text:
|Maotianshan Shale
Stratigraphic range: Cambrian Stage 3, Qiongzhusian local stage
≤518 Ma [1]
Outcrop of the Maotianshan Shale, site of the discovery of the Chengjiang Biota
|Unit of
|Chiungchussu Formation
|multiple 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi)
|50 m (160 ft)
|Chengjiang County, Yunnan
|Type section
|Named for
|Maotianshan Hill
|Maotianshan Hill
|Chengjiang County, Yunnan
The Maotianshan Shales are a series of Early Cambrian deposits in the Chiungchussu Formation,[2] famous for their Konservat Lagerstätten, deposits known for the exceptional preservation of fossilized organisms or traces. The Maotianshan Shales form one of some forty Cambrian fossil locations worldwide exhibiting exquisite preservation of rarely preserved, non-mineralized soft tissue, comparable to the fossils of the Burgess Shale. They take their name from Maotianshan Hill (Chinese: 帽天山; pinyin: Màotiānshān) in Chengjiang County, Yunnan Province, China.
The most famous assemblage of organisms are referred to as the Chengjiang biota for the multiple scattered fossil sites in Chengjiang. The age of the Chengjiang Lagerstätte is locally termed Qiongzhusian, a stage correlated to the late Atdabanian Stage in Siberian sequences of the middle of the Early Cambrian.[3][4] The shales date to ≤518 million years ago.[5] The shales also contain the slightly younger Guanshan biota from Malong District in Yunnan.[3]
History and scientific significance
Although fossils from the region have been known from the early part of the 10th century, Chengjiang was first recognized for its exquisite states of preservation with the 1984 discovery of the naraoiid Misszhouia, a soft-bodied relative of trilobites. Since then, the locality has been intensively studied by scientists throughout the world, yielding a constant flow of new discoveries and triggering an extensive scientific debate surrounding the interpretation of discoveries. Over this time, taxa have been revised or reassigned to different groups. Interpretations have led to many refinements of the phylogeny of groups and even the erection of the new phylum Vetulicolia of primitive deuterostomes.
The Chengjiang biota has all the animal groups found in the Burgess Shale; however, since it is ten million years older, it more strongly supports the deduction that metazoans diversified earlier or faster in the early Cambrian than does the Burgess Shale fauna alone. The preservation of an extremely diverse faunal assemblage renders the Maotianshan shale the world's most important for understanding the evolution of early multi-cellular life, particularly the members of phylum Chordata, which includes all vertebrates. The Chengjiang fossils comprise the oldest diverse metazoan assemblage above the Proterozoic-Phanerozoic transition and, thus, the fossil record's best data source for understanding the apparently rapid diversification of life known as the Cambrian Explosion.
Preservation and taphonomy
The fossils occur in a section of mudstone 50 metres (160 ft) thick in the Yuanshan Member of the Qiongzhusi Formation. The Yuanshan Member is extensive, covering multiple 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi) of eastern Yunnan Province, where there are many scattered outcrops yielding fossils. Studies of the strata are consistent with a tropical environment with sea level changes and tectonic activity. The region is believed to have been a shallow sea with a muddy bottom. The preserved fauna is primarily benthic and was likely buried by periodic turbidity currents, since most fossils do not show evidence of post-mortem transport. Like the younger Burgess Shale fossils, the paleo-environment enabled preservation of non-mineralized, soft body parts. Fossils are found in thin layers less than an inch thick. The soft parts are preserved as aluminosilicate films, often with high oxidized iron content and often exhibiting exquisite details.
The Chengjiang beds are very deeply weathered, as evidenced by their low specific gravity (i.e., they are very lightweight).[6] Trace fossils are abundant.[7]
Chengjiang fauna
The Chengjiang biota comprises an extremely diverse faunal assembly, with some 185 species described in the literature as of June 2006. Of these, nearly half are arthropods, few of which had the hard, mineral-reinforced exoskeletons characteristic of all later arthropoda; only about 3% of the organisms known from Chengjiang have hard shells. Most of those are the trilobites (of which there are five species), all of which have been found with traces of legs, antennae, and other soft body parts, an exceedingly rare occurrence in the fossil record. Phylum Porifera (sponges; 15 species) and Priapulida (16 species) are also well represented. Other phyla represented are Brachiopoda, Chaetognatha, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Echinodermata, Hyolitha, Nematomorpha, Phoronida, and Chordata. Possible molluscs include Wiwaxia and Nectocaris.[8][9]
About one in eight animals are problematic forms of uncertain affinity, some of which may have been evolutionary experiments that survived for only a brief period as benthic environments rapidly changed in the Cambrian. Chengjiang is the richest source of the lobopodia, a group including many early panarthropods,[10] with six genera represented: Luolishania, Paucipodia, Cardiodictyon, Hallucigenia (also known from the Burgess Shale), Microdictyon, and Onychodictyon.
Perhaps the most important fossils from Chengjiang are eight possible members of phylum Chordata, the phylum to which all vertebrates belong. The most famous is Myllokunmingia, possibly a very primitive agnathid (i.e., jawless fish). Similar to Myllokunmingia is Haikouichthys ercaicunensis, another primitive fish-like animal.
The enigmatic Yunnanozoon lividum is considered to be the earliest hemichordate, possessing many of the characteristic chordate features and providing an anatomical link between invertebrates and chordates. Haikouella lanceolata is described to be the earliest craniate-like chordate. This fish-like animal has many similarities to Y. lividum, but differs in several aspects: It has a discernible heart, dorsal and ventral aorta, gill filaments, and a notochord (neural chord).
At present, there is no agreement as to the systematic placement of the Vetulicola, represented by seven species from Chengjiang. Originally described as crustacean arthropods, the Vetulicola were later erected as a new phylum of primitive deuterostomes by D.G. Shu et al. (Shu 2001). Another researcher places them with the urochordates, based on putative affinity with the Phylum Chordata. They are thought to have been swimmers that either were filter feeders or detritivores.
Some two dozen animals from the Chengjiang biota are problematic regarding phylogenetic assignment. Among these, Anomalocaris saron, the alleged predatory terror of the early Cambrian, is the most famous. Shu (2006) recently described Stromatoveris psygmoglena as a possible bilateran missing link between Ediacaran fronds and Cambrian ctenophores. Cambrocornulitus had a tubicolous shell which probably was biomineralized. It shares some affinities with cornulitids and lophophorates.[11]
Guanshan fauna
This fauna is similar and also contains vetulicolians.
Misszhouia longicaudata
Heliomedusa orienta
Leanchoilia illecebrosa
See also
- ^ doi:10.1144/jgs2017-103
- ^ Lipps, Jere H; Signor, Philip W (1992). Origin and early evolution of the Metazoa. ISBN 978-0-306-44067-0.
- ^ a b Zhang, Xingliang; Wei Liu; Yuanlong Zhao (2008). "Cambrian Burgess Shale-type Lagerstätten in South China: Distribution and significance" (PDF). Gondwana Research. 14 (1–2): 255–262. Bibcode:2008GondR..14..255Z. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2007.06.008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-14.
- ^ Rozanov, A. Yu.; Maoyan Zhu, K. L. Pak and P. Yu. Parkhaev (2008). "The 2nd Sino-Russian Symposium on the Lower Cambrian Subdivision". Paleontological Journal. 42 (4): 441–446. doi:10.1134/S0031030108040151.
- ^ Yang, Chuan; Li, Xian-Hua; Zhu, Maoyan; Condon, Daniel J.; Chen, Junyuan (2018). "Geochronological constraint on the Cambrian Chengjiang biota, South China" (PDF). Journal of the Geological Society. 175 (4): 659–666. doi:10.1144/jgs2017-103. ISSN 0016-7649.
- ^ Gaines, Robert R.; Briggs, Derek E.G.; Yuanlong, Zhao (2008). "Cambrian Burgess Shale–type deposits share a common mode of fossilization". Geology. 36 (10): 755–758. Bibcode:2008Geo....36..755G. doi:10.1130/G24961A.1.
- ^ Zhang, X. G.; Bergström, J.; Bromley, R. G.; Hou, X. G. (2007). "Diminutive trace fossils in the Chengjiang Lagerstätte". Terra Nova. 19 (6): 407. Bibcode:2007TeNov..19..407Z. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3121.2007.00765.x.
- ^ Zhao, F. C.; Smith, M. R.; Yin, Z.-J.; Zeng, H.; Hu, S.-X; Li, G.-X.; Zhu, M.-Y. (2015). "First report of Wiwaxia from the Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstätte" (PDF). Geological Magazine. 152 (2): 378–382. Bibcode:2015GeoM..152..378Z. doi:10.1017/S0016756814000648.
- ^ Smith, M. R. (2013). "Nectocaridid ecology, diversity and affinity: early origin of a cephalopod-like body plan". Paleobiology. 39 (2): 291–321. doi:10.1666/12029.
- ^ Smith, M. R.; Ortega Hernández, J. (2014). "Hallucigenia's onychophoran-like claws and the case for Tactopoda". Nature. 514 (7522): 363–366. Bibcode:2014Natur.514..363S. doi:10.1038/nature13576. PMID 25132546.
- ^ Xianfeng, Y.; Vinn, O.; Xianguang, H.; Xinglei, T. (2013). "New tubicolous problematic fossil with some "lophophorate" affinities from the Early Cambrian Chengjiang biota in south China". GFF. 135 (2): 184–190. doi:10.1080/11035897.2013.801035. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
Further reading
- Conway-Morris, S. (2003). "The Cambrian "explosion" of metazoans and molecular biology: would Darwin be satisfied?". Int J Dev Biol. 47 (7–8): 505–515. PMID 14756326.
- Fossils of the Chengjiang Maotianshan Shale - URL retrieved September 20, 2006
- Hou, Xian-Guang; Aldridge, Richard J., Bengstrom, Jan; Siveter, David J. ;Feng, Xiang-Hong 2004; The Cambrian Fossils of Chengjang, China, Blackwell Science Ltd, 233 pp.
- Preservation, Taphonomy and Palaeoecology of the Chengjiang Biota - URL retrieved September 20, 2006
- Shu, D-G; Luo, H-L; Conway Morris, S.; Zhang, X-L; Hu, S-X; Chen, L.; Han, J.; Zhu, M.; Li, Y; et al. (1999). "Lower Cambrian Vertebrates from South China". Nature. 402 (6757): 42–46. Bibcode:1999Natur.402...42S. doi:10.1038/46965.
- Shu, D. G.; Morris, S. C.; Han, J.; Chen, L.; Zhang, X. L.; Zhang, Z. F.; et al. (2001). "Primitive deuterostomes from the Chengjiang Lagerstatte (Lower Cambrian, China)". Nature. 414 (6862): 419–424. Bibcode:2001Natur.414..419S. doi:10.1038/35106514. PMID 11719797.
- Shu, D.; Morris, S. C.; Zhang, Z. F.; Liu, J. N.; Han, J.; Chen, L.; et al. (2003). "A new species of yunnanozoan with implications for deuterostome evolution". Science. 299 (5611): 1380–1384. doi:10.1126/science.1079846. PMID 12610301.
- Shu, D. G.; Morris, S. C.; Han, J.; Zhang, Z. F.; Liu, J. N. (2004). "Ancestral echinoderms from the Chengjiang deposits of China". Nature. 430 (6998): 422–428. doi:10.1038/nature02648. PMID 15269760.
- Shu, D. G.; Morris, S. C.; Han, J.; Li, Y.; Zhang, X. L.; Hua, H.; et al. (2006). "Lower Cambrian vendobionts from China and early diploblast evolution". Science. 312 (5774): 731–734. Bibcode:2006Sci...312..731S. doi:10.1126/science.1124565. PMID 16675697.
- Waloszek, D.; Maas, A. (2005). "The evolutionary history of crustacean segmentation: a fossil-based perspective". Evol Dev. 7 (6): 515–527. doi:10.1111/j.1525-142x.2005.05056.x. PMID 16336406.
- Xian-guang, H.; Aldridge, R. J.; Siveter, D. J.; Xiang-hong, F. (2002). "New evidence on the anatomy and phylogeny of the earliest vertebrates". Proc Biol Sci. 269 (1503): 1865–1869. doi:10.1098/rspb.2002.2104. PMC 1691108. PMID 12350247.
- Zhang, X.; Han, J.; Zhang, Z.; Liu, H.; Shu, D. (2003). "Reconsideration of the supposed naraoiid larva from the Early Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstätte, South China". Palaeontology. 46 (3): 447–66. doi:10.1111/1475-4983.00307.
- Zhang, X. G.; Hou, X. G. (2004). "Evidence for a single median fin-fold and tail in the Lower Cambrian vertebrate, Haikouichthys ercaicunensis". J Evol Biol. 17 (5): 1162–1166. doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2004.00741.x. PMID 15312089.
External links
- "Chengjiang". Archived from the original on 2005-10-24. Retrieved 2005-11-22.
- Chengjiang Biota at fossilmuseum.net


