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Ideally the location of a child's bedroom should be close to the master bedroom of the house. This allows for easy surveillance of children. Kids have a unique quality in them – imagination and this should be reflected in the child's bedroom design. Their curiosity also sits next to their imagination so a good idea is to introduce furniture. This would create a lot of niche spaces for them to explore. Children rooms require furniture such as bunk beds, writing tables, beds with lot of storage spaces above or below can be designed. It's a good idea to have some pieces of furniture as movable types which can also be used as a toy. A great idea is to have furniture in the shape of cartoon characters.
Many parents go color crazy when selecting a color scheme for their child's room. Ideally the use of basic colors is best suited for this type of space. Because of the fact that the human brain at tender ages is under development, use of complex shades may not be a suitable idea. A smart floor pattern can also serve a great way to stimulate adventurous energy in a child. The basics of kids' decor which really include walls, floors and windows can last for several years without having to make major changes. Making a few simple adjustments to the decor as your baby grows keeps the room fresh.
For older children inventing fun Kid's Bedroom Themes can really be a lot of fun! This way the children themselves can pick their own theme, and feel they have contributed to their own room décor. This allows them to feel more responsible for "their room". There are many choices of theme items, such as bedding, lamps, children rugs, wall decor, wallpaper, border and murals, drawer knobs, child furniture etc. Once you've established a set of guidelines then invite the children to share their thoughts on their dream rooms. Remember to inform then that they cannot get everything they desire but they can have what the budget allows for. Ask kids about: their favourite colours, favourite activities, favourite objects etc. From this you can create a theme that they are sure to approve!
When it comes to designing children rooms many parents become fearful of the expenses. However, once themes have been selected the job can be done easily and economically. Parents can accumulate cheap materials that reflect the theme of a room. A selection of wallpaper or borders, paintings or murals, stencils, and posters or framed prints can be used as the decorative materials.


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Eigene Veranstaltungen
Soqotra Symposium 2012
September 21-23 2012, Frankfurt am Main
Post-conference greetings
The Symposium is history! About 65 colleagues from around 15 countries participated in it and the responses which we received from many attendants thus far are unanimously positive. Thanks to all of you who have returned their kind feed-back to us. We would like to thank all participants and especially the presenters for sharing their experience, knowledge, and not least their scientific results with us. It has been a pleasure for us to play host to such an excellent audience. We take the opportunity to again express our sincere gratitude to the GIZ and BMZ for supporting this memorable event and to the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum for availing its facilities and technical support to us.
Finally, in drawing your attention to a few additional details as presented below we say Good Bye to all of you, see you in Lednice latest
Your Organizing Committee
Updates and miscellaneous information
Presentations for download
Morris Livestock husbandry and adjusting to change: Some perceptions of older islanders [Download]
Pictures for download

subset: commoncrawl


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Yes, it's a natural result of the plastic having aged. It's really unavoidable, and some figures utilized paint that made the condition worse (I'm thinking here of Clamp Champ, Snout Spout, Roboto, Randor and several of the Horde and Snake-Men figures.) It seems like the worst offenders are the ones that came out towards the end of the line, which may or may not be a coincidence.
Being curious, I just took all my stickies off the shelf to examine them, and 90% of them were manufactured in Mexico. The other 10% were Malaysian. None of the Taiwanese figures seem to be affected.


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Working Tank Treads Keep This Caterpillar Digger For Kids From Getting Stuck
For the would-be plant operator child in your life.
For the would-be plant operator child in your life.
This is madcap British inventor Colin Furze, who dedicated time to creating this monster of a go kart, powered by a jet engine, that he ran up to 60mph before running out of track. Well worth a watch, if not just to enjoy his buoyant enthusiasm. See more >>
The construction of the behemoth ship Prelude is an operation orchestrated on a global level.


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Donald F. Potts
Donald F. Potts
Professor Emeritus of Watershed Management
- Phone: 406-243-5521
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Ph.D. (Forest Meteorology) State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. 1979.
M.S. (Forestry - Soils) State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry. 1977.
B.A. (Chemistry) State University of New York at Buffalo. 1972.
Research Interests
Watershed Management; Geographic Information Systems Applications;
Hillslope and Fluvial Geomorphic Processes; Forest Meteorology.
Selected Publications
Olsen, D.S., A.C. Whitaker and D.F. Potts. 1997. Assessing stream channel stability thresholds using flow competence estimates at bankfull stage. Journal of the American Water Resources Association. 33(6):1197-1207.
Dixon, M. and D.F. Potts 1996. Effects of wildfire and simulated vegetation recovery on baseflow characteristics in a sub-alpine watershed. IN: Proceddings, AWRA 1996 Summer Symposium on Watershed Restoration, Syracuse, NY.
Moeckel, J. and D.F. Potts. 1996. Stream channel adjustment following a major flood on a northern Rocky Mountain Front stream. IN: Proceedings, AWRA 1996 Summer Symposium on Watershed Restoration, Syracuse,, NY.
Whitaker, A. and D.F. Potts. 1996. A comparison of two threshold models predicting initial bed load movement and channel stability in an upland gravel-bed stream. IN: Proceedings, AWRA 1996 Summer Symposium on Watershed Resortation, Syracuse, NY.
Olsen, D.S. and D.F. Potts. 1995. Characteristics and function of woody debris in western Montana streams. Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station. Research Note #26.
Lull, K.J., J.A. Tindall and D.F. Potts. 1995. Assessing Nonpoint-Source Pollution Risk: A GIS Application. J. Forestry 93(1):35-40.
Lull, K.J., J.A. Tindall and D.F. Potts. 1995. A GIS Application for Assessment of Non-Point-Source Pollution Risk on Managed Forest Lands. IN: Proceedings of the A.S.A.E. International Synposium on Water Quality Modeling, Orlando, FL., Apr. 1995; pp.491-502.


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Fixed Annuities
Fixed Annuities
What is a fixed annuity?A fixed annuity is designed to help investors plan for their retirement by offering a tax-deferred vehicle to encourage long-term savings. A fixed annuity credits a declared interest rate, which is reset annually after the initial guarantee period. A minimum interest rate is guaranteed for the life of the contract. Annuity earnings grow tax deferred until withdrawn, reducing your current taxes and allowing your money to grow faster.
- Grow assets on a tax-deferred basis*
- Fund it using pretax dollars in a qualified retirement account or with after-tax dollars in a non-qualified account
- Guaranteed minimum interest rate regardless of market conditions
- Flexible income options1
- Access to your interest earnings immediately
- Individual account features may allow access to your funds under certain conditions without penalty2
- Contributions can be made as one lump sum or additional deposits can be made over time
- No age limits at which you must begin receiving payments for non-qualified money
- A variety of payout options available at maturity, including a guaranteed lifetime option
- Account value passes to your named beneficiary free from the costs of probate in most cases
- Fixed rate of return may not keep up with inflation
- Substantial penalties may apply for early withdrawal
- Guaranteed life income payments cannot be altered once selected
Tax Considerations
Earnings accrue tax deferred*
Eligibility Limits
No Limits
Income Limits
No limits
Annual Contribution Limits
No contribution limit if money is non-qualified
Contact Us
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*Consult your tax or legal advisor for tax planning relating to your current situation.
† To send an email that contains confidential information, please visit the Secure Message Center where there are additional instructions about whether to use Secure Email or Online Banking messaging.
The information provided on this website is not meant as a recommendation or endorsement of any specific security or strategy. An individual's situation can vary; therefore the information provided above should be relied upon only when coordinated with individual professional advice.
Mutual funds, annuities, and other investment products:
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Commerce Brokerage Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Commerce Bank. This site is not intended for use by, or to provide any information to, investors in any state where Commerce Brokerage Services, Inc. is not registered or in any jurisdiction outside the United States of America where such use would be prohibited or otherwise regulated. Nothing on this web site shall be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security to any person in any jurisdiction where such offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.


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Mount an outstanding promotional campaign by handing out this magnetic phone mount and air vent! Measuring 3.5" x 3.5" and made from a combination of silicone and steel, this handy product features a suction cup that securely sticks to your window or dashboard for easy hands-free use of your GPS. It also has a 360-degree rotating ball, and easy-to-use air vent connector and a steel plate with 3M adhesive backing. Create a must-have gift for the auto industry by adding a customized imprint.
Pricing & Options
Customize your product based on the available color options and decorating methods. If you need more information, simply add this product to the Wish List and we will get back to you with answers.


