Wielding hydraulic tools like a breaker, backhoe, bucket or broom, a tool carrier can be the ultimate do-everything machine on a project site, but a tool carrier is nothing without its attachments. Compact Equipment is a magazine dedicated to tool carriers, machines like skid steers, track loaders, wheel loaders, mini excavators, telehandlers, utility vehicles and beyond, so that means we're constantly covering the hydraulic- and PTO-powered attachments these machines utilize (from tree spades to silt fence installers). At the end of the year, we like to call out the coolest new attachments that entered the market, so here's our list of pioneering attachments that can give your fleet a new multifaceted approach.
Excavated earth is not necessarily topsoil. If you're looking to create the latter from the former, we suggest Burly Attachments' new Clod-Buster Topsoil Screener, a skid steer/track loader attachment for turning mountains of dirt into ready-to-grade topsoil. The bucket digs into a pile, quickly filling its three-quarter-yard scoop. Its Hardox steel agitator shreds the hard clods of dirt, allowing only the fines to pass through the screener and providing a consistent grade of topsoil at a capacity of 50 tons per hour. When the agitator rotation is reversed, you can toss rock and debris into the back of the bucket. For more info, visit burlyattachments.com.
Wait. A snowplow on the back of a truck? Yep. Boss Snowplow's new Drag Pro rear-mounted snowplow aims to improve productivity and efficiency when clearing parking lots, loading bays and residential driveways, clearing snow using the back of the truck and reducing the number of passes. Available in 8-ft fixed wing, 8- to 12-ft hydraulic folding wing and 8- to 16-ft hydraulic folding wing models, the Drag Pro can open wide to maximize the area being plowed. The folding wing and fixed wing models are easily controlled via handheld controller in the truck's cab. Boss is the first and only major manufacturer to have a product like this. For more info, visit bossplow.com.
Stump removal is never an easy project, but it did recently get a lot easier for skid steer and track loader owners via John Deere's Stump Shredder. This unique attachment is designed with a low-speed, high-torque auger planetary drive that shreds tree stumps with reduced incidence of high-speed flying debris when compared to conventional stump grinders. Despite its slower operating speeds, stump removal is also faster than conventional grinders. Site cleanup is easy thanks to the small, contained chip pile produced by the attachment. Carbide tool replacement parts are not needed for the attachment. For more info, visit deere.com.
Salt can be equally useful and detrimental depending on where it's spread to combat ice. Precision is important, which is why SnowEx's Drop Pro 600 is so interesting. It has a variable-speed digital control that allows for precise adjustment of the spreader's material feed rate, allowing the operator to only drop the amount needed for a job, saving on costs. Additionally, the drop spreader's controlled application keeps material on the sidewalk, rather than off the path where it can kill grass. The Drop Pro 600 requires only minimal wiring for installation on UTVs, tractors and other compact vehicles. For more info, visit snowexproducts.com.
Loftness already earns kudos for one of the best brand names in the attachment business. Its new Bad Ax mulcher for skid steers and track loaders also lives up to that name. First, it has dual recutter bars, so it can cut material into finer particles for faster decomposition. The recutter bar also helps avoid log jams in the chamber, which can be extremely difficult to remove. The rigid deflector provides better control of the discharge than hinged deflectors. The Bad Ax also has a fully machined disc that contains no welds, so no stress cracking. That disc has bolt-on cutting tooth mounts that can be replaced in the field. For more info, visit loftness.com.
Contrary to its namesake, mini excavators can pick and place with strength and accuracy. Engcon's new SK02 Mini Sorting Grab gives small excavator operators even more dexterity. A leading manufacturer of tiltrotators, Engcon designed the SK02 to tilt, turn and rotate with a maximum grab strength of 281 lbs of force. The unit weighs 240 lbs, making it particularly suited for small excavators in the 1.5- to 3-metric-ton class. The SK02 also has screwed cutting blades, can take digging teeth and can be delivered with sealed/tight sides for use as a clamshell bucket. For more info, visit engcon.com.
Unloading a bucket just got a whole lot easier. Caterpillar's Side Discharge Buckets, designed for skid steers, track loaders and compact wheel loaders, collect and transport loose materials such as sawdust, sand, mulch and topsoil and then discharge these materials via a belt-type conveyor from adjustable openings (doors) on either side of the bucket. A rotating agitator works to keep material flowing to the conveyor. Adjusting conveyor speed and door opening controls the volume of material discharged and the area covered. Markets range from agriculture to road maintenance. For more info, visit cat.com.
This might be one of the ultimate niche attachments. Danuser's Python Wire Winder connects to a customer's existing hydraulic auger drive, with 2-in. hex connection. Once installed, operators can place the fence wire strands in the slots, push the spike into the ground and turn on the auger drive to start wrapping. Once the wire is wrapped up, it can be removed by pulling a pin and separating the two Python halves. The Python is designed to accept two tie wires to keep the wire neatly coiled up until it's time to be reused. It holds up to three-quarter mile of barbed wire (12.5 gauge) or up to six miles of smooth wire (14 gauge). For more info, visit danuser.com.
Epiroc's SB Series hydraulic breaker attachments are the industry's only breakers to come standard with an internal water port for dust suppression, a feature that can assist in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's silica rule dust regulations. With an integrated water channel, operators can spray water at the source of dust creation to keep dust levels down. SB breakers are also designed to protect operators and equipment by reducing noise and vibration. These SB Series breakers are engineered for the 0.7- to 24-ton carrier class and are used in everything from demolition to pile driving. For more info, visit epiroc.us.
Excellent lifting capacities are one of the reasons the compact tool carrier market continues to grow. Attachment manufacturer Berlon Industries is helping those stand-on and walk-behind tool carriers move more logs and brush with its Mini Forestry Claw. Unload and transport debris up to 2,000 lbs. High visibility orange claws allow users to see what they're grabbing in brush or limb piles. The claw features a 60-in. opening and is fully articulated, granting free movement without moving the machine. It comes complete with aggressive teeth, so you can help stabilize and secure logs when transporting. For more info, visit berlon.com.
Skid steers and track loaders are designed for diversity. The new Fox VersaPlow attachment gives these tool carriers even more utility when it comes to snow removal applications. The VersaPlow combines the functions of a box-style containment pusher, a backdrag containment box and a conventional snowplow. Designed for parking lots, apartments, municipal campuses and beyond, the Fox VersaPlow is available in 8- and 10-ft blade widths with a steel trip-edge or urethane resilient-edge. Advanced hydraulic controls even allow operators to change configurations without remounting. For more info, visit foxattachments.com.
Vacuworx makes some of the coolest attachments in the industry. In April, the company announced a partnership with underground equipment expert Ditch Witch to design vacuum lifting attachments for its line of mini skid steers. The Vacuworx PS 1 Portable and SL 2 Subcompact Vacuum Lifting Systems are compatible with the full line of Ditch Witch mini skid steers (the SK600, SK800, SK1050 and SK1550). Using vacuum, the PS 1 can lift up to 1,700 lbs. The SL 2 can lift up to 2,700 lbs, and to get the most out of its lifting capabilities, the SL 2 should be used in tandem with the SK1550 unit. For more info, visit ditchwitch.com or vacuworx.com.
We have even more attachments, just click the link!


