text:
I love playing with the syntax and semantics of nonsense. As it turns out, most students get a kick out of it, too. These activities will definitely engage your students and make them think.
Nonsense with impeccable grammar:
Kids love making up weird, nonsensical stuff. The cool thing about letting them make stuff up is that, to do it effectively, they have to think.
English, like any language, relies on syntax to help convey meaning; however, ensuring the syntax and grammar are correct does not necessarily mean the sentence makes sense. Noam Chomsky, in showing that grammar is distinct from meaning, famously quipped:
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
The syntax of the sentence is just fine. There is a clear subject and a verb, and a complete thought is expressed…but that thought doesn't make any rational sense. Another example:
The hacking sect leaps against the complaint.
And it's not restricted to declarative sentences. You can ask nonsense questions:
How will the suspect diverge within the lemon?
Or give nonsense commands:
Climb the nonchalant tulip sauce.
And make nonsense exclamations:
The taste orbits!
Though that last one sounds like a Skittles ad tagline.
Talk about this idea with your students. Ask them to make up their own nonsense sentences, and check to make sure their grammar is correct. Make it a competition to come up with the most ridiculous sentence, and watch your students crank up the creativity. Heck, you can even turn this into a sentence diagramming exercise, if you're into that sort of thing.
Add a non-linguistic aspect for critical thinking
I'm always looking for ways to engage my visual learners, and this nonsense exercise is a great way to incorporate some non-linguistic representational thinking.
After the students have shared all their nonsense sentences, choose one as a class to illustrate. Figure out a way to visually represent the nonsense. Sometimes this can be very difficult, but that's where the critical thought comes in. You have to rely on alternate meanings of words, abstract images, and artistic license to make it work. You also don't need to restrict yourself to a single picture as a drawing. Try communicating the meaning of the nonsense in a comic strip, or act it out in a skit.
As an extension activity, you can have your students discuss, diagram, or illustrate randomly generated sentences…
This website is an awesome resource for nonsense. The site has a number of generators – from single random words to full random paragraphs based on topics you provide.
Tell your kids to generate a random phrase/sentence/paragraph through the site, then ask them to illustrate it.
Tell them to construct a paragraph that incorporates the sentence or uses it as the topic sentence.
Tell them to brainstorm story ideas from the random words generated. Then write the story. For an added bonus, tell them they have to incorporate at least one nonsense sentence per paragraph of their story.
There are dozens of ways to use syntactically correct nonsense to generate critical thought. And like I said, I've yet to meet a student that doesn't get a kick out of making up ridiculous sentences.
Go. Do it. And have fun. (:


text:
Amoora Rohituka - Plant
|Special Gift Today
|Get 1 Plantfood FREE
|* on all orders today
|Get Surprise Garden Gift
| * worth Rs 300 to 600 Free
* on all orders above Rs 699
|Rs 300 PayTM Cashback
| - 1st Txn: Random CB (Rs 30 - Rs 150)
- 2nd Txn: PayTm Movie Voucher (Rs 150)
- Minimum Order Value : Rs 300
|All India Delivery
|500,000 Happy Customers
With this purchase you will get:
Description for Amoora Rohituka
Shan lian is an evergreen plant; occasionally a shrub 2 meters or taller, it more commonly takes a tree-like habit when it can grow as tall as 32 meters. The cylindrical bole can be straight or crooked; it can be free of branches for up to 15 metres.
Planting and care
Pithraj Tree is a deciduous tree native to India. It grows naturally in lowland and hill forests, usually on hillsides and ridges with sandy to clay soil up to 1400 m altitude.
Caring for Amoora Rohituka
- Watering should be done if the soil feels dry to touch.
- Apply organic fertilizer in early monsoon and spring season.
Not defined.
Typical uses of Amoora Rohituka
Special features: Amoora rohituka is an evergreen tree that grows wild and planted in many districts of Bangladesh.
Ornamental use: Compact spiderwort with a long bloom. Rock gardens, borders, open woodland gardens, wild gardens, naturalized areas or moist areas along streams or ponds.
- http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a737
- http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Aphanamixis+polystachya
- http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Pithraj%20Tree.html
- http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/7585
- https://florafaunaweb.nparks.gov.sg/Special-Pages/plant-detail.aspx?id=2716
You may browse related categories
What Customer says ?
Want to tell us your experience with this product ? Just login and add your comments
Good one.. Good plant growth & good packing...
Ideal plant for green gift
What is Botanical name of this plant?
?How many years will it live?
They are the most beautiful, glossy, healthy plants I ve ever seen.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
J.P. Arencibia knows the critics are out there.
He just doesn't care what they have to say.
The Toronto Blue Jays catcher is enduring a tough year at the plate and behind it. Entering play Tuesday, the 27-year-old is batting .219/.247/.427/.674 for the season with nine walks and 90 strikeouts.
His 15 home runs are tops amongst MLB catchers, but so too are his 10 passed balls.
Following Monday's 8-3 win over the Detroit Tigers, a game in which Arencibia contributed a key two-run single with the bases loaded in the third inning to put Toronto ahead 4-0, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons acknowledged his starting catcher might be receiving more than his fair share of negative media attention, referring to Arencibia as "the whipping boy."
"He's frustrated, he's a great competitor," said Gibbons. "He's a guy that gets a lot of focus on this team. He's kind of been the whipping boy in a lot of ways. There's always one, sometimes two, but he's kind of that guy.
"That's fine, that's part of it," continued Gibbons. "As long as he gets the credit when he plays good that's fair."
A short time later at his locker, Arencibia was asked whether he's felt that way at times this season.
"It is what it is," he said calmly. "I'm learning real quick some of the reactions and some of the business. Obviously that's your guys' job. If there's something to be pointed at, it's always going to be at somebody. If it's not one person, it's the other, so it's part of your job.
"There's no hard feelings. You're not going to call me when my career is over, because I'm not going to call you. So I just go out there and do what I'm put on this Earth to do."
Big things were expected of Arencibia and the Blue Jays entering the 2013 season.
Arencibia got off to a good start in April, batting .253/.267/.566/.833 with eight home runs, but his team did not, struggling to a 10-17 mark.
And by the time the Blue Jays turned things around in June, going 17-9 including an 11-game win streak, Arencibia had cooled off considerably posting a .188/.241/.325/.566 line for the month with 25 strikeouts.
The fact that the Blue Jays weren't winning when Arencibia was producing and the 11-game win streak coincided with his recent slump, merely provided critics with more fuel.
Now entering his third full big-league season, the personable Arencibia was asked how much attention he pays to what's being said and written about him.
"I pay zero attention because I've learned more and more how — no offence — how much you guys don't know," he said.
He went on to say he's never had a hard time blocking out the noise, positive or negative.
"It depends on who you play for," he explained. "With my faith system, I don't play for the fans, I play for one being. I go out there and I've been blessed with abilities. I try to maximize and play as hard as I can with the gifts that I've been given.
"So good or bad, (what people say) is out of my control. I can work hard, I can do all the things to prepare and that's all you can do.
"Results will come. I'm confident enough in my abilities, but again, guys need something to talk about and obviously I'm the one that they talk about. Do I care? Not really."
Arencibia says he is concerned with winning, and he says the key to his team's recent turnaround was faith in their talent and a level head.
"If guys in here didn't believe, you wouldn't be able to be down where we were and have that kind of a run, because that's all confidence," he explained. "If everyone was down, that run doesn't happen, so that's why you have to constantly stay on that same line.
"I try to stay as even keel as possible," he continued. "You try to stay away as much as possible from the downs, but there's always going to be another up, and that's the biggest thing."
Despite striking out three times on Monday, the two-run single was definitely another "up" for Arencibia, one Gibbons hopes is a sign of bigger things to come.
"When you're in one of those kinds of ruts it's tough, and you feel it, but a hit like that can do wonders," he said. "I think he had three strikeouts on the day. But that one hit right there… he'll feel good about that tonight and build off that tomorrow."


text:
Fix My Dead PC - Our name says it all...
PC Repair and Service, virus repair, data recovery, new and used systems
Status: Closed
Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
PC Repair and Service, virus repair, data recovery, new and used systems
PC and Laptop Repair
Data Recovery
Virus and Malware Removal
New Systems and Upgrades
Computer Repair Shop - Virus removal, data recovery, new systems, upgrades, tune-ups and most any computer and laptop repair. Always affordable and always guaranteed!!
Over 13 years in business, serving Portland and surrounding areas with all your computer needs. We specialize in virus repair, tune-up and data recovery but cover most all your PC needs
Published by Don Wells
Published by Don Wells
Published by User Uploaded
I pulled a flash drive out of a computer without ejecting it (100% my fault) and it flipped out in a way that I've never seen before with any of the dozens...
I had a computer repaired here at Fix My Dead PC a few months ago. $40 for a diagnostic which they reduce to $20 if they do any repairs. The people there are very down to earth and tried hard to understand my point of view. I also like their system of diagnosing my entire system before calling me back. Then they let me know exactly what was wrong with my system and gave me all my options. When...
Fix My Dead PC can be found at Se 39th Ave 2039. The following is offered: Computer Software. The entry is present with us since Sep 9, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Portland there are 82 other Computer Software. An overview can be found here.
In business for nine years, Fix My Dead PC is a locally owned OEM computer parts and repair shop that offers custom-built personal computer (PC) systems and upgrades, as well as maintenance and repair services.