text:
I'm really excited, later this month we are going to review a stay in a private family room at Losehill Hall in Castleton in Derbyshire. It's one of nearly 200 Youth Hostel Association properties across the UK. And until the 12th June 2012 the YHA are offering an amazing deal to Alexander Residence readers booking family breaks in many of their properties over the Summer holidays, see below. I think this could make a holiday, or even an extra holiday affordable for many families this summer.
I've stayed in Youth Hostels as a student and while travelling abroad, but I haven't stayed in a Youth Hostel as a family since I was little. I remember visiting a Snowdonia hostel as a family. My Mum told us about her adventures youth hostelling as a teenager in the days of helping out with jobs, bringing your own bedding, lights out and making your own food. Now you can have a private en suite room with bedding provided, have meals and packed lunches prepared for you, or self cater and there's no expectation to muck in with the chores.
YHA properties don't claim to compete with larger chain hotels but have definitely had a facelift that resembles them. Browsing the YHA website each property has lots of images, description and information which makes choosing a hostel easy. How welcoming is this room at Losehill Hall?
And the dining room looks fab too:
I'm most excited about having a packed lunch made up for us each day, the little things that take the stress out of a weekend away and allow you to get on with adventuring out and about with small children. The food on the families and individuals menu is seasonal and features regional specialities. Breakfast is a full hot and cold buffet, lunch a packed lunch and dinner 3 courses or a cafe bar style menu in city hostels. Children under 10 eat free when adults purchase a main meal in YHA restaurants, and in addition to smaller portions from the main menu there are Annabel Karmel meals.
Hostels can be an affordable way to get out into the country or to explore big cities, there are several hostels in London for example.
The Summer break offer
The YHA are offering Alexander Residence readers a very special offer which covers the majority of hostels:
Getaway with YHA this summer and stay in a family room for only £99 for 3 nights!! Simply book by 12th June for stays between 6th July and 17th September. Enter your offer code FAMSTAY-025 at the checkout or give us a call on 01629 592 700 and enjoy a well-deserved break for an incredible price.
To book a YHA family break using this Alexander Residence offer and to read the terms and conditions, you'll need to go to this page: www.yha.org.uk/aresidence. Please note food is not included.
Hostels are a great way for large groups to get together. I have a good friend locally who hires out an entire hostel once a year for a reunion with her friends from University and their expanding families. She says it works perfectly.
I will report back on our visit later in the month!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Abstract and Keywords
Military alliances predate even the state system as a form of international cooperation, and they take on many forms. The motivations of states seeking to join, the commitment levels formalized in the alliance agreement, and degrees of institutionalization all take different forms in the literature, but these scholarly perspectives can be boiled down to a few approaches: the realist, the rationalist and formalist, the liberal or institutionalist, and finally, the constructivist arguments on alliance identities. Moreover, a common thread among the literature on military alliances is an understanding that alliances provide a wide range of services to their members, and contain more than one motivation for forming and maintaining the alliances. Given that the motivations for forming alliances are varied, especially during different threat environments, it is important to ask what the consequences are. In this vein, scholars consider two primary issues: if these alliances can fulfill their intended missions, and if there are unintended consequences which may arise and lead to undesirable results. A related issue to the study of what motivates alliances is in how well they perform in terms of cohesion. Cohesion is, roughly speaking, the capacity of an alliance to effectively carry out its goals. Finally, there are the coalitions—ad hoc multinational understandings that are forged to undertake a specific mission, and dissolve once that mission is complete. They are not wholly analytically distinct from wartime alliances, although the latter may have a greater degree of institutionalization and may predate a specific wartime operation.
Keywords: military alliances, war, international cooperation, alliance cohesion, coalition warfare, alliance motivations, alliance literature, wartime operations
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text:
Traditional Greek Christmas Sweets
For the syrup
Beat together the first 4 ingredients.Sift the flour, baking powder and cooking soda 3 times. Add the sifted combination in the first mixture with the olive oil and stir well. Mould small quantities (in the shape of an egg) and give them oblong shape. Place them on baking paper and bake under medium fire for 30 minutes. Boil the ingredients for the syrup. Pour it over melomakarona. Leave them to absorb the syrup for 15 minutes. Take melomakarona out of the syrup and place them in a plate. Sprinkle them with chopped walnuts and cinnamon. This recipe is for about 40 pieces.
Visitgreece.gr is the official tourism web site for Greece, run by the Greek National Tourism Organisation, where you'll find information on the main tourist destinations, such as cities, beaches, as well as activities, events and much more!
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text:
A guide to protocol and etiquette.PDF
Aperçu texte
Practices developed among nations in the course of their contacts with one another
define the essence of protocol. Protocol is the combination of good manners and
common sense, which allows effective communications between heads of state and their
representatives. It is not static. Rather, it is an evolving science that, over the years, has
lost much of its traditional pomp and picturesque ceremony. Changes in accepted
protocol, however, are best left to the highest policy-forming officers in the Department
of State. Errors in protocol may be mistaken as a signal of a change in the international
climate. Persons using this pamphlet are cautioned that unauthorized innovations in
protocol, however well intentioned, are improper.
Etiquette encompasses the body of manners and forms prescribed by custom,
usage, or authority. It is accepted as correct behavior when people deal with one
another. Etiquette preserves respect for the rights and dignities of others. In short,
etiquette represents good manners. Today, many of the old established customs are
blended with less restricted ways of life—of entertaining with little or no help, in
communicating with others, and in coping with everyday problems that once were
handled by a staff. The full integration of women and divergent cultures into the
Services brought more changes. Service people now have a more knowledgeable way of
life. Still, as in bygone years, there are certain rules to be followed in order to reach the
goal of easier, gracious living.
As with any rule of the road, a charted course will get you to a specific place at a
given time for a certain occasion. Proper etiquette is not artificial. It is a practical set of
rules. When learned, these rules save time that would be wasted in deciding what is
proper. Etiquette helps people proceed with the more important phases of social interaction.
The intent of this pamphlet is to provide you with the basics of proper protocol and
etiquette. Using this information as a foundation, you should feel at ease in such matters
as calling cards, introductions, invitations and responses, official dinners, seating and
precedence, forms of address, and arranging visits for important visitors. With practice,
protocol and etiquette will not be difficult but will be instead a natural, courteous way
to properly greet and entertain civilian and military visitors and colleagues.


