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A national lab develops grid controls to handle renewable energy
RICHLAND, Wash. -- In an experimental control room at the Energy Department's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), small blips dart left and right on a display screen, recording distant signals from key points on the Western high-voltage grid at 30 times each second. Should the blips migrate past a security boundary on the display, an alarm would immediately warn that the grid was in jeopardy.
Such an early alert could have helped operators avoid the 1996 Western power blackout, which knocked out 30,000 megawatts of power -- equivalent to darkening 30 cities the size of Seattle. The advanced monitors in PNNL's Electricity Infrastructure Operations Center (EIOC) could also have averted or at least minimized the 2003 Northeast blackout, which cut off power to 50 million people, says Carl Imhoff, PNNL's electricity infrastructure manager.
"You would have seen Cleveland beginning to pull away from the rest of the system" more than an hour before the final cascading power loss, he explained.
The intermittent nature of wind and solar power now make the grid operators' world more complex. The looming emergence of electric vehicles and the need for ways to store more electricity and to get electricity consumers to reduce peak demands will add still more complexities, Imhoff said. "The grid is going to be changing a lot over the next 10 years. We want to anticipate that and to some extent, to guide it. Right now, I think we're kind of backing into the future," he said.
PNNL's ambitious aim is to manage at least some of that future by investing in innovations like the EIOC, and then carrying technology advances into the marketplace with its industry partners, its leaders say.
The result is a federal laboratory, funded by Congress, that seeks solutions in areas of climate policy, renewable energy integration and electric vehicles -- areas on which a clear political consensus has not been reached in Washington.
Peering over the political horizon
Imhoff and other PNNL leaders are eager to offer the EIOC as an example of the lab's commitment to tackle issues that lie over the horizon, even if it had to get started on its own.
PNNL, which falls under DOE's Office of Science, is authorized to set aside a few percent of its $1.1 billion annual budget from Congress -- about $50 million per year -- for its Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. That funded development of the EIOC.
"This laboratory invested its own money and partnered with industry to create the EIOC five years ago. Nobody knew that you needed it except us, because we gave it enough thought and understood what the scientific gaps were," said Terry Walton, energy and environmental sector manager at PNNL. "We are thinking about this laboratory in terms of decadal challenges."
The display in the EIOC is driven by synchrophasor technology, the hottest front in the management of transmission systems. The Energy Department awarded $147 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act smart grid grants to 10 phasor projects nationwide last year, matched by the grant recipients, in a major expansion of the government-industry North American SynchroPhasor Initiative.
The phasor units' split-second measures of power flows are time-stamped via satellite to synchronize readings from generators, even units hundreds of miles apart. Then the sea of data must be translated through high-speed computing into displays that can guide grid operators' actions.
"Over the course of the last 10 years, the lab has chosen to invest in initiatives to build new capabilities or result in discoveries that lead to more long-lasting benefits for DOE and the country," said Suresh Baskaran, PNNL's manager of energy efficiency programs.
'You guys are different'
PNNL's initiatives have been welcomed by DOE under the Obama administration, Walton says. The message from DOE: "You guys are different. We like it. Don't lose it."
"I sound like I'm selling, but I'm really excited about what we're doing," Walton said.
The sales pitch is apparent during a visit to PNNL, which must vie with other national labs for DOE funding and has a big stake in how warmly Congress responds to its research initiatives. "We are a $1 billion laboratory. But in fact, nobody gives us that money. We have to compete for that," Walton said.
The laboratory, with 4,900 employees, is outside Richland's center in southeast Washington. Its roots go back to the Manhattan Project in World War II, when the lab was part of the Hanford Site, where the Columbia River's water cooled reactors that produced plutonium for the Nagasaki atomic bomb, and later for the U.S. Cold War nuclear arsenal. PNNL was separated from the Hanford Site in 1965, but still does a relatively small amount of geological research related to the contamination risk from radioactive wastes stored below ground at the adjacent Hanford Site.
Its expertise in chemistry contributes to research on advanced batteries for power storage, a crucial application for managing wind power. The lab's background in geology feeds into research on underground storage in mineral form of separated carbon from coal power plants.
PNNL's interest in grid controls began in 1992, says Imhoff. The 1996 blackout, the 2000-2001 California energy crisis, and the 2003 blackout added to the urgency of the effort.
"We said, we need a laboratory for our grid work. We want to work with phasor data. It's very hard to get, and when you get it, you've got to aggressively protect it. ... That's why we wanted this room, so we could work on full system models with live new data sets, and on the new visualization tools."
Helping an industry that is slow to lead
Another EIOC display shows the concentration of electrical power loads and the weak points in the transmission network where the grid would break apart in a severe outage. "You can't buy any of these right now. It's being beta tested," Imhoff said. Testing and training are the main EIOC functions. It isn't used for day-to-day grid management, but it could be, Imhoff says.
"There is going to be an explosion of data [on the grid], just like in every other aspect of our life," Imhoff said. "And the data isn't worth anything. What you need is information. The question is how to distill the right information for operators, and give it to them at the right time, with security and privacy. This is one of the big challenges we face.
"Congress doesn't spend a lot on the grid," Imhoff said. The view in the recent Bush administration was, 'If it's so important, industry will step up and do it.'" But with some notable exceptions, the utility industry has been slow to lead, he added.
"When I hear people bad-mouthing stimulus money, saying we got no benefit out of it, well, they just don't understand. There's a huge transformation going on." The industry money was slow in coming to the table until they got that push, he said. The technological advances "are really accelerated by these stimulus dollars that everyone is so upset about. And it's going to deliver substantial value that most folks will never even hear about," Imhoff said.
PNNL was launched in 1965, managed by the nonprofit Battelle Memorial Institute, based in Columbus, Ohio. Walton said it is this connection to the private sector that also sets the laboratory apart. "We realize the value and necessity of partnering with the private sector to deliver solutions," said Walton.
CO2 capture and great big batteries
One such collaboration, with Babcock and Wilcox, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Electric Power Research Institute, aims at defining concepts that could dramatically lower the cost of separating CO2 from power plant emissions and storing it safely below ground and at a manageable cost.
Michael Davis, who heads PNNL's Energy and Environment Directorate, says the key may be modifying existing coal plant emissions scrubber systems to separate CO2 along with the oxides of sulfur and nitrogen. Step two is to contain the CO2 in underground basalt formations where it could safely convert to mineral form for safe, long-lasting storage. PNNL sees evidence of it working in the lab. If it does so in practice, it could be an answer to worries that CO2 sequestered under pressure below ground might accidentally leak to the surface with possibly dire consequences.
"We're investing $50 million over five years, a very large investment for us, in development of breakthrough technologies for the capture of CO2," said Walton. "We're building the right kind of teams" for that.
Another venture links PNNL with EaglePicher Technologies, a division of OM Group, in a quest to produce a cheaper storage battery system for utilities, to help back up wind and solar generation. EaglePicher has made its name producing advanced batteries for U.S. military and space applications. A grant from DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy funds the effort.
The Japanese firm NGK is now the only major commercial manufacturer of sodium-sulfur batteries being purchased now by some utilities. Its units have a thick tubular design, suited to sealing in the dangerously volatile sodium. If the battery could be made in a thinner, flattened form, battery efficiency could jump by 30 percent and manufacturing costs could drop dramatically, says senior research scientist Gordon Graff.
PNNL's mission is to direct research at potential breakthroughs that would keep the nation on a path toward meeting 10-, 20- and 50-year energy and environmental goals -- goals that Imhoff says are not much in doubt. "I hear virtually nobody debate whether the changes in carbon concentrations are effected by human behavior. I hear very few people argue that there's not going to be climate change," Imhoff said.
"The nation needs to be asking, what power system do we want? How do the new technologies enable us to get that in a way that maintains our global competitiveness and cyber security and meets our energy goals around carbon and energy imports?" he added.
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Apologetics - Booklets
Please choose from below, or, if you would prefer to mail in an order, simply make your selections, then print and mail your shopping cart page. (You can click on the title of each talk to see a brief description of the talk.)
Books are shipped separately from any CD's or tapes that are ordered.
There are no products available.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Association for Management Information Systems student group will host an "e-cycling" event to recycle old electronics April 30, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology parking lot.
The lot is located just off Eleventh Street next to the Memorial Field House and Miller Stadium. It is behind the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.
The IUP student group is working with JVS Environmental for the recycling project. Items that may be recycled include computers, laptops, printers, copiers, fax machines, televisions, computer monitors, radio equipment, cables, cords, mice, speakers, and keyboards.
There will be a $5 charge per monitor and a $10 charge per television, as these items contain lead. All other items will be recycled free of charge.
For more information, email email@example.com.
The Association for Management Information Systems provides a forum for students interested in the management information systems field.


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University Task Authoring SERVICES. Predicament STUDY Document Posting Providers
EssayWritersWorld.com can be described as provider cooked with talented scholastic experts and investigators for classes assignment writing and all types of publishing products and services. We provide a wide range of academic publishing works the best for students in almost any levels numerous from elderly term paper writing service senior high school degree to PhD. Read more


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Solid Oak Hardwood Ledge and Brace Doors Butt & Bead - readymade
Our Solid Hardwood Oak doors available are available in a choice of sizes and finishes.
This product is for a butt and bead complete door, butt and bead to both faces unless specified you just need to select your required size and finish.
These doors are handmade in a factory in Lincolnshire, therefore we are able to make any custom size you require.They are available to buy as a kit or as a complete door. The kit would consist of all machined parts ready to be glued together and the complete door would be complete apart from the diagonal braces which will come loose to able you to decide on which side you would like to hang your door.
All our doors are made of solid European Oak, They are a rustic finish(character) and have natural knots . If you select an unfinished product knots will not be filled. If you have selected a Lacquered or Oiled finish all knots will be fill and sealed.
If you would prefer a clean finish (prime) free from knots or imperfections please select a prime grade from the drop down menu.
If you want a special size or would like some more information please call the office on 01205 722700 amd a member of our team will be happy to help.
Available complete with a hand forged ironmongery pack this includes :-
2 x Penny Tee Hinges 18" (a pair)
1 x Suffolk Latch set
Supplied with necessary screws.


