. Their experiences have given me a stronger resolve to work for an end to abortion."
And Kristi does just that. She spends her days educating people about the ballot initiative, helping to raise funds, fielding media interviews and much more. She doesn't take credit for spurring the campaign along, but humbly lauds the efforts of everyone involved. "I have been so excited over the past few months to see the incredible grassroots response we've received from volunteers all over the state," said Kristi. "People who do the 'little things' in a fight like this, along with God's grace, are the ones who are going to make it happen."
Outpouring of support
The Colorado Human Life Amendment continues to receive an outpouring of support from organizations throughout the state and nation. The growing list of endorsements already includes American Life League, Colorado Right to Life, Georgia Right to Life, Human Life International, Life Guard Durango, Pro-Life Action League and the Thomas More Law Center, just to name a few. Individual endorsements include Alan Keyes and Charles Rice; Congressmen Duncan Hunter, Doug Lamborn and Ron Paul; plus Colorado State Senator Dave Schultheis. Kristi said she welcomes every person and organization to join the effort of supporting the ballot initiative.
"Overall we have been pleased with how the campaign is going," said Kristi. "It seems that more people are contacting us every day wanting to get involved. The momentum is catching on."
While she recognizes that the secular media tend to put their own spin on all things pro-life, Kristi said she has been pleasantly surprised by the substantial amount of fair coverage. "Minus some misguided media outlets trying to frame the initiative as attempting to give 'eggs' human rights, most of the news reports have been positive," she said. "We have received coverage both statewide and nationally, which has been of great assistance to our efforts. The word is getting out and that is what's important."
After the May 13 signature deadline is met, Colorado for Equal Rights plans to launch an aggressive advertising campaign, including TV and radio ads. "Much of what we can do advertising-wise depends on our fundraising," Kristi explained. "We have a few people who are working very hard to raise dollars to fund the efforts and we are extremely grateful for all of the support we have received thus far."
While Kristi and her crew are optimistic that Coloradans will respond to this call to protect life, they need help. "If people would like to participate in the grassroots activism, I encourage them to visit our web site, ColoradoForEqualRights.com, and we will certainly get them plugged in," said Kristi. "For those who can contribute financially, the support is needed and the web site will also explain how to do so. But prayer is the most important thing that will pull this initiative through."
Colorado Catholics can make a huge difference in this lifesaving campaign. Through the Colorado Catholic Conference, the three bishops in that state sent a December 19, 2007 letter to parish pastors recognizing the Colorado Human Life Amendment and permitting the collection of petition signatures at Catholic churches if the pastors decide to allow it.
Kristi's story should give courage and hope to us all. She heeded God's call and put her faith into action. Now this young woman is leading the charge to bring about a new era of protection for all in Colorado and set a national precedent.
2008 Mar - Apr Amber Dolle Archives
Amber Dolle
Amber Dolle is a freelance writer from McKinney, Texas, and the media director for 40 Days for Life.
Holy Family Hospital Turns No Mother Away
A House of Light: Celebrating 40 Years at The Northwest Center
Moving the Movement: A 2021 March for Life Alternative
A Man Named Joe
Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers: Caring for Mothers and Their Preborn Babies
A Supreme Court Victory for the Little Sisters of the Poor


Simply for Strings began as a Brisbane-based mobile business providing expert advice, guidance, instruments and accessories for string musicians in metro regional Queensland. Their high level of customer service has been the foundation for building one of Australia's largest string instrument specialists.
Hi, my name's Anna Andriolo, my business is Simply For Strings and we're based in Brisbane.
Simply For Strings is a hub for all musicians to come to. This store, this is 11 years in this location now.
