text:
Ratione
About • GitHub • Blog • Archives • Feed
Security Training with a Capture the Flag Exercise in a Virtual Machine
By Reason July 23rd, 2016 Permalink
Security always has been an important part of software development, but in recent years has become an ever more vital topic. Software infrastructure is increasing in complexity and interdependence, and so is the business of keeping that infrastructure secure. Unfortunately, security is also sadly neglected in our industry. The average developer doesn't have a good grasp of all of the basics, if by basics we mean the OWASP list of cardinal sins. Consider that it has taken a lot of time, effort, advocacy, and very public breaches to get to the point at which most developers in the industry understand that SQL injection is a risk, and go on to both (a) incorporate that understanding into their work and (b) informally educate their up and coming peers. Yet there are a good dozen other classes of vulnerability in modern web applications alone that are just as bad in practice, and of which most developers are at best only academically aware. Thus vulnerable applications keep emerging, and at a much greater rate than has to be the case.
The current state of the field means that in practice, for near all software engineering organizations, any effective form of security training for developers adds considerable value over time. Given that good knowledge of security practices in development, just like devops, is both a complex topic and pretty thin on the ground in the engineering community, you can't expect it to spread via cultural osmosis. Training is an important part of getting to the point at which knowledge and good practice becomes more self-sustaining within an organization.
Most Security Training is not Particularly Effective
Unfortunately, most security training isn't all that good when it comes to achieving practical outcomes. You'll see organizations putting bad slideware presentations in front of employees as a part of their regulatory compliance, checking that box, and never following up. Unfortunately, even good static explanations of security issues and best practices tend to do little to help: however interesting it might be to read at the time, there is a big difference between reading up on a topic and actually putting that information into practice. Developers, like everyone else, internalize and assimilate new knowledge by working with it in a practical context, not by reading about it - either in the abstract, or specific examples.
Capture the Flag Exercises as a Basis for Practical Training
A number of companies have run and open sourced the code for public capture the flag (CTF) competitive exercises, as recruiting, publicity, and training exercises. A series of flawed web applications are deployed, and contestants must break into each in turn to find the keys to the next level. The goal is worth through the chain of ever harder challenges to gain the final prize in the final level. Of these the second Stripe CTF from 2012 is one of the most accessible, and its challenges are still very relevant today. When carried out as a group exercise, running through the first few levels of a CTF contest in a friendly in-house competition is a very good way to introduce a level of practical experience with vulnerabilities to a development organization. Get a few dozen people into the same room for a few hours, form small teams, offer modest prizes for the best contributions, and walk through each level and its vulnerability after it has been solved. Short of identifying and fixing vulnerabilities in the wild, this is perhaps the best form of training in this portion of the software engineering space.
Packaging the Stripe CTF 2.0 into a Virtual Machine
While the code for the Stripe CTF 2.0 challenges is published, the original deployment infrastructure is not. There are a few partial how-to documents out there, but no complete recipe. For the purposes of an internal training exercise a full deployment isn't necessary, however. All of the various servers and web applications can be packaged into a single virtual machine image that developers fire up and run locally. The only fiddly part of the process is restricting developer access inside the VM sufficiently well to run a training session as a friendly competition - ensuring that it isn't trivial to cheat by breaking the VM. This is, obviously, a pretty low bar for the existing Stripe CTF 2.0, since answers and analyses are out there if you want to find them, but will be useful when constructing your own flawed web applications and challenge levels.
The requirements for the VM:
Run all of the challenges, but only when unlocked with the key for that level.
When initially created, randomly generate the keys for each challenge level.
Provide an administrative user with full sudo access for troubleshooting.
Provide a participant user that can only run and unlock challenge levels.
Lock down access so that the participant user cannot obviously cheat.
An outline for management of permissions in the VM is much as follows:
The participant logs in as the ctf user with very limited permissions.
A series of scripts such as ctf-run and ctf-unlock employ limited sudo rights granted to the ctf user in order to run and unlock the challenge applications.
Application code is stored in directories under /var/ctf, inaccessible to the ctf user.
Applications run as root where it is believed that they cannot be used to break the challenge due to their inherent flaws. This is all the more incentive for people to find other issues.
Those applications that must have their file system privileges restricted, in order to limit their vulnerability to that level only, run under separate users such as ctf-1 and ctf-2. Each of these users can only access its own application directory.
When I first set up a CTF VM as a training exercise, the security group at that organization offered a small prize to anyone who could break the intent of the VM - claiming keys without solving the challenge. That was awarded a couple of times. It is very easy to overlook small things, and permissions management in Linux becomes very complex very quickly for anything other than the simplest use cases, especially when sudo is involved.
Another item worth noting is that the published CTF code is actually broken as written in a couple of places. It probably doesn't represent the final version that was used in 2012. Building the VM required a few fixes, and some of the more complex code was tidied up a little in other ways as well. That might be overly generous on my part, given that reading badly written code is an important skill, and one likely to be practiced frequently by anyone who specializes in security fixes. It is, however, hard to let poorly written code go by.
The Stripe CTF 2.0 VM at GitHub
A Veewee Virtualbox VM builder for the Stripe CTF 2.0 is open sourced at GitHub. It should provide a good basis for efforts to build CTF training exercises, and it is certainly possible to swap in different web applications within the overall structure, more suited to the work of a given organization.


If you in Cassopolis Michigan have been wary of taking a keen look in Cassopolis at your credit report then we are glad to inform you in Cassopolis that there is no reason to be afraid in Cassopolis. After all, it is only debts reporting of what you already know in Cassopolis all about. It should not come as a surprise in Cassopolis MI that you either have earned a great credit score in Cassopolis and rating or definitely have earned a negative one! A debt consolidating program will clear things in Cassopolis you if you have forgotten what that credit score in Cassopolis really happens to be these days in Cassopolis. From time to time, there is a lapse in Cassopolis of selective memories of this we are well aware in Cassopolis Michigan of and sympathize with as well in Cassopolis.
With every monetary growth, individual expenditure fires over the top in Cassopolis. With every crisis, arrives an upswing in Cassopolis of numerous brand new consolidate debt in Cassopolis providers. Throughout a rate of growth in Cassopolis, banks may give unguaranteed credit readily in Cassopolis and become pleased to provide cash advance to actually just about anyone in Cassopolis. This particular shot associated with credit card debts implies that debt consolidating customers will probably be pleased spenders in Cassopolis Michigan as well as nourish any economic climate in Cassopolis by using money they do not really possess in Cassopolis. Quite simply, this really is money in Cassopolis with absolutely no actual worth powering this in Cassopolis.
Are you in Cassopolis sitting there all comfortable in your home in Cassopolis, happily tapping away on the laptop oblivious to the debts damage in Cassopolis that is being inflicted upon one in Cassopolis of the most important money barometers' in Cassopolis in your life? A glimpse at your free debt report in Cassopolis today and get a credit card debt relief will set you back in the right frame in Cassopolis Michigan of mind in and point you in the right direction in Cassopolis for any future big ticket in Cassopolis purchases and plans. The ability in Cassopolis to fund a big project such as a college education in Cassopolis for your child is a very important part in Cassopolis of being all grown up! If this in Cassopolis has hit you in the head in and heart in Cassopolis then check out consolidate debt in Cassopolis services today.
When the growth in Cassopolis has ended and individuals remain along in Cassopolis with several charge cards to repay in Cassopolis, after that anxiousness increases, telephone calls in Cassopolis MI throughout supper arrive non stop, and also credit card debt settlement companies begin their own marketing in Cassopolis. What's missing out of the majority of individuals in Cassopolis Michigan thoughts is they may also take advantage in Cassopolis of consumer consolidate debt in Cassopolis.
In contrast to debt relief, consumer credit counseling providers in Cassopolis don't cause you to buy their goods in Cassopolis or even move the charge card amounts to these people in Cassopolis Michigan. A good number of operate in Cassopolis out of an charitable perspective and may work in Cassopolis nicely along with consolidate debt in Cassopolis providers. They'll educate you on methods in Cassopolis and provide you with the training in Cassopolis MI you require to see how in Cassopolis better to repay all of our monetary loan within the quickest fashion in Cassopolis.
Do you dread the daily visit in Cassopolis of the mailman? Have you turned the ringer in Cassopolis on your phone off because of the constant calls in Cassopolis Michigan? Deep debt and don't know what to do in Cassopolis. Don't worry consolidate debt in Cassopolis is your best answer..
Almost every person in Cassopolis has gotten into some kind of credit card debts trouble at some point in their lives in Cassopolis MI. That doesn't define you, it is how you get out of it in Cassopolis. That is why credit card consolidating is so good for you. In consolidate debt in Cassopolis you are still paying off what you rightly owe in Cassopolis, but at a slower pace. It's not like bankruptcy in Cassopolis were you lose everything and it's on your record for years in Cassopolis.
There are so many debt relief companies that offer credit negotiation out there now. Make sure you understand how each credit management service is run and what their credit card management terms are before you agree. Most will take all your credit cards information and send letters to the places in Cassopolis you owe after you have entered this debt settlement program and get them to agree to a lower debts payment. Then they will give you a credit card settlement payment amount that you pay when you consolidate debt in Cassopolis once a month with credit card consolidation. Once you enter into a credit consolidation program and the consolidate debt in Cassopolis company notifies the creditors in Cassopolis that you have enter the debt relief program, they are suppose to stop calling you.
Not only does it make the consolidate debt in Cassopolis payments smaller and more manageable in Cassopolis Michigan, but it gives you some peace and less stress from the bills phone calls. Credit card relief Cassopolis MI is the best way to get out of debt, no matter how small or large the debt is in Cassopolis. If you are having trouble keeping up in Cassopolis with your credit card debts payments, then you need to talk to consolidate debt in Cassopolis company today.