text:
Masha and the Bear Introducing their new adventures throughout countries and continents09 June 2016
Masha and the Bear, a popular 3D animated family show that has already attracted extensive amount of households to screens all around the world, announces a number of new episode launches as well as the release of spin-off projects on leading TV channels and other types of media in the EMEA, MENA, North and Latin America.
In January 2016 two large European TV channels, Rai Yo-Yo in Italy and PIWI+ in France, released a second season of Masha and the Bear that includes 26 episodes with notably improved quality of animation compared to the previous season; further integration of secondary characters into the storyline as well as additional Masha scenarios including appearances in various popular likenesses such as Audrey Hepburn, Avatar, Sherlock Holmes and etc. The second season of the series will be also available in Portugal in December on paid TV channel Panda Canal. Moreover, in May Rai Yo-Yo and PIWI+ launched the first spin-off project from the core show – Masha's Tales – that includes 26 folk stories which Masha interprets in her own hilarious manner, mixing up both storylines and characters, but always coming up with original and sound morals of the story.
Given the fact that Masha and the Bear is a unique property based on the concept of representing the basic Parent-Child relationship relatable to each nation and ethnicity, Masha and the Bear gained significant popularity in the Middle East as well. This tendency led Spacetoon, a large TV broadcaster in the region, to purchase the new 13 episodes of the series to complete the second season with the start of airing in July.
Furthermore, this summer in Asia, HTV3 channel in Vietnam and ANTV in Indonesia will introduce the second season of Masha and the Bear and the spin-off project – Masha's Tales – to the audience. In addition, both seasons of Masha and the Bear series will run in Thailand on the free channel - Tru4U and paid – TruSpark since the summer.
This year Masha and the Bear will expand into Latin and North America with licensed products demonstrating strong media support in both continents. In Latin America, a large Brazilian channel, SBT released Masha and the Bear show on the 30th of May. As for the US and Canada, NETFLIX, a world's leading media giant, is preparing a massive launch of Masha and the Bear second season that's scheduled on the 1st of August. Moreover, the broadcaster has already released a first spin-off - Masha's Tales - in February and planning to run Masha's Spooky Stories in October.
In addition, a world famous and respected British studio, Pinewood has recently started a promo campaign to support a launch of a brand new cinema experience for pre-schoolers "Little screen" that will also include Masha and the Bear episode "Jam Day". The programme is planned to run in selected Showcase Cinemas across the UK. The first performance of the "Little screen" is scheduled for the 18th of June.
Masha and the Bear – two hilarious characters of the world's favorite family series – are jumping together across the Earth to share their fascinating stories with parents and kids and who knows in which countries they'd be tomorrow.
Masha and the Bear today
Animaccord has recently started a production of the third season of Masha and the Bear show and intensively working on the 26 new episodes to finish by the middle of 2018. Moreover, the first 4 episodes of the 3rd season have been already released on the MashaMedvedTV YouTube channel in Russian. As for today, the channel counts almost 8 billion views with more than 6, 2 million subscribers from all over the world. Finally, for the last six months the channel has been constantly included in the list of TOP-10 most viewed YouTube channels worldwide and, overall, Masha and the Bear content on YouTube has been watched over 13 billion times.


text:
Jøtul F-3-CB Cast Iron Wood Stove
Timeless bestseller
This is our signature small/medium wood stove now with an enhanced fire view. The Jøtul F-3-CB is the world's best value for your heating dollar and is the best selling small/medium cast iron wood stove in North America.
Selling up to 20,000 stoves worldwide each year, the Jøtul F-3-CB has an impeccable track record for durability. Along with our other wood stoves, Jøtul has developed and manufactured the first complete line of non-catalytic wood stoves with open door fire viewing.
- Features Jøtul's Limited Lifetime Warranty
- Proven spring-loaded door latch system recognized as the industry's finest
- Manufactured with built-in rear & bottom heatshields, which provide excellent clearances when using double wall chimney connector
- Alcove approved for the US & Canada
- Emission: 3.78 gram/hr
- Heating capacity: Up to 1300 SQFT
- Approx. weight: 265 lbs
- Log size: Up to 18"
- Flue Outlet: 6"
- Efficiency: HHV 72.79%-LHV 78.71%
- Flue exit options: Top and Rear
- Max output: 42,000 BTUs
- Ash solution: Yes
- Colors: Black Paint, Blue Black Enamel, Brown Majolica
- Height: 28"
- Width: 22.875"
- Depth: 19"


text:
Now there's a tongue twister for you and if you are clever enough to repeat that 6 times, you will surely and easily be able to follow the exciting journey waiting for you among the hills and hummocks of the Portarlington Celtic Festival Fairyland.
There are all sorts of fairies, goblin and leprechaun stories awaiting all of you during this fascinating journey and maybe even some of the little people themselves!
There are tales of monsters, magic harps, fairies, enchanted woods and many,many wee people and stories of magic that must be heard to be believed.
The stories will capture your imagination and take to legendary lands and places where you can relive wonderful tales of yore and make believe.
It will be just a short, but worthwhile journey with fascinating places to stop and listen to the 'Shanachie' or Storytellers telling tales of magic and wonder and who knows, you might even find a leprechaun's Crock o' Gold at the end of a rainbow?


text:
Recent Posts
When I was little I used to look at this cabinet sitting next to the front door in the living room of my grandparents place and think how good it could look if only it wasn't for all the junk … Continue reading
The search function on Youtube quite remarkable. It doesn't matter what search term is put in, it will, within a short period, bring up jet engines. Once there it's hard to get away but this time I managed, via a … Continue reading
Every garage needs a workbench. Fortunately the inorganic rubbish collection is on. It's the time to put your old junk out by the side of the road and bring home someone else's. I wanted to retrieve a couple of cabinets … Continue reading


text:
I don't have particularly fond memories of school. I stood out in Primary for being the first in my class to have divorced parents and then we had the only Stay at home single Father who was loved and adored by all the mothers and even the all female staff. When I moved to Secondary I was placed in a very small class (18 students) of exceptionally gifted and talented 11 year olds. It seems I had a natural gift for English and Maths which put targets on all of us. We were the geeks and/or nerds of the school and expected to lead the way for excellent results during the next 5 years. My saving grace was an incredible group of friends.
We were a quirky lot, got down to work when we had to but also found the time to laugh and break the stress of the day. We all dressed in black one year to fundraise, one of us could speak passable Klingon, another hid a shed full of animals and is now a Vet Nurse. We were good for eachother and I made some life long friends who will never understand how much they meant to me at a time when I felt extraordinarily lost.
One of the girls and I had a very up and down relationship; she was my bestfriend and also my achilles heel. She knew so many of my secrets and she occassionally slipped up and would dump me in it with one boy or another that I was head over heels in lust with and it would all end in tears. Looking back it was fairly typical teenage hiccups but, also, I thought of her as a cousin or stepsister. That's the relationship we had. I told her all the darkness and she would try to find me some light. I put up with her catty side because I loved her dearly and it was nothing to the way my own sister treated me. Her family were, and are, awesome. Her parents are some of the coolest going and they never seemed to get fed up with my constant visits. They are truly diamonds of the South.
My bestie and I fell out around the time of our GCSEs. It was a biggun and it took me a very long time to forgive. Too long. We would find eachother over the next 14 years and have a quick catchup. I was at a different point in my life to my school friends. Happily married, a houseful of kids, chicken pox, washable nappies, and the start of my aches and pains. She was a working woman, living her life the way she wanted to and still getting through her own baggage.
Then we hit 30 and whilst I was still making babies, she was starting a rollercoaster that she never planned on.
She was having shoulder pains which they were struggling to indentify and eventually a bit of a push from mum about an "unrelated" issue made the doctors look a little deeper. Yeah, cancer. This woman who had lived her life in the positive had been hit with a killer blow. That's when it stopped being about where we were in life and it came back to a group of friends who had each others backs.
I had missed my bestie. The odd sense of humour, the dark laughter, the sage advice. I was glad to be able to reconnect even if the circumstances were less than ideal. Oh, who am I kidding? Less than ideal? They couldn't have been worse. It shouldn't have taken cancer to bring us back together. Any hurt that happened half our life time ago should have been well and truly buried. It was buried. I knew that we were a couple of teeny boppers just finding our feet and hurting inside because of things we had no control over.
We laughed again, giggled inappropriately, enjoyed giant yorkshire puddings and afternoon tea. It was simple. I want anything for it to be simple again.
Her cancer isn't shy. Her Doctors have been doing a fabulous job at pushing it back, holding the flood gates. The multipe surgeries have helped, certainly she finally got the breast reduction which had always been a back seat "one day" – something we had a dark laugh about. We also chatted about the special one of a kind face mask they use to hold her head completely still for targetted treatment. She tells us that there are these fabulous murials on the ceiling rather than crappy hospital tiles. The staff are extraordinary too. They go above and beyond to make sure that all of their patients are as comfortable as possible.
We often moan about waiting times, prescription costs, time hanging on the phone whilst sorting out appointments, and yet, our NHS has gone above and beyond to help my beautiful friend. It does so every single day around the UK.
That word seems to be said so often now. Cancer. There is sound scientific reason behind it too. We have a 1 in 2 risk of being diagnosed with cancer across the course of a lifetime. That's some seriously scary odds. The good news is that we are increasing the odds of surviving every single day so for the majority of people who get dealt the Big C card, they will beat it and go on to live happy, healthy lives. www.cancerresearchuk.org
My friend got given the rubbish hand. She has managed to hold off her ending for longer than she was first told. I am so glad she did. I found my friend again, just when I needed her. I'm so incredibly blessed. She has helped me to live again, just at a point where she can't. Hold your loved ones close today and everyday. Don't weigh yourself down with hate, work through it and let it go so you can enjoy the daily grind – okay, not enjoy but you have to count the days that are normal as a good thing. I do the night rounds at home, checking in on each child, removing the hard plastic dinosaur, tucking teddy back into bed to avoid an early wake up alarm to find him, turning off the cd player, and brushing the fallen locks off the faces. Today has ended well and I enjoy knowing that we made it through another day.
I don't know what happens next, I suspect it will be awful. I want to remember the little things like daisy chains and pizza parties, blue lemonade and bent chips. It's the little things that matter the most, they all add up and make amazing memories. Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. I'm glad I have the opportunity to revisit, to make anew, and find time to look back.


