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Weekend picks in classical music, theater and more in the Twin Cities and beyond
Looking for something fun to do this weekend in the Twin Cities or elsewhere in the region? Classical MPR host John Birge offers his picks in classical music, theater and more for the weekend of Jan. 17.
Barry Tuckwell, revered horn player, conductor and arranger, has died at 88
Barry Tuckwell was a Australian horn player, conductor and arranger. He died on Jan. 16, 2020 at 88.
Announcing the 2020 Minnesota Varsity Featured Artists and Composers!
Thanks to every Minnesota Varsity 2020 entrant for participating in our tenth season!
Trilloquy: Shop Talk
Classical host Melissa Dundis joins her radio colleagues Garrett McQueen and Scott Blankenship to discuss music programming, the sound of DJ voices, and her recent move to the Twin Cities. She also performs a special duet for guitar and flute with Garrett.
More	Why is American classical music so white?
What's your musical pick for our Ultimate Feel-Good Playlist?
We're putting together our Ultimate Feel-Good Playlist, and we need your help. Which piece of classical music makes you feel good? Let us know, and tell us why.
Extra Eclectic: Arvo Part's "Blank Slate"
In 1968, Arvo Part essentially went dark. He stopped composing for several years as he entered a period of, as he called it, "artistic reorientation." When he re-emerged, he had a completely new style. One of the major works he created during this time was one that had a particularly appropriate title for him -- Tabula Rasa, or "blank slate." Steve Seel shares it on this week's program, in addition to some other works from the Baltic region, including Estonia's Erkki-Sven Tuur and Latvia's Peteris Vasks.
2hour 0min
Celebrating the legacy of Minnesota's real-life 'Music Man'
G. Oliver Riggs was a real-life Minnesota 'Music Man' in the early 20th century, creating and directing a few dozen bands, drumming up enthusiasm for band music, and raising money for uniforms. Now, great-granddaughter Joy Riggs is sharing his story in her new book, 'Crackerjack Bands and Hometown Boosters.'
New Classical Tracks: Cellist Ofra Harnoy reenergizes her career as she gets 'Back to Bach'
This week on New Classical Tracks, cellist Ofra Harnoy discusses her debilitating shoulder injury and long journey to recovery, during which she not only reunited with her childhood sweetheart but ended up recording an entire album with him! Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of the CD!
Drew Petersen strikes a chord on a mysterious Steinway piano
Drew Petersen played on a mysterious Steinway piano with a story. Listen to his recent performance at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, and learn about the history of the piano he performed on.
1hour 40min 20sec
Classical Kids Storytime: 'The Emperor's New Clothes'
'New Clothes' for a new year! A vain emperor gets more than he bargained for when two weavers promise to make him a suit with special powers. Listen to 'The Emperor's New Clothes,' the latest episode of Classical Kids Storytime, featuring music by George Frideric Handel and original illustrations by Nancy Carlson.
Watch opera star Joyce DiDonato's Tiny Desk Concert
Watch the celebrated opera star deconstruct old Italian love songs with her signature flair, backed by a crack jazz ensemble.
Chmielewski Funtime Band still going strong after 137 years
The Chmielewski Funtime Band has been a polka staple for 137 years, and they're still going strong. The Minnesota-based band continues building on its Polish-American musical roots.
Apply now to appear on Classical MPR's Project DJ
Are you a young performer, 14 to 24, who would like to co-host Friday Favorites with Steve Staruch? Apply now to be considered for Classical MPR's Project DJ!
Listen to Classical MPR on Amazon Echo and Google Home, and much more
You can listen to Classical Minnesota Public Radio on Amazon Echo and Google Home, as well as install Alexa skills for all of the themed YourClassical music streams. Here's how.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Larry Ellison made some bold statements in his opening keynote at this year's OpenWorld conference. Oracle redid its entire cloud infrastructure and claims that this second generation cloud offering is very different and better than anything else out there. Ellison then spent a significant amount of time taking aim at Amazon's AWS. Listen to Oracle practice leader, Jeff Lazarto's quick recap for more opening keynote highlights.


With Mother's Day just around the corner, I was looking for a relaxing way to spend the weekend, so I decided what better way than to book into the Punthill Manhattan.
The Punthill Manhattan is located at 57 Flinders Lane, Melbourne and is close to the lanes overflowing with trendy cafes and street dining. The apartments are positioned behind the "Paris End" of Collins Street and are close to all the boutique designer shops. It's also a small walk to the Treasury Gardens and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The Punthill Manhattan have modern style warehouse apartments including one, two and three bedrooms and are "reminiscent of New York living". Now I can't say how accurate the New York living style is because I have yet to visit New York.
The Punthill Manhattan has a very small reception area, but this didn't take away from the great service I received. I was very promptly checked in and was shown to the lift.
As we walked down the creaky halls to our apartment, I was pleasantly surprised to have been upgraded from a 1 bedroom to a 2 bedroom. I was also grateful that they had provided a complimentary port a cot for my daughter. The rooms were very clean, spacious and modern.
Our apartment had a fully self-contained kitchen with oven, stove and fridge and a spacious living area which was fantastic for my daughter to run around in. The flat screen TV was great too especially as we bought our USB full of movies.
The bathroom was very roomy and had great washing facilities including washing machine and dryer.
There were a couple of negatives that I noted that could have been improved including upgrading the bathroom. The shower is over the bath which is a bit outdated and it's quite a big step into the bath making it very slippery to get out off. Also the bathroom sink needed to be replaced as the grout was damaged, but that's just my personal preference.
There is no on site car parking at the Punthill Manhattan but there is a car park next door.
I would like to thank the Punthill Manhattan for the complimentary bottle of house wine that was waiting on arrival.
I stayed as a paying guest at The Punthill Manhattan and my opinion is definitely my own.


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News & Analysis/
Nikon Reveals D50, D70s
More affordable, easier to-use Digital SLR options are on the way.
By Mike Kobrin
April 20, 2005 12:12PM EST
VIEW ALL PHOTOS IN GALLERY
the consumer digital slr market has been exploding as of late, with canon's popular eos digital rebel line and the pentax *ist ds. not to be left behind, nikon is capitalizing on the huge success of its own nikon d70 with a new easier-to-use and more affordable version, the nikon d50. aside from being smaller and lighter than the d70, the 6.1-megapixel d50 will have a 2-inch lcd, a shutter speed range of 30 to 1/4000 seconds, a 2.5-fps burst mode, flash exposure compensation, a new five-area autofocus system, and an af assist lamp. usability enhancements include a redesigned menu system with on-screen help, seven scene modes, and a new battery that could provide significantly longer battery life—nikon claims the camera is rated for 2,000 shots per charge!
nikon executives said the d50 is aimed at "consumers looking to upgrade from a digital compact.". the d50 will be available in june with a newly announced af-x f/3.5 to f/5.6, 18- to 55-mm kit lens for $899 list. in addition to the kit lens, nikon announced an af-s dx f/4.5 to f/5.6, 55- to 200-mm lens. both the kit lens and the zoom lens are designed specifically for the d50 and include ed glass and a 1.5x field of view crop (to compensate for the d50's sensor size). the d50—as well as both lenses—will be available in silver or black.
nikon dropped another bombshell: the nikon d70s. basically identical to the d70, the new model offers a few key enhancements such as a larger lcd (2 inches), the same redesigned menu system as the d50, a high-energy battery nikon says is good for 2,000 shots per charge, improved flash performance, and a more accurate autofocus system. available in early may, the d70s will cost $1,199 list with an 18- to 70-mm lens kit. the body itself will cost $899 list.
and so as not to neglect owners of its very popular d70, nikon announced a nikon d70 firmware update that provides many of the enhancements found in the d70s. among them are the revamped menu system, improved motion tracking in the autofocus system, and page setup support for pictbridge-compatible printers. the update will be available in mid-may at http://nikonimaging.com/global/support/download/index.htm.
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Mike Kobrin
Mike Kobrin is PC Magazine's lead analyst for audio products, including headphones, MP3 players, and speakers. He is also a working trumpet player in and around New York City.
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Morrisville, North Carolina is a town with a population of 15,000 and is located in Wake county. Morrisville is a part of the Research Triangle that originated in 1959 with the addition of Research Triangle Park. The climate in this area is considered to be moderately subtropical, with hot weather and high humidity in the summer. Morrisville has five parks, the Morrisville Community Park, Shiloh Community Park, Crabtree Creek Nature Park, Ruritan Park, and Cedar Fork District Park. The Luther Green Community Center is also located in town. Morrisville has become notable in recent years with the addition of Cricket as a local youth sport. This unlikely sport grew in popularity due to a great deal of support from the Indian population in the area. This area was originally named for Jeremiah Morris who donated land for the North Carolina Railroad. Due to it's location between Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Hillsborough, the town continued to grow. The town has a total area of 6.8 square miles. The center of downtown is located along the upper portion of Crabtree Creek. Crabtree Creek feeds into Lake Crabtree in the southeastern part of town. Morrisville, North Carolina is a small town that neighbors the larger cities of Raleigh and Durham. This makes this relatively small town a quiet community that is still close to all the benefits of a city. This is a small town that is still rich with diversity and has a well rounded population with many advantages for families and a great deal of activities for children.


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Q: Is there a general purpose parser for Java bytecode? I'm trying perform a classification algorithm on a feature set derived from JAR files. I want to disassemble the JAR file create text corpus from where I can extract features to pass to the classifier.
The problem is, Java bytecode (I'm using javap -c -v) has a lot of things I don't care for that could result in useless features.
Is there an available parser I can use for Java bytecode that gets rid of syntactic characters?