This Custom Made Watch Strap is made for OC Watch Company by Jonny Straps. This watch strap is custom made from a vintage Vita Blue baseball glove. The cut-out on the long side of the strap has a San Francisco Giants Patch sewn into it. The buckle (included in the price) on this particular strap is a 24mm high polish Pre-V Panerai style buckle. This strap can be made to any specifications you would like. All of these straps are one-off pieces as no two vintage baseball gloves are alike. Use your imagination and he can build that special custom made strap for you.


A collection of translations of Declamations for the use of schools and classrooms.
A collection of short passages of great emotion, translated into German from or inspired by the Declamations of Roman higher education.
In a quarter calf binding. Externally some bumping and rubbing to the boards with a crack to the joint and wear to the head and tail of the spine. Library label to spine. Loss of leather to joints at the head of the spine. Internally firmly bound. Pages are generally clean with the occasional spot. Overall: GOOD.


text:
namespace asdf
{
    using interp_func_t = std::function<float(float)>;

    /// sadly constexpr lambdas are not supported yet. supposedly will be supported by C++17?
    // constexpr auto linear_interp_func = [](float _percentage){ return _percentage; };
    #define LINEAR_INTERP_FUNC [](float _percentage) -> float { return _percentage; }

    template <class T>
        // requires Arithmetic<T>
    struct interpolator_
    {
        T start;
        T  dest;
        float current_time{0.0f};
        float   total_time{0.0f};

        interp_func_t interp_func = LINEAR_INTERP_FUNC; // return float between 0 and 1 from dt; I can maybe replace this with a template argument F

        interpolator_() = default;

        //this function needed since I can't use LINEAR_INTERP_FUNC as a default value in the next constructor, as it somehow fails (memory falling out of scope??)
        interpolator_(T _start, T _dest, float _time)
        : start{_start}
        , dest{_dest}
        , total_time{_time}
        {}

        interpolator_(T _start, T _dest, float _time, interp_func_t _func)
        : start{_start}
        , dest{_dest}
        , total_time{_time}
        , interp_func(_func)
        {}

        void reset()
        {
            current_time = 0;
        }
        void reset_smooth() // reset in a smooth way (ie: if max time is 5, current  is 5.1, current should be 0.1 to maintain that amount of time passing, otherwise the whole system loses that 0.1)
        {
            current_time = std::max(0.0f, current_time - total_time);
        }

        bool is_finished() const
        {
            return current_time > total_time;
        }
        float get_percentage() const
        {
            ASSERT(total_time != 0.0f, "why interpolate over an instant time"); // assert to prevent divide by zero
            // LOG_IF(dest - start == T{0}, "why interpolate between identical points"); // potentially unnecessary logging

            float capped_current_time = std::min(current_time, total_time);
            return interp_func(capped_current_time / total_time);
        }

        T calc() const
        {
            return start + (dest - start) * get_percentage();
        }

        void update(float dt)
        {
            current_time += dt;
        }
    };
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Category the awakened kingdom
The Awakened Kingdom, by N K Jemisin
Buy from Amazon.com, B&N, or IndieBound
Author's website | Publisher's website
Publication date – December 9, 2014
Summary: As the first new godling born in thousands of years — and the heir presumptive to Sieh the Trickster — Shill's got big shoes to fill. She's well on her way when she defies her parents and sneaks off to the mortal realm, which is no place for an impressionable young god. In short order she steals a demon's grandchild, gets herself embroiled in a secret underground magical dance competition, and offends her oldest and most powerful sibling.
But for Eino, the young Darren man whom Shill has befriended, the god-child's silly games are serious business. Trapped in an arranged marriage and prohibited from pursuing his dreams, he has had enough. He will choose his own fate, even if he must betray a friend in the process — and Shill might just have to grow up faster than she thinks.
Thoughts: I can't even begin to say how much I love Jemisin's Inheritance trilogy. I've read it through twice, and it's inspired probably dozens of conversations by this point, because the world and the characters are so amazing and I sink into the stories like a hot bath. Not a warm bath. Hot. The kind of hot that's just a little bit painful on the skin, but when you get used to it, you never want to leave.
So you can only imagine my excitement when I first heard that she was writing a sequel novella. The chance to read a new story set in a world I love so much? There is no downside here!
The story focuses on Shill, a newborn godling trying to find her place in the world, and deciding that the best way to go about it is to interact with mortals and learn about herself through learning about them. In the attempt to find her nature and to learn about mortals, she changes the world in ways unforeseen, and utterly spectacular.
There's a powerful message in here about walking in the footsteps of others, and trying to live up to what you believe other people want of you. Shill believes she is supposed to be the next Sieh, the trickster and the child, and when she can't make herself be what Sieh was, she gets frustrated and upset. It takes her a while to learn that she can't be anybody but herself, that trying to be someone else is fairly useless, and that everyone has a niche to fill, a role to play, even if it's not the one they expected. This was something that resonated fairly strongly with me, because for all it sounds like the message behind an after-school TV special, it's a lesson that took me years to learn. I used to think the only way of being worthwhile was to imitate those whom I thought were worthwhile. I ended up being a poor copy of them at best, and it never felt true or right. So this is the sort of thing that even adults need to hear sometimes, not just young children.
The Awakened Kingdom being a novella, it's a very quick read, but honestly, even had it been the length of a full novel I would call it a quick read simply because I'd be reading it obsessively and in every spare moment. Good books often seem like quick reads because you read them so much that you finish them in a relatively short amount of time. And Shill is a fun character because she's so new to existence, so we get to see her learn and grow and make the kind of commentary that only comes about with childlike naive logic. Only when that naivite is in the hands of a godling, well, results are extra special. Such as Shill's little warning not to go into black holes even though they "look like cute little Nahas." Excellent advice. I shall follow it to the letter!
Of course, the reason for Shill's advice and even for telling the story the way she does becomes evident at the end, and hearkens back to the way Yeine's story was told in The Hundred-Thousand Kingdoms. It may be a bit disjointed and it is the embodiment of the unreliable narrator, but there's a point to it, a reason, and it becomes clear over time that it's more than just a storytelling gimmick.
Like many authors have done in the past, Jemisin creates societies that flip our current stereotype of gender roles around, making women the aggressive leaders and men the ones who stay home and take care of the babies. This is fertile ground for strong female characters to arise, and arise they do! Jemisin also uses this to highlight the inequality in all such systems; a person's worth is not and should not be determined by what's between their legs.
But Jemisin's writing stands head and shoulders above so many others who do this for one simple reason: when I read what Jemisin writes, I can truly believe that women can be strong because they're women, not in spite of it. I've read plenty of books with strong women, but even in novels where gender equality is supposed to be the norm, strong female characters often come across as though they're trying to prove that women can be equal after all. Jemisin's women often give the impression of, "Yes, I'm strong. Obviously. What of it?" And I love that!
For fans of the trilogy, this is a must-have, because it's a wonderful return to a wonderful world. For those who have yet to read the trilogy and are intrigued by this review, take heart, because it's included in the omnibus edition that's soon to be released! Even had I not been lucky enough to get a copy of this for review, I was planning on rebuying the books just so I could get to read The Awakened Kingdom, which I think is a sign of a strong and influential series that's worth reading. Those who enjoyed the Inheritance trilogy will likely get the same kick out of Shill that I did, love the story as much, and, if they're anything like me, reading it will make them want to read the original novels all over again.
(Received for review from the publisher.)
By Adrian • Posted in 2014, 5 cups, fantasy, fiction, n k jemisin, the awakened kingdom

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Syria's Idlib 'must not be transformed into a bloodbath': UN chief
AFP News 11 September 2018
Persuading jihadists to leave the buffer area is just one step towards ousting them from the larger region partly encircled by the zone
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Syria and its backers Tuesday against launching a full-scale offensive in Idlib, saying the rebel-held province "must not be transformed into a bloodbath."
"It is absolutely essential to avoid a full-scale battle in Idlib," Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters.
"This would unleash a humanitarian nightmare unlike any seen in the blood-soaked Syrian conflict."
The UN chief spoke after Russia and Iran clashed with Turkey at a summit last week on plans for military action to restore Syria's control over Idlib, where three million people live.
Turkey is appealing for a ceasefire to allow for negotiations on the fate of armed groups in Idlib, Syria's last major rebel stronghold, but its call has been rejected by Russia and Iran.
Guterres said he was appealing to Iran, Russia and Turkey to "spare no effort to find solutions that protect civilians" and warned that any use of chemical weapons would be "totally unacceptable."
The UN Security Council met earlier to hear a briefing from Russia, which insisted that the planned assault on Idlib is a "counterterrorism operation" and that measures will be taken to spare civilians.
"There is no doubt that an all-out military operation would result in a major humanitarian catastrophe," Turkish Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu told the council meeting.
Air strikes and bombings will trigger a "massive wave of refugees and tremendous security risks for Turkey, the rest of Europe and beyond," he warned.
Turkey, which has sent troops to Idlib and supports some of the armed groups, called for "an immediate ceasefire" and urged "the international community to vocally and actively support our efforts to this end."
Iran, Russia and Turkey last year set up the Astana process, a negotiating track to end Syria's war that has largely eclipsed the UN-led peace process.
It wasn't me: Former SexBomb dancer Sheena Flores de Castro denies arrest in anti-drug op after reports mistakenly used her photo
Risky title fight vs. Manny Pacquiao has Hall of Fame implications for Keith Thurman
No days off? Manny Pacquiao taking opposite approach to training in his 40s


