May 2015: The unveiling of a plaque commemorating 100 years since the important House Restoration of 1915 which was funded by the Melrose Historical Society. This was the true beginning of the City of Melrose's love affair with the one of its oldest houses dating back to even further than when Melrose was incorporated in 1850 (previously being considered a part of the nearby town of Malden).
The Plaque also mentioned the lifetime contributions of Beatrice Wadland her late husband Robert Wadland. The photos below are of the new plaque and of Beatrice Wadland.
June, 2015: The third Saturday in June brought forth the Society's Annual Meeting at the Old House. This also served as an OPEN HOUSE to Melrose residents (and beyond) and was very well attended.
July 2015:Melrose Free Press article titled "Old Upham House Unveils New Website. Introducing Melrosians (and beyond) to the new and exciting Upham House web site with a full motion sixty second voiced over VIDEO!


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Holden cuts 170 jobs at Adelaide plant
Jez Spinks
Holden has announced it is cutting another 170 jobs from its operations, blaming a sustained high Australian dollar and slowing sales of locally built models.
The move follows the axing of about 200 jobs in February, split between casual workers and those on fixed-term contracts, and comes despite a $275 million Federal and state assistance package for GM Holden that was announced in March.
The local car maker says the jobs will be shed via a voluntary redundancy program.
"Due to a reduction in demand for our Australian-built cars led by a sustained high Australian dollar, combined with one of the world's most open and competitive car markets, we have a need to reduce the size of our workforce at Holden Vehicle Operations (HVO) in Adelaide by approximately 170 positions through a voluntary separation program," said the company in a statement.
"This move will better align production with customer requirements and projected future volume and is a necessary step to ensure that we are able to continue to have a viable manufacturing operation in Australia for the next decade."
Holden earlier this year accelerated the speed of its production plant, improving efficiency and reducing the product cycle from 104 seconds to 60 seconds.
Daily production is dropping from about 460 vehicles per day to 400.
Sales of the Holden Commodore have continued in the same direction as the rival Ford Falcon, dropping 27 per cent year on year to September 2012. Holden's other locally built model, the Cruze small car, has also experienced a double-digit fall, by 11 per cent.
The long-term future of the Holden Commodore remains uncertain even ahead of an all-new model that goes on sale in 2013.
Holden confirmed expectations at the recent 2012 Sydney motor show that it would build the second-generation Cruze from 2015, though a second local model it has committed to until at least 2022 as part of the $275m co-investment program remains a mystery.
The job cuts announcement comes in a week when local car makers have been faced with the prospect of halting production temporarily after a major local parts supplier closed its factories indefinitely.
CarAdvice TV: Holden Calais Tourer
World first: Peugeot and Citroen unveil joint dealerships in Australia
Volkswagen ID.3 prototype review
2019 Holden Calais Tourer review
VFACTS: June 2019 sales figures
Mazda 3 G20 Pure hatch review

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Unkatunk
Should You Get Serious About Marriage in College?
New Hope for Second Marriages
How to Have a Traditional First Date
At-Home Mother vs. Housewife
Second Generation Polygamy Raises Girls to be Chil...
The "Wicked" Gospel of Judas
Students "hook up" at Centre College, as they do at most other colleges. The term is deliberately ambiguous, covering all sorts of ill-advised physical intimacy from kissing to intercourse, usually while drunk.
Not all students hook up, though. Recently one of those who does not was describing a conversation among a group of students, in which they started listing all the people each had hooked up with. It became a game to see if they were all linked indirectly in this way. All of them were – except my student (and bully for her, I say).
I passed this on to my brother-in-law. He says this issue arose one day in his Cornell University dormitory, Risley Hall, where they made a giant hook-up map which connected all of the dormitory's residents – save my brother-in-law and his roommate. And bully for them, too. He says this conversation led the Cornell students to create a special term to describe how two people who have hooked up with the same third party are related to one another. The word they came up with is "unkatunk," which, as far as he can recall, was just a nonsense sound that appealed to them. And sure enough, the word appears on UrbanDictionary.com, with this definition:
defines the relationship in which you and someone you know have slept with the same person. kind of a variant on the transitive property of sexual multiplication.
a < -- sex -- > b
b <-- sex -- > c
a < -- unkatunk --> c
orig. Risley Hall, Cornell University
My surveys at Centre revealed that hooking up does not go all the way to intercourse as often as other people think it does. I expect the same is true at Cornell. Nonetheless, if, say, Facebook were to connect all the various hook ups it notes, I would guess that three quarters of the entire national college-going class are within six degrees of unkatunk of one another.
A thoughtful woman in my family class posed this question in her journal for me:
In my experience, many of my girlfriends do not want to pursue "anything too serious" during college, in their words, "I am young, I don't know where I'm going to be next year and I want to keep my options open." The mutual feelings among college males about their uncertain future, and natural inclination to short-term sexual relationships, creates this liminal space as well. … It seems a career track is problematic for women all around when it comes to marriage and family. Aside from providing extra resources, it works against marriage in general. Although it can be overcome, it seems like the pursuit of a career almost always works as an antagonist to family and the pro-marriage ideas. This is the most frustrating realization I have come to in this course. Have I misconstrued it?
