text:
The former United Methodist Church on Main Street in Great Barrington, which has been raised up and is currently being restructured, could be the home for Highminded, the fourth retail cannabis shop proposed in the town.
HEATHER BELLOW - THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE
As another retail pot shop eyes Great Barrington, a 'Highminded' reimagining of Main St. church
Posted Thursday, June 28, 2018 5:27 pm
If you go...
What: Communty outreach meeting by owners of proposed Highminded retail cannabis store
When: 4 p.m. July 9
Where: Fairfield Inn & Suites, 249 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington
On the web: highmindedhighminded.com/
By Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle
GREAT BARRINGTON — Adam Lippes wants people to look at marijuana in a new way.
And what better place to do it than in a storefront at a reimagined church.
Lippes and his partner, Alexander Farnsworth, are planning to set up their shop, "Highminded," at the former United Methodist Church on Main Street, better known as the "flying church." The shop will specialize in strains of cannabis associated with treating pain, insomnia and anxiety.
"Everyone has an idea of what a retail shop associated with cannabis looks like," Lippes said. "I want to turn that upside down."
Highminded is the brainchild of Lippes, a luxury fashion designer who owns a home in Monterey, and Farnsworth, founder of social media consulting firm Studio AF Inc. Both are in New York City.
Theirs is the fourth potential cannabis retail operation proposed for Great Barrington. All are now moving through the rigorous town approval and state licensing process. The company plans to hold its state-required community outreach meeting next month, Farnsworth noted. And it has a tentative host agreement with the town that will include the required $10,000 annual donation to a local nonprofit — in this case, Railroad Street Youth Project — and will give the organization an additional 1 percent of annual net sales.
While the other three shops are proposed for the heart of downtown, Highminded would be tucked into one of several retail spaces on the ground floor of Paul Joffe's redeveloped church, in what Farnsworth calls a "more discreet location" up the road.
"Between two toy stores [on Main Street] is not a great idea," he said in a phone interview. "Or near the candy store."
Farnsworth said he and Lippes hope to open in the fall, but that there were plenty of hurdles to conspire against that — including the completion of construction, and the state's backup of license applications.
Joffe, who will lease the upper floor of the church for use as a yet-unknown 80-seat restaurant, told The Eagle the church "should be substantially complete in the fall." Despite construction stops and starts, Joffe said he's worrying less about progress, but that "people see it and have all kinds of thoughts and questions."
The church will also contain two apartments, and a gazebo out front that Joffe has said might be perfect as a coffee shop.
But Highminded will be something very new, even to weed culture, legal or not — and particularly in the Berkshires.
"There won't be bongs found in this space," Farnsworth said of a place where a tie-dye shirt would be an unlikely find, either, since the clothing and home goods will be designed by Lippes company, Adam Lippes Studio.
But despite his partner's expensive fashion designs, Highminded won't be easily pegged in the "upscale" category.
"It's more of a curated experience," Farnsworth said, noting plans to sell things like Japanese lighters, Moroccan pipes, and antique silver cigarette cases. "We are world travelers ... I've seen interesting paraphernalia and pipes and lifestyle pieces."
Farnsworth also said the store would have an education component, given the long history of marijuana's reputation as a something less culturally acceptable than alcohol, for instance.
"Cannabis might be safer," he said.
He might be right: According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 88,000 annual deaths are linked to alcohol. And marijuana deaths? Zero.
While he said Highminded could not make any medical claims about its products, he hoped that they "might replace pills or alcohol with something locally sourced."
Farnsworth said he had to keep mum on those sources for now, but that he and Lippes might themselves eventually apply for a cultivation license and do their own growing.
But Farnsworth said the company is serious about safety and "diversion," which means keeping the products out of underage hands.
And they have someone with industry experience coming on board to help with all of this. Farnsworth's brother, Brayden, is moving here from Portland, Ore., to oversee Highminded's compliance and product development. He's worked for a cannabis company before, has a degree in biochemistry, and will manage a store that will likely employ around 12 locals.
Farnsworth said he and Lippes spend as much time as possible in the Berkshires. He said that like Aspen, Colo., he thinks the town will adjust well to the arrival of legal pot, which one town official recently called a "new and risky business."
"Aspen is an example of a town with a thriving local community and a thriving tourist economy — they've done a great job."
Heather Bellow can be reached at hbellow@berkshireeagle.com or on Twitter at @BE_hbellow and 413-329-6871.


text:
http://www.underware.nl
Underware is a graphic design studio which is specialized in designing and producing typefaces. These are often conventional in terms of legibility – yet functional, having concepts that seek for new visual, typographic and linguistic possibilities. These typefaces are published for retail sale or are custom designed.
The company was founded in 1999 by Akiem Helmling, Bas Jacobs and Sami Kortemäki.
Underware is based in Den Haag, Helsinki and Amsterdam.
Last edited by Jason Santa Maria on August 26, 2009, 08:35pm EST
View full edit history
Typefaces by this Foundry
Dolly Updated on August 25, 2009
Bello Updated on October 15, 2013
Auto 1 Updated on August 25, 2009
Fakir Updated on September 16, 2009
Liza Updated on November 22, 2010

