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Ø A WCAG conformance claim may differ from a conformance claim for other ICT—now wouldn't that be confusing, especially for acquisitions of combinations I was not thinking about claims – I was thinking about the other conformance requirements such as Ø Conformance to all the A and AA success criteria Ø Full pages Ø Complete processes Ø Accessibility supported Ø Non-interference Ø Alternatives The WCAG note seems to discuss these topics together but I always assumed that you could separate the requirements from the claim. That is even if you didn't want to make a claim you could still conform to the requirements. Jonathan -- Jonathan Avila Chief Accessibility Officer SSB BART Group firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:email@example.com> 703-637-8957 (o) Follow us: Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/#%21/ssbbartgroup> | Twitter<http://twitter.com/#%21/SSBBARTGroup> | LinkedIn<http://www.linkedin.com/company/355266?trk=tyah> | Blog<http://www.ssbbartgroup.com/blog> | Newsletter<http://eepurl.com/O5DP> From: Hoffman, Allen [mailto:email@example.com] Sent: Friday, August 14, 2015 4:06 PM To: Katie Haritos-Shea GMAIL; Jonathan Avila; 'Phill Jenkins'; 'Wayne Dick' Cc: 'GLWAI Guidelines WG org'; 'WAI Interest Group' Subject: RE: Level AA exceptions While specific reference to WCAG conformance claims may or may not end up in the final regulations, it is inevitably something any Federal acquisition will have to address in one form or another. However a few thoughts for consideration. 1. A WCAG conformance claim may differ from a conformance claim for other ICT—now wouldn't that be confusing, especially for acquisitions of combinations of ICT? 2. One of the challenges with "claims" to date is they don't have anything to support the claim in terms of validating methodology that can be consistently shared. 3. Level A, AA, or AAA inclusion at the end of the day in Section 508 refresh will set Federal conformance priorities clearly and the contextual or historical evolution to the success criteria will not be very important. Allen Hoffman Deputy Executive Director The Office of Accessible Systems & Technology Department of Homeland Security 202-447-0503 (voice) firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com> DHS Accessibility Helpdesk 202-447-0440 (voice) 202-447-0582 (fax) 202-447-5857 (TTY) email@example.com<mailto:email@example.com> This communication, along with any attachments, is covered by federal and state law governing electronic communications and may contain sensitive and legally privileged information. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, use or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please reply immediately to the sender and delete this message. Thank you. From: Katie Haritos-Shea GMAIL [mailto:email@example.com] Sent: Friday, August 14, 2015 3:59 PM To: 'Jonathan Avila'; 'Phill Jenkins'; 'Wayne Dick' Cc: 'GLWAI Guidelines WG org'; 'WAI Interest Group'; email@example.com<mailto:email@example.com> Subject: RE: Level AA exceptions Jon, My understanding is that WCAG conformance claims will NOT be required under the Section 508 Refresh. This particular training was provided in conjunction with the Access Board. Also what individual agencies (HHS, etc) choose to do to add – additional requirements – is totally within their right to do so – however, if the refreshed Section 508 Standards do not specifically identify any Level AAA Success Criteria – Failures for such Level AAA issues will not be applicable in a court of law under a Section 508 violation. They could be violations of a specific agency's policy – but not Section 508 itself. * katie * Katie Haritos-Shea Senior Accessibility SME (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA) Cell: 703-371-5545 | firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:email@example.com> | Oakton, VA | LinkedIn Profile<http://www.linkedin.com/in/katieharitosshea/> | Office: 703-371-5545 From: Jonathan Avila [mailto:email@example.com] Sent: Friday, August 14, 2015 3:53 PM To: Katie Haritos-Shea GMAIL <firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com>>; 'Phill Jenkins' <email@example.com<mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com>>; 'Wayne Dick' <firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com>> Cc: 'GLWAI Guidelines WG org' <firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:email@example.com>>; 'WAI Interest Group' <firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com>> Subject: RE: Level AA exceptions > Level AAA: (highest) (Not applicable to Section 508/ADA) As an FYI – the current Federal Baseline requirements for Section 508 which are adopted by several agencies do require that link text be unique out of context similar to WCAG SC 2.4.9. In addition, the HHS HTML Section 508 checklist includes several AAA requirements. For example, (16.7) Can interruptions be postponed or suppressed by the user, e.g. alerts, page updates, etcetera?<https://amp.ssbbartgroup.com/public/standards/view_ruleset.php?rule_id=1001066> > Conformance Claims: Are optional, and, there are NO plans to require Conformance Claims in the New 508 Standards. Don't forget that the Section 508 refresh does include the WCAG conformance requirements such as accessibility supported, non-interference, etc. Best Regards, Jonathan -- Jonathan Avila Chief Accessibility Officer SSB BART Group firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:email@example.com> 703-637-8957 (o) Follow us: Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/#%21/ssbbartgroup> | Twitter<http://twitter.com/#%21/SSBBARTGroup> | LinkedIn<http://www.linkedin.com/company/355266?trk=tyah> | Blog<http://www.ssbbartgroup.com/blog> | Newsletter<http://eepurl.com/O5DP> From: Katie Haritos-Shea GMAIL [mailto:email@example.com] Sent: Friday, August 14, 2015 3:26 PM To: 'Phill Jenkins'; 'Wayne Dick' Cc: 'GLWAI Guidelines WG org'; 'WAI Interest Group'; firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:email@example.com> Subject: RE: Level AA exceptions In my trainings on WCAG 2 for both non-government and Section 508 audiences, I use this to differentiate the levels: What Do the SC Levels and Conformance Mean? Conformance Level: One levels of conformance is met in full. 1. Level A: (lowest/minimum) • Content satisfies all the Level A SC, or a conforming alternate version is provided. • Has the highest impact on the broadest array of user populations (or the highest degree of customer impact), and has the lowest impact on the presentation and business logic of the site. 1. Level AA: (higher) • Content satisfies all the Level A and Level AA SC, or a Level AA conforming alternate version is provided. • Higher Bar. Has a high impact for specific user populations, and may impose more changes to the presentation or business logic of the site. Requires an additional level of effort for developers. 1. Level AAA: (highest) (Not applicable to Section 508/ADA) Conformance Claims: Are optional, and, there are NO plans to require Conformance Claims in the New 508 Standards. I wouldn't say that the level of effort by developers in necessarily true in all cases, but it was one of the many things that Gregg was talking about that was taken into account – at that time in history and level of technology that was available at that point in time…………. * katie * Katie Haritos-Shea Senior Accessibility SME (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA) Cell: 703-371-5545 | firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com> | Oakton, VA | LinkedIn Profile<http://www.linkedin.com/in/katieharitosshea/> | Office: 703-371-5545 From: Phill Jenkins [mailto:email@example.com] Sent: Friday, August 14, 2015 3:09 PM To: Wayne Dick <firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com>> Cc: GLWAI Guidelines WG org <email@example.com<mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com>>; WAI Interest Group <email@example.com<mailto:email@example.com>> Subject: Re: Level AA exceptions Wayne, my response [in Phill bold blue brackets] ____________________________________________ Regards, Phill Jenkins, From: Wayne Dick <firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:email@example.com>> To: Katie Haritos-Shea <email@example.com<mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com>> Cc: CAE-Vanderhe <email@example.com<mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com>>, WAI Interest Group <firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com>>, Phill Jenkins/Austin/IBM@IBMUS, GLWAI Guidelines WG org <email@example.com<mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com>> Date: 08/14/2015 11:36 AM Subject: Re: Level AA exceptions ________________________________ What is normative? That really is the issue. I am less concerned informative notes because they are non-binding. Having attempted to explain Level A and Level AA many times to managers and programmers, I have found the logic of Understanding WCAG 2.0, very difficult and not compelling. Phill is correct. There is a gap that needs filling. We need clear language. I think, normative. [Phill writes: you are using "normative' in a different way than I was. Policies and regulations are "binding" when they say to conform with the particular Success Criteria (SC). In guidelines and standards speak, "normative" is defined in the glossary - see http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#glossary "Content required for conformance<http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#conformancedef> is referred to as "normative<http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#normativedef>." . Normative content is whether a SC is A or AA, Informative content is where we can explain why it is A or AA. Informative doesn't change the SC from being A or AA, nor does it change the binding part of the organization's or country's regulation or policy, it informs but doesn't set the requirement.] In my opinion it needs to be clear in its responsibility to stake holders, with the user with a disability being at the center. Web content in all formats is be profoundly robust. The migration to mobile formats has proven this. There is no need that essential functionality needs cannot be met, but we need to address concepts like the American terms, undue burden and fundamental alteration, carefully and land on normative language. Like all statements in natural language we need to allow for interpretation. Perhaps we need a formal elastic clause that permits variation. [Phill writes: now you are using the "language" that is in the policies and regulations, not something we need to address in WCAG. "Undue burden and "fundamental alteration" are policy terms used in 508 policy part, not found in WCAG 2.0. Another term used in policies and regulations is "scoping". What does the technical requirement apply to? for example. ADA is being considered by the Dept of Justice (DoJ) to be amended to apply the requirements in WCAG 2.0 to certain commercial web sites it has jurisdiction over. ADA has scoping terms like a percentage of the parking spaces need to be "van accessible", while the technical specs for the width of a "van accessible" parking spec is separate. DoJ calls the percentage of parking spaces a "standard" in legal terms, so that is confusing when we talk about technical requirements in the WCAG standard. Think of WCAG 2.0 as the list of technical specs for what makes a web site accessible, it is still up to a policy to scope which web sites need to conform and by when. There is also the jurisdiction or applicability part that the policy lawyers get involved in - for example, the Department of Transportation (DoT) has required all airline website to be conform to WCAG by a certain date, but DoT doesn't regulate Netflix, they are regulated by FCC, etc. WCAG doesn't regulate anyone, so there is no need for terms like "undue burden' or "fundamental alteration" to be included in WCAG..] I think what we can all agree on is that, level differentiation needs clarification. Now that WCAG is beyond the crazy flurry of criticism that it faced in 2008, WCAG WG can revisit these definitions. [Phill writes: well, changing something from a AA to an A is almost moot, because they are all required all the time anyway by the policy it seems - that is exactly my point and question. Should all and each and every one of the Level AA Success Criteria always be applicable to all content all the time? If not, why not, and is there any guidance from the working group specific to each SC? Ontario Canada, for example choose not to include SC 1.2.5 Audio Descriptions<http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#media-equiv-audio-desc-only> Level AA because of the cost and expertise needed to create video descriptions in audio format. I am not advocating for not including Level AA Success Criteria in policy and regulations, but I am asking for more informative content to explain to practitioners and policy makers why the working group thought a particular SC should be assigned to Level AA. Level A and AAA are easier, its the ones in the middle. Documenting the "why" helps inform all of us equally, which helps the community and the emerging professionals, which in turns helps the individual who has a disability at the center.] Phill has identifies a gap, that has confused many implementers. WayneReceived on Friday, 14 August 2015 20:30:10 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 13 October 2015 16:21:57 UTC