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Oh happy joy!
It's baaaaaaacck. The ludicrous, obscene, laughable, taxpayer-subsidized personality cult is back:
This corner, for one — especially his snarky side — couldn't be happier.Patient Care Improved Through Funding for Clarenville Health Care Services
The Dunderdale Government continues to invest in a strong healthcare system for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with funding of more than $1.9 million announced today for health care in Clarenville. Funding is being provided to the Dr. G.B. Cross Memorial Hospital for infrastructure upgrades and medical equipment, as well as for site work for the new protective care residence that will be built in the community.
Labels: Dunderdale2011, DunderdaleGovernment, DunderGov


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Otago Mountain Bikers - Social Rides
Saturday's ride starts at 1.00pm from cnr Main South Rd and Emerson St, Concord.
This are self-managed rides and we take no responsibility or liability for your actions that involve injury and/or damage or personal liability to yourself, or others, or property.
If you want to find out where the Otago Mountain Bikers social rides start:
See the Sports Draw section in Thursday's ODT or; Checkout the MTB Otago website, under forum and Otago Mountain Bikers – Social Rides at: http://www.mountainbikingotago.co.nz or;
Otago Mountain Bikers - Social Rides have their own "Facebook" page at: http://www.facebook.com/OtagoMountainBikersSocialRiders
Regards, Daniel
Views: 54


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By Yereth Rosen
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Supporters and opponents of a giant mine to tap Alaska's gold and copper wealth have found a rare point of agreement: The Pebble project remains alive even without its heavyweight financial backer.
Anglo American, the global mining group that partnered with Canada's Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd in 2007 to develop Pebble, said on Monday it was pulling out, less than two month after promising shareholders it would cut costs and halve its $17 billion pipeline of potential mines.
Anglo's departure dealt a sharp blow to the ambitious plan to build an open-pit mine in Alaska's unspoiled Bristol Bay region, at a time when investors are increasingly cautious about plowing cash into building expensive new mines.
But the hiccups aren't stopping Northern Dynasty. It sees plenty of opportunity to push ahead on the project, which is expected to produce some 1 million tonnes of copper concentrate a year, on its own or with a new partner.
"This is a huge asset - a huge, valuable asset for the State of Alaska," said Ron Thiessen, Northern Dynasty's chief executive, who added that he remains very confident the mine will be built within the next 10 years.
"When I go back to 2007, we selected a very small group of potential partners and each one of those partners was prepared to do a deal with us," he told Reuters. "So I would suspect there are companies out there that are still prepared to do a transaction with us on Pebble."
Also alive, though, is the Alaska-based campaign against the mine. Pebble detractors say the mine would ruin some of the world's last remaining big natural salmon runs and spoil a prized area teeming with salmon-eating bears and other wildlife.
"I don't think Pebble's dead at all," said Tim Bristol, Alaska program director for Trout Unlimited, adding that his group and others will continue to push the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to use its authority under the Clean Water Act to block the mine.
"As long as the area is open to mining and we have the need and desire for gold and copper, there's always going to be a threat," he said.
The Renewable Resources Coalition, a fishing organization formed in 2005 to fend off Pebble, said it will continue to support a ballot initiative targeting the project.
The initiative would require legislative approval for any large-scale mine in the heart of the Bristol Bay region, which was designated as a special fisheries preserve in 1972, in an effort to ensure that projects are thoroughly vetted.
Pebble is a rarity in Alaska - a big resource-extraction project that is widely opposed by Alaskans. Polls consistently show large majorities against the project, even though Alaskans support mining development in general.
The late Senator Ted Stevens, a legendary figure in Alaska politics and avid sport fisherman, opposed Pebble. So did the late Jay Hammond, the iconic oil-boom-era governor considered the father of a popular program that pays annual dividends to all residents from the state's oil trust fund.
Indeed, Pebble has inspired some unlikely alliances - sport and commercial fishermen, Native tribes and corporations, political conservatives and environmentalists - all finding common ground against the development.
Local Native and fishing groups petitioned the EPA to block the project, even though it is on state land. That resulted in a scientific study into the likely impact of any large-scale mining operation in the region, not just Pebble.
Draft reports issued by the EPA say a Pebble-like mine could destroy salmon streams and important wetlands habitat. A final report is expected by the end of the year.
Mine supporters have panned the EPA's study, calling it biased and premature.
There is local support for the mine. An organization called Truth About Pebble, formed by local business and political leaders, has been running a defensive campaign, and at least one of the state's big labor unions backs the mine.
Residents of Iliamna, one of the Native villages close to Pebble, are supportive, though other Native groups oppose it.
Supporters say Pebble would breathe economic life into a region struggling with poverty, and would give villagers reasons to stay home instead of fleeing to Anchorage.
A study commissioned by its developers said the mine would directly employ some 915 people in Alaska over its first 25 years of production, and indirectly support about another 2,000 jobs in the state.
The problem for Pebble is that it conflicts directly with salmon fishing, said University of Alaska Fairbanks political science professor Gerald McBeath.
The fishing industry is Alaska's largest private-sector employer, according to the University of Alaska Anchorage, and one study using 2010 data put the value of the Bristol Bay salmon fishery at $1.5 billion a year, supporting 12,000 jobs.
Unlike the oil industry, which operates largely out of sight on the North Slope, Pebble is "in the neighborhood with all those fishermen," McBeath said.
Also unlike the oil industry, which produces billions of dollars of annual tax and royalty revenues that fund about 90 percent of state government operations, a mine even Pebble's size would produce only "infinitesimal" public revenues, thanks to Alaska's rock-bottom mining taxes and royalties, he said.


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ECPA bestseller
Praise for The Real Win
"Colt McCoy and Matt Carter have joined arms to lead men to win. Not just
win in athletics or careers, but to win in life. The pages of this book are packed
with inspirational words and practical guidance. I heartily recommend it."
—Max Lucado, pastor and best-selling author
"The Real Win: Pursuing God's Plan for Authentic Success is a really good book.
It is honest, transparent, convicting, challenging, and instructive. It makes
plain what it really means to 'be the man!' Colt McCoy and Matt Carter invite
men to a higher and greater calling as they follow hard after the real man's
man, Jesus of Nazareth."
— Daniel L. Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
"Men hate asking for directions a little more than they hate to read. It isn't that
we can't read; it's just that we need something that keeps our interest and gives
us practical help. Welcome to that book. The Real Win will help you grow in
your faith so that you can be the man God has called you to be."
—Darrin Patrick, lead pastor of The Journey
"A gut-wrenching, soul-piercing book that wrestles honestly with questions
every man asks and emotions every man feels, whether he ever admits it or not.
I will recommend this book to all the men in my church. You won't be able to
put it down."
— J. D. Greear, author of Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart:
How to Know for Sure You Are Saved and Gospel: Recovering
the Power That Made Christianity Revolutionary
"A wonderful and raw work that gets to the heart of all the areas in which men
have historically struggled. This book is immensely valuable, not because it
points men to success, but because it points men to Jesus and practically walks
through how to win by seeking Him in every area of life."
— Nathan Lino, senior pastor of Northeast Houston Baptist Church
"I can't speak highly enough about the way this book addresses manhood in
our culture. Biblically challenging and radically applicable, it honestly addresses
the deepest longings and fears a man faces."
— Matt Chandler, author of The Explicit Gospel and Creature of the Word
"This is not your typical formula for a book on success and manhood. By humbly
and honestly walking through their failures, Matt Carter and Colt McCoy
teach the difficult truths we face as men and leaders. I have great hope that
through this book, more and more men will begin to see their struggles in marriage,
career, and family as a way to point them to the ultimate picture of success:
Jesus Christ."
— Brad Lomenick, executive director and key visionary of Catalyst
"As a young man fresh out of college, I know I'm going to chase something
with the rest of my life. The Real Win helps me lock in on exactly what that
should be. This book identifies what's truly satisfying, what's worthy of being
chased. I'm in for the win."
—Cory Cotton, cofounder of Dude Perfect and author of Go Big
"We live in a world full of scoreboards. Matt and Colt have experienced both
wins and losses, and I've seen them both want God more than all of it. They
are men who fight well, and they will lead you to fight well. This is worth
it. In The Real Win, Matt and Colt will move you from a life of striving to one
of fulfillment, living for the God who has already won the ultimate victory."
—Jennie Allen, Bible teacher and author of Anything


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Standard equipmentCurrent Page
* In some cases, figures show equipment features that are not standard.
|Fiat Ducato 3,500 kg, 2.3 l 120 Multijet, front-wheel drive, 6-speed manual gearbox, Euro 6d-Temp (88 kW/120 PS)
|Overall length (cm)
|Width cm (outer/inner)
|232 / 218
|Height cm (outer/inner)
|279 / 200
|Mass of unladen vehicle (kg)*
|Mass in running order (kg)*
|Tecnically maximum authorized laden mass (kg)*
|Maximum payload (kg)*
|Towing load (kg)
|Wheelbase (cm)
|Tyre size
|Rim size
|6J x 15
|Number of persons allowed in driving operation
|up to 4
|Automatic three-point belts, height-adjustable
|Window with integrated double blind
|Roof lights, opening 40 x 40 | 28 x 28 cm
|3 |1
|Rear garage (cm): W x H door (cut-out size)
|Rear garage (cm): W x H flap (cut-out-size)
|100 x 55 (95 x 50,5)
|Entrance door (cm): W x H door
|60 x 195
|Service flap for Service Box, front left (cm) (W x H)
|53 x 37,5
|Wall thickness, roof (mm)
|Wall thickness, side wall (mm)
|Wall thickness, floor (mm)
|Three-point belt in driving direction
|Bed size, front (cm)
|212 x 123/56
|Bed size, middle (cm)
|200 x 76, 188 x 76
|Bed size, rear (cm)
|Waste water isolated and heated (volume in liters)
|Fresh water volume in liters
|Truma gas heating (hot water supply 10 ltr.)
|Combi 6 plus
|Refrigerator (volume in liters / option)
|3D en-suite bathroom with separate shower
|Lengthways washroom with shower
|Comfort bathroom with shower, washbasin movable
|Lateral washroom at rear, with separate shower
|Dometic toilet / Thetford
|/ -
|Living area battery
|80 Ah
|ABS / driver airbag
|ESP, hill holder
|Wide track chassis Fiat Ducato
|Electronic immobiliser
|Power steering
|GPC roof with reduced hail susceptibility
|Aluminium smooth metal, white
|Cabin door: KNAUS KOMFORT with automotive locking system, double sealing, without window, 2 foldable clothes hangers
|External battery container for 2 camper van batteries – installation location on the outside via an easily accessible lockable side flap
|Easy access to gas tanks via the service door located in the side wall
|Gas locker for 2 gas bottles with 11 kg filling quantity
|GRP underside coating
|KNAUS CATEYE evolution – rear tail light with exclusive night signature and dynamic blinker in LED technology
|Third brake light integrated at the rear
|Awning light with movement sensor
|One-key locking system
|Furniture decor: Nagano oak
|Combination of high-quality furniture making and pearly white surfaces with cross-grid pattern
|Upholstery selection: Indian Summer, Blue Marine, Energy
|PVC flooring
|Fixed bed mattresses: EVO-PORE HRC
|Bed conversion of combined seating area
|Gas unit 30 mbar
|Air circulation unit
|Water supply with immersion pump
|Three-burner hob with glass cover, stainless steel sink, recessed
|High-quality faucets
|Foldable clothes pole in toilet room or shower
|Service Box accessible from the outside: incl. fresh/waste water tap, 230V Euro exterior connection
|Power supply/interior lighting with 230V and 12V, div. interior sockets
|Control Panel with touch function
|Charger 190 VA
|Radio cabling incl. 2 speakers (driver's cab)
|Automatic circuit breaker
|USB socket with 2.1 A
|Charging booster for body battery
Additional information
x = Standard equipment
– = Not provided
* Please refer to the notes and explanations
** The fresh water tank capacity referred to attachment V, part A, ciff. 2.6. Fn. VO (EU) 1230/2012 depending on vehicle type is limited by a circulation valve to 10, 20 or 40 ltr. (suggested filling for running order)
*** Fresh water tank capacity is 100 ltr. with the overflow valve closed