text:
THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME...
Hello and welcome to the new OMS website! This innovative website uses cookies on your browser to improve your experience, and to remember your visit so your next visit is even better. Information is not shared with anyone and helps us to understand how visitors use the site so that we can improve. By continuing on the site, you're saying that's OK with you. We are very grateful to receive your comments and suggestions as we launch this site in stages over the next few months. We hope you will visit often and explore the rich content, resources, and the many unique features invented just for you!
Refugee and Relief Fund
Project Account: #408140
Send a Note Start a Campaign
Serving Refugees in Crisis
This Christmas, you can help pastors!
Pastor Relief Pallets
As the war continues in Ukraine, many pastors there are sacrificially supporting the physical and spiritual needs of their communities while trying to provide for their own families. Because these faithful pastors chose to stay in their war-torn homeland, they do not legally qualify for any aid and often find themselves giving away all they have at the expense of their families. You can help fill their needs by funding a relief pallet that will provide a pastor and his family food and supplies. Most of these pastors have large families and give generously to their communities. Your donation of $1,000 provides them everything they need to live for a month, including dry food supplies and things like a kettle to heat water, and gives them peace of mind as they serve their families, churches, and communities.
Before the first explosions struck, our missionaries serving in Kyiv evacuated. They are safe and now ministering on the front lines with other OMS Europe team members. A God-ordained partnership with a humanitarian organization allows our OMS workers to cross the border and deliver relief supplies in Ukraine. To date, OMS has provided 15 tons of food, water, and other essentials to those in need.
The OMS team is also facilitating housing and moving people from the border to major transportation hubs. The OMS ministry center in Budapest has been converted into a temporary 12-bed shelter for those who need a place to stay for a few days. The linguistic and cultural knowledge of the Ukraine team has been invaluable as they minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the refugees.
A team of 6, including a Ukrainian speaker and a Russian speaker, from the OMS-related work in Israel spent 10 days at the Hungary-Ukraine border in the first days of the conflict. They ministered at a relief center near the border in Hungary, helping refugees as they arrived. Many times they prayed with people as they sought to comfort them. Another team arrived the week of March 21.
Sadly, this situation is ongoing, and the damage is great. Your faithful partnership remains vital. OMS is committed to helping Ukrainians for the long haul. Each large van load of supplies and food, including transportation to the border, costs about $5,000 (US$).
Can we count on your support?
Thank you for your prayers and partnership.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Saw this on Facebook the other day and as a farm girl, this advice reminded me of my Dad and my Pappa…and makes a whole lot of sense!
Sky Zone is an indoor trampoline park, offering what they describe as a "3-D play experience". The facility is both an amusement attraction and fitness facility, offering people of nearly every age, size and fitness ability, a fun way to exercise. Jump times are every 30 minutes and online reservations are recommended. The jump times do sell out on a regular basis so purchasing timed tickets online will assure you get the time you want. This activity is great for parents that want to join in on the family fun.
Incredible Buffet & Fun Center offers plenty of indoor fun. Their attractions include laser tag, mini-bowling, mini golf, bumper cars, go karts and of course, a large arcade. In addition to all the fun activities, the center also features a large all-you-can eat buffet which includes drinks and desserts.
If you've never tried rock climbing, you might want to check out Climb Time Indy. The facility is for climbers of all degree of expertise from beginner to advance. There are over 4,000 different holds and the routes change weekly. They offer over 30 ropes and more than 8,500 square feet of climbing surface. In addition, we have a members only workout area, a rope for climbing, and an area designated for rappelling.
Indianapolis is home to the world's largest children's museum. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is 472,900-square feet of adventure! Families will find plenty exercise opportunities throughout the four floors of kid friendly exhibits. There's plenty of playground equipment and on-your-feet activities that will keep visitors hopping! Despite it's large size, the museum can get quite busy during holidays and special free days. The first Thursday of every month, the museum opens its doors with free admission from 4 – 8 p.m. If you don't mind the crowds, this is a great free event – including free parking.
There are a lot of bowling allies throughout the city, but one of the best is Pinheads Entertainment Center. Pinheads offers 32 open bowling lanes and 2 private bowling suites with 4 lanes each. They also offer duck pin bowling for the younger kids and an arcade. In addition, Pinheads has its own pub, Louie's, famous for its tenderloin sandwich and otherpub-style foods. They offer birthday parties and various special nights in a newly renovated space.
If you are a member of the YMCA, or even if you're not, you can survive the cold or damp weather indoors at one of the many locations throughout the city. The local Ys feature everything from indoor pulls, indoor gym, racquetball courts, indoor playgrounds and much more. While there, take advantage of the fitness center and get some exercise.


Probably one of the most common mistakes we see clients make is when they get attached to that one big video idea. Sometimes it's that they want to document a big event. Other times it's because they think that it's better to pool all their money into one special video for their home page. No matter what your business is, you have more than one story to tell, so why limit yourself?
Publishing several small videos (or even short clips) has many advantages. Here's just a few we've noticed over the years.
You can build an audience. One video = just one link to click on, one moment of engagement, one chance to be shared. The best internet videos will bring people to your website or YouTube/Vimeo channel more than one time. Ideally you're actually building an ongoing relationship with your audience.
You can test and refine. Video is a great tool for trying out different messages, targeting specific audiences, and evaluating the effectiveness of a variety of 'call to action's. When you plan multiple videos from the beginning, you don't have to wonder "What if we did _____ different?", you can actually check it.
You can hold viewer's attention. No matter how interesting your content is, most viewers suffer from attention drift. As people become more and more accustomed to short video content, they are less likely to watch a long video through to it's end. Several short videos increase the odds that viewers will watch all (or most) of your content.
You can build your SEO. YouTube is owned by Google, so websites with YouTube content get a slight boost in page ranking. But there are so many websites with just one video. Adding more videos (and linking to your website in the YouTube video description) is a great way to set your company apart. If possible, make sure you're launching your videos to your website on different days so that Google can see that you're regularly updating content. Note that in this study from video platform Animoto, most people said the ideal length for a several kinds of videos was 3 minutes or less. Whether talking about a customer testimonial, company profile, product overview, or video of how the product is made – customers want videos to be less than 3 minutes long and sometimes as short as 30 seconds. In only one case, product demo, did the numbers jump up. And even then, it's only one in 5 viewers that would want the video to be longer than 3 minutes.
When it comes to video, our advice is to show more, talk less, and do it all in a format that's concise. Then, do it all again, in another short and sweet package. Then make another message, in a nutshell. And so on.


text:
Q: Type casting errors on a list in python. What is the correct way to make sure this returns as an integer[] not a str list? I'm trying to practice my Python on Leetcode.
I am having a type casting issue trying to return this as an integer list. From a little research, it appears this might be because I am using "range" in my for loop. Can someone please show me the correct way to do this without it causing an error?
Here is my code:
class Solution(object):
def removeElement(self, nums, val):
    for i in range(nums.count(val)):
        nums.remove(val)
    return nums

Here is the error message:
TypeError: [2, 2] is not valid value for the expected return type integer[]
raise TypeError(str(ret) + " is not valid value for the expected return type
integer[]");
 Line 39 in _driver (Solution.py)
_driver()

Line 45 in  (Solution.py)
I get the same error doing it this way too
class Solution(object):
def removeElement(self, nums, val):
    """
    :type nums: List[int]
    :type val: int
    :rtype: int
    """
    while(nums.count(val) != 0):
        nums.remove(val)
    return nums

A: I figured it out
while loop:
while(nums.count(val) != 0):
        nums.remove(val)
    return len(nums)

for loop:
for i in range(nums.count(val)):
        nums.remove(val)
    return len(nums)

Mark had pointed out the return type should be an int, so I referenced the array as an int and it works.
Thanks Mark!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


My sons teach me valuable lessons. Through their actions, God often speaks to me. When my older son started his first day of kindergarten, I dropped him off and helped settle him in while the other parents did the same. As an icebreaker, the teacher placed a coloring page with a bear on his desk that said, "This is how I colored on the first day of kindergarten." I watched him carefully to see if he colored in the lines. He started well, but moved away from the bear to draw a sun and his own objects. I immediately corrected him by saying, "What are you doing? You're outside the lines." He replied with respect, "But it is my picture, Mommy." Despite his mild protest, I thought, "Oh no! His teacher is going to think that he cannot color." I looked around and saw the kids coloring their best while my son drew a sun and other images.
After he came home, I asked, "What was your favorite part of your day?" He said, "Drinking out of the water fountain." I wanted to blurt out and say, "WHAT? Is that it… drinking from the fountain?" His response to my question and coloring did not please me. Then the Holy Spirit rebuked me for judging him and missing a two-fold revelation. My son thought outside the box, which would set him apart. And he experienced something different at the fountain, causing him not to mention anything else that happened throughout the day. Therefore, I asked him why, and he said, "I liked it because it made my throat feel better. It felt like an ocean in my throat." Those brilliant words coming from a five-year-old are spiritually deep.
A woman in the Bible can relate to my son's experience. Scripture does not mention her name, only her culture. After Jesus departed from Judea, He left again into Galilee, where He went through Samaria to come to a city called Sychar. Because of His weariness, He stopped at Jacob's well and the Samaritan woman approached Him to draw water from the well.
(John 4:7 Contemporary English Version).
The woman immediately recognized that culture forbade Jesus to interact with her. All the strict Jews traveled an indirect route to avoid the Samaritans for their intermarriage with the Assyrians and their worship on Mount Gerizim, rather than Jerusalem.
Jesus showed others how He was "thinking" outside the box by changing His route and speaking to the woman. He is fully man and fully God, and His creative action showed Him fulfilling the law rather than being bound to it. To her surprise, just like how I handled my son, the Samaritan woman missed the eye-opening experience. She did not see that Jesus was stepping outside the norm to meet her at her present situation, which was dire.
After interrogating Him many times, Jesus responded, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again. But no one who drinks the water I give will ever be thirsty again. The water I give is like a flowing fountain that gives eternal life".
(John 4:13-14 Contemporary English Version).
Her spiritual eyes opened, and she asked to receive that water. Despite her asking, she did not see what was coming next. Jesus privately revealed her past lifestyle of immorality. Nevertheless, His divine mercy allowed her to know that He washed away her sins. The woman experienced something unique when she drank from the water that Jesus gave her, and many people converted because of her testimony and their own encounter with Him. Though it is a colorless, transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid this water that Jesus offered represented eternal life.
Perhaps you are in a situation where you desperately need a breakthrough. Your past or your current predicament may make you feel as though Jesus wants nothing to do with you, but that is far from the truth. He comes for the sick, not those who are well.
(Mark 2:17) He comes to give you abundant life. (John 10:10) Jesus can meet you at your well; whether you stand in the need of healing, salvation or deliverance. If you have the mindset to recognize and welcome His presence, your "well" experience can change your life. It can transform spiritual poverty into spiritual prosperity, replace a spirit of heaviness with praise, provide peace in the midst of your storm, and open the door of favor when all odds are against you.
I thought my son was wrong, but I realized that he was communicating what the Samaritan woman was feeling. It was her first day of kindergarten, and as we see her celebration, we can honestly say the Samaritan woman's favorite part of the day was drinking at the fountain also.
If you do not yet know Jesus Christ, please open your heart and receive Him as your Lord and Savior. With childlike faith, confess your sins, and allow Him to reign over your life. The world may have overlooked your name and labeled you according to your culture ~ alcoholic, drug addict, prostitute, liar, or much more. People may have even rejected you because of your mistakes, but I am encouraging you to know that you are worthy of a divine intervention!
Vicky is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After graduating from the Philadelphia High School for Girls, she moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to attend the University of Pittsburgh. It was there that she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Science. She accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior on June 13, 2004 and received the precious gift of the Holy Ghost the following day. It is her heartfelt desire to be a kingdom laborer and to do God's perfect will. Vicky has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who as an executive for influencing her organization and industry. She is also a member of the National Association of Professional Women to represent her city and state.
On August 12, 2006, Vicky joined with Cleveland Lynch in holy matrimony. They are the proud parents of Cleveland and Samuel Lynch. Vicky is a published author of Leaping in the Womb, Original Prayers of the Bible, and Purpose, the Cycle and Stages of Your Life. Her latest project features her two young children (ages five and seven), Words from a Childlike Heart, which is a three-series compilation of 35 poems. They also released their CD single, We Have Clean Hands.
Placing her complete trust in the Lord, she stands firm on Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.


