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Misc. 25. Januar 2022 <27. Januar 2022
Between Laughter and Melancholy
von Manni Li
Free Guy is an exciting sci-fi comedy with something poignant behind the laughter. While the romance plot is disappointing, mashups of real and virtual world lead the audience back to classics.
By Manny Li
Picture: Via Pixabay, CC0
As a sci-fi comedy, the movie Free Guy is an unbelievable mashup of cyber game, lover story, AI fiction and reality. Director Shawn Levy animates an obscure non-playable character (NPC), bank teller Guy (Ryan Reynolds) in the game Free City, who is unaware that he is a video game character but thinks of himself as living in paradise. Although his home is a crude and perfunctory model with a goldfish and many dull blue shirts, he is happy with his daily ritual of coffee in the morning, chatting with his good friend Buddy and greeting everyone with his trademark phrase »don't have a good day, have a great day«. As an NPC, he is accustomed to performing when the bank he works for is raided by armed robbers, until his encounter with Molotov Girl, avatar of the gamer Millie (Jodie Comer), who activates his AI codes written by Millie's start-up partner Keys (Joe Keery). Although Guy has not yet realized that he is a background character, who cannot interact with a real gamer, a vehement desire for love pushes him to get close to Millie.
Guy snatches a gamer's sunglasses with which he can watch the world of players. He is like Adam who steals the fruit of wisdom, but his God (the game developer Keys) is not able to expel him from the Garden of Eden, as Guy is a component of this particular paradise. So Guy is supposed to reach at least level 100 before he can speak to Millie. He levels up at an astonishing speed rising to fame in the real world. Many programs and internet influencers are seized by Guy and Millie is fascinated by him as well. However, the plot does not develop toward an affectionate romance between human and AI, but switches to the coding copyright issues between Millie, Keys and the game company of Free City.
Lame Romance
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi, and others
The love story of Guy and Millie is overall rather disappointing. Obviously, Levy finds a new perspective that allows human to enter the world of artificial intelligence, which is different from the most works that rather locate AI in the human world. But this interesting start point does not differentiate Free Guy from other similar films so much. Guy's crush on Millie leads the first half very well as their love story has novelty, which will strike a chord with game-player audiences.
Unfortunately, the director seems unsure how to deal with the relationship between Guy and Millie in the second half. The interference of Keys ruins their love story and starts another odd romance. It is difficult for the audience to root for the love between Keys and Millie due to lack of convincing hints. The happy ending of Keys and Millie's love sacrifices Guy's subjectivity. The most poignant scene is when Guy tells Millie: »I'm just a love letter to you, somewhere out there is the author«. So neither romance plot lines succeed in moving viewers.
Excellent Mashup of Genres
Free Guy is a mix of video game elements, cyberpunk, pop culture, fan service and parodies of other films. In terms of entertainment, Free Guy is completely able to please and relax the audience, but it certainly will mostly amuse viewers who are familiar with video games. It is full of references: Reynolds's playful monologue at the beginning of the film points directly to his movie Deadpool. The chaotic game scenes have shadow of Super Mario Bros., Grand Theft Auto and Fortnite etc. Guy's weapons include lightsabers, Captain America's shield or Hulk's fist. The character Guy himself is an homage to The Truman Show. In other words, the movie is a feast for game players and movie enthusiasts.
Of course, it is a pity that such an immense number of mashups violates the depth and seriousness of the theme. But even as a funny character, Guy not only amuses us, but also encourage us to be the hero of our own life. As the pandemic is raging, Free Guy lets us temporarily forget the boredom and isolation in reality. As Guy puts it: »Don't have a good day, have a great day.«
Film, Science Fiction
Manni Li
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Prince Harry And Suits Actor Megan Markle Are Engaged And Make First Public Appearance Prince Harry, got engaged to Suits actor and a black-American divorcee; Megan Markle. They made their first public appearance post engagement revealing details of their ring and how they fell in love, in a candid interview. Hours after the Royal announcement of their engagement, Prince and Megan walked at the Kensignton Palace Sunken Gardens and showed off their engagement ring, hand in hand
http://www.azwishesh.com/ 28 Nov, 2017 28 Nov, 2017
Prince Harry And Suits Actor Megan Markle Are Engaged And Make First Public Appearance
Prince Harry And Suits Actor Megan Markle Are Engaged And Make First Public AppearanceHot Buzz
(Image source from: businessinsider.com)
In a first, the 5th in line to the British throne Prince Harry, got engaged to Suits actor and a black-American divorcee; Megan Markle. They made their first public appearance post engagement revealing details of their ring and how they fell in love, in a candid interview. Hours after the Royal announcement of their engagement, Prince and Megan walked at the Kensignton Palace Sunken Gardens and showed off their engagement ring, hand in hand. They appeared too engrossed into each other and in a very romantic way they showed off the stone which is part from Botsvana and part from Lady Diana's jewel collection.
Harry told he was in love with Suits Star Markle, 2 years before meeting her officially. Declining the details about the proposal, he just mentioned 'of course it was romantic'. Harry proposed in their cottage at dinner time, and Harry did get down on one knee. Markle mentioned, "just an amazing surprise. It was so sweet and natural and very romantic." And Megan didn't even let Harry finish the question and kept on saying yes.
Image credit: time.com
"She didn't even let me finish, she said, 'Can I say yes? Can I say yes?' ... and I was like, 'Can I - can I give you the ring?' She goes, 'Oh yes, the ring,'" Harry recalled.
The Royal wedding will take place in Spring of 2018 and the rest of details will follow on. Harry designed the engagement ring keeping in mind about his late mother. He made her a part of this special moment in his life by keeping two of the side diamonds from Lady DIana's gem collection. The centre rock is from Botsvana where he has been spending a lot of time ever since he went in his childhood. These all keep a special place in his heart. And he mentioned if his mother were alive today, she would be jumping up and down with happiness. "I think she would be over the moon, jumping up and down so excited for me," Harry said. "It's days like these I really miss having her around."
The Queen and Prince Philip II said, they are "delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness."
Markle and Harry began dating from July 2016. Markle is 3 year older than Harry having a black mother and is a divorcee. Markle stars as Rachael Zane in hit TV drama Suits which is currently in its 7th season. "I think for both of us, though, it was really refreshing because given I didn't know a lot about him, everything that I've learned about him, I learned through him as opposed to having grown up around different news stories or tabloids or whatever else," Markle said.
Megan has been in limelight from years for her charitable causes and her role as an advocate for UN Women, the United Nations office for gender equality and the empowerment of women and also global ambassador for World Vision. Markle was previously married to movie producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 to 2013. She spoke about her relationship in a vanity fair interview published in September just around their first public appearance as a couple at Invictus games in Canada.
Image credit: people.com
"We're a couple. We're in love. I'm sure there will be a time when we have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time," she told the magazine.
"This is for us. It's part of what makes it so special, that it's just ours. But we're happy. Personally, I love a great love story."
Harry has been vocal about his mental struggles and recently he admitted that he had come "very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions." he also mentioned that he endured "years of total chaos" because he was unable to cope with his mothers death. he had a reputation of a flamboyant party boy even photographed naked in his hotel rom at Las Vegas in 2012. But he worked hard to improve his public image there on and even began dedicating himself to more charity causes.
Image credit: mirror.co.uk
Markle's parents, Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, said they were "incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry." They released a statement "Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents."
While prince William and Duchess Kate expressed they are extremely happy and excited.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Where are the Love Actually cast now? From tragic death to X Factor blow and Masked Singer reveal
Love Actually, released back in 2003, quickly established itself as a Christmas classic for many people
Simon DukeTV & Showbiz Editor
Get ready to feel really old as Love Actually turns EIGHTEEN this year, having been released many moons ago now back in 2003.
Richard Curtis, the man who previously gave us Four Weddings and A Funeral and Bridget Jones, assembled a star-studded cast to give us a movie which very swiftly established itself as a Christmas classic.
And for many people, it still wouldn't be Christmas without at least one watch of Love Actually before Santa comes, usually when tying to wrap presents or clutching a glass of Baileys.
READ MORE: Iconic Christmas TV moments from EastEnders to Vicar of Dibley
Love Actually had everything from a Prime Minister the country loved (let's not go there right now!) to a youngster with a huge crush on 'the hottest girl' in school while trying to get over his mum's death and an ageing rocker intent on landing the Christmas number 1 - enter a young looking Ant and Dec to conduct a very awkward TV interview!
