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Some justices on the Supreme Court have cast an ongoing campaign contribution case as an attack on free speech.
The case – McCutcheon v. FEC – could be the country's most consequential campaign finance decision, at least in the last few years. Laws passed during the Watergate era capped contributions to candidates during a two-year election cycle at $48,600. Contributions to political parties and committees were capped at $74,600. Through their upcoming decision, the Supreme Court could scrap those limits That would be unwise.
By keeping those campaign finance limits, it ensures needed reforms are kept in place. While no voter should be barred from voicing support for a particularly candidate, the adage "money talks" certainly comes to mind concerning campaign contributions. Whether it's labor unions and Hollywood elites on the left or big corporations on the right, campaign cash is funneled to candidates so extensively that the average person's donations easily become dwarfed.
The soccer mom donating to her state's senator or the construction worker writing a check to his House rep certainly doesn't carry the influence of a mega-donor who can contribute hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
What's not at stake in the court's ruling is the base limit for contributions to candidates – $2,600 for both primary and general elections.
But if the aggregate caps are removed, the next challenge could easily be to pull the plug the $2,600 campaign restrictions to individual candidates. Donors can already contribute endless sums to groups known as super PACS, organizations that can engage in political activities, but cannot award money directly to candidates.
Contributions aren't like putting up a campaign sign in someone's yard. Donations can go toward cross-country flights, hours of TV exposure, and ads splattered across newspapers and the web. Campaign finance reform has made small steps along the way, garnering bipartisan support, particularly through legislation engineered by Republican Senator John McCain and former Democratic Senator Russ Feingold.
However, the court's decision could open the flood gates, truly creating an electoral mess for our country.
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Innovation Methods Mapping
This is a preview version of the Innovation Methods Mapping Book. Copyright OPEN Innovation Consortium & Humantific. This book will soon be published. If you would like to be placed on the list to be notified when the book is available in print form feel free to send an email to: inquire (at) openinnovationconsortium (dot) org
FINDING 23 Open Innovation, defined as multiple, internal and external humans engaging together to address challenges with open tools, has been part of applied creativity (CPS) history since the 1940s. The much later arriving reformulated 2003 version of Open Innovation significantly narrowed the focus to the question of who participates. This study returns the conversation to earlier broader considerations of what Open Innovation is today and might be in the future, including the consideration of methods and tools. Humantific for OPEN Innovation Consortium 60 Innovation Methods Mapping

subset: commoncrawl


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Added to My List as a guest*.
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Kiss My Face Hand Soap Moisturing Olive & Aloe® -- 9 fl oz
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YIELD: Serves 8
Place cauliflower in large microwave-safe bowl. Add leeks and 1 cup broth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Microwave on high until vegetables are very soft, about 14 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to processor. Blend until smooth. Mix in cooking broth by tablespoonfuls to thin, if desired. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm, covered, in microwave before serving.)


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Internships Available at Light
Light Knowledge Resources is looking for interns to assist in the writing of the content for Light's health-related websites.
These internships are unpaid positions offering excellent experience for applicants pursuing careers in health care or journalism.
For more information about Light's internships, please visit the below webpages about each of the available positions:
Writing Internship
How to Apply
Anyone interested in one of the above internship positions should send a resume including GPA and SAT/GRE scores, and a letter describing why you are interested and what type of experience you have, to .
Recent Experiences
Some of Light's past and current interns have said the following about their internship experiences:
Writing for The Myeloma Beacon has been an incredibly valuable and, indeed, rewarding experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone with a background interest in medicine or human biology or to anyone who enjoys writing and editing and wants the experience of contributing to such a meaningful endeavor.
Katie Goodman, Myeloma Beacon Writer
Columbia Law School
Being a part of The MDS Beacon team has been highly beneficial to me through broadening my knowledge of the relatively unknown condition of MDS and giving me experience in science journalism. My research and writing skills have been strengthened through the wide range of writing that the internship requires, as well as the in-depth feedback from editors and fellow interns. I would definitely recommend this internship to anybody interested in working with a highly professional yet friendly team to provide reliable health information to the public.
Biblia Kim, MDS Beacon Writer
Cornell University, 2008
My internship at Light has really taught me the value of team effort, and I've strengthened my editing and fact checking skills considerably since joining. I'd definitely recommend a position with Light Knowledge Resources to anyone looking to gain valuable editing experience.
Christen Brandt, Myeloma Beacon Managing Editor and Editor
Syracuse University
Working as managing editor and writer for The Myeloma Beacon gave me invaluable experience in conveying complex scientific and medical news to a patient audience. Serving as managing editor gave me the unique opportunity to strengthen leadership skills by managing fellow interns and directing the content on the site. I would recommend this internship to any students interested in career possibilities outside the laboratory or those who wish to strengthen their writing skills.
Emily Cole, Myeloma Beacon Managing Editor and Writer
Princeton University, Graduate Student
Working as a Managing Editor on a Beacon site has been an amazing experience. I highly recommend this position to anyone seriously interested in science writing or editing as a career. As Managing Editor, I've guided a team of writers and editors, interviewed scientists and written articles, edited and shaped content, and helped my team understand and convey science to a broader audience. Even more, I've had a direct impact on creating and developing a website, which is an experience I would not have had anywhere else. Thanks to my internship as a Managing Editor, I've made the decision to pursue science writing as a career, and now have the skills and experience I need to make it happen.
Courtney McQueen, AIDS Beacon Managing Editor
Princeton University, Graduate Student


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presented by Terrie Nichols, Eric Preibisius, Tammi Marshall, Dan Curtis, firstname.lastname@example.com
Workshop Number: CC-S-125
Location: H-127
We'll break out into groups to discuss SLO assessment for Math 90 and Math 180 and above. The Math 90 group will discuss strategies for improving student attainment of the SLO identified during the Fall 2010 SLO workshop as well as plans for reassessing these slo this semester. The Math 180 and above group will discuss proposed revisions to the course-level SLO for Math 180, 245, 280, 281, 284, and 285 and plans for assessment of these courses.


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OKC Thunder: Opinions vary on quality of Thunder draftees
Thunder vice president/assistant general manager Troy Weaver described the 6-foot-5, 195-pound Abrines as "one of the best, most talented, young players in all of Europe. He's 19 years old and just a gifted basketball player. (He) can do a lot of things with the ball, a natural feel for the game for a young age."
The 6-foot-10, 232-pound Jerrett left Arizona after his freshman season during which he only started two of 34 games and averaged 5.2 points in 17.8 minutes.
"This guy can really shoot the ball," Weaver said of the 19-year-old Jerrett. "He shot 40 percent (.405) from 3(-point range) in college, which rarely happens for a 6-10 kid. We like his tools and his skill set."
