text:
Name: Devin Reams
Age: 20
Profession: College Student
Websites: devinreams.com
Current Financial Strategy:Risky investments and a long-term retirement planBest Financial Tip:
Budget your money and always follow-up each month to see how much you actually spent. It's great if you say you'd like to spend $50 or $100 on dining out but when you realize you're spending $200, well, then you need to look at your habits.
Finance isn't just about where your money goes, it's how you choose to allocate and spend it. Each month do a quick review then adjust your behavior and budget accordingly.
Worst Financial Move Ever:One month I was terribly sloppy moving money around between financial institutions and didn't even realize I was making a transfer out of the wrong account. I accidentally overdrew something like $2,000 dollars and had an overdraft fee from my credit card. Instead of calling the bank and explaining (my checking account had plenty of money to cover the transfer) I decided to keep the finance charge as a reminder to myself. The little details should never be overlooked.
Financially, I need help with:
My short term investments. I'm a fan of risk and I have some cash but I really don't know what all my options are. I feel like I could sit down and spend a few hours learning about some investing options but I have no way of knowing that time will be well spent. I'd hate to end up looking into so many options and then realize I could've done just as well dumping my cash into an index fund or even a money market account.
What personal finance tools do you currently use to track and manage your money?I've used Microsoft Money for many years. I remember my Dad using it when I was younger and I decided to start tracking my own finances in high school. It was a challenge because I was trying to keep track of cash. Then I was given my allowance in a Visa Buxx card so I could to download and categorize transactions. A few years later I realized Microsoft Money wasn't keeping up with the times so I painlessly switched to Quicken and couldn't be happier. Reports, bills, paychecks, taxes: they can all be tracked really easily. I still feel like I spend a lot of time trying to figure out the story of where my money goes but it definitely gives me a good idea.
What are the problems in your personal finance tools?
Reports are not always telling me what I need. There are so many in the same category it's not clear what the differences are, either. I'm very limited to certain categories—and only one per transition. One deposit at the bank cannot be split into multiple payees which is annoying if I want to deposit two checks. Plus, my budget tool doesn't help me look at previous transactions to determine future budgets very well.
How would your ideal personal finance tool work?
Instead of having to log into my multiple financial institutions online there would be a centralized site that would allow me to make transfers, stock purchases, etc. all from one portal. I'd be able to consolidate and split up transactions by category, payee, account, etc. Of course I could then bring it all back together. I'd also have it look at my spending habits and start to come up with some general 'rules' that can help me with an outlook and budget. It could also contextually recognize that I'm spending a lot of money on Chick-Fil-A and could go to Safeway and purchase this chicken with this recipe and make it at home. If payments needed to be made to a credit card it would even automatically take care of those things and send me email and phone alerts 'Would you like to pay tomorrow's bill now? Reply 'Y' or 'N' to remind again later).
What more do you want to know about your personal finances?
Money isn't everything but it helps you get through life. Money won't make me happy but without a strong grasp of where it is and what I can do with it I would be very upset and frustrated. My finances dictate what it is I can do (eating, luxuries, entertainment, etc.) and I really want to understand it to enjoy some things to their fullest.
How much do you think you currently spend on eating out?
About $80 every month. I definitely set up alerts and break it down into weekly limits for myself. I should go grocery shopping more but food is health enough and convenient that I can justify it most of the time.
How often do you want to know about your personal finances?
At the minimum, on a weekly basis. I like to at least check up on things every other day. Look for irregularities, make sure checks go through, etc.
What is in your wallet?
- $20-bill for emergency cash spending
- Amex blue card
- Visa card
- Costco card
- Blockbuster card
- Target gift card
- Kinko's money card
- health insurance card
- student id
- driver's license


text:
Welcome to ECRO
The European Chemoreception Research Organization (ECRO) promotes fundamental and applied research in chemosensory science especially olfaction and taste in
vertebrates and invertebrates. ECRO organizes an annual congress to that end. ECRO is financed by individual member subscriptions and by donations from industry and research institutions. To
facilitate participation of younger scientists ECRO supports travel grants for students. We invite your applications for grants. ECRO also financially supports the organization of scientific
meetings in the field of Olfaction and Taste.
Upcoming Events:
ECRO has started a public information initiative to communicate knowledge regarding taste and smell to patients as well as industry. New links/connections will be initially shared on our Home page and will eventually move to the Tab Outreach. Send information to: email@example.com
Jobs for chemosensory scientists:
for more information, see advertisement on our side
Rosemarie Pangborn Sensory Science Scholarship: One $15,000 Sensory Science Scholarship will be awarded for the 2019-2020 academic year to support a Ph.D. student who intends to teach and conduct research in the area of sensory science at the University level. This scholarship is awarded in honor of the memory of Professor Rose Marie Pangborn, who initiated the scholarship fund to encourage the education of Sensory Scientists intending to pursue academic careers. Deadline: 7. June 2019
European PhD Flavor Research Programme (GIRACT): the programme to promote Flavor Research amongst PhD Students in Europe by awarding 6 first year bursaries and 1 best thesis prize is a great success with enthusiastic participation from many universities across Europe for both the first year bursary and the best thesis awards. Deadline: 31. October 2019

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Thanksgiving & Christian Discipleship
As a microcosm of Christian discipleship, Thanksgiving Day stands as a visual reminder of the important role gratitude plays in the Christian life. God's people are meant to be thankful people—the kind of people that live shaped by and filled with unending gratitude to their Creator. Any expression of thankfulness must be directed toward an object, and God alone is worthy of ultimate thanks. Thus, Thanksgiving Day is, in its essence, an exclusively Christian holiday.
Thanksgiving Day is less of a problem for someone who believes in a Supreme Being, whether that be God, Allah, or any other Divine. It is more of a problem for those naturalists (as described by C.S. Lewis), agnostics, and atheists in particular. It is a problem for them because they don't know exactly how to be deeply thankful, or who should receive their deep thankfulness. Dr. Mohler recently discussed this quandary on the Briefing, quoting a secularist who could refer to gratitude only as a "universal human emotion". When thankfulness is reduced to mere emotion it is no longer real thankfulness, it is simply a shadow of thankfulness.
Naturalists can certainly express gratitude and thanks to people.There is a natural longing in the human heart to be thankful, but there is also a natural longing in the human heart to redirect thankfulness to that which is undeserving of our thanks. The Apostle Paul made it quite clear that the humanity refuses to express thankfulness to the Creator, in favor of expressing it to the creature instead. This idolatrous thankfulness is identified as part of the fundamental problem with the human heart, not just in this particular moment in history, but from the Fall in the Garden of Eden until now.
The problem is that thankfulness to the creature (human, animal, or inanimate object) doesn't go deep enough. It can't go deep enough. Even those who speak their gratitude past people and objects to the nebulous idea of "The Universe" don't go deep enough. They are not deeply thankful when they express their gratitude to the creature because all creatures owe gratitude to their Creator; and just because someone suppresses knowledge of the Creator doesn't make their gratitude to the creature any more real or honest.
When Christians experience the regeneration of the Spirit and find their position in Christ, they are called to lead thankful lives—lives that redound to the Creator's love, wisdom, and power. This is the kind of thankfulness that gives people a big view of God, and it is the kind of thankfulness that guards the human heart from idolatry and sin. With this guard on our hearts, we can thank people rightly. We can thank people more deeply and more fully when we help them see in our expression of gratitude the One who has endowed them with life, with ability, and with dignity. So, let us thank God for people and how He gifts them. Let us thank God for our homes, our families, and our churches. Let us thank God for He is the source of every good gift.
Thanksgiving, then, is a holiday that enables us as enjoyers. It helps us remember that the gifts we enjoy have value that extends beyond aesthetic or utilitarian measurements—it has value because the God of the universe is a generous God who delights in giving good things to His children. May Christians throughout the nation point to God's goodness in their conversation on this holiday, and may God give us grace and mercy to rejoice in thankfulness to Him as an orientation of life.


