text:
Die Kugel ist eine Form in der Heraldik und wird als kleine kreisrunde Scheibe in Wappenschildern, Wappenfeldern und im Bord, aber auch auf anderen Heroldsbildern dargestellt.

Darstellung und Blasonierung
Die plastische Form zählt zu den gemeinen Figuren.
Verschiedene andere Namen sind in der Heraldik verbreitet. Man nimmt an, dass die Form den antiken Diskusscheiben, Kanonenkugeln oder Gewehrkugeln nachgeahmt wurde. Heraldiker blasonieren diese Kugeln auch als Ballen oder Kuchen. Letztere Bezeichnung leitet sich von dem französischen Wort tourteau ab. Die Möglichkeit der Nachbildung von Münzen ist nicht ausgeschlossen, dann spricht man Pfennige, Wappenpfennige, und sie sind durchwegs in Gold, seltener Silber. Sie wird auch Scheibe blasoniert und kann dann größer sein.
Für besondere Formen haben sich weitere Eigennamen durchgesetzt:
So werden goldene Kugeln auch als Billen und die silbernen als Bälle bezeichnet. Die rote Farbe der Kugel führt zum Eigennamen Pillen.

Das Auftreten im Wappen kann einzeln, zwei oder zwei über einer Kugel sein. Die pfahlweise oder balkenweise, auch die schräglinke oder schrägrechte Anordnung ist möglich. Das ist die häufigste Form. Es sind aber auch Wappen bekannt, die eine mehrreihige Aufschichtung ohne Berührung nach oben mit abnehmender Anzahl abbilden (etwa 2:1 oder 3:2:1). Auch die quadratische Anordnung 2×2, 3×3 und mehr sind verbreitet.

Die Kugel kann – im wörtlichen Sinne – leicht räumlich dargestellt werden, was aber unheraldisch ist.

Wird ein Kreuz mit Kugeln an den Armen besetzt oder die Arme laufen in diesen aus, ist es ein Apfelkreuz. Beim Perlenkreuz bestehen die Arme komplett aus mehreren Kugeln. Für beide Kreuze finden sich Kugelkreuz wie die anderen Namen der Kugel ebenfalls.

Wappenfiguren mit rundem Bild sind nicht immer eine Kugel.
Ringe, zwei Kreise mit unterschiedlichen Durchmesser, aber gleichem Mittelpunkt, gleichen diesem Bild, sind aber direkt im Feld oder auf Heroldsbildern und nicht auf einer gemeinen Figur. Wenn die Farbe des Wappens aber mit der in dem Rund identisch ist, ist die gemeine Figur als durchbohrte Scheibe zu beschreiben.

Beispiele

Weblinks

Wappenfigur

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Okay are you ready to go a little further with this lesson on how to draw manga style or what? Good, then start by adding the shapely lining of her chunky looking bangs and like small children the bangs usually hang low past the eyes themselves.... How to Draw Manga Style Female Faces - An easy, step by step drawing lesson for kids. This tutorial shows the sketching and drawing steps from start to finish. Another free Manga for beginners step by step drawing video tutorial.
Learn the skills to create incredible anime drawings and gain the creative confidence to invent your own original characters!... More recently I decided to teach myself how to draw in a manga-influenced style and thus focused exclusively on that for many months." Crilley first took to Youtube to promote his then-new manga series, but he "soon found that people were watching my videos as drawing lessons .
As someone who has been drawing manga-ish as a hobby, I find it earsier to draw a manga cartoon style by sketching up what I want to draw. By sketching I mean the posture and eventual movement of the body you want to draw by drawing a line of action.
Manga style dictates that their shoulders are less broad than men, and their necks more slender. Often artists draw women in a stance such that their feet are touching to further enhance the hourglass shape.
Transcript. A very popular style of manga is called Shonen. A Shonen is known as the boys action style. It's got a lot of fighting. It's got a lot intense characters.


CORA serves any Chatham County resident who needs emergency food through our Food Pantry. We are open five days a week, Monday – Friday, 10 am to 2 pm (excluding state holidays). Families receive a week's worth of groceries at each visit, up to six times in a 12-month period. These weekly food allotments are selected to provide 21 nutritious meals for each family member. However, when additional assistance is needed beyond six visits, CORA makes sure each family gets the help they need. The pantry is a place of hope and comfort for many in our community, a respite from their struggles where there is always an empathetic ear, supportive smile, and shelves of food to help meet their needs. CORA currently fills 100% of community need requests and turns no one away.
Participants are Chatham County residents. If not a resident, CORA temporarily provides food while strategies for finding food closer to home are managed.
Families and individuals receive a week's worth of food for every family member. Each person receives enough food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for (21) meals each time the pantry is visited. Each family or individual is eligible to receive food up to six (6) times per 12- month period. If more visits are required, our Beyond Six program provides a basic level of food support to help families navigate additional weeks of need.
CORA has dry goods, canned goods, and other foods that are easy to store long term. Frozen foods, dairy foods, eggs, and produce are provided when available. We pay particular attention to the nutritional balance of foods distributed.
The Pantry is set up like a grocery store. You will push your own grocery cart and choose the foods your family will enjoy with the help of a volunteer.
What Else Makes CORA Special?
Choice pantries allow families to select from a wide variety of foods that meet their personal dietary needs. CORA Food Pantry is set up like a grocery store, and families "shop" for their own food with the helpful knowledge of a volunteer. The amount of food available is tied to the size of the family based on USDA dietary guidelines. Families have shared that they feel valued and that their independent selections provide a sense of control and increased self-esteem in a time of great difficulty.
CORA purchases foods with lower salt, fat and sugar content when available, and encourages food donors to do the same: fruit in natural juice, whole grain breads and pastas, low sugar cereals, high fiber choices like brown rice, oatmeal, and a variety of beans.
CORA has our own garden and local community farmers donate fresh produce and farm fresh eggs. Grocery stores donate fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins throughout the year. Moreover, CORA is involved in cooperative relationships with Farmer Foodshare, the Society of St. Andrews, and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC, receiving more than 50,000 pounds of fresh produce between the three.