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
✩ Disney World News and Information
4 Theme Parks, The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom
1 indoor amusement park, Disney Quest
2 Water Parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach
2 Mini Golf courses, 4 regular golf courses
24 Disney Resort Hotels
Discount Disney World Tickets (tickets vary in prices, read this FAQ)
Could Disney World Crash at $1,000?
Last Updated: Monday, 19 October 2015 22:56 | Written by David Wilkening
Disney World crashed the $1,000 barrier. Not good.
And often not seen in any positive sense.
That figure was often used in headlines to describe admission price changes at Walt Disney World and its California sister property.
One report said:
"The 'happiest place on Earth' might be a little less happy these days as Disney World fans turn grumpy over a new round of price increases -- including the introduction of an annual pass that costs more than $1,000."
Said another:
"The Internet is having a Donald Duck-like tantrum after hearing news that Disney's popular theme park annual passes jumped by up to 35 percent, crossing the psychologically important $1,000-a-year-mark. "
Not good news.
"This was the last straw for us," exclaimed a long-time fan.
"Sad day," noted a commenter on the Theme Park Insider blog. "This price increase is just ridiculous and like others have commented, Disney World is truly pricing regular folks out."
One thousand dollars gets you multi-time entrance
One blogger responding calmly to both single ticket and annual price said in a more positive tone:
"It's called an annual pass. Go three or four times a YEAR and it pays for itself. FL residents get a great discount for them, too."
But another wrote:
"I will never go again. Way too high and for a family of 4 that is $400 just to get inside. Never mind food, fast passes and the like. I will take the approx $800 (by now) and discover the USA!"
Wrote another:
"It stinks but I don't blame them for raising their ticket prices. It's not just about corporate greed, it's about the market and inflation. If people really thought it was too expensive, they'd stop going, but the parks are packed with people every single day."
As Orlando Sentinel columnist Beth Kassab put it: the added options were worthy of both a "yay" and a "boo."
She particularly objected to the raised prices of $20 for parking.
She said it "may be one of the most galling retail feats in history: Disney World raised parking prices from $17 to $20."
Parking costs up, too
She added:
"This is, again, rooted in crowd control. A $20 parking tab on top of a $105 single-day ticket at the Magic Kingdom is hopefully insulting enough to discourage some people from coming, or at least make sure hotel guests take the bus and keep their cars off the roads."
The good news was also that all annual and seasonal passes now include parking.
One of her mildest comments was that the new tiered price structure was totally confusing. It rivaled a college term paper, some complained.
In honesty, there were probably more negatives than positives.
But there's often other ways of looking at it.
That should include those $1,000 prices and maybe some other factors you might not have thought about.
So let's look at 16 or so different ways of seeing this.
As for that $1,000 price, let's compare it. It does involve multiple admission costs, after all. And one or a single ice cream sundae, believe it or not, can cost just that. It was cited in a news story a year or two ago at a New York City ice cream counter where the special sundae had a high cost because it was covered in 23-carat gold.
Silly, maybe.
But more reflective of your own everyday life: what does a typical Disney vacation really cost or how much do guests' generally pay? One study found that for families that have $500…or half of that $1,000…they simply can't afford even a single day. A shame perhaps, but that's the way it is. Reality.
The average family of four needs about $1,000 a day for any of Disney's two theme parks, according to one study.
Let's look at those negative reactions to higher prices in general.
No one likes to pay more.
But everything costs more.
Blame inflation
Prices have always gone up.
Honestly, nothing new or startling here.
Disney has rolled out admission increases on an annual basis for ages. You have to go all the way back to 1988 to find the last year that one-day tickets didn't move higher, according to Disney watchers.
Do you know what surge pricing is? There's little question that is the ultimate goal of Disney.
Disney is trying to thin crowds at the busiest times. Or at least it appears that way.
The changes appear to discourage visits to the theme parks during the most convenient times when the weather is cooler, children are excused from school and the general public is enjoying holiday times such as Christmas.
So you can still visit at Christmas or the school's spring break, but it's going to cost more than ever, and more than before.
What does this do to planning, which just about everyone recommends?
The answer: a lot.
The days of buying a single-day ticket and wandering through the gates are over, folks.
Time to learn to make more detailed plans based largely on how often you want to visit, and when (if by chance you have not already done it).
This depends in part whether you are a Florida resident, and whether you say "no sweat" to the heat of Central Florida summers.
But will the move really spread out the crowds, which just keep on coming?
…but who really knows?
This is all a good move for travel agents, whom many visitors will find even more useful than ever to sort through the often confusing array of ticket prices.
Expect to see more advertising from agents dealing with Disney not just for theme park tickets but across the board for cruises as well.
Surge pricing models will continue to be unveiled.
You might view this in large part as Disney's attempt to control overcrowding.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts have set attendance records in the last three fiscal years.
In the latest quarter, records again. Disneyland has also been struggling with overcrowding. During a 24-hour party in May to launch the Anaheim park's 60th anniversary celebration, the entrance gates were temporarily closed twice when the park reached capacity — an estimated 80,000 guests, according to insiders.
The same thing happens occasionally during the Christmas holiday season.
What would you do to control crowds?
A spokesman said:
"Typically on those days we would stop allowing guests in at some point midday … and then usually we would reopen to guests sometime in the early evening."
All of this also applies to Walt Disney World in Orlando, of course.
Still another way to view this:Disney's parks have become a victim of their own success.
It's a classic win-win for Disney, says Per Sjofors, founder of Atenga, a consulting firm that specializes in pricing research.
"Attendance keeps on growing, and the parks only have limited space," he explains.
Increases, he adds, are designed to leverage customers' willingness to pay more while also controlling the number of guests at a theme park.
Competition is nipping at Disney heels.
Specifically, Universal.
The rival theme park has been growing faster than Disney since opening The Wizarding World of Harry Potter just a few summers ago. Expansions of Harry led to owner Comcast's theme park revenues soaring nearly one third in a recent earnings report.
Disney is reacting to more competitive parks
Back to surge pricing. Not evil or awful.
There are plenty of other industries–such as restaurants, barbershops, and health clubs–that traditionally have benefitted from surge pricing.
Surge pricing has typically been used in industries with perishable goods (e.g., hotel rooms), but it can be used any time when demand varies.
Managers are often wary of raising prices during times of high demand because they fear a consumer backlash. It's a fair concern, but it's worth noting that consumers are becoming desensitized to surge pricing – high/low pricing is being used more often in more industries. If you have flown recently, you have seen it in the airline industry.
Surge pricing is also discounted pricing. Sometimes.
It's also called protecting the brand
If well-known companies that are fiercely protective of their brands–such as Disney and Major League Baseball teams–are contemplating (and using) surge pricing, other companies are certainly going to follow the leader. Expect to see more of it. And of course, another way to view this strategy is instead of raising prices, you are offering discounts during low-demand periods.
In light of the competition, you might think Disney should not raise but cut prices.
Wrong, say experts.
The improving economy justifies price hikes. Most Disney guests still arrive by auto. And the sharp drop in gas prices alone is a good reason to raise prices. So do added attractions.
If you believe the Harvard Business Review, Disney's move is a good one.
Raising prices during popular times {such as Spring Break or Christmas) capitalizes on higher consumer valuations. Is this gouging?
Some observers think so, and companies such as Uber have faced criticism for the practice. But if customers are willing to pay more in certain instances, this process makes sense.
Guests: willing to pay more for less
The Business Review' argument is that a good strategy to stimulate more business is to offer lower admission on slower days. It's a move that will probably encourage some guests who were previously reluctant to come at the higher prices. This will result in growth. Since theme parks are high fixed cost/low variable cost entities, revenue from discount-enticed new customers is virtually all profit…or free money. At least from Disney accountant standpoints. These newly activated "dormant customers" would also likely show up hungry and snap up food and souvenirs… more "free money." An example of how this works is Randy's Car Wash across the street from the Business Review. It offers a $5.99 wash special on Tuesdays. The result: demand is so strong on some Tuesdays that a police officer has to direct traffic. What you tell buyers or guests' in Disney's price hike: "Yes, customers or theme park guests…we've raised prices on popular days, but you now have the option to visit at a much lower price on certain days."
Options are prized
Framing pricing options in this manner makes a price increase more palatable, proponents argue. This provides guests with options that empowers them, as the experts say, to make their own choices.
Harvard writers and others admit prices that push some out of the guest market do not match a Disney "magic" image. Nothing magic about it. But what it does eventually is reduce crowds. By doing that, the Disney magic is restored, in a sense, because crowds are fewer. And guests can enjoy the experience even more. Everyone has a better time.
Hence: magic.
Walt Disney World has its limiting factor, too: rides. You might be surprised to find which Disney Parks have the fewest actual rides. Epcot may be huge in acerage, but when a moderate sized crowd is dumped into the park, Epcot's major rides are instantly swamped and overrun. Same with Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. When waits at long, guest enjoyment is diminished. It's almost a mathematical formula.
Added costs equals more rides.
From a purely business standpoint, Disney stock should rise as a rule with these higher prices. This is good news not only for stockholders but for guests. Credit CEO Robert Iger for this foresight, analysts say. He's solidly behind multi-billion dollar new park investments. They have helped Disney shares to appreciate 207 percent in just a five-year period. The recently announced Star Wars addition should also have a positive impact on stock prices. Not to mention the feature film out later this year.
So while it might not always be obvious on the surface, higher prices are not just to benefit a park's profitability, but can lead to an overall better experience for its guests.
Or so the argument has it.
If you still aren't convinced by now, there's always the other alternative:
Staying home. ###
Disney World Prices: Endangered Magic?
Disney World prices are on the rise, again.
You probably saw a few days ago when Disney World announced new prices. "Higher" was the word most often used.
In Disney language, ala the happiest place on earth, it might have been known as "value enhancing."
And yet, making no apologies for higher prices, the move raises some timely questions:
What is the value, cost-wise at least, of a trip to Disney World?
Of course, the looming higher prices also raise another far more-reaching issue:
Can Disney maintain the magic in the air?
Will Magic go on?
There's little question Disney World is crowded these days.
But if you think it's bad in Orlando, consider California.
Parts of the park there are closed. That's to make room for Star Wars.
"On Jan. 10, 2016, parts of the Rivers of America and the Disneyland Railroad train will suspend operations. Temporarily closing is Fantasmic, the Mark Twain Riverboat, the Sailing Ship Columbia cruise of Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island and Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes," according to news reports.
Big Thunder Ranch is closing permanently as of Jan. 10.
The only consolation:
Disneyland is holding a "Season of the Force" event starting Nov. 16 of this year to get fans excited for the upcoming new rides.
Orlando is also impacted by new construction
Especially with the multi-million dollar, guest-distracting renovations now underway?
But even more of a down-to-earth issue:
Will Disney World prices soon swing with the seasons?
That possibility was raised in…where else…The Wall Street Journal.
For the first time in 60 years, Disney is looking seriously at demand-based pricing at domestic parks, says the WS Journal.
What that would mean:
Disney World Tickets would cost less or provide added benefits during slower days. Or come with more restrictions on far busier days.
Signs of coming seasonal pricing
The signs indicating this as a strong possibility are everywhere.
Visitors to almost any area of the Disney's US parks in both Orlando and California see signs of construction.
Some long-time visitors who used to avoid Saturdays, which are almost always jam-packed, now report also being reluctant to go on other weekend days. They are also crowded.
Dumpsters and plywood facades for new offerings are so common that they can't help but impress visitors.
And not always favorably.
Will Disney be able to keep drawing visitors as prices rise and inconveniences continue with new offerings?
That's an "increasing challenging" for Disney as crowds are attracted by new attractions, an improving economy and new coming attractions such as "Star Wars" and "Frozen."
No one is better at looking at the bottom line than the WS Journal.
Crowded parks
They note that parks in Orlando and California have posted record attendance for each of the past three years (and also the spring quarter that ended in June).
"Gruelingly long lines and long lines, which Disney parks sometimes have to implement on the busiest days, lead to unhappy visitors," the newspaper notes.
The paper quotes Disney officials as looking at ways to spread out attendance over the year and "accommodate demand while not bursting at the seams."
That raises the prospect of seasonal pricing, says Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek.
"If the company can instead keep Disneyland and Walt Disney World full and not mobbed for more of the year, that would likely benefit the bottom line," the newspaper says.
In this case, the bottom line as reported in the Journal, is that in the first three months of this year, Disney parks revenue increased 6 percent.
That is $11.8 billion…a huge amount, even for the free-spending US Congress.
Seasonal pricing is one solution
The idea of seasonal pricing, of course, is nothing new in the hotel and airline industry.
Disney itself has long had pricing tiers of annual passes that exclude admission on certain days.
Writes the Journal:
"Given the way demand-based pricing works in other industries, it isn't difficult to foresee a time when visiting one of Disney's parks on a major holiday would cost substantially more than the current $105 maximum price for a single-day adult tickets in Orlando and $99 in Anaheim. Visiting on a weekday in the winter, by contrast, could come at a significant discount."
What benefits might Disney offer in return for higher prices?
Visiting more and different parks on the same day is one option.
Lower prices at less busy times, by contrast, might be limited to certain times and only one park.
What Disney World will ultimately do with ticket prices is still pending, but in the meantime, this week the attraction revamped annual and seasonal pass system.
In case you have not seen it, major changes include higher prices.
Disney adds, however, that there are new benefits.
The cost of parking also went up, from $17 to $20.
The new system "has been designed to offer a wider variety of options and entitlements to best fit the needs of our Passholders," Disney said in an email.
If you already know this…you might want to skip the next few paragraphs of mind-numbing numbers…but here they are. For the record:
Among the major changes: Prices have increased.
Disney points out passes also include new benefits.
Numbers, numbers, and more numbers
Also, Disney now sells two passes with blackout dates, with the pricier one allowing people to visit more days.
The $329 seasonal pass is now gone.
Instead there are gold and silver passes.
The silver pass, for Florida residents only, costs $389. It has blackout dates during summer, Christmastime and spring break.
The gold pass costs $549. It allows summertime visits but has blackout dates during Christmas and spring break. The pass, allowing visits about 335 days of the year, is for Florida residents and Disney Vacation Club members only.
Unlike the previous seasonal passes, the gold and silver passes include free parking.
The gold one includes PhotoPass downloads.
The Epcot After 4 and Weekday Select passes -- for Florida residents only -- also now offer free parking.
The most expensive "platinum plus" pass costs $729 for Florida residents.
Its cost is $829 for out-of-state tourists.
What is a PhotoPass worth?
It provides admission to four Walt Disney World theme parks, two water parks, Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course, and ESPN Wide World of Sports.
It also includes unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads and special offers for stays at Disney hotels.
Previously the highest-level pass had cost $649 for Florida residents.
The regular annual pass, called a Disney Platinum Pass, now costs $649 for Florida residents and $749 for out-of-state tourists. It now includes Disney Photo Pass downloads.
Previously, an annual pass had cost $529 for Florida residents.
Perhaps you are one of the few who have annual passes to both parks.
That premiere pass has risen 30 percent in recent years.
It is now at $1,439 compared to the previous $1,099.
Disney says that current passes remain valid through their expiration dates.
We're not the WS Journal, but let's take a look at financial matters. And value here, too.
Are Disney prices fair?
Are they more than fair: Are they a bargain?
Let's take a couple of minor points first.
That Photo Pass has been priced in the past at $169.95 and even $99.95 but recent offers are for $69.95 if bought two weeks before your vacation. Not bad.
Having photos is almost a universal desire.
There's no question that Disney's PhotoPass people are everywhere. They're in front of castles, the giant golf balls, anywhere near main attractions. You can even find them at resort hotels.
This is definitely a fun option.
That's the case because the site encourages guests to add and edit their photos. You can add borders, character autographs, special event logos and more to any photos with elements that can be added to CDs.
Fun graphics can be added automatically.
Your photos of yourself or wife or friend can be seen holding Tinker Bell in the palm of your hand. Or a simple Mickey balloon.
Choices are endless.
If you consider that a small photo packages at a single dining location can cost, say $35, or even a single photo at $15 and up…this is a bargain.
Taking your own photos
If you are something of an accomplished photographer, you can take your own photos. There's still a cost.
But the bottom line here is that the cost of this perk, relative to overall prices for Disney, is a drop in the photographer's bucket.
The $20 for parking is also not a major expense.
Parking at the covered lot at the Orlando International Airport is $17 a day, or $15 at the much smaller Orlando Sanford International Airport (offering far fewer flights). So that is not out of line.
Let's say for argument sake you are looking at $100 per adult ticket.
Of course, most of us don't go alone. And that is just the admission price.
$100 buys what?
Just what does $100 buy in lieu of a one-day admission to a theme park?
The average spent on souvenirs: $52.
Let's just take that figure of roughly $100, and say you buy nothing.
You brought your own food (yes, highly unlikely, but for simplicity, let's use it as an example).
$100?
Buys a very cheap I-phone or even a camera. A good pair of cheap designer jeans or a good sweater.
Or a steak dinner for two (probably without wine) at a nice and somewhat elegant restaurant (though far from the most expensive one in the area). A really fine bottle of wine.
None of these last two, food or wine, lasts very long.
But that same $100 gets you at least entrance into the park, with access to all the rides you want.
At the same time, your park admission is always getting more expensive but also more expansive.
In other words, there may be more crowds but there are also more attractions.
Disney Springs (replacing Downtown Disney) officially opened, to cite one recent example.
Many new restaurants. More entertainment options.
You may not be a foodie, but recent openings included Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs. This added the much-noted Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto and his "authentic" Asian food.
No foodie, perhaps?
The restaurant will also offer a quick service menu.
Other smaller openings go on constantly.
Hopefully to continue Disney's ambition of pleasing all…or almost all…tastes.
Major new openings for the future you already know about include Star Wars…at last.
And Avatar. And Frozen.
As for the new pricing options…look for more changes.
Rumors are regular ticket prices will go up again in November.
And the seasonal price possibility?
Disney is surveying park-goers right now to gauge their reaction.
No timetable is set.
If the past is any indication, seasonal may be coming.
Disney has been offering tired pricing at Disneyland Paris since last year.
Prices there range from $64 for an adult ticket good only in low season to $94 for one that is year-round.
One thing you can count no matter what: prices will go up.
At the same time, more additions and announcements will also be common.
Will they compensate and/or offset the added costs?
Possibly.
But it's up to you. ###
Disney World Check List
Last Updated: Sunday, 13 September 2015 21:12 | Written by Michael
Did you know you can transfer your reservation to us and let us plan your vacation? We are Disney fans and the service is free to to you!
call (888) WDW - CHEAP
Disney World Checklist
(supplement to our planning and packing guide)
and also don't forget the
Saving money for your Disney Vacation guide
Items (check each off when you leave for your vacation
and when you leave for the parks!) For the parks For
Personalized Family Shirts
Sunglasses, Eyeglasses, Contacts, Solutions, and general eye care
Printable fun and games from Disney including calendars, greeting cards, play sets, coloring pages and school fun. Great stuff for a pre-Disney vacation!
Change of clothes for the kids (you want them to have fun in the fountains and water features and not walk around in wet shorts all day right?)
Change of socks (why, click here!)
Moleskin (helps cushion the areas where blisters or hot-spots are forming on your feet)
Hats (for sun protection)
Medications, Aspirin, Tylenol, Tums and Pepto (first aid)
Chewing Gum (you can't buy it on property)
ID's, Drivers License proof of insurance
Camera, Cables, Batteries, Film, Storage Media and Bag
Flash memory For Digital Cameras
Cell Phones, chargers, cables, ear buds, bluetooth
Address book, PDA, Organizer
Baby / Diaper wipes (for many reason other than baby bottoms!)
Baby supplies (you know what you need)
Ziploc bags (big and small)
Toys, small games something portable for the kids to use while waiting in lines
Ear plugs for anyone with sensitive ears
Pocket binoculars
Soft sided cooler
Snacks, crackers, non melting candy
Frozen water bottles, use wide mouth for putting in ice cubes, (click here for a great way to save on water!) Reminder, freeze bottoms side ways so the opening is not frozen closed.
Kool Aid, Tea, or filters for water bottles for those that dislike FLA water.
Refillable mugs (resorts an water parks free refill mugs)
Spay Bottle for misting
Autograph book (or whatevere you are having signed)
Lanyard and trading pins
PhotoPass card(s) / Magic Bands (purchase Memory Maker in advance to save).
A tote back for all this stuff
The following are items only needed for the vacation (not for the parks)
Hotel / Home disinfecting bomb
Dish Soap (wash those nasty hotel glasses)
Hotel Info (phone, address etc)
Rental Car Info
Tickets! (make copies, or take a picture of each with your camera phone)
Comfortable shoes (break them before leaving)
Season appropriate clothing
Bathing suits, beach towels
Souvenirs (cheaper to buy them before you get in the praks!)
Flashlight with batteries for maps etc...
Disney For Free
Disney World, what's next?
Disney Addiction: Too Much
Walt Disney Rediscovered
The Price is Right..or is it?
One-Day Disney World Trip
Oh, no: Disney World Solo?
Personalized Disney Shirts
Star Wars Weekends: Have You Heard?
Disney on a Dime
Disney Rumors: Don't Believe It
Hidden Mickey's, how to find'em and what are they anyway?
Surprise: Surviving High-Tech
'Can't Buys' to Bring Before You Go
Disney Weddings: Some Surprises
Disney Raises Admission Price...for others follow?
Impact of Disney's New $100 Tickets
Disney's Polynesian Bungalows and Villas
"Cinderella" Sneak Peek and Golden Coach at Disney's Hollywood Studios
2014 New Year's Eve at Disney World
Donald's Safari Dinner at Tusker House at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney Spring Food Trucks have arrived.
Join the Disney Princesses for Breakfast and Brunch at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
2014 Thanksgiving at Disney World
The BoatHouse - Disney Springs
All new Magic Kingdom castle stage show, "A FROZEN HOLIDAY WISH"
Disney's PhotoPass gets new features
Morimoto Asia, Boathouse Dining Experiences coming to Disney Springs in 2015
MAGICAL EXTRAS for 2015 Disney World Packages
TripAdvisor names Victoria & Alberts in the top 5
Disney World Vacation Packages 2015
More Frozen coming to the Magic Kingdom
Frozen Attraction is coming to Epcot
Disney World Freebies
Disney World on property resort/hotel or Offsite Resort?
2 New premium events at Epcot's Food and Wine Festival
Don't be a tourist like this...
Candlelight Processional narrators announced for 2014
Disney World Hotels (what is consider a Disney World Resort?)
Disney World Discount Packages for $1500
"Frozen Summer Fun" packages now available at Hollywood Studios through 09/28/2014
Disney World Discounts and how to use them
Disney World Mistakes and how to avoid them
Cheap Disney World Packages
Frozen chills at Hollywood Studios including a stage show and more.
Observing a variety of Ft. Wilderness Golf Carts