I don't think careers are antagonistic to marriage and family. Indeed, smart women need brain food and challenges, as smart men do. Family is great, but it is not all you will do in a long life. However, delaying marriage in favor of your career throughout your twenties does run a risk of making family impossible.
I would counsel an opposite strategy – you don't want to get too serious about careers now, because who knows what spouses and children the future will bring. Family first, then career, is the more likely strategy to let you "have it all."
My students come to the family class knowing one big scary fact about marriage: 50% of marriages in this country end in divorce. I am therefore always happy to help unpack that idea. The most encouraging fact I can give them in response is that most first marriages endure. Indeed, since they have managed, with only a couple of exceptions, to get beyond their teenage years without kids or marriage, and are likely to graduate from a good college and be employed, the odds for their marriages working out are quite good, indeed.
So how can we have a 50% divorce rate if most first marriages last? Because most second marriages don't, and the odds go down with each new iteration as you approach the Elizabeth Taylor/Jennifer Lopez asymptote. The divorce rate for first marriages is under 50%. The divorce rate for second marriages, though, is over half, closer to 60%.
Recently, though, I have read some good news about second marriages, too. Barry and Emily McCarthy, in Getting It Right This Time, report that second marriages which make it through the first two years successfully have the same divorce rate as first marriages. That is, most second marriages which make it past the first two years will endure.
At the Gruntled Center, we are strongly in favor of first marriages enduring and thriving. But we also believe that it is never too late for a happy ending. For those who are already divorced or in a second marriage, it is cause for celebration that you can get it right the second time. The McCarthys go into detail about how to have a healthy second marriage, and we are definitely all for healthy marriages. A healthy second prevents a sad third, a disastrous fourth, and the death spiral beyond that.
The divorce rate for first marriages is going down, for good reasons and bad. It is now a little below 50%. We may hope that if the opinion leaders of America come back to supporting marriage, we might get that rate below 40% in a decade or so. That would mean fewer people in the position to consider second marriages. But it would also be good to bring down the divorce rate of second marriages. It would be realistic, I think, to aim to get the second marriage divorce rate below 50% in this same coming decade.
Last night I had a discussion with a number of students about dating. The common complaint of college students, at Centre College and elsewhere, is that it is impossible to date, that there is no structure to courtship. As Elizabeth Marquardt and Norval Glenn demonstrated, between "talking" and "joined at the hip" there are no intermediate steps. So we set out to do something about it. We came up with a rough protocol for a first date.
The first thing that all agreed on is that he has to take the initiative. This puts men in the position of being shot down (again and again). But the basic fact is that ultimately she does the deciding, so the first step in the dance of courtship has to come from him.
Here was the list we came up with from there. He should:
Make it clear that is it a date when he asks.
Ask nicely and confidently.
Give her sufficient time to prepare.
Show up on time.
Plan something short and fun, which could be extended if things go well.
Offer the chivalrous courtesies – opening doors, waiting for her, etc.
Plan to pay. (This was a little contentious, but the consensus was that he should pay on the first date, even if she offers to share, because he picked the place and the plan.)
At the end of the evening, politely thank one another in words, and no more.
Two things struck me as important about this plan.
First, they were all supportive of the idea of having a standard protocol for a date, to cut through the debilitating ambiguity of the college "hook up/quasi-married" dating life.
Second, almost all of the ideas about what to do and not do on a date where about him. Even when I asked, "what is the woman's role in a date?" nearly all the answers concerned how she should respond to his initiative. The students thought she should be attentive and attractive, and go with the flow.
I think there is a further unsaid action that both of them are doing on a date, but much more so in her head: assessing the other as a potential mate. In this conversation, and in many other studies, men and women turned out to be different in how long a list they had of what they wanted and didn't want in a potential mate, and how early and automatically they applied it. Women are not passive on a date: they are constantly assessing. Indeed, most of the women will go directly from the date to a post-mortem assessment with their girlfriends. The men, on the other hand, are less likely to go in their minds all the way from first date to first child, much less rehash it with the guys later.
I think there is a crying need for some structures to courtship in college life. My hope is that discussions like this one can help start that revolution, which comes from the bottom up, from the students themselves. It is too late for in loco parentis at campuses like mine. But it is not too late for grownups to help young people pick their mates with more structure and deliberation.
I would very much welcome your comments and suggestions.
Caitlin Flanagan, in her new book To Hell with All That: Loving and Loathing our Inner Housewife, makes a useful distinction. She is not a housewife, but an at-home mother. The difference is that a "housewife," defined herself "primarily through her relationship to her house and her husband," while "an at-home mother feels little obligation to the house itself." This distinction is especially valuable for women who are wives and mothers, like their own mothers, but unlike their own mothers, have full-time careers even when their children are small.
I am grateful that, among the many forms of compatibility that my wife and I share, we have about an equal tolerance for clutter. We have had to adjust to one another's quirks in that regard – the symbol of which is that one side of our bed gets made each morning, but not the other. And we have hugely increased our mess threshold with each child. We have hopes that that will get better when everyone is grown.
As I think about this distinction, neither of us was an at-home spouse for very long, but both of us have seen our primary family obligations to be to the people – spouse and kids – and not to the house. We are blessed with a goodly place, but only essential work will get done on it until the last tuition is paid.