text:
Q: Laravel many to many insert each side My question is maybe easy but I don't find the proper answer and I don't know if what I do is the right way to do it.
I have an articles and a tags tables with a pivot table on id.
What I try to do is :

*

*insert article

*insert tags if not exist

*insert relationship

My code is :
$tags = [];
        foreach ($request->input('tags') as $key => $value) ;
            $tag = Tag::firstOrCreate(['nom' => $value]);
            $article->tags()->sync($tag);
        }

But it only sync the last tag. And maybe there is a better way than sync on foreach loop ?
Thank for your help.

A: The eloquent sync method states:

The sync method accepts an array of IDs to place on the intermediate table. Any IDs that are not in the given array will be removed from the intermediate table. So, after this operation is complete, only the IDs in the given array will exist in the intermediate table.

Since you're doing this in the foreach loop, it will remove all values except the respective tag on each iteration through the loop. You want to instead provide an array of tags and sync at the end.
    foreach ($request->input('tags') as $key => $value) ;
        $tags[] = Tag::firstOrCreate(['nom' => $value])->id;
    }
    $article->tags()->sync($tags);


text:
Q: Powershell script doesn't pull certain fields from active directory? I'm trying to write a PowerShell script to pull users information out of Active Directory and export it to a csv file. I have one partly working but for some reasons some fields in the tables come back blank even though there is data to be extracted? Anyone know why this happening ?
Import-Module ActiveDirectory

Get-ADUser -Filter * -Properties * | select domainname, domaincanonicalname,
samaccountname, displayname, dnid, isdeleted, distinguishedname, cn,
whencreated, whenchanged, lastlogontimestamp, accountexpires, department,
pwdlastsetdate, accountdisable, passwd_notreqd, passwd_cant_change,
dont_expire_password, password_expired | Format-Table -Auto

Here are the fields that come out blank;
domainname = {}       domaincanonicalnam = {} dnid = {} isselected =

Everything else has data in the tables.

A: Try the following - a couple of the properties are missing as I have no idea what you are referring to e.g. "dnid"
Import-Module ActiveDirectory

Get-ADUser -Filter * -Properties * | select canonicalname,
samaccountname, displayname,  isdeleted, distinguishedname, cn,
created, Modified, lastlogontimestamp, accountexpires, department,
PasswordLastSet, Enabled, PasswordNotRequired,
PasswordNeverExpires, PasswordExpired | Format-Table


