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Big Cock XXXL focuses on masculine men over 40, and many of these daddies are heavy or hairy (some delightfully hairy) or both. The site says that the men are bisexual and married, and there are some very nice sized cocks here, many of which are uncut with plenty of foreskin, as well as some big, low-hanging balls. A lot of the guys have natural, unshaved bodies, so expect furry chests, asses and some of the men have pubic hair. I also ran into some body piercings and enlarged nipples.
There's a variety of action going on here, including nipple play, dildo penetration, guys jerking their dicks and fucking, mostly bareback. There's some cock pumping, guys wearing cock rings, a double-anal compilation video, group sex and some more raunchy or kinky sex. What you won't see in many of the videos is faces - the vids are shot to protect the performers' identities, which is sort of hot if you're into anonymous sex.
Big Cock XXXL and another site from the same studio, Monster Hole, has had their content sort of folded into Date Dick Live's member areas, but each site has a section to find their own videos from 2013 and before - each newer update is a shared update between all three sites. Big Cock XXXL offers 45 of its own videos, some available only as short clips and others as standalones, although I wouldn't call most of these full scenes as some are short, and the compilations seem more like trailers than their own scenes.
The videos are offered in QuickTime format, the newer ones sized at 640x480 at amateur quality; most of the older vids have been remastered to 640x480 although at lower quality. The older videos are also offered in the original smaller size. The videos are streaming-only with no downloads offered, and many of the older vids have no sound, although the newer ones I watched do have audio. The site doesn't offer true streaming, so you may have to wait for each video to load before you can fast forward.
Big Cock XXXL also offers 16 sets of pics. Some of the sets offer good amateur quality digital stills shown at 426x600, a little small but still okay. The rest are screencaps, the newer shown at 638x400 at decent quality and the older shown larger at 1278x719, but these are poor quality. There are no slideshows or zip files, but you can download individual pics.
As already mentioned, this site now shares a member area and updates with two other sites, but there haven't been many videos listed this year (it's September, btw) on the videos page - there are 4 picture sets and 2 videos listed for 2014... well, sort of. While updates aren't dated, there's a running list on the member home page including picture sets from other sites that seem to be owned by the same company. Since there are no dates, there's truly no way to know how frequently new content is added, but when it comes to the sites' own videos, it doesn't appear to be that often.
All that being said, the content from the two brother sites, Monster Hole and Date Dick Live (not a live cam site, btw), feature the same type of daddies, with lots of men in their forties, fifties and sixties in the same kind of action. In fact, I'd guess they're sometimes the same men, so having access to the other sites' content definitely adds value for members.
When it comes to issues, there are some worth mentioning. Navigation is clunky and can be confusing, and the site looks like it was designed in 1998, which I believe is the case. Some of the older video listings link to secondary pages that then link to the pages with the videos' clips listed on them, and I mention this because they also link to other sites, not all member sites but still they take you away from this site, probably often to the owner's other sites. Some videos are very short and have no sound, and I kept being prompted to log in again when I went to play the videos.
There's one more important navigation issue you'll need to know about. As already mentioned, the site now shares updates with two other sites from the same network - you can only enter the member area via one of the other sites, Date Dick Live. If you try to use the link on the Big Cock XXXL log in page, it won't let you into the site. There's some explanatory text below the non-working link, but I can't imagine why the owner doesn't just relink the member link so it links to the other site's member area rather than putting up a cumbersome explanation.
Here's the thing about Big Cock XXXL. Yes, the site can be confusing, and you won't find high quality full length videos here. What you WILL find is hairy big bodied daddies sporting foreskin into raw, kinky and serious pig sex, and they seem to be really into the sex; I'd be surprised to find that these men are being paid to appear in the videos. The approximately 45 videos are not offered for download, although they are DRM-free. Many of the videos are broken into clips, and although the newer vids are 640x480 and sort of full scenes, the older videos have no sound, and most vids show no faces and are amateur quality at best. While I could go on, the masculine mature men and the raunchy action at Big Cock XXXL and its brother sites are what make this site stand out.


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California Dreamin'
If I could magically choose any time, any place, to live, it would probably be the mid-50s in California. Modern enough to be comfortable, stable and prosperous economy, no major wars going on. And, most importantly, uncrowded waves at all the major surfing breaks! I could have my pick on one of those new-fangled balsa-and-fibreglass boards.
1955 would not be the best pick for everyone. It was not a particularly good time for any and all minorities. But there was a time there when the California beaches were a paradise for a few. It lasted into the early 60s; then came crowding, war, social unrest, all the usual snakes that might slither into Eden.
I never got to hang at the beach with Gidget -- born too late, on the wrong side of the country. But a part of me has probably been trying to move there since I was a teen. Cocoa Beach in the 60s and early 70s tried to fill the role I'd cast but didn't quite make it. Flagler Beach came a little closer, later on, but my own life didn't cooperate.
Flagler would still be about as good as I could do at this point, in Florida. But I almost certainly will stay here on Peanut Road, quite possibly for the rest of my life. Country life can be good too, even if it's not exactly Malibu.
Panama City beaches are not that far away. Eventually, I will find the time to spend time there. The surf is inconsistent (though better than where I grew up) but the beaches are nice. And often crowded.
So one of these days they may see an old guy drag his board down to the water at the St Andrew's jetty and catch a few. I reckon I'm still capable of that. And who knows -- maybe I will make it to California eventually. Even if Gidget is a little old lady now.

subset: commoncrawl


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2019 will be a year of many changes for us! The Temple of Peace and Virtue was able to fulfill a long standing dream and purchased 325 secluded acres in rural Bradyville, Tennesee, about an hour southeast of Nashville. It is a beautiful and secluded property that allows for direct contact with all the elemental forces. We are very excited about this transition and the possibilities that it will offer for our students.
We are hoping to move the Medical Qigong training facility to this new property in Tennessee for 2019.
Please read more for information on our transition schedule.Read More
Effective 2019: For all MQP, MQT and MMQ seminars, you must also FORMALLY APPLY for ADMISSION to the ICMQ, even if you have been a previous student of Dr. Shannon's at Palm Desert or elsewhere. You can find the Application Form under the link Application Process.
For 2019, we will be holding January and February seminars at the Palm Desert facility.
|Event Date
|Event End Date
|Individual Price
|Advanced Medical Qigong
|05-27-2019 9:00 am
|05-31-2019 5:00 pm
|M1 Introduction to Chinese Energetic Alchemy
|06-03-2019 9:00 am
|06-07-2019 5:00 pm
|M2 Energetic Anatomy and Physiology
|06-08-2019 9:00 am
|06-12-2019 5:00 pm
|P3 Foundations of Medical Qigong
|06-17-2019 9:00 am
|06-21-2019 5:00 pm
|T3 Medical Qigong: Working within Specialty Areas
|06-24-2019 9:00 am
|06-28-2019 5:00 pm
|P4 Working with Organ Disharmonies and Individualized Medical Qigong Exercises
|08-12-2019 9:00 am
|08-16-2019 5:00 pm
|T4 Introduction to Medical Qigong and Oncological Disorders
|08-19-2019 9:00 am
|08-23-2019 5:00 pm
|AMQ for DMQ graduates
|08-26-2019 9:00 am
|08-30-2019 5:00 pm
|M3 Medical Qigong and Oncological Disorders
|09-10-2019 9:00 am
|09-14-2019 5:00 pm
|M4 Medical Qigong and Spiritual Disorders
|09-15-2019 9:00 am
|09-19-2019 5:00 pm
|P5 Internship and Final Examination
|11-01-2019 9:00 am
|11-05-2019 5:00 pm
|T5 Internship and Final Examination
|11-08-2019 9:00 am
|11-12-2019 5:00 pm
|M5 Internship and Final Exam
|11-15-2019 9:00 am
|11-19-2019 5:00 pm


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monkey coloring page
Print out a free monkey coloring page.
"I confess freely to you, I could never look long upon a monkey, without very mortifying reflections."
"It is not so important to be serious as it is to be serious about the important things. The monkey wears an expression of seriousness which would do credit to any college student, but the monkey is serious because he itches."
"People go to the zoo and they like the lion because it's scary. And the bear because it's intense, but the monkey makes people laugh."
monkey coloring page to home page


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What is the best way to handle bounces and immediate failures with Exim? An email sent to a large mailing list will generate a large number of immediate failures as well as bounces. I'd like to capture these bounces and immediate failures and process them with a script, so that I can automatically remove them from the mailing list.
Using a third party email campaign manager is not an option. I need to specifically handle these messages with Exim, either capturing or redirecting them for later processing with a custom script. What would be the best way to implement something like this with Exim?
A similar question was asked here regarding IIS, but isn't much help in implementing something similar with Exim.


