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40 Mary\'s Lane, Stone Ridge, New York 12484
NO EXPENSE SPARED on this exquisite, renovated 1890s farmhouse. Sited on 37 rolling acres, this secluded home with swimming pond, barns, horse meadows and views is down a long, private road that is less than 2 miles from the center of Stone Ridge. The home was meticulously renovated by the current owner with handpicked finishes imported from Europe.
1372 Glasco Turnpike, Saugerties, New York 12477
Welcome to Paradise. The quarter mile drive leads to a sweeping, beautiful and tranquil 64 acre oasis with stunning year round views of Overlook Mountain. Complete privacy and peaceful surroundings. This beautiful property was created by Tomas Penning (The Bluestone Master) a pioneering Sculptor in the Woodstock Art Colony beginning in the 1930's.
397 Moonhaw, West Shokan, New York 12494
This Log Post and Beam Luxury Home grows straight out of the land and epitomizes the Catskill Mountain region. Nestled in the ridge just below Wittenberg, Cornell, and Friday Mountain and surrounded by thousands of acres of wild state forest, this home expresses a sense of liveliness like no other. Drive past the stone pillars to be greeted by the warm and calming sounds of the Wittenberg Creek.
67 susan, newburgh, New York 12550
Welcome to Algonac, the Delano family home which is available for the first time in over 60 years. The 6 BR, 5.5 BA Mansion offering over 9,000 sf is set on 2 park-like acres w/views of the Hudson River & Newburgh Beacon Bridge.The Portico covered entry has original leaded glass windows leading you into a warm & inviting home steeped in history.
490 Route 299, New Paltz, New York 12561
Offering you a rare opportunity to own your own private park! Complete privacy on 24 acres of land abutting Mohonk Preserve. Thousands of acres of forever wild land with miles of trails in your backyard. A private 6 acre lake with a dock for swimming, floating. kayaking or simply being. Gorgeous views of the Shawangunk Ridge from your deck to take in the incredible sunsets.
568 Dewitt Mills Rd, Kingston, New York 12401
1-car
Welcome to DeWitt Lake where water meets sky; and the impossible becomes reality. One of the only private lakes in the area, it occupies 8 acres of this stunning 41+ acre property, and the last in line of glacial lakes that include Awosting, Minnewaska and Mohonk.
55 e11th Street, Manhattan, New York 10003
24/7 Contact Alan Kessler (310) 866-6625 In the heart of old Greenwich Village, this building is a converted toy factory built in 1899. It has been a cooperative since the early 1970s. There are only 12 stories of entire floor lofts. There is a passenger elevator and freight elevator that open up right into the loft. This 2500 square foot unit has three exposures and 11 foot ceilings.
10 Eve Eden, Napanoch, New York 12458
Introducing a mountaintop masterpiece. Built over a period of 10 years by a renowned owner/artist, the 6 bedroom main house is meticulously designed with outstanding architectural & artistic details. Gazing out the windows, you can see for 30 miles on a clear day and it s all mountains and sky where Bald Eagles fly.
126 Shadow Mountain, East Jewett, New York 12444
Shadow Mountain Farm is a unique contempo on 204 acres with mountain views near Hunter & Windham. A bridge leads you across a creek to the home, 4 ponds, 2 barns, a greenhouse & artist's studio. One of the barns offers a tremendous second-floor apartment with entertaining area, stage, wet bar & two bathrooms.


Google's Nexus 4 mobile device went on sale for about a minute or two yesterday in the U.S. before selling out.
It was a joke, I personally tried to add it to my cart and I did it the second the item was available for purchase and it timed out. It sold out in minutes, I have no clue how many Google was able to sell or how many they had in inventory to sell - but it didn't seem like many.
A forum filled with complaints can be found in the Google Web Search Help forum, I am sure there are other threads there and other forums with complaints.
As many of us may have realized, Nexus 4 was sold out in nearly every country within 30 minutes of it being launched. I am in Germany and I wasn't quick enough and could not buy it. My question is, when will it be available again? I was really looking forward to this phone, but did not realize that there were many like us, or was there not enough devices? Did Google wrongly estimated the demand for Nexus 4? In any case, I am disappointed and I sincerely hope that the phone becomes available again soon.
Right now if you want to order it, you cannot. It says sold out. It won't even let you order it to be in a queue when the inventory comes in. So when will Google replenish and open up orders again? Who knows.
I seriously wonder how many devices Google had on hand.


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RSF Fire District making progress on new Harmony Grove station
The new Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District fire station under construction in Harmony Grove.
March 10, 2020 4:53 AM PT
Construction of the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection district's sixth station is making progress, tentatively scheduled for a July opening in the community of Harmony Grove in Escondido.
The district has been working out of temporary trailers on site since they merged with the Elfin Forest/ Harmony Grove Fire Department in July 2016. The new permanent building, known as Station 5, started construction in August 2019 at the same location, 2604 Overlook Point in Harmony Grove.
The station is the district's newest since they rebuilt Station 3 on El Apajo in 2011. The new $7 million station will be 9,000 square feet and will include five dorm rooms, a gym, kitchen and dining room, a rec room where the firefighters can relax in the evening, training and community room, and a three-wide apparatus bay.
The fire district currently spans approximately 50 square miles and protects over 34,000 citizens in Rancho Santa Fe, 4S-Ranch, Fairbanks Ranch, Cielo, The Crosby, Elfin Forest and Harmony Grove.
According to Julie Taber, district public education coordinator, there won't be a difference in coverage at this time but the new station was built to accommodate additional personnel and apparatus should it be needed in the future.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


If you're thinking about coming to the UK to study for your degree then you'll be in good company. In fact, over 430,000 students come to the UK every year, from over 180 different countries.
Whether you want to study in a cosmopolitan city or you'd prefer a more rural university, there are plenty of options for international students coming to the UK.
The UK is recognised worldwide by employers as offering top class education and research facilities. UK research is continually described as "world leading" and "internationally excellent".
According to the QS World University Rankings, four out of the top six universities in the world are based in the UK.
The UK also has a fascinating history and vibrant culture so you'll find plenty to see and do during your time away from the classroom.
UK degree courses are often shorter than in other countries, so your tuition and living costs will be less.
UK universities offer a welcoming environment for international students, offering support, activities, and groups especially for their international student community.
Depending on your country of origin you may find plenty of other students from your country, culture, or faith studying at the same university.
What financial assistance can I get in the UK?
If you're considering studying in the UK then you'll be pleased to hear that there are many financial support options for international students in the form of loans, grants, bursaries, fellowships, scholarships, and financial awards.
The British Council website has plenty of information about scholarships and financial support for international students.