An occupational therapy technician's median salary is about $56,000. Is it worth the training requirements? See real job duties and get the truth about career outlook to see if becoming an occupational therapy technician is right for you.
Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, **Job Postings from CareerBuilder.com.
At a healthcare facility, therapy teams work to bring patients back to optimal health. Occupational therapy focuses on regaining daily living and working skills so that patients can live independently without care. Your job as an OT assistant would be to implement the therapy plan devised by the occupational therapist, running through various activities tailored to each patient. You would record each patient's progress and alert the therapist to any necessary changes to the regimen.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in May 2014 that occupational therapy assistants made a median wage of about $56,950. The BLS predicted a 41% increase in employment from 2012-2022, which can be linked to the growth of the number of elderly who require more care due to debilitation and limiting medical conditions. Nursing care facilities are one of the major industries that employs occupational therapy assistants.
To begin a career as an occupational therapy assistant, you typically need to complete a 2-year associate degree program. The American Occupational Therapy Association's Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) accredits training programs for OT assistants. The coursework for these programs usually includes medical basics, occupational therapy techniques and supervised clinical experience. Licensure for OT assistants is required in most states. In order to earn licensure, you would need to complete an accredited program, pass a test and satisfy any other state-specific requirements.
In addition to education and licensure, you should possess a certain set of skills to become an occupational therapist assistant. These skills can include strength, compassion, attention to detail and good communication.
A hospital in Texas was looking to hire an occupational therapy assistant to aid the occupational therapist team in their work with adult and geriatric patients. The applicant needed to be a COTA, and one year of relevant work experience was preferred.
A rehabilitation facility in Florida wanted a COTA with basic computer skills, the physical ability to lift 50 pounds and a community-centered work ethic.
A senior living center in Kentucky was searching for a COTA who was willing to work evening and weekend hours in a holistic therapy environment.
When you have completed an ACOTE-accredited program, you will be eligible to test for certification as a COTA from the NBCOT. This certification is voluntary, but is required by many employers. When employers do not require this credential, it can still serve to demonstrate your industry-recognized competency in this field.
Professional development units are required when you renew your license or COTA credential, so you can get started in continuing education classes, conferences and seminars right away. Learning about new developments in the healthcare systems, initiatives in the therapy field and techniques for occupational therapists and assistants can help you perform your job better and also demonstrate your knowledge and capability to a potential employer.
If you're not sure that occupational therapy is the right path for you but you'd still like to work in the healthcare industry, you could consider a career as a medical assistant. Medical assistants perform both administrative and clinical duties in doctor's offices. You can train to become a medical assistant through a 1-year certificate or 2-year associate degree program. The BLS reported that medical assistants, whose employment is projected to increase by 31% from 2010-2020, made a median wage of $29,000 in 2011.
If you're interested in helping people regain their physical capabilities, you could consider a career as an athletic trainer. Athletic trainers treat all kinds of patients for physical injuries. You could work at a healthcare facility or with a sports team. You may spend time outside, treating patients on the field, or on the road, attending out-of-town games with the team. Typically, an athletic trainer is required to hold a bachelor's degree in a subject like exercise science or kinesiology. The BLS reported in May 2011 that athletic trainers made a median annual wage of $42,000. Athletic trainers are expected to see a 30% increase in job growth from 2010-2020.
If you're interested in occupational therapy, want to earn more money and don't mind obtaining additional education, you might consider becoming an occupational therapist. These professionals need to earn at least a master's degree from an accredited school and gain licensure, but their median annual salary was about $74,000 in 2011, according to the BLS. From 2010-2020, they're expected to see a 33% growth in employment.


text:
Tag: CLAT
CLAT Result 2023 | CLAT's objection window opened after the result, golden opportunity to register objection, register like this
Posted in : Education Posted in : CLAT, CLATs, Golden, objection, opened, opportunity, register, result, window Posted on January 8, 2023 January 10, 2023
New Delhi : The Consortium of National Law Universities (CLAT) has already been released. But the candidates who have any kind of complaint regarding the result or they are not satisfied with the CLAT 2023 Final Answer Key, then there is a golden opportunity for them. Because today i.e. on 26th December at 9 am the objection window has been opened.
Whichever candidate (CLAT Objection) wants to register an objection. They can register their complaint till 9 am on December 29. Let us tell you that if you want any kind of information in this subject, then you just go to the official website – consortiumofnlus.ac.in and check all the details from there.
File a complaint like this
First of all candidates login to CLAT account.
Click on 'Submit Grievance' button on the homepage.
Now the candidates have to tell the nature of their complaint.
Candidates have to describe their grievance within 1,000 characters.
After this, the declaration form has to be submitted by uploading the supporting documents.
Now submit it and take out its printout.
It may be noted that the Consortium of National Law Universities had declared the CLAT 2023 final answer key i.e. the result of this exam on December 23 itself. After which now a chance has been given to file an objection. If you also want to register an objection, then you should also get it done before closing.


text:
Immersive Experiences
April 9, 2019	Robert Galvan
Sony's first premium large format experience, Sony Digital Cinema, is spectacular
Sony Digital Cinema Premium Large-format Auditorium (simulated image)
Sony is a well-known juggernaut in the home theater world, and it is finally diving into the full cinema experience. It has partnered with Galaxy Theaters for a complete movie experience by installing its first cinema in the Galaxy Theatres location in Las Vegas. The theater has a massive 70-by-40-foot screen with Dolby Atmos sound, promising one of the best theater experiences available. It also offers a more intimate and comfortable 200-seat auditorium with chairs having the option to fully recline.
Sony Digital Cinema is powered by Sony's patented SRX-R815 dual laser projection system, which offers an HDR 4K picture and pairs beautifully with Dolby Atmos sound. It supports both 3D and 2D formats along with a 15000-lumen experience even on the big screen.
Before showing us the full feature film, Shazam!, it previewed a few different trailers including Yesterday and Bohemian Rhapsody, giving us a full sound experience which ended up being some of the best sounds I have ever heard in a theater. Mind you, I am a Dolby Cinema fanatic who enjoys experiencing major films in the premium format because of my love for audio and video quality.
Sony then demonstrated to the audience a 3D trailer of Avengers: Endgame, which was absolutely spectacular. Personally, I'm not a fan of 3D films since the glasses are annoying, there is a loss of video quality, I have experienced motion issues, and all the other problems that come with 3D. But this was a completely different experience, and the trailer's transition from color to black and white wasn't jarring. Usually, it's a very hard transition for 3D, but this projector was able to handle it easily and smoothly! This will end up being the only theater that I see 3D films in.
If you're in Las Vegas, you can check out Avengers: Endgame at Sony Digital Cinema on April 26, 2019.
Galaxy Theatres' Luxury+ Boulevard
3680 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 182
*Inside the Boulevard Mall
Tags 4kAvengers: EndgameDolbyDolby AtmoshdrLas VegasShazamSonySony Digital Cinema
Robert Galvan	392 posts
For as long as he can remember, Robert asked the questions that others wouldn't about love, life, and death which brought about his interest in the human psyche and moral compass, resulting in an infatuation with comics, zombies, and movies leading to a long standing relationship with his imagination.
WandaVision's Teyonah Parris and Kathryn Hahn on Geraldine and Agnes
Mortal Kombat reboot movie gets 9 new photos featuring Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Jax
WandaVision Review of first three episodes
Razer unveils Project Brooklyn, its next-gen gaming chair
Jean Grey gets an abstract X-Men fan film
Copyright © 2020 Nerd Reactor. All Rights reserved.
Privacy Policy - About


Tr Property Investment Trust Plc share price. Research Tr Property Investment Trust Plc (TRY.L) stocks, view comparisons, chat and view Tr Property Investment Trust Plc share graphs.
The trust aims to maximise total returns for investors by investing in international property and property shares. It provides diversified exposure to a large range of commercial property interests and shares.
Tr Property Investment Trust Plc Ord 25P is listed on the London Stock Exchange trading with ticker code TRY.L, and is part of the Investment Companies sector. It has a market capitalisation of £126,623m, with approximately 317m shares in issue. Over the last year, Tr Property Investment Trust Plc share price has been traded in a range of 84.5, hitting a high of 435.50, and a low of 351.00.
Tr Property Investment Trust Plc, officially known as Tr Property Investment Trust Plc Ord 25P was formed in May of 1905, making the company one hundred and fourteen years old. The company filed its latest accounts on 31st March 2015, showing a turnover of approximately 36.69 million GBX, and a pre-tax profit margin of 85.57%. Tr Property Investment Trust Plc currently has 6 directors, and has had 13 previous directors over the last 114 years. In the last set of accounts, the directors received an average salary of 38 thousand each. In the accounts filed in 2015, the company paid 23971000 in dividends, or 0.0755 per share. These accounts also showed Tr Property Investment Trust Plc to have a net worth of 1.01 billion, with 21.43 million held in cash.
Tr Property Investment Trust Plc is in the Investment Companies sector.
Tr Property Investment Trust Plc is in the UK 350, UK 250 indices.
What if I invested £1,000 in Tr Property Investment Trust Plc?
Nobody has posted any Tr Property Investment Trust Plc share chat yet, click here to add one.
Nobody has posted any Tr Property Investment Trust Plc insights yet, click here to add one.


My Name is Dan Skognes. I passed the EC6 generalist certification for Elementary School teaching, and also am highly qualified to teach Business / Marketing at the Jr. and Sr. High level due to my education and business experience. I substitute taught in Grapevine Colleyville ISD from 2015 to 2016, and also did some substitute teaching in HEB ISD in 2016.
I have been working as a Paraprofessional Teacher's Aide at the International Leadership of Texas in Grand Prairie since August 2016. My role there has been primarily to work with the 3rd grade, but I have done work with all of the grades from time to time including special ed.
KeyNotePeople was formed to help professional speakers connect with speaking engagements around the country. The second division is my HR consulting business, and that includes leadership training and development and talent acquisition and retention.
I was formally trained in HR as an assessor and administrator of the assessment center for a Fortune 500 company. This was used to screen job applicants as well as identify future leaders and managers for the company using simulated exercises that mimic what they would experience in real life.
One of my passions is in serving in the local church. I lead the Kingdom Business Group (a Christian Chamber of Commerce Group) from 2011 - 2014.
I also am a Motivation Expert, Speaker, and Blogger and have had my own company since 2005.
I have the gift for connecting people.


For more web hosting clients to spend more time learning about our Canadian web hosting services, our website is very simple. From the home page, you will find any information regarding our Canada web hosting services. The website was also done by professionals who know the need for aesthetic value being introduced in a website hosting site.