text:
When should children see an Orthodontist? Parents Information
While orthodontic treatment can improve smiles at any age, there may be an optimal time for individual patients to begin treatment in order to achieve maximum improvement in a minimum amount of time.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that a child's first visit to an orthodontic specialist take place no later than age seven if an orthodontic problem is detected. Depending on the type of problem, this first visit could take place as early as age four to six. Sometimes, malocclusions are present behind seemingly acceptable smiles. And while treatment may not be started until years later, early examination allows the orthodontist to detect and evaluate problems and plan appropriate treatment at the optimum time. In some cases, early treatment may be initiated to prevent more serious problems from developing. This early intervention may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated.
The right time for an orthodontic check-up: no later than age 7
Even though most people associate orthodontics with pre-teens and teens, there are good reasons why your child should get an orthodontic evaluation much sooner.
Why your child should get an orthodontic check-up no later than age 7:
- Orthodontists can spot subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth while some baby teeth are still present.
- While your child's teeth may appear to be straight, there could be a problem that only an orthodontist can detect.
- The check-up may reveal that your child's bite is fine. Or the orthodontist may identify a developing problem but recommend monitoring the child's growth and development; and then, if indicated, begin treatment at the appropriate time for the child. In other cases, the orthodontist might find a problem that can benefit from early treatment.
- Early treatment may prevent more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated.
- In some cases, the orthodontist may be able to achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.
- Early treatment may give your orthodontist the chance to:
• Guide jaw growth
• Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
• Correct harmful oral habits
Some early warning signs that may indicate your child should see an orthodontist:
- Crowded or misplaced teeth
- Protrusion (overjet)
- Deep bite (overbite)
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
- Thumb and finger sucking
- Speech difficulty
- Difficulty in chewing or biting
- Grinding or clenching of teeth
- Jaws that shift or make sounds
- Missing teeth
- Signs of enamel wear
How to help your child with their orthodontic treatment:
- Make sure they brush their teeth a minimum of 4 times a day especially after every meal.
- Ensure they take a toothbrush and some toothpaste to school so that they can clean their teeth after lunch.
- Make sure they don't eat sweets or drink fizzy drinks. Encourage healthier, tooth-friendly alternatives such as fresh fruit and water.
- Help keep your child's removable braces safe when they're not wearing them by purchasing a Brace Case.
- If your child is sporty protect their teeth and braces with a Sports Guard.
- Call the surgery straight away for advice on lost or broken braces.
- Once braces are fitted, purchase a cleaning pack.


text:
To offer a tempting deal to its pre-paid customers, Bharti Airtel has rolled out a new Rs 448 plan that promises unlimited voice calls and 1 GB data daily. The plan is touted to counter Reliance Jio's popular Rs 399 plan that has a validity of 84 days. As per the plan, an Airtel subscriber can make unlimited local and STD calls with a capping of 250 minutes per day and/or 1,000 minutes per week.
- Airtel's Rs 448 plan offers 1 GB data free daily for 70 days
- Airtel plan has weekly talk time limit of 1,000 minutes
- Once talk time finishes, calls are charged at the rate of 30p a minute
For instance, when a customer ends up using 200 minutes daily, the free talk time will get over after five days, however, on each day, if he exhausts the entire 250 minutes quota then the available limit will last for four days. And following this, he will have to wait for the next week for the free 1,000 minutes talktime quota.
Once the talk time limit gets exhausted, the calls will be charged at the rate of 30 paise per minute, confirmed an Airtel customer care executive.
The plan also entails free 100 messages (SMS) daily. The Internet data offered along with the plan is unlimited subject to a maximum of 1 GB every day. The plan also covers free roaming with it.
The validity of the plan is 70 days.
The Rs 399 plan of Reliance Jio, that Airtel plans to counter with the latest Rs 448 offer, also offers 1GB data per day for 84 days (instead of 70 days in case of Airtel) along with unlimited local and STD voice calls.
Get Breaking news, live coverage, and Latest News from India and around the world on NDTV.com. Catch all the Live TV action on NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram for latest news and live news updates.


text:
Jeffrey Sarmiento, Associate AIA
Jeffrey, a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, holds a master's degree in architecture with a concentration in educational facilities. He has three years of combined experience with hospitality, academic and federal government agency facilities.
Jeffrey gained life and work experience while serving in the US Navy as an engineer aid, which included drafting, surveying and soil material analysis in combat areas. He is versed in computer technology and building information model program software like Autodesk Revit, 3ds Max and AutoCAD.
He is ambitious and eager to further develop his skills and experience at TSK.
Master of Architecture, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2016)
Bachelor of Science in Architecture, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2014)
Professional Affiliations
AIA, Associate Member
Select Experience
US Bureau of Reclamation Administration Building Renovation
Hoover Dam Visitor Center Renovation
Clark County School District Lincoln Elementary School Replacement
Clark County School District Rex Bell Elementary School Replacement
Clark County School District Lamb and Kell Elementary School
University of Nevada, Reno Lombardi Recreation Center Renovation
Flamingo Multi-Family Residential Housing*
Omnia Nightclub*
*individual experience


text:
During the week of May 14-18, a group of students at Jefferson High School ran a "Don't Drive Distracted" campaign.
They scheduled the campaign during May because it is one of the deadliest months for teen drivers and because a Mock Car Crash was being held at JHS for sophomores and the students felt it was important for juniors and seniors to hear the message also.
For five days they had tables set up in the JHS Commons where students could sign a pledge to not text and drive.
They handed out thumb rings and bracelets for reminders, Click-it-for-Kelsey bracelets, and reminder stickers to put on the back of cell phones.
There was a Wii set up for students to attempt a mock driving exercise while texting or wearing fatal vision goggles.
The Safe Communities Coalition set up an impact display with stories and images of individuals who have been affected by bad choices made on the road.
More than 160 students and staff signed the pledge (inset).
This event was sponsored by Alexandria Community Education and Safe Communities Coalition.
Students involved in the project included Brandon McCormick, Aaron Halvorson, Mady Urman, Hailey Thelen, Carolyn Lussenhop,
Shelby Steidl, Elliot Jacobson, Aaron Steidl, Shanee' Herd, Jazmin Roste, Emily Peck, Lisa Klinkner, Hailey Haugen, Lauren Lussenhop, Emma Lawrence and Adrianne Wensman.
Following is the pledge the group of students asked their peers to take:
Students of Jefferson High School are working together to educate our fellow students, faculty members, friends and family and our community on the inherent dangers of distracted driving. This new epidemic is making our roadways a much more dangerous place to walk, ride a bike and drive a vehicle. The true reality is distracted driving KILLS. Our goal is to collect over 500 pledges from JHS and our community.
Join us.....
* I pledge to never text and drive.
* I pledge to not send a text to anyone I know if I know that they are driving.
* I pledge to speak up when I see someone texting and driving.
* I pledge never to allow a friend or family member to text and drive.