text: This course gives you the background needed to understand basic Cybersecurity. You will learn the history of Cybersecurity, types and motives of cyber attacks to further your knowledge of current threats to organizations and individuals. Key terminology, basic system concepts and tools will be examined as an introduction to the Cybersecurity field. You will learn about critical thinking and its importance to anyone looking to pursue a career in Cybersecurity. Finally, you will begin to learn about organizations and resources to further research cybersecurity issues in the Modern era. This course is intended for anyone who wants to gain a basic understanding of Cybersecurity or as the first course in a series of courses to acquire the skills to work in the Cybersecurity field as a Jr Cybersecurity Analyst. The completion of this course also makes you eligible to earn the Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks IBM digital badge. More information about the badge can be found https://www.youracclaim.com/org/ibm/badge/introduction-to-cybersecurity-tools-cyber-attacks Want to see if this is a good career fit for you? IBM is collaborating with MyInnerGenius, one of the world's leading assessment companies, to help you find out which careers in IT you will love -- careers that are a great match for you -- regardless of your education or experience -- even if you've never considered a role in IT. In less than an hour, you will receive targeted recommendations for hot roles where you will excel and everything you need to get started. You can even earn IBM Digital Badges to show the world your skills! Find out more http://ibm.myinnergenius.com/


text:
Square Enix released new screenshots and art from Kingdom Hearts 1. HD Remix showing off 358/2 Days.
looks great, but this is square enix so.... ETA 5 years? never underestimate their incompetence
Guys, Square had to put KH3 on the back burner to continue their work on Versus! F this company
Why not include the actual 358/2 Days game instead of a 2 and a half hour freaking movie? Only Square.
Hopes North America get this i know it will sell well for anyone that's kept up with the series and those that are just hardcore JRPG fans


text:
New Kid on K Street: The Internet Association
Jul 26, 2012 3:16 PM PT
A new trade group called "The Internet Association" has been formed to represent the interests of large Internet companies. It will begin operating in September, with Michael Beckerman, a former adviser to the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee, serving as its president.
Though Beckerman has not yet confirmed the companies represented by the association, a Reuters report suggests they will include Google, eBay, Facebook and Amazon. These companies declined our requests to comment for this story.
The association will likely deal with the full gamut of political and regulatory issues that have faced Internet companies over the last several years, including copyright protection, privacy, cybersecurity and sales tax collection. Its goal will be to educate lawmakers about these issues and represent the interests of the companies involved.
"I believe that companies are taking the initiative to get in front of issues that are important to users globally," Internet marketing consultant Cory Jaccino told the E-Commerce Times. "This is not just an American thing. These companies are doing this all around the globe."
An Industry Matures
The formation of The Internet Association might be seen as a sign that the industry has matured and reached a point that it needs a unified voice in Washington and beyond.
"It's signaling that this industry is getting political," Jeremiah Owyang, an industry analyst with the Altimeter Group, told the E-Commerce Times. "It's a sign that politicians will be lobbied by this group. It's a sign of maturity."
After the recent battle against the Stop Online Piracy Act and other threats to their business models, Internet companies have likely realized that it's in their best interest to band together.
"Especially after SOPA, the main issue is around censorship of content by government organizations, both foreign and domestic," said Owyang. "These companies want to be in control of their content."
Speaking for Whom?
One way of looking at the association is that it represents the voice not just of the companies involved, but of citizens themselves.
"The recent global user-backed initiatives like the protest of Internet censoring earlier this year has shed light on the fact that we need a constant body to stand up for voter interests," said Jaccino.
"We don't need to band together at the last minute whenever policy is being voted on," he said. "We need to help shape policy, and that is what these companies are trying to do. I'm not saying that we need more government. I am saying that governments need to listen to what their voters are saying both online and off."
On the other hand, these are large companies with billions of dollars at stake, and the function of this association might be the same as that of any other big business trade group: to protect the monetary interests of an industry -- particularly when those interests rely on the accumulation of consumer data.
"It's absolutely not about protecting consumers' rights," Tim Bourgeois, a partner at East Coast Catalyst, told the E-Commerce Times.
"They're going to make a case that they're responsible users of data, that it's a good thing for consumers. The thing about this data is that nobody knows what it's really worth, but everyone is speculating that it's worth a king's ransom," he said.
This group will, at any rate, represent the evolving interests of new media.
"It's the old business model versus the new business model," IT consultant Bill St. Arnaud told the E-Commerce Times. "The old business model is going to disappear."
Taking the Heat Off
The association will also take the pressure off individual companies, so that they don't have to speak for themselves, defend their actions, and get enmeshed in messy political and regulatory battles.
"It takes the PR heat off individual players," said Altimeter Group's Owyang. "Now it can be pushed off on an organization."
It remains to be seen what battles The Internet Association fights and how it fights them, but there's little question that it will help to shape Web-related public policy debates from now on.
"By standing between the voters and the issues, I expect them to be able to guide the issues and/or public opinion within their respective audiences," said Jaccino.
"If they are smart, they will take an advocate or educational role with their users to gain their trust and become the users' go-to source for information," he suggested.
"As these companies gain user trust, acceptance [and] participation, they will become the voice of their user base," Jaccino pointed out. "The louder the voice, the harder it will be to ignore."


text:
'Quartet' manages to hit a number of high notes (video)
Old musicians -- they have the best insults.
"Your singing brought tears -- to my ears."
"I can't forget you in 'Carmen,' but I'll try."
The retired musicians at Britain's Beecham House may not have the cash or relatives to ensure they pass their last years at home. But they still have their wit, their love of rehearsal and the fading vestiges of their talent.
That's the setting for Dustin Hoffman's dainty, adorable and adorably predictable film of Ronald Harwood's play. It's a celebration of great old actors set in a world of once-great singers, and Hoffman's affection for them and the material shows in every frame.
Aged operatic divas -- the female and the male variety -- and lesser mortals from the chorus, the orchestra or the English music halls fill the rooms of Beecham House, people who must live surrounded by music -- preferably their own.
"Now, when I was Gilda, it was a TRIUMPH." "Yes, I remember my mother telling me about it."
That last zinger is delivered with panache by Dame Maggie Smith, playing the diva among divas, Jean Horton. The ancient, imperious Jean, "as large as life, and twice as terrifying," is new to Beecham. And that creates a stir.
Cissy (Pauline Collins, delightful) was Jean's forgetfully addled supporting player in many an opera. And the old skirt chaser Wilfred (Billy Connolly, too young for his part but a hoot with a randy pick-up line) knew her well, too.
That's because his best friend, Reginald the tenor (Tom Courtenay), used to be married to her. Jean is the last person Reginald wants to see as "dignified senility" sets in.
Their awkwardness around this aloof "used to be SOMEbody" is nothing compared to that of the swanning director Cedric ("That's CEE-dric"), played to the hilt by Michael Gambon. He hears of Jean's arrival and immediately, the concert gala he's planning for the home's next fundraiser has a star attraction -- if only Jean didn't declare, "I don't sing any more. And that's final."
The plot is slight and its surprises are revealed long before they charmingly play out. But Hoffman anchors his movie in performance. String quartets, clarinet duets and piano solos are performed and classical music warhorses by Boccherini and his ilk litter the soundtrack like rose petals strewn down a red carpet. Real musicians and singers, veterans of the British stage, flesh out the supporting cast.
The other type of performance stands in the foreground. Dame Maggie is having the sort of late-career renaissance that can only be compared to America's Betty White. Here, she's not in period costume and looks years younger than her recent screen appearances in "Downton Abbey" and "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." She breaks out of her imperious pigeon-hole and makes Jean vulnerable, unsure of herself, in between moments when she does her trademark pursed-lips putdown.
Courtenay's Reggie is kindly, curious (he studies rap to teach opera to high schoolers). Courtenay ("The Dresser") makes him a combination of wounded and testy.
Collins, most famous for "Shirley Valentine," brings bubbly life to a senile dementia case that is standard issue in too many movies about the elderly.
And Connolly, hurling crass pick-up lines at nurses and the doctor in charge (Sheridan Smith), emptying his bladder whenever and wherever he must, is a wise-cracking delight.
Hoffman doesn't break the mold, shock or awe anyone with his treatment of this comfort-food comedy. But he does celebrate veteran entertainers, their vanities, foibles and undying passion for their art form in a way he probably wishes other directors would do for him. For show people, 75 isn't the end. It's just an excuse to take one more curtain call.
Title: "Quartet"
Cast: Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly, Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins, Michael Gambon
Director: Dustin Hoffman
Running time: 99 minutes
Rating: PG-13