Our University has launched an initiative to be recognised as a University of Sanctuary, committed to welcoming and supporting refugees and asylum seekers.
Phil Horspool, Director of the English Language Teaching Unit at our University, said: "The University of Leicester is committed to becoming a University of Sanctuary. At the launch event, we heard poetry readings and music from those seeking sanctuary as well as from campaigners.


text:
require 'spec_helper'

describe ThinkingSphinx::ActiveRecord::DatabaseAdapters::AbstractAdapter do
  let(:adapter)    {
    ThinkingSphinx::ActiveRecord::DatabaseAdapters::AbstractAdapter.new model
  }
  let(:model)      { double('model', :connection => connection) }
  let(:connection) { double('connection') }

  describe '#quote' do
    it "uses the model's connection to quote columns" do
      expect(connection).to receive(:quote_column_name).with('foo')

      adapter.quote 'foo'
    end

    it "returns the quoted value" do
      allow(connection).to receive_messages :quote_column_name => '"foo"'

      expect(adapter.quote('foo')).to eq('"foo"')
    end
  end

  describe '#quoted_table_name' do
    it "passes the method through to the model" do
      expect(model).to receive(:quoted_table_name).and_return('"articles"')

      expect(adapter.quoted_table_name).to eq('"articles"')
    end
  end
end


How's the Market? Heres your West Valley Market update for March 2019. Are we shifting into a Buyers market? Well in looking at this number March produced I would certainly say the ship could be shifting coordinates and steering towards a Buyers market in the upcoming months. Definitely something to keep our eye on as each month unfolds. Before we get into the March market, Id like to point out a couple of things to remember. First, remember the closed sales that report in March are actually February' sales pending. Now February's unseasonable cold temperatures, even snowing in some parts of the Valley and lots and lots of rain, certainly did not help home buying traffic. Now that spring is in full bloom, I can tell you that the homes that we have put on the market this month are getting more traffic than I ever imagined possible! Various price points, various locations around the West Valley and the showings are 3-5 daily, including weekdays!! Its absolutely insane that there are that many potential home buyers out shopping. So with that said, this shift we see March Market update could swing back quickly in April, only time will tell.
Ok, so hows the market? Well as far as home prices, we are still seeing positive increases. All west valley cities were up over last year, top 5 cities were Tolleson lead the pack 12.83% over last year, Buckeye up 10.05%, El Mirage increased 9.47%, Litchfield Park 9.17%, Goodyear 9.09%.
Something we watch closely in the real estate market is inventory levels. The housing market is still a commodity and driven by supply and demand. The lower the supply, greater demand, drives home prices up. The larger the supply, less demand, home prices tend to go down. All west valley cities, had tremendous increases in the amount of Active listings over March 2018, with the exception of Laveen which was -1.8% down over March 2018. Tolleson had a whooping increase with 77.8% over last march, Glendale increased by 24.7%, followed by Phoenix 22.6%, Peoria 21.5%, Goodyear 19.7%, El Mirage 18.9%, Surprise 17.6%, Buckeye 16.2%, Litchfield Park 11.7% and Avondale was almost flat at 0.5%. Maricopa county overall was up 15.9% over same month last year. Now we are still considered to be in a low inventory-seller's market and we can use more homes on the market to continue to feed the fire, these increases are not a chicken little scare by no means, but definitely something to keep our eye on.
So the increasing inventory coupled with slow sales is little more unnerving, but we did have less than perfect weather conditions against us. As fore mentioned, we will see what April brings. But as far as closed sales in March, only two cities in the west valley out sold March 2018, El Mirage increased by 2.1% which was 48 closed sales versus 47 in 2018. Tolleson increased by one closed sale as well 135 in 2018 and 136 in 2019. Buckeye was the slowest down -20.7%, Litchfield Park -15.7%, Peoria down -15.0%, Phoenix -14.7%, Avondale -10.6%, Glendale -9.5%, Goodyear -7.6%, Surprise -6.6%, & Laveen -5.6%. Maricopa County was down -11.8%.
Market Insights: Housing affordability remains strong as well as low unemployment this will continue to secure the real estate market. Coupled with the Feds announcing the are not going to be increase interest rates, the future of the real estate market is still look very sound.
Market Disruption: I am so excited to share with you all how Keller Williams is bringing more value to our buyers and sellers and completely disrupting the industry. As the worlds largest real estate company we have now partnered with Keller Mortage to bring ZERO COST loans to our clients!! What does that mean? ZERO Origination fee (this is typically 1% of your loan) ZERO Underwriting Fee (typically $875) and ZERO Processing Fee (approx $625) AND we give you $1000 credit towards 3rd party cost, which can be used to pay for things like your appraisal!! These loans also have low interest rates, the have beat or were better than the other lenders. We have saved our clients $4000, $6500 and $3500 just this month!! Sellers, when you list with us, your potential buyers can take advantage of this program instead of asking you to contribute to their loan cost!! Call today for more details.
When we buy a new home, there is so much excitement that comes along with it – decorating ideas, new furniture, and more space for a growing family. On the other side of that excitement, we often think of potential hazards that can happen – we have inspections done to make sure everything in the home is working properly, we buy homeowners insurance to protect us when those crazy monsoon storms hit, and we even install security systems to keep us safe from a home invasion. But where does a pool rank on that scale of excitement to hazardous? Maybe you're like me, and it's both.
We were so excited to build a pool last year, thinking of all the fun parties we could host and staying cool in the heat of summer, but we also have a two-year old and we know that a pool can be an unsafe place for him. We installed a pool fence, but in our culdesac of five other homes, there are three other un-fenced pools. That's why we enrolled our son in Infant Swim Resource (ISR) swimming lessons.
We feel strongly that ISR lessons are the best swimming lessons in which you can enroll your child. ISR instructors are trained and certified in teaching life-saving swim-float-swim self rescue techniques. That means that if your child were to fall into the pool, they could float on their back in order to catch their breath, turn over and swim, and repeat until they reach the edge of the pool.
Children six months old to six years old are able to take these lessons. The lessons themselves are 10 minutes per day, five days per week, for six to eight weeks depending on the child's need. It may not seem like a lot of time, but at the end of those eight weeks, I was confident in my son's water safety skills. Instructors want to make sure that children are prepared for any situation, so In order to graduate, each child must test their skills in their pajamas, summer clothes, and winter clothes. I was so impressed that my son could float in his coat, hat, and heavy shoes!
One question people always ask is: How much does this cost? We paid a one-time registration fee of $105 and then paid our instructor $85 per week (please keep in mind that costs may vary depending on your location). At the end of eight weeks, we had paid just under $800. Now $800 is a lot of money, but you have to think about how valuable it is. Think of the peace of mind that you will have knowing that if your child fell into a pool, they would be safe. To me, that's priceless.
One of the reasons I am so passionate about ISR lessons is because of Maverick Thomas and his parents. Before my son was born, I worked in children's ministry at a large church. I had the joy of teaching Maverick in preschool Sunday School. Seven and a half years ago, just a couple of weeks shy of his fifth birthday, Maverick drowned at his brother's birthday party. Watching his family mourn and grieve his loss was, and still is, devastating. Maverick's parents are incredible people, and have turned their loss into a legacy. They devote themselves to educating others about ISR and the life-saving techniques that they teach. I'm so thankful that they introduced my family to ISR.
I sincerely hope that if you have a child, aged six months to six years, you will look into ISR lessons. Drowning can be prevented; your child simply needs the self rescue tools and techniques to learn how. To find an instructor near you, go to www.infantswim.com.
Buy BRIGHT Swimwear! Think bright orange or hot pink, avoid blues, greens, and dark colors as they can blend in with the pool water color. If you have a hard time finding bright swimwear in stores, try www.primary.com – they have some great affordable options!
Do not use floaties! These are detrimental to your child learning how to swim and give them a false sense of security in the water.
No distractions by the pool! Make a rule that phones and books aren't allowed poolside when you are responsible for watching kids play in the pool. Drowning is silent and can happen in 20 seconds.
A special thank you to Eva Hagan for taking the time to write and share this valuable information with our clients and readers. And also a special thank you to Griffin for providing some great photo illustrations!
What's the difference between Home Staging versus Decorating?
This is a question I get over and over especially when a home already has lovely decor. Would this be a home that should still be staged for selling? Why do you even need to stage a home for sale, don't buyers appreciate that "lived in homey-look?" Well to put it simply, when decorating, the homeowners individual style, comfort level, color choices, hobbies and interests would all be taken in to consideration when formatting a space. When staging for sale, we look at things much differently, we want to appeal to the masses, the space is neutralized and selling features within that space are accented. Less is more as to not over power those features.
Recently our team closed a sale of an absolutely stunning home that had been previously professionally decorated. To answer the above question, yes we still staged the home for sale. Lets take a look at the before and after photos and I can point out the difference between staging and decorating.
The first picture is the before photo of the family room, as you can see the home is beautifully decorated. Tasteful and cozy, the family collection of Geodes are beautifully displayed on the niche shelves. Now take a look at picture #2, the staged for sale photo. As you can see we neutralized the wall color on the accent wall, brighting up the entire room. We also removed the bench seating and coffee table & floor lamp to open up the space and maximize the space, as well as re-staged neutral colors on the niche shelves. Again, decorating takes into consideration the living comforts, staging we want to maximize the space.
Now lets take a look at the Formal living room. Stunning custom artwork adorns the glass block fireplace, they purchased from an artist in Sedona. Keeping with the homeowners love of Sedona's Red Rock tones in the area rug flow throughout giving the space a serenity of beautiful Sedona. Now take a look at next photo, the staged version of this same room. You will see we removed the area rug allowing the gorgeous wood floors to be displayed. Replacing the serenity Angel with simple low-lying greenery which allows the eye to travel the entire space and into the backyard with a gorgeous view of the pool. We also neutralized the wall color surround the fireplace which really popped the glass block surround.
The Kitchen, the heart of the home, right? This home featured a very large kitchen with lots of fresh bright white cabinets and large eat-in area. Looks nice and clean. Here we made some simple addition to add to this gourmet kitchen, that really added a nice cherry on top to the already nice kitchen… cabinet knobs. The addition of simple cabinet knobs and drawer pulls add such a nice upgraded custom look to any kitchen. The space also featured a picture window above the kitchen sink, removing the decor and replacing with a simple white orchid allowed natural light to flow and accent the beautiful arched window. Just off the kitchen is a spacious breakfast nook, very nicely appointed for family dinners and game night. In the next photo we neutralized the space of religious art and the game night book shelf opening up the size to its fullest and appealing to the masses.
Do we stage the exterior? Does the exterior matter to potential buyers? Absolutely! We leave no stoned un turned, so lets take a look at the pool area. As you can see this home had an amazing pool and lush landscaping surround. However what this home also featured was an oversized lot which is hard to come by in the greater Phoenix area and therefore a great selling feature. So as you will see, we had the gardner cut back the bushes so we could maximize the space and expose the expansive lawn and play area surrounding the pool.
Do staged homes sell for more? Why do we go through so much trouble when listing our properties? Staged homes seller quicker than the average home on the market and for more money. This home was listed with another agent and the clients received an offer that was less than their list price and later decided to hire our team to take over, we got our clients $30,000 more than the offer they had previously received. That's why we take the effort to stage our listings.
We'd love to help you prepare your home and market it to help you get more money by appealing to more buyers. Give is a call if you'd like more information.
Over the last several years we have seen the bar raised in Buyers expectations. My theory is that during the real estate crash, many homes were purchased by investors that rehabbed the property and "flipped" the homes. These completely remodeled homes came on the market in a direct competition with owner occupied properties. When you step into a home that has brand new carpet, new paint, updated kitchen & sometimes baths, then you go to show your prospective buyer a home that has dirty dishes in the sink, stained carpet, dirty baths and in desperate need of interior and exterior paint, its easy to assume who is going to get the higher offer.
