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Sun, Mar 25, 12 at 18:56
Just when you think the weather has finally wanted to warm up, along with all our water pets of course, the big freeze moves back in!
What a joke. I hope my frogs have a place to go as temps drop to teh low 20's tomorrow night after a week in the 80's. MIke |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by calamity_j z7bc (My Page) on Mon, Mar 26, 12 at 0:15
It's warming up here,sunny but still quite chilly. Seeing some of new babies from last year...they are like an inch long now!!! |
Mike are you on the West side of the State? I'm North of Muskegon, you must be North of me. I have fed my fish light flake food 2x since we warmed into the 70s, my frogs are all fat & happy. I did leave my frog pots in because... well....we ARE in Michigan LOL |
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text: Avatar: Pandora Discovered Sigourney Weaver narrates this first look at the world of Pandora. posted on December 18, 2009 at 4:15am EST Community Contributor Mathieu S. /mathieus Cat Power: 1 Join The Community! Share Tweet Tweet Email Pin it NEW React with an animated GIF! React Pin it Share Email 5 Tweet I know, right? Now tell your friends! Avatar: Pandora Discovered Mathieu S. Share Tweet Stumble Email Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GBGDmin_38E. Check out more articles on BuzzFeed.com! Share On Facebook Tweet Pin it Share Tweet Pin it Email More ▾ Tweet Share Pin it Rebuzz Reddit Stumble Link The Most Disturbing Scientific Facts In The World The Ultimate Regional Dialect Quiz Special Reactions Your Reaction? LOL Win OMG Cute WTF Fail Trashy Old Ew LOL Amazing Blimey Cute Splendid WTF Hmm Trashy USE YOUR FACE You are signed in as . Saving... Saving... Saving... Rebuzzed! This post has been added to your Feed I know, right? And there's more where that came from. Totally! And there's plenty more to love! Broken hearted? Maybe you'll like something over here instead? Oops. It looks like you've already voted. Sorry, you can react up to three times. Please Validate Your Email Thanks for Registering! Before you can vote or contribute we need to quickly validate your email address. We've sent you a confirmation email with instructions. If you don't receive the email in a few minutes, please check your spam folder. Reconnect? It looks like you've been disconnected from Facebook. Click the Facebook Connect button to reconnect. Don't Connect I know, right? Will your friends agree? Share this Link Avatar: Pandora Discovered http://www.buzzfeed.com/mathieus/avatar-pandora... Sigourney Weaver narrates this first look at the world of Pandora. Your link was successfully shared! React with an animated GIF! Turn on my webcam! READY. SET. REACT! GET STARTED SAVE Start Over HOT ON Follow BuzzFeed 41 Camping Hacks That Are Borderline Genius 70,320 repins 65 Books You Need To Read In Your 20s 44,239 repins 38 Anthropologie Hacks 38,710 repins 27 Slightly Annoying Things About Being A Girl 33,010 repins 31 T-Shirt DIYs That Are Perfect For Summer 32,558 repins 33 Teachers Who Got The Last Laugh 31,815 repins 33 Moving Tips That Will Make Your Life So Much... 28,650 repins 20 Popular Pinterest Tips That Are Bold-Faced Lies 23,996 repins 33 Super-Cool Popsicles To Make This Summer 16,939 repins 51 Healthy Weeknight Dinners That'll Make You... 16,649 repins 50 Incredible Tattoos Inspired By Books 16,334 repins 14 Reasons The Peter Pans At Disneyland Are The... 14,805 repins 23 Solutions To Your Most Pressing First World... 14,766 repins 25 Lifehacks For Your Tiny Closet 12,905 repins 30 Foods You'll Never Have To Buy Again 10,028 repins 21 Kids Who Sold Out Their Parents 7,287 repins 28 Dogs That Immediately Regret Their Decisions 7,025 repins 18 People Having The Best Summer Ever 7,003 repins 31 Unmistakable Signs That You're An Introvert 6,716 repins 28 Reasons You Wish Kitty Forman Was Your Mom 6,253 repins Load More Pins EDIT More Buzz LARP: Live Avatar Role Playing × Pandora — "The Tough Business of Webcasting" × World Premiere Costumes Cosplay Avatar Clothing × Avatar Porn Parody Packaged With Na'vi Fleshlight [NSFW] × Related Links × Note: once you save these links, they will no longer update automatically. 1. 2. 3. 4. Save Changes Cancel The 33 Most Beautiful Abandoned Places In The… 19 People Who Are Having A Way Worse Day Than You 11 Engagement Photos That Will Make You Happy… 25 Photos You Need To Really Look At To Understand Facebook Conversations Preview Your Response Add Your Response Text Image Video Link Title Thumbnail (Allowed HTML Tags:     ) Title Video Embed or URL () Hey! This video may have privacy restrictions. Ensure that it is publicly visible to everyone. Description (Allowed HTML Tags:     ) Title Image Link Image To (optional) Description (Allowed HTML Tags:     ) Title Thumbnail Title Link URL Share this on Facebook (Connected as [Disconnect]) Cancel ∨ Create Full Post ∧ Create Simple Post You are signed in as Please Validate Your Email Nice Work! Thanks For Contributing! × Don't forget to share! Want to add another one? Go for it! 2 Responses So Far Contributions Latest First Phillip L. 3 years ago http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unobtainium RESPOND SHARE Facebook Twitter Email Get Link LOL WIN OMG CUTE WTF FAIL GEEKY frick 3 years ago oakley made up some rubber compound and called it unobtanium a long time ago. RESPOND SHARE Facebook Twitter Email Get Link LOL WIN OMG CUTE WTF FAIL GEEKY Jack Shepherd ☠ thinks Avatar: Pandora Discovered is about 3 years ago ×

subset: commoncrawl


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Motorola V600
Average Ratings
Not bad
I have had three Nokia phones before this, and received this phone for free from a friend only a few months ago, so it was well used but still working well. It is a nice looking phone, but mine is very scratched and new covers are expensive.
Pros: The bluetooth is good, the screen is pretty good, the camera is nice. It feels nice to hold and is attractive.
Cons: The phone is really slow to react when typing SMS's etc, probably due to the fact that I type reasonably fast. All the buttons are opposite to Nokia, even the red/green. Memory isn't all that great, no expansion slot. I find that the flip bit registers as open too soon, sometimes it opens just a crack when I am pulling it out of my pocket and it hangs up on whoever is calling me. The stupid Motorola 'volume changing' noise drives me nuts, as it makes the noise in my pocket when the volume keys are bumped. Without locking the Ring Styles menu, the profile can be changed with the smart key, which is clever but happens accidentally all the time.
Yes, I know I'm being a bit fussy but it's the little things that are annoying. Probably having the phone from new would have impressed me more.
Overall, it's not a bad phone, but personally I prefer Nokia's.
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4 Years Later....
I bought this phone the day it came out in 2004. It has been a damn good phone and lasted through many drops, kicks, spills, etc. As a matter of fact, I bought an HTC Wizard a few months ago and ended up going back to this phone (not because the wizard was a bad phone, but just because I never used it for what it was made for). I plan on ditching this phone though for a KRZR in a few days, but I will always hang on to it as a backup. Don't let anyone tell you the V600 sucks, because it was way ahead of it's time (in 04 it was one of maybe 5 phones that had bluetooth) not to mention it's extremely durable.
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Great phone...except the phone part
I got this phone in spring of '05. Was amazing.
*good camera (for the time)
*good reception, voice quality
*features (multiple alarm clocks...I can easily sleep through 4)
*LOVED the ring lights (so pretty...)
*really good battery life (once I didn't need it on vacation for a week and a half, so I left it off. Came back...still had 2 out of 3 left)
And then...it died. I don't know if it's because I dropped it a few times...but I'm really clumsy and my old phones survived quite well.
So, after around 15 months, the cons showed up:
*earpiece died. (this seems like a common problem)
...taking all calls on speakerphone wouldn't have been that bad...except:
*you can only access the speakerphone around 3-5 seconds into the call. Which really sucks.
I absolutely loved this phone, but I had to get a new one (I would've gladly gotten another v600, but I can't find one anywhere!).
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I'm gonna say its ok.
I'm gonna say that this phone has treated me the best.
I've had:
motorola t710?
motorola v600
sony z500
sony t637
and i just ordered a v620 earlier....
Out of all of the phones ( although not that many), the v600 has treated me the best. When i received my z500, i had WISHED that i could have my motorola back.
It got the job done, and i personally liked the graphics. Bluetooth was great.....it did freeze up though. I like the battery charge - and the reception wasn't too bad i guess. I'm hoping the v620 is better though.
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Awesome Phone!
I had this phone back when Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless were separate companies. It was amazing! I loved the polyphonic and mp3 ringtones that it had, the event lights, the big screen, the fact that it was a quad band phone, the video playback, etc. I loved everything about this phone! However, I did hear from other people (not on here, but elsewhere) about the V600 having issues and that it was recalled due to those issues, but I had no problems with my V600. I highly recommend it for people who love to have all of the latest features on it and who don't care about not having the video record feature (which the V620, the upgrade of the V600 has). It's a great phone all in all. I found nothing wrong with it.
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First motorola
This was my first motorola phone. I was having a great time with it for the first few weeks, especially the glowing lights on the front, when it started ti shut down on its own. TMobile said there were known problems with the software and they offered to take it back and exchange it for the v330. So even though i only had the v600 for a few weeks, i really did like it, except when it started to power itself off and freeze up at random times. The reception was great and the speaker was nice and loud. it's just not being supported by tmobile. see my v330 review...
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2 years user
Imagine my surprise when I stumbled onto this website looking for reviews of PDA phones. I found the reviews for the phone that I have had the past two years: Motorola V600. Crummy phone, cost a lot.
Metal case
Bragging rights to spending the most $ for a phone
Poor volume
Terrible ring volume controls
The worst charging system ever: I have replaced the car charger 4 times (3 on my dime) because the "hooks" bend or break.
I won't waste any more time reviewing this phone, I'm glad I found this site so I can get feed back on a new phone BEFORE I spend $400.
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One of the best phones out there.
I am hard pressed to find anything that could replace my V600. Style, function, durability, and excellent battery life. I have tried 4 different phones for possible replacement, the Samsung T809, the Motorola SLVR, the PEBL, and Motorola V360.
For whats it worth not one of mentioned phones came close in performence, usability, and battery life.
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Nice design, lousy phone
Sure it looks good..but 2 years of frustration with the hopeless charging system and the ridiculous outside buttons that cannot be locked ( beep, beep , beep..as it changes from loud to silent to vibrate, etc)has convinced me that I will NEVER buy another Motorola phone.
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Worst phone ever!!!
From the first day I purchased this phone, it had problems. It drops calls like crazy and the stabilizer in the camera is non-existent. I had to send it in for repairs TWICE only to get a NEW phone and it did the same thing my old phone did. This phone and other Motorola phones are a COMPLETE waste of money. They all have the same issues - dropped calls, limited capabilities, and blurry pictures! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!
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Have a question about this phone? Ask in the Forum ›
Ready to buy? Shop for this phone ›