text:
The audience would first see a woman on stage. She's wearing pyjamas, walking across to the queen bed in which she is the only inhabitant. After sitting herself up under the covers, she scrolls through her phone. She settles on something and reads. Finally, she looks up at no-one in particular and asks a seemingly rhetorical question.
"Oh my God, what have you done?"
The stage goes black. Once our actress has disappeared off the stage, the back wall of the stage will be illuminated with GIFs from Twitter.
The remainder of the narrative would consist of a Copenhagen-style loop. A range of stories that are all potentially true, though just as likely to be false, would play out regarding the man who enters the stage as the lights slowly raise. The first of these tales begins as the bird's face continuously peers out over our protagonist for close to a minute while the man puts down his luggage and opens mail on the dining table. His wife walks in, phone in hand. They look at each other for a moment before she quietly breaks the silence.
"What happens now?"
The play will return to this place and this question every time a new prospective narrative of the couple's life begins to evolve on the stage. It's a reminder of the tragedy at the heart of the story – the way that one person's words can cause so many people to ask this horrifying, almost existential question. For there are no winners in this story. There is no place for even the wryest of smiles from the audience, nor any potentially joyful endings.
The dramatis personae are threefold: the man is Nico Hines, who we soon come to know as the London Editor of Newsweek and The Daily Beast. We also meet his unnamed wife and child. All other people in the world of the narrative never appear on stage, but rather are only raised in conversation or are the authors of the occasional projected Tweet.
In the opening narrative, we learn that Hines has returned from the Rio Olympics, during which he wrote a controversial story that caused him to return home early. The couple talk in disbelief over the events of the previous week – of how the story was published, edited and then removed and replaced with an apology. They talk of the hate that was directed to him online. He talks of how he went to ground in Rio while she talks of not being able to separate herself from her phone, watching the hate seemingly increase by the minute. Everyone they've ever met has texted or left Facebook messages for them – sometimes supportive, just as often asking how he could have done what he did. They worry about their son. They appear lost.
"What happens now?"
She explodes at him. It's in this moment that she reveals to the audience what she calls "The moment you took the ground from beneath my feet without letting the Earth then swallow me." Every sentence is a spitting rebuke, spewing forth so fast that it feels like she can't bear to hold any of the words on her tongue. The headline: "I Got Three Grindr Dates in an Hour in the Olympic Village." The premise, as read from her phone: "I expect you've heard the legend of the athletes' village; tales abound that the Olympic Games is a hotbed of partying athletes, hookups, and sex, sex, sex….Can an Average Joe join the bacchanalia?" The identifying information included: "You named their country, their height, their weight, the position they finished in!" The result: "You outed them."
She quietens only when their child enters the room. He's so young that he cannot understand anything other than the undeniable anger of his mother towards his father. It surprises and scares him. His mother whispers scornfully. "How old will he be before you explain to him what they do to gay men in some of the countries you named? Or will he Google it, just like he'll Google his Dad?"
His family leaves him alone.
He speaks aloud.
"What happens now?"
He leaves the stage as the lights go down. Numerous headlines from websites are projected on the back wall. The BBC: "Daily Beast 'sorry for outing gay athletes". The Washington Post: "Trash, unethical and dangerous': Daily Beast lambasted for Olympic dating article". The Los Angeles Times: "Bad form at the Olympics in Daily Beast's Grindr-baiting story". Queerty: "Everyone's Pissed At This Straight Journalist Who Used Grindr To Out Gay Athletes." Mic: "Seriously, F*ck That 'Daily Beast' Gay-Baiting, Life-Threatening Olympics Piece."
He re-enters from the other side of the stage. Alone. Drowning in regret. He hasn't left the house. It's shame. Or fear. He turns the phone on and it rings. He doesn't answer it. It rings again. This process repeats itself ad nauseam until he turns it off. He glances at a bottle on the table and pauses. He pours a glass, turns the phone back on and listens to the sound of it ringing intermittently, along with text message and email alerts. He ignores them all and drinks some more.
His child runs in brandishing a "Present for Daddy!" His wife follows, exhausted. He opens the shopping bag the kid's handed him. It's a new phone. He turns to his wife. "You're home way too earl-" "Until this precise moment, you wouldn't answer my calls. I was sitting there and didn't even know if today was the day when you decided to top yourself." He tries to console her. Tells her that Internet shaming always slows down and then disappears. She is not comforted.
"What happens now?"
The couple sit together warmly on the couch. "It's not about what happens to us," he says, "it's about what happens to them. Whatever happens to me might mean nothing in comparison." She finds herself agreeing, they discuss with horror what they have researched about the treatment of gay men in various countries. They talk with reverence about Amini Fonua, the Tongan Olympic swimmer and his Tweetstorm. They can quote it, they've read it so often.
He is desperate to apologise and presents a plan to his wife – he'll travel to meet with each of the men he's effected to apologise and learn about the impact that the story had on them. "What if we're worried for nothing and they're all absolutely fine?!?" His wife looks at him and smiles. She knows he wants to make amends and yet making amends is impossible. "But that's still about how you feel, Nico. The world knows what you look like now. No-one's meeting with you."
Her final comment then escapes her lips almost before she realises. "And it's not just about them, either. How will you apologise to the gay kids who read your article, huh?"
"What happens now?"
The bird reappears on the back wall. For all the audience can tell, life in the Hines family appears calm. Nico types away as his family come home from their day. He's living life as a hermit, but has a new life as a journalist with a pseudonym.
Once the kid's off to his room, The back wall glows with @nicohines' Twitter feed – a feed that has not changed since the events of Rio.
He suddenly turns to his wife. "I can't live like this."
She walks over and holds him.
"I know. You may be here. But my husband is forever at 'Rio for the Olympics'."
The curtain falls.


text: One of the random things I do when I travel is take photos of funny signs. Since I am under doctor's instructions to stay within an hour radius of the hospital until the baby is due, it seems like a good time to play catch up and reflect back on recent travels. When we were in Barcelona in May, I snapped these on my iPhone.Half of these have to do with butts - which just makes me giggle. My plan for the blog is a bit haphazard, which is how it started. But it will include reflecting on life, currents, paper goodness, more of what you're used to seeing along with some surprises thrown in. Hope you'll come along for the ride. Kisses & Fun!


text:
Increase SWING SPEED! Develop Explosive POWER!
Gain Massive DISTANCE!!!
End your 'frustration' about being the 'shortest' hitter in your foursome!
My 'all-new' SUPER POWER GOLF Training System reveals the simplest and most effective step-by-step training progression for developing increased swing speed, explosive power and massive distance gains... of 30 yards (or more) off the tee... in the next 30 days!
What you get...
Get my SUPER POWER GOLF Training System TODAY...
And, start 'crushing' your drives in 30 days - GUARANTEED!... Or your money back!
'CLICK HERE' with Questions and for More Information...
or Call: 1-844-465-3348
Monthly Payment Option = $47/month
Yearly Payment Option = $397/year (Saves $167!)
This is your access to the 'on line' Callaway Golf Fitness Training '1% Club' Membership Program
Product Detail:
The Callaway Golf Fitness '1% Club' Membership Program provides each subscribed member with fully-remote, customized, golf-specific 'physical' fitness and 'mental' game training... plus other 'Member's Only' services that are accessed completely 'on-line' with complete, step-by-step, e-based support from Dr. Paul Callaway.
'CLICK HERE' for More Information
Monthly Payment Option = $47/month
Yearly Payment Option =
The 'Inner Workings' of Reaching Your 'Peak' Golf Performance
Product Detail:
This 'all new' 140-page 'GOLF MASTERY' eBook provides golfers with key information targeting the essential performance elements of golf-specific physical conditioning, mental training and swing mechanics to help golfers of all ages and ability levels 'master' their game.
Included in the book are chapters on:
Price: $24.97
Get '3' x '30-minute' golf 'mental game' consultation/coaching sessions with Dr. Paul Callaway, PT, PhD, CSPC (Certified Sports Psychology Coach) via phone, Skype, Facetime or Zoom
Here's what your package will look like:
Each session will cover things like:
'CLICK HERE' for More Information
The 'insider' truths every golfer needs to know about golf fitness training and performance.
Product Detail:
'Performance Secrets of the Pros' is a comprehensive, A-to-Z information resource for any golfer who wants to learn how to reach their ultimate performance potential in golf. This 146-page e-Book Includes detailed information about golf-specific posture, balance, flexibility, and strength training exercises... just like the PGA and LPGA Tour pros... to help your total golf performance and prevent injuries.
Price: $29.97
Product Detail:
Discover the Callaway Golf Fitness and total golf performance secrets for a lifetime of success both 'on' and 'off' the course. 'Golf-Fit for Life' delivers 86 pages of valuable content for golfers of all ages and abilities to learn about key elements of golf-specific physical conditioning, mental training, nutritional support, and effective practice strategies for optimal and safe performance.
Price: $14.97
Product Detail:
The Callaway Golf Fitness 'Goal-Getter': Total Golf Goals Achievement Program is the 'most complete', simple-to-use and highly effective method for setting and achieving any golf performance goal you choose. This 58-page e-book is a 'must' for any golfer who is serious about reaching their full golf performance potential.
Price: $19.97
A collection of Dr. Callaway's '4' most popular Callaway Golf Fitness e-Books
Product Detail:
Qualify for the special 20% savings when you purchase all '4' Callaway Golf Fitness e-Books including:
(1) Golf Mastery
(2) Performance Secrets of the Pros
(3) Golf-Fit for Life
(4) The 'Goal-Getter': Total Golf Goals Achievement Program
Price: $49.97 Save $40.00!!!
The Callaway Golf Fitness 'Gift Certificate' can be purchased for any dollar amount and be used for any/all of the available Callaway Golf Fitness Training products and services.
Product Detail:
Callaway Golf Fitness Gift Certificate
Price: $50.00 (more gift certificate price options available at check out)
Product Detail:
This 120-minute comprehensive, golf-specific, initial performance evaluation objectively measures each golfer's 'physical' and 'mental' performance elements including... posture, balance, flexibility, strength, full swing mechanics, swing speed, medical history, visualization skills, concentration, focus, and confidence levels, total golf performance goals and wellness objectives. From the evaluation findings, a custom golf-specific 'physical' and 'mental' fitness training program is designed to meet each golfer's targeted needs.
'CLICK HERE' for More Information
Price: $297.00
Product Detail:
The 'Golf Fitness Training and Total Performance Guide' for Professional Golf Instructors e-Book is a comprehensive, 146-page instructional manual specifically written for PGA and LPGA golf instructors to help their student's recognize and develop the essential golf-specific 'physical' requirements of posture, balance, flexibility, strength and control to help total performance and prevent golf-related injuries. This E-book is a 'must have' tool for any golf coach who is looking to help accelerate their students' total performance results with reduced risk of injury.
Price: $94.97
Product Detail:
The "Health and Fitness Professional's Guide" to Modern Principles of Treatment, Rehabilitation and Total Performance Conditioning for Golfers e-Book is a comprehensive training manual for health professionals and fitness experts. This 146-page e-Book is jam-packed with the 'A-Z' elements of working with golfers to effectively manage and prevent golf-related injuries and design customized, golf-specific fitness training programs. If you are a health and fitness professional who works with golfers, you definitely want to have this information!
Price: $94.97