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Program and Campus Brochures:Massage Therapy
With the surge in complementary health care, massage therapy has become one of the fastest growing professions in the wellness industry. Our goal is to provide quality career education in the art and ...
Request PDF Brochure
Professional Medical Assistant
Medical assistants perform a wide variety of clinical, administrative, and human relations functions, which keep physicians' offices, clinics, and other medical practices running smoothly. This program ...
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Sanford Campus Brochure:
Sanford, ME Location & Contact 890 Main Street Suite 100 Sanford, ME 04073 Tel: 207-490-0509 Fax: 207-490-3242
Request PDF Brochure


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TestRX Review | Well Rounded to Battle Low T Symptoms
TestRX is one of the best solutions for low testosterone that we have come across thus far and in this TestRX review we will back up that bold statement. It is a testosterone booster that was specifically designed to correct the unfortunate problems caused by the inevitable drop in testosterone production commonly referred to as "Low T."
Some of these problems include: decreased muscle mass, lower sex drive, poor performance in bed, difficulty sleeping, major drop in energy levels, and worst of all, depression. With all those said symptoms, who wouldn't be depressed?
TestRX effectively solves these problems, as well as many more issues associated with Low T.
Benefits Of Taking TestRX
Naturally stimulates testosterone production
Improves erection quality
Increases energy levels
Elevates sex drive
Increases muscle mass
Reduces body fat
Strengthens bones
Improves quality of sleep
Reduces stress
No known side effects
All natural formula
How Does TestRX Work?
There are many different ways to go about boosting your testosterone levels, but there is only one way that is 100% effective, completely natural, inexpensive, and does not cause side effects, and that way is through the use of a natural testosterone supplement.
The reason that testosterone boosters are so effective is because they stimulate the production of testosterone within your body in a completely natural way. Any method of testosterone boosting that is unnatural or involves the use of synthetic testosterone is going to be something you want to avoid.
TestRX does NOT contain any form of synthetic testosterone. TestRX contains a thoughtfully formulated list of natural ingredients that cause your body to produce its own testosterone. The healthy way to correct a testosterone deficiency is by ingesting ingredients that lead to testosterone production rather than directly ingesting testosterone, which can lead to all sorts of side effects and will cause your body to negate the effects of the synthetic testosterone by flushing it out since it does not recognize the substance like it recognizes testosterone that it produced on its own.
But there are plenty of testosterone supplements out there that are able to do this. So what separates TestRX from the competition? What makes this supplement more effective than most other testosterone supplements? The answer is the ingredients. In order to fully understand how this supplement works, you need to familiarize yourself with the ingredients.
TestRX Ingredients – What Makes It Work?
Tongkat Ali: The Malaysian Viagra– This is one of the most important ingredients in TestRX. Tongkat Ali has been proven to increase the production of testosterone in the male body by as much as 37% in some cases. It is such a powerful ingredient that it is commonly referred to as 'The Malaysian Viagra'. Learn more about Tongkat Ali
Brassica Campestris: The Prostate Protector– Unfortunately, older males whose testosterone levels are dropping off are at increased risk for prostate disease. However, Brassica Campestris has been shown to promote a healthy prostate. TestRX chose to include this ingredient for that reason. This ingredient will help to protect your prostate from any increased danger it may be exposed to as you age.
Tribulus Terrestris: The Testosterone Creator– This is the primary testosterone boosting ingredient within this supplement. More than any other ingredient, Tribulus Terrestis is responsible for stimulating your body to produce testosterone, and it is this spike in testosterone that allows you to experience all of the benefits listed above. Tribulus Terrestris is a part of any effective testosterone booster. In fact, if you do not see it on the label, then you probably want to go ahead and avoid buying that product. Learn more about Tribulus Terrestris
Fenugreek: The Libido Booster– Scientific studies have proven this ingredient to dramatically increase libido within men. This is your primary ingredient for improvement in sex drive, energy levels, and performance. In addition to the effects it has on libido, it has also been proven to boost testosterone levels in several studies. Learn more about Fenugreek
Tribulus Alatus: The Testosterone Utilizer– Similar to tribulus terrestris, this ingredient has been proven to boost testosterone levels naturally and help free up more testosterone for utilization.
Ashwaganda: The Mood Enhancer– Proven to treat anxiety, depression, and insomnia, this ingredient plays a very important role. It helps to fight the depression you have been dealing with as a result of your low testosterone problem and works to make sure you sleep well every single night.
Vitamin D3: The Bone Strengthener– Proven to contribute to bone health and maintain bone density. As you age and your testosterone levels drop, it is important to protect your bones from weakening, and that is exactly what vitamin D3 does.
Agaricus Bisporus: The Immune Booster– Helps your immune system to operate to the best of its ability. The primary purpose of this ingredient is to improve your overall health and wellbeing.
This is an extremely well rounded formula that seems to cover all the bases in overcoming the symptoms of Low T. The only concern that we have is that it does not include D-Aspartic Acid –perhaps the most well-known and most effective testosterone-boosting ingredient there is.
Buy TestRX at the Lowest Price Online
The Pros
Ingredients are all natural
Contains well known testosterone boosting ingredients
An all-natural formula means zero side effects
Improves sex drive and performance
Increases muscle mass and decreases body fat
Helps to elevate your mood
Improves the quality of your sleep
Elevates energy levels
Thoughtfully crafted to overcome the gamut of Low T symptoms
The Cons
This supplement will not work for women
You could experience side effects if you exceed the recommended dose
Missing D-Aspartic Acid?
TestRX Conclusion & Our Recommendation
We have researched and tested several popular testosterone boosters and found some very effective supplements. We also found some very ineffective supplements, but TestRX is not one of them.
Based on our studies, TestRX is among the elite in terms of testosterone boosters. Hopefully any doubts you had about this product prior to reading this review have disappeared. Feel free to check out some of our other testosterone booster reviews if you'd like, but you really can't go wrong with TestRX. We highly recommend you give it a try.
Where To Buy TestRX
TestRX is available exclusively through the website of the manufacturer. This helps to reduce costs by avoiding the additional charge that comes with having to buy a product through a "middle man." We have provided you with the link to their website below should you decide you would like to purchase this product.


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Friday, December 14, 2012
Cozy in Mustard
Try not to judge my poor modeling skills- or should I say skillz?
I bought this sweet little wool jumper forever-ago and can never wear it because it has a weird cut as you can see in the top picture, and also because it is too short to be a dress but too long to be a shirt, and what color leggings would you wear with it?
Such a dilema, but lately black and brown just go so well together- who knew? Thanks to my miracle sweater you can't see the crazy cut. I love expanding my wardrobe with things I already own.
Moral of the story: a long sweater can cover all manner of sins!
Linking with keep calm, and pin me today!
EmmyPin It
Labels: fashion
17 comments:
WHERE DID YOU GET THAT PERFECT SWEATER!?!?!?!!ReplyDelete
I wore mustard in my outfit post too!Replies
You're too foxy for your own good.ReplyDelete
I am in love with that sweater, I may steal it from you when you're not looking!ReplyDeleteReplies
I got one (without buttons) at Old Navy. Mustard is the color of the season...well, when it's not Christmas anyway...ReplyDelete
love your sweater!!ReplyDelete
i know you've already gotten so many comments about your sweater, but it really is perfect. i think i actually remember seeing it at f21... i so regret not picking it up! xReplyDelete
I love this so much! Mustard is one of my favorite colors :) You are so pretty!ReplyDelete
I love cardigans!ReplyDelete
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Eliter and Players of The Month
Eliter of the Month February 2013
The Eliter of the Month badge was awarded to angiendave84. This trophy recognizes true sportsmanship and commitment to Eliters!
Player of the MonthFebruary 2013
Congratulations to the following players on being awarded the Player of the Month badge:
More detailed information on the Player of the Month program


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Vegetable tanned (or veg tanned) leather is tanned using the all-natural tannins and other chemicals found in vegetable matter such as tree bark prepared in bark mills and other such sources. It is supple and brown in color, with the exact shade depending on the mix of organic matter and the color of the skin. It is the only form of leather suitable for use in leather carving or stamping.
Vegetable-tanned leather requires a little more care and attention than leather tanned using minerals or chemical. It is not stable in water; it tends to discolor, and if left to soak and then dry it will shrink and become less supple and harder. In hot water, it will shrink drastically and partly gelatinize, becoming rigid and eventually brittle. Boiled leather is an example of this, where the leather has been hardened by being immersed in hot water, or in boiled wax or similar substances. Historically, it was occasionally used as armor after hardening, and it has also been used for book binding.
The most important organic tanning agents are the vegetable tannins present in tanning liquors. They are prepared from certain parts of plants by aqueous extraction. Their tanning power has been appreciated for a long time and Babylonian texts have recorded their use.
The use of vegetable tannins in the manufacture of leather predates recorded history, and there is creditable evidence that they were in use in Egypt as far back as 3000 B.C.
Vegetable tanning materials occur in nearly all forms of plant life. They are used commercially where the amout of tan is high and large quantities can be extracted economically. Other considerations are color and particular properties of the tan extracted. This is the conversion of a raw or green hide into leather.