text:
When it comes to weight loss, WHEN is just as important as HOW MUCH you eat.
Studies have shown that the dieters eating most of their daily calories in the morning and afternoon meal, were more successful.
A study given to 74 overweight or obese women showed this to be a solid conclusion. The groups were split in two- the first group was given the "breakfast diet" which consisted of a 700 calorie breakfast, a 500 calorie lunch and a 200 calorie dinner. The other group was given the "dinner diet" which consisted of a 200 calorie breakfast, a 500 calorie lunch, and a 700 calorie dinner.
After 12 weeks the women on the "breakfast diet" lost an average of 18 pounds while the women on the "dinner diet" lost 8 pounds.
It is a know fact that your metabolism is the most efficient and at its peak first thing in the morning and slows down as the day goes by to prepare for sleep. So…wouldn't it make sense to eat the bulk of your calories during the day? Feed your body with the right amount food to provide you with energy until it's time to relax?
So, begin your day with a hearty breakfast because, like your Mother always said, it's the most important meal of the day…"one fit for a King".


text:
I thought TMNT would suck? This is exactly why I'm selective on the overall reviews I read about movies. Here's 6 Reasons Why I Enjoyed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Reboot.
1. The Special Effects were Amazing.
Look, when I first saw the Turtle designs, I panicked. I thought they got it wrong. But the character design really came together, at the end.
2. Megan Fox makes sense as April
Not sure where the Megan Fox hate comes from but she really played what April would have been on this kind of movie.
3. The Action didn't really stop
Although I wish it was longer
4. Shredder's character design was pretty dope
5. It kept the humor of the cartoons and previous movies
6. These Turtles were a bit more darker than the cartoon
Thank you Michael Bay & Jonathan Liebesman, TMNT was actually way better than I thought it would be!
But hold up, There was 2 things I wasn't feeling with TMNT. #4 & #5 here (Via Buzzfeed)


text:
I like this pub because I can meet with a group of friends and be sure that we will have a table, even if it is busy, because the pub is huge and has lots of tables. The music is not loud at all, which makes it a great place to have a conversation.
J.W. Sweetman has their own brewed beers, about 5-6 different kinds depending on the season, and offers a taste of all of them in 1/3 pint glasses for 14€ – great for anyone who likes trying new drinks like me. It is a pity I don't like beer, I'd be happy if they had the same for ciders!
They would sometimes host events like quizzes.
This pub is right next to O'Connell Bridge, near all the bus routes, a perfect location.
Prices are the usual for Dublin City Centre, about 6€ a pint/bottle.
I love the atmosphere in this pub, they have candles on many tables, which help with lighting and even heating in winter.
Pro-tip: In winter go to the top floor to be in the warmest spot, all the candle's heat ends up there, it is worth the effort 😉


text:
I am of mixed mind when it comes to the Grammys. I'm a fan, of course, of celebrating outstanding achievement in the kids' music world, but sometimes the nominees have been... interesting. Which isn't to say that we should celebrate or denigrate a process depending on how much we personally like or dislike the results, but given the tremendous fluctuation from year to year of what type of albums are getting nominated, in the runup to this morning's announcement of Grammy nominees, I deliberately kept a low-key attitude.
But, hey, setting aside any qualms I have about the Grammys and kids music generally, the list of nominees for Best Children's Album at the 58th Grammy Awards was announced this morning, and it is a fine, fine slate of nominees, including some of the best (and nicest) folks in the kids music genre. It features four newer artists and one legend, Jose-Luis Orozco, who, though his album tends somewhat more toward the folk/educational sound that may not catch as many modern listeners' ears as some of the other nominees here, is, as I said, a legend who I was surprised to find out earned his first Grammy nomination this morning. It's well-deserved.
In any case, here's a list of the five nominees and some links to let you explore further. The Grammys will be awarded Monday, February 15, with the awards in categories like Children's Album to be awarded earlier that weekend.
¡Come Bien! Eat Right!
Bilingual album celebrating healthy eating, Orozco's first album on Smithsonian Folkways
Dark Pie Concerns
Funny enough this should appear under Orozco's album -- this is all about food, too. But about as far away as possible from that album in style, lyrics, and just about everything else. Wonderful, but in its own way.
Pop hooks. So. Many. Pop. Hooks.
How Great Can This Day Be
Tickles me pink to have Henriques' jazz and jazz-inflected songs on this list of nominees.
Sui generis album about the natural world from two of kindie's most unique artists.


text:
Greetings in the name of GodGreetings in the name of God - email spam message. This message appears sent from - SUSAN IWANSKI [email@example.com]. Return or reply email as - email@example.com.
Greetings in the name of God,Pls let this not sound strange to you for my only surviving lawyer who would have done this died early this year.i prayed and got you email id from your country's guest book which i have been with my late husband and like to visit once more if God will in his infinite mercies.
I am Mrs.Susan Iwanski from Netherlands,I am 62 years old,i am deaf and suffering from a long time cancer of the breast which also affected my brain,from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that, according to my doctors they have advised me that i may not live for the next two months,this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage.
I was brought up from a motherless babies home was married to my late husband for twenty years without a child ,died in a fatal motor accident Before his death.
Since his death I decided not to re-marry,I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of $15.5million dollars with a Security Company.
Presently, this money is still with them and the management just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over because of my illness or they get it confisticated.
Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live.
It is my last wish to see that this money is invested to any organization of your choice and distributed each year among the charity organization,the poor and the motherless babies home where i come from.
I want you God fearing, to also use this money to fund orphanages and widows,I took this decision, before i rest in peace because my time will soon be up.
As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of my Security.
I will also issue you a letter of authority that will prove you as the new beneficiary of my fund. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.please you should reply your positive response through this mail address below firstname.lastname@example.com
Waiting for your reply.
Mrs.Susan Iwanski


text:
Happy Friday!
Here in the U.S., it feels like we're in a national limbo at the moment. Collectively counting the days until this endless presidential election is over, all while hovering between seasons awaiting a fall that's slow to arrive.
I too feel like I'm personally in limbo. Transitioning from one business I've worked hard for years to build to one that's on a much bigger scale. In the span of a few weeks, I've gone from describing myself as a dating coach to a startup founder.
It's all simultaneously exciting and scary.
One of my personal mantras comes to mind a lot these days:
Nervousness and excitement are two sides of the same coin.
It's all about your interpretation. Change is always happening, whether we like it or not. And it's natural to feel nervous, even when that feeling is the result of a change we've deliberately sought out.
Thinking this way helps me to feel better and more relaxed when things are in flux. We don't have to feel comfortable with the uncertainty - we only have to accept that it exists and move forward the best we know how.
Here's to moving forward!


text:
Join my Premium Content Library for more videos and personal help
Pools noodles are inexpensive, light weight, and cushion breakables very well. Use them in a variety of ways when shipping eBay items. Check Google for more pool noodle life hacks – they are very versatile around the home.
See more eBay shipping tips
More pool noodle hacks
Pool noodle hacks for kids
Join me on Facebook
FREE eBay Shipping Tutorial
FREE Cash Hiding in Your Home
Join my Premium Content Library
Use discount code SAW101850 for 50% off your first month
Hire a Virtual Assistant
eBay courses on my website
Book Keeping Spreadsheet
Talk to Suzanne
Join my Facebook group
My eBay Store


text:
So man skirts and dresses and heels are now on trend! It's true, I read it on the interweb so it must be true. Does that mean I'm not a transvestite anymore? If the culture has changed and now we accept that men might want to wear "women's clothes" then that changes something fundamental to our culture. But of course, we don't all accept it because there is still an argument going on between two opposing factions in the debate on gender. I could label them left and right but that would only be partly correct at a certain level of understanding. They are not just left and right oppositional points of a central point they are both extremists. Jordan Peterson is great example of a modern scientific rational "Right" side of the fence, speaker. He's good but one thing he fails to do is recognise his own position. He opposes the left but fails to see the cultural side of the argument and if you can't argue for your opponent then you're not qualified to argue against them. The same goes for those on the left claiming the word "woman" as if a label might somehow heal the wound. Biology is biology and women are what we have for centuries called the bearers of XX chromosomes. We can't just change language at the whim of one side of an argument. Can we move the conversation away from biology on to psychology now, please? If you're claiming a third gender why call it a woman? I might feel like, or even want to be, a woman but that doesn't make me one. XX chromosomes do that and I ain't got 'em.
Let's call the third gender X for now? At least until we understand more about it.
You have the extremist right who think that material science and biology is everything and you have extremists on the left who think that the social sciences and culture are everything. They might be on opposite sides of the fence but they're way up the extremist end of the field.
We need to stop thinking about the left-right split in terms of a middle ground of reason between the two because extremists don't like reason.
Btw I don't think that Jordan Peterson is an extremist but he is a very good example of a scientific rational modern thinker and he does sit in strong opposition to the left postmodern thinkers. I also think that more extreme people on both sides of the fence use him to support there more extreme views.


