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The USA Network comedy series Psych returns for the remainder of its sixth season on February 29th, with a special super-sized episode entitled "Indiana Shawn And The Temple Of The Kinda Crappy, Rusty Old Dagger," marking the return of Despereaux (Cary Elwes). Joining Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dulé Hill), the trio is in a race against an evil gang of art thieves to find a mythical dagger that, according to legend, will unlock the hidden treasure of a deceased billionaire.
During this exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor/producer/writer/director James Roday, who is ultra-charming and obviously very passionate about his craft, talked about what fans can expect from the remainder of this season, working with his first TV crush Mädchen Amick, how the fact that anything goes with the show really keeps things fresh after six seasons, how he decides which episodes he'll direct, the process for determining what they'll pay tribute to in each season, that they've already started lining things up for Season 7 (they go into production on it in April), and how invaluable he finds the communication with the show's loyal fans. Check out what he had to say after the jump:
Collider: Even though I was extremely jealous of you, I have to say that the Twin Peaks tribute episode that you did on Psych almost mended my broken heart over that show's cancellation.
JAMES RODAY: Oh, my gosh, you and me both!
If only for the length of the episode, I felt that much better.
RODAY: Yeah, it was pretty phenomenal. I'm such a huge fanboy of that show, and it was like going back in time and getting to be in an episode. It was pretty surreal. A lot of that cast hadn't seen each other in 10 or 15 years. The show was like a reunion for them. It's was awesome! It was emotional and very special.
What can fans expect from the return episode, "Indiana Shawn and the Temple of the Kinda Crappy, Rusty Old Dagger"?
RODAY: We are premiering with the third appearance from Cary Elwes as his character, Despereaux. It's a bit of a tribute to the Indiana Jones franchise, on top of that. You can expect a little more action and adventure then we usually deliver. It's a lot of fun. It was written and directed by our creator, Steve Franks. If you're at all familiar with him and his episodes, they generally are the most bouncy and fun episodes that we do. It also happens to be my personal favorite of the Despereaux batch. I think fans will be pumped.
What is it about the Despereaux character that makes him someone you want to keep bringing back?
RODAY: It's a fun idea that Shawn is enchanted by this guy. He's one of the few criminals that has managed to either keep pace with us or stay ahead of us. It's a little bit of the Roadrunner/Coyote act. And then, when Cary came up and was a complete and utter gentleman, and a lot of fun to hang out with, it clenched it, that we would keep the character coming back.
What was it like to get to work with your first TV crush, Mädchen Amick? Did it live up to the expectation?
RODAY: I was a little nervous, on the first day. That wasn't something that I created to help promote the episode. She was legitimately my first major TV crush. I was 12 or 13 years old, and I wanted to be Bobby and I wanted Shelly to be my girlfriend. That was the deal. And, I've been friends with Dana Ashbrook for over a decade. Luckily, I got enough of a sense from him of what to expect from Mädchen, so that when she came up, I knew how to act, what she liked and what her deal with, which helped me considerably, versus going in cold and making a fool out of myself. She's still very, very sexy, and she can bring it. She was a blast! We didn't catch her, at the end of the episode, so there's an open end there, as well.
Did you let her know that she was your first TV crush?
RODAY: Oh, yeah! At this point, it's so many years later. She's happily married and her daughter was with her, on set, so it was pretty easy to just lay it out there.
Do you enjoy the episodes where you guys get to do some more physical work?
RODAY: Yeah. I did a lot of physical stuff in the first couple of seasons, when we were coming out of the gates and trying to figure out what the show was and what this psychic thing was going to be. And then, we got away from that for awhile. Just over the last season or so, we reopened that box and what we've discovered is that it's a lot harder than it used to be. I will say, without shame, that my brilliant stunt performer, who has been covering me for years, did a lot of work for me this past season. I used to be the dude that wanted to try all of his own stuff, if they would let me. Not anymore.
Is there a point that you realized that really anything goes with this show?
RODAY: Yeah, I think it was when they let me direct the first time and I did an homage to Friday the 13th. We were out there at the camp, basically shooting a slasher movie. That was Season 3, and that's when it hit me that, "Wow, this show is anything we want it to be, as long as Shawn and Gus are doing their thing." It's pretty remarkable, and it's certainly kept things fresh for us.
We come in, at the beginning of each season, with a wishlist of costumes that we want to wear and things that we haven't done yet, and just start checking them off. It's a very unique show, in that way, and it's a testament to our writing staff and the cast, that we can move in and out of different worlds, every week. I think it helps with the longevity of the show. I think it's kept us on the air, quite frankly. We can keep throwing fans surprises.
Like any show, we have episodes that aren't as good, but I feel like because we always take such big swings, it's okay to strike out, every now and again, because when we connect, I feel like we really do connect. It's rare that you sit down for an episode of Psych and think, "Oh, that was just okay." For the most part, we're either really knocking the ball around, or we're striking out and failing miserably, but you don't ever want to be anywhere in between.
How do you go about deciding which episodes you'll direct?
RODAY: It usually starts with a concept. I knew I wanted to do slasher. I knew I wanted to do Hitchcock. I volunteered to do Christmas because I thought it would be an interesting challenge. I was the last person that anybody at our network or on our show expected to direct a Christmas episode, so I felt like I should toss my hat in the ring and give that a try. And then, once we have a concept and a story, because I usually write the ones I direct as well, I do generally try to marginalize Shawn, as much as I can, and put the focus on the other actors, which is twofold. That allows me more time to focus on making it look as good as possible, and I love watching my co-stars work. Nothing pleases me more than when they get a chance to do something that they don't usually get to do, or they have a central storyline. It's a way to guarantee both of those things.
And The Shining tribute episode, "Heeeeere's Lassie" (Episode 11), is the next episode that you've directed?
RODAY: Yes. That is a Tim Omundson special, I'll tell ya. It was so much fun. It was such a joy to watch him tackle that. He went full Jack [Nicholson] and had so much fun. He killed it! And, Dulé [Hill] was every bit his equal, turning in his Shelley Duvall. The ideal, for me, when I'm directing is something where Shawn is used judiciously and I can really play with the other guys and give them the chance to do something different.
When you guys decide, each season, what things you want to pay tribute to, have any of the other cast members ever said, "You want me to do what?!"?
RODAY: They get so pumped, when we come to them and say, "Okay, you're going to get to do this." They watch Dulé and I do it, every week. It's like getting the call to pinch-hit in the bottom of the ninth in the World Series. It's really exciting for them. They're so good at what they do, and they're so great at keeping the show on the ground and making Dulé and I look good that it's great for the producers and the writing staff to say, "We're doing a Juliet (Maggie Lawson) episode and you're going to work with William Shatner," or "We're doing The Shining and Tim, you're going to get to do your best [Jack] Nicholson." They light up like Christmas trees. I wish we could do it for them more often. The longer that we last, I suspect that we will. But, we've got gamers on the show, man. When you say, "Jump!," they say, "How high?"
What other tributes or homage episodes do you have lined up, for the remainder of this season?
RODAY: We riff on The Bachelor, except I guess it would be The Bachelorette because it's one girl and a bunch of guys. And then, our season finale is a little bit of an homage to Chinatown. We call it "Santabarbaratown." And, we've got three others in the mix that are all their own concoctions, one of which is directed by Jennifer Lynch, who you should know from writing Laura Palmer's diary. She's making her television directing debut on our show, which was absolutely thrilling. It's a weird, twist-y little go-down-the-rabbit-hole episode that we constructed, especially for her. French Stewart guest stars and plays a wonderfully weird little character. It's also got a lot of Woody the coroner (Kurt Fuller) in it, which is always fun for me. I'm looking forward to that one.
Now that you know that you'll have a Season 7, are you already trying to line up things you want to do and see if you can get certain guest stars?
RODAY: Yeah, we've started. The writers are all back and we go into production in April, so we're starting to break stories and call around and check on dates for people. We promised everybody a Clue episode last season and we weren't able to do it because of some scheduling problems, so that's back on the board and looking good for Season 7. Things are in the works to make that one happen. And then, as far as a musical goes, it's anybody's guess, at this point. It takes such an unbelievable amount of work to pull it off, and I think (show creator) Steve [Franks] would say the same thing. Once we actually sat down and started talking about it, it hit us, just how much prep and work it was going to take to do what we wanted to do, which was not only do a musical, but do a good musical that was different than any other show's musical. It was like, "Huh, when are we going to do this? When are we going to be able to make this happen?" It's still definitely on the board and it's still being discussed, but we're all in agreement that we shouldn't do it unless it's spectacular.
Are you surprised at how badly people seem to want to see a Clue episode?
RODAY: I would say yes, normally, except that I dated a girl in college who was so obsessed with that movie that it exposed me to the level of fandom that exists. I was educated as to the true cult status that that movie has. She would say, "You think it's just me, but there are others. There are many of us." She would show me websites and I was like, "Wow, you're not lying!" So, the Clue fans are out there, man. I certainly dig the movie. It's fun, and it was one of the last things we got from Madeline Kahn, so it's always special for that reason. It is a bit of a phenomenon, and that means we can riff on it 'cause that's how we roll. We'll try to get as many of those guys to come up as we can, the way we did with Twin Peaks.
Is there anything that you've wanted to do a tribute for that you tried to incorporate, but it just didn't work out?
RODAY: We really wanted to do something with David Bowie, and one of the original pitches for a vampire episode was to make it more like The Hunger because that would be the perfect way to get Bowie on the show. But, we just can't get him because he's essentially retired and I'm sure he has no idea what Psych is. I think we finally had to raise the white flag on that one. I think a David Bowie/The Hunger-themed episode would have been pretty awesome. But, one door closes and another door opens. By doing the version that we did, we were able to put the original Buffy (Kristy Swanson) on the show, and then have her fall in love with Lassiter (Tim Omundson). It gave us its own gifts.
Is there anything that you would love to see Shawn and Gus get to do or go through, before the show is done?
RODAY: Yeah, I would love to see Gus meet a girl, in a real way, so that they have to deal with that on Gus' side, the way they've had to deal with it from Shawn's side. I'm encouraged by the fact that we've been around long enough to start talking about real character development. The fact that the guys are getting older – they're not that young anymore – opening up the ideas of mortality and maturity and responsibility, and have them resist it, but at the same time, embrace it, could make for a new, fun energy, just in the way that they approach their cases and everyday life. It's that moment when Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are sitting on the steps in Wedding Crashers, and it hits them and they go, "We're not that young." That's a whole new dimension that we can start exploring, as we head towards our twilight on the show. And then, I've been pitching a porn episode for years, so far to no avail.
Do you think there will ever be a point where Jules (Maggie Lawson) is let in on Shawn's secret, or would that ruin things?
RODAY: Well, it's tricky. Right now, you basically have a relationship that's 100% based on deceit. As cute as they are together, and as much as they may compliment one another, the fact is that Shawn has been lying to her, since the very beginning. I guess you could go a couple different ways with it, but to have her just let him off the hook feels like cheating and taking the easy way out, to me. I think there's going to be a reckoning, at some point, and I can't imagine that initially it's going to go over very well. We'll have to see if that's something they can bounce back from or not. I'm just as intrigued as you are.
Do you plan that reveal ahead of time, or do you just see where it fits organically, as you go along?
RODAY: That's been our approach to that relationship, for better or worse. In doing that, we've managed to find some really nice moments, and we've also managed to spin our wheels a little bit. Because we're getting closer to the end, it probably makes sense to start mapping it out a little more and decide if it's an endgame or if it's a bump in the road. We've got fans that are so loyal and so awesome and who have been hanging with us for so long that I want to give them the absolute best version of everything, as we start wrapping things up. For my part, I will definitely be championing the idea of planning some stuff and making sure that we pay it off. That's where we are, at this point.
How much more challenging is it, at this point, to keep coming up with nicknames that Shawn has for Gus?
RODAY: Everyone is in on the joke now – our entire writing staff and our writers' assistants and everybody – so I have a lot of help. Every episode, there are at least one or two that are scripted, and then, along with the scripted ones, there are usually five or six alternatives, plus whatever I pull out of my rear-end, in the moment. Luckily, we still have a wealth of options, as well as for the "Gus, don't be's." Those have gotten almost as popular in the writer's room as the nicknames. There have been so many. At this point, I lean towards the "Gus, don't be's," just because you can literally say anything. It doesn't even have to be a person. It can be an inanimate object, an existential idea, or anything you want it to be. With the names, you want them all to be A+'s, so it takes a little more effort.
What do you enjoy about getting to communicate directly with your fans, through social media and events like Comic-Con?
RODAY: I think it's invaluable. It's an umbilical chord that keeps us on the up-and-up with the perspective. They're like fuel for this machine. We need to keep pushing as hard as we can and putting as good of a product on the air as possible, and how much more validation do you need than going to Comic-Con, or having a fan appreciation day, and feeling all that love? It's overwhelming, but at the same time, it's really special, and we all get it and appreciate it. It's why going into Season 7, we're every bit as excited as we were in Season 1 or Season 2. It's because of that relationship. Psych is a cult show, and anytime a show takes on a cult status, it means that the fans are a huge part of it. USA has been great about creating and manifesting these opportunities for us to connect with the fans. I'm totally slacking, in terms of being on Twitter or Facebook, but I know the rest of the cast are all on there and they Tweet all the time and know the fans by their handles. I think that's fantastic. At some point, I imagine I will catch up with the Joneses, but for now, it remains this thing that I can't quite wrap my head around.
Psych airs on Wednesday nights on the USA Network.