At-home mother is a workable status. A clean house is gravy.
Posted by Gruntled at 12:09 PM 1 comment:
Second Generation Polygamy Raises Girls to be Child Brides
The ongoing trial of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a breakaway Mormon sect that has been practicing polygamy for decades, shows what happens after polygamy gets established. The patriarchs of these extended clans raise girls for the purpose of giving them as teenage brides to other polygamist patriarchs. The girls are told it is their religious obligation to marry whoever their father picks, and be a dutiful wife and mother to him. Period.
Proponents of polygamy, like the ACLU, are imagining adults who are free to choose whatever domestic arrangement they like. First generation polygamy might even work that way. But after that, girls become a trading asset, passed from one polygamous clan to another. Even the young woman who testified in the trial, who was told by her father when she was 16 that he was marrying her off to "some Barlow boy" (he couldn't remember the name) the next day, was reluctant to testify. When asked to explain why to the mystified jurors, she said, "We were taught that we would go to hell" for speaking out. "After I got away from that religion, I still felt like I would be damned if I 'spoke out' because that's just how I was raised."
If ever there should be a feminist issue, fighting polygamy should be at the top of the list.
I went to see the musical "Wicked" last week with my daughters and one of their friends. It tells the backstory of the Oz witches, the good one and the wicked ones. I will not be spoiling the story to say that the title character turns out not to be so wicked, but misunderstood. She is the only one who understands the true nature of the magic of Oz and its wizard.
There has been a bit of a flap recently about the "Gospel of Judas," an ancient Gnostic text recently translated and made available to the public. It tells the backstory of Jesus' apostles, the good ones and the wicked one. I will not be spoiling the story to say that the title character turns out not to be so wicked, but misunderstood. He is the only one who understands the true nature of the gospel of Jesus and His God.
Both seem to me to be interesting explorations of possible alternative pasts. Neither is likely to shake my understanding of the nature of reality. Nor is either text likely to convince me of the intellectual's favorite fantasy – that the universe has a secret at its heart that only special people can know and understand.
And "Wicked" has better songs.


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30 years of serving the heartlands
Welcome to PKWA Law
PKWA Law Practice LLC was constituted as a law corporation on 1 March 2004 to take over the practice and business of its predecessor, a law firm established in 1988.
PKWA Law was named as one of 'Singapore's Best Law Firms' in both 2022 and 2021 in a nationwide survey by the Straits Times in partnership with Statista.
With more than 30 years of experience, PKWA Law has established itself as one of the leading law firms in Singapore. We are focused on providing top-quality and affordable legal services in conveyancing, divorce law, family law, wills, probate, litigation, corporate services and insurance law.
PKWA Law's areas of practice include
Our clients include developers, financiers, property investors, all major banks, CPF Board, property managers and private clients.
Recognised as one of the leading family law firms in Singapore, we are known for providing fixed, transparent, and affordable fees in addition to legal excellence.
Our dedicated estate lawyers work with clients on Wills, Probate & Letters of Administration, Deputyship, and LPAs.
Dealing with a dispute effectively takes skill. We assist and support out clients with legal knowledge and strategy.
Our corporate team combine strong technical expertise with a track record in delivering flexibility and effective solutions.
Our team of employment lawyers specialise in employment contracts in Singapore. We handle both non-contentious and contentious matters.
Under investigation or charged with a crime? speak to a dedicated criminal defence lawyer from PKWA.
Our lawyers represent clients on data protection, including regulatory issues, data breaches, and compliance issues.
PKWA Law has broad experience across insurance law and have acted for many of the major insurance companies.
PKWA Law has been recognised as one of the top law firms in Singapore by the Straits Times in its "Singapore's Best Law Firms" in both 2021 and 2022.
PKWA Law is recognised as one of Singapore's top Conveyancing and Family Law Firms in the ALB SE Asia Law Awards by Asian Legal Business.
PKWA Law is ranked as one of Singapore's top companies in 2017, 2018 and 2019 in the annual "Singapore 1000 / SME 1000 Awards". The winners are selected based on financial performance and merit by DP Information Group, Ernst & Young and government agencies IE Singapore, SPRING Singapore, Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore (ACRA), Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) and the Singapore Business Federation.
Conveyancing & Real Estate
In the area of real estate law, PKWA Law has one of the largest Conveyancing and Real Estate Law practices in Singapore and is regarded as a leading conveyancing law firm.
We are on the panel of lawyers of every major bank and financial institution in Singapore, including DBS, UOB, OCBC, Maybank, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC, Citibank, ANZ Bank and CPF Board. PKWA Law has been recognised by Asian Legal Business as one of the leading real estate law firms in Singapore.
Conveyancing lawyers
Family and Divorce Law
In family law, PKWA Family Law is regarded as a leading family and matrimonial law firm in Singapore. Our achievements include:
Won two important Court of Appeal decisions for our clients on the issue of division of matrimonial assets.
PKWA Law ranked as one of the leading Family Law Firms in the 2019 edition of Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific. PKWA Law has ranked again in the 2020 edition.
Mr Lim Chong Boon is ranked by Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific 2019 and 2020 as a Dispute Resolution Star.
