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Industry Leaders Advocate Best Practices for Regulation, Labeling and Manufacturing of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp Products
27 Mar 2015 10:00 AM | Anonymous
SILVER SPRING, MD - The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) Cannabis Committee, in coordination with Americans for Safe Access (ASA), and the Hemp Industries Association (HIA), announces the release of a joint statement advocating for implementation of best practices for the regulation of consumable, topical, and inhalant cannabis and hemp-derived products to ensure quality and consumer safety. These best practices were developed with the input of numerous industry experts and establish common language and defined terms for the transparent and accurate labeling of these products to support responsible commerce and informed use of the cannabis plant.
AHPA, ASA and HIA will be promoting these best practices at the 3rd Annual National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference being held March 27-31, in Washington, DC.
Recommendations for plant part identification
The AHPA Cannabis Committee has established a policy that lawfully-marketed products consisting of or including Cannabis spp. ingredients that are intended for oral ingestion, topical application, or inhalation be labeled to identify the part of the Cannabis plant from which the ingredient is derived (e.g., seed oil, flower extract, or extract of aerial parts). This policy does not apply to parts of the Cannabis plant provided to consumers in unprocessed and recognizable forms.
"Today's hemp food and body care companies implement good manufacturing practices and adhere to established standards for labeling," noted Eric Steenstra, executive director of the HIA. "In the best interest of consumers, it's vitally important for leading industry associations and manufacturers to work together to clarify and implement guidelines for all hemp and cannabis products."
Regulatory recommendations
The AHPA Cannabis Committee has developed regulatory recommendations in the form of best practices addressing the operational stages of cannabis production and distribution: cultivation and processing; manufacturing and related operations; laboratory practice; and dispensing. These recommendations are applicable to any operation lawfully producing and/or distributing cannabis or industrial hemp consumable, topical, or inhalant products that are not already governed by federal regulations. ASA and HIA members contributed to the development of these recommendations as well.
The AHPA Cannabis Committee, ASA, and the HIA support the regulatory trends toward mandatory product testing and adoption of other product safety regulations in states currently implementing medical marijuana programs.
"Regulators seeking to enhance cannabis product quality can adopt and implement these recommendations, as well as the product quality guidelines found in the American Herbal Pharmacopeia (AHP) Cannabis Monograph," stated Michael McGuffin, president of AHPA. "AHPA is conducting outreach encouraging all medical cannabis states to update their laws and regulations accordingly to include product safety and quality considerations."
Cannabis companies are volunteering to adjust to these market demands as well.
"Cannabis companies are encouraged to participate in ASA's Patient Focused Certification (PFC) program as a way to independently demonstrate to consumers that these guidelines have been integrated into their production processes," explained Steph Sherer, ASA executive director. "The PFC program criteria draw from both the AHPA Cannabis Committee recommendations and the AHP Cannabis Monograph to foster consistency across the industry."
"This is an exciting time for the cannabis industry; tremendous progress has been made in the past few years and the industry will continue to offer these products in a safe and transparent way that is imperative to its future," McGuffin added.
The complete joint statement is available online.
About American Herbal Products Association
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is the national trade association and voice of the herbal and botanical products industry. AHPA is comprised of more than 300 domestic and foreign companies doing business as growers, processors, manufacturers, and marketers of herbs and herbal products, including foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and non-prescription drugs. Founded in 1982, AHPA's mission is to promote the responsible commerce of herbal products.
About Americans for Safe Access
With over 50,000 active members in all 50 states, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the largest national member-based organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. ASA works to overcome political and legal barriers by creating policies that improve access to medical cannabis for patients and researchers through legislation, education, litigation, grassroots actions, advocacy and services for patients and the caregivers.
About Hemp Industries Association
The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) is a non-profit trade association comprised of hundreds of hemp businesses, representing the interests of the hemp industry and encouraging the research and development of new hemp products. More information about the HIA can be found on the association's website: http://www.thehia.org.
"Hemp" means industrial hemp as defined by Congress as "the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis." Sec. 7606 (b)(2)
The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) represents the interests of the hemp industry and encourages the research and development of new hemp products. More information about hemp's many uses and hemp advocacy may be found at www.TheHIA.org and www.VoteHemp.com. DVD Video News Release featuring footage of hemp farming in other countries is available upon request by contacting Lauren Stansbury at 402-540-1208 or lauren@wearemovementmedia.com .


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Gloria W. Vlosky
Gloria W. Vlosky of Minneapolis, formerly of Syracuse, NY and West Orange, NJ, died Friday, September 2, 2011. She was born on July 14, 1937 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and was the daughter of the late Allen & Sylvia Weisman. On July 5, 1959, she married Milton E.Vlosky, who preceded her in death on June 14, 1968. Gloria is survived by her son Bernard Vlosky (Junghee) Minneapolis, MN; daughters Linda Vlosky Zack (Rabbi Howard Zack) Columbus, OH, Andra Vlosky Goldman (Craig) of West Orange, NJ: her grandchildren, Etana, Shifra, and Meira Zack and Michael, Deena and Seth Goldman; brothers, Donald Weisman (Sheila)Amherst, NY, John Weisman (Renee) Poughkeepsie; and several nieces and nephews. Widowed at a very young age with three small children, Gloria moved forward with vigor and love and raised her children with great values, work ethics and the knowledge that they could be anything they wanted to be. The reality is they are. Educated in local schools and graduated from the State Teachers College in Buffalo, she worked as a Special Education Teacher in the Syracuse school district for many years. Gloria was ardent fan of the Minnesota Twins and the Orangemen of Syracuse University. She was honored by throwing out the first pitch of a recent Twins game. Gloria was a strong and independent woman who was loved by her family and friends. Funeral services will be held on Monday, September 5th in Poughkeepsie, NY. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or a charity of choice.
Gloria W. Vlosky of Minneapolis, formerly of Syracuse, NY and West Orange, NJ, died Friday, September 2, 2011. She was born on July 14, 1937 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and was the daughter of the late Allen & Sylvia Weisman. On July 5, 1959, she married... View Obituary & Service Information
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


"Another possible explanation of the extraordinary appearance of Antlia 2," Koposov wrote in an email to dailygalaxy.com, "is that there is something wrong with currently favored Cold Dark Matter theory that predicts that dark matter should be tightly packed in centers of galaxies. If dark matter distribution however is more fluffy, that can make it easier to form galaxies like Antlia 2," he added.
The Gaia satellite has spotted this enormous 'ghost' galaxy, named Ant 2, lurking on the outskirts of the Milky Way.
The team contacted colleagues at the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) in Australia, but when they checked the coordinates for Ant 2, they realized they had a limited window of opportunity to get follow-up data. They were able to measure the spectra of more than 100 red giant stars just before the Earth's motion around the Sun rendered Ant 2 unobservable for months.


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Apple Watch ads put technology in the background.
Apple's latest ad for the Apple Watch, which comes in time for spring, wants to show how technology can be used to lead an active lifestyle.
The ad (watch it in full below), called "Live Bright," starts with the notification "time to stand" and then moves into a fast-paced rhythm set to Beyoncé's "Freedom."
Across a succession of many bright colors, the ad shows people participating in a variety of sports and activities including basketball, hiking, and mountain biking.
The ad showcases the Apple Watch Series 2's waterproof capability, which is put to the test in swimming and water-balloon fights in the ad.
It's similar to the tone that Apple struck in its advertising when it launched the Series 2 watch and made activities the center of the ad.
The video was created by Apple's agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab.