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Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages had Alzheimer's disease in 2015. The numbers are projected to double by 2050. The cost in 2015 for all individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias is estimated at $226 billion.
Targeting amyloid in patients with Alzheimer's disease may not be enough to stop the progression of the disease. We urgently need to identify drug targets that not only slow the progression but, more importantly, repair the damaged brain in Alzheimer's disease.
The research is now being directed towards the repair mechanism and the biochemical cascades that promote cell survival and regeneration. The generation of new neurons requires adequate blood supply to meet the energy and nutritional demand, thus the process of neurogenesis and angiogenesis are linked together and are coordinated.
We demonstrated that stimulation of endothelin B receptors using PMZ-1620 produced a marked recovery. In Alzheimer's disease animal model, we validated that PMZ-1620 (Sovateltide) significantly improved learning and memory deficit, decreased oxidative stress, and enhanced angiogenesis as well as neurogenesis.
A significant improvement in learning and memory deficit was also found in APP/PS1 [Tg(APPSwFlLon,PSEN1*M146L*L286V)6799Vas] transgenic mice which overexpress both mutant human APP(695) with the Swedish (K670N, M671L), Florida (I716V), and London (V717I) FAD mutations and human PS1 harboring two FAD mutations, M146L and L286V.
Clinical stage – Phase I (CTRI/2016/11/007509) completed; Phase II (NCT04052737) ongoing
Alzheimer's Disease (PMZ-1620 (Sovateltide))


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CDC health disparities and inequalities report--U.S. 2013
Published Date:November 22, 2013
Series:MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report ; v. 62, suppl. no. 3
Alternative Title:CHDIR ; Health disparities & inequalities report--United States, 2013 ; Health disparities and inequalities report--United States, 2011 ;
Corporate Authors:
Description:Foreword -- Introduction: CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report--United States, 2013 -- Social Determinants of Health -- Education and income--United States, 2009 and 2011 -- Access to healthier food retailers--United States, 2011 -- Unemployment--United States, 2006 and 2010 -- -- Environmental Hazards -- Nonfatal work-related injuries and illnesses--United States, 2010 -- Fatal work-related injuries--United States, 2005–2009 -- Residential proximity to major highways--United States, 2010 -- -- Health-Care Access and Preventive Services -- Colorectal cancer incidence and screening--United States, 2008 and 2010 -- Health insurance coverage--United States, 2008 and 2010 -- Seasonal influenza vaccination coverage--United States, 2009–10 and 2010–11 -- -- Behavioral Risk Factors -- Pregnancy and childbirth among females aged 10–19 years--United States, 2007–2010 -- Binge drinking--United States, 2011 -- Cigarette smoking--United States, 2006-2008 and 2009-2010 -- -- Health Outcomes: Morbidity -- Expected years of life free of chronic condition–induced activity limitations--United States, 1999–2008 -- Asthma attacks among persons with current asthma--United States, 2001–2010 -- Diabetes--United States, 2006 and 2010 -- Health-related quality of life--United States, 2006 and 2010 -- HIV infection--United States, 2008 and 2010 -- Obesity--United States, 1999–2010 -- Periodontitis among adults aged ≥30 years--United States, 2009–2010 -- Preterm births--United States, 2006 and 2010 -- Potentially preventable hospitalizations--United States, 2001–2009 -- Prevalence of hypertension and controlled hypertension--United States, 2007–2010 -- Tuberculosis--United States, 1993–2010 -- -- Health Outcomes: Mortality -- Coronary heart disease and stroke deaths--United States, 2009 -- Drug-induced deaths--United States, 1999–2010 -- Homicides--United States, 2007 and 2009 -- Infant deaths--United States, 2005–2008 -- Motor vehicle–related deaths--United States, 2005 and 2009 -- Suicides--United States, 2005–2009 -- Conclusion and future directions: CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report--United States, 2013.
The MMWR series of publications is published by the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA 30333.
This supplement is the second CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report (CHDIR). The 2011 CHDIR was the first CDC report to assess disparities across a wide range of diseases, behavioral risk factors, environmental exposures, social determinants, and health-care access (CDC. CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report--United States, 2011. MMWR 2011;60[Suppl; January 14, 2011]). The 2013 CHDIR provides new data for 19 of the topics published in 2011 and 10 new topics. When data were available and suitable analyses were possible for the topic area, disparities were examined for population characteristics that included race and ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, socioeconomic status, and geographic location. The purpose of this supplement is to raise awareness of differences among groups regarding selected health outcomes and health determinants and to prompt actions to reduce disparities. The findings in this supplement can be used by practitioners in public health, academia and clinical medicine; the media; the general public; policymakers; program managers; and researchers to address disparities and help all persons in the United States live longer, healthier, and more productive lives.
Document Type:
Place as Subject:
Main Document Checksum:urn:sha256:00674bc62aa4bf12ab4e46502d5ca1484dccf79157ad9df3e5e161d6cd68ce0c
Supporting Files:No Additional Files
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2017 SMIC Update: What to Do Now
SMICs can be useful tools, but new requirements abound.
By David B. Mandell, JD, MBA and Carole C. Foos, CPA
Physicians and medical practice executives are often looking for ways to protect the practice from potential claims, reduce risks, and reduce taxes. That is why small insurance companies (or "SMICs"), often referred to as "captives" or "closely-held insurance companies," have been popular planning tools for the last 20 years. In fact, those authorized under tax section 831(b) can trace their structure to this code section back to at least 1986. However, just in the last year, we have seen several potential changes to how these companies are being looked at by the federal government, both good and bad. This article provides an update on the changes impacting SMICs at the outset of 2017.
What is a Small Insurance Company (SMIC)?
The SMIC we will discuss here is a properly-licensed, US-based insurance company–domiciled in one of the states that have special legislation for small insurance companies. While some advisors promote insurance arrangements in small international jurisdictions to take advantage of lower creation and maintenance costs, we think it is advisable to domicile SMICs in the US. Several states' captive insurance statutes allow formation for reasonable costs, therefore we find domestic options to be the best choice.
SMIC as a Risk Management Tool
Though it may have significant tax benefits, the SMIC must always be established with a real insurance purpose. There are requirements for an insurance company to be a facility for transferring risk and protecting assets. Practitioners who specialize in this area have found ways of maximizing long-term profit while reducing unnecessary risk within the insurance statutes. How risk is managed and how much risk can be insured in a captive will be answered based on your particular situation. The nice thing is that there is a great deal of flexibility in how the SMIC can benefit a client.
Specifically, clients can use the SMIC to supplement their existing insurance policies. The SMIC can insure deductibles, copayments, and excluded risks. Such "excess" protection gives the client the security of knowing that the company and its owners will not be wiped out by a lawsuit award exceeding traditional coverage limits. In this case, you could think of the SMIC as a tax-efficient, asset-protected war chest to cover potential future losses.
Most physicians are acutely aware of medical malpractice, but there are many other risks to doctors as employers and recipients of insurance (and Medicare). The SMIC can be used to protect the doctor and practice from employment liability, insurance audits, HIPAA defense and a variety of other risks that will vary based on your practice size, revenue, number of employees, and other factors. This protection can be of significant value and potentially very profitable to the SMIC if you manage risk well. In some instances, the SMIC may even allow the client to reduce existing insurance, since the SMIC policy will provide additional coverage.
Some doctors choose to use an SMIC to provide flexibility by using customized policies not easily found in the commercial space. For example, you may desire a liability policy that would pay your legal fees (and allow full choice of attorney) but would not provide any benefit to creditors or claimants (what we call "Shallow Pockets" policies). This prevents the client from appearing as a "Deep Pocket" (a prime lawsuit target). Avoiding this appearance is a valuable asset-protection strategy that is stressed in our book For Doctors Only: A Guide to Working Less and Building More.
The SMIC has the flexibility to add coverage for liabilities excluded by traditional general liability policies, such as wrongful termination, harassment, or even ADA violations. Given that the awards in these areas can be over $1 million per case, the SMIC can provide valuable protection here.
New Statute Impacting SMICs
While these risk management and asset protection benefits remain unchanged, the federal government has recently implemented changes to the tax aspects of SMICs.
Specifically, in December 2015, Congress passed and President Obama signed a so-called "Tax Extenders" bill titled H.R. 34, which included Section 262 titled, "Modifications to Alternative Tax for Certain Small Insurance Companies."This law, effective January 1, 2017, increases the potential annual coverage for an 831(b) SMIC from $1.2 million to $2.2 million–the first such increase in 30 years. It is also now indexed for inflation. This a great boon to SMICs which have until this point been restricted to the $1.2 million annual limit when their insured companies could justify higher premium amounts.
While this law expanded the annual premium limit, it also codified a restrictive ruling as to who can own 831(b) SMICs. In the past, many SMICs were owned by estate planning vehicles for future generations, such as trusts and family-owned limited liability companies. The new law limits the ability to have owners of the CIC different from the owners of the insured companies, virtually eliminating such estate planning options going forward. As a result, many clients with such estate planning tools in place must re-mediate their structures or close them and potentially open new SMIC structures that are compliant with this new law.
New Notice Requirements Impacting SMICs
In November 2016, the IRS issued Notice 2016-66 that impacts SMICs and their owners and advisors. This notice, while recognizing that 831(b) SMIC structures can be legitimate, also now states that such tools are considered "Transactions of Interest," in the IRS' efforts to reign in abuses in the field. This "Transaction of "Interest" designation requires clients and advisors involved with 831(b) SMIC arrangements that meet the criteria in the Notice to file Form 8886 "Reportable Transaction Disclosure Statement" or Form 8918 "Material Advisor Disclosure Statement." As one would imagine, the idea of having to file special notices to the IRS is troubling for many clients, even if their attorneys, CPAs, and captive managers feel that this is a positive development for the industry to weed out abusive players.
What To Do Now: You Don't Have a SMIC
As we have discussed, 831(b) SMICs are still part of the tax code and the new favorable statute went into effect at the start of this year. On the other hand, the new reporting requirements may prove to have a chilling effect on clients considering implementation of a new SMIC. In particular, many clients may not want to step into an environment where they will need to send a disclosure to the IRS about their "transaction of interest."
Two other factors may lead to a prudent "wait and see" approach:
1. A few tax court cases on SMICs that may further impact the area are expected to be decided in the first half of 2017.
2. The new administration in Washington, including the new Treasury secretary, may change priorities for the IRS which could also impact the area.
What To Do Now: You Already Have a SMIC
Clients who already have SMICs in place will likely be subject to the reporting requirement even if they close their SMICs in 2017 – although such clients should discuss with their captive managers and tax advisors to be sure. In our experience, many SMIC owners are now seriously considering closing their existing captive, not only because of the new notice requirements, but also to comply with the new overall-beneficial statute.
Per above, while this statute expanded the possible insurance premiums per year by $1 million, it also restricted the types of owners who can own the SMIC going forward. For many SMIC owners who had an estate-planning element of their SMIC structure, the new law means they must shut down their existing SMIC and start up a new one. For others, closing is just one of several options.
Regardless, because of the new notice requirements and changes due to the estate planning elements of the new statute, most SMIC owners need to do something. Many are now looking at the economics of several different exit strategies—if only to keep their options open—and perhaps finally get some liquidity out their SMIC.
For physicians who are interested in better management of these risks, desire asset protection, and want to build tax-favored wealth over the long term, an SMIC may be an important planning tool. However, a "wait and see" approach may be most prudent at this current time, particularly as new IRS changes and requirements are implemented, as these may prompt some who have SMICs in place to look at exit strategies.
David B. Mandell, JD, MBA, is an attorney, author, and a principal of the financial consulting firm OJM Group www.ojmgroup.com, where Carole C. Foos, CPA is a principal and lead tax consultant. They can be reached at 877-656-4362 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
OJM Group, LLC. ("OJM") is an SEC registered investment adviser with its principal place of business in the State of Ohio. OJM and its representatives are in compliance with the current notice filing and registration requirements imposed upon registered investment advisers by those states in which OJM maintains clients. OJM may only transact business in those states in which it is registered, or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. For information pertaining to the registration status of OJM, please contact OJM or refer to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure web site www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
For additional information about OJM, including fees and services, send for our disclosure brochure as set forth on Form ADV using the contact information herein. Please read the disclosure statement carefully before you invest or send money.
This article contains general information that is not suitable for everyone. The information contained herein should not be construed as personalized legal or tax advice. There is no guarantee that the views and opinions expressed in this article will be appropriate for your particular circumstances. Tax law changes frequently, accordingly information presented herein is subject to change without notice. You should seek professional tax and legal advice before implementing any strategy discussed herein.


