Large, protruding ears can be a source of ridicule and low self-esteem for children. Daniel Man, M.D., a Florida board-certified plastic surgeon, corrects protruding ears through a procedure called otoplasty on people living in and around Boca Raton, FL, and the surrounding communities.
For school-age children, large, protruding ears can be an embarrassment and the source of much teasing and ridicule from classmates. Otoplasty is a cosmetic procedure that "pins" the ears back into a normal position. Most patients undergo this procedure during early childhood, though ear surgery on adults is also possible with no additional risks associated on an older patient.
If you have misshaped or large protruding ears that make you self-conscious about your appearance, you may be a good candidate for otoplasty. Additionally, otoplasty treats other deformities, such as cauliflower ear, cupped or folded ears, and even small ears.
Otoplasty is an outpatient procedure performed under local sedation and involves removing skin and cartilage from the back of the ear. The incisions are well hidden behind the ears and result in minimal scarring. Ear surgery procedures typically take about two to three hours. It is common for both ears to have the procedure, even if only one ear is misshapen, as this allows the ears to look virtually identical.
Once complete, patients are taken to the recovery area to rest until the anesthesia has worn off. The ears and head are wrapped with a compression bandage to hold the ears in place during the initial healing process and to prevent any injuries to the area. After about three days, the compression bandages are typically removed in favor of lighter weight bandages wrapped around the head and ears.
How is the Recovery from Otoplasty?
The recovery process takes about a month, although children and adults may return to school or work, respectively, after one week. They must abstain from strenuous or vigorous activities and heavy lifting for a few weeks.
Ear surgery varies in terms of cost depending on the extent of the procedure and whether it is combined with other procedures. During a consultation, Dr. Man goes over the costs of the procedure, in addition to the financing and payment options.
Otoplasty corrects many ear deformities with which children are often born. For people living in and around Boca Raton, FL, Daniel Man, M.D., a Florida board-certified plastic surgeon, performs ear surgery on children and adults to help them have a more normal appearance and increased self-esteem. Please contact us to set up your consultation today.


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Online course in Nature & Environment
Staying Safe: How to be Prepared in the Modern World
Have you ever considered what you would do in an emergency situation? How would you keep yourself and others safe?
Understand keeping yourself and others safe in the event of an emergency.
In today's uncertain world, it's important to understand the likelihood of an emergency situation occurring, and how to be more prepared. Daily emergencies happen worldwide, however hearing about them depends on your location and the circumstances of the emergency.
The course has been designed to help you as an individual develop your own personal resilience and to understand the 'what ifs'.
This will allow you to plan how to deal with them, prioritise them and lessen the affects to you and your family.
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0:07Skip to 0 minutes and 7 secondsWould you know what to do in an emergency? Are you prepared for the unexpected? What would happen if you couldn't go home or you found yourself stranded abroad? In today's uncertain world, keeping yourself and others safe is important, as is a good understanding of how likely an emergency situation is to occur. You can control how prepared you are, and this may help you if you're ever involved in an emergency. Emergencies happen daily worldwide. However, hearing about them depends on your location and the circumstances of the emergency. This course has been designed to help you as an individual develop your own personal resilience and to understand the what ifs.
0:53Skip to 0 minutes and 53 secondsThe course takes you through the steps of planning how to deal with them, explains how to prioritise them, and hopefully will help lessen the effects to you, your family, and your community. Within the course, we look at the likelihood and consequences of the types of emergencies you may encounter from threats including terrorism and cyber to the hazards such as flood and health pandemics. We look at how to assess the risk so you can understand likelihood. We then ask you to consider the consequences on you and your local community. The course shows you how to plan and take responsibility for your own personal safety, particularly within your home. Do you know how to get out in an emergency?
1:37Skip to 1 minute and 37 secondsWhat would you try to save? And who can you go to for help? Throughout the course, you will learn to be prepared, be resilient, and produce an emergency plan to support you in times of need, against most emergencies or situations. This has been produced by the Emergency Planning College who are the UK's leading centre for organisational resilience, delivering emergency and crisis management, business continuity, cyber resilience, event and public safety training, exercising and consultancy services. Our highly experienced industry leading experts work closely with organisations of all sizes to deliver our services to both public and private sectors in the UK and across the world.
Identifying types of emergencies
Risks, hazards and threats assessment
Impact and consequences of emergencies
Developing emergency plans
Individually preparing for emergencies
Developing personal resilience
Assess the likelihood of risks, hazards and threats
Develop the skills to evaluate actual risk and understand how you could react in an emergency
Explain the difference between threats vs hazards and intention vs capability
Explore information available, for use in your emergency plan
Improve your own personal resilience to become more prepared for disruption
This course is ideal for you if you want to understand the actual risks to you and your family, and how to be prepared in an emergency.
Professionals who may be involved in community resilience planning may also find the course beneficial.
Beverley Griffiths
Director for Resilience with responsibility for management and development of the Crowd and Public Safety capability, also advises on Business Continuity, Risk, Security & Safety, Crisis Management.
Emergency Planning College (EPC)
The EPC is the UK's national centre for resilience learning and development services; we develop people, teams and organisations through training, exercising and consultancy.
Get a taste of this course
Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join:
2.12video
Flooding… 'what if?'
3.5video
How safe is your home?
Archaeology and the Battle of Dunbar 1650: From the Scottish Battlefield to the New World
Discover how science, history and archaeology unlocked the stories of the soldiers from the Battle of Dunbar 1650.
Part of a degree
Introduction to Humanitarian Aid
Discover the history of humanitarian aid and the principles and values that underpin it.
Hadrian's Wall: Life on the Roman Frontier
Explore the archaeology of the most heavily fortified frontier in the Roman Empire, its people and their lives.
Browse more in Nature & Environment and Politics & Society