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Home Europa England See how much the top 20 soccer stars earn
See how much the top 20 soccer stars earn
For many years, ever since the addition of private money, football has changed. Once the 'people's game,' today football feels far more like a game of trading cards. Millions goes through the economies of the major footballing nations, sometimes billions. The sheer scale of money – from the weekly wages to the price per ticket for a fan – means that, to some, the top level football we all used to love has lost some of its original luster.
The easiest way to see how football has changed, though, is when you see just how much the biggest names in the sport earn.
Who is the top earner in soccer?
At the time of writing, the amazing Lionel Messi is the highest paid footballer on the planet. The FC Barcelona legend is arguably the best of all-time, and is able to back that up by bringing in around $12,636 every single hour. Despite recently scoring his 400th goal for Barcelona, that seems like an insane amount of money to be paying any one star!
However, if you look at FCB before his breakthrough and the club they are today, they are barely recognizable. In his career, Messi has seen Barcelona turn into arguably the biggest club in the world, at least before the UEFA Champions League dominance of arch rivals Real Madrid.
We know how much that Messi – and the other top twenty – earn in football thanks to a new infographic produced by Betting Sites UK. It's a fine example of where all of that effort and dedication is likely to get you if you are willing to put in the effort.
Can football ever return to the old ways?
It's very unlikely. The injection of private finance into football has been going on for decades. In fact, ever since football was slowly but surely professionalized across the world, the money has gone up and up. Big companies see the immense viewership ratings, and are happy to plow millions into their advertising schemes.
Today, political bodies and oligarchs are happy to buy into the football world, using their finances to help turn dreams into reality. Several clubs in the last 20 years – Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain to name but a few – have gone from being also-rans in their leagues to among the most powerful clubs in European football.
The money is insane. Turning that money down is very hard, too: the tax revenues produced by football alone runs into the billions worldwide. While the money divide in the game has often led to problems with fairness and competitive imbalances, it is very much fair to say that football has changed and improved tenfold due to the money on offer in terms of physical and technical quality.
Some dislike the modern era of football, with the sums of money outside of the realms of reality. For the players, though, it's the perfect balance: live the dream of playing football, and earn millions for doing so. For those in the Top 20, why would you change a thing?
Source; https://www.betting-sites.uk.com/soccer-earnings/
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of the most spectacular in the world championships as Barclays Premier League EPL, Primera Division, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A Italy Serie A ( Brazilian ) and more
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Petar Petrov - December 6, 2019


Does Cold-Pressed Juice Contain Any Fiber?
One of the most frequently asked questions at Journey Juice is about fiber.
Does the cold-pressed method get rid of all the fiber?
Don't we have to eat a lot of fiber to be healthy?
Will I still be able to go to the bathroom if I don't eat enough fiber?
Like almost everything in the world of health and nutrition, 'It's Complicated.' The most common answer is that fiber is good for you because it keeps you 'regular.' And if you are a typical American eating the typical Standard American Diet (SAD), adding fiber to your regular diet will indeed help keep you regular. If you are eating three meals a day of fast and processed foods, it makes sense to get the bad stuff out of your system as fast as possible. If you eat 'clean,' the benefits of fiber are less pronounced. But it's still complicated.
There are two types of fiber, insoluble and soluble. The insoluble fiber in many foods is what your body cannot digest. It speeds up the digestion process and helps to keep you regular. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and ferments in your gut while producing many important byproducts such as short chain fatty acids, which help the millions of microorganisms keep your gut healthy. Soluble fiber also decreases your blood sugar and increases your absorption of vitamins and minerals.
So what about fiber in the juice? The cold press machine that takes two-three pounds of fresh produce and magically produces delicious Journey Juice removes the insoluble fiber but maintains more than 90 percent of the vitamins, minerals and enzymes. The cellulose that is left over is inedible — to humans anyway. We feed it to the goats!
Notice the soluble fiber in this bottle of Just Greens (pictured) that has settled in the bottom of the bottle. Since we do not homogenize, pasteurize, or use amalgamation chemicals at Journey Juice, the water contained in the vegetables is separated from the soluble fiber and nutrients. Therefore, it is always important to Shake Well before consuming.
So enjoy your next bottle of Journey Juice with the piece of mind that there is plenty of soluble fiber in the juice, working hard to bring your body all of the healthy nutrients from the fruits and vegetables.
Watermelon Fresca is our number one selling juice during the summer. Our Georgia Grown watermelons make the sweetest tasting, most refreshing juices available anywhere. And just like all of the cold-pressed juices at Journey Juice, we do not add any water or sugar to our watermelon juice. We just add a splash of fresh squeezed lemon juice, which acts as a natural preservative. But did you know how nutritious watermelons are? Even though they are made out of more than 90 percent water, watermelons are a vegetable/fruit combo superfood.
Watermelons contain twice the potassium of a banana; But only half the sugar.
Watermelons contain more lycopene than a tomato.
Watermelons contain a healthy dose of Citrulline, which converts to L-arginine once digested, then to Nitric Oxide. Nitric Oxide is a vasodilator, which means it is great for your cardiovascular system. Not only does Citrulline help Nitric Oxide improve your blood pressure, in one study (Urology. 2011 Jan;77(1):119-22.), Citrulline supplements were given to patients suffering from mild erectile disfunction. The natural Citrulline was shown to be more than 80 percent as effective as Viagra, without the side effects.
Watermelons contain anti-inflammatory antioxidants in addition to Lycopene, which work like COX-2 inhibitors like Ibuprofen, without the liver damage (http://www.albany.edu/faculty/cs812/bio366/Cyclooxygenase_ppt.pdf).
Cold-pressed watermelon juice performed better than gatorade in tests on athletes' recovery after workouts (http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/is-gatorade-bad-for-you).
Watermelons have been around since the ancient Egyptians grew them more than 5000 years ago. Every part of the watermelon is edible. In fact, the rind and seeds are even more nutritious than the juicy red meat though not as delicious. Sprouted watermelon seeds are one of our favorite healthy snacks. One ounce contains 11 grams of healthy fat, 10 grams of protein and no sugar. Compare those numbers to your favorite protein bar.
Remember in the summer heat, preventing dehydration begins long before your workout. If you are planning a big workout or run in the heat, proper preparation begins the night before. Don't eat processed foods; don't drink too much alcohol; get enough sleep; and drink a Journey Juice cold-pressed Watermelon Fresca. The next morning, in addition to plenty of water, drink another Watermelon Fresca one to two hours before your workout. You will be amazed at your performance in the heat.
Does the idea of not eating anything solid for three days sound crazy to you? For those of you who do a juice cleanse regularly, that's no big deal, right? But for those of you who eat three meals a day — even if you eat 'healthy' meals, the idea of not consuming anything but liquid juice for three days — that's nine meals skipped — is crazy.
If you are reading this blog, and you like Journey Juice, you already know how good you feel after drinking just one juice. But are you drinking a Journey Juice in lieu of a meal, or in addition to breakfast, lunch or dinner?
Humans have been the same (in evolutionary terms) for the last two million years or so. We did not start eating three square meals a day plus snacks until recently. And the quality of the three squares plus snacks in America has reached a nadir so low, our government has had to force the healthy minority to pay for the unhealthy majority's healthcare.
Our digestive systems require huge amounts of energy to work properly, especially when so many foreign (synthetic) substances are bombarding Americans' bodies daily. The harder your digestive system works, the faster your body ages.
If you are eating three squares plus snacks every day, in evolutionary terms, your body is working overtime to digest all that food. And if some of that food is of suboptimal quality, your digestive system is working even harder and your immune system is slowly being degraded one fast food meal and one donut at a time.
When you consume Journey Juice, your body loves you because all of the nutrients from the more than three pounds of organic fruits and vegetables in each bottle, have already been separated from the apples, carrots, cucumbers and more, so your digestive system expends very little energy getting those nutrients into your bloodstream. And if you fast every other day, or one or two days per week, or for 20 hours each day — any of those methods work well — your digestive system gets to take a break during that time and all this incredible stuff happens inside your body that may have never happened before, if you have never gone more than 20 hours or more without eating.
In addition, exercising in a fasted state can help counteract muscle aging and wasting, and boost fat-burning. Once your body gets used to fasting, you can exercise while fasting for even better results.
Individuals who are hypoglycemic, diabetic, pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid any type of calorie restriction until your blood sugar or insulin levels are regulated. Please consult your physician before changing diets.
Juicing and fasting should not be attempted 'cold-turkey.' While it is possible to go directly from consuming a SAD diet (Standard American Diet) to juicing and fasting, we do not advise it. If you drink Journey Juice on a regular basis, and fast on a regular basis, your body will love you. And you will love your body. But if you eat fast food regularly, drink Frappi's, and believe that wheat toast with margarine is good for you, it is imperative to ween yourself off of those foods before starting a juice cleanse or a fast. It is very possible your body will revolt and make you very sick with the change in diet. This is the natural detoxing process which can be very uncomfortable, so we advise changing diets prior to beginning a juice cleanse or fast.
Please email us with any questions about juice cleanses or intermittent fasting. We would be happy to discuss these amazing natural methods of detoxing your body and losing weight.
Remember: Life's a Journey. Make it Juicy!
Juice Cleansing or Juice Fasting and sometimes affectionately called "Juice Feasting" can work wonders for your body, mind, and soul. In allowing your body to rest, it can allocate energy to its natural cleansing and detoxing processes. So much of our body's energy is focused solely on digestion the 3 + meals we are consuming daily. FYI it takes ballpark 18 hours to fully digest and eliminate 1 meal, wow! Coldpressed juice skips the long digestion process because the insoluble fiber has been removed. Healthy and easily digestible soluble fiber remains as well as plentiful amounts of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and water.
We have three cleanse levels available Beginner's, Juicer's (Intermediate Cleanse), and the Epic (for Advanced results). We also have Juice Boxes and Custom Boxes for people to buy in bulk.
We Are Back! Journey Juice Re-Opens On Prince!
Journey Juice Re-Opens on Monday, June 15th! Shop is still located on Prince Ave. & Satula in Normaltown!
Why don't you take the plunge and see what all the fuss is about?