text:
The Swinging Mountaineers is a "Plus" square dance club in Bend, Oregon. Plus is an advanced form of square dancing, usually learned after "mainstream," the beginning level of square dancing. The Swinging Mountaineers began as a mainstream club in Sisters, Oregon, in 1980. They later moved to Bend and changed to a plus club.
Dance Times and Locations
- 2nd and 4th Friday of each month
- 7:00 — Intermediate Rounds; 7:30 – 10:00 PM — Plus Squares
- Pine Forest Grange, 63214 Boyd Acres Rd, Bend, Oregon [Map]
- Dance cost is $6.00 per person
Club Callers and Cuers
- Guest Callers
- Guest Cuers
Theme Dances
- February, 2nd Friday – Valentine's Dance
- April, 2nd Friday – Hard Times Peanut Dance
- May, 2nd Friday – Club Birthday & Fiesta Dance. Mexican theme with lots of prizes!
- September, 2nd Friday – Sundae on Friday Dance. Ice Cream Sundaes with all the trimmings.
- October, 4th Friday – Halloweenie Dance. Hot dogs with all the fixin's.
- December, 2nd Friday – Christmas Dance and Charity Food Drive. Bring non-perishable food donations.
- Plus lessons/workshop start in January and continue thru March on Sunday evenings, $2.00 per dancer.
|David Holloway, President
|Mary Stadler, Vice President
|Joyce Welton, Secretary
|Lonnie Waak, Treasurer


text:
Pastor Eugene Cho Says This Generation is "Overrated"
Pastor Eugene Cho has a confession to make: "I'm more in love with the idea of following Jesus than actually following Jesus." But with his confession comes an indictment. He believes that many Christians are just like him. They like the idea of following Jesus or changing the world or doing good more than the actions themselves. And this, Cho says, is a big problem.
Cho is the founder of One Days Wages and lead pastor of Quest Church. In his new book, Overrated, Cho throws some powerful punches at American Christians. He paints a picture of couch-surfing, lazy slactivists who talk a lot about justice but don't do much of anything. This has led him to propose that modern generations may be "the most overrated in human history." Here, we discuss this provocative idea and what he thinks Christians can do to begin following the "Jesus of downward mobility."
RNS: A lot of people talk about the potential of modern generations to positively impact the world, but you say we may be "the most overrated in human history." Explain.
EC: I've been to enough gatherings, church services, and conferences over the past decade and you're right, a lot of people talk very positively about the potential of modern generations. I often year phrases like "history makers" and "world changers" and even the "This is the generation to…" At heart, I'm an optimist but if we're not careful, I think we can sound--and be--arrogant and it can lead to a dangerous spirituality where so much revolves around us.
I'm also concerned that in our social-media-hyper-narcisstic-ego-self-centered world, we might be more enamored by the idea of "good"-– feeling good or good intent or doing good. But it takes more than just desire. It takes action.
Our wealth of resources and opportunities lends itself to this theory that we may be part of the most overrated generation in human history—because we have access to so much data, info, resources, modes of communication but we end up doing so little. We tweet, blog, talk, preach, retweet, share, like, and click incessantly. What do those actions actually cost us? How are we sacrificing?
RNS: How have following Christ and pursuing justice become, as you say, "unrealistic and glamorous" among Christians?


text:
Back in 2013-2014, I think I signed up for every webinar, e-course, ebook, digital download, newsletter, printable and podcast known to man. I had been blogging for eight-ish years, but I still felt like there was so much more to learn! I would snuggle into the couch with an iced coffee or glass of wine, my laptop, a notebook, some jazz music and I'd be ready to absorb all of the info that I could take in. I'm going to be real with you, I signed up for some really cool classes. Some were free, most were not. They taught me to code, to use Photoshop, DSLR tips and tricks, how to be a better blogger, how to create custom planners, etc. These were all great classes, but how much was too much?
Sure, there was a new SEO trick or plugin that I didn't know about, or a strategy I thought I could try, and I was truly happy to get that info. A lot of times, in that hour or two of reading or watching, I'd be hearing someone else's take on things I already knew. The blogging rules and tricks were the same: Be yourself, don't fake it, be consistent, authenticity it key, etc. But at some point, you have to focus on great content. The kind of stuff that you'd see and bookmark, pin for later, print out or forward to a friend.
Again, this post is something I wish I had read last year. I overloaded myself with information and thought my head was going to explode. I realized that I can take all the classes and read all the how to's in the world, but in the end, it all fell on me.
The more you know and grow, the better. That's a given. But do it in moderation. You don't need every webinar and free download that's thrown your way. It's a noisy world out there, and people are marketing products that they want you to feed into all day, every day. They're good every now and then, but too much of something can be intense. Now I know how to use my camera settings, how to create textures and layouts in Photoshop, and a bunch of other stuff that I use fairly often. But when you spend more time trying to take everyone else's advice, sometimes I think you can ware yourself thin. For every class that I took, I should have waited a few weeks and applied those skills. I should have used what I already knew to keep my brand going strong.
Rock on, friends.


text: Kevin is currently pursuing an MBA at Harvard Business School. He is interested in technology, finance and design. Prior to joining Harvard, he worked at Barclays where he developed, analyzed and prioritized credit risk and marketing strategies to optimize the bank's returns. He has also worked as a consultant with McKinsey and Company and as a venture capita


text:
Scallywag (magazine)
Scallywag magazine was published in London between 1991 and 1995. The subtitle of issues 1 - 6 was "Camden's only alternative community magazine". It sought to publish controversial journalism which other satirical and investigative publications (such as Private Eye) would not publish due to fear of litigation. It was founded and edited by Simon Regan and Angus James, Simon's half-brother.
A previous version was published in Dorset, and the first issue of the 'Camden Scallywag' says that the Dorset version was then "on edition 37".
In 1993 it was sued under English libel law by the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, John Major, over reporting rumours that he had had an affair with a Downing Street caterer, even though it had said the allegations were false. By also suing the magazine's distributors, he received a settlement from them, and they passed the costs onto the magazine. Scallywag's financial position never recovered.[1]
Stories from Scallywag magazine were used by the controversial writer David Icke in his book 'The Biggest Secret'.
At least 30 issues were published. Nos 1 - 3 were undated, no. 4 is dated February 1992, nos 27 - 30 are dated 1995. No 12, which was the magazine that contained the article "Take-Away Midnight Feasts At Number 10" that John Major sued over, is dated January 1993.
A number of issues have been archived.[2]