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


One of the few fellowship-trained Board Certified Facial plastic Surgeon's of the Twiin Cities, Dr. Peter Hilger is recognized as one of the preeminent facial plastic surgeons of the Minneapolis area. He's honored to currently be the selected "Top Doctor" by the Mpls / St. Paul Magazine and recognized as "America's Top Doctor" by the Castle-Connolly. He's given more than 100 scientific presentations and authored more than 75 articles on facial plastic surgery. With a passion for the community, Dr. Hilger has also been volunteering with various organizations for over 25 years.His practice in Minnesota encompasses the entire spectrum of facial, head, and neck surgery, from cosmetic procedures to extensive post-traumatic reconstruction and he is a leader in facial plastic surgery.Common procedures are rhinoplasty, eyelid lift, and facelift. He has directed national courses in Facial Rejuvenation and Rhinoplasty. He has also serve in national leadership roles in facial plastic surgery.
Hi! Sign in to let us know how The Hilger Clinic was?
Ava H. Dec 10 .
I had my first of two sessions for my eyeliner tattoo, and already love it! Wish I had done this years ago. I really like the look of eyeliner, but was never very good at putting it on and my eyes got irritated to lots of cheap makeups. I was very nervous about doing the eyeliner so close to my eyes, and it being painful. But was very pleasantly surprised at the whole experience. Emily was so nice to work with and I appreciated how much of a perfectionist she is. It looks so perfect and is amazing to just wakeup and have it there. Yay for no more raccoon eyes!
Jocelyn T. Oct 31 .
I had juvaderm done in my lips and was told that it lasts 6-9 months on average, but my husband thinks they still look great, and its already been a full year! I am very happy with my outcome and will definitely go back to Skin Speaks for juvaderm again once this wears off.
Preston L. Jan 30 .
I was to have stitches removed 10 days after surgery in the Edina office. They called me 20 minutes before the scheduled procedure to nonchalantly state that "The time booked for me should never have been given." No further explanation was given. As I was driving in heavy traffic on the way to the appointment at the time, I was unable to rebook an appointment. No one ever called me to reschedule. I will never go there again.
linda r. Oct 08 .
For several years I have been seeing Dr. P. Carney and his staff of highly trained professionals at Skin Speaks Spa to address and resolve various skin concerns. I came upon Dr. Carney and his staff in 2002 after having seen other Plastic Surgeons and skin care professionals in the Metro.
excellent. He is a man of integrity and I am very happy to have found him which is why he comes highly recommended.
Amy O. May 01 .
Good selection of services, look for coupon discounts on line or in local papers saving up to $500 on services. Staff is personable, however, they tend to always be running very very late for appointments.
by lolagets at Citysearch Nov 10 .
After thinking about it and researching for years, I finally decided to go in for a consult and a dermal filler. I arrived at the Skinspeaks (Advancements in Dermatology) location in Edina at the Cenntenial Lakes Medical Building, just south of Southdale on France. I was reassured by the location in a real medical facility as much as I was by the tastful decor and efficient service by the staff.
We did 2 syringes of Juvederm on my nasal-labial folds using a novacaine-like cream to numb the skin. Then after about a 30 min wait , the injections felt a bit like a pinch each time, but easily endurable.
I am very happy with the results and am planning to have my lower lids done by Dr Carney.
Over 55 and Ready to Look Good Again!
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Today in Transportation History – 2013: A Ped-Bike Peace Bridge in Lyon
A new pedestrian-and-bicycle bridge crossing the river Rhône and representing intercultural harmony was completed in Lyon, France. The Passerelle de la Paix (Peace Bridge) had been commissioned by the Urban Community of Lyon (also known as Grand Lyon) – a government subdivision within east-central France that was reorganized as the Metropolis of Lyon in 2015 – to connect the section of Lyon that is called Cité Internationale with the public greenspace of Parc-Saint Clair in the multiethnic commune of Caluire-et-Cuire.
The Austrian firm Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes was hired to design the Passerelle de la Paix, and construction on the bridge began in March 2011. The bridge consists of a 712-foot (217-meter)-long upper section and 512-foot (156-meter)-long lower section; both sections intersect at one point to form a public space complete with benches. José Luis Fuentes, who served as the lead architect for the project, highlighted other innovative features of the bridge during an interview with the French television news channel La Chaîne Info. He explained, "It's a very particular and unusual work because the structure has no support in the river bed but only on both banks."
About three months after completion of the Passerelle de la Paix, it was officially opened to the public by Gérard Collomb, president of Grand Lyon; and Dietmar Feichtinger, the founder and head of the architectural firm bearing his name.
For more information about the Passerelle de la Paix, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passerelle_de_la_Paix.
Europe, Today in Transportation History
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The Hess Flight parts 1 & 2
Blog 11: This is my 95th podcast and the first I have attempted on events regarding World War 2.
I think it is one of the strangest incidents that happened during the war, The deputy leader of the Nazi party decides to fly across to Britain on his own.
No one is sure what was Hess's motivation as he was looked up for the rest of his life and allowed very little contact with the outside world.
It seems to be something to do with a power struggle between the Germans, USSR and Britain. Possibly both the USSR and Britain trying to persuade Germany to attack the other. Then as Britain and the USSR became allies there seemed to be a reason to keep Hess quiet and say he was mad anyway.
Events during May and June 1941 are shrouded in mystery, part of the puzzle was Rudolf Hess's (Hitler's deputy) flight to Scotland during May 1941. Was Hess sent by Hitler to offer Britain peace terms so he could concentrate on invading the USSR? Did Hess ask Britain to help them defeat the USSR? Was Hess tricked by the British security services ? Was Hess trying to cause civil unrest in Britain to aid the Nazi cause?
What is certain is that there was a large section of the British people who seemed to be in favour of a peace deal with the Nazis, appeasement; these were the Middle and Upper classes that had the most to lose. The perception of Britain in 1940 was that the Nation was united against the Nazi threat. This was not true.
Was the Churchill government playing the Nazis and the Soviets against each other? I don't think that we will ever know the true story, but some members of the aristocracy and the Royal family do not come out of this story very well. Some of the well known 'Establishment' figures came across as particularly dislikeable, people like Anthony Blunt who may have had perfect manners but seemed to have repulsive morals. There are other characters who it is difficult to make an assessment, people like Tancred Borenius was he taking great risks to himself to try to trick the Nazis or was he trying to help their cause?
For research, I have used various editions of the Lobster magazine, available online https://www.lobster-magazine.co.uk
Also newspaper articles, various books including Hess, Hitler and Churchill, Peter Padfield, Hess-Truth at last – Harris & Wilbourn and various books on World War 2, I like the Anthony Beevor books, but none of these general books has much more than a paragraph or two on the Hess Flight incident.
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Originally Published: February 14, 2019 7:25 p.m.
When you think of small evergreen shrubs, do you have an image in your mind of small, rather uninteresting lumps of green dotting a landscape? Well, you shouldn't. There are plenty of thick bushes out there that are quite colorful characters. It is just a matter of knowing which grow best in the mountains of Arizona.
Here is my list of short showy shrubs with ample color that feature you and your home with unique evergreen colors.
Blue Star juniper (Juniperus squamata "Blue Star") is strictly a foliage plant. If you like the look of, for example, blue spruce trees but lack the room for something so big, merely scale down and grow a Blue Star Juniper. With their short blue needles, they look especially good when planted next to shrubs with golden foliage.
This is a small, rounded evergreen shrub that forms tufts of growth resembling a cloud if left upruned. The slow-growing, dwarf form is ideal for edging and borders along pathways or around flower beds. Well-suited for topiary and containers. Considered to be the most resistant to the boxwood leaf miner.
A very low-growing, wide-spreading groundcover with highly ornamental berries. Glossy, bright green leaves provide rich autumn color as they turn to gold to orange-red. Small white spring flowers develop into showy red fruit in fall.
else in common, too: Each of these evergreen bushes exhibits some sort of variegation in its leaves. The name of the first entry describes its bicolored leaves pretty well: They are, indeed, emerald (at the center) and gold (at the margin).
Easy-to-grow evergreen shrub produces huge clusters of fragrant, pearl-pink flowers. Perfect for planting along driveways and parking medians where reflected heat is an issue. This spring blooming evergreen loves Arizona heat.
provides wonderful year-round interest in the landscape. A superb hedge or low screen that tolerates heat and wind, and requires little maintenance. Tiny, fragrant, silvery fall flowers are followed by ornamental red fruit.
This dwarf pine is perfect for confined spaces with its dense, symmetrical growth and compact, rounded form. Blue-green spring and summer foliage takes on a golden hue during colder months. Its slow growth habit makes this evergreen ideal as a specimen in smaller gardens, or massed to make a bold statement in larger landscapes.
better choice if you want something colorful, because they provide bright color even when not in bloom.
Many first-time growers of these small evergreen shrubs become quickly impressed with them, and this article passes along growing information on them under the assumption that you, too will come to enjoy their sizeable blooming period if you decide to grow one. Winter heaths (Erica x darleyensis) live up to their name, putting out flowers in that most unlikely of seasons: Wintertime. If the climate and conditions are right for them, they may end up flowering for about half the year for you.
Until next week, I'll be helping gardening friends here at Watters Garden Center.
Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter.


French luxury house Chanel unveiled their new ad campaign for fall featuring Freja Beha Erichsen.
This is the fifth consecutive season for Erichsen as Chanel's poster girl, and there's no denying that this campaign is a departure from their sometimes cold and earnest campaigns. I personally don't care for the look itself, I also don't understand the message being propagated by this shoot. Although, I like the quirk factor and personality that was given to this sombre collection inspired by volcanic dust.
Former French Vogue editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld was the stylist of the shoot, and this was her first post-Vogue gig. It's definitely a daring and risky styling concept, akin to the campaigns of Miu Miu or Marc Jacobs, hopefully this won't detract from Chanel's traditional and classic brand image.
Photo courtesy of Chanel & Fashionism.


