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NEW RULES ON THE MANAGEMENT OF OFFSHORE DEBT BY NON-BANK DEBTORS
Bank Indonesia has issued Regulation No. 16/20/PBI/2014 dated 29 October 2014 ("BI Reg 16") on the application of prudence principles in managing offshore debt taken out by a non-bank debtor ("NBD"). The requirements entail observance of a hedging ratio, a liquidity ratio and a credit rating. Bank Indonesia has also introduced Circular Letter No. 16/24/DKEM dated 30 December 2014 ("Circular 16") for the implementation of Regulation No 16. Both BI Reg 16 and Circular 16 have been effective since 1 January 2015.
Main Objectives
Pursuant to BI Reg 16, any non-bank corporation (including a state-owned company) that receives an offshore debt in foreign currency must apply prudence principles by meeting minimum hedging levels and observing liquidity ratios and credit ratings that are stipulated in BI Reg 16. The definition is wide and includes debt owed by Indonesian subsidiaries to their foreign parent companies.
BI Reg 16 does not require government approval for incurring offshore debt; instead it imposes reporting obligations based on self-assessment of balance sheet items: the basis for determining the applicable hedging level and liquidity ratio is the amount of "Foreign Exchange Assets" and "Foreign Exchange Liabilities" of any NBD within three to six months after the end of the most recent quarter (i.e. 31 March, 30 June, 30 September and 31 December).
Application of Prudence Principles
The term "offshore debt" itself is defined broadly in BI Reg 16: indebtedness owed by a resident (a person, a legal entity or another entity that is domiciled in Indonesia or plans to be domiciled in Indonesia for at least one year) to a non-resident in foreign or Rupiah currency, and includes Sharia-based debt.
As indicated above, the main component to calculate the hedging level and liquidity ratio of the NBD is the "Foreign Exchange Asset" and "Foreign Exchange Liability". Please see below further elaboration on both items.
(A) "Foreign Exchange Asset"
"Foreign Exchange Asset" is defined by BI Reg 16 as including asset in foreign exchange that is used in the calculation of hedging and liquidity ratio. Items that is included as foreign exchange asset is stipulated in Circular 16, which consist of cash, giro, deposit, time deposit, receivables, inventory, other marketable securities and receivables in foreign currency which will be calculated based on its position at the end of each quarter.
Receivables are calculated as part of the NBD's Foreign Exchange Asset, if it fulfills the following requirements:
trade receivables to both resident and non-resident that will due (i) up to 3 months after the end of the relevant quarter, and/or (ii) more than 3 months up to 6 months after the end of the relevant quarter, that is a onetime deal (jual putus) or non-refundable and after being deducted with provision for impairment,
the underlying contract or agreement for the receivables must be signed before 1 July 2015 (for receivables to resident). Trade receivables to resident which underlying contract or agreement is signed on and after 1 July 2015 can still be included as component of foreign exchange asset if it relates to strategic infrastructure project.
Circular 16 also stipulates requirement for inventory, marketable securities as well receivables derived from forwards, swaps, and/or option transactions. According to Circular 16, inventory that will be classified as Foreign Exchange Asset is inventory of an exporter corporation that has export income ratio of more than 50% compare to its income in the preceding one year calendar and the value of inventory will exclude equipments and utilities.
(B) "Foreign Exchange Liability"
The term "Foreign Exchange Liability" is defined as liability in foreign currency that is used in calculating the liquidity and hedging ratio, which will include all liability in foreign currency to resident and/or non-resident including liability derived from forward, swap and/or option transaction that will close within three months after the end of the relevant quarter and/or closing between the fourth and the sixth month after the relevant quarter.
In brief, the prudence principles as stipulated in BI Reg 16 must be implemented as follows:
Hedging Ratio. Each NBD must effectuate a minimum hedging ratio of 25% of the combined negative spread between its Foreign Exchange Assets and its Foreign Exchange Liabilities which will be due (i) within three months after the end of the relevant quarter, and (ii) between the fourth and the sixth month after the end of the relevant quarter.
The hedging ratio must be realized by hedging the foreign exchange against the Rupiah by taking out derivative coverage in the form of a forward, a swap and/or an option.
BI Reg 16 requires that, as of 1 January 2017, the hedging transaction must be done through an Indonesian bank. Hedging transaction that is entered into with an offshore bank before 1 January 2017 will still be acknowledged as Foreign Exchange Assets and used in calculating the minimum liquidity and hedging ratio.
Liquidity Ratio. The NBD must meet a minimum liquidity ratio of 70%, calculated by dividing the total value of Foreign Exchange Assets that is available up to three months after the end of the last quarter by the amount of Foreign Exchange Liabilities that are due up to three months after the end of the most recent quarter.
Credit Rating. The NBD must have a credit rating (either an issuer credit rating or a debt credit rating) of at least BB- (or equivalent) issued by an authorized Rating Agency that is acknowledged by Bank Indonesia as set out in the Attachment 1 of Circular 16.
The rating may not be older than two years, and obligation to fulfill the credit rating for NBD that enters into offshore debt in foreign currency with its holding company or guaranteed by its holding company can be done using the credit rating of the holding company. For NBD that is just established, obligation to fulfill the credit rating can also initially be fulfilled by using the credit rating of its holding company.
(A) Exemption on Hedging Ratio
The minimum hedging ratio as set out in BI Reg 16 is not applicable for NBD that has its financial recording in US dollars and satisfies the following:
has export-income ratio of more than 50% of its income in the preceding calendar year, and
has obtained approval from the Minister of Finance to perform its bookkeeping in US dollars currency.
(B) Exemption on Credit Rating Requirements
There are some limited exemptions for offshore foreign debt for infrastructure projects.
Compliance with the prudence principles (including for those that are exempted from the hedging ratio and credit rating requirement) must be reported to Bank Indonesia accompanied by supporting documentation.
In supervising compliance with the prudence principles, Bank Indonesia will review and examine submitted reports and supporting documents and if it deemed necessary, Bank Indonesia may (i) require the NBD to provide further explanations, evidence, notes and/or other supporting documents, (ii) conduct direct inspection on the NBD, and/or (iii) appoint an external party to undertake the examination on behalf of Bank Indonesia.
BI Reg 16 provides for comparatively mild sanctions. In line with the territoriality principles that underlie all Bank Indonesia regulations, the foreign creditor does not incur liability for non-compliance.
Any NBD that fails to apply the prudence principles in BI Reg 16 or fails to submit the required report incurs merely an administrative sanction in the form of written warning and payment of fine within the range of Rp. 500,000 up to Rp. 10,000,000 per report.
BI Reg 16 in its transitional provision provides that the provisions of BI Reg 16 will take effect as of 1 January 2015. However, during the first year after effectiveness, a reduced minimum hedging ratio of 20% and a reduced minimum liquidity ratio of 50% apply. The credit rating requirement will also be applied only to offshore debt that is signed or issued on and after 1 January 2016, and the imposition of sanction under BI Reg 16 and PBI No. 16/22/2014 will only commence as of the submission of reports for the third calendar quarter of 2015 (except for sanction that relates to credit rating which will only be applicable for offshore debt that is signed or issued on and after 1 January 2016). (by: Theodoor Bakker & Elsie F. Hakim)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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South Shenandoah is largely a single-family home community. This is a varied community, with homes representing a wide range of time periods and styles. In general, homes in South Shenandoah are about $115,000 – $750,000 and sit on average-sized lots with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The most common types of parking are driveway, carport, garage and street.
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Homes in South Shenandoah are on the market for an average of 121 days and are typically purchased at or above asking price. Property taxes hover around $4,684 per year, and homeowners' association fees are approximately $319. On average, homes here are $222 per square foot and typically list for around $315,000.