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Important Updates to Tax and Visa Process for Guest Artists! (9/30/2008)
Clarification on Accountable Plan Rules!
Washington, D.C. - The League has recently obtained important clarification from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding expense payments for foreign guest artists. As you likely know, published and verbal guidance from the IRS has been confusing and contradictory on the question of whether expense reimbursements and payments made to third parties on behalf of foreign artists are subject to withholding. Previous guidance from the IRS - including guidance provided during League-hosted webinars and sessions this past summer - has indicated that these payments are subject to withholding. The newest word from the IRS, however, indicates otherwise.
The most recent verbal guidance from the IRS, as well as the IRS's written guidance, indicates that the "accountable plan rules" are applicable to nonresident aliens working as independent contractors in the United States. In effect, an expense reimbursement made to a foreign artist in accordance with these rules is not reportable as income – and is not subject to 30% withholding. The accountable plan rules also apply to expenses paid to third parties on the artist's behalf (e.g., hotel accommodations and/or travel paid for or provided by a presenter). Learn more about the rules - and exceptions - in our updated guidance regarding payments subject to withholding on the Artists from Abroad web site.
Find Complete Background and Details
Tax FAQ Now Online
Answers to your most frequently asked questions regarding the tax requirements for foreign guests artists are now available online. Thanks to all orchestras and artists managers that offered up their questions, and the expert assistance provided by Artists from Abroad author and attorney Robyn Guilliams, the tax FAQ posted on the Artists from Abroad web site provides an overview of the most common inquiries regarding withholding requirements, tax returns, and identification numbers for foreign guest artists.
View the FAQ
File Visa Petitions Early!
Avoid potential performance-threatening delays! Remember to file visa petitions with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as early as possible. Submitting a visa petition for an artist several months in advance of a performance substantially increases the odds of success. USCIS has announced that the Vermont and California centers that process petitions are still recovering from a larger than normal influx of overall visa requests received in the summer, resulting in unpredicable and sometimes lengthy procesing. If your orchestra encounters difficulty completing the visa process, please contact the League's Washington, D.C. office for assistance.
Brush Up on Visa Basics


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idesign Popsicles martingale designer dog collars are made in the USA of 100% vibrant color-fast polyester with durable hardware and an all weather nickel plated D-ring. Provides you more control on your walks without a choking effect.
Great for dogs with necks bigger than their heads. Recommended for breeds such as Greyhounds or dogs that easily back out of standard collars. Best of all they are machine washable!
Add a quick clasp closure, also called a side release clasp, to allow for adjustable sizing.
Backed by the Yellow Dog 100% Guarantee. If your collar has any issues with fraying, breaking, tearing, even chewing - we will replace it!
Size Chart
X-Small: 3/8" width, 10 inch neck
Small: 3/4" width, 14 inch neck
Medium: 1" width, 20 inch neck
Large: 1" width, 26 inch neck
(These collars are designed to fit loosely on your dog's neck, if in doubt, always order the larger size. For example, if your dog's neck measures 14-1/2" you would order the Medium size.)
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8225 Fairgrove Church RdBrown Summit NC 27214(919) 892-8994
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Quick Links
Monroe County, Iowa - Auditor
Clerk to Board of Supervisors
— The Auditor prepares meeting agendas and notifies the media, maintains all
official records of meeting minutes, Board voting records, resolutions,
contracts, and correspondence. The office publishes the proceedings and other
legal notices.
County Commissioner of Elections - The
auditor administers all federal, state, and local elections that take place in
the county. Responsibilities include voter registrations, absentee voting,
recruitment and training of precinct election officials, printing and counting
ballots, receiving nomination papers and notifying voters of elections,
certifying results to the state or political subdivision involved and issues
certificates of election to the proper person.
Budget —
The Auditor receives and compiles budget information from the various county
departments and presents it to the Board of Supervisors and monitors the budget
throughout the fiscal year. Budgets of other governmental entities are filed
with the Auditor such as: Schools, Cities, Townships, Agricultural Extension,
Emergency Management, County Assessor, E911 Service Board, etc.
Financial Officer — The Auditor completes an annual financial report at
the end of each fiscal year. Payroll is processed by this office. Claims for all
services and materials rendered and charged to the various county departments
are submitted to this office for payment.
Property Transfer
and County Plats — The Auditor enters and maintains records of all real
estate transfers in the county. The Auditor keeps the plat maps and transfer
books current so the public can examine them and determine property ownership.
Taxation— The Auditor receives the assessed valuations from the county
assessor and applies the biannual equalization and annual rollback to produce
the taxable valuation for each property in the county. The auditor processes
taxes and produces a tax book for the county treasurer.
Permits — The Auditor processes cigarette licenses, beer & liquor permits
for businesses in unincorporated areas.


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Jackson Hts., New York, November 16, 2012 - On April 19, 2001 Queens Community Board 3, a local planning agency of the City of New York, passed an Internet Empowerment Resolution calling for the acquisition and development of the .nyc TLD as a public interest resource (it's like .com, .org, .edu and .gov but just for New York City).
Last night, 11 years later, on the eve of that resolution's fruition, and with 38 other global cities following the city's lead - .paris, .london, .tokyo, .barcelona, etc., the board passed another resolution supportive of the original saying in essence: "Hey, we started this thing. Don't forget us."
The new resolution calls for City Hall to activate and fund a promised .nyc Community Advisory Board and assure that good domain names - those that are short, descriptive and memorable - are provided to the "city's neighborhoods, community organizations, not-for-profit institutions, and local small businesses." It also called for the city to coordinate the development of the.nyc TLD with the 38 other global cities, and it requested that a process be developed for recycling domain names that would assure their availability for future generations. The resolution:
A Resolution in Support of the .nyc Top Level Domain
- by Queens Community Board 3, the City of New York, November 15, 2012 -
Whereas, on April 19, 2001 Queens Community Board 3 passed an Internet Empowerment Resolution calling for the acquisition and development of the .nyc Top Level Domain (TLD) as a public interest resource, and
Whereas, the City of New York submitted an application to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for the .nyc TLD on June 12, 2012, and
Whereas, the City of New York plans to create a Community Advisory Board to "encourage meaningful input into the development of the .nyc strategy" and
Whereas, 38 other cities have followed New York City's initiative and applied for their TLDs,
Queens Community Board 3 hereby endorses the following resolution:
We congratulate Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council for filing an application for the .nyc TLD.
To contribute to its success, Community Board 3 recommends:
- that the .nyc TLD's Community Advisory Board take a careful view of this most important resource, and that it be provided with adequate resources to assure its effective operation.
- that Community Boards, civic organizations, not-for-profit entities, and local small businesses be represented on the Community Advisory Board.
- that domain names that support civic life should be thoughtfully reserved for use by the city's neighborhoods, community organizations, not-for-profit institutions, and local small businesses.
- that civic not-for-profit organizations, and small businesses be provided with adequate notification of domain name selection periods, and the opportunity to select a good domain name.
- that the city carefully coordinate the development of its Top Level Domain with the other cities that have applied for their TLDs, seeking opportunities for standardization and the sharing of good TLD governance practices.
- that a plan be formulated to assure that the .nyc TLD is a sustainable resource: that domain names are recycled so they are available to New Yorkers today and tomorrow.


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Svenskt Tenn's classic cushions are loved all over the world; from Stockholm to New York and Shanghai. This linen cushion has the Teheran print.
The name Teheran (Tehran), as well as the small, radiant flowers in the foreground, indicates that the print is an interpretation of a Persian carpet. The lobed leaves in varying colours are reminiscent of the plant dye colours madder, wild mignonette and indigo. Teheran was designed in the 1940s, but it was printed for the first time in 1991.


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I have not found anyone else online who had this problem, which is troubling.
Here is all I know: I closed my macbook (running Leopard, a few years old). I opened my macbook. The display had changed completely.
What I mean by that is that the resolution severely decreased, and all of the icons on my screen grew significantly in size, even though they all fit on the screen. I am certainly not in "zoom mode" (ctrl+scroll). I checked "About This Mac" and under resolution, I found that it says, "800x600." What? My resolution is much above that. I have no idea what prompted this. I restarted the computer, but it did not help. This is very worrying.
Does anybody know what happened, or how to fix it? Thanks


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awesome! cant wait for this mod!
From the bustling ports of Marienburg to the brazen walls of Altdorf, the lands of the Old World are in turmoil. Chaos and heresy chokes the cities and villages of the Empire and hordes of beasts roam the dark woodlands. As shadow wraps its iron fists around the beating heart of the Fauschlag, a young man must walk the narrow pathway to his destiny- yet the path between Chaos and Order is a fickle one. A total conversion for Bethesda Softwork's Oblivion, Shattered Lineage plans to recreate the epic, gritty world of Warhammer. Armies collide and the sharp of ringing of steel on steel rises high into the ash-ridden skies. Prepare yourself for the tumultuous tale of Shattered Lineage!
awesome! cant wait for this mod!
Only text? Disappointing.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.
No in game footage just something to peak intrest