Eight 7-footers were drafted in the first round and half the field in Orlando will have 7-foot rookie first-rounders.
In addition to Adams, also competing will be Philadelphia's Nerlens Noel, Boston's Kelly Olynyk, Brooklyn's Mason Plumlee and Utah's Rudy Gobert.
"Coming into the program you're going to have to understand there's going to be a learning curve for everybody," Presti said. "That's been the case across the board. One of the things about our team that we always have to keep in mind is that the core group is really still evolving and growing."


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TweakTown NewsRefine News by Category:
Laptops Posts - Page 12
Apple launches new MacBook Pro models, pricing starts at just $1299
Today at its big unveiling event, Apple debuted its updated models of the famed MacBook Pro laptop line. The biggest change is that now all MacBook Pro models will feature "Retina-quality" displays and that the aluminum uni-body devices now feature Intel's Haswell Processors.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro is powered by an Intel Haswell i5 processor that is clocked in at 2.4GHz and houses 4GB of RAM to keep everything nice and speedy. A 128GB PCIe-based SSD is present as well alongside 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Thunderbolt technology. The 13-inch MacBook Pro weighs in at under 3.5-pounds and is less than 3/4 of an inch thick. The 13-inch MacBook Pro will lighten consumer wallets by $1,299.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro gets a refresh as well and now runs a 2.0GHz i7 Intel Haswell processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Both feature Intel's integrated Iris Pro GPU, but an upgrade to an NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M GPU is available, which also bumps the processor up to 2.3GHz 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The 15-inch MacBook pro starts at just $1999 with the upgraded model running $2,599.
ASUS launches Transformer Book T100, features detachable tablet
Ultra-portable and convertible laptops have never been hotter than they are right now, and ASUS has just added fuel to the fire buy launching its new Transformer Book T100. The new convertible features a detachable 10.1-inch tablet running full Windows 8.1. Weighing in at less than 2-pounds the screen detaches to reveal a tablet weighing just 550g.
The new Transformer Book T100 is powered by an Intel Atom Z3740 quad-core processor and features 2GB of RAM to keep everything fluid and smooth. 32GB of storage is standard with 64GB being optionally available. The 10.1-inch screen boast a resolution of 1366x768 and is built on IPS technology to provide a very wide 178-degree viewing angle.
The T100 also features USB 3.0, 802.11a/b/g/n dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. Transformer Book is also bundled with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 with full versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. No pricing or availability were giving at the time of this writing.
Lenovo unveils the IdeaPad A10, its first Android-based laptop
Today Lenovo announced the all new IdeaPad A10, the companies first ultra-portable, dual-mode laptop to run Android 4.2. The A10 holds to its description of being ultra-portable too, the laptop weighs in at less than 2.5-pounds and measures just 17.3mm thick. Lenovo says that the new A10 was designed with users on the go in mind and that its new dual-mode feature will greatly enhance the user experience.
"With the recent explosive growth in Android-based, smart connected devices, customers are relying more on Android apps for both work and play. Why should they be required to switch and duplicate to use their laptop? Lenovo's A10 brings ultra-portability and dual-mode benefits to Android users at a reasonable price," said Bai Peng, vice president and general manager, notebook business unit, Lenovo Business Group. "Thin and light, with multiple modes and user-inspired innovations for an outstanding user experience ? the A10 is uniquely Lenovo."
The laptop features a 10.1-inch 1366x768 resolution display which can be flipped 300 degrees to enter "stand mode" allowing for a comfortable viewing angle when watching video content. The A10 is powered by an RK3188, a quad-core ARM Cortex A9 processor which gives the device the power it needs to function as a productivity device as well as an entertainment hub.
Apple issues recall on 2012 MacBook Air notebooks due to SSD failure
Today Apple issued a recall on all MacBook Air models sold between June 2012 and June 2013 that have a 64GB or 128GB SSD inside. These smaller SSDs were manufactured by Toshiba and have a defect from the factory that could cause users to lose all of their data. MackBook Air's with 256GB SSDs are not affected as their SSD was manufactured by Samsung.
Apple has determined that certain 64GB and 128GB flash storage drives used in the previous generation of MacBook Air systems may fail. These systems were sold between June 2012 through June 2013. To see if your drive may be affected, go to the Mac App Store, click on Updates and choose the MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.1. The firmware update will test your drive to see if it is affected.
Continue reading 'Apple issues recall on 2012 MacBook Air notebooks due to SSD failure' (full post)
Fujitsu unveils the Lifebook U904, features 14-inch 3800x1800 screen
Fujitsu has just unveiled its latest notebook, the Lifebook U904, which features a 14-inch IGZO panel and a super-high resolution of 3200x1800. There are two models, one with a glossy panel and touch input, and the second is an anti-glare panel without touch capabilities.
The Lifebook U904 is powered by Intel's Haswell range of processors with Intel HD Graphics 4400 powering the graphics side of things. We have it weighing in at 3.06 lbs and a thickness of 0.61 inches. Fujitsu claims that its Lifebook U904 is the "world's thinnest 14-inch ultrabook." There's a choice of an SSHD or SSD for storage, USB 3.0 and HDMI connectivity are featured, as well as optional LTE wireless which is a nice touch.
You can grab the Lifebook U904 from Fujitsu's online store starting from $1,999 which comes with a glossy touchscreen and 320GB SSHD. Windows 8.1 is featured, so you shouldn't expect to receive the Lifebook U904 until after October 17.
Google and HP launch Chromebook 11, retails for $279 without LTE
Yesterday I posted a rumor that HP was developing an 11-inch Chromebook and could release it very soon. As it turns out, that launch came much earlier than anyone expected. This morning Google and HP teamed up in New York City to launch the new Chromebook 11, a low-cost laptop that runs Google's Chrome OS.
The Google Chromebook 11 features a 1366x768-pixel, 11-inch IPS display that features a 176 degree viewing angle, while managing to shine 50-percent brighter. Processing is handled by a Samsung Exynos 5250 CPU and 2GB of RAM is present to keep things running nice and smooth. The Chromebook handled connectivity through dual Micro USB 2.0 ports and a wireless 802.11 N connection, use a Micro USB cable to charge their smartphones.
The Chromebook 11 weighs in at just 2.3-pounds and measures in at 0.7-inches thick. This lightweight design is accomplished thanks to a plastic exterior shell which surrounds a magnesium frame that provides strength and rigidity. The Chromebook 11 retails for $279, and is available to order from Google Play, Best Buy, Amazon, and direct from HP today.
