Finishing Touches is a cleaning company specializing in new construction cleaning. We were established in 1991 and have continued to grow and establish a well earned reputation of service and quality work. Our experience entails not only individual residences but also many large commercial projects from 250 unit apartment complex, numerous L.D.S chapels, several Washington County schools, and hospitals. We carry our own liability and workmen's comp. insurances.
Our company offers a large scope of services aiding in all phases of construction. We offer construction sweep-outs and site pick-ups at appropriate stages of the construction process. We also offer a pre-clean service which is appropriate for houses prior to being placed on the market for sale, but still leaving some of the option open for prospective buyers. Our company is also equipped with pressure washing equipment and floor scrubbers to restore concrete surfaces such as garage floors, patio decks, etc. We also maintain models, club houses and sales offices. And of course we offer the final construction clean.
Our scope of services for a final construction clean include (but are not limited to) tracking of all windows, cleaning the glass and frames inside and outside. All walls and light fixtures are to be dusted down, all shelves and cabinets are vacuumed and damp wiped. All bathrooms and vanities are cleaned as well as the kitchen cupboards (inside and outside), counters and sinks. All baseboards to be vacuumed, doors dusted, and thresholds cleaned. All work will be completed in professional and workmanlike manner.
"…shown that a drop of a hat that they are prepared and ready to get the job done quickly and as accurately as possible …proven to us that you are one of the best in your trade and we appreciate all the help and beautiful work you have completed."
"I would recommend their company to do any type of construction."
"…always professional, timely, and the quality of service is exceptional."


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Free Course: Video Sales & Marketing Strategy
Inbound Marketing Content Marketing
Video Sales & Marketing Strategy
Free Video Course
From production to technology, get everything you need to start your video marketing journey with confidence
How to align your teams around a common vision with video
7 types of videos that have the biggest impact on your revenue
6 factors that make up an engaging and effective sales or marketing video
Photos vs. Video: How to Make an Impact with Your Storytelling
By Joel Waggener
Joel Waggener also recommends this free course, Video Sales & Marketing Strategy.
Humans have been communicating through images for tens of thousands of years. We know this from drawings on cave walls around the world. And we know it from our own experience. With no disrespect to the power of the written word, when faced with a paragraph of text or an image that both communicate the same information, we gravitate to the image virtually without exception. We're deeply wired for taking in information visually.
There was a time when still photography was the only visual communication option available to marketers. But with the advent of more cost-effective tools for capturing and editing "motion pictures," as well as the internet and sharing platforms like Facebook, video has become a very powerful way to connect with your target audience.
This, of course, leaves you with a dilemma if you want to include visual storytelling in a project: should you use photography or video? Your answer to that question is an important one, as it can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of your campaign. Your choice should never come down to "gut feel" or a coin flip. It's important that you give serious consideration to what medium will work best.
"Should you use photos or video in your #storytelling? Your answer to that question is an important one." TWEET THIS
Photography and Video Contrasted: Humans of New York in Two Mediums
Bestselling author, photographer, and blogger Brandon Stanton rose to fame with compelling still images of people around the city in his Humans of New York photo series. For several years he released portrait photography along with quotes from his subjects to tell stories. He had a knack for capturing a powerful moment while people shared their life experiences. His stories were quite emotional and remarkable in the fact that they were created with a single photograph.
Source: Humans of New York, Brandon Stanton
Now Stanton is releasing a new series on Facebook Video that has the same intent, but with video. Again he is capturing a person's story, but in this format we are seeing and hearing it play out in their spoken words. Is that a more effective approach?
OK… in truth, that's an overly broad and unfair question. How "effective" a photograph or video is depends on the end goal you have in mind. It's also measured by the resources you must commit to achieve it.
Pros and Cons of Photos and Video
With stats like one from marketing automation company HubSpot saying that 43 percent of people want to see more video content from marketers, there are people who would say that video, the newcomer in visual storytelling, is kicking still photography to the curb. But the reality is each has its pluses and minuses.
Has a low production cost
Images can be captured and processed quickly
Has a smaller file size for easier sharing
Only scratches the surface of most topics
Doesn't have motion or sound to engage more of the senses
Is seen by some as "old school"
Provides more sensory input for deeper engagement
Enables the telling of more of a story
Is extremely mentally and emotionally "sticky" with viewers
Is more expensive to produce
Requires more of a person's valuable time
Availability and access requires higher-end technology
How do you want your visuals to make your target audience feel? How much are you willing to spend to achieve that objective? What skills and technology are needed to create and share your visual story? You've got a lot to think about before you make your investment.
And, of course, it doesn't have to be a "one or the other" kind of decision. Some of the most engaging campaigns today use a mix of photos and video.
Every Project is Unique
Ultimately, you will have different goals and a different budget for every project you undertake. The key is to partner with an agency that can provide some perspective on what will work best in a particular instance from its interactions with many other companies.
Have questions about your next marketing initiative and whether photos, video, or a creative combination of the two will best help your brand stand out? We've got answers! Contact us today and let's talk about what form of visual storytelling is best for this campaign.
Long Form vs. Short Form Content: Which Is Better For Your Business?
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17 Business Blog Topics Your Audience Wants You To Write
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22 Best Content Marketing Tools and Apps for 2022
December 4, 2021 • 14 min read
'The Big 5' Best Business Blog Topics That Drive Traffic, Leads, and Sales (+ Video)
Who Should Be On Your Content Marketing Team? 5 Critical Positions
What Is a Learning Center and Why Does My Website Need One?
Content Managers: Use This Step-by-Step Guide to Create the Content Your Team Needs
October 15, 2021 • 10 min read
How to Organize Content on Your Website
Inbound marketing success: Building a healthy content pipeline
How to Write a Pillar Page (With Examples)
August 30, 2021 • 13 min read
The Best Sales Enablement Tools for Your Team in 2021
Content Manager Job Description for Marketing Teams (All Industries)
7 Content Marketing Mistakes You're Probably Making [+Fixes]
7 Content Marketing KPIs You Must Be Tracking In Your Strategy
How much does marketing news really matter? (Content Lab, Ep. 56)
How Inclusivity Can Supercharge Your They Ask, You Answer Content (Content Lab, Ep. 55 ft. Ramona Sukhraj)
What It Takes to Dominate Organic Search, ft. Jeff Coyle of MarketMuse (Inbound Success, Ep. 205)
July 26, 2021 • 34 min read
Data: 'Funny' seniors imagery is not only demeaning, it's inaccurate
How Can the StoryBrand Framework Be Used for Inbound Marketing?
17 Best Content Marketing Platforms for 2021
How to Create a YouTube Channel for Business (+ Examples)
What the Heck is Going on With All the Google Updates? (Content Lab, Ep. 54)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Strictly Come Dancing might not be on our TVs at the moment, but the ballroom juggernaut just keeps on rolling in the shape of the Strictly Live tour.
Yes, seven celebrities from the past two series of the show – including 2015 champion Jay McGuiness and 2014 finalist Frankie Bridge – have been quickstepping their way across the UK over the past month with shows in Birmingham, Sheffield, Nottingham, Glasgow and Leeds, among others.
Now they've finally made it to London, kicking off at the SSE Wembley Arena on Thursday and Friday night before rounding off the tour at the O2 Arena on February 13 and 14.
And as we discovered when we went to the first Wembley show, there's a few things on stage that are a little different to those onscreen.
Although Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli are all present and correct.
And you may well recognise most of them, since they all come from the series – with Jay and Aliona showing off their rumba before delivering THAT jive (which is even more jaw-dropping when performed live), Helen George and Aljaz Skorjanec reprising their Viennese Waltz and tango, and Anita and Gleb once again doing their awesome paso doble before he shows off his 'rampant crab' movement in their American Smooth. Oh, and Jake Wood's twerk-filled samba is BACK.
But they're brand new ones that you won't have seen on the show. There's a beach-themed Charleston to The Sun Has Got His Hat On, for example, a Hollywood-themed routine that sees Jay dressing up as Indiana Jones, and a closing number which even sees the judges taking to the stage to show off their moves.
Only this time it's limited to the audience inside the arena, with a special phoneline opening during the interval and remaining that way until midway through the second half.
In other words if you saw a celeb dancing with a certain pro on the TV show you may not necessarily get to see the same couple on tour. This year all the celebrity hoofers were teamed up with their original dance partners – although as Natalie Lowe pulled out of the tour due to injury, Ainsley Harriott's been dancing with Karen Clifton instead. And a very entertaining couple they make (nope, Ainsley's 'tango face' is very much present and correct).
For example there's no Pasha this year (sadface). However a few other dancers who haven't appeared on Strictly, not to mention the show's very own Joanne Clifton, have come along for the ride instead.
But instead the result of the night's performance is announced at the end, with Mel eliminating the couples from the running one by one until only two remain. On the night I went it was between Jay McGuiness and Anita Rani for the Glitterball trophy – with Jay eventually being crowned winner and reclaiming the Glitterball trophy that he won on the TV series not two months ago.
The Strictly Come Dancing Live tour reaches London's O2 on February 13 and 14. For more information visit the official website.