text:
Google Code-in has just begun. I'll be mentoring this time. 🙂
If you know any pre-university students who are interested in computers or open source please do inform them about this. Task varies from coding, documentation, training, outreach, research, quality assurance and user interface. Also, students earn prizes for their successful completion of tasks.
What is Google Code-in ?
Google Code-in is a contest by Google to introduce pre-university students (ages 13-17) to open source software development. Since 2010, over 3200 students from 99 countries have completed work in the contest.
What I'll be doing ?
I'll be mentoring for tasks under WikiToLearn, KDE organization.
I have published a task related to WikiToLearn community : What can I do for WikiToLearn
I'll be helping students with code and design for this task.
I have few other tasks in my mind. I may publish them as we move on (based on our progress).
Why I'm doing this ?
Well, I just love open source and like helping others to get into FOSS. And WikiToLearn, KDE is a great community to work with.
I strongly believe in it's philosophy – "Knowledge only grows if shared". It feels good to help the younger generation to get into community so that our community grows big.
Join WikiToLearn now and contribute however you can. 🙂


text:
Albany Technical College
Please select the sport you are interested in:
Albany Technical College, a public post-secondary institution of the Technical College System of Georgia, provides technical education and training support for evolving workforce development needs of Southwest Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the College utilizes traditional and distance learning methods. The following purposes of Albany Tech are based on the concept that education benefits individuals, businesses and the community: - To provide quality competency-based associate degree, diploma and technical certificates of credit programs that prepare students for employment in business, technical sciences, health care technology, personal services and industrial careers. - To provide basic adult education and development programs to help adults improve life skills and prepare for continued education and training. - To contribute to the technological advancement of area businesses and industry through education and training. - To offer comprehensive continuing education courses and programs for the advancement of skills, knowledge and personal growth.
Albany Technical College ("Albany Tech" or ATC) is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) and provides education services for a seven-county service area in southwest Georgia. The school's service area includes Baker, Calhoun, Clay, Dougherty, Lee, Randolph, and Terrell counties. ATC is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate of Applied Science Degrees. The ATC Medical Assisting Program is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB)
Albany Technical College, a public post-secondary institution of the Technical College System of Georgia, provides technical education and training support for evolving workforce development needs of Southwest Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the College utilizes traditional and distance learning methods. The following purposes of Albany Tech are based on the concept that education benefits individuals, businesses and the community: - See more at: http://albanytech.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=923&Itemid=377#sthash.1R0A6ny8.dpuf
Albany Tech traces its roots back to the establishment of the Monroe Area Vocational-Technical School, which first opened its doors in 1961 with a class of 175 students. In 1972, Monroe Area Vocational-Technical School was merged with Albany Area Vocational-Technical School, keeping the Albany name. The school's campus was moved to its current location during the merger. In 1988, the school was renamed Albany Technical Institute and placed under the direction of the newly formed TCSG (then-named the Department of Technical and Adult Education). Albany Tech was charged at this time with providing technical education opportunities to the residents, businesses and industries within the seven-county service delivery area it currently serves. Following the passage of Georgia House Bill 1187 governing the names of units in the TCSG, Albany Technical Institute was officially renamed Albany Technical College on July 6, 2000
James Blaylock member of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service Alice Coachman 1949 first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal and the only American woman to win a gold medal in the 1948 Walter Curry former professional football player Gregory Daniels 1974 First African American VP of Nissan North America Kenneth Gant former professional football player Jonnie Mae Gibson Fifth African American Woman in FBI Big James Henderson 1984�1986 former powerlifter who competed in the International Powerlifting Federation and won five world bench press titles. Offensive Lineman for the 1985 SIAC Conference Championship football team. Art Green former CFL and NFL player James Holmes 1968 First African American Director of the US Census Bureau Caldwell Jones former professional basketball player Charles Jones former professional basketball player Major Jones former professional basketball player Wil Jones former professional basketball player Dan Land former professional football player Jo Marie Payton actress Bernice Johnson Reagon singer, composer, scholar, and social activist; Professor Emeritus of History at American University in Washington, DC; Curator Emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution�s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC; 2002�04 Cosby Chair Professor of Fine Arts at Spelman College in Atlanta Georgia Shirley Sherrod 1970 Civil rights advocate, former Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture Albert Sloan Twelfth President of Miles College Phelan Thomas first African American cosmetic dentist certified as a Diplomate of the American Board of Aesthetic Dentistry by the American Society for Dental Aesthetics Rick Ross attended Rapper Mike White former professional football player and current head football coach at Albany State University
Phone: 2294303500
Geographic region: Southeast AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC SC TN VA WV
Website: www.albanytech.edu
Net price calculator web address: www.albanytech.edu/images/netcalc/
Undergraduate application fee: $23.00
Graduate application fee: $0.00
Member of National Athletic Association: Yes
Member of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA): No
Member of National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIC): No
Member of National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA): No
Member of National Small College Athletic Association (NSCAA): No
Member of National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA): No


text:
Firewall under FreeBSD
How do I enable firewall ipfw under FreeBSD?
Add the following lines into the /etc/rc.conf file:
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Installing 3proxy supporting http(s) and socks5-proxy
Since Squid is a resource intensive and difficult to configure program, your clients may want to install a proxy-server on their server. You can offer them an easy-to-use server that supports http and socks.
It is strongly prohibited to install an unauthorized server, because it can be used for fraudulent actions, such as spamming.
Follow the procedures below to install and configure the server.
Installing PHP 5.2 on Ubuntu 10.04/10.10
The repositories on Ubuntu 10.04 and later only include PHP 5.3. If you want to use PHP 5.2. you can install the repository (PPA https://edge.launchpad.net/~txwikinger/+archive/php5.2 txwikinger/php5.2) with a required PHP version.
Below are four steps you need to go through in order to change your PHP version. If PHP is not installed yet, you need to connect the repository beforehand and install php5 in a usual way. PHP 5.2.10 will be installed.
Configuring FreeBSD for VPS
The article below goes through the steps that you need to follow to configure FreeBSD for running a virtual private server.
Read More »
Installing the vsftpd FTP-server
This article goes through the steps you need to follow when installing a fast and secure vsftpd ftp-server that supports anonymous users for FreeBSD
About vsftpd
vsftpd (stands for a Very Secure FTP Daemon) is a FTP server that supports IPv6 and SSL. It is a default ftp-server in a number of GNU/Linux-based systems and their official repositories, such as ftp.debian.org, ftp.redhat.com (as of 2004). This is one of the fastest and most secure servers.
Installing and customizing the SA-MP (San Andreas Multiplayer) server
San Andreas Multiplayer (abbreviated to SA:MP) is a third party multiplayer modification for the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas computer game. San Andreas Multiplayer is developed by a team of dedicated fans of the Grand Theft Auto series of video games, who work on their own spare time developing SA:MP as a hobby.
Read More »
FreeBSD 6 vs FreeBSD 8
FreeBSD 8 was launched in November 2009. The new version was greatly modified, many bugs were fixed. This version has much more advantages in comparison with old ones.
This is an advanced solution for both FreeBSD users and developers. FreeBSD 8 provides you with a wide range of useful tools for hosting server management.
Protection server SSH Dictionary Attacks
If you are running a Linux VPS, you'll notice that bots will try to gain illegitimate access to your server through ssh. While this unsettles a lot of people, there's really nothing to worry about as long as you don't permit root logins (Many Linux distributions allow direct root login via ssh by default) and have a strong password policy. Read More »
Installing OpenVPN server on CentOS Linux (part3)
Server configurations for Debian and CentOS Linux are almost identical, except for the beginning of the installation process.
Since the package is not included into the CentOS repository, you will need to enable RPMforge (http://rpmrepo.net/RPMforge) to install OpenVPN.


text:
Benefits of Registration
Personalize this item
Price: $
Edit Personalization
Remove Personalization
Yes, I want Free Shipping/No Service Charge for one year with Passport
* One year membership starts immediately with today's purchase, membership fee refundable within 30 days. Automatic one year renewal for $29.99 as an added convenience, cancellable at any time. Orders must be placed two or more business days
ahead of delivery date. Offer subject to delivery rules. Florist Fulfilled items are generally available for delivery 7 days a week. Direct Ship products can only be sent within the continental United States.
Click here for complete Terms and Conditions.
This gift includes everything you need to create the perfect wine-tasting party for four. It includes four bottles of our own Southern Oregon-made wine—three red and one white—each in a linen wine bag. There is a wooden tray for each person, along with carafes to taste from. We've included a wine opener as well. All of the accoutrements are reusable for countless wine tasting parties to come.
Click here for further details and restrictions relating to the purchase of wine, and a list of states to which Harry & David wine can be shipped. You must be 21 years of age or older to order, purchase or receive delivery of wine. A person who is 21 years of age or older must be home to sign for the delivery. Offer void where prohibited by law.
Promotions, Celebrations Passport®, coupons and special offers do not apply to products containing wine. Harry & David wine is sold and shipped by Harry and David, LLC, Medford, Oregon.
WARNING: Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine, and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol.
Would you like to ship each item to a different recipient or ship all items to one recipient ?
Ship to multiple recipients >
- or -
Ship to one recipient >


text:
Career Center
Job Seekers, Welcome to ASI Career Center
The job you tried to view is no longer active.
See similar jobs below or perform a new job search.
See similar jobs below or perform a new job search.
Sort By
311 'data OR entry OR reps OR STATECODE:"IL"' Jobs
Chicago, Illinois
Window to the World Communications, Inc. (WTTW/WFMT)
1 Week Ago
Chicago, Illinois
DePaul University
4 Days Ago
Chicago, Illinois
University of Chicago
4 Weeks Ago
Chicago, Illinois
3 Days Ago
Palos Heights, Illinois
Trinity Christian College
2 Months Ago
Powered By