We only specialise in violins, violas, cellos and double basses. We had a little 4 year old in this morning getting her first violin which was really exciting, and we have a lot of parents who start playing when their children start playing and then we also, on Tuesday we had the concert master of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. So we actually to employ, they are called luthiers, so they will actually finish the instruments here, so we get a shell basically. It's a very personal journey for each customer and we make sure that's really important to us as well because when they start, like that little 4 year old girl, she'll be back when she's six to get her next violin and then she'll be back when she's 8 and she'll be back when she's 10 and 12 and we watch them grow. It's really awesome.
After realising there was no string instrument specialist in Brisbane, Anna Andriolo and Toby Cumpstay established Simply for Strings. It began as a mobile enterprise, offering expert, specialised advice, plus instrument sales, set-up and accessories to string musicians in their homes or schools. During this period, they gained a reputation for outstanding customer service, the foundation on which the future success and growth was built.
When Simply for Strings went digital their website generated an average of 25 sales a week in 2007. Growing to over 250 sales a week, the business moved to a larger Brisbane premises, an iconic former church in Red Hill. For string musicians across Australia, this well-known location has become synonymous with a world-class range of string instruments and accessories. The inspiring showroom has become a hub for string musicians across the country. Simply for Strings' highly-trained, dedicated staff still provide expert instrument care and set-up.
With a number of string instrument experts, Simply for Strings has become the largest string instrument specialist in Australia. Leveraging this growth, they have introduced the string instrument donation program, providing others in need with professionally reconditioned string instruments. This community program has so far donated 50 instruments to recipients across Australia. They have also established an Aspiring Musicians Award which loans high-quality violins to 2 young Australian musicians who display outstanding passion and potential.
Find out about finding the right location and premises for your business.


We managers know that the best information available to us resides in other people. What we must do, is tap into it.
Being perceptive is hard work "" or is it?
Last time, I suggested you consider your vacation, or any extended time away, a golden opportunity for identifying emerging leadership (from this past Tuesday: While the Big Cat is Away). You do want to know what happened while you were gone, and why. You want to know who championed the best ideas which emerged, and who took the baton and ran with it.
Today, let's talk about the practical how-to of the suggestion. How do you figure out what happened while you were gone, especially when everyone may have already put it behind them and moved on —or worse, they misunderstand your motives, and deliberately hide things from you, hoping that you won't notice them? There is probably a lot of middle ground between those two things as well: People are not actively hiding things from you, but they simply don't feel what's past is as important, and they've reduced it to trivial detail unaware that you consider it still-important input.
Leadership is the workplace discipline of creating energy connected to a meaningful vision.
Management is the workplace discipline of channeling that mission-critical energy into optimal production and usefulness.
Great managers cannot channel good energies they are unaware of.
There is much wisdom in a phrase we largely say with tongue in cheek: Ask, and ye shall receive.
We managers can easily slip into whining that "We're not mind-readers," but then at other times we can demonstrate that we haven't given up on trying to be! We'll use investigative techniques that can appear sneaky and manipulative. The result of these two conflicting behaviors is quite a mixed message. At best we confuse everyone; at worse we cause them to distrust us.
The most effective way for you to get the lay of the land in your workplace topography, is to tap into the collective perspectives of your employees and business partnerships. Their perspective truly IS your reality.
The easiest way for you to do that is to set up a conversation, whether one-on-one or within a larger team huddle or group meeting, and ask them what you want to know. Preface your inquiry with telling them why you're asking so there is no second-guessing your motivations.
I got them together virtually via a message within our web-based project management space, which requested that they each respond with a 5-item list of briefly-written single sentences which describe to me what happened within the project while I was gone.
This is something we've done on an on-going basis: I am confident they fully understand my motivations. So my preface was quite short, yet it still stated why I asked, and what my intentions were, for I welcomed the opportunity to repeat and reinforce the m.o. of our working culture.
With this particular project there are certain things I am hoping to hear about, and I explicitly listed them as "possible thought triggers." I am not testing them, and I don't want them to feel they are being tested or graded: I am sincerely looking for specific inputs.