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We Work For Your Health
WE HAVE BEEN IN the mobile testing BUSINESS FOR OVER 40 YEARS BY MAKING SURE THAT EACH company that we service stays in compliance with osha hearing and respiratory protection standards.
We have also made a name for ourselves by providing the best technology in the area and always being aware of new technologies as they are developed so that our patients are always hearing their best, all the time.
About us
Find out about our company, services, and the results of our years of experience in the field of hearing.


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Possibly the best advertisment for the iPadJune 8, 2010 at 5:30 pm | Posted in Design | Leave a comment
Tags: apple, iPad, magic, optical illusion
Where is our River Cottage?June 5, 2010 at 1:39 pm | Posted in Food | Leave a comment
Tags: free range, hugh fernley wittingstall, landshare, organic, river cottage
When I was in the UK, I became more aware of what I was eating and where it came from thanks to River Cottage. They stand for sustainability, organic and free-range produce and they don't push vegetarianism. In fact they talk more about treating the animal with respect which means using the whole animal, rather than just the typical cuts. I began buying organic veg and meat and cooking as much as I could at home rather than eating out. My sister even grew some chili (she doesn't even like it). The River Cottage tv show even dedicated a whole program to strawberries. Any show that can do that has my vote.
I was absolutely impressed by the landshare initiative that they started. What a brilliant idea, not only to make best use of the land that is not being used, to cut down on costs by growing your own veg but also to meet new people. Had I been there a little longer I would have signed up for it (when I go back I will do). If you're not aware of landshare, it's an initiative to connect landowners who have land to spare and are not using it to growers who don't have any land but want to grow/plant fruit, veg and trees. So far they have got 48,000 members and are still growing.
I was recently on the River Cottage website and discovered another initiative that they are promoting. It's the River Cottage Instant Veg Patch. It's a bit like a grow your own starter kit. They send you a box with instructions, full of baby plants (rocket, lettuce, green beans, kale, zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, basil, parsley, beans) and you just plant away. What a brilliant idea.
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text: Winston Duke: 5 Quick Facts You Probably Did Not Know About The 'Black Panther' Star (Video-Pics) Monday, February 19, 2018 by TBL Staff ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW Pages: 1 2 3 4 SEE ALSO:Watch: Chadwick Boseman Surprises Black Panther Fans While They Were Filming A Special Video…Chadwick Boseman Gets Emotional While Speaking On Two Kids With Terminal Illnesses Trying To…Watch: Serena Williams Surprises A Group Of Young Black Girls With A Private Screening Of…Chadwick Boseman's Girlfriend Taylor Simone LedwardNew York Teacher Raises $30,000 To Send Harlem Kids To See New Movie 'Black…Is NBA Rookie Jayson Tatum Dating Two Women At The Same Time? (Video) Check Out These Related Post Congratulations: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Announces He's Expecting Baby #2 With Girlfriend Lauren H...Actor Sterling K. Brown Thanks His Wife Ryan Michelle Bathe After Historic Golden Globes Win (Video)'Get Out' Star Daniel Kaluuya Brings His Girlfriend Amandla To The 2017 Golden Globes Awards! (Photo...Ryan Coogler's Wife Zinzi EvansMichael B. Jordan Dodges Relationship Questions About Rumored Girlfriend Ashlyn Castro, Talks Life A...Congratulations: Actor Mike Colter And Wife Iva Announce They Are Expecting Second Child Together! (... Check Out These Stories


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Praise + Press
Love for Chanel Cumberbatch
I recommend Chanel if you are looking for clarity, sound advice, stepping up your game...
"I've run a coaching and consulting business for the past 15 years. At one point, I was feeling stuck and disenchanted with the direction that my business was going. I was a part of Chanel's group on Facebook and she was a breath of fresh air. She spreads her knowledge and advice freely.
She was the real deal so I jumped at the opportunity of working with her. The sessions were eye opening. She felt like an old friend that I had known for years, but with the wisdom and knowledge of an elder. She coached and not told, meaning she made me a part of the entire process. It was a beautiful thing.
I left feeling ten times better about the direction that my business should take and knowing exactly what I needed to do to get there. During our coaching sessions she was attentive, and asked me probing questions that assisted her in taking me to the next level, pushing me further and making me think on another level. I recommend Chanel if you are looking for clarity, sound advice, stepping up your game, productivity tips or overall sound advice. She is a dynamic coach! One of the best that I've seen in my 15 years of business."
Nicole Taylor (Business Coach)
She offers so much more than business strategy...
"I met with Chanel when I had been in business for all of two minutes. She really kicked my butt in the best possible way.
In just a few minutes she really opened my eyes up to what I was doing right and what I could be doing better.
She made me really value myself. She stayed on top of me after our call to make sure I was following through with the things we discussed. The accountability was amazingly helpful.
The confidence I got to let my personality shine through was priceless to me. I now have clients coming to me, my website screams my name, and I'm overall happier in my business. Not working with Chanel would be the biggest mistake you make both personally and professionally. She offers so much more than business strategy, she teaches you to believe in yourself.
Ashley Love (Brand Strategist)
Such a pleasure!
"I wasn't really sure who I was trying to help and how to run a business because they don't really teach you that in college. Prior to signing up with Chanel, I'd Google for hours on end, watch numerous videos, and signed up for too many webinars.
Getting conflicting advice which caused massive overwhelm and lead to inaction.
As a result of working with Chanel, I discovered how important it is to know your ideal client, how to use inbound marketing to attract them, and more. The best thing was that it was in bite size pieces with actionable items to get me moving and get through the overwhelm.
I learned how to conduct Market Research, determine my pricing, and use Social Media and become Visible to attract my ideal clients. If you are looking to create a strategy and run a business that makes a difference in your client's' life then working with Chanel is for you!
Brittany Marie (Business and Mindset Coach)
Chanel was just the Expert I needed to up-level my vision and my business!
"She was able to quickly assess the work I'd already done on my service offerings and talk through clear strategies for me to consider and implement immediately. Because of her excellent one on one approach and amazing course offering, I was able to create the perfect upsell and sales page to launch my own course and coaching options.
Working with Chanel was the best decision I could have made to reach my goals. If you have the opportunity to work with her DO IT! Your business will thank you. Thank you Chanel!
Tesa Colvin (Business Strategist)
I can not recommend talking to this lady enough...
"I was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of ideas I have for my business and how to get them done when I have no tech experience, and honestly that side of things makes my head go fuzzy!!
Chanel very quickly and easily explained the best option for me, how exactly to do it all and in a way I totally understood. Chanel recommended I used Kajabi for my membership website, so I signed up and the NEXT day had been able to upload a course MYSELF because I was able to contact her with any question because she was so willing and able to help, sending screen shots and walking me through the process.
I now have a very clear plan for my next steps, and all this was from a 30 minute call!! Incredible, I highly recommend Chanel
Natalie Jenkins (Business and Mindset Coach)
You've really helped me so much!
Chanel is a joy to work with, she makes thing easy and I loved her simple yet thorough video tutorial she provided for me. She's available to answer any questions I have, and since working together
Chanel is not only a co-creator, she's a friend!
Rachel-Yvonne (Success Coach)
I am now more familiar with marketing strategies and tools...
"I have 4 pages of notes on everything from how I can better market myself, how to niche down, how to find my target audience and even the tech stuff that no one likes to do. I highly recommend her services to anyone that is serious about taking their business to the next level.


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Twenty lucky winners of a Straits Times Appreciates Readers contest went home with a much-awaited Samsung Galaxy S5 yesterday, the first in the world outside of South Korea to own the electronics giant's latest device.
Said Mr Joseph Sia, 39: "My birthday is just one month away, and this is a fantastic early birthday present."
The screen is bigger than that of his current iPhone 5, said the pharmacy assistant.
The winning names were plucked from a lucky draw bowl at the new Samsung store in Westgate mall in Jurong East yesterday.
Participants had sent their names to email@example.com in the tie-up between The Straits Times and Samsung to reward readers.
Powered by a 2.5GHz quad core processor, the S5 features a 5.1-inch display. The phone has a heart rate monitor to cater to runners, and a faster 16-megapixel camera offering real-time HDR (high dynamic range) imaging technology to reproduce lighting conditions more accurately.
"I was pretty excited about the better camera," said winner Winnie Tan, 25. "I take pictures of food and friends so a good mobile camera is a plus."
The civil servant, who currently uses a Samsung Galaxy Note 2, said she would use the heart rate monitor for her Zumba classes.
The phone also has a biometric sensor that lets users access it with their fingerprint.
With a partnership with e-commerce service PayPal, it will also allow phone owners here to pay for items through the service by using their fingerprint as an authenticator.
The biometric sensor on Apple's iPhone 5s is used to unlock the device and pay for items only in Apple's App Store.
Along with the Galaxy S5, the winners also got a Gear 2 watch - Samsung's second attempt at a smart accessory.
The Gear 2 has a heart rate monitor and comes with 4GB of storage for music which users can listen to with a wireless Bluetooth headset during a workout.
"I have always wanted a smart watch but I don't have the pocket money for it," said winner S. Ashween, 16, a student. "This is going to come in handy for my runs."
If it had not been for this competition, he would not have had the money to upgrade his phone for a long time, added Ashween, saying: "My parents are strict about pocket money."
He sent in his name after seeing an advertisement about the contest.
Another 20 lucky winners received a $100 Samsung voucher each at yesterday's event.
The Galaxy S5 is priced at $1,068 and the Gear 2 at $398. They launch officially today.
This article was published on April 11 in The Straits Times.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.


