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Out and about on Succot
With so many events planned for the holiday, it may be hard to decide what to do first.
By BARRY DAVIS
'Cinderella' at the Israeli Opera
(photo credit: Yossi Zwecker)
As we gear up for the last leg of the holiday season, there is a seemingly endless number of events and activities on offer around the country for all ages, interests and preferences.
Whether it's sit-back-and-enjoy stuff, down-and-dirty hands-on activities or fun things for children and all the family, there appears to be something for everyone throughout Succot.
For starters, the Tzlilei Yaldut Festival at the Holon Theater has lined up some high-quality entertainment and workshops for preschoolers through to teenagers, and their parents, from September 22 to 24. There is an intriguing acoustic show starring Sarit Hadad, and a multisensory hi-tech assisted iConcert slot that combines classical music with cutting-edge 3D technology. Add to that a master class for budding violinists, a session with Yehonatan Gefen based on his writing work for children and a wide variety of dance and other shows, and you have a pretty comprehensive package designed to keep most youngsters happy.
For tickets and more information: (03) 502-3001 and www.hth.co.il.
If you live up north or fancy heading that way and nonmainstream theatrical entertainment is your thing, you should find tapping into this year's Acre Festival program, which will run from September 21 to 24, an absorbing experience. The fourdayer takes place in the magnificently appointed Knights' Halls, in the Old City of Acre, and accommodates a wide range of alternative theatrical offerings, as well as plenty of street performances, bazaars and pantomime-related activities from Israel and all over the world.
For tickets and more information: (04) 955-2541 and www.accofestival.co.il
There is also plenty to be had for the junior sector at the International Modi'in-Maccabim- Reut Circus Festival, which takes place September 22 to 24. The program includes circus entertainment, acrobatic shows, juggling and pantomime. There are plenty of free slots available over the three days, such as the Y Circus's Gravita show, which combines acrobatics with special lighting effects, and the Caucasian Circus acrobatics package at the Amphitheater parking lot of the Rabin Municipal Library.
For tickets and more information: (03) 966-6141 and www.hakartis.co.il
Holon, which over the last few years has become the national "children's capital," has also lined up some wholesome activities for the five-to-seven age group at the Children's Museum. The Ushpizin program, which will take place September 22 to 24, comprises three slots that will take the junior audiences on a magical mystery tour around the world, with experiential items relating to Russia, Peru and Italy.
For tickets and more information: (03) 650-3000 and www.childrensmuseum.org.il
And if you reckon your three- to eight-year-olds might enjoy some operatic endeavor, it might be a good idea to get them, and yourselves, over to the Israel Opera House in Tel Aviv for Children's Opera Hour. This is the 13th edition of the annual juniors' event, with child-friendly shows taking place on September 22 to 24 (10:30 a.m. daily), such as Rossini's Cinderella and The Magic Flute by Mozart, as well as the Mozart's Box of Surprises program.
The latter features two sisters who discover all sorts of enchanting characters in the world of opera, including figures from Mozart's works.
For tickets and more information: (03) 692-7777 and www.israelopera.co.il
If sports-induced adrenalin rushes are your cup of tea, the Hero Challenge obstacle race, which will take place in the Ben- Shemen Forest from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 20, should do the trick. The event will be presided over by Hamerotz Lamillion TV reality-show host Ron Shachar and will be divided into different levels of difficulty, including a special race for children. The competitors will tackle all manner of obstacles, such as crawling through pipes, scaling walls, crossing a mesh bridge and negotiating a tirestrewn surface.
To register for the obstacle race, go to: http://herochallenge.co.il/ or the Hero Israel Facebook page.
Just down the road, at Mevo Modi'in, on September 23, the public can enjoy the local country fair. The offerings feature workshops and activities for children, yoga and holistic healing workshops, arts stands and treks in the Ben-Shemen Forest with JNF guides. There will also be Carlebach-style, hassidic and alternative Jewish music shows.
The event will start at noon and end at 10 p.m.
For more information: 052-324- 0789
Local artists will also have a chance to introduce the general public to the fruits of their creative efforts at the "Wonders of Creation" exhibition, which will run at the Modi'in Heichal Hatarbut from September 22 to 24. The show will incorporate works from across the artistic spectrum, including sculpture, mosaics, ceramics, painting and photography.
For more information: (03) 972- 8999 and www.thm.org.il
Jerusalem is hosting the first International Symposium on Stone Sculpting at the First Station Compound. The event will run until September 30 and features 10 sculptors from Israel and abroad. The artists work on their creations daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in full view of the public.
The Smart Tour company is offering Segway and electric bicycle sculpture tours around the city.
In Binyamina and Givat Ada, the Yards and Creators arts festival, which will run from September 23 to 25, will enable the public to get a behind-the-scenes look at how 60 local artists go about their creative business. This is the 12th edition of the annual event at which artists from the two locations will open the doors of their studios and homes to the members of the public, who will be able to follow the artists' creative processes from close up. The program runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the first two days, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the last day. There will also be a varied program of hands-on activities, as well as food stalls, lectures and guided tours.
For more information: (04) 628-8391/2
In Tel Aviv, there will be plenty of decibel-suffused musical entertainment on offer at the Gagarin Club on Salame Street as part of the Space Succa Festival.
The lineup of the event, which takes place September 20-21, includes some of the loudest and most energized bands around, such as Tree, Sumo Elevator, Farthest South, The Expedition and Mambas.
On September 25, cyclists can get into some serious pedaling around Tel Aviv at the Elite Turkish Round-Tel Aviv event. There are three routes of varying degrees of difficulty for cyclists: a 43-km.
circuit for experienced riders; a 24-km. route for sporty families; and a 9-km. route for families who are not looking to sweat too much. There will also be a 24-km. roller-blade slot.
For more information: www.sovevtlv.org.il
If you're looking to get away from the urban rat race and are heading south for some spiritual chilling out and physical release, the Rising in Love Zorba and Buddha Festival at the Desert Ashram in the Arava should meet all the requirements. The festival takes place from September 25 to 28 and has an attractive program of music shows, dance, meditations and workshops on a whole slew of alternative disciplines.
For tickets and more information: 052-544-3349 and www.zorba.co.il


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Bullet Backstory Featuring Jennifer Niceley
Jennifer Niceley will join us on this edition of Tennessee Shines! It has been too long since she has been on the WDVX airwaves, and we look forward to catching up with her!
http://www.jenniferniceleymusic.com/
"Jennifer Niceley has sometimes called her music country, just to have something to call it.
"But it's not accurate," she says. "I wish I could just say, 'I sing country music.'"
But it doesn't really fit any commercial genre. Acoustic guitar with original lyrics often gets lumped in the folk category, but Niceley's singing voice has urbane jazz inflections, and the structure of most of her songs don't follow familiar patterns, no verse-chorus-bridge-chorus expectations. "I still see it as poetry put to music," she says.
If she did call it country, she'd have a more authentic claim to the word than most of Nashville's broad-brimmed cowboys. On her last album, Birdlight, she sings the old Jimmie Rodgers blues tune, "No Hard Times," a rare cover on a mostly original album, conveyed with an easy Western swing. When she sings, "Ain't got no blues, got chickens in my backyard," it's no fib. Indeed she does have chickens in her backyard, and cows and horses and corn, like the guy in the song.
Niceley lives in an old tenant's cottage on a 400-acre spread along the Holston River, where her family has farmed for generations. "It's a magical place, split between rolling hills, used for pastureland, and fertile river-bottomland," she says.
It keeps her grounded, adding an interesting complexity to her music, which otherwise sounds ethereal, impressionistic, dreamy, elusive, like something far from the ground…" — (Jack Neely)
Tennessee Shines Radio Show is performed for a live audience every Wednesday at 7pm at Boyd's Jig & Reel musical pub in Knoxville's historic Old City. The show is broadcast live on WDVX FM and WDVX.com. Tickets are $7 plus applicable fees in advance, available at http://jigandreel.ticketleap.com/ or $10 at the door starting at 6pm.
In the meantime, enjoy this Bullet Backstory featuring Jennifer! She was gracious enough to answer our questions for this regular feature on the WDVX blog.
Biggest musical influences? I'm not sure if what I consider my biggest musical influences can actually be heard in my own music! But I always go back to country music as my first love. When I remember riding along in a vehicle as a young child, listening to Merle Haggard's album of Jimmie Rogers songs, that's probably my first coherent memories of being transported by a song itself — the combination of voice, lyric, music — that created something greater than the sum of its parts. I can't express what an impression that made on me. I never tired of what we call "classic country" back then, and I can still listen to it non-stop from Tennessee to Texas and beyond. Of course, I fell in love with many other types of music growing up…I always cite Joni Mitchell as a major influence because from her music I first learned that you could write a song without following any rules. From her I learned to trust my own voice and style.
What made you decide to pursue music as a career? You know, as a teenager one of the only places I felt like I could really be myself was in the world of music. Even in the local live music scene, which was of course dominated by guys, I felt I had a rightful place. I think because the drive to write and create was so strong in me and so consistent, it simply felt like the natural thing to do, to pursue the "calling". Of course, since those innocent beginning things have gotten much more complicated! But for me it has come back to the fact that I am an artist. If I accept that and commit to the work, then to keep pursuing music as a career is just part of it.
What advice do you have for young musicians who are trying to hone their craft? There are so many things to advise about I'm sure, but to a young person honing his or her craft I would say: believe in your own creativity first and foremost. Of course you want to learn from the best, you want to study and practice and be open to challenging yourself and so on, but you also want to make sure what is coming out of you is authentically from you – not just a really good imitation of someone else.
What's your favorite thing to do in Knoxville? In the actual city of Knoxville, I guess I'd have to say my favorite thing to do has always been spending time with friends in the context of good music and/or good food — really enjoying the creative output of others in general — and usually that means somewhere in the downtown vicinity, which thankfully continues to flourish.
If you could work with any musician (living or deceased) who would it be and why? This question has stumped me! There are obviously so many musicians I admire and adore (living and deceased), but it's hard for me to imagine what actually working with any of them would be like…
I do wish I could go back in time and hang out with Geeshie Wiley and Elvie Thomas — two black female blues musicians who have left behind only a handful of recordings from the early 1930's…they are quite mysterious and their songs are incredible. I would love to know what they were like and how they formed their particular style, what it was like for them to be a female troubadour at that time, how the haunting imagery in their songs took shape.
Anything else you would like to share? Favorite WDVX memory, etc? I'm always proud to say that I am from the same neck of the woods as WDVX — it has such a far-reaching, positive reputation in general. I love that it is carrying on a tradition for the area, helping people remember that East Tennessee has a long, illustrious history when it comes to original music.I'm looking forward to April 12th and sharing new songs that will be on my upcoming album.
Published on April 11, 2017 by WDVX Social Media.
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Set on the V&A Waterfront, this luxurious resort with sleek, African-inspired decor offers excellent amenities and top-notch service. Here you'll find the famous Nobu restaurant, which makes copious use of locally sourced ingredients, as well as a swanky bar with views of Table Mountain. The resort has 91 rooms plus 40 suites on two private islands in the fronting marina (a third island is home to an ESPA spa.) There's also a KidsOnly clubhouse with a movie and game lounge, reading area, computer room and garden supervised by a multilingual staff.


