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Freaking News
Funny Space Pictures
Freaky Space. Used PS CC and a lot of stock to create a freaky space
Member reactions:
All that going on out there. Who knew. Is that a Hubble shot.
Funny Changing Space
Funny Space the Never ending Pi
Funny Pierre-Auguste Renoir `Please move and give me space on blanket`
Member reactions:
You need to blend Prince Charles to look like the painting style.
This does not work. don't you know how to use Gaussian blur.
Funny Space Invaders
Funny Space Junk Giants
If they come they will come for metals.
Member reactions:
Thanks folks. I was trying for a WWII rewritten motif.
Yes. Orange flavor please hehe. Hey, best laid plans of mice and all that...
For an old fossil you are certainly a Master.
Funny Goats in Space !
Member reactions:
I saw this movie in 1972 and now the re-make
Funny War Bubbles From Space
Space Bubbles
Member reactions:
I thought I would throw a new style at you guys. Guess not.
you'll get us next time, hits. best wishes matey, with lots of inspiration and new styles.
Thanks Jere, I am afraid I have run my course for now. For some reason my best does not pay the bills anymore. My agreement was if I could make part of the month's gas money out of winnings here I could invest the time. But unfortunately the votes aren't there so it is time to take a break. Go back to default so to speak then take another look at some future point.
yeah, i understand. don't take too long though. the place is not the same without you..
Funny Space Station comet 67P
lego shuttle has landed
Member reactions:
I guess someone had to toy with this idea.
This was one of my favorites in the contest. I think it would place much higher if it used Philae lander instead of the shuttle.
Funny SPACE TRAFFIC CONTROLLER
Member reactions:
Me likes a lot. The flying candy with the orange trail is a great touch.
Funny Women in Space
The International Space Station will host its first female cosmonaut by the end of September. The lucky woman is Russian astronaut Elena Serova, who will be the fourth woman to reach space. The flight will happen later this month amid the US-Russian tensions, despite the US plans to end any cooperation with Russia in space exploration. The historic flight that took the first woman to space (Valentiona Tereshkova) happened 51 years ago on June 14, 1963. Tereshkova is 77 today and is in good health. She even asked to be included in a crew on a one way trip to Mars, which may happen within the next 5 years. Show how women could rule space exploration and space tourism - womanize astronaut clothes & accessories, spaceships, equipment, show how women can settle down on the moon and Mars, etc. Many thanks to kibuyu for the themepost.
Funny Women In Space
June 14 marked the 50th anniversary of the first woman in space. It was Russian astronaut Valentina Tereshkova who was 26 on that historic flight in 1963. Tereshkova, 76 today, is still active and plans to be one of several selected astronauts for the first manned flight to Mars in 2018. Due to several technical challenges, the manned Mars mission will is planned as one way only. The astronauts will spend the rest of their lives on Mars, completing their mission. "Space was my life, and I'll be honored to spend the rest of my life in space too", said Tereshkova on the 50th anniversary of the first woman in space. Show how women could rule the space exploration and space tourism - womanize astronaut clothes & accessories, spaceships, equipment, etc.
Funny Space Tourism
The world's first space tourist and multimillionaire Dennis Tito is financing a project to get space tourists to Mars by early 2018. Tito, who spent $20 million on his space trip in 2001, is so anxious to get to the red planet, he's pumping hundreds of millions of his own money into the project, because he's doesn't want to wait till NASA or Roskosmos will offer such space trips to just any rich tourists. The return trip to Mars should take about 501 days and is expected to cost over $100 million per space tourist. "Expensive, I know, but we already have a list of customers who are willing to pay this price for this once in a lifetime experience", said Tito. Photoshop anything related to space tourism. Some examples are - what companies might be the pioneers to commercialize space (e.g. Moon or Mars) and and how they might adapt their products for it. These are just some ideas.
Funny Animals in Space
Iran successfully sent a monkey into space and it returned back alive and safe. This is an important step in the Iranian space exploration program, says Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi. "There's still a long way to go till we send man into space, but today we became one step closer to this", adds Vahidi. Iranian television showed still pictures of the monkey in a capsule after it landed. Previously, Iran successfully sent several small animals into space, but the previous attempt to send a monkey into space failed in 2011. Photoshop anything related to space exploration by animals. E.g. show how space exploration history would be different if animals explored space instead of humans, photoshop animal astronauts, etc. All animals - living, extinct, or even mythical are accepted for this contest (except for humans)!
Funny Women in Space
It's official - British singer Sarah Brightman secured herself a space trip in 2015. Brightman paid over $20 million for this "space ticket" which will allow her to spend three weeks at the International Space Station - which works out to about $1 mil a day. In an interview, Brightman said she always dreamed about space travel, and finally decided to buy herself the most expensive vacation she could think of. The world-famous classical vocalist will spend two years training for this space mission. She also started learning Russian, to communicate with the Russian crew who will take her to the ISS and back. "I wish some alien would kidnap me," Brightman said. Show how women would rule the space exploration and space tourism - womanize astronaut clothes & accessories, spaceships, equipment, etc.
For more funny photoshop pix visit
Freaking News front page


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Slovakia beats Russia 2-1 in shootout for 1st win
The fans - at least those not rooting for the Russians - had everything to gain.
Demitra sent the Slovaks' horn-tooting and flag-shaking followers home happy when he skated to the left, swooped to the front of the net and patiently waited for Bryzgalov to go down so that he could flick a shot high.
He celebrated by spreading his arms wide and soaking up the charged atmosphere.
"That was a huge win for us," Demitra said. "Fans here is amazing and it's so fun to play game here."
Famed Russian former goaltender Vladislav Tretiak, the team's general manager, stuck with his plan of starting Evgeni Nabokov in the first game and Bryzgalov in the second.
Nabokov said he would be back in net for the next game.
After Sidney Crosby's shootout goal lifted Canada to a 3-2 harder-than-expected win over Switzerland, the Slovaks and Russians followed up with another spectacular game.
Ovechkin blamed the bumpy playing surface for his shootout woes.
"It's hard to do something when the ice was so bad," Ovechkin said. "It was the third game of the day and the puck was jumping."
Russian coach Vyacheslav Bykov will be second-guessed for his strategy in the shootout, giving Pavel Datsyuk only one chance despite his six goals in NHL shootouts this season on 11 attempts. Ovechkin has only one goal in six shootout attempts this season.
"We decided a different player," Bykov said glaring at a reporter after a long pause. "We have plenty of powerful players and sometimes it's just hard to choose the right candidate."
The Associated Press

subset: commoncrawl


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CoolWare Personal Cooling System: The Air Conditioner You Can Wear Around Your Neck
Nothing drains me of energy faster than having the heat of the summer sun beating down on me. Even walking the dog turns out to be a big chore even though I normally enjoy taking my canine best friend out for a stroll around the park. It got so bad that I'd think of jumping right into the water fountain whenever I'd pass it just so I could cool off.
Of course, I never did that because I didn't want to risk getting arrested. So what can you do to cool off? Aside from taking huge swigs out of the water bottle, there's a new player in town that promises to keep you cool and feeling mighty fine: the CoolWare Personal Cooling System.
It's small, it's handy, and it's meant to be worn around your neck. Talk about personal cooling.
The CoolWare Personal Cooling System works just like any conventional air conditioner, except that it can actually do a whole lot more. The entire thing is made of anodized aluminum construction and is equipped with a motorized fan and a 2 oz. water bottle as well to keep you hydrated, making it your perfect partner while you're out running, hiking, biking, and doing any other outdoor physical activity.
Here are the features for the CoolWare Personal Cooling System:
- Fits comfortably around the neck
- Cooling sensation refreshes your body
- Anti-bacterial fabric
- Motorized fan
- 2 power settings
- Refill every 2 to 4 hours or as needed
And here are its specifications:
- Length: 7.5 Inches
- Width: 6 Inches
- Height: 2.5 Inches
- Weight: 1 Lb
- Battery Requirements: 1 AA (included)
At one pound, it's also light too, so you won't feel much of a strain while you're wearing it around your neck.
Editor's Update: The Coolware Sytem is currently unavailable at Sharper Image. You can find a similar system here.
Gadgetry Inc.
Innovative Gadgets and Software Blogger
by geremy
Isn't that the coolest thing you've ever heard? I never thought it would be possible. I wonder if there are any health related implications. I'd love to try one of these and see how effective it really is, and now since I need some central air repair services the need for a device like this seems even higher.