In some cases you may also be able to work whilst you study to boost your income. Check the UK Visas and Immigration website and The UK Council for International Student Affairs for more information on working in the UK as an international student.
There are 160 universities in the UK that can award degree level qualifications so you'll have plenty of study options.
In comparison to education courses in other countries UK courses tend to be very specialised right from the start and students have a lot of flexibility in what they study during their time at university.
When you're trying to decide which universities are the best remember that there are a number of independent ranking systems.
UK universities are generally ranked on categories such as student satisfaction, career prospects, costs, teaching standards, research standards, and student care.
It's worth thoroughly researching each university that you're interested in using a number of different sources to get a full picture of what the university is really like.
UK universities also hold open days for prospective, so if you're able to visit the university before applying, contact them to find out their open day dates.
If you're unable to visit the UK before you apply for university then UCAS attends higher education events around the world. Take a look at the UCAS website for dates of international events.
Applying to UK universities is simple as all applications are done through the UCAS website.
You can do this either independently – as most students do – or use an adviser to help you with your application and/or visa.
Once you've figured out what you want to study and the universities you're interested in studying at then you can start the application process.
All of the applications are handled online so you don't need to worry about filling out forms or important documents getting lost in the mail.
You'll need to submit your completed application by 15th January (or 15th October the year before if you're applying to Oxford or Cambridge, or to study Medicine, Dentistry, or Veterinary courses).
As well as the UCAS application you may also need to take an English language test to ensure that you meet the language requirements of your chosen university. Check with each university that you're applying to as they may require you to take a specific English language test.


Choose our Jonesport 5 Drawers Chest for your storage needs! The high quality, solid wood construction features English dovetailing on all drawers and a lovely molded border around each drawer. The finish is exceptional and hand applied glazing, distressing, and hand -cut plugs make this chest a cut above the rest!


When New York transplant and fashion publicist Aliza Neidich got together with her childhood best friend Alissa Jacob, who had a background in retail, and decided to open a shop in Los Angeles, they wisely pinpointed the biggest problem facing any Angeleno: traffic. After all, who wants to sit in their car all day trekking from one location to another in search of everything from home goods to the perfect jeans to bold statement jewelry? Wouldn't it be a dream to have it all housed under one roof? Enter Reservoir, an editor's wish list come to life. This jewel box of a boutique on Robertson Boulevard is fast becoming a favorite among all the stylish West Coast It girls. What we love most: That the chic ladies behind this operation seem to know exactly how to marry East Coast classic staples with a beachy California vibe. Here, we talk to Alissa, wearing Tory's Cecilia caftan, and Aliza, in another Pre-Fall 2016 dress, and learn their July 4th plans.
Aliza Neidich: My style leans towards not being too overthought. Jeans, a t-shirt and a leather jacket are staples for me in LA. Jewelry will dress anything up, so I'll grab my Sidney Garber and layer it on with whatever I'm wearing. In New York, because it can be a bit dressier, I'll add pumps or fun heeled sandals to amp it up.
Alissa Jacob: I gravitate towards a relaxed look, an oversized cashmere sweater with boyfriend jeans or an Organic by John Patrick slip with a leather jacket draped over my shoulders. I love fun accessories, whether it's a pair of gold sunglasses from Linda Farrow or jewelry from Anita Ko; I love a good statement piece.
AN: I would love to be able to sit down and have a conversation with Coco Chanel. Her progressiveness in terms of sportswear and masculine influences is inspiring, and the ability to create the empire she did during a time when women were still very much suppressed feels empowering.
AJ: I would have wanted to meet Oscar de la Renta — he really knew a woman's body and how to make her feel beautiful.
We're actually spending the holiday together at Aliza's husband's family's house in Wainscott.
AN: Solid and striped bathing suits, Alexander Wang denim, Ancient Greek sandals, Suno summer dresses, Janessa Leone hat.
AJ: Organic by John Patrick bias slip, Charlotte Stone Morley mules, Zimmermann swimsuit, Koza baja hoodie and Lou jeans from M.i.h Jeans.
AN: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, The Girls by Emma Cline,Buried Alive: The Biography of Janis Joplin by Myra Friedman,Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler.
AJ: The Girls by Emma Cline, The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
When we first moved to LA, we noticed the need for a great one-stop shop. There really wasn't one destination you could go to in LA to buy a great, edited selection of clothing, home goods, jewelry, etc, so we sought out to fill that void.
The reason we love LA is actually part of what the problem was with shopping here. The city is such a sprawl, and there are so many different, vibrant neighborhoods that it makes getting more than a few things done in one day nearly impossible. Our concept was to create one stop where you could pick up everything you need, from clothing to home goods to jewelry, bags, shoes, books, etc. all in one place.
Amaree's, Warm, Tiina, Wyeth and Colette.
Someone who is confident in her style and wants to dress for herself, first and foremost. She's effortlessly cool and although she knows what she wants, she's open to trying new things too.
Diana Vreeland, the ultimate badass.
Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, "Can You Get To That" by Funkadelic, Nineties alt rock.


Although images of the divinities were certainly known, the principal objects of cult in the Minoan age were of the aniconic class; in many cases these were natural objects, such as rocks and mountain peaks, with their cave sanctuaries, like those of Ida or of Dicte.
Palanga; lower aniconic half of draped statue with incised inscription, now in Constantinople.
The aniconic lower part of an inscribed statue wholly in the round was found at Palanga, and parts of others at Kirchoglu and Marash.
This is not necessarily the case with the worshipper of aniconic or unshaped gods.
Here then in the most marked manner the aniconic sacrament has ousted pictures and statues.
Equally contradictory of any such law of development is the circumstance that the Greeks of the 5th and 4th centuries B.C., although Pheidias and other artists were embodying their gods and goddesses in the most perfect of images, nevertheless continued to cherish the rude aniconic stocks and stones of their ancestors.
Lastly, the restriction to aniconic worship saved them from much superstition, for there is nothing which so much stimulates the growth of a mythology as the manufacture of idols.
No images of Yahweh or of earlier Canaanite deities have been unearthed; but images belong to a relatively advanced stage in the development of religion, and the aniconic stage may be represented by the sacred pillars and posts, by the small models of heads of bulls, and by the evidence for calf-cults in the Old Testament.


For instance, the accounting department must be responsible for invoicing, and budgets, and banking, and every other aspect of the businesses financial structure, and they are increasingly required to have these duties done in a shorter amount of time. With all of this change and increasing complexity, it is no wonder that even industrial cleaning has become more complex.
Due to necessity, today's businesses have come to rely more and more upon complex chemicals and substances to meet their goals. These chemicals can not only be dangerous to the building and equipment, they can present major health risks to your employees and customers.