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Dark Chocolate Cranberry Crumble Cake
The week before Christmas is insane. Dealing with the flurry and excitement of family traditions and obligations, spending too much on gifts and stressing over what to buy people, rushing to get christmas cards out all while trying to relax and enjoy a season that is supposed to be magical seems somewhat impossible. We hosted Thanksgiving this year, a holiday potluck with almost twenty people two weeks later, had a friend from out of town visit last weekend, and I'm currently neck-deep in grad school applications, and honestly this year we are just over it. My plans for homemade butternut squash ravioli on christmas eve are going to turn into Indian food take out. And I'm ok with it.
I've been projecting my exhaustion on my students this week by attempting to gift them with the 10-minute savasana, a rare gem in modern yoga classes and the ultimate christmas gift. It's something we could ALL use. Unfortunately I haven't been to a yoga class in over a month and I'm started to feel it big time.
But seriously, my husband has never been a big fan of Christmas, he's always been all about Thanksgiving - gratitude, celebrating with family and friends, opening your doors to everyone, and being thankful for what you have, no gifts necessary. And I'm started to think he's onto something, because really who needs to collect more junk? We don't. I'm trying to embrace this by making edible gifts and gifting simple practical things. When my brother told me he wanted glass storage containers for food, preferably used, for christmas I about hugged him through the phone. Have I mentioned my brother pretty much lives off the grid? We have become our conservative consumerist parents' nightmare. My mom called me the other day stressing over whether to make ham, prime rib, or salmon for christmas dinner. I honestly don't know what kind of answer she expected from her vegetarian daughter but all she got was a big laugh. I say all of this being totally guilty myself. I worry about giving people the perfect gift, I stress about getting christmas cards out to the people we care about in time, and I've been obsessing over a holiday Pinterest board for weeks.
So I'm posting this cake. Then signing off. Attempting to relax and take a break from standing over the stove. Let someone else cook for me, give grad school applications a break, and snuggle with my husband and my puppy. I hope you take some time to do the same. Maybe even go big and give yourself a 10 minute savasana. Then, if you have time, make this cake. It's simple, christmas-y and delicious. Rich dark chocolate and bright sour juicy cranberries become best friends and play beautifully together under the buttery pecan crumble sun.
I am so tired. Can you tell? Over and out. Happy holidays. Merry Christmas. Be well, my friends.
Dark Chocolate Cranberry Crumble Cake
Makes 1 large 9-inch cake
Adapted by Smitten Kitchen
For the cake:
2 cups minus 1 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
8.5 ounces, or 2 heaping cups, fresh cranberries
7oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
For the crumble:
5 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and cold
Heat oven to 375. Butter and lightly flour a 9" cake pan then line base with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, sugars and zest until light and fluffy - around 5 minutes at full speed. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. With the mixer on low, pour in 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated, follow with 1/2 of the milk, 1/3 of the flour, the other 1/2 of the milk, and finally the last 1/3 of flour beating until incorporated between each addition. Remove bowl from the mixer and stir in cranberries and chocolate until evenly distributed- because the batter is super thick, I found using a wooden spoon worked much easier than a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth over the top.
Make the crumble. In a small bowl whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, pecans and salt. Using your hands or a pastry blender cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembled chunky sand - there should still be small bits of butter. Sprinkle the crumble over the cake and cook for 40-50 minutes until the crumble is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, flip to remove from cake pan and serve.
We left it at room temperature and like Deb says, it does get more moist the longer it's out. It was devoured within 36 hours, but she claims it will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature, after that pop it in the fridge.
December 2015 update: I tried it with Trader Joe's Gluten-Free flour and it was tasty but the cake didn't hold together when cut. The lack of gluten made things really fall apart.
Photography - our awesome neighbor came over the night I baked this and let me play with his camera. Needless to say it was far superior to my current camera which is an iphone...So if you're wondering why some of these photos look better than any I've ever posted that's why!

subset: commoncrawl


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I once said that John Percival, editor of the Currency Bulletin, has likely forgotten more about currency trading than most of us will ever know. I have been a reader of John's newsletter for over 20-years. I have learned a great deal from him, through his writings. Here is an example of his insights which I took from a very beaten up copy of his book, The Way of the Dollar, published back in 1991.
But why am I sharing this?
It's the pre-requisite for my little quiz. Can you think of a currency now that seems to fit within John's paradigm of a price extreme?


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: : Welcome to PinkAppleJam.com! : :
Hello and welcome to PinkAppleJam.com! PinkAppleJam is the online ID of Laura Watton, an illustrator / cartoonist / artist; a name used for various illustration and personal work projects.
PinkAppleJam works have been published via Letraset, Sheffield's Corporation nightclub, Shout Magazine, the UK Japanese Embassy, Tokyopop, NEO Magazine plus other publishers. Artwork and concept work has also been developed via PinkAppleJam for online games, indie shops, flyers and numerous art projects, and has also hosted talks about making comics, plus how-to-draw classes.
...Comics culture and creating stories you want to tell is important to me. I have produced a number of comic works, including stories featured in Sweatdrop Studios' anthologies, Tokyopop's Rising Stars of Manga UK & IR, and Neo Magazine's manga competition, sponsored by Stabilo.
My goal is to continue making indie art projects and comic books. I continue to publish Biomecha, which was one of the UK's earliest forays into Japanese-inspired indie comics, supported by Patreon donations and also funded via sales of my artwork through Etsy.
Thanks for looking! Enjoy your stay!
- Laura
Biomecha Comic :: Updates of my long-running comic!
Patreon :: Ongoing support for comic creation.
Etsy :: Laura's things for sale! Stuff to buy, as advertised in the banner.
Twitch: Streaming! Drawing! And stuff!
Comicsy :: Similar to Etsy, but only for comics.
Instagram :: Hipster filters make my sketches look a lot better! :D
Facebook Art Page :: News and updates of my artwork and projects.
Twitter :: Used for comic talk.
Wikipedia :: It'sa mee!
DeviantArt :: Reserved for uploads of incredibly old & cheesy fanart. Know your roots!
Tumblr :: This website, but in Tumblr format...


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In a short span of about four years, Xiaomi has come up to be fourth largest handset manufacturer in the world. The company's latest flagship Xiaomi Mi4 launched a few months back has been quite successful in the market. Buoyed by this success, Xiaomi seems to be working on its successor, the Mi5. Photos of what could be the Xiaomi Mi5, have been recently leaked in China. The leak is from a production line indicating that the new Xiaomi flagship could already be in production.
Leaked images of the alleged Xiaomi Mi5 reveal a substantial makeover in its design. The display looks to be larger than 5 inches. The side bezels appear extremely thin and the handset looks thin and elongated even though the actual thickness of the phone cannot be ascertained from its pics. However, the overall appearance is similar to the Mi4 except for the almost vanished side bezels.
Unfortunately, no other specifications are available at this point of time but rumor has it that the hardware of the Xiaomi Mi5 would be of flagship level but won't see a big update over that of its predecessor, the Mi4. Rumors suggest that the device will have a quad HD display, Snapdragon 805 processor and 3 GB of RAM.
Here's what the Xiaomi Mi5 will supposedly look like:
We may keep in mind that these images might be fake or it may be another Xiaomi handset and not the Mi5. Xiaomi is likely to announce its next flagship in the coming year though. Only last week the news came that the company is seeking funding to raise its market value to $40 billion, 4 times its current value of $10 billion.