text:
Part one of "Advances in Electronic Control of Hydraulic Servo Systems," published in the July 2013 issue of Hydraulics & Pneumatics, covered how to optimize control of servo hydraulic systems: design, challenges, and, ultimately, a solution. The solution used a model to estimate the velocity and acceleration as a function of the control output. This second part continues by showing how to generate first- and second-order models.
Figures 1 and 2 contain two graphs showing how you can use the measured velocity and control output to generate a first- and second-order model, respectively. The feedback velocity in red is calculated using a simple method. The resolution of the feedback device is 0.001 in., but the velocity is calculated over a time span of 2 msec, so the resolution of the feedback velocity is 0.5 in./sec. You can see that the estimated velocity is much smoother because it's generated by the model, whereas the feedback velocity from a first-order model doesn't follow the changes in the actual model very well. On the other hand, the estimated velocity for the second-order model follows the feedback velocity much more closely than the first-order model and best represents how the actual system is moving. This indicates that the system is a second-order system, behaving like a mass between two springs.
So where does the model that estimates the velocity and acceleration come from?
Auto tuning
Auto tuning is a feature supported by some electronic motion-control systems and is necessary when using advanced features — such as the second-derivative gain and the jerk feed forward — because few hydraulic-control-system designers have experience tuning them manually. The two parameters can be determined roughly by trial and error, but having a method of determining the gain, damping factor, and natural frequency quickly is important to reduce start-up time and shorten the time it may take to retune a system as the mechanics change.
Auto tuning is a way of estimating the model of the actuator and load using the control output to the actuator and the position and velocity response, as in Figures 1 and 2. Models can be complex, but usually you can achieve 95% of the benefit with 5% of the effort if the model is kept relatively simple. A hydraulic actuator and load can be modeled simply as a mass between two springs. Therefore, the model would consist of a gain, damping factor, and natural frequency. You can estimate the gain and natural frequency at design time using the VCCM equation and the formula for natural frequency (see box on page 40).
The damping factor is more difficult to estimate, but a typical damping factor ranges from 0.3 to 0.4. Even a rough estimate of the damping factor can allow entering these parameters into the motion controller's built-in simulator. This lets you get started before the machinery is built. A controls person in the field can perform auto tuning to find the actual gain, damping factor, and natural frequency.
Auto tuning isn't totally automatic. A procedure is conducted to move the actuator in a specific way, usually via open-loop control. The relationship between the control output and the position or velocity data is estimated by trying a value for each of the three parameters (gain, damping factor, and natural frequency) and then checking to see how closely the estimated position or velocity follows actual the recorded position or velocity. An evaluation can be done by summing the square of all the errors between the estimated and actual position or velocity. The three parameters mentioned above are changed in an effort to minimize the sum of the squared errors. This is a trial-and-error process, but a computer can do so quickly that it seems instantaneous. When the computer is done, it has found the best values of the gain, damping factor, and natural frequency.
The results
A true test is to move the actuator using a sine-wave motion profile. The actual or true velocity and acceleration will smoothly go through a range of values, and the goal is to estimate the velocity and acceleration accurately so the actuator can follow the target accurately. Low-resolution feedback will make the quantizing effect obvious because the velocity calculated directly from the feedback will change in steps. The goal of the model-based control is to estimate smooth velocities as shown below.
The VCCM equation
Fl = load force that must be overcome,
PS = supply pressure,
Ape = cylinder size,
v = speed of cylinder propulsion,
Kvpl = degree to which the valve is open,
ρv = symmetry of the valve, and
ρc = cylinder area ratio (cap end of piston area/rod end area).
Natural frequency:
β = bulk modulus of fluid,
A = surface area of the piston,
V = volume of the cylinder, andm= mass of the load.
The graph in Figure 3 shows how an actuator with a gain of 3 in./sec, damping factor of 0.4, and a natural frequency of 10 Hz can be controlled using a PID with a second derivative gain.
The feedback is truncated to 0.001 in. to simulate a start-stop magnetostrictive linear-displacement transducer rod with a position feedback of 0.001 in. As noted, the resolution of the measured velocity would be 1 in./sec, and the resolution of the acceleration would be 1,000 in./sec2. Figure 3 shows that the estimated position is so close to the actual position that they look like one line. The estimated velocity is relatively smooth compared to what could be achieved doing simple velocity calculations, where the resolution would be 1 in./sec. The control output is essentially tracing a 1-V peak-to-peak sine wave to control the actuator. A little noise occurs in the control output from errors in estimating the velocity and acceleration, but it isn't as bad as what would occur without estimating the velocity and acceleration with the model.
If the model wasn't used, the control output would simply be changing from 10 to –10 V because of the inability to estimate the velocity and acceleration. Without the model-based velocity and accelerations, the PID and second-derivative gains would need to be drastically reduced to keep the control output from swinging 10 V peak to peak.
Figure 4 shows the actual and estimated velocities. The plot actually contains two lines, but the estimated velocity is almost identical to the actual velocity, so the estimated velocity line is on top of the actual velocity line. Again, notice that there is no 1-in./sec quantizing.
As expected, the estimated acceleration, shown in Figure 5, shows the effects of feedback quantizing, but spikes of 4 or 5 in./sec2 are a lot better than errors of 1,000 in./sec2. The estimated acceleration curve still does a good job of following the actual acceleration.
Now compare the model-based control from Figure 5 to control without the model shown in Figure 6. The same gains are used as in Figures 3, 4, and 5. The control output isn't shown because it changes from –10 to 10 V from the effects that the quantized velocity and acceleration have on the control output. Because the control output is often saturated, the actuator is being controlled as if the valve is a simple on-off directional-control valve.
You can control systems that would otherwise be uncontrollable by implementing model-based control with an electrohydraulic motion controller that can run second-order algorithms. The alternative would be to design systems with a high damping factor and natural frequency, but this would increase the system cost.
Peter Nachtwey is president of Delta Computer Systems, Battle Ground, Wash. For more information, call (360) 254-8688, or visit www.deltamotion.com.


text:
The Off Season
What happens on an oyster farm when things slow down? We find more to do. It's not that we're at a loss. We planted some more on Tuesday during an early morning tide and more today during a mid-morning tide. If all goes well, we'll have all of our seed planted/distributed by the end of next week (fingers crossed for good weather).
This week, though, the wind blew like mad. Tuesday was a brutal day -- we rushed out to tide after a 5:30 a.m. arrival, got out to the cages in the dark and the tide just. wouldn't. move.
We had some water to play with so we got our seed bags out of the cages (something A2 likens to pushing and pulling a crinkly dollar bill out of a vending machine only, you know, 100x the size) and loaded onto the boat. Then we waited for the sun to rise and the water to keep going out. Only, it never really did.
Skip, somewhat frustrated, explained that we were under a high pressure system (as evidenced by the crystal-clear sky -- we could still see Orion's Belt) and that, usually, the tide moves the right way with those conditions. But what we were experiencing felt almost like a low pressure system. No movement (the air, pushed down by that low pressure, keeps the water from moving anywhere quickly) which meant no time to shake and plant. Regardless, our bags were loaded up so we went back to the float to start emptying seed into one of the boats. Skip and Berg would plant with the shovel after all. It wasn't a total loss. We got to watch the night fade away, the full moon lower and then, finally, the arrival of the sun right on time at 6:46 a.m. For Skip, it was the 4th moon rise/sun rise in a row.
There's a rhythm to our days on the float now. We wash and bag in the morning and then cull in the afternoons. The crew has little projects to work on here and there and we're usually in the zone. But I have the feeling all of that will shift, at least for me, in the next few weeks.
We've been hatching some travel plans for the fall since that's pretty much the only down time we have on the farm. Collectively, in the next month, we're headed to Chicago, New York, France and... Africa (and that's just for work). Matthew, Lisa and I will hit Chicago for the Shaw's Oyster Fest; Skip, Shore, and Berg are off to Zanzibar for some research for the Island Creek Oysters Foundation project (which involves starting a hatchery in Zanzibar); Matthew is heading to France; and Skip, Shore and I are working on a trip to NYC to visit Per Se.
It's not going to be easy leaving the float here and there. But, as Shore puts it: this is the way things go in Oyster Land.