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The Politics of Space Security
Strategic Restraint and the Pursuit of National Interests, Third Edition
James Clay Moltz
Security Studies / Global Security
Politics / International Relations
For the past sixty years, countries have conducted military and civilian activities in space, often for competitive purposes. But they have not yet fought in this environment. This book examines the international politics of the space age from 1957 to the present, the reasons why strategic restraint emerged among the major military powers, and how recent trends toward weaponization may challenge prior norms of conflict avoidance. James Clay Moltz analyzes the competing demands of national interests in space against the shared interests of all spacefarers in preserving the safe use of space in the face of emerging threats, such as man-made orbital debris.
This new edition offers analysis of the 2011 to 2018 period, including the second term of President Obama and the beginning of the Trump administration. Focusing on great power competition and cooperation, as well as questions related to the sustainability of current and future national space policies, The Politics of Space Security is an authoritative history of the space age.
James Clay Moltz is chairman of the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School, where he also holds a joint faculty appointment in the Space Systems Academic Group. He is the author of Crowded Orbits: Conflict and Cooperation in Space (2014) and Asia's Space Race: National Motivations, Regional Rivalries, and International Risks (2012).
"In The Politics of Space Security, James Clay Moltz presents a concise yet brilliant analysis of the history of space security through the lens of the political environment that shaped it. Moltz's book does a fantastic job of giving just enough detail to strengthen his arguments while still keeping the text flowing."
—Brian Weeden, author of Arms Control Today
More in Security Studies—Conflict and Politics
Brokering Peace in Nuclear Environments
Moeed Yusuf
Global Responses to Maritime Violence
Edited by Paul Shemella
Courting Science
Damon V. Coletta
The Supply Side of Security
Tongfi Kim
Noah Coburn
No Miracles
Michael R. Fenzel
Learning the Lessons of Modern War
Edited by Thomas G. Mahnken
Diplomatic Security
Edited by Eugenio Cusumano and Christopher Kinsey
Arms and Influence
Jeffrey S. Lantis
The Politics of Weapons Inspections
Nathan E. Busch and Joseph F. Pilat


The TBX turbine gas meter is used to measure the consumption of gas by an individual gas appliance.
Positioning of the turbine gas meter can be either vertical or horizontal and is suitable for a wide range of gases. This turbine gas meter has an in-built 2 system pulse transmitter for remote reading or advanced energy management system and a liquid crystal display. A low cost, high accuracy and compact design compared to conventional gas meters.
The TBX range of turbine gas meters cover 4 to 150 m3/hr flow rates and sizes ¾"bsp up to 3″ flanged.


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Q: How to configure groovydoc (for gradle) to generate documentation for both java and groovy source The documentation for the groovy doc task (see link) states:

Generates HTML API documentation for Groovy source, and optionally, Java source

But the rest of the documentation does not explain how to optionally generate the documentation for java source. I have a mixed project (both java and groovy) and I would like to generate a single javadoc jar file for both instead of 2 separate jar files. So how do I configure groovydoc to do this?

A: It looks like doing this:
groovydoc {
  source project.tasks.findByName('javadoc').source
}

properly adds the java only classes to the groovydoc output.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The assortment of nuts and dry fruits (Aprox. 500 grm) are available in a wooden box that is neatly partitioned. If you like a particular dry fruit only, then this pot serving is excellent letting you present each nut separately. It makes for excellent presentation and ease of access.


Coach Robbie Blake cut a frustrated figure after seeing Bognor dominate against Corinthian Casuals only to lose to a late goal.
It was in the 87th minute that the visitors scored the game's only goal - that after the Rocks had enjoyed the lion's share of the possession and done everything but score. It's far from the first time this season their finishing has let them down.
Blake was heartened by the displays of the two new Pompey recruits, Freddie Read and Joel Maloney, and revealed the Rocks could have another Pompey youngster, striker Dan Smith, back in their squad for Saturday's clash with Wingate and Finchley.


Bulls Eye Recruiting is looking for a top- notch Director of Sales for a Finance- as- a- Service corporation in Austin,Texas. This person must also have a Finance degree and have been involved at some level with Finance or Accounting at some point in their career. Someone who has sold outsourced services would be ideal (like PEO for HR).
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys working with small-to- medium sized businesses and are very comfortable speaking in front of the "C Suite". Most of the conversations will occur with the CEO or the CFO.
This person will be the only person selling to non-profit companies and there will be no internal competition. This role will be based in downtown Austin and will be selling to companies locally and also nationally via Go-to-Meetings, Zoom meetings, and face-to-face meetings. Travel will be necessary occasionally but only 20-30% of the time.
This role will report into the VP of Sales who resides in Austin. There is a nice base salary with fantastic commissions that are based upon ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue). There are no caps on the commissions.
We are looking for a "Hunter" of new business. This individual will be given some leads, but will be expected to meet annual goal with a mixture of sales generated and sales given. We are not looking for an "Account Manager" or "Farmer" of current business.


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The City of Goleta vs ADU's
The city of Goleta is trying to get a handle on how far it can go to regulate granny flats, or so-called accessory dwelling units. Like all California cities, Goleta is wrestling with a state mandate to allow accessory dwelling units to help ease California's affordable-housing crisis. As population and housing demand grow, new supply has not kept pace, sending the cost of housing soaring. State lawmakers in 2017 approved the ADU mandate with the idea that it would be a quick way to create inexpensive affordable housing in neighborhoods. If the ADUs comply with state standards and the building code, approval must be ministerial. The city plans to create an application checklist to facilitate "administrative design review," so that applicants could receive "over-the-counter" permit approval. The only area where cities have input are in landscape screening and architectural design.
The city's Design Review Board talked about the landscaping and architectural guidelines at its Feb. 7 meeting."The character of the architecture should match the existing building," said chairman Scott Branch. The size of Accessory Dwelling Units can be no larger than 50 percent of the existing square footage of the house, or up to 1,200 square feet. Some communities, including both Santa Barbara and Goleta, have resisted ADUs in an effort to preserve the character of neighborhoods. Goleta, for example, has high development fees, which serve as a cost-prohibitive barrier for many families and homeowners.
Branch, an architect, said he just designed an ADU for a client in Goleta. The client, he said, was converting an existing interior garage space of less than 300 square feet into an ADU — and the development fees were $17,000. "Something like that kind of defeats the purpose," Branch said. "Seems pretty steep to me for that amount of square footage. Something like that seems to defeat the purpose of what the ADU is in the first place. Anne Wells, the city's Advance Planning Manager, said the city plans to review its fee structure for ADU conversions. "We are aware of the fee issue and we are actually doing a study," Well said.
Homeowners who convert garages into ADUs would have to replace the parking on the lot, unless the home is within a half mile of public transit, which is only about 2 percent of the city.
The Goleta City Council will make the final decision on what types of landscaping and architectural standards ADUs should have.
*Thank you to Noozhawk and Joshua Molina for text, and City-Data.com for photo*


The Strictly Come Dancing 2018 has returned for this year. BBC has officially announced the list of celebrity contestants, judges, start time, date, host (presenter), and much more. Check it out who is in to perform and other details. It includes a former X-Factor winner, various Holby City actors, and a Paralympic champion.
Along with them, there is a vicar, two comedians, and a magician's widow. All makes them a total of 15 participants taking part in the season 15. Here's the outlook of the dance reality tv show.. Let's have a look at it. Without wasting more time, scroll down and get to read the details one by one.
2 How long is SCD on for?
3 Who are the Strictly Come Dancing 2018 judges?
BBC had been very close on the official notifications and leaks. Generally, it starts in early September every year. It will air on BBC1 at 7pm. This year, the series will premiere on September 15, 2018.
How long is SCD on for?
Like previous seasons, SCD 2018 will air on Saturdays at 7 pm. And the results will be announced on Sunday nights. Last year, it ran from September 23 to December 16, 2017. So, this year too, it will take around 3 months to crown a winner.
Related: Game of Thrones season 8 release date.
Who are the Strictly Come Dancing 2018 judges?
We expect that Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood will almost certainly be returning to the judging panel. Shirley has hinted that she may not return for another season.
The usual hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly will return to host the show along with Zoe Ball, the host of SCD: It Takes Two.
Here is the rumored list of season 16 contestants.
Tickets will be available via the BBC Shows and Tours webpage in the form of a ballot. The successful fans to be audience for each week of the competition will be chosen at random.
The Strictly themed specials are guaranteed highlights of the live shows year after year, with the costume and make-up departments really coming into their own. In the past the show has covered everything from musicals, movies and a spooky Halloween night in October.
What are your views and thoughts? Who do you think will be the winner?


text:
Sunshine Act Meeting
A Notice by the Securities and Exchange Commission on 03/12/2002
There is no table of contents available for this document.
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/02-5927 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/02-5927
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the Government in the Sunshine Act, Pub. L. 94-409, that the Securities and Exchange Commission held the following additional meetings during the week of February 25, 2002:
Closed meetings were held on Thursday, February 28, 2002 at 5:45 p.m., and Friday, March 1, 2002 at 4:00 p.m.
Commissioner Glassman, as duty officer, determined that no earlier notice thereof was possible.
Commissioners, Counsel to the Commissioners, the Secretary to the Commission, and recording secretaries attended the closed meetings. Certain staff members who had an interest in the matter were also present.
The General Counsel of the Commission, or his designee, has certified that, in his opinion, one or more of the exemptions set forth in 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(5), (7), (9)(A), (9)(B), and (10) and 17 CFR 200.402(a)(5), (7), 9(i), 9(ii) and (10), permit consideration of the scheduled matter at the closed meetings.
The subject matter of the closed meetings held on Thursday, February 28, 2002 and Friday, March 1, 2002 was:
Regulatory matter concerning financial markets.
At times, changes in Commission priorities require alterations in the scheduling of meeting items. For further information and to ascertain what, if any, matters have been added, deleted or postponed, please contact:
The Office of the Secretary at (202) 942-7070.
Dated: March 6, 2002.
Jonathan G. Katz,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-5927 Filed 3-7-02; 4:19 pm]