As we all get set to give it another watch, we look at what has happened to the cast, minus a few of the biggest stars ,in an article that is tinged with sadness.
Alan Rickman as Harry in Love Actually
Already an acting great well before Love Actually, thanks to roles in Die Hard (yes it IS a Christmas film!) and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Alan became the man we all loved to hate as his character Harry dared to have his head turned by secretary Mia in the run up to Christmas.
None of us will ever forget the moment, Harry's wife Karen opened a Christmas present fully expecting it to be a beautiful necklace, only for it to be a Joni Mitchell CD, with the camera the cutting to Mia wearing said necklace.
One of this country's finest actors, Alan sadly passed away in 2016 at the age of 69 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
While we'll always hate Harry, Alan is a legend that will never be forgotten.
Olivia Olson
Olivia Olson as Joanna in Love Actually
Get ready for this - the young actress who played little Sam's love interest Joanna is now a 29-year-old!
Olivia stunned British TV viewers when she appeared on screens 16 years after Love Actually as a contestant on X Factor Celebrity in 2019.
Reacting to her being on the show, another reacted "Now I feel really really old. Yes that is the girl from Love Actually" and another commenting " if Love Actually girl doesn't sing All I Want For Christmas in a few weeks, I'll cry."
Olivia Olson (Image: Getty Images)
Sadly for Olivia, her stint on The X Factor didn't last long as she was voted off instead of Martin Bashir, despite him forgetting his words.
She struggled to hide her shock and upset at the result, with the outcome seeing Simon Cowell face the wrath of many ITV viewers.
Thomas Sangster
Thomas as Sam in Love Actually
Without a doubt THE most lovable character from the film, Sam gave Thomas his breakout role in 2003.
His relationship with on-screen dad Liam Neeson gave us some moving and hilarious scenes and then came Sam's famous airport dash to get to Joanna before she go on her flight to America.
While other child stars try and shed their past projects, Thomas, now THIRTY ONE years old, has admitted he loves being known as 'the little boy from Love Actually.'
Thomas Sangster all grown up
Since its release, Thomas has continued to work in the industry appearing in Nanny McPhee, Death of Superhero and Nowhere Boy, in which he played Beatles icon Paul McCartney.
In 2020 he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in hit Netflix series The Queen's Gambit.
Martine in Love Actually
Martine landed the role of Downing Street staff member Natalie, five years on from making a tragic exit from EastEnders, after her character Tiffany was ran over by Frank Butcher on New Year's Eve 1998 as she chased after Grant Mitchell.
After leaving the soap, Martine scored a huge number 1 with Perfect Moment, with hits like I've Got You and I'm Over You following in its footsteps.
She made a music comeback in 2017 with album Lost and Found, before releasing a Christmas EP last year.
Martine as Swan on The Masked Singer
And, at the star of 2021, Martine was unmasked as the Swan on hit ITV show The Masked Singer, with many viewers gutted she left the competition so early.
Emma Thompson in Love Actually
Like her on-screen husband Alan Rickman, Emma was already a well established star before Richard Curtis came calling for Love Actually, thanks to roles in hit films like Sense & Sensibility.
Two years on from her emotionally charged star turn as Karen, Emma joined forces with Thomas Sangster to take the lead in Nanny McPhee.
And she was clearly bitten by the Christmas movie bug after Love Actually as Emma also had a part in 2019's Last Christmas.
After supporting husband Greg Wise on Strictly, Emma was last seen on screen at An Audience With Adele, with viewers absolutely loving her enthusiastic dancing in the crowd.
Lucia Monez
Lucia Monez as Aurelia
Portugese star Lucia got her big acting break in 2003, taking on the role of Colin Firth's character Jamie's employee turned love interest, giving Love Actually one of its sweetest moments when Jamie hunted Aurelia down to propose.
A little known fact about Lucia is that she represented Portugal at Eurovision in 1996.
She has since returned to music and has now released five albums.
Like a number of the cast, Lucia returned for a Red Nose Day special in 2017.
Kris Marshall in Love Actually
Kris' big movie role in Love Actually as self-confessed 'god of sex' Colin Frissell, came hot on heels of him landing a TV break on BBC's My Family.
After Colin's memorable trans-Atlantic festive jaunt in Love Actually left viewers in hysterics, Kris, who is now 48, has gone onto star in drama series Murder City, Citizen Khan and Death in Paradise.
Andrew Lincoln
Already well known for being in Channel 4's Teachers and BBC 90s cult hit This Life, after Love Actually, Andrew will always be known as the 'to me your are perfect' guy, thanks to his sweet, but let's be honest, rather creepy doorstep declaration of love to Kiera Knightley's character with words on big bits of card.
Andrew made a huge name for himself all the other world after being cast in smash hit series The Walking Dead in the main role of Rick Grimes, which won him a coveted People's Choice award in the States.
Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon in Love Actually
Clearly a favourite of Richard Curtis, Hugh stole the hearts of the nation both on screen and off it as Prime Minister David, who did the unthinkable and put his foot down against the US President, all while falling for his assistant Natalie.
After Love Actually, Hugh rounded out the 2000s with roles in films Music & Lyrics and Did You Hear About The Morgans, alongside Drew Barrymore and Sarah Jessica Parker respectively.
More recently Hugh starred alongside Nicole Kidman in TV series The Undoing, for which he received SAG and Golden Globe nominations.
Laura Linney as Sarah
An employee of Alan Rickman's Harry, Laura's character Sarah fell head over heels in love with her co-worker Karl.
The path to romance didn't run smoothly though as Sarah also had to look after he troubled brother Michael, who rang her in distress right at the moment when she and Karl finally got close.
Laura's career has gone from strength to strength since Love Actually and having starred in the likes of Tales of the City and Ozark, has won two Golden Globe Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards, and has also been nominated for three Academy Awards and five Tony Awards.
Bill Nighy
Bill Nighy as Billy Mack
Aaahh Mr Billy Mack himself, who dared to take on boyband heavyweights Blue for the Christmas number 1 spot and won!
Bill's reworking of Wet Wet Wet's Love is All Around is a song families still play to this date at Christmas and, since his Love Actually star turn, acclaimed actor Bill has gone onto star in Hot Fuzz, Notes On A Scandal and The Boat That Rocked.
He also took a role in another festive film, Arthur Christmas in 2011.
Love Actually is actually on ITV at 10.40pm on Christmas Day if you fancy rounding off your festivities with Hugh, Martine, Emma and co.
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I was 11 when I was first put on my spectacle (oh the big one!) since then I have live with this very annoying blurry view every day, well almost 15 years now! Using contact lens won't help much, as I still have this uncomfortable feeling when I wear it more than 5 hours. Plus my working hours, which need me to keep facing the computer, make it worst…urgh!
Laser treatment? Hmmm…Will it actually be ok? I mean, what's the risk, how much it costs? Well who else to turn to if not my dear Google..he he..
Ok, i Google laser treatment…and I found this..LASIK..
Laser assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) can only be performed by a trained physician and is specified for reduction or elimination of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism as indicated within the product labeling.
I keep on reading and read one interesting sentence,iLASIK Video Contest…Well, if you love video making, maybe this is your chance!
Its called "You Gotta See This" Video Contest, calling all video enthusiasm to make a simple video to show the impact of improved version. Prizes also given away guys!
Well people, it worth trying..$5,000 for the GRAND Prize sounds good ey? Wait..wait..HDTV for first prize and FlipUltraHD camcorder for second? Awesome!!
Urgh…But Christmas holiday keep me going! Oyeah..counting christmas…another 1 month!!!!
I just have a healthy argument with our accountant just now when i wrote FOURTY on the invoice and she wants me to correct it to FORTY.
I told her that the correct spelling is FOURTY but she still said its FORTY. Looking up at google, i show her 40= FOURTY!!
But she open up another online dictionary and 40= FORTY.
Ha ha ha! well at least after 20++ years, now i know..
P/s Finally we both scolded by boss. The client making noise because we haven't send the invoice yet..errrr…..
its 2am..midnite..or rather early morning now..
Now i heard my friend singing outside this room…A very nice song..havent heard it for quite some time..and yea..now it keeps singing in my mind…ha ha..


All R48LTE players must be current WPH members to play in the 2019 NYAC R48LTE.