text:
'Frightening and High': The Supreme Court's Crucial Mistake About Sex Crime Statistics
Published at 30 Constitutional Commentary 495 (2015)
14 Pages Posted: 9 Jun 2015 Last revised: 18 Apr 2016
Date Written: September 16, 2015
This brief essay reveals that the sources relied upon by the Supreme Court in Smith v. Doe, a heavily cited constitutional decision on sex offender registries, in fact provide no support at all for the facts about sex offender re-offense rates that the Court treats as central to its constitutional conclusions. This misreading of the social science was abetted in part by the Solicitor General's misrepresentations in the amicus brief it filed in this case. The false "facts" stated in the opinion have since been relied upon repeatedly by other courts in their own constitutional decisions, thus infecting an entire field of law as well as policy making by legislative bodies. Recent decisions by the Pennsylvania and California supreme courts establish principles that would support major judicial reforms of sex offender registries, if they were applied to the actual facts.
These final corrected page proofs are identical to the published version.
Keywords: law and social science, sex offenders, registries
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Register to save articles to
your library
Paper statistics
Recommended Papers
Information for Submitting Articles to Law Reviews & Journals
By Allen Rostron and Nancy Levit
Scholarly Impact of Law School Faculties in 2015: Updating the Leiter Score Ranking for the Top Third
By Gregory C. Sisk, Valerie Aggerbeck, ...
Sex Offender Law and the Geography of Victimization
By Amanda Y. Agan and J.j. Prescott
Residual Impact: Resentencing Implications of Johnson's Potential Ruling on ACCA's Constitutionality
By Leah Litman
American Criminal Record Exceptionalism
By Kevin Lapp
Culture as a Structural Problem in Indigent Defense
Effect and Technique in Legal Aesthetics
By Simon Stern


text:
Hello Fellow Readers 🙂
It seems like it has been a long time since the last "If I had a Boyfriend" moment. But don't forget that "If I had a Boyfriend Series" is still running!
"So, if I had a boyfriend, how would I react when we have a fight? Will I cry? Will I be more sad or more angry? What can he say to calm my heart and get this fight pass us?"
To be honest, no relationship is perfect. Fights are part of a "normal" relationship because a smooth relationship is just too boring. Without fights and disagreements, how can we know what we are truly thinking about each other?
- There are many types of fights ranging from play-fighting fights to serious on the verge of break-up fights.
- Play-fighting fights are quite cute because the two people are basically teasing each other. Personally, I feel that it is similar to flirting.
- Serious on the verge of Break-Up fights are critical. This one particular argument may be the one that officially separates two people, but it was a series of arguments that caused these two people to separate.
- Normally, people would remember the last argument the most. And the reason why is because they would remember it as what made the break-up official.
- Many people would dwell on this last fight thinking about what they could have done differently to stop the actual break-up from happening. But to be honest, no matter how much a person thinks about "what could have," it has already happened.
- Regular fights would be what happens in between the most serious and the least serious fights. These fights would be about things that can be easily forgiven or forgotten.
- For example, two people can fight about whether or not the toilet seat should be up or down. This argument can become heated and cause dismay when the toilet seat is not put in a way that is pleasant to either party. Yet, at the end of the day a couple can overlook this problem, even if it does not get solved.
- Personally, I may enjoy reading about and seeing couples who are forever in their Honey Moon Period. But on average, how long is the Honey Moon period? 3-months? 6-months? 1-year? 2-years?
- There will always be an end to a period.
- Can the Honey Moon period never end?
- Can two people really go on and be together without any type of argument or fight? How can there be zero disagreement?
- Even if you choose someone who is like your twin, you may still run into each other. One reason is because "sometimes, it is okay when you do things a certain way. But when that someone is not you, it is not okay."
- Can two people really go on and be together without any type of argument or fight? How can there be zero disagreement?
- However, without conflict in perfect relationships, the story does not seem as interesting. The conflicts make the relationship stronger because the two people struggle together to overcome the obstacles.
- "When you are looking for a relationship, of course you did not hope for problems. But problems will arise. So what are you going to do about it?"
So the story I would like to tell today is about two friends that recently got into a big fight. This fight was a very serious one because it damaged their friendship.
Now before we come to conclusions, this series is called "If I had a Boyfriend." However, this story is about two friends because "the final stage of a relationship is friendship." These two friends may not be in an official relationship but don't we all have that one friend that is close enough for us to be in an ideal relationship with; yet, there is no relationship.
How should I begin telling this story? How about with the main characters: Childhood friends, Rene and Dashiel (Dash).
(Back Story) Dash and Rene have known each other since a very young age. But it was not until High School did Dash and Rene got to know each other. Although they went to school together, they were not always in the same classes. In high school Dash had began taking care of Rene because he got to know her more as they had more classes together. To Dash, Rene is someone who was shy and did not have the courage to express herself fully. He attempts to help her project her voice. Dash saw Rene as someone he wanted to protect.
Rene has a form of social anxiety. When she is in public alone, she gets nervous. Her eyes wander and she would sweat bullets. She cannot stay still because she tends to fidget from the anxiety. She needs someone to calm her down. The presence of a friend will put her mind and heart at peace. And this friend is Dash.
In high school, Dash and Rene were not always able to go home together because of their different schedules. Some days they would wait for each other, but some days they still would not have been able to meet even if they waited. So Dash would tell Rene to text him. He said, "text me whenever you are nervous on the way home."
During Rene's ride home, she would text Dash. When she is on the train, and then when she is on the bus. Dash did not always respond immediately. Rene understood that Dash would not be able to respond to her every text. But nevertheless she would aimlessly text him.
At first, Dash thought Rene was trying to hold a serious conversation through her "nervous" texting. Dash would try to keep up the conversation with her. But after a period of time, he realized that he could not hold a stable conversation through her nervous texting. Her mind wanders too quickly. He has grown use to her just mindlessly messaging him. At the same time every school day, he expected her nervous texts. Sometimes they were fun to read. He saw a different side of Rene through her texts.
However, one day he didn't get the usual text from her. And since that day she missed her usual nervous texting, her texting became less consistent. On the days that she didn't text him, he would worry a bit. He was curious about what happened. He would then proceed to message her to see if everything is okay. Dash cared about Rene and really wanted to take care of her.
He was reassured on the days she would respond immediately. On these days he felt great because he felt he came to her rescue. She may have been in a situation that did not allow her to take out her phone, but his text was the reason she had to pull out her phone. But on days when she did not respond as quickly or did not respond at all, he would get nervous. He would send her consecutive texts trying to hold a conversation. At those times, Dash could not help but worry about Rene's well-being.
At some point all the nervous texting stopped. Dash would wonder why, but he never asked her. (I'm not sure why he never asked her.) The reason Rene stopped her nervous texting was because she thought she was burdening Dash. She felt bad for bombarding him with all these useless texts. Yet, she never thought about what her texts meant to Dash. Her texts were now a part of Dash. Her well-being had became a part of Dash.
Rene's careless though changed something. It changed their relationship. He would go on to liking someone else, and she would begin to like him. But she has already stopped nervous texting him. The texting that held their relationship together is not gone. Right now, they are staying at the status of friends.
Rene stopped nervous texting to Dash because she wanted to change herself. She wanted to improve herself to match with Dash. Dash who is outgoing and very sociable. She tried to be more social, she tried to express herself more. She tried to be more like him. But he didn't notice, and she had let him go…
Although Dash and Rene were never in a real relationship, their friendship had reached a point where they were in a relationship. There is this foundation they have with each other. So that is why when Rene and Dash got into a fight, it damaged their relationship.
(Actual Story) Dash met someone, her name is Annie. Although he only knew her for a day, he felt that she was the one for him. She fit everything he was looking for; her personality, her appearance, her way of life, her everything. However, he is at the stage where he is still courting her.
He was really happy. And he really wanted to tell Rene. He wanted her opinion, and to share his happiness with her. But he did not tell Rene the whole story. He kept telling her bits and pieces of what happened because he was not sure if this relationship was going to work or not.
Rene understood that Dash was in love. She knows him like an open book, sometimes. And to be honest, at first Rene was disappointed. She knew she would never be able to be with Dash now. But at the same time, Rene was happy for Dash. Dash is one of her best friends, and she wants him to be happy. Rene knows that "love is not about possession, but about seeing the one she loved be with someone else he loved."
However, Rene said some things that was not pleasant to Dash's ears and this is how this fight officially started. Rene tried her best to give neutral comments about his courtship, but Dash felt that Rene was not being sincere. He got angry at Rene for not taking his courtship seriously. He felt her comments were not comments of congratulations, but comments of bitterness and jealousy. They argued. Rene tried to defend herself but Dash kept on blaming her.
His words shattered Rene's heart. She could not believe that Dash thought that way of her. He was suppose to be the only person in this world that understood her. She thought that if there was anyone that would be able to understand her, it would be Dash. But then this situation happened. That night, their friendship shattered…
"If I had a Boyfriend, I wish we never have a fight. Fights make people angry and sad. But if I were to be fighting with my Boyfriend, I think I would be more sad than angry. I see this fight as a negative mark on our relationship. So, future boyfriend, if we do get into a fight, can you make sure that we never leave any fights unresolved? Thank you <3"
Rene and Dash may not have been an official couple getting into a fight, but their fight really made me think about something. When two people are fighting in a relationship, someone will get mad, someone will become sad, and everyone gets hurt. Fighting damages the relationship, it leaves an invisible scar that adds up and may be thought back on when new problems arise.
For those readers out there who are in relationships, please don't let any fights go unresolved. If a fight starts, make sure that it gets resolved. Don't let the bitterness, the grudge hold your relationship down. Grudges stop the relationship from growing.
My heart breaks for this story not because Rene and Dash should be in a relationship together. My heart breaks for this story because Dash misunderstands Rene. Rene is trying to share Dash's happiness, but Dash feels Rene is not "happy" enough for him? I think what Dash actually feels is something else. He may feel Rene's neutral comments did not give him enough reassurance. Maybe deep down, he just wanted Rene's approval for this relationship because that is how much she really means to him. Maybe what Dash really wanted was Rene to tell him, "Dash, she's perfect. Dash, you can date someone else. We are just friends." Sometimes I wonder where Rene stands in Dash's heart. She means more to him than he thinks, he just has not realize it yet.
Thank you for Reading! 🙂
Please continue to DayDream! ❤
Follow DayDreamTrek with our Daily quotes on Twitter @DayDreamTrek!