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Take your fandom on the road with this NHL® carry-on luggage from Denco®. The lightweight ballistic nylon construction allows for long-lasting durability, while the push-button telescoping handle and in-line wheels make transportation a breeze. The zippered main compartment is fully lined to protect your belongings. Vibrant team graphics are embroidered on the front.
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MCIVERS A few weeks on the north shore has been just what Sonya Schönberger needed.
The Berlin, Germany-based artist, said the wide-open spaces of Newfoundland's rural communities are places where she can foster creativity.
"To come here, to be in nature ... it's a liberating time for my mind, for my energy and creativity," she said. "This creates a space of mind."
Schönberger completed a two-week artist's residency at Full Tilt Gallery, and displayed work she completed during her stay Sunday.
Schönberger first visited the gallery in 2007 and has been wanting to return to the province since.
She is currently living and working in New York City, and saw a residency at Full Tilt as a great opportunity to create works in a fresh environment.
Her exhibit at the McIvers gallery is a combination of installation pieces and photography, focusing on Newfoundland settlers, specifically women, and their identity and lineage.
"How did people get here? Why did they come here and how was the beginning," she said explaining her main inspiration for the exhibit.
Also exhibiting at the show, entitled Outer Space, is Schönberger's husband Christof Zwiener and gallery owner Collette Urban.
Zwiener also completed a two-week residency, and focused his art work around the Newfoundland and Canadian flags.
Schönberger and Zwiener are a few of over two dozen artists who have held residencies at the gallery since 2006.


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This website for the Humboldt Bay NWR has moved. You will be automatically redirected to its new location in 5 seconds. If you aren't forwarded to the new page, click here.Please remember to update the new site in your browser by bookmarking the new website. Other refuges associated with this complex include the following: |
Last updated:
May 17, 2013


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Hi Everyone,
In an effort to send a clear message to the leaders of the world (that will be meeting this year December 6-18 in Copenhagen Denmark as part of the UNFCCC), that global warming and climate change is a serious concern to every citizen, people around the world will be shutting off all their lights for one hour on Saturday 3/28/2009 at 8:30pm their time.
Community Connector
Best Buy® Corporate
Allan|Community Connector | Best Buy® Corporate |
Will BBY retail locations and corp. be doing this?
That's a rhetorical question BTW, I know the answer.
Hi MobileExpert,
Best Buy® stores did not participate in EarthHour 2009 due to the fact that turning off all the lights in our stores (while they are open for business) would create a dangerous working and shopping environment, and the safety of our customers and employees comes before every other consideration.
At Best Buy® Corporate headquarters when a room is not being used the lights are turned off to save on energy, and if you have any other questions I would be more than happy to do my best to provide you with an answer. If you want to read about what we are doing, in regards to our responsibility to our community and the environment, as a corporation you could look here.
Thanks for posting,
Community Connector
Best Buy® Corporate
Allan|Community Connector | Best Buy® Corporate |
I would've liked to see all retail locations close early to accommodate EarthHour. And to have corp. do the same.
I have seen a lot of customer-facing initiatives towards being greener, but within stores, it's largely ignored. Look at adset. None of that is recycled. BBYM pricing tiles waste 75% of the paper they're printed on. I believe the blue and yellow bags use recycled material, but the clear bags that the other departments use aren't. Amazohn recently started phasing out blister packs to become more green. I believe BBY could push the vendors for that as well. We just got a cardboard bailer only because the county was threatening to fine us if we didn't.
To me, it looks like most of the stuff we are doing is PR-centric. I realize that every company needs good PR, but I believe it's also necessary to show the employees that we are green.
Hi MobileExpert,
I was disappointed to hear that you don't feel like our stores are provided with the tools necessary to make green choices, but here at Best Buy® corporate we are definitely focused on making our entire business more energy efficient including our stores. I can assure you that the green initiatives started here at Best Buy® corporate are not about public relations. I know some of the people personally that are involved in our push to provide green alternatives to both our stores and our customers, and believe me that those people truly care about the environment and the effect that our company has on the environment. If you have any specific suggestions for your store that you would want me to pass along to our GreenerTogether team here at corporate just send me a private message, and I promise I will get your voice heard!
Thanks for posting,
Community Connector
Best Buy® Corporate
Allan|Community Connector | Best Buy® Corporate |
I would like to see more energy-efficient lighting used. Right now we use 400W metal halide bulbs. I realize that we need high-intensity lighting when the bulbs are so far overhead, but I'm sure there are more efficient solutions. I remember hearing that our store's power bill is over $10000 a month.
What about solar panels installed on the roofs of our stores? I realize some of our lease agreements may prohibit this, but I'm sure it can be done in some places. What about natural lighting such as skylights?
The materials we use for fixtures could be made out of recycled material. I know that a lot of resets are going on now involving PCHO, Carfi, and DI. Is recycled material being used here? When we had our resets, all the garbage material was simply thrown out, and not recycled.
What do our vehicles run on? I'm not talking about using E85, which isn't all that efficient. What about replacing our GS Beetles with hybrids? Same goes for our delivery vans.
can we put solar panels on the roof to lower our electric bills
Can you personally put them on a BB location's roof? No.


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CKHR-FM isn't streaming online via our radio directory. Do you know the stream? If so, let us know!
CKHR-FM is a broadcast radio station from Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada providing Community program.
Playlist, tracklist, top songs played coming soon...
PC requires Windows Media Player - Mac additionally requires Real Player - See FAQs for more info on how to listen to live streaming radio.


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Team Mangalorean
Bantwal: A case of a minor girl missing from Panemangaluru has been reported in the city police station on July 11.
Gautami aged 16, from Shamburu Shenara Bailu, Panemangaluru is suspected to have been kidnapped. Gautami who had gone to college on July 7 has not returned home.
Chandu Sapalya, father of Gautami, in his complaint stated that his daughter is minor and someone has lured her by giving false hopes.
Gautami is the student of University College, Mangalore and was studying in second year Pre-University. While leaving to college on July 7, Gautami was wearing the college uniform, pink lining top and maroon pant and shawl.
She is fluent in Kannada and Tulu, said Chandu Sapalya. If anyone notices the girl with that description are requested to inform the City police station