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Bellmont charged out of the locker room and outscored visiting Van Wert 8-1 to start the third period, taking a 41-40 lead, but the unbeaten Cougars regrouped, found their offense and outscored the Braves 27-9 the rest of the way for a 67-50 win Saturday afternoon.
"They came to play a little bit and obviously shot it better than they did last night, and they were a little comfortable early," stated veteran Van Wert David Froelich.
Bellmont charged out of the locker room and outscored visiting Van Wert 8-1 to start the third period, taking a 41-40 lead, but the unbeaten Cougars regrouped, found their offense and outscored the Braves 27-9 the rest of the way for a 67-50 win Saturday afternoon.
"They came to play a little bit and obviously shot it better than they did last night, and they were a little comfortable early," stated veteran Van Wert David Froelich.
"We we just had to keep at it and we did a little bit better job in the second half of getting out on the shooters and containing the ball. We made a couple of jump shots when things got going. Once we do that we can get some space and get our shots.
They're tough, they're physical, so Bellmont's a difficult match for a team like ours."
Key shooting guard Jacob Myers missed his first two trey attempts in the third period, but hit three straight in the second half and finished with 17 points. Corey Clifton tallied eight of his game-high 18 points in the final period as the Cougars outscored the Braves 18-8 to pull away.
The Braves hung in there in the first half against the unbeaten Cougars and trailed 39-33 at intermission. Senior Joe Baker scored 10 of his team-high 12 points in the first half and Forrest Fullenkamp, in just his second game back after rehabbing his left knee from a severe football injury, hit his first three shots of the game and scored seven of his nine points in the opening half.
In that run to start period three, Kyle Lehrman hit a free throw, then Jacob Hood connected on a charity toss for Van Wert. Logan Smith drove inside for a bucket and was fouled, and hit the free toss for a 40-37 score.
Lehrman got rolling as the Braves turned up the juice. He hit a bucket off a drive and later scored to complete a fast break as the Braves led 41-40.
Clifton hit a bucket to give Van Wert the lead back, then Baker committed his fourth foul, a charging call, and seconds later Smith was called for his fourth foul as the Bellmont charge sputtered.
Austin Fleming scored off an inbounds pass for a 44-41 Van Wert lead. After Selking hit a charity toss, Myers stuck in a three from the top of the key. Van Wert took a 49-42 lead into the final period.
Myers started the fourth period with another trey from the top of the key and Reggie Phillips scored on a fast break as the Cougars pulled away.
The game, made up from a Tuesday cancellation due to weather, was played in the afternoon because Bellmont had a girls game slated Saturday night.
Froelich didn't think the timing of the game, after each team played Friday night, had anything to do with the outcome.
"These are 17- and 18-year-old kids, they stay up all night and play all day long, and both teams faced the same thing. It's a little different, but that's okay. We're going to see different things throughout a year. Hopefully, this is something we can build on. We're happy to come over here and get a win, and keep it going."
Jake Myers hits a couple, and suddenly we get on a spurt.
"I thought we made them a little more uncomfortable in that second half," said the Van Wert coach. Bellmont was forced into seven of their 20 turnovers in the period.
"We jumped out, tipped the ball a few times, and interrupted their timing. We're not big and tall, so we just can't line up and play. Then Myers hit a couple of shots and we were off and running."
Bellmont outrebounded the visitors 28-21 with Smith grabbing seven, Baker five and Matt Chronister four. Bellmont had 13 assists with guard Payton Selking dishing out six and Baker four. Selking added eight points while Lehrman had seven, Smith six, Chronister four in 14 minutes of play, and Nick Fuelling scored four points.
Phillips added 11 for Van Wert while Fleming put in eight and Jacob Hood seven.
Van Wert won the jayvee game, 51-35. Matt Stidam scored 17 for Bellmont while Lance Vergara scored five and Brian Fullenkamp three points.
In a freshman game, Bellmont played North Side, losing 59-40. Cameron Bienz led BHS with 11 points while Ross Smith scored 10 and Chase Ellsworth six.
Van Wert 67, Bellmont 50
Clifton 6-17 1-9 5-8 18
Myers 6-10 3-5 2-2 17
Phillips 4-8 0-0 3-3 11
Fleming 3-5 0-0 2-4 8
Hood 2-2 2-2 1-3 7
Doidge 1-1 1-1 0-0 3
Hurless 1-3 1-2 0-0 3
Jo. Moonshower 0-1 0-0 0-0 0
Ja. Moonshower 0-0 0-0 0-0 0
Totals 23-47 8-20 13-20 67
Baker 4-13 2=7 2-2 12
Fullenkamp 4-12 1-4 0-0 9
Selking 3-6 1-4 1-2 9
Lehrman 3-5 0-0 1-2 7
Smith 2-4 0-0 2-3 6
Fuelling 1-5 1-2 1-2 4
Chronister 2-4 0--0 0-0 4
Hall 0-0 0-0 0-0 0
Totals 19-49 5-17 7-11 50
Score By Quarters
Van Wert 23 16 10 18 67
Braves 18 15 9 88 50
Fouls: VW 15, BHS 21.
TO: VW 15, Bellmont 20.
REB: BHS 28 (Smith 7, Baker 5, Chronister 4), VW 21 (Hood 6).
ASSISTS: BHS 13 (Selking 6, Baker 4); VW 10 (Clifton 4).
STEALS: BHS 4, VW 8 (Myers 3, Hood 2).
JV: V. Wert 51, Bellmont 35
VW: Coil 5-7 1-3 4-4 15, Smith 5-8 1-4 2-2 13, Ray 3-4 0-0 6; Phillips 2-5 0-1 2-2 6, Markward 1-3 0-1 3-4 5; Keber 0-0 2-2 2; Barnhart 0-0 1-2 1; Totals 17-30 2-9 15-23 51.
BHS: Stidam 7-14 2-7 1-2 17. Vergara 2-7 1-2 0-0 5, B. Fullenkamp 0-4 3-4 3, Schueler 1-7 0-4 0-0 2, Collier 1-1 0-0 0-3 2, Tinsley 0-0 0-0 2-2 2, Selking 1-1 0-0 0-0 2, J Hall 1-2 0-0 0-0 2, Jauregui 0-1 0-0 0-0 0, Hormann 0-0 0-0 0; Totals 13-37 3-14 6-11 35


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D'Amico, whose goal is to run a sub-2:36 marathon, a personal best with under 6-minute miles, is feeling good about his chances.
"I'm very confident going in," he said. "So far my body's reacting great. ... But it's a marathon. Anything can happen."
As his fan base is growing -- he has more than 2,400 "likes" on Facebook -- McRunner is using his challenge to give back to charity. Appropriately, D'Amico, who is not sponsored by or affiliated with McDonald's, is raising money for the Ronald McDonald House, contributing $1 for every fan, up to $2,500. His father is matching the gift, and others can contribute to the McRunner donation independently.
"I want to show this idea of life is about choices, and marathoning is no exception," he said. "It's just important that you approach everything in a balanced way. And if you make good choices, good things are going to happen. ... You put in the hard work and make good choices, you're going to get good results."


