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Many people with ADHD (myself included) identify with being an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), so I thought I'd revisit this topic in today's blog post.
I'm not saying that non-HSP's don't experience these traits, but it's much more common amongst the 15 to 20% of the population who carry the gene for sensitivity (yes, research backs up its genetic origin).
Sensitivities can manifest as physical characteristics, in social situations, and at work.
I've created the Chick A-D-D P.O.S. System to categorize these common 10 HSP characteristics.
P= Physical sensitivities
O = Occupational sensitivities
S = Social sensitivities
See if you can find your POSition through these 10 Signs That You're An HSP.
1 ) Loud Movie Soundtracks (P)
non-HSP: Wow!
HSP: Ow!
I remember seeing Star Wars when it first came out (yes, I'm that old). I think I actually put my hands over my ears (which, come to think of it, did make me feel like a little old lady although I was only 18 at the time). The entire soundtrack was like having the Imperial Stormtroopers' E-11 blaster rifles shooting directly into my ears.
2 ) Big, Excited Crowds (S)
non-HSP: Fun!
HSP: Run!
I've had the heebie-jeebies in crowds since a young age. I can get downright claustrophobic shoulder-to-shoulder at a large fireworks display, parade, or crowded bar (at least in a bar I can anesthetize myself with a few vodka coolers).
3 ) Delicate Or Subtle Smells, Art, Flavours (P/S)
non-HSP: Miss
HSP: Bliss
Two examples of this from my life are 1) I've been known to sit, mesmerized, in front of a painting for over three hours at a stretch and 2) the subtleties of East Indian cuisine intrigue and delight me, with delicate nuances and undercurrents of sauteed-'til-popping-mustard-seeds, cumin and cardamom.
4 ) Crude Sexual Innuendo (S)
non-HSP: Bad-ass
HSP: Simply Crass
An example of this can be found in what I refer to as the X-rated section of a card shop:
Cover of the card – " You know you're getting older when your underwear creeps up on you …"
Inside of card: "… and you kinda enjoy it."
Actually, wedgies can also fall under the P (Physical) category. Ew.
5 ) Brassiere (P)
non-HSP: Wearable
HSP: Unbearable
In about 3 nanoseconds of wearing a brassiere, I want to rip the damn thing off and run screaming back to my closet for a top that will disguise that I'm no longer wearing it. I only wear one under duress (i.e. when décorum demands it. At work, for example). Straps, underwire, the whole contraption smacks to me of bondage (I know, I know; this feature is actually an attraction to some of you, but this post isn't the place to discuss that).
For you male HSPs, I wonder if the jockstrap is the bra-torture equivalent? Fortunately, it's highly unlikely that a male HSP would be a jock, so it's probably not an issue.
6 ) Unkind Remarks at Work (O)
non-HSP: no big issue
HSP: get out the tissues
HSPs are known to be highly emotionally reactive. Ok, we're drama queens (aka "emotionally labile" in psychology-speak). The same insensitive remark would affect an HSP and non-HSP very differently. I've been known to break into tears at work for careless and uncalled-for remarks on more than one occasion (especially when off my ADHD meds).
7 ) Violent Films (S)
non-HSP: bring on the action!
HSP: emotional reaction
Although I love film, I have to be very selective about what I watch. I've missed some excellent films because of this. I just can't expose myself to graphic violence, or even to movies where someone dies at the end. (Whatever possessed me to go to the film Titanic, I'll never know. I think I was secretly hoping that everyone would be rescued at the end. Duh! Failure to foresee consequences is a frequent ADHD symptom, so I might have an out for that little oversight…)
8 ) Circus In Town (S)
non-HSP: fun and magnificent
HSP: torture of the innocent
Just hearing the radio ad, "the horses and elephants will entertain you," makes me physically ill and bawl my eyes out.
9 ) Tags In Clothes (P)
non-HSP: laundering navigation
HSP: endless irritation
Ever heard of, The Princess and the Pea? – that's me.
10 ) Being Evaluated (Watched) at Work (O)
non-HSP: doing my best
HSP: make a big mess
If you want to see me walk into furniture; develop a sudden case of Parkinson's, dropping things randomly on the floor; giggle maniacally for no reason while cracking nonsensical and non-humorous jokes, tell me I'm being scrutinized at work. The mere concept of a "Probation Period" sends me into near-panic.
How about you? HSP too?
So – how'd you do? If you found out that you're an HSP, no worries. Just like ADHD, there are ways to cope, and even – yes – ways to turn your challenges into strengths.
Want to find out more? Read Elaine N. Aron's excellent book, The Highly Sensitive Person.


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Question: Can I substitute grape jam for apricot preserves in a barbeque sauce recipe?
September 3, 2010
You can- though I'm not sure if you'd want grape jam on meats like chicken- too sweet. Apricot will be sweet but fruity.
September 4, 2010
You can try for a different twist =)
September 7, 2010
Why not? I just had some roast duck with grapes.
How did it turn out?
September 7, 2010
I say go for it, let us know how it goes!
September 7, 2010
I agree, why not? Both are sweet and fruity. I like to think of recipes as a guide and sometimes you have to punt if you don't have exactly what it called for. This is how happy accidents in cooking occur!
There is no reason why you can't. I'm assuming there are a bunch of ingredients in the BBQ sauce along with the preserves? It's not like you're spreading grape jelly over grilled meat.
September 11, 2010
I enjoy making homemade BBQ sauces and have played with just about every type of ingredient in the icebox! I have used Apple Jelly, Peach Preserves, Fig Preserves, Grape Jelly, even Lemon Curd...all have turned out a tasty sauce. Go for it!
September 13, 2012
Help! What can I substitute for apricot preserves???

subset: commoncrawl


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This layout was inspired by Unscripted Sketches #36:
The title says: My girls
The journaling says: Friday morning, ready to go to kindergarten: this is the only day of the week that it's allowed to go with dress & skirt... All the girls arrive like sweet little princess.
I used: DCWV papers (the Spring stack), sonburn cardstock, Fiskars border punches, Ink It Up - blue, StazOn jet black, Unity stamps, Sharpie, Imaginisce I-Top.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
My Girls
5:26 PM Posted by Unknown
8 comments labels DCWV, Fiskars, Imaginisce, Ink It Up, layout, Sharpie, sketch, sonburn, StazOn, Unity, Unscripted Sketches
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Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Office of College Advancement
Ohlone College
Fremont, CA-The first of several important construction projects that will dramatically renovate Ohlone College's hillside campus in Fremont commences with the groundbreaking for the award-winning South Parking Structure on Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 4:45 pm. Funded by the Measure G Bond, the innovative parking structure will be integrated into Ohlone College's unique sloped landscape, allowing for greater accessibility and providing convenient traversal of the campus. Adhering to Ohlone's commitment to environment sustainability, the beautiful design will also be coupled with state-of-the-art green construction.
Currently, the bulk of the College's parking lies at the foot of the Ohlone hillside, a five to ten minute walk uphill to the core academic buildings, with over a hundred foot gain in elevation. While an argument can be made for the fitness of Ohlone students, most will celebrate the respite from climbing stairs that the new structure brings, as parking will be brought to the same elevation as Ohlone's central academic buildings.
Additional construction and renovations to the academic buildings, slated to run through 2018, will advance this concept, seamlessly connecting the parking structure to the different levels of campus with the areas where most students spend their time. The overarching design speaks to a better flow of pedestrian traffic on the Ohlone campus, which students can easily navigate allowing for easier interaction with the academic environment and easier interaction with each other.
In addition, the structure's generous 900-plus parking capacity should help alleviate the hunt for parking spaces during peak hours.
Adding to the structure's uniqueness is its sustainable construction practices, which are aligned with Ohlone's other green buildings and solar field in the College's promise of environmental stewardship. Don't be fooled by the South Parking Structure's classy wooden accents - this is actually Resysta, a fibre reinforced hybrid material made of 60% rice husks, 22% common salt and 18% mineral oil, making it both environmentally friendly and extremely weather resistant. Furthermore, any unused construction materials will be repurposed for future Ohlone construction projects.
The design of the South Parking Structure also considers the environment aesthetically; from initial planning, the design process used the context of Ohlone's hillside, resulting in a structure that rises naturally with the sloped landscape, rather than towering above the hills. The elegant profile contrasts sharply with the typical utilitarian edifices that parking structures bring to mind.
These innovations, as well as the beauty of the design concepts of Steinberg Architects, resulted in the South Parking Structure receiving the 2013 Community College Facility Coalition's Professional Design Award.
The project is scheduled to be completed in August 2015. Overaa Construction, the prime contractor, was selected to oversee the project which officially began in January 2014. Overaa is a family-owned and operated general contractor headquartered in the Bay Area.
Construction of the South Parking Structure was made possible by Ohlone College Measure G Bond funds. In November 2010, taxpayers showed overwhelming support for the College in passing this bond, which will refurbish, renovate, and rehabilitate the aging Ohlone College Fremont Campus. Watch for more Measure G construction projects to come in 2014.
For more information please visit www.ohlonebond.org.
[ View Press Releases Index. ]


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O'Hara Sprinkler Repair
Since 1973, O'Hara Sprinkler Repair has been providing reliable sprinkler repair and irrigation services to thousands of residents in community associations, HOA Communities, and commercial properties in West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County, Martin County, and Broward County Florida.
Excellent Service. They did exactly what they said they would. The repair man Joseph Montas was personable and went directly to the problem of the check valve not holding pressure when the system was off. Alex the owner answered the phone today and schedule another repair at another location. Very pleased with the whole process at a fair price.


