Finland is one of the few countries left in the world which still celebrates Midsummer, the longest day of the year, as a major public holiday. In the pre-Christian era, much of Europe celebrated this time of year with festivals and rituals, which today are generally only practiced by neo-pagans. As Scandinavia was one of the last areas of Europe to be Christianised, the tradition has remained.
The most prevalent tradition is to spend the holiday weekend relaxing at a lakeside or island cottage for isolation in natural surroundings. It is such a common practice that the cities will become almost like ghost towns for the weekend. If you aren't invited to a cottage yourself, there are plenty that you can rent out.
Like Christmas, Midsummer is a popular time for visiting friends and relatives. Younger people who can't yet afford their own summer houses will usually be invited to spend the holiday at their parent's or grandparent's cottage. Unlike Christmastime, there isn't a social obligation to visit every single relative or exchange gifts. It is simply a chance to unwind and have fun together in an informal setting.
You will likely be able to catch or find your dinner yourself while staying in the country. Going boating and catching fish to be grilled later are common Midsummer activities. It is also an ideal time for picking berries, which can be used in multiple different desserts.
One tradition surviving from pagan times is the building of the Midsummer bonfire and lighting it around sunset. This is done by gathering large fallen branches from the surrounding forest and building a large fire, usually close to the waterside. The fire is used for telling stories, singing songs or for cooking campfire food – such as grilled sausages, s'mores, pancakes or the fish caught earlier.
Its association with ancient religions means that Midsummer is still often seen as a time when spirits are more active and easier to spot. Will-o-wisps are said to be frequent around Midsummer, usually appearing as balls of light over lakes. Finnish folk legends say that they indicate the location of hidden treasure or faerie gold. Other stories say never to follow the wisps as they will lead a person to doom.
Neo-pagans still regularly cast spells or perform rituals around Midsummer due to its supposed heightened spiritual activity. The association of June weddings make it an especially popular time for performing love divinations. One tradition which is still performed today says that if an unmarried women gathers seven different types of flowers and places them under her pillow, she will dream about her future husband. Another version says that if a girl gathers nine different flowers from nine different meadows, she will meet her husband on Midsummer's eve.
Being with loved ones in the middle of the country makes Midsummer a popular time for taking a group sauna. At a summer cottage this is usually done in the traditional manner – lighting the fire with wood, hitting the skin with birch branches to improve circulation, and cooling off with a dip in the water.
Even if post-sauna skinny dipping isn't for you, you can still take the rare opportunity for a night swim. The long daylight hours will warm up the water, so you can go swimming even after sunset in clean, clear water.
It wouldn't be a holiday without plenty of drink to go along with it. However, this means that the one downside to Finnish Midsummer is that the amount of alcohol consumed can lead to some rowdy behaviour. There is a highly morbid tradition of the news reporting how many deaths have resulted from too much drinking around large bodies of water.
But as long as you drink responsibly, sharing beers is a perfect accompaniment to a bonfire, sauna or dinner.
If relaxing in the countryside isn't to your taste, there are plenty of Midsummer parties as well. Music festivals are frequently held around the holiday for all genres of music. This includes the Haapavesi Folk Music Festival, Music in Ruovesi, and the beginning of the Gergiev Festival Mikkeli.
No matter where you are celebrating Midsummer this year, the Finnish traditions of good food, good company and taking a break from daily life are some of the best ways to welcome the summer.


The HiyaHiya Double Pointed Needles are wonderfully lightweight, smooth and strong. Our Double Pointed Needles are available in bamboo, steel and sharp. The come in sets of five and are perfect for all circular knitting projects.


Third Party Candidate is an American Amber/Red Ale. This collaboration is a 50/50 blend of Clown Shoes Eagle Claw Fist and Three Heads Loopy Oatmeal Red Ale. This has been aging on the shelf for 1 year. I picked this up on sale, and I just might pick up a couple more! Although this is a 10% ABV beer I am a bit surprised it has aged so well. The beer is sweet and malty but still has a surprising hop kick after a year. I'm familiar with Eagle Claw Fist (which was a great hoppy Imperial Red, sad to see it retired) but I really like what the Loopy Oatmeal Red is adding. Compared to Eagle Claw Fist itself it has a bit bigger mouth-feel and some actual oatmeal flavor is coming out as it warms. This is a pretty damn good beer that should have been off our shelves long before a trip to the sale bin! Worth picking up if you find one collecting dust somewhere.


text:
\section*{Acknowledgments}
We acknowledge financial support by the Labex ACTION
program (Contract No. ANR-11-LABX-0001-01).
We are grateful to D. Van Labeke for fruitful discussion and helps in the implementation of the monomodal modal method.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


This is one of the most popular style of drinking glasses we sell all around Australia. They are used mostly by restaurants, bars, hotels and cafes for serving, water, juices and other drinks in this stylishly designed glass.
They are a very durable glass which are specifically made for commercial use where they are repeatedly put through dishwashers and served up to customers constantly over the glasses lifetime.
These are sold in a Bulk lot of 12 glasses here, they are not available in smaller quantities.


text:
package org.apache.geode.management.internal.beans;

import org.apache.geode.management.DistributedRegionMXBean;
import org.apache.geode.management.EvictionAttributesData;
import org.apache.geode.management.FixedPartitionAttributesData;
import org.apache.geode.management.MembershipAttributesData;
import org.apache.geode.management.PartitionAttributesData;
import org.apache.geode.management.RegionAttributesData;

/**
 * System-wide aggregate of a named Region. Provides high-level view of a Region for all members
 * hosting and/or using it.
 *
 *
 */
public class DistributedRegionMBean implements DistributedRegionMXBean {

  DistributedRegionBridge bridge;

  public DistributedRegionMBean(DistributedRegionBridge bridge) {
    this.bridge = bridge;
  }

  @Override
  public long getCacheListenerCallsAvgLatency() {

    return bridge.getCacheListenerCallsAvgLatency();
  }

  @Override
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    return bridge.getCacheWriterCallsAvgLatency();
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  @Override
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    return bridge.getCreatesRate();
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  @Override
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    return bridge.getDestroyRate();
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  @Override
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    return bridge.getDiskReadsRate();
  }

  @Override
  public float getDiskWritesRate() {

    return bridge.getDiskWritesRate();
  }

  @Override
  public EvictionAttributesData listEvictionAttributes() {

    return bridge.getEvictionAttributes();
  }

  @Override
  public FixedPartitionAttributesData[] listFixedPartitionAttributesData() {

    return bridge.getFixedPartitionAttributesData();
  }

  @Override
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    return bridge.getFullPath();
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  @Override
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  @Override
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    return bridge.getHitCount();
  }

  @Override
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    return bridge.getHitRatio();
  }

  @Override
  public long getLastAccessedTime() {

    return bridge.getLastAccessedTime();
  }

  @Override
  public long getLastModifiedTime() {

    return bridge.getLastModifiedTime();
  }

  @Override
  public float getLruDestroyRate() {

    return bridge.getLruDestroyRate();
  }

  @Override
  public float getLruEvictionRate() {

    return bridge.getLruEvictionRate();
  }

  @Override
  public int getMemberCount() {

    return bridge.getMemberCount();
  }

  @Override
  public String[] getMembers() {

    return bridge.getMembers();
  }

  @Override
  public MembershipAttributesData listMembershipAttributes() {

    return bridge.getMembershipAttributes();
  }

  @Override
  public long getMissCount() {

    return bridge.getMissCount();
  }

  @Override
  public String getName() {

    return bridge.getName();
  }

  @Override
  public String getParentRegion() {

    return bridge.getParentRegion();
  }

  public String[] listSubRegionPaths(boolean recursive) {
    return bridge.listSubRegionPaths(recursive);
  }

  @Override
  public PartitionAttributesData listPartitionAttributes() {

    return bridge.getPartitionAttributes();
  }

  @Override
  public float getPutAllRate() {

    return bridge.getPutAllRate();
  }

  @Override
  public float getPutLocalRate() {

    return bridge.getPutLocalRate();
  }

  @Override
  public long getPutRemoteAvgLatency() {

    return bridge.getPutRemoteAvgLatency();
  }

  @Override
  public long getPutRemoteLatency() {

    return bridge.getPutRemoteLatency();
  }

  @Override
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    return bridge.getPutRemoteRate();
  }

  @Override
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    return bridge.getPutsRate();
  }

  @Override
  public RegionAttributesData listRegionAttributes() {

    return bridge.getRegionAttributes();
  }

  @Override
  public String getRegionType() {

    return bridge.getRegionType();
  }

  @Override
  public long getSystemRegionEntryCount() {

    return bridge.getSystemRegionEntryCount();
  }

  @Override
  public long getTotalDiskWritesProgress() {

    return bridge.getTotalDiskWritesProgress();
  }

  @Override
  public long getTotalDiskEntriesInVM() {

    return bridge.getTotalDiskEntriesInVM();
  }

  @Override
  public long getTotalEntriesOnlyOnDisk() {

    return bridge.getTotalEntriesOnlyOnDisk();
  }

  @Override
  public int getAvgBucketSize() {
    return bridge.getAvgBucketSize();
  }