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Preparing for the Weekend: Chinese New Year + Super Bowl Party The Year of The Monkey This coming Sunday, February 7th, 2016 is Super Bowl 50! One of the biggest party days of the year and it just happens to be backed up by the Chinese New Year on the 8th…. the Year of the Monkey…. Keep Reading
I <3 Dessert Pizza A few years ago I was in a well known pizza restaurant in Utah and had what could be one of the best desserts to ever grace my lips…. The Dessert Pizza! Sweet… yet savory perfection. Today we made two heart shaped crusts to celebrate the Valentine's Day season and are… Keep Reading
Making Fashion Personable: Laura's Mickey Mouse Inspired Jumpsuit M*I*C*K*E*Y M*O*U*S*E The Jumpsuit…. still going strong from Fall of 2015 into Spring and even Summer of 2016. Once the ultimate utilitarian uniform…. the jumpsuit has come a long way baby in the fashion lexicon. Offering easy one piece dressing from day into evening….. like… Keep Reading
The Statement Coat Welcome to the "Statement Coat" – a coat that's so much more than just a coat…. it's a statement! It all started around 16 years ago with the Statement Necklace. A heavily embellished neckpiece (or bib) that is usually jewel encrusted and a piece that can totally change an entire outfit. I… Keep Reading
MANDALA MEDITATION: The Art of Coloring Grab the crayons…. it's time to get ZEN! The new rage in the meditation world is the Art of Coloring. A stress reducing, meditative, creative and peaceful way to bring out our inner child. In the book I am working on in the photos today is called Mandala Meditation…….. Keep Reading
Art of Elysium & Oscar de la Renta Today's post was conceived by comments from actor Ed Westwick…. please… let me digress. Last week I had the honor of attending "The Heaven Gala" by The Art of Elysium. A black tie event to raise money and awareness for The AOE (The Art of Elysium). What… Keep Reading
PŪR~LISSE: Pūr~Lip Comfort To know me is to know that I can't live without my Chanel Glossimer (and I have added to the mix the new Smith & Cult Lip Lacquers), meaning I have been using a gloss as a means to keep my lips moist and conditioned. My lips are never too chapped or… Keep Reading
Pennies & Posh: The Fringe Boot Fringe Madness This edition of Pennies & Posh bring us to the fringe boot by The Truffle Collection. Coming in at $78.00 this faux suede over the knee boot is a serious lot of look for a not so serious price tag. Now the key to all "Pennies" pieces… Keep Reading


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In Print
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
13 comments:
Congratulations!! What a beautiful feature and such well-deserved publicity. That magazine name is PERFECT, by the way, and I kind of want to find a copy of this issue so I can run around showing everyone your pillows and saying I know someone famous :) Well done, you!! xoReplyDelete
How exciting!! CongratulationsReplyDelete
She Adores Vintage
Oh WOW awesome! I do not think this magazine was around when I lived in Seattle. I love the design of it and again congratulations on this!!ReplyDelete
Allie of ALLIE NYC
ahh! how exciting and wonderful! congrats! i absolutely love your quote about combining your love of photos, nostalgia, and interior decor <3 it's absolutely perfect!ReplyDelete
How awesome! A big congrats to you Christine!ReplyDelete
Oh, my darlingest! What a day for me to be away from the internets ALL DAY! I'm beyond happy for you, just beyond it! So, so well deserved and it couldn't happen to a nicer person too! I'm in LOVE!ReplyDelete
Congratulations, Christine! So well deserved!ReplyDelete
Well done. A huge conratulations to you on the feature.ReplyDelete
Random Bits & Pieces
Congratulations. Fantastic job!ReplyDelete
:) so awesome and hope you got a copy or two :)
Ohhhh--- conrgatulations! This is so awesome!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 11, 2014 at 2:59 AM
yeahhhhh! congratulations. I'm sooooo happy for you :) xoxoxoReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 21, 2014 at 6:47 PM
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Unit Outline
Crime and Punishment is the last unit of Year 8 Humanities. Taking a historical and sociological approach, this unit seeks to explore what crime is, how it is investigated, and how crime and punishment has changed throughout the ages. The unit finishes with an examination of Henry VIII which asks students to investigate the extent to which he could be considered a criminal.


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text: Rhea Tregebov is the author of poetry, fiction and children's picture books. She has also edited a number of anthologies. In June, 2017, she retired from the Creative Writing Program at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, where she taught poetry, children's literature, fiction and literary translation. She is now an Associate Professor Emerita. Her work has received a number of literary awards, including the J. I. Segal Award for fiction, the Pat Lowther Award, the Prairie Schooner Readers' Choice Award, and the Malahat Review Long Poem Award. Since Tregebov works in several genres with a variety of publishers, this site is designed to give readers a sense of her writing as a whole, as well as details on her publications, background, and teaching.


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Spyhop Heatwave
By John Barkiple [Posted July 31, 2015]
Spyhop's Musicology program hosted its annual Spyhop Heatwave at Red Butte Garden on July 29 to celebrate the graduation of bands Pelicant's and Arcane. This free, all-ages show included a taco cart and free ice cream with a DJ livening up the preshow scene. Spyhop offers Salt Lake's youth a variety of media-based instruction in … read more


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FLAGSHIP, Ozstaff's labour hire and temporary recruitment service, provides you with an end-to-end recruitment services management infrastructure that provides complete line of sight over the entire managed service.
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Slam and Parliament Skate Shop present a new Brisbane City edit, featuring Louis Riley, Trent Riley and Pat Pollock, plus Andrew Beauchamp, Michael Lawry, Mitch Morrison, Edgar Kiisa, Cam Holling, Nathan Jackson, LP Nuku, Joel Wilshere, Matthew Boggis, Jesse Noonan, Mitch Owens, Daniel Vincent and more.
Filmed and edited by John Green.
Pick up your copy of our Summer Edition to see our massive showcase on Brisbane Skateboarding – out now, in both print and digital issues.
Trent Riley, 360 flip. Photo: Wade McLaughlin.


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For over 20 years Orlando Graphics Company has been providing professional design services! We have relocated our business to the Orlando area and we are here to offer the people and businesses of Florida some of the best web design services available.
We started OGC because we love art and design. Our business thrives on helping each customer succeed. We care about our clients, our community and the reputation of our company. Our vision is to be the number one source for website and graphic design services in the Orlando and Orange County area.
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- Friendly and knowledgeable staff
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- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
About the Owner of OGC
Meet Jamie, the the owner of Orlando Graphics Company LLC. Jamie grew up on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan. He has been an artist his entire life and spent most of his professional studies at Grand Valley State University. After college he went to work for a printing company where he learned the ins and outs of the printing industry. In 2000 Jamie started his own small design company where he began teaching himself how to build websites while gaining a small client base.
A local web design/hosting company offered Jamie a position. So Jamie put his business on hold to learn more about the industry and to improve his skills. Jamie spent 4 years there building hundreds of websites and managing hundreds of customers. In 2007 Carnell Design was created and Jamie focused all his energy and time on his own company. Eventually all of Jamie's hard work payed off and he gained some great customers who he still works with today.
Living near the beaches of Lake Michigan was great! But the cold and snow was never meant for him and he found himself spending more and more time in Florida. Orlando is and amazing and inspiring place to be an artist. So Jamie and his girlfriend decided to take the plunge and move their entire lives to the Orlando area. They spent 2 years working day and night to prepare for the move. In 2014 Jamie began work on his new business venture Orlando Graphics Company LLC and in October 2015 moved to Winter Park Florida. Jamie's philosophy on success is very simple! Make your clients successful and happy, then your own success will follow.


