text:
HALIFAX – Thousands of people on the East Coast lost power and schools were cancelled Monday after blasts of winter wind and wet snow swept through the region.
Power crews in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador worked to restore electricity in frigid conditions.
But a spokeswoman for Nova Scotia Power said they were having difficulty reaching some areas in the southern half of the province because of poor driving conditions.
"They're experiencing severe weather there (in the Annapolis Valley) which is causing travel delays for our crews," said Lauren Brown.
In New Brunswick, NB Power issued a statement saying the storm had exacted a toll on some of its infrastructure.
"The storm has certainly created significant damage including broken poles and large trees on lines," company spokeswoman Meghan Gerrish said.
Environment Canada said strong winds caused blowing snow and near-zero visibility driving conditions in some areas. In western Cape Breton, wind gusts approached 160 kilometres per hour.
Between 20 to 40 centimetres of snow fell in New Brunswick, while P.E.I. and Nova Scotia had varying amounts of snowfall mixed with rain.
Over 50 communities in Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula lost power when the storm hit Sunday evening, and crews were still restoring power to those communities as of Monday.
Schools were shut down in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as police warned of hazardous driving conditions throughout the region.
Airports in Halifax and in St. John's, N.L., reported some cancellations and delays early in the morning.
Marine Atlantic cancelled both of its crossings between North Sydney, N.S., and Port aux Basques, N.L., on Sunday.


text:
Beverly – Vermont
"The closet professionals transformed our one bedroom condo into an area with ample storage and practicality. The staff listened to our needs, respected our budget and designed a functional solution to our tiny space. The built-in desk work space and adjoining vertical bookcase has worked well for computer, printer and work space. The closets were transformed with shelves, drawers and level hanging. And, the large storage closet and credenza have eliminated the clutter and provided. We did the improvements years apart and would again. The tech installers were thorough, thoughtful and clean."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
You, together with your 500 million fellow citizens from ESA's 20 European member nations, are the collective owners of one of the world's leading space agencies.
The European Space Agency is an intergovernmental organisation, a cooperative coming together of its Member States in their national interest and common good.
This new video offers a quick introduction: Europe, meet ESA.