  @Override
  public int getBucketCount() {
    return bridge.getBucketCount();
  }

  @Override
  public int getNumBucketsWithoutRedundancy() {
    return bridge.getNumBucketsWithoutRedundancy();
  }

  @Override
  public int getPrimaryBucketCount() {
    return bridge.getPrimaryBucketCount();
  }

  @Override
  public int getTotalBucketSize() {
    return bridge.getTotalBucketSize();
  }

  @Override
  public long getDiskTaskWaiting() {
    return bridge.getDiskTaskWaiting();
  }

  @Override
  public long getDiskUsage() {
    return bridge.getDiskUsage();
  }

  @Override
  public float getAverageReads() {
    return bridge.getAverageReads();
  }

  @Override
  public float getAverageWrites() {
    return bridge.getAverageWrites();
  }

  @Override
  public boolean isGatewayEnabled() {
    return bridge.isGatewayEnabled();
  }

  @Override
  public boolean isPersistentEnabled() {
    return bridge.isPersistentEnabled();
  }

  @Override
  public int getEmptyNodes() {
    return bridge.getEmptyNodes();
  }

  @Override
  public long getEntrySize() {
    return bridge.getEntrySize();
  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This Wifi Cam not only protects your House – it is also smart!
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text:
What's the explanation behind Obama's joke about Bernie Sanders?
I am French and not well-informed on everything happening with the US election. Hence my puzzled state when hearing the joke Obama made about Bernie Sanders:
You look like a million bucks. Or, to put it in some terms you will be able to relate to: you look like 37000 donations of $27 each.
Is it simply related to Bernie Sanders' philosophy about rich people? (As if saying this in terms of donation make it sounds more democratic?) Or is it related to some actual fact?
united-states campaigning barack-obama bernie-sanders fundraising
Joulin NicolasJoulin Nicolas
For a sitting President, it's a pretty good joke. Obama always had the best joke writers. – Apologize and reinstate Monica Feb 22 '19 at 16:22
The joke is referencing Sanders fundraising strategy.
His campaign targeted small donors, and managed to raise an unprecedented amount from online contributions. 27$ is a reference to the average online donation in January, a month when the money raised (~20mil) came almost exclusively from these online contributions.
Plus, that he (presumably) didn't get any major donations and doesn't understand what a million dollars is because of that. – user4012 Jun 14 '16 at 11:29
As a follow up : All thing considered, the "27$ average donation" looks more like a catch phrase than a real mean value. Does that sounds right ? – Joulin Nicolas Jun 14 '16 at 14:06
@JoulinNicolas The precise mean value changed over time as donations of different amounts came in. For a while the average really was $27 (after rounding) and in general it has hovered around that quantity. – Era Jun 14 '16 at 15:34
Twenty seven is also a funnier number to say than any other number in that range. It flows better. That matters. Guaranteed the speech writers didn't spend a few minutes deciding which number to use for maximum effect. – corsiKa Jun 14 '16 at 15:38
The Bernie campaign also heavily promoted their average $27 donation and included an option for that specific amount on their donation form. I'm sure this led to a more stable average for some time. – Comptonburger Jun 14 '16 at 22:42
Yannis was technically right, but his answer doesn't broach American culture, and culture is the framework for humor; hence why the Frenchman posed the question.
$27 is a popular punchline for the Bern (google "Bern your enthusiasm") as it's a metaphor for his grassroots campaign strategy, the most successful in history. When Clinton claimed on Twitter that she was "grassroots" with a million small donors, Sanders counter-tweeted that he had two million donors at an average of $27. Thus, it was a neutral joke for Obama to make, and relevant in its reflection on Bernie's political philosophy.
This was a focal point of Bernie's campaign as it highlighted his opposition to "Big Money", i.e. the abuses on Wall Street and the aftermath of Citizens United - a 2010 Supreme Court decision that justified the existence of Super PACs, which allow companies, unions, or individuals to indirectly make unlimited, anonymous donations to political campaigns. It is an incredibly controversial ruling, one that Obama and Sanders both strongly oppose, as it effectively silences the voice of the common people who cannot financially compete with modern corporations, on the basis that companies and unions are individuals, and that individuals vote with their dollar as a modality of the 1st amendment right to Freedom of Speech.
Bernie was the only candidate who did not have, or want, the support of Super PACs.
While Sanders may not want the support of any super PACs, he did have the support of (for example) National Nurses United for Patient Protection. It would be more accurate to say that he didn't recommend any super PACs, whereas many other campaigns actively endorse particular super PACs (an activity which may actually be illegal coordination but no one has been prosecuted for it). – Brythan Jun 16 '16 at 16:28
Isn't there a limit for donations of individuals? If Super PACs count as "individuals", why doesn't the limit apply to them, rendering them effectively useless? – Hans-Peter Störr Jun 16 '16 at 18:06
@histoerr That would make more sense as a separate question. The short answer is that SuperPACs are not PACs. They can't donate to campaigns at all. – Brythan Jun 22 '16 at 18:11
@hstoerr the technicality is that a Super-PAC is not "directly" related to a political campaign. They're not allowed to coordinate and work together. Thus, the Super-PAC donations are used for attacking other candidates (smear ads), as they're not allowed to directly "promote" the beliefs of their candidate (because how could they know those beliefs unless they coordinated?). So yes, there is a limit on donations made directly to the candidate, but Citizens United effectively circumvents that rule. – Zah Jun 22 '16 at 18:15
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged united-states campaigning barack-obama bernie-sanders fundraising .
Why are big tech companies Bernie Sanders' top donors?
What will Bernie Sanders have to do to get the Democratic nomination?
Is Bernie Sanders allowed to finance a trip to Vatican from campaign funds?
Bernie Sanders says his campaign has made the political establishment nervous
What is Bernie Sanders' "Political Revolution" supposed to overthrow?
What would Bernie Sanders look like in other political systems?
Why did the DNC try to prevent Bernie Sanders from getting the Democratic nomination?
What did Bernie Sanders do with all the cash from his 2016 campaign?
Why is it that Bernie Sanders is always called a "socialist"?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


§ 64.601   Definitions and provisions of general applicability.
are defined in 47 CFR 52.12(a)(1)(ii).
necessary core component of Internet-based TRS.
each other and the body.
identifies the calling party and may be used as the callback number.
standard transmission baud rate including 300, 1200, 2400, and higher.
in accordance with the procedures specified in this part.
(7) Baudot. A seven bit code, only five of which are information bits.
at a 45.5 baud rate.
voice-only interface, such as a switchboard.
notwithstanding sections 2(b) and 221(b) of the Act.
ten-digit telephone number to an iTRS user pursuant to § 64.611.
iTRS provider to change the user's default provider.
conversation to take place between an HCO user and a TTY user.
Numbering Directory to access point-to-point service.
such section may be amended from time to time.
is via the Internet, rather than the public switched telephone network.
provider that can be used to make and receive an IP Relay call.
American Numbering Plan telephone numbers.
place and receive non-relay video calls without the assistance of a CA.
expressively, using any necessary specialized vocabulary.
meaning set forth in § 67.1 of this chapter.
can repeat the words spoken by that person.
"telecommunications device for the deaf," and TT.
parties to be on the telephone line at the same time with the CA.
Numbering Directory selected based on a competitive bidding process.
efficiency of the TRS program.
accordance with the verification procedures specified in this part.
call from viewing the other party during a call.
CA types the response back to the person with the hearing disability.
conversation to take place between a VCO user and a TTY user.
provider that can be used to make and receive a VRS call.
Commission's interoperability and portability rules.


