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Disrobing for the cameras may not be easy at first, but after a while it can acquire a certain workaday familiarity. "Now I don't even get nervous about it," Lizzy Caplan said after a day of shooting on the Sony lot in Culver City.
Such anxiety could be an occupational hazard on "Masters of Sex," the upcoming Showtime series in which the 31-year-old actress plays Virginia Johnson, half of the most famous sex research team of the 20th century, Masters and Johnson.
"Masters" tells the story of the intertwined careers and personal lives of Johnson and her collaborator, fertility expert William Masters (played by British actor Michael Sheen, best-known for his work as Tony Blair in "The Queen"). Together, they began studying human sexual behavior in St. Louis in the late 1950s, when the subject was taboo in mixed company and sex therapy was virtually nonexistent. Some of the supposed sexual wisdom they ended up overturning dated from Victorian times. (On the other hand, some of their theories — including the idea that gays could be "converted" to heterosexuality — have since been discredited.)
Masters and Johnson's work depended not on surveys and polls, à la Alfred Kinsey, but rather direct observation of couples mating — a radical idea at the time. "Masters" also explores the growing intimacy between the two researchers, who had an affair and eventually married. That gives the series an eye-popping amount of nudity and sexual situations even by the liberal standards of premium cable, where shows such as HBO's "Game of Thrones" have already raised the bar. Caplan got used to it but understands the subject matter still provokes anxiety.
"We have [actors] who show up for one day and have to get naked and we wire them up and they masturbate in front of me and Michael Sheen," Caplan said. "And those people are ridiculously brave."
But the real question prompted by "Masters" isn't whether audiences can handle the groping, ogling and naughty bits. The generous amounts of flesh on display elsewhere on TV prove they're fine with it, thank you.
Instead, "Masters," which begins Sept. 29, wrangles with a more problematic issue: Can a weekly series be fashioned by retelling a true story that unfolded over decades of scientific research, not all of it particularly sexy? This is not "Lost" or "Breaking Bad" or "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" — or even "The Borgias," where history intersects with legend. This isn't a crime show or a disease-of-the-week. Liberties can be taken, but the facts are what they are.
The issue has weighed on Michelle Ashford, the executive producer of "Masters," which is based on the nonfiction book of the same title by Thomas Maier.
"We don't really have a template for basing an actual series on a nonfiction story," she said. "It is curious. When I looked at the book I thought, This looks like about four seasons' worth of material."
Over time, however, she's come to see "Masters" as more like a traditional hospital show than she realized — a very sexy version of "ER," if you will.
"This is kind of a franchise show," she said. "They're in medicine and they're scientists."
What goes unseen
Masters makes an unlikely inspiration for a TV character. A gynecologist by trade, he was a brilliant but emotionally blocked man, bent on winning a Nobel Prize but not quite sure how to get there. ( Although international renown eventually came his way, the Nobel did not.)
"When I was first asked if I wanted to do the show at all, I had a number of concerns, one of which was the nature of the character, which was very different than the characters I'd played before," Sheen said during a break in filming in May, clad in a handsome silk bathrobe and slippers of the sort Hugh Hefner might have worn for one of his 1950s-vintage Playboy pajama parties. He was about to shoot a domestic scene with Caitlin FitzGerald, who plays Masters' wife Libby — whom he eventually left for Johnson.
Sheen decided, though, that "someone who's got so much going on underneath — and so little going on on top — is probably the most interesting character to play."
Sheen, a classically trained British actor, has played former Prime Minister Blair three times, most famously in "The Queen," and won plaudits for his cagey performance as presidential interrogator David Frost in the feature "Frost/Nixon." But at least in the Showtime version, Masters was something else entirely: A cold, aloof scientist who gave very little away emotionally.
The real Masters — who died in 2001 — was also physically imposing, with a bald head and a heavy, unnerving stare. Ashford thought that in photos he looked like a guard at Buchenwald. Sheen initially considered shaving his head for the role, but producers decided against it.
According to "Masters," sex research was its title character's bid for a larger human connection.
"He was a remarkably cutoff person," Ashford said. "He didn't know how to access emotion and he didn't know how to access intimacy. And I think he thought sex somehow had the answer. He was very confused about all these deep and repressed feelings. He thought: Sex — somehow, if I could understand that, I could feel close to someone."
Johnson was in many ways a perfect partner — professionally, if not necessarily personally. Possessing what might once have been called a free spirit, she already had two (possibly three) ex-husbands and a busted career as a nightclub singer by the time she showed up in Masters' lab looking for work. What she didn't have was any scientific training.
However, she was able to connect with patients in a way that Masters could not, empathizing with their struggles and persuading them to become sexual guinea pigs. In "Masters," she's portrayed as a woman far ahead of her time.
"Virginia Johnson looked like every other woman around her," Caplan told reporters this summer during a promotional event in Beverly Hills. "It's the choices she's made, what's inside her, that's different."
The role could mark a turning point for Caplan, who until now has been known mainly for comedic turns in fare such as the high-school satire "Mean Girls" and TV's offbeat "Party Down."
"I'm not used to getting parts like this — at all," she said. "I'm not considered a dramatic actress by many people."
What the role didn't win Caplan — despite her repeated requests — was an audience with Johnson herself. The retired sex researcher, who was interviewed extensively by Maier for his book, decided to draw the line at participating in a TV dramatization of her life and career. She died earlier this year at 88.
'Such a crazy story'
Showtime executives know that for many viewers sex will function as the lure for "Masters." That certainly hasn't hurt the marketing efforts, which depict Masters and Johnson as responsible for everything from the sexual revolution to Madonna.
Showtime entertainment president David Nevins said the TV series started on a long plane trip, when an old friend, producer Sarah Timberman, flagged him down. "She walked over to me and said, 'You have to read this book,'" he recalled. Into his lap was dumped a copy of Maier's "Masters of Sex."
"It's such a crazy story," Nevins added, who finished the book on the flight. "When you're in pay cable, you have too many stories about sex and the sex trade. But they had such a crazy, fascinating relationship."
By the end of the flight, Nevins said, he wanted to do a show.
For the producers it's that relationship that's key — the sex is merely incidental.
"It's the story of these two fragmented people who had so many missing pieces in their lives who found one another," Ashford said. But "as the relationship progresses the thing that draws them together turns out to be the thing that would erode it. So it's a very curious examination of a complicated relationship between two very damaged people."
But all of that damage and complication played out in an atmosphere of heavy breathing, both in the lab and in the bedroom. Plenty of screen time is afforded for that.
"Every episode [where] I've had to do nudity, I think they've taken it as far as they possibly could take it in terms of my own discomfort," Caplan recalled with a smile. "And then I read the next thing and it's, like, Oh, that's worse. That's definitely worse."