text:
American Public Opinion, Advocacy, and Policy in Congress
What the Public Wants and What It Gets
- Author: Paul Burstein, University of Washington
- Date Published: January 2014
- availability: Available
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9781107684256
Other available formats:
Hardback, eBook
Looking for an examination copy?
If you are interested in the title for your course we can consider offering an examination copy. To register your interest please contact firstname.lastname@example.com providing details of the course you are teaching.
Between one election and the next, members of Congress introduce thousands of bills. What determines which become law? Is it the public? Do we have government "of the people, by the people, for the people?" Or is it those who have the resources to organize and pressure government who get what they want? In the first study ever of a random sample of policy proposals, Paul Burstein finds that the public can get what it wants – but mainly on the few issues that attract its attention. Does this mean organized interests get what they want? Not necessarily – on most issues there is so little political activity that it hardly matters. Politics may be less of a battle between the public and organized interests than a struggle for attention. American society is so much more complex than it was when the Constitution was written that we may need to reconsider what it means, in fact, to be a democracy.Read more
- The first book to examine a random sample of policy proposals addressed by Congress, and so can generalize about congressional action in a way no other book can
- Shows that Congress is not responsive to public opinion on most issues - not because the public loses out to special interests, but because on most issues the public has no opinions
- Searches much more widely than others for evidence of publicly reported attempts to influence Congress - and finds that on most issues there is almost no political activity at all
Reviews & endorsements
"Paul Burstein makes fundamental innovations in the fields of public policy, advocacy, public opinion, and congressional studies. But more important than any of these particular advances, he pushes the frontiers of how to do research, asking basic questions about how we should define and measure key concepts that others have simply taken for granted. For example, what is a public policy? On how many public policies is there anything that could be remotely called public opinion? What types of arguments prove successful in congressional hearings, affecting the likelihood that a bill will eventually be adopted? This book should be read not only by its primary audience of those concerned with public opinion/public policy responsiveness. It should be read by all those interested in public policy, broadly defined, and all those concerned with good research designs, good measurements of fundamental variables, and taking the time to do political science right."
Frank R. Baumgartner, Richard J. Richardson Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel HillSee more reviews
"American Public Opinion, Advocacy, and Policy in Congress is a wonderfully bold and timely piece of work. Focusing on policy proposals in the 101st Congress, Paul Burstein presents new and challenging evidence about the frailty of democratic accountability and the surprisingly limited reach of interest groups. These results, alongside Burstein's case for the use of sampling methods, make this book essential reading for scholars of public opinion, social movements, and U.S. political institutions."
Clem Brooks, Professor of Sociology, Indiana University, Bloomington
"Clear, challenging, interesting, informative, and innovative: rarely have I seen all these features in a single book. Paul Burstein's American Public Opinion, Advocacy, and Policy in Congress offers a fresh view on whether and why policy makers respond to the public. The main lessons I draw from this book - that the public cares less about policy than democratic theory both assumes and wishes, that there is less advocacy than students of social movements have thought, and that we need to study policy changes based on sampling strategies in order to be able to generalize about the policy process - should inspire future research in this field."
Marco Giugni, University of Geneva
"The key to the importance of Burstein's work is his notion of policy proposal. Many studies of the effect of public opinion have examined broad measures of government such as expenditures or the enactment of landmark public policies, but Burstein starts with a sample of policy proposals and examines their progress through the policy process. This allows him to study the speed and probability of adoption and relate it to public opinion and interest group advocacy. This makes the book critical reading for students of policy processes and public opinion. I hope others will adopt his approach."
Bryan D. Jones, J. J. 'Jake' Pickle Regents' Chair in Congressional Studies, Department of Government, University of Texas, Austin
"Scholars have long wrestled to understand the influences on Congressional lawmaking. Paul Burstein's volume offers a fresh take on the question with a comprehensive yet highly nuanced examination of the roles of public opinion and advocacy groups in policy making. For instance, Burstein, unlike many scholars, attends to core sampling concerns and carefully links causes and effects. The results are truly fascinating and a must-read for anyone interested in the democratic process."
Holly J. McCammon, Professor of Sociology, Vanderbilt University
"Paul Burstein's book makes (at least) two significant contributions to the burgeoning literature on public opinion and public policy. First, while work on opinion-policy links tends to focus only on salient policy domains, Burstein argues that we can get a more accurate view of the opinion-policy connection by looking at a representative sample of policies, salient or not. Second, Burstein examines not just the direct effect of public opinion, but the impact that opinion may have through advocacy. In each case, Burstein adds to what we know about political representation and policy making."
Stuart Soroka, Professor of Communication Studies and Political Science, University of Michigan
"Paul Burstein adopts a novel approach that involves defining and measuring the 'policy proposal' and then sampling randomly among the proposals - that is, he does not let public opinion pollsters or interest groups or his own judgment define which he examines. Having sampled policy proposals, he analyzes the effects of public opinion and, especially, interest group advocacy on the advancement of proposals. The results are powerful - solidifying the growing understanding that public opinion does not influence policy on all issues (and does not do so completely even when it does) and providing a strong challenge to conventional wisdom, both public and academic, about the role of interest groups in American politics."
Christopher Wlezien, Hogg Professor of Government, University of Texas, Austin
"This book is an innovative examination of the American public policy process. The analysis considers whether the public policies enacted by Congress are the result of public opinion or the outcome of advocacy efforts … Summing up: recommended."
J. D. Rausch, Choice
"If the big findings of the book are the absence of large effects for opinion and advocacy, there are still a host of interesting nuggets along the way … Throughout the book the reader is reminded of both how much work went into designing the study and collecting the appropriate data, and why so few scholars have gone this route."
Marc Dixon, Mobilization
Customer reviews
Not yet reviewed
Be the first to review
Review was not posted due to profanity×
Product details
- Date Published: January 2014
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9781107684256
- length: 248 pages
- dimensions: 213 x 140 x 43 mm
- weight: 0.29kg
- contains: 1 b/w illus. 22 tables
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Policy change
3. Public opinion
4. Advocacy: how Americans try to influence Congress
5. The impact of advocacy on congressional action
6. Advocacy, information, and policy innovation
7. Conclusions.
Sign In
Please sign in to access your account
Not already registered? Create an account now. ×
Sorry, this resource is locked
Please register or sign in to request access. If you are having problems accessing these resources please email firstname.lastname@example.com Sign in
» Proceed
You are now leaving the Cambridge University Press website. Your eBook purchase and download will be completed by our partner www.ebooks.com. Please see the permission section of the www.ebooks.com catalogue page for details of the print & copy limits on our eBooks.Continue ×


text:
Outsource Inc is a responsive template designed with minimal features for an effective business template, Are you finding for a free html css template ,then Outsource Inc is perfect for you.
It can be used for many purposes starting from creative portfolios, agencies, freelancers and much more . It has a fully responsive design and was tested on all major browser and mobile devices . Templates consists of HTML file, All layers are well organized and you can easily change its color, shapes etc
Download Outsource Inc Multipurpose HTML Theme.
Template features:
- Author: BuyTemplates
- Doctype Used: XHTML 1.0 Transitional
- Website Layout: Fixed Width, 2 Columns
- Colour Contrast: Dark on Light
- Template Licence Type: Creative Commons


text:
By AJ Shipley
Security cannot be bolted on, it must be built in. This statement proves to be especially true when considering the recent hack of the New York Times, where during a four-month long cyberattack by Chinese hackers, the company's antivirus system from Symantec missed 44 of the 45 pieces of malware installed by attackers on the network. Cases like this highlight the danger of relying on a single security product to keep you safe from hackers. According to a written statement by Symantec, "Advanced attacks like the ones the New York Times described underscore how important it is for companies, countries and consumers to make sure they are using the full capability of security solutions. Antivirus software alone is not enough."
As evidenced with incidents like this, products need to be developed that combine multiple layers of security to keep the "bad guys" out of customer systems, and to also minimize the danger and exposure to device resources and data if they do get in.
Products like the Wind River Intelligent Device Platform (IDP), a software platform built for developing next-generation smart systems, are a perfect example of what I mean by building security into the product. IDP provides multiple layers of security that are all highly configurable and customizable. Security policies are developed that match the specific deployment scenario with the correct level of access control and integrity monitoring, providing a true architectural, defense in depth approach to securing embedded devices and machine-to-machine applications.
Specifically, IDP includes Secure Remote Management (SRM), which ensures the integrity of the system with boot time security using Trusted Platform Modules (TPM) and Trusted Software Stacks (TSS). Advanced security features like address space layout randomization (ASLR) and non-executable memory pages make it exceedingly difficult to penetrate IDP. Run time security and integrity is monitored with the built in integrity measurement architecture which immediately detects when system files have been tampered with. SRM provides a robust access control infrastructure for limiting access to system resources based on the privilege levels of specific users or groups of users ensuring that if a bad guy gets in they can't access any of the critical resources or information. Finally, secure package management remotely deployed over secure communication channels ensure that software updates are intact and trusted prior to installation.
Anti-malware products, like the one deployed at the New York Times, are an important component of an overall security strategy, but are nowhere near sufficient to protect systems, resources, and information from the advanced persistent threats that are on the rise. We can no longer assume that we can successfully keep the bad guys out of our systems. A good security strategy must first understand the multiple attack vectors and then deploy solutions that provide multiple layers of defense to deter, detect, and defend our critical resources.
For additional information from Wind River, visit us on Facebook.


text:
ATLANTA (AP) — The Latest on Georgia's pending congressional races (all times local):
9:55 a.m.
Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP.
Handel had to seek re-election after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff.
McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car.
McBath's margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded.
9:05 a.m.
Republican U.S. Rep. Karen Handel has conceded to her Democratic rival in a hard-fought Congressional race in Georgia.
Handel says in a statement Thursday morning that after reviewing all of the election data, it's clear she "came up a bit short" in Tuesday's vote.
Handel congratulated Democrat Lucy McBath, offering "good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her."
McBath, who is African-American, became a gun control activist after her son was killed in a shooting. She declared victory Wednesday.
6:20 a.m.
One Republican holds the congressional seat of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The other is a four-term GOP congressman accustomed to winning by wide margins.
Now Reps. Karen Handel and Rob Woodall of Georgia are both at risk of losing re-election in suburban Atlanta districts long considered safe for Republicans.
Handel's Democratic challenger, Lucy McBath, declared victory in their contest Wednesday. But unofficial returns showed the vote margins separating the incumbent Republicans and their rivals hovering near the 1 percent threshold that could trigger a recount.
The Associated Press has not declared a winner in either race. Absentee ballots were still being counted Wednesday and provisional ballots remained untallied across the state. The Georgia secretary of state's office said it would certify the official vote within the next week.
The contests will determine if Democrats add to their majority after winning control of the U.S. House in the Tuesday midterm elections.
Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.


text:
Watch my new sketch 'Hello Charlie' on Funny or Die!
Please check out this darkly adorable sketch written by the fabulously talented comedienne, Katie Fabel, (a.k.a. Veruca.) We play the losing Golden Ticket winners from Willy Wonka, come back to claim their rightful lifetime supply of chocolate from the new CEO. Take a look, and please vote 'Funny' at the bottom of the Funny or Die page!


text:
I was the victim of this crime. An email that looked like it came from me to my bookkeeper asked her to wire $23,750 to an account in Texas she did it.
It was a fraud, some kind of mirror account. That is a lot of money that I will never see again. Apparently, the same account was used to steal all over the country, including from some school districts.
Fuck. Bad day, Oppo.