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text:
Home » Style » Beauty » 15 Truly Hottest Hollywood Women Over 40
15 Truly Hottest Hollywood Women Over 40
Fame 10 Staff
13 Young Celebrities Who Are Changing the World
It's no secret that the stress of the celebrity life can take its toll, especially as age sets in. However, many actresses seem to flourish as they grow older. We've read plenty of "Hottest Over 40" lists over the years and many of them just list off any celebrity that's reached the 40 mark, regardless of whether they're still hot. Not this list. This list has been hand-selected to include the 15 most stunning women over 40.
Here are 15 of the sexiest actresses over the age of 40 who prove that age really is just a number.
1. Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum is a TV host and model famous for posing on the cover of the swimsuit issue of "Sports Illustrated" and for her work with Victoria Secret. Heidi turned 40 on June 1 of 2013 and has four children.
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
Upbeat Headlines
10 Epic Celebrity Social Media Fails
12 Nerdy Actors Turned Hotties
12 Young Celebrities With Incredible Net Worth
10 Celebrity Acts Of Heroism
8 Celebrities Who Are Fighting Back Against Fat Shaming
2. Kate Beckinsale
Kate Beckinsale is an actress known for starring in the movie, "Much Ado About Nothing," as well as starring in many action movies. She has appeared on various Sexiest Women lists. Kate just turned 40 on July 26 of 2013 and has one child.
3. Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Hurley is a model and actress who's been associated with Estée Lauder for almost 20 years. She was nearly 40 when she appeared with Hugh Grant in a daring black Versace dress, which brought her instant media attention. Elizabeth has one son and is 48.
10 Celebrities With Serious Business Smarts
4. Christie Brinkley
Christie Brinkley is a model and actress who spent 25 years as the face of Cover Girl. She appeared multiple times on the cover of the swimsuit issue of "Sport's Illustrated," and various men's magazines have named her one of the most attractive women of all time. She is 59 and has three children.
lev radin / Shutterstock.com
7 of Hollywood's Cutest Celebrity Friendships
5. Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston is an actress who rose to fame as Rachel Green on the hit TV series, "Friends." She's been included on several lists, such as Best Dressed, Most Beautiful and Sexiest Women. "Men's Health" magazine voted her the sexiest woman of all time. She is 44 and has no children.
15 Hottest Male Celebrities Over 50!
6. Sofia Vergara
Sofia Vergara is an actress who stars in the TV series "Modern Family." She also had roles in several high-profile movies, including "New Year's Eve" and two Tyler Perry movies. She was included on "Maxim" magazine's Hot 100 listand named one of "People" magazine's 50 most beautiful people. She is 41 and has one son.
Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
14 Hottest Male Celebrities In Their 40s!
7. Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen is an American actress known for starring in various movies and TV series, including "Ed," "Modern Family" and "Boston Legal." She also briefly appeared on the series, "Lost." She is 43 and has three sons.
Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com
8. Halle Berry
Halle Berry is an actress known for her role in the movie "Boomerang," the "X-men" movie franchise and "Monster's Ball." She has been ranked on several lists, including FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World and "Esquire" magazine's Sexiest Woman Alive. She is 46 and has two children.
14 Truly Hottest Celebrities Over 60!
9. Cindy Crawford
Cindy Crawford is a model whose face has graced the covers of countless magazines. "Men's Health" magazine named her one of the 100 Hottest Women of All-Time, and she has ranked highly on a number of other such lists. She is 47 and has two children.
Can You Believe They're Friends?! 11 Unlikely Celebrity BFFs!
10. Molly Sims
Molly Sims is a model and actress who has appeared in various magazines, such as the swimsuit issue of "Sports Illustrated", in various comedy movies and in the drama, "Las Vegas." She is 40 years old and has one child.
11. Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue is an award-winning singer and an actress. She appeared in Australia's "Who" magazine as one of the 30 Most Beautiful People in the World. "Men's Health" magazine named her one of the 100 Hottest Women of All-Time. She is 45 and has no children.
The 10 Best Single Moms In Hollywood!
12. Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano is an actress who played Samantha Micelli on the 80s TV show "Who's the Boss?" She starred in "Charmed" and "Melrose Place" and has appeared nude in several erotic films. She is 40 and has one child.
13. Roselyn Sanchez
Roselyn Sanchez is a singer, actress and model who won the Miss American Petite and the Miss Puerto Rico Petite contests. She has been listed on several Most Beautiful and Sexiest Women lists. Roselyn is 40 and has no children.
Anton Oparin / Shutterstock.com
10 Celebrities Who Say No To Botox!
14. Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez is an actress and singer who rose to fame as a dancer on the TV show "In Living Color" and for her role in the movie "Selena." She was also an "American Idol" judge. She is well known for her sex appeal and curvaceous body. Jennifer is 44 and has twins.
9 Super Hot Female Celebs Who Are Total Nerds
15. Julie Benz
Julie Benz is an actress who appeared on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel," as well as many movies. Despite being physically fit due to her early skating career, Julie turned down a role on the movie "Eyes Wide Shut" because she didn't want to appear topless. She has no children and is 41.
CarlaVanWagoner / Shutterstock.com
Stars Born the Same Year: Can You Believe They're the Same Age?
30 Hottest Moms in Hollywood!
10 Shockingly Smart, Ivy League Celebrities
Celebrity Twins: 11 Famous Stars Who Have Twins
10 Stars with the Best Smiles!
The 12 Funniest Actresses in Hollywood
Charitable Celebs: 14 Stars Who Are Beautiful Inside and Out
Celebrity Geniuses: 12 Celebrities Who Are Crazy Smart!
8 Best Celebrity Moms
The Absolute Best Serums For Every Skin Type


This tattoo image is believed to have been originally created by Kyle at Vanguard Tattoo Studio located in Anderson, SC on or around Jan 21, 2018. The image, image's subject and the tattoo artwork involved in the image shown above are property of Vanguard Tattoo Studio.
Tattoo images by Kyle from Vanguard Tattoo Studio.
Tattoo images from Vanguard Tattoo Studio in Anderson, SC.
Tattoo Images near by in Anderson, SC.


text:
1959 Elizabeth 2022
Elizabeth Ann Morman
January 24, 1959 — January 21, 2022
Elizabeth Ann "Betty", "Liz" Morman (nee Harvey) was born on January 24, 1959 in Joliet, IL to parents Pat Biegun Harvey and the late Daniel "Don" Harvey. She passed away peacefully at home on January 21, 2022 with her loving husband, Dave Morman, at her side. They were married on May 4, 2013. Betty was a graduate of St. Francis Academy (JCA), class of 1977. She earned her Applied Science in Nursing Degree from Joliet Junior College in 1995. Betty was a member of the Psi Beta Honor Society. Upon her graduation, she was a cardiac ICU charge nurse at St. Margaret Mercy Hospital in Hammond, Indiana for 17 years. After leaving St. Margaret's, she worked for Drs. Dongas and Shroff at Heartland Cardiology in New Lenox, IL and for neurologists Dr. Kazkaz and the late Dr. McCahill. She was known during her working career as "Liz". Family and friends called her "Betty".
Betty and Dave lived in Channahon before moving to Sandwich 1 ½ years ago. Betty was known for her infectious laugh and off-beat sense of humor. She loved her career in nursing. While working in the hospital, she often stayed after her shift in the ICU to be with her patients as they were passing and assist their families after they passed.
Betty was preceded in death by her father, Daniel (Don) Harvey (1993); Her brother, Joseph Harvey (2013); Grandparents, Frank and Evelyn Biegun, Joseph and Ann Harvey; As well as a special aunt, Janice Latz (2021).
She is survived by her loving husband, Dave Morman; Mother, Pat Harvey; Her sons, Steven (Kari) Pantol, Joshua (Karin) Pantol; And was Nana to her adored 3 grandchildren, Kurt, Avery and Ben Pantol; Her sister, Pat (Sidney) Perrier; Brother, David (Kathleen) Harvey; Step daughters, Samantha Morman and Stephanie Morman; Step granddaughters, Adelaide Heaton and Charlie McCanless; Former husband, Don (Edie) Pantol; As well as a large extended family and friends.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, January 29, 2022 from 1:00 – 4:00 P.M. at Beverage Family Funeral Home, 104 Terry Street Sandwich, IL 60548. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Beverage Family Funeral Home. Online condolences may be made at www.beveragefamilyfh.com
There are no gallery images.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Elizabeth Ann Morman, please visit our flower store.
Beverage Family Funeral Home
104 Terry St, Sandwich, IL 60548


In here you should summarise the key elements of your marketing plan.
Today, with advent of new technologies and with increased competition, it is found that several organizations are deploying different and innovative marketing campaigns to increase the overall sales of the organization. The top-level management of these organizations need to launch new marketing strategies that will help them overcome the market challenges, market competition, and will also fulfil the sales objectives of the organization (Aaker, 2008).
The organization, further, needs to conduct market research before directly implementing the marketing plan for the given products of the organization. They need to determine the price, promotional strategy, place of promotion, and identify key features of the product that will help them attract more customers toward the given product (Arnerson, 2011).
Also, the marketing team of the organization needs to make sure that they are not only able to achieve required objectives of the organization but are also able to achieve the objective of sustainability in a given work environment.
The company needs to overcome different marketing challenges of the environment and accordingly place the products in the market so that they can easily target them to the intended customers in a given market. This report will discuss the marketing plan and will identify key marketing strategies that will assist the organization in achieving desired marketing objectives of the organization.
The purpose of the marketing team is to identify the key features of a given new product, determine the competitor's product and accordingly place the product in the market with a given marketing strategy that will differentiate the given product either on quality, pricing, or any other features (Arnerson, 2011). It will subsequently help them capture the attention of the target market in a given environment.
They will thereby deploy second stage of marketing strategies that will bring these customers to the retail outlets of the Electric Vehicles. The customers will be explained about the important features and benefits of this product so that customers can get complete knowledge of the product before making the final purchase.
Second, considering the launch of such electric vehicles in the market, it is also necessary to spread necessary awareness levels in the market so that customers can visit the stores and have a test trial of it. They need to have the experience of such products before making a final purchase call of this product (Brow, Bessant, & Lamming, 2013).
The role of the marketing team is thereby to bridge the gap between the sales team and the customers and thereby ensure that the customers are able to make the purchase of the product. In a given marketing plan, the objectives will be highlighted for the marketing team on how to attract the customers' attention while in the stores and what steps can be taken to close the final deal.
It is important to communicate with the customers and identify their major queries in the conversation. The marketing team should be able to provide satisfactory replies to such queries so that the problems of the customers can be resolved. The queries can be related to models, pricing, quality, and other benefits associated with a given product.
The marketing team can also deploy a promotions plan for the purpose of increasing the total sales of the electric vehicles at a given store. It will also help the organization to achieve required marketing and sales objectives of the organization in a given environment (Cooper, 2012).
The organization will be launching different product models that will have different performance capacities. Second, these products deliver high performance, offers other functionality compared to other vehicles, and also saves on pollution. Apart from design, technology, and quality, the product also offers safety and convenience to the customers.
Today, it is found that the issue of pollution related to different vehicles has increased in a given environment. Even, customers have become more aware of it and are searching for better products in the market that can help them resolve this issue. Hence, they might switch to such electric vehicles that can provide with similar performance, quality, and also assist in controlling pollution in a given environment (Cooper, 2012).
Hence, the marketing department of the organization needs to focus on the aspects of controlling pollution and delivering high performance while preparing the marketing plan of the organization. They also need to demonstrate visuals and other forms or presentation to spread more awareness on the given product.
The pricing of the product should be kept in alignment with the prices of other vehicles. Apart from the functionality of the given product, the top-level management can highlight certain features of the product such as technology, design, style, and other such features. It is important to deliver the message of sustainability through utilization of such vehicles to the intended customers.
It will help the company to remain competitive in the market environment and subsequently achieve more sales for the given products in the organization. It is important for the marketing team to determine the prices of other products in the market. They can also invest in research and development so that they can develop price-centric products for the customers.
The customers will be able to afford such products and hence the company can thereby target to a larger segment. It will subsequently help them achieve required targets from the sales perspective (Garay & González, 2012). However, the marketing team needs to monitor the pricing strategies on a frequent basis so that they can make necessary changes as and when required.
This is one of the major elements of the marketing mix and plays a vital role in the sales of the products. The company needs to focus on the aspects of advertising and promotions and thereby prepare the marketing plan to sell the electric vehicles in the market. Advertisements will help the organization to increase the awareness levels of the products in a given market.
Similarly, promotions will help the company to introduce new launching offers in the market. The customers should be informed about such offers through different forms of advertisement. However, the marketing team also needs to take into account budget considerations and constraints before preparing the promotions plan for a given product. They need to thereby choose the marketing channels wisely and subsequently manage them from the budget perspective (Liu et al., 2010).
The costs associated with such forms of marketing are high and it is important for the marketing team to determine the most appropriate marketing channels and mediums. They also need to allocate budgets separately for digital marketing to reach the intended target audience.
Further, they also need to look out for promotions through in-store advertisements and thereby capture the attention of the audience. It is important to communicate the desired message of advertising and promotions through such means to these customers to achieve required sales targets for the organization.
The organization needs to identify the places through which they will be able to sell these products. It is important to determine the stores and other such places from where these products can be delivered to the customers.
Further, the top-level management in association with the marketing department needs to identify the cities from where these products will be sold to the customers. They can thereby prepare the marketing strategies for each of the stores and accordingly sell the products from different locations.
They need to hire regional managers that will be looking after the sales and other processes of the organization (Chernenko & Sunderam, 2012). They will be also reporting to the senior management on the daily and monthly sales updates so that the top-level management can monitor the progress. They can also modify the strategies as and when required.
It will thereby help them achieve desired sales targets across different stores in multiples cities of a given nation. The marketing team, however, needs to carefully choose each of the store locations and also provide them with necessary support services to exceed the expectations of the customers.
It is important for the marketing team to communicate clearly about the objectives of the organization to the staff. They need to be trained on the modules of sales marketing, services marketing, and other affiliates form of marketing. Only then they will be able to deliver results as per the expectations of the organization (Menzly & Ozbas, 2010). Further, the marketing team needs to prepare the marketing plan after identifying the marketing mix for the given products - Electric Vehicles of the organization. They also need to undertake the market research before formulating the final marketing strategies of the organization.
The marketing team at the stores need to communicate clearly and explain about the major benefits of the product to the customers. They need to become more social and also focus on the services aspects of the product so that customers can get attracted to buy those products. It is important to think out-of-the-box for promotions to provide the best discount offers to the customers during the launching time.
It is equally important for the customers to get aware of such products and purchase them. The role of the marketing team in a given organization can thereby considered as vital from different perspectives. It will thereby help the organization to achieve required objectives in a given challenging environment.


Breast Cancer Action has never been your typical breast cancer organization. Since our founding 26 years ago, we've been challenging the mainstream approach to the breast cancer epidemic—and standing up to the cancer industry.
Will you donate $25 today?
We will never take corporate funding that could compromise our independence or make us think twice about calling out industry giants who pollute our bodies and profit off our illness. So you can trust that we will always put women's health first.
Too often, mainstream approaches to addressing breast cancer focus on individual "lifestyle choices" and ignore systemic inequities. At BCAction, we are very clear that the breast cancer epidemic is a social justice issue, reflecting systemic inequities.
for women living with, dying from, and at risk of breast cancer?
We're pushing for the passage of the Lymphedema Treatment Act with our partners, because too many women with lymphedema (a common and debilitating side effect of breast cancer treatment) can't afford treatments.
We're agitating for a ban on fracking and other extreme extraction methods that rely on known human carcinogens and endocrine disruptors because this toxic industry is a threat to the health of all of us, and people of color and low-income communities are impacted first and worst.
We're expanding our Think Before You Pink® campaign, because mainstream breast cancer culture too often alienates and silences women, including those with metastatic disease.
We do not settle for incremental changes that only benefit the privileged few. We are working for changes in how we prevent, diagnose, and treat breast cancer that will benefit all women, no matter who they are or where they live, work and play.
We rely on our grassroots supporters, NOT corporate polluters, to fund our work. Please donate $25 today.
We have a lot of work to do to achieve health justice for all women at risk of and living with breast cancer. But we've shown again and again that when people like you and me join together to demand change, we can win.


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Gabriela Basua and Vianey Lopez have garnered the most votes in their respective districts, according to Wednesday's semi-official election results.
Basua, 40, who heads the housing department in Port Hueneme, is ahead by 14 percentage points in District 5. Lopez, 31, a Hueneme School District trustee, is ahead by less than 6 percentage points in District 6.
Provisional and late mail-in ballots still need to be counted by the Ventura County Elections Division. Ballots received in the mail through Friday still qualify.
Incumbents in the Oxnard council, who survived a recall election just six months ago, handily won re-election.
Tim Flynn took more than half the votes in a mayoral race with three candidates. Flynn had 52 percent, or 12,906 votes while Aaron Starr had 30 percent, or 7,404 votes and Mario Quintana had 18 percent, or 4,471 votes.
Flynn will begin his fourth mayoral term.
Starr, who was running for mayor for the second time, led a controversial campaign to recall Flynn and council members Carmen Ramirez, Bert Perello and Oscar Madrigal. Voters in the May special election opted to keep the four targeted officials.
Ramirez and Perello also won decisively in their respective districts.
In District 2, Ramirez won with 58 percent, or 2,479 votes while Lance Ralston had 33 percent or 1,407 votes. Tai Hartley, who announced last month that she was dropping out of the race due to health reasons, had 8 percent, or 363 votes.
Perello, in District 1, won with 43 percent, or 3,125 votes. Behind him are Kari Cryder with 25 percent, or 1,811 votes; Ken Oplinger with 16 percent, or 1,169 votes; and Ambrosio Casanova with 15 percent, or 1,119 votes.
There were five City Council races on the Oxnard ballot but voters did not make decisions in all of them. This election is the first time Oxnard voted in a district-based system and the first time it is adding members to the City Council.
Instead of voting in an at-large system, voters chose their representative based on geographic districts. The mayor's race continues to be at-large but the council races are based on six neighborhood districts.
Once the results are certified, Oxnard will have seven people on the council. The two new members will be from the south Oxnard Districts 5 and 6.
If Basua and Lopez maintain their leads, more than half of the City Council will be Latino. Ramirez and Madrigal are the other two Latinos on the dais.
In District 5, Basua has the lead with 49 percent, or 1,676 votes. Elizabeth White, has 35 percent, or 1,195 votes and Larry Stein has 14 percent, or 464 votes.
Leading the District 6 pact is Lopez with 37 percent, or 902 votes. Close behind is Francine Castanon with 31 percent, or 764 votes. Carolina Gallardo-Magaña had 23 percent, or 559 votes and Luis Garcia-Moreira had 9 percent, or 215 votes.
Voters also got to consider at least one local measure in Oxnard. The ballot initiative to tax potential marijuana businesses, Measure G, received 79 percent of support.
In the neighborhood of Seabridge, voters considered three measures that are related to the community facilities districts. All three Seabridge measures easily passsed.
Measure F, which reduces the maximum special tax for property owners, had 92 percent of voters in support. Measure H, which limits the amount of special tax used on city staff overhead, has 91 percent of voters in support. Finally, 93 percent of voters back Measure I, which limits how much the Harbor Patrol charges the Seabridge district.
All ballot measures needed a simple majority, or more than 50 percent, to pass.


CADILLAC, Mich. — A Michigan man is accused of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl during a conversation about bullying.
Aaron Stillwell of Reed City was charged and arraigned on one count of CSC 2nd degree.
The girl told her mother that when her and her family were living with the 25-year-old for two years, she confided in him about bullying, and that's when the assault took place.
The girl told her mother in March, and charges came with a few weeks, according to the Michigan State Police.


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Joan Benoit Samuelson (born May 16, 1957) is an American marathon runner who was the first women's Olympic Games marathon champion, winning the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She held the fastest time for an American woman at the Chicago Marathon for 32 years after winning the race in 1985. Her time at the Boston Marathon was the fastest time by an American woman at that race for 28 years. She was inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 2000.

Competitive life and Boston Marathon victories
Born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Benoit took to long-distance running to help recover from a broken leg suffered while slalom skiing. At Bowdoin College she excelled in athletics. In 1977, after two years at Bowdoin, she accepted a running scholarship to North Carolina State, where she began concentrating solely on her running. She earned All-America honors at NC State in both 1977 and 1978, and in 1978 helped lead the Wolfpack to the Atlantic Coast Conference cross-country championship. She won the Broderick Award (now the Honda Sports Award) as the nation's best female collegiate cross country runner for 1979–80.

After returning to Bowdoin to complete her degree, she entered the 1979 Boston Marathon as a relative unknown. She won the race, wearing a Boston Red Sox cap, in 2:35:15, knocking eight minutes off the competition record. In 1981, she captured the U.S. 10,000 meter championship, posting a time of 33:37.50. Despite having surgery on her Achilles tendons two years earlier, she repeated her marathon success with a victory in 1983, setting a course record of 2:22:43. That took more than two minutes off the world's best time, set by Norway's Grete Waitz in the London Marathon only a day earlier. Her Boston record was not broken for another 11 years.

Olympic success and later life

In March 1984, Benoit injured her knee severely during a 20-mile training run, forcing her to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery just 17 days before the United States Olympic Women's Marathon Trials were scheduled. However, she recovered from the surgery much more quickly than expected, and was the favorite in the trials, at Olympia, Washington. She beat runner-up Julie Brown by 30 seconds, winning in 2:31:04. Three months later, she competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, winning the first Olympic Women's Marathon in 2:24:52, several hundred meters ahead of Grete Waitz, Rosa Mota, and Ingrid Kristiansen.

Benoit enjoyed success at non-marathon distances as well, winning the prestigious Falmouth Road Race (7.1 miles) a total of six times (1976, 1978, 1981–1983, and 1985), breaking the course record on four of those occasions.

Although she won the 1985 Chicago marathon, defeating Kristiansen and Mota in an American Record time of 2:21:21 (that would last as the AR for 18 years until broken by Deena Kastor in 2003 in London), Benoit was hampered for some years after her Olympic victory by injuries and struggled to compete in major races. She received the 1985 James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States.

Benoit wrote Running Tide (1987) and Running for Women (1995).

In 1998 she founded the Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race, a  race held in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, each August, going from Crescent Beach State Park to Fort Williams Park and Portland Head Light. The race attracts many of the world's top distance runners. Elite runners often run this race and then, the following weekend, run the Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Benoit won that race several times, and ran it last in 2022, finishing as the 69th woman overall and first in her age group.

In 2003, at age 46, Benoit won the Maine half-marathon, defeating a field dominated by runners two decades her junior, and she was faster than all but six men overall, finishing in 1:18. In 2006, she helped pace former cycling champion Lance Armstrong as he competed in the New York City Marathon. At the 2008 US Olympic Team trials, at the age of 50, she finished in 2:49:08, setting a new US 50+ record and beating her personal goal at the time of a mid-2:50s marathon. When she ran the New York City Marathon on November 1, 2009, she broke the Senior Masters record for runners older than 50 with a final time of 2:49:09. On October 10, 2010, she ran 2:47:50 for 43rd place at the Chicago Marathon—the site of her American record a quarter century earlier—missing her goal of qualifying for an eighth Olympic Marathon Team Trials race by 1:50, but recording the fastest-ever performance by a woman over 52. Later that month she ran in the Athens Classic Marathon for fun and finished in 3:02, the slowest time of her career; she was not fully healed from her Chicago performance. In April 2011, Joan competed in the Boston Marathon, completing the course in 2:51:29 and placing 1st in her age group. Between 2013 and 2015, Samuelson ran the Boston Marathon each year, and setting three of the four fastest marathon times for the 55-59 age group.  None are recognised by the World Masters Athletics since the Boston Marathon course does not comply with IAAF regulations.  Her times are 2:50:33 (2013), 2:52:15 (2014), and 2:54:26 (2015).  In 2019, Benoit ran the Boston Marathon again, forty years after her 1979 win. She had hoped to be within 40 minutes of her 1979 time, but did even better than that with a time of 3:04:00, within thirty minutes of her winning time, again winning her age group (60-64).

Winning the race four times, Benoit has run the Bix 7 road race in Davenport, Iowa, annually since 1983. A bronze statue of Benoit and Bill Rodgers was erected near the Bix finish line in 2007.

Benoit resides in Freeport, Maine, where the high school athletic complex is named the "Joan Benoit Samuelson Track and Field". In addition to her running, she currently serves as a coach to women's cross-country and long-distance athletes, and is a motivational speaker and sports commentator. She is featured on the Nike+ iPod system as one of the congratulatory voices. Benoit and husband Scott Samuelson have two children, daughter Abby and son Anders, who are runners in their own right, and shared the running of the 2014 Boston Marathon with their mother.

She was inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in 1998, the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 2000, the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2004 and the USATF Masters Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2017, a plaque honoring her was unveiled in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum's Court of Honor.

In 2019, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of her first Boston Marathon win, Benoit and her daughter Abby ran together as they had done in previous marathons. Joan recorded a run time of 3:04:00, which was within 40 minutes of her original time which was a promise she had made prior to competing in this years edition of the Boston Marathon. This allowed her to win her age group (60-64) by nearly nine minutes, but falling short of the overall (3:01:30) fastest time by a woman over 60 in a marathon.

Notable marathoning achievements
All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise

AG = Samuelson is credited with winning her age group at the 2013 and 2019 Boston Marathon.  The 2013 race is the fastest marathon by a woman age 55–59 but is not recognised by World Masters Athletics because of IAAF regulations on a marathon course for a world record, which Boston is not recognised under regulations.

References

External links

1957 births
Living people
People from Freeport, Maine
People from Cape Elizabeth, Maine
American female long-distance runners
American female marathon runners
Athletes (track and field) at the 1983 Pan American Games
Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics
James E. Sullivan Award recipients
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field
Bowdoin College alumni
Boston Marathon female winners
Chicago Marathon female winners
Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
Track and field athletes from Maine
Medalists at the 1983 Pan American Games
21st-century American women
20th-century American women
NC State Wolfpack women's track and field athletes
NC State Wolfpack women's cross country runners

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A federal judge found British Petroleum guilty of "gross negligence" and "willful misconduct" in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig blowout that killed 11 and polluted the Gulf of Mexico with more than 200 million gallons of oil. The company, which has already put $28 billion toward cleanup and damage claims in America's worst-ever environmental disaster, faces up to $18 billion in fines.
While BP maintains that cement contractor Halliburton and rig owner Transocean are equally responsible for the disaster, Judge Carl Barbier declared BP 67 percent responsible. In a 153-page decision, Barbier outlined the "chain of failures" that led to an overbudgeted and undermanaged rig exploding under BP's watch, as well as deliberate attempts by the company to hide its liability.
The ruling is the first in a three-phase trial, pertaining only to the blowout itself. Barbier still stands to rule on how much oil was spilled, as well as specific penalties under the Clean Water Act.
The severe verdict makes a landmark case of Deepwater Horizon, with the New York Times calling it "a warning for the oil companies that continue to drill in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico." Barbier's gross negligence ruling means BP is liable for almost four times the maximum Clean Water Act penalty for simple negligence, and nearly five times the $3.5 billion it set aside for civil penalties.
Both Halliburton and Transocean were found guilty of simple negligence, apportioned 3 and 30 percent of the blame, respectively. Halliburton reached a $1.1 billion settlement this week—its first acknowledgment of accountability—and Transocean arranged to pay $1.4 billion in federal criminal and civil charges last year.
BP's executives, who have acknowledged accountability since the accident but remain defensive, plan to appeal the ruling. Regardless of who is at fault, the National Wildlife Foundation released a study earlier this year finding that 14 gulf species are still suffering because of the spill.


A formerly obese 131kg KFC addict who would have secret daily 2000-calorie binges in her car has shed half her body weight to travel the world stress-free.
Just two years ago, Aisyah Machfud tipped the scales at 131kg after years of being plagued by an unrelenting addiction to the KFC that she binged on.
The 30-year-old registered nurse from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, said she could never drive past a KFC restaurant without ordering a meal – but would always 'hide the evidence' of her secret binge before going home to cook dinner.
Emotional eater Aisyah explained that she always tried to maintain a healthy façade by eating nutritious meals in front of friends, family and co-workers – but in private would gorge on calorie-laden foods such as KFC, chips, chocolate and doughnuts.
Aisyah's food addiction caused her weight to skyrocket to 131kg, while her wardrobe was overflowing with frumpy size 26 clothes – but now she feels more confident than ever flaunting her brand new 65kg, svelte size 10 physique.
She said: "I was already overweight throughout my childhood and teen years and was always bullied a lot at school because of it.
"When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in two toxic relationships which made me pile on the weight even more.
"Then my father passed away in 2008 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. For two years before he died, he could no longer remember who I was. It was heartbreaking.
"I was definitely an emotional eater. I went through many hard times, and I think food was my way of coping.
"I was on autopilot when I ate. I didn't even like the taste, it was like cardboard to me. I just used it to numb my emotions.
"I was an extremely secretive eater. To everyone else in my life, I looked like I ate healthy.
"I'd make healthy meals in front of my family and partners, and then bring a salad into work."But what they didn't see was the amount of food I was gorging when I was by myself in my car, or in my bedroom when home alone. It was my secret shame.
"I was always thinking about everything I could eat that day. Food controlled my thoughts, but I felt as though I had no control over my body reaching for it.
"Sometimes I'd crave fried food from the moment I woke up. I would grab what was in reach, usually a hidden bag of chips, a block of chocolate or some doughnuts.
"I had KFC every single day and would order the same thing every time. But I didn't enjoy it, it was out of my control.
"I would eat it all in the car, which was like my safe haven, and destroy the evidence before I went inside.
Aisyah said that her obesity made it difficult for her to perform her duties as a nurse – and added that she did not feel confident to give her patients health advice due to her weight.
She also revealed that while she always loved travelling, she became anxious while flying due to the 'humiliation' of squeezing into her seat and needing to ask for seatbelt extenders.
The catalyst for her to lose the weight came in 2016 when her mother passed away after years of battling a neurological disease.
Wanting to make both of her deceased parents proud, she decided to finally lose the weight in order to live her best life.
And with the help of gastric sleeve surgery in July 2016, Aisyah managed to lose 65kg in one year.
Now she goes to the gym three times a week with a focus on weight training to stay toned – while also eating a healthy low-carb, high protein diet full of fresh vegetables and lean meat.
She said: "Being that obese made it very hard to perform my job. My size meant it was a struggle to shower my patients, help them with their shoes or even just getting around their bed.
"I was so passionate about being a nurse and helping people, but I think it was hard for my patients to heed my advice as I wasn't exactly the picture of health.
"Traveling was a nightmare. I loved exploring the world, but I always had to go through the humiliation of people staring at me with hate in their eyes as I boarded the plane.
"I could see everyone was praying I didn't sit next to them. Then I would bump into everyone when going up and down the aisles.
"I would always need to ask for a seatbelt extender as well, and everyone would look at me.
"My existence just seemed to make people very angry. In those moments, I just wanted to disappear.
"When my mum died, I realised that she and my father brought me into this world, and they would have wanted me to live my absolute best life.
"They were always in the back of my mind throughout this entire journey. I know they would be really proud of who I've become.
Now after losing the weight, inspirational Aisyah said travelling has become a 'whole different experience' – and has had the time of her life trekking around Europe, The USA, Asia and South America.
And after getting her confidence back, she built up the courage to go on Tinder – where she met the love of her life Vikash Sabnani, 32 in June 2017.
She said: "Since becoming healthier, I have been to so many countries. Now I can actually be active and explore nature whereas before I wasn't able to do any of that due to my size.
"I've climbed pyramids, explored caves and ancient ruin, and even skydived in Mexico. I've been snorkelling around Indonesia and Thailand.
"I've been abseiling down waterfalls and have hiked mountains in Sri Lanka, and I've trekked along waterfalls and have hiked jungles in Colombia and Bolivia.
"I'm a totally different person now and truly feel I am living my best life.
"The world has opened up to me. I no longer need to stress about travelling, and my weight doesn't hold me back anymore.
Mid-morning Snack: A pie, bags of chips with chocolate, cakes, muffins or doughnuts.
Lunch: If in public – a salad, if on her own – hot chips, or other fast food, or bakery treats.
Afternoon snack: 2000-calorie KFC binge on the way home, which included a double crunch burger, with large fries, potato and gravy, 3 wicked wings and a pepsi can.
Dinner: Healthy dinner in front of family or partner – pasta, protein and vegetables.
Dessert: Block of chocolate, ice cream or cake.


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Clara Bosco
Donors are not investing in a resilient civil society in Latin America, but philanthropy bodies stand out
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NGOs and civil society organizations around the world serve many different roles. In some countries organizations seek to augment the public services provided by governments. Still others may be called upon to step in to cover the needs where governments fail, serve as watchdogs holding those in power accountable, or do the legwork for ensuring that basic human rights are protected. Yet, they are all united in their constant quest for survival.
A myriad of factors impact the sector's perseverance. However arguably one of the most important factors is the availability of funding. It would be sensible to assume that the challenge is lack of funding and the answer is a strong segment of committed donors. However, the true key to sustainability, to continued existence, and access to funding is regulatory compliance.
Since September 11, 2001, civil societies across the world have come under increased pressure from many governments. Initially seen as potential conduits for terrorist funding (especially pre-revised FATF Recommendation 8), nonprofits continue to work in an often dizzying maze of regulations that impose burdensome requirements trying to attract both local and foreign charitable donations. While evidence of this trend can be found all around the world, NGOs in countries impacted by economic uncertainty and political instability are particularly vulnerable. The lack of rule of law often results in weakened institutions and the elimination of necessary societal and governmental checks and balances. Countries facing such challenges are most likely to be the ones where the regulations governing the nonprofit sector have been designed to make compliance challenging.
Donors who wish to have their philanthropic dollars used to support causes in transparent and impactful ways around the world must become aware of both domestic and international regulatory requirements. Now more than ever, full regulatory compliance speaks not only to making the outbound transfer of funds possible, but also to enable the foreign nonprofit to access the funding in their host country, without inadvertently threatening the NGO's legal standing.
These laws and regulations can generally be split between inflow and outflow restrictions. Inflow restrictions are those imposed by the recipient country on any incoming foreign funding. Outflow restrictions are those imposed on funds before they leave a given country.
Inflow restrictions
The preponderance of countries have inflow restrictions attached to foreign philanthropic funding. Essentially serving as additional hurdles for charities to receive foreign donations, examples include Mexico's anti-money laundering laws that were inspired by FATF recommendations and require charities to submit extensive information on donations they receive over MXN$200,000 ($10,000). Sensitive information such as copies of donors' passports must be submitted in these cases.
Another example is India, where the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCFRA) requires Indian charities to apply for a special license, open an account with designated banks, submit reports to the government including the full list of their receipted foreign donations, and publicly list all foreign donors' names. FCRA has garnered significant coverage as the Indian government frequently revokes the licenses of organizations who do not comply with the law.
There are others still: Russia's 6 to 20 per cent tax on incoming funds; China's relatively new law requiring foreign nonprofits to file a temporary activity license or establish an office if they want to give or work in the country; and the list goes on with each country having similar, but still different, requirements and restrictions.
The penalties for not complying with these laws vary, but often they can be swift and crippling. In Mexico, for instance, tax-exempt status is difficult to receive, and it can easily be lost (resulting in a loss of ALL assets). In India, we have already seen tens of thousands of charities lose their ability to receive foreign donations. In other countries, noncompliance is criminal, resulting in significant jail time.
Outflow restrictions
Equally important within the context of cross-border philanthropy are the outflow restrictions impacting charitable giving.
By outflow restrictions, we refer to any requirements that impact charitable funds that leave the donors' country. Typically, such laws aim to lock the use of charitable funds to finance organized crime and terrorism, prevent the cooptation of the charitable giving process for fraud or personal gain and could be referred to as the "anti-" laws: anti-money laundering, anti-bribery, anti-corruption, anti-terrorism, etc. Examples include the USA PATRIOT Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), The Bank Secrecy Act, the UK Bribery Act, and Executive Order 13224 in the US.
Despite the challenges of cross border giving, with the right resources and foresight, international giving can be a powerful and fulfilling experience for both the donor and the NGO. Understanding the rules and regulations and maintaining compliance can empower philanthropists to do better, to do more, and to do it well.
Ted Hart is the President and CEO of CAF America and the President of CAF Canada,
For more see:
Charities Aid Foundation release guide on cross-border giving


Almost 400,000 visitors came to Nova Scotia in August, marking the largest increase in tourism to the province in nearly 15 years.
Kelli MacDonald, spokesperson for Nova Scotia Tourism, says the last time the province reached similar numbers was in August 2002, with 380,000 visitors.
Tourism Nova Scotia released the August statistics Tuesday, showing increases in both Canadian and international visitors to the province.
Erica Pellerin, spokesperson for Destination Halifax, says the city's tourism and marketing organization is thrilled about the growth in visitors to the province. She also notes the five per cent increase the Metro area saw in August.
"One of the big factors was we had an exceptional August in terms of weather, and that makes people want to get out and explore their surroundings," she says.
MacDonald says another factor that has boosted tourism is the exchange rate – the Canadian dollar is worth about 75 cents in U.S. funds. She explains this gives American visitors an incentive to save money by travelling to Canada.
She also attributes the 11 per cent boost in American visitors to another factor: the "Trump bump," which drew visitors to Cape Breton Island after Rob Calabrese, a local radio host, created the satirical website Cape Breton if Donald Trump Wins.
Despite an increased American interest in Nova Scotia, the majority of visitors to the province are Canadian. MacDonald says this is due to the weak Canadian dollar encouraging them to stay in the country.
"Over 50 per cent of people that actually visit Halifax are Maritimers, who mostly drive," says Pellerin.
Philippe Boulet and his partner, Jeannine Maynard, have been driving to Halifax since 2002, and have visited the city about 40 times.
Maynard was not surprised to learn about the recent rise in tourism in Nova Scotia.
"I think you have everything. You have the weather, the sea, the nice people," she says.
As more tourists arrive, MacDonald says, Nova Scotia Tourism will be promoting the province to groups they haven't previously targeted.
Pellerin's focus is ensuring that Halifax maintains a variety of festivals, events and attractions that help bring people to the city, such as the Halifax International Buskers Festival and the 2017 return of a Tall Ships regatta.


If you are a landlord in New York State and own a 1-4 family rental, you can also add on this very important insurance coverage. For $20 a year, you get $10,000 of underground for all your service lines. This is especially for older, city properties who have antiquated sewer & water lines.
Even some of the national insurance companies – Travelers, Kemper, Allstate & Hanover – to name a few, don't offer this coverage. We also have 1 insurance company that can do it for homeowners but not for landlords and doesn't see that changing soon.
When an insurance broker like us, has 6 companies that offer this coverage, you know you can get a good policy, with $10,000 of service line coverage. In our office, we have already had 3 landlord's use this coverage to replace their sewer and/or water lines.
Now we add it on to every 1-4 family insurance policy we sell for landlord's.
Don't go without this coverage.


We were driving, on our way to our first date together. We being me and my 2-year-old son. We had been just us for a while now and this was the first time I was taking him on a first date. A first date with someone I had never met and while I wasn't sure what to expect it felt right doing these firsts with him. It was the 24th of July, at 9 AM and we pulled up to the restaurant for breakfast. The breakfast was chaotic. My son was doing all of the normal 2-year-old things, trying to eat the packets of grape jelly instead of his smiley face pancake. He was crawling around under the table more than sitting on his seat and he didn't finish any of the food that my date paid for. A trip to the park afterward would involve a lot of bossing around. Push me on the swing, go down the slide with me, chase me around this tree and a tantrum would follow any time that we said no. My son had been horrible and I knew that my date would probably never call me again. I just had to remind myself that kids were kids, they weren't easy and that if someone didn't want to become an instant parent, it wasn't rude. Being a parent is a hard job and I couldn't blame someone for not wanting to be introduced to the crazy mess that was today. However, he called the next day and the rest is history.
As we walked out of the doors after being sealed, our son ran to us and said "we're married! we're married!" That's where it all began. The journey of having a mixed family.
My son fell in love with him. They listened to music and made music videos together.
I came home from work one day and could hear the music blaring from my apartment, from the bottom of the stairs. I walked in to find them having "a muscle man dance party." They've been flexing together ever since.
He made our son laugh like no one else could.
Their relationship was fun but there was so much more to it than happiness. It was complicated and it was often hurtful. See, our son had been through so much already and was always trying to process so many feelings. Certainly, he was hurting but in a very unintentional way, he would make my husband feel unimportant, unloved and unappreciated. You have to understand that it was no one's fault, unfortunately, it was just circumstance.
I've watched as my husband tried to cuddle our son during a movie while he kicked and fought to get away, only to sit further down on the couch alone or crawl on my lap, but he loved him anyway. I've been sitting in the car when our son said: "You're not my dad" on more than one occasion, but he loved him anyway. I've heard him screaming for mom when my husband went in to sing him a bedtime song or read him a book, I could see the hurt in my spouse's eyes, but he loved him anyway. I've watched the look on my husbands face when our son walked out the door to spend Father's Day with his birth father. It hurt him, but he loved him anyway. Every time he says "I'll just ask my dad" when my husband says no, it's almost like he's screaming it through a megaphone. My stomach sinks every time as I watch my husbands reaction, but he loves him anyway.
Every time our big guy has walked in the door after his week at his birth dads house and hugged everyone else just to walk by my husband, he's loved anyway.
Being a stepfather came with all of the responsibility yet none of the rewards. It didn't come with hugs and kisses. He didn't get any of the requests to cuddle. It came with the extra bills and financial responsibilities, it didn't come with the same "I love you's" that our son gave me, but he loved him anyway. It takes a special kind of person to love someone who doesn't always reciprocate that same love.
I remember as things started getting more serious when we were dating I started to get worried about having other children. Would they all be treated the same? Would he be able to love them the same? Then I got pregnant with our first child together, it was a boy and it turns out the two of them couldn't have been a more excited team.
Over the years we've had quite a few people come to us and say, "I'm dating someone, they already have a child. I don't know if I want that…what do I do? Would you do it again?" Our advice? It's really hard but try it. Because for us, it was and will always have been worth it.
My husband has proven that it's possible to love a child that isn't biologically yours as if they were. He's shown that love isn't meant to be limited. We take wins in the small things. The rare times that our son calls him dad instead of his first name because that means that he sees him as a father. Just the way that they look at each other every once in a while makes me teary-eyed because I see the love. Sometimes things get a little rough between the two of them, especially as our son gets older, but his daddy loves him anyway.
At the end of the day, I married our son's superhero and even if he doesn't see it now, someday he will.


Clearcutting is one of several harvesting systems utilized in the state to achieve certain goals create conditions to favor certain tree and wildlife species. When done correctly, they can maintain the long term sustainability of a fores.
If you hadn't already guessed it, I am an advocate for active forest management. And by that I mean using ALL the tools available to a landowner to achieve their woodland goals. The most powerful of these tools is the timber harvest. For me, a timber harvest can be as small as the removal of a few scattered trees for firewood or as large as a clearcut.
For a long time now the clearcut, or the harvest of all of the merchantable trees in an area (and sometimes all of the trees), has had a bad reputation and it is shunned by many a landowner. Well I am here to tell you that clearcuts are not the environmental disaster many people believe them to be. In fact, clearcuts offer a wide array of ecological benefits – it all depends on your objectives for your land.
Let's discuss the environmental disaster part first: Wide spread erosion, loss of mature forest cover and related habitat, and not very aesthetically pleasing. These are just a few of the arguments made to portray clearcuts as harmful to the environment and why landowners prefer not to conduct a clearcut.
Soil erosion can be a problem on any timber harvest. Numerous studies have shown that it isn't the harvest of trees per se but improper road and trail construction and use that cause the overwhelming majority of soil erosion problems. This is especially true when proper road building standards or Best Management Practices are not adhered to. Clearcuts are unique in that the removal of all merchantable trees may allow rainfall to strike the ground with its full force. This is not a problem in most cases because there is usually sufficient groundcover and slash to intercept the rain and moderate slope to limit runoff.
Clearcuts should not be prescribed on steep slopes where the soil is highly erosive and where the ground vegetation will be removed. It is the job of the landowner, the forester, and the logger to ensure that the right road building techniques are chosen and implemented and that clearcutting is appropriate for the site to reduce the chance for erosion.
There is no question that conducting a clearcut in your forest will dramatically change its character. For many people it is no longer a forest, but a field. In fact, it is not a field that is created but the start of a new forest. A clearcut simulates a natural disturbance such as a windstorm or an ice storm that replaces an old forest with a young forest. The young forest starts to grow almost immediately following the removal of the mature trees. This natural process of replacing one forest type with another (called succession) will take place unless you pave over the clearcut area, mow it or plow it every year, or improperly graze livestock in it.
I have talked with many landowners about their concerns regarding an upcoming clearcut taking place on their property. Much of their concern revolves around the loss of trees they love or views they enjoy. What they discover following the harvest is that they "can finally see" across their land, that they have different wildflowers growing in the opening, and that they have new wildlife visiting their property. Ultimately, some come to enjoy the openings created by clearcutting, and think it is all growing back into a thick stand of trees too quickly.
For many landowners, clearcuts are appealing because they attract important game animals like deer, ruffed grouse, woodcock, and black bears. Indeed many wildlife are adapted to the habitat created by clearcuts or openings created by windstorms or ice storms. With the declining use of clearcuts on private lands, large openings are becoming less common, reducing the populations of some wildlife species, such as the golden-winged warbler, that are dependent on brushy habitats.
Clearcuts add important diversity to the large forested landscape. Selective harvests (or cutting a few trees here and there) favor one species over others. In the same way, clearcutting favors species that grow best in full sunlight and not as well in the shade of other trees. Examples of sun loving trees include aspen and jack pine. A patchwork of different management prescriptions leads to more wildlife diversity and a landscape that can better withstand an assault by insects or disease.
Clearcuts are just one of the many tools you can utilize to achieve your goals and maintain the long-term sustainability of your forest. But like all tools, their utility arises from their skillful application in the right situation. I encourage everyone who is planning a timber harvest to consider conducting a clearcut if it fits their objectives for their property.


No one has done more to shape the Las Vegas Strip than Stephen A. Wynn. He has built such icons as the Mirage, Bellagio, and Wynn Resorts' Wynn Las Vegas, currently the most profitable resort on The Strip. His success has built a fortune worth an estimated $2.8 billion, according to Forbes.
But the journey to fame and fortune wasn't all glitz and glamour. Wynn has had his ups and downs over the years and his path shows what long-term thinking can lead to for investors.
The days before the megaresort Stephen A. Wynn's early career was a fast rise into the gaming industry. In 1963, after his father's death, he took over the family's bingo parlor in Maryland, parlaying the success into a stake in the Frontier Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where he moved in 1967. Soon, he would use his deal making skills to buy a controlling stake in the Golden Nugget, which he turned into a destination resort from a simple gambling hall, bringing in Frank Sinatra as a headliner.
By the mid-1980s, Wynn had built a profitable company with a successful resort in Downtown Las Vegas and another resort in the new market of Atlantic City and had a $100 million net worth to go along with it. But The Strip would be where he made his biggest bets and what would make him a legend in gaming.
Inventing the megaresort Wynn could have coasted to retirement as a wealthy man in the 1980s, but he had much larger visions for the future of Las Vegas and with the help of junk bonk king Michael Milken he would build the $630 million Mirage, which opened in 1989. The resort was a massive 3,000 hotel room resort with a volcano out front, but it would need to generate $1 million per day in revenue just to stay afloat. It was a gamble many thought Wynn would lose.
Obviously, Mirage ended up being a huge success and Wynn would follow with Treasure Island in 1993 for $450 million and the $1.6 billion Bellagio in 1998, still seen as one of the best resorts in the world. Suddenly, Wynn had three of the best resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, but he would soon be challenged byMGM Resorts' visions of creating a Strip behemoth.
The fall of Mirage Resorts and how Wynn Resorts began When Wynn built the Bellagio, he also started to collect tens of millions of dollars in art that analysts and investors began to question how Wynn was spending his gaming cash flow. When the stock dropped because of a few quarters of weak earnings, MGM swooped in to buy the company out from under Wynn, who didn't have enough control to keep the buyout from happening. Wynn's take from the deal was about $500 million and like he did with Mirage he set his sights on building the next level of megaresort.
With the funds from the Mirage Resorts buyout he would buy the Desert Inn, where Wynn Las Vegas sits today, for $270 million just months before the MGM buyout closed. That land would become the Wynn Las Vegas we see today.
Wynn Palace will be Wynn Resorts' next big project. Image source: Wynn Resorts.
Building the next generation of megaresorts The $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas would open in 2005 with the $2.3 billion Encore addition coming three years later. With $515.6 million in EBITDA -- a proxy for cash flow from a casino -- the property generates more money than any other resort in Las Vegas.
But his biggest success is actually half a world away in Macau. In 2006, he opened Wynn Macau, followed by Encore at Wynn Macau in 2010 and the combined property generated an incredible $1.1 billion in EBITDA over the last 12 months. The next phase of growth is properties in Macau's Cotai region and a project in the Boston suburb of Everett.
The Macau project, called Wynn Palace, will be a $4 billion project that will likely become Wynn Resorts' most profitable property the moment it opens. Given the revenue in the Cotai region, it's possible Wynn Palace could generate $1.5 billion-$2 billion in EBITDA annually.
Keeping your eyes on the long-term prize There have certainly been ups and downs in Stephen A. Wynn's rise to billionaire status, but one theme has emerged that has defined his entire career. He strives to build the best properties he can. Whether it's the design of hotel rooms, nightclubs, golf courses, shops, or entertainment venues he builds the best and spares no expense to do so.
This can lead to ups and downs in quarterly results, which cost him Mirage Resorts, but long-term it's been a successful strategy in building value, both for the brand and shareholders. Stephen A. Wynn may be one of the most well known developers in history, but he's also someone I'd be willing to bet on as an investor given his long track record of success and his best investments may still be ahead of him.
The article How Stephen A. Wynn Made His Billions originally appeared on Fool.com.


Lee Johnson makes no apology for his continued adherence to the controversial policy of playing one up front in home games.
Deemed negative by some supporters, Bristol City's head coach has regularly gone into Championship games this season with just one striker in his starting line-up.
That strategy has proved unpopular with fans, many of whom adhere to the old adage that you play two up front at home and seek to put the opposition under pressure.
On the rare occasion when he did accede to fan pressure and start a home game with twin strikers, City lost control of the midfield and suffered a confidence-sapping 2-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham.
Having since admitted he made a mistake in his team selection and tactics, City's head coach reverted to his favoured 4-1-4-1 team shape for Tuesday's home clash against Championship play-off hopefuls Norwich City.
But having opted for strength in numbers in the middle of the pitch, Johnson saw his team struggle to exert sustained pressure in a first half in which they barely laid a glove on the opposition.
The introduction of Matty Taylor to play up front alongside Aaron Wilbraham made an immediate difference, while the subsequent arrival on the pitch of Milan Djuric and Lee Tomlin altered the balance of power sufficiently to enable the Robins to come from behind and salvage a 1-1 draw. They might even have won the game in a frenetic finale in which they put a desperately tired Norwich side under the cosh.
Asked about his team selection and tactics by journalists who noticed the disparity between City's first and second-half performance, Johnson gave a detailed explanation of his strategy.
"I know people will have been saying 'hey Johnson, why are you playing one up front at home'? It's a fair question, but you only have to go back to the Fulham game to see why I did it.
"We went two up front in that game and it turned out to be a bad decision. You have to make an honest assessment of the opposition.
"We have not been getting enough good results whereby we can go 'there's your 4-4-2 at the start of the season and now play 46 games with the same team'. We need energy to play our game and, at Newcastle for example, the ploy of playing midfield runner in behind a big forward worked well. The thinking was very similar for this game against another top side.
Johnson attributed City's disappointing first-half display to a lack of confidence. He said: "You still need to put your foot on the ball and you need to play. We went a little bit too direct and Aaron Wilbraham was getting blocked out.
"But it is horses for courses and we needed to stay solid and then go for it later in the game. In those games where you believe you will be the dominant side and have more of the ball, you can afford to go with two up front.


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