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HMIS Specialist - (SSVF - LA)
Adult Services | Los Angeles, CA | Full Time
About Us:
Volunteers of America of Greater Los Angeles is a large, national not-for-profit organization founded in 1896. We provide a variety of social services to Los Angeles area communities such as Head Start programs, Upward Bound college prep programs, veterans' services, homeless shelters, low-income housing program as well as drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Learn more at www.voala.org.
The SSVF HMIS Specialist maintains data for veterans with families that have accessed the program. HMIS stands for Homeless Management Information System. HMIS is a local information technology system used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families and persons at risk of homelessness.
The SSVF HMIS Specialist:
- Verifies, corrects and enters participant information into centralized database; conducts regular audits to assure accuracy of data
- Monitors database (HMIS) reports to assure consistency with other hard copy records and logs
- Runs regular progress reports; creates customized reports to support shelter management and to provided other needed information
- Coordinates with Case Managers and Intake staff to ensure HMIS intake requirements are met
- Trains staff on database (HMIS) and answers questions relating to the system
- Oversees the privacy/confidentiality notification processes to meet regulatory guidelines
- Bachelor's degree preferred
- Experience using HMIS a plus
- Strong computer skills using Microsoft Office suite as well as Internet proficiency required
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Experience working with veterans, people in recovery and/or homelessness individuals
- Valid California driver's license, insurance and reliable transportation
- U.S. Veteran strongly preferred


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Contract type: Design and Installation - Award date: 2015 - Flow rate: 90 m³/d
Wastewater treatment plant with AnoxKaldnes™ MBBR Pack technology for Merck
The Client
Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain – Merck, the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company, is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials.
The Client's Needs
Veolia has been awarded a new contract for the design and installation of a wastewater treatment plant by Merck for its factory located in Tres Cantos, Madrid.
With this order, Merck renews its conf idence in Veolia Water Technologies as water treatment specialist. Indeed in 2008, Veolia was responsible for the design and installation of a purified water system with a capacity of 7.5 m³/h for the Tres Cantos factory.
The Solution
This installation consists of modular MBBR Pack plant, a new technology developed specif ically for the treatment of industrial effluents with high concentrations of highly biodegradable compounds and relatively small f lows, from AnoxKaldnes™.
The modular plant is designed to treat 90 m³/d of water and reduce inf luent COD by up to 50% without requiring a subsequent separation stage.
Each plant has two moving bed bioreactors of 25 m³ that can work under anaerobic conditions, anoxic and / or aerobic conditions depending on the needs in each particular case.
The MBBR Pack features a design that could easily be upgraded for the second phase to meet future increases in production while still providing a stable system performance and
of fering a small footprint.
of fering a small footprint.


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Daily Archives: April 14, 2017
| From Grandmas to Young People, South Koreans Denounce THAAD Deployment at 2nd National Peace Action
On April 8, approximately 3,500 people from across South Korea gathered in the village of Soseong-ri in Seongju County to protest the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Anti-Ballistic Missile System in the 2nd National Peace Action. The 1st National Peace Action took place in Soseng-ri on March 18.
| Odessa Solidarity Day
American human right defenders and anti-war activists organized a world campaign of solidarity with Odessa. Odessa is a city located at the Northern coast of the Black see. Previously it was known mainly as a cultural and trade center. But in the last years Odessa has appeared in the news as a place of fascist crime and political repression. Three years ago, on May 2, Ukrainian neo-fascists burned alive 46 political opponents. Since that time, the Kiev government that relies on fascists' support has sabotaged an investigation of this crime and oppressed victims' relatives as well as progressive residents of Odessa who have been demanding justice.
| OECD: Greece tops list of 20 member-states that increased taxes in 2016
Greece occupies an unenviable "first place" among the 20 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member-states that increased tax and social security contributions on work-related incomes for 2016, according to results of a study by the intergovernmental economic entity, released on Tuesday.


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Instead it has been Arsenal striker Theo Walcott who has hit the headlines without even kicking a ball for Stuart Pierce's outfit.
With the young starlet participating in both of England's qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Andorra, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was keen for his young prodigy to spend the rest of his summer break with his feet up on some exotic island. But this won't be the case. Walcott will be playing for England's Under-21's as they look to build on the senior squad's recent success.
After the disappointment of World Cup 2006, the 20-year-old has declared his wish to make his debut for England in his first competitive international tournament. And after his treatment by ex-England manager Sven Goran Eriksson, he can hardly be blamed for getting the proverbial monkey off his back.
It is easy to see where Wenger is coming from in expressing his concerns with regards to the over-exposure of his wonder kid. A serious shoulder injury in early November ruled Walcott out until March, missing the greater part of Arsenal's season. Wenger just has his club's and player's best interests at heart.
The coming season is a vital one for Wenger as he looks to bring to an end a four-year trophy drought and start to reap the rewards of his tireless labour. Walcott will be key to his plans and with this in mind, Wenger has granted the youngster an extended rest from duties, with the 20-year-old not expected to report to pre-season training before mid July.
Current tournament holders, Holland will not be competing in Sweden, so the trophy will be inscribed with a new name. England benefit from a wealth of talent in their squad including James Milner, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Micah Richards and Mark Noble.
The addition of Walcott will have greatly pleased Pearce who maintains that the decision was down to the player and there was no extra pressure applied on his part:
"I spoke with Arsene after that and I just told him my plans for Theo. Credit to him, he didn't agree. I did say to him that I'd spoken to Theo," he said.
"I have got an utmost respect for Arsene and I understand his point of view but we beg to differ a little bit and the most important driver in the whole conversation was the fact that Theo wants to be part of both squads."
England have been drawn in Group 2 alongside Finland, Germany and Spain. The words 'Group of Death' spring to mind. It will be a good chance for England head coach, Fabio Capello and Pearce to assess which members of the squad could merit a call up for World Cup 2010, should England qualify.
England will kick off against Finland on the 15th June.
Follow @thesportreview on Instagram
MORE: Who will Sir Alex replace Ronaldo with?
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MORE: Man United latest news
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MORE: Liverpool latest news


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by Dr. Danny R. Faulkner on May 1, 2017; last featured August 25, 2017 Let's take a look at the evidence. Recently at Answers in Genesis, we have begun to get inquiries about a supposed event of great prophetic significance on September 23 of this year. Many videos on the Internet are promoting this. On this date, the… Read More
BY VIRGINIA MASON Remember: The planets are always moving. People are always changing. The person you are right now is not the person you will be tomorrow. The same goes for anyone you're ever with, and astrology helps ground you in this truth. This weekend, the sun enters Libra with the autumnal equinox, and the moon is… Read More
BY SHEREEN CAMPBELL This week, love is in the air and wild, wild thoughts are abundant. The ruler of love and money, Venus, will be the most active she's been in quite some time—whispering seduction spells in your ear and sprinkling fairy dust on your love life. The fun begins on the night of the 12th, when she'll blow kisses… Read More
by Conscious Reminder I often come across people who are 20, 30, 40 years old, but that's just on the outside. Deep inside they seem to be stuck in early childhood and still expect the love they didn't get. And they stay there until they learn to love themselves. Different ages have different needs, meaning that… Read More
Even though there are 100s of Chakras there are seven main ones that are typically dealt with when it comes to healing. The Chakras begin at the bottom area of your spinal cord at the point of the coccyx bone and then travel along up the spinal cord to the very top part of your… Read More
We are all going somewhere or at least that's what we like to believe. The modern world is so busy that we have forgotten to pause and see whether we are going in the right direction or not. We are busy going in whichever direction we are going. The downside to this is that we… Read More
BY SHEREEN CAMPBELL Now that we've closed August's eclipse season, September brings us some optimum opportunities to take whatever we learned about ourselves back in August to the next level. Funnily enough, good old Mercury is still stuck in time out until September 5, giving unlimited chances to revisit, redo, reorganize and revitalize our lives. Mars and Venus will connect with… Read More
Zodiacs have been an important part of human being's society for ages. While some may be skeptical, there is a lot that you can learn, just based on the month you were born in. One of these things is what woman may be the perfect match for you. If you're thinking about getting married anytime… Read More
by Gregg Prescott, M.S.; In5D.com Have you ever laid in bed trying to sleep while a constant stream of thoughts flow through your mind? Do you perpetually think about random thoughts throughout the day? Law of Attraction According to the Law of Attraction, you will receive whatever is predominantly on your mind. If your mind is… Read More
BY VIRGINIA MASON The eclipses are done, and the sun has entered Virgo, grounding us in the details and helping us make sense of what the heck just happened. For this last weekend of the month, Venus is moving from Cancer into Leo. With Venus in play mode, love is feeling less serious and more fun. And with the… Read More