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PRLog - Jan. 24, 2013 - January 25, 2013
Thomas Doty
Woman who used lies and deceit to con the family of a dying boy, all in an effort to meet a reality star, finally caught thanks to social media
Maple Valley, WA – The family of Thomas Doty have been searching for justice for a cruel hoax played on their son since his passing December 19, 2012. Thomas passed after a rare form of bone cancer, osteosarcoma, had ravaged his body, but not his spirit. Prior to his passing, he asked his family to find the woman who had given them so much false hope. Thanks to the efforts of family, friends and social media the con woman has been identified.
The con woman, going by the name Johnnica Ellis stepped forward, sending sympathy emails, flowers and promises of $250,000 in aid. Ellis even sent a bank statement forged from Ally Bank, claiming that payment was on its way, but the money never came.
When the family tried to contact Ellis, they discovered that her phone and email address had been cancelled. Yet, Ellis would check in periodically with the family, promising money.
It all turned out to be an elaborate scheme, allegedly thought up by Marci Rose, of Harrisville New York. Ms. Rose used social media to play on the heartstrings of a family's tragedy, all to allegedly meet her on screen crush and friend of the Doty family, Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" personality Johnathan Hillstrand.
Ms. Rose allegedly created social media profiles for the fictitious "Ellis" family, including a made up sister who had passed, all in an elaborate ruse, all at the expense of a young man clinging to what ever hope he could find. However, thanks to the same social media she used to hurt the Doty family, it also ultimately has become her undoing as she left a trail of ip addresses all leading back to the same person. Marci Rose.
Now the Doty family waits, hoping that law enforcement will finally bring her to justice. Justice for Thomas, and closure for a family still morning the passing of their beloved son, brother, grandson and friend.
# # #


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A collaborative document with Hill International UK following a joint seminar on 24 September 2010, summarising the changes to the Construction Act in an easy-to-read format.
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Since most kids tend to graze all day long, ask if snacks and/or lunch are available on longer shore excursions. If not, consider tucking a single-service cereal box or fruit in your backpack to head off temper tantrums later on. And, of course, bring plenty of sunscreen and a hat or visor for outdoor activities, as well as an extra sweater in case you need it when the sun sets.
"Teens only" shore excursions are an up-and-coming trend, and they're a great way to let your teen enjoy a day in port with his or her peers while you pursue more adult-friendly activities or cater your tours to younger siblings. If you opt for this route, be sure to ask about the ratio of kids to adults and how many of the ship's staff members accompany the outing.
Involve your kids in the decision. Narrow down the choices to a few appropriately priced excursions per port, and then let the family discuss them as a group. If your kids take ownership in the decision, they're likely to be more excited about the trip and have a better time.
Once you have decided on your shore excursions, book them immediately upon boarding or, better yet, online before you go. And, keep in mind that itineraries can change -- especially in hurricane season -- so be prepared with plan B.
Consider a private guide. Sometimes it's simply better to customize your day to the wishes and schedules of your family, rather than to force them to fit into an organized tour's plan for the day. Why? With a private guide, you can easily stop when you need to (for a snack or bathroom break, or if a passing playground or beach looks particularly inviting) and tailor a tour to your kids with shorter visits to museums or monuments, earlier lunch stops or even a visit to an off-the-beaten-path but family-friendly attraction.
Some cruise lines offer private cars and drivers through their excursions programs, or you can research guides on your own. Consider splitting the cost of a guide and a van with another family, and always ask if the guide speaks fluent English, whether car seats are available (if needed) and how payment is to be made (cash versus credit, up-front versus after the tour). Popular independent guides tend to get booked up months in advance.
For the more information on planning a cruise, visit Cruise Critic's cruise planning section for tips and advice.
Cruise Critic is an online cruise guide, featuring cruise reviews, news, deals and advice on all aspects of cruising.


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Don't tell me I didn't tell you so! Just one week after I cautioned that the SEC is stepping up scrutiny of private equity funds, the agency announced two recent PE enforcement actions. In both cases, the PE firms involved paid hefty penalties.
In the first case, the firm was charged with improperly soliciting investments. The SEC specifically alleged that New York-based private equity firm Ranieri Partners violated securities rules requiring that an individual who solicits investments in return for transaction-based compensation be registered as a broker.
The employee in question was reportedly hired as a "finder" who would merely make initial introductions to potential investors. De facto he acted beyond this capacity by communicating with prospective investors and their advisors and providing them with key investment documentation that he received from Ranieri Partners.
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28.09.06 - By Umar ben-Ivan: This Saturday Irish John Duddy will face Yori Boy Campos at the Theater at Madison Square Garden and it is likely he will sell this venue out for the second time (something Zab Judah failed to do when he was the undisputed welterweight champion of the world). Everywhere I go in my Queens neighborhood I see posters advertising the fight as Shamrocks V. Sombreros and the community genuinely seems excited.
The last time that Duddy stepped in the ring was against Freddie Cuevas at Madison Square Garden on the undercard of Miguel Cotto-Paulie Malignaggi and he thrilled the thousands of Irish fans who showed up to cheer him on even as he was tested by the battle-worn Chicago veteran. Outnumbered by the over 10,000 Puerto Rican Cotto fans in one of the best nights of boxing I have ever seen at the Garden; the Irish fans wildly cheered Duddy with Irish football ( soccer) chants and cheers.
Duddy just isnt Irish; he is a living and breathing part of the historic Irish community of New York City. He shows up for charity events in Queens, the Bronx, Yonkers and other places and several months ago he stood up and addressed Senator John McCain at St. Barnabas Church which is nestled on the border of the Bronx and Yonkers and introduced himself as John Duddy and the thousands in attendance stood up and gave him a loud ovation at this Legalize the Irish event.
Boxing is important to the Irish people and has been a tradition for many for generations; particularly those who grew up in the Irish slums before Ireland became the Celtic Tiger it is today and the Six Counties of Northern Ireland when they were still in daily turmoil before the current quasi recess in hostilities. Duddy hails from Derry, a city in the North, and it is known as a tough town that is full of hard-working families who are known for their hospitality and love of sports and he has brought that ethic to New York.
In the political world pundits have often talked about the three important Is in New York politics; Israel, Italy, and Ireland, and of those groups the Irish and Italians are rapidly losing population from New York City as working-families flee the high cost of living for less expensive ground just as a generation or two ago they fled the crime of NYC. There is also the fact that the economy of Ireland is now one of the best in Europe and for the first time in centuries Ireland is a land to more than a land of poverty and an exporter of its people and is home to a booming economy.
Watching John Duddy in the ring, and watching him enter the ring not to hip-hop but to traditional Irish music, the fans see a new and vibrant Irish youth and not only are they reminded of the promise of today but of the glory of yesteryear when Irish fighters would routinely fight in New York. For others, whose families have been here for generations, Duddy is a reminder of many of our familys immigrant roots and there is no way to earn you keep harder than in the ring and still for others it is just a joy to watch someone who fights with a passion and has power in both hands and is willing and ready to mix it up.
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I still appreciate my DT250-250 - they are a part of my home-studio sealed can rotation along with the AKG K271S and MrSpeakers MadDog. They are not perfect (that damn proprietary cable connection has caused me problems), but they are comfortable and have sound quality that scales higher than many closed cans. I would rank the sealed headphones in my current collection like so:
T50RP MadDog Balanced (sound incredible when driven via the Schiit Mjolnir)
AH-D7000 (sounds great with most gear, easy to drive - my gaming cans)
K271S/DT250-250 (they are tied overall and have different strengths)
HD25 Amperior
T50RP (stock)
What is striking to me is how terrible the stock T50RP sounds (to me) and how great the MadDog sounds in comparison. It amazes me how much a driver can scale with improved pads and other tweaks. Also, there is a difference between the 80 and 250ohm varieties of the DT250; I prefer the 250ohm version due to improved bass control and treble smoothness but they are harder to drive.
I was impressed reading your rankings. And then I re-read it and realized it was just your "sealed" headphones rankings. I then looked at your profile, and your "current" list of headphones, and then your list of "previously owned" headphones. It was at that point that my head simply exploded. Wow!
Anyway, I am looking forward to getting an excellent pair of modded T50RP's. So based on your impressions you never know, they might even make it to the top of my sealed headphone rankings lol!