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Data can give you valuable insight, but only if you know how to use it. Sound Loyalty Group partners with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms such as Agilone to integrate disparate sources of data and identify valuable customers, high risks, and suggest the next optimal product/service.
Your customer experience is only as strong as the weakest moment in the lifecycle. We deliver comprehensive strategies to fix your current gaps, leverage customer data for more effective marketing, and define new treatment strategies that build more profitable customer relationships..
A vision doesn't get you where you're going on its own. Sound Loyalty Group advises clients on the optimal set of processes and technologies to make the proposed customer experience design a reality.
The biggest barrier to change could be your organization itself. We work with leadership, channel partners and the field to forge a common vision, communicate program elements and benefits, and encourage collaboration and compliance.
Phone: (650) 868-6653 email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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The Hair Dare: One Mutant Haired Woman's Search Beyond Race and Gender for A Decent Hairstylist
You could also try Natural Root in Philadelphia.
4950 Parkside Ave. Suite 102
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(215) 833-0576
Stylist and Owner: Karen
She does a friend of mine who has natural hair long and thick and it is beautiful.
Website: http://www.naturalroothairsalon.com/0
I have very similar hair… I have, well had two stylists, but one refuses to do my hair until I allow her to give me a perm and I refuse to do that… While the other complains every time I come to get it done and begs me to get a perm and again I refuse… really I can do my own hair better then anyone else though… My problem is when I need a trim… I can't cut my own hair… End up with one side longer then the other…. Nu uh! Not happening! So, I wish I could try doing yours… :)
Great story! I can definitely relate. So thankful I found Gwen at Halcyon here in DC as well. Love her!
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A good poem draws on many resources, one of them being the unconscious. Poets will collaborate with their own unconscious mind to draw on various images, memories, and expectations. Investigative writing exercises will act as the catalyst to push our work to new places and create poems, perhaps related, that encapsulates this spirit of awakening. Registration by permission. Class is limited to 10 students. Contact Susan Denning, firstname.lastname@example.com for more information on how to register.
Grand Theft Poetry: A Generative Workshop
Taught by Adam Fitzgerald
Saturday, July 20, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ($75)
As this is a generative workshop, we will explore various literary and extra-literary ways by which poetry arrives, sometimes in the form of a poem, sometimes through poetry's mutated siblings: prose, fragments, notes or inventories to be quarried for future poem-making. We'll mine for poems by listening to the ambient drone of Stars of the Lid; to the repetitive mathematical structures of Philip Glass; as well as the father of "Muzak," the atmospheric and eternal Erik Satie. Pop culture, literature, history, memory, dreams, science, magic, jargon, YouTube may play a part." Open to students at all levels. Limited to 12 students. Register on our web site or contact Susan Denning, firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
The Arc of the Finished Poem: A Master Class
Taught by Adam Fitzgerald
Saturday, July 20, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. ($150)
Students in this master class will discuss how we "finish" poems: some some rely on perfecting, some abandon, some revisit and mutilate for later. Students will also explore how form is discovered, whether in lineation or stanza shape. Students will also discuss the prospects of publication, submissions and editorial involvement therein." Students will submit a manuscript of 4-5 poems before the first class meeting, which Adam will read and prepare comments on these manuscripts before the class meets. These student manuscripts will be the basis for class discussion. Limited to 10 students. Contact Susan Denning, firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
Surprise! An Advanced Poetry Workshop
Taught by Zachary Schomburg
Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. ($275)
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Primarily a workshop, this course will focus on the concept of Surprise within a narrative poem. The goal of the workshop will be to generate and revise 6-8 poems within the larger context of contemporary readings. We will discuss how Surprise operates within a narrative poem, how to identify it and use it to manipulate the poem's pathos. We will examine the structure within a narrative poem: its set-up, its volta, and its exit. And we will consider how a complex pathos can be developed, an emotional confusion through humor and heartache, within this structure. This is an advanced workshop, limited to 10 students. Registration by permission. Contact Susan Denning, email@example.com for more information on how to register.
Writing a Novel in Eight Weeks
Taught by Emily Chenoweth
Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ($350)
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This boot camp for aspiring novelists will help you complete the first draft of a novel in just eight weeks. With the guidance of your instructor and the support of your classmates, you will commit to an aggressive writing schedule and learn numerous tricks of the craft, from creating a productive working environment to getting to the heart of your story's conflict. The class partially coincides with National Novel Writing Month in November. Topics addressed will include outlining, character development, and narrative drive. You do not need permission to register, but is recommended that class participants have some prior experience in writing fiction. Limited to 12 students.
Writing From Dreams: Collaborating with the Hidden Mind
Grand Theft Poetry: A Generative Workshop
The Arc of the Finished Poem: A Master Class
Surprise! An Advanced Poetry Workshop
Writing a Novel in Eight Weeks
Writing From Dreams: Collaborating with the Hidden Mind
$185Grand Theft Poetry: A Generative Workshop
$75The Arc of the Finished Poem: A Master Class
$150Surprise! An Advanced Poetry Workshop
$275Writing a Novel in Eight Weeks
$350Add a tax-deductible contribution to Literary Arts to your order


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Concert to feature 'Jazz for Lovers'
The Edmonds Community College Jazz Band and Combo present two sets of music celebrating songs of love on Valentine's Day. The concert, titled "Jazz for Lovers: A Valentine's Day Concert," will feature instrumental soloists and vocal features with ...
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Get Ready for BbWorld 2010!
Ok, how excited am I to post my first BbWorld 2010 blog entry? SO excited!
So – what's coming up? Well, you can mark your calendars now for BbWorld 2010, being held July 13-16, 2010 at the Gaylord Palms Hotel & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida!
Sure, Florida is hot. But don't worry – it will also be humid!


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'Puss in Boots' review: Top-notch animation, third-rate script
RedEye movie critic** (out of four) How dare they delay the highly anticipated fifth "Shrek" movie! If the spinoff "Puss in Boots" has anything going for it (besides avoiding pop culture references), it's that its mother franchise sunk to...Tags: Puss in Boots (movie), Shrek (fictional character), Billy Bob Thornton, Amy Sedaris, Zach Galifianakis
Film review: 'Puss in Boots' coughs up a fur ball
Special to The Herald-MailSeven years ago, swarthy assassin-turned-good-guy Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) stole the show in "Shrek 2." The film itself was clever and funny, but Puss made it even better. As the series went along, the films became much worse and Puss...Tags: Shrek (fictional character), Puss in Boots (movie), Billy Bob Thornton, Zach Galifianakis, Antonio Banderas
The Skinny On The Top Five Detox Cleansing Programs
PIX11.comDetoxifying the body to get rid of unhealthy toxins has been around for centuries - and today you can find various detox diets that promise to help you lose weight, boost your energy and get rid of bad toxins. But do they really work? Dana James was...Tags: New York City, Celebrities, Vegan Diet, Physical Fitness and Exercise, Pineapple
Cine: Banderas y Hayek se visten en Puss in Boots
Cuando Antonio Banderas y Salma Hayek debutaron en Hollywood tenían que memorizar la pronunciación de los diálogos porque no hablaban inglés. Dos décadas después, las voces de los dos artistas son apetecidas por los grandes estudios de cine. Banderas y...Tags: National or Ethnic Minorities, Dancing, Shrek (fictional character), Puss in Boots (movie), Minority Groups
Reel Critics: Film based on Costa Mesa's adopted battalion
The 1st Battalion, 5th Marines is the adopted U.S. Marine Corps unit of Costa Mesa. "Patrol Base Jaker" is a documentary of the deployment of the 1/5 to Afghanistan in 2009-10. These films usually center on combat operations. But this one zeros in on the...Tags: Puss in Boots (movie), The Skin I Live In (movie), Vertigo (movie), Lawyers, Zach Galifianakis
Movie Projector: 'Five-Year Engagement' expected to reach altar first
Company Town"The Five-Year Engagement" is expected to debut with a solid sum of around $20 million at the box office this weekend. The film about a troubled relationship is likely to perform far better than three other movies hitting theaters this weekend. Both the... -
Today's interviews, Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek
Frankly My Dear - Orlando SentinelThey do the two lead voices in the "Shrek" spin-off, "Puss in Boots," which reaches theaters Oct. 28. Robert Rodriguez was the guy who first thought to team them up, way back in "Desperado." Salma Hayek's only just... -
Salma Hayek's projects in the works — 'The Prophet,' 'Wicked'
Frankly My Dear - Orlando SentinelEvery since "Frida," we've known Salma Hayek was more than just a sultry presence on the screen. Ever since "Ugly Betty," we knew she was a producer with an eye for talent and material that would click with audiences. She has... -
Monday's Talk Shows
Show TrackerClick here to download TV listings for the week of Oct. 23 - 29 in PDF format TV listings for the week of Oct. 23 - 29 in PDF format (from latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv) Weekly TV Listings and more can be found...... -
EXCLUSIVE: Banderas and Hayek relish playing 'grand' in 'Puss in Boots'
Frankly My Dear - Orlando SentinelThere's something just so "grand" about Antonio Banderas, says Salma Hayek, his old friend and "Desperado" co-star. "He's comfortable being grand, BIGGER than life," she says. "He has that Cheshire... -
Movie Review: Puss in Boots
Frankly My Dear - Orlando SentinelDreamWorks' cunning casting of the silky Spaniard Antonio Banderas as a swashbuckling Puss in Boots pays off,brilliantly, in "Puss in Boots," a star vehicle for the nursery rhyme kitty cat from the "Shrek" movies. Thanks to... -
'Puss in Boots': A fun feline fairy tale, critics say
24 Frames"Puss in Boots," the new animated tale spun off from the popular "Shrek" films, tells the story of how the feline title character, voiced by Antonio Banderas, first became a swashbuckling hero. With generally favorable reviews from movie critics, "Puss in...
Oct 27, 2011
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Original site for Salma Hayek topic gallery.