The World Players of Handball and the New York Athletic Club are thrilled to host the 2019 NYAC R48LTE/Burt Kossoff Invitational, April 11-14, 2019 at the famed New York Athletic Club, located at 180 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019.
The R48 will be staged at the NYAC for the sixth consecutive year, while the Burt Kossoff Invitational will be held in conjunction with the '19 NYAC R48LTE, featuring Master's Singles and Doubles (40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s), as well as Junior Singles.
The WPH R48LTE awards half the R48 ranking points as a traditional R48 event and nearly half the prize money.


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Food wagons an acquired taste
Dec 6, 2007 at 12:01 AM Dec 6, 2007 at 10:35 AM
The mobile food wagons popping up in parking lots all over town have created enough of a stir among neighborhood leaders that a Columbus official said the city will discuss regulating them more.
Hilltop leaders have been at the forefront in pushing for stricter rules. The food carts, most of them Latino-owned and featuring items such as tacos and quesadillas, have dotted their neighborhood and others in the city now for several years.
The food wagons are an example of the cultural change sweeping through Columbus neighborhoods: Newcomers bring businesses they knew back home, while residents of a city still relatively inexperienced with large numbers of immigrants wonder how to deal with them.
Dave Horn, the Greater Hilltop Area Commission's zoning chairman, said some think they create a "ragtag image" for the neighborhood. Some residents and business owners have complained that customers litter parking lots.
In Mexico, the wagons are common, said Julia Arbini Carbonell, president of the Ohio Hispanic Coalition.
She thinks the neighborhood is unfairly targeting Mexican vendors.
"The Hilltop is reacting to something not usual to them," said Carbonell, who owns an office building at Sullivant Avenue and Wilson Road.
"It doesn't mean it has no quality and it is no good," she said. "Accept that people have different values and traditions."
But Horn said standards are necessary.
"If residents think it's affecting the image of the neighborhood," he said, "we should talk about it with everyone around the table, figuring what the standard should be."
Chris Presutti, Columbus' chief zoning official, agrees. He wants to meet with neighborhood leaders and city officials to discuss what the city can do to better regulate the wagons since the city's code doesn't specifically address them.
"I think what's on the books should be clarified, so you don't have to go through five chapters of zoning code to see how to regulate food carts," Presutti said.
Presutti wrote a policy memo in August outlining standards for mobile vending wagons. The memo says they are allowed in "nonresidential" districts but cannot occupy required parking spaces or obstruct driveways, or be stored on-site.
Dana Rose, code-enforcement manager, said the city has cited food wagons for violating those standards.
Carbonell said she wants a seat at any discussion.
Although there are fewer food wagons out now as winter approaches, more will set up in commercial areas once the weather gets better again.
"They're difficult to regulate," Presutti said. "They come and go."
The operators must have a peddler's license from the city and a license from the health department.
It's difficult to determine how many peddler's licenses have been issued to food-wagon operators, said Sharon Gadd, manager of the city's license section. But she said 719 peddler's licenses have been issued this year, down from 851 last year and 822 in 2005.
Columbus Public Health spokesman Jose Rodriguez said he's not aware of any specific health concerns about food wagons. The city has issued 352 licenses for mobile food operations, including push carts. It has received only 12 complaints this year about those vendors, he said.
Northland Community Council President Dave Paul, who has seen the wagons set up in parking lots along Rt. 161, said no one's targeting ethnic groups.
"If someone was selling gyros out of a truck, I'd be just as concerned," he said.
"Some people think it's fabulous free enterprise," said the Hilltop's Horn. "Other people think it's a scourge."
Vernon Godsey thinks they're great. "I'm all for free enterprise," said the 37-year-old roofer as he wolfed down four tacos Tuesday at a yellow food wagon on Georgesville Road just north of Sullivant Avenue.
"For us, it's fast," Godsey said. He and his crew get to return to work quickly.
The owner, Pudente Reyes, 30, said he works from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day except Monday. He's set up shop at the same location for three years, just outside Columbus in Franklin Township.
Reyes said more vendors will move to the townships if Columbus regulates them.
Chuck Parker of the Northland Community Council said he worked with the city to move one cart from his Devonshire neighborhood along Rt. 161 just east of I-71. The cart moved but just farther east, he said.
"Nobody wants them in our neighborhood," Parker said.
mferenchik@dispatch.com


18" Number 6 Multi-color Junior Shape Balloon approximately 18 inches in size. This balloon is perfect for kids' and adults' birthday celebration to customize their birthday age. These number balloons are also great for customized anniversary party. Design is printed on both sides of the balloon. Some balloons may have two different designs on front and back side (as shown in the product image).


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Lobsters don't get fresher than the ones served by Aidan MacManus at The King Sitric in Howth, which are caught in Balscadden Bay just outside the restaurant.
Aidan's cooking method is given here, together with some of the variations offered along with one of the most popular dishes, Dublin Lawyer – as it's rich and full of whiskey, it doesn't take too much imagination to guess how it got its name!
Plunge the lobster into boiling water for approximately 11/2 minutes. This will kill the lobster quickly and loosen the flesh from the shell. Allow to cool, then prepare as indicated (OR described) above/below/in panel.
Rinse the shells for re-use, and keep warm. You will notice that the meat is very rare (barely cooked); cut it into small pieces. Melt the butter in a frying pan and then stir in the cream. Simmer until reduced by half and season to taste, then tip in the lobster pieces and cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour the whiskey into a separate small pan and set it alight to quickly flambé, then pour over the lobster and cream mixture. Stir gently until just combined then, using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and place into the warmed shells. Pour any remaining sauce on top and serve immediately.
• Grilled Lobster with Beurre Blanc: Pile all of the lobster meat back into the shell and season to taste, then brush with 50g/2oz of melted butter. Cook under a medium grill for about 5 minutes and offer beurre blanc on the side.
• Grilled Lobster with Lemon and Parsley Butter: Pile all of the lobster meat back into the shell. In a small pan warm 50g/2oz of butter, one crushed garlic clove, a squeeze of lemon juice and a teaspoon of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Season to taste and brush all over the lobster meat, reserving the remainder. Grill under medium heat for about 5 minutes.
• Classic Lobster Thermidor: Sauté a chopped shallot in a knob of butter and then add a glug of wine and allow to bubble down completely. Stir in 6 tablespoons of cream and simmer until reduced by half, then stir in 1/2 a teaspoon of prepared English mustard and a squeeze of lemon juice. Finish cooking the lobster as described above; sprinkle with grated Parmesan and flash under a hot grill.


Winnie spent her 57th birthday partying—drinking and doing drugs, a lifestyle she maintained for the previous 42 years. Shortly afterwards, deciding to detox, she checked into "Living Sober" at the old UPMC Braddock hospital.
But she still wasn't ready to get completely sober.
Hertime in rehab changed that.
Once she completed the program, she decided not to return to her old neighborhood.
"I knew, if I had any chance of staying clean and sober, I would have to get away from there," Winnie said.
She spent another six months in a supervised program, and found work.
It was at her next stop, a place in Swissvale that Winnie describes as a "three-quarters house" that she heard of Braddock Apartments, an ACTION-Housing development that provides housing and supportive services for people with a history of homelessness. Winnie was accepted into the program and moved intoBraddock, where she stayed for the next six years.
During those six years, while working, Winnie enrolled in the Drug and Alcohol program at CCAC, and worked towards earning a degree.
ACTION-Housing brought the newly minted college graduate on as a Braddock Apartments staff member, where she already served as a peer educator.
When she turned 62, Winnie was ready to live without the extra support Braddock Apartments provided. She was the first to put her name on the waiting list for the newly completed Forest Hills Senior Apartments.
Despite knee and shoulder surgery, and chronic joint pain from arthritis that requires her to regularly go to physical therapy, Winnie isn't looking to act her age.
"I'm not ready for the rocking chair," she said.
She still wants to work, and eventually, wants to get a bachelor's degree in psychology.
In the ten years since Winnie has been off the streets, her life has completely turned around. She worked hard to make that happen for herself — to achieve self-sufficiency.
But she still recognizes the help she received along the way.


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Colliers Arranges Sale of Morgantown, W. Va., Property for $32 Million
Morgantown, W.Va.— West Run is two miles from West Virginia University's campus and is the largest off-campus student housing facility in Morgantown, Colliers says.