If you follow my monthly West Valley Market report, you have heard me say this over and over, the homes that come on the market, "staged and priced right" sell quickly, while others sit and continue to reduce their price. This has created what we in the industry call a "spread" in market values of the same properties. When completing a Market Analysis of the same comparable properties we find some selling much less than others with upgrades and updates. Over the past few years, I have presented my sellers with 2 to 3 Market Values based on the upgrades they are willing to complete prior to market. We have had the pleasure of seeing a tremendous return for our sellers, putting thousands more in their pockets at closing!
With that said, we decided to give our sellers an even bigger advantage in this extremely competitive market. We have gathered industry professionals from handymen, painters, general contractors, cleaning pros, to granite/quartz installers and even flooring to bring discounted rates to help you get top dollar for you home! That may sound over whelming, not to worry, the process is way easier than you might expect. We will let you know what needs to be done to the property in order to maximize the sales price as well as have our partners facilitate the work!
Check out this property with Before and After pics. Our client was able to take $10,000 from her Home Equity line and fix up the property. This $10,000 investment, netted her an additional $28,000 in her pocket at closing! Even better, we sold in 4 days on the market, full price CASH!
Call me today and so we can discuss ways to maximize the sale of your property!
The home of my dreams has an rv gate. Surely I can park my rv there right?!?!? This is the number ONE question I get from out of state buyers that have an RV. "Well. if I can't park my RV why do they advertise an RV gate". Great question! Unfortunately more often then not, the answer is no! The rules are you can park any toy, boat, car etc as long as it doesn't show over the fence line. Luckily for you, our team knows all the neighborhoods in the west valley that WILL allow you to park an RV. Additionally, if the neighborhood does not allow RV parking we know the closest location that you can store your RV. There are a handful of neighborhoods that have an HOA (Homeowners Association) and allow RV parking. Many of the neighborhoods that allow RV parking are not in an HOA area.
HOA's can be positive or negative. The short version is HOA neighborhoods have a lot of control and in turn they make sure your neighbors cannot paint their house any color of the rainbow they want without permission. They also regulate any improvements a homeowner would like to do (aka an extended driveway, a front porch, really anything architectural). Additionally they provide and maintain community features such as parks, sports courts and walkways.
There are stats that show neighborhoods that are in an HOA hold their value or increase in value faster. Another category (which you definitely need a neighborhood expert for) are neighborhoods that are not in an HOA but they still take care of their properties. This is really important. If your agent suggests a neighborhood, drive that neighborhood during the day, at night and on a weekend day. Pull over and talk to a neighbor. Ask questions. Does your agent live in that area? If not how many homes have they sold in that area (aka are they a neighborhood expert). To summarize, interview your agent. Their knowledge will make a huge difference in transaction. And I challenge you to interview myself and the Jennifer Sanchez Team. We will blow your mind and educate you with as much knowledge as we can. We realize your home is one of the largest investments of your life and we take it seriously. We can't wait to hear from you!
Author: Stephanie Hunt, is a long time buyers' specialist for the Jennifer Sanchez Team at Keller Williams Professional Partners and can be reached at 623-229-0416.
Heres your West Valley Market update for January 2019. It's a great time to be a homeowner as median home prices continue to increase in all West Valley cities, starting 2019 off strong.
El Mirage had the largest increase over Jan 2018 with 14.24% increase, Buckeye 13.60% increase, Goodyear up 11.18%, Phoenix 11.18%, all other cities also showed increases. Inventory levels remain scarcely low and homes did take a little longer to sell. Many cities took a slight dip in the amount of closed transactions, Maricopa County was down -11.9% of January 2018. While most cities in the West Valley showed a slight decrease in closed sales, Tolleson Laveen, Goodyear all had an increase over last year.
Market Insights: We are definitely seeing positive ROI when sellers are willing and able to do improvements to their properties prior to market, meaning paint, cleaning or replacing carpets. I have always told my sellers "Nobody want to buy your house, they are looking for their New Home!" Staged, clean, market ready homes are selling faster and for more than their competition.
Thinking about selling? Call us today and we can explore your options for selling; cash investor-pick your closing date-no hassle, home improvements that will bring you the highest net return and we can help you facilitate the work!
Call us today and let us show you how easy it can be done!
Thinking of Buying, please give us a call and ask about our free down payment programs!
How's the Market? Heres your West Valley Market update for December 2018. Happy New Year everyone!! Hope you had safe, healthy and happy holidays! As the year came to an end, I thought I would do this month's update a little differently with a short snap shot of each West Valley city and how each city finished up the year.
Median home price increased 6.71% from $212,500 in 2017 to $226,500 for 2018. Closed sales were down -6.5% over last year, 1334 closed 2018 versus 1428 in 2017. Inventory was down -8.33% from 2017.
Median Home price increased 10.87% from $200,950 in 2017 to $222,800 for 2018. Closed sales were increased over last year by 11.6%, 2775 closed 2018 versus 2486 in 2017. Inventory was down -27.70 from 2017.
Median home price increased 9.75% from $197,000 in 2017 to $199,500 for 2018. Closed sales were down -6.2% over last year, 592 closed 2018 versus 631 in 2017. Inventory was down -6.19% from 2017.
Median home price increased 6.82% from $220,000 in 2017 to $235,000 for 2018. Closed sales were down -9.4% over last year, 4391 closed 2018 versus 4464 in 2017. Inventory was down -9.4% from 2017.
Median home price increased 7.53% from $260,500 in 2017 to $280,108 for 2018. Closed sales increase 2.9% compared to last year, 2100 closed 2018 versus 2041 in 2017. Inventory was practically flat 0.38% compared to 2017.
Median home price increased 11.64% from $217,000 in 2017 to $242,250 for 2018. Closed sales were down -6.3% over last year, 844 closed 2018 versus 901 in 2017. Inventory was down -11.56% from 2017.
Median home price increased 11.31% from $283,000 in 2017 to $315,000 for 2018. Closed sales increased 11.3% over last year, 779 closed 2018 versus 691 in 2017. Inventory was down -2.17% from 2017.
Median home price increased 9.43% from $265,000 in 2017 to $290,000 for 2018. Closed sales were down -6.5% over last year, 1334 closed 2018 versus 1428 in 2017. Inventory was down -5.49% from 2017.
Median home price increased 8.89% from $225,000 in 2017 to $245,000 for 2018. Closed sales were nearly flat with last year at 0.3%, with 21,917 closed 2018 versus 21,845 in 2017. Inventory was down -13.62% from 2017.
Median home price increased 9.03% from $227,000 in 2017 to $247,500 for 2018. Closed sales were down slightly -0.9% over last year, 3909 closed 2018 versus 3946 in 2017. Inventory was down -13.62% from 2017.
Median home price increased 10.00% from $200,00 in 2017 to $220,000 for 2018. Closed sales were up 3.7%% over last year, 651 closed 2018 versus 628 in 2017. Inventory was down -4.43% from 2017.
Median home price increased 8.33% from $240,000 in 2017 to $260,000 for 2018. Closed sales were down pretty much flat over last year, 95,830 closed 2018 versus 95,825 in 2017. Inventory was down -12.69% from 2017.
So all in all, sales were a little down in most West Valley cities, however the prices have continued on a normal steady increase. This is the type of increase we want to see, normal rise with inflation. Given the "Slim Pickens" with listing inventory, the sales held pretty strong. All cities including Maricopa county had much less inventory for sale in 2018 versus 2017.
Best of all for several years now the market has continued to prove its corrected itself and is where it needs to be STABLE & STEADY. We also saw homes sitting on the market that were not as I call it, "ready for market." Buyers expectations of homes remained high, they want a home that is move in ready, fresh paint and nice updates, those homes sold quickly and most of the time with multiple offers, it still wasn't the bidding wars of the early 2000's driving homes to unaffordable prices.
As we enter into 2019, I will keep you posted monthly on the West Valley Market Trends, if you would like a complimentary detailed Market Analysis on your property, feel free to call, text or email anytime.
How's the Market? Here is the November 2018, West Valley Market Report. Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful to you all that median home prices held strong last month, as all West Valley cities reported an increase, or held strong with year to date home median prices reported last month. Inventory levels remain critically low, which as decreased closed transactions. Litchfield Park had the highest increase over last year at +4.1% setting them at +13.0% increase over 2017. Followed by Surprise at 3.1% over same month last year, landing them nearly flat with sales in 2017. Tolleson was flat with November 2017 and still up +3.8% year to date. All other cities so a significant reduction in closed transactions, El Mirage -25.4%, Avondale -19.1%, Peoria -16%, Laveen -14.1%, Glendale -9.7%, Phoenix -7.72%, Goodyear -3.3% and Buckeye -2.1% and Maricopa County -7.8%. Oddly enough with slow sales, the average days on market is steadily decreasing, meaning the few homes that are listed each month, priced right and looking good are selling quick, which is why the prices have continued to increase month after month.
Market insights: We continue to see a lot of contracts with contingetcy on Buyers needing to sell their home. We are seeing lots of reloctiaons, California, Washington, Illinois and Indiana seem to be leading that pack. We are also seeing a lot of investors still buying home to rent out. As well as "future retire" purchases, were the home, this is were we lease the home for a few years until the buyer retires and relocates to AZ to live in the home. Rental market continues to thrive as many "future buyers" are relocating and just trying to get their bearings down as to where in the Valley of the Sun they would like to purchase.
Have you ever wanted to own your own investment property? Call us today and let us show you how easy it can be done and our worry-free program. In most cases our Buyers are not even making a first mortgage payment, as we are a full service team, we find the tenant and protect your investment for you.
Thinking of Buying or Selling, please give us a call we would love to help you!
How's the Market? Here is the October 2018, West Valley Market Report. Happy Fall!! Steady as she goes. Our Real Estate market continues to prove that month after month, we are definitely not in another housing BOOM. Buyers are not overriding or settling for just anything. The bar is raised and buyers want homes that look nice at frat market value, homes hitting the market ready to sell are sell in the first 30-45 days, while over priced homes are forced to lower or sit on the market. Low inventory continues to drive home prices in a nice steady upward movement, "safety nets" in place, meaning the strict regulations with the appraisal industry is not allowing a sky rocket of home values like we saw in 2004-2007.
A few cities came up short in sales over last year, El Mirage -32.8% although you have to also take in to consideration that there is nearly nothing for sale there, inventory of 1.62 months doesnt give buyers much to choose from. Buckeye has down -19.7% over last year, Tolleson -4.2%, Avondale -2.0%, Goodyear -1.2%, Phoenix was flat with last year and Maricopa County was -1.2% down. Slower sales didn't effect home values as ALL West Valley cities has increases in the Median home prices over October last year.
We are still seeing a lot of contingent offers to allow buyers to sell their existing home. Which makes sense, as most people don't want to sell their home until they know where they are moving to.
We are a full service real estate team, we would love to help you with all your real estate needs. Thinking of Buying or Selling, please give us a call we would love to help you!
How's the Market? Here is the September 2018, West Valley Market Report. As we head into cooler temps October is seasonally consider the beginning of peak season for real estate in AZ. As winter visitors return and folks dreading the snow and ice decide to relocate to our beautiful city. We will for sure be welcoming buyers back into the market as Septembers closed sales took quite a dip compared to last year. El Mirage was the hardest hit with -39.3% compared to Sept 2017, followed by Phoenix -35.8%, Avondale -32.3%, Glendale -32.2%, Buckeye -31.5%, Goodyear -25.6%, Peoria -23.8%, Surprise -20.2%, Tolleson -13.0%, Litchfield Park -10.09%, and Laven was flat with last year. Maricopa county overall reported -6.1% in closed sales over last year.
Is this dip in real estate sales an indicator of a shift in the market? Its definitely something to keep our eyes on. Another indicator of a drop in closed sales could also be the low inventory, as all West Valley cities are still incredibly low inventory levels. When there isn't much for buyers to buy, we could still have a lot of buyers sitting on the side lines waiting for that perfect home to come on the market. With that said another stat to consider is new listings, only two cities had an increase in new listings over last year, that being Litchfield Park 17.7%, and Laveen 10.4% increase. All other cities were significantly less than last year. El Mirage -30.2%, Avondale -21.1%, Tolleson -25.4%, Litchfield Park -17.7%, Peoria -7.0%, Glendale -6.5%, Buckeye -4.6%, Phoenix -2.7%, Goodyear and Surprise are almost flat with last year. New listings taken in Maricopa county is down -5.8% over some month last year.
However, even with the low homes sales, low inventory, we did see the average days on market drop in just about all West Valley cities. That means homes going on the market, priced right and staged to sell are selling in under 40 days. We also saw many cities have a decrease in Median home prices.
We will continue to watch these critical numbers to see if the real estate market is heading for a shift. Enjoy the gorgeous weather, we will see what October brings!