Very heart touching story. The balance in life in very important. We should equally treat family matters and our professional matters.
This story is bound between two different moods, motivational and sorrow. The sorrowful part of it comes at the end when, after doing everything, and dedicating all his life abilities for his family, including all the life luxuries he denied himself, like personal time, the father wakes up no more. It's pretty sad, but also brings out its main point in a more precise manner!
Very true story. It's the exact reflection of my life. I will improve in my current situation.
Treat everyday as if there will be no tomorrow. The most signification thing in life is love. Everything may perish may perish even in your hard work.
High blood pressure is a silent killer. The father should have squeezed in a trip to the doctors for a check-up, specially with all the added stress he was putting on himself.
It is a touching story, that is what exactly happening to my life.
I like this story. It is true. Parsons should earn money only fill full need. Not more . He should spend his time with his family . Because we don't know when will we no more .
I really feel sorry the way the story ends. We should never forget our family, beloved ones. Human is a social animal. He needs support but at the same time he wishes some droplets of affection and love which only his family and his dear ones can provide.
Ohh its sad..i felt crying?
That's funny. For the people who are doing what he does DON'T STOP. or try to stay awake.
life is too short. enjoy the life with parents and friends.
then try to be content with what u have..and rest in God he'll indubitably help u..
When life gives chances so we don't grab it n we postpone it and father wanted to stay with family but life n time didn't love it ??
For me as a child, we should learn to value the sacrifices our parents are doing to sustain our need and provide our wants. We could do it in our own simple ways for them to see that their hardships were taking us into better life. On the other hand, dear parents, we are begging your attention cuz there comes a time that what we needed is your presence and not the material things anymore.
It is easy to say that we must have balance in life, but the truth is that it isn't really that easy.. In order to have balance in life, we must obtain willingness, contentment..
This is a good story….. i often get complains from my family same as the story but now im giving them enough time. so everybody is happy now.
Heart melting stories and nice motivated by this. One who follow to spend time with dear one.
Balance life… feel the love from the family members, money cannot give the happiness to them.
as we don't know when time take us away from them.
The story is really inspirational.
It teaches us material comforts are not so important in life family relations love and affection are important.
I can't blame the father. The family should appreciate what he father had done for them. Not just keep on demanding his time for them. They should understand his nature of work. Suppose the father stops working and spend time with them almost all of the time, how could they pay their bills and sustain other needs? Solution: No work, no everything because they have those luxuries because of father's work. They should go back to where it was… being delivery man (of bread) so they could be together most of the time.
since you don't know after second.
We work hard to be happier. But not always we need to be happy because as it is said, 'why happy if you could be normal'.
Try to get the best things for all beloved people forgetting take care of yourself. A hero father.
I just cried. He was a really great man I mean he wanted his family to live the best life he did everything but he forgot the most important thing spending time with them but his kids will grow up to be great.
Great story, the moral of the story for me is CONTENTMENT and BALANCE. Working to live and not living to work.
Nice moral story but we should be balanced… life is very important so we should enjoy every moment… keep smiling.
It is very sad story and the father only worked for his family, but he did not know what his family wanted from him!!! His family just wanted to spend time with him!! Then he is gone when he decided it. Forever!
We need to think what is most important things in our lives!!!
Nice story! Everything in the life to be afforded equally.
This is the best story in our life, we can know the importance of the family and timings and this story going to tell lot of things related to family values, loves and human beings. Thank you very much to person who has provided this story for me and entire people.
I salute this man because so many people surrounding us always complain about inflation /government policy/ low income/ leaking of education/ circumstances.
I saw a lot if people who never learn new skills that's why they always face difficulties and never enjoy their life also their children do no get good education.
This man improves himself and also changes the life of his family, I think during his life he also enjoyed because he learned new thing and got high position this is a not normal thing.
End of the story also teaches us that if one person scarify but rest of family enjoy. I am also out of country and I miss my family a lot and I know how much I feel pain as a for away my family, like me a lot of people out of country but these people thinking about their family even not about themselves.
Very nice story. It inspired me very much. I too like the father. But what can I do to survive in this world we have work more, at least, to fullfil our basic needs.
Your love and affection to your family counts more than your earning. It's better to live all in a hut with family sharings than to live in a mansion either with riot or with departure.
It was too late. Don't think about money, it will come. We should take care of our family.
This story was very fine. I like such fathers.
The father did very much for his family… and forget himself… poor man… It's very important to know about spirituality.
This is so good. We all should give more time with our family and with our loved ones also. We should always stand for joint family.
Simple story but in fact a good moral one. It wood be better if we put the different title bcz in the end the father died so it didn't match with the title.
It clearly shows, money and promotions never bring happy, in all times. It has certain limits. Happiness is with in, only by satisfaction we can enjoy.
Great story. Can anyone provide me with the author's name. I would love to use it in my essay for school, but I need to cite the author and give him credit. Please and thanks in advance.
How sad ! This story is very touching.
What I got out of this story was to spend enough time with family. ….
No one can serve between two masters, don't let anyone to be your priority while you are their option. Brilliant story it really makes my hearts out.


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What's the Best Bourbon Whiskey in Texas? Ask a Roomful of Texans, Led by a World-Famous Expert
At the first-ever Texas Bourbon Shootout, Balcones and Garrison Brothers led an improving pack of Texas distilleries.
By Chris Wright