text:
FORT WALTON BEACH � In just two years, the number of people needing emergency food assistance has almost doubled, and one local group is stepping up to meet that need.
S4P Synergy will host a grand opening Oct. 9 to celebrate its expanded food pantry, which offers canned, dry and frozen food.
�People in this community are not getting groceries, and a lot of these are working people,� said Yvette Torry, community outreach chair with S4P Synergy. �We�re providing supplemental supplies so they can get through the week.
�This place is a blessing and it makes a difference.�
The food pantry is at Striving for Perfection Church on Bass Avenue. It has been there since 2002, but the larger space can provide more residents with what they need.
�There�s a need in this community, especially for a place that is accessible,� said Lin Mack, executive director of S4P Synergy.
The pantry is open every third Saturday of the month for qualified individuals.
The nonprofit group�s pantry also will be one of four in south Okaloosa County that can serve as an emergency relief after a disaster.
�It was a needed area to set up something out there so folks could obtain food and water,� said Randy McDaniel, the county�s emergency management chief.
McDaniel added that the food pantry helps relieve pressure on other local food banks and offers a convenient spot to pick up food and supplies.
�I noticed after Hurricane Ivan that there was a real need for a place in this part of Fort Walton Beach,� Mack said. �Then, people had to go to Niceville or Destin to get food.
�The spirit of God moved in my heart and that�s what started this.�
In the event of an emergency, the pantry will be open until power is restored.
S4P Synergy is still in need of food donations, shelving and funding for a generator. For more information or to donate, call the organization at 362-6977.
The pantry�s grand opening will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Oct. 9 at Striving for Perfection located 24 Bass Ave. S.W. in Fort Walton Beach.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.


text:
Godiva Carrés White, Milk & 50% 72% 85% Dark, 60 pcs
Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, full cream milk powder, skimmed milk powder, butter oil, emulsifier (soy lecithin), natural vanilla flavouring. Allergy Advice: May contain milk products, nuts, soya and gluten.Nutrition Declaration per 100g: Energy 2268 kJ / 542 kcal - total fat 38 g - saturates 24 g - carbohydrate 42 g - sugars 39 g - protein 8 g - salt 0,1 g
Godiva Truffes Signature, 16 pcs
Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass, full cream milk powder, cocoa butter, vegetable oil (sunflower, palm, rapeseed, palm kernel), almonds, hazelnuts, butter oil, invert sugar syrup, wheat flour, cocoa powder, cream, humectant (sorbitol), glucose-fructose syrup, rice flour, skimmed milk powder, glucose syrup, sweetened condensed milk, butter, emulsifier (soy lecithin), flavourings, honey, salted butter, salt, coffee, maltodextrin,soy flour, cinnamon, milk protein, milk sugar, barley malt flour, natural vanilla, wheat starch.Allergy Advice: May contain milk products, nuts, soya and gluten.Nutrition Declaration per 100g: Energy 2288 kJ / 548 kcal - total fat 37 g - saturates 22 g - carbohydrate 46 g - sugars 41 g - protein 7 g - salt 0,2 g
Godiva Wonderful City Of Dreams, 9 pcs
Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, full cream milk powder, cream, vegetable oil (palm, palm kernel), humectants (sorbitol syrup, glycerol), glucose syrup, skimmed milk powder, hazelnuts, butter, butter oil, orange juice concentrate, strawberry juice concentrate, invert sugar srup, wheat flour, grapefruit, flavourings, emulsifier (soy lecithin), maltodextrin, pecan nuts, strawberries, lychee, inulin, acidity regulator (citric acid), salt, vegetable fat (palm, shea nut), starch, colours (E171, E129*, E102*, E133), honey, cocoa powder, natural vanilla. *E102, E129: May have an adverse effect on the activity and attention of children.Allergy Advice: Contains milk and milk products, tree nuts and its derivatives, gluten and soy and its products.
Sign up for exclusive offers
GiftsForEurope Ardooie Belgium
Belgium Office
Monday-Friday: 8AM - 6PM (GMT+1)
Phone: INT. +32 (0)28 96 28 50
Sitemap | Privacy | Terms Of Use
© 1997 - 2019 Frucon² nv. All rights reserved


text:
Ahoy Mateys!
This weekend the pirates will invade Tampa Bay in search of all kinds of treasures and will demand the key to our city. Whether you are an Old Salt (experienced sailor) or a first time Sea Dog… I've put together a few tips to make the most out of your Gasparilla. Can you believe it..... only 2 days away!!!!!!
- Be the most stylish Skallywag on Bayshore Boulevard this weekend! There are plenty of boutiques all around the South Tampa area that have plenty of garb for all you Bucaneers and the Wenches. Hyde Park Village also offers plenty of shopping options. Be sure to stick to the three-color pirate palette: red, black and stripes (let's pretend it is a color okay?).
- Boots… boots… boots… blimey y'all! If I could give my lady wenches one piece of clothing advice, this one is the most important… leave the heels at home, stick to boots or flats. You wouldn't believe how many wenches are ready to walk the plank by noon!
- See the invasion by land! You don't want to miss pirate ship Jose Gasprilla and the swashbuckling skallywags invade the ship docks at the Tampa Convention Center on Saturday morning. Don't leave Harbour Island until you have seen "The Invasion". The actual pirate invasion sets sail at 11:30 and docks at the Tampa Convention Center around 1 p.m. (pirate time…). I also recommend having brunch at the Tampa Convention Center and being up close and personal to all the action! You can purchase tickets to the Invasion Brunch at www.GasparillaPirateFest.com
- Watch the invasion by Sea! Hop on board the Yacht Starship for a special Gasparilla Invasion Brunch Cruise. This ship cruises alongside the Jose Gasparilla priate ship with the flotilla and is the biggest yacht in the invasion! Pirates will be happy to know that this ticket includes all the ruuuuum you can drink (and other liquors and beer…. In other words, it's an open bar) as well as a delicious brunch buffet! All ages are welcome and you can purchase tickets at www.yachstarship.com Cruise Times: Boards, 10 a.m., Departs 10:30 a.m. and Returns 1 p.m.
- Parade Route Details: The 3.8 mile parade begins at 2 p.m. on the corner of Bay to Bay Boulevard and Bayshore Boulevard. There arghhhh (sorry I had to do it) about 90 floats total, so claim your spot early along the parade route if you aren't lucky enough to be in one of the fancy corporate tents.
- Be wary of your Booze: Tampa Police Department has definitely cracked down on the drinking! There will be zero tolerance for underage drinking, peeing in public and don't think you can get away with open containers in public areas. Keep those big coolers at home, only soft-sided coolers are allowed for a lunch or a snack (if you were thinking of a liquid lunch or snack, nope… not allowed. I don't recommend testing the system).
- Plan ahead, designate a driver. Don't drink and drive. Be ready for multiple DUI checkpoints set up all around the area and police boats ready for arrests of BUI (boating under the influence). If you have had too much to drink, go up to your bar staff or wait staff and request "Alert Cab", this program insures you get a FREE and safe cab ride home and sponsored by Anheuser-Busch and Pepin Distributing. More info on Alert Cab visit: http://bit.ly/LMx8YX
- Pirate Parking: Plan to arrive early for parking and expect traffic…. There will be public parking garages in Tampa that charge a flat daily rate. There are a few parking options in downtown Tampa located at the Tampa Convention Center under the Crosstown and on Channelside Drive. Locals will also offer parking in their yards and parking lots for various costs. Parking is also available in the garages at Hyde Park Village. For those who want to avoid the crowds all together, head over to Tampa's Historic Latin Quarter, Ybor City and hop on the TECO Line Streetcar. For info on routes and fares visit: www.goHART.com or www.gasparillapiratefest.com
- Recycle, Recycle…. RECYCLE PEOPLE: Don't trash those cans and bottles…. Recycle them! Rumor is that this year Pepin Distributing has created life-size Budweiser Clydesdales out of recycled Budweiser cans on their float. This is not only going to be a must-see photo opp, but also serves as a reminder to recycle those beer cans and bottles and help keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and keep Gasparilla trash-free and clean! For more information on this initiative visit: http://www.keeptampabaybeautiful.org/
- After-Party Fireworks: New this year, you don't want to miss the Gasparilla after-party and fireworks show at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in downtown Tampa. The party is sponsored by Gasparilla title sponsor, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa and kicks off around 5:30 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. Guests can enjoy live bands, food vendors and did I mention FIREWORKS… woooo!
Well, now that you are shipshape there ol' Mates, looks like you are ready to weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen and make an unforgettable 2014 Gasparilla Pirate Invasion!