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When does a sentence end?
posted by Brian Gongol - Jan 8, 2018
Listen on-demand to this radio interview from January 6, 2018
Conservatives -- real ones, that is -- believe in limited government. People often use "limited" interchangeably with "small", but I think there's a difference.
I would oppose a government that was small and oppressive, far more than I would oppose one that took up a lot of space out of necessity. (And in our modern world, it's impossible to say that a Federal government that spends more than 20% of GDP is "small". It just isn't.)
The essence of limited government is that it shouldn't have an unnecessary reach into the private life of its citizens. And that's what interests me in the recommendations for justice reform brought to us by Nila Bala and Arthur Rizer of the R Street Institute.
The crux of their argument is that once people have paid their dues in the criminal-justice system, we as a society ought to do our best to make sure they have a reasonable path back to integration with decent society.
It's an argument that should resound with proponents of limited government: The government's reach into a person's life shouldn't continue long after they've served their time. If we truly think that the justice system should place an emphasis on actually correcting people who have gone off the right path (and isn't that why we call it "corrections" anyway?), then we should be alert to what kinds of obstacles government may be deliberately or inadvertently placing in the path to continued rehabilitation and reform.
A great example of an inadvertent obstacle is excessive occupational licensing. It's a mouthful, but the bottom line is that people in any given occupation have an incentive to find ways to keep other people from competing with them by imposing legal requirements like licenses in order to enter a career path.
Some licenses make sense, of course: You wouldn't want to put your child on a school bus driven by an unlicensed driver. But there's an important line to be drawn between those requirements that exist to legitimately protect the public health and safety -- and those that only protect the job prospects of the people in the occupation.
This is a really sticky problem, because everyone has an incentive to fight for barriers to entry in their own line of work, and not as much to object every time someone else wants to do the same in a different trade. But the resulting mess is often a thicket of regulations that don't actually ensure that people are good at what they're licensed to do, and the difficulty to obtain any given license may have nothing whatsoever to do with what's actually necessary for the good of the customer.
This regulatory creep has a particularly pernicious effect when it keeps people from entering occupations where they might have a shot at legitimate self-employment. That turns into an especially vexing problem for people who have spent time in prison, because they're often blocked from employment elsewhere because employers both large and small tend to be reluctant to hire ex-convicts.
If employment options are hard to find because nobody wants to give a reformed convict a second chance, and if regulatory creep keeps people from trying self-employment, then we may be stumbling unwittingly into keeping ex-convicts forever in poverty. And since "no man is an island", it often affects the well-being of family members and communities as well.
The problem is big because our prison population is big: 2.2 million Americans, of whom almost all will return to the broader population. That's a prison population larger than the entire population of Nebraska (1.9 million) and almost as large as Iowa (3.1 million). And it doesn't even count an additional 4.6 million people on probation or parole.
Real conservatives with an appetite for limited government should take a careful look at the power of some of these proposed reforms to reduce regulatory creep and to reduce the cost of reforming people who have made mistakes and giving them a legitimate second chance at life.
Criminal convictions, more often than not, reflect mistakes and bad choices made by flawed human beings. A sliver of our population is truly sociopathic and dangerous and needs to be locked up far away from us all. But the majority of prisoners ought to be viewed as human beings whose flaws caught up with them.
Since none of us are perfect, real justice depends on the rest of us recognizing their humanity, helping the willing to reform and overcome those flaws, and doing what we can to make sure that a one-time mistake or bad choice doesn't turn into a life sentence of punishment.
Truly limited government ought to make room for people to work for the freedom to grow into better people. This isn't a matter of being soft on crime, but rather one of being smart with the human resources we have as a country. We can't afford to throw away the abilities, talents, and potential good inside a population the size of a small state.


By now you are probably in the firm grasp of fully-fledged Xmas madness – running around like a headless vegan, buying last minute presents and doing last minute prep.
I wondered what recipe would be suitable for today given that there is not much time left ahead of the main event and I concluded that a simple and eye-catching vegan Christmas salad would be a fitting tribute to your festive table.
After the splendour of the Beet Wellington I posted on Tuesday, I owe you something light, refreshing and less hearty to balance all the indulgence you are about to (or maybe have already) throw yourself into head first! 🙂 .
This simple salad is very seasonal. It gets its pleasant crunch from a host of root vegetables: celeriac, carrots and beetroots punctuated by some slices of sour apple. It's not strictly speaking especially 'Christmassy' as I would happily eat it anytime between October and March, but it has nice festive-looking colours which I thought make a nice change from the usual beiges and browns of puff pastry roulades and seitan roasts that typically adorn our Xmas tables. Happy Xmas!
PS: If you make my vegan Christmas salad, don't forget to tag me on Instagram as @lazycatkitchen and use the #lazycatkitchen hashtag. I love seeing your takes on my recipes!
Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Wash your apple well. Peel carrots, beetroots and celeriac root.
Slice all your vegetables thinly (if you have the necessary equipment for this, now it's the time to use it!) with a sharp knife and then cut them into thin matchsticks. Slice celeriac and apple first and sprinkle them both with a bit of lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Set aside. Next tackle the carrots and finally the beetroots.
Place all the veggies in a large mixing bowl apart from a few strands of celeriac, which you may want to save until the end so that they don't get all pink from the beetroot (that's a purely an aesthetic consideration so feel free to override me 🙂 ). Mix all the vegetables together with chopped parsley and the dressing you made earlier.
Transfer to a serving bowl, add celeriac you saved earlier. Sprinkle the salad with extra parsley, toasted walnuts and pomegranate seeds.
I love your site. It is the brightest, freshest one and deserves a huge following. All the best to you both for 2017, and thank you!
I think I'm going to do this for Chrissy! Looks delicious!
What can you suggest in place of the pom seeds? Raisins? Thanks!
I'm dying to make this gorgeous dish for Christmas, but I'm having troubles finding the celeriac. What would you suggest as a substitute? Perhaps celery or jicama?


Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2012.
Ubiquitous Display Environments: An Overview (Tsvi Kuflik).- Challenges and Solutions of Ubiquitous User Modeling (Tsvi Kuflik, Judy Kay, Bob Kummerfeld).- Context-Sensitive Display Environments (Florian Daiber, Antonio Kruger, Johannes Schoening, Joerg Muller).- Perspectives on Reasoning About Time (Martin Charles Golumbic).- Shared Interfaces for Co-located Interaction (Massimo Zancanaro).- Considering the Aesthetics of Ubiquitous Displays (Noam Tractinsky, Eleanor Eytam).- The Design, Deployment and Evaluation of Situated Display Based Systems to Support Coordination and Community (Keith Cheverst, Faisal Taher, Matthew Fisher, Daniel Fitton, Nick Taylor).- xioScreen -- Experiences Gained from Building a Series of Prototypes of Interactive Public Displays (KP Ludwig John, Thomas Rist).- Audience Measurement for Digital Signage: Exploring the Audience's Perspective (Joerg Muller, Keith Cheverst).- Analysis and Prediction of Museum Visitors' Behavioral Pattern Types (Tsvi Kuflik, Zvi Boger, Massimo Zancanaro).- Trust Management of Ubiquitous Multi-display Environments (Ekatarina Kurdyukova, Elisabeth Andre, Karin Leichtenstern).- From Research to Practice: Automated Negotiations with People (Raz Lin, Sarit Kraus).- Virtual Technologies and Empowerment of Users of Rehabilitation (Naomi Schreuer, Patrice L. (Tamar) Weiss.
edited by Antonio Krüger, Tsvi Kuflik.
Add tags for "Ubiquitous Display Environments". Be the first.


We've lived together quite a while, All the bills are almost paid. We know it isn't traditionalAnd it's not the way it's done…But instead of pots and pansWe'd like a little fun!So if you'd like to give a gift to help us celebrate…Some help towards our honeymoon, We would appreciate!The choice is really up to you. However, we would like to say…That the best gift we could receive Is you here on our special day.


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Dutch Design in Flowers at the Keukenhof Opening
23 Mar, 2017, 11:46 GMT
Dutch Design in flowers at the Keukenhof opening (PRNewsFoto/Keukenhof)
LISSE, the Netherlands, March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
- New Keukenhof entrance building in use
The 68th edition of Keukenhof has started. The official opening was dedicated to Dutch Design and the new entrance building. Over 100 varieties of tulip are already in bloom at the park. At Keukenhof, spring has truly begun. Keukenhof is the place to enjoy the millions of flowering tulips, daffodils and other bulb flowers this spring.
Dutch Design in flowers
Keukenhof's theme for 2017 is 'Dutch Design'. Dutch designers are globally esteemed for their ground-breaking ideas in the field of fashion, graphic design, architecture and furniture design. They inspired the theme for this Keukenhof season. Dutch Design has been incorporated into the bulb mosaic, one of the themed year's highlights.
(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/481759/Dutch_Design_Flowers_1.jpg )
Furthermore, the flower shows at the Oranje Nassau Paviljoen are dedicated to Dutch Design. One of the inspirational gardens has also been given over to the theme, and fashion and furniture design inform the orchid and anthurium shows at the Beatrix Paviljoen.
Keukenhof's new entrance building taken into operation
After years of preparation, Keukenhof will be taking its new entrance building into operation. A beautiful design by the world renowned firm of architects Mecanoo from Delft. The entrance building houses public functions such as box offices, the information desk and shops. The use of natural materials - wood, copper and brick lends the building its exceptional character.
Keukenhof continues to work to improve quality and service for its guests. "Today, after a long, cold winter we celebrate the start of a new spring with the opening of Keukenhof. In recent years, Keukenhof has undergone wonderful development. Visitor numbers are up. The park has become even more beautiful and now blooms from the first to the last day. And we have made substantial investments in improving facilities at the park," says Siemerink, director of Keukenhof.
Keukenhof is open to the public from Thursday 23 March 2017 onwards. Eight weeks later, when it closes on 21 May 2017, well over 1 million people will have visited the flower exhibition from all over the world.
For more information: Keukenhof
Annemarie Gerards,
PR Manager,
Tel. +31(0)252-465-505,
a.gerards@keukenhof.nl
http://www.keukenhof.nl
SOURCE Keukenhof