Unlike cleaning around the home, you need professionals that can treat each spill or waste material in the way it needs to be treated in order to maintain the safety and integrity of your workplace. From cleaning up the initial mess to disposing of the waster materials, these individuals are familiar with every type of garbage or spill known to man.
They may also be able to recognize and treat industrial hazards such as molds, fungi, and allergens that may be adversely affecting your employees and customers' health. By treating these unseen toxins early and safely, they can save you a great deal of trouble down the line.
It is increasingly important for today's industrial businesses to consider their impact upon the environment. Aside from being good neighbors to the community, businesses are often beholden to state and federal laws pertaining to how waste and garbage are managed.
Unlike a residence, industrial sites often have waste materials that could be immediately and irrevocably damaging to the environment. These businesses must be ever vigilant in dealing with the waste, as must their industrial cleaning personnel.
Qualified industrial cleaning professionals should be able to deal with your industrial waste in relatively inexpensive ways while following the letter and intent of all relevant laws. Aside from being a law abiding business, it tells your customers that you care about the community and their future.
The first step to finding an industrial cleaning crew that is right for you is to consult with neighboring businesses and the internet. Each cleaning operation is different, so it is important to tell them up front what your needs and budget are.
It is also important to discuss how your business may change over the following years so that they can anticipate your cleaning needs today. From there, these cleaners will be able to work out a schedule that will keep your business totally clean without interfering in day to day options.


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Home / New York City / New York Yankees Game Used Baseball Cuff Links
New York Yankees Game Used Baseball Cuff Links
These cuff links are crafted from an MLB Authenticated Game Used New York Yankees Baseball.
Set in sterling silver with swivel findings, these cuff links feature the unmistakable red stitching and the little scratches and scuffs that let you know they have seen game-play. Measures 7/8" in diameter and back hallmarked "Yankees."
Officially licensed by Major League Baseball, a tamper-evident hologram sticker is adhered to each cuff link to ensure authenticity. Each pair of cuff links comes gift-boxed with an authentication instruction card.
The rich patina of the game can be found in the seams of game used balls, which are hologrammed and recorded at each MLB game by official MLB Authenticators. Each pair of cuff links is made from balls that undergo this process.
Each MLB artifact is authenticated under the auspices of the MLB Authentication Program and carries a uniquely numbered hologram that allows fans to verify their item at MLB.com/authentication. MLB Authenticators witness, log, and adhere holograms to each baseball that comes out of play. Thus the details of each baseball are linked to a unique hologram number in this online database.
Balls acquired by Tokens & Icons are then hand-cut and an MLB Authenticator affixes an additional secure hologram to the back of each cuff link. This new product hologram is linked to the original artifact hologram. When fans enter each cuff link's hologram into MLB's site, it reveals the date and rival team of the game in which the baseball was removed from play.
The Major League Baseball Authentication Program is the most comprehensive league-wide memorabilia authentication initiative in professional sports. Since its launch in 2001, it has become the industry standard for game used sports authentication. MLB stations an authenticator at every game played throughout the season. This demonstrates a commitment to ensuring all game used artifacts are genuine. For more information, please visit Authentication.


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American Travelers
Republic of Chile
Republic of Bolivia
Republic of Ecuador
Republic of Nicaragua
Republic of Uruguay
Republic of Panama and Panama Canal
Republic of Guatemala
Republic of Honduras
Airports in Eastern Asia
Africa History
U.S. Rivers and Mountains
History by Country
Argentina Recent History
Bahamas Recent History
Belize Recent History
Bolivia Recent History
Brazil Recent History
Canada Recent History
Chile Recent History
Colombia Recent History
Costa Rica Recent History
Cuba Recent History
Dominican Republic Recent History
Ecuador Recent History
El Salvador Recent History
Guatemala Recent History
Guyana Recent History
Haiti Recent History
Honduras Recent History
Jamaica Recent History
Mexico Recent History
Nicaragua Recent History
Panama Recent History
Paraguay Recent History
Peru Recent History
Suriname Recent History
Tobago and Trinidad Recent History
United States Recent History
Uruguay Recent History
Venezuela Recent History
May 8, 2019 May 8, 2020 usaers
Brazil is a republic in South America. The country borders ten of the twelve others on the South American continent: Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay in the southwest, Bolivia and Peru in the west, Colombia in the northwest and Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana in the north. Brazil has a 7367 km long coastline towards the Atlantic Ocean.
Brazil is by far the largest land area in South America, and the fifth largest in the world. The country is a federation and consists of 27 states.
Brazil's geography is diverse. It has rainforest ( Amazon ) in the north, grassy plains (pampas) in the south, large wetland areas ( Pantanal ) in the west, high plains in the central areas and a coastal strip of more than 7,000 kilometers.
The population passed 210 million in 2018. About half of the population is of European origin, the other half is of African or mixed background. Less than half a percent of the population is indigenous. Catholicism is the most widespread religion, followed by Protestantism.
People have lived in Brazil for more than 11,000 years. The indigenous people lived throughout the territory and are estimated to have between three and five million in the year 1500 when the Portuguese began to colonize the country. Brazil disbanded from Portugal in 1822.
The name Brazil comes from a tree used by the Portuguese colonists to obtain a red dye. The tree of the species Caesalpinia brasiliensis is called Portuguese pau brazil ( Brazil tree ).
Brazil has the largest economy in South America, and in 2018 the ninth largest economy in the world. The country is rich in natural resources and the main export goods are iron ore, crude oil, soy, sugar, meat and coffee. Despite social leveling off in the 2000s, Brazil remains one of the countries in the world with the greatest difference between poor and rich.
Norway and Brazil have more and more contact. For over 170 years, Norway has exported clipfish and imported coffee from Brazil. Today, the oil industry is the most important. Over 150 Norwegian companies are established in the country, mainly in the oil, gas and maritime industries.
Rio de Janeiro's landmark, the awesome statue of Christ the Redeemer that looks out over the city from Corcovado. The statue itself is 30 m high and stands on a seven meter high pedestal. The head alone is 3.7 meters high and weighs 35.6 tons, each hand weighs nine tons, and the distance between the two extremities of the arms is 23 meters. The entire statue weighs approx. 1000 tonnes. Inside the statue is a chapel that seats 150 people. The statue was created in Paris after drawings by the architect Heitor da Silva and transported to Rio. The hands and head were made by French sculptor Paul Landowsky. It was made in connection with the 100th anniversary of Brazil's release from Portugal. The dedication took place on October 12, 1931, and was undertaken by Guglielmo Marconi.
