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Post: Poicephalus photo needed...
Posted by Bob Reap (Birdmart.com) on 8/20/07
Hi folks - as you may have noticed, I am redoing the
Homepage on Birdmart, and I ran into a problem - I can't
get my hands on a good photo of a poicephalus. I ended up
putting a picture of an eclectus as the icon for this
chatboard, and that ain't right!
I'm hoping someone here has a crisp, clear photo of a
poicephalus they would be willing to allow us to use as
the icon for this chatboard. I can't pay you for it, but
you would be able to see your baby every time you came to
the site.
Remember, the pic needs to be well-lit and clear enough to
be resized (which degrades the quality). If you'd like to
allow us to use your photo (it must be yours - you must
have the copyright!) then email me at this address (remove
the spaces and replace the AT with the @ sign - they are
in there to confound spammers):
webmaster AT birdmart.com
*be sure to include the word "bird pic" in the subject
line!!! Otherwise, the spam filter will trash the email.
Thank you for supporting Birdmart.com, your poicephalus
Posts on this thread, including this one
Poicephalus photo needed..., 8/20/07, by Bob Reap (Birdmart.com). Re: Poicephalus photo needed..., 8/31/07, by honda shadow grl.


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Rudy Project Sterling Le Fluo Helmet
The Rudy Project Sterling helmet is a great-fitting, well-ventilated helmet the offers plenty of protection. The RSR7 dial retention system is very easy to adjust with one hand on-the-fly. The snug retention system is also quite comfortable in addition to being secure. Many riders find the fit of the Sterling better and more comfortable than other popular, high-end brands. 18 vents supply excellent airflow. The Sterling comes with a soft carrying bag and removable mesh bug stop.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tarte LipSurgence Lip Luster
Tarte LipSurgence Lip Luster Reviews
Incredible Shine, Color, and WearI laughed out loud when Tarte introduced their LipSurgence™ Lip Tints. The claim of increasing lips' moisture content by 6000% on a cellular level sounded completely absurd. What tint could do that? I was intrigued by the colors--so gorgeous--and the fact that this contains peppermint oil for a cooling tingle, jojoba seed oil for moisture, and Vitamins C and E to prevent premature signs of ag...read moreing. So I tried one--and fell completely in love! This is a completely natural product, as are all of Tarte's, free of parabens, sulfates, petro-chemicals, and synthetic dyes and fragrances. They glide on easily for a natural color that lasts all day, along with a truly moistured, hydrated feeling. I was able to get five of them in a bonus kit from Sephora and loved it. I hope they bring this offer back. Meanwhile, I just keep collecting shades! — 4 years, 4 months agoGigiSD | 1102 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 0 people said helpful
Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Luster in the Color SweetI received the new color Sweet in the Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Luster in a make up kit. This color is a peach, pink shade and there is a bit of sparkle to the color. It also has the minty taste like the other LipSurgence Lip colors I've used in the past. This color is complimented with the blush Peaceful. Sweet Lipsurgence is a much lighter peachy pink color than the Envy and looks much ...read morecloser in color to Lucky. However, this one is shinier and has more sparkle than Lucky. This lip product does not have some of the harsh chemicals other lip products contain. And my wish is coming true; they are adding more colors to this product line! Have fun with these, they are easy to use, have a great taste and they are long wearing on your lips. You do have to reapply after eating, but it's a snap with this easy to use tube. — 5 years, 6 months agoHealthyLivingNaturalBeauty | 23 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 5 of 5 people said helpful
GoodI recieved Pouty in a Christmas gift set. It's a nice colour and I like the luster finish since you can wear it sutlely or pack it on for a bold pop. It lasts quite a while and hydrates lips. I don't think I'd ever purchase one of these though simply because the price is a little steep and I'm not one for minty scents. — 4 years, 6 months agoCliniqueLover | 297 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 2 of 2 people said helpful
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My Reasons for Reporting This


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The other day I was reading through some emails from clients (members of our MOVE. adult group training program at Skill of Strength and currently enrolled in a nutrition group I am running). In between chuckles from silly comments, I came to the realization {again} that I am so beyond blessed. Not only do our awesome clients make me laugh on a regular basis, but they also help to inspire me to be a better coach and keep me on my toes. It makes my heart happy when I know our clients are getting healthier, stronger and more confident!
I always tell my clients that two of the most important items when it comes to weight loss are planning ahead and knowing how to get back on track after you get off track.
One of my clients who is completely 'getting it' wrote me an emailed titled Confession Time after a weekend away with friends. After the confession portion of the email came the real good stuff. I'm telling you guys, it makes me giddy when things really click for a client.
When I got home yesterday, I immediately went to the grocery store for tons of fresh veggies and chicken so I could make myself a nice big salad for dinner and prep for the week. It felt SO good to eat healthy foods!!
I definitely had fun this weekend, and I know I could have stayed on track a bit more in some areas, but when I think of it…I could have also been a lot worse. I made sure I got as much sleep as I could at night, even when it meant going to bed while the partying was still going on. All in all, it was a solid reminder that I'm changing my eating habits for a reason.
Another one of my nutrition clients ended an email to me with the following bit of information.
FYI – I think I saw an abdominal muscle last week – you know what that means – 6 more weeks of winter.
It's true when people say it doesn't feel like work when you love what you're doing.
Sharing the gift of good health is so awesome. I seriously love my job and my clients. The additional laughs don't hurt either.
What {or who} inspires you to be healthier?
What {or who} inspires you to be better at your job?


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North Little Rock828
- 44 total posts
- 1 discussion
- 43 comments
Discussions started by North Little Rock828
Recent comments from North Little Rock828
I was on them for four weeks. When I stopped taking, I felt better. I tapered off slowly using Tylenol. Took Tylenol for the next two weeks. Starting driving short distances at four weeks. My gut could feel every bump in the road... READ COMMENT
Took me five weeks to stand up straight. Take the meds so you can sleep. Sleep in a recliner. READ COMMENT
You know how people say it takes six weeks to recover from a hysterectomy? Well, consider the same. I couldn't stand up straight for five weeks. The more stress you put on the incision the wider it will heal. Also, you won't be able... READ COMMENT
Hey Lori Mac, I moved to WLR six months ago! It's a wide binder that I wore home from surgery. I feel good sleeping in it. I can lay on my side with it on. READ COMMENT
How long ago was your TT? READ COMMENT


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Search billions of records on Ancestry.com
Information for Mildred Ruth Potter Marlow Crites Baker Davis
22 June, 1933 – 6 September, 1990
Obituary from the Idaho Press-Tribune
September, 1990
Contributed by Dennis McIndoo
Many hours have been spent providing the
information you see on our website. Please
let us know, using the email address below,
if you have found useful information or
if you enjoyed the website. Thanks!
Graveside funeral services for Mrs. Mildred Ruth Davis,
57, of Pocatello and formerly of Nampa, who died Thursday,
Sept. 6, at a Pocatello health care center following an
extended illness, will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept.
10, at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, Caldwell, under the
direction of Alsip Funeral Chapel, Nampa. Friends are asked
to meet at the cemetery for the services.
Mrs. Mildred Ruth Davis was born June 22, 1933, at Rowe,
Okla., to Loren S. and Emma V. Birge Potter. She was reared
and educated in Oklahoma. She was married to Gary Davis on
March 14, 1984 at Boise. She had been employed by
Hewlett-Packard as a technician. She was a member of the
Baptist Church. She enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening and
all outdoor activities.
Mildred is survived by her husband, Gary Davis, of
Pocatello; two sons, Jim Marlow, Aledo, Texas and Joe Marlow,
Overland Park, Kan.; several brothers and sisters, and five
grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents.
Obituaries are transcribed as published by the newspapers, or as sent to
by others. Spelling and grammar will not be changed in the article itself
a note may be posted upon request to help correct errors. If
a correction note, please send source(s) for the correction.


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Regner is a white German wine grape variety that is a crossing of the table grape Seidentraube (also known as Luglienga bianca) the Vitis vinifera red grape variety Gamay. The variety was developed in 1929 and by 1990 there was almost 420 acres (170 hectares) of Regner planted in Germany, mostly in the Rheinhessen. By the late 20th century, wine growers in England were also experimenting with the variety.[1]
Regner is an early budding and ripening vine that can accumulate high must weights but low acidity levels if harvested very late in the season.[1]
- ^ a b J. Robinson Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes pg 151 Oxford University Press 1996 ISBN 0198600984


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Ford Evos to Debut at Frankfurt (Slideshow)
Ford Motor Co. says it will unveil its Evos concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show this month. The car maker says the sleek, aggressively styled Evos with gull-wing doors reflects its new global design direction and will also act as a showcase for future powertrains and other technology.
"The Ford Evos Concept unites three key elements which are at the core of our One Ford global product strategy: outstanding design, smart technologies and fuel economy leadership," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of global product development.
You can see a slideshow after the jump.


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A 27-year-old motorcyclist killed in a weekend crash on Interstate 15 was an Escondido man, the Medical Examiner's Office said.
Garrett Michael Welch was riding northbound on the freeway in the Sabre Springs area, just south of state Route 56, about 5:35 p.m. Saturday when he clipped a Toyota Prius, authorities said.
His Harley-Davidson motorcycle then hit a Dodge pickup and slammed into a concrete wall.
Welch died at the scene. No one else was injured.