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Let's Embrace the Opportunities In The Covid-19 Pandemic - Mr. Patrick Nomo
Accra, September 25, 2020 - The Chief Director of the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Patrick Nomo has urged Chief Directors and Directors in the Civil Service across the country to embrace opportunities that had arisen from the global pandemic.
He made this call in his acknowledgement speech after receiving the 2019 Best Chief Director Award at the 2019 Civil Service Awards Night which was held on Friday, 25th September, 2020.
As part of activities to mark the 2019 Civil Service Week under the theme; "Civil Service and Private Sector Synergy: A National Development Imperative", the Office of Head of Civil Service Organized the Awards night to recognize the contribution of staff who had distinguished themselves in the course of 2019.
Mr. Nomo mentioned that, the implementation of the 2020 budget and a number of the Ministry's achievements had largely been on-course despite the severe economic impact of the COVID-19 on revenue mobilization and financing options.
There had been stable inflation, stable cedi performance on the foreign exchange and sufficient gross international reserves.
He enumerated a number of key milestones the Ministry achieved in 2019 through hard work and commitment of staff as the passage of the fiscal responsibility Act as well as the Public Financial Management Regulations, the completion of the IMF Extended Credit Facility.
Others included the successful hosting of the IMF/World Bank African Caucus Conference and the reorganization of the Ministry to sharpen its focus on resource mobilization, budget execution, forecasting and reporting.
The Ministry, he added had chosen to focus on embracing the new normal way of working remotely. Through this new normal, a number of engagements which included the technical hearing for the preparation of the 2021 Budget were conducted on a virtual platform with positive feedback from participating institutions for enhancing efficiency.
On the future of the Civil Service and Ghana as a whole, the best Chief Director stated that "the COVID 19 pandemic, despite its challenges has provided an opportunity for the Civil Service to transform its work culture and to find new, innovative and cost efficient ways of working while maintaining productivity."
"I urge my colleague Chief Directors to lead the way in ensuring that our various Ministries embrace the new normal and permanently establish a new work culture that is efficient and enables us to do more" He stated.
The Chief Director commended staff of the Ministry for their support that had culminated in achieving this height. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Ministers and Management members got special mention for their strong and unalloyed backing throughout the year.
Other Ministry of Finance staff who received awards at the event included Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, Director Economic Strategy and Research Division, who received the Best Director Award, Mr Eric Amankwah Jnr of Treasury and Debt Management Division and Emmanuel Ankrah of Human Capital and General Administration Division. END
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Nectarines are my favorite fruit. Now that the cherries are pretty much gone.
Last year, we bought some exquisite nectarines from this guy at a booth at the farmer's market. They happened to be white nectarines and they were pretty much perfect--ripe, of course, which also means fragrant and let us not forget beautiful. So the next week, we stopped by his booth and asked after the white nectarines. Sadly, there were no more.
The Historian (with gentle humor): . . . so, these are your ordinary nectarines, then.
Fruit Guy (a little hot under the collar): There's nothing ordinary about these nectarines!
Calm down, Fruit Guy, we totally agree. Kidding!
Even though our Fruit Guy is a little touchy, he really does have pretty extraordinary fruit, and apparently also has every fruit tree known to man. Last week he had Transparent apples, which might be one of the prettiest apples in the whole wide world. Extra extra tart, just so you know. They are an early apple, one of the earliest. They would make beautiful pies.
But I am not ready for apples yet, so we bought extraordinary nectarines, three of which I brought with me here to Idaho. I just ate one standing over the sink because of the juicy. The flesh was almost velvety. The nectarine as a fruit is just one big WOW. But only if you get them--this goes without saying--when they are absolutely perfectly ripe.
Historical footnote about the nectarine. And me.: When I was a young wife and mother, nectarines were the very first fruit I learned to bottle. My friend and I bought a bunch. She showed me how to put them into boiling water briefly so as to slip their skins off. Evidently, we did this for the exact right amount of time, because even when we slipped the skins off, the flesh retained a blush. Those were some gorgeous nectarines in a bottle.
Today is my last full day in Idaho. Also, and perhaps not coincidentally, my last nectarine.
Do I dare to eat a nectarine? We have lingered in the chambers of the Henry's Fork/by Scottish grandchildren wreathed with river reeds red and brown/till student voices wake us, and we drown.
I have not had a good nectarine since moving away from the Intermountain West but I have right now a tree of Transparents at perfect white translucent ripeness and I should be saucing them.
I want to see the pictures. Though imagining blushed fruit is maybe even better?
Did I tell you about the Fruit CSA? All apples. A hint of peaches (.25 lbs) and a hint of apricots, (.25 lbs)and 3 lbs of soft, mealy apploes for $13.75. I tell you, I bailed on that CSA.
Now, though, I must search out nectarines on my own. Thanks for reminding me that they're even as delicious as peaches.
Here the white flesh peaches and blackberries come on together--mmmmm.
Agreed that we need pictures!