Lap-Band revision surgery can fix your problems with the band, including not enough weight loss or complications that require band removal.
Band removal and conversion to the new procedure usually happens during the same operation.
If you have insurance that covers bariatric surgery, your revision procedure will be covered. Otherwise, it will probably cost between $20,000 and $29,000 before discounts and tax savings are applied.
Read the sections below for everything you need to know about your Lap-Band revision options.
Lap band revision generally occurs for two reasons, 1) lack of weight loss or 2) complications with the lap band.
Historically, 30+% of gastric band patients eventually required band removal (1). Recent studies have a better outlook, with the 5-year removal rate now under 9% for patients who maintain continued interaction with their surgical team and follow established guidelines closely (2).
"Unsuccessful" means different things to different surgeons, but in general a procedure is considered to be a failure if you lose 25% to 30% or less of your excess weight (in other words, if you're 100 pounds overweight that would mean you lost 25 to 30 pounds or less). Complete success generally means 50% or more of excess weight lost.
Band erosion This occurs when the band grows into the stomach. The only treatment is permanent removal of the band. Symptoms may include variation in food consumption and/or changes in the amount the band requires to be filled.
See our Lap Band Erosion page for more information.
Band infection – (1.5% – 5.3% of patients) – if this occurs, it is usually healed with antibiotics, but removal of the band may be necessary.
Band intolerance symptoms include excessive vomiting or a continuous feeling of discomfort. If these symptoms do not subside, removal of the band is the only option.
Band slippage (2% – 18% of patients) – occurs when the lower part of the stomach "slips" through the band, creating a bigger pouch above the band. This is also referred to as a "lap band prolapse." Either removing fluid (from the lap band) or surgical repositioning it is required to repair it, although band removal may be necessary.
Symptoms include vomiting and reflux, and it's diagnosed by drinking a dye and checking for leaks via X-Ray. The band placement technique used by the surgeon also makes a difference; between the perigastric technique (PGT) and the pars flaccida technique (PFT), the pars flaccida technique appears to have a much lower rate of slippage (up to 16% less often).
See this study for additional images of band slippage and more information about proper diagnosis.
Difficulty swallowing (also called "dysphagia") is caused by eating too quickly, too much or not chewing food enough. While it can usually be avoided by addressing these issues, some patients' bodies simply can't get over this problem, in which case band removal is required.
Esophageal Dysmotility and/or Dilatation – as a result of the patient's gastric band, the esophagus cannot move food from the mouth to the stomach as well as it should. Symptoms may include difficulty swallowing, regurgitation of food and/or pain.
Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a highly variable chronic condition that is characterized by periodic episodes of gastro-esophageal reflux usually accompanied by heartburn and that may result in histopathologic changes in the esophagus. It also often leads to esophagitis. GERD increases the risk of some bariatric surgery complications such as sepsis, but the condition is also improved for many patients following bariatric surgery.
Several at-home treatments are effective, including avoiding certain foods and drinks (alcohol, citrus juice, tomato-based food and chocolate), waiting 3 hours before lying down after a meal, eating smaller meals and elevating your head 8 inches when you lay down. If these don't work, your doctor may recommend/prescribe antacids to be taken after meals and before going to bed, H2 blockers or even Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI). If the condition becomes too severe, it may require removal of the band.
Port infection (1.5% – 5.3% of patients) – can occur in your abdomen at the port site. It is usually healed with antibiotics, but removal of the band or port may be necessary.
Pouch dilation (4.4% of patients) – refers to the enlarging of the pouch created after lap band surgery. It can often be fixed by removing fluid from the band but sometimes requires reoperation.
Any lap band revision procedure may be performed as a single-stage (band removed and new weight loss surgery technique performed during same procedure) or two-stage procedure (band removed during first procedure, sleeve performed during later procedure performed after healing).
Which method is best for you will depend on your situation, but most surgeons recommend a single-stage procedure.
However, if your band is being removed due to certain complications, it may be best to let your body heal before converting to another surgery. In this less common case, two procedures may be more appropriate.
You could undergo a "rebanding"
Following are your 4 lap band revision surgery options along with corresponding research results.
Note that studies evaluating lap band conversion to some procedures are extremely limited; we will continue to stay on top of new research and post updates as they are published.
Removing the old band and replacing it with a new one. Among the limited available research, it appears that results are similar for lap band surgery as a primary procedure and secondary (rebanding) procedure. If your initial gastric band was not successful, most surgeons would not recommend another band.
Excess weight lost following revision to gastric sleeve surgery may be as high as 60% compared your pre-band removal weight. Risk of complications were most often reported as being under 16%, and there were no deaths as the result of surgery reported in any of the studies we reviewed.
Click here to review a Q&A between a patient and a surgeon about the risks of gastric sleeve after a failed lap band.
Revision to gastric bypass was recommended more often than any other procedure among the available research. Reported weight loss since band removal was as high as 70% of excess weight, and complication rates ranged from 9% to 17%.
DS seems to have more weight loss than gastric bypass along with a higher risk of complications.
Click here to contact a surgeon to discuss which procedure is best for your situation.
If you have insurance that covers bariatric surgery, your plan will likely pay for both the removal of your band and the revision to another procedure. Of course, any applicable deductibles, copays and coinsurance will apply.
Use the tool below to find out if your plan includes weight loss surgery.
If performed as a single-stage procedure, total fees for the surgeon's portion of the work are likely to be about 30% higher than they would be if your new surgery was performed as a primary procedure (instead of a revision).
If performed as a two-stage procedure, there would be two separate hospital and anesthesia charges (no discount) and two separate sets of professional fees (the surgeon would likely discount their fees).
While many bariatric surgeons work closely with hospitals to develop a packaged fee, hospital charges are ultimately independent of the surgeon's charges.
Health Insurance That Does Not Include Bariatric Surgery. You may still get insurance to pay for some costs that could be applied to covered treatments. For example, lab work is needed for many reasons outside of bariatric surgery. Your surgeon can help you find those advantages in your plan.
Click here for more information about each option.
Lap-Band surgery is tax deductible, which can have a big impact on the total cost of surgery.
Health Savings Account (HSA) – You can open an HSA alongside a "qualified high deductible" health plan. Tax-free HSA money can be used to pay for qualified medical expenses. No other account receives better tax treatment. You can even transfer IRA money into an HSA. See the IRS's Site for more info.
Archer Medical Savings Account (Archer MSA) – Archer MSAs are like HSAs for the self-employed or small businesses. Click here for details.
Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) – HRAs are only offered by employers who set them up and contribute money to them. If your company offers one, make sure your plan allows the use of HRA funds to pay for "all qualified medical expenses." Click here for more info.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) – Both employers and employees can contribute to an FSA, also known by its IRS code, "Section 125". Money from them can be taken out tax-free if it is used for qualified medical expenses. Click here to get the summary from the IRS.
Canada is generous compared to other countries when it comes to medical tax deductions. If you have a prescription, receipt, or other documentation, you can write off your Lap-Band surgery expenses.
If your income is below a certain amount, you may qualify for a tax credit called the refundable medical expense supplement.
In Australia, you can write off your Lap-Band surgery expenses if the costs are over the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) threshold.
Click here for updated Medicare Benefit Tax Statement information from the Department of Human Services.
We would love to hear your experiences with Lap-band revisions. Your insights are invaluable to making sure other people have the tools to meet their goals.


What does it mean? Are you concerned?
The Mac, specifically Mac OS X, has been for me, all the advantages of Unix with commercial applications. Most of my development is done on and for linux. Mac OS X has allowed me to use commercial applications not available to linux (e.g. MYOB, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Photoshop) and keep developing and using the machine with almost all the advantages of Linux. This is not about talking alternatives. I am required to use these apps for various commercial reasons. If I worked alone I would not.
The new Sandbox requirement has me worried.
Let me say that in principle... sandboxing applications is a good idea... the issue is how to get them not sandboxed. Yes, you can avoid App Store - but maybe not always. You can't avoid the app store on iOS. It seems to be the future for Mac OS X too.
Final cut pro X has access to all directories, files, metadata files (basically sqlite databases) etc in your video folders.
Having access to a directory like that is pretty common.
What about an app that manages a web site. It manages files, builds files from templates, lists the files, links to them.
According to the new documentation, you have to specify a file, one at a time, via an open dialog box to read/write to files.
Apparently all impossible. So what about plugins to Aperture, Final Cut, Adobe PhotoShop, etc.
Can the application run any apple script? Can the apple script or automator run the application?
The biggest issue with iOS is the inability for applications to share data. I can't get my word processor to embed data from a spreadsheet - silly example - but this lack of shared user document space is quite on purpose to improve security. But functionally, usability - it SUX !
The Mac OS X does not have this problem... but it is about to.
Will you be able to open files with other methods. Double click finder; open from Alfred; using open command line. I suspect not. Therefore usability, accessibility and functionality is lost. This needs to be tested, but if you can open from these other apps (e.g. finder) is it because of special permissions, or are they ignoring that.
The idea of sandbox seems reasonable. Why should a game not just access its own data. Even many utility applications like OmniFocus only needs generally access to its own directory, plus a little interaction (ability for other apps to add entries).
Once you move into the document space though it is a different story. Most projects I work on, even if the files are in Dropbox, local, git, etc have a mix of file types. I may need to edit an SVG, compile code, modify a text file. This is all possible and easy. I can even use tools like XCode to open the file types it can't edit directly.
It is poor document management. They should be event or project or task based, not file type, which should not matter.
Multiple tools use the one file - photoshop file that is then updated with a version control system, embedded in your web site and uploaded - could be 4 tools on this one file. Of course those tools are working with multiple files.
Some tools will generate multiple file types. How often do we work with just one file. Word processor is ok. But even Adobe Photoshop has the ability to output many files at once, split layers, import/export multiple files when dealing with single frame video etc.
I have decided to start writing down the apps I use each day, and work out what privs they may need.