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Hypnotism specialist is the highly knowledgeable and skilled astrologers in the field of astrology. Hypnotism is a type of vashikaran that helps you to get attract your beloved and your desired person. With the convince talk if you try to agree someone then it is not certain that will work with quite satisfaction. This way of attracting someone to you by calm and attractive talk is not a wise idea. This process may take much valuable time of you. Hypnotism is a real process and work quickly to attract your desired one. Hypnotism is not a superstition or magic that someone round a magical wand on you and you become hypnotize for that person. Almost people use this process to get fascinates your desired one to you and to pull him/her towards you forever. Effect of it always remains on your love and you can ask that person to chase your orders. Our hypnotism specialist are skilled and practitioner in this field and done with a loads of cases. Any kind of trouble concerns with your career, to ailing enemy and business and so on other problems will get solve with true satisfaction with the help of hypnotism specialist.
What is hypnotism?
Hypnotism is not a miraculous art that bind up you for a action or for someone. It is a natural process and fine state of our mind, except this hypnotism is combination of self- confidence and inner power that help you to get attract or build other person follower of you. Every child is born with their own specialties, self-confidence is one of them and it is the base of hypnotism activity. Muslim astrologer performs this with unique powers. One single mistake in vashikaran process can harm you terribly and dreadful outcomes you can get. Awareness is the first demand of successful hypnotism.
Who is hypnotism specialist?
Hypnotism specialist is the professional and trained hypnotizer. For a normal person this process is beyond the limit of knowledge. Loads of year of dedication, penance and research is required to being trained in it. Muslim hypnotism specialist is the person who has solved many cases of hypnotism successfully and blessed with influenced peoples. He is the emissary of god and here to get you out from all bad conditions.


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The 18th century: church records
Church records are a valuable source of information about the local population. Often they are the only record of the life of a black person in Bristol. Many are only known because they were married in church, or had their children baptised. Mary Columbus and Joseph Thomas, are described in the St Stephen's Church marriage register as 'A negro' and 'a negress' from Jamaica in the Caribbean. They worked as servants for a merchant called Heathcote who lived in St. Stephen's parish. They were married in Bristol in 1702. Pictured here is a 1673 drawing of St Stephen's Church where the two servants married.
A black couple, 'a pastry maker' called Commodore and Venus, were married at St. Michael's Church, Bristol, in 1721. Commodore may have been a free man, but there is not way of telling this from the church records.
William Rice and Rebecca Neale were married in the church of St. Augustine the Less (next to Bristol Cathedral) in September 1728. They are described in the church register as 'Blacks'. Their four daughters, Mary, Betty, Susannah and Mary, were baptised in the same church. The daughters' baptism records do not mention their colour. Shown here is a drawing of St Augustine's Church, made in 1673, where the Neale couple were married and their family baptised.
The burial register of St Augustine's Church records two burials, of Captain Caster's 'black man' in 1766 and Captain Harwood's 'black boy' in 1770. Captains of slave ships often had a black slave as a personal servant. They would have ended their days in Bristol, having been bought by the ship's captain in Africa or the Caribbean and brought back as a personal servant.
In 1778, a 12 year old black boy known as Ned was buried in the graveyard of the old church of Quakers Friars in Bristol. He was a servant to a friend of the local Champion family. The Champions were Quakers , and were involved in the trade with the Caribbean and the local pottery industry.
Sometimes it is a gravestone that records the life of a black resident of Bristol. The most well-known is that of Scipio Africanus, in Henbury churchyard, just outside Bristol. Scipio Africanus, whose real name we do not know, was servant to Charles William, Earl of Suffolk and Bindon, who married one of the Astry family of Henbury House. The black servant was named after an ancient Roman general of African origin, Scipio Africanus. The nick-name contrasts the servant's lowly position as a slave with the status of the high-ranking Roman general of the same name. Scipio Africanus died in December 1720 at the age of 18. Little more is known about him. He might have been with the Earl for many years or only a few, we don't know how long he had been in Henbury. There is no record in the church registers of his burial, although he has one of the most ornate graves in the churchyard. Pictured here are the headstone and footstone for his grave. The footstone reads:
I who was Born a PAGAN and a SLAVE
Now Sweetly Sleep a CHRISTIAN in my Grave
What tho my hue was dark my SAVIORS sight
Shall Change this darkness into radiant light
Such grace to me my Lord on earth has given
To recommend me to my Lord in heaven
Whose glorious second coming here I wait
With saints and Angels Him to celebrate
The verse on the stone at Scipio's feet refers to him becoming a Christian and the benefits of this Christian belief. Scipio Africanus's tombstone still stands in the Henbury Churchyard, near Bristol.


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Listen to Get Down , the latest track from Chris Brown, featuring B.o.B. & T-Pain. The cut dropped on Tuesday, June 26th, 2012. Chris Brown's future brightens with every new release, and Get Down certainly isn't an exception. It's a fitting addition to a solid catalogue that Chris Brown has been developing since stepping foot in the game. We're excited to hear more.
Hear more of Chris Brown on Mirage , featuring Nas. If you're down, make sure to visit Chris Brown's profile page for the newest info, news, songs, and mixtapes.
Is this a good combination? Let us know what you think, folks.
Quotable Lyrics
"I hit the spot girls, get it get it get down
Traveling around the world get it get it get down
Uh I know you rock it girl get it get it get down
Just top to the floor you show it all
You know what you're doing baby
Get that body movin baby
Won't you back it up on me
You keep wondering about my throw this money in the.."


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This house is for sale in De Kelders. This is a private property sale. The following description of this suburb will give you a better idea of De Kelders. De Kelders (translation: The Caves) is a coastal village situated next to GansbaaiContinue reading...
This house is situated in a Residential Suburb
This single storey house floor area was measured at 145m2 and erf size was measured at 595m2.
If you make an online offer using the Make An Offer button MyRoof will let you know if your offer was successful. To make an offer takes less than a minute. By selling privately the owner can reduce his asking price by as much as 7% (agents commission is up to 7%) and still get the same money in his pocket! That is why buying private property makes so much sense. Feel free to contact us for more information.
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George Paginton: Painting a Nation Exhibition
January 5
An event every day that begins at 12:00 am, repeating until February 9, 2020
Connect with beautiful landscape paintings that capture scenes in the Region of Peel and across Canada. Created in the tradition of the world-famous Group of Seven painters, this exhibition reveals his private passion for the Canadian landscape and use of expressive brush strokes.
Regular admission.