Dorothy Tan is listed in the "Top 100 Women in Litigation" in Asia-Pacific by Benchmark Litigation 2021. She is among 11 Singapore female lawyers who are recognised. Dorothy is recognised as a leading lawyer in family and matrimonial law.
Recognised as one of the leading Family Law Firms in Singapore by Asian Legal Business at the annual ALB Southeast Asia Law Awards in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Doyles Guide – PKWA Law is ranked as a leading family law firm. Lim Chong Boon and Dorothy Tan are ranked as leading family lawyers in Singapore.
Doyles Guide to Leading Family & Divorce Lawyers – Singapore, 2017 – Mr Lim Chong Boon and Ms Dorothy Tan are both ranked by their peers as "Leading Family and Divorce Lawyers in Singapore 2017".
PKWA Law is ranked as a "Leading Family and Divorce Law Firm in Singapore" in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 by Doyles Guide to Leading Singapore Family & Divorce Lawyers.
Doyles Guide of Leading Singapore Family Lawyers 2016 – Lim Chong Boon and Dorothy Tan are ranked as Leading Family and Divorce Lawyers Singapore. PKWA Law is also ranked as a recommended Leading Family Law Firm.
PKWA's family lawyers Dorothy Tan and Low Jin Liang named among Singapore's "Most Influential Lawyers Under 40" by Singapore Business Review 2016.
Dorothy was shortlisted for "Woman Lawyer of the Year" by Asian Legal Business at the SE Asia Law Awards 2018. She was selected by an independent panel of 30 legal experts and is the only family lawyer in the shortlist.
Dorothy Tan is named as one of Asia's top young lawyers by Asian Legal Business 2016.
Dorothy Tan nominated for "Young Lawyer of the Year" at SE Asia Law Awards 2017.
Global Law Experts 2015 Edition — Lim Chong Boon is a recommended lawyer in "Family and Civil".
In the area of corporate law, PKWA Law provides corporate law advice, commercial contracts review and drafting for SMEs at affordable fixed fees.
Corporate & Commercial lawyers
In general litigation, PKWA lawyers have a wide range of experience in arbitration and litigation in matters such as debt recovery, probate litigation, company disputes, business disputes and contractual disputes.
Litigation & dispute resolution lawyers
We undertake insurance work from all the major insurance companies including motor, personal injury, public liability, contractors' all risks, professional indemnity, fire, personal accident, life and performance bonds claims.
Insurance lawyers


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Dramatic moment 'ISIS' sleeper cell is busted 'while plotting Russian World Cup ATTACKS'
SHOCKING footage shows FSB raids on a suspected Russian jihadist group two-and-a-half months before the start of the World Cup.
Callum Hoare
The clip shows the military service smashing through a glass door, before arresting several individuals.
Other scenes shows documents and books recovered from the raid.
The large "sleeper cell" was broken up by Vladimir Putin's security service in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.
There was no immediate information on whether attacks were being planned for passenger flights or during the matches.
(Image: WILL STEWART)
Some 16 addresses were searched and nine alleged jihadists terrorists were detained, three organisers and six cell members.
Manuals on manufacturing explosive devices and banned religious literature was seized, according to the FSB.
The suspects are believed to have received training in unidentified foreign countries.
The secretive group called themselves the "Krasnoyarsk jamaat" and the FSB alleged it had "links to international terrorist organisations".
PICTURED: Bloody brawls erupt between Russian hooligans
"Strict secrecy measure were employed in the unit," it was reported.
The group avoided social media to talk to each other and used "non-verbal means of communication in public places", according to FSB sources.
The target of their alleged future strikes were Krasnoyarsk and other unidentified places.
The FSB has stated that terrorism is the number one threat to the FIFA World Cup opening on 14 June.
"Searches conducted at 16 locations resulted in the seizure of prohibited religious books, and manuals on how to make an improvised bomb," said the FSB.
"Some of the detainees have started making confessions."
The secret service said "the gang was in fact a sleeper unit.
"It was created to support terrorism, its propaganda and funding.
"New members were recruited in Sobornaya mosque and halal cafes (in Krasnoyarsk).
"Leaders were brainwashing supporters.
"They were asking them to united against the infidels and promised to destroy traitors."
The suspects are held under Russia's anti-terrorism laws.
They face up to 20 years in jail.
CatsCan you spot the deadly mountain lion in this photo? Many can't see the big catThe US Fish and Wildlife Service has sparked a "where's Waldo" moment online after it urged people to find the deadly mountain lion lurking in the rocks in this viral photo
Harry Brant dead: Son of billionaire and supermodel dies aged 24 days before rehab stint
Donald Trump 'furious' Lady Gaga is performing at Joe Biden inauguration
Teacher 'had sex with boy, 15, in field' and told him she'd 'bring him down' if he told
CrimeMarried teacher Kandice Barber, 35, is accused of having sex with the 15-year-old pupil "for about five minutes" doggy-style while the pair were in a field together
Storm Christoph: Major incident declared as Brits told to prepare for evacuation
Met OfficeStorm Christoph 'double whammy' snow warning issued by Met OfficeThe Met Office has issued a snow warning for swathes of Scotland for midday on Wednesday as Storm Christoph begins to batter Britain with torrential downpours of rain
In the NewsA 12-year-old girl and a 15-year-old teenager have left their parents to form a new family after the new mum gave birth to a premature baby boy in Tecamac, Mexico, according to reports
Stray cat looks like it has a moustache and goatee thanks to adorable markings
CatsThe tiny kitten was spotted by new owner Nampeung Rodruengkhun trying to escape from four dogs. It has since been rescued and gone viral thanks to its distinguishable features
GhostsA haunting notice warns potential buyers the last owner had lived his whole life in the three-bedroom terrace and his final wish was to be laid to rest in the back


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TASSELLS SOLICTORS
NEIL RICHARDSON (Deceased)
24th August 2018 to 23rd September 2018
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 any persons having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the aforementioned deceased, late of 42 Burns Close Billericay Essex CM11 1LS, who died on 23/06/2018, are required to send particulars thereof in writing to the undersigned Solicitors on or before 02/11/2018, after which date the Estate will be distributed having regard only to claims and interests of which they have had notice.