I met my two best friends in the 6th grade. I will never forget our first interaction together. Jenny and Kelly had already been friends since they were itty bitty, and I came later. I can honestly say that we had almost nothing in common, but we managed to hit it off right away…well not right away. Kelly and I met through our families who happened to share a mutual friend and vacationed together. We were also both cheerleaders. Kelly because she looked hot in those teeny skirts and me because I could lift 100 pounds above my head without a sweat.
Let me paint a little picture of the three six graders we were.
Needless to say, I grew on her; she has been by my side for every major event in my life. There is a bond between the three of us that nothing can break. To this day, we are all completely different people, in different places in our lives, with different believes but with one thing in common. We all three love each other unconditionally.
The best way for us to have expressed this love was via our high school rings. Well, I can think of a dozen more practical, less expensive, more fashionable ways not but in 1999, this was our way! We were all three about to go to separate colleges. Kelly got into UGA (brat! She was hot and smart), Jenny decided on West Georgia and I opted for University of Tennessee (Go Vols!). We knew we could stay connected with our high school rings, and we would wear them FOREVER or at least until the middle of the summer after our graduation. For me, this was actually an accessory upgrade. Jenny, Kelly and I decided to have "JKM" engraved on the inside of all of our rings. The cool thing about these rings is how personal they could be.
Anyway, the whole point of this story was to lead into this delicious recipe that Kelly's mom introduced to us. Jenny and I call Kelly, Fankee (long story-whole different blog post). Her mom made this pasta for us one night when Kelly was visiting from NYC. Jenny and I absolutely fell in love with it. Her version is vegetarian, yet another example of our extreme differences (Exhibit F- Beef section of the blog). I like to add chicken or shrimp. It can be pricey so here are my tricks to bring down the price.
– Get the pine nuts from Costco. You will have a ton of them but they are so good to add into pasta, quinoa, salad, casseroles, etc.
– Get 10oz of spinach from the grocery store 'price by weight' salad bar. It is light and is about half the price as the spinach in the salad section.
– Since you use the entire container of feta, get the ones that are marked for quick sale. They normally do that when they have three days before sell by date and you will use it all that night.
My Saturated Fat Costs How Much?!?!?!
Needless to say, against Blake's pleading for me not to, I told the kind lady that we would like to cancel our order, and I moved onward to the next saturated fat jungle. Blake gets so mad at me when I change my mind on things at the last minute based on price.
The one that makes him the most mad is when we decide to shop at Whole Paycheck Foods. I absolutely love Whole Foods. I love the way they set up the produce with such design and pattern. I love the crushed ice where the fresh fish are displayed, I love the free floating wine selection, and I love the olive oil tasting bar. Not to mention, the deli guys always seem to be incredibly good looking with their tattooed forearms and wide ear piercings. For all of these reasons, I always find myself loading my basket and heading toward check out. It is almost guaranteed that every time I round the corner past the salad bar and fresh baked breads, I begin doing the grocery cart math in my head. $5 for this plus $8 for this plus $17 for this plus $3.50 for this…… $75 for one meal! Blake glances over and sees the color in my face quickly fading. Instantly, he takes the cart, begins putting all of the collected groceries back on the shelves and tells me he will meet me at the car. Off to Kroger we go.
One day, one of the women on my tennis team told me about Luciano's, a small yet elegant Italian restaurant near my house. I was anxious to go. Blake and I walked up to the door and it looked beautiful. I opened the door and saw the dreaded white tablecloths. Don't get me wrong, I love white tablecloth restaurants, but not with my 3 year old who has no concept of volume when speaking. In the corner of my eye, I noticed a take out menu….Bingo! Blake went in and ordered us two sandwich and sides, and we waited to pay. "That will be $16.16" the beautiful and polite hostess said. Being that there was no static to interfere, I simply assumed she had not done the math correctly. I asked her if that total was correct and she printed me a receipt showing me that she had in fact computed the total correctly.
Here I stand in a beautiful restaurant with an open grill, granite top bar, fresh herbs growing in the foyer and chefs in white coats, paying $4.00 less than I would at Wendy's.
This little experience led us to the creation of our dinner last night. Luciano's makes an Italian Chicken BLT. It is on Ciabatta bread with a pesto aioli and pancetta instead of regular bacon. They serve it with house made truffle and Parmesan potato chips. Blake recreated it last night with home cut truffle french fries. It was amazing!
Pasta salad is just an easy, versatile and well-liked food. Personally, I like the oil based pasta salads over those that are based in mayonnaise. Pasta salad would be such a fun thing to make for party, but the delivery of it is such a hassle. You either need a bowl or a plate and a fork. You basically have to be sitting at a table or the pressure of the fork on the plate while its being supported by only one had can end up in a disaster on the entertainer's floor.
As I was shopping at Costco, I found another "must share" deal: Three pounds of dry cheese tortellini for $5.99!!!
I knew I had to have it. Lottie eats it for dinner with butter and parmesan, and I love it in a salad. After buying this great deal, I was determined to find a way to make tortellini pasta salad easy and accessible for a party or a tennis match.
I decided to go with Antipasto Salad Kebabs; easy to eat, simple to prepare, inexpensive to make and taste wonderful! Happy Eating!
Cook pasta as recommended on package.
Jones Bridge pool is one of my favorite places within the Georgia state lines. I became a member when I was a baby, and spent approximately 50 hours there a week until I was 16. Last year, Blake and I were looking for a community pool to join so that we could establish some new friends with kids for Lottie as she was getting a little bored of watching Blake play video games and grocery shopping with me. I knew that Jones Bridge was going to be place we were going to join. From the second I made the decision, it was as if my Barracuda fins instantly grew back in.
The coolest thing about this pool is that you don't know a stranger there. Everyone talks to everyone whether they have been introduced or not. In fact, I have met several friends there that I was never introduced to…we just started talking. It just feels like home when I walk into the gate.
This summer Blake and I have been grilling out a lot. The other night we decided to grill at the pool. We ran through our options…steak, chicken, fish, veggies…. I was simply bored with the choices. Blake decided that pizzas would be fun. Instantly, I thought pizza stone, rolling dough, expensive, hassle….
Blake proved me wrong. He headed out to Ingles where he found Naan, an Indian flat bread, on sale for about a dollar each. He picked up six of them and we were ready to go. We pulled out all of the cheeses and toppings we could find in the fridge, and created an awesome meal that was quite impressive. Of course, we made enough to share with our friends at the pool and a little more for those we hadn't yet met.
1. Brush a bit of olive oil on the Naan bread.
2. Top with pizza sauce of choice, olive oil, pesto, or whatever sounds good.
3. Apply toppings and cheese of choice. These can be made ahead of time and wrapped in aluminum foil to make at a later time or assembled right at the grill.
6. Leave lid down as much as possible.
– The list keeps going on and on….. this is an amazing meal to get rid of leftovers or have fun with whatever is in the fridge.
I absolutely love when fresh herbs are on sale in the winter. I get so spoiled in the summer with the endless supply of my home grown herbs, that I miss them so much in the winter. Generally they run between $2.00-4.00 for a small bunch of herbs when you buy them at the store. I was at Ingles the other day when I found them Buy One, Get One FREE! I grabbed a pack of sage and a pack of basil. I really like to use sage with chicken whenever I get the chance. I also noticed Boar's Head prosciutto was on sale for $1.10 off per pound at the Publix deli. I knew that I could make something delightful with these items.
I have always been a huge fan of the under-appreciated, yet salty and lean meat, prosciutto. Recently, I have noticed it gaining popularity in the food magazines which makes me very happy. In fact, a prosciutto and egg biscuit graced the cover of Food and Wine in January. Go prosciutto…way to keep up the fight to the top!!!
10. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve with angel hair pasta or polenta.
I am not a big fan of casseroles or meals that are all mixed together. For example, I don't like Chicken and Dumplings or Chicken Pot Pie because each bite tastes the same. I love to have a variety of meat and sides, so I have the ability to transform every bite into a new taste. There are a few exceptions to my stance on this. One is Chicken Merango.
My aunt has made this meal for as long as I can remember. My sister-in-law made it last night. It made me think "what a good blog entry!" It is easy to make and it's delicious. My brother is determined that egg noodles are a must. I was thinking of serving it on rice, but my brother said that would be like eating "Rice-a-cini Alfredo" and no one wants that.
1. Saute the chicken until browned.
2. Pour in both cans of soup.
3. Add garlic powder, onion and mushrooms.
4. Simmer low heat for 30-40 minutes.
5. Do a little Merango Tango and enjoy!
Friday Night in the Foster home has become pizza night. Blake and I both make our own pizza, so we have a lot of variety. I never liked pizza until after I had Lottie. Now, I love it.
Every time they have the pizza at school, I partake. There is just something I love about the overwhelming dry flour taste that accompanies the school cafeteria pizza. One of my students always makes fun of me because I hate cheese on my pizza. I always scrape it off into the trashcan. Then I replace the toppings and chow down.
My very favorite pizza that I have made thus far is Granny Smith apple and hot Italian sausage pizza. It is to die for!
We like to buy the precooked crust and just add the toppings. Mama Mias from Ingles is similar to the school cafeteria crust.
1. Remove the sausage from the casing and brown in the pan.
2. Reduce 1 cup of Balsamic vinegar by 75% until syrupy and sweet.
8. After cooked, drizzle Balsamic reduction on top of pizza and enjoy!
I often find myself naming foods based on their shape. It makes sense to me, but at times makes the food sound less appetizing. For example, we made "Risotto Balls" before we knew they had a name; Arancini.
My best friend, Jenny, and I love Stoney River. We love their "Stoney Balls". Our favorite bartender of all times , Ken, HATES when we call them that. "They are Stone Pups", Ken tells us. I guess people like to use words like "pups", "fritters", "bites", etc for things that are round. Where did the love for shape descriptors go?
Have fun, and try some variations. Blake loves jalapeno and ham filled Risotto Balls with a pineapple cheddar sauce. You can also make them any shape you want.
1. Heat chicken stock and milk to medium heat in a saucepan.
2. Heat butter and 1 tbsp oil to medium-high heat in a large sauté pan.
3. Add Arborio rice to the butter and oil and stir to evenly coat and roast for 2-3 minutes.
most of the broth is absorbed into the rice.
rice has soaked it up.
6. After all of the broth is soaked up the rice should be a rich, creamy texture.
7. Remove the rice from heat and place into a large mixing bowl.
recipe for a great cheesy risotto ball.
and mix together while the mixture is hot.
10. Taste the mixture and season to taste.
12. This mixture can be stored for up to 5 days and used to make Risotto Balls as needed.
13. Heat 3 cups of oil in a medium saucepan to high heat.
15. Beat the eggs and set aside.
18. Place the risotto balls into the hot oil and fry until a dark/golden brown.
19. Serve immediately with heated marinara sauce or sauce of choice.
I have mentioned before and I will mention again, I LOVE WHEN READERS COMPLIMENT THE BLOG AND TELL ME WHAT THEY LIKE. One of my dear friends from middle school, Laura, and I reconnected on Facebook. She sent me an email about how she loved the blog. She and her family are gluten and soy free, so Blake and I took it as a challenge to make something that we wanted for dinner, but cater to her family's diet.
If I ever fulfill my dream of being a professional chef, culinary teacher or TV food personality, I will be sure to incorporate the needs of people who have unique diets. I have a best friend, Kelly, who is a vegetarian. She says she loves to read the blog, but doesn't cook much from it because we always use meat. After looking back at our recipes, she was right, and now we are aiming to make more vegetarian-friendly dishes.
So for all of those of you who are steering away from gluten and/or soy, enjoy this dish!
Combine tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, olive oil, minced garlic, 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning into a pot and cook on low heat for 30 minutes. (If you are in a hurry, use higher heat).
Boil chicken breast for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Shred when cool.
Mix together ricotta, basil, thyme, ¼ cup mozzarella cheese, 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside for assembly.
In a 9-inch glass-baking dish, drizzle olive oil in the bottom of the pan.
Add thin layer of tomato sauce.
Top with ½ sliced zucchini to cover surface of pan.
Spread ½ of cheese mixture on top of zucchini.
Top with shredded chicken, evenly dispersed.
Coat chicken layer with more sauce to ensure it doesn't dry out when cooking.
Top with remainder of zucchini.
Coat with one more layer of tomato sauce.
Top with remaining Parmesan and mozzarella.
Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes.
Uncover and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Allow 20-30 minutes for "lasagna" to set.
Growing up in the South, my meals included mayonnaise, butter, cream, buttermilk, fried flour and/ white gravy. Since I left home as a teenager, I have changed my diet to represent culture and essence of southern cooking, but with a healthier (much healthier) spin on the classic dishes.
I think this summer I decided that Tomato Pie has moved into my top 10 All Time Favorite Foods. Since we have had a plethora of tomatoes this summer, I was experimenting with new ways to uses them so they wouldn't go to waste. When I saw Buy One, Get One Free piecrusts on www.southernsavers.com, I knew just what I wanted.
I clipped three of the buy one get one free coupons for piecrusts, so I knew I had some room to experiment with modernizing a southern Tomato Pie.
Since the Southern traditional one is always a hit at dinner parties and family gathering, I am going to include that recipe too.
Baste rim of piecrust with egg white prior to baking to make it brown better.
Bake crust 5 minutes at 425 degrees.
Combine salt, pepper, basil and onions.
Place seeded tomatoes in crust to cover the bottom.
Spread onion mixture over tomatoes.
In a mixing bowl, mix cheese and mayonnaise and spread over tomatoes.
Bake for 35 minutes at 400 degrees.
Allow pie to cool/set before cutting and serving.
Combine salt, pepper, and onions.