A: Have a look at ASM library. It is fast, light-weight and well documented.
It comes with a generator which allows generating the code which would be necessary to construct the bytecode with ASM for a certain class file.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Chairlift To The Top Of The World In Panichishte & Bulgaria's Famous Rila Monastery
Jul 7, 2014 Bulgaria
Take a chairlift to the top of the world at Rila National Park (Panichishte). The air is clean, the view is unsurpassable. Then follow it up with a visit to Bulgaria's famous Rila Monastery for a truly unforgettable day.
Don't Eat Anywhere In Sunny Beach, Bulgaria… Until You've Read Point #3
Finding good food in Sunny Beach was harder than dancing the waltz blindfolded through a minefield. There's no argument. The town is set up for tourists. Diners that visit only once don't encourage restaurants to try and leave a lasting impression. This i…
Not In The Greece Travel Guide: The Secret Ice Cream Shop In Paros
Jul 5, 2014 Greece
Spending a few days on Paros, Greece provided enough time to get an overview of this Cycladic island. But we didn't expect that the highlight of our visit would be a secret bakery in the middle of nowhere that dished up the most delicious ice cream. Find …
My Life Changing Experience On Sifnos, Greece
Come with us as we explore Sifnos, the beautiful Cycladic island. From picturesque beaches to sky-high panoramas, this island has it all. But more than that, find out how it changed us in an unexpected way.
5 Things To Do With Kids In Sunny Beach, Bulgaria
Jun 25, 2014 Bulgaria
We had 5 weeks in Sunny Beach before the crowds arrived, well almost. As June rolled on we found our hotel pool went from zero deck chairs, to hundreds of them. You will find most Sunny Beach attractions are unavailable until the summer season kicks in, b…
Resort Holiday In Sunny Beach For Just $99.50 Per Day
Sunny Beach is a resort town located on the Black Sea in Bulgaria. It's filled with hotels, restaurants and entertainment. English is widely spoken and nearly every restaurant offers a Sunday Roast. So how much did our month in Sunny Beach cost?
Your Friends Lied To You About Ios
Jun 23, 2014 Greece
Ios, Greece has a long-standing reputation for frivolity, parties and alcohol. But that isn't the complete story and there is much more to this island than meets the eye. Find out more.
Visiting Athens, Greece: Flights, Hotels, Transport & Food
Athens, capital city of Greece, is the birthplace of some of the world's greatest eras of art, learning and philosophy. If you're thinking about visiting Athens, find out how we got there, accommodation tips, how we got around, what we ate and more.
Kythnos Is Not Santorini (But That's What Makes It Awesome)
Kythnos is a relaxing Greek island with around 100km of coastline, and more than 70 beaches, many inaccessible by road. It is not slathered with tourists like Santorini. It's a completely different experience. And, like me, you may lose a piece of your he…
Sunny Beach Waterpark Smack Down: Action vs Paradise
As far as we know there are at least 5 waterparks in the Sunny Beach area, be it hotels, resorts and regular standalone parks. While we didn't visit all of them we decided to review the two largest and most popular so you can decide which one is going t…
This Is Why I'm Always Going To Remember Khan's Tent, Sunny Beach
Jun 2, 2014 Bulgaria
High above the resort town of Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, nestled in the hills sits Khan's Tent. This is a restaurant that does things slightly different than the average restaurant. And don't let the name fool you; it's far more than a mere tent.
Apartment Disaster At Sunny Beach: Slimy Green Swimming Pool Was Just The Beginning
May 17, 2014 Bulgaria
After a month of rapid nomadic travel we needed a break. We booked a 2-bedroom apartment in the hugely popular town of Sunny Beach, Bulgaria along the Black Sea coast. It sounded like a dream break. Unfortunately it quickly turned into a disaster.
Our Night Time Bulgarian Joyride: Sofia To Sunny Beach By Bus
Three. That's how many options were available for making our way from Sofia to Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. Bus, train or plane. We chose the bus and it turned out to be the most convenient way and also the cheapest too.
May 11, 2014 Destinations
In the South-East of Europe sits Bulgaria. Often overlooked and rarely read about. We decided to change that and are attempting 6 weeks of family travel in the 14th largest country in Europe.


As Florida residents get older and decide to start thinking about the various estate planning decisions that need to be made, one of the key goals in mind is to usually help their heirs and beneficiaries avoid probate court and lengthy litigation over control of assets. And these are situations that can affect any person, not just the super wealthy.
One estate planning attorney who has a history of being in the middle of probate battles involving celebrities and other wealthy clients, said one of the biggest problems he encounters is second or third spouses being pitted against children from a first marriage.
The attorney's main advice is that if an estate plan does not try to divide assets equally between children of a first marriage and any other spouse other than the first one, the case will be doomed for litigation.
He used the example of the late Grateful Dead lead singer Jerry Garcia, who had children with different wives and married a third woman just before he died. There was lengthy litigation over how his assets would be divided.
Another case where one beneficiary could try to get the upper hand is a child who takes over care of an ailing parent. That person could get joint control of assets, which means that child would assume control when the parent dies. The names on accounts in this case would hold more weight than a will because the child is still alive.
The attorney recommends making sure a second spouse gets whatever was listed in a prenuptial agreement if there was one. He also recommended appointing an independent fiduciary or trustee to handle matters.


Since 2013, 29 sites have been designated. Kaunas of 1919-1940, the only site in Lithuania (a total of 44 buildings including the Christ's Resurrection Basilica, Kaunas Sports Hall, Pienocentras office building etc,), is part of the list together with Pan-European Picnic Memorial Park, Sopron (Hungary), Camp Westerbork (The Netherlands), Archive of the Crown of Aragon, Barcelona (Spain) and other sites that have been carefully selected for their symbolic value, the role they have played in the European history and activities they offer that bring the European Union and its citizens closer together.
During the interwar period, the city of Kaunas was the temporary capital of Lithuania and developed into a modern, vibrant and dynamic cultural centre of the country. Many Lithuanians who had studied in other European countries brought back knowledge and ideas to Kaunas, where a fruitful mix of modern tendencies and old traditions prompted the country's prosperous development in the city's architecture of the period.
Find out more about the selection of Kaunas from the panel's report linked here.
The full map that's a fantastic idea for a roadtrip is available here. It speaks 21 languages!


Balto is an animated film that never got the recognition it should have.
From year to year, the Balto community of fans has grown, at the speed of people who get to know of its existence.
We (Balto fans) feel that Universal never realized the potential of this license. We wish for the Balto license to have a better future, rather than just making sequel after sequel as has been done with the "Land Before Time" series.
We want to let Universal know that there are a lot of Balto fans out there, especially in comparison to the (still small) number of people who got the chance to see it.
We (the fans) feel that it's not too late, and there are a few things Universal could do to exploit their license in a good way.
- As for the sequels for upcoming Balto movies, keep up with the original standards from the first movie. Always base the sequels on the original, not substories.
We would be glad if Universal would realize just one of these "fan wishes", because it would say that even big companies like Universal can understand the fans. We also think that both Universal and the fans and customers would win if such things were to happen.
Of course, you don't have to be interested in everything previously listed to sign this petition. It is mostly here to let Universal know that there are more Balto fans than they think, and for that reason they should sometimes listen to us.
So, if you like Balto and think that it deserves to be more popular, sign the petition!
Please consider making a small donation today. This will allow us to keep Balto: A call from the fans alive and available to a wide audience.


The Eastern Gateway Community College accepts gifts of personal property such as antiques, paintings, rare collections, automobiles, or other personal property. You may be entitled to a tax deduction for the fair market value of the item. Capital gains tax is avoided when you donate property that is used by Eastern Gateway Community College.
You transfer personal property (paintings, cars, antiques) to EGCC Foundation.
EGCC Foundation may hold the property or use it to further its mission.
EGCC Foundation may elect to sell the property and use the proceeds for its programs.
Donor receives gift credit and an immediate tax deduction for the appraised value of the gift.
You pay no capital gains tax, provided that the gift fulfills "related use" requirements of the IRS. Contact EGCC Office of Advancement to verify gift parameters.
You will have the satisfaction of making an important gift fot EGCC without disturbing your cash flow.


Don't you just hate it when your friends are at something you didn't even know was happening? Especially when you see the pictures and videos all over social media.
Or when they tell you about a great deal they got that you didn't even know existed?
Or when you see them in/with something you didn't even know you could get locally?
There's so much that goes on in Lagos that a lot of people don't hear about and it really bothered us. Visit our Calendar to see what is happening in Lagos or see The Daily Fix to get recommendations on where to go.