Continue reading 'Google and HP launch Chromebook 11, retails for $279 without LTE' (full post)
Apple's MacBook line isn't doing so well this year
Apple is losing its war in multiple fronts at the moment, all while money is filling its coffers. It looks like MacBook shipments will decrease this year, even with the company increasing its orders to the upstream supply chain for new MacBook models.
The news comes from DigiTimes' sources in the upstream supply chain who also said that their shipments for the new MacBook devices have been increasing since June, with volumes in Q3 increasing by 10-20%. This growth is expected to continue going into this month. But, Apple is seeing issues with its shipment numbers in relation to a suspension of component shipments for a three-month period in the first half of the year, which will hurt overall MacBook shipments across 2013.
Last year, Apple shipped 13.03 million MacBooks, but only 5.3 million units were shipped in the first half of this year. This means that Apple needs to ship over 7.73 million units in the last six months of this year to just be equal to 2012's performance. I think this comes down to Apple not giving the world anything exciting in its Mac line, if it pushed touchscreen models into the mix, we might see a turn around.
LeakedTT: HP is developing an 11-inch netbook sized Chromebook
HP's Chromebook offerings have been limited to 14-inch models but if a recent leak is correct, a new 11-inch model may be on the way . Recently spotted in the PC Builders Energy Star qualification list, the new HP Chromebook 11 would feature an 11.6 inch display. The leak has been confirmed by a tipster sending in an unreleased Best Buy ad for the new device.
The device would weigh in at just 2.42-pounds while measuring in at just 0.7-inches thick, and battery life is said to be around 6.5-hours. HP has teamed up with Beats Audio to produce an immersive sound experience on the device as well, and a HP TrueVision HD Webcam is also listed.
As with all Chromebooks, Google is tossing in 100GB of free Google Drive space for 2 years. Unfortunately no pricing or availability information was provided with the leaks, and HP is remaining silent. Judging by recent Chromebook pricing, I expect the new HP Chromebook 11 to retail for around $199 with a 3G or LTE model being priced in the $299 range.
MSI's new GP Series of notebooks feature SteelSeries keyboards
MSI has just unveiled its GP Series of notebooks, which all feature SteelSeries keyboards to our surprise. There are three different models within the GP Series, the GP70 and two GP60 models.
The GP70 features a 17.3-inch 1600x900 display, an Intel Core i5-4200M "Haswell" processor, 1TB HDD, a 6-cell 90W battery, and an MSRP of $949.99. The GP60 2OD-072US sports an Intel Core i7-4700MQ "Haswell" processor, 15.6-inch 1920x1080-pixel display, 750GB 7200RPM HDD, 6-cell 120W battery and a $1,049.99 price tag.
The final notebook in the new GP Series from MSI is the GP60 2OD-052US which features an Intel Core i5-4200M "Haswell" processor, 15.6-inch 1366x768 display, 750GB HDD, 6-cell 90W battery and an MSRP of $899.99. All three GP Series of notebooks feature Windows 7 Home Premium, 8GB of DDR3L 1600MHz RAM, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, an SD card reader, two USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI 1.4 output, 720p-capable webcam and of course, the SteelSeries keyboard.
HP unveils Envy17 Leap Motion Special Edition notebook
Earlier tonight, HP unveiled its Spectre 13 Ultrabook, which featured an option 2560x1440 display and a wide touchpad. Now we have the company unveiling a premium 17-inch notebook, that features Leap Motion technology inside.
The HP Envy17 Leap Motion Special Edition features Intel's fourth-generation Core processors, otherwise known as Haswell, 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB 5,400RPM mechanical HDD with pricing starting at $1,049.99. HP allow you to upgrade the Envy17 Leap Motion Special Edition with a second HDD, where we would suggest putting in an SSD, and discrete NVIDIA graphics.
There's an option of a "17.3-inch diagonal optional full HD display" which means the stock machine won't feature a high-res display unfortunately. The selling point here is the Leap Motion controller, which is capable of tracking all 10 of your fingers in an area of eight cubic feet, as well as detecting movements as small as just 0.01mm.


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SENTIDO Tucan - Adults Only, Mallorca Island
- Free buffet breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking
Main amenities
- 177 guestrooms
- Restaurant and bar/lounge
- Outdoor pool
- Fitness center
- Spa services
- Airport shuttle
- 24-hour front desk
- Air conditioning
- Car rentals on site
- Front desk safe
- Concierge services
- Tour/ticket assistance
What's around
- Cala d'Or Marina (1.1 mi / 1.8 km)
- Vall d'Or Golf (5.2 mi / 8.3 km)
- Cala Domingo Beach (9.7 mi / 15.6 km)
- Cala Santany Beach (11.2 mi / 18.1 km)
- Cala Figuera Beach (12 mi / 19.3 km)
Enter dates to check prices
Hotel Info: 866-539-8117from $82
- Double Room
- Single Room
Recommended hotels
At a glance
Key facts
Hotel size
- This hotel has 177 rooms
- This hotel is arranged over 4 floors
- Check-in time 2:00 PM-11:30 PM
- Check-out time is noon
Required at check in
- Credit card or cash deposit required
- Government-issued photo ID required
Travelling with others
- No pets or service animals allowed
- Free WiFi in public areas
- Free WiFi in rooms
- Airport shuttle (available on request) *
- Free self parking (limited)
Other information
- Caters to adults only
Nearby Four Star Mallorca Island hotels
In the hotel
- Free buffet breakfast daily
- Restaurant
- Bar/lounge
- Poolside bar
- Outdoor seasonal pool
- Outdoor pool
- Fitness facilities
- Spa services on site
- Spa tub
- Pool sun loungers
- Steam room
- Pool umbrellas
- Sauna
- Billiards or pool table
- 24-hour front desk
- Concierge services
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Elevator/lift
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
In the room
- Air conditioning
- Balcony
- Shower only
- Hair dryer
- Flat-screen TV
- Free WiFi
- Phone
Top Mallorca Island hotels
Recently reviewed hotels in Mallorca Island
- Hotel THB Sur MallorcaFrom
"Stay only 1 day, and the hotel was.good. We will coming back."Jun 1, 2015
- Hipotels Cala Millor Park AparthotelFrom
"Very nice hotel , very good food and service . Definitely would come back again ."May 7, 2015
- Hotel SeglesFrom
"I arrived in the early afternoon and my hostesses were both on hand to greet me. They welcomed me, showed me my room and then spent some time going over a map of the village,…"Jan 23, 2015
- Marriott's Club Son AntemFrom
"Great hotel and wonderful for our family of five. Would definitely stay again!"Oct 25, 2014
Nearby hotels
Special features
DiningOnsite venue - This buffet restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
SENTIDO Tucan - Adults Only, Mallorca Island's small print
Also known as
- Hotel Tucan Santanyi
- Hotel Tucan Mallorca
- Gran Hotel D Or Tucan
- Hotel Tucan
- Gran D
- Gran Hotel Cala D Or
- Tucan Santanyi
- Tucan Albergo
- Gran D Alberghi
- Gran D Tucan
Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 2500, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation.
