text:
A Look Back at the Gulf Oil Spill
Time for a look back at the Deep Horizon oil disaster. Here's my old "Incite" column from Audubon.
No one has a clue what will befall fish in the biggest toxicology experiment in U.S. history.
Under the Sheen
by Ted Williams
As the Gulf oil disaster approached day 60 I joined some of my National Audubon Society colleagues in coastal Louisiana to check out damage to bird-nesting colonies on barrier islands. Grim as the scene was, it didn't compare with the devastation below.
Fish and invertebrates aren't easily seen, and they don't collect oil even when they're killed by it. So the media tend to ignore them. Better to show as virtual logos the two oil-drenched birds from Grand Isle (you know, the pelican with its wings spread and beak open and the gannet whose head is vaguely visible through black mousse).
The Gulf of Mexico had been one of the most popular areas for recreational fishing in the United States. About six million saltwater anglers used to make at least 45 million fishing trips to the Gulf each year, targeting such fish as speckled trout, redfish, sheepshead, snappers, groupers, tunas, mackerels, jacks, mahi, sharks, tarpon, snook, and billfish. No more. The spill has jeopardized some 2,300 bait and tackle stores in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana. And many guides are out of business for the rest of the year and maybe longer. Before the spill about a quarter of the nation's seafood came from Louisiana.
From Capt. Jeff Wolkart's 24-foot Ranger Bay boat we saw blitzing speckled trout, cruising redfish, and bottlenose dolphins, all feeding under oil or where oil recently been. Wolkart, a fishing guide who is normally booked almost solid from March through November, is desperate for work now that all his clients have canceled for the year. So he was happy to take our party to offshore bird colonies. He had light tackle on board and offered it to me when trout started blowing up around us, but my companions weren't into fishing; and, for once, I didn't have the heart for it.
In state waters you can still practice catch and release, but the feds have banned all fishing in a third of the Gulf. They just don't want any contaminated fish finding their way to public markets, and they need to be able to bust anyone they see without back-and-forths about stated intent.
Often, and especially in this case, what you can't see is scarier than what you can see. This from Dr. Russell Nelson, the Billfish Foundation's chief scientist: "Fifteen years ago, when I was head of fisheries for Florida, I was appointed by the governor to sit on a panel of scientists for the Minerals Management Service. We had to figure out the dangers of offshore drilling. We spent a year doing that. Our worst-case scenario was a 100,000-barrel blowout, and we predicted savage results. This thing spills that much every day. The bottom line is we don't know what this spill will do. It's going to be bad, and we haven't even begun to see how bad. If the oil gets into the loop current, we're likely to see impacts all the way up the Atlantic along every cape--Canaveral, Hatteras, Lookout--everywhere the bottom extends further offshore and is shallower. When the Gulf Stream goes by those capes it creates eddies that spin off and move inshore."
What appears to be good for birds (at least for the short term) is not good for fish. Consider dispersants--chemical cocktails of solvents, surfactants and other additives that are far more toxic than the oil itself. While dispersants break up slicks, reducing immediate damage to shore habitat and nesting birds, they spread the pollution through the marine ecosystem the way grease from a soaped frying pan dirties dishwater. Oil companies love dispersants because they sweep their messes under the rug.
The oil fouling the Gulf is different than the crude we're used to hearing about--the stuff that leaks from ruptured tankers. BP oil is so volatile that something approaching half evaporates almost immediately after it hits the surface; and in the intense heat of the Gulf other floating fractions are rapidly consumed by bacteria.
But dispersants, which were never designed or approved for undersea use but which EPA let BP spray directly into the gusher at its mile-deep source, mix some of the most volatile fractions with cold sea water where they can't evaporate and where bacterial action is dramatically slowed. On top of that, dispersants kill oil-eating bacteria.
Unfortunately, the most volatile oil fractions are also the most toxic. Menhaden--eaten by most every scaled, feathered, and warm-blooded predator in the Gulf--are swimming through undersea plumes, mouths agape, then passing the poisons up through the food chain.
When SouthWings, a non-profit group of volunteer pilots who show journalists and resource managers insults to the planet, flew me over the Gulf I saw only light sheens. That didn't mean the oil had been cleaned up; it meant it had been pushed under the surface.
"Unethical" and "hiding behind false shields" is how the National Wildlife Federation's Dr. Douglas Inkley describes BP's refusal to disclose the allegedly "proprietary" formulation of the dispersant with which it was saturating the Gulf. "We've challenged BP's entirely experimental sub-sea use of dispersant," he says. "They didn't monitor for toxicity, only for oxygen, so EPA continued to allow it."
Dr. Carl Safina, president of the Blue Ocean Institute, calls dispersant use a "PR stunt." "What it has done," he told me, "is make a tremendous amount of dirty water which can never be cleaned. You can't extract the oil or separate it with booms; no parts can be burned. It can't evaporate. I think it's an attempt to hide the body."
And Dr. Ken Hinman, president of the National Coalition for Marine Conservation offers this: "The dispersants being applied by BP are among the most toxic to marine life; the oil itself is made more toxic after being treated; and perhaps worst of all, the poisonous mix is being dispersed throughout the water column, the oil broken down to a size that is more easily ingested by creatures low on the food chain…. We know there are those in the industry, and even in Washington, who want this problem to go out of sight, out of mind; and rash decisions about the use of dispersants are being made to get the surface slicks off the evening news."
The Obama administration didn't get around to addressing the dangers of dispersants until late May. BP balked at EPA's directive to reduce usage but eventually complied. Meanwhile, no one has the slightest idea how much damage the dispersants have done and will do. "We're watching the biggest ecological, toxicology experiment in our nation's history," Dr. Ronald Kendall, director of The Institute of Environmental and Human Health in Lubbock, Texas, told the New Orleans Louisiana Weekly.
A little good has blown in with BP's ill wind, as Capt. Wolkart observed: "Some of these lodges run ten boats every day with three or four people in a boat. Each boat kills perhaps a hundred fish [mostly redfish and trout] per trip. Ten boats; that's a thousand fish a day. If we don't have a bad fish kill, we just protected the resource for a whole year."
As far as anyone knows the critically depressed western population of bluefin tuna spawns only in the Gulf and in the vicinity of the rig. Fully developed fish are capable of fleeing dirty water; larvae are not. Tuna eggs and larvae and, for that matter, eggs and larvae of most fish species float on or near the surface; and even the kind of light sheens I was seeing kill them. So it seems likely that we'll lose a year class of bluefins.
On the other hand, longliners targeting yellowfin tuna and swordfish, have been banned from the bluefin's spawning grounds because of the spill; so a lot of adult bluefins that otherwise would have been killed as real and make-believe "by-catch" have survived. Gulf longliners had been allowed to retain and sell up to three bluefins per trip. And, because even a midsize fish can fetch big bucks on the Japanese market, longlining had become a directed fishery in disguise (See "Pelagic Plague," FR&R, Jan. 2010). What's more, studies have shown that the survival rate of the bluefins longliners had been required to cut off after they'd retained their "by-catch" quotas is extremely low.
In the Western Atlantic the population of spawning-age bluefins is only 7 percent of an unexploited stock. As Dr. Hinman has pointed out, "there is a very real danger of reducing the breeding population below a critical mass--the minimum population sufficient to sustain itself--resulting in a stock failure that's irreversible." If the 2010 year class is indeed lost, a stock failure is likely, though less so than if the breeders had not been spared from longlining. Yellowfin tuna, marlins, sailfish, and swordfish will also benefit from the longline ban. So will sea turtles. Still, longlining needs to be banned permanently and for the right reason, not temporarily for the wrong one.
In 2010 and less than a month before the spill the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted down a proposal to place bluefin tuna on its endangered list and thereby ban international trade. Japan aggressively lobbied clueless nations, calling in economic chits while the U.S. and European Union, which at least voted right, sat on their hands.
Unforeseen disasters like oil spills are precisely why species flirting with extinction need to be protected with international and/or national endangered status. So on May 29 the Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition to list Atlantic bluefin tuna under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the model for CITES. No-kill sportfishing could be allowed with threatened status. Endangered status would shut it off.
It's not clear if yellowfin tuna enter the Gulf to spawn or feed or both. But yellowfins and billfish won't get hit as hard as bluefins. Blue and white marlin spawn on the shelves off Florida and Texas which, at this writing, are still pretty clean. And anecdotal evidence suggests that billfish and other species are fleeing the contamination. In late June participants in the Houston Big Game Fishing Club's tournament (one of the few that hadn't been canceled) reported unusually large concentrations of billfish. And blackfin tuna and big sharks are being seen in shallow waters where they rarely venture.
Reef fishes that don't move much, such as snappers and groupers, won't be so fortunate. Nor will the corals and shellfish that sustain many of them. That's tragic because Gulf red snappers, overfished and mismanaged for decades, had finally started to rebound.
The Billfish Foundation's Dr. Russell Nelson is especially worried about Sargassum--the genus of floating marine plants that support large communities of crustaceans, mollusks, baitfish, juvenile and adult fish, and turtles. "That's a major loss," he says. "And there's this whole deepwater community of fish--angler-types, these funny looking critters that have lights on them. In the day they live down at three or four thousand feet. But every night they migrate to the upper levels and feed and get fed on. They're going through oil plumes every day."
Who is to blame for the worst ecological disaster this nation has ever faced? Well, BP blames its drilling contractor, Transocean. Transocean blames BP. The president blames BP for "recklessness" when his and past administrations have been no less reckless. With good reason Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the president blame shoddy oversight by the Minerals Management Service (MMS) which, even before the corruptive influence of Dick Cheney, had been a wholly owned subsidiary of the oil industry. But they also blame the person they had recently hired to clean up the agency and who was making remarkable progress at that task--MMS director, Liz Birnbaum, an effective and unyielding champion of fish and wildlife who had served with distinction as President Clinton's Associate Solicitor for Mineral Resources.
I closely followed Birnbaum's nine-month career with the Obama administration because she's a friend and former colleague with whom I worked closely when I served on the board of American Rivers and she was our general counsel. Decent federal oversight might have prevented the worst of the spill, if not the explosion which clearly was caused by human error. But the Obama administration excused BP's Deepwater Horizon rig from environmental review via "categorical exemption" before it hired Birnbaum. Then, to get the critics off his back, Salazar fired her after her brief but brilliant, tenure, fibbing to the American public that she had resigned "voluntarily."
Pundits like James Carville blame Obama for his failure to "rage" (and thereby achieve all the success of, say, King Lear). There's scarcely anyone Billy Nungesser, the portly president of Plaquemines Parish bloviating nightly on national TV, doesn't blame--even the Coast Guard and Fish and Wildlife Service which are performing heroically and, as often than not, working 15- to 17-hour days.
Few Americans--and, as far as I have been able to determine, none of the enraged residents the Gulf Coast--blame themselves. But they and the rest of us bought into Big Oil's lie, facilitating its wanton disregard for the safety of fish, wildlife and people. And, even as the oil and methane gushed, Gulf Coast residents were castigating Obama for trying to place deepwater drilling on hold until his administration could figure out how to avoid more blowouts.
Big Oil's lie is that the industry and fish, wildlife and people sustained by the sea can all live together not just harmoniously but symbiotically if only Big Oil is allowed to do whatever it pleases. Built on that 63-year-old lie is the movie "Thunder Bay" in which Jimmy Stewart plays the ex-Navy oil engineer who developed the first oil platform off Louisiana in 1947. Stewart's character is confronted by Cajuns who make their living fishing and shrimping and who are convinced that offshore oil development will eventually poison Gulf food chains. Things get ugly. But after only one year fish and shrimp swarm around the platform's legs, and the watermen reap a bonanza beyond their wildest dreams. One almost expects the cast to break into the song of Pish-Tush from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado: "And we are right, I think you'll say,/ To argue in this kind of way;/ And I am right, And you are right,/ And all is right--too-looral-lay!"
With the spill almost two months old I heard Louisiana fishermen still repeating the wives' tale that just because fish congregate around oil rigs, the oil industry has been "good" for fish. But easy fishing and healthy fish populations are two very different things.
Most fish in the Gulf depend on wetlands for spawning and nursery habitat or depend on forage that spawns and matures in wetlands. But to get its rigs and vessels to the Gulf the oil industry has sliced wide swaths through delta marshes, allowing waves and saltwater intrusion to destroy still more wetlands, wiping out spawning and nursery habitat and exposing coastal communities to flooding and oil spills.
At the same time, supposedly to protect the public and the oil industry from flooding, the Army Corps of Engineers built levees--lateral, river-side dams that constrict the Mississippi River and shoot its marsh-building sediments past the delta and out over the lip of the continental shelf. People and businesses (including refineries) then moved confidently onto the land the Corps proclaimed safe. Because that land was originally soggy floodplain, it has subsided eight feet below the level of the Gulf, creating highly vulnerable, reverse goldfish bowls.
When the levees failed during Hurricane Katrina the media and the Bush administration called the flooding a "natural disaster." It was about as "natural" as BP's oil spill, to which it is linked. That's because the wetlands that would have protected fish, wildlife and humans from flooding also would have protected them from oil.
Every 2.7 miles of marsh grass between a point of land and the sea reduces storm surge by one foot. But now--thanks to the oil industry and the Corps--the Gulf is 30 miles closer to New Orleans than it was in 1932 when Army and oil-industry engineers started manipulating the Mississippi's floodplain. Since then Louisiana has lost 2,300 square miles of wetlands. And, with that wide buffer destroyed, surviving wetlands are that much more vulnerable to current and future oil pollution which, along with increased flooding, will jeopardize wetlands further inland.
One lesson anglers should learn from the oil-spill devastation (compounded by wetland loss) is that they need to spend less time agitating about imagined "rights" to kill fish and more time supporting and participating in a genuine effort at ocean planning.
That effort, in which the angling community has basically been a no-show, began about a decade ago with the Pew Oceans Commission. Its subsequent report found that our oceans and the life forms they sustain are in desperate trouble, that fisheries management has failed, that the Corps of Engineers needs to stop destroying habitat and start restoring it, that fish farms require strict regulating, and that cruise ships must be restrained from festooning the seas with their refuse.
Then the George H. W. Bush administration established the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, which produced similar findings but expired in 2004 without effecting serious change.
Finally, in June 2009 President Obama established an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality, that will design a national policy to restore our oceans, shorelines and Great Lakes and build a framework for coastal and marine spatial planning.
Spatial planning is a tool for bringing together ocean stakeholders--such as the oil industry, conservation groups, anglers, boaters, commercial fishermen, and government agencies--so that intelligent and coordinated decisions can be made on managing marine resources. Up until now anglers have scoffed at spatial planning, dismissing it as another "anti-fishing" plot to strip them of their "rights." Had they been involved, they could have at least weighed in on BP's categorical exemption.
Maybe the most important lesson anglers, politicians and the general public can take away from the spill is this: Of all who attempt to prevent and remediate damage to the natural world none are less qualified than those who abuse the natural world with such major manipulations as deepwater oil rigs and levees. Yet we have traditionally allowed them to call the square dance--with the results that we now see in the Gulf of Mexico.
- 30 -
--from Audubon