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On The Right TRAX (OTRT)	Country Music, Entertainment, Interview, Irish, Music, Songwriter, Television	 September 14, 2020 September 16, 2020 13 Minutes
First Published February 2019
A MAN OF HIS WORD
It had been a memorable few days for country music superstar Michael English by the time we caught up for a chat last weekend. Just the previous Monday he had walked away with both the Entertainer of the Year and the Songwriter of the Year awards at the annual Sunday World Country Music & Entertainment Awards in the Mullingar Park Hotel (where his eagerly awaited Dancing Weekend will soon take place), followed by his appearance on the TG4 talent show, Glor Tire, with his contestant John Molloy on Tuesday night.
But on Monday, Michael had revealed on stage that it was actually his first time ever to be crowned Entertainer of the Year. Now, given the high regard Michael is held in throughout the country music world, and the array of various other awards he's picked up in his time, that revelation certainly came as a surprise to me. So what better place to begin our conversation. How special was that particular achievement for Michael on a personal level?
"Well it's a great thrill and a great feeling to win Entertainer of the Year, that's the big one. And although I've won other awards before, winning Entertainer of the Year was really something that delighted me. And the Songwriter of the Year, too. of course. And I accepted both awards, but especially the Entertainer of the Year, on behalf of everybody who works with me. Because it's a team effort from everybody in the band, and everybody in the office, and everyone behind the scenes who all do great work as well. I'm a firm believer, and I've always said it, that no entertainer is anything without the people he stands on the stage with. We all go out night after night and try to do our best. So I'm very thankful to the Sunday World, and everybody who voted, and especially everybody who comes to all the shows night after night."
Having won so many awards over the years, does Michael still get a buzz from such occasions and achievements? Or is it a case of it being something he's got used to?
"No, I wouldn't like to think that I get used to it, no. Because there could come a day when we won't be gettin' any awards at all [laughs]. We work night after night, travelling and touring, and I suppose when you get an award it's a little celebration to realise that all the work we're doing is paying off. So I'd never ever take it for granted. Winning Male Vocalist of the Year was a great honour, too. And there's just so many great entertainers out there, so winning that one this year, I'd never, ever take it for granted. Because you never know what's down the road."
The fact that Michael is such a talented songwriter – as well as a singer and musician – has always set him apart from a lot of other big-name performers. But songwriting is all about creation, and creation takes time. Yet Michael is one of the busiest men in the business. So how does he make sure he finds time to write?
"Well first of all I think songwriting is hugely important, particularly in the business today. Artists need to have their own songs and their own sound to create an identity. Even back in the showband days, The Mainliners were a completely different sound than The Royal Showband. And that's still important nowadays, to have your own stamp on things. So it's vital that you make time to write, and to create a sound that will separate you from other people. I mean, there's no point in fans going out to shows if they're all the same. So I make time really, whenever I have a bit of free-time I sit at the piano. But I also write in the car on the way home from a show. That's a great time to be thinking. You're just after coming off the stage, so it's a time when you're in a certain frame of mind [that's good for writing]. I'm often found pulling the car into the side of the road and sticking a few lines into the phone, and then heading on again until I get home to the piano and can develop it from there."
All songwriters, as they develop their craft, find a method and style of writing that works best for them, whether it's everything beginning with a title, or maybe figuring out an entire chorus first and then building the rest of the song around that, or whatever it might be. Over the years, what approach to songwriting has become Michael's natural preference?
"I find that every song that you write is different, and has a different approach. It can come from something as simple as somebody giving you a phrase, or a title, and then all of a sudden the juices start to flow and you come up with a verse or a chorus, so you might have the words first. But then sometimes you might be at the piano and a melody would come into your head and you might write the music first. Every song is different, and that's what makes it interesting as well as everything else. It's a labour of love for me. I often compare it to an artist painting a picture. Any that looked back at the very first ones they painted, would be hopefully saying now well I've improved anyway! [laughs]. It's the same with songwriting. It's a craft, one that you learn as you go. You'll learn the pitfalls from other songs you might have written some time ago. You never really write any two songs the same."
Because of Michael's high-profile, he's a natural choice as a mentor on a show like Glor Tire, and of course, he's back there again this year with John Molloy as his contestant. To take Michael's role as a mentor first, how important does he see that role being, and what has been Michael's approach to it with John?
"Well I see it as a very important role. You have somebody's career to think about. But for me, it's not all about winning the competition, although that would be the icing on the cake! But for me, it's about helping an artist to develop. I've been in the business for a while now, and I can see the different roads to take and the advantages of taking one over the other. So I suppose, as long as you're honest in the advice that you give, as long as I give John the advice that I would take if I was doing it all again, that's the thing. And John is a great artist. I have great time for John. And not just from a musical point of view, but from a personal point of view. John has that likeability factor. We watch the X-Factor, and everybody wonders, well what is the x-factor? I firmly believe that in the music business today, while of course you have to have some musical ability, and of course you have to be able to sing, but I firmly believe that the x-factor – for what of a better phrase – is likeability. It's that people can relate to you, and you can relate to people. And certainly, people do like John, he has a great likeability factor. He makes a great connection with the people who support him, and he almost seems like one of the family to those people. And I think that's vitally important. I've given John advice on songs, and on stage presence, and being on t.v. in front of six or eight cameras, and all of that kind of thing. But I don't have to give him any advice on the personality side of his career. He has that in abundance. John is just a very nice, very humble guy. I don't have to advise him on any of that. But any help I can give him, I have. You know, I often wake up in the middle of the night when an idea comes into my head, and I'll send John a message. Then we'll talk about it the next day. He's a great man to listen and take advice. Advice, particularly in the music business, is only an opinion. I'm not telling John that I know it all, because I certainly don't."
Michael mentioned honesty in his previous answer, and as he and John had known each other for a few years and were no strangers to each other, I wondered if that helped with that sense of honesty and trust between them as mentor and contestant?
"It does, absolutely. We know each other very, very well. And we both know that from my side, as the mentor, I only have John's best interests at heart. I've done my television spot now last week, and I was happy with that, but it's John's competition from here on in. We know each other well enough now to know that I'm certainly looking out for John, and certainly trying to give him the best advice that I can. As I said earlier on, it would be lovely to win the competition, and that's obviously what we're aiming at, but there's much more to Glor Tire than being the winner. Sometimes we watch talent shows, whatever they might be, and if said to someone, who won the competition four years ago, well they mightn't be able to tell you. But they would be able to tell you who gained the most out of it. Often there are people who come second or third who go on to have huge careers. So to use the competition as a tool to get you out there in front of a wider audience, in front of a television audience, that's important. It's about letting more people know about John, and television, and Glor Tire, will certainly do that."
Michael English is one of those individuals who has that very rare gift of putting a touch of genuine class into everything he does. To anyone, not just those in the entertainment business, he's worth studying and learning from. Because if you can be even halfway like him, you'll be placing yourself well ahead of the field. When Michael picked up his Sunday World Award for Entertainer of the Year back in January, he made a point of saying when accepting the prize, that he was doing so on behalf of everyone in the band, everyone who works in the office, and everyone who works with him in any way, because without all of them, he wouldn't be up there in the first place. So for those who might not understand the huge role played by everyone in the band and behind the scenes, I asked Michael to talk a little bit about it…
"Well, I often think, Anthony, if I walked out my front door in the morning and didn't have the people in the office, and didn't have a band to stand on stage with me, it would be a far different career, and a far lonelier career. Far more isolated, too, with much less support, apart from my family who've always been good, and my friends. When I walk out on the stage, there are seven of us on the stage. Obviously I have to lead it, obviously I'm the lead singer, the frontman. But it's like baking a cake. There's no point in pouring the flour into the bowl if you don't have the milk and the sugar, and all of the other ingredients as well [laughs]. And it's the same with a show. All of the elements have to come together, everybody has to be on top form. I'm very lucky that I have six guys in the band with me who are all on the same page as me, who all want the best for the show. And that goes right down to Paul, my manager, and the people in the office. Everybody is a vital cog in the wheel and that wheel is not gonna turn if all the cogs don't come together. And I'm very lucky that all of those people do come together, and all strive to be at their very best every night, wanting the show to be the best that's out there. So I think when you receive an award, you always receive it on behalf of the whole team."
These days especially, younger artists or those just starting off in the business, want to be successful straight away. From Michael's point of view as one of the biggest names in Irish entertainment, what advice about patience, and about working to a plan, and taking things in steps and stages, would he offer to those in a rush to get to the summit?
"When I started out, I had a one-piece, like John. Then a two-piece. Then maybe two years later, a three-piece. Then maybe three years later again, I had the big band. So it certainly took time for my career to take off. Until I had a hit single, I suppose, then it took off a little bit. Nowadays, young people, through the power of reality shows and these kind of things, they're stars before they even realise it. And I don't think that's such a good thing. The real big stars out there, if you look back on them, they honed their craft for a good few years before they had that hit song, or became popular with the audience. And I think that's really important. Because then when you do go out with your full, professional show, you're more ready for it. Because you've done the groundwork, you've done the hard slog goin' around with the gear in the boot of the car! You've seen the harder times. And that makes you appreciate all the more everything that happens when it finally does come together. I think sometimes, if it happens overnight, your expectations are totally different. I think for anybody starting out, particularly in this day and age, whether it be the music business or the acting business – I often compare the two – it's no harm to finish the studies. Just to have a second string to your bow. Because you never know what's down the line. The music business, and the entertainment business in general, is very fickle. I'm very lucky that I have people who have supported me since the day I started. But someday, because you never know what's going to happen, you mightn't be as popular. That's always a fear that an artist has in general, and I include myself in that. So I never, ever, ever take it for granted. I never rest on my laurels and say, ah sure we had a great crowd last night, ya know, and just sail along. As with any business, you only get out of it what you put into it. When you're successful, you have to work harder. For young people starting out, if they think it's hard starting out, wait until you get going a bit! [laughs] Because it becomes a little bit harder to stay there [successful]! So have some sort of a second string to your bow, try and be different to the next person coming along, and try and have an original song. You want one where whenpeople turn on the radio, they know it's you and not somebody else."
At the time we sat down for a chat, Michael's latest single, 'Music In My Heart', was all over country radio following its recent release, so Michael shared some background on the song, and also, on the possibility of maybe recording something someday with his Glor Tire contestant and good friend, John Molloy…
"I've had a lot of uptempo singles, and I suppose this is uptempo as well. I want to get the word out there that when you come to one of our shows, you're going to have a ball! You're going to enjoy it. It's going to be up-and-at ya, bang, bang, bang, energetic. Because that's what the dances are. Over the last couple of years I released a lot of stuff like 'The Tuam Beat', or 'Baby, Don't Leave Me In The Nightime', or 'Will Ya Dance?', and they were all full of brass. And while we have brass on the concert tour, I also have steel guitar, banjo, fiddle, all of the instruments that are associated with country music. So this song, 'Music In My Heart', is a country song. It gives the guys in the band that play the steel, and the banjo, and the fiddle, the opportunity to play something that they're good at. I wanted to take it back slightly to country music with this song. Which is an old song, by the way, something I don't very often do. A lot of the songs, 'Friday At The Dance', that I wrote, 'Joey On The Fiddle', that I also wrote, they're newer songs. But it's also important for people who might not come to the shows every night – and I'm very lucky that I have a lot of fans who come all the time – but you do have new fans as well, so you can't go in and listen to a whole new bunch of songs that you might not know. Like, if I went to see Neil Diamond tomorrow night, I want to hear 'Sweet Caroline', and I want to hear 'Cracklin' Rosie.' New songs are good, but I don't want to listen for an hour to all new songs. You have to have the familiar songs that people like. This is one of those songs, taking it back to old country music. It's been released by a lot of people, including Charley Pride. And it's a jive, which is important as well when we're primarily doing dances at this time of the year.
Michael continued, "On the duet idea, I'd love to record something with John sometime. At the minute, our focus is totally on the competition, and we don't want to take away from that. Sometimes when you release a song it can help, but sometimes, it can distract. So we're just thinking carefully at the minute as to what the plan will be. Obviously, we'll do something eventually. When the time is right we'll release the song!"
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The term 'template leadership' is my own connotation, and I came to that conclusion based on my different direct observations of people in leadership positions, what I have read in newspapers and magazines, and seen or heard on broadcast media, or trends on social media. Wherever I have noticed template leadership, it just follows the same pattern independent of where you find it, who applies it, or who designs it.
To understand fully what I mean by template leadership, I will first explain what template is. I got this definition from TechTarget website, and it says, 'A template is a form, mould, or pattern used as a guide to making something, and examples are ruler when used to draw a straight line, a document in which the standard opening and closing parts are already filled that you can copy and then fill in the variable parts, etc.' In other words, a template is predesigned with a specific objective and intention, and furthermore, it takes the culture, expectation, definition, and conclusion of the designer. Whoever designed a template already knows the outcome, independent of who uses it, and so, by default, the results are expected to tilt in a certain direction. Those who design templates focus on the users, and where intention is not fully fulfilled, they quickly come up with updates in order to ensure that the original purpose beneath the design is completely achieved.
Loss of ID: these days, hackers are so daring – they get into sacred crevices to steal people's identities, and sell them to fraudulent organisations that use them to steal different treasures from their victims. Sometimes, they don't even sell, they use them to make unscrupulous demands from their victims. Loss of identity makes you vulnerable, and that is why organisations spend millions of dollars to secure their online data. Just imagine you heading a team, group or any setting where you're always told what to do or say to your members – how would you feel in such a situation? Just imagine where your ideas don't count, not because they aren't savvy, but because someone has an agenda to promote, and you've been installed as a stooge to propagate the intents of the designer – what would be the state of your blood if you truly understand what leadership is? Your self esteem become worthless where your intellectual or leadership contributions are considered infinitesimal. In summary, you've lost your ID.
Lack of Innovation: designers don't like external innovations except it comes from them, and where it doesn't, they steal it or plagiarise it, and then, internalise it until it looks like they're the original designers. In 2011, I published a book with the title, 'Finding Real Purpose' which was based on my biblical understanding that everyone was born for a reason. I used lines from the holy book to unusually prove that destiny, in terms of purpose actually exists – the book was rich in innovative content and interpretations. But then, I made one mistake – I gave two of my titles as gifts to two household name clergy men, and they both, without shame, stole my innovation, and cleverly published their own titles with virtually my own content. One did it in a very clever way, but the second was less intelligent, so he dug straight into it. After that, I stopped doing anything related to religion. And these two culprits typify template leadership, even from the way they run their organisations – every decision comes from them – their team are 'yes men.' In those periods, I took a real batter, as they did all they could to make me voiceless – I stopped my motivation program on TV and Radio, and couldn't sell many copies of my books because powers stronger than me did all they could to isolate me, but in all, I kept coming back, and surging like tsunami.
Your innovation is lost when you become a mirror-image of a designer, rather than being yourself. If you want to be innovative, you must sometimes stop the template mentality.
Unimaginable Pressure: people have become terminally ill trying to please their masters. People have had nervous breakdowns and ended up with depressions as they tried reading all the time from another person's pre-written script. There's nothing as frustrating as having a killer idea that is continuously subjected to a mediocre one. That is what happens in template leadership – your blood pressure soars because you live in hibernation called quagmire – your whole intelligence and experience count no more because they've been obliterated by the sons of heaven of which you are enslaved to. You're in the house of the twelve Caesars, but you aren't a Caesar – that is the unfortunate situation that ubiquitously surrounds you.
The Emergence of Rattlesnakes: according to livescience.com, rattlesnakes are large, venomous snakes that are found throughout North and South America. They lie in wait until a victim comes along, and then strike at speeds of five-tenths of a second, according to the San Diego Zoo.
There are victims who enjoy being victims because somehow, they look for a way of making it advantageous to themselves by victimising fellow victims. The apartheid regime thrived on the back of some black South Africans who were benefiting from the saga. Recently, images have come out of Libya regarding modern day slavery. The victims are black people, but the stories we've heard from a few of the returnees suggest that those assisting the Arabs to sell black people are fellow black people. Template leadership makes way for the emergence of rattlesnakes who steer it into profiteering or just for the fun of oppression.
Letting people use their sense or allowing them make inputs is the best form of leadership. Everyone has a limit – stop daring their boundaries!