text:
Everything You Need To Know About Black Sun Empire – The Wrong Room
Dave Jenkins / 23 March 2017
Black Sun Empire's sixth album is finally upon us: The Wrong Room
Buckle up: It's every bit as high impact and far-reaching as we'd hoped since we broke the news of the LP's imminent arrival in January with epic piece of tech theatre The Veil (with Noisia)
14 tracks deep and sporting major league collaborations with the likes of their protégé-turned-posterboy Pythius, longstanding mates and collaborators State Of Mind, fellow heavyweight kindred spirits Audio, Prolix and many more, The Wrong Room is another 100% drum & bass exploration that takes in elements as broad as metal and trance and works well as an entire experience just as much as its components will smash clubs and festival arenas throughout the year.
It's also the longest the Utrecht trio have ever spent between albums. Previously running on a two-three year cycle between long-players, this one has been in incubation for five years due to the rapid development of their Blackout brand and increasing demands on their schedule. The wait has been worth it.
But where is this wrong room? What's inside it? We have questions, luckily they have answers. Read on for Black Sun Empire's most extensive interview about The Wrong Room so far…
From The Shadows into The Wrong Room… And the busiest/craziest five years in Black Sun Empire history in between, perhaps?
Rene: Definitely. We were very busy, busier than we had been in years, after From The Shadows. That continued to build right up until we took time out to do the album last year.
Last time we spoke you said the success of From The Shadows drove you to write another album…
Micha: Yeah it did go way beyond our expectations. We were lucky on the timing. Dubstep was saturated and people were ready for a full-on drum & bass album again. It was on the Beatport charts for a very long time and in the top three best-selling albums across all genres for that year. We were like woah what's going on here?
What was your take on dubstep at that time?
Micha: That scene was saturated. It was everywhere. If you hear your mom play dubstep then for some it turns into something they don't want to be involved in. Even though the music is cool, when it becomes THAT popular some people want to dive into something new and exciting.
So that was the context of From The Shadows – what was the context or trigger point for The Wrong Room?
Milan: It's natural to do an album every four or so years. We enjoy them more than doing 12"s or EPs because it's a challenge; going away, working on a whole body of work and taking our time with it, making sure it all makes sense. It's a fulfilling way of working. But there wasn't a specific reason to do it, it was just time. We'd done those EPs with State Of Mind and it felt right to do something totally Black Sun Empire.
Do all three of you experience that feeling of timing at the same time or does one of you usually instigate it?
Micha: I think it comes to us all around the same time quite naturally. This time it took longer between albums than before – it's the biggest gap between albums we've had.
Rene: It's the point when we all realise we've got around 40 half written projects and we need to finish a few of them.
Micha: Yeah an album is an excuse to finish our music!
Where or what is the Wrong Room?
Micha: It's this one, our studio. It could be your room, any room…
Rene: We like it because it means something different to everyone. The wrong room for you is different to wrong rooms for us. It's quite mysterious. But there's truth about it being here, or at least this building. We started doing nights here 15 years ago.
That's Tivoli, right?
Micha: Yeah. Tivoli club has moved, so now the whole building is studios but this is where it all started for us. But as the building has changed, the vibe and purpose of it has changed so our relationship with the building has. There's definitely an influence of that on the title.
Well it works. It sounds like you're having a lot of fun on the album – tracks like Swarm and Stranger feel like proper mid 2000s tear-ups!
Micha: We always try to do what we feel like doing because you can't please everybody all the time. So we make what we feel like making. We never think 'oh shit we have to make this sound because that's what's blowing up for the kids!' we just make things we really like.
Do you successfully cut out everything else going on when you're writing an album so you're not getting influenced without realising?
Micha: I want to say yes, but of course there are a lot of things we hear and we like. Running the label and playing alongside other DJs at parties means we're constantly faced with all kinds of inspiring things. So I think for every producer going there will be some subliminal influence. And you have to stay relevant, too. So there's an element of that in there, which is shown in the following we get at events. The crowd hasn't aged, they keep being 18… Our fans aren't our own age, which is a great thing.
Rene: But that said, if I'm honest the only people we're trying to impress when we're writing is each other. So we do cut out the world when we're in that creative state in that sense.
How often is it the three of you work together in the same room? Do you have a similar set-up to Noisia with a room each?
Rene: We have separate rooms for sure
Milan: I'm always in the wrong room!
Rene: It's healthy to not spend every minute together. It gives us time to experiment and try ideas that might not work or might be a bit different.
Milan: You don't want people looking over your shoulder the whole time you know?
Rene: In the end it all comes together with the three of us. Naturally if one of us isn't happy then it doesn't come out.
How about collaborations? How do they fit into that process?
Micha: Mainly it's one of us and the other act. If you have too many cooks in the kitchen then it gets too crazy and nothing gets decided. There's only one mouse and keyboard.
Rene: But that takes you up to 80% of the tune. The final 20% is the three of us to make sure it's a Black Sun Empire track.
You seem to work well in collaborative scenarios and have long running relationships with acts like Noisia and State Of Mind. Do you think you work well in collabs because you're already a three man collab anway?
Rene: I've never considered that but maybe yeah.
Micha: We understand concessions a lot more than other acts. We learnt that working together and in the beginning we wouldn't always see eye to eye on how to develop someone else's ideas so we've developed a much better attitude to that. Plus there are many collabs we've done which have never resulted in anything, its' the way it goes – you can't force stuff. Being cool with throwing away a tune is a big important thing to learn too.
As you continue to be at the forefront of the genre and your following carries on growing do you feel you can you take more risks?
Micha: Yeah I guess so but taking risks isn't a decided choice – we don't think 'oh let's take some risks now!' We just have the one rule we mentioned earlier: all three of us have to like it. Luckily there are enough people out there who agree with our decision. It's the same with releases on Blackout. If we were more obscure or experimental then maybe that would be the case but we're in a style of music that has a loyal following.
Tech/neuro drum & bass hasn't always had the massive following though. You've been on this since day one – you've experienced the ups and downs, right?
Micha: True. But we've always had that hardcore following. Even when dubstep was really big and drum & bass was suffering we still sold enough records and got enough bookings to keep us going. Somehow we survived those ups and downs without too much of a worry.
By making dubstep?
Micha: Good point. But that was late 2000s and before the sound moved away from what we were into.
Keeping with the older BSE sound – I can hear some of your old trance tendencies in tracks like Scarif…
Micha: Yeah I thought it was a cool idea to go back to that trancey/heavy balance that we used to do. We haven't really done that sound for a long time so it was fun to go back to that and bring it up to date.
In the same ways From The Shadows came out at the right time, you could argue that The Wrong Room has too. A lot of people talk about neuro productions only taking influence from within the genre so it becomes an echo of itself. People are beginning to look for new ideas and influences. So like Scarif or the heavy metal influence on No Advance with Prolix…
Rene: Time will take care of the timing – we don't know if it's the right statement to make at the right time but we know we've spent a long time making it and it's ready to come out. There's a lot more competition now – there are many more drum & bass albums being released now than there were during From The Shadows. But our range of influences has always been strong since day one. We listen to a lot of hip-hop, electro, metal, trance and so on. That has never changed and we recommend everyone listen to as much music from as many different places as possible. I don't know why you wouldn't and you often find the best music comes from people who do love a much broader range of music.
Amen. Give me the lowest moment of the album…
Rene: There was that time when Milan was lost in the Vietnamese jungle for two years. That was pretty low.
Micha: There are always struggles. Albums drive you insane, they always will, but it's part of the challenge. There are moments when an idea takes a longer time to come out of your head than other ideas have and the others are saying 'come on, let's drop it, it's not working' but you know it is. Those moments are challenging but it's always worth it. There's a tune with 30 different versions that goes into completely different drops – jump-up, techno, all kinds. Sometimes you really have to explore every idea.
You do. Time for some final shouts…
Rene: We really have to give Rutger Prins a shout. He did the artwork and I know it was a hard job for them, building a whole room to throw paint around.
Micha: It was the first time I didn't do the artwork. It was hard to let go of that.
That must have been a big decision to make?
Micha: A really big one. I had very itchy fingers and woke up sweating worrying if it was going to be okay! Of course it was. So yeah, shouts to him and his assistant (Max Lehmann) who was happy to get splattered with paint while they experimented getting it right for weeks! And shouts to everyone else who we've worked with or has tolerated us for the last year. You all know who you are.
Follow Black Sun Empire: Facebook / Soundcloud / Twitter
WordsBlackoutDrum & Bass