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TV Info
Episode PremiereNovember 18, 2006
DistributorCartoon Network, Viz Media
GenreAnimation, Action, Adventure
Show Period2002 - 2008
Production CompanyStudio Pierrot Co. Ltd.
Cast and Crew
DirectorHayato Date
Main Cast
- Steve Blum
- Maile Flanagan
- Steve Staley
- Nana Mizuki
- Kentaro Ito
- Yasuyuki Kase
- Koichi Tochika
- Akiko Koike
- Rumi Ochiai
- Naoki Sakata
- Nozomu Sasaki
- Richard Cansino
- Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
- Liam O'Brien
- Robbie Rist
- Stephanie Sheh
Exhausted and virtually drained of all his Chakra, Naruto realizes that his only recourse is to summon the chakra of the Nine-tailed Fox! Will this be enough to defeat Neji once and for all?!


text:
Economic development in Brazil is booming, accelerated by a growing export economy and the country's selection as host to the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016. With 259 hotels and 43,827 rooms coming online, Brazil ...Read More »
Category Archives: Market ReportsFeed Subscription
AH&LA Partners with STR to Launch F&B STAR Benchmark Report
WASHINGTON—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and STR have joined forces to create the first Food & Beverage STAR Benchmark Report. Created by the AH&LA Food & Beverage Council to develop a standard language or metric that quantifies hotel ...Read More »
Taking a Measure of Meals
At PKF Hospitality Research, we've been pleasantly surprised by the strong rebound in lodging demand that has occurred since the depths of the great recession in 2009. While the positive impact this has had on room revenue has been a ...Read More »
U.S. Lodging Executives Positive About Business Conditions
DURHAM, N.H.—U.S. lodging executives are more positive about present general business conditions, although they are less optimistic about the next 12 months, according to the University of New Hampshire Lodging Executives Sentiment Index (LESI) for September. The index rose very ...Read More »
A Booming Business
While new development is tentatively rising overall in the hotel industry, it is booming in certain U.S. states. This demand is being fueled by the growing energy opportunities in places such as Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and West Virginia ...Read More »


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As of Wednesday, April 11, 2012
© Copyright 2015 Albany Herald
ALBANY, Ga. -- After midnight Wednesday, Harold Lawrnece heard the knock at the door. He told the men through the door his son "Lil Cap" wasn't home. They opened fire and he was hit in the stomach, according to Albany Police Department reports.
Lawrence, 43, was taken from his 201 Patrol Drive home to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital for emergency medical treatment.
"The suspects are four black males, possibly traveling in a white Lincoln Town Car and a black Ford pickup truck," said Phyllis Banks, APD spokeswoman.
Lawrence never opened the door. He told the men that they should try to call his son on the son's cell phone, the report added. When Lawrence peered out through the peephole, the gunmen opened fire, striking him in the stomach, the report stated.
Lawrence's wife, Shameka, was also at home, but she was uninjured, the report stated.
Anyone with additional information should call Crime Stoppers at (229) 436-TIPS (8477) or investigations at (229) 431-3288. The Spanish speaking APD-COP Tip Line is (229) 434-2677.
Crime Stoppers is an anonymous tipline. People with information could become eligible for cash rewards.
tocar 3 years, 1 month ago
If people would live with some sense of normality, things like this would not happen. Normal people who work for a living go home and have a meal and time with their families and then go to bed at a decent hour. These black people did not have any right to shoot through the man's door and cause injury to an innocent man. I don't understand why people prowl at night and cause harm to others. Thugs need to go home and live your own lives and leave others alone. Get a real life that is morally good and decent.
Sister_Ruby 3 years, 1 month ago
tocar you're right but then again that requries that they be tough enough to work 5 days a week and commit themselves to one woman and be responsible for their progeny.
whattheheck 3 years, 1 month ago
Well, tocar, if folks did as you suggested they wouldn't be thugs so who would serve as the bad role model for children?
tywebb 3 years, 1 month ago
athletes and other entertainers
VSU 3 years, 1 month ago
I agree, but do you think these thugs care about that man's rights?
Jacob 3 years, 1 month ago
Any minute, I expect to hear from Al, Jesse, and the black panthers to show up and protests. Any minute....
VSU 3 years, 1 month ago
Nah, it was black men that shot him. That is of no concern to Jesse, Al and the Black Panthers.
Sign in to comment
More like this story
- APD WANTED for shooting: Four men in Lincoln Town car and black Ford pickup ( April 11, 2012 )
- Woman injured by gunfire ( January 1, 2012 )
- DRIVE-BY SHOOTING: Woman wounded twice. ( May 26, 2011 )
- Barbershop owner shot ( January 25, 2012 )
- Gunshot victim in good condition ( March 28, 2012 )