Brazil is often divided into seven different types of habitat. By far the largest is the Amazon in the north, which alone accounts for half of the country's area. The Amazon is dominated by rainforest and the large river system of the same name, and has an extremely rich animal and plant life.
To the south and east of the Amazon are the savannah areas called cerrado. They are characterized by drier climates, more open forests and shrub-covered plains. Just under a quarter of Brazil is covered by cerrado.
Along the coast, the Atlantic forest dominates the mata Atlantic. This type of forest can be reminiscent of the Amazon rainforest. The driest areas of Brazil are called caatinga and are inland in the northeast. Here the landscape is dominated by scrub and shrubs. To the west of the border with Paraguay lies the large wetland area of Pantanal.
All the way south, towards the border with Uruguay, we find the grassy plain under the name pampas. The seventh and last type of habitat is the coastal zone that lies along the entire long coast.
Due to the large area, the diversity of habitats and the extensive areas of rainforest, Brazil is probably the country in the world with the greatest biodiversity. The country has received a lot of negative attention due to deforestation in the Amazon and associated large emissions of greenhouse gases. In the 2000s, annual deforestation fell significantly before rising again from 2013. In 2017-2018 deforestation increased by 13.7 per cent to 790,000 hectares.
One of the many modernist public building complexes in Brazil that was built by Oscar Niemeyer in the late 1950s. The low building is the parliament building that houses the Legislative Assembly, the National Congress. The high block houses the president's offices.
Most of Brazil's population lives along the coast. This is also where we find the largest cities. The five city regions with the highest population figures in 2014 were São Paulo (20.9 million), Rio de Janeiro (12.1 million), Belo Horizonte (5.7 million), Porto Alegre (4.2 million) and Brazil (4, 1 million).
Brazil's population is colorful. It consists of the indigenous peoples of the country, descendants of immigrants from Europe, the Middle East and Asia, as well as descendants of slaves from Africa. In Brazil's census, people are asked to place themselves into one of five categories of "color / race": white, colored ( pardo ), black, yellow (of Asian origin) and Native American. In the last major census of 2010, the result was as follows: white: 47.5 percent, color: 43.4 percent, black: 7.5 percent, yellow: 1.1 percent and Native American: 0.4 percent.
Although only 0.4 percent of Brazilians are indigenous people, there are more than 230 different indigenous groups in the country. They speak more than 180 languages and thus represent the lion's share of Brazil's cultural diversity.
The average life expectancy in Brazil is 73 years, which places the country in the lower third of the world. On average, every woman has 1.8 children, which is lower than Norway and in the lower quarter of the world's countries.
The dominant religion in Brazil is Catholicism. About 60 percent of Brazilians are Catholics, but the proportion has dropped rapidly in recent decades. The proportion of Protestants (evangelicos) has grown correspondingly rapidly, and is currently up to about 25 percent. There are also Afro-Brazilian religions candomblé and umbanda.
State and politics
Brazil is a federation of 26 states plus the federal district that houses the capital city of Brasilia. Each state is further divided into municipalities. There are over 5000 municipalities in the country.
The president is elected for four years and can be re-elected once. There is voting rights for anyone between the ages of 18 and 70 and voting rights for anyone between 16 and 18 and over 70.
The country was given a new constitution in 1988. It states that the National Assembly – the Congress – consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives (Câmara dos Deputados). The Senate has 81 members, three from each of the country's 27 states. The House of Representatives has 513 members according to the population of each state.
President Dilma Rousseff of the Labor Party (PT) was dismissed from the presidency on August 31, 2016 in his second term following a controversial national court case, and Michel Temer of the Party to the Brazilian Democratic Movement (PMDB) took over as president. In 2018, right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro won the presidential election and was inaugurated on January 1, 2019. No fewer than 28 parties represented the Congress inaugurated in January 2015.
Brazil is a member of the UN and the UN's special organizations, including the World Bank and the World Trade Organization, as well as the Organization of American States and the Latin American trade organization ALADI.
Brazil is the economic center of gravity in South America. The country accounts for just over half of the continent's total gross domestic product, and on a global scale, Brazil's economy is the ninth largest. Economic growth was high for most of the 2000s, but has stagnated since 2011.
The country has large natural resources, including huge freshwater reserves and energy potential, large areas and a large and employable population. This has given rise to a diversified economy with extensive mining, well-developed agriculture, modern industry and a world-class service sector. The main export products are iron ore, crude oil, soy, sugar, meat and coffee. In addition to these raw materials, Brazil also exports cars and aircraft.
In the 2000s, the economic inequalities between rich and poor were reduced. The main reasons for this have been increased minimum wages and state benefit programs such as Bolsa Família.
Knowledge and culture
Brazil is probably best known for samba, football and carnival. But behind these clichés there is a rise of distinctive cultural expressions, from traditional to modern, from high culture to low culture, from rural to metropolis.
Brazilian culture is a mixture of impulses from all over the world. The culture of the indigenous people is today best seen in the language and the food. A wide variety of place names (Ipanema, Maracanã and Manaus) and names of animals and plants ( jacaré – crocodile, urubu vulture and abacaxi pineapple) come from various Native American languages. Likewise, the basic food comes manioc (the root fruit also known as cassava in Norwegian) and all its varieties such as farinha, tapioca and various sauces and soups from indigenous peoples.
The African slaves came from different parts of Africa and brought different cultures to Brazil. Today, the African roots are most visible in song and music – not least the samba in all its variants – in language and cooking, in cultural expressions such as the capoeira and dance candomblé and umbanda religions, and of course in the Brazilian complexion.
Nevertheless, the dominant cultural heritage is the European one, and especially that of the colonial power Portugal. Brazil's official language is Portuguese and the literary heritage is Portuguese and Spanish. The classical high culture, on the other hand, in the form of classical music, dance, opera and theater, is more inspired by Central Europe, not least France. Today's popular culture such as song, music, dance and film is influenced by the United States, but also by Brazil's Latin American neighbors.
Among Brazil's cultural personalities best known abroad are the authors Jorge Amado and Paulo Coelho, the singers and musicians Carmen Miranda, Elis Regina and Marisa Monte, Tom Jobim, João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Seu Jorge, the architect Oscar Niemeyer and the football players Pelé, Ronaldo and Neymar.
Brazil and Norway
Norway and Brazil have been trading coffee and clipfish for more than 170 years. In the 1950s, Erling Lorentzen established himself in Brazil and gradually built up the cellulose company Aracruz. Lorentzen became a door opener for several Norwegian establishments, including Norsk Hydro, Det norske Veritas, Borregaard and Årdal and Sunndal works.