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Hailing from Belgrade, Serbia – Calavera & Manya are two determined producers and DJs who are restless when it comes to music and production.
With personal DJ experience lasting for almost a decade – they teamed up in late 2012. to spread an even more "good vibe" with positive emotions and strong energy!
Influenced by diverse artists like Slobodan Trkulja, Hans Zimmer, Daft Punk, David Morales, Kerri Chandler and Masters At Work – inspired the to bring a more organic sound to the house genre.
Their sound was first brought in tune "I Feel (Siente Me)" that got supported by Grant Nelson, Roger Sanchez, UMEK, Robbie Taylor, Maceo Plex, Muzikfabrik, David Herrero, Gabe, Olderic, Gramophonedžie, Roog (Hardsoul), Lauer & Canard, Einsauszwei and many more!
The single went so strong that it eventually entered 20 international Global iTunes charts (from Germany to Venezuela) and reached milions of views on YouTube, Vimeo and Vube channels. It was also featured in Hungarian DJ Mag alongside with the big names like Nicky Romero, Hardwell, Michel Cleis, Coqui Selection and Crazibiza.
The tune also got the support of major radio stations around the globe like Radio FG, Ibiza Sonica, DI.FM Cuebase FM, Kiss FG, NRJ Athens, RauteMusik, AS FM, Virgin Radio, Radio 1 Greece, DI.FM and many more!
Their single "Love Stimulation" that they did with well-known macedonian vocalist Daniel Kajmakoski and talented upcoming producer John Belk was announced in 2014. as the LoveFest anthem. Next to that "Love Stimulation" was featured as "must have" release in DJ Mag April 2015. edition.
With all that they showed up as a versatile remixers doing reworks for "Mundo Bueno", "Agatha", "The Best Is Underground", "Felicidad" which got the positive critiques from their fans.
They performed at various festivals and numerous clubs like EXIT Festival (Novi Sad, Serbia), Love Fest (Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia), Soundlovers Festival (Zrenjanin, Serbia), Silverstar Festival (Srebrno jezero, Serbia) The Tube (Belgrade, Serbia), Mint (Belgrade, Serbia), Stefan Braun (Belgrade, Serbia), Depo Magacin (Belgrade, Serbia), Belexpo (Belgrade, Serbia), Kafemat (Novi Sad, Serbia), Goa Beach Bar (Mykonos, Greece), Pink Champagne (Hvar, Croatia), Tropical Inn (Suara Showcase in Belgrade, Serbia), Hula Hula Beach Bar (Hvar, Croatia), etc.
Calavera & Manya played along with artists such as Coyu, Tube&Berger, Dj Tonka, Thyladomid, Marko Nastic, Metodi Hristov, Kydus, Gramophonedzie, Lea Dobricic, Niki Belucci, Dj Omnia, Jerome Isma-ae etc.
They are currently working on their new tunes and collaboration with artists like John Belk, Robbie Taylor, Phill & Dansmore, Freiboitar, Tory Andurs as well as promoting and organizing various type of events and their music label Mad Mole Music with their weekly "Extend The Weekend" radioshow.
Calavera & Manya @ Beatport DJs


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The mission of The Broad Side is to gather women who are writing about the most-discussed and important issues of the day from a fresh perspective, not in that stale, wonky, inside-the-Washington, D.C.-beltway kind of narrative.
While The Broad Side will mostly be a place to showcase all the women's commentary that those talking head shows and op-ed pages are missing, we'll definitely invite some men to contribute, as well.Joanne's project is a critical and long overdue addition to the American political discussion. She features intelligent and articulate voices who haven't been corrupted by the beltway culture - people who care much more about policy options than political brinksmanship. Joanne also refuses to let Washington continue to ignore a simple truth - women's voices simply aren't heard in politics as much as they should. (by the way, you can hear Joanne's voice, talking politics with me here.)
I'm very pleased and proud to be one of Joanne's first contributors and I'm also pleased that my first Broad Side post focuses on another impressive female role model - Darlene Cavalier, the Science Cheerleader. I'm looking forward to watching Joanne's continued success and I'll be heading over to The Broad Side often - I hope you will too.


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HOLDEN, Mass. -- The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth women's tennis team swept all three doubles matches for the first time this season and never looked back in a 7-2 victory over Worcester State University in a Little East Conference match Thursday at Wachusett Regional High School's tennis courts.
The Corsairs (5-2, 3-1 LEC) were without their three leading doubles winners but still managed to win all three doubles matches and open up a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the singles matches. The Lancers dropped to 5-5 overall and 2-3 LEC.
Seniors Casey Auman (North Dartmouth, Mass.) and Liz Cignoli (Springfield, Mass.) got things started with a 8-5 victory over the Lancers' junior duo of Danielle Candeleri (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Taylor Tomasetti (Waterford, Conn.) in the second doubles flight.
It wasn't as simple in the first and third doubles flights, as UMass Dartmouth needed to come-from-behind to claim both of those points. Junior Hannah Schulze (Chelmsford, Mass.) and senior Nicole Pelletier (Swansea, Mass.) rallied from a 3-6 deficit, winning five consecutive games to win 8-6 over sophomore Meg Shepard (Middletown, Conn.) and freshman Shelby Jankins (West Brookfield, Mass.) at first doubles. In third doubles, a new pairing of freshman Katelyn Capone (Abington, Mass.) and senior Alexandra Post (Plymouth, Mass.) took the final three games for an 8-6 victory over seniors Laura Sarkis (West Springfield, Mass.) and Brooke Michanczyk (Middletown, Conn.) at third doubles.
"When the doubles started, we really weren't sure what we were going to get out of them," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Doug Chapman. "What we got out of them were three very solid efforts. Reversing the momentum in two of the doubles matches and winning all three points was huge for us."
Sarkis put the Lancers on the scoreboard and got a measure of revenge against Post, quickly defeating the Corsair senior 6-0, 6-0 in singles after having lost to her in the doubles.
The Corsairs got convincing wins from Pelletier and Capone at first and fifth singles to clinch the victory. Pelletier topped Candeleri 6-2, 6-2 at first singles and Capone won the deciding match over Tomasetti, 6-4, 6-0. It was the rookie's first win at fifth singles after winning four matches at number six.
Michanczyk earned Worcester State's second point, coming from behind to nip Cignoli 1-6, 6-2, 12-10 at fourth singles.
Schulze bested Jankins 6-2, 7-5 at second singles and Auman beat Shepard 6-2, 6-4 at fourth singles to complete the Corsairs' 7-2 victory.
"Our depth has been a key factor in our success," said Coach Chapman. "This time it was players stepping in, and everyone stepping up."
The Corsairs head North on Saturday for a Little East encounter against the University of Southern Maine. The match is 1 p.m. at Gorham High School.
Women's Tennis sweeps doubles in win over Lancers, 7-2
HOLDEN, Mass. -- The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth women's tennis team swept all three doubles matches for the first time this season and never looked back in a 7-2 victory over Worcester State University in a Little East Conference match Thursday at Wachusett Regional High School's tennis courts.