20 West Street Faversham Kent ME13 7JF
(Jacksons Lane, Billericay) (Temporary Prohibition of Traffic) Order 2019
Essex County Council (Jacksons Lane, Billericay) (Temporary Prohibition of Traffic) Order 2019 Notice is hereby given that the Essex
Essex County Council (Temporary Prohibition of Traffic) Order 2018
Essex County Council (Jacksons Lane, Billericay) (Temporary Prohibition of Traffic) Order 2018 Notice is hereby given that the Essex County
SARAH JANE REILLY (DECEASED)
SARAH JANE REILLY (DECEASED) Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 any persons having a claim against or an Interest in the Estate of the above
Notice effective from Tue 7 Sep 21 to Thu 7 Oct 21
Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act and Regulations 1990 Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) Order 2015
BASILDON BOROUGH COUNCIL Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act and Regulations 1990 Town and
BASILDON BOROUGH COUNCIL Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act and Regulations 1990 Town
Licensing Act 2003 Notice of Application for a Premises Licence I/We Tracy Gibson hereby make application for a Premises Licence in respect of
Goods Vehicle Operator's LicencePeter Godward Coaches Ltd trading as PGC Haulage of Units 3 & 4 Mills Court Swinborne Road, Basildon Essex SS13
Notice effective from Tue 2 Feb 21 to Thu 4 Mar 21
Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) Order 2015 Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas Act 1990 Proposals Affecting The Character and Appearance Of The Conservation Area Proposals Affecting a Listed Building or the Setting Of A Listed Building
BASILDON BOROUGH COUNCIL Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) Order 2015 Listed
PATRICIA NEEP (Deceased)
PATRICIA NEEP (Deceased) Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 any persons having a claim against or an Interest In the Estate of the aforementioned
Notice effective from Mon 5 Feb 18 to Wed 7 Mar 18
WINIFRED DOREEN WHITE (Deceased)
WINIFRED DOREEN WHITE (Deceased) Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 any persons having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the above
PAUL ALFRED BRUCE WHITE (Deceased)
PAUL ALFRED BRUCE WHITE (Deceased) Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 any persons having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the
Upgrade of existing pedestrian crossings, High Street, Billericay
Essex County Council Upgrade of existing pedestrian crossings, High Street, Billericay Notice is hereby given that under Sections 23 of the
Notice effective from Fri 5 Jul 19 to Sun 4 Aug 19
Lemongrass Kitchens Ltd is applying to change an existing licence
Lemongrass Kitchens Ltd of Unit 12, Radford Crescent, Billericay, Essex CM12 0DG is applying to change an existing licence as follows: To keep an


Steve Fall started The Sports Resource in 1997 with a vision: Provide agents with the very best sports analytics consulting.
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Fall shares insight on sports analytics each week on Yahoo Sports Radio's Tao of Sports Podcast. He recently discussed gaining an edge with video tracking data with host Troy Kirby.


OMP Platinum Collection 0.9 litre ultralight single seater fire extinguisher system. The smallest racing extinguisher in the World, weighing a mere 1.8kg, with a tiny 100mm bottle diameter and an overall length of 194mm. The system comes complete with all the fittings, brackets and accessories for a professional installation, including 6 nozzles, 4 for the engine bay and 2 in the cockpit. This plumbed in system is electrically activated, either from inside the cockpit or the external push button. Filled with OMP EcoLife environmentally friendly foam forming liquid, this listing is for the complete system supplied filled and pressurised, for delivery by road in the UK and to most European destinations. This system carries FIA 2000 OM. EcoLife Gold One Seat EX.036.11 Homologation for open cockpit single seater vehicles.


Demand for green building materials is projected to expand 13% annually to $71.1 billion in 2015, slightly outpacing the growth of building construction expenditures over that period as green materials continue to account for an increasing share of materials used. These and other trends are presented in Green Building Materials, a new study from Cleveland-based market researcher The Freedonia Group, which anticipates the largest value gain over the next five years will be from concrete products bearing recycled content, such as fly ash and blast furnace slag.
The report predicts the value of concrete products will increase nearly $11 billion to $16.2 billion from low 2010 levels around $5.5 billion. In addition to the recovery in construction, green concrete products are expected to continue to gain market share because the use of recycled materials in mixes reduces the volume of waste sent to landfills, while often improving finished slab or structure performance. While the rising use of green materials will support gains, the most important driver for demand will be the expected rebound in the construction market from low 2010 levels.