Editor's Note: On September 20th, 2020, whisky journalist and founder of OurWhisky.com Becky Paskin publicly highlighted over 34 overt gendered sexual references included in Jim Murray's newly released Whisky Bible 2021. Murray's tasting notes objectifying women as sexual objects are disturbing and contradict our company values. As a result, we have updated our previous coverage on Mr. Murray with this message to ensure readers are fully aware of Mr. Murray's views.
On a warm winter day last month in Longview, Texas, a handful of Texan distillers lounged in a Holiday Inn Express hospitality suite, sipping high-proof bourbon and awaiting judgment from a hirsute Englishman named Jim Murray. "I saw him getting off the elevator," said one. "I was too intimidated to ask him any questions."
Eleven distilleries were competing for the title of the Best Bourbon in Texas at the first-ever Texas Bourbon Shootout, hosted by the East Texas Bourbon Society, a local group of bourbon sippers. Proceeds for the event were going to charity. But the stakes were high for the distillers.
Murray, the author of Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible and one of the premier whiskey reviewers in the world, had announced that he would allow the crowd to vote for its favorites in a round of blind head-to-head tastings between the 11 whiskeys. Texas democracy would name a winner. But catching the Englishman's eye, in particular, could land them a favorable review in the Whiskey Bible — and help put Texas bourbon on the map.
Some of America's Best Bourbon Whiskey Is Coming Out of Texas
Though they've been distilling whiskey for less than ten years, a growing crop of Texas distilleries have become standouts in American spirits making. They've benefitted from knowledge imported several states from the north, like Kentucky, where bourbon making is hundreds of years old. Uniquely, they've taken up the practice of using pot stills, rather than standard continuous ones. Then there's the matter of maturation.
Bourbon gains its classic flavors from aging in charred, new American oak barrels in a rickhouse; temperature and humidity changes force the liquid into, and then back out of, the wood, imparting flavor. A February day in Kentucky might fluctuate from 35 to 45 degrees. In Texas, it's 35 at night and 75 during the day. That means the flavors, like everything in Texas, are bigger.
The best Kentucky bourbon has notes of butter and cornbread; Texas whiskey is fiery with enough explosive power on the palate to garner national attention. So far, the state's single malts have attracted the most spotlight. They've won awards at competitions like Whiskies of the World, International Wine & Spirits Competition and the American Craft Spirits Awards. Their price point, around $70, competes with other Scotch and Japanese single malts. Meanwhile, Texan bourbons have lagged behind, in part because they cost $60 to $70 — more than their better-established Kentucky cousins. Bourbon needs sweetness and nuance, two things the young Texas distillers are still honing.
Whiskey making is not a pure science, the Texan distillers in the hospitality suite reminded, no matter how many high-tech molecular machines are employed. Tinkering flavors takes time. "So often, we're working backwards, from something tasting good and trying to figure out why that is, rather than the other way around," said Rob Arnold, head distiller of Firestone & Robertson distilling company.
"Sometimes the worst thing is a unicorn batch," said Dan Garrison, cofounder of Garrison Brothers. "It works so well the first time, but then it doesn't work again, and you can't figure out why."
Murray, for his part, listed a Balcones single malt and a Garrison Brothers bourbon as the best U.S. microbrands of 2019. "I was totally blindsided by the flavors," he said. Among those flavors: French toast, and Manuka honey smeared on overcooked fruitcake. How they'd done it, he wasn't sure. "That's why I wanted to do this tasting, actually," he said.
Ahead of the tasting, the competing distillers filed in just as Murray took a small stage in a ballroom filled with rows of tables and more than a thousand tasting glasses. He then led the audience of 100 or so in the strict tenets of what he calls "The Murray Method" of tasting. It has eighteen listed rules, including no talking (listen to the whiskeys, not each other); assessing the nose, mouthfeel, balance, and taste of each whiskey; and to never, ever, under any circumstances, add any water or ice to the whiskey.
The Texans, told to hold their drams against their bodies for minutes on end to warm them—and then to spit, not swallow, seemed on the verge of secession.
"Bourbon," Murray pronounced, "is the most honest of—"
A Texan raised a bourbon to his lips. "No no no!" Murray shouted. "No tasting yet! Thank you."
"The most honest of whiskeys…"
Murray asked the Texans to wiff their whiskey three times, then take a sip, then spit it out, to cleanse their palates, then nose three more times — don't stick your noses in it, remember — and then take a sip, chew with open mouth, like a halibut taking water into its gills, to aerate; then, spit the bourbon.
"Listen to that whiskey," Murray commanded.
The Texans listened.
Was the whiskey sweet or dry?
"Drah," a man yelled.
Oily?
"A little bit."
What are we tasting?
"Orange peel."
"Chocolate."
Very good. Were we still tasting the whiskey moments later? Yes? That means a long finish.
Two whiskeys were tasted head to head, a hand vote was taken, and one was voted out. Murray announced the name of the loser and moved onto the next pair.
Seven whiskeys later, Murray announced that he still had not found two that were even close to each other in identity. Some were nutty and buttery; some were spicy and enormous on the tongue; only a few, with cuts too wide or unbalanced between spices and sweetness, were dropped from the competition without a full count of hands.
Murray praised several defeated whiskeys: one, in particular, would do well in The Whiskey Bible, he noted, and he couldn't wait to review it there. Four bourbons remained, all of them stellar. "This has big tannins, big sugars," Murray said, face aglow. "This could be mistaken for a Kentucky whiskey."
The winners, Garrison Brothers, the oldest Texas distillery, hailing from Hye, Texas.
The final head to head came several hours in. The crowd moved at the tempo of Murray's rules, nosing and sipping, and was finally allowed to swallow: the rapturous burning of the stomach lining spread throughout the room. Murray held both bourbons aloft and moved to pick one. "Which one is sexier on the nose?"
"Hold on," someone yelled from the crowd. "Don't be rushin'."
"It's time to choose the best bourbon in Texas!" Murray declared.
"It's a tah!" someone yelled.
It was not. The winner was Balmorhea, a 115-proof bourbon made by Garrison Brothers, the oldest Texas distillery, hailing from Hye, Texas. The runner up was the Blue Corn Bourbon from Balcones, the second-oldest distillery in Texas. What had made them the best of the best? Both had massive amounts of both spice and sugars, yet remained balanced; both had the traditional flavors sought in a bourbon, like vanilla, oak, and caramel, but added flavors like red-hots, cherry and espresso. Both whiskeys, Murray noted, came from Texas distilleries who'd been at it long enough to experiment and perfect their distillates.
The crowd filed out for barbeque, live music and more drams of the winners. "These are among the best whiskeys, not just in Texas," Murray said as he stepped down from his stage, "but among the world."
The 21 Best Bourbons to Drink in 2022