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As a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count starts to rise.
Bill Dubuque
Backdrops 16
Posters 64
Chris Wolff
Dana Cummings
Ray King
Marybeth Medina
A review by Reno
Written by Reno on February 24, 2017
He's not the same man inside out!
The film was powerful, one of the best of the year I have seen. From the director of 'Warrior'. The story of a freelance accountant who was hired by a company to find the financial frauds. But when he's on the verge to uncover the names, the company rolls back over one of its member's death in the following day. It does not stop there, the life threat tails him and all who were involved with him. Now the film reveals his real identity going back to disclose his childhood days, like how he grew up. In the meantime, he has to find those people who are afte... read the rest.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back 5.6
War Dogs 6.8
Jason Bourne 6.1
Deepwater Horizon 6.7
The Magnificent Seven 6.2
Hell or High Water 7.3
Snowden 7.1
The Infiltrator 6.6
Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian 21 or older. The parent/guardian is required to stay with the child under 17 through the entire movie, even if the parent gives the child/teenager permission to see the film alone. These films may contain strong profanity, graphic sexuality, nudity, strong violence, horror, gore, and strong drug use. A movie rated R for profanity often has more severe or frequent language than the PG-13 rating would permit. An R-rated movie may have more blood, gore, drug use, nudity, or graphic sexuality than a PG-13 movie would admit.
Original Language English
Runtime 2h 8m
Budget $44,000,000.00
Revenue $155,160,045.00
Yes! Looking good!
Torq00
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HS2 starts hunt for talented apprentices
The search has now begun for apprentices to work on HS2, as it was reiterated that HS2 Ltd plans to create around 2,000 places for talented young people wanting to break into the rail industry on the high-speed rail project.
Successful applicants will develop skills that are essential to building a career in the industry, and HS2 hopes to bring a diverse range of people into the business by offering candidates both hands-on work experience as well as a recognised qualification to equip them well for the future.
The application process for the scheme opened today for the first 26 level 3-4 vacancies offering opportunities in project planning, project management, project controls and procurement.
Of these apprentices, 20 will be based in HS2's headquarters in Birmingham while the other six posts will be at the company's London base.
HS2 will create around 25,000 jobs during construction and an additional 100,000 jobs in the future from the wider economic benefits that the network will bring to the economy.
The start of the apprenticeship scheme is the first step in developing the workforce for HS2 after the rail network was given the green light officially a few weeks ago when it was granted royal assent in Parliament.
Alongside this scheme, the National College for High Speed Rail, the institute dedicated to training the workforce for the high-speed rail network, is set to open in September in Doncaster and at its sister site in Birmingham.
To encourage a wide range of candidates, HS2 Ltd is offering places to anyone with five GCSEs including English and Maths, from school leavers to parents returning to work or anyone looking for a new challenge. Apprentices will start their posts in September 2017.
The opening of the HS2 apprentice scheme comes at the same time as the new appointment of Mark Thurston as HS2's new CEO, who had built his career from being on the Transport for London apprenticeship scheme.
He said: "My own career path demonstrates that apprenticeships can lead to a rewarding career, and I'm delighted that HS2 is playing its part in creating a talent pool for the future.
"Our commitment to creating 2,000 apprenticeships across the project will play a key role in the development of a highly-skilled workforce in the high speed rail industry."
The apprenticeship scheme is one example of how HS2 is playing a central role in implementing the government's Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy that is aiming to deliver 30,000 apprenticeships in road and rail by 2020, and deliver parity in gender by 2030.
To find out more about the apprenticeship scheme, or to apply for a position, visit the HS2 careers site.
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Andrew Gwilt 11/03/2017 at 21:29
I think its a good opportunity for young people (Over 16's) who could like to work with the HS2 scheme and to offer HS2 a brand new high speed rail network for the UK and to offer new job vacancies and to get the best out of HS2 which is already under construction or soon to be under construction with links to not just for Birmingham, Manchester and the North of England but also for West Midlands, East Midlands, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Liverpool and Merseyside, the Northwest of England, the Northeast of England & the Scottish Borders and to connect with Heathrow Airport. With the link to HS1 in London for future International European services to France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the rest of Europe via London.
Jon 12/03/2017 at 21:47
Are you going to apply to this Andrew?
J, Leicester 13/03/2017 at 14:58
Go on Andrew, they could use some enthusiasm for the project.
Thanks for the offering but I was only pointing out to those who would like to take part in the HS2 project after they left school or college or even left university with good qualifications.
Mark Hare 14/03/2017 at 12:55
HS2 is already under construction Andrew? Blimey, that was quick!
Acton 14/03/2017 at 14:07
Sadly I cannot see the HS2 - HS1 link ever being built due to having no real business case. As for through trains to Germany, Switzerland and Italy; well the quickest journey from Birmingham to Milan that I've seen takes about 14 hours and that's by taking a 125mph Pendolino followed by an 186mph Eurostar and finally and 186mph TGV. I cannot see how that time can be improved upon, even with very high speed running on HS2.
Faster speeds could quite easily be achieved with a radical, revolutionary concept - avoiding London terminals! You just know it will never happen, but a direct train from Birmingham or Manchester to the continent would be amazing.
Enabling works have indeed begun. What qualifications do you have, Andrew?
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Director of the Midland Metro Alliance, Alejandro Moreno, and head of procurement Paula Gray have been confirmed as attending the TransCityRail (TCR) Midlands conference and dinner in Birmingham on 18...
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The stretch after the NBA All-Star break is commonly referred to as the league's "second half." But in reality, there are just 25-or-so games left for teams before the end of the season.
For the Washington Wizards, they're approaching now-or-never territory.
Three games back of the playoff race, Washington (24-34) has 24 games remaining to make a postseason push. Entering Friday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, the Wizards are 11th in the Eastern Conference — meaning they'll have to leapfrog three teams to reach the playoffs.
Coach Scott Brooks identified two areas the Wizards must improve on moving forward — rebounding and stopping the 3-pointer. Washington ranks among the league's worst in both categories. But Brooks said he thinks his team can improve on the glass, given they added forwards Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker at the trade deadline. In four games with the Wizards, Portis and Parker are averaging each 7.3 and 7.5 rebounds per game, respectively.
"Bobby is great rebounder and we're both trying to bring that aspect," Parker said.
That being said, their arrival hasn't completely solved those problems as Washington has been out-rebounded in all four of those outings. They're 2-2 in that span.
As for stopping the 3-pointer, the Wizards are giving up far too many wide open looks. According to NBA.com, the Wizards' opponents have hit 411 3-pointers this season in which the closest defender was six or more feet away — fifth-most in the NBA.
In general, the Wizards rank dead last in 3-point defense as teams are hitting 37.6 percent of their looks against Washington.
"We give up such a high percentage," Brooks said.
After a frustrating loss to the Toronto Raptors before the All-Star break, star Bradley Beal deadpanned the Wizards were going to have to score more points than the other team to start turning things around.
Talk about a bold take.
Beal's frustration aside, the Wizards are going to have to string some wins together if they want to gain ground. Since the start of the new year, Washington is just 10-11 — which won't cut it.
Consider if the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat — two teams ahead of the Wizards in the standings — play exactly .500 basketball the rest of the way, the Wizards would need to go 16-8 to finish with a better record (40-42 ahead of 39-43). There's a possibility, of course, Detroit and Miami finish with less than 39 wins. But if either finish with, say, 37 wins, then the Wizards must still go 14-10 to jump them.
Detroit holds the tiebreaker over Washington, while Miami and Washington still have a game to play to decide their tiebreaker.
But it could be possible. According to Tankathon.com, the Wizards have the sixth-easiest schedule remaining.
When the Wizards are at their best, it's often Beal leading the way. Over a 12-game stretch from late December to late January, the Wizards went 9-3 behind Beal's 27.4 points, 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.
The 25-year-old has shown he's capable of handling the extra attention that comes when playing without star John Wall. He's averaging 28 points per game in February.
It may be unfair for the Wizards to depend solely on their best player, but we've seen other situations in the NBA in which stars have carried their squad. Houston's James Harden — averaging 36.6 points per game in an injury-riddled season for the Rockets — is an MVP candidate because of it.
The Wizards have already leaned heavily on Beal this season — he's playing a career-high 37.2 minutes per game. But they'll need him for this final stretch.


New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, is facing a huge construction worker shortage, leading to some groups calling for easier access to foreign workers.
While approximately 17,500 people found building work in New Zealand last year, predominately in Auckland, a building boom means that the city is still facing a severe labour shortage.
Kohn believes, as many other construction-based experts in Auckland do, that the government should consider an immigration policy change for the city, similar perhaps to one in the Canterbury region which has allowed employers there easier access to overseas staff during the rebuild.
Michael Barnett from Auckland's Chamber of Commerce said that his organisation has already been attending job fairs in the UK and Australia in a bid to attract more construction workers to New Zealand.
However, while Barnett is more than open to the prospect of increased immigration for construction workers, he also explained that more needs to be done on training young New Zealanders to have the required skills.


This atypical version of a typical clock is designed to be displayed at the edge of a shelf or mantelpiece. Eye-catching, it appears to be only the top half of a clock, but the hands fully rotate. The hands give the appearance of tumbling off a cliff, alluding to the transience of time.


The advantages of digital signage are obvious: an enhanced customer experience, increased sales, lower long-term costs, strengthened branding – the list goes on.
However, if you want to get the full benefit of your digital signage, you need to create effective, high-quality content.
Without great content you'll lose your viewers' interest, rendering your digital signage a waste of space.
Our first tip for creating digital signage content that stands out relates to copy.
Text is most effective when it's short, clear and easy to read. Remember, some people may only look at your digital signage for a few seconds.
Eliminate any unnecessary words and instead focus on a clear call-to-action. This should begin with a verb, such as 'try' or 'download'.
Your call-to-action is the most important part of your message – it's what will convert viewers into customers.
Consider leaving your call-to-action on screen the whole time, or repeat it several times. Make sure it's at the forefront of your viewers' minds.
Cluttered, over-complicated content is difficult to concentrate on and will draw attention away from your core message.
Only use imagery that is relevant to your message. Be careful with attention-grabbing images, like people's faces. These can easily divert attention.
Avoid using busy patterns or too many different colours. Your content will be most effective with a simple, clean design and text that stands out.
Your viewers need to be able to grasp your message at a glance, so keep this in mind when designing your content.
The order messages appear in can have an impact on the way viewers take them in. Your most important messages should appear at the beginning and end of a spot.
Introduce your first message slowly so viewers can absorb it easily. Leave enough time after your last message for viewers to remember it.
Link key concepts and phrases together in chunks – groups of three usually work well. Reinforce important words and phrases by repeating them two or three times in a row.
Video can be very powerful in digital signage content, but don't go overboard.
Again, it's all about making your content easily comprehensible at a glance. Excessive motion can interfere with this.
Don't move text around too much, and give viewers enough time to read it. Consider keeping important elements, like your logo, on screen at all times.
If animating an element, choose something with a defined and easily recognisable silhouette.
Another tip for creating digital signage content that stands out is design related.
The overall look of your content is important. If it's unattractive, people won't want to look at it!
Your digital signage content is an opportunity to reinforce your brand, so t's a good idea to choose colours that match your branding or venue.
Keep fonts consistent throughout. Sans serif fonts and large font sizes work best for readability.
Consider the composition of each slide – this may be all a viewer sees, so make sure each one works as a stand-alone poster.
So make sure yours stands out!
If you'd like any more information on creating digital signage content that stands out don't hesitate to give us a call.


This is a hands on workshop for Suffolk County Community College faculty and staff covering the basics of O365. O365 is the Microsoft Office suite providing online applications and services such as OneDrive, Word Online, Excel Online and PowerPoint Online. OneDrive is a cloud storage option allowing users to access the files from any computer and share those files easily with others.
Please be sure to register using your Suffolk email address so that we can confirm you are an employee at the college.