Samantha Bretton takes over as skipper of her father's fishing trawler, the Sea Mistress, determined to clear his name.
Brisbane cop Chayse Jarrett, guilt-ridden by the death of a young woman on his last assignment, goes undercover on the vessel, and soon realises that Samantha is hiding something.
Secrets that could implicate her father in more than murder.
Secrets that Chayse becomes reluctant to uncover.
The case takes a sinister turn and Samantha is forced to relive the horrors of her past.
In a night as deadly and unpredictable as the ocean that threatens his life, Chayse finds new allies, but now faces danger from old and bitter foes.


North West Catering and Event Hire are delighted to deliver cutlery hire and event hire to venues across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and beyond including to Alderley Edge Hotel.
Alderley Edge Hotel is located in one of Cheshire's most picturesque villages with views across the beautiful Cheshire countryside. Our stunning Wedding venue can accommodate up to 120 guests or smaller for a more intimate affair.


text:
VIDEO Fake Traffic Stop Leads to Very Real Marriage Proposal
A young paramedic in South Dakota was surprised enough to see a police car pulling her over — but even more surprised when the officer got down on one knee.
Rapid City Police posted the dashcam video to Facebook, under the title, "In pursuit of the perfect proposal."
At first, 22-year-old Sarah Stewart didn't seem to know what was going on. Senior Officer Dan Anderson walked up to her minivan and asked her to step outside.
But as she walked toward the patrol car, her eyes lit up. Her then-boyfriend, 23-year-old Officer Nick Allender, approached her and took the ring box from Anderson.
She said yes. They shared a hug.
Allender told ABC News he wanted the moment to be "unique, and something that I could do that was different than anyone else."
His fiancée, who works for the Rapid City Fire Dept., said she was in "total shock."
Related Topics:Fake Traffic StopMarriage ProposalSouth DakotaTRENDINGviral
Video Man Miraculously Survives Fall Off The Great Wall of China
Bodies of Climbers Alex Lowe and David Bridges Found in Tibet 16 Years After Perishing in Avalanche
Padma Lakshmi's Viral Fourth of July Pie Featured a Political Message
'Crazy' Raccoon Dog Terrorizes Villagers in the UK
Creator of Viral Twitter Heroin Hoax Shane Morris Starts GoFundMe to Hide From MS-13
Would you pay $1200 a month for a bunk bed in a shared space? Renters in Los Angeles and San Francisco are opting for pods in communal home with a desk, locker and personal TV
With the cost of rent continuing to rise, some Americans are taking unusual measures to find a place to sleep.
In Los Angeles and San Francisco, where prices are particularly exorbitant, people have taken to renting bunk beds in communal homes.
PodShare, which provides 10 to 15 co-ed bunkbeds in six locations across California, is hoping to help solve the affordable housing crisis.
The beds can be rented from $35 to $50 a night, which amounts to between $1,050 and $1500 for one month.
The beds can be rented from $35 to $50 a night, which amounts to between $1,050 and $1500 for one month. Pictured: Bunkbeds at a PodShare location
Every 'pod' comes with a bed that turns into a desk, individual power outlets, a locker, a shelf and a personal TV. Pictured: A resident at one of the PodShare locations
It's no secret that housing prices have rapidly spiked over the last decade and incomes have not kept up
One 2018 study published found that only about one-third of millennials currently own homes.
This is fewer than the number of Generation Xers and baby boomers who owned homes when they were the same age.
And a study conducted by Harvard University this year found that one-in-three Americans can't afford to pay rent.
It's unsurprising considering that, in cities such as San Francisco, the average rent for an apartment is about $3,900.
But for $1,200, if you rent with PodShare everyone gets a bed that turns into a desk, individual power outlets, a locker, a shelf and a personal TV.
Each location also provides a communal living room, food such as cereal, toiletries such as toilet paper, laundry machines and WiFi access, reported CNN.
Tenants are known as 'pod-estrians'.
Additionally, each location has a communal living room, a kitchen (pictured), laundry machines and WiFi access. Pictured: One of the kitchens
The company was founded in 2012 by 34-year-old Elvina Beck. Pictured: One of the communal workspaces
Although the set-up may seem like an adult dormitory or a hostel, the company uses the term 'co-living'.
'PodShare makes life more affordable because there is no security deposit or cost of furnishings and we provide flexible living,' co-founder Elvina Beck told Vice in 2016.
'Pod life is the future for singles which are not looking to settle down, but focus on their startups and experience something new.'
There are no curtains to close off the beds, and the only doors are to the bathroom, reported Time Out Los Angeles.
Although there's no privacy, pod-residents are willing to exchange that for affordability or a reduced travel time to work.
Beck, 34, told CNN that she founded the company in 2012 because she wanted to meet new people and provide housing security to others.
'Maybe they don't have two months' rent to put down or they don't have proof of income,' she said.
'Whether it's from a divorce or their family kicked them out for being gay or because they're in a different country or a different city.'
Beck says that most of the early residents were between ages 24 and 30, and that now they are in their late 20s or early 30s. Pictured: Lockers at one PodShare location
Hard rules that each tenant must follow include: lights have to be off by 10pm, no guests are allowed and tenants can't have sex. Pictured: Bunkbeds at one PodShare location
She told CNN that, when she began PodShare, most residents were between ages 24 and 30. Today, however, most 'tenants' are in their late 20s or early 30s.
Additionally, many of the early residents were young adults who had just moved to a new city. But many new residents are older adults and even those traveling on business.
However, there some rules that people are required to follow. Lights have to be off by 10pm, no guests are allowed and tenants can't have sex.
'You can't invite any friends over,' Beck told CNN. 'Sorry. Just make new ones here.'
Shocking footage of a wheelchair-bound pensioner being tied to a tree by the neck by a caretaker has sparked controversy in China.
The caretaker claimed to have no other way but to bind her frail client with a rope because she had to rush back home to deal with family emergency.
Furious onlookers demanded the caretaker free the pensioner immediately. The domestic worker defended her act by calling the incident 'no big deal'.
The video was reportedly shot in Beijing recently, according to local news outlet Btime.com.
Related: Killer Snatched Girl, 11, Suffocated Her Then Dumped Corpse in Sewer
The pensioner appeared extremely distressed throughout the video and could not speak clearly.
One angry male passer-by accused the caretaker: 'How would you feel if your daughter treated you like this?'
He criticised the caretaker and said she should bring the pensioner with her.
The caretaker replied: '[If I had] pushed her back, she would tell [on me].'
Another female bystander pointed out that the pensioner neck had turned red because of the rough treatment.
After being lambasted by eyewitnesses, the caretaker untied the pensioner and pushed her away.
Authority said the clip had been uploaded onto the social media by residents in a neighbourhood called Nanyuan on the outskirts of southern Beijing.
But they had not been able to identify the exact location of the incident or track down the individuals involved.
Police have been alerted of the video and launched an investigation, according to Beijing Evening News.
"Calming the Canines," at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC), is a new Independence Day tradition.
Last year, over 300 people from the community showed up at the shelter's two locations around Phoenix, Arizona.
It was overwhelming to see how the community responded. It really helped spread our message that MCACC is here to help.
Amy Engel, who attended Calming the Canines last year said that she definitely plans on attending this year, too.
Engel wrote about her experience last year
Some people sang to them, some people read to them, some people just sat there and gave treats! It was so, so awesome because the dogs absolutely love the attention and were focused on the people and not the fireworks going on outside.
MCACC wrote:
Many participants developed lasting relationships with the shelter, returning to provide foster care, adopt a pet or volunteer.
The shelter suggests people to bring blankets to sit on, or folding chairs, and to let the dog or cat approach them to sit calmly and quietly.