West Run ApartmentsMorgantown, W.Va. — The Colliers International Student Housing Group recently arranged the sale of West Run apartments, a 332-unit, 994-bed off-campus student housing facility near West Virginia University, for $32 million. Columbus, Ohio-based Peak Property Group purchased West Run from seller Bridge Partners, headquartered near San Francisco. West Run is located two miles from WVU's campus and is the largest off-campus student housing facility in Morgantown. Colliers International's Travis Prince and Dorothy Jackman handled the transaction between the buyer and the seller.
— Scott Reid
Colliers International Student Housing Group Dorothy Jackman Student Housing Business Student Housing Business magazine Travis Prince West Run Apartments


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By: Hannah Tan-Gillies December 18, 2019 March 22, 2020
Asia Pacific, China, Events, Luxury Fragrance, makeup, Pop-up, Travel Beauty, Travel NewsCDF Mall, estee lauder, Event, Hainan, Pop-up, Sanya, sticky, Yang Mi
Estée Lauder's Holiday Exhibition takes over Sanya
Estée Lauder has partnered with China Duty Free Group (CDFG) to introduce a larger-than-life gifting pop-up in the CDF Mall in Haitang Bay until 30 December. The Estée Lauder Holiday Exhibition is a towering display of the brand's best-selling skincare and makeup products; and features three travel retail-exclusive gift sets.
Chinese Actress and Estée Lauder Global Spokesmodel Yang Mi was a golden goddess at the official opening of the Holiday Exhibition
Double Face: The Estée Lauder Holiday Exhibition was a card game-themed exhibition space on one side, and a golden Christmas townhouse on the other
Festive, fun, and fashionable: Large LED screens display a whimsical film inspired by the fashion illustrations of artist Megan Hess
This is the second year in a row that Estée Lauder has partnered with CDFG to launch a holiday exhibition. The official opening, which was held on 14 December, was attended by Estée Lauder Global Spokesmodel Yang Mi, as well as representatives from both The Estée Lauder Companies and CDFG. The Moodie Davitt Report was the exclusive trade media in attendance.
"Expect great offers, shopping rewards and the opportunity to see Miss Yang Mi on stage. For fans of [the] Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex, it will be a Christmas to remember." – China Duty Free Group Vice President of Central Merchandising Division Terry Chua
I was on location for the official opening of the Estée Lauder Holiday Exhibition
Judy Free was treated to an exclusive tour of the spectacular animation ahead of the launch event
The towering installation was inspired by the work of renowned fashion illustrator Megan Hess, whose illustrations are featured on the brand's travel retail-exclusive Advanced Night Repair gift set.
This collection is one of three limited-edition travel retail-exclusive gift sets that will be available until the end of February. The other sets are the Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Regenerating Youth Travel Collection, and the Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick Trio, which includes the Rebellious Rose, Slow Burn, and Persuasive lipstick shades.
The same stylish illustrations feature prominently in the design of the pop-up store and on an exclusive animated film featured on the pop-up's digital displays. The animated film – combined with a light show – will be played three times a day until 25 December.
The striking holiday installation takes centre stage of the main atrium in the CDF mall in Haitang Bay, Sanya. It offers a bold red and gold colour scheme and plenty of festive details. Large LED displays featuring Estée Lauder's latest holiday video campaign, starring Yang Mi, are projected on the outside of the pop-up.
View from the top: The Estée Lauder Holiday Exhibition looks like a golden gift box when viewed from a different perspective
Guests can discover the brand's best-selling products and travel retail-exclusive gift sets: The Advanced Night Repair Holiday Collection (left) and The Re-Nutriv Line (right)
The official opening was attended by a number of high-profile KOLs. Chinese Livestreamer 江南BoyNam had over 1.7 million Weibo fans watching his live stream of the event.
A Christmas Tree is the main focal point inside the pop-up and a golden swing serves as the perfect photo opportunity. Guests can also play the 'spin to win' wheel, which gives them the opportunity to win a variety of gifts with purchase.
Megan Hess's illustrations are also prominently featured in Estée Lauder's visual takeover of the CDF Mall, which includes large-scale posters on both main entrances, escalator wrappings, and smaller holiday outposts dotted across different levels and areas of the mall.
I am not one to miss a golden photo opportunity
Spin to win: As part of the brand's 'Game On' holiday theme, shoppers can win festive gifts with purchase by spinning a giant wheel
A 360 Christmas takeover: Megan Hess's illustrations feature prominently on banners, ads, and small outposts throughout the CDF Mall
The 'game on' outpost, located on the second floor of the fashion zone at the CDF Mall, features an interactive digital memory game. This gives customers the opportunity to win exclusive prizes if they are able to correctly match Megan Hess's illustrations.
To accompany the pop-up, the Estée Lauder boutique in the CDF mall also got a holiday makeover. Inside the flagship store, guests can discover the complete range of Estée Lauder's skincare, beauty, and fragrance lines. They can also try the products for themselves, and receive a personal Estée Lauder makeup look, courtesy of Estée Lauder's professional makeup artists.
The Estée Lauder boutique in the CDF Mall has also got a holiday makeover starring Yang Mi
Megan Hess's stylish illustrations can be found dotted around the boutique
For Estée Lauder Senior Vice President Travel Retail Worldwide Raffaella Cornaggia, the stellar animation creates an unforgettable duty free shopping experience for seasonal travellers in Sanya.
She said: "We are thrilled to return this year and partner with CDFG to bring an enhanced festive retail experience to shoppers here in Haitang Bay. As a brand, we challenged ourselves to give our ever-growing consumer base an unforgettable holiday experience and a more engaging way to discover our product offerings. We are grateful for the continued support of Yang Mi and our partners at CDFG."
er 1,000 Yang Mi fans flocked to the CDF Mall to see their idol at the Estée Lauder Holiday Exhibition on 14 December
Jo Malone London unveils a 'Galaxy of Gifts' at Heathrow Airport
Lancôme celebrates its 'Seoul Unstoppable' pop-up


The Benefits of Cranial-Sacral Osteopathy for Babies and Children.
In a complicated birth, a baby can face a number of stressful challenges on her journey into this world.
The bones of the head are separate moving parts, wonderfully designed by nature to move and adjust as the baby travels through the birth canal.
A baby's heads is designed to be flexible and strong enough to push its way out under pressure. However, problems can occur when cranial bones get twisted or compressed, and then stay out of shape.
A degree of twisting and misalignment can also occur if there's been pressure within the spinal column during the birthing process. Craniosacral therapists believe that this could result in disturbance to the nerves at the back of the neck, for example those responsible for relaxing and tensing muscles, leaving your baby feeling very uncomfortable and unsettled.
Misalignment could have an impact on other central nervous system nerves that branch out from the spinal area transmitting essential messages to and from the whole body. These require good skeletal alignment and space to function properly.
Keeping this in mind, you can see how your baby could be feeling discomfort in the gut area and could be trying to communicate this to you through crying and through body language. Minor misalignment could be interfering with essential messages efficiently reaching the digestive system, resulting in your baby experiencing colicky systems.
The Craniosacral System has been in place since an early stage of our evolution. It comprises the bones of the skull (cranium and mandible), the spine, the sacrum and tailbone (coccyx), plus the membranes and fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord, along with the related connective tissue. Its function is to help maintain a healthy environment for the central nervous system (CNS) to function efficiently, thus influencing a variety of bodily functions.
Craniosacral therapy (CST) has its roots in osteopathy and was developed into a unique treatment by Dr John Upledger an osteopath, in the 1970s. It's a gentle non-invasive, hands-on treatment, which works with the body's natural rhythms, and helps to activate healing and balancing mechanisms.
When your baby is feeling safe, loved and relaxed they may be more able to communicate their areas of tensions. When these tensions are released and balanced, your baby is more likely to wholly relax into life. A sensitive, compassionate therapist will find those areas in need of adjustment and provide an opportunity for balance to occur.
Gentle hands-on techniques facilitate the unwinding of areas of compression and misalignment, encouraging the release of stress and associated emotions. Your baby's body can then start to soften and relax. With pressure and tension gone, necessary space in the brain and body can return; room is freed for natural growth and functioning, and your baby's health and wellbeing can be much improved.
It's also possible that Craniosacral therapy could help to release residual tension around the stomach and colon that have been causing a degree of colicky symptoms to occur. It could also help relief symptoms by helping to stretch and relax the Psoas muscle situated in the buttocks and hips. This muscle can become tight after several months of being flexed in the fetal position in the womb.