Optional extras
Airport shuttle service is offered for an extra charge of EUR 40 per vehicle
We have included all charges provided to us by this hotel. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.


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The Gift of Wounds
Robin LaFevers on Jan 10 2014 | Filed under: CRAFT, Inspirations, Shrinking Violets
None of us makes it through life without some kind of pain and loss and heartache. We are all of us, broken or wounded in some way. Some of these wounds arise from tragic circumstances: the loss of a loved when far before their time, abuse, neglect, betrayal.
But sometimes brokenness happens simply in the way any much used item becomes broken: a handle falls off after too many years of lifting too heavy a load, we crack due to extreme variations in temperature or weather, our insulation no longer insulate, or maybe we've just rusted through. Some of our wounds will be self inflicted as we humans have an astounding ability to get in our own way.
The thing is, these wounds and losses are necessary—as much a part of life as breathing, for without them it's hard to make the case that we've been truly living.
It is in the acquiring of those wounds that we become truly human. As painful as they are—they can also bring wisdom and strength, compassion and humility. If we let them.
They can also bring bitterness and calcification, close us down and shut us up tight.
That is what makes stories so essential to the human experience—they take the creators' wounds and turn them into something more—a gift that we dare to give the world.
I first came across this concept of wounds as gift in a book by Robert Rohr while researching theology for assassin nuns. And while he writes about spiritual matters, it occurred to me that the concept was equally true and relevant for writers.
While wounds bring suffering, they also allow us to grow and change and transform ourselves into something more. That is one of story's most important roles—showing us how to do just that with the circumstances that life has thrown us.
This is why books and paintings and drawings and music are so important to us, not only individually, but as a society: it illuminates the pain and joy of life and renders it fascinating and compelling, but also healing.
As writers, I believe this is at the very core of what we do—we take the raw stuff of our pain and doubts and fears transforms them into something that is, in turn, transformative to others.
I cannot emphasize enough how this DOES NOT MEAN all our stories need to be dark or tragic ones. Sometimes the absolute best way to point out such things is with lightness or humor's sharp bite. Even what can appear to be the most escapist form of art, serves a purpose in that it allows us to attain some psychic space from our own pain for a while. It gives us the breathing room to acquire enough distance to tackle our problems from a stronger perspective. Escape can be an important, natural step in the healing process.
I suspect that writers and other artists are those who are the most fascinated by the world's quirks and foibles and broken places. Not in a feeding off others pain way, but because it resonates so deeply with the jagged edges of our own broken spots and affirms that this is what it means to be human.
It is our wounds that make us human, else we would all be mannequins, robots, or simply annoying (or boring) as hell.
It is also why writing can be so scary, because that real and true connection is at the heart of our relationship with our readers. So an important (and hopefully comforting) thing to remember is this: Your wounds and scars will often not be obvious to your readers. Life's painful experiences come in an infinite variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. In writing about them, they don't need to be the exact same experiences you went through—but rather they simply have to spring from the same well.
It can be hard to learn to accept—let alone appreciate—our own wounds and understand how they can be a gift, both to ourselves and others. This is, in fact, something I struggle with daily, even as I recognize and appreciate the wounds of others, I work pretty damn hard to hide my own.
When you think of your friends and acquaintances—who are the most comforting to be around? Those that live in a closed up state of denial—never admitting to, let alone processing, life's pain? Or those who have been through some hardship of their own and can therefore offer you wisdom, compassion, and empathy, or simply an understanding silence without the pressure to be perfect.
When you think of your favorite, most beloved books, what truth did they share? In what way did they comfort you or open your eyes to some new facet of the world around you?
This is why it is so important that we tell the stories that arise from the core of who we are.
That we write from our own authentic heartaches and losses. That we take the dross that life has handed us and spin it into something more.
That is what makes some reading experiences resonate so strongly with us—we feel as if we have been exposed to something True and Real.
As the New Year stretches out in front of us, unsullied and full of promise, I wish for all of us the courage to write something real and true. Let that be our gift to ourselves—that we learn to accept that our wounds have value, and that we acquire the courage to share them with others.
What piece of fiction struck you as the truest book you have ever read? That resonated so fully with you that you still carry it with you in your soul?
About Robin LaFevers
Robin LaFevers is the author of fourteen books for young readers, including the Theodosia and Nathaniel Fludd series. Her most recent book, GRAVE MERCY, is a young adult romance about assassin nuns in medieval France. A lifelong introvert, she currently lives on a blissfully quiet hill in Southern California.
24 Responses to "The Gift of Wounds"
What a lovely post. Thank you!
This is why I write for and about teens–It's my hope that I can help them understand their own hard experiences and can help others who work with them to understand what stories they need. One book that has definitely stayed with me and become a part of me was Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson.
Thank you for this, Robin. So much that's so true in this post, but I'll answer your question instead of raving about you. Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood has stuck with me for its true depiction of being a girl and the complications of girl social life, although the sticking with me is due, in part, to the book taking place where I grew up, so I *was* a girl in Toronto, much like the main character in the novel.
I'll also be thinking about your insights about wounds, and not hiding, and aiming for the real and true for a long time, too.
Natalie – Cat's Eye has stuck with me, too! I've never seen anyone else mention it, so was excited to see your post. I loved it for its own content when I first read it, but decades later when I started to write, I loved it for its illustration that stories about the ordinary struggles of an ordinary life are worth writing. (BTW, I was a kid growing up in Stratford at the time I read it — not too far away from you.)
Well put, Robin!
I think the key to channeling this pain into our work (speaking from a novelist's perspective) is to not become melodramatic or preachy, but to let it inform and color the story in a meaningful way. A way that is true to the characters and/or the story. Not an easy or painless task to be sure, but one that can reap amazing results and be therapeutic for the writer as well.
All the best…
The Lord of the Rings. Really. Deep in my heart I like to imagine myself as having the power to conquer evil in spite of being otherwise fairly ordinary. Nearly every major character in that trilogy struggles to heal following a terrible wound – but they go on. Indeed, the wounds are what give them the courage to complete their journey and fulfill their mission. That resonates with me.
Your words: "That we write from our own authentic heartaches and losses. That we take the dross that life has handed us and spin it into something more.
That is what makes some reading experiences resonate so strongly with us—we feel as if we have been exposed to something True and Real."