My preface included a message of thanks, letting them know I greatly appreciated the way they all contributed to my vacation being as worry-free as it was. Rather than having that mahalo sound perfunctory, I talked about specific things I already knew about and did sincerely value. This also challenges them to dig below the surface, and not repeat what I already know about in their lists.
I've found a list of 5 to be a good number, not too short, not too long —relatively easy for them to compose, and manageable enough for me to read and respond to (there are 5 to 7 people on most of the teams I work with.) With 5 items, their lists will usually reveal items of lesser importance that can be good documentation historically, serving as a point of reference when future shifts happen. When ranked, these lists can also illustrate how different people within a team rank their priorities.
There was a part two within my request for their responses. I asked that secondly, they identify the single item out of their list of 5 occurrences which they feel is most exciting to them: What on their lists do they most wish to continue working on? Excitement is a symptom of positive energy, and it hints to self-motivations.
For now I simply want them to identify that single occurrence or idea, but I let them know that we will continue with a discussion in person or on the telephone, and therefore they needn't explain in too much detail yet: I want to save them the time-consuming written work, for I know more conversation will ensue, and we can cover much more ground in the two-way when it happens.
I set a deadline for their responses, and I ended with a proposed date and time for our follow-up conversations. As part of that agenda-to-come, I noted that I am eager to learn if they would like to assume a leadership role with the item they propose we continue, or if they will decide to be a champion for the change suggested by another leader among their peers.
The message is very clear to them, that within our mission-critical project team, being anyone but a leader or champion is not an option I am that interested in, however as you can tell, what I've written of above is very much about management technique and style too. That is the Alaka'i work culture we have now have, a balance which is primarily between self-management and leadership initiatives, and it is one which continues to create personal energy for me daily as their manager.
It is energy I can invest into a great variety of things now that I'm back at work too. When I ask the right questions my attention is focused on the right things and I waste very little time with catch-up. My direction from this point on is easy to take, and my team can feel good about helping me get there so quickly.
Photo credit: The Way I See It #7 by Rosa Say.
While the Big Cat is Away – You've been on vacation, or away on a long business trip. What do you notice when you get back?
Do you ask good questions? – Good questions get good answers!
Aloha everyone, how are you?
My biggest learning in May was that more offline time is essential if I am to make progress on my mission-critical projects. I love my online communities, but they can too easily consume all my attentions (versus directed attention at the right time).
Second, letting go while away is so much easier when you have a great team to support you, such as the team I have within the JJL Advisory Board "" and remember, they are unpaid, all volunteers driven by their commitment to the value of learning. Self-leadership shines magnificently.
My vacation was nearly a month long, and for the first time I included my email in my "I'm completely away" messages to disconnect as much as possible. It was extremely revealing to learn the full extent to which email had begun to rule my days (and it wasn't good), and I am committed to re-learning to use email with new self-imposed rules.
"Less is more" is absolutely, positively true, and a Stop Doing list trumps a To Do list for me "" big time. In addition, dwelling in that place enables me to give to others so much more.
Making room for projects and pilots is not more work for me; it is deliberate intention on the RIGHT work. Experimentation is crucial within my own Ho'ohana and project work is very useful to me in that it fuels my creative process. Stay tuned!
By all means, it is time to have my life imitate my art (An 'Imi ola concept to be sure "" create your best possible life!) Here are the practical, tangible updates for our Ho'ohana Community.
In addition, there are two projects that I have committed myself to completing as soon as possible, and I will share more about them as progress develops. I chose the Oscar Wilde quote as a good mantra for me to keep in affirmative focus, for I deeply wish to have my life imitate the art I set about creating, and my projects are my way to do that.
Talking Story remains blog-central for me, and I look forward to conversing here with you here again. This is my home base and will remain that way, and posting will be done when I have something to say and share with you as it happens, versus of a creative new blog-specific theme or direction.
