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State to commission €83,000 survey on economic impact of excise duty policy ({{commentsTotal}})

Euros. Source: ERR

The Estonian government is to commission a survey for €83,333 to determine the precise effect of the policy of sped-up hikes in excise duties and the resulting increase in cross-border trade on business as well as the Estonian economy more broadly, daily Postimees said.

The tender notice published by the State Shared Services Centre states that the excise duty policy of the Estonian state has been more dynamic than usual in recent years. This has caused dismay in residents and led to consumer behaviour on a large scale aimed at minimising the effect of the excise duty hikes by making purchases across the border. This in turn has had an impact on the businesses producing, selling or brokering goods on which excise duty is levied.

In addition, excise duties have a different kind of impact on the industry and other sectors of the economy by affecting the costs of inputs, such as fuel or electricity.

"Our knowledge is less precise and less up-to-date when it comes to the effects that the excise duty policy has had on businesses and through it on the economy more broadly," it stands in the tender notice. "And although we can assess it qualitatively, we see the biggest gap as existing in our knowledge of the quantitative impact of the excise duty policy on businesses and the economic environment. The objective of the survey is to fill this gap as comprehensively as possible."

Another objective of the tender is to ensure that policymaking in the future is as knowledge-based as possible. In order to ensure this, as precise information as possible is needed regarding what Estonia's excise duty policy has entailed.

The goal is for the Ministry of Finance and the next lineups of the Riigikogu as well as the public to have an in-depth analysis available to them of the economic impact of Estonia's excise duty policy of recent years, an assessment of the impacts of future choices related to excise duty policy as well as relevant policy recommendations, which together should help excise duty policy be more knowledge-based in the future.

The survey must be conducted by a team of at least three persons, including a project manager, an analyst and an expert. The deadline for the completion of the survey is February 2019.

Editor: Aili Vahtla

Source: BNS

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Hea lugeja, näeme et kasutate vanemat brauseri versiooni või vähelevinud brauserit.

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Graduate scheme helps jobless climb career ladder

A group of unemployed graduates are finally embarking on their chosen careers, thanks to a University of St Andrews training scheme.

The ten graduates have just completed the Graduate Gateway Programme, which involves training in a range of key skills followed by a placement with a local employer.

The twenty-week intensive course, funded by Scottish Enterprise Fife, focuses on two main areas. The first eight weeks concentrate on crucial job skills including interview techniques, presentations and CV preparation, as well as IT training and an introduction to management and marketing. They are also required to devise a business plan from start to finish, which is presented to an invited audience, including a representative from Scottish Enterprise Fife.

Students also spend twelve weeks on placement with a company or organisation. This enables them to put into practice the skills they have learned, usually through a stand-alone, self-contained project which can be completed by the end of the 12 week period.

Run by the University’s Centre for Continuing Education and involving input from the Department of Management, IT Services and the Careers Service, the Graduate Gateway Programme is open to Fife-based graduates of all ages who have been unemployed for six months or more.

This year’s successful students include 23-year old Sally Grant of Kingskettle who graduated with a BA Hons in 3D Design in 1999. Before joining the scheme, her work experience was minimal but, after being placed with Elmwood College’s Marketing Department, she used her new skills in IT and marketing to design publicity material and a database to assist with advertising. She has since been offered the post of marketing and design assistant with a prestigious design house in Oxford. Sally said, “As a graduate, I was in a difficult position and needed a few extra skills, particularly in computer literacy, to get onto the career ladder. It’s also great to be doing something worthwhile while looking for a job – no-one wants blank spaces on their CV!”.

Meanwhile, 24-year old Aurora Sinclair, who graduated with a BSc Hons in Biochemistry from the University of St Andrews in 1998, was placed with Access Shield Diagnostics, an international company producing diagnostic equipment for medical use. She combined her scientific knowledge with her linguistic skills to produce instructions and labels for the equipment in six languages. She has since been offered a six month contract with the company.

Aurora’s supervisor Eileen McCafferty said that Aurora was a valuable addition to the team – she said, “We originally engaged Aurora from the programme for a three month placement to progress a specific aspect of a wider company project. The project has progressed to plan and, with the added contribution of Aurora, specific elements of the project are further forward than originally envisaged. We are impressed not only by the significant contribution of Aurora but also by the support and back-up from the Graduate Gateway Programme”.

Meanwhile, Susan Edington, Training Executive with Scottish Enterprise Fife believes that the programme plays a crucial role in the area’s employment sector – “The Graduate Gateway Programme has been run successfully for many years by the University of St Andrews. The programme enjoys a high success rate in helping unemployed graduates to gain up-to-date management and IT skills and then move into employment”.

Thought to be one of the most successful ventures of its kind in the UK, the Graduate Gateway Programme has seen over 75% of students moving into full-time employment within twelve weeks of completion.

NOTE TO EDITORS – Photograph and left-to-right attached.

Issued by Beattie Media on behalf of the University of St Andrews For more information please contact Claire Grainger on 01334 462530, 07730 415 015 or email Ref: gradgateway.2000/standrews/chg/16june2000

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16 Interactive Toys for Nonverbal Kids

Ellen Stumbo
Hor potato and glow in the dark gloves

“My kid is nonverbal. I don’t know what to get him for a present. Any suggestions?”

This is not an unusual question from friends who have kids with disabilities who are nonverbal, especially during the Holiday season or birthdays. Many of my friends hope gifts bring meaningful interactions with their child, be it among siblings or other family members.

If your child is nonverbal, chances are you have an idea of what they like, but perhaps you are looking for some new creative ideas.

Here are some gifts ideas to add to your shopping list. All of these were recommended by parents in our community.

1. Light Up Gloves

Our church had a disability ministry and we had several kids who were nonverbal. One of their favorite toys were light up gloves. Kids loved looking at their hands lighting up, but they also loved the “show” we put on for them once we turned off the lights. These were items we had to replace constantly as they were a favorite.

Related:U.K. Stores Host First 'Purple Tuesday' Disability-Friendly Shopping Initiative

black gloves on black background with light up fingers popping up.

Our picks: Noodley gloves ($17.95), Wiki LED gloves (starting at $12.99) and Flashing LED gloves ($12.99).

Related:The 3 Kinds of Reactions I Get When I Use My Wheelchair

2. Lucky Duck

A parent in our community said this was her daughter’s favorite game. No words necessary to play.

Our pick: Lucky Duck game ($16.88).

Lucky Duck game box

3. Pete the Cat books

This book was one of the most recommended books from our community.

Pete the Cat storybook set

Our pick: Pete the Cat storybook set ($10.75).

4. Signing Time

Fun images of American Sign Language (ASL) to help kids learn a way to communicate that does not require words. Two of my kids loved these cards. Don’t let the “baby” discourage you, these are basic, everyday signs with adaptations for kids who may not have the best fine motor skills yet still use ASL.

Image of four sets of signing time flashcards.

Our picks: Signing Time Flashcards ($34.99) and Signing Time Book set ($29.99).

5. Camera

I won’t make a generalization and say all kids like taking photos, but I can say my kids love having their own cameras. For my child, who has speech difficulties, the camera helped her break the ice. She takes photos of family, her dog, favorite toys and is proud to show us her pictures.

VTech Kidizoom Spin and Smile Camera, Blue

Our picks: Kid’s Waterproof camera ($53.99) VTech Kidizoom Spin and Smile Camera ($59.99)  VTech Kidizoom Selfie Cam ($59.99).

6. Music Player

This is one item on the list that is not super interactive (unless you sway to the music and dance together). Many parents mentioned music is a favorite “toy” for their kids. While there are many great musical toys for little kids, as kids get older, these may be great options.

AGPTEK MP3 Player for Kids, Portable 8GB Music Player with Built-in Speaker, FM Radio, Voice Recorder, Expandable Up to 128GB, Yellow

Our picks: Jooki with ToyTouch Technology ($179.99), MP3 Player ($25.99) and AGPTEK MP3 ($36.99).

7. Catch and Toss Ball Games

A fun game that helps with coordination and encourages play between at least two people.

Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Clicker Crab Toss and Grip Catching Game With 2 Balls

Our picks: Mseeur ball Paddle Catch and Toss Game Set ($7.33) and Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Clicker Crab ($11.59).

8. Mirrors

A lot of learning and play happens with mirrors. From personal exploration, making faces to singing and dancing. Mirrors are also great for practicing feeding skills and some oral motor development.

Learning Resources All About Me 2 in 1 Mirrors

Our picks: 12″ X 24″ Acrylic Mirror ($29.99 other sizes and prices available), All About Me 2 in 1 Mirror ($21.49) and  8.5″ X 11″ Countertop Mirror ($17.99).

9. My Moods My Choice Flipbook

Some kids may struggle to identify emotions or find appropriate ways to share their emotions. Mood charts and flipbooks can help your child express themselves.

My Mood My Choices Flipbook cover

Our picks: My Moods My Choice Flipbook ($16.99) or My Feelings Game ($29.95).

10. Bubbles

I cannot imagine bubbles going out of style. Swatting bubbles and chasing your family with bubbles can be a lot of fun.

UTTORA Automatic Bubble Machine

Our picks: UTTORA Automatic Bubble Machine ($15.99), Bubble Gun Shooter ($11.99)  and Miracle Bubbles ($7.99).

11. Picture Charades

My kids love charades. It is one of our favorite games to play as a family. Regular charades are challenging for one of my kids as she struggles with reading and her speech is hard to understand, but give her pictures and she is fully engaged. We love this game!

Our picks: Outset Picture Charades ($17.95) and Pressman Charades for Kids ($10.89).

12. Marble Run

Marble games provide hours of fun, building and creating. A favorite in our community.

Our pick: Marble Run ($18.99).

13. Finger Paint

A great sensory experience that encourages creativity and can be done with family members or friends!

Our picks: Crayola six-count ($18.99), Melissa & Doug Finger Paint Paper Pad ($11.99) and Crayola 12 count regular and glitter paint ($11.99).

14. Answer Buzzers

A toy and adaptive equipment for nonverbal kids. These buzzers can be used to help include a nonverbal child in games or conversations. They can also be helpful in everyday interactions.

Four buzzers with different sounds

Our picks: Answer Buzzers ($12.79), Wrong Right buzzers ($12.95) and Yes No Buttons ($10.90).

15. Hot Potato Musical Toy

An all-time favorite the whole family can play.

Hot potato

Our picks: Hot Potato Musical Toy ($9.97) and Egg Toss ($14.99).

16. Sequencing Games

Sequencing games help with memory and concentration. They can be played in teams or by taking turns.

Simon box cover

Our picks: Bop It ($14.55), Bop It Micro ($10.98 ), Simon Says ($14.88 ) and Simon Micro ($10.99).

Read more stories like this on The Mighty:

My Solution to the Plastic Straw Problem as a Disabled Environmentalist

Why I Can't 'Just Call a Cab' as a Wheelchair User

Why Students Should Learn About Disabilities in School


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Category: Convention

24 Sep 2018

Allen Tate Companies, Howard Hanna Real Estate Donate $20,000 to Hurricane Florence Relief

Allen Tate Companies and Howard Hanna Real Estate announced a combined donation of $20,000 to the Realtors® Relief Foundation to help those in the Carolinas recently affected by Hurricane Florence. The donation was made September 20 at the Allen Tate Companies convention in Charlotte, N.C., immediately following the announcement that Allen Tate and Howard Hanna were joining forces to establish the largest privately owned, independent real estate firm in the country. “Today is a special day and we are blessed to be...
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Tuesday 24 May 2016 by Davywavy

Australia to begin sending criminals to Britain

Australia starts sending criminals back

Australia has come full circle and is to begin sending criminals to Britain, they have announced.

Convicted burglar and mother of five Kelly Webb will be sent to the prison colony of Britain ‘for the term of her natural life’, Australian judges ruled.

Webb, who has lived in Australia since she was two, is expected never to see her home again and will live out her days in a ‘happy land, far, far away.’

“It’s fair dinkum tit for tat,” said judge Simon ‘Banjo’ Williams in his summing up statement.

“They send us criminals; we send Home and Away. They send Eurovision; we send Neighbours. Clearly the Poms can’t take a hint, so we’ll start sending the crims back.

“She is a habitual user of illegal drugs and has an extensive criminal record, and so was eligible for Australian citizenship but she failed to apply,” he added.

Describing Webb as a ‘miserable Swagwoman’, Judge Williams confirmed she would no longer be allowed to camp in a Billabong.

Webb’s defence team pleaded that having adapted to Australia, she would be forced to ‘walk around upside-down’ in Britain and would be in danger of falling off.

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Back to Ottawa for the NHL 100 Classic

Getting there

Our initial plan was to go to Winnipeg this fall but I missed the onsale time and tickets for the Habs visit were sold out by the time I tried to buy some. That’s not something that happens to me often, but I think I was meant to reconsider our itinerary.

I’ve always wanted to see an outdoor game, and the fact that an historic one was to take place two hours away from Montreal should have been an easy choice from the start. Call it fate, call it karma: my box office blunder turned into a positive in the end.

We got into Ottawa a little later than planned, and throngs of people in Senators and Habs jerseys were already marching down Bank Street. Parking was already scarce, and we ended up in a lot north of the highway, a good 15 minute walk away from the stadium. We came prepared to face the cold: thermal long underwear, wool socks, hand and toe warmers, scarves and tuques to prepare for the next 3 hours in bitter cold. I foolhardily wanted to rep my Habs jersey, so I had another t-shirt over my thermal undies, a thick sweater, a hoodie and then my jersey. I figured I’d be OK, even though I’d look a bit like the Michelin man. And for a while, I was right. My wife was more conservative and wore her winter coat, foregoing the jersey. Guess which one of us was the smarter?

Outdoor game essentials

All the Bank Street restaurants were full already so we headed out to TD Place hoping to eat at one of the concessions. I tried to take pictures of the various signage around the stadium but it was so cold that my phone wasn’t cooperating and my hands were screaming bloody murder every time I took them out of my gloves.The Centennial arena was set up by the stadium, but as we were a little too late, we decided to skip the fan area. It turned out to be a good idea.

Long lines were snaking in front of the various entrances: clearly we weren’t getting in quickly. As a matter of fact, I saw people complain on Facebook the day after, that the game was started by the time they were let in. Our tickets were sending us to Gate 4, all the way around the back. While at first it didn’t seem like a good thing to walk that far, that entrance was far less crowded. Signage identified the entry point as exclusive to Scotiabank customers, but I’ve never had an account there, so who knows how it was decided. Security was really slow searching everyone but we managed to get in much faster than the people at the other entrances. We headed indoors to find restrooms and food.

Inside TD Place

TD Place is basically two sets of stands built around an indoor football field. The South side is quite recent and features most modern stadium amenities. The North side, where we were, is much older and doesn’t offer much apart from beer stands (surprisingly popular despite the bitter cold) and a handful of concessions with limited food choices. Most stands don’t even have cooking facilities. Pizzas were being hand delivered to each stall constantly. Food was OK, nothing more, but it would sustain us for the evening.

One merchandise stand had been set up in a corner, with a limited selection of Centennial merchandise sold at inflated prices. I got an official program that came with a patch and called it a night for shopping.

Celebrating 100 years of history

A smaller rink was set up next to the main ice, and players in vintage jerseys had a short simulated game to commemorate that historic first NHL game in 1917. On December 19 1917, four teams of the newly formed National Hockey League played in the league’s first two games, in Ottawa and Montreal. For years, accepted knowledge was that the first of these two happened in Ottawa, hence the decision to host the NHL 100 game there. But recently, historians discovered evidence that the game in Montreal dropped the puck a little earlier in the evening, making that game technically the first ever. But we’re talking 15 minutes earlier, and since it would be difficult to host a game between the modern day Wanderers and Arenas, a Canadiens/Senators matchup would do just as well.

On that year, the NHL was made up of five teams: the Canadiens and the Wanderers (both from Montreal), the Ottawa Senators, the Quebec Bulldogs and the Toronto Arenas. The Bulldogs could only ice their first team in 1919, and the Wanderer’s arena burned down in January 1918, leaving the NHL’s first season to be played with only 3 teams. Toronto won the NHL title, and then went on to defeat the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) for the 1918 Stanley Cup (up to 1926, the Stanley Cup was an inter league trophy).

The Canadiens took that historic contest 7-4, with 4 goals from superstar Joe Malone. Notable names int he lineups include George Vezina, Newsy Lalonde and Jack Laviolette. Would history hold true for the Montreal team tonight?

Into the cold. Oops, I mean stands.

Our seats were located close to center ice, but about three quarters up. Watching outdoor game son TV, I always felt that most people probably don’t see the puck, but luckily we were able to follow the game quite well despite the distance. Illuminated lanyards were given to every spectator for the pregame light show, but I noticed ours in the front seat cupholders only after it was over. And my wife’s didn’t even light up! But the show was nice to look at.

Serena Ryder sang “Oh Canada”, and Guy Lafleur and Daniel Alfredsson dropped the puck for the ceremonial face off. The crowd, regardless of allegiance, gave Alfie a nice “welcome back to Ottawa” ovation, and Lafleur was greeted with the usual “Guy! Guy! Guy!” chants.

And we finally got to the puck drop! Having something to take your mind off the cold certainly helped. We took out the hand warmers, trying to stave off the biting cold. Our section had the benefit of a hanging roof over it, which surely helped cut down some of the wind, but people near the edge must have had a different view of those benefits as throughout the night I saw a big snow pile fall into the stands, and a scarily big icicle followed a little later. Thankfully no one seemed to be hurt.

The ice surface seemed to be of decent quality, but the puck was jumpy, breaking up most attempts at fancy plays. You could tell the players were affected by the cold and they kept their play simple, trying to avoid turnovers. As one can expect, this made for a pretty boring first period.

The first intermission had a segment dedicated to the best NHL Moment in history, as voted by the fans. Players dressed in Senators jersey, wearing big heads depicting past Canadian Prime mInisters re-enacted caricatures of the top 4 vote getters. And yes, it was a ludicrous as it sounds. The winning moment would be announced during the second period as Mario Lemieux’s 5-way goal game, where he scored an even strength goal, a shorthanded goal, a powerplay goal, an empty netter and on a penalty shot. Lemieux was there to officially receive the honour.

The second period saw Ottawa put one up the scoreboard from Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and that was it for the game as play shut down into a defensive affair. Montreal didn’t threaten much, and that goal would end up the winning goal on the score sheet.

Second intermission had Canadian superstar Bryan Adams do a 3-song set on a heated stage, playing “Ultimate Love”, “Heaven” and “Cuts Like a Knife”. That put our minds off the cold, and was a welcome shot of energy in an evening short on action. But as the third period started, my wife had enough and she retreated inside to watch the rest of the game on TV.

I hung on, hoping for a lucky bounce to bring the Habs back in the game, but it wasn’t meant to be. With 5 minutes left in the game, I just couldn’t stand the cold anymore and joined her in time to see Bobby Ryan put the game out of reach. We exited the stadium, knowing we had a good 10-15 minute walk back to the car. As we walked away, we heard the crowd cheer the third Senator goal of the night, an empty netter by Nate Thompson.

What about the experience?

I’ve always wanted to attend an outdoor game, and I couldn’t have asked for a better one than a celebration of the NHL’s first century. Did I enjoy the game? No. Both teams are struggling this year, and played safe hockey which made for a boring spectacle. And watching a game in -20C weather isn’t much fun, no matter how dressed up you are. But I was there, and I can tick that off my list.

But next outdoor game? I’ll watch from my living room.

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Robert Cooke
B: 1966-05-21
D: 2018-12-12
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Cooke, Robert
Josephine White
B: 1924-12-06
D: 2018-12-10
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White, Josephine
Russell Belton
B: 1948-09-03
D: 2018-12-09
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Belton, Russell
Gene Chambers
B: 1928-04-03
D: 2018-12-08
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Chambers, Gene
Joseph Davis
B: 1940-03-03
D: 2018-12-05
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Davis, Joseph
Jean Nicely
B: 1930-02-21
D: 2018-12-01
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Nicely, Jean
Isaac Vest
B: 1942-03-04
D: 2018-12-01
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Vest, Isaac
Joann Williams
B: 1930-07-29
D: 2018-11-30
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Williams, Joann
Deborah Berberette
B: 1965-09-09
D: 2018-11-30
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Berberette, Deborah
Marshall Puckett
B: 1944-09-05
D: 2018-11-26
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Puckett, Marshall
Lillie Thurston
B: 1919-09-21
D: 2018-11-25
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Thurston, Lillie
James Jackson
B: 1934-10-28
D: 2018-11-25
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Jackson, James
Cynthia Thurston
B: 1951-03-10
D: 2018-11-24
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Thurston, Cynthia
Barbara McAllister
B: 1934-08-26
D: 2018-11-24
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McAllister, Barbara
Carl Brinkley
B: 1938-05-14
D: 2018-11-22
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Wanda Deane
B: 1939-02-19
D: 2018-11-20
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Ernest Huntington
B: 1935-04-28
D: 2018-11-17
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Sarah Payne
B: 1924-08-06
D: 2018-11-11
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Betty Hipes
B: 1936-02-21
D: 2018-11-10
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Leonard Kitt
B: 1938-11-11
D: 2018-11-05
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Harvey Riddlebarger
B: 1935-12-31
D: 2018-11-04
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405 Alleghany Street
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Clifton Forge, VA 24422
Phone: (540) 862-4157
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The Memorial Candle Program has been designed to help offset the costs associated with the hosting this Tribute Website in perpetuity. Through the lighting of a memorial candle, your thoughtful gesture will be recorded in the Book of Memories and the proceeds will go directly towards helping ensure that the family and friends of Lillie Shires can continue to memorialize, re-visit, interact with each other and enhance this tribute for future generations.

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Kent Nicely

Blessings to all of you as you gather in remembrance of Lillie. She was a special lady who not only lived a good life but led by example. I have many fond memories of delivering holly at Christmas as a little boy to Aunt Mary’s house which was James and Lillie’s. We are thinking of you with lots of love and prayers. Madeline Nicely, Cela and Tom Callaghan, Kent and Karen Nicely
Wednesday May 16, 2018 at 10:15 pm
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LeAnn Rimes : Today is Christmas Tour 2016

Penny or Diane 1,173 views

Saturday, December 10 get into the holiday spirit with LeAnn Rimes as she brings her "Today is Christmas Tour" to the Ralston Arena. Tickets on Sale Friday, September 16 at 10am.

Learn about the Artist

LeAnn Rimes is an internationally acclaimed singer and ASCAP award-winning songwriter. Globally, she has sold more than 44 million units, won two Grammy® Awards; 12 Billboard Music Awards; two World Music Awards; three Academy of Country Music Awards; one Country Music Association Award and one Dove Award. At 14, Rimes won "Best New Artist" making her the youngest recipient of a Grammy® Award. LeAnn recently inked a worldwide deal with RCA UK who will be releasing her 16th studio album later this year.

She had her first national hit at age 13 with the 1996 release of Blue, which remained at the No. 1 spot on Billboard's country albums chart for more than three months. 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Blue. Out of the 42 singles she has released throughout her expansive career, LeAnn's song How Do I Live, ranks #4 on Billboard's "Greatest of All Time: Hot 100 Songs," and it holds the record for being the second longest charting song ever on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 15 of her multi-genre singles are top-10 hits, including Can't Fight the Moonlight which went #1 in 11 countries.

She had a hand in penning every song on her 2007's release Family, which received two GRAMMY nominations. Her last album with Curb Records, Spitfire, was released in June 2013 and was immediately a critics darling, debuting at number nine on Billboard's Top Country Album chart and number four on iTunes. An album of greatest hits dance remixes, Dance Like You Don't Give A ....Greatest Hits Remixes, released the summer of 2014 and went to #1 on the iTunes Dance chart. In 2015 LeAnn released her third Christmas album titled, Today is Christmas, which is a follow up to her 2014 album, One Christmas.

LeAnn has also ventured into acting, including the CMT Original Movie Reel Love, Lifetime movie Northern Nights and the ABC telefilm Holiday In Your Heart, (based on the novel she wrote by the same name). She has also penned the inspirational book What I Cannot Change and children's books Jag and Jag's New Friend.

LeAnn has long-supported a variety of charity organizations including the National Psoriasis Foundation, DAV (Disabled American Veterans), The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, StandUp For Kids as well as The Trevor Project. She most recently began her work with the Friend Movement, an anti-bullying organization.

Reserved seating from $25-$45; VIP Packages $125-$245

Buy Tickets

Ralston Arena

Ralston Arena is an indoor arena located in the Ralston/Omaha, Nebraska metro area. Completed in October of 2012, our seating capacity...


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Using Linux in Japanese

I use Linux as my primary operating system now. I love it for too many reasons to recount here. However, Japanese support in some of the major distributions can be quite poor, so I'll review the state of things here.

This article reviews distributions with the thought that you want a complete system in Japanese, not just the ability to do Japanese input. If you just want to do input, it's very complicated, and you should refer to one of the many other guides available on the net.

To use Linux nearly everyone pulls one of the existing distributions. I'll review the best three candidates briefly.

TurboLinux is a Japanese company that has produced a Linux distribution for more than a decade. They developed and funded a significant portion of the Japanese support now common through the Linux world. For the prospective Japanese learner, then, this should be the perfect distro.

Unfortunately, it's not. Although there is a free live CD, you need to buy a copy and register with a license key (this is Linux!?) before you can add software using the TurboLinux repositories. This made me pass over TurboLinux immediately.

Mandriva (formerly Mandrake) is also more than a decade old. Interestingly, Mandriva and Turbolinux have now parterned to develop kernels and other resources to share between their distros.

Mandriva has a long history of good international support and produces an official Asian CD which includes a Japanese install. Even better, Mandriva has the best hardware support in the business. I installed it on my eeePC with relatively little trouble, and getting it running in VMWare was a piece of cake.

Also, while Mandriva by default installs KDE4 (scary! sometimes Mandriva is too up-to-date for my tastes, something I find pretty rarely in the world of open source), they also officially support GNOME fully. So you can choose the distro independently of your window manager preference.

I've used Mandriva on and off for years and I just keep coming back because they make the hard parts of Linux (hardware detection/internationalization/keeping up to date with the latest software) really easy. This is my personal recommendation.

Of course, Ubuntu is the most popular Linux right now. If you're looking for Japanese support in Ubuntu, I recommend the Japanese team's rollout.

I prefer Mandriva over Ubuntu for a few reasons.

  • Mandriva's hardware detection support is better on my hardware.
  • Mandriva lets you choose KDE or GNOME in the official versions, and the Japanese support in Mandriva is official. In Ubuntu, the KDE distro is supplied by one group, and the Japanese version is supplied by another (and if I wanted a version that supported by eeePC, I must download yet another distribution supported by another team), so when I want to get Ubuntu I find myself choosing between different things that I wish were all handled together by one group. After all, I'm choosing a distro so I don't have to make those kinds of choices; Mandriva allows me to do that.
  • Mandriva ships more current versions of software than Ubuntu.
  • Mandriva has a great general system config utility.

There's nothing wrong with Ubuntu, but for full Japanese support, I think you'll find Mandriva easier to get up and running. The only thing Ubuntu has over Mandriva, in my opinion, is that Ubuntu's community support is much better.

I'll briefly list the most helpful software I use to study Japanese on Linux.

  • Mnemosyne (the most important program)
  • Firefox (with Rikaichan)
  • StarDict (great general dictionary with loads of Japanese content available; versions for both KDE and GNOME)

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Editorial: The sooner N.J.’s oldest nuke plant is shuttered the better

Oyster Creek nuclear plant new jersey

SOUTH JERSEY TIMES – In a surprise — and, most likely welcome — announcement on Tuesday, the timeline to decommission the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station just shrunk. By at least five decades.

Shutting down outdated U.S. nuclear electricity plants is usually a long-term affair because of the harmful radiation that persists. About a month ago, Oyster Creek’s owners submitted a closure plan for the nation’s oldest active commercial nuke plant taking an estimated 60 years. The lengthy term prompted eye-rolls from the environmental community …

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Artist Bookmark Card – Impressionist C

Send inspiration and admiration far and wide with our new artist bookmark cards. This special range uses high quality uncoated kraft paper, each card comes with its own character bookmark!

This bookmark card is a collaboration between Noodoll and iconic designer and illustrator Clifford Richards.

In stock (can be backordered)

- +
SKU: GC205.
  • 10.4 x 14  cm
  • Removable paper bookmark
  • Blank Inside
  • White envelope


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Football is Hard.

Getting a No PMI Loan Shouldn't Be.

Dat Nguyen
Hurst Lending Partner
Former Pro Football Player and Coach

Home – No PMI Loan2018-12-13T19:47:34+00:00

We’re Expanding!  Now Offering No PMI Loans
in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Oregon, Texas and Virginia.

Mortgage Rates

Loan Type

30 Year Fixed

15 Year Fixed

Jumbo 30 Year Fixed

FHA 30 Year Fixed

VA 30 Year Fixed

* Mortgage Rates as of 12/03/2018 1:58 PM. Rates quoted with 0% points with these assumptions. Not all programs are available in all areas or to all borrowers.

No PMI Loan with Low Down Payment

  • 1%, 3% or 5% Down
  • No PMI
  • Low Conventional Rates
  • Available in Select Counties
Get a Loan

How Do I Avoid PMI?

  • Use Our 1% Down No PMI Loan, or
  • Put Down 20%, or
  • Use a 2nd Lien, or
  • Use Lender Paid PMI, or
  • Use Borrower Paid PMI
Get a Loan

Unique loan products to help you get the home you deserve!

As a mid-size lender, we work hard to find creative ways to meet our customers’ unique needs – like our low-down payment No PMI loan program.

Low Down Payment Construction Loans

The FHA Construction Loan Program offers low rates and low down payment options for those looking to build their dream home.

FHA and VA construction loans

Learn More

VA Construction Loans

For Veterans, the VA Loan Program offers low-rate construction loans, including NO down payment options.

Veteran and VA lender

Learn More

Make Life Easier with a Bridge Loan

You don't have to sell your home and move to get the funds you need to build. A residential bridge loan can close the gap.

FHA and VA construction loans

Learn More

FHA Loans for First-Time Buyers

If you don't choose to build, an FHA loan is still an attractive option for a low down-payment loan.

FHA and VA construction loans

Learn More

Questions? We’d be happy to discuss your options. Contact us!

Why Choose Us?

Customer Reviews

Repeat & Referred Business

Successfully Closed Loans/Year

aggie1002012 & 2013

Closed on our first home his morning and the process went great. Jay and his team do an outstanding job with communication and explaining everything along the way. For a first time buyer, they do a great job with every single step in the process.
Texags Forum
Hurst got me a great deal. I bought a new home so initially I dealt with the builder’s “preferred lender.” I told my builder’s “preferred lender” what Hurst’s offer was and he stated “sounds too good to be true, you sure he has everything included in his gfe?” Well, it was true and I couldn’t be happier!
He beat our builder’s lender’s offer, was a whole lot easier and nicer to work with, answered our questions, and we closed on time. AND we got to work with Aggies all around.
We closed on our house with Jay in November. He did a great job for us as well. We had a few issues that were out of the ordinary, and he helped us get through underwriting on time and close on the original date.
TexAgs Forum

Family Owned.

Still A Family Business

Founded by Jay Hurst and Scott Bialek, Hurst Lending & Insurance – and its divisions, such as No PMI Loans – is managed Jay, Scott, and their families. While the mortgage industry is known for high turnover rates, Hurst Lending is recognized for providing consistent, personal service to our customers. That’s why more than 70% of our mortgage and insurance business is from repeat or referred customers!

Jay Hurst & Family

Jay Hurst & Family

Scott Bialek & Family

Scott Bialek & Family

 Texas Aggie Heritage

Hurst Lending and DivorceHomeLoan.com are proud to be a part of the Texas A&M community.  Co-founder Jay Hurst (’00), investor Dat Nguyen (’98), senior manager of loan processing Sonja Zadel (’93) and several other employees and investors have degrees from Texas A&M.  Hurst Lending is also very proud that we have twice been  recognized on the Aggie 100 list of fastest-growing Aggie-owned companies.

More About Us

Not Just Lenders. Problem Solvers.

Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) exists to help lenders protect themselves from losing the full amount of a loan in the event of borrower default. Mortgage Insurance typically costs between .5%-1% of the loan amount annually so every home buyer can benefit from considering their options of avoiding this unnecessary and costly expense. These include:

Contact an Expert

How Do I Remove My Ex-Spouse From My Mortgage?

August 27th, 2015|

Does it chafe every time your mortgage statement arrives with your ex-spouse's name on it? Are you tired of being in limbo while you clean up all the messy details of your divorce? It's easier than it sounds to get your ex off your mortgage. [...]


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Minnesota Hemp Law

Year Passed: 2015

Summary: Provisions of Senate File 5 (Sections 38 to 46, entitled 'The Industrial Hemp Development Act') define hemp as an "agricultural crop" and authorize the Commission of Agriculture to establish a pilot program permitting "institutions of higher education to grow or cultivate industrial hemp ... for the purpose of agricultural or academic research."


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Health Care PhysiciansPhysicians Practice

Are you interested in starting your own practice? You have come to the right place! We can help set you up with an office in accordance to your preferences and specifications at a price you can afford. For a good startup practice you will need suitable equipment as well without losing too much of your capital. We can help you locate and negotiate on this equipment to make sure you get the best possible deal out of it and assist you in every step of planning. A business requires attention in several sectors and we can help you manage those sectors while you focus entirely on your patients.

CPA for Physicians

You didn’t get into medicine to invest a large portion of your valuable time managing the business side of healthcare; yet in stark reality every decision you make impacts your personal and professional finances.

At Smith & Smith CPA’s, an Arlington, Dallas & Seagoville Texas CPA Firm, we provide a wide variety of accounting and financial management services for physicians, other healthcare professionals. Our services are designed to simplify the process for you by providing comprehensive accounting, tax,bookkeeping,payroll and financial management services.

At Smith & Smith CPAs, along with the access you need, we also provide guidance headed by a team of advisors who are fluent with in-depth knowledge of the inevitable challenges and their solutions.

Smith & Smith CPAs will work with you closely to understand every aspect of your revenue cycle and workflow to help you uncover opportunities for development, improvement and acceleration. We’ll help you select the right technologies and offer you tools to make the most of it. We’ll make sure that the bottom line is protected and your valuable time is not wasted so that you can focus more on patient care.

As your practice prospers, we’ll be there, with answers to all relevant queries. We’ll always guide you through several ongoing challenges, including tax planning, revenue cycle acceleration, and preparation for retirement and even complex practice valuations such as selling practice or hospital integration.

If your practice is affected, Smith & Smith CPAs can help in optimizing it.

Services for physicians include

Tax Planning and Compliance01.

  • Strategic Tax Forecasts
  • Comprehensive Business-Personal Services

Revenue Cycle Acceleration03.

  • Business Office Work Flow and Process Assessment
  • Outsourced Business Office Assessment and Deficiency Correction Plans
  • Interim Management

Comprehensive Accounting07.

  • QuickBooks® Consulting
  • Payroll Preparation and Tax Reporting
  • Accounting System Consultation, Implementation and Training
  • Sales and Use Tax-Related Consulting
  • Turnkey Controllership Services
  • Employee Benefit Plan Administration
  • Financial Statement Analysis and Preparation
  • Business Plan Development

Operational Effectiveness and Profitability02.

  • Operational Assessments and Workflow Redesign
  • Staff Training to Improve Revenue Throughput
  • Rightsizing Strategy and Implementation
  • Managed Care Contracting to Optimize Opportunities
  • Fraud Detection

Strategic Positioning04.

  • Sustainable Compensation Models That Incentivize
  • Buy-Sell-Merge-Expansion Decision Propositions
  • Start-up of Entrepreneurial Medical Practices
  • Practice Valuation

Physician-Hospital Success05.

  • Employment Agreement Analysis
  • Successful IT Integration and Implementation

Technology Enhancement and Utilization06.

  • Practice Management System Optimization
  • Multisystem Integration
  • Implementation
how can we help you?

Whether you’re an individual, startup, small business, or a large corporation, our CPAs and staff are here to serve you and provide exceptional accounting services for you and your company.

Having to get some paperwork notarized on a Friday seams a bit harder than it is. Went to my bank first and they quit notarizing Medical POA’s and DPOA’s. So I called Smith and Smith and thank goodness they were open, headed over and took care of it. Steve and his team are great!

Damon B.
Let Smith & Smith CPAs help you power your healthcare revenue cycle.

Contact us to speak to a specialist today.

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Services Blog Posts


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How to Talk to Your Doctor

In Canada, navigating the health care system is not without its challenges. Finding a family doctor can be tough, and getting the needed time with your GP once you have one may be even harder. Due to high demand, appointments are usually kept short. Many patients struggle to express their concerns in the allotted time and leave appointments feeling they have not been heard. It may sometimes feel that this common situation is out of your control, but there are things you can do to help make sure your needs are met by health care professionals.

The following tips from Literacy Partners of Manitoba may help you to talk to your doctor more efficiently, understand the kind of care and medications you will be receiving, and ensure your voice is heard.

Remember Your Rights

I can expect:

  • to be told what’s happening to me
  • to have my questions answered in words I can understand
  • to know the possible treatments, and to say yes or no, and to change my mind
  • to be treated with dignity, kindness and respect at all times
  • to know that my health information will not be shared with anyone without my agreement

Plan Before You Visit A Doctor

  • Think of what you want to talk about before you go. You can take someone with you to help you talk to the doctor.
  • Write 2 or 3 words that will remind you what you want to ask.
  • Ask the most important things first.
  • Tell the doctor as much as you can about what’s bothering you.
  • Know what medicine you are already taking (including aspirin and cough syrup, etc.)

At the end of your visit…

You might say, “Doctor, I just want to make sure I understand.” Then ask these questions:

  1. What is my main problem?
  2. What do I need to do?
  3. Why is it important for me to do this?
  4. Will I get better? How long will it take?

Write down the answers.

If you still don’t understand…

You might…

  • say: “This is new to me. Will you please explain that to me again?”
  • ask: “What does that mean? I don’t understand that word.”
  • ask for a picture of the medical problem
  • ask the doctor to write things down
  • bring someone to the next visit
  • call Health Links and ask them to explain (786-8200, 1-888-315-9257)

Ask Questions About Medicine

  1. What is the name of this medicine? Can you write it down for me, please?
  2. What will it do for me?
  3. Are there any problems that the medicine might cause?
  4. How much does it cost?
  5. Are there other medicines or treatments that might help me with this problem?
  6. When should I take the medicine?
  7. How should I take the medicine?

Words by Cassandra Van Dyck

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Let’s Homeschool!

Some people are like me, and you pretty much know when your child is born that homeschooling is where you’re heading. Some people come to it over time. So, whether you woke up the morning before Kindergarten and said, “Wait! Let’s homeschool.” or said long before you’re children were born, “Let’s homeschool!” here are some places to begin finding what works for you.

1. Not all people homeschool the same way. What works for your friend’s sister’s best friend, may not work for you. The new hottest homeschool curriculum may drive you insane. That reading book with horrible ratings may be your favorite. That is one of the advantages of homeschooling. You can pick what you like. You can choose what works best for your child. You can choose differently for each child based on their personalities and needs. It is amazing. But that can also be really overwhelming. Some people prefer that someone just tell them what to use. Others want to craft everything to fit their tastes.Then there are those that fall in between. Some people live for those huge homeschool catalogues. Others would rather buy a classroom in a box.

This is a great book for helping you sort through all those questions. You’ll need to look at what you ideal of homeschooling looks like? Do you want a traditional American classroom in your home? Does cuddling up on the couch reading books together all day sound more like it? How about climbing trees, catching bugs, playing board games, cooking desserts, and having a in home art studio? Take the time to dream of your ideal. Are you the teacher with all the answers or the guide to point them where to look? Do you kids hate workbooks & being given tasks? Or are they task driven and love being given an assignments? Only you know what is going to work for your kids within your comfort level. (State to state mandates may also determine this to some extent. Some states are much more strict than other when it comes to homeschoolers. Some require umbrella schools and a whole slew of requirements. Others simply want an attendance record. You’ll have to check for yourself.)

Don’t feel the slightest bit bad about choosing differently from your friends. And be a little flexible. Your ideal might be letting them frollic and play and learn things naturally in their own time and then you realize your child is a workbook-aholic. Be willing to adjust as needed. The happy homeschool is the one that works for the people involved. You’ve got lofty expectations of teaching your 5 year old Latin but your 5 year old prefers art- be flexible. You picked a great phonics program for your oldest child and now your youngest cannot stand the sight of it? Be flexible.

2. Not all homeschoolers have the same priorities. One family may be very, very history intensive. Another may be all about self-expression. You may feel the need for your children to learn all the parts of a cell and their function at the age of 4. You may just be happy with exposure to scientific information. Some homeschool with a strong religious theme. Others have no religion. Some have religion as a part, but not the entire basis for everything. Only you know what works for you.

Some homeschoolers spend a lot of money on curriculum for whatever reason (ease of use, content, don’t have to look for anything). Others homeschool for free using the public library. And then everything in between. Some have a set budget, others do whatever it takes to get what they want for their curriculum. All in one curriculums tend to be more expensive, but easier on you because you don’t have to search for your content. You can buy books, borrow, share- whatever works for your family. Neither way is better or worse.

3. Understand not only your child’s personality, but also a little about childhood development. You may think your 3 year old should be able to write his alphabet, sit for hours at a time, and count to 100. But the fact is, most 3 year old just are not there developmentally. You may want your 4 year old to read, but you wanting it does not make your 4 year old developmentally ready to read. You may like the idea of teaching reading and writing together, but then you get an Aidan (my son) who has mental capacities far beyond motor skills, and you would have to delay him in reading by years to make it coincide with writing. Just because you could read at 3 doesn’t mean your child will. And them not being able to read at 3 does not make them any less extraordinary. You will frustrate yourself trying to teach a child who is not developmentally ready for what you are showing them. And likewise, if you wait to show them anything until they can handle everything, you’ll have missed some great opportunities.

4. Time. You’ll sit and do your first lesson with your Kindergartener and be done 20 minutes later. You’ll think, “What the heck did I do wrong? Kids go to school for 8 hours a day- this certainly isn’t enough!” But it is. You quality packed 20 minutes that you so thoughtfully chose with your child in mind will do much more than hours of busywork intended for the masses. Young children don’t need hours and hours of work for them to learn. They learned to talk without such instruction. If you want to pack the hours, and your child enjoys it, go right ahead. But it isn’t necessary. I was shocked when I found out that Aidan at the age of 2 could identify most of the alphabet by sight. Where did he learn that? Refrigerator magnets that he played with while I cooked. If you are reading to them and offering them quality play time, they’re learning. They’ve been homeschooling since the day they were born, you just didn’t realize it.

On the same note, don’t be discouraged that your 8 year old spends all day long working on their work. Some kids need lots of breaks. Some kids get off chasing rabbits in their work. That is okay, too. You don’t have to limit what they can do based on time. If the science lesson got them overly interested in modern agricultural practices, it is fine to let them chase that rabbit where it might lead.

Just because the school down the street says school hours are 7:30am to 2:30pm, that doesn’t mean those are your hours. You may like to have the mornings free for play, sleeping in, and chores. You can do that! Your kids may be night owls and be the most alert and interested from 5pm to 9pm. That is fine, too. You all hate Mondays and would rather do school on Saturdays, that is great! Whatever your needs are, homeschooling can fit them.

5. Take your time. You don’t have to decide today what curriculum you’ll use 5 years from now. Take your time looking through your options. See what your library and community has to offer that you might like to incorporate. You have time.

Now, for some links. I don’t use all of these, but they may be perfect for you.

Rainbow Resources

Alpha Omega Homeschooling

The Well Trained Mind

Christian Book Distributers

Veritas Press

Simply Charlotte Mason

Singapore Math

My Father’s World

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text:
The Cafeteria

He was always having lunch by himself every time she went to the cafeteria.  She would pass his table and he would look up.   Their eyes would meet and then she would smile.  He smiled back and she continued walking until she reached the table where she usually sat with Angie, her co-worker.

On day, Angie wasn’t there, so she was sitting at the table alone.   She was about to tuck into the Fettuccine with Spinach, Ricotta, and Grilled Eggplant when she heard someone ask, “May I join you?”

She looked up and her heart leapt when she saw that it was him.  Up close, he really was very attractive.  He had beautiful eyes and a pleasant face.  “Sure,” she said.

He pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down.  “That looks really good,” he said, looking at her plate.

She nodded.  “Yes, it does.  I couldn’t decide between it and the BBQ Chicken Salad.”  He was having the Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Sandwich which looked very appetizing.  She made a mental note to try it the next time it was on the menu.

“How long have you been working at the company?” he asked.

“For a year and a half.”

“Really?” He sounded surprised.  “How come I haven’t seen you before?”

“It’s only recently that I started coming to the cafeteria to have lunch.  I eat at my desk until my co-worker encouraged me to have it here instead.”

He smiled.  “You must thank your co-worker for me,” he said.  “I wouldn’t be having lunch with you now if it weren’t for him or her.”

“Her.  What about you?  How long have you been working here?”

“About five years.”

“Which department are you from?”

“Engineering.  And you?”

“What’s your name?”

“Samantha.  My friends call me Sam.”

“Graham.  May I ask you a question?”

“Are you seeing someone?”

She shook her head.  “No.”

“I’m not seeing anyone either.”

The rest of their time together went pleasantly now that they were each aware that the other was not already in a relationship.  He asked her questions about herself and she learned that he was the fourth of six children.  His mother was Argentinian and his father was British.  He still had relatives in Italy and visited them every year in the summer.  He used to play soccer but stopped when he turned thirty.  In his spare time he liked to watch sports, especially English football or going for long walks or spending time with his family or playing video games with his nephews. They shared the same birthday in November and love for classical movies, art, food and travel.

Then it was time to go back to work.  “Will you have lunch again with me tomorrow?” he asked as they cleared the table.

She nodded.  “Yes.  I’ll be here at the usual time.”

He walked with her to the elevator.  “It was really nice meeting you, Sam.”

“It was really nice meeting you too, Graham.”

The doors to the elevator opened and she stepped in.

“See you tomorrow,” he said.

“See you tomorrow.”  The doors closed and she was on her way back to her cubicle.

Suffice to say, she couldn’t wait for the following day to come.  This time she was there before him.  “Sorry,” he apologized.  “I had a meeting at eleven.  I rushed out of there as soon as it was over.”

“I got here a couple of minutes ago,” she told him.  They went to buy lunch and sat at his table which was in a better area.  She had a salad and a chicken burger while he had soup.  They talked about all sorts of things.  At one point he made her laugh so hard that tears came to her eyes.  She thoroughly enjoyed his company.

They met for lunch every day that week and the subsequent weeks.  When her Angie returned from vacation, Samantha told her that she was having lunch with someone else.  Angie was thrilled for her.  “I know him and he’s a really nice guy.”

One day at lunch, he asked her, “Do you like dancing?”

She nodded.  “I love it.”

“I’d like to take you out for dinner and dancing on Saturday.”

“I would like that very much,” she told him, her eyes bright with excitement.  Finally, they were going to see each other outside of the cafeteria.

“Good,” he said smiling.  And they continued talking and eating until it was time to go back to work.

On Friday, she gave him her address and phone number.  That night she sorted out what she was going to wear and then turned in early.  Saturday came, bright and sunny and she got up, her thoughts immediately falling on Graham.  She wondered if he was as excited about tonight as she was.  She couldn’t wait for seven o’clock to come and when it did, she was ready and waiting.

When she opened the door and saw him standing there, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “You look amazing.”  He did in the black silk dress shirt and black dress pants, no tie or jacket.  The top button of the shirt was undone, exposing his throat and the area just above where his chest hairs would begin.  He looked sexy.

He smiled and allowed his eyes to travel slowly over her.  The red cap sleeved dress fitted her nicely and flattered her coloring.  The elegant black dance shoes with the low heels completed the outfit.  His gaze lingered on her legs before they returned to her face.  “You look beautiful,” he said, looking serious now.  “I wouldn’t be able to take my eyes off you.”

She laughed.  “That’s the idea,” she told him before locking the door behind her.  As they walked down the hallway, she could feel him staring at her.  When they were in the lift, she looked at him and her heart began to pound when she saw the expression on his face.  He moved closer to where she was, his eyes lowering to her lips which had parted and for one heart stopping moment she thought that he was going to kiss her but just then the doors opened.   She preceded him out of the lift on trembling legs.

It was a warm evening.  The sun was going to set in about an hour.  His car was parked on the street.  He held the door open for her to climb in before he walked round to the driver’s side and got in.  And off they went to restaurant where they served up good food and salsa for those who loved to dance.  She had the Chicken Escalope while he opted for the Chimichurri Half Chicken.  She ordered a virgin Pena Colada and he had Sangria made with pomegranate juice instead of wine.  Like her, he didn’t drink alcohol.  They talked as they ate and afterwards, they went downstairs to the nightclub where the music was pumping.  Samantha was ready to let loose.  After they secured a table, they went on to the dance floor.

Graham took her hand and twirled her around, their bodies moving to the pulsating Latin beat.  He was a terrific dancer and made it easy for her to follow him.  She watched his hips, their movement almost hypnotic and moved hers to match them.  They danced for a while until she needed to take a break.  While she sat down at the table to catch her breath he went to the bar and ordered two virgin Chi Chi drinks.

As they nursed their drinks, they watched other people dance.  Then, they danced a couple more songs before calling it a night.  It was near two in the morning when he took her home.  It had been ages since she had stayed out so late and it was obvious.  At the door, when they said goodnight, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.  She closed her eyes as the feel of his warm lips against her skin awoke all sorts of sensations.  When he drew back, his eyes were dark.  “Good night, Sam,” he said quietly.

“Goodnight, Graham.”  She watched him walk away and then went inside, leaning against the door after she locked it.  It had been a lovely evening, one she would always remember.

The next day, he called her and they spoke on the phone for hours before he rang off.  She busied herself with housework, laundry, cooking and getting ready for work the following day.  That night, she lay in bed, thinking about him and their night together.  She couldn’t wait to see him tomorrow.

As soon as the time display on her monitor read 12:00, she got up from her desk and rushed down to the cafeteria.  He was already there.  “Hello,” he said when she joined him.

“Hello,” she said.

They went and bought their lunches and then sat down.  “I wrote you a poem,” he said, pushing a neatly folded piece of paper across the table toward her.  “Please don’t read it now.  I shall be very embarrassed if you do.”

She smiled and put it in her handbag.  “I look forward to reading it.”

They talked about their evening at the restaurant and made plans to go out again.

As soon as she got home, she took the note out of her bag and eagerly unfolded it.  She didn’t get past the first couple of lines before she began to cry.

Into my boring life you came,

your beautiful smile and face I see.

My world will never the same

because of the joy you bring me.

There’s not a day that goes by

when I don’t think about you

which lifts my spirit up high

fills my heart with love anew.

Words alone cannot express

what I feel for you in my heart

They fill my thoughts to excess

but are difficult for me to impart.

I have written a poem to tell you

how much you mean to me

I hope that in time you too

Will see that we are meant to be.

She read it over and over, the page becoming a blur as the tears ran down her cheeks then she folded it and held it against her chest.  I have to see him now, she thought.  I have to let him know that I read this and that I love him too.  Brushing aside the tears, she rushed over to the phone and called for a taxi.  After hanging up, she hurried into the bathroom, hurriedly got undressed and took a quick shower.  She dragged on a shirt and pair of jeans.  After putting the poem in her handbag, she left the flat and went downstairs to wait for the taxi.

On the way over to Graham’s flat, she read the poem again and when the tears threatened to fall again, she put it back in her handbag.  After paying the taxi driver, she ran up the steps and pushed open the doors, anxious to get to him.  Thankfully, there was no one else in the lift so she went straight up to his floor.  She rang the bell and waited, her heart racing.  The door opened and Graham stood there, staring at her in surprise.

“Hello,” he said.  “What a lovely surprise.”

“I had to see you,” she said in a choked voice.

He stepped aside for her to go in and closed the door.  When he turned to face her, she was crying again and he became alarmed.  “What’s the matter?” he asked.

She took out the poem and showed it to him.  “I read this,” she said.  “It’s so beautiful.”

“I didn’t mean for it to upset you,” he said, looking troubled.

“I’m not upset,” she told him as she put the poem back in her bag and pulled out a tissue to wipe her eyes.  “I came over here to tell you that I read it and that I love you too.”

Graham’s eyes darkened and he moved closer to her.  “You love me?”

“Yes, I do.”  She dropped her handbag on the floor and went up to him.  Reaching up, she pulled his head down to hers.

He groaned against her lips and his arms went round her waist, pulling her tightly against him as he kissed her back.   They stood there for a long time, hungrily exchanging kisses.  Then, he raised his head to gaze down into her upturned face.  “I love you, Sam,” he said huskily.  “I think I loved you the first time I saw you.  When you smiled at me my heart stopped.”

“I have to remember to thank Angie for encouraging me to have lunch in the cafeteria.  It changed my life.”

“And mine,” he rejoined before kissing her again.

Source:  Bar Salsa

The Studio

“You don’t have to be a genius to see that this relationship will not last,” commented Marie as she and Caitlin sat in the corner of a trendy restaurant in the fashionable district of Chelsea.  It was celebratory dinner party for the opening of Ava’s boutique in the area.  She had invited Marie, her sister-in-law who had in turn invited Rachel.  They were sitting having non-alcoholic drinks after a delicious dinner while the others were on the dance floor.

Marie’s remark was directed at Ava and her boyfriend, Reid, a businessman/artist.  They had been dating for less than a year now.  They were dancing but he seemed a bit uncomfortable.   Clearly, he didn’t like the public display of affection but Ava didn’t seem to care.  This was her way of letting the other women know that he was not available.

As Rachel watched them, she couldn’t deny that they made a very attractive couple.  Ava had thick dark brown hair that tumbled down in unruly waves down her tanned back.  She looked absolutely stunning in the strapless fuchsia dress.  Several male eyes were on her but she only had eyes for Reid.  Rachel’s gaze shifted to Reid.  He was tall and very attractive.  He looked amazing in the navy blue striped suit, navy blue shirt and matching tie.  His thick dark brown hair was neatly combed as usual.

She remembered the first time she met Reid.  It was at a mutual friend’s place.  It was early autumn and as she came out of the cottage to go for a walk in the gardens, she noticed him standing among stalks of wheat which seemed rather out of place to her.  She expected the grounds to be covered in green grass and surrounded by trees with changing colors.  He was wearing a blue sweater over a checkered shirt and dark blue trousers.  He didn’t notice her at first as she stood there just staring at him and thinking that he was drop dead gorgeous.  Then, he turned his head slightly to the right and their eyes met.

Shortly after, he went over to her, his eyes never leaving her face.  She was wearing a black and white striped shirt and black pants.  She hoped her hair looked fine.  He held out his hand.  “Hello, I’m Reid,” he said.

She smiled as he clasped her hand.  “Rachel.”  After he released her hand, she folded her arms.  She saw the way his eyes slipped over her before they settled on her face again.

“Do you have a jacket?” he asked.  “It’s a bit cool today.”

“It’s inside with my handbag,” she said. “I came out to go for a walk and forgot how cool it was.  I’ll go quickly and get it.”  She went back to the house and when she went back, he was standing where she had left him.

“Do you mind if I join you?” he asked.

She shook her head, smiling.  “I would like the company,” she said.

“Did you come alone?”

“Yes,” she turned to look at him as they headed for the gardens.  “Did you?”

“I came with Ava.”

“Ava Parker?”

“Do you know her?”

“Not very well.  She’s my friend Marie’s sister-in-law.”

“Yes, I have met Marie.  A very pleasant woman.”

As they walked he asked her questions about herself.  She learned that he met Ava at a gallery where his artwork was on display.  She suddenly stopped and stared at him.  “Are you Reid Faulkner?” She asked.

He nodded with a smile.

“I’ve seen some of your paintings and they are amazing.  They are so real.  My favorite so far is of the homeless young girl.  You did it in black and white.  It was beautiful and haunting at the same time.  It’s now hanging in the National Portrait Gallery in London.”

“I like to paint about current issues,” he said.  “I’m more into realism than the other forms of art like impressionism and romanticism.”

“You captured the sadness in her eyes, the dirty fingernails and the hopelessness of her situation.  Whatever became of her?”

“She’s in a homeless shelter for the youth now.  When she learned that her portrait was in the gallery, she was over the moon.”

“That’s great.  How do you do it—your painting, I mean?”

“I sketch and then, I paint.  I don’t have to have the person pose for me.”

They continued walking and then they decided to head back to the cottage.  When they got there, Ava was waiting in front and as soon as she saw them, she hurried over to Reid.  “There you are,” she exclaimed, slipping her arm in his.  “I was wondering where you had gone off to.  Oh, hello, Rachel,” she said, her green eyes shifting to her and pursing her lips.  The displeasure on her face was unmistakable.  She tugged gently on Reid’s arm.  “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.  Excuse us, Rachel.”

Reid barely got to give Rachel a backward glance before he was whisked away.  They hadn’t had a moment alone after that.  Ava saw to that.  However, she couldn’t prevent them from looking at each other every opportunity they got and on her way home, Rachel couldn’t stop thinking about Reid and how much she wanted to see him again.  And couple months later, here they were in a Chelsea restaurant.

She turned now to Marie who was looking at her.  “You were somewhere else for a bit,” she said.

“I was just remembering something,” she said evasively.  “Why don’t you think their relationship will last?”

“She’s too clingy and men don’t like that.  They don’t like to be smothered.  Besides, I don’t think he’s as into her as she’s into him.  It’s all in the body language, my dear.  Look at him.  The dance is over and he looks relieved.  Why don’t we invite them to join us?”  She waved at the couple as they parted and were heading back to their table.

Rachel’s eyes went immediately to Reid and her heart began to beat fast.  She smoothed her hair down and rubbed the palms of her hands on the skirt of her blue elastic waist dress.  Reid’s gaze went first to Marie and then to Rachel where they remained.  Ava noticed and said, “Why don’t we go over to the bar and sit there or outside on the terrace where it’s a lot cooler?”

At that moment, Marie got up from her seat and said to Ava, “Why don’t we go and freshen up?” and she grabbed her arm and escorted her away before she could object.

Alone, Reid sat down beside Rachel.  “It’s good to see you again,” he said quietly.  “I was hoping that we would meet again.  How have you been?”

She smiled and tried to act calm although she was nervous.  He was staring at her, his expression was intense.  “It’s good to see you again, too,” she admitted, sounding a bit breathless.  “I’m happy to see you and I’ve been doing well.”

“Are you busy tomorrow afternoon?” he asked.

“I’d like you to come over to my studio,” he said.  He took out his wallet and removed a business card.  He scribbled something at the back of it and handed it to her.  As she read the name and address of the studio, he added, “I’d like to paint you.”

She glanced up in surprise.  “Paint me?” she exclaimed.  “But why would you want to paint me?”

“You’re beautiful,” he said simply.  “I want to capture that beauty.”

“I’m not sure,” she said, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.  “I’ve never had such a proposition before.” He thinks I’m beautiful.

“Think about it.  I will look out for you tomorrow.  If I don’t see you, I’ll know that you decided not to do it and although, I will be disappointed, I will understand.”

“Thank you,” she said and she put the card in her handbag.  She didn’t feel pressured now.

“If you like, you can still come to my studio just to see my work.”

“I’d like that,” she said.

He smiled and just then, Ava and Marie joined them.  Ava’s eyes flashed at Rachel.

Marie said to Rachel, “I think we should leave now,” she said.  “It’s getting late and I have a busy day tomorrow with the hubby and kids.  Ava, congratulations on your new business venture.  I’ve no doubt that it will be a great success.  Reid, as always it is a pleasure to see you.”

Rachel got up and came round the table so that she was standing next to Reid.  She could feel his eyes on her.  She said goodnight first to Ava whose expression was hostile and then she turned to Reid, holding out her hand.  He took it and her pulse raced when she felt him squeeze it gently.  Their eyes held for a brief moment and then she turned and walked away.

On their way to her car, Marie remarked, “There’s something going on between Reid and you.  I sensed it and I know Ava did too, that’s why she didn’t want to leave the two of you alone.  So, what did he say to you?”

“He invited me to go to his studio tomorrow.  He wants to paint me.”

“Wow, that’s a great compliment.  I wish I had an artist ask to paint me.  Well, are you going to do it or not?”

“I’m not sure…”

“I think you should do it.  It might be fun and besides, it gives the two of you a chance to be alone.”

“But, what about Ava?”

“Ava’s history.  I won’t be surprised if he breaks up with her tonight.”

“I don’t want to be the cause for their breakup.”

“It would have happened even if you weren’t in the picture.  Don’t feel bad about it.  Ava’s not the right woman for Reid.  And that’s a fact that’s clear to everyone, except her, unfortunately.”

Rachel sighed.  “She already doesn’t like me and now I’m giving her a good reason to hate me.”

“Don’t worry about Ava,” Marie advised her.  “She’ll get over Reid in time.”

Rachel thought about it as she lay in bed that night and by morning, she had decided that she would go to the studio.  It was on a quiet street and located on the second floor of a warehouse.  The door was open and she went in.  There was an easel with a blank sheet of paper on it.  Framed paintings stacked against the walls.  Bright light effused the spacious room.  She could smell the paints and she smiled as she looked around.  It was such a treat being in an artist’s studio and seeing his work.  There were a couple of floor lamps, chairs, a stool and a table with the paints.

As she was studying and admiring the paintings on the wall adjacent to the windows, Reid came in.  He smiled when he saw her.  “Hello,” he said.  “I’m glad you came.  I hope you didn’t have any trouble finding the place.”

She turned toward him, thinking how sexy he looked in the black shirt and blue jeans.  “No, I didn’t have any trouble finding it.  It’s a really nice with lots of natural light.  I was just admiring your work.  Some of them, I recognized.  Has Ava ever been here?”

“Once.  Would you like something to drink?”

She shook her head.  “Not right now, thanks.”

“So, what have you decided?”

“I’ve decided to let you paint me.”

He grinned, rubbing his hands together.  “Splendid.  Now, all you have to do is sit on the stool over there and try not to move.  You can set your handbag and jacket on the chair over there.  Thanks for agreeing to do this, Rachel.”

She did as he instructed and climbed up on the stool.  As she sat down, she was glad that she had worn jeans instead of the long black skirt with the side slit.  She watched as he mixed the paints and then stood behind the easel and got to work.  After two hours of not moving, she was relieved when he set his brush down and stepped from behind the easel.

“We’re done for today,” he said.

She slid down from the stool and stretched.  “How long will it take to complete?” she asked.

“Two weeks.  You don’t have to sit every time because I know you’re busy.  I have a sketch that I can work from.”

“I can come in the evenings after work,” she offered.

“That would be great.  Are you hungry?”

She nodded.

“There’s a bistro around the corner where we can have something to eat or we can order take out delivery and eat here.  Which would you prefer?”

“Take out.”

They had Thai food delivered to them and they sat cross legged on the floor, eating and talking.  It was dark outside by the time they left the studio.  Before they parted, they arranged to meet again at the studio the following day.  For two weeks, she went to the studio and sat for two hours as he painted her.  Finally, the day came when she would see the finished painting.  Excited, she let herself into the studio and closed the door.

She went over to the chair to put her jacket on it when Reid came into the room.  She turned and her breath caught in her throat when she saw that he was not wearing a shirt.  It was in his hand.  He stopped short when he saw her.  “You’re early,” he commented as he pulled it on but didn’t button it.  He went over to where she stood.  Flustered, she turned away.

She felt his hands on her shoulders turning her around to face him.  Their eyes met and what she saw in his made her mouth go dry.  Desire shone in their depths.  “Rachel,” he muttered huskily.  “You must know by now how I feel about you.”

The feelings churning inside her were on her face.  “What about Ava?” she asked, trying not to look at his chest.

“I ended my relationship with her that night at the restaurant.  She blamed you.  She saw the attraction between us.  I told her that I would have ended our relationship even if you and I had not met.  I told her that we were not right for each other.  I felt badly about it but I couldn’t continue pretending that everything was fine when it wasn’t.”

“I feel sorry for her but, I can’t say that I’m sorry that you’re available now…”

“Oh, Rachel…” he moaned before he lowered his head and kissed her.  She kissed him back, her arms going around his neck as she pressed against him.  The sunlight flooded the room, bathing them in its warmth as they exchanged passionate kisses.  “I love you,” he murmured against her lips.

“I love you too,” she whispered.  She had loved him that day when she saw him standing there among the wheat, looking like he just had stepped out of the pages of GQ.

Several hours later, he unveiled the painting and her mouth dropped open when she saw.  Moved to tears, she said, “It’s beautiful.”

His eyes were tender as he looked at her.  “That’s how I see you,” he said quietly. “You’re beautiful within and without.  This painting is going to be for my private viewing.  It’s not going to be placed in any gallery.”

“Good,” she said, putting her arms around his waist.  “I don’t relish the idea of hanging in public for everyone to gawk at me.  Both the painting and I are for your eyes only.” And with that, she reached up and kissed him.

Sources:  End Youth HomelessnessReitman’s; Social Lifestyle Magazine; Albert’s Club


text:
Card Making/Art Journals ~ Spring Term 2014

Tutor: Claire Hampton
Venue: The Sherwood Cookery Workshop,621 Mansfield Road,NG5 2FX
Dates: 15th March – 19th July 2014
Time: 10am -1pm
Duration: 15 Sessions
FEE: £157.50 Concessions £141.75) Fee Waived for those on income related benefits or low-income

Course aims:

To create professional craft items including cards and books.

Course description:

Create handmade cards and books using a variety of Art and Craft materials.

Any prior knowledge or entry requirements?

Course content: what topics will the course cover?

Card making using creative techniques. Rubber stamping and collage techniques.

Book making and Journaling techniques. Creative Writing.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods:

Demonstration / Discussion / Group work / Individual work /

Project work / Research / Role play / Written work /

Question and answer / Activity outside class time / Observation / Practical work /

Presentation / Field trip

How will I receive feedback on my learning progress and achievement?

Tutor feedback both written and verbal.

Learning outcomes:
these are the intended outcomes and may be revised in discussion with the class. Students are encouraged to think about and identify their own individual outcomes.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. Create professional cards ready for sale

2.Create journal pages with or without prompts

3.Identify suitable materials for given project

4.Use learnt techniques effectively

5.Work to a professional standard

Reading and information sources:
Is any reading/preparation essential or desirable?

Internet, existing examples

Suggestions for progression to further study or for using the skills and knowledge gained:

Carry on with another course or to sell items.

Sound interesting?
Please contact Caroline on 0115 985 8203 or email

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text:
Muhammad Bin Qasim By Naseem Hijazi PDF Download

‘Imād ad-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Qāsim ath-Thaqafī (Arabic: عماد الدين محمد بن القاسم الثقفي; c. 695 – 715[citation needed]) was an Umayyad general who conquered the Sindh and Multan regions along the Indus River (now a part of Pakistan) for Muhammad Bin Qasim By Naseem Hijazi PDF Downloadthe Umayyad Caliphate. He was born and raised in the city of Ta’if (in modern-day Saudi Arabia). Qasim’s conquest of Sindh and southern-most parts of Multan enabled further Muslim conquests on the Indian subcontinent.

Naseem Hijazi is the author of the book Muhammad Bin Qasim Novel. It is another excellent history book of Naseem Hijazi. Muhammad Bin Qasim was a great military commander who led the aggression in Sindh. He was the nephew of Hajjaj Bin Yousaf, the governor of Iraq. Hajjaj was a hugely respected military’s chief also.

Summary Plot:

The coming out on top of Sindh covered the way of significant Mohamed supporter good things done in sub-continent. Muhammad Bin Qassim obliged the lower casts in the Hindus. As a  military chief, he met his unfortunate end in new living. He got placed over Raja Dahir of Sindh in the coastal areas of Sindh.

The book Muhammad Bin Qasim Pdf is a fiction story, but we can say it Muhammad Bin Qassim,s history in Urdu pdf. The book has in it the living go across, wars, and good things of  Muhammad Bin Qasim. The writer described the existing wheeled machine with authoritative statements, directions which are trustable. He also told about the person living, and God fear of Mohammad Bin Qasim.

Read Online (Part 1 | Part 2)

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