You want your shower experience to be an invigorating and revitalising one thus you expect the tapware and showerhead that you use to give you high performance power as well as look good.
You might like a shower mixer or a traditional tap set to experience a tropical waterfall as you step into the shower. As you feel the warm water pour down, you look up and see either a wall mounted or ceiling rain showerhead sending beads of water on you. You like the coverage and the sleek profile of these showerheads whilst knowing that they are still eco-friendly.
You might prefer removable nozzles and hand held shower rails. These shower tapware fittings are fixed directly to your bathroom wall. The shower head piece is either fixed or connected to a hose that sits in an adjustable cradle where the angle of water spray and height can be adjustable for each individual user.
Our showerheads and tapware can also be matched with other tapware pieces to make your bathroom have that coordinated designer look.


It seems like it was only yesterday that these Turbos where "new" on the road. Nevertheless, this model already achieved major collectors' status.
This example features a drop-dead-georgeus purplish/dark blue one-off factory paint. It is the only 993 Turbo in this color and one of only 345 that were equipped with larger K-24 turbos.


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Best Friends Wants You to Pat the Bunny
January 4, 2012, By Nathan J. Winograd | Comments (Closed)
By Nathan & Jennifer Winograd
Yesterday, Gregory Castle of Best Friends posted a blog in which he asserted that several communities that they are involved with are poised to achieve No Kill success. They included New York City (and Los Angeles). In reality, the prospect for No Kill at any time in the near future is dire, as there are serious, institutional roadblocks to success that must be overcome in order for No Kill to be achieved – work that Best Friends is not doing, and which, in some cases, it is actually helping to sustain. In other words, if Best Friends were responsible and sincere in wanting to bring about No Kill in those communities, they would be working to tear such barriers down. Yet, instead, they celebrate the architects of those obstacles and those whose inept and uncaring leadership causes great animal suffering and cruelty. Why?
When I first took over as the Executive Director of the Tompkins County SPCA, I did everything possible to ensure that our organization was continually in the public eye, and that anyone and everyone living in Tompkins County, New York knew that we were committed to ending the killing of animals in our shelter, and that their help was needed. When I first arrived, I did a media blitz announcing our No Kill ambitions. I began writing my own column in the local newspaper, began a weekly spot on the popular morning radio show, and even began filming my own cable access program with a local newscaster who was committed to our cause. I introduced myself at every council meeting of the cities that contracted for our services and informed them of our goal. I spoke to the local Rotary Club chapter and other service organizations. I met with local business people, veterinarians and the Chamber of Commerce. And I never turned down an opportunity to speak at any community club, no matter how small. I was not only committed to the goal of ending the killing in the abstract, I was determined to succeed by laying the necessary, concrete groundwork for that success to actually occur: primarily motivating the community – so vital to our endeavor through their volunteerism, fostering, adoptions and donations – to assist us in our cause.
As a result, the TC/SPCA became well-known in the community and soon after, when we began to show amazing results for all our bold pronouncements, much beloved. So much so that we were able not only to end the killing – but to raise enough money to replace our old, dilapidated shelter, literally an old house that had been bequeathed to the organization decades before, into a stunning, state-of-the-art, green-certified shelter – the first of its kind in the nation. Within a very short time, by systematically addressing the causes of the killing and by working with the people of Tompkins County to systematically put into place life-affirming alternatives, we became the most successful shelter in the nation and the nation's first No Kill community.
Although common sense would dictate that our immediate and total success would no doubt have thrilled the Board of Directors that had hired me, that was not the case. While a precious few were truly grateful for the transformation, others were not as supportive. One Board member actually complained to me that we had achieved success too soon – lamenting how we would never be able to raise all the money necessary to build the new shelter and create an endowment when we had already arrived at our goal. "You created No Kill too soon," she told me, "How will we ever be able to raise money for a new shelter if people think we already solved the problem?"
I was, of course, stunned. Was she really telling me that I should have continued to kill animals even though we could find them homes so that we could lament the "necessity" of their killing in order to raise money? I knew the Board had many detractors in the community for years of neglect and killing that had gone on under their watch and that they had a hostile relationship with the volunteers who wanted reform, but was it possible that this Board member was so out of touch with our core mission that she really thought our goal was to raise money rather than save lives?
Sadly, aside from the lack of ethics revealed by her comment, what her statement also revealed was a terrible underestimation of the community. In the end, the fact that we had achieved success was what helped us to fundraise as never before. The people of Tompkins County saw our success, and ever grateful, rewarded it with tremendous generosity.
Not long after that conversation, I received another eye-opener that further enlightened me about how many non-profits lose sight of their mission, its urgency, and the desire to address the real and concrete obstacles that stand in the way of truly solving the problem they theoretically exist to combat. Having noticed our organization's popularity, the Executive Director of a local children's literacy organization asked if I wanted to participate in a joint campaign that she said would be a "win-win" for both our organizations. She wanted the TC/SPCA to assist in the purchase of thousands of Pat the Bunny picture books to be given to every newborn baby at the local hospital. When I asked her how this would help our organization, there was what appeared to be stunned silence on the other end of the line. She then managed to choke out, "Well, you know, it's Pat the Bunny." Further confused, I told her I still didn't get it. More silence, then timidly, "You're the SPCA and it's about a bunny." I asked her how – given that people donated to the SPCA for the specific purpose of ending the killing of animals – my spending those donations on a picture book for newborn babies would translate into lives saved. Again, stunned silence. I of course declined, but never asked her the equally salient question: how on Earth would it help her mission, either? Sure, it might make for a cute photo op, the head of the local SPCA and the head of the local literacy organization delivering a fuzzy picture book about an animal to the new parents at a maternity ward of the local hospital. But would it save a single life? Would it help a single child learn to read? In the end, it might be cute, but that was it: to quote the great Howard Cosell, "Another example of whimsy over substance." And yet, tragically, I have come to realize, this is not an uncommon phenomenon in the non-profit world.
Sadly, the larger and more powerful an organization gets, the more timid it often becomes in challenging the status quo it became wealthy lamenting. Fix the problem, and how do you fundraise; pay the rent, pay pensions, salaries, distinguish yourself. I've asked the question before, "What happens to the dream merchant when the dream becomes a reality?" And for Best Friends, there can be little doubt. Their goal is not really about fixing the problem of shelter killing. They abandoned their plan for a No Kill Utah. They abandoned their plan for a No Kill Atlanta. And, in opening a New York City office, they did not even bother pretending otherwise. They were opening a fundraising office, pure and simple. In fact, they have never succeeded in creating a single No Kill community for the simple reason that achieving one is not the goal. It is about selling a dependency model whereby you give them money and they will work toward a time when there will be no more homeless pets. Even the name of the campaign reflects that focus. They do not envision a No Kill nation. They do not even envision no more killing of homeless pets; just a mythic time in the future where the need for rescue groups, for shelters, for refuge, for sanctuary won't exist. There is no finish line so that they can keep fundraising forever. It is about the money.
As another No Kill activist once sagely told me, "Once an organization gets an office, the mission is lost." And I am reminded of the comment made on my Facebook page recently by Kerry Clair of Pets Alive in New York about how she lays awake some nights considering what safeguards she could possibly put into place now to prevent her organization from ever becoming a bloated, uncaring, ineffective organization should it ever become wealthy.
In truth and to be fair, I am not so cynical as to believe that such corruption is inevitable. While it is certainly true that, for the most part, power corrupts – or, more accurately, the fear of a loss of power corrupts – in reality, the true success of an organization, that is, whether or not it strategically and effectively battles the evil it exists to combat, comes down to the choices made by its leader. Organizations reflect the personalities of those who lead them. And there are good and bad people in every field. Yet having said that, I do believe that as a society, we need to learn to be far more discerning about which non-profits we trust with our donations. Right now, we are naive and too trusting of the non-profit world. I, too, was once guilty of that.
For years I spoke at Best Friends conferences, and believed that they were an organization committed to ending the killing of animals in our shelters. But as Best Friends has grown larger, they have become more and more ineffective, and more and more timid and content with the status quo that has made them so large and so powerful. Yes, they run a sanctuary, and I would never suggest that this wasn't worthy. But what I do argue is that for an organization that takes in 40 million dollars a year by claiming to support an end to the killing of animals, they have very little to show for it. Like the ASPCA and HSUS, they take in a large sums of money donated for a cause they do not actively or effectively champion, and which, in some cases, they have actually worked to oppose.
For all their millions, they have never succeeded in creating a single No Kill community, while the No Kill Advocacy Center and it's No Kill Equation have assisted in or inspired the creation of over 25, on a tiny fraction of Best Friends' budget. They could choose to leverage their millions and their influence to fight alongside grassroots activists working to create No Kill communities, but they do not. Instead, as in Austin, they wait on the sidelines until the dust settles to see who is the victor, and then they swoop in, highlight the activists, and portray the work of others as their own – calling the effort a "No More Homeless Pets" campaign so they can confuse people into thinking they were involved, thereby taking credit and raising even more money to hoard in their bank accounts.
As I mention in a recent blog (which there can be no doubt that Gregory Castle's recent pronouncement is a response to), they have threatened to withhold funding from smaller grassroots organizations that spoke out when they worked behind the scenes to kill legislation in New York mandating collaboration between small rescue groups and animal control agencies, an effort that tragically succeeded and condemned 25,000 New York animals to death every year. And while we have vital legislation pending in several states to codify No Kill policies and procedures – legislation that is at the heart of our cause and needs powerful allies in order to succeed – Best Friends does precious little to see it get passed (although we shamed them into writing a letter of support in Florida this week.) The introduction of these laws is some of the most significant work we can be doing to bring about a No Kill nation, and Best Friends is not actively working to ensure their passage. Put this into context: imagine legislation to ban child labor not being supported by a large, wealthy child protection organization. Imagine a law to limit greenhouse gas emissions not being supported by a large, environmental organization. Imagine a law to ensure equal pay for women not being supported by the National Organization for Women. The equivalent is happening with Best Friends' failure to actively champion the Companion Animal Protection Act and ensure its passage against hostile, entrenched forces.
Tragically, like HSUS and the ASPCA, Best Friends has become another voice protecting poorly performing shelter directors rather than the animals those directors are killing. When fighting to defeat Oreo's Law in New York, Best Friends defended their failure to publicly support that bill by calling the requirement that shelters notify rescue groups about animals they are planning to kill "unrealistic." And, as a favor to Ed Sayres of the ASPCA who killed Oreo and pledged to likewise kill the legislation named in her honor, they called No Kill activists who supported the bill and asked them to please oppose it.
When it suits them, such as when they speak to the grassroots, they speak the language of No Kill. But when it comes to actually working to bring it into existence in this country, they do not support activists fighting for it, they do not actively work to see that legislation mandating that is brought into existence, and they attempt to confuse and mislead people about that.
After 150 years of large, national animal protection organizations that have been essentially given a free ride, which do little more than pander to animal lovers but do not actively seek concrete changes to better the lot of animals, many people do not even know what they should expect from wealthy animal protection organizations. By highlighting the tremendous success that small, grassroots organizations and the No Kill Advocacy Center has had in 2011 on the tiniest fraction of the budget of the large groups in a recent blog, I hoped to educate people to expect and demand more from the groups that have a lot of money, and therefore, a lot of influence. If we can achieve what we have with our limited means, imagine what they could do with their vast wealth if they were sincere. We must demand that these organizations stop hoarding millions in their bank accounts that are donated with the specific purpose of bringing about substantive change which they fail to truly pursue.
In the field of animal protection, with large, national organizations taking in the lion's share of resources for the stated purpose of helping animals even as they use that money and influence to undermine the No Kill cause – the need for the public and activists to become more savvy – to learn to read between the lines of cleverly worded press releases and fundraising appeals – is, in fact, an urgent need. We need to learn to separate whimsy over substance, to demand results, and to be intolerant of those organizations which never evolve their approach to overcome obstacles to success, that endlessly fundraise on a problem they do not strategically combat, and which sacrifice the best interest of animals to their merciless, greedy fundraising machines.
Yesterday, Gregory Castle of Best Friends posted a blog in which he asserted that several communities that they are involved with are poised to achieve No Kill success. They included New York City. In reality, the prospect for No Kill at any time in the near future is dire, as there are serious, institutional roadblocks to success that must be overcome in order for No Kill to be achieved – work that Best Friends is not doing, and which, in some cases, it is actually helping to sustain. Castle writes that, "New York City is well on its way to achieving its no-kill goal under leadership of Maddie's Fund and the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals." In reality, the Mayor's Alliance has been a roadblock to No Kill success. They have fought legislation that would have saved the lives of animals, and they have looked the other way, while the animals are systematically neglected and abused. The city pound kills healthy animals, intentionally sickens healthy animals to create an excuse to kill them, allows them to languish in pain while they slowly die, does not provide basic care, and bans anyone who tries to reform these practices. In fact, the Mayor's Alliance has paid rescuers with Maddie's Fund money to take animals to the pound where they are killed. Meanwhile, Best Friends not only holds up the leadership of the Mayor's Alliance as experts and models of compassion, giving them a forum at their national conference to excuse killing and teach people how to silence volunteers (Jane Hoffman of the Mayor's Alliance once famously stated at a seminar that shelters should not be made to feel guilty about killing), they are also raising millions through the Best Friends New York City fundraising office, while the animals of the city pound go without basic needs. In other words, if Best Friends were responsible and sincere in wanting to bring about No Kill in New York City (and, say, Los Angeles*) they would be working to tear such barriers down. Yet, instead, they celebrate the architects of those obstacles and those whose inept and uncaring leadership causes great animal suffering and cruelty. Why?
Anxious to highlight some semblance of relevance in a movement that is steam-rolling ahead without the participation of his organization — an organization that once saw itself as the chief mouthpiece for the cause and became very wealthy claiming such — Gregory Castle is willing to not only sell out the animals who are, in reality, suffering terribly in these communities, but to willfully undermine activists who are working for true reform by portraying tragic circumstances as hopeful. In short, Gregory Castle is asking you to Pat the Bunny with him, to smile vacuously and feel the fuzziness, while, in reality, his organization and the activists in these communities should be storming the gates, demanding real reform.
Over the years, I have worked with activists in literally dozens if not hundreds of communities across the U.S. who are working for No Kill in their hometowns. Often, I visit and give my "Building a No Kill Community" presentation which is intended to educate and inspire members of the community to reach higher, reject the excuses of their local shelter leadership, and to demand change. And I end every presentation with the warning that in most cases, in the battle for No Kill, prevailing requires what Ryan Clinton called "a marathon, not a sprint."
Frequently, the No Kill Advocacy Center provides advice and guidance to these activists, as well as ground support: writing letters to local politicians, talking to the media to set the record straight, highlighting their efforts to other activists and animal lovers, meeting with public officials, writing policies, recruiting staff, and more. In many of these communities, we invest significant time and energy. And we do so in the hopes that each of these efforts will eventually succeed. But not all of them do.
In some cases, such as in Allegany County, Maryland or Shelby County, Kentucky, the activists do succeed, and they have the facts and statistics to prove it: concrete save rates in excess of 90%, a transformation of the local shelter from a house of horrors where animals went to die, to places of hope and second chances. But, tragically, sometimes, the effort doesn't fully succeed. Sometimes people burn out, give up, and stop trying. Sometimes I've put my faith in people who have stabbed me and the animals in the back. And I've been very candid about that. In fact, despite highlighting Philadelphia Animal Control in Redemption, I admitted that it faltered in the introduction to the second edition.
As the Executive Director of a national companion animal advocacy organization that has successfully created No Kill communities or assisted activists working to achieve it in their own community, I am always disappointed when efforts falter, or face such formidable institutional obstacles and resistance that success, at least for the time being, seems unlikely. But to pretend otherwise simply because my organization and I were in some way involved would be incredibly irresponsible. No matter how much time or energy we have invested in a community, to ever publicly suggest that the situation was more hopeful, the animals in less peril than they really were, in order to tout success – and therefore fundraise — would be unethical and a betrayal of the animals and the efforts of future activists in that community. But that is exactly what Best Friends is doing by claiming that the communities they are involved with are poised to achieve success. They are not. And to say so, is, quite simply, a lie.
Gregory Castle writes in his blog that, "We hope that the old-line shelters and national organizations that are dithering or are on the wrong side of the fence will listen to the public and step over to no-kill." To which the only rational, informed response is Physician, heal thyself.
Best Friends is quite simply the biggest ditherer of them all.
For further reading, click here.
* Thanks to an adverse court ruling, every cat classified as "feral" in Los Angeles city shelters is systematically put to death. TNR is illegal because of a court injunction prohibiting the city pound from working with TNR groups. And like they did in Austin, Best Friends sat on the sidelines during the fight. When the No Kill Advocacy Center tried to intervene, Best Friends opposed it. And when the City decided not to appeal the ruling and opposed the No Kill Advocacy Center trying to appeal, Best Friends supported the City there, also.
Tags: Best Friends, Nathan Winograd, No Kill
No Kill Conference 2012: Reaching Higher
It's a Crime
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Twitter @nwinograd
California Governor @GavinNewsom's call for a No Kill state is bringing out the small-minded and hard-hearted: https://www.nathanwinograd.com/a-no-kill-california-bah-humbug-say-some/ …pic.twitter.com/m84FtGMfFE January 17, 2020
New Jersey Senate unanimously passed legislation to allow courts to appoint an attorney — a guardian ad litem — to represent the best interest of animals in court cases involving those animals: http://bit.ly/2uSNCuV . S-3322/A-4840 now heads to the Assembly for considerationpic.twitter.com/qQMSDElroy January 16, 2020
A tribunal in England has recognized "ethical veganism" as a protected class against employment discrimination. By contrast, American courts have specifically rejected such rights: https://www.nathanwinograd.com/english-tribunal-vegans-protected-against-discrimination/ …pic.twitter.com/pbqkUXesrr January 16, 2020
A No Kill California? 'Bah, humbug!,' say some
English Tribunal: Vegans Protected Against Discrimination
VA Legislation Seeks to Put PETA & Others Out of Killing Business
Leveraging Kitbull's Success
NH Lawmakers to Vote on Historic Bill
Articles (Essential)
Together, we can create a future where every animal will be respected and cherished, and where every individual life will be protected and revered.
© 2020 by Nathan J. Winograd