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Vehicle pricing includes all factory incentives and listed rebates. Tax, Title, Registration, and $995.00 dealer fee not included in vehicle price shown and must be paid by the purchaser. Dealer installed accessories may increase actual cost of vehicle. You must finance through Chrysler Capital to receive bonus cash. While great effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site Schumacher Auto Group is not responsible for pricing, or typographical errors. Please call us for details at (844) 568-6892 or by visiting us at the dealership.
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At Schumacher Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Delray of Delray Beach, we want your experience to always be positive. From the moment you step inside our showroom and find the latest Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Renegade, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 200 and RAM 1500 models on display, we're here to help put you behind the wheel of the right new or used vehicle for you.
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Terms & Conditions
The terms & conditions below currently apply to this package. When you make a booking, the terms & conditions in effect at that time govern your purchase. A copy of these should be available under Your Booking or attached to your booking receipt email.
|Peru, Galapagos Islands & Quito
- Bookings & Payments
- Changes & Cancellations
- Prices
- Included Services
- Itineraries & Planned Operation
- Passports & Visas
- Your Responsibilities
- Our Responsibilities
To help us provide you with the very best services at the lowest possible prices, and to avoid confusion and misunderstandings, we ask that you read the terms and conditions below carefully.
Please also review all the details on the package page. If there are any discrepancies, the package page supersedes the information below.
Bookings & Payments
DEPOSITS: For this package, a deposit of $99 per person is required to guarantee your booking, which will be applied towards the cost of your package. Some departure cities, flight selections, and/or departure dates may require a different deposit. Please check the package page or start a booking to find out the required deposit. If you request an upgrade or added service, or a change to your departure date or package, we'll let you know if it requires an additional deposit.
If you add travel protection coverage when you book, the premium will be added to your deposit amount.
You may pay your deposit with your credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express) or PayPal account when booking on our website. If you do not wish to pay your deposit online, or wish to pay your deposit with multiple credit cards, call us. If you prefer to pay your deposit by check, we strongly recommend you mail your check via overnight delivery. Your booking cannot be confirmed until we receive your deposit.
REGISTRATION: After you complete your booking, you'll receive an email containing a link to a secure traveler registration form. For this package, you must complete this form within 5 days of booking. If we do not receive this promptly, your booking may be subject to additional fees and/or cancellation.
CONFIRMATION: After we receive your booking and deposit, we will confirm availability of all components and send you a confirmation email within 1–2 business days. If any option or component you selected is not available, we will alert you and give you the option to modify your booking, or cancel your booking and receive a refund on your deposit. Once your booking is confirmed, the package price is guaranteed (unless you later request changes or additions).
FINAL PAYMENT: If any balance is due after making your booking, you must pay this balance by the date on your invoice, usually 60 days prior to departure. Late payments are subject to a $50 late fee. If your final payment is more than 15 days late, your booking will be cancelled and your deposit will be forfeited.
To make your payment by check (including personal check, cashier's check or money order), make it out to Friendly Planet Travel for the amount indicated on your invoice and mail it to our office address (by overnight delivery, if necessary) so that we receive it by the due date.
To make your payment with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express) or PayPal account, use our secure payment form. If you prefer, you may instead print our credit card authorization form, complete and sign it, and fax or mail it to us so that we receive it by the due date.
FINAL DOCUMENTS: Your final travel documents will be emailed to 14 days prior to departure. These documents include your daily itinerary, hotel and emergency contact information, and other relevant information.
Changes & Cancellations
CAREFREE BOOKING: For bookings made between Mar 19 – Dec 31, 2020, should you later decide not to travel for any reason and let us know by your final payment due date, we will transfer all payments you've made, including any travel protection premiums, but not including the cost of any issued flight tickets, towards a future trip for the same or greater number of travelers, with no change fees or penalties. Alternately, you can choose to receive a future travel credit equal to the amount you've paid, not including any travel protection premiums or the cost of any issued flight tickets. Should you prefer to cancel and receive a refund, we will refund all monies paid, not including any travel protection premiums or the cost of any issued flight tickets, and minus a $99 per-person future travel credit, in the form of a check. You may use future travel credits anytime, and they do not expire, but they may not be transferred or redeemed for cash. However, if your new booking totals less than your credit, we will refund you the difference. If your new booking totals more than your credit, you will be responsible for paying the difference by your final payment due date. If you originally booked prior to Mar 19, 2020, and then cancelled and rebooked, defined as transferring all deposits and payments from a cancelled booking to a new booking, and we had already issued airline tickets for the cancelled booking, then changes to or cancellation of your new booking may incur airline change or cancellation fees, which we will deduct from your future travel credits or refund. Changes or cancellations after your final payment due date are subject to our standard change and cancellation fees, described below.
CHANGES: Except when covered by our Carefree Booking policy, most changes are subject to fees; the fee schedule below currently applies. Change fees may change at any time, and your booking is subject to the fee schedule in effect at the time of booking. A copy of the terms and fee schedule that govern your purchase should be available under Your Booking or attached to your booking receipt email. When you request a change, we'll advise you of the fees & other costs associated with that change, and upon your approval of the change, will add that amount to your balance due.
Less than 60 days prior to departure, we usually cannot make any changes to your booking that affect your departure dates, except cancellation. If you wish to change your departure dates or package after this, please ask us whether it is possible; if so, the change fees below apply.
|CHANGE FEES (per person)
|Airline seat upgrades (e.g. business class)
|Difference in airfare
|Changes to departure/return airports
|Difference in airfare (plus any additional transfers or hotels, if necessary)
|Name changes
|Any airline fees
|Early departures/late returns
|Any additional costs or fees for airfare, hotels, transfers, etc.
|Changes to your departure or package less than 60 days prior to departure, if possible
|Most other changes
|Changes that affect flights after tickets have been issued
|New airfare plus any other airline or vendor fees
NAME CHANGES: Due to TSA regulations and airline requirements, you must provide us the names of all travelers, including titles such as Jr. or Sr. and any multiple first, middle or last names, exactly as they appear on each passport. These are typically collected on our registration form. After you submit the registration form, any name changes (due to errors, marriage, or other reasons) should be reported us immediately, and may be subject to a $50 per-change fee by Friendly Planet, as well as fees assessed by airlines or other vendors (see below). Any errors that are not corrected prior to travel could prevent boarding of flights or entry to some countries and/or necessitate the purchase of new airfare.
OTHER CHANGES: In many cases, we can customize your package, including extending your stay. Ask us when you book, in the special requests section, if your desired change is possible. If so, we'll respond with a quote, which is valid for a limited time. Such changes may be subject to a per-person, per-change fee by Friendly Planet (see schedule above), in addition to any vendor fees (see below), which will be listed in your quote. Once a change has been quoted and confirmed, it is subject to the same cancellation policy that applies to your package.
AIRLINE & OTHER VENDOR FEES: In addition to the change fees charged by Friendly Planet, changes may also incur additional fares, fees or penalties from our vendors, particularly by our airline partners. When you request a change, the quote we give you will include these charges. Note that once we issue flight tickets, those flights generally are non-refundable and unchangeable. Any change affecting your flights (including change of traveler names, airports, departure date, or return date) requested after tickets are issued usually requires the purchase of new airfare, the cost of which will be added to your balance due.
CANCELLATIONS: All requests to cancel a booking must be made in writing. Except when covered by our Carefree Booking policy, cancellations are subject to fees, which vary by package, when you book, and when you cancel; the fee schedule below currently applies to this package. Cancellation fees may change at any time, and your booking is subject to the fee schedule in effect at the time of booking. A copy of the terms and fee schedule that govern your purchase should be available under Your Booking or attached to your booking receipt email. When you cancel, we will refund all monies paid, minus your deposit or the the applicable cancellation fee, whichever is greater, and minus any travel protection premiums paid (unless you cancel within the 15 Day Review Period). In some cases, indicated in the fee schedule, the cancellation fee we withhold may be applied as a credit towards future travel.
|CANCELLATION FEES (per person)
|60+ days prior to departure
|$99 future credit
|59–45 days prior to departure
|44–30 days prior to departure
|29–0 days prior to departure
|No refund
Prices & Included Services
PRICES: Advertised prices are based on double occupancy rooms or cabins and the least expensive travel dates, departure city, hotels, and other options available, and do not include optional excursions or other optional items, unless otherwise noted. Your total price will vary based upon the dates, flights, hotels, and other options you select when you book. Advertised prices may reflect an "Instant Savings" or "Early Bird" discount, promotional discount, and/or coupon discount, which may only be valid for a limited time.
Prices and availability are subject to change. Once you book and your we confirm your booking, your booking price is guaranteed. However, should you later request any additions or changes to your booking, the price may change due to availability, change fees, or penalties related to your changes. More about our prices.
All prices listed are in U.S. currency. Payments must be made in U.S. currency or a conversion fee may apply.
INCLUDED SERVICES for Peru, Galapagos Islands & Quito:
- Round trip flights from Miami via LATAM Airlines including taxes & fees, with other gateways available on request
- All flights within Peru & Ecuador
- All ground transportation and transfers
- Transportation between islands in shared charter speedboat
- 15 nights accommodation in first class & superior first class hotels
- Vistadome Train to/from Machu Picchu
- 24 Meals: 15 breakfasts, 4 lunches & 5 dinners
- Comprehensive sightseeing tours including entrance fees
- Professional English-speaking tour guides and a naturalist guide on the islands
- Snorkeling gear
- Galapagos National Park Fee ($100), Transit Control Card ($20), & Isabela Port Fee ($10)
NOT INCLUDED: Unless otherwise noted, the following items are not included in the advertised package price:
- U.S. departure taxes & fees and Sept. 11th Security Fee
- excess baggage fees
- advance seat reservations
- entry visa fees
- optional extensions & excursions
- personal, baggage & travel protection
- gratuities
- beverages
- items not specifically mentioned in the itinerary or "included features" list
- any items of a personal nature
TRANSFERS: Airport transfers for this package are provided for the tour group. For travelers who opt to deviate from the listed itinerary (including early arrivals and late returns), transfers are generally not included, though individual, private transfers can usually be arranged for an additional cost. Please ask your agent for details when you book. Taxis and other forms of transportation are also available and may cost less than private transfers.
UNUSED SERVICES: Unused services cannot be refunded once the trip has begun. No refund can be made for absence by travelers from any part of the itinerary.
INCLUDED FLIGHTS: This package includes flights from Miami (MIA).
RESERVATIONS & TICKET ISSUANCE: For this package, we reserve flights after you book, and we issue tickets after we receive your final payment. However, in some cases, we may need to issue tickets sooner, and we will notify you if this is the case. After tickets are issued, they generally become non-refundable and unchangeable, and any change affecting your flights usually requires the purchase of new airfare.
FLIGHT SCHEDULE: review the flight schedule for this package. We recommend you confirm your flight schedule with the airlines before booking any connecting flights and 72 hours prior to departure. Airlines may change flight schedules at any time without prior notice, even after flights have been confirmed. We are neither responsible nor liable for any costs resulting from a change in airline schedules. This includes, but is not limited to: change or cancellation penalties incurred for tickets, international or domestic, not issued by Friendly Planet; additional nights of hotel before, during, or after one of our packages; and additional airport transportation.
AIRPORT TAXES & FEES AND FUEL SURCHARGES: U.S. departure taxes & fees and Sept. 11th Security Fee and fuel surcharges are not included in the price of this package. The total of these taxes & fees is shown in the price schedule on the package page. If some taxes & fees cannot be prepaid, we'll notify you to pay them directly to local authorities.
CABIN UPGRADES: Included airfare is in coach or economy class. Business class or premium economy may be available upon request for an additional fee.
BAGGAGE: Most of our tours & packages allow one checked bag per person, not to exceed 44 pounds, and one carry-on bag per person, which must fit in an overhead bin or under a seat. Certain packages may have additional restrictions depending on the airline and limitations of the motorcoach, ship, etc. You will receive specific baggage allowance information with your final documents, or you may review our Airline Baggage Allowances page, which has information for our various carriers. If you exceed the baggage limits, you may be subject to excess baggage charges assessed by the airlines. We are not responsible for lost or damaged luggage.
ADVANCE SEAT RESERVATIONS: Airlines typically assign seats when you check in, within 24 hours of departure. Most of our airline partners allow seat reservations earlier than this, but some charge fees for this service in economy class. When advance seat reservations incur a fee, these requests must be made and confirmed directly with the airline, rather than through Friendly Planet. Please see our Advance Seat Reservations page for more information.
SPECIAL MEAL REQUESTS: You may enter special meal requests when you complete your online registration, shortly after booking. We will relay your requests to the airlines, but we cannot guarantee they will be honored. Please confirm meal requests with the airlines 72 hours before departure.
MILEAGE PROGRAMS: Some flights offered on our packages may not be eligible for frequent flyer mileage programs due to our specially negotiated group rates. Please consult directly with your frequent flyer program for eligibility. We are neither involved in nor responsible for crediting miles.
Our land packages generally include hotel accommodations. Cruise packages always include cabins. Advertised package prices are based on double occupancy rooms or cabins. Single or triple occupancy rooms or cabins may be available upon request, but availability cannot be guaranteed. We usually try to reserve rooms or cabins with two beds, but sometimes only one bed is available. Special requests (bedding, smoking preference, etc.) are subject to availability and confirmation by the hotel or cruise line.
With your final travel documents, you will receive a detailed list of all accommodations on your package, including hotel addresses, telephone & fax numbers. Sometimes due to causes beyond our control, it is necessary to change the hotels or cruise ship used on your package, but we always do our best to ensure that substitutes meet or exceed the quality and location of the original. In many cases, the choice of hotels are based on the opinions of local operators, and we are not responsible for the quality or location of these accommodations.
Extended Stays
On this package, you may be able to extend your stay later than the regularly scheduled dates—ask us about arranging for modified flight dates, extra hotel nights and/or transfers. Extended stays are subject to availability and will incur a fee of $100 per person plus the cost of additional services. Certain restrictions apply. Ask us about price and availability when you book, in the special requests section, and we'll give you a quote.
Itineraries & Planned Operation
MATERIALIZATION: Many of our packages require a minimum number of passengers to operate. In the unlikely event that we cancel a specific departure due to lack of participation, we will notify all confirmed passengers prior to the final payment due date, and offer alternate dates of travel or a full refund. Please do not purchase any domestic connecting flights, or other services which are dependent upon the operation of your trip, until this time.
ITINERARIES: We make every effort to ensure our tours run smoothly and trouble-free, according to the posted itineraries. However, international travel is complex, and we reserve the right to modify our itineraries as we deem necessary to keep everything running comfortably. Please refer to the latest version of your itinerary on our website prior to travel, which we will also send you with your final documents 14 days prior to departure. The planned itinerary is representative of the types of accommodations, transport and activities planned, but the actual itinerary, including route, schedules, amenities, modes of transport, and other items, may still be subject to alteration or substitution without prior notice. In these cases, we will make every effort to ensure the changes result in an equivalent or better experience for our travelers, but we will not be held liable for any damages or penalties related to these alterations.
In rare cases, due to circumstances beyond our control (see Our Responsibility below), and for the comfort, safety and wellbeing of our travelers, it may become necessary to make major changes to our itineraries, including omitting certain destinations or segments of a tour (such as a cruise), or even to cancel a departure entirely. If and when this occurs, we will inform you as soon as soon as reasonably possible. We will also make every effort to obtain refunds from our suppliers for the unused services, which we will refund to you. However, it may not be possible to obtain refunds from all suppliers (especially for ticketed flights) and we cannot guarantee a refund of your entire package price.
We also reserve the right to cancel a specific booking or remove a specific traveler, prior to departure, at our own discretion. In this case, you will be offered a full refund of all monies paid to Friendly Planet, but we will not be liable for any other damages (such as for connecting flights).
Passports & Visas
VISAS: Travel visas are required for many countries visited on our packages. Please see the passport & visa requirements. We will send visa instructions for U.S. citizens after you book. If you are not a U.S. passport holder, you must check the requirements to obtain your own visa. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of every traveler to determine passport, visa and entry requirements and comply with them and to secure the proper travel documents. Please review the requirements carefully so that you can obtain all necessary documents well before your trip. Requirements are subject to change, often without notice, and we suggest you verify requirements with the relevant embassy or consulate. We will not be held responsible for any charges, trip interruptions, or cancellations due to incorrect or missing visas.
PASSPORTS: Passports are required for all U.S. citizens traveling abroad, and should be valid for at least 6 months after your date of return. Many countries will deny you entry if your passport expires within 6 months (longer in some countries).
Due to TSA requirements, the names of all travelers on your booking must be supplied exactly as they appear on each travelers' passport, including titles such as Jr. or Sr. and any multiple first, middle or last names. If inaccurate information is provided, airlines may charge penalties to make corrections or deny boarding, and some countries may deny you entry. Any changes in names or passport information should be reported to us immediately. Any name changes after you complete your booking and any changes in passport information after your final payment may result in additional fees.
Your Responsibilities
By making travel bookings on our website or purchasing any travel services offered by Friendly Planet Travel, Inc., you warrant that (i) you are at least 18 years of age and have the legal authority to create a binding legal obligation; (ii) you will only make bookings for you or other people for whom you are legally authorized to act; (iii) you accept and agree to all the Terms & Conditions presented herein; (iv) you will inform such other persons about the Terms & Conditions that apply to the bookings you make on their behalf, and warrant that they accept and agree to those Terms & Conditions; and (v) all information supplied by you for the purposes of making a booking is true, accurate, current and complete to the best of your knowledge.
During travel, you must at all times comply with the laws and regulations of all countries visited.
AGE RESTRICTIONS: On this package, you must be 18 or older to make a booking. Your traveling companions must be 8 or older at the time of travel. Travelers under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older.
TRAVELERS WITH DISABILITIES OR DIFFICULTIES: Our packages often feature sightseeing excursions which may involve strenuous activities such as hiking moderate distances, walking up steps or over uneven surfaces, ascending to high elevations, or traveling in small boats. It is the responsibility of travelers to determine if they are in sufficient physical condition to comfortably undertake the requirements of each tour. If you're uncertain, please contact us to discuss.
Travelers requiring any type of special assistance must notify us of their requirements at the time of booking and must be accompanied by a companion who will be responsible for providing all necessary assistance. Our representatives are not able to assist with these services. Please note that our coaches are generally not equipped to handle wheelchairs.
JOINING A TOUR: If you purchase a package that includes flights and/or transfers, you are expected to make all necessary arrangements and allow sufficient time to embark on these flights or transfers. If you miss your flights or transfers, please contact us without delay. If you purchase a package that does not include flights or transfers, you will be responsible for making your own way to the starting point of the package (usually the first hotel listed in the itinerary), as per the instructions on our Before You Go page. If for any reason, you are unable to make it to the starting point on time, please contact us without delay.
In these cases, we will make all reasonable efforts to assist you in making alternate arrangements to join your tour, but you are responsible for any extra costs incurred, and no refunds will be issued for unused services.
TOUR MANAGERS: You'll be accompanied by a professional tour manager, who is an authority on the destination, and responsible for the safety and wellbeing of our travelers and the smooth operation of the tour. The decisions of the tour manager are final on all matters likely to affect the safety or well-being of all travelers participating in the trip.
PARTICIPATION: You'll be traveling with a group of strangers, and this can sometimes be challenging, especially in a foreign country. To avoid any discord within our groups and to provide our travelers with a positive touring experience, we reserve the right to reject or remove any traveler whose behavior is determined to be incompatible with the group. If you fail to comply with a decision made by one of our tour managers, interfere with the wellbeing or mobility of the group, or are deemed to be fractious to the group, at the sole discretion of Friendly Planet and/or our tour managers and representatives, we may ask you to leave the tour. In this case, we will not refund any portion of the package cost, and all expenses incurred by the termination of the touring program are your responsibility. We may also elect not to carry you on any future trips booked.
PERSONAL EFFECTS & LOCAL PURCHASES: You are responsible for safeguarding your luggage, camera, and other personal effects, including any items purchased while on tour. We are not responsible for lost or stolen personal items.
We make every effort to give you an opportunity to browse local shops and stores, time permitting. Some itineraries include scheduled stops at specialty stores or factories, where you can view a demonstration of a local craft or purchase merchandise. If you decide to purchase these or any other items while on tour, you are responsible for those purchases—we are not responsible for the quality or authenticity of these items. It is always a good idea to comparison-shop, and to thoroughly inspect all merchandise before leaving the store or shop, as most stores will not permit you to return or exchange purchased items. Prices may not include shipping/handling fees or customs charges. We are not responsible for the delivery or receipt of any item you purchase while traveling.
Our Responsibilities
Friendly Planet Travel Inc. arranges these packages only as agent for the companies and services we represent. In the absence of our own negligence, we shall not be responsible for any cancellations, delays, diversions or substitution of equipment, or any act or omission whatsoever by air carriers, hotels, transportation companies, or any other persons providing any of the services and accommodations to passengers, including any results thereof, such as changes in services or accommodations necessitated by same. Nor shall we be liable for any loss or damage to baggage or property, or for injury, illness, or death, or for any damages or claims whatsoever arising from loss, negligence or delay from the act, error or negligence of any person not our direct employee or under our exclusive control. We are not responsible for any criminal conduct by third parties.
We accept no responsibility for accidents, damage, baggage losses, delays and/or accidental expenses due to weather, strikes, acts of God, acts of governments or authorities, wars, terrorism, criminal acts committed by third parties, hostilities, civil disturbances, riots, strikes, sickness, quarantine, defects of vehicles or breakdown in equipment, or to the fault or default of any company used for carrying out these packages. Regarding any and all services and accommodations furnished, we expressly disclaim all responsibility or liability over any matter whatsoever for loss, damage, injury or expense to property or person due to any cause whatsoever occurring during the duration of the package or otherwise. All such losses or expenses will be borne by the passengers.
The airline, rail, coach and ship companies concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omissions or events during the times that passengers are not aboard their aircraft or conveyances. The passage contract in use by the airlines concerned, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between the airlines and the purchasers of this package or passengers.
The international carriage of passengers is subject to international conventions and treaties, where applicable. These international agreements limit and, in some events, exclude the carrier's liability to passengers. Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal injury) concerns or involves any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea, inland waterways, rail, or road carrier or any stay in a hotel, our maximum liability is the maximum which would be payable by the carrier, or the hotel keeper concerned under the applicable international convention, treaty, or regulation applicable to the travel arrangements or hotel stay (for example: the Warsaw Convention, the Montreal Convention for international travel by air etc.) in that situation.
This represents the entire agreement between the passenger and Friendly Planet. There is no additional liability. Any dispute arising from these packages shall be litigated only in the courts of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, which shall have exclusive jurisdiction.
We do our best to provide accurate and up-to-date information on our website (friendlyplanet.com), but errors may occur. Please confirm pricing and details with us prior to making a booking. Our website contains links to other websites operated by third parties for reference by our clients. We do not control and are not responsible for the content of these sites.
We retain the right at our sole discretion to deny access to anyone to our Website and the products and services we offer, at any time and for any reason.


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From ROBOTC API Guide
General Programming → Recursion
Memory Overload
Controlled Recursion
Ending Functions
|If the above programs are manually stepped through, there will be 5 steps to go through before task main is returned to. Remember, each time a function is called it opens another 'copy' of the function. Those extra steps are for the first, second, third, and fourth copies of the 'looping' function. The functions only clear out of memory when their end brace '}' or a return command is reached.


text: Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released 9 studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene. When thrash metal began to gain a major following in t… Read More


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AES San Francisco 2010
Product Design Track Event M3
Sunday, November 7, 11:00 am — 1:00 pm (Room 132)
Master Class: M3 - DSP—Why So Hard?
Peter Eastty
If you've ever wondered why audio DSP programming is so hard when the algorithms are so simple, this is the place for you. Hundreds of strange and wonderful audio processors have been developed over the past four decades and the presenter has struggled with dozens of them. In order to learn from our mistakes this master class will tour examples of gross bad practice (suitably anonymized to protect the guilty) and in doing so we'll extract some general principles useful to those who will design audio DSPs in the future. As a practical example of what can be achieved, we'll go from simulator based algorithm development to listening to production quality code in a matter of minutes.


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This is my first post and I'm a complete and total n00b when it comes to linux but i searched like hell and i couldn't figure out how to fix the display issue on my notebook.
I have an old Dell Latitude C640 (Pentium4, 512MB RAM) and after trying Xubuntu, Peppermint 2, and Crunchbang (love crunchbang but i'm only so far familiar a bit with ubuntu and Linux mint 12 on my desktop) so i decided to try Mint 9 Fluxbox so as not to tax the older hardware. The live disk and installation went well after i forced it into vesa graphics mode, but now i've got issues.
It's seems to boot into the OS alright but the display just gives me a black screen and this code:
And that's it. I can successfully Ctrl+Alt+F2 into command line mode but I'm not sure what to do once i get there. I figure it's an issue with my graphics driver, which i've had to manually configure in peppermint 2 when i played with that, but i can't figure out what to do. Is there a way to edit the system in command line to force a reboot into vesa mode so i can tinker with it?
Code: Select all
(process:263): Glib-WARNING **: getpwuid_r(): failed due to unknown user id (0)
* Exporting directories for NFS kernel daemon... [ OK ]
* Starting NFS kernel daemon [ OK ]
* Starting NTP server ntpd [ OK ]
* Starting Common Unix Printing System: cupsd [ OK ]
It won't recognize an ethernet connection (though it worked fine during install) so i couldn't sudo apt-get install startup-manager.
*UPDATE: After reboot it can connect to network.
Also, I found mention in various forums that the ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics card doesn't have a driver for linux, it's just too old. but then how did i get Ubuntu, Peppermint 2, and Crunchbang to work?
Any other ideas?


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Amaro says Phillies set with rotation
GM puts any speculation about free agent Lohse to bed
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- File this one under: It never hurts to ask.
Right-hander Kyle Lohse remains a free agent, despite pitching effectively the previous two seasons with the Cardinals. The Phillies' rotation includes Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, but a pitcher like Lohse certainly would make their pitching staff more formidable.
General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said this weekend the Phillies will not be surprising anybody with a free-agent signing like Lohse.
"I think we're going into the spring with what we've got right now," Amaro said. "It's subject to change always, but we're going to see these guys."
Amaro said he sees Kyle Kendrick and John Lannan as the team's fourth and fifth starters.
"But there are guys in camp that are going to be battling," Amaro insisted. "We've got [Aaron] Cook, Rodrigo Lopez and [Jon] Pettibone. Somebody might open up some eyes, [Tyler] Cloyd, you never know. Lannan is the frontrunner. It's kind of his job to lose, but he's got to pitch just like everybody else. There are very few guys who are locked in."


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|System: PS3*, Xbox 360
|Dev: Rockstar North
|Pub: Rockstar Games
|Release: October 1, 2013
|Players: 2-16
|Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p
|Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
But, if you can get past these issues, GTA Online is quite an achievement. With a couple patches, Rockstar will be able to realize the vision that it clearly has for this game.
So, instead of running through the content, I did what any self-respecting GTA player would do–embarked on my own personal campaign of carnage and destruction the likes of which Los Santos has never seen. Even though deathmatches and races weren't working properly for me, I had plenty of fun hunting other players and having shootouts in any random location we might happen upon, then running from the cops while fighting off the onslaught of player-characters at the same time. In this respect, Grand Theft Auto Online functions flawlessly.
So, is Grand Theft Auto Online the end-all-be-all of online gaming? Not yet. Rockstar still has a long way to go to refine matchmaking systems, increase server stability, and streamline the user-interface for better ease-of-access. But the good news is that since Rockstar released GTA Online separately from GTA V, all of this is possible. The intention behind the online world of Los Santos was so that it could evolve and get better with time. It may not be the best online experience you will ever have right now, but I believe that it will continue to get better with time. Plus, it's free with Grand Theft Auto V anyway, so there really isn't anything to complain about. Of course, the sooner the better Rockstar. Just sayin'.
Joshua Bruce
Contributing Writer
Date: October 3, 2013
Game Features:


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Child and Dependent
If you claim this credit, you must include on your return the name and taxpayer identification number (generally the social security number) of each qualifying person for whom care is provided. If the correct information is not shown, the credit may be reduced or disallowed.
|Previous Page | Table of Contents | Top of Page | Index | Next Page