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Australia's Canberra region is as beautiful as it is rugged. While the area may explode in color and life after seasonal rains, it is equally inhospitable during droughts. To capture this dichotomy, acrylic artist Phil Ryan teamed with photographer Glen Ryan in Karst Country.
Karst topography, with its dramatically eroded limestone formations, is found throughout the world from China to Ireland. The Canberra region in Southeast Australia, is especially rich in these formations. For the project, the two Ryans traveled to locales such as Wee Jasper, Blue Waterholes and Yarrangobilly, Phil creating vibrant paintings of the areas' plant and wildlife while Glen generated contrasting images of the rugged and overwhelming landscape. The show runs through this weekend at the Belconnen Arts Centre. [Karst Country]


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We've been keeping track of underclassmen who have declared for this year's NFL draft. This morning, the NFL released its list of 73 underclassmen who have been granted "special eligibility" for the draft by being at least three years removed from high school before declaring.
That number is a new record, breaking the one held in 2012 with 65 underclassmen declaring. In 2011, 56 players left early and 53 took off in 2010. In fact, the 73 who declared this year is 30 more than in 2004.
Of the 73 players, 33 come from SEC schools, or began their careers at SEC schools. That's far and away the most of any conference. LSU has 11 underclassmen with ties to the program represented.
You can view the NFL's release HERE, but here's the alphabetized list.
Keenan Allen WR, California
David Amerson DB, North Carolina State
Alvin Bailey G, Arkansas
Stedman Bailey WR, West Virginia
David Bakhtiari T, Colorado
Dwayne Beckford LB, Purdue
Le'Veon Bell RB, Michigan State
Giovani Bernard RB, North Carolina
Tyler Bray QB,Tennessee
Terrence Brown DB, Stanford
Duron Carter WR, Ohio State
Knile Davis RB, Arkansas
Mike Edwards DB, Hawaii
Matt Elam DB, Florida
Zach Ertz TE, Stanford
Gavin Escobar TE, San Diego State
Chris Faulk T, Louisiana State
Sharrif Floyd DT, Florida
Michael Ford RB, Louisiana State
Travis Frederick C, Wisconsin
Kwame Geathers NT, Georgia
William Gholston DE, Michigan State
Johnathan Hankins DT, Ohio State
Jajuan Harley DB, Middle Tennessee
DeAndre HopkinsWR, Clemson
Justin Hunter WR, Tennessee
Jawan Jamison RB, Rutgers
Stefphon Jefferson RB, Nevada
Tony Jefferson DB, Oklahoma
Jelani Jenkins LB, Florida
Luke Joeckel T, Texas A&M
Jarvis Jones LB, Georgia
Jose Jose DT, Central Florida
Joe Kruger DE, Utah
Eddie Lacy RB, Alabama
Marcus Lattimore RB, South Carolina
Corey Lemonier DE, Auburn
Bennie Logan DT, Louisiana State
Stansly Maponga DE, Texas Christian
Tyrann Mathieu DB, Louisiana State
Dee Milliner DB, Alabama
Barkevious Mingo DE, Louisiana State
Kevin Minter LB, Louisiana State
Sam Montgomery DE, Louisiana State
Brandon Moore DT, Texas
Damontre Moore DE, Texas A&M
Alec Ogletree LB, Georgia
Cordarrelle Patterson WR, Tennessee
Bradley Randle RB, Nevada-Las Vegas
Joseph Randle RB, Oklahoma State
Jordan Reed TE, Florida
Eric Reid DB, Louisiana State
Greg Reid DB, Florida State
Xavier Rhodes DB, Florida State
Sheldon Richardson DT, Missouri
Nickell Robey DB, Southern California
Logan Ryan DB, Rutgers
Ace Sanders WR, South Carolina
Darrington Sentimore DT, Tennessee
Tharold Simon DB, Louisiana State
Dion Sims TE, Michigan State
Akeem Spence DT, Illinois
Kenny Stills WR, Oklahoma
Levine Toilolo TE, Stanford
Spencer Ware RB, Louisiana State
Menelik Watson T, Florida State
Bjoern Werner DE, Florida State
Steve Williams DB, California
Marquess Wilson WR, Washington State
Brad Wing P, Louisiana State
Cierre Wood RB, Notre Dame
Robert Woods WR, Southern California
Tom Wort LB, Oklahoma


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Review of Quantum Gold Fund: Exchange Traded Fund
The Quantum Gold Fund is an open-ended Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), which will be listed on the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), closely tracking the domestic prices of gold. Since its an open ended fund, any number of units can be created and redeemed at any time, as per the demand and supply requirements. Usually, there have been not many commodity based ETFs in India. We do have UTI Gold traded exchange fund and one or two more such offerings, but the choices are limited for investors looking for investing in such funds.
Should I invest in Quantum Gold Fund:
Traditionally, India has been the biggest consumer of gold and that holds true till date. However, high prices of gold have now made gold out of reach of the common man. Someone with just 5000 to 6000 amount cannot even think of buying 10 grams of gold, as the gold prices are hovering in the range of 11,00-12000. Hence, Investing in ETF's which have lower prices for each unit can help the small investors.
How Gold based ETF's help?
Gold (or any commodity) based ETF's try to track the gold prices and if the fund management is efficient enough, then the fund unit price almost exactly replicates the price of gold in the market. However, the advantage of (gold based) ETF is that you don't need to have the big amount of 11,000 to invest in gold. All you can simply do is buy a unit of such gold based ETF at a price which may be anything from 10 to 1000 per ETF share, and let it gain (or loose) in percentage terms while tracking the gold prices. Hence, it gives a very good option to investors who want to invest in gold (or other commodities) without actually buying it.
Another advantage of gold based ETF is that you don't need to worry about safe storage of the gold. Since the ETF is bought as a share, it sits in your demat account. Hence, the worries of theft or loss of actual gold ornament or bars is gone.
However, one thing you must note is that buying ETF does not guarantee any returns. Since it tracks the gold prices, it can give you losses too. If you buy ETF worth 10 Rs. a unit when the gold price is at 10,000 and after one year the gold prices fall down to 8,000, then your ETF unit cost will also come down to Rs. 8 or so. Hence, there is no guarantee of profits.
Another disadvantage is the cost of brokerage or fund management charges – which one should be aware of while making investments.
The New Fund Offer (NFO) of the Quantum gold ETF scheme would be open from Thursday, 24th January, 2008 to Friday, 8th February 2008. During this NFO period, investors can subscribe to the scheme with a minimum investment of Rs 5,000 and further multiples of Rs 1,000. The Quantum Gold Fund seeks to offer investors an innovative, cost-efficient and secure way to invest in gold. The Fund enables investors to buy gold without the hassles of holding and storing physical gold. The Fund will closely track, before expenses, the movement in the price of the underlying asset-physical gold of 0.995 fineness. The good thing is that the Quantum Gold Fund will be the first Gold ETF in the country without any entry load during the NFO. Investors can try their luck on gold prices!
|Table of Contents