When Can Baby Have a CST Treatment?
Anecdotal evidence suggests that many newborn babies could benefit from a Craniosacral treatment within two weeks of birth – ideally in the first few days. This could help prevent many subsequent problems in childhood and adulthood, including some ear problems, developmental problems, headaches, neck pain and spinal disorders.
It's worth considering taking your baby to be checked over by a CST therapist in order to give them a good start in life. On average, at least three treatments are required; however, differences may be noticeable after just one treatment. After a difficult delivery, and for premature babies, more treatment s may be needed and it may take more sessions before any significant changes are noticed. Also, it's good to know that's never too late to make a difference – older children and adults can benefit greatly from having this deeply relaxing and healing treatment.


http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | The latest Gallup Poll shows President Bush's approval rating has fallen below 60 percent (to 58 percent) for the first time since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America. The poll is as unrealistic as the one that showed 90 percent of the public approved of his performance after that fateful day.
Polling has become a type of meat thermometer. The pollster, like the thermometer, is more tuned to the process than to the result. At least the meat thermometer is more likely to be accurate than the pollster, which measures opinion not on the level of the respondent's knowledge or expertise but feelings and impressions: 1,002 adults, aged 18 or over, were surveyed, but the possibility of ignorance (in addition to error) is contained in two statements buried within the poll. "In addition to sampling error," begins the disclaimer, "question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls."
The first question in the Gallup survey asks, "Based on what you have heard or read, please say whether you favor or oppose each of the following economic proposals."
Heard or read? Heard from whom and read in what? Do we know where the respondents are getting their information? If it is from the broadcast networks, or newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post, the likelihood is they will reflect the bias against Bush's domestic and foreign policies contained in those media.
What qualifies those surveyed to have an opinion on Bush's economic or foreign policies? Is it anything more than subjective conclusions? The poll doesn't say. Indeed, it cannot say.
Amazingly, the poll reveals that while Gallup's measure of the president's approval has declined, most people support the very economic and foreign policies he is pursuing. An earlier Gallup Poll, conducted Jan. 3-5, just before either party announced its economic "stimulus" proposal, found that 86 percent of those surveyed want to expand tax credits for families with children and nearly as many (80 percent) support reducing additional taxes married couples must pay when both spouses work. Sixty-five percent want the tax cuts approved in 2001 to take effect immediately and not over several years, which is precisely what the president has asked from Congress.
When it comes to his handling of Iraq, the Gallup Poll shows two seemingly antithetical results. The poll says 42 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Bush is handling foreign affairs, the highest disapproval he has received on this issue. But the poll also shows a majority (51 percent) believe that Iraq poses a greater threat to the United States than North Korea, which is what the president has said. Why this double-mindedness? Possibly it is the confusion produced in many minds between reality and the media's perception of reality.
Most Americans pay little attention to economics, except their own. That's why, in a recent Associated Press story, a woman was quoted as saying she is concerned about the federal deficit. She said she and her husband had recently gotten out of debt, and she thought the country should follow their example. This was a wire story about people who don't want a tax cut. One might as well accept financial advice from a palm reader as to interview someone with no knowledge about the historical effects of tax cuts on the economy.
My sense is that President Bush will not be swayed by these polls, any more than he was swayed by the ones that put him at 90 percent approval. At the time, he indicated that polls were fickle, and he was simply going to do what he believed best for the country.
He should, and will, continue on that course. With a Republican (though not conservative) majority in Congress, he can get more done than when Democratic obstructionists often prevailed. The proof of whether his policies work will be determined not by subjective opinions, as measured by polls, but by objective truth as measured by results.
We elect a president to lead us, not follow our opinions. This president has more than enough convictions to lead the country toward what works and not follow meaningless polls that were the Holy Grail to his predecessor.


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Royal Scolding!
Prince Charles Confronted By Queen Over Dissing Kate
Attacks on Middletons draws mother's rebuke!
May 14, 2018 @ 14:00PM
View gallery 10
Prince Charles is so jealous of his son Prince William's close ties to his commoner in-laws, he's orchestrating a palace hate campaign against Kate Middleton's parents that's tearing the royal family apart — and a fed-up Queen Elizabeth has stepped in to resolve the crisis! Catch up on more royal gossip here….
Prince Charles is so jealous of his son Prince William's close ties to his commoner in-laws, he's orchestrating a palace hate campaign against Kate Middleton's parents that's tearing the royal family apart — and a fed-up Queen Elizabeth has stepped in to resolve the crisis!
Photo credit: BACKGRID
Charles' efforts were casting clouds over the May 19 nuptials of Prince Harry and American-born beauty Meghan Markle, as well as the recent birth of Prince Louis, his newest royal grandson.
"Her Majesty called Charles and his wife, Camilla, on the carpet and ordered them to end their vicious war on Kate's folks, Carole and Michael Middleton (left)," The National ENQUIRER learned from a royal courtier. "She told [them] in no uncertain terms — they were facing disinheritance and even banishment if they don't change their ways immediately!
"Elizabeth is horrified by unseemly gossip spread by Charles and his wife about both his sons and their brides," the source continued. "They are forcing the extended royal family to take sides — and it's creating chaos."
Charles has accused the Middletons of pulling William away from his roots and blocking their access to the grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Louis. "Charles is incensed William and the kids spend more time with the Middletons than with him and Camilla," The ENQUIRER learned from a palace insider.
"He feels usurped by Kate's family and rants 'that peasant Carole' wields too much influence on his grandchildren," the source said. "Camilla is stirring the pot, telling him he should have the major say in how future king George is raised. Charles retaliated by freezing Kate's mom and dad out of family events!
"Several of the queen's courtiers picked up on this and snubbed the Middletons, especially Carole, any chance they got," the source claimed. "That's what crafty Charles wanted. He knew the royal staffers would follow his lead." But Kate was outraged!
"She gave William an ultimatum," the source claimed: "Make your dad back off — or else!" According to author Tom Bower, William was so infuriated, he went to his grandmother for help. To end the shocking war, the queen invited Carole to Balmoral, in Scotland.
There, she personally drove the former air hostess around the estate — and made sure a TV cameraman was on hand to film their outing, said Bower, in his unauthorized biography, "Rebel Prince: The Power, Passion and Defiance of Prince Charles."
But Charles is still threatened by his sons' popularity and easy-going charm — and he's jealous of the beautiful women they love! He knows Kate, William, Harry and Meghan are the new stars and he's "in trouble," writes Bower.
Kate Middleton Prince Charles Queen Elizabeth


text:
What's Brewing
Bob Barnes Mar 1, 2015
March Beer Festivals
Two fests are on tap for the month of March. First up is the Brews Best on March 14 from 1-6 p.m. Take note that it is relocating from Lake Las Vegas to Town Square. Tickets are $30 for unlimited sampling of nearly 100 local and regional beers, a beer mug, tasting guide, live music and access to dozens of restaurants within Town Square. Proceeds benefit New Vista Community, an organization that supports programs for intellectually challenged adults & children in the Las Vegas area. To purchase tickets and for a list of breweries, visit brewsbestlv.com.
On March 28 from 3-7 p.m. 1 p.m. entry for VIP is the Boulder City Beerfest, held at Wilbur Square Park in the heart of the historic city. The park is located just two blocks from Boulder Dam Brewing, which is where you can buy tickets in advance for $45 for VIP or $30 for general admission $45 at the door. The only beerfest currently held in Boulder City, it will have more than 20 breweries pouring close to 100 beers, live music, food for purchase from six gourmet food trucks, brewers games and homebrewing demonstrations. For more info, a list of breweries or to purchase tickets, visit bouldercitybeerfestival.com. Tickets are also being sold at Khoury's in Henderson.