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A fairly benign piece of news from All ThingsD got legs last week when it came out that Yahoo would now require all employees that worked remotely to either start working in Yahoo offices or presumably find another job.
For starters, this is a pragmatic and shrewd — and smart — move by CEO Marisa Mayer. Yahoo needs to tighten its belt. Big time. This prevents firings and layoffs — and dealing with severance packages or unemployment. (No doubt superstars working remotely will be quietly granted exceptions or offered compromises.)
This "irked" a lot of Yahoo employees, as Kara Swisher, who broke the internal memo, notes. Swisher's reading of the memo — and she covers Yahoo so closely you'd think she's on the board — is that this will even affect folks who only work a day or two each week from home. Anyone dealt an abrupt lifestyle change — especially parents — is justified in being upset.
But the new policy does highlight an interesting dichotomy in Silicon Valley — for all the communication technology, it's really tough to beat the efficacy of working face-to-face.
When I worked in startups, I'd constantly instant message with folks who were close enough to drill with a Nerf football. My boss would call my phone from around the corner (literally). You could spend an entire day at your desk, never open your mouth, and communicate with everyone in the company. I've talked with friends and associates from tiny startups to Google and they largely say the same. (Facebook and Google both rushed to appear work-from-home friendly following the Yahoo leak, mostly to keep a leg up in the hiring wars going on these days.)
Yet, oddly, most tech folks agree that being in the office, in the long run, is better for the company. Sure, the occasionally work-from-home day was great (needed) — getting caught up on stuff like expense reports or just hammering out verbiage on some solo project while taking a nice long walk around the neighborhood over lunch and cracking a beer a little early. I used to work Fridays from home to save on the miserable 101 traffic.
But otherwise, as connected as we all are — IM, chat rooms, e-mail, phones, Skype, Facetime, Hangouts — it is still more productive to be around colleagues.
So far, those tools haven't found a way to capture the watercooler chat, those conversations that don't translate to IM or e-mail because they require a certain amount of human touch. Or, because you see someone that you had a question for, and wouldn't have thought of asking it had you not run into them. A name on a list of IMs isn't enough to trigger the question. It's tough to imagine a piece of software on a PC that could capture that, short of a holodeck.
Hey, Yahoo, there's an idea.
Follow @calebgarling


text:
Woman with cancer marries in hospital hours before her death
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut woman fighting breast cancer got married at a hospital 18 hours before she died.
Heather Mosher was dressed in her wedding gown and lying in bed wearing an oxygen mask as she and David Mosher said "I do" Dec. 22 at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford. The 31-year-old died the next day.
The East Windsor couple fell in love after meeting at a swing dancing class in 2015.
He told news organizations that on the day he planned to propose to her on Dec. 23, 2016, she was diagnosed with cancer. He went through with the proposal.
They originally planned to marry Dec. 30, 2017, but doctors urged them to do it sooner. Their planned wedding day ended up being the date of her funeral.
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doglips wrote:Anyone else reading Dynamo 5? BKV has been speaking highly of it on his forum, so I picked up the first three issues. Pretty good all in all, a great concept, some good dialogue and the art is decent.
Keepcoolbutcare wrote:doglips wrote:Anyone else reading Dynamo 5? BKV has been speaking highly of it on his forum, so I picked up the first three issues. Pretty good all in all, a great concept, some good dialogue and the art is decent.
just snagged it myself DL, good stuff, with lots of room for growth.
I like how the teammates can't sleep with each other 'cuz they're all related...or are they? That old lady is shady, no doubt about it.
DennisMM wrote:Reading some Ultimate comics and the question struck me, "Why does Reed Richards still wear glasses?" He can elongate and shape his anatomy at will. That should include the lenses of his eyes and I'd think after a while he'd be able to retain the shape without conscious effort.
DennisMM wrote:I just found it odd, after these several years. They've established he has no stomach, so why not something as obvious as glasses?
It would be a perfect "d'oh!" moment for Reed, wouldn't it? Also, he should be able to alter the shape of his eyes to allow for better distance or close focusing, sort of like having a built-in low-power telescope or magnifying glass.
Ellis via BADSIGNAL wrote:FREAKANGELS is a free online comic
debuting later this year, by myself
and artist Paul Duffield, via Avatar
Press. It's an open-ended, longform
story told in the equivalent of
five pages a week. I never got to
do weekly comics, unlike many of
my British peers, so this is fun for
me. We have a shitload of pages
already done, so there's a big
buffer in place.
I wanted to take a crack at something
open-ended in the webcomics mode,
and I've also been wanting to play
with steampunk styling. And also,
as has been my wont of late, I
wanted to do something British.
So welcome to Whitechapel, some
years from now, just barely above
ground in a flooded England. (I
pored over speculative floodmaps
to see what'd stay above water if
the Thames burst its barriers.)
Whitechapel is, among other things,
home to a clan of unrelated young
people with purple hair and purple
eyes: the Freakangels of the title.
And the Freakangels have a secret:
something bad is their fault.
Did you ever read The Midwich
Cuckoos (sp?)? Filmed as The Village
Of The Damned a few times. I
always wondered what those weird
psychic kids would be like if they'd
grown up to be disaffected teenagers
or twentysomethings.
Young, gifted and aimless, the
Freakangels gang have built some
kind of life for themselves in
Whitechapel -- one of them, KK,
even zooms around in a steam-
powered gyrocopter she built
herself. A life that starts to show
big cracks when a girl called Alice
from Manchester turns up with a
shotgun and a grievance, having
met the lost, prodigal last Freakangel,
who had very different ideas about
what they should do with themselves
and this flooded future England.
DennisMM wrote:Sorry, Leck. I'll take down my announcement if you like.
DennisMM wrote:I'd happily never work again (unlike some of you fools), but if I have to work this is a decent enough gig. I'm out locating books and when I return I bring for myself these five items that were just sitting on the shelf, waiting for me:
Jimmy Corrigan v.1
Identity Crisis
Graphic Novels: Stories to Change Your Life
The Science of Supervillains
The Amazing Transforming Superhero!
Life in an academic library ...
DaleTremont wrote:Am I that easy to read??!??!
...yes, essentially it is
Spifftacular SquirrelGirl wrote:Well it is all so very romantic.
Chilli wrote:Halfway through the Southland Tales prequel GN. Absolutely bat-shit insane, barely coherent and extremely confusing, but damn if it isn't a fine comic-book. Certainly gets the brain moving, and the scope is pretty out there.
wikipedia wrote:This happiness is short-lived, for at the end of the Fatal Attractions crossover, the adamantium is ripped from Wolverine's skeleton by Magneto. This act injures Wolverine so severely his mutant healing factor burns itself out in order to keep him alive. In fact, most of Wolverine's other natural abilities including his heightened senses, strength, stamina, agility, and reflexes are weakened as well.
Unwilling to accept his severely weakened state, Wolverine begins training in the Danger Room. In a fit of rage and frustration, his claws, now bone, extrude. Furthermore, each time he extrudes them, they pierce the skin of his hands and cause severe tissue damage and blood loss. Feeling useless, Logan embarks on a series of solo adventures, leaving a note with Jubilee to explains his views on the matter.
During these adventures, he encounters some past enemies, such as the adamantium-skinned Cyber, the Reaver Cylla, and the vampiric Bloodscream. Cyber ends up being the first to break Wolverine's newly discovered bone claws. While traveling alone, Wolverine stops for a training session with Generation X and encounters his Weapon X ally Maverick and his X-Men teammate Gambit in Madripoor, before learning Sabretooth is staying at Xavier's. Wolverine returns and defeats Sabretooth in battle while the X-Men are away. The battle ends with Wolverine puncturing Sabretooth's brain, temporarily altering Sabretooth's vicious personality until the injury is fully healed.
Later, tests and studies jointly conducted by Professor Charles Xavier, Beast, and Heather Hudson show the mutation endowing Wolverine with his powers is an ongoing process. Unlike most mutants, he continues to mutate slowly over the course of his life. As a result, Wolverine's powers, particularly his heightened senses and accelerated healing, slowly increase. However, after Wolverine's skeleton was bonded with adamantium by the Weapon X Program, this mutation was completely halted. The studies also reveal, aside from suppressing his ongoing mutation, the presence of adamantium also slowed his mutant healing factor. The adamantium laced to his skeleton is treated as a foreign substance by his healing factor, which constantly devotes a great deal of effort attempting to remove the metal, causing him to heal slower from other injuries. After Magneto ripped the adamantium from Wolverine's skeleton, and his body completely healed from the injuries, the mutation resumed, at a greatly accelerated rate. The studies show accelerated mutation has increased his powers beyond any other point in his life. It is also revealed during this time that Wolverine's mutation process will eventually cause him to degenerate physically into a more primitive, bestial state.
Some time later, the villain known as Genesis, who is the biological son of Wolverine's ally Cable, kidnaps Wolverine and attempts to re-bond adamantium to his skeleton in an attempt to transform Wolverine into a Horseman of Apocalypse. The attempt is unsuccessful, and the process pushes Wolverine so far to the edge that he becomes purely feral. Enraged, Wolverine stalks the Dark Riders in their headquarters and eventually kills them all before fleeing. With the help of Elektra and Stick, he is able to regain his humanity and reverse the bulk of his feral regression, though his increased powers remain.
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Lips Balsam 5 ml
Contains beeswax and propolis with a powerful anti-inflammatory and antiviral. Natural shea butter softens and provides shine and elasticity. All natural.
Lavender (Lavandula) is known as an aromatic plant since ancient times. It has been widely used in perfumery and natural medicine with remarkable effects against pain, as an antidote to poisons and as a healing, due to his powers of regeneration of damaged tissues. Lavender is a plant typically Mediterranean. With the development of the perfume industry, the planting area extended into the Balkan and Black Sea basin. The essential oil of lavender from Bulgaria rivals in their properties with other types of lavender produced in the world. It is distinguished by its fine long-lasting fragrance, sweet, fruity and floral, with soothing and woody tones. Besides relaxing and revitalizing effects, balances, soothes and stimulates simultaneously mood and body. The aroma of lavender relieves depression and ward off evil spirits.