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ytd 25-21 + 5.3 units
today was easy, tomorrow not so much maybe
Blue Jays @ 1.72- Romero always has quality starts vs the Rays, 6 hits, 1 run or maybe 2 is the norm, was solid vs Boston in his last start, see no reason why tomorrow is any different. Neimann is a typical #5 starter, likely wont last 5 innings tomorrow, not good considering how the Rays bullpen has been lately.
Padres @ 2.07- Why is old man Moyer still playing, the dudes almost 50, doesn't he have grandchildren and garbage he can spend time with? Anyways this Anthony Bass kid is pretty good actually, mostly a bullpen guy but does spot starts. He has pitched 56 innings in the bigs and has a 1.75era and 1.22whip, not bad and has only given up 3 bombs. He started vs the Rocks twice last year and won both of em.
Cubs @ 2.58- Yes the Cubs but why not? Dempster has been rock solid in his 1st 2 starts, Johnson not so much. The Cubs lineup are hitting as well as the Marlins and average almost a half run more per game. Reyes and Stanton are struggling and Heath Bell has been a disaster so far. There's no reason to lay juice on Johnson right now untill he regains his form.
Indians @ 1.81- I can't get into the idea that Kevin Millwood has anything left in the tank even though he pitched well his last start in Texas. The Tribe got their bats goin in a big way in KC last weekend, maybe it carries over into Seattle.
Good luck tomorrow, tread carefully, later


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State and local leaders fighting traffic trouble in Lexington
Fri, 21 Jun 2013 22:18:41 GMT —
LEXINGTON (WACH)-- For more than a century, James Harman has owned prime real estate in Lexington County. However, with a multimillion dollar school opening near his land, this 74 year old man is finding himself in the middle of a bitter battle with local and state leaders.
"My family - we spent a bunch of money developing that back there, and it's gonna be gone when you run a road down through there." says Harman.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), state lawmakers, and Lexington County leaders are all working together to find solutions for traffic trouble near the intersection of Corley Mill Road and Highway 378. Currently, leaders would like to add additional lanes on Highway 378 and reroute the entrance to Corley Mill. Also, in an attempt to control traffic flow, they'll build a round-a-bout. However, for that to happen, Harman would have to give up a portion of his family's property.
"We've already had a conversation with them. We've already sat down with them and we've already said that we just didn't want it to happen." explains Harman.
Lexington County lawmaker Rick Quinn has expressed his concerns with the Harman family not wanting to give up some of their land. "If we can't get this property and move the intersection-that's really what we're talking about. There really isn't any other option." says Quinn.
With more than two thousand students expected to attend River Bluff High School, state and county leaders are racing to overhaul the traffic flow in and out of Corley Mill Road before August. However, with Harman not budging on his land, lawmakers see an already big traffic problem getting even bigger.
"It's a two lane intersection that's basically been there for over 50 years. It's not designed to handle the traffic levels that are currently there, so if we can't get this done it's gonna be a real bad bad thing for the community." says Quinn.
However, Harman shows no signs of changing his mind. "The more I've got to think about it the family thinks about the situation it's not the way it's going to have to be." says Harman.
The SCDOT, state lawmakers and county leaders are already looking at other options in case they're unable to acquire Harman's land. But they all agree, Harman's land is the key to fixing the traffic concerns at one of Lexington's busiest intersections.


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Mayfield Heights Family Lawyers
If you need the services of a Family Attorney in Ohio you should visit LegalMatch.com. LegalMatch can match you to great Family Law lawyers that are experts in your area of law quickly and easily. Best of all, LegalMatch is always Fast, Free and Confidential! In fifteen minutes local family law lawyers could be making a response to your issue.
Family Law in Mayfield Heights
Most of the time, Family law in Ohio is handled by private attorneys who specialize in divorces, annulments, child support and other areas of Family law.
These Family attorneys in Mayfield Heights use an hourly billing structure for their Family Law cases. This means that you will be required to pay your lawyer a certain amount of money for every hour that he or she spends working on your case. In addition, several attorneys also require you to pay a retainer fee up front which is used to cover things like travel and court costs. Under state laws, if the retainer fee is not used up fully after your situation has been resolved, your lawyer is required to pay you back any unused portion. Mayfield Heights Family Law lawyers can help you with various areas of Family Law.
Are you involved in a case that incorporates Family Law in Ohio?
Family Law involves several areas of the law, such as spousal and child support, guardianships, and separations. Ohio, Family Law lawyers can greatly aid you with your case, but they can do a better job the more time they have to work on your case. Contact a Family Law attorney today!


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Adam Ant has Feb. 9 date at Tampa Hard Rock
Adam Ant is coming to Tampa. For the first time in maybe, oh I don't know exactly, but let's say FOREVER. He'll play the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Feb. 9. Tickets are $25 and go on sale Dec. 9 at 10 a.m.
If this is the first you're hearing about the Ant man's tour, that's really no surprise. This entire tour is being revealed one date at a time, which much be very aggravating for those of us who ALREADY bought tickets to Adam's Feb. 11 gig at Orlando Hard Rock Live. But can you really ever get enough Adam Ant? This is a rare chance to catch him up close and personal, so consider this an official Stuck in the '80s endorsement for this tour. Especially if you get to see him twice.


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Community Forums › Forums › General Discussion › Too many problems with Genesis/Executive
Tagged: Executive, shortcodes
This topic contains 10 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by Susan Nelson 4 years, 4 months ago.
May 19, 2013 at 12:02 pm #41633
First I had to find out how make shortcodes work in widgets - kind of vital for the creation of the Executive home page - information that I was unable to find on the Genesis website (thanks to braddalton for help).
Now I find that page column shortcodes still aren't working in the Home Top widget, but do work in the Home-Call To Action widget.
Not to mention the REALLY large font sizes (I'll find where to modify those and the theme colors in the CSS I imagine).
Is there a definitive, detailed, how-to for the Executive child theme somewhere? And why won't shortcodes work in the Home Top widget?http://bizwire.edselby.com/May 19, 2013 at 2:07 pm #41653
I am ready to move on from Studio press if my issues aren't resolved. I haven't been able to get it working since purchase.May 19, 2013 at 7:31 pm #41736
@edselby, I just looked at your site and I'm seeing the same "Three-Columns" output in home-top, home-cta (call to action), and home-middle. So it looks like you're getting your columns shortcode to work in Home Top. Maybe it was a cacheing issue when you were testing before?
The font size also looks very standard to me in the body text, the same as shows in the Executive demo. Of course elements can all be changed in css and it sounds like you're well equipped for that.
In terms of a tutorial for Executive , there's a very basic one here: http://www.wmwebdesign.co.uk/executive-2-0-genesis-child-theme-for-wordpress/ - I'm not using this theme so I'm not sure what the Getting Started instructions on My StudioPress cover and if that tutorial offers more or not.
Brad is a great resource here and there are others to help too, just post your questions as you have and we'll do what we can to steer you the right way.May 19, 2013 at 9:28 pm #41755
This is a screenshot of the current state of the home page:
As you can see, the columns do not spread evenly across the widget area and the slider doesn't go full width. In my mind, these things should work "out of the box" and not require a lot of tweaking of the functions file, or messing with the CSS, or adding un-documented plug-ins.
I've been working with WP for over 7 years, and though Genesis has been widely recognized as the Best WP Theme, I'm having a hard time justifying my purchase. I have spent well over 8 hours just trying to get the home page to function correctly.May 19, 2013 at 9:44 pm #41758
This is a crazy question and if it's dumb.... please let me know, but why are you trying to stick columns in those areas? Those areas aren't designed to hold columns. I am not sure what you are trying to do. There are three widget areas for your content.
Here are the instructions for setting up the theme correctly - http://my.studiopress.com/setup/executive-theme/.
Each of the three areas under the sliders are Widget area. You drag over a Featured Page or Feature Post Widget into those area to populate those area.
The Call to Action area was not coded in CSS to hold that type of content - you control that with the CSS.
The additional three areas under the Call to Action area are also Widget areas. You drag over a Featured Page or Featured Post Widget or you can add in more widgets.
Those areas are not set up for Column Classes.May 19, 2013 at 9:44 pm #41759
Oh I see - I thought you meant that the shortcode wasn't working in that content area at all.
There's definitely a learning curve with Genesis, though for me, it was worth going through it. I personally think they could do a better job of communicating the technical skillset required to make use of the framework in their marketing materials. I was new to both WP *and* Genesis when I first dove in, so it was a little overwhelming. But I'm now very happy with it based on the flexibility, and I trust the codebase in terms of security and stability. So, that was a good tradeoff for me. But I do understand the frustrations!
I recommend that you contact StudioPress Support for some help: http://my.studiopress.com/help/ They'll be much better equipped than the volunteers on this forum to dive into specific issues you're having (they also offer a money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied).
I hope you make it work! And please don't hesitate to post more here - like I said, there's a lot of knowledge available and plenty of people who are willing to give a hand.May 19, 2013 at 9:48 pm #41760
I posted above yours. We must have bumped heads, but I will say this. There are theme developers (who shall be nameless) who develop themes using Short Codes. When you first look at the theme you think they are widgetized areas and in fact it's one large area, split up by using "column short codes." That is NOT typically how Studiopress and Genesis Framework developers code their themes. And I have only seen one developer out there who does it this way.May 19, 2013 at 9:51 pm #41761
Put this in your CSS (at end):
.home-middle .widget, .home-top .widget { width: 100%; }
and see if that works for you.
DevMay 19, 2013 at 10:06 pm #41762
I've looked at his CSS and the widget codes are there, he just needs to drag one of the Featured Posts widgets or Featured Page widgets into those areas. The areas are not generated by Column Classes they are Widget areas. Go to Appearance > Widgets and drag something in there.May 19, 2013 at 11:42 pm #41776
I agree with Anita's analysis. Some people who have had a lot of experience with WP are often used to the old blog-page model. They are not used to working with widgetized home pages. I always suggest that people see the "Genesis TV" tutorial on making the Agency theme look like the demo. That will go a long way in showing how widgetized themes work.May 20, 2013 at 2:42 am #41787
Susan NelsonParticipant
I just finished a site using Executive and I think it's my new favorite theme. 🙂
In the Home Top widget area, just add 3 widgets and they will automatically show in the neat and tidy 3 columns as seen in the demo. I literally added 3 text widgets and they look like the demo.
The same goes for the Home Middle widget area...
As far as the slider, it looks like you may need to adjust the settings. According to this, it should be 1140px by 445px.
Susan Nelson | Oh, Hello Designs | Twitter | Facebook
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.