4 Bedroom Detached Bungalow For Sale in Billericay for Asking Price £700,000.
Four/five bedroom detached bungalow situated in a popular cul de sac within Billericay. The property sits on a generous wedge shaped plot in excess of 1 acre (stls). Subject to all necessary permissions the property offers potential for further enlargement as well as a second dwelling within the grounds - again, subject to permission. The property comprises of an entrance hall, bathroom, lounge with open plan sun room, kitchen, utility room, four bedrooms with a fifth bedroom/study. Externally there is a laid to lawn formal garden with the remainder containing several outbuildings and shed. An attached garage and driveway provide ample parking.


text:
package mount

import (
	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
)

const (
	// ptypes is the set propagation types.
	ptypes = unix.MS_SHARED | unix.MS_PRIVATE | unix.MS_SLAVE | unix.MS_UNBINDABLE

	// pflags is the full set valid flags for a change propagation call.
	pflags = ptypes | unix.MS_REC | unix.MS_SILENT

	// broflags is the combination of bind and read only
	broflags = unix.MS_BIND | unix.MS_RDONLY
)

// isremount returns true if either device name or flags identify a remount request, false otherwise.
func isremount(device string, flags uintptr) bool {
	switch {
	// We treat device "" and "none" as a remount request to provide compatibility with
	// requests that don't explicitly set MS_REMOUNT such as those manipulating bind mounts.
	case flags&unix.MS_REMOUNT != 0, device == "", device == "none":
		return true
	default:
		return false
	}
}

func mount(device, target, mType string, flags uintptr, data string) error {
	oflags := flags &^ ptypes
	if !isremount(device, flags) || data != "" {
		// Initial call applying all non-propagation flags for mount
		// or remount with changed data
		if err := unix.Mount(device, target, mType, oflags, data); err != nil {
			return &mountError{
				op:     "mount",
				source: device,
				target: target,
				flags:  oflags,
				data:   data,
				err:    err,
			}
		}
	}

	if flags&ptypes != 0 {
		// Change the propagation type.
		if err := unix.Mount("", target, "", flags&pflags, ""); err != nil {
			return &mountError{
				op:     "remount",
				target: target,
				flags:  flags & pflags,
				err:    err,
			}
		}
	}

	if oflags&broflags == broflags {
		// Remount the bind to apply read only.
		if err := unix.Mount("", target, "", oflags|unix.MS_REMOUNT, ""); err != nil {
			return &mountError{
				op:     "remount-ro",
				target: target,
				flags:  oflags | unix.MS_REMOUNT,
				err:    err,
			}
		}
	}

	return nil
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Our hotel is situated in the main square on the Camaiore Lido, only 20 metres from the beach and promenade. The hotel is very near Versilia's famous places like Forte dei Marmi, Viareggio, Marina di Pietrasanta and Marina di Massa. Furthermore you can also easily get to the important symbolic Tuscan cities such as Lucca, Firenze and Pisa.
Viareggio station is around 5 km from the hotel. You can easily get here by taxi or other public transport (the bus-stop is right in front of the hotel).
If you're driving you will have to exit the A12 Genova-Livorno or A11 Firenze-Mare(Florence-Sea) motorway at the Viareggio toll. At the end of the slipway there is a series of roundabouts: at the first, take the first exit, at the second, the second exit bringing you by Fossa dell'Abate. When you get to the end of the road, you should turn right over the jetty and our hotel is down the 5th road on the left.


text:
RELL BACKS LAWSUIT BY STATE
By ROBERT A. FRAHM; Courant Staff Writer
Despite some reservations, Gov. M. Jodi Rell has signed a law authorizing a legal challenge to a controversial federal school reform law that is the centerpiece of President Bush's education agenda.
Until now, Rell, a Republican, had been noncommittal about signing a bill challenging the President's No Child Left Behind Act, saying that she prefers negotiating with federal officials instead of suing them.
"I know this was difficult for her to do because, after all, she's a Republican governor, and the President believes [No Child Left Behind] is the right thing," said state Education Commissioner Betty J. Sternberg.
Rell's decision to sign a bill passed by the legislature in a special session last month gives added weight to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's threat to sue the U.S. Department of Education.
Blumenthal said Monday he plans to file the suit by the time schools open next month.
Even though the proposed lawsuit has not won the endorsement of the State Board of Education, the governor took into account Blumenthal's assessment "that it was extremely and profoundly important that this bill be passed in special session," according to a statement from Rell's press office.
"While the Governor feels fighting the Act is better left in the hands of the state's congressional delegation, she fully understands the attorney general's motivation and is interested in the outcome," said spokesman Adam Liegeot.
A spokesman at the U.S. Department of Education said Monday the department would not comment on the matter.
Blumenthal continues to seek support from other states after pledging three months ago to make Connecticut the first state to file a lawsuit challenging the federal law, contending it will unfairly cost state and local taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
"I am enormously pleased and thankful to the governor and the legislature for this measure strengthening our planned lawsuit against the illegal unfunded federal mandates," said Blumenthal, a Democrat. "The stakes for Connecticut are huge."
The State Board of Education, however, last month refused to support the planned lawsuit, postponing a vote on the matter after some members said they were opposed to legal action.
Connecticut is one of many states that have clashed with the U.S. Department of Education over No Child Left Behind. The law calls for a broad expansion of testing and a shake-up of schools that fail to make sufficient progress, including low-income children, special education students and members of minority groups.
The federal government has repeatedly rejected Connecticut's requests for flexibility in interpreting the law, including Commissioner Sternberg's appeal for a waiver of a requirement to test three additional grades in the state's annual testing program next spring. She said the additional testing will cost millions of dollars but will produce little benefit.
Sternberg praised Rell's decision to sign the law authorizing a lawsuit.
"Rather than taking a political stance, I think she considers what's right for the citizens," Sternberg said.
"I, too, shared her concern about jumping in too quickly, but ... I think we have no recourse. We're really being asked to spend a tremendous amount of money on programs that ... I don't think are in the best interest of students."
Blumenthal said he plans to file the suit "before the first day of school." About half the state's public schools start on Aug. 31, according to the state Department of Education. The earliest starting date is Aug. 24 in Groton.
Blumenthal said he remains hopeful that other states will join a lawsuit and expects to get final answers from them within weeks but added, "We will stand alone, if necessary, in this fight."
One of the states contemplating similar legal action is Maine.
"I have spoken with Attorney General Blumenthal a number of times on the potential for litigation," Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe said Monday.
"We in Maine are still evaluating the extent of the unfunded mandates contained in the federal law," he said. "We hope to be in a position to file suit within the next few weeks."


Today's competitive automotive marketplace compels Dealers to look beyond the traditional methods of marketing their inventory. Providing your salespeople with the proper tools is a major step forward in maintaining and growing market share as today's clients demand the latest conveniences in purchasing vehicles.
What distinguishes City & District Auto Gallery?
Customized for automotive sites and car dealership web sites, so you don't have to spend more for custom web development.
Powerful database searching capabilities enhanced just for the automotive market. For example, your users will be able to conduct searches based upon specified criteria such as the make and model of car, model year, price ranges, and much, much more.


Your home comfort systems are crucial for keeping you and your family comfortable in hot and cold weather. That's why when it comes to having a heating and cooling partner you can count on, it is a smart decision to choose the most reputable name in Thornton. True Heating & Cooling has been serving families in the area for a little bit and its reputation speaks for itself.
Did your furnace break down in the middle of a cold night? Or maybe you've got just the opposite problem and your air conditioner is sputtering on a hot summer day? Don't wait any longer, because these headaches don't fix themselves! Call in an HVAC pro from True Heating & Cooling and let us find out exactly what's wrong and help you decide on your best course of action.
Don't wait until something goes terribly wrong to give us a call! The smartest homeowners take preventative action to be sure their heating and cooling systems are operating at their peak before the seasons change. By scheduling an HVAC checkup with a company you can trust, you're investing in the long life of your home.
And there are lots of great reasons to choose True Heating & Cooling to serve your needs. Besides our great reputation, backed up by lots of positive local reviews, our combination of experienced service and excellent product line can't be beat. That means industry-leading warranties, energy efficient products that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR standards, and experienced and professional technicians who you can count on to do the job right and on time.
For any furnace or AC issues in Thornton, our technicians have the necessary experience. So whether there's a big problem that needs fixing now, or you just want to stay ahead of any potential problems in the future, True Heating & Cooling is the right choice for you. Give us a call today at 720-316-1898 and we'll send one of our HVAC professionals out to your home right away.