text:
Tim Burgess - I Love The New Sky
Format LP - Splatter Vinyl CD
LP - Splatter Vinyl CD
A huge release in these parts. One of our 2020 Sea Change headliners in extraordinary form with some of the finest songs he's ever sung across a storied career. 'I Love The New Sky' drops on Sea Change Friday!
How inspiring it is to hear Tim Burgess conjuring up exciting and life-affirming sounds as he, almost inconceivably, enters his fifth decade on public duty. Frontman, singer, label boss, DJ and author, he's been instrumental in so many great records over the years, always bringing enthusiasm, positivity and diversity of influence, which altogether light the way for those who hold him dear.
+ First pressing on transparent splatter vinyl. Includes download code.
While in The Charlatans, Tim's indefatigable energy has been a consistent fuel for the band across thirteen high-charting albums, his solo adventure has been no less extraordinary, scaling new heights in 2020 with his fifth solo release to date: 'I Love The New Sky'. Released on Bella Union, it features wonderfully connective songs of everyday minutiae and universal experience, of love and anger, of loss and belonging, all united by elaborate yet natural arrangements and an effortless but deceptively expert way with melody.
'I Love The New Sky' differs from its predecessors in that all twelve tracks were self-penned. "In the past, I've written collaboratively," says a characteristically, but rightfully excited Burgess. "(2012's) 'Oh No I Love You' was written with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner in Nashville, and then 'Same Language, Different Worlds' was a collaboration with Peter Gordon who had worked extensively with Arthur Russell."
The spark for 'I Love The New Sky' came after a year of touring another album, 'As I Was Now', which he'd made in 2008 but had a belated release ten years later. "That one was made in three days, just friends getting together", he says – the amigos included Josh Hayward from The Horrors, Primal Scream Keyboard player Martin Duffy, Ladyhawke and My Bloody Valentine's Debbie Googe.
"I didn't realise the album hadn't actually come out as I had a copy of it on my ipod so I figured that maybe everybody did. So, all those years later I thought it would make an interesting release for Record Store Day. It did really well, so I was approached to tour it for Independent Venue Week and after that a load of festivals asked us to play too. Average Sex were the support band that then became my band so it was a brilliant little tour. After that, I was really energized, and I thought, Right, I'm going to do another album, but really concentrate on making it a solo record, where I write everything on my own and all the songs are the very best I can make them."
1. Empathy For The Devil
2. Sweetheart Mercury
3. Comme D'Habitude
4. Sweet Old Sorry Me
5. The Warhol Me
6. Lucky Creatures
7. The Mall
8. Timothy
9. Only Took A Year
10. I Got This
11. Undertow
12. Laurie
Artist: Tim Burgess
Label: Bella Union
Catalogue: BELLA1006V
Format: CD & LP
Release Date: 22nd May 2020


9 to 5 Mac notes that Google has started rolling out its "results-as-you-type" Instant search feature to users visiting the company's homepage on iOS devices. The feature does not yet appear to be available in all locations within the United States, but it should presumably be coming soon to those who have not yet seen it appear.
Notably, the feature is opt-out, meaning that it will be the default behavior for users on the company's site unless they choose to turn it off.
Update: Google has now issued a blog post announcing the launch of Google Instant on iOS and Android in the United States.


An advisor is charging 1.95% for an ETF portfolio. That's too high.
What's better, a LIRA or an enhanced pension?
Can we retire in 10 years and earn $50,000 annually?
How does a LIRA work after a pension transfer?
Ted is confused about his investment options after leaving a DC pension, and whether his pension money would be better off in a regular RRSP.
Mel can't get a straight answer from his bank about his investment fees and is looking for some input on investing late in retirement.
What's my RRSP contribution limit?
Should I invest my money or buy a life insurance policy instead?
Konstantino is 27 and hopes to retire by 45. He wants to know how that impacts his RRSP versus TFSA savings strategy.


Get ready for yet another new slots from Playtech- Jazz Club. Made of 5 reels and 25 lines, enjoying those bonuses here rally make you feel like bursting into a song. This exciting new video slots game has all the excitement and fun packed in those reels. This is going to be as exciting as the Book of RA and you can play the game on mobile casinos too. Get ready for loads of free spins and amazing prizes. Enjoy being in the great atmosphere in the e jazz club. Enter the club with a cigar and a drink and entertain yourself to some great cash prizes.
The Jazz club theme is packed with animated graphics and beautiful sounds. You will feel like gambling at a Las Vergas slot. The low-deep sound of the trombone will add to the excitement of the nightclub scene. There are trumpeters, bassists and pianists out there to entertain you all night long ad will help you take a trip to the old days. The traditional poker symbols are al there, from 9 to Ace.
The symbol that you choose replace all other special symbols except for the wild and bonus symbol.
Be at the Jazz Club if you want to enjoy the music, your drink as well as those larger wins. The wild card and bonus symbols on this 5 reel, 25 pay-line slot game only add to the excitement. Just try to get 3 or more matching symbols on a pay-line to get your wins. The musicians, the whiskey glass, wild symbol are the special symbols that you should eye for. Keep as many pay-lines open if you want to enhance your chances of winning. You get the jazz solo bonus round if you get the 3 bonus symbols anywhere.
Bassist will lead to 14 free spins and a x2 multiplier.
Pianist will offer 7 free spins and a x4 multiplier.
The game has smart features that make it the most sought after one. For example, you pick a musician to perform solo and get awarded either 10 free spins.
You will love the warm comfortable feel of being at the Jazz Club. This new video slot machine is great fun to be at and you could be here for hours. Listen to the sweet sounds of victory and enjoy your time at the Jazz Club.