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In 1983, they hired the first full-time Hudson Riverkeeper to patrol the river, to restore its abundant fisheries and to lead citizen-based enforcement of environmental laws. Since those early days, Hudson Riverkeeper has brought hundreds of polluters to justice and forced them to spend hundreds of millions of dollars restoring the Hudson to health. Their success spurred an explosive growth of similar grassroots programs across the globe, and in 1999 Waterkeeper Alliance was founded to support these programs.
Today, Waterkeeper Alliance is among the world's fastest growing environmental organizations, with over 200 Waterkeeper Organizations patrolling rivers, lakes and coastal waterways on six continents. Our proudest accomplishment is the depth and breadth of our member organizations and the unity of their vision for clean water and strong communities.
Waterkeeper Alliance strives to expand our movement significantly in the coming years, with targeted efforts from Canada to the Amazon River Basin. Recently there has been significant international growth in India, Mexico, the Amazon, and South America.
In June 2008, environmental advocacy groups from Bangladesh and Nepal successfully applied to become the first Waterkeeper organizations in those countries, adding to our presence in Asia, where we already have programs in India and China.
Our Field Coordination team has helped many prospective Waterkeeper organizations through the proposal process and has networked with a number of grassroots water advocacy groups both domestically and internationally.
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Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center 5901 S. Hillcrest Dr. MAP (1/4 mile west of Val Vista Dr., north side of Riggs Rd.) (480) 782-2635 OR (480) 782-2636
Please note: Pool phones will only be answered when the facility is open to the public. Please see hours of operation below or phone the Aquatics Office at 480.782.2750.
Facility Amenities: Competition/Lap Pool, Two 1-Meter Diving Boards, Two Water Slides, Lazy River, Water Vortex, Family Play Pool, with Zero-Depth Entry, Toddler Slides, 752-Gallon "Big Blue Bucket" Artificial Grass Areas, Shaded Areas, Pool Furniture, Family Dressing Room, Training Classroom. View the Virtual Tour of Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center Photo Gallery
Operational Hours:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE OPERATIONAL HOURS AS A GOOGLE CALENDAR CLICK HERE TO VIEW OPERATIONAL HOURS BEGINNING APRIL 29, 2013 AS POSTED IN THE BREAK TIME *Notice: closures may not be noted in the Break Time listing of operational hours
* Play Structure Only. This includes the interactive play feature and zero depth area. The competition pool and diving boards will be closed during these times. Click here to view pool area map layout ** Play Pool Area Only. This includes the interactive play feature, zero depth area, water vortex, water slides, and lazy river. The competition pool and diving boards will be closed during these times. Click here to view pool area map layout
The Chandler Aquatic staff establishes the operational hours of each aquatic facility to coincide with the school calendar for the district in which each facility is located (i.e., Hamilton and Mesquite Groves Aquatics Centers reside in the Chandler Unified School District, Desert Oasis Aquatic Center resides in the Mesa Unified School District). Once school resumes, we cease daily operations at the facilities.
We continue to be open for year round lap swim!
Admission Fees (cash or check only) Children (2-17 years) $1 Adult (18-54 years) $2.25 Senior (55 years & older) $1.25
Punch Passes (Chandler residents only) 5 punch 20 punch 30 punch Child $2.50 $10 $15 Adult $7.50 $30 $45
Family Season Pass (Chandler residents only) Family of 4...................................$112 Additional family members......$15 (Valid March to November)
Pass Privilege Holder Program Beginning May 5, 2012, Mesquite Groves will be forming a separate admission line for all season or punch pass holders
Swim Lessons Other Aquatics Classes Registration Information Lap Swimming Recreation Swim Teams Parties & Facility Rentals
Summer Class Registration for Chandler residents began May 4, 2013! Click Here for Break Time & Registration!
Facility Rules, Regulations & Policies Outside Food & Beverage Policy Frequently Asked Questions Employment Opportunities Lifeguard Training Opportunities
Arrowhead Pool Desert Oasis Aquatic Center Folley Pool Hamilton Aquatic Center Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center West Chandler Aquatic Center
480.782.2749 Aquatics General Info 480.782.2733 Aquatics/Pool Info 480.782.2560 FAX firstname.lastname@example.com
Chandler Aquatics 650 E. Ryan Road Chandler, Arizona 85286 Map & Directions
Attn: Chandler Aquatics Mail Stop 906 P.O. Box 4008 Chandler, AZ 85244-4008


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ST. MARTINVILLE — Demarkus Daughrill scored all three touchdowns as sixth-ranked Breaux Bridge edged cross-parish rival St. Martinville 21-14 Friday to highlight prep action.
Daughrill opened the scoring with a 15-yard scoring run to put Breaux Bridge (5-1) up 6-0. St. Martinville (4-2) tied the game on Lorenzo Chaisson's 28-yard run.
A 3-yard run by Daughrill gave Breaux Bridge a 13-7 lead in the second quarter, but Chaisson's 1-yard run and a 2-point conversion put St. Martinville up 14-13 but Daughrill's punt return gave Breaux Bridge the win in the first week of District 5-4A play.
In Prairie Ronde, a missed extra point kept second-ranked Eunice undefeated as they held off a fierce rally by Northwest (5-1) in District 5-3A.
Eunice (6-0)jumped out to an early 21-6 lead on scoring runs by Darious Richard and Warren Guidry and a 62-yard pass from Trenon Trosclair to Derek Denton.
Northwest's Geremny laday threw an 8-yard scoring pass to Kiovani Shakesnider and scored on a 1-yard run to cut the lead to 21-14.
A pair of 1-yard runs by Richard upped the Eunice lead to 35-28 but Laday's 10-yard scoring pass to Lewis Balmont cut the leade to 35-24 but the extra point was no good.
In Rayne, Javon Cormier ran a kickiff back 90 yards and scored on a 13-yard run as Rayne, the seventh-ranked team in Class 3A, knocked off previously unbeaten and fifth-ranked Livonia (5-1) in the District 5-3A opener for both teams.
Kerry Savoy scored on runs of 3 and 4 yards and threw an 8-yard TD pass to Darrious Hammond for Livonia but he was matched by Rayne quarterback Clarence Leger who threw a 38-yard scoring pass to Dannie Harmon and a 17 yarder to Jalen Williams.
In Lafayette, Jalen Rose ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns as seventh-ranked Carencro improved to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in District 3-5A.
Galen Carter also had a pair of scores for Carencro which put up 34 points in the first half.
Tyrek Malveaux and Ethan Rose scored for Comeaux (1-4, 0-3).
In Church Point, Devin Landry and Chance Roy each scored a pair of touchdowns as Church Point (4-2) opened District 5-3A play by blanking Port Barre (1-5, 0-1).
Landry scored on a 3-yard run and caught a 30-yard scoring pass from Brett Richard while Roy caught a 14-yard TD pass and returned a fumble 20 yards for a score. James Bellard scored the other Church Point TD on a 2-yard run.
In Kaplan, Devonte Davis' 2-yard touchdown pass to Slade Bouillion and a 2-point conversion with 4 minutes left in the four quarter sealed the comeback win In District 9-3A for Kaplan (4-2, 2-0).
Patterson (3-3, 1-2) took a 27-6 lead in the first half on a pair of Denzel Johnson scoring passes and 3 and 1-uyard scoring runs by Deontay Jones.
Kaplan's Nigel Pascual picked off a Johnson pass and ran it back 15-yards to cut the lead to 27-12 and a 1-yard scoring run by Devonte Davis cut the lead to 27-20.
In Napoleonville, Cameron Blame threw three touchdown passes as Assumption scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to take the District 6-4A win.
Blame threw an 18-yard TD pass to Dewayne Jackson and a 23-yarder to Acquuindas Brown. Dejuan Oliver scored on an 88-yard run and Dqquam Tucker added 2 and 4 yard runs for Assumption. Oliver finished with 119 yards on four carries and Brown had 117 yards on 18 carries, Dustin Crepple passed for 299 yards adbn five touchdowns for Ellender (3-3, 0-1) Dan Mitchell caught three of the scoring passes.
In Iota, Brandon Fantroy ran for three touchdowns as Iota put the game away early with a 19 point first quarter.
Fantroy, who finished with 131 yards on 17 carries, scored on runs of 7, 6 and 11 yards. Thomas Murrell added scoring runs of 1 and 5 yards.
Christian Sauseda ran an interception back 71 yards for a score and Conner Descant tossed a 14-yard scoring pass to Tyler Gremillion for Bunkie. Bunkie's Mark Eldridge led all rushers with 155 yards on 10 carries.
In Opelousas, Luke Judice scored on runs of 13 and 22 yards and threw a 12-yard scoring pass to Jalen Williams as Westminster (4-2) improved to 2-1 in District 6-1A.
Wesley Bellards added scoring runs of 6 and 1 yards and Williams ran for a 27-yard score as Westminster Christian scored all its points in the first three quarters.
North Central dropped to 0-6 and 0-3 in district.
In New Iberia, the homestanding and Class 5A eighth-ranked Yellow Jackets ran out to a 41-6 halftime lead to run their overall record to 5-1 and 3-0- in District 7-5A.
NIHS quarterback Jason Jones hit Antonio Jack with a 17-yard pass to open the scoring. Jones added TD passes of 34 and 6 yards to Josh Richie and 26 yards to Andrew Ricks in the first half.
Kavionte Haywood's 76-yard interception return for a score came before Bourgeios (2-4, 0-3) scores on an 11-yard pass from Jake Broggi to Gerard Barro. Broggi's 30-yard pass to Chris Harris ended HLB's scoring.
New Iberia rolled up 183 rushing and 242 passing yards and for TD runs of 1 yard by Tyler Archon and 7 yards by Scotty Nicholas before Jacob Polk intecepted Broggi for a second time and run 18 yards for NIHS's final score.
New Iberia's defense also recovered two fumbles.
In Varnado, Tavarious Battiste ran for two scores and passed for another as Kentwood, the second-ranked team in Class 2A, scored 31 points in the first half to successfully open District 7-1A play.
Battiste scored on 8 and 7-yard runs and threw a 26-yard scoring strike to Leslie Collins. Collins also scored on a 13-yard run. Shyheim Carter wrapped up the scoring with an 85-yard run in the third quarter.
Kentwood improved to 4-1 while Varnado dropped to 0-5 and 0-1 in district.
In Mamou, Jamarcus Jones ran for 205 yards on 12 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns as Ville Platte opened 5-2A play with the shutout victory over winless Mamou ((0-6, 0-1).
Jones scored on runs of 49 and 90 yards as Ville Platte (3-3,1-0) scored all 35 points in the first half. Isaiah Thomas added a 9-yard scoring run and threw a 57-yard scoring pass to Justin Charles. Ben Joseph also scored on a 23-yard run for Ville Platte.
Reg Philson ran for one score and threw for another as Oakdale notched its first win of the season with the District 5-2A win over Pine Prairie (2-4, 0-1).
Philson ran for a 4-yard score and threw a TD pass to Curley Blount. Blount also run a punt back 65 yards as Oakdale scored in each quarter. The Oakdale defense picked off three passes, running one back for a touchdown by Cade Vidrine, and recovered two Pine Prairie fumbles.
Copyright © 2011, Capital City Press LLC • 7290 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70810 • All Rights Reserved
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The Lancers will face the winner of the Westminster-Fountain Valley game Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Amat will host Westminster or be on the road against Fountain Valley.
"We scored an awful lot of points early, in both halves," Lancers coach Richard Wiard said. "We got off to a good start and I don't think the game was ever in doubt."
Mauriana Clayton led the charge for the Lancers (21-8) with 12 of her game-high 22 points in the first quarter. She also had 14 rebounds to complete her double-double.
"We wanted to run our offense outside-in tonight," she said. "Our defense was great and we executed our offense. We were just determined to get the win tonight."
Paulina Santana hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter and Janae Chamois added another as the Lancers took a 23-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.
"Paulina can really shoot," Wiard said. "She and Janae are probably our best outside shooters but we've worked hard to get (Santana) to drive to the basket and shoot more free throws."
Jennifer Vasquez led the Lancers' defense. Playing in the passing she continually got outlet passes to her teammates for easy fastbreak baskets.
"Jennifer did a lot of things well


