text:
EDITORIAL: Another tragedy, and a louder refrain
The Navy Yard mass slaying in D.C. Monday has gun-control advocates, Newtown parents and Connecticut senators scurrying for new action. And it has pundits wondering what exactly is wrong in American society that produces so many brutal rampages.
Gun rights defenders, meanwhile pointed to failings in a security system that would allow clearance to a man with three arrests and mental health issues. In the end, however, the story boils down once again to "crazed gunman slaughters innocent people."
The gun homicide rate overall is down 49 percent since its 1993 peak, according to a May 2013 Pew Research Center report.
But these mass killings seem to be increasing in frequency — six of them since the Sandy Hook slayings and at least 20 during the Obama presidency.
Is there something about the digital age — with individuals spending long periods of time on the Internet without family in the room — that stokes anger and alienation?
Aaron Alexis, the shooter in the Navy Yard slayings, not only had been exhibiting symptoms of mental illness for a decade but was known to play extremely violent video games all night, acquaintances have said in televised interviews.
The New York Times Tuesday quoted an official saying acquaintances knew Alexis was paranoid and delusional. As a Navy reservist, he showed a "pattern of misbehavior" including insubordination and unauthorized absences.
And yet, in Virginia, he was able to stroll into a gun store and walk out with 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition, which he unloaded into strangers eating breakfast and officers trying to stop him, killing 12.
If this aftermath feels like deja, it is.
"Rampage violence seems to lead to repeated cycles of anguish, investigation, recrimination and heated debate, with little real progress in prevention," says a 2012 American Journal of Public Health article by two researchers from the University of Arizona arguing for a new type of research.
These shootings are as frustrating as they are perplexing and senseless. After an arrest for shooting out someone's tires years ago, Alexis said he had some sort of anger-fueled blackout.
But anger issues lead to domestic incidents. What leads someone to smuggle in a shotgun to a place and deliberately kill as many strangers as you can, with little or no hope of escape? It begs the question of whether the notoriety of great evil has somehow become desirable.
Media moguls, like gun advocates, disavow any blame, even though some of the most violent TV shows right now are the most popular. Showtime's "Dexter," AMC's "Breaking Bad" and FX's "Sons of Anarchy" not only match the gore of "The Walking Dead" and "Criminal Minds" but they're all about villains as antiheroes. The shows glorify sociopaths (although Dexter is a vigilante, if that's any better).
In the same issue that reported on Alexis, the Times reviewed the latest version of the video game franchise "Grand Theft Auto." The reviews starts out by saying, "As video game players have gotten older, as antiheroes have become routine across the culture, as sex and violence have permeated prestige television, the controversies that once surrounded the Grand Theft Auto games have begun to seem like sepia-toned oddities from another age."
Maybe, to a sophisticated adult. But games like this are played by young teens (and 30-something sociopaths, too, apparently).
Easy and alluring mass violence tells us something about technology's dark side — that high-definition pictures encourage "action." Pictures over words, video over print, danger over comfort.
And the indisputable fact is that no-real life rampage — not Virginia Tech, Aurora or Sandy Hook — would be as lethal without a gun.
Connecticut took some action of its own on gun control, but the U.S. Senate rejected expanded background checks for gun purchasers, despite public support.
Let's get that done first.


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A Glossary for Immigration Reform
All the terms you need to know during the immigration reform debate.
Jan. 30, 2103 -- The debate over comprehensive immigration reform is now underway. Throughout the process, you are likely to hear a lot of jargon thrown around by politicians, activists, and the media. Here is a helpful glossary of terms to help you navigate the debate.
11 million: The estimated number of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
AgJobs: A bill that combines an earned legalization program for farmworkers with an expansion and reworking of the temporary worker program. Of the roughly one million farmworkers in the U.S., a sizable portion are undocumented: 25 percent, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, or 53 percent if you go by a U.S. Department of Labor survey.
Amnesty: Mass legalization of undocumented immigrants with no penalties
"Back of the line": The idea that undocumented immigrants should go to the "back of the line" for green cards in any reform package, and that applicants already waiting for green cards should be taken care of first.
"Boots on the ground": A reference to the record number of Border Patrol agents stationed on the U.S. borders.
Border commission: Under the Senate immigration blueprint, this would be a group of Southwest governors, attorneys general and community leaders who would monitor the progress around securing the border. The blueprint doesn't specify how authoritative a role the commission would have in determining when benchmarks have been met.
Border Security: Spending on securing the nation's borders and ports of entry. In the 2011 fiscal year, spending totaled $18 billion, more than the combined spending on FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), also known as deferred action: An Obama administration program that allows undocumented young people who meet certain qualifications to live and work in the U.S.
DREAM Act: A bill that would create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented young people who attend college or serve in the military.
DREAMers: A general term for presently or formerly undocumented youth.
Earned path to citizenship/pathway to citizenship: Asking undocumented immigrants interested in obtaining a green card to meet certain criteria, such as registering with the government, paying back taxes and learning English.
Enforcement triggers: Benchmarks to be met in regards to immigration enforcement, such more spending on border security, more workplace immigration audits, etc.
E-Verify: A federal database used to verify an employee's work eligibility, but criticized by groups like the American Civil Liberties Union for inaccuracies and business groups for inefficiencies.
Future flows: Politicians referencing "future flows" are usually talking about how the immigration system should be changed to accommodate immigrants going forward, i.e., more visas for farmworkers, an expansion of guest worker programs, more family-based visas, etc.
Green card: The document issued to immigrants who become legal permanent residents. Green card holders can apply for citizenship after a minimum of five years in the U.S.
Guest-worker program: A temporary worker program. In the past, proposed guest-worker programs have not included a special path to citizenship.
"In the shadows": A phrase used to describe the limited rights afforded to undocumented immigrants, as well as the threat of deportation.
Probationary legal status: A temporary status that would be given to undocumented immigrants who meet a series of requirements under the new Senate plan.
Restrictionists: People who support lower levels of immigration, both legal and illegal.
STEM visas: These are visas that are awarded to students who graduate from U.S. universities with advanced degrees in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Both parties support adding more.
Visa overstay/entry-exit tracking: Of all undocumented immigrants, 45 percent entered the country legally and overstayed visas. A program called U.S. Visit tracks people entering the country, but the Senate blueprint calls for a tracking system that would prevent people overstating their visas.
Visa backlog: The wait for a visa can take anywhere from months to decades, depending on who you are and where you're coming from. The Senate plan proposes clearing the backlog of applicants waiting for a visa.

subset: commoncrawl


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The amazing Mr Obama. This is very funny
My dear friends Crown Of Beauty
and Annette gifted me this award.
Its your lovely blogs which inspire me.
Thank you for your love and kindness.
Your blogs have enriched my walk with God
Sorry to hear about Michael Jackson 's passing away. He was a great artist.


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Faren, I am your father
Aesir the Conqueror.
New set I just created lastnight.
More pictures in the album, but will post a couple here.
Warden of the Vanir - Svildr Ironbark
This is a set for my Female Norn Guardian.
More pics in the album, but will post a few here also.
@Reincarnatie.7254 said:
"Morphologically, griffons bear a strong resemblance to the tengu species/people. Both are avianoid, with beaks, feathers, and clawed phalanges. Their pinnae are also strikingly similar in structure and are most likely homologous features, much like their forelimbs and hind-limbs are, having a common origin to one another."
"The Clouded Corvus, Gryps corax nebulosae (shown above), is a different species of griffon than the common greater griffon (Gryps gryps gryps) which can be found in the arid and windy landscapes of Elona. They are, however, in the same genus: Gryps, of "greater griffons". Clouded Corvus griffons are predominantly found in the misty temperate rain-forests of the Woodland Cascades, but have been spotted ranging as far as the alpine forests of the Shiverpeaks--such as the Griffon Old Growth. The Corvus griffons are the only other species of griffon that are omnivorous (the other being the Sylph Griffon) and may occasionally dig up and consume tuberous vegetables--to supplement their diet of prey animals and grains like corn and wheat--much to the distress of the unfortunate farmer. The tails of the Clouded Corvus most closely resemble the tails of tengu, rather than those of other griffons and lesser griffons (Gryps-parvus spp.) whose tails more resemble those of charr--the similarities of the latter (between the tails of griffons and charr) are more likely a result of convergent evolution and are analogous in nature to one another."
"The Spotted Slyph griffon, Gryps sylphes occulatae (pictured above), on the other hand, prefers dense humid jungle and makes its home in the heart of the Maguuma Jungle. Its spotted and counter-shaded plumage helps it to camouflage seamlessly in the dense dappled canopy of foliage. Its range overlaps slightly with that of the Clouded Corvus but are not known to interbreed with them. It is thought that their tails are partially prehensile, an adaptation which serves to improve balance in the dense treetops. Anyone who has encountered a griffon will remember seeing wing-claws protruding from the wrist section of their wings and wondered what they were for. For the Spotted Sylph, these appendages assist in clambering through branches and are especially helpful when they are young and are blown out of the nest in heavy storms. Speaking of wet weather, to protect itself from the damp conditions of the jungle, the Sylph's uropygial gland produces a near-excessive amount of preen oil which assists in reducing feather pests due to its anti-parasitic, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal properties. Like the Corvus griffon, the Spotted Sylph is omnivorous: in addition to its diet of fresh saurian meat, of course, it enjoys consuming the plentiful fruits of the jungle with other frugivorous creatures."
"The Highland Harrier griffon, Gryps circus collinae (displayed above), occupies the highlands of Ascalon--namely, the Blazeridge Steppes--but range into the Elonian highlands as well as the eastern hills of the Shiverpeaks and Steamspur Mountains. It has been reported that the Harrier griffon's feathers and flesh are poisonous to consume due to the batrachotoxins present in feather and skin samples taken for analysis. Observations of its depredation upon venomous krait and poisonous hylek, among other creatures like: spiders, wasps, mosquitoes, devourers, bats, wurms, sand eels, ibogas and skale may explain how the Highlands Harrier metabolises and then incorporates the various toxins into its system. Highland Harriers typically prefer to nest in craggy outcroppings and caves below the alpine snowline on mountainsides, as opposed to treetops like the Corvus and Sylph griffons, or open-ground-nests as with the lesser griffons, and more like the cliff-side nests of common griffons and Badlands griffons."
"Badlands Stalkers (a.k.a. Badlands griffons), Gryps volatus taciturnae (shown above), are silent fliers, soaring across canyons on thermals rising from the baked stone of the cliffs they call home. Ranging from the deserts of Elona and the Blazeridge Mountains to the canyons of Maguuma Wastes and the Steamspurs in-between, Badlands Stalkers are among the most wide-ranging (though, not most common) of griffon species. Their stockier build allows them to thrive in both hot and cold climates, ranging farther into chillier regions than all other greater griffon species (other than the common greater griffon), though they require warm columns of air to hunt effectively. Specialised down feathers, called 'pulviplumes' help to insulate the griffon from temperature extremes as well as providing a copious amount of feather dust which it uses to blind foes."
"In the abandoned stone halls of the Silverwastes, a land once known as the lush Silverwood, nests an exceptionally rare variety of Spotted Sylph. This breed, a bright red colour morph, would stand out as a sore thumb in the verdant greenery of the Maguuma Jungle to the west. Currently under review as a subspecies of the Sylph Griffon, Gryps sylphes, its proponents for subspecies status argue that they have diverged from the main population of Spotted Sylphs for hundreds of years and the two separate populations have not been interbreeding--though it is posited that they they still are able to produce viable offspring if they do. Opponents of the designation argue that there is not enough differentiation of evolutionary adaptations, other than colour, to warrant a separate subspecies. If this particular Spotted Sylph of the Maguuma Wastes were to receive status as a subspecies all to its own, it would most likely be named Gryps sylphes rufus, Gryps sylphes rudhira, or Gryps sylphes deserti. Like its sister-subspecies in the dense jungles of Maguuma, it also enjoys supplementing its diet with fruit but must obtain that fruit from other sources in the Maguuma Wastes in the form of cactus fruit. This dietary supplementation helps it to better compete with the more dominant griffon species in the region--the Badlands Stalker (Gryps volatus taciturnae), which tends to nudge out other species of griffons in ecosystems they inhabit, like the Clouded Corvus (Gryps corax nebulosae)."
"Theories on this particular breed of Spotted Sylph range from plausible to outlandish. One theory is that they were kept as livestock and hunting animals by the giants, using their eggs (and meat) as a steady supplementary food source and their feathers as symbols of status and to insulate their bedding and clothing. As giant society collapsed, these brilliant vermilion avianoids escaped the fate of the giants and now live as ghostly reminders of the Age of the Giants and the capricious nature of the Gods. Interviewing the friendly centaurs of the region have produced many stories and myths about griffons, in general, which have been known to occasionally prey upon centaurs and their young. Centaur myths both revere and revile them, as spirits of the wind and demons from the depths. The latter perspective most likely comes from the period of conflict between centaurs and the grey giant tribes of the area where griffons may have been used as beasts of war."
"The griffon known as the Fire Pinion is also one that is known to very few and seen by even fewer. With feathers of flame and wings of wildfire, such a sight bewilders and befuddles onlookers. 'What God made that?' some human may ask. 'Where in the Eternal Alchemy did that come from?' an asura might ask. 'Pre-roasted chicken sounds good right about now,' a charr would possibly comment. The human, wrong; the asura, preoccupied; and the charr, irreverent. This griffon, created from the extinct Valley Pinion griffon (Gryps vallis plumae), was formed in the fantastical fires of high-elder and grandmaster djinns, in their forges in Vabbi to banish demons from dimensions beyond ours. The Valley Pinion, unlike other griffon species, lack the leathery patagium that has replaced the primary flight feathers on other species of greater griffon. This links the Valley Pinion Griffon to the lesser griffons as the bridge between the two species. It is thought that the leathery patagium helped the other greater griffon species to take advantage of warmer climes by allowing the quick release of excess heat."
"The Starbound griffon has a similarly mysterious and mystical origin and is even rarer and elusive than even the Fire Pinion, even though it is most likely created from the common greater griffon, Gryps gryps gryps. One theory is that it is an elaborate scheme between the Black Lion Company, The Consortium, and the secretive Mesmer Collective to confuse the populace. Another is that they are also a product of the djinn high-elders, imbuing these griffons with celestial magic from the Mists, used to combat demons not of this world. Regardless of its possible origins, the Starbound griffon is an excellent nocturnal hunter in the starry skies of Elona, practically melding in with the speckled tapestry of night above as it plunges towards its unsuspecting victim."
--excerpts from 'Descriptions of Griffon Subspecies: A Feathered Flurry' and 'A Treatise on the Origins of Griffons and the Mechanisms of their Speciation'. Research was commissioned by The Tyrian Taxonomic Council on the Conservation of Finite Flora and Fauna.
| Aivreanh - Spring - Firebrand | Lydaeia - Summer - Soulbeast | Éanhréina - Autumn - Tempest | Miaera - Winter - Spellbreaker | Ixyrra - Statics - Inventor | Ymrii - Synergetics - Reaper | Jeide Luen - Noble - Daredevil | Nayerlu Vespertine - Ash - Herald | Hrijn Eivorsdottir - Raven - Mirage |
Give the Sharur(Evil). Some love
I was doing some personal story and Arlons twin decided to look even more like him than before, I found it really funny because I was thinking they didn't really look like twins at all and then the game proved me wrong.
I've got a bunch. I plan to draw him one day which is why there are so many screenshots cluttered together.
Was trying to explore the world without using the minimap / using only visual landmarks and had the pleasure of finding this view of the Priory!
There was a bug during a dragon stand and after flying over the island to release fire, the wyverns would pop in this state on it, unfightable and peaceful, it was very cute haha
ArenaNet - Old Lion's Arch
There are so many beautiful areas in the game! Here are a few favorites of mine. is-it-because-im-charr.tumblr.com/post/171484787998
I'm Hunter, he/him
Character infos: https://is-it-because-im-charr.tumblr.com/charactersgw2
Meme God Walking Amongst Mere Mortals
For the characters I got an entire site (not updated frequently but all characters are listed at least):
Gonna look forward to find any time to update them soon.
I'm Hunter, he/him
Character infos: https://is-it-because-im-charr.tumblr.com/charactersgw2
Meme God Walking Amongst Mere Mortals
Testing random pictures:
@DBZVelena.5186 said:
Look Guys!
how do I post pics like this?
@AmisAmai.5329 said:
screenshots are so much fun to take and edit tbh!
have a few of my recent ones!
i have a ton more but i dont wanna add to many to one post, so you can find all of my screenshots of my blog here if you wanna check them out
WOW! Your screenshots are so high quality. Teach me your ways XD
@Umadusa.5874 said:
WOW! Your screenshots are so high quality. Teach me your ways XD
With the amount of questions I've been getting on how I take my screenshots, I'll be more than happy to make a forum thread with tricks and tips on in game screenshot taking, how to use Reshade for screenshots and some Photoshop tutorials if anyone is up for it!
★★ Amis ★★ Underworld ★★ GW2 Blog ★★
Nothing fancy, just all my babies grouped together.
P.S. Idk how to post the actual image.
Hi , New to the site, Hope my Images turn out ok. Same I don't know how to post the actual image https://imgur.com/hRStdT4 https://imgur.com/ozSDbzv https://imgur.com/DdkxmTN https://imgur.com/DL0zvk2 Well from what I see everyone is showing off their Images but they don't want to share how to get them on the page. Sad Face
I return with a couple of simple screenshots! I need to get back on my screenshot game >___>
and just a couple of character profile images which I use on my tumblr!
★★ Amis ★★ Underworld ★★ GW2 Blog ★★
The Always Late Horseman of the Apocalypse
Your Math Tèacher [MATH]
Digital Headhuntaz [aBrA]
I like this one i made
My druid o3o
This one I posted in another thread, might make new and different ones later when I have time to go back to the game
@Artemisa.9013 said:
As a very recent player I don't have much to show you, but anyway, these are my two characters at the moment and their looks so far (both Norn; I'm loving everything about the Norn people):
And speaking of screenshots, what tips could you give a noob like me to take good/very good screenshots? For example, how do you take them so that the "game things" (level bar, map chat, etc.) don't appear? Photoshop? There's so much beauty in this game, I'd like to capture it properly!
Thank you!
Unless you've set it differently, the keybind to hide the UI should be Ctrl+Shift+H
My Guardian turned 5 yesterday. To celebrate, I gave him an updated look :P
His Old Look:
His New Look:
some of my most recent screenshots!
My favourite cutscene from the mission "The Machine"
I absolutely love the dyes I chose on this. Sylvari's are my favorite race in GW2
My Elly in the Amnoon night.
Sirenia Quarren
Lyta Quarren
Katrina Quarren
Brittany Quarren
Naomi Quarren
I am a very casual player.
Very nice @Wisenburg.9587 @kharmin.7683
@Solaris.2489 Wow, your hair seems to light up there. Did she put LED under it?
This one was a few months ago
And that one is recent
My guardian mastering his firebrand elit specialisation
And his griffon landing in Maguma Forest
Super Sylvari to the rescue!
@Haseo.3901 said:
This one was a few months ago
Imagine seeing THIS crashing towards you when you look straight up to the sky above...
Coming from outer space. With revenge.
Finally unlocked Weaver...and the gauntlets were so cool, I gave him a full makeover.
Always willing to help others if I am able. Catch me in-game. I'm a dirty-casual with 2 kids in college, so I am on at odd times. lol
Amazing time we're having waiting for the S4E3 fix build to drop and i managed to snap this glorious screenshot
May I present, the brand new. Volkswagen Beetle.
(logo is not mine, character is )
Dead is indeed overrated.....
She got stuck in an attack pose, I got some great shots.
Ohhh, those bad boys.
This game never ceases to amaze me
Years just pass like trains
I wave but they don't sloow dooown~ don't slow doown~♪
Valkyria Agate, a Norn warrior from the Far Shiverpeaks, looking to reclaim hers and her people's homeland from the wrath of Jormag.
She and her owl griffon will make that trip to fight and take back her homeland!
My Norn Elementalist.
A little late, but better late than never. With a guild name like mine, it was only a matter of time before we finally got this done.
Frostgorge Sound exploration.
I entered a "Fashion Wars" competition my guild hosted where we posted pictures with a character description. I didn't win but I was happy with how it turned out!
"I am Hisuii, Avatar of Kudzu. I bring life and beauty to lands once plagued by barrenness, drought and corruption; transforming them into magnificent gardens of vibrant colour. Melandru's favour and the Pale Tree's teachings have granted me the power to cultivate hidden beauty in souls of the people and places I encounter. As I give them the ability to realise their true nature, a new flower adorns my armour; granting me strength so that I may protect those that are precious to me."
Farming in Bitterfrost. It became my wallpaper.
This is my Charr, not my main.
been offmap at the darkest place to take some skill-effect-shots. (none of those is edited)
Nothing to see here - move along.


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Prosecutors seek dismissal of latest Skakel appeal
NEW HAVEN (AP) — Prosecutors want a judge to dismiss Michael Skakel's latest challenge of his 2002 murder conviction, saying the Kennedy cousin's claim that his trial attorney did a poor job should have been raised in an earlier appeal and that many of the issues he cites were previously rejected.
A hearing was planned Thursday in Rockville Superior Court. Skakel, 52, is not expected to attend and an immediate ruling is not expected.
Skakel's attorneys say the appeal should not be dismissed and that Skakel has a right to show he was wrongly convicted.
Skakel is serving 20 years to life in prison for the fatal beating of Martha Moxley in wealthy Greenwich in 1975, when they were 15-year-old neighbors. He recently lost a bid for parole after a hearing in which he reiterated his innocence.
Attorneys for Skakel, a nephew of Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel Kennedy, argue in the appeal filed in 2010 that his trial attorney, Michael Sherman, failed to challenge the state's star witness by finding witnesses who later rejected his claim that Skakel confessed to the crime. Skakel, who is seeking a new trial, says Sherman failed to obtain evidence from prosecutors and others pointing to other suspects and failed to object to improper closing arguments.
Sherman has said he did all he could to prevent Skakel's conviction.
Prosecutors say the claim against Sherman should have been raised in an earlier appeal and contend Skakel is in procedural default.
"The suffering of crime victims and their families is needlessly extended by leaving the convictions of those who have so grievously wronged them forever open to challenge," prosecutor Susann Gill wrote. "Victims and their loved ones rightfully expect the criminal justice system to bring the litigation to a place of repose in a reasonable time and with the least number of post-conviction challenges as possible."
Gill also argues that the issues cited, such as the claim about the star witness and improper closing arguments, were denied in an earlier appeal.
Skakel "should not be permitted to place these issues once again in dispute in the hopes that a different judge will come to a different conclusion," Gill wrote, adding that to do so "makes a mockery of the finality to which the state, the taxpayers and the victims are entitled."
The victim's 80-year-old mother, Dorthy Moxley, said the appeals are stressful. She did not plan to attend the hearing.
"It just amazes me they have all this energy to keep pushing for these things when they just hit a stone wall every time," she said. "I just think it's a big waste of time and money for the state of Connecticut to have to put up with all these appeals. And it's a waste of time and effort and money on my part."
Skakel's attorneys, Hope Seeley and Hubert Santos, say the issues in the latest appeal are related to the earlier challenge but are not identical. They also say some of the rulings denying the earlier appeals lend support to the claims against Sherman, citing a Supreme Court ruling that stated Sherman failed to object to the prosecutor's closing argument.
Skakel's attorneys say they were not required to raise the claim against Sherman in the earlier appeal and to do so would have forced them to make contradictory arguments. They say the state's interest in finality does not trump Skakel's interest in showing he was wrongfully convicted.
"Michael Skakel is an innocent man serving an unjust sentence for a crime he did not commit. Therefore, Mr. Skakel's exercise of his constitutional rights is not a waste of time or money," Santos said.
Skakel already has lost two appeals before the Connecticut Supreme Court.
If the latest appeal is not thrown out, a trial is scheduled to start in April.


text:
Start your day with knitting wit and wisdom from Franklin Habit
The calendar for knitters!
[Anastasia's note: Zimmermann is a celebrated designer of knitting patterns, especially lace.)
Make sure you don't miss out on these important dates again, with Franklin Habit's Stash of Knitting Cartoons 2011 calendar! Keep track of all the noteworthy dates in the knitter's year, from festivals and retreats to the birthdays of knitting luminaries. And of course, plan out your holiday and gift knitting in advance, all on one calendar.
With wit as sharp as The New Yorker, Franklin affectionately tunes into the knitter's sense of humor, presenting thirteen hilarious, favorite cartoons from It Itches. Knitters will easily relate to the situations and characteristics of knitters that Franklin illustrates, be it from the compulsive yarn buyer to the mottephobic (fear of moths), to missing the holiday knitting deadline and the constant conundrum of just where to stash all that yarn.
Franklin Habit's Stash of Knitting Cartoons 2011 Calendar will not only help you keep your knitting organized for the year, it will also keep you laughing every month.
* * *
Oh, and while we're at it, I found another knitting cartoon I love.


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LauraStar MycoverIroning Board Cover
This ironing board cover designed specifically for Laurastar ironing systems has a contemporary design and a stylish colour offering high-comfort thickness for easier ironing. Its materials, specially developed by Laurastar Swiss engineers, let just the right amount of steam through and the elastic band makes it easy to secure in place. It ensures perfect ironing. Machine washable at 30°C on a no-spin cycle.
Composition : 100% cotton, 100% polyester foam padding
Cover dimensions (LxW): 131 x 55 cm / 51.5 x 21.6 in
Fits ironing board of: 125 x 42 cm / 49.2 x 16.6 in
Suitable for the following ironing systems:
Premium S3, Laurastar X1a, Laurastar X2a, MAGIC i-S6, Laurastar Pulse, Laurastar S7a


text:
"Live Today, Diet Tomorrow" (Boston Terrier) Dog Art Canvas
Husband and wife team Ron and Amy Schmidt marry his witty dog photos with her wording to create unique a collection of dog canvas artwork with fun quotes.
Sturdy box mounted, gallery wrapped, artist-grade canvas. Finished backing and beautiful corners. Ready to hang. Available in two sizes: 12x12 and 24x24.
Proudly made in the USA
* Watermark does not appear on canvas


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Isle of Skye Trekking Centre Pony Club - http://skyetrekking-ponyclub.weebly.com
Therapies -
B&B/Self Catering Accommodation -
Island Attractions -
Get away from the hustle and bustle, and experience the quiet rugged beauty of the Skye countryside from horseback.
Why not come along and visit the Centre - home to 21 horses & ponies, 5 cheeky dogs, 3 sleepy cats,13 friendly sheep and 10 very talkative chickens!
For more information on any of the above, please contact us on
Please read our terms and conditions before booking a ride.


text:
Your pregnancy and baby guide
Baby and toddler meal ideas
Open all pages about Your pregnancy and baby guide
Main navigation
Getting pregnant
- Secrets to success
- Am I pregnant?
- Problems
I'm pregnant
- Early days
- Week by week
- Twins
- Preparing for the birth
- Work out your due date
- Tests scans and checks
- Your pregnancy (antenatal) care
- Vaccinations
- Your health and wellbeing
- Existing health problems
- Common pregnancy ailments
- Pregnancy-induced conditions
Labour and birth
- The start of labour
- The birth
- Emotions and worries
- Premature babies
Your newborn
- How to breastfeed
- Breastfeeding problems
- Lifestyle and breastfeeding
- Bottle feeding
- Newborn screening tests
- Newborn essentials
- New parents
- New mums
- Twins and multiples
Babies and toddlers
- Weaning and solid foods
- Teething
- Baby health and care
- Spotting signs of serious illness
- Reflux in babies
- How to take a baby's temperature
- Reducing the risk of SIDS
- Treating a high temperature
- Sleep problems in children
- Coughs, colds and ear infections
- Diarrhoea and vomiting
- Infectious illnesses
- Children's medicines
- Looking after a sick child
- Serious conditions and special needs
- Constipation in young children
- Your baby's height and weight
- Baby health and development reviews
- Leg and foot problems in children
- Learning, play and behaviour
- Twins
- Safety and accidents
- Parenting
If you need some inspiration to help you cook healthy and tasty food for your kids, try these meal ideas.
They are not suitable as first foods, but fine once your baby is used to eating a wide range of solid foods. Read more about your baby's first solid foods.
When preparing food for babies, do not add sugar or salt (including stock cubes and gravy) directly to the food or to the cooking water.
You can find more meal ideas and recipes on the Start4Life website.
Breakfast ideas for babies and young children
- unsweetened porridge or lower-sugar cereal mixed with whole milk and topped with fruit, such as mashed ripe pear or banana
- wholewheat biscuit cereal (choose lower-sugar options) with whole milk and fruit
- lower-sugar breakfast cereal and unsweetened stewed apple with plain, unsweetened yoghurt
- toast fingers with mashed banana and smooth peanut butter (if possible, choose unsalted and no added sugar varieties)
- toast fingers with a hard-boiled egg and slices of tomato, banana or ripe peach
- toast or muffin fingers with scrambled egg and slices of tomato
Lunch ideas for babies and young children
- lamb curry with rice
- cauliflower cheese with cooked pasta pieces
- baked beans (reduced salt and sugar) with toast
- scrambled egg with toast, chapatti or pitta bread served with vegetable finger foods
- cottage cheese (full-fat) dip with pitta bread, cucumber and carrot sticks
Dinner ideas for babies and young children
- mashed sweet potato with chickpeas and cauliflower
- shepherd's pie (made with beef or lamb and/or lentils or vegetarian mince) with green vegetables
- rice and mashed peas with courgette sticks
- minced chicken and vegetable casserole with mashed potato
- mashed canned salmon with couscous and peas
- fish poached in milk with potato, broccoli and carrot
Finger foods for babies and young children
Finger food is food that's cut up into pieces big enough for your child to hold in their fist with a bit sticking out. Pieces about the size of your own finger work well.
Examples of finger foods:
- soft-cooked vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, courgette, parsnip and sweet potato
- carrot or cucumber sticks and avocado
- fresh fruits, such as apple (soft-cooked if needed), banana or soft, ripe peeled pear or peach
- toast, pitta or chapatti fingers
- unsalted and unsweetened rice or corn cakes
- strips of meat without bones, such as chicken and lamb
- cheesy (full-fat) toast fingers and cucumber
- hard boiled eggs
- omelette fingers
Healthy snacks for young children
Babies under 12 months do not need snacks; if you think your baby is hungry in between meals, offer extra milk feeds instead.
Once your baby is 1 year old, you can introduce 2 healthy snacks in between meals:
- vegetables such as broccoli florets, carrot sticks or cucumber sticks
- slices of fruit, such as apple, banana or soft, ripe peeled pear or peach
- pasteurised, plain, unsweetened full-fat yoghurt
- toast, pitta or chapatti fingers
- unsalted and unsweetened rice or corn cakes
- small cubes of cheese
Getting your child to eat fruit and vegetables
It may take up to 10 tries, or even more, for your child to get used to new foods, flavour and textures.
Be patient and keep offering a variety of fruits and vegetables, including ones with bitter flavours such as broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and cabbage.
Try to make sure fruits and vegetables are included in every meal.
Try these ways to help your child eat more fruit and vegetables:
- give carrot sticks, cucumber stick or slices of pepper with hummus as a snack
- give apple slices with smooth peanut butter as a snack
- mix chopped or mashed vegetables with rice, mashed potatoes, meat sauces or dhal
- add vegetables to classic savoury dishes such as cottage or shepherd's pie, spaghetti bolognese or casseroles
- chop prunes or dried apricots into cereal or plain, unsweetened yoghurt, or add them to a stew
- for a tasty dessert, try mixing fruit (fresh, canned or stewed) with plain, unsweetened yoghurt.
Read more about how to help your baby enjoy new foods and fussy eaters.
Drinks for babies and young children
From around 6 months, breast milk and first infant formula should continue to be your baby's main drink.
Whole cows' milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from around 6 months but shouldn't be given as a drink until they are 12 months old. Whole milk should be given to children until they are 2 years old, as they need the extra energy and vitamins it contains.
Semi-skimmed milk can be introduced once your child is 2 years old, as long as they are a good eater and they have a varied diet.
Skimmed and 1% milk are not suitable for children under 5 years old, as they do not contain enough calories.
Sugary squashes, flavoured milk, "fruit" or "juice" drinks and sugary fizzy drinks can cause tooth decay, even when diluted. These drinks can also fill your child up so they're not hungry for healthier food. Instead, offer sips of water from a cup with meals.
Read more about drinks and cups for babies and young children.
Further information
- Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- Food allergies in children
- What to feed young children
- Vegetarian and vegan kids
- Toodler food: common questions
- Children's food: safety and hygiene
Page last reviewed: 04/10/2019
Next review due: 04/10/2022


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Why visit Edinburgh?
With its historic clout and cultural kudos, Scotland's capital is a city for all seasons.
Local hotspot
Packed with great bars, cool eateries, Michelin-starred restaurants and more, Edinburgh's northern district of Leith is a lifetime away from Irvine Welsh's depiction in 1990s hit "Trainspotting".
You probably didn't know
Rumour has it that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based his character Sherlock Holmes on a professor at Edinburgh's Royal College of Surgeons. Also, Edinburgh is the world's first UNESCO City of Literature.
Suggested reading/viewing about Edinburgh
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Muriel Spark, 1961); and the animated film The Illusionist (Sylvain Chomet, 2010)
Things to do in Edinburgh
The Gardener's Cottage
A daily changing menu is scrawled lovingly onto a blackboard and propped up outside The Gardener's Cottage. Ingredients are sourced from local farmers, producers and foragers. Everything here, from the inventiveness of the dishes to the super-friendly service, produces its own magic of Edinburgh.
Self-proclaimed "neo-bistro" Aizle likes to surprise, with diners offered only a list of curious ingredients as a clue to the five-course tasting menu to come. Style and substance abound.
Flying in the face of the identikit curry house, VDeep marries craft beers and Indian food with some serious creative welly. Pork Cheek Vindaloo is just one, of many, reincarnations.
Union of Genius
When you fly to Edinburgh, do not miss that place. The humble bowl of soup is propelled to great things at Scotland's first soup café, Union of Genius. Proof that wholesome flavours and a chunk of bread can make for a fine meal.
Stockbridge Market
If you visit Edinburgh on Sunday, visi the city's most gentrified areas, Stockbridge Market is a swell of Asian flavours, stinky Scottish cheeses, and lush local brewers.
Once a costume store for the nearby Royal Lyceum Theatre, Timberyard's industrial vibe belies a stylish hangout. A carefully crafted menu packed with flavour, locally sourced produce and a quirky cocktail list.
Panda & Sons
Sure, the speakeasy styling, quirky décor and barbershop entrance raise a smile, but it's the true wonder of the drinks menu that really makes Panda & Sons a joy of Edinburgh. Devilishly designed and lovingly concocted, the cocktails are the stars here.
As if its trademark vintage cocktails and lip-smackingly good gin and whisky menus didn't suffice, Leith favourite Roseleaf has a top-notch menu and effortless charm to match for your vacations to Edinburgh.
The Hanging Bat
The Hanging Bat led the charge when the city's craft beer revolution came calling, and it remains the go-to bar for British, cutting-edge brewers in Edinburgh. They do a mighty fine hot dog too.
Devil's Advocate
Staying in Edinburgh, snuck away on Advocate's Close, former Victorian pump house-cum-hip food and drink den Devil's Advocate warms up its slick industrious look with a plentiful bar and a clientele that veers from happy after-workers to weekend moochers.
Joey D
A stalwart of the Edinburgh scene, Joey D's clothes and accessories are born out of recycled vintage clothing and all manner of crazy materials. A one off.
The Red Door Gallery
Forget the tourist tat emporiums on the Royal Mile; local artists, illustrators and designers offer ample reason to splash the cash, at The Red Door Gallery. When you fly to Edinburgh, browse for prints, sketches, homewares, stationery and gifts.
Godiva's sea of vintage frocks and glam accessories is a joy for those who like to look back to be fashion forward.
An antiques haven-cum-tea shop Anteaques is a treasure of Edinburgh. Small but perfectly imagined, this is one for fans of a bygone era.
Totty Rocks
More than just a great name, indie womenswear label Totty Rocks offers quirky tailoring, with all products in the boutique designed and produced in Scotland.
The hottest new arrival on Edinburgh's art scene, Summerhall's multi-arts and workshop space uses all the quirks from its former life as a school of veterinary studies. The old dissection room regularly hosts contemporary exhibitions, music, theatre, dance and more.
Traverse Theatre
It started life in the 1960s as a theatre club in a deserted brothel. Fifty years later (and relocated), the Traverse Theatre (or the Trav to locals) is one of the most respected theatres in Scotland.
The National Museum of Scotland
From dinosaurs to future technologies, Space to Ancient Egypt – the National Museum of Scotland doesn't do small. Interactive areas for kids (from toddlers up) make it perfect for rainy family days out. Better still, it's free.
Events to look out for when ou fly to Edinburgh:
- Edinburgh International Film Festival (June)
- Edinburgh Festival Fringe (August)
- Edinburgh International Book Festival (August)
- Edinburgh International Festival (August)
- Edinburgh Art Festival (August)
- Edinburgh Hogmanay (December)
Eat and drink on board
You can buy a variety of snacks, sandwiches, other light meals and beverages during your flight. Make sure you check our in-flight menu when you get on board.
New aircraft - low emissions
The average age of our aircraft is only 3.6 years old, which means less emissions and makes our fleet one of the youngest in the world.
Seat reservation
Starting from 10 Euros you can get the window seat, be seated in the front to save time or near the exits to have more legroom. Already booked? Add seat reservation now.
Video on Demand
On flights longer than 3,5 hours, you can watch movies and tv series from your smartphone, tablet and laptop for 7 Euros. Remember your headset!
Central airport
Edinburgh Airport is centrally located, with quick and easy transport connections to the city centre and beyond. Less hassle, more time to enjoy yourself.
Earn CashPoints
Sign up for Norwegian Reward, and earn CashPoints every time you fly with us.


text:
Fletcher, Vermont
|This article is a stub. Help us to expand it by contributing your knowledge. For county and town page guidelines, visit U.S. County Page Content Suggestions.
Fletcher is a town in Franklin county, Vermont. It was formed in 1781 in Vt. from Chittenden county. The probate and court district for Fletcher is Franklin. For more information, contact the town at 215 Cambridge Rd., Cambridge 05444. On the attached map, Fletcher is shown as 14 in Franklin county.
For information about the state of Vermont see Vermont Family History Research.


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Did you know
there are over 6,500 distinct languages in the modern world? Being the articulate wordsmiths that we are, it kinda blows our
mind when we think about how many other humans there are that we simply can't communicate with. That's why we love music, the universal
language. If there is anything that makes sense to everyone, it's a phat beat.
No matter where or how old you are, ain't no other experience in the world as
simultaneously personal and unifying than appreciating a piece of music and
that's great, right? Let's all just spend a couple minutes looking at babies dancing. Okay. What could possibly be wrong with this? OH YEAH, LIKE 85% OF
POPULAR MUSIC IS ABOUT SEXUAL INTERCOURSE. Suddenly by accident, we've got all
this innuendo spilling from the mouths of babes! Think we're exaggerating? Take
a walk with us, through dance parties of yore. Revisiting the lyrics of some of
these teeny bopper tunes, we're no longer surprised our moms went grey early.
we ever love watching this boy band come to life on Making the Band every Friday on ABC (and again two months ago when
we realized all the episodes are on YouTube). The emotional turmoil of a bunch
of adult dudes living in a house together just trying to make it as popstars,
the beginning of reality television as we know it, Jacob Underwood's facial hair/attempt at white-guy dreadlocks – truly revolutionary stuff. So when they
came out with their first official single as a fully formed band about their
DREAM GIRL, we were so excited to sing along that we didn't really even stop to
think. Liquid Dreams? What the what?! The song lists all of the boys' fave
celebs and their body parts and mashes them all together to make one super babe
(although it's not all superficial, they do mention they want her to have a
good personality-like Halle B,), who stars in their liquid dreams. That's just gross, you
little ditty, a pair of male twins and a guy named Ohad came together to fill
our adolescent minds with promises of being the ones to love and comfort us
until the day we die. It's a happy-go-lucky tune with such a cool built-in
dance routine that we probably didn't notice sideways looks from our parents
when we were belting out "I'm gonna make
you come tonight…over to my
house". We're all adults here (now), and we realize that this little "game
of give and take" is just really creative propaganda for oral sex. We'd also
like to note that twins Ryan and Dan are now billed as pop/classical/opera
vocal duo RyanDan and are performing in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace with Shania Twain for the next two years.
2 Become 1
everyone under the age of 14 skips all the slow jams, so this song about
revisiting a former lover more or less went under the radar [Ed. note: speak for yourself! Some of us loved this song when it came out]. Now if we just put
this in text form at 2 a.m., it would make a pretty impressive drunk booty
call. Although we don't agree with pre-teens asking "are you as good as I remember, baby? Get it on, get it on" we
gotta give props for also alluding to the importance of safe sex "be a little bit wiser baby. Put it on. Put
it on." Well done, ladies. Unrelated note – if anyone knows the story with
the hologram deer at the end of the video, we'd love to know what that was all
school dance staple, this touching duet between a man and a woman discusses the
intimacy of young love and relationships moving too fast. Just kidding, it's
about boners. Poor mid-pubescent boys going
through the terrible NRB phase probably really related to this grinding anthem ("Girl I know you felt it, but oh ya know I
can't help it") while being misled by girls who had no idea what this song
was actually about.
Push It
*This post is titled Rant and Rave, because we can't quite decide whether it really was a good or a bad thing that we were singing these songs as pre-pubescent teens.


text:
G-Eazy Hits Pause, Rewind in New Track Featuring Anthony Russo
Watch the brand new music video
G-Eazy has blessed us with another one. This time featuring singer-songwriter Anthony Russo, the video takes us through an interesting relationship, to say the least.
Related: G-Eazy, Blac Youngsta, & BlocBoy JB Let Loose In New "Drop" Music Video
Eazy's getting ready to wrap up his Endless Summer tour which has brought along acts like Ty Dolla $ign and Lil Uzi Vert.
Endless Summer tour only a few weeks away w/ @LILUZIVERT @tydollasign @YBNNahmir @HBKPLO @murdabeatz grab tickets while you can.. https://t.co/fHzUOmJoJx pic.twitter.com/aAshYlbMbG— G-Eazy (@G_Eazy) May 31, 2018
Could this new song be a tale of Halsey and him? As you know, the couple broke up right as summer started after G allegedly cheating on the "Eastside" singer. They have since reconciled and have been seen together multiple times, even singing together on-stage.
The new video goes through and literally rewinds a couples relationship after it takes a turn for the worst. Check it out:


text:
The OCZ Sabre asked us to compromise, featuring a sharply limited number of display-integrated keys, so we asked it to do the same: dip below $200, or else. Today, ZipZoomFly is listing the Sabre at a reasonable $135.00.
For comparison, ThinkGeek sells the Optimus Maximus, the great grandpappy of the OLED-in-a-key concept, for a staggering $1600. Obviously, the OCZ doesn't match up to Art Lebedev's Cheeto-resistant masterpeice—fewer keys, limited colors, plainer styling—but come on, is it really 8.5% the keyboard the Optimus is?
The item isn't listed as shipping yet, though OCZ says they're on their way to retailers. [ZipZoomFly—Thanks, Justin!]
G/O Media may get a commission
10" LED Ring Kit


text:
Visiting Angels has adopted a comprehensive personalized screening system that all Visiting Angels franchised senior care agencies* are trained to use. The screening program is designed to maximize your peace of mind. Whenever possible, you'll have the opportunity to interview any caregiver we refer to you in advance of commencing services.
Finding a senior care provider with knowledge of the industry and how to care for your loved one's needs is at the top of your list. You deserve to have a senior care professional who is well trained in senior care and/or experienced in providing home care services.
At Visiting Angels, we don't believe in "on the job training". We recruit experienced caregivers who have a strong senior home care understanding of the senior care industry or who have participated in healthcare certification training programs. Our experienced caregivers provide compassionate and dedicated assistance. Many of our caregivers have worked with us for years.
We recommend to our franchised senior care agencies that they perform multiple interviews with each prospective caregiver prior to hiring them. We also encourage all our Visiting Angels agencies to obtain references on prospective caregivers from reliable sources (previous clients, agencies, healthcare institutions, certification training schools, volunteer organizations, etc.) before a caregiver is referred to a client.
At Visiting Angels, we will work closely with you and your family to find the senior care professional who has the skill set and senior care experience you require to put you at ease.
* Each franchised office independently owned and operated.
Thank you for the loving care provided by your Visiting Angels organization. It allowed us to keep mom home with us till the end.
Thank you for the loving care provided by your Visiting Angels organization. It allowed us to keep mom home with us till the end.


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MLS and Opta announced a multi-year partnership on Friday, one that is designed to bring high-level statistical analysis to the American and Canadian top flight. It is the first partnership of its kind in North America, and mirrors the deal Opta has in place with Germany's Bundesliga.
Opta has been on the forefront of the statistical revolution sweeping the soccer world for the past half decade. Thanks to their advanced metrics, teams and fans are allowed greater insight into what's happening on the field, where, and thanks to whom.
One of the big revelations of Opta has been the ability to measure defensive statistics such as "balls won," "tackles" and "passes intercepted." Thanks to these metrics, it's become apparent that the best teams now employ defensive techniques that stress interceptions more highly than tackles, a trend that began in Spain and has spread throughout the continent and even to England, home of the "crunching tackle" fetish.
MLS saw a similar change in the past several years, with both of 2010's MLS Cup finalists, Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas, using defensive schemes that increase the likelihood of interceptions in the middle of the field.
[inline_node:324392]This "funnel-and-press" technique will now be somewhat quantifiable, thanks to the statistics Opta will provide.
The other great benefit will be in the ability to measure possession statistics such as pass-completion percentage in various zones of the field, total passes made and attempted, and the overall amount of sustained possession.
Possession percentage will be a great statistical marker to use for broad-based analysis, as it is essentially a measure of a team's ability to complete passes. Whether that will translate directly into wins in MLS, however, is a question as yet unanswered.
In Spain, for example, Barcelona are maintaining a stunning 73 percent possession rate in running away with the league. Conversely, German leaders Borussia Dortmund happily conceded more than two-thirds of possession in their recent 3-1 thumping of Bayern Munich.
Where will MLS teams fall? It seems a good bet that most will follow the Dortmund model, Cup champs Colorado included. Their bitter rivals Real Salt Lake, however, are one of the more dedicated possession-oriented MLS clubs. These different tactical approaches will add another level of intrigue to the already fascinating Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry.
Opta stats will also provide the ability to measure individual players against one another to a greater degree. Everything from the defensive and passing statistics mentioned above, to distance covered, to the number of times a player is involved in a goal sequence, will be tracked. There is also the chance to rate a player's effectiveness in various formations as teams adjust their tactical approach throughout the season.
Sebastien Le Toux, for example, thrived in Philadelphia's 4-1-3-2, but was less of a threat in the 4-4-2. Opta can provide the tools to determine whether that's because his game simply doesn't fit that particular system, or if he was simply being pushed to a different part of the pitch.
Fans will have access to selected Opta stats and heat maps, as well as analysis provided by both Opta and the MLSsoccer.com editorial staff.


text:
4-H awards well deserved
A lot of great people were congratulated for doing a lot of great things Sunday night in Gruver.
At the 2013 Emmet County 4-H Awards Program at the Forest Ridge School gym, 4-Hers were congratulated for their efforts over the past year and leaders for their efforts over the past many years.
While the people and their accomplishments are acknowledged in today's Estherville News, we think it's a good idea to restate the 4-H Pledge and discuss what it means:
I pledge
my HEAD
to clearer thinging,
my HEART
to greater loyalty,
my HANDS
to larger service, and
my HEALTH
to better living, for
my club, my community,
my country,
and my world.
Are these mere words? If so, how sad. But are they more than that? Yes, they are.
When young people talk about pledging our heads to clearer thinking, what they really mean is that they are promising to abstain from drugs and alcohol. When we stop to think of how some of the greatest minds and talents in our country have been destroyed by illegal substances, it makes us realize how important this pledge really is.
When we pledge our hearts to greater loyalty, we mean we are dedicating ourselves to a cause – for God, country and community.
When we pledge our hands to larger service, we're promising to be volunteers – whether it's helping communities clean up after a tornado, enlisting in the military or serving on community boards.
When we pledge our health to better living, we are promising to live good, clean lives to we can be of value to our communities as long as we possibly can.
Mere words?
Absolutely not.
The youth who take the 4-H Pledge, and the adults who serve as 4-H leaders, are the glue that hold this country together. They're the ones that everyone looks forward to whenever there's a traffic accident or a house catches on fire or someone needs protection by police or our armed forces.
If you're a parent, living either in the country or town, look at 4-H as a place where your child can find the role models and friends that will help mold a fine young man or woman.
There's hardly a better place for that to happen.


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| 2.1°C Belfast
Men have been warned to be wary of online "sextortionists" who blackmail victims by threatening to post explicit footage of them on the internet.
Eight victims have contacted West Midlands Police in recent months after being instructed to pay thousands of pounds into offshore bank accounts.
Officers say the blackmailers have lured men into online video sex chats and then sent screen grabs to them along with demands for cash.
The recent spike in offences has prompted detectives to issue a warning for people to be vigilant.
One of the men faced a demand for 5,000 US dollars (£3,000) from offenders who threatened to email images to his girlfriend and his daughter.
The offenders usually target their victims by adding them as a friend on social media sites such as Facebook, or through conversations on Skype or FaceTime.
Detective Constable Stefan Ashton, of West Midlands Police CID, has been looking into the reports.
"Since January we've seen a rise in the number of these offences in the West Midlands, with victims in Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Dudley, Walsall and Coventry," he said.
"In most of the cases the videos have not actually been distributed but it's nevertheless been an absolutely horrendous ordeal for the people involved, who are understandably very worried about the consequences of such images and videos being posted online.
"The damage in the cases where the footage was shared with the victims' Facebook friends cannot be underestimated - they are clearly devastated.
"The blackmailers are calculated and malicious and have complete disregard for the people they're exploiting."
Det Con Ashton added: "Cases of this type are notoriously complex and because IP addresses are usually traced back to foreign countries, they often, despite our best efforts, go unsolved.
"We are working closely with partners such as the National Crime Agency to crack down on offenders but the only real way to prevent this from happening is by not taking part in such activity at all.
"The moment you reveal yourself in an online video, you become vulnerable to exploitation and sadly it's the blackmailers who instantly become in control of the situation."


text:
|FreeBSD Ports and Packages Installation and upgrading of ports and packages on FreeBSD.
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Why ports?
everyone I have been using freebsd for about a month now and I have the following questions:
1) Why ports? It often takes such a long time to compile these packages and to install it. For example, it took me like an hour to compile azureus and mozilla. Why then is this preferred?
2) What controls the network service in FreeBSD? I tried to back up everything I have on my laptop, and I used scp. Whenever it uploads after a certain amount of time, my freebsd 's internet connection gets completely cut off. How do I diagnose this problem?
1) you can use pkg_add, to add packages (there are many available, but not all), however, when packages aren't available (and they are outdated), you can use ports
When using ports you can chose which components you want to include.... also ports might be optimized for your machine
to back up i'd use dump -0Lauf /output/file /dev/device to backup
or dump -0Lauf - /dev/device to backup | bzip2 > /output/file.bz2
if you want to compress it...
Last edited by graudeejs; 13th July 2008 at 09:00 PM.
To elaborate a little more on ports--they sometimes have a newer version than does the package. Plus they allow more flexibility in configuration.
It's a bit of a trade off, but most of the time, not really a noticeable one.
However, there are over 16,000 ports and not all have packages, especially for say, CURRENT. There are ports vs. packages threads all over, including, I believe, in the handbook. For mozilla, for example, with its long compile time especially when the chances are that you won't be customizing the installation, packages are almost certainly the better choice.
I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by fleeing the scene of the accident!
But how does that provide benefits from the user's point of view? Linux has repositories which they can download precompiled binaries.
FreeBSD allows you to compile from scratch. What is the advantages to this???
(Aside from optimization; if it is a huge factor, how much more optimized can it be?)
From the FreeBSD handbook, chapter 4.2:
Package Benefits
Ports Benefits
UNIX was not designed to stop you from doing stupid things, because that would also stop you from doing clever things.
FreeBSD offers you both choices, and leaves it up to you. Packages = binary, ports = source.
If you need compile-time optimizations and/or customizations, use ports. Maybe you need an application to rely on PostgreSQL instead of MySQL, but the package is compiled against MySQL! Use ports there. In a binary-only linux distribution, you'd be out of luck, and forced to compile your own, outside of any package management.
Know that all packages you download are actually just pre-compiled versions of the exact same things in your ports tree. Try it yourself:
cd /usr/ports/category/port && make package
FreeBSD addict since 4.2-RELEASE.
My FreeBSD wiki.
I think Carpetsmoker said it best hehe.
Simply put, packages are created from ports, binaries are created from source code, and you can't really modify binaries very well !!!
One of the things I love most about ports is the possibility to build packages with the desired build options on one machine then nfs or sftp them over to other systems to be installed that also need them :-)
My Journal
Thou shalt check the array bounds of all strings (indeed, all arrays), for surely where thou typest ``foo'' someone someday shall type ``supercalifragilisticexpialidocious''.
Anyway, reading your post TerryP made me ask a question related to the original point in ways. I understand you compile from source on one machine and make those build packages of some use on another machine etc.
As I've seen myself building everything from Ports with basic Make.conf optimizations, would you or, anyone reading, happen to have any tips or tricks on compiling on one machine and using them later on or on a another machine?
the easiest way is to make a package with what ever build options you need.
When you do a 'make package' or 'make package-recursive' in a ports directory (e.g. /usr/ports/x11-wm/blackbox) and use the environment variables out lined in ports(7) to control their placement.
Generally if you create /usr/ports/packages/ they will go there by default; last time I needed to make packages.
A nice trick is to mount the build machines /usr/ports/packages/All/ on the target system over nfs and pkg_add them.
When it comes to deploying them on another PC, you have to watch the optimizations and build options to make sure it will work. For example, if your system is set to generate code that will only execute on an i686 CPU and you need to get the package installed on a system running an i586 you've got to rebuild the package for it.
That's why the GENERIC kernel configuration has 'cpu I486_CPU', cpu I586_CPU', and 'cpu I686_CPU'. The Intel 80486 is basically the lcd, even though most users would hopefully have newer chips even in older serves... (I've bumped into a few netizens with 486/pentium pro servers).
What kind of stuff do you have in make.conf and whats the difference between the build and target machines?
My Journal
Thou shalt check the array bounds of all strings (indeed, all arrays), for surely where thou typest ``foo'' someone someday shall type ``supercalifragilisticexpialidocious''.
My experience with packages on FreeBSD has been dismal at best, but on OpenBSD it is stellar. I do really like the ports way of doing things in FBSD. I can see a large difference in performance on my Apache servers and more so on my MySQL servers. IMHO, on FBSD use ports, and on OpenBSD use packages. Of course, YMMV.
Get your Windependence today!
I believe the FreeBSD team are working on better package tools but yes, I agree the pkg system on FreeBSD is pretty crappy and ports are by far the more preferred option.
Personally, I find packages better suited for getting a system up and running right away (just a bunch of
# pkg_add -r commands), but ports are better for keeping a system up-to-date and only using/installing/running the bits you want.
To get the best of both worlds, configure a build system where you use the ports tree to build packages, and then use the pkg_* tools on the target system to install them. That way, you don't even need a compiler toolchain or ports tree on your in-use systems.
Help for FreeBSD: Handbook, FAQ, man pages, mailing lists.
I would just say that basically as I'm still young and all, I tend to break things over and over again giving myself good "build & .conf -weekends" with freebsd... Time to time that starts to get a bit repetitive, and usually it ends with my face on the keyboard...
So that obviously means, I would use the packages usually on a single i686 machine...
Breaking and having to fix stuff is usually a good way to learn ;-)
Keyboards probably make worse pillows then laptops..... hehe
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For new subscribers: The following AAVSO publications are available on a yearly subscription basis. The subscription period is from January 1–December 31. Payment is due by January 1. For more information or to subscribe to any of our publications, please contact the AAVSO.
The AAVSO Newsletter was a periodic, general forum that supported our various observing programs with lists of new targets, observing programming ideas, and general information that spans a wide area of interest. Guest writers contributed pieces that ranged from current events to book reviews.
Number 78 - October 2018
Once again, photoelectric photometry was well represented at the AAVSO Fall Meeting, held this year in Chicopee and South Hadley MA, with Tom Dennis and Ron Zissell as hosts.
Editor: John R. Percy


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An elderly woman's daughter faces charges, after the woman was found abused and neglected, to the point her legs were rotting away.
Rose Fayne is charged with elder abuse and neglect after her 77-year-old mother, Betty Cleveland, was found with horrible injuries.
We have learned Betty Cleveland has died, though it is not clear if it is related to her injuries.
Wade Jackson lives just two doors down from Fayne in the 3700 block of Joslyn and said he never would have expected her to be arrested.
"From everything I saw from them, just passing and waving and seeing them at the mailbox, they seemed like nice people," Jackson said.
Police said Fayne called Crossroads Hospice to take care of Cleveland.
When Crossroads arrived, an affidavit showed Cleveland was so neglected and in such bad shape they called an ambulance.
Cleveland was taken to Methodist North where she later died.
A report showed her legs burst open and were rotting from the inside out.
"It is a shock to me to hear about something like that happening down there," Jackson said.
WREG tried asking Crossroads hospice about the situation, but they said they could not comment.
Neighbors were oblivious, because they never even saw Cleveland.
"I didn't know any one else lived there except Rose and her husband," Jackson said.
Jackson said he is horrified to learn what the elderly woman was suffering through behind closed doors.
"I wouldn't wish that on anybody, especially on your parent," he said, shaking his head. "I just can't see you neglecting your parent. I can't see it."
The same report shows Cleveland had other injuries as well.
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METRO VANCOUVER - A well-known gangster who has been targeted in both a 2009 shooting and a later sledgehammer attack pleaded guilty this week to three firearms charges.
Tyler Willock, who has been associated to both the Independent Soldiers and the Red Scorpions, entered his pleas in Surrey Provincial Court Monday as his trial was scheduled to begin. He will be sentenced in July.
Willock had faced eight counts in all following a July 21, 2008 incident in Langley, after which he was arrested by the Gang Task Force.
He pleaded guilty to just three of the charges — careless use of a firearm, occupying a vehicle in which there was a firearm and possessing a prohibited firearm with ammunition.
Willock was in a vehicle in Surrey that was targeted by gunfire in February 2009.
Three people linked to the rival United Nations gang were later charged. Less than a month later, Willock was severely beaten with a sledgehammer in Langley. A former associate linked to the Red Scorpions was charged. Both cases remain before the courts.
Task force spokesman Sgt. Shinder Kirk, said the guilty pleas are good news for law enforcement and the community.
"This was in fact a Gang Task Force case. We are certainly pleased that there was a guilty plea," Kirk said. "These investigations are often extremely complex and it is positive that we garnered a guilty plea in this case."
In many cases where people are charged after being found in a vehicle with a firearm, the charges are stayed because the Crown can't prove the person had knowledge of the firearm.
Just last month in Prince George, prosecutors stayed seven firearms charges against Prince George gangster Frankie Meerholz and two associates who were charged when police pulled over Meerholz's vehicle in October 2009 and found a loaded 9-millimetre gun in the pocket immediately behind the front passenger seat.
A Crown spokesman said the charges were stayed because there wasn't sufficient evidence to prove any one of the three had possession of the gun.
In another gun-in-vehicle case, a B.C. Supreme Court judge threw out both firearms and drug charges Monday against a man named Kay Phengchanh, ruling his Charter rights were violated when police searched his vehicle in 2007 and found a .38-calibre Beretta pistol.
Phengchanh was pulled over in New Westminster for a broken mirror, but when police did a computer check, his name came back as being linked to an Asian gang and the vehicle as having been used in an earlier kidnapping in Abbotsford.
The officer called for backup and the vehicle was searched with the help of a police dog. Flaps of heroin and cocaine were found, as well as the gun, which was behind the dashboard in the pocket of a removed airbag. Justice Selwyn Romilly sided with the defence who argued police did not have grounds to search Phengchanh's vehicle.
"Notwithstanding the fact that the items seized here included a gun and ammunition, the possession of which are serious offences, the public also expects those engaged in law enforcement to respect the rights and freedoms we all enjoy by acting within the limits of their lawful authority," Romilly said. "I conclude that, in the long-term, the repute of the administration of justice would be adversely affected by admitting the gun, ammunition and the narcotics seized from the search of the accused's vehicle."
Kirk said police do their best to get charges laid in cases where firearms are found in vehicles, but they must settle sometimes for the fact the gun has been taken off the streets.
"Over a period of time, we have certainly come across more sophisticated methods of secreting firearms in vehicles that do pose a challenge for law enforcement officers," Kirk said.


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These past few years we, as a nation, have been lulled into a false sense of security, but this video will surely shock us back into action. I ask you, what is the number one threat to America? Bears.
Yes, that is a freaking bear opening the freaking door of a pickup truck. The bear in this video was easily chased away, but what about the next time it comes back? Will it be so easily shoo'd off? What if it learns how to hotwire that car? It's common knowledge bears know how to drive.
We are no longer safe. It is only a matter of time before bears start opening car doors, then regular doors, then get access to our tasty, sweet insides.
Local British Columbia conservation officer Denny Chretien told CBC News that the three-year-old bear's break-in is "not a common behaviour but it is occurring." Four "bearjackings" have been reported in the area, and one was a Porsche.
Door-opening bears appear to only be in Canada for the moment. Hopefully they will just eat up all of our neighbors to the North, get tired, and then hibernate forever.


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"Dr. Laura....How do you hold a child accountable for her behavior without punishment?"
"I recently read a quote from a Finnish education minister: "There's no word for accountability in Finnish...Accountability is something that is left when responsibility has been subtracted."
- Teacher Tom
What does it mean, to hold our child accountable for her behavior? My definition would be that our child assumes responsibility for her actions, including making amends and avoiding a repeat, whether the authority figure is present or not. So, really, it isn't about "holding our child accountable." What we want is for our child to step into responsibility, to hold HERSELF accountable. Once someone takes responsibility, we don't have to "hold her accountable."
As Seth Godin says "Accountability is done to you. It's done by those who want to create blame. Responsibility is done by you. It's voluntary. You can take as much of it as you want."
Essentially, we're talking about raising a moral child who wants to do the right thing. Most people assume that punishment is what helps humans decide to do the right thing, so if we aren't punishing our children, they'll grow up doing the wrong thing. That's a bleak view of human nature. And it turns out to be dead wrong.
There's now a wealth of research (see the end of this article for link to citations) demonstrating that kids who are punished are LESS likely to make positive moral choices. That's because:
One study showed that seventh graders whose parents raised them using punishment, including consequences and timeouts, were less morally developed than their peers. "Having learned to do exactly what they're told in order to avoid losing their parents' love, they tended to just apply rules in a rigid, one-size-fits-all fashion," says Alfie Kohn.
Many of the studies referred to above are detailed in Kohn's book, Unconditional Parenting, and more are being published every day. You'll also find a long list of citations (as well as tips to get kids cooperating without punishment) in my post How To Change Your Child's Behavior -- Without Punishment.
Taken as a whole, this body of research suggests that children who are punished (including with time outs and consequences) exhibit MORE bad behavior,
not less. Not because kids who behave badly get punished more often, but because kids who are punished behave badly more often.
So if punishment teaches our child all the wrong lessons, what DOES raise a child who wants to do the right thing? Loving guidance. Which includes limits, set with empathy. Connection. Modeling. And a whole lot of love.
We'll get into the details of how you can make that a reality at your home in our next few posts:
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The British Go Association is constantly trying to improve junior Go in this country. In the past few years, many things have been done to teach more youngsters about Go, make it easier for juniors to learn Go and to give young Go players more opportunities to play and to improve.
For example:
We hope to carry on making things better for junior Go players. We have identified our top priorities for few next years:
Please let us know if you have your own ideas of how you would like to see junior Go in this country develop.


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Lowest Profile System Expands Patient Access to Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR)
Santa Rosa, CA – TriVascular, Inc. today announced the Premarket Approval (PMA) of the Ovation Abdominal Stent Graft System by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Delivered through a 14 French (4.7 mm) outer diameter catheter, Ovation is the lowest profile commercially available system for EVAR. With a broader set of indications for use (IFU) than other approved systems, Ovation expands the pool of patients eligible for EVAR.
The Ovation Abdominal Stent Graft System received CE Mark approval in August 2010. In the United States, Ovation received the first ever Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) approval for EVAR in November 2011. To date, over 1,000 patients worldwide have been successfully treated with the Ovation Abdominal Stent Graft System.
The Ovation IDE pivotal study included 36 sites from the U.S., Germany and Chile, with a total of 161 patients treated. There were no device related major adverse events, no aneurysm ruptures, and no conversions from EVAR to open surgical repair reported in the study. An independent imaging core laboratory reported 0% type I and type III endoleaks and 0% migration. Nearly 40% of patients treated had complex anatomies, with proximal neck lengths shorter than 10 mm, distal access vessels smaller than 6 mm, or both. The method of vessel access was left to the discretion of the physician, with 43% of patients treated percutaneously.
"I am proud to have the opportunity to work with the internationally recognized vascular experts that participated in this trial and treated a global cohort of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms," said Manish Mehta, MD, MPH, Director of Endovascular Services at The Vascular Institute for Health & Disease in Albany, New York, who served as the Principal Investigator for the study. "The 1-year clinical trial outcomes, particularly in patients with complex anatomies, demonstrate the excellent safety and effectiveness of the Ovation stent graft system. With Ovation's FDA approval, we can confidently offer EVAR to more patients since we now have access to a very safe and effective low profile system."
"We are very thankful to our investigators and clinical advisors for their guidance, trust and strong support," said Christopher G. Chavez, Chairman, CEO and President of TriVascular, Inc. "I am very proud of our entire team for achieving this impressive milestone. This has truly been a remarkable journey inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders and driven forward by the commitment of our employees. With approval in hand, we will continue the pursuit of our goal, which is to make EVAR available to more patients and to make EVAR better for all patients."
TriVascular is directly marketing Ovation in select European countries while actively appointing independent distributors in other international markets. With PMA approval in hand, TriVascular plans to build a direct field service organization domestically to drive patient access to Ovation in the United States.
About TriVascular, Inc. - Building upon partnerships with thought leading clinicians worldwide, TriVascular develops products to address unmet clinical needs and expand the pool of patients who are candidates for EVAR. Based in Santa Rosa, California, TriVascular offers highly talented, motivated individuals the opportunity to positively impact global healthcare.
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Eleventh hour gifts from the kitchen
I've made my list and checked it umpteen times. I think I'm finished shopping, but Nope!
The holidays are known for unexpected invites, bonus guests and moments that call for an extra gift (or two or four). The good news is I can shop for these last-minute gifts in one place - the grocery store - and whip up something at home that will warm both heart and belly.
When December rolls around each year, I start stocking my kitchen for those eleventh hour gifts. That means picking up staples, such as flour, white and brown sugar, unsalted butter, walnuts and, of course, chocolate chips. Apricot jam is a must too. As an avid jam maker, I always have a dozen or more jars put up from the summer harvest, but the jam and jelly aisle at the grocery store offers some promising possibilities too.
Eleventh hour gifts need to be easy - recipes with a multitude of steps and exotic ingredients just add stress, and who needs that? And they all fall into three recipe groups: crowd pleasers, big batch and extra special.
Apricot Walnut Bars are my crowd pleaser; the buttery crust complements a cup of coffee or tea - or cold milk - and the apricot's juicy sweetness reminds everyone of warmer days. I skip the walnuts when I'm cooking for nut-intolerant folks or small children, and the bars fly off the plate.
A batch of banana bread is perfect for those times when you need multiple gifts. Add chocolate chips and toasted, chopped walnuts to the bread for richness and texture. A mini-loaf pan does all the work. In a little more than an hour, one batch of banana batter yields four loaves of aromatic, delicious bread. (Keep a close eye on the breads when you use mini-loaf pans. They cook much faster in these than in single pans.) Let the loaves cool, wrap them in foil, add a bow and you're done.
And when you want to give something extra special, stir a pot of lemon juice, eggs, sugar and unsalted butter over low heat until it thickens into luscious lemon curd. Pour the curd into small canning jars and keep them in the refrigerator until you're ready to share. Then pack a jar in a basket with a store-bought scone mix and tea - and a tag that reminds the recipient to keep the curd refrigerated.
What's not to love? This may be the eleventh hour, but that's not a problem. With these recipes, that's all the time you need.
Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts


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Next Friday, Prometheus opens, and it promises to be this summer's big sci-fi film. The ad campaign has been incredibly effective, and the movie features a great cast, including Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender. But one of the movie's other main selling points is precisely the reason I'm worried about it. Prometheus is directed by Ridley Scott.
Scott, who's going to be 75 in November, is revered by cinephiles, though he started out in commercials, a field that many serious film lovers disdain. (Call it the "Michael Bay effect.") But even his commercials are admired—specifically, his Apple Macintosh spot from the 1984 Super Bowl, which is heavily parodied and referenced to this day:
And he was responsible for the original Alien, which was great, but it came out in 1979. That was the middle of a fantastic one-two-three punch, starting with The Duellists and finishing with Blade Runner, in 1982.
But since then, he hasn't made very many great films—and definitely none in a while. Sure, there's Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, and Black Hawk Down, but none of those came out in the past decade.
Nevertheless, his reputation has kept growing—he was knighted in 2003—even as his output has become spottier and spottier. Matchstick Men featured one of Nicolas Cage's few decent-ish recent-ish performances but was predictable; American Gangster was solidly made but not compelling, an award-seeking prestige picture that felt momentous without having actual heft. Then there were the straight-up duds like A Good Year, Body of Lies, and Robin Hood. His greatest cinematic achievement in the last 10 years wasn't anything he directed but, rather, his work as a producer of the terrific Western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
Great filmmakers all go through rough patches. But Scott's rough patches have joined together into a continuous rough surface. No sooner was he through that Duellists-Alien-Blade Runner trio than he released Legend, which critics praised for visual panache while lamenting how dramatically threadbare it was. In the years since, Legend has become a seminal Scott film, in that it set the tone for his later misfires. Here was the work of a master craftsman who knew how to envision a world, yet couldn't make the small stuff—like, say, the characters—resonate. It was put together with an incredibly sophisticated visual palette, forcing the viewer to begrudgingly respect the enterprise but not to love it.
The man who made Blade Runner must have it in him to pull together large themes, glorious production design, and an engaging story into one coherent package. So even when he doesn't, his fans are willing to meet him halfway.
It's an understandable impulse. Especially as younger event filmmakers have emerged, embracing hyperbolic cutting and bigger explosions, there's something reassuringly intelligent, controlled, and classical about Scott's films. You could never accuse him of dumbing down his movies for the audience. (The one notable exception—being forced to put in a silly voice-over and happy ending in Blade Runner—he's since fixed in a director's cut.)
But it's his intelligence that gets him into trouble. Too often, he mistakes thematic audacity for storytelling. Kingdom of Heaven could have been a deeper, more thought-provoking epic than Gladiator, but it was too busy trying to comment on the foolishness of religious wars to achieve excitement or insight. Scott is willing to take on big subjects: the limits of contemporary American empire (Black Hawk Down), the discovery of the New World (1492: Conquest of Paradise), and sexism in the military (G.I. Jane). But the grand themes don't lead to anything profound. Black Hawk Down may be about the tragedy of entering a war zone overconfident and unprepared, but you walk away wowed by its technical achievement, not dwelling on its message.
Critics want to applaud ambition, where most movie makers play it safe. And Scott is nothing if not ambitious. (That's why his change-of-pace romantic comedy A Good Year felt so weird. As Nathan Lee wrote at the time, "Scott can do mayhem, dystopia, and the rampaging alien ... with the best of them, but the breezy touch is not his forte.") But it's hard to think of a director who's been given more credit for striving to make great films without actually making that many.
Which brings us back to Prometheus. Here's what Scott said about the film a couple years ago:
"The film will be really tough, really nasty," he notes. "It's the dark side of the moon. We are talking about gods and engineers. Engineers of space. And were the aliens designed as a form of biological warfare? Or biology that would go in and clean up a planet?"
Another director would just want to make a kick-ass Alien prequel, cash the check, and be done with it. Scott, to his credit, is always thinking deeper than that, and it's a habit I wish more blockbuster filmmakers would adopt. But it's a long road from ambition to execution, and Ridley Scott often doesn't make it—more often than I think his most ardent supporters will admit.
Grierson & Leitch is a regular column about the movies. Follow us on Twitter, @griersonleitch.


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Keri Geiger and Hugh Son
Tuesday, 22 October 2013 06:58 AM
Bank of America Corp., sued by U.S. attorneys in August over an $850 million mortgage bond, faces three additional Justice Department civil probes over mortgage-backed securities, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation.
U.S. attorneys offices in Georgia and California are examining potential violations tied to Countrywide Financial Corp., the subprime lender Bank of America bought in 2008, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the inquiries aren't public. U.S. attorneys in New Jersey are looking into deals involving Merrill Lynch & Co., purchased by the firm in 2009, the people said.
If claims are brought, Bank of America would join JPMorgan Chase & Co. in facing Justice Department demands that it resolve liabilities inherited while buying weakened rivals at the government's urging during the credit crisis. JPMorgan, the biggest U.S. bank, reached a tentative $13 billion agreement last week to end civil claims over mortgage-bond sales, including those handled by Bear Stearns Cos. and Washington Mutual Inc. operations purchased in 2008.
Bank of America, led by Chief Executive Officer Brian T. Moynihan, 54, is being examined for violations of the Financial Institution Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989, a relic of the savings-and-loan crisis known as FIRREA, according to the people. The Justice Department cited that statute in its August lawsuit against the firm, which is the nation's second-largest lender after JPMorgan.
BofA's Disclosures
The law allows the government to sue an individual or group for fraud that affects a federally-insured financial institution. It carries a 10-year statute of limitations.
Bill Halldin, a spokesman for Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bank of America, declined to comment on the pending inquiries. Spokesmen for the three U.S. attorneys offices and the Justice Department declined to comment or didn't immediately respond to telephone calls and e-mails.
The lender wrote in an Aug. 1 regulatory filing that it's cooperating with state and federal probes into how home loans were bought, bundled and then sold to investors. While the company didn't specify the number of inquiries, it said the Justice Department had already signaled intent to file civil complaints over "one or two" jumbo prime securitizations.
Bank of America said at the time that it was speaking to regulators "to explain why the threatened civil charges are not appropriate." The Justice Department lawsuit filed days later involved a single jumbo prime deal.
August Complaint
The U.S. complaint accused the firm of misleading investors about the quality of loans tied to $850 million in mortgage- backed securities. While the bank had portrayed the bond as backed by prime loans vetted by its staff, most were riskier wholesale debts, meaning they were originated by outside brokers, authorities wrote. Some were "PaperSaver" loans that hadn't required proof of borrowers' income.
Buyers of the bonds were "sophisticated investors" who were capable of assessing the risks, Halldin said after the suit was filed Aug. 6.
President Barack Obama ordered the creation of a task force last year to coordinate investigations into improper mortgage- bond underwriting by banks. As part of that effort, U.S. attorneys in California are examining potential FIRREA violations by New York-based JPMorgan that would be included in the firm's $13 billion settlement, a person with knowledge of the deal has said. Terms of the accord, described by people familiar with the talks, are still being negotiated.
Banks' Costs
The U.S. efforts are adding to more than $100 billion in legal costs already incurred by the six biggest U.S. banks since the credit crisis, a figure exceeding all of the dividends paid to shareholders in the past five years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. JPMorgan Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon, 57, said in a speech last year that he did the U.S. a favor by buying Bear Stearns and that he might not go through with it again because of how much the deal ultimately cost.
"This incessant push for more cases where most thought the book had been closed creates an air of distrust for future dealings with the government," said Jacob Frenkel, a former Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer who's now a partner at Shulman Rogers Gandal Pordy & Ecker PA in Potomac, Maryland. "It appears to be a political response to political outrage."
JPMorgan's proposed settlement could be used as a guide for other firms to resolve probes, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the co-chairman of the task force, said Monday at a news briefing in Manhattan.
"We are very, very hopeful that we will have a resolution with this bank that can serve as a template for resolutions with other banks," Schneiderman said.
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Smart girls know. There's only one way to act when you get dumped and that's with dignity, style and class.
The key to having a sense of decorum throughout the whole dumping process and for the short time after (say the next few months or years) is to remind yourself that this too shall pass.
If you're going to keep it classy, there are five things you must never ever do after getting dumped:
1. Beg
By no means do you ever beg your ex to stay or change his mind while he's dumping you. It's undignified.
Instead, smile. Give them a nice big juicy smile. Make sure to show lots of teeth and try not to blink. Oh, and don't say a thing. Not a word. Just silently smile and without too many quick movements, slowly and calmly either show him to the door or leave. You'll be showing him how sane and rational you can be.
Now's not the time to humiliate yourself. You'll have plenty of time for that later.
2. Persistent Texting And Calling
Incessantly texting and calling your ex sends him the wrong message. I know you're only doing it to let him know that you're completely over him, but it might make you appear a wee bit clingy and insecure.
Instead, show him that you've moved on by sending him regular reminders in the mail. Preferably on all holidays and celebrations. You can send him in a lovely card or a framed pictured of the two of you from the good ol' days. It'll show him how mature you are and will definitely put his mind at ease.
3. Stalk Your Ex
If you find yourself staked out in front of your ex's house or driving around following him, don't. Just don't. Stalking smacks of instability and can get you into big trouble. Big, big trouble.
While you're obviously keeping tabs on him to watch over him and keep him safe, he might not see it that way. The key to successful stalking, I mean guarding, is to do it discreetly.
Many women experience great success creating fake profiles on social media sites to look out for their exes from a safe distance. Social media provides an excellent opportunity to stay abreast of his comings and goings and relationship status updates. That way you can monitor who he's dating. God knows there's a ton of super crazy women out there.
4. Sleep With His Best Friend
We all know that this one's a big no no. You never, ever sleep with his best friend.
Sleeping with his best friend is downright petty. All it does is make you look cheap and bitter. And you know you're not bitter. No. You're grateful. Grateful that he had the foresight and good sense to set you free before you got really, really, really attached.
In fact, you're so grateful you want to thank him. And what better way to thank him then to NOT sleep with his best friend. Instead, sleep with his brother. I know. You're such a giver.
5. Throw His Stuff Onto The Front Lawn
This one's always a bad idea. Think of the mess and the potential damage to the lawn and garden. Not only that, it makes you look spiteful and like you lack self control.
Instead, donate all his items to a clothing drive or charity. Especially his good work suits. They'll be a big hit and will go a long way in helping someone else out. I mean really, you're only thinking of the good of others.
So you see, it's extremely easy to act with dignity, style and class when getting dumped. The key is to stay calm, cool and collected. By using a few special tactics, you'll show your ex that not only are you rising above the situation, he has absolutely nothing or no one to fear.