That is how I write and what I like to read – books that come from the writer's personal experiences that s/he has spun into something more for the reader.
Beautifully expressed, Robin, and totally agree. But it can take time for those wounds to heal enough so that the writing isn't rubbing salt in them or inflicting the misery on others.
Lots of writers do this well (I also liked Cats Eyes) but one I've read recently was Ann Leary's The Good House, I believe partly stemming from her own experience with alcoholism but (and I mean this in a good way in the sense of separation between author and narrator) you wouldn't know it.
The Red Pony by Steinbeck comes to mind. There was one line in that book that always stuck with me. It was a quote from the boy's (now dead) grandfather. He'd said that the pioneers travelled west until they hit the Pacific. Instead of rejoicing, they hated the ocean, for it meant that the journey had ended.
I think it sticks because I apply that to much of my own life, especially my writing life. I don't long to reach my destination because I love the journey so much. If we picture our lives as a conintuous journey, we will never be satisfied to sit idle. We'll always want to see what lies beyond the next ridge (as a hunter, I can relate). Whether it is writing, career, marriage, parenthood, what have you, it is all a journey. It only grows stale when we allow the journey to end.
Great post. The book I'm reading now illustrates beautifully what you've emphasized here. When You Were Older by Catherine Ryan Hyde tells the story of a man who's had more than his share of tragedy. I'm in awe of this author's ability to writ a compelling story involving so many multi-faceted characters. By embracing both the dark and the light, she shows the humanity in all of us.
THE NIGHT ANGEL TRILOGY by Brent Weeks
I believe it's a true story of love and relationships. Not a dreamy romantic love story, but a kick ass romantic love story. People betray people to the point of murder but are forgiven. There are horrific sacrifices made by characters who don't even know if their love will be returned to them. Now that's love. There are no faultless main characters (two come pretty close though), but every main character is three dimensional, some more than others. The story touches on religion, politics, and philosophies, respect of power, belief in traditions, belief in self, and belief in doing what's right. Characters move from tragedy to triumph, and some character even move back to tragedy. It's a real roller coaster ride that travels from darkness to light. Each time I listen or read the series another layer is peeled away. I just discovered two minor characters that survived all three series. They are significant, but not. It's frickin amazing.
As always, you get to the heart of the matter, Robin. The earliest book I remember that was real and true, that touched my heart in a way no other did was a memoir: Adventures in Two Worlds by AJ Cronin, a country doctor-turned-physician. I was 12, and he is one of the reasons I am a writer today.
Great post, Robin. Not just stories that address loss but also characters that have suffered from it are often most memorable. Although it doesn't deal primarily with wounds or heartache, I was struck at how Thomas Cromwell in Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall continued to mourn the death of his wife. Other times, the gaping wound isn't explicit at all, and those characters can resonate even further.
I'm pretty sure you didn't find Richard Rohr writing about "theology for assassin nuns."
Maybe 'nuns who were assassinated for their beliefs and their outspokenness in protecting the poor in Central America, including Guatemala.'
Other than that, yes: wounds happen to all of us – some of them horrific, many fatal – but writers use theirs for the benefit of mankind by writing stories that may help others deal better with their own wounds.
It's also nice that some people write before becoming too wounded – all the other stuff might make for a dreary canon if it were the only stuff out there for readers. Some need escape, fluff, comedy – instead, or also.
Alicia, Robin was writing a book about teenage assassin nuns (2 incredibly good books so far, Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph). But she was reading Rohr as theological research. And I must say, for all the awesomeness of the phrase "teenage assassin nuns," each main character goes through quite a deep spiritual journey regarding the God she serves and how that God is understood and who "owns" the interpretation of what that God wants. Good stuff.
A book I first read as an adolescent, and have reread since, "The Trees" by Conrad Richter, has resurfaced in my mind many times. One of the reasons I think I connected with that book was that I was born and grew up in Ohio, the locality for the story, and my mother recommended the book to me after having read it herself. I went on to read the other two in that "Awakening Land Trilogy", "The Fields" and "The Town" which carried the story forward.
This moved me. There is something incredibly powerful in transforming pain into art. It affects both the artist and the viewer/reader. I know that when I have experienced the deepest pain in my life, I have only been able to make sense of it in poetry. Both the writing of it and the reading of it. I hope, as I approach my writing in 2014, I will be able to infuse it with honesty and integrity. THank you for this post.


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My heart goes out to Ken.. he has to have had this on his mind and might be a big part of his slump.. it woudl weigh on my shoulders as well..if i was going thru that..
was annouced on WLW sports talk tonight
My heart goes out to Ken.. he has to have had this on his mind and might be a big part of his slump.. it woudl weigh on my shoulders as well..if i was going thru that..
was annouced on WLW sports talk tonight
Prayers go out to the Griffey family.
maybe this is why he hasnt recieved his Dad's usual hands on batting instruction when he goes into slumps.
Sr. usualy takes Ken aside and works with him before games when he is struggling.
so sad :(
Prostate cancer is very treatable. Colon cancer is much more tricky.
Nevertheless, I wish both of them the best.
Sr. has a long family history of Prostate Cancer. 6 of his uncles had it and all passed away. They also had poor or no medical care. JR's Mom will hopefully come through OK. Not sure what stage she is in.
It can weigh on your mind, I know from personal experience. My mom had a brain tumor removed in July. The weeks leading up to the surgery were brutal on me. Very little sleep, lack of concentration at work etc. I know me playing golf and playing MLB is a sad compairison but I'm a decent golfer, 6 handicap. I would start thinking about the surgery, possible horrible outcome, and pow.....double bogey. I normally have maybe 1 double bogey every 4 rounds. I was having 2 or 3 a round. It's impossible not to think about it and the amount of concentration it takes to hit a 92 mph fastball is incredible. This could be the reason for the prolonged slump at the plate. I could not imagine both parents having cancer. My prayers are with him.
I second that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Falls City Beer
Hopefully they both have a full recovery.
surprising news to about 25,000 US men a year, a disproportionate number being African-American.Quote:
Originally Posted by Falls City Beer
Originally Posted by reds44
amen!:griffey: :pray: :pray: :pray: :pray: :pray:
Insurance does wonders. As do regular checkups.Quote:
Originally Posted by princeton
Incidentally, I'm not diminishing the severity of the disease; but the fact is, it's treatable--far more treatable than most cancers. You just have to have yourself checked starting at age 35.
My uncle is a prostate cancer survivor--20 years.
the number of deaths per capita hasn't declined in years even though the treatments are much more sophisticated. And that's telling.Quote:
Originally Posted by Falls City Beer
one way to think about it is that we're just getting good at detecting people that would never have succumbed
A whole lot of people don't go for annual physicals... they go when they know there's something wrong with them. Early detection is the key... but if people don't go their doctors until it's too late, that's pretty much a moot point.Quote:
Originally Posted by princeton
Best wishes to the Griffeys... I hope all goes well.