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Jane Ridgewood
Jane Ridgewood is an American writer from the Greater Grand Rapids area of Michigan. Writing since she was eleven years old, Jane is rather passionate about developing her craft further as she continues to strive to be the best writer she can. She's not one to limit her creative ability and enjoys writing a large variation of formats, such as short stories, reviews, articles, columns, poetry and so forth. Miss Ridgewood presently runs her own website where she shares some of her work, some of her life with other creative projects she takes on and of course tidbits from her journey to reaching her goals as a writer!


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The ASSC is an academic society that promotes rigorous research directed toward understanding the nature, function, and underlying mechanisms of consciousness. The ASSC includes members working in the fields of cognitive science, medicine, neuroscience, philosophy, and other relevant disciplines in the sciences and humanities.
The ASSC web site has several main functions:
* co-ordinating annual conferences on aspects of the scientific study of consciousness
* promotion of other activities in the field (smaller conferences, mailing lists, bibliographic resource, etc.
* facilitate consciousness research with awards for new investigators
* publication of papers relevant to the scientific study of consciousness in the inter-disciplinary journal Psyche.


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The First Art Newspaper on the Net
Established in 1996
United States
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Cleveland Museum of Art acquires two stellar Classical and Pre-Columbian objects
Portrait Head of Drusus Minor (13 BCAD 23). Exquisitely rendered masterpiece from Early Roman Empire becomes a new highlight of renowned antiquities collection.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
is a collecting institution and has been acquiring antiquities since it was founded in 1913. These latest acquisitions highlight an ongoing commitment to enhancing the museums permanent holdings across the full scope of its collections with outstanding works of art. The museum studies, preserves and displays great works of art from various cultures, periods and genres while fully respecting appropriate collecting practices. Especially in fields where works are challenging to collect, the museum has built its holdings with an overriding emphasis on the quality and significance of individual acquisitions.
I am pleased we can add these important works of art to the museums Classical and Pre-Columbian holdings and continue our collecting of the finest examples of art from across cultures and time periods, stated David Franklin, the Sarah S. and Alexander M. Cutler director of the Cleveland Museum of Art. I believe museums play an invaluable role in society as repositories and presenters of the worlds art history, and through responsible collecting, museums make accessible the worlds art objects for the publics enjoyment and education.
Portrait Head of Drusus Minor (13 BCAD 23)
Portrait Head of Drusus Minor (13 BCAD 23), a large-scale, marble portrait of the son of the Roman Emperor Tiberius and carved during the early Imperial Period, possibly during the lifetime of Jesus Christ, is one of only approximately 30 large portraits of Drusus Minor to have survived from antiquity. This portrait head stands out among this group, owing to the powerful refinement and sensitivity of its carving, its excellent state of preservation and its monumental scale.
The newly acquired portrait of Drusus Minor was most likely created posthumously. When he died at age 37, the Julio-Claudian prince was next in line to the imperial throne after his father Tiberius. This masterwork was carved during a momentous transitional period in world history, at the intersection of the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian traditions.
The head exhibits traces of original paint used to enhance the illusion of a living person, rendered on a monumental scalewell over life-size. Its distinctive facial features and hairstyle, as compared with other large portrait sculptures and coins, identify the subject as Drusus Minor. Ancient sources indicate that Drusus Minor was prone to fits of rage, made worse by heavy drinking. He relished gladiatorial blood sport and other ritualized killings, which shocked the Roman public and alarmed his father. Although not known for his speaking eloquence, in AD 14 he delivered a funeral oration for Augustus from the rostra in the Roman forum; the next year he was appointed to the high office of Consul. After the death of his adopted brother Germanicus, Drusus was the heir apparent, but he died at age 37, allegedly from poison at the hands of his wife.
The ownership history of the Drusus Minor portrait has been traced to the late 19th century, when it was the property of the Bacri family of Algiers, Algeria. Sometime before 1960, Fernand Sintes inherited the work, and in 1960 transferred it from Algiers to France. In 2004, it was sold at auction in France.
Vessel with Battle Scene, Late Classic Period (ca. AD 600-900)
This exceptional artwork, Vessel with Battle Scene, is one of several polychrome cylinder vessels known as the Fenton Group, painted by the same Maya master artist in the Nebaj region of Guatemala. The vessels portray a related series of events that involve Kan Xib Ahaw (Lord Kan Xib) and include the taking and presentation of prisoners as well as a ritual perhaps related to tribute payment or blood-letting.
In the Cleveland vessel, which is in very good condition, Kan Xib Ahaw turns to review a group of ten warriors, some clearly prisoners who have been stripped of battle regalia and others the victors, still elaborately dressed. Among the latter, one of the most elegant wears a jaguar skin tunic and grasps a long thrusting spear, a basic Maya weapon. The hieroglyphs encircling the rim form a dedicatory statement that indicates the vessel was used to drink an elite beverage made of cacao beans.
Mayan courtly art chronicles and glorifies the lives of royalty who governed independent city-states scattered across Guatemalas rainforests and the Yucatán Peninsula. During the Late Classic Period (ca. AD 600-900), the Maya lived in a crowded political landscapes torn by rivalries in which elites scrambled to gain advantage through alliances and war. Vessel with Battle Scene, likely used in a gift exchange that helped to cement an important political relationship, commemorates the importance of such power struggles.
The Vessel with Battle Scene was in the Edward H. Merrin collection in New York by 1973, when the vessel was first published. Dated photographs place the vessel in New York City in March of 1969. Since the early 1970s, the vessel has appeared in at least a dozen print and electronic publications.
Today's News
August 14, 2012
Cleveland Museum of Art acquires two stellar Classical and Pre-Columbian objects
Art Fund launches £3.9m appeal to acquire Nicolas Poussin masterpiece for the nation
Gagosian Gallery presents John Chamberlain Sculptures in NYC's Seagram Building Plaza
An important private collection of 19th century sculpture leads Christie's Decorative Arts Sale
A unique medal awarded to Chiang Kai-shek on offer at Spink's Hong Kong auction
Sotheby's appoints Dr. Tao Wang to head New York Chinese Works of Art Department
Kerlin Gallery presents summer group exhibition featuring new works by six artists
New works by six contemporary artists added to The Jewish Museum's permanent exhibition
Imperial Chinese porcelain to take centre stage this November at Eskenazi in London
Century of Royal London brought to life in Museum of London Royal Timetrip app
The Studio Museum announces 2012-13 Artists in Residence; chosen from a pool of over 200
Los Angeles County Museum of Art presents West Coast debut of experimental filmmaker Alia Syed
Akron Art Museum Director to step down after record tenure New Chief Curator to start August 20
Eric Knowles heads to Liverpool to unearth hidden gems for Bonhams
Famous street artists inspired by Klimt in live art show
Groundbreaking comic artist, educator Kubert dies
Lars Von Trier challenges the people to reinterpret six great works of art through the lens of their camera
4 dead, about 20 injured in big Seoul fire near a 600-year-old palace
Most Popular Last Seven Days
Investigators analyse ashes taken from the house of one of the suspects as Dutch heist paintings feared burnt
Exhibition of nude photography around 1900 on view at Berlin's Photography Museum
A team of twelve restorers inspect the "Isenheim Altarpiece" at the Unterlinden museum
Russian scientists make rare find of 'blood' in carcass of female woolly mammoth
Taliban criticise Kabul's pink balloon art project by 31-year-old artist from New York
Gagosian Gallery in London presents a group of four tapestries by Gerhard Richter
Archaeologists find Colonial and Pre-hispanic vestiges thought to be 500-1,000 years-old
RM stuns market as Villa Erba sale realises more than $35 million; Ferrari sells for $12,812,800
Indianapolis Museum of Art receives major painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Newly discovered prisoner journal donated to Auschwitz by widow of US lieutenant Clifford Hensel
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Release Date: Sept 18, 2007. Label: Eleven Seven Music. Genres: Rock. Number Of Tracks: 11. Trapt's studio-recorded songs steal the show from the live performances on Trapt Live! CD.
POSTED: 09/18/2007 - 06:25 am
Released: Oct 12, 2010. Genre: Hard rock, alternative metal. Label: Eleven Seven Music. Number Of Tracks: 12. Although Trapt have recruited a new guitarist for the latest stage in its career, the band's fourth studio record still stays fairly consistent with past material.
POSTED: 10/25/2010 - 03:55 am
Release Date: Aug 5, 2008. Label: Eleven Seven Music. Genres: Rock. Number Of Tracks: 11. Trapt's latest album isn't a huge stretch musically, but there are enough pleasing, melodic rock tracks to satisfy its core audience.
POSTED: 08/05/2008 - 02:02 am
Released: Jan 22, 2013. Genre: Alternative Rock, Post-Grunge. Label: EMI. Number Of Tracks: 11. Compared to other Trapt albums, "Reborn" is richer in memorable riffs but lacking in the infectious choruses that usually define Trapt.
POSTED: 01/24/2013 - 06:43 am
Released: Sep 13, 2005. Label: Warner Bros.. Genre: Rock. Styles: Post-Grunge, Alternative Metal. Number Of Tracks: 11. Someone In Control is at least a little more promising. The guys are still trapped inside their rigid sound.
POSTED: 09/14/2005 - 01:23 am
Released: Nov 5, 2002. Genre: Rock. Styles: Post-Grunge, Alternative Metal. Number Of Tracks: 11
POSTED: 07/25/2003 - 12:00 am