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Ceraclea valentinae är en nattsländeart som beskrevs av Arefina 1997. Ceraclea valentinae ingår i släktet Ceraclea och familjen långhornssländor. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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THE SOFA BIKE IS IDEAL FOR THOSE WHO ARE PRONE TO RIDE IN THAT POSITION
The Count de Sivrac was an ingenious fellow. In 1791 he invented perhaps one of the first functioning bicycles, a crude, pedal-less monstrosity on which he would tool around the palace by pushing his feet against the ground. Since his contraption had no steering mechanism or brakes, he almost surely invented the bicycle crash as well.
Bicycle science has progressed slowly since 1791. Foot pedals, pneumatic tires, hand brakes and derailleur gears are all significant advances, but very few people successfully tampered with the count's basic concept—that is, until Craig Mitchell, a 27-year-old metallurgical engineer from Fairfax, Calif. came along.
Mitchell recently unveiled something called the sofa cycle, a radical alternative to conventional bike design. The idea is to have a rider lie back in something resembling a stationary hammock, with his head against a foam-rubber support and his feet thrust forward to the pedals. It's roughly the position one assumes when propped up in bed watching Upstairs, Downstairs. Mitchell reasons that the supine position is more comfortable than the standard straddle, and by drastically cutting down wind resistance it theoretically increases speed. Moreover, using the seat as a brace, a rider can exert two or three times the normal pushing power.
Mitchell is not the first to tinker with the idea of a recumbent rider. The forerunner of the sofa cycle probably appeared in France about 1933. Since then, other inventors have lain down on the job—one even had the rider lying on his stomach in a breaststroke position. But because of the jumbo size needed to accommodate a reclining body, those bikes invariably handled like Mack trucks and cornered like a Winnebago in a gale. So Mitchell came up with a model that had an adjustable telescopic frame. However, he made the mistake of lending it to a friend. "The first time he tried to ride it he fell off and broke his wrist," Mitchell says. "In terms of product liability, it was not what I wanted."
After three years and five different designs, Mitchell thinks he has solved the size problem. The current sofa cycle has a conventional 40-inch wheel base and is 6' from stem to stern. While not as svelte as a racer, it still weighs a manageable 30 pounds. The master stroke was to attach the crank arms to an adjustable metal shaft which sits above the front wheel and extends about a foot beyond it. This adds length to the cycle without lengthening the wheel base and gives the sofa cycle an uncanny resemblance to a mechanical praying mantis.
Riding a sofa cycle is not simple. For one thing, there is the matter of getting on the bike. Sitting down is no problem, nor is leaning back to the headrest, or grabbing the handlebars, which extend just over one's midriff like the controls on a glider. Even picking up one foot, pushing it forward and locking it into the pedal strap is simple. It's the other foot that causes all the fuss. Your mind tells you to put it on the other pedal and start pumping like mad. Forward motion will overcome inertia every time. But your foot has other ideas. It likes terra firma. It's looking out for your well-being and thus gives rise to an impasse. There is only one way out—a friend. Get some big brawny chap to grab hold of the bike while the other foot timidly agrees to climb aboard.
While your friend runs alongside (still holding on to the bike), you get to practice balance. It feels strange. Your friend is beginning to get red in the face. "Pedal," he yells. "Don't let go." you scream. It's too late. There you are, alone, wobbling down the road with all the grace of a drunk on stilts. Your head is bouncing like a volleyball. From sheer instinct, or panic, you begin to pedal and, by gosh, the thing straightens itself out. Pretty soon you're able to balance. The legs and arms, so essential on conventional bikes, are secondary on the sofa cycle. Balance comes from the hips and back and the subtle shifting of one's weight in the hammock. It takes up to a full day, at least, for the average rider to learn this.
Next comes steering. Like a motorcycle, the sofa cycle is designed to be steered more by leaning than by turning the handlebars. A rider who is used to holding on tightly will soon find himself capsized in someone's tulip garden. Usually, two fingers on the handlebars are sufficient. That goes double for turning. The rider who swings wildly into a turn will shortly be eating concrete.
But the rider who grasps the special sofa-cycle technique is in for a treat. The bike is so aerodynamically clean that it makes a conventional model feel like a tub. Equipped with 15 speeds (the greater leverage, which comes from the braced back, allows for a higher gear ratio), the sofa cycle positively zooms downhill and on the flat. (Mitchell claims he has reached a top speed of 65 mph.) And because of its low center of gravity, the sofa cycle corners like a Ferrari.
Custom-made, the bike costs a hefty $1,000, although the price could drop to around $300 if Mitchell can get it mass-produced. But, like the Count de Sivrac before him, Mitchell is doubtless ahead of his time. While he looks for a manufacturer, he has temporarily closed up shop and taken a job at an electronics firm. "I got tired of being broke," he says.