There have been alot going on regarding the launch of TStv satellite decoder. Well, the satellite tv has been officially launched yesterday, the 1st of October 2017. But, there's more.
News reaching me via TStv official Facebook page, they said that the commercial sale of the decoder hasn't been commenced yet, as seen below.
We wish to inform the general public that the commercial sale of TStv Africa decoders has not commenced and there is no request from TStv Africa to subscribers for payments of any kind whatsoever for decoders. The public is hereby advised to disregard any instructions from any person(s) to make payments. For further information on our products and services, kindly visit www.tstvafrica.com and our social media handles. TStv Africa ...connecting your world!
Now, it seems there are some scammers pretending to be official TStv dealers, so this is an official message from TStv Africa to the general public to be more careful so you won't get duped.
For now, we have to exercise patience until when the official sale of the decoder will begin. And when it does, please only buy from the accredited dealers in your state to avoid being scammed.
Now, if you are still confused on certain things about this new satellite tv called TStv, which includes but not limited to how the packages are used, the subscription, pausing features, expiration date etc; all queries has been answered right here in this post.
The N5000 for TSTV initial purchase includes a decoder, a dish 📡 and a remote control but excludes any installation service charge.
TSTV Pay AS You Go pause service i.e. the ability to pause your subscription when not in use would be available to those that would go for the maximum subscription which is the monthly N3,000 package and you would only be able to pause subscription not more than 7 days, thereby allowing you 37 days at most for your monthly subscription. So don't expect to use your 1 month subscription from January to December in the name of pausing or expect to use 1 day N200 subscription for 1 month, understood?
The first time you buy the decoder is the only time you would be able to enjoy up to 20GB of data as bonus, for subsequent full monthly subscription comes with 10GB of data and not 20GB as some of you might be thinking.
TSTV has incorporated its subscription service payments into Quickteller the popular E-payment service in the country and just like DSTV, you would also be able to easily pay for your TSTV subscriptions through Quickteller platform.
TSTV data allocation has nothing to do with watching of TVST channels but just a separate and additional offer to the entire TSTV concept or better still what you commonly regard as Value Added Service (VAS).
I hope some of your queries has been answered here if not all. Meanwhile, checkout TSTV Complete Channel List, Bouquet Subscription Plans and Price here.
I hope its all gonna be nice.
I love this company. They sabi market die.
I like the pay as you go plan by TSTV.
do they have their own network for the data services ?
Which ISP handles their data service?
What make me happy about it is the pause subscription.i.e your money won't be wasted if your light went off.


text:
namespace MassTransit.Azure.ServiceBus.Core
{
    using System;
    using System.Collections.Generic;
    using System.Linq;
    using System.Threading;
    using System.Threading.Tasks;
    using Configuration;
    using Events;
    using GreenPipes;
    using GreenPipes.Agents;
    using MassTransit.Pipeline;
    using MassTransit.Topology;
    using Microsoft.Azure.ServiceBus;
    using Microsoft.Azure.ServiceBus.Management;
    using Pipeline;
    using Settings;
    using Topology;
    using Transport;
    using Transports;

    public class ServiceBusHost :
        Supervisor,
        IServiceBusHost,
        IBusHostControl
    {
        readonly IServiceBusReceiveEndpointFactory _receiveEndpointFactory;
        readonly IReceiveEndpointCollection _receiveEndpoints;
        readonly IServiceBusSubscriptionEndpointFactory _subscriptionEndpointFactory;

        public ServiceBusHost(ServiceBusHostSettings settings, IServiceBusHostTopology hostTopology, IServiceBusBusConfiguration busConfiguration)
        {
            Settings = settings;
            Topology = hostTopology;
            var busConfiguration1 = busConfiguration;

            _receiveEndpoints = new ReceiveEndpointCollection();

            RetryPolicy = Retry.CreatePolicy(x =>
            {
                x.Ignore<MessagingEntityNotFoundException>();
                x.Ignore<MessagingEntityAlreadyExistsException>();
                x.Ignore<MessageNotFoundException>();
                x.Ignore<MessageSizeExceededException>();

                x.Handle<ServerBusyException>(exception => exception.IsTransient);
                x.Handle<TimeoutException>();

                x.Interval(5, TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10));
            });

            BasePath = settings.ServiceUri.AbsolutePath.Trim('/');

            var serviceBusRetryPolicy = CreateRetryPolicy(settings);

            MessagingFactoryCache = new MessagingFactoryCache(settings.ServiceUri, CreateMessagingFactorySettings(settings), serviceBusRetryPolicy);
            NamespaceCache = new NamespaceCache(settings.ServiceUri, CreateNamespaceManagerSettings(settings, serviceBusRetryPolicy));

            _receiveEndpointFactory = new ServiceBusReceiveEndpointFactory(busConfiguration1, this);
            _subscriptionEndpointFactory = new ServiceBusSubscriptionEndpointFactory(busConfiguration1, this);
        }

        public IReceiveEndpointCollection ReceiveEndpoints => _receiveEndpoints;

        public async Task<HostHandle> Start()
        {
            HostReceiveEndpointHandle[] handles = ReceiveEndpoints.StartEndpoints();

            return new Handle(this, handles);
        }

        public bool Matches(Uri address)
        {
            return Settings.ServiceUri.GetLeftPart(UriPartial.Authority).Equals(address.GetLeftPart(UriPartial.Authority), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
        }

        public IRetryPolicy RetryPolicy { get; }
        public ServiceBusHostSettings Settings { get; }
        public string BasePath { get; }

        public IServiceBusHostTopology Topology { get; }

        public IMessagingFactoryCache MessagingFactoryCache { get; }

        public INamespaceCache NamespaceCache { get; }

        IHostTopology IHost.Topology => Topology;

        void IProbeSite.Probe(ProbeContext context)
        {
            var scope = context.CreateScope("host");
            scope.Set(new
            {
                Type = "Azure Service Bus",
                Settings.ServiceUri,
                Settings.OperationTimeout
            });

            _receiveEndpoints.Probe(scope);
        }

        public HostReceiveEndpointHandle ConnectReceiveEndpoint(Action<IServiceBusReceiveEndpointConfigurator> configure = null)
        {
            var queueName = Topology.CreateTemporaryQueueName("endpoint-");

            return ConnectReceiveEndpoint(queueName, configure);
        }

        public HostReceiveEndpointHandle ConnectReceiveEndpoint(string queueName, Action<IServiceBusReceiveEndpointConfigurator> configure = null)
        {
            if (_receiveEndpointFactory == null)
                throw new ConfigurationException("The receive endpoint factory was not specified");

            _receiveEndpointFactory.CreateReceiveEndpoint(queueName, configure);

            return _receiveEndpoints.Start(queueName);
        }

        public HostReceiveEndpointHandle ConnectSubscriptionEndpoint<T>(string subscriptionName, Action<IServiceBusSubscriptionEndpointConfigurator> configure = null)
            where T : class
        {
            if (_subscriptionEndpointFactory == null)
                throw new ConfigurationException("The subscription endpoint factory was not specified");

            var settings = new SubscriptionEndpointSettings(Topology.Publish<T>().TopicDescription, subscriptionName);

