text:
Ever since Apple launched Siri on the iPhone 4S, voice recognition companies have been trying to replicate the same functionality on other platforms.
Nuance Communications is the latest company to try and turn Android into a proper digital assistant.
Dubbed Dragon Mobile Assistant, the free app is available in beta for US Android users on the Play Store.
It allows Android users with Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean handsets to send texts, make calls, organise appointments and do web based searches like checking the weather.
It also lets you update Facebook and Twitter, use maps and directions and find restaurants and make reservations.
Completely hands free
Nuance has made the app a perfect driving companion with the ability to launch the assistant without touching your handset. When enabled, simply saying the term "Hi Dragon" will activate the app.
Nuance has a history in voice recognition technology, working together with Apple for its voice control functions, as well as releasing the Dragon Go! app for iOS.
It's also big in the desktop voice control space with its Naturally Speaking software.
Unlike Dragon Go, the digital assistant app offers a much more Siri-like experience, although it doesn't appear to have mastered Siri's digital sense of humour.
Nuance has claimed it will be adding even more features to the app in the coming months, although whether that includes a release for international markets is yet to be seen.
Via: Mashable

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I note in passing that two series of games specifically were not mentioned in the Tropes vs Women video I discussed yesterday.
– Call of Duty
– FIFA (also Madden, et al)
While she wasn't aiming for an exhaustive summary I think it's worth noting that the two most popular, best selling franchises of recent times don't actually ping the anti woman radar. I'm sure they are also aimed at the same audience and tend not to attract female players (although sports games might surprise us if we had the actual figures, I was always a sucker for Football Manager frex), but they're not seen as problematic in the same way.
This isn't to say that all is fine and well in the world of gaming, but it simply isn't true that games need to include semi naked chicks or horrible things happening to female love interests to sell well.


text: A startup automaker is eyeing General Motors' old Pontiac truck plant for its base of manufacturing operations for a small three-wheeled car capable of getting 83 miles per gallon and costing less than $6,000. If the project is successful over the next couple of years, it could bring has many as 2,100 new jobs to the plant GM closed in September and turned over to liquidators to find a buyer, said Paul Elio, founder of the fledgling Elio Motors. The new venture will require government money, but Elio said he also is confident he can raise private capital as required by the Department of Energy's program for promoting and launching new fuel-efficient vehicles. The goal is to start production 15 months after receiving funding, he said. Elio also said this week his project would not only be good for Pontiac and the state of Michigan but also for American-based supplier companies and the U.S. economy by reducing the dependence on imported foreign oil. "I started this project in August 2008 when oil was going through the roof at $125 per barrel and wealth was just pouring out of this country. I was just watching the television news every night and going crazy," said Elio, while he showed off his answer to the nation's fuel crisis at a studio in Rochester Hills. Elio's solution is a two-seat commuter car, dubbed the Trikke, that weighs only 800 pounds but is as long as a Porsche 911 or a BMW 330 and meets federal safety standards. Indeed, Takata Inc., one of the car industry's top suppliers of safety equipment, has told Elio it could provide safety equipment for the car. The three-wheeled layout, with two wheels out front and the third at rear of the vehicle, is inherently stable, so the Trikke will ride and handle as well as the competitors in the B-class or subcompact segment such as the Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris. McLaren, a company noted for racing engines, has said it could supply a three-cylinder gasoline engine, and Elio also has a list of more than two dozen reputable suppliers who are interested in the project. McLaren calculates the Elio's Trikke will get 83.8 mpg on the highway and 48.7 mpg in stop-and-go traffic. The key to the Trikke's fuel efficiency is its narrow width. The driver sits in a one-seat cockpit, while a passenger can sit behind the driver. The rear seat also can fold down to accommodate packages. "You waste a lot of fuel pushing a car through the air. So we just cut in half lengthwise to reduce the friction and the energy consumption," Elio said. The three-wheel design, however, also means that Trikke, which looks a bit like the cockpit of a jet fighter on wheels, is technically classified by the federal government as a motorcycle even though it's really not one. Nevertheless, it can travel in the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes even with a solitary occupant. The HOV lanes found around cities such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Phoenix and Seattle ordinarily are off limits to vehicles with fewer than two passengers when traffic is at its peak. The engineering for the vehicle was originally done by ESG Engineering in Tempe, Ariz., but an unidentified contractor built a prototype and is developing another. "People want to have something to touch," he said. With the prototype in place and a new bill signed into law last October by President Barack Obama, interest in the project is starting to grow. The change in the law allowed three-wheeled vehicles to qualify for the low-interest loans administered by the Department of Energy. The loans are designed specifically to promote high-efficiency vehicles and the Trikke qualifies because of its high mileage. Elio Motors has filed a $260 million grant application with the DOE, which has given the project a favorable review. Last fall, the DOE loaned more than $500 million to Tesla and another $528 million to Fisker under the same program. The Tesla and Fisker programs, however, encompassed more technical risks than the Trikke project because they involved electric and hybrid powertrains that continue to evolve, Elio said. So far, Elio, a graduate of GMI in Flint, has financed the venture himself, but is now looking for other private investors. "That why we've decided to break cover," he said. The economic data that Elio has marshaled to support the business case behind the Trikke is most impressive. The target price for the vehicle is $5,900, and the project is on target with 88 percent of the product cost now supported by quotes from interested suppliers, he said. Elio added the relatively low price opens up new markets for Trikke, including people who now buy used vehicles because they can't afford a new one. The market for used cars is enormous and at least some of the buyers would certainly opt for a new fuel-efficient vehicle. He said the Trikke also is an option for a family with a van or sport utility vehicle that is looking for a fuel-efficient commuter car. The average Prius leaves the showroom with a $30,000-plus sticker and is usually delivered to someone with a household income of more than $100,000. "There are a lot of people who don't make more than $100,000 who still want to be green," he said. Given the demographics and rising fuel prices, he believes that he can sell 250,000 units annually after hitting full production. In addition, he wants the Pontiac plant to be used to build vehicles for export to European and Asia. "People have asked me why I didn't build this in China. I don't want to build it in China. I think we have to build stuff in this country and use suppliers in this country if we ever want to reduce the trade deficit," added Elio, who has devoted his attention full time to the project since his engineering firm was sidelined by the recession. Contact staff writer Joseph Szczesny at 248-745-4650 or


text:
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Roger That
"Would you like blueberries or bananas in your cereal?"
"Roger, Roger that."
"So... bananas then?"
"Apple juice?"
"Roger. Roger. Roger."
"I'm guessing 'roger' is the word of the day?"
"Roger that. Mom?"
"I just got you with a thermal detonator."
11 comments:
Thermal detonator. When you care enough to send the very best.ReplyDelete
Just don't tell him that "roger" can also be used as a verb to mean, well, Bob Rosenberg doesn't need to know that yet.ReplyDelete
Thermal detonator. Roger.ReplyDelete
Gotta have one of those.
I'll be rogering all day now.ReplyDelete
The sad part is I know the voice to use ...ReplyDelete
I would like to request the "Ch" noise with that please.ReplyDelete
Sorry to hear about the thermal detonator. That's harsh.
My son is 20, and he and I just went on a quick trip to see my sister's family. On the way home from the airport, before I dropped him off at *his* apartment, we were going over his funny kid stories that he never gets tired of hearing. I told him about Bob Rosenberg and your blog, and that I wish I'd written down a Michael story ever day, too.ReplyDelete
Never get tired of the Bob stories. Awesome.ReplyDelete
Oh! The thermal detonator. It will get you every time.ReplyDelete
I would love this to be a book, that I could keep by my bedside, to take me back to the days when mine were just this magically little...ReplyDelete
I've never been thermally detonated. What's it like? Is it fun?ReplyDelete


text:
This tree diagram shows the relationships between several groups of organisms.
The root of the current tree connects the organisms featured in this tree to their containing group and the rest of the Tree of Life. The basal branching point in the tree represents the ancestor of the other groups in the tree. This ancestor diversified over time into several descendent subgroups, which are represented as internal nodes and terminal taxa to the right.
You can click on the root to travel down the Tree of Life all the way to the root of all Life, and you can click on the names of descendent subgroups to travel up the Tree of Life all the way to individual species.
For more information on ToL tree formatting, please see Interpreting the Tree or Classification. To learn more about phylogenetic trees, please visit our Phylogenetic Biology pages.close box
Clément, P. 1985. The relationships of rotifers. In: S. Conway Morris et al. (eds.), The origins and relationships of lower invertebrates. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Clément, P. and E. Wurdak. 1991. Rotifera. Pages 219–297 in: Microscopic Anatomy of Invertebrates, Vol. 4. F. W. Harrison and E. E. Ruppert, eds. Wiley-Liss, New York.
Ferraguti, M. and G. Melone. 1999. Spermiogenesis in Seison nebaliae (Rotifera, Seisonidea): further evidence of a rotiferacanthocephalan relationship. Tissue Cell 31:428440.
Funch, P., M.V. Sørensen and M. Obst. 2005. On the phylogenetic position of Rotiferahave we come any further? Hydrobiologia 546:1128.
García-Varela, M. and S. A. Nadler. 2006. Phylogenetic relationships among Syndermata inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40 (1):61-72.
Garey, J. R., T. J. Near, M. R. Nonnemacher, and S. A. Nadler. 1996. Molecular evidence for Acanthocephala as a subtaxon of Rotifera. J. Mol. Evol. 43:287-292.
Garey, J. R., A. Schmidt-Rhaesa, T. J. Near, and S. A. Nadler. 1998. The evolutionary relationships of rotifers and acanthocephalans. Hydrobiologia 387:83-91.
Herlyn, H., O. Piskurek, J. Schmitz, U. Ehlers, and H. Zischler. 2003. The syndermatan phylogeny and the evolution of acanthocephalan endoparasitism as inferred from 18S rDNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 26:155–164.
Kutikova, L. 1983. Parallelism in the evolution of rotifers. Hydrobiologia 104:3-7.
Lorenzen, S. 1985. Phylogeny of pseudocoelomate evolution. In: S. Conway Morris et al. (eds), The origins and relationships of lower invertebrates. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Mark Welch, D. B. 2000. Evidence from a protein-coding gene that acanthocephalans are rotifers. Invertebrate Biology 119:17-26.
Mark Welch, D. B. 2001. Early contributions of molecular phylogenetics to understanding the evolution of Rotifera. Hydrobiologia 446/447:315-322.
Melone, G., C. Ricci, H. Segers, and R. L. Wallace. 1998. Phylogenetic relationships of phylum Rotifera with emphasis on the families of Bdelloidea. Hydrobiologia 387/388:101-107.
Miquelis, A., J.-F. Martin, E. W. Carson, G. Brun, and André Gilles. 2000. Performance of 18S rDNA helix E23 for phylogenetic relationships within and between the Rotifera–Acanthocephala clades. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Sciences de la vie/Life Sciences 323:925–941.
Nogrady, T., R. L. Wallace, and T. W. Snell. 1993. Rotifera, Vol. 1: Biology, Ecology and Systematics. Guides to the Identification of the Microinvertebrates of the Continental Waters of the World. H. J. Dumont, ed. SPB Academic Publishers bv., The Hague.
Segers, H. 2002. The nomenclature of the Rotifera: annotated checklist of valid family- and genus-group names. Journal of Natural History 36:631-640.
Sørensen, M. V. 2002. On the evolution and morphology of the rotiferan trophi, with a cladistic analysis of Rotifera. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 40:129-154.
Sørensen, M. V. and G. Giribet 2006. A modern approach to rotiferan phylogeny: Combining morphological and molecular data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40(2):585-608.
Sudzuki, M. 1964. New systematical approach to the Japanese planktonic Rotatoria. Hydrobiologia 23:1-124.
Wallace, R.L. and T. W. Snell. 1991. Rotifera. In: Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates. J. H. Thorpe & A. P. Covich, eds. Academic Press, New York.
Witek, A., H. Herlyn, A. Meyer, L. Boell, G. Bucher and T. Hankeln. 2008. EST based phylogenomics of Syndermata questions monophyly of Eurotatoria. BMC Evolutionary Biology 2008, 8:345doi:10.1186/1471-2148-8-345
Zrzavy, J. 2001. The interrelationships of metazoan parasites: a review of phylum- and higher-level hypotheses from recent morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Folia Parasitologica 48:81-103.
Information on the Internet
- Rotifer Systematic Database. Elizabeth Walsh.
- Micscape magazine:
- The Wonderfully Weird World of Rotifers. A article written by Richard L. Howey and illustrated by Wim van Egmond.
- Rotifers by Wim van Egmond.
- Gallery of Rotifers by Wim van Egmond.
- Rotifers and how to find them by Roy Winsby.
About This Page
Page copyright © 2002
Page: Tree of Life Rotifera. Rotifers. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.
Citing this page:
Tree of Life Web Project. 2002. Rotifera. Rotifers. Version 01 January 2002 (temporary). http://tolweb.org/Rotifera/2480/2002.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/


text: B3: Additional information for shares and unitsWarning: This information may not apply to the current year. Check the content carefully to ensure it is applicable to your circumstances. End of attention This chapter briefly explains less common situations for personal investors, including those arising from: rights or options stapled securities non-assessable payments share buy-backs takeovers and mergers demergers dividend reinvestment plans bonus shares and bonus units dividends paid by listed investment companies (LIC) that include a LIC capital gain. Rights or options to acquire shares or units If you hold shares or units, you may be issued rights or options to acquire additional shares or units at a specified price. Rights or options issued directly to you from a company or trust for no cost You are taken to have acquired the rights or options at the same time you acquired the original shares or units. Therefore, if you acquired the original shares or units before 20 September 1985, any capital gain or capital loss you make when the rights or options expire or are sold is disregarded as they are pre-CGT assets. If you acquired the original shares or units on or after 20 September 1985, you make a capital gain if the capital proceeds on the sale or expiry of the rights or options are more than their cost base. You make a capital loss if the reduced cost base of the rights or options is more than those capital proceeds. Rights and options you paid to acquire from a company or trust, or that you acquired from another person If you acquired your rights or options on or after 20 September 1985, they are treated much like any other CGT asset and are subject to CGT. Special rules apply if you exercise the rights or options. For more information, or if you acquire rights or options under an employee share scheme, see the Guide to capital gains tax 2016. Stapled securities Stapled securities are created when two or more different securities are legally bound together so that they cannot be sold separately. Many different types of securities can be stapled together, for example, many property trusts have their units stapled to the shares of companies with which they are closely associated. The effect of stapling depends upon the specific terms of the stapling arrangement. The issuer of the stapled security will be able to provide you with detailed information on their particular stapling arrangement. However, in general the effect of stapling is that each individual security retains its character and there is no variation to the rights or obligations attached to the individual securities. Although a stapled security must be dealt with as a whole, the individual securities that are stapled are treated separately for tax purposes. For example, if a share in a company and a unit in a unit trust are stapled, you: continue to include separately on your income tax return dividends from the company and trust distributions from the trust work out any capital gain or capital loss separately for the unit and the share. Because each security that makes up your stapled security is a separate CGT asset, you must work out a cost base and reduced cost base for each separately. If you acquired the securities after they were stapled (for example, you bought the stapled securities on the ASX), you do this by apportioning, on a reasonable basis, the amount you paid to acquire the stapled security (and any other relevant costs) among the various securities that are stapled. One reasonable basis of apportionment is to have regard to the portion of the value of the stapled security that each security represented. The issuer of the stapled security may provide assistance in determining these amounts. If you acquired your stapled securities as part of a corporate restructure you will, during the restructure, have owned individual securities that were not stapled. The way you work out the cost base and reduced cost base of each security depends on the terms of the stapling arrangement. When you dispose of your stapled securities, you must divide the capital proceeds (on a reasonable basis) between the securities that make up the stapled security and then work out whether you have made a capital gain or capital loss on each security. For examples covering stapled securities, see the Guide to capital gains tax 2016. Non-assessable payments There can be non-assessable payments for both shares and units. Non-assessable payments from a company to a shareholder Non-assessable payments to shareholders are usually called a return of capital. If you received a payment from a company in respect of your shares and it was not a dividend, you deduct the amount of the payment from both the cost base and the reduced cost base of your shares. If the non-assessable payment is greater than the cost base of your shares, you include the excess as a capital gain. If you use the indexation method to work out the amount of this capital gain, you cannot use the discount method to work out a capital gain when you later sell the shares or units. Non-assessable payments from a managed fund to a unit holder The treatment of these payments is similar to non-assessable payments from a company to a shareholder. For more information, see chapter C2. Non-assessable payments under a demerger If you receive a non-assessable payment under an eligible demerger, you do not deduct the payment from the cost base and reduced cost base of your shares or units. Instead, you make adjustments to your cost base and reduced cost base under the demerger rules. You may make a capital gain on the non-assessable payment if it exceeds the cost base of your original share or unit, although you will be able to choose a rollover. An eligible demerger is one that happens on or after 1 July 2002 and satisfies certain tests. The head entity will normally advise shareholders or unit holders if this is the case. For more information, see the Guide to capital gains tax 2016. Share buy-backs If you disposed of shares back to a company under a buy-back arrangement, you may have made a capital gain or capital loss. You compare the capital proceeds with your cost base and reduced cost base to work out whether you have made a capital gain or capital loss. The time you make the capital gain or capital loss will depend on the conditions of the particular buy-back offer. If shares in a company: are not bought back by the company in the ordinary course of business of a stock exchange, for example, the company writes to shareholders offering to buy their shares (commonly referred to as 'off-market share buy-back') the buy-back price is less than what the market value of the share would have been if the buy-back hadn't occurred and was never proposed, the capital proceeds are taken to be what the share's market value would have been if the buy-back hadn't occurred and was never proposed, minus the amount of any dividend paid under the buy-back. In this situation, the company may provide you with that market value or, if the company obtained a class ruling from the ATO, you can find out the amount at ato.gov.au/cgt (follow the links under Events affecting shareholders). Example 19: Off-market share buy-back including dividend Ranjini bought 10,000 shares in Company M in January 2003 at a cost of $6 per share, including brokerage. Last February, the company wrote to its shareholders advising them it was offering to buy back 10% of their shares for $9.60 each. The buy-back price was to include a franked dividend of $1.40 per share (and each dividend was to carry a franking credit of $0.60). Ranjini applied to participate in the buy-back to sell 1,000 of her shares. Company M approved the buy-back last April on the terms anticipated in its earlier letter to shareholders. The market value of Company M shares at the time of the buy-back (if the buy-back did not occur and was never proposed) is $10.20. Ranjini received a cheque for $9,600 (1,000 shares x $9.60) last May. Because it was an off-market share buy-back and the buy-back price was less than what the market value of the share would have been if the buy-back hadn't occurred, Ranjini works out her capital gain as follows: Capital proceeds per share =$10.20 (market value) - $1.40 (dividend) =$8.80 Capital proceeds: Total capital gain $8.80 x 1000 shares $8,800 Cost base $6 x 1000 shares $6,000 Capital gain (before applying any discount) $8,800 - $6,000 $2,800 Ranjini takes her capital gain into account in completing item 18 on her tax return (supplementary section). She also includes her dividend by writing $1,400 (her franked dividend amount) at T item 11 on her tax return and $600 (her franking credit) at U item 11 on her tax return. End of example Takeovers and mergers If a company in which you held shares was taken over and you received new shares in the takeover company, you may be entitled to a scrip-for-scrip rollover for any capital gain you made. This means you can defer the capital gain made on the disposal of your old shares until a later CGT event happens to your new shares. Usually, the takeover company would advise you if the scrip-for-scrip rollover conditions were satisfied. If you also received some cash from the takeover company, you only get rollover on the proportion of the original shares for which you received shares in the takeover company. You will need to apportion the cost base of the original shares between the replacement shares and the cash. If the scrip-for-scrip conditions were not satisfied, your capital proceeds for your original shares will be the total of any cash and the market value of the new shares you received. Scrip-for-scrip rollover may also be available to the extent that units in a managed fund are exchanged for units in another managed fund. For more information about takeovers and mergers, see the Guide to capital gains tax 2016. Demergers A demerger involves the restructuring of a corporate or fixed trust group by splitting its operations into two or more entities or groups. Under a demerger, the owners of the head entity of the group (that is, the shareholders of the company or unit holders of the trust) acquire a direct interest (shares or units) in an entity that was formerly part of the group. If you owned interests in a company or fixed trust that is the head entity of a demerger group and you received new interests in the demerged company or trust, you may be entitled to a demerger rollover. Generally, the head entity undertaking the demerger will advise whether you are entitled to rollover, but you should seek our advice if you are in any doubt. The ATO may have provided advice in the form of a class ruling on a specific demerger confirming that a rollover is available. Even if you do not choose a rollover, you must recalculate the cost base and reduced cost base of each of your original interests in the head entity and your new interests in the demerged entity. To help you make these calculations, you can use the demergers calculator. For more information about demergers, go to ato.gov.au and search for 'demergers overview'. Dividend reinvestment plans Under these plans, shareholders can choose to use their dividend to acquire additional shares in the company instead of receiving a cash payment. For CGT purposes, you are treated as if you received a cash dividend and then used it to buy additional shares. Each share (or parcel of shares) received in this way is treated as a separate asset and you must make a separate calculation when you sell them. For more information about the topics covered in this chapter, including demergers, see the Guide to capital gains tax 2016 and You and your shares 2016 (NAT 2632). For information on key transactions involving major companies and other institutions, see Events affecting shareholders under the 'In detail' tab at ato.gov.au/cgt These transactions include: mergers takeovers demergers demutualisations returns of capital share buy-backs, and declarations by liquidators and administrators that shares are worthless. Bonus shares and bonus units Bonus shares are additional shares received by a shareholder in respect of shares already owned. These shares may be received by a shareholder wholly or partly as a dividend. The shareholder may also pay an amount to get them. Bonus units may also be received in a similar way. The CGT rules for bonus shares and bonus units are very similar. If you have sold bonus shares or bonus units, see the Guide to capital gains tax 2016. Dividends paid by listed investment companies (LIC) that include a LIC capital gain If a LIC pays a dividend to you that includes a LIC capital gain amount, you may be entitled to an income tax deduction. You can claim a deduction if: you are an individual you were an Australian resident when a LIC paid you a dividend the dividend included a LIC capital gain amount. The amount of the deduction is 50% of the LIC capital gain amount. The LIC capital gain amount will be shown separately on your dividend statement. You do not write the LIC capital gain amount at item 18. Example 20: LIC capital gains Ben, an Australian resident, was a shareholder in XYZ Ltd, a LIC. Last March, Ben received a dividend from XYZ Ltd of $70,000 including a LIC capital gain amount of $50,000. Ben can claim a $30,000 franking credit relating to the dividend. Ben includes on his tax return the following amounts: Franked amount(at T item 11 on his tax return) $70,000 Franking credit(at U item 11 on his tax return) $30,000 Amount included in total income $100,000 less deduction for LIC capital gain(claimed at item D8 on his tax return) $25,000 Net amount included in income $75,000 End of example Last modified: 27 May 2016QC 48218


text:
A MUST-SEE lecture based on Dr. Stephen C. Meyer's book "Signature in the Cell". One of my favorite 6 arguments for a Creator and Designer is the origin of the simplest replicating living system. When you look into the cell, what you'll find is carefully sequenced components that for complex structures, like proteins. In this lecture, you'll learn all about this "biological information".
I highly recommend watching the lecture, and looking at the slides. The quality of the video and the content is first class. There is some Q&A (9 minutes) at the end of the lecture.
- intelligent design is concerned with measuring the information-creating capabilities of natural forces like mutation and selection
- Darwinists think that random mutations and natural selection can explain the origin and diversification of living systems
- Darwinian mechanisms are capable of explaining small-scale adaptive changes within types of organisms
- but there is skepticism, even among naturalists, that Darwinian mechanisms can explain the origin of animal designs
- even if you concede that Darwinism can account for all of the basic animal body plans, there is still the problem of life's origin
- can Darwinian mechanisms explain the origin of the first life? Is there a good naturalistic hypothesis to explain it?
- there are at least two places in the history of life where new information is needed: origin of life, and Cambrian explosion
- overview of the structure of DNA and protein synthesis (he has helpful pictures and he uses the snap lock blocks, too)
- the DNA molecule is composed of a sequence of bases that code for proteins, and the sequence is carefully selected to have biological function
- meaningful sequences of things like computer code, English sentences, etc. require an adequate cause
- it is very hard to arrive at a meaningful sequence of a non-trivial length by randomly picking symbols/letters
- although any random sequence of letters is improbable, the vast majority of sequences are gibberish/non-compiling code
- similarly, most random sequences of amino acids are lab-proven (Doug Axe's work) to be non-functional gibberish
- the research showing this was conducted at Cambridge University and published in the Journal of Molecular Biology
- so, random mutation cannot explain the origin of the first living cell
- however, even natural selection coupled with random mutation cannot explain the first living cell
- there must already be replication in order for mutation and selection to work, so they can't explain the first replicator
- but the origin of life is the origin of the first replicator – there is no replication prior to the first replicator
- the information in the first replicator cannot be explained by law, such as by chemical bonding affinities
- the amino acids are attached like magnetic letters on a refrigerator
- the magnetic force sticks the letters ON the fridge, but they don't determine the specific sequence of the letters
- if laws did determine the sequence of letters, then the sequences would be repetitive
- the three materialist explanations – chance alone, chance and law, law alone – are not adequate to explain the effect
- the best explanation is that an intelligent cause is responsible for the biological explanation in the first replicator
- we know that intelligent causes can produce functional sequences of information, e.g. – English, Java code
- the structure and design of DNA matches up nicely with the design patterns used by software engineers (like WK!)
There are some very good tips in this lecture so that you will be able to explain intelligent design to others in simple ways, using everyday household items and children's toys to symbolize the amino acids, proteins, sugar phosphate backbones, etc.
Proteins are constructed from a sequence of amino acids:
Proteins sticking onto the double helix structure of DNA:
I highly, highly recommend this lecture. You will be delighted and you will learn something.
Here is an article that gives a general overview of how intelligent design challenges. If you want to read something more detailed about the material that he is covering in the lecture above related to the origin of life, there is a pretty good article here.
There is a good breakdown of some of the slides with helpful flow charts here on Uncommon Descent.
Positive arguments for Christian theism
- The kalam cosmological argument and the Big Bang theory
- The fine-tuning argument from cosmological constants and quantities
- The origin of life, part 1 of 2: the building blocks of life
- The origin of life, part 2 of 2: biological information
- The sudden origin of phyla in the Cambrian explosion
- Galactic habitable zones and circumstellar habitable zones
- Irreducible complexity in molecular machines
- The creative limits of natural selection and random mutation
- Angus Menuge's ontological argument from reason
- Alvin Plantinga's epistemological argument from reason
- William Lane Craig's moral argument
- The unexpected applicability of mathematics to nature


text:
Three Outside in the Sun shows my three cats getting some fresh air. Opie stars as she gets to run outside without a harness on. She was very good outside and did not go running off. She was mostly interested in eating grass and having a look around. Scooby stayed in the catio as he and Opie don't get along, and he would be a distraction and incite bad behaviour in Opie. Zeke has always been afraid to go outside, except when he is safe in the catio. At any rate, all three got some fresh air and sunshine.
34 Comments
Comments are closed.


text:
Escape Reality Manchester Break out & Break in: Alcatraz & Bank Job Escape Rooms – Review: February 2019
Location: Escape Reality Manchester city centre, you have been transported back to 1934, locked up in the notorious Alcatraz, just off San Francisco Bay, a maximum high security prison along with some seriously dangerous criminals.
With our intake, the prison had reached maximum capacity for the first time ever, so tensions and stress are running high and now was the time to make our move before special measures are implemented.
No prison has ever contained us, after much plotting, the plan is in place. Police uniform secured and convict cuffed, the inmates have created a diversion leaving all remaining inmates in cells unguarded. With nerves of steel, we made our gutsy move to break free, question is can you?
Crazy enough to break out of Alcatraz, after a few years rest, we decided to return to crime, but this time we decided to break in and show them who's boss and pull off a big diamond heist and get that much needed cash boost into our depleted bank accounts.
We grabbed our elite squad of highly skilled bank robbers, as we were amongst the chosen few who had been challenged to infiltrate the security systems at the world's most protected bank vaults.
Part of our team attempted the skilled system override on the previous night but failed. They did manage to disable the security cameras and took the opportunity to leave us clues, so myself and the team were now fully prepped to break into the vault and steal the dazzling diamond.
Escape with the diamond within 60 minutes or face life in prison! An exhilarating, exciting and entertaining experience, will your team diamond bank balance go boom or bust!
As always the games masters and all the team were fabulous!
Thank you for reading 😊


text:
Community shows its colors
DESTIN — Minutes after the Deslauriers family arrived at the Hard Rock Café on Friday evening, they were swamped with friends, family and well-wishers.
The group wanted to shake the hand of Master Sgt. Joe Deslauriers and his wife, Lisa, give them hugs, and smile at their young son, Cameron, who was perched on his father's lap.
"We look forward to getting to meet and getting to know everybody in the community," Deslauriers announced later, thanking everyone for attending.
About 150 people gathered to show their support and help raise money for a new home for the young family.
Deslauriers, an explosive ordnance technician with the 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron at Hurlburt Field, lost both legs and part of his arm in a bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2011.
Two years later, the Deslauriers family has made it back to the Emerald Coast and wants to put down roots in Destin.
Building Homes for Heroes has bought property in the Emerald Bay subdivision and plans to break ground next month.
The money raised at Friday's benefit will go toward the home.
Guests bought tickets, participated in a silent auction and even made donations. Irv Duvall with the EOD MasterBlasters donated $1,000 from the organization to the family.
"It takes a community to make something like this happen," said Kelly Hale, the wife of retired Army Staff Sgt. Aaron Hale and the Emerald Coast's representative for Building Homes for Heroes.
The Emerald Coast Young Marines donated their time to the event, holding doors for visitors and leading guests, servers and bartenders in the Pledge of Allegiance.
About seven members of the Logistical Readiness Squadron at Hurlburt also lent a hand.
"We all like to give back as much as we can," Tech. Sgt. Maggie Ladd said.
LeeAnn Boone of Bluewater Bay had never met the Deslauriers family, but wanted to support a worthy cause. Sometimes you need to pay it forward, she said.
"I hope they can find a home, and he can build the rest of his life," Boone said.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Delgado at 850-315-4445 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenDnwfdn.


text:
We have been covering the paedophile scandal cover-up of Phil Pringle of C3 Church. If people tuned in to 2SM radio this morning, they would have learnt that this scandal also found it's way into the Hillsong movement.
This morning, Grant Goldman from 2SM radio publicly challenged Scott Morrison's associations with cult leader Brian Houston of Hillsong. Goldman also introduced the serious issues behind Hillsong by introducing cult leader Phil Pringle and his C3 movement into the mix, highlighting the fact that both men have covered up paedophilia in their church's. Goldman focused on Kerrie Ferguson's story as well.
You can read Kerrie Ferguson's ongoing story here in how this was covered up:
C3 Parramatta Scandal (Part 1)
C3 Parramatta Scandal (Part 2) – The cover-up scandal that Pringle refused to deal with…
C3 Parramatta Scandal (Part 3) Sex, Money, Power
C3 Parramatta Scandal (Part 4) Pringle regards pastors "gambling" worse than pastors defending a pedophile?
C3 Parramatta Scandal (Part 5) Phil Pringle's leadership – an unresolved mess
C3 Parramatta Scandal (Part 6) C3 prophetically manipulating the abused into silence
C3 Parramatta Scandal (Part 7) Letter exposing Pringle covering up paedophilia & refusing to help victim
You can listen to the radio segment here:
Scott Morrison attends ShireLIVE and has close ties with the better-known Hillsong community. Brian Houston is one of Morrison's mentors and we have a personal email claiming that Scott Morrison has boasted that his mentor is Brian Houston.
Hillsong's influence with influential people: "Brian Houston, is one of [Scott] Morrison's mentors"
If you don't know how to navigate what surfaced from the Royal Commission regarding Houston covering up his father's crimes, please read the below link:
Evidence, Fact Files & testimonies exposing Brian Houston at the Royal Commission
[EDIT: 23/09/2015 – Transcript added.]
TRANSCRIPT: Grant Goldman to Scott Morrison, Monday 21 September 2015.
"On August 24th, less than a month ago, I had something to say about Scott Morrison, I stated that in 2007 Morrison as State Director of the Liberal Party was the beneficiary of a totally unfounded and unjustified smear campaign against a man by the name of Michael Towke, the telecommunications engineer who had been preselected by the Liberal Party for the seat of Cook. The effect of that smear campaign was that Morrison, who in contesting the preselection, had received less than one tenth of the votes won by Towke. But Morrison was able to gain the Liberal endorsement as the Member for Cook.
In recent days supporters of Tony Abbott have suspected the loyalty and sincerity of Scott Morrison who appears to have been rewarded for his failure to defend the then Prime Minister against the Turnbull attack. In his Maiden Speech to the Federal Parliament on 14 February 2008, Scott Morrison made favourable mention of Pastor Brian Houston who operates the Hillsong religious organisation.
So who is Pastor Brian Houston, the mentor to Scott Morrison? Is he?
This is the fellow who told a Royal Commission that he had no legal or moral obligation to the victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by his predecessor in the leadership of Hillsong, his father Frank Houston. In October 2014 the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse was told by a witness known as AHA that when he was seven years only, Pastor Frank Houston would come to his room, lie on him, fondle him and masturbate him. When Brian Houston found out that in 1999 that his father was a pederast taking advantage of a young boy, he failed to tell the Police. Instead, Brian Houston and committee of the Assemblies of God suspended Frank Houston's preaching credentials, for just two years.
It gets worse. I have in my hand as I write a copy of testimony given to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse by a lady named Kerri. I shall put this document on my website. Kerri told the commission the tragic story of how her son was raped by the man she had married. Her son reported the crime to two Pastors, Gary Dench and Ian Treacy. They did not tell the police. They did not tell the victim's mother. They admonished the victim, telling him he was partly to blame.
After Kerri learned from her son what had happened, she told the Police and also asked for help from the Head Pastor of the Christian City Church, Phil Pringle who provided no assistance. Pringle had suspended Dench, not because Dench had concealed a crime against a child, but because Dench's wife had won a prize in the lottery.
Later Kerri asked for help from Pastor Brian Houston of Hillsong Church knowing him to be a close friend of Pastor Phil Pringle. I'll quote what Kerri told the commission:
"I related our circumstances to Brian Houston who became very irritated, told me he did not believe that such a thing had happened, turned his back on me and walked away."
That is Brian Houston, who I understand with his wife Bobbie still calls the shots at Hillsong.
I am inviting Scott Morrison to come on my program and repudiate Pastor Brian Houston. I want Scott Morrison to express disgust at a Christian Leader who fails to report the sexual abuse of a child. I want Scott Morrison to express disgust at a Christian Leader who turns his back on member of his own congregation, a mother whose son has been betrayed by other pastors in the network, who refused to report to police that that boy had been raped, and instead told the boy he was partly to blame.
If you agree with me, back me up. If you disagree, prove me wrong."


text:
Drug addiction is preventable. Drug education and prevention efforts aimed at children and adolescents and involving families, schools, communities and media can be effective in reducing drug misuse.
Risk and Protective Factors for Drug Misuse and Addiction:
|Risk and Protective Factors for Drug Misuse and Addiction
|Aggressive behavior in childhood/Good self-control
|Lack of parental supervision/Parental monitoring and support
|Poor social skills/Positive relationships
|Drug experimentation/Academic competence
|Availability of drugs at school/School anti-drug policies
|Community poverty/Neighborhood pride
These 13 principles of effective drug addiction treatment were developed based on three decades of scientific research. Research shows that treatment can help drug-addicted individuals stop drug use, avoid relapse and successfully recover their lives.
- Addiction is a complex, but treatable, disease that affects brain function and behavior.
- No single treatment is appropriate for everyone.
- Treatment needs to be readily available.
- Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug abuse.
- Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical.
- Counseling— individual and/or group —and other behavioral therapies are the most commonly used forms of drug abuse treatment.
- Medications are an important element of treatment for many patients, especially when combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies.
- An individual's treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure it meets his or her changing needs.
- Many drug-addicted individuals also have other mental disorders.
- Medically assisted detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long-term drug abuse.
- Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective.
- Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously, as lapses during treatment do occur.
- Treatment programs should assess patients for the presence of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, as well as provide targeted risk-reduction counseling to help patients modify or change behaviors that place them at risk of contracting or spreading infectious diseases.
(These principles are detailed in NIDA's Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research Based Guide.)
How to Help a Friend or Family Member
Some suggestions to get started:
Learn all you can about alcohol and drug misuse and addiction.
Speak up and offer your support: talk to the person about your concerns, and offer your help and support, including your willingness to go with them and get help. Like other chronic diseases, the earlier addiction is treated, the better.
Express love and concern: don't wait for your loved one to "hit bottom." You may be met with excuses, denial or anger. Be prepared to respond with specific examples of behavior that has you worried.
Don't expect the person to stop without help: you have heard it before – promises to cut down, stop – but, it doesn't work. Treatment, support, and new coping skills are needed to overcome addiction to alcohol and drugs.
Support recovery as an ongoing process: once your friend or family member is receiving treatment, or going to meetings, remain involved. Continue to show that you are concerned about his/her successful long-term recovery.
Some things you don't want to do:
Don't preach: Don't lecture, threaten, bribe, preach or moralize.
Don't be a martyr: Avoid emotional appeals that may only increase feelings of guilt and the compulsion to drink or use other drugs.
Don't cover up, lie or make excuses for his/her behavior.
Don't assume their responsibilities: taking over their responsibilities protects them from the consequences of their behavior.
Don't argue when using: avoid arguing with the person when they are using alcohol or drugs; at that point he/she can't have a rational conversation.
Don't feel guilty or responsible for their behavior; it's not your fault.
Don't join them: don't try to keep up with them by drinking or using.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Drugs, Brains, and Behavior – The Science of Addiction
- National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
- National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- Narcotics Anonymous
Adapted from: National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
American Psychiactric Association,https://www.psychiatry.org
American Psychological Association, https://www.APA.org
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) https://www.drugabuse.gov/
Narconon, http://www.narconon.org/drug-abuse/signs-symptoms-heroin-use.html


text:
McQueen updates classic tailoring at London show
LONDON (AP) — In the world of women's fashion, London often plays second fiddle to other style capitals — it lacks the allure of Paris's haute couture or the polish of Milan's luxury labels.
Yet when it comes to dressing the gentleman, no city can rival the British capital's heritage.
Alexander McQueen on Monday led the new season's menswear catwalk shows in London, a four-day fashion display that mixes trendy labels like Tom Ford, Burberry and Moschino with traditional tailoring houses that have been perfecting their craft for decades.
Organizers want to highlight both new talents and London's status as the historic home of men's fashion — a city that has dressed a long list of kings and the world's wealthiest men and invented classic items like the tuxedo jacket, the bowler hat and the three-piece suit.
McQueen showed stark white lab coat-like jackets accented with sporty prints and squiggle shapes, and punk-influenced outfits in red and shiny black leather — clothes that at first sight appeared anything but traditional. But many of his looks, like the waistcoat worn over an untucked shirt and the fitted double-breasted suit worn with sneakers, were clever takes on the best of classic English tailoring.
It's no wonder the brand keeps reaching to the past for inspiration. Its late designer trained for two years at Savile Row tailor house Anderson & Sheppard when he was just 16 years old, and many have attributed his success to his ability to fuse subversive designs with excellent tailoring.
Many young design students continue to apprentice at London's pedigree tailors, learning the foundations of cutting and sewing from the best in the business.
"When we talk about work placements, the first thing a lot of my students mention is Savile Row, because it's so classic," said Chris New, who teaches menswear at London's prestigious Central Saint Martins college.
The central London street, lined with more than a dozen tailors, is a living museum of the English love affair with luxury menswear. It's a long-standing tradition that's closely tied to a history of royal dress, military uniforms and gentry sports like horseback riding and hunting.
One example is the tailcoat, whose cutaway front was originally designed for ease of movement when worn as an equestrian coat. And the brogue shoe, which came from rural Scotland, became fashionable as urban wear after Edward VII — a fashion trendsetter in his time — sported them on his golfing trips.
Henry Poole & Co., the first to open shop on Savile Row in 1846, still proudly displays records of orders dating back to the 1850s. Its impressive client list includes Napoleon III, J.P. Morgan, Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle, to name just a few.
"Men in this city have always made a point of dressing well," said manager Simon Cundey. "We're very lucky in London — no other city in the world has a suiting street like this."
London shops had a big role in inventing and popularizing many trends. Lock & Co., founded in 1676 and said to be the oldest hat shop in the world, helped create the bowler hat — also called a Derby hat in the U.S. — in the 1840s. And Henry Poole, who worked closely with Edward VII, helped the dandy royal develop the tuxedo jacket to wear during "informal" dinners.
Burberry, which is showcasing its designs Tuesday, is one of the savviest in capitalizing on British tradition. Its signature trench coat, first worn by soldiers during World War I, is still a best-seller, and the brand continues to launch modern versions of it for both men and women every season.
Like many other brands, Burberry says menswear is a fast-growing money maker for them.
London's menswear week has expanded impressively since it broke away from the main womenswear fashion showcases in 2012. This year it started Sunday and runs until Tuesday, followed by other men's fashion shows in Milan and Paris.
Still, there's no denying that designer or bespoke menswear is far from accessible to the average man. Asked what sartorial advice he could give to those without deep pockets, Cundey said: "Invest in quality, not quantity."
"There are three things you need in life. A good day-to-evening suit, a tailored blazer or coat, and a tuxedo," he said.
Follow Sylvia Hui at www.Twitter.com/sylviahui


text:
Rehabilitation Aide
Job Description
Select Physical Therapy is seeking a Rehabilitation Aide or Technician for our outpatient orthopedic clinic.
As a Select Medical employee, we want you to:
- Be Patient-Centered: focus on the needs of patients to help improve their lives
- Build Trust: speak up, make good decisions, and trust others to do the same
- Own the Future: own your success and take action to build a successful career
- Think First: understand that good data is key to achieving superior results
- Celebrate Success: recognize and reward others for the value they create
- Create Change: innovate in how you perform your role
- Carries out activities delegated by supervisor as allowed under State Practice Acts following Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines
- Possesses training and/or experience which allows him/her to aide therapists in carrying out rehabilitation procedures, organize/schedule and keep records of ancillary services (i.e. FCE's, CYBEX, POETS, etc.) and support other center specific functions.
- Observes and reports any abnormal patient conditions, reactions and responses to treatment in an effective, professional manner
- Plays a significant role in specific area of center operations (may be scheduling ancillary services and following up, overseeing a specific program, serving as OSHA coordinator, etc.)
- Cleans, sterilizes and prepares equipment in accordance with company policy and
- guidelines.
- Clinic Location: Vienna, VA
- Type of Employment: Part Time
- Hours: Flexible (Likely afternoon and evening hours)
- Salary: Starting at $12/hour (Pending Experience)
Minimum Qualifications:
- High school diploma or GED required
Additional Data
Select Medical Corporation's Outpatient Division is a nationally prominent, locally driven provider of outpatient physical rehabilitation with almost 1800 locations in 37 states, including the District of Columbia. Throughout the country we operate primarily as Select Physical Therapy, NovaCare Rehabilitation, Physio, Kessler Rehabilitation Center, KORT, Saco Bay Physical Therapy, Concentra, SSM Physical Therapy and Keystone Physical Therapy. Our highly respected clinical team provides preventative and rehabilitative services that maximize functionality and promote well-being. We develop individualized treatment plans to help achieve each patient's specific goals. Our integrated local market network allows us to effectively partner with physicians, employers, payors and case managers to achieve optimal patient outcomes in a cost-effective manner. We also provide physical therapy and athletic training services to professional sports teams, colleges, universities and high schools.
Select Medical is committed to having a workforce that reflects diversity at all levels and is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment, and employees are treated during employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.
If you are interested in our Career opportunities but not ready to apply, join our Talent Network to stay connected to us and receive updates on the latest job opportunities and company now.Join Our Talent Network


text:
Rosé Champagne is in fashion.
That's what Ed McCarthy, author of "Champagne for Dummies," told a recent gathering of the Wine Media Guild, a group of scribes who gather monthly in Felida restaurant in New York City to sample wines and lunch.
Indeed, according to Drinks Business magazine, U.S. rose Champagne sales rose 50 percent last year – despite a 20 percent price premium over non-vintage brut.
In some ways, it's not surprising. Sales of till rosé wines have been rising, too, as tastes have changed from dense reds and oaky whites to lighter styles.
A decade ago, rosé Champagne accounted for only 4 percent of the total Champagne production and some houses did not make it, McCarthy said. Now, it represents 8 percent of total production and most producers have rosé sparklers in their portfolios. Annual sales haven't dropped in a decade – despite the higher cost Perhaps, that's due to a perception of exclusivity.
Rosé Champagne is the moniker for Champagne that's been tinted pink by the addition of pinot noir or pinot meunier grapes or wine. Sometimes, these wines informally are called 'pink' Champagnes. Chardonnay is the only other grape permitted as a component of Champagne. A touch of red wine can be added to an existing white cuvee that's been made with chardonnay or another less-used method, called saignee, may be used under French wine making rules. In the method called saignee — French for "bled," the free-run juice of the red grapes is run off or bled from a batch of crushed grapes after a short period of maceration or skin contact.
That addition of red wine does more than color the wine. Rosé Champagnes tend to be more full bodied than others, McCarthy said, and, as a result, they go well with food—entrees. They do not, however, work with desserts, because they are dry. And there's more red fruit character — berry aromas and yeasty meaty flavors — identified in the wine.
For Guild's December gathering, McCarthy curated a tasting of 15 impressive rosé Champagnes, including 10 non-vintage bottlings and five vintage bottles. The prices for the wines ranged from $48 to $300 a bottle. I enjoyed wines at all price points, but I must admit my top pick was the Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé, the priciest bottle in the bunch.
The wines, listed in ascending order in terms of body:
Bruno Paillard Brut Rosé Premier Cuvèe NV. $70. A blend of about 85 percent pinot noir and 15 percent chardonnay, this wine was pale in color, almost golden, completely dry with delicate red fruit notes. McCarthy described this as the driest of the 15 wines sampled.
Ayala Brut Rosé NV. $48-$54. The only wine on the list for under $50, it was made from 53 percent Chardonnay and 47 percent pinot noir (partly from old vines). A blend of premier and grand crus, McCarthy noted that Ayala is a corporate sibling of Bollinger, though the wine is different in style. Salmon hued, I liked the yeasty notes and light berry/cherry flavors. A good buy.
Henriot Brut Rosé NV. $60. Mostly pinot noir with some pinot meunier, vinified as red wines, and then blended with chardonnay. Delicate fresh-tasting wine with berry notes. McCarthy described it as an elegantly styled wine from a little-known producer.
G.H. Mumm Brut Rosé NV. $70-$75. Salmon hued, 12-14 percent pinot noir. Quite fizzy, dry with hints of berries.
Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Brut Rosé NV. $70-$80. Made from 100 percent pinot noir using the sagnee method, this salmon-colored wine, aromatic with floral and red fruit scents, first was produced in 1968 and now is the category benchmark. It is aged at least four years and offers yeasty notes of biscuits and hazelnuts with juicy red berry and cherry flavors.
Taittinger Brut Prestige Rosé NV. $60-$65. McCarthy noted that 30 percent chardonnay has replaced pinot meunier in the blend which contains 70 percent pinot noir. The wine spends three years on its lees. Cherry-pink hue with berries on the nose and biscuit and berry and cherry notes on the palate. Crisp finish. A good buy at $60.
Alfred Gratien Brut Rosé NV. $62-$75. Gratien is not a household name, McCarthy said, adding that the wine is aged in old barrels. It's 45 percent chardonnay, 4o percent pinot meunier and 15 percent pinot noir. Light pink color with a great fizz, dry with notes of red fruit.
Gosset Brut Rosé NV. $70-$80. Mainly chardonnay (58 percent) and rested on its lees for four years, this salmon hued wine was mouth filling, quite dry with notes of fruit and dough.
Louis Roederer Brut Rosé 2007. $65-$70. This wine by Louis Roederer, a specialist in pinot noir, contains 67 percent pinot noir. Pale pink in color it delights with notes of almond and tart fruits.
Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d'Or Rosé 2004 $180-$200. Copper salmon in color, this limited production, 100 percent pinot wine needs more time to develop, said McCarthy. Nevertheless, it offers fruit and nut flavors.
Perrier-Jouët Cuvée Belle Epoque Rosé 2004. $300. This grand cru chardonnay-dominated wine, McCarthy said, is the "epitome of elegance." The most expensive of the group with six years of aging, it was my favorite of this group. Pale salmon in color and richly textured, it offered a delicate blend of tart fruit and biscuit flavors with lively acidity.
Moët & Chandon Brut Rosé 2002. $80. From the largest producer of Champagne and a great vintage, this salmon tinted wine is quite dry with hints of fruit. McCarthy opines "it just needs time."
Pol Roger Brut Rosé 2004. $110. I've been a big fan of this house since I met Christian Pol Roger years ago at a dinner on Long Island. This salmon colored, pinot noir dominated wine has berries on the nose, a fruity palate and finishes quite dry, McCarthy said it "is really not yet ready to drink."
Bollinger Brut Rosé NV. $85. "A huge pale-copper wine that is 64 percent pinot noir, I found this to offer hints of toast and to be extremely dry and austere.


text:
Murray hurts knee, Georgia routs Kentucky
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Aaron Murray threw four first-half touchdown passes before hurting his left knee and missing the second half of his final home game as Georgia beat Kentucky 59-17 on Saturday night.
Todd Gurley ran for 77 yards and had five catches for 90 yards, including touchdown receptions for 16 and 24 yards, for Georgia (7-4, 5-3 Southeastern Conference).
Murray, already favoring the left knee, left the game after he was hit by defensive end Za'Darius Smith following a pass that was intercepted by Khalid Henderson with 2:17 remaining in the half.
Murray was unable to put pressure on his left leg as he was helped off the field and taken to the Georgia locker room. Georgia announced Murray was taken to an Athens hospital to have a MRI on the knee.
Hutson Mason, who replaced Murray, threw and ran for touchdowns.
Kentucky (2-8, 0-7) lost its 15th straight SEC game. The Wildcats must beat Tennessee next week to avoid their second straight 0-8 finish in the conference.
On a night he and other Georgia seniors were honored in a pregame ceremony, Murray completed 18 of 23 passes for 183 yards with four touchdowns, including two to tight end Arthur Lynch, and one interception.
Murray, who has the most yards passing and TD passes in SEC history and has not missed a start in 52 career games, began limping in the second quarter following a 28-yard run.
Mason threw the 24-yard touchdown pass to Gurley with only 12 seconds remaining in the half. Mason, a junior who could replace Murray as Georgia's starter in 2014, completed 13 of 19 passes for 189 yards and had a 1-yard touchdown run.
Murray also holds SEC records for career completions and total offense. He added another milestone as he easily gained the 108 yards passing he needed to become the first SEC quarterback to pass for 3,000 yards in four seasons. Hawaii's Timmy Chang (2000, 2002-04) and Boise State's Kellen Moore (2008-11) are the only other quarterbacks to pass for 3,000 yards in four seasons.
There was no immediate report on the status of Kentucky starting quarterback Jalen Whitlow, who left the game in the first quarter with an apparent injury and did not return after attempting only one pass.
Maxwell Smith replaced Whitlow and completed 10 of 16 passes for 149 yards with one touchdown.
Georgia, coming off a last-minute 43-38 loss at Auburn in which Murray led a comeback from a 37-17 fourth-quarter deficit, showed early it had shifted its focus to Kentucky. Gurley's 44-yard gain on a screen pass from Murray was the big gain in a quick three-play touchdown drive on the Bulldogs' first possession.
Murray threw touchdown passes to Rhett McGowan, Gurley and Lynch for a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Kentucky finally answered with Dyshawn Mobley's 69-yard touchdown run late in the opening quarter, but the Wildcats' only other first-half points came on Joe Mansour's 24-yard field goal in the second quarter.
Smith threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Javess Blue with 3:54 remaining in the game.
Despite the long run by Mobley, Kentucky netted only 62 yards rushing. Jojo Kemp had eight carries for five yards — all in the first half.
The Bulldogs had 602 total yards and set a season scoring high as Mason, J.J. Green and Brendan Douglas ran for third-quarter touchdowns.
Kentucky lost three of its six fumbles. Georgia safety Josh Harvey-Clemons recovered two fumbles. Defensive end Garrison Smith forced two fumbles.
McGowan had seven catches for 90 yards.


text:
Gets an SQL service schema update script for the Citrix Machine Creation Service.
Get-ProvDBVersionChangeScript -DatabaseName <String> -TargetVersion <Version> [-BearerToken <String>] [-TraceParent <String>] [-TraceState <String>] [-VirtualSiteId <String>] [-AdminAddress <String>] [<CommonParameters>]
Detailed Description¶
Gets an SQL script that can be used to update the current Citrix Machine Creation Service database schema. An update can be an upgrade or downgrade.
A script can be obtained to update the current service schema to any version that is reachable by applying available schema update packages that have been uploaded by the Citrix Machine Creation Service.
Typically, this mechanism is used to update the current service schema to a newer version, however it can also be used to revert previously applied updates.
The SQL script obtained can be run using SQL Server's SQLCMD utility, or by copying the script into an SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) query window and executing the query. If using SSMS, the query must be executed in 'SQLCMD mode'.
The schema update packages used to generate update scripts are stored in the database. This functionality allows any Citrix Machine Creation Service in the site to obtain a schema update script.
The fact that an update package is available in the database does not mean that the update has actually been applied to the service's schema. In addition, application of an update does not remove the associated update packages.
Take care when using the update scripts. Citrix recommends that where possible service schema upgrades are performed using Citrix Studio rather than manually through the SDK. The database should be backed-up before an update is attempted. The database script may also require exclusive use of the schema, in which case all Citrix Machine Creation Services must be shut down before applying the update.
Once an update has been applied to the service schema, any existing Citrix Machine Creation Services that are incompatible with the updated schema will cease to operate. The service state, as reported by Get-ProvServiceStatus, provides information about the service compatibility (e.g. DBNewerVersionThanService).
Related Commands¶
|Pipeline Input
|Default Value
|The name of the database containing the Citrix Machine Creation Service schema to be updated.
|The required target service schema version of the update. This is the service schema version obtained after the update script is applied.
|Specifies the bearer token assigned to the calling user
|Specifies the trace parent assigned for internal diagnostic tracing use
|Specifies the trace state assigned for internal diagnostic tracing user
|Specifies the virtual site the PowerShell snap-in will connect to.
|The address of a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops controller the PowerShell snap-in will connect to. You can provide this as a host name or an IP address.
|Localhost. Once a value is provided by any cmdlet, this value becomes the default.
Input Type¶
You cannot pipe input into this cmdlet.
Return Values¶
The Get-ProvDBVersionChangeScript cmdlet returns a PSObject containing a script that can be used to update the Citrix Machine Creation Service database schema. The object has the following properties:
Script: The raw text of the SQL script to apply the update, or null in the case when no upgrade path to the specified target version exists.
CanUndo: If true, indicates that after the update has been applied, a script to revert from the updated schema to the schema state prior to the update can be obtained. Because Get-ProvDBVersionChangeScript gets only update scripts relating to the current schema version, a script to revert an update can be obtained only after the update has been applied.
NeedExclusiveAccess: If true, indicates that the update requires exclusive access to the Citrix Machine Creation Service's schema while the update is applied; all Citrix Machine Creation Services must be shutdown during the update.
Scripts to update the schema version are stored in the database so any service in the service group can obtain these scripts. Extreme caution should be exercised when using update scripts. Citrix recommends backing up the database before attempting to upgrade the schema. Database update scripts may require exclusive use of the schema and so may not be able to execute while any Machine Creation Services are running. However, this depends on the specific update being carried out. After a schema update has been carried out, services that require the previous version of the schema may cease to operate. The ServiceState parameter reported by the Get-ProvServiceStatus command provides information about service compatibility. For example, if the schema has been upgraded to a more recent version that a service cannot use, the service reports "DBNewerVersionThanService". If the command fails, the following errors can be returned.
NoOp: The operation was successful but had no effect.
NoDBConnections: The database connection string for the Machine Creation Service has not been specified.
DatabaseError: An error occurred in the service while attempting a database operation.
DatabaseNotConfigured: The operation could not be completed because the database for the service is not configured.
DataStoreException: An error occurred in the service while attempting a database operation - communication with the database failed for various reasons.
PermissionDenied: You do not have permission to execute this command.
AuthorizationError: There was a problem communicating with the Citrix Delegated Administration Service.
CommunicationError: There was a problem communicating with the remote service.
ExceptionThrown: An unexpected error occurred.
For more details, see the Windows event logs on the controller or the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops logs.
Example 1¶
C:\PS> $update = Get-ProvDBVersionChangeScript -DatabaseName MyDb -TargetVersion 18.104.22.168
C:\PS> $update.Script > update_75.sql
Gets an SQL update script to update the current schema to version 18.104.22.168. The resulting update_75.sql script is suitable for direct use with the SQL Server SQLCMD utility.


text:
- Size of the inflated balloon: 67x50 cm
- Helium capacity: 0,045 m3
- The balloon arrives flat (not inflated).
A hedgehog aluminum balloon that will be perfect for a child's birthday 1 year and older on a forest animal theme! The woodland animal theme is also great for an original baby shower decor.
After the party, the balloons can serve as decoration in a room or be offered to guests!
To protect the planet, avoid throwing away the balloons after one use. By inserting a straw in the opening to deflate them, they can be used several times.
- Foil mylar balloons inflate with a pump or a straw; they have an automatic closing mechanism. They can be inflated with air or helium. For helium inflation, you must ask the rental company or check when purchasing the cylinder that there is a very fine tip.
- You have to insert the straw in the opening valve, that is to say the small pellet on the tongue of the balloon. It must be inserted deep enough so that inflation is done more easily. The straw is not supplied with the ball.
- Inflated with helium, the aluminum mylar balloons float horizontally on the ceiling. If you want to keep them vertical, you have to hang them with tape or masking tape. You can also weight them with balloon weight.
- To deflate aluminum mylar balloons, reinsert a straw into the opening valve and press the balloon. Please note: the ball is not quite like new after deflation.
- If the opening of the balloon (the tab) is glued, you must insert a very fine pencil or a small straw so that the opening takes place little by little.
- The lifespan of a balloon inflated with helium is a few hours.
All orders placed before 9:30 a.m. are dispatched the same day (except weekends).
|Mondial Relay
|Delivery outside France
|Lead times
|2 to 3 working days
|2 to 3 working days (no pick-up on Mondays)
|24 working hours for all orders placed before 13 p.m.
|Europe: 3 to 5 working days
Outside Europe: 3 to 15 working days
|Shipping fees
|From € 4,20
Free from 150€ of purchase
From 5,50 €.
|From € 14,50
|Variable, calculated according to destination and volumetric weight
|Delivery without signature
|Find a relay point: click here
Choice of relay point after payment
PS: Average delivery times, from the taking over of the package by the carrier.
PS: Following the recent increase in the price of fuel and the resulting taxes, shipping costs have recently undergone a slight increase. Unfortunately, we are dependent on the rates imposed by our carriers. Aware of the cost they represent for our customers, we do our best to keep them as low as possible.
You have 90 days to return your items if they are not completely suitable for you.
Returns address:
My Little Day MLP – Returns
12 avenue Jean Joxé
49100 Angers
For more info on delivery and returns, we tell you everything here !


text:
Not too many working Indian journalists are in the book-writing habit. At least not in English. Pesky bosses who don't give leave from work, the effort involved in finding a publisher, the commitment entailed in pursuing a different form of writing, not to speak of the fear of failure, etc, all play a contributing part.
But it's changing.
The former Indian Express reporter S. Hussain Zaidi wrote Black Friday on the 1993 Bombay blasts; Srinjoy Chowdhury, then of The Telegraph, wrote Flight into Fear on the IC-814 hijacking; The Times of India's Manoj Mitta brought home the horrors of 1984 with When a tree shook Delhi.
More recently, Harinder Baweja compiled a volume on the 26/11 seige on Bombay, and so on.
And there is the odd biography like Alam Srinivas's Storms in the Sea Wind on the Ambanis.
The former rediff.com and Tehelka journalist Basharat Peer, who did a scathing critique of Indian journalism's allergy for "serious, well-researched, long-form reportage" for Columba Journalism Review in 2007, has written a book on his home-state, Kashmir.
Shivanand Kanavi, former executive editor of Business India, who wrote Sand to Silicon on India's digital rise, reviews Peer's attempt to fill a vital hole in Indian journalism—and finds three gaping holes.
Basharat Peer's "Curfewed Night" is a welcome first-person account of Kashmir of the last two decades. Peer's book is lyrical, intense, partisan and cynical in varied proportions at the same time.
A simple linear narrative of events since the 1980s as seen by a Kashmiri boy (the author), Curfewed Night will help in educating the vast mass of Indian people who are distant from Kashmir in every way, who are not activists of the human rights movement, and who are the chief target of the Indian State's one-sided propaganda about what's been happening in Kashmir in the last two decades.
The book begins at the beginning that is the author's childhood. This part is lyrical and at times cute. It could have been the retold story of any articulate, sensitive boy from any Indian village to any urban or exotic audience. Then comes teenage and the romance of the Azadi movement; the blind fury and brutality of the security forces clearly reflecting their hate and an occupationist attitude towards the Kashmiris.
Peer tells the story of the emergence of the struggle of Kashmiri youth, armed and trained across the Line of Control (LoC) by our friendly neighbours and the impact of all this on their friends and families. The author's own brief inner turmoil to cross or not to cross the LoC, the romance of a sexy AK-47, and the pressure from the family to follow a more traditional middle-class road and, above all, a concern for self-preservation, are all conveyed very convincingly.
Then comes the life of a self-exiled student and later of a young journalist in the 1990s, with a longing to tell the "untold story of Kashmir"; the evolution of the author with exposure to a normal life and 'freedom from searches'; exhaustion setting in about indigenous militancy with no hope of a quick victory and so on, seems a little rushed.
Peer then gives us an invaluable, authentic picture of the emergence of jihadis from Pakistan equipped with laptops and satellite phones ready to unleash terror, where the random victims are not necessarily military targets, while a hapless population caught in the cross fire continues to grieve over the loss of a generation.
Peer excels when he brings out journalistic gems like the story of the ikhwanis, turncoat militants who became a part of Indian counter-insurgency; chameleon-like careerists who smoothly switch roles between militant, reformed militant and politician, a cryptic hint of the alienation of separatist politicians from the ordinary aggrieved Kashmiris; or the schizophrenia of a swaggering para-military officer who unexpectedly melts in a media room when Peer starts recalling the life he spent in Delhi.
Despite these excellent points, however, there are some rough edges and glaring lacunae as well.
Peer's style is very uneven and varies between the raw and the sophisticated. It is possible that the account has been written over a long period of time during which the writer himself has evolved. However, that does not absolve the responsibility of the publisher's editorial team to play their role, which is more than spell checking.
Peer completely omits the Kargil war and is similarly silent about the Indo-Pak peace yatra that started with the Lahore bus trip by Atal Behari Vajpayee and has gone through its yo-yo moments.
These are glaring blemishes to ignore, especially from a trained journalist.
Peer stumbles often in maintaining distance and some circumspection regarding his own emotions and concerns. For example, there is too much shock expressed when a youth who is dandily throwing grenades and sniping armymen gets killed in an encounter.
Surely, Peer did not expect such elements to be given a medal by the army?
I am sure the militant himself was mentally ready for "shahadat", even though youth are prone to feel temporarily invincible in the early stages of any insurgency. The fact of the matter is in such armed insurgencies there are very few armed men surviving till the end game (say in PLO or IRA).
Peer also exhibits a casual disdain for the changes that are occurring in India in the last two decades and rubbishes them with the label of a discredited "India Shining", an affliction of many a blinkered anti-establishment writer.
In fact there is every reason to believe that these changes are also occurring at least in Srinagar and Jammu if not in rural J&K, albeit in a small way, and that is affecting the attitude of a section of Kashmiri youth (mostly born post-Gawakadal) who want to move on.
The fact that despite the hysteria of the Amarnath agitation in Jammu and Srinagar, the prime movers of the agitation on both sides viz BJP and PDP did not win either Srinagar or Jammu seats in the general election says something. There are long queues for recruitment into new BPOs opening up in Jammu and Srinagar.
Then again, the recent prolonged strikes in Srinagar post-Shopian and a suicidal destruction of the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris engaged in the tourist trade, tells us not to get carried away too much and that the old is still very much alive.
On the whole, Basharat Peer's Curfewed Night is a welcome addition to conte3mporary history, written with passion and pathos.
It is surprising that we have so few of these in India (at least in the English language). Why don't we have more such attempts to tell the story of Manipur, Nagaland, Narmada valley, the jungles of Orissa/ Chhattisgarh/ Jharkhand, Dharavi, Emergency, Amritsar '84, Delhi '84, Mumbai '93 or Gujarat 2002 in print or in film?
Why don't we have our Norma Rae, Erin Brokovich or My heart lies buried at Wounded Knee? An Amu (Delhi 1984) or a Parzania (Gujarat 2002) are not enough.
Hopefully, more writers will follow Peer's lead.
Photograph: courtesy Outlook magazine


text:
Below are your recent and saved searches. To add a Saved Search to the list below, just
click on the "Save this Search" button on the sidebar below.
All measurements and all calculations of area are approximate. Information provided by Seller/Other sources, not verified by Broker. All interested persons should independently verify accuracy of information. Provided properties may or may not be listed by the office/agent presenting the information.
Data maintained by MetroList® may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. All real estate content on this site is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, as amended, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, family status or national origin or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. MetroList® will not knowingly accept any advertisement for
real estate which is in violation of the law. Users of this site are hereby informed that, pursuant to applicable laws and regulations, all dwellings advertised in the MetroList® service are available on an equal opportunity basis. MetroList CA data last updated at May 28,2023 05:05:31AM
IDX Powered by IDX Broker
Want to search by city or zip instead of our radius search? Adjust search for details.
We're here to help answer any questions you may have.


text:
Just the other day we were spouting insurmountable wisdom regarding the squirm-inducing "politicization of yoga." But we didn't know that at the time of writing, a stylist in Tampa, Florida was at the Republican National Convention, setting up a room with purifying candles, mood-enhancing essential oils, and puffy white pillows!
That's right, kittens. As we speak the RNC is running at full steam, having avoided divine retribution in the form of a hurricane, complete with foot rubs, a little yoga stretching, and tasty delicious food all provided by your very own mainstream yoga lifestyle tradition. Check it:
"Four years ago Off the Mat, Into the World (OTM) and Arianna Huffington partnered to create The Huffington Oasis, a unique, alternative space providing yoga, meditation, spa services, and organic food at the DNC.
The Oasis was designed to provide the politicians, media, etc. a refuge where, instead of grabbing a Red Bull and burger between sessions, they could come to reconnect to their bodies, minds and intentions in an environment providing sustainable methods for grounding, health and healing in an otherwise supercharged environment….
We knew we would want to do this again, but this time we wanted to offer The Oasis at the RNC as well. Everyone, regardless of political convictions, deserves the gifts that yoga and other healing modalities can provide. It was very important to us that these offerings make it to both sides of the aisle.
We are thrilled to be partnering with Arianna again, at both the RNC in Tampa on August 27-30 and at the DNC in Charlotte, NC September 3-6. The reach of these events will be significant, with 16,000 delegates and countless media gathering at both venues. This is not about bringing politics into yoga, but bringing yoga into the political arena.
I believe deeply in the impact it could have."
Of course, criticizing anything Seane Corn's Off the Mat, Into the World project does is like yelling at a kid in a wheelchair to move faster. It's just not done. Although, this morning we're caring less about conventions of conduct and more about conventions spilling over with white conservatives who wouldn't know the plight of marginalized peoples if it took a rank hobo-crap on their faces while getting their eyebrows waxed by svelte Tatiannas.
The question as to whether politics has a place in yoga is both debatable and divisive, but mostly it's just boooooooring. Why? Because typically "bringing yoga into the political arena" tends to involve a lot of spa treatments and acroyoga for delegates and media. Forget about those pesky yamas and niyamas everyone's always talking about. Shit is dogma, right? Nah, this TIME Inc video from the Oasis at the 2008 DNC is what it's all about.
OTM's mission is "to use the power of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism and ignite grassroots social change." Similarly, OTM's election year campaign, YogaVotes has a mission to "encourage the 20 million Americans who practice yoga to take their values into the public sphere and into the voting booth." We can't really see how an appearance at the RNC (as well as next week's DNC) supports or furthers either mission. Nor do we feel, for very specific reasons mentioned below, that any of this has anything to do with change or eradicating the necessarily murderous idea of Nation States.
Anyway, on the one side you've got that tired old argument that "yogis" should offer the teachings to anyone who asks. "Yoga is for all people," as they blah blah blah say. I've said it myself. So, sure. You got me. Fair enough.
Now, here's the other side (as regarding the language used in the Oasis lit):
1. Comfort -vs- Access
When a yoga practitioner ventures into the territory of homelessness, poverty, and prisons in order to teach the traditional practice of asana and meditation, this practitioner is making accessible something that was previously not. "Trickle down theory" never trickles, but rather recirculates within the dominant social class. However, when a yoga practitioner offers "yoga, meditation, spa services, and organic food" at the RNC, home to one half of the most powerful and influential possible governments in the world, it's not about yoga, but about comfort. This is about making people who have every intention of f'ing over every woman on the planet have a comfortable time discussing how best to do so.
2. Idiocy -vs- Making Informed Choices
It's easy, comforting, and safe to assume that Republicans are idiots. Dumb people are supposed to never win, so it lets people sleep a little better at night if Republicans are perceived as dumb. The truth is, neo-conservatives can be mad smart and read a shit-ton!The things they believe are choices in so much as the things you believe are choices. The people getting their front-bodies opened have chosen, after having access to every ounce of information available, to stand behind and enforce political platforms that if implemented will make your life miserable.
3. Helping Individuals Who Need It -vs- Helping Maintain a Political Platform
If a person comes to me in need of help, be it physical or mental, I attempt to help that person. Whether my method utilizes body-centered work, talk therapy/advice, or both, I believe in helping those who ask to be helped regardless of his/her political persuasion. There is a difference, however, between helping an individual and setting up a Swedish Massage venue for the National Front.
4. Ideas -vs- Actions
If nothing else, this is the real heart of the matter. Ideas are one thing. Ideas attempted to be put into action, especially through the political channels of legislation, is entirely another. The significance of the people Seane Corn & co. are helping to make feel good is not based on a difference in ideology. The people Seane Corn & co. are "adjusting into postural alignment" differ from her because they are attempting to make their ideology legally binding for all Americans. This is not about a conflict of interest. This is about concerted efforts to control others and making efforts to become president in order to best and most efficiently do so. By our standards, the politicians actions are a form of aggression against women, racial minorities, and peoples of varying sexual persuasions other than those defined by hetero-normative society.
In closing, it is the belief of The Babarazzi that Seane Corn's publicity stunt is one of the greatest and most awesomest fuck-ups mainstream yoga has ever accomplished. Female yoga practitioners lengthening and strengthening the minds and bodies of men, who if given the chance would have the uteri of the women attending them put into a governmental vice, as a form of politicized yoga is laughable, and could only come from the minds of silly heads bent on creating more silly head money.
With (very much appreciated) reporting from Roseanne at It's All Yoga, Baby.


text:
Nationals to hire Matt Williams as manager
- Williams has been on Diamondbacks%27 coaching staff since 2010
- He was a player for 17 seasons
- Davey Johnson retired at conclusion of season
The Washington Nationals have picked Matt Williams as their next manager, a Nationals official with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the two sides are working on the final details of the contract.
Fox Sports first reported the news.
Williams has been a part of the Arizona Diamondbacks' coaching staff since 2010, spending the last three seasons as the team's third base coach.
The 17-year major league veteran has limited managerial experience. He took over as interim manager for the Class AA Mobile Bay Bears in 2007 and was a manager in the Arizona Fall League with the Salt River Rafters last year.
Boston Red Sox infielder John McDonald, who is not on the team's World Series roster, played for Arizona in late 2011 and 2012. McDonald is a fan of Williams and likes the hire for Washington.
"Matty is very fair. His expectations are simple as a coach," McDonald said at the World Series. "He wants you to go out and work hard, be prepared to work hard, enjoy being at the ballpark and have an expectation that you're going to win that night."
"There's a lot of talent on that ballclub, so if he is in fact their manager, he's inheriting a really good club. It sounds like a really good match to me."
The 47-year-old would become the fifth manager in Nationals' history, replacing Davey Johnson, who retired at the conclusion of the season.
MLB prohibits teams from making major announcements during the World Series. MLB.com reports that the team has scheduled a news conference for early November.
Washington finished with a 86-76 record this season.


text:
In fact, today's perfumers might want to take note of how popular and really well done the older marine based scents were (and seemingly without the all too common water note of today, the molecule Calone!). Edit: I assumed Calone is newer than it is but turns out it was discovered by Pfizer in 1966, although I do not smell it in Geminesse. It is one of the unusual perfumes that represented the idea of a warm herperide-aromatic-marine scent for women. The mid stages of leather-floral mix found in Geminesse sit on top of a mild musky and ambery base, so there is an almost oriental feel to it as well, but the feeling it gives is much lighter and more transparent than many modern oriental scents. In 2008, someone started an online petition drive to bring Geminesse back, see http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/bring-back-geminesse.html. Sadly this movement never got off the ground and right now the petition has stalled with only 50 signatures but maybe they could use a few more?? (Hint, hint.)
Notes listed for Geminesse over at Basenotes include jasmine, rose, ylang, muguet and tuberose supported by vetiver, oakmoss, amber, musk and leather. Given that list of notes, some people surmised Geminesse might smell a lot like Bandit since the list of notes is very similar. But the notes listed for Geminesse do not give a good picture of it. For one thing, lavender is perhaps the most prominent note in the composition but strangly it is not listed as a note anywhere! In fact, Bandit and Geminesse could hardly be further apart in spirit. Bandit puts its leather upfront and center- black and stiff and the whole perfume is done in a somewhat harsh, haute couture style (which I also happen to love) but Geminesse is much more relaxed- a hippie-dippy sort of leather, more like that of a soft, hand-tooled leather purse than Bandit's kinky mask and gloves routine.
In fact Geminesse smells similar to scents in the family of soft citrus, green and leather tinged chypre (the ambery oriental aspect is lighter, laid over that base). It really is wonderfully done, projecting a citrus, powdery and meadowy fresh vibe at the same time, recalling Jean Patou's Moment Supreme and especially resembling Prince Matchabelli's Abano more than any other scent I can personally think of...
Of course these perfumes are rare scents, all highly sought after. For comparison sake, Abano's notes are listed as oakmoss, orange, patchouli, lavender, herbs and grasses. Honestly those notes give you a much better picture of Geminesse than the much notes I found listed from Basenotes.
Of the three scents (Geminesse, Abano and Moment Supreme), Abano is actually the fragrance I most prefer - the citrus is just a bit greener and for some reason Abano has a mouth watering effect on me that I crave sometimes, but the other two are excellent perfume compositions. Geminesse is a stand out for me because it comes from the workhorse of cosmetics in American movie business in Hollywood's Golden Era, Max Factor. The brand was born in 1965, incvluding the perfume making it safe to say that Geminesse was not a modern Calone spin-off but an old school perfume with great bones. Both Abano and Geminesse were Mediterranean inspired. Abano being the name of a resourt town in the mediterranean and Geminesse showing its Grecian influence in the classic Greek art work that adorned early bottles. Each of these represents the extinct ideal of the European resort scent, a beachy, vacation scent but not made to reflect Miami or Tropical Pan Asian Island areas. Obviously marine scents can be handled in as many different styles as there are shore lines. Clean aromatics, vetiver and musky leathery notes were used instead of fruits, white flowers or big synthetics... to create the impression of wind and surf, transporting us back to the place where warm sun and the salty tang of sea air kissed the skin as fingery breezes teased one's hair. Geminesse takes you to that kind of a place, too so it is no wonder the scent is sorely missed!
The Vintage Perfume Vault, where the scent of yesterday's vogue lives.


text:
Four different Swimming stickers sheets to choose from
Stickers are 1.5" wide
Choose between labels and icons
Sheet is 4.85" x 7.25".
**We are transitioning to glossy sticker paper. Our premium matte vinyl paper (even though it looks and feels great), has been causing us a lot of issues for the last six months. In order to keep my sanity (literally), we needed to make a change. The beautiful glossy paper has the same amount of stickiness and you can write on it with most pens. Until we completely make the transition, you might receive either the matte or glossy sticker paper. You can go wrong with either. Thank you in advance, for your patience while we go through this big change. Our goal is to always provide you with the best product. Enjoy!


text:
Prosecutor: Knight's Girlfriend Sold Video To TMZ
Former rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight's girlfriend and a business partner have been charged with violating a court order by selling a video showing Knight running his truck into two men to celebrity news website TMZ for $55,000, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Nick Ut/AP, Pool – Marion 'Suge' Knight
Sitting in court during a bail hearing in his murder case, in Los Angeles.
Knight's girlfriend, Toilin Kelly, and Mark Blankenship were each charged with conspiracy to violate a court order, conspiracy to obstruct justice and conspiracy to commit grand theft, Los Angeles County prosecutors said.
Kelly pleaded not guilty Wednesday; Blankenship has not yet been arraigned.
Knight, a co-founder of Death Row Records, was arrested in 2015 after authorities said he ran over the two men outside of a burger stand in Compton.
He has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges and is awaiting trial. His lawyers have said he acted in self-defense and was fleeing armed attackers.
A judge issued a protective order in the case, which barred all evidence, including the video, from being released publicly.
About two weeks after the incident, Kelly and Blankenship began arranging the sale of the surveillance video to TMZ, prosecutors said.
"'I can't wait to get this video to you,'" Kelly said in a text message to a TMZ representative, according to court documents.
After nearly a month, they settled for $55,000 and the video was posted on TMZ's website several days later, the district attorney's office said.
Kelly's attorney, Alan Eisner, said his client is presumed innocent and has faith that the justice system will exonerate her.
Kelly, a business school graduate, looks forward to having her defense presented in court, he said.
Authorities said a warrant has been issued for Blankenship's arrest and it wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment.
TMZ is not accused of any wrongdoing for purchasing the video. A representative for the celebrity news site did not immediately respond to a request for comment.