In the 2000s, Norwegian investments in the oil and gas industry have increased significantly. At the beginning of 2014, more than 150 Norwegian companies had been established in Brazil, and together they had invested more than NOK 170 billion in the country. This makes Brazil the country in the world with the largest Norwegian investments after the US and the EU. Eight companies account for a total of 65 per cent of the Norwegian investments: Aker Solutions, DOF Subsea, Hydro, Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS), Statkraft, Statoil, Umoe Bioenergy and Yara.
Norway has pledged to support Brazil's efforts to deforest in the Amazon by several billion. The funds will be paid if Brazil reduces its greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation in the Amazon and joins the Brazilian Amazon Fund, managed by the Brazilian development bank BNDES.
Norway imports about 400,000 tonnes of soybeans from Brazil each year. These are further processed into soybean meal at Denofa factories in Fredrikstad and enter the feed for Norwegian agriculture and fish farming.
The number of Brazilians in Norway has more than quadrupled since the year 2000, and the number of Norwegian tourists in Brazil is higher than ever.
In 2011, the Norwegian government launched a separate Brazil strategy to facilitate further cooperation.
Brazil is represented in Norway at its embassy in Oslo, while Norway is represented in Brazil by its embassy in Brasilia, consulates in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, as well as consulates in 11 other cities.
South AmericaBrazil
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Sorry I haven't blogged in such a long time. I've just been really busy. I really don't even have time to be writing this post, but I am. So here it is. American Apparel is a source that quite a few of my readers have been telling me to write about for a long time. So here I am writing about it. Also many (and not just the ones that posted comments) readers have told me that they are a better alternative to aussiebum (they say that they are cheaper and nicer). I personally have not tried these briefs out for myself but since so many people seem to be raving about them I thought that I'd mention them, because with that many fans they got to be good. American Apparel seems to only make one style of underwear, the "baby rib brief". Here's what they say about them: "Our version of the traditional brief in untraditional colors. Baby rib cotton body; Baby rib cotton leg openings; Fine jersey front panel binding; Elastic waistband" They sound pretty nice and all for just 12 bucks. I suggest you try them out (I know I'm going to). And not only that but if you really dig them they come in 22 colors so you can always have a brief that will match whatever you happen to be wearing. I must say I'm pretty impressed, not just by the price but by how nice they look and what a wide variety of colors they are offered in. These are not your classic colors, they are some cool colors so check them out!
I agree 100% that American apparel has the best color selection around and the price is right.............but..............once you've experienced Unico's "pouch" you'll never wear anything else. I may or may not order a few pairs from the American apparel site, but I have a pretty good feeling they won't stack up. Take my advice, spend a few extra bucks and give Unico a try!
I love the bold red underwear with the white stripes. It's very appeasing to the eyes.
It doesn't look like the American Apparel briefs have the contour "pocket" design that hold your goods in a snug position, something I love in a good pair of underwear. I also like a 7% or higher blend of lycra in my underwear but the fabic content is not mentioned in your article. One thing American Apparel has going for it is it's variety of colors. Who wears plain old white underwear anymore?


Asian Rhinoplasty is a cosmetic procedure that is tailored for Asians, taking into consideration the principles of rhinoplasty and applying it on an Asian patient with consideration of the anatomy and ethnicity of the Asian patient.
What is an Asian Rhinoplasty surgery?
Rhinoplasty surgery is a complex surgical procedure that combines both artistry and surgical finesse to alter the shape and contour of the nose to achieve a more aesthetic nasal shape, which is harmonious with the facial proportions and also keeping in mind the functional aspects of the nose.
Improvement of nasal tip projection.
With the aid of sophisticated 3D imaging computer software, we are able to simulate the surgery to allow patients a preview of how the surgery may change their nose and appearance. This is a very useful tool for patients to be able to see the changes that they will have after surgery and also to describe to our surgeons the type of changes that they want, no matter how subtle. They are able to "try" on different nose profiles to see what best fits them before committing to surgery.
How much does a Rhinoplasty Surgery cost?
Rhinoplasty surgery costs can vary widely. This depends on the extent of the surgery and whether nasal implants are used or total autologous tissue is used. Depending on the complexity of the surgery, the procedure may be done under Local Anaesthesia or General Anaesthesia.
Am I a suitable candidate for Rhinoplasty Surgery?
Rhinoplasty Surgery is a highly individualized procedure that is tailored to fulfil each patient's needs. It is important to remember that you should do it for yourself and not to fulfil someone else's desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image. A good candidate for rhinoplasty surgery would have completed his/her facial growth, is physically healthy and does not smoke. Speak with our surgeons today to understand how we can help you to achieve your goals.
What is the recovery like after Rhinoplasty Surgery?
The sutures over the nose will usually be removed after 5 to 7 days. For the sutures over other areas, such as the scalp or back of the ear, these may be removed after 10 to 14 days.
While the initial swelling will subside within 1-2 months, it may take up to a year for your new nasal contour to fully refine. During this time you may notice gradual changes in the appearance of your nose as it refines to a more permanent outcome. It is common for swelling to come and go and worsen in the morning during the first year following your rhinoplasty surgery.
The results of rhinoplasty surgery will be long lasting and the best results can be noted after 1-2 years when the swelling has subsided completely. As your body ages, it is natural to have some gradual changes to your face including your nose. But most of your improvement should be relatively permanent. A healthy lifestyle and life-long sun protection will help extend the results of your new appearance.
What can I expect during the Rhinoplasty procedure?
Step 1 – Anaesthesia. Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. Depending on the complexity of the surgery, the choices include local anaesthesia alone or with intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.
Step 2 – The Rhinoplasty Surgery can be performed either using a closed procedure, where incisions are hidden inside the nose, or an open procedure, where an incision is made across the columella, the narrow strip of tissue that separates the nostrils. The scar usually heals well and is not noticeable.
Step 3 – Asian Rhinoplasty commonly involves lengthening of the short nose, increasing the nasal dorsum and refining the nasal tip. Such procedures require the addition of cartilage grafts. The cartilage grafts can either be obtained from the nasal septum, ear or rib cartilage. Harvest of the deep temporal fascia may also be done to wrap the cartilage grafts. This would involve a scalp incision. Silicone implants can also be used to augment the nasal dorsum, hence reducing the need for cartilage harvest. Speak to your surgeon about your preference.
Step 4 – Using suture techniques and cartilage grafts, the position of the nasal tip can be refined and controlled to make final modifications to the appearance of the nose.
Step 5 –If the septum is deviated, it can be straightened and the projections inside the nose reduced to improve breathing.
Step 6 –Excess tissue around the nostrils can be removed to alter their size and the width of nose.