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How Legislation Drives School Choice
Home » Blog » How Legislation Drives School Choice
By Dr. Karen Hiltz
Have you ever wondered how school choice programs are created?
Is choice really something that American families desire? How come some states offer a range of options while others offer virtually none? Why does the mere mention of school choice produce anger and hostility between advocates and opponents?
For those not familiar with the term, "school choice" refers to the availability of learning environments other than traditional, zip code assigned, public school. Most parents are aware of public and private school options—and possibly homeschool— but do they know there are other choices?
There are! Options include charter and magnet schools; scholarship, tax credit and voucher programs; education savings accounts; and education pods.
So, why do many believe there are only a handful or no education choices? Because all of these options are not available in every state. It's state legislators who propose and pass legislation that determines or drives what choices are authorized within each state's education system.
Let's start from the beginning.
Public education didn't begin in the United States until the mid 1800s. It's not that citizens weren't being educated, but education wasn't paid for via taxation during the early days of our constitutional republic. Also, many families did not view education as a priority.
The U.S. Constitution
In addition, the U.S. Constitution is silent when it comes to education. It does not mention what instruction is needed in our country, how many schools would be beneficial to the citizenry, what type of schools should be founded, or any other element related to the education of the American people.
So, if not from the Constitution, where does the framework for education come from?
Our nation's primary educational framework resides in state constitutions. Each of the fifty states constitutions contain an education Article. All Articles are specific to the needs of each state and differ in the number of sections they have. However, each state constitution addresses a few basics, such as who can receive an education, how public funds are used, and who has authority over the state education system.
For example, the Virginia constitution addresses education in Article VIII, with eleven sections. The Florida constitution has Article IX plus eight sections. Louisiana is a state with a more expansive and detailed constitution, which contains Article VIII along with 16 sections and subsections.
All three of these states identify that education shall be provided for the people. In other words, education is a legal right. Of these three, however, Louisiana is the only one that constitutionally requires approval of private schools.
Each state's constitution clearly conveys the boundaries or framework for how the education system will operate within their borders.
Once people are aware of their state constitution's provisions for education, the next step is to learn how state legislatures function.
How A Bill Becomes Law
The state legislature consists of two chambers (house and senate), which propose bills that address the state's education needs and comply with the mandate to provide a quality education for their citizens. The definition of what quality means differs by state. Bills often address curriculum, transportation, school safety, facilities, testing, school choice programs, and more.
Proposed bills then move through the legislative process in both the house and senate. Discussion in committees may result in amendments, which require additional reviews and votes. Once the two chambers pass a bill, they send it to the governor to be signed. However, the governor can choose whether to sign the bill into law or not. If the governor signs the bill, its language is developed and implemented into state code or state statute.
How Party Affiliation Impacts School Choice
Party affiliation is a primary consideration when it comes to introducing and passing school choice legislation. Every year, thousands of bills are proposed in legislatures around the nation. The number of elected Democrats and Republicans plays a significant role in this process, since a bill's chances of passing typically rest with the majority party.
The governor's party affiliation is equally important to the success of a bill, because the executive branch of government determines whether legislation is signed into law.
Why is party affiliation so important when it comes to education? Historically, Republicans are more likely to propose and support school choice programs versus Democrats. However, there is no guarantee as to how elected officials will choose to vote on any issue.
Consider the position of teachers' unions, which tend to be staunch advocates for public school (and opponents of school choice). The National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and affiliated Political Action Committees (PAC) have made many political donations over the years. According to The Center for Responsive Politics, Democratic candidates have received between 93% and 99% of these groups' political donations since 1990, while Republicans have received between 1% and 7% of their donations in the same time period.
Recently, teacher's unions have been quite vocal to state and local governments to keep schools closed during COVID-19 until certain expectations are met. (Click here to view the Hoover Institute's report highlighting some of the United Teachers of Los Angeles' demands.)
These unions publicly state that they oppose charter schools, tax credit and scholarship programs, education savings accounts, and homeschooling. They also lobby for all teachers to have mandatory membership, regardless of public or private employment. All of these issues focus on school choice programs.
To further understand the influence of these unions, look at the National Education Association (NEA). As the largest teachers' union in the nation, the NEA has a membership of 2,975,106 teachers and had cash receipts of $603,332,049, according to their Annual Report covering September 2019 through August 2020. They spent $50,728,949 on political activities and lobbying and distributed $119,663,657 in contributions, gifts, and grants.
Unions and political action groups spend vast sums of money every year to influence the government bodies that control the amount of taxpayer funding allocated to the education system.
As we have seen, state government, party affiliation, and non-government groups are primary forces driving available options for families—and not all of these forces seek solutions that provide education alternatives. As a check and balance to these political influences, individual citizens must be informed of the laws being passed, signed, and implemented in their state.
State School Boards and Departments
All states give school board members constitutional and legal authority over the education system. Detailed definitions for roles, responsibilities, and school board composition can be found in each state's codes or statutes.
Some states have a state-level board of education where the members are either elected, appointed, or a combination of both. All states have either a Department of Education or a Department of Public Instruction that manages education policy. Their purview includes overseeing curriculum and tracking data on discipline, test scores, average daily membership (ADM), graduation rates, and more.
Local School Boards
In addition to state-level governance, local school boards have varying degrees of authority. Members are either appointed or elected by local taxpayers, with the majority being elected. Regardless of whether an individual is a state or local board member, their position has term limits. While term limits vary by state, a four year term is common.
Too often, people pay little attention to local school boards until some dramatic event sparks community action—usually a report or incident that upsets parents or is scandal affiliated. However, in my opinion, local school boards are the most important body of elected officials in our communities and states. This body makes decisions that impact every aspect of education, including the essentials of curriculum, safety, and facilities. They also decide what to purchase and who to hire, vote on policy changes, and implement standards dealing with behavior, discipline, and dress code.
It's the local school board members who have the greatest impact on our children's educational quality. These members work closely with administrators and manage everything children do, see, and touch on a weekly basis in our nation's schools.
Yes, understanding how state-level authorities enact legislation and dole out policy is truly important. But, at the end of the day, the local school board implements the wide range of curriculum, academic programs, clubs, sports, and events that our children experience. What is taught in schools day-to-day will eventually filter into these children's adult and work lives. One day, many will become legislators, medical professionals, financial advisors, small business owners, and corporate CEOs. That's why all this matters!
You may ask—what can I do?
The first thing is to understand that information is power. Knowing what's legal is critical for parents when it comes to what rights they have, who has authority, and who defines a quality education.
Second, review your children's curriculum. Make sure the lessons and assignments they are learning are beneficial to your child's success in life. Let your voice be heard when you notice inappropriate social ideologies creeping into the classroom. Bring issues to the attention of the teacher, principal, superintendent, the local school board, and like-minded parents. If they don't take satisfactory action, start an alternative program in your community.
Third, consider running for office, whether at the local or state level. You may think you aren't qualified, but you might be surprised! You don't have to be a former teacher or principal or have worked within the education system to qualify. In my mind, electing people from within the education system tends to perpetuate the same mindset rather than encouraging new thoughts on today's issues. We need to infuse differing views and perspectives that challenge the status quo. There are many organizations that seek to help those who want to further enhance student learning. Have courage, take the step, and you will be amazed by the impact you can have on improving the education system for your community.
We the people must take responsibility by staying informed, understanding the process, and remaining engaged. Education doesn't only happen in a classroom—it happens in everyday life. Education is about helping students learn what they need to be successful in life, and we all have a role to play.
Note from the Editor: We thank all our contributors for their insights and expertise. However, the views of guest authors or interviewees are not necessarily those of Noah Webster Educational Foundation.
Dr. Karen Hiltz served in the U.S. Navy and is a retired Federal Acquisition & Procurement Professional. She entered the education environment in 2009, where she taught business courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In 2015, she was elected to the local public school board in Franklin County, VA, and created The Apple Report Facebook page to communicate with her constituents. In 2016, she was appointed to the Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) Local Advisory Board. She has served on a private school board and educational non-profit boards (including the board of the Noah Webster Educational Foundation), written many articles on education, and is a published author. Dr. Hiltz holds a B.S. and MBA in Management and an Ed.D. in Leadership Studies. She is married to Chuck Hiltz. They have three children and five grandchildren and currently reside in Florida.
By nwefblog|2021-06-12T20:29:33-04:00May 15th, 2021|Government|2 Comments
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Why Educational Choice Matters - NWEF August 16, 2021 at 4:15 pm - Reply
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What Does the Department of Education Do? - NWEF November 29, 2021 at 5:57 pm - Reply
[…] For many, questions remain about whether the United States should have a federal Department of Education at all. At the top of their list of reasons is that the Constitution never mentions a federal role in education. […]