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Michael Pena Net Worth
How much is Michael Pena Worth?
in Richest Celebrities › Actors
Michael Pena Net Worth:
Michael Pena net worth and salary: Michael Pena is an American actor who has a net worth of $12 million dollars. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Michael Pena began his professional acting career in the mid-90s, appearing in various films, including "Running Free", "My Fellow Americans", and "Star Maps". He also guest starred on multiple television shows, including, "Pacific Blue", "Touched by an Angel", "Homicide: Life on the Streets", "The Sentinel", and "7th Heaven". Though he worked constantly during his early years as an actor, it was not until 2004 that he finally garnered national recognition. That year, he appeared in "Million Dollar Baby" and "Crash", receiving rave reviews for his work in both multi-award-winning films. Since then, he has gone back and forth between film and television work, appearing in such projects as, "Babel", "World Trade Center", "The Lucky Ones", "Battlefield: Los Angeles", "The Lincoln Lawyer", "NYPD Blue", "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", "The Shield", "My Name is Earl", and "Eastbound and Down". More recently he appeared in block busters such as 2015's "Ant-Man" (plus the 2018 sequel), and 2018's "A Wrinkle in Time". In 2017 it was announced that Pena will star as DEA agent Kiki Camarena in a new Netflix series Narcos: Mexico which is scheduled for release in 2018. He has been married to Brie Shaffer since 2006 and together they have one son.
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Date of Birth: Jan 13, 1976 (45 years old)
Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m)
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Conducted by Leonard Bernstein, THE BERLIN CELEBRATION CONCERT is an historic performance marking the fall of the Berlin Wall. Performed on Christmas Day 1989 in the former East Berlin, the concert unites an international cast of celebrated musicians and vocalists for a moving performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
Symphonieorchester des Bayerisches Rundfunks and members of Staatskapelle Dresden, Orchestra of the Leningrad Kirov Theatre, London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Orchestre de Paris.


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August 11, 2022 Pastor: Rev. Peter Mills
Proper 15/C [Pent. 10], Aug. 14, 2022: Ps. 119:81-88; Jeremiah 23:16-29; Hebrews 11:17—12:3; Luke 12:49-56.
"Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" (vv. 28, 29).
God inveighs against pastors who, from the light of their hearts, corrupt his Word proclaimed in the power of its purity. Humans dream the worthless "straw" of false teachings; but God's unadulterated Word is life's nourishment as from enriched grain. If the human heart is dead, resistant stone; then God's word comes on it, as a hammer to spark fire, either to repentance or to judgment.
Jesus, the pure incarnate word, is heaven's Hammer. Speaking of himself, "I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!" I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division …" (Lk. 12:49-51).
Last Sunday God "counted" Abraham as righteousness by faith (Gen. 15:6); giving pause to enquire, "what kind of faith?" The author of Hebrews answers: faith that is faithful, "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross …" (Heb. 12:2).
Jesus, incarnate Torah of God out of heaven was cast on the earth with the force of an atomic explosion, right in the middle of your dining-room table, a place from which you might expect respite from worldly conflict.
But that is not the case, is it? The harmony epitomized by fictional families fails reality; neither "Ozzy and Harriet" (if you remember them) nor the "Blue Bloods" Sunday dinner rings true.
There is a reason families tend not to speak of business, politics, or religion at their dinner table: Jesus explains, "[F]rom now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three" (v. 52).
Society and politics in a sinful world are oriented in God's law for civil order. But Jesus with his church is God's expression for our salvation by word and sacrament, both law and gospel neither confused with the other.
The "religious" hearts of men and women are as the false prophets of Jeremiah's day messaging their personal "dreams" over against God's clear word. We posit "a different spirit" "another Jesus", and "a different gospel" (2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6, 7), conflating philosophies of men against God's pure word.
Diverse opinions about "Jesus" around the dinner table marginalizes heaven's Hammer as did the false prophets of Jeremiah's day, arguing that betwixt man and God, "It shall be well" (Jer. 23:17).
But Jesus, God's incarnate Torah has come, not to negotiate; rather for "division". Jesus, lifted on the cross hammers and sparks a fire of crisis and judgment. By his atomizing, we either submissively relent of our "dreams" to God's word, or not.
Here is the "division" within the families of men. By God's word in our midst, some will repent and believe; others will resist in favor of old dreams and associations. For those who believe, our faith is counted righteous, that seeks communion with Jesus, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mk. 16:16a);
Abraham's faith and faithfulness was sealed in Circumcision; now, you through Holy Baptism, a better cleansing and putting off of sin, enter faith in Jesus' crucified and resurrected flesh and blood, a salvation for which the patriarchs only hoped (Jn. 8:56).
Again, "what kind of faith, testifies to our righteousness before God?"; "what does righteousness look like?" Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees, never looking back. Moses, in today's Epistle, heads a catalogue of faithful heroes. By faith Moses discerned God's invisible "better inheritance".
Moses was adopted into Pharaoh's household, a prince of Egypt, cypher for all the world offers. But Christ, in both OT and NT, comes to men for crisis in the circumstances of our lives, requiring one to accept God's invisible promises; or remain in the visible security among the families of men.
Moses could have remained in Pharaoh's house but chose to align himself with the slave people of God; circumstances extended no other option; the Word had crashed into Moses' life.
Moses was crushed by an attack on his Hebrew brothers to a new awareness of suffering (Ex. 2:11, 12). So confronted, Moses without fear, put his life at risk for God's promise to Abraham, a better inheritance than the pleasures of Pharaoh's table.
For the sake of sightedness (Heb. 11:26), Moses renounced Pharaoh's table. Division from his worldly family, for unity with a new family was consummated by baptism through the Red Sea with the people of God.
Christ, the crucified Hammer of God, leads our way through this world. Baptism is where we first encounter spiritual crisis; either we hear Jesus' word remaining unconverted, or we renounce old ties and associations for a new kinship (Lk. 8:19-21; 14:26; 21:16, 17).
There is no middle ground, Baptism is the Christian's first suffering in the way of the cross; again, "in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three." That said, in our communion, with church as new mother and brothers and sisters in Christ, we patiently and painfully pray for those yet unconverted.
If we suffer on account of division within earthly families, still reward surpasses loss. It may, at first, be difficult to see the invisible reality, but as heirs of heaven you can look about in this place and recognize "the great cloud of witnesses" (Heb. 12:1) gathered around a better Table where the one holy catholic and apostolic faith neither speaks human opinion nor dreams disputing God's clear word.
As new family, we do not evade engaging God's law and gospel for "peace" with a world of unbelief or heresy; rather such is the inexhaustible topic of our exodus conversation with Jesus (Lk. 9:30, 31), on way to a better place revealed the Last Day.
Jesus with Moses and Elijah, on the Mt. of Transfiguration represented "the great cloud of witnesses", urging us to God's word for fidelity in seeing Jesus only whose joy is the cross for our salvation. Amen.
pem.


A little while ago, I posted this guide to gifts for your friends and family in the 2013 holiday season. And I told you that by clicking through and purchasing any of them — or even by clicking this link to get to Amazon.com and then buying anything at all — you'd be supporting Twice Cooked, and helping me out with stuff like hosting costs for the year to come.
I stand by those recommendations, and I stand by that rationale.
I want to hit pause on cooking and eating for just one minute, folks, and take this opportunity to talk about a different kind of onion.
It's been a while since I've used my little soapbox, here, to plug a cause. Ages ago, it feels like, I spent some time talking about Kiva. Almost as long ago, it was Creative Commons. Every now and then, I yank my head up out of the sand and implore you all to support something or another. Because there's lots of super-easy push-button do-gooderism out there on the Internet that actually — you know — does some good. And because having the ability to drone on endlessly about the minutia of food and politics depends a great deal on a giant pile of privileged positions.