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A Fort Hood soldier who was arrested and charged with a crime for bringing a concealed handgun into a local hospital had his charges dismissed.
Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Owen Sampson had a concealed handgun license when he brought his Springfield .45 into Metroplex Hospital's emergency room March 30. State law prohibits concealed weapons from being brought to several places, such as convenience stores, bars and hospitals.
Through the legal wrangling that ultimately led to the dismissal of charges late Tuesday, Sampson and his attorney, Kurt Glass, maintained there was no notification on the doors of the hospital's ER indicating weapons were prohibited when Sampson entered the hospital.
Glass said he took a picture of the doors in April and was prepared to show a blown-up photo projection of the doors at trial.
The doors have since had a sticker affixed to them indicating the illegality of bringing a weapon into the hospital, whether with a concealed handgun license or not.
Despite the dismissal, Sampson said he remained irritated with the Killeen Police Department over a lack of "education" shown by the officers who arrested him and how the charge placed his military career in limbo.
"It was a slap in the face," Sampson said.
He had been a weapon liaison at Fort Hood, but after his arrest, his commanders stripped him of the additional duty title. "It put my character into question," he said.
It also temporarily invalidated Sampson's concealed handgun license, which should now be returned after some paperwork is turned over to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Sampson went to Metroplex Hospital shortly after midnight March 30 to check on his girlfriend, who is now his wife.
He had recently returned from a deployment in Iraq. That night the two had been drinking.
A police report stated his wife drank four bottles of wine, which led to a disturbance. Sampson called 911, and paramedics took her to the hospital. He followed in his car.
When he entered the ER, a security officer spotted a bulge under Sampson's shirt and asked if it was a gun. Sampson told the officer it was. He was detained until police arrested him.
The Bell County Attorney's office dismissed the charge for lack of evidence, court documents stated.
All that remains for Sampson now is to have his gun returned. It was a gift from his wife.
"I just want to get my weapon back and go on with my life," he said.


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Mark Verheiden On Taking 'Falling Skies' to Webcomics [Interview]
Verheiden's latest project, TNT's Falling Skies, will pull from his proven alien experience while zeroing in on the drama faced by a very human group of Bostonians several months after an alien invasion wipes out 80 percent of the Earth's population.
What happened when the aliens invaded? What forges former citizens into hardened soldiers? Beginning today and spanning every two weeks through Falling Skies' June 2011 television premiere, fans can follow the action via Dark Horse and TNT's prequel webcomic by Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra. ComicsAlliance spoke with Verheiden about the new show, its comic book component and got his take on whether or not the truth is out there.
ComicsAlliance: Can you tell us a little about the genesis of the 'Falling Skies' comic book content?
Mark Verheiden: Falling Skies the TV show was created Bob Rodat and Steven Spielberg. The comic proceeded from the thought that it'd be fun to do a comic. We all love comics, and it would be a chance for us, with the online comic, to explore the world of Falling Skies before we got into the [TV] series. The series begins six or seven months after the invasion devastated the world, so the comic goes back a month or two before the invasion and shows how the characters got to where they are. That was part of the fun of doing the comic. It lets us explore aspects of the series that went on before the show started.
CA: What made this show a good fit for sequential storytelling? Is there a difference between telling the story on television than with a comic?
MV: The show is a very visual show. Very visual storytelling. Obviously it's about an alien invasion. We have all the fun of having space ships, aliens, and action. There are some differences, though, between comics and television. The two are very different, you can get into peoples' heads a bit more in comics. But the fact that it's a sci-fi story gives people a lot of elements to enjoy in both.
CA: What've you thought about writer Paul Tobin and artist Juan Ferreyra's take on the show so far?
MV: Their work is fantastic. Paul is doing a great job capturing the voices of the characters, and it was a difficult job as well, as he was working on this before things were fully formed. But Paul was able to find the voices of Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), Ann Glass (Moon Bloodgood), and the kids and found a way to shape their voices. Working with the people at TNT, Paul was able to create characters that are part of the webcomic, and the comic shows where the characters evolved in the program. Where we find them in the webcomic shows the evolution of things like the militia. It shows them getting to form the Second Mass, short for the Second Massachusetts, which takes on the aliens in the show.
CA: What do you think will be most unique about the Falling Skies comic compared to the TV show? Will readers see more action sequences? Get a closer look inside characters' heads?
MV: You will be able to see where they were a few months before the show starts. There will be some hints as to what the invasion will be like for these people. One of the conceits of the show, one of the things we don't do, is that you don't see the invasion happen. There are no flashbacks. During the invasion the military was taken out, mass communication was taken out. Things were taken out so the characters have their own take on what the invasion was like for them and we reference that a bit more and we also see how the characters meet-up.
CA: What do you think it is about aliens that makes them great villains?
MV: They're not always villains. Spielberg made ET and he was a nice guy. In our show what's fun is the mystery about the aliens. We don't know a whole lot about them at the start of the show. They're also alien aliens in the show and not semi-human. There's an alien character called a Skitter in the webcomic that's a six legged monster. They also don't speak English and they don't even communicate, so the characters don't really know what's going on or what they want. To them the aliens are a fierce, unknowable enemy which makes the challenges our characters face much tougher since it's a war that can't really be negotiated. They're an unstoppable force in the show, so our team of humans have their work cut out for them.
CA: From what we've seen, Falling Skies is a kind of human drama in a sci-fi setting. Given the early success of shows like The Walking Dead, and the previous success of Battle star Galactica (which you contributed a lot to), do you think there's something in the zeitgeist that's making viewers so responsive to these kinds of shows? How do you think viewers will respond to Falling Skies in this pop culture climate?
MV: It's intriguing. When I think back 20 years ago there has been Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and slowly sci-fi became respectable in that last 25 years or so. It's intriguing to see how the audience shifted. It seems material they might not have been comfortable with before that time has become more acceptable. You're less sort of prone to write it off like, "Oh that's some Buck Rogers show".
Falling Skies at its core is a human show. Tom Mason, it's about him, his children, and these other people gathering and trying to find a way to deal with this alien threat. At the core the show is about humanity and decent people trying to hold on to what makes them human. These things are true for all dramas and hopefully people will enjoy the sci-fi stuff but also be pulled into the human drama of it.
CA: You began writing for Dark Horse pretty early on in the publisher's history. How would you compare the process of putting together the Falling Skies comic book material to your earliest interactions with DH?
MV: As great. I've had a long, great relationship with Dark Horse. I knew [Dark Horse founder and president] Michael Richardson for thirty years, and long before Dark Horse was formed. We're friends going way back. The early books were a blast to work on. I don't mean this to sound like a slight. I did some work with DC and a little with Marvel, but when I worked with Dark Horse we tried to put out great comics, whether they were licensed or not didn't matter.
That's exactly what we're doing with the Falling Skies comic, we're trying to do the best stories that we can and make them fun. We're not just trying to do something on the side to support the show. Comics should be great comics, and hopefully people will enjoy these.
CA: Have you found yourself drawing from your experience writing Aliens comics while working on Falling Skies?
MV: I think everything that you do adds into the thing you're doing next. So I think the whole panoply of stuff I've done is part and parcel of what I do now. We started with an incredible canvas to begin with from Rob Rodat and Steven Spielberg. The things I've done on Aliens lead into things I've done on Battle Star, and all that stuff adds into what I bring to Falling Skies. Although I think there is a very different feel between Falling Skies, Battle Star Galactica, and Aliens.
CA: Do you believe aliens exist, and if so, do you think they're anything like the ones you're currently writing about?
MV: This is going to be a dull answer, but I do not think aliens exist, and if they do, I sure hope they're nothing like the Skitters but more like ET [Laughs].
I really don't though. It's funny, I read so much about aliens and outer space, but I'm also an anti-conspiracy guy. I think people would talk and it's hard to keep things like a conspiracy going, especially with something like this. You also have to wonder if the aliens came and landed, we would know about it. It would be hard to miss, so there's no reason to play dumb.
That said, I'm happy to be proved wrong, though, and if a spaceship lands in Toronto or Los Angeles, I'm happy to say I was wrong and that I apologize.
CA: Is there anything else you want us to know about the Falling Skies comic?
MV: These comics are a great way to lead into the show and the comics are canon for Falling Skies. They're not "imaginary stories," to use a word DC used to throw around. So you can read these comics and that's us saying how our characters met. But you don't need to read the comics to enjoy the show. If you do, you'll be fine, and if you don't? You'll be fine. They're just a fun way for people to really get into the show and explore what we're creating here.


text:
We made it. Yes we did. It's Friday. Only my favorite of seven days of the week. The precipice of the weekend when the boss can no longer linger over your desk and pretend he's not a dick about the TPS reports. It's time to celebrate.
As always, we launch you into your mini-vacation with some not so mini, quite fabulous levels of hotness from some of the most aluring women on the planet. Women like Mellisa Clarke stripping down in her bedroom, a glamourous lady for whom I would walk across coals just for the awkward but planned caressing of her world class slender frame on the other side. You don't even feel your feet when all the blood is rushing elsewhere.
May this weekend bring you nothing but the sheer delight of faptastic chesty goodness and some much needed down time. You've earned it. Or somebody you know has, so take that credit for yourself. Thank God It's Funbags!


text:
Vintauge – Responsive Blog & Fashion Ghost Blog Theme Free Download
Main Features
- Responsive Design
- jQuery Instagram Widget
- Slider of featured posts..
- Related posts in the post page.
- Disqus comments in the post page.
- Next/Prev posts in the post page.
- Widgets: Latest Posts, Social media, Subscription (MailChimp Newsletter), Cloud Tags, Twitter, Facebook and advertisement.
- Footer Widgets: Latest Posts, Subscription (MailChimp Newsletter), Advertisement.
- Author page with location, site, facebook AND twitter.
- Twitter and Facebook links to the blog and to the specific author, now may edit in the admin panel.
- Tag page with description.
- Page with different layouts (left and right sidebar).
- Instagram slider in the footer (the feed picture's of your profile).
- Page Templates
- Carousel Slider
- jQuery Loading
- 404 Page
- Shortcodes Page
- Unlimited Colors
- Social Media
- Google Web Fonts
- Font Awesome Icons
- Modern Design
- Bootstrap Framework
- Optimized and Clean Code
- Professional Support
- Documentation
Customer Reviews
Item Support
Thank you so much for purchasing one of 'Gloria Theme' themes and template. You can create a support ticket to Gloria Theme themes. Our support team will respond your ticket support within 24-48 hours. We dont work weekends. Our technical support team will respond within working hours to ticket.
We look forward to providing you with a quality customer service, but before that, please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the following terms and conditions, regarding the support we offer:
- Please be sure that you have read the documentation, which came bundled with your download. The documentation covers important topics, ranging from the installation of the theme, to its proper usage.
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- 02.05.2016 Updated: Related posts Updated: About me widget Updated: Author page Updated: Documantation files Added: Latest Posts widget Added: Description to tag page


text:
31 March 2011
The new Lightning website. How young does Vinny look?
Woooooooo. ALL IN!!!
Ok. So team effort here. For the first time, the Lightning knew they needed to win the game, and they finally did. And it's a win over the Pens, which is better than you average win over the Thrashers or whoever.
Looking at the standings we might see this seven more times this season as it looks like the Lightning might face the Pens. So get ready Lightning fans, we're just getting started.
Recap after the jump...
The Lightning came out with energy and Steve Downie took advantage of that scoring early into the game.
Five minutes later, Lecavalier comes down the right side, has his way with Letang, and makes a pass to Martin St. Louis. It's 2-0 and it's Lecavalier to St. Louis like old times.
Then the Pens came at us hard but the Lightning were able to maintain their 2 goal lead throughout the 2nd period. Some boarding and slashing calls get handed out.
Hedman tries to fight Kennedy. Unlikely dancers of the season.
Stamkos takes down Fleury. They look like they're rolling down a meadow. Stamkos takes a goalie interference penalty.
Mike Rupp finally scores for the Pens in the third period but that's as far as they'll get.
HELLO first round matchup!