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HOUSTON — Ahab and Moby Dick. Snoopy and the Red Baron. A Kardashian and a camera.
Talk about your classic chases through history.
Daryl Morey landed his (D)wight whale and finally has reason to throw up his hands and gloat, if not plan ahead for even more elaborate celebrations down the line.
In getting All-Star center Dwight Howard to pick the Rockets in the free-agent lollapalooza, Morey not only won the big prize, but also earned vindication for what was often characterized as a quixotic quest to land the type of player that could put Houston back into the conversation for an NBA championship.
Now in less than eight months, he has pulled James Harden and Howard into the boat and Morey is still sailing on with attempts to trade for wing man Josh Smith.
For a Rockets franchise that has not sipped from a champion's cup in nearly two decades and has won just a single playoff series since 1997, it is heady stuff, like pulling a vintage Rolls-Royce out of a ditch.
Howard becomes the latest in a line of elite big men to play for the Rockets, the linear descendant of Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone, Ralph Sampson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming. It was, in part, the urging of Olajuwon that nudged Howard toward his decision. But more than anything it was the maneuvering of the roster and the salary cap by Morey that convinced Howard that this was the place that he could establish himself as not only a highly-paid All-Star, but a true winner.
Howard forced his way out of Orlando because he didn't believe Magic management was committed to doing all that it took after he led the team to The Finals in 2009. He turned his back on the Lakers after one miserable, tumultuous, underachieving season, probably because of the age of his key teammates — Kobe Bryant (34), Steve Nash (39), Pau Gasol (32) and Metta World Peace (33). He couldn't risk what the Warriors would have to give up in a trade to get him and going home to play in Atlanta was never a real option.
What Morey has done — and is still working to supplement — is to put Howard back in the middle of a young roster where he can be the sun in the center of the solar system, yet feed off the 23-year-old Harden, who positively erupted as an elite level scorer last season.
This is a Rockets team that won 45 games last season by playing a pedal-to-the-medal offensive style and will continue to try to score in transition. But Howard gives them an interior force at both ends of the court and they will shift toward those strengths.
There is already talk of Howard resuming his offseason workout regimen with the Hall of Famer Olajuwon, the Houston icon and deliverer of the only two championships in franchise history. But the truth is that Howard's game and his style and his physical skills are nothing akin to Hakeem the Dream's. The key partner — and possibly one difference-maker in the decision — is coach Kevin McHale, a Hall of Fame member himself, who is generally regarded as one of the best big men in the history of the game and possessed unparalleled footwork in the low post.
Now, of course, the burden is clearly and squarely on the back of Howard to produce. If he thought the pressure of playing in the Hollywood spotlight of the Lakers was great, now he must live up to his four-year, $88-million price tag. He said he would choose the team that gave him his best chance to win championships and now that bill comes due with interest. See: LeBron James, summer of 2010.
It was all of these ingredients that Morey mixed into a stew that he was willing to let simmer for as long as it would take to get a plate this full. Constantly swapping draft picks and contracts and assets for six years, he went all in with a hand that for the longest time it seemed only he believed in.
After two years of a soap opera/clown show that traveled from coast to coast, Howard should be hungry as well as driven.
As recently as a year ago, Howard sent word out that he was not the least bit interested in helping the Rockets rebuild from the ground up. But that never even made Morey stop for a second to blink, and it was before the GM pulled a rabbit and Harden out of his hat four days prior to the season opener last October. Even when Howard went to L.A. and was presumed to have found his place among the pantheon of Lakers center, Morey pushed on. Now he has turned the equivalent of a pocketful of beans — Kyle Lowry, Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb — into Howard and Harden, two members of the 2013 Western Conference All-Star team. It could turn out to be the greatest tandem trade of all time. Thank you, Sam Presti.
This is a once-proud franchise that had fallen into disrepair and disrespect following the retirement of Olajuwon, the dark ages of the Steve Francis Era, the crumbling of Yao's feet and ankles and the wilting of Tracy McGrady's spine. They had already changed coaches three times in 10 years. It was on that treadmill of mediocrity that one guy chased his plan, his hope, his goal.
Daryl Morey finally landed his (D)wight whale and now the real fun begins.

subset: commoncrawl


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Designed for power distribution in exposition center ceiling drops, wall mounts, floor boxes, and portable panel-boards, these nonmetallic pin-and-sleeve connectors have a nonconductive exterior for enhanced safety. The connectors feature brass alloy sockets and recessed pins to help with conductivity, and an extended ground socket ensures a reliable connection. They're available for 40A and 60A applications and accept flat and round cable.
For more information, visit www.woodhead.com.
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As has been said elsewhere, it's list season, and being that I am working through some serious writing muscle atrophy, I'll use this opportunity to join the fray.
Each year, we dig up what we've thought a lot about over the course of the past year, what we noticed, and what we feel will make the most impact on our lives, and our schools in the new year. In looking through so many of the posts that have been written on this subject, I can find none better, in both honesty and clarity, than Larry Cuban's, which you can read here. Larry's honesty about what is coming down the pike is refreshing amid all the talk about the demise of American public schools.
There are myriad pitfalls we run into when we jump too soon into the latest and greatest when it comes to educational technology. Someone finds the hottest item out there, the idea catches fire and before we know it, we now have it in our schools. Oftentimes, sadly, very little thought is given to how well that gadget will impact student learning, or if our staff/IT Department/infrastructure is ready to leverage the gadget to really impact the outcomes we are looking for.
Larry points out two in his post:
- Digital Texts
- Online Courses
both of which are incredibly interesting to me, and both can easily be wrapped up into one package. Last year, I worked with a social science teacher to produce an online textbook for United States History I, and what we found was that it became inherently easier to have the students writing where they were reading, and not having the students reading their material online, and writing their responses/reactions to the reading on paper to hand in. Housing the reading and responses in the same place led to the type of dialogue around primary and secondary sources that we wanted to see. We ended up using Moodle, but this could have been done using so many different, free platforms.
Also, what we found was similar to what Audrey Watters wrote about over at Edutopia a while back. By moving away from the traditional textbook for the work we were doing, we had the opportunity to pull in multiple points of view on subjects without abandoning the commitment to the content. We also had the ability to draw from other talented teachers who had taken the leap to create their own textbooks (we relied pretty heavily on Hippocampus, but also looked at Flexbooks, and some of the content in places like Shmoop and OER).
We have talented staff members in each of our districts who are more than capable of producing digital texts and courses for our students and for students in other schools. Let's hope this year is one in which we all begin to leverage that ability.


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MontiiCo Ice Pack Details
Need a spare ice pack for your MontiiCo insulated lunch bags? Have one on the go and another freezing ready. Or just a handy ice pack to pop in containers or when someone gets a bump? These bags are terrific as they have their own little bags to slide them in to, keeping any moisture locked away. Easy to pop in the freezer as they are slim and take up barely any room, can even be folded around other freezer items. Food safe and simply designed these fit perfectly into the MontiiCo Insulated lunch bags.
Ice Pack Measurements: 26cm x 17.5cm x 1cm
Shipping Policy
Postage & Handling - Australia wide
We have a convenient Postage & Handling rate of $9.95* Australia-wide (regular post). We are avid online shoppers ourselves and love it when the shipping policy is clear and known right from the begining. Our postage and handling rate means that no matter what you purchase you won't pay any more the $9.95* within Australia. How cool is that?!
*Some items are quite heavy and therefore weigh more and need to be sent and packaged differently. Mr Postman requires a different service for this and on some products there is a $10 surcharge. If one of our fabulous products falls into this category, it will be noted on the product page. There are absolutely no hidden, sneeky squeeky annoying surprises at the checkout.
Most products ship within 2-3 working days unless otherwise stated on their respective product pages.
We like to know that your order has a safe place to be delivered to. Please supply a delivery address where someone is available to receive the goods, it can be home or work. If no-one is available goods will be left at the door. Kids On Abington takes no responsibility for products left unattended.
99% of our orders are delivered via a courier. Please make sure you provide an address it can be delivered to. Please email us if you have any special delivery requirements.
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If you live overseas and would love to purchase one of our fabulous products, we are more than happy to assist you. Please contact us for postage costs and we will organise everything for you. The website is only setup for postage within Australia. We will email you an invoice with your chosen gorgeous products + postage and you will be able pay via Paypal. See, it's that easy! All taxes and customs fees and any other fees incurred by importing to your country are to be paid by you the buyer. Please check your local importing regulations before purchasing. Kids On Abington is not held liable for any fees incurred along the way.
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All downloadable files are in .PDF format. By purchasing one of our downloadable products you understand that no printed items will be posted to you.
For more information click here.
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At Kids On Abington, every order is double checked before dispatch. If for some reason you are not entirely happy with your purchase, it can be returned for a refund or exchange. The goods must be in their original condition and packaging/tags still intact and attached. The refund will be minus the postage and handling charges & the buyer pays for the return postage. At Kids On Abington we want you to be 100% satisfied with your purchase and we will do everything we can to ensure it, however, refunds and exchanges are always at our discretion.


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This is sales over the last 12 months, translated in Pounds Sterling for all companies.
The sales figure gives a sense for the scale of a company, although companies can have very different profit margins depending on the industry and state of the business, so this may not bear much relation to the earnings figure. Some however argue for the importance of sales, since sales figures are less easy to manipulate than either earnings or book value.
|Sales £m