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Book Clubs & Writer's Groups
Library Branch
Aimez-vous lire en français? Si vous voulez participer à des discussions stimulantes contactez Céline au 416 395-5762.
Tue May 28
The Older Women's Network invites women, midlife and older, to meet in Room 2/3 and share views and ideas about selected books. The focus is on feminist issues. New members welcome. July 3 - "Obasan" / Joy Kogawa; August 7 ...
Wed Jul 03
Wed Aug 07
Northern District Book Club meets the second Wednesday of every month from 7-8 p.m. in the Main Floor Program Room. All welcome. No registration required....
Wed Jul 10
Wed Aug 14
Wed Sep 11
Join us for stimulating conversation. You and your fellow book club members decide in advance what books you want to read. New members are always welcome.
Thu May 30
Thu Jun 27
Thu Jul 25
Thu Aug 29
Meet monthly to discuss your views on selected books. All are welcome. For more information or to register call 416-396-8881.
Thu Jun 13
Join us to discuss a great book at each monthly meeting. For more information and to register call 416-396-8950. Tuesdays, April 9, May 14, and June 11, 2013 from 1:30-3:00 p.m.
Tue Jun 11
An hour long book talk and get together
Tue Jun 11
Older Women's Network invites women, to meet and share views about selected books. The focus is on feminist issues....
Wed Jun 19
Join a circle of poets & writers who unite to share their artistic energy. Registration required. Call 416-396-8920 for more information.
Mon May 27
Mon Jun 17
Mon Jul 15
Mon Aug 19
Mon Sep 16


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The NHM has this week launched Wallace Letters Online, a website that showcases for the first time the correspondence Wallace had during his life and research »
Biologists have found that the ratio between brain and body size isn't as indicative of natural selection for intelligence as previously thought »
Penguins are stressed out by people, but research shows that the disturbed birds are getting used to humans »
History celebrates the discovery of DNA and oxygen -- but what of the desks or street corners where such bold ideas were refined? Join us on a tour of Britain's 'other' sites of special interest »
A team of evolutionary biologists are trying to teach yeast cells to be less selfish, in an attempt to find out more about how fast multicellular creatures evolved »
Just as Galapagos finches are icons of evolution by natural selection, Australia's cane toads may someday be icons of "spatial sorting" -- a dynamic that seems to exist at the edges of invasion, altering the standard rules of evolution. »
You know what they say: one image is worth a thousand evolutionary trees. These photos reveal the world's most wondrous creatures as marvels of the evolutionary process »
A 38-year-old Thai man has been arrested at a Bangkok airport trying to collect a large bag filled with some of the rarest tortoises in the world »
How the astonishing power of swarms can help us fight cancer, understand the brain and predict the future »
Wired.co.uk reviews the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, an over-priced but powerful tablet with a stylus for writing »


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Leveraging FPGA in PCB System Designs
White Paper
FPGA devices create compelling business drivers generating a tidal wave of FPGA adoption for the implementation of system PCB designs. Obviously, the time to market advantages and capacity/performance characteristics of FPGA devices have delivered on the promise for a viable alternative to more capital resource intensive custom IC/ASIC solutions as well as a successful consolidation vehicle for standard "off the shelf" components in system design creation.
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This webinar discusses customer implementation of advanced optimization technologies for single- and multiple-FPGA boards to accelerate time to market while minimizing PCB manufacturing costs.
TAGS: FPGA, PCB Design Creation


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Entries By natasja
Displaying 1 To 4 Of 4 Entries
Instructions are given by many various people. Usually instructions need to be followed but not always. Sometimes resistance is healthy and necessary in any young person's life.
Posted By natasja On 07.22.2012 @ 10:02 am
my adviser has informed me that i need more people to complete the pyramid they are currently working on. it was the exact same story last week! so i wanted to know what was going on…
Posted By natasja On 07.12.2012 @ 9:24 am
my modem acted up again today. its such a bother. some days i just want to chuck it in the bin or better yet chuck it against the wall. I'm sure that would make me feel a lot better.
Posted By natasja On 07.04.2012 @ 11:33 pm


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Letters for October 18, 2001
Al Galvez says he doesn't need friends to make it in the music business. Good thing, too, because he barely seems to have any.
Fur flies when two SoFla bands implode, and it�s music to nobody�s ears
The mastermind of Space Cadette Records is building a national rep
A Kite Is a Victim takes the slow road
Find everything you're looking for in your city
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city


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Stubb's Bar-B-Q
Created by Zvents | Claim this restaurant
11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays.
"Fresh off an autumn tour of the east coast, Mobley is hitting the road to promote their latest release, Young Adult Fiction. The album is a darker, moodier affair than their sunny 2011 release, Let Slip....
Love Hate Affair brings a new twist to the electro/indie scene. While reminiscent of bands like Joy Division and White Lies, their music has both dance beats and haunting vocal melodies of the Morrissey flavor.
What started as a jam band to fill a last minute gig, Jericho! has turned into a full fledged rock group. Pulling influence from Radiohead to Phish to Dr. Dre, the band is as diverse as it's fans. Jericho! is composed of: Lowell Carrico (Austin, TX) Drew Walker (Kemah, TX) Marshall Witte (Austin, TX).
The foursome that came together and created Killswitch Engage already had strong fan followings. Mike D'Antonio (bass) was formerly the leader and principal songwriter of Overcast, the legendary underground metal group....
As I Lay Dying are a metal-hardcore crossover band from San Diego, California. The group formed as a trio in 2001 with vocalist Tim Lambesis, drummer Jordan Mancino, and guitarist Evan White, and shortly thereafter released Beneath the Encasing of Ashes....
Troy, Ohio's Miss May I came together in 2006, while their members were still in high school. Consisting of guitarists Justin Aufdemkampe and B.J. Stead, singer Levi Benton, drummer Jerod Boyd, and bassist/vocalist Ryan Neff, the quintet plays highly technical, driving metalcore....
Established in 2011, founded by Dustin Doering, Jonathan Baugh, Justin Green and Tito Sopena, O Conqueror can best be described as "tender," "introspective," and "packed with emotion." O Conqueror has been said to sound like a mix of Radiohead, Quiet Company, Death Cab For Cutie, Coldplay, and The Shins.
In 2010, Jake, Steven and Matthew, after a lifetime friendship full of everything from garage jamming to playing throughout the U.S., decided to record a pop/folk project together under the title Authentic Records....
If you are looking for incredible barbecue, then look no further than Stubb's! Don't dare pass through Austin without stopping in for a bite to eat. Stubb's is where family and friends can go to enjoy Texas-style food in a wonderful informal atmosphere.
The great thing about Stubb's is that you are treated like family there. The service is terrific and the variety of items on the menu is outstanding.
Although they do offer a vegetarian menu, Stubb's shines as a meat-lovers paradise.
I must warn you. The sauces and foods they serve are highly addictive. The taste of the smoked meats, is definitely habit forming. After you make your first visit to Stubb's you will become a customer for life!
Hot Tickets More »
Tue 10/1 8:00p
Sat 7/27 7:30p
Sat 6/1 9:00p
Wed 8/14 7:30p
Wed 9/18 7:00p
05/25 | 9:00 pm | Love Hate Affair, Mobley, Aquajones, the Warplanes |
05/26 | 11:00 am | Gospel Brunch: The Christianettes |
05/30 | 9:00 pm | Tom Melancon, Jericho, Brandon Callies |
05/31 | 6:30 pm | Killswitch Engage, Miss May I, As I Lay Dying, Affiance |
06/01 | 9:00 pm | Sounds Under Radio, O Conqueror, Rikavista |
06/02 | 8:00 pm | Leopold & His Fiction, the Hanna Barbarians |
06/03 | 6:30 pm | SOLD OUT: Of Monsters and Men, Half Moon Run |
9:30 pm | Kopecky Family Band | |
06/04 | 8:30 pm | The Green, the Expanders |
06/05 | 8:00 pm | The Technicolors, the Villas |
06/06 | 9:00 pm | Bruce in the USA |
06/07 | 9:00 pm | Driver Friendly, Boyfrndz, Little Radar |
06/09 | 7:00 pm | SOLD OUT: Fall Out Boy |
9:00 pm | Don Chani, Graham Wilkinson | |
06/14 | 8:00 pm | The Reynolds Number, the Lonely Hunter, Hey Rocco, Aaron Peace |
06/15 | 9:00 pm | Henry + the Invisibles |
06/16 | 7:00 pm | Caifanes |
06/17 | 9:00 pm | Sea Wolf, Savoir Adore |
06/20 | 9:00 pm | Somebody's Darling, Lincoln Durham |
06/22 | 8:00 pm | Tricky |