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Iowa State alumna finds startup success from CYstarters program
Two years later, Megan Sweere still refers to her CYstarters notebook as she builds her own business.
Sweere, a 2016 Iowa State University graduate in supply chain management and entrepreneurial studies from Muscatine, founded Home Sweet College Home, a monthly care package service for students to become acclimated to their new college town and encourage them to step outside their comfort zone.
Megan Sweere, Iowa State University graduate in supply chain management and entrepreneurial studies and founder of Home Sweet College Home. Photo provided.
She was in the inaugural CYstarters cohort and is one of three from that group working full-time on their businesses today. The idea came to her when she was asked to create a business plan in an entrepreneurship class her senior year. As a college freshman new to Ames and Iowa State, Sweere says she didn't know where she fit in.
"I was brainstorming for the class and landed on this idea of boxes that are pre-made for parents to buy for their students, ones that are more elevated than the food boxes you typically see," Sweere said. "I got a lot of great feedback. At that point, I knew I wanted to pursue this, but I didn't have the resources, time or money."
The assignment was good timing, because that was also the first year of CYstarters, a 10-week summer accelerator for student startups run out of the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship. This summer, 15 startups are in the third CYstarters cohort.
"Honestly, without CYstarters I don't know if I ever would have gone through with starting my business," she said.
CYstarters 'can change your future'
CYstarters has proven to be a valuable jumping-off point for several student startups, including Home Sweet College Home. Diana Wright, CYstarters director, says more than half of the participants from the first two cohorts are still working on their startups in some capacity.
Combined, three startups from the first cohort have generated more than $1 million in revenue, outside investment, grants and competitions.
The "Get Well Soon" care package. Photo provided by Megan Sweere. Larger image.
Looking back, Sweere is thankful for the myriad of skills she gained in all aspects of business during her whirlwind CYstarters summer.
"Some of what happens in CYstarters may not seem relevant to you right now, but it will be down the road," she said. "I still refer back to my notebook from CYstarters. The weekly programming is extremely helpful; they teach you what you don't know you need to know to start a business."
The program's inherent support system – and the members of her cohort she still talks to today – pushed her to never give up, "celebrating my successes and understanding my failures."
After finishing CYstarters in 2016, Sweere began a full-time job and Home Sweet College Home's growth waned. Last November, she took the plunge and began working full-time on Home Sweet College Home.
"The biggest thing about being an entrepreneur and your own boss is you're going to get as much out of it as you put in," she said. "Especially in the beginning, it's going to be a lot of work. It's long hours, things take longer than expected because you don't know what you're doing yet. You always have to keep the future in mind; keep your 'why' in mind. Think of the customer and why you created the business to begin with."
Sweere's "why" is helping students discover their new college town and turn it into their new hometown.
"I don't know anyone else who got an opportunity like this," she said of CYstarters. "It's really cool that ISU offers programs like this that can change your future. I would still be working for someone else at an entry-level job, but now I get to follow my dream."


Video marketing has proven to be an incredibly effective way to improve business and dramatically increase sales and profits. In order for you to be able to take full advantage of video marketing, you must educate yourself properly on the best video marketing strategies. This article is loaded with great video marketing tips, so read on to learn more.
Do not allow your shyness to stop you from taking advantage of video marketing. When you are looking into the camera, talk as if you were talking to an old friend. This is a very simple and effective way to help yourself get over the discomfort of talking to people you don't know.
Try using others in your videos. This will give people the idea that you are not full of hot air. While it may be a little difficult to convince someone that the people in your video are truly fans of you and your products, it comes across better than always doing videos alone.
Working with a team is beneficial for quality videos. These people can be members of your family, your friends or fellow members of a club, and they do not have to be people from your workplace. Be sure that proper credit is given to the creative team involved, allowing them their 15 minutes of fame.
Videos need to be personal to catch the viewer's attention. Be fun, friendly, calm and confident and your watchers won't change the channel, so to speak. The more open and honest you are, the better received you will be. Stick to topics you're truly passionate about as that will come out in your demeanor.
Your video marketing campaign will be successful if you remain consistent and creates new videos regularly. You do not have to put hours into creating a weekly video; recording yourself talking in front of a camera for ten minutes would make a good video update. Customers will subscribe to your videos if you keep using this medium.
The more videos that you make, the more viewers you will get. Just because one video does badly, doesn't mean that they all will. Also by making videos on a regular basis, it will keep viewers interested and they will keep coming back to see what new content you have to offer.
Develop metrics to assess whether your video marketing efforts are being successful or not. Sure, you can look at the video and make an educated guess as to how people will respond to it. It's better to check out the hard data. Review the number of viewers for each video, how many viewed the entire thing, and other relevant figures.
Spending some money on a digital microphone is a great investment. It is easy to find a device that will capture your video with good clarity of picture. However, sounding well might not happen with the same device. Your authoritative and confident voice can do things no video picture ever will.
It is important to add your URL into your video. It is fairly easy to add a text box to your video, and this text box should contain information like your URL and the name of your website. This helps make it easier for video viewers to find your website.
When creating a description on YouTube, place your URL at the start. For example, start with www.mysite.com and then continue with your full description on the next line. This cements the idea that this video is tied with that website and anyone who wants to find out more can go there to find the answers they seek.
If you decide to create a series of videos, it is important that you remain consistent. Try using the same length and format for your videos and use similar title pages and credits so viewers easily recognize your video marketing campaign. If possible, release your videos on a certain day of the week to build anticipation.
As was previously stated in the opening paragraph of this article, video marketing is a highly effective way to improve your business. By properly implementing video marketing you are sure to see an increase in profits. Apply everything that you've learned from this article and start making big money today!
One of the most exciting opportunities for proactive people lies in the field of multi-level marketing. You may have encountered such opportunities in the past, but been unsure if they were legitimate or not. To find out what you need to know to get started in this field, keep reading.
It is important to always check out any company you plan to do multi-level marketing for. You want to ensure you are working with a legitimate, reputable company. Check the company out with the Better Business Bureau, as well as the office of the attorney general. This will let you know if they have any complaints.
Do the best you can, day in and day out. It can be easy to let days go by without taking real action, but in order to find real MLM success, you have to be constantly moving. Work on your goals each day. It doesn't have to be a large step. Sharing your business through your social circles is recommended.
Don't come off as a sales person. Most people are turned off by too much of a hard sell. You've got to find a better way – a way that feels natural and like you care for the person you are talking to. It can mean all the difference between an ok year and a great year.
Read all that you can on multi-level marketing. There are lots of articles available online, as well as many books on the subject too. The more you can learn, the more likely it is that you'll succeed. Keep a digital scrapbook of your most important articles so that you can look back.
Be careful about jumping into a multi-level marketing opportunity that's saturated with marketers. If there are tons of people selling what you'll be selling, it'll be tougher to make your mark in the business. The best option is to find a product that's relatively new to sell. It's high risk, but the rewards will be high too.
In order to succeed in multi-level marketing, you must be willing to listen to your mentors and learn. Most multi-level marketing companies offer mentorship from the company's MLM veterans to new representatives. It is in the veteran's best interest to see you succeed, so most of the time they are willing to teach you how the system works. You can duplicate your mentor's success by listening and practicing what they teach.
Make sure you always test products before attempting to sell them. This will allow you to stay away from selling things that aren't good. Look for a different product to sell if you find yourself in this position. This can negatively impact your career if you continue to sell them.
One of your key considerations for construction loans should be banks located in Madison, Milwaukee, Brookfield, Hartland, and Chilton. In the greater Milwaukee area, branches in Greenfield, Bayside, Southridge, and West Allis. Whether you are starting from the ground up, or just renovating, banks have low down payment construction loans. Low down payment construction loans in Madison, Wisconsin, as well as low down payment construction loans in the Milwaukee area as well. Whether in Milwaukee or Madison, check with banks for your construction loans, renovation loans, home mortgage loans, investing, checking and savings, and online banking.
You have the option of a minimal down payment, if you want the flexibility of remaining in your own home during construction of your new home. Interest solely is charged while the construction is ongoing, followed by normal monthly payments after the construction is completed. They use a onetime closing and permanent financing, if you wish. The advantage of our local settings provides daily information on the process. Start the process with a Pre-Approval, by contacting one of our loan officers. Consider Low Down Payment Construction Loans Madison WI.
Are you interested in adding on to your existing home or making other structural changes? Banks have renovation loans. Do you want to increase the size of your home, or make internal changes to the existing structure? Home renovations can increase the equity in your home and prevent the rigorous process of moving to a new home. And with all construction loans there is a wide flexibility in the financing.
Banks offer custom options for home mortgage loans. From conventional fixed rate, Portfolio Adjusted Rate, WHEDA Advantage (i.e., Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority), to FHA home mortgages, they can tailor your home mortgage loan to your financial specifications. Conventional fixed rate and Portfolio Adjustable Rate mortgages are serviced locally by banks. The Portfolio Adjustable Rate mortgage has a lower down payment, and lower monthly mortgage payments. The WHEDA Advantage Home Loan and the FHA are serviced by other providers. The WHEDA Advantage Home Loan depends on household income and is for lower fixed income home buyers. The FHA mortgage offers a lower down payment requirement, and there are fewer restrictions for those borrowers with less than perfect credit.
Banks loan officers walk you through every process, answer questions, and even can help you find the right construction and real estate professionals. You can conduct banking tasks online (i.e., e-Banking), and find many helpful applications, such as our Mortgage Refinance Calculator, which can help you decide whether now is the best time for a home mortgage refinance. Also, they have a Home Loan Refinance Calculator which can tell you whether you can save money by refinancing your home equity line of credit now. Also, apps are available for cell phone banking as well.


I am looking for a company with a supportive, educational and fun environment. I am an outgoing people-person and a constructive team player. I work best when I collaborate with others and I love to be challenged. I am reliable, flexible and a very hard worker. I also enjoy solving problems and giving presentations.