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- Research
- Open Access
Achieving convergence in galaxy formation models by augmenting N-body merger trees
- Andrew J Benson1Email authorView ORCID ID profile,
- Chris Cannella2 and
- Shaun Cole3
© Benson et al. 2016
- Received: 7 April 2016
- Accepted: 17 August 2016
- Published: 22 August 2016
Accurate modeling of galaxy formation in a hierarchical, cold dark matter universe requires the use of sufficiently high-resolution merger trees to obtain convergence in the predicted properties of galaxies. When semi-analytic galaxy formation models are applied to cosmological N-body simulation merger trees, it is often the case that those trees have insufficient resolution to give converged galaxy properties. We demonstrate a method to augment the resolution of N-body merger trees by grafting in branches of Monte Carlo merger trees with higher resolution, but which are consistent with the pre-existing branches in the N-body tree. We show that this approach leads to converged galaxy properties.
- Stellar Mass
- Original Tree
- Galaxy Formation
- Dark Matter Halo
- Central Galaxy
1 Introduction
A commonly used method for generating catalogs of galaxies from theoretical models is to apply semi-analytic galaxy formation models (Baugh 2006) to merger trees of dark matter halos extracted from N-body simulations (Kauffmann et al. 1999; Helly et al. 2003). This approach has been used to both study the physics of galaxy formation (Henriques et al. 2009; Bower et al. 2010; Lu et al. 2011; Mutch et al. 2013; Benson 2014; Ruiz et al. 2015) and to generate mock catalogs for use in determining survey sizes and accuracy (Lemson and The Virgo Consortium 2006; Bernyk et al. 2016) and comparing models and observations on an equal footing (e.g. Farrow et al. 2015).
A limiting factor in this approach is the resolution of the N-body simulation. A dark matter halo must be resolved with of order 100 particles to have robustly determined properties (Velliscig et al. 2015). In a modern cosmological simulation (e.g. the MultiDark Planck simulation; Klypin et al. 2016) this implies a minimum resolved halo mass of \({\sim}2 \times10^{11}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\). While this may be sufficiently low to host galaxies of the masses of interest for a given application this does not mean that the physical properties of such galaxies are converged. Galaxy formation in the cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm is inherently hierarchical, meaning that the properties of a galaxy in a given halo may depend on those of galaxies which form in lower mass progenitor halos. If those halos are not resolved, the properties of the primary galaxy may not be converged even though its halo is resolved. This can happen not only because galaxies in unresolved progenitor halos are not available to merge with the primary galaxy, but also because those galaxies will lock up baryonic material into stars (making it unavailable to the primary galaxy), and produce metals which may contaminate the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of the primary galaxy (affecting cooling rates etc.).
For example, Bower et al. (2006) had to introduce a sub-resolution metal enrichment prescription into their semi-analytic model (to account for metals which would have been produced by unresolved galaxies in a higher resolution simulation) when applying it to merger trees from the Millennium simulation (Springel et al. 2005) in order to achieve the same results as when run on higher resolution merger trees to which they had calibrated their model.
Rather than introducing sub-resolution models to counteract the lack of resolution, we propose a method which augments N-body merger trees with high-resolution branches generated using a Monte Carlo approach. The branches generated are consistent with the resolved structure of the N-body tree, but can include much higher resolution structure. While these branches lack positional information about their halos, this is generally not necessary to perform the galaxy formation calculations.
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. In Section 2 we describe our method for augmenting the resolution of N-body merger trees, and in Section 3 we demonstrate how this approach leads to convergence in galaxy properties (specifically stellar masses are explored in this work, although our approach works for all galaxy properties). Finally, in Section 4 we give our conclusions.
2 Method
Given a merger tree extracted from an N-body simulation, our goal is to augment the resolution of the tree by grafting on higher resolution branches which match the pre-existing tree structure to some given precision. To generate those branches we will use the Parkinson et al. (2008) algorithm, which has been tuned to reproduce the statistical properties of N-body merger trees. Hereafter we refer to trees generated using this algorithm as PCH trees.
- 1.
Grow a merger tree to the desired mass resolution, \(M_{\mathrm{res}}\), using the Parkinson et al. (2008) algorithm, starting from a base halo of \((M_{0};z_{0})\) and stopping at \(z_{1}\) (or with no stopping redshift in the case of a node at the earliest snapshot of the simulation, \(z_{N}\)).
- 2.
We label the masses of the progenitors at \(z_{1}\) in this trial tree \((M^{\prime}_{1},M^{\prime}_{2},\ldots,M^{\prime}_{n^{\prime}})\), with \(M^{\prime}_{1} \ge M^{\prime}_{2} \ge M^{\prime}_{3}\ldots\) .
- 3.Accept this trial tree as a match to the original tree structure if:
- (a)
\(n^{\prime}\ge n\);
- (b)
\(|M_{i}^{\prime}-M_{i}| < \epsilon M_{i}\) for \(i=1,\ldots, n\);
- (c)
If \(n^{\prime}> n\), \(M^{\prime}_{i} < M_{\mathrm{cut}}\) for all \(i=n+1,\ldots, n^{\prime}\).
- (a)
- 4.
If the tree is accepted graft it in to the original tree and proceed to the next node, otherwise, return to step 1 and create a new trial tree.
In this procedure, ϵ is a parameter which controls the mass precision required in matching the information in the original tree. Once an acceptable tree is found it is grafted into the original tree by simply replacing the base node of the new tree with the node currently being augmented in the original tree, and the progenitor nodes at \(z_{1}\) in the new tree with the progenitors of the current node in mass-ranked order. Note that we keep the masses of the original tree nodes, we do not replace them with the masses of the matched nodes in the new tree (which will differ from those in the original tree by up to a factor of \(1+\epsilon\)). In this way the original information in the tree is preserved while adding in higher mass resolution branches and, potentially, a higher time resolution between redshift snapshots1 (which can also be important for convergence in galaxy formation models; Benson et al. 2012).
After grafting in the new branches, if \(n^{\prime}> n\) we visit each unmatched progenitor node in the new tree which, by definition, has \(M_{\mathrm{res}} < M_{i} < M_{\mathrm{cut}}\), and grow a new tree based at \((M_{i};z_{1})\) with no limit on redshift. This tree is then attached to its progenitor node.
We have implemented this algorithm in the Galacticus galaxy formation code (Benson 2011, 2012) as an operator acting on merger trees which can optionally be applied prior to galaxy formation calculations are performed, and will utilize this code to test the convergence properties of the statistics of merger trees augmented by our algorithm. We also utilize the Galacticus code2 to predict properties of galaxies which form in augmented and unaugmented merger trees in order to explore the how well convergence in galaxy properties is achieved using our augmenting procedure.
2.1 Application to Millennium simulation trees
To demonstrate our method, and the convergence in galaxy properties achieved, we apply this algorithm to merger trees extracted from the Millennium simulation (Springel et al. 2005). Specifically, we extract merger trees from the MPAHaloTrees..MR table of the Millennium database3 (Lemson and The Virgo Consortium 2006). We choose \(M_{\mathrm{cut}}=7.08\times10^{10}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\), corresponding to 60 particles. We find that using a lower \(M_{\mathrm{cut}}\) results in incorrect progenitor mass functions in the augmented trees, suggesting that these masses of lower mass halos are insufficiently reliable for our purposes. We choose an initial value for \(\epsilon= \epsilon_{0} \equiv0.15\) by default - we explore in Section 3.1 how sensitive the results are to the choice of this parameter. If a matched tree is not found after \(N_{\mathrm{t}}=50\) trials, we increase \(\epsilon\rightarrow\epsilon( 1 + \epsilon_{0} )\) and continue until a match is found.4 The speed of our algorithm for a given level of convergence will be determined by the interplay of \(\epsilon_{0}\) and \(N_{\mathrm{t}}\). We explore how often ϵ must be increased to find a match in Section 3.1. We augment these trees to a variety of mass resolutions.
Additionally, we also run our galaxy formation model on the Millennium-II (Boylan-Kolchin et al. 2009) merger trees (specifically those from the MPAHaloTrees..MRII table). We prune these trees back to \(M_{\mathrm{cut}}=5.65 \times10^{8}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\) (corresponding to 60 particles), but do not augment them - using them instead as a reference sample of higher resolution than the Millennium trees. We then augment the Millennium trees to the same resolution of \(5.65\times10^{8}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\) so that they can be compared directly with the Millennium-II trees.
3 Results
To demonstrate our method, we first examine convergence properties in dark matter halo conditional mass functions (Section 3.1). We then explore convergence in galaxy properties as the augmented mass resolution is increased (Section 3.2). Finally, we augment the Millennium simulation to the resolution of the Millennium-II simulation and examine whether consistent results are obtained (Section 3.3).
3.1 Numerical convergence
Our method has two adjustable, numerical parameters, \(\epsilon_{0}\) and \(N_{\mathrm{t}}\), which control the precision required in matching halo masses between the original and proposed trees and the number of trial trees generated between successive reductions in the match precision required. To explore the sensitivity of our method to \(\epsilon_{0}\) we apply it to merger trees from a subset of the Millennium simulation. Trees are pruned as described above, then augmented to a resolution of \(2.5\times10^{9}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\). We repeat this process for \(\epsilon _{0}=0.1500, 0.0750, \mbox{and }0.0375\), and construct conditional mass functions of the resulting merger trees.
We find that 98.5%, 96.9%, and 92.0% of branches were matched to within the original tolerance for \(\epsilon_{0}=0.1500, 0.0750,\mbox{and } 0.0375\) respectively - even though we allow this tolerance to fall off if a matching tree is not found after \(N_{\mathrm{t}}=50\) trials it is clear that the majority of cases are actually matched at the required initial tolerance. In particular, we find that the conditional mass function is well-converged over the full range of masses as \(\epsilon_{0}\) is varied. This indicates that a value of \(\epsilon_{0}=0.15\) is sufficient to ensure convergence.