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posted 28 Aug 2007 in Volume 11 Issue 1
EI feature: Data quality
Thumbs up?
Poor data quality can infuriate customers and staff alike. But organisations are, at last, beginning to put in place technology and processes to deal with the problem.
By Jessica Twentyman
At one time, telecoms giant BT had a serious problem with data quality. Now, the company is so confident in its ability to stamp out inaccurate, inconsistent and duplicated information in its myriad of corporate systems that it offers advice and guidance to other organisations on how to clean up their act through its consultancy arm, BT Global Services.
Getting to that point has been a ten-year journey, but the confidence that BT staff now have in its corporate data is estimated to have saved the company in the region of £600m in the past decade and has vastly increased customer satisfaction rates, according to Dave Evans, senior data-management consultant at the company.
No customer wants to do business with a company that consistently gets their name wrong, he says. Weve eliminated easy mistakes that cost us money such as an engineer turning up to the wrong address. Mistakes like that really demonstrate the importance of data quality, he says. A key factor in the companys success, he adds, has been its use of specialist data-quality tools from Trillium.
Likewise, at imaging giant Xerox Europe, data-quality tools from DataFlux are being used to standardise data held by each of its 16 in-country operations, prior to loading it into a new, single-instance enterprise resource planning (ERP) system from SAP.
On average, weve found that, in the best countries, about one-tenth of the data is duplicated. In the worst countries, its about one-third, says Andy Bloomfield, SAP deployment manager at Xerox Europe.
We need to consolidate that all into a single, reliable source of information but thats quite a big operation, so we need all the automation that technology can provide, he says.
Like BT and Xerox, many companies find that inconsistent data is not just inconvenient its a major impediment to business agility and competitiveness.
Yet many continue to suffer from this problem, in which information about the same customer or product, for example, appears in multiple systems and formats across the company, but simply doesnt tally from system to system. This undermines reporting initiatives and can seriously impede managers efforts to make sound strategic decisions.
The situation certainly cant be pinned on a lack of effort or technology investment, however.
On the contrary, organisations spent millions throughout the 1990s, on ERP suites that promised to provide a central, consistent set of enterprise data. The problem is that the vast majority of businesses found that they still needed to implement other, additional software products each with their own databases, data formats and, frequently, their own version of data that appears elsewhere.
Today, more and more businesses recognise that information is a valuable corporate asset, a vital tool in the struggle to improve customer service, identify new business opportunities and shorten the sale-to-cash cycle. That recognition is driving many of them to invest in data-quality tools that enable them to establish data consistency and quality.
Data-quality definition
By definition, quality data is accurate, relevant and up-to-date. Data-quality tools help in the identification of data that does not meet these standards, enabling either its cleansing or its removal from corporate databases. By implementing these tools, goes the theory, managers can have greater confidence that the data they have will equip them to make better-informed business decisions.
Broadly speaking, data-quality tools fall into two broad categories: tools for data profiling and tools for data cleansing.
Data profiling enables a company to get an understanding of its data: what information is stored, where, its structure and the anomalies and inconsistencies it contains. These might include invalid data structures, incorrect values, missing values, duplicates, misplaced fields or inconsistencies between values stored in different systems. Trying to uncover such problems manually is time-consuming, prone to error and expensive.
With a clear understanding of data quality problems gained from data-profiling tools, data managers know precisely what corrective measures and cleansing rules need to be applied. Data-cleansing software applies these rules automatically and ensures that the data is standardised and corrected: duplicates are removed, structures such as field lengths and formats are standardised, and values are corrected.
The range of vendors offering these products, meanwhile, grows ever broader. In the most recent Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Quality, some 15 suppliers are named: Business Objects, Datactics, DataFlux, DataLever, DataMentors, Datanomic, Fuzzy Informatik, Pitney Bowes Group 1 Software, Human Inference, IBM, Informatica, Netrics, Trillium and Uniserv.
A company-wide effort
Regardless of what product they ultimately select, most veterans of data-quality projects agree on one point at least: data quality involves a serious company-wide effort, not just by the IT team, but also a team of information-management professionals and knowledge workers scattered around the organisation.
However, many organisations fall prey to a particular common mistake, says Ted Friedman, an analyst with IT market research company Gartner. They view data as a technology-oriented problem and rely on the IT department to ensure the security, availability and quality of data, treating data as a necessary evil, rather than as an important corporate asset, he says.
In fact, he continues, data quality is a business issue, in terms of its impact and the optimal approaches for addressing it.
As a result, its the business, not the IT department, that should define what is good enough quality, but most organisations require a significant degree of culture change to reach the point where data-quality improvements are driven and supported by the business, he says.
At the same time, the business needs to realise that optimal improvements to data quality cannot be achieved through technology alone, says Friedman. A combination of organisational and process improvements will be required to deliver the maximum positive impact and to ensure long-term maintenance of acceptable data-quality levels, he says. For that reason, companies embarking on a data-quality exercise should assign business analysts and business-unit managers to data stewardship roles, in order to place accountability for data-quality issues emphatically with the business, rather than with IT.
Data quality must be supported by an organisational structure that encompasses people from virtually every line of business, including sales, marketing, service, production, finance, human resources and IT. This organisation is usually assembled virtually so that the data-quality sponsor the head of the initiative has access to people throughout the organisation, says Friedman.
Members of the virtual data-quality team should be considered subject-matter experts of the department or area that they physically belong to, he adds. For example, a marketing specialist from the companys marketing department may act as the data steward in the data-quality organisation, with the responsibility to ensure that marketing-relevant information adheres to the corporate data-quality standards. This might include information attributes, such as completeness, correctness, consistency, integrity and non-duplication.
Technology, however, goes a long way in helping business users clean up data at speed. At BT, for example, data profiling had historically been a manual effort that was time-consuming and people-intensive, until the company implemented Trilliums TS Discovery data-profiling tool. This not only enabled BT to place control in the hands of business users best positioned to identify links between data anomalies and process inefficiencies, but also increased data-analyst efficiency dramatically.
The ability within TS Discovery to view profile results together with actual data rows, for example, helped business users see more clearly the impact of data issues, while the product also helped data-quality specialists to quickly prototype cleansing rules.
BTs success in tackling its data-quality issues, moreover, has led to more ambitious initiatives at the company. In recent years, it has moved towards master data management (MDM), in which customers names and addresses are held in a single master copy database called NAD the Name and Address Database.
The data NAD holds is standardised and cleansed in real-time, enabling the repository to act as a single, authoritative source of accurate, up-to-date customer information that populates hundreds of applications around BT, explains Dave Evans. Data profiling and cleansing, he adds, was just the start of a far more visionary journey and a highly worthwhile one at that.
Jessica Twentyman can be contacted by e-mailing email@example.com
Case study: Irish Life & Permanent
Mergers and acquisitions frequently create data quality hassles, especially where two customer databases need to be consolidated.
That was the case for financial services company Irish Life & Permanent, formed from the 1999 merger of insurance company Irish Life and the Irish Permanent bank.
While the two businesses life insurer and bank continue to operate separately and have their own brands and offices, we nevertheless want to cross-sell to our combined customer base, and theres a lot of crossover between businesses and products, says Noel Garry, executive manager of IT strategy and planning at Irish Life & Permanent.
If we have a Noel Garry on our life database and a Noel Garry on our bank database, its vital we know that were dealing with the same person, he says.
As a result, the company has embarked on a massive clean-up operation, in preparation for implementing IBMs WebSphere Customer Center product for master data management (MDM), which will enable it to establish a single record of its entire customer base.
At first, we thought we might simply load data from the bank file into the life file, but after a bit of exploration, we got talking to Gartner about MDM and we realised that this would provide us with a more long-term answer to the challenge of keeping our data consistent, says Garry.
A massive data clean-up is now underway, using IBM Information Server to bring together matching records and consolidate them. When agreed thresholds for matches are not reached, the system marks the records as suspect and flags them for human examination.
Using that approach, the group has already identified 117,000 exact duplicates where there are two or more records of the same customer within the Irish Life database alone.
Now that those duplicates have been eliminated and the rest of the data has been cleaned up, says Garry, the group can start to load that database into WebSphere Customer Center.
The data held in the bank database, meanwhile, will also be cleaned and loaded into the MDM system towards the end of 2007.
Once thats complete, every time a new customer is entered into any of our systems, that system will reference WebSphere Customer Center and use the hub to standardise the data captured, says Garry. And if a customer calls into the bank and tells us their mobile-phone number has changed, the new number is automatically distributed by the hub to all the systems that hold information on that customer.
MDM, he emphasises, it just a starting point for Irish Life & Permanent. It will be a springboard for all types of new initiatives, which is why we see this very much as an enablement project for all types of improvements to the services we can offer our customers, he says.
The rising profile of data-quality tools
A number of factors have promoted data quality to the top of the boardroom agenda in recent years, according to analysts at IT market research company, Forrester Research:
Data defects
Regulatory compliance issues, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, have refocused attention back to information quality and have shifted its importance into the corporate boardroom. Increasingly, missed deadlines in closing corporate accounting books and statutory reporting have been blamed on data defects and quality issues.
Poor quality of CRM systems
According to Forrester analyst Lou Agosta, information quality is the weak underbelly of customer-relationship management (CRM) implementations and many fail to deliver the accurate, 360-degree view of the customer the vendors of such systems originally promised. Information-quality tools need to identify individual customers across multiple datasets and help eliminate duplications.
Bad data creates costly, operational inefficiencies
Duplicated customer or product data creates redundant information that impacts all downstream processes that use it. Backups, system interfaces and repeated verification of the same data increases the cost of daily storage management processes. Productivity is also hit as tasks are repeated.
Mergers, acquisitions and reorganisation require data integration
Mergers and acquisitions of companies create critical compatibility issues between different information technology systems. If data is not carefully inventoried and evaluated, there is the risk of dysfunctional islands of information and data silos being created.
Loss of trust
A lack of data and information quality across systems reduces the value of all systems to employees as it becomes difficult for them to judge which one is accurate.
Source: Forrester Research
Table One: The impact of poor-quality data
Symptoms |
Impact |
Sales and marketing |
Low customer satisfaction; Many address change requests; No trust/agreement in reporting. |
Customer churn; Excessive mailing expense; Cost of lost sales. |
Finance |
Budgets take forever to get right; Big budget/actual discrepancies; No trust/agreement in reporting. |
Budget overruns; Out-of-control expenses; Fines and possible jail time under the latest regulations. |
Supply chain |
Out of stock situations; Poor-quality products; No trust/agreement in reporting. |
Reduced top-line revenue; Excessive shipping expenses. |
Large IT projects fail; Low use of applications; No trust/agreement in reporting. |
IT investments wasted; Productivity remains low. |
Source: Forrester Research