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This super-muscly kangaroo crushes metal buckets for fun
There must be something in the water Down Under.
Just in May, a large, surprisingly muscly kangaroo was hanging out in a neighbourhood of Brisbane, Australia, just doing what male kangaroos do — eating grass, working out, chatting up babes and making headlines. But now he has a challenger.
Roger, who resides at the Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs, stands two-metres tall with a weight of 89 kilograms. His pectorals are impressive, to say the least.
Found as an orphan joey around eight years ago by Chris Brolga, the star of television show Kangaroo Dundee, Roger has been raised at the sanctuary. Roaming 50 acres and grazing on hay, grass and grain, this guy likes to kick box and crush metal buckets for fun.
Tahnee Barns, who works at the Kangaroo Sanctuary, assured Mashable Australia his size was completely normal for an alpha red male kangaroo. "He's still growing so he'll get bigger," she said. "The bigger they are, the more likely they are to win the females."
He's pretty strong and fights other kangaroos from time to time, she added. He will sometimes make a run at Brolga because they're the same height and he sees him as competition, Barns said.
He may be all Arnold Schwarzenegger now, but like all of us, this guy also has embarrassing photos from his teen years. Here he is clutching a plush bunny.
(H/T Daily Mail Australia)


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|Till a man can judge whether they be truths or not, his understanding is but little improved, and thus men of much reading, though greatly learned, but may be little knowing.
– John LockeRate it:
|Till last by Philip's farm I flowTo join the brimming river,For men may come and men may go,But I go on for ever.
– Alfred Lord TennysonRate it:
|Till the sun of knowledge shines on the ignorant masses and till all the men start hating violence, the world shall find no peace!
– Mehmet Murat ildanRate it:
|Till then fool is alive ,clever will survive.
– Saleem ChoudharyRate it:
|Till we attain immortality, all life will remain just an illusion!
– Mehmet Murat ildanRate it:
|Time advances: facts accumulate; doubts arise. Faint glimpses of truth begin to appear, and shine more and more unto the perfect day. The highest intellects, like the tops of mountains, are the first to catch and to reflect the dawn. They are bright, while the level below is still in darkness. But soon the light, which at first illuminated only the loftiest eminences, descends on the plain, and penetrates to the deepest valley. First come hints, then fragments of systems, then defective systems, then complete and harmonious systems. The sound opinion, held for a time by one bold speculator, becomes the opinion of a small minority, of a strong minority, of a majority of mankind. Thus, the great progress goes on.
– Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron MacaulayRate it:
|Time alone will tell the future, but fate shall always have her way.
– Alex LeybovichRate it:
|Time and respect are the only two ingredients that makes love worthwhile.
– Sipho P NkosiRate it:
|Time and tide waits for none
– amar nathRate it:
|Time and tides wait for none
– C. S. LewisRate it:
|Time as he grows old teaches all things.
– AeschylusRate it:
|Time as he grows old teaches many lessons.
– AeschylusRate it:
|Time cancels young pain.
– EuripidesRate it:
|Time change - Moments don't.
– Abhishek ShuklaRate it:
|Time cools, time clarifies no mood can be maintained quite unaltered through the course of hours.
– Mark TwainRate it:
|Time cools, time clarifies; no mood can be maintained quite unaltered through the course of hours.
– Mark TwainRate it:
|Time crumbles things everything grows old under the power of Time and is forgotten through the lapse of Time.
– AristotleRate it:
|Time crumbles things; everything grows old under the power of Time and is forgotten through the lapse of Time.
– Aristotle, PhysicsRate it:
|Time discovers truth.
– Lucius Annaeus SenecaRate it:
|Time does not always pass at the same speed. We are the ones who determine that speed.
– Paulo Coelho, The PilgrimageRate it:
|Time does not change us. It just unfolds us.
– Max FrischRate it:
|Time doesn't mean anything when you're about to have water lapping at your door.
– Immigration Minister Peter DuttonRate it:
|Time doesn't heal all wounds.
– EkkoRate it:
|Time doesn't really heal, it just makes you not to give a crap.
– David BaldacciRate it:


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Evening shoes
People and Brands:
Medium: Black crepe, silver metallic leather
Date: 1936
Country: USA
Credit: Gift of Carroll Cook
Shoes became more visible—and thus more important aesthetically—as hemlines rose during the 1920s. Evening shoes were especially stunning, and often featured elaborate embroidery or beadwork. By the 1930s, surface ornamentation was largely replaced by bold, geometric designs that revealed the influence of art moderne.
Object Number: 88.2.25


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Colgate Thirteen Brings Acapella Tunes to Cheshire Home
On Friday afternoon, Cheshire Home welcomed The Colgate Thirteen- Colgate University's all-male acapella group. The guys each brought such talent to their performance, and a bit of humor as well! Residents and staff enjoyed an assortment of songs.
Founded over 70 years ago, The Colgate Thirteen brings old and new music to their audiences with over 75 songs! They are Colgate University's "ambassadors of good will", performing 50 concerts each semester and traveling over 13,000 miles each year. This group has a long history of musical performances and many traditions.
Thank you to The Colgate Thirteen for helping us kick off our weekend in such a fun way! We enjoyed your visit and welcome you to Cheshire Home anytime!


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This BBQ chicken salad is one of my favorite salad recipe. It is the perfect meal for a hot summer day and a great lunch any day of the week.
We've been having a heat wave in Portland. And one thing is for sure, when the temperatures get above 90 degrees the last thing I want to do is turn on my oven! Salads seem to be the meal of choice around here when the temperatures are high.
This BBQ Chicken Salad is the perfect solution to leftover chicken. You can also buy a rotisserie chicken at the store. If you absolutely have to cook the chicken yourself, be sure and check out my post on how to cook chicken in the microwave or my favorite slow cooker shredded chicken recipe. Just add some BBQ sauce to the cooked chicken and you have what you need for this BBQ chicken salad.
Then I use a combination of corn, black beans, fresh tomatoes, Monterey Jack Cheese, avocado over romaine lettuce to finish off the salad. I love a salad that is easy to put together and delicious. This BBQ Chicken salad is both of those things.
You can top it with a favorite salad dressing or, like me, use a combination of Ranch and BBQ Sauce. Then just give it a good toss and it is ready to enjoy.
This is one of those salads I can eat over and over again all summer and not get tired of it. I always top it with some tortilla strips for a little extra crunch. I'm a big fan of crunch in my salads.
Some of my other favorite summer salad recipes:
- Strawberry Watermelon Orzo Salad
- Delicious Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
- My favorite Strawberry Spinach Salad
Some of my favorite kitchen tools I use to make BBQ Chicken Salad:
6 PIECE MEASURING CUP SET – Everyone needs at least one set of measuring cups, I have 4 sets!
MAGNETIC MEASURING SPOONS – I love these things. They are magnetic so they stay together in the drawer!
For all of my other favorite kitchen products and tools visit my Amazon Store.
Did you know I wrote a cookbook? Check out the Holiday Slow Cooker Cookbook for 100 delicious recipes
BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe
BBQ Chicken Salad
- 2 chicken breasts shredded chicken covered in your favorite BBQ Sauce
- 1/3 cup bbq sauce
- 6 cups Romaine lettuce
- 1 cup corn drained
- 1 cup black beans drained
- 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese grated
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 avocado diced
- Tortilla strips
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 1/4 cup bbq sauce
- 1 cup tortilla strips
- Cook and shredded chicken. Cover in 1/3 cup of bbq sauce or more if needed.
- Combine romaine lettuce, corn, black beans Monterey Jack cheese, tomato, avocado.
- Mix together 1/4 cup ranch dressing and 1/4 cup bbq sauce and add to salad, stir to coat. I prefer to just drizzle the two separately over the salad and then toss.
- Garnish with tortilla strips
Nutrition Facts:
Need some help figuring out what's for dinner tonight?
Come join our Facebook Group! Join hundreds of others who love sharing dinner time ideas. You don't want to miss out on the fun!
You'll find lots of ideas for dinner from all our awesome members and you can share your ideas too! Join the Family Dinner Table today.
Originally posted August 2010


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KEYWORD SEARCH: search collections using keyword terms. You can enter a general keyword which will search across all fields or you may narrow the search to just one field (e.g. subject, title, author, etc.)
BROWSE: search an alphabetical list.
For example, choose title option from the drop-down, enter search term "installation". The system will retrieve all books with titles that start with the word "installation".
ADVANCED SEARCH: offers advanced search options such as the ISBN, ISSN, publisher/gallery, and rare book collection searches.
COURSE RESERVES: search for course texts by course code or instructor name.
BY ARTIST: On the Keyword Search page, enter "exhibition" and name of artist, subject, gallery, etc., in the general search.
e.g. "exhibition" and "Micah Lexier"
BY GALLERY: On the Advanced Search screen, select "Publisher/Gallery" from the drop-down menu. Enter the name of the gallery.
On the Advanced Search screen, enter a search term (from either the general, author, or title keyword options) and select "Rare Book Collection" from the limiters.
KEYWORD: On the Keyword Search page, enter "artists' book" and the name of the artist or any other keyword.
e.g. "artists' book" and "blue"
TITLE: If you know the title of the artists' book, go to the "Browse" page and select "title" from the drop-down menu.


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The multi-award-winning duo Zak Ghazi-Torbati and Toby Marlow (co-writer of Six The Musical) bring their anarchy-filled cabaret comedy Hot Gay Time Machine to Trafalgar Studios.
An annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe hit, Hot Gay Time Machine is the cabaret extravaganza that promises to well and truly SLEIGH this Christmas. Full to the brim with aggressively enthusiastic dance routines and hilarious original musical numbers, Hot Gay Time Machine has all the ingredients for the perfect festive night on the town – for adults only, of course!
The dynamic, hilarious double-act sing, shimmy and sashay the audience on a time travelling adventure through the history of their favourite topic: themselves. Covering all the most important moments in a gay man's life, like coming out to your mum and navigating the naked politics of the school locker room, this is a Christmas party like no other.
Raucous, riotous, and subtly moving, Hot Gay Time Machine will leave you with your sides aching and your heart full. What are you waiting for, gay marriage? Well you've got that already, so come party with the gays!
Please note that latecomers will not be admitted.