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See current average solar panel cost in Maryland below or enter your zip code and power spend to calculate a system size and see live current solar prices in Maryland on that size system.
What is the current average solar panel cost in Maryland based on current offers?
As of April 2019, the average cost of solar panels per watt in Maryland is $3.01/watt. A typical 6000 watt (6 kW) solar system is $18,070 before the federal solar credit and $12,649 after claiming the federal solar tax credit.
How much do solar panels cost in Maryland?
Will residential solar power system cost fall in Maryland in 2019?
Solar installers in Maryland will be run off their feet in 2019 as we enter the last year of the federal tax credit for solar panels for homes. The average payback period for solar panels is now so short that using solar electricity to power a home in Maryland is now an amazing way to save money. Even without a state tax credit a home solar pv system will still have enough of an effect on shrinking your electric bill that it will be hard to ignore.


More than $146 million would be appropriated for military projects in the Savannah area under provisions included in the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act passed Friday by the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington.
U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., a member of the committee, and U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., praised the provisions included in the authorization act, which would provide funding for the U.S. Department of Defense and the national security programs of the Department of Energy.
$61 million for various barracks complexes.
$26 million for a 3rd Infantry Division brigade-level complex and headquarters.
$5.5 million for a new fire station.
$15 million for a unit operations facility.
$16 million for a unit operations facility.
$13.8 million for an SOF support company facility.
Moreover, the Senate bill would authorize $9 million for troops quarters for the Georgia Air National Guard at Savannah International Airport.
The overall bill provides $648.8 billion in funding, including $130 billion for the U.S. role in the global war on terrorism.
It provides a 3.5 percent raise for all military personnel across the board, and it includes $4 billion for mine-resistant vehicles to protect U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan from improvised explosive devices.
Also included in the authorization is funding for service members and their families, critical military construction projects at other Georgia installations and for Georgia-made weapons systems.
"In this time of increased demand on our troops, we need to stand behind our soldiers and offer them our full support for the sacrifices they make," Chambliss said in a news release.
"The provisions in this bill address the critical needs of our troops and include key resources for Georgia's military communities. "It's imperative that we ensure that the men and women wearing the uniform of the United States are fully equipped and well-prepared."
Isakson described Georgia as a big winner in the Defense Authorization bill, and he praised the work of Chambliss. "This legislation sets the priorities for our nation's military needs, and I am proud of the strong commitment it shows to Georgia," Isakson said.


หยุดก่อน yootL gaawnL [used with both a person or horse] whoa!
"The workers called a strike to negotiate with their employer regarding wage increases."
"Our ancestors used to believe that if you do something strange or bizarre, rain will fall without stop."
"It's stopped raining; let's go out somewhere."
"9. Two hours before the end of the party, you should stop serving alcoholic drinks."
"The rain has stopped." "It has stopped raining."
"Even though he was alone with his unfulfilled dreams, he never stopped trying."
"But, if these lights stop blinking, it indicates that it is ready for us to use."
"Somporn returned home when the rain stopped falling."
"He was so engrossed in [his] work that he did not want to stop and go anywhere at all."
"Stop babbling and get to the point!"
"My heart almost stopped beating!"
"Stick to your goals; do it without stopping, even though you still do not reach the goal you set for yourself."
"But if you think good thoughts, say good things, take right actions; and do not become too self-involved, do not think negatively, do not get angry, do not do crazy things, you will attract those [beneficial] things to yourself."


This was the first strip. This pretty much started it all. You'll notice some exploration of form in the first dozen or so strips, as I get my bearings.
hehe that's a good intro there, I love the last few lines especially ^_^ I was sad I didn't get much time to read this one all the way through last time(blame slow dialup and tons of things to do), and I'm happy I get another chance at it now! Yay!
Cool, this strip is back! I've missed it.