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printer advice
I'm wanting to buy a decent printer for once. I don't care about color or photo printing. My main concern is that if I want to print something (probably text) that I print it fast. Any suggestions?
You want fast or do you want professional quality?
Look on ebay and other places for an HP LaserJet 4. You can get it shipped for less than $100 and you'll have a laserjet that does 600X600 and is supported by every OS out there.
i have a laserjet 1200. it's great!
Quality in regards to printing photos is not important at all. I mainly want to print stuff out to read during travel at a later date. As long as it prints out the text with good quality, which I guess they all do, I just want it to be fast.
I did some looking up on my current OLD printer and it prints at 3.5 ppm. I've seen some printers for under a hundred that print up to 19 ppm.
Another related question: Any benefit to having a printer that connects with a USB?
I also have the laserjet 1200 and recommend it. However they don't make it anymore. The laserjet 1300 is the same exact priter with more RAM and it prints faster.
laser rocks!~2
I am looking for a color laser now!
The accountant for instance used to have a laserjet 4p and at the end of the month it would take her 4 hours to print out all the necessary documents she needed to wrap up the month. Now, it only takes 15 minutes. ;g
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|May 16, 2008, 08:28 AM
How do I cut and paste a person in Photoshop?
I have a photo of two people - I want to take those two people and put them in another photograph and make it look like it was real. How can this be done in Photoshop? The only thing I know about for this would be the magnetic lasso tool, but are there other things I can do to make it look more realistic? I'm new to Photoshop so any suggestions are appreciated. (Or if anyone knows of a link to a site that has good tutorials that would be helpful also)
|May 16, 2008, 08:38 AM
|May 16, 2008, 08:57 AM
|May 16, 2008, 09:55 AM
In any case, youll have to just take the time to learn the tools a bit, and use them to do what you need.
Depending on the two photo's lighting etc, it may be as simple as cutting around each person and moving them together. Otherwise there will be alot of tweaking to get the shadows, highlights, and color balance to match.
The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.
- B. F. Skinner
Like Polaroid?
Last edited by Sdashiki; May 16, 2008 at 12:02 PM. Reason: Meh
|May 16, 2008, 10:04 AM
We are not elite. We are not the only ones who deserve to know the "photoshops magics" stop shutting this person out.
Since you have CS3 i would start with the Quick Selection tool (W) basically everything you click on will be added to the selection you're making and it is a smart selection so it will find the correct parts of the person with little trouble.
once you select your people I would make a mask out of your selection by clicking the 3rd icon on the bottom of the layers palette (looks like a rectangle with a white circle inside it)
then you can refine your mask by using the brush tool, painting white to reveal more of the image and black to hide more of the image.
Or you can skip all this and go to Filter>Extract...
If I'd asked my customers what they wanted they would've said a faster horse - Henry Ford
|May 16, 2008, 10:07 AM
shift-select (to add to a selection) and option-select (to subtract) are your friends. Also, you'll probably want to play with the feathering settings to realistically blur your edge.
Here's an okay tutorial on selecting stuff.
Science-Based Running
|May 16, 2008, 10:08 AM
"refine edge" is very handy for this as well.
It's not always so easy to do cut/paste people and have it look authentic though.
(͡. ͡) Nothing lasts but nothing is lost.
|May 16, 2008, 10:15 AM
|May 16, 2008, 10:26 AM
This video is a good start, in fact its the best I've found:
|May 16, 2008, 10:42 AM
Best thing to do is to use the plain old lasso tool (l) to quickly and roughly outline the figure you want to transplant. Drag it into the target image with the move tool (v) and scale and reposition with the transform tool functions ( + t). Hit return when happy.
Next add a layer mask to the layer of the person you just added. This will allow you to paint the layer's opacity over the background layer.
Hit 'd' to reset your colours to black and white and switch to the brush tool (b). Painting in the layer mask (make sure you've got the layer mask selected and not the colour part of the layer) with black will hide, while painting with white will unhide the pixels of that layer.
Use hard edged or soft feathered brushes to get the desired type of edge blend. Don't worry about making mistakes. You're not erasing pixels, you're just hiding them. If you accidentally painted out a bit you want to keep, switch colours to white (x) and paint them back in.
Play with the Opacity and Flow percentages of the brush tool to control the behaviour of the paint laid down by the brush tool. [ And ] will scale the brush size down and up respectively.
Add adjustment layers grouped to the added person layer to do any necesarry colour grading and luminosity balancing. Adjustment layers can always be tweaked, removed or blended, so unlike the normal grading tools they are lossless. Keep an eye out for black levels, try and match them as closely as possible for better results.
If you really want to go to town you can have a go at fixing any light direction differences that might be present but that's perhaps a step too far if you are a beginner.
The more precise you are, the better the results will be, ultimately.
Save document in PSD to preserve all your work.
Hope this helps!
|May 16, 2008, 11:10 AM
Now the other part of your question, making it look "real" this is hard. First off the light on the cut out person and in the new scene has to be the same. From the same direction, the same color, and softness. You can't drop a person shot outdoors under a clear sky into a scene shot in the morning under overcast sky. Also peolle cast shadows and you may have to draw one in. Many times it is best to drop the person into the new scene and then place some other object over him so as to hide the prt where the feet contact the ground. Or maybe you can add some blur to hide your work. The "making it real" part is by far harder then selecting the person out of the first shot. Doing this in a group photo is the simplest case because you can put the person in the rear row and only have his face show, Hard to do a whole person unless you planned for it when you did both shots.
That said, I'm working on a joke Photo album. All my wife's pictures of our daughter are the same: Little girl standing dead center in frame looking into lens with a different background in each shot. I'm collecting famous, landmark backgrounds (great wall in China, Golden Gate Bridge, Eiffel tower and so on. I'll make a "Jamie's World Tour" and it will end with her on the moon with the lander in the background. For the pictures of the girl, I'll shoot her in front of a plain white wall and I'll grossly over expose the wall. In PS I'l be able to select the wall then invert the selection and have her "cut out" in 5 seconds. I'll need about two dozen poses with the wall, leaning, standing, sitting with different cloths. I'll move the light to match the lighting direction of each background shot. This is what I meant by "planning". A tiny bit of planning can save hours of PS work.
|May 16, 2008, 11:48 AM
If you want the professional way to do it, create a path around the subject using the pen tool. It's time consuming and strenuous but it will give you the best results no matter what background hands down.
If you want it quick and dirty, depending on the background that is, use the "Extract" filter and highlight the edges green and fill in what you want to keep blue. That tool senses contrast, so if you subject's edge contrast matches the background contrast it will get messy. Use this tool then use a soft eraser to clean up the edges.
What do I have?, stuff that I actually use for work! Some old, some new, all effective.
|May 16, 2008, 12:11 PM
With the green marker draw a thin line around the outline of the people you want to remove, then with the fill tool, fill it in (should be blue). Then hit preview. If there are any edges that need retouching there are 2 other tools you can use to refine the edges or take away anything that shouldn't be there.
You can also make a quick mask by selecting the quick mask button at the bottom of your tool bar and then painting in the people with the paint brush. Then when you deselect quick mask, the people (or whatever you painted on) will be selected.
|May 16, 2008, 12:12 PM
It's even harder making something not real look real.
To do it right, you have to set all of your shots up with the intended composite in mind. Light the exact same way. Shoot in front of white high key backdrops. Use the extract tool along with Quick Mask mode to pull people out, then use blending modes, adjustment layers, and masking to help blend the two together. Don't be afraid to paint shadows on a top blank layer to further merge the two elements into the same location.
|May 16, 2008, 02:07 PM
|May 16, 2008, 03:25 PM
Thanks for all of the replies everyone. I knew this would not be a super simple task but I just needed some advice to start.
|May 17, 2008, 07:29 AM
I'm late, but my advice: use masking
The problem with trying to get the cut-out just right is that it can be very very frustrating. Take your lasso, or whatever tool you want (magic wand, etc) and use the "add" and "subtract" to get it -close-
Then copy the selection to a new layer
Then create a mask on that layer - on CS3 it's very easy.
Then you make sure that layer is on top (it should be by default)
Then you click on THE MASK and using a small brush (a bit of feathered edge works well here) you can paint BLACK on the mask to make the parts you don't want just magically disappear.
The real beauty of this approach is that if you make a mistake, then just hit "x" and you'll be painting with white which will pull the bit you just "erased" right back again. It's very easy to just paint black then white, back and forth on a mask and get it just right. You can also use the "[" and "]" keys to quickly adjust the paintbrush size.
I don't know how clear that is, but I have found masking an incredibly useful resource on many levels. Just remember that "white reveals and black conceals" when working on a mask.
|May 17, 2008, 07:43 AM
Traditionally I would have masked. Recently I have started using paths. Polygonal L works too. As people have said, it's a skill you have to learn, but it can be great fun and certainly something you can teach yourself - though you may end up using tools in inefficient ways.
|May 17, 2008, 09:46 AM
This is the way I have been doing it for years. It takes a little longer, but for me it is what I do and gives you a pretty good amount of control.
I found this awhile ago and have been using it ever since. It is a little more time consuming especially if the subject you are taking out has a lot of edges. There are other ways, as you can see by this thread.
Good luck!
"It's quite an experience to hold the hand of someone as they move from living to dead."
"Times are looking grim these days, holding on to everything, it's hard to draw the line"
|May 18, 2008, 12:58 PM
|May 20, 2008, 10:59 AM
Using paths is the best way to go in terms of accuracy of selection, but unfortunately it requires the most work..
|May 20, 2008, 11:13 AM
The way I would do it in Photoshop CS3
1. Use the quick selection tool to select the person and then "refine edges"
2. Once happy with the selection copy using Cmd C
3. Open the photo you want to paste the selection into and paste using Cmd V
4. Use Edit / Transform / scale to get the size right.
5. Once happy with the result, flatten the image and save.
Father Jack Hackett
Parochial house
Craggy Island
2.66 GHz Mac Pro with 12 Gb ram + 30" Dell.
|May 22, 2008, 09:55 AM
I tried to make a path and then a channel but then when I go to Extract and I choose the channel, the green line it creates is not solid so I basically have to redo it or else when I try to fill it in it will fill the whole picture.
Last edited by c073186; May 22, 2008 at 04:42 PM.
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Live Bat Drops in for a Lecture about Bats, or "Bat Lady of Ojai" Saves Injured Bat
I had warned last weeks audience that they should arrive early to next Saturday's bat program and stake out a chair as seating indoors is limited. I had no idea that there would be a live bat clinging under a cabinet, just inches above the floor and in full view in our meeting room! Did we need pest control, a bat rehabilitator or do we just force it out of the building?
Around 10:00 in the morning, while in route to the center, I received a call from Docent Cindy Wright that we had a bat in the center and it was not trying to get away. It also seemed to be ill or injured. Noise and motion did not cause the small mammal to fly away. Cindy, the kind-hearted, chose not to just open the door and shoo it away; she wanted to see it get humane care.
I called Ranger Kris Mashburn, known affectionately as the "Bat Lady of Ojai," but couldn't connect. Ironically Ranger Kris was scheduled to give her talk Bats You Never Imagined program on that day at 2 PM. We waited and kept the early birds at bay in the hallway until she arrived.
Our hero and the bat's hero walked in, scooped the bat into a small towel, calmed it and gave it comfort. In a matter of a few minutes she had the bat in her bare hand and began hydrating and feeding the small creature meal worms. She is truly the Bat Whisperer. Many people peered in from the hallway and were privy to a unique learning experience they will never forget.
Ranger Kris is a naturalist for California State Parks at McGrath State Beach and a licensed rehabilitator of bats. She helps injured bats and releases them back into the wild. Her work and the effort of other bat rehabilitators are important as bat populations are continuing to decrease. Bats only produce one offspring a season.
Contrary to legends bats are not blind, they can see as well as humans do, in fact their vision is better than ours and their sonar makes them very efficient at feasting on insects in the dark. Bats are not only shy, gentle, and intelligent but also soft and silky from their fastidious cat-like cleaning routine. Bats are closely related to primates and lemurs.
Kris gave a richly illustrated show, made up of close-up photos of bats depicting their many colors, sizes and looks, and received high scores of "oohs" and "ahs" with the audience as her enthusiasm and special talents of communicating worked well with kids of all ages.
At the end of the performance Kris brought out a live squeaking Pallid Bat, much to the delight of our wide-eyed young audience. Thank goodness Kris always brings meal worms and an eyedropper for her furry wildlife ambassador.
Kris examined the bat's injured wing and felt confidant that the bat will make a good recovery. We are all impressed at what she does. The California State Parks system is lucky to have her as an employee.
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Product: Mobile > Cell Phones > T-Mobile Cell Phones > SGH-T109
How Do I Use Speed Dial On My SGH-T109 Phone?
To use the speed dial feature on the handset, while in standby mode, press and hold the contact's speed dial entry number until both the name and phone number appear in the display and the number is dialed.
For more information on the SGH-T109 or click here.


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News from WTOP
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Shows & Panels
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Video games come of age as spectator sport
Friday - 8/29/2014, 10:06am EDT
AP Business Writers
NEW YORK (AP) -- Video games have been a spectator sport since teenagers crowded around arcade machines to watch friends play "Pac-Man." And for decades, kids have gathered in living rooms to marvel at how others master games like "Street Fighter II" and "Super Mario Bros."
But today there's Twitch, the online network that attracts millions of visitors, most of whom watch live and recorded footage of other people playing video games --in much the same way that football fans tune in to ESPN.
Twitch's 55 million monthly users viewed over 15 billion minutes of content on the service in July, making Twitch.tv one of the world's biggest sources of Internet traffic. According to network services company Sandvine, Twitch generates more traffic in the U.S. than HBO Go, the streaming service that's home to popular shows such as "Game of Thrones" and "Girls."
Fans watch for the same reasons ancient Romans flocked to the Colosseum: to witness extraordinary displays of agility and skill.
Jacob Malinowski, a 16-year-old Twitch fan who lives outside of Milwaukee, admits that some may question the entertainment value of Twitch's content.
"(But) I think it's interesting because you get to watch someone who's probably better at the game than you are," he says. "You can see what they do and copy what they do and get better."
Amazon's commitment to purchase Twitch for nearly $1 billion this week is an acknowledgement that the service's loyal fan base and revenue streams from ads and channel subscriptions present enormous opportunity.
Most Twitch viewers are gamers themselves who not only see the live and recorded video sessions as a way to sharpen their abilities, but also as a way to interact with star players in chatrooms or simply be entertained.
Sorah Devlin, a 31-year-old mother of two from Geneva, New York, says she watches Twitch with her 7-year-old son and 4 year-old daughter and enjoys it more than children's television programming. Their game of choice is "Minecraft," which lets players build --or break-- things out of cubes and explore a blocky 3-D world around them. Devlin and her kids watch popular "Minecraft" players who go by names such as iBallisticSquid and SuperChache show their skills. The players, she says, have a sense of humor and are good at keeping the content "at most PG" so she is comfortable watching them with the kids.
"He likes being able to ask questions and it made him open up more," she says of her son. As for Amazon's purchase, Devlin says she was "kind of surprised, but I think they are starting to realize that gamers are much more of an enterprise than they thought."
Indeed, Twitch fans are the stuff of advertisers' dreams. They are mostly male and between the ages of 18 and 49, an important demographic for advertisers. Twitch's so-called user engagement is high. Nearly half of visitors spend 20 or more hours a week watching Twitch video, according to the company.
"You've got a hyper-growth platform with a niche audience," says Nathaniel Perez, global head of social media at advertising firm SapientNitro. "It's basically the best you can get, from an advertisers' perspective."
As a result, Twitch commands premium prices from advertisers. The company's cost per thousand views, or the amount an advertiser pays to run one video ad 1,000 times, is $16.84 in the U.S., according to video ad-buying software company TubeMogul. That's well above the average $9.11 per thousand advertisers typically pay for video ads placed on other sites.
"Their users are relevant to so many advertisers," says Alex Debelov, CEO and co-founder of Virool, a video advertising platform company.
Twitch can be lucrative for talented gamers too. The site allows some gamers who set up channels --what the company calls "broadcasters"-- to charge $5 monthly subscription fees to viewers. Plus Twitch gives a portion of all ad revenue to broadcasters.
Twitch didn't start out as a video game-focused company. The company, based in San Francisco, spun out of Justin.tv, a quirky service that revolved around a video feed tracking the daily activities of co-founder Justin Kan. The focus shifted to live video for gamers in 2011.
Brett Butz, 26, who works as a compliance officer outside of Boston, says he's spent $20 to $25 to watch content on Twitch, which is "more than I ever paid for YouTube," which also broadcasts games. While YouTube is popular with gamers, Butz says he prefers Twitch as a place to view games.
Amazon is promising to let its newest acquisition operate independently. But for some gamers, the deal brands Twitch with a corporate stamp.
"I'm curious to see if, in a year, it'll still have cache," says Patrick Markey, psychology professor at Villanova University who focuses on video games. "It's definitely considered a gamer platform but now that Amazon is buying it, is it becoming mainstream ... is it going to lose its coolness?"
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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In the four days since I posted about the Creative Table project, I've been amazed at the variety of ideas that have come from this International group; everything from a geology lesson to oversized PVC pipe tinkering toys to making paper dolls. As I'm typing this, more creative table images are coming in, and I'll be sure to post those next week. These images are mostly … [Read more...]
Click through to view our Book and Supply Shop on Amazon … [Read more...]
St. Paddy's Day Photo Booth
I've always loved St. Paddy's day, and then I lucked out and married a cute Irishman. We spent part of our honeymoon in Ireland, and the green island holds a special place in my heart. A few weeks ago I asked the Tinkerlab Facebook community for some ideas on what I could do with a huge pile of old sheets. I got tons of great ideas, and we started by making a Simple Clip … [Read more...]
Tinkerlab on Instagram
Hi all! It's been a rough couple of days with a one year old who's not afraid to fight sleep. I think she's teething, but who really knows, and coffee has been getting me through the days. I had big ideas about sharing Valentines projects and more paper bag experiments, but the reality is that I have a huge pile of dishes to contend with and bags under my … [Read more...]
Join the Next Creative Challenge
One year ago I started this series of Creative Challenges with a toilet paper/loo roll challenge. The series began on a small scale and has grown along with my blog to include a generous sponser [Kiwi Crate] and a host of talented bloggers and non-blogging friends who focus on process-oriented projects with their children or students. The challenges are bi-monthly, and we have … [Read more...]


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Start creating great looking particle animations for rain, smoke, fire, and more with Particle Flow in 3ds Max.
Introduces the viewer to the complete range of options available in the 3ds Max MassFX (also known as PhysX) toolset.
"Your website has become a verb. I had a client tell me today that they were lynda.comming their way through learning new software. You've joined the ranks of Googling, Photoshopping, and Skyping!" —Jill W.
more from our members »


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REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Incisionless surgery is the most significant advancement in surgical medicine in decades. It is being rapidly adopted by a wide variety of academic and private hospitals around the world, with over 700 StomaphyX(TM) and EsophyX(TM) procedures already performed globally. Despite the fact that both StomaphyX(TM) and EsophyX(TM) just obtained FDA clearance this year, over 50 U.S. centers have already been trained to perform these Natural Orifice Surgery (NOS) procedures and over 20 additional groups are scheduled to be trained in December.
Today, 3 training centers that have performed over 40 StomaphyX cases
each and are starting to perform EsophyX cases are training surgeons in NOS
technique. Courses are offered twice per month, with either academic or
private setting options available. Current training centers include:
-- The Ohio State Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio
-- Munroe Regional Health Systems in Ocala, Florida
-- Mercy Medical Center in New York
Dr. Dean Mikami, Assistant Professor of Surgery at Ohio State University (OSU) who performed the first StomaphyX(TM) procedure in the U.S., started the first StomaphyX(TM) training center, and has trained the majority of surgeons, states, "I have been very impressed with the performance of the StomaphyX(TM) device and the evolution of the procedure. Before StomaphyX, I had very few options to offer my patients. We have been performing a wide variety of procedures with StomaphyX and are able to address multiple medical conditions with one procedure. It is clear that transoral surgery is the way of the future and we are pleased to be leading this medical advancement."
"It was clear to me from the moment I first saw StomaphyX that these
incisionless procedures offer tremendous advantages," reports Dr. Todd
Overcash, of the Florida Bariatric Center who is one of the original four
surgeons trained in th
|SOURCE EndoGastric Solutions, Inc.
Copyright©2007 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved


text:
See your color on these designs right now!
Enter your colors here, then click the icon below any design to preview it in your colors.
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Simple and Elegant
The Magnets came quickly and the picture was top quality
They did a good job
Pleased with the product and would use them again.
fun and easy
We had a lot of fun designing our save the date magnets, and I was really happy with the outcome! The colors looked just how they did online and the magnets are nice quality. They came very quickly and we just love them!
Love it!
Love our save the date magnets! We will definitely order wedding invites from your company as well! Thank you for making it easy and sending samples!!


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Famous quotes by Lilly Tomlin, as Ernestine the Operator:Sort:PopularA - Z
|The phone company handles 84 billion calls a year --- everything from kings, queens, and presidents to the scum of the earth.
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Happy New Year to everyone! And thank you for your support during 2011.
I know we see a lot of these treads, but we are just excited that we managed to reach the Blue Steel Paw yesterday with only Codecanyon (WordPress plugins) items.
In 2012 it will be time to take on some of the other marketplaces.
We wish you all good luck and a prosperous New Year.
Richard & Alberto
Congrats, I also reached my Black paw. Still a long way for the steel, though
Amazing achievement when selling plugins!
Congrats omarabid as well
Congrats, that's incredible earning from CC.
Happy New Year!
Congrats guys!!
Congrats! Really nice numbers for CC!
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What does NDOC stand for?
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Newbury District Ornithological Club
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National Defense Operations Center
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"NDOC." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2015. Web. 28 May 2015. <http://www.abbreviations.com/NDOC>.


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Fixing the Enhanced Battle Cloak
View Single Post
Archived Post
Lt. Commander
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 120
# 18
Originally Posted by
The point is not just to win a battle, but to win with honor.
Jam haddar can win battles too, they don't care for honor, klingons (should) do.
Game mechanics should urge players to play less like jem haddar (or duras
Just my opinion.
Live long and prosper.
Not to continue the whole ethics debate, but the whole "that is not honourable therefore klingons cant do it" argument is really starting to get on my nerves with STO.
Klingons, and especially the concept of Klingon Honour, is nowhere near as black and white as people seem to think. That is precisely why even Klingons themselves often have difficulty understanding what is, or is not, considered "honourable".
As it stands, whether or not cloaking during combat is "honourable" is dependant on the reasoning behind doing it.
If you're cloaking specifically to run from a fight then yes its more romulan and less klingon. However, if you're using it as a tool to regroup and prepare a second strike, which is precisely what the majority of klingon players use it for, then it is indeed an honourable use of the cloak. There is no honour in just running in and dieing either, so if you use a decloak, attack, and recloak in an effort to find a weakness before beginning your actual strike, then that too is also an honourable use.
Point is, there are a hundred different ways at looking at it with just as many scenarios being honourable as there dishonourable. That distinction between the two is the Klingon holly grail.
As far as the B'Rel's cloak is concerned, it doesn't matter how you dress it up, Feds are always going to complain that it's overpowered and unfair which is precisely why it has wound up in the sorry mess that it is currently in.
In my opinion we should stop looking for excuses as to why a small ship is as powerful as a T5 ship needs to be, and simply give the B'Rel exactly the same stats as the Hegh'Ta. If it really needs a unique ability, then give it the following;
Periscope - Captain takes hold of the periscope
Gives the BoP increased damage for x-seconds
Everything would then be fine and balanced.


text:
WILKES-BARRE — Board members of Hawkeye Security Solutions, the nonprofit corporation overseeing the city's camera surveillance system, voted Wednesday to limit the use of an out-of-town law firm and look locally for representation.
Board member and City Councilman Mike Merritt said Fox Rothschild LLP of Philadelphia will not be considered "for any kind of litigation that doesn't lend itself to expertise in closed circuitry."
"For everything else we're looking to go local," he said.
The law firm had an area connection in J.J. Murphy, former city administrator, who was instrumental in the creation of the citywide surveillance system. Murphy's brother, former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, is a partner in the firm.
Fox Rothschild hired J.J. Murphy's Goals Consulting at a rate of $300 an hour to work on the plan to lease the city's parking assets. He was paid about $35,000 before the Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority board capped the consulting fees and later scrapped the plan, terminating Fox Rothschild.
J.J. Murphy left his position with the city in 2010. He was hired last year as city manager for Hobbs, N.M.
At its regularly scheduled monthly meeting, the Hawkeye board also held off on paying a bill from the law firm for $3,602. The board wants an explanation and not just a dollar amount for the bill, Merritt said.
Merritt held off on committing to paying the bill even it's itemized. "If it's warranted, sure," he said.


text:
The SPRING FARMERS' MARKET RETURNS!!
SATURDAY, MARCH 7th | 9:00AM - NOON | FRIEND'S CHURCH BASEMENT
The Farmers' Market is back at our toasty indoor location, Friends Church, 66 North Mulberry Street in downtown Wilmington, next, Saturday, March 7th!! The Market will be open from 9AM - Noon.
Come see your favorite vendors (and maybe some new faces!!) and get stocked up on the freshest, tastiest, local produce around!! From meats, eggs, seasonal produce, baked goods, crafts, soaps and beauty products, and so much more... we've got it all at the Clinton County Farmers' Market!!
Customers are asked to use the rear entrance of the Church off of the Municipal Building parking lot.
The Market will resume for the spring on the first and third Saturdays in March, April, and May. Location will be determined by weather as we move into the spring!!
For more information, please call 937-382-2737.
We apologize for the inconvenience, but we do not distribute EBT or credit/debit tokens at the Winter Market.


text:
No Place Like Home
Trapped in every direction by the pitfalls of whatever resembles principle, the party had only treacle and excess to promote itself. I didn't make it to the Welcome Party in St. Petersburg before the convention, but a young delegate from Oklahoma named Jorge told me how it had impressed him.
"It reminded me of The Hunger Games, like we were going to the Capitol." It was invitation-only, and the bus he was on from Tampa with other delegates passed the armaments paid for by the $50 million that Congress gave each host city for security. About 3,000 out-of-town officers from some sixty different agencies were deployed. ICE was there, TSA, Homeland Security, the National Guard, the Secret Service. They made a kind of bivouac under a highway overpass, where troops coming off duty reclined with energy bars while others began their shifts. Most wore the same beige uniforms. The aim was to create "a perception of overwhelming force," Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, a Democrat, told ABC. Outside the expansive downtown security zone, a waterfront park, the county center, the police department and a monument to fallen officers were also barricaded. Overhead, helicopters buzzed.
This was Jorge's first national convention. His bus passed through gates to Tropicana Field, where the party was held. "There was so much food. They had a whole pig, with the head and all, laying there on the table. I thought, Really, you're doing this in a recession?" People were dressed up, some in the kind of partisan costume familiar to conventiongoers, others in the uniform that would be apparent every day in the halls of the forum: short, tight dresses for the women, teetering on platform shoes; khaki and rolled shirt sleeves for their squishy men; maybe a pair of Stars-and-Stripes trousers on a hipster. A country star commanded the stage with cheerleaders for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their scanty pirate togs.
For every conventioneer there was a swag bag advertising Busch Gardens, and for every journalist, too. Like provisions for intrepid hunters in the Safari of Fun, it included sunglasses, sunscreen and a battery-operated personal fan that generated no breeze. Here were breath mints, courtesy of railroad giant CSX; a beer can holder, courtesy of the Tampa Bay Storm; No Apology, courtesy of Mitt Romney; a luxury coffee-table magazine called Bay Pop.
"The [Tampa Bay] community is not the flashiest, but the wealth is outrageous," Rob Elder, president of Elder Automotive, told Bay Pop in a mini-profile wedged between features on rare colored diamonds, equestrian-themed fashion and an auto spread that wondered, "Been dreaming of a crossover [SUV] that goes 200 mph and costs 200K? An all-electric, speedster SUV? A custom-built version that can run you over $300,000? All are on the way."
It was only a promo giveaway, but symbolically it told a story that in other ways the convention sought to keep under wraps. I had picked up mine a few days later at the Convention Center, where the press was mustered, where fawning reporters listened to whatever Jon Voight wanted to say and looked on as Michael Steele did his cutting-up routine. Google had its own cafe. The energy company CNGnow was offering free water and specialty coffee. It was pleasant there in the glass box, with a waterside view and little areas carpeted in AstroTurf with bright blue picnic tables by cheery tableaux of flowers, trees and butterflies. In other circumstances I might have appreciated it as an hommage to Florida kitsch, but in real life the kitsch has been bulldozed. Tampa's towers could be in any city, and there were too many ads, too many lies, too many party leaders onstage justifying all because their parents had come to this country with only $10 or had dug in the mines or had started a business with no one's help, too many delegates mouthing talking points like robots on Obamacare and the need to bite the bullet on entitlements and the shame of throwing Israel "under the bus."
I was regarding Bay Pop with a couple of working-class delegates in T-shirts, Ron Paul supporters who now call themselves free-thinkers and who were not prepared for their encounter with the Republican Party. They'd thought they were coming to Tampa to hammer out positions, to gather together, as another first-time delegate told me, "to make plans to save the United States." They were shocked that the convention was scripted. Shocked by the overwhelming presence of corporate money. They looked at the magazine's cover boy, a smug, square-jawed model under the title "The Young Delegates," and compared him to people walking the halls. "Plastic people with plastic brains," they said, and then told me a story about an 8-year-old who'd come to Tampa with his parents to be part of history. The boy was precocious, wearing a Paul button and delighting grown-ups on the convention floor before the proceedings. "And what do you think of Mitt Romney?" somebody asked him, hopefully. "Screw Mitt Romney," said the child.
* * *


text:
By Christian Viveros-Fauné
Bridget Everett Whacks Rock Bottom at Joe's Pub
By Miriam Felton-Dansky
The Valley of Astonishment Will Leave You...Astonished
By Tom Sellar
By Tom Sellar
By Jessica Dawson
In September, Site-Specific Theater Rules the Day
By Tom Sellar
How Chuck Jones Defined America Through Cartoons
By R. C. Baker
Between Riverside and Crazy Bares Its Wounds
By Tom Sellar
After a seven-year absence, Ellis dares gossip-rag column space with Lunar Park, his first book cast in the past tense, a multi-genre thriller starring a middle-aged, drugged, neurotic, lecherous, and lonesome author named Bret Easton Ellis. The character teaches creative writing part-time while outlining a "pornographic thriller," Teenage Pussy, which tells the tale of a Kundera-savvy Don Juan seduced by a 16-year-old's bedroom innocence (and pliability). Scribes adrift in self-made fictional worlds aren't new (see Dante, J.S. Foer), but with Ellis, the authorial intrusion might give some reason to open the book instead of going by secondhand analysis.
Lunar Park finds a relapsing Ellis in an East Coast McMansion with (invented) actress Jayne Dennis, attempting to build a relationship with Robby, the boy he fathered with her 11 years earlier. Just prior to finding out about Jayne's pregnancy, Ellis learns that his estranged father, Robert, has died of a massive stroke. Made executor of the crumbling estate, Ellis inherits regret, guilt, and Armani suits with bloody inseam stitching (the results of Pa's botched penis implant). He links astronomy-loving Robby to the event. A self-professed "professional" video game player, Robby is deservedly distant, but Jayne has a six-year-old, stuffed-animal-toting daughter, Sarah, with an absent L.A. producer pop, who calls Ellis "Daddy."
Never quite on the same page as a couple, Jayne hangs with David Duchovny at a Halloween party while Ellis snorts cocaine with exBrat Pack chum Jay "The Jayster" McInerney in the bathroom after unsuccessfully trying to fuck his romantic obsession, Aimee Light, a student writing her thesis on Ellis. Past books are echoed: Attraction's bisexual Mitchell Allen is a neighbor lusting after Jayne; "Disappear Here," the billboard slogan that haunted Clay in Less Than Zero, becomes a clue for panicked parents.
Prior to the narrative, Ellis diagrams his opening sentences and career trajectory from stark Less Than Zero to Glamorama's Henry James in Prada. The progressive thorniness mirrors the excess and entanglements of his life (lists of drugs taken, orgies rivaling anything in Rabelais). With Lunar Park, he hopes for a return to simplicity. But first he hovers over the reception of each novel, especially his postAmerican Psycho relation to "transgression," something he says he still doesn't get. "I see myself pretty much left out of that kind of grouping," he decides. "I don't feel that I fit into the smarty-pants David Foster WallaceFranzen-Lethem crowd. I don't feel I'm in Palahniuk's group. I kind of feel I'm alone, but would like to be grouped." More worrisome to Ellis diehards will be his analysis of American Psycho, both inside the book and out. "When I reread American Psycho, I was horrified," Ellis says. "You mellow out a little [with age]. You becomefor better or worse, depending on the writermore sincere, more real, and try not to hide behind conceptual ideas." Then again, perhaps he's bluffing.
Lunar Park could be interpreted as retrospective, but Ellis insists the decision was the result of a "technical problem": "I had done this very long outline while I was working on other stuff and it was pretty much the book as it is now, but [the main character] wasn't Bret Easton Ellis." Blocked, realizing that it was already autobiographical, he keyed his name into the text. "When I decided to make that choice everything opened up," he says. "The book then became much more driven and much more personal to me." Of course, scoop-craving critics have remained too concerned with discerning fact/fiction. "Yes, I was attacked by a bird doll. It bit my leg open. I was on a cane for a year. I don't like to talk about it. I don't want to go there," he says sarcastically. "But did I dine in the White House in '86? Probably not."
Besides focusing on the family ties at 307 Elsinore Lane (plus bland, pot- smoking dinner parties and PTA conferences), Lunar Park is a ghost story and a Charlie Kaufman showdown between the writer and his everyday self, written under Philip Roth's influence and as homage to childhood hero Stephen King. There are 12 days of manifestations and disturbances taking place from late October to November: The house decays; a child's toy gets possessed by a demon (see bird doll, above). It also seems Ellis's father is trying to reach him from the beyond: E-mails arrive from the bank where his father's ashes were deposited; he spots a familiar cream-colored 450 SL in various locations. To make matters worse, someone's enacting murders out of American Psycho, and teenage boys have mysteriously gone missing. But perhaps the biggest sign of suburban dystopia: Victor, the family's golden retriever, hates him.
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