text:
There is an increasing number of startups providing tools and services to enable HR professionals work effectively and efficiently. With the growth of such offerings in the market, HR professionals find it hard to compare and identify the most suitable ones.
Following community led effort to map out these services and platforms via crowd-sourcing. Simply click on the + plus sign to add your suggested HR technology service provider. To ensure quality submission, kindly note that submissions will be sent to our community administrator for approval before it gets posted below.
Together, lets enable great HR practice happens, in Asia!
Yours sincerely, TiA Founders
Bambang Yapri, Ben Whitter, Benny Rachmadin, Cathy Hungg, Christina Ambarwati, Foo Chek Wee, Laurence Smith, Manikandan Gurumurthy, Monir Azzouzi, and Ong Chuon Yan


text:
I cannot believe that a week has gone (almost) since we came back from Pembrokeshire! I have been trying to get out 2 blog posts all week but I have not had the energy to get the completed! April is a crazy time of year for work and all my mental strength has been going towards that this week leaving nothing left for the blog!
But as always I am keen to share a #MYSUNDAYPHOTO with you all, this photo was taken of little geek whilst going on a nice Bank Holiday Monday walk along Newgale beach! This picture pretty much sums up how Katy was all weekend, smiling and wind swept! 😂
Anyway I will hopefully get the blog post up this evening on what we got up to, for now I hope you will forgive me!


text:
Treat yourself to an incredible adventure to La Serena Chile to enjoy the total solar eclipse in 2019. This 5 day highlight tour will allow you to enjoy the Chilean culture in a different way while experiencing a rare event. Space is limited book below to secure your spot.
Travel to Chile to experience a rare, spectacular event with our Solar Eclipse Tour. This 5-day tour from Santiago is perfect for those who want to experience local Chilean culture, enjoy camping in the wilderness, and taste homemade Chilean meals.
Please Note: The Solar Eclipse Tour has fixed dates. If you are looking for a custom solar eclipse tour with different departure dates, please contact us.
Day 1: Santiago to Valle del Encanto
The Solar Eclipse Tour starts from Santiago, were your guides will pick you up at your hotel between 7:30-8:00 AM. We will stop at a local restaurant for a typical Chilean country breakfast. With full bellies, we will start our journey up north.
At 13:00 PM we will arrive in Ovalle and make a quick stop for lunch. After lunch we will visit Parque Valle del Encanto. The valley is a national momument and protects a number of archaeological artifacts, incluing pictographs, petroglyphs and tacit stones. Your guide will give you a cultural introduction to the área and you will get the chance to learn about the indigenous people and culture that inhabited the area over 2,000 year ago.
Accomodations: Spend the night in wooden cabins close to Ovalle
Day 2: Punta de Choros and Island de Damas
After Breakfast we will drive 2 hours to Punta de Choros. Here, we will go on a boat tour to the Island of Damas (Isla de Damas) where you will get the chance to see peguins and, with some luck, dolphins. This island is a natural reserve and offers hiking paths and is the home to lots of different sea and land animals.
After the tour, we will enjoy a seafood lunch at a local family restaurant. In the evening, we will spend the night camping on the coast.
Day 3: The Solar Eclipse
Today, we will drive down south to La Higuera, a small town a little bit north of La Serena. There we will set up camp and prepare for the total solar eclipse. You will get the chance to walk around and enjoy the beautiful beaches. Around 16:00 PM, we will have everything ready to enjoy the spectacular event. For a moment, you will experience darkness in the day as the sun disappears.
After the eclipse, we will have a traditional Chilean Asado (BBQ) with local drinks and live music at our camp to celebrate the eclipse. Tonight, we camp again by the coast and fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves.
Day 4: La Serena City Tour
Today, you'll have the chance to sleep in and enjoy a late breakfast close to the beach. After packing up, we will travel to La Serena, where we will go on a city tour, visiting the local market. Afterwards a short visit to the port town of Coquimbo, where you will learn about the history of the town.
We will spend the night in wooden cabins a little south of Coquimbo. Far away from the flocks of tourists in that area. We will share our last night with a local family, who will cook a home-cooked dinner for us.
Day 5: Head back to Santiago
Today, we will spend the morning driving back to Santiago, arriving in the before lunch.
Please note that in order to reserve this tour, we need to pay the operator immediately, so all bookings are final. If you have any questions before booking or want to confirm a certain date, please email us at email@example.com.
After you book your experience, you will receive a confirmation email from us confirming that your payment went through. You will then be connected directly to the tour operator, in case you have any further questions. We are also happy to answer any questions about the tour, or travel in general in your country of destination.


text:
The first song on Six, the first album from the Connecticut band Empty Flowers, begins with a rising, chiming drone: Single-chord guitars wrapping themselves slowly around a metronomic drum beat, intensity gradually rising, no words beyond a few barely-audible mumbles buried deep in the track. And then, two and a half minutes in, there's a split second of silence, and the track roars back in with the first clearly audible word of the album. That word is "FUUUUUCK." It's a real fists-up moment and an apt introduction for a band who already knows how to mix deep trance-drone repetition with serious kickass rock fury. It's a cathartic thrown elbow of an LP, but one that keeps twisting and contorting, never content to find the simplest and most traditional route toward detaching your retina.
In some ways, it's not really much of a surprise that the band is already in a zone like this. Two members come from the long-running Connecticut metalcore band Cable, and all of them look like they've been to a few rodeos before. But then again, it's sort of a suprise, to me at least. I've never really checked for Cable before, an oversight I'll have to correct now. And Six brings up all sorts of vague connections to a time when bands were expected to rock hard and smart, not to pick one of the two and run with it. In the way the band interlocks its splintered guitar-shards into heavy grooves, they recall Slint, or Polvo, or even Unwound. And in the way that frontman Christian McKenna floats his strained, piercing, mythic yelp over the band's patient thud, I can't help but compare them to Lungfish, a parallel I don't mention lightly.
Lungfish were one of my favorite bands ever, and they worked partly because they seemed so context-free, so removed from time and space and scenes and politics. I used to see crazy-eyed Lungfish prophet Dan Higgs around Baltimore and find myself rooted to the spot, unable to say anything to him, mostly since he seemed more like an elder god than a fellow Whole Foods shopper. (Eventually I got over it and had a conversation or two with him, and he turns out to be a very pleasant human being. But still.) McKenna doesn't come off like that; he comes off like an actual human dude who happens to be very good at making atmospheric post-hardcore. His lyrics aren't gnostic koans, for the most part; they're simple and relatable sentiments. "Never trust the police, the police," he wails at one point. At another: "I suggest you call a priest to exorcise these demons in me." (Turns out that he drinks too much and stays out late most nights, that he loses battles but wins most fights.) And where Lungfish would push a single burning riff to the point where it became a part of your soul, Empty Flowers let their songs slowly wander, turning from one groove to another so slowly and assuredly that you barely notice. Still, they land in the same deep head-nod territory, and hearing a band so good at that sound gives the rare sensation of scratching an itch I didn't know I had.
Six is the work of four musicians who are locked into each other in that rare telepathic way, where each understands which hole in the song he needs to fill. The drums never even come in on "Call A Priest," and they don't need to, since everyone else in the band plays guitar and bass like rhythm instruments. In fact, rhythm and melody seem so wound up with each other on this album that it's hard to say where one ends and the other begins. The tangles of guitar have heft, the floor-tom rumbles push things forward intuitively, the long songs feel short. A couple of times, choral female backing vocals come in, but they're not stunt-casting; they just add floating dread where it's needed. The seven songs end in just over half an hour, but this is still the work of a band who knows how to take its time, to build something.
Six is out now on Translation Loss.
Other albums of note out this week:
• Dum Dum Girls' excellent mellowed-out garage-pop EP End Of Daze.
• Longtime indie rock sideman Chris Cohen's assured psych-pop solo debut Overgrown Path.
• Hundred Waters' hauntingly off-kilter self-titled debut.
• Frightened Rabbit's raucously emotive State Hospital EP.
• Lavender Diamond's orch-pop comeback Incorruptible Heart.
• No Doubt's grand commercial return Push And Shove.
• Melody's Echo Chamber's Stereolab-engineered self-titled haze-pop debut.
• Former Songs: Ohia/Magnolia Electric Co. frontman Jason Molina's rootsy, depressive solo turn Autumn Bird Songs.
• Winterfylleth's expansive black metal LP The Threnody Of Triumph.
• The Soft Pack's sophomore effort Strapped.
• Lightning Bolt's rarities collection Oblivion Hunter.
• Green Day's ¡Uno!, the first album in a planned blockbuster-punk trilogy.
• Mumford & Sons' probably-better-than-you-think Babel.
• Lupe Fiasco's probably-worse-than-you-think Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1.


text: At Figaro Dessert Cafe, we understand the importance of your wedding day and your San Diego wedding cake, that is why our wedding cake consultation team is dedicated to ensuring your satisfaction and happiness! Our San Diego Wedding Cake consultants are ready to assist you in designing your dream wedding cake. We offer a wide variety of flavors and finishes such as buttercream and fondant. If you would like to have wedding cake with a rustic look to it, we offer naked cakes where the sides are always left naked, to gently expose the inner beauty of the cake. All of our wedding cakes are made from scratch without the use of preservatives or artificial ingredients. We put love into what we do so that people love what we do. We also offer vegan, gluten free and sugar free wedding cakes. If you are interested in a wedding cake tasting and consultation check out the following steps. At Figaro Dessert Cafe we also offer custom cakes for all other occasions.