First Henderson Smack Down a Rousing Success
The first ever Henderson Smack Down, a tasting competition of Henderson breweries, was held at Shakespeare's Grille & Pub on Jan. 22. It was fitting that it was held at Shakespeare's as it has been one of the biggest supporters of local breweries. It turned out to be an extremely successful and popular event, drawing a crowd of 245, so large that after the inside was filled to capacity an overflow area in the Pub's outdoor patio was also packed with beer fans. For only $5 participants got to taste nine different beers of varying beer styles from Bad Beat Brewing, CraftHaus and Joseph James. The scoring was quite simple; we were given a scoring sheet and rated each beer on a scale of 1 to 5 and also picked our top three. What was somewhat difficult was determining each beer's style, as the tasting was completely blind. General Manager Jeff Urbanski and Co-owner Corey Coleman and all of the Shakespeare's staff did a phenomenal job getting the nine samples out in a timely fashion to the gathered horde and tallying the results quickly. The overall winner was Joseph James, coming in first with its Milkshake Stout, which was fitting as this beer was a collaboration brew brewed with Jeff and Corey; Bad Beat took second with The Heater, a pepper spiced stout; third was Joseph James with Red Eye Coffee Stout; and fourth place went to CraftHaus for its Tweaked Resonate, a brett sour raspberry saison. To my knowledge, this is the first time an event of this type has taken place in Nevada since Great Basin and Holy Cow held a similar competition in the 1990s. Hopefully it's the first of many and judging from the turnout, Southern Nevadans are hankering for more.
Two New Breweries Open in Las Vegas
Hop Nuts Brewing held its soft opening on New Year's and word of mouth, social media and coverage from local media has been drawing in a steady stream of customers ever since. A lot of those enjoying the new brewpub are locals from the neighborhood. Hop Nuts is located in the 18b Las Vegas Arts District at 1120 Main St. just a block south of Charleston, which happens to be the very same one that 34-year-old Owner/Brewmaster Kevin Holder grew up in and where he has lived since 1992. Of course the beer is the main reason to show up here, and pouring during my visit were a 4.5% Golden Ale made with wheat and crystal malt, 6% 18b Pale Ale, 7.4% IPA and 8.5% Imperial Stout loaded with 75 IBUs and strong, bold notes of espresso, chocolate and roast. Kevin plans to have seven staples, three seasonal and will support the other local breweries by having rotating guest taps for local brews. Future styles will include a porter, hefeweizen and amber ale along with some barrel aged beers thrown into the mix.
Kevin honed his brewing skills as a homebrewer and won a Best of Show competition; apprenticed at Tahoe Mountain Brewing in Truckee, CA and at Migration Brewing and BridgePort Brewing in Portland, OR; and took classes on yeast at White Labs in San Diego. Kevin says the name of his brewpub has a double meaning: "We're nuts about hops and hops look kind of like nuts." In fact, Kevin says when designing his recipes he begins with the hop bill first and then thinks about which malts to use.
The place has a cool vibe with a long wood bar and windows from which you can spy the American-made 7-barrel Practical Fusion System; and while a kitchen is not in place yet, several restaurants in the area offer delivery. A chalkboard above the bar lists beers on tap with ABV and IBU strengths. Soon there will be monthly cask-beer events, weekly live music shows and brewery tours. Now with the ever-flowing good beer, Hop Nuts is giving us yet another reason to head downtown. Hop Nuts is open Sun.-Thur. 2 p.m.-2 a.m. and Fri. & Sat. 2 p.m.-4 a.m.
1120 S Main St #150, Las Vegas, NV 89104
702-816-5371 www.hopnutsbrewing.com
Across town at Durango and Desert Inn across the street from Desert Breeze Park, Old School Brewing Company has taken over the former space of Graziano's Pizza. Owner/Brewmaster Jim Wilson should be a familiar face to the beer community, as he was previously the brewmaster at Barley's. When I visited in late January Jim's beers had only been pouring for a few days. All are easy drinking sessionable beers and are clean and well done right out of the gate. During my visit I sampled Homeroom Hefeweizen Bavarian style, Pale Ale 101English style and Varsity Vanilla Porter malty sweet with Madascar bourbon vanilla beans. The name of the beers and pub suggest a school theme, but Jim says it also refers to his love of "old school" hot rods and the fact that both he and his son were home schooled. The brewery has a custom designed 15-barrel system with three primary fermenters and five serving tanks. Jim plans to rotate his beers constantly and says, "The only constant will be me and change. You'll be able to come back in a month and find different beers and different items on the food menu." Speaking of the food, comfort favorites with a twist are the norm, such as a Roasted Beet Grilled Cheese enriched with five different cheeses and Corn Dog made with bratwurst cooked in beer and tempura battered using Old School's Pale Ale.
The atmosphere is as Jim intends it to be, a public house environment that is a relaxed and comfortable place to hang out with friends without loud music. Several windows provide natural lighting to help brighten the mood. There's also plenty of room, with total seating of 190 including room for 83 in the pub. Old School is open any time you want to stop in, 24/7. Jim says this location is the first of four breweries he and his partners will be opening in the Vegas Valley.
8410 West Desert Inn, Las Vegas, NV 89117
702.BREWPUB oldschoolbrewing.com
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com. He welcomes your inquiries.
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Auctions are used to sell everything from fine art to used cars and these days it is increasingly popular method for selling commercial properties and liquidating personal property or buying. Companies are taking advantage of the Great Recession.
Auctions are an efficient means for franchise companies to get rid of surplus real estate inventory and raise capital in a market where financing remains tight. Auctions are more prevalent now with a downturn in the economy but they are a viable choice in any economy. An Auction brings a willing buyer and seller together in a structured time-defined format.
An Auction provides a quick way for a company to sell properties it is no longer using, get rid of costs associated with carrying the real estate on its books, and move on to some more positive uses for capital.
Another reason why auctions are growing in popularity is because the banking crisis has stymied the flow of capital for many borrowers. Casualties of that capital crunch is that commercial real estate sales have dropped drastically.
Fewer properties are trading hands and the cost of financing is higher, real estate sellers and buyers are both confused as to what sales prices should be in the current market.
One way to bridge that pricing is through an auction. An Auction is an excellent way for values to be determined.
More auctions are "live" or outcry auctions because of the pricing uncertainty that exists in the market. Sellers want a fair price for their property and buyers don't want to feel foolish and overpay. The live auction is a good way to establish realistic price, because everyone can see and hear the other bid.
There other types of auction methods, such as sealed bids, modified sealed bid and online auctions. The sealed bid is closer to the traditional sale because the Seller has more flexibility to accept, reject or counter the best bid. Sealed bids are often used in the sale of high profile buildings.
As a result many Sellers opt for a modified sealed bid auction. In this method, terms are set so bidders in the top percentage range are offered the opportunity to bid in a live auction format. The sealed bid is used to qualify the bidders for the "final round".
The auctions hold advantages for both sellers and buyers. Some people think of auctions as a last resort. They are not, Roesch says. The mystique of the auction attracts players that might not otherwise become involved.
From a seller's perspective, an auction may create a bidding environment that may fetch a higher price. The seller can set up a "reserve" so they can reject bids that don't meet a minimum price. An auction can speed the process by posting a specific time line for due diligence, auciton, and closing.
There is generally a 30 to 45 day due diligence period before the auction or date that sealed bids are due. In most cases once a bid is accepted the sale of the property is completed within 30 days. Open auction bids are typically all-cash, non-contingency offers.
There is always the potential for the buyer to get a bargain.
We will see more and more retailers of all sorts use auctions to sell excess real estate. Walmart for example uses auctions to ensure timely sales of out lots in front of existing stores. Often times it is not the core business of a retailer to babysit vacant real estate that is not part of their core business.
If you are considering selling your real estate property, contact us! We'll discuss your property and your needs and do a preliminary assessment to determine if your property is a good candidate for a Father Time Auction.


Laser hair removal is achieved by selectively targeting and destroying hair follicles in order to prevent new hair regrowth. This leads to a reduction of unwanted hair without damaging the surrounding skin. The CoolGlide laser is FDA approved to reduce hair in all skin types. The principle of laser hair removal starts with sucking the skin with a patented vacuum treatment tip, so that the skin becomes thinner. When the skin is lifted, the melanin area of the skin becomes less and it reduces the absorption of energy by the skin epidermis. There are also blood vessels in the epidermis, and the oxygenated hemoglobin in the blood vessels also absorbs light. When the skin is sucked up, the blood vessels are squashed, and the competitive absorption of oxyhemoglobin is also relatively reduced. After sucking up, the HS emits an 800-nanometer laser, which passes through the raised epidermis to the deep hairy area of the skin, destroying the hair follicle, and permanently reducing the hair during the growing period.
Most areas require 6-8 treatments. The number of treatments required depends on multiple factors - hair thickness, area treated, and hair's growth cycle. Not all hairs actively grow at the same time.