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Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Veterans Day
I always thought of a veteran as someone all old with a leather vest that has lots of patches. But turns out, a veteran is anyone who's gone to war. Which means I have my very own veteran now. My husband flies Blackhawk helicopters for the army and he deployed to Iraq for a year. Here's a picture of him in his tiny room.
This is how I spoke to my husband for an entire year. I would like to personally kiss the person who invented webcam.
There were so many times during my husbands deployment that I questioned why he was gone. Why did he leave me, pregnant with our 4th child, to go to some base out in the middle of nowhere for an entire year? What was he fighting a war for? Was it all worth it?
I'm sure that for my husband, he had known those answers for a while. I honestly believe he has always had a deep pride for our country and he is the perfect man to lead our soldiers in war. But it wasn't until he got home that those questions were answered for me.
It wasn't until I saw this.
My husband, the love of my life, marching in formation home to me. I knew that no matter how many sleepless nights I had, no matter how often I cried from missing him so much, it was all worth it. I felt my heart swell with pride for my country, my great state of Arizona, and my family.
This is what I remember every veterans day now. I remember the hardest year of my life and the sacrifices that so many amazing men and women make to fight for our freedom. I hope on veterans day you can take the time to think about a young soldier in his little metal box in the middle of nowhere who is there to fight for you.
10 comments:
you are the bomb Nikki!! And we are so thankful for men like Caleb, who sacrifice more than we know!! Happy Veteran's day to you too!! Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
I love your post! Thank You for sharing this part of you! It is always an inspiration to me to see others who appreciate our Vets! I have 2 little brothers currently serving, one deployed to the Arabian Sea! It is in honor of them that I started a non-profit organization www.guardiansoffreedomproject.orgReplyDelete
Thank You to both you and your Hubby for all you do for our country!
Thanks so much for speaking out. Your hubby rocks.ReplyDelete
Please thank your husband for fighting for our country and making it safe for my family and I. Thank you also to you and your amazing kids for helping him get through his time away, I could not even imagine how hard it was to be away from your husband for a year.ReplyDelete
We would like to thank your husband for fighting four or freedom as well. We are so grateful for your family's sacrifice. I hope to raise my boys with that love and dedication in their hearts as well.ReplyDelete
What an absolutely beautiful post. Thank you to your husband for all he does for our country and thank you for being the dedicated wife that it takes to support and love your soldier.ReplyDelete
Happy early Veteran's Day to your family! We're also a military family, so this is a post that hits close to home for me. Just so you know though, anyone who has served in the military is considered a veteran. A war veteran however, must see war. :)ReplyDelete
Yeah, I remember that day. You were a total wreck. But I totally get it.ReplyDelete
great post lady! we don't have a whole lot of military family, it's kind of scattered. But we have a heart for vets and have started a non profit. it's a lot of work but its so worth it when we see the guys and gals smile and know they are thought of... even after years of being ignored (sad)ReplyDelete
we haven't been able to do very much for the last year for our organization because the hubs was busy becoming law enforcement but thankfully my fil in MT is keeping us moving forward.
thanks for sharing the love of your vet. we love em too!
Just found your blog and reading back through it...had to comment on this post. What a wonderful piece you wrote. As the daughter and daughter-in-law of career Army officers, it does my soul good to read such. Thanks to your husband and YOU for your service.ReplyDelete


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Inquiry Question
This lesson is based on the National Historic Landmark Nomination, "New Kent School and George W. Watkins School" (with photographs), as well as oral interviews, newspaper accounts, and other primary sources. New Kent School and the George W. Watkins School: From Freedom of Choice to Integration was written by Jody Allen, Brian Daugherity, and Sarah Trembanis, Ph.D. candidates at the College of William and Mary, with assistance from Frances Davis, Na' Dana Smith, and Megan Walsh, Class of 2002, New Kent High School in New Kent County, Virginia. The lesson was edited by the Teaching with Historic Places staff. This lesson is one in a series that brings the important stories of historic places into classrooms across the country.
This lesson plan is made possible by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy (VFH) as part of its African-American Heritage Program, which includes the African-American History in Virginia Grant Program, the African-American Heritage Database Project, and the African-American Heritage Trails Program, a partnership between VFH and the Virginia Tourism Corporation. Through these programs, VFH seeks to increase understanding of African-American history in Virginia; to promote research and documentation of existing African-American historic sites; to strengthen the institutions that interpret African-American history in the state; and to encourage Virginians as well as people from all parts of the nation and the world to visit these sites. For more information, contact VFH, 145 Ednam Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903-4629 or visit VFH's website.
Where it fits into the curriculum
Objectives for students
Materials for students
Visiting the site


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WhatsApp Business is an Android app which is free to download, and was built with the small business owner in mind. With the app, businesses can interact with customers easily by using tools to automate, sort, and quickly respond to messages. Learn more about WhatsApp Business API.
深圳风采软件 www.y7pw3.cn Create a business profile with helpful information for your customers like your address, business description, email address, and website.
Organize your contacts or chats with labels, so you can easily find them again.
Quick replies let you save and reuse messages you frequently send so you can easily answer common questions in no time.
Set an away message when you are unable to answer so your customers know when to expect a response. You can also create a greeting message to introduce your customers to your business.
Access important metrics such as how many of your messages were successfully sent, delivered, and read.


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diy reaches maturity
i looked at this featured article How not to block cameras on instructables the other day and thought to myself: i might be witnessing the next step in the culture of diy. the fact is that this is a damned good review of the sensational project that shot across the net a few weeks ago.
what does it mean when the diy network users start really doing verification, peer review, and analysis? this is an amazing move forward when we can take back the property ceded to the cults of specialization (chew on that Keen!).
Randofo's parting shot: step 5Lastly... By all means, feel free to prove my test wrong with replicable results.
i think the caption in this lolcat style picture sums up his challenge to us:


text: Profit Tracker: Significant Rise August 1, 2014 06:42 AM Tweet Profit margins for cattle feeders rose significantly in the past week. © Wyatt Bechtel TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Wyatt Bechtel Drovers Associate Editor Email Profit margins for cattle feeders rose significantly in the past week, while pork producers saw a slight decrease from their still profitable farrow to finish operations. Cattle feeders recorded average profits of $357.58 per head last week, more than $77 per head higher than the previous week, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker. The margins represent a $506 per head improvement over the average losses of $148.49 recorded last year at this time, according to estimates developed by John Nalivka, president of Sterling Marketing, Vale, Ore. Beef cutout values were up $4.12 per cwt. last week, and beef packer margins increased $3.40 per head to end the week with proits of $71.50 per head. A month ago packers saw profits of $80.89 on every animal processed, and gains totaled just $17.69 per head at the same time last year. Farrow-to-finish hog margins declined $9.09 per head but profits remain more than $102 per head. That is nearly an $85 difference from last year when pork producers saw only a $17.59 profit. Negotiated cash hog prices declined $4.13 per cwt. to $128.01 per cwt. Pork packers were estimated to make $5.26 for every animal processed. The spike in both cattle feeding and farrow-to-finish profits this summer is due to significantly higher cash prices and lower overall feed prices. Cash prices for fed cattle are more than $44 per cwt. higher than last year, and negotiated hog prices are nearly $27 per cwt. higher than last year. Back to news


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Orphanages > Jiangxi Province > Fenyi County
Fenyi County Social Welfare Institute
If you have photos or information about this orphanage, please e-mail them to us. View the DianBai orphanage page to see an example of the type of information we're looking for. We will put the information you provide on this page to assist other families. We are particularly interested in orphanage photos (current and previous), director photo with name and tenure information, and any miscellaneous information. We appreciate your help in making this project worthwhile to adoption families.
About this orphanage:
Adoption Stats:
Available from Research-China:
• Foster Families -Through the course of our research journeys over the years, Research-China has come across many foster families. Since they can often provide valuable life history for our children, we try to put adoptive families in touch with the famlies who cared for their children in China. The foster families and foster mothers who cared for children from this orphanage are listed here. If you find your child's name in our list, you can contact us for the foster family's phone number or address. If you have any foster family information that you think may be helpful to others, please let us know by e-mail: email@example.com.
• Orphanage City Photo Book - Research-China.org is pleased to offer beautifully illustrated books on orphanage hometowns, including Fenyi County. Designed for adopted children to learn about their birthplaces, each book has at least 21 pages filled with dozens of beautiful photos of area people, scenery and the orphanage, as well as lots of information about the cities themselves.
• DVD of City - Research-China.Org's orphanage DVDs provide a great look into the city of your child's birth. Orphanage tours (often including babyrooms), finding locations, and cultural and historical sites provide a wonderful introduction to your child's birth city.
• Maps - Our maps are the perfect way to locate orphanages, finding locations, and other important features of your child's city. We offer maps in originals and scanned versions.
• Birth Parent Search Analysis - A deeper analysis of the orphanage submissions, finding location distribution, gender and health ratios, and other interesting and important characteristics of the adoption program, is available through our Birth Parent Search Analysis. This report is specifically designed for adoptive families who wish to have reliable data to use in relating a child's history, or in deciding to do additional research in a particular orphanage area.
• Yahoo Family Newsgroup - All adoptive families should join their child's orphanage newsgroup. This allows families to exchange information, locate crib-mates, and otherwise remain informed of events and information about their child's orphanage. Click here for more information about the importance of these Yahoo groups.


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Soon to be released will be the 13th print in the ongoing EB Series. This time around is a pair of prints, sold in matching numbered sets by Adam Saul. These are two color prints measuring in the area of 11x14 "for easy framing".
Watch here and for announcements to the EB Series mailing list for on sale information - hopefully later this week with prints shipping out very soon after (prints are complete and in hand - just need the onsale to happen and shipping materials from Yazoo).