text:
Home / National Issues / National News » National News
Advocacy Menu
NH Issues
NH News
NH Legislative Updates
NH Resources
National Legislative Updates
Do 9 Out of 10 Nonprofits "Fail"?
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson has repeatedly said that nine out of ten nonprofits "fail". Where does this statistic come from? The Washington Post looked at data from the Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable Statistics to determine if the data backs up Carson's claim.
Automatic 6-Month Extension for Form 990 & Form 990-PF Filers
A provision of the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015 included an automatic 6-month extension for all Form 990 filers.
Mulling the Effects of a Minimum Wage on Nonprofits
Rick Cohen of Nonprofit Quarterly looks at how California foundations and nonprofits are reacting to the ongoing debate about raising the minimum wage.
IRS Standing Down for 2016 as Nonprofits Boost Campaign Role
"The Internal Revenue Service appears certain to delay any attempt to tighten regulations on nonprofit politicking until after the 2016 election, according to The New York Times."
Nonprofit Quarterly's Post-Election Special Report
Nonprofit Quarterly's Rick Cohen put together a two-part special report on the mid-term elections from a nonprofit perspective.
Nonprofits Can't Fix Paul Ryan's Poverty Plan
Rep. Paul Ryan believes that charitable organizations should be a guiding light for the federal government — the anti-thesis of a Washington bureaucracy that he says is bloated and ineffective. But the kind of intensive case management that he's proposed for every recipient of major federal benefits — ranging from food stamps and heating aid to housing vouchers and child-care assistance — isn't cheap. Ryan hasn't accounted for the costs and suggested Wednesday that charitable organizations, state, and local governments should help foot the bill.
Reform on Indirect Costs Payments Effective Soon
In less than six months new reforms governing payments to nonprofits for their indirect (overhead) and other costs will go into effect. To prepare the National Council of Nonprofits has pulled together resource to help nonprofits learn what the reforms do and why they matter to nonprofits.
IRS Chief: New Rule on the Way for Tax-Exempt
The Internal Revenue Service is prepared to rewrite a proposed rule regulating the political activities of non-profit groups to address complaints from the right and left that it goes too far, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said Monday.
Foundations Can Rewrite History by Focusing on the States
Like Robert Frost nearly a century ago, today's foundation leaders stand where two roads diverge. They can continue down the usual road of fixating solely on federal policy debates, such as the one over the charitable deduction. Or they can take the road "less traveled by" to where the real action is: the states. If they choose the latter, then years from now they too can look back with Frost's sigh of satisfaction because that choice will have "made all the difference"—for their missions, their grantees, and the individuals and communities they serve.
Obama Budget Caps Charitable Deduction at 28% for Wealthy
Nonprofits criticized a plan offered by President Obama on Tuesday that would limit the value of all tax deductions, including the charitable deduction, for wealthy taxpayers.
Where Biden Should Look for Job Training Ideas (Nonprofits and Governors)
Highlighting the value nonprofits contribute to economic development - this recent Nonprofit Quarterly article proposes that a new commission on job training led by Vice President Biden "convene the nation's best locally-focused job training nonprofits" as a means to develop policy based on the most successful practices from around the nation.
501(c)(4) Proposed Regulations
The Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee is leading an effort to block implementation of proposed regulations from the Treasury Department that would redefine what constitutes electioneering activities of 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations under the Internal Revenue Code.
Thune, Wyden Lead Bipartisan Group of Senators to Call for Maintaining the Charitable Tax Deduction
U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), members of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, today led a bipartisan group of senators in a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) underscoring the importance of maintaining the charitable tax deduction as the committee considers comprehensive tax reform.
Houston, We Have a Budget Deal in Washington
Rick Cohen of Nonprofit Quarterly examines the Ryan-Murrey budget deal, which adds $45 billion to the top-line budget number in discretionary spending for 2014.
Treasury Dep't Proposes Overhaul of 501(c)(4) Political Spending
A draft proposal released by the Treasury Department yesterday would target the political spending of so-called social welfare organizations that receive 501(c)(4) tax exemptions. Treasury is taking aim at whether these groups do too much political activity and too little social welfare programming. Although it has been reported in the press as an Obama administration crackdown, at this stage it is only a proposed statement of guidance around which the IRS (which is part of Treasury) is soliciting reactions and feedback.
An Assessment of the Strengthening Communities Fund Capacity-Building Program
The Strengthening Communities Fund (SCF) authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was part of the Federal government's response to the recession. Because people often turn to nonprofit organizations for assistance in difficult financial times, SCF was designed to build organizational capacity of faith-based and community organizations so they could better serve people in need and contribute to the economic recovery. This research brief highlights the interplay between the recession and SCF capacity-building efforts.
Pittsburgh's New Mayor Clashes with Nonprofit Coalition over PILOTs
At the end of this year, the City of Pittsburgh's accord with a coalition known as the Pittsburgh Public Service Fund will end, and it's already caused friction between local nonprofits and the city's newly elected mayor, Bill Peduto.
Impact of the Government Shutdown and Threat of Default on the Nonprofit Sector
Despite its obvious negative consequences, the recent government shutdown has afforded us yet another opportunity to illustrate how critical the nonprofit sector is to New Hampshire's communities and economy.
Future of Campaign Finance Reform
This is a fluid time in campaign finance, with the potential for lots of money to shift around in the wake of some very unpopular political actions in Washington. The U.S. Supreme Court is about to rule on another campaign finance reform case, McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission. If the court rules against the FEC, it will be another step toward the domination of federal elections by big-money people and institutions. This article from the Nonprofit Quarterly explores this issue.
National Issues | National News
Gov't Shutdown: Impact for Nonprofits?
Big swaths of the federal government closed shop at midnight Monday (9/30) after Congress failed to reach a deal to keep the money flowing. What does the shutdown mean for nonprofits?
The Chronicle of Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Quarterly have both weighed in with their thoughts.
Government Shutdown: What It Means for Nonprofits
Budget Shutdown: Nonprofit Nightmares


It's the hand-finished details on each of alice McCALL's designs that have garnered her romantic collections a cult following. Woven with touches of cotton and linen, this retro-inspired 'Girls on Film' dress has a flattering sweetheart neckline and oversized patch pockets edged with wispy raffia trims. The cream hue makes it a perfect choice for summer parties.
Shown here with: Stella McCartney Shoulder bag, 3.1 Phillip Lim Sandals, Laura Lombardi Earrings.


If you live in Hunt County and would like to have Morris Construction install a new driveway and/or culvert, please read the following.
If access is off a State Highway or Farm to Market road, apply for a permit through the Texas DOT. If your drive will be accessed from a county road, go to your Hunt County Permits Office.
You will receive the culvert size with your approved permit.
Contact Morris Construction with your requirements at 903-413-8699 or 469-307-3039. We can deliver and install all required materials.
Concrete Safety Ends are required on all culverts being installed off of a State Hwy or Farm to Market road.
Hunt County requires culverts installed on county roads be sized by a representative of the county. Culverts installed are a minimum of thirty feet long and the county representative, usually the Commissioner or the road foreman, determines the diameter. The county does not install culverts on new installations.
If you should have any questions please contact the Hunt County Commissioner's office at 903-408-4195.


text:
Addison Arbor Foundation Announces Name of New Sculpture on Beltway Drive: Arcadia
January 16, 2019 January 16, 2019 by Sydni Ellis
Two charming, tan stone pillars stand strong on Beltway Drive in Addison, supporting a striking grey metal sphere. Carved into the stone is a beautiful picture of a tree, complete with leaves, birds and an owl nestled in its branches. This piece of art is called "Arcadia," a name announced by the Addison Arbor Foundation last month.
"Arcadia" was created by artist Eliseo, who attended the site to sign his monumental sculpture on Dec. 19. Representatives from the Addison Arbor Foundation and the Town of Addison were there, as well as Ultimate Ventures, a corporate meeting and event planning company that was one of the donors for "Arcadia," and Hampton Inn, who provided an easement to the Town of Addison for the sculpture.
The name "Arcadia" reflects "a vision of pastoralism, beautiful scenery and harmony with nature, which Eliseo captured with his sculpture," according to an update shared by the Addison Arbor Foundation on their Facebook page. "Arcadia" also refers to a sparsely populated Greek province known for its natural beauty, including mountains, green spaces and unspoiled wilderness.
Dallas-native Eliseo is a multi-media sculpture artist with experience in private, commercial and public art sculpture that utilizes traditional natural stone, steel and cast bronze creations. His work is noted for its "visual impact, innovative free flowing designs, substance and relevance to theme content," according to his website. He has received several awards throughout his career, including the VHA Designer and Sculptor Award, the Texas State Visual Artist Award and more. You can see another one of Eliseo's artwork at Spruill Dog Park in Addison, where a large dog carved out of limestone greets visitors at the park entrance.
The Addison Arbor Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission "to promote and enhance landscaping, public art, public parks and parks and recreation programs of the Town of Addison." They have installed several public art pieces and landscaping projects, funded by donors, all throughout the Town of Addison.
Next time you are looking for some fresh air, stop by Beltway Drive next to Hampton Inn and admire "Arcadia"! This amazing sculpture looks even more impressive in person.
Sydni Ellis
Sydni Ellis grew up in the great state of Texas, where she learned to love chips and salsa and hot weather. She has a master's degree in Journalism from the University of North Texas, and she currently works in the College Communications, Marketing and Outreach office at Richland College. Some of her passions include writing, traveling and re-reading the Harry Potter Series every chance she gets. In the spirit of spontaneity, Sydni lives her life with a pen in one hand and her video camera in the other; ready to capture the next great story.


This video explains how to use the Intersect and Except Set Operators to combine result sets.
In this video segment, we're going to discuss the intersect and except set operators. Typically, when we're referring to sets, we're talking about the records that are returned from a select statement. There are times though we want to combine those select statements into a single result set. That's why we have our set operators.
Now, previously, we did discuss the union and union all set operators. For this video segment, we're going to focus on the intersect and except. The intersect operator will combine the two select statements, but will only return results sets that will appear in both sets, where the except operator will return rows from the first set unless it is also in the second set. Now, of the four operators, it is important in which order that I write my select statements for the except statement, because it will look at the first select statement and will return all those records except if it's in the second.
So let's look at our Management Studio. Previously, we had written a union statement to return the records from both the employees table and the customers table. But remember, with the union statement, it did not return any duplicates. Now, if I replace the union statement with the intersect– intersect operator– it will return all the records from the employees table that was also in the customers. So this is telling us that we have at least one employee and one customer that are in Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and New York. The opposite of that is if I use the except. So it's going to find everybody in the employees unless there is a matching record in the customers.
So in this case, Houston. So I have an employee in Houston, but I do not have a customer in Houston. As I mentioned, for the except operator, it is important which select statement I run first. If I switch these around, and instead of having the employees table first, I cut and paste and put the except keyword there– I'll go ahead and remove the other except keyword. Now I'll get a different result, because now I'll see that I have a customer in Chicago where I'm returning all the records from the customers table, except if there's a matching record in the employees. So this video segment, we've discussed the intersect and except set operators.