Demand for a number of green building products is expected to post gains in excess of 20% annually through 2015, benefiting from greater availability, environmental concern and more stringent regulatory or building code standards, coupled with construction market rebound. In addition to concrete featuring recycled content, these products are water-efficient plumbing fixtures and fittings, energy-efficient lighting fixtures and permeable pavement. However, with the exception of recycled concrete, the market for most of these materials is fairly small and the additional demand will be relatively modest in value terms.


One aspect in the whole "432Hz tuning debate" is generally overlooked, but – in my opinion – of the utmost importance. If we want to implement a change in Concert Pitch – from 440Hz to 432Hz – then there is one very important aspect we have to keep in mind: instrument design. Not all instruments used nowadays can change Concert Pitch or can change the pitch enough. And not only modern instruments, but many beautiful old (vintage) and historical instruments as well.
Examples of instruments without pitch change capabilites are: Wurlitzer and Hammond Organ, Fender Rhodes, idiophone instruments (such as Vibraphone, Xylophone, Marimba, Glockenspiel) and instruments made out of one piece (Didgeridoo, Panflute, Ocarina, et cetera).
Examples of instruments with insufficient (limited) pitch change capabilities (from 440Hz to 432Hz) are conical wind and brass instruments: Saxophone (and variants: Tubax. Conn-O-Sax, Saxello, Aulochrome), French Horn, Flugelhorn, Tuba, et cetera. If the pitch change is as large as from 440Hz to 432Hz (8Hz difference) the difference in pitch change between the highest register and lowest register of the instrument can be as much as over a semitone. With other words: a sounding C in the low register would be so off-pitch in the highest register that it would become a sounding B.
Some instruments would require only relative small modifications to be able to be played in 432Hz. A Glockenspielor and Fender Rhodes for example would only need a new set of "bars", slightly longer. A Vibraphone would already be more complicated, not only would it need a new set of bars, but would require longer "resonators" as well.
Instruments such as Clarinet could be modified easily by replacing the "Barrel" in between the mouthpiece and the body (with a longer one). Flutes can be manufactured to adjusted up or down a small amount by pulling out the head-joint, and a larger amount by using a replacement for the 2nd joint which has been re-sized. Since there are at most 3 simple, independent, lever keys on that joint, the manufacturing adjustment is pretty simple to make.
Some instruments though would need to be redesigned completely. A Saxophone for example would need a longer neck (or larger body). But this would mean the tone holes would need to be moved (and perhaps even slightly changed of size), also the mechanism that control the buttons would no longer fit, so these need to be changed as well. With other words, a new "blue print" needs to be made for the Saxophone AND the machinery that creates the parts (buttons, rods, et cetera) would have to change as well. With other words, a completely new production-line would be required.
More about this subject in the blog article "Instruments & Tuning".
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO KEEP INSTRUMENT DESIGN IN MIND WHEN CHANGING THE CONCERT PITCH?
Well, most people learn to play an instrument at school, at the local music school or local orchestra. The instruments purchased and/or recommended by these schools, teachers and orchestras set the "standard". If instruments used are "stuck" (by design) in 440Hz, there is no other choice then to use that pitch.
Naturally a school or orchestra could decide to use 432Hz as concert pitch anyway, but that would also mean that various instruments would no longer be optional to play. Some partitures could perhaps be "taken over" by other instruments, but the pieces will no longer sound as they were created by the composer. Important instruments for particular music styles would simply be lost (and their unique sound with them), like for example the Saxophone for Jazz and the French Horn for Classical music. A Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble or Jazz Big Band would simply not be able to perform their repertoire any longer and would not sound the way they do now and have in the past.
No real music lover will consider that an "acceptable loss" or the "price to pay" for change.
Until all important / popular instruments are available in 432hz, 432Hz as Concert Pitch can and will not become a (new) standard.
The "key" for the implementation of 432Hz as International Standard thus depends on the willingness of instrument manufacturers to start producing 432Hz designed instruments. Most manufactures are not yet ready to invest in setting up a secondary production line for 432Hz instrument. None like to take the first step, and with it take all the risks.
If a company such as Yamaha would become interested in producing 432Hz tuned instruments, then that would cover quite a number of instruments. They manufacture many different instruments (wind and brass instruments, vibraphones, et cetera). If a large company as Yamaha would not be interested, then perhaps an alliance of smaller companies, private investments or crowdfunding could lead the way.
Until we (musicians, composers/producers and sound engineers that support this pitch change) have convinced the instrument manufacturers that it is worth the investment, nothing will change.
Myths about the 440Hz introduction by Goebbels, The pseudo-scientific "Speed of Light" connection, the claim that 432Hz was the standard before 440Hz, have to be countered (by all who are truly serious about 432Hz as new concert pitch). There is no way the manufacturers are going to take the 432Hz request serious if general musical knowledge and historic facts simply debunk those myths used as validation for the 432Hz pitch claim.
Topics about health-related improvements (including the proclaimed prevention or reduction of possible damage to vocal folds and hearing) might be of interest, but for most manufacturers of no or lesser importance, specially without enough proper documented research. They are after all product manufacturers, health care is not their field of business.