In the pansori Heungboga, there is a passage where Heungbo goes to a government agency to get some rice. He must have been at a loss over what to do after he was kicked out of the house by his greedy brother Nolbo. Having been born into a noble family, he didn't have any skills that could bring him money to support his family. He hadn't worked a day in his life, so he probably wouldn't have made a good laborer even if he had have found manual work. Immediately after Heungbo's family became homeless, they sold their fancy clothes to eke out a living, but soon they ran out of belongings to sell. His family was on the verge of starving to death, compelling Heungbo to ask for free rice at the government welfare office. There was a welfare program even back in the Joseon period which helped out the poor with goods, such as rice. Since it was his first venture outside in a long while, he tried to dress up properly. But, sadly, all his clothes, from his hat to socks, were tattered and worn. In the end, he just put on the least shabby outfit he could find and headed to the welfare office. This scene is reminiscent of jobless and needy people standing in line to receive their welfare checks or food stamps.
You just heard Oh Jeong-sook singing a passage from the pansori Heungboga, in which Heungbo went to get some free rice. Heungbo still had a shred of dignity left as a nobleman, but, at the same time, was afraid to displease the officials lest he should be denied of rice assistance. So, he vowed to behave in the most modest and humiliating fashion in front of the government workers. But before Heungbo reached the government office, he met a man who promised him money in return for physical punishment. In the old days, people who committed a crime got flagged or beaten with a stick at the district offices. The punishment was so harsh that people often got sick or even died afterward. So, it was not uncommon for the rich and powerful to pay someone to get punished in their places. This was the job that Heungbo was asked to do and willingly accepted. That night he returns home with the money, proud to have fulfilled his duty as the family head. Not caring about what would happen to him later, the poor father is delighted to see his family fed and dances out of joy. Koreans used to say that the most beautiful sounds of all are the sound of the water irrigating the fields and the sound of food entering a child's mouth. In the old days, the paramount duty of parents was to take good care of their children and not make them go hungry. It is natural for all parents to feel that they could do anything for their children, just like Heungbo, who willingly stepped up to get flagged so that he could make money to feed his family.
That was "A Prayer for a Beautiful World" written by Yu Eun-sun and sung by Kang Kwon-soon. There used to be a funereal practice called "goryeojang," which refers to the poor abandoning their old parents in the mountains to have fewer mouths to feed and giving them funerals after they die of starvation. This practice is now dismissed as an old, baseless rumor, since there are no historical records to support its existence. But some folk stories related to this practice have been passed down through generations. One such story involves a son who carried his aged mother on his back to leave her in the mountain. Having gotten wind of his intentions, the mother snapped tree branches to mark the way, lest her son should get lost when he went down the mountain in the dark. Seeing his mother's undying love, the son could not bring himself to leave her, so he brought her back home. The story may be groundless, but the power of motherly love, even when faced with probable death, is not made up. Today's Sounds of Korea will conclude with Jang Sa-ik's "Kkotgugyeong" based on this story.


When it comes to shopping, I find this time of year tricky. Personally, I find myself ready for spring and open toe shoes, way before the weather is ready for me to move forward. That said, now is the time when a thrifty savvy shopper, can score some great deals. The key; select items you can wear now, but also work into your wardrobe, for the months ahead. Right about now, our favorite retailers need to clear the racks to make room for large March inventories, which means great deals for us smart shoppers!
Not only are there great deals to be had at some of our favorite retailers, online consignment sites are looking to reduce their inventory as well. Sites like ThredUp are offering discounts on items that have been sitting around for a while. Take for example this DVF silk blouse, recently picked up by me at ThredUp for $11.00!
Do you like to shop Poshmark?
I'm finding sellers are more flexible and willing to negotiate on items that have been sitting in their Posh closets for a while – like this like-new T-bags maxi dress, picked up over at Poshmark last week.
So take an inventory of what you might be missing in your life, and let's take a look at this weekend's deals!
This is a great time to pick up a pair of last year's spring and summer styles on deep clearance. For example, I just picked up these Rachel Zoe slides for $22.00, down from $260.00!
First time shoppers only, take 50% your womens clothing purchase with promo code 'WOMENS50'. This is a great promo if you are thinking about trying ThredUP. The largest offer I have seen is 40% off your 1st purchase, so this is a good one!
You can link into ThredUp Woman (HERE), and get shopping!
Link into Poshmark (HERE) or sign up with the App!
Do you shop off-season this time of year, if so, what items do you like to pick up?
Do you grab off season deals from last year now, to wear in the upcoming season?
Do you find the winter/spring transition time to be a wardrobe challenge?
Drop me a line down below, I love to hear your thoughts!
Did you catch the Fierce50 Style Interview on my #fierce50 style sister, Helen Greenwell? If you missed the interview, or want to learn more about the Fierce50 Campaign, head on over to Over 5o and Oh So Fabulous, Helen Greenwell, (HERE), and read her inspiring story!
You show such a great selection here! Have a lovely day.


text:
Jarosław Leszek Wałęsa (* 13. září 1976 Gdaňsk) je polský politik za Občanskou platformu (polsky Platforma Obywatelska), v letech 2005 až 2009 zastával funkci poslance Sejmu a do roku 2019 byl poslancem Evropského parlamentu.

Životopis
Jarosław Wałęsa se narodil jako čtvrté dítě zakladatele opoziční odborové oranizace Solidarita Lecha Wałęsy a jeho ženy Danuty.

Již od mládí byl členem mnoha sportovních a mládežnických organizací. V roce 1991 odjel studovat do Spojených států, kde úspěšně dokončil střední školu Glastonbury High School ve státě Connecticut. Po absolvování politologie na College of the Holy Cross v Massachusetts ve Spojených státech amerických ještě nějaký čas pracoval. V roce 2002 se vrátil do Polska, kde pracoval v Institutu Lecha Wałęsy.

V roce 2005 byl za gdańský obvod zvolen poslancem Sejmu. Tuto funkci obhájil i při volbách v roce 2007. Ve volbách do Evropského parlamentu v roce 2009 se stal europoslancem, opět za gdańský obvod, se ziskem 73 968 hlasů.

Dne 2. září 2011 utrpěl vážná zranění při dopravní autonehodě ve vesnici Stropkow u Sierpc. Přestože hlavní vinu nesl řidič protijedoucího vozidla, byl souzen i Jarosław Wałęsa, a to za překročení povolené rychlosti. Aby se mohl podrobit řádnému vyšetřování, státní zástupce Wałęsu v roce 2012 zbavil poslanecké imunity. Případ byl nakonec uzavřen z důvodu promlčení.

V roce 2014 se stal Jarosław Wałęsa podruhé poslancem Evropského parlamentu.

Reference

Externí odkazy

 Jarosław Wałęsa – strona prywatna. [dostęp 2012-09-11].

Členové Občanské platformy
Narození v roce 1976
Narození 13. září
Narození v Gdaňsku
Žijící lidé
Muži
Děti národních vůdců

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Eurogroup Consulting is a simplified joint-stock company of variable capital whose governance is supervised by its CEO, its general manager and an Executive Committee.
The consulting firm is a subsidiary of Eurogroup Company, joint-stock company of variable capital. The holding brings together all of the entities and expertise that create the group's consulting offer in France and abroad. Its governance is supervisised by its president and a board. The holding's capital is owned by the staff of Eurogroup Consulting, with the partners, who are all executives, as majority shareholders. It is governed by structures that guarantee the stability, independence and flexibility of that capital.
It is not just a status or title. It means being conjointly committed to the risks and success of the firm, belonging to a group of entrepreneurs and representing a corporation of persons. Partners are co-opted.
The chair is elected by the partners: all ballots are based on the principle of '1 person, 1 vote'.
Being a partner in our firm is a privilege we value highly.
Eurogroup Consulting CEO
Eurogroup Company CEO
General Manager of Eurogroup Consulting
View allPartnerExCom memberBoard of directors
Cécilia Gordon
You are passionate about solving problems, you graduated from a leading university and you want to build a career in a fast-paced and friendly environment.
#BGE2022 | Ce midi, Gilles Bonnenfant présentait les conclusions du Baromètre des grandes entreprises françaises au… https://t.co/hrFc2FfQbi3 days ago


Event Description : FILM : Embassy of Mexico presents "The Chosen Ones (Las Elegidas)".
Young Ulises falls in love with teen Sofia, even as he is forced to lure her into his family's prostitution ring. Now he will do anything to save her. The film was named on the shortlist for Mexico's entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.


text:
Get help with developing your organization and your employees with our free guides and materials.
The Top HR Conferences for 2023
Discover the top virtual and in-person HR conferences to attend in 2023.
The Top 10 HR Books for 2023
Discover the top 10 HR books for 2023, ranked. Includes pricing and frequently asked questions about human resource management books.
Includes an employee referral program policy template and answers to common questions.
What is Full Life Cycle Recruiting?
Definition, main stages of full life cycle recruiting, resources, and frequently asked questions.
What is Employment History?
Definition, how to obtain employment history, and answers to frequently asked questions.
What is Competency Modeling?
Definition, step-by-step guide, and frequently asked questions.
What is C-Level Management?
Learn more about C-level Management, including common C-level positions, essential skills, step-by-step guide, and frequently asked questions.
What is Churn Rate?
Discover what churn rate is, learn how to calculate it, and get answers to frequently asked questions.
What is a Skills Gap?
Learn how to effectively bridge the skills gap in your business.
OTE or On-Target Earnings
A complete definition of OTE with frequently asked questions.
Find out what talent management is and why it's important.