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Our Organization
CCG is administered by an executive board chaired by the Minister of Economy and Finance, and made up of different ministerial departments as well representatives of the private sector, the Professional Association of Moroccan Banks "GPBM", the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises "CGEM", and the federations of professional chambers (Trade, Industry and Services, Fishing, Agriculture and Traditional Crafts).
CCG has streamlined its internal organization, introducing management techniques based on modern information systems and simple, transparent and fast procedures.
To be better connected to businesses and the banking sector, CCG began in 2010 to extend its regional presence, by opening business centers in the main cities of the Kingdom. Today eight centers are operational in the cities of Tangiers, Agadir, Marrakesh, Oujda, Casablanca, Fez, Laayoune and Rabat.

subset: commoncrawl


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Last week some pageant bling helped me get into the holiday spirit. Take a look at these amazing/atrocious gowns from the 2012 Miss Universe Pageant and tell me they don't make you think of a) A Christmas Tree and b) A Mrs. Claus outfit gone wrong.
(Well, actually only if Mrs. Claus was a part-time baton twirler and a part-time stripper-- seriously I don't know HOW they can call this a dress!)
I tweeted about both of these dresses during the December 19th Pageant; in fact I tweeted so much that I got put into Twitter jail, a place I did not even know existed (for this rules-following girl who never ever got a detention this was traumatic). I got locked out right after I saw Miss Mexico's monstrosity, so I'll blame her fashion choices.
Such questionable fashion choices almost made up for the fact that again this year my favorite part of the pageant didn't appear live. But what could really make up for seeing a jaw-dropping ensemble, like that worn by Miss Angola 2012, on your TV screen?
The next best thing is reading hilarious commentary about those national costumes, like that written by Tom & Lorenzo, which I encourage you to check out.
In addition to her questionable gown choice Miss Venezuela got a lot of disdain thrown her way after her unintelligible answer to her final question. But the most interesting question to me was for Miss Brazil and it came from Olympic Gold Medalist Kerry Walsh Jennings. Walsh Jennings asked Brazil what she thought about the fact that they both compete in bikinis and did she see this as sexual. Brazil totally deflected the question, but I found Walsh Jennings observation to be spot-on-- and something I mentioned here back in March after the decision was made to allow female beach volleyball players to wear something other than bikinis. To be sure female beach volleyball players are criticized for their uniforms (some even went so far as to speculate that the skimpy attire is why women's beach volleyball was featured so much in NBC's primetime Olympics coverage), but not the extent of pageant contestants, likely because sports are so much more valued in society today. I find it interesting though that Walsh Jennings is so enormously popular right now (just last week she found out of the sex of her third child live on The Today Show; and her former gold medal partner appeared on Dancing with the Stars). Perhaps these sorts of female athletic stars are just a new incarnation of the once enormously popular pageant queens of old?
Just like Walsh Jennings and many other female athletes at the Olympics, an American woman ended up at the #1 slot. Miss USA, which was a nice surprise. I knew Miss USA Olivia Culpo would do well-- as she is so beautiful-- but right after her USA win I speculated that she might be too short to win. I guess adding some inches with her high bun helped out though as she took the crown away from other strong contenders like Australia and Philippines. Olivia Culpo will definitely represent the crown well, even if she is disdainful of her Miss America pageant sisters.
My thoughts on Miss Universe are a bit belated as I've been down for the count with viral bronchitis (no fun to have over your son's first Christmas!). During my convalescence I caught up on some movies and my absolute favorite was Queen of Versailles. It's a thought-provoking take on the 1%, real estate market, income inequality, and the American dream. I was pretty surprised that beauty pageants were a part of this story, though I guess I shouldn't have been given the final two items in that list. Jackie Siegel, the Queen of Versailles, was Mrs. Florida in 1993 (when married to a different man) and in 2008 she took over as director of the Mrs. Florida Pageant. Her husband is a huge supporter of the Miss America Pageant and Miss America 2009 is shown, along with 2010 contestants, at the Siegel's Florida mansion. Siegel presents the Miss America Organization with a huge check in the documentary.
I'm not sure this is the type of attention the Miss America Pageant wants, but in the context of the Bravo-fication of American pop culture (note that Andy Cohen hosted Miss Universe and many of the channel's reality show stars were judges at Miss Universe, along with others with reality show ties, including co-host Giuliana Rancic who is married to the first ever winner of Donald Trump [who owns Miss Universe]'s competitive reality show The Apprentice) it's not shocking. Now, Andy Cohen, just get Jackie Siegel her own reality show, stat. And a crown (real diamonds, natch) to go with it.


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Lamictal is an anticonvulsant/antiepileptic. This medication can be prescribed alone or with other medications. It is used in the treatment of epileptic seizures in both adults and children. It is also used in adults with bipolar disorder to delay mood episodes.
When given together with a combination of other medications, the immediate-release tablets can be administered to children as young as 2 years of age. However, for children and teenagers below the age of 16, this medication should not be used alone. Extended release tablets (Lamictal XR) are for use by adults and children above the age of 13.
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Before taking this medication, make sure you read the Patient Information Booklet that comes with the medication. If any questions arise, consult your doctor or pharmacist. This medication should only be taken as prescribed by the doctor. Do not increase or decrease the dose without being instructed to do so by your doctor. Do not take more medication than prescribed or for a longer period than prescribed.
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Common side effects experienced when taking this medication include dizziness, weakness, headache, tiredness, sleep problems, back pain, dry mouth, nausea, diarrhea, loss of coordination, blurred vision, vomiting, fever, stomach pain, and drowsiness. If these effects persist or worsen, consult your doctor or pharmacist. This medication has been prescribed by the doctor since it has been determined the benefits outweigh the risk of side effects.
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Waking Up From the Snow Daze/
Yesterday I woke up. Sat down at my desk and freaked. Apparently I've taken the last several weeks of snow days, frozen roads, and more or less being housebound as an excuse to slack on work. I didn't even realize I was doing it until I looked at my to-do list yesterday, compared it to my deadline list, and went, Oh s***.
Um... yeah. I've got a LOT of work to do. Most of it due in about 10 minutes.
I long for summer and sunny days. My brain shuts off when the sun goes down, making the winter months a challenge for me. I'm ready for long summer days, early morning light, and evenings that linger in twilight for hours.
Maybe then I can actually cross a completed project off my list.


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Retail Space for Lease at The Mall at Turtle Creek
Jonesboro, Arkansas
The Mall at Turtle Creek is situated in the fast-growing city of Jonesboro, Arkansas. As Jonesboro's only complete retail mall and the only enclosed shopping center within a 75-mile radius, Turtle Creek serves a large resident population of 500,000. The Mall at Turtle Creek features strong anchor tenants, national big-box stores, and a diverse range of retailers.
Key Tenants
Key Tenants
Trade Area Demographics
Trade Area Demographics
Our trade areas are based on geographically-contiguous zip codes. Typically, 70–80% of a center's shoppers come from the property's trade area. We based this area definition on 1,000+ zip codes gathered during a series of Customer Intercept Surveys (CIS.)


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Central Investment Network as per practice is considered top tier in the industry. If you are going to work with the best practitioners in the real estate niche, work with people from Central Investment Network.
Most service providers in the market are focused on the technicalities that the real estate niche requires. However, the difference in working with professionals from this page is they are doing it with a heart.
Professionals will be able to come up with the best solutions that customers will need when faced with the challenges of acquiring and selling properties. Explore the page for more tips and fresh real estate ideas.


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Retrieves the geometry information for the device.
To perform this operation, call the DeviceIoControl function with the following parameters.
BOOL DeviceIoControl(
(HANDLE) hDevice, // handle to device
IOCTL_STORAGE_GET_MEDIA_TYPES, // dwIoControlCode
NULL, // lpInBuffer
0, // nInBufferSize
(LPVOID) lpOutBuffer, // output buffer
(DWORD) nOutBufferSize, // size of output buffer
(LPDWORD) lpBytesReturned, // number of bytes returned
(LPOVERLAPPED) lpOverlapped // OVERLAPPED structure
- hDevice
A handle to the object on which the operation is to be performed. To retrieve a device handle, call the CreateFile function.
- dwIoControlCode
The control code for the operation. Use IOCTL_STORAGE_GET_MEDIA_TYPES for this operation.
- lpInBuffer
Not used with this operation; set to NULL.
- nInBufferSize
Not used with this operation; set to zero.
- lpOutBuffer
A pointer to a buffer that will receive an array of DISK_GEOMETRY data structures specifying the media types the device driver supports.
- nOutBufferSize
The size of the output buffer, in bytes. This buffer must be large enough to contain as many DISK_GEOMETRY structures as there are media that the driver supports.
- lpBytesReturned
A pointer to a variable that receives the size of the data stored in the output buffer, in bytes.
If the output buffer is too small to receive any data, the call fails, GetLastError returns ERROR_INSUFFICIENT_BUFFER, and lpBytesReturned is zero.
If the output buffer is too small to hold all of the data but can hold some entries, some drivers will return as much data as fits. In this case, the call fails, GetLastError returns ERROR_MORE_DATA, and lpBytesReturned indicates the amount of data received. Your application should call DeviceIoControl again with the same operation, specifying a new starting point.
If lpOverlapped is NULL, lpBytesReturned cannot be NULL. Even when an operation returns no output data and lpOutBuffer is NULL, DeviceIoControl makes use of lpBytesReturned. After such an operation, the value of lpBytesReturned is meaningless.
If lpOverlapped is not NULL, lpBytesReturned can be NULL. If this parameter is not NULL and the operation returns data, lpBytesReturned is meaningless until the overlapped operation has completed. To retrieve the number of bytes returned, call GetOverlappedResult. If hDevice is associated with an I/O completion port, you can retrieve the number of bytes returned by calling GetQueuedCompletionStatus.
- lpOverlapped
A pointer to an OVERLAPPED structure.
If hDevice was opened without specifying FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED, lpOverlapped is ignored.
If hDevice was opened with the FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED flag, the operation is performed as an overlapped (asynchronous) operation. In this case, lpOverlapped must point to a valid OVERLAPPED structure that contains a handle to an event object. Otherwise, the function fails in unpredictable ways.
For overlapped operations, DeviceIoControl returns immediately, and the event object is signaled when the operation has been completed. Otherwise, the function does not return until the operation has been completed or an error occurs.
Return value
If the operation completes successfully, DeviceIoControl returns a nonzero value.
If the operation fails or is pending, DeviceIoControl returns zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.
This device I/O control operation is for all class drivers, as well as non-SCSI hard drives and floppy disk devices.
Minimum supported client
Windows XP
Minimum supported server
Windows Server 2003
See also


text: surrounded by 1.4 hectares of terraced olive groves. It is 15 km from Pisa, 50 minutes from Florence by train, and 25 km from Lucca. Accommodations includes two double rooms with shared bath: each room, 60 euros a night, including breakfast. One quadruple room with private bath: 100 euros a night. For more information please contact Signora Lisa Young at email@example.com.


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If you follow enough of the right people on Twitter, you can turn off the sound and just read.
God knows, I heard enough Tim McCarver and Joe Buck.
So Ryan Theriot was the DH last night.
Think about that.
And sure enough he gets a hit in the most crucial 10th.
He gets bunted to 2nd.
I wanted the Giants to win, but as a Cub Fan all I could think of was how hilarious it would be if Theriot gets picked off.
But no.
Marco Super Freaking Human Scutaro hits a liner to center and Theriot scoots all the way around, slides into home plate, and comes up with the WAY over the top victory yell (we all know how aware of the camera he is).
And then...The Tweet.
I fell on the floor, laughing.
I turned off the tv.
The Tigers still have another bat, but you know it's over.
Giants sweep.
2012 is in the books.
And now we get to start watching the clock again, just waiting for baseball...
Tim writes over at Obstructed View, by the way.
Funny guy.


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Today is my Sweety's 60th birthday!!! We met and started going together shortly after her 19th birthday. So I guess this means we were meant to be together. So Happy Birthday to my wife, the mother of my fabulous son Ian, my confidante, the listener to my bad jokes and puns, and my very bestest of friends. The fact that she has endured me for 41 years is a tribute to her finer qualities. Who knows what ditch I would be lying in had I not met her when I did. I would say more, but I still have to give her a card and a present, so I will leave it at this. Here is hoping you have a great day and that all your wishes come true. I love you!
Check out the "Looking Toward Portugal" Facebook page for more information and photos.
World Series Champions
2 weeks ago


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The Illinois Venture Capital Association just posted an interview that digs into some of the details of the "How" and "Why" of Excelerate.
One of the most successful programs of last to support entrepreneurship year, Excelerate Labs, returns in 2011 with an improved process and another ten businesses to mentor towards development. Armed with Excelerate's support which includes orientation, $25,000 in seed capital, free office space, pro-bono legal and an organized staff of mentors, the ten companies will work all summer toward presenting their innovation to angel investors and venture capital on Demo Day at the House of Blues Chicago, August 31st, 2011. Read the entire post


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The Age of Innocence is my first Edith Wharton novel and it's now one of my favourite books of all time. It's an achingly beautiful book that I was completely captivated by and now I really want to read more of Wharton's works. The writing in this book is wonderful! It's vivid, emotional, poetic, beautiful and full of atmosphere. Edith Wharton was the first female author to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and her award was completely deserved. That being said I couldn't disagree more with the reason why the judges chose this book. The judges of the prize praised The Age of Innocence for revealing "the wholesome atmosphere of American life and the highest standard of American manners and manhood"... what were they THINKING?!
Edith Wharton grew up in 1870s' New York and The Age of Innocence is a scathing portrayal of that world. Most of the New Yorkers in the book are convinced that their culture and society is far superior to the French and English and yet Wharton depicts New York as a place that's stuffy, uptight, cruel and hypocritical. The city might be glamorous, beautiful and cultured but people aren't really alive in it. New York society is obsessed with tradition and is tied up in ridiculous and meaningless social conventions that have to be followed at all times. People care more about following conventionality and being "decent" than being moral. Ellen's family consider her an embarrassment because she has "odd" European ways and is now seeking a divorce and yet they're the ones who are trying to force her into going back to her husband! Even though they're perfectly aware that the Count had numerous affairs and - it's heavily implied - abused Ellen. I was very angry with these characters on Ellen's behalf! I did love the social commentary in this book though. Wharton's writing is witty, sarcastic and biting and it reminded me very much of Jane Austen in this respect. The bittersweet final chapter of this book is an interesting one too because Wharton indicates that times are changing and that New York society is improving and yet... The Age of Innocence was written in the 1920s. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby in the 1920s and that book is a highly scathing portrayal of New York society as well. Clearly New York is changing for the better but it still has a very long way to go.
Another thing that I absolutely loved about this book was how engaging and complex the main characters. To compare this book with another classic novel that features the theme of adultery, I found Newland and Ellen far more sympathetic than Anna and Count Vronsky in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. They're nowhere near as selfish for one thing and they actually consider the feelings of their families. When I was reading the book I actually said out loud "Oh why couldn't the two of you have met you earlier?!" once or twice. Newland and Ellen seemed so intellectually and emotionally compatible. Newland is very flawed but I did him very interesting and sympathetic. He believes in women's rights, is well-travelled, appreciates European culture, and is an intellectual with a genuine love of art, music and literature. He doesn't go to the opera and the theatre for social reasons (like the other characters do) but because he genuinely enjoys the music and stories. Newland is also quite the romantic and the dreamer. I really felt his frustration and his inner struggle between his conscience and his desperate longing for Ellen. I had a huge amount for sympathy for Ellen as well. I really felt sorry for her because she isn't trying to be rebellious. She isn't revelling in her scandalous reputation. All Ellen wants is to have a quiet life and she's bewildered and hurt by New York's hostility towards her. She's a fascinating character and it's easy to understand why Newland falls for her; since she's mysterious, vivacious, passionate, independent and unconventional. I suppose I should mention May now who's the other part of the book's love triangle. May comes across as nothing more than a shallow, bland airhead for the vast majority of the book - appropriately - but there are certain occasions where Wharton hints that there's much more to her. And towards the end of the book we find out that May has a cunning, calculating side and was much more aware of what was going on between Newland and Ellen than Newland gave her credit for. However, whenever May shows any flashes of spirit she quickly represses this and reverts back to being boring and socially conventional again.
The final chapter of this book is highly ambiguous and I've read multiple interpretations about why Newland did what he did. Why did he refuse to meet up with Ellen even though his son Dallas encouraged him to do so and both May and the Count are now dead? Well, here's my own personal take on that: although I do believe that Newland loved Ellen I think he was afraid of meeting her again. It's quite likely that after living such very different lives for decades that Newland and Ellen might not have had very much in common with each other any more and I think Newland would have been aware of that. I think he would have been worried that he would no longer recognise the Ellen that he fell in love with or that she would now find him boring and insipid (which are the things that he once thought about May). Newland didn't have the courage to meet Ellen again. Instead he chose to dwell on the happy memories of Ellen which had sustained him - which is utterly heartbreaking and tragic but it's completely understandable and in-character. Throughout the book I think it's pretty clear that neither Newland or Ellen really had the courage to turn their backs against society.
The Age of Innocence is a spectacular novel. At this point in the year A Room with a View has been the most entertaining and delightful book that I've read but The Age of Innocence has been by far the most moving and powerful. I would highly recommend this book - especially to fans of classic novels and to fans of rich, internal character dramas.
Rating: 5/5


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Well, it is official as of Saturday. The 1962 Missal promulgated by Blessed Pope John XXIII will again be allowed as a valid option throughout the world. If you are in need of supplies for this liturgy, including Tridentine missals, music, Latin resources or Tridentine vestments, we've got the goods.
Home » Catholic Product Guides » 1962 Tridentine Missal Supplies
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According to this article on Market Realist, Microsoft Azure is projected to reach an annual run rate of $8 billion in 2016 compared to Amazon's AWS run rate of $7 billion in 2015. They are saying Microsoft will begin to catch to up to Amazon because of their long history of selling enterprise software to big companies.
I tend to agree that Microsoft along with others like Oracle and IBM will continue to make inroads on Amazon's dominant market position because of their customer relationships as well as the absolutely HUGE investments each of them are pouring into this race to catch up to the leader.
Although Amazon has a huge lead on each of them, these other competitors have huge cash cow businesses that will allow them to make large strides in closing the gap. Amazon will be able to rely on scale at least for the next year or two, but eventually these players will catch up and the then The Cloud Wars will really start beginning.


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Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says strong leadership is not a prerequisite for competence.
He said the country does not need a leader who has power but lacks the capacity to lead.
Jega said this on Monday while speaking at 58th conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja.
The immediate past INEC chairman said: "What we require most are the competence and capacity of leaders to take decisions and be assertive in ensuring that those decisions are actually implemented.
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"So, we have to be very careful in thinking that a strong leader can really help.
"Just like a weak leader can wreck an institution, a strong leader, who has just that power and courage, but lacks the capacity, ability and competence to lead, can also wreck strong institutions.
"Competence of leadership is a very important variable in bringing about the stable political transition, good governance and deepening of democracy."
The professor said electoral integrity is key to stable political transition.
"From my experience, I am convinced that electoral integrity is key to stable political transition and to ensuring that there is a framework for good governance and societal development," Jega said.
"Electoral integrity is not just about the integrity of the election management body. It is also the integrity with which the key stakeholders engage with the electoral process.
"We must emphasise professionalism, impartiality and non-partisanship. This is because quite too often, you have good and strong institutions, but once partisanship is introduced and partiality become the norm, as many public institutions in this country, then those institutions would not be able to deliver effectively on their mandates."


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The forestry sector can play a key role in creating a sustainable future that makes better use of leftover material, converting it to alternative fuel sources.
Susan Wood-Bohm was the keynote speaker at UNBC's Doug Little Memorial Lecture Thursday night, named BioCleantech: New Opportunities for Canada's Forest Sector.
"BioCleantech which is the concept of using biological carbon - so carbon that comes from agriculture or forestry, or municipal waste, organic stream - to help us offset the carbon that comes from fossil fuels in a way that helps us to reduce our net greenhouse gas emissions in the country," Wood-Bohm explained before her presentation. read more >>


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EFT-Online Journal Volume 02 - Emotions, Emotional Signatures, and Self-Reflection
Welcome to the second edition of the EFT-Online, a practitioner journal in Emotion-Focused work. We begin this edition with our guest, a world renown Emotion-Focused academic, Dr Robert Elliott, Professor of Counselling, University of Strathclyde (Scotland) and Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of Toledo (USA). The article is a short piece with a longish title: Are Emotions the Enemy or the Answer? Emotion Transformation Processes in Depression. In his writing Robert invites us to consider emotions and the emotion transformation processes in depression.
Following this we have four articles relating to individual and couple work. Lisa in her article, The Language of Emotional Signatures, explores how practitioners can learn this new language and how reflecting on one's own as well as our clients' emotional signatures can be helpful for us as practitioners. Kerrie Bannister in her article, Practicing Within the Paradox, explores the dynamic of the therapeutic relationship and how practitioners strive to be present to their clients and be self-aware. Kerrie also uses the concept of Emotional Signatures to help her consider this paradox. Anna Kamarul in her article, Fostering Connection in Couple Work: Softening a Blamer, explores the 'blame' stance that some individuals bring to their relationships through the lens of the North American (Greenberg and Johnson) as well as the Annandale (Webster) approaches. In her analysis of her treatment with two couples she also reflects on how her reactions can interfere with the couple work. Again she uses Emotional Signature as part of her self-reflection. In the final article, The Interface between Art and Psychotherapy, Susan Gunn, explores the connections between Emotion-Focused work and art using the lovely metaphor of the heart.
To finish this second edition, and to bring us full circle back to emotions and possibly Robert's question, 'Are emotions the enemy or the answer?', Toni Tidswell reviews the creative movie, Inside Out, in Inside Out: Emotion Focused Therapy in Animation.
We hope you enjoy these articles and they help you work with emotions and facilitate your self-reflections as a practitioner.
With warm regards,
Dr Michelle Webster
EFT-Online Journal Volume 02 - Emotions, Emotional Signatures, and Self-Reflection


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A three-year deal with the International Monetary Fund finally completed, Argentina is preparing to present a plan to renegotiate $90 billion of defaulted debt with private investors across the globe.
Argentine officials are hinting at an ample menu of options for bondholders, but analysts say many will find the choices unpalatable. And if other creditors follow the path of Kenneth Dart, an American billionaire who this week won a $700 million lawsuit in a Manhattan court for full repayment of his Argentine bonds, the result could be grimmer all around.
Argentina's economy minister, Roberto Lavagna, who is to present the plan at the International Monetary Fund meeting that opened this week in Dubai, recently predicted that investors would be unhappy.
''There will obviously be a lot of long faces pulled in various languages,'' Mr. Lavagna said in a television interview, but he added: ''After our offer, there will be a plan. There will be alternatives. There will be a menu of options.''
Analysts are predicting at least three major choices, simplifying a clutter of more than 150 types of Argentine bonds on the market: First, a par bond with no write-down of principal but a sharply reduced interest rate and a longer maturity. Second, a discount bond demanding a sizable reduction in investors' principal but carrying a higher interest rate and a shorter maturity. And third, a bond indexed to Argentina's economic performance in coming years.
Walter Molano, chief Latin American economist at BCP Securities in Greenwich, Conn., said the innovative indexed bonds could be a good bet, as Argentina is growing again after four years of recession, though he predicted that most investors would play it safe and opt for the par bond.
Others say indexing bonds to economic performance throws up fresh questions of how growth rates are calculated and whether bondholders will take the Argentine authorities' claims on trust.
So far, the country's new and immensely popular president, Néstor Kirchner, has been given the benefit of the doubt. And his gambit of taking a hard line with the I.M.F. seems to have paid off.
Last week, a day after Argentina failed to make a $3 billion payment to the fund -- the single largest nonpayment of a loan in I.M.F. history -- negotiators signed a three-year deal to refinance $21 billion of debt to multilateral agencies like the World Bank without imposing as much fiscal austerity on Argentina.
Mr. Kirchner agreed to aim next year for a primary budget surplus of 3 percent of gross domestic product -- far lower than the targets of other I.M.F.-assisted countries in the region -- but left the targets for 2005 and 2006 open to negotiation.
The 3 percent target, according to Adauto Lima, who tracks Argentina for WestLB in São Paulo, would hardly cover the Argentine government's obligations on other bonds it has not defaulted on, so he predicted that the offer to bondholders next week would be less than generous.
''Their senior debt is already more than 3 percent of G.D.P.,'' Mr. Lima said. ''And even if Argentina grows at 5 percent in the next years, there still won't be that much money left over to pay bondholders.''
Mr. Lavagna indicated that Argentina would be no more conciliatory to private investors than it was to the I.M.F., saying: ''Let there be no doubt, we are prepared for them to reject our first offer out of hand.''
Such tactics, Mr. Lima said, could prompt a slew of court cases by unhappy investors, though few will have had as much experience as Mr. Dart. His companies bought bonds worth 595 million pesos before last year's sharp devaluation, which unhooked the Argentine currency from parity to the dollar. Factoring in just the devaluation that reduced the peso to a third of its former worth, those bonds would now have a face value of $203 million.
Mr. Dart contended that Argentina must honor his bonds at the pre-devaluation rate plus interest, bringing the total to $700 million.
Judge Thomas P. Griesa of United States District Court in Manhattan agreed, but he suspended payment for 45 days, given that Argentina is about to present its restructuring plan.
Argentine officials have called Mr. Dart a ''vulture capitalist,'' and Mr. Lavagna accused him of buying the bonds ''for no other reason than to sue the government.''


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Kris Humphries Says Kim Kardashian Is 'The One' — He's So In Love!
Kris gushes about the love of his life — and tells us if they'll turn marriage into a reality show!
Kris Humphries is totally in love with Kim Kardashian, and he couldn't stop talking to HollywoodLife.com about his upcoming nuptials at Super Saturday 14, a July 30 benefit in Water Mill, N.Y. which supports the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
Kris was beaming when he told us EXCLUSIVELY, "I'm just really excited to get married. I know I'm ready and I'm excited I found the one."
Kris also said he's not letting the media whirlwind surrounding the wedding get to him.
"Everything's great," he said. "It's a very exciting time in my life and I'm just taking it all in. I'm still making basketball a priority because that's what I do, that's how I live and that's how I support myself."
As for a reality show in the future, Kris remained guarded.
"I don't know," he said. "Right now it's really about focusing on getting married. I'm the type of person that really lives in the moment, and what happens in the future will happen in the future."
What do you think, HollywoodLifers — will Kris & Kim end up with their own reality show post-wedding?
— William Earl, reporting by Katrina Mitzeliotis
More Kim & Kris:
- Pictures Of Where Kim Kardashian's Wedding Guests Are Staying! Four Seasons Resort: The Biltmore
- Is Kim Kardashian's Wedding At The Four Seasons Biltmore? Her Guests Are All Staying There!
- Kim Kardashian Tweets A Photo Of Kris Humphries — And He Looks Exactly Like Taylor Lautner!


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Booking Terms
1. Cancellation and severe weather warnings
1.1 The Wagon does have limitations due to weather. If severe weather is forecast we will call you as soon as possible prior to your scheduled arrival date to advise you and cancel your booking. You can choose whether to defer your holiday to a later date subject to availability or receive a full refund.
1.2 Cancellation by you within 14-28 days of your arrival date, will result in your deposit (10%) being forfeited. Cancellation by you within 4-13 days of your arrival date will result in 50% of the total cost of your stay being charged. Cancellation within 3 days of your arrival date will result in 100% of the total cost of your stay being charged.
2. Safety and Hazards
2.1 The Wagons is situated on a working farm and there are hazards both natural and man-made. You accept that you enter the property at your own risk to participate in a glamping holiday.
2.2 Participation in activities such as, outdoor baths, climbing trees, walking on the property and any other activity on the property is the responsibility of the Guest and is done so at their own risk.
2.3 WagonStays Luxury Escape Accept no liability for accident, loss of property or personal injury whilst on your stay.
3. Pets
Certain dog breeds are negotiable.
GST of 15% (where applicable) is included in the daily per night cost. A GST invoice will be supplied if requested.
5. The Holiday – Guest Conditions of occupancy and Conduct
5.1 The Guests have the right to occupy the Property for the paid holiday period only.
5.2 Guests are required to observe the rules and familiarise themselves with the procedures contained in the information folder provided in the Wagon.
5.3 Guests shall take all reasonable and proper care of the property and its furniture, fittings and effects in or on the property and leave them in the same state of repair, condition, cleanliness and tidiness as at the commencement of the rental period.
5.4 Guests are required to inform the owner of any damage or breakage in or around the property promptly so that it can be repaired and replaced for the next guests. Guests are bound to reimburse the owners for replacement, repair or extra cleaning costs where reasonably demanded by the owners for damage caused by the guests.
5.5 Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the property.
5.6 Guests undertake to behave in a proper, appropriate and legal manner with due respect to the Owner, the Property and other guests and their property. If any guest behaves inappropriately or improperly (of which the Owner will be the final judge on their Property), or illegally, the Owner reserves the right to ask the guest and their party (at their discretion) to leave the Property before the end of the holiday period. Any refund for so doing will be at the entire discretion of the Owner.
6. Authority to Sign
The person who completes the Booking Form certifies that: he or she is authorised to agree the Booking Conditions on behalf of all persons included in the Booking Form, including those substituted or added at a later date; the signatory is over eighteen years of age; they agree to take responsibility for the party occupying the Property, and to notify WagonStays Luxury Escape if they are not a member of the holiday party.


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How to Modify Frame Rate in Flash CS5
The frame rate, which plays an important part in the performance and appearance of movies in Adobe Flash Creative Suite 5, dictates how many frames are played back per second by Flash Player, in turn affecting the speed and smoothness of your animations.
You can modify the frame rate in one of these three ways:
Choose Modify→Document.
With nothing on the stage selected, use the Property inspector. You see your document properties.
Click and drag over the frame rate value displayed at the bottom of the Timeline panel.
The frame rate is based completely on the result you're trying to achieve. Although the default frame rate in Flash is 24 frames per second (fps), you may also want to consider a rate of 30 fps. It's consistent with broadcast and digital video frame rates and should provide a good starting point for smooth, consistent animation. To keep this topic in perspective, remember that a film projector (like the one at your local movie theater) runs at 24 fps.
If you want to increase the overall speed and smoothness of an animation, you can try increasing the frame rate gradually until you find one that's right for you. Flash can support frame rates of as much as 120 fps.
Changing the frame rate affects the playback of your entire movie. If you're trying to adjust the speed of a specific animation, consider modifying the tween itself.


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Get the Link to This Publication
You can copy and paste this link into any site, or bookmark it online or offline with any service.
- Done
Buy Digital: Free free with Print Purchase
Digital Includes: PDF WebViewer
- Details
- Description
- Published by:
- Max Hall
- Published:
- 10/10/2012
- Specs:
Square / 8" x 8"8 pages Saddle-stitched
- Category:
- Sports & Leisure
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Football without any pampered millionaires rolling around, Middle Eastern investment vehicles or handshakes. The West Midlands Regional League - football for grown-ups.


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Barbados cherry have are sought after primarily because of their unusually high vitamin C content. Though not popular commercially, it is popular for home gardeners. Unlike other cherry tree varieties it will fruit in warm climates, most cherry trees need 100's if not 1000 hours of cold to properly ripen. It will start to produce beautiful pinkish red flowers through to fall in the south. You can expect to be picking quarter sized cherries right until November. But can produce up to 5 crops in any given year given it is well cared for and has the right water and soil conditions.
There are only a couple of used types of Barbados cherry trees, the Florida Sweet and B-17 varieties. They are difficult to grow from seed to a tasty fruit, so it is better to look for a clone or graft from existing trees to ensure you get cherries you will actually want to eat. Another method to grow new plants is by air layering, a very simple technique uses a branch from an existing tree to grow a new one. The Florida Sweet, as its name implies is sweet while the B-17 is more acidic, giving it more vitamin C and have bigger fruit.
Since the Barbados cherry tree is a tropical tree, is doesn't take cold very well. Grow in central Florida and south. They will grow well in various soil type but make sure the soil drains well to prevent against disease. The best time to plant or attempt to grow a new one from an existing tree is in the spring just before the heavy rainy season in Florida. If you are planting a number of them, allow fifteen feet of space between each as they do spread out quite wide.
As with most trees the use of mulch will help in weed control, preserving moisture, and reducing damage from pests. Fertilize at least 4 times per year starting using one quarter to a half pound of 6-6-6-3 for a year old tree. If you have planted before the raining season the water provided naturally with be enough. During the drier fall and winter months you will need to provide water to properly allow it to grow.
Pruning should be done in the fall. Be sure to cut any dead or diseased areas. Of course pruning is as much an art as it is for tree health, so trimming it to fit the look you like or landscape format. You should avoid pruning during the spring as this could hurt the production output. If you have other fruit trees than you probably are familiar with the various types of pests that attack your trees, keep an eye of the tree and spray accordingly with an organic pesticide or herbicide.
You will need to wait for year two to produce a decent amount of cherries with every year the yield increasing. For the home gardener, picking frequently is not unusual but necessary as you never know when fruit will drop. The time between almost done and done is very short, cherries don't keep well once rip on the cluster. So be sure to pick as they are ready to avoid waste.
Barbados cherry trees have a great number of uses. The tree itself is beautiful enough to be used in landscape plans. Many are familiar with eating ripe cherries but cherries also make for good pie, jams, preserves, jams, and even wine. With an extra high dose of vitamin C, Barbados cherries make for a great addition for any home gardener.


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Hello reader…
I know it's been forever and a day since I updated my blog, wrote and new post or even made a peep but a lot has happened since I was last here. I am alive. And if that is enough for you, you can go now, but if you are remotely interested in why I took a long extended absence from my space on the internet read on.
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JAPANESE FLOWER PRINCESS 👸🏾 🌸 @caitlinsgrams thanks for the caption. Day 6 in Port Elizabeth: 1. Exhausted but blessed 🙏🏽 2. I didn't know I was so loved ❤ 3. I look like a damn flower princess 😂 #kimono #kimonofashion #kimonotop #fashionista #instafashion #ooyd #ottd #feelingmyself #stylegram #myunicornlife #thefix #cameralife #nikon #allblack #portelizabeth #southendmuseum
The last time I left off, I was gearing up for the second semester of my second year of study. Exciting times indeed but in my personal life, I was facing the closest I have ever been to hell. My world was rocked after le boyfriend lost his job. We were faced with very adult decisions to make about our immediate life, where we were going to go and what was going to happen. There were days where all we did was sit on the couch and literally cry while we picked up the pieces of our life. And of course, when it rains it most certainly pours and everything that could go wrong went wrong. FUN.
I cannot condense in words how utterly difficult that time was but trust me I would not have got through it all without the support from my friends and family. Thank you to everyone. We are, however, still trying to get back on some kind of track and it will take some time to regroup before we feel normal again. But in some crazy way we are in a better space than we were before and my last few months have been amazing.
This is what I have been up to lately :
We bought our first couch:
Not something I was going to mention but I believe it is very important to make note of the milestones in one's life even if it may not be as important to the next person. After 4 years of living together and not making any sort of improvement to our general living space we bought a couch. It may not be the most expensive and some might say they've sat on more luxurious pieces of furniture but you know what, it's my couch and I am proud of our achievement.
My best friends came to visit me for the first time in Jozi:
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I forgot what Home feels like until I reunited with you. ❤ Besties since '05. Your visit filled my empty cup and by the end of it I didn't know I'd miss you this much! Till we meet again. ❤❤❤ #friendsforever #besties #love #home #portelizabeth #johannesburg #myunicornlife #neksonmandelasquare #happy #holiday #fun #instagood #instalike
I have been friends with Raafeeqa since we met at age 15, that's 12 years of friendship. We still maintain a strong bond after so many years and even after I moved to Joburg we are still consistent in our friendship. Nazz, her sister, who I also absolutely adore is the little sister I never had. In August they both made a trip just to see me and we had an amazing week together. Lots of shopping, cooking together and most importantly our great convos.
I went to Comic Con Africa:
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#TBT to #CCA last weekend. Channeling my inner mermaid 🧜🏽♀ Shirt and my Epic Trident made by me ft help from The Doctor. #disneybound #disneybounding #shellshirt #diy #fabricpaint #bodyjewels #seashells #mermaid #imamermakd #mermaidhairdontcare #trident #diytrident #shells #ariel #littlemermaod #comiconafrica
I can officially say I was one of the people to attend the first Comic-Con Africa hosted in Johannesburg. It was mind-blowing there was so much to see and it was fantastic. I also DIY'ed my mermaid attire including a magnificent trident. Le Boyfriend went as the 11th Doctor and screaming girls asked for his picture even though all he did was buy a fez and went in his work clothes! I met a lot of friends I met online and even after CCA we still keep in touch.
I surprised my mother for her 60th Birthday:
With all the drama that has been going on in my life, I was really happy I could pull this one out of the hat, okay really all praise should go to the man that made it happen but come on I did all the planning. So my mother turned 60. Wow. And I had to be there. I took a 10-day break from reality to visit my mum for her big day and see everyone that I could back home. I spent well deserved time with my loved ones and with my closest friends, reunited with family and truly hit a reset before exam season starts.
What's next?
I am currently preparing for exams. One last stretch before I can breathe. I have 4 exams and 1 portfolio to complete by the end of November. Studying is going slow but I am sure it'll pick up very shortly.
Other than that I have started the Inktober challenge which is keeping me creative. In a nutshell, I have to follow daily prompts for the month of October and interpret these into daily drawings.
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#inktober Day 1: Poisonous ☠ 🐸 Let's see if I can keep this up 😂 I've my first exam in 18 days and as a reward for studying 1 page I drew 1 drawing 😂 #procrastinationnation #poisonous #pendrawing #potioninabottle #fantasydrawing #myths #legends #happyplace #myunicornlife #art #artgram #artinspo
Something that is keeping the procrastination alive, is, unfortunately, my upcoming Birthday smack bang in the middle of exams! Well at least I am not writing any exams on my Birthday this year, last year I wrote 2. I've been getting sucked into what I want to do for my day and how I spend it. It is something to look forward to and I am excited!
I would also try to blog more. Le boyfriend gave me a little notebook to write down my ideas and goals and I am hoping to use this to help me be a bit more consistent in my writing and creative space. Well, that is all from me for now, hopefully, I will be back sooner than last time.


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Anglo-Saxon Poetry
|from Fancyclopedia 2 ca. 1959 and Fancyclopedia 1 ca. 1944
|Did not have rime or regular rhythm. Each line was cut in two by a pause, with two accented syllables in each half, the whole line tied together by alliteration; as, "A rocket was ready to take you to Rio".
page revision: 2, last edited: 20 Jan 2013 04:31


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Dungeons are not pristine environments. Chances are the party is not the first to dare its precincts. Previous adventurers, the dungeon's builder or even its residents all leave their marks. Graffiti is a common feature of dungeons.
Graffiti can have four main purposes:
- Decoration: Whether created by skilled artisans or bored guards, some graffiti is designed to decorate a locale. Such graffiti might take the form of stylised pictures or religious phrases.
- Message: Graffiti can serve as a means of passing on a message. These messages could be a lament for a fallen comrade, the ravings of a madman or even a final message from a doomed explorer.
- Warning: Adventurers—when they survive—sometimes leave warning of what lies beyond. Of course, these warnings could be hopelessly out of date or just plain wrong.
- Lure: This seemingly benign or welcoming graffiti serves to entice explorers or visitors further into the dungeon (perhaps to a specific location).
Use the tables below, to generate the details of graffiti found in a dungeon or other hostile locale.
Message (d20)
The graffiti says:
- "Not this way."
- "Your doom is near."
- "The darkness has eyes!"
- "Beware. It lurks in the dark."
- "Alas, poor Enrulf."
- "Don't search for me."
- "This way."
- "I'm sorry."
- "Tell Engelf I loved her."
- "I'm watching you."
- "For glory!"
- "Pray for my soul."
- "Don't delve too deep."
- "Go Back!"
- "I tried."
- "Hungry. So hungry."
- "Fear the dark. Seek the light."
- "The old man lied."
- "Safety lies beyond."
- "Welcome."
Characteristic (d20)
If you want to add a notable characteristic to the graffiti, use this table. The graffiti is:
- Written hastily in chalk.
- Written in dried blood.
- Written in fresh blood.
- Carved crudely into the wall with a dagger or similar blade.
- Crudely written—as if by a child.
- On a piece of parchment stuck or pinned to the wall.
- Smeared as if someone has tried to rub it out.
- Written in charcoal like that from a burnt torch.
- Written very low down on the wall at roughly knee height for a human adult.
- Hidden behind an open door, tapestry or other covering.
- Shows excellent—even cultured—penmanship.
- Written on the ceiling.
- Covered by cobwebs.
- Written in overly large—or small—letters.
- Only half written; the message ends abruptly as if the writer had been interrupted or distracted.
- Written upside.
- Written back-to-front.
- Written on the floor.
- Each word is written in a different colour chalk.
- Obviously written in several different hands.
Special Characteristics (d20)
Sometimes there is more to graffiti than meets the eye. The graffiti is:
- A trap. It contains an explosive runes
- A trap. It contains a glyph of warding.
- Written in more than one language.
- The first letter of each word spells out the command word of a magic item hidden somewhere in the dungeon.
- Covers up an older piece of graffiti.
- Written so as to conceal an important secret message.
- It disappears once read, like a magic scroll.
- Glowing slightly. It gives off illumination equal to a candle.
- Slowly burning itself into the wall.
- Wriggling and writhing across the wall.
- Only visible to those with dark vision (in the dark).
- Written in invisible ink.
- A trap. The graffiti contains a hidden sepia snake sigil.
- Obscuring the trigger for a secret door.
- Written to subtly highlight the trigger for a secret door.
- Apparently gibberish. However, in reality it is a pass phrase dungeon denizens use to identify themselves to fellow denizens.
- The air in the immediate vicinity is much colder.
- Written in some form of ink that resists all but magical cleaning.
- Written in huge letters the height of a grown man.
- The letters hang in midair, blazing with light equal to that of a torch.
GM's Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing
If you enjoy the table above and like dungeon dressing, check out GM's Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing—Endzeitgeist's choice as the number one book of 2014! Crammed with over 300 pages of information and charts designed to bring your dungeon alive, GM's Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing is an essential part of any GM's arsenal.
This article appears in GM's Miscellany: 20 Things. Alternatively, you can read even more 20 Things lists on our Free Resources page.


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Derby Road Health Centre336 Derby RoadLentonNottingham, NG7 2DWTel: 0115 8965 001
**On Monday and Friday early mornings, please be aware early morning appointments are pre-booked and the telephone lines are not open until 8am.
Evening and weekend appointments now available!
Patients registered at this practice can now access additional routine appointments at our new city centre NHS service, GP+ Nottingham City.
Speak to our reception team to book.
Find out more at www.ncgpa.org.uk/gpplus
On bank holidays
we are closed all day.
On training days the surgery is
closed from 12:30pm
9th April
During these times our telephone system will automatically divert to the NHS 'out of hours' service 111 or Nottingham Emergency Medical Services.
If you require medical attention or advice when the surgery is closed the following options are available to you.
Life Threatening Emergencies - Tel: 999
Life threatening conditions (but not limited to) include loss of consciousness, severe breathing difficulties, heavy bleeding, severe chest pain, drowning, deep wounds e.g. stab wounds, swallowing something harmful or poisonous or a drug overdose.
When calling 999 try to stay calm and do not hang up until told to do so by the emergency operator.
Out of Hours Medical Advice or Treatment - Tel: 111
If you need medical treatment or advice 'out of hours' you can call the 111 service, where a qualified operator will speak to you about your symptoms and provide advice.
If you need to see a doctor or nurse you may be asked to attend the Nottingham Emergency Medical Centre (NEMS), which is located on Derby Road on the corner of Triumph Road.
Non Life Threatening Accidents and Emergencies
In the event of an accident that is not a life threatening emergency such as a broken bone, scalds/burns or blood loss then attend Accident & Emergency Department. In Nottingham this is located at the Queens Medical Centre off Derby Road.
Please remember A&E is NOT for ANYTHING & EVERYTHING!
Minor Ailments - NHS Walk-In Centre
The NHS Walk-In Centre service offers a nurse led-service with fast and convenient access to advice and treatment. It is a 'sit and wait' service where patients are seen in order of arrival unless your needs are assessed as urgent. Waiting times can vary so please be patient. This service is open 365 days per year including Christmas Day.
This is located at...
Nottingham NHS Urgent-Care CentreSeaton House (City Link) No Appointment is Needed.(Near the BBC)London RoadNottingham NG2 4LATel: 0115 883 8500 Open 7am to 9pm, 365 days a year.
Evening & Weekend Appointments bookable through your GP practice
Patients registered at this practice can now access additional routine appointments at our new city centre NHS service, GP+ Nottingham City.
Appointments are available to see GPs, Practice Nurses, Clinical Pharmacists and Physiotherapists in a fully equipped accessible location on Upper Parliament Street in Nottingham City Centre.
Opening hours are:
16:00 – 20:00 Monday – Friday09:00 – 13:00 Saturday & Sunday
This is not a walk-in service. Appointments are required and are bookable through DRHC reception.
Copyright 2006 - 2019 My Surgery Website | Privacy & Usage | Edit | Staff Home | Site Map | Accessibility | Site T&C's | Service T&C's


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All images Copyright Melanie Reim
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Happy Accident on Columbus Avenue
With only two weeks left until school starts, it is a bittersweet time. Beach days have given way to lesson plans, assessment, new faculty hires, tracking down paperwork, wah, wah, wah…Long, languorous days of drawing are now peppered with errands, meetings and all of that back to school prep that has that air of excitement and anticipation- but busy. So, when after a downtown meeting, I hopped off the bus, literally, into a free lunchtime jazz concert across from Lincoln Center, I thought, this is too good to be true! The sun was hot and the air was cool this day- and so was the music. Though I had missed the first hour forty, I had twenty minutes-I found myself a spot and got lost in the moment.
There you have it- drawing saved me again. Changed my whole day.
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In Jesus' day being labeled a sinner also meant that you were an outcast. Luke 19 tells the story of Jesus' encounter with a tax-collector, read sinner, named Zacchaeus. The "proper" folks were somewhat disturbed that Jesus would choose to associate with someone so evil. For them Zacchaeus was beyond the reach of God. I find it fascinating how we still use labels as a tool for demonizing those we don't like. Labels allow us to put justifiable space between "us" and the "other." They still allow us to put the other beyond the reach of God.
In times of war the other becomes the "enemy"- a step below human. Here in the USA we are getting ready for election season. Between now and the election, labeling will be elevated to an art form. Those who don't agree with a certain political perspective risk being eviscerated by the other side.
In a culture where we have worked so hard to eliminate racial and sexist slurs it seems that we have replaced racism and sexism with new more toxic ways of destroying those we don't agree with. It isn't OK to talk about a leader's skin color, but it is OK to compare that leader to Hitler – really? Is this progress? There have to be better ways to disagree. When did destroying the opponent become morally right?
There is this biblical vision of the lion and lamb lying down together - enemies becoming friends. One of the first statements in the Lord's Prayer is, "your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." My guess is that all of us have a picture of what heaven is like. I suspect that each vision is somewhat unique, but I am sure that none of those visions include labeling others.
What does it look like for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven? Could it include actively finding ways to turn sinners, political opponents, enemies and rivals into friends? Choosing to live this way will require things like compromise, humility and a willingness to change my opinion.
Imagine a world where labels don't exist. Heaven on earth?


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PLUS: Enter our Surf's Up Contest to win a women's yoga
and surfing safari with adventure-ready eBags Gear!
They say the journey is half the fun of getting there. Well, I say packing is a large part of that fun. After decades in the travel business as the founder of Las Olas Surf Safaris for Women, I'm naturally looking for ways to streamline the process.
Following are a few of my favorite tips on how and what to pack for a surf trip, or any tropical vacation with snorkeling, SUPing and beach activities. When traveling, you'll enjoy a more en-lightened travel experience simply by letting go of a few things on your packing list. Your baggage handler and bellhop will thank you, too. Here's how I do it:
1. Start the process early and choose wisely.
A week before lift-off, I start selecting nominees for Wardrobe Most Likely to Travel. I hang the contenders out in my room, so I'll see them every day. By trip-time, I know who makes the cut and who stays home.
Yoga tights like these by Prana always make it into the suitcase. They work well for yoga classes, knocking around and surfing. Yes, you can surf in yoga tights! They keep your legs from chafing on the surfboard and they look pretty cool.
EXPERT TIP: Leave your fancy shoes at home; flip-flops are the shoe of choice for dusty roads leading to the beach. Beach towels are bulky to pack and most resorts will provide a fresh one every day. Pack a lightweight sarong instead. These do the job well and can double as a tablecloth or lightweight cover-up. A sun hat is a must-have once you reach sunny weather, but if don't want to hassle with it on the plane ride, choose a flexible hat like the Raya by Volcom that can be packed into your carry-on.
2. Pack the right sundries for sunny days + breezy nights.
Most basic cosmetics and toiletries are available at your destination, so don't fret it if you forget toothpaste. Do take a double supply of any special medications, contacts, and extra eyeglasses, or any natural/homeopathic remedies you need, and take those items with you in your carry-on. Sunscreen is a must, but it's also something you can buy once you arrive. Apply before surfing—early and often.
EXPERT TIP: Get travel-rated containers and transfer your liquids before your trip. Check here for a complete list of no-no items. We like to compile all of our toiletries (and a few extra bars of surf wax) into pretty cosmetic bags, a clear hanging case, or this eBags hanging case with several compartments. I also pack a tiny water spritzer for a quick facial pick-me-up after that red-eye…or a long day of fun in the sun.
3. Wrangle your tech stuff + make room for tunes.
Put your chargers and adapters in a packing cube or clear zippered pouch for easy retrieval in your suitcase. Better yet, try a waterproof bag to stash your smartphone, hotel keys and any other essentials you don't want to get sandy or wet on a boat. For music at the beach or in your room, try the Bose SoundLink water-resistant Bluetooth speaker to keep the vacation tunes flowing.
EXPERT TIP: Be sure to back up your data before you leave! I also like to put a sticker on my tech with my local and home contact info, in the event something gets left behind at the cafe.
4. Pack smart for a smoother trip.
I love a good rolling bag, and the eBags TLS Mother Lode Mini 21" Wheeled Duffel is perfect for a beach trip. It's lightweight, spacious, and meets international carry-on requirements. Add an eBags Connected Luggage Tag to avert lost luggage; this app-enabled digital luggage tag stores your personal details privately in the cloud, making it easier than ever to reunite you with any items that might take an unexpected detour. I also carry an over-shoulder bag like this Helen Kaminski tote as my carry-on "purse." It sits squarely on top of my wheelie for lengthy airport connections and waiting in lines. And of course, it's smart to bring along a few wet bags for returning home with wet swimsuits and laundry.
EXPERT TIP: I also organize all my clothes using packing cubes in different colors, so I can easily find my shirts or dresses (in the large printed cube), socks or underwear (in the small turquoise cube) or accessories (in the small orange cube). I roll my clothes burrito-style to avoid wrinkles. If you use a wheelie, put the heaviest stuff closest to the wheels. That way it will stand up at the airport and hotel lobby.
5. Save hassle + dough—leave your quiver at home.
I've hauled enough surfboards over the years to know they're big and bulky and the airlines have it out for them—you'll pay at least $100 each way, and a good chance you'll get a serious ding. No bueno! Now I just leave my board at home because I know Las Olas Surf Safaris (and most surf destinations) have an impressive quiver at the clubhouse.
EXPERT TIP: Not convinced you can live without your favorite stick? Call ahead! If you're accustomed to riding a specific length or shape surfboard, whether it's a chip or a log, it's wise to converse with your camp or hotel to make sure there's a comparable board on hand—taking into account that these boards will likely already be suited to the local conditions. So make your request, but defer to local expertise.
Now that you're packed and ready, ¡Vamos a las olas! Want to WIN a trip to our little tropical paradise? Enter our Surf's Up Contest to win a women's yoga and surfing safari with adventure-ready eBags Gear, HERE.
Bev Sanders is founder and president of Las Olas Surf Safaris for Women and editor-in-chief of GetdressedandGo, the online travel and fashion portal for women adventurers. She started surfing at 44, continuing her lifelong pursuit of introducing women to sports. You'll find her and husband Chris on the beach in Mexico throughout the surf season. Follow along with Surf Las Olas on Instagram at @lasolassurf or visit their website at surflasolas.com


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Welcome to the Screen Rant Box Office Prediction. Every week we put together an informal list of box office picks for the upcoming weekend to offer readers a rough estimate of how new releases (and returning holdovers) will perform in theaters.
For a recap of last week's box office totals, read our box office wrap-up from Ghost in the Shell's opening weekend, and scroll to the bottom of this post to see how our picks matched up.
Full disclosure: Box office predictions are not an exact science. We acknowledge our picks may not always be correct. For the sake of offering a jumping off point for discussion, here are our picks for the weekend of April 7 - 9, 2017.
This weekend, Smurfs: The Lost Village opens in 3,610 theaters, Going in Style debuts in 3,061 locations, and The Case for Christ premieres in 1,175 theaters.
#1 - The Boss Baby
We believe last week's champ The Boss Baby (read our review) will repeat in the top spot during its second weekend. The latest from DreamWorks Animation pulled out the unlikely upset and defeated juggernaut Beauty and the Beast, grossing $50.1 million in its first three days. While it's true it will receive direct competition for its target demographic in the form of Smurfs: The Lost Village, that film isn't tracking high enough to unseat Boss Baby from the pole position (more on this in a minute). Given Boss Baby has proven to be an audience favorite and debuted higher than originally anticipated, it should have a somewhat easy road ahead, even though word-of-mouth was mixed.
#2 - Beauty and the Beast
Disney's Beauty and the Beast remake (read our review) should come in second. Though the box office hit was knocked down the charts last week, it's still doing very well for itself nearly a month into its domestic run, already totaling $404.1 million so far. At this point, there isn't much left to be said about its performance. The Mouse House did an excellent job finding a soft spot in the release schedule for it, and Beauty has delivered on all fronts.
#3 - Smurfs: The Lost Village
The newest family film Smurfs: The Lost Village (read our review) is our choice for third. A reboot of the classic property, this new take follows two live-action/animation hybrids that saw varying degrees of success. The 2011 original was a modest hit with $142.6 million domestically, but 2013's sequel sputtered in the States by earning just $71 million. Sony decided to hit the rest button in an effort to introduce the franchise to a new generation of audiences, but it doesn't look like the studio is going to have a reliable cash cow as a result.
Boss Baby doing better than expected certainly hurts Smurfs' prospects, as the demand for a kid-friendly flick will now be lower. Also, going the full animated route did not help the Smurfs series' poor critical reception, as many reviews write it off as a mediocre children's film that doesn't have much to offer beyond the surface. If Boss Baby had faltered, then Lost Village would be in better shape, but as it stands, it isn't likely to make a legitimate challenge for the top spots. Projections are set at a meager $14.5 million, which is lower than the disappointing Smurfs 2. That's not what Sony is hoping for.
#4 - Going in Style
Opening in fourth should be the new comedy Going in Style (read our review), which stars Academy Award winners Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Alan Arkin as a trio of senior citizens who decide to rob a bank to take back their money. The film is obviously targeted at a quite older demographic than is typical in Hollywood, but tapping into an underserved market doesn't look to aid its chances much. Thanks to mostly negative reviews, Going in Style doesn't have much going for it, other than seeing its star-studded cast interact. Appeal for this one is going to be rather limited, and it's arriving in theaters with very little fan fare. Estimates suggest a $9.5 million haul for the weekend.
#5 - Ghost in the Shell
Rounding out the top five should be Ghost in the Shell (read our review), which only managed a third-place debut last week with $18.6 million domestically. The anime adaptation is now a proper box office bomb, poised to cost the studios more than $60 million in losses. There were a variety of factors that prevented the movie from becoming a breakout hit, and with the demand low, Ghost in the Shell isn't going to turn it around.
Last Week's Recap
Our Picks:
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Boss Baby
- Ghost in the Shell
- Power Rangers
- Kong: Skull Island
- The Boss Baby
- Beauty and the Beast
- Ghost in the Shell
- Power Rangers
- Kong: Skull Island
Next Week: How high can The Fate of the Furious go?
Sources: Box Office Mojo (Release Schedule), Box Office (Opening Weekend Projections)


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This past week, the U.S. Commerce Department revised GDP for the fourth quarter of 2010 upward from 2.8% to 3.1%. However, the Thomson Reuters/ University of Michigan consumer sentiment index dropped to 67.5 in March from 77.5, its lowest level since Nov. 2009. Additionally, the National Association of Realtors reported that 1) the number of existing single-family home sales declined 9.6% from a year ago, 2) the number of existing condominium and co-op sales decreased by 10.0%, 3) the median price for single-family homes dropped by 4.2% and 4) condominium prices dropped by 11.1%. Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that February sale of new home dropped to its lowest level on record (which is tracked back to 1963), a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 250,000 single-family new homes.
MY TAKE: Given that consumer spending accounts for 70% of U.S. economic growth, these changes in consumer confidence and residential home sales are noteworthy. The overall weakness in housing is likely attributable to 1) high unemployment, 2) supply overhang, 3) the continuing foreclosure crisis and 4) a constrained mortgage credit environment. The implications are that many homeowners with a significant part of their saving invested in their home and owners of mortgage-backed securities may be at risk. The economic crosscurrent will likely persist. Corporate earnings have been strong in recent quarters and employment trends seem to be improving.


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Everyone may have a restless night once in a while, but when you live with sleeplessness, sleep can seem like a luxury. Thankfully, there are a number of things you can do to help you sleep better and wake up feeling refreshed.
We've worked with sleep experts to develop a one-stop shop for tips, tools and a customizable six-week workshop that changes the way you think about sleep.
What you'll find on MyCoachSleep.com:
- Information to help you fight daytime drowsiness
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You're a few clicks away from starting a new sleep routine that can help you get the rest you need.


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