Theo turned one! Hard to believe we were planning his baby shower just a little over a year ago. Time flies when you're busy! Theo's party was JEM's 5th event in 6 weeks. Didn't think we'd pull it off but we managed to plan, design and construct everything in one week for this super cute Up theme. Photography by http://www.chikdoan.com.
My ride or die… crafting chick. Kudos to our hubs for building the Up house then holding down the fort while we painted and crafted details on the house each night. Can't believe we finished everything in under a week! JEM team work and major procrastination at its best.
Mr. Carl and the smash cake.
DIY balloon plates for the kiddy tablescape. Made with love by Emmy.
Tory + Theo. She is the most well behaved baby and Theo, well he's a boy.
Pixar vs. JEM. Check out the accuracy of the scaling.
The girls love attending JEM events.
Mama Phuong whipped up the hot air balloons; crafted from paper lanterns, ribbon and small brown gift bags.
Picture with the birthday boy.
Love bright, cheerful colors which made this an ideal theme to plan. Will be a tough one to top.
Mother + son so adorable!
Mac monster can't get enough Moncherie Macarons. Strawberry is her fave!
Take a seat, Mr. Theo.
She's so ready for another.


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Spieth expecting tough Masters defence
Masters Tournament defending champion Jordan Spieth is expecting a tougher and faster course at this year's event which starts on April 7 in Augusta.
At the 2015 event played on slower greens, the world number one stormed to a record-equalling 18-under par to win his first major.
The 22-year-old Texan, who is preparing to defend his Green Jacket next month, visited the Augusta National Golf Club to take a look at the course recently.
In a chat with reporters, Spieth said the greens looked much firmer and faster and he feels that the organisers are trying to make the course much tougher to avoid a repeat of the high scores at the 2015 event.
"The golf course looks very similar, it's even in better shape before the event than it has been the last couple of years," said Spieth.
"But the greens were very, very quick and very healthy, so I've got a feeling that they are not going to want 18-under to win again.
"I've got a feeling it might be playing a little more challenging this year." Spieth added.
The American has had a very mixed start to 2016 form wise having recently missed the cut at the Northern Trust Open after shooting a 79 at Riviera.
Spieth, who will next be in action at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, admits that he has been working hard on his game this past week.
"I've been working pretty hard on my game over the last week and a half to try to get it ready for a challenging golf course," Spieth said. "Only the scores will end up telling, but I feel better about my game.
"I feel better about the way I'm going to attack these next couple of weeks considering they are very challenging golf courses.
"I felt I was maybe playing a little too aggressive in LA, and I'll come in with a little different attitude, really respect the golf courses a bit more here."


Sculptra, manufactured by Dermik, is Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLA). PLA has been safely used in orthopedics since the mid-nineties and has been used in Europe since 1999 for cosmetic correction of scars and wrinkles.
Sculptra is used for restoring volume and improving facial contours. Sculptra works differently from other injectable products such as botox, collagen and restylane injections. With Sculptra, tiny particles of PLA are diluted in a suspension of sterile water, carefully implanted in the skin, and then molded for optimal results. The particles of PLA stimulate the formation of new collagen in the skin, adding volume over time.
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There is no downtime with Sculptra treaents. Temporary bruising and swelling may occur and typically resolve over a few days. Sculptra can be used with Botox cosmetic injections, temporary injectable fillers such as Restylane, FotoFacial and FotoLift procedures and in people who have had facelifts and need a restoration of facial volume. Sculptra can also be used in the back of hands for ageing, the upper chest for deep lines and areas of depressions that may occur after liposuction.
Proper use of Scultpra produces a more youthful, pleasing facial contour in people with facial ageing, wrinkling and loss of facial fat.
Some practitioners combine Sculptra with a comprehensive facial rejuvenation program which may include FotoFacial treaents, botox injections, Radiesse, the Threadlift procedure and a facial muscle exercise program. This comprehensive non-surgical facial rejuvenation program may replace surgery for some people.
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Are Utility Companies Changing Their Strategy To Fight Obama Power Plan?
Gov. Pence also stated that Indiana will "reserve the right to use any legal means available to block the rule from being implemented." According to Utility Dive, Oklahoma is so far the only state to have outright stated that it will not comply with the EPA.
Indiana had joined Oklahoma and 12 other states, Peabody Energy, and the Utility Air Regulatory Group in the Murray Energy/West Virginia v. E.P.A. lawsuit, which challenged the agency's proposed rule this past year. The lawsuit Indiana joined was unprecedented for a court to review because the rules had yet to be finalized. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit therefore dismissed it earlier this month. But West Virginia and Murray Energy said they look forward to challenging the rule again when it is finalized. Other states have also made similar comments.
The utility industry's strategy to contest the Clean Power Plan has been to work with Hunton & Williams' Utility Air Regulatory Group (UARG) to sue the EPA claiming the Clean Power Plan is illegal. Yet this is in addition to utilities working with state agencies so that the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted to the EPA is to their liking – just in case their lawsuit fails. This reasoning is rooted in the belief that adhering to a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) will perhaps be less accommodating and even more costly to comply than the submitted SIP.
But Gov. Pence's letter, along with the actions taken by Oklahoma Governor Fallin, sheds light on what may be another part of the utility industry's plan: sue the EPA again when it begins to enforce the FIP for states that do not comply with the Clean Power Plan.
Mario Loyola, a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, wrote in The Atlantic last month about the constitutional problem with a federal plan imposed on a state, specifically the Tenth Amendment. It's important to note that TPPF is a member of the State Policy Network and is in the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which includes many utility companies as members along with their trade association – the Edison Electric Institute.
Normally, when the EPA threatens to impose a federal plan, it actually has the statutory authority to do what it's asking the states to do. The coercion (or "encouragement" as the Supreme Court prefers to call it) occurs within a field of concurrent federal-state jurisdiction. But the Clean Power Plan is missing that essential ingredient… And the implied coercive threat of leaving states unable to meet their needs for electricity might well lead federal courts to find "a gun to the head" of state governments in the EPA's proposal.
I reached out to the electric utility companies operating in Indiana to get their reactions to Gov. Pence's letter to the president, and to possibly discuss whether or not they are indeed considering suing the EPA if a FIP is imposed on Indiana.
Maassel also said that at this time they have not had any conversation with the state's attorney general or Gov. Pence about how any legal pursuits will proceed.
Bergsma did not respond to further questions.
These comments might not be surprising to some, but it does suggest that the utility industry is preparing to do everything it can to prevent the Clean Power Plan from being enforced in the states.
And this strategy could begin to spread. The Edison Electric Institute just made AEP's President and CEO Nicholas Akins its new chairman. It might not be a coincidence that in addition to Indiana, AEP also operates in Oklahoma and West Virginia.
AES Corporation's Indianapolis Power & Light, Northern Indiana Power Service Company, and Vectren did not respond to my questions.


The PAST Act would strengthen the Horse Protection Act (HPA) and end the soring of Tennessee Walking Horses, Spotted Saddle Horses, and Racking Horses. Despite the existence of a federal ban on soring for over forty years, this cruel practice continues in the "performance" or "big lick" segments of the Walking Horse industry.
Most major national horse show organizations support the PAST Act, including the American Horse Council, the American Quarter Horse Association, the U.S. Equestrian Federation, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Paint Horse Association, the American Morgan Horse Association, the Pinto Horse Association of America, the Arabian Horse Association, the American Saddlebred Horse Association, the United Professional Horsemen's Association, the Appaloosa Horse Club, as well as many state and local horse organizations.
"We believe now is the time for Congress to take action on the PAST Act. The AHC urges all members of the horse community to contact their Senators and Representative and tell them the PAST Act should be given a vote as soon as possible and they should vote for it, when that happens," continued Hickey.
The AHC said individuals who wish to support the PAST Act can visit www.horsecouncil.org to find out more information or support AHC efforts by joining the AHC.


I can't believe my little girl is two years old today... it seems unbelievable. She's still a baby to me, and I suspect she always will be.
I have never been so happy as I have been since she has become a part of my life.
Alexandra, I hope you will continue to fill our lives with joy and happiness, and that we won't be disappointments to you as parents. We love you so very much, and we want to give you the world.
We will be with you forever and always.
happy second birthday alexandra & happy birth day mama!
Thank you :) It's a bitersweet day... I can't believe time is flying by so fast now!
Good day to have a birthday.
It's a great day to have a birthday :) Happy birthday to Wes!
Holy Cats! Two! Happy Birthday Alexandra!
Has it really been two years? Wow.
I know, it's amazingly hard to believe. She's still my little baby girl.
Hug her big and tell her I said happy terrible twosday.!
Happy "Mother's Day" to you and Happy Birthday to Alex.
Well, the celebrating of birthdays was orignally just the countingof years to determine age. People needed to know a person's age to better determine their place in life. Apprentice's had to be a certain age to begin their study, and girls had to be a certain age to be deemed "marriable".
As time went on, actually only a few hundred years ago, royalty looked for reasons to throw a party, and what better occasion for a King to remind the people how special he was then to have a birthday party.
Eventually, as governments changed with people, birthdays became more than a "royal holiday" and everyone would celebrate them.
Nowadays, they are way overdone, like Christmas, and no one really remembers why they are celebrating them at all.
Thank you thank you! And happy birthday to Bauer!