text:
Latest Iraq coverage:
U.S. considers adding troops in Baghdad (AP, 10/24/06) Video
Iraqi diplomat urges coalition not to 'cut and run' (Boston Globe, 10/24/06)
Officials: US policy on Iraq to stand (Boston Globe, 10/24/06)
McCain hawkish, and lonely, on Iraq (Boston Globe, 10/24/06)
New England's War Dead: Iraq Afghanistan
AP INTERACTIVE: The Saddam Hussein trial
BUDAPEST -- Comparing the struggle for freedom that started in Hungary 50 years ago to the fight in Iraq today, President Bush used a hilltop address yesterday to make a far-reaching homage to democracy.
``Liberty can be delayed, but it cannot be denied," Bush said from a majestic perch overlooking the Danube River coursing through Budapest.
Ignoring the fact that the United States stood by while the Soviet Union crushed the 1956 Hungarian uprising, Bush told his Hungarian audience that ``people across the world . . . take inspiration from your example and draw hope from your success."
The president's spokesman had described this 13-minute address as a ``tone poem," intended as an elegiac testament to the cause of democracy.
Bush came to Hungary to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian uprising against the Soviets, which began in October 1956 with a revolt against security forces who fired on protesting students. As the Soviets crushed that uprising with massive military force, several thousand people died and 200,000 Hungarians fled to the West for refuge.
Hungary won its independence in 1989 and became the first of the former Soviet-bloc states to turn democratic with the election of a parliament in 1990. It has become a staunch ally of the United States and has deployed forces to Iraq and Afghanistan.
``The success of the new Iraqi government is vital to the security of all nations," Bush said. ``We will continue to help Iraq take its rightful place alongside America and Hungary as beacons of liberty in our world."
But John McGlennon, professor of government at The College of William and Mary, questioned the analogy.
``There is not a very direct comparison to make between an uprising against the leadership, the dictatorships of Eastern Europe in the 1950s, and what is going on in Iraq today," McGlennon said.
``Obviously, it would serve the administration's purposes well to try to draw that conclusion," McGlennon said, but ``this sounds more like political spin than diplomatic history."
With a speech on Gellért Hill, Bush revisited a theme he has voiced in the public squares of other former Soviet-bloc nations.
``Fifty years later, the sacrifice of the Hungarian people inspires all who love liberty," Bush said. ``We've learned from your example, and we resolve that when people stand up for their freedom, America will stand with them."
Bush, who made the elimination of tyranny the theme of his second inaugural address, has honored the ``Velvet Revolution" in the former Czechoslovakia, the ``Rose Revolution" in Georgia, and portrayed elections in Iraq, with purple ink-stained fingers, as the ``Purple Revolution."


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Motorola, HTC Confirm Support for Sprint 4G LTE
Motorola and HTC have confirmed they will build Android smartphones and tablets to support the upcoming 4G LTE network from Sprint, which is expected to light up in mid-2012.
Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the true next-generation 4G technology toward which all the major carriers are headed. It's at least twice as fast as other forms of 4G, like Sprint's existing WiMAX build.
Motorola and HTC currently build 4G LTE devices for Verizon's 10-month-old LTE network and AT&T's month-old LTE network. Verizon offers the HTC Thunderbolt and Motorola Droid Bionic (pictured). HTC has the HTC Jetstream, a 10.1-inch tablet, and rumored HTC Holiday.
On Friday, Sprint announced an aggressive LTE deployment plan that will see the third-largest carrier host multiple network standards in its cell towers, including LTE, CDMA for the Sprint iPhone 4S, iDEN (2G), and WiMAX 4G. Although full migration of Sprint's LTE 4G network will take it to 2013, it retains the option to use Philip Falcone's Lightsquared LTE network if the FCC approves the deal.
Altogether, Sprint will launch 15 dual band CDMA/LTE mobile devices from mid to end 2012, and continue launching new WiMAX 4G products until the end of 2012, fueling speculation that it will end or drastically reduce WiMAX support in a couple years' time. Sprint officially denies this. For more, see the slideshow below.
Meanwhile, Sharp announced Monday it will partner with LightSquared to design tablets and smartphones for its LTE network, pending FCC approval.
To see the speed differences between Verizon and AT&T's existing LTE networks, check out our 21-city Fastest Mobile Networks tests.
Also be sure to check out iPhone 4S Voice and Data Plans: AT&T vs. Sprint vs. Verizon.
For more from Sara, follow her on Twitter @sarapyin.


text: In Topshop's Oxford Circus flagship store on Thursday evening, there was scant evidence of a company in trouble. In the queues on the lower-ground floor the word recession couldn't have appeared more out of place, with every teen, twenty-something, thirty-something and the rest clutching mounds of skinny jeans (red seemed a particularly popular choice), fake fur coats and sequin-embellished party dresses. Sir Philip Green might have spent the day defending his decision to close up to 260 Arcadia stores, but his Topshop-buying public were still doing their best to keep the company coffers full.


text:
The "Glories"
With live animals, more than 300 volunteers, elaborate sets and flying angels, "The Glory of Christmas" and "The Glory of Easter" were dramatic productions that reflected the vision of the Rev. Robert H. Schuller. The Crystal Cathedral was dedicated in 1980. In 1981, "The Glory of Christmas" premiered inside the all-glass church. "The Glory of Easter" never reached the iconic status of its Christmas counterpart. For many families in Orange County and beyond, attending "The Glory of Christmas" was a holiday tradition. Both shows were canceled in 2010 after relations soured between the church and the vendors, whose bills for the 2009 "Glory of Christmas" performances had gone unpaid.
The Architecture
The Crystal Cathedral's reputation as an architectural masterpiece drew visitors and tourists alike. The cathedral itself was designed by renowned architect Philip Johnson in 1980. The Tower of Hope and the Arboretum were designed by Richard Neutra in 1966 and 1962, respectively, while the Welcoming Center, which was added in 2003, was designed by Richard Meier. The circular, triangular and rectangular buildings surround a shared courtyard, a 25,000-square-foot outdoor room. The Crystal Cathedral buildings are believed to represent the evolution of architecture in Southern California over the past half-century.
"Hour of Power"
The "Hour of Power" first aired in 1970 as a church service of the Garden Grove Community Church. It carried the voice of Robert H. Schuller not only across the country, but also across the globe. In its heyday, the "Hour of Power" was broadcast in countries such as Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Australia and New Zealand. Filmed in the Crystal Cathedral's main glass sanctuary, the program at one point attracted 1.3 million viewers from 156 countries. Later, the church started to provide video streams on its website.
The music
With more than 16,000 pipes, the church's pipe organ is one of the largest in the world. It was constructed by Fratelli Ruffatti. Frederick Swann was the organist at the Crystal Cathedral between 1982 and 1998. Many believe that the church owed its divine music to Arvella Schuller, who was an accomplished organist herself. The "Hour of Power" orchestra drew large crowds. Several renowned musicians played and sang during the "Hour of Power" broadcasts, including famed pianist Roger Williams, who was part of the program for three decades. Thousands flocked to the church to hear the choir and the orchestra, both of which suffered due to budget cuts after 2009.
Suicide hotline
In 1968, the 13-story Tower of Hope opened on the Crystal Cathedral grounds, housing the world's first church-sponsored, 24-hour suicide and crisis prevention line (714-NEW-HOPE). The hotline is said to have saved thousands of lives. Despite that, two individuals committed suicide inside the church. On Dec. 17, 2004, music director Johnnie Carl barricaded himself in the building and killed himself after a lengthy battle with mental illness. On Feb. 19, 2009, Steve Smick, a homeless man, knelt in front of the cross in the cathedral's sanctuary and shot himself in the head as a volunteer was conducting a tour.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7909 or firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Teachers aren't ready. Students aren't ready.
"Teachers aren't ready. Students aren't ready. And [it's] before the DOE is ready, obviously, if they don't even have tests out yet [for all classes]."
The first day of school for 1.1 million students also marks the start of a controversial teacher evaluation plan in New York.
Many teachers and principals working in the five boroughs are concerned, even angry, that the Department of Education is rolling out the complicated evaluation system too quickly.
Are you aware of our comment policy?
PBS NewsHour allows open commenting for all registered users, and encourages discussion amongst you, our audience. However, if a commenter violates our terms of use or abuses the commenting forum, their comment may go into moderation or be removed entirely. We reserve the right to remove posts that do not follow these basic guidelines: comments must be relevant to the topic of the post; may not include profanity, personal attacks or hate speech; may not promote a business or raise money; may not be spam. Anything you post should be your own work. The PBS NewsHour reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its website or in any medium now known or unknown the comments or emails that we receive. By submitting comments, you agree to the PBS Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which include more details.