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Series: Excerpts from "Evolving: Evangelicals Reflect on Evolution"
We need to hear stories from others who have wrestled with evolution and Christian faith. What arguments made them change their views on science? How did they hold fast to their relationship with God? The essays in this series will eventually comprise a book, provisionally titled, "Evolving: Evangelicals Reflect on Evolution."
Evolution Basics: Darwin's Early Observations on Biogeography
For Darwin, both of these observations (that oceanic islands lacked terrestrial mammals, and that endemic species on islands were most similar to a species on the closest mainland) had the same explanation: his hypothesis that endemic, oceanic species were the modified descendants of a colonizing species from the nearest continent.
Searching for Motivated Belief: Introducing John Polkinghorne
Several times in my series of columns about "Science and the Bible," I briefly discussed a few ideas from John Polkinghorne, one of the leading Christian thinkers of our time. Although I presented him mainly as a representative of the "Theistic Evolution" (TE) view, much of his published work is about other topics, several of them largely or entirely unrelated to TE. It's time we got better acquainted with him.
Series: A Faith Journey in a Medical Science Career
(Needs a summary)
Evolution and Christian Faith Grantees Announced
Congratulations to the 37 winners of the Evolution & Christian Faith (ECF) grants competition! ECF is a new BioLogos program designed to support projects and network-building among scholars, church leaders, and parachurch organizations.
Where are the Transitional Fossils?
A common argument leveled against the theory of evolution is that scientists have not been able to produce transitional fossils that show the change of one species into another. In this podcast, we address a common misconception about what transitional fossils actually are.
Dissonance and Harmony
People hold clearly discordant points of view, and it would be dishonest to ignore the conflict. Yet some voices emphasize the dissonance without any note of harmony to put it in context. Too often, science and faith becomes a hostile battle of worldviews, sounding angry, dissonant chords even among fellow Christians. But civil, gracious dialogue is possible.
Series: Confronting Our Fears
In this series, U.S. Navy Commander Mike Beidler shares his own personal journey from accepting young-earth creationism to embracing evolutionary creationism.
Growing in Faith
As he endeavored to learn more, David was intrigued by Francis Collins book The Language of God because Francis did not present evolution as a rival theory to Christian faith, but as something that described God's method of creation.
Series: Decoding ENCODE
The BioLogos Foundation explains to the findings of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project and responds to the claims that its discoveries challenge the theory of evolution, especially regarding so-called "junk DNA".
Denisovans, Humans and the Chromosome 2 Fusion
The Denisovans, an extinct hominid group that interbred with modern humans, made the news again lately with the publication of a more detailed study of their genome. One of the many interesting findings was that the Denisovans share the same chromosome 2 fusion that modern humans have.
Series: David Lack and Darwin's Finches
Not only are evolution and biblical faith compatible, but committed Christians have been at the forefront of evolutionary science ever since Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859. This series looks at David Lack, an ornithologist and devout Christian who contributed greatly to the understanding of Darwin's finches.
Series: The Human Fossil Record
In this series, James Kidder provides an intriguing study on transitional fossils and the evolutionary history of modern humans. He begins by discussing the fossil record, explaining how new forms are classified. He then explains the physically distinguishing trait of humankind—bipedalism. From the discovery of Ardipithecus, the earliest known hominin, to the australopithecines, the most prolific hominin, Kidder focuses on the discovery, the anatomy, and the interpretation of these ancestral remains.
What evidence do we have for evolution besides fossils and genes?
Scientists have found multiple lines of evidence for evolution, not just one or two. These types of evidence are independent of each other, coming from sources as different as ancient fossils and modern genetics labs. Evidence also comes from comparing the anatomy of creatures living today. All creatures with four limbs (whether mammals, birds, or reptiles) have the same bone structure in each limb, pointing to their descent from a common ancestor. More evidence comes from biogeography. Isolated islands are missing common species found on the mainland, but are filled with many unique species that can be related by a common ancestor. Finally, evidence comes from embryonic development. As an embryo of a mammal grows, its heart develops through stages similar to fish, amphibians, and reptiles. God's creation declares the history of life in many different ways. All these ways are pointing to a consistent picture of God creating through evolution.
The Fossil Record
There are two opposite errors which need to be countered about the fossil record: 1) that it is so incomplete as to be of no value in interpreting patterns and trends in the history of life, and 2) that it is so good that we should expect a relatively complete record of the details of evolutionary transitions within all or most lineages.
What scientific evidence do we have about the first humans?
In recent decades, scientists have discovered more about the beginnings of humanity. The fossil record shows a gradual transition over 5 million years ago from chimpanzee-size creatures to hominids with larger brains who walked on two legs. Later hominids used fire and stone tools and had brains as large as modern humans. Fossils of homo sapiens in east Africa date back nearly 200,000 years. Humans developed hearths for fire, stone points for spears and arrows, and cave paintings by 30,000 years ago. By 10,000 years ago, humans had spread throughout the globe. Genetic studies support the same picture. Humans share more DNA with chimpanzees than with any other animal, suggesting that humans and chimps share a relatively recent common ancestor. Also, the same defective genes appear in both humans and chimps, at the same locations in the genome—an observation difficult to explain except by common ancestry. Genetics also tells us that the human population today descended from more than two people. Evolution happens not to individuals but to populations, and the amount of genetic diversity in the gene pool today suggests that the human population was never smaller than several thousand individuals. Yet all humans, of all races, are descended from this group. Humanity is one family.
For the Love of the World: John Stott and His Passion for Creation
Some criticized John for his theistic evolutionary position and even his appreciation for Darwin. But Stott saw no contradiction between his own commitment to the authority of Scripture and his openness to God's use of evolution in His creative process.
Letting God Out of the Box
I found myself in a very awkward situation. On the one hand I was a follower of Jesus Christ who loved the Bible, knew that it was God's Word, and, therefore, not full of lies. However, I also was someone who had loved science for many years and was planning on pursuing a career in research...
Scientists Tell Their Stories: David Wilkinson
"If I have one criticism of my fellow theologians from time to time, it's that they're often stuck in the physics of the 19th century rather than the 20th and 21st centuries."
Theory, Prediction and Converging Lines of Evidence, Part 2
We have already discussed hind limb and hair loss in whales, and now we turn to one of the remaining questions: tooth loss in the lineage leading to modern toothless whales.
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