            _subscriptionEndpointFactory.CreateSubscriptionEndpoint(settings, configure);

            return _receiveEndpoints.Start(settings.Path);
        }

        public HostReceiveEndpointHandle ConnectSubscriptionEndpoint(string subscriptionName, string topicName,
            Action<IServiceBusSubscriptionEndpointConfigurator> configure = null)
        {
            if (_subscriptionEndpointFactory == null)
                throw new ConfigurationException("The subscription endpoint factory was not specified");

            var settings = new SubscriptionEndpointSettings(topicName, subscriptionName);

            _subscriptionEndpointFactory.CreateSubscriptionEndpoint(settings, configure);

            return _receiveEndpoints.Start(settings.Path);
        }

        public Uri Address => Settings.ServiceUri;

        ConnectHandle IConsumeMessageObserverConnector.ConnectConsumeMessageObserver<T>(IConsumeMessageObserver<T> observer)
        {
            return _receiveEndpoints.ConnectConsumeMessageObserver(observer);
        }

        ConnectHandle IConsumeObserverConnector.ConnectConsumeObserver(IConsumeObserver observer)
        {
            return _receiveEndpoints.ConnectConsumeObserver(observer);
        }

        ConnectHandle IReceiveObserverConnector.ConnectReceiveObserver(IReceiveObserver observer)
        {
            return _receiveEndpoints.ConnectReceiveObserver(observer);
        }

        ConnectHandle IReceiveEndpointObserverConnector.ConnectReceiveEndpointObserver(IReceiveEndpointObserver observer)
        {
            return _receiveEndpoints.ConnectReceiveEndpointObserver(observer);
        }

        ConnectHandle IPublishObserverConnector.ConnectPublishObserver(IPublishObserver observer)
        {
            return _receiveEndpoints.ConnectPublishObserver(observer);
        }

        ConnectHandle ISendObserverConnector.ConnectSendObserver(ISendObserver observer)
        {
            return _receiveEndpoints.ConnectSendObserver(observer);
        }

        public void AddReceiveEndpoint(string endpointName, IReceiveEndpointControl receiveEndpoint)
        {
            _receiveEndpoints.Add(endpointName, receiveEndpoint);
        }

        protected override async Task StopSupervisor(StopSupervisorContext context)
        {
            await _receiveEndpoints.Stop(context).ConfigureAwait(false);

            await base.StopSupervisor(context).ConfigureAwait(false);
        }

        static RetryPolicy CreateRetryPolicy(ServiceBusHostSettings settings)
        {
            return new RetryExponential(settings.RetryMinBackoff, settings.RetryMaxBackoff, settings.RetryLimit);
        }

        static MessagingFactorySettings CreateMessagingFactorySettings(ServiceBusHostSettings settings)
        {
            var mfs = new MessagingFactorySettings
            {
                TokenProvider = settings.TokenProvider,
                OperationTimeout = settings.OperationTimeout,
                TransportType = TransportType.Amqp
            };

            return mfs;
        }

        static NamespaceManagerSettings CreateNamespaceManagerSettings(ServiceBusHostSettings settings, RetryPolicy retryPolicy)
        {
            var nms = new NamespaceManagerSettings
            {
                TokenProvider = settings.TokenProvider,
                OperationTimeout = settings.OperationTimeout,
                RetryPolicy = retryPolicy
            };

            return nms;
        }

        class Handle :
            HostHandle
        {
            readonly HostReceiveEndpointHandle[] _handles;
            readonly ServiceBusHost _host;

            public Handle(ServiceBusHost host, HostReceiveEndpointHandle[] handles)
            {
                _host = host;
                _handles = handles;
            }

            Task<HostReady> HostHandle.Ready
            {
                get { return ReadyOrNot(_handles.Select(x => x.Ready)); }
            }

            async Task HostHandle.Stop(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
            {
                await Task.WhenAll(_handles.Select(x => x.StopAsync(cancellationToken))).ConfigureAwait(false);

                await _host.Stop("Host Stopped", cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);

                await _host.MessagingFactoryCache.Stop("Host stopped", cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);

                await _host.NamespaceCache.Stop("Host stopped", cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
            }

            async Task<HostReady> ReadyOrNot(IEnumerable<Task<ReceiveEndpointReady>> endpoints)
            {
                Task<ReceiveEndpointReady>[] readyTasks = endpoints as Task<ReceiveEndpointReady>[] ?? endpoints.ToArray();

                foreach (Task<ReceiveEndpointReady> ready in readyTasks)
                    await ready.ConfigureAwait(false);

                await _host.MessagingFactoryCache.Ready.ConfigureAwait(false);

                await _host.NamespaceCache.Ready.ConfigureAwait(false);

                ReceiveEndpointReady[] endpointsReady = await Task.WhenAll(readyTasks).ConfigureAwait(false);

                return new HostReadyEvent(_host.Address, endpointsReady);
            }
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


What's interesting about me?: Taylor Apartment Locator offers a FREE Apartment Finding Service that specializes in saving you time and hassle. By registering and becoming a member of the Taylor Apartment Locator community, you are automatically entered into a sweepstake for a chance to win fabulous prizes or trips worth thousands of dollars.


text:
Paraglider. Photo credit: Marcus Woodbridge
Migrant paraglides over Melilla border fence into EU
An individual was spotted by two people flying over the high fence of the enclave that separates Morocco from Spain, and thus Africa from the EU. The story sounds crazy, but it's real.
Published: December 4, 2022, 6:05 am
At least 150 African migrants jump border fence of Ceuta
EU policies dealing with African migrants based on falsehoods
Storming Ceuta... again
ECHR: Illegal immigrants can be rejected without an asylum check
Across the world border walls are multiplying
Spanish and Moroccan police repel an attempted entry of 60 migrants into Ceuta
Ceuta: In 24 hours 9000 illegals enter EU
Ceuta: Almost all Moroccan parents refuse to take back their children
On Friday 2 December, Le Figaro reported that a migrant entered the Spanish enclave of Melilla using a paraglider. As a spokesperson for the prefecture said, "two people who were driving saw a person in a paraglider" flying over the border between Morocco and Spain. The witnesses immediately alerted the Spanish Guardia Civil, the equivalent of the gendarmerie, who said that this was the first time that such a means had been used.
Nevertheless, the illegal immigrant "could not be located" by the local authorities. As a reminder, the enclave of Melilla is, along with that of Ceuta, the only European Union border on the African continent.
The impressively high wire fences are very difficult for humans to cross, in addition to being monitored by surveillance cameras and guards perched on watchtowers.
However, as the daily points out, some migrants sometimes try to do whatever it takes, as was the case last June, when some twenty illegal immigrants died trying to enter the enclave to reach Spanish territory.
Some of them even risk their lives swimming to leave Africa. For the time being, the migrant who was seen paragliding on 2 December has not been found, so his fate remains unknown.


The twins are getting flu shots at preschool, but someone is not happy about it!
When Chelsea says her needle is nothing, in her flashback after the needle she yelled," AAAAGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
2:11 when you have a nightmare.
These are awesome videos Grace!
cygdg llbtgynk k k k kmomomomin'momomlklkoko jn)yggvhvfsedfcgv j. lmminuunhbhyvvyyvvttcctfcxrézwazerc h nj. kl,knbnbbhbjnjnl,p!jnnokpmp.
Useful video! Continue doing worthy content and you'll build up quickly! Subscribe to our channel and also we'll subscribe to your channel!
I'm really scared to get my flu shot but now I'm not scared anymore and + I 😍 your videos Grace woo! hoo! . Thanks Cartia K.
Btw i noticed Chelsea grew her hair!
10:21 when you see momo!
I love ur vids Gracie that's my name too!


