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I love a good #throwback. And remembering the trips I made during the year that has passed always helps me get a wider vision of how I spent my free time, month by month. 2019 was a year where I grew and developed in my job, and had the pleasure to travel both on vacation and for work. I didn't manage to travel in July or November, as I had very special visitors in Berlin both months, as well as in February (which is always a slow month…).
It was in 2019 that I reached (and surpassed) my personal goal of visiting 30 countries before 30 – I've arrived at 33 at the age of 29! This year alone I went to 5 new countries: Israel, Palestine, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Croatia.
Previous posts on the same series:
My trips in 2018
My trips in 2017
My trips in 2016
My trips in 2015
JANUARY: Rio de Janeiro / Ilha Grande (Brazil)
As usual, I spent New Year's in my hometown, Rio de Janeiro. And I also took the opportunity to spend a few days in Ilha Grande for the first time, a tropical paradise near Rio, with wonderful beaches and nature.
MARCH: Ziethen (Germany)
In March, my work colleagues and I spent a few days in our company's winter retreat in a palace-hotel in Ziethen, a town that is 1-hour north of Berlin.
APRIL: Naples + Pompeii + Amalfi Coast (Italy) / New York City (USA)
My boyfriend and I spent the East holiday visiting southern Italy: Naples, Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, besides Sorrento and Positano in the Amalfi Coast. And, of course, we ate a lot of delicious pizza!
In April I also went back to New York for work, over 8 years after my first visit, and had the pleasure to visit a friend who is living there and to spend my birthday with her in NYC. It was also the first time I flew business / first class – an experience I'll never forget!
MAY: New York City (USA)
New York didn't want to get rid of me so soon, and in the following month I went there for work once more. From there, I flew straight to my vacation in Israel.
JUNE: Israel & Palestine
In June, my boyfriend and I spent 11 days visiting a couple of friends who are living in Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem, in Israel. We also visited several cities in Palestine, including a few less visited ones by tourists (such as Nablus, Ramallah and Jericho, besides Bethlehem), since our friend had a diplomatic passport and car, which allowed us to reach these places. We also went to Masada, the Dead Sea, and northern Israel (Nazareth, Capernaum, Galilee, Jordan River, Haifa, Akko). This was the easternmost destination I've visited so far, and I learned a lot about the history and conflict of this region.
AUGUST: South of Germany
In August, I had a work trip to a town in southern Germany (name withheld due to NDA).
SEPTEMBER: Cyprus / South of Germany / Luxembourg / Split (Croatia)
September was quite eventful! We went back to the Mediterranean Sea to spend beach vacations in Cyprus, an island-country where most part of the territory is influenced by Greece, and a portion in the north is occupied by Turkey. We visited the regions of Paphos, Limassol, the Blue Lagoon, Larnaca, Ayia Napa and Nicosia – the latter being the only capital in the world that is still divided. We crossed the border on foot to briefly visit the Turkish side.
I also went on a work trip to another town in the south of Germany (name undisclosed) and went for the first time to Luxembourg to give a talk representing my company. I got to know the capital, Luxembourg City, and the university town of Belval.
On top of that, I had a wonderful company summer retreat with my work colleagues to Split, in Croatia. We visited the old town, the waterfalls at the Krka National Park, went zip lining and ate reeeally well. Those were a few amazing days!
OCTOBER: Spreewald (Germany)
Fortunately, in 2019 the month of October was quite warm and sunny in Berlin and surroundings, so we took a day trip with friends on a Sunday to the town of Lübbenau, in the region of Spreewald, around 1 hour south of Berlin and known as "the Venice of Germany". There, we rented canoes and paddled for a couple of hours through the dozens of canals that link one village to the other.
In October, I also spent one night in Leipzig to watch the circus show Corteo by Cirque du Soleil, invited by my dear friend Max, and also to get a backstage tour. We took the opportunity to visit a friend who lives there, who also joined us to watch the show. On the following weekend, it was his turn to visit me in Berlin.
DECEMBER: Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
My year finished as it started, in my hometown.
Now it's time for one of my favorite activities: planning the trips for the new year that is just starting!! 🙂


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Inside the D'Arce Choke
January 10th, 2016 Admin
For almost every UFC fan in the world, it's pronounced as one syllable with a soft C as "darce". To the Renzo Gracie BJJ black belt the choke is affectionately named after, Joe D'Arce pronounces it "dee-are-see". The owner and operator of D'Arce Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on Long Island did not invent the move, but D'Arce did use the arm triangle variation to great effect in his grappling competition days. Read entire article here>>You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

subset: commoncrawl


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Education Tips
If Individuals Decide to purchase a Term Papers They Need To Know Some Simple fact Regarding This
If Individuals Decide to purchase a Term Papers They Need To Know Some Simple fact Regarding This
In the event you determine never to buy school assignment but to publish it your self, you need to do not forget that components this sort of reviews should decrease system in certain rational connection and consistency and that is certainly why their list of operates along with their essential analysis is not really automatically provided only inside the chronological get with their publication.
For the reason that jobs are normally committed to a fairly slim subject matter, the article on the work should be done only of forerunners about the chosen matter, instead of the entire problem by and large. With this assessment, there is absolutely no should show each one of what started to be seen to the researcher, and what is only indirectly related to his operate. But all pretty much valuable periodicals which may have a immediate and instant significance to the topic of clinical work must be named and critically examined. Even when you buy term paper, don't neglect to examine if the author did it.
Occasionally the article author of the papers with out finding from the offered to him literature the necessary info offers the audacity to claim that it is he who very first terms from the outline in the trend, but it is not confirmed afterwards. Obviously, this kind of essential findings can be done only soon after mindful and thorough research from the literature and assessment together with the supervisor.
In the formula of any medical difficulty demonstrate the part of the dilemma, which is the issue from the term paper has not yet yet received its design and lighting effects inside the literature, it can be rational to begin the formula of objectives to do study and to indicate the actual objectives (3-5 targets) being done as outlined by the reason. Normally, this is completed in the form of exchanges (to discover, describe, establish, trace, to derive a formula, to produce a methodology, etc.).paper writer
The wording of such activities should be accomplished as tightly as you can, since the outline in their alternatives need to form the information in the heads of clinical function. It is additionally essential as the section titles are born just through the wording of the jobs.
More examine in empirical scientific studies are a theory – a scientific hypothesis is put to describe the phenomena below review. Furthermore, the typical hypothesis typically specifies more certain hypotheses.
No matter whether you compose or acquire school assignment, be sure that it can be written effectively. You can even order your school assignment here and our professional freelance writers will allow you to.
Example of the Small Term Paper That You Might Check Out Before Choosing It
"The Steel Back heel" is probably the most important functions in Us literature. The book developed a main concept in the battle of workers towards capitalists. The first in American literature, London serves not only as being a critic of society, but also as a writer, referring to the requirement for revolutionary modify, to create a much better societal purchase.
"The Iron Heel" – this is a fascist-kind authorities, made up of top rated staff of capital monopoly. The author could reveal that monopolists utilize the sorts of democracy simply to the minute in the event it matches them. When employees will attempt to acquire the elections, the monopolists are likely to available dictatorship and begin a eager scarcity of terror in america.
Developing a guide around the fabric of your Us fact, United kingdom, in some instances created the right results. Discussing the pursuits of "The Steel Hindfoot", he just elevated the query regarding the rise of fascist tendencies in the states. This is certainly shown by the famous body in the American citizen Communist Party, William Foster. "Jack London" – contributes articles Foster in the "Metal Back heel" generally speaking predicted the emergence of fascism and the other razor-sharp have a problem that can be required to conquer it." Ernst Evergard, the main character of your reserve – a revolutionary mma fighter for your interests of workers. His daily life was given to the innovation. When an armed have a problem involving the personnel along with the "metal back heel" starts off Evergard gets among the managers, the top in the masses. His action is terminated simply with the death: "iron hindfoot" gives orders to the brokers to destroy Evergard, and the man dies for the emerging trend, to which he focused his whole lifestyle.
The design in the "Iron Back heel" refers back to the genre of interpersonal-utopian new, which caused its creative functions. The author discusses his point in time, and as well provides a forecast in the future. The Class have difficulties in the innovative is pictured because the major content in the provide, an effort to express enormous clashes from the age, the article author converts to the creation of the group scenes. He draws a pacification of Kansas rebellion by govt pushes, symbolizes a favorite uprising versus the "iron hindfoot" in Chi town.


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Pronature La Malbaie
1935 Boulevard de Comporté
418 665-6087
Opening hours
Monday to Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Thursday and Friday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Pronature La Malbaie is your go-to destination for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear as well as apparel. Our team of experts is dedicated to offering you a highly personalized and unique experience. With our bigger and brand-new store, we have more specialized products to choose from than ever before! Our store features structured and well-thought-out sections to facilitate your shopping. Our renowned guide, Stéphane Belley, is on hand to share his passion and invaluable know-how. Our fishing department is also staffed with specialists that can guide you on all types of fishing in Québec: lures, techniques, tips and tricks. We offer follow-ups on guarantees and a comprehensive repair service for fishing rods, firearms, bows and crossbows.
Meet our mascot: the huge moose perched on our roof!


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Can I just say I love my doctor? I LOVE MY DOCTOR! Did you hear me? I said…..I LOVE MY DOCTOR!
I went to talk to my family physican today about the positive pregnancy result I got on Sunday and gosh I'm just so in love with her. I spent the whole morning worried that she would lecture me about my weight and of course she didn't even mention it – I should have known this before hand because she has never hassled me about it or made me feel insigficant about it in the past.
After I told her I had 2 positive pregnancy tests we talked a lot about my delivery experience with Jacob and how traumatized I was by that and she agreed that she could understand my apprehensions about another pregnancy. We talked a lot about whether I should deliver at a different hospital or try a different one this time and we both agreed that since I was quite fond of my previous Obsetrician that it made the most sense to go back and see him since he is aware of the issues that happened with Jacob during delivery. I explained to her how anxious I was to be back at that hospital after some of that treatment and she offered to call my OB when I decided to go see him to give him the heads up and let him know how I was feeling. In the beginning Mike and I decided to do what's called shared care where you stay with your family doctor up until 32 weeks then you are transferred to your OB but in our case we'd get transferred earlier because of the fluid problems that started around 30 weeks pregnant with Jacob – in addition she suggested that even after I am transferred to the OB I should come see her once a month or so just to talk about my feelings regarding delivering again. Gosh I love this lady. She really is a very professional and kind doctor! When we were talking about my concerns with the rude attitudes we were confronted with by some people at the hospital she suggested that some doctors dont' know how to treat a patient until they are a patient themselves. I thought that was very insightful for her to say and I think i'll remember those words throughout my pregnancy. I told her I was worried about some of the things you hear about that come with added weight like increased risk of neural tube defects, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and she said very clearly – Melissa the chances are very high that you like all the other average sized moms out there will have a happy and healthy pregnancy and go on to deliver a happy and healthy newborn. I feel so comfortable and reassured in her care that I am more then happy to stay with her up until around 24-28 weeks when I would be transferred back to my OB.
So we went through the usual routine and she ordered some blood work consisting of testing for things like HIV, she of course did the blood test for pregnancy which I think i'll get the results back on Friday or at the latest Monday. Lastly, because of my long cycle she wants a dating ultrasound as a starting place so she gave me a requisition to go get an ultrasound done whenever I want between now and my next appointment which is June 17th…..So all in all it was a great appointment….now I just need to decide when a good time to do the ultrasound would be….


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"Food security occurs when all people are able to access enough safe and nutritious food to meet their requirements for a healthy life, in ways the planet can sustain into the future. However, food security faces a number of challenges across both production and consumption which research will be essential to solve."
Global Food Security
SPRINT is sponsoring the Copernicus Hackathon: Food Security and Resilience event from 19-20 September 2019.
For the Copernicus Hackathon, the University of Leicester is calling all coders, researchers, scientists, designers, storytellers, problem-solvers and enthusiasts to address challenges faced by us all. Over an exciting 48 hours, teams will work collaboratively using Copernicus data 'coding experience' to develop solutions to address global and local needs applicable to us all based on specific food security challenges.
You can submit your innovative food/water security idea to [email protected] before 11 August 2019 for your chance to take part and win!


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The following are my predictions for the 2018 WWE NXT TakeOver: New Orleans PPV. Check back for NXT TakeOver: New Orleans results and review coverage here when the time comes.
|WWE NXT TakeOver: New Orleans 2018 Spoilers and Predictions
NXT Championship Match: Andrade "Cien" Almas (c) vs. Aleister Black
This was the most logical conclusion following Almas retaining against Gargano, and it's good to see WWE going with the predictable route. Black is ready to hold this title and I think we're not far off from having Almas and Zelina Vega come up to the main roster, so this should be a win-win all around.
PREDICTION: Aleister Black takes the title.
NXT Women's Championship Match: Ember Moon (c) vs. Shayna Baszler
Since this is match #2 between them, Baszler has to get the win. She simply has to. It sucks for Ember Moon fans, but Baszler losing here is not an option. The only question is whether or not they'll have a third match at another TakeOver, which would be Chicago before Money in the Bank, or if Moon will move up to the main roster in the meantime and they'll do their rematch on a regular episode of NXT instead. Baszler's coming out on top with a submission victory.
PREDICTION: Shayna Baszler takes the title.
Ladder Match for the NXT North American Championship: EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Adam Cole vs. Velveteen Dream vs. Ricochet
Well I certainly didn't see this one coming, that's for sure! I don't think this is necessary whatsoever, and I'm a little worried that there are too many titles in the company right now. Also, I don't dig the name. However, I love the group of people that will be competing in this match, as it pretty much means we're guaranteed to have a good champion in a variety of different ways. I'm rooting for EC3 or Velveteen Dream. How about you?
PREDICTION: Well crap, I don't know who is going to win, but I think we can rule out Adam Cole and Killian Dain. I'm leaning toward EC3 or Ricochet winning.
NXT Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Match: The Undisputed Era (c) vs. The Authors of Pain vs. Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne - Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
Good lord, this has been all over the place, so try to keep up. At first, The Forgotten Sons were the original people to mention that the tournament was even coming back, yet they were pushed aside and not given a spot on the bracket. Eventually, the bracket was released and Moustache Mountain was on it, but they were replaced by Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne, who made it to the finals with The Authors of Pain, but The Undisputed Era caused a no-contest for the finals of the tournament, prompting William Regal to announce a triple threat match between those teams where the winning team would not only win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, but also the NXT Tag Team Championship. We are also not sure what's going on with Bobby Fish's injury, yet Adam Cole is on the card in another match, so he'll either do double duty, they'll replace him in the ladder match and he'll wrestle here, or Fish will be ready to compete.
Okay, now that all that is out of the way, let's talk about how things will go down.
I think we can rule out Dunne and Strong, as Dunne is holding the United Kingdom Championship and Strong could very well be on 205 Live going forward. This kind of spoils that he probably won't be winning his upcoming match against Cedric Alexander in that tournament, by the way, as I doubt he'll be wrestling at TakeOver and then the following night at WrestleMania. I also don't think The Authors of Pain are going to win the tournament for the second year in a row, especially because the titles are on the line and I don't think they'll revert back to them. Instead, I think this is just going to be sticking to The Undisputed Era, with them being able to gloat about winning the tournament despite how they didn't wrestle in any of the matches to lead up to the finals.
PREDICTION: The Undisputed Era win.
Unsanctioned Match: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
The stipulation to this match is that if Ciampa wins, Gargano is definitely never allowed back into NXT ever again, while if Gargano wins, he's hired back onto the roster. I think that makes this pretty certain that Gargano is going to win, as I can't imagine Gargano will stay out of the NXT realm and move up to the main roster just yet. Originally, if he had done this exit and been part of the Cruiserweight Championship tournament, then yes, I would have thought that was a possibility, but now, no. They HAD to do something like this, and there's a very good chance this is one of the best matches of the entire year in WWE. I'm looking forward to it so much that it's definitely one of my top 5 favorite things I'm anticipating regarding the entirety of WrestleMania Week, including the Hall of Fame and all of the matches happening at Mania itself. This could be amazing.
PREDICTION: Johnny Gargano wins.
This page will be altered to reflect newer opinions whenever new information about this and surrounding events takes place.


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Are You a Workaholic? A New Test Can Tell You
CrackBerry addiction? Staying late at the office? A new online test can help diagnose whether you're simply devoted to work or have a serious problem.
TUESDAY, April 24, 2012 — Are you addicted to work?
No doubt you're saying, "Of course not!" Well, think for a minute: Are you the type of person who's constantly working when you're not at the office — feverishly checking your email on your BlackBerry at family gatherings, or making and taking business calls while on vacation? Have long hours on the job thrown a wrench into your personal life, causing friction with your partner or your kids? If this doesn't describe you, congrats — but then I bet you know someone who fits this description to a tee.
But how can one tell whether devotion to his or her job is the result of a healthy work ethic (and a finely honed survival instinct, given these uneasy economic times) or a pathological mental health issue? A new online survey developed by researchers in Norway seeks to help answer that question.
Created by psychologist Cecille Schou Andreassen, Ph.D., and colleagues from Norway's University of Bergen, the Bergen Work Addiction Scale consists of a short web questionnaire that can be completed in about 10 to 15 minutes. Based on criteria used to diagnose other addictions, the scale grades respondents' answers and classifies them as either non-addicted, mildly addicted, or workaholic. And according to a study of the scale's performance, published online April 10 in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, it reliably distinguishes between workaholics and non-workaholics.
A New and Improved Measure of Work Addiction
Andreassen has been studying workaholism for 10 years and told Everyday Health that the Bergen Scale is an improvement over other workaholism surveys, screenings, and quizzes because it was developed "with the addiction perspective in mind." And while work addiction isn't currently included in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), Andreassen notes many researchers are realizing the problem works much like gambling addiction (which is included in the DSM-IV) and Internet addiction (which is under debate for inclusion in the next edition of the DSM, due next year).
The Bergen Scale, which is confidential and never asks for your name, starts off by asking some basic demographic questions (year of birth; country of residence) and then moves on to specific queries about work life, such as, "On average, how many hours of paid work do you normally complete each week?" Then it delves into how you feel about work, asking you to rate several statements relevant to your experience (for example, "I feel happy when I am working intensely").
So what do you do if you take the Bergen Scale (which you can do here) and it tells you've got a problem. "There's a lot you can do," Andreassen told us. "If you want to try by yourself to fix the problem you can make free time, get a hobby, exercise, and try to see other people." If that fails, or your addiction is severe, Andreassen suggests seeking counseling. "Both cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing can help," she said.
Next on Andreassen's agenda is collecting data on the genetic and hormonal aspects of work addiction and combining those with the information she's gathered on the behavioral aspects. But first she hopes to get more people to take the Bergen Scale to expand the survey's international data and make it available to researchers on work addiction. You help out by taking the survey at the link below:


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Three megalith mounds
Close to the road outside Katbjerg is an array of Neolithic megalith mounds. Kongehøj (King's Mound") is a 52-metre long barrow containing two burial chambers. Ormhøj ("Serpent Mound") is a passage grave with a secondary chamber. The best-known is…
Sepulchral sensation
In 1890, archaeologists penetrated a pristine burial chamber in the Jordhøj Stone Age mound. No soil had fallen in during the 4,000 years since the last burial in the chamber. This in itself was a sensation. Lying on the floor were the hewn planks from wooden coffins, flint daggers and earthenware vessels from the last burials. The structure of this passage grave, with its solid walls between the large megaliths, meant that all the contents were very well preserved. The find revealed that Stone Age Man was capable of constructing an air-tight, low-humidity burial chamber. Radiocarbon dating of the wood determined that Jordhøj was constructed circa 3200 BC. This mound would have gleamed in the sun with its white surface of burned flint. This form of decoration is known from other burial mounds.
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Due to the development of a fast paced corporate structure in the United Arab Emirates, many businesses wish to open their company in the UAE. The acceptance of UAE as a business hub is evident from the establishment of corporate entities by world renowned business magnates.
Types of jurisdictions for company formation
There are 3 different types of jurisdictions available for company formation in the UAE. All these jurisdictions have their own rules and they prove beneficial for different types of businesses.
On-Shore companies are best suited for businesses linked to local UAE market.
These companies require a UAE national as local sponsor or service agent
Free Zone companies provide tax-free benefits especially to traders and businesses related to import and export.
These free zones are usually located near seaports and airports.
Offshore companies are established to operate outside country of registration.
It is used by investors for several financial, legal and taxation benefits.
Types of Entities for Company formation
- Limited Liability Company formation
- Free zone company formation
- Offshore company formation
- Mainland Company Setup
- Branch and representative offices
- Professional firms
- Shareholding companies
- Joint venture companies
- Complete repatriation of profits and capital for all types of companies
- 100% foreign ownership for free zone companies, offshore company and (professional license holder) mainland companies
- No need of local sponsor for free zone companies and mainland companies with professional license
- Offshore companies and several free zones are completely tax free. Very small tax on other business jurisdictions
- Relatively cheaper, easily available and competent labor and staff
- World class infrastructure (offices, warehouses, roads etc.) and proximity to important airports and seaports
- Flexible bank account opening and maintenance with availability of multi-currency bank accounts
- 3 year visas for investor
- Company registration process is simple and quick due to use of modern technology
- Best residential and commercial structures with state of the art telecommunication and reliable utility system
Every company will select a trade name before its formation.
This trade name must be unique and according to rules and regulations. This name has to be approved by DED (Department of Economic Department)
Selecting appropriate location and making a tenancy contract is also necessary for registration of company in UAE
The next step is to prepare MOA (memorandum of association) and submit it to the Department of Economic Development (DED)
License application, MOA, tenancy contract and several other documents will also be required according to the type of company and jurisdiction selected for your business.
We at TCA International FZE provide services in all business jurisdictions of UAE for all types of company formation
We assist in completion of the whole process from finding local sponsors to attestation of documents and ensuring quick and problem-free company registration process in relevant authorities.
We provide legal services, translation services, bank account opening, visa services and all other services required during and after the registration and licensing process of company formation.
We have a good reputation and complete knowledge of local market due to years of experience and number of satisfied clients in UAE.


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Write a 500- to 700-word paper on health and psychology. Include the following: •Describe the relationship between health and psychology. •Identify specific lifestyle choices that affect health and psychology in the workplace. •Provide examples of lifestyle choices to enhance health and prevent illness.
Format your paper according to APA guidelines.


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I started running the fill_summary_index.py script and my session was interrupted. The summary backfill process never completed and I'm unable to restart it. I've tried restarting Splunk but it still thinks that a fill_summary_index instance is still running:
# ./splunk cmd python fill_summary_index.py
Please enter the app that contains the search(es): search
An instance of fill_summary_index is already running for app=search
What can I do to cancel it and restart it?
Per Splunk Support, there's a fsidx*.lock file in the app directory that the script was run against. In my case, the search app:
/opt/splunk/etc/apps/search/log]# ls fsidxrlKD2v.lock
After deleting the lock file I was able to relaunch the summary backfill script.
Thanks, Alex 😉


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Amazon.com posted a narrower quarterly loss and better-than-expected sales on Thursday as the company expanded aggressively in the United States and made inroads into overseas markets, sending its shares up more than 8 percent in after-hours trading.
The sales results underscored Amazon's strong momentum as the company — the world's largest Internet retailer — prepares for the crucial U.S. holiday season, which some experts say could be the slowest in years.
Rival eBay gave a disappointing holiday forecast last week, saying the U.S. economy, including consumer confidence, had deteriorated in part because of the government shutdown.
Amazon forecast sales of $23.5 billion to $26.5 billion for the holiday quarter, which analysts called conservative.
"It'll be a somewhat difficult macro environment in the fourth quarter," said Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy. "But it looks like the revenue momentum will continue into the fourth quarter."
Amazon became the latest tech company to have outperformed in an otherwise dreary earnings season. About 84 percent of technology companies that have reported so far beat earnings estimates, and 63 percent have beat revenue projections.
Amazon's third-quarter revenue was $17.1 billion, up from $13.8 billion in the comparable period a year earlier. The average analyst estimate was $16.8 billion.
Amazon is trying to evolve from an online retailer into a broader technology company offering consumer gadgets such as tablets and cloud-computing services to companies and governments.
The evolution has entailed making investments in technology and content, such as videos and music, all while building distribution centers across the United States and expanding its presence in competitive overseas markets such as China.
Amazon is spending billions of dollars to expand, and that has taken a toll on earnings. But some investors think the move will pay off as the spending tapers and margins expand.
Amazon's gross profit margin — a closely watched measure of earnings that excludes several expenses — was 28.6 percent in the second quarter, one of the highest levels in more than a decade by analysts' reckoning.
Third-quarter margins were about 28 percent, in line with what analysts had expected.
The company's net loss was $41 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, narrowing from a net loss of $274 million, or $0.60 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2012.
Amazon's stock has gained about 30 percent this year and is valued at 131 times its projected 2014 earnings, among the highest valuations in the market. In after-hours trading on Thursday, Amazon shares climbed more than 8 percent, to about $362, from the closing price of $332.21.
"The takeaway is that the third-quarter sales show that the Amazon value proposition is striking a chord with consumers," Hottovy said.
(Amazon founder and chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post.)


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Milhaus Development Breaks Ground $13M M-F Project in Cincinnati's Northside
- By
- Jun 30, 2014
By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor
Milhaus Development started construction on the Gantry, a $13 million project expected to revitalize the former lumberyard and railroad depot in Cincinnati's historic Northside neighborhood. It is the first new construction project of its size to be developed in the Northside community in many years.
Indianapolis-based Milhaus announced the project in July 2013. It was approved by the Cincinnati City Council in August and, on October 30, it received its name. Ground was broken last on June 24.
The project calls for the construction of three new buildings at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Blue Rock Street, on the former Myron G. Johnson & Son Lumber Co. property. They will house 130 studio, one-, and two-bedroom rental units as well as 8,000 square feet of first-floor retail and restaurant space. The apartments will feature granite countertops, designer lighting, wood-style flooring and more. Monthly rents will range between $600 and $1,500.
Milhaus Development is the owner, developer, construction contractor and property manager. It designed the project with input from local residents so that it respects Northfield's historic guidelines.
"Milhaus is really proud to boast a track record of working with neighborhoods to design each and every project to its specific tastes and characteristics," said Jake Dietrich, Project Manager for Milhaus, in a statement. The Gantry will apply principles of good urban design. It will also preserve an historic building on Langland Street. Milhaus plans to submit the project for LEED Silver certification.
The $13 million development will not only help revitalize Northside, it will also help address a growing demand for high-quality housing. "Northside is in the midst of the biggest development boom it's seen in 100 years, said Ollie Kroner, president of the Northside Community Council. "The Gantry project has been a decade in the making, and is the product of numerous community conversations. We are excited to see more housing coming to the heart of the business district." Completion is expected by the end of 2015.
Photo credits: Milhaus Development


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It's the pebble in your shoe
By Varad Grover
'It isn't the mountain ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe'
It is always the little things that we fail to notice, the little things that trip us up. The key is to keep an eye on the details as well as the big picture. 'The greatest', Muhammad Ali did—and look at his amazing results. Inspiration for all of us logged in to the Schools India Cup National Volleyball Championship starting here on Tuesday.
I am here at the pristine Lovely Professional University campus, just outside Jalandhar city, basking in the winter sun. Around me, everyone is agog about the young spikers who have trooped in here from 12 states to lift and smash everything that it takes to win the coveted Schools India Cup 'trophy' and the 'Most Valuable Player Dainik Jagran Award'.
These are exciting times in Indian sports at the grass root level too, as suddenly the relevance and respect for the base is beginning to come in this country, finally.
Imagine the preparation that goes into preparing for hosting an under-16 age championship. The logistics planning is immaculate, right up to arranging the water bottles for the under-16 players on the court—in professional fashion. Even the driver manning the snazzy team bus is exuberant and excited despite his midnight sojourn to the Jalandhar railway station to pick up the early birds arriving from Tamil Nadu. Coming from the tropical weather of Tamil Nadu, the young spikers had to be quickly huddled into the warm comfort of their rooms at the LPU hostel (2 occupants per room; at the Olympic Games Village there are 3 occupants per room). The teams were given a traditional welcome with tilak accompanied to the beats of dhol.
The icons of Indian volleyball have made technology their conduit to connect better with the younger generation. The Opening Ceremony on January 29 is expected to be a sparkler and half a dozen of these icons will be arriving here to watch the young guns from across India in action. In this day of instant messaging and counselling, motivational video message from the legendary volleyball player, the gangling 6 feet 7 inches Om Parkash Tanwar is sent to all the participating teams.
A bane of Indian sports in earlier times, technical finesse of conducting a sport is now a priority. For the Schools India Cup National Volleyball Championship, International Referee, Mr Gurbux Singh is the Technical Director for the smooth conduct of the championship. Meanwhile, the 'team managers meeting' is underway in the TD's office adjacent to where I am banging away this blog on my ipad.
I am beginning to wonder at the scale and effort of the preparation—all these youngsters are currently below-16 and some of them will be ready to take the leap for India at the next Olympic Games after 2020—the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. It's the little things that trip us up. The key is to keep an eye on the details as well as the big picture.


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Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball
Company: Kensington
Price: $59.99 or lower online
Requires: Mac OSX 10.5.6 or higher
I've owned and used a laptop computer since late 2001. In that time I've always used the trackpad; I was happy with it. Recently I decided that I needed a little more control than I was getting with the trackpad, so I bought a wireless mouse. I love it, though I primarily use it when editing video. When the opportunity arose for me to review a wireless trackball, I jumped at the chance.
Let's just say I'm glad I still have the wireless mouse.
The Kensington Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball has a center trackball, two buttons, and a scroll ring. The buttons are customizable, a time saver if your workflow incorporates repeating keystrokes all day long. The scroll ring is just what it says: lets you scroll up and down a page.
A nano receiver USB dongle is barely noticeable. When not in use it fits securely in the trackball's battery compartment. No chance of getting lost.
I wish I could say I was happy using this trackball, but that would be a lie. I found the scroll ring to be either too fast or too slow. The speed is adjustable but it didn't make scrolling any better. Hint: uncheck the Inertial Scrolling box, otherwise you'll be at the bottom of the page sooner than you'll like.
On the plus side, the buttons worked quite well. They were easily changed and did exactly what they were programmed to do, whether it was clicking, dragging, refreshing a page, showing Spotlight, or opening a file.
The Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball is being marketed as "compact." I find it to be quite large. I have big hands (at least I think so!), and the Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball felt too big in my hand. It's almost twice the size of the wireless mouse I use, which feels perfect and comfortable in my hand.
In order to use the Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball you need to download the
Kensington TrackballWorks Beta Software for Mac. Make sure it's the Beta software, or you'll be unable to customize the Trackball. Note that this is not an application but a preference file in System Preferences. I wish that was made clear on Kensington's web site.
I'm not sure if it's the size of the Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball or the fact that I'm still not used to it, but I was constantly clicking on something I didn't want to click on, or the pointer was moving all around the page. For example, when I was listening to music in iTunes the song kept changing because I was unintentionally clicking on a different song. Control is difficult for someone who hasn't used a trackball in the past.
• trackball easily pops out for cleaning
• customizable
• reasonably priced
• works left handed or right handed
• low battery indicator
• Five year warranty and free technical support
• large, especially for a mobile device
• difficult to get used to
• not easy to control pointer at first
• very easy to get frustrated
The Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball would probably be a nice choice for users who have trackball experience. For users like me, plan on spending time getting used to it, or buy a regular mouse.
MyMac.com review rating: 6 out of 10


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We're happy to provide assistance to our SONIC drilling customers with questions regarding machine maintenance needs, down-hole challenges, tool functions and techniques.
Telephone assistance with your SONIC drilling issue can be obtained by calling the number shown below.
For field assistance with maintenance or operational needs, or for additional SONIC drilling training, please contact our Service Department, and we will arrange to have a Terra Sonic International field service representative or driller trainer assist you.


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Video by Maxine Wolfset
Four Cape Downwinders were arrested attempting to plant flowers on Entergy's contaminated site. The pre-trial hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m., July 31st at Plymouth District Court.
- This Mother's Day action was an expression of our rage against the a polluting nuclear rector and for our love for all children.
- We have stood by and watched our water and air become polluted. The incredibly high cancer rates are accepted.
- We are churning out more radioactive waste with no place to go but in our own backyard and into Cape Cod Bay.
- As mothers who are now paying attention, we want this poisoning to stop.
- We are here to put our bodies on the line with an apology that we didn't understand earlier about the evil that is being perpetrated on our children and generations to come. Our job is to see Pilgrim shut down and cleaned up.


text: Conservation, Lakes, Public Health, Sustainable Living Tons of Plastic in the Great Lakes January 17, 2017 Bruce Kingsbury Leave a comment Tweet Oh no! Hoards of plastic is getting into our beautiful Great Lakes. Check out the article below for more information. Study: Tons of plastic getting into Great Lakes


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Wrong! I mean, it's still Monday, but there's nothing to "boo" about because there's a new release out from Moving Box, and boy do you wanna watch it!
By now you've seen Tom Knight's "The Elephant's Lullaby," and you know that it's one of the cuter things online, up there with that sneezing baby panda. Now you can get a behind-the-scenes look at how the animation was created, by watching…
The Making of "The Elephant's Lullaby"!
This featurette includes commentary from the team behind the animated video. With interesting and insightful words from Nutmeg Doherty (Executive Producer), Chris Davidson (Producer/Director), Wright Rickman (Production Designer/Lead Animator), Liz McLelland (Art Director), and Tom Knight (the Singer/Songwriter himself!), you'll probably want to go back and watch the original animation with all of your newly-acquired appreciation.


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As general contractors in LaGrange, GA, we specialize in many types of commercial construction including medical office construction. We have designed and built several dentist offices in the area, including Children's Dentistry of West Georgia. With every project, we take a consultative approach, saving you time and money.
Over a period of several years, we have built a reputation as a reliable medical office contractor. We have played a large role in the designing process. The result, a facility that suits the needs of our client's growing businesses and offers their patients a comfortable environment to receive treatment. We understand the specific needs of a medical facility and balance safety with governmental compliance and that the needs of hospital staff, patients, and visitors.
We are available for ground-up construction, but have also successfully renovated many existing structures. We can advise on the pros and cons of building new or remodeling an existing building. Saving our clients money and getting them into their new medical office as quickly as possible is important to us. Check out this project where we converted a 40 year old building into a new Honda Dealership.
View more medical contracting projects.
We are proud to have partnered with Kersey Dental on their new facility in LaGrange, GA as well Dr. Meyer, also in LaGrange. Call us or email today to share your project details with us. Partner with experienced medical contractors, partner with Benchmark.


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Opinion: Regional disparities strike back in northern Italy
- Two rich Italian regions voted overwhelmingly for more autonomy
- They pay more in taxes than they receive in public spending
- Even so, regions that are net recipients of public spending remain poor
- This reinforces the trend toward more federalism in Italy
In two nonbinding referenda on October 22, the northern Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto overwhelmingly voted for greater autonomy. Voters endorsed their local governments' endeavor to seek more say in 23 matters, including education, scientific research and infrastructure.
Such votes are allowed by the Italian constitution. The regional executives could have even made a request for more autonomy without seeking a popular mandate, but as similar initiatives had been turned down before, Lombardy President Roberto Maroni and Veneto President Luca Zaia called citizens to the ballot box.
Some 58 percent of the eligible voters turned out in Veneto, and 39 percent in Lombardy. Of those, about 98 percent voted for more autonomy in Veneto, and 95 percent in Lombardy.
The turnout was impressive, considering the referenda had no immediate impact (other than to strengthen the local leaders' mandate to negotiate with Rome) and were underreported in the media. In Lombardy especially, the referendum campaign was fairly quiet, with the exception of a late endorsement from former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Autonomy would not translate into a free pass to cut taxes
The only political leader at a national level who seemed to have devoted attention to the votes was former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, whose opposition ended up helping proponents of the referenda a great deal. Even within Mr. Renzi's own party, a small but not insignificant group of mayors in Lombardy and Veneto campaigned for more autonomy.
Persistent disparities
Autonomy would not translate into a free pass to cut taxes, but the issue of collecting and managing fiscal resources was the one that attracted the most voters. The so-called "fiscal residuum" (the difference in expenditure on a region versus the taxes it pays) has been persistently negative for Italy's north and positive for the south. The government of Lombardy (Italy's richest region) estimates the figure at a staggering 54 billion euros. Moreover, the constant influx of tax money into the south has hardly benefited the local economy.
When Germany was reunified, the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the former East Germany was just a bit more than one-third of the level in the former West Germany. Today it is about two-thirds. So while the gap has not vanished, it has been greatly reduced. Italy, on the other hand, was unified more than 150 years ago, and yet GDP per capita in the south is still only around 55 percent that of the north. There is virtually no other example – certainly among developed countries – of a nation where regional differences have been so resilient, and indeed so divergent, for so long.
If the disease is well known, so is the cure that has been invariably prescribed: redistribution. But having money is the end of the process of economic growth, not its beginning, as development economist Peter T. Bauer once remarked. Tax revenue from the north has allowed the government to become the largest employer in southern Italy, luring talent away from private businesses.
The referenda have put federalism back on the table nationwide. The evolution of the Northern League, now more of an anti-immigration party than an advocate for the north, and Mr. Renzi's attempts to re-centralize matters that were devolved to regions years ago, made the referenda seem anachronistic to many. But though these problems have been swept under the rug, they have not gone away.
The votes have reminded us all that regional disparities are perhaps the Italian question
Some people believe that the votes portend greater autonomy for northern Italian regions. But given the many false starts throughout history in their quest for greater independence, that seems like a stretch. A more conspicuous grassroots movement in favor of the regions' fundamental right to self-determination would be needed. So far, no major political figure wants to engage in such a movement.
Others think this episode will end "all'italiana," with Mr. Zaia using his Venetian triumph as the springboard to the premiership after the next election, if an alliance between the Northern League and Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia wins.
Still others predict that the process of gaining more autonomy as allowed by the Italian constitution is so complex and convoluted that things may only change on the surface, with the underlying status quo remaining intact.
Regardless of the outcome, the votes have reminded us all that regional disparities are perhaps the Italian question – and their consequences have become all too clear.


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By combining the best of traditional public schools with the best of charter schools, we offer a proven program designed to put all students on a trajectory for success through college and in their careers. Learn More
After 15 years of success at Drew, we created Purpose Built Schools, dedicated solely to providing this innovative approach to education. Learn More
The communities of south Atlanta, the most concentrated area of chronic poverty in Georgia, deserve access to safe, nurturing schools in their neighborhoods that are sources of pride and identity. Learn More
Meet the team behind Purpose Built Schools and the principals leading our four schools. Learn More
Our carefully designed governing board leverages a diverse body of expertise in the overall management of our schools. Learn More
Purpose Built Schools believes that it takes more than effective instructional practices to address the challenges of under resourced communities that can be barriers to student academic success. Learn More


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Moodle is my learning management system (LMS) of choice. I've contributed two widely used plugin modules to it (the SWF Activity Module and the Media Player module) and use it with groups of volunteer students for my research in course content development and online learning approaches and strategies.
What is Moodle?
"Moodle (abbreviation for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is a free source e-learning software platform, also known as a Course Management System, Learning Management System, or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). As of October 2010 it had a user base of 49,952 registered and verified sites, serving 37 million users in 3.7 million courses.
Moodle was originally developed by Martin Dougiamas to help educators create online courses with a focus on interaction and collaborative construction of content, and is in continual evolution."
Source: Wikipedia.org
Why Moodle?
There's a wide and varied selection of LMS' available. I chose Moodle because it's built around the Social Constructivist theory of learning, the most widely used, has the largest online community of users and is open source, meaning that I can use the software without paying anyone licence fees and I can modify the source code and add to it in any way, for example the two plugin modules I've developed and contributed to the project. It also has a large library of other plugin modules that can provide most of the functionality I need for learning and teaching with second language acquisition.
Where can I find it?
My R&D Moodle is at matbury.com and includes a demo course (Login as a guest) where you can find examples of my work.


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Hi Everyone!!
First of all I wish you all best of luck. I am new here but fighting with infertility since 8 years, but thank GOD that I had a baby girl through IVF, she is 2 years old now.
And now we are so much excited for another baby. as she also miss her sibling...
I wanted to start my 2nd cycle for IVF in Feb, but My scan showed some infection in my uterus. So doctor advised me for a Hysteroscopy before IVF try.
I want to know any one did this before IVF, I was so hopeful before getting my scan report but now a bit nerves that may it effect on my IVF result..
So please let me know if any one of you have some experience.
Advance thanks
Best Regards


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How to tackle the Challenges of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Download a free copy!
Be on the road to operational excellence
What to expect
In this whitepaper we explore the various approaches to leveraging the most out of your pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Learn how to create focused and achievable goals
How TrakSYS™ can help you
TrakSYS™ effectively models and analyzes the various aspects of the manufacturing process and delivers the findings sorted by rank/impact, discipline, and criteria selected by individual users.
Tackling the Challenges of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Remember, continuous
improvement effort is exactly
that – continuous!
Driving Continuous Improvement & Excellence
Copyright 2017 © YPSYS


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10 Kitchen Life-Hacks for Every Active Lifestyle
Ever feel like your sanity is the price you pay for eating right? Before discovering kitchen life-hacks, I did too. In fact, some nights after a long day at work, I could feel my tummy growling for some spinach pasta with fresh homemade basil pesto, or one of my famous strawberry-mango smoothies. But hours of prep, cook, and clean time later, I was growling for different reasons.
Even on the days I found enough energy to cook the healthy meals I'd planned, I somehow always ended up with the same old sky-high grocery bill I hadn't. Only to find, of course, a farmer's market worth of fruits and veggies wilting in the back of my messy refrigerator when I got home!
In the perfect world, healthy eating would be just as easy (if not easier) than hasty eating. It's not that we don't want to eat healthy. It's that, no matter where we are in our lives, we don't always have enough of the extra space, money, or time that healthy cooking requires.
But who says we can't cheat a little? Today I'm revealing the go-to tricks, tips, and shortcuts I depend on every day to keep my balanced nutritional diet a daily priority. So whether you're a college grad with limited cash, a corporate climber with microwave-mania, or a super mom with a super messy pantry, listen up!
These 10 cost effective, time efficient, stress-reducing kitchen life-hacks will transform nutritious cooking from headache to sweet escape faster than you can say strawberry-mango smoothie.
1. To all the office junkies out there: did you know that those trusty desk supplies can serve double-duty on the home front? Use magazine racks to store plastic wrap/aluminum foil, decorate an old tissue box for a cute plastic grocery bag dispenser, repurpose your file holder to store cutting boards and baking sheets, and maximize fridge space with stackable locker shelves.
2. When you're on a budget, the last thing you want to do is toss out food! To avoid wasting, try reserving a box in your fridge labeled "Eat Me!" for foods with upcoming expiration dates.
3. Does your active lifestyle leave no time for a nutritious breakfast? Try pre-packaging "smoothie kits" the weekend before: toss together the fresh ingredients into sandwich bags, label them with prep instructions, and stick them in the freezer. In the morning, simply throw one in the blender—you'll be good to go!
4. Halving grapes or cherry tomatoes is time consuming. Instead, sandwich them between two container lids—cut in between with a knife—and cut out an extra 10 minutes of meal prep.
5. To minimize dish duty, try slicing softer foods—like watermelon, avocado, and goat cheese—with dental floss instead of a knife.
6. An apple a day keeps the sprouts away; prevent potatoes from budding by storing them along with an apple.
7. For a cost-effective alternative to store bought lunchbox ice packs, freeze wet sponges in sandwich bags overnight.
8. No time to juice a lemon for your recipe? No problem. Skip the juicer by drilling a hole in the skin of the fruit and squeezing. Now why didn't I think of that before!
9. Grilling fish is easy. Cleaning up afterwards is not. To avoid scrubbing pesky residue, try grilling fish on a bed of lemon slices. Not only will you skip the mess—you'll have guests skipping back for seconds!
10. If you're on the fence about fading greens, puree and freeze them in ice cube trays to use for future recipes. For instant single-serve meals, try freezing trays with nutritious sauces like tomato and pesto. Trust me, you'll thank yourself later.
What life-hacks help make healthy eating easier for you? Share your favorites!
http://www.fitsugar.com/Healthy-Kitchen-Hacks-35435517 http://www.buzzfeed.com/twopoodles/optimized-refrigerator-storage#2bgxvfs
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From The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA)
Siamese have fascinated people around the world since they were first officially exported from Thailand, or, as it was known then, Siam, in the late 1800s. Their sleek lines, striking color contrast, finely chiseled aristocratic heads, deep blue almond eyes, and short silky coats make them living art. Combine this beauty with acute intelligence, inquisitive personality, and a loving nature, and you have the essence of the Siamese cat.
This ancient breed is able to communicate like no other. The Siamese voice is legendary. They speak both with their voice and with their body. They are the quintessential "people" cat, for they love to be in your lap, on your bed, at your table – and in your heart!
Seal points, still the best known of the four CFA Siamese colors, were the first to be recognized. With their seal brown, almost black extremities and their pale fawn bodies, they were sensational. While chocolate points, with creamy white bodies and milk chocolate legs, tail, mask, and ears did appear from time to time, it was the blue point that gained CFA recognition in 1934. The blue point has a bluish-white body with slate blue points. The chocolate point was recognized next. In 1955 the lilac point followed and completed the breed. The lilac point has pinkish grey points with a white body, which makes it most ethereal and delicate in color. While color is a prominent feature in this breed, structure is also important. The Siamese is a study in length. From the start, the breed standard has called for a long, wedge-shaped head and elongated body lines. The muscular, tubular body is supported by long legs and graced by a long neck and tail. The short, silky, close lying coat accentuates the long lines perfectly.
The long Siamese head is delineated by an absolutely straight profile and well aligned chin. From the front, the outline of the face presents a smooth wedge with large ears that complete the wedge. The outstanding feature of the head is the pair of deep blue almond eyes which are set at a slant.
If you have been able to resist all the other attributes of this breed, the eyes will captivate you. They radiate intelligence and emotion.
It is believed that Siamese are descended from the sacred temple cats in Siam, now called Thailand. They made their appearance in the United States in 1878 when the American President received "Siam" as a gift from the American Consul in Bangkok. In 1884 a breeding pair of Siamese cats was brought to the UK by the British Consul-General in Bangkok as a gift for his sister. The breed soon spread to other parts of Europe and Asia and were appearing in English cat shows almost immediately and in American shows by the early twentieth century. Officially recognized by CFA in 1906, they are one of the original breeds of pedigreed cats.
When selecting a Siamese kitten, bear in mind that breeders usually make kittens available between twelve and sixteen weeks of age. After twelve weeks, kittens have had their basic inoculations and developed the physical and social stability needed for a new environment, showing, or being transported by air. Keeping such a rare treasure indoors, neutering or spaying, and providing acceptable surfaces (e.g. scratching posts) for the natural behavior of scratching (CFA disapproves of declawing or tendonectomy surgery) are essential elements for maintaining a healthy, long, and joyful life. Pricing on Siamese usually depends on type, applicable markings, and bloodlines distinguished by Grand Champion (GC), National or Regional winning parentage (NW or RW), or Distinguished Merit parentage (DM).
More information about other cat breeds:
- Abyssinian
- American Bobtail
- American Curl
- American Shorthair
- American Wirehair
- Balinese
- Bengal
- Birman
- Bombay
- British Shorthair
- Burmese
- Burmilla
- Chartreux
- Colorpoint Shorthair
- Cornish Rex
- Devon Rex
- Egyptian Mau
- European Burmese
- Exotic
- Havana Brown
- Japanese Bobtail
- Korat
- LaPerm
- Maine Coon
- Manx
- Norwegian Forest Cat
- Ocicat
- Oriental
- Persian
- Ragamuffin
- Ragdoll
- Russian Blue
- Scottish Fold
- Selkirk Rex
- Siamese
- Siberian
- Singapura
- Somali
- Sphynx
- Tonkinese
- Turkish Angora
- Turkish Van


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Challenging Friday for Alex Lowes at Laguna Seca
The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team put in a determined performance on Friday at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for round eight of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship.
Both riders put in the effort under the scorching California sun with Alex Lowes ending the day eighth overall on the combined timesheets to make it through directly to SP2.
Alex likes the Laguna Seca circuit and started off the day full of confidence following his second podium of the season last time out at Misano. In near perfect conditions the 26-year-old British rider started steadily in FP1, setting a 1:24.635 towards the end of the session that saw him eighth fastest, 1.210s off the pace of the man at the top.
Two red flags, one at the start of the session and one right at the end, disrupted his efforts in FP2 as Lowes focused on improving the front-end feel with his R1 but his hard work paid off as he improved to a 1:24.330 just before the second red flag came out.
When the session re-started, there was just three minutes to go and Lowes was pushing hard to improve his time further. Unfortunately, a crash at turn 3 saw his chances of improving disappear but he walked away unhurt and ended the day eighth overall on the combined timesheets, 0.905s behind the leader. This means Alex heads straight through to SP2 on Saturday morning.
The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team are back in action in Laguna Seca on Saturday at 9am local time for Free Practice 3, with SP1 scheduled for 11:00am, SP2 11:25am and the 25-lap Race 1 due to start at 14:00pm.
Alex Lowes
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team – 8th 1:24.330
"Today we struggled to find a good feeling with the bike. It was frustrating, as last year we were quick here but at the moment I am not feeling comfortable on the bike, especially on corner entry. At Laguna Seca, if you don't have confidence with the bike it can make it really hard to push for a fast time. I had a small crash at the end when I was pushing, but I am fine and it didn't really affect anything. We were working in the right direction towards the end of the session and I was improving my times. We have some work to do overnight, we will look at the data and do everything we can to allow us to make a step tomorrow. I am looking forward to getting back out on track tomorrow and hopefully being able to fight more towards the front."


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Lynn Scheps is Vice President, Government Affairs at EHR vendor SRSsoft. In this role, Lynn has been a Voice of Physicians and SRSsoft users in Washington during the formulation of the meaningful use criteria. Lynn is currently working to assist SRSsoft users interested in showing meaningful use and receiving the EHR incentive money. Check out Lynn's previous Meaningful Use Monday posts.
Without delving into all the specifics detailed in the 672-page Final Rule for Stage 2, what is important to comprehend—for now—is how Stage 2 raises the bar set by Stage 1 and how it intensifies the focus on health information exchange and patient engagement.
The following are some highlights of Stage 2:
- The Final Rule not only confirms 2014 as the earliest effective date for Stage 2 (as expected), but it provides additional leeway for providers and for vendors by limiting the Stage 2 reporting period to 90 days in 2014, instead of a full year.
- EPs must meet or exclude all 17 core measures and must meet—not "meet or exclude"—3 of the 6 menu measures. (Unlike Stage 1, exclusions of menu measures do not count unless the EP cannot find 3 relevant menu measures.)
- All Stage 1 menu measures except syndromic surveillance become core measures.
- 5 new menu measures have been added: access to imaging results, family history, progress notes, reporting to cancer registries, and reporting to specialized registries.
- Stage 2 increases most Stage 1 thresholds.
- CPOE is expanded to include lab and radiology orders, in addition to prescriptions.
- Patient portals play an important role as a means of providing patients with access to their medical records. Physicians will have to ensure that at least 5% of the patients they see actually view, download or transmit their health information and that over 5% of the patients seen send them a secure e-mail message containing clinical information, (i.e., not just a request for an appointment.)
- Clinical summaries of office visits must be available to patients within 1 day, instead of the 3-day timeframe in Stage 1.
- The Stage 1 measure requiring a test of the ability to exchange clinical data with another provider has been dropped effective 2013, in favor of a more robust 2014 Stage 2 requirement for ongoing exchange of a significantly more extensive data set.
- EPs will report on 9 of 64 clinical quality measures, and after the provider's first incentive year, the CQM data must be submitted electronically, rather than by attestation.
- In an effort to streamline the reporting process, Stage 2 offers opportunities for batch reporting by group practices and for consolidated CQM reporting for PQRS and meaningful use.
- Penalties and hardship exemptions are defined, establishing October 1, 2014 as the latest date by which an EP can attest for the first time and avoid a 1% payment adjustment in 2015.
More information about Stage 2 will follow in future Meaningful Use Monday posts.


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Alexandre Richard
About Alexandre Richard
Alexandre Richard is an amazing young male vocalist from the east coast of Canada. This amazing journey began mid December of 2015 when I received an email with the subject title 'what to do'. I read on, and became intrigued by the message from the father of a young man of thirteen years of age from New Brunswick. He went on to say that like most parents, he was partial to the talents of his son, but really believed that he had a special gift…a beautiful voice, and wanted to speak with someone who might give him some advice and insight. He had been surfing the internet looking for talent agents, talent managers, and vocal coaches. In the mix was one in particular that got his attention as he scrolled down the page…Silver Lining Management…the woman who discovered Michael Bublé and guided him on to become a super star. He noted that I had written a book about my journey with Michael so his wife went out and bought it. He said that after they read the book, he and his wife were convinced that Beverly would be the person they would contact to help mentor Alexandre Richard.
I replied back, that I have a consulting service and would he and wife and son be interested in having a Skype consultation within the next week.
He responded immediately and we set the date for the session. During the interview, Alexandre told me that he had been singing since the age of ten at various parties, festivals and contests and the first time he got a standing ovation, he knew that he wanted to pursue 'a musical journey'.
I asked him to sing for me and he sang several songs acapella…At Last, (Etta James), Simply the Best (Tina Turner) and La Vie en Rose (Edith Piaf, yes in French). Well, there it was…a beautiful voice with perfect pitch. I asked who some of his influences were and he named Celine Dion at the top of the list, followed by Edith Piaf, Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban and many more.
I told them that I was very impressed with not only his voice, but also his demeanour, which was well beyond his age. Adding to that, he was well mannered, very handsome and oh, yes, he was bilingual, speaking English and French fluently.
I knew that it was too soon to put a plan into action because his voice was sure to change over the next year. We began with vocal lessons via Skype every two weeks, working on technique and tone and experimenting with different artists and genres. The first year passed very quickly and mid 2016 we mutually began to realize that his voice was coming unto its own.
He was a contestant on The Voice, Montreal and received a standing ovation from the judges. Shortly after that, I decided to move forward with his career. His family and I agreed that after Christmas we would begin taking the necessary steps to make a professional CD for him. I called upon my good friend and talented musician/producer, Bryant Olender and he agreed to produce the CD here in downtown Vancouver at his beautiful penthouse studio, Really Grateful Music.


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Eames house bird black
Product Details
° in stock, for more information click on delivery information on this page
Eames House Bird designed by the famous duo Charles and Ray Eames for Vitra.
Charles and Ray Eames enriched the collage-like interior of their private home, the Eames House, with numerous objects and accessories that they brought back from their travels. For over fifty years, the figure of a black wooden bird has stood in the centre of the living room – an artefact of American folk art that was evidently highly treasured by the couple, since it also appeared frequently as an accessory in photographs taken by Charles and Ray.
For the walnut edition, click here!
Materials: Body: solid alder, black lacquer finish; Legs: black steel wire.
Dimensions: L 27,8 x H 27.6 x W 8.5 cm
Brand: Vitra


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Voluntary Plan (VP) Claim Eligibility and Requirements
Determining Liability
The first step is to verify whether the employee is covered by a VP or State Disability Insurance (SDI). Company records should indicate which coverage the employee has selected.
VP coverage may begin on the date that the employee chooses to be covered by the VP, rather than SDI. The employee may be required, by the VP may require the employee to work for the company for a specific period of time, before coverage becomes effective. In these situations, SDI will cover the employee for that period.
When the VP chooses to cover all employees, a signed rejection slip must be on file for any employee who chooses to be covered by SDI instead. If automatic coverage is not in effect, an enrollment sheet or other documentation, must confirm each employee's coverage choice.
Determination of liability must be based on the date that the:
- Disability began.
- Condition reached a point where the employee was unable to perform their regular or customary work.
This date may be different from the stated claim date, or the first day that the employee is entitled to receive benefits. While accidents tend to establish a clear beginning of the disability, chronic health conditions may require investigation. Personnel records, attendance information, and discussion with the employee's supervisor may be necessary to determine when the condition became disabling. A medical condition may exist for some time without preventing an employee from doing their regular or customary work. That same condition may then worsen to a degree that constitutes "disability" under the law and entitles the employee to disability benefits.
Eligibility for VP Paid Family Leave
Employees covered by a VP are also covered for Voluntary Plan Family Leave (VPFL). If a VP insurer provides Disability Insurance coverage, then it must also provide Paid Family Leave coverage.
An employee may submit a claim for VPFL benefits for the following reasons:
- To care for a seriously ill child, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or registered domestic partner as defined by the California Unemployment Insurance Code.
- To bond with a minor child within one year of the birth, adoption, or placement in connection with foster care.
Note: Beginning January 1, 2021, VPFL will expand by adding a new claim type called Military Assist. VPFL Military Assist benefits will be available to eligible Californians who need time off work to participate in a qualifying event because of the military deployment of their spouse, registered domestic partner, parent, or child to a foreign country.
This applies to VPFL claims with a start date of January 1, 2021, or after.
For more information about the VP program, such as types of security deposits, reporting requirements, and disputed coverage claims, or the VPFL program, visit the Disability Insurance Employer's Guide to Voluntary Plan Procedures (DE 2040).


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Threading Advanced High Strength Steels?
We have the taps!
Tested Performance – Proven Results
From common tool sets to custom geometrical needs, Jarvis Cutting Tools creates toolsets
for our customers that are, quite simply, second to none.
Stronger Taps
The absence of cutting material due to the use of forming taps eliminates chip residue, and thus, the absence of chips eliminates the need for flutes, resulting in a solid, stronger tap for your application.
Chipless Tapping
Since the thread is formed and not cut, there are no chips to interfere with the tapping process or to cause chip-removal problems in blind holes. This enables cleaner holes with improved surface finish.
Longer Tap Life
Jarvis' industry-leading forming taps last 3 to 20 times longer than cutting taps because they have no cutting edge to dull. This leads to cost savings and greater returns, which in the end equals a stronger hold and a bolstered bottom line. Both are sound business practices.
Stronger Threads
The grain flow of formed threads – as a result of form tapping – follows the contour of the thread resulting in greater thread strength.
Better Thread Gaging
Forming taps rearranges the metal in the hole to create the thread. Because no metal is cut away, the possibility of producing oversized threads is greatly reduced.


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How LSD Makes Music Profoundly Awesome
Listening to Jimi Hendrix on acid back in the day was absolutely mind-melting. The sounds transcended normal tonality—not to mention space-time—and the music itself took on deep, deep meaning. It seemed like he was plugged into the primal energies of the universe, and profound truths flickered like jagged lightning.
It wasn't just the music of the master, either—LSD had the uncanny ability to imbue even the most saccharine dreck with cosmic connotations. Any old head who suddenly "got" Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun" in an acid-induced tearful epiphany knows whereof I speak.
Now, some new research helps explain why that happens. A recent study in Cerebral Cortex found that LSD changed the perception of music by altering the neural response in certain key brain regions, including those that govern emotion, memory, sound processing, and self-directed thought.
In the study, a team of researchers led by Katrin Preller and Franz X. Vollenweider of the University of Zurich interviewed 25 subjects about songs that were personally meaningful to them, then had the subjects listen to personally meaningful songs and songs that had no particular significance while given LSD or a placebo. In one session, subjects were given LSD and ketanserin, a drug that blocks LSD's ability to act on serotonin 2A receptors.
Under the influence of LSD, the researchers found, even non-meaningful songs picked up a sense of meaningfulness.
"Music can evoke a wide range of emotions, memories, and other feelings and states of mind. We can often identify with music, and music can change the way that we feel about and think about ourselves," study co-author Frederick Barrett of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine told PsyPost. "In the same way, music also engages a broad range of brain regions involved in memory, emotion, attention, and self-directed thought. LSD increases the degree to which these brain areas process music, and it seems to use a brain mechanism that is shared across all psychedelic drugs (serotonin 2A receptor signaling).
"These brain changes during music listening and LSD may (hypothetically) be the mechanism by which psychedelic drugs can be therapeutic," Barrett continued. "Also, these brain changes may uncover the underlying way that our brain makes meaning, with or without music and psychedelic drugs. Psychedelics are powerful drugs that hold promise to help us to heal, understand our brains and minds, and potentially uncover the elusive basis of consciousness itself."
Barrett also noted that a growing number of studies have suggested psychedelics could be used to treat psychiatric disorders, but he urged caution.
"While psychedelic drugs can be safely administered in a controlled setting to properly screened individuals, they are still very powerful drugs that may not be safe for everyone and may not be safe in many circumstances. The degree to which these elements (music, LSD, and serotonin 2A receptor signaling) are necessary for any successful therapy has yet to be determined," he explained. "The degree to which any of these elements interacts with challenging experiences (or 'bad trips') has yet to be determined. Also, the degree to which we can optimize music listening during psychedelic therapy sessions has yet to be determined, though these are all active areas of research."
In the meantime, Hendrix still sounds great on acid, even in uncontrolled settings. But would it make Justin Bieber tolerable? Further research is required.


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Amos wiped the sweat off the tip of his nose; blood and remnants of afterbirth mixed with the perspiration, and he scrubbed angrily at the mess with the rough cloth he kept wadded in his trouser pocket.
Phoebe Cook had very nearly survived, as had her infant son. Amos battled death for hours in an effort to save both their lives. A very young mother, Phoebe had had an uneventful and ordinary pregnancy. Dr. Hale had only been out to the small homestead she shared with her husband once or twice, since the young couple were married the previous fall.
Cursing to himself, and doing what he could to comfort Phoebe's husband John, Amos gathered his things and left the house, now one of abject mourning. In truth, there was nothing to be done. Young Mrs. Cook was dead, and there was no bringing her back. Amos felt the too-familiar sensation of defeat and failure prick the lining of his heart.
It can't be helped. Tend to your business now; get back to the surgery and see what else can be done before the day is out.
Swinging into the saddle, and pulling his heavy cloak close against the biting cold of the October evening, Dr. Hale squinted into the setting sun, pulled his tricorn low over his eyes and trotted along the lane that led back to town. The journey back to Little Falls would take some time, and Amos allowed his mind to wander, the rhythmic beat of his horse's hooves against the packed earth lulling him into a reminiscent state.
Medicine hadn't been his calling. The youngest son of a maid and stable groom, Amos spent his formative years in the household of Francis Bellamy, whose influence led young Amos to consider entering the Clergy. For years, Amos gave himself to the pursuit of Christian thought and academics. Even after Mr. Bellamy left the City of Little Falls, Amos thought a lifetime in the pulpit would be his destiny. Over time, however, and through continual correspondence between the two, the impressionable Amos became jaded to what he came to consider as an unjust and unfair God- influenced by the fiery and tireless work for the rights of working people which Mr. Bellamy wrote constantly of.
A profound disbeliever in anything remotely religious or spiritual, Amos turned to science- especially drawn to the discipline of medicine. His desire to help people never wavered, and by the time he was in his early 20's, he'd established a successful practice with many area residents believing he could cheat death and banish illness.
Not this time, he mused, spurring his horse forward to beat the setting sun.
The path home to Little Falls took the doctor through thick forest, over broad, rocky creek beds, and around grassy bogs. The last rays of sun had dimmed into murky twilight, leaving a golden glow behind to replace the pearly evening light. The trail became increasingly hard to see, and although his trusted mare was lightfooted, she stumbled time and again, eventually stopping suddenly, one leg cocked.
Amos dismounted to see what was amiss, dislodged an offending stone from her hoof, then decided to walk a ways to soothe his saddle sores, and relieve his mare of his weight while her sore foot eased.
Only 2 or 3 miles out of town, the darkness became unnerving. Amos didn't believe in ghosts or demons. His religion was science, and that never failed him. Regardless, even as the stars emerged to light his path, Amos felt nervous. A rare evening wind picked up and stirred the crunchy fallen leaves into strange noises, which Amos's seldom used imagination began to play with.
Enough, he chided himself. There's no point inventing something to fear. Disease is to be feared. War is to be feared. Man is to certainly be feared. Not spirits. Those people are dead. Gone.
Still, the doctor remained skittish, and to relieve his anxiety, began talking to his mare.
"You scared, Liberty?" The velvet nose of the mare sniffed and blew into Dr. Hale's ear, but aside from a soft nicker, didn't reply. "Don't tell anyone, but I'm feeling a bit spooked. Darned upset about young Phoebe on top of that." Liberty was silent. "You know, sometimes I feel like shaking my fist at the Almighty. His justice is unfathomable. Maybe I'm just not the doctoring type. Everyone else seems to have all kinda faith in me. Everyone but me."
Dr. Hale froze.
SNAP! Crack!
Reaching up to the saddle, Amos quietly withdrew his old musket, and set the butt on the ground. He loaded it with a charge and ball, filled the firing pan, and pulled back the hammer. He wrapped his reigns around the nearest branch, and crept forward along the trail, squinting into the inky darkness. The war was long over, so he wasn't worried about Redcoats, but there were plenty of bears and wildcats roaming the nighttime woods, so if he had to use the one powder charge he had left to clear the way home, he'd be ready.
Aside from the unusual wind, the woods were quiet. He thought the sharp noises had come from further down the path, but now he wasn't so sure.
Jumping upright, he shouldered his weapon and began shouting. "Hey! You there! I'm armed! Now git off the trail and be on your way!" He felt foolish for yelling at an animal. Striding boldly down the path with his musket ready to fire, he stopped periodically to listen.
Nothing. Only wind.
Lowering the gun slightly, he turned to retrieve Liberty, stumbling over a fallen log that partially blocked the path. Peering down to free his boot, Amos was shocked by what he saw.
There, illuminated only by starlight, but clear enough, was a word carved into the bark of the log.
Amos stared, swallowing hard. Straightening, he looked around again, and then quickly made his way to Liberty, trying not to spook her in the process. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed something quick-moving and light, assumed it was a cougar, and spurred Liberty to a gallop, heedless of the darkened road.
Both man and beast were breathless and sweating as they skidded into the dooryard of the doctor's home. It was also his place of business, with a stable attached. He handed off Liberty to a small boy who emerged out of the shadows, and stalked into the house, where his wife Mary was waiting. She saw the look on his face, combined with the disheveled state of his hair and clothes, and was alarmed.
"What's amiss, husband?" She asked, handing him a mug of hot mulled cider.
"Nothing." He replied, accepting the cup and dropping into a nearby chair. "Just an animal spooking Liberty, flighty creature. Thought I saw something, but wasn't staying out there to find out what."
"Just as well. You've got a morning full of patients to see. Best be getting to bed." She knew his self-doubt, and tried to sound nonchalant.
"Yes, you're right." He replied. "Go on up, and I'll join you shortly."
Mary picked up a candlestick and disappeared up the stairs in a halo of flickering light.
Amos rubbed his face, heaved a sigh, and went to rinse his empty cup. Leaning over the basin, he glanced out the low-hung window into the dooryard, where he had just left Liberty and the small stable boy. The strange wind still blew, picking up dust, and leaves, driving them in whirls and torrents through the air.
Then suddenly, a dim light appeared from the corner of the barn. Amos peered out through the glass. The light seemed to tighten and form into a long, slim shape. Shaken, the doctor couldn't take his eyes off the specter. Growing fear worked to glue his feet to the floor, and immobilize his legs. The eerie shape continued to solidify and drift closer to the window, until it stopped and Dr. Hale could finally see what was there.
It was Phoebe Cook.
She hovered in front of the window, her dead eyes seeming somehow alive, swimming in the sea of mist that shaped her face. Her mouth opened and closed, speaking, but only silently- unable to relay her message.
The scream of terror choked the doctor, and he simply turned and fled up the stairs, the empty cider cup rolling off the basin to smash itself against the wide plank floor.
Mary was up the next morning, long before her husband, who'd struggled through the night, fending off nightmares and insomnia, his self-doubt working to convince him that everything he'd experienced the day before was the result of a weak mind and constitution. Mary woke him just before his first patients arrived, and he dressed, dreading every minute that lay ahead.
The morning was cold. Heavy frost lay on the windows of the reception rooms, as the fire, which had been banked overnight, sprang to life. Amos sat behind his desk and glared at the windows. A small corner of one pane caught his eye, and he moved to examine it. Fear rose as he neared, so acute it was painful, for there, written in the frost with a shaky hand were the words:
He backed away and sat heavily in his desk chair. The morning sun rapidly washed away the mysterious words as the heat from the rays hit the glass.
Murder. Thought Amos. Phoebe thinks I murdered her. I couldn't save her, I might as well have murdered her. She must have written those words on that tree out on the trail too. I'm doomed. A patient is HAUNTING ME! Oh MURDER MURDER MURDER! What will I do?
In the doctor's horrified state, he forgot that he didn't believe in ghosts or demons. His usually disciplined mind fell away as his fevered imaginings took complete control. Throughout the day, as Dr. Hale saw to several people, whose ailments and injuries ranged from coughs to a broken nose. There was also a message to see a woman on the other end of town, who seemed to be down with yellow fever, the prospect of which occupied the doctor's thoughts entirely for the rest of the day. A yellow fever outbreak had to be avoided at all costs.
The outbreak he so feared happened. Amos worked night and day to extinguish the flames of the contagion. As people died, the doctor's confidence fell lower and lower. Although he didn't see her during his waking hours, Phoebe visited his dreams, mouthing her accusations and pointing a spectral finger at him. Finally, nearly a week later, the last of the victims began to recover. In all, 54 people perished- too many for a small town. Dr. Hale was inconsolable.
Mary's worry increased until one morning her husband descended the stairs and sat at the table. His hair was disheveled and there were dark circles under his eyes.
"I'm finished with medicine, Mary," he said quietly.
Knowing her protests would fall on deaf ears, she continued with her duties, leaving the house to tend to her chickens, leaving Dr. Hale alone.
In the pit of despair, Amos let his head fall to the table. A soft scratching at the window drew his attention. To his utter disbelief, there, in the frosty window across the room, words formed on their own:
Breathless, Amos stared at the haunted window. In his distraction, he barely felt the touch on his shoulder. The whisper at his ear felt like a breeze:
You must not stop being a doctor. My death is not your fault. It was my time to go. I am happy. My son is with me. Do not despair. As my time on Earth is over, yours still continues, and people need you. You were meant to heal people. If you were not, it would not be so. It has never been in your control. You must have faith.
Gasping, Amos leapt to his feet, overturning his chair. The room was empty. The sun was quickly erasing the words from the window while it filled the room with light. As the sun's rays filled the room, Dr. Hale felt the anguish and darkness leave his heart, leaving only lightness and confidence. If he was still a man of God, he would have called it faith.
He never saw Phoebe again, or witnessed her haunting words. The purpose of her life wasn't his to fulfill, her life had it's own autonomy. He finally understood his place in the universe, and where he was meant to go in the future- without doubt, or hesitation.
In reality, Dr. Amos Haile lived in Fairfield, NY, and served as the town supervisor in addition to his work as a physician. He is buried at the old cemetery in Eatonville, NY. He was married to Mary Potter. He helped bring together the first group of people who established the Fairfield Medical College, but sadly died at the young age of 39, just days before his 40th birthday.
Francis Bellamy did live for a time in Little Falls, NY, but only for a short time. He died in Tampa, Fl, still fighting as a Christian Socialist for the rights of working people.
The names of all the characters are taken from notable family names of the Kuyahoora Valley.


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Handcrafted Item Swap
Originally uploaded by innocentcharmer.
A beautiful swap from Heidi and I LOVE IT.
She was worried about making me jewellery and she shouldn't have been, the thing is when you start making jewellery noone gives you any, and I don't keep much of mine so this was great.
Not only that I think she can see what I dream, this bracelet is identical to the one in my head, turquoise is my birth stone so I love it, plus all the extra goodies. Thanks xx


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BBc website carries story of Indian unmanned moon mission with a planned manned mission soon.
They seem to have curried (if you'll pardon the pun) no favours by spending such huge amounts on this whilst most of the country live in abject poverty.
Still I'm having naan :shock: of this talk...any money spent on space is money well spent as far as I'm concerned.
India going to the Moon
Discuss the nature of the Universe and the things in it.
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India going to the Moon
Meade 8inch SCT. Observatory mounted on an HEQ5 Pro using EQMOD Canon 1000D modified DSLR,200mm Dobsonian, 200mm Celestron C8, 15x70 Astro Binoculars. 2x Mintron ccd cameras, lots of other stuff.
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Vilnius, Lithuania, September 17, 2010 - At the 5th Internet Governance Forum in Vilnius, Lithuania, leaders from government, civil society, and business gathered to discuss the design, development, and operation of city-TLDs. Participants at the City-TLD Governance and Best Practices workshop made the following recommendations:
- City-TLD proponents should prepare a preliminary definition of public interest TLDs, using resources such as the Paris Understanding.
- An organization of proponents of public interest city-TLDs be formed.
- Literature should be prepared to inform mayors of the world of the utility of city-TLDs, and that it be distributed through their best practices organizations.
- Via petition and other mechanisms, the thoughtful and rapid approval of city-TLDs should be presented to the ICANN.
- Such petition to the ICANN should note that the operation of city government, the quality of city life, and the sustainability of cities will be improved by the thoughtful issuance and development of city-TLDs.
- Such petition should also note the unsuitability of the proposed filing fees, technology requirements, and registry/registrar separation for city-TLDs proposed in the Draft Application Guidebook, especially for less developed areas.
- The petition should note that the acceptance of city-TLDs as a distinct category of TLDs, governed under the existing laws of nation-states; unencumbered by traditional concerns about trademark stress; and governed by responsible entities will free the ICANN to focus on more problematic TLD categories.
- That nation-states be contacted through the members of the ICANN's Government Advisory Committee (GAC) and other channels and requested to assemble a list of cities with an existing interest in TLDs.
- That a list of cities proposing public interest TLDs be submitted to ICANN.
- That a dedicated unit within ICANN be created to process public interest city-TLD applications.
- That cities on such a list be processed and approved in an expedited manner.
- That trademark issues be closely considered.
- That the city-TLD advocacy organization create city-to-city processes and communication channels to share best practices.
See City-TLD Governance and Best Practices - Report for the full workshop details and the follow-up page for responses under consideration. (Photo courtesy of Patti Shubitz.)


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|Atmospheric nitrate deposition, microbial community composition, and enzyme activity in northern hardwood forests
|Publication Type
|Journal Article
|Year of Publication
|DeForest JL, Zak DR, Pregitzer KS, Burton AJames
|Soil Science Society of America Journal
On a global scale, human activity has increased the atmospheric input of NO3- to many terrestrial ecosystems. Anthropogenic NO3- may be a potent modifier of ecosystem function, especially in temperate forests that are sometimes N limited. However, the impact of chronic N deposition on soil microorganisms is still poorly understood. Nitrate entering Lake States forests is rapidly assimilated by the microbial community and it is subsequently released as NH4+. Because high levels of NH4+ inhibit the activity of lignin-degrading soil fungi, we reasoned that chronic N additions could alter the composition and function of heterotrophic microbial communities in soil, and hence the ecosystem-level processes they mediate. We tested our hypothesis in four northern hardwood ecosystems in northern Michigan, which received experimental N additions (30 kg NO3-/ha/yr)during the past 8 yr. We quantified microbial community function by measuring the activity of extracellular enzymes involved in plant litter degradation and described microbial community composition using phospholipid fatty acid (PFLA) analysis. Chronic N additions significantly suppressed B-glucosidase activity by 24% in mineral soil and suppressed phenol oxidase activity by 35% in surface litter. We found no evidence that chronic N additions altered microbial community composition; NO3- addition did not alter the relative abundance of bacterial, actinomycetal, fungal, or protozoan PFLAs. However, NO3- additions significantly reduced microbial biomass by 18% relative to the control treatment. Results indicate that N additions broadly suppressed all microbial groups, not just the activity and abundance of lignin-degrading fungi.