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Today is the release day of KDE 4.0.0. The packages should find their way into the repository soon or they are already there. What's missing is another live image to test the new stable version of KDE without the need of installing rawhide. http://www.fedoraforum.de/iso/test/rawhide-KDE4-i686-20080109/rawhide-KDE4-i686-20080109.4.iso http://www.fedoraforum.de/iso/test/rawhide-KDE4-i686-20080109/rawhide-KDE4-i686-20080109.4.sha1sum Package list: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SebastianVahl/CurrentPackageList?action=recall&rev=25 Some screenshots of a running livecd: http://www.deadbabylon.de/blog/bilder/kde4/ Some notes: - the live image is for i686 - the packages are from 2008-01-09 - system-config-date is a newer version (which removes some dependencies: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=420101) - the updates for xorg-x11-server and xorg-x11-drv-vesa aren't included because the rest of the new x-server was missing - installation should be working again - firstboot seems to be re-written and is lacking the possibility to add a new user. This has to be done manually with "adduser" If you file bugs please add them to the KDE4Live-Tracker: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/showdependencytree.cgi?id=421891 The problems from the former kde4 live image are collected here: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SebastianVahl/KDE4LiveBugs Please verify if they are still existing. If so, please file bugs and add them to the page and/or the tracker. And please note: This is a test release for the inclusion of KDE 4.0.0 in Fedora. If you think there are other things, which could be enhanced, please notice us. If you find problems, please bug them. If you think you could/would help us constantly, feel free to join the KDE-SIG and/or participate in our SIG-Meetings: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SIGs/KDE http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SIGs/KDE/Meetings Help us to create a great user experience with KDE 4 in Fedora 9. This said, have fun with it. :) Sebastian
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The State Worker
Texas travel ban does not delay California's Hurricane Harvey support
California's ban on state-funded travel to Texas will not prevent local search-and-rescue teams from participating in Hurricane Harvey emergency relief efforts, the Office of Emergency Services said Monday.
California has sent eight search-and-rescue teams to Houston since Friday, including one team from Sacramento Fire Department.
The California National Guard today also is sending teams from its 129th Rescue Wing and a C-130 air tanker from its 146th Airlift Wing.
"The Cal Guard's commitment to keeping residents safe doesn't end with California," said California National Guard Commander Maj. Gen. David Baldwin.
The hurricane is the first emergency drawing California resources to one of the eight states that California public agencies are banned from visiting for work-related assignments.
The Legislature last year voted to block publicly funded travel to states with laws that California leaders view as discriminatory against gay and transgender people. Attorney General Xavier Becerra in June placed Texas on the list after Texas Gov. Greg Abbot signed a law that allows child welfare providers to deny services because of "sincerely held religious beliefs," a provision that critics interpreted as permitting adoption agencies to deny services to gay families
The California law has an exemption that allows public agencies to send employees to states on the prohibited travel list if the workers are considered essential for public health and safety. The Office of Emergency Services is coordinating California's response to the hurricane under that exemption, according to its public information office.
Aside from Texas, the other states that are subject to California travel restrictions are Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Dakota.
Adam Ashton: 916-321-1063, @Adam_Ashton. Sign up for state worker news alerts at sacbee.com/newsletters.


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You have the power to change who influences politics in our country: big unions, big corporations and government-funded special interest groups can be challenged by the contributions of thousands of individual taxpayers who care to make a difference.
How can you make the difference?
Fill it out, print and fax to: 1-306-205-8339
Canadian Taxpayers Federation 265-438 Victoria Ave East Regina, SK S4N 0N7


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Sunday, April 22, 2012
Rabbi's Little Helper
Psychiatry has long been accused of being an agent of social control. It appears that a new chapter to this story is being written in Israel. A few weeks ago Haaretz published "Rabbi's Little Helper," which related stories of people being taken to psychiatrists by their rabbis for medication, presumably in the hopes that their behavior will better conform to community standards. Today Haaretz published a follow-up titled "Psychiatric drugs become talk of the ultra-Orthodox community.
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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has released a Statement of Issues on the proposed acquisition of assets of Delta Imaging Pty Limited (in liquidation), Delta Imaging Maitland Pty Limited (in liquidation) and Cscan Asset Pty Limited (in liquidation), collectively, the Delta Imaging Group by Sonic Healthcare Limited (Sonic).
Sonic provides general diagnostic imaging services and MRI services in Newcastle and Maitland in NSW. The Delta Imaging Group also provided these services prior to it being placed in liquidation.
The ACCC's preliminary view is that the proposed acquisition is likely raise competition concerns in relation to the supply of MRI services in Newcastle.
The ACCC is also concerned that the acquisition may raise competition concerns in the markets for the supply of general diagnostic services and MRI services in Maitland.
"Outside of the public hospital system, the MRI units operated by Sonic and the Delta Imaging Group are the only MRI units capable of providing Medicare eligible MRI services. The ACCC is concerned that if Sonic acquires the Delta Imaging Group's MRI units, this will remove the potential for strong price competition in the supply of MRI services," ACCC Commissioner Dr Jill Walker said.
The ACCC invites further submissions from the market in response to the Statement of Issues by 13 January 2014. Subsequently, the ACCC's final decision will be deferred until 23 January 2014.
Submissions can be sent by email to the ACCC at email@example.com
The Statement of Issues is available on the Mergers Register.
Use this form to make a general enquiry.


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Captivating, beautiful and bursting with energy, Madrid is a vibrant metropolis that welcomes LGBT travellers with open arms, discovers Luke Till.
Must-see landmarks
The Royal Palace, or Palacio Real, is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family. Unless you book in advance, you're likely to queue for at least half an hour on any given day, but the € 11 admission fee is well worth it – King Charles III's Apartments are particularly exquisite.
Parque del Oeste, nearby, offers fantastic views of the palace and is home to the Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple rebuilt in Madrid in the early 1970s.
The Museo del Prado is Spain's main national art museum and houses one of the world's finest collections of European art. Contemporary art gallery the Reina Sofía is dedicated to 20th century art and features excellent collections of two great Spanish masters, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. It is also the place to see what is perhaps one of the most important and powerful works of contemporary art, Picasso's mural-sized oil painting Guernica, created in 1937 to bring worldwide attention to the Spanish Civil War.
Where's gay?
The neighbourhood of Chueca in the heart of Madrid is where you'll find most of the city's gay bars, clubs, restaurants and shops.
Bars tend to start getting busy from 11pm but often encourage guys to head out earlier with 2-for-€ 5 beers – bottles of Mahou are the popular choice (its brewery was founded in Madrid in 1890).
LaKama is the Ku Bar of Madrid, complete with shirtless bar studs and strong, spirit-based drinks.
Bulldog is a small but friendly venue that plays pop music videos and, as the name suggests, attracts a more mature crowd. HOT also pulls in mature bears and was packed when we dropped by on a Sunday evening.
Drag queens hit the stage most nights at LL Bar and has a fantastic atmosphere – even if you can't understand what's going on.
And Boyberry is a busy, sexy cruise bar and basement maze packed with cabins and dark corners.
Where to eat
Mercado San Miguel is an old market hall with loads of food options including a superb mozzarella bar and churros con chocolate – fried doughnut sticks served with a hot chocolate drink or sauce.
Similarly, Mercado San Anton in Chueca is fun; there's a huge range of tapas and an inexpensive rooftop bar with late opening times.
Platea on Plaza de Colon is a converted cinema/theatre where there are lots of options for tapas and bars. More of a day place, it's a nice place to sit and people watch, and there is often a DJ playing great music.
Buzzing locales Plaza de Puerta de Moros and Calle Cava Baja are filled with loads of tapas bars where you can go from restaurant to restaurant and have tapas and beer in each.
And the uber stylish Only YOU Boutique Hotel Madrid, also in Chueca, offers a sophisticated brunch buffet every Sunday from midday until 4pm, with fantastic breads, salads, meats and fruit juices just some of your options (onlyyouhotels.com).
Where to stay
Room Mate Oscar offers 74 rooms from which you can enjoy spectacular views of downtown Madrid. Its crowning glory, however, is the peaceful rooftop terrace bar, which offers bespoke cocktails (we had The Passport – gin, passion fruit, strawberry and Campari) and stunning views of the Telefónica, a 1920s Manhattan-inspired skyscraper (room-matehotels.com/en/oscar).
And building on its success in Barcelona and Berlin, Axel Hotels is set to open a new 87-room venue in Madrid on Atocha Street later this year (axelhotels.com/en/axel-hotel-madrid/hotel.html).
Why book now?
WorldPride Madrid 2017 runs from Friday 23 June until Sunday 2 July. The Parade will take place on Saturday 1 July and starts at Atocha train station at 6pm before making its way along Paseo del Prado and ending in Plaza de Colón at midnight. Visit worldpridemadrid2017.com and gomadridpride.com for more details.


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It's back -- and it can be very bad. But just how bad will the 2004 return of West Nile virus be?
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In 2002, West Nile virus caused the largest encephalitis epidemic in history. Last years' epidemic was arguably twice as large -- possibly because new tests made it possible to diagnose mild cases of West Nile fever.
The number of serious cases was about the same: 284 deaths in 2002 and 262 deaths in 2003. Thousands of people suffered dangerous brain infections with lingering effects. Many of them -- especially those with what's come to be called West Nile polio -- may never fully recover.
That was one of last year's surprises, says Dr. Grant L. Campbell, Ph.D. Campbell, based in Ft. Collins, Colo., heads the branch of the CDC that keeps track of West Nile cases.
"Last year we saw quite a few cases of acute flaccid paralysis -- the so-called West Nile polio," Campbell tells WebMD. "We have more than 30 such patients here in Colorado. Usually they don't have fever, then -- boom -- they get paralyzed in one limb or another. It often leads to respiratory failure and death. We saw some cases as far back as 1999, but we became more aware of it last year."
Lessons from 2003
The good news, Campbell says, is that the West Nile virus hasn't mutated into a more dangerous form. Although there have been minor changes in the bug's genetic makeup, the virus seen today is still the same virus that made its 1999 American debut in New York City.
Spread by migrating birds -- and perhaps by infected mosquitoes that find their way onto trucks and airplanes -- the virus moved south and then relentlessly marched westward. Last year, the hardest-hit states were Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, and North Dakota.
The virus did move west of the Rocky Mountains, but there were few human infections. Oregon and Washington reported no cases at all. California reported only three.
For reasons nobody can entirely explain, there tends to be a lot more West Nile disease when the virus finds its feet in a new area -- usually the second year after it first appears. It never, ever, goes away. But the number of cases tends to drop off. New York, for example, was where West Nile virus first landed in the U.S. But last year, that state reported only 71 human infections. Colorado, on the other hand, zoomed from 14 cases in 2002 to 2,326 cases in 2003.
"Nobody really understands the flattening out. We've seen it with St. Louis encephalitis virus in years before," Campbell says. "Part of it is bird immunity."


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Guest Speaker
Dr. Timothy DelSole, George Mason University
Thursday May 18,
7:00-9:00 Amphora Restaurant
377 Maple Avenue, West Vienna, VA 22180
RSVP today!
Join us on May 18 with Timothy DelSole, climate scientist and full professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences at George Mason University. Dr. DelSole will discuss climate change, its scientific bases and forecasts, and its implications for the U.S. and Virginia.
Dinner Cost: Members – $39 Non-Members – $49
Please state your meal preference with your RSVP
Fish, Chicken, Beef, or Vegetarian
About the speaker:
Timothy DelSole is a climate scientist who studies the extent to which future climate changes can be predicted on time scales from weeks to years. He is a full professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences at George Mason University, and a senior research scientist at the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies. He also currently serves as co-Chief Editor of the Journal of Climate.


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The FOS Approach to Financial Difficulty
What is financial difficulty?
We consider that financial difficulty occurs when a consumer is unexpectedly unable to meet their repayment obligations. This can be as a result of a variety of causes including accident, separation, death of a family member, unexpected medical or funeral expense, reduction of work hours, redundancy or a downturn in business.
Each year, a significant proportion of the disputes FOS accepts involve financial difficulty. Clearly, this is an area that requires much attention, not just by FOS, but by our members, and also the consumers who could potentially be involved in this type of dispute.
How FOS approaches financial difficulty taking into consideration legal principles, industry codes and good industry practice (PDF 333KB) (WORD 130KB)
Our power to vary regulated credit contracts (PDF 302KB) (WORD 126KB)
Working together to find solutions (PDF 267KB) (WORD 133KB)
Dealing with common financial difficulty issues (PDF 382KB) (WORD 133KB)
Early release of superannuation (PDF 277KB) (WORD 123KB)
Single ZIP file containing all Financial Difficulty Approach documents (ZIP 1.3MB)


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The Veil: Inheritance is a supplement for The Veil RPG, a cyberpunk roleplaying game Powered by the award winning Apocalypse Engine. It was Kickstarted successfully almost three years ago.
In The Veil, humanity has the technology to perceive both the digital and the physical in a blended, hybridized reality via neurochips that are implanted into almost every person. This Veil has become the new reality. It is ubiquitous and it is pervasive.
The game gives you everything you need to extrapolate a cyberpunk future from our present. It places interesting, compelling characters that drive the fiction at the center of the game while enabling everyone at the table to contribute what they like about cyberpunk to the fiction.
The second book, The Veil: Cascade, introduced a mechanic for flashbacks and had 6 new kinds of characters. It also advanced the timeline. In Cascade, players are Glitches — people whose neurochips were salvaged and put into human bodies devoid of consciousness called Slacks. They awaken into a foreign future and, because of their antiquated neurochips, don't have access to all of their memories. It puts the players' questions about themselves and the ways in which the world has changed at the center of the fiction and allows for players to continue playing their previous character from the core Veil game.
Inheritance is the next step. The third book, it advances the timeline even further into space and colonized worlds. The below campaign page goes into detail about Inheritance and the mechanics of the game, in broad strokes.
The FREE Version of The Veil (without layout and without art) can be found here. And the original Kickstarter page here.
Inheritance moves the assumed semi-near future implications of the setting from The Veil into a far-flung future. Humanity has stretched out into space and, to combat the unknown, megacorporations have ushered in the creation of a manufactured middle class, called Imprints. Tailored from conception, they are imprinted with genetic memories which enable them to use skills and abilities they otherwise wouldn't have access to.
You play a crew of such Imprints with specialized skill-sets taking the jobs you decide. It's a little bit Cowboy Bebop, a little bit Blade Runner, but with a biopunk spin. The setting implications allow for a wide range of stories to be framed. Bounty hunters taking on contracts in order to make ends meet; rebels attempting to put a stop to the megacorporations (perhaps even the ones who created the player characters, who knows!). Or maybe you're navigators and explorers sent ahead of colony ships to find a safe path and world to live on.
The concept is that you're bioengineered people in a crew that has worked together in the past. The choice of character archetypes, called playbooks, steer the fiction. Allowing you to choose if your game is centered on exploration, discovery, combat,and then move the dials to get your ideal combination of them to focus on the sweet spot the table wants.
To further help you with this there are is an adventure starter in the book that is ready to be played and which can used for one-shot play or as a springboard for a campaign. If this campaign does well we will add additional starters as stretch goals to the book!
To help you decide if this game is for you, a Quickstart called Knocking on Heavens Door is available as a Pay-what-you-want product, linked below. Just click on the cover image directly below this text or the hyperlink on the word "Quickstart" throughout this campaign page.
In Inheritance you choose a playbook to build a character. These work like loose character archetypes that let you know what kind of character this will best let you play as and has other information you can select, like their look and how they choose to present themselves to everyone else.
There are 5 playbooks included already, all of which you can see in the QuickStart, and one more, the Shepherd, waiting to be unlocked as a stretch goal.
Within these archetypes is a wealth of customization and interpretations of possible characters. Each have a unique flavor and come entangled with the setting elements and choices that make them feel like much more than just embodied tropes.
The Clipper eliminates targets, yes. But in a world where everyone has neurochips and their minds are backed up, the clipper was made to be someone who has the ability to wipe out the information on a target's neurochip and their digital footprint, making death from a Clipper a "real death". But there is a chance the data being eliminated can enter the Clipper during that process; making the choice to deal out real death more complicated than pulling a trigger. What if you killed someone and you also became the last bastion for some of their memories?
The Custodian is optimized for protecting others as well as themselves. They also hold the totality of their life experience in their actual body, encoded in their blood. Custodians are charged with safe guarding their knowledge in a time when everyone is connected to a vast amount of information and misinformation via the neurochips grafted to their minds.
The Linker uses any trace of a thing to find it, even across the vast expanse of space. But the pursuit can also change them; as they think like the target and take in more trace information, they may take on qualities (codified as conditions, mechanically) reflecting their obsession and journey of discovery.
The Sparrow solves problems as they occur. Humanity has no idea what to expect in space, or the challenges they might face. Sparrows are creators and builders. They can also become lost in the problems they delve into. The greater the problem, the more they may need to give up to accomplish what they set out to do. Yet no problem is beyond them.
The Mirror, given the opportunity to study a person or their likeness, can then pass for them exactly. This makes them excellent infiltrators and spies...but within the intimacy of reflecting a person they may also get to know who they really are, and get to know themselves better in the process.
Inheritance uses questions created by the player as the primary driving force of the story. Players create three questions, all with guidelines in the text to help them do so, and the person running the game uses that information to drive the fiction so that the story is always about finding out the answer to those questions and is always relevant to the players. Even if they are given a mission, what they want out of the mission varies and the questions chosen by the players reflect that. They also serve to let the table know what kinds of stories the player is interested in and what they want from a campaign.
Players get experience by working toward those answers and crafting new ones once they get answered. That experience is used to get advances, of which there are many. See the Quickstart for some examples of advances.
Each player also has genetic memories. These memories allow for the player characters to take moves, things only those specific characters can do, from other archetypes. Including ones from the previous two books. This allows for a huge range of customization for your character. There are 18 previous playbooks, all with a bunch of moves to select from, as well as the other playbooks not in use in Inheritance.
Beyond mechanical customization, these memories can also be used in other exciting ways. If you want to connect the story you told with previous Veil games with that of your current game in Inheritance, you could decide the memories your character has are from a previous character, allowing you to find out what happened to them between the previous game and your current one. If this sounds appealing, you could use the previous QuickStart release for The Veil: Cascade beta test, called Glitch City, and then jump to Knocking On Heavens Door afterward; enabling you to explore the notion of going from a previous Veil game to Inheritance.
There is a flashback mechanic that is used by players for just such a thing, supporting this concept. You could conclude a game of The Veil on a cliffhanger and then play Inheritance, unraveling what happened next as you play without any pressure to come up with something right away. Because your questions drive the game and you get experience for answering them, you have the opportunity to create a question that is about the past and, as you use flashbacks to reveal your character's past, you also get experience for doing it!
If your Inheritance game is about discovering what happened to those previous characters through play, you don't necessarily need to use flashbacks. Instead, you could simply play to find out happened and use the memories as plot hooks for why your character wants to discover what happened.
Memories can also be used, optionally, as sources of dramatic tension in your game. As in Blade Runner 2049 or Strange Days memories could also be used as a kind of conditioning. If the players opt-in to use conditioning, they select from a list on their playbook that reinforce the notion that these memories were selected to have them perform their purpose. It might mean their instinct is to distance themselves from close relationships or protect themselves over others, for example. When players select these and conform to the behavior in the statement, they get additional experience. But when they don't, they lose access to something, such as a move, permanently.
Players can create their own statements, too, rather than using the pre-made lists. They use what they find interesting and disregard ones that they think wouldn't be fun for them to explore and play out. Because this could easily become heavy material for many players, this remains something that is purely optional.
Powered by the Apocalypse games use two, six-sided dice. You add a stat to the result of the dice to get your level of success. It is a fail forward system, meaning even when you fail, something happens. The higher the die roll the less complicated your success is.
The Veil uses emotions as your stats (called States). There are six emotions, with pairs grouped together. This means when you roll you are thinking about your character in the fiction and communicating more context when you roll. This gives the other players more insight and information to play off of.
When a player describes their character doing something and what they say matches what is called a trigger in a move, we roll dice to find out what happens next. Moves are the primary mechanic and they determine when we should roll to see what happens next. Moves are tailored to fictional circumstances and provide additional context for important beats in the story.
This is described in more detail above, in the QuickStart. In the top most section you can also find the text only version of The Veil, which goes into quite a bit more depth.
Do you need a copy of The Veil to run this game? Yes and no. If you're familiar with Powered by the Apocalypse games the reference sheets that will come with The Veil: Inheritance might be enough. If you aren't, you will need the core book, as this supplement will not go into detail about the system. Only what is new will be covered in the book.
This is the third book in a modular design inspired by the book, and later, movie, Cloud Atlas. You can play The Veil for a while and then use those same characters when you jump forward in time to Cascade. With help from genetic memories and flashbacks, you could then make the jump into Inheritance; forging three separate stories intertwined as you play to find out what happens in each.
Inheritance is going to be softcover, around 300 pages, full colour, graphic-novel sized, and have a wrap-around cover. We almost always do graphic-novel size because it's the largest format that is still easily viewable in a single column layout from electronic devices such as phones and tablets.
Like all of our kickstarter projects, we will be subsidizing shipping. The kickstarter price is cheaper than what the product will retail for afterward. Without you we wouldn't have a product at all and to thank you for this, we give you the best deal possible and make sure you are the first people to get the book.
We are dedicated to diverse representation and are working with a fantastic illustrator, Simon Sweetman, in order to make sure we achieve this goal.
To purchase an add-on select the reward tier that you want. If you want a digital game choose "Inheritance + Digital Add-On". If you want a physical book, choose "Physical Add-on". All physical books come with the digital version. Once you select the reward tier add the matching dollar amount to your tier level. After the kickstarter ends and money has been collected, about two weeks later, we will send a survey asking you what you purchased and it will be sent to you. Everything below is discounted by 10%, the first sale we've ever done.
Physical prices include the cost of shipping the item worldwide from our webstore located in South Korea. Click on any of the follow images to learn more about the product.
*REACHED*At $9,000 CAD, we unlock a new playbook, the Shepherd. An aeronaut is able to interface with the crafts they pilot. They're a navigator that can figure out safe routes through space and glean information from the expanse that others cannot.
*REACHED* At $12,000 CAD I'll make a playbook that we've been noodling around with. Every time you need a ship or a *gasp* mech in your game, this playbook is brought out and filled in. The size of craft automatically determines stats. Perhaps most fun of all, it also has moves on it that players can work toward when using the playbook. Imagine what a Shepherd could do interfaced with a mech! If you're playing Cowboy Bebop bounty hunters you need to be able to do some ship combat, right?!
*REACHED*At $16,000 CAD, we will be able to get some more art commissioned from Simon Sweetman for the game.
* REACHED* At $23,000 CAD we will be able to upgrade the paper quality of the book and increase the art budget to where we'd like it to be. Lots of illustrations and a decent art budget for full and double page illustrations. This is about $17,000 USD, so at this level we can safety cover all our costs for the book. Thank you for helping us get to this point!
*Unlocked* At $30,000 CAD, something really special happens. We will pay Mabel Harper to hack The Veil: Inheritance into an OSR (Old School Renaissance) game called Ultraviolet Violence (working title), using the mechanical framework of classic adventure role-playing games to take the unique hybrid-reality cyberpunk of The Veil in a whole new direction.
Mabel Harper is a trans Filipina musician, writer, game designer, and digital artist living in Philadelphia. When she's not creating the stuff of nightmares, she's either making queer pop music as Don't do it, Neil, or she's co-authoring switchblade-and-sorcery web serial Form and Void with her partner. Or she might just be vegging out on her bed and watching anime with her cats.
This will be a separate, black and white product printed via print-on-demand services over at DrivethruRPG. Everyone will get the digital version for free. Should you back at a physical reward level you will also get an at-cost coupon that enables you to have the book printed and shipped to you for the price of printing the materials (generally a few USD dollars) and the cost of shipping.
*Unlocked* At $32,000 CAD, we will commission Takuma Okada for an adventure starter: Vanguard of the Pegasus
As the player characters rest at a spaceport and prepare to start their next job, the entire place is locked down. Imprint and ace mech pilot Kei Fusion, callsign Pegasus, has gone rogue. Their handlers have tracked them here, and they are not happy. The players must escape with Kei and help them trace their fragments of memory back to a terrifying secret that their previous Slack died to protect. But they must beat an elite squad of mech pilots to it, the ghosts of the defeated Zenith Empire who are seeking what they believe is a superweapon that could revive their cause.
Takuma Okada is a Japanese game designer, writer, and musician. Their music can be found at SoundCloud, and their games are available on Itch.io. They are part of the Beam Saber playtest AP The Cenotaph. She is currently working on a fantasy tavern simulation tabletop game called Stewpot, and can be found on several episodes of the RPG Design Friends podcast as well. Keep up with her work on Twitter or on Patreon, where you can find other upcoming games and podcasts.
At 35,000 CAD, Kira Magrann will write On the Run!
A prisoner has escaped from space orbital holding cells by transferring her consciousness into a bird shaped slack. The prison owner has a bounty on her head that the characters pick up on their comms and they're eager for a cred. But the prisoner's been falsely accused of the crime that put her there for life, and wants you to help prove her innocence and restore her previous body. Hop from space station to planet colony in this body swapping story of body colonization and prison abolition.
Kira is a tabletop roleplaying game designer, queer nonbinary cyborg, and snake mom living in Columbus, Ohio. She is known best for her most recent games A Cozy Den (about lesbisnakes in winter time) and Something Is Wrong Here (an uncanny emotional love letter to David Lynch's work). Kira has a Patreon where she designs experimental games, a YouTube vlog where she talks about game design, and she blogs monthly at Gnome Stew. She is also the creator of #Aprilttrpgmaker, and the newsletter featuring marginalized creators More Seats at the Table. Follow her current projects at @Kiranansi on Twitter.
Fraser Simons, the designer of The Veil, played what would eventually become the QuickStart scenario for Inheritance during GauntletCon 2018!
He's also run a longer campaign for the Gauntlet gaming community. starting in The Veil, then moving the game to Cascade, and then ending with a playtest of Inheritance. It is 13 sessions long, though, (and the first playtest of Inheritance, ever at that time!), so we'll just post the first episode in each series here. From there you can view it how you like.
If you want to play games online, give the Gauntlet a look. There are a lot of games on the schedule every week and it's a great community.
As with the QuickStart above, we plan on hiring cultural consultants to look over everything once the game is finalized. Hopefully we can get the same people, Takuma Okada and Mabel Harper.
Fraser Simons of Samjoko Publishing is the writer and designer of The Veil: Inheritance. He has also Kickstarted three other roleplaying games, The Veil and a supplement for it, Cascade, and Hack The Planet. He is a cyberpunk enthusiast and blogs about it frequently over at Consuming Cyberpunk. You can find him on Twitter @frasersimons.
Kyle Simons is a developmental editor as well as the creator and founder of Samjoko Publishing and has Kickstarted quite a few projects, from his language learning roleplaying game that teaches players how to speak Korean through play, Magicians, to his superhero Powered by the Apocalypse game, Worlds in Peril and Operators, his action-movie RPG. Find him on Twitter @kylejsimons.
Lauren McManamon is a professional editor, game designer, and technical writer. Her previous editing work includes Good Society: A Jane Austen RPG by the Storybrewers, The Veil: Cascade, Uncanny Echo, and Hack the Planet by Fraser Simons. She's also been the editor for Codex, the Gauntlet community's monthly zine Codex for over a year. You can find her on Twitter @thestraykiwi.
Simon Sweetman is a Toronto-based freelance illustrator. He also works as concept and production artist for games, currently developing a project with Actual Humans. Simon is a food enthusiast, and is developing a food-based illustration series titled "Umai!" that celebrates his love of East Asian cuisine through depictions of fantastical beings preparing and eating it. You can find him on Twitter @SiSweetman and ArtStation.
Jason Cordova is a developmental editor on this project and the principal organizer of The Gauntlet gaming community. He hosts several popular podcasts about independent tabletop roleplaying games, is the editor-in-chief of the Codex zine, and has been developmental editor on numerous projects. Find the Gauntlet and Jason on Twitter @GauntletRPG.
Risks and challenges
There is a potential for life events to occur that delay the projected timeline. A printer may take longer than their estimates to deliver, shipping times guesstimated are incorrect due to unforeseen circumstances. As more stretch goals are unlocked and more content is added there is a greater risk of delays introduced by other contributors' life events.
This is a reality of publishing and with 6 projects and years of experience behind us, we believe we can adhere to this timeline. We've been on time for all but one project. Fraser now does this work full-time so is dedicating as much time as possible to Samjoko Publishing projects.Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
Funding period
- (26 days)


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We love our dehydrators. We use several brands (most on this list) and by no means is this a commercial for any company over the other. This is just insight into the market of dehydrators for a customer looking to purchase a dehydrator to make jerky with! Most include 4 trays for a "base model" dehydrator. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for dehydrating times/temperatures.
A dehydrator is similar to anything else you buy. One can get a dehydrator for $40.00 at Walmart or spend as much as $600…
Dehydrators with top fans or fans in the back are preferable. Standard settings for jerky dehydrating on most dehydrators with temperature control adjustments. 160 is the norm for dehydrating jerky in the oven or dehydrator. Follow the instructions in the box for making jerky!
Each one on this list is less than $200.00 and most can be bought on the manufacturer's websites or at local retail stores in your town.
Remember, if you don't want to shell out the cash for a dehydrator on each bottle of Jerky Gold Marinade is instructions how to make jerky in your oven!
****DISCLAIMER***** These pictures are for visuals of dehydrator brands out there only. Always do your research about dehydrators and their capabilities for dehydrating jerky before purchasing! If you can't find your answers on google, call the manufacturer you're interested in and ask questions or e-mail them!


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Like many companies, your organization may have IoT on your strategic agenda – then get daunted by all the challenges of running a connected services business. Take a tip from industry leaders on a key to success: automating connectivity management.
With thousands or even millions of connected devices, it's too complex and costly to monitor and manage connectivity manually. Automating connectivity management of your IoT devices enables you to lower operational costs and accelerate time to market for IoT services that drive new recurring revenue.
Tackling critical IoT challenges
In our video series on the Cisco Jasper Control Center platform, we start by highlighting key challenges that can impact your IoT services, and how automating connectivity management is business critical.
For example, how will you…?
- Protect your customers and your business. You'll need to detect and stop unusual device behavior to prevent fraud.
- Ensure service reliability. You'll need to quickly find and fix problems, often when your technicians are hundreds of miles away from your devices.
- Lower total cost of ownership. You'll need to monitor data usage and optimize rate plans to ensure connectivity costs don't crush your bottom line.
- Monetize IoT services. You'll need to easily roll out new IoT services that meet evolving customer needs and grow recurring revenue streams.
- Scale globally. You'll need cost-effective ways to expand into new markets and seamless access to new mobile service providers.
Managing connectivity puts you in control to stay on top of these challenges, and Control Center is the industry-leading cloud platform that makes it happen.
Check out our video introduction to connectivity management, as well as other videos in the series to explore key capabilities of Control Center – from device lifecycle automation and remote diagnostics, to cost controls and comprehensive security.
Learn what Control Center can do for you, and why businesses leading the IoT revolution rely on the Cisco Jasper platform to achieve meaningful bottom-line results.


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TransUnion reached a preliminary agreement in a class action lawsuit last month, which means millions of consumers will get their credit score and up to nine months of credit-monitoring service for free.
You can register for benefits now by going to www.listclassaction.com.
The settlement applies to any consumer who had a credit card, loan or credit account between January 1987 and May 28, 2008 (this will probably include you ). I blogged about it in an earlier post.


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8 Top Tips for Small Business SuccessPosted by Tom Moran on 29 November 2017 at 05:00pm
As the largest small business retail network in the UK, to mark Small Business Saturday, we've spoken to the some of the many entrepreneurial postmasters within our 11,500 strong network for their top tips for small business success.
I'm constantly inspired by the postmasters that are running successful small businesses in diverse locations across the country. All of them are using the Post Office, particularly the footfall it brings in to their shops, to make the businesses more profitable and sustainable.


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U.S. to outlaw antibacterial soaps
AlexRaths/ iStockphoto
Antibacterial soaps will not remain on U.S. grocery store shelves for much longer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has just approved a new measure that will ban 19 ingredients in soaps. The ban will go into effect in one year. All of the banned substances had been promoted as germ killers.
What made FDA take this move? The term "antibacterial" suggests that such soaps can halt the spread of germs. In fact, "we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water," says Janet Woodcock. She directs FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. It's in Silver Spring, Md. Three years ago, FDA asked soap makers to submit data on the safety and efficacy of such products. But they could not prove that these chemicals made their products better than regular soap at getting rid of germs.
Worse, some data suggest these germ killers "may do more harm than good over the long-term," Woodcock adds.
Why? In the Federal Register document outlining the new ban, FDA described this issue. Antiseptic chemicals do kill germs. But low levels of these chemicals are not very effective. Any germ that isn't killed may even evolve a resistance to these chemicals — especially when exposed to dilute amounts. And when these chemicals wash down a sink's drain and into the environment, they will be diluted. Once a microbe develops genes to resist the "germ killer," it can share those genes with other germs. Eventually, a great many germs may become resistant to — unaffected by — these chemicals.
The soon-to-be outlawed chemicals include triclosan (TRY-klo-san) and triclocarban. They are the two most widely used non-prescription antiseptics. Each year, U.S. soap manufacturers use an estimated 363,614 kilograms (799,426 pounds) of triclosan and 640,000 kilograms of triclocarban for their products, FDA said.
Concerns over triclosan
Of the two chemicals, triclosan is best known. That's largely because of studies pointing to the risks it may pose.
A report on triclosan in Science News, 15 months ago, noted that: "In people, the chemical shows up in blood, urine, breast milk, umbilical cords and snot. The health risks of prenatal doses of triclosan are unknown. In the nose, however, researchers found that triclosan-laced snot helps Staphylococcus aureus bacteria invade the body. Such invasions increased the risk of staph infections, which can cause pneumonia." Pneumonia is a potentially life-threatening lung disease.
The triclosan that washes down the drain when people wash their hands flows to city water-treatment plants. There the pollutant can affect the bacteria relied upon to break down sewage. Studies have suggested that the chemical can kill off some of these good microbes. And it can make others resistant to the antiseptic.
The European Union has reported finding concentrations of triclosan in a number of regions that suggest "bacterial resistance could occur," the FDA said. There's no proof that triclosan resistance is a public health risk yet. But FDA cited studies indicating that resistance to this chemical is building.
That's why, to play it safe, FDA noted that it could not characterize this chemical — or the others affected by the new ban — as "generally recognized as safe."
The new FDA ban does not include hand sanitizers. FDA is studying them separately. In the meantime, the agency recommends using hand sanitizers that are at least 60 percent alcohol. Or people can just wash with old-school soap and water.
Oh, and another federal agency — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — also has instructions on how best to wash your hands. Indeed, CDC argues that good hand washing is basically a "do-it-yourself vaccine" against infections.
Power Words
(for more about Power Words, click here)
antibacterial Having properties that tend to destroy or limit the growth or reproduction of bacteria.
antiseptic (noun) A chemical, such as alcohol, used to kill germs. (adj.) A surface or environment that it totally germ-free or scrupulously clean.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC An agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC is charged with protecting public health and safety by working to control and prevent disease, injury and disabilities. It does this by investigating disease outbreaks, tracking exposures by Americans to infections and toxic chemicals, and regularly surveying diet and other habits among a representative cross-section of all Americans.
chemical A substance formed from two or more atoms that unite (become bonded together) in a fixed proportion and structure. For example, water is a chemical made of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom. Its chemical symbol is H2O. Chemical can also be an adjective that describes properties of materials that are the result of various reactions between different compounds.
compound (often used as a synonym for chemical) A compound is a substance formed from two or more chemical elements united in fixed proportions. For example, water is a compound made of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom. Its chemical symbol is H2O.
data Facts and/or statistics collected together for analysis but not necessarily organized in a way that give them meaning. For digital information (the type stored by computers), those data typically are numbers stored in a binary code, portrayed as strings of zeros and ones.
efficacy The ability of something to work as expected or achieve desired results.
European Union The confederation of European countries (currently 28) that have agreed to work peacefully together. Residents of EU can move freely between its member countries and sell goods to them. Most members have also adopted the same currency, known as the Euro.
Food and Drug Administration (or FDA) A part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, FDA is charged with overseeing the safety of many products. For instance, it is responsible for making sure drugs are properly labeled, safe and effective; that cosmetics and food supplements are safe and properly labeled; and that tobacco products are regulated.
germ Any one-celled microorganism, such as a bacterium, fungal species or virus particle. Some germs cause disease. Others can promote the health of higher-order organisms, including birds and mammals. The health effects of most germs, however, remain unknown.
infection A disease that can spread from one organism to another. It's usually caused by some sort of germ.
infectious An adjective that describes a type of germ that can be transmitted to people, animals or other living things.
microbe Short for microorganism . A living thing that is too small to see with the unaided eye, including bacteria, some fungi and many other organisms such as amoebas. Most consist of a single cell.
prenatal An adjective that refers to something that occurs before birth.
resistance (as in antimicrobial resistance) The reduction in the effectiveness of a drug or other chemical to kill the germs responsible for an infection.
risk The chance or mathematical likelihood that some bad thing might happen. For instance, exposure to radiation poses a risk of cancer. Or the hazard — or peril — itself. Among cancer risks that the people faced were radiation and drinking water tainted with arsenic.
sanitize (n. sanitizer) The process of removing substances that can spread disease.
sewage Wastes — primarily urine and feces — that are mixed with water and flushed away from homes through a system of pipes for disposal in the environment (sometimes after being treated in a big water-treatment plant).
Staphylococcus aureus (also known as staph) A species of bacteria that is responsible for a number of serious human infections. It can cause surface abscesses, or boils. If it gets into the bloodstream, where it can be carried throughout the body, it may also cause pneumonia and infections of the joints or bones.
toxic Poisonous or able to harm or kill cells, tissues or whole organisms. The measure of risk posed by such a poison is its toxicity.
triclosan A germ-killing chemical added to some common products such as hand soaps and sponges.
vaccine A biological mixture that resembles a disease-causing agent. It is given to help the body create immunity to a particular disease. The injections used to administer most vaccines are known as vaccinations.
Government Rule: U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Safety and effectiveness of consumer antiseptics; topical antimicrobial drug products for over-the-counter human use. Federal Register. Vol. 81, September 6, 2016, p. 61106.
Agency Announcement: FDA requests additional information to address data gaps for consumer hand sanitizers. June 29, 2016.
Journal: X. Wu et al. Treated wastewater irrigation: uptake of pharmaceutical and personal care products by common vegetables under field conditions. Environmental Science & Technology. Vol. 48, October 7, 2014, p. 11286. doi: 10.1021/es502868k.
Journal: P.J. McNarmara, T.M. LaPara and P.J. Novak. The impacts of triclosan on anaerobic community structures, function, and antimicrobial resistance. Environmental Science & Technology. Published online June 10, 2014. doi: 10.1021/es501388v.
Journal: J. Heidler and R.U. Halden. Mass balance assessment of triclosan removal during conventional sewage treatment. Chemosphere. Vol. 66, January 2007, p. 362. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2006.04.066.


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Browsing Color
Emily Shipley Weds Nick Crouch | Black Tie NYE Wedding from Emily Nicole Photo
Holiday weddings are always so festive, and Emily and Nick's black tie NYE wedding was the absolute best way for the couple to ring in the new year! Oklahoma wedding...CONTINUE READING >
Contemporary Romance Styled by Ivory Rose Event Co.
Fall in love with the contemporary romance of this intimate dinner party reception design by Ivory Rose Event Co.! We're getting romantic vibes from this artistic s...CONTINUE READING >
Dr. Elizabeth Franklin Weds Patrick Gilbert | Classically Elegant Country Club Wedding
A gorgeous soiree like Elizabeth and Patrick's is simply timeless! Their elegant country club wedding featured a fantastic team of Oklahoma wedding vendors that brou...CONTINUE READING >
A Black Wedding Dress Inspired Design at Holloway House
This show-stopping black wedding dress inspired shoot at Holloway House is making us wish fall would get here sooner! Featuring gorgeous florals and styling from Jun...CONTINUE READING >
Natural Rustic Oklahoma Wedding Captured by Sarah Libby Photography | Madison + Chace
Sarah Libby Photography //Madison and Chace met their freshman year at Deer Creek High School. The couple dated throughout high school and decided to...CONTINUE READING >
Traditional Oklahoma Wedding Captured by Holly Gannett Photography | Joanna + Tony
Holly Gannett Photography //Joanna and Tony met after mutual friends introduced them in hopes that they would hit it off. Turns out, the pair was a p...CONTINUE READING >
Glam Tulsa Wedding Captured by Tara Lokey Photography | Sterling + Jordan
Tara Lokey Photography //Redeemed Productions//Black and white are classic wedding hues, and this glam Tulsa wedding is chock full of bea...CONTINUE READING >
Old Hollywood Glam Wedding from Emerson Events | Lauren + Kevin
Todd Scott | Photographer //Black and white with pops of gold and red just oozes that old Hollywood glam feel - what perfect inspiration from Lauren ...CONTINUE READING >
Luxe 1940s Inspired Oklahoma Wedding | Natasha + Charlie
Motley Melange //Natasha and Charlie's glittering gold, super luxe 1940s inspired Oklahoma wedding is the perfect inspiration for the bride-to-be wan...CONTINUE READING >
Vintage Ballroom Wedding | Brooklyn + Justin
Amanda Watson Photography //Brooklyn + Justin's vintage ballroom wedding in Oklahoma City is classic, definitely a must see for any bride planning a...CONTINUE READING >


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The Puppet President Medvedev's Betrayal of Russian Democracy
Dmitry Medvedev shocked Russians with his announcement that he was ceding the presidency back to Vladimir Putin. It is now clear that Medvedev was never more than a placeholder for his mentor, and his supposed plans to modernize Russia were little more than empty soundbites. Indeed, Medvedev may have damaged the country even more than Putin has.
There is a scene that serves as a metaphor for the fate of Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev. It took place in December 2008, long before Russia's 46-year-old president committed political suicide last Saturday.
Medvedev had only been in office for seven months at the time. He was giving a speech to 5,000 guests at the Kremlin, at an event to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Russian constitution. The constitution had just been amended to lengthen the terms of the president and the parliament -- and thus reduce the frequency of elections.
Just as Medvedev was praising the Kremlin for its contributions to freedom and democracy, a young man, a student of economics at a Moscow university, stood up and shouted: "Why are you listening to him? He has violated all civil and human rights himself! This country has censorship and no free elections "
Security officers in black suits pounced on the 25-year-old and held his mouth shut. "Let him go!" Medvedev shouted. "The constitution was ratified precisely so that everyone could have the right to express his opinion!" But the men from the Kremlin security service completely ignored Medvedev. Instead, they grabbed the troublemaker and carried him out of the room.
A similar problem has plagued Medvedev throughout his presidency. Whenever his limousine approached the Kremlin, the security guards would announce: "The president is about to arrive!" But when it was Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the limousine, they would say: "Nastoyashtchiy yedet" -- "Now the real one is coming."
It has been a week since Medvedev, at the convention of the ruling party, United Russia, meekly agreed to give up his post and allow himself to be sidelined into the position of prime minister. It was the most important shift in Russia's course since Boris Yeltsin promoted then KGB Colonel Putin to the highest office in the country, less than 12 years ago, and one that will likely continue to affect the enormous country for more than a decade to come. Medvedev will remain Russia's leader for only seven more months. Since last weekend, the state-owned broadcasters have been referring to Medvedev as the "current" president, as if they couldn't wait for the changing of the guard to be completed.
There has been no public outcry in Moscow since then. On the day after the announcement, only 500 outraged citizens assembled in front of the Pushkin monument, a favorite meeting place for dissidents.
But there has been fierce discussion in political circles over the many questions that remain. Is Putin's return to the Kremlin good for Russia's stability, or is it the kiss of death for democracy and liberalism? Does it herald an economic upturn or stagnation?
The most important question is whether Medvedev, in the three-and-a-half years of his presidency, ever fought for the values he promoted. It is quite possible that he knowingly accepted the role of the obedient Kremlin soldier in a drama, whose outcome the Putin/Medvedev tandem only revealed to the public last weekend. If that is the case, he was merely a seat warmer on the Kremlin throne -- a figurehead not unlike the farmer's son Mikhail Kalinin, who formally represented the Soviet Union as its nominal head of state for 23 years under Stalin, or the Ukrainian Nikolai Podgorny, who did the same thing for 21 years under party leader Leonid Brezhnev.
If things truly unfolded the way it appears, this president played an ominous role for Russia in the last few years, despite his supposedly liberal views -- or precisely because of them. It appears that he was nothing more than Putin's accomplice.
Portrayed as Weak
Shortly before his election in 2008, many already believed that Medvedev would merely serve as a placeholder in the Kremlin. In recent months, however, there had been growing rumors that Putin would return to power, rumors reinforced by a weekly barrage of images of Putin as an omnipotent leader presented: at the steering wheel of a Lada, as he drives (alone, supposedly) across Siberia, hunting a gray whale in the Pacific, riding a motorcycle with a group of bikers and diving down to the sea floor to recover an antique amphora. The most recent photo is of Putin standing bare-chested in front of a doctor, who confirms that he is in excellent health.
The message was clear: Look at me, I'm the strongest man in the country. At the same time, photos of Medvedev portrayed him as weak and almost despondent, constantly announcing that he would soon issue a statement about his political future as president -- which he never did. He had already given up months ago.
It isn't Putin's return that is surprising, but the manner in which the tandem -- or rather, Putin -- staged the game they were playing: as a big production at the convention of the United Russia party. The directors had brought in 10,000 schoolchildren and students to be an enthusiastic audience for the eerie government drama at the Luzhniki Palace of Sports in Moscow. No one knew what exactly the party would be voting on, but each attendee was given a sheet of paper with instructions on what to wear ("jacket, no tie, with jeans") and a list of slogans to chant ("chant each one at least five times").
Medvedev, who had condemned the practices of Russian state propaganda several times, was nothing but decoration. He sat silently next to Putin, the politician who could very well end up ruling Russia longer than Leonid Brezhnev.
Yuri Ryzhkov, the former Russian ambassador to France, says it was Yeltsin's biggest mistake, even "a crime," to install as his successor Putin. He describes Putin as a "man full of complexes" who is convinced "of his absolute freedom to do as he pleases when it comes to his own people."
But it is now becoming clear that it was just as irresponsible to install a man like Medvedev at the Kremlin three-and-a-half years ago.
- Part 1: Medvedev's Betrayal of Russian Democracy
- Part 2: A Secret Agreement
- Part 3: Heavy Burden on the National Budget


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Locally Grown, Grange Crafted.
Centrally located in downtown Sacramento, Grange Restaurant & Bar, a top-rated farm to fork restaurant, mirrors the classic and eclectic atmosphere of The Citizen Hotel. From the grand, two-story wine vault, to the intimate bar and lounge, Grange offers a unique experience to satisfy the mélange of citizens who visit both hotel and restaurant.
The two-story space combines elements from the building's rich history with surprising and urbane loft-like aesthetic treatments such as exposed beams and concrete columns. Semi-private booths and the private dining room on the mezzanine over the main dining level offer fantastic views.
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Bar menu available daily from
2:30 – 11p.m.
Grange Restaurant and Bar executive chef Dane Blom shows how this hotel restaurant has built a reputation as one of Sacramento's best.


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Beauty and the Beast
Hand numbered screen print. Printed by D&L Screenprinting.
One poster per person/household/etc. All sales are final.More info
Edition of: 320
Height: 36"
Width: 24"
We're at San Diego Comic-Con this week! Stop by and see us at booth #835. To see all of our SDCC releases, check out our Live Blog here.


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Mamakutti's Harissa Dip
By Mamakutti
Natural Artisanal Dip
Weight, Volume :
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Add to Cart
Estimated Shelf Life : 6 Months
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Nervous? You should be :p
Nervous? You should be :p
Mamakutti's Harissa Dip is a staple sauce of North African cooking, brimming with flavor, this paste adds smoky, full-bodied punch to your tomato-based sauces. Add to your spaghetti and meatballs, or roast chicken, smear lovingly on pan-fried and roasted vegetables.
Ingredients - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Roasted Red chilies, Cumin, Coriander, Fennel, Iranian Mint, Sumac, Garlic, and Sea salt.
By Zaara Ahmad on 16th February 2017Goes extremely well with pasta and chicken! Spicy and tangy!


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Ampare Auto Replacer or Ampare Auto Replace Professional has released on Ampare Engine Channel.
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- Reduced price
This Luxury Card is very finely embossed to give you a perfect finish for die cutting. Available in a range of beautiful colours and patterns, the detailed finish of this card adds stunning effects to every project. The Craft Perfect Luxury Embossed Card is coloured on one side.
5 sheets per pack, 230 gsm (85 lb) - A4


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Call Us : 01603749357 email@example.com
Across Norwich, EPH Services is a recognized and trusted provider of high quality electric, plumbing and heating services. Our business is based on the foundation of honesty, integrity and reliability. Our motto is "first class quality with utmost courtesy".
Started in 2004 to provide best-in-class professional electric, plumbing and heating installation and repair services across Norwich localities, EPH Services has become the go-to address for the entire region. We have an experienced team of trained, friendly professionals who undertake big and small jobs and deliver total satisfaction.
EPH Services operates from a spacious office at the central location of Dereham Road, Norwich. The office is open from 8.30 AM to 5.00PM, Monday to Friday.


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You Get What You Need
One More
Love Letter #49
Dear Seabirds and Other Precious Creatures,
I love summer... and it is always bittersweet to see it end. But I will be happy for our beaches to get a break from the seemingly relentless abuse. This is not what many people envision when they think about the romantic surf lifestyle. Well, the truth is: it is not always beautiful - but we humans have the choice to make it so.
Every single choice we make is another chance.
Tropicales del Norte
Honey to the Bees
It's the favorite time of year for most New England surfers and summer's numbered days + warm water sessions, naturally attract the swarms.
This past swell, I enjoyed surfing a popular but less familiar spot (for me) than usual. I got a kick out of the mayhem; scratching out a few gems among the semi-crowded, perfect, firing swell that seemed to turn on the moment I stepped into the salty brew.
Surf, love, share, laugh, and always, always, always... enjoy the buzz.
Surf + Live + Evolve
Analog Stoke
Irene 2011
I waited for the storm to pass on Sunday. A tree fell on my neighbors car and I nervously watched the trees bend and sway in the wind. Luckily that was the extent of the damage chez J. Some others were not so lucky.
Monday I was feeling frivolous and totally based my decision on water temps. That one more bikini-clad session on lil blue was so worth it. Later, I heard it was "freezing" up north... Got up there Tuesday morning and people were wearing gloves and booties already. Noooo! Not yet.By Tuesday, Irene had swallowed up Tropical Storm Jose and I was lucky to score tasty leftovers up north with glassy beachbreak gems and pondering points. Paddled out at a place I do not usually go. Progress comes in all forms.
Farewell to August and Irene. Give thanks.


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We played around Chippewa Lake until the warm day brought a chilled night. The end of summer is here. On this day we: saw an amazing sunset, were eyed down by an eleven year old for being on "his" property, enjoyed some delicious food, and had great conversations. Oh and we made some amazing images. We had so much fun being around Jess and Chris as they showed there love for each other.
view complete collection and order prints | usage rights
These classic and beautiful engagement photos were created in Chippewa Lake, Ohio.


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Europe Christmas eve chaos as snow strands thousands
Thousands of travellers were stranded at the main Paris airport Friday after hundreds of Christmas flights were cancelled, as freezing weather and widespread snowfalls caused travel chaos across Europe.
About 400 flights in and out of Roissy-Charles de Gaulle were scrapped, down from an earlier estimate of 670, with flights in Belgium and Germany also affected and motorists staying off the roads as western Europe battled the latest cold snap.
Around 2,000 people had to be evacuated from Charles de Gaulle's Terminal 2E because of a build-up of snow on the roof, a section of which already collapsed in May 2004 shortly after it opened, killing four people.
"I'm so tired that I no longer have the strength to be angry," said Frenchwoman Zoe Stephanou, 45. "My flight to Milan has been cancelled twice. The first when there was no snow."
The cold hit air, rail and road transport across a swathe of Europe, with thousands of travellers forced to spend the night in trains or barracks, on ferries or in airports as the snow piled up.
Improving weather conditions in northern France in the early evening allowed a greater number of flights to leave, and normal service was due to resume on Christmas morning, the airport's operator said.
Between 200 and 300 passengers spent Christmas Eve in Roissy, an airports authority spokesman said, adding that a mass had been organised and toys and chocolates distributed.
French junior transport minister Thierry Mariani told AFP airports were struggling to deal with the third bout of ice this month, a problem compounded by workers at France's main anti-freeze factory at Fos-sur-Mer being on strike.
However, conditions at the airport improved after a planeload of glycol arrived from the United States and a truck transported several tonnes of anti-freeze from Germany.
Pierre Graff, the head of the Aeroports de Paris Authority, said the snow blitz was unprecedented.
"Ever since Roissy came into being, we have never seen anything like this," he told the RTL network.
Around 40 passengers spent the night on a train stuck in the snow in the northern Somme region, with the Red Cross bringing them blankets and hot drinks.
Deep drifts blocked many minor roads in the north and east, and snow also caused power cuts for around 10,000 French households, national grid authority ERDF said.
Between 10 and 20 centimetres (four and eight inches) of snow fell overnight in Belgium, sowing chaos on the roads, with many buses and taxis in the capital Brussels unable to drive on snow-blocked streets and flights delayed.
Belgian trains were hit with severe delays as many railway employees were unable to make it to work, operator Infrabel said.
At Belgium's main airport in Brussels, only one runway was usable and many flights were delayed, with the defence ministry supplying camp beds for stranded passengers.
More snow was expected across Germany, after several trains ground to a halt overnight as service was cut between Hanover and Berlin, the national railway Deutsche Bahn said.
The country's third largest airport, in Duesseldorf, was shut down early Friday, a spokeswoman for flag carrier Lufthansa told AFP, although it reopened in the afternoon.
Two municipal swimming pool roofs collapsed under the weight of the snow, without causing any casualties, in the city of Aachen near the Belgian and Dutch borders.
Police said a 47-year-old woman was killed when a snow laden branch fell on her in a forest in northwestern Germany.
Hundreds of tourists on the Danish island of Bornholm were forced to spend the night in an army barracks or on the ferry after heavy snow overnight.
In Britain, where heavy snow last week caused widespread transport chaos, meteorologists warned of further snow and widespread icy roads in northeast England and eastern Scotland.
Train services were disrupted across large parts of the country, hitting travellers heading home for Christmas, although Heathrow airport was largely back to normal after the chaos of recent days.
In Ireland, Dublin airport reopened Friday after being closed for much of Thursday, stranding about 40,000 passengers.


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Goldstream RV
Goldstream RV have been making Australia's complete range of campers, pop tops and caravans for on and off road since 1993. They're known for a tough, reliable, and large range of caravans to suit all types of vehicles and all types of lifestyle. When you buy a Goldstream RV recreational vehicle, you're making a lifestyle choice that sets you apart from the humdrum suburban lifestyle to which most of us find ourselves resigned. You're buying a ticket to breathtaking experiences, the sea breeze in your hair, and unforgettable memories of good times with friends and family.


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Radio Free Equestria ep06 - The Shield
Coming to you live from the Everfree Forest, it's Radio Free Equestria!
Join Rym and Scott, the hosts of GeekNights (www.frontrowcrew.com), bringing you the news and commentary our dear Princess Celestia doesn't want you to see! My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but power reigns supreme.
Shining Armour surrounded Canterlot in a magic shield to repel a "threat" (which ended up being the changelings), but how exactly did this shield work? How did Luna get in overnight? Why did she open a hole, while the train went through the shield itself? What exactly was the Royal Guard mobilized for if, one, the shield was doing all the work, and two, they were utterly useless when it fell anyway?
The fullness of the GeekNights/FRC Forum love of the Ponies can be seen easily at http://forum.frontrowcrew.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=7983.
Radio Free Equestria has a tumblr! http://radiofreeequestria.tumblr.com/
Special thanks to Pixelkitties for the Capn art. http://pixelkitties.deviantart.com/ http://pixelkitties.deviantart.com/art/WIP-Captain-Equestria-216604304


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How do you make an already perfect holiday season more magical? By adding more magic of course! HARRY CHRISTMAS! We are excited to present one of our Movie Gang Christmas Movies, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone! We will be casting a fun spell on the Franklin Theatre with Harry and the gang this December 26th! This Holiday Harry Potter themed night will be one to remember for any super fan and the best introduction for any first time visitor of Hogwarts. You'll be sorted into a house to compete in movie trivia for a prize, You'll get to try some special made Butter Beer, and witness live magic on stage from Nashville's own magician Tim Friday! Wizards and Muggles welcome!
- Free Butter Beer courtesy of Honest Coffee https://www.honest.coffee
- Live Magic Onstage By Tim Friday! http://www.meettimfriday.com
- Hogwarts House Competition Trivia for a prize!
- and more fun and surprises!


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Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Wikipedia.
a genus of rust fungi with bicellular teliospores on a long stem. There are more than 3,000 species (according to other data, about 4,000 species). The fungi parasitize angiospermous plants in almost all parts of the world. Many species are agricultural pests, causing disease in grains, legumes, and industrial crops.