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What's on at the University of Plymouth: Plymouth International Studies Centre Seminar Series. Research seminars focusing on topical aspects of contemporary global politics. University of Plymouth, various dates.
With an undergraduate bachelor of science honours degree in politics you'll explore the wider political system and develop your understanding of politics in modern societies, how countries are governed and ruled and the relationships between nations.


text:
Google+ Brand Pages Concept: An Outlook
Google+ is a social networking website, run by Google Inc. This particular website was started on June 28, 2011, with invite-only mode. From the next day, users were permitted to invite their friends to create accounts [over 18 years of age]. Due to huge demand, this was stopped immediately the next day itself.
The users were then given an option wherein a Google+ member can invite 150 friends only. Then, on September 20, 2011, Google+ was opened to the public who were 18 years of age or older than that.
It seems that Google has plans to start providing Google+ profiles to users under the age limit of 18, but above 13, after adding some important safety factors to their website.
It becomes pretty natural that whenever there is a new social networking site out in the internet, brands want to have their own space in them. This is the same with Google+ too. Most of the tech related blogs started creating their brand profiles in Google+.
However, Google+ profiles are made for the humans only and not for the brands as of now. There are some questions like "Male or female", wherein the brand cannot be mentioned. Google has said that, they might add brand pages in the near future.
With the above said facts, there are some things that Google should keep in mind to make Google+ brand pages a grand success.
Search Features in Google+
Increasing search functions in the upcoming brand pages will be a new and better feature. This will allow the brands to espouse the Google+ brand page.
Adding Customization Features to Google+
Ads in Facebook were just simple ones, sometimes a poll or video, which permitted the brands to show off their ads. However, when it comes to Google + brand pages, we can expect to see ads on the skyscraper spaces available on either side of the profile. This will certainly allow the brands to customize and display media ads that are rich in content.
Google is already experienced in this particular field. For example, there are some YouTube brand pages which are allowed to advertise their brand with similar features as said above. Google+ seems to be ready with their network to support this particular customization feature as soon as they launch Google+ brand pages.
Inclusion of Google Analytics to Google+
Including Google Analytics to Google+ brand pages is another new feature that will allow more and more brands to create pages on Google +. With this feature, the brands will be able to have a look at where their fans are from, who they are and what they are actually consuming, which will eventually lead to organizing and creating great content for their brand pages in order to increase and improve the knowledge and suit the needs of their fans in particular.
Furthermore, Google Analytics will permit the advertisers to make full use of the page interaction features of Google+ helping them to maximize and expand their values and brand features
Categories Social Media, Technology Post navigation
Gmail with new flavour : Good Or Bad?
Page speed service from Google : Faster web pages
2 thoughts on "Google+ Brand Pages Concept: An Outlook"
Hey Jane,
Really a nice article. Google Plus certainly came out with a lot of hype but I see that It has not grown as much as it was thought to. Although it is doing average business but More or less Google Plus has become a haven for the techies and the businesses. It really has not been much success with common people. Although this New Google Brand Pages features seems to be a welcome addition but still it is more or less some what food for the techies and businesses and nothing for the commoners. I am sure it really cannot beat facebook in the long run
thesimpletechie
google plus is coming with lots of features and its very useful for marketing or publishing agency . TheSimpleTechie @ripples,google plus


text:
Q: Ajax Action Link instead of Html Action link in MVC 5 I have many select queries on my Page and few Action links based on them used gets another data tab wise.
Example on stack over flow when we see the profile of the user we see
summary questions answers tags badges  etc.
If a user clicks on any one of the tab it hits the entire action and all the other sections of the pages hits the database which results in increase in load time of the page.To improve the performance I thaught to apply ajax,so after searching I got this example.
Partial View.
@model IEnumerable<AJAX.Models.tblStudent>

@foreach (var item in Model)
{

            @Html.DisplayFor(modelItem => item.Age)

            @Html.DisplayFor(modelItem => item.Name)

}

Time is @DateTime.Now

Controller
public ActionResult Index()
{
    return View();
}

public PartialViewResult Twenty()
{
    var result = from r in db.tblStudents where r.Age == 20 select r;
    return PartialView("_Country", result);
}

public PartialViewResult TwentyFive()
{
    var result = db.tblStudents.Where(x => x.Age >= 25);
    return PartialView("_Country", result);
}

Index View
@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Home Page";
}

@Ajax.ActionLink("Age 20", "Twenty", new AjaxOptions
{
    UpdateTargetId = "StudentList",
    InsertionMode = InsertionMode.Replace,
    HttpMethod = "GET"
})

@Ajax.ActionLink("Age 25", "TwentyFive", new AjaxOptions
{
    UpdateTargetId = "StudentList",
    InsertionMode = InsertionMode.Replace,
    HttpMethod = "GET"
})

Time is @DateTime.Now

 @section scripts{
 @Scripts.Render("~/Scripts/jquery.unobtrusive-ajax.min.js")
 }

This works fine and have added date time to cross check whether the clicked page hits the database leaving the other sections of the page.Would like to know whether its a correct way of using Ajax in MVC. As have Ajax.ActionLink.
Note : this tutorial

A: it up to your application situation. You can see this post just i found.

In the amount of code you have to write (less with Ajax.ActionLink) and the level of control you need (more with Html.ActionLink and a jquery ajax call).

So it's amount of code vs level of control and functionality needed => up to you to decide which one you need.

Both approaches are perfectly fine. The Ajax.ActionLink uses the jquery.unobtrisuve-ajax script to AJAXify the anchor behind the scenes.

Personally I always use Html.ActionLink + jQuery.

collectted. See this links
link1
link2
link3

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Born from a collaboration between FromSoftware and SIE Japan Studio, Déraciné is a quiet world filled with mysteries waiting to be unraveled.
Very much look forward to this one.
Nice, was not expecting a physical disc version!
This is my most anticipated VR release yet, I need to know though…does this support standard ps4 controller play? I don't have the move controller and have had to pass on several awesome looking games until I can afford it.
Its great to get a release date along with confirmation of a prefered physical release, for me atleast.
Its just too bad Gamestop isn't up to speed on this, can't preorder it at this time.
Looking forward to this. VR content is the best content. Thank You for supporting the future of gaming!
I like the word physical… not much of a fan of GameStop but I can't get everything.
J'ai hâte ďe jouer à se jeux.
Will this actually have gameplay, or is it just an interactive story?


text:
More World Stories»
Iranian Couple Going to Jail After Dancing in Video
Baby Didn't Have Ticket for Flight. His Parents Left Him Behind
Crisis Averted: Radioactive Capsule Is Found
Amid Death Threats, Suspects in Haiti Assassination Sent to US
She Cooked and Ate a Great White. Now, a Hefty Fine
2023 Is Now Seen as a 'Turning Point' for Economy
Woman Allegedly Killed Lookalike She Found on Instagram
Boy Playing in Shipping Container Ends Up in Another Country
No One Knows How Attacker Got So Deep in Cop Compound
Bolsonaro Asks to Stay Awhile
BBC Arabic Signs Off
17th-Century Paintings Sent for Cleaning Now 'Untraceable'
World /
Top-Secret Mafia Ritual Caught on Video
Recruits reportedly seen taking 'holy' oath, promising to commit suicide if disloyal
By Jenn Gidman, Newser Staff
Posted Nov 19, 2014 11:01 AM CST
Portion of secret video of purported mob initiation ceremony.
(Associated Press)
A double-kiss on the cheeks. A loyalty oath to keep up your end of the "holy chain … the holy society." A reminder to always carry an extra bullet to take yourself out if you ever betray said society. Authorities in Milan say that's exactly what they saw in a secret video of mobsters from the 'ndrangheta crime syndicate as they performed what appears to be some kind of initiation rite for recruits, the AP reports. The Italian paramilitary police say two "convivial" meetings were recorded at a farmhouse in northern Italy, though they haven't said how they filmed the meetings—but it's reportedly the first time law enforcement has seen the sacrosanct ritual. Police in Italy have been investigating loans made by this Calabrian-based branch of the Mafia, involved in cocaine trafficking around the world.
After the standard cheek-kissing salutation that's now a staple in every mob movie, four of the men in the video—one said to be as young as 17—"huddle together" and recite the words that are the beginning of their official Mafia journey: "Right in this holy evening, in the silence of the night, under the light of the stars and under the splendor of the moon, I create the holy chain ... the holy society." They're also helpfully reminded that if they become traitors, they should shoot themselves with the extra bullet they're always supposed to have on hand. In a separate phone call officials also intercepted as part of the probe, a suspect can be heard threatening action on a delinquent payment, stating, "I will cut his head off." A Milan prosecutor says the video underscores "the force of tradition" that keeps organized crime strong. (This ex-mobster wants to dump all his secrets on the pope.)