Lamar Odom has been in the news multiple times over the years, from his basketball victories (and failures) to the revelation of his cheating on then-wife Khloe Kardashian. But what made the most headlines was his overdose in 2015 that sent him into a coma for four days. His addiction to cocaine was revealed after this, but he has since been to rehab and sobered up. It seemed like everything about Odom's addiction and subsequent overdose has come to light.
That was until Kevin Hart released a new episode of his YouTube show, Cold As Balls, with Odom as his guest. The show centers around Hart and a guest athlete who both take an ice bath and get personal with each other in a candid interview. In this episode, Odom revealed that not only had he been in a coma following his overdose, but that he had had six heart attacks and 12 strokes while still comatose.
"All my doctors that see me say I'm a walking miracle," Odom told Hart on the show. In a 2017 interview and essay in The Players' Tribune, Odom revealed more about what going through the overdose had been like.
"You ever had a really bad dream, where you're trying to run away from a monster or some sh**, and you just can't run? Your legs don't work like they should, and the monster is coming right behind you, and it's like you're in slow motion. That's what it felt like," he said in the interview. He also explained what precipitated his addiction: the death of his 6-month-old son, Jayden, who died of sudden infant death syndrome, in 2006.
"I think everything probably picked up at that point, with the drugs. Even subconsciously. You don't even know why you're doing it at that point. I think subconsciously, you make yourself an addict because of the trauma that you're going through," he explained.
Now, almost three years after his overdose, he is able to talk more openly about how serious his condition was and how the overdose really tuned his life around. He joked with Kevin Hart, opening about how grateful he was to be alive. He also expressed his gratitude to now ex-wife Khloe Kardashian, who came to his aid and took over his medical decisions during his coma to set him up for recovery. He called her actions "big," recognizing the strength it took her to return to his side and help care for him despite betraying her several times.


text:
When God wants to save a life – Medevac in Kenya
On Friday May 29, 2020, MAF pilot Daniel Loewen-Rudgers flew a medevac flight for two babies with heart conditions. The flight enabled the babies to reach hospital in time but it was the actions of many Christians working together that allowed God's purposes to prevail.
'It is one of those flights you go to bed knowing that you actually touched a life!' explains Operations Manager Caleb from his desk in the MAF office in Nairobi. Hundreds of miles to the north in Dukana, Missionary Eddie Andersen agrees. 'It was so beautiful! Just seeing all these Christians working together – treating these precious families as their very own family. I felt everyone involved has given every love and help to these beautiful babies and their families!
'Thank you so much for helping us get some emergency cases medevaced out of Dukana!' Eddie continues warmly. 'It was so awesome to have the two missions working together seamlessly as we dealt with patients on the ground. They flew directly to Kijabe Hospital and the mission doctors met them on the airstrip and took them directly into care!'
Urgent flight
'Both children were in critical condition. Without a flight to a major hospital with a heart unit they would certainly have died within a couple of days,' he says, filling the background to the two tiny patients, who live with their families in Dukana, a community in Kenya's arid north. 'One was of the baby son of one of our Church members and the other patient a baby of a destitute woman from Dukana,' Eddie explains.
He and Rachel have been working in Dukana with the Africa Inland Church (AIC) for the past 11 years ministering to first generation Christians from the Gabbra people group. They run a radio station, Automotive Workshop and church and have made their home in a community that's as far from advanced hospital care as you can get. By road it is a two or three day drive to reach Nairobi – a journey involving a lot of trouble, expense and time they can ill afford.
'My wife Rachel is a midwife and has been ministering in the clinic to share Christ with women who have never heard of Jesus. It has been making a great impact,' Eddie shares, adding 'but nothing speaks more than helping in time of desperation!'
'Rachel had felt in her heart that she should go visit a family in town who she had delivered a healthy baby a day before. So she dropped everything she was doing and went over to see the family carrying her small medical bag just in case – as she often does,' Eddies explains.
'When she arrived at the hut, she noticed the baby was not as colourful as it should be. No one else seemed to have noticed yet as they were celebrating the new life in the traditional way.
'Well, as good practice, she took the baby's vitals and checked the oxygen levels and noticed they were dropping quickly! She ran home, grabbed the car, and took the mother and baby to the local clinic where she put the child on oxygen.'
God had already gone before them to save the life. 'We praised God because the machine (oxygen concentrator) had just been donated a few days before! Thanks to this vital equipment, the baby's blood oxygen levels began to improve. 'The oxygen numbers started rising by 10% (up from 50%, normal is 90% and above.) Yet it was very apparent the child needed a big hospital – and fast!' Eddie says.
God's plan
They knew that God wanted them to act. 'Rachel called me, and we both felt God wanted us to try to save the life. So I called in a medevac not knowing how to pay for it, but knowing if we did not act the baby would die,' he says.
God quickly revealed more of his purposes as another baby arrived needed help. 'As soon as I ordered the plane, a 10 month old baby arrived at the clinic almost comatose and listless – with a panicking mom. The clinic staff didn't know what to do. They could see an infection in his foot, but his whole body was shutting down and they couldn't figure out why.
'My wife and I quickly included them in the medevac log as government clearance needed to be gained. By the grace of God, both babies were approved for travel and MAF came directly with AIM AIR providing a Missionary ER Nurse with oxygen and expertise.'
The link in between
'Rachel had identified the heart defects and found doctors to help – but we needed the link between,' Eddie explains. That link was pilot MAF Daniel Loewen-Rudgers, who flew three hours in the Cessna 206 to pick up the tiny patients and their families. He left early in the morning to fly the route which takes you up right up the centre of Kenya, 'past the Aberdares, Maralal, over some highland Maasai Country in the middle of Kenya – to Dukana on the Ethiopia boarder,' Daniel explains.
'We've actually got stuck in Dukana twice this year because of the soft runway,' he explains, picking up the story. 'This time it was dry enough so that there was no issue. We landed and Eddie was there with his wife. We had to wait a little while for the families to come.
'The youngest baby that was just a few days old,' Daniel remembers, talking through the seating arrangements. 'The father sat in the front with me. In the middle row we had the mother with the two day old baby and the nurse. And in the back we had a translator, a young lady, and the mother with the ten month old baby.
'I've never had that many people in a 206 before!' Daniel smiles. 'I had eight people coming out of Dukana, so we had a full load! But I was still well under max weight just because everyone was so light!
Daniel took off from Dukana for Kijabe, the mission hospital on the Rift Valley, a bumpy 2 hour 40 minute flight away.
Safe landing
Thirty miles out of Nairobi,' Kijabe, has its own little airstrip,' the experienced pilot explains. 'It's about 700 meters and high at 7,000ft with an upslope and a nice dogleg to the left at the top. It's an interesting runway because as it slopes down into the end of the runway where the terrain just drops away, almost like a cliff. 'Because it's right on the edge of the Rift Valley, we get strange winds.'
Daniel overflew the strip three times to check it was safe to land. 'I flew past bottom end of the runway to see how bumpy it was and if there were any downdrafts. Then I went back around, did a right hand turn and came back hugging the terrain and did a medium pass at 200 feet to see if there was anything on the runway. Finally, I did a left turn and came back around and set myself up for a landing.'
'On most landings when we come straight on to the final approach but on this one you come at a 45- degree angle so that if things aren't looking good you add full power left turn and climb out. But the approach was fine so we were able to land safely without any issues.
'I taxied up to the airstrip and there were two missionary families there with some cars to pick up everyone. And they drove them off to the hospital!' Daniel says, rounding off his part in the story with his passengers safely delivered.
'We're bringing them to a very good hospital!' he reassures. 'They can't get that kind of care anywhere else, except maybe a private hospital in Nairobi, which they can't afford. That we could fly them straight to Kijabe during this Covid time, was definitely a miracle for the two ladies. That was really good!
Successful surgery
A few weeks later, Eddie is delighted to have good news to share. 'Little Barako, the newborn, had a successful surgery Kenyatta National hospital,' he updates. 'This was a miracle in its self as little baby Barako had a heart condition that only one or two doctors in the country know how to fix.
By some miracle Kijabe Hospital was able to get him in where usually there is no opening! Barako is still in Kenyatta Neonatal unit recovering from surgery. He is the youngest baby to every successfully have the particular heart surgery in Kenya!'
'The other baby Isako, sadly died, Eddie sadly reports. The doctors discovered that the source of all his problems including his leg infection was actually in his heart.
Because his heart was infected with Tuberculosis, it was sending infected blood throughout the body shutting everything down. The sack around the heart was filling up with infected fluid and causing the infected heart to struggle even more. Poor thing!'
'Once the problem was diagnosed, the doctors were able to go in and set a drain on the heart to get the infected fluid out – and get proper medication in to the source of the problem. Despite this, a day or two before he was due to undergo open heart surgery, he sadly passed away.
'Speaking with the doctors at Kijabe, they tell us that if these babies had not been medevaced as quickly as they were, they both would have certainly died. Isako with a day or two and Barako within a week.' Instead, the flight and excellent care they received gave both babies a fighting chance.
'Isako family has felt Christian love in this tragedy,' Eddie reassures. Christian Care The AIC family in Nairobi extended love and care to the families at a heartbreaking time. 'I called ahead to our AIC Church Head office to see if someone could assist care for them and immediately they gave me a name and number of a care giver who is providing housing and food for them at the hospital. The person they gave me was so happy to serve and receive them even though they were from a faraway area. They were ready to just wrap their arms around that family!
'Praise be to God that he touched our hearts to send them to hospital and praise be to God that MAF responded immediately to my request! Also, praise God for hundreds of other answers to prayer in the Hospital at Kijabe and Kenyatta. Without all these things working together this life could not have been saved! Please continue to pray for the families of both babies. '