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Overview & Laws
Jewish Unity
Anti-Semitism & Suffering
The Holy Temple
Home » Jewish Holidays » Tisha B'Av » Overview & Laws
https://www.aish.com/h/9av/oal/48967321.html
Destruction on the Tenth of Av
Jul 25, 2006 | by Larry Domnitch
After Tisha B'Av, the burning of the Temple continued for another day. Its effects continue to be felt throughout Jewish history.
The fires that consumed the first Jerusalem Temple began on the ninth of Av, and continued to burn until middle of the following day. The Talmudic sage Rabbi Yochanan stated, "Had I been alive in that generation, I would have fixed [the day of mourning] for the tenth [of Av], because the greater part of the Temple was burnt on that day."
As Tisha B'Av has been a day of misfortune throughout Jewish history, so too has been the Tenth of Av:
Expulsion from France
On July 22, 1306, the tenth of Av, the Jews of France were arrested and ordered to leave the country. Approximately 100,000 were forced to wander in search of new homes, and many perished along the way.
The Jewish community was not aware of the planned expulsion, as France's king, Phillip the 'Fair', did not want them to flee in advance with their assets. One of the monarch's motives for expelling the Jews was financial. Phillip saw plundering Jewish wealth as a way to shore up France's economic woes. No doubt, frustration at centuries of failed attempts to force the Jews into apostasy was also a contributing factor.
The expulsion had serious consequences beyond the immense human suffering. It ended the great era of Jewish scholarship of the Tosaphists of France, whose commentaries illuminated Talmudic texts.
Some local European provinces had previously expelled their Jews, but this decree -- which applied to most of France -- was by far the most significant expulsion to date in Medieval Europe. The expulsion also set a precedent for other mass expulsions, which plagued the Jews of Europe in the Middle Ages. The existence of Jewish communities within a European country became precarious. Jews never knew for sure if they might be compelled by law to pack their bags.
Ten years later, Louis the X invited the Jews back to France. Some accepted his offer. The return of the Jews of France would not last, however. They were expelled again in 1396 by Charles VI.
Barred from England
While Jews in some countries were being expelled, other countries simply denied Jews entry.
In the late 19th century, England was a haven for tens of thousands of Jews fleeing oppression in Russia. Many of the immigrants made their way to the East End of London. Their continuous flow had slowly aroused the opposition of many British lawmakers. Some as far back as the 1880's dubbed the immigration wave, "the alien invasion." Many viewed the these Jews as a pariah, or a "state within a state." With the increase of xenophobia, laws were proposed to limit this flow into Great Britain.
On August 11,1905, the tenth of Av, the Aliens Act was passed. This entitled an immigration officer to deny entry to an 'undesirable immigrant,' defined as one who had no means of earning a living, one who is judged to be a lunatic, or one who was convicted of a nonpolitical crime. The bill also allowed for the expulsion of those who had already immigrated and were deemed undesirable.
With the passage of the Alien Act, immigration restriction had become law. This British anti-immigration policy would become increasingly stricter over time. It also impacted American policy, and in 1924, the U.S. Congress passed the Johnson Reed Act which severely restricted the flow of immigrants from Eastern Europe. These restrictions remained in force throughout the Holocaust, having grave implications for European Jewry in desperate need of sanctuary.
In Israel
On the tenth of Av in 1929, Arab hatred of Zionism once again boiled over into full-scale riots.
The Arabs of Jerusalem were well aware of the significance of the Western Wall to the Jews and used this holy site to incite against Zionism. A few months earlier, the British consented to Arab demands to limit prayers at the Western Wall. In the middle of Yom Kippur services, British soldiers entered the grounds of the Western Wall and removed the mechitza, the divider separating men from women when in prayer.
Meanwhile, the Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin Al-Husseini, whipped Arab masses into a rage by charging that the Jews were attacking the Muslim holy places. On August 16, 1929, as a newly constructed door near the Wall was opened, Jewish worshippers were attacked, despite British assurances.
The next day, thousands of Arabs armed with clubs, swords and daggers converged upon the Mosque of Omar to hear impassioned hate speeches. The cry of "slaughter the Jews" spread throughout the Holy Land. Over the next ten days, Arab riots would take the lives of 133 Jews and leave 339 wounded. In Hebron and elsewhere, Jewish communities were ravaged by Arab mobs.
Throughout the Arab world, mass demonstrations were held in sympathy with the Palestinian Arabs. In Iraq, 10,000 assembled in anger over the victims of "British Zionist aggression." This pressured the British to yield to Arab terms: Passfield White Paper of 1929, and the MacDonald White Paper of 1939 imposed severe restrictions on Jewish immigration into the Land of Israel -- subject to Arab consent.
In 2005, on the tenth of Av, the government of Israel began the Gaza Disengagement, where 9,000 Jewish residents were evicted from their homes. Despite mass rallies against the disengagement, and an orange-ribbon campaign, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon implemented the plan with the hope of reducing security concerns and diffusing the demographic problem of Gaza's 1.5 million Arabs. Upon completion of the evacuation, all 21 Jewish communities in Gaza were bulldozed and destroyed. Only the synagogues were left standing; these were then torched by Arab mobs.
The destruction of the Temple, which continued into the tenth of Av, was an unfortunate harbinger of more tragedies to befall the Jewish people on that fateful day.
Tisha B'Av: The Root of Destruction
Tisha B'Av - The Ninth of Av
Starbucks and Tisha B'Av
Larry Domnitch
Larry Domnitch is the author of 'The Cantonists: The Jewish Children's Army of the Czar', recently released by Devora Publishing.
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No, Ethan Van Sciver Is Not A Nazi
Posted on August 14, 2017 | by Rich Johnston | 0 Comment(s)
Comic book writer/artist Ethan Van Sciver, currently working on Hal Jordan & The Green Lantern Corps, posted a long, passionate plea to Facebook stating that, no, he is not a Nazi nor a white nationalist. Not the kind of thing many people have to post, but this is the internet. He wrote:
"There are strange people on twitter who are pretending to believe that I am a 'white supremacist' or a 'Nazi' because I'm a rare thing in comics: a Republican. It's intolerable. It's ridiculous to have to even declare that I'm none of these things.
To me, white supremacists are villains from movies. They aren't me, they aren't my family, and I deeply resent these calculated efforts to make me feel unwelcome in the industry that I've given my life to, and by the way, which has profited greatly from my work. This industry isn't them or me. It's us.
Their evidence is some ridiculous out of context images from a decade ago, when we were all much more friendly. Being called a 'Nazi' by a fellow creator then was quite different, like me calling someone a commie. It was meant in fun. But occasionally, some truly weird people would make a claim that my little diamond logo was a swastika (oh?? HOW? It's based on the Iron Maiden logo). and a friend would satirize it by making it look like one. For laughs. Because it's absurd.
Around the same time, I decided that I'd make my sketch books look like extremist political tracts. One was called MANIFESTO and contained communist dogma, with backward letters to look like Russian language. The other one was called 'MY STRUGGLE' and contained my earliest work on Cyberfrog up to my recent work. The cover was SINESTRO, who we'd redesigned that year to resemble Hitler, and with the fact that most people knew I leaned right, this was a JOKE. Made self-effacingly to my peers who I considered my friends.
These people who spread these images and claim that I'm a 'Nazi' are liars. They are lying. Flat out. They are liars who wish this industry wasn't tolerant of people who do not share their partisan political views. That may include you. It may not. But I'll lay out my career and the work that I've done against theirs. This is MY industry too. And lying liars with a dishonest agenda cannot change that.
I've chosen to avoid Twitter. It is a toxic wasteland of negativity. I've chosen to avoid discussing politics, for this very reason. But I won't stand by and let these creeps continue to go unanswered.
And neither should you.
If you see this, please, as a fan, CORRECT IT.
It is evil.
A few of those tweets in question.
Ethan Van Sciver is an artist who often collaborates with DC's chief creative officer and is either a Nazi or thinks Nazi imagery is cool.
— Kieran (@KingImpulse) August 12, 2017
I know it's my own bugbear and there's larger Nazi related stuff to worry about but I would love it if @DCComics fired Ethan Van Sciver.
Ethan Van Sciver put out a sketchbook titled My Struggle (Mein Kampf) with Space Hitler on the cover and a swastika for a signature. pic.twitter.com/D2rqce0PbO
Comic artist Ethan Van Sciver is either a legit homophobic Nazi or is pretending to be one. Either way, I'm no longer supporting him. pic.twitter.com/SBrZwZghXN
— Tim Doyle- NYCC booth #583 (@NakatomiTim) May 12, 2017
It is true that Ethan Van Sciver played around a lot with alt-right imagery and memes for jokes, and Pepe The Frog was a repeat offender. He also played around with Nazi imagery, often with the intent to mock criticism, embracing the worst insults and turning them around in an attempt to state how ridiculous they were. He has also exhibited casually homophobic behavior over the years in a very Are You Being Served/It Ain't Half Hot Mum fashion. Lyrics from a song he performed at a comic con or two stick out: "Wolverine is gay, I found out the hard way."
I also recall a specific incident when Van Sciver talked about how he pooh-poohed the idea that some people were against Barack Obama as President because he's black — until, in an airport, he caught people making racist remarks towards Obama on a news channel playing at one of the gateways. And he had to have a bit of a rethink on that.
As to calling one of his sketchbooks, My Struggle, that joke has been used — overused — by everyone from Karl Ove Knausgaard to Jordan Bone to David Erik Jones. But excusing a logo by saying it's from Iron Maiden isn't the best excuse, given the longstanding history heavy metal bands have had with their own fascination with Nazi imagery.
Blind to problems that were not his own, possibly. Often not seeing the bigger picture, yes. Needlessly cruel and prone to taking a response too far, definitely. A bully? Sometimes. But white nationalist, Nazi, or someone who actually believes in fascist imagery? Less likely.
Posted in Comics | Tagged dc comics, ethan van sciver, HRL, sinestro
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Home > Small Changes > Food > What Is a Plant-Based Diet?
Celebrate Foraged Foods in Honor of FairWild Week
By Lizzy Rosenberg
Jun. 21 2021, Published 2:52 p.m. ET
You've likely heard of foraging — the sustainable grazing technique involves gathering food that grows naturally, rather than relying on produce that requires unsustainable farming practices. Whether you're a chef or if you're someone who lives sustainably, it's a tasty, low-impact way to get the nutrients and ingredients we need. That's why we're all about FairWild Week, which is hosted annually by the FairWild Foundation.
"We are calling for companies to get involved with FairWild by using certified ingredients and taking a step towards empowering communities, committing to sustainable supply chains, and showing customers they care about the future of wild plants," said Emily King, FairWild Foundation's Business Engagement Officer, in an official statement.
Keep reading for more on this eco-friendly holiday, and for more on the FairWild Foundation.
Source: FairWild Foundation
What is FairWild Week?
FairWild Week is celebrated annually from June 21 to June 25 by FairWild Foundation, a nonprofit that encourages businesses to opt for naturally-grown, foraged ingredients. You don't have to actually forage to take advantage of these types of ingredients, though — a wide variety of commercial products, including foods, beverages, cosmetics, health supplements, and more — contain commonly foraged ingredients such as juniper, licorice, and pine nuts, according to a press release.
And although these types of ingredients can easily be found in the wild, where they're grown without excess water, pesticides, or fertilizers, many companies still choose to buy them from unsustainable farms instead. That's where the FairWild Foundation comes in — they encourage businesses to source sustainable ingredients, giving those who do FairWild certifications. So, #FairWildWeek celebrates these natural, foraged ingredients, and companies that use them.
FairWild-certified companies that you might be familiar with include Traditional Medicinals, Banyan Botanicals, Chantecaille, and many more. And since North America is a leading importer of herbal products, which can easily use naturally-grown ingredients, it's crucial that we, as a region, source our ingredients and buy products as mindfully as possible, to control our impact.
How can I celebrate FairWild Week?
There are a few different ways you can celebrate FairWild Week. On social media, the organization will be posting various videos about the impact of different companies that have transitioned to using FairWild-certified products. The week's social media channels will also be working to educate fans and viewers on the importance of using foraged, naturally-growing ingredients, on the pitfalls of the agricultural industry, and on wildlife conservation.
If you're interested in making a little positive lifestyle change, you can also check FairWild Foundation's website to see which brands are FairWild certified. From there, you can start mindfully buying from these companies, and swapping out old products that don't use sustainable ingredients (when you actually need more of that product, of course).
To go along with the message of the week-long holiday, you can also become more educated on the importance of foraging, and learning from other experienced foragers. You can easily start foraging yourself, but it's important to know what you can and can't forage — some things in the wild are definitely better left untouched.
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I found this story extremely intriguing and captivating! Sylvain Reynard has such a specific writing style, so eloquent, it almost has an old fashioned feel to it but it's modern and fresh. I don't know how to explain it but I really, really like it!
Great introduction! It had this dark and mysterious feel to it and there's a great paranormal element at play. The Prince is fascinating and complex. I loved all the little details learned about him. There is definitely an interesting dynamic in the city where the Prince lives with those of his kind and I liked it a lot. I was excited and anticipating what would happen next. There was a nice amount of conflict in this with some action thrown in, my kind of story! I really liked how the story was laid out and got a good feel for the Prince's world. All the characters that were introduced were interesting as well. I'm excited to see what will happen next.
I really liked how Gabriel and Julia (from the Gabriel's Inferno series) were tied into the story as well. They are always so romantic and sensual together and you could definitely feel that in this. I found the Prince's fascination with the Emerson's extremely intriguing, he just couldn't seem to pull his thoughts away from them.
Romantic and mysterious, beautifully written. I am highly anticipating The Raven now!