text:
Iraq Situation Report: June 8-13, 2016
By Patrick Martin and the ISW Iraq Team
Intra-Shi'a tensions reached a boiling point in Iraq when Sadrist demonstrators defaced headquarters buildings of both rival Shi'a political parties and at least one Iranian proxy militia in Baghdad and southern Iraq. The demonstrations, which began on Ramadan on June 6, were small and not likely centrally coordinated; some demonstrators defaced the headquarters buildings of al-Ahrar Bloc, the Sadrist Trend's main political party. The violent attacks are particularly destabilizing as security forces are preoccupied with the Fallujah operation and securing the country from ISIS attacks – a serious threat during Ramadan. Iraq's major Shi'a parties, including the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), Fadhila, and the State of Law Alliance, as well as Iranian proxy groups like Kata'ib Hezbollah and the Badr Organization, denounced the attacks, as did Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi. The wide-spread rejection of the demonstrators' methods, likely combined with strong pressure from Iran, forced Muqtada al-Sadr to call off demonstrations until after Ramadan. Some small demonstrations may continue due to the Sadrist Trend's large size and lack of discipline, but the suspension of demonstrations underscores the serious nature of the threat of intra-Shi'a conflict. Meanwhile, security forces continue to make progress in recapturing central Fallujah without participation from the Popular Mobilization. However, reports of civilian abuses continue to emerge, indicating that the area may remain unstable for an extended period of time and vulnerable to ISIS resurgence. This risk may amplify if sectarian violence continues and Iraqi Shi'a militias retain a long-term presence in the Fallujah area.
Labels: Badr Organization, Dawa party, Fallujah, Iraq, Iraqi Shi'a Militias, ISF, ISIS, Muqtada al-Sadr, Sadrist Trend
Iraq Situation Report: June 21 - 28, 2016
ISIS in Southeast Asia: April 22 to June 23, 2016
Russian Airstrikes in Syria: May 27 - June 17, 2016
Fallujah Control of Terrain Map: June 17, 2016
The Competing Campaigns Against ISIS in Northern S...
Fallujah Control of Terrain Map: June 9, 2016
Iraq Situation Report: June 1-7, 2016
Iraqi Parliament Update: Quorum Reached as Reform ...
Russian Airstrikes in Syria: May 13 - June 2, 2016
ISIS Collapses Opposition Frontline in Northern Al...
Iraq Situation Report: May 24 - June 1, 2016


in Bolivia). So many costs can be directly related to how much time/effort you spend in tracking down the best deals or adapting to local circumstances. You can check exactly where you can get money from on either Visa, Amex or Mastercard's website. They won't ever actually check if the booking is confirmed, nor does it actually matter if. Christmas, Easter, New Year don't feel pressured into booking before you go via an agency in your home country if you can't do so on the airlines site or haven't time when travelling to 'play it by ear'. It can be worth paying for such a service and it is certainly worth comparing a few commission rates and/or service fees for overseas withdrawals - it pays to shop around and check before heading off (especially if going for a while). You'll normally find offices in remote locations, even where there is no bank. They are used simply to track navigation and remember data and preferences submitted by you. Lone females do sometimes attract such attention and it can be frustrating, annoying and at its worst, quite scary, although a lot of it is fairly harmless, derived from the fact that a lot of males (South Asians in particular) have warped ideas about women. 7) Slow it down, travel slower.
But I need to travel cheaper! This information is used to manage the issuance of an insurance policy, including underwriting and claims handling, and may be stored as computer records and/or paper files to assist us to complete transactions, or follow up discrepancies, complaints or queries. Fares will probably go up sharply on July 1st and cheap flights over holiday period (such as Christmas) just don't happen (although travelling a little earlier or just after Christmas gives considerable savings: you can find more reasonable prices in the window between Christmas day. 2) the fee the withdrawing ATM makes - there is nothing you can do about this. Worth mentioning here is that for all Middle Eastern and North African countries (except Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Morocco, Mauritania, and Tunisia) you must have no evidence of a trip to Israel in your passport - see Israel country summary for details. Generally visas are required for countries in East Africa, however these are normally obtained at the border (have ready) with limited hassles (Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia) or in a neighbouring country's embassy for more off-the-beaten-track destinations (Eritrea - one of the hardest these. Google Flights has recently stolen the lead from Kayak (although along with t it is still one of our favourite tools) and using the same basis as ITA Matrix (which it owns) has similar functionality/results, but more user-friendly. More to the point, in most developing countries where it is possible to spend very little, cumulatively you won't be doing yourself any favours if you don't make sure you keep yourself well rested and properly fed. Don't forget to keep an emergency stash (say a 100 or 100 bill) which you should keep separate from your main money supply. The cheapest flights are normally the least convenient - non-direct (e.g. That is:.when in Europe: buy food at the supermarket, and cook it yourself or eat in a park;.when in South East Asia: don't worry and try some street food;.when in Japan: discover cheap fast foods and izakayas;.when getting around: use public transport and.


The first to tell you that we continue, of course, to encourage the Lebanese leaders to find an agreement that would allow the timely organization of legislative elections. There has been some very important progress in Lebanon over the last months, but one of the key things that needs to be done is really the organization of these elections. So for us this is the number one priority in terms of the political agenda in Lebanon. These elections indeed are the last step to consolidate the state institutions – which is for us a priority –, to keep up the political momentum we have seen since last November so that Lebanon can tackle the challenges at the core of its security and stability. That's number one.
Number two, we also want to recall the importance for all parties to uphold their commitment to the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions. And I'm thinking here in particular of resolution 1559. So in coherence with my first message, we will continue to express our support to the extension of state authority on the territory of Lebanon and to the Lebanese armed forces which play a crucial role and, in our view, deserve a renewed support from the international community.
This is an important moment for Lebanon, and it's important that we the Security Council continue to express our support to this country, that France as you know considers as a very dear and a very special friend of ours.


It is 11 storied building with Adequate Stilt parking.
Each being an epitome of elegance and simplicity.
The Apartment are spacious, well ventilated and Vaastu compliant.
A fabulous home to be enjoy, Well maintained.
Its a cosmopolitan society, With excellent gentry.


What a wonderful message this morning! Great reminders of what we so often take for granted.
Thank you, Ken. Maybe it's age, but I am much more sensitive to the basic blessings than ever before. When I hear beautiful music, I thank God that I can hear it. When I see a rainbow and gorgeous cloud formations — again, I'm thankful for the sense of sight. I feel so rich with blessings.
You're so right about these basic blessings, Pat. A good reminder not to take them for granted.
Thanks for stopping by my blog, Beth.
A beautiful post, and it really shows how much we have to be thankful for. There are so many blessings God gave us that we don't recognize, but this post really opened my eyes to all the blessings surrounding me. Thank you, Pat!
Thank you, Sarah, for letting me know the post was meaningful to you. I appreciate your following Prayerful Pondering.


The turbocharged 1.5L ECOTEC® engine employs fuel-saving technologies including Variable Valve Timing, Direct Injection and stop/start technology. It powers a sporty, responsive ride that offers an impressive 36 MPG highway with a maximum highway range of up to 560 miles per tank.
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The Mother of Thanksgiving
Our story begins in 1846, not with Pilgrims and Plymouth but with a single woman. Sarah Josepha Hale was a writer, editor, and mother. And she is the person responsible for making Thanksgiving a national holiday. Why? What did she do? Let's back up just a tiny bit and learn about where Thanksgiving comes from.
Sarah Hale was a mother of 5 and a widow who went from writing poetry to writing novels. Eventually, she became a writer and editor for a magazine for women, Godey's Lady's Book. You even know one of the poems she wrote, "Mary Had a Little Lamb". She was a woman who actually did it all. She had a career while managing a family in a time when women were rarely taken seriously for their work outside the home. Sarah was a patriot who believed in America. She wrote stories and poems about the United States of America for her magazine. She worked to preserve the history of the American Revolution. Not only through her writing but by working to preserve monuments and George Washington's home, Mount Vernon.
Sarah was a New Englander, which meant she came from the part of the United States that celebrated Thanksgiving. Much of New England celebrated some form of Thanksgiving, on various days between October and December. Most of the southern states did not celebrate Thanksgiving at all. This history may have more to do with ties to the old English Harvest Festival that many colonists would have celebrated in England than any specific event that happened in the Colonies. Or perhaps it was that the ministers of the northern churches liked the idea of a day of thanks.
Interestingly, there are celebrations of having a feast and being grateful for a year's harvest to be found in many cultures around the world. But Sarah wanted an official holiday for the whole country. One day where everyone in the United States could sit down and eat a meal together and be grateful for what they have.
Fighting for Thanksgiving
Sarah Hale wrote to president after president campaigning for the holiday to be made official. She wrote to presidents Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, and Lincoln. But she didn't stop there. Sarah worked hard to create this holiday in the hearts and minds of the country. Her magazine published recipes, stories, poems, and crafts to go with Thanksgiving. At this point, Godey's Lady's Book was the most circulated periodical in the country. This is why the meals we all eat on the fourth Thursday in November are the same ones eaten in the US in the 1860s, instead of in the 1600s. The number of people reading Sarah's articles and cooking Sarah's recipes was at its peak at around 1860. Godey's set the standard for what Thanksgiving should look like.
President Lincoln finally granted her request in 1863, 17 years after she started her campaign. Lincoln believed that a national day of thanks might help the country heal after the division of the Civil War. The propaganda of Thanksgiving being a holiday that went back hundreds of years was pushed to create a sense of unity in the country. Whether or not the story had any historical accuracy was secondary.
So where does that leave us now?
We now have a national holiday of giving thanks, eating turkey and cranberry sauce from New England. As a fan of all food, I believe the value of having a holiday centered around a good meal and plenty of desserts is valid. But it is important to appreciate the day for what it is and what it is not. On Thanksgiving, I don't tell my children about the pilgrims. Instead, we discuss the story of Sarah Hale, a patriot who thought her country would be better off if we all had a day to sit down, be grateful, and have dinner with our families.
By my math, Sarah's oldest child was 30 when she began her campaign for Thanksgiving. I have often wondered if she had to create a national holiday to get her grown children to come home to have dinner with her. If so, I don't blame her.
Want to learn more about Sarah Hale?
The podcast Stuff You Missed in History Class did an episode about Godey's Lady's Book and Sarah Josepha Hale back in 2019. If you enjoy podcasts, I highly recommend this one. The hosts are fun and they do a great job telling compelling stories that go beyond what you may have learned in history class.
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StereooeretS is a three-band stereo image processor.
Independent gain and panning for L and R channel.
Flat three-band crossover filter with 12 dB/octave with adjustable frequency from 50 to 1000 Hz.
Independent width, gain and pan control for low, mid and high frequencies.
Solo buttons for mid and side signal of low, mid and high frequency bands.
Stereo meter to prevent phase issues.
All parameters can be automated.