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Roth, Markus and Alber, I. and Bagnoud, V. and Brown, C. R. D. and Clarke, R. and Daido, H. and Fernandez, J. and Flippo, K. and Gaillard, S. and Gauthier, C. and Geissel, M. and Glenzer, S. and Gregori, G. and Günther, M. and Harres, K. and Heathcote, R. and Kritcher, A. and Kugland, N. and LePape, S. and Li, B. and Makita, M. and Mithen, J. and Niemann, C. and Nürnberg, F. and Offermann, D. and Otten, A. and Pelka, A. and Riley, D. and Schaumann, Gabriel and Schollmeier, M. and Schütrumpf, J. and Tampo, M. and Tauschwitz, A. and Tauschwitz, An. (2009):
Proton acceleration experiments and warm dense matter research using high power lasers.
In: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, 51 (12), p. 124039, ISSN 0741-3335,
[Online-Edition: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0741-3335/51/12/124039],


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It's raining premieres! In September the Chiara Quartet reunited via the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music to premiere my latest string quartet "Images of Guemes" along with works of GLFCAM's Cycle 4 composers (Iman Habibi, Bonnie McLarty, and Beatrice Ferreira). If you haven't had a chance to read my guest blog post on the GLFCAM blog, you can check it out here.
In just a few short days my choir piece Listening (2016) will receive its world premiere in Ohio at the Midwest Composers Symposium (October 19, 2018) and will be performed by the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Chorale (conducted by Brett Scott). I've been waiting a while to ear this piece come to life and am looking forward to the Symposium!
And in a few weeks the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra will premiere the work they commissioned from me, The Eagle Tree at their November 10, 2018 concert. This is a companion piece to Images of Guemes, and both works were written in memory of my grandparents. It will be an emotional concert, to be sure.
One last concert to add to the books (even though it's not a premiere!): I'll be performing my piece for fixed media and actor, This Is A Test Of The Emergency Emotional Overload System at the University of Tennessee Contemporary Music Festival next week. I've been practicing my emoji faces diligently x_X
See you there! – JH


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« back to Power Tools, Hardware and Accessories forum
|Forum topic by Tedstor
|posted 05-09-2011 12:52 AM
|1455 views
|0 times favorited
|2 replies
I noticed a few weeks ago that Lowes added a Steel City planer and a jointer to their online selection. Yesterday i noticed they have added an entire line of SC tools. It makes me wonder if Lowes is going to drop their Porter Cable bench/stationary tools and adopt SC as their "house" brand. Kind of like what Ridgid is to Home Depot.
I also noticed they make a floor standing 6" jointer with a 45" granite table and a helical cutter. I actually am in the market for a jointer of this genre. I'm not sure about the helical cutter and granite table though. The costs of replacing blades is an unknown to me, and I'm afraid the granite tables might cause more headaches than they solve in terms of durability. Drop a hammer on cast iron, you get a ding. Drop a hammer on a granite slab…..........maybe a nick? Maybe a crack?


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Warner Bros. has set a one-night showing for "The Exorcist Extended Director's Cut" at 457 theaters on Sept. 30, a week before the Blu-ray version goes on sale.
New version of the 1973 release includes never-before-seen on-set footage and interviews with director William Friedkin, writer William Peter Blatty and actress Linda Blair as well as material from other members of the original cast and crew.
Showings have been booked by AMC, Celebration, Cinemark, Clearview, Cobb, Kerasotes, National Amusements, Rave and Regal as well as the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, Calif., the Carolina in Asheville, N.C., the Majestic 10 in Williston, Vt., and Penn Cinema in Lititz, Pa.
"The Exorcist" grossed $440 million worldwide, putting it in the top 10 films of all time, adjusted for inflation.


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Over the past few days I've come across a wide variety of video documenting the run up to the G20 meetings in PIttsburgh as well as events, coverage, and commentary from the meetings and surrounding areas. Any large scale meeting of the world's most powerful leaders is grounds for protest at various levels. And when police are prepared in riot gear trouble often tends to break out. That's just how it is and will always be.
One Reply to "On the Ground: Video From G20 Pittsburgh Protests 9/24/09"
Twitter Comment
On the Ground: Video From G20 Pittsburgh Protests 9/24/09 – [link to post]


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Spike and Electronic Arts Team Up to Celebrate Iconic Designer Will Wright With 'The Wright Stuff SPORE UGC' Contest
Grand Prize Winner To Receive A VIP Trip For Two To Spike TV's Video Game Awards And Meet Legendary Game Designer Will Wright
Users To Submit Entries at VGA.Spike.comThrough December 2nd
NEW YORK, Nov. 25 -- At this year's VGAs, video game visionary Will Wright will receive the first ever Gamer God award as a testament to his contributions to the electronic gaming medium, from the simulation genre creating SimCity(TM) and its subsequent sequels, to the more than 100 million unit selling The Sims(TM) franchise, to his latest masterpiece, Spore(TM), which garnered The Producers Guild of America 2007 Vanguard Award, a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award and a Popular Science Best of What's New Award.
To help celebrate Wright's latest achievement, Spike and EA are teaming up to celebrate the creativity of Spore with "The Wright Stuff SPORE UGC" contest. The grand prize is a VIP trip for two to this year's VGAs and some one-on-one time with the legend himself, Will Wright.
"Since launch, Spore players have created nearly 50 million of the most unique and creative creatures, vehicles and buildings the gaming community has ever seen," said Spore Designer, Will Wright. "The Spore VGA contest takes creativity to a whole new level, allowing budding filmmakers and novices alike to unleash their imaginations in search for the best 60 second Spore film short. I can't wait to see what they'll come up with!"
Using in-game tools in Spore, or the Spore Creature Creator (trial edition and complete), Spore players can upload their most creative and entertaining 60 second movie to http://www.spike.com/group/spore/landingpage through December 2nd. A panel of judges, including Spore creator Will Wright, will then select the best video, to be revealed on December 4th. The winner and a guest will receive round trip airfare, 2 nights' hotel stay, and ground transportation for the 2008 Spike Video Game Awards on Sunday, December 14th in Culver City, California.
For official rules please, visit http://www.spike.com/group/spore/rules.
The sixth annual "VGAs" will bring together megastars from the worlds of video games, Hollywood, music, sports and more to celebrate the outstanding achievements within the video game industry over the past year. The 2-hour extravaganza will premiere LIVE on Spike TV Sunday, December 14 at 9:00pm, ET/PT (tape delay west coast) from Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, CA.
About Spike TV
Spike TV is available in 97.7 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com.
SimCity, The Sims and Spore are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.


text: YouTube and Google nearly disappeared, even though it seems that technically, the servers are still up and running. Unlike the previous actions of the Egyptian government, which took down entire servers, it appears that in this case, some wicked throttling is occurring. While it's not completely clear who is choking the bandwidth, the assumption that it's the Libyan government is probably not an insane one. Hit up the source links for more.


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« I choose to grow and evolve in a path where generations after generations can truly live in peace, order, and utmost freedom. » ~Frank Resma
« Our country is inundated with issues around trust, doubt, fear, hope, rage, anguish, victim mentality, blame, disquiet, and addictions. The pathway to recovery from these issues and others is to go within oneself, seek where I could help, and discover the truth. » ~Frank Esma
« Some people see our country through glaring filters that seek out what they believe in, they see occurences that justify their perceptions and actions. » ~Frank Resma
« Today, I declare a revolution upon and within myself, by being a law-abiding citizen not just of our country but everywhere, by being the best that I can be, preserving my moral values, virtues and beliefs. » ~Frank Resma
« You are the one and only hope of our beloved country. » ~Frank Resma
Source: FB/on PRRD
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Trends & Opportunities in Gold Industry
What to Expect in 2016 ?
BY Hiren M Samani – Sr.SEO at Transparency Market Research Pvt. Ltd.
Rising prices are expected to be a major factor driving the global gold market as more and more consumers are purchasing gold as a mean of long terms investments. Further, political instability and confidence over bullion, as a secure investment with high returns, aid in generating demand for gold. However, strikes, technical issues and diminishing ore grades might hamper the market growth in the coming years. Global gold supply is a mixture of mined gold, scrap recovery and central-bank supply. More than half of gold supply worldwide comes from mined gold. China is the largest producer of mined gold. It overtook South Africa in terms of gold production volume in 2007. Continue reading…


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Holy Cross, Mount of the Climber's Log
mmoerk - Jul 18, 2004 9:29 pmRoute Climbed: North Ridge / Half Moon Pass Date Climbed: July 18, 2004
It was a very cloudy day, so I didn't get to experience a lot of the great views I've heard about. Of course, starting at 3am doesn't help as far as the views, either. When I got to the summit, it was engulfed in clouds. I guess I'll have to come back!
DaveC - May 20, 2004 9:51 pmRoute Climbed: N ridge Date Climbed: july 97
What a beautiful peak! To look at, anyway, the climb was ordinary bouldering. Actually had this summit to myself on a weekend in the summer. Nice but buggy camp along the controversial holy cross creek.
Ryan Kowalski - Apr 19, 2004 5:09 pmRoute Climbed: standard route Date Climbed: July 19, 2003
A great peak with a great approach. The Holy Cross Wilderness is great. I'll definitley be back! The Halo Ridge is a great way to experience this area
f360driver - Apr 14, 2004 6:44 pmRoute Climbed: Halfmoon Pass Trail head Date Climbed: July/03
Great hike with my girlfriend. Edit: Ex-girlfriend.
RyanS - Apr 12, 2004 12:07 pmRoute Climbed: North Ridge Date Climbed: August 5, 2002
Erin and I used an awesome loop hike to summit Holy Cross and the centennial summit of Holy Cross Ridge (we'll be back for the bicentennials :-D).
We used Holy Cross's standard route. At daybreak we watched a rare, early-morning shower roll in over Mount Jackson and across Cross Creek. We sat in the rain about 200' below the summit for around half an hour before we resumed our climb. Then we carefully descended on wet rock to the saddle with Holy Cross Ridge, gaining our second summit quickly. We descended to the *gorgeous* Tuhare Lakes and used the lush Fall Creek Trail to return to the Halfmoon Trailhead. A trip report is available here.
xskier77 - Feb 1, 2004 11:56 pmRoute Climbed: Holy Cross Couloir/Halo Ridge Date Climbed: July 27, 2003
Start time 5:30am finish time 7:30pm. Needless to say this was a very long and challenging day. First climbing the Cross Couloir in about the worst conditions. There was almost no snow and alot of loose rock, dirt and runoff. The finish of the couloir was very dramatic as the summit was right there in front of us. We then opted to take the Halo ridge down. Thank god for the shelter as it saved us from a nasty afternoon thunderstorm. After this increidbly long day we stopped at the first restaurant we came to in Minturn. It's the one furthest south of Minturn. The worst Mexican food I've ever had. Just thought I'd try to save the next person from this mistake.
pcorridon - Jan 16, 2004 10:53 amRoute Climbed: Angelica Couloir Date Climbed: July 13, 2003
Great climb up Angelica couloir with some very interesting thin and mixed sections, not to mention a large boulder that thought we were bowling pins!!
hhsilleck - Jan 10, 2004 7:29 pmRoute Climbed: North Ridge Date Climbed: Jule 1991
My first 14er ... a beautiful area.
Kane - Sep 28, 2003 1:06 pmRoute Climbed: Entire Halo Ridge Date Climbed: 9-27-2003
Started at the Fall Creek TH at 8:15 a.m. Ascended the Notch Mountain Trail to the Notch Mountain Shelter. The views of the Cross are as spectacular as they say from this perch. The rest of the really long route from here is obvious. I arrived on the summit of Holy Cross at 1:15 p.m. Then continued down the standard North Ridge Route of Holy Cross back to the car by 5:00 p.m.; a wonderful loop route. I would only attempt this route if you are positive the weather will be exceptional all day. Attempting this route in late July and August would be too risky for you will above tree-line and exposed to the elements such as lightning and wind for at least 4-5 hours, maybe more. There are good escape routes on this ridge but they deposit you way away from anything. Also, don't forget your sunscreen.
Total distance 15 miles, Total vertical 5,700-ft.
Andy - Aug 10, 2003 4:55 pmRoute Climbed: Angelica Couloir from Lake Patricia Date Climbed: August 9, 2003
I started from Lake Patricia at 6:15 and climbed Angelica Couloir. I made the summit by 8:45 and then descended via Teardrop gully down to Bowl of Tears. I made it back to camp at Lake Patricia by 11:45. It was a great loop hike and the only people I saw all day were on the summit.
rob_runkle - Jul 30, 2003 6:59 pmRoute Climbed: Northwest Ridge, down the Halo Ridge Date Climbed: July 20, 2003
Wow!! Did the whole 15 mile loop.
Diggler - Jul 23, 2003 6:25 pmRoute Climbed: North Face Date Climbed: July, 1999
Beautiful surroundings & mountain. Had quite the adventure getting up (& down!!) this mountain. Check out my trip report.
Colonelpyat - Feb 28, 2003 3:45 amRoute Climbed: North Ridge Date Climbed: August 28, 2002
This was one of the best trips ever. Great views in a great setting. I got my friend Frank to make his first ever "alpine start" and we had the summit to ourselves for almost two hours. He took advantage of the solitude by taking a very long nap at the top.
Grant - Feb 19, 2003 3:30 pmRoute Climbed: North Ridge Date Climbed: Aug 26, 2001
Notes: This hike ranks near the top of my list in overall scenery, but it's not an easy hike.
The trail starts out easy and after about an hour I was at Half Moon Pass (11,640). Then I started the downhill climb into East Cross Creek Valley to 10,670'. The downclimb into the valley was very scenic. I could see a couple of lakes and waterfalls with Holy Cross in the background. I couldn't see the actual cross since I was on the wrong side of the peak, and it also melts out by the end of July anyway. The peak was very impressive with the cliffs on its north face.
Once at the creek the uphill started up to the summit. At about 11,000' the trail really started to climb. It was a strong climbers trail to gain the ridge at 12,800'. Once on the ridge the terrain flattens out a bit and I had a great view of the summit. The last 500 feet to the summit was quite a climb and required a lot of boulder hopping.
There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and there were only three people on the summit. I sat there for an hour and a half it must have been in the mid-fifties and the views from the top were awesome. I would say some of the best views of any fourteener to this date. I had my first good view of the rugged Gore Range to the North. Fourteener-less but a very challenging mountain range.
Overall this is for stronger hikers. But for those who want a great view of a beautiful valley the hike to Half Moon Pass is for anyone. You would have to downclimb the trail a bit to get the overall views of this valley. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. September is a great time of year to hike.
zzril - Nov 22, 2002 12:33 pmRoute Climbed: N. Ridge Date Climbed: June 1990
One day with friends. Excellent route on a beautiful sunny day.
climberkjp - Oct 22, 2002 11:15 amRoute Climbed: Halfmoon Creek Date Climbed: September 1, 2002
My wife, Alexis, Drew Morton, and I had a great time. About 9 hours up and down. A woman turned up missing on this day, but never heard anything else about her. Does anyone know anything?
Matt Mahoney - Sep 13, 2002 5:18 pmRoute Climbed: Halfmoon Pass to Halo Ridge Date Climbed: Aug. 12, 2002
Mike Bur and I wanted some class 3 so we hiked the Halo Ridge clockwise from Halfmoon Pass, over Notch Mountain, past the well built hut, over several 13ers and finally Holy Cross. The notch was about an hour of fun scrambling. Total time was 8:40 with good weather. No snow at all in the cross.
wayneaflick - Aug 25, 2002 7:04 pmRoute Climbed: Halfmoon Pass - North Ridge Date Climbed: August 8, 1999
I have to say that this was the toughest climb of the 30 or so 14'er I've climbed. The day started before sunrise with threatening skies. I thought about turning back but kept going. The clouds formed a line from the southwest to the northeast. The line moved east as I climbed Halfmoon Pass. By the time I was over the pass, the weather was clear. It had already snowed by late August so there was snow above timberline. I stayed about 45 minutes at East Cross Creek getting water etc. When I reached timberline, the wind had started blowing. It was constant and hard. I continued with the wind in my face and finally made the summit at about 1 pm. I hadn't eaten anything so I didn't throw up anything. But I tried. I took a couple of pictures and started down. I slipped on one of those snow covered rocks and bent my toes up to my shin. It was painful but I wasn't injured. Later, a rock rocked when I stepped on it and I went down like a sack of potatoes. I hurt my thigh and my forehead. I broke a lens out of my sun glasses. I was not injured although my thigh hurt like hell. I spent about half an hour finding the lens that fell behind a rock and landed in some snow. It wasn't broken, thank goodness as the snow and bright sun made sun glasses an absolute necessity. The rest of the trip was uneventful except for the fact the sun went down as I started up Halfmoon Pass and it was completely dark by the time I was three-quarters of the way up. I fumbled in the dark (I didn't pack a light naturally) and finally made it to the top. I knew if I could reach the top of Halfmoon Pass I'd be OK since I knew there was a full moon out so the east side of the Pass would be in the light.
This is the only climb I've been on that I never saw another human.
I always have "Wendy's Chili" after a climb so after I reached my PU I made a b-line to Vail for Chili. Got my chili at the drive up since the dining room was closed and had to eat it in the auto. It tasted good.
mtnhiker13 - Jul 11, 2002 6:38 pmRoute Climbed: Half Moon Pass Date Climbed: July 6, 2002
Holy Smokes! What an incredible mountain. We did the hike in one day and although a long day it was a very enjoyable day spent with my 2 hiking companions. I've only been hiking in Colorado since 1989 but this is one of the prettiest places I have been to in Colorado with the exception of the San Juans.
We had a great day weather wise, the smoke from the fires had started to clear out giving us pretty good views from the summit.
The mountain will always have a special place in my heart not only for the magnificant beauty of the mountain and the area but because of the special person who shared this with me.
I hope to return to climb the mountain again and would also like to return in order to hike to Patricia Lake and The Bowl of Tears. Would also like to visit other areas in the Holy Cross Wilderness.
A memorable day on a memorable mountain. What a beauty!
cdownard - Jul 10, 2002 6:59 pmRoute Climbed: North Ridge Date Climbed: June 25, 2002
On trail by 8am, back at Halfmoon Trailhead by 4pm. A long day, but worth every second of it. The smoke from the fires hindered views, but it was still beautiful!!


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Science Standards Stir Anger—in Britain
The United States isn't the only place to host contentious debates over what belongs in science standards.
A proposed rewrite of Britain's academic guidelines for primary school teaching in that subject, the first such revision in England in more than 20 years, has drawn objections from some of the country's leading scientists, including renowned evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins.
Dawkins and other scientists, in a letter to Britain's children's secretary, voice concerns that the draft does not address the theory of evolution, the scientific method, or give students an overall sense of why science is important in society, the Guardian reports. The standards are being revised in an effort to give British primary schools more freedom to choose curriculum, by creating a "slimmed down" version of the document, according to the article. (Sort of a British spin on the "fewer, clearer, and higher" standards talk being kicked around over here.)
The desire to improve not only students' grasp of scientific facts, but also their overall "scientific literacy," is a theme that has gained strength in recent years in this country. It sounds like the scientific voices in England share this concern, and an interest in seeing crucial concepts, like evolution, taught well in early grades.
Andrew Copson, another British scientist quoted in the story who objects to the new standards, says: "The wealth of colorful and engaging resources that explain evolution and natural selection to under 11-year-olds demonstrates how easily children of this age can be introduced to these important scientific concepts...the curriculum currently being drafted will apply for years to come so it is vital that this long-standing omission of evolution is corrected now."
The goal of British officials is to have new standards completed by this fall.
(Photo of Richard Dawkins by Akira Suemori/AP)


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8:00am PT by Lesley Goldberg
Mandy Moore Books Big Role on Fox's 'Red Band Society'
Fox's buzzy hospital drama is bringing in a new boss.
Singer-actress Mandy Moore has booked a major recurring guest role on Red Band Society, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Red Band Society, from ABC Studios, focuses on the daily lives of a group of teenagers living in a hospital who become unlikely friends. The depth of the unexpected friendships allows them to survive the challenges of growing up under such challenging circumstances. Octavia Spencer stars as a snarky yet caring nurse alongside "hot doc" Dave Annable.
Moore (Saved, A Walk to Remember, Grey's Anatomy) will play Erin Grace, the chief of staff at Ocean Park Hospital, who also is Dr. McAndrew's (Annable) ex-fiancee.
"We're branching out to tell a soap on top of the patients with the hospital staff and we're adding new people," executive producer Rina Mimoun told The Hollywood Reporter, who said Moore's addition will also help add a soapy element to the hospital. "We focus on patients, but we're building out the adult storylines so we're following their stories as well."
For Moore, the role marks her return to TV after she starring in back-to-back CBS pilots — comedy Good Session and drama Advocates — neither of which moved forward. On the big screen, Moore's credits also include Tangled, License to Wed and episodes of Entourage. She's repped by WME, Untitled and Ziffren Brittenham.
Red Band Society premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 9 p.m. on Fox.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
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Lesley firstname.lastname@example.com Snoodit


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AP Early Report on Fuller Arrest Ignores His 'Democracy Now' Fulminations
Let's see if this lasts. I'm guessing it will.
Here's the opening paragraph of the Associated Press's 8:16 p.m. ET report on the arrest of Eric Fuller:
One of the Arizona shooting victims was arrested Saturday and then taken for a psychiatric evaluation after authorities said he took a picture of a tea party leader at televised town hall meeting and yelled: "you're dead."
The rest of Bob Christie's dispatch reflects either a failure by "The Essential Global News Network" to do a simple Google search on the guy, or, if such a search was attempted, a failure to report what was found.
Three of the results appearing on the first page of a Google Web Search on ["Eric Fuller" Tucson] (typed as indicated between brackets) are Friday items about an interview Fuller did on the far-left "Democracy Now!" program on that same day. One is at the Politico, which would seem to eliminate lack of knowledge as an AP excuse.
Another reference is directly to the interview. Here is all of what Fuller had to say from a transcript found at that "Democracy Now!" link (bolds are mine):
Once she walked up to me, she said, "I'll answer your questions, but you have to wait." And there was a line forming up there, so I went over and I sat down and looked over my questions, only two of them, kind of long ones, and was trying to figure out which one and whether I should, you know, ask those questions, when I heard the sound of gunshots. And I looked over only about 10 or 15 feet away, where Gabrielle Giffords had been standing, and in her place was a very excited gunman who was athletically pumping out the rounds and pointing the gun at anybody that he could get a bead on.
People around me were being hit. I just dove for the ground. And while I was diving for the ground, a round hit me in the knee. I was conscious of that. And while I was on the ground, I guess another one, another round, hit me in the back. A fragment did; it hit me in the back. A woman went over and knocked the clip out of his hand. He was reloading. He had a Glock 9mm with a 30-round clip in it. And my thought on the ground was that he's going to come and finish us off. But this woman knocked the other clip out of his hand. Then a couple of guys came along, bystanders, and they tackled him, knocked him to the ground.
I was in shock, and I just wandered out into the parking lot. And a woman was pushing a cart full of groceries out there. And I said to her, "I've been shot." And she just looked at me like I was crazy. I was taken to the hospital. And even though I was sedated and everything, I stayed up—I was staying up, stayed most of the night. And I didn't know how to calm myself down, so I wrote down the Declaration of Independence, which I memorized some time ago. And that did help to organize my thoughts. And the first thing that I wrote down and what my reaction was to it was: "How many other people? How many other demented people are out there? It looks like Palin, Beck, Sharron Angle and the rest got their first target. Their wish for Second Amendment activism has been fulfilled—senseless hatred leading to murder, lunatic fringe anarchism, subscribed to by John Boehner, mainstream rebels with vengeance for all, even nine-year-old girls." There was a little girl named Christina Green, nine years old, who is one of the deceased.
Another thing I wrote down was, "Can we have another fundraiser at the target range, Jesse Kelly?" Jesse Kelly ran against her in the election. And I've heard him speak several—a couple of times, and I couldn't believe he was a real candidate. I thought he was just like a fake candidate. It didn't seem like anybody would consider him seriously. He came within 4,000 votes of winning the election. One of his slogans was: "Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly." Kind of a very marginal personality and a low mentality.
I worked hard to elect Gabrielle Giffords. I would rather she was busy doing her job today than lying in a hospital with a gunshot wound in the head.
For what it's worth, Fuller's claim above that "I was taken to the hospital" contradicts what CBS's Early Show reported, presumably based on what Fuller told the program, on Tuesday: "He drove himself to the hospital and was released Monday."
Also, as an aside, if you listen to the end of the audio at the "Democracy Now!" link, you'll hear host Amy Goodman tell her audience that her next guest will be Frances Fox Piven (of Cloward-Piven Strategy fame). Other persons of not described as "frequent guests" at Democracy Now's Wikipedia entry include Noam Chomsky, Danny Glover, and Robert Fisk.
Back on point: Since when is the previous day's unhinged rant of a guy arrested for making a very public "you're dead" threat to someone with whom he happens not to agree not news? It would appear that the answer is: "It's not news if it came from a hateful leftist whose exposure would ruin the 'right-wing vitriol' meme which we're still trying to milk."
Cross-posted at NewsBusters.org.


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One of only three ski areas to straddle two states (Heavenly Valley, CA and NV and Lookout Pass, ID and MT, being the others), Catamount lies in both Hillsdale, NY and South Ergemont, MA. Technically part of the part Taconic Range, Catamount is one of the oldest ski areas in the country, with its' beginnings dating back to 1939.
The terrain is varied and good for all abilities although expert trails are somewhat limited. However, the mountain claims its' Catapult trail is the steepest in the Berkshires. It sits under the fixed grip Summit Quad and is a legitimate expert trail by any standard. Complimenting Catapult are the Upper and Lower Glade and Upper and Lower Alley Cat trails. These single black trails undulate and have double fall lines in places that make for fun and interesting skiing.
The Catamount Chair, an SLI center pole double, sits in front of the main Berkshire Lodge and serves a number of nicely pitched intermediate trails as well as the terrain park. A second soft walled, temporary building, almost like a permanent tent, dubbed the Taconic Lodge, serves as the mountain's 2nd or overflow lodge. It is located on the NYS side by the Summit Quad and is fully heated, with bathrooms and some limited food service options.
West of the main base lodge, on the MA side, is Catamount's beginner slope, serviced by a Magic Carpet lift. Beyond that is the Meadows Triple chair, which serves a pod of novice and easy intermediate trails, such as Upper Promenade, Mountain View, Holiday and Esplanade. Catamount is park friendly. The Junior Jib Park, Halfpipe and the Skier/Bordercross course are all off of the Meadows chair. The main Terrain Park is off of the Catamount Double chair.
The current owners/management team have a long history in the ski business. In addition to owning and operating Catamount for over 40 years, they previously managed three other NYS ski areas. In the 1960's they developed Sterling Forest ski area (now Tuxedo Ridge). Prior to that, they also managed Fahnstock, a small ski area that was located in the NYS park of the same name and leased land from NYS to develop and open the Silvermine Ski area, which was located in Harriman State Park. Catamount's Bill Gilbert created and marketed the first fan snowmaking guns. The company he founded, SMI, continues to be a leader in airless snow gun manufacturing.
One of the closest 1000′ vertical ski areas to New York City, Catamount can get busy on weekends. The Meadows Triple, a slower fixed grip lift, can develop a decent lift line on busy days. However, there is rarely ever a lift line to the summit. If the Summit Quad develops a line, management will spin The Glades Double Chair, which serves almost every trail off of the summit.
Catamount is a nice, friendly, family mountain with a rich history in the scenic Berkshire mountains. The terrain is more interesting and varied than other ski areas in the vicinity and is definitely well worth taking the time to explore.
by Marcski
Catamount Trail Map
Catamount Ski Area Stats
|Base Elevation
|1,000 feet
|Summit Elevation
|2,000 feet
|Vertical Drop
|1,000 feet
|# Trails
|Trail Miles
|Longest Run
|10,560 feet
|Skiable Area
|119 acres
|# Lifts
|Uphill Capacity
|5,200 / hour
|Annual Snowfall
|75 inches


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Ensim Rolls Out IP PBX Manager to Support UC Services
Ensim Corp., a provider of automation and orchestration solutions for on-boarding, service catalog, provisioning, and management of users and organizations with business apps and services, has announced the release of its proprietary product, Ensim IP PBX Manager.
According to the company, the Ensim IP PBX Manager provides provisioning and operations management automation, policy control and orchestration of administrative, operational and self-service activities for BroadSoft's BroadWorks application server.
Following the product's release, TMC got in contact with Ken Philipp, vice president of sales and business development at Ensim, for his take on this new offering, and to update us on what else the company has been up to.
TMC: In simple terms, what exactly is "Ensim PBX Manager"? What does it do best, and why should a company invest in it?
Ken Philipp: The Ensim IP PBX Manager for BroadWorks is one of our many "Connectors" to the Ensim Automation Suite (EAS). EAS enables service providers and enterprises to deploy a complete, turnkey solution for marketplace, service catalog, provisioning, and chargeback / billing needs, with complete workflow orchestration and automation. The Connector itself enables all of the suite's functionality to be used to automate, manage, simplify and enable complete self-service control of the BroadSoft BroadWorks PBX system.
Using Ensim, service providers can offer a hosted unified communications solution that gives their customers the ability to self-select, order, and manage their subscriptions without requiring the help desk every time they need to add, delete or change a user, or modify a setting. By providing a simplified self-service management interface, Ensim enables service providers to offer a true cloud service to their customers at the lowest possible operating cost.
TMC: What else has Ensim been doing recently?
KP: In addition to enabling BroadSoft BroadWorks IP PBX automation and self-service, we've also launched a major addition to our platform. This is our complete BSS, which provides a complete turnkey solution for a number of workflow needs. We have also been maintaining our leadership position in providing support for all of the latest releases of Microsoft solutions, like Exchange 2013, Lync 2013, and SharePoint 2013 applications. In addition, we have made a major investment in complete IaaS options for Microsoft System Center (2012 SP1 and now R2) for Hyper-V, as well as VMware vCloud and vCenter for ESXi. Most offerings today consist of deploying virtual machines with specific resources via a template-based model. Every time a new virtual machine is required a new order must be placed. Ensim supports this standard model as well as purchasing, deploying and management of a virtual data center, where a user orders a virtual data center (not individual virtual machines) based on overall capacity (CPU, memory, disk, etc.). Once that is purchased, an authorized user can deploy any available template and as many virtual machines within the purchased capacity of the virtual data center.
TMC: What other new products do you have in the pipeline?
KP: We're currently working on further developments to our Cloud BSS / Service Catalog solution for service providers, which will enhance brokering of services between ISV and service providers to enable a community to share and cross-sell services and solutions. In regards to IaaS product offerings, Ensim provides a complete marketplace, service catalog, ordering, provisioning, orchestration, administration, and billing solution for multiple hypervisors such as Hyper V, ESXi, Xen, and KVM, managed by VMware vCloud Director, vCenter / vSphere, Microsoft System Center (2012 SP1 & R2), and soon Open Stack. We offer a simplified and universal interface for hypervisor management.
TMC: What do you offer that your competition does not?
KP: Ensim's major advantage is that we have an end-to-end turnkey modular solution. This means we can cover everything from the website shopping page, to ordering, catalog, billing, provisioning, and management. Being modular, we can provide only the functions needed, such as just billing or just provisioning. In addition, we can easily integrate to any existing systems and utilize those functions and provide complete orchestration of the entire lifecycle process. We are differentiated from our competition in that we enable service providers to rapidly enter the ITaaS space with multiple, fully automated offerings and an open catalog that enables a provider to sell any solution and have detailed control over product bundling and customer roles and rights, which are essential for large-scale cloud deployments.
Edited by Alisen Downey


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WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chengdu Panda Base, in partnership with WildAid and the Yao Foundation, have announced the selection of 24 North American semi-finalists as part of the Global Pambassador program. The semi-finalists will compete in a series of panda related challenges over the course of two days in Washington, D.C. The 2012 Global Pambassador campaign is a 3-month competition to develop global knowledge and awareness about giant panda conservation. Four finalists will be selected to attend the final competition at the Chengdu Panda Base.
The 2012 Chengdu Pambassador program builds on the success of the 2010 Pambassador program, in which 6 finalists were chosen from more than 60,000 global conservation activists who applied online for the opportunity to become a panda care-taker at the Panda Base in Chengdu for one month. This year, the winners will serve as a "Chengdu Pambassador" for one year and will have the opportunity to participate in a "Global Panda Conservation Tour" in 2013. Pambassador finalists will take a unique journey into the natural habitat of wild pandas and participate in current panda release programs, designed to re-introduce captive bears into the wild.
After competing in a 3-week "PandaQuest" competition on Facebook, 24 semifinalists were chosen to compete in a series of activities and challenges in Washington, D.C. on October 16 and 17. The semi-finalists will come together to share their enthusiasm for panda conservation and compete for one of the four finalist spots to travel to the Chengdu Panda Base and go "Into the Wild" with Chengdu pandas. After the finals, 3 global Pambassadors will be selected.
The 24 semi-finalists come from all across North America and include:
"As a Pambassador semi-finalist, I am one step closer to fulfilling a childhood dream of working with giant pandas and promoting their conservation," said Ashley Jaeger, a semi-finalist from Tucson, AZ. "I am so excited to see where this once in a lifetime opportunity will take me!"
About the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
The Chengdu Panda Base is a non-profit organization engaged in wildlife research, captive breeding and conservation education. The Chengdu Panda Base was founded in 1987 when six weak giant pandas were rescued from the wild and rehabilitated to full strength. Today, the Chengdu Panda Base is home to 108 healthy bears – the world's largest captive population of pandas.
About Chengdu Pambassador 2012
Sponsored by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, or Chengdu Panda Base, and cosponsored by WildAid and the Yao Ming Foundation, Chengdu Pambassador is a global program offering panda lovers around the world the chance to become a "panda ambassador" (or Pambassador) for a year. Winners stand a chance to win USD20,000 and go on a "Global Panda Protection Tour" in 2013, a globetrotting experience to visit pandas hosted in 11 countries and initiate local activities to raise awareness for endangered animal protection.
For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/ChengduPambassador.
Alejandro Grau
Ogilvy Public Relations
SOURCE Chengdu Panda Base


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Sramana Mitra: It sounds like your business was entirely Panerai until what year?
OJ Whatley: Until about 2003.
Sramana Mitra: What did you do after 2003?
OJ Whatley: Again, I've always loved watches. Panerai has captured my heart. In fact to this day, my license plate is Panerai. I fell in love with Panerai like no other watch. I love watches to begin with. It took me a couple of years because a lot of people were telling me that Panerai was a bubble. It was going to burst – that Panerai couldn't justify the resale prices or the profit margins on the watches I was making.
Most importantly, I had conviction because I really loved the brand and loved what it stood for. I put myself out there as a specialist, an advocate, and an enthusiast. I was willing to talk to dealers about it because most dealers didn't understand Panerai. I became their go-to Panerai guy. Whenever they got a Panerai to buy or sell, I was the first call they made. I would tell them exactly how much I want to buy it for. I would tell them exactly how much they could sell it for. Sometimes, they sell it to me and other times, they didn't. I figured it was all part of the business.
Sramana Mitra: In 2003, you decided to sell other watches. Can you talk about that?
OJ Whatley: It wasn't necessarily that I decided. It was that I figured I could sell more watches if I took trades. As much as I love Panerai, to buy and sell only Panerai was a limiting proposition. Coming from the investment field, I know all about diversification. I figured out that I could sell a lot more Panerai as well as other watches by taking trades and by becoming an authority in other brands. I can't say that from 2000 to 2003, I never sold anything but Panerai. I sold other brands other than Panerai but Panerai was where my passion was.
Sramana Mitra: So what happened in 2003?
OJ Whatley: It became a little harder to get the watches. There was a little more competition. Again, I didn't make a conscious decision per se, but my inventory had diversified, so I was selling more watches and doing more volume. In doing more volume, there was more trade.
Sramana Mitra: This is actually a good segue into a question I'd like to ask you. How much of an inventory do you have to manage? It sounds like you were doing this out of your house. These are big ticket items. You're operating out of a small space.
OJ Whatley: I recall one time leaving on vacation for a week and taking my inventory of watches, putting them in a bag, and putting them in my ceiling because I didn't have a safe. I only had an alarm and I didn't have insurance because I wasn't a business operating out of a business. I was a business operating out of a house and therefore, I can't get insurance.
Interestingly enough, because I started this business working out of my house, I never advertise my home address as my business address. I always use a shipping store. That would allow me not to have to worry about being there for package pick-ups and deliveries. It also allowed that people I didn't know wouldn't just stop off of my house, ring my doorbell looking to see watches. Even before then, I was conscientious of security and trying to maintain a low profile. In fact, I would meet people at Starbucks to show them watches. If I was unsure after I showed them the watches at Starbucks, I would drive around in circles before I went back to my house just to make sure I wasn't followed.
Sramana Mitra: If you looked at the progression through the years, is the volume that you're transacting significantly high now? Do you need a warehouse?
OJ Whatley: We have private showroom and sales office. I've got 20 employees here and we do maintain a substantial amount of inventory.
Sramana Mitra: You're based in Florida?
OJ Whatley: When I was working out of my house in 2003, I moved in to a new house and I got a safe built-in to the closet. At that point, I probably had about 30 watches with a value of around $2,000 per watch. Again, I was just turning watches. I would put them on eBay. I would sell the watch. I'd get an offer to take another watch in trade. I had private clients I was doing business with locally in South Florida. My business was just growing. Again, I wasn't taking anything out of the business. There was one watch I sold for a substantial profit and I didn't get a penny out of the business. I just used it to buy more inventories.
This segment is part 4 in the series : Ultra-Light Startup to $20 Million in Revenue: WatchUWant CEO OJ Whatley
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