Warner Bros. announced this morning that Gal Gadot, a former Miss Israel who's probably best known for appearing in three of the Fast & Furious movies playing the role of Gisele, has been cast as Wonder Woman in the highly anticipated Batman vs. Superman motion picture. In the release, director Zack Snyder said: "Wonder Woman is arguably one of the most powerful female characters of all time and a fan favorite in the DC Universe. Not only is Gal an amazing actress, but she also has that magical quality that makes her perfect for the role. We look forward to audiences discovering Gal in the first feature film incarnation of this beloved character." Henry Cavill will reprise the role of Superman in the film, with Ben Affleck making his debut as Batman. Wonder Woman was most famously portrayed by Linda Carter in the TV series that ran from 1975 to 1979. A more recent series didn't prove to be as popular and was pulled from the air after only a few episodes. Batman vs. Superman, which will also star Man of Steel's Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane, opens in theaters July 17, 2015.
Not that she is not a wonderful actress but how does someone model skinny pull off Amazon Woman? I think this movie is literally going to sink or swim solely on the casting choices and not anything else.
If they're gonna put Wonder Woman in this one, they might as well call it Justice League.
Wow, she was great in the F&F franchise but didn't expect this???
In a collaboration film like Justice League you could establish a lesser known actress in the role then go to a stand alone picture.
Or you could come in guns blazing with a proven actress and rely on thier star power to draw viewers.
Either way, they are going to need a great storyline and Director. There is so much opportunity in this uncharteed territory that it would make sense to start with a stand alone from Diana's beginnings and build up to Justice League. DC needs to plan this out a bit better rather than jumping right into Superman vs. Batman and including WW.