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Popular Mineral Museum Featured in New Mexico Magazine, Sept. 13, 2001
SOCORRO, N.M., September 13, 2001 -- The well-known and oft-visited Mineral Museum on the campus of New Mexico Tech is the subject of a featured article in the current October issue of New Mexico magazine.
A regular column in the magazine, Asi es Nuevo México, focuses on the museum and its treasure trove of more than 15,000 high-quality mineral specimens.
Located in the university's Workman Center north annex, the Mineral Museum is a popular destination year round for serious mineral collectors, amateur rockhounds, and even visitors who can't tell the difference between samples of real gold and "fool's gold."
The Mineral Museum, which traces its origins to the establishment of New Mexico Tech in 1889, is maintained by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources and is open to the public, free of charge, Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
More information about the museum can be obtained by calling (505) 835-5420.


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I am an avid Family Historian who has been researching for well over ten years. This blog is changing to a more general genealogy and Study Group blog.
Friday, 28 June 2013
Should I Change the Way I do my Genealogy Research?
From the Contents page
Chapter 1 Genealogy's Standard of Proof
What is genealogy?
Why a genealogical proof standard?
The Genealogical Proof Standard
Modern technologies and genealogical proof
Research and reasoning cycles
Using the GPS
So What have I got from the study group discussion of Mastering Genealogical Proof Chapter 1?
Why do we need to have a set of rules for our research?
We are looking at kinship, relationships of others to ourselves. We will only have known 2 or 3 generations of our family personally at the most and some of what we know will be hearsay. We look for records to support what we know or have been told but without some guideline how do we know when we have sufficient evidence to support any conclusion we might draw.
Why do we need to set goals?
We need to set goals in order to stay focused.
If we get a negative result this can be as important as a positive one but it is easy to overlook these, leading to repeated fruitless searching.
With historical records there are going to be plenty that are no longer extant.
Those records which may prove to be a "linch pin" in the argument may be the last record we find but if we do not set the right goals we may think we have the evidence we need when it is not conclusive.
Why should we adhere to standards for both our own work and the work of others?
If we want our work to be credible, we need to be sure of our conclusions.
If we fall short in any of the areas covered by the genealogical proof standard then our research can appear worthless.
We should be able to reproduce the work so that we can reassess it if further evidence comes to light.
Conclusions are only as good as the evidence supporting them.
To conclude this post and answer the overriding question of changing the way I do my research I must consider what I have been doing and how I might improve what I am doing.
Like many who live a distance from where their family came from I find limited time for archive research.
We all use the ever expanding online records and these can help us make the most of our research time. However a once a year trip can mean we are keen to gather as many records as possible without truly evaluating their worth.
I aim to organize and evaluate my current records so that when I next visit an archive I will have a much clearer idea of what I want to find and by properly evaluating what I need I may find that I can order records without having to visit in person.
I think Evidentia will allow me to better evaluate what I have and recognize where I have gaps in my research.
Even without the book the discussion is helping me look at what I do and how I do it.
4 comments:
- Jo Tillin said...
I've just found your blog and I'm really pleased to see another UK researcher with an interest in MPG. I'll be reading your blog with interest!
- 29 June 2013 at 10:21
- June Butka said...
Well said.
- 29 June 2013 at 12:35
- Cary Bright said...
I think we are all having the same internal dialogue Hilary! Thanks for speaking to this point. It will be fun to see how we feel at the end of the study group. I am hoping that confidence will be part of the "new internal dialogue"
- 29 June 2013 at 15:16
Hi Hilary,
Dr.Jones has a point, sadly in my case as a One-Namer, the Laws Family Register it is a point 20-30 years too late I Stated in 1974 the database had 69,000 folk in it, some linked into trees some not, for years it was the collecting rather than the content with source and context.
BTW I know the edge of Snowdon having climbed there over many years including some in the RAF Moutain Rescue Teams so I know how remote it can be
- 29 June 2013 at 21:06


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'Hunger Games: Catching Fire' Training Center Clip Released + Soundtrack Streaming Now
With only a week to go before 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' hits theaters, fans are getting a pair of treats to satisfy their own hunger for the much-anticipated flick.
Not only has a new, 30-second clip been released from the film, out Nov. 22, but the star-filled soundtrack is already streaming online, in advance of its own Nov. 19 due date.
The latest look at 'Catching Fire,' which stars Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth, takes viewers inside the Training Center as competitors gear up for the 75th Hunger Games, an all-star bout of Tributes who have survived previous games.
In the clip, we see J. Law bringing on yet more fierce Katniss Everdeen badass-ery, skillfully wielding her bow and arrow to wipe out some moving holographic targets. Also seen training for the games using their own weapons of choice are Jena Malone as Johanna, Alan Ritchson as Gloss and Sam Claflin as Finnick.
Fans also get the chance to hear more from the second film in the 'Hunger Games' trilogy: The soundtrack -- featuring artists including Coldplay, Christina Aguilera and Lorde -- is streaming for free on iTunes now here.


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Student group makes learning second language, culture easier
Student group makes learning second language, culture easier
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Penn State sophomore Yanying Chen traveled to the United States to pursue an undergraduate degree in actuarial science, the experience wasn't her first time moving to a new country, so she was prepared for the changes ahead.
But that wasn't always the case.
Originally from China, Chen moved with her family in 2005 to Botswana, where she spent much of her junior and high school years.
"I had a tough time learning English, and I also had to learn French at the time," she said.
Now, she is helping to ease the language and cultural transition to the U.S. for other students through the Office of Global Programs' Transition Partners program.
"I saw students from El Salvador linking and communicating with students from Saudi Arabia in a way I hadn't before. I think that really highlights the program."
— Mehari Ghebremicael, a transition partner with the Office of Global Programs
"English isn't my first language and I had trouble with speaking it at the beginning, so I thought I could use my experience to talk to them," she said of the students she mentors.
Transition partners, as the Penn State students are called, work to welcome international students who come to the University through the Intensive English Communication Program (IECP), an intensive English language program for international students who would like to attend a higher education institution in the United States.
Chen and six other transition partners were each paired with a group of six to 10 IECP students for the fall semester. Beginning at New Student Orientation, partners act as a welcoming committee to the University and the community. Throughout the semester, they help with logistical issues, such as where on campus to get help connecting to Wi-Fi; answer cultural questions; and plan small social events to help international students feel connected.
"I feel like this is just something I'm supposed to be doing. I see myself in them."
— Yanying Chen, a transition partner with the Office of Global Programs
"From my experience, when a person is new to an environment, this person really needs help from the people around them, so I felt that as a transition partner, I should commit to time with them, and then spend more time with them if they need help," said Chen, who joined the program this fall. "I feel like this is just something I'm supposed to be doing. I see myself in them."
December is Learn a Foreign Language Month. Learn about the many opportunities Penn State offers for students — native English speakers and international students alike — to learn a foreign language.
For other students, the opportunity to experience other cultures and help others assimilate to the community was a draw.
"I really fell in love with the program in the spring when I met students from a really diverse group," said Mehari Ghebremicael, a Penn State senior majoring in marketing who has been working as a transition partner since last fall. "I saw students from El Salvador linking and communicating with students from Saudi Arabia in a way I hadn't before. I think that really highlights the program."
Ghebremicael said that being a transition partner has opened his eyes to parts of the world and other cultures he's never experienced before. Being a part of this program is a great opportunity, he added, especially for students who may not be able to travel internationally through a study abroad program.
"I had an internship in Kenya, but I hadn't had the study abroad experience," he said. "Here at Penn State, especially with working with Transition Partners, I get a great feel of what's going on outside this country. Getting the opportunity to work so closely with students from different continents, it's incredible. And I guess the best thing is when they confide in you; I think that's amazing because you really feel like what you're doing is worth something."
For senior animal science major Ashley Fehringer, it was her study abroad experience that led her to being a transition partner.
After returning from a semester in East Africa, Fehringer decided that she wanted to switch her study of focus from helping animals to helping people by pursuing a global health career.
One of her first stops back on campus was the Office of Global Programs. She is now a seasoned transition partner and the president of Global Ambassadors, a student organization that helps to connect other Penn State students with study abroad information.
"I don't know how to describe being a transition partner other than 'cool,' " Fehringer said. "For me it's really been an interesting cultural experience, and I'm very interested in working around the world some day. This has been really a good experience to increase my cultural knowledge, and I've made some good friends."
During the fall semester, Fehringer planned lunch and movie outings and even took her IECP students to the local animal shelter where she volunteers.
"A couple of the students were talking about their pets at home, so I thought maybe we could all go, and I'm sure we'll go again," she said.
"Here at Penn State, especially with working with Transition Partners, I get a great feel of what's going on outside this country. Getting the opportunity to work so closely with students from different continents, it's incredible."
— Mehari Ghebremicael
The first time Adelmarcio Nunes Noguiera met Fehringer was at a lunch soon after he arrived at the University.
Noguiera, an IECP student from Brazil, has enjoyed the conversation opportunities the program gives him.
"In Brazil, we don't have this kind of meeting; we only have classes and lectures," he said. "I think it's very nice, and Ashley's doing great work. It's very good to know the town outside of Penn State, too."
Noguiera said he also appreciates getting the time to interact outside of the classroom with IECP students from other countries.
"To see other cultures, it's very fantastic because we don't know how big the world is," he said. "In the classroom, we know the words, but the conversation is better improved outside the class. I think we all also learn so much about the other cultures."
While the IECP program has been at Penn State since 1976, the Transition Partners program was only founded last fall.
"The interaction is always positive when the IECP students are interacting with American students," said Chelsea Benton-Monahan, student programing assistant in the Office of Global Programs.
Penn State students need to apply to the program to become a transition partner and, when chosen, will receive a small stipend for their work throughout the semester.
"It's a great opportunity both for the transition partners and also for the IECP students to have another point of communication with campus," added Heidi Vellenga, IECP director.
One of the most fulfilling moments for Chen, who is completing her first semester as a transition partner, was getting feedback from an IECP student from Brazil after a day spent cycling and having lunch with her friends.
"At the end of the day, he felt like the English he learned during the whole day he spent with me was much more than the English he learned for the entire week," she said. "Because he was in that environment, he had no other Brazilians to talk to. He had to speak English. I was so impressed, and that really made my day."
Yanying Chen is a transition partner with Penn State's Office of Global Programs. She helps welcome international students to University Park and works with students in the Intensive English Communication Program (IECP) on language skills as well as helps them find their way at Penn State and around the community.
Omar Al Zahmi, an IECP student at Penn State, enjoyed some refreshments and conversation with transition partner Ashley Fehringer during the Transition Partners holiday party held Dec. 6 at Penn State's Office of Global Programs in Boucke Building. Transition Partners support international students as they overcome language barriers and gain a better understanding of American culture and day to day life at Penn State.