text:
Three weeks had passed since Kazuki-kun, Usato-kun, and I had been summoned to this world. As the result of all the training in the past three weeks, I had gotten quite used to fighting. However, I didn't have any actual experience fighting against monsters yet.
Morning training had just ended, and we were eating lunch under the shade.
"Kazuki-kun, you've already become quite strong, haven't you?"
"Hahaha, I'm no match for senpai."
In the past 2 weeks, Kazuki had shown an abnormal amount of growth.
Naturally, I had as well. I had become strong enough to match the best knight in Lyngle kingdom, Sigris and the reputable mage, Welsey. I knew the both of them were going easy on me, but I still remembered the surprise on their faces when I overtook them.
Although… I still thought that this was nowhere near enough.
This country's ambition was insufficient. Just using a strong lightning attack was enough to earn a round of applause from the onlookers. Kazuki would turn red in embarrassment whenever their cheers erupted, but that wasn't the case for me.
I wanted a much more unrestrained way of using magic.
"As expected, I'll have to find another way by myself..?"
"What's the matter, Suzune?"
Oops, that wasn't good. I almost let my consideration for others slip. The blonde-haired girl with blue eyes that called out to me was King Lloyd's daughter, Seria Bluegust Lyngle.
As to why someone like her is here, it goes all the way back to when Usato-kun was recruited1 by Rose. King Lloyd concluded that it would be very difficult to bring Usato back, so it couldn't be helped. He was assigned to Rose while Kazuki and I were assigned to train under Sigris, the Commander of the Kingdom's Corps. Of course, we also got to train under the renowned magician, Welsey.
During that time, King Lloyd called for his daughter and introduced her to us as we were around the same age. This was how we met and became friends.
While eating lunch, Kazuki turned his gaze to the scenery outside the castle.
Fumu, showing such a weary appearance, were you worried about Usato-kun?
"…Usato, I wonder what he's doing right now."
Really, you were so easy to understand.
The last time we saw Usato, he looked utterly exhausted.
Could it be that he still hasn't gotten accustomed to living in this world? Or perhaps the Rescue Squad's training was really just that severe…
"What kind of person is Usato-sama?" Seria curiously asked.
Kazuki cut me off before I could reply and answered while puffing his chest with pride.
"He's a friend who got summoned along with us to this world. We only got to know each other recently, though."
"Judging from that delighted expression, looks like the rumors that Kazuki-kun didn't have any male friends was true."
"T-That's wrong! Even I have one or two friends that are guys…"
To Kazuki's mutters of self-assurance, Seria chuckled.
Well, I actually know though. Considering what I had seen of Kazuki-kun in school, Usato-kun was certainly an important friend to him despite having only known each other for a short while.
"A friend, huh. And where is this gentleman?"
"I think he's at the Rescue Squad's lodgings? If I recall…"
"R-Rescue Squad!?"
"..? Isn't that right, senpai?"
That reminded me, I had some doubts regarding Usato's appearance the last time we met.
In the world we were from, I played various sports. As part of my interest, I gathered as much knowledge as I could about human anatomy… specifically, the muscle structures that I had become familiar with.
The last time I saw Usato, I noticed that his legs had developed a lot compared to our first meeting. In addition, the muscles on his upper body had been tempered. There was no way he could normally temper them so thoroughly in just one week.
While I thought it was amazing, I also had my concerns.
It was bad for the body to go through rapid growth in such a short time, if one took that into consideration—
"I'm worried…"
"No, it's nothing. Seria, you seemed astonished when we mentioned the Rescue Squad… did something happen before?"
The shock she expressed before was quite unusual.
"No, err.. Well, there's been some rumors spreading lately in the castle about the Rescue Squad…"
"What kind of rumors..?"
Seria seemed to be know something about the Rescue Squad. Anything important and related to Usato-kun should have definitely reached us but.. perhaps something had happened?
Seria briefly hesitated before lowering her voice into a mutter.
"Just remember it's only rumors… I happened to overhear the palace guards talking about it. Apparently, the Rescue Squad recently had a newcomer, and that he's been put through training that even their current members would give up on attempting."
"…Somehow I'm really concerned now. Since today's training is about to finish, should we go check if Usato-kun is okay?"
"Yes, let's go take a look."
"Ah, I'll come along as well."
We informed the two priestesses about our departure and made our way to the gates. Kazuki clenched his fists in determination and we nodded silently to each other, and made our way to the Rescue Squad's lodgings.
And so, we were on our way to see Usato. Of course, it'd be dangerous if the country's princess left just like that, and so Sigris volunteered to accompany us as Seria's bodyguard.
The Rescue Squad's lodgings were in the midst of a forest clearing. It felt disconnected from the rest of the kingdom and there were no other people in sight.
Usato was here the last time we visited the house, but now he was nowhere to be seen.
"This is where Usato-sama lives?"
"It is but.. it looks like he's out."
"Isn't it afternoon training right now?"
"Then let's go search for him. If we end up being a hindrance, we can just go back. Sigris-san, may I ask you to lead the way?"
"I understand. Please follow me."
As we only wanted to take a look at the situation, it wouldn't be a particularly long visit.
Following Sigris' lead, we walked through an overgrown forest to the Rescue Squad's training grounds. Seria couldn't help but admire the scenery around her with gleaming eyes. She rarely got to venture outside of the castle so this must've been very exciting for her.
"Fua, it's amazing Kazuki-sama!"
"I agree."
"Seria-sama, please do not stray too far away from me…"
"Sigris is too overprotective!"
She is the princess of this country, after all. It was quite understandable for Sigris to be overprotective of her.
To Sigris' troubled expression, Kazuki offered his sympathies.
"I'm sorry, Sigris-san."
"No, don't mind me. I have some business with Rose as well. The training ground is just ahead, that's most likely where Usato-sama is."
"Is that so!"
I gazed towards the direction Sigris pointed at.
The last time we met was 2 weeks ago, I wondered how you've grown since that time.. With that in mind, we drew closer and saw another clearing.
A wide open space, only 30 meters in diameter, it was a training ground among the trees that suited the Rescue Squad and their few members. We saw Usato in the middle of it all.
Kazuki, who was about to cheerfully call out to him, stopped in his tracks.
I did the same.
"What's the matter? What's going on in front—"
As Seria tried to take a peek from behind us, the both of us were lost for words.
The view before us, it was—
"Nu, gugugu…!"
"Oi, you slowed down. Don't tell me a little insect like you is giving up just from a slight increase in weight?"
"No one said I was giving in!"
"I'll beat you up if you keep talking, hey."
Usato-kun was doing push-ups with a desperate look on his face.
It wouldn't be so strange if that was all.
The problem was that a large stone block was placed on his back as well.
It looked like it weighed about 50 kg? Something that heavy was on Usato-kun's back.
To top it off, Rose, the Rescue Squad's Leader, was haughtily sitting on that stone block with her legs crossed.
"What was that just now? I thought I heard the sound of someone clicking their tongue!!"
I thought I just heard the gentle Usato-kun click his tongue.
Was he really Usato-kun?
Perhaps he had been possessed by an evil spirit?
"I was just really surprised how exceedingly light Rose-san is, you know… so much that I unintentionally smacked my lips."
"Hohoo, you've just said a really sweet thing, didn't ya? In that case, it won't be a problem if I increased the weight some more, right?!"
Rose deftly descended onto the ground and stacked another block of stone onto Usato-kun's back.
Even while making gigigi chewing noises, Usato continued dauntlessly doing push-ups and a smile grew on his face as he looked at Rose.
"This is a fairly good feeling, ain't it? He's come to my liking, ya. If it's like this, soon I can throw him into that place… Nn? Who are you?"
Ever since Kazuki arrived, he had been understandably speechless at the sight before him.
After all, the gentle Usato-kun we knew was staring daggers at someone else while participating in some kind of insane exercise.
I couldn't blame him for trying to escape from reality.
Yet, the Leader of the Knights; Sigris, broke the standstill and strode furiously towards Rose.
"Yooo, Sigris. Taking the princess and the heroes out for a walk? What's up?"
"You! What do you think you're doing?!"
"I'm asking you what you're doing! This kind of training, all you're doing is destroying this young man's future!!" Sigris raised his voice and grabbed Rose by her collar.
Sigris' outburst of anger was understandable; Rose's treatment towards Usato simply couldn't be called training. Rather it looked like punishment.
Sigris, still having seized Rose's collar, raised her up. He was using only his grip strength but you could hear the leather of his gauntlet squeaking under the pressure.
"Get your hands off me," Rose replied, expressionless. "I don't dislike your chivalry but don't push that on me. I have my own way of doing things. Moreover, I plan to make this guy my right-hand man, you know? It'd be a problem for me if he couldn't handle something as easy as this."
"Right-hand.. you say?"
"That's right, I've finally dug up and found someone like him. It's good that he hates to lose, never yields, and in addition, he's able to keep up with my training."
I couldn't help but take a step backwards when I looked at Rose. Inside of her eyes, I saw a strong, unbending will. If there was anything she wanted to accomplish, she would stop at nothing to do so.
Sigris, hesitating from that kind of willpower, Rose shook him off.
"You deviant! The King wished to return your squad to how it was before, but it looks like there's no way that's happening with you."
"Kahaha! My right eye can't open anymore, so either way it's impossible."
Rose declared as she pointed at the right side of her face.
"Stop spouting nonsense!"
Is she refusing to return to the army because of that scar on her eye…?
"Fuun.." Sigris grunted angrily and returned to us. With a concerned look, he approached Seria.
"I need to cool down for a bit. Princess-sama, please don't leave Kazuki-sama's side."
"Once I calm down, I will return immediately."
He realized himself that if he stayed here any longer, it would only develop into a fight with Rose. With that in mind, Sigris disappeared into the forest.
"Well, looks like Sigris is gone. The heroes and the princess had business with this, right?"
"I'm not a 'thing', you know. Oi, what's this about making me your right-hand? To celebrate this event, how about I give Rose a punch with my right arm as a present, yeah? Since you want a right-hand, please gladly accept it with your face!!"
"Before that, how about I give you a present instead? ..Well, that's what I want to say but I'll head back first."
Usato-kun was ready to throw a punch but Rose changed her mind after seeing us and started making her way towards the lodging house.
As Rose's figure disappeared in the distance, we approached the stretching Usato-kun who had just put down his weights.
"Are you okay, Usato-kun?"
"I'm okay but.. this person is?"
Usato tilted his head towards Seria who arrived with Kazuki-kun.
"My name is Seria Bluegust Lyngle. But you can just address me as Seria, Usato-sama."
"S-sama… in addition it's Lloyd-sama's…?"
"Yes. I'm his daughter."
Usato-kun panicked upon hearing it was the King's daughter. He probably wasn't used to being addressed like this by a girl he just met; not to mention, the Princess of the Lyngle Kingdom herself.
Kazuki-kun was also startled when they first met.
"Please relax, just address me normally."
Usato hesitated, but reluctantly nodded.
"That reminds me, what's the training like for you both? Well, I can vaguely tell that you guys have grown stronger…"
"…Eh, why did it become silent?"
I couldn't say it.
The fact that our training was nowhere as harsh as Usato's… No, rather, it was very easy?
In reality, the type of training we were doing was deliberately planned with the safety of our bodies in mind. Furthermore, our training was designed to efficiently but steadily increase our combat ability which was very different from Usato's training. His type of training was incredibly dangerous; it was meant for surpassing the limits of the human body. It was something only viable for a healing magician who could continuously heal himself.
According to the rumors, it would've been 3 weeks since the spread of a certain eccentric training. He was probably been doing this non-stop this whole time.
It didn't look like his physique had changed that much. Still, he had a tremendous amount of development before so this didn't make sense… I think I was already starting to see through something incredible.
Being curious and giving into my temptation, I grabbed the ends of his T-shirt.
"Usato-kun, pardon my impoliteness."
"Eh? What's the matter Inukami-senpai… tee, oou!?"
I rolled up Usato's shirt in one motion.
At this sight, Seria's face grew red.
"…I see now."
He had been intentionally damaging his muscles with excessive exercise and then forcibly restoring them with healing magic. The results from these actions are muscle fibers high in density, a greater amount of endurance, and the ability to draw out more power than a normal person.
"I was mistaken before. Usato-kun… You have amazing muscles!"
"Somehow, Inukami-senpai, aren't you kind of excited?"
"No no, to think you've done this much in this short amount of time… I'm impressed."
No, how do I say it… it had really been bothering me for a while now.
"What… What has happened to Suzune-sama..?"
"Sorry Seria, even I don't know. Occasionally, senpai becomes like this."
Maybe he was getting irritated, but Usato forcefully took my arms off from himself.
It was a little regrettable but for now I should back down.
I didn't want him to start hating me.
"Waa. Still, it seems like everyone is lively, I'm glad."
"Usato, you seem.. energetic."
"Hahaha, recently that's been my only redeeming trait."
Usato, who had a slightly tired look, laughed light-heartedly.
…His training seemed to be manageable but I wondered if he has adapted to life in this world yet.
Seeing that we didn't need to worry, we decided to walk elsewhere while keeping an eye out for Sigris.
"Well, it looks like we were just needlessly worried. We should be returning soon."
"Worried? Well it's fine. Next time, I'll be the one visiting you guys. I want to take a look at the training in the castle too."
"P-Please do…"
As Usato gazed at the castle in the distance, Seria whispered in a low voice, "What a person…" as she shivered.
She probably didn't want to show him the castle's training as he still thought the knights' and Rescue Squad's training were on similar levels. It was likely that the knights' morale would plummet as well.
We finished our conversation and decided to look for Sigris but a figure emerged from the forest and walked towards us. It was a giant man who was carrying something that resembled a lunch box in one hand.
"That guy is…"
"Is it someone you know, Usato?"
"Oooi! The kind and great me has come to deliver your bento to you!"
I saw a vein forming on Usato's forehead from the man's cheerful greeting.
Although we got to know each other only recently, I understood Usato was a gentle person. Now that gentle person had an expression similar to an oni2. For a moment, I thought I was in a bad dream.
However, reality was heartless.
Usato-kun stomped towards the tall man and started shouting abusive remarks at him.
"You have the nerve to bring me my bento?! You damn blockhead!! Why don't you use that small brain of yours and think about what happened a week ago, ya bastard!!"
"Aan!! I don't understand what you're talking about! Why don't you use words that an idiot like me can understand, you idiot!!"
"If I make my words any simpler, it'd become baby talk. Ahh I see, Tong doesn't have a brain and your head is actually stuffed with cotton!"
"Why you—!"
"Tong-kun's head is packed full of cotton—"
"Making fun of me… Come here!!
"Bring it on!!"
"I-Is that really Usato? …Eh, ah, huh? Right now, Usato is laughing, he's talking…"
"Hang in there Kazuki-sama! W-What should we do… Suzune-sama!"
"Hell can even change a person's heart… it's cruel."
"Is this really the time to be deep in thought?! Sigris is fine too, please hurry and bring Kazuki-sama back to the castle…!"
As I lent a shoulder to Kazuki-kun who had somewhat vacant eyes, I glanced behind.
He was having a brawl with the frightening looking man, the gentle appearance just before seemed like an illusion. It was a sudden change but somehow this looked very natural as well.
"I see, it looks like you've found the place where you belong…"
In an unknown world, he was able to find his place before anyone else. Seeing this, I couldn't help but feel a little envious.
1. Kidnapped.
2. Oni Wikipedia
Edited by Fateburn