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Democracy is 'More Than Just Elections'
Posted by admin | Jul 31, 2017 | Mekong Region, Statement, Thailand
by Achara Ashayagachat in the Bangkok Post, 29 July 2014
Democracy in any country cannot be attained only through the electoral system, but requires strong belief in protecting the moral, civic, and environmental integrity of society, an international seminar was told yesterday.
The talks were on the subject of "The State of Democracy and Social Movements: A Comparative Look at Asia, Europe, and Latin America."
They were co-organised by the Focus on the Global South, Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute (CUSRI), the Masters Programme in International Development Studies, the Rotary Peace Centre, and the Institute of Security and International Studies.
Alejandro Bendana, from Nicaragua's Centre for International Studies, said that, like Thailand, most countries in Latin America have adopted electoral democracy, but still face massive social and economic inequality.
He said true democracy must go beyond the veneer of elections to protect the framework of society. Otherwise, economic growth underpinned by democracy might erode civic and human rights, he said.
Christophe Aguiton of Attac France, an organisation that proposes global cooperation as an alternative to economic globalisation, said democracy can take on many forms.
The people, not the elites in society, should have the final say about which tools are employed to achieve their goals.
"Public debate has been enlarged by the rise of the internet. However, we need to consider the potential drawbacks of any alternative models for civic participation and governance that are are exercised," said Mr Aguiton, referring to voting, balloting, consensus, nominations, and other mechanisms of democracy.
Peter Rosset of Mexico's Land Action Research Network said people's belief in democracy was in decline because they felt electoral democracy has given them less control over their lives, with businesses able to more easily dispossess people from their land.
"There is a triangle of factors that people in Latin America don't trust — political parties of whatever ideology end up exploiting indigenous resources; media corporations represent the interests of the elites and businesses; and US imperialism tries to intervene against the penetration of China and Russia while American influence deteriorates," said Mr Rosset.
He also referred to the dilemma of social movements in Latin America, such as in Paraguay and Honduras, where intransigence among elites and intellectuals crippled and polarised the parliamentary system.
Baramee Chaiyarat, of the Assembly of the Poor, said the political conflict over the past few years had caused Thai social movements to lose out.
Some Thai NGOs support the military and have not learned from their experience with the 2006 coup that the military never listens to their demands, he said.
"I don't understand why many civil society groups still care about the coup makers or want to participate in the reform panel and the drafting of new legislation," said a core AOP member.
He claimed AOP members are threatened by soldiers, communities evicted from forests and fishermen sidelined for trawlers.
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← 'In God We Trust' returning to $1 coin prominence
BaconRobots? →
Beauty Queen charged with kidnap-torture of ex-boyfriend
TUCSON, Ariz. — A beauty pageant winner and law school student clerking for a federal judge faces charges that she kidnapped and tortured an ex-boyfriend. Kumari Fulbright, 25, was indicted with three men Dec. 18 by a Pima County Superior Court grand jury on charges of kidnapping, armed robbery, aggravated robbery and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, the Arizona Daily Star reported.
Fulbright, was Miss Pima County in 2005 and Miss Desert Sun in 2006, and sought the title of Miss Arizona during those years.
She also clerked for U.S. District Judge Raner Collins as a University of Arizona law school student, the newspaper said.
It said the alleged assailants held a 24-year-old man captive for 10 hours on Dec. 8 while robbing and torturing him.
Court documents said the foursome tied the man up with plastic cable ties and duct tape, holding him at two Tucson homes, during which time they pointed handguns at him, threatened his life, stole his cell phone, briefcase and wallet, taking between $500 and $600.
The newspaper also said the documents accused Fulbright of biting him several times, sticking a butcher knife in his ear, saying she was going to kill him and pointing a pistol at him.
The Star said after eight to 10 hours, the victim grabbed Fulbright's gun, which went off, and he fled the house screaming for help.
The man's injuries were consistent with his story, police told the newspaper.


A climbing trellis for an indoor starter garden. The plant needs to be rotated towards the light every so often in order to climb.
This came from something I saw at Disney world where they had tomato trees. I'm hoping I can get a small tree to form.
Make the first mark at 1' on the 1" x 4' dowel, make a mark at 5" increments along the rest of the dowel.
Drill holes in the center of each mark, alternating all the way up the dowel (so that the climber rungs lie perpendicular to each other).
Cut the 5/16" x 36" dowel into 5" increments.
Sand the ends of the rungs.
Pound the rungs into the holes until they look even, apply wood glue, and let it dry.
Thanks for looking. I will post another picture if it actually works.
I want to thank Menards for all the supplies I used to create this project.
You're probably right about the wood rotting; this was my first attempt... I really just needed an excuse to build something.
I was looking at your design and it looks good. i was thinking that like in another post where they were making a pvc tower you could make the pole out of pvc and drill holes in it for smaller rods. or wood dowels. My thought there would be that the wood will rot but the PVC will last longer.