text: A safe with a Dual Lock adds an extra level of protection as both locks must be unlocked to access the safe. This type of lock is useful in a situation when access to the safe must be managed as one user might have a key while another would have a PIN code. This ensures both users must be present when the safe is opened.


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Artist duo Christian and Rob Clayton, who exhibit as The Clayton Brothers, found their muse at Sun Thrift, inspiring their latest show "Open to the Public." Three to four years in the making, the artists visited the shop almost every other day to browse and people watch. Rob Clayton says:
"There are two aspects to this show: one side of it is the store itself and the employees that run it, and more importantly, the other side is the people that go there to get things they need." (Source)
A third aspect could be said to be the pieces that the brothers purchased and brought into their studio, and sometimes into their finished works. Drawn to the handmade and personal the artists speculate on the embedded stories the objects can't tell. They see the store itself as a curated collection of sorts, where the employees determine the exhibition by making connections and creating categories. Christian and Rob, inspired by this method of organization, say it inspired the way they worked for this show.
When creating, the brothers have an interesting method of collaboration. They work simultaneously in the same studio, leaving unfinished pieces out for the other to be inspired by and often to add to.
Rob elaborates, "At the studio we don't say, 'This is mine, that's yours.' We refer to the drawings that haven't made it into the process yet as carcasses. If a painting sits around for a while, one of us will usually grab it all of a sudden and change it in some way. It's a constant give and take." Christian adds, "When do get into a heated spot with a piece, we know each other well enough to let things stew." (Source)
Their different approaches and techniques are evident in this collection, and it is particularly apt. The varied stylistic choices — assemblage, drawing, collage—speak to the patchwork merchandise in the store as well as to the diverse shoppers.
"The characters that inhabit Open to the Public are overall a sweet bunch. They might look disjointed and fractured, or some might say disturbing, but our overall intent with these drawings was to gain an honest understanding of ourselves as humans. The objects that are discarded or donated to the thrift store become a direct reflection on us as people. We look at the objects like archaeologists, and there is narration attached to all of it. The stories of peoples lives, creative heartfelt moments, messages left for loved ones, forgotten memories… this is what has been driving our characters." (Source)


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TO PURCHASE ANY OF MY AVAILABLE ORIGINAL PAINTINGS please go to my website lindamonfort.com LINDA J. MONFORT BIOGRAPHY...After receiving a B.A. in art from San Diego State University, I worked as a graphic designer and art director. I later focused my energy into creating copper enamels, etched glass and designing and hand-painting texturized furniture using hand-made stencils. I then went on to a 10 year career designing custom high end room size area rugs working with interior designers. I have been painting full time for the past 14 years. My style of painting has evolved through many years of exploration. My copper enamels, both hard edge and ethereal, translated in later years into a spontaneous painting style using acrylic...
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Judge sets bail at $10,000 apiece for four Pittsfield men accused of raping UMass student
BELCHERTOWN – A judge this afternoon set bail at $10,000 cash for four Pittsfield men accused of raping an 18-year-old University of Massachusetts Amherst student inside her dorm room on Oct. 13.
District Court Judge Mary Hurley said it was the worst assault she had heard of in her career as a judge.
"Never in my time on the bench have I heard such an egregious recounting of facts,'' Hurley said from the bench. She set another hearing for Dec. 10.
Emmanuel Bile, 18, Justin King, 18, Adam Licciardi, 18, and Caleb Womack, 17, all of Pittsfield, face rape charges in the case. The judge also set conditions in the event they do post bail, ordering them, among other things, to undergo GPS monitoring, observe a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and not to contact the alleged victim or witnesses.
Northwestern District Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Suhl provided a graphic account at the men's arraignment of the alleged sexual assaults in the early morning hours of Oct. 13 inside the woman's darkened dormitory room. Defense attorneys fired back, saying the woman was inebriated and has tried to extort money from their clients.
According to the prosecutor, the men texted the victim on Oct. 13, saying they wanted to stop by her dormitory. She told them in a text message that she did not want them to come. However, the men came to Amherst anyway, and were signed into to the dormitory by a stranger, the prosecutor said.
The men went to the woman's room and discovered she was not home but also found that the door was unlocked. So they let themselves in and waited for her return. When she did return, the woman agreed to let the men stay in her room and agreed to socialize with them, the prosecutor said.
Defense attorneys, citing police reports, said the woman told investigators that she drank eight or nine shots of vodka, a couple of beers, and smoked marijuana while the men were in her room.
The prosecutor said that at one point during the gathering, one of the men shut off the lights. The victim was stripped and then repeatedly raped. After the sexual assaults, three of the men left the dorm room; the fourth, Liccardi, stayed behind and raped the woman again, the prosecutor said.
According to both the prosecutor and defense, the woman texted Bile the following day and accused the four of raping her. Bile sent a text back, apologizing for his actions and that of his friends, the lawyers said. Bile also asked the woman if she knew where Licciardi was, the lawyer said.
As they pushed the judge to allow their clients to be freed on bail, defense attorneys said the woman also texted Bile to make an extortionate demand. She allegedly texted that if they each paid her $500 cash, she would not report what they had done to her to police, a demand that defense attorneys said their clients were trying to meet when arrested.
The prosecutor, however, said the woman was not blackmailing anyone, but was instead trying to protect herself by misleading her attackers into believing she was willing to keep silent, even as she turned to authorities for help.
Suhl said it was a "safety tactic.''
The four men were arrested on Friday — almost a week later — at four separate locations in Pittsfield.
UMass Amherst Police Chief John Horvath said his department learned quickly about the sexual assault, but did not issue a campus-wide security alert because they saw no security threat on campus, given that none of the defendants are UMass Amherst students. He also said the news was not released "for investigative purposes.''
"It's a terrible incident, but the outcome, with the arrest of these individuals, is something that we're very happy to see come to fruition,'' he said in a telephone news conference.
Horvath said in a statement that after police learned about the incident "we communicated with security personnel and residence hall staff to reiterate current security procedures.''
He added, "In addition, while campus security measures have generally proved effective in the past, the university will conduct a comprehensive review of security in our residence halls.''
UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy said the woman is receiving support services from the school.
"Maintaining a safe learning and living community is of the upmost importance to our campus. We will not tolerate this violent behavior,'' Subbaswamy said in a statement issued by school officials. "The victim and her family are receiving support from our campus resources. I know that I speak on behalf of our university community when I say that they are all in our thoughts during this difficult time.''
Robert Caret, president of the UMass system, said in a statement that he was "profoundly disturbed to learn of these allegations and want to express my heartfelt concern. Student safety is of paramount importance, and we are committed to ensuring that each of our campuses provides students with a safe and secure environment.''


text:
Blasting into the Big Leagues - Matt Wells and Gigablast
by Tiffany Chisum
SOCORRO, N.M., July 19, 2007 – New Mexico Tech alumnus Matt Wells is the architect, owner, and operator of the very successful Gigablast.com—the third largest Internet search engine in the world. In addition, Wells' Gigablast recently won an award for being one of the largest and fastest growing technology employers in New Mexico.
Wells graduated from New Mexico Tech in 1997 with both a bachelor of science in computer science and a master of science in mathematics.
Upon completing his graduate degree at Tech, Wells went on to work at InfoSeek in Sunnyvale, California. He started developing Gigablast.com in August 2000, after leaving InfoSeek and returning to New Mexico.
While a student at New Mexico Tech, Wells designed and implemented a website called The Artist's Den. The site was an open Internet database of art. Anyone with Internet access could log onto the website and add artwork and descriptions into a searchable database. The site was featured on Netscape's What's New, Yahoo's What's Cool (twice), and was a semi-permanent feature on InfoSeek's Reference page.
In October of 1997, Wells started working at InfoSeek in Silicon Valley. While at InfoSeek, he worked on a search team that developed core search technologies for the search engine. He worked there for three years prior to moving back to New Mexico to start Gigablast.com. Wells stated that while at Tech he was "able to obtain the knowledge and experience to prepare (him) for the real world."
Wells said that he always had a passion for search engines and working at InfoSeek gave him "no power to bring (his) ideas to reality.
"I wanted to make my own contribution," Wells said about his creation.
Gigablast is the least expensive, most scaleable search engine on the market. It is currently powered by over 400 machines, handles up to 100 queries per second, indexes about 120 million pages per day, and serves between one and two million queries per day. On the business end, the search engine company has increased revenues by two to three times per year, reaching record revenues in the millions of dollars.
Gigablast started with just one employee – Wells – and now has several others, including two other previous New Mexico Tech students. Wells stated that they are "hiring aggressively and would like to hire more Techies, if possible."
In addition to Gigablast's office in Albuquerque, the private firm also has offices in Boston, and Denver, and will be opening one soon in Dallas.
To Tech students who might be following the same path, Wells said "Don't be afraid to go on your own path, go after your passion, and take chances. The outcome can prove to be as rewarding to you as Gigablast has been to me."
Wells highly recommended taking as many programming and math classes as possible while in college. He is a strong believer in the far-reaching advantages of taking math classes, stating that "The math classes I took (at Tech) helped me to think logically. With Gigablast, I always have to think that way."
To fellow New Mexico Tech alumni, Wells said "If anyone would like to pursue a career in search engines and learn more about the industry, I would like to speak to them about possible job opportunities." Interested parties may check out http://www.gigablast.com/.


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We specialise in both domestic and commercial plumbing and heating, maintenance and installation. We have completed many contracts, ranging from boiler changes for our private clients to large commercial installations to the industry. We have contracts in place with Wrexham, Anglesey and Gwynedd council. We also work closely with Grwp Cynefin housing association carrying out day to day maintenance and annual servicing on there housing stock of 2,000 plus properties. We are also currently working alongside British Gas on their nest scheme. We are client and customer focused with a reputation for providing exceptional customer service.
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Use them for cuttings or seeds.
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Deep iphone x case by Anil Nene. Protect your iPhone X with an impact-resistant, slim-profile, hard-shell case. The image is printed directly onto the case and wrapped around the edges for a beautiful presentation. Simply snap the case onto your iPhone X for instant protection and direct access to all of the phone's features!
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Lovely work!
Wonderful watercolor .............!
Many thanks...
I love all ur artworks Anil. Great syle u have. This is just one of my favourites.
Many thanks Ushaji
Very nice... I love how conveniently you handle this toughest and most challenging medium. I'm also a watercolor lover, but I've a long way to go to be gud at them...
Many thanks Aprajita....
I am attracted to this piece, very much.
Thanks Nancy....
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Paul Craddock
May 23rd, 2019
Nancy Guess
May 19th, 2019
This makes me feel deep within me
I have been working in the architectural field since last 15 years. I am fascinated by the aesthetics in art and built form. My fascination led me to venture into field of water color painting. Painting integrates all of the basic art expressions. I enjoy doing them and it's like finding invisible through visible. It has enriched my perception and understanding. It has always been another energizing factor for me. It helps me to think of leaping beyond my abilities. It is the expression of the whole experience. I have learnt to look at everything intensely through painting. I love challenges in painting like choosing subject, taking risks, play of lights/darks, colors, tones, textures, values and finding compositions in ordinary...
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This is really quite simple. By default, the pl_fpdf.output procedure will "print" your PDF document to the web browser along with a header that instructs the browser that this is a downloadable document. All you need to do is to call your procedure that generates the PDF document from a page process within Apex.
Here are the steps:
1. Start by compiling the demo procedure from my previous post into the parsing schema of your Apex application.
2. In Apex, go to your application and add a new, blank page. Let's assume the new page number is 4.
3. Under the "Page Rendering" section, add a new Process of type "PL/SQL". The name of the process can be anything, but let's call it "Produce PDF". Make sure that the point is "On load - before header".
4. In the process source, add the following PL/SQL code:
begin -- call the procedure to generate the PDF document and send it to the browser test_pl_fpdf; -- stop the Apex engine from running the rest of the page apex_application.g_unrecoverable_error := true; end;
5. Add a link to the new page (page number 4 if you follow my assumption in step 2) from any other page in the application.
6. Run the application. Now, whenever you navigate to page 4 the PDF file will be downloaded to the browser.
That's all you need to integrate PDF generation into your Apex application.


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Pregnant actress Drew Barrymore is having another girl.
The star spoke at the Beauty Inc. Awards in New York on Wednesday morning, where she was honored with the Newcomer of the Year prize for her Flower makeup line.
During her acceptance speech, Barrymore revealed she is expecting a little sister for her 1-year-old daughter Olive.
She said, "I am so proud to accept this in celebration of women, including my daughter and my future daughter."
Barrymore announced she was expecting her second child with husband Will Kopelman in November.
The couple wed in June, 2012.


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Woman's Ridiculous Reason for Not Having a Job — 'I'm Too Attractive'
If you think you're just too darned pretty to work, then you should either apply to be on the 'Real Housewives' franchise or do what one woman in Britain does.
Laura Fernee hasn't had a job for two years because she claims her good looks are too distracting, which still puts her several years behind any female with the last name 'Kardashian.'
Fernee, who worked at a research lab from 2008-2011, said she had to quit because she couldn't take the chatter about how beautiful she is:
I'm not lazy and I'm no bimbo. The truth is my good looks have caused massive problems for me when it comes to employment, so I've made the decision that employment just isn't for me at the moment. It's not my fault...I can't help the way I look."
Bear with us a moment while we cue up the violin music.
Fernee's words on this topic are a grab-bag of hilarity. Here are some other pearls of wisdom:
- "I would say whilst I was at work I underwent some negative situations relating to how I looked, and the overall effect made me feel quite traumatized."
- [On female co-workers]: They "assumed [that] because I was pretty, I was stupid, so didn't take me seriously at first and, because of their own insecurities, were jealous of my looks."
- "I know people will judge me for choosing not to work but they are underestimating just what a curse good looks can be in the workplace. Everyone thinks it must be great to be attractive but there are serious downsides."
Fernee doesn't have a sugar daddy to finance her lavish lifestyle. No, she has a sugar daddy and a sugar momma. Yup, her parents have no problem paying $3,000 a month for rent and nearly $2,300 on clothes.
Which is odd because she doesn't have a job, so why exactly does she need such nice duds?


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Since I was starting to get back into doing my nails... I decided I would try these nail polish sticker thingys I got as a sample from Septembers Birchbox. I have seen so many people using the Sally Hansen ones and say that they love it so I figured, why not give it a go!
Incoco Nail Polish Applique in 'Femme Fatale' $8.99
Real nail polish stickies that are pre-made and pre-designed with a base coat, color and top coat in each nail sticky. You can shape them to your nail and file off the excess with a nail file. No need to wait for drying and you can do your nails in minutes! Anywhere, anytime!
First Impression
I know I suck badly at painting my nails with real nail polish, so I thought these stickers would be a lot easier... but apparently... I also suck at putting stickers on my nails too! They didnt take nearly as long as if you had to paint your nails, it took me about 10-15 minutes to apply all of them. However, they claim that you can stretch them, shape them, and reapply them, but I dont think they quite lived up to that claim =( When I did them, once I put them on my nail, it was STUCK there. If I tried to take it off and reapply, it would stretch and get wrinkled.. not so pretty.. Also, I tried to file off the excess on the sides of the nail since the stickers were too big, and they wouldnt file off nicely, so I just ended up pushing it in. I also felt like you can tell they are stickers and not actual nail polish, but it might have been the leopard print design that threw me off.
Overall Thoughts
Would I purchase it again and give it another try? Probably, since it only took me 10-15 minutes. I saw some really cute designs on their website http://www.incoco.com/ which might suit me a little better than the leopard print. They also have solid colors and french tips in various colors and glitters. Im unsure about how long these things will last on my nail, or if they chip like regular nail polish.. I guess only time will tell!
Whats your take on nail polish stickers? Have you tried any?
Until next time! Over and Out!


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Mavericks Obtain Shawn Marion
For Immediate Release July 9, 2009 MAVERICKS ACQUIRE FOUR-TIME ALL-STAR SHAWN MARION Mavericks also acquire Kris Humphries, Nathan Jawai and Greg Buckner
DALLAS— The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they acquired four-time All-Star forward Shawn Marion, forward Kris Humphries, center Nathan Jawai and cash considerations from the Toronto Raptors and guard Greg Buckner from the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal that sends guard Antoine Wright and forward Devean George to Toronto and guard Jerry Stackhouse and cash considerations to Memphis. Additionally, Memphis obtains a second round pick and cash considerations from Toronto, while Orlando trades Hedo Turkoglu to Toronto for cash considerations from Dallas and Toronto.
Marion (6-7, 215) is a 10-year veteran that holds career averages 17.8 points and 9.9 rebounds to go along with 2.0 assists, 1.83 steals, 1.31 blocks and 37.9 minutes in 745 games (730 starts). He has finished the season with a double-double average four times in his career with the most recent being in 2007-08 when he averaged 15.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 63 games.
Marion has been named All-NBA Third Team two times (2005, 2006) and was a four-time All-Star with the Phoenix Suns (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007). He has appeared in 65 postseason contests averaging 17.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.52 blocks and 1.49 steals in 40.6 minutes. Marion has advanced to the Western Conference Finals two times and, in his most recent trip, fell to the Mavericks in 2006 as a member of the Suns. He was also a member of the bronze-medal winning Team USA at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
The Clarksville, Tenn., native was originally the ninth overall selection in the 1999 NBA Draft by Phoenix after forgoing his senior season at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He spent his junior year at UNLV after transferring from Vincennes University in Indiana. In one season as a Runnin' Rebel, Marion earned Western Athletic Conference Mountain Division First Team, All-Newcomer and All-Defensive Team honors while averaging 18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.9 blocks in 29 games.
Humphries (6-9, 235) is a former University of Minnesota standout drafted by the Utah Jazz with the 14th overall pick in the 2004 Draft. He holds career averages of 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 288 games. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds last season before fracturing his right fibula on Jan. 18 vs. Phoenix. Prior to his injury, Humphries was coming off his best year as a pro in 2007-08 when he averaged career highs of 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 13.7 minutes in a career-high 70 games.
Jawai (6-10, 280) just completed his rookie season for the Raptors seeing action in six contests. The Australian center scored his first career field goal on Feb. 18 vs. Cleveland. Jawai, the 41st overall pick of the Indiana Pacers in 2008, spent most of last season with the Idaho Stamped of the NBA Development League where he averaged 11.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in 24.0 minutes a game. No stranger to Texas, Jawai played one season of college basketball at Midland (Texas) College in 2006-07 where he averaged 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 23.9 minutes a game.
Buckner (6-4, 210), a 10-year veteran out of Clemson, will be returning to Dallas for a third time. Originally a second-round draft choice of the Mavericks in 1998, Buckner played in Dallas from 1999-2002 before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent. The native of Hopkinsville, Ky., returned to the Mavericks in 2006 when he signed as a free agent before getting traded to Minnesota before the start of the 2007-08 campaign. The veteran guard holds career averages of 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 570 games.


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10 U.S. Code § 6256 - Medal of honor: duplicate medal
§ 6256.
Medal of honor: duplicate medal
A person awarded a medal of honor shall, upon written application of that person, be issued, without charge, one duplicate medal of honor with ribbons and appurtenances. Such duplicate medal of honor shall be marked, in such manner as the Secretary of the Navy may determine, as a duplicate or for display purposes only.
(Added Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title V, § 553(b)(1)(A), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1116.)
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Miami Heat
Veteran NBA center Jason Collins comes out as gay
Jason Collins has spent his entire career battling for space on the basketball court against some of the biggest, most powerful men in the sport. But nothing the 7-foot center did in 12 years in the NBA required the courage that it took to write three simple sentences that broke a loud silence that had permeated men's sports locker rooms for decades:
"I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay."
Those were the opening words of Collins' essay that will run in the May 6 issue of Sports Illustrated. The magazine published the article online Monday, and within minutes, it had gone viral, and set off a social media ovation from admirers ranging from President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton to NBA stars Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant to tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King.
Collins, who played for the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards this season, is the first openly gay active male athlete in any of the major U.S. team sports — a world considered one of the last bastions of homophobia in American society, a world where just last month Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice was fired for, among other things, spewing gay slurs at his players.
Female athletes such as Navratilova and King came out long ago. Baylor basketball star Brittney Griner recently revealed she is a lesbian. And a handful of retired male athletes have come out, including the NFL's Dave Kopay, Major League Baseball's Billy Bean, and the NBA's John Amaechi. But no man still playing in one of the four biggest U.S. sports had come out until Monday.
"I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different,' " Collins wrote. "If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand …
"I've been asked how other players will respond to my announcement ... The simple answer is, I have no idea … I hope for the best, but plan for the worst."
The response was overwhelmingly positive.
The Heat's Wade wrote: "Jason Collins showed a lot of courage today, and I respect him for taking a stand and choosing to live in his truth #NBAfamily."
Kobe Bryant tweeted: "Proud of @jasoncollins34. Don't suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others #courage #support."
Bryant's Lakers teammate Steve Nash's message was short, and to the point: "The time has come. Maximum respect."
Retired tennis star Andy Roddick was even more succinct: "Props! @Jasoncollins34."
"Congratulations to Jason – society couldn't hope for a more eloquent & positive role model," Amaechi wrote.
First lady Michelle Obama chimed in on Twitter on Monday afternoon.
"So proud of you, Jason Collins! This is a huge step forward for our country. We've got your back!" the tweet read. It was signed "mo" — signifying that the first lady personally wrote the message.
By the day's end, Collins also received a phone call from Obama, who reportedly said he was impressed by Collins' courage.
Clinton, whose daughter, Chelsea, was a classmate of Collins at Stanford, issued this statement: "Jason's announcement [Monday] is an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community. ... I hope that everyone, particularly Jason's colleagues in the NBA, the media and his many fans extend to him their support and the respect he has earned."
NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement: "Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue."
Collins said he was partly inspired to come out by Rep. Joe Kennedy, D-Mass., who was his roommate at Stanford. When Kennedy, who is straight, told Collins he marched in the 2012 Gay Pride Parade in Boston, Collins was envious. "I was proud of him for participating," he wrote, "but angry that as a closeted gay man I couldn't even cheer my straight friend on as a spectator. … I want to march for tolerance, acceptance and understanding. I want to take a stand and say, 'Me, too.' "
Gay activists across the country responded to Collins' essay, each expressing hope that his announcement would lead to more tolerance in men's pro sports.
GLAAD, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender media advocacy organization, said in a statement: " 'Courage' and 'inspiration' are words that get thrown around a lot in sports, but Jason Collins has given both ideas a brand new context," said Aaron McQuade, head of GLAAD's sports program. "We hope that his future team will welcome him, and that fans of the NBA and sports in general will applaud him."
Billie Jean King said: "I am thrilled Jason was able to come out on his own terms … This is a day of celebration for the LGBT community and for all of us. I look forward to the day when the news of anyone coming out, is a non-issue and once we reach that point we will know we have arrived."
Navratilova was outed in a newspaper in 1981, urged by tennis executives to keep quiet, and suffered financial consequences from sponsors who shied away. She tweeted Monday: "Well done JC. You are a brave man. And a big man at that. 1981 was the year for me — 2013 is the year for you."
Cyd Zeigler, co-founder of Outsports.com, a gay sports website, described Collins' announcement as "super-significant." "There are still many people who have said you can't be openly gay in professional sports," he said. "Now you have someone who is gay saying no, it's going to work and I'm going to make it work."
Not all reaction was positive.
Soon after the news broke of Collins announcement, Dolphins receiver Mike Wallace Tweeted, "All these beautiful women in the world and guys want to mess with other guys … smh" and "I'm not bashing anybody don't have anything against anyone. I just don't understand it."
In less than 15 minutes, both tweets were taken down. That didn't halt the Twitter-message board-sports radio noise as fans and sports media either a) criticized Wallace's point of view or b) defending his right to express his point of view. Wallace later tweeted: "Never said anything was right or wrong I just said I don't understand! Deeply sorry for anyone I offended."
Later Monday, the Dolphins issued a statement:
"Mike Wallace has apologized for his comments, and we have addressed the matter with him. Mike's comments do not reflect the views of the Miami Dolphins. We believe in a culture of inclusiveness and respect, and any statements to the contrary are in no way acceptable to our organization. We will address the entire team about our policy of inclusion and make sure they all understand the importance of respecting individual choices."
Wallace is the latest in a list of athletes whose public anti-gay sentiment led to education.
In 2007, former NBA all-star guard Tim Hardaway said in a radio interview: "I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic." After a strong backlash, he met with gay leaders to broaden his mind and has preached tolerance ever since. In 2011, the Lakers' Bryant was fined $100,000 for using a homophobic slur in a rant against a referee, and went on to speak out about gay rights.
Marlins starting pitcher Kevin Slowey feels clubhouse attitudes have changed. "I think guys in the clubhouse, we worry a whole lot more about how you are as a teammate, how you are as a player, how you are as a person, than what you choose to do outside the clubhouse, or the kind of life that you choose to lead.
"Certainly the landscape has changed over the last 10 years … That's the beauty of the game, that it mirrors society at large and you get to evolve as society does."
C.J. Ortuño, executive director of SAVE Dade, the county's largest gay-rights group, said Collins' decision could lead to a major attitude shift.
"We've always talked about these final frontiers on LGBT issues: law enforcement, any paramilitary structures and, of course, sports. And in particular professional sports. We were waiting for the opportunity of a professional athlete to come out. We have that opportunity now."
Kevin McClatchy, former chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh Pirates and chairman of McClatchy Co., parent company of The Miami Herald, publicly came out as a gay man in 2012. He said Monday: "It's a significant moment in sports and particularly for younger people in sports.
"This barrier has been broken and they can think about a career in professional sports."
Miami Herald writers Steve Rothaus, Clark Spencer, and David J. Neal contributed to this report. Information from The Associated Press was also used.