text:
Schindler Elevates System Landscape With SAP® Solutions for Responsive Manufacturing
SAP NEWSBYTE – SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced that Schindler has gone live with manufacturing solutions from SAP to streamline the company's plant operations. A leading global provider of elevators, escalators and related services, Schindler selected the SAP® Manufacturing Execution application to optimize productivity and plant performance, driving closed-loop manufacturing for greater transparency, reliability and global product traceability. The application will also serve as a standard solution across Schindler's electronic division to serve their wide customer base. As part of a broader "idea to performance" initiative, SAP solutions were created to help manufacturing companies bring new and individualized products to market faster by connecting enterprise systems with shop floor machines for a holistic view of the business.
Schindler's innovative and environmentally friendly access and transit-management systems make an important contribution to mobility in urban societies. Schindler mobility solutions move 1 billion people every day worldwide. But manufacturing processes for the Schindler Electronics plant that produces the electronic components for elevators faced challenges in limited transparency and the cost of legacy shop floor systems. In daily operations, such as the production of printed circuit boards, difficulties arose in retrieving products in global shipments and retrieving full detailed product traceability. Schindler recognized that this was a broader issue within its manufacturing base, and needed a future-proof solution that would be easy to roll out across all of their geographies.
Schindler implemented integrated solutions for responsive manufacturing from SAP to replace legacy software. Future-proof SAP Manufacturing Execution helps the electronics division manufacture more quickly based on more efficient processes so that the plant becomes a model for other subsidiaries, specifically in China. The application also enables integrated shop floor operations with end-to-end business processes in real time to increase global coordination. Other benefits include optimized operator productivity by helping reduce up to 75 percent of the time spent on entering data into the shop floor system. The clear work-in-progress integration to the enterprise resource planning (ERP) application SAP® ERP enables visibility from top floor to shop floor.
"Today, we spend 18 to 20 percent of the shop floor operator time in interaction between the operator and our manufacturing execution system," said Alessandro Calidonna, IT Applications Manager, Schindler Electronics. "Now with the introduction of SAP Manufacturing Execution and the touch screen POD, our goal is to reach the three percent maximum interaction."
For more information, visit the SAP Newsroom. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.
Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.


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It's funny, though I do a lot of bitching and whining about movie remakes/franchise revivals on this blog; in most cases I tend to sensationalize my reactions to increase their entertainment value.
Don't get me wrong, I'm always honest with my opinions, whatever they may be; but pretty much every post I make here has some degree of exaggeration to it.
Truth of the matter is, while I let on that all sorts of shit is sacred to me and what not, deep down I'm rarely ever more than miffed by the antics of the Hollywood bullshit factory.
Well, unless you drag Transformers into it.
You bring up Transformers 2 or 3 around me, and not only will I go on a 2 hour rant; I'll probably end up causing a few million dollars in property damage.
That being said, I really don't know what to think when it comes to the upcoming Fright Night remake coming out this Friday.
I want to throw a hissy hit over it, but for the life I just can't figure out how I feel about it.
I really liked the original Fright Night.
I saw it when I was about 13, (nearly the perfect age for "that" kind of movie) and it's been a favorite of mine ever since.
In my mind, Fright Night stands as perhaps the quintessential teen horror flick of the mid-80's.
The "Rear Window with a Vampire" premise was solid.
The cast was impeccable.
The soundtrack was memorable and almost sinfully hum-able.
Most of all though, the makeup and effects work were surprisingly over-the-top and incredibly effective.
Fright Night was a great example of the familiar horror trope of a dumb story, told exceptionally well.
Despite it's cast of name actors, and high-quality effects, Fright Night was, at it's core; a stupid date night horror movie.
Fright Night thrived on this, reveling in every opportunity to play up the shlocky-ness of it's premise, while at the same time wow-ing the audience with it's undeniable special effects charms.
As mentioned earlier, Fright Night is a film that means a lot to me.
I rarely get attached to films to the point in which I would openly defend their integrity, however in all honesty; I'm pretty sure I'd go to bat for Fright Night should the situation ever arise.
That being said, my greatest hope is that the upcoming remake does it's predecessor proud.
Based on the (rather excessive) ad campaign for the new Fright Night, I think it'll be okay, though probably not on par with the original.
The new one has a pretty impressive cast going for it, as well as the benefit (or "curse" if you're a practical effects nut like myself) of modern special effects, however I think the one big strike against it is one that it really can't help.
I hate to say it, as I myself am not quite of the original Fright Night generation; but it feels like times have changed a bit too much for a straight Fright Night remake to succeed.
The mid-80's were a breeding ground for "fun" blockbuster horror flicks designed to entertain audiences and get teenage boys laid.
The soundtracks were dance-pop fun.
The scripts included words like "radical" and "tubular."
The special effects budgets were bloated to the point in which rookie directors and actors were commonplace on most projects.
It was a different time, and the youth culture was in a very different place.
Thanks to Twilight, and other such dreadfully over-the-top horror teen drama fests, popcorn horror movies seem to be caught in tough spot wherein they must either be totally serious, or totally tongue-in-cheek stupid.
The original Fright Night, like An American Werewolf in London, towed this line with exceptional grace.
While I'm on the topic, if you want an horror franchise revival being ruined by the culture of it's time, take a look at An American Werewolf in Paris.
The movie tried to take the humor and inventiveness of the original and transpose it into 90's youth culture, resulting in sub-par, and poorly conceived film with inferior special effects work despite the 20 year gap between the 2 movies.
Maybe it's the ad campaign's fault, but something about the trailers for the new Fright Night makes it seem a little "dark" for my tastes, both visually and thematically.
Then again, given that the man that shall forever be known as McLovin is in the film, it's hard for me to picture it being totally serious.
Oddly enough he's cast as Evil Ed, which, if they follow the original (don't bet on it) will mean we'll get to see him die on-screen!
Arrrgh! I'm rambling now, and it's all because I honestly don't know how to feel about this movie!
Oh well, maybe I'll just have to go see it and finally sort this shit out…
Filed under: Movies, Uncategorized, 2, 3, An American Werewolf in London, An American Werewolf in Paris, Christopher Mintz Plasse, film, Fright Night, horror, McLovin, movie, Rear Window, remake, Teen Wolf, Transformers, Twilight, Vampire, Werewolf