Genetics sucks. No question.Quote:
Originally Posted by princeton
But the survival rate is high comparable to virtually every other single form of cancer known to man. Even skin cancer, IIRC.
"All men, if they live long enough, will eventually develop prostate cancer."
--Dr. George Phillips (i think that's his first name)


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HSBC "lift" by Grey London
Agency: Grey London
Rating: 5.0
By Katherine Levy, campaignlive.co.uk, Thursday, 31 May 2012 11:10AM
In his new role, Wright will retain his existing digital duties across OMD and Manning Gottlieb OMD but also take on responsibility for the Omnicom agencies PHD, Rocket and M2M, which collectively handle clients including Sainsbury's, Kraft Foods and Estee Lauder.
Wright will be responsible for ensuring that Omnicom Media Group UK provides the best digital products and offerings to all UK clients. His promotion is effective immediately.
Wright will report to Philippa Brown, the chief executive of Omnicom Media Group. She said: "Paul has made a significant impact on our business since his arrival. We are now looking forward to Paul applying his digital prowess across a broader base."
Wright said: "I am genuinely excited about the opportunities that lie ahead."
This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk
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Agency: Grey London
Rating: 5.0


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CELLPHONES are changing lives for the better across the developing world, allowing farmers to use text and voice-based services to access crop and weather information, for example. But nearly half the population in rural Africa cannot access such services because of a lack of local infrastructure.
To help fix this, a team led by Elizabeth Belding at the University of California, Santa Barbara, designed a cheap, local cellular network called Kwiizya – which means "to chat" in Tonga, the native language in Zambia's Southern Province. The idea is to give a strong signal to villages which have poor, or even non-existent, coverage.
In the Zambian village of Macha, many villagers had to walk up to 5 kilometres to reach a hill where they can get a signal on their phones, says Mariya Zheleva, who led the field trials of Kwiizya. But what the village does have is a small Wi-Fi network at the local hospital.
Kwiizya uses this Wi-Fi network to relay a cell signal. Calls and text messages tend to be sent using a communications standard called GSM, but this requires expensive hardware and software to carry traffic between cell towers. Kwiizya's open-source software translates GSM calls and texts into a format that can instead be broadcast over the local Wi-Fi network. No subscription is required and any phone can use its existing SIM card to access the network, augmenting local coverage without forcing users to change anything.
In the Macha trial, the team built two simple cellphone towers 2.3 kilometres apart, connected via the hospital's existing Wi-Fi network. Kwiizya's software can also use other forms of connectivity as a backbone, including the unused parts of the television spectrum.
Kwiizya can only handle local calls for now, but that is what villagers need most. "When we told them about Kwiizya they were super-excited," says Zheleva, who presented the system at the MobiSys conference in Taiwan this week.
Tim Kelly, who works on communications policy at the World Bank, says Kwiizya is a good idea, but emphasises that it is economics, not technology, that is holding back cell coverage in rural areas. He points to a World Bank project in South Sudan where "diesel, bribes and taxes" are the biggest issues.
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Jennifer Simula, 24, a graduate student from Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Mich., and the school's Earth Keeper student team project director, volunteered on Earth Day, April 22, with other students and Thomas Skrenes, bishop of the Northern Great Lakes Synod. The second annual Earth Keeper Clean Sweep is an interfaith project involving about 120 congregations. More than 320 tons of electronic waste, including old and broken computers, televisions and cellular phones, were dropped off for recyclying at 27 sites throughout the state's Upper Peninsula. "This is a generation that is interested in preserving the environment around us—we have a lot of energy and motivation because we look around us and we love this place and want to protect it," Simula said.
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|6 posts found
Buddy Keys arriving soon.
General Discussion « All Points Bulletin (APB)
This has been an insanely entertaining game. I bought it 7/18 and have had a blast ever since. To new players I do have a few tips:
If you get past some of the imbalances and find a group you can stick with you will have a blast.
Does Aion bring anything NEW to the table?
General Discussion « Aion
It's pretty :D
That's new and exciting right?
Aion in my opinion, still needs some depth. It is polished, game play is smooth (accept when getting up from sitting down to combat is a bit slow), but that's it. Is the game a failure? Absolutely not. It'll be interesting to see where Aion goes and what it does. But if you're looking for something new and innovative, Aion is not. Arial PvPvE is interesting. I could live without the flight timer. However, the game is worth checking out while in beta and you can form your own opinion.
What would bring you back to WoW?
General Discussion « World of Warcraft
Reading through a lot of these posts it seems as though people want classic vanilla WoW back. While I live in nostalgia from time to time, with my Windfury procking and criting on poor mages still brings a devilish smile to my face. I would venture to say, keep the existing content but adjust the levels in the zones. So maybe have Outlands be from 38-48 and Northrend from 48-60. There are some talents I deeply enjoy and would hate to see them go, so maybe a reworking of the talents. Maybe with a reworking of the zones and maintenance of existing raid content they could keep the new content. Now as far as the gear goes if Northrend was from 48-60 that it would drop equivalent MC gear to prepare for BWL.
While I would hate to see BGs go, I think a reworking of the outdoor PvP should change. I may be wrong in my assumption but people are missing the larger scale battles rather then the 1v1 stuff that has been brought on by capture points on maps… In writing this I fear I know why Blizz had to dumb stuff down to only 1v1 crap and that's because of "fairness." People got their feelings hurt and got upset because of large groups attacking them… If that is the case, how sad a day it is.
What would bring you back to WoW?
General Discussion « World of Warcraft
I figured I would throw this question out to the community for all those who left, or are considering leaving WoW. What would bring you back to WoW?
These are some things that would seal the deal for me:
1) Hero classes for all (except Death Knights) classes to evolve into
Creativity costs money, especially to implement it. Even with some of these features looked into in more depth could really turn into its own game. Maybe it's just me, but I think it would add a little more variety into the game, giving those who left something be proud of and return to WoW.
World of Warcraft: I'm Sorry WoW, I've Found Someone Else
News & Features Discussion « General Discussion
Originally posted by Xasapis
I agree it is a different approach, it just may not appeal to the masses which is both good and bad.
World of Warcraft: I'm Sorry WoW, I've Found Someone Else
News & Features Discussion « General Discussion
WoW was a great game, however, I agree with most of the things stated in the OP. Aion in my opinion still needs some work in PvE balancing. Even with a dps melee class in the low levels in painful. The time it takes to kill a single mob and the down time afterwords is too much.