text: Aaron Chady - South Asian MSM Sexual Health Coordinator Aaron has 6 years of experience in the field of LGBT+ sexual health, working in both outreach and clinical settings in a variety of roles. He has also been the trustee and facilitator of an LGBT asylum seekers and refugees group. He started at NAZ in July 2018 and also currently works in a busy sexual health clinic as a Health Advisor. He comes from a dual heritage, multi-religious background and is particularly interested in helping give a voice to intersectional marginalised communities and supporting those who are still victims of health and social inequality due to being LGBT+. He is also a keen bouldering fan. email@example.com


text:
Today's workout comes from Jillian Michaels' Slim Down program (apparently that was an Ambien download in April…). I couldn't do the circuits three times, but I did do:
-Static Lunge w/Reverse Cable Fly: I used a rubber tube and went as low as I could (knee damage). 20x each leg.
-Clock Lunge: Starting the 12 o'clock position, go around the clock. Again, as Low as I could go: 3 revolutions per leg.
-Standing Mountain Climber w/3# DB's: 20 each side.
-Skaters: These were awkward because my ability to balance while in motion is a little off. 20x each leg.
-Plank Twists: Oh. My. G<>>>. 25x each side.
-Squat Swing w/8# Ball: 20x
-Plank Row w/3# DB's: 20x each side.
-Mountain Climbers (floor): 60 seconds (almost ate the linoleum!).
-Side Plank: 30 second per side. By this point I had the market cornered on shaking arms.
-Cross Over Lungs w/Hammer Curls 5# DB's: 25x each side.
-Jumping Jacks: 60 seconds (not quite sixty seconds. I had to stop twice to breathe.).
-Squat Jack: 20x. These were hard, only because I didn't want to tear up my knees…which are already tore up.
-Oblique side Crunch: Someone had to be laughing their a$$ off watching that. 25x per side.
-Pendulum Lunge w/Hammer Curls 5# DB's: 25x per leg.
-Hamstring Curls on Exercise Ball: Well…all I can say is I tried. Sloppiest thing I ever did. But I did 15×2.
I saved the best for last. Jillian calls this exercise "Shoot 'Em Up" (she said she couldn't think of another name). You're supposed to crouch down, put your hands in front of you, have your feet a couple of inches away from the wall, then shoot your butt up to the ceiling. After, you kick your feet up onto the wall using your quads. Arms stay locked during this exercise. I couldn't kick my feet up, but I did get them up and did 10 reps. I made the trainer who was in the building take a picture for proof. I'm seriously STOKED!


text:
In today's landscape it seems like there are unlimited ways to market your business and an infinite number of agencies out there specializing in just about every niche. So how do you determine which agency is the best fit for your organization? Here are 7 questions you need to ask when vetting a new […]read more
Increase Engagement in Social Media
Increase Engagement by Remaining Relevant Do you want more engagement on your business social media pages? Do you find that your posts aren't being seen by the fans you do have? One of the most important factors in achieving social success is to stay engaged with your fans and followers by remaining relevant. Your business […]read more
Facebook Graph Search | Search & Social All in One
Graph Search is a semantic search engine that Facebook launched in March of 2013. If you were not one of the first people to go through the beta testing process, you are probably getting notifications by now to get Graph Search. Graph Search is Facebook's way of combining social media with search which is intended […]read more


text:
There is not particularly much I am grateful for at this moment.
It's eight hours into my nonstop flight from London back to San Francisco and the thirty-nine degree curvature in my spine is causing periodic flashes of sharp pain to ripple up my back. And to top it off, the British Airways staff hasn't served booze in hours.
However, this flight has invoked a couple of strikingly meaningful moments of inspiration, both of which have varying degrees of relevance to my project, Augur.
First, I watch Boyhood. The picture captures the actual development of its cast over the course of twelve years or so, redefining what film "realism" means in the process. What was particularly riveting for me was the fact that the subject of the movie, a boy by the name of Mason, is probably just two or three years younger than me in real life. Thus, my ability to relate to both his personal development, and culture's transformation around him, felt unusually raw. To say the film struck a nerve would be a gross understatement. But further critique should be saved for another blog I am probably never going to begin again.
Nevertheless, one of the most probing themes of the film was probably the search for meaning, authenticity, and truth. This directly relates to Augur.
We live in a day and age when an individual can open a newspaper or browse a website and consume more data and information than most individuals digested in a lifetime one millennia ago. Yet, little of that information is grounded empirically. And while humanity may have a greater understanding of truth than at any point in human history, it is too often diluted by punditry and politicking, opinion and gossip.
There is no better illustration of this problem than forecasting.
Fox News anchors might actually tell lies more than they tell the truth. What pundit, from any news source, besides a statistician like Nate Silver (regarding baseball and elections), has a higher than 20% accuracy rating in predicting future events? None come to mind.
So how do we cut past the bullshit and uncover truth? How do we find meaning in a virtual world?
Enter Augur.
Augur forces its participants to put their money where their mouth is. Any deviation or aberration from consensus in a market leads to arbitrage opportunities for rational actors.
In 2012, during the presidential elections, millions of dollars were suddenly injected into InTrade, causing Mitt Romney's odds of election to skyrocket. Savvy users quickly took advantage of the opportunity and bought down the likelihood of the oligarch winning to the preexisting odds within an hour or two.
This is the beauty of prediction markets: attempts to manipulate them are encouraged, as they provide arbitrage opportunities for smart participants. This is especially true with Augur, as the transparency of the blockchain provides unprecedented ability to gauge behaviors of individuals in the market. All that is necessary for this powerful tool to truly succeed broadly is volume, something no public prediction market has ever had.
This brings me to the second striking moment of this flight.
Our plane left London in the late afternoon and continuously raced against the glowing sunset for the duration of the flight. This phenomenon was quite delightful, as the glorious rainbow sky I often find myself wishing could last forever ever, has.
How on earth does this experience relate to Augur?
You see, sunsets are very time-sensitive occurrences. Therefore, in order for our plane to fly in line with the rotation of the earth for so long requires the plane to move along on just the right path and speed.
This relates to the experience of Augur, as we must constantly keep pace, both to determine the proper timeline of our own development, with our crowdsale, beta, launch, and so forth, and also with the pace of deeply intertwined products such as Ethereum and Blockstream's sidechains. The volatility of bitcoin's price is an unending concern as well. Timing announcements, blog posts, and developments add to the task.
Eventually, we have to come to terms with the fact that sunsets can't last forever, even if you're moving at 550 miles per hour. Timing is not always going to be perfect. Sometimes we move too fast, sometimes too slow. And while we should always strive for the goldilocks zone, as the Grateful Dead famously sang, "Every silver lining's got a touch of grey."
Almost done…
We just sent you an email. Please click the link in the email to confirm your subscription!


text:
Problems in relationships help you develop, and they enhance your connections. However, there are problems in relationships which will crack your partnership and may end in separation and divorce. Therefore, it is important to know that problems can provide either objective. When you start a marriage, you should decide that you want problems to keep you a better several. Problems may be minimal while others may be very large. Unfaithful or unfaithfulness enables as a significant problem while, discussion about shower water is a minimal problem. However, you should never ignore the power of minimal problems. Everything can create your lifestyle a residing terrible. Fixing problems once you recognize them is what you need to do. This is because you can cope best with a problem when it is raw. There are many partners who hide their leads in the sand and provides a sightless eye to apparent problems. Lack of knowledge in this case is not happiness. Once you recognize a problem, search for ways to fix it so that it does not increase to be a massive problem.
Problems in relationships may cause trouble. This trouble outcomes in rage and anger. Many times, it is fairly hard for us to avoid these feelings. However, you are not informed to avoid them; handle them. In the lifestyle, we stay by handling our problems. You can understand how to fix a broken marriage. All over the world, there is no lack of situations where partners destroy each other in rage. This type of rage does not create over night. It is mainly due to conditions has been kept invisible or uncertain. Therefore, cope with each problem as it comes.
Problems in relationships can confirm to be very challenging and, some problems can keep ablation even after working with them. For example, one lady had a problem when it came to cash. She would basically strike the family cash on footwear and costly outfits. After decades of being cautioned, the man had enough, and he made the decision to keep her; their financial situation having been motivated to a walls. This continuous problem was a habit that required to be handled clinically or mentally. Comprehend your problems and search for the appropriate help before you quit.
Go to experts for help on problems in relationships. This is because most experts in this area cope with such situations all the time. They have an encounter and, even a further knowing on the reason or cause for the problem. It might confirm to be very costly but, you can go online information and help. There are several sources that will play a critical part on how to fix a broken relationship like here http://www.howtosaveamarriages.com/how-to-fix-a-broken-relationship.htm. Once you have gotten through the first five decades of wedding, you will find that you have more encounter in working with issues. Do not be assured about this, the work has just started. Many partners are relaxed with their problems and look at their connections taking a back chair in their lifestyles. Do not negotiate for an average wedding. You need to create sure that the connection is providing the best out of you.