text:
10 space travellers are waiting to board their spaceships. There are two rows of seats in the waiting room. Using the rules, where are they all sitting? Can you find all the possible ways?
Take a rectangle of paper and fold it in half, and half again, to make four smaller rectangles. How many different ways can you fold it up?
Use the interactivity to listen to the bells ringing a pattern. Now it's your turn! Play one of the bells yourself. How do you know when it is your turn to ring?
An irregular tetrahedron is composed of four different triangles. Can such a tetrahedron be constructed where the side lengths are 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 units of length?
Use the interactivity to play two of the bells in a pattern. How do you know when it is your turn to ring, and how do you know which bell to ring?
A tetromino is made up of four squares joined edge to edge. Can this tetromino, together with 15 copies of itself, be used to cover an eight by eight chessboard?
What is the best way to shunt these carriages so that each train can continue its journey?
Can you shunt the trucks so that the Cattle truck and the Sheep truck change places and the Engine is back on the main line?
You have 4 red and 5 blue counters. How many ways can they be placed on a 3 by 3 grid so that all the rows columns and diagonals have an even number of red counters?
Design an arrangement of display boards in the school hall which fits the requirements of different people.
Can you work out how many cubes were used to make this open box? What size of open box could you make if you had 112 cubes?
Hover your mouse over the counters to see which ones will be removed. Click to remover them. The winner is the last one to remove a counter. How you can make sure you win?
Arrange 9 red cubes, 9 blue cubes and 9 yellow cubes into a large 3 by 3 cube. No row or column of cubes must contain two cubes of the same colour.
Can you find all the different ways of lining up these Cuisenaire rods?
Swap the stars with the moons, using only knights' moves (as on a chess board). What is the smallest number of moves possible?
In how many ways can you fit two of these yellow triangles together? Can you predict the number of ways two blue triangles can be fitted together?
Mr McGregor has a magic potting shed. Overnight, the number of plants in it doubles. He'd like to put the same number of plants in each of three gardens, planting one garden each day. Can he do it?
Place the numbers 1 to 10 in the circles so that each number is the difference between the two numbers just below it.
Find out what a "fault-free" rectangle is and try to make some of your own.
The idea of this game is to add or subtract the two numbers on the dice and cover the result on the grid, trying to get a line of three. Are there some numbers that are good to aim for?
Arrange the four number cards on the grid, according to the rules, to make a diagonal, vertical or horizontal line.
Different combinations of the weights available allow you to make different totals. Which totals can you make?
A game for 2 people. Take turns placing a counter on the star. You win when you have completed a line of 3 in your colour.
A dog is looking for a good place to bury his bone. Can you work out where he started and ended in each case? What possible routes could he have taken?
An activity making various patterns with 2 x 1 rectangular tiles.
There are nine teddies in Teddy Town - three red, three blue and three yellow. There are also nine houses, three of each colour. Can you put them on the map of Teddy Town according to the rules?
Is it possible to place 2 counters on the 3 by 3 grid so that there is an even number of counters in every row and every column? How about if you have 3 counters or 4 counters or....?
You have been given nine weights, one of which is slightly heavier than the rest. Can you work out which weight is heavier in just two weighings of the balance?
The number of plants in Mr McGregor's magic potting shed increases overnight. He'd like to put the same number of plants in each of his gardens, planting one garden each day. How can he do it?
Using different numbers of sticks, how many different triangles are you able to make? Can you make any rules about the numbers of sticks that make the most triangles?
How many different triangles can you make on a circular pegboard that has nine pegs?
Investigate the smallest number of moves it takes to turn these mats upside-down if you can only turn exactly three at a time.
Make your own double-sided magic square. But can you complete both sides once you've made the pieces?
What is the greatest number of counters you can place on the grid below without four of them lying at the corners of a square?
First Connect Three game for an adult and child. Use the dice numbers and either addition or subtraction to get three numbers in a straight line.
Take 5 cubes of one colour and 2 of another colour. How many different ways can you join them if the 5 must touch the table and the 2 must not touch the table?
How many models can you find which obey these rules?
Can you put the numbers 1 to 8 into the circles so that the four calculations are correct?
Cut four triangles from a square as shown in the picture. How many different shapes can you make by fitting the four triangles back together?
Building up a simple Celtic knot. Try the interactivity or download the cards or have a go on squared paper.
These practical challenges are all about making a 'tray' and covering it with paper.
Imagine you have an unlimited number of four types of triangle. How many different tetrahedra can you make?
Can you put the numbers from 1 to 15 on the circles so that no consecutive numbers lie anywhere along a continuous straight line?
How many different ways can you find of fitting five hexagons together? How will you know you have found all the ways?
This task, written for the National Young Mathematicians' Award 2016, involves open-topped boxes made with interlocking cubes. Explore the number of units of paint that are needed to cover the boxes. . . .
This problem is based on the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Investigate the different numbers of people and rats there could have been if you know how many legs there are altogether!
A few extra challenges set by some young NRICH members.
What do the numbers shaded in blue on this hundred square have in common? What do you notice about the pink numbers? How about the shaded numbers in the other squares?
An investigation involving adding and subtracting sets of consecutive numbers. Lots to find out, lots to explore.
Given the products of adjacent cells, can you complete this Sudoku?


text:
Scott Jagow: In certain movie theaters in Britain today, there's no popcorn. The Picturehouse theater chain has banned popcorn on Tuesdays. The company says some people just hate it. The taste, the smell, the noise. And of course, the price. A big tub of popcorn costs about 60 cents. But at the movies, you pay $7 or $8. There's actually a new book about this and other pricing puzzles. Richard McKenzie wrote "Why Popcorn Costs So Much at the Movies." Richard, why does it?
Richard McKenzie: One of the reasons that popcorn is so expensive is that theaters see themselves in the concession business. James Edwards, founder of the Edwards theater chain, once said, "I show you movies in order to sell popcorn." And over half of the gate receipts at movie theaters can go to the studios.
Jagow: Right.
McKenzie: So, what you want to do is keep the price of the tickets down in order that you can raise the price of popcorn.
Jagow: And people are willing to pay the price because it's convenient.
McKenzie: It's convenient. It's also what the theater industry calls smellable, audible, edible.
Jagow: It suckers me in every single time without fail. Even if I say I don't want popcorn, you get there, and the smell -- it's, it's over.
McKenzie: And once they get you hooked, I mean, there are all kinds of chemicals being released in the brain and so forth that makes movie goers price insensitive.
Jagow: Now let's talk about the different sizes and explain to us what the best value is for your money with popcorn.
McKenzie: OK, well, what the theaters are doing is walking you up your demand curve and charging you a high price for the first few ounces, then they're sort of walking you down. They know they can sell you more, but they've got to drastically lower the price on those marginal ounces.
Jagow: Show us what you're talking about.
McKenzie: OK, what I'm going to do is pour out the contents of a full tub of popcorn, the large. [sound of popcorn pouring out out of a tub] And then I'm going to take the medium bag and I'm going to pour it into the tub. [sound of popcorn pouring into a tub] And as you can see...
Jagow: It overflows.
McKenzie: It's on the floor.
Jagow: So, why do people buy the large?
McKenzie: Well, I think some of them think that they're getting more popcorn. But you also get the option of free refills. And there are some customers who will buy the tub and then on the way out of the theater ask for another refill ...
Jagow: You're kidding.
McKenzie: ... to take it home. And once you get two refills, you've got the price of the popcorn at the margin, down to less than 8 cents an ounce. But ...
Jagow: That's a heck of a lot of popcorn.
McKenzie: I have to warn you that if you get a tub, refill it twice and smother all three tubs with butter, you're going to be consuming the calories recommended for an adult male for three days.
Jagow: Geez, sound's awful. And is this psychological pricing or is there an economic reason behind it?
McKenzie" Oh, yeah. The fundamental law of economics is the law of demand. What they're doing is simply charging you more on those very first few ounces, and you're willing to pay more for those first few ounces, by the law of demand. But to get you to buy more, they gotta lower the price drastically.
Jagow: Richard McKenzie. His book is called "Why Popcorn Costs So Much at the Movies." Thanks for joining us.
McKenzie: Thank you.


text:
Ethics For The New Millennium
There is an argument to be made for basic human goodness. The number of people who spend their lives being violent or dishonest is tiny compared with the number of people -- the vast majority we don't hear about -- who would wish others only well. According to the Dalai Lama, our survival has depended and will depend on our basic goodness. "Much more effective and important than legislation is our regard for one another's feelings at a simple human level....Here, I refer to the capacity we all have to empathize with one another...to arrive at the inability to bear the sight of another's suffering." The Dalai Lama presents an ethical system that not only is based on commonsense and reason, as opposed to religious dogma or punitive legislation, but has at its goal ultimate happiness for every individual.
The Dalai Lama demonstrates that human beings are better than we think we are, and that a society and a life that cultivate love and compassion are completely within our reach. If enough people operate from the understanding of their "original purity," a global revolution of peace will ensue.
- Simon & Schuster Audio |
- August 1999


text:
The FAA today published an order extending through October 28 a flight-reduction program at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, including slot reservations for general aviation operations. The current limitations were scheduled to end April 1, which was an extension from an original termination date of October 29 last year. Through several six-month extensions, the program has been in effect continuously since November 2004, and the FAA has concluded an evaluation of comments to a proposal that would extend the program through April 2008. A final rule is expected to be issued "shortly," the FAA said, also claiming that the flight limits imposed since 2004 "have been effective" in easing congestion. The program limits all Part 91 and/or 135 IFR and VFR unscheduled flights to four operations per hour from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Chicago O'Hare Slot Program Extended Again
- January 8, 2007, 9:20 AM