Considering the parameter \(N_{\mathrm{t}}\), we find that, for \(\epsilon _{0}=0.15\), for nodes with only a single progenitor node a match is found after an average of 1.8 trial trees. These cases are typically easy to match as (by selection) these nodes do not have any mergers above the resolution limit over the period being augmented. For nodes with two or more progenitor halos matching becomes more challenging. In those cases we find that a match is found after an average of 20 trial trees. We find that as \(\epsilon_{0}\) is decreased this mean number of trial trees before a match is found increases only slowly (e.g. it is 22 for \(\epsilon_{0}=0.0375\)). If we increase \(N_{\mathrm{t}}\) we find that the mean number of trial trees before a match is found also increases. For example, with \(\epsilon_{0}=0.15\), the mean number of trial trees5 is 19.6, 33.8, 52.3 for \(N_{\mathrm{t}}=50, 100, 200\) respectively. Since each trial is independent, if the probability for any given tree to match successfully is p, then the probability distribution for a match after n trials is simply \(f(n)=p(1-p)^{n-1}\). The mean number of trials, \(\langle f(n) \rangle\) is then approximately consistent with the above results for \(N_{\mathrm{t}}=50, 100, \mbox{and }200\) if \(p=0.0167\). For \(\epsilon_{0}=0.0375\) we find \(p\approx0.0067\). Based on these results, it is clear that \(N_{\mathrm{t}}\) could be increased without significant loss of speed, and with some improvement in accuracy. Specifically, for \(\epsilon_{0}=0.15\) and the specific tree resolutions considered in these tests, \(N_{\mathrm{t}}=50\) will result in around 55% of two-or-more progenitor branches being matched at the original tolerance, \(\epsilon_{0}\), while to have 90% of such branches matched at the original tolerance would required \(N_{\mathrm{t}}\approx 140\). As we will show below, \(N_{\mathrm{t}}=50\) is sufficient to achieve good convergence in all tests that we consider.
The right-panel of Figure 3 shows the same conditional mass function, but now explores convergence as the augmented mass resolution is changed at fixed \(\epsilon_{0}=0.15\). As mass resolution in the augmented branches is increased the conditional mass function clearly converges at fixed mass ratio (of course, at higher resolution the conditional mass function is populated down to lower mass ratio). This demonstrates that our method is stable as mass resolution is changed.
3.2 Galaxy property convergence
To explore convergence in galaxy properties we examine the stellar mass vs. halo mass relation. As mentioned in Section 2 we use halo trees in this work, as opposed to subhalo trees. The Galacticus model used in this work is configured to not require any information from N-body subhalos - merging times for subhalos (whether these were part of the original trees, or high resolution subhalos grafted into those trees) are computed using the fitting function of Jiang et al. (2008) with orbital parameters drawn from the distribution of Benson (2005). Our augmenting method will also work with subhalo trees. However, if N-body subhalo information (such as positions, orbital parameters, etc.) from such trees were used by a semi-analytic model, then equivalent information for the high resolution grafted subhalos would have to be treated via (semi-)analytic methods. Such an approach will be the subject of a future work.
When augmented to a mass resolution of \(2.5\times10^{9}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\) the Millennium trees produce results in good agreement with the 'native' trees. As the resolution is increased there is a clear systematic shift in the stellar mass vs. halo mass relation - with the halo mass at fixed stellar mass increasing at both low and high masses, while remaining almost constant around the bend in the relation at a few times \(10^{9}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\) in stellar mass. Importantly though, it is clear that the relation is converging as the tree resolution is increased. This is expected - in this particular model infall of gas into halos from the intergalactic medium is inhibited in halos with circular velocities at their virial radius below \(35~\mathrm{km}~\mathrm{s}^{-1}\) (corresponding to halo masses of \(2.05\times10^{10}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\) at \(z=0\)). Once the tree resolution is high enough to resolve all such halos we expect convergence in the results.
3.3 Millennium vs. Millennium-II
As a further demonstration of our method, we use it to augment merger trees from the Millennium simulation (mass resolution \(7.08\times 10^{10}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\) after pruning) to match the mass resolution of the Millennium-II simulation (\(5.65\times10^{8}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\) after pruning). We augment roughly 3.5% of the volume of the Millennium simulation. Since the Millennium-II simulation has a total volume 125 times smaller than the Millennium simulation this means our augmented 3.5% of the Millennium volume corresponding to roughly 439% (\({=}125\times3.5\%\)) of the Millennium-II simulation volume. We then run our galaxy formation model on these augmented trees to predict galaxy properties.
To assess the expected effects of resolution on this plot we identify galaxies in halos of mass between 1 and 2 times the resolution limit of the pruned Millennium-II trees. We then find the distribution of galaxy stellar masses in such halos and identify the 84th percentile of that distribution. We find this to be approximately at \(M_{\star}=3.7\times10^{6}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\). As defined, this resolution limit therefore lies below the range plotted in Figure 5. Furthermore, we can select galaxies in the stellar mass range \(M_{\star}=1\mbox{-}2\times10^{7}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\) (i.e. the lowest masses shown in Figure 5) and examine the distribution of halo masses. We find that the 16th percentile of this distribution is \(M_{\mathrm{halo}}=8.7\times10^{9}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\) - over 10 times higher than the resolution of our pruned Millennium-II trees. Nevertheless, this does not guarantee that the mass functions shown in Figure 5 will be completely free from resolution artifacts, since these \(8.7\times 10^{9}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\) halos are, of course, built from yet smaller halos closer to the resolution threshold.
Focusing first on central galaxies we see that such galaxies in unaugmented Millennium trees are biased to higher stellar mass (at fixed halo mass) than those in (unaugmented) Millennium-II trees. In this specific model, this occurs because baryons are locked up as stars and interstellar medium in lower masses galaxies in the high resolution Millennium-II trees, making them unavailable in the formation of the central galaxy. In the lower resolution Millennium trees, these baryons remain available for incorporation into the central galaxy since the low mass galaxies never form. However, after augmenting the Millennium trees to match the resolution of the Millennium-II trees we see that central galaxy stellar mass distributions are almost identical in Millennium and Millennium-II.
For satellite galaxies we see a similar behavior - in unaugmented Millennium trees satellite galaxies tend to be biased to higher masses than their counterparts in Millennium-II trees. After augmenting the satellite mass functions agree closely at high masses in Millennium and Millennium-II, although we see some differences between the satellite mass functions, even after augmenting, at lower masses. This is particularly noticeable in the top-left panel for higher mass central galaxies, and is apparent in all panels for low mass satellite galaxies. This may be due to limitations of our approach, but may also simply reflect differences in how resolution effects depend on mass in N-body and PCH trees. To investigate these possibilities we repeat this study but instead of using trees extracted from the Millennium and Millennium-II simulation we generate a set of PCH trees matched to the resolutions of those two simulations (referring to these as 'pseudo-Millennium' and 'pseudo-Millennium-II' trees) and then attempted to augment the lower resolution trees to match the higher resolution trees. In this case, by construction, the mass dependence of the resolution cut-off in tree branches is identical between the two sets of trees. We find that the satellite mass functions agree very well between augmented pseudo-Millennium and pseudo-Millennium-II trees. As such, differences in the mass-dependence of the resolution cut-off between PCH and N-body trees seem to be the cause of the differences in the low mass regions of satellite mass functions in Figure 5 - in the top left panel the mass to which the Millennium trees are pruned before augmenting, \(7.08\times10^{10}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\), is very close to the range of halo masses plotted, \(1\mbox{-}3\times10^{11}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot}\), so it is not too surprising that resolution has some residual effects.
In any case, we expect that in typical applications of our approach the important issue will be that galaxies in halos above the resolution limit of the original simulation (corresponding to the low mass turnovers in the unaugmented Millennium mass functions) have converged properties - since it is these halos for which spatial information is available. Clearly, in this example such convergence is achieved.
4 Conclusions
We have described a simple yet powerful way to augment the resolution of merger trees extracted from N-body simulations of structure formation by grafting in high resolution branches generated using the PCH algorithm. These grafted branches are chosen to be consistent with the existing halo masses of the tree, while providing statistically representative structure and halo masses beyond the resolution of the original tree.
We have demonstrated that our method produces results that are converged with respect to its numerical tolerance parameter, and with the mass resolution to which trees are augmented. Additionally, by applying a semi-analytic galaxy formation model to the augmented trees we have shown that galaxy properties converge as tree resolution is increased, and that we can successfully augment trees from a low resolution simulation to match the resolution of a higher resolution simulation and that the resulting galaxy properties are in excellent agreement between the two cases.
The approach of applying Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques to semi-analytic models of galaxy formation in order to constrain their parameters and match the statistical properties of the observed galaxy population (Henriques et al. 2009; Bower et al. 2010; Lu et al. 2011; Mutch et al. 2013; Benson 2014; Ruiz et al. 2015) has become invaluable in allowing the construction of accurate galaxy catalogs, and for exploring the physics of galaxy formation. Such calibrations should of course be carried out using merger trees of sufficiently high resolution that the galaxy properties are converged. Unfortunately, if the constrained model is then to be applied to a cosmological N-body simulation, typically with lower resolution, the resulting galaxy properties may shift away from their constraints. Our approach solves this problem by allowing sufficiently high resolution to be attained even in low resolution cosmological simulations.
This higher time resolution is achieved across all halo masses in the tree, not just in the new high resolution branches. The trial trees created in our augmenting procedure contain high time resolution structure across all halo mass scales - from the mass resolution of our augmenting procedure up to the mass of the halo being augmented. When an accepted trial tree is grafted into the original tree the full structure is retained, including halos above the resolution limit of the original simulation but which exist in between snapshots of that simulation.
Specifically for this work we used Galacticus revision e7e891a6b00c740322d3131c31af818ad1e8686e which can be obtained from the Galacticus repository at https://bitbucket.org/abensonca/galacticus.
As trial trees are generated, we keep a copy of the trial tree with the best match to the original tree masses found so far. If, after increasing ϵ this tree becomes a sufficiently good match we use it instead of generating any further trial trees.
These means include only cases where a successful match was found within \(N_{\mathrm{t}}\) trials.
The Millennium Simulation databases used in this paper and the web application providing online access to them were constructed as part of the activities of the German Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (GAVO). SC acknowledges support by the Science and Technology Facilities Council [ST/L00075X/1]. AJB acknowledges valuable discussion with Yu Lu. We acknowledge the support of the Ahmanson Foundation through the provision of computational resources used in this work.
Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
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