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Visigothic Gravestone (Illustration)
This gravestone was recycled from a Roman building. It is inscribed with a cross and a fragmentary Latin inscription. The surviving part reads "Gundebebius the servant of God lived about...years". Gundebebius is a Germanic male name, suggesting that the grave belonged to a Visigoth. The cross and wording of the inscription indicate that he was a Christian. The pagan Visigoths were converted to Christianity before they settled in Spain. 500s-600s CE. From Santiponce, Seville, Andalucía, modern-day Spain. (The British Museum, London).
Uploaded by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin, published on 11 October 2016 under the following license: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
Visigothic Fibula
This fibula (pin used for fastening a piece of clothing) is one...
Votive Crown from Visigothic Spain
This Visigothic votive crown is from 7th-century Spain, and it...
Inscribed Visigothic Tile
This earthenware tile would have been mounted with others in a...
Amin, O. S. M. (2016, October 11). Visigothic Gravestone. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/image/5792/
Amin, Osama S. M. "Visigothic Gravestone." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified October 11, 2016. https://www.ancient.eu/image/5792/.
Amin, Osama S. M. "Visigothic Gravestone." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 11 Oct 2016. Web. 16 Jul 2019.


This is a rough approximation of the years in each series. Your final reference should be the Supreme Court of NSW Probate Index or Archives Investigator.
You need to have a reader's ticket to view the original records.


A simplified story with a fairy tale nararration. I think it does not offer enough depth (information or detail) to be able to create the reader's empathy with refugees or asylum seekers.Additionally it references the Christian faith so often that it would be difficult to share this with a person from a different religious culture, or a younger child, as you would need to keep explaining the meaning.
this was an okay read. not one of my favourite but I felt that the author dealt with a lot of issues very sensitvely.
Overall rating: 2.5 StarsHow I found this book: I was given it during a book club at my school.I wouldn't say this book is downright AWFUL. But for me, the pacing was too slow, with not enough to keep me gripped. It was certainly a struggle to read to the end without becoming disengaged.The main characters weren't developed enough for me to feel a real connection towards them, and although the subject matter was dealt with sensitively in Asylum, this wasn't a very enjoyable read.
Although it came together a bit more at the end I still struggled with the pace of this book. There just wasn't enough to grip me, especially in the descriptions. I have read much more powerful books of late which this just cannot compare to I feel more of this power was certainly needed to stop it feeling so watered down.Just an 'alright' book about family and friendship and the significance of this to refugees and immigrants.
A did not finish for me. The pace was too slow, the characters had little personality. Lila's actions or lack of frustrated me and I personally don't want to read a book where there is a psalm on nearly every page.
This was good, but just so depressing. I read to get away from how crap the world is, not to be reminded of the fact :/ Still, it's good that topics like this are dealt with in books for young people, especially as they might reach kids who have been fed hatred by their parents.
I can't remember ever reading this, so it must have been pretty forgettable. An okay read, but not very much character depth or heartbreak.
I..i ca..i could not finish reading the book! no matter how much i tried. i am disappointed. truly i am.


All partners must test their booking server before it is launched in Sandbox and Production environments. To help with this, a hosted booking server testing tool and an installable testing tool are provided that run through a series of method checks that ensure that the booking server works properly. Each tool contains the same set of tests.
Caution: If you use a version of the Booking Server APIs prior to v3, reach out to your Google contact for assistance.
To use the hosted booking server testing tool, first configure the booking server url, username, and password for each environment. Further instructions on booking server configuration can be found in the Partner Portal documentation.
Detailed instructions on how to use the hosted booking server testing tool can be found here.
You may test your booking server internally before its endpoint is exposed by installing the Maps Booking v3 Test Client in your own environment.
To view a list of available tests, refer to the hosted booking server testing tool documentation. The tests listed here are also available in the installable tool.


Positive self love affirmations are a keystone to a healthy, happy and successful life.
Self love affirmations are an amazing tool for feeling better about yourself and your place in the universe.
We all have doubts and fears. We all need people to love us. We all feel rejected, hurt and alone at some times in our lives, even if we are surrounded by others.
All of this is natural.
As we take our journey through life we will continuously break and form relationships. We meet new people. Time and distance makes it difficult to stay close to distant friends and family, so old friends often fade away. Even marriages sometimes come and go.
Self love is a love we take with us forever. This is why it is so important to practice positive self love affirmations if you feel that your love of yourself is lacking.
What signs show lack of self love?
You need to love yourself before others can begin to love you.
Relationships with friends, peers, coworkers, lovers, relatives, acquaintances and friends can be meaningful, but all too often they are transient. There is only one person who will always be there for you in life, and that is yourself.
Throughout your life, you will have a relationship with yourself. It is your choice whether this relationship is s contentious, bitter and an angry relationship. Or whether this is a relationship filled with self love.
Self love is a key for a happy life. If you can't love someone you live with 24/7/365 for your entire life, how can you expect anyone else to love you?
When people lack self love, they open themselves up to all sorts of negative issues. Lack of self-love will lead to a lot more stress in your body. This can cause all forms of physical ailments.
Additionally, people who do not love themselves also open themselves up to a host of psychosomatic ailments. They do not believe they deserve to be healthy and happy, so their minds provide them with illnesses they subconsciously think they deserve.
Lack of love also fosters negativity. People feel they are unworthy of love from others and begin to do things that actually do work to keep others away.
Practicing your self love affirmations on a daily basis will help keep negative self images at bay.
Reasons Why Positive Self Love Affirmations Work!
Self sabotage comes directly from that simple lack of self-love. This is where self love affirmations can become so important.
Affirmations help us to handle our negative feelings about ourselves. They help to increase self-reliance, help you take action with your life, and build self-confidence and self-esteem.
When you repeat an affirmation over-and-over again it begins to seep into our brains that those affirmations might be true. This helps of re-affirm your internal positive thinking and helps to gradually works to chase away your negativity.
Affirmations also work by creating internal incongruence. When you make an affirmation that is not 100% reality yet, such as "I will get the job promotion I seek" an incongruence happens in your mind. YOU are unsure of whether you will be able to achieve your affirmation, so this creates an incongruence between your successful affirmation and the reality of perhaps not reaching your goal.
This incongruence can only be settled in two manners.
I release my negative thoughts, embracing positivity and optimism.
I am healthy, well groomed and confident. My inner peace and harmony is matched by my outer well-being.
List all of the things you don't like about yourself. This can include physical things like weight and appearance, but should also include emotional things like self-confidence and self love. These area are places you should make specific affirmations. Either find pages, like this self-love affirmation page or create your own affirmations, tailoring your affirmations to your specific needs.
Write out these affirmations pointing out the positive aspects of your personality. Use a thesaurus to help you find power words that have more impact.
Repeat your affirmations aloud for 5 minutes, three times a day. Morning, noon and night. This repetition will slowly help to drive the thoughts home.
Make a nice image of the affirmations you can sometimes look at. Pleasant images around an affirmation help to subconsciously equate the affirmation with the good things those images represent. Feel free to download, and use any of the large self love images on this page. That is what they are here for.
While you are repeating the affirmation, work on your breathing. Breathe in slowly. Hold the breather for a beat and slowly exhale while repeating your affirmation.
Get a coach, friend or family member to sometimes repeat these affirmations for you. Wile a key to self love is saying these affirmations on your own, it always feels good to hear others saying positive things about you.
I do not need someone else to feel happiness.
As you read through these self love affirmations I hope you keep clear in your mind that self love is not the same thing as selfishness. Selfishness in fact often stems from insecurities where people lack self love and are unsure if they are worthy. They try to use their selfishness as form of proof that they are worthy of love.
Self love is not conditional. You don't need to get something to love yourself. You will not say, "I will practice self love, if only I lose 10 pounds" you need to love yourself even if you gain 10 pounds.
Self love is not about vanity. It is not about staring in the mirror and thinking how beautiful you are. It is about being at peace with who you are. People who are vain or conceited often lack self love and their superior attitude actually stems from trying to convince themselves and others of their worth.
Self love is about compassion. When you practice self love you have empathy for others. It is not about always putting yourself first, but about helping yourself, so that you have the ability to help others. Just like putting your gas mask on before helping a child. IF you are not empathetic and willing to help others you are not truly practicing self-love.
Self love is about facing your fears. Someone who loves themselves does not hide from their problems. They face them head on and work to make them better. They understand that THEY are a work in progress and as long as they keep working they will continue to improve.
Self love is not defensive. When you love yourself you are comfortable with your actions. YOU do not feel the need to prove you are right. You do not feel the need to argue over implied slights. You are comfortable in your own skin.
Keep saying these positive self love affirmations and you will certainly see a great change in your behavior and your life.
I take responsibility for who I am: the bad and the good.
Hopefully you enjoyed this small collection of positive affirmations for self love. As you can see self love is the key to a better self. These self love quotes and affirmations will hopefully help in some small way to create a better version of yourself.
If you enjoy these positive affirmations for self love I hope that you will use them and share them with others. Please share them on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and your favorite social networks.
Where I often try to share many of these large picture quotes and affirmations. Have any self love affirmations of quotes you really love, please share them in the comments on the first page so I can make a self love image from it and share it with others.


MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 6 held a change of command ceremony aboard the USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) in Manama, Bahrain, April 12.
During the ceremony, Capt. Joseph O'Brien relieved Capt. Daniel S. Blackburn as PHIBRON 6 commanding officer.
Blackburn took command of PHIBRON 6 in March 2016.
Blackburn led USS Wasp (LHD 1) and Kearsarge amphibious ready groups through the integrated phase and two combat deployments to the U.S. 5th and 6th fleet areas of operation.
While deployed, he conducted sustained distribution amphibious ready group operations across three geographic combatant commands, and two numbered fleets, while simultaneously supporting Operations Odyssey Resolve, Deliberate Resolve, Inherent Resolve, and Freedom's Sentinel.
As deputy commander, his superb leadership enabled Wasp, USS San Antonio (LPD 17), and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit Air Combat Element to conduct 372 AV-8B Harrier and 216 AH-1W Super Cobra strike sorties in support of Operation Odyssey Lightning, culminating in the liberation of Sirte, Libya from the Islamic State.
O'Brien is a native of Manasquan, New Jersey and graduated with merit from the United States Naval Academy in 1993. He most recently commanded USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7).
"I am coming into the middle of a phenomenal Kearsarge and 22nd MEU team and I am humbled by that," said O'Brien. "The synergy I've seen out here and the camaraderie and the way I've seen things get done is impressive. I just hope I am able to continue the stellar reputation that this ARGMEU team has.
Blackburn is scheduled to report to Navy Personnel Command Reserve Officer Recall as the Executive Assistant to the Chief of the Navy Reserve.
Captain Blackburn is a native of Holdrege, Nebraska. He was commissioned in 1991 from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Program at Northwestern University. He is a career Surface Warfare Officer. In addition, he is a Navy Reserve Full Time Support Officer.
Kearsarge is the flagship for the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.
For more news from USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), visit www.navy.mil/local/lhd3/.


The Band Sporran with Metal Cantle is made in Scotland for Duncans Highland Supply. The Band Sporran with Metal Cantle features a large sporran body and a study snap closure. A Standard Chrome Sporran Chain Belt included.
Contact us to discuss adding an engraved metal disk to customize the Band Sporran with Metal Cantle for your band.


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When You Really Love Red Beans
How much does Saint John Chef Daren Porretto love red beans?
He has a tattoo of one on his finger.
For this New Orleans-born and-raised chef, the city and its food are his passions, and he shares them at the French Quarter restaurant. Through those passions, Saint John customers get a culinary awakening — a conversion, perhaps — of Southern and Louisiana food that goes beyond tradition.
The proof? The moment a waiter places the pork belly cassoulet down on a table, there is a pause: Take a photo, inhale the heavenly aroma, or just dive into the flavor? Most people do all three, as simultaneously as they can, when it comes to this brunch favorite.
A Cassoulet Made with Camellia Beans
Making the cassoulet is a two-day process that starts by soaking Camellia Great Northerns overnight. Then, it's time to render the meat (Andouille sausage, tasso and ground pork belly), throw into chicken stock, and add vegetables including the trinity (onion, bell peppers, celery), plus garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper. "All the usual suspects," Chef Porretto says, cooked to the right balance, so the mixture is buttery and smooth.
Finally, the pork belly is braised in root beer and topped with a cornbread crust.
A combination of flavors, the cassoulet creates a historical connection between its French origins and Louisiana, with beans as the common denominator.
And Porretto wouldn't use anything other than Camellia Beans.
"I feel like I don't have a choice to use anything else," says Porretto jokingly.
Camellia Beans is what his grandmother relied on when the two of them cooked together. And when Porretto worked in New York City for a year, she made sure he was well-stocked. Her care packages included at least three different types – usually white beans, red beans, and one other.
"New Orleanians stick to our roots," he says. "It's like if you go to the grocery store, and there's no Camellia Beans, you go to another store to find it. It's something ingrained in my DNA."
It's that DNA — along with a dedication to Southern and Louisiana food — that Porretto and restaurant owner Eric Cook are bringing together in a modern, updated cuisine that never forgets its roots.
Hoppin' John Oyster Salad
Another example of their culinary philosophy is the Hoppin' John oyster salad, a fresh take on the New Year's Day Southern tradition of serving cabbage or greens (symbolizing money, or dollar bills), with blackeye peas (symbolizing prosperity, or coins), and cornbread (symbolizing gold) – all with the goal of starting the new year with good luck.
Instead of cabbage, the salad features Bibb lettuce topped with crispy fried Gulf oysters. It is then ringed by a combination of crumbled bacon, chopped red peppers, and slow-cooked, smoky blackeye peas, "which bring a great flavor and texture to it," says Porretto. Dressed with a green remoulade — not the traditional pinkish-hued version — it is a light, flavorful combination that melds Louisiana and Low Country traditions.
And what about the red beans and rice? The classic dish was added back to the menu — Mondays only, as per New Orleans' custom — with Porretto putting just as much thought into it.
However, he is keeping that favorite more traditional, as any New Orleans native would.
Saint John, 1117 Decatur St., (504) 581-8120, saintjohnnola.com, on Instagram; Hours: Brunch and dinner, Weds.-Mon.
Tags: Chef Cooking French Quarter History Red Beans Red Beans & Rice restaurant highlights Restaurants Southern Tradition where we bean
Categories: Bean Love Let's Cook! Where We Bean


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Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against VOCs in Canada
Prativa Baral2021-07-13T10:25:46-04:00July 13, 2021|General vaccine surveillance|
The race to vaccinate the world became more urgent with the emergence of variants of concern (VOCs). In a recent pre-print, not yet peer-reviewed, researchers from the Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN), including CITF-funded researchers Dr. Deshayne Fell, Dr. Jeff Kwong and Dr. Kumanan Wilson, estimated the effectiveness of vaccines given between December 2020 and May 2021 in protecting against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection caused by the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants.
A single dose of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine provided some protection against symptomatic COVID-19 infection and severe outcomes caused by VOCs.
Two doses of a vaccine, as recommended, provided even greater protection.
In this large Canadian study evaluating the effectiveness of available vaccines, the authors analyzed samples from 421,073 people in Ontario who had undergone a PCR test for SARS-CoV-2. All samples were from people who were symptomatic and who lived in the community (not in long-term care). Of these samples, 28,705 (6.8%) tested positive for non-VOC SARS-CoV-2 and 40,828 (9.7%) tested positive for a VOC (Alpha, Beta/Gamma, Delta). Among them, 14,168 individuals were identified as having severe COVID-19 resulting in hospitalization or death. The authors then compared vaccination status between individuals with symptomatic or a severe infection and those who were symptomatic but tested negative.
Linking with vaccination records, samples were tested against Alpha, Beta/Gamma, and Delta VOCs. A single vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna was shown to be >55% and >70% effective, respectively, against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2. One dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was observed to prevent approximately 50% of symptomatic infections against Beta and Gamma variants and was deemed to be >60% effective against the Alpha and Delta variants. Vaccine effectiveness estimates against severe outcomes were higher than estimates against symptomatic infection.
In accordance with other studies, the authors suggest that a single dose of any of the available vaccines is beneficial, but that full vaccination is recommended for all vaccines to provide greater effectiveness. However, in settings with vaccine supply constraints, delaying the second dose to provide first doses to twice as many people may yield greater overall benefits to the population, especially with more contagious and deadly variants now circulating.
Nasreen, S., He, S., Chung, H., Brown, K.A., Gubbay, J.B., Buchan, S.A., Wilson, S.E., Sundaram, M.E., Fell, D.B., Chen, B., Calzavara, A., Austin, P.C., Schwartz, K.L., Tadrous, M., Wilson, K., Kwong, J.C., 2021. Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against variants of concern, Canada. doi:10.1101/2021.06.28.21259420


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Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc
Symbol C : BEE
Shares Issued 77,099,271
Close 2019-03-25 C$ 0.20
Bee Vectoring's board approves RSU, option plan
2019-03-25 09:24 ET - News Release
Mr. Ashish Malik reports
BEE VECTORING ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT, EMPLOYEE AND CONSULTANT EQUITY PARTICIPATION FOR RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS AND OPTIONS
Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc.'s board of directors has approved a restricted share unit plan and a 20-per-cent fixed stock option plan to grant restricted share units (RSUs) and incentive stock options to directors, officers, key employees and consultants of the company. Pursuant to the RSU plan and the option plan, the company may reserve up to an aggregate of 15,519,854 common shares pursuant to awards granted under the plans.
Pursuant to the new plans, the company has granted 728,059 RSUs and options exercisable for 218,418 common shares to certain directors, officers, key employees and consultants who have agreed to forgo an aggregate of $141,972 of their cash compensation, representing a portion or all their cash compensation for a period of four months (March, 2019, to June, 2019), and as an incentive for individuals to drive the growth of the company. The RSUs and 50 per cent of the options vest only upon U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) approval of the company's VECTORITE with CR-7TM (delivered by bees) product. The options, 50 per cent of which vest immediately, are exercisable at 19.5 cents per share until March 22, 2024.
"BVT is in an exciting stage as we are moving to become a commercial enterprise," said Michael Collinson, chairman of Bee Vectoring Technologies. "The team driving the business all believe in the tremendous potential of our technology, as is evident from the fact that all the company's employees and majority of the active consultants of the company have all agreed to forgo a portion of their cash compensation and accept RSUs and options."
In addition, the board of directors has approved the grant of 1.61 million options to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants of the company, which vest in three months and are exercisable at 19.5 cents per share until March 22, 2024.
The company will seek TSX Venture Exchange approval for the new RSU plan and new option plan and shareholder approval at its May 1, 2019, annual and special shareholders meeting. In addition, pursuant to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, all RSUs and options granted pursuant to the new plans prior to shareholder approval (including the awards announced herein) shall become effective and exercisable only upon disinterested shareholder approval having been obtained.
About Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc.
Bee Vectoring Technologies has developed and owns patent-pending bee vectoring technology that is designed to harmlessly utilize bumblebees and honey bees as natural delivery mechanisms for a variety of powdered mixtures comprising organic compounds that inhibit or control common crop diseases, while at the same time enhancing crop vigour and productivity. This unique and proprietary process enables a targeted delivery of crop controls using the simple process of bee pollination to replace traditional crop spraying, resulting in better yields, superior quality, and less impact on the environment without the use of water or disruptions to labour.
We seek Safe Harbor.