text:
King Charles is pleased to announce a special headline show at London's Heaven on 31st May, as part of his national headline tour as well as a whole host of Summer festivals including Secret Garden Party, The Great Escape and Cambridge Folk Festival.
The tour, which will see King Charles play his biggest headline show to date at London's Heaven, will begin at Birmingham's Academy 3 on 28th May and culminates at Cambridge's historic Trinity Hall on 2oth June. He will then embark on his busiest festival calendar to date, with slots booked in at some of Europe's leading festivals including The Secret Garden Party and Hop Farm Festival with more to be announced.
2012 has seen King Charles take huge step forwards in his rise to glam-folk stardom. Having started the year claiming second place in MTV's 'Brand New For 2012', topping the likes of Lana Del Rey and Michael Kiwanuka, being featured on Channel 4's Mecury Prize Sessions and debuting in the alternative iTunes chart in America at an incredible number 18 with his EP 'Mississippi Isabel'.
King Charles' exuberant live shows have already taken him far and wide and his summer schedule looks set to continue this British star's rise.
Watch the Lady Percy video here: link
UK Live dates below;
4th May - The Cockpit, Live at Leeds
11th May - Warehouse 34, Newcastle
12th May - The Great Escape (The Guardian, New band Stage), Brighton
28th May - Academy 3, Birmingham
29th May – Bodega, Nottingham
30th May – Cavern, Exeter
31st May – Heaven, London
9th June - The Globe, Hay on Wye
12th June – Cellar, Southampton
13th June – Louisiana, Bristol
14th June – Forum, Tunbridge Wells
15th June - Ifor Bach, Cardiff
17th June - Ruby Lounge, Manchester
20th June - Trinity Hall, Cambridge
30th June - The Beat Herder Festival, Sawley
22nd July - Secret Garden Party, Abbots Ripton
28th July - Cambridge Folk Festival, Cambridge
29th July - Kendal Calling, Kendal
3rd Aug - Y-Not Festival, Matlock
4th Aug - Standon Calling, Standon


text:
28.11.2012 16:39
Vinnie Colaiuta Joan Rivers Showcase!!! 1986 1987
Here is 7 minutes of Vinnie Colaiuta doing his thing all over the Michael Sembello composed opening for Fox's "Late Show w/ Joan Rivers." The show started airing in October 1986. Joan Rivers was fired in October 1987 and Vinnie and the band were gone soon after.
...unbedingt auch das Ende gucken…: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPAK1XD7BfE&feature=related


text:
Location: Mauritius > Riviere Noire District > Tamarin
Free High Speed Internet ( WiFi ) Free Parking Suites Swimming Pool
Ranked #2 of 7 B&Bs / Inns in Tamarin
Price Range: $66 - $82 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
Number of rooms: 4
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- The Guesthouse Bellevue in Tamarin - that are Doris and Rudi Assmann, living in the southwest island of Mauritius called Tamarin.We have special way of accommodating people at our Guest House, aiming at making a quite special and unique holiday possible for our guests on the island of Mauritius. We want the individual Traveller to feel at home in a very special way.The guest house is designed to fully absorb and appreciate the outstanding scenery of the island opening up on to the spacious terraces which evolve into a turquoise lagoon and crystal-clear ocean beyond.Due to the amenity of our guest house most of the interesting excursion destinations of the island are easy to access, i.e. shopping mall, restaurants, beaches, National park, Chamarel, Bird-Park. Let yourself be inspired by the melting pot, charm and kindness of different cultures of the Mauritian people, beautiful landscape and lovely beaches. ... more less
- Also Known As:
- Gastehaus Bellevue Tamarin Mauritius


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text:
Hello Laptop, Hello World
From Seeta
Redirected from Digital Literacy Project wiki page.
[edit] Overview
Digital Literacy Project (DigiLit) is a non-profit and officially recognized student organization of Harvard College that promotes digital literacy for teachers and students around the globe. The organization aims to integrate the XO laptop, a low-cost laptop designed for children by One Laptop per Child, into the classroom by developing training and curriculum resources that support sustainable technology practices. DigiLit has already raised funds for and initiated three XO laptop pilot programs: Nicaraguan Deaf Association (Managua, Nicaragua), Mission Hill After-School Program (Boston, MA), and the Cambridge Friends School (Cambridge, MA). In addition to launching laptop pilots and developing curriculum and training resources, DigiLit has conducted research on the XO's effects on classroom dynamics. The overall goal is to seamlessly integrate the XO into classrooms so that, rather than being an extension of existing pedagogies, the XO becomes a tool for realizing creative potential.
[edit] Laptop Pilots
[edit] Nicaraguan Deaf Association
A team of seven from the Digital Literacy Project went to Managua, Nicaragua for two weeks in January to set up a computer lab with 10 XO laptops and teach computer classes for deaf students at the Nicaraguan Deaf Association (Asociación Nacional de Sordos de Nicaragua, known as ANSNIC).
[edit] Mission Hill School After-School Program
The Mission Hill After-School Program (MHASP) pilot is a joint venture with the MHASP at Harvard College's Phillips Brooks House Association. The goals of the pilot are to integrate the XO into the program's "Green Group" (ages 7-9) curriculum and to help students become familiar with computers and the XO laptop. Students work with college student tutors to complete homework assignments and activities on the XO.
[edit] Cambridge Friends School
Since September, DigiLit volunteers have been hosting XO laptop workshops for 4th grade teachers Mellisha Culpepper and Katie Marion. Students started using XOs in class in early November for online research, word processing, and memory game activities.
As part of the 4th grade pilot, students tested SocialCalc, an open-source spreadsheet activity developed by SEETA. Twenty-three 4th graders gave survey-based feedback after participating in three social studies activities that utilized SocialCalc. Student feedback, in the form of Likert scale ratings and drawings, was given to SocialCalc developers. Results suggest that 4th graders wanted more feedback from the program when they made mistakes and more control over visual aspects of graphs, such as colors and fonts.
The 4th grade teachers are currently working with DigiLit volunteers to continue building curriculum. Recent work includes using Memorize to make memory games that test knowledge of state capitals, as well as an introduction to TurtleArt.
[edit] Leadership Team
|Katelyn Foley
|MacKenzie Sigalos
|Tony Fazio
|Melissa Oppenheim
|Tiffany Au
|Donnarae Wade
|Education Adviser
|Ken Li
|Education Chair
|Steve Anastos
|International Pilots Chair
|Spencer Chan
|Marketing Chair
|Tom Buckley
|Technology Co-Chair
|Ellen Farber
|Technology Co-Chair
|Nick Doiron
|Curriculum Designer
|Shin Nee Wong
|Education Associate