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Screen Rant's 2014 Summer Movie Awards
– on Aug 29, 2014
in Movie News, Featured, SR Originals
Rising Star: Chris Pratt
Nobody thought of Parks and Rec's funnyman/dunder-head Chris Pratt as a compelling choice for a blockbuster leading man - but hell if Pratt didn't prove it with Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.
Coming off a big score in early 2014 with The LEGO Movie, Pratt totally quarterbacked the Guardians movie, turning Marvel's obscure oddball space heroes into mainstream rock stars - and making us laugh and cry and cheer all along the way. (He's just like Kevin Bacon!)
With a leading role in next year's Jurassic World, Parks and Rec more popular than ever, and Guardians 2 in the works, Pratt is a star who is quickly rising to conquer both the big and small screens.
Falling Star: Sly Stallone
Like Schwarzenegger, Stallone's comeback in films like Bullet to the Head and Escape Plan have been flops at the domestic box office - and his Expendables franchise has shown diminishing domestic returns with each new installment.
You can blame piracy, or mediocrity, but whatever the culprit, Expendables 3 was a huge flop. With the novelty of that throwback franchise having seemingly worn off, there's little left in the Sly Stallone wheelhouse for us to get excited about - which is almost certainly why talk about Rambo 5 has started up again...
Honorable Mention: Jeff Bridges. That Rooster Cogburn drawling mumble from True Grit has been a curse on the actor two years running, as R.I.P.D. flopped hard last summer, and The Giver barely cracked even at the domestic box office this summer.
Best Chemistry: The Guardians of the Galaxy
A thief. An assassin. A madman and two bounty-hunting thugs. Who knew they would be so lovable together?
Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige made the bold claim early on that James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy script was the best that the studio has ever seen to that point - and audiences seem to agree. Crackling with offbeat wit and fantastic ensemble humor, Guardians made its introduction to Marvel's cosmic heroes the most enjoyable first impression yet.
If you need proof that this group of misfits lit up the screen (beyond Groot's phosphorescent light show), simply recite your list of favorite Guardians team quotables with friends. Should keep you occupied.
Worst Chemistry: Jessica Alba and the Mirror - Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For was a relatively fun return to the dark Noir world of Frank Miller's imagining - but man, did it end on a bad note.
In a story segment called "Nancy's Last Dance" created for the film by Miller - which nobody in their right mind asked for - we witness an epilogue to the "That Yellow Bastard" storyline from the first film, as Nancy (Jessica Alba) seeks revenge on Senator Roarke (Powers Booth) for the death of John Hartigan (Bruce Willis). Along her path to bloody revenge, we watch Nancy descend into the depths of depression and madness, before finally finding the wild abandon necessary to take down Roarke.
Apparently, somebody thought it was a good idea to end a movie with a showcase of Jessica Alba in a dramatic role, alone onscreen for quite some time. Unfortunately, Alba couldn't even manage to spark any chemistry between herself and a mirror and a phantom Bruce Wilis - making it that much more painful for the rest of us to watch.
Funniest Moment: The Literal Drax - Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians had a lot of great talent behind it, but one thing that had fans worried early on was the casting of former wrestler Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer. Bautista had been showcased in movies like Man with the Iron Fist and hadn't exactly stolen the show with his acting, so expectations for his Guardians role were understandably tempered at first.
The film makes great humor out of the fact that Drax's species of alien don't have linguistic flourishes like metaphor or figurative meaning; with Drax, everything is painfully, hilariously literal. Somehow, Bautista's lack of acting and comedic experience worked to his character's favor: Drax's awkward delivery and linguistic confusion made Guardians hilarious at several very memorable (and quotable) points.
Nobody who saw the film will ever again be able to hear the phrase, "That went over your head" and NOT smile. Your comedy reflexes are too fast. You would catch that joke.
HONORABLE MENTION: 22 Jump Street. Channing Tatum displayed comedic timing, energy, and athletic prowess in that hilarious scene where the horrible connection between Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) is finally revealed... with delayed reaction.
Most Frightening Moment: Between Rock and Bone - As Above, So Below
Summer 2014 was admittedly light on big horror movies - but as has become tradition, the season closed with the release of As Above, So Below, a found-footage horror flick about a group of explorers who literally go to the depths of hell in search of a mythical artifact (if you haven't seen it, read our review of the film).
Like The Descent, As Above, So Below uses the setting of underground caverns to give audiences a claustrophobic sense of what subterranean exploration is all about. When cameraman Benji (Edwin Hodge) gets trapped in a thin, collapsing crevice between hard rock and a pile of bones, his panic (and the agonizing length of the sequence) was enough to send any real claustrophobics in the audience into hyper-ventilation (audibly, in my theater).
We don't always need ghouls and ghosts to freak us out; practical fears work just as well.
Most Disturbing Moment: Tail & Engine Politics - Snowpiercer
The phrase, "You know what I hate about myself?" is a loaded grenade anytime it lands on your ears, but the movie Snowpiercer found a way to make the answer to that question even more disturbing than usual.
For Chris Evans' character, Curtis, the battle to the front of the Snowpiercer locomotive had been bloody hell marked by much tragedy and loss - but it was nothing compared to the life Curtis had left behind in the tail section. Recounting his past to cohort Namgoong Minsoo (Kang-ho Song), Curtis reveals a side of himself horrifically different form the hero we've come to know. It's that dark will that the train's conductor, Wilford, is interested in, as he tries to recruit Curtis into the terrible job necessary to keep Snowpiercer society both literally and figuratively in motion.
If you've seen the film's climactic philosophical quandaries, you know why we shudder whenever our own Anthony Ocasio keeps stating that he 'sides with the train.' We only hope real human society is nowhere near how Snowpiercer paints it. We hope...
Most Emotional Moment: Fault in Our Stars Final Act
We won't spoil the ending of The Fault In Our Stars - but come on, the film begins with two kids (who are both very sick) falling in love. You don't need a crystal ball to see this ends in an empty box of tissues and bleary eyes for the audience.
Try to watch the final act of this film without crying. We dare you. Even if the sad parts don't get to you, the beauty and grace the characters show in dealing with those hardships just might. Right in the heart, bro.
Most WTF Moment: Howard the Duck Cameo - Guardians of the Galaxy
By now fans are used to the game: if you go to see a Marvel movie, you sit through the entire credits to catch a bonus scene (or two). Sometimes the scenes tease major plot developments to come - other times, they're just for fun and kicks. Guardians of the Galaxy, however, managed to throw fans a curve ball that added a whole new level of WTF to the Marvel post-credit scene experience.
Howard the Duck may not be that well-known anymore, so a lot of people were definitely left saying "WTF?" (audibly, in my theater) when the obscure character (who IS part of the Marvel universe, BTW) showed up in the remains of The Collector's collection.
Director James Gunn has revealed it was all for fun (No Howard the Duck movie coming), but be sure to read our profile of Howard the Duck's history in the Marvel U.
Best Frankenstein Job: TMNT
We reserve this award for films that manage to make a mint of cash out of the mess of footage and half-realized ideas they found themselves with during post-production (See also: World War Z, our 2013 winner).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles went through a lot of versions - and left a lot of footage unfinished and/or on the cutting room floor - before the studio came away with a lean (shallow), 100-minute, kids movie that managed to open at the top of the box office and guarantee Ninja Turtles 2 coming in 2016. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't easy, but they got there.
...Hopefully the sequel is more Adonis and less Frankenstein job.
Parasitic Twin Award: Hercules
Brett Ratner's Hercules starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is the second Hercules film to come out - and quickly flop - in 2014, following the prequel story Legend of Hercules (starring Kellan Lutz) earlier this year.
Lutz' version took place before Hercules' fabled twelve labors; Johnson's film took place after them. The result of skipping over the most famous part of the mythos? Hercules was a two-time loser at the box office.
It's little consolation, then, to say Johnson's version was the better of these two conjoined freaks.
Most Meme'd: Guardians of the Galaxy
Sorry kids, Captain America 2's "Hail HYDRA" and "On your left" meme storm does. Not. Count. That was a spring movie; these are summer movie awards.
Now, those "Star-Lord (WHO?)", Rocket/Groot and Literal Drax memes you're starting to (or have been) seeing? Yeah, that's only going get prolifically worse before it gets better. Just like Kevin Bacon!
Sub-Genre Killer: Into the Storm
We like to add a new award every year, and this year that award is for a movie that was so bad in its stylistic approach that it (nearly) burnt us out on a whole sub-genre of film. (After all, genre as a larger entity can never really be killed.)
In its inaugural year we give this award to the found-footage tornado disaster film Into the Storm for making us wish the whole found-footage trend would die back down into sporadic use, by purposed filmmakers, with well-developed ideas.
Alas, for now found-footage still remains a cheap way to make a movie which could potentially reap big bucks from audiences ultimately disappointed with their (semi-)cinematic experience.
Summer 2014 had its highlights (Guardians, Apes) - but who isn't looking forward to the forthcoming years of summer movies? With over 40 superhero films and countless big tentpole genre films all competing for box office dollars, the competition for our summer movie awards is only going to get more vicious - and the categories we have to create only more outlandish and geeky. Should be a blast.
Do you agree with our picks? Did we leave anything out (cue Edge of Tomorrow mentions...)?
Either way, come discuss the summer in movies with us in the comments, or chat with us @screenrant.
Tags: teenage mutant ninja turtles, sin city 2, godzilla, hercules, guardians of the galaxy, transformers 4, the amazing spider-man 2, the expendables 3, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, x-men days of future past, Snowpiercer, edge of tomorrow, Neighbors, the fault in our stars, as above so below