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How to find us dr. T. (Thijs) Janzen
dr. T. (Thijs) Janzen
t.janzen rug.nl
Homepage ORCID
Research units:
9700 CC Groningen
Thesis → Thesis fully internal (DIV) Contribution to journal → Article Non-textual form → Software
|Doctoral Thesis
|Non-textual
Janzen, T., Zotz, G., & Etienne, R. S. (Accepted/In press). Community structure of vascular epiphytes: A neutral perspective. Oikos, 129(6), 853-867. https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.06537
Zhang, Z., Bendixsen, D. P., Janzen, T., Nolte, A. W., Greig, D., & Stelkens, R. (2020). Recombining Your Way Out of Trouble: The Genetic Architecture of Hybrid Fitness under Environmental Stress. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 37(1), 167-182. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msz211
Alzate, A., Janzen, T., Bonte, D., Rosindell, J., & Etienne, R. S. (2019). A simple spatially explicit neutral model explains the range size distribution of reef fishes. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 28(7), 875-890. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12899
Lavretsky, P., Janzen, T., & McCracken, K. G. (2019). Identifying hybrids & the genomics of hybridization: Mallards & American black ducks of Eastern North America. Ecology and Evolution, 9(6), 3470-3490. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4981
Janzen, T., Nolte, A. W., & Traulsen, A. (2018). The breakdown of genomic ancestry blocks in hybrid lineages given a finite number of recombination sites. Evolution, 72(4), 735-750. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.13436
Janzen, T. (Developer). (2018). junctions R package. Software
Boynton, P. J., Janzen, T., & Greig, D. (2018). Modeling the contributions of chromosome segregation errors and aneuploidy to Saccharomyces hybrid sterility. Yeast, 35(1), 85-98. https://doi.org/10.1002/yea.3282
Janzen, T., Alzate Vallejo, A., Muschick, M., Maan, M. E., van der Plas, F., & Etienne, R. S. (2017). Community assembly in Lake Tanganyika cichlid fish: Quantifying the contributions of both niche-based and neutral processes. Ecology and Evolution, 7(4), 1057-1067. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2689
Janzen, T. (Developer), & Bilderbeek, R. (Other). (2016). nLTT R package. Software
Janzen, T., Haegeman, B., & Etienne, R. S. (2015). A sampling formula for ecological communities with multiple dispersal syndromes (vol 387, pg 258, 2015). Journal of Theoretical Biology, 387, 258-261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2015.10.001
Janzen, T., Haegeman, B., & Etienne, R. S. (2015). A sampling formula for ecological communities with multiple dispersal syndromes. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 374, 94–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2015.03.018
van der Plas, F., Janzen, T., Ordonez, A., Fokkema, W., Reinders, J., Etienne, R. S., & Olff, H. (2015). A new modeling approach estimates the relative importance of different community assembly processes. Ecology, 96(6), 1502-1515. https://doi.org/10.1890/14-0454.1
Janzen, T., Hoehna, S., & Etienne, R. S. (2015). Approximate Bayesian Computation of diversification rates from molecular phylogenies: Introducing a new efficient summary statistic, the nLTT. Methods in ecology and evolution, 6(5), 566-575. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12350
Ruifrok, J. L., Janzen, T., Kuijper, D. P. J., Rietkerk, M., Olff, H., & Smit, C. (2015). Cyclical succession in grazed ecosystems: The importance of interactions between different-sized herbivores and different-sized predators. Theoretical Population Biology, 101, 31-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tpb.2015.02.001
Janzen, T. (2015). What lies beneath? How patterns in ecology and evolution inform us about underlying processes. [S.n.].
Janzen, T. (Developer). (2014). GUILDS R Package. Software
Janzen, T. (Developer), & van der Plas, A. (Developer). (2014). STEPCAM R Package. Software
Etienne, R. S., de Visser, S. N., Janzen, T., Olsen, J. L., Olff, H., & Rosindell, J. (2012). Can clade age alone explain the relationship between body size and diversity? Interface Focus, 2(2), 170-179. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2011.0075


We're building a world where every person has the opportunity to uplift themselves and support their life with dignity.
To do this we built an innovative digital currency, the VOLLAR.
South Africa. She is unemployed but regularly takes part in impactful micro-jobs to earn VOLLAR.
Her favorite is maintaining the community garden for the local soup kitchen.
For every hour Mpho works she earns 1 VOLLAR which is valued at the local hourly minimum wage. For Mpho, that's around R20.
Even though Mpho is unemployed, she can still buy her daily necessities at the local store and pay directly with VOLLAR.
Acme Corp wanted to make a quantifiable difference in Mpho's community, so they sponsored the VOLLAR Mpho earned.
This gave Mpho the possibility to earn an income from making her community a better place and in the process supported the development of the local store.
The best part is, VOLLAR's not just a currency.
Every VOLLAR contains real impact data, allowing Acme Corp to track the impact of every cent they sponsored through VOLLAR.
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For every hour Mpho works she earns 1 VOLLAR which is valued at the local hourly minimum wage. For Mpho that's around R20.
Acme Corp wants to make a quantifiable difference through small business development.
They sponsor the local store Mpho frequents by purchasing Mpho's VOLLAR from them, growing the store and creating access for Mpho and many others like her.
The best part, VOLLAR is not just a currency.
Every VOLLAR contains real impact data about the work Mpho and others have done. Through this data, companies like Acme Corp can know the exact impact of every cent they sponsored.
Community work is tracked alongside local organisations as digital tokens, called Vollars, that are rewarded to participants for the time they served.
Vollars can be used as payment at local merchants for things like food and electricity, creating a pathway for anyone to access daily life essentials.
Sponsors purchase the Vollar tokens from community merchants in order to provide a new source of income for small community businesses.
Through impact data stored in Vollar tokens, we provide sponsors at the end of the value chain with in-depth analytics and tracking to quantify and multiply their impact.
Read more about how we are undoing avoidable poverty by achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.


Contestants will go face to face with an apple, the only twist is the apple will be hanging from above by string and contestants will attempt to eat the hanging apple without any hands. First to finish the entire apple will be the winner, but always be ready to expect the unexpected. As always 2 groups of 10 and the winner of each group gets a £50 bar tab.


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The Story of Bucks County's Covered Bridges
A project by The Mercer Museum of the Bucks County Historical Society
This digital project is a visual record of the county's current and past wooden Covered Bridges, which played a key role in the region's economy and development since the early 1800s. Read more About Us
Mood's
Mood's Covered Bridge is in its first full reincarnation after the original bridge was an arson victim in 2004. The new version, which uses some beams from the old bridge, opened in 2008. Bucks County…
Loux's
Loux's Bridge is one of the few Bucks County covered bridges taken over by the state of Pennsylvania in the 1930s that wasn't replaced or demolished. It sits on the Cabin Run Creek at the junction of…
The Pine Valley Covered Bridge celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2017. It is the second-oldest covered bridge in Bucks County, but it had to survive several scares to make it to that milestone. More…
Browse Featured Stories
The Delaware River Covered Bridge Network (1814-1945)
The first wooden covered bridges built in Bucks County bore little resemblance to the dozen that exists today. In January 1806, Theodore Burr's Lower Trenton or Decatur Street opened for business. The wooden bridge extended for more than 1,000 feet…
The Rise and Fall of Local Covered Bridges (1820-1939)
While bridge building was taking place across the Delaware River, Bucks County officials started the process of adding smaller covered bridges on arterial roads that connected towns, and a series of bridges linked to mills and canals. The first local…
Covered Bridges Become Icons (1940-1959)
After World War II, public and governmental attitudes toward covered bridges, especially in Bucks County, changed significantly. In 1943, Richard Sanders Allen began publishing the magazine Covered Bridge Topics, which led to the formation of the…
Recent Covered Bridge Preservation Efforts (1960-2019)
Bucks County would aggressively promote its covered bridges as part of a broader tourism strategy in the 1960s. The state of Pennsylvania and the National Park Service also placed Bucks County's covered bridges on the National Register of Historic…
Kratz's Mill (1848 - 1930)
Kratz's Mill Bridge in Bedminster Township was built in 1848 and demolished in 1930. The original covered bridge sat on the current location of Route 113. It had two spans and it was built of oak. According to a 1919 inspection report, the…
Stover-Myers Mill (1857-1906)
This covered bridge stood near the Stover-Myers Mill in Bedminster and Tinicum Townships and it spanned the Tohickon Creek. The two-span bridge was 190 feet long. The Allentown Leader said that on April 26, 1906, a brush fire spread to the…
Browse all 54 Stories


Maryam Mursal, le destin tourmenté d'une star somalienne.
Hommes et Migrations (Paris), n° 1213, mai-juin 1998: 112-117.
The Stdy of Somali Music: Present State.
Proceedings of the Third International Conference of Somali Studies.
Rome: II Pensiero Scientifico Editore, 1988: 158-167.
Magool: the Inimitable Nightingale of Somali Music.
Music and Poetry in Somalia.
New York, N.Y. & London: Garland Publishing Inc., 1998: 610-621.
New York, N.Y. & London: Routledge, 2013: 610-621.
The Computer Technology and the Study of Music and Prosody.
The Case of Somali Oral Performance.
African Oral Literature. Functions in Contemporary Contexts.
Claremont: New Africa Books, 2001: 1-15.
Exploring the Relationship between Melody and Metre in a Somali Poetic Form.
African Music (Grahamstown), Vol. 8, No. 3, 2009: 97-116.