text:
Toward a Nationwide School Strike October 7thTuesday, June 29th, 2010
Rouge Forum Flyer For Nationwide School Strike (2 pages easy download for meetings, caucuses, etc.)
Little Red Schoolhouse:
Aging Pole Dancer Hides Fee At CSU School: "In preparation for Ms. Palin's arrival, workers had transformed the cafeteria's dining hall. It was draped with crimson tablecloths, festooned with orchids and surrounded by chain-link fences." www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/us/politics/27palin.html?hpw
Strange Bedfellows (save the hankies): Bamn represents DPS: "The board is asking for a temporary restraining order to prevent the layoffs and outsourcing while the case is in court. The board's attorney, George Washington, said the motion for an injunction will be filed this afternoon." www.freep.com/article/20100629/NEWS01/100629033/1320/School-board-to-file-motion-against-Bobb
Schoolbrary: Library and School Fittingly Covered with a Prophylactic: "The San Diego City Council voted Monday to start building a downtown library with a school on two upper floors. The plan passed despite a downturn that has cut back on library hours across the city and the fact that fundraisers still have to scrounge up more than $30 million in donations." See the unforgettable image—
Ohanian on College of Ed Review of Her Site: "This just confirms my view that in schools of education, critical thinking skills are nothing more than reheated mashed potatoes. And as far as "difficult to integrate" the material on my site into "most curriculum and pedagogy for teacher education," are these people out of their minds? My site only concerns the daily life's blood of practicing teachers. If this weren't true, why would the Bank Street College of Education be invited me to launch their new season?" susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=9403
Detroit School Budget Deficit Booms:The budget deficit for Detroit Public Schools has ballooned from $219 million last year to $363 million, according to budget documents released Tuesday by the district.The 66-percent spike in the debt occurred during the first full year of leadership under Robert Bobb, the state-appointed emergency financial manager. Bobb was appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to help eliminate the district's deficit. His term expires in March. A year ago Bobb pledged to end overspending and expected a $17 million surplus that would help whittle the $219 million deficit accumulated from previous years.From The Detroit News: www.detnews.com/article/20100630/SCHOOLS/6300344/1026/Detroit-Schools-budget-deficit-grows-66-#ixzz0sJhXjb2k
We Say Fightback
Uprising at G8 in Toronto:
Cops Attack U. Toronto During G8 (plus photos) : " Police raided a university building and rounded up more protesters Sunday in an effort to quell further violence at the global economic summit after black-clad youths rampaged through the city, smashing windows and torching police cruisers. Police said they have arrested more than 500 demonstrators, many of whom were hauled away in plastic handcuffs and taken to a temporary holding center constructed for the summit…Thousands of police headed to Toronto to reinforce security there after the smaller Group of Eight summit ended Saturday in Huntsville, Ontario, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) away. Security was being provided by an estimated 19,000 law enforcement officers drawn from across Canada, and security costs were estimated at more than US$900 million. "
Native Americans Lead 100K March Vs Zonie Law: " As an estimated 100,000 people marched six miles May 29 to protest Arizona's new immigration law, they were led by Lakotas, Paiutes, Yavapai-Apache, Tohono O'odham, Akimel O'odham, and other tribal members. Those in front held a banner that read, "Lakota-Nation: America Was Built With Stolen Land. No Border. No Boundaries." www.indiancountrytoday.com/archive/95614534.html
Perpetual War Front:
From Tomgram:
OBAMA: "I want you to be honest with me. You can do this in 18 months?"
PETRAEUS: "Sir, I'm confident we can train and hand over to the ANA [Afghan National Army] in that time frame."
OBAMA: "If you can't do the things you say you can in 18 months, then no one is going to suggest we stay, right?"
PETRAEUS: "Yes, sir, in agreement."
MULLEN: "Yes, sir."
…Petraeus's COIN policy logically demands a decade-long war, involving labor-intensive (and military-centric) nation-building, waged village by village and valley by valley, at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars and countless U.S., NATO, and Afghan casualties, including civilians.
War Means Work: "Defense contractors in San Diego County are experiencing ups and down common to the industry. The situation has been complicated by high-level political discussions over the fate of some weapons programs and the role of the Navy and Marines. Here's a current snapshot of the industry locally." www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/25/providing-the-systems-that-serve-local/
General McChrystal and the Wages of Hypocrisy (the big secret is that the US cannot befriend the Afghans, et al, because the US is there to rob them, even if US troops do not know that, Afghans do…): " there is likely an even deeper reason for the ill-considered remarks by the general and his "Team America" (as his crew liked to refer to itself): They were operating in an environment of significant and increasing hypocrisy at the political level and intellectual dishonesty at the level of policy and even propaganda. This situation has produced a level of cognitive dissonance which became so corrosive that those at the center of the Afghanistan mission could not stop themselves from revealing this reality to the outside world when presented with the opportunity, however ill-advised doing so might have been for their careers and the mission more broadly."
Exterminate All the Brutes: Petraeus to take a Second Look at Firepower:
"I want to assure the mothers and fathers of those fighting in Afghanistan that I see it as a moral imperative to bring all assets to bear to protect our men and women in uniform," General Petraeus said. "Those on the ground must have all the support they need when they are in a tough situation." www.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/world/asia/30petraeus.html?hp
American Bribes Fly Out of Kabul: "KABUL — A blizzard of bank notes is flying out of Afghanistan — often in full view of customs officers at the Kabul airport — as part of a cash exodus that is confounding U.S. officials and raising concerns about the money's origin.
The cash, estimated to total well over $1 billion a year, flows mostly to the Persian Gulf emirate of Dubai, where many wealthy Afghans now park their families and funds, according to U.S. and Afghan officials. So long as departing cash is declared at the airport here, its transfer is legal." afpakwar.com/blog/archives/4613
Solidarity Forever:
Criminal Quisling Mandela Regime–the Glass Half Full at World Cup–Dave Zirin:
Galeano on Soccer: www.versobooks.com/verso_info/excerpts/galeano_excpt.shtml
Emerging Fascism
Cops Slug Journalist at G8:
Oops There Goes the Economy
Chossudovsky on G8 Lies (Remember War, Bankbailouts, Forget Schools + Health, cut deficit!):
Banksters to Congress–Thanks for Groveling: " there is the financial reform bill. You killed any plans to break up too big to fail banks (leaving us with huge government subsidies) and kept any talk of a financial speculations tax from being taken seriously.Keep up the great work; we'll remember you at campaign contribution time." www.truth-out.org/wall-street-congratulates-washington-a-job-well-done60845
Banks Escape Regulations by the People (a shocker): "Banks won't have to prepay billions of dollars into a fund to cover the cost of breaking up large failing financial institutions, as both the House and Senate first proposed. Banks also escaped a limitation on their size, and there's no explicit prohibition of government rescues if their failures pose major risks to the economy.
In addition, they'll have to wall off their trading in the lucrative, complex instruments called derivatives in separate related companies. The lack of transparency surrounding derivatives amplified the financial crisis. In a compromise brokered by the Treasury Department, banks were able to keep their trading desks for common — and generally less-risky — types of derivatives, such as bets on swings in interest rates and on the U.S. dollar's value against other currencies. This move won over the New Democrat Coalition, 69 moderates in the House."
Stocks Fall, Again: "Stocks sank worldwide today as downbeat reports intensified worries about the global economy and bolstered fears that the U.S. would slide back into recession. The Dow Jones industrials closed down about 265 points, or 2.6%, to about 9,870. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost about 3.1%, and the Nasdaq composite plunged about 3.8%. Wall Street opened lower after a consumer confidence index fell more than expected. The day's selling began in China after an index of that country's economic prospects was revised lower."
Fed funding cut to limit No Worker Left Behind:
"Michigan's unemployed were dealt another blow Tuesday when the state announced it will scale back a popular worker retraining program thousands have used to restart their careers"
Spy vs Spy
Russian Times on Russian Spy Ring:
The Formal Complaint vs The Russian Spy Ring: from i n or about the 1990s, up t o and i n c l u d i n g the present, i n t h e Southern D i s t r i c t of New York and elsewhere, ANNA CHAPMAN and MIKHAIL SEMENKO, t h e defendants, and others known and unknown, u n l a w f u l l y , w i l l f u l l y and knowingly, d i d combine, conspire, confederate, and agree together and w i t h each other t o commit an offense against the U n i t e d States, t o w i t , to v i o l a t e Section 951 o f T i t l e 18, U n i t e d States Code. www.latimes.com/media/acrobat/2010-06/54639202.pdf
The Heavens Weep:
Fearing the "destruction" of BP Plc (BP.L) (BP.N), British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday some certainty is needed over its costs from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill even as the company's stock plunged to a 14-year low. "Total share losses for the embattled British energy giant since the worst oil spill in U.S. history began on April 20 stand at around $100 billion, more than halving its market value prior to the disaster. BP stock on Friday fell more than 6 percent in London and New York. BP plans to nearly double next week its capacity for siphoning oil gushing from its ruptured deep-sea well, but a looming storm is raising fears the effort could be disrupted for days or weeks. BP and the U.S. government nervously watched as an approaching low-pressure system over the western Caribbean Sea gathered strength."
Hey Look! Magic!
Pope Rebukes Cardinal: "The Vatican drew aside, for a brief and puzzling moment, the thick veil that covers its internal business. It issued an extraordinary communiqué on Monday chastising a powerful cardinal who had criticized another powerful cardinal — proof of a battle inside the Vatican walls that mirrors the anger over sexual abuse raging outside them." www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/world/europe/29pope.html?scp=1&sq=pope%20vatican&st=cse
The Weekly Infuriator:
Best Thing in the History of the World:
Geezer Bandit for President: Geezer Bandit robbed yet another bank – what's believed to be the 11th bank tied to the prolific and elusive bank robber. www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Geezer-Bandit-Hits-11th-Bank-97150959.html
Advice to Detroit Board of Ed Prezzie–How to Fold a Hankie for that Special Occasion:
Annie Get Your Gun! "it was only a few years ago that some commentators were calling talk of the Second Amendment as an individual right crazy, something that only paid shills for the N.R.A. could possibly endorse. That turns out not to be the case."
Worst thing in the History of the World:
Criminal Charges Coming vs Mathis? "The request stems from last week's accusations by the district's superintendent, Teresa Gueyser, that Mathis had touched himself in a sexual way in front of her during a private meeting, and that Mathis had previously done so during meetings with her. Mathis wrote a letter to colleagues that acknowledged he "made inappropriate actions toward a professional employee of the board" but blamed "ongoing health problems" for his "poor judgment." From The Detroit News: www.detnews.com/article/20100626/SCHOOLS/6260359/1409/Criminal-charges-sought-against-Mathis#ixzz0rwN7TUFB
The Only Solution to the Myriad Problems of Out Time:
Perhaps nothing points so clearly to the alienated nature of politics in the present day United States as the fact that capitalism, the economic system that drives the society, is effectively off-limits to critical review or discussion. To the extent that capitalism is mentioned by politicians or pundits, it is regarded in hushed tones of reverence for the genius of the market, its unquestioned efficiency, and its providential authority. One might quibble with a corrupt and greedy CEO or a regrettable loss of jobs, but the superiority and necessity of capitalism—or, more likely, its euphemism, the so-called "free market system"—is simply beyond debate or even consideration. There are, of course, those who believe that the system needs more regulation and that there is room for all sorts of fine-tuning. Nevertheless, there is no questioning of the basics.
From Capitalism, the Absurd System: monthlyreview.org/100601mcchesney-foster.php
Thanks to AG, Lloyd, Sandy, Don, Alcorn, Candace, Dennis B., Steve, Doug, Connie, Greg, Bill, Adam and Gina, Sherry, Joe and Joe, The Susans, Crystal, Jon, Stephen, Joel, Mr J and Mr Z, Judy who just retired, Pete, Ricky, TC, Margaret, Arturo, and Jesus.
Good luck to us, every one.