Concours d'Elegance - 1971 Cooma Robert Woods Sapphire MK I 1 00:00:00 C341798 A new perpetual trophy for the person who travelled the longest distance to attend the Rally was awarded to Robert Woods who came from Port Moresby to Sydney by plane. His car was garaged at Wellington NSW and after picking it up, he travelled via Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide and then back to Cooma to attend the event (Robert has obviously a very poor sense of direction and/or no GPS). The Mk1 Sapphire travelled around 4,200 kilometres on this journey.
Concours d'Elegance - 1972 Narrandera Tony Morris Station Coupe (1950) 1 00:00:00 C189336 Tony Morris travelled from Minnipa in South Australia to Narrandera, New South Wales - a distance of about 1,100 kilometres to claim the Longest Distance award for this year.
Concours d'Elegance - 1973 Swan Hill Arthur Ackling 1950 Armstrong Siddeley Whitley 1 00:00:00 C189170 Arthur Ackling travelled from Tamworth in New South Wales, a driving distance of about 1,000 kilometres.
Concours d'Elegance - 1974 Melbourne Dennis Beasley Station Coupe 1 00:00:00 Dennis Beasley travelled about 950 kilometres from Tamworth in New South Wales to Melbourne, Victoria to attend this year's event - travelling far enough from home to win him this years award.
Concours d'Elegance - 1976 Deniliquin Penn Bradly Star Sapphire 1 00:00:00 330382. Penn Bradly drove 850 kilometres from Armidale in a Star Sapphire to the event in Deniliquin, the car subsequently winning the Star Sapphire Trophy at the concours.
Concours d'Elegance - 1977 Cootamundra Howard McCormick Sapphire MK II 1 00:00:00 In another long-distance drive, Howard McCormick travelled 3,600 kilometres across Australia from Perth in a Mk2 Sapphire to the event.
Concours d'Elegance - 1979 Wagga Wagga Howard McCormick Sapphire MK II 1 00:00:00 Howard McCormick once again took on the long-distance challenge. Leaving Perth in his Mk2 Sapphire, he first travelled to Rockhampton in Queensland before turning right and travelling South to Wagga Wagga. This incredible tour of just over 6,000 kilometres easily eclipsed his previous two efforts by some 3,000 kilometres, setting a new distance record that has still has not been (and is unlikely to be) beaten. Howards hat-trick of Longest Distance Travelled to the Event awards is an outstanding achievement.
Concours d'Elegance - 1980 Tamworth Lee Rodda Star Sapphire 1 00:00:00 With none of the Perth-based contingent attending this year it was time for another State to grab this trophy, the honor going to Lee Rodda & Kay Leverett who travelled 1,500 kilometres from Adelaide (South Australia) in a Star Sapphire.
Concours d'Elegance - 1981 Barossa Valley Alan Shellabear Sapphire MK II 1 00:00:00 With three out of the last four Longest Distance Trophies won by Perth-based attendees (and losing out last year to some South Australians), it was time for another Perth attempt to win the trophy. Alan Shellabear drove his 346 Mk2 Sapphire Limousine 2,500 kilometres from Perth to the Barossa Valley to attend the event - recapturing the trophy for Western Australia.
Concours d'Elegance - 1982 Toowoomba Evan Jones Sapphire MK I 1 00:00:00 A journey of 1,800 kilometres from Mount Gambier in the South-East of South Australia to Toowoomba Queensland saw Evan Jones take home the trophy on behalf of his Mk1 Sapphire.
Concours d'Elegance - 1983 Canberra Athol Duncan Whitley (1952) 1 00:00:00 This year saw the first time that this trophy would be Queensland-bound with Athol Duncan driving his 1952 Whitley 1,100 kilometres from Brisbane to Canberra to take home the prize.
Concours d'Elegance - 1984 Ballarat Peter Woodward Whitley (1950) 1 00:00:00 A 900 kilometer drive from Sydney in a 1950 Whitley saw Peter Woodward win this trophy.
Concours d'Elegance - 1985 Bowral Lee Rodda Star Sapphire (1959) 1 00:00:00 With a previous win in 1980, Lee Rodda again drove the 1959 Star Sapphire 1,300 kilometres from Adelaide to take home this award.
Concours d'Elegance - 1986 Renmark Ralph Hickling Sapphire MK I 1 00:00:00 1986 was the second year this trophy was Queensland-bound with Ralph Hickling driving his Mk1 Sapphire 1,600 kilometres from Brisbane.
Concours d'Elegance - 1987 Stanthorpe Andrew Christophersen Sapphire MK II 1 00:00:00 Reversing last years journey (from Brisbane in Queensland to Renmark in South Australia) an Adelaide based Mk2 Sapphire driven by Andrew Christophersen travelled 1,700 kilometres (beating last year''s distance by 100 kilometres) from Adelaide to Stanthorpe to win this award.
Concours d'Elegance - 1988 Thredbo Jack Straughan 1927 14HP 1 00:00:00 AS26339 Following the initial Queensland-based success in 1983 and a second one in 1986, this year saw the first of a string of four consecutive Queensland wins for this particular trophy. After an amazing 1,300 journey in 1927 14HP, Jack Straughan took yet another (having also won 4 other awards at this rally) trophy home.
Concours d'Elegance - 1989 Wangaratta Athol Duncan 1951 Armstrong Siddeley Whitley 1 00:00:00 C1811225 Proving that last years win by a South Australian was a fluke, it was time once again for a Queenslander to take charge. Athol Duncan's 1951 Whitley was up to the challenge, travelling 1,400 kilometres from Caboolture to win the trophy.
Concours d'Elegance - 1990 Mudgee Malcolm Neame Sapphire MK I 1 00:00:00 Malcolm Neame's 1,800 kilometer journey from Townsville in Far North Queensland to Mudgee in the Far West of New South Wales in his Mk1 Sapphire easily won him this trophy.
Concours d'Elegance - 1991 Clare Valley John Gagen Sapphire MK I 1 00:00:00 C342943 Equaling last years distance of 1,800 kilometres, a journey from Brisbane (Queensland) to the Clare Valley in South Australia in a different Mk1 Sapphire saw John Gagen take home the award.
Concours d'Elegance - 1992 Toowoomba Alf Britton Star Sapphire 1 00:00:00 Breaking the Queensland streak of four-wins-in-a-row for this sought-after trophy, Alf Britton drove his Star Sapphire 1,600 kilometres from Great Western in Southern Victoria to Toowoomba in Queensland to claim victory.
Concours d'Elegance - 1993 Tumut Malcolm de Mamiel Sapphire (1954) 1 00:00:00 C341774 In another epic across-Australia drive, Malcolm de Mamiel drove a 1954 Sapphire (C341744) from Leonora in Western Australia to Tumut in New South Wales, a one-way distance of 3,100 kilometres.
Concours d'Elegance - 1994 Dartmouth Jack Straughan 1959 Armstrong Siddeley Star 1 00:00:00 330158 A 1,300 kilometer journey by Jack Straughan in a 1959 Star Sapphire (330158) from Robina in Queensland to Dartmouth in Victoria saw him take home the Longest Distance trophy this year.
Concours d'Elegance - 1995 Cowra Ron Hutt 1956 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Mk 2 1 00:00:00 C346978 For the second consecutive year, a Queenslander took home this award; this time Ron Hutt drove his 1956 Sapphire (C346978) from Nambour to Cowra, a distance of 1,100 kilometres.
Concours d'Elegance - 1996 Barossa Valley Stef van der Plaat 1954 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Mk 1 1 00:00:00 C342664 A 1,100 kilometer drive halfway-across-Australia trip from Canberra to the Barossa Valley in South Australia in a 1954 Sapphire (C342664) driven by Stef van der Plaat was the longest distance driven this year by a Rally attendee.
Concours d'Elegance - 1997 Cherrabah Chris Storch Sapphire 234 (1957) 1 00:00:00 Chris Storch drove a 1957 Sapphire 234 from Adelaide South Australia to Cherrabah in Queensland, a distance of 1,510 kilometres to claim the Longest Distance trophy for this year.
Concours d'Elegance - 1998 Goulburn David Armstrong 1956 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Mk 2 1 00:00:00 C346337 David Armstrong drove his 1956 Sapphire (C346337) 1,200 kilometres from Adelaide to Goulburn to record the Longest Distance driven to the Rally.
Concours d'Elegance - 1999 Mt Beauty T & M Traeger 1950 Whitley 1 00:00:00 C18112x Tony Traeger drove his 1950 Whitley approximately 800 kilometres from Adelaide, South Australia to Mt. Beauty in Victoria to win this year's Longest Distance trophy.
Concours d'Elegance - 2000 Singleton David Armstrong 1956 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Mk 2 1 00:00:00 C346337 As in 1998, David Armstrong once again drove his 1956 Sapphire (C346337) to the event, this time covering 900 kilometres from Adelaide in South Australia to Singleton in New South Wales.
Concours d'Elegance - 2001 Mildura Alan Purss 1960 Armstrong Siddeley Star 1 00:00:00 330685 A 1,000 kilometer drive in a 1960 Star Sapphire (330685) from the Central Coast of New South Wales to Mildura saw Alan Purss take home the award this year.
Concours d'Elegance - 2002 Jindabyne Athol Duncan 1951 Armstrong Siddeley Whitley 1 00:00:00 C1811225 Driving a 1951 Whitley (C1811225) from Brisbane to Jindabyne, Athol Duncan's 1,300 kilometer journey gave him the Longest Distance Travelled trophy for 2002.
Concours d'Elegance - 2004 Wagga Wagga Ross Burgess Sapphire (1954) 1 00:00:00 C343575 Ross Burgess drove 1,300 kilometres in a 1954 Sapphire (C343575) from Nambour in Queensland to Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, returning home with the Longest Distance trophy.
Concours d'Elegance - 2005 Tanunda Robert & Miriam Bradly Star Sapphire (1960) 1 00:00:00 330838 The 1,100 kilometer distance from Harden in New South Wales to Tanunda in South Australia was far enough to allow Robert & Miriam Bradly and their 1960 Star Sapphire (330838) to take home the Longest Distance trophy for this year.
Concours d'Elegance - 2007 Canberra Athol Duncan 1951 Armstrong Siddeley Whitley 1 00:00:00 C1811225 Driving the same 1951 Whitley (C1811225) as he did in 2002, Athol Duncan again took home the Longest Distance trophy after driving 1,200 kilometres from Buderim in Queensland to Canberra.
Concours d'Elegance - 2008 Echuca Doug & Heather Stewart 1954 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Mk 1 1 00:00:00 C341795 Driving 820 kilometres from Hagly in Tasmania to Echuca in Victoria in the same 1954 Sapphire (C341795) that they drove to the 2006 rally (also winning this award then), Doug & Heather Stewart once again took home the Longest Distance trophy.
Concours d'Elegance - 2009 Bathurst Doug & Heather Stewart 1954 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Mk 1 1 00:00:00 C341795 Driving 1,100 kilometres from Hagly in Tasmania to Bathurst in New South Wales saw Doug & Heather Stewart and their 1954 Sapphire (C341795) win the Longest Distance trophy for the second time in a row.
Concours d'Elegance - 2010 Swan Hill Cliff Grice Whitley (1953) 1 00:00:00 C1812858 Cliff Grice's drive of 1,400 kilometres from Toowoomba in Queensland to Swan Hill in Victoria in his 1953 Whitley (C1812858) saw him take home the Longest Distance Travelled trophy at the Club's 50th Anniversary Federal Rally.
Concours d'Elegance - 2011 Toowoomba Selwyn & Jenny Allen Sapphire 346 MK II 1 00:00:00 C435129 A 1,300 kilometer drive from Melbourne to Toowoomba by Selwyn & Jenny Allen in their Sapphire 346 Mk2 (C345129) was enough to get him the longest distance travelled to the Rally award this year.
Concours d'Elegance - 2012 Sapphire Coast John Day 1956 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Mk 2 1 00:00:00 C346512 John Day's 930 kilometer drive from Beaufort in Victoria to the Sapphire Coast (Kiama) in New South Wales in a 1956 Sapphire 346 Mk2 earnt him the longest distance travelled to the Rally award this year.
Concours d'Elegance - 2013 Bendigo Tony Carter 1953 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Mk 1 1 00:00:00 C340412 Tony and Tina Carter and Sid Armstrong travelled in the Presidential Carriage from Quirindi to Bendigo. Their 650 mile drive in the 1953 346 Sapphire MK1 4-light synchromesh Armstrong Siddeley earnt them the Longest Distance Travelled to the Rally trophy.
Concours d'Elegance - 2014 Maitland Paul Caro 1929 20HP 1 00:00:00 AS1158 Paul Caro's 450 mile drive from Brisbane to Maitland was far enough to earn him this year's Longest Distance Travelled to the Rally trophy.
Concours d'Elegance - 2015 Broken Hill Alison Clearwater and Ian Handley (tied) 1 0:00:00 With Alison Clearwater and Ian Handley both residing in Canberra, this year's Longest Distance Travelled to the Rally trophy was shared between them with their vehicles traveling around 1095 kilometres to reach Broken Hill.