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Morning Five: 03.07.13 EditionPosted by rtmsf on May 7th, 2013
- The beauty of advanced quantitative analysis in sports is that, when done correctly, it can validate things that you already inherently know. Trey Burke as the best player in America? It sure felt like it while we were watching him lead Michigan past Kansas and Florida on the way to the Final Four. Rick Pitino as the best coach going right now? Considering how his Louisville Cardinals were essentially the same cast of characters from a surprise 2012 Final Four run and became recognizably better on the offensive end (especially out of timeouts) in 2013? Sure seems like it. Of course, there are limitations — Florida rated tops in KenPom's efficiency ratings for most of the season, but the Gators were merely a good team filled with good players, not a great one. SI.com's Luke Winn keeps us interested by doing what only he has proven he can do — sifting through terabytes of efficiency data and video clips to come up with his second annual Data-Based Coaching/Player Awards. Lots of good information in the piece, but perhaps the neatest has to be his quantification of Oregon's Arsalan Kazemi as the nation's best all-around defender.
- Speaking of Pitino, the guy continues to get a surplus of positive press in the wake of his second national title. Several outlets had a Pitino/Kentucky Derby story coming out of the weekend, but ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil wrote the quintessential story about the man she calls "the Derby King." The crux of the story is that regardless of whether Pitino's horse "Goldencents" finished first, 10th, 17th or somewhere behind the barns in Saturday's Derby, the 60-year old tattooed grandfather owns the town of Louisville and everything in it. Including Millionaire's Row. It's not the kind of read you see much of anymore in the instant-gratification world of online writing, but that makes it even more worth your time.
- This news is circumstantial and ultimately may not mean anything at all, but the possibility that it could mean something is really disturbing given recent events. Dennis Dodd at CBSSports.com reported on Wednesday that Missouri head coach Frank Haith has filed a petition in federal court to determine how the NCAA got its hands on what appears to be microfiche copies of his personal bank records. According to the report, some of Haith's Bank of America records were voluntarily turned over as part of the NCAA's investigation into the Nevin Shapiro violations at his former school, Miami, but those records did not include the more detailed microfiche copies which Haith seems to believe that the NCAA has in its possession. The gigantic elephant in the room, of course, is that the NCAA already admitted missteps in this case by offering payment to certain witnesses for testimony, but an as-yet unfounded assertion that the organization may have illegally solicited bank records to bolster its case could set off yet another firestorm surrounding the organization. Stay tuned on this one.
- If there's one thing we love about college sports, it's when former stars come back into the fold as a coach at their alma mater. The Arizona Star-Republic reported on Monday that "Mighty Mouse," former Arizona star and current Memphis assistant, Damon Stoudamire, is returning to Tucson to join Sean Miller's staff as an assistant there. For those who don't remember him at Arizona, he was a three-time all-Pac-10 guard, an All-American in 1995, and, along with backcourt mate Khalid Reeves, led the Wildcats to Lute Olson's second Final Four in 1994. He'll fit in great on Miller's staff, focusing on work with the guards, a role he has fulfilled with Josh Pastner the last couple of seasons.
- One other significant coming and going from Monday was out of Florida, as the second Gator in a week announced his transfer out of the program. Last week it was freshman Braxton Ogbueze who say the writing on the wall with two top 10 recruits and Rutgers transfer Eli Carter entering the program; this week it is Devon Walker, a freshman wing who saw just a handful of minutes in 25 contests this season. The Gators are coming off three straight Elite Eight appearances, but none of those three teams were loaded with NBA talent (Bradley Beal's freshman year was the lone exception). With Kasey Hill and Chris Walker both headed to Gainesville next season, though, the Gators could actually boast more elite talent in 2013-14 than it has the last several years.


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Republicans, Democrats who criticized stimulus wrote letters seeking funds
Monday, October 18, 2010; 12:21 AM
Rep. Pete Sessions, the firebrand conservative from Texas, has relentlessly assailed the Democratic stimulus efforts as a package of wasteful "trillion-dollar spending sprees" that was "more about stimulating the government and rewarding political allies than growing the economy and creating jobs."
But that didn't stop the Republican lawmaker from seeking stimulus money behind the scenes for the Dallas suburb of Carrollton after the GOP campaign against the 2009 stimulus law quieted down.
Sessions wrote Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in February urging him to give "full and fair consideration" to the affluent city's request for $81 million for a rail project, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Center for Public Integrity. His letter suggested that the project would create jobs, undercutting his public arguments against the stimulus.
When asked about his letter, Sessions defended both of the positions he has taken.
"What I have not done is allow my strong, principled objection to the bill to prevent me from asking federal agencies for their full consideration of critical infrastructure and competitive grant projects for North Texas when asked to do so by my constituents," he said.
Sessions was hardly alone. Scores of Republicans and conservative Democrats who voted against the stimulus law subsequently wrote letters seeking funds. They include tea party favorites such as freshman Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), as well as Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), former presidential candidates.
Like their Republican counterparts, Democratic critics of the stimulus also sent letters seeking funding afterward. Rep. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho), one of seven Democrats in the House to vote against the bill, has written letters to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke requesting funds for four broadband-related projects in his state.
Minnick declined to be interviewed. His communications director, Dean A. Ferguson, said Minnick "voted against the bill but said from that day forward that his obligation is to help his constituents."
Ferguson said he sees no problem with the system of "lettermarking," as it is known by lobbyists, because agencies have the final say on where the funds go.
"In some cases, projects Walt supported did not receive funds," Ferguson said. "They were competitively awarded and thus not earmarks."
GOP requests
The behind-the-scenes grab for stimulus dollars is a particularly sensitive topic for Republicans, who have wooed the tea party movement with an incessant attack on stimulus spending as wasteful and ineffective. The House GOP's Pledge to America campaign manifesto promises to rescind all unspent stimulus dollars if Republicans regain control of Congress in the November elections.
But several of the architects of the GOP's anti-stimulus campaign tried to secure money from the program, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.), a member of the Republican House leadership who helped craft the Pledge to America.