text:
\section{Introduction}
Many attempts have been made to describe the nucleon as a bound state
of a quark and a diquark. The most fundamental approach uses the
Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model \cite{ishii,huang,reinhardt} to
derive static properties of the nucleon and ground state baryons.
Most diquark models favour the existence of two kinds of diquarks,
scalar and axial-vector ones. To
take into account the truly three quark structure and the
Pauli-principle a quark exchange between quark and diquark is assumed
to dominate the short range interaction \cite{reinhardt}. We adopt
these ideas in a constituent quark model based on the Bethe-Salpeter
equation. Following Salpeter \cite{salpeter} we assume an
instantaneous interaction and obtain a Salpeter-type equation. As the
only interaction we consider an (instantaneous) quark exchange
between the quark and the diquark. Involving only scalar and
axial-vector diquark channels we deduce a pair of coupled integral
equations similar to the framework of Ref. \cite{meyer}. Within a basis of
positive parity
amplitudes with spin-1/2 we obtain a bound state solution
for this equation by making use of
the Ritz variational principle. Then,
electromagnetic transition currents are calculated
using the Mandelstam formalism \cite{mandelstam}. For details of the
calculation see two recent papers \cite{kea,keb}.
We compute the electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon in both
the space- and timelike regions. Extending the model to the
$\Delta(3/2)$ resonance, the $N-\Delta$ transition form factors and
the ratios $E2/M1$ and $C2/M1$ are calculated.
\section{The model}
In momentum space the {\em Bethe-Salpeter amplitude} for a bound state
of a quark (index 2) and a scalar or axial-vector diquark (index 1)
with total four momentum $P=p_1+p_2$ and relative momentum $p$ fulfills
the {\em Bethe-Salpeter equation}:
\begin{eqnarray}
\label{BSequation}
\chi_P(p)_{(\mu)} = \Delta_1(p_1)_{(\mu)}^{\;\; (\nu)} \, S_2(p_2) \,
            \intpp{p'} \, \left( -i K(P,p,p') \, \chi_P(p')
           \right)_{(\nu)} \; .
\end{eqnarray}
$\Delta_1$ and $S_2$ are the propagators of the constituent diquark
and the quark, respectively. For the v-diquark we choose
$\Delta_{\mu \nu}=-ig_{\mu \nu}/(m_1^2-p_1^2+i\varepsilon)$.
Following Salpeter \cite{salpeter} we neglect the time (i.e. energy)
dependence of the interaction kernel by
assuming $K(P,p,p') = V(\vec p, \vec p\,')$
({\em instantaneous interaction}) in the rest frame of the bound
state.
Then, one can easily perform the $p^0$ integration. Defining in the rest
frame of the bound state the {\em Salpeter amplitude}
\begin{eqnarray}
\label{salpeteramp}
\Phi(\vec p\,) := \left( \int \frac{d p^0}{2\pi} \,
\chi_P(p^0,\vec p\,) \right)_{P=(M,\vec 0)}  \; ,
\end{eqnarray}
one gets from Eq. (\ref{BSequation}) with standard techniques:
\begin{eqnarray}
\label{salpeter1}
\Phi(\vec p\,) = \frac{1}{2 \omega_1} \left(
 \frac{\Lambda_2^+(-\vec p\,) \gamma^0}{M-\omega_1-\omega_2}
+\frac{\Lambda_2^-(-\vec p\,) \gamma^0}{M+\omega_1+\omega_2}
\right)
\intp{p'} \, V(\vec p,\vec p\,') \, \Phi(\vec p\,')  \; ,
\end{eqnarray}
with $\Lambda_2^\pm(-\vec p\,) = \frac{\omega_2 \pm H_2(-\vec p\,)}{2
  \omega_2}$  the usual Dirac projectors and
$\omega_i=\sqrt{\vec p_i\,^2+m_i^2}$.
If we define
\begin{eqnarray}
\Psi(\vec p\,) & := & \gamma^0 \, \Phi(\vec p\,) \;, \;\;\;
W(\vec p, \vec p\,') := V(\vec p, \vec p\,') \, \gamma^0 \; ,
\end{eqnarray}
we can rewrite Eq. (\ref{salpeter1}) in a Schr\"odinger-type
equation:
\begin{eqnarray}
\label{salpeter2}
({\cal H} \, \Psi)(\vec p\,) & = & M \, \Psi(\vec p\,) \nonumber\\
& = & \frac{\omega_1+\omega_2}{\omega_2} H_2(\vec p\,) \, \Psi(\vec p\,)
      +\frac{1}{2 \omega_1} \, \intp{p'} \,
       W(\vec p, \vec p\,') \, \Psi(\vec p\,') \nonumber\\
& =: & ({\cal T} + {\cal V}) \, \Psi (\vec p\,) \; .
\end{eqnarray}
Of special importance in the Bethe-Salpeter approach is the correct
normalization of the amplitudes. This will guarantee the correct
behaviour of the form factors at $q^2 = 0$.
In the instantaneous approximation the usual {\em normalization
  condition} for the BS-amplitudes leads to
\begin{eqnarray}
\label{normal}
\intp{p} \, (2 \omega_1) \, \overline \Phi(\vec p\,) \, \gamma^0 \,
\Phi(\vec p\,) = 2 \, M \; ,
\end{eqnarray}
with $\overline \Phi$ the adjoint Salpeter amplitude, fulfilling
$\overline \Phi(\vec p\,) = \Phi^\dagger(\vec p\,) \gamma^0$.
This leads to the definition of a {\em scalar product} for
$\Phi(\vec p\,)$:
\begin{eqnarray}
\braket{\Phi_1}{\Phi_2} = \intp{p} \, (2 \omega_1) \,
\overline\Phi_1(\vec p\,) \, \gamma^0 \, \Phi_2(\vec p\,)
\; .
\end{eqnarray}
For $M \in {\cal R}^+$, the Hamiltonian ${\cal H}$
(Eq. (\ref{salpeter2}))
has to be hermitian (and positive definite) with respect to the above
scalar product. In the instantaneous approximation the interaction
kernel is of the form
\begin{eqnarray}
\label{interaction}
W(\vec p, \vec p\,') & \sim &
-g^2 \, \frac{1}{\omega_q^2} \, (-\vec\gamma(\vec p+\vec p\,') + m_q)
\, \gamma^0 \; ,
\end{eqnarray}
with $\omega_q$ the energy of the exchanged quark and
$g$ the dimensionless quark-diquark coupling parameter. To
obtain a stable solution of the Salpeter equation (\ref{salpeter2})
we have to introduce a form factor of the diquark. It is
chosen to be of the form $\sim \mbox{exp}(-\lambda^2 k^2)$,
with $\lambda$ parametrizing the extension of the diquark. Transitions
between scalar and v-diquarks lead to
a system of coupled Salpeter equations shown graphically in
Fig. \ref{qdsalpeter}.
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\leavevmode
\epsfxsize=0.75\textwidth
\epsffile{fig1.ps}
\end{center}
\caption{The quark-diquark Salpeter equations. The framed part is the
equation for the $\Delta(3/2)$ (see Sec. \protect\ref{secdelta}). }
\label{qdsalpeter}
\end{figure}
\section{Nucleon form factors}
The electromagnetic current is the sum of the diquark- and quark currents,
see Fig. \ref{currentfig}.
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\leavevmode
\epsfxsize=0.7\textwidth
\epsffile{fig2.ps}
\end{center}
\caption{The electromagnetic current is the sum of the diquark currents
  and the quark currents.}
\label{currentfig}
\end{figure}
In the {\em Mandelstam formalism} one finds e.g. for the quark current:
\begin{eqnarray}
\label{qcurrent}
\bramket{P's'}{j_\mu^{q}}{P s}&=&e_q\intpp{p}
\overline\Gamma_{P'}(p')
S_2^F(p_2') \gamma_\mu S_2^F(p_2)
\Gamma_P(p) \Delta_1^F(p_1)  ,
\end{eqnarray}
with the vertex function
$\Gamma_{P=(M,\vec 0\,)}(p)=\Gamma(\vec p \,)=
-i \intp{p'} V(\vec p, \vec p\,') \Phi(\vec p\,')$
in the instantaneous approximation. The form factors are obtained from:
\begin{eqnarray}
J_\mu:=e \, \overline u_{s'}(P') \left( \gamma_\mu \; F_1^N(q^2)
+\frac{i \sigma_{\mu \nu} q^\nu}{2 M} \, \kappa_N \, F_2^N(q^2) \right)
u_s(P) \; ,
\end{eqnarray}
with $q=P'-P$. The parameters used are given in Tab. \ref{param}. The scalar
\begin{table}[t]
\vspace{0.4cm}
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{|c||c|c|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
& $m_q$ & $m_S = m_V$ & $g^N$ & $g^\Delta$ & $\lambda$ & $\kappa_V$ &
$\kappa_{SV}$ \\
\hline
Set A &
440 MeV &
800 MeV &
17.76 &
8.50 &
0.30 fm &
1.1 & - \\
Set B &
440 MeV &
800 MeV &
17.76 &
8.50 &
0.30 fm &
-0.07 & 2.4  \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{center}
\caption{The parameters of the model. }
\label{param}
\end{table}
and v-diquark parameters are chosen to be equal. $g^N$ is the quark-diquark
coupling parameter for the nucleon (cf. Eq. (\ref{interaction})) and
$g^\Delta$ that
for the $\Delta$ (see Sec. \ref{secdelta}).
$\kappa_V$ is the anomalous magnetic
moment of the v-diquark introduced via
\begin{eqnarray}
j_{\mu; b a}^{V-V}\sim-(p + p')_\mu g_{b a}
+(1+\kappa_V)(p_b-p'_b)g_{\mu a}+(1+\kappa_V)(p'_a-p_a)g_{\mu b} \, .
\end{eqnarray}
We compare the results of the parameter Set A with those of Set B
where we allow also for photon-induced scalar--v-diquark transitions
according to
\begin{eqnarray}
j_{\mu}^{S-V}&\sim&\frac{(1+\kappa_{SV})}{M_N} \, \varepsilon_{\mu \nu \rho
  \lambda} \,
\epsilon^\nu \, {p'}_2^\rho \, p_2^\lambda  \; .
\end{eqnarray}
Fig. \ref{spaceff} shows the Sachs form factors of the nucleon in the spacelike
\begin{figure}
\setlength{\unitlength}{1cm}
\begin{minipage}[t]{5.6cm}
\begin{picture}(5.6,3.5)
\epsfxsize=1.05\textwidth
\epsffile{fig3.ps}
\end{picture}
\end{minipage}
\hspace{0.1cm}
\begin{minipage}[t]{5.6cm}
\begin{picture}(5.6,3.5)
\epsfxsize=1.05\textwidth
\epsffile{fig4.ps}
\end{picture}
\end{minipage} \\
\begin{minipage}[t]{5.6cm}
\begin{picture}(5.6,3.5)
\epsfxsize=1.05\textwidth
\epsffile{fig5.ps}
\end{picture}
\end{minipage}
\hspace{0.1cm}
\begin{minipage}[t]{5.6cm}
\begin{picture}(5.6,3.5)
\epsfxsize=1.05\textwidth
\epsffile{fig6.ps}
\end{picture}
\end{minipage}
\caption{The spacelike Sachs form factors of the nucleon. For the
  experimental data see the analysis of Ref. \protect\cite{ulf}. }
\label{spaceff}
\end{figure}
region. Note that $\kappa_V$ and $\kappa_{SV}$ only affect the spin-flip
currents, i.e. the magnetic form factors. We find a very good description
of all form factors up to $-q^2=3 \; \mbox{GeV}^2$. The resulting static
\begin{table}[t]
\vspace{0.4cm}
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{|c||c|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
 & $\sqrt{\langle r^2 \rangle_E^p}$ & $\langle r^2 \rangle_E^n$ &
$\sqrt{\langle r^2 \rangle_M^p}$ &
$\sqrt{\langle r^2 \rangle_M^n}$ &
$\mu_p/\mu_N$ & $\mu_n/\mu_N$ \\
\hline
Set A & 0.79 fm  & -0.110 fm$^2$ &
0.72 fm  & 0.86 fm  &
2.45 & -1.42  \\
Set B & 0.79 fm  & -0.110 fm$^2$ &
0.74 fm  & 0.75 fm &
2.44 & -1.91  \\
exp. & 0.847 fm & -0.113 fm$^2$ &
0.836 fm & 0.889 fm &
2.793 & -1.913  \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{center}
\caption{Static nucleon properties as they
  result from the threshold behaviour of the electromagnetic
  nucleon form factors. For the experimental data see the analysis of
  Ref. \protect\cite{ulf}. }
\label{stat}
\end{table}
properties are listed in Tab. \ref{stat}. The inclusion of scalar--v-diquark
transitions is a possibility to describe also the neutron magnetic form
factor. Fig. \ref{timeff} shows the proton magnetic form factor in the
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\leavevmode
\epsfxsize=0.8\textwidth
\epsffile{fig7.ps}
\end{center}
\caption{The timelike magnetic form factor of the proton.
  For the experimental data see Refs. \protect\cite{hammer,bini}. }
\label{timeff}
\end{figure}
timelike region. We find that the threshold value is very mass
dependent, see the dashed and dotted curves.
The dotted curve corresponds to a best fit
to the electromagnetic form factors in the space- and timelike region.
The masses, however, lie below the $\Delta(1232)$ threshold. The definition
of the Sachs form factors leads to the threshold conditions:
\begin{eqnarray}
\label{thresh}
G_E(4 M^2)=G_M(4 M^2) \; \leftrightarrow \;
J_+(4 M^2)=2 M \, \frac{d}{dP'} J_0(4 M^2) \; ,
\end{eqnarray}
with $P'=|\vec P'|=q$, $P=(M,\vec 0\,)$ and $J_+=1/2 (J_1+i J_2)$.
Fig. \ref{empnff} shows $G_{E,M}^{n,p}$. We find that
\begin{figure}
\setlength{\unitlength}{1cm}
\begin{minipage}[t]{5.6cm}
\begin{picture}(5.6,3.5)
\epsfxsize=1.07\textwidth
\epsffile{fig8.ps}
\end{picture}
\end{minipage}
\hspace{0.2cm}
\begin{minipage}[t]{5.6cm}
\begin{picture}(5.6,3.5)
\epsfxsize=1.04\textwidth
\epsffile{fig9.ps}
\end{picture}
\end{minipage}
\caption{The timelike magnetic and electric form factors of the proton
  (left panel) and of the neutron (right panel). For the experimental
  data see Refs. \protect\cite{hammer,bini}. }
\label{empnff}
\end{figure}
Eq. (\ref{thresh}) is violated in our model.
This is due to the choice of the propagator
of the v-diquark. Considering the second diagram in
Fig. \ref{currentfig} alone yields the result of Fig. \ref{qunursff}, which
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\leavevmode
\epsfxsize=0.70\textwidth
\epsffile{fig10.ps}
\end{center}
\caption{The timelike nucleon form factors as they result from the quark
current with a scalar diquark as spectator {\em alone}. The upper two
curves are the proton form factors, the negative ones are those of the
neutron.}
\label{qunursff}
\end{figure}
shows that the relativistic treatment is correct.
\section{$N-\Delta$ transition form factors}
\label{secdelta}
In our model, the $\Delta(3/2)$ appears as a bound state of a v-diquark
and a quark, see the framed part in Fig. \ref{qdsalpeter}.
To fix the $\Delta$ mass at 1232 MeV we introduce the quark-diquark
coupling parameter $g^\Delta$, see Tab. \ref{param}.
The $\Delta$ amplitude is normalized
according to $\braket{\Psi_\Delta}{\Psi_\Delta}=2 M_\Delta$.
The electromagnetic $N-\Delta$ transition is decomposed via \cite{dev}
\begin{eqnarray}
e \, J_\mu(q^2)&=&e \, \sqrt{2/3} \; \overline u_{s'}^\beta(P') \, J_{\beta
  \mu} \, u_s(P) \; , \\
\mbox{with } \;\;\; J_{\beta \mu} &=& G_M(q^2) \, G_{\beta \mu}^M +
G_E(q^2) \, G_{\beta \mu}^E + G_C(q^2) \, G_{\beta \mu}^C \; ,
\end{eqnarray}
with $G_M, G_E, G_C$ the magnetic dipole, electric and Coulomb
quadrupole form factors, respectively. In the rest frame of the
incoming nucleon this leads to:
\begin{eqnarray}
\label{gme}
\zweivek{G_M(q^2)}{G_E(q^2)}&=&
\sqrt{3/2} \;
\frac{2 \, \sqrt{2}}{g(q^2)} \,
\matrx{\frac{\sqrt{3}}{4}}{\frac{1}{12}}
     {\frac{1}{4 \sqrt{3}}}{-\frac{1}{12}}
\zweivek{J_+(q^2)}{J'_+(q^2)} \\
\label{gc}
G_C(q^2) & = & - \sqrt{3/2} \;
\frac{4 M_\Delta M_N}{g(q^2) \, \sqrt{6 \, Q^+ \, Q^-}} \, J_0(q^2) \; ,
\end{eqnarray}
with $Q^\pm=(M_\Delta \pm M_N)^2-q^2$,
$g(q^2)=((M_\Delta+M_N)/(2 M_N))\sqrt{Q^-}$ and
$J'_+=\bramket{+3/2}{J_+}{+1/2}$.
Fig. \ref{ndff} shows the calculated form factors and the experimental
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\leavevmode
\epsfxsize=0.7\textwidth
\epsffile{fig11.ps}
\end{center}
\caption{The N-$\Delta$ transition form factors. }
\label{ndff}
\end{figure}
$G_M$ \cite{kec}. We find that
$G_M$ comes out a factor of 2 too low. Here, the inclusion of scalar to
v-diquark transitions leads only to a small improvement. Note that
$G_C$ is negative, and $G_E(q_s^2) \approx G_C(q_s^2) \approx 0$ at
the pseudothreshold
$q_s^2=(M_\Delta-M_N)^2$. Figs. \ref{emratio} and \ref{cmratio}
show the ratio
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\leavevmode
\epsfxsize=0.57\textwidth
\epsffile{fig12.ps}
\end{center}
\caption{The ratio $E2/M1$. }
\label{emratio}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\leavevmode
\epsfxsize=0.55\textwidth
\epsffile{fig13.ps}
\end{center}
\caption{The ratio $|C2/M1|$. }
\label{cmratio}
\end{figure}
$E2/M1$ and the absolute value $|C2/M1|$, respectively.
With Set B we find the correct threshold value
$E2/M1=-3.4 \; \%$ \cite{drechsel}.
For $C2/M1$ we obtain a positive sign, with the absolute
value describing the data well. Note that we follow consistently
the definitions of Ref. \cite{dev}. The two lines of Set B indicate the
variance of the calculated ratio due to the fact that the $N-\Delta$
current is only partially conserved.
\section{Summary}
We developed a formally covariant quark-diquark model of the nucleon.
The nucleon is assumed to be composed of a quark and a
scalar/axial-vector diquark which interact via an instantaneous quark
exchange.
With a single set of parameters we are able to describe the nucleon
electromagnetic form factors in the space- and timelike region for
momentum transfers up $3 \; \mbox{GeV}^2$ above threshold. In this
picture, the $\Delta(3/2)$ is a bound state of a quark and a
v-diquark. The results for the $N-\Delta$ transition agree only
qualitatively with experiment, but we find the correct value for
$E2/M1$.