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One maxim of electric car battery design is that energy and power are a tradeoff. Boost the energy, and you lose power, and vice versa.
Now, though, a professor at the University of Illinois has developed a battery structure that changes all that, and he hopes to have it in production applications within three years. Paul Braun, a professor of material science, says his structure could enable users to boost energy without sacrificing power.
"Our system is particularly good at producing high peak power -- anywhere from 10 to 100 times greater than the power of a conventional rechargeable battery," he told me. "For systems where you want a lot of power relative to the size of the battery, there's a definite advantage."
The technological advance is in the physical structure, not the chemistry, and Braun has applied it to both lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries. The key is a new thin film that can be wrapped into a three-dimensional foam structure. The 3-D structure achieves high active volume (which translates to high capacity) and large current. As a result, it offers fast charging and discharging.
"The open nature of the foam promotes efficient ion transfer," says Braun, who just launched a startup called Xerion Advanced Battery Corp. "That's why we achieve a high rate."
He is refreshingly careful about not overstating the battery's potential applications. Conventional hybrids and very mild hybrids with start-stop capabilities are the most logical candidates in the auto industry, he says. Today, those vehicles typically have smaller batteries that aren't particularly good at providing extra power for propulsion. "Our high power capability is much more important in conventional hybrids, where you're trying to recover energy from the brakes and use it for propulsion."
Braun's three-dimensional open foam structure promotes efficient ion transfer, which translates to greater power and faster recharge times.
The battery structure is less likely to see action in electric vehicles, which typically have big batteries that can provide enough power by virtue of their size. One of the battery's prime advantages -- faster recharging time -- is not yet applicable for pure electric cars, because of a lack of electrical infrastructure, Braun says.
"If we want to charge in an amount of time that's similar to filling a car with gasoline, it's just not going to be possible today," he says. "Gas stations don't have the necessary power feeds coming into them. It's going to require partnerships between power utilities and whoever builds the stations."
Braun also says the 440V architectures used in today's fast recharge systems might not be sufficient. Rechargers might need higher voltage, multiple lines, or even large contact plates under the car that could serve as charging receptacles. "This is something that the utility companies and automakers haven't even speculated about, because the right battery hasn't existed."
The quick recharge capabilities do matter for makers of consumer electronics. Braun and his new company are already talking to manufacturers of cellphones, laptops, hand power tools, and military systems. In those applications, infrastructure won't matter. Today's 110V wall sockets are sufficient to charge a phone in less than a minute, and a laptop in a couple of minutes, if they employ Braun's battery, he says.
"We think the idea of being able to pop up to a charging station and being ready to go a minute later is pretty attractive," Braun says.
As the new company rolls out its test batteries, interest has been high in both automotive and consumer electronics. The fact that the battery's energy density remains high while it doles out high levels of power is attractive to OEMs, Braun says. "That's where we can help. What we really offer is lots of juice."


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READ about Piers Morgan's long career in journalism here.
As the extraordinary multi-vehicle incident along Manhattan's West Side Highway continues to enrage and horrify those that have watched the various videos, on Thursday evening "Piers Morgan Live" asked a trio of legal minds to offer their specific perspectives and expertise.
Joe Tacopina is not as of yet formally involved in the case, however what's he's seen of the altercation has lead him to believe that the driver of the Range Rover – Alexian Lien – acted within the law:
"There's clearly in my opinion, no wrongdoing. This is a tragedy what you're seeing here, but what I'll say is this: the law is if he reasonably believed that he was in danger, when he acted, then he's good to go," explained the defense attorney. "Understand this: throw yourself into parent mode on top of that. He has a 2-year-old in the back. These guys have been surrounding his vehicle, basically since midtown, all the way past the George Washington Bridge, clearly acting like a gang of thugs."
H. Benjamin Perez, of Perez & Cedeño, P.C., is representing motorcyclist Christopher Cruz, and he views the situation differently:
"Here's the problem with what Mr. Tacopina's saying. First of all, he is assuming that all of these bikers are together, he's assuming that this is a biker organization," explained the man whose client is accused of starting the bloody encounter between the bikers and the SUV operator. "My client doesn't know these other bikers that are around him. He's there with specific, two to three other friends, and they're all heading north."
In response to Tacopina's assessment that the bikers had surrounded Lien's SUV "like a pack of wolves," attorney Gloria Allred insisted that the driver acted too forcefully:
"Was it reasonable for him to believe...that it was going to be imminent use of deadly force against him by my client," asked the woman representing one of the other motorcyclists, Edwin Mieses. "[He] was only standing in front of his car with his back to the SUV telling everyone, move on, move out."
Watch the clip for more of Piers Morgan's interviews with the three attorneys, and for the next edition of "Piers Morgan Live," watch CNN every night at 9.
» Follow "Piers Morgan Live" on Twitter
» Follow "Piers Morgan Live" on Instagram
GLORIA ALLRED – Way out of her mind.....shame on you Gloria for defending this thug
Same here. What an abomination that Allred is defending this thug. What an abomination that the thugs are going to be defended in any way. They are guilty of bringing on trouble, of baiting the driver. Why aren't the police policing these thugs, and getting them off of the roads. Why do crimes have to get to epic proportions before they get attention. Violent government; violent society, with little respect for human life. A so-called industrialized society should not have the level of violence and thuggishness, and corruption that the US does. The gov't is corrupt and violent. The populace follows suit, and takes it all in stride. Other civilized nations wouldn't not tolerate a fraction of what the US puts up with on a daily basis. No end in sight, as murderous, warmongering thugs are ruling the country. There is a direct correlation between a violent gov't and a violent society.
I saw this video on TV and I had to come online to comment that this lady Gloria Allred, has to be blind to say whats she saying, her client was an innocent bystander who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time come on lady you've got to be kidding. cheers Piers
Her client has a 6 page criminal record, and has a suspended license. The man is 33 years old and raps about selling cocaine and shooting people. When they surrounded the SUV, imagine you have these bikers smashing your mirror and slash you front tires with scary face paint on. Mieses has a joker face paint approaching the SUV.
Totally Agree. And also give Joe a thumb up.
"Roll up my windows"? LOL. AFTER THE TIRES ARE SLASHED?
"He was a pedestrian."... on the middle of a highway? "He had his back to the car." Smart thing to do, and does the video really show that?
Like seriously Gloria. The video shows one of the bikers slamming their helmet or hand into the window behind Lien BEFORE he drove off. At that point, any damn parent would take off. There's a 2-year old back there!
And the analogy to a baseball game? When people go to a baseball game, they're not breaking the law. When people run red lights, operate a bike without displaying a license plate, and go over sidewalks, THAT'S BREAKING THE LAW.
sure Gloria, parking in the middle of the high way and walking in middle of the traffic are legal in ny.
I understand that a lawyer's job collect large amount of money from their client in exchange to get them the best possible deal they can in court.
1. Why did Mieses loose his drivers license at the first place? 2. Why was Mieses in the middle of an irate group of biker? 3. If the SUV driver started the confrontation, why did the bikers took the matter in their own hand instead of calling the police and let the police do the chase and investigate the accident?
4. Christopher Cruz (the biker who slow down in front of a moving SUV) went from the far left lane to the middle lane, slowed down his bike while looking at the SUV. Knowing the size of his bike relatively to the size of the SUV, if he was looking for his fellow lost in the crowd as he claimed, then the front of that SUV would have been the worst possible place to be. Unless he has X-ray eyes that could see through the big, heavy and black Range Rover with tinted windows.
6.It's clear that this was a biker's gang looking for trouble, and they were part of the gang. If not why did they continue to ride in a pack of bikers that was breaking all kind of traffic laws, from ignoring red lights, to riding on sidewalks, riding against oncoming traffic, etc.
7. Stop, roll up the windows and dial 911, when surrounded by bikers like these, your tires being slashed, banging on your SUV, your wife and 2 years old daughter in the SUV?
8. Just how much money Gloria and the Perez are collecting from their clients to make these claims with straight faces on tv?
For poster Yesus: I agree with your 7. point. Those lawyers, defending the bikers, must be smoking something. For a vehicle to be surrounded, attacked, probably hearing profane language, and having your tires slashed...gee, that sounds friendly to me. Why would anyone not be worried about their safety?? Gloria and the other atty lost credibility. It's so amazing how everyone has to break down every detail, "Oh, he was just a by stander", to twist it so no one takes any accountability for anything. Truly shameful.
How can any one think this is the truth. He was slowing the car down. When you beleave your in harm way you can kill. The bikes are together not they are all driving together. A gun would have stop this just thinking he had a gun. But this is the point of not having guns. Bad guys rule good guy fear.
Her client was a pedestrian? I guess he should have been in a crosswalk then!
In most state it is illegal to walk in the middle of the highway.
This is the dumbest defend statement I ever heard. If you rob a bank and when you done and leaving. You no longer commiting a crime
Can someone please tell Gloria Allred, if your client is a pedestrian and crosswalk on a freeway, he probably will get hit by a Range Rover.
Hahahahahahahahahahha!!!!!! He was a pedestrian????? Wow that woman is a DISGRACE to law school!! .... Good for her that her nose doesnt grow each time she lies :p
Oh nevermind after a case she gtes the surgery done because it does look crooked and also the other dumb lawyer says that he would lock his doors and raise his windows ...did he NOT seeeeee the end of the video?? Duhhhh!! He did it and all those thugs crashed his car..please just stop you people are getting stupider and stupider just look like you didnt go to law school...you went to lying stupidity school! Im soo mad @ how the world is filled with so many trash!
Actually, these are criminals and driving on a suspended license, they were biking recklessly through NYC and not obeying any traffic law. And these guys had face paint on, and I am not talking about clown children face paint. If Lien intent was to hurt these bikers, he would have side swipe Cruz when he was riding beside the SUV in the same lane.
Hahaha Old Lady Allred needs to hang it up. Clearly her mind's age is showing. Perhaps she didnt fully think through how siding with this street rat plays out for her.
Unfortunately for her, an outcome of events of this much national attention will be a lack of public confidence in her aged (or forked) tongue.
These bikers were all together they all stopped at the same time and took over that highway as a coordinated act that denotes organized group mentality. Immenent danger was proven when a deadly weapon was produced to slash his front drives side tire. At that point it is a life and death situation and Lien's actions are justified.
Allred and Perez are so f'd. i'm not a lawyer, never went to law school but I can really really poke some basic common sense questions to put both their cases to sleep. LYING BIKER THUGS> LYING CORRUPT COPS> LYING LAWYERS. JUTICE FOR ALEXIAN LIEN!!!!
Shame on Gloria...
Is Gloria by chance employed by the WH? She's got the lying with a straight face act mastered as well as the WH cast does. Narcissistic people scare me, because they appear to really believe the lies they spew. They only care about their own agenda. Power, Money Control
If a Boston Celtics fan started a fight with a LA lakers fan in the Staple Center, does the Celtics fan has the right to use deadly force against the Lakers fans simply because he feels scared being surrounded by thousands of Lakers fans in the Lakers home court. No, the hundreds of other Bikers were merely spectators, there is no evidence showing they know each other or act as a group collectively. Perhaps the Bikers just stopped the SUV requesting an apology, and the SUV driver over reacted and started bulldoze people to get away from the situation, or SUV snapped because he felt belittled by the "lowlife" bikers (like a lot of Americans are feeling) demanding an apology from a successful businessman like him. The SUV driver's reckless action didn't save his family, he put himself and his family in a much greater danger because the beating happened ONLY because he purposely ran over Bikers. It is too early to tell, don't rush to conclusion please. Piers Morgan you are profiling the Edwin and Bikers as up to no good thugs just like George Zimmerman did to Trayvon Martin, you have lost all your rights to criticize GZ because you are doing exactly what he did.
Les your example of Celtics and Lakers fans are totally not identical situation to what really happened. First, you are in Lakers' home court, so you are surrounded by laker fans, that's normal; second, if you are beaten by a bunch of lakers' fans and they surrounded you, tore up your jersey, push you, splash drink on your face, slash your tire if you are on wheelchair so you will not be able to go anywhere, probably, then yes I would do whatever I can to get out of the crowd and be somewhere safe. Be noted, driving a car out of the bikers' gang is not using deadly forces and Lien is not pointing his vehicle directly to anyone but the road. You should be responsible to yourself to not standing in a vehicle's hood, that's common sense, especially in such a unique situation and you are on a freeway! Would you consider being beaten by home team fans everytime you go to a guest game? No! Will you consider being ran over by a vehicle if you are WALKING on the highway?? At least I do and I think about that even crossing a backroad. That's the risk that paralyzed jerk willing to take and now he deserves the outcome. So, in sum, highway is not bikers' home court, it's public area and surrounded by lakers' fan does not equal to surrounded by bikers who intentionally stop you and slash your tire. I am sad to see you are confused by these two and hope you can recover soon.
Those are good points, but the tires slashing are still assumptions at this point of the investigation because the tires could be damaged during the run over. The SUV had stopped, Edwin parked the bike in front of the SUV because he wasn't expecting Lien would snapped and charging through in fullspeed all of a sudden. It is a different story if Edwin parked his bike in front a moving SUV deliberately to try to stop it. The pounding on the windows with a helmet and beating took place after the SUV ran over the bikes, you can't use that to prove the SUV was in grave danger if Lien didn't break away, as all the parties were acting civilly shown in the videos. Too many pieces of the puzzle still missing to make a judgement. I am not totally on the Bikers side, just pointing out ways the SUV driver may be responsible.
You can't surround vehicles on the highway....on foot or otherwise. If Mieses felt like he needed to intervene and defuse "the situation" in such a fashion that he couldn't even take the time to move his vehicle from the middle of the highway, then I would imagine the situation was looking quite dire. Which, you know, the Liens also probably picked up on. LOL. Allred is a nutter.
If I put myself in the SUV driver's shoes I would be very scared in that situation too being surrounded by hundreds of Bikers, therefore I would tried to do everything in my power to avoid getting myself into that situation before the conflict happens such as yielding to the Bikers or avoid doing anything to provoke them. Did the SUV driver provoke the bikers, did the SUV driver bumped into other bikers prior to the altercation as Gloria claimed? You can't put yourself in a dangerous situation by confronting the bikers or initiating the conflict and claim self defense. Judging from the video the way the SUV just bulldoze over all the standing by people without any regard to human life is way more horrific to me than all the other events that took place in the video. wait until all facts all in, too early to make judgement.
Under the law it doesn't matter what Lien did prior to being surrounded. It doesn't matter if he was shooting bikers. They had no legal right to surround him, stop him, detain him. That's why Christopher Cruz' lawyer jumped far far away from that argument and went with "just changing lanes." Holy moses. Are you really that ignorant of the law?
We have every right to apprehend criminals as a citizen, if the Bikers thought they witnessed a hit and run they have every right to get out of their bike to check on the situation, or step aside to wait for the cops to arrive to assist the investigation as witnesses. It is way early to tell if the other bikers were in this together or mere spectators. Besides, was the SUV truly surrounded? all the bikers shown in the video were all behind the SUV, it looks more to me the incident had blocked the traffic and the bikers behind were just waiting to get through. only 1 or 2 bikes were in its path of the SUV as it was breaking through. In fact only a few bikers were actively involved in the situation.
"If I put myself in the SUV driver's shoes I would be very scared in that situation too being surrounded by hundreds of Bikers, therefore I would tried to do everything in my power to avoid getting myself into that situation before the conflict happens such as yielding to the Bikers or avoid doing anything to provoke them."
I believe that's blaming the victim.
"Did the SUV driver provoke the bikers, did the SUV driver bumped into other bikers prior to the altercation as Gloria claimed?"
According to Gloria, we can't consider anyone's prior actions. At the time he got run over Mieses wasn't on his bike, so his illegal bike riding's immaterial. In that case why should any alleged other "prior" bikes, who haven't come forward to say they got bumped after 2 weeks, be material? All we have is Gloria saying her investigation reveals Lien might have done something to other bikes, and a few bikers saying they think they saw or heard about Lien doing something to other bikes.
"wait until all facts all in, too early to make judgement."
I agree, but luckily some of the early evidence was the video, without which as others have pointed out "we'd have a different story".
You have VERY little rights or protection under the law to pursue or detain someone you think has committed a crime. If you get hurt in that process, that's a risk you take. If you think someone is driving dangerously you call the police, you follow at a safe distance to get license plate number. You are not the police and you have no right to put yourself in the middle of a public highway in front of a vehicle. lol. If all the bikers were behind the SUV how did they get run over in front of it?? Doesn't matter if they were together or not. You can't put yourself in the way while someone is in a life/death situation and complain when you get hurt as they flee. Hence, why the Liens haven't been charged with anything.
This is sad. I will not believe the story that filthy attorney made- it is her sole intention to get money from Lien and that's all. She represents nobody but herself and uses her "client" as a weapon. It is also ridiculous to defend the biker that he was trying to help Lien. I'd say he was just turning his back to the SUV so his friends can take a picture of him pulling over the SUV and post on Facebook. Yeah that's what I think and it makes a lot more sense.
If the Bikers wanted to "SURROUND" the SUV they should block the SUV's path with 30 bikes instead of just 1. By putting your life on the line to arrest an alleged criminal does not waive your right to sue for compensation from the alleged criminal, let the court decide then. everyone has the right to resist a citizen arrest if he thinks he is innocent, just be prepared to face the civil lawsuits, especially if your net worth is in the millions.
Yep, anyone can sue for anything. And if you are a career criminal who has arrived on the scene illegally (as a habitual offender with no license) be prepared for people to laugh at your assertion that you were there to uphold the law or be the lone Good Samaritan. LOL
Yeah because the bikers worth nothing and they are not fear of anything. Got it. Point made. Honestly I do agree with this post.
Oh remember to remind your friends, next time they try to block a range rover, put 30 bikes in front of it.
A spine and independence is priceless to anyone regardless to his social status. I find it hard to believe so many people thinks there is someone who deserve to be paralyzed without an examination into the incident objectively and fairly from us. If the court decides Lien is not responsible and Edwin deserved it so be it, but a paralyze man deserve a chance for us to look at this case objectively, stop the unnecessary name calling and smear please. Have you seen fruitvale station? a man's past should not be a hurdle for him to fight for justice in this situation.
Obviously, lawyers have no interest in "truth", they simply want to win their case. The reason we are seeing the parade of defense lawyers and clients all over the media is to counteract the video and create enough "doubt' in the public for the jury trial . This strategy would work if the public were in generally a good mood. Unfortunately, there have been so many stresses (debt, economy, shutdown, etc.) lately that has created a mostly outraged and fearful public. Most reasonable people would conclude that the motorcyclists are out of control. The lawyers and clients will be quite happy if they get slapped with mischief or menacing and get a shorter stint in jail/prison since some of them have already been there (no biggie!). I would like to see the lies and half-truths fact-checked point by point coming out of the mouths of the lawyers/clients/plaintiffs for the public to see. After all, they are not sworn in when they do these interviews they can spin whatever they want! I say enough... put each person (including lawyers) in a room to be terrorized by a group of anti-Americans and let's see what they do.....
boycott cnn until they get rid of her.


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OKLAHOMA CITY -- After a disappointing revenue report in August, Oklahoma finance officials are reporting collections to the state's general revenue fund returned to positive territory in September.
Figures released Tuesday by the Office of State Finance show collections to state coffers last month exceeded those from September 2011 by $15.6 million, or 3 percent. The increase was welcome news, since August revenues were down 6.8 percent from the prior year.
Finance Secretary Preston Doerflinger says three of the four major sources of revenue for the general fund showed growth last month, including combined income, sales and motor vehicle taxes. Only collections from the state's production tax on oil and natural gas was down, and Doerflinger blamed much of that on the expiration of a moratorium on energy tax credits.


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I have only seen one and I built it. Regretfully some of the controls are so touchy that I am the only person who can drive it. I also regret that for the last two years I barely drove it at all and never got to use it for it's intended purpose. I was too busy fixing other peoples broken stuff. If some of you are thinking of building accessible mutants be sure to make it easy for anyone to drive so you can hand it off to a responsible individual for a time. I found a serviceable wheel chair lift on craigslist for $100. So accessibility is fairly cheap. If you live in the pacific north west and need a wheel chair lift for your mutant vehicle get in touch with me. I will give it to you. My mutant is taking a year off or may even be sold and I would like to contribute to furthering playa accessibility.theCryptofishist wrote:And how many mutants are even accessible to chairs?
I really recommend golf carts as disabled vehicles. Yah people give you a little shit for driving around but it gets you out in the elements and you get to hear the pulse of the city. Gas is the way to go.
Edit after reading another thread. Vehicle selection is entirely guided by what you already have on hand or your ability to make/purchase and your skills/goals in pulling that off. I have had a good experience loaning my golf cart to a camp mate and so that is why I am pro golf cart.


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- 2 Beds
- 2 Full Baths
- 1,065 +/- Sqft
Property TypeResidential – Condominium
SubdivisionAvon Lake Villas
Listing Date10/03/19
Year Built1980
Lot Size0.04 Acres (1,742 SqFt)
Property Description
One of the best locations in Avon Lake Villas - ground floor with views of the lake from the master bedroom, and ski slopes from the patio. Walk out of the living room 10 seconds to the year round heated pool, hot tub & sauna. 1 minute walk to free skier shuttle bus stop to Beaver Creek and Vail. Tennis courts, event room, and on-site rental management. Walk out to the Lake to paddle board or fish, enjoy concerts and festivals at the park and take advantage of the rich Nottingham Lake lifestyle
Presented By
- Bus Route
- Creek or River
- In Town
- Lake
- Mountain(s)
- Ski Slopes
- Clubhouse
- Near Public Transit
- On Site Management
- Pool
- Shuttle Service
- Tennis Court(s)
- Trail(s)
- Fireplace - Wood
- Front Desk
- On Site Management
- Pool
- See Remarks
- Spa/Hot Tub
- Tennis Court(s)
- Cable Available
- Electricity Available
- Sewer Available
- Snow Removal
- Trash
- Water Available
- Baseboard
- Electric
- Dryer
- Washer
Financial Information
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Listing courtesy of Mountain Lifestyle Properties


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The Open Internet's Day In Court: What You Need To Know
The Federal Communications Commission's Open Internet Order, which puts net neutrality principles in place for U.S. internet providers, is getting its day in court. Immediately after the FCC voted to approve the order in 2010, internet providers sued to have the order thrown out, arguing that the FCC overstepped its authority. After years of false starts, some suspect briefs, plaintiff changes, and sundry delays, oral arguments in the case begin today.
Before those arguments actually get going, it's important to nail down precisely what the Open Internet Order does and doesn't do, and what exactly is going on with all the legal wrangling. It's complicated stuff and easy to tune out, but it's an important case that will have far-reaching effects both on U.S. internet policy and the role of the FCC in regulating the broadband industry. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) called net neutrality "the most important First Amendment issue of our time," and there are many people on both sides of the net neutrality debate who agree with that sentiment.
What Is Net Neutrality?
At its most basic, the idea behind net neutrality is that the person who decides what content you can access online is you. The companies that provide your internet access -- Verizon, Comcast, Time-Warner Cable, etc. -- have an interest in controlling how you use the internet in order to boost profits.
Let's take as a hypothetical example two popular streaming video services: Netflix and Hulu. Right now, you can access both competing services at the same speed. But let's say you get your internet through Comcast, which owns 32 percent of Hulu and provides 20-plus percent of residential broadband subscriptions nationwide. Comcast wants to boost Hulu's competitiveness, so it starts offering you "preferred access" to Hulu over other streaming video services (faster downloads, not counting Hulu's data against your monthly data allowance, etc). Netflix would flip its lid, and rightly so. Comcast would have leveraged its role as internet gatekeeper to tilt the competitive balance in favor of its own interests. You, as a Comcast subscriber, would be incentivized to patronize Hulu over Netflix not because Hulu offered better service, but because Comcast was rigging the market. (Scenarios like this happen in the real world, as I'll explain below.)
Net neutrality argues that Comcast must treat traffic from Hulu or Netflix or wherever equally, so as to not confer an artificial advantage on certain online entities over others. Its purpose, to borrow a popular phrase from conservatives, is to keep internet providers from picking winners and losers -- a very real concern given that many internet service providers also produce online content.
What Is The Open Internet Order?
The FCC's Open Internet Order is the federal government's attempt to establish net neutrality principles for U.S. internet providers. The FCC commissioners approved the rules in December 2010 after a 3-2 vote that was split along partisan lines (three Democrats and two Republicans.) The order divides broadband internet into two categories -- fixed, for internet delivered via cables; and mobile, for internet delivered wirelessly -- and sets rules for ISPs for the provision of both.
For fixed broadband, the FCC says ISPs can not block subscribers from accessing legal online content, nor can they prohibit subscribers from accessing the internet on a "nonharmful device." ISPs are allowed to conduct "reasonable network management" -- slowing traffic to relieve network congestion or address security issues, for example -- but they have to publicly disclose whatever network management steps they take. The rules also prohibit ISPs from engaging in "unreasonable discrimination" when transmitting network traffic along fixed lines. Simply put, this means no ISP can prioritize or discriminate against lawful online content for financial reasons or political considerations (the provision that would prevent the Comcast/Hulu scenario described above).
For mobile broadband, the rules are less stringent. ISPs can't block subscribers from accessing legal websites on a mobile device, and they are not subject to the prohibition on "unreasonable discrimination."
Why Is Verizon Suing The FCC?
Verizon's legal action has less to do with the policy laid out in the Open Internet Order than it does the process through which the order was put in place. Verizon is arguing that the FCC, since it was not specifically empowered by Congress to enact net neutrality rules, lacks the authority to enforce the Open Internet Order. The FCC argues that it doesn't need congressional authorization because the Telecommunications Act of 1996 empowers the FCC to "encourage the deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced telecommunications capability," and the Open Internet Order falls under that definition.
There's legal precedent that could support both arguments. Bolstering Verizon's case is a 2010 net neutrality ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the same court that will hear Verizon's suit against the FCC, which found that the FCC had not established the authority to regulate broadband services under Telecommunications Act of 1996 (the FCC bases their current argument on a different portion of the statute). Potentially supporting the FCC's case is a Supreme Court ruling from earlier this year which found that if Congress has not specifically defined a regulatory agency's jurisdiction, then the agency should have leeway to define it on its own.
Verizon is also arguing that it retains the First Amendment right to "editorial discretion" over the content that passes through its network, and the Open Internet Order infringes on that right. This argument is problematic, given that Verizon has previously ducked liability issues by arguing (successfully) that it is merely a neutral conduit through which information passes.
For a more detailed examination of the legal arguments at play, I encourage you to read Harold Feld over at Public Knowledge.
Who Supports Net Neutrality/The Open Internet Order?
That depends on who you ask, and when you happened to ask them. Verizon, obviously, is no fan of the FCC's rule, and it was so eager to have the rule struck down that its first lawsuit against the FCC was thrown out on a technicality because it filed the suit before the rule officially entered the federal register. Prior to the FCC's 2010 vote, however, Verizon had been partnering with Google to try and work out a compromise legislative framework on net neutrality (pretty much everyone hated their draft proposal). Metro PCS, a smaller wireless carrier, also sued the FCC to have the rule thrown out, but it withdrew its lawsuit earlier this year after it merged with T-Mobile, leaving Verizon to carry on alone. Other big internet providers like AT&T never issued a formal challenge to the FCC's rule, but are nonetheless working hard to undermine net neutrality.
While the providers of internet generally stand athwart the FCC, powerful online content providers stand (mostly) in solid support of net neutrality. Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is a vocal champion of internet freedom and net neutrality, as is Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix whose real-life battles with Comcast over net neutrality closely mirror the hypothetical example I laid out above. Google, Facebook, Amazon, eBay, and other online giants filed a brief with the DC Circuit Court defending the FCC against Verizon. Of all these groups, Google will be the most interesting to watch: it's been one of the strongest supporters of net neutrality, but it's also transforming itself into an ISP with its ultra-fast Google Fiber service, and there are already signs that Google is wavering a bit in its commitment to a neutral internet.
The picture is also fairly muddled on the activist side. Generally speaking, the fight over the principle of net neutrality can, as with so many other fights, be neatly divided into liberals-versus-conservatives, Republicans-versus-Democrats. But when you start talking about the Open Internet Order, the lines become less clear. Consumer advocacy groups like Public Knowledge support the FCC's order and its "basic consumer protections that we believe will help to preserve an open Internet," even as it acknowledges "several glaring shortcomings." Other pro-net neutrality groups feel the FCC's order is far too weak, and the media reform group Free Press actually sued to challenge the Open Internet Order because it didn't go far enough to "preserve openness for mobile Internet access."
Pretty much everyone on the conservative/libertarian side of the equation disapproves of the Open Internet Order. Some of these people, like Timothy Lee of the Washington Post, argue in good faith against government regulation of the internet. Others, like Seton Motley of Limited Government and Phil Kerpen of the Internet Freedom Coalition, fearmonger about Marxism and scream incoherently about a "government takeover" of the internet.
But Does The Open Internet Order Allow The Government To Take Over The Internet?
Overheated claims that the Open Internet Order "mandates the that the government regulate the entire Web" are a common conservative attack on the rule specifically, and net neutrality generally. But they're wrong. The order does not grant the government any authority to control internet traffic or to control access to the internet.
Will The Open Internet Order Destroy The Internet?
Well, it's been law for nearly two years, and you're reading this right now, so...
Does The Open Internet Order Work?
The FCC's rule puts in place some protections for broadband consumers, but the rules were left intentionally vague and have some gaping holes that ISPs are already taking advantage of.
Remember the hypothetical from earlier about Comcast and Hulu? Well, last year Comcast tried something similar, announcing that its Xfinity streaming video service for Microsoft's Xbox 360 would be exempt from subscribers' monthly data cap of 250 gigabytes. All other streaming video services, however, would still eat into that monthly allowance. Comcast was prioritizing its own online content, to the detriment of competitors. Netflix's Reed Hastings blasted Comcast for "no longer following net neutrality principles."
But here's the hitch: Comcast could very easily argue that it was not in violation of the Open Internet Order. The order gives the FCC regulatory power over broadband services, but the Xfinity streaming video service for the Xbox 360 is not considered "broadband" under the FCC's rule. It's a "content delivery network service" -- a dedicated network that utilizes the same infrastructure as cable broadband but is reserved for exclusively for specific services -- and the FCC excludes content delivery networks from its definition of "broadband."
The thing to keep in mind here is that Comcast is not just an internet provider. It's a massive, vertically integrated media conglomerate which owns properties like NBC television, Universal Studios, and USA Network. It wants you consuming Comcast internet and consuming Comcast-produced online content, and the fact that it controls the means through which you access the internet gives it a great deal of leverage in determining which content you consume, as the Xbox 360 case illustrates. And Comcast is not alone here. Providers and broadband internet are always looking for new ways to generate additional profits by artificially tilting the competitive balance in their favor, and this is particularly true of mobile broadband providers, who have even more leeway than their fixed broadband counterparts.
Mobile broadband providers have long been exploring ways to squeeze more money out of consumers and content providers without actually providing additional service. This past May it was reported that ESPN was interested in paying mobile providers to allow subscribers to access unlimited ESPN content through their mobile devices. Right now many mobile providers cap the amount of data subscribers can use monthly; under this arrangement, ESPN's content would not count against that cap. This sort of pay-to-play preferential treatment of data would not be permissible for a provider of fixed broadband, but for mobile providers there's really nothing in the Open Internet Order to prevent it.
On the other hand, the Open Internet Order has had some success in reigning in bad behavior. AT&T recently had plans to charge subscribers to use Apple's FaceTime video chat app. That charge would have been on top of the monthly rate subscribers pay for data, thereby forcing AT&T customers to pay to use data they had already paid for. After consumer groups complained that this was a clear violation of the Open Internet Order, AT&T backed down.
So What's At Stake Here?
Really quite a lot. The case will help to determine just how much authority the FCC has to regulate the broadband internet industry, a key component of the modern economy. It's an industry that trends toward consolidation and is already divided up into local fiefdoms across the country in which certain providers enjoy de facto monopolies. Broadband providers are already apt to engage in anti-competitive policies -- Comcast and Verizon have a joint-marketing agreement in place that allows the two companies to promote each other's services -- and there's every reason to think that the competition-stifling behaviors described above will become commonplace if the rules preventing them are thrown out.
More generally, Verizon v. FCC is the latest battle in the fight for the soul of the "open internet." On one side you have groups that emphasize consumer protection and universal access to affordable broadband as a way of keeping the internet innovative and free. On the other side you have a growing movement that views "internet freedom" as freedom from regulation and what it views as government interference.
Caught in the middle are consumers and producers of online content, and their ability to use the internet to make their living or as a medium for self-expression. And given how central online communications and commerce have become in our daily lives, pretty much all of us have a stake in how this fight shakes out.


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Vuitton Blues
Where to even start when describing The Laurel Collective…? Collective by name and by composition also, the six piece (whittled down from nineteen a year ago) comprise members hailing from Wales, England, Nigeria and Italy. The Laurels are a genre trashing six piece led by the twin attack and contrasting vocals of front men Martin Sakutu and Bob Tollast. Imagine the motley crew spirit of such misfit gangs as The Specials and Dexys mixed with the rhythmical assault and groove of Sly Family Stone, and blended with the psychedelic pop sensibilities of Super Furry Animals and you'd be half way there. The band's debut mini-album 'Feel Good Hits of a Nuclear Winter' is a psych-pop epic, bristling with energy and ambition, full of made-for-festival sing-a-long choruses and oddball charm. Through the soulful vocals of Martin and the more wistful deliveries of co-singer Bob, The Laurel Collective deliver skewed, uplifting pop carried on a wave of darkly, humorous lyrics. Add to this, dancehall rhythms and a love of US alt-rock, the band somehow manage to harness a multitude of influences across eight songs, to create a sound that remains focused and quite distinctly their own. The record opens at breakneck speed with the pop assault of 'International Love Affair', before swiftly swerving off into the Hendrix meets Outkast funk-freakisms of 'Gun Mouth'. Debut single 'Vuitton Blues' has the eccentric allure to match its epic ambitions that over the course of four minutes taps into the euphoric spirit of Brian Wilson's "Teenage Symphony to God". Though kaleidoscopic throughout, the record never becomes distracted or sounds disjointed: through the common characteristics of Martin and Bob's duel vocals, the pounding bass rhythms and the band's ability to write huge, melodic choruses, The Laurel Collective successfully amalgamate the sum of their parts and different origins. From the muscular opening riffs of 'Hercules' through to Olly Puglisi's fizzing 'Modern Life is Rubbish' guitar lines on album closer 'Printers', 'Feel Good Hits of a Nuclear Winter' marks The Laurel Collective out as very different, but very exciting new band.


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Global Conquest 1.02
Global Conquest is a free turn-based computer strategy game for Windows.
Although the premise of the game is similar with respect to the classic board game Risk, the gameplay is much more advanced, while remaining easy to learn and play.
Players take turns managing resources to conquer and defend territories using an arsenal of troops, tanks, and nuclear missiles in an effort to take over the world. A capitol building, barracks, factories, bunkers, and nuclear silos can be constructed on territories to help you achieve world dominance. Various upgrades can be researched, including bolstered army, missile, and economic strength. Additionally, players can use their income for initiatives such as propaganda or nuclear defense.
Players may compete against each other or against challenging computer-controlled players in a free-for-all up to five players, or in teams of two, at a single computer. Also, two opponents can play against each other over the internet.
The game is a small download (1.4 MB) and requires no installation.


text: What a view – accentuated as standard with the expressive AMG bodystyling. The two powerdomes on the bonnet attest to the power that lurks beneath. Nearly 300 lbs lighter than its predecessor, the sophisticated body structure of the 2016 SL is crafted almost entirely from diecast, chilled-cast, hydroformed and extruded aluminum. With 20% greater rigidity, it tips the scales in favor of greater safety, comfort, and most of all, athletic performance.


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In this online tool, students can learn about and write diamante poems, which are diamond-shaped poems that use nouns, adjectives, and gerunds to describe either one central topic or two opposing topics (for example, night/day or winter/spring). Examples of both kinds of diamante poems can be viewed online or printed out.
Because diamante poems follow a specific format that uses nouns on the first and last lines, adjectives on the second and fourth lines, and gerunds in the third and fifth lines, this tool has numerous word-study applications. The tool provides definitions of the different parts of speech students use in composing the poems, reinforcing the connection between word study and writing. It also includes prompts to write and revise poems, thus reinforcing elements of the writing process. Students can save their draft diamante poems to revise later, and save and print their finished diamante poems.
For additional ideas on how to use this tool out of school, see Diamante Poems in the Parent & Afterschool Resources section.
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Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Exploring the Power of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Words through Diamante Poetry
Students explore the ways that powerful and passionate words communicate the concepts of freedom, justice, discrimination, and the American Dream in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.
Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Unit
Ekphrasis: Using Art to Inspire Poetry
In this lesson, students explore ekphrasiswriting inspired by art. Students find pieces of art that inspire them and compose a booklet of poems about the pieces they have chosen.
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Grades 7 – 10 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Engineering the Perfect Poem by Using the Vocabulary of STEM
Students research engineering careers and create poetry to understand the vocabulary of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
Grades 6 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Making History Come Alive Through Poetry and Song
Students compare the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald with the song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," then create their own poetry about a historical event.
Grades K – 5 | Student Interactive | Writing Poetry
Formerly known as Shape Poems, this online tool allows elementary students to write poems in various shapes.
Grades K – 12 | Student Interactive | Writing Poetry
This online tool enables students to learn about and write acrostic poems. Elements of the writing process are also included.
Grades K – 12 | Mobile App | Writing Poetry
In this app, users can learn about and write diamante poems, which are diamond-shaped poems that use nouns, adjectives, and gerunds to describe either one central topic or two opposing topics (for example, night/day or winter/spring). Examples of both kinds of diamante poems can be viewed online or printed out.
Grades K – 12 | Calendar Activity |  April 1
April is National Poetry Month!
Students are assigned to be "poets of the day" and are provided several models to create, illustrate, and present their different poems to the class.
Grades 3 – 6 | Calendar Activity |  April 30
Participate in Poem in Your Pocket Day!
Students select a poem and create a Stapleless Book using the interactive tool.
Grades 3 – 12 | Calendar Activity |  March 21
Students read and respond to Billy Collins' poem "Introduction to Poetry." Students then write about a favorite poem and imagine the perfect way to read it.
Grades 2 – 6 | Printout | Writing Starter
This graphic organizer provides students the opportunity to brainstorm words about a given topic, count and record the syllables, and draft a haiku.
Grades 3 – 8 | Printout | Writing Starter
This tool will allow your students to create a diamante poem by reflecting on their knowledge of a topic and by using nouns, verbs, and adjectives in a creative manner.
Grades 3 – 8 | Professional Library | Journal
This article discusses the need to engage students and teachers in active poetry writing.
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Grades 4 – 6 | Activity & Project
Kids will love Hink Pinksword puzzles that use two-word clues to lead to a rhyming solution. Try one and get hooked yourself: Obese feline? Fat cat!
Grades 5 – 8 | Activity & Project
Learn about diamante poems, and then consider the idea of cause and effect before working it into the diamante poem format.
Grades 3 – 12 | Game & Tool
Diamante poems are poems where the longest line comes in the middle, creating a diamond-like shape. The Diamante Poems tool helps children write these patterned poems.


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In die Skriflig
On-line version ISSN 2305-0853
Print version ISSN 1018-6441
In Skriflig (Online) vol.47 n.1 Pretoria Jan. 2013
Bennie van der Walt: An expert in propagating the all-encompassing implications of the Christian world- and life view
Danie F.M. Strauss
School of Philosophy, North-West University, South Africa
Book title: 'Like the first gleam of dawn: Reformational studies' - A Bennie van der Walt reader
Book Cover:
Author: S. Bishop (ed.)
Publisher: Institute for Contemporary Christianity in Africa, 2011, R200.00
*Book price at time of review
This new work was edited by Steve Bishop who also wrote the introduction to it, amended by an interview with Bennie van der Walt also conducted by the editor. These two pieces pave the way for an appreciation of the context and aim of the previously written book of Van der Walt. I am privileged to know Bennie since December 1969 when I met him for the first time on a cold Amsterdam winter day. Ever since it is good to have in Bennie a serious and honest reformational philosopher who is capable of disseminating in a constructive and penetrating way the basic contours of a Christian life- and worldview. Throughout his life Bennie has distinguished himself as a gifted scholar capable to articulate our reformational legacy in an understandable and profound way. This new work is no exception.
A brief look at the table of contents makes it immediately clear that Bennie articulated a reformational biblical worldview in the various articles. Without falling in the trap of stagnation and dogmatism he portrays the antithesis between Renaissance and Reformation as well as unbiblical traits in Calvin's view of the human being. This part of the book is concluded with a sound assessment of the position of women and marriages during the Middle Ages, during the times of Calvin and in our own time.
In the second part Bennie shifted the focus towards worldview and philosophy. This section takes the reader into a more detailed and systematic account of crucial insights and distinctions prevailing within the tradition of reformational philosophy. First of all it provies an analysis of the nature of a life- and worldview followed by an indication of how a world functions within each one of the various modal aspects of reality. In this part related issues are discussed, such as shaping a radical biblical worldview and biblical data for a Christian view of being human. Van der Walt appreciates the legacy of Abraham Kuyper for an understanding of our calling within human society. He also highlights a particular 'morning star' of the reformational worldview, A. Janse (1890-1960). This part is concluded with a special reference to the philosophical contribution of Theodor Vollenhoven.
Part 3 turns towards Africa, focusing on its cultural, moral and political dispensation, whilst Part 4 addresses the challenge for Christian scholarship. Van der Walt does this by telling the story of Thomas, who started out as a Christian, then moved on to be a Christian or a scholar, to a Christian and a scholar, until Thomas finally realised that his life is service to God encompassing all of life, including his calling as a Christian scholar. It is appropriate that this part concludes with reflections on the nature and aspirations of a Christian university. Part 5 contains an application to practical social issues such as a biblical understanding of culture and development, globalisation, economic normativity, poverty and wealth, the mystery of marriage, religious diversity, friendship and sport.
This work is accessible to any Christian and does not require specific academic training to appreciate and understand its perspective and call. Therefore it should be made accessible to Christians worldwide. It is therefore good news that this book will also be published as part of the Reformational Publishing Project by Paideia Press in Grand Rapids.
Danie F.M. Strauss
PO Box 339
Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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For the fashion designer, Paris's culture, cuisine, and couture are what she craves on time off—so much so, she used to live there full-time. Her tips on Paris's best caviar, macarons, shops, and neighborhoods.
To get away from it all, I go . . .
Anywhere . . . could be my bedroom, L.A., Paris, or Asia.
My (least) favorite way to travel there is . . . Unfortunately, for farther distances, I have to fly. Which I hate!
My favorite travel pastimes are . . .
My iPad . . . and a cocktail!
My ideal travel companions are . . .
My family and friends, or my staff, who are like family.
__My favorite place to stay is . . .
__Paris is always an issue. For years I kept an apartment in the 16th [Arrondissement], near the Bois, with a view of the Tour Eiffel. Now I am hotel-bound—either the George V or the Plaza Athénée. Roll out of bed and voilà, shopping!
When I'm in the mood for room service, my favorite order is . . . Spaghetti Bolognese and a vodka. What a luxury!
Upon arrival, I most look forward to . . . It's mostly about gallery hopping, shopping, eating, and dining until I drop.
My favorite spots to indulge in a delicious Parisian meal are . . . I always have a Montblanc at Ladurée (the one on Saint-Germain-des-Prés) and caviar at Caviar Kaspia or La Maison du Caviar. For a true French bistro, I go to Voltaire.
To stay in shape, my on-the-go fitness regime is . . . I shop! Trying on clothes burns a lot of calories.
My suitcase must absolutely contain . . . Two BlackBerrys, multiple BlackBerry chargers, leggings (always), and a sleep mask.
When it comes to luggage . . . Cold weather is rough, as I am an outerwear fanatic and that takes a lot of space in my luggage.__
My favorite best-kept secret about Paris is . . . My personal history: Paris is like my second home and I love my friends, the experiences I've had there, and the beauty of the place.
When I'm in the mood for some retail therapy, I must visit . . . Balenciaga, Givenchy, Rick Owens, L'Eclaireur, Montaigne Market, and Hermès always. And Joseph's on Avenue Montaigne.
When I'm in the mood to paint the town red . . . I go to the Ritz.
Upon departing, I am most happy to leave behind . . . My worries.
Footer credit: From top: from Getty images, courtesy of the Plaza Athénée, courtesy of Ladurée. (2).


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The Pastoral Epistles
Today's passage summarizes a theme that runs throughout the Pastoral Epistles, namely, our need to guard the deposit entrusted to us. This deposit is the prophetic and apostolic word of salvation found in the Bible, which is entirely trustworthy in ...Read More
Faith and the Liberty to Love
Take time to skim over the book of Galatians and select one passage on which to meditate. Consider how God has used this epistle in your life and try to discern those areas in which you have been most tempted ...Read More
The Judaizer's True Motives
John Calvin says that for us, as for the Judaizers, "a dread of the cross" leads one "to corrupt the true preaching of the cross." The Judaizers were afraid to stand up for what was scandalous in their day — ...Read More
Peace with God
In the new covenant era, Isaiah 52:7 is fulfilled in the work of God's people as they publish news of peace with Him across the world (Rom. 10:15). All of us who have found peace with God through His Son ...Read More
Rightly Directed Zeal
Other people may know us as zealous for the truth, but are we also known for being zealous for the good of others? Telling the truth is something that we should never compromise, but let us never be happy that ...Read More
The Perils of Telling the Truth
Matthew Henry offers this caution: "Ministers sometimes create enemies to themselves by the faithful discharge of their duty. Yet ministers must not forbear speaking the truth, for fear of offending others." Pastors and leaders must love their people well, but ...Read More
Apostolic Fellowship
The truth of the gospel binds believers together, and by the Holy Spirit we are empowered and enabled to love those who are in Christ even if they are different than we are. It is the love of one another ...Read More
False Teachers Accursed
Martin Luther's comments on Galatians 1:8–9 illustrate Scripture's relationship to tradition: "Here then is a plain text like a thunderbolt, wherein Paul subjects both himself and an angel from heaven, and all others, doctors, teachers, and masters, to be under ...Read More
The Galatian Problem
Martin Luther's commentary on Galatians states, "Since Paul by his own experience teaches us that congregations which are won by great labor are easily and soon overthrown, we ought with singular care to watch against the devil ranging everywhere, lest ...Read More
To the Churches of Galatia
Our study of Galatians will be enhanced if we all take a moment this weekend to read through the book of Galatians. As you read this letter, consider some of the themes that Paul returns to again and again. Note ...Read More


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A lot of hip-hop albums these days are made with multiple producers, each producing one or two tracks. I believe some country albums are also done this way. I'm old school, so this bothers me. An album, in my view, is supposed to have a single point of view, and this is achieved by having an artist and producer working together as a team for the length of the album. What then am I to make of the new album from David Bromberg? There is an over all concept to this album: it is Bromberg's musical wish list of who he would like to work with. So Bromberg's guitar and vocals are the constants, but each track has a different guest artist who also provided the other musicians and produced. Most of these guests also wrote their song specifically for this album; the others chose the song they wanted Bromberg to cover with them. Only Levon Helm contributed two songs, and they are completely different from one another. And the collaborators came from the worlds of country, blues, folk, old school R&B, funk, jam band, and pop. So what does this all add up to? A stylistically diverse album that can stand with David Bromberg's best.
You see, even in the old days, David Bromberg was, by choice, a musical chameleon. His work was based on the blues, but he could rock, and he was always equally adept on acoustic or electric guitar. He eventually would record a wonderful album of Irish folk. So the mix of styles makes sense here, where it might not for anyone else. Also, the guest artists here have chosen or written songs that they feel Bromberg would sound good on. So Linda Ronstadt, for example, brings a Brook Benton tune, It's Just a Matter of Time, but it's arranged for just acoustic guitar and stand-up bass, with a chorus of female vocals. Los Lobos, with The Long Goodbye, stretch Bromberg with a Mexican waltz, but he is more than up to it. A slow blues with Keb Mo makes all the sense in the world, as does a jug-band tune with Levon Helm. Bromberg gets funky with Dr John, but also with widespread Panic. A slow R&B workout asks almost the same thing of a singer as a slow blues. John Hiatt doesn't get enough credit for his talent at writing these kinds of songs, and Ride on Out a Ways is a fine example. Bromberg's voice lacks the power it once had, but he has figured out ways to compensate, and convey as much emotion as he ever did. I am particularly impressed with the way he can still adjust his tone for the different styles of song heard here. Bromberg has also become a more subtle guitar player. Where he might once have broken out in an extended solo, now he knows that he can get his point across with just a splash of notes.
Use Me, then, is an album that Bromberg might have wanted to make at the peak of his career, but he was on a major label then, and they never would have allowed it. I'm glad he found a way to do it now. Use Me has the most important element any great album needs. It sounds like all of the musicians are having a great time.
David Bromberg: Ride on Out a Ways
David Bromberg: It's Just a Matter of Time
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
David Bromberg - Use Me
Posted by Darius at 3:17 AM
Labels: Album Review, David Bromberg, New Release
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Don't sue over tweets
I've always thought that the UK's libel laws were elitist, highly harmful to free speech, and a danger to technical innovation. Jonathan's post once again demonstrates why they are badly in need of reform.
Those who didn't see the false child abuse accusations against Lord Alistair McAlpine on an ill-considered BBC documentary may have instead heard about them through social media. This week, London's Metropolitan Police suggested they might file charges against those Twitter users who sullied the reputation of the retired Conservative politician by knowingly repeating the lie that he was a child abuser. But the police may be less fearsome to the average BBC-linking tweeter than Lord McAlpine himself.
His attorneys say they have identified 1,000 original libellous tweets and 9,000 more retweets. Under the UK's plaintiff-friendly libel law, the conventional wisdom holds that even a simple retweet which simply echoes others' content could be actionable, whether or not the user thought it to be false. In addition to a £185,000 settlement with the BBC, Lord McAlpine's lawyers are inviting implicated tweeters with fewer than 500 followers to make a donation to charity, and those with more followers to agree to bespoke settlements. Such invitations are declined at one's peril — at least for those who live in the UK or any other place with an agreement to enforce UK civil judgments.
Such a broad-based attack on individuals is unwise and uncalled for, even as the injury that inspires it is mortifying. The problem is that what appears to be a trivial, momentary action — retweeting something of interest — can now create or magnify a falsehood as powerfully as if it had aired on national television. If a television station can be held responsible for what it broadcasts, why not the individuals whose collective megaphone rivals that of the BBC?
The answer is that television stations can and should have fact checking and legal departments as part of the cost of responsible business. Individuals cannot be held to a similar practice, and a series of uneven threats that stills the speech of only the most lawyer-sensitive will unduly undermine the huge value of a service such as Twitter. There may be call to go after the most egregious malicious actors — those who intentionally seek to sow untrue and damaging information about a specific person — but the very identification of 10,000 uncoordinated tweets and retweets suggests something other than bad faith by all. Traditional media can remain vibrant precisely by upholding a higher standard and helping social media to sift truth from falsehood.
Nor would charging Twitter itself with the broadcaster or newspaper editor's policing function help. Trying to force Twitter to prescreen material would likely result in the service simply refusing to display any tweets to users located in the UK.
Jonathan's book: "The Future of the Internet and How to Stop it"


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Raymond James (RJF) said its net revenues grew 14% in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 vs. the same year-ago period to $3.8 billion as net income expanded 6% to $296 million. The fiscal 2012 results include six months of Morgan Keegan operations.
Earnings per share were $2.20 per share, up $0.01 from a year ago. Excluding $59 million of pre-tax charges for acquisition-related expenses and other non-GAAP items, net income would have been $334.2 million, or $2.51 per share on a non-GAAP basis.
The St. Petersburg, Fla.-based firm said it had assets under management of $43 billion and assets under administration of $390 billion. Still, its headcount as of Sept. 30 — as measured by the number of financial advisors — fell slightly vs. the prior quarter, though this figure was up sharply for the full fiscal year thanks to the Morgan Keegan acquisition.
"I am pleased with our results as we have so far successfully navigated our largest acquisition in a very volatile market," said CEO Paul Reilly (left). "With the exception of our Equity Capital Markets segment, which faced headwinds most of the year, all of our businesses continued to grow while also integrating Morgan Keegan. Our bank had an exceptionally strong year as we have successfully added $1.44 billion of net loans while maintaining our conservative lending strategy."
For the fourth fiscal quarter ending Sept. 30, net revenues gained 30% from the prior-year period to nearly $1.1 billion, a drop of about 2% from the fiscal third quarter ended June 30.
Net income of $83.3 million was up 21% from a year ago and 9% from the preceding quarter. Earnings were $0.60 per share, up 11% from last year and 9% from the earlier period.
Excluding $19 million of pre-tax charges for acquisition-related expenses, net income would have been $95.7 million, or $0.69 per share, up 33% year over year and 8% consecutively; analysts had expected earnings of $0.63 without the charges.
"Results this quarter were lifted by a beneficial tax rate as overall operating results from our combined segments were essentially flat with the preceding quarter," stated Reilly. "Although the segment results were impacted by Morgan Keegan integration efforts and increased technology spend, all of our businesses performed largely as expected given our current cost structure and operating environment."
Private Client Results
Private Client Group revenues grew about 1% in the Sept. 30 period vs. the preceding quarter to $694 million, an increase of 26% from the year-ago quarter.
"This segment was negatively impacted by the S&P 500 being down 3.3% in the preceding quarter, which affected our advance billings. In the current quarter, the S&P 500 was up 5.8 percent, which will provide a lift going forward," the company said in a press release.
Pre-tax net income for the segment was $50.4 million, down 21% from last year and 22% from the prior quarter.
For the fiscal year, PCG grew sales 13% to $2.48 billion. Pre-tax income, however, declined about 4% to $210.4 million.
"Integration and technology spend and certain one-time charges primarily impacted the pre-tax income for this segment during this fiscal year," the company stated.
It expects technology and Morgan Keegan-integration costs (from headcount and consultants) to stay "elevated throughout the system conversion targeted for February 2013."
As for recruiting, as measured by the number of prospective experienced financial advisors visiting the firm's home office, this activity "continues to pick up for both the employee and independent-contractor divisions.
As of Sept. 30, Raymond James has 6,330 advisors vs. 5,350 a year ago and 6,367 in the earlier quarter. It has 5,452 in the United States, while the rest are in Canada and the United Kingdom; this figure is up from 4,504 last year and down 37 reps from about 5,489 in the earlier period.)
"The financial advisor headcount decrease for the quarter was almost exclusively related to lower-producing Morgan Keegan advisors," the company explained. "Retention level remains extremely high for those Morgan Keegan advisors offered retention packages."


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Rosum would probably like to thank the television broadcasting industry for putting up fixed transmitters all over the world with accurate-enough timing information in publicly broadcast data to let the firm create GPS-like results without a satellite in sight.
Rosum's focus in the world of GPS is not to replace GPS—a system partly architected by one of the company's founders—but to supplement GPS in places where satellite signals can't be received, generally indoors, as well as urban canyons.
Rosum is not a new firm, but the time may have arrived for its technology, which allows the company to provide either a GPS-like fix on a location by itself or to assist an inexpensive GPS module that is receiving extremely weak satellite data.
Todd Young, the company's vice president of marketing, told Ars that the company's focus is on bringing "timing and location [information] to in-building and urban and even dense canopy areas in which GPS just doesn't work." That's a neat overlap with where cellular carriers are trying to place femtocells, compact cell base station intended to improve indoor coverage. (See "Study: consumers likely to greet femtocells with yawns," among other articles.)
The company is also looking at television viewed on mobile handsets, an already large and rapidly growing service in Japan and South Korea. A North American standard is moving towards adoption, too. A handset with a digital TV receiver could supplement GPS in the same way that WiFi is being used by Skyhook Wireless to provide location information in difficult locations for the iPhone and other smartphones.
But femtocells are the immediate target because femtocells have a location requirement for both operation and emergency calling in North America. Carriers in many nations have unique groups of spectrum licenses in each area they serve. "Whoever's operating that network has to have a license to operate a wireless network in that geographic location," Young explained, "So you have to check and make sure you're in an area that's covered by that license."
Further, femtocells need to prevent their use outside a given country to avoid stepping on licenseholders there. All femtocells sold to date include a GPS receiver—and a 30-foot GPS antenna. Running 30 feet of cable is an ugly task on any day—ask anyone with poor XM or Sirius reception—but it may be particularly hard when trying to place a femtocell next to a broadband modem.
If a femtocell can't get a GPS lock, it can't be used, which means an unhappy customer who thought the carrier was offering a solution to coverage that's been pulled out from under them, and a return of an expensive item to the carrier with all the cost in handling that entails. Improving the GPS capabilities of a femtocell could be a make-or-break difference in carriers convincing their subscribers to buy into the idea.
Rosum can provide a much simpler solution for location data because they rely on TV broadcasts, which typically use far lower frequencies than cellular networks, and far higher power. The benefits "are not just lower attenuation from building materials—walls and ceilings and floors and such—it's that the broadcast power is so much higher, and they're roughly 12,000 miles closer than the satellite," Young said.
Young noted that there's about 30 dB (decibels) of signal margin for GPS, and about 80 dB for the part of the television signal that Rosum requires (a TV needs about 30 dB more than Rosum to display a picture). A single concrete floor blocks about 30 dB, Young said.
The accuracy that Rosum can deliver is on the order of a conventional assisted GPS system, Young said. With analog TV signals, their margin is worse, about half as good as digital TV. With DTV, "There are a couple of clocks in the signal chain that drive the timing of the signals. One is where the MPEG stream is encoded; the other is where the signals have converted to its broadcast frequency," he said.
Rosum so far has only one publicly announced femtocell agreement with 2Wire, a router and electronics maker. Young said, however, that the company is in active talks with just about every femtocell company.
Young also pointed out that femtocells may be used by carriers to fulfill Enhanced 911 regulations, which require carriers to provide a certain degree of accuracy to a certain percentage of subscribers in a given area: calls relying on handset location must deliver information accurate to within 50 meters 2/3rds of the time, and within 150 meters, 95 percent of the time.
With an accurate position assigned to a femtocell, which is likely to move very little at all, a carrier might be able to improve its E911 compliance dramatically with a large femtocell deployment into subscribers' homes without making other changes to their network or location technology.
Young and others see a larger future for femtocells than just relying cell calls or 3G data. Rather, the femtocell could become part of a home hub for wireless communication. A ZigBee (802.15.4) home monitoring system could rely on the femtocell for both relaying data to a locally network device, and providing remote access or monitoring over a cell network without loading down a cell provider's system. (ZigBee is starting to appear in home sensors and alarm systems.)
For the future, Young is looking at the mobile broadcast television market, which has tens of millions of users in Japan and South Korea. For a GPS offering, "Once the enabling hardware is on the phone, the marginal cost is zero, the footprint is zero, it's just software," he said.
Where WiFi positioning systems like Skyhook Wireless require constantly updated databases of WiFi networks, "TV towers don't move," Young said. There are just a few thousand U.S. locations the company needed to characterize accurately. A public FCC database let them get close, and their own work added precision to the numbers the agency records.
Also, as opposed to WiFi, TV signals can penetrate into many environments where WiFi networks won't be operating or won't provide a close enough location fix. Young said that in a recent test with a femtocell manufacturer, Rosum was able to get an accurate GPS fix in 8 out of 8 cases in which two assisted GPS systems managed just 1 of 8 results. This included the Montgomery Street BART station in San Francisco, a floor beneath the street level, where Young says Rosum's system provided 40 to 50 meters fixes.
Rosum's solution is certainly unique—at least at the moment. The firm has a couple of niche markets that could explode, and mobile television may have the most interesting implications for those of us in the U.S.