text:
In the News
New hospitals and patient satisfaction, NSAIDs and adverse events, and more.
New hospital with amenities didn't improve patient satisfaction scores
Renovating a hospital to have a more patient-centered design improved patient ratings of the building but didn't significantly affect other measures of overall satisfaction, a recent study found.
For the study, researchers used Press Ganey and HCAPHS scores collected from patients who were treated at a new hospital building that had healing gardens with a water feature, soaring lobbies, an art collection, well-decorated and light-filled patient rooms with sleeping accommodations for family members, features to reduce noise, and an interactive television network. Their scores were compared to data from the year before the move and from patients treated concurrently on units that hadn't moved to the new building.
Patients in the new building reported significantly higher satisfaction in facility-related survey areas, especially the pleasantness of the décor (64.8% scoring it highly vs. 33.6%) and visitor accommodation and comfort (70.3% vs. 50.0%). However, their satisfaction ratings of physicians, nurses, housekeeping, and other service staff didn't change in the new building. Results were published in the March Journal of Hospital Medicine.
"Contrary to our hypothesis and a belief held by many, we found that patients appeared able to distinguish their experience with the hospital environment from their experience with providers and other services," the study authors said. The study's generalizability was limited by its setting in a single academic center that treats mostly an inner-city population or patients referred for specialty care, they noted.
However, the findings suggest that clinician-level interventions may have more impact on overall patient satisfaction than hospital renovations and that such renovations may not be cost-effective responses to value-based payment systems. The lessons apply to both planning of interventions and interpretation of satisfaction scores, since the "study suggests that hospitals should not use outdated facilities as an excuse for achievement of suboptimal satisfaction scores," the authors said.
NSAIDs, frequently taken after MI, may increase bleeding and thrombotic events
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were associated with increased risk of bleeding and thrombotic events, even during short-term treatment, among patients receiving antithrombotic therapy after myocardial infarction, a study found.
Researchers studied 61,971 patients 30 years or older who were admitted with first-time myocardial infarction and who were alive 30 days after discharge by using Danish registries of data from 2002 to 2011. Treatment with aspirin, clopidogrel, or oral anticoagulants and their combinations, as well as at least 1 NSAID, was examined. Results appeared in the Feb. 24 Journal of the American Medical Association.
During a median follow-up of 3.5 years, there were 18,105 deaths (29.2%), 5,288 bleeding events (8.5%), and 18,568 cardiovascular events (30%). The crude incidence rates of bleeding (events per 100 person-years) were 4.2 (95% CI, 3.8 to 4.6) with NSAID treatment and 2.2 (95% CI, 2.1 to 2.3) without NSAID treatment. The rates of cardiovascular events were 11.2 (95% CI, 10.5 to 11.9) with NSAIDs and 8.3 (95% CI, 8.2 to 8.4) without. The increased risk of bleeding and cardiovascular events happened with NSAIDs regardless of antithrombotic treatment, types of NSAIDs, or duration of use.
The researchers said that while more research is needed to confirm these findings, physicians should exercise appropriate caution when prescribing NSAIDs for patients who have recently experienced myocardial infarction, even for treatment periods of 3 days or less.
"Although it seems unlikely that physicians can completely avoid prescription of NSAIDs, even among high-risk patients," they wrote, "these results highlight the importance of considering the balance of benefits and risks before initiating any NSAID treatment."
The authors of an accompanying editorial voiced their concern that one-third of patients in the cohort were prescribed concomitant NSAIDs despite their recent myocardial infarction.
They wrote, "Because the present study tracked only prescription NSAID use, it is plausible that an even greater health care effect might occur in many countries, such as the United States, where NSAIDs are widely available as over-the-counter medications and physicians may be unaware whether their patients are taking NSAIDs."
8 health organizations, American Bar Association call for gun policies
A call for policies to help mitigate the rate of firearm injuries and deaths in the U.S. was announced by the American College of Physicians, 7 other national health professional organizations, and the American Bar Association.
Broadly, the organizations support a public health approach to reducing firearm injuries and fatalities, similar to approaches used to reduce tobacco use, motor vehicle fatalities, and unintentional poisoning.
The paper, which was published online Feb. 24 in Annals of Internal Medicine, recommends ways to reduce firearm-related injuries and death:
- Support criminal background checks for all firearm purchases, including sales by gun dealers, sales at gun shows, and private sales from one person to another;
- Oppose state and federal mandates that interfere with physician free speech and the patient-physician relationship, including physician "gag laws" that forbid physicians to discuss a patient's gun ownership;
- Oppose the sale or ownership of "assault weapons" and large-capacity magazines for private citizens; and
- Advocate for research into the causes and consequences of firearm violence and unintentional injuries so that evidence-based policies may be developed.
The American Bar Association notes in the paper that these recommendations "are constitutionally sound." The health professional societies made 2 additional recommendations:
- Support improved access to mental health care, with caution against broadly including all persons with any mental or substance use disorder in a category of persons prohibited from purchasing firearms; and
- Oppose blanket reporting laws that require physicians to report patients who are displaying signs that they may cause serious harm to themselves or others, as these laws may stigmatize patients with mental or substance-abuse use disorders and inhibit them from seeking treatment.
ACP was joined by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Surgeons, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Public Health Association, as well as the American Bar Association.
In an accompanying editorial, the author stressed that firearm-related violence is a public health threat and that physicians should focus on studying and preventing it. The editorial called for new research and funding to fill knowledge gaps and referred to a study in the same issue of Annals finding that being hospitalized for a firearm-related injury is associated with a heightened risk of subsequent violent victimization or committing a crime.
Using a retrospective cohort study design, researchers identified all gun trauma patients hospitalized during 2006-2007 in the state of Washington and compared their risk of subsequent violent injury, death, or crime perpetration to the rates among a random sample of patients with a noninjury-related hospitalization and the general population of the state.
Patients with a hospitalization due to firearm violence were ats a significantly greater risk for subsequent firearm-related hospitalization, firearm-related death, or violence-related arrest in comparison with noninjury patients. Among 613 patients with an index firearm-related hospitalization, compared to those with a non-injury-related index hospitalization, there was a greater risk for subsequent firearm-related hospitalization (subhazard ratio [sHR], 21.2; 95% CI, 7.0 to 64.0), firearm-related death (sHR, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.3 to 14.1), and firearm- or violence-related arrest (sHR, 2.7; 95% CI, 2.0 to 3.5).
The researchers noted that the condition of prior criminality had a stronger association with subsequent firearm or violence-related arrest than did a diagnosis of prior mental illness.
"One avenue for further research is to operationalize a collaborative intervention, considering that a FRH [firearms-related hospitalization] can potentially play an important role in identifying and reaching high-risk persons," the authors concluded. "Those already involved in a cycle of violence who have a medical encounter may benefit from interventions to change a trajectory that would otherwise result in subsequent violent injury, death, or crime perpetration. Secondary and tertiary prevention measures may begin in the outpatient, emergency department, or inpatient setting and continue afterward in conjunction with community services and assistance from law enforcement to offer counseling on avoiding repeated injury and new criminal activity."
Duty hours may have no effect on patient safety, resident well-being, care continuity
A randomized trial did not find a patient safety benefit from shorter duty schedules.
Researchers studied how 12-, 16-, and 24-hour shifts among residents in the intensive care unit (ICU) affected patient safety, resident well-being, and continuity of care. Forty-nine residents in 2 academic ICUs at Mount Sinai Hospital and St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, were randomly assigned in 2-month rotation-blocks from January to June 2009 to the in-house overnight schedules. Nearly half the residents were from internal medicine, with the rest from anesthesia, surgery, and emergency medicine training programs. Results appeared online Feb. 9 at CMAJ.
During the day, the mean rating on the Stanford Sleepiness Scale was 2.39 (SD, 1.13). This rating did not differ significantly between schedules (P=0.3). At night, the mean rating was 2.72 (SD, 1.37). Sleepiness increased from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. (P<0.001), and the change was not statistically different between schedules (P=0.2). With all 3 schedules, sleepiness was greatest at 4:00 a.m., consistent with the circadian rhythms of nocturnal sleepers and with the idea that time of day may be a more important determinant of fatigue than duration of duty.
There was no effect of schedule on adverse events (12-hour shift, 78.2 events per 1,000 patient days; 16-hour shift, 76.3; 24-hour shift, 81.3; P=0.7). Seven of 8 preventable adverse events occurred during the 12-hour schedule, and mortality rates were similar for the 3 schedules.
ICU staff rated residents' knowledge and decision-making worst with the 16-hour schedule and noted that the residents on that schedule knew fewer clinical and social details about patients.
The results also highlight the tradeoffs residents face, the researchers noted. Many residents reported disliking overnight duty in the 12-hour schedule due to the disconnection from the ICU team and loss of social contact with family and loved ones as a consequence of starting work at 8:30 p.m. for 3 or 4 consecutive nights.
"Our findings that overnight duty periods of 12 or 16 hours may be somewhat better for residents and worse for patients are relevant in Canada, the United States and Europe, where these shorter schedules are increasingly used, and underscore the need to further delineate this emerging signal before widespread system change," the authors concluded.