Step 7 –Wounds are closed and splints are placed. For 5 days, the nose will be splinted and the nose will be packed. Nasal packings are removed after 48 hours and your surgeon will review and remove stitches on post-operative day 5 to 7. Nasal splints are usually kept for 1-2 weeks.


text:
The Prize Cow
March 29, 2004 Leave a comment Art
A dramatized account of a dream I had last night…
Ellie Mae was the first girl ever chosen for the annual egg-spinning contest with the rival high school in her rural Kentucky town. And she wasn't happy about it. The contest was supposedly based on some high-falutin' math principles, which is why she — the smartest kid in years — was chosen to represent her school. But, she was smart enough to know that it was pretty much purely random; just trying to spin an egg so that it would line up with one edge of a square. Still, the prize was huge — a cow to the winning family, which was a big deal in this poor community.
If anything, that's what made her seethe with anger, indignation and frustration.
Until her, no girl had ever been picked for a chance to win the cow. Supposedly the contestant was the 'best qualified' senior student, which was supposed to mean the cleverest, but somehow that had always been a boy. Until Ellie Mae showed up, who was so obviously over-qualified that they couldn't help pick her. She could do the math well enough to know that only systematic bias would have prevented any girl from being chosen before.
Still, there was a sort of fierce validation in the backhanded compliment of being picked. She felt herself a homely, gangly thing, all awkward legs and elbows. She never quite fit in, and had small interest (and less art) in attracting boys. Being smart only made everything worse. Until now, where she at least had a 50% chance of winning a cow for her family. Her mother could use it help provide for her younger siblings, and maybe Ellie Mae could even go off to college and start a new life; something that had seemed an impossible dream when her dad died a few years ago, and Ellie Mae had to work part time to help her mom make ends meet.
The stands were full on the day of the contest; it doesn't take much to excite a small town. Ellie Mae caught her first sight of Bo Jackson, the rival contestant from the next town over. Of course she'd heard of him, him having as big a reputation of being a brainiac as she did, if not more so. Not an unpleasant-looking fellow, tall and lean like herself. He didn't look all that smart, but then again she supposed she didn't either. Rather, there was sort of a wild, haunted look in his eyes, and she imagined he flinched when he looked and caught sight of her. In some inward secret place, she felt another brick smash through the window of her self-esteem; even the one person she might have considered an intellectual peer couldn't stand the sight of her.
They walked up to the gaming table, neither making eye contact while the judge explained the rules. The two eggs were taken out of their boxes, and placed in the center of the table. She barely glanced at them, but something did seem a bit different about the one Bo had quickly covered with his large hand. She suppressed a quick thought about what it might feel like if he had instead covered her hand with his, as she grabbed for her own egg.
When the bell rang and they spun their eggs, she watched Bo's more closely than her own. Suddenly she noticed a slight irregularity in that egg. Almost in slow motion, she could see the slight crease along one side of the egg, which caught at the grain of the table, increasing the odds it would line up properly. She glanced up, and saw the haunted look as she met Bo's eyes, and he realized that she knew.
Just then they both glanced down in time to see the eggs stopped, and sure enough Bo's was better aligned than hers. Bo's school erupted into cheers, but before Ellie Mae could cry foul Bo — looking straight at her — raised his hand as if cheering, then smashed it down on his doctored egg. While not strictly illegal, it was a huge breach of etiquette. The crowd was stunned into silence, and the only sound heard was Ellie Mae's cry of 'No!!!'
The judges huddle in the corner, mixing whispered discussion with occasional raised voices. The crowd started to murmur, and threatening rumbles flowed between the rival teenagers in the stands. Without the official photograph of the final positions, and with Bo's unorthodox behavior, any decision could easily touch off a riot.
With tensions reaching the boiling point, and the judges still deadlocked, Ellie Mae took matters into her own hands. She grabbed Bo's hand, ignoring his astonished look, and said, "Ladies and gentleman, this is a good time to let you all know that Bo and I are getting married. Therefore, we declare this contest a draw, and our new family will receive the cow." The crowd was stunned, then erupted in laughter and cheering. She whispered to a bewildered Bo, "Smile and wave," then literally dragged him from the gym while he numbly followed her instructions.
Before he could recover, she'd led him to a hidden place out of easy observation from the crowds that would soon be leaving the gym. The placed she used to go to cry during recess, where she'd often dreamed of coming with a boy. Though not like this. Eyes facing the ground, her cheeks flaming, she broke in before he could speak and said, "Forget what I said in there; it was the only way I could think of to save face for both of us and avoid a riot. We're graduating in a few weeks, and the ribbing we'll get for this is less than the scandal if word got out what happened to the egg. Take the cow if it means that much to you, though I think it only fair if you'd sell it and give half the money to my family." She paused, breathless, waiting for angry denunciation or scornful laughter.
Instead, he stood silently, then gently reached out and lifted her chin to look at him. His eyes were still haunted, but his face was questioning, not angry. "You didn't have to do that," he said. "It was all my fault, and I alone deserved to take the blame. You didn't have to expose yourself to this. You could have told the truth, and they would have examined the pieces, or found the picked lock to the science lab, and realized that I had cheated. You would have been an innocent hero, and I branded for life. Why? Why did you do this?" he said, almost shaking her.
Eyes flashing, she retorted, "Well, its not that I was trying to trap you into marrying me, if that's what you're implying," although part of her raised a cynical eyebrow at herself. "It's just…. well, this whole damn thing is a farce, and it wasn't worth ruining someone's life over a stupid excuse for a lottery. I'm sorry I couldn't think of a better story, but I'd think the least you could be was grateful."
Long pause. Then Bo said: "I am grateful, and I feel like a double fool for not saying so before. I was so enraptured by the idea of finally being able to provide for my family, that once I realized there was a way to gimmick the game I couldn't sleep until I'd figured out how to pull it off. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help myself. But I was so obsessed with my gain it never occurred to me to consider that you might want — and need it — as bad as I. Yet during the crisis, you thought only of me, not of yourself, though I had wronged you. Thank you. I owe you one."
Ellie, looking down again, mumbled, "Well, forget it. Maybe I just did it for the attention, anyway. You don't have to make me out to be some kind of saint. I'm sure there was a better way to handle it. Hell, maybe you deserve to win, for finally figuring out a way to use intelligence to influence the outcome, the way it was supposed to be." Longer pause.
Then Bo knelt down in front of her, and again raised her chin to look into her eyes. "I deserve nothing but condemnation, from you most of all, who have shown me nothing but kindness. You acted honorably, and from the best of motives, and I — wimp though I am — would soundly thrash anyone but yourself who dared suggest otherwise. I know you acted without any designs on me, though I would hardly consider it a trap to share my life with someone like you." Brief pause, while Ellie's fine mind raced through the implications of that last sentence. Hopes rising, then quickly dashed as Bo continued. "Though now, of course, that can never be."
Tears rising despite herself, Ellie pushed herself away from him, knocking the off-balance Bo to the ground. "Damn you," she shrieked, uncharacteristically cursing for the second time in her life. "Damn you to hell for doing this to me. To us. I thought you'd hate me for doing this to you. But this is worse. To pretend to care. As if there was a chance. As if somebody really understood.
"But it was all a farce. Just like the game. Oh, they all primp and pretend, and say how bright you are, and what a wonderful future you have ahead of you. As if skills and intelligence mattered. As if the game was fair, so you at least had an even shot. But the game is rigged, just like life. Nice guys finish last, and nice girls never even get in the game. It doesn't matter how good you are, or how much you prepare. They just take what they want, pat you on the head, and send you on your way.
"Well, to hell with them, and to hell with you, Mr. Bo Jackson. Keep your damned cow, and I hope the two of you will be very happy together. " Crying, she ran off into the night. Bo sat stunned, then cried out her name, lying there, too shaken to stand. That's how they found him, a half-hour later, still crying and calling out her name.
Ellie slept in until 10 AM on Saturday, having crawled in through the window to avoid waking her mom and sibs. At least they still had a house big enough that as eldest she could have her own room, Dad's life insurance money being enough to pay off the mortgage. She was woken by the sound of a pickup truck driving away. She glanced up, and somehow the back of the driver's head reminder her of Bo, though she just cursed her imagination.
Then cursed again, as she banged her knee on the brass bed while scrambling to her feet. There in the yard was the prize cow. Her sibs were already streaming out to look at this wonder, while Ellie just stared in shock. The children laughed and played with the cow, oohing and aahing at its size and sleekness, until one of them noticed the letter attached to the collar. When they saw Ellie's name on the cover, they shrieked in excitement, fighting amongst themselves for the privilege of opening it. Ellie gasped in horror —and was about to race out the door in her nightgown — when her quick-acting mother, Sarah, appeared to intercept the as-yet-unopened letter. Ma appeared at Ellie's door with questions in her eyes, but forbear at the pleading look from her daughter, and silently handed over the letter and departed.
Trembling with what might have been hope or fear, Ellie slit open the plain brown envelope. Inside was a simple note which read:
Though I have no right to ask anything,
I ask you to meet me again tonight.
Same time. Same place.
One who has wronged you.
P.S. I will wait.
Overcome with emotion, Ellie flung herself on her bed and cried, though even she didn't know why.
That night, Bo waited in the wood, calling himself a fool for the hundredth time. A fool for trying to rig the egg spin, fool for the way he'd handled last night, and fool for sending that obscure letter (which was all that he'd had the courage to write). And most of all fool for sitting here in a cold wet glen, hoping against hope that the woman he couldn't get out of his head would show up. Hoping that she'd take pity on the thought of him shivering in the cold, waiting for her, rather than condemning him to it as his just desserts. Fearing that she'd think it a cruel prank. Or, worse yet, that he'd somehow mistaken the place, and that they'd wander endlessly through the night without meeting, and neither ever have the courage to speak of it again.
The one thing he didn't regret was the return of the cow. Whatever else happened, he was ultimately grateful to not profit from his thoughtless time of wickedness. He felt free and strangely elated, despite the discomfort. He even took a perverse satisfaction in his present pain, as if it was a private penance for past sins. As the minutes dragged on, he promised himself yet again that he would wait all night if he had to, leaving only at the last possible moment to make it back for Sunday morning church. If only he could stay awake…
He was woken by the sound of a twig snapping. He jerked up, fearful that he'd been discovered by the delinquents that haunted the nearby school. Only to pause in slack-jawed wonder as Ellie stepped into the glade. In the moonlight, her face was radiant, and her hair like spun gold. He wondered that he had ever thought her plain or ordinary when they met yesterday, though it seemed a lifetime ago.
"Sorry, I'm late," she said, stammering. "I, uh, got here a little while ago, but wasn't sure whether to wake you." Asleep, he had seemed at peace, a gentle giant. Those eyes — no longer haunted — seemed wise, and kind, and compassionate. She knew not why he had come, nor even why she herself was there. But just looking at him, she knew she had done the right thing. Even if they never spoke again, she at least knew she wouldn't hate him, or he her, and they could go on with their lives in peace.
While Bo searched for words and struggled to regain his composure, Ellie hurriedly continued, "It was right generous of you to bring me the cow, but you really needn't have done that. I almost brought it with me to return, but the children were, were so happy to see it that I couldn't bear to take it away. Only my mother knows that I didn't win it outright, but we, we'd be happy to sell it and give you the money, or, or just your half-share, if you prefer."
"No!" shouted Bo, then cursed himself again as she jumped back in startlement. "I mean, I'm sorry, please. Hear me out. Allow me to do this. If not for your sake, then please for mine. I've been such a fool. I should never have given in to temptation like that. It was wrong of me to cheat, to cheat you. Please, give me this chance to make it right. Accept it on behalf of your family, if, if you'd rather not accept it for yourself." Bo paused, seeking desperately in her eyes for some hint of forgiveness, of acceptance.
But Ellie's eyes were turned inward, her tone guarded. "If that is what you desire, then it would be unkind of me to protest. The cow is yours to do with as you please, and I shall not stand in the way of your charity." Then, colder, "I presume this is why you came, to ensure I did not seek to return your magnanimous gift, or ruin your good name." The last with bitterness.
Bo, his heart breaking at her tone, rushed up to her and — barely restraining himself from grabbing her — fell to his knees and cried, "Dear God, woman, will you please just listen to me? I don't care about the cow, or my good name. I didn't do this for pity, but for…" He paused, his throat choking on the word, as he watched desperately for some sign that he was reaching her.
Ellie, startled by his sudden rush, had stepped back, but somehow resisted the urge to flee. As he paused, she suddenly felt weak at the thought of what he might or might not say — and how she might or might not react. She turned away as if to go, but Bo flung himself up desperately and caught her hand. They paused as if in tableau, frozen by that act of human contact, neither willing to break the spell.
Finally, Bo summoned up his courage, and whispered the words that had been running through his head since that fateful encounter 24 hours ago. "Ellie, all my life I've been searching, but I didn't know what for. I poured myself into family, church, school, all sorts of things. People admired and respected me, and I thought I was worth something. But I grew proud, greedy, vain, and selfish. All the things I'd loved and fought for weren't enough, and I found myself seeking new challenges, greater achievement; to the point where I didn't care how I got them. When I was nominated for the egg contest, I knew I just had to win. Nothing else mattered. I didn't care that I was cheating the school. I didn't realize I was cheating myself. That I would be cheating you."