More proper research should be done about how a change of pitch effects the natural frequencies and resonance of instruments (timbre) and how the resonance and reflection of sound in enclosed spaces (concert halls, et cetera) changes with the pitch change.
Those who are really "in to 432Hz" are aware that the present Temperament standard (Equal Temperament) is imperfect and rather unnatural. It does not contain a single perfect interval (based on the natural harmonics) accept for the octave. Within the "432-Community" the Temperament preferred is the Pythagorean Temperament or some of it's variants such as Maria Renold's "Scale of Fifhts". There are those who prefer Just Intonation though. Now, it will be practically impossible to have an 432 instrument-line developed for all those – and possible other – temperaments.
If we want to make sure 432 instruments would still be compatible with the other already existing instruments that can change pitch (form 440 to 432) then perhaps it would be wiser from a practical point of view to have 432Hz designed instruments using the same Temperament as the other instruments use, thus 12-TET.
A debate about what temperament to use can be held within the "432-Community", but could very well end-up splitting the "432-community" into smaller fractions with different demands. The "432 Community" is in that perspective no more "developed" then the any other community.
The change of the Concert Pitch Standard depends on the availability of 432Hz designed instruments as "alternative" for those instruments that can not change Concert Pitch.
In order for instrument manufacturers to become interested in making new production lines for 432-tuned instruments more scientific evidence have to be provided concerning acoustics, natural frequency and resonance related to pitch change.
The myths and fairy tales surrounding the 432-topic need to be addressed by leading members in the "432-Community" in order to be taken serious by the music industry and instrument manufacturers.
If this is done well, then there would be a serious chance of implementing the desired Concert Pitch change from 440Hz to 432Hz.
Personally I would rather "suggest" having 2 standards. The 440Hz standard and the (new) 432Hz standard. This way vintage / historical and non-tunable instruments can still be used by those who wish to do so, while others have the freedom to use instruments designed for the 432Hz (new) standard. Should musicians and composers not have a choice in how they want to perform and produce music? Why "limit" the options by setting only 1 standard?


WebAssured.com Teams With eccelerate.com - InternetNews.
Online consumer site and trust operation WebAssured.com has established a relationship with eccelerate.com, a unit of the Dun & Bradstreet Corp., to increase the assurance level of its online business rating system.
WebAssured.com is an independent Web site certification and free online dispute resolution service company. With ShopAssured, its free browser plug-in, the company provides online shoppers with immediate independent information and reporting on the authenticity and integrity of Web sites.
eccelerate.com enhances trust in business identity and verifies credentials, enabling the real-time exchange of global business information.
Backed by the Dun & Bradstreet's global database of more than 58 million businesses worldwide, and eccelerate.com's information exchange technology and verification services, the new relationship allows WebAssured.com to enhance its "dot.confidence ratings" system. Financial arrangements between the companies were not disclosed.
"WebAssured.com is dramatically changing the way buyers make decisions about their e-commerce transactions," said Andre Dahan, president of eccelerate.com and Dun & Bradstreet - North America. "With this partnership, WebAssured.com members will be able to conduct online business with an added level of trust in bringing buyers and sellers together."
Webassured.com insures online purchases and offers money back guarantees for purchases made at participating member sites through an agreement with Lloyds of London. The company invites consumers who have had problems with any online purchase to fill out a free on-line complaint form. To date, WebAssured.com claims to have successfully resolved over 95 percent of complaints filed against member Web sites, and 76 percent of complaints against non-members. Web sites pay to become members.


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Meghan Markle on Negative Media Coverage
Meghan Markle Says Racism Was a Factor in Stepping Down: "Rude and Racist Are Not the Same"
She confirmed that racism was a major part of her and Prince Harry's decision to leave the UK.
By Elena Nicolaou Published: Mar 8, 2021
Oprah's interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle technically ran over three hours, but only an hour-and-a-half of shocking revelations made it to the broadcast on March 7. Speaking on CBS This Morning the following day, Oprah said her intention with the final cut was to answer this question, once and for all: Why did the Sussexes step down from the royal family?
When Oprah asked if the couple left because of the media's racist treatment towards Meghan, Harry replied: "It was a large part of it."
Highlights From Oprah's Harry & Meghan Interview
The Sussexes Were Married Before the Royal Wedding
Prince Harry Tells Oprah His Father Cut Him Off
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan "stepped back" from their duties as senior royals. "I took matters into my own hands," Harry said, classifying his mindset at the time as "desperate." Harry clarified that he did not blindside Queen Elizabeth II, as rumored, but had conversations about changing his role with his grandmother and his father—before Prince Charles "stopped taking [his] calls."
The couple's original intentions were to move to a commonwealth nation and continue their royal duties in a reduced capacity. That did not happen. Today, the couple lives in Santa Barbara, California. They have been financially cut off from the royal family, and no longer receive security protection from them. Harry revealed the couple is living off the money his mother, Diana, left him.
A year after stepping down, the royal family has not reached out to apologize for the conditions that led to the couple's choice to move. "The feeling is that this was our decision. Therefore the consequences are on us. Despite three years of asking for help or visualizing how this might end, it's been really hard," Harry said of the consequences of their actions in new footage from the interview, which aired on CBS This Morning.
WATCH: @Oprah asks Prince Harry if family members reached out to apologize for the reasons he felt he had to leave.