The Seikatsu Club Consumers' Cooperative (SCCC) is a Japanese food cooperative that has the goal not only of providing wholesome food to its members, but also of fundamentally changing the relationship between producers and consumers and between people and their environment. This article will offer an inside look at how the cooperative operates, what its basic ideals and goals are, and how it manages to combine Western values of individual autonomy and self-reliance with traditional Japanese values of social harmony and cooperation.
The cooperative movement is a worldwide phenomenon. The International Cooperative Association has an estimated aggregate membership of 400 million in 70 different countries (Krimerman and Lindenfeld 1992, p. 213). In Japan there are about 670 consumer cooperatives with a total membership of 15.1 million people (more than 10 percent of the population), a capital base of �4 billion, and an annual turnover of �trillion (Hiratsuka 1991, p. 2). Cooperatives still form a relatively small sector in the Japanese economy, but they are by no means small potatoes.
Modern cooperatives typically attempt to extend Western democratic traditions to the workplace. They trace their ancestry back to the first consumer cooperative formed in Rochdale, England in 1844. Six essential principles evolved from the Rochdale experiment which have come to typify cooperatives: (1) open and voluntary membership; (2) democratic administration; (3) not-for-profit status; (4) return of surplus to members; (5) education of the membership; and (6) cooperation among cooperatives.
Many people who are involved in the international cooperative movement see cooperatives as offering an alternative to both the "free" enterprise system of capitalism (which offers "freedom" for only a relatively small handful of capitalist owners and wage slavery for most everyone else) and the nationalization of industries under socialism (which simply substitutes state ownership for ownership by private corporations). Cooperatives can be seen as an attempt to create what is in effect an entirely new economic system that is neither capitalist nor communist. By bringing producers and consumers into direct contact with each other, they are able to eliminate the inefficient "middle men" of both systems (i.e., capitalists who profit not on the basis of their labor but simply because they own the means of production, and oppressive socialist governments that operate on the basis of central planning and dictatorial control over the economy).
Cooperatives are essentially organizations that are owned and managed by their members. Because the members are themselves the owners, all economic benefits are retained by the members -- profits are not siphoned off by private shareholders as in capitalism nor by bureaucratic governments as in socialism. As a result cooperatives are generally able to provide producers with higher incomes and consumers with lower costs. And because the members are themselves also the managers of the organization, there is more active participation and less alienation than in more traditionally structured organizations. In place of top-down, hierarchical, and typically patriarchal systems of control, there is the prospect for genuine democratic decision-making.
While cooperatives offer freedoms, however, they also involve responsibilities. Members are expected to actively contribute to the life of the organization by helping with its administration and work. In place of passive consumers who are heavily influenced by advertising and think they have to buy more and more simply to keep up with what "everybody else has," cooperatives encourage their members to make active decisions about what their real needs are and how they can best be satisfied. It is increasingly clear that thoughtless industrialism and consumerism are at the root of many contemporary social and environmental problems. What goods and services do people really need, however, in order to have genuinely fulfilling lives, a just society, and a sound environment?
Cooperatives in Japan can be seen as extensions of the Western ideals of individualism and freedom, but in addition they draw inspiration from traditional Japanese cultural values which emphasize group cooperation and social harmony. The fusion of Western democratic principles (particularly the six Rochdale principles) and Japanese cultural values can be found at work in many types of cooperatives in Japan, including agricultural cooperatives, housing cooperatives, and credit unions. The food cooperative Seikatsu Club provides a particularly good case study of this fusion, however, because it consciously seeks to promote a new vision of society which combines Western notions of individual autonomy and self-help with Japanese notions of collective effort and active involvement in local communities. The coop has attracted the attention of a growing number of Western writers who see it as a model for grassroots economic initiatives that are socially just and ecologically sound (Krimerman and Lindenfeld 1992, pp. 265-267; Mies 1993; and Morrison 1995, pp. 156-158; the Grassroots Economic Organizing Newsletter has devoted two special issues, nos. 12 and 13, to Seikatsu). This article will attempt to give a fuller account of the cooperative's organizational structure and ideals.
In 1965 a group of householders, believing that the companies which then dominated the milk market were offering an inferior product and manipulating prices, formed a collective buying organization to enable them to purchase quality milk at lower prices. The project was successful and the gorup began to extend the principle of collective buying to other products, leading to the formation of the Seikatsu Club Consumers Cooperative as a legal entity in 1968. (A detailed history of the SCCC can be found in Seikatsu Club Consumers' Cooperative 1992, pp. 5-6; and Yokota 1990, pp. 3-22.) The network of SCCC-affiliated consumer cooperatives is presently comprised of twelve autonomous organizations in twelve different prefectures. The SCCC has a total membership of 225,000 households embracing more than half a million individuals (Grassroots Economic Organizing Newsletter 1994, March/April, p. 1). As of 1991 it had a capital base of � billion, an annual turnover of � billion, and a staff of 901 (Hiratsuka 1991, p. 2).
The Seikatsu Club in Tokyo, which has served as a prototype for the creation of clubs in other prefectures, has spawned 27 affiliated workers' collectives involving 300 member-employees. (Statistics in this and the following paragraph are from Seikatsu Club Consumers' Cooperative 1992, pp. 8-10.) The Tokyo club also has partnership relationships with two dairy firms, a delivery company, a cattle ranch, and a publishing house, and has established the Social Movement Research Center which promotes research, organizes study exchanges, and publishes the monthly magazine, Social Movement. There is also the Tokyo Seikatsu-sha Network, which is legally registered as a political organization but is independent of any political party. By 1992 the Network had elected one metropolitan assemblywoman, nine ward assemblywomen, and 20 city assemblywomen in Tokyo.
The basic organizational unit of the SCCC is the han ("small group" -- often used to refer to a group of people living in the same area). Ideally a han consists of seven to ten neighboring households. The actual average number of households per han in the Tokyo club is 7.5. The responsibilities of the han include gathering orders from individual members, passing on the orders to the local center, receiving products from the delivery truck, and distributing them to members of the han. Individual orders are placed a month in advance and forwarded from the local center to a regional center and finally to the cooperative union, which collates them and then places a single order directly with each producer. The goods are delivered bi-weekly by a delivery truck to the neighborhood han, which then distributes them to individual members. Since the food is coming directly from the producer, it is extremely fresh. Eggs, for example, are delivered the day after they have been laid and arrive unwashed. The han system eliminates the need for storage and thus also the need for artificial methods of preservation, such as chemical preservatives or irradiation.
Since the producers receive the orders in advance they can anticipate how much of a given product will be needed in the coming months and are often able to adjust production accordingly. Producers are thus able to fill orders directly to meet actual needs, and are not simply producing vast quantitites of a product which they must subsequently try to sell on the "open market" (with no guarantee that they will be able to sell everything they have produced). There is no need for expensive advertising. Bulk ordering also helps to reduce prices. The cooperative system thus eliminates overproduction and waste, improves efficiency, reduces the stress caused by differences in supply and demand, and helps to stabilize prices. Ultimately it provides more security for both producers and consumers: consumers can be assured that their demand for goods will be met and producers can be assured that the goods they produce will be sold.
In the traditional market system the flow is from producers to consumers: producers produce goods which they must then advertise and persuade people to buy. The cooperative system provides an alternative to the market system by reversing this flow: consumers take the initiative by telling producers exactly what they want. The principle of sanchoku -- "direct from the producer" -- creates a relationship of interdependence between producers and consumers. Over time consistent patterns of consumption and production develop which help to stabilize this relationship. Consumers are provided with quality products at a fair price and producers are provided with a secure livelihood at a reasonable income. The sanchoku system also eliminates the need for a "middle man." While the cooperative functions to coordinate orders, its purpose is not to generate profits but to serve its members.
Since goods are delivered directly to consumers, the cooperative has no stores, giving the han system several advantages over the conventional store system. In the han system there is no need to invest in commercial property and buildings. Even though there are still the expenses of maintaining offices and depots for the cooperative, paying salaries to coordinators and delivery personnal, and servicing delivery trucks, overhead is still considerably lower for han-based cooperatives than for conventional stores. There is no need to hire managerial experts who must insure that the supply of goods in the store roughly matches actual consumer demand. Delivering directly to the han also gives members direct involvement in at least part of the labor process. For all the above reasons, overall costs can be reduced and efficiency improved, often resulting in lower prices for consumers.
The system developed by the SCCC, and other similar food cooperatives in Japan, is based on the concept of local production for local consumption. Most of the suppliers are local farmers and collectives. The freshness and quality of goods can thus be assured and the cost of transporting goods long distances is also eliminated. This decentralized model is the antithesis of the current "global market" model. Advocates of the global market claim that an international division of labor and free trade will create a larger world economy and thus more jobs. However, a growing number of critics (Greider 1997; Korten 1995; Lang and Hines 1993; Mander and Goldsmith 1996; Nader et al. 1993) claim that free trade agreements often override local quality, safety, and environmental standards. Such agreements also enable multinational corporations to more easily shift production to countries where wages are lower, taxes are minimal, and environmental standards are more lax. Furthermore, they break down traditional distribution networks which, while often cumbersome and inefficient, are nonetheless reliable. It is precisely these established local relationships which cause so much consternation to international traders, who regard them as "non-tariff barriers" to free trade. When these relations begin to break down, however, local communities also begin to disintegrate. Cooperatives help to reestablish and maintain these relationships. Whereas goods are impersonally sold to the highest bidder in a market economy, the personal needs of both producers and consumers are taken into account in a cooperative economy.
For most of the post-war period Japan sought to strictly regulate the amount of imported agricultural products that could be sold in its domestic market -- especially rice, beef, and oranges -- on the grounds that the country needed to maintain agricultural self-sufficiency. The recent liberalization of the market for agricultural products, however, has led to increased competition for Japanese farmers, many of whom are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. Consumers as well are uncertain about the quality and safety of the imported products they buy. Instead of continuing to pursue a policy of increased self-sufficiency in food production by diversifying its agricultural base and protecting existing agricultural lands from urban development, Japan's current policies increasingly rely on the global market to supply its basic food needs.
Seikatsu has supported the notion that all countries should be moving towards forms of self-sufficiency which are both ecologically sustainable and in accordance with local cultural traditions. Katsumi Yokota, an influential spokesperson for Seikatsu, writes that the organization is "against the complete liberalization of agricultural trade, because we believe every nation should support its own basic food production" (1990, p. 67). Yokota points out that Japan is lowering its rate of self-sufficiency at the same time that it is increasing the amount of industrial manufactured goods it sells in the international market (1990, p. 126). This shift bolsters the profits of transnational corporations more than it satisfies the needs of ordinary people and local communities.
The principle of self-sufficiency does not necessarily preclude the possibility of fair trade across international borders, however. Seikatsu currently has trade relations with local communities on the Negros Islands in the Philippines, for example. Sugar cane is the main export crop of the Negros Islands. When sugar prices fell in the mid-1970s, however, the entire local economy collapsed. Since the land had been used exclusively to grow export crops rather than crops for local consumption malnutrition and starvation became serious problems. Relief agencies attempted to revive export-led growth and to improve working conditions on the sugar plantations. This approach required constant new infusions of outside financial assistance, however, and did nothing to address the problem of food self-sufficiency or unequal income distribution. In 1985 the average annual wage of a skilled laborer in the sugar industry was approximatley US$210, while the poverty line in the Negros Islands was US$1,078 (Iwami, no date-b, p. 11).
A different approach, however, was developed by the Negros Council for Peace and People's Development (NCPD), which coordinates the efforts of thirty local self-help groups. The NCPD promotes group farming of rice, corn, vegetables, and livestock on unused land in order to sustain local populations. It is also involved with organizing a credit union, constructing various communal facilities (including a water supply), and establishing an agricultural training school. In addition local groups are encouraged to grow cash crops, such as mangoes, bananas, and vegetables for export. Japanese cooperatives, including Seikatsu, annually import 700 tons of these bananas directly from the producers, bypassing conventional distribution channels. Local producers avoid using chemical fertilizers, not only for ecological reasons but also to decrease costs. Efforts such as these promote self-sufficiency in both Japan and the Philippines, while still allowing a measure of fair trade in surplus goods.