Fifteen years ago I almost started an arduous trek down a very dangerous rabbit hole. I installed Everquest on my PC and luckily most of my friends weren't playing so I avoided its clutches. I then saw the power of it in full effect with my roommate my Freshman year of college as I had a roommate who literally spent 14 hour binges without leaving his desk.
Don't get me wrong, I am a gamer and have gone to extremes but even that was a bit too much for me. Since, I have carefully navigated past the waters of various MMOs like City of Heroes, World of Warcraft and DC Universe Online only getting just a taste and not allowing myself to be caught in their web.
Just over a week ago, those who have been stuck in the Evercrack trap found out they will be returning to it with Everquest Next. While Everquest II floundered, players maintained a strong base into Everquest even well into the days of World of Warcraft's reign. Now, they will be rewarded with a new MMO that redefines the rules for what people expect from a massively multiplayer online RPG. You'll be able to see a highlight of all the new features in the video below.
DC Universe Online has got to be the most epic game in the world. Because of the hype surrounding it, and the constant delays, this game had better be the best thing we've seen since World of Warcraft, only better. We're now getting a few tidbits as the beta is currently in progress that could prove just that.
One of the major elements to any successful MMORPG game is the upgrades for your custom character. It's what drives millions of people to the WoW servers every day, and it could be what makes or breaks DCUO. We're now getting a look at purchasable battlesuits that can be obtained by doing missions for specific characters.
The most specific examples the fine folks at Sony Online Entertainment have given us is the battlesuits obtained from missions with Wonder Woman and Black Adam. Check out the full trailer for the suits after the jump, and keep it here as we bring you the most up-to-date news from DC Universe Online as we await it's early 2011 release date.
Rumors were swirling this week about a major electronics manufacturer planning to reveal a new console, and while it's a bit of a surprise, it ended up being Panasonic who let the cat out of the bag. According to Kotaku, Panasonic has announced The Jungle, the first portable gaming console designed exclusively for online gaming and MMORPGs.
The Jungle can best be described as a teeny tiny PC, with a full QWERTY keyboard and touchpad, as well as the d-pad and shoulder buttons standard to most portable consoles. The device is created specifically for online gaming, especially for those who don't want to be tied down by all the weight and wires of a desktop PC but don't want to sacrifice performance for portability.
While details are slim about the device so far, its rumored to be running on a Linux OS. The screen, while probably small, supposedly has an amazing resolution. We can safely assume The Jungle will have some sort of built-in WiFi, maybe even 3G capabilities, as well as some amazing battery life and a killer processor.
It's hard to imagine this device being affordable, but the idea of being able to bring World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy Online around with you as easily as you carry a DS or PSP is definitely tempting.
We'll keep our eye on this new, unique little device as more details emerge.
In the world of MMORPGs, the players who excel are the ones that have the most time to devote to the game. It makes sense that the longer you have to dedicate to grinding out levels, stocking up on gear and materials, and running dungeons, the more of an advantage you'd have.
While other MMOs give minor rewards to players for resting between gameplay, like World of Warcraft's "rest bonuses", they don't have any kind of system comparable to what Final Fantasy XIV has planned.
In Final Fantasy XIV, players will be allowed eight hours per class at full experience points. After the eight hours are up, the amount of experience gained will decrease over the next seven hours. Once these seven hours are up, you will receive no experience points for the rest of the week. Players have the option to change classes at any time in FFXIV, so they'd have eight hours of gameplay per week, per class.


See how reasonable it is to make the move to independent living.
How will the costs of living at Morgan Orchards compare to the expenses you're bearing now? Download and print this simple Cost Comparison Worksheet, to help you find out.
Contact us today for more information on the costs and savings when you join Vermont's best new senior living community.


text:
Album: IAIS, Newton to IC, 1-Jun-2006
With the train all back together, the crew gets ready to head east towards Yocum and Iowa City. Just east of here, track crews have been hard at work all morning, but they've cleared up for CBBI's passage.
Gallery: IAIS Railfans Photo Gallery Album: IAIS Photo Galleries Album: Nathan Holmes' Photos Album: Nathan's Photos from Out and About Album: IAIS, Newton to IC, 1-Jun-2006
Jump to: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25


text:
Zemfira - debiutancki album rosyjskiej piosenkarki rockowej Zemfiry. Zapoczątkował on nowy nurt rosyjskiego rocka - z kobietą pełniącą rolę autorki i wykonawczyni piosenek.

Lista utworów
 "Почему"     (Dlaczego)
 "Снег"       (Śnieg)
 "Синоптик"   (Synoptyk)
 "Ромашки"    (Rumianki)
 "Маечки"     (Podkoszulki)
 "СПИД"       (AIDS)
 "Румба"      (Rumba)
 "Скандал"    (Skandal)
 "Не Пошлое"  (Nietrywialne)
 "Припевочка" (Piosenka)
 "-140"
 "Ариведерчи" (Ariwederczi)
 "Ракеты"     (Rakiety)
 "Земфира"    (Zemfira)

Twórcy
 Zemfira - śpiew
 Sergei Cozinov - perkusja, instrumenty perkusyjne
 Oleg Pungin - perkusja, instrumenty perkusyjne
 Vadim Solov'ev - gitara
 Yurii Tsaler - gitara
 Rinat Akhmadiev - gitara basowa
 Sergei Miroliubov - keyboard

Albumy muzyczne wydane w roku 1999

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


WHEN: Feb. 25-April 26, 2019. Meet the artist reception: Friday, April 12, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
"A Visual Playlist," an exhibition of oil paintings by Honesdale resident Melissa Short. The paintings are inspired by music and each painting represents a different song. Free. INFO: (570) 208-5900, ext. 5328.


Didn't you know I loved you with all my heart?
Why did you have to disgrace me and drag my name through the mud?
Did it make your ego rise to see me fall with a thud?
Today I sit and wonder, was any of it real?
Is this all what life has to offer?