text:
The Stuart Baxter years: The good, the bad and the ugly
The former Bafana Bafana coach resigned after the Africa Cup of Nations high, with South Africa knocking out hosts Egypt and reaching the last eight. For the next coach to succeed, a lot needs to change.
By: Njabulo Ngidi
10 July 2019: South African coach Stuart Baxter during the African Cup of Nations quarterfinal between Nigeria and South Africa at Cairo International Stadium. (Photograph by Ahmed Hasan/Gallo Images)
An innocent slip of the tongue by Stuart Baxter was more revealing of his frustration than any of the words he meant to use when he announced his resignation as Bafana Bafana coach at the Killarney Country Club on Friday 2 August. The 65-year-old's iPad had "programme" written on his prepared speech, but his brain had other ideas.
"I feel that I cannot continue to work with the required professionalism and passion like I have done, and to deal with the many issues that will be involved with this problem … with this programme," Baxter corrected himself. "A coach must have confidence that his input will help move forward the project, and at this moment in time, particularly after the experience of Afcon [Africa Cup of Nations], my belief in that process is weakened considerably."
Baxter looked defeated and worn out in the press conference that lasted for half an hour, but the martial arts enthusiast kept his composure even when he was badgered about his salary after he rubbished a report that alleged he would have pocketed R17 million if the South Africa Football Association (Safa) fired him. Baxter laughed off the demand, flanked by his agent Steve Kapeluschnik and Safa chief executive Russell Paul.
Baxter's resignation wasn't surprising even though it comes after South Africa's best showing at the Afcon on foreign soil since Mali 2002, where Bafana also crashed out in the quarterfinals. It was evident in Egypt that it would take something special for Baxter to continue at the helm of Bafana given his relationships with Safa, some Bafana players, members of his technical team and the media under strain.
Why did he resign?
The first question Baxter was asked after reading his speech was which of the three made him resign – was it pressure from Safa, the supporters or the media that pushed him?
"It would be easy to say that it was a combination," Baxter said. "Supporters' pressure, I never feel that because if you do, you shouldn't be in this job. Media pressure, it's background noise. It really is. It's part of the game. You guys have opinions. I don't expect everybody to agree with my opinions. Respect is an important word for me. At some point you say – at the age you are, the point in your career and at this point in your life – is this what you want to be doing? If it is, then you have to be getting a lot out of it. So really, that plays a part to a degree but it's not the decisive part. It's a combination of the situation I was working in."
Respect, or lack thereof, has been a key theme in Baxter's coaching stints in the country. His return to the country in 2012 to manage Kaizer Chiefs was fuelled by his desire to earn the respect of South Africans after his failure to guide Bafana to the 2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany. Baxter was so eager to impress that he embellished his CV.
His pursuit to earn respect fell flat on its back with that revelation before he had even settled into his role as Chiefs' coach. But winning the Absa Premiership in his first season to become the first foreign coach to do so earned him the respect he craved. Two league titles in three seasons solidified that respect, having played some enterprising football along with winning two other trophies – the MTN8 and the Nedbank Cup. He added two more titles, back-to-back Nedbank Cup wins at SuperSport United, which cushioned his return as Bafana coach.
"When I took the job for the first time, from day one people were questioning me and wanting to be confrontational," Baxter said. "But this time around people knew me because I had won everything you could win in this country at club level. So, then there was a modicum of patience. But that wasn't the case from some people. It was an affront that I was the national team coach, why was this guy, that guy or that guy not the coach? It doesn't develop into headbutting, it grows from headbutting to throwing hand grenades. Given that, you have to ask yourself can we succeed in that environment?"
An unholy trinity
Baxter's tenure as Bafana coach exposed the toxic side of South African football, and none of the parties – from the coach to Safa and the media – are without guilt. Try as he might, Baxter didn't fully grasp what managing Bafana entailed nor did he negotiate the political minefields that were littered in his path. He read up on the country's history but didn't understand the role football played in the fight against apartheid, which led to Bafana being a beacon of hope once South Africa attained freedom. In an interview with The Guardian in Egypt, the Brit said Bafana shouldn't be expected to give the country hope.
Township football in full, flamboyant swing
Baxter detonated the minefields with his patronising attitude, which alienated some members of his technical team, whom he constantly second-guessed despite them being there longer than he was. But his dedication can't be questioned: he added structure and tactical organisation that lacked in Bafana's appearance in the 2015 Afcon.
"When we played Libya [in the qualifiers], the week that we were due to leave, I was at a doctor and they said that I've got cancer," Baxter said. "They said that you need to have an operation now, and I said you can wait. I have to go to Libya. I cannot send the boys without me. I am their best chance to reach Afcon. It was amazingly difficult for me to concentrate knowing that when I got back, I would have a biopsy that would tell me if I've got cancer or not. I put that off. I didn't do that because I am a hero. I did that because I am a professional. My commitment to the South African cause has been undoubted."
Baxter's downfall was that he tripped over his tongue when explaining even reasonable decisions like appointing his son, Lee, to serve as goalkeeper coach after Andre Arendse pulled out because of family issues a day before Bafana went into camp. Instead of revealing that goalkeepers Itumeleng Khune and Ronwen Williams recommended Lee after they were both asked for their opinions on who would be their preferred coach, Baxter went on the offensive and said people questioning his decision don't know football. His words isolated even some of his backers, and gave his detractors plenty of ammunition.
Protracted search by Safa
Baxter wasn't a popular choice when he was announced as Ephraim "Shakes" Mashaba's replacement after Safa had told the country that the next Bafana coach would be either two-time Afcon winner Herve Renard, Carlos Queiroz or Hugo Broos, whose depleted Cameroon won the 2017 Afcon. Negotiations with these three coaches fell through, forcing the organisation to settle on Baxter who didn't have experience in continental football.
His detractors, who still held a grudge from his first spell as Bafana coach, couldn't accept him and some of the criticism he faced from the media was personal. The man, not his ideals and philosophy, was constantly attacked.
It didn't help Baxter that he started his tenure during the tense fight for the Safa presidency between Danny Jordaan and Ace Ncobo. Some of his wishes and recommendations were pushed aside with the elections taking centre stage. He found himself between a rock and a hard place with no support from Safa and constantly having to prove he is the right man for Bafana. But even when the elections passed, some of his requests to strengthen his technical team were not met.
Politics stole the show in 2019 Afcon
"I think that we need someone with a clean bill of health, so to say, and can just be optimistic and positive to do the job," Baxter said. "It has been an honour to have worked with the South African national team. I don't think that anybody could have done more than I have done. I have been to Europe to scout our young players, I have done workshops with the coaches, I have done work on the field with the ladies team, the kids and I have been at club visits all over the country, visiting the coaches and trying to get everyone on board.
"I have even showed you guys [the media], I hope, respect when I felt that was reciprocal. If South Africa gets on the same page, Vision 2022 has a massive chance of being a success. We do have resources but, and I say this again, we are not there yet because tactically, technically, socially and mentally we all have to be on the same page. If we do, I expect to see South Africa at that World Cup [in Qatar, in 2022]."
Baxter's other downfall was that every failure was everyone's fault but his. He rarely took blame for Bafana's shortcomings. Despite an uninspiring performance in the group stage of the Afcon, without fail after every match he talked about how well Bafana played. The team only started playing well in the knockout stage, a space that Baxter is comfortable in thanks to his impressive record in cup competitions.
A lot needs to change for Baxter's replacement to succeed. Firstly Safa needs to get its house in order and the media needs to play its part. The media have to hold Safa and the coach accountable, but shouldn't be swayed by petty politics as has been the case with Pitso Mosimane, Mashaba and Baxter.
Safa started the search for the next Bafana coach a day after Baxter's resignation. The country's football governing body announced that the technical committee had appointed Molefi Ntseki as interim coach with plans of filling the vacancy by the end of the month should negotiations go their way.
That man will not be Mosimane as the Mamelodi Sundowns coach made it clear on Saturday that he isn't interested in the job. "I had an unbelievable experience when I was Bafana coach, it has helped me to be where I am today," Mosimane said.
"I must be thankful to Safa for that, to be honest. I even had time to educate myself because there's no game every week. It was brilliant. Somebody must learn and benefit from that like I did. If I have to help to find the coach, I will because we should collectively help."
Safa are reported to be looking for a local coach to replace Baxter. Gavin Hunt, Benni McCarthy and Steve Komphela have been mentioned among those that the technical committee is considering.
Gavin Hunt wants another invincible run
"Stuart gave you his reasons for leaving," Mosimane said. "It's a difficult one. Everybody has their own challenges. Stuart was there. Carlos Queiroz was there. He couldn't solve this thing and he ended up as coach of Real Madrid after Bafana. It's unbelievable. He won trophies with Manchester United. [Carlos] Parreira was here after he won the World Cup. It's a difficult job that one. Maybe we have to go on a flight if we don't find a local. Or maybe we should follow what Algeria and Senegal did, they stayed with their own coaches and they are patient.
"Gavin has been asking for a chance and I think that we should also give him a chance. We were there and we couldn't do what the country needed. Let me give Gav a chance. Benni has a good name. He is like [Senegal coach] Aliou Cisse and the coach of Algeria [Djamel Belmadi]. He played football in Europe. He is a big name in the country. I don't know if he wants it. But if you appoint Benni, put the right people around him to help him. He has the pedigree for players to respect, to say, 'Who are you talking to? I have done it, here at Bafana and my record is there [as the all-time top goalscorer].' I like that. But support him with the right people, but be patient South Africa."
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7 Great User-Generated Content Campaigns
User-generated content enables a brand's passionate customers to become advocates, in turn building engaged communities around products and services. The idea behind user-generated content is that customers, followers, and partners will provide a more trustworthy recommendation than the brand itself when it comes to making a buying decision.
According to a report from Adweek, 85% of users surveyed found visual UGC to be more influential than content made by the brands directly. As people look to their peers for recognition and recommendations, brands can leverage this trusted content to connect in more personalized and authentic ways.
Here are seven examples of successful user-generated content campaigns.
A powerful campaign from women's clothing company Aerie, entitled #AerieReal, taps into the impact of fashion magazines, social media, and the effect of Photoshop abuse from the marketing and advertising industry. Aerie set out to emphasize the impact that edited photos can have on women's self-esteem and instead, wanted to promote a sense of body positivity.
The brand took to Instagram and pledged to stop retouching photos of models. They also challenged users to post unedited photos of themselves in bathing suits with the hashtag #AerieReal.
And for every Instagram post, Aerie donates $1 to National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).
Tourism Australia knows that everyone loves sharing their vacation photos and video with friends and family. When they noticed that massive amounts of content with the hashtag #SeeAustralia were being shared on social media, they realized it was a great opportunity to bring travelers into the conversation. By highlighting the experience of traveling in Australia they created a community of both those who had been there and those who aspired to visit.
Running multiple activations, including the Giga Selfie campaign aimed at attracting younger and social media savvy Japanese consumers, and their aquatic and coastal campaigns,Tourism Australia has found ways to continue to engage and stay relevant. In addition to the beautiful and highly visual generated content they are collecting, for one campaign they saw a 30% increase in site engagement and a 66% increase in time spent on site.
The shoe company Stuart Weitzman recently launched the #EYELOVE campaign in collaboration with it girl of the moment/supermodel, Gigi Hadid.
The campaign highlights a new shoe collection with a good cause—building schools in Ghana, Guatemala, and Laos through its partnership with Pencils of Promise. This UGC encourages people to support the campaign to provide life-changing education.
Last year, Gigi Hadid and Stuart Weitzman joined forces to create the "Gigi Boot," which has helped fund the building of three schools. This year, they're doubling down on their efforts with a new collection.
In July 2017, Under Armour launched a new global campaign entitled "Unlike Any" celebrating women who are beyond compare.
The campaign is a collaboration between spoken word artists, and it was designed to celebrate and honor the unprecedented achievements of female athletes that rise above gender comparisons and stand on their own.
The origins of this campaign were inspired by an unsettling revelation at the Rio Summer Olympics. At the launch of the new campaign, Adrienne Lofton, Senior VP of global brand management said, "Every time a woman won, she was compared to men."
And from there, she stated, there was this need to change the conversation. A need to remove gender from the dialogue and focus on women's contributions on their own merit.
The second part of this, was a need to break the perception of who Under Armour was as a brand. The campaign was meant to highlight that their athletic wear is for all women.
In partnership with Droga5, they created a fantastic and empowering campaign featuring the likes of Misty Copeland , Natasha Hastings, Alison Désir, Jessie Graff, and Zoe Zhang.
As the leading global brand in terms of Instagram followers, it stands to reason that National Geographic would be a master at leveraging user-generated content. With the launch of their #WanderlustContest in 2015, which prompted users to post photos for the chance to win a National Geographic photo expedition to Yosemite National Park, they created an immense, interactive slideshow on their website. Utilizing both their own site and social media effectively, the hashtag has generated over 63K post on Instagram.
Truly a brand that understands the connection between content, community, and commerce, National Geographic provides a case study in how an iconic, 130 tear old brand has adapted to changing technology and trends. In order to share photos on the website, users must join the National Geographic's Your Shot Community, where #wanderlust and other hashtags such as #citylights, #protecttheselands, #myclimateaction continue to thrive.
Creating buzz around their new releases is a vital part of Netflix's social media strategy. As the brand leans more heavily on creating original programming, they've increasingly looked toward UGC to promote their content.
Netflix promotes fans' posts about shows and movies with straightforward hashtags (using the shows' titles) to spread the word of upcoming premieres. These actions inspire Instagram users coming across Netflix's page to see what the fuss is all about, as UGC shows how others are already engaged and impatiently waiting for new content. For example, one of 2017's most highly anticipated shows Stranger Things Season 2 generated nearly 1 million posts on Instagram using #strangerthings2, and was also dubbed the "most-Tweeted about streaming series" when it debuted last Fall. By re-purposing some of the show's user-generated buzz in it's marketing, Netflix was able to engage with and built community.
Hashtag #AdobePerspective is used by the creative software company Adobe. The hashtag serves as a way for the artists and content creators who use the Adobe Suite to share their content, as well as source work for free from other users.
With this UGC campaign, Adobe gets to show off its software capabilities while engaging with its community of users. Many of the Adobe programs come with a steep learning curve, and new users may have some trouble envisioning what they can do with the software before seeing it in action.
Adobe doesn't stop there. The campaign, #Adobe_InColor is the company's Pride Month-themed UGC campaign that generated 300 posts in first the first few weeks of June 2017.
Adobe is an excellent example of UGC, as their campaigns showcase the talents of their users, as well as the values culture of its community. This gives them a leg up on the competition, as their UGC feels especially authentic.
As consumers become less and less swayed by traditional advertising, marketers will continue to look outside of the sales funnel and turn toward UGC to boost credibility and reach. With that in mind, there's no doubt the influence of UGC is going strong. We're likely to see more of it in 2018, and beyond, as more brands tap into the power of their community.
Learn the ropes of user-generated content marketing. Request a free Pixlee demo and we'll show you around.
Maddy Osman
SEO Content Strategist @ The Blogsmith. Avid reader, world traveler, and food enthusiast.
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