We want to be a community of Christians who give generously of our time, abilities and money.
generously – the Bible gives 10% of our income as a benchmark figure to seriously consider (although this shouldn't stop us giving more than that!).
to the church – we believe the Bible teaches that this 10% should go to specifically Christian causes and that giving to secular charities should be on top of this. We also believe the New Testament places a high priority on the local church and that therefore the majority, if not all, of this tithe should go to the local church, with the local church then supporting other causes. At St Mungo's we give 15-20% of our church income away to support the worldwide church in mission and caring for the poor, in addition to our contribution to the Scottish Episcopal Church.
regularly – it is biblical and makes sense to give weekly or monthly. Using a Standing Order makes this very easy.
joyfully – we want to give out of gratitude to God and because we enjoy doing so, not because we feel we must.
wisely – which involves giving tax efficiently. If we are tax payers, completing a gift aid declaration enables the church to reclaim the tax paid on the money we give, which increases the value of our giving by 25%.
You can give easily via give.net, but please note that a standing order and a gift aid declaration is the most helpful.
Virtually all St Mungo's income comes from our congregation. We receive no central funding.
If you count St Mungo's as your church, please consider prayerfully and carefully how much you will give this year. Your contribution really counts.


Mayor Lara Symkowiak feels "privileged and honoured" to have been the mayor of Camden Council for the past six years. But the soon-to-be mother of three will stand down from the role at tonight's council meeting, deciding not to re-contest the position at the annual mayoral election. She remains a councillor and will now turn her attention to spending time with her growing family. "I feel it is the right time for me to take a step back to enjoy spending time with my next baby," Cr Symkowiak said. "This baby will be my third in three years and it is due in a couple of weeks. I've decided it is time to take a proper maternity break." Cr Symkowiak said it would be "weird" to no longer sit in the mayoral chair and to be on the sidelines. "I'm sure it will take some adjusting," she said. "Being the mayor is a tough job. "It is also a very special and unique role. I feel so fortunate to have been the mayor for any amount of time let alone six years. "The role is a lot more than chairing the council meeting or going to openings of events. There are a lot of time pressures and there are many people the mayor needs to talk to and meet. It is a full time role. "I'm sure whoever takes on the role will find their feet and own style, like I did." Councillor Peter Sidgreaves is expected to be voted in as the new mayor. The outgoing mayor has a long list of achievements that have been started or completed under her leadership. Notably, she is proud of the council's commitment to creating excellent sport and recreation facilities in Camden. These include: Narellan Sports Hub, Birriwa Outdoor Youth Space, Mount Annan Leisure Centre expansion, masterplans and funding for Kirkham Park re-development and Ferguson land cricket centre. Not to mention the works in progress which include stage two of the Narellan Sports Hub, synthetic fields, Oran Park Leisure Centre, water play parks at Elderslie and Oran Park as well two new recreation spaces at Harrington Park Lake and Currans Hill. "I would have liked to see out the opening of these projects," Cr Symkowiak said. The mayor was also at the helm when the Argyle Street improvement works and Oxley Street car park were completed and oversaw the conversion of the Macaria building into the Alan Baker Art Gallery. "Camden Council also received a "Fit for the Future" financial assessment," Cr Symkowiak said. "Only seven out of 42 metro Sydney councils got this rating. "This shows we are managing our ratepayers' money appropriately and sustainably. "This allowed the council to complete those 'cherry on top' type projects." Camden Council has also become a no kill council, promoted pet adoption, hosted Paws in the Park events and introduced ranger talks to school children. Cr Symkowiak also cites the improved mowing services, public space maintenance, footpath improvements and street beautification works as wins. The mayor has also worked with and fought alongside residents against numerous developments including the Main Street Mount Annan proposal. She also helped advocate for the South West Rail Link and M9 Outer Sydney Orbital to be built underground. "Camden's population has exploded," Cr Symkowiak said. "There will always be challenges and growing pains and we aren't perfect but I am proud of what the team and I have achieved for existing and new residents." Cr Symkowiak wanted to thank several people for supporting her through her leadership. "Thank you to my team deputy mayor Theresa Fedeli and councillors Peter Sidgreaves, Michael Morrison and Rob Mills," she said. "Camden MP Chris Patterson, who I was on council with from 2008 to 2012, has given me advice, guidance and support and I'm very grateful to him. "It's been a great partnership at a council and state level and we have achieved many fantastic outcomes." "Thank you to the residents and community leaders who have supported me." The mayor also thanked general manger Ron Moore and all the council staff. "I have worked with Ron for five and a half years," she said. "Camden and the council would not be where it is today without him. "He has also supported me through personal struggles such as the passing of my father and the happier times like the birth of my children." Cr Symkowiak also thanked her husband Andrew for his constant support, especially through the tough and stressful times.
Stepping down: Mayor Lara Symkowiak is looking forward to spending more time with her children, including son Teddy (pictured).
Mayor Lara Symkowiak feels "privileged and honoured" to have been the mayor of Camden Council for the past six years.
But the soon-to-be mother of three will stand down from the role at tonight's council meeting, deciding not to re-contest the position at the annual mayoral election.
She remains a councillor and will now turn her attention to spending time with her growing family.
Cr Symkowiak said it would be "weird" to no longer sit in the mayoral chair and to be on the sidelines.
"I'm sure it will take some adjusting," she said. "Being the mayor is a tough job.
"It is also a very special and unique role. I feel so fortunate to have been the mayor for any amount of time let alone six years.
"The role is a lot more than chairing the council meeting or going to openings of events. There are a lot of time pressures and there are many people the mayor needs to talk to and meet. It is a full time role.
Councillor Peter Sidgreaves is expected to be voted in as the new mayor.
Mayor Lara Symkowiak has thanked general manager Ron Moore for his support.
The outgoing mayor has a long list of achievements that have been started or completed under her leadership.
Notably, she is proud of the council's commitment to creating excellent sport and recreation facilities in Camden.
These include: Narellan Sports Hub, Birriwa Outdoor Youth Space, Mount Annan Leisure Centre expansion, masterplans and funding for Kirkham Park re-development and Ferguson land cricket centre.
Not to mention the works in progress which include stage two of the Narellan Sports Hub, synthetic fields, Oran Park Leisure Centre, water play parks at Elderslie and Oran Park as well two new recreation spaces at Harrington Park Lake and Currans Hill.
"I would have liked to see out the opening of these projects," Cr Symkowiak said.
The mayor was also at the helm when the Argyle Street improvement works and Oxley Street car park were completed and oversaw the conversion of the Macaria building into the Alan Baker Art Gallery.
"Camden Council also received a "Fit for the Future" financial assessment," Cr Symkowiak said. "Only seven out of 42 metro Sydney councils got this rating.
"This shows we are managing our ratepayers' money appropriately and sustainably.
Camden Council has also become a no kill council, promoted pet adoption, hosted Paws in the Park events and introduced ranger talks to school children.
Cr Symkowiak also cites the improved mowing services, public space maintenance, footpath improvements and street beautification works as wins.
The mayor has also worked with and fought alongside residents against numerous developments including the Main Street Mount Annan proposal. She also helped advocate for the South West Rail Link and M9 Outer Sydney Orbital to be built underground.
"Camden's population has exploded," Cr Symkowiak said.
Cr Symkowiak wanted to thank several people for supporting her through her leadership.
"Thank you to my team deputy mayor Theresa Fedeli and councillors Peter Sidgreaves, Michael Morrison and Rob Mills," she said.
"Camden MP Chris Patterson, who I was on council with from 2008 to 2012, has given me advice, guidance and support and I'm very grateful to him.
The mayor also thanked general manger Ron Moore and all the council staff.
"I have worked with Ron for five and a half years," she said. "Camden and the council would not be where it is today without him.
Cr Symkowiak also thanked her husband Andrew for his constant support, especially through the tough and stressful times.


This church is considered as one of the best designed by R.M. Butler and was commissioned at the same time as his church in Newport which it resembles. The aisles of the church in Balla are flat, concealed by impressive Irish battlements. Despite being distinctly of the early 20th century, the building has many historical cues: the southern porch is based on the medieval doorway of Cong Abbey; the altar in the Lady Chapel is a copy of the altar in Holy Cross Abbey. In spite of this careful historicism the design of the church is of such simplified Gothic style that it could only have been built in the early 20th century. The stained glass windows are by Harry Clarke and The Clarke Studies and bear the inscription in Irish: "Ros Dairbhreach is ainm don Ait seo fe lathair – Ball Aluinn is feasta is go brath" – a quote attributed to St. Cronan.


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By Damaris Navarro January 22, 2019 No Comments
The Queen smashing biopic movie Bohemian Rhapsody just received five Academy Awards nominations this morning: one in the Best Picture category, with Rami Malek receiving a Best Actor in a Leading Role nomination for his performance as Freddie Mercury. The film also received nominations in technical categories for Film Editing, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.
The movie who has caught the public's attention since it went on screens last November it's not stranger to success: It's brought in an estimated 774.3 million USD globally at the box office thus far, took home the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Actor – Motion Picture – Drama for Malek and has also been nominated for seven BAFTAs.
During his Best Actor acceptance speech at the 76th Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Rami Malek thanked both Brian May and Roger Taylor, who both attended The Beverly Hilton ceremony. Saying he was "beyond moved" to get the award, 37-year-old Malek added: "To you, Brian May, to you, Roger Taylor, for ensuring that authenticity and inclusivity exist in the music and in the world and in all of us."
Dedicating the honour to Freddie Mercury, he added: "Thank you to Freddie Mercury for giving me the joy of a lifetime. I love you, you beautiful man. This is for and because of you, gorgeous."
Malek – who has been universally praised for his portrayal of the band's charismatic singer – will be up against Christian Bale (Vice), Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born), Willem Dafoe (At Eternity's Gate) and Viggo Mortensen (Green Book).
The 91st Academy Awards will be presented on Feb. 24 from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, with the telecast beginning 8PM on ABC.
By Joel Barrios January 17, 2020
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Perhaps the birth of modern ?peak bagging? (as opposed to technical mountaineering) was brought about in Scotland, by one Sir Hugh Thomas Munro. A member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club, Sir Munro published a painstakingly researched list of all the Scottish mountains over 3000ft. Two years later in 1891, the Ordnance Survey published updated maps of Scotland, and this was the first of many to dispute the exact number of ?Munros?, as the mountains became known. Despite his efforts, Sir Munro was not the first to climb all 284 munros; that honour (arguably) went to Ronald Burn, who completed them in 1923.
Since then, over 4000 people have bagged all the Munros. The fastest 'completion' was done in 48 days and 12 hours, and one munro bagger has even bagged all the munros 13 times over!