Unfortunately many of us have been influenced and even spoiled by Blizzard's innate ability to make things easy, hold us by the hand telling us it's going to be okay, and making it a game for everyone. Aion is not to that point where everyone new to MMO's or longtime veterans can pick it up and say with certainty "this is the game for me."
Just my two cents
P.S. No I'm not playing WoW at the moment, and have been clean for a few months, there are problems that stem ferther then just class balancing that Blizzard hasn't addressed, but these promblems may be the very thing that makes the game what it is.


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OCR for page 463
CHAPTER 26 THE OBJECTIVES AND TECHNOLOGY OF SPACECRAFT STERILIZATION LAWRENCE B. HALL Man's ability and intent to travel in space is increasing with irresistible force. The Apollo project will take man to the Moon. Instrumented flights will be the forerunners of manned flights to the planets. A most urgent, perhaps the most urgent, question to be answered by instrumented flights relates to the existence of life on the planets. An affirmative answer to this question has biological, medical and even religious implications that far transcend the results to be obtained by mere geographical and physical exploration of the planets. The major efforts of engineers and allied scientists who have made the opportunities of space flight possible must shortly turn from the struggle to obtain a successful flight to maximizing the use of a flight as a tool to obtain valuable scientific return. The first such missions, in which the requirements for successful scientific return may be more exacting than those of the flight itself, will be found in the first flights to Mars. In these flights, the necessity for preserving the planet as an uncontaminated subject for life detection experiments must take precedence, even at the expense of missing one or more launch opportunities. Other opportunities will follow, the geology and geography of the planet will remain for future examination, but any flight that infects Mars with terrestrial life will compromise forever a scientific opportunity of almost unequalled propor- tions. There will be no second chance. 463
OCR for page 463
464 AVOIDING THE CONTAMINATION OF MARS Terrestrial life has survived and multiplied in simulated Martian environ- ments. Should it do so on Mars itself, it could result not only in competition with any Martian life, but in drastic changes in the geochemical and atmos- pheric characteristics of the planet. To avoid such a disaster, certainly the first, and probably many succeeding landers on Mars, must be sterile— completely devoid of life. Since the space environment will not in itself kill all life on board, the lander must leave the Earth in a sterile condition. Macroscopic life can be readily detected and kept or removed from the spacecraft, but the detection and removal of microscopic and submicro- scopic life is a much more difficult task. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is approaching this problem in four stages: 1. Develop flight hardware that will withstand the sterilizing agent employed without significant loss of reliability; 2. Reduce the biological loading of the lander to a low level during manufacture and assembly; 3. Achieve surface and internal sterilization of the completely assem- bled lander; 4. Protect the spacecraft from recontamination during testing and launch. The development of hardware that will withstand sterilization is a major problem in itself. Sterilizing agents have been evaluated not only for their ability to kill both microbial life on surfaces and that sealed inside com- ponents, but for the agents' effect on spacecraft reliability as well. Of the available agents, only radiation and heat will penetrate to the interiors. Radiation is expensive, hazardous, complex and damages many materials more than does heat. Heat, therefore, has been selected as the primary method and will be used, except in specific cases where radiation may prove to be critically less detrimental to reliability. A qualification heat cycle has been established for materials and com- ponents at 145° C for 36 hours, repeated for three cycles. Following this heat application, the component must be proven to be capable of operating within established tolerances for a lifetime compatible with mission require- ments. Some spacecraft components are subjected to even higher tempera- tures during manufacture and test. A number of components are already being made of materials and in configurations that make them resistant to the maximum temperatures required. Other components, of which batteries and tape recorders are examples, cannot at present withstand the qualifi- cation cycles without subsequent failure. The problem of batteries has narrowed down largely to one of separators. The problem with recorders is largely one of the plastics used for belts and tapes. Based on results to date, no reason has been found to believe that a full complement of heat- sterilizable hardware cannot be available when needed. Every effort is
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Objectives and Technology of Spacecraft Sterilization 465 being made to improve the state-of-the-art to a point where spacecraft can not only withstand sterilization temperatures, but will be even more reliable than present state-of-the-art hardware that is not heated. Control of the quantity of biological loading on the spacecraft is neces- sary for the success of sterilization since the greater the number of organ- isms on the spacecraft, the longer heat must be applied, or the higher must be the temperature. Viable organisms can be kept from the spacecraft by the use of modern clean room methods. Engineers and mechanics under- standably are not anxious to work under surgical constraints, but recent data suggest that good vertical laminar flow clean room practice may limit the biological contamination to acceptable levels and concurrently increase reliability. In another decontamination technique now under study, components may be manufactured under normal factory conditions without special regard to contamination. Then before the component is used, it would be decontaminated, i.e., the biological population would be drastically re- duced, though not necessarily brought to zero, by the application of a modified heat cycle. Components decontaminated in this way and made into more complex assemblies would have to be handled under clean room conditions or the assembly must again be decontaminated. The adverse effect upon reliability of the application of extra heat cycles will vary with the materials being treated. Until these adverse effects can be fully evalu- ated, heat decontamination will not be considered as an operational concept. Those familiar with operational problems will point out that, despite clean assembly, the spacecraft will be heavily contaminated during neces- sary tests in facilities that cannot be kept up to clean room standards. This contamination, however, will be on surface only, not in interiors. It can therefore be reached by gaseous decontaminants such as ethylene oxide that will be used to reduce the viable contamination to a low level. By the use of clean techniques and decontamination by heat or ethylene oxide, it should be possible to bring a spacecraft to the point of sterilization with not more than 10s organisms on board. Sterility of any object is a concept that implies the complete absence of life. The presence of life, or the lack of sterility, may be proven, but the absence of life, or sterility, cannot be proven, for the one viable organism that negates sterility may remain undetected. Certification of sterility, based on experience with the process used, knowledge of the kinetics of the thermal death of organisms, and computation of the probability that no life exists on the spacecraft may be combined to produce the closest possible approach to sterility. The actual goal established for Mars landers is a probability of less than one in ten thousand, or 10~4, that a single organism will be on board.