We consider our Special Needs Medical Program our greatest acheivement to date. When we began Dogma in 2013, we had to save every penny we could in order to take on medical dogs. Most of our funds during the first year went towards purchasing kennels, crates, dog food and medical care. But the big desire in the "rescue world" is to save badly broken dogs that no one else is going to touch. Dogma has been fortunate to be able to rescue dozens of dogs that were in desperate need of life saving medical treatment, and we have no intention of stopping anytime soon. Of course, not every animal makes it, but we focus on our successes and celebrate positive outcomes.
There is something almost spiritual when transporting a dog with a bad fracture, or missing an eye or major internal injuries from across the state to Sonoma County. A bond is definitely made between human and animal during these quiet car rides. Usually they include stops at random fast food joints for hamburger patties for the dog. We at Dogma love all of our animals and work hard to ensure they receive the absolute best care possible. We are proud if our successes and look forward to many, many more. Donations keep our medical program viable. Below are just a sampling our our various medical program recipients.
Dixie, a 2-3 year old Pomeranian from Stanislaus County. The local shelter lacked the resources to medically treat this little girl, so she was facing euthanasia. We were fortunate to have funds in our Special Needs Medical Program so we agreed to accept Dixie into our program. Dr. Barros at Devotion Animal Hospital stepped up when we needed help badly and was able to surgically repair her leg.
As if having a broken femur wasn't bad enough, we soon learned that Dixe has two luxating patellas that need to be fixed. The estimate for the second surgery is $4,200. She will go to her next vet appointment on January 10, 2017. This girl is well on her way to making a full recovery. Stay tuned for more details about beautiful Dixie's progress.
Dixie still needs help to cover her $6,000 recovery. Please consider making a donation today.
Snow White came from a shelter in Kring's County where she was owner surrendered. She was a one year old, very pregnant and had a broken radius and ulna in her from leg. One of our amazing volunteers in the Central Valley drove her to a vet and when they were taking xrays she started delivering puppies. Her exam was put on hold until she was done delivering. Snow delivered 6 healthy, beautiful babies that were all fat and happy. She immediately started nursing and proved to be a wonderful mother.
We were sad that Snow had to wait to have her two broken bones corrected because she had already been living in pain for three weeks. Yes, her fracture was three weeks old. When the puppies were one week old, our favorite person in the world, Dr. Gurevitch, came in and plated the fractures. Snow nursed her puppies and they grew strong. After eight weeks they went up for adoption. Snow, however, had a different path. Because she had been nursing her babies, she used all the calcium needed to heal her bones on her puppies. Once the pups were adopted we had to refocus on Snow's health and allow her body to heal without the burden of six puppies.
Snow transferred to a great foster home that had more time to work with her and help her rehab her leg. She takes walks now, but will spent time in a baby stroller to prevent her from over exerting herself. She is a gentle love bug and sleeps in the bed every night. Snow is just one of those dogs you fall in love with because they are so grateful, even after the world has treated them so badly.
Snow is currently available for adoption.
Rocky was a teeny tiny dog with an enormously big belly. She arrived from an overcrowded shelter very pregnant and a bit scared. Lots of affection and delicious food later and she was a happy girl, but we still knew we had a problem because of how large her belly was. Days passed and we had ultrasounds and xrays done to try to figure out what was going on inside her belly, but those puppies just wouldn't come out.
Day after day we waited for puppies and Rocky just kept getting bigger and bigger. She finally went into labor but the puppies were too big and mama Rocky needed an emergency c-section. Luckily, our veterinarians at Northotwn Animal Hospital were still in the office and we had an after-hours delivery. Rocky delivered three enormous puppies. Everyone arrived safe and healthy and rejoined their foster family later that night.
After the stress of the c-section, mom and pups settled into a normal routine and the pups grew strong and large. By 8 weeks old all three were larger than tiny Rocky. They all found great homes. Rocky went to live on a ranch where she chases chickens and rides in the basket of an ATV. She's turned out to be a rough and tumble country girl…all five pounds of her!
Phoebe and her litter of 5 puppies were found in the garbage area of a recycling center deep in central California. All in took was one picture of her and her puppies living among the garbage cans to know they had to become Dogma dogs. Within a day we were able to find a temporary foster in Fresno area and arrange a flight to the Sonoma Jet Center with the help of Pilots and Paws.
After a short flight, our pilots Jim and Cy delivered the precious cargo to us. The excited local foster family even came to the airport to watch the family fly in. Mom and pups settled into their foster home and we expected a quiet couple months while the puppies grew up.
Soon after we discovered Phoebe was prone to seizures. After lots of testing the vet could not find an underlying cause for the seizures and she was diagnosed with epilepsy. Her condition was manageable, but Phoebe would require medication for the rest of her life. As a part of her adoption agreement Dogma paid for her medication for 6 months. We are happy to report that after an uncertain future, Phoebe is now happily ensconced with a family experienced in caring for a medically fragile dog.
Pip was a stray living in an orchard when he wandered into a garage and was attacked by the homeowners two resident dogs. Sadly, he lost an eye in the attack, suffered a broken jaw and had numerous broken ribs. Unfortunately, the first surgery to repair his jaw was not successful and resulted in an awful infection in the bone that required weeks and weeks of antibiotics. He ended up having a second surgery to reset the fracture.
Pip stayed at Dogma Central for almost a year recovering. This little monster had a ton of personality and loved everyone he met. We was a rescue favorite. Pip was a 7 pound dog that thought he weighed 100 pounds. We ended up calling him the Pip Bull.
Sometimes when we have fragile dogs like Pip, we wait for the perfect adopter. We were contacted by a veterinary technician who had fallen in love with Pip's pictures. After an initial meeting we knew that it was a great match and she adopted Pip. It's hard saying goodbye after you've nursed an animal back to health, but now Pip has a wonderful home and we have space to save another dog like Pip.
We work with a lot of small public shelters around California that have very limited budgets. When we received a picture of Gabby at the shelter, guarding her rear left leg, we knew she probably had been hit by a vehicle. A Dogma volunteer in the Central Valley drove to Avenal and transported Gabby to a local hospital for xrays. We received the xray and saw how bady fractured her femur was and knew that time wasn't on our side.
Luckily, Dr. Barros at Devotion Animal Hospital agreed to perform surgery the very next day and worked within our limited budget. A Dogma volunteer located in Santa Rosa started the drive to Avenal, while another Dogma volunteer started the drive to Santa Rosa with Gabby. They met in the middle and this girl arrived in Santa Rosa around midnight and was at Devotion at 8am. It took less than 18 hours to get Gabby from the shelter into surgery.
Gabby recovered well and was adopted by her foster mom. She now lives a country life with her canine sibling. Life's gotten much better for this sweet girl.
Because we focus on pregnant dogs we are often asked to take newborn puppies that find themselves at overcrowded animal shelters. These eight Australian Shepherd/Border Collie puppies were only a few days old when they joined Dogma and went to stay with Chrissy and her family.
Newborn puppies need to be bottle fed every two hours and are a major commitment. Even in the best of circumstances they are delicate and fragile little babes. Unfortunately, Chrissy's Litter developed a bacterial infection. We transferred the pups to a foster with veterinary experience and saved four of the eight puppies.
In rescue we celebrate our successes, so in the end, we ended up with four beautiful, healthy puppies. All four found amazing homes and it was only possible because of the hard work and efforts of our dedication foster network. Our animal fosters do amazing things on a daily basis.
Timmy was facing euthanasia at an animal control facility because of two badly deformed front legs. When we received an email with a pic of him in a cage at the shelter we knew he needed to be a Dogma dog. We took Timmy to an orthopedic surgeon and made a game plan. One of the legs could be repaired enough for him to walk comfortably. The other leg was like a chicken wing and nothing to be done to correct that limb.
Once Timmy was old enough, he had a small piece of bone cut from his leg and some tendons were cut to allow the limb to relax and extend down. After Timmy healed up he had more mobility and his leg extended normally. For the first time in his life, this little guy could move around like a normal dog.
Lucky Trooper was found lying in the middle of a road after being struck by a vehicle the day before. He is our first Dogma miracle dog. This little guy had numerous broken bones, including a broken hip, missing toes and skin from road rash, and a badly swollen belly. Most concerning was that his lab test showed he was too weak for surgery, but there wasn't any time to wait. We were cautioned many times by many vets that Lucky might not make it. We were very fortunate that Dr. Barros from Devotion Animal Hospital was willing to help save him.
During surgery Dr. Barros removed the end of the femur that fits in the hip joint and set the other fractures, amputated some toes, and grafted skin onto areas damaged from the road rash. When he opened Lucky's belly up to investigate the swelling it was discovered that all of his organs were in the wrong place. The pressure from being hit squished everything upward so badly that he had intestines in his cardiac cavity.
Luckily this guy was a fighter. After his surgery he was fostered by a vet tech and nursed back to health. Lucky ended up making a full recovery and the only sign of his early trauma is a slight limb and missing toes. He was adopted by an amazing family and still comes by our adoption events for visits every so often.
On a nice side note, a group of rescuers went to the location soon after Lucky was found and searched the area. We ended up finding his litter mates living in a drainage pipe and rescued them, too. All of the puppies have found their forever homes.