Bo paused. Ellie, touched at some deep level, relaxed; no longer a deer caught in the headlights. She tightened her grip on Bo's hand. But she said not a word, and didn't turn around.
"Then you came into my life," Bo continued. "At the hour of my greatest wickedness, and the moment of my greatest shame, you showed me compassion instead of judgment, kindness instead of vengeance. The shock of your unthinking courtesy brought me back to myself, and made me realize how shallow and empty my life had become. The scales fell from my eyes.
"Since that moment, I couldn't rest until I found some way to make it right, to pay you back for all you've done me. That's why I gave you the cow. Yes, I needed to give it up to clear my conscience. But it was more than that, Ellie. I swear it, as God's own truth. Dear, sweet Ellie. I wanted to give it to you. Because, Ellie…."
"Stop, stop it right there" cried Ellie, spinning around, apparently in fury — though Bo noticed she didn't let go of his hand. "I'm not some cardboard saint. I'm not your virgin Madonna, to absolve you of your sins. I didn't do all that for you. I just did it for myself. You hear me? I couldn't bear the humiliation of being a total loser, so I hid behind a lie. I used you. For once in my life, I wanted people to think of me as wanted, and desirable, as something other than a freak prodigy. I saw my chance, and I took it, because I knew you were powerless to stop me. It was wrong, and it was stupid, and I hate myself for it, and I know you hate me, and I'll probably never live it down for the rest of my life." Then she did release his hand, but only to bury her face in her hands and cry as she sank to the ground.
She heard him get up without a word, and step away. She thought: this is it, it was over before it ever begun. He'll leave me forever, and tell all his friends, and I'll be the laughingstock of the whole valley. She tried to summon the courage to speak, to call him back and ask his forgiveness, but she couldn't. All the pain, humiliation, and fears of her whole life just came pouring out in tears upon tears. All the dreams and hopes for life and love, for a future and a hope, just seemed to vanish in air. "He's gone!" she cried through her sobs.
And then, just when she thought her heart would break, she felt his presence behind her, wrapping her in his big strong arms, whispering in her ear. "Ellie, my precious, beautiful, Ellie. As God is my witness, I will never leave you, unless you send me away. You are what I've been seeking all this years. I love you. All of you. Your pride and your courage, your heartaches and your fears. Your compassion and your neediness. I don't ask you to be perfect. I just ask you to be real. To be the you you've always dreamed of being. And to let me be with you. To love you and know you, as you've loved and known me without realizing it"
The next morning, the little Pentecostal congregation up the road received the shock of their lives. Preacher Elijah Jones still wasn't quite sure how he'd let Sarah Atkins talk him into this, despite all the late night phone calls that had flown back and forth. But there they were, Ellie's siblings on the right, and Bo's parents on the left, all beaming like a J.C. Penny photograph. A tall young man stood at the front in a borrowed tuxedo, looking simultaneously stunned and delighted. Ellie entered the doorway with her mother, wearing her mother's wedding dress, somehow transformed — as all brides seem to be — from a shy awkward youth into a beautiful, confident lady. "Well, Lord," thought the preacher, "You sure do work in mysterious ways. I hope you know what You're doing."
That night, as she fell into his arms, she murmured, "Thanks for making an honest women out of me." "You were never a liar, just a prophet," he replied. What they said next was drowned out by the mooing of a cow, wearing a sign that said, "Just Married."
For the last twenty years, Mr. & Mrs. Bo and Ellie Jackson have officiated at the revamped Egg Spinning contest, now sponsored by the regional Economic Development Agency they both run. Five girls and five boys from each school compete, chosen on the basis of highest grade point average. Students are encouraged to modify their eggs for competition, though within certain bounds — all are inspected by judges before use. Every participant, win or lose, receives a small scholarship towards college. The only reward for winning is that the top boy and girl receive a free dinner at the nearby restaurant — owned by Bo's parents and still run by Sarah Atkins with the help of two sons — named The Prize Cow.
T H E E N D
cheating contest geek high school romance young adult
The Quest for Radical Happiness →
Day 14: When God Seems Distant - 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life
1/27 Poem: Secrete Love


Friday, May 3rd, 2013 at 10:06am.
Great new listing in the Richglen Subdivsion in Greer. Hard to find all brick home loaded with features.
This home has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths plus a bonus room that could be used as a fourth bedroom. Award winning schools. Click here for more information about this wonderful home at 15 Glenaire Drive.
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 at 2:37pm.
April delivered another great month for home sales in the Greenville SC real estate market. Home closings were up 18% over last April and year to date we are up 15% over 2012. Inventory remains tight and days on market for homes sold is shrinking. Home buyers that know what they are looking for and are ready to act are the ones getting the desireable homes here.
Below is a recap of activity based on information from the Multiple Listing Service of Greenville, South Carolina, Inc. for single family residential home sales for April 2013.
There are currently 4,149 single family homes for sale in the Greenville SC MLS. Included in that number are 538 homes that are to be built/under contruction/new never lived in homes.


In my last blog post, I talked about professional presence from a very academic perspective. This time I want to talk about professional presence from a real life perspective based on what I see every day. While I admit that I have seen some good examples, overall, I am sad to report that most of what I have observed is pretty negative.
I believe that professional presence has two components – (i) etiquette and (ii) image. Etiquette is all about what actions you take and image is all about what you project by how you show up. The two are obviously linked but can be separated for purposes of these observations.
Let's start with etiquette. From what I have observed, some of the basics of etiquette have been completely forgotten or ignored by many people in the business community today. When you are invited to something you should RSVP. It is basic etiquette to send thank you notes after receiving gifts. It is polite and correct to introduce people to each other when you are standing in a group at a cocktail party. It is impolite to check your smart phone when you are in a meeting or engaged in conversation with someone. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, but to assess your etiquette, ask yourself honestly how you score on these four things and you will begin to get a picture of your professional presence.
On the image side, what I see is even more egregious. Lawyers in flip flops. Business people greeting clients in jeans and un-tucked button-down shirts with the sleeves rolled up. Women playing with their hair in meetings. Men biting their fingernails at the lunch table. What are three adjectives that you would like people to use when describing the way you show up professionally? Consider those adjectives and then dress and behave accordingly when you are in your professional role.
Obviously, this is a much bigger subject than I can tackle in a series of short blog posts. I am curious about what you are observing in the course of your work – in yourself or in others. What constitutes professional presence in your mind? Feedback is welcome!