text:
Summer camp
Did any of you ever go to a summer camp as a child? Could anything better summer camp? For anywhere from one week to two months, whoever you were at home — whether you were the youngest in a family of eight, a nerd with no friends, or just a regular boy looking for a change of pace — none of that mattered. You could completely reinvent yourself because you were with people who didn't know you from Adam.
Your friends at camp weren't the type of people you usually hung out with; they were just the guys who happened to be in your group, or the guys you were assigned to activities with. As far as they knew, you were the most popular guy at your school. You could actually be cool, for a week or so.
Gav got married a few years back, and his wedding was about as close to summer camp as this adult will ever get. On the grownup hand, everything was gorgeous, the bride looked ravishing, the food was fantastic, the reception was at this Devon hotel with a stunning, picturesque vista, or something. On the other hand, it was one big huge tequila-soaked party. That's my kind of wedding.
Will is American and in some sort of sales. He went into greater detail about what exactly he does the night of the rehearsal, but it was loud at the bar and I couldn't really understand him. He spent a lot of time on his mobile, though, talking about accounts and end-of-the-month sales goals and quotas and dammit, Joanne, just file the papers, file the freakin' papers. Will is an excellent golfer, nearly bald, and lives in Philadelphia.
Josh is about to get engaged, I think. I'm told he's in a serious relationship, and it's only a matter of time. I couldn't tell you what he does for a living. Something in engineering, maybe. Josh is a terrible golfer, even worse than me, is rather tall, and lives in Ireland.
That pretty much sums up all the personal information I have on each. Oh, and Will has this really loopy father who wears tweed jackets, writes books on American history, and actually tells knock-knock jokes with a straight face.
And for four days, Will and Josh were as close a group of friends as I've ever had.
Will and Josh were the other two ushers. Gav's brother was the best man. (Isn't meeting lifelong friends' siblings a fascinating experience? If my friend Gav had chucked the corporate life and became a long-haired primary school teacher, he would be his brother. It was like Bizarro Gav.) But he brought a date, and, as tends to be the case, he was preoccupied with her most of the weekend. (Gav's brother aside, considering his girlfriend was pretty and nice, I ask, why do we bother bringing casual dates to weddings? They're always more trouble than they're worth.) Will and Josh were dateless, like me. So, essentially, it was summer camp. Three guys, with everything paid for, with endless fountains of alcohol, scrubbed up real nicely and ready to stir up some shit.
Whatever you do when you're home, when you're thrust into the decadently formal chaos of being an usher at an out-of-town wedding, the normal rules of engagement no longer apply. It's a world of endless free booze, attractive women in tight, sparkly dresses, and everyone in a raucous, joyous mood. The outside world doesn't matter anymore.
And it was basically the three of us. Gav was busy, you know, getting married, so we were on our own. Almost immediately, it was us against the world. There was a wedding going on around us, but we were in our own world: three guys, drinking, talking girls, sharing old stories about the groom like we'd known each other forever.
We picked enemies, whether they deserved it or not. Most of the other guys in the wedding party were the brides' friends, not the groom's, and we, not to put too fine a point on it, found them insufferable idiots, total snot-nosed kids whom we ultimately labelled "The Yahoos." We joked about which bridesmaids were the hottest. We sucked tequila shots off the table. We sat in the corner and snidely mocked anyone, really, who wasn't us. Because we were the only cool ones.
It had the feel of a locker room. To be honest, it was a lot like a sports team, actually, to the point where we even started using sports clichés to describe what made us such excellent ushers. We talked about "giving 110 percent" and "leaving it all out there on the altar." We stayed up late and blabbed every night. All we were missing was towel snapping.
Hanging out with Will and Josh helped me to understand why people join fraternities. Just a bunch of fellas, causing trouble, being guys.
The night before the wedding, after the rehearsal, the entire wedding party shambled over to a nearby watering hole and commenced more heavy drinking. Will and Josh settled in with a group of attractive women, of course, and I caught Gav's eye. After a few shots of tequila, we decided to go outside and get some fresh air, and, the night before his wedding, talked for about two hours, man to man. When we both came to London, around the same time, we were the two single guys with no girls around, ever. And here he was, almost a married man.
You know that point when your friends make that leap into true happiness? When they put themselves in a position where you know they've got it, they have it all figured out? When they become a man? That was Gav that night. I'd never seen a guy just grin like that. It was all he could do not to start jumping up and down, twirling about, shouting, "I'm getting married tomorrow! To her! Me! Woooo!"
It was really something to see. I felt honoured to have the opportunity.
Ultimately, the wedding came and went, we all drank, I had the strange experience with a tennis player, and we folded into the hotel room. I was quite intoxicated and, thanks to my recent breakup, rather depressed.
OK, a lot depressed. By the end of the night, with Josh, Will, Will's wedding hookup, and another friend in the room, I had decided to lie down on the floor between the air conditioner and the bed because "I didn't deserve to be anywhere but on the floor, like the pathetic worm I am." Many of my friends would have left me there, or tried to reason with me, or told me about how they'd had troubles with women too. Not Josh. He walked over and blurted in his Irish brogue, "Jeezus, David, get oop. Christ." And I did, and we talked for three hours, and he pulled me out of it, and the Ushers reigned triumphant again.
The next day, everybody left to go back to their lives. I shook Will's hand, then Josh's. I made them promise to invite me to their weddings, eventually. I'm sure they won't. I'd be surprised if I ever see either of them again, to be honest. But, for one weekend, we were the Three Ushers. We left it all out there at the altar. We pushed ourselves to be the best. And we drank. Oh, how we drank!
I was chatting with Gav and asking after the other guys a few days ago which is why, perhaps, this whole piece has the feel of a postcard, a note containing nothing but in-jokes that only those involved would understand. That's fine. That's the way it should be. That's summer camp.
A funny thing happened on the way from a wedding…
For years, people told me how weddings, for single guys, were one step removed from a university freshers party meat market. "Man, people always hook up at weddings," they told me. "And they especially love the single ushers."
I never believed them, mainly because I'd never seen it. At most weddings I've attended, everyone either already had dates or was married. There were never enough single people to go around. Plus, it would seem that members of the wedding party would just be too busy to have a fling at a wedding. I mean, ushers have duties to perform. There are pictures to pose for, and, um, er… alcohol to drink, and, um… you know, all the other stuff that ushers have responsibility for.
So when I was asked to serve as an usher at a mate's wedding a few years ago, with the recent breakup still lingering, and the confusion and depression not having dissipated, the last thing I wanted was any excess female contact. It had been all I could do not to start any conversations with women by saying, "Hi. My name is David. I am a human. I respond to logic, reason, and external stimuli. My life view will be the same in five minutes as it is right now. Please, tell me about your species."
But people told me to just sit tight. "They'll find you, mate. You're an usher," they told me. "People always hook up. Always."
And, would you believe it… they were right.
Sort of.
Setting: The reception at Gav's wedding. I ended up sitting next to an attractive young woman at the front table. (She wasn't in the wedding party, which I thought meant she couldn't sit at the head table, but no matter.) After a cursory discussion, I learned that she loved playing tennis and was the best friend of the bride's sister. We ended up talking a little about Wimbledon, which had just concluded, and had a nice enough time, though I thought little of it. I was just concerned the bar would run out of my favourite rum.
After dinner, I told her it was a pleasure to meet her and went downstairs for the first dance. I danced with the mother of the bride, coiling her round and round until she almost vomited, and then, out of nowhere, the tennis player pushes in. OK. So we dance for a bit — I am a decent enough dancer — and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, right there on the dance floor, in front of God and everybody, she starts to kiss me.
I would have protested, but I was already quite light-headed. Oh, and there was an attractive, athletic girl in front of me. This lasted about two songs. Then, after I socialised a bit, she asked if I "wanted to go for a walk." I said, sure, air is good, walking stimulates circulation. So we went for a walk, and she started kissing me again. She then asked me what I was doing after the reception. Like everyone else in the wedding party, I said I was going back to our hotel. She smiled and looked me deeply in the eye. "I'm coming with you. Is that OK?"
I did the rest of my wedding stuff, with this woman trailing behind the whole time. (Talking to the guys the next day, I was told: "We were all watching the two of you, thinking, 'Dave has no chance. It's like she came here to attack someone, and she chose you. You were a Dead Man Walking.'") At the end of the evening, we all piled into a large people carrier and headed back to the hotel, with just a brief stop at a bed-and-breakfast where the groom's parents were staying. (They were next to us drunken kids in the cab, looking nervous while we passed around bottles.)
The tennis player sat next to me, giggling and whispering things in my ear while propping her lovely legs on my lap. The cab cruised on. Then, suddenly, she paused mid-sentence and pulled out her mobile. I heard her call:
"Hi, it's me. Listen, I'm in a really awkward position right now, and I'm not sure how to get out of it. I need someone to come pick me up. Can you do it? No? Oh, shit. I dunno, I don't know how this happened."
Um… Everyone in the cab was staring at me. The guys were mouthing, "What the fuck?!" The girls were wide-eyed. The groom's parents… well, the look they gave me made me want to jump out of the cab and start running like Gump.
I turned to her, quietly, and said, "Hey, listen, I certainly didn't mean for you to be in an awkward position. I, um, kinda thought this was your idea. Seriously, you don't have to go anywhere or do anything. I'd be more than happy to tell the driver to go wherever you need to go. It's really OK." She looked down, then made another phone call. Exactly the same conversation. Exactly the same result.
I repeated to her that the driver could take her wherever she needed to go. She remained silent, staring out window, not meeting my eye.
We then arrived at the bed and breakfast. The groom's parents hastily said their goodbyes and exited. Then, just as the door was about to shut, the tennis player jumped out. Just like that. The cab then took off. Match. Set. Game over.
(I can't imagine what the groom's parents thought of this. They leave a cab of drunken ushers and bridesmaids, and out hops a scared girl, no idea where she is or where she's going. I must have seemed like Charlie Sheen to them.)
And that was that. I went back to the hotel, dazed and confused, became even more drunk, and I ended up even more depressed. I never saw her again until, quite unexpectedly, I ran into her yesterday. She seemed to recognise me — she smiled and said a cheery 'Hi' — and I pretty much ran across the street, dodging traffic and looking over my shoulder to be sure she wasn't following.
So let's get this story straight: David meets girl, she's really into him, she's all about David; then, suddenly, for no apparent reason, with no warning, she just switches, decides she wants nothing to do with him, and vanishes.
Ha! What the fuck, indeed! Such strange creatures they are…


text: Let's Talk Investing The wonders of the one-year mortgage Add to ... The Globe and Mail Published Monday, May 13, 2013 5:00AM EDT Last updated Friday, Apr. 24, 2015 9:10PM EDT In a rising rate environment, one-year rates may be a better option that variable rates, but they may not make financial sense for everyone Watch More Video: The wonders of the one-year mortgage How do mortgage brokers get paid? Does it make sense to lock yourself into a 10-year mortgage? Is the variable-rate mortgage dead? Beware these health care 'wild cards' in retirement Why you should think about buying an annuity at age 75 Hey, small spender: At what age does spending typically slow? Will long-term health costs ruin you in retirement? Are annuities the answer? How big an impact does the OAS clawback have? What can seniors do to prevent financial abuse? How to spot the warning signs of financial elder abuse How often are seniors ripped off financially? The benefits of segregated funds in estate planning Should seniors just say no to stocks? Why Gen Y investors should trust their instincts Comments Share via email Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on LinkedIn More Related to this Story Home Buying Video: Want to sell your home quickly? Staging tips from an expert Let's Talk Investing Video: Don't get burned by killer condo fees Let's Talk Investing Video: Let's Talk Investing: How do mortgage brokers get paid? Follow us on Twitter: @GlobeInvestor


text:
Effective optical constants of stratified metal–dielectric metameterial are presented. The effective constants are determined by the two-complex reflectivity method (TCRM). The TCRM reveals the full components of the effective permittivity and permeability tensors and indicates the remarkable anisotropy of metallic and dielectric components below the effective plasma frequency. On the other hand, above the plasma frequency, one of the effective refractive indices takes a positive value less than unity and is associated with small loss. The photonic states are confirmed by the distribution of electromagnetic fields.
© 2007 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article
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text:
ABC News
Missing Malaysia Airlines plane may have created seismic event, Chinese …
AP. March 14, 2014 (KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia) — Malaysian plane missing a week may have caused a seismic event recorded near the plane's last known location, researchers at a top Chinese University say. Malaysia Airlines Missing Plane Investigation …
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Sharing information is key – China News in UK. Social Commerce and Social Media Management playing a big part. Suaju Ltd