\section*{Acknowledgments}
I am indebted to H.R. Petry and B.C. Metsch. This work was
supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
\section*{References}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Kelly Osbourne Turns Up The Heat On The Cover Of Cosmo Magazine!
I couldn't help but notice how great Kelly Osbourne looks on the lastest Cosmopolitan cover! She was recently feautured on the July issue and I really couldn't be happier with their decision. Just by looking at… More »
Looking Back: Ryan Gosling & Justin Timberlake Singing on Disney!
Here at Buzznet we absolutely adore Justin Timberlake & Ryan Gosling. These two are definitely some of Hollywood's hottest stars today and let me tell you it's the cutest thing watching throwback vids… More »
Miley Strikes A Pose In Her Pink Undies!
Just when we thought Miley's short-shorts couldn't get any shorter she decides to get rid of them. Once again she proves that she can pretty much get away with the bare minimum and still… More »
25 Precious Animals Who Love Their Mamas
90s Flashback! LOL-Worthy Roles From The Amanda Show
If you grew up in the 90s watching Nickelodeon you remember all the great tv shows like All That, Are You Afraid Of The Dark and Kenan & Kel. One of my all time favorites… More »
Demi Lovato's Blonde Again & Receives Honorary Award From SAMHSA
Looks like Demi Lovato traded her dark locks AGAIN for sophisticated golden tresses recently at SAMHSA's National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day held in Washington, DC.
Demi shared… More »
Demi Lovato's Album Track 'Really Don't Care' Feat. Cher Llyod
Great news for all you Lovatics out there! We don't have to wait any longer to preview listen Demi Lovato's new self-titled album Demi. Now you can listen to the entire album by clicking here. Woo!!
One… More »
Way Back Wednesday: Jennifer Lawrence's Stunning Modeling Days
Selena Gomez & The Biebs Back Together?!
If you've been keeping up with this Hollywood couple you might be convinced that Jelena is currently back on. It was only a matter of time before they rekindled after their recent split. Selena… More »
2013 Billboard Music Awards Nominees List Revealed!
Only weeks away until the 2013 Billboard Music Awards and we have to say we are pretty excited to see the final nominations list. We also weren't too surprised that some of our favorite… More »
Who Wears Short-Shorts? Miley Does!
Just after the word got out that 20-year-old Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth postponed their wedding, Miley steps out without her engagement ring rocking her white short-shorts. From the front everything is looking classy with some… More »
10 Cool Ways To Celebrate Earth Day!
The Evolution of Taylor Swift Peace Signs
Get Ready For A Pitch Perfect Sequel In 2015
Woooo! Universal recently announced plans for a Pitch Perfect sequel! But…it won't be released until another two years. Boo! It was something fans like me were hoping for since the cast's reunion performance at the… More »
Disney Princesses If They Were Marvel Superheroes
Selena Gomez Goes Bollywood For MTV Movie Awards Performance
There's no doubt that Selena Gomez came and brought the heat this year at the MTV Movie Awards with her bollywood-inspired Come & Get It performance. She reminded me of a real-life version… More »
Lennon & Maisy's 'Ho Hey' Cover Is The Cutest Thing Ever
For those of you who watch ABC's Nashville you probably know a thing or two about these adorable sisters. I've been wanting to watch this show for awhile now and I think its about time… More »
10 Best Dressed Celebs At The 2013 ACM's
Scarlett Johansson Get's Gorgeous On Marie Claire's May Issue
Just when we all thought she couldn't possibly get anymore gorg Scarlett Johansson proves us all wrong. Beauty is effortless for this lady and I think it's pretty obvious by the look of Marie… More »
More Stories >


text:
Labor Esq Reps INT'L
Par Int'l enters first-look deal with MTV Euro
4:00 AM PST 1/23/2007 by Stuart Kemp , AP
LONDON -- Paramount Pictures International on Monday said it is kicking off an "aggressive and ambitious" strategy of international acquisitions and local co-production pacts with a first-look production deal with MTV Films Europe.
The pact, unveiled at the operation's glittering launch Monday night here, will see PPI work closely with MTV Films in London on film projects. The timespan and financial details were not available at press time.
PPI president Andrew Cripps said the pact is designed to kickstart strategy and help reinforce product flow in local markets.
The deal was struck with MTV Films Europe topper Jonahan Zilli and business partner Bobby Allen, who run the MTV Films' label under license from Viacom.
Cripps also said that PPI had snapped up U.K., Spanish and French rights to Bille August's much anticipated depiction of Nelson Mandela's incarceration in "Goodbye Bafana."
Paramount studio chairman and CEO Brad Grey said he believes very strongly in growing the overseas arm of the studio and that co-production and acquisitions will play a central role in that ambition.
He added that a close working relationship between Paramount and other Viacom family units such as Nickelodeon and Dreamworks was central to the studio's plans.
Paramount lot producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura followed Grey onto the podium to extol to partygoers the new philosophy at the studio.
"The cookie cutter process of filmmaking in Hollywood has reached new heights but Paramount is one of the few studios to not do that," di Bonaventura said.
He introduced footage from "Transformers," "Shooter" and "Stardust" before explaining that the diversity in the three pictures on display represented Paramount's filmmaking ambitions.
"Stardust" director Matthew Vaughn drew wry smiles from the audience when he asked how many times Brits had heard that a studio wanted to back talent and efforts in the U.K.
"I am very grateful to Paramount and sincerely believe it means it when it says it wants to back movies here," Vaughn said.
Stuart Kemp