It may be difficult to find a dental team that you feel comfortable with. Luckily, with some research and education, it can be easy to care for one's teeth. Use the information and tips that follow, and you will be ready to make a wise choice.
Try not to avoid trips to the dentist. Regular visits help to protect your dental health. Dealing with dental problems early cuts down the cost of fixing the problem later. You'll also save yourself from developing more serious problems if you tackle them early. This is not only good for the health of your mouth, but for your wallet as well.
Visit your dentist at least two times a year, or follow your dentist's recommendation. Only through regular care will you be able to prevent serious problems from developing. Also, when you go frequently, you will start to become more comfortable when you visit. This rapport will be important if you ever require major dental work done.
The way you handle a toothbrush makes a difference. Grip the toothbrush, holding it against the surface of your teeth at an angle. Then, you should move the brush with circular motions. Don't brush too hard so that you can prevent gum irritation.
Healthy tongues are just as necessary as healthy gums and teeth. In order to feel your best at all times, utilize a tongue scraper. Not only are these cheap, but they get bacteria off the tongue. If you don't have a tongue scraper, simply use your toothbrush to get rid of this harmful bacteria.
Are your teeth very sensitive to extreme temperatures? Find a toothpaste for sensitive gums and teeth and plan on going to the dentist to get your problem looked at. Tooth sensitivity could be an indicator of a more serious problem. The sooner you treat your problem, the less serious it is likely to be.
Ask family and friends for recommendations if you are in the market for a new dentist. Evaluate the dentist's style and how he approaches patient care so that you can see if he is the right one for you. Additionally, they help you make a financial decision about which dentist you use.
Hating mint is not a reason to boycott toothbrushing! There are many more flavors to toothpaste than just mint. Choose a flavor you prefer from your local pharmacy or dentist.
Both flossing and brushing should be done regularly. Flossing and brushing alone aren't enough to get rid of bacteria. Therefore, you should use an antibacterial mouthwash after brushing and flossing.
You need brush more than your teeth's surfaces. You must also spend time brushing your gums, as this will help you to eliminate trapped food or debris. A cavity below the gum line is especially bad, so it's important to keep that area as clean as you can.
Learning about good dental care can be challenging. Spend some time doing research and checking reviews. Success is guaranteed if you follow the advice you just read.


WWW Link. Vendor, Vehicle Tracking. Vehicle tracking. From CNRS laboratory in Toulouse.
IJCV(14), No. 1, January 1995, pp. 83-105.
PR(29), No. 8, August 1996, pp. 1285-1296.
PAMI(18), No. 11, November 1996, pp. 1115-1121.
CVIU(65), No. 2, February 1997, pp. 206-225.
IJCV(35), No. 3, December 1999, pp. 295-319.
IJCV(73), No. 2, June 2007, pp. 139-157.
IVC(16), No. 8, June 1998, pp. 517-527.
IVC(18), No. 2, January 2000, pp. 137-153.
ITS(1), No. 2, June 2000, pp. 98-107.
PR(34), No. 3, March 2001, pp. 661-670.
MVA(12), No. 2, 2000, pp. 69-83.
ITS(4), No. 3, September 2003, pp. 154-167.
IVC(22), No. 2, 1 February 2004, pp. 143-155.
ITS(5), No. 3, September 2004, pp. 142-154.
ITS(5), No. 4, December 2004, pp. 324-328.
ITS(5), No. 3, September 2004, pp. 155-164.
IP(14), No. 10, October 2005, pp. 1561-1569.
JASP(2005), No. 8, 2005, pp. 1221-1228.
VISP(153), No. 1, February 2006, pp. 37-45.
IVC(24), No. 11, 1 November 2006, pp. 1172-1178.
PAMI(29), No. 5, May 2007, pp. 824-839.
Earlier: A1, A3, A4, A2, Only: PETS05(81-88).
ITS(9), No. 1, March 2008, pp. 148-160.
ITS(10), No. 1, March 2009, pp. 92-102.
IVC(27), No. 6, 4 May 2009, pp. 648-657.
CVIU(113), No. 6, June 2009, pp. 708-725.
ITS(11), No. 1, March 2010, pp. 113-121.
ITS(11), No. 2, June 2010, pp. 267-276.
MVA(25), No. 3, April 2014, pp. 599-611.
ITS(11), No. 2, June 2010, pp. 498-504.
IP(19), No. 9, September 2010, pp. 2491-2501.
ITS(12), No. 1, March 2011, pp. 284-290.
ITS(12), No. 2, June 2011, pp. 583-595.
ITS(12), No. 4, December 2011, pp. 1057-1063.
ITS(13), No. 2, June 2012, pp. 671-679.
ITS(13), No. 2, June 2012, pp. 541-552.
ITS(13), No. 2, June 2012, pp. 759-769.
ITS(13), No. 4, December 2012, pp. 1738-1752.
IVC(31), No. 9, 2013, pp. 673-685.
IJCV(104), No. 2, September 2013, pp. 198-219.
ITS(15), No. 2, April 2014, pp. 607-614.
ITS(15), No. 2, April 2014, pp. 540-552.
ITS(15), No. 2, April 2014, pp. 507-529.
SPLetters(21), No. 5, May 2014, pp. 600-604.
ITS(16), No. 4, August 2015, pp. 1989-1998.
PRL(51), No. 1, 2015, pp. 79-85.
IET-CV(8), No. 6, 2014, pp. 535-544.
IET-ITS(8), No. 8, 2014, pp. 655-664.
GeoInfo(19), No. 1, January 2015, pp. 117-145.
MVA(26), No. 2-3, April 2015, pp. 369-385.
ITS(16), No. 2, April 2015, pp. 632-641.
ITS(16), No. 4, August 2015, pp. 1918-1928.
ITS(16), No. 4, August 2015, pp. 2038-2049.
ITS(16), No. 4, August 2015, pp. 1883-1895.
ITS(16), No. 6, December 2015, pp. 3453-3464.
ITS(17), No. 3, March 2016, pp. 822-833.
JVCIR(37), No. 1, 2016, pp. 25-31.
JVCIR(40, Part B), No. 1, 2016, pp. 816-830.
IET-ITS(11), No. 2, March 2017, pp. 84-91.
ITS(18), No. 6, June 2017, pp. 1393-1404.
IET-ITS(12), No. 1, February 2018, pp. 2-11.
ITS(19), No. 1, January 2018, pp. 174-186.
ITS(19), No. 1, January 2018, pp. 162-173.
ITS(19), No. 1, January 2018, pp. 151-161.
ITS(19), No. 1, January 2018, pp. 140-150.
SMCS(48), No. 5, May 2018, pp. 733-742.
ITS(19), No. 5, May 2018, pp. 1593-1606.
IP(27), No. 7, July 2018, pp. 3275-3287.
ITS(19), No. 7, July 2018, pp. 2142-2148.
ITS(20), No. 2, February 2019, pp. 783-789.
MultMed(20), No. 9, September 2018, pp. 2385-2399.
ITS(19), No. 10, October 2018, pp. 3159-3169.
IET-ITS(12), No. 10, December 2018, pp. 1386-1395.
ITS(20), No. 1, January 2019, pp. 149-161.
IET-ITS(13), No. 2, February 2019, pp. 356-366.
MultMed(20), No. 3, March 2018, pp. 645-658.
And demo. Car speeds from fixed overhead video.
Traffic Surveillance, Analysis of Traffic .


text:
Watch Thursday highlights from the Adelaide International 2, featuring quarter-final victories for Marin Cilic and Thanasi Kokkinakis. Watch ATP Tour tennis streams live & on-demand on Tennis TV. Photo Credit: TENNIS AUSTRALIA
Cilic Continues Title Pursuit In Adelaide
Rinderknech upsets Khachanov
Marin Cilic continued his impressive start to the season Thursday, moving past American Tommy Paul 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals at the Adelaide International 2.
The fourth seed produced a strong serving performance, firing 14 aces and winning 84 per cent (38/45) of points behind his first delievery to advance after one hour and 56 minutes and improve to 2-0 in their ATPHead2Head series.
FOLLOW THIS WEEK'S ACTION
Watch Live On Tennis TV
Follow Live Scores On ATP Tour App
The Croatian enjoyed a run to the last four at the Adelaide International 1 last week and will next face Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis as he aims to go one step further at the ATP 250 event. The former World No. 3 has now won four of his five matches in 2022.
Kokkinakis rallied from a set down to claw past countryman Aleksandar Vukic 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 in two hours and 16 minutes. Kokkinakis also reached the last four in Adelaide last week.
Third-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov, who beat Cilic in Adelaide last week, suffered a surprise defeat against World No. 58 Arthur Rinderknech. The Frenchman overcame Khachanov 7-6(7), 7-5 in one hour and 43 minutes to reach his second tour-level semi-final (Kitzbühel 2021).
Rinderknech broke Khachanov twice en-route to victory and will next play countryman Corentin Moutet after the qualifier downed lucky loser Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 45 minutes. It is the third time the World No. 115 has reached the semi-finals at a tour-level event.