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News on Twitter
On January 23, 2008, a 20 year old man forced his way into a child day care center in Dendermonde, a small town in Belgium, Europe. He attacked the staff and the little children in the child day care center with a knife. One staff member and two babies were killed, several other staff members and babies were severly wounded. The agressor managed initially to escape, but he was arrested 90 minutes later.
Very quick the news of this horrible attack found its way to Twitter. As soon as the attack was mentioned on websites of Belgian newspapers, Twitter users picked up the story and expressed their agony in their Twitter messages. Later on the articles on Belgian news sites were also announced on Twitter, in Twitter messages that were automatically created. The news about this horrible attack became also known to news agencies, newspapers, radio and television stations and news aggregators worldwide, who also published it on their Twitter accounts.
Using Twitter Search, I traced the Twitter messages containing the words "Dendermonde" or "Termonde" - the French name for Dendermonde. From October 2008 until the moment of this writing, these words were mentioned in 1450 Twitter messages from 409 different Twitter users. The graph below shows the number of Twitter messages containing the words "Dendermonde" or "Termonde" per hour.
The peak on the graph is the hour after the stabbings were commited. Later smaller peaks occured when new facts about the agressor became public and when the funeral services for the victems were held.
As can be expected, a large part of these Twitter users can be located in Belgium. Belgium is followed by the Netherlands and France, neighbouring countries of Belgium. There were also Twitter users from countries far from Belgium announcing the horrible facts, e.g. Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Portugal and Serbia in Europe, also in the USA and Canada, in Brazil and South Africa, and also in Asia (Malaysia, Philippines).
74% of the Twitter messages containing the words "Dendermonde" or "Termonde" contained a hyperlink to a story on a newssite or a blogpost. The most productive Twitter users turned out to be Twitter users from news agencies, newspapers, radio and television stations and news aggregators. The 409 Twitter users posting messages containing the words "Dendermonde" or "Termonde" have in total over 100,000 followers. As Twitter Search is only capable of finding Twitter messages for public Twitter users, the total number of Twitter users who published messages containing the words "Dendermonde" or "Termonde" will probably exceed 409. The total number of Twitter users who were potentially informed of the horrible facts on January 23, 2009 at Dendermonde will probably exceed 100,000.
This analysis of this event shows that traditional media have discovered their way to Twitter. A large part of the messages published after the dramatic stabbings were indeed automatically published by these Twitter news accounts.
News travels also far and travels fast. Within a couple of hours Twitter users from locations far outside Belgium also twittered the horrible facts.
Currently the storm caused by the horrible facts has faded away. Life in and around Dendermonde has returned to its normal state. Unfortunatly several families will have to live with the tragical loss of life.


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Three die as woman cries: 'Help, they're killing each other'
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A woman shepherded her four young grandchildren to the apartment next door, pounded on the door and cried, "Help, help, help! They're killing each other!"
The neighbor said he called 911 to summon St. Paul police, who found the bodies of Panhnia Yang, 27; her husband, Chue Lor, 31; and her brother Kong Meng Lee, 18, on Sunday.
No suspects were being sought, said police spokesman Sgt. Paul Paulos; he said police would not elaborate on whether the incident was a double homicide and suicide.
Chue Vue said Monday that his next-door neighbor, Chue Lor, told him his wife, Panhia Yang, had left their apartment about a week ago. The neighbor didn't know why she'd gone but said Chue Lor had been crying about it.
The couple had four children, ages 3 to 9. The children did not witness the deaths, Paulos said. They were placed in the care of relatives, he said.
Chue Lor's mother, who had come to neighbor Chue Vue's apartment with her grandchildren, told him her son had begged and cried to his wife, "I don't want you to leave. Please come back. We'll take care of the kids."
Police were called to the basement apartment in St. Paul's Frogtown neighborhood about 4:30 p.m. Sunday. David Givhan, who lives across the hall from Chue Lor, said he had seen the man about a half-hour earlier.
Chue Lor was outside his apartment with his young daughter, and the girl was shouting, "Don't, Daddy, don't!" Givhan said he didn't know why she was saying it, but the man seemed nervous.
Givhan said he went into his apartment and heard some "bump" sounds, but no shouting. He took a shower, and police were at the building 10 minutes later.
Police have not said how the people were killed.
Chue Vue said he looked out his door after he called 911 and saw Chue Lor lying by the front door of the apartment building, not moving.
The last time police were called to the apartment where the bodies were discovered was in 2011, Paulos said. Court records show driving offenses for Chue Lor, but not domestic discord.
Not including Sunday's deaths, seven women and one man have been killed in intimate-partner homicides in Minnesota in 2013, according to the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women. Four women and two men had been killed in domestic-violence-related homicides at the same time last year, the coalition's annual report showed.
Chue Vue said he's lived in the building for three years and had not heard arguing from the couple in the past. He knew Chue Lor as the caretaker of their small apartment building _ a friendly man who shared with Chue Vue's family the cucumbers and corn he grew for his own family.
Chue Lor told his neighbor that his wife had sought a restraining order against him, though an order for protection involving the couple could not be found in court records. Chue Vue said he told the man he needed to stay away from Panhia Yang, "be cool" and suggested he exercise patience.
Chue Vue said he was saddened by what happened Sunday.
"I just feel very bad," he said. "I never want to see something happen like that. And why? I can't believe it."
Mara H. Gottfried can be reached at 651-228-5262. .


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Seprafilm™ for the Prevention of Intraperitoneal Adhesions and Improved Delivery of Therapy in Women Undergoing Staging and Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Advanced Ovarian Cancer
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01095367
Recruitment Status : Terminated (due to company changes and lack of funding-unlikely to have sufficient numbers to analyze meaningfully)
First Posted : March 30, 2010
Last Update Posted : September 26, 2014
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The purpose of this research is to determine if a film to prevent adhesions will improve the area of distribution of a contrast dye (representative of chemotherapy) in the abdominal cavity (belly) of women who have undergone surgery for ovarian cancer as compared with patients who have not had adhesion barrier sheets placed in the belly. It is believed that this film, Seprafilm™, reduces adhesions (scar tissue between tissues and organs) in the abdominal cavity following surgery. Adhesions can limit the distribution of the chemotherapy agent placed in the abdomen to treat the ovarian cancer. Thirty subjects will receive adhesion barrier sheets and thirty will not. To determine if the sheets prevent adhesions, all subjects will have a dye inserted into the abdomen and then have X-rays of the abdomen to look at the distribution of the dye between the two groups.
Null hypothesis: There is no difference in area of distribution of the intraperitoneal dye in the Seprafilm ™ vs. no Seprafilm™ groups.
Alternative hypothesis: Seprafilm™ reduces adhesion formation and there is a larger area of distribution of intraperitoneal dye in the Seprafilm™ group.
|Condition or disease
|Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
|Procedure: Seprafilm™
|Not Applicable
The recommended treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) includes optimal surgical debulking to < 1 cm residual disease, followed by a combination of intraperitoneal (IP) and intravenous (IV) chemotherapy for at least 6 cycles. Serous EOC is known to spread transperitoneally and is often diffusely disseminated within the peritoneal cavity. It is believed that IP therapy via direct contact is effective in treating such small intraperitoneal implants. What is not known is whether IP therapy is evenly distributed in individuals and to what degree adhesions and formation of scar tissue prevents the even distribution of chemotherapy within the belly, potentially impacting efficacy. Few studies have addressed the question of adhesions and intraperitoneal therapy in general, and there have been no studies specifically in ovarian cancer utilizing current guidelines. Efficacy has been proven for IP/IV therapy over IV alone but the range of survival within the IP group may be secondary to "tumor biology," patient selection (i.e., disease truly > 1 cm) or lack of/poor distribution of IP drug secondary to adhesions. Any product that could be shown to decrease those adhesions and increase the area of distribution of IP therapy would prove a major advantage.
The majority of scarring and adhesions take place in the first 7 days after a surgical procedure. And the first IP and IV chemotherapy usually commences between 7-21 days after surgery. Therefore, the first treatment provides an opportunity to assess intraperitoneal adhesions. To assess adhesions, we will inject radiopaque dye (iohexol) via the IP port, rotate the patient per the standard practice during IP therapy to distribute the injected liquid, and then take 3 views (simple X-rays) of the abdomen. The area of distribution of the dye (representing distribution of IP chemotherapy) will be compared in two groups of subjects (Seprafilm™ vs. no Seprafilm™).
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|15 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|Double (Participant, Investigator)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Seprafilm™ for the Prevention of Intraperitoneal Adhesions and Improved Delivery of Therapy in Women Undergoing Staging and Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Advanced Ovarian Cancer
|Study Start Date :
|April 2010
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|October 2012
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|January 2014
Active Comparator: Seprafilm™
Subject will have 3 sheets of Seprafilm™ placed in her abdominal cavity (in the pelvis, upper abdomen and below the incision) at the end of debulking surgery. At 7-21 days after surgery the subject will receive a contrast dye, Iohexol (Omnipaque™), into her intraperitoneal port. The subject will then undergo 3 abdominal X-rays, to assess the extent of abdominal adhesions.
Procedure: Seprafilm™
Seprafilm™ Adhesion Barrier is an approved temporary, bioresorbable adhesion barrier to reduce the incidence, extent, and severity of adhesions in patients undergoing abdominal or pelvic laparotomy.
Seprafilm sheets are size 5" x 6" individually-wrapped, sterile membranes. Three or more Seprafilm™ sheets will be placed in the randomized cohort.
Other Name: Adhesion Barrier sheets
No Intervention: No Seprafilm™
Subject will undergo debulking surgery without Seprafilm™ placement (standard care). At 7-21 days after surgery the subject will receive a contrast dye, Iohexol (Omnipaque™), into her intraperitoneal port. The subject will then undergo 3 abdominal X-rays, to assess the extent of abdominal adhesions.
- The area of distribution of contrast dye in the intraperitoneal cavity as measured on three abdominal films taken 7-10 days following debulking surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer. [ Time Frame: 7-10 days ]
- The safety and side effects of placement of Seprafilm, including fever, elevated WBC count, nausea, blocked port, port infection, small bowel obstruction
- The safety and side effects of IP omnipaque dye injection, including fever, elevated WBC count, nausea, blocked port, port infection, small bowel obstruction
- The additional time taken for 1) placement of Seprafilm, 2) injection of IP contrast dye, 3) obtaining 3-way abdominal X-rays, and 4) interpretation of films
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|Child, Adult, Older Adult
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Epithelial ovarian cancer
- Stage III or IV (advanced)
- Planned intraperitoneal chemotherapy
- Optimally debulked to less than 1 cm residual tumor in any area within the peritoneal cavity (after consent prior to randomization)
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01095367
|United States, Nevada
|University of Nevada School of Medicine
|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
|Canada, British Columbia
|Vancouver General Hospital
|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
|Study Director:
|Dr. Dianne Miller
|British Columbia Cancer Agency
|Study Director:
|Mark S Carey, MD
|University of British Columbia
|Study Director:
|Thomas G Ehlen, MD
|University of British Columbia
|Principal Investigator:
|Sarah Finlayson, MD
|University of British Columbia
|Study Director:
|Janice Kwon, MD
|University of British Columbia
|Study Director:
|Gavin CE Stuart, MD
|University of British Columbia
|Study Director:
|Anna Tinker, MD
|British Columbia Cancer Agency
|Study Director:
|Mark Heywood, MD
|University of British Columbia
|Responsible Party:
|University of British Columbia
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|March 30, 2010 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|September 26, 2014
|Last Verified:
|September 2014
Adhesion barrier sheets
ovarian cancer
Advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer
Ovarian Neoplasms
Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial
Tissue Adhesions
Endocrine Gland Neoplasms
Neoplasms by Site
Ovarian Diseases
Adnexal Diseases
Genital Diseases, Female
Genital Neoplasms, Female
Urogenital Neoplasms
Endocrine System Diseases
Gonadal Disorders
Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial
Neoplasms by Histologic Type
Pathologic Processes


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- State Records Finding Aids - by Department/Agency
- State Records Finding Aids - Alphabetical Listings
- Indexes to Selected Record Groups
The Tennessee State Library and Archives is the official repository for records of the State of Tennessee, organized by department or other subgrouping. These Record Groups can consist of various types and formats of records generated by agencies in the performance of their duties. They are searchable in two ways: listings by department/agency and alphabetical listings .
Most Record Groups are available on microfilm and some finding aids are available online in .pdf format. Finding aids will generally include an agency history, a scope & content note, and a box or container list. You may also view current agency descriptions and histories in the Tennessee Blue Book.
Selected indexes to large and often-used state records have also been prepared by Library and Archives staff. These may be accessed by visiting the Indexes to Selected Record Groups page.
Download the free Acrobat Reader to view .pdf files.


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reading skills, sales training, soft skills training
Creative Writing Technique for Your Website
Owning a website with a creative writing in it is a good virtual investment since you can use your website as an online store, growing adsense campaign, or be an affiliate marketer for some merchant. If your website is crucial to gain a living, then you will finally need something engaging inside. Something that makes the visitors want come and back again to your website to look for something new and stay update with certain topic they need. Then, you will realize that "something engaging" is actually the content itself. It is not only about how original and how good your website content is. It is also considered to think how creative you deliver the content.
Nowadays, some websites are online with creative writing inside and it means there are many competitor who wants to be successful making money online as you want. It means, your success depends on how creative you are in delivering the updated content. In order to do it, understanding what stuff you can put in to your content will be beneficial. So, by building a content for your website, you can put text, pictures, embed videos, insert link and many more. By knowing this, you may realize what you should do for your content. First of all, uploading an interesting picture will be very beneficial since people will look at the picture first rather than the title or the text inside.
Second, put the eye-catching title for your writing results. If there is a title "How to be smarter learning business" and another title which same content like "10 ways to kick start your business in smarter way" then what will you choose to click? If you are the average people in this world, you must choose the second one. Then the question is why? The answer is absolutely because it is super specific and detail. So make your title makes the reader interested about what you offer in your writing.
After putting the perfect pictures and titles, then now is just making your word flow from your mind. If you are not a master in making a good creative writing, you should understand that Google itself doesn't need perfect articles which has poetry words like an artist does. Google and people who are browsing the web just want you to give the brief information without bubbling them with some unnecessary diction. They want straight forward information which is actual and in fact it is relevant. It is OK for giving the opinion, but let your reader does too. For example, you may add the word "if you have a comment about this info, please let me know by put your comment bellow". Thanks


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This variant is currently sold out
Professionally printed on the "girlfriend" tee in black, white or heather grey. The GF runs true to women's sizing. If you're a girl that likes a very loose fit, order a size up. It is not a slim fitting shirt and is not slim through the body. It's a great shirt to do a little tuck in the front.
We recommend washing in cold, inside out and tumble dry low or hang to dry.
S- 18.5" at chest by 25.25" long from shoulder to hem
M- 20" at chest by 26" long from shoulder to hem
L- 22" at chest by 26.75" long from shoulder to hem
XL- 24" wide at chest by 27.5" from shoulder to hem
white is 100% cotton
heather black is 90% cotton 10% polyester
heather grey is 50% polyester 25% cotton 25% rayon


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Hope College Theatre will present "Rabbit Hole" by David Lindsay-Abaire in the DeWitt Center studio theatre beginning Friday, Dec. 4.
Performances are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5; and Wednesday-Saturday, Dec. 9-12, all with an 8 p.m. curtain time.
"Rabbit Hole" focuses on Becca and Howie, a couple trying to cope after a recent accident has irrevocably changed their family. The play explores the different manifestations of grief for the couple and their family. Despite its heavy subject matter, Lindsay-Abaire's play is a balance of comedic moments with the serious themes.
"Rabbit Hole" features the work of guest scenic and properties designer Daniel Stratton.
Stratton recently finished Northwestern University's Graduate Stage Design program.
He currently lives in Chicago, Ill., where he recently designed "Kill the Old, Torture
their Young" at Steep Theatre Company. Other scenic design credits include "R.U.R."
at Chicago's Strawdog Theatre Company, and the New York/San Francisco productions
of Fools Fury's "The Devil on All Sides." Stratton's course work at Northwestern included
the set designs for "Indians," "Peter Pan" and "On the Verge."
"Rabbit Hole" is Stratton's first commission to design for a college other than Northwestern. The production is directed by Daina Robins of the college's theatre faculty.
"Working with Daina is awesome - she's really invested in the play and it is nice
to work with a director who has a strong attachment to a piece," Stratton said.
Stratton's design process usually begins with emotional research of the play - looking at art books to understand the characters and the situation they're in to get a sense of the mood. His design for "Rabbit Hole" includes the dominant use of beige in the set with a somewhat "dead" color palette, reflecting the way in which the home in the play has lost the life that it had before the accident.
Other faculty members joining Robins on the production team are Michelle Bombe, costume designer, and Perry Landes, lighting and sound designer. Katie Terpstra, who is a 2009 Hope graduate, is assisting with properties design, and serving as technical director is staff member Paul Anderson. Students serving on the production team are freshman Paige Douglas of Holland, assistant stage manager; and sophomore Amanda K. Van Assen of Grand Rapids, stage manager.
The cast of "Rabbit Hole" includes: senior Alex Martin of Saugatuck as Howie; sophomore Rachel Parada of Harbor Springs as Nat; freshman Ryan Phillips of Holland as Jason; junior Jackie Richards of Worthington, Ohio, as Izzy; and senior Brittany Stock of St. Charles, Ill., as Becca.
Tickets for "Rabbit Hole" are $7 for regular admission, $5 for Hope faculty and staff, and $4 for students and senior citizens, and are available at the ticket office in the main lobby of the DeVos Fieldhouse. The ticket office is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and may be called at (616) 395-7890. In addition, the theatre lobby ticket office in the DeWitt Center will be open on performance nights at 7 p.m.
The DeVos Fieldhouse is located at 222 Fairbanks Avenue between Ninth and 11th streets. The DeWitt Center is located at 141 E. 12th St., on Columbia Avenue at 12th Street.


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Why not swing in snow and spend winter time in Cracow, in one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland? As the former national capital with a history encompassing more than a thousand years, the city remains the spiritual heart of Poland. While visiting Cracow during the winter time, you will fall in love with the magnificent narrow streets and mysterious architecture which will surely take your breath away. The beautiful boutique hotel Spatz invites you to visit Cracow in January and February with the following promotions:
This January and February, if you stay at least 2 nights, you'll save 20%! Breakfast and VAT included.
Stay with the Hotel Spatz for four consecutive nigths and pay only for three.
Spatz Aparthotel's facinating history begins at the start of the 20th century in the Jewish area of Kazimierz. In 1922, a wealthy Jewish family opened the hotel on Miodowa Street. The hotel took its name after the family and thrived until the start of the World War II. Nowadays, thanks to its new proprietors, Spatz Aparthotel goes on with its original tradition. The property offers 28 well-appointed guestrooms: 6 single, 18 double, and 4 double lux. with free internet connection in each one of them. The ultra-modern equipment of Spatz Aparthotel are in chocolate brown, juxtaposed to atypical furniture and red decorative vases. Downstairs, a Mexican restaurant and bar Manzana serves flavorsome food and provides a welcoming place to dine or meet friends.
Spatz Aparthotel is located on Miodowa 11 street, in the heart of the historical Kazimierz district – the centre of the Judean Culture in Krakow, five minutes walk from Wawel Castle and the King's Route and ten minutes from medieval Market Square. Spatz Aparthotel is surrounded by narrow streets and attractive architecture where you will find extraordinary restaurants, bars and pubs. The Hotel lies 18 km away from the Airport Balice (KRK) and 100 km away from the Airport Katowice (KTW). – View Location Map.
|Epoque Classic Comfort [learn more]
|Miodowa 11, Krakow [view map]
|Boutique Hotel
|Best Rate:
|43 EUR [View Calendar]
|Total Rooms:
|Languages Spoken by Staff:
|English, German
|Credit Cards Accepted:
|Download full info [↓]


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|Other OS Any other OS such as Microsoft Windows, BeOS, Plan9, Syllable, and whatnot.
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OpenBSDist to try Plan9 .. motives ? incentrives ?
Hi !
Just a question that came into my mind while reading this last post from a hacker :
Why would an OpenBSD hacker want to try Plan9 ?
What's behind the charm? design ? philosophy? ... is it the same reason why a slackware hacker would want to try OpenBSD ?
re:OpenBSDist to try Plan9 .. motives ? incentrives ? Reply to Thread
Historical interest?
It has to be something like why I picked up a "free" CB4008 pet computer one day when someone in Berkeley was giving it away ...
By the way does anyone want a "free" CB4008 pet computer?
Last edited by comet--berkeley; 20th February 2012 at 03:14 PM. Reason: grammar and spelling
I'd say a Unix fan in general ought to be interested in trying plan 9 because it's what Unix's creators made after reflecting on Unix's deficiencies. The good ideas they had for Unix are further refined in plan 9, as I understand it. More things look like a file for instance. Another example, graphics programming can be done in a way that hides a lot of complexity, so maybe it's not so much more complicated to write graphics programs under plan 9 than terminal programs under Unix. This is very unlike the situation with X on Unix now, where it sounds to me (never done X programming, honestly) like X fails to hide much complexity and throws in some extra of its own devising. Also, some of the random inconsistencies springing up from different people writing different Unix utilities and some of the places where a specialized utility (e.g. head) was made that does something a more general utility (sed) could do almost as simply, things that were alluded to in The Unix Programming Environment by Kernighan and Pike, seem to be corrected (or done differently, depending on your perspective).
Your suggestion that people who like Slackware and find OpenBSD a further improvement along the simple, clean design axis probably has some truth. In my opinion (and yours it seems), of the free Unixes, OpenBSD does as well or better than others at delivering a Unix that's small, simple and intuitive (in as much as that is possible given today's expectations for what must be available). Plan 9 seems yet simpler and cleaner. On the other hand, from what I understand of Unix history, Berkeley always offered, as a benefit over SysV, better usability by adding features and programs that were more fun to use or did things better. So I don't know that all OpenBSD users and developers would necessarily like Plan 9. Maybe instead what they would need is a third party playing the role of Berkeley in the 70s and 80s and adopting Plan 9 to add neat stuff to it to make it fit better into the current computing landscape and to throw in some cool features that the more staid Plan 9 designers might reject for not being worth the extra complexity in the implementation.
For myself (not a hacker just a user), at times I start to convince myself that I want to make Plan 9 my system of choice. This is putting the cart before the horse, of course, since I would need to use it awhile to really judge, and I've never succeeded at installing it on any machine I own, as I mentioned. But aside from that there are some sacrifices I'd be making that dampen my enthusiasm:
1. no C++ compiler
2. no Common Lisp compiler
3. I think not even a Scheme compiler (maybe a small one doing only R4RS?)
4. no emacs -- this may be an interesting switch, actually -- going plan 9 for me would mean acme (but then I'd need a good mouse for the frigging chording -- what do laptop users do?) plan 9 people seem to think emacs an atrocity in a similar way to roughly 7/8 of OpenBSD users. Maybe they know something I don't.
5. web browsing would be a pain. It seems like they have some incomplete browsers with the rough functionality of a dillo or w3m, but nothing like firefox or chrome, or even an xxxterm, netsurf or midori.
6. The perl that's available lags quite a bit I think. I see a page mentioning 5.8.0. I'm out of Perl right now, but when you're in Perl it's better to be all in and keeping up with the latest idioms, the sort of things people like chromatic advocate, in my opinion. That requires an up to date interpreter.
So I imagine myself doing this and making my application language ML (fun change for me in a way, but there goes all this time I've been spending learning Lisp and a huge part of my life I've committed to C++), using awk and rc instead of Perl, and doing any lower level stuff in C (and a non-ISO version of it at that) instead of C++. I dunno, I like the idea of exposing myself to good design -- the simplicity and all that. But it sounds like a bit of a hairshirt. Similar, but not quite as drastic, to running Oberon as my system (something I've also felt a slight pull towards from reading about Niklaus Wirth but will probably never do).
This is too long already (sorry, it's a subject I keep coming back to), but one more thing. If you watch the ports mailing list, you'll see there are certain porters who seem to have an enthusiasm for plan 9 or plan 9 influenced software. Some of these ports come from this site and you may want to try them out: http://suckless.org/ IMO, it's interesting (and healthy?) to contrast these kinds of design esthetics with those from other groups, e.g. Lisp programmers: http://www.jwz.org/doc/worse-is-better.html
Hi Comet--Berkeley ! thanks for sharing .. I would blindly agree especially if historical interest entails historical intimacy with this or that machine .. answer to your question : yes as long as it can run NetBSD .. :-)
Hi Thirdm ! thank you for sharing with us ..
I've already tried plan9 on hackintosh kaliway (Osx5.2) on this very Acer Laptop .. I was using vmware fusion .. it run successfully as run Haiku ..
Usually .. in the world of alternative OS .. we notice the following main but not exhaustive trends :
* Oses with shiny GUI .. ususally windows users become infatuated with such like fedora/mandriva/ubuntu ..
*Oses which are source-based : namely gentoo/slackware/arch/... this is where most bsd users come from .. and feel more at home with when using ..
* Oses which are exotic but would add up to the UNIX lore and help experience something new : Plan9 , Haiku , Minix , dead Opendarwin? ..
* Oses which allow special guarranteed advantage be gained , for instance Debian with its big community & thousands of packages ..
*Oses which freezes history at some 'glorious moment' , one can't forget .. think Amiga , think MacOS9 ..
saying this while being totally convinced that OpenBSD offers the likes of me literally everything needed (or would-be needed) .. but again , humans like paradigm-shifts and like to experience the para-OS , the Pseudo-OS , the special-feature-OS .. sometimes for the sake of learning .. or from a pragmatic stance .. or just for the sole purpose of departing oneself from the common .. the standard .. at times ..
Thanks thirdm ! you push me to read more ..
I have a mild (but as yet unfulfilled) interest in Plan 9. Since I'm no expert on the subject, there are only a few things that come to mind:
Many thanks to the forum regulars who put time and effort into helping others solve their problems.
Hi @Backrow ! thanks !
concerning the 3rd point , is this what you mean my friend ?
I've found a perfect reason:
//Sorry, I had to! Taking cover!...
//And now, seriously... I don't know if it is good enough for "hacker" kind'a guy, but I, personally, just love to search for easter eggs in "exotic" OS'es
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|Welcome to Ships Nostalgia, the world's greatest online community for people worldwide with an interest in ships and shipping. Whether you are crew, ex-crew, ship enthusiasts or cruisers, this is the forum for you. And what's more, it's completely FREE.
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250 Toorak Rd
South Yarra
Telephone: 03 9804 7485
Apologies for the three week hiatus as I returned to the motherland - back in Melbourne now in full force! (As is the heat, I can see!)
As promised in this post, the time for BFF J and I to elevate our love for chocolate to an academic level came yesterday in the form of one of Master Chocolatier Arno Backes' chocolate courses - specifically, 'How to Create a Chocolate House'!
Oh and I can't wait any longer, feast your eyes on this little baby!
What a wonderful class it was, the level of gushiness I feel like I must inject into this post is akin to a fantastic first date - and he's funny, so funny, did I mention?
The class began with a description of the three ways of melting and tempering chocolate - French, German, or Italian. FYI, Arno scorns the use of a metal bowl over simmering water. Apparently, one is meant to treat chocolate like one's own skin - therefore the temperatue of the chocolate, or rather 'couverture', should never exceed 40 degrees Celsius. Fancy that.
This, by the way, is the Italian method - a hefty 200 pound machine Arno describes as his 'Italian girlfriend' who took 'ages convincing to go upstairs'. All classes, and the kitchen, which we shamessly perve on during the course of the class, are held above the main shop.
And here you go - some of the processes involved in making the Chocolate House - I feel the need to preempt these with a bit of a disclaimer - I was honestly very much the dunce of the class, while J was a total star.
For example:
Show-off. (J's fences.)
J methodically putting her house together.
Level One. If only we could all use water glasses to prop our homes up.
J flipping her house - as you may observe, her base is a perfect circle.
And my house - up and at 'em! It's quite easy to see that it's got loads of imperfections! Oh but the joy I felt when it was finally up - unparalleled (as were my walls evidently)!
Setting up fences - don't want the neighbours trespassing, after all. Observe the abundance of 'off-cuts' of chocolate on the table - we got to keep them all! Though I must admit that J and I consumed a substantial portion during the class itself - so much so that she inadvertently ate her door.
J gettin' her snow on! (The smoke is just cotton balls!)
Almost done now! Actually, I thought I was done at this point. Can you play 'What's Wrong With This Picture?'
I forgot the door! Ta-da! The finished house in all its flawed glory.
All boxed and ready to go!
Can't wait to do it all over again.


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Weather Blog: Winter forecast 2013-2014
Thank you for reading the Weather Watch 12 blog! One word, 89 days -- winter. In today's blog we breakdown the much anticipated winter forecast for southeastern Wisconsin. Included is the method we use to create the forecast, the reasoning behind our forecast, and finally how much snow and cold you can expect.
Since weather records began in the 1800s, Milwaukee has seen snow in 9 different months -- as early as September 20 and as late as May 31. The first measurable snow this season blanketed a pumpkin patch in Caledonia on November 11.
The bulk of our average annual snowfall of 46.9" in Milwaukee piles up from December-March. Here's a monthly breakdown of average snowfall per month. Both October, April, and May average small amounts.
November 2.4"
December 10.6"
January 14.7"
February 9.8"
March 7.0"
Last winter Weather Watch 12 predicted 36" to 48" of snow for Milwaukee. The final total was 45.0". Our temperature forecast of near average with big temperature swings was spot on. The final departure from average for December-March finished at +0.6 degrees.
The challenge of predicting an entire season is one we take head on using a weather pattern theory called Lezak's Recurring Cycle or the LRC.
Here are the basics of the theory
- A unique weather pattern sets up every year between the start of fall and mid-November.
- Long term long-wave troughs(low pressure) and ridges(high pressure) become established. These dominant repeating features are clues to where storm systems will reach peak strength, and where they will be their weakest.
- Once the weather pattern is set it cycles, repeats, and continues through winter, spring and into summer. Identifying the cycle length helps tremendously when making long range weather predictions.
- The LRC is a 10-11 month pattern! It isn't just one long-wave trough, storm system, or ridge. Instead, a sequence of troughs and ridges that are cycling around the Northern Hemisphere.
The key to using the LRC with success is knowing the cycle duration. The cycle duration this LRC season is around 57-58 days as discussed in the blog on October 30. You can read that discussion by clicking here.
After weeks of analysis here are the features of the cycling weather pattern that will drive our weather this winter.
Feature #1 - Active Periods
We have identified several periods or storm systems that should provide our area with the bulk of its precipitation.
The first timeframe we noted was between October 2-17. This two week window produced 2.61" of rainfall in Milwaukee. As this part of the pattern repeats it should provide several chances for precipitation. The return timeframe would be early to mid-December and again in late January to roughly the first 10 days of February.
Another active part of the pattern occurred with a storm system around Halloween. Over 1" of precipitation was measured in Milwaukee. The 500mb(middle of the atmosphere) map below shows a trough or area of low pressure over the Plains and Midwest. This feature should return again toward the end of December.
A final feature of this pattern's active periods is the most recent storm system that brought severe weather, heavy rain, and gusty winds to the Midwest. This feature has strong upper level winds associated with it, and tracks in a position that may lead to a powerful winter storm in future cycle(s).
While we typically think snow in the winter, the active periods will likely have the potential to produce all precipitation types.
Feature #2 - Cold/Drier Periods
What would winter be without arctic airmasses sending temperatures into the deep freeze. While we will see several shots of bitter cold this winter, one timeframe stands out. October 18-29 delivered an extended period of below average temperatures. This part of the pattern featured a predominately northwest flow aloft, a series of clipper systems, and shots of early season cold.
Translating this into winter when this feature repeats, light precipitation and overall colder than average temperatures are expected. The image below is from October 23. Notice the deep trough over the Great Lakes(cold) and the ridge over the West(warm).
Clearly there are other parts of the pattern that will unlock frigid airmasses, but this timeframe looks to be the one with the greatest potential to linger more than a few days.
Winter Forecast
Temperatures = Near Average
Discussion: The cold periods this winter will get your attention. The coldest parts of the pattern have the potential to drop temperatures well below zero. For the first time in 5 years Milwaukee may see at least one night with temperatures around -10! It's not all cold though, in fact the southwest flow part of the pattern, while active, should allow us to thaw out and jump above average. The ups and downs should again keep temperatures overall close to average.
Snowfall = 42 to 54 inches
Discussion: Precipitation totals look to finish near to above average this winter season. However, I think we battle precipitation type with some of our active stretches of weather meaning potentially rain/mix to snow. Any rain or mix cuts down on snow totals. The forecast position of the main storm track should keep the heaviest winter snow totals to the west-northwest of Milwaukee. Areas from Green Bay to Wausau to the Twin Cities and even around Madison should see above average snowfall this winter.
For southeastern Wisconsin including Milwaukee, there is an increased chance of 1-2 'big' snows this winter. This is based on features we highlighted in the active period that will support stronger storm systems.
As we gain confidence in the pattern we will begin to issue monthly outlooks highlighting weather events that we are expecting weeks to a month in advance. Stay with Weather Watch 12 this winter season for your most accurate day-to-day and long range forecasts.
For the latest weather information watch WISN 12 News, and for updates throughout the day follow me on Twitter @jnelsonweather
Have a great day!
Jeremy Nelson


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A song for each picture # 2
And then I ended up on a roadway that reminded me of the very first scene in Tashan (2008 -- here is my review). The narrow roadway, coupled with 'rait' (meaning 'sand', pronounced with the 't' as in 'taara') on either side, and mountains in the distance, were similar to the setting of that scene. (Speaking of Tashan, here is an excellent essay by Filmi Girl, titled Tashan, Om Shanti Om, and 70s Nostalgia.)
I even went off-road for a bit (and needed a car wash like never before that evening), which is when I took the picture below. Sitting in the middle of nowhere for who knows how long was this vehicle. So the question is: Which Bollywood song(s) does this picture remind you of and why?
PS: Excuse the picture quality; did not have my 'real' camera and had to rely on the phone :)
Addendum 6/12:
Here are the top three songs noted. Thank you for your comments!
1. Yun Hi Chala Chal from Swades (2004)
This was indeed the song that I was thinking of. It had the RV...
...and the terrain:
2. Dil Dance Maare from Tashan (2008)
Mentioned Tashan in the post, and this song is set in a similar setting:
3. Banjar Hai from Saathiyaa (2002)
Saathiya will always be remembered for its excellent music. This song (watch it here) has more than a visual connection (see comments):
Honorable Mention
Had I rotated to 9 O'Clock from the spot I took the picture, I would likely see this:
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is Champaner, the site of all the wonderful songs from Lagaan (2001)!
7 comments:
The obvious one that springs to mind is from Swades: "Yun Hi Chala Chala"
- Wednesday, June 11, 2008
- Filmi Girl said...
Thanks for the link to my essay!
Hmm... as for the picture, it reminds me of "Dil Dance Maare" from Tashan and a song I can't remember the title of from Swades - with Shahrukh driving that huge camper van!
- Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The first song that I thought of when I saw this picture was 'Mera Yaar Mila De' from Saathiya (2002). During this song, Vivek Oberoi travels to various parts of India, searching for Rani Mukerji. One of the landscapes depicted is a coastal desert-like region (I guess kind of like LA). More so than the song's picturization, it was the lyrics that helped me make the connection.
Banjar hai, sab banjar hai
Hum doondne jab firdaus chale
Teri khoj talaash mein dekh piya hum kitne kaale kos chale
Banjar hai, sab banjar hai
The key word here is 'banjar' which refers to a barren wasteland (like the one in the picture), where nothing grows nor can ever grow. Also the abandoned recreational vehicle emphasizes the plight of the desperate lover in search of his beloved. Just as the RV is dilapidated, so is the heart battered in agony and longing.
In sharp contrast to 'banjar' (wasteland) is 'firdaus' (garden). Firdaus comes from 'Jannat ul-Firdaus', the highest level of heaven, and the most beautiful of the gardens of paradise, closest to God. While the lover is expressing his suffering, he still clings to hope in finding his beloved, crying out to her to meet him after their separation. This is similar to how Muslims believe that death is not the final end, that there is hope in the Akhirah (the afterlife in Islam). I interpret 'banjar' as representing suffering/death while 'firdaus' conveys pleasure/heaven, but it seems that I have digressed from the original question… sorry!
- Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The RV also reminded me of the 'ABCD' song from Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999). The highlight of that song, and I guess the film as a whole, was seeing so many of Bollywood's top stars together on screen.
- Wednesday, June 11, 2008
- theBollywoodFan said...
Memsaab: I was thinking of exactly the same song as I took the picture! I've expressed my love for it a couple of times, most recently in this post (but you knew that already). For a moment, I even felt like jumping into the vehicle, but I must admit I feared it might be inhabited, if only by rattlesnakes :) What a waste! Speaking of the film, I had a Swades moment at work today. We were in a brain-storming session, and a map of Asia was on one of the slides, with India highlighted. So my Bollywood-crazed brain wandered and quietly hummed 'Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera', lol. What's more, I was even wearing a lanyard with my badge, over a tie! :)
Filmi Girl: Right on! See my note to Memsaab above. The setting *is* similar to that of 'Dil Dance Maare' from Tashan.
Salek: That's a great thought process! 'Banjar Hai' is an excellent song. Agree with about everything you say, and the analogy to the battered heart is very well done. And I have not seen Hum Saath Saath Hain, should check it out soon.
Thank you all for your thoughts! Anyone have any more to add?
- Wednesday, June 11, 2008
There's also 'Yeh Dil Deewana' from Pardes (1997). In the beginning of the song, Shah Rukh Khan is driving through a landscape very similar to the one in your picture.
I think Pardes was also the first Bollywood movie to have been filmed in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
- Friday, June 13, 2008
- theBollywoodFan said...
Salek: Pardes was an excellent film, and I do believe it was the first to be shot here. You're right about that landscape! Good one, thanks!
- Saturday, June 14, 2008


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The mansion Michael Jackson died in is up for sale again, for a cool $29 million.
The Holmby Hills home, which the singer was renting for $100,000 per month when he died on June 25, 2009, has seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms and 12 fireplaces, according to the Los Angeles Times. Owned by Ed Hardy brand CEO Hubert Guez, the 17,171-square-foot French chateau went on sale in 2008 for $10 million more than the current asking price.
The home, built in 2002, has a theater, a wine cellar and tasting room, an art studio, a gym with a spa, and an elevator, according to the Times. The guesthouse has stained-glass doors leading to the pool and gardens.
U.S. & World
Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world.
Thousands of tourists have visited the home at 100 North Carolwood Drive since Jackson's death, and it is now a regular stop for tour buses that pass homes of celebrities.
Jackson was found dead in one of the bedrooms after Dr. Conrad Murray, who has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, administered the dose of the sedative propofol that officials say killed the King of Pop. Murray was Jackson's $150,000-per- month personal physician as the singer prepared for a marathon stand in London.
Murray is facing trial on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death. A preliminary hearing in Murray's manslaughter trial was set for August 23.


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The Very Hungry Caterpillar Role-Play Masks
About This Primary Resource
Please note this resource is 100% unofficial and has been designed using original ELHQ artwork. It has not been endorsed by the author or publisher and is intended purely to supplement the story. 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' is a wonderful book written by Eric Carle. If you do not yet have a copy we strongly recommend that you order one!


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Somewhere in the subdued squalor of Tall Firs' third LP there is an angle worthy of opening an album review. Some sort of dramatic tension or compelling turn of events to pique your interest and keep you reading beyond the first paragraph. It's in here somewhere, I'm sure. I hope...
Truth is, Out Of It And Into It suffers from a pretty unremarkable inception. It's the New York City-based pair's first collection of songs since they departed from Thurston Moore's Esctatic Peace! label to ATP Recordings. Fleeing the bosom of one indie stalwart into the arms of another alt-rock institution is hardly the stuff of exclamatory headlines though.
Nor have Dave Mies and Aaron Mullan shifted their sound into expansive new textures and three-part harmonies. If anything, Out Of It... is a step back to the semi-acoustic folk of the band's self-titled debut after 2009's percussion-infused Too Old To Die Young struck a critically muddled note. Recorded early last year after Mullen had completed a stint reviving the Neu! back catalogue with Michael Rother's Hallogallo, the most hyperbolic statement that can be written about this album is that it may well be Tall Firs' most skeletal yet.
Like their contemporaries Cass McCombs and Kurt Vile, the duo's downbeat songs evoke a morose attitude even when their content is positively glowing. Lead single 'Crooked Smiles' is meant to be about the weary cheer worn by many an ATP attendee at the end of a long weekend. Sat on a tracklisting that includes the likes of 'Suffer So Long' and 'Suicide', you could be forgiven for misinterpreting gallows humour of a particularly bruised vintage.
Despite its brief 33 minute running time, this record's shroud of gloom is oppressively relentless. Occasionally, some shards of levity are allowed to breathe life into Out Of It... and the results are well worth cherishing. Both 'Edge Of The World' and 'Axeman' elevate their central misery beyond self-pity to a harrowing permanency that is profoundly affecting.
The rest of the LP lilts in a similar breeze of gentle string-picking yet struggles to be anywhere near as memorable. No sooner have 'Reveille Of Babylon', 'Loss For Words' and 'Waiting On A Friend' wafted into clarity, then they drift off again on a cloud of their own innocuousness. "It's my world. It's my song. No one asked you to singalong," croon the duo on 'I Couldn't Say It To Your Face' and in all likelihood you won't.
As it turns out, the defining feature of Out Of It... is this lack of a subtle affliction or blockbuster cataclysm with which to gel these 11 tracks together. Dig deep enough and you'll find a sketch of significance, a glimmer of greater worth but it's too ill-formed to really make out meaningfully. Fixating on this may be no way to start an album review but it seems a wholly appropriate note to end one on.
5Robert Leedham's Score


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Collette: 150 Tours, 7 Continents
Collette is a global leader of world travel and guided touring, offering 150 vacation choices on all seven continents. Founded in 1918, we are the oldest major U.S. tour operator and have taken countless travelers around the globe. Our guided excursions balance extraordinary experiences that connect you to new places and people, history and culture, with leisure time to venture out independently. Our passion is to fulfill dreams by creating extraordinary experiences worldwide.
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Hey, you Liberal Democrats. You may have won the election, but you're getting CREAMED in the transition.
Today, President-elect Barack Obama stuck it to you. He's chosen Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education.
Duncan is most decidedly NOT an educator. But Duncan has this extraordinary qualification: He's Obama's pick-up basketball buddy from Hyde Park.
I can't make this up.
Not that Duncan hasn't mucked about in the educational system. Chicago Boss Richie Daley put this guy in charge of the horror show called Chicago Public Schools where Duncan turned a bad system into a REALLY bad system.
And Obama knows it. Indeed, although he plays roundball with Duncan (who was captain of the Harvard basketball team), State Senator Obama was one of the only local Chicago officials who refused to send his kids to Duncan's public schools. (The Obamas sent Sasha and Malia to the Laboratory School, where Duncan's methods are derided as dangerously ludicrous.)
So, if The One won't trust his kids to Duncan, why is he handing Duncan ours?
The answer: Duncan is supported by a coterie of teacher-union hating Republicans. The vocal cheerleader for the Duncan appointment was David Brooks, the New York Times columnist; the REPUBLICAN columnist.
Hey, didn't those guys LOSE?
The problem with Duncan is not party affiliation. The problem is education philosophy. And Duncan is a Bush baby through and through, a card-carrying supporter of the program best called, "No Child's Behind Left."
At the heart of the program is testing. And more testing. Testing instead of teaching. When tests go badly, the solution is to push the low-test-score kids to drop out of school. If triage isn't enough, then attack their teachers.
Here's how Duncan operates this Bush program in Chicago at Collins High in the Lawndale ghetto. Teachers there work with kids from homeless shelters from an economically devastated neighborhood. Believe it or not, the kids don't get high test scores. So Chicago fired the teachers, every one of them. Then they brought in new teachers and fired THEM too when, surprise!, test scores still didn't rise.
The reward for a teacher volunteering for a tough neighborhood is to get harassed, blamed and fired. Now THAT'S a brilliant program, Mr. Duncan. But Duncan's own failures have not gotten HIM fired. As long as his 20-foot jumpshot holds, he's Mr. Secretary.
In no other cabinet department is the lack of expertise, lack of accomplishment, lack of a degree in the field found acceptable but in Education.
But what horrifies me more than Duncan's lack of credentials is Obama's kowtowing to the right-wing clique crusading against the teachers' union and progressive education. The ill philosophy behind the Bush-brand education theories Duncan promotes, "Teach-to-the-Test," forces teachers to limit classroom time to pounding in rote low-end skills, easily measured on standardized tests. The transparent purpose is to create a future class of worker-drones. Add in some computer training and – voila! – millions of lower-income kids are trained on the cheap to function, not think.
Analytical thinking skills, creative skills, questioning skills are left exclusively to privileged little Bushes at Phillips Andover Academy or privileged little Obamas at the Laboratory School.
For the rest of America's children, instead of hope, we'll have hoops.
Greg Palast is the father of school-aged twins and the author of, "No Child's Behind Left," included in his New York Times bestseller, Armed Madhouse. Palast is a Nation Institute Puffin Foundation Fellow for investigative reporting.
Get a signed copy of Armed Madhouse for the holidays for a tax-deductible contribution to the Palast Investigative Fund at www.PalastInvestigativeFund.org
Subscribe to Palast's reports at www.GregPalast.com


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Water is a powerful element – essential for sustaining life but also capable of causing great destruction. As a result, governments face the dual challenge of protecting water supplies while safeguarding against the risk of natural disaster.
It's not an easy task. Governments around the world face significant challenges in managing their water resources effectively. The problems are multiple and complex: billions of people are still without access to safe water and adequate sanitation; competition for water is increasing; and major investment is required to maintain and improve existing water infrastructure.
The need to reform water policies is as urgent as ever. According to the OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050, global water needs are projected to increase by some 55% due to growing demand from manufacturing, thermal electricity generation and domestic users. As a result, more than 40% of the world's population is projected to live under severe water stress by 2050. At the same time, nearly 20% will be exposed to flood risks.
OECD work on Water provides governments with practical advice and policy tools to pursue urgent reform in their water sectors, and help align the world to a more sustainable path.
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The online North American Fujitsu Cup Qualifier featured exciting games and a few surprising upsets last weekend on KGS. In the early rounds, 17-year-old Curtis Tang 7d knocked out Feng Yun 9P in a hard-fought match late Thursday night. Huiren
Yang 1P ran short on time in byo-yomi to advance Dae Hyuk Ko 7d to the final, and Andy Zhiyuan Liu 7d defeated Jie Li 7d by just 1.5 points to advance to the final. On Sunday, Liu defeated Dae Hyuk Ko to win the right to represent North America in the upcoming 2011 Fujitsu Cup. Edward Zhang and Oren Laskin handled the extensive organizing and scheduling logistics for the event and directed the early rounds. Dennis Wheeler was the director for the weekend rounds with Yixian Yhou assisting. Big thanks, as always, to KGS server admins Akane Negishi, Ian Davis and Daniel Short. Click here for full game results and records.


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"The Dark Knight Rises" promotional campaign is maintaining a very low profile, releasing three videos with little fanfare.
TheFireRises's Channel went live on YouTube on May 21, and since then three videos have been posted, showing scenes of mayhem, burning cars, a burning Arkham Asylum, a newscaster (looks like Michael Anthony Hall, reprising his "Dark Knight" role as Gotham TV host Mike Engel), the same chanting we heard on the website that offered up the first look at Tom Hardy at Bane, and lots of guys in orange jumpsuits with hoods over their heads that evoke many of the images we've seen from Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. The last one is called "491," which is police code for a dead human body. Check 'em out:
U.S. & World
The quality of the video is intentionally poor, which is frustrating, but it's definitely heightened our interest. Of course, they don't need to spend a single dollar on marketing for this to be a hit, so why not get a little weird with it?
Director Chris Nolan's final Batman film, which stars Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Juno Temple and a ton of other folks, arrives July 20, 2012.