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Tonik, dog with human face: Tonik, a Shih Tzu/poodle who some say has a remarkably human-like face, is up for adoption at a shelter in Indiana. Why is it that Tonik appears so human to some people?
Tonik, an 11-pound, 1-year old dog available for adoption from the Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Group in Mishawka, Indiana, is looking for a loving and responsible household, preferably without children. He is part poodle, part Shih Tzu, and, if his photo is any indication, part human.
Yes, it's true: Tonik's face, at least in this photo, looks very much like that of a mildly peeved H. sapiens. Indeed, the resemblance is striking enough to prompt a writer for the Huffington Post to lead their story with, "It's just one of those things that are like, 'Whoa, dude.'"
But how, exactly, did Tonik's face get so . . . dude-like? Well, it's true that humans and dogs do share some genes: our two species likely have a common ancestor dating back to the Cretaceous era. And it's also true that Shih Tzus have been bred for their flat faces (many Shih Tzus have trouble breathing because of this). But Tonik's humanoid visage has much less to do with canine physiology than it does with human psychology.
Anthropomorphism, the tendency to ascribe human traits to animals and objects, was first described by the traveling Greek poet Xenophanes of Colophon. Xenophanes, who lived in the 5th and 6th century BC, criticized the polytheism of his contemporaries, noting that Ethiopians described their gods as snub-nosed and black, while the Thracians described theirs as blue-eyed and red-haired. If horses and oxen could draw pictures, Xenophanes scoffed, they would draw deities that resemble horses and oxen.
Anthropomorphism is universal. Even the most hard-nosed rationalists among us cannot stop themselves from doing it. But in 2007, psychologists Adam Waytz, Nicholas Epley and John T. Cacioppo found that people who feel socially isolated are more likely to anthropomorphize. They write:
"From the elderly person who treats his or her cat as a bit too much like a spouse to cinematic depictions such as Cast Away in which the shipwrecked protagonist (Tom Hanks) anthropomorphizes a volleyball (named Wilson) after being marooned on an island, those who are lacking human connection appear to seek it out in nonhuman connections."
Perhaps even more universal than our tendency to ascribe human traits to nonhumans is our tendency to detect human faces in all manner of things. Anthropoid mugs constantly present themselves to us not just in all phyla of animals, but also in clouds, tree stumps, coffee stains, the moon, grilled cheese sandwiches, and anything else that can plausibly display a pair of ovals for eyes and a line for a mouth.
Psychologists use the term "pareidolia" to describe our tendency to perceive random stimuli as significant, and when it comes to faces, pareidolia is deeply ingrained. In fact, our brains have a specific area (right near the bottom, in case you were wondering) specialized to recognize faces. Brain-mapping studies show that it is one of the first parts of the brain to get to work when presented with something that looks like a face, but not with other objects. Neurons in this area fire in well under a fifth of a second, well before the conscious mind can begin to process the information. We are also adept at very quickly determining the emotions of the face, and we tend to pick out faces with threatening expressions faster than those with benign ones.
All of this is the result of eons of hard-won evolutionary programming, and it was in our ancestors' best reproductive interests not to be overly strict in excluding would-be faces. The costs of missing a human face are far greater than the costs of seeing one where none exists.
Which brings us back to Tonik. Chances are, with all this media scrutiny, he's already got plenty of prospective adopters. But, according to the ASPCA, about 5 million to 7 million cats, dogs, and other pets enter animal shelters nationwide each year, and approximately 3 million to 4 million of them are euthanized. If a little bit of evolutionarily ingrained cognitive misattribution will render these animals worthy of your compassion, and if you can responsibly take care of a pet, then feel free to anthropomorphize away.


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For the moment, all we're going to do is delete the stuff.
TMC MkII is coming along (but only when I'm free from client work, which is what pays for TMC), and at the appropriate point I'll consider all of the factors and decide whether it's actually feasible to add in some extra protection. Not just technically possible, but feasible from a long-term management perspective.
For now, please may I ask members not to post on an Open House thread after a spambot has hit it, until Raf, Dom or I clean up?
If you do post on the end of a spammed thread, if you're just cursing out the spambots your post will get deleted too. If you're actually trying to add valid content, then it makes it much harder for us to preserve your post whilst canning the spam. Our normal method involves splitting the spammed thread at the first spam post and then deleting the spam as an entire thread. If you've tacked something on the end, it requires several additional operations (two thread splits and a thread merge in total) to preserve your post whilst deleting the spam. We'd rather not have to do all that extra work.


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Whats Happening This Week
There is much more to explore in our calendar. Find other important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, each with related lessons and resources.
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Home › Classroom Resources › Calendar Activities
April 14
Noah Webster published his American Dictionary of the English Language in 1828.
|2 – 12
|Calendar Activity Type
|Historical Figure & Event
Noah Webster is considered by many to be the "father of the American dictionary." He began his work on the project at the age of 43. It took him more than 25 years to complete the first edition. Today Merriam-Webster offers online, CD, and print versions of its Collegiate® Dictionary, currently in its 11th edition with more than 225,000 definitions!
Celebrate the publication of Webster's Dictionary using a variation of the board game Balderdash. Divide students into groups of five or six, and provide each group with a dictionary and some blank paper cut into strips:
- One student scans the dictionary to find a word that he or she believes no one has ever heard before, reads it aloud, and spells it. The other students write down either a real or made-up definition of the word.
- The student with the dictionary writes the real definition and then collects the other definitions. The leader reads all of the definitions and the students in the group then individually choose which of the definitions they believe is real.
- Two points are awarded for selecting the correct definition and one point to each student whose definition is selected. Points are totalled and the next person in the circle selects a new word.
- Merriam-Webster Online
This site is the online version of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Students can access the site to look up words and definitions. There is also a Word of the Day to help students build their vocabulary.
- Alphabet Organizer
This ReadWriteThink interactive allows students to print an alphabet chart or pages for an alphabet book.
- OneLook Dictionary Search
At this site, students can search dozens of dictionaries. The resource also provides links to French, German, Italian, and Spanish translation tools.
- Word Central
Word Central, published by Merriam-Webster, offers a kid-friendly student dictionary. Students can also build their own dictionary and take the Daily Buzzword vocabulary challenge.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Building Vocabulary: Making Multigenre Glossaries Based on Student Inquiry
Students choose unfamiliar words from their reading and create a multigenre, multimodal glossary of terms.
Grades 4 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
A-B-C: It's Easy as 1-2-3 to Make Math Alphabet Books
Using the Alphabet Organizer app, students create alphabet books to review math terms.
Grades 6 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Highlighting Out-of-School Language Expertise with Pop Culture Dictionaries
Students compose dictionary entries for words and phrases from pop culture texts (e.g., television shows, movies, lyrics, YouTube videos), connecting their definitions to their personal use of the terms.
Grades K – 2 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Action ABC's: Learning Vocabulary With Verbs
Creating an illustrated alphabet book of action words, from attack to zap, reinforces the definition of verbs as it stretches and expands students' vocabulary.
Grades 3 – 5 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Charlotte is Wise, Patient, and Caring: Adjectives and Character Traits
Students find examples of adjectives in a shared reading. Then students "become" major characters in a book and describe themselves and other characters, using powerful adjectives.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Recurring Lesson
Using a Word Journal to Create a Personal Dictionary
Students will be the definition of vocabulary experts as they use the skills they learn in this lesson to track, define, and ultimately master unfamiliar words.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Recurring Lesson
Students increase their spelling accuracy and retention, while preserving fluency, by using sound, sight recall, and analyzing strategies instead of memorizing words, as they deal with spelling during drafting.
Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Brave New Words: Novice Lexicography and the Oxford English Dictionary
Students become novice lexicographers as they explore recent new entries to the dictionary, learn the process of writing entries for the Oxford English Dictionary, and write a new entry themselves.