text:
Tag Archive: Natural gas
Virginia Commission Approves Settlement in Columbia Gas Rate Case
Results in Benefits for Competitive Suppliers
On March 17, 2017, the Virginia State Corporation Commission ("Commission") entered a final order on a rate increase application filed last year by Columbia Gas of Virginia ("Columbia"). The Commission approved a comprehensive settlement ("Stipulation") agreed to by Columbia, the Commission Staff, the Attorney General' Office, and several intervening parties. We are very pleased that our firm was able to help negotiate a favorable settlement on behalf of a group of retail gas suppliers. The Stipulation approved by the Commission will reduce the fees associated with competitive gas service in Virginia and provide more operational flexibility for suppliers in several key areas.
In addition to requesting an increase to its revenue requirement, Columbia also requested several changes to its terms and conditions that would have adversely impacted both customers and suppliers in the competitive gas market. Our firm represented a group of competitive suppliers who provide gas transportation service to commercial customers in Columbia's service territory. Among other issues, our clients were concerned that Columbia's proposed changes to its terms and conditions would increase fees for gas transportation service and reduce suppliers' ability to provide cost-effective service to customers. The Stipulation, however, resulted in several favorable tariff modifications, including reduced fees for daily gas transfer service and more reasonable penalties in the event suppliers over- or under-deliver natural gas on certain days.
The Stipulation approved by the Commission also authorized a total revenue requirement increase of $28.5 million and established a rate of return on common equity ("ROE") of 9.5%. Columbia had originally requested a total revenue requirement increase of $37 million and an authorized ROE of 11.25%.
Please contact one of our regulatory attorneys for more information about this case, or should you have any questions about competitive energy markets in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic.
Brian Greene March 27, 2017 commission, regulation, State Corporation Commission, The GreeneHurlocker Blog, utility rate lawyer, VirginiaCommonwealth of Virginia, Energy Lawyers, Natural gas, State Corporation Commission (Virginia) 0 Read more >
Regulators Continue to Press on Consumer Rules
The March Energy Update features Brian Greene explaining efforts in Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia to improve consumer protection rules that apply to selling commodities direct to consumers in the energy and natural gas markets.
Brian Greene March 27, 2017 Brian Greene, commission, consumer protection, Delaware, Maryland, natural gas, public service commission, retail energy market, The GreeneHurlocker Blog, utility regulation lawyerBrian Greene, consumer protection, Natural gas, retail electricity supplier 0 Read more >
Dominion Buying Gas Distributor Questar
Dominion Resources Inc. ("Dominion") announced Monday, February 1, 2016, that it plans to purchase Utah-based Questar Corporation ("Questar"), a natural gas distributor, for approximately $4.4 billion in an all-cash deal. Purchasing Questar will expand Dominion's customer base to customers in Western states. With Questar's acquisition, Dominion would serve approximately 2.5 million electric customers and 2.3 million gas customers in seven states. In addition, Dominion would operate more than 15,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipelines.
The acquisition is set to close by the end of 2016, pending approval from Questar's shareholders, the Federal Trade Commission, and, if needed, the Utah Public Service Commission and the Wyoming Public Service Commission. The companies indicated they will also give information about the transaction to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. After closing, Questar will remain headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, operating as a unit of Dominion.
If you have questions about the Dominion acquisition or utilities regulation in Virginia or the mid-Atlantic, please contact one of our energy lawyers.
Brian Greene February 1, 2016 Blair Powell, natural gas, public service commission, regulation, retail energy market, The GreeneHurlocker Blogattorneys richmond va, Dominion Resources, Natural gas, Public utility, regulated market, utility rates, utility regulation 0 Read more >
Maryland PSC Lowers Retail Natural Gas Suppliers' WGL Winter Collateral
Decision Relieves Retail Suppliers from Paying Excessive Collateral to WGL
The Maryland Public Service Commission has granted a request by Washington Gas Light and two retail suppliers to lower the collateral for suppliers operating on WGL's system for the winter season. Click here for WGL's initial filing and here for the supplemental filing that proposed an amendment to the WGL tariff. This is a significant reduction that will help retail suppliers continue to bring competitive natural gas products and services to WGL's Maryland customers.
A little background: retail suppliers must post collateral twice per year (winter and summer) to operate on WGL's system. The purpose of the collateral is to protect WGL in the event a supplier defaults and does not deliver gas to WGL, and WGL is forced to buy gas on the wholesale market. WGL calculates each supplier's collateral based on a formula in the tariff. If a supplier does not post by October 15, it cannot continue to enroll new customers. If a supplier does not post by October 31, it will be booted out of the WGL choice program.
Without getting into a whole lot of boring detail here about the formula used to calculate collateral, I will just say that one of the biggest factors in the formula is the use of Transco Zone 6 Non-New York prices from the past three years. The problem with employing the formula for this winter season was that last year's extremely and unusually cold weather caused the Transco Z6 NNY prices to increase dramatically on certain days during the year. Strict adherence to the tariff formula would have resulted in WGL collecting about $54 million in collateral this year as compared to about $4 million last year. WGL recognized that $54 million in collateral is excessive.
The "new and improved" formula, which is in effect for this winter season only, reduces the Transco Z6 NNY price by eliminating every day during the past year when the price exceeded $20.00 per Dth. That eliminated 13 days. Whereas the price last year was around $8.00 per Dth, it would have jumped to $25.21 this year. Eliminating the 13 days brings the price back down into that $8.00 neighborhood.
How big of a deal is this? Suppliers who posted $300,000 in collateral for last year's winter season would have seen their collateral jump to between $2 million and $2.5 million, with no significant increase in customers or throughput. The only suppliers who would not have felt this pain would have been those who attained a certain credit rating from a ratings agency – something that most smaller suppliers have not attained.
Suppliers should be hearing from WGL in the next few days about their reduced collateral requirement. Since most suppliers have already posted the larger amount, we suspect that they will be afforded a chance to amend their bonds or reduce their letters of credit, etc., to meet the new, lesser amount.
Finally, WGL and Maryland Commission Staff will monitor this year's Transco Z6 NNY prices to see if last year really was an anomaly. The Transco Z6 NNY price is actually an average of the past three years, so WGL would need to make a filing next year if last year's prices continue to skew the formula and result in excessive collateral requirements. Yes, that is right – the $25.21 is an average of the past three years' prices, so you can imagine how high the 13 days were thatthrew the entire formula off-kilter.
GreeneHurlocker's lawyers represented the Retail Energy Supply Association at the Maryland Public Service Commission with respect to this issue.
David Greene October 29, 2014 commission, distributed power generation, Maryland, natural gas, public service commission, retail supplier, The GreeneHurlocker BlogBrian Greene, Maryland Public Service Commission, Natural gas Read more >
New Natural Gas Pipeline Announcement
Just Announced – On Tuesday, September 2, 2014, Dominion announced a joint venture with Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas and AGL Resources to build a $5 billion natural gas pipeline that would stretch from West Virginia through southwest Virginia down to southern North Carolina. The proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline would carry up to 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, a tremendous throughput. Pending regulatory approvals from both FERC and state regulators, construction of the pipeline could begin in mid-2016, going into service as early as late 2018.
This project comes on the heels of EQT Corp. and NextEra Energy's announcement in June 2014 that they plan to construct a 330-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline from West Virginia into southern Virginia. The Mountain Valley Pipeline, pending regulatory approvals, is expected to be put into service sometime during the fourth quarter of 2018 and would provide at least 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas transmission capacity.
The Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Mountain Valley Pipeline would deliver natural gas to growing markets in Virginia and beyond, and would provide direct access to natural gas flowing from the Marcellus and Utica gas shale basins in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
GreeneHurlocker works with many clients operating in areas that may be impacted by the construction and operation of the proposed pipeline. Please contact one of our energy lawyers if you have questions about the regulatory approvals or any other issues relating to this new pipeline.
David Greene September 3, 2014 North Carolina, The GreeneHurlocker BlogDominion Resources, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Natural gas, North Carolina, Virginia Read more >


Leading European arms makers are building up offshore slush funds to bypass new international measures backed by the U.S. to outlaw corruption, according to the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Japan also is targeted for similar illegal practices. Mark Peith, chairman of an OECD working party on corruption, says: "Many companies are stashing cash into these slush funds because they want to retain the option to bribe." OECD, which has not publicly identified the offending weapons companies, bases its allegations on information from confidential banking sources that the money is being deposited in countries outside OECD to make it safe from detection. Although OECD is not pointing the finger at individual British arms companies, it severely condemns Britain for failing to implement the OECD anti-bribery convention. It is now two years behind fellow OECD members in ratifying the agreement. "Britain has basically flunked the examination," says OECD's Peith. British government ministers say they cannot find time to introduce the appropriate legislation until after the next parliamentary elections. Due in 2002, these could be advanced to next year.


NEWBIE: How to Escape the Rat Race?
I know everyone wants to escape the rat race, you want passive income to exceed living expenses. The prison of 9-5 hours job and cubicle nations that most of us wants to escape. The reality of working for someone and make them rich.
Effort - working from 9 - 5 hours everyday.
Money - received paycheck at the month end.
Bills - pay living expenses and obligations.
Then repeat the process all over again, if you are stocked on this process then you have to do something about it. Nobody will become rich on this process instead change your approach.
Effort - part time job while working full time like selling pack lunches to co-workers,blogging, etc.
Money - invest the part time income to financial instruments like stocks, bonds, etc. etc.
Bills - pay on time and try to reduce it.
income while working full time.
Google Blogging Ads hitting my goal to 1 million pesos.
Stocks and Real estate already hit my target.
Thank you Newbies for supporting the Newbie Mentor Projects.


Have you ever been curious as to what home inspections uncover in some homes around Lexington? 90% of the time, homes are the run-of-the-mill. There may be a few issues here and there, but for the most part, they are healthy as they can ever be. However, there are times when a home inspector comes across some nightmarish finds that absolutely appall everyone. As a homeowner, be aware of the possible problems that your home might face and realize the value of a home inspection before buying another house.
They say all you ever need is some WD-40 and duct tape to fix anything, but in this case it's a major hazard.
Corrosion slowly taking over. The obvious warning: Don't plug anything in that outlet.
Another bad case of bathroom plumbing. Mixing the wrong kind of fluids with metal pipes can have disastrous effects.


There is a wooden light pole just outside tony's variety store, on the corner used to be rainy day records and on the other side the asterisk. Local bands and events used to be nailed to that post, but its not the 80s or 90s anymore. Someone needs to clean that post off, its becoming more covered in mold and dirty with remnants of old flyers. A lot of the nails and staples can be pulled off by hand. It needs bit of elbow grease. Like a pressure wash or some kind of brush.