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If you have any additional information or are related in any way to the families mentioned, please be sure to contact me.
|Ida (Davis) Gilliland Morris
b. July 2, 1874 Owen County, Indiana
d. August 2, 1900 Owen County, Indiana
- Exploratory Data Analysis : Ida (Davis) Morris (1874-1900) - a summation of the biographical facts that I have discovered about Ida.
- Marriage Record : Carvie A. Morris to Ida Hancock, Monroe County, Indiana - a copy of the marriage record of Ida, two weeks before her death.
- Death Notice : Ida (Davis) Morris, 1900 - brief notice of Ida's death in the Ellettsville newspaper.
- Ida Davis (1874-1900) - some photos purportedly of Ida, but may actually be those of her mother, Mary Ellen (Crockett) Swafford Gilliland.
- Fearless Females : Favorite Female Ancestor - Ida was the subject of this genealogy blog meme in 2011.
- Ida D. Hancock : Door of Hope, Indianapolis, Indiana - A post about finding Ida in the 1900 census living at a home for unwed mothers.
- Where Was She Buried? - Ida doesn't have a tombstone marker. This post was about my search for a burial location.
- Surname Saturday : Davis - A post about the background of Ida's ancestry.
- Saturday Night Genealogy Fund : Who is your most recent unknown ancestor? - Ida and her daughter June was the subject of this genealogy blog meme in 2009.
- Mystery Man : Frank Fletcher or Carrie Morris - Is this the photo of my 2nd-great grandfather, purported to be Frank Fletcher?

subset: commoncrawl


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Kinder Morgan closes
Copano Acquisition
Copano Energy has been acquired by Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP). Kinder Morgan is one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America. Information on Copano's assets can be found in Kinder Morgan's Natural Gas Pipeline section under Midstream assets as well as under Kinder Morgan's Product Pipeline section.
Producers can access unaudited SCADA meter flows with their client login information.
For more information on Kinder Morgan's approximately 83,000 miles of pipelines and 147 terminals, visit www.kindermorgan.com.
Read the full press release.


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Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Financial, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
bomberDrug slang
A regional street term for a large joint (marijuana cigarette).
Military medicine
A military aircraft designed to attack land and sea targets by dropping bombs onto them. They are divided into:
• Strategic bombers—which bomb strategic targets (e.g., supply bases, bridges, factories, shipyards, and cities) to damage an enemy's war effort. As a rule, strategic bombers deliver bigger bombs from higher altitude and are thus less precise. These are of greatest interest/concern for medical personnel on the ground because the damage is greater and less descriminate.
• Tactical bombers—which bomb specific military targets and installations with greater precision than strategic bombing.
A person who detonates an explosive with the intent of killing military personnel or civilians.


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National and State Graduation Rates in Two Reports (NCES, 2009)
You can find the latest statistics about national and state graduation rates in two reports from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
The Digest of Education Statistics, 2008
This report (published in March 2009) provides information on the number of public high school graduates for the nation as a whole through 2005-06, the latest year for which estimates currently are available. The Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate of 2005-06 was 73.4 percent. NCES statisticians project future graduation rates for 2006-07 (75.4 percent), 2007-08 (75.4 percent), and 2008-09 (74.8 percent) (See Table 104). You will also find graduation rates for each state for several years, including 2005-06 (See Table 106).
Public School Graduates and Dropouts from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06
This report (published in January 2009) also provides state-by-state graduation rates, but you will find those rates reported for American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black, and White students (See Table 2).


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Auchterarder Golf Club is located in the heart of Perthshire, Scotland, and welcomes visitors all year round.
Our parkland course has spectacular views towards Gleneagles and the Ochil Hills and runs along side the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles Hotel (Ryder Cup venue in 2014).
An easy walking course of 5800 yards, it has a variety of challenging holes which are a test for golfers of all abilities. Our clubhouse offers a variety of refreshments and meals throughout the day.
The facilities at the club have made it a very popular venue for casual visitors and visiting golf societies alike.
We hope to see you at Auchterarder Golf Club soon where you are assured of a warm welcome.
A link to the Auchterarder GC GEO webpage is here:


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After a four-hour standoff, David Park is apprehended by the Kern County SWAT team from his trailer at the Desert Empire Fairgrounds RV park.
A male had barricaded himself inside a trailer at the Desert Empire Fairgrounds RV Park on Thursday morning. The suspect was identified by the Ridgecrest Police Department as David Park, owner of ProShop Nutrition. The incident prompted the lockdown of Gateway Elementary School due to its close proximity to DEF, and later, the lockdown of Burroughs High School as well.
The incident began around 9 a.m., and he was taken into custody without incident at 1:30 p.m.
There were no reports of any injuries to law enforcement or any other personnel on the scene or from neighbors of the DEF. There was no damage to the fairgrounds except for two street lights that Park shot out and many trailers and RVs that suffered bullet damage.
RPD Chief Ron Strand said by phone at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday that a full report and press release will be out Friday. He said officers were busy collecting evidence and investigating the matter Thursday afternoon.
He said Park had four guns in his trailer, two rifles and two pistols. Strand said that from the initial investigation, Park had fired more than one firearm during his shooting spree.
Strand said by cell phone at noon that Park has apparently shot his weapon several times "indiscriminately." He said he hoped the incident could be resolved peacefully — and eventually, it was.
As of 12:15 p.m. the Kern County Special Weapons And Tactics team was on scene, delivered by helicopter. The helicopter was delayed in arriving in Ridgecrest due to having to fly around weather. SWAT from Bakersfield had been arriving on the scene by vehicle at 12:30. The incident was peacefully resolved by 1:30 p.m.
The public was urged to stay clear of the area.
Strand said that once Kern County SWAT teams were deployed, Park gave himself up.
Strand said it would be speculating to comment on Park' motive.
According to business owners from around ProShop Nutrition, business was good at the sports shop, and he had recently been seen with his wife and kids.
There are also reports that he had apparently been suffering from physical problems and a separation from his current wife.
Strand said only that Park was quite upset and having an obvious bad day, but it was premature to talk about Park' motives.
Park is being charged, among many items, with multiple counts of attempted homicide and special enhancements for attempted homicide against a police officer.
Strand said he was very proud of the officers at the scene for showing restrain during the incident. He said he also wanted to thank Kern County Sheriff's Department for their assistance.
Mike Lemming, CEO of the DEF, was in lockdown inside the facility. He said by phone that he and the other staff and Daily Independent Advertising Director Paula McKay, who happened to be at the facility at the time of the incident, were all in Sage Hall behind a brick wall. Lemmings said he could hear gunfire while on he was on the phone with a Daily Independent reporter.
Lemming said at 12:25 that the suspect had threatened suicide several times and claimed to have an AK-47. Lemming said he heard shots being fired while he was on the phone. McKay said she was told the standoff could last all day.
Everyone from the RV park was evacuated. Employees, staff and residents of the trailer park were all eventually bused off the grounds to safety.
Lemming said he was called by the park manager about the shootings. He said when he showed up RPD officers were already on scene, guns drawn.
Lemming said after the incident that he was impressed and grateful for the wonderful job in law enforcement's efforts. He said he had known Park for years and he had even been a security guard at many fair events. Park had moved into the park just a few weeks before after apparently separating from his current wife. Lemmings said that Park had also been recovering from multiple operations and was having additional physical problems, but he did not know the exact nature of the problems.
Lemmings said Park was a nice guy.
The RPD was assisted by Kern County Sheriff's Department, California Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as other federal agents.
According to chatter heard on the scanner, the gunman had threatened to kill the SWAT officers.
From rumors and stories heard at the DI, the gunman is a former Marine, and the gunman said things such as, "I'm going to take one more shot of Bacardi," and then a shot was heard. It was thought to be a possible suicide until cell phone contact could be made with the subject minutes later.
Threats of suicide were consistently reported coming from Park. There were also reports that Park was shooting directly at law enforcement, but that could not be confirmed at press time.
As a precautionary step, schools in the area were locked down.
According to the Sierra Sands Unified School District Facebook page and website, Gateway Elementary School was on lockdown, per orders from the RPD. An email was sent at 10:19 a.m. to all parents of Gateway students who had registered their email addresses with the district, announcing the lockdown. Automated phone calls were made soon after.
Later in the day, Burroughs High School was locked down as well.
The email from the district announcing the end of the lockdown came in at 1:30 p.m., and the follow-up phone call came in minutes later.
Richmond Road and any other access to DEF was blocked by law enforcement. The Richmond Gate to the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake was closed for two hours, from 11:30 a.m. to approximately 1:30 p.m.
One officer on the scene said he didn't want to be as close as he was, at the corner of Richmond Road at Church Street, as if the firepower the gunman was touting was true, the range for the shooter was quite large.
(Editor's Note: This version corrects the name of the suspect as David Park, not Parks).


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Every day at the crack of dawn Kristy Sheppard and Chantal Hospodar are packing lunches, doing dishes and driving kids to daycare — but soon after, their aprons and purses are tossed in exchange for reciprocating saws and sledgehammers.
That's because these designer moms are passionate about taking cosmetically challenged houses and bringing them into the 21st century.
That's what they did with a 1960s Minto bungalow at 13 Harlowe Cres. in the city's burgeoning west-end neighbourhood of Crystal Beach. The area has been going through a gradual revival and will continue to gain in popularity once the Department of National Defence moves into the former Nortel Networks campus nearby on Carling Avenue.
Sheppard and Hospodar, both mothers of two young children, purchased the home in April, gutted it, renovated it top to bottom, and sold it — all within a couple of months.
"We are both in design and thought it would be a fun project to be creative and also to take advantage of how rapid the Crystal Beach area is being reinvented," says Sheppard, who left her high-tech job after having her children — and then surprised her husband one day when she told him she bought a house to renovate.
"It's becoming more popular now for young active families so we created a very urban and contemporary feel, opened up the main living areas and put in top-notch finishings."
This is Sheppard's fifth project and Hospodar's first. These Kanata moms met when their young boys were in junior kindergarten together and soon became friends.
They learned they both had a passion for design and real estate, and that their fathers had worked in construction together when they were young. So when Sheppard found the perfect home to renovate, they thought, "Why not team up?" and bought the house together.
"It worked really well," says Sheppard. "So this was our tester."
A test may be a bit of an understatement. The home now boasts sleek dark hardwood, a modern, open-concept kitchen with quartz counters, new bathroom with custom tile and double sinks and an extra basement bedroom with ensuite — a far cry from when they first stepped foot in the house.
Back then they faced a faded green carpet, yellow walls, dark wood panelling, and odd space eaters like a dated laundry chute and a dank, dark, cold storage room in the basement.
The closed-off kitchen seemed small and sported original dark brown cabinets and an old-fashioned push-button cooktop.
It was perfect.
Sheppard and Hospodar have their go-to trades people — electrician, plumber, drywall and flooring contact — on speed dial. But to cut costs, the duo rolled up their sleeves and ripped apart the house themselves.
"We're both hands on," says Hospodar, a single mother, who also works as a part-time property manager. "We didn't mind getting dirty, and getting physical. Because when we are not doing this, we are ripping apart our own houses basically (and renovating them)."
Considering it would have cost them at least $9,000 to hire someone to demolish the kitchen alone, they figure they saved at least $50,000 doing the lion's share of the grunt work and dirty prep work, which included knocking down walls, ripping up old carpet and baseboards, removing five layers of vinyl flooring, assembling all the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, painting, and even carrying out a cast iron tub.
"Our plumber was like, 'You girls are not getting that out of the house,'" says Sheppard. "By the time he was done, it was at the curb."
The ladies say the most challenging task, and now considered the funniest looking back, was the kitchen they say was built to be "on there for life."
"It was the karate chops and crow bar smashes and reciprocating saws, standing on a ladder with goggles," says Hospodar, adding that the old cabinets seemed to be screwed, nailed and glued to the wall. "The backsplash and countertop was all one piece. We had to literally cut it in pieces to get it out. We were determined. We were like, 'We are going to do this'. We kept saying 'We can do this.'"
To accomplish such a quick turnaround time, they worked around the clock, seven days a week, co-ordinating pickup and drop-off times from daycare. And, of course, "lots of Tim Hortons" to keep them well-fuelled.
They say their recipe to staying sane among the chaos was to keep organized lists of jobs to tick off, text and e-mail to keep each other in the loop, and ensure their own home was in order, because by the time they had clocked 14 hours a day in a dusty construction zone, they needed the serenity of a clean house to decompress.
"The key was to be organized at home," says Hospodar. "So if things were getting messy at home, it would disrupt my thinking. So I had to stay focused here and focused on the schedule at home ... and keep kids on their schedule."
Given their focus is rejuvenating older homes, they made sure the "bones" were good, with a solid foundation, no leaks, and wiring that was up to code — because what drove them to take on this big job is seeing their creative vision realized.
"It's a creative outlet, trying new designs and finishes, and to always stay on trend," says Sheppard, adding that their goal of targeting the finishes toward a young professional couple worked, given the buyers were a young family from Halifax who have come here for work.
"It's just fun to see what you can do (with a tired home)," says Hospodar. "To see your vision come alive."
Given the success of their first project together, they are now scouting out their next reno project.


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The uterus is joined at the cervix to the vagina and by the fallopian or uterine tubes to the ovaries.
A hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus, resulting in the inability to become pregnant (sterility). May be done through the abdomen or the vagina.
Hysterectomy may be recommended for:
Hysterectomy is a very common operation. The uterus may be completely removed, partially removed, or may be removed with the tubes and ovaries. A partial hysterectomy is removal of just the upper portion of the uterus, leaving the cervix and the base of the uterus are left intact. A total hysterectomy is removal of the entire uterus and the cervix. A radical hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus, both fallopian tubes, both ovaries, and the upper part of the vagina.
A hysterectomy may be done through an abdominal incision (abdominal hysterectomy) or through a vaginal incision (vaginal hysterectomy).
Most patients recover completely from hysterectomy. Removal of the ovaries causes immediate menopause and hormone replacement therapy (estrogen) may be recommended.
The average hospital stay is from 5 to 7 days. Complete recovery may require 2 weeks to 2 months. Recovery from a vaginal hysterectomy is faster than from a abdominal hysterectomy. If the bladder was involved, then a catheter may remain in place for 3 to 4 days to help the bladder pass urine. Moving about as soon as possible helps to avoid blood clots in the legs and other problems. Walking to the bathroom as soon as possible is recommended. Normal diet is encouraged as soon as possible after bowel function returns. Avoid lifting heavy objects for a few weeks following surgery. Sexual activities should be avoided for 6 to 8 weeks after a hysterectomy.


text:
Early Life
Rose had a distinct fear of disapointing her dad,and prayed that she was Gryffindor.Her cousin Albus shared her wish too and bonded.She was proved to be as intelligent as her mother and shared her fathers sense of humor.She was often seen staring at the sky.
Education at Hogwarts
In 2017 she set of for Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry with her cousin Albus and James.She was called out for sorting and felt slightly nervous.He recognised her as a Weasley and was about to shout out Gryffindor when the hat realised that she was Hermione's daughter and,to make up for putting her mother in Gryffindor,placed Rose in Ravenclaw.She saw the smile from Albus's face fade,as he was placed in Gyffindor.
First Year
Rose proved to be brilliant at Transfiguration,Charms,Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts.She also befriended a Slytherin boy called Scorpius Malfoy,but remenbering what her father said: Don't get to friendly with him (Scorpius) though,Grandad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pure-blood,she spent more time with her other friend,fellow Ravenclaw student,Jessica Thompson.She also almost instantly became enemys with Slytherin student Becca Rookworth,after she called her mother a Mudblood and lunged at her.
House Points Earned:120 House Points Lost:30
Second Year
Rose returned for her second year at Hogwarts.She became more friendly with Scorpius and found out that he wasn't that bad.The same couldn't be said for Becca Rookworth,whom she caught making fun of her cousin Albus calling him Blood Traiter and making rude signs at him.She almost gave her a series of bruises,but her other cousin James beat her to it.It took 3 people to get him of her.Scorpius said he would speak to her-his father was good friends with her mother-ending with:"She's not going to get away with this!"
House Points Earned:90 House Points Lost:20
Third Year
Rose suddeny felt confident all of a sudden.Like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.She also noticed that she didn't spend as much time studying and spent much more time with Scorpius,much to her brother's(who had been placed in Gyffindor in her third year)and her best friend Jessica's displeasure.Due to great marks in Transfiguration,after the Christmas holidays she began to study on how to become an Animagus.When her teacher caught wind of this,he warned her of the dangers,but asured him their was nothing to worry about.
House Points Earned:100 House Points Lost:0
Fourth Year
Scorpius:I want to tell you something.A secret.
Rose had a giddy feeling in her stomach every time Scorpius passed and smiled at her.But she didn't want to admit it to anyone.To be honest,she didn't know what was wrong.She just thought she was ill.Her uncle Harry came to lecture about D.A.D.A temperarally and taught the class about Patronuses.He said that today they would work on the theory and tomorrow they would work on actually producing a Patronus.After the class had ended,he called her back and asked her what was wrong.She told him that she just felt a bit peaky.He said that on Friday she come to his office if she doesn't get better.She also thought that Miss Trawney was acting weirder than usual,saying that something about a special man that will reveal himself in July.When D.A.D.A came,she seemed to be able to produce a Patronus rather easlily.Her Patronus turned out to be an owl,syblising her wisdom.Harry asked the class to keep practising Patronuses.He also caled Rose back after class again.What was all the fuss about?Even her friend Jessica asked what was wrong.July came so fast it was unbelivable.At sunset,the day before being sent back,Scorpius asked if he could have a word with her.He lead her into an empty classroom and drew close.
Scorpius: I want to tell you something.A secret.
Rose: What?
Scorpius: Your different from everyone else.Special
Rose: You've got something one your face.
Scorpius: I like that about you-so much attension to detail.What?
Rose: Me.
And they kissed.It could have been years before they broke apart,it felt so long."Not interupting am I?" came a voice from behind them.They quickly swung round.Harry winked."Your secrets safe with me".Rose and Scorpius laughed as he slid out the classroom.
House Points Earned:80 House Points Lost:0
Fifth Year
Her Fifth Year felt like it would never end:all the lectures and revision and homework.Jessica was over the moon-she loved to study.She often fell asleep on her books from bordem.At least she had Sundays to look forward to.She went to her Secret Hiding Place (or the Room of Requirement to you and Me) with Scorpius.They would spend hours in there,passing the time by talking,snogging,flirting,snogging,writing,snogging, you get the picture.At 10.30pm,they left for their common rooms.This often lead to suspicons about her where-abouts.On January 16th,it became the second worst day of her life.She had come out of the R.O.R. as usual,only to find Jessica and Albus there.When she asked how he and Jessica found out,he said:"James was spying on Dad and Mum,mentioned about your little friend.James sent me to investigate when we got back over the holidays.Jessica was just as suspicus as me,so she came along." She and Scorpius exchanged sheepish looks.After that,she and Albus became frostier towards each over.She was still friends with Jessica,but was still frosty toward her as well,mainly because it was her fault that the whole school knew of her and Scorpius' relationship.She ended up getting more nicknames from Slytherin,Ravenclaw and even some Gyffindor students (Slytherin Snogger,Wormy Weasley and Man Manipulator).Only the Hufflepuffs stood up for her.One in particular,Cassidy Nelldome,was always sticking up for her (Leave her alone will you,Just wait till your in love,people will call you names too,I'll make sure of it!)She soon became friends with Cassidy.Once the day of leaving came,she prayed that her dad didn't know yet. House Points Earned: 50 House Points Lost: 30
Summer of 2022
During her summer holidays,she dreaded any phone-call incase it was for James,Albus or even Uncle Harry or Auntie Ginny.Lily and Hugo were basicaly the only people that didn't know that she was at Hogwarts with.If her dad found out,it would be disaster with a capital D.I.S.A.S.T.E.R.The day before heading back to Hogwarts, that dreaded call came.It was the worst day of her life."WHAT!!ROSE MARY WEASLEY GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!!" When she got downstairs,she had had to cover her ears to block out most of the shouting. "HOW COULD YOU! AFTER ALL HIS DAD DID TO ME!...I WARNED YOU...DON'T GET FRIENDLY WITH HIM...SNOGGING HIM HERMIONE...YOUR DAUGHTER!...I CAN'T BELIVE YOU!!!..." When he finally pause for breath, Rose asked calmly,"Who told you?" His reply pierced her like a knife:"Harry told me".With that,she got up angerly,knocking the chair to the ground,walked away towards the phone."DON'T YOU DARE WALK AWAY FROM ME,ROSE WEASLEY,IF YOU'RE SNOGGING A FREAK LIKE TH..." SMACK! She didn't hear the rest of his sentence.One moment he was yelling at the top of his lungs,the next,cluching the right side of his face in pain."HE IS NOT A FREAK!"She shot up the stairs at what seemed like the speed of light.Only when she slamed her door shut she realised what happened.She had slapped her own dad.She avoided eye-contact with her dad,whose right side of his face was still swollen and red,who avoided eye-contact with her.When she met up with the Potters she called Harry aside for a moment.
Rose: Why did you tell my dad about Scorpius.
Harry: I thought he knew.
Rose: You thought he knew!?! If he knew,he wouldn't be so cheerful would he?
Harry: I guess...
Rose: And tell me,would he over the moon about me dating a Malfoy?Would he be encouraging?
Harry: Probably not.
Rose: And another thing,next time you say you'll keep a secret,KEEP IT!Because of you,blabbering to Auntie Ginny,James found out,told Albus,who told Jessica,who somehow told the whole school,and now,only the Hufflepuffs are sticking up for me!
Sixth Year
Her Fifth Year nicknames didn't go away.At least Cassidy was still there for her.She was more reliable than Jessica,who had joined in the name-calling in order to fit in.She also had Lorcan and Lysander Scamander,who were starting their first year at Hogwarts,at her side.And despite all the names, taunts and shoves,she stuck by Scorpius no matter what,and he stood by her.And if someone insulted him,she gave them her `Power Slap' she gave her father.
House Points Earned:40 House Points Lost:70 (-10 points each slap)
Summer of 2023
Rose's summer was even frostier than the one before.Her meals were brought up by her mother on a tray and left by her door,she had no company apart from her cat Roberto, she couldn't join in with social gatherings,she was unable to leave her room apart from 10.00am,1.00pm and 3.30,and spent halve the day crying.Her mum only came into her room to tell her about semi-important stuff.Her dad never came up.She knew what it was-the silent treatment.She didn't care,it just showed how much of a coward he was.Then one day,when she was in the middle of a crying fit at 9.30pm,sitting on her window sill,the door opened.She didn't even turn round.She knew it was her mum."Don't tell me,you and Ron are having a big party and I have to stay up here because Ron still hasn't got over me slapping him."
"I'd prefer it if you called me dad."
She whipped round.It was him:flaming red hair,bright blue eyes and a smile plasted on his face,which was still puffy.But as he saw her stoney face and blood-shop eyes with tears running down her cheeks,his smile faded.She turned back round with a look of disgust at him.She felt his hand on her shoulder,but she rejected it.
Ron: Harry told me whats been happening at Hogwarts.He says he's sorry about James.
Rose:And he can't say it to my face.Where's my apology?
Ron: From who?
Rose: You,you bloody idiot!
Ron: Oi!What have I done wrong?
Rose: You called my boyfriend a freak!
'Ron: ''I didn't mean it.It just slipped out.Anyway,I think that Mal-I mean Scorpuis-isn't right for you.
Rose: Well I do!You're convinced he's just like his father!But he's not!I've stuck by him and him by me.I've put up with cruel names:Slytherin Snogger,Wormy Weasley,Man Manipulator and GOD!What Myrtle saying is unbeliveable!I've pushed away taunts from Becca Rookworth saying "Scorpius,what are you doing with a filthy halve-blood like that.You should stick with the pure-bloods like me.Chuck her in the lake and meet me at 3 in the common room."I felt ISOLATED with-out him.And you just sat their like the big COWARD you are and watched!I'M NOT AS POPULAR AS YOU WERE!
Ron: ...Rosie,you think I was popular.
Rose: Yeah.Thats what I always thought.
Ron: Listen, Rosie. When I was 15, I got in the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but not because I was a really good player like Uncle Harry. I had people laughing at me and singing mock songs about me.Harry was famous and your Mum was the brightest witch of her age, but me - I was always the ordinary one, never number one.
Rose: ...I think your number one.
Was that a tear in her dad's eye?He squeezed her and kissed the top of her head.She felt his tear run into her hair.
Seventh Year
When she arrived at for her seventh year,she knew something was different.The names had stopped,people were more friendly,someone even asked her if she wanted to come to the Quidditch try-outs.She agreed and became the Ravenclaw Seeker.She and Scorpius became rather competitive during Slytherin vs Ravenclaw matches.But they always made up with a quick snog.Even Becca Rookworth had shut her mouth (up to a point).Then it finally hit her-Dad.She had been so stupid.She sent an owl home asking how and why he done it.His reply said he didn't want him to be annoyed when he came over for Christmas.
Christmas of 2023
This was the best Christmas she ever imagined.No Potter vs Malfoy fights,a Christmas dinner without quarreling.Christmas became the best day of her life (so far...).She was slow dancing with Scorpius when her mum pointed out "Look who you've got under the miseltoe darling".Both she and Scorpius looked up.There,plainly above them,was a load of miseltoe."You don't have to kiss me,you know.It's just a stupid tradition.It doesn't mat..." His kiss was so powerful she staggered backwards.She felt higher than the birds,higher than the clouds,higher than the stars."Malfoys never break a tradition." he said dreamily.
"I can see why" Rose muttered,her eyes still closed.
Later Life.
Rose later went on to marry Scorpius,whom she had four children:Freddrick (14 and named after her late uncle Fred),Harold (12 and named after her other uncle Harry) and twins Fiona (6 and the first girl in the Malfoy family for years) and Gabrille (6 and named after a sacred angel).She went on to open up a Wand shop called Malfoy's Magical Wands since 2025 and gave the buisness up to become a transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts after becoming an Amigus.
Physical ApearanceRose has bright blue eyes,big,brown,bushy hair that goes down to her shoulders,is tall and has numerous freckles dotted over her nose.
Rose is very bright child with a sweet personality.She can often be protective of people she loves.
Real me
I am not realy a witch (or mabey I am and haven't realised it yet).I am a lot like Rose though.
|This user earned an Outstanding on their Transfiguration O.W.L.
|This user supports Ravenclaw.
|This user supports Hogwarts.
|This user is a fan of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
|This user is a fan of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.
|This user is a Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.
|This user supports Dumbledore's Army.
|This user supports Half-Giants.
|This user is a fan of Fred and George Weasley.
|This user supports Luna Lovegood.
|This user was very sad when Hedwig died.
|This user has mastered the Art of Occlumency.
|This user is an Animagus.
|This user's Patronus is an Owl.
|This user earned an Outstanding on their Charms O.W.L.
|This user is a fan of Quidditch.
|This user is a Half-blood.
|This user has loved ones beyond the Veil.
|This user has 10 Galleons on the Hollyhead Harpies for the next Quidditch League Cup.
|This user is in love.
|This user can ALWAYS tell which one is Fred and which one is George in the movies.
|This user is married to Scorpius Malfoy.
|If you know what's good for you, do NOT mess with this user's kids. Seriously. DON'T.


text:
Suffolk GOP to endorse Democratic DA Thomas Spota
Suffolk Republicans say they will endorse Democratic District Attorney Thomas Spota for a second time along with Republican Treasurer Angie Carpenter and Conservative Sheriff Vincent DeMarco, leaving all of them to run unopposed.
The party leaders' decision comes after Spota, DeMarco and GOP County Clerk Judith Pascale in September won a court decision throwing out part of Suffolk's term limit law, which bars county elected officials from serving more than 12 years. State Supreme Court Justice Ralph Gazzillo said county lawmakers did not have the authority to impose term limits on offices created in the state constitution.
"He's [Spota's] done a good job and we don't see why we should change course," said John Jay LaValle, Suffolk GOP chairman. "But should term limits be upheld, we are very confident we have some extremely well-qualified candidates to succeed Tom Spota."
Richard Schaffer, Suffolk Democratic chairman, could not be reached Tuesday but earlier said his party will back all three officials.
Edward Walsh, Suffolk Conservative leader, said the party will meet soon to authorize Spota and Carpenter to run on their party's ballot line and to renominate DeMarco.
Frank MacKay, state and Suffolk Independence Party chairman, said his party backed all three candidates in December.
Spota, 71, who has yet to publicly announce for re-election, declined to comment.
The fate of an appeal is uncertain because Gazzillo also rejected an attempt by Peter Nichols of Huntington to intervene in the case.
His attorney Bruce Plesser of Gulfport, Fla., filed appeal papers. He said the Appellate Division initially rejected the petition without prejudice because the Suffolk County Legislature had not decided whether to appeal. The legislature last week rejected a motion to appeal Gazzillo's ruling, and Plesser said he will refile court papers.


text:
Recursive search examples, pt2: C
In my previous post,I started looking at a simple recursive-search implementation in C#,using recls 100%.NET.I'd next planned to look at the equivalent C++. However,because the recls (C/C++) library is still in-flux - between versions 1.8 and 1.9 - presenting a C++ example right now will require either using the 1.8 C++ API, which is a little tired, or using the 1.9 C++ API, which is not yet available in the public-domain. So, my current plan is to present an example using recls' C API, while I get the 1.9 released; hopefully in a week or two I'll be able complete the story with the C++ implementation.
Here's the C program code:

#include <recls/recls.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

struct search_results
{
 unsigned numFiles;
 unsigned __int64 totalSize;
};

int RECLS_CALLCONV_DEFAULT search_func(
 recls_info_t entry
, recls_process_fn_param_t param
)
{
 struct search_results* results = (struct search_results*)param;
 if(0 == _strcmpi("AssemblyInfo.cs", entry->fileName.begin))
 {
 struct recls_strptrs_t const* partsEnd = entry->directoryParts.end;
 --partsEnd; /* Move to the last part */
 if(0 == _strnicmp("Properties\\", partsEnd->begin, (size_t)(partsEnd->end - partsEnd->begin)))
 {
 return 1;
 }
 }
 ++results->numFiles;
#if RECLS_VER < 0x01090100
 results->totalSize += entry->size.QuadPart;
#else /* ? RECLS_VER */
 results->totalSize += entry->size;
#endif /* RECLS_VER */
 return 1;
}

int main()
{
 struct search_results results = { 0, 0 };
 recls_rc_t rc = Recls_SearchProcess(NULL, "*.cs", RECLS_F_FILES | RECLS_F_RECURSIVE | RECLS_F_DIRECTORY_PARTS, search_func, &results);
 if(RECLS_FAILED(rc))
 {
 fprintf(stderr, "search failed: %s\n", Recls_GetSearchCodeString(rc));
 return EXIT_FAILURE;
 }
 else
 {
 printf("%u file(s); %I64u bytes\n", results.numFiles, results.totalSize);
 return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
}
For a C program, this is pretty succinct. I think the main reasons for this are the simplicity of the program algorithm (in particular that we don't need to store results in containers) and the fact that recls (C/C++) encapsulates a lot of functional complexity in a relatively straightforward API. There's also a secondary reason, which is that I've relied upon compiler-specific constructs - the __int64 type, the _strcmpi and _strnicmp() functions, and the %I64u 64-bit integer format specifier - that are available only to Visual C++ (and compatible) compilers.
Notwithstanding the relative succinctness, the code is not terribly transparent, given the need to understand how the directory parts structure is represented. There's also the use of the pre-processor to enable the code to compile with both recls 1.8 and recls 1.9 (which will be released in a couple of weeks).
Once again, the development time was pretty short, around 15-20 minutes. It was, necessarily, longer than the .NET version because the code's a little more involved and (of significance only in such simple cases) because specifying compile and link dependencies is a little more involved with C/C++ than it is with .NET, which requires a single "Add Reference" action.
I don't expect that you'll be any more surprised than I was that this version operates with greater speed than the .NET version. What may be surprising, however - it was to me! - was the degree of superiority, as shown in the following table (where each time is the average over five runs, discarding the largest to avoid caching/system effect).
|Average Elapsed Time (ms)
|Average Kernel Time (ms)
|Average User Time (ms)
|Observed Handles
|Observed "I/O Other"s
|(to be determined soon)
Clearly, the times indicate that the .NET recls library is doing a lot more in the kernel than the C/C++ one. Since I wrote both libraries, and cannot clearly see where one has much more kernel activity than the other, my guess is that the way the CLR's directory enumeration functions elicit file/directory information en bloc is contributing to the extra work. Being suspicious of that presumption, I ran again, this time recording the number of maximum number of handles the processes used, and the maximum number of "I/O Other" actions (which incorporates kernel file-system search requests).
I must stress that these values are human-observed (via Task Manager). For both programs, the handles level hit the given mark almost immediately, and then hovered around that level +-2. In regards to the problem area it's probably not meaningful, since I am confident that the .NET runtime is opening a bunch more kernel objects that would be necessary for more sophisticated programs, even if they may be superfluous in this particular case. However, the "I/O Other" counter cannot be so readily dismissed. Clearly, the suspicion of extra kernel activity is borne out. Absent deeper investigation I'm loathe to draw any conclusions, beyond that recls (C/C++) works faster than recls 100% .NET. But, putting my natural interest in performance to one side, are performance differences in the range of 100-300% relevant in file-system search? I'd suggest that, in most cases, they are not. Certainly, now that I have recls 100% .NET in my toolkit, I will be writing certain system tools in .NET, rather than C/C++, when portability is not required.


text:
Former "Blossom" star Jenna von Oy is pregnant with her first child.
The actress, who played Mayim Bialik's fast-talking best friend Six on the series, told People her baby girl – with husband Brad Bratcher, a Dell data consultant — is due in June.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Through The Years: TV's Favorite Families
U.S. & World
"Brad is so cute because the other night I said to him, 'She's going to have you wrapped around her finger,'" the actress told the mag. "He gave me this wonderfully defeated look and said, 'I think she already does.' I can tell he's looking at me like I'm a little more fragile because there's a girl in there."
Jenna, who now lives in Nashville, told the mag her pregnancy has found her with more than morning sickness.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood's Favorite Leading Ladies: Then & Now
"It's an all-day affair," she said.
Jenna and Brad married in October 2010 and are looking forward to the next stage in their relationship.
"We've always wanted children, and we wanted to start having a family right away," she told People. "We're so excited!"
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Celebrity Baby Bumps
Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood's Biggest Broods
PLAY IT NOW: The Wonder Girls Talk New Movie, Touring & What's Next
PLAY IT NOW: Is Alec Baldwin Returning To '30 Rock' Next Season?
More from Access: [ Jenna Von Oy Pregnancies Mayim Bialik ]


text:
My Dad, Eli Schulman, had several core values that he reinforced over the years.
On our menu at Eli's the Place for Steak, the menu read "we shall serve good food, at a profit if we can, at a loss, if we must, but always good food." This was a real testament to his life long commitment to quality.
Next, "charity will never bust you," which we have continued by giving our time, cheesecake and money to support so many worthwhile causes.
The third, "Chicago, we are glad you are here," was part of his life long devotion to serving guests and to making sure that diners at Eli's the Place for Steak. It was for that reason that it was so great to have Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley visit the Eli's Cheesecake Booth during the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. Mayor Daley is Chicago's Number On Booster and was the person responsible for keeping the NRA Show in Chicago for many years to come.


text:
TUCSON, Ariz.—The City Council approved a revised alarm ordinance on Feb. 28 that allows end users to opt out of paying a new $20 registration fee, but opponents say the provision is a "sham" and that the fee is an unnecessary burden on their customers.
TUCSON, Ariz.— Three local alarm companies are protesting ordinance revisions that would require them to provide their customer lists to city police, calling it an invasion of their clients' privacy.
© 2020 United Publications ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


text: Living costs To fund your studies in St.Gallen, you should plan to have about CHF 2 200 and CHF 2 600 of funds available to you each month. The following tables provide examples of the costs: Living costs at the Bachelor's and Master's Level Tuition fees Click the following link for a list of tuition fees you can expect to pay: HSG tuition fees Budget planning In order to keep your income and expenditures balanced, we recommend preparing a budget for your studies. The Swiss Budget Advice Centre provides a variety of information as well as helpful templates for drawing up your personal budget. Residence permit As a non-Swiss or non-EU citizen, you must have a residence permit for Switzerland. Please note that you must be able to demonstrate a bank balance of at least CHF 2 000 for each month you stay in Switzerland. The bank account must be in your name and the bank must have a branch in Switzerland. More information about residence permits can be found under the following link: St.Gallen Immigration Office Save money Quite apart from income, you can also think about how you can save money as a student. There are various options: Opportunities for saving during your studies [Opportunities for saving during studies].


text:
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text:
See China's famous sights on a cruise of the Yangtze River, which flows for nearly 4,000 miles across the country. Sailings typically travel between Beijing and Shanghai and include hotel stays in both cities.
Guided group sightseeing excursions in Beijing takes you to the 15th-century Forbidden City and to enormous Tiananmen Square. Top attractions in Shanghai include the waterfront Bund district and tranquil Yuyuan Garden. You can enjoy an operatic performance in Beijing and an acrobatic demonstration in Shanghai.
You'll also travel to a segment of the Great Wall, and to Xian to see the famous army of life-size terra-cotta warriors that once guarded the tomb of an emperor. Some itineraries stop at Suzhou, called the "Venice of the East" due to its network of canals, and at Wuhan to see the ancient artifacts of the Hubei Provincial Museum.
View the mist-shrouded limestone precipices known as the Three Gorges and the Three Gorges Dam, which spans nearly a mile and stands 600 feet tall. Another noteworthy sight is Shibaozhai, home to a 12-story red pagoda perched on a cliff above the river.
You'll gain a deeper understanding of China's culture, history and people on your cruise, as guides in each destination share their expert knowledge and point out significant sights. Your hotel and riverboat accommodations, many meals and sightseeing excursions are covered in one rate paid in advance.
River cruises are rated according to the quality of the vessel and its accommodations, the number of included amenities and activities both on and off the ship, the class of hotels used for land portions of itineraries, and the level of service delivered. The river cruises below are categorized according to the industry rating scale (budget, first class and deluxe). Click any cruise name for the itinerary, dates and prices.
Copyright © 2020 by Vacations To Go. All rights reserved. CST 2072920-50


text:
"Blessed are the curious for they shall have Adventure" – L. Drachman
"Blessed are the curious for they shall have Adventure" – L. Drachman
Beautiful photos of hiking and other outdoor adventures.
Stories and Photographs of my travels, Tales of friends, family, animals and my life
Dinosaurs and Pediatric Diabetes...that's me!
Like to cook? Like to eat? Be a part of the conversation.
Crossroads, exposures and travel's ideas!
Your blog about vacation rentals in Italy!
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Becca of the blog The Life of a Young Expat wrote to me a few weeks ago. She'd like some help brainstorming for a boy name. She says:
We are a mixed family (North American/Ecuadorian). We live in Ecuador and have a 2.5yo daughter named Kesha Lee who has a traditional Ecuadorian combined last name (Garate Adams, the first part of our last name is pronounced Gah-ra-teh).
I am currently 25 weeks pregnant with a boy and we can't come up with names that both my husband and I agree upon. We both have very typical names (I am Rebecca Lee, he is Christian Arturo but goes by Arturo), but we would like something original, yet not totally weird for our son. Something like Kesha. You can pronounce it in both English and Spanish. It's not too long, and it's not one of those names that teachers will have a pre-existing bias about her when she steps foot in the classroom! (Basically, she can create her own personality!)
The only name my husband and I can agree on is London, but I'm not convinced and don't think that naming a boy London, considering the current feminine trend for this name, is a good choice.
We own an international immersion program company here in Ecuador (www.elnomad.com) and are avid travelers. So something related to that would ring true with our family. We don't have family names that we like (I like my dad's middle name for a middle name, Holmes, but my husband says it sounds like a real estate agency haha).
Lots to consider here! This will be fun.
I'd like to start with the topic of travel first. I think it would be extremely cool to work that into the baby's name somehow. Here are a few ideas:
- Damon, which originally comes from Greek myth and means "to tame, subdue." It also happens to be nomad spelled backwards.
- Miles, of uncertain derivation, but because it's a homonym of the English word miles there are strong associations with distance/movement.
- Nando, inspired by Fernando/Hernando. The entire name-family is connected to travel in two ways: famous explorers (Ferdinand Magellan, Hernando de Soto, Hernan Cortes) and etymology (the first element is said to come from the Germanic word farð, meaning "journey").
- Doran, from the Irish surname Doran, anglicized from Ó Deoradháin, "descendent of Deoradhán." Deoradhán is a diminutive of deòradh, one of the meanings of which is "pilgrim." Other meanings are "stranger" and "outlaw."
- Hudson, from the English surname meaning "son of Hudde." It was the surname of English explorer Henry Hudson. It's also fairly similar to London.
- Palmer, from the English surname that originally signified a pilgrim, i.e., someone coming back from the Holy Land with a palm frond.
I did find some other travel-related names (e.g., Peregrine/Perry, Nestor) but they seemed too old-fashioned to pair with Kesha.
And here are some random ideas based on style alone:
I'm not entirely sure how well all of the above names would work in Ecuador, so I apologize in advance if I've included any not-so-great suggestions.
What baby boy names would you suggest to Becca?


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Enblend Compiling OSX
Build Environment
- Download and install the XCode Tools version for the operating system on the machine that you will use for the building job.
- Install either Fink or MacPorts. Select the one you prefer most.
- Install Fink for your environment and configure Fink to use the unstable repositories. See the Fink FAQ for information about the unstable packages and Fink Downloads for a package installer or source code for Fink (depending on your OS).
- If you don't have it already, install MacPorts, which provides the port command, from MacPorts, giving you compilable package access to thousands of pieces of open source software. If you already have macports (formerly darwinports) installed, update it:
$ sudo port selfupdate
Make sure you have synced the latest port files:
$ sudo port -d sync
Building and installing Enblend/Enfuse
Both Fink and MacPorts provide access to an earlier build of Enblend3 - however, these are really outdated versions. The following instructions are geared towards those who want to install the latest version of Enblend and Enfuse. The instructions are split into two sections: 1) satisfying prerequisites, which must only be done once; and 2) building the latest Enblend/Enfuse source, which may be done as often as you'd like.
These instructions have been tested on OSX 10.4 and 10.5 on both x86 and PPC systems:
Satisfying Enblend Dependencies and other Prerequisites
Via Fink
1. Install dependencies:
fink install lcms lcms-shlibs boost1.33 libtiff libtiff-shlibs libxmi libxmi-shlibs libjpeg libjpeg-shlibs libpng libpng-shlibs
Click yes to all questions from Fink.
2. Modify the lcms header file:
sudo sed -i= 's/memory.h/\/usr\/include\/memory.h/' "/sw/include/lcms.h"
Via MacPorts
1. Install dependencies:
sudo port install make subversion lcms boost jpeg tiff libpng OpenEXR
Building Enblend/Enfuse from the Latest Source
3. Download enblend from cvs,
cvs -z3 -d:pserver:email@example.com:/cvsroot/enblend co -P enblend cd enblend
4. Setup environment variables:
export CFLAGS='-I/sw/include -I/Developer/Headers/FlatCarbon' export LDFLAGS=-L/sw/lib export CXXFLAGS=$CFLAGS export CPPFLAGS=$CXXFLAGS export ACLOCAL_FLAGS="-I /sw/share/aclocal" export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="/sw/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig"
5. Build and install enblend
make -f Makefile.cvs ./configure --with-apple-opengl-framework make sudo make install
Enblend and Enfuse should now be installed in /usr/local/bin/ and ready to use; you may need to open a new terminal window in order for your shell to find the new binaries.
If you see errors during make -f Makefile.cvs similar to the following, add autoconf2.5 and automake in fink.
configure.in:22: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_DEFINE If this token and others are legitimate, please use m4_pattern_allow. See the Autoconf documentation. configure.in:30: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_MSG_WARN make: *** [all] Error 1
If the prereq step tries to pull in db44 and it fails to compile, grab the binary of boost instead using sudo apt-get install boost1.33
MacPorts alternative
If you have MacPorts on your Mac, you may want to try these instructions.


text: Living in London means that you will have the opportunity to attend some of the greatest sporting events in the world that are held at some of the most famous sporting venues. Moving to London can be a sports lover's dream and you will have the chance to learn about different sports as well as indulge in a bit of history and tradition while you are at it. Just in case you think all of these articles are written by chicks (well they might be indeed) who have poor understanding and less interest in sports, be aware that many women in London have a keen interest in sports and are avid sports fans.


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Airflow & Double Bubble Screens
A double bubble windscreen is designed to have an upwardly sweeping
aerodynamic shape which pushes air higher and wider, reducing turbulence
effects commonly associated with flip-up type touring screens.
A double bubble screen delivers a virtually distortion-free view and adds a unique touch to your bike, whilst also being supplied in a wide range of colours.
Most double bubble screens are made from acrylic plastic which is stretched as it is formed resulting in superior strength and flexibility ensuring the screen absorbs vibrations and high speed wind whilst also being highly crack resistant.


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"If they come out on to the streets anyway they should be flogged. Any normal person would do that - Muslims and Orthodox Christians alike ... [The protests] might be even more intense than protests abroad against those controversial cartoons."Ah, so the cartoon violence is to work as general threat to suppress all sorts of behavior. Religious fanatics with no power to force others to adopt their religion use violence and threats of violence to force others to behave as if they were followers of that religion.
The mayor's spokesman, Sergei Tsoi, defended the city's decision on the ground that the idea of a gay rights parade has "caused outrage in society." So the power of government is harnessed by the mere expression of outrage and a reminder of how badly your co-religionists behaved over those cartoons.
UPDATE: More commentary on this news story from Andrew Sullivan ("further appeasement of these religious terrorists is counter-productive - and actually enables the extremists in their simultaneous intimidation of moderate Muslims") and Eugene Volokh ("Russian society is quite hostile to gays... The nastiness can't be laid entirely at the feet of parts of the Russian Muslim community").
CORRECTION MADE: Sergei Tsoi is the mayor's spokesman, not the mayor.


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Dance. A unique evening with two of the absolute masters of contemporary dance.
"… a phenomenal, world-class dance company …" Göteborgs-Posten
"Universe with wonderful poetry" Svenska Dagbladet
"Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Saburo Teshigawa bring global dance to life in Gothenburg" Göteborgs-Tidningen/Expressen
"… the dancers move like waves in a flow with no dots or commas" Borås Tidning
"Breathtaking and emotionally moving" Göteborgs-Posten
"Spirit is a magnificent venture …" Göteborgs-Posten
Creation by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui
Multiple award winning and constantly topical Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui creates Noetic, along with a distinguished team comprising sculptor Antony Gormley, fashion designer duo Les Hommes, and composer Szymon Brzóska. The creation explores man's instinctive need to structure every detail of our existence, and our longing to break free of the rules and discover what lies beyond them. With at times mechanical, at times flowing, classical movements, the dancers construct, change and deconstruct reality.
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's roots are in the cultures of both Morocco and Central Europe. His artistic identity has been influenced by many years of involvement in the Belgian dance company Les Ballets C de la B, whose work belongs among the most exciting things to have happened within dance in recent decades.
Cherkaoui is known for bringing together art forms, cultures and traditions. His dance company, Eastman, is attributed the title of European cultural ambassadors in 2013. The harmonic and emotional music in Noetic is composed for The Göteborg Opera Orchestra.
Watch an interview with choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui
Antony Gormley is widely acclaimed for his sculptures, installations and public artworks that investigate the relationship of the human body to space. His work has developed the potential opened up by sculpture in the seventies through a critical engagement with both his own body and those of others in a way that confronts fundamental questions of where human beings stand in relation to nature and the cosmos. Antony Gormley and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui have collaborated on three previous projects; Sutra, Babel and Zero Degrees. His set design for Noetic will give the dancers both bodily extensions and the constructive elements to create a potential architecture for individual and collective action.
Watch an interview with Antony Gormley
Poster art by Antony Gormley
Watch an interview with composer Szymon Brzóska
Creation by Saburo Teshigawara
Virtuoso Saburo Teshigawara – sculptor, poet, visual artist and "dance maker" – has received great honours for his choreographies and body installations both in his home country of Japan and internationally. Faithful to the culture of his homeland, Teshigawara is minimalist – everything he creates is aesthetic, beautiful and pared down. It is also spiritual and subtle.
His Metamorphosis, inspired by Kafka's novels, is an art work filled with pain and breathtaking beauty. At its centre is the body's constant changes, the cells' constant renewal – the metamorphosis: "Even when we believe we are completely still, our bodies are moving. That movement is life. To stop is to die. Life is like cycling – if you stop you lose your balance and fall over. Life is balance in motion."
Metamorphosis, created for GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, is also about controlling, and allowing oneself to be controlled.
The Göteborg Opera Chorus also feature on stage, their ethereal voices contrasting with the dancers' sometimes constrained bodies.
The works that The Göteborg Opera Chorus performs in Metamorphosis include:
- Olivier Messiaen: O sacrum convivium!, choral motet (1937)
- Maurice Ravel: Soupir (Suck), the first of three songs from Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé (1913) transcribed by Clytus Gottwald for a cappella choir.
Watch an interview with choreographer Saburo Teshigawara
Poster art by Saburo Teshigawara
In Spirit the choreographers are inspired from the theme of the season; Mind & Spirit where GöteborgsOperans Danskompani explores our consciousness and its possibilities. Reality beyond reality. Mind and spirit, body and energies challenge and force us to new discoveries.
Spirit will go on tour, the Iberan tour, on May-June 2014


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Gainesville woman was charged with stealing U.S. Treasury checks and forging them, the Department of Justice said Friday.
Regina Ward, 31, is accused of stealing the checks, transferring the names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth of five people. She is also accused of having five or more identities, according to U.S. Attorney Robert E. O'Neill.
Ward is charged with identity theft, fraud against the U.S. and Treasury check fraud. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison.


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Sorry not to have updated this blog lately, but I've been busy at work once again! Anyway, this is really to say that I'm still here, and have been enjoying the latest smash hit costume drama, Downton Abbey. It has been drawing audiences of around 11 million in England and Wales alone, after the controversial decision by STV not to screen the show in Scotland.
It's odd now to think that about a year ago it was being predicted that costume drama would disappear from British TV, and from ITV in particular, as a result of budget constraints. Sadly, it does still seem that TV adaptations of older literary classics are an endangered species, with very few such productions planned in the near future – the BBC is working on The Sisters, based on DH Lawrence's The Rainbow and Women in Love, and a new version of Winifred Holtby's South Riding, with a script by Andrew Davies, and that's about it at the moment. I thought someone was bound to commission a major Dickens adaptation for 2012 to tie in with his bicentenary, but have heard nothing on that front yet – though I'm hoping! (A Tale of Two Cities would probably be my choice, if anyone is wondering.)


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Ocean Defense
Have you got the skill and nerve to hold out against wave after wave of deadly creatures deep beneath the ocean surface?
Use your judgement to strategically place a choice of lethal gun turrets on the sea bed and try your best to despatch the advancing hordes.
The more enemies you destroy, the more weapons you can acquire to defeat the relentless onslaught of undersea creatures!


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Columbia Summer Winds Ensemble Concert
Saturday, July 27, 2013
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Please note: This event has already taken place. Please use the Search options on the right to find upcoming events.
Columbia Summer Winds performs the finest in wind band music throughout New York City every summer. The 90-person concert band provides free outdoor concerts in NYC parks, bringing the best band literature to our neighborhoods' backyards. From Sousa marches to orchestral transcriptions and Broadway showtunes to movie soundtracks, the music of Columbia Summer Winds will surely leaving the audience clapping for more.
Event Organizer
Columbia Summer Winds
Concerts, Free Summer Concerts


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Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Diocese of Reggio dell' Emilia
Suffragan of Modena in central Italy. The city is situated just where the ancient Via Æmilia is crossed by the small River Crostolo, which flows into the River Po, through a very fertile territory. The principal industries are silk, straws, and osiers. The cathedral is Romanesque, of the twelfth century, restored in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and has some remains of thirteenth century frescoes. In the museum is the scientific collection of Abbate Spallanzani, an illustrious philosopher, prehistoric antiques, and an art collection. The library has about 1000 manuscripts. There are also the state archives. Near Reggio is the famous Castle of Canossa.
Regium belonged to the Boii and was reduced into a colony by the consul Æmilius Lepidus (187 or 178) and was by him named Regium Lepidi. In the Treaty of Quiercy Reggio was included among the towns which Pepin had in mind to give to the Holy See, but it never came into possession of the latter, except later, and for a short time. In 962 it was given with Modena to Count Azzo of Canossa. After the death of Countess Matilda (1165) the popes claimed the town as a part of her inheritance, while the emperors claimed the same as a fief of the Empire. Pending these disputes the town was governed in a communal way; at first they had consuls and in 1156 they had a bailiff, named mostly by the emperor. Reggio took part in the wars between the Lombard cities, especially against Mantua and Milan. It was mostly on the side of the Ghibellines, although in 1167 it entered the Lombard League and in 1193 the league against Henry VI. After the misfortune of Frederick II, the powerful Pico, Fogliani, Carpineti, and Coreglio were disputing the mastery of the city, which fell into the hands of Obizzo d'Este, Lord of Ferrara, but revolted against his son Azzo VIII (1306), became again a commune, accepted the vicars of Henry VII and Louis the Bavarian; was subject to the pope under Cardinal Bertrand du Poyet (1322); and later (1331), John of Bohemia, who recognized the suzerainty of the pope over Reggio as well as over Parma and Modena, was made lord of the city, but sold it to the Fogliani, from whom it passed to the Gonzaga of Mantua (1335), who sold it to Galeazzo Visconti of Milan. In 1409 it returned again to the House of Este of the line of Modena, until 1859. The popes, however, always claimed to be its suzerains. After the Ferrara War, Reggio spontaneously submitted to Julius II (1512-15). By the Peace of Barcelona (1529) Charles V bound himself to give back Reggio to the popes, but he did not do so. In 1848 Reggio proclaimed its annexation to Piedmont, completed in 1859. Christianity entered Reggio probably from Ravenna; a local legend makes the first bishop St. Protasius, a disciple of St. Apollinaris, in the Apostolic age. Admitting his existence, also five or six historical bishops, predecessors of Faventius in 451, it would seem that the episcopal see dates from the first half of the fourth century. St. Prosper was the successor of Faventius; he died between 461 and 467. Among other bishops were: Thomas (c. 701), Nodoberto, ambassador of Louis the Pious at Constantinople (817); Azzo II, murdered during the Hungarian invasion in 900; Thenzo (978), who rebuilt the Basilica of St. Prosper and other churches; Nicolo Maltraversi (1211), much praised by the chronicler Salimbene and often ambassador to Frederick II; Enrico de Casalocci (1302); Battista Pallavicini (1445), the sacred poet; Marcello Cervini (1540), later Pope Marcellus II; Cardinal Alessandro d'Este (1621); Angelo M. Ficarelli (1821), who repaired the damages of the revolution.
The diocese has 246 parishes, 531 secular priests, 175,600 inhabitants; 4 houses of monks with 29 priests; 11 houses of nuns, 5 educational institutions for boys and 13 for girls, and a Catholic weekly.
Reggio was recognized as a studium generale as early as 1210; and a doctoral diploma of 1276 has been preserved, showing that there were a regular College of Doctors, regular examinations, and a Universitas scholarium (Tacoli, "Memorie storiche di Reggio", pt. III, Carpi, 1769, 215-16). But at the beginning of the fourteenth century there was no longer a single doctor in the city; and the studium generale had evidently lapsed before this.
CAPPELLETTI, Le Chiese d'Italia, XV; SACCANI, I Vescovi di Reggio (Reggio, 1902); Chronicon regiense in MURATORI, Rer. ital., XVIII.


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Longines watch collections
Items 1-48 of 389
New Longines Watches
Longines Luxury Watches
Longines Watches – Elegance & Luxury in One Piece
Longines is a Swiss luxury watchmaker based in Saint-Imier in Switzerland. It was founded by Auguste Agassiz in 1832. Its watchmaking expertise highlights a strong devotion to tradition, elegance, and performance. Its logo is a winged hourglass, which is the oldest unchanged, still active registered trademark. Longines is a part of the Swatch Group Ltd, which is the world's leading manufacturer of horological products. They are recognized through their refinement in design, which is visible in almost all their collections.
Top eight Longines watches for sale:
1. Vintage Longines Legend Diver
Vintage Longines legend diver is a modern watch produces with effortless style and sophistication. The Legend Diver's 42 mm case, the engraving on the case's back, and the two hatched crowns are reminiscent of its ancestors. It also features a black glossy dial. To make the watch a little more modern, a date window has been added (the first series of the modern Legend Diver did not have a date window). Both modern versions of this classic Longines watch went for more secure screw-down crowns, versus non-screwed down crowns of the original model. The lugs are also downward-angled, so they wrap firmly around the wrist. And it copes well underwater as it is water resistant up to 300 meters.
2. Longines Elegant Stainless Steel
It is an iconic Legend men's watch, and this stainless-steel model belongs to the Elegant family as one of Longines hero timepieces. This watch has a diameter of 37mm, along with a refined white dial. The date aperture and Roman numeral markers contribute to an exceptional watch. It is a perfect timepiece that can adapt to both casual and formal attire.
3. Longines Avigation BigEye Chronograph
The Longines Avigation BigEye comes in a 41mm steel case that has a luminous effect to it. The case has subtle polished elements that catch your eye and hold your attention. The lugs are pretty thick and beefy, that drop downwards dramatically from the case. Being an automatic chronograph, it is about 14.3mm thick including the domed sapphire. It has an oversized crown, and the pushers extend delicately from the case. It has a deep matte black dial and contrasting silvery white lumed hands. This watch has a brown leather strap with a signed buckle. Overall it is a unique timepiece that holds your attention the moment you see it.
4. Longines Heritage
The Longines Heritage watch comes with a luxury leather strap and gold arrow markers. It is 35mm in diameter and is water resistant up to 30m.This watch features a scratch resistant sapphire crystal glass and a stainless-steel case. It is a dress watch that will make you stand out in the crowd.
5. Longines Presence Rose Gold
The Longines Presence in rose gold is a truly timeless choice. It features an 18kt rose gold case with a brown alligator leather strap. Also, it has a fixed 18kt rose gold bezel. There is a silver dial with blue hands and Arabic numeral hour markers. The minute markers are around the outer rim. The watch is simple yet classic with a white dial which is analog.
6. Longines Calibre L609 Automatic Movement
This one of Longines automatic watches is made of sapphire crystal, which protects it from getting any scratches. The watch has a round case with the case size being 34mm and has a pull/push crown. The watch is water resistant up to 30 meters / 100 feet. It also has a date aperture, Roman numerals, and the instantly identifiable Longines logo. The case-back is completely transparent allowing you to see every inch of the inner craftsmanship. It's a perfect watch that makes a statement and makes the wearer look very attractive.
7. Longines Conquest Classic
With an exquisite linear patterned black dial, the Longines Conquest Classic watch strikes the right note in the style department. It is made of stainless steel and has an 18-k pink gold case of 41 mm diameter. The applied Arabic numerals and hour hands in pink gold have been coated with a luminescent element that allows you to read time in the dark. The transparent case back displays the intricate movement of the watch, and the dial is protected from scratches with the help of a sapphire crystal. It also has a power reserve of 54 hours. It is a brilliant creation from the house of Longines and is perfect from each aspect.
8. Longines La Grande Classique Presence White Dial
This model is an absolute beauty. The elegant timepiece has an 18-karat gold-tone stainless steel case and has a supple leather band. It is embedded and crafted with excellent Quartz movement to provide accuracy. The watch is made with a durable and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal that preserves clarity. It features a white dial with luminous black hands and a Roman numeral hour marker. The simple and clean lights give it an elegant feel and make it very stylish as well. This Longines watch for sale will last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance.


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Photo comments from emojiSelector
by micheal9000
Search and select photos by topics, add comment, use for facebook comment, post and other social networks
It's so easy and so quick to MAKE PHOTO COMMENTS IN FEW SECONDS! OTHERWISE, You can use it as "insert photo" feature for OFFICE 365, and other web-based office apps.
The must-have extension for you to use in social networks. You need this photo comments (named FotoComments, PhotoComments) to use for facebook, twitter, other social networks? Please use our PhotoComments extension. It's very easy to use, just follow 3 STEPS:
1. Search photo by topics and pick it.
2. Add comment to chosen photo.
3. Copy and paste photo to facebook post, facebook comment and other social networks that support image pasting. For social networks doesn't support image pasting, such as twitter, you can choose save and upload photo by its built-in functionality.
1. Enter keyword.
2. Right click on image you want (don't click on resulted images, it for photo comments), click copy and paste to office editor.
No popup, no ads, safe. Feel free to use it. This addon is supported by https://www.emojionline.org
We hope you enjoy it!


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W.C. Fields once famously said he wouldn't work with children or animals. In LA Opera's lush and creative production of Gioachino Rossini's Cinderella (La Cenerentola), the fabulous perfectly tuned dancers playing mice, tittering about in almost every scene, clearly compete for top attention getters. The sets are very imaginative and the costumes are fascinating and over the top. (Kudos to Joan Guillen, scenery and costume designer in his LA Opera debut.) The music is sublime (thank you Rossini, James Conlon and the LA Opera Orchestra, as well as all the topnotch singers. There is lots of humor, much of it masterfully comical. Yet, the wonderfully costumed, perfectly choreographed adorable mice were impossible not to watch, as they sniff, scratch, scamper, lounge, roll and sniff about, attentively following Cinderella's every move like cute puppy dogs,. (Was this director Joan Font's idea? Whose ever idea it was, it was fulfilled wonderfully by the dancers themselves with help from also LA Opera debut choreographer Xevi Dorca.)
The famous Cinderella tale most Americans are familiar with isfrom the Disney film which includes mice driving Cinderella's carriage. But the mice are not mentioned in Rossini's libretto at all. Program notes inform us that Cinderella is an ancient tale which has survived and been altered in different cultures around the world. One of the earliest versions involving a slipper in 9th century China is actually caught up in the cruel misogynistic female foot binding and mutilation. When I was in college there was much talk from the women's movement of the "Cinderella complex" in which a woman is nothing until she is accepted by a suitable male.
Other versions of the story, including Rossini's, have no glass slipper and no mice. His story emphasizes the karmic principles: good is ultimately rewarded and evil punished. The poor innocent who is abused by her step-father and step-sisters ultimately gets her reward -- being chosen by a noble prince, partly for her kindness and goodness. Don Ramiro's (Rene' Barbera) tutor Alidoro (played by Nicola Ulivieri), who comes dressed as a pauper and later leads Cinderella to the ball while dressed in magician-like cloak with stars. He appears to be an other-worldly character. When he sings about her being accepted by the "highest throne", he is singing not only of his earthly master, the prince, but also of God's acceptance of her.
So perhaps you can assume the mice were added in this production because they are part of modern culture's traditional telling of the tale. Hats off to director Joan Font if it is his idea. The genius of this decision is that their presence is more than a concession. It adds greatly to the opera's theme, as the mice are Cinderella's only friends and they come across as protectors and guardians. Their sweetness and guilelessness enhances Cinderella's own innocence. They are inherently as angelic and pure as Cinderella, who ultimately forgives those who tried to hurt her. (As many pet guardians will attest, their animals have noble and forgiving natures.)
Bel canto opera (Italian operas of the early 1800s) is thrilling. When the performers start pouring out words and syllables so quickly, so perfectly, it is a wonder of technique and beauty. In this production every note is a marvel, especially when the tempo of the singing gets unbelievably fast.
Although there is much comedy here, there are overtones and moralistic meanings that take it away from the addictive fluff that is Barber of Seville. As such the production seems to go in and out of farce. Some scenes are played wonderfully comedic and over-the top and others are more sober. The movement on stage reflected this mixture of styles. The buffo antics onstage in some scenes were a big contrast to other scenes which were perfectly still, as in a drama. It seemed odd to have six characters lined up in a row singing with no movement at all.
I would have liked to see all the stops pulled out on the comedy throughout. Many of the characters had comedic flair, but our heroine, Cinderella herself as played by Kate Lindsey (who alternates the role with Ketevan Kemoklidze) is victimized and noticeably without humor. Her mezzo soprano voice is indeed beautiful and lovely although it is not dynamic. The whole first section of the play seemed a bit tentative until the arrival of Barbera as a disguised Don Ramiro. His wonderfully strong tenor voice lifted the energy and brought more vitality. As the story progresses the energy rises for all characters and it becomes increasingly more engaging. Vito Priante as Dandini plays with great flourish the servant who pretends to be the prince. Father (Alessandro Corbelli) and daughters (Stacey Tappan and Ronnita Nicole Miller) are fun to watch, and more so as their antics seem to get bigger in Act II.
While Lindsey's Cinderella is a model of virtue, I wonder how it would play to have a heroine who is herself a bit more comically oriented in the role and whose voice stronger.
I can't say enough about the costumes. The blue, violet yellow and pink wig coifs were remarkable as were the twirly hoop skirts on both men and women. Use of the mice throughout is not only entertaining, but they also help with furniture moving and, brilliantly to move forward the silhouette of the prince's carriage, in another homage to the traditional story.
Beethoven reportedly told Rossini he should stick to light-hearted comedy as that was his true nature and what he did best. I am a big Rossini fan, and I have to agree with Ludwig that he shines the brightest when all elements work together for the big laugh.
Photos by Robert Milard (LA Opera)
Georja Umano is and actress and animal advocate.
CiNDERELLA by Gioachino Rossin8
Los Angeles Opera
135 N. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 972-8001
(213) 687-3490 fax
[email protected]
Thurs 3/28/13 7:30PM: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Sun 3/31/13 4:00PM: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Wed 4/03/13 7:30PM: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Sun 4/07/13 2:00PM: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Sat 4/13/14 7:30PM: Dorothy Chandler Pavillion


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Virginians' Happiness Frustrates DMV
Showing off those pearly whites frustrates facial recognition software used by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, so DMV workers are instructing motorists not to smile for their driver license photos. It's a story worthy of The Onion, but it's apparently true.
Facial recognition is just another way that governments are looking to keep tabs on citizens and residents. The need for specific no‐smiling instructions will recede over time as national ID systems facilitate government control and make life in America naturally unhappy.


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