Hairs actually go through three distinct phases: growth, regression, and resting.
Lasers disable hairs that are in the growth phase at the time of treatment. Since hairs enter the growth phase at different times, multiple treatments are needed to disable all of the hair follicles.
With each treatment the total amount of hair is reduced. After a series, patients can expect a 75-90% reduction in amount of hair. Remaining hair is typically much finer.


Americans like to think that hard work always translates to success. In the American social class system, the sky's the limit, right? If we just work hard enough, we can move right up the class ladder, correct?
I have no doubt that hard work matters a lot but I also believe hard work has its limits. What happens when the economy is lousy and you live in a community where thousands of jobs have been lost? It's tough to work hard when you can't find a job.
A recent 60 Minutes segment entitled "Anger in the Land" focuses on the bleak economic situation in Newton, Iowa. If you have twelve minutes to spare, I highly recommend that you watch it in order to see the sociological point that hard work sometimes only gets you so far.
We learn that a Maytag appliance factory that once employed 5,000 people closed in 2007 (many of the jobs went to Mexico). Hit extremely hard by the recession, business in Newton has suffered and layoffs have occurred at a variety of places: an advertising company, furniture sales store, website design business, and telecommunications company. The Chrysler and Chevrolet dealerships have closed, and so have a tractor supply company and jewelry store.
It's even hard to sell pizzas. A 52-year-old Domino's franchise owner talks about working an 82 hour week, and it might not be long before he's eligible to file for food stamps. One family describes their struggle to keep their daughter in college. Several residents indicate they don't think their children will be able to enjoy the same standard of living as they have. And they don't think politicians are working on their behalf. Watch people on the verge of tears (and a few men who do shed tears) as they talk about their struggles. Do these seem like people who just need to try harder?
When, in a city of 100,000, only one man is unemployed, that is his personal trouble, and for its relief we properly look to the character of the man, his skills, and his immediate opportunities. But when in a nation of 50 million employees, 15 million men are unemployed, that is an issue, and we may not hope to find its solution within the range of opportunities open to any one individual. The very structure of opportunities has collapsed. Both the correct statement of the problem and the range of possible solutions require us to consider the economic and political institutions of the society, and not merely the personal situation and character of a scatter of individuals.
Let's apply the excerpt to the people in Newton, Iowa: if the economy were thriving and the Maytag appliance factory still employed 5,000 people and was hiring, and only a hundred people in the city were unemployed, we might rightfully question their work ethic and their character. But what really seems to be going on with the people in this community is that the structure of opportunities has collapsed around them. It's not the people who are at fault, so finger-pointing at the unemployed won't do. Rather, something is wrong with societal institutions, namely the economy.
For the record, according to a recent Department of Labor report, the unemployment rate in the United States currently is 9.6% with 14.8 million people unemployed. We can safely assume that some of these folks are lazy, but does anyone think most or all of the unemployed are lazy and have character flaws? How many communities are like Newton, Iowa but weren't profiled on 60 Minutes? My guess is more than most of us think.
In this context I like to think about the Horatio Alger myth. Horatio Alger was a 19th century author who wrote rags to riches stories. Alger's message was "strive and succeed." Alger optimistically promoted the view that people raised in poor circumstances could rise up the social class ladder to obtain the American Dream.
Not a bad message to send, to some extent. On the surface, there's nothing wrong about inspiring readers to work hard in order to achieve success. But sociologists have to be the realists in the room. We're sorry to deliver the bad news that hard work only goes so far when there's an economic recession or when society slowly recovers from one. And so we think it's a myth that if people just try harder they will automatically find success. How much does work ethic matter when people don't have job opportunities?
It's disturbing to think that the American Dream isn't available to everyone all of the time. It's frustrating to consider that hard work gets some people nowhere. I'm not suggesting that we start reading books with titles like "Failure is Inevitable" and "Laziness is a Virtue." And I don't expect to see an author on Oprah Winfrey's show promoting a book called "Stop Trying." Hard work and achievement will probably always be core American values. I just want to acknowledge what I think is a cold economic fact: hard work has its limits.
I really enjoyed your article and I think being a freshman in university this sad moral of the story really irks me, academically and professionally. However, I have another point of view.
You said that hard work has its limits is a "cold economic fact". I'm in first year economics and we just finished our midterm which is probably why I remember this: we basically spent this entire semester learning about labor productivity.
There is this equation: y=aL + Bk +TFP where y is output, aL is the contribution of labor, Bk is the contribution of capital, and TFP is the contribution of the advancement of technology. I would like to solve the equation but I doubt anyone would care. What the bottom line is that, y, our output or GDP, will go up if we have more labor, capital, or technological advancement. However, the contribution of TFP to total output is 46 percent. It's more than either labor or capital individually. Moreover, when solving how much of labor productivity [output/worker] is made out of technological advancement/innovation, we find the answer to be 80%. 80% of more output per worker rests on better technology. And if we look at this equation closely we realize that hard work is indeed at play: more labor and capital are quantitative, whereas technological advancement is only possible when people work hard to innovate. I have a feeling that this is why, the US, has historically supported entrepreneurs.
I have hated the discipline of economics my entire life but this must be the most important equation of my academic career. Krugman listed numerous ways we can improve our output, but the only longterm solution is innovation. The golden age of capitalism [1950-1973] was a testament to this notion.
I know what I'm saying isn't probably exactly related to unemployment but I feel as long as there are people innovating, there will be the creation of new "basic industries" and thus more opportunities for work. And what fuels innovation? Education, for the most part, since it's obvious there are those few outliers who, by a sudden stroke of creativity, created innovations that have helped shape society. Since economics is based on the fundamental concept of resource scarcity, I hope that states around the world can focus on innovation: there is never a limit to humankind's intellectual capacity. Intellectual poverty is the only form of poverty that can be completely eradicated. I hope this, in turn, can translate to more funding and sponsorship of education.
From a sociological perspective, I completely agree with the fact that hard work, unfortunately, can only take you so far. I believe there's still hope for hard work in economics and I truly hope people take that seriously.
Just an opinion from a severely sleep deprived first-year student!
I understand what you are saying, but I think that would only apply to when capitalism was in it's "Golden Age". Whose to say that if we do increase innovation that jobs will not be set overseas, or to another country like Maytag. Assuming that most of the workers in this clip lived in Newton, 5,000 jobs of the total 16,000 population were sent to Mexico. That's almost a third of the jobs lost in Newton.
I think capitalism is the problem. It might have worked well years ago, when mom and pop stores were competing with each other, but with larger corporations merging together, they are controlling supply and demand and thus the competition.
Increasing innovation is key in helping create new industries that lead to more jobs, but it must be supplemented with policy that keeps the jobs in the US. Otherwise, the power elite will stay wealthy by moving jobs to another country where work is cheap and exploitation is easy.
I enjoyed your post and agree that hard work is not always enough to ensure success. In fact, I think that rarely is sufficient.
I have to ask, do we want a country in which Newton, Iowa citizens can depend on just hard work? What would it take to ensure that putting in a hard day's work at Maytag will result in success? It sounds a bit contrived to me.
I find it interesting that society looks for the results of a free market to be coupled with the safety net of socialism. I don't think America ever had its success handed to it by an economic policy. I have always thought that America's economic strength was the result of its citizens' individual efforts to succeed. The best policy was to not get in their way and foster as much competition as possible. I do believe that the way to grow a strong economy is to decrease government interference and make room for more personal freedom.
I can't say that pure capitalism is acceptable to our nation today. In order to really allow someone to succeed, we have to also allow that person to fail. The social disparity may be too much for our social conscience.
Therefore, the problem I see for our country's economy is finding a balance between not letting people fall down too hard while they find a way to personally succeed. We obviously can't trust Maytag, and the like, to always provide for our way of life.
I think that the author has a very valid point here. I'm from a very small town such as Newton, Iowa, where there is pretty much one big business that employs many of our citizens. If that business were to get shut down, hundreds of people would be out of work. There are many other towns like this all across the country. Also, there are often reasons for being unemployed, such as a business shutting down. Like the author said, when there is only one person unemployed out of many, we blame the person and their character or work ethic. When it is a whole town, however, it is much easier to just blame it on the closing of a business or factory.
I enjoyed reading your article and agree with you one hundred percent. I like that you go straight through all the layers to the cold hard facts. THe lfact you just came out and said it leads me to admire you even more. Hard work however, may not always be financially benficial, but it is always self beneficial. No matter if you become some big shot rich man....you will know that you did what you could.