"No, sadly not." #OprahMeghanHarry pic.twitter.com/2NtGZcmB5A
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) March 8, 2021
While speaking to Oprah, again and again, the couple emphasized a lack of support from the royal family, especially as Markle faced a barrage of negative press.
Harry pointed out that "nobody from [his] family ever said anything" in support of his wife as she endured severe media scrutiny. Instead, Meghan said, the family tried to compare their own experiences with the British media to hers.
But as Markle pointed out, their treatment in the media was different, due to factors like Markle's race, her outsider status as an American, and the amplification of social media. She used headlines about Kate Middleton, Prince William's wife, as an example.
Whereas Kate was called "Waity Kaity" by the press as she waited for a proposal, Markle's very character was put into question due to her eating avocado toast. A 2019 Daily Mail headline read: "Is Meghan's favourite snack fuelling drought and murder?" Per a Guardian study in 2020, 43% of headlines published about Markle since 2018 were negative in tone. In the same time span, 45% of those about Kate were positive.
"This is not the same. A member of his family would comfortably say, 'We've all had to deal with things that are rude.' Rude and racist are not the same. You've also had a press team that goes on the record to defend you...and that didn't happen for us," Meghan explained.
"Rude and racist are not the same."
For the Sussexes, it's apparent that Markle's race contributed to the negative press coverage. However, the fact that Markle is biracial has not been acknowledged by members of his family as contributing to a double standard in the media.
Harry said it would "make a huge difference" if they would acknowledge it. "There are a lot of people who have seen it for what it was. It's talked about across the world. Yet the very people that don't want to see it or can't see it choose not to see it," Harry said.
Pool//Getty Images
Even if the topic of race didn't arise in the context of media coverage, Meghan said it was brought up in regards to Archie before he was born—specifically, about his skin tone. "There [were] conversations with Harry about how dark your baby is going to be and what that would mean or look like," she said.
Oprah followed up, "They were concerned that if he were too brown that that would be a problem?" Markle responded, "I wasn't able to follow up. If that's the assumption you're making, that would be a safe one." Harry said he would "never" share who made those comments, but assured Oprah that it was neither the queen nor Prince Philip.
Markle implied that Archie's race may have been part of the reason he was not given a prince title like his first cousins, Prince William's children, and therefore was deprived of security.
Finally, Markle shut down rumors that the stepping down was her decision. "Can you imagine how little sense that makes? I left my career, my life, I left everything because I love him. Our plan was to do this forever," she said.
Elena Nicolaou
Elena Nicolaou is the former culture editor at Oprah Daily.
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Village of Ordinary
A world at war
Learning from Ladakh
What does a good world look like?
Become part of the vision
Three principles
Rose, the narrator
Read the story in Chronological order
Visioning a peaceful world
Thirteen-year-old son of Jonathon and now-deceased Marita. Possesses amazing rapport with animals and has the ability to call them when needed. Once called insects to help with the crops. Infatuated with Elizabeth.
Thatch of hair; skin on hands thick and slightly callused, fingers long and thin, not quite the hand of a man (Jacob, 7/12/2005)
Born in Ordinary; seems always to know when someone in the village is suffering (Mira, 1/17/2007)
Shock of red hair, like his mother's; works like a man, with his father's broad shoulders; has the heart of a healer; no one more gentle (Red, 1/16/2006)
First post appearance: Gifts, 7/1/2005]
We make peace in a million small ways every day.
All text and images, unless otherwise noted, © L. Kathryn Grace. All rights reserved.
Welcome to the Village of Ordinary
This is a work of fiction, a vision of what our world might be like if we humans chose to live in harmony with the Earth and with each other.
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Want to read the story in chronological order, starting with the very first post? Begin with Wake. When you reach the bottom, and after you've left a comment, if you choose to do so, which I sincerely hope you will, follow the link to Sit, which is the second entry, and so on.
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Welcome. Come in to my garden and sit a spell.© L. Kathryn GraceAll rights reserved
The Village of Ordinary is a work of fiction, a vision of what life could be like if we chose to live in a world without greed, without hatred and anger, a world of compassion, where every child born is wanted, deeply cherished and nourished to fulfill her or his dreams and potential.
The story is told through the journal of one ordinary woman who grew up in this world, raised children of her own, and lives with the love of her life, among family and friends.
Their village, Ordinary, is typical of, though not identical to, villages all over the world, villages where people choose every day to live in harmony with the Earth and each other. This is a vision of what our world might be like if we choose.
Meet the villagers
Meet and learn more about the villagers, here, where you'll discover all Rose has revealed about each one to date.
Archives Select Month October 2011 (1) December 2010 (1) May 2010 (1) February 2010 (1) October 2007 (1) July 2007 (1) April 2007 (1) January 2007 (2) September 2006 (1) June 2006 (1) May 2006 (1) March 2006 (1) February 2006 (1) January 2006 (2) December 2005 (1) October 2005 (1) September 2005 (7) August 2005 (4) July 2005 (7) June 2005 (10)
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Kathryn Grace
Goodness knows I fail to live up to my ideals far too often, especially in this time of terrifying leadership, but I strive each day to feed the body well, nourish the soul, heal the Earth, build community, make peace and, where possible, wreak joy.
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