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My father was a well-trained general internist who practiced in Orange County, California. In the late 1960s, he was asked to give the annual lecture to the medical staff of his hospital. He chose to speak about diabetes.
This was pre-internet, but his remarks basically went "viral." His talk made the Los Angeles Times, and then the television networks and talk shows were calling his office, even our home, trying to get interviews with him to further discuss diabetes care. Humble man that he was, he declined it all.
What was his amazing message about type 2 diabetes? With proper diet, exercise and weight management, it can be controlled. In other words, lifestyle matters! In fact, it more than matters; it is the cornerstone of diabetes care.
For the last few years, Samaritan-affiliated hospitals in Lebanon and Lincoln City have been offering CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Program), a lifestyle course that emphasizes a plant-based diet, exercise, weight management and stress control. According to chiphealth.com, studies have shown these lifestyle changes can help lower cholesterol and fasting blood glucose by about 20 percent, drop BMI by 3 percent and sometimes reduce blood pressure enough that people on medications can reduce or stop them. Results have been seen in 30 days on the plant-based diet (these studies were done on all comers, not just people with type 2 diabetes).
I was interested to come across a recent article in the Journal of Geriatric Cardiology: "A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes" [JGeriatrCardiol.2017 May: 14(5):342-354]. This paper underlines how pervasive and devastating type 2 diabetes is in the United States and its enormous economic burden. It also clearly demonstrated how effective a plant-based diet is in treating or even preventing type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Neal Barnard, creator of "Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes, the Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs," also uses a plant-based nutritional approach as the basis of his type 2 diabetes treatment.
The last 50 years have brought an explosion of new options for treatment of type 2 diabetes, but none of these has altered the cornerstone of effective treatment: Lifestyle modifications such as eating a proper diet, increasing exercise, and achieving a healthy weight.
None of these exist in the form of a medication, which makes this even more "food for thought." Bon Appetit!
Dr. Richard Evans is a longtime family practice physician with Samaritan Main Street Family Medicine in Lebanon.


text:
Home Winner Stories Feel good
How the lottery helped someone with MS
3209 Post a comment
Having a friend with MS and another's brother with the same condition, I could not help but want to share this story with our readers.
It is amazing how stress plays such an important role in our lives proven especially when the stress is taken away.
This article is courtesy of the National Lottery Website.
Dione and Richard Buss won a Lotto jackpot in 2013. This is the story of how the win made a huge difference to their life.
For many years, Dione Buss could be forgiven for thinking that Lady Luck had deserted her. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when her only daughter was just a few months old, she worked for the next 19 years despite regular flare ups which sometimes confined her to a wheelchair.
Dione, 50, recalls, "I'll never forget the first time I realised something was terribly wrong. Harriet was just three months old, and I couldn't do the poppers up on her babygrow. My fingers didn't have the dexterity or strength.
"When I was diagnosed with MS a few months later, I went into denial. At first, I couldn't even face telling my friends or colleagues at work. Over the years I would have regular flare ups where my legs would literally just go from under me for no reason and my right-hand side would be paralysed."
Working part time for Bristol City Council because her health was failing, Dione suffered a major relapse in August 2013, the day before daughter Harriet's 19th birthday. Dione says, "It was like being trapped, and I felt such a burden [for] my family. Harriet had to help me in and out of the bath, and I couldn't walk so my family and friends came to visit me. I hated taking time off work, but I missed almost seven weeks which was a frustrating and lonely experience. I felt that life was so bleak."
By September 2013 Dione had recovered enough for a pre–booked holiday in St Ives with husband Richard, 51. Back home, the Lottery ticket they had purchased on holiday was nearly thrown out. Dione says, "Richard checked the first draw, saw we hadn't won and put the ticket on the recycling pile ready to go in the bin. I found it, realised there was another draw still on Saturday, and put the ticket away safely.
"We used the same combination of family birthdays and house numbers, so we would have been devastated if the ticket had been thrown away by mistake."
Instead, that Saturday the couple found their fortunes changing at last – scooping a £1,888,630 jackpot. They spent their win on a new family home complete with paddock and two horses for Harriet, a holiday home in St Ives and a dream trip to see the Great Wall of China.
Image from Google
Life changing
But it is health, more than wealth, which has truly turned Dione's life around.
She says, "I was working 30 hours a week, and as soon as I won, I gave up my job. It had a huge [effect] on my MS. For the last 15 years, I had suffered from regular relapses. But after winning the lottery I had just one minor relapse when we went to a Christmas market in Berlin and I collapsed in the hotel."
"Since then, my medication has been changed and my new pace of life, plus the fact I don't have to worry about the bills, has seen a dramatic effect on my health. I feel better than I have done for years."
Now that Dione is well and enjoying her new home – a barn conversion nestled beside the Quantock hills – she is determined to repay the Bristol and Avon Multiple Sclerosis Centre.
Dione says, "When we realised we had won the Lottery I couldn't sleep a wink. But even through the shock, I remember thinking I wanted to do something to help the MS centre.
"The doctors and nurses are all like family. The unit has merged to provide care for patients with MS, Parkinsons, Dementia and Epilepsy, and the new building houses a café which will raise money for further research.
"When they told me they needed volunteers, I thought: "I'll give my time." A couple of times a month I drive 90 miles to work an entire day in the café. I have always wanted to give something back to the medical teams who have helped me – and now I finally have the time to help out."
Dione can now reflect on the real value of her life changing win. "The Lottery has given me time to recover my health, and time to devote myself to helping others – and you simply can't put a price on that."
Tags: Winners Stories
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5th December 2017 at 1:26 pm
Great feel good story!


Rising decals is doing a terrific job, releasing great products covering Japanese aircraft one after another! As if their previous Zero decal sheet (RD72040) was not good enough they are going to produce another one!
Thanks for the notices on these new items.


We all know about the beauty of Paris – gorgeous architecture, world-class museums and oh-so stylish shops. Not to mention its incredible restaurants and delicious pâtisseries. But over the past year, we've noticed something afoot in the City of Light. As well as new concept stores and bars, design hotels are cropping up apace, so there's more choice than ever for the aesthete.
16th arrondissement The lowdown: an Art Deco lido that's now a hotel and members' club.
Best for: design lovers who are partial to a dip.
The Molitor lido has been a 16th-arrondissement establishment since it opened in 1929, when it quickly became a hot spot for bathing beauties (the bikini made its first appearance here). The architectural masterpiece fell into disrepair during the Eighties, but has now been reincarnated as a high-end hotel, sports club and Clarins spa, complete with a restaurant and rooftop bar. Once likened to a cruise liner, the structure is an exemplar of Deco design. The sensitive restoration includes original stained-glass porthole windows and mosaic floors, teamed with concrete walls and exposed industrial fittings for a modern twist. Twenties-style furniture and icy-blue accents complete the look of the public spaces, while the 104 rooms and 20 suites boast sleek monochromes.
Our tip? Book a room overlooking the outdoor pool. Be sure to pack your bathers in winter; for the softies, there's a 33m indoor piscine too.
Book it: double rooms from £158 (mgallery.com).
The lowdown: five-star luxury on the site of a former famed nightclub.
Best for: night owls looking to stay in a hipster part of town.
The Haussmann-era building that houses this 39-room hotel has a wonderfully colourful story. A few steps from the Pompidou Centre in the vibrant Marais district, it used to be the city's most famous thermal bathhouse before it was transformed into the most notorious nightclub of the Seventies – Paris's answer to NYC's Studio 54, with Andy Warhol, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Karl Lagerfeld and Kate Moss as regulars. The club closed in 2010, but it wasn't long before the new owner, film-maker Jean-Pierre Marois, created the chic boutique hotel it is today.
Book it: double rooms from approx £210 (designhotels.com).
The lowdown: old-school extravagance near the Arc de Triomphe.
Best for: glamourpusses eager to retrace the steps of Picasso or Proust.
Pack your finest for a trip to The Peninsula – the moment you set foot in the wonderfully OTT lobby, with its bespoke installation of 800 hand-blown crystal leaves, you know you're in the land of luxe. One of Paris's original grandes dames, it first opened as the Hotel Majestic in 1908 and played host to high society for several decades (including Stravinsky, Proust, Joyce and Picasso) before falling into government hands during the Second World War. Restoration to its former glory took six years and 40,000 pieces of gold leaf.
Every detail was painstakingly considered and each room features both sumptuous interiors in greys and creams and super-smart technology – there are even personal nail-varnish dryers in the dressing rooms.
Book it: double rooms from approx £570 a night (paris.peninsula.com).