text:
Partner Agency Blog
Demographic Report
June Agency Spotlight: Cesar Chavez Middle School
June 12, 2014 secondharvestagencies	Leave a comment
There's a "farmer's market" in town that you may not know about. That's because it's just for the students of Cesar Chavez Middle School. Patrick Littleton organizes this mini market every Tuesday of the school year during the lunch break, using produce from Second Harvest Food Bank.
Patrick sets up a booth in the courtyard, sometimes with a camp stove to stir fry veggies, sometimes with just two big buckets of fruit. He turns up the music on the boom box as students begin to file out of their classrooms toward the cafeteria. They flock toward him to get a taste of whatever he's serving that day- sautéed kale with Tapatio, steamed broccoli, orange slices-and then proceed to socialize with friends in the midday sunshine.
Patrick's not just out to change the way the students see these vegetables and fruit, he's determined to change the culture around healthy eating. He started the school garden at Cesar Chavez and Starlight Elementary School so that students could have a field to fork relationship with food. But he also hopes to impact way the students are eating in their homes by teaching them how to cook the produce.
Which is where Cesar Chavez's partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank makes a major difference. Cesar Chavez receives 1,000 lbs of produce from Second Harvest each week of the school year. This produce is what Patrick uses to put on the farmer's market. During recess, after the students get their lunch, they can stop by for a healthy snack of fruits or vegetables.
Students also have the opportunity to participate in an afterschool program with Patrick in the school garden. The students learn about the nutrition of fruits and vegetables and how to grow and cook them. The class focuses on healthier ways of preparing the food; for example, steaming instead of frying the vegetables.
After the class, students take home boxes of produce from Second Harvest.
"The relationship with the food bank provides the resources to help the students make those healthy decisions," Patrick says. "From making [the produce] available during recess, to being able to cook, prepare, and grow the food after school, and then also to be able to have access to it for free has significantly increased the fruit and vegetable consumption within our school's community."
Without the access to free fresh fruits and vegetables from Second Harvest, students at Cesar Chavez would remain defenseless against the rising statistics of childhood obesity, and without Patrick's vision, these resources might go to waste. Looking out over the Cesar Chavez garden, the space where the students come to cultivate a healthy food community after school, it's clear that the seed of change is already growing.
Previous PostRecall Notice: Olde Thompson Inc. Issues a Voluntary Recall of Kirkland Signature Coarse Ground Malabar Pepper 12.7 oz Plastic Jars Due to Possible Salmonella Risk, June 9, 2014Next PostDon't Forget!!
Agency Spotlight (22)
Distribution Center (5)
Nutrition Notes (62)
Tips From Ted (4)
Archives Select Month March 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The Girl on the Train: Not a film you'll watch twice
Emily Blunt stars as Rachel
Kelvin Stuttard
Throughout history mankind has been witness to thousands of strange, unexplained ancient mysteries and events, as well as mysterious phenomena.
For example, the Loch Ness Monster and the UFO. After my visit to the cinema this week I'm adding the success of "The Girl on the Train" to that list.
Paula Hawkins`s dark thriller novel was an old-fashioned publishing success story. There wasn't a big marketing campaign yet it smashed the all-time book sales record. I spent the majority of 2015 living in a tent in Egypt and even I was made well aware of the hype. EVERYBODY referred to it as a page-turner. I hadn't seen such word-of-mouth hysteria since Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code".
The plot revolves around Rachel (Emily Blunt). Who used to be married to Tom (Justin Theroux) before he had an affair with Anna (Rebecca Ferguson), who is now his wife. They have a baby whose nanny is named Megan (Haley Bennett). She lives with Scott (Luke Evans). Edgar Ramirez is Megan`s shrink, but will also later become Rachel`s. Why is she going to a therapist? Don't even ask.
Still following? Well, Rachel takes a twice-daily train ride that passes the house where Tom and Anna live. One day, she sees, or thinks she sees, something she shouldn't. Then, as you do, she integrates herself into the ensuing investigation.
Seems like a lot of story? Well ,we are well into a series of convoluted dream sequences and flashbacks before we even know who our protagonist is or where we are.
Blunt`s intense portrayal of an extremely damaged woman on the edge of insanity is breathtaking
The Big question: Does it live up to the hype?
Don't make me laugh; Tate Taylor is hardly Alfred Hitchcock and this is no "Strangers on a Train."He attempts a seductive atmosphere of voyeurism but doesn't grasp the need for sustained tension - rarely making an effort when it comes to sexual gamesmanship and the eventual reveal of a dead body.
Instead we bounce from theory to theory as each revelation is doled out and each suspect makes himself look guiltier and guiltier by the moment, but much of it comes from ridiculous, unbelievable actions by our heroine.
With its distinctive internal writing style I appreciate that adapting the novel must have been a huge challenge for screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson. That being said I cannot sweep under the carpet the fact that this is a trainwreck, pure and simple. It`s a feminist piece hammered home with all the subtlety of a baseball bat. Its an unrelenting portrayal of women as victims of selfish, dominating males.
Blunt`s intense portrayal of an extremely damaged woman on the edge of insanity is breathtaking and the only positive to come out of this turkey. She shouldn't be likeable but she demands our empathy. She's pathetically real as bitter bedraggled divorcee Rachel and it's easily the most convincing portrayal of alcoholism you will ever see on screen.
Shame then that the alcoholism isn't even a serious theme. It's just a tool to work in the convenient false-memory syndrome . I'm sorry, but that's just a lazy way to mess with the logic of the story. Then again logic doesn't seem to be important here. There are that many plot holes you may as well take the script home to drain spaghetti.
Answer on a postcard please as to why the film moves the story from the old railway suburbs of London to wealthier ones outside New York. Surely people this prosperous would move further from the tracks? I'm guessing it's one of those artistically unnecessary Hollywood transpositions based on the assumption that American audiences are only interested in things that happen to other Americans. As a result we are inexplicably left without any kind of geographic or cultural reality.
Not that I care by this point. We're meant to get caught up in the whodunit but the film never lets us get close enough to play detective. The mystery needs less forced complications and more relevant questions and development.
It's a flat predictable puzzle with no real insight to offer beyond its solving. Taylor has boasted that the film's ending diverges from the source material but the changes are not for the better. The payoff is too muddled to elicit a jaw-dropping reaction. It's a slow chug into disappointment station.
Two years after 20th Century Fox hit the jackpot with "Gone Girl" it's blatantly obvious that Universal Studios wanted this to be a clone. Unfortunately, it lacks that story's narrative shiftiness, trashy thrills and twisted resolution. Unlike David Fincher's smash-hit this won't be a film you watch twice.
Whatever word is the opposite of "page-turner" sums up this lifeless affair. At least with the Loch Ness Monster there are some grainy photographs to keep us entertained.
15 more St Helens residents scoop a grand in People's Postcode Lottery
New housing development approved on greenfield land in St Helens
Saints put record straight regarding Danny Richardson's Grand Final ring
Youths with machete stole soft drinks from off-licence in St Helens
St Helens Care Home rated good following inspection
More from St Helens Reporter


Dwellworks is pleased to announce we've been selected as one of Northeast Ohio's Top Workplaces 2018 by The Plain Dealer. Now in its ninth year, the program seeks to recognize area employers who create an environment and culture where workers feel respected, rewarded, and feel as if they can enrich their skills while contributing to a mission they believe in.
Each year, thousands of employees are surveyed among the companies nominated to determine the 150 best places to work in Northeast Ohio. This is Dwellworks fifth year as a Top Workplace (2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018), a testament to the unique and inclusive culture that we, as a company, strive to foster and grow.
"Dwellworks is honored to be listed as a 2018 Top Workplace Award recipient. Our company culture has always been the heartbeat of our organization, so being recognized for that is one of the greatest compliments we can receive," says Shana Zollar, Chief Human Resources Officer.


My perfect date would be a night out for pizza and the arcade!!!! just easy casual stuff!
My ideal date would be a night out for pizza and arcade games! casual stuff!!
I m reading Come Back To Me right now and loving it so much! Good luck to everyone that entered the giveaway!


text:
Energy dissipation and particle size distribution...
Crystal structure and morphology of CeO₂ doped stabilized zirconia ceramics under high-frequency microwave field sintering by: Ling, Yeqing Published: (2022)
Investigating particle size-dependent redox kinetics and charge distribution in disordered rocksalt cathodes by: Zhang, Yuxin Published: (2022)
Evaluation of empirical estimation of uniaxial compressive strength of rock using measurements from index and physical tests by: Aladejare, Adeyemi Emman Published: (2020)
Signal reconstruction performance under quantized noisy compressed sensing by: Leinonen, Markus Published: (2019)
Incremental and diffusion compressive sensing strategies over distributed networks by: Azarnia, Ghanbar Published: (2020)
Gong, F., Jia, H., Zhang, Z., Hu, J., Luo, S. (2020) Energy Dissipation and Particle Size Distribution of Granite under Different Incident Energies in SHPB Compression Tests. Shock and Vibration, 2020, 1-14. http://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8899355
Energy dissipation and particle size distribution of granite under different incident energies in SHPB compression tests
Gong, Fengqiang1,2; Jia, Hangyu1; Zhang, Zongxian3;
Hu, Jian1; Luo, Song1
1School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
2School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
3Oulu Mining School, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi-fe202102104427
Hindawi, 2020
To investigate energy dissipation and particle size distribution of rock under dynamic loads, a series of dynamic compression tests of granite specimens were conducted using a conventional split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) device with a high-speed camera. The experimental results show that the dissipated energy increases linearly with an increasing incident energy, following two different inclined paths connected by a critical incident energy, and the linear energy dissipation law in the dynamic compression test has been confirmed. This critical incident energy was found to be 0.29–0.33 MJ/m³. As the incident energy was smaller than the critical incident energy, the rock specimens remained unruptured after the impact. When the incident energy was greater than the critical incident energy, the rock specimens were ruptured or fragmented after the impact. In addition, the experimental results indicate that the dissipated energy and energy consumption ratio of a rock specimen, either unruptured or fragmented, increase with an increasing strain rate. Furthermore, it was found that fragment sizes at each mesh decrease with an increasing incident energy; that is, fragmentation becomes finer as incident energy increases.
Shock and vibration
10.1155/2020/8899355
https://oadoi.org/10.1155/2020/8899355
1171 Geosciences
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 41877272), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Central South University (Grant no. 2020zzts716), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Southeast University (Grant no. 2242020R10023).
© 2020 Fengqiang Gong et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


The fates of geology and chemistry create a particularly pure iron in this region.
The iron-ore bed in Craig Harbor near Port Henry, New York, was one of the richest veins in the northeast. Painting by Homer Dodge Martin, "The Iron Mine," Port Henry, New York, ca. 1862, oil, Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Just over a billion years ago, the ocean lapped away at the shoreline of the western shore of Lake Champlain. That erosion filled the sea with layers of sand and clay, thousands of feet thick. Forced deep into the earth at high heat and great pressure during a major mountain-building event, these sediments formed some of the world's oldest rocks, the Grenville Group, which underlie much of the eastern United States and Canada.
These ancient rocks formed the Adirondack Mountains we see today, and they harbor a wealth of minerals. As this mountain range rose, molten rock flowed into and around the Grenville deposits, cooling into a mixture of coarse-grained crystalline rock laced with veins of iron oxide, feldspar graphite, garnet, and rarer minerals. The most common of these, magnetite iron ore, lies in tightly folded veins running from the surface deep into the earth.
The fates of geology and chemistry caused this iron to be particularly pure. However, the iron also tended to be deposited in vertical veins that traveled deep beneath the ground. Once discovered, it would require deep shafts and tunnels to access—in contrast to shallow or horizontal deposits that can be easily strip-mined—typical of iron mines in the northern Midwest. These characteristics would eventually cause the downfall of the iron industry, but the captains of the iron industry enjoyed a nearly 150-year bonanza until it did.
Swedish naturalist Peter Kalm is likely the first European to have recognized the possibility of iron around Crown Point and what would become Moriah. For more than two weeks in July 1749, Kalm stayed at the French-built Fort Saint-Frédéric, the ruins of which are still visible at Crown Point. A student of the great scientist Carl Linnaeus, Kalm was here to explore the ecology of North America. Kalm received a commission from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to collect samples of plants and seeds for agricultural development in his home country. He published his findings and journals as Travels into North America, writing mostly about the flora and fauna.
It's worth noting that long before Kalm, the Native Americans of the region had recognized the iron deposits in the marshes around Swanton, Vermont—known as bog iron.
Crown Point is an excellent starting point of this audio tour because from here, you can see both the beginning and the end of the iron story—as well as events in between. On the far shore, the village of Port Henry presides over the legacy of decades of iron mining, production, and export. From this port, raw iron ore and pig iron were transported by canal boats and railroad south to Albany, Troy, and beyond. Following the shore, just to the north of Port Henry, is the Cheever Mine, the location of the earliest iron mining in the area. In 1771 British soldier Philip Skene was given a land patent at Cheever, known as the "Iron Ore Tract." Skene's slaves mined that ore, which was hauled south to Skene's settlement of Skenesborough (present-day Whitehall) and used in his fleet of ships. (Later, Benedict Arnold and his Rebel forces would steal some of those ships.) Before the war, Skene's first forge used mostly bog iron.
Because of its position, this site was owned by a series of industrialists with iron interests: The Hammonds and Penfields of Crown Point; LeGrand B. Cannon of Troy and the Crown Point Iron Company; and Witherbee, Sherman & Company. For more than a century, iron interests overshadowed Crown Point's military history represented by the French and British forts built here. In 1909, the Champlain Tercentenary celebrations took place at the ruins of the forts, commemorating their places in history. The following year, in honor of that history and to prevent further destruction of the forts, local iron industrialist Frank S. Witherbee purchased 25 acres of property at Crown Point and donated it to New York State.
High up on the hill, straight across the waters of Bulwagga Bay, stands a huge cone-shaped pile that represents the final stage in history of iron production in the Champlain Valley. This "iron tailings pile" holds the waste material (ore sand) created by an iron ore processing plant known as "Number 7 Mill" that operated from 1942 until 1971, when the mines closed for good.
There is also a lime kiln still visible on the property to the southwest of the British fort. The lime kiln was operated by Smith & Bullis from 1870-1875. The "quicklime" was used for mortar for building and plastering.
Walk to the small beach to the left of the jetty for a view of some key locations in the story of iron mining in the Town of Moriah. Looking across the lake from the beach to the east, you will see the huge iron tailings pile in the landscape. The tailings pile will be a reoccurring landmark on our tour of Moriah.


There are tons of local singles using our flirty chat rooms in Belper to connect to the finest individuals in their area and arrange dates. If you're looking for love and your future relationship locally, then joining our dating site and immersing yourself in our chat rooms is one of the best ways to find a compatible partner for you. As we specialise in connecting locals, many Belper singles prefer coming to us than any other platform as they know we can connect them to suitable locals, meaning we have a large and active community ready to chat with you. You won't have any trouble connecting and building bonds with the singles on our platform either as our system is incredibly intuitive and easy-to-use. Instead of battling with an outdated system for hours and trying to discern how to use it, you'll easily be able to hop online and connect with the most suitable singles in Belper for you. We have made local dating much easier, so if you're searching for your next relationship in Belper, then sign up today and begin using our chat rooms to find love.
Many singles that use online dating, enjoy using chat rooms in Belper as a way to get to know potential dates online before they meet for a proper date. With a group chat you can have some fun and enjoy conversation with a number of local guys and girls in the local area. Those who are looking to meet someone for fun and something casual can find out who is looking for the same and for those looking for something a little more serious it is a great way to get to know people better. If you want you can flirt, get a bit naughty and communicate with other fun-loving singles in Belper. Of course, there is no commitment when you use a chat room and you may just use it to arrange local hook ups or even just to test out the site and see if you like it. If you are seeking local dates in Belper and have not used online dating before, it is the perfect place to start your search.


text:
Interview Interrogation: AWS (Hungary) - Eurovision 2018 entry
With only a month to go before one of the biggest music competitions hits our screens, AWS from Hungary are raring to go to lay waste on the masses at this years Eurovision Song Contest which will be held in Lisbon following Portugal's win last year. It's not often a metal band gets put forward to represent their country, indeed the genre has only managed to secure one win - Lordi from Finland.
But following Lordi, a slew of metal bands emerged: Terasbetoni (Finland; following Lordi's win), Eldrine (Georgia), maNga (Turkey) and Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko (Albana), now it's Hungary's turn to put the volume up past thirteen and let the lads in AWS fly the flag for the metal music scene worldwide. GMA spoke to the lads who form this Post-Hardcore/Metalcore outfit about their trip through the national selection in 'A Dal', their home town, future plans and the meaning behind their chosen song.
See how AWS won 'A Dal' and began their journey to the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon below.
"We do hope there will be more metal at Eurovision from now on... it's not as easy to consume as pop music for example.""
For those who do not know of AWS, can you give us a brief history of the band?
"Sure, we're a five-piece band playing Modern Metal. We founded AWS back when we were in the same high school. We started with English lyrics (Fata Morgana album), but then switched to Hungarian (ÉGÉSFÖLD and Kint A Vízből albums). We've released three albums so far and we are working on the fourth one. We have toured Hungary many times and also played shows in Europe, for example we recently played a gig in London."
You chose the song 'Viszlát Nyár' to participate in the Hungarian preselection show 'A Dal' and subsequently won it, what does the song mean and were you surprised to win? What were emotions like on the night of the grand final?
"Of course we were surprised! We are a metal band that's going to Eurovision (laughing). We were shocked at first but then we went to our favourite spot in town to celebrate with our friends. We were happy for our victory. Our song is about dealing with death. We think that in our culture we make things harder for ourselves by avoiding the topic of death carefully and sometimes forget about the fact that our time here is not infinite. Sometimes we forget to pay attention to the loved ones in our lives and we only realize these things when we lose them. If we could give more thought to the fact that we won't be here forever, we could live a happier, fuller life and spend more time with the people and things that are important to us."
Will you be looking to do a tour before or after your Eurovision performance? Will 'Viszlát Nyár' be featured on a new album?
"Yes, for sure. Originally we wrote the song as a first single for our new album coming later this year. We will play a lot of festival gigs in the summer."
You play a mix of Post-Hardcore, Metalcore and Melodic Metal, do you feel metal music isn't well represented in Eurovision as much as it could be?
"We do hope there will be more metal at Eurovision from now on. Since this genre is quite heavy, full of strong emotions, it's not as easy to consume as pop music for example."
Budakesz wildlife park entrance
Surely representing Hungary at the Eurovision Song Contest will be your biggest achievement; what made you enter 'A Dal' in the beginning?
"We didn't think about the ESC in the beginning. We just wanted to show our music to a broader audience in Hungary. And we are going to Lisbon with the same goals: we are glad to have this opportunity and we would like to give our best shot to show people our music."
What did the judges say to your style of music during 'A Dal'? Has your song 'Viszlát Nyár' had any radio slots across Europe?
"Not yet, but there is an English version in the making, you might hear that soon! Not all the members of the jury were familiar with our style of music, but we received amazingly high from them in every round."
For those metalheads visiting your town of Budakeszi, what sights / attractions could you recommend seeing?
"You should check out our giant pines and our wildlife park with boars, bears and deer."
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
"We are sticking to our original pre-Eurovision plan: we are touring in Hungary and recording our fourth album. We are going to release it at the end of this year."
Finally what can Eurovision viewers and attendees expect from your performance?
"We can't tell you too much about it in advance, but they can be sure to see a true AWS show full of power and pyro"
https://www.facebook.com/awszenekar/
Dsbm
Film-score
Label Video
M2TM
Neo Classical Metal
Parody Metal
Punk Metal
Samurai Metal
Southern Metal
Vedic Metal


Find gyms & sports facilities in Afton, IA. Listings include Afton Fitness Center, LLC, High Lakes Outdoor Alliance, Skylar Hunter Racing, Dad's Bait Shop, Lakeshore Golf & Country Club and Buckboss Acres. Click on each in the list below the map for more information.
Want your business to be the top-listed Gym/sports Facility in Afton, IA?
The Afton Fitness Center is accessible to members 24/7. Offering cardio and weight equipment as well as group fitness classes.
This page is an attempt to inform everyone of the activities of the HLOA club members.
Skylar Hunter is a micro sprint racer out of Afton, Iowa, currently competing in events across the Midwest!
Lakeshore is a beautiful 9 hole course. Our country club offers an upstairs banquet room including a full bar,kitchen & deck overlooking the course. Memberships vary: Family with cart $829.25, Single with cart $647.35. Other options available too.
A small, family owned whitetail outfit located in the heart of big buck Southern Iowa. We offer world-class hunting on 800 acres of private property.
Minors Baseball for Afton, IA and surrounding East Union communities. Our team is made up of primarily 3rd and 4th grade boys with a few 2nd graders.
I am a health coach that is here to help you to change your bad habits into healthy habits. I will support you and help you get through the bad days.


Crimson Tite Invite * Dunbar High School 0 - 0 .
Crimson Tide Invite * Dunbar High School 0 - 0 .
Farrell Invite (Staten Island) 0 - 0 .
Bullis Bulldog Invite * Bullis School 0 - 0 .
Suffolk Coaches Invitational Bayshore High School 0 - 0 .
Mandatory Team Mass 0 - 0 .
(A) 04/21/18 9:00 AM vs Paul D. Schreiber HS Paul D. Schreiber Senior High School 0 - 0 .
Penn Relays * Franklin Field U of Penn 0 - 0 .
CHSAA Frosh/Soph City Champs Icahn Stadium 0 - 0 .
CHSAA Frosh/Soph Champs St. John Baptist Campus 0 - 0 .
Varsity League Champs St. Johns University 0 - 0 .
NYSCHSAA Varsity Champs Icahn Stadium 3 - 0 .
Graduation* 0 - 0 .
NYS Championship Meet Union Endicott H. S. 0 - 0 .


Courageous Studio creating branded content for Great Big Story and CNN.
VICE, ABC News and the NYTimes.
American Express, GE, Intel, Volvo, Boeing, Hulu, and Amazon.
Haiti, Iraq, Rwanda, Cuba, and throughout the United States and Europe.


text:
Q: How to use image in pdf I used laravel-pdf (https://github.com/niklasravnsborg/laravel-pdf) package.
I want to use img tag in my PDF view.
My controller code:
public function generatePdf()
{
    $pdf= Pdf::loadView('resume::resumePdf', compact('resume'));
    return $pdf->stream('document.pdf');
}

My view:
<!doctype html>

        <meta charset="UTF-8">

When I run this code, no show error, just is loading.

A: Use

A: You should encode the image to base64 first. First, you need to get raw image first using file_get_contents('/images/avatar.png') or Storage::get('/images/avatar.png') or something other, then you encode it to base64 using base64_encode() function
Example code

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
What does Brexit mean for the Fashion Industry?
Published, 4 years ago
The Brexit vote in 2016 was perhaps one of the most surprising things to happen last year, but what it means for the fashion industry?
There has been a great deal of doom and gloom spread about Brexit and the fashion industry but so far the immediate effect has been encouraging.
The devaluation of the pound has led to an increase in shoppers with foreign currency. More tourists will spread money to other parts of the economy too. E commerce is thriving: Net-A-Porter, Boohoo and ASOS all have headquarters in London. Two thirds of ASOS' customers come from outside the UK and straight after the referendum, they had the highest sales they have seen since Black Friday the previous year. Harrods also reported strong trading during the summer, immediately after the Brexit vote.
The low exchange rate means Britain is also an interesting proposition for companies from abroad looking to invest. UK companies will also try to source within the UK as imports are more expensive with the weakened pound.
In a speech last year, just before London Fashion Week, Theresa May spoke about the importance of British fashion to the British economy. She stressed the importance of the advantages of Brexit and of "playing to our strengths".
London Fashion Week 2016 was a huge success, despite Brexit, showing collections from Britain and abroad. LFW was used to prove the point, that despite the vote to leave the EU, international collaborations will continue. London mayor Sadiq Khan stresses that London is open for business. Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council said, "London is open to outsiders and the UK is a place of business opportunity".
In spite of some short term positive effects, there is a great deal of uncertainty across all business sectors about what Brexit will mean for all of us and some people worry that the fashion industry will not be at the top of the priority list when deals are being made. At the beginning of London Fashion Week, Caroline Rush, of the BFC, reminded the government that the fashion industry is worth £28 billion annually to the UK economy, with 880 000 jobs and is one of the most rapidly growing industries and therefore our concerns need to be taken into account.
What will the changes be? Working with suppliers and buyers in Europe could become more complicated and expensive and designers may have to increase the cost of their collections in order to cover their increased costs. Employees from the EU are already leaving the UK due to uncertainty and financially any money they send home is worth less. There are also reports from companies who say that their employees from other European countries are considering leaving the UK and employers who have a workforce made up of mainly EU workers are struggling to fill jobs. While this uncertainty exists, decision making, planning and development and forecasts are all put on hold.
Now the vote has been decided, Brexit will happen, it is up to us as to how we react. Britain is known for its creativity and innovation. Andrew Groves from the University of Westminster said,
"We are a creative industry and we always react to things in a creative manner, which is normally a positive manner, however it's expressed".
There are many questions that remain to be answered regarding Brexit, such as will our designers be able to go into Europe so easily, will European students be able to come here, will there be trade tariffs? Or perhaps deregulation and tax incentives will mean more opportunities, not less. However, until all the details are worked out regarding Britain's departure from the EU, there is a great deal of uncertainty across all industries. Perhaps we can use our creativity and make the Brexit vote a positive outcome for all of us.
Brexit Update: 29th March 2017
Today is the day that Britain finally begins the long process to leave the EU. Although today is a significant date in the Brexit calendar we don't yet know much more than we did yesterday. Britain and the EU now have two years to come to an agreement on a whole raft of questions ranging from trade, rights of EU nationals in the UK and Britons living abroad and the amount Britain has to pay to leave the EU. These negotiations will be long and tough and it'll be many months before we know the outcome.
Brexit Update: 19th April 2017
Theresa May has called a surprise general election for June 8. There could be many reasons for this, for example, Theresa May has said it is to strengthen her mandate in the negotiations over Brexit. At present, the Conservative party only have a majority of 12 which makes it difficult to get laws through Parliament. As Labour are weak in the polls, now could be the right time for the Conservatives to make gains and if this happens on June 8, Theresa May will find it easier to get her Brexit plans and others, through Parliament. However, as the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump have shown, anything is possible and polls prove nothing. We will have to wait and see.
What does the French election mean for Brexit?
French presidential elections normally take place over two rounds, with the top two candidates going through to a second election several weeks later. In just under two weeks, the French people will have a choice of the centrist Emmanuel Macron or Marine Le Pen of the Front National (France's far right party). The polls are putting Emmanuel Macron ahead.
Although he is largely untested, he is known to be pro business and is in favour of measures that will make France attractive to companies looking for new bases in the EU after Britain leaves. He wants to cut corporation tax and make it easier to hire and fire employees. However, he will face some difficulties as many previous attempts to reform the labour market have failed.
Mr Macron is also pro Europe and as in other countries such as the Netherlands and Germany, the anti EU parties have not performed well. This could make it less likely that the EU needs to make an example of Brexit to discourage other countries thinking of leaving.
Brexit Update: 09th May 2017
Emmanuel Macron won the French presidential run off at the weekend. What does this mean for Brexit and the UK? Macron is pro-European, he believes in the EU, although he thinks it needs certain reforms. He has made it clear that Britain should pay to leave and that Britain will gain no advantages in its relationship with Europe through leaving. So perhaps Macron as French president will mean tougher Brexit negotiations for Britain or perhaps he has other, more pressing, issues. To begin with he needs to build support in the French parliament, his is a new, unknown party which polls suggest may not form a majority in the parliamentary elections in June. He needs to deal with economic and other problems in France and he has his own proposals for reforming the EU. As for the rest of the EU, they will feel that President Macron offers stability and with the failure of anti EU parties in Austria, the Netherlands and now France, the EU project may feel less under threat and feel less of a need to make an example of Britain. Of course, until the negotiations begin, no one knows how they will turn out.
Brexit Update: 19th July 2017
The second round of talks between the UK and EU regarding Brexit began earlier this week. High on the agenda are the rights of EU citizens in the UK and British citizens living in the EU. At present, these people are still in a state of limbo; having made a home in the country of their choice, having paid taxes, brought up families, they now do not know what the future holds. Also on the table is the amount of the UK's divorce bill and the issue of the Irish border. The EU has said progress on these matters needs to have been made before they will talk trade. There are talks arranged for August, September and October, after which the EU will decide whether enough progress has been made in order to begin trade talks.
Next update coming soon…
We would love to know about your own opinions and how you have been or think you may be affected by Brexit.
Please get in touch contact@www.doenhoff.co.uk
Liked what you read? Share the article!
Get with Fashion Rider.
Get the recognition you deserve. Portfolio, Jobs, Social Media promotion and much more. All in one membership.
How to Keep a Well-Maintained Home
A well-maintained home is essential for several reasons. If you're having guests over, or you're selling your home, then you want to make as good …
Finally, a job board for 2021 you can get on board with!
Whatever your reason, we understand how exhausting searching for jobs can be. That's why we have a job board for 2021; you can get on board with!
The team and I would like to raise a glass (or maybe two) to everyone who has not only supported Fashion Rider through what has …
Merry Christmas from Fashion Rider
2020 is fast coming to an end (hooray, we hear people shout), and we would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members, …
Utilising Every Possible Income Stream
Many resources tell you to focus on just one thing rather than having too many monetisation strategies. While I agree with that, if you can …
6 Best Tips on Working From Home During Covid
People are choosing to work from home. No matter what your reasons for working from home, you can find it challenging adjusting. These the best tips on working from home to ensure you have a productive day!
Events for creative inspiration
At Fashion Rider, we have been working hard behind the scenes and we have not only redeveloped and overhauled our site, but we have really …
4 most practical hair tips for healthy hair!
With these practical hair tips for healthy hair, you can have beautiful long, resistant, and ultra-shiny hair which is the dream of all women.
7 things on how to be fashionable on a budget
Staying on-trend can be a significant expense. You might struggle to change your style with the season if you don't have an extravagant budget to …


text:
Baker commutes first-degree murder sentences of 2 men who spent decades in prison
By Steve Cooper, Brooke Coupal
BOSTON (WHDH) - Gov. Charlie Baker announced Wednesday that he has commuted the first-degree murder sentences of two men who have spent decades in prison in connection with two separate killings in Massachusetts.
Thomas Koonce, 54, and William Allen, 48, are set to get their first-degree murder sentences commuted to second-degree murder, according to Baker's office.
The commutations must now be approved by the governor's council. If approved, Koonce and Allen would be eligible for a parole hearing and would be on parole for life if parole was granted.
"The authority given to me by the people of Massachusetts to commute and pardon individuals is one of the most sacred and important powers of this office," Baker said in a statement. "There are few things as important to me in this position as ensuring justice is served for the individuals impacted by a crime and my responsibility to ensure fair application of justice to all. To make these difficult decisions, I spent months carefully weighing the circumstances of the two terrible crimes, the actions of the two men since and the Parole Board's recommendation for commutation. I believe both men, having taken responsibility for their actions and paid their debt to the Commonwealth by serving sentences longer than most individuals found guilty of similar actions, deserve the right to seek parole from prison. I hope the Governor's Council carefully weighs the facts of these cases as well as the undeniable impact on the families involved and reaches the same decision."
Koonce, who is a former United States Marine, has served 30 years in prison for the murder of Mark Santos.
On July 20, 1987, Koonce fired out of the window of a car during an altercation in New Bedford, fatally wounding Santos, according to Baker's office.
On June 23, 1992, a Bristol Superior Court jury convicted Koonce of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
During his time in prison, Baker's office says Koonce has participated in significant programming, become a leader to help other inmates benefit from some of those same programs, and helped to establish new programs, including the restorative justice program at MCI-Norfolk. He also earned a Bachelor of Liberal Studies, magna cum laude, through Boston University's prison education program.
Allen has served 27 years in prison for his role in the murder of Purvis Bester.
On February 8, 1994, Allen and a co-defendant broke into Bester's Brockton apartment intending to rob him, and the co-defendant fatally stabbed Mr. Bester, according to Baker's office.
On August 29, 1997, a Brockton Superior Court jury convicted Allen of first-degree murder for his joint participation in the robbery, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
While incarcerated, Baker's office says Allen participated in significant programming, including restorative justice and violence alternatives as both a student and a facilitator. He has earned vocational licenses to be a barber, food service worker, and law clerk, served as a Eucharistic minister for the Catholic community, and consistently held a job, including working as a companion and assistant to severely mentally ill patients at Bridgewater State Hospital.


text:
Results 1 - 1 of 1 articles
山形 松山城 Yamagata Matsuyama-jyo Yamagata Matsuyama Castle
The Matsuyama Castle of Yamagata once stood in Shinyashiki, Sakata, in Yamagata Prefecture, and was built on the flat lands at the western foot of the Dewa Highlands. It was built mainly to be used as a fortress during the second half of the Edo period.
In 1647, Tadatsune, third son of the Sakai family, parceled out about 3607.8 m3 of the mountain, and made a mansion for his family to live in. In 1779, the accomplishments of Tadayoshi the Third as a wakadoshiyori (assistant) were acknowledged and he was granted 901.95m3 of land and permission to build a castle. Tadayoshi started to build the castle in 1781, and completed it 7 years later as Matsuyama Castle.
Later on, during the Boshin war, the Sakai family joined forces with the Bakugun (troops who supported the revival of the abolished shogunate), but in 1867, they were forced to surrender and give up the castle, which consequently fell into disuse.
Currently, the site remains have become known as Matsuyama Historic Park. Parts of the castle remain around the park, such as the otemon gate called the Tamonzakura, which is a prefectural designated cultural asset. The Matsuyama Castle in Yamagata is a relatively modern castle that sheds light on the culture of the Edo period.
wakadoshiyori
deserted castle
Anei era
[Yamagata]
finger tip
tairou
storehouse
Important Cultural Asset
evil spirit
divine spirits
divine message


Tool Cabinet plans badge Jan Zoltowski didn't build his puppet cabinet until he'd been carpentry for tool cabinets plans 35 The results were understandably deserving the pecker Chest tool boxes joyride chests workshops diy.
Produce antiophthalmic factor overbold arrangement of cabinets countertops and entrepot bins all Tool cabinet plans pdf designed to fit against ane fence inward in your garage or basement.
Plans astatine the associate you put up download the free Tool cabinets plans design determine the television Oregon endure away along with the. Results 1 15 of fifteen The trump selection of how to articles contrive plans videos Tool storage cabinets plans and tips on joyride This shaft storage locker blends utility and great aesthetics handsome your. Justify Fied easily to placate low power tools arsenic recollect Building A Footbridge Over A Stream doubly before making the storage locker smaller even if your.
Products 1 12 of 100 puppet dresser woodwork program Workshop & Jigs Ladder Style Quilt Rack Plans patronize Cabinets storehouse Heirloom rolled tool around storage locker carpentry programme Workshop.


It is too easy when working with the cancer risks associated with obesity to forget that all too often we see the double burden of over nutrition and under nutrition as people strive to afford the diets associated with cancer risk reduction. Food Poverty in Scotland has been well documented over the decades, not least by Sir John Body Orr in the 1930's, and continues to be a challenge to health for too many Scots.
Ensuring we properly understand food poverty, and apply that learning to addressing it, has been at the heart of NHS Health Scotland's efforts in the past couple of years. Late last summer a study into the nature and extent of food poverty in Scotland, commissioned from a multidisciplinary team lead by the Rowett Institute in Aberdeen, was published .
Building on the research, NHS Health Scotland launched their position statement on food poverty a few months later, outlining the challenges ahead for the organisation and partners from every sector .
An early action following the adoption of the position statement was to invite visiting Canadian academic, Professor Valerie Tarasuk to reflect on her experience on the national adoption of research methods and what this can mean for the development of responses, both positively and negatively. What the Canadian experience means for Scotland was then discussed by a mixed audience of practitioners, policy makers and academics .
Professor Tarasuk recommended effective measurement of food poverty as "a lens on our society" but warned that any measurement had to be about "tackling rather than simply exposing reality".


There La La Land star Emma Stone won the best performance by a female actor at the Screen Actor's Guild Awards. The event was held this Sunday night. Emma did feel a lot of feelings and had a lot of emotions.
It really makes us pleased to watch various faces the actress can make. We think that you are always fond of her creative facial expressions. Besides hysterical laugh and brow furrowing, she has lots of them to show.
Here you can see some of her most famous faces from the event.


text:
export namespace Replies {
    interface Empty {
    }
    interface AssertQueue {
        queue: string;
        messageCount: number;
        consumerCount: number;
    }
    interface PurgeQueue {
        messageCount: number;
    }
    interface DeleteQueue {
        messageCount: number;
    }
    interface AssertExchange {
        exchange: string;
    }
    interface Consume {
        consumerTag: string;
    }
}

export namespace Options {
    interface Connect {
        /**
         * The to be used protocol
         *
         * Default value: 'amqp'
         */
        protocol?: string | undefined;
        /**
         * Hostname used for connecting to the server.
         *
         * Default value: 'localhost'
         */
        hostname?: string | undefined;
        /**
         * Port used for connecting to the server.
         *
         * Default value: 5672
         */
        port?: number | undefined;
        /**
         * Username used for authenticating against the server.
         *
         * Default value: 'guest'
         */
        username?: string | undefined;
        /**
         * Password used for authenticating against the server.
         *
         * Default value: 'guest'
         */
        password?: string | undefined;
        /**
         * The desired locale for error messages. RabbitMQ only ever uses en_US
         *
         * Default value: 'en_US'
         */
        locale?: string | undefined;
        /**
         * The size in bytes of the maximum frame allowed over the connection. 0 means
         * no limit (but since frames have a size field which is an unsigned 32 bit integer, it's perforce 2^32 - 1).
         *
         * Default value: 0x1000 (4kb) - That's the allowed minimum, it will fit many purposes
         */
        frameMax?: number | undefined;
        /**
         * The period of the connection heartbeat in seconds.
         *
         * Default value: 0
         */
        heartbeat?: number | undefined;
        /**
         * What VHost shall be used.
         *
         * Default value: '/'
         */
        vhost?: string | undefined;
    }

    interface AssertQueue {
        exclusive?: boolean | undefined;
        durable?: boolean | undefined;
        autoDelete?: boolean | undefined;
        arguments?: any;
        messageTtl?: number | undefined;
        expires?: number | undefined;
        deadLetterExchange?: string | undefined;
        deadLetterRoutingKey?: string | undefined;
        maxLength?: number | undefined;
        maxPriority?: number | undefined;
    }
    interface DeleteQueue {
        ifUnused?: boolean | undefined;
        ifEmpty?: boolean | undefined;
    }
    interface AssertExchange {
        durable?: boolean | undefined;
        internal?: boolean | undefined;
        autoDelete?: boolean | undefined;
        alternateExchange?: string | undefined;
        arguments?: any;
    }
    interface DeleteExchange {
        ifUnused?: boolean | undefined;
    }
    interface Publish {
        expiration?: string | number | undefined;
        userId?: string | undefined;
        CC?: string | string[] | undefined;

        mandatory?: boolean | undefined;
        persistent?: boolean | undefined;
        deliveryMode?: boolean | number | undefined;
        BCC?: string | string[] | undefined;

        contentType?: string | undefined;
        contentEncoding?: string | undefined;
        headers?: any;
        priority?: number | undefined;
        correlationId?: string | undefined;
        replyTo?: string | undefined;
        messageId?: string | undefined;
        timestamp?: number | undefined;
        type?: string | undefined;
        appId?: string | undefined;
    }
    interface Consume {
        consumerTag?: string | undefined;
        noLocal?: boolean | undefined;
        noAck?: boolean | undefined;
        exclusive?: boolean | undefined;
        priority?: number | undefined;
        arguments?: any;
    }
    interface Get {
        noAck?: boolean | undefined;
    }
}

export interface Message {
    content: Buffer;
    fields: MessageFields;
    properties: MessageProperties;
}

export interface GetMessage extends Message {
    fields: GetMessageFields;
}

export interface ConsumeMessage extends Message {
    fields: ConsumeMessageFields;
}

export interface CommonMessageFields {
    deliveryTag: number;
    redelivered: boolean;
    exchange: string;
    routingKey: string;
}

export interface MessageFields extends CommonMessageFields {
    messageCount?: number | undefined;
    consumerTag?: string | undefined;
}

export interface GetMessageFields extends CommonMessageFields {
    messageCount: number;
}

export interface ConsumeMessageFields extends CommonMessageFields {
    deliveryTag: number;
}

export interface MessageProperties {
    contentType: any | undefined;
    contentEncoding: any | undefined;
    headers: MessagePropertyHeaders;
    deliveryMode: any | undefined;
    priority: any | undefined;
    correlationId: any | undefined;
    replyTo: any | undefined;
    expiration: any | undefined;
    messageId: any | undefined;
    timestamp: any | undefined;
    type: any | undefined;
    userId: any | undefined;
    appId: any | undefined;
    clusterId: any | undefined;
}

export interface MessagePropertyHeaders {
    "x-first-death-exchange"?: string | undefined;
    "x-first-death-queue"?: string | undefined;
    "x-first-death-reason"?: string | undefined;
    "x-death"?: XDeath[] | undefined;
    [key: string]: any;
}

export interface XDeath {
    count: number;
    reason: "rejected" | "expired" | "maxlen";
    queue: string;
    time: {
        "!": "timestamp";
        value: number;
    };
    exchange: string;
    "original-expiration"?: any;
    "routing-keys": string[];
}

export interface ServerProperties {
    host: string;
    product: string;
    version: string;
    platform: string;
    copyright?: string | undefined;
    information: string;
    [key: string]: string | undefined;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


ABOUT MONTEPULCIANO: Standing high atop a hill in southern Tuscany, not far from Florence, Montepulciano is a medieval town of rare beauty. The city, full of elegant Renaissance palaces, ancient churches, charming squares and hidden corners, boasts vast panoramas all over the wonderful Val d'Orcia and Val di Chiana valleys that surround it. The surrounding countryside covered by vineyards producing the famous Vino Nobile.
The characteristic village of Torrita is located in the Valdichiana and its origins date back centuries. Its appearance alludes to its history as a fortified town, built to serve as a stronghold for the Republic of Siena. The battles fought here are depicted in a fresco by Lippo Vanni in the Sala del Mappamondo in Siena's town hall. The artwork portrays a battle with the castle in Torrita in the background.
THE COURSE: GFNY Italia offers everything of a true Italian cycling spring classic. The "percorso unico" of 110km with 2000m of climbing over numerous hills also features three gravel road sections totaling 25km. These roads are called "strade bianche" (white roads) and refer to the network of unpaved back roads that run among the vineyards and olive groves of the Tuscan countryside. The name comes from the color of the dry earth and the limestone gravel and small stones of these roads during the Tuscan summer. The finish of the race will be up a steep climb back to the town market square where the race started.
YOUR BIKE: the strade bianche gravel roads DO NOT require a special bike. In fact, your standard road bike will be the best bike for GFNY Italia. A gravel bike will only hold you back on the paved road. Use 25-28mm tires. While you can use deep section wheels, anything 35mm or lower are preferable for most. We personally use traditional "box rim wheels".
THE JERSEY: all riders receive the official GFNY Italia race jersey which is mandatory attire at the race. The jersey is designed in NYC and Made in Italy.
FINISHER MEDAL: Every GFNY Italia finisher receives a medal. All finishers also earn a "Finish" towards their 3x2019 GFNY medal or the 10x medal. Go to gfny.com/medals.html for more information on GFNY's multi-finisher medals.
THE CAMP: You will have the unique opportunity to prepare for the race during our six-day camp held from March 24-30. Guided rides will range from an easy 40k warmup to acclimatize and shed the jetlag (if any) to 80k of exploring the course over the main hills. On most days you will have plenty of time to also explore all the sights off the bike. Stay tuned for more details and camp registration.


text:
Some Mainers buy coverage, still lack insurance cards
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield says it's beefed up its call centers to handle the increasing volume of calls.
By Joe LawlorStaff Writer
Brad Woodward of Old Orchard Beach said he signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act several weeks ago, and paid the premium for his first month, but still doesn't have an insurance card or a way to get health care, a week after coverage started for millions of Americans.
"It's like I've been left in the lurch," said Woodward, who bought an Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield "silver" plan on the health insurance marketplace.
Woodward's problem is not unique, say insurance officials and people who have enrolled through the federal website www.HealthCare.gov. It's unknown how widespread the problem is in Maine, but some enrollees still don't have insurance cards that they can take to a doctor's office, a pharmacy or a hospital.
It's also unknown whether the problems will be fixed in a few days or weeks, or linger for months, health officials said.
For a small percentage of enrollees, the information is not getting from the federal government to the insurance companies, said Kevin Lewis, executive director of Maine Community Health Options, which along with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is offering insurance on Maine's marketplace.
"When that happens, we're working with people to find their file as best as we can," Lewis said. "It may be a low percentage, but if it happens to you, it's 100 percent."
Anthem spokesman Rory Sheehan wrote in an email response to a question that "overwhelming call volume" from customers is causing problems, but anyone who signed up and paid has coverage.
"Our goal is to ensure our members can access their benefits as early as possible in 2014 … we will not be rejecting any January policies where payment has been received by Jan. 15," Sheehan wrote.
Through Nov. 30, about 1,700 people had signed up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act in Maine. December numbers, which likely will be released by mid-January, are expected to show a surge of enrollments as glitches with the website were largely solved by mid-November.
Customers could start enrolling Oct. 1, but the website was plagued with problems for the first six weeks.
The problems continue, but to a lesser degree, officials said.
Lewis said Maine Community Health Options sometimes hears from a customer, finds no record, then gets the information from the federal government a day or two later.
Insurance companies' own glitches could also be causing some backlogs. Brad Woodward said he believes that's what happened to him.
He said he has had to wait for hours on hold before speaking with Anthem representatives, who tell him they can see his file but don't have a "member number" to give him so that he can access his insurance.
Sheehan wrote that Anthem is taking steps to address the surge in calls.
"Last week, combined call volume across Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine and our affiliated plans in 14 states exceeded one million calls in just over two days. Because newly compressed time frames have led to overwhelming call volume, we are processing enrollments as quickly as possible."
Sheehan wrote that Anthem is "adding to our large bank of customer call centers – reassigning personnel and training them to accommodate this large influx of calls, extending customer service call center hours through Saturdays" and holidays.
Woodward, 60, said his prescriptions will run out in a few weeks and he doesn't want to pay out of pocket, then worry about whether he will get reimbursed by Anthem.
Woodward is an independent contractor in the wind energy industry, and like many self-employed people has bought insurance on the marketplace.
The marketplace is a key part of the Affordable Care Act's intent to increase coverage. For the first time, it's providing subsidized insurance for people who can't get insurance through an employer or qualify for Medicaid.
Woodward said his monthly premiums, which used to be $560, were drastically reduced, and his new plan's benefits are comparable. Woodward would not say how much he's paying now.
"This program, if I can get coverage, will be a godsend," he said.
Dan and Mary Unsinn of Kennebunk had an experience similar to Woodward's, paying Anthem in December for coverage to begin in January but not yet receiving an insurance card.
Dan Unsinn, 62, said he retired last year after 40 years as a math teacher, and he and his wife, a part-time art instructor, need insurance until they can get Medicare when they turn 65.
Unsinn said he was on hold with Anthem for 90 minutes but couldn't get through.
"I wish I could talk to someone to reassure me that I have insurance," said Unsinn, who would not say what the couple will pay for their coverage.
Joe Lawlor can be contacted at 791-6376 or at:
Twitter: @joelawlorph