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ANNUAL REPORT CLUB SERVICE 2012/2013
It is with great pleasure that I am once again presenting the annual report as director of Club Service. There is a lot to be said for filling the same position consecutively over two years. The first year is a practise run and the second year you can put into practice what you practiced in the first year.
Once again I have had the privilege of working with a great team of active Rotarians and I have learned a lot about both Rotary and the avenues of service through some very hard working members.
The first area that springs to mind when looking at Club Service is the portfolio of fund raising.
I would like to acknowledge the very hard working Graham Brown for the energy, dedication and long hours that he has put into running the boat raffle. This has run smoothly and through both Graham and Carole Brown's dedication to this they made sure that the boat raffle was always out on the street, even if no other members were able to fill the roster. This year we added several new venues for the sale of tickets, including the Farmer's Market, the Compass Cup, Woolworths, The "Auto swap meet" and Goolwa. The final amount raised through the raffle was over $12,000. Other fundraising activities included the very successful Garage Sale coordinated by Des Schirmer, which added $3500 to the coffers, Wine Sales to members organised by Graham Brown added $1000, The 200 club organised by Brian and Mike also added another $650 to the kitty as did the "Guess Who's coming to Dinner" organised by Peter Manuel.
The club also became the proud owner of 200 chairs suitable for hiring our to the community, thus giving us another avenue for fundraising. These will be ably looked after by "The chairman", Brian Heyes.
Fellowship this year has been enjoyed on a variety of occasions. Ian Warner organised the annual caravan excursion to Clare, a great venue which offered great food, great wine and great fellowship. Bloke's cooking took on a Christmas theme, with members making Christmas Cakes, Whiskey puddings and fruit mince pies. Some members also used this opportunity to make puddings to sell on the stall, to raise money for the New Life Africa School. Whilst puddings cooked we made pizzas and enjoyed the opportunity to inspect the facilities at the new Industrial kitchen at the High School.
The club also combined with Victor Harbor Rotary Club to enjoy a Barbecue and bush dance at Tim Shierlaw's home. The club also acknowledged and celebrated our Paul Harris Fellows on the dinner meeting nearest Paul Harris's birth date. Mike Kelly as program manager organised excellent guest speakers and ensured that members enjoyed varied dinner meeting programs.
The membership team, ably led by Deidre Hughes inducted four new members into the club this year. We welcome Velma and Brian Jones and Jaqui and Phil Walsh, and look forward to their contributions to our club. Sadly we accepted Michael Harris's resignation and with this our membership number has climbed to 45. It is at this stage that we also acknowledge the sad passing of one of our Foundation members. Ian Catt was an active member until poor health led to his resignation two years ago.
Peter Manuel has continued to be our webmaster and produces a website complete with weekly updates and bulletins. The quality of this web site reflect's Peter's interest in maintaining a high level of service to the club and this has led to his position on the district committee. Bob Sedunary has also added to our social media in an endeavour to raise the club profile, by opening an Encounter Bay Rotary Club Facebook page, one that we are encouraged to 'like' and 'share'.
Risk Assessment is not always a popular position but Wilf Emmett has committed himself to both attending workshops and updating the risk assessment forms. It was during this that he unearthed the fact that the club did not have a First Aid kit. We now have a large tool kit size first aid kit for major functions and also a soft pack personal kit for smaller gatherings. These are both kept in the club box at Urimbirra where they can be easily accessed after meetings.
At this stage, mention must be made of Bob Hall's position as club sergeant. Not only does Bob run a well structured meeting but he also has managed to deplete the wallets of many members through his fines session. Similarly Barry Pryor has acted as club Welfare Officer in a manner which has seen members acknowledged if they are ill or have lost a family member.
Attendance has once again been competently managed by Bruce Brocklebank and Ian Riches, with our badges always turning up at our meeting no matter where it may be. Our President Ken has kept the club in the public eye as our publicity officer and made sure that we get good coverage in the local media.
I have enjoyed this year as the Director of Club Service as I have had the privilege to work with a great group of Rotarians.
Gill Houlihan


Connected cars are becoming more common these days, but only in the past few years has the IoT expanded its horizons to other vehicles. A California based company, Zero Motorcycles produced a prototype of its first electric motorcycle in 2006 and began marketing them in 2008. In 2013 the company produced a mobile app enabling communication with the bike using Bluetooth; effectively using the Internet of Things to connect owner, motorcycle, and service facility.
The app allows the rider to configure his or her motorcycle in a number of different ways. For example, it can be configured for a more energy efficient ride or for a higher performance using only the app. One of the rider benefits is that the app can also tell you your current battery capacity as well as an estimation of how far you can travel on the charge.
Another boon to riders is that the motorcycle can communicate directly to the manufacturer, dealer, or repair shop. Most vehicles today can communicate with the mechanic by being plugged into a computer, but it entails a trip to the garage. The available app allows the motorcycle to send that diagnostic information directly to the mechanic over the internet no matter where you are. Anyone who has ever paid to have a vehicle diagnosed via a garage computer can appreciate the value of this particular feature.
In addition, if a rider experiences mechanical problems with the motorcycle, all they need do is to tap the help button located in the app. The information is transmitted and the rider can get troubleshooting advice on location as well as having the company schedule a service appointment if desired. Rather than taking days to get your motorcycle into a mechanic for diagnosis, it is all done in minutes. The company currently has four models of connected motorcycles on the market, including bikes that are designed specifically for law enforcement and military use.
With all of the information being passed back and forth online, many potential users (myself included) will have concerns about security, and rightly so. According to Zero's director of customer experience, Aaron Cheatham, security is always the company's top priority. To ensure the privacy of both customer and data, access to the bike is curtailed through the use of a short range Bluetooth connection. In Cheatham's own words, "A user must have physical access to the motorcycle to pair the mobile device to the bike and enable the communication." The logs that are taken from the motorcycle are then sent in a format that is proprietary and to review them requires a decoder.
As more of our daily life is handled by computers, it's easy to dwell on the things that could potentially go wrong. While those things are always possible, you should also think of the benefits that we as a society can reap. This single application of the Internet of Things may provide benefits that range from a reduction in motorcycle fatalities to a more energy efficient future.


In the UK, if you are accused of financial wrong doing or fraud (and I think for that matter any criminal matter) and the case goes to court, all of your assets – your house, your bank accounts, your dealings etc are seized by the Crown.
If you have no assets you are, by right, assigned legal representation by the Crown funded by a system known as Legal Aid.
This is regardless of whether you have a billion quid in property and shares or 50p and a packet of cigarette papers.
It is a right afforded to all ever since the Legal Aid and Advice Act of 1949.
If you lose your case, your assets become Crown property and the proceeds of your assets go towards paying your legal costs and any fine or financial penalty you receive.
If you win your case, the prosecuting body – ie the Crown Prosecution Service (or in the case of civil matters – the Plaintiff) pay the court costs.
The only type of law where legal aid is not afforded to the accused is in cases of defamation or libel.
Such it is, such it has been. Hopefully, in case I get wrongly accused of financial wrongdoing at some point in my life, it will remain that way.
Now. It has come to my attention that a number of MPs have been accused of financial wrong doing in a matter that is going to court at present.
Remember, law is there to protect you. The legal system in the UK, while often flawed and misapplied, is there to protect the key facet in all of British sovereign law. Something which the powers that be seem really keen to remove, something which the media would like to see removed. That facet is in the United Kingdom – you are innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
So even if you see Billy Blogs pinching a bag of crisps from the off licence and your convinced he stole the crisps, unless a court of law, presided over by a judge and jury or magistrate, finds Billy Blogs guilty he is innocent. Regardless of what you say.
This is something which people, often fuelled by media and moral panic, forget. They also forget that the easiest way to remove ancient rights and freedoms is to whip up such a fuss about a technicality so that ancient freedoms are swept away nought but the flourish of a pen. How many times have we, and I include myself in this, heard about people going to court and we say "They did it, they must have" when we know nothing about the situation behind the case or the evidence. This is often more the case when the death of a child is part of the matter.
We point fingers. The media guides our hands. Trials go to court and people do get locked away because of prejudicial matters.
Think Colin Stagg. Yeah I was one who went "He bloody must have done it" naively fuelled the media who also said "He bloody must have done it" and yep….he went down. Convicted by a jury. Then…he gets acquitted. Absolved of all wrong. How foolish I felt when I found out that actually, no…he hadn't done it.
if you have no assets, either because they have been seized by the Crown as a bond (including your duck house) just in case you do a runner or because you genuinely do only have 50p (and a packet of green Rizlas) to your name – You are afforded, as is your right, to legal counsel funded by the Legal Aid system.
Such is the law in the UK. Daft it may be. But think…if it was you…and you were innocent….and you had no money…because your government had seized it all…or maybe you only had 50p and a packet of green Rizlas. Wouldn't you be a teeny bit…well…miffed if you were not allowed someone to give you legal guidance on the matter at hand purely because you had no means to pay for it?
I was watching Carys Matthews (formerly of Catatonia) on BBC Breakfast this morning and she was talking about how proud she was to be Welsh and have such amazing artisans of literature as Dylan Thomas. This got me thinking about how, as an English chap, I don't appear to have any one to be proud of. Sure there's Shakespeare and there's Thomas Hardy and the like but nothing really in the last 50 years or so. Some might argue and say that Betjamin could qualify for this but really, in my eyes at least, there have been no national figure heads to rally behind since Churchill.
Now, I know some people would say "What about her-wot-died-in't-tunnel?" but I don't count the Royals, bunch of cash sucking leeches that they are. Furthermore, there are those who would suggest the likes of Thatcher or Wilson, and they would be wrong too. To me it seems we have sacrificed our culture of pride for the culture of celebrity. The worshipping and pedestal placing of vacuous nobodies whom we raise to great heights only to then plunge into the depths of scandal and dismay.
So where am I going with this? Well I thought it might be interesting to see who you hold a lot of pride for. What achievements for civilization your countrymen have made that you see as valuable to both the arts and science. Who do you revere as the epitome of your country's people, the figurehead that makes you proud to be who you are and where you are from.
13:09 @Lecturer – Can you let me in a room?
15:16 OMG! I'm missing two hours of my life!
17:00 @Shopkeeper – And can I have one of those please?
17:08 How did I get here?
19:00 How did I get home?
20:05 Oh no. It was just the clock on the mantle piece has stopped.
Automatically shipped by Eddie Stobard lorry.