I believe that the author has a very good point. In a town if one person becomes unemployed many may say that it is his work ethics that got himself in the place he is in right now. But, say a big company employing many people were to shut down then the people would blame the company. The guy who got unemployed before would have thought that it is easier to blame one person when something little happens, But as son as something big happens then it is automatically the big corporations problem.
good point about the one umployed lead straight to the point.
I enjoyed this article. However sad but iit is our country's reality. The hopes and ecomomic dreams of a town such as Newton rested on the promises of politiacla campaigners who have won their races through their hard work and faux promise. Now they are losing hope daily and I agree with the citizens that it does not matter who controls the house the republicans or he democrats, what matters is that they work hard for the people of this country and work on re-establishing jobs and boosting the economy instead of allowing companies to pack up and go to another country where they will benefit because they don't have to pay a fair and competitive wage to its workers. Yes minorities may work hard for their money, but so do Americans. Politicians only avail themselves tot he public during election time, after that you don't see or hear form them until the next four years. lately the prharase hard work equals success now means hard work equals survival. The 60 minutes story is an eye opener for those who don't pay attention to what this countyr is going through, but it is mostly infuriating becuase its our ouwn politicians that cause us to suffer, they need to remember without the people they don't have a job so they need to put aside the political affliations and party divides and look at the bitg picture and come up with some realistic and wrkable solutions for our failing economy or the entire working class of America is going to end up on welfare.
The economy of the United States is changing as society changes. The roles of many Americans are changing due to the conditions of the economy. How one gets a job has changed from just hard work to mostly jobs in the service industry.
The sociological view provided in this article is one that most of this blog's readers can understand and even relate to. It gives us a view that makes us question, "Does working hard translate to success?"
It gives us fine examples of microsociology and qualitive research, while still bestowing us with macro sociological and quantitve research practices. The use of both sides of the spectrum of sociology applied in this blog makes it easier for readers to understand what the writer is explaining. Provided I believe that most of the research topic leans toward understanding macrosociology, which would help us understand how he reached his conclusion.
Thinking more on the topic, "Does hard work lea d translate to success?" I am reminded of my father's experience; a 55 year old farmer who has worked hard for his entire life. Coming from generations of farmers, he was not unaccustomed to the common fact of having to help out on his father's farm at an early age. My father was the eldest of four children; his brother Don, and his two sisters Ann and Pam (the latter being the youngest and was born with several mental and physical related issues).
Due to the low income from the farm and the high costs of the Medicare needed to care for Pam, my grandfather had to get two full time jobs elsewhere. Which in turn required my father (who was 14 years old) to take on full responsibility of running the needs of the farm, with the assistance of his younger brother and one hired-hand.
Still a child, my father and his brother milked over 200 dairy cattle twice a day; plowed, planted, and harvested over 60 acres; and were still full attending school. My father's mother and his sister (Ann) maintained the house, feed the calves and chickens, and looked after Pam. This kept up for several years even after my father graduated high school.
After a while, my father decided that he wanted further his education in engineering. Which he studied and graduated at UW-Madison, and made plans to soon move on in an engineering career with his degree. But he met and fell in love with my mother and, after marrying, decided to start his family.
Now my father was having some trouble finding work in his degree field that would be close to home, so he decided to take out a loan and purchase a small farm out near his father's land. The property held little in usable building and equipment, so he asked for a bigger loan to refurbish the farm and buy livestock. Within the year my parents started to think of having kids, which my father wanted boys who would share in his experience and maybe take over the farm.
My father held the social cultural belief that boys were to disciplined and molded into hard-working men, where girls were to take on more of the house-n-home care giver. But he ended up with five daughters and only one son (me being the fourth kid in order of oldest to youngest), so this concept was slowly given way to that both females and males are able to do the same work and should be given the same opportunities.
Prices of seed (which we bought to plant), and milk and corn (which we sold for profit) were going through a "rollercoaster" effect, leaving my father's wallet a little bare after trying to pay off both his school and business loans. My family was never really poor but was never really making more than "ends' meet", while I was growing up.
My mother, my sisters, and I each had do take on more work on the farm and also find additional work off the farm to support the family. When I was about thirteen my father rented another farm to house our increased livestock, and had me (with the assistance of one hired hand) and one of my sister take over operations. My other sisters and my mother ran operations on the other farm, while my father oversaw all operations and tended the fields, feeding, and bills.
Only after my three elder sisters, my twin-sister, and I graduated high school did my father's farm and school loans finally get paid off. My family farm was making enough income that my parents bought another small farm. And within a year a foreign company, who wanted to build a new style of milking parlors in the United States, offered my parents a proposal to build them a new parlor. My parents would not have to repay the costs as long as they allowed the company to showcase the parlor to other potential clients, being it was only 1 of 4 in the United States at the time. Now my eldest sister and her husband are partners with my parents, and they again have increased their profit margins, property, and livestock.
So in my example, hard work was able to translate to success, due to the amount of worker hours (which was approximately averaged between 100-118 hrs/wk during the summer and 84-96 hrs/wk during the winter). If there were more people with a story like this then the larger social group, known as economy, would change and could possibly change for the better. I hope that anyone who reads this can get a sense of microsociology while I try to use it to explain how "Hard work translate to success" in my eyes.
But if the situation had been different, where the economy had caused the prices of the farm (mortgage rates), seeds and tractors repairs, or the prices of milk and corn to change. This story could have been far worse, or a lot better.
If a larger sociological institution such as the economy had gone into recession, then farmers with stories similar to my father's could have had to file for bankruptcy. And it would disprove my example of how sometimes working hard can lead to success. But I will also state this: that I agree that hard work does have its limitations, especially considering the influences of larger social groups, and is not guaranteed to give us results that we want. So to ensure a better chance at achieving success, we must broaden our sociological imagination to become aware when larger social institutions experience changes.
We need to practice the "beginner's mind" idea so we are more able to perceive who the economy can change down the road. Once we understand this we can make a few predictions about how these changes can affect us, and then ready ourselves and/or make changes ourselves to provide means that can guide us towards success. Even though my father had graduated with a degree in engineering, he came across a lack of means to use it. He decided to fall back onto his experience growing up and became a farmer, which eventually was successful. So to me as long as you make and plan for more than one overall career/life goal, and if you can become aware of the changes of the economy, you can work hard and still reach success. Yes, I am aware that this would not work for everyone. But if enough people can accomplish this and change with the larger changes of society, then the smaller individuals could change and possibly improve the economy.
I love this article and the responses because I truly believe that hard work can lead to success. Whether it be true success with money and a thriving business or success that you feel in your body and mind. Its your take on success that shows if you are really successful.


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text:
Mother Who Ordered Girlfriend to Murder Son Faces Death Penalty
Natchitoches Police Department
Warner Todd Huston
Louisiana prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for a woman who they say ordered her girlfriend to douse her six-year-old son in gasoline and burn him to death.
Prosecutors charged Hanna Nicole Barker, 23, in the July 2018 death of her son, Levi Cole Ellerbe, the Daily Mail reported.
Barker claimed that kidnappers knocked on the door of her Natchitoches, Louisiana, home, sprayed her with pepper spray, then stole her son. Barker also said she called the police right away, but it was less than two hours before police found her son's burned body lying next to some nearby railroad tracks.
Police claim that Barker's kidnapping story is a fabrication and that she and her girlfriend, Felicia Marie-Nicole Smith, 26, took the child to the tracks where Barker doused the baby in gas and then ordered Smith to light the child on fire.
The child was still alive when police found his burned body, and he was rushed to a local hospital, but Levi soon died from his injuries. Doctors reported that the boy had second- and third-degree burns over 90 percent of his body.
Police arrested Smith four days later and charged her with first-degree murder. Barker was also arrested several days later and hit with the same charges.
Barker reportedly told police that she was in a sexual relationship with Smith but claimed that Smith was more interested in a permanent relationship than she.
Police also say that Barker admitted to ordering Smith to murder Levi.
Barker had already been on probation for a drug charge, and officials say that having Smith live in her home was a violation of her terms.
Smith will next appear before a judge on August 23, and prosecutors are considering the death penalty for her, as well. Barker's trial is set for January 13, 2020.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
CrimePre-Viralchild murderDeath penaltyLouisiana