You will see me reengage with our Joyful Jubilant Learning (JJL) community as soon as Rapid Fire Learning posts there as well. I am looking forward to Rick Hamrick's first time as our Mea Ho'okipa (RFL host this month).
Learning is a personal value I find impossible to turn off ('Ike loa is the Hawaiian value of learning). However other than our current theme at JJL I am going to say "No" to all new inputs so I can channel my learner's energies into my own two projects instead.
I will resume my twice-weekly writing for Say "Alaka'i" because I feel doing so is highly conducive to the flow of one of my projects, the writing of my second book. During my May vacation I completely revamped my outline and am quite excited about the writing I have invested into my current manuscript "" I am confident you will be too once I get it published, and I want to work on making that happen as soon as possible.
One of the things I consciously am saying "No" to (and those who know me well will gasp at this) is all my reading, for it is too distracting when I am writing a manuscript of my own. I will not be reading or reviewing books until my manuscript is complete, and I will also be staying away from my blog reader, trusting that the bloggers of our Ho'ohana Community will understand.
I will greatly curtail my conversations on Twitter. I know this will not be easy, for I do enjoy the banter of our friendships there and normally feel reciprocation is important, but I realize this restriction is very necessary: My habits-by-design will change to more update broadcasting when I have value to share, but less 'listening' to where a trend or link from others will send me down some rabbit trail. If I am unsuccessful at achieving this shift and Twitter proves to be too great a distraction I will stay away completely until my chosen projects are done and my businesses are thriving again.
For now, I am keeping my MWA Group on LinkedIn on hiatus. We were just getting started there, and I think it will be much wiser to restart at a better time. As I said above with my May RFLs, "Less is more." However this group is connected to one of my current projects, and while shelved for now, it will not be forgotten or dissolved.
In my current resolve I write this post more for me than for you. You are important to me, and it is fabulous that I can update you on my intentions as well, but this is more about putting my Ho'ohana in writing so that I MUST honor my own word and make good on it. I feel the best I can do for you is to lead by merit of my own best example. We know that as Alaka'i, and as self-managing with our Aloha.
Thank you so very much for all the support you continue to give me. Though in a newly calm and quieter way, or more accurately, because of that ma'alahi persuasion for calm, it's good to be back.


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Home News National Page 28
Joyce Dimaculangan - September 19, 2021
Joyce Dimaculangan - August 28, 2021
A Sword Has Pierced Heart' of City, says Orlando Bishop about Shooting
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Lawmakers in Oklahoma approved a bill Thursday that would make performing abortions a felony and revoke the medical licenses of most physicians who assist in such procedures. This sweeping measure,...
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WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) joined twenty-five other major pro-life, religious, and health care organizations on April 19, 2016 urging the U.S. House of Representatives to pass...
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National Krill Rhonda - October 28, 2015
Eight days after the death of Corey Jones nearly 1,500 friends, family members and concerned citizens rallied in Riviera Beach to praise God, to honor Corey's memory and to...
One Nation: Abortion is Illegal
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On July 27, 2014, the Philippines welcomed the birth of baby Chonalyn, the 100 millionth Filipino alive. She was greeted by a group of well-wishers, blinding camera flashes, and...


This season I've been working with our marketing team in shooting thousands of new photos of many of the most beautiful resort lifestyle communities in the Valley. We use the photos to update our website pages on a regular basis, which includes adding new online photo tours of each community.
This web-friendly enhancement allows us to offer you maximum online information to help guide you in finding your next 'place in the sun' by offering you the best overview possible for each desert community. Sheri and her team believe that an informed buyer is a well-prepared buyer.
As a side benefit of our photo shoots, I drive a golf cart around every single golf hole in every community that we shoot! I'm also visiting clubhouses, gyms, tennis courts and other community amenities and sharing this information with Sheri and Jonell to be able to pass on my vital findings to our clients. From entry level to the most exclusive desert communities, we do our homework on a daily basis to serve your needs at an unsurpassed level.