text:
by Drivtaan
The universe is a coin with two sides, yet unlike a coin with a head or a tail, the universe has a positive and a negative side. It was in the negative side of the universe that the nightmarish world of Alpo-kolips hung in the blackness of space. From a distance, this world appeared to be nothing more than a globe of machinery, its sole purpose to discharge great gouts of flame, products of the fire pits, into antimatter ether.
Drawing closer to the world, the appearance of machinery lessened, and what looked like great, black wires crisscrossing the planet were revealed to be a maze of shadowed slums. Deeper in the shadows, things moved through the gray ash that covered the world, a byproduct of the fire pits. The pitiful beings scurried back and forth from place to place; their only desire, their only reason for existing, was to do the will of the master. He was all-powerful, he was all commanding, and he was all horrible; he was Barkseid, master of Alpo-kolips.
In his great fortress, the ancient immortal mastiff stood with his gloved paws behind his back, looking down at the slums surrounding his home. Despite the evil that emanated from his massive body, there was still a regal air about him. From the midnight blue helmet that covered all but his face, ears, and jowls, to the matching tunic that appeared molded to his well-muscled chest, and his knee-high boots, he was a dominating presence wherever he went. He knew his solitude was being intruded upon before the figure in the shadows spoke.
"Is your existence so dismal, Dogsaad, that you are willing to forfeit it by intruding where you are not wanted?" Barkseid asked, his voice almost as gravelly as his complexion appeared to be.
The dalmatian cowered against the nearest column, his purplish-red robes rustling slightly with every movement. "Master," he began again. "I… I would never intrude unless it was of the most dire importance. I beg your forgiveness."
"Forgiveness?" Barkseid asked. "Do you confuse me with Highcollar that you think I would show you compassion?"
"Oh, no, Master. I only meant…" Dogsaad suddenly wished this duty had fallen to someone else.
"Never mind what you meant," the mastiff growled. "Tell me why you are here."
"Doctor Bredlam has detected an intruder," the dalmatian said.
"In the fortress?" Even as he asked, Barkseid knew the answer was no, for he would have sensed the intruder.
"On the planet, Master."
"Then send the parrotdaemons to find and rend this intruder limb from limb," Barkseid commanded.
"They are already searching, Master," Dogsaad said quickly.
Barkseid turned and faced the dalmatian, causing the animal to momentarily freeze. "Your life is rapidly reaching its end. Tell me what you came to tell me."
Dogsaad began to rub his antler against the column again. "Master, the intruder is from the world designated Earth-C-Minus."
The mastiff's paw shot out and grasped the front of Dogsaad's robes. As he pulled the startled creature close, Dogsaad thought his life was over.
"Is it one of those wretched members of the Just'a Lotta Animals?" Barkseid asked.
"No… no, Master," Dogsaad said with a whimper. "The energy signature doesn't match any of those creatures."
"Then who is it?" the lord of Alpo-kolips demanded.
"Doctor Bredlam has no clue," Dogsaad replied.
"Then, begone," Barkseid commanded as he tossed his henchbeast aside.
The dalmatian picked himself up and limped toward the door. As his hoof neared the handle, Barkseid spoke again.
"Find Devillambs, and send him to me."
Dogsaad bowed. "Immediately," he said. If the master was calling for his most skilled hunter, then he must truly be worried. Almost immediately, Dogsaad banished that thought from his mind. Even thinking that Barkseid was afraid of something could be dangerous.
Once the dalmatian was gone, the huge mastiff turned and glared into the shadows. "You have cheated. Your magic has brought your pawn here."
"I brought no one here but myself," a large hare said as it stepped into the light.
Barkseid looked at the creature and was silent. He watched as the hare tugged the cuff of his jacket sleeve, unfazed by the mastiff's scowl. Finally, Alpo-kolips' lord spoke.
"In our centuries of… acquaintance, despite all of your cryptic mutterings, you have never spoken other than the truth," Barkseid said. "If you didn't bring him, then how did the intruder arrive?"
The Phantom Strange-hare, whose black fedora hid most of his face, cast a glance at his host, then looked out over the slums. "That is something you will have to discover yourself."
"Trust me," Barkseid replied, turning his attention to the slums as well, "I shall. I most definitely shall."
Several minutes earlier:
The large, muscular moose stepped out of the glowing portal and into the dark alleyway. An instant before his passage to this world closed, a voice was filling his head with final instructions.
"You have three hours to complete your mission. I have filled you with enough energy to succeed, but you must still be cautious. Once you have completed your mission, you will be sent home."
"What if I fail?" the moose asked, stepping a bit farther back into the shadows.
"If you fail, OMAK," the voice said, "you will not be returning home."
There was no goodbye from the voice, just the fading of the portal as the connection to Brother Ibis was lost. In that instant, and for just that instant, the moose felt completely alone. Immediately, he shook off the feelings of hopelessness and began to assess his situation.
At the entrance of the alleyway, a group of creatures were gathering, peering into the darkness to see what had happened to the light that only seconds ago had shined like a beacon. While the majority of the natives searched for a few more seconds, one ran off, apparently seeking a member of the local constabulary. The sudden disappearance did not go unnoticed by OMAK, the One Moose Animal Kingdom.
"This can't be good," the moose muttered to himself. He remained in the darkness for a few more seconds, trying to decide what to do. As he had planned, the creatures began to lose interest and wander away.
Well, OMAK thought, that takes care of one problem. He waited a few more seconds, knowing each one could bring him into direct conflict with the natives. When he finally felt a bit more secure, the moose moved to the end of the alleyway and looked out into the street.
The first thing he noticed was that he was going to stick out like a sore hoof. Everyone he saw — mostly various breeds of dogs in all shapes and sizes — was dressed in drab, tattered robes, while his outfit was a bit brighter. His blue tunic was dark enough, but his orange leggings and yellow boots and gloves were definitely in contrast to his surroundings. Despite the fact that he saw a few rare non-canines who had antlers of some sort, none of them sported a foot-tall mohawk — one of the side-effects of his transformation into this form.
Before stepping out into the street, OMAK spotted an old sloth pushing a cart of rags. Before the creature knew what had happened, the moose had rushed his cart, stolen an armful of rags, and disappeared into the opposite alley.
After wrapping the gray cloth around him, OMAK hunched his shoulders, emerged from the alley, and blended into the crowd.
Once on the street, OMAK paused just long enough to get his bearings and locate the fortress of this world's lord and master. There was no mistaking the great stone citadel that towered over these slums, casting its oppressive shadow over the beings that called these ash-cloaked streets home.
The moose hadn't gone very far when there was a cry from someone in the crowd several yards ahead of him. As the crowd began to scatter, seeking safety in any open building they could find, OMAK looked up and saw a half-dozen winged soldiers flying in his direction.
The soldiers were a brilliant green. Armor encased their bodies, leaving only their demonic faces, razor-sharp beaks, and wings uncovered. Tufts of green plumage poked out from the tops of their helmets.
OMAK knew immediately that these were Alpo-kolips' dread parrotdaemons that he had been warned of. "At least the crowd had scattered," he said to himself, "so I don't have to worry about innocents getting hurt."
Tossing aside the rags that he had only recently acquired, the moose activated the powers of flight bestowed upon him by Brother Ibis. As his foes drew nearer, OMAK let his mind sort through his powers until he pinpointed the source of flight he wanted. With the speed and maneuverability of the hummingbird, the moose attacked.
With a speed that the parrotdaemons were unable to match, OMAK circled his foes, forcing them into a tighter formation. Bred solely for battle, the emerald soldiers did not realize that they were being rounded up. Once they were in a tight group, the moose came to a sudden stop directly in front of them. Surprised by this whole confrontation, the parrotdaemons watched their foe to see what he would do next. Zipping backward, OMAK tapped into his myriad of powers available to him and added a second to his power of flight. When he zipped toward the parrotdaemons, this time he did not dodge around them. He struck them head on with the speed of the hummingbird and the strength of a bull elephant.
The front two parrotdaemons took the full force of the attack and dropped unconscious to the street below. The rest of them were sent crashing into the surrounding buildings, momentarily stunning them. It only took the One Moose Animal Kingdom seconds to add them to the unconscious soldiers on the ground.
But when the locals emerged from their hiding places, the strange creature that had defeated Barkseid's shock troops was gone.
By the time Devillambs arrived, the Phantom Strange-hare had vanished. Although Barkseid couldn't fathom the Strange-hare's sense of honor, he knew his opponent would not interfere.
The bulky young sheep, clad in white and red and armed with a wicked-looking broad-tipped lance, wasted no time once he arrived. "Who is my target?"
Barkseid admired his hunter's straightforwardness. "There is an alien on Alpo-kolips," the ruler said. "It is attempting to reach this fortress."
Devillambs was silent for a moment. When he finally spoke, Barkseid knew the question was one intended solely for strategic purposes. For that reason alone, the lord of Alpo-kolips withheld his wrath.
"Why not mass the troops here and destroy the alien when it arrives?" Devillambs asked.
"If the alien arrives here," Barkseid said, "then all is lost. No, the alien must be detained or destroyed before it reaches this fortress." He was about to dismiss his hunter when he had a thought. "If you manage to capture the alien, do not bring it here. Contact me, and I will come to where you are."
Devillambs nodded, then gave his master an evil grin. "The alien will not reach the fortress. I vow that this alien is about to have a baaa-aaad day."
Barkseid smiled an equally evil smile and dismissed the vicious sheep.
Moments later, many of the lowlies that dwelt near the entrance scattered as they saw Barkseid's killer lamb emerge from the front gate.
Devillambs was on the hunt, and there would be no mercy for his prey.
OMAK landed in another alley a few blocks away. He had only gone a little way when he heard the crowds murmuring excitedly. Immediately, he began to search the skies, expecting to see more of the parrotdaemons. Seeing none, he cautiously began to search the streets. Not too far away, he heard a sound that struck him as odd; it was the sound of a bleating sheep. No, he realized as it got closer, not bleating. It was singing.
"Barkseid had an evil lamb,
Its heart as black as coal;
And when I find the alien…"
OMAK listened for the last line, turning as he did. He found himself looking down into the black eyes of a bulky lamb.
"Boo," Devillambs said, leveling his lance at the moose.
Before OMAK had a chance to react, a bolt of energy shot forth from the lance's blade and struck him in the face. The last thing he heard as he crumpled to the ground was the vicious lamb's laughter.


text:
Is it winter? Is it summer? Who cares! Let's hit the mountain!
Mt. Bachelor hosted JulySki Day for three days to celebrate the Fourth of July and the results were fantastic. Mountain bikers rode the Mt. Bachelor Bike Park surrounded by mounds of snow while skiers and snowboarders hit the slopes surrounded by dirt.
Check out the video below to see what the day was like:
After an amazing winter, we are now in July and sitting in tweener season. Lassen NPS is still working on plowing their snow-covered roads. Mt. Shasta Ski Park brought back their mountain biking park. Waterfalls have heavy flows right now. And you can still have epic day's at the lake.
It's a good time to live in NorCal.