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No, Carol Channing has not returned to Washington in the new revival of Hello, Dolly! Channing has played the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi so many times, including several times in D.C., it's hard to think of anyone else in the role.
But director Eric Schaeffer decided to put his hand in and play matchmaker with little-known Broadway veteran Nancy Opel. And the delight of Ford's Theatre's revival, a co-production with Schaeffer's Signature Theatre, is not so much how well Opel fits Channing's shoes, but that her own shoes fit so well in the role.
Hello Dolly: Nancy Opel and cast
(Photo by Carol Rosegg)
Opel as Dolly is a friendly, realistic self-promoter and schemer in an age when self-promotion, even a little scheming, is standard operating procedure via social media. The character Dolly, after all, is a social guru, a businesswoman who can help anyone to dance, dine or find a mate — for a small fee.
Whereas the brassy, larger-than-life Channing had the male employees in the upscale Harmonia Gardens Restaurant shouting the title tune as if she were the second coming of Ethel Merman — or some other feminine deity — Opel has them cooing instead. They're pleased as punch to see her, since she's all good humor and good business, but they don't get carried away with their ardor.
There's much to be commended about this revival of one of Jerry Herman's masterpiece musicals, with a book by Michael Stewart based on Thornton Wilder's play The Matchmaker. Schaeffer subtly attempts to both pare down one of America's best-loved and showiest musicals as well as modernize it for new audiences. Everything about the production is stately and stylish, from Adam Koch's Victorian-era sets to Wade Labiossonniere's regal, elaborate though not old-fashioned costumes. Choreographer Karma Camp has the small 16-member cast move with wit and grace, adding a little athleticism for the restaurant employees. And James Moore leads an eight piece orchestra that does its inordinate best to put some pep in the actors' steps, but never in a showboating sense.
Because everything's a bit understated, it does take a little while for Hello, Dolly! to woo a viewer and even longer to wow. The cast is a pretty solid ensemble, though I found Carolyn Cole's Emmengarde to be a bit too one-note whiny. But Edward Gero, who Ford's Theatre regulars will know as Scrooge from the annual production A Christmas Carol, is in fine form as the cantankerous half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder.
Vandergelder employs Dolly to find him a mate before eventually succumbing to her charms and schemes and asking for her hand in marriage. Dolly also sees to it that several other couples form among the cast, whose strongest member aside from Opel and Gero might by Tracy Lynn Olivera. Playing Irene Milloy, the widowed owner of a hat shop, Olivera dazzles in her portrayal of a woman as self-reliant as she could be at the end of the 19th century, when even successful, independent women were still judged by the men in their life. In fact, it wasn't until Milloy's number, "Ribbons Down My Back," that I started falling for this production. Truth be told, as sturdy as Opel was from the get-go, it wasn't until the end of Act 1, particularly the closer belter, "Before the Parade Passes By," that I completely fell for her, too.
Of course, Act 2 of Hello, Dolly! is where the show really finds its footing, with one comedic bit, and one romance solidifying, after another. The Ford's Theatre ensemble carries off the hilarious "Polka" number with particular zeal, and I won't soon forget how much glee it was watching Opel commanding the scene, much of the time while pretending to mind her own business, eating dinner, while the rest of the characters engage in a free-for-all all around her.
By show's end you'll be singing one of your old favorite songs from way back when right along with the cast and this swell-looking Dolly.
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Today: As shoppers rush stores to grab the newest devices, Apple (AAPL) shares hit their highest prices of 2013. Also: eBay (EBAY), Amazon shoot higher.
The Lead: Apple hits highest stock prices of 2013 amid hopes for 'iPad Christmas'
While Apple has remained the most valuable company in the world for most of 2013, it's been a tough year for the company on Wall Street. As the end of 2013 nears, however, the Cupertino tech giant appears to be finding favor with investors, who pushed its price to heights unseen since the first trading session of the year Friday.
Apple shares sold for as much as $558.33 and closed Friday's shortened trading session with a 1.9 percent gain at $556.07, representing intraday and closing highs for the year to date. The new highs arrived on Black Friday, the traditional kickoff for holiday shopping, and could signal that investors believe Apple will have its third consecutive record-breaking winter quarter.
"Apple products should be the holiday gift of choice this year," ISI Group analyst Brian Marshall told USA Today. "The company has a great product cycle currently, the stock is cheap and we expect $600 within the next several months."
Other analysts seem to agree, with the average price target for Apple clocking in at $586.62, according to Marketwatch's average of 54 analysts covering Apple, with 43 of those analysts offering the equivalent of a "Buy" rating.
"Apple is best positioned in the tech world to benefit from this holiday season, starting with Black Friday," Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White, who has a $777 price target on Apple, told The Wall Street Journal.
Apple did not offer its traditional Black Friday discounts on purchases this year, instead giving customers gift cards for future Apple purchases. Other retailers did offer discounts on some products, however, and reported that they were sparking heavy interest from consumers: An eBay executive told CNBC that an iPad was selling every second on the San Jose company's marketplace as of midnight, and both Wal-Mart and Target reported that iPads were selling well at their retail outlets.
In addition, users who have already purchased Apple mobile products were relying on the devices to shop Friday. An IBM Benchmark study released Friday showed that iOS was driving 450 percent more online commerce than Android devices, and Apple users were making larger average purchases.
Apple has established record sales during the holiday shopping quarter each of the past two years, so it will take a monster three months of sales to increase revenues again this year; Apple expects to record revenues of $55 billion to $58 billion, which would top last year's $54.5 billion. Profits could be a different story, however, and if Apple posts lower earnings than last year's winter quarter, it would be the fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year profit declines.
Apple's inability to show continuing earnings growth has been a major factor in its stock slump so far this year, but CEO Tim Cook has promised an "iPad Christmas," and the company launched new iPhones and new iPads in time to make his hopes for a strong holiday season a reality. Still the company faces challenges on price with a wave of inexpensive Android tablets hitting the market and Google (GOOG) rushing its cheap Moto G smartphone to market.
In other Apple news, the company said in a court filing that a monitor appointed by a judge in the e-books price-fixing case is charging too much for his services, including a surcharge the filing called "unprecedented in Apple's experience." Apple also disagreed with the amount of access the court-appointed monitor, Michael Bromwich, has requested and objected to meeting between Bromwich and the judge in the case, Philip Elmer-DeWitt reported.
SV150 market report: eBay, Amazon enjoy strong gains on Black Friday
The Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 dipped slightly thanks to weakness just ahead of the bell in Friday's short trading session, but tech stocks gains as the Nasdaq industrial average and SV150 clocked increases of 0.4 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.
eBay enjoyed solid gains as investors bet on the e-commerce giants as early returns from online Black Friday shopping were positive. The San Jose e-tailer gained 2.5 percent to $50.52 as online sales followed the brick-and-mortar path and pushed into Thanksgiving Day: IBM Benchmark reported online sales increased nearly 20 percent on Thanksgiving Day this year from last year, and ChannelAdvisor reported that eBay's sales grew 26.2 percent from Thanksgiving 2012. Black Friday started off even better for eBay, with sales increasing nearly 35 percent in the early going, ChannelAdvisor reported, suggesting that shortages of popular items like the next-generation consoles and certain toys could be pushing traffic to eBay's resellers. Rival Amazon.com also had a strong Black Friday on Wall Street, hitting record highs and gaining 1.8 percent to $393.62.
Facebook gained 1.1 percent to $47.01 as its Instagram photo-sharing service set a usage record for the second consecutive Thanksgiving, though the San Francisco company did not provide as much detail as it did in 2012. Social-media rival Twitter also enjoyed gains on Friday, increasing 1.6 percent to $41.57 after Wunderlich Securities analyst Blake Harper predicted "a record number of shopping-related tweets" for the service on Black Friday and broke down some of its attempts to amplify advertising related to television.
Headed the other way was Sunnyvale security company Fortinet, which announced after the bell on Wednesday that its chief financial officer is departing. Fortinet suffered the largest percentage loss on the SV150 Friday, dropping 12.9 percent to $17.10 as analysts lamented the loss of Fortinet CFO Ahmed Rubaie, whom Raymond James analyst Michael Turits noted "was well-liked by the Street from his prior stint at Ariba and was seen as a strong hire for Fortinet."
Up: SolarCity, eBay, Advanced Micro Devices, Apple, Twitter, Facebook,
Down: Thoratec, Fortinet, Yelp, Google, Intuitive Surgical, SunPower
The SV150 index of Silicon Valley's largest tech companies: Up 7.13, or 0.5 percent, to 1,440.09
The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index: Up 15.14, or 0.37 percent, to 4,059.89
The blue chip Dow Jones industrial average: Down 10.92, or 0.07 percent, to 16,086.41
And the widely watched Standard & Poor's 500 index: Down 1.42, or 0.08 percent, to 1,805.81
Check in weekday afternoons for the 60-Second Business Break, a summary of news from Mercury News staff writers, The Associated Press, Bloomberg News and other wire services. Contact Jeremy C. Owens at 408-920-5876; follow him at Twitter.com/jowens510.


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Auto Ventshade (AVS) Ventvisor Deflector - Outside Mount, 4 pc 94432
Side Window Deflector
2011-2020 Chrysler 300
Ventvisor? Deflector - Outside Mount, 4 pc.
Pricing: $119.99
- Lets fresh air in and keeps rain out (rain guard)
- Allows fresh air to circulate removing stale air and odors
- Reduces interior wind noise and mirror fogging
- Cools off interior when parked in sun
- Keeps the sun out of your eyes
- Custom made, precision engineered to fit each vehicle
- Tinted, reinforced acrylic is UV and scratch-resistant
- Available in dark smoke and chrome finishes
- 94432
- 94432
- Auto Ventshade (AVS)
- New
Shipping Information
- Item Requires Shipping
- 2.4 lbs.
- W11.8800" x H1.8800" x L46.8800"
Customer Reviews
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Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo's Yaletown penthouse is on the market for $4.2 million. Check out the video and this realtor's description:
"King's Landing Sub Penthouse: Direct southwest water views from the floor to ceiling windows and covered outdoor terraces. High ceilings, wonderful room proportions, air conditioned, customized 2,673 sq ft 2 bedroom plus family room waterfront residence. Hardwood floors, superbly equipped kitchen with pantry, wine fridge, his and hers wardrobe rooms, private 2 car garage with storage. Outstanding amenities and attentive concierge service. Located directly on the seawall within easy walking distance to the dining and shopping conveniences of Yaletown."