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466 AVOIDING THE CONTAMINATION OF MARS Laboratory studies of the kinetics of heat kill of resistant organisms show that at 135° C the number of organisms can be reduced one logarithm (or 90 per cent of those remaining) for every two hours of exposure. The reduction in microbial count needed is the logarithm of the maximum number of organisms on the spacecraft—108, plus the logarithm of the reciprocal of the probability of a survivor—104, or a total of twelve loga- rithms of reduction in microbial count. Thus a total of twelve logarithms of reduction in count has been accepted as a safe value which can be achieved by a heat treatment of 135° C for 24 hours. This is the heat cycle that has been adopted and is being used in all studies. However, other heat treatments are under study at temperatures as low as 105° C for periods of time of 170 hours or longer. Such cycles, when developed to the extent that full reliance may be placed upon them to produce sterility, would provide the reliability engineer with a choice of heat treatments so that the cycle selected can be the least damaging to the reliability of the particular equipment involved. The possibility of error in the definition of an adequate heat cycle rests largely upon the possibility of radically increased heat resistance for organisms encased in solids. This potential problem is under investigation. Proposals have been made to insert into the sterilized lander, by aseptic techniques, heat-sensitive components that have been sterilized by other means. While this is recognized as a possibility, present National Aero- nautics and Space Administration policy will not permit its use, unless evidence can be developed proving the technique to have reliability com- parable with heat sterilization. Once sterilized, the lander must be protected from recontamination until it reaches outer space. Ideally, the spacecraft should be sterilized inside a hermetically-sealed canister and remain therein until the canister is opened in outer space. Other concepts would permit the spacecraft to be heated outside the canister. It would be encapsulated after sterilization by me- chanics working through glove ports set in the wall of the oven or by remote control actuators.


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A creepy convention, soccer and arena football games, art and comedy are all on the schedule this weekend in Central Florida.
10 things to do in Central Florida this weekendPublished 10:30 PM EDT May 23, 2013
Slideshow Central
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I found this game after looking for one similar to SNES "metal marines". Also it looks complex like Harpoon. Waiting anxiously for release.
Interceptor Shield is a Missile and Air Defense Simulation Game
That allows the player to tests one's ability to defend the players nations air space against differant air and missile threats and go head to head against other players in online world wide war games.
Interceptor Shield is currently in development.
2 comments by ServoIS on Oct 16th, 2010
Our current texture artist that had been texturing the meshes has gotten cought up in real life work and is not going to be able to have time for the project until after Christmas so we are looking to expand our team with a few more people to finish texturing the models that are done for the project and also for the hud art for the interface.
This is the following run down of what we need.
1. we are need of a texture artist that can unwrap and textured our meshes for both land systems and aircraft.
2. we need a person to help design the icons for the radar map and for the real world map for showing location of objects on the ground at distance that are out of sight.
If we can get people to fill these roles then our coder will be able to continue on with finishing up the first playable beta of IS for the public.
the only thing holding us currently is the current meshes that need textured and the hud art for the interface that needs done.
I found this game after looking for one similar to SNES "metal marines". Also it looks complex like Harpoon. Waiting anxiously for release.
me too
this looks good.
Is there any higher quality ground textures? They look very low resolution at the moment.
good lookin - release planned yet ?
looks cool! :)
This game looks very cool!
I like the Aegis Ship!
Very nice detail!
Keep on doing it, because it looks very cool!
Looks grate, release date? Keep on trucking, or something along those lines...
Can't wait for this :D
Looking good!
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text:
HSBC "lift" by Grey London
Agency: Grey London
Rating: 5.0
By Staff, marketingmagazine.co.uk, Monday, 14 December 2009 10:45AM
Two weeks after the sex scandal broke, Accenture said it will "immediately transition" to a new advertising campaign that does not feature the golfer.
Accenture said Tiger Woods's golfing performance had been "a powerful metaphor for business success in Accenture's advertising. However, given the circumstances of the last two weeks, after careful consideration and analysis, the company has determined that he is no longer the right representative for its advertising."
The company said it will "immediately transition " to a new advertising campaign, with a major effort scheduled to launch in 2010.
Gillette is reportedly phasing out Tiger Woods from its advertising.
On Friday, Tiger Woods announced on his website that in light of his "infidelity" he is taking an "indefinite break from profession golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father and person."
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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Agency: Grey London
Rating: 5.0


text:
...The Collectivity Project is about more than just play. Eliasson conceived of the project as a way to bring people together and allow them to create a utopian society, if only in miniature form. The idea, which is up until September 30, is at home at the 10th Avenue and West 30th Street section of the High Line, where the sounds of construction buzz in the background. — Art Net
The project, which has previously had iterations in Norway and Albania, comprises a station set up on the High Line with piles of white lego pieces. The public is invited to collaborate on creating a miniature city. To kick off the fun, the High Line invited ten of the city's best-known firms –... View full entry »
Curiosity is a driving force in architecture, design, and just about every creative field. Whether it was through collaborative projects in grade school, reading comic books, or sitting in a corner doodling away, it's not unusual for creative practitioners to say their interests were formed during... View full entry »
For the latest edition of Working out of the Box: Archinect talked with Adora Lo, Architect turned Pro LEGO Builder. They discussed the "challenge of keeping it LEGO legal" and the satisfaction of designing a "Star Wars building in LEGO". midlander was impressed "That Boston model...The Lego... View full entry »
Welcome to prison, and a celebration of liberty. Ai Weiwei, the big man of Beijing, has spent years discovering pockets of freedom in the most straitened circumstances, resisting every effort by the Chinese government to shut him down.
This week he opens a major new exhibition in a place that makes that resistance literal: on Alcatraz [...]. The United States has the highest incarceration rate on the planet. But this prison is decommissioned, and Ai is using it to extraordinary effect. — theguardian.com
This week the first six oversize Lego bricks were laid for the foundation of the Lego House in Billund, Denmark, the Lego Group's hometown. Designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, the architecture of the Lego House is based on—what else but?—the iconic shape of the Lego brick. — slate.com
Previously: Design for LEGO House, designed by BIG, unveiled today View full entry »
Lego is stepping out of the playroom with a set of building bricks aimed at architects. But is it worth £150? A bunch of former architecture students threw a block party to put it to the test — theguardian.com
LEGO Architecture is making its European debut on August 1 in the "Villa Pennisi in Musica" event at the 19th-century Pennisi Villa in Italy. The event is part of a program that brings an Italian architecture summer school and a classical music masterclass under the same roof. — bustler.net
Architecture students will use LEGO Architecture to form their ideas as they explore ways to design and build a wooden acoustic shell for the event's outdoor chamber music performances — in less than 10 days.Read more about the event on Bustler.See previous coverage on LEGO Architecture here. View full entry »
Kite Bricks has developed "Smart Bricks" (S-Bricks) made out of high-strength concrete that can be used to make buildings rapidly, cheaply and energy efficiently.
The bricks -- which are patent pending -- are much like Lego in that they come in a variety of forms for different purposes and can easily connect together, with rows of knobs along the top of bricks that slot into voids along the bottom of other bricks. — wired.co.uk
Check out this video explainer for the S-Bricks: View full entry »
Hardcore Wes Anderson fan and Lego model designer Ryan Ziegelbauer, in reverