The 2015-2016 cohort of Students in the Running, a program that trains high-school students aged 15 to 18 from at-risk Montréal neighbourhoods to run the annual Montréal Marathon.
Students in the program train for close to a year, learning the value of physical activity, a healthy diet, discipline, and committing to achieve a goal.
Throughout their training program, which has them meeting increasingly difficult challenges, students give each other encouragement.
Mentors provide the young people with inspiring examples and motivating support.
At the end of the marathon, the students justifiably take pride in themselves for all the efforts and determination they have put into reaching the finish line.
Students in the Running (Étudiants dans la Course) is a non-profit organization that encourages and helps high-school students from disadvantaged Montréal neighbourhoods to achieve what can be a life-transforming goal: completing a marathon. To date, over 135 young people aged 15 to 18 have taken part in its program and crossed the finish line of the annual 42.2-km-long Rock 'n' Roll Oasis Montréal Marathon. By doing so, they not only learn important lessons about the value of physical activity, commitment, and discipline, but also gain a healthy dose of confidence and self-esteem along the way – all of which can translate into future academic and professional success.
The thirty- some students selected for participation in the program each year follow a training regimen specially designed for them. Incremental but rigorous, it has them gradually running increasingly longer distances. In the 51 weeks leading up to the 2016 edition of the marathon, for example, the students underwent 168 solo and group training sessions and ran in one three-hour race, six time trials, and two half marathons. All told, each ran an average of about 1,200 km for a total of 135 hours.
Participants in the program benefit from the advice of a nutritionist and are monitored by health specialists. Perhaps most importantly, they also receive the support of adult volunteer mentors and trainers from various walks of life, but all sharing a love of running. These mentors provide inspiring examples and help motivate the students to stay focused and achieve the goal they have set themselves.
As one 16-year-old who recently took part in the program and successfully completed his first marathon relates, "At the beginning, when I signed up with a friend, I never thought I would be able to run a whole marathon. But I didn't want to give up – I wanted to finish what I had started. Running in a group, we all helped and encouraged each other, and that kept me going. What this program has taught me is that, if you really want to do something, and you stay on track and really work hard, everything is possible. I now know, if I keep that in mind, I'll be able to succeed at whatever I decide to do in the future." Further motivation and support provided by Students in the Running comes in the form of bursaries for every student completing the program, presented at an annual gala event.
This program has a truly positive impact, not just in terms of helping young people acquire healthy lifestyle habits but also showing them that, with perseverance, they can realize their full potential.
See videos from Students in the Running (in French only).


A Kuwaiti jiu-jitsu fighter withdrew from a tournament after he was paired with an Israeli fighter.
Meanwhile, Malaysia chose to forfeit its hosting of the World Para Swimming Championships rather than grant visas to Israeli nationals. The Asian nation took the decision in solidarity with Palestinians, but has been fiercely attacked for its stance.
Abdullah al-Anjari was scheduled to compete with Eitan Seri-Levi at the All Americas Jiu-Jitsu Tournament in Los Angeles earlier this week.
"I declare my withdrawal from a local tournament in Los Angeles because I was paired with a fighter who represents the Zionist entity," the Kuwaiti athlete stated on Twitter.
"#فلسطين أهم عندي من بطولة عالمية"
عبد الله العنجري" حر من أحرار الأمة ينسحب من بطولة دولية رافضًا مواجهة لاعب "إسرائيلي" ليعبر برفضه للتطبيع عن نبض #الكويت وكل شعوب الأمة.
Many Kuwaiti athletes have withdrawn from championships over Israeli participation in the past, as Muhammad al-Awadi wrote in Kuwaiti newspaper al-Rai.
In November, Kuwaiti olympic athlete Abdulaziz al-Shatti withdrew from the World Fencing Championship in Switzerland after he was set to compete against Israeli player Grigori Beskin.
Kuwaiti Saleh Abdulaziz al-Haddad also withdrew from a long jump championship in Belgium over the participation of an Israeli athlete in June. He was also commended by the Kuwaiti National Assembly.
In 2015, Kuwaiti athlete Fahad al-Bastaki withdrew from the Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in Pisa, Italy, after learning he would face an Israeli.
And, Kuwait recently refused to co-host the FIFA World Cup with Qatar in 2022 for reasons that relate to the attendance or participation of Israeli nationals in the championship.
Meanwhile, as several Gulf states race to embrace Israel, Malaysia took a firm stance against normalization.
The International Paralympic Committee has stripped Malaysia of its right to host the World Para Swimming Championships in July and August over the country's refusal to allow Israeli athletes to participate.
The championship is important for qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
"Malaysia will not host any event that has representation from or participation of Israel," Saifuddin Abdullah, the Malaysian foreign minister, stated.
Israel's foreign ministry condemned Malaysia's decision, labeling its Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as anti-Semitic for refusing to normalize relations with Israel.
Malaysia's foreign ministry said that it was "deeply disgusted" by Israel's smears against the Malaysian prime minister.
"For more than half a century, Israel has continued to disregard the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, while committing inhumane policies and practices that are in clear violation of international laws. Israel has no right to talk about moral values when they themselves are the exact opposite," the ministry stated.
"[Israel is] a country which does not obey international laws, including building settlements in other people's countries," Prime Minister Mahathir recently stated at the United Nations.
"الإسرائيليون قادمون من دولة إجرامية وغير مرحب بهم"
Since the Great March of Return protests against the siege of Gaza began last March, thousands of Palestinians, including athletes, have been shot by Israeli snipers, many suffering permanent disabilities.
Malaysia has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel.
well done malasia.stand up for decency and fair play and against israeli brutality of palestinians.you are an example to the world.
It is an overwhelming joy to know that there are at any rate a few countries in the world that act rationally and justly and nobly. Respect to you, Malaysia! I fervently hope that you will not be undermined by the criminals that run the UK, the US, France and other "Western" countries.
Thank you for being human Mr.
Thank you for being human Mr. Mahathir. May the blessing be with your people.
Apparently EU prefer to ban palm oil import dt so called deforestation in order to save orang-utan..but no ban on israel for committing genocide..it seems life of animals nowadays is more valuable than human life..
Much love to the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad! And all the athletes who took a stand.


Installing a Vinyl Fence. They won't fade or rot or need paint. You may have to trim a vertical fence board in a solid fence as well.
BOARD FENCE; desired for it's PVC Vinyl Fencing verses Wood Fenceing: PVC / Vinyl fence will never rot or ever need painting, and it will last forever.
To keep the pickets of a privacy fence rot free, install a rot board. The pickets sit higher and away from moisture, which helps your fence last longer.
763 316 4881 Vinyl Fencing, with driven posts that won't need to be maintained and will last a life time. vinyl doesn't rot, chip, fade, crack or peel.
Should you buy a wood or a vinyl PVC fence? Both have their advantages, with PVC's no rot feature being a significant pro.


Get your child involved in the most uniquely qualified Aftercare Program in South Florida!
With 2 Florida Certified Teachers on staff, Rhythm & Pitch's After School Program is second to none! Students ages 4-18 are welcomed into our facility daily with a snack and quality homework assistance. In addition, students receive 1 hour of instrumental instruction 2 days a week, grouped with students of similar ability and experience, and each group works with their own exclusive instructor. Students also receive 1 hour of group dance instruction and 1 hour of choir instruction 1 day respectively each week. One day is also reserved for a day of physical activity. Our After School Program provides supervision until 6:30pm daily! Transportation from the home school to our facility is provided at a minimal extra cost, and CDS is accepted. Because we are a Child Development Services participating facility, you can have the peace of mind that our +2,000 ft2 facility has passed all safety and health inspections and been approved by the Department of Children and Families, as well as the Department of Food and Nutrition. Get your child involved in the BEST After School Program in Broward & Miami-Dade County!


Forms ending with "AR" are modified ICS forms for Amateur Radio use.
Forms starting with "AR" are Amateur Radio unique.
We hope you find this information useful with your public service events and EmCom/RACES/ARES® operations.


I always wondered about the persistence of the 239 series. It seems like N would be far superior for antennas and other things exposed to rain and salt spray.
I certainly can agree, that PROPER "N" connectors are better. But are more expensive. The PL-259-SO239 type ARE cheap, and if installed properly, quite good for inside connections. But even UG-21 type "N" connectors can be installed poorly, and are "weathrr resistant," NOT water-proof. I use type "N" connectors for outdoor use, but still use UHF (PL-259/SO-239) connectors indoors. It makes connection to most amateur equipment instantly "connectable."


Sexual citizenship has become a key concept in the social sciences. It describes the rights and responsibilities of citizens in sexual and intimate life, including debates over equal marriage and women's human rights, as well as shaping thinking about citizenship more generally.
This book connects the Black freedom struggle in the United States to liberation movements across the globe.
Subjects and Sovereigns reexamines the traditional bond between subject and sovereign and argues that this relationship endured as a powerful site for claims-making in the eighteenth-century British Empire.
"This is a book about contemporary European politics and the demographics of Muslim political candidacies."--Provided by publisher.
Citizen now charts a new research path in the study of the engagement of youth. Although their methods are varied and reflective of current technological tools, Citizen now argues that the tactics and motives of the groups reflect traditional political elements. -- .
The first comprehensive study of prisoners and the right to vote -- .


text:
Item 1922 - Machel-Mandela Internship Programme for young granduates, named in honour of former South African President Nelson Mandela and his wife Graca Machel, set up by The Brenthurst Foundation
Nelson Mandela Tributes
Educational Institutions and related named after Mandela
Machel-Mandela Internship Programme for young granduates, named in honour of former South African President Nelson Mandela and his wife Graca Machel, set up by The Brenthurst Foundation
ZA COM MR-T-5-5-1922
Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF)
(1999 -)
Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory
Source: media report
This newly established aims to be the most prestigeous of its kind in Africa. The internshiip will be available for a minimum of six months and a maximum of two successful candidates will be selected per year.
Awards, tributes and honours » Educational Institutions and related named after Mandela
Awards, tributes and honours » Educational Institutions and related named after Mandela » Bursaries and Scholarships named after Mandela
Africa » South Africa
Nelson Mandela Tributes Database: T01389

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I wish to thank Basel, Zoe and the Laing & Simmons team for the continuing service provided in managing our investment property. We have had Laing & Simmons Mount Druitt manage our property since 2003. During this time Basel and the team have always been attentive with our property and have always assisted when we've had any questions/concerns regarding our property. All of the property managers we've dealt with over the years and to the present day have always been helpful and very pleasant.
We also have the utmost confidence with the systems L&S have in place to ensure the management of our property is conducted efficiently, effectively and successfully.
A special mention, needs goes to Zoe Bartholomew who is our current Property Manager and has been an absolute pleasure to deal with. Zoe has always assisted and been prompt in responding to us whenever in need and her level of professionalism has always been first class.
We would have no hesitation in recommending Basel, Zoe and the L&S Team to anybody looking for a highly skilled and professional Property Management Team.
Laing and Simmons handle the sale of my property with calm and dignity.
Jack Nahas and Danni Attuell held open house with great enthusiasm and had a holding deposit within seven days. I thank them both for all the help and advice they have given me.
I would recommend the real estate Laing & Simmons. Thank you Jack and Danni.
We're very satisfied with the sale of our home at 12/38-40 Methven St, Mount Duitt .
Jack is a highly responsible individual that provided constant communication from the beginning to the end, making the sale process simple and carefree.
He worked alongside and helped us achieve the result we wanted. Thank you for your service, Jack!
I have known and been dealing with Jack for more than 6 years that's why when the decision came to sell our property, he was the only one I contacted.
We got a great result, I was kept informed of the the entire sale regularly & everything went smoothly. I will definitely use Jack again if ever we will sell our next home and recommend him to others who are thinking of doing the same.
Basel explained the process to me clearly.
He sold property very quickly at a price above my expectations.
The photos and advertising were great. His recommendation on ways to present the property were invaluable to help sell my unit.
Basel made the entire selling process easy. He is honest in his opinions and he has fantastic market knowledge. Throughout the sales process the communication lines were open, and we knew exactly what was going on. We achieved a sales price over (20K) expectations in a declining market. This is all down to Basel's expertise!!
I chose Basel to sell my unit from what I had seen as successful sales on the internet. Basel was prompt, well informed and prepared. He did not give me some big sales pitch, rather facts that convinced me he could get my price. He organised a brilliant advertising campaign, with pictures that made my unit look fantastic and within 48 hours he had 2 offers, one of which I accepted. Through no fault of Basel's, the sale fell through at the last minute. Immediately back on the job, Basel reassured me he would get it sold and although being Christmas, he found me another buyer. I would recommend Basel without hesitation and I thank him for the exceptional job he done.
I wanted to write to tell you how impressed I am with the service that my husband and I are receiving from the staff at Laing and Simmons, in particular Rebecca Madge. We have recently transferred all of our investment properties over to Laing and Simmons from a different agent in Mount Druitt and are very pleased that we have done this.
Just recently we have had an issue at one of our properties, which is currently being managed by Rebecca. Rebecca has assisted me in rectifying all of the issues by getting quotes, organising trades, cleaners, pest sprays etc. She continually tells me that this is her job and what she gets paid for, however as I have explained to her previously this service is a complete turn around from the treatment we were receiving at our previous agency. I want to bring this to your attention as you have a great team and we are grateful for the services being provided.
Having never sold a property before I was a little apprehensive.Basel explained everything clearly and kept me informed of any developments along the way.The whole process of selling was handled professionally and I couldn't be happier with the final outcome. It took a lot less time than I was anticipating and was 'hassle free'.I would definitely recommend him to anyone interested in buying or selling real estate.Mark Stasinowsky.


Trademarks & Copyrights | Tiffany & Co.
The names TIFFANY, TIFFANY & CO., T&CO., 1837, TIFFANY CLASSICS, TIFFANY FOR MEN, TIFFANY MARK, TIFFANY NATURE, TIFFANY PLAYGROUND, TIFFANY SEASHORE, TIFFANY SIGNATURE, TIFFANY TOYS, AMERICAN GARDEN, ATLAS, FIREWORKS, LUCIDA, SCHLUMBERGER, SELECTIONS, STREAMERICA AND TESORO, as well as the TIFFANY BLUE BOX and the color TIFFANY BLUE are trademarks of Tiffany (NJ) Inc. and/or its affiliates and are used under license.
All designs copyrighted by Tiffany and Company, except where otherwise noted.
ELSA PERETTI, DIAMONDS BY THE YARD, PEARLS BY THE YARD and BEAN DESIGN are trademarks of Elsa Peretti. Elsa Peretti designs copyrighted by Elsa Peretti.
PALOMA PICASSO and X DESIGN are trademarks of Paloma Picasso. Paloma Picasso designs copyrighted by Paloma Picasso.
FRANK GEHRY and GEHRY are trademarks of Frank O. Gehry.


A terrific keepsake piece for remembering your Sponsor Confirmation on this very special day. A beautiful photo frame that is perfect to say thank you to your Confirmation Sponsor. Features a darling dove. It is a special keepsake that will be cherished for years. Photo frame is engraved and adorned with a Confirmation Sponsor motive.


text:
Q: unable to write data in firebase I am trying to do a basic write operation in my firebase realtime database but i am unable to do so.
My javascript code is:
function submitquery()
{
    var ref = firebase.database().ref();
    ref.child("text").set("somevalue");
}

I have opened my firebase rules currently as below:
{
  "rules": {
    ".read": true,
    ".write": true
  }
}

and my current datasnapshot is as below:

I am able to retrieve data but the write command above is not working. Please help.

A: Lets take a look at your function:
function submitquery()
{
    var ref = firebase.database().ref();
    ref.child("text").set("somevalue");
}

You are setting the firebase.database().ref() but you are not assigning any child to the ref. This will work:
var ref = firebase.database().ref('Queries');
ref.child('text').set("somvalue");

If you want to make your code much easier to use in the future you can also use this:
//Var rootRef = firebase location
var rootRef = firebase.database().ref('test');

//Update test or create when test not exists
rootRef.update({
    test: "somevalue"
});

Hope this helps!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


As a child growing up in the 70s and 80s, my friends and I each maintained a running list of our friend hierarchy. No, this list was never actually written in black and white. One desired no evidence lying around to be used as ammunition in future fusses with friends. Instead, the friendship list evolved daily if not hourly in our young, immature minds depending on the shift of attitudes and perception of behaviors. The goal of each young girl, however, was the same- to attain the top position on the other girls' lists, numero uno, or simply stated the BFF, Best Friend Forever.
In the later 'tween and teen years, the BFF title seemed to gain in significance. Now, "BFF" was used in the closing of notes passed back and forth between friends in class and in the halls during passing periods. More importantly, those three letters, BFF, were quickly searched for after a friend signed one's yearbook. The presence of these letters representing Best Friends Forever signified a sense of security, in essence an oath from the teenaged author, that would last not only for the remainder of the school year, but also encompass the summer months and endure beyond graduation.
Then, in my late 20s and early 30s, reality sunk in. . .. Best Friends Forever represented a childish ideal that did not translate well into adulthood. During this time, before the dawn of social networking and instant communication, friends still had to put forth effort to continue the BFF mentality, this effort which did not feel like effort in one's carefree youth. Yet, time constraints due to dating, marriage, employment, divorce, children, remarriage, house repairs, and the like, eliminated lengthy letters as an option, and costly phone bills were not feasible. So, the BFF, once a person of importance, became a distant memory of the past.
This is not to say that friendships were not prevalent in my adult life, but not to the degree of ease and certainty as the BFF once experienced in my younger years. Intriguing people have been met and admired through work and social encounters, but a fair share of unmentionables have crossed my path along the way, too. Initially, these unmentionables seemed to mirror the BFF of earlier years, but they, too, soon faded away, moved away, or I ultimately enlisted a getaway from the friendship.
So, to my surprise, I never thought in my late 30s, I would have a chance encounter with a woman who would renew my belief in the BFF. Perhaps, one may say that I had closed the door on the notion of a BFF and simply accepted the "fact" people enter and exit out of other people's lives. Savor and learn what I could from the lost relationship and not dwell on the heartache and loss of what I believed had been a true friendship; I had my health, my happiness, my husband, and my two daughters. Acceptance set in; I had come to terms with my BFF worldview until fortuitously a metaphorical door presented itself in the form of Bug Camp.
A stay-at-home thirty-seven-year-old mother of a two-year-old toddler and five-month-old baby, I found myself enrolled in a three-day children's camp geared towards the study of insects. Lugging my diaper bag, carrying the infant carrier, pushing the stroller, holding the registration forms, and keeping my toddler in tow, I looked over to see another woman in a similar predicament. A familiarity existed, but not simply as a result of the ages and number of her children. I had seen her before, but could not place her. We smiled politely at one another, exchanged pleasantries, and then followed the teacher's directions to quiet down and join the circle.
On day two, I could rack my brain no further and needed to know how I "knew" her. Upon approaching her, we realized that we had participated in Wiggles Gymnastics together nearly a year previous with our then only children. Laughter ensued when we realized both of us felt that Wiggles Gymnastics would be better relaunched as Parents Do the Work while Workers Watch Gymnastics, but that is a story for another day.
Day three was a joy at camp. This woman and I helped one another complete bug crafts and sing the correct words to the bug songs. Our final Bug Camp event was walking on a nature trail and observing various critters in their natural environments. We walked stroller to stroller for the duration. An uneasiness rapidly emerged, however, as we approached our cars and began loading our gear. Another year or more may pass before we crossed paths again if ever, so I needed to take action; I asked for her e-mail address.
Nearly two weeks elapsed before I sent the first e-mail. My thoughts swung from gratitude at the thought of a potential friendship to panic at the wonder of whether she was truly an unmentionable in disguise. Finally, I decided to take a risk by clicking on the send button and then anxiously awaited a response. When I saw her name in my in-box, I think I felt a flutter of excitement. The length of her response impressed me, and I hung on every typed word. Even after my appendectomy, I lumbered awkwardly downstairs to the computer in order to check for her e-mails. A birthday invitation to her daughter's third birthday soon followed, and I asked her if she would be interested in joining my book club; she accepted as did I.
Numerous birthday parties and three (failed) book clubs later, she is "Frick" to my "Frack." Together we are solving the world's problems, reviewing the latest movies, and critiquing our husbands one day at a time. She tolerates my sloppiness, and I admire her cleanliness. I volunteer her for Vacation Bible School activities, and she recruits me for Pee-Wee Soccer duties. She observes my color-coded book collection with a smile, and I dismiss her attempts to skip kettle bell with a shake of my head. Who knew that my 40s would present the reemergence of the BFF? I suppose the old adage does hold true; if one door closes, inevitably another one will open with an unlimited threshold of possibilities.


Homes for sale in Ballston, VA.
Ballston is a neighborhood in Arlington that offers an urban feel, with plenty of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and parks to choose from. Not only do you have all the amazing things Arlington has to offer, but also the trendy neighborhood vibe of Ballston. Not only does it boast excellent schools, but it has one of the lowest crime rates of the area. Need to get to downtown Washington? No problem! You can be there within 20 minutes. There is also a Ballston Common Mall for shopping, Ketler Capitals Iceplex, and the National Science Foundation, just to name a few. Whatever you are looking for, Ballston will have it.


Five people travelled abroad and sent different postcards from different cities to different people. Enjoy this game! The background is my creation. :) Hugs, Zsuzsapszi Corrected and re-uploaded.
This ws has an OE version. I thought the ws form could be useful for those teachers whose ss can´t have the opportunity to do OEs. First there is a little grammar explanation. Then there are 25 sentences to do. The key is included. Thanks for Philip Martin´s generosity. The cliparts are from him. Have a nice day.


text:
Q: How to call a function if the Firebase data changes using Javascript I need to call a function when a Firebase value changes in javascript,
I tried looking for a function like onDataSetChanged in Javascript but didn't find any.

A: Use the on() or once() methods of firebase.database.Reference to observe events, as detailed here: https://firebase.google.com/docs/database/web/read-and-write#listen_for_value_events
For example you could do:
var starCountRef = firebase.database().ref('posts/' + postId + '/starCount');
starCountRef.on('value', function(snapshot) {
  yourFunction();  //<- call your function here
});

or
var starCountRef = firebase.database().ref('posts/' + postId);
starCountRef.on('value', function(snapshot) {
  yourFunction(snapshot.val().postAuthor);  //<- example, we pass the author of the Post to the function
});

If you want to pass a value from the snapshot as a parameter of your function


DBV makes many kinds of ball valves. Then today let us together know the features of three way ball valve.
1.The valve seat can be designed as four sides of floating ball or trunnion mounted ball, with smooth fluid state and reliable sealing.
2.The structure can be designed as installed by side or at the top and no mixed flowing when changing the flow direction.
3.The stem is designed as blow-out proof.
5. Two position(on and off) lockup design.
Three way ball valves are used for switching, mixing and separating the flow of corrosive or non corrosive liquid, gas or power mediums -46℃-+200℃. Upon opening and closing, the smooth flow channel reduces pressure loss, making operation quite labor-saving and maintenance fairly easy. The five types of flow direction ( L type and T type ) meet different technological requirements. It can be manually, pneumatically and electrically operated.


text:
Home Politics Obama pushing climate wrecking fossil fuels in Eastern Europe on day after big climate change announcement
Obama pushing climate wrecking fossil fuels in Eastern Europe on day after big climate change announcement
David Herron June 3, 2014 June 13, 2015 Politics
President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland
walk to a bilateral meeting after posing for photos
at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in Warsaw,
Poland, June 3, 2014.
(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama just announced a massively great program to combat climate change. I'm sure it's a wonderful program (I haven't looked at it yet), but his very next action as President negated any benefit he hopes to gain from that program. What action is that?
Obama has traveled to Poland on a mission of:
Increasing the US/EU/NATO military presence in Eastern Europe
Maintaining fossil fuel dependence
Increasing fracking practices in Eastern Europe
The public face of Obama's trip is a $1 Billion fund, the European Reassurance Initiative, that's meant to beef up the defense of Eastern Europe against Russian aggression. The initiative includes increased troop deployments, increased joint exercises between US Military and the Eastern European countries, increases in AWACS flights, and so on. But if you look further than the surface story, you see this is cover for deployment of Oil Company experts looking to increase production of both conventional and unconventional natural gas.
In other words, rather than use that $1 Billion fund to create an energy system that solves climate change – solar or wind power – he's pushing for continued use of and reliance on fossil fuels. On the day after announcing a hugely positive program meant to combat climate change.
Open the door to the Tesla Destination Charger network using these Tesla-J1772 adapters
The mind reels.
But, given the coverage I've written of plans to frack both Ukraine and Romania (and other Eastern European countries), are we surprised?
The problem is that Ukraine and other countries in the region are caught between the U.S. and European Union's and Russia's geopolitical power struggle. A looming problem is that Europe, especially Eastern Europe, is heavily dependent on Russia's natural gas supplies. Russia, being Russian, is going to exploit that dependency to the hilt.
The U.S. see's European Energy Security, keeping Europe from falling into Russia's clutches, as being in the U.S. National Interest. Meaning, that the U.S. is willing to go to war to protect that interest. Isn't this plan to beef up U.S. Military presence in Eastern Europe a step towards war?
Or, are we already in an oil war against Russia?
That's the choice Obama is making – to continue spending U.S. dollars maintaining a system of climate destroying health destroying dependence on fossil fuels. Literally, on the day after unveiling a massively great program to combat climate change. The mind reels.
The proof of these claims is in the White House press release (a.k.a. FACT SHEET) concerning "The United States and Central and Eastern Europe: Enduring Cooperation" (see below).
Namely:
Energy Security and Diversification
The United States is working with countries in the region and the entire European Union to help strengthen energy security. Under the auspices of the U.S.-EU Energy Council, we have begun critical discussions on the infrastructure, legal, and financial requirements necessary to increase regional gas interconnections. The United States is working with Romania and Moldova to support the extension of an energy pipeline network into Moldova and is engaged with the EU Commission and the Baltic states to advance the construction of projects to connect the Baltic countries to the EU energy market. We welcome the recent Memorandum of Understanding between Slovak and Ukrainian pipeline operators enabling gas "reverse flow" from Slovakia to Ukraine.
U.S. technical experts are working with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and others to help Central European countries develop public-private investment initiatives to increase conventional gas production from existing fields and boost domestic energy supplies. U.S. specialists are also working with regional partners to provide advice on increasing energy efficiency, which can deliver cost savings to customers and reduce energy requirements. In addition, the United States is working with European governments to share best practices for sustainable unconventional gas development and is helping to develop safe nuclear fuel that can be used in existing reactors and allow a diversification of supply. Later this month, the United States, together with the European Union, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Czech Republic, will convene a Central European forum with Ukraine and other neighbors to identify additional domestic and collective steps to diversify supplies and suppliers. Moreover, the United States is working to help Central and Eastern European countries develop contingency plans for this coming winter to ensure provision of essential service in the event of an energy disruption.
For Romania to supply Moldova with natural gas is perfect, because Moldova is 100% dependent on Russian natural gas. Further, it is a nice step towards reunification of Romania and Moldova. There is a sad history behind the separation of those countries, because the broader region known as Moldova got split between Romania and Russia at the beginning of World War II. In one of the first actions of WWII, Russia grabbed the land now known as Moldova, dividing Greater Moldova. Today the peoples of Romania and Moldova deeply want to reunite.
Beyond that what is the plan? Increasing conventional natural gas production – energy efficiency improvements – development of unconventional natural gas production – nuclear power plants – contingency plans in case Russia cuts off natural gas this winter.
I witnessed one kind of energy efficiency project while visiting Romania last year. The primary housing stock is concrete block apartment buildings constructed during the communist era. Building-by-building, the EU is helping Romania to fund building upgrades, adding insulation and better walls for the balcony's. In the winter the apartments stay much warmer, while requiring less natural gas.
The overall thrust of the plan is natural gas production and consumption, whether it requires fracking or not.
Natural gas is a fossil fuel, and therefore acts to worsen climate change. Natural gas is essentially the same as Methane, and Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. When burnt, natural gas does become CO2, so by one line of reasoning it's best to burn the natural gas to lessen the effect. On the other hand, the problem is that it's being released from underground adding to the carbon load of the atmosphere and worsening climate change.
Accompanying all the government officials helping Eastern Europe learn how to frack itself, will be Western Oil Company experts and most of the work will almost certainly be done by those companies. We're already seeing this play out in Romania, Poland and Ukraine. Chevron and other Western oil companies are already working in Eastern Europe doing exploratory fracking and geological tests. A worker at Chevron's facilities in Romania recently died on the job after exposure to toxic substances at the drilling site.
There's a couple other key phrases in these press releases. For example, pushing the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. If TTIP is so great, then why is it being negotiated in secret. What I understand (haven't done the research to find out for sure), but TTIP is even worse for the people, even better for the forces of globalization and corporatisation of everything, than the Trans Pacific Partnership. Both are set to destroy all semblance of individual countries to protect themselves from globalization. When VP Biden visited Romania and Cypress a couple weeks ago to push for more fracking and natural gas development, he also pushed Romania to cooperate on the TTIP.
President Barack Obama attends an official Solidarity Dinner
hosted by President Bronislaw Komorowski of Poland
at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland, June 3, 2014.
The last thing to mention is the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development . It's my first time hearing of this institution, but I see things in these press releases making me think of crony capitalism. In any case, the EBRD is a bank established on the heels of the fall of the Soviet Union, whose mandate is to fund economic development of Eastern European countries.
All the White House press releases for this trip are posted below. Do you, the reader, see what I'm saying? That with this action the U.S. is taking another step in the Oil War that's underway, deploying troops in Eastern Europe for the purpose of furthering dependency on fossil fuels and spreading fracking so we can remain addicted to fossil fuels.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/03/fact-sheet-united-states-and-central-and-eastern-europe-enduring-coopera
FACT SHEET: The United States and Central and Eastern Europe: Enduring Cooperation
For more than 20 years the United States and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe have worked together to build a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace. Today, we are advancing our common defense and security goals, promoting democracy and rule of law, and enhancing energy security and diversification.
Defense and Security Cooperation
In response to Russia's illegal military intervention and attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory, the United States, along with our NATO allies, has undertaken a number of steps to reinforce our military presence across Central Europe and the Baltics. The United States has supported NATO efforts to reassure allies through an increased and persistent air, land, and sea presence. For example, the United States has augmented its contributions to NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission and the U.S.-Poland aviation detachment with additional fighter jets; bolstered its maritime presence in the Black Sea; and deployed company-sized units to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland for joint training and exercises. We will continue to look for ways to further expand these activities in Central Europe and the Baltics together with our NATO allies, including at the upcoming NATO summit in Wales in September 2014.
The long-term sustainment of our security cooperation is built upon the foundation of our security-sector assistance programs — Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and the International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs. In light of recent events, these programs have become even more important to help ensure coalition partners and partner foreign governments are equipped and trained to work toward common security goals. In that regard, both FMF and IMET help countries meet their NATO commitments, improve their interoperability, and build their expeditionary capacity.
Last year we marked the 20th anniversary of the U.S. National Guard's State Partnership Program, which began with U.S. National Guard forces partnering with their counterparts in the Baltic states and today extends across almost all of Central and Eastern Europe. We attach great value to these enduring partnerships, which have enhanced mutual understanding between our forces and improved our ability to operate together in the field. As the program enters its third decade, we want to build on their success by working together with our European partners to extend the benefits of the State Partnership Program to additional countries in Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and elsewhere.
Promoting Democracy and the Rule of Law
The United States and its partners in Central and Eastern Europe are dedicated to promoting democracy and the rule of law, both within and outside the region. Through multilateral and bilateral programs, the United States is working with countries in the region to combat corruption and promote greater government transparency, accountability, and responsiveness. The United States and its European partners co-sponsor development projects in transitioning countries from Eastern Europe and Eurasia, including through the Community of Democracies and the Emerging Donors Challenge Fund. We also support the European Union's long-term objectives of furthering the political association and deepening the economic integration of Eastern Partnership states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. A number of these countries have also joined multilateral efforts to assist democratization efforts in the Middle East and North Africa.
The United States regularly works with governments and civil society in Central and Eastern Europe to build institutional capacity on the rule of law and tackling corruption. U.S. assistance supports international training centers such as the Central Europe and Eurasian Law Initiative Institute and the International Law Enforcement Academy, which have been providing high-quality training to police and justice sector professionals. Likewise, the Southeastern European Law Enforcement Center gathers customs and police officers from 12 European countries under one roof to share information and plan joint law enforcement operations with financial and technical assistance from the United States.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/03/fact-sheet-european-reassurance-initiative-and-other-us-efforts-support-
FACT SHEET: European Reassurance Initiative and Other U.S. Efforts in Support of NATO Allies and Partners
Since early March, the United States has taken action, both bilaterally and through NATO, to reassure allies of our solemn commitment to their security and territorial integrity as members of the NATO Alliance. A persistent U.S. air, land, and sea presence in the region, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, is a necessary and appropriate show of support to allies who have contributed robustly and bravely to Alliance operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere and who are now deeply concerned by Russia's occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea and other provocative actions in Ukraine. The United States stands by its allies, as they have stood by us. We will continue to take actions that increase the capability, readiness, and responsiveness of NATO forces to address any threat and that aid in deterring further destabilizing activities. That is why the President today called on Congress to support a European Reassurance Initiative of up to $1 billion, which will enable us in the next year to undertake measures to:
Increase exercises, training, and rotational presence across Europe but especially on the territory of our newer allies. Many of the U.S. air and ground forces participating in these activities would rotate from the United States.
As we have done in Poland, deploy detachments of U.S. planners to augment the capability of our allies to design and host a broad range of training and exercise opportunities.
Increase the responsiveness of U.S. forces to reinforce NATO by exploring initiatives such as the prepositioning of equipment and improvements to other reception facilities and infrastructure in Europe.
Increase participation by the U.S. Navy in NATO naval force deployments, including more persistent deployments to the Black and Baltic seas.
Build the partner capacity of close friends such as Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine so they can better work alongside the United States and NATO, as well as provide for their own defense.
This initiative will build on existing tools and authorities and will be included in the Department of Defense's FY 2015 Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) request to Congress.
In addition to this initiative, we are reviewing our force presence in Europe in light of the new security challenges on the continent. These efforts will not come at the expense of other defense priorities, such as our commitment to the Asia Pacific rebalance.
With current funding, the United States and NATO have already undertaken the following specific efforts, which are indicative of the types of activities we would seek to maintain and expand with the European Reassurance Initiative:
New U.S. Measures
Land Force Deployments: In April, approximately 600 paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade deployed for training rotations in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland to enhance ongoing military-to-military relationships and demonstrate assurance of America's commitment to its NATO allies. These exercises are part of a series of expanded American land force training activities with European partners that are scheduled to take place over the next few months and beyond.
Maritime Deployments:
In early April, the United States deployed the USS Donald Cook to the Black Sea, where the ship conducted operations to improve interoperability, increase readiness, and develop professional relationships with allies. The Donald Cook conducted presence operations and a port visit in Constanta, Romania, as well as an exercise with the Romanian Navy before departing the Black Sea on April 24.
From April 24 through May 12, the USS Taylor, the U.S. contribution to the Standing NATO Maritime Group, was deployed to the Black Sea, where she conducted bilateral operations with Romania and Georgia, including port visits to both countries.
The USS Vella Gulf entered the Black Sea May 23 to conduct operations to promote peace and stability in the region. Highlights to date include an exercise with the Turkish Navy, a port visit in Batumi, Georgia, and combined maritime training with allied naval forces.
Air Deployments:
Poland Aviation Detachment (AVDET) Training: Quarterly rotations of military aircraft and airmen through the Aviation Detachment began in late 2012, and in March 2014 the United States augmented the rotations with additional F-16s and support airmen. These F-16s and airmen provide a persistent presence in Poland and enhance training and operability with the Polish Air Force. Three C-130J aircraft deployed to Powidz Air Base, Poland, on March 31 as part of a regularly scheduled two-week AVDET rotation.
Air-to-Air Refueling Missions: Since mid-March, the United States has been flying refueling missions in support of NATO Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) flights over Poland and Romania.
Open Skies Treaty Flight: On March 14 the United States conducted — at Ukraine's request — an Open Skies observation mission over Ukraine.
Preplanned but Enhanced U.S. Measures
The USS Truxtun entered the Black Sea through the Turkish Straits on March 7 to conduct port calls in Constanta, Romania, and conduct an exercise with Romanian and Bulgarian naval forces. The Truxtun's stay in the Black Sea was extended so that she could visit the Port of Varna, Bulgaria, to hold an onboard maritime planning conference with Bulgarian and Romanian officers and conduct a second exercise.
NATO Air Policing: On March 6, the United States deployed an additional six F-15Cs to augment the four F-15Cs already in Lithuania filling a NATO peacetime requirement to have quick reaction interceptor aircraft "ramp-ready" for a four-month period to ensure the integrity of the airspace above Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The U.S. rotation began in January and ended in early May. Poland, with augmentation from the United Kingdom, France, and Denmark, took over the air policing task in the Baltic region, and Canada deployed aircraft to augment NATO air policing in Southeast Europe.
United States Ongoing/Steady State Measures
U.S. Force Presence: There are approximately 67,000 service members in Europe. Approximately 57,000 active duty service members are assigned to U.S. European Command, and approximately 10,000 support other organizations, such as U.S. Africa Command.
NATO Response Force (NRF) Commitment: The United States has pledged several thousand service members to the NRF, including a brigade combat team from the Texas-based 1st Cavalry Division, a hospital ship, air-to-air refueling tankers, and escort ships.
Army Rotational Forces: The United States sends a battalion-sized unit from the United States to Europe twice a year for up to two months per rotation. One of these battalions recently participated in NRF exercise ROCHAMBEAU in France and is currently participating in U.S. European Command-hosted multinational exercise COMBINED RESOLVE II. Additionally, elements of the unit participated in NATO Exercise STEADFAST JAZZ this past November.
Missile Defense / European Phased Adaptive Approach: The U.S. contribution to European missile defense, whose aim is to protect against emerging threats from outside of the Euro-Atlantic area, includes a missile defense radar in Turkey, plans for four Aegis destroyers to be forward deployed in Rota, Spain (the first, the USS Donald Cook, arrived in February), and two planned Aegis Ashore sites — one in Romania (2015) and one in Poland (2018).
Black Sea Rotational Forces (BSRF): This force, based out of Mihail Kogalniceanu (MK) Air Base, Romania, includes 250 Marines and sailors tasked with maintaining positive relations with partner nations, enhancing regional stability, and increasing interoperability while providing the capability for rapid crisis response in the Black Sea, Balkan, and Caucasus regions. In May, BSRF personnel participated in exercise PLATINUM LYNX, an infantry field training with the Romanian military to enhance familiarity and interoperability between U.S. and Romanian forces. Additional U.S. forces in Romania not associated with the BSRF include:
500 U.S. troops permanently stationed at MK Air Base conducting transit center operations; and
175 U.S. Marines temporarily based out of MK Air Base as part of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF). The SPMAGTF is postured to respond to a broad range of military operations in Africa and Europe, including fixed-site security, non-combatant evacuation operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel, theater security cooperation, and other missions as directed.
Exercises in the Baltic Sea and Poland: The United States sent U.S. Marines from the Black Sea Rotational Force to the Baltics this April to participate in exercise SUMMER SHIELD. U.S. forces participated in exercises NAMEJS and FLAMING SWORD in Latvia and Lithuania, respectively, in May and are participating in multilateral exercises BALTOPS and SABER STRIKE in the Baltic region in June. The United States will also deploy 18 F-16CJs and one KC-135 tanker to Łask Air Base, Poland, concurrent with the SABER STRIKE and BALTOPS exercise. BALTOPS is an annual, multinational maritime exercise focusing on interoperability, maritime security, and cooperation among Baltic Sea regional partners. SABER STRIKE is an annual, multinational ground and air exercise focused on enhancing interoperability among U.S. Army units and the land forces of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
NATO Measures
Revised Planning: NATO is updating its defense plans and is developing a readiness action plan that includes a review of joint exercises, threat assessments, intelligence-sharing arrangements, early-warning procedures, and crisis response planning.
Support to Ukraine: On March 5, NATO allies decided on a number of measures to intensify NATO's partnership with Ukraine and strengthen cooperation to support democratic reforms. Measures included an increased engagement with the Ukrainian civilian and military leadership; strengthened efforts to build the capacity of the Ukrainian military, including with more joint training and exercises; and increased efforts to include Ukraine in multinational projects to develop capabilities.
Suspension of NATO-Russia Council (NRC) Activities: At an NRC meeting in April, NATO Foreign Ministers condemned Russian military intervention in Ukraine and suspended staff-level civilian and military meetings with Russia. Ambassadorial-level meetings of the NRC will continue.
New Air and Sea deployments:
AWACS: On March 10, the North Atlantic Council approved establishing AWACS orbits over Poland and Romania to enhance NATO's situational awareness of activities in the region and to reassure NATO allies. These aircraft will only fly over NATO territory and will come from the NATO fleet and allied contributions.
Standing Naval Forces: In late April, NATO activated Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group One and sent it to patrol the Baltic Sea. The group, which consists of six ships from Belgium, Estonia, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, and Poland, is conducting port visits and participated in an annual mine clearance operation (NATO naval exercise OPEN SPIRIT 2014). On May 12, NATO tasked its augmented Standing NATO Maritime Group One to perform maritime assurance measures alongside counter-terrorism patrols in the eastern Mediterranean. The group includes five ships from Canada, Germany, Norway, Turkey, and the United States.
New Exercises: NATO launched a large-scale exercise, STEADFAST JAVELIN 1, in Estonia on May 16, which tested allied forces on their ability to work together as well as maintaining NATO's readiness and combat effectiveness. The exercise reflects NATO's strong commitment to collective defense in the Baltic region. Around 6,000 troops from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States participated in the exercise which finished on May 23. Many participants were already in Estonia taking part in the annual Estonian-led KEVADTORM14 exercise that began on May 5 and that was merged into the NATO-led event.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/02/vice-president-biden-travel-ukraine
Vice President Biden to Travel to Ukraine
The Vice President will lead a Presidential delegation to Kyiv on June 7 to attend the inauguration of Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko. The Vice President will also hold meetings with Ukraine's leaders to discuss President-elect Poroshenko's agenda, the situation in the east, and how the United States can assist Ukraine with fighting corruption, strengthening its democratic institutions, and putting its economy back on a path towards sustainable growth.
Additional details about the Vice President's trip will be released at a later date.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/03/fact-sheet-united-states-and-poland-strong-and-united
FACT SHEET: The United States and Poland: Strong and United
Poland and the United States are bound together by shared history and values, by our security alliance, and by our strong economic ties. This year marks 25 years since Poland's historic election that set the stage for its transition from communism to democracy. Poland is also celebrating its 15th anniversary as a NATO member and its 10th as a member of the European Union.
Security and Defense Cooperation
The recent developments beyond NATO's eastern border reconfirm the importance of NATO solidarity embodied in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. As NATO allies, the United States and Poland work closely to enhance the Alliance's collective defense, crisis management, and cooperative security. Poland's commitment to investing in defense capabilities, its leadership in the Baltic Air Policing mission, and its robust participation in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan underscore its critical contributions to Alliance security. Poland plays a critical role in the European Phased Adaptive Approach to NATO missile defense as we work together to deploy a missile defense system to Poland in 2018. In addition, Poland is making significant contributions to NATO capabilities through its $45 billion defense modernization initiative. The United States looks forward to even closer security ties through cooperation in support of this important project.
The United States and Poland are implementing a "Program for Solidarity and Partnership" to expand our military and security cooperation, including Special Operations forces, exercises and training, our joint aviation detachment, air and missile defense, and defense industry cooperation. This new initiative will enhance the security of the entire Alliance and particularly that of Central and Eastern European allies.
Our commitment to European and Polish security is exemplified by the 2012 deployment of a full-time aviation detachment at Łask Air Base, the first continuous presence of U.S. troops in Poland. The aviation detachment has already hosted five joint training rotations, including the U.S. deployment in March of 12 F-16s and approximately 200 support airmen. Since April, U.S. Airborne Infantry paratroopers have been in Poland conducting expanded U.S. land force training and exercises with Polish troops. Together with our NATO allies, we are committed to maintaining an augmented presence in Poland through the end of the year and beyond.
Shared Prosperity — Economics, Trade, and Energy
Poland is the United States' largest commercial partner in Central Europe, and the United States is one of the top sources of foreign investment in Poland. Over the past ten years, our bilateral trade quadrupled, American companies invested more than $20 billion in Poland, and more than 180,000 Poles gained employment directly from U.S. companies. Poland stands to benefit significantly from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union. More than half of Poland's gross domestic product is generated by small and medium-sized businesses, over 50,000 of which are already exporters.
The United States and Poland are collaborating on a bilateral innovation program that will bring together Polish and American government representatives, businesses, researchers, academics, and investors. Under the U.S.-Poland Science and Technology Agreement, American and Polish scientists and researchers already collaborate on advances in areas such as energy and natural resource management, as well as opportunities to expand the participation of women and girls in science.
Poland's growing market and ambitious investment plans, military and transportation infrastructure modernization, energy sector growth, and development of innovative industries all present major commercial opportunities for U.S. companies. In September 2014, Commerce Secretary Pritzker will lead members of the President's Export Council on a fact-finding mission to Poland. This delegation of senior U.S. business executives will meet with government and business leaders to discuss opportunities for greater U.S.-Poland trade and commercial engagement.
The United States supports Poland's efforts to increase its energy security by diversifying its energy supply and strengthening its energy infrastructure. We are committed to sharing best practices on shale gas development and facilitating consultations between our civilian nuclear regulatory authorities, and U.S. companies are engaged in Poland's efforts to develop its shale gas and renewable energy sectors, as well as its nuclear power sector.
Support for Democracy
The United States and Poland work together to promote democracy and freedom in Europe and around the world. Key initiatives include our bilateral Democracy Dialogue and the Community of Democracies, which we co-founded. In Europe, we supported a program to train young political leaders from the Eastern Partnership countries — Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine — in democratic engagement. We coordinate closely on efforts to support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the aspirations of the Ukrainian people. In Moldova, we pursue joint efforts to support local governance and transparency. In Belarus, we jointly fund efforts to assist Belarusian victims of repression. Poland's own experience makes it an ideal mentor for these countries as they work to bolster their democratic institutions and free market economies.
Highway design could decrease death and injury risk, if "we" chose smarter designs - March 28, 2015
GM really did trademark "range anxiety", only later to abandon that mark - March 25, 2015
US Government releases new regulations on hydraulic fracturing, that some call "toothless" - March 20, 2015
Tesla Motors magic pill to solve range anxiety doesn't quite instill range confidence - March 19, 2015
Update on Galena IL oil train – 21 cars involved, which were the supposedly safer CP1232 design - March 7, 2015
Another oil bomb train – why are they shipping crude oil by train? – Symptoms of fossil fuel addiction - March 6, 2015
Chevron relinquishes fracking in Romania, as part of broader pull-out from Eastern European fracking operations - February 22, 2015
Answer anti- electric car articles with truth and pride – truth outshines all distortions - February 19, 2015
Apple taking big risk on developing a car? Please, Apple, don't go there! - February 16, 2015
Toyota, Nissan, Honda working on Japanese fuel cell infrastructure for Japanese government - February 12, 2015
Energy Policy, Energy Security, Europe, Hydraulic Fracturing, Natural Gas, Obama, Poland, Romania, Ukraine. Bookmark.
Tesla building multiple Gigafactories, Musk to be CEO until Gen3 car launched, etc
McGuinness 117 miles/hr in 2014 TT ZERO, Anstey 115 miles/hr, shattering 2013's records
Clinton claims, in leaked e-mails, anti-fracking…
Nepotism bites VP Joe Biden as he starts 2020…
First "fast charge hub" for electric cars in Eastern…
Biden/Ukraine story getting more heat and suspiciousness
Jimmy Carter's Crisis of Confidence speech was…


When it comes to food and drink, I love a good pairing. Here in Chicago, pairing menus are all the rage. Serve 5 different courses and offer a new taste (or glass cough) of wine that perfectly enhances and compliments each dish? Sign me up.
During these dinners, the waiter or sommelier will go into great detail about where the wine comes from, even pinpointing a specific valley in the countryside perfectly located to provide ample sunlight. But do we ever hear that level of detail regarding the food we are eating alongside it? Isn't it important to know where our food came from too and why it tastes so good?
So why does Pre beef taste distinctly different andmore delicious, than the other beef I find in the grocery store? Just like with wine, region matters. In order to grow individual varieties of grapes, you need a certain level of rainfall, a specific mineral content found in the soil, a particular amount of sunlight, and different temperature requirements to achieve the perfect vintage. The same strict standards are needed for beef.
At Pre, we source our beef like we would source our wine. We chose specificcountries that provide the perfect environment for raising cattle. And within those countries, we dial it down to specific regions. All of our beef comes from New Zealand and the south-eastern regions of Australia(specifically Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales). The ample rainfall and mild climate of these areas allow for nutritious grass to grow and thrive so cattle can be pasture raised year round. Farmers in these regions also utilize sustainable farming practices, combining sheep and cattle on the same pasture, for example. Sheep like to eat just about anything(weeds included!) so this lets the cattle munch on the grasses they prefer to enjoy. Fun fact: Did you know that sheep and cattle both outnumber the human populations of New Zealand and Australia?
The breed of cattle we source plays a big role in our Pre difference. We like to compare this to the variety of grape used in different wines. Each variety is going to taste different, thrive in certain growing conditions, and yield different size and color fruit. The breeds we use when sourcing our beef are calledBritish breeds. Examples of these includeAngus, Hereford, Red Devon, Murray Grey and any cross-breeds. We use British breeds, as opposed to Tropical breeds such as Brahman, because British breeds are smaller, gentler animals that provide high-quality beef.
And finally, just as aging is important in fine wine, beef needs to age too. Lucky for us, our beef can wet age in the time it takes totravel halfway across the world. Wet aging is the process of beef aging in a vacuum sealed bag. This allows for the enzymes in the beef to tenderize the cut and enhance its flavor. When it arrives to us in Chicago, we are ready to cut steaks, grind the beef, and send it off to astore near you!
Just like with wine, region matters. In order to grow individual varieties of grapes you need a certain level of rainfall, a specific mineral content found in the soil, a particular amount of sunlight, and different temperature requirements to achieve the perfect vintage. The same strict standards are needed for beef.
My favorite cut is the filet mignon. So tender and delicious! My passions are food, health, and overall wellness. There's nothing better than working for a company who embodies all three! My ideal weekend is naturally waking up early and making a hearty breakfast, relaxing at home until I get antsy, then taking a yoga class or going on a hike with my family and ending with a few house projects and time outside by our fire pit.


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A Great Woman Named Gertrude
Today the Roman calendar celebrates the remarkable Saint Gertrude of Helfta, a medieval woman who made a powerful impression on German Thuringia two centuries before the birth of Luther. She gave energy and warmth to the evangelical (i.e. "Gospel"-focused, Christ-centered) Catholic reform movement that spread through Western Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries.
Known to history as St Gertrude the Great, she takes her place among those whose whose labor gave shape to the Christian ideal in the High Middle Ages, with Bernard and Hildegarde, Dominic, Francis, and Clare, Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas. As a 13th century Benedictine nun in a prominent monastery, Gertrude was a scholar and spiritual writer whose reputation for holiness drew many in the Church and the world to seek her counsel.
However, she was above all a child of God, a true Christian mystic enraptured by the merciful and loving heart of Jesus.
In one of the visions she recounted, Jesus said to her, "My Divine Heart, understanding human inconstancy and frailty, desires with incredible ardor continually to be invited, either by your words, or at least by some other sign, to operate and accomplish in you what you are not able to accomplish yourself. And as its omnipotence enables it to act without trouble, and its impenetrable wisdom enables it to act in the most perfect manner, so also its joyous and loving charity makes it ardently desire to accomplish this end."
Dorothy Day: Loving One Another in the "Here-and-Now"
The Joy and Sorrow of Our Longing for the Infinite
Thank God For MUSIC
Power, Progress, and the Drama of Freedom
Remaining in Him
Prayer for a Friday
Friends of God, at My Side
Francesca Cabrini: Mercy Fills the Earth
Loving Sinners, Beginning With Myself
"We Conquer as He Conquered"
A Hundred Years Ago: An "October" Revolution?
The Depth of Wisdom and Knowledge
Fall in Photos...So Far
Music, Faith, and the Beauty of Reality
The Faithful Departed of Every Time and Place, Uni...


Margaret Burton Jordan, of Camden died Tuesday, July 15, 2014.
She was born in Monticello on December 23, 1930, to the late Dolly and Stanley Burton.
A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 19, 2014, at the First Baptist Church in Camden under the direction of Proctor Funeral Home.
An online guestbook may be viewed and signed at www.proctorfuneralhome.com.


To be the stage of realizing dreams of our employees! To build a happier, more united and more professional team! To reach a mutual benefit of our customers, suppliers, the society and ourselves for Smile Eraser , Smell Eraser , Girl Eraser , high-quality and transparency for our clients. Our moto would be to deliver high quality solutions within stipulated time.
"Our company has been focusing on brand strategy. Customers' satisfaction is our best advertising. We also supply OEM service for Smile Eraser , Smell Eraser , Girl Eraser , We will not only continuously introduce technical guidance of experts from both home and abroad but also develop the new and advanced items constantly to satisfactorily meet the needs of our clients all over the world.


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HIMSS19: IBM Watson teams with Brigham, Vanderbilt on $50M AI research initiative
by Heather Landi |
Feb 14, 2019 9:50am
IBM Watson Health is collaborating with two academic medical centers to research the use of AI to tackle major public health issues, such as patient safety and health equity. (Ryzhi/Getty Images)
IBM Watson Health is making $50 million investment in healthcare artificial intelligence with the aim of exploring how the technology can be used to improve patient safety and health equity.
The company announced a 10-year investment in collaboration with Brigham and Women's Hospital—which is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School—and Vanderbilt University Medical Center to research the use of AI to address major public health issues.
The collaborations will focus on critical health problems that are ideally suited for AI solutions such as improving the utility of electronic health records (EHRs) and claims data to address patient safety, precision medicine and health equity, IBM officials said in a release.
The research will also explore physician and patient user experience and interactions with AI technologies.
Kyu Rhee, M.D., vice president and chief health officer at IBM Watson Health, said physicians are spending an average of two hours with their EHRs and deskwork for every hour of patient care. It's an issue the American Medical Association said is leading to a steady increase in physician burnout.
"AI is the most powerful technology we have today to tackle issues like this one, but there is still a great deal of work to be done to demystify the real role of AI in healthcare with practical, proven results and clear-cut best practices," Rhee said in a statement. "By putting the full force of our clinical and research team together with two of the world's leading academic medical centers, we will dramatically accelerate the development of real-world AI solutions that improve workflow efficiencies and outcomes."
RELATED: IBM and MIT launch $240M AI research lab with a focus on healthcare applications
The collaborations enable IBM Watson Health scientists the opportunity to work with leading health informatics researchers to advance the field in the areas of artificial intelligence, clinical decision support and implementation science, said Gretchen Purcell Jackson, M.D., IBM Watson Health's vice president and chief science officer.
Medical data is expected to double every 73 days by 2020, Jackson noted.
"As a practicing surgeon, I often had to make critical decisions about children's lives without time to dig for information buried in electronic health records or sift through thousands of studies in the literature. Our collaborative research will unlock new insights that affect broad health stakeholders: from providers, payers, governments, and life science companies to ultimately the most important stakeholder, patients, and seek to improve health around the globe," she said.
David Bates, M.D., chief of general internal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said researchers are aiming to find new ways to leverage AI to improve the utility of the EHR and claims data to address major public health issues like patient safety.
Predicting cardiovascular disease
IBM Watson Health and the Broad Institute, which consists of MIT, Harvard and Harvard-affiliated hospitals, also announced a three-year project to use genomics, clinical data and AI to better predict the possibility of serious cardiovascular diseases.
Announced at the Healthcare Information and Management Sytems Society's (HIMSS) annual conference and exhibition on Wednesday, project leaders hope to help provide doctors with tools to tap into the potential of genomics data and better understand the intrinsic possibility an individual has for a certain disease.
With these insights, health professionals can potentially intervene and help to reduce this risk.
The initiative will incorporate population-based and hospital-based biobank data, genomic information and EHRs to build upon and expand the predictive power of genetic risk scoring.
Researchers plan to develop AI tools to produce models that bring together and analyze a multitude of genetic risk factors within an individual's genome along with existing health records and biomarkers to help clinicians more accurately predict the onset of complex and often fatal conditions in patients, such as heart attacks, sudden cardiac death and atrial fibrillation.
The developed AI technologies will require innovation on three fronts: the ability to integrate several disparate types of health data for modeling; the potential to transfer and apply models on patients from different health systems; and communicating generated insights and analysis results to patients and doctors in a way that is meaningful and actionable.
Artificial Intelligence Patient Safety Data Analytics Predictive Analytics electronic health records (EHRs) IBM Watson Brigham and Women's Hospital Vanderbilt University Medical Center Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Heather Landi
Senior Editor for Health IT
https://twitter.com/HeatherLandi
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-landi-91a73513/


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Hampton Dubai GM dedicated to elevating female leaders
Having benefited in her hospitality career from mentorship, Hampton by Hilton Dubai Airport GM Nayla Chowdhury strives to be a mentor herself to another generation of hotel industry leaders, particularly women.
By Robert McCune
rmccune@hotelnewsnow.com
@HNN_Robert
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—The way Nayla Chowdhury sees it, when you're the first at anything, you have a responsibility to help others to follow.
Her hospitality career is full of firsts, but her current role is particularly surrounded in superlatives: Hilton's first female GM in the Arabian Peninsula, at the first Hampton by Hilton hotel in Dubai, which is the first in the Middle East, and the largest Hampton in the world with 420 rooms.
None of it would have been possible without mentors along the way who helped to instill in her the confidence she needed to lead, Chowdhury said.
Having started in sales and marketing, she was motivated by one such mentor to become the GM of the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tysons Corner in Virginia, which she led for five years starting in 2003. In the years since, she held GM roles at three other Hilton hotels, including another Embassy Suites in Washington, D.C., the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, and most recently at a DoubleTree in Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, where she was until October 2017.
At the time she made the switch from sales to GM, Chowdhury hadn't imagined it was possible, she said.
"I was very comfortable where I was, but (the first GM she worked for) saw something in me … and really inspired me," she said.
She remembers that as she strives to be the same kind of mentor to people on her staff at the Hampton by Hilton Dubai Airport. Currently, she is mentoring two women for GM roles.
"I feel like there need to be role models, especially women in leadership roles and at the senior level. It's just very important for (women) to see that it can be done," she said.
Identifying, fostering leaders
Part of that, she said, is having a plan and utilizing the proper training and resources, of which Hilton has a lot.
"We have coaching; we have mentors. When (women) see a female GM who has been able to balance family as well as have a career and be successful in both, I think that gives them the confidence to believe this is possible," Chowdhury said.
As a mentor, she meets one on one with her mentees, has regular calls and allows them to shadow her on the job.
What she looks for in a mentee is "someone who shows interest in the business and asks questions beyond their specific role" at the hotel, she said.
"You can see they're looking for something beyond a job; they are looking for a career. … And they are willing to give the time to learn," she said.
She's been where they are, and understands their ambitions and their struggles, she said.
"A lot of it is confidence. There's a level of that lack of confidence, because there are not too many women in these roles," she said.
When she took her first GM role in 2003, there were not many women GMs even in the U.S., she said. It's improved over the years, but more can be done, she said.
"I've not only seen that in the U.S. we have come a long way, but also in other parts of the world, even in the Middle East. After I was the first female appointed GM, there's been two other female GMs in the region, and there are more to come," she said.
It starts with overcoming a mindset, she said.
"Women always have had this unconscious bias that as women we will not be able to be GM. 'It will take so much time away from my family, and I cannot do both.' They give up sometimes before they even understand the whole scope of it," she said.
"Within Hilton right now, we have five global heads who are women, and we see a lot of our senior level GMs, senior management, regional directors, they are balancing both. As a company and as an industry, flexibility is important."
For example, she said, Hilton offers 12-week paid maternity leave for women.
"These types of flexibility as a company and as an industry will allow women to feel like they can do both, and not feel they have to give up one aspect of your life, because both are important. Just as important as being successful in your career is to feel fulfilled personally and have that balance," she said.
A mother of three boys, Chowdhury has that balance herself.
"I love being a mom," she said. "When I go home, they just keep me going. It's a different world, and that just takes me away from all of the other challenges. Even if I had the worst day possible or a challenging day, when I go home, I forget about all of that. To me, just being a mom is really the most important thing."
As much as she tries to separate work and family, the two intertwine, she said.
"I try to stay very business-focused at the hotel, when I'm with my team. But at the same time … my team really looks up to me as a very nurturing person. It's part of you, so it shines through," she said.
And her sons, with whom she likes to travel, are like "mini-hoteliers," she said.
"Any hotel they go to, they are very highly critical," she said. "They really are very discerning about what they like and what they don't like."
Strength of the team
As she does with her children, Chowdhury wants to see her team at the Hampton by Hilton Dubai Airport succeed, because "the team is what's going to make the difference in the success of the hotel," she said.
She describes her leadership style as collaborative.
"The key is creating an environment that (the team) feels they can thrive, that they feel empowered to make decisions, that this is their hotel," she said.
The Hampton by Hilton Dubai Airport opened in September. (Photo: Hampton by Hilton)
"It's not something I have to look over their shoulders every day to see. … I think you can sense it in this hotel, that everyone takes an ownership. It's their hotel. I want them to feel that their success is the hotel's success, and the hotel's success is what they do. They're all intertwined."
She said her most rewarding day as a GM was opening the Hampton by Hilton Dubai Airport this past September, which she saw as both a personal and a team accomplishment.
"Being appointed as the first female GM in the (Gulf Cooperation Council), that in itself was very rewarding—to be able to break that barrier in this part of the world which is a little bit more traditional," she said.
She also led the pre-opening team, working with contractors and procurement and recruitment, owners and senior management. That process and the days leading up to the hotel opening were among the most challenging in her career, she said.
"It gets a little overwhelming," she said.
"However, we all did it as a team; I had a great pre-opening team. We never felt like it was work. … Every day, we were all encouraging each other … we had a little bit of a countdown. It got really exciting. As difficult as it was, we really enjoyed it," she said.
"One of the best parts was being recognized at the EMEA general managers' conference we had in October. This hotel got the best hotel opening, and I got the best GM award for that. That was culmination of all the hard work of the team. It was of course a team award, but I felt I was able to lead the team to that success, and that felt great."
Editor's note: Hampton by Hilton paid for travel expenses, and provided accommodations and meals. Complete editorial control was at the discretion of the Hotel News Now editorial team; Hampton by Hilton had no influence on the coverage provided.
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What can you do to be able to restrict access to parts of your site? What?s an .htaccess generator?
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In response to the Oregon Spotted Frog being listed as an endangered species, more water is being released into the upper Deschutes in the winter in order to provide improved overwintering habitat. At the same time, levels in Crane Prairie Reservoir are being more stably managed for consistent habitat. As a result, levels in Wickiup Reservoir should see larger draw downs in the winter which in turn will likely negatively impact its fish population. As a result, ODFW is changing the regulations for Wickiup to reduce the number of kokanee that may be harvested.
At a recent meeting describing these changes ODFW explained that there is no fish screen at the Wickiup discharge and significant numbers of fish pass into the Deschutes. This includes well over a million kokanee in some years. Kokanee are landlocked sockeye salmon and are not native to the upper Deschutes. For many years they were planted in Wickiup and Crane Prairie, a practice that was discontinued in 1986 and 2009 respectively. Kokanee can reproduce in fresh water lakes and rivers, however, and they continue to be present in both reservoirs.
Even after many generations of residing in lakes, kokanee retain sockeye genetics and continue to desire to migrate to the ocean, hence the large numbers that migrate down the Deschutes. Some are successful. Each fish in the most recent sockeye run to return to the Pelton Round Butte trap on the lower Deschutes was genetically sampled. Of the 484 fish that were captured, 18 (4%) were upper Deschutes origin, meaning they came from Wickiup or Crane Prairie Reservoirs.
I find this astonishing. When only about 4 inches long, these fish moved down the Deschutes, over Benham Falls, Dillon Falls, and Big Falls, through the Selective Water Withdrawal facility in Lake Billy Chinook, out to and down the Columbia, through its dams, out to the ocean, and then came back! What was equally amazing were the pictures of some of the adult kokanee that have been caught at Wickiup over the past few years. I may have to learn how to fish for them.


Disney > Lucas > $4.05 billion > Educational Donation!
I was shocked when I heard recently the News, "Gearge Lucas is planning to sell his company 'LucasFilms' and is planning to retire too". It was a really shocking news to me. Cause, like me, I am sure people of my age and around, have grown up watching films from lucasfilms. Who can forget StarWars, Jurassic park, Terminators, Mummy upto very recent films Pirates of the Caribbean, Transformers, Harry Potter, Narnia or Rango. I was in 9th or 10th when I first saw Jurassic Park. And the horrifying effect of the dinosaurs remained in my mind so long. Such films had created immense attraction and curiosity about film making, graphics and spacial effects, in thousands of minds. My carrier too was developed observing and studying films by ILM (a franchise of Lucasfilms). For people of my generation ILM is like the God in Spacial effects films. And now the News comes ' Lucas to retire'. Obviously bad.


One of your savings goals might be to help your children, grandchildren, or other students you know pay for a college education. With tuition costs continuing to increase at rates greater than inflation,1 it's important to think strategically about college planning.
Be sure to max out your retirement accounts first, then prioritize and contribute to other savings goals, such as helping relatives pay for college.
If the cost of college continues to rise at its current rate, newborns will need in excess of $300,0001 in today's dollars to attend a four-year, in-state public university, and nearly twice that to attend a private school.
While this figure may seem high, remember that saving for college is like saving for retirement—by starting early, investing regularly, and contributing as much as you can, you give yourself the best chance of success.
Get more details on paying for college—including how undergraduate tuition and fees, room and board, and other expenses can change over time—at CollegeBoard.org.
Use our College Savings Calculator to estimate costs, your potential savings goals, and more.
1. Source: Trends in College Pricing, 2015, The College Board.


If you fill in an "order" at Canadian Pharmacy, they'll ask for your reputation, address, telephone number, plastic card number, expiration date, and also the security code about the back of the card. Learning college writing is important to a career in additional ways. The prescribed medicine will likely be found inside local pharmacy. 'The pharmacy must have to have a prescription ' A prescription is among the most basic link within the medical chain of responsibility from doctor to patient to pharmacy. If an example may be looking for the cost -effective drugs can simply order them at our web store which provides the paramount medications and provide you instant results, taking care of your health constantly.
Click about the 'Contact Us' prompt with the top right hand corner in the Drugs - For - Cost. You can identify this because it always begins with "https" (the "s" means secure). The generic prescription medication is the medicine that's working inside similar way with the same strength, power; dose, healing capacity etc will be the same. For a lot of people it is seen as a way to afford expensive medicine being sold within the traditional drug stores. One stop and this unique store and you will likely be hooked.
In return, Jollibee Foundation was established in 2005, especially address the social responsibility from the company. At these places, you will probably be able to check your blood pressure levels, cholesterol, mammograms, eye exam, glucose, and much more. One strategy to interact with pharmacists and pharmacy students is via online message boards. Volunteers were segregated in the under 65, 65 - 74, and 75+ age groups. The wily old pharmacy owner knew that this people, who started in to his pharmacy, were there to buy prescription drugs and other pharmacy related products only.
Online pharmacy is the very best option for older folks and physically disabled persons. Look carefully with the plant you wish to pick and also you will see the location where the energy is highest; permit this to guide your harvesting. To develop a Virginia pharmacy technician study course, access their list of approved courses on the Virginia Board of Pharmacy website at dhp. If your medications usually are not an emergency provide the staff plenty of time for it to fill your prescription. There are no special educational requirements or tests to begin work as being a pharmacy technician.
The following are the required traits you must have to qualify just for this position:. A certified pharmacy technician could very well turn into a pharmacist. Changes inside the atmosphere and lifestyle are principal reasons for increased risks of cancer of the breast. Our generic Canada pharmacy points out accuracy is really a lot higher as compared to humans, because the robot has the capacity to maneuver within confined space with precision and accuracy. inside the interest of full disclosure, I did not receive anything from Target, although I did take advantage of your $10 gift card having a new prescription coupon from the Sunday advertising.


It's that time of year again peeps! Time to shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and boy is it back and better than ever. I mayyyy have gotten up at 3am to shop and start picking out my favorites (and also writing this blog post). So I hope you enjoy it and find it helpful. There is a LOT to get through.
First off my favorite purchase from last year (the Ralph Lauren coat from above) is BACK IN STOCK and ON SALE. Guys guys guys literally my holy grail jacket. I love it so much I might need to buy the other colors. See my review of it from last year HERE.
There are actually a lot of things I already own in the sale so I'll post more about that later. So without further adieu.. here are my favorite things (and some items I bought) from the Nordstrom sale so far!!
Zella Pace Tank / Live in High Waist Leggings (also love these knock out Leggings): I have a serious sweet spot for Zella so when they go on sale, I stock up. Hoping this will reenergize my workouts.
Heavy Duty Sports Bra: I've been reaalllllyyyy needed a good sports bra for a bigger chest and I'm hoping this will be the answer to my prayers!
Circle Cardigan / Black Joggers: I need more lounge clothes especially for fall (most of my things are shorts) and these just looked too soft not to get!
Tory Burch Quilted Tote: I'm not as much a Tory Burch lover as I once was but mannnnnn is this bag cute. I love that it's so different and suede and quilted. Would be great for carrying my computer to and from work. Excited to see how I like it in real life!
Natori Contour Bra: My favorite bra is on sale!!! BUY BUY BUY!
Navy Vince Slip Ons: I LOVE my Vince slip on sneakers (seriously maybe over wear them) so I wanted to at least try these ones out. I'm a litttttle nervy that they are stain but the navy color of course got me. I will report back!
Pink Adidas Sneakers: I've been hunting down a fun new pair of sneakers to buy like woah and I really love how cool these are. Pulled the trigger and will see if I can actually pull them off or not!
Nike Air Max Thea: My Theas are my favorite pair of Nikes I own and I've never known them to go on sale. It's a nice little steal!
Studded Booties: These look pretty similar to a really (really) expensive designer pair and you cannot go wrong with a cognac bootie for fall!
More Slides: I love my slide heels so much I'm hoping these are just as comfortable!!
Sam Edelman Heeled Boots: Another thing I remember I've needed (for like years) is a good pair of tall and heeled boots. I wanted them to be leather over suede but it doesn't hurt to try!
White Nike Running Shoes: Another really fun pair of Nike's on sale that you don't want to miss.
Topshop Ruffle Crop Jacket: Thought this would be a really cute way to accessorize an otherwise boring outfit. Jeans, booties, tank and this jacket!
J. Crew Plaid Blazer / Regent Blazer - My favorite J. Crew blazers are the regent blazer (see me style it HERE and HERE for fit reference) so I was ecstatic to see them on sale!!
Grey Tie Blazer: Ok I'm actually the MOST excited about this blazer. It's SO affordable and if it fits the way it looks online, it's going to be soooooo perfect for work.
Sam Edelman Military Jacket: I love how different this is and surprisingly I don't have a navy coat so I decided to try this one out!!
Burberry Quilted Jacket: Burberry on sale is always a good idea. I need this jacket like I need a hole in my head so if someone else could get it and enjoy that would be awesome.
Eliza J Short Sleeve Fit and Flare / Eliza J Long Sleeve Fit and Flare: Eliza J dresses are my favorite work dresses out there and these both would be perfect for the office. I ended up buying THIS one but I might go back for the other!
Ruffle T-shirt Dress: Though this would be a really good transition dress that you can wear now and wear later!
Scallop Shift Dress: I'm just a sucker for anything scallop.
AG Jeans Step Hem / Raw Hem: My favorite jeans ALL time are AG so you already know I have these and love them. You will too, promise!
Bow Neck Top: I can't say no to a white shirt with a big bow on it! I'm hoping it will look more expensive than it is. Nothing worst than a cheap looking top!
White Peplum Top: This is going to be such a good staple for work! Planning on pairing it with the couple of skirts I got!
BP Open Cardigan: More cardigans always. Especially to work or traveling, I LOVE wearing open cardigans like this. They are so easy to throw on or off depending on how you're feeling.
Free People Pullover: Gotta stock up on all the sweaters! Sweaters paired with shorts is one of my favorite looks!!
O'Neill Sweater: I've never gotten anything from O'Neill before but this sweater just looks so cute (mainly in this color) I couldn't really pass it up!
Strivectin Neck Cream: I had a mini test size of this a couple months back and LOVED it. We need to take better care of our necks people! But it's just so expensive. Thought I would bite the bullet and get it while it's on sale (now or never).
Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow Duo: I've been wanting this for a long time with a never real "need" for it so the sale was just the push I needed and now it will finally be mine!
CT Mini Skin Care Set: I have the magic cream and the under eye rescue and can vouch for how amazing they are. It's such a good deal -- this little set -- and the perfect way to get introduced to her skin care line.
Whew! And that's it. LOTS of good stuff, a lot of unexpected buys but really excited to try them on and give you guys some reviews! What are your favorite picks??


In the last episode of Prosecutor Princess, Kim So Yeon (김소연) who acts as Prosecutor Ma Hye Ri carried a Marc Jacobs bag.
From Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2010 collection, the Imogen Leather Shoulder Bag retails for USD$1750.00 on Net-A-Porter.
PS/ This is the last post of PP I'm posting, requests should be entertained via formspring.me or email. Thanks for supporting all this while!


Today the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission passed a rule that will end Tesla's direct sales of cars to consumers. Tesla, a manufacturer of all-electric..
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