text: DDR3 1866(O.C.) motherboard with EPU power optimization on AM3+ platform EPU - System Level Energy Saving!Turbo Key - Touch-n-Boost!Anti-surge - Protect Your Device!Core Unlocker - Unleash True Core Performance Intelligently!100% All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors Shop Modal header AMD® FX™ /Phenom™II /Athlon™II /Sempron™ 100 Series Processors (Socket AM3+) This motherboard supports AMD® AM3+ multi-core processors with unique L3 cache and delivers better overclocking capabilities with less power consumption. It features dual-channel DDR3 memory support and accelerates data transfer rate up to 5200MT/s via HyperTransport™ 3.0 based system bus. This motherboard also supports AMD® CPUs in the new 32nm manufacturing process. EPU-4 Engine System Level Energy Saving The new ASUS EPU - the world's first power saving engine, has been upgraded to a new 4-engine version, which provides total system power savings by detecting current PC loadings and intelligently moderating power in real-time. The EPU automatically provides the most appropriate power usage for the CPU, VGA card, hard drives and CPU cooler fan - helping save power and money. Core Unlocker Unleash True Core Performance Intelligently ASUS Core Unlocker simplifies the activation of a latent AMD® CPU—with just a simply key. Enjoy an instant performance boost by simply unlocking the extra cores, without performing complicated BIOS changes. Turbo Key ASUS Turbo Key allows the user to turn the PC power button into a physical overclocking button. After the easy setup, Turbo Key can boost performances without interrupting ongoing work or games - with just one touch!! ESD Protect Your Computer with ESD Guards. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) conditions can happen while plugging or unplugging any USB peripherals-causing damage to the computer. ASUS ESD Guards clamp the ESD voltage and shunt the majority of the ESD current away for a more reliable computing environment. ASUS Anti-Surge Protection Anti-Surge Protection Design detects overvoltage conditions and prevents voltage surges from spreading in real time. It also actively cuts off the overvoltage supply to protect the system. 1. Real-time over voltage detection. 2. Active protection against potential damage to your motherboards and systems. 8-channel high definition audio Enjoy high-end sound system on your PC! The onboard 8-channel HD audio (High Definition Audio, previously codenamed Azalia) CODEC enables high-quality 192KHz/24-bit audio output, jack-sensing feature, retasking functions and multi-streaming technology that simultaneously sends different audio streams to different destinations. You can now talk to your partners on the headphone while playing a multi-channel network games. All of these are done on one computer. ** Use the chassis with HD audio module in the front panel to support 8-channel audio output. C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall) The BIOS C.P.R. feature automatically restores the CPU default settings when the system hangs due to overclocking failure. C.P.R. eliminates the need to open the system chassis and clear the RTC data. Simply shut down and reboot the system, and the BIOS automatically restores the CPU parameters to their default settings. EZ-Flash 2 Simply update BIOS from a USB flash disk before entering the OS EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly BIOS update utility. Simply launch this tool and update BIOS from a USB flash disk before entering the OS. You can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without preparing an additional floppy diskette or using an OS-based flash utility. 100% All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors This motherboard uses all high-quality conductive polymer capacitors onboard for durability, improved lifespan, and enhanced thermal capacity. ErP ready The motherboard is European Union´s Energy-related Products (ErP) ready, and ErP requires products to meet certain energy efficiency requirements in regards to energy consumptions. This is in line with ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and energy-efficient products through product design and innovation to reduce carbon footprint of the product and thus mitigate environmental impacts.


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"Gigi," the musical celebration of all things French, is being freshened up for a possible Broadway run, producers said Wednesday.
The Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe ("My Fair Lady") confection served as the basis for Vincente Minnelli's 1958 Best Picture-winning musical. A later stage version was not as successful with critics or audiences, closing after 103 performances when it was mounted in 1973.
Producers are hoping that this time will be different and they've enlisted Eric D. Schaeffer ("Follies") to direct a new adaptation by British playwright and Emmy-nominated screenwriter Heidi Thomas ("Cranford," "Upstairs Downstairs").
A developmental reading is taking place later this month in New York City, and the producers hope to have the play in shape to hit Broadway in the 2013-14 season.
The show is based on a novella by Colette and is set in La Belle Époque in turn-of-the-century Paris. It centers on a young woman who falls for a bon vivant bachelor and features such songs as "The Night They Invented Champagne" and "Thank Heaven for Little Girls."
"Heidi Thomas has restored 'Gigi' to her rightful place at the center of the story, backed by a funny, warm family of women that show the men in the world around them the finer meaning of life and love," Producer Jenna Segal said in a statement. "This is 'chic lit' musical theater!"
Producers said that casting and the full creative team will be announced at a later date.


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U.S. equity markets started off with a bang last week, with both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 indexes pushing into uncharted territory. Several disappointing earnings and economics report managed to curb momentum on Wednesday, though equity markets bounced right back after encouraging labor data and a rate cut by the European Central Bank sent stocks soaring. To close out the week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 ripped higher, pushing above 1500 and 1600, respectively, during Friday's session. This week, investors will once again see many earnings and economic reports. Below, we outline three ETFs that should see a fair amount of activity during the week ahead [see also 7 Simple & Cheap ETF Model Portfolio]:
1. FTSE Europe ETF (VGK, A)
Why VGK Will Be In Focus: This ETF offers broad based exposure to the developed economies of Europe, spreading holdings across more than a dozen markets. Its place in the spotlight will come on Monday as eurozone retail sales are released, and ECB President Mario Draghi speaks in Rome. Recently, the central bank cut its primary rate to 0.50% and took a flexible stance on its monetary policy [see also 17 ETFs For Day Traders].
2. MSCI United Kingdom Index Fund (EWU, A-)
Why EWU Will Be In Focus: This ETF tracks an index that is comprised of roughly 100 securities, and it is designed to measure the overall performance of the British equity market. Investors should keep a close eye on EWU on Thursday as the Bank of England announces its rate decision and its asset purchase target. Both the rate and target are expected to remain unchanged.
3. S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX, B+)
Why VXX Will Be In Focus: When it comes to measuring the level of uncertainty in the United States, no fund is as prolific as VXX. Its focus will come on Friday as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks at the Fed's 49th Annual Conference on Bank Structure and Competition in Chicago. Investors will be keeping a close eye on any commentary regarding monetary policy from the chairman [see also How To Pick The Right ETF Every Time].
[For more ETF analysis, make sure to sign up for our free ETF newsletter or try a free seven-day trial to ETFdb Pro.]
Disclosure: No positions at time of writing.


text: We at "Houndslabsrus Labradors" strive to raise only quality pups. We work our breeders before they are even allowed to breed to make sure they have the drive that is needed for their type of work. If a dog does not have the drive, it will not be used in the breeding pen. I have raised labs for 10 years. All of our pups come with a health guarantee and competition incentive. They are all Full AKC registered with champion bloodlines. We are located in the SW corner of Arkansas, near the AR, TX, OK borders.


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Opposition – Risk – Daring – Energetic – Busy – Nervous – Paranoid
A positive, productive period.
Being moved, or very enthusiastic about something.
Intense energy, that at times lacks a focus.
Competitive. Enjoys taking on a challenge.
Pushing the limits. Likes living on the edge.
Compulsion to resolve disharmonious situations.
Making mountains out of molehills.
Simplify. Be willing to prune where necessary.
Over-identifying with the roles you play.
Obsessive-compulsive, addictive, self-destructive.
Taking risks with your resources until your reserves are very low.
When you have given too much, you are weakened, and may even collapse into a "Black Hole."


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Dma Design
GTA's creators discuss first game and how it almost wasn't made
Grand Theft Auto 5 is about to drop on the games industry like a ton of bricks, and ahead of tomorrow's launch, the series creators have discussed the concept's birth while at now-defunct studio DMA Design.
Dma Design headlines
Quick shots: The original GTA design document
Ex-DMA Design chap Mike Dailly has posted the original GTA design documents up on Flickr. The game, released in 1997, was to be called Race'n'Chase, and was developed back when men were men: there's 1Mb of space made available for audio. Check out the birth of a giant in the gallery below.
Lemmings celebrates 20th birthday with commemorative plaque
Grand Theft Auto creator DMA Design celebrated the 20th anniversary of its seminal strategy puzzler Lemmings on Monday, with the installation of a commemorative plaque at the company's original office in Dundee, Scotland.Let me see, that makes me about a hundred years old.
GTA IV launch covered by BBC News - video
The BBC ran a sizeable piece on the GTA IV launch in its main bulletin last night. Watch the full thing after the link. It includes archive footage from DMA Design when they were working on the first GTA 12 years ago, a game the presenter described as a "car chase". It was all fields […]
Grand Theft Auto - the Kate Moss Years
This is awesome. Mike Dailly, one of the original DMA Design staffers, has shared his photo collection from the early days of the studio, which eventually became Rockstar North and took responsibility for that funny Grand Theft Auto Game."Mike Dailly, one of the originals from DMA has uploaded several photo sets to Flickr, showing the […]


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Samsung makes a ton of LED LCD TVs. This chart details almost all of them, excluding the new smaller 4K models and the numerous specialty series sold by various retailers. The company also sells a ton, maintaining its dominant position as the US and global TV sales leader.
One of its most popular TVs this year is bound to be the UNF6300, which occupies a price-to-features sweet spot around the lower middle of the chart. It lacks the fancy touch-pad remote found on more expensive models but preserves their excellent Smart TV design and functionality. It also lacks 3D, a feature almost nobody cares about.
What it does have -- sleek looks and a good-enough picture -- help make it one of the company's better values. I wouldn't recommend it as much as a couple of other midrange LED LCDs, like Panasonic's E60 or Vizio's M series, but I like do it better than the more expensive Samsung UNF6400. If you're looking for a way to get Samsung's class-leading Smart TV suite without causing much pain in your wallet, the UNF6300 series is worth a look.
Series information: I performed a hands-on evaluation of the 55-inch Samsung UN55F6300, but this review also applies to the other screen sizes in the series. All sizes have identical specs and according to the manufacturer should provide very similar picture quality.
|Models in series (details)
|Samsung UN32F6300
|32 inches
|Samsung UN40F6300
|40 inches
|Samsung UN46F6300
|46 inches
|Samsung UN50F6300
|50 inches
|Samsung UN55F6300 (reviewed)
|55 inches
|Samsung UN60F6300
|60 inches
The F6300's strongest suit is how it's dressed: in sleek, distinctive garb that seems designed for a more expensive model. In fact, it looks almost exactly the same as the more expensive UNF6400, from the slim all-black bezel to the pleasantly subtle transparent edging to the trademark Samsung spider stand. The only differences I could pick out, looking at the two side by side, were the 6300's slightly more rounded-off edges and the lighter-gray color of the stand.
That stand feels just as cheap as it did on the 6400. The steel brace inside isn't connected to the plastic sheath on the outer and it actually flexed in my hand. When the TV is sitting on the table it works fine, but the build quality still doesn't inspire confidence.
The biggest difference between the two Samsungs is the remote control. The 6300 is the company's most expensive Smart TV to lack the new 2013 touch-pad clicker I've lauded (with caveats) previously. Instead you get a standard multibutton remote that, while certainly more cluttered, actually does a better job of giving easy access to many functions, especially for cable box/DVR control. It's a relief to not have to rely on a pop-up onscreen remote to do something as basic as fast-forward or pause live TV.
In fact, the choice between the 6300 and 6400 largely comes down to their remotes. If you really like the simple looks, novelty, and ease of tasks like Web browsing imparted by the touch version, go for it. But if you value practical functionality, the standard remote wins. Personally I'd use a universal remote anyway, despite Samsung's cable box control, so the coolness of Samsung's touch clicker would be wasted in my home.
|Key TV features
|Display technology
|LED backlight
|Screen finish
|Smart TV
|Internet connection
|Built-in Wi-Fi
|3D technology
|3D glasses included
|Refresh rate(s)
|Dejudder (smooth) processing
|Other: Cable box integration and control via IR blaster; optional Skype camera (VG-STC3000, $99)
Aside from its plain-Jane remote control, the UNF6300 omits a couple of other extras found on the 6400. It lacks voice control and 3D compatibility, offers a lower Clear Motion Rate, and doesn't have Samsung's Micro Dimming feature.
Assuming you don't care about talking to your TV or watching stuff in 3D, you might still be wondering how the absence of the latter two features impacts image quality. The answer is: not much. Micro Dimming on the UNF6400 isn't true local dimming -- it's software-based only -- and in our tests showed little to no discernible benefit. The same goes for Clear Motion Rate, Samsung's inflated stand-in number for refresh rate. Both sets have 120Hz panels, and show basically identical (and excellent) motion and video-processing performance.
Smart TV: The UNF6300 is Samsung's third-cheapest Smart TV for 2013. Only the UNF5500-series LEDs (which top out at 50 inches) and the PNF5500 series plasmas cost less. Beyond voice and gesture control, however, the 6300 has essentially the same Smart tricks as the higher-end models, and performs them just as well.
Samsung's Smart interface is reminiscent of an Android smartphone, with five different home pages you can flip through by shuffling among the icons at the top: On TV; Movies and TV shows (on demand); Photos, Videos, and Music (DLNA, USB, and cloud-based media); Social (Skype, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter); and Apps. Navigation and the slick animations were quick on the 6300; its dual-core processor feels nearly as responsive as the quad-core of the high-end UNF8000 series. The design is refreshing, colorful, and relatively simple, a welcome change from the clutter of the company's previous versions. It's my favorite overall design of any of the 2013 Smart TV makers, although LG sets equipped with motion remotes are a close second, and allow you to get around more quickly.
The default first page is the ambitious On TV section, complete with a recommendation engine that suggests new shows. It basically attempts to replace your cable or satellite box with the TV's own interface -- and when it can't do that, to at least control the box via Samsung's own remote. I didn't like it quite as much in practice as I did LG's similar On Now system (see the LA8600 review), but it's still pretty cool. Aside from those two, no other TV maker currently offers the combination of integrated listings and cable box control.
In many ways, mostly related to having dedicated buttons on the remote, I found cable box control on the F6300 more satisfying and easier than on higher-end TVs like the F6400 and F8000. The standard remote has a specific key that calls up my cable box's program guide guide and another for its main menu. I especially appreciated the dedicated transport keys (Play, Pause, and so on) because I'm a heavy DVR user. The approximately half-second delay between pressing a button and seeing the results onscreen wasn't any longer than on the higher-end TVs, although it was still noticeable and annoying at times. That kind of performance is impressive for any IR-dongle-based system like this, but it's still not ideal.
One big downside to the standard remote becomes obvious when you use the Web browser. Samsung's browser software is great for a TV (albeit still worse than any smartphone, tablet, or PC), but when you have to shove a cursor around the screen using just the four keypad buttons, it gets old fast. If you're going to use the browser a lot, it's worth plugging in an external wireless keyboard. Unlike the 6400, the TV cannot pair with a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse. I was able to use a cheaper wireless USB keyboard however, the Logitech K400, which has a touch pad that worked just as well as the Samsungs'.
Samsung's app selection is second to none, and it's still the only TV maker with HBO Go. Other notable apps among the hundreds available include Spotify, Pandora, Fios TV, Amazon Cloud Player, and AOL On. There's a Fitness VOD app with on-demand workouts, a robust multigame/activity Kids app, and many, many more.
For more detail I'll refer you to the UNF8000 review, which delves deeper into On TV and its recommendations, describes the other four pages, and touches on setup and other esoterica. Unless otherwise noted above it's the same suite as found on the F6300.


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Churchill Security has delivered comprehensive security packages to UK retailers for over two decades. We offer a complete range of retail security solutions and are available throughout Burnley and the surrounding area. To ensure that your premises remain secure, we will listen to your specific requirements and create a customised package that matches your needs.
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We pride ourselves on our wealth of retail security experience and our customer-orientated approach. We have provided expert protection to retailers for more than 20 years and are the best choice for retail security in Burnley.
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Since our inception, Churchill Security has provided a wide range of security solutions across the UK. We are SafeContractor approved and are in the top 10 percent of ACS contractors.


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Stock traders might like to believe markets rise and fall based on logic and cold facts, but deep down they know the truth is far more complicated. Emotions, a snippet of news about the economy and myriad other factors can send prices plummeting or rocketing skyward.
While some emotions are driven by the news and other information that has some factual basis, there are some "indicators" followed that are best called omens, or maybe superstitions. These are based on some observed phenomena seen as causing the markets to move.
A well-known example is trotted out every year as the Super Bowl nears. It holds that if the team from the National Football Conference wins the market will rise and vice-versa. There's no reason this should be true, of course, but the statistics are trotted out each year.
And lest you think the upcoming presidential election has some predictive value, the data shows that whether the Republicans or Democrats win likely has no affect on the price of stocks.
There may not be anything substantive to stock market omens, but they are fun to think about. Here are AdvisorOne's 8 Stock Market Omens That Influence Investors:
1. The Skyscraper Curse
This one goes back to 1931. It holds that when a country builds the word's tallest building its stock market will soon tank. The first case cited is the building of the Empire State Building. After that, according to Bloomberg.com, new buildings in Chicago in 1974 and Kuala Lumpur in the 1990s led to a drop in stock prices.
Now, South Korea is apparently tempting fate with the the Lotte Super Tower 123 in Seoul, set to measure 1,821 ft. when it is completed in 2014, becoming the world's fourth-tallest building. Perhaps the downturns coincide with business cycles. An economic boom allows the planning of such grand edifices, but by the time they are complete a downturn is on the way.
2. The Super Bowl Indicator
As mentioned above, the stock market seems to rise or fall each year based on which NFL conference produces the winner of the championship. According to Snopes.com, the indicator has worked in 33 out of the 41 years since the first Super Bowl. As the site, which looks into urban legends, points out, just because there is correlation between the game's outcome and the stock market, doesn't mean one causes the other.
3. The Hemline Index
This canard holds that when women's skirts are short the economy is rolling along, and when those hemlines drop times are bad. Megan Barnett of BusinessInsider.com looked at what's behind the Hemline Index. She noted that the first mention of the idea came from the flappers of the 1920s. When the miniskirt became popular the 1960s, the stock market boomed. Still, she points out, women's fashions are determined long before they hit the stores by fashion designers who are not likely to include economic predictions as part of their creative process.
4. October Crash Theory
Some have made much of the fact that three major stock market crashes–in 1929, 1987 and 2008–have occurred in October. Is there something about ghosts, pumpkins and cooler weather that triggers downturns? You never know, according to an interview with an economic professor at Washington University in St. Louis. Stephen Williamson, in a story in the Newsroom section of the school's website, considers three possibilities: false correlation, something "fundamental about October that causes crashes" (like ripening pumpkins), and a pattern in which, perhaps, everyone expects a crash so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. In the end though, Williamson says he'd put his money on the first idea.
5. The Death Cross
This omen at least has the virtue of being based on data as embodied in various market indexes and sector funds. In an AdvisorOne report on the Death Cross quoting MarketWatch columnist John Nyaradi last year, "The death cross forms when the 50 Day Moving Average crosses the 200 Day Moving Average in a downward trajectory."
Another columnist for MarketWatch, Mark Hulbert, tested the theory this year by looking at the data. For more than a century, markets did turn down after a Death Cross. For the last 22 years, however, Hulbert found no correlation between the cross and the market's behavior. He concludes that that the two moving averages don't mean as much as they used to and so neither does the harbinger of doom.
6. The Golden Cross
As AdvisorOne reported in 2010, the optimistic omen of the Golden Cross, says Investopedia, is "a crossover involving a security's short-term moving average … breaking above its long-term moving average … or resistance level." The fact that a short-term moving average has topped the long-term moving averages says to some tech types that the market "has turned in favor of the stock."
Like the Death Cross and the Hindenburg Omen, described on the next page, much media hype often seems to fizzle out. One theory holds that the hype itself changes investor behavior, thereby canceling the potential effect.
7. The Hindenburg Omen
This omen, as AdvisorOne has reported, comes in to play when five linked technical indicators make a joint appearance. Devised by mathematician Jim Miekka in 1995, it portends a stock market crash. In the last quarter century, every strong downturn has been preceded by the omen, although the time between the omen and a crash has varied from one day to four months. Miekka credits his colleague Kennedy Gammage with its doomsaying name; he came up with it when they realized that "Titanic" had already been used for another predictor.
It should be noted that not every Hindenburg Omen leads to a crash. In fact, a downturn only occurs about 25% of the time, according to research done by safehaven.com. The last such occurrence of the omen was in July. Those who follow the indicator are probably getting their portfolios ready for the drop.
8. The Presidential Election Effect
This theory holds that depending on which party wins the White House, bulls or bears will rule the day. Unfortunately, according to U.S. New & World Report, no on quite agrees which party favors the bulls. That being the case, it's not too surprising that no one has produced definitive data to prove the case for one party or the other.
More Top 10 lists from AdvisorOne:


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Spooky Crazy House. Halloween hidden objects game. Yes, things are going to be a little bit strange tonight. Find all items on the stage before time runs out.
On Hidden4Fun you can play free online hidden object games. Your zone to play Hidden4Fun games. We have collected Thousands of Free Online Games to play now and still counting. We have 6 game genres, including: Hidden Object Games, Hidden Clues Games, Hidden Alphabets Games, Hidden Numbers Games, Spot the Difference Games and Puzzle Games. Also we have 26 Games Tags, including: Mystery Games, Adventure Games, Scary Games, Romance Games, Christmas Games and much more. So enjoy and have fun.


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Background Checks Often Not Enough To Stop Child Sexual Abuse
Close Supervision and Monitoring Needs To Be Done, Too. Organizations and entities that serve children can be responsible for child sexual abuse — even if they perform their own seemingly vigorous background checks. This simple truth hit home with me as I read a recent article published on the Orlando Sentinel website detailing how Sylvester Johnson, a 62-year-old worker at the Boys and Girls Club of Kissimmee was recently arrested on accusations of lewd and lascivious battery on three young girls in the program. Apparently Mr. Johnson allegedly made several sexually suggestive comments to girls in the program, and allegedly grabbed once of the girls' buttocks. He also allegedly took a young girl into a closet and fondled her in exchange for candy money, and told another young girl that he wished he was younger so that he could date her. Boys and Girls Club officials were very quick to state that they ran a very vigorous background check on Mr. Johnson when they originally hired him, as well as recently as a month ago. As a Florida child sexual abuse attorney, I have to wonder why a recent background check was conducted on Mr. Johnson. Was there some concern about Mr. Johnson, individually? Was there some concern within the organization that there was a potential sexual abuser on staff? Second, many organizations seem to think that a thorough background check is enough, but it isn't. Organizations that cater to children also have a duty to remain vigilant in terms of monitoring and supervising all adults who are placed in contact with the children that they work with. Sexual predators and child sexual abusers are often very skilled at hiding their prior activities and backgrounds. There are actually websites and other resources available to pedophiles and child predators that tell them how to prepare for a background check. Experience tells us that these folks generally cannot help themselves and will abuse again and again. Typically these folks have less opportunity to do so if they're being very closely monitored or watched by their employers. Background checks are essential, but they are not the end-all-be-all. If you have any questions regarding a Florida child sexual abuse case, call Winter Park personal injury attorneys Kim Cullen and Robert Hemphill at 407-254-4901, or visit...Read More »


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Mali, the largest country in West-Africa, has two totally different faces. The north of the country extends into the Sahara and is almost entirely arid desert, while the south is tropical with summer rainfall and lots of rivers.
The main river is without a doubt the Niger. Along the banks of the principal river of Western Africa, there are a lot of authentic fishing-villages that are certainly worth a visit. Other great attractions in Mali are the Dogon Valley with its magnificent cliff villages, the legendary city of Timbuktu and not to forget: the breathtaking mosque in Djenné, which is entirely built out of clay.
And of course we can't forget to mention Bamako, the capital and largest city of Mali. It offers a wide range of tourist attractions such as the Grand Mosque, the National Museum of Mali buildings and the Bamako Botanical Gardens.


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Colour: Clear brown colour with gold glints.
Tasting Notes: Cacao beans smell, cacao liqueur taste.
Application: Coffees, dessert drinks, milkshakes, flavoured milks, mochas
The origins of chocolate stretch back at least four thousand years. The ancient populations of Central America used cocoa beans (Theobroma means food of the gods) to make a hot, frothy and bitter drink called chocolate. This concoction was sacred and was associated with fertility and wisdom. After Christopher Columbus introduced chocolate to Europe, the drink was to become a best seller.
In subsequent centuries, it was discovered that cocoa could be mixed with milk and cocoa butter to make what we now know as chocolate since 1876.
Monin Chocolate is used as the main flavour and also combined with other Monin flavours. Used in specialty coffee beverages, desserts, and culinary.
Monin Chocolate syrup has a strong cocoa taste. It easily enhances the dark chocolate feeling in your coffee and mocha. You can try it with Dark Chocolate sauce to create a premium coffee or mocha drink. Alexandre LAPIERRE