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Dan Tasker
Dan Tasker

Requirements In Context Part 2: The Functional View From 10,000 Feet

In Part 1 of this series it was stated that the overall objective of these articles is to improve the quality of requirements produced by business analysts. Following the adage that “Context is Everything” it established that a number of different contexts will be explored. And in keeping with this principle it set business information systems as the context of the requirements to be addressed.

Classic Business Functions

My very first position as a business analyst 30 years ago was with a company that had just completed an enterprise-wide planning effort.(1) They had gone so far as to remodel one of their conference rooms for the specific purpose of displaying the results on multi-layered whiteboards. The most prominent board displayed a functional model of the business. It was said to be a view of the company from 10,000 feet up. The functions were organised into three categories: Management, Support and Line of Business.The following diagram is a slightly simplified version of that model:

In my first article I presented the classic “Swings” cartoon. It is a classic because it has remained relevant all these years. I consider the high-level functional model presented above to be a classic. Itoo has stood the test of time. Throughout my years as a business analyst, working in a wide variety of industry segments and government agencies in three countries, this model has proved to be both relevant and useful.

Not all organisations utilise every one of the functions shownAnd some organisations have multiple lines of business. For example Walt Disney - Film production would be one, theme parks anotherIn this style of model, each would have its own ‘Line of Business’ functions to provide contexts for dealing with very different products. Regardless of the numbers of lines of business, the Management and Support functions are applicable across the organisation.

Enterprise Resource Planning

Thirty years ago using a model like this to plan an organisation’s business information systems was leading edge. Database management systems had been around just a few years. Their use typically involved one-for-one replacement of application-specific files. A batch processing inventory management system would be upgraded to an online inventory management system supported by an inventory database. A batch processing sales management system would be upgraded to an online sales management system supported by a sales database. And on and on.

High-level functional models like this were used to demonstrate to the organization that a shared set of data could and should be used to support multiple functions across the business. The idea was to stop developing application-specific information systems and start developing an enterprise-wide one. Fast forward to today and this vision has become business as usual for many organisations

It is common today for an organisation to have a relational database that holds data utilised by multiple business functions. Some of these systems have been developed in-house. Others utilise one of the commercially available Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Probably the original and best known of these is SAPThe following is a list of integrated SAP modules that an organisation to pick and choose from

  • Human Resource Management
  • Production Planning

  • Material Management

  • Financial Supply Chain Management

  • Sales and Distribution

  • Project System

  • Financial Accounting and Controlling

  • Plant Maintenance

  • Quality Management

Quite a striking correlation between these modules and the high-level functions from that 30 year old model.

High-level Requirements From High-level Functions?

This series of articles is about requirements in context. The Functional context is where we are startingThe functions from the 10,000 foot level are the most general functional context I can imagine. Could these be used to draft requirements? I can think of one scenario where they could - an organization interested in acquiring an ERP system. Here is an example of one such high-level requirement:

 The system shall support Accounting processes integrated between themselves and with processes of other functions.

Each ERP function the organisation is interested in should have its own requirement naming a high-level function it wants within its integrated system. Each would be assigned its own priority. Some would likely be must haves while others might only be nice to haves. (Who am I kidding? – we all know that to business users every requirement is a ‘must have.’)

Processes within Functions

The view from 10,000 feet is an interesting functional context, but outside of acquiring an ERP system we need business functions closer to earth. Fortunately the majority of functional modelling techniques include the concept of functional decomposition. That technique used to produce the model above offered a simple three-level decomposition scheme. The things at the top level were called FunctionsA level below functions were things called Processes. The third and lowest level things were called Activities

Functions were considered to be ‘ongoing’ activities. A person working in Accounting or HR does their job year round, year in and year out. Processes in the context of this model were defined to be things that have a start and an end point. A given Function typically would decompose into 10-ish Processes. Again using SAP as an example, we see its HR module breaks down into 12 processes:

  • Organizational Management
  • Personnel Administration

  • Recruitment

  • Payroll

  • Travel Management

  • Personnel Management

  • Time Management

  • Compensation Management

  • Training and Event management

  • Wages

  • Personnel Development

  • Workforce Administration

It’s easy to envision most, if not all of the above processes having start and end points. For example, while it could be argued that Recruitment goes on continuously, in reality filling a specific position starts with some form of notification of the opening and ends ideally with a successful candidate coming on board. Here is an example of a high-level requirement utilising a Process context:

The system shall support the recruitment process including keeping records of published notifications, candidates, interviews and proof of fairness during the selection process.

Activities within Processes

The term Activity can be defined as the individual steps in a process. Visualise a workflow diagram. The boxes in the diagram that don’t themselves require further decomposition would be considered activities. The basic idea is that an Activity is that it should be simple enough that an individual is able to complete it in a single ‘sitting.’ No need to hand the work off to anyone else mid-activity or to have to wait for some other activity to complete. An example of an activity within the Recruitment process would be one called “Make Offer to Candidate.” An example of a high-level requirement ustilising an Activity as a context would be:

The system shall support keeping a record of offers made to selected candidates.

I have used a variety of functional modelling techniques from dataflow diagrams to business process modelling notation (BPMN). Regardless of the terminology used in any particular method, I have found the definitions of the three functional levels presented above to be excellent guideposts for both functional modelling and drafting requirements.

Next Time  Project Scope as a Context for High-Level Requirements

Gathering of requirements is typically managed within a project, and part of managing a project is establishing its scope. Requirements are expected to address the things within this scope. Next time we will look at scope and how high-level requirements can be derived directly from it, and actually as part of the scoping effort.

(1) The enterprise-wide planning methodology utilized by the company described was called Strategic System Planning (SSP) developed by Robert Holland.

This entry was published on Apr 28, 2019 / Dan Tasker. Posted in Enterprise Analysis (BABOK KA), Requirements Analysis (BABOK KA) , Systems Analysis, Business Analysis. Bookmark the Permalink or E-mail it to a friend.
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Karl Wiegers posted on Saturday, May 4, 2019 11:00 AM
I suggest avoiding the use of the word "support" in requirements statements of any kind. It's too vague. What exactly does "support" mean in a statement like "The system shall support keeping a record of offers made to selected candidates"? If the system will simply keep a record of such offers (i.e., "support" = "provide a function to"), then just say so. But "support" can also mean "assist with," in which case it's not clear exactly what portions of keeping a record of offers the system will -- and will not -- perform. "Support" is highly ambiguous; I try not even to use it in daily conversation.

Whenever you're tempted to use the word "support" in a requirement, ask yourself just what kind of capability you're describing, and see if you can provide a more specific statement of that capability instead of leaving it to the reader to try to figure out exactly what is meant by "support" in that case.

I also suggest avoiding words like "including" in a requirement statement, as that leaves unclear whether there are other capabilities that are not stated. It's better to explicitly itemize the expected capabilities so the reader does not have to wonder how much larger the iceberg is.
Dan Tasker posted on Monday, May 6, 2019 7:28 PM
Karl - thanks for your comments and suggestions. I typically use the term 'support' in relation to business processes that involve people performing one or more of the activities/steps of the process. Some form of user interface will be required to 'support' a user interacting with the system. If the requirement is identifying a process, then the detail of the activities within that process are to follow. If the requirement is about one or more activities being supported, presumably each activity will require interaction with the system (e.g. one or more screens).

With regards to the word 'including', I use that to add clarity to the subject of the requirement. It's not intended to be all inclusive, until the next stage (e.g. detail requirements). But any item named as being included is expected to be part of that final list.

I hope that helps you see where I'm coming from, and that subsequent parts of this series makes it clear that the end product is expected to be clear and concise.
Karl Wiegers posted on Monday, May 6, 2019 8:09 PM
Dan, my concern with writing requirements is not with what the author means by certain words, but with how the readers will interpret those words. Will every reader interpret the word "support" in the way you have described? That's not a definition I've seen before, so it's possible that readers would come to different understandings of exactly what the author means by "support." Same with "including": some readers might think that is the complete list of capabilities, others might wonder what else is supposed to be there, particularly if the word "including" is still present in the final requirement.

I believe requirements should be written in a way that maximizes clarity of communication and lack of ambiguity in the readers' eyes, and I fear that words like "support" and "including" do not achieve this objective.

If there's more information to come in a draft requirement, I like to use "TBD" instead to make it clear that some information is yet to be determined. You can scan a set of requirements for TBDs to find the holes.
Dan Tasker posted on Monday, May 6, 2019 10:10 PM
Karl - I also believe that requirements should be written in a way that maximizes clarity of communication. This series is about taking into consideration different contexts which, I believe, contribute to clarity. I expect/hope to hear from you again in a subsequent article where I defend using the terms 'manage' and 'maintain'.
Duane Banks posted on Friday, July 12, 2019 4:57 PM
Dan, it might be more useful to refer to your LOB and Support functions as business capabilities, which can be each be decomposed level 2 and 3 (and beyond) capabilities.

The article seems to only speak to processes within a particular level 1 capability. A typical process would not be created from a top (level1) capability, but from the sub-capabilities that span multiple level 1 capabilities.
Duane Banks posted on Friday, July 12, 2019 5:02 PM
“The system shall support Accounting processes integrated between themselves and with processes of other functions.”

Dan, I don't regard this a as requirement, since it provides developers very little guidance. It’s a useful scope item though.
Dan Tasker posted on Saturday, July 13, 2019 1:48 PM
Duane - Thanks for your two comments. I like the term 'capabilities', and agree that the LOB and support functions I presented are very high level. I believe it's just a matter of terminology - i.e. what a given organization chooses to call different levels of functional composition. In part 4 I speak of 'automated functions', using the term function to mean something very low level. Part of my 'context is everything' view is that a given term takes on a different meaning in different contexts.

Regarding my example requirement, the article does identify this as a high-level requirement. I would not expect developers to get guidance from an HLR. To me the only context that this is a valid [high-level] requirement would be one where the organization is looking to acquire an ERP system, and it is stating (as you mention), which sub-systems within the ERP they are looking to acquire.

I hope this helps put these things in perspective, and that parts 3 and 4 of the series, now available for reading, clarify where I was headed with the article's 'functional view from 10,000 feet.'
RHarvey posted on Thursday, October 17, 2019 11:13 AM
Karl, I have enjoyed these articles on elicitation. However, I looked for but have not found your concluding article, parts 3 and 4...
Karl Wiegers posted on Thursday, October 17, 2019 11:20 AM
RHarvey, just to be clear, this series of articles on "Requirements in Context" were written by Dan Tasker, not by me (Karl Wiegers). :-)
Dan Tasker posted on Thursday, October 17, 2019 3:19 PM
RHarvey - I'm glad you are enjoying the articles. Starting with #3 they have been promoted to articles rather than blogs. See Parts 4 and 5 are also currently available. Let me know if you're not able to find them.
Neetu posted on Thursday, March 26, 2020 9:15 AM
Its a nice article
Alisa John posted on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 3:08 AM
This blog was a priceless gift for me, especially. It gives such authentic information which will be very helpful for me and other readers as well. Thanks for writing up this. You are amazing in writing blogs; we readers need more real-life articles from you in future as well. It was really readable, and I am looking towards more articles like that.
Dan Tasker posted on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 4:01 AM
Alisa - I'm very glad you found this article helpful. The overall series of 8 articles has now been completed. You can see a list of links to the series at
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EPA Launches Project Recovery To Keep FinTech On The World Stage - Recovery Hub Aligns With The U.K. Government’s Economic Support Initiatives To Help The UK Fintech And Payments Sector In Post-Pandemic Recovery

Date 15/07/2020

The Emerging Payments Association (EPA), which celebrates collaboration and innovation across the emerging payments industry, has today launched Project Recovery to help the UK FinTech make informed decisions and equip them to survive in the post pandemic world.

Following the cross-sector existential threats imposed organisations from the COVID-19 health crisis, alongside a surge in digital and contactless payments (more than three quarters of shoppers are now using contactless payments, according to Mastercard), there has never been a more important time for the U.K to have a steady FinTech ecosystem.

Furthermore, with analysts predicting a major contraction for the market, with fintech funding in Q1 2020 already down $2 billion from Q4 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has not only revealed a gap in funding but also a lack of resources between the large and small-scale FinTechs. Failure to address these risks the loss of many companies in the fastest-growing sector in the UK economy.

The EPA’s Project Recovery, in line with the government’s support schemes, has launched a Covid-19 Recovery Toolkit for its members and the wider industry. Payment experts from all over the industry rallied together to create a hub of resources, blogs, trainings and events. The toolkit signposts Cyber-security services, leading articles from industry professionals, payments training courses and includes advice on furloughing and returning to the office.

Tony Craddock, Director General of the Emerging Payments Association, said: “The FinTech sector has a key role to play in the UK’s economic recovery and so the aim of Project Recovery is to make sure it is not only the big players that survive but all FinTechs across the ecosystem. Our COVID-19 Recovery toolkit, free training and events, means businesses of all sizes will have access to resources that can guide them through the pandemic to a prosperous 2021.”

Mike Chambers, Director, Northey Point Limited and EPA Ambassador, said: “Whilst online payment providers and FinTechs supporting contactless payments and digital identity providers have weathered the storm well, there has been a distinct lack of funding for many organisations across the sector. Project Recovery has a voice and we plan to use it to help equip companies with the right knowledge and resources to lead them out of the pandemic.”

Alan King, Group President, Europe & Australasia, FLEETCOR and EPA Advisory Board Member, said: “As an association and an industry, we have stood tall and pulled together this year. We think it is imperative to continue to foster growth and momentum throughout the fintech industry to ensure it remains one of the strongest and most promising industries in the UK heading into 2021.”

In a recent Open Letter to the FCA, the EPA urged the FCA to unfreeze Wirecard Cards Services accounts to prevent further significant and lasting damage to the industry. The EPA cited a potential crisis in confidence amongst consumers and amongst clients of emerging payments companies, as well as the U.K.’s leadership on the world stage of financial technology.

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HKEx Sets Date For Launch Of The Second Phase Of CCASS/3

Date 26/11/2002

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) will introduce the second phase of CCASS/3, the next generation of the Central Clearing and Settlement System, on Monday, 9 December, pending the successful conversion of the system from the Stage-1 to Stage-2 format during the weekend of 7 and 8 December.

The launch date was set after the successful completion of market rehearsals. The plan has been approved by the Securities and Futures Commission.

CCASS Participants will be required to complete some tasks during the system conversion. HKEx will keep the market and CCASS Participants updated on 8 December on the progress of the conversion.

CCASS/3 Stage-2 supports several new features, including one that allows CCASS Participants to manage their collateral electronically via the Common Collateral Management System, or CCMS, functions. In addition, the new system infrastructure enables the validation process for Settlement Instruction and Investor Settlement Instruction upload files to be executed on an ad hoc basis. The layout of batch upload files and report files will also be changed to accommodate an extended range of stock codes, International Securities Identification Numbers, or ISIN, and Bank Identifier Codes, or BIC, to meet future market development needs.

The introduction of CCASS/3 Stage-2 will be followed by a two-week stabilisation period, as a prudent measure. During that time, the CCASS/3 Stage-1 system will be on standby as a backup.

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Upon full implementation, and on market demand, CCASS/3 will also be capable of supporting multiple markets with different settlement cycles and extended operating hours.


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  • Crisis Care: 9223 1111 or free call 1800 199 008
  • Police attendance: 131 444 or in an emergency: 000

Homeless people on private property
Homeless people found in private places without permission of the owner can be asked to leave. If they do not leave it can be considered trespassing. You can contact the Town’s Ranger Services for assistance in these circumstances, or call the Police who will investigate complaints of squatting and prosecution may result. The above support services can also be engaged to assist.

Crisis Lines

Aged and Community Care Information Line
1800 500 853

Child Abuse Prevention Service
1800 688 009
24 hour crisis support services for parents

Child Abuse Report Line
13 14 78

Family Relationship Advice Line
1800 050 321
(Monday to Friday 8am-8pm)

Kid’s Help Line
1800 551 800
24 hours, 7 days

Lifeline 13 11 14
24 hours, 7 days

Men's Line Australia
1300 789 978 24 hours, 7 days

Salvo Crisis Line
02 9331 2000 (STD Costs)

Help and Support Services

Australian Parenting & Relationship Helpline
1300 365 859
Telephone advice line for parents, couples and individuals

Child Abuse Prevention Service
1800 688 009
24 hour crisis support services for all parents

Child Care Access Hotline 1800 670 305 1800 639 327 (TTY service for people with a hearing/speech impairment) 8am – 9pm (Mon-Fri)

Domestic Violence Line
1800 656 463
Information and referral, 24 hours, 7 days

Family Drug Support
1300 368 186
Information and referral service. 24 hours, 7 days

Family Relationship Advice Line
1800 050 321
8am – 8pm (Mon-Fri, local time)
10am – 4pm (Sat, local time)

Family Services Inc
1300 365 859
Support for families experiencing stress.
9am-4.30pm, Mon-Fri

(02) 9845 0890 (STD Costs)
Practical information to help prevent injuries to children.
9am-5pm, Mon-Fri

Mental Health Information
1800 022 222
Information and referral service
12.30pm-4.30pm, Mon-Fri

Parent Help Line
1800 654 432 (WA)
Telephone counselling for parents. 9am-4.30pm, Mon-Sat

Poisons Information Centre
13 11 26
24 hour advice line

SANE Helpline
1800 18 SANE (7263)
Mental Health Information and referral service 9am-5pm Mon-Fri

SIDS and Kids
1800 138 300
Information for parents about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

1800 637 357
Advice for parents of children 0-5 years from Child and Family Health Nurses 24 hours, 7 days

Violence Against Women
1800 200 526
Confidential 24 hour helpline

National Relay Service

People who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment can call the Town of Mosman Park through the National Relay Service.

Find out more ...

Solar Power at the Administration

The Town of Mosman Park has installed solar panels (photo voltaic cells) on the roof of the Administration building. We’re producing power and reducing carbon emissions.

Find out how much ...


text:
Friday, August 7, 2020

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Leeds United, West Brom, Fulham, Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Preston all agree that the Championship season needs to be finished, according to Peter Ridsdale.

The Preston advisor, who was previously the chairman of Leeds, has said he’s spoken to the top-six clubs in the Championship and all of them want the current season to be concluded at some point.

On Friday, the EFL suspended all fixtures until the start of April due to the coronavirus pandemic that is causing havoc across the world.

leeds united

Plenty of ideas have been mooted about how football should react to the suspension as many do not expect to see the action reconvene on April 3, as currently planned.

One idea that has cropped up a lot would be to hand Liverpool the Premier League title, hand promotions to Leeds and West Brom and play with 22 teams in the top-flight next season with no one being relegated.

While it seems fairer than nulling and voiding the campaign, forcing Liverpool to miss out on their first-ever Premier League title and Leeds’ return to the top-flight after 16 years, Ridsdale is not a fan of it.

“I’ve never heard anything so nonsensical in my life,” Ridsdale told Sky Sports..

“Who says that Leeds and West Brom are the two teams to go up? I’m not suggesting they won’t eventually, but the only way to determine that is after the 46 games.

“I also think it’s disappointing that the primary voices that we’ve heard over the last few days in the Premier League suggesting no relegation, happen to be teams that currently are sitting precariously above the bottom three.

“Therefore that does appear to be self-interest. The only thing that’s right and proper is that at some point in time, we complete the season.”

leeds united

It’s fair enough. Although Leeds and West Brom are seven and six points ahead of third-place respectively, neither are guaranteed promotion with nine games left to play.

Ridsdale has also said that he’s spoken with the top-six Championship sides and all of them want to see out the rest of the season at some point.

He added: “The riches of the Premier League are in stark contrast to those in the Football League and we think it’s very important that the season is completed at some point in time in the future.

“Certainly talking to the six clubs currently in the top six positions in the Championship, there is a unanimous view that we must complete the season.”

leeds united

Finishing the current season is definitely the least controversial move but also could be one of the hardest to pull off.

Let’s say that football is not able to resume until June or July comes around. What happens with contracts and loan deals that expire in May and June? What happens with the transfer window, EURO 2020, pre-season training, a summer break and the start of next season?

There’ll be a lot of questions to answer.

In other Leeds United news, this Leeds player has sent a message to Manchester United star Paul Pogba on Instagram.

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Elixir Verbana – Rheumatism · Arthritis · Phlebitis | Mount Athos Pharmacy

The monastic elixir for rheumatism and arthritis is a combination of the traditional tincture manufacturing method and the scientific expertise of Greek Orthhdox Monks from the Mount Athos Pharmacy.
Net Weight: 30ml

Άμεσα διαθέσιμο - Παράδοση 1 έως 3 ημέρες

Elixir for Rheumatism and Arthritis from Mount Athos Pharmacy!

The Elixir with verbena is beneficial and soothing for those suffering from rheumatism and arthritis.

It contains verbena, rue, bush and spiny restharrow.

The Mount Athos Elixir relieves pain and uncomfortable symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism, and provides a smooth and natural movement in everyday life.

Dosage: Pour 15 drops in some water twice a day.

Suggested use: At least for 1 month.

Verbena is used for ulcers, swollen lymph nodes, thrombophlebitis, golden, eczema, itching, skin pimples, but also as a painkiller and anti-inflammatory.

The elixir with verbena for rheumatism and arthritis, is prepared in Mount Athos Pharmacy in Karyes. It is a 100% natural product.

Origin: Mount Athos Pharmacy | Karyes
Net Weight: 30ml

Additional information

Weight 0.15 kg


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Exclusive Rates for Movability Members From Brain+Trust

Guest article by Movability member Brain+Trust Partners

Brain+Trust Partners knows that many companies have urgent needs to lower expenses, alongside opportunities to leverage insights and improve customer experiences in the "new normal" of remote business. Amid the uncertainty for all of business, we are narrowing our services and lowering our fees, ahead of any return to vibrancy later this year and next, including services such as:

  • Customer Data Privacy Compliance – with data privacy and data breach laws in motion in 27 states (including Texas) in 2020-21, a review of your systems and operations to determine vulnerabilities and opportunities to manage customer consent and establish a data governance policy. (30 day engagement)
  • Advanced Analytics - predictive analysis, performance modeling and forecasting for Q3-Q4 2020 that can improve efficiencies across marketing, staffing and other operations to grow revenue. (30-60 day engagement)
  • Media Analytics/Strategy - media performance analysis and strategy that helps build attribution/ROI models and better plan market efforts on a reduced budget. (30-60 day engagement)

Brain+Trust can also assist with new product/service development - mobile apps, loyalty networks and delivery services are examples of projects we are currently managing and producing for clients, along with market research that provides for a confident vision and direction to build "what's next."

These are most challenging and interesting times, and we are committed to providing reasonable guidance and actionable plans to ensure business continuity, now and over the coming quarters.

To learn more, inquire by sending an email to today!


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People Milfs want to meet free and hook up

Since the show ended its run in 1995, the Tanners have reunited so often that it wouldn’t be surprising if they actually lived together in real life.
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It also points to what more we can do as a community to help our fellow Singaporeans achieve those aspirations," wrote Mrs Teo.

Newly-weds Mr Tay Boon Wah, 42, who works in the IT sector and Ms June Chan, 41, an administrative manager officiated their union earlier in January this year after meeting on the online dating application, esync, last year in Feb.

SINGAPORE - After several failed relationships, administrative manager June Chan was married in January this year. Ms Chan, 41, said her friends had encouraged her to try esync, a dating app, after a break-up two years ago.

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Munich Personal RePEc Archive

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Callan, Margaret and Davies, Robin (2013): When business meets aid: analysing public-private partnerships for international development (Development Policy Centre Discussion Paper 28).

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Munich Personal RePEc Archive

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29 October 2012

Dennis, Wesselbaum (2012): Gender-speci�c Differences in Labor Market Adjustment Patterns: Evidence from the United States.

29 November 2012

Dennis, Wesselbaum (2012): Stochastic Volatility in the U.S. Labor Market.

This list was generated on Fri Aug 7 03:38:44 2020 CEST.
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Palmette Hexagon Minaudière Gold Brass

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Story behind the Clutch
Okhtein is all about the revival of the world’s rich history, vast cultures and art to the betterment of today’s creativity. Each Okhtein product has a unique provenance with deep cultural associations. To manufacture their products, Aya and Mounaz felt compelled to take a philanthropic approach to their work. Inspired by the streets of Old Cairo, Mounaz and Aya  used the Fatimid Dynasty's Architecture and modernized it into carry-able Art.
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Who We Are

Susanna Davis Photo

Susanna Davis

Office Manager

Direct: (208) 336-6770 ext. 1001

I joined MRI Boise in May of 2019 as our Office Manager after 11 years’ experience with the MR Iowa City office. I manage all administrative, internet e-recruiting, e-marketing activities, purchasing, and information technology systems for our company. I attended Kirkwood Community College where I earned a degree in Legal Secretarial Administration and most recently completed my Human Resource Certificate.

In my spare time, I love spending time with my family and friends. I have a love for animals and enjoy taking walks and hiking with my dog, Andy. My two main reasons for relocating to the treasure Valley area of Idaho are my love for the outdoors and wanting to be closer to friends and family in the area. I’m truly excited to be a key part of our Boise team!


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Descriptive essay life on island

Rossetti was a great admirer of Whitman's work, and he began a long correspondence with Whitman about the nature of the selection, suggesting that a number of Whitman's more controversial terms like "father-stuff" would need to be altered for British sensibilities.

Roatan, Honduras, Style This gorgeous little island off the Caribbean coast of Honduras is home to an enormously eclectic group. If you want to finish the level or probably 10go ahead. Badmintona sport that originated in India, was introduced by the Dutch during the 18th century; it is mentioned in the Sayings of the Dutch.

Just imagine bumper cars without seat belts, with a person hurling toward you at twenty miles per hour and crashing into you. The University of Iowa copy, with the goldstamped triple-rule frame and gilded edges, is an example of the first and most expensive binding.

If the story you are reading does not have outstanding word choice and descriptive details, put it down immediately and find a more impressive book.

City Life vs. Island Life: The Best of Both Worlds

And everyone loves a hammock dammit. Your backside raises out of the seat as you are turned upside down before plummeting back to earth, racing into the station with a neck-jerking halt.

But according to a subsection of the law known as the Pocahontas Exception, since the oldest Virginia families claimed descent from Pocahontas, a person with one-sixteenth Indian blood was considered white.

descriptive essay island

These mangled human parts were direct evidence of cannibalism during the harsh winter of —, referred to as the Starving Time. The white were better trained and organized and they had more weapons than the slaves so they were able to defeat them.

30 minutes a week to growth

This was because he was without a meaningful relationship with a women. In the early s, while writing Leaves of Grass, he ran a job-printing office and became close friends with Brooklyn printers, including some young brothers who had emigrated from Scotland and now ran a small job printing shop on Fulton Street, where Whitman would print the first edition of his book.

So think about that, one acre, 95 percent of the site is uncovered. Nagasaki Harbor is opened for trade, the first Portuguese ships enter. He tallies pages of manuscript although his individual page counts add up to pages, a miscalculation that perhaps opens up space for his prose preface, which he adds at the last minuteand, using pages from "Shakespeare's poems," he estimates that a printed page will contain letters 28 lines of 40 letterscompared to letters of "in one of my closely written MS pages" 40 lines of 40 letters.

This is definitely the best summer ever. The poet answered, "Whack away at everything pertaining to literary life—mechanical part as well as the rest. Nothing else is really known about this creature.

Sample Personal Experience Essays

One maid was a composite of the English women who tended to Pocahontas after she became Lady Rolfe. You get more than you bargain for.

The Walt Whitman Archive

A Beautiful Island essaysFor many people, the land in America is the only thing they find to be beautiful in this world. But as a young adult I have already left the country to find many eye opening sights beyond the land of the United States. To me, the most beautiful place I have ever been was th.

How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph.

Education with Integrity

In this Article: Article Summary Sample Paragraphs Describing a Person Writing about an Object Writing a Descriptive Paragraph About a Place Community Q&A If you want to immerse a reader in an essay or story, there’s no better way to do it than with a crisp, vivid descriptive paragraph.

Descriptive Essay: My Favorite Place Coney Island in My Mind. I would really love to visit Coney Island again. The place is far from the bustling city and getting there is already part of the adventure. One can take the tunnel or drive but whichever way you take when one arrives in the island, it’s like being transported in time.

Descriptive Essay Writing Topic Life on Island Last night, I had a dream in which I made my first voyage. We were traveled towards the north, along the coast.

College Admissions Essay: Dilemma of the Deserted Island - Dilemma of the Deserted Island The following question has been asked: What three things I would take with me if I were forced to live on a deserted island. 2 of an unbroken chain of life dating back more than billion years.

Infinite space and eternal time may be beyond our grasp, but life on earth – while extraordinarily vast is –.

Descriptive essay life on island
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Ethics - Wikipedia


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How to find a genuine escort service agency on the internet?

The internet platform is full of many escort service websites. Many people use the internet platform to get girls. The internet is a platform where anyone can easily get fooled. Every day we read much news or get to know about many internet scams. The reason behind this scams is the careless behaviour of the people. The people’s don’t make proper enquiry of any website or blog on the internet. Many of them just visit the site from the forwarded mail or text message by there known people. As they got the link from the know people they blindfolded trust that link and act like a child. They make a payment on the website but never get server the product. This act is also considered in the cybercrime.

Steps to check whether the website is genuine or fraud?

  • Go with topmost Result: When you search for the Chennai Escorts Service, you should always search it with the search engines. This is the easiest way to get the genuine website not only for escort service but also for any other objects. There are many independent escorts in the world. This escort service provider spends a large amount of money to appear on the first page of the search engines results. Hence it is easier to understand that the fraudulent peoples can’t make it happens.
  • Professional appearance: This escort companies hire many skilled workers to build their websites. The work of this skilled and experienced software developer gives a dynamic look to the website. You will find each and every detail about the work on the websites. The details about the owner and workers on the websites.
  • Use an escort directory: An escort directory will always lead you to the genuine and best Delhi escorts service The directory will give you the result about the different escort in town which is available near your area. You can also check the existence of that website with the search engines also. You can do separate research for that website. For that, you just need to type “escort service near me” in the search engines. The results will definitely show the website available on escort directory. Hence you can rely on that website.
  • Customer care support: A genuine escort service agency will always provide you with their contact details for any kind of help under the tab options of escort customer care. You can directly contact them for there service. A fraud website will never have a contact number or any kind of contact details on their platform. This is another way to check the genuineness of the website.
  • Website review: This is the most important step to check whether the website is genuine or not. When you will search for the website in the search engines for review. You will always find the review for the genuine website from the client or from the critic’s site. Hence it will prove the genuineness of that particular website.

Follow all these ways to find the best Mumbai escorts service to entertain yourself. And don’t get yourself in a problematic situation by avoiding these steps.


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Television actor Kushal Punjabi commits suicide, hangs himself at his residence

Television actor Kushal Punjabi commits suicide, hangs himself at his residence
Kushal Punjabi
Popular television actor Kushal Punjabi, who was last seen in Ishq Mein Marjawan, passed away on Thursday night at the young age of 37.

Bandra police has confirmed that it was a case of suicide. According to initial information shared by Mumbai police, the actor committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan at his residence. He was immediately rushed to Baba Hospital but the doctors declared him brought dead.

A one-and-a-half page suicide note written in English has also been found from his flat which mentions that 50 per cent of his property/assets should be equally distributed among his parents and sister and remaining 50 per cent should be given to his three-year old son. It also mentions that no one should be blamed for his death.

One of his closest friends and actor Karanvir Bohra took to social media to confirm the shocking news and express grief over his sudden demise.

Sharing pictures of the late actor, Karanvir wrote on Instagram, “Ur demise has shocked the hell out of me. I'm still in denial. I know you are in a happier place, but this is unfathomable. The way you lead your life really inspired me in more ways than one....but what was I to know. Your zest for dancing, fitness, off-road biking, fatherhood and above all that, that smiling face of yours, your happy-go-lucky nature your warmth all that was such ingenuity. I'm gonna miss you so much. You will always be remembered sad a guy who lived a full life.”

Bollywood actor Tusshar Kapoor, who recently shot with Kushal for an upcoming film, tweeted, "Shocked and saddened to wake up to the news of the demise of actor
Punjabi Kushal. Had recently shot with him for a forthcoming film! RIP #kushal."

The news came in as a shock to many other celebs from the industry. As soon as it was shared by Karanvir, celebs including Ravi Dubey, Hiten Tejwani, Karishma Tanna, Vikaas Kalantri, Shweta Tiwari, Karan Patel, Delnaaz Irani expressed sorrow over Kushal’s demise.

Karan Patel wrote an emotional note for the late actor and said that he will be missed forever.

Singer and rapper Baba Sehgal tweeted that Kushal was always ready to face challenges and was an adorable father.

Kushal's Ishq Mein Marjavan co-star Arjun Bijlani also took to Instagram to express grief. "I wish this news wasn’t true but Kushal Punjabi has left us. Will always remember our positive conversations about life, family and work. Rest in peace brother."

Kushal had started his career as a dancer and model in the year 2000. During the initial days of his career, he appeared in a music video titled Deewane To Deewane Hai. Apart from TV serials, he was seen in movies like Andaaz, Lakshya, Kaal and Salaam-e-Ishq among others.

He married European model Audrey Dolhen in November 2015 and the two were blessed with son Kian in 2016.
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Westinghouse promotes new kitchen range in campaign via Connecting Plots

Westinghouse, part of the Electrolux Group, has unveiled its latest brand campaign via Connecting Plots, called ‘Now You Can’.

The campaign promotes the brand’s new kitchen range, including an air fryer built into ovens, induction cooktops that turn heat down automatically to stop water boiling over, and a fridge drawer that converts to a freezer.

The campaign is rolling out across digital, social and print. Fridge executions will occur later in the year.

“The category tends to be fairly formulaic so we decided to step things up, injecting some personality and creating a stylised world to give the brand distinction,” said Connecting Plots partner Tom Phillips.

Electrolux Group’s marketing director, Richelle Barker, added: “In 2020, the modern kitchen is for more than just cooking. From entertaining visitors, to family meals and helping kids with homework, it certainly is the multi-functional heart of the home. It’s crucial that the kitchen works practically and visually since we spend so much time there.

“The new Westinghouse range will make daily life a little easier, offering innovations for home cooks, as we encourage people to cook at home with their families. We’re excited to be rolling out something that makes Westinghouse stand out and is designed with families in mind.”

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.


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Posted: May 16th, 2015

The last meeting in April at Prostmasters Munich was one of an unusual kind. We had no prepared speeches, no word of the day, no table topics, but on the other hand we had workshops! Two of them! And jokes! Lots of them! This meeting was one of the most active ones I have attended recently since everybody from the audience took part in the workshops prepared by three of our fellow club members.

Enter Samuel!

What's a joke workshop without jokes? We heard plenty of those, but the real essence of his talk were the eight simple tips he gave us that everyone can incorporate into their jokes and make them sound more authentic and more humorous. Remember to smile, create tension, and for god's sake, don't laugh at your own jokes ever again! After Samuel's talk, three of our fellow toastmasters went on stage and practiced what they had learned and told us a couple of funny jokes.

The second workshop held during the evening was about the way we use our voice and how most of the time we never really use its full potential. Funny enough, most of us are not even aware of this, unless someone else points it out for us. That's why Armin and Caroline taught us the fundamentals of voice projection and demonstrated several exercises that each and every one of us can practice in order to improve our voices. It all begins with taking a deep breath, then warming up your voice and ending with a tongue twister! Try it out now and say "I'm sure she sells sea shells on the sea shore". Now repeat it again with your tongue out! Sounds funny? Well, it does not really matter, since this exercise is a good way to become more fluent.

All in all, the evening was excellent, with great fun and tons of laughter. The numerous guests who visited us this evening were more than happy by the end of the workshops.

Atanas Dimitrov


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Pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed.
Pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed.
The best albums of 2019: The ballots

The best albums of 2019: The ballots

Graphic: Natalie Peeples

The A.V. Club’s list of 2019’s best albums was determined by 12 critics, who each submitted a ranked ballot of their top 10 to 20 records of the year. Those ballots can be found below, some with annotations providing insight into their choices.

Jenny Hval, The Practice Of Love artwork
Jenny Hval, The Practice Of Love artwork

Kelsey J. Waite

Top 10 LPs

1. Jenny Hval, The Practice Of Love
2. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Ghosteen
3. Solange, When I Get Home
4. Cate Le Bon, Reward
5. Barker, Utility
6. Thom Yorke, Anima
7. Weyes Blood, Titanic Rising
8. Jenny Lewis, On The Line
9. Floating Points, Crush
10. Teebs, Anicca

The next 10

11. Angel Bat Dawid, The Oracle
12. Aldous Harding, Designer
13. Little Simz, Grey Area
14. Aleksi Perala, Sunshine 3
15. James Blake, Assume Form
16. Flying Lotus, Flamagra
17. Alessandro Cortini, Volume Massimo
18. Holly Herndon, Proto
19. Toro Y Moi, Outer Peace

Top 5 EPs

1. Andy Stott, It Should Be Us
2. Four Tet, Anna Painting
3. Kelly Lee Owens, “Let It Go”/“Omen”
4. Haai, Windows Down, Systems Up
5. Charlotte Gainsbourg, Rest

Top 5 singles

1. Missy Elliott, “Throw It Back”
2. Rosalía, “Aute Cuture”
3. Jenny Lewis, “Dogwood”
4. Roísín Murphy, “Incapable”
5. James Blake, “Can’t Believe The Way We Flow”

Jamila Woods, Legacy! Legacy! artwork
Jamila Woods, Legacy! Legacy! artwork

Baraka Kaseko

Top 10 LPs

1. Jamila Woods, Legacy! Legacy!
2. Dave, Psychodrama
3. Tyler The Creator, Igor
4. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Bandana
5. Anderson Paak, Ventura
6. Brittany Howard, Jaime
7. Ari Lennox, Shea Butter Baby
8. Sir, Chasing Summer
9. Rapsody, Eve
10. Goldlink, Diaspora

Top 5 singles

1. Lil Nas X, “Panini”
2. Ari Lennox, “BMO”
3. Beyoncé ft. Blue Ivy, Saint Jhn, and WizKid, “Brown Skin Girl”
4. Tyler, The Creator, “Earfquake”
5. Dave ft. Burna Boy, “Location”

Nick Cave, Ghosteen artwork
Nick Cave, Ghosteen artwork

Katie Rife

Top 10 LPs

1. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Ghosteen
2. Weyes Blood, Titanic Rising
3. FKA Twigs, Magdalene
4. Jenny Hval, The Practice Of Love
5. Orville Peck, Pony
6. Julia Jacklin, Crushing
7. Megan Thee Stallion, Fever
8. Angel Olsen, All Mirrors
9. Sleater-Kinney, The Center Won’t Hold
10. Mannequin Pussy, Patience

The next 10

11. Jamila Woods, Legacy! Legacy!
12. Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell!
13. Michael Kiwanuka, Kiwanuka
14. Joan Shelley, Like The River Loves The Sea
15. Sharon Van Etten, Remind Me Tomorrow
16. PUP, Morbid Stuff
17. Palehound, Black Friday
18. Ezra Furman, Twelve Nudes
19. Hand Habits, Placeholder
20. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You

Top single

Palehound, “Aaron”

Trans peoples’ bodies are too often sites of violation and humiliation, whether they’re being tossed around as political footballs or subjected to invasive questions from strangers. That’s why it’s important for songs like Palehound’s “Aaron,” a tender love song for a trans man, to exist as a healing counterpoint. Palehound lead singer Ellen Kempner wrote the song for her partner in the midst of his transition, expressing her unconditional love when she sings, “You sing your song with your back turned to me / Your body’s shaking, voice certain and still / And if closing my eyes will help you turn around, Aaron / I will, I will, I will, I will…” Those last two repeated words, delivered in a thin but urgent soprano, contain a rainbow of emotions: Kempner’s sadness at Aaron’s pain, her desire to soothe his alienation and insecurity, and her willingness to do whatever it takes to make things okay. Backed by a simple acoustic guitar line that builds with layers of arpeggios and cymbal brushes into a joyous, open-hearted tumult, the song’s triumphant ending suggests that while life may be difficult for Aaron right now, with love and time, everything will be all right. [Katie Rife]

Brittany Howard, Jaime artwork
Brittany Howard, Jaime artwork

Shannon Miller

Top 10 LPs

1. Brittany Howard, Jaime
2. Little Simz, Grey Area
3. Anderson Paak, Ventura
4. Tank And The Bangas, Green Balloon
5. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
6. Megan Thee Stallion, Fever
7. Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats, Anger Management
8. YNB Cordae, The Lost Boy
9. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
10. Anna Wise, As If It Were Forever

The next 10

11. Jamila Woods, Legacy! Legacy!
12. FKA Twigs, Magdalene
13. Solange, When I Get Home
14. Ari Lennox, Shea Butter Baby
15. BTS, Map Of The Soul: Persona
16. James Blake, Assume Form
17. Tyler The Creator, Igor
18. H.E.R., I Used To Know Her
19. Denzel Curry, Zuu
20. Toro Y Moi, Outer Peace

Top 5 EPs

1. Missy Elliott, Iconology
2. Seventeen, You Made My Dawn
3. Blackpink, Kill This Love
4. Miguel, Te Lo Dije
5. Benee, Fire On Marzz

Top 5 singles

1. Tierra Whack, “Unemployed”
2. Taeyeon, “Four Seasons”
3. BTS, “Make It Right (Feat. Lauv)”
4. Cardi B, “Press”
5. Labrinth & Zendaya, “All For Us”

FKA Twigs, Magdalene artwork
FKA Twigs, Magdalene artwork

Danette Chavez

Top 10 LPs

1. Jamila Woods, Legacy! Legacy!
2. FKA Twigs, Magdalene
3. Andrew Bird, My Finest Work Yet
4. Cuco, Para Mi
5. Jenny Lewis, On The Line
6. Esteman, Amor Libre
7. Bad Bunny and J. Balvin, Oasis
8. The Mountain Goats, In League With Dragons
9. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
10. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

The National, I Am Easy To Find artwork
The National, I Am Easy To Find artwork

Randall Colburn

Top 10 LPs

1. The National, I Am Easy To Find
2. Martha, Love Keeps Kicking
3. PUP, Morbid Stuff
4. Emily Reo, Only You Can See It
5. Jamila Woods, Legacy! Legacy!
6. King Princess, Cheap Queen
7. Mike Adams At His Honest Weight, There Is No Feeling Better
8. Girlpool, What Chaos Is Imaginary
9. Weyes Blood, Titanic Rising
10. Purple Mountains, Purple Mountains

The next 10

11. Slaughter Beach Dog, Safe And Also No Fear
12. (Sandy) Alex G, House Of Sugar
13. Charly Bliss, Young Enough
14. M83, DSVII
15. That Dog, Old LP
16. Pronoun, I’ll Show You Stronger
17. Big Nothing, Chris
18. Vivian Girls, Memory
19. Blanck Mass, Animated Mild Violence
20. Yohuna, Mirroring

Top EP

Spirit Night, Two Songs

Songwriter Dylan Balliett, formerly of The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, has been releasing solo material as Spirit Night for roughly a decade, but these songs are the first to creep online since 2016’s Shame, an incredible LP about addiction and depression he reissued last year. Backed by wistful guitars and a muscular beat, “Everywhere I’ve Gone” evokes Shame in its exploration of the persistence of past regret in a new city. “Angelica,” meanwhile, is a cloudy, lovesick anthem illustrating how logic often rings empty in the throes of heartache. Both are gorgeous and evocative enough to tide us over until the next LP.

Top 5 Singles

1. Stormzy, “Vossi Bop”
Tight, angular, and utterly intoxicating. The perfect vessel for one of the most singular flows in hip-hop. Also, Idris Elba!

2. Slaughter Beach Dog, “Black Oak”
This sprawling standout from the Modern Baseball spin-off begins as a compelling bit of gothic folk before a knotty, somnambulant riff ushers the listener (and the characters) into something more turbulent and dreamlike.

3. Lala Lala featuring WHY?, “Siren 042”
Best lyric of the year: “And I’m sorry I was evil / I don’t do that anymore.”

4. Mallrat, “Nobody’s Home”
Few modern voices chill me out as much as Australian pop singer Mallrat. I could listen to the last 30 seconds of this song forever.

5. Big Nothing, “Waste My Time”
Play this ferocious, big-hearted banger for anyone who tries to tell you rock is dead/lame/irrelevant.

Alex McLevy

Sharon Van Etten, Remind Me Tomorrow artwork
Sharon Van Etten, Remind Me Tomorrow artwork

Top 10 LPs

1. Sharon Van Etten, Remind Me Tomorrow
2. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
3. Ex:Re, Ex:Re
4. Charly Bliss, Young Enough
5. DJ Shadow, Our Pathetic Age
6. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
7. Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell!
8. Mannequin Pussy, Patience
9. Pile, Green & Grey
10. FKA Twigs, Magdalene

The next 10

11. Brutus, Nest
12. Marika Hackman, Any Human Friend
13. Pup, Morbid Stuff
14. Imperial Teen, Now We Are Timeless
15. KODM, LP
16. Versus, Ex Voto
17. Petrol Girls, Cut & Stitch
18. Jenny Hval, The Practice Of Love
19. Big Thief, Two Hands
20. [Tie] Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next + Taylor Swift, Lover

Top 5 EPs

1. LPX, Junk Of The Heart
2. Gabriela Marlena, Manners
3. Pom Pom Squad, Ow
4. Tierra Whack, “Whack History Month”
5. Miley Cyrus, She Is Coming

Top 5 singles

1. Katy Perry, “Never Really Over”
2. Billie Eilish, “Bad Guy”/“You Should See Me In A Crown”
3. Lizzo, “Soulmate”/“Juice”
4. DJ Shadow feat. De La Soul, “Rocket Fuel”
5. Charlie XCX & Christine + The Queens, “Gone”

Top 5 reissues

1. Miles Davis, The Complete Birth Of The Cool
2. Stereolab, the complete ’90s-output reissues
3. REM, Monster
4. The Joy Formidable, A Balloon Called Moaning
5. The Frogs, It’s Only Right And Natural

Potty Mouth, Snafu artwork
Potty Mouth, Snafu artwork

Annie Zaleski

Top 10 LPs

1. Potty Mouth, Snafu
2. Taylor Swift, Lover
3. Ride, This Is Not A Safe Place
4. SWMRS, Berkeley’s On Fire
5. Desperate Journalist, In Search Of The Miraculous
6. Miranda Lambert, Wildcard
7. Jade Bird, Jade Bird
8. Jenny Lewis, On The Line
9. Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next
10. The Menzingers, Hello Exile

The next 10

11. Apex Manor, Heartbreak City
12. Filthy Friends, Emerald Valley
13. Weyes Blood, Titanic Rising
14. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
15.Silversun Pickups, Widow’s Weeds
16. Brittany Howard, Jaime
17. The New Pornographers, In the Morse Code of Brake Lights
18. Signals Midwest, Pin
19. Ex Hex, It’s Real
20. Miss June, Bad Luck Party

Top single

Sturgill Simpson,“A Good Look”
Sturgill Simpson is known for being a serious country artist, so when his new album SOUND & FURY included the song “A Good Look,” it caused a bit of whiplash. A disco tune doused in gasoline and set on fire—or ZZ Top taking their synth-heavy ’80s blues forays to even further extremes—the song is funky, fickle, and danceable.

Top reissue

R.E.M., Monster
Although Monster was once dismissively categorized as the CD most commonly found in used record stores, the album has accrued more respect and depth as it’s aged. That might not be obvious from the buzzsawing, glammy sound—it’s by far R.E.M.’s loudest record—but the reissue goes a long way to underscoring why Monster is now being hailed as a before-its-time collection. The deluxe reissue’s stellar live concert, intriguing demos, and a new remix from original producer Scott Litt—the latter of which has polarized fans—prove that Monster remains an album that sparks nuanced conversations.

Solange, When I Get Home artwork
Solange, When I Get Home artwork

Clayton Purdom

Top 10 LPs

1. FKA Twigs, Magdalene
2. Solange, When I Get Home
3. Barker, Utility
4. Jenny Hval, The Practice Of Love
5. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Bandana
6. Jamila Woods, Legacy! Legacy!
7. Earl Sweatshirt, Feet Of Clay
8. CFCF, Liquid Colours
9. Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats, Anger Management
10. Danny Brown, uknowhatimsayin¿

The next 10

11. Maxo, Lil Big Man
12. Leif, Loom Dream
13. Teebs, Anicca
14. Bon Iver, i,i
15. Denzel Curry, ZUU
16. Pivot Gang, You Can’t Sit With Us
17. Fennesz, Agora
18. Megan Thee Stallion, Fever
19. Gang Starr, One Of The Best Yet
20. Clams Casino, Moon Trip Radio

Top EP

Benny The Butcher, The Plugs I Met

Top single

NLE Choppa, “Shotta Flow”

Top reissue

Jai Paul, Leak 04-13 (Does this count? If not, then the Duster box set)

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Bandana artwork
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Bandana artwork

Mosi Reeves

Top 10 LPs

1. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Bandana
Not as earth-shattering as Piñata, but it’s more consistent and self-assured. Hate Gibbs’ line on “Palmolive” that promotes anti-vaxxer nonsense, though.

2. Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell!
It’s as close as she has comes to making the Great American Album. “Venice Bitch” is truly a thing of beauty.

3. Young Thug, So Much Fun
It is a lot of fun… if talking about greatness, your attractiveness to women, and making the Forbes billionaires list is your thing.

4. Santi, Mandy & The Jungle
This is the personification of the alté movement in the Afropop scene. Not as overhyped as Rema’s EPs or as sophisticated as Burna Boy, but it’s still incredibly infectious.

5. Vagabon, Vagabon
An electronic indie-pop gem with some very sharp melodies. Not every song sticks, but the experience does.

6. Crumb, Jinx
These songs are effortlessly minimalist slacker grooves. (I guess referring to something as “slacker” dates me, but it seems appropriate here.)

7. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
The first half is full of drowsily ironic SoundCloud bangers. More startling is the second half, when she surprisingly becomes as emotionally sincere as any pop balladeer.

8. Purple Mountains, Purple Mountains
“Nights That Won’t Happen” is certainly one of the saddest songs in recent memory.

9. Dâm-Funk, STFU II
Mainstream critics may ignore Dâm-Funk as the greatest innovator of modern funk, but true devotees of the genre are paying attention.

10. Raphael Saadiq, Jimmy Lee
If only aging soul musicians were honored with as much consistency as, say, older rockers like David Berman, then this heartbreakingly autobiographical look at a man who loses his life to drug addiction would earn the widespread year-end acclaim it deserves.

The next 10 (unranked)

King Princess, Cheap Queen
Teebs, Anicca
Da Baby, Baby on Baby
Galcher Lustwerk, Information
Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next
Danny Brown, uknowwhatimsayin¿
Floating Points, Crush
Quelle Chris, Guns
Westside Gunn, Flygod Is an Awesome God
H.E.R., I Used to Know Her

Angel Olsen, All Mirrors artwork
Angel Olsen, All Mirrors artwork

Max Freedman

Top 10 LPs

1. Angel Olsen, All Mirrors
All Mirrors is Angel Olsen’s first album to include strings, but instead of relegating her 14-piece orchestra to the periphery, she tasks her studio players with crafting her eerie synth-rock songs’ backbones, which are as visceral as her incomparably hair-rising vibrato.

2. Cate Le Bon, Reward
Cate Le Bon wrote these songs on piano instead of her usual guitar, a shift that results in a dawn-time indie-rock album as newly accessible as it is stuffed with her signature angular rigidity.

3. Weyes Blood, Titanic Rising
Just like the rising tides of which Natalie Mering warns, strings flood her hymnal, faintly psychedelic folk-pop arrangements as she confronts climate change with hope rather than powerlessness.

On her acrid debut album, Sasami Ashworth incisively recounts breakups over bitter guitar riffs and finds tranquility in the tumult.

5. FKA Twigs, Magdalene
FKA Twigs untwists her long-warped beats, lays bare her (very) public heartbreak, places her voice in the front of the mix, and never once sacrifices the established hallmarks of her eternally ahead-of-the-curve production.

6. Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell!
In transitioning from melancholy trap-pop to just-as-melancholy Laurel Canyon soft rock, one of the decade’s most divisive pop stars delivers a lovelorn, apocalyptic set that lingers throughout its 67 minutes, and then long after.

7. Nilüfer Yanya, Miss Universe
A self-help bot narrates interludes throughout Miss Universe, but Nilüfer Yanya doesn’t need the assist—her Sade-lite croon and inability to write anything less than a razor-sharp hook make her debut album impossible to quit whether she’s in bedroom-pop, grunge, or R&B mode.

8. Common Holly, When I Say To You Black Lightning
Brigitte Naggar matches stories about how trauma spirals our lives into disarray with folk-rock arrangements that unfurl just as disorientingly.

9. Jenny Hval, The Practice Of Love
Jenny Hval is among the last artists whom listeners might expect to drop a collection of ’90s-inspired techno bangers, but that’s exactly what The Practice Of Love is—and Hval’s signature abstractions about life’s oddities and mundanities aren’t lost to her newfound accessibility.

10. Kim Gordon, No Home Record
After 38 years of co-fronting no-wave and noise-rock bands (most notably, of course, Sonic Youth), Kim Gordon flies solo for her first time, and as she toys with abrasive electronic and industrial textures, she’s rarely sounded better.

The next 10

11. Stella Donnelly, Beware Of The Dogs
Stella Donnelly presents a winning case for staying sprightly (save a sprinkling of distraught balladry) while telling the world’s myriad abusive men to literally fuck off and die.

12. Marika Hackman, Any Human Friend
The pulsating electronics of new wave have led to many a hip-shaking dance-floor moment, and Marika Hackman’s embrace of the genre might be its most sexually liberated moment yet, with abundant odes to masturbation and middle fingers to heteronormativity.

13. Black Midi, Schlagenheim
When Black Midi heard the widespread allegations that rock was dead, the British foursome took its corpse and rushed it with hefty electric currents of bizarre time signatures, dance-inducing start-stop-start-again guitar riffs, and drumming so technically proficient it borders on AI.

14. KAINA, Next To The Sun
A first-generation Latinx person, Chicago artist KAINA’s background suffuses her elegant, jazzy pop debut while her soothing, gorgeous voice delivers sermons about feeling unmotivated and lost in the backward currents of the modern day.

15. Brittany Howard, Jaime
In flying solo, Alabama Shakes frontperson Brittany Howard turns the experimentation of her band’s previous album, Sound & Color, up to 11 and delivers a quick, fiery set of loosely rock-ish anthems about love, race, and resistance all bound by her shape-shifting voice.

16. Blanck Mass, Animated Violence Mild
The album title says it all: Even though Fuck Buttons member Benjamin John Power’s long-form, metal-dashed raves remain vicious, his latest LP is his liveliest, least aggressive collection yet.

17. Priests, The Seduction Of Kansas
The band responsible for arguably the decade’s best punk debut steps back a bit from the term “punk” and ventures through more subdued rock sounds, never once turning its lens from its long-established focus on the widespread lie known as the American Dream.

18. Sir Babygirl, Crush On Me
Overt bubblegum pop one second and snarling pop rock the next, Sir Babygirl’s debut sees the outwardly queer artist queering not just the sounds comprising long-established genres, but the boundaries among these styles too, rarely sounding less than ecstatic in the process.

19. TEEN, Good Fruit
TEEN’s fourth album would ultimately wind up being its last, and what a note to go out on: This is the band’s hookiest set by an order of magnitude, with rocketing synthpop songs striking just as potently as psychedelic ballads whether trauma or love (or both) is the focus.

20. (Sandy) Alex G, House Of Sugar
Philly’s resident musical weirdo refines the rough experimentation of 2015’s Beach Music and advances the country-inflected creaking of 2017’s Rocket Music on a collection rife with the vaguely detailed yet hauntingly familiar character sketches that have defined his squawking ditties from day one.

Top EP

Guerilla Toss, What Would The Odd Do?
Guerilla Toss’ earliest releases were noisy, fanged barrages of joyous psychedelia under which frontperson Kassie Carlson buried abstract lyrics. Newest release What Would the Odd Do?, which boasts Carlson’s most personal and transparent lyrics to date, is the culmination of the group’s gradual journey toward easing back its bombast without sacrificing its hallucinogenics and immense grooves. Whether atop the skronking pulse of “Plants” or the slowly sprawling funk of “Land Where Money’s Nightmare Lives,” Carlson vividly details her recovery from her long-hidden opiate addiction, and her band sounds equally clear while retaining its longtime frantic core.

Top 5 Singles

1. Angel Olsen, “Lark”
2. FKA Twigs, “Cellophane”
3. Cate Le Bon, “Daylight Matters”
4. Georgia, “About Work The Dancefloor”
5. Kelly Lee Owens, “Let It Go”

Jens Lekman and Annika Norlin, Correspondence artwork
Jens Lekman and Annika Norlin, Correspondence artwork

Brian Howe

Top 10 LPs

1. Jens Lekman and Annika Norlin, Correspondence
2. FKA Twigs, Magdalene
3. Floating Points, Crush
4. William Brittelle, Spiritual America
5. Jenny Hval, The Practice Of Love
6. Black Taffy, Elder Mantis
7. Solange, When I Get Home
8. James Blake, Assume Form
9. RAP, Export
10. Bill Callahan, Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest

Top 5 reissues

1. Arthur Russell, Iowa Dream
2. Richard Buckner, Dents And Shells
3. R.E.M., Monster
4. Brian Eno, Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks – Extended Edition
5. Everything But The Girl, Amplified Heart

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Happy Now

from by Jack Lawtey

  • Digital Track
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    You own this

Read about you in a newspaper today
They say they caught your killer
But the devil sadly always gets his way

Saw a flicker of your face on a TV frame
If it wasn’t for the evil then the world wouldn’t remember your name

I hope you’re happy now
I hope you are
You got what you wanted somehow

Between a life of love and a life of pain
Circumvent the middle, it’ll keep you so safe
Please smile, smile for the camera now
They know why you’re living
But maybe you can show them how

I hope you’re happy now
I hope you are

I hope you are
I hope you are
I hope you are
I hope you are

from Spiralling, released September 9, 2015
Jack Lawtey - Vocals, Electric Guitar, Keyboards

Additional Musician:
Mike Butler - Drums

Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Mike Butler
Additional Engineering by Henrique Landim
Recorded at the Lost Ark Studio, California
Mastered by Jamal Ruhe at West West Side Music, New York

all rights reserved

Randm Records Las Vegas, Nevada

Randm Records is an Independent record label offering up, well, randomly great music. Indie, Rock, Americana, Country, Bluegrass, Folk, and whatever else we like. We hope you like them too.

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Tag Archive: Ramazan

Ramadan Snapshots

On the first day of Ramadan, I get hungry and thirsty. However, that’s not point of fasting. God does not need my hunger or my thirst. Rather, God gives Ramadan to those who… Continue reading

The Ramadan Race

Sometimes Ramadan feels like one big race: the races of the morning: to finish eating prior to dawn, to nap before work, to get to work on time; the races with sunset deadlines:… Continue reading


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#EventSpeaks: Erasure @ Brighton Dome, Brighton – 19/02/18

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On Monday 19th February 2018, Erasure arrived in Brighton, on their World Be Gone Tour, performing at Brighton Dome. The duo were supported by Welshman, Rod Thomas‘ moniker, Bright Light Bright Light – it was an incredible show!

Bright Light Bright Light

Rod Thomas and his band mates took to the stage and put on a fantastic show, performing his own unique brand of electro-pop – it’s a combination of contemporary pop music, with an 80s tint to it; clearly inspired by bands such as Scissor Sisters and Erasure themselves. The use of modern technology produced a really full sound to the performance and filled the concert hall. The songs were well written, but there were a couple of songs that I felt blended into one. Undoubtedly Bright Light Bright Light has a big following and has worked with some incredible people but I was looking for a couple of stand-out tracks that I wanted to come home and listen to, which unfortunately I didn’t really find.

Highlight: The incredible harmonies Rod performed with himself (using his pads) as well as the brilliantly vibrant suit he wore.

Erasure were incredible! Having been in the public eye since the 80s, this duo are clearly professionals at what they do, but it seems to come so naturally to them; Vince Clarke, although almost a silent partner when it comes to fronting the duo, clearly puts a lot of effort into his performance and production of the backing tracks, whilst Andy Bell is the camp, extroverted individual, fronting the outfit. Somehow though, it just works – whilst they might appear to be polar opposites of stage personality, I loved it…and so did the audience!

The pair were accompanied by two sensational backing singers who produced some incredible vocal harmonies alongside Andy and altogether, they performed a string of hit after hit.

The stage lighting was excellent and felt a bit like a club and the different combinations of light movements and colours helped add some visual diversity to the set. Andy‘s gradual removal of his clothes, down to his catsuit was very funny and lead to screams and cheers throughout the building.

Naturally, performances of songs like ‘Chains of Love’‘Phantom Bride’‘Sometimes’ and of course, ‘A Little Respect’, brought the house down, but they made sure to not only pack out their setlist but fill it with a wide range of career-spanning tracks to ensure there was something for everyone.

I can’t recommend seeing Erasure highly enough – whether you know just a track or two, or their whole back catalogue, they do not disappoint. You are guaranteed to have a fun-filled evening of dancing, singing and laughing.

  • Andy Bell‘s sassy, between-song banter, was on point! He knew his audience and was hilarious from start to finish.
  • The sheer tightness of their performance just highlighted how professional this duo are.
  • The vocal harmonies between Andy Bell and his backing singers was marvellous.
  • The string of hits they performed has the audience singing and dancing throughout the show.
  • Andy Bell‘s gradual removal of his clothing, down to his catsuit, was hilarious – it certainly made a statement.
  • Lastly, the set design was pretty cool too – the lighting was amazing and I particularly loved that Vince Clarke was able to do his thing from an elevated platform throughout the set.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Oh L’Amour
Ship Of Fools
Mad As We Are
Just A Little Love
In My Arms
Chains Of Love
Sweet Summer Loving
I Love Saturday
Victim Of Love
Phantom Bride
World Be Gone
Who Needs Love Like That
Take Me Out Of Myself
Blue Savannah
Atomic (Blondie Cover)
Love You To The Sky
Here I Go Impossible Again

A Little Respect*

These songs can be viewed in the YouTube playlist, below.

Finally, I want to say an absolutely HUGE thanks to Thom Williams for setting up this review and to both Erasure and Bright Light Bright Light for their incredible performances. Oh…and Alan Carr for taking the time to have a couple of selfies with me!

Matt – Muzik Speaks

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The NZ dollar climbed against its major counterparts in the Asian session on Thursday, as Asian stock markets rose following the mostly positive cues overnight from Wall Street on optimism about a potential coronavirus vaccine as well as on upbeat U.S. manufacturing data.

Investors now look ahead to the U.S. Labor Department's closely watched monthly employment report for June to be released later today.

The report, which is expected to show another spike in employment, is likely to overshadow data on weekly jobless claims, the trade deficit and factory orders.

Sentiment improved after a Covid-19 vaccine developed by German biotech firm BioNTech and U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer showed potential and was found well tolerated in early-stage human trials.

The kiwi climbed to 1.7319 against the euro, its strongest level since June 9. The kiwi is seen finding resistance around the 1.68 level.

The kiwi advanced to an 8-day high of 0.6507 against the greenback and more than a 2-week high of 69.94 against the yen, from its early lows of 0.6471 and 69.53, respectively. The next possible resistance for the kiwi is seen around 0.66 against the greenback and 0.72 against the yen.

The kiwi appreciated to a 10-day high of 1.0649 against the aussie, after falling to 1.0677 at 5:00 pm ET. On the upside, 1.045 is possibly seen as the next resistance level for the kiwi.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that Australia trade surplus increased moderately in May as the decline in imports exceeded the fall in exports.

The trade surplus increased to A$8.02 billion from A$7.83 billion in the previous month.

Looking ahead, Eurozone PPI and jobless rate for May are scheduled for release in the European session.

U.S. and Canadian trade data for May, U.S. jobs report for June, factory orders for May and weekly jobless claims for the week ended June 27 are due in the New York session.

Gráfica de Divisa
De Jul 2020 a Ago 2020 Haga Click aquí para más Gráficas Euro vs NZD.
Gráfica de Divisa
De Ago 2019 a Ago 2020 Haga Click aquí para más Gráficas Euro vs NZD.


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VirtuActive Gives Back

VirtuActive partners with Angels Among Us to support local pediatric cancer families.

VirtuActive is launching a campaign to raise donations from the local community to fund a cancer family for one year (or more!). Through Angels Among Us, a cancer family can receive financial support for the duration of the child's treatment plan. One-year of support equals $6,000 towards a critical bill that cancer family needs covered. This campaign is being launched to show the community that VirtuActive is dedicated to giving back to the community in which they serve.

We're challenging you to get involved by:

  • attending events to bring awareness and raise funds
  • Make a donation in honor of a child you know that has or is battling pediatric cancer in the following ways
    • at a VirtuActive event
    • At the below donation button
    • Links provided on social media
    • Write a check made out to Angels Among Us (mailing information 3858 Jones Street, Suite A, Omaha, NE 68105)

Who is VirtuActive 3D Drafting & Design?

They specialize in designing floor plans, existing spaces, remodels and renderings in a 3D environment. They utilize leading edge software to help their clients visualize their plans in a way that allows them to clearly communicate their wants & needs during the design process. Learn more about them at their website.

Thank you to the following supporters:

A message from VirtuActive's CEO, Dave Lakin

"I was blessed to have been introduced to Angels Among us at an event about 3 years ago and was immediately moved by the family that spoke to us. I believe most of us want to be a part of something that serves a greater good, and being able to attend and participate in many of the AAU events has allowed me to be a part of that. Now we have an opportunity to be an even bigger part of creating more awareness to support a family that needs help. It's for an incredible cause and our team, our clients, and our small community of folks will have the opportunity to be a part of an amazing organization and be a part of serving a family that can use support during a difficult time."


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Personalized Child's Peacock Chair
Shipping Rates

Personalized Child's Peacock Chair

SKU: chair-356

Regular price $39.99 Sale

MyBambino's Personalized Peacock Child's Chair - gives your child an extra place to sit and makes a terrific accent piece in their play room, nursery or dining area. Easily moves around for different activities. Tool less assembly is a breeze. Measures 12 x 12 x 23 inches. This wonderful Wildlife themed design comes with blue and teal accent colors.


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Friday Finds

Totally not ready to say farewell to Summer ’17, also really excited about the new season. It’s here though, the end of August has come.

Photo by Nicolas Fuentes via Flickr:

field and sunset

Photo by Larry Nienkark via Flickr:

road and sunset

Via Pinterest:

seas sunset birds

Photo by Maria Kaimaki via 500px:

sea sunset

Photo by Daniel Kordan via 500px:

tuscany sunset

Happy weekend!

Friday Finds

By all these lovely tokens September days are here, with summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer.

Helen Hunt Jackson

Welcoming a new season with these pretty images:

Drying hydrangeas by Kristen of Ella Claire:

drying hydrangeas in basket

chase grace

Sunset in rose gold (photo by Richard Powell):

outer hebrides sunset

Vintage candleholders from a beach venue (photographed by Feather & Stone):

vintage candleholders

Fig and prosciutto pizza by Rachel of Spache the Spatula:

fig prosciutto pizza

Happy weekend!


text:
I participate in a writing link-up most weeks. If you subscribe to this blog, you already know that. When I thought about the writing prompt for this week, nothing bubbled up. The word People is the one-word prompt meant to get me thinking and writing. I came up empty. Not one thing came to mind. I’ve got people! I couldn’t figure out what the problem was. My reaction saddened me for a bit, so I paused and pondered instead of writing.

The enemy would have liked me to stay in that empty place, but the Lord always has better plans (Jeremiah  29:11), and the weekend continued.

But You Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. Psalm 3:3

On and off, all weekend, my husband and I worked on our glower gardens and landscaping. Yes, it was in the 90’s, but we paced ourselves as we planted perennials, replaced dying trees with burning bushes for fall color, and laid new mulch. Our finished project looks beautiful! We think so, anyway.

On Saturday, we had my mom over for a barbeque and invited cousins we haven’t seen since November. It was just great to share smiles and catch up over grilled hotdogs and ribs. My cousin brought a beautiful cheesecake, covered in red raspberries and blueberries, and dusted with powdered sugar. It was a red, white, and blue extravaganza of a dessert and so yummy.

Since it was the 4th of July, my son invited a friend to enjoy his annual fireworks display in our driveway, and we watched and heard even more all around the neighborhood. My son’s friend is working on her degree in special education, and she took a fond interest in my sister, Michell, who has Downs Syndrome.

 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 5:12

We stayed close to home and close to our people, those we know and love. We shared our love by working toward a common goal, providing hospitality, and expressing genuine interest in each other’s lives. I know this sounds cliché, but we honestly did live, love, and laugh together, and it was good.

Hosta shade garden with New Guinea impatients and petunia hanging baskets

My gratitude is overflowing. The Lord always has better plans.  As it turned out, I had something to write about after all.

What are you grateful for?

What are you writing about?

Where you can find me this week:
FMF Writing Prompt Link-up. The prompt this week is PEOPLE.
Inspire Me Monday link-up, hosted by Anita Ojeda

Live, Love, Laugh image in the center of the featured image by Vectorstock.com

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