Turkey Chowder with Corn is a hearty, delicious soup! Don't toss your holiday leftovers! When you grow tired of turkey sandwiches, transform leftover turkey into a rich delicious Turkey Chowder. No turkey? No problem! Rotisserie chicken works just as well.
I ain't gonna lie… I love the day I have planned! I'm doing some decorating for the holidays. I have another pot of Turkey Corn Chowder on the stove, some dinner rolls in the oven – life is good!
Yesterday I had the BEST brainstorming session with my buddy Jessica in Sacramento. I shopped for some fun Christmas Ornaments and bought 20 pounds of mandarins. It was a wonderful day!
It's not very often you can steal some time for yourself and just do your own thing. Truly, I feel blessed!
I also love a meal that I can pull the ingredients out of the pantry & freezer and make something completely spectacular. Like THIS chowder!
Start by sautéing the bacon. Dice it into small chunks (lardons). Put the bacon in a cold pot (use the same one you're going to make the stew in – no need to dirty another dish) and THEN turn the pot on over medium heat. Starting it off in a cold pot will help render off the fat. Cooking the bacon should take about fifteen minutes. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon and put them on a paper towel to drain.
While the bacon is cooking, dice the onion, celery and the potatoes. If you use russet potatoes, I recommend peeling them. Yellow or red potatoes, no need to peel – just scrub them well.
After you remove the bacon, pour out most of the grease, but reserve all those brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the butter & olive oil, then the onions and celery. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until they just begin to soften. Then add the potatoes and minced garlic. Cook for another minute or two.
Add the flour and cook that for a couple minutes also. Then it's time to add the Tabasco sauce (don't be afraid of the heat, Tabasco adds a great flavor!) and chicken stock. When you add the chicken stock, take a spoon and scrape up all the bits off the bottom of the pan. They are going to give you big flavor!! Increase the heat to high and bring everything to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender.
Next, ladle about half the soup into the Blender . Blend until creamy and smooth. Add it back into the soup pot along with the turkey and corn and heat through. Remove from the heat and add in the half & half. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
This easy chowder serves a crowd, but can easily be cut in half for smaller families.
How do you thicken corn chowder?
I thicken this chowder with flour and by blending it. You can eliminate the flour and blend a larger amount of the soup to thicken it if you choose.
Want all of my soup making tips and tricks? Check out Homemade Soup; A Complete Guide.
What if I don't have any turkey?
No turkey, no problem! Use leftover cooked chicken. Here's what you need to know…. this chowder is AMAZING! Big and bold, over-the-top flavor! Again… don't be afraid of Tabasco – it makes this chowder pop!
A great tip from a reader is adding cream style corn instead of frozen corn. It helps thicken the soup and adds a touch of sweetness!
Have more leftover turkey? Give my Turkey Pot Pie Recipe a try – delish!
This chowder takes about 40 minutes from start to finish. If you're looking for an easy dinner idea for tonight, this is the meal!
More Great Chowder Recipes I know you'll LOVE!!
Silicone Pad – I love how versatile these pads are! Pot holder, spoon rest, etc – plus dishwasher safe? Hoping Santa brings me a set!
Don't toss your holiday leftovers! When you get tired of turkey sandwiches, transform that turkey into a rich delicious Turkey Corn Chowder. No turkey? No problem! Rotisserie chicken will work just as well.
Dice the bacon and add it to a large stockpot. Cook over medium heat until crispy, remove from pan. Drain on a paper towel - set aside.
In the same pot used to cook the bacon, drain off a bit of the oil. Add the butter & olive oil and the onion & celery. Season with salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
Add the garlic and saute another minute. Stir in the flour & mix it well with the softened veggies - cook another two minutes. Add in the potatoes and give the ingredients a couple good stirs.
Add about 1/4 cup of the chicken stock. Stir everything really well, scraping all of the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the remainder of the chicken stock, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a medium heat, stirring occasionally, the mixture will thicken.. Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
Add the turkey and corn. Stir well to combine. Turn off the heat add cream & bacon, stir to combine & warm thru. I love a dash of Tabasco to finish off the chowder! Now's the time to add it!
Another favorite quick and easy soup is 20 Minute Chicken Noodle Soup! Or if you're looking for a delicious side to go along with this soup – cornbread. Always so yummy!
* Yellow frozen corn (rather than white) is my choice making this chowder. The yellow corn gives it a bright POP of color, love that!
Turkey Corn Chowder is an easy soup that you make from leftovers. Using a few things items from your pantry, fridge and freezer.
This is a great way to use leftovers. I have always wanted to try a vegetarian version of corn chowder and maybe someday you can make one for me? 🙂 Your recipes and photos, as always, are enticing and delicious.
You betcha Rini, I'll be working on that, YUM!! Thank you so much for stopping by!
This just look fantastic. Can't wait to try it and looks so easy to.
I hope you try it soon, we sure enjoyed it! I bet you will too!
Well this is a keeper! Went to MIL's for Thanksgiving so I actually have a whole turkey in the freezer right now. Probably going to make it next week so of course with the leftovers this recipe is going to come in handy. I am rating it already at a 5 star because it just looks fabulous and tasty and perfect for a cold day here in CA.
Awesome, you are set then Diana! It's a cold day here too – great day for a bowl of soup!
Oh I am going to have to try this one! Looks so comforting!
Yes, comforting and delish – please come back and let me know what you think Suzy!
I can't get enough soup this time of year! Thanks for sharing this one!
You bet – enjoy Mary!
I love chowders and smelling them cooking on the stove on a cool winter day 🙂 It's also great to make time for yourself. We all need that to re-group.
I think taking time for yourself is always a tough thing, especially around the holidays. I hope you enjoy this soup Stephanie!
I love chowders..most any kind. I've made corn/potato chowder for years…never any recipe. The results are always tasty. It never occurred to me to add turkey. This will be my go-to chowder. Easy to adapt to gluten free and versatile. It won't let me give the 5 stars it deserves.
I just love the turkey version – so hearty and delicious. I hope you enjoy too after adapting it for gluten free!! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day Amanda's!
This soup would taste good any time of year! I like the addition of Tobasco! Just enough to make it interesting,.
Yes, I totally agree Dan, when I don't have turkey I sub the rotisserie chicken, just as delish!
This sounds like a great combo I would never have thought of. The bacon will be great for flavor and sticking to your ribs in cold weather too. Yum!
I hope you give it a try Scarlet, the whole family will just love it!
This looks incredible — I'm a sucker for anything "chowder" — big chunks of potato and turkey in a creamy, thick chowder base! Yum!
Yup, I'm with you! Definitely a stick to your ribs kinda meal!
We always make corn chowder with our turkey leftovers, so yum!
Very smart, great way to repurpose leftovers!!
Great way to use leftover turkey! This looks yummy!
Thanks Evi, we just love this chowder!
Your chowder sounds wonderful and comforting and I love how easy it is too. I am featuring it at the Let's Get Real Weekly Link Party this Thursday!
Thank you so much Patty for featuring it this week! Hope things are well your way – I'll swing by and link up this week. I really appreciate the feature!
Delicious. I made it tonight with leftover turkey I had in the freezer. It was creamy and thick without a raw flour taste. My husband has a LVAD and is waiting for a heart/kidney transplant. He has to have a low sodium diet so we can't open a can of soup. This was so easy and flavorful we didn't miss the salt. Thank you for sharing.
How exciting Nancy, I'm so glad you enjoy this soup! But more importantly, my thoughts and prayers go to you & your husband. It sounds like you have some very challenging times ahead. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
This soup is great! I did something a little different that I wanted to share. I had leftover creamed corn from my Thanksgiving meal that I used instead of frozen corn. It turned out delicious! It added some extra creaminess, which was good because I also only had half and half leftover from our meal. I also added a little extra Texas Pete (instead of Tabasco) to give it a tad bit of heat. Thanks for sharing!
Great additions Whitney! I love cream style corn and I know that would taste just fantastic! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Oh, I love chowders! And this one is the ultimate for the cozy winter dinner! Loving it so much!
So easy and so good, thank you Liza!!!


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Improving the way international agencies, donors and developing countries cooperate
Global Health And Development
The overall aim of the International Health Partnership for UHC 2030 is to create a movement for accelerated, equitable and sustainable progress towards universal health coverage (UHC). Achieving UHC means everyone will have access to essential health services – including safe, effective and affordable medicines and vaccines – without financial hardship.
The sustainable development goals (SDGs) include a specific target to achieve UHC. This presents an opportunity to promote a comprehensive approach to health, focusing on health system strengthening. The benefits of UHC cuts across all the SDG health targets, including global security and equity.
Read the UHC2030 global compact.
GAVI'S ROLE
Gavi's mission is closely linked to the UHC agenda. Immunisation routinely reaches more children and households than any other health intervention, making it a solid platform from which to build universal health coverage.
We engage in UHC through many different forums, including the UHC 2030 Steering Committee (shared seat with the Global Fund) and associated technical advisory bodies.
Immunisation: a platform for universal health coverage
Immunisation: a platform for universal health coverage [Arabic]
Immunisation: a platform for universal health coverage [French]
Immunisation: a platform for universal health coverage [German]
Immunisation: a platform for universal health coverage [Portuguese]
Immunisation: a platform for universal health coverage [Spanish]
International Health Partnership for UHC2030


A THUG jailed for attacking two men in Knightswood has been caught after allegedly absconded from prison.
Sean Bonar was sentenced to six year in 2016 for assaulting two men with a baseball bat.
At the High Court in Glasgow, he admitted assaulting one to the danger of his life and another to his permanent disfigurement.
Judge Lord Bannatyne told Bonar at the time: "You are a significant risk to the general public."
Police yesterday issued an alert that Bonar, 29, had breached the terms of his licence while on home leave from HMP Castle Huntly on April 8. They warned he should not be approached.
This morning however, they said Bonar had been traced in Glasgow and arrested.
Police Scotland added: "We would like to thank the public for their assistance."
Bonar had turned up at a flat in Knightswood in January 2016 when he launched the revenge attacks on the men. One of them suffered a potentially fatal brain injury.
As well as using the bat, he also punched and kicked both victims during the horrific double assault.
Bonar was later found with blood on his trousers, socks and phone.
As well as a six-year jail term, he was ordered to be monitored for four years in the community after his release.


The 23rd edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is fast becoming a sham no thanks to poor planning by the Organising Committee.
The latest low came about when Pakistan withdrew from the seven team event by notifying the Malaysian Hockey Confederation who kept the news to themselves until NewStraits Times journalist Jugjet Singh managed to get the official word from the national body late Saturday.
The whole tournament had lost its glitter, turning from a classy A level event to a C grade event following the decision by top teams to give the event a miss.
It all boils down to a poor choice of dates by the overzealous Organisors who clearly lacked the ability to convince teams to come with some forward thinking.
Even former national coach Paul Revington was baffled by the choice of dates for this years event given the fact that the Champions Challenge was slated for April 26 to May 4 and the World Cup in The Hague slated for May 31 till June 15.
Revington had requested, prior to resigning, to hold the tournament in February as that would have allowed to European sides like Germany, Holland, Belgium, England and Spain to be available. But all he got was a curt replay that the Sultan was not agreeable.
Those who know the Sultan will be well aware that he has the best interest of hockey at heart and has gone out of his way to hold the event even in January and May to suit the international calendar.
It is clear that inept officials caused irreparable damage to the event as they failed to look at the bigger picture. Thus the 23rd edition has lost its glitter as teams like Argentina, New Zealand, India, Belgium - all declined the invites and Australia will surely field the developmental squad.
And by having teams ranked behind Malaysia in the world ranking being invited to play, Malaysia is giving a paid for match practice to teams like Canada, China and France ( till they withdrew) a perfect platform to better themselves at Malaysian expense.
This is hardly the sought of preparation for the Malaysian team to prepare for a World Cup.
Perhaps the Perak HA, which has not even merged thus running foul of FIH regulations that compelled MHF to merge with MWHA to form a single entity, could now field a combined team of illegals to play in what is the worlds longest running international tournament.
They will go down as a bunch of individuals who have gave scant respect to such a great tournament, all because of their lack of ability to think out of the box.


We awoke to our last day on the TMB! Where have all the days, kilometres ascents and descents gone?
We couldn't believe we were only a day's walk from completing the circuit! We were lulled into a false sense of security thinking that today's walk would be easy. Dianne our guide had quoted that we only had an initial 750m ascent, but we had failed to absorb the fact that there would be over 1100m of a combined ascent due to the contouring along the mountain side until we reached the top of the original cable car we had taken on day one, effectively completing our circuit!
Each day the temperature has been increasing, so today was hot. This along with the mental state of switching off on the last day caught us out making it a tougher day than it should have been. The initial ascent was on stony and mostly exposed paths. We stopped a number of times to take a rest before pushing on and reaching the top. Lunch was enjoyed at a mountain side Albergue and we sampled some local sweet pasteries to help us on the way. Before long, we had completed the walk, but not only that, Jenny and I had completed another amazing adventure!
Our group had gelled well, so it was time for celebrative drinks and our final shared meal before we all make tracks and say our farewells.
Click here for More a Photos!
Congratulations, another one to tick off the list! Thanks for sharing it with us – amazing photos.
Well done guys. The ohotos have been amazing so in real life it must have been a very special time. The view in Surrey hills is going to be pretty lame. You can walk to our house if you need to go uphill!
Enjoy a few more ice creams before you come home Steve cause she may take them off the menu again.
Yes, we will definitely miss the views of Mont Blanc! And yes, I'll miss those gelato's as they will be off the menu when I get home. Thanks for your comments. See you soon.
You've done it ! ! Congratulations on your mighty achievement – walking the M.B.T. – especially in the light of the events of January 2016 at Pambula. You are both amazing and we are absolutely in awe of this latest success . Steve your photos are brilliant and viewing them has been the the highlight of our last eleven days. We hope you enjoyed celebrating with your group. – you all deserved it. Alison and Geoff.
Have loved following the ascents and descents with you both. Superb effort yet again Jen and Steve. Enjoy the rest!
Bloody awesome effort Stephen and Jenny. Loved being part of your adventure through reading your blog. You and are both an inspiration of life.


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Housing & Community
Sunday, 19th January, 2020
GSL Conference
Global Student Living
Calls for better housing support for estranged UK students
African students barred from Christian worship in China
Chinese influence causes censorship concerns for Australian students
How one Irish uni supports international students over Christmas
Attempts made to suppress student vote in America
Food insecurity at US colleges: how your institution can combat it
Smart drugs: what they are, and how unis can respond
Dedicated student mental health centre opens in Manchester
Championing a safe, healthy and inclusive HE sector for students
Disabled British students drop out through lack of support
How to choose between digital tools for student wellbeing
Australian study shows Facebook's impact on students' grades
3 million students & grads' sexuality data held by UK government
UK students support 'emotional education' teaching by unis
Promoting healthy student relationships with technology
Spike in int'l students heading to South Australia and Tasmania
International students crossed picket lines due to visa fears
Australian exchange students recalled from Hong Kong
'True crime' trend sees surge in Australian women studying Criminology
British students with long commutes more likely to drop out
How gaming and gambling affect student life
Dry for good? Gen-Z attitudes to alcohol
Good sex, bad sex – creating a positive culture
Monzo: creating community buzz around your brand
Broke Cardiff students offered 'free' taxi trips
Home Housing & Community 10-year report finds UK students socialising less in accommodation
10-year report finds UK students socialising less in accommodation
Jen Steadman
For insights like this into national student accommodation trends, download the Shifting Foundations report here.
Students have become more private and less interested in socialising within their accommodation since tuition fees were tripled in 2012, according to a landmark 10-year report on student accommodation in the UK.
The Shifting Foundations report – based on a decade of data from the National Student Housing Survey (NSHS) – warns that this could have negative consequences for students' health and wellbeing.
Run by market research agency and higher education specialists Red Brick Research, the NSHS asks students about different aspects of their accommodation – whether they live in university halls, private halls, or privately-rented housing. Nearly a quarter of a million students have taken part since the project's launch in 2008.
The findings
The long-term nature of the survey has made it possible to identify national trends in student accommodation, and where macroenvironmental changes have had an impact on results.
Taking effect in 2012, the coalition government's highly divisive tuition fee increases are something that may have had a significant impact on measures related to socialising.
The number of students who said that they enjoyed socialising in their accommodation has fallen by at least 10% in each type of accommodation since the fees were introduced. In private halls, less than half of students agreed with the statement 'I enjoy socialising in my accommodation' in 2018 – down from a peak of 62% agreeing with the statement in 2012 – while the number of students in university halls who agreed declined 11% between 2011 and 2018.
A further one in ten students reported that they actively disliked socialising in their accommodation.
The number of students who enjoy socialising in their accommodation has declined noticeably since 2012 [Source: NSHS]
This has had knock-on effects. Fewer students now consider there to be a 'strong sense of community' where they live than before the tuition fee changes, and the number of students saying that they have formed 'close relationships' with people in their accommodation is in decline. International students were significantly less likely to have formed close relationships than their domestic counterparts, with a 12% gap between UK and EU students on this measure.
The report warns that "this is a significant trend given the importance of relationships with others to overall student satisfaction… Evidence suggests that a feeling of belonging is linked to a more positive university experience and higher student retention."
What's making students feel less sociable?
Shifting Foundations suggests that several factors have influenced this trend.
One eye-catching conclusion is a link between higher tuition fees and less socialisation. NSHS project lead and Associate Director at Red Brick Research, Sarah Jones, says: "With higher fees, there are higher expectations and students are placing more importance on value for money and the academic experience specifically. There is more pressure to perform and more focus on employability to be able to get a good job and make the higher fees feel worthwhile, so students are placing higher importance on achieving their academic goals."
Another possibility is that students now prefer to socialise remotely, in the privacy of their own room. The report notes that much of Generation Z's socialising and collaboration occurs online, and that this may be why there has been an increase in students who value bedroom space, en-suite bathrooms and studio flats.
NSHS project lead, Sarah Jones, delves into what the last 10 years has brought for student accommodation – and what the next 10 years might bring.
Despite less appetite for socialising, positive relationships between students in accommodation has remained a crucial factor in overall happiness not only in accommodation, but with the whole university experience.
"It's not in the interests of the sector for social activity to decline, because we know it plays a part in a happy accommodation experience – so it's a challenge for accommodation providers to think of different ways to help facilitate relationships," says Jones. "It's vital for providers to maintain and facilitate an environment where students can socialise, though the form that takes is likely to change; more spaces with 'purpose', rather than an empty room with a few chairs, for example."
What next for student accommodation?
With an unfamiliar landscape ahead for higher education thanks to national factors like Brexit and sector issues such as the recommendations of the much-feted Augar Review, it's hard to predict exactly what the future holds for student accommodation.
Red Brick's Associate Director and NSHS project lead, Sarah Jones, says that accommodation providers must keep changes such as lower social activity in mind, and ensure that support and wellbeing strategies are in place to prevent students from becoming isolated or unhappy as a result. One preventative measure might be for providers to consider how housing is allocated initially, in order to minimise conflict.
But it's not just student accommodation that is changing – there are also big things ahead for the National Student Housing Survey.
NSHS manager Hilary Farley and project lead Sarah Jones with the landmark report
Having expanded into Ireland in 2018, a new incarnation of the survey called the Global Student Living Study has been launched in Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Spain this year. There are plans to increase participation across all territories and produce more reports into national-level trends.
Tim Daplyn, Managing Director of Red Brick Research, said: "The NSHS began life back in 2007 as a simple way for universities to monitor the standards and experiences of their students in the nascent private accommodation sector. Just over a decade later, and under the emerging Global Student Living brand, it is now the leading source of insight and benchmarking for a booming international student accommodation sector.
The future for the NSHS (Global Student Living) is bright, and we're proud to be able to make such a positive difference to students' experience and wellbeing around the world."
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With more than 8,000 university students estranged from their families, universities are being asked to provide year-round accommodation to support students.
Global Student Living (GSL) is the definitive channel for professional news, information and insight into student living and lifestyle around the world.
Contact us: hello@gsl.news
© Red Brick Media Group Ltd
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FOSC works with the school to organise fundraising events and money raised goes towards playground improvements.
All parents and carers are members of FOSC. If you wish to become involved in the fundraising events, please contact the school office or see Mrs Tsoukkas in the playground.
Copyright © 2019 St Cyprian's Greek Orthodox Primary Academy. All Rights Reserved.


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You are here: Home - Specialist Lending - Complex Buy To Let -
Foundation withdrawing 60 and 70 per cent LTV resi deals
by: Owain Thomas
Foundation Home Loans is overhauling its specialist residential product offering later this week.
On 2 September it will be withdrawing its 60 per cent loan to value (LTV) and 70 per cent LTV residential products.
The 60 per cent deals will be replaced on 3 September with an increased LTV of 65 per cent.
However, the 70 per cent LTV products will not be replaced.
In a message to brokers, Foundation said any decisions in principal (DIPs) on existing products will need to be received by 7pm on 2 September.
Brokers will then have 30 days from the DIP accept date to progress to the case to a full application.
Further details of the incoming products will be published later this week.
buy to let (BTL) Buy-to-let foundation Foundation Home Loans topstories
Owain Thomas
Owain Thomas is features and contributing editor of Mortgage Solutions and editor of Specialist Lending Solutions. He also has experience in the protection, pensions, workplace benefits and HR areas. Owain has won two Headline Money Awards and the Protection Review's Journalist of the Year award.
West One sets up £5.5m bridge in fast-changing refinance deal
West One has finalised a £5.5 million bridging loan in 10 days on an upmarket block of flats in Radlett,...


The Cove School is located near Northbrook Court Shopping Center.
From the Edens Expressway (I-94), exit on Lake Cook Road and turn west. Continue .5 miles to Lee Road. Turn left onto Lee and follow it to the end. Turn right into The Cove School.
From the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), exit onto Lake Cook Road and head east for 3.3 miles. Turn right onto Lee Road and follow it to the end. Turn right into The Cove School.


Jewellery connoisseur Tanya Rastogi writes another magnum opus depicting the antiquity of the erstwhile Royal Era of Awadh, transcribed in an enigmatic Bridal Collection.
The collection comprises of elaborate chokers, long haars and statement chandelier earrings where the time-travelled masterpieces are meticulously curated out of sheer inspiration from the bridal enchantment of the majestic maharanis to the Nawabs of Lucknow.
The eternal yellow nuance of 18 K Gold is used to retain the timelessness of the designs, which further accentuates with the opulence of traditional craftsmanship including Jadau Polki, Kundan, Nakshi and Meenakari. The collection derives its source from motifs of royalty including the wings of elegance, the crescent moon and more in which encrusted are uncut-diamonds, gemstones and pearls gleaming together in ecstasy.
Detailed meenakari work depicts the coveted aesthetics of Lucknowi architecture along with tassels made using a myriad of uncut pearls and emerald beads that add a playfulness of tranquility to the outstanding designs, making them a complete heirloom offering from one generation of nobles to another.
Known for its eloquent essence, the Awadhi culture is all about elegance, precision and vibrancy that same has been thoroughly captured in every distinguished masterpiece from this collection. Being the jewellers to the Nawabs, Lala Jugal Kishore Jewellers comes with an unparalleled experience of serving the jewellery needs of royalty. The collection has been crafted thoughtfully keeping in mind the modern royal bride who lives in the new age world and at the same time stays close to her cultural ethnicity.
The designs are apt for traditional celebrations like reception or sangeet ceremony in a traditional setting and can go well with the trendy pastel lehengas, exuding the demure yet bold side of the bride-to-be.


The entire board of directors of an Amsterdam-based investment fund have been arrested in connection with a multi-million-euro fraud investigation.
The public prosecutor's office (Openbare Ministerie) has been investigating the activities of Quality Investments, which resells American life insurance to investors in countries around Europe.
The company is not listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange (AEX), but claims on its website to be the pioneer of the "life settlements" market in the Netherlands.
Its clients were mainly wealthy individuals in Holland, Belgium and Spain.
Investigators are examining why millions of euros were spent around the world on real estate, expensive watches, cars, yachts and even an aeroplane.
The arrests took place in Turkey and Switzerland, as well as the Netherlands. Authorities in Spain, Turkey, Dubai, Britain, Switzerland and the US have been involved in the investigation.


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by RadioAdagio | Jan 17, 2022 | Featured
Music of Zbigniew Preisner, Alberto Iglesias, James Horner, and a tribute to the courage of Martin Luther King Jr....
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As humans have since earliest times, we gather to pass the dark hours with stories, ballads and epic tales–Arachne, The Lady of Shallot,...
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With the depths of winter approaching, a sampling of the music of Vasks, Pärt, Arnalds, and Silvestrov....
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Music to bury the dying year in the west and birth the next rolling in from the east with highest hopes we see it through with our genome...
A brief foray into the arcana of the period and then a full array of music of the holidays and the sun....
Richness of sound that defies a tally, with one chilling standout, the oldest Irish poem to come down to us through the ages, The Mystery....


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is the twelfth single by Yuna Ito. The single was released on November 26, 2008, two months after her previous single Miss You. To date, this is the lowest charting single of Ito's career.

Overview
On October 3, 2008, Ito left a message on her blog to say that she had recorded a new song with an up-beat tempo. On several fan sites and forums, it was rumored that the single was entitled "Good Beat Good Beat".
Originally the first verse of the song started with "Hey boy", but it was later changed to "Hey girl." Explaining the change, Ito said:When I was recording the lyrics (to "Koi wa Groovy²"), they were actually "Hey boy," but when I was recording I was thinking, wait, I'm not out to go to clubs to get laid! The point is to go out with your girlfriends and have a great time, and if you find someone, then (you hit) two birds with one stone. So (I changed the lyrics to) "Hey girl."
"Koi wa Groovy x2" was used to promote Gap Japan's 2008 Holiday Collection Winter Neutrals which featured Canadian Supermodel Groovy M.

Music video
On October 10, Ito posted a message on her blog about the music video for the promotion of the single. She stated the music video's theme was inspired by Canadian model Groovy M, and the idea of a fashion show. The music video was shot in New York City. The music video was released on MTV on November 4, 2008.

English Version
An all English version of the song entitled "groovy×2" was released December 10, 2008, under an alter-ego named Christine Ito, her "sister". The song is only available for download.

Track list

Charts

Oricon

Billboard Japan Chart

References

2008 singles
Yuna Ito songs
2008 songs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


In April 2nd, the Shanghai municipal financial services office, the Shanghai branch of the central bank and the Shanghai banking regulatory bureau jointly issued the opinion on improving the environment for optimizing the business environment of financial credit service (hereinafter referred to as "opinion"). The opinion pointed out that the credit infrastructure will be perfected and the new financial format monitoring and analysis platform for the city will be built. All kinds of credit information platforms and credit entities should be strengthened, and information interaction and sharing should be strengthened.
The responsible person of the Shanghai financial office said that finance is an important force to optimize the business environment, and to further improve the financial credit service level is an important content of the business environment construction, and also one of the ten indicators concerned by the world bank business environment report. At the same time, further upgrading of the financial credit service level is of great significance for promoting the high quality development of Shanghai financial industry, promoting the construction of the international financial center of Shanghai and the linkage of Shanghai international economy, trade, shipping, and the construction of the science and technology center.
In a long space, "opinion" has explained the efforts that Shanghai needs to improve its financial credit system and credit credit information application in the future.
In this regard, Shanghai finance office responsible person said: "the perfect credit system helps to solve the information asymmetry, and enhance the availability of financing for small and micro businesses. "Opinion" focuses on the key links of the collection, sharing and application of credit information, supporting the development of credit service institutions and continuing to promote the interaction and cooperation of silver tax.
One is to improve the credit infrastructure. We will accelerate the upgrading and upgrading of the financial and credit information database of PBC. We will promote the unified registration system of movable property financing, the construction of accounts receivable financing service platform, and introduce the registration inquiry method of financial leasing business. Build a new monitoring platform for financial performance in Shanghai, and support the continuous improvement of public credit information service platform.
The two is to promote the sharing of credit information. We should promote all kinds of credit information platforms and credit entities to strengthen information interaction and sharing, and facilitate financial institutions to innovate credit products and services. The non bank information, such as the power arrears of Shanghai enterprises, the deposit of provident fund and other non bank information into the basic database of financial credit information, will continue to promote the docking of small loan companies and financing Guarantee Corporation and the basic database of financial credit information.
The three is to strengthen the application of credit information. It guides financial institutions to launch a financing and credit service combined with customer credit status and rating, giving preferential and convenience to enterprises and individuals who are trustworthy and trustworthy in terms of credit lines, credit costs, and repayment methods. To promote the development and application of credit information generated in the financial sector in administrative management, production and operation, transaction negotiations and other social and economic activities.
The four is to support the development of credit service institutions. We introduce and cultivate a number of credit service institutions with strong market credibility and international influence, such as credit rating, business credit reporting and so on. Support for the credit service institutions in Shanghai branch of the people's Bank of China to carry out the enterprise credit reporting, declare the "Shanghai Financial Innovation Award".
The five is to continue to promote the interaction of the silver tax. The tax departments of the city, the financial supervision departments and the banking financial institutions will carry out the "silver tax interaction" in depth, and provide the enterprises with the full process of covering credit business, through the interactive products of the silver tax in the whole link of the pre loan, the loan and the loans.
The opinion also pointed out that the next step is to expand the financial sector to open to the outside world. Private banks, financial leasing companies, financial companies, auto finance companies and Consumer Finance Companies and other financial institutions should be set up in accordance with the conditions of private capital. We should relax restrictions on banking access to offshore financial institutions and enhance the credit service capacity of foreign financial institutions. Support "The Belt and Road along the country (region) the establishment of the financial institutions in Shanghai, perfect for" The Belt and Road "credit service system," The Belt and Road "going out enterprises to provide quality and efficient financial services.
At the G20 summit in March this year, Zhou Xiaochuan, President of the Central Bank of China, said that China is actively taking measures to prevent financial risks and promote the opening of the financial sector. In the future, China will continue to support multilateralism and strengthen cooperation with all sides in opening up.


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KYIV, UKRAINE - Human Rights First today said that the cancellation of the 2014 Kyiv March for Equality is a disappointing failure in the struggle for the protection of human rights in Ukraine. The march, which was set to be held July 5th, was cancelled following a statement by Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko urging the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community to cancel the LGBT rights parade in the Ukrainian capital.
'The country is confronted with many challenges - fighting a war in the east, organizing a new government and responding to Russian aggression - but peaceful freedom of assembly cannot be denied, even in times of crisis,' said Human Rights First's Brian Dooley who is currently in Kyiv on a research trip.
Despite months of negotiation with LGBT activists the Kyiv authorities said on July 4th they could not protect the March for Equality scheduled for July 5th. Organizers told Human Rights First that the march was designed as an opportunity for Ukrainians to demonstrate unity and shared values. Kyiv's first equality march took place in 2013 with police protection and local activists hoped that once the precedent had been set this year's march would be able to take place safely.
'Kyiv Mayor Klitschko's statement that 'this is not the right time for a celebration' is a huge disappointment. He should have a better understanding of what a demand for equality is. You can't have a hierarchy of human rights,' said Olena Shevchenko, co-chair of the organizing committee of Kyiv 2014 Pride. 'It seems like it's never really the right time for LGBT rights.'
Earlier this year, the Maidan revolution in Ukraine removed the government of President Yanukovych and in May President Poroshenko was elected to replace him. Activists had hoped that the new administration would be more open to protecting equality, dignity, and basic rights of civil society for all.
'For all of its talk about sharing European values the new Ukrainian government has failed a major human rights test today,' said Dooley. 'The U.S. Government should make clear publicly to the Ukrainian authorities that peaceful freedom of assembly should be respected for all.'
Courtesy of Human Rights First


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@class NSDate;

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{
    id _callCenter;
    _Bool _wasOnCall;
    NSDate *_lastCallDate;
}

+ (id)sharedInstance;
@property(readonly, nonatomic) NSDate *dateLastCallEnded; // @synthesize dateLastCallEnded=_lastCallDate;
@property(readonly, nonatomic) _Bool isOnCall;
- (void)dealloc;
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@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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US announces another huge military aid package for Ukraine
Sep 8, 2022 9:58 AM EDT
Ukraine will receive another $675 million in military aid from the United States to help in its war against Russia, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced.
Ramstein, Germany - Ukraine will receive another $675 million in military aid from the United States to help in its war against Russia, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday at a US military base in Ramstein, Germany.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin and Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov arrive for a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the American military's Ramstein Air Base in Germany. © REUTERS
Austin had invited the members of the Ukraine Contact Group to a conference at the base.
In his opening speech, Austin repeatedly emphasized that Ukraine needed support for the "long haul," and that the country had a "tough road ahead."
"In our discussion today, we will also discuss the next steps in establishing an international training mission for the Ukrainian armed forces," Austin said.
Daily Horoscope Today's horoscope: Free daily horoscope for Thursday, January 26, 2023
US President Joe Biden at the end of August announced an aid package for Ukraine amounting to almost $3 billion for advanced hardware, such as air defense systems and drones.
Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine on February 24. In response, European countries as well as the US have imposed unprecedented sanctions against Moscow, and began supplying heavy arms to Kyiv.
The fighting is now concentrated in the east and south of the country.
Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the Ukrainian army's commander-in-chief, wrote an article published on Wednesday saying he did not expect the war to end this year.
Meanwhile, Kyiv reported some territorial gains in the south and in the Russian-occupied east, which has been the most contested part of the country.
Cover photo: REUTERS
More on Ukraine conflict:
Zelensky blasts Olympics over "blood-stained" decision on Russian athletes
Ukraine threatens boycott of 2024 Paris Olympics over stance on Russian athletes
Ukraine war: Zelensky makes stance on Russia negotiations clear as Kyiv hit with drone attack


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POLITICS ARCHIVE
Bill Barr: The "Cover-Up General"
By Frank Snepp
Reach Out to MusiCares
Fall Arts: Zana Bayne Harnesses Her Talents
by Angela Ashman
On the prowl for something evil-shaped Celeste Sloman
"I pretty much have measurements for every inch of Lady Gaga's body," says Zana Bayne, 23-year-old harness- maker to the stars.
On a recent afternoon, inside her Williamsburg studio, morbidly decorated with skulls, animal bones, and pentagrams, she's showing us a rack of her bondage-inspired harnesses. One of the most oddly alluring accessories of the year, Bayne's elaborate leather creations have been spotted on everyone from Katy Perry to Chloë Sevigny to Ciara to Ms. Gaga herself. Shiny buckles and rivets clank together as she pulls out a gray harness with leather straps that extend down the fingers and wrap around the body like a rib cage to create a skeleton effect. A favorite of her collection, she wore it last Halloween. But alas, she won't be using it again this year.
"I altered it to make it smaller because Nicki Minaj was supposed to wear it, but she didn't, and now it doesn't fit me anymore." She shrugs and places it back on the rack knowing that, as far as occupational hazards go, it's not a terrible problem to have.
It was only a little more than two years ago when Bayne, who has a wild mop of black curls, pale skin, and a mostly black wardrobe, moved to Brooklyn unsure of how she'd make a living. Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, she dropped out of high school at 15 with the blessings of her "open-minded" parents, took the G.E.D., and enrolled the following year in the San Francisco Art Institute, where she received a conceptual-art degree in New Genres.
As documented on her blog Garbage Dress, she made her first harness in 2008 after she saw a woman in London wearing something that looked to her like "a belt with suspenders" over a shirtdress. Soon friends and fans of her blog began placing orders for her harnesses and her business grew and grew. She was finally able to quit her day job earlier this year to sell her leather designs—including suspenders, bootstraps, and belts—full-time on her website, zanabayne.com ($65 to $325).
With all the s&m accessories and black leather popping up for fall, we could think of no better person than Bayne to take us on a tour of her favorite NYC shops. Stomping down her five flights of stairs in her beloved Ann Demeulemeester white go-go-esque boots, she leads us to the G train to check out Eva Gentry Consignment (371 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-522-3522), where Bayne last worked as a salesperson.
Even though the temperature is in the mid-80s, with the exception of her white boots, she's dressed in all black—a sheer tank dress from Rick Owens layered over a bustier from Theyskens' Theory, a "pleather" mini skirt from Urban Outfitters ("my secret online shopping source for cheap basics"), and ripped stockings. But no harness? "I don't want that touching my skin right now," she says, preferring it as a cool-weather accessory. "With fall you can always play with layers, and that's nice. If you have a sweater that doesn't have a closure, you can just harness it up."
At the Boerum Hill boutique, she's greeted by her former colleague, who is, naturally, wearing a Zana Bayne harness. Bypassing all the colorful clothes, Bayne heads for the section of black garments. She pulls out a floor-skimming vintage lace dress for $150. "This is a good fall thing," she says. "Lace. Everything is lace."
She spies a plaid patchwork Vivienne Westwood skirt suit ($415) and holds it up. "Oh this is fabulous! Why hasn't anybody bought this?" she wonders. Even though it's blue and orange, she'd consider it for herself, but "Vivienne Westwood fits me badly. It makes me sad."
Talk turns to Bayne's rapidly growing business, and her old colleague asks, "Are you getting any child labor yet?"
"I have interns," Bayne replies.
"OK, same thing."
"They're older than me though." Bayne says. Her oldest is a 28-year-old woman. "She comes over after her day job. It's really awesome!"
After looking around some more, we catch a cab to take us to Change of Season (341 East 9th Street, 212-420-7770), which carries past-season designer clothes.
"This is one of my favorite places," she tells us as she goes inside. "Incredible selection, great prices." It's easy to see why she adores it so—it's full of dark-colored clothes and avant-garde designers, such as Comme des Garçons and Balenciaga, all marked down up to 75 percent off.
Bayne only wears heels, and the higher the better. She tries on a pair of towering black wedges by Gareth Pugh for $375. "I could run in these," she says as she confidently struts across the shop. But the price tag makes her hesitate. Bayne is not an impulse shopper. Her mother, formerly a vice president at Eddie Bauer and currently CEO of Artful Home, has wisely coached her daughter that being a responsible entrepreneur means saving her money, so she hands them back with a wistful sigh.
A few doors down, we stop at the vintage eyeglasses shop Fabulous Fanny's (335 East 9th Street, 212-533-0637). "I'm looking for something especially large or evil-shaped or strange," she tells the salesman. Whisking her to a case in the back, he hands her a pair of sunglasses with rhinestones on the sides and two rifles crisscrossed on top. They make Bayne laugh. After trying a couple sparkly cat-eye numbers, she thanks him and strolls south to the consignment shop Tokio 7 (83 East 7th Street, 212-353-8443). "I find so much stuff here," she says, flipping through designer dresses that look practically brand new. A teenager approaches Bayne and tells her she's a huge admirer of her blog and harnesses. "Keep going!" the girl says.
"Thank you," Bayne replies, blushing a little. "That really warms my heart."
Feeling re-energized thanks to her fan, Bayne hits one final store, Oak (28 Bond Street, 212-677-1293), which carries established designers on the first floor and more-affordable clothing in the basement. She coos over a pair of soft leather gym pants by Preen ($900). "I just want to wrap myself in them," she says, and throws the legs around her shoulders like a cape. But she doesn't dare try them on: "I'm afraid I'll love them too much."
Instead, she heads off to meet the new guy she's been dating. And what's his story? His family founded the South Brooklyn Casket Company, of course.
More:Ciara (Singer)Lady GaGaVisual ArtsVivienne WestwoodZana Bayne