ROBINSON combination air and water cleaning gun is light weight and easy to use. The GC11 tube cleaning gun cleans condenser or heat exchanger tubes in seconds and is the personal choice of many contractors and plants. One squeeze of the trigger allows water to lubricate the tube and brush. A further squeeze of the trigger propels the brush through the tube. The GC11 gun comes complete with tapered nozzle and safety splash shield.
Able to reach all tubes.
Easy replacement of worn parts.
ROBINSON's GC11 cleaning gun can be purchased separately or as part of a cleaning system.


text:
B.C. ice wine makers welcome latest harvest they've ever seen
Late harvests of ice wine grapes happened last week for wineries that left their grapes hanging
Mark Brett
With time running out, Okanagan wineries that delayed picking for the final time this season were rewarded with the arrival of last week's arctic flow deep freeze.
"We're breathing a sigh of relief, that's for sure," said general manager and winemaker Val Tait of Bench 1775 Winery in Naramata. "I would have pulled the pin a lot earlier, my cutoff is pretty well the middle of January and I've never had a season where we didn't hit ice wine before the middle of January.
"But our vineyard manager was just like, 'let's hang on, let's hang on until the end of the month.' Then this weather system was forecast and it was right, it's a good thing my vineyard manager was so faithful."
General manager and winemaker Val Tait of Bench 1775 Winery with some of the grapes left on the vine following last week's ice wine grape harvest.
Mark Brett/Western New
Her winery left 35 acres of fruit hanging and were predicting to harvest 100 tonnes, but due to the lateness of picking they only had about a quarter of that.
Bench 1775's wines have earned it the distinction as one of the top eight wineries in Canada and top four in B.C.
Last year's winter harvest began in early December, coming on the heels of the November 2017 earliest start to ice wine grape picking in the past decade.
The longer it takes for the mercury to reach the desired temperatures (below -8 C) for the required time, the greater the loss to the wineries.
"If we had picked earlier, it would have been better," said Tait. "The fruit was pretty beat up by this point. Then there's predation that happens and the fruit literally just starts to melt after awhile, so the yields were pretty low. Pretty small amount of fruit but the quality is very good.
"When you pick it earlier you have more of a fresh fruit kind flavours predominating and when you get the fruit in this late in the season you get more caramel and honey, more developed flavours that come from dried fruit characteristic — so they're both equally beautiful."
Related: The Okanagan ice wine harvest isn't looking so hot
She added the challenge-reward factor of growing grapes in such a unique region makes a winemakers job particularly interesting.
"We see a lot of climatic variations and we never know what the weather is going to deliver, so the fruit is almost always different. I love that," said Tait."We grow the fruit to a certain style. You never know what you're going to be delivered fruit wise. It's beautiful to be able to play with that but sometimes it's nerve-wracking like this year."
There is the added stress on the crews of pickers and processors as the grapes must be processed while still frozen.
"It's hard on the team because they're working round the clock in such cold conditions and it's a mad rush to get it off and processed as quickly as possible," said Tait.
A few kilometres up the road winemaker Kathy Malone of Hillside Winery was also glad she decided to wait just a bit longer.
"I was planning to pull the plug. I had actually scheduled in that we would pick as a late harvest the previous week and then the forecast was for cold," said Malone, adding the winery only got 0.7 of the one tonne they were hoping for. "I talked to the wine authority (B.C. Wine Authority) the week before and I think they said 2000 was the last time there was no ice wine harvest. Since 2002 we've very often had early arctic outflow, always nice when it happens in November because then it's done. It's really hard on the crew to come off this intense harvest cycle."
Related: Icewine harvest begins for some Okanagan wineries
For the first time the winery actually transported its wooden hand basket press to their Hidden Valley vineyard to process on site.
"It was like the first scene from (the film) Les Misérables those guys cranking away at that press it really sounds like they're maniacal down there," she said with a laugh.
So come May or June there will once again be ice wines on the shelves the select local wineries that left the fruit hanging on the vines.
@PentictonNews
newstips@pentictonwesternnews.com
MarkBrett
Send Mark Brett an email.
Like the Western News on Facebook.
Suspect breaks into woman's bedroom in Nanaimo, demands money, apologizes for crime
Tips for driving in the snow
And the snowiest community on Vancouver Island is…
Vancouver Island University working to decolonize B.C. classrooms
New online directory promotes shopping local in Nanaimo


As if to confirm the magic of this insight, in the local museum we saw that the Etruscans had had the same thought a couple of millennia before us, an elongated figurine called 'Shadow of Evening'. Shadows went into my story, along with a real sense of place, and the book was 'snapped up' (ha ha) by the first publisher to see the revised version. And now the Ashmolean Museum had started stocking replicas of the statue. What could be more appropriate as a present for myself? I went off directly to the Ash and thereby maintained the tingle factor for the rest of the day.
This was great advice. It's so important to mark those moments when we step beyond the limits we think we are bound by. Such moments are fleeting: one needs to peg them down with an object. Or an event.
Allison and Busby launched the book in their offices in New Cavendish Street. It was a sweet occasion surrounded by friends. The next event was more public, at Waterstones, and it was my first experience of the hot sweats of awkwardness, of ego struggle, of that voice that says, 'C'mon, you know you're enjoying all this flattery!' and the other voice which wails, 'I want to be at home with my slippers on!' After that it was lit fests and other people's launches and feeling itchy in my own skin.
Then Allison and Busby got sold, my agent retired, and I started doing my books myself. This is a very good way of keeping your slippers on. It may just have been me, getting out of it all, but it did seem that launch parties became a thing of the past, certainly as far as publishers were concerned (our own Godstow Press included). But in the midst of all this economic gloom which is sitting on us, there have been two recently which I've attended, and neither of them made me feel anything other than happy and content. Both were funded by the author.
The first was Keith Critchlow's, for his book The Hidden Geometry of Flowers, in the very appropriate surroundings of the Royal Horticultural Society in Pimlico. After drinks with geometers, artists, writers and tutors from the Prince's School of Traditional Arts, we were ushered upstairs to a lecture hall where, with Warren Kenton presiding, we had talks about Islamic gardens, on flowers, and Keith himself on the geometry of flowers (with slide show). Despite the luminous nature of some of the guests, it seemed a refreshingly ego-less event.
The other was Jeremy Naydler's launch of his Gardening as a Sacred Art, held in the garden and meeting room of the Quakers in St Giles, Oxford. After cups of tea and slices of cake in the garden, the weather surprisingly warm and fine given it was the day the clocks went back, we went inside for a talk by Jeremy, spoken extempore without notes as ever, which entertained and inspired us all. After a long signing session, we went back outside, now dark, to launch a Chinese lantern. I knew what was in Jeremy's mind as it finally rose into the air, 'Oh good, another project finished.' For that is what a good launch is, a farewell.
Diligent authors will of course devote much time and energy after publication to promotion and sales, but even they will feel that their baby is in its coffin. They will be itching to get back into their slippers and turning their attention to the next one.
You have done what only mothers and gods do: you have created new life. Start again before you're ready. Take the rest of the day off. Take your wife or husband out to dinner. Pop some champagne. Give yourself a standing ovation. Then get back to work. Begin the next one tomorrow.
I did not intend to give a launch party for Pallas and the Centaur, so Michael Shepherd stepped in and did it for me, treating about twenty Renaissance scholars to an exceptionally fine meal. It was incredibly generous of him, but it did wander a little into the hot, discomfort zone of being the centre of attention which, as all true authors will agree, is a place more rightfully assigned to the book, not the writer. Arrange yourself a banquet, by all means, but put the book in the place of honour.


The Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation joins Catholics for Choice and other faith based organizations in urging the Supreme Court to decide in favor of the hundreds of thousands of employees at religiously-affiliated nonprofit organizations who could be deprived of their conscience rights, religious freedom, and access to healthcare in the face of the most recent challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Zubik v. Burwell will be heard by the Supreme Court tomorrow morning.
Zubik v. Burwell specifically targets the Affordable Care Act's requirement that employers' health plans provide free contraception coverage for their employees. The Supreme Court will be reviewing challenges brought by a consolidation of seven lawsuits, all alleging that the accommodation that was developed by the Obama administration allowing religiously affiliated groups to opt out of birth control coverage by simply notifying their insurer in writing "triggers" birth control coverage, thus making them complicit in an act that violates their religious beliefs. In reality, once they file the paperwork, these organizations would have no further role in the process. The insurer provides the contraception coverage and communicates directly with the employee.
Nine appellate courts have ruled on the lawsuit concerning this issue. All but one sided with the government and ruled against the nonprofits. Only the 8th Federal Circuit Court ruled with the employers.
The Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation (UUWF) has taken positions in support of the right to contraception and other reproductive health services for more than 50 years. The UUWF is one of the original members of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.


4 OVAL BLACK SIDE STEP NERF BARS RUNNING BOARDS 01-18 CHEVY SILVERADO CREW CAB. Will Fit Crew Cab Models With 4 Full Size Doors That Open In The Same Fashion. Will Not Fit Extended Cab Models With 2 Full Size Front Doors & Half Size Backward Doors.
STYLE: 4 Inch Side Step Nerf Bars COLOR: Black FEATURES. Oval Style Side Step Bar.
Oval Design Provides A More Secure Area. Heavy Duty Steel With Black Color Powder Coating. The item "4 OVAL BLACK SIDE STEP NERF BARS RUNNING BOARDS 01-18 CHEVY SILVERADO CREW CAB" is in sale since Wednesday, November 26, 2014. This item is in the category "eBay Motors\Parts & Accessories\Car & Truck Parts\Exterior\Nerf Bars & Running Boards".


Education is a vital part of the mission of Audubon. Our local chapter provides opportunities for all generations, from children to elders. We strive to teach people about birds and their natural world, with a focus on place-based, active-learning approaches. We also strive to take advantage of the local knowledge of our community, especially as it relates to birds and the shared passion for conserving their native habitats.
Each year, our chapter offers two educational programs on bird-related topics, as well as the occasional symposium or workshop on a special topic of interest. Many of these events are free and open to the public. For upcoming events, please consult our calendar on our Facebook page.


Combine the cocoa powder, caster sugar and water or milk in a small pot.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the butter.
Let the sauce cool before transferring it to a serving container.
The sauce will thicken slightly when cooled.
Keep the sauce covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Warm it up in the microwave or in a pot and whisk till smooth before using.
If you need the sauce urgently, place the pot in an ice water bath and stir till it's cool.