text:
Roger's Gardens, Corona del Mar
Location: Corona del Mar: 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
For ages: All, but small children might get bored
It might seem weird to include a garden store and nursery in a "Things To Do" guide (is it?), but Roger's Gardens isn't your average garden store and nursery.
For our family, it was always an "outing," where we'd go on certain Saturdays in the year to absorb the beauty of each season and get our fill of Easter hydrangeas, Halloween poppies, Christmas poinsettias and gorgeous decorations for each time of year. It always felt good to walk along Roger's Gardens' garden paths, soak up some sunshine, get some fresh air, and fantasize about the garden or dining room we wanted to create at home.
The scenic nursery in elegant Corona del Mar has been around for more than a quarter of a century — always a one-and-only location.
In the early 1970s, Roger's Gardens came to be known as a pioneer in the art of "hanging baskets" – moss-filled arrangements, sometimes up to three feet in length, growing on all sides and spilling over with riotous color from sweet alyssum, lobelia, begonias, marigolds, ivy and more.
The baskets were the brainchild of Dave Bush (with a better-than-average name for the career), who began working for Roger's Gardens in 1970 and brought with him from the Pacific Northwest his knowledge of the sphagnum moss that grew on trees there. The moss is easily harvested, and Roger's Gardens soon made it an important element of its successful hanging baskets, as Bush and the gardening team continued to take the baskets to new heights of innovation and creativity. Today, these baskets are still traditionally a glorious site all over the garden center.
The nursery today draws gardeners and looky-loos alike, who come as much to simply tour the scenic grounds, shop for holiday décor, and take classes in gardening and decorating as to buy fertilizer and pony packs.
The grounds are set up as a series of garden rooms, galleries, a patio, and several outdoor gardens.
The first garden you come to after coming through the entrance – named the Dave Bush Garden – has a miniature train running through it at Christmastime, and the rest of the year it shows off gardener Lew Whitney's plantings of classic "tried and true" plants for the season combined with newer, sometimes experimental, plants. According to Whitney, this is the place where new-plant enthusiasts should look first when coming into the garden.
The gallery and garden rooms are packed to the hilt with seasonal items, from Valentine's Day to Halloween – adorned with home décor, tabletop arrangements and dining delights with and without flowers from each season. (Halloween and Easter are two of my favorite times to see the décor there.)
Roger's Gardens at Christmas is an especially magical time, when browsers come in droves to wander among the scores of magical trees with twinkling lights and unusual ornaments. (All of the ornaments are for sale.) Roger's Gardens has also come to be known as the Christopher Radko center, and fans of the blown-glass artist flock to the center all to buy the latest Radko collectible ornaments.
The rest of the grounds are a combination of gallon containers and pony packs, lovely garden art and fountains, all set within Roger's Gardens own plantings to show you how it's done. There's a pretty rose garden area that my daughter always loved to skip through, a lovely gazebo garden (the gazebo is the original "Bandstand" gazebo from Disney's Main Street), and a pretty stepping-stone garden nearby. There's also a natural outdoor amphitheater right in the middle of the gardens, where free seminars are held. Just show up with some sunblock and a hat around9 a.m. and you'll be treated to instructional seminars such as how to plant herb gardens, international gardens, shade gardens, tomatoes, roses or lavender. (Seminar dates and subjects are listed on the Roger's Gardens web site — see below.)
Roger's Gardens is a fun place to take a family stroll, whether in the spring to get inspiration for your own yard, at Valentine's Day or Halloween to find fun and gorgeous décor, or at Christmas to get into the Christmas spirit.
It's an Orange County classic.
Where to park: Parking is plentiful in the lot off San Joaquin Hills Road.
What to bring: Shopping money! Otherwise, just consider sunscreen and/or sunglasses and sunhat for outdoor strolling; strollers welcome, but paths are narrow, so umbrella strollers are best.
For more information: (949) 640-5800 or visit the Roger's Gardens website.
Have you ever been to Roger's Gardens? What's your favorite season? Any fun tips to share?
May 14, 2012 at 6:11 pm	·
I have always liked to visit Rogers gardens, such a beautiful place to spend some time and get great ideas on home improvement.


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The South Asia Channel: Love-all for Pakistan's new favorite daughter Love-all for Pakistan's new ...
The South Asia Channel
Love-all for Pakistan's new favorite daughter
Pakistan has a habit of conferring the title of "daughter" on women. There was Benazir Bhutto, the daughter of the East, a title the late prime minister was recognized by until the day she died. Then there was Aafia Siddiqui, a neuroscientist who was dubbed the daughter of Pakistan by a country outraged at her ...
By Saba Imtiaz, March 30, 2010
Pakistan has a habit of conferring the title of "daughter" on women. There was Benazir Bhutto, the daughter of the East, a title the late prime minister was recognized by until the day she died. Then there was Aafia Siddiqui, a neuroscientist who was dubbed the daughter of Pakistan by a country outraged at her alleged abuse at the hands of coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Pakistan just welcomed its new favorite daughter -- albeit a daughter-in-law -- Indian tennis player Sania Mirza. Mirza became a pin-up girl in India when she debuted on the world stage, and everything from her tennis attire of short skirts to her fiancé were analyzed breathlessly.
But this week, Mirza dropped a bombshell with the announcement that she was engaged to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. India and Pakistan -- countries that have been at war and share a deep rivalry when it comes to sports -- erupted with the news. After all, Mirza, whose career has been marred with injuries and varying degrees of success, is one of India's most recognizable names. When she broke off her engagement to childhood friend Sohrab Mirza this year, Indian news media outlets analyzed why she had decided to call it quits. Clearly, as Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik would have said, a "foreign hand" was at play.
Pakistan just welcomed its new favorite daughter — albeit a daughter-in-law — Indian tennis player Sania Mirza. Mirza became a pin-up girl in India when she debuted on the world stage, and everything from her tennis attire of short skirts to her fiancé were analyzed breathlessly.
But this week, Mirza dropped a bombshell with the announcement that she was engaged to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. India and Pakistan — countries that have been at war and share a deep rivalry when it comes to sports — erupted with the news. After all, Mirza, whose career has been marred with injuries and varying degrees of success, is one of India's most recognizable names. When she broke off her engagement to childhood friend Sohrab Mirza this year, Indian news media outlets analyzed why she had decided to call it quits. Clearly, as Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik would have said, a "foreign hand" was at play.
Shoaib Malik has captained the Pakistani cricket team, but his own career and personal life have been rather tumultuous. He was recently banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board for a year, and there has been a barrage of rumors about his dating several women in India. Detractors would undoubtedly say that these are all conspiracies to debase a man of the land of the pure.
While Pakistani families debate over whether Mirza will be allowed to wear short skirts, where the couple will reside (they have announced that they will live in Dubai), and which country the two will support, the couple has tried to play down the "cross-border incursion." Mirza told the Indian press on Tuesday, "I'm going to keep playing. I will play for India, and inshallah he will play for Pakistan," Mirza said. Malik, on the other hand, is already settling into the role of doting fiancé. "I fully understand what it takes to be an international sportsperson. I'll support Sania in her career as long as she wishes to play. Representing India at the 2012 Olympics is very important for her, and I will be the proudest husband if she can win a medal for her country."
The couple has plans to marry next month (though reportedly they've only been dating for the last six months). Meanwhile, Pakistani news channels have taken to promoting the engagement using Indian film songs, newspapers have used cricket analogies, and a Photoshopped image of Malik's face in Mirza's engagement photograph has done the rounds on the Internet for the past two days. As Pakistanis crow over their newest daughter, they realize that the ball is finally in their court!
Saba Imtiaz works for the Express Tribune, an English-language newspaper in Pakistan scheduled to launch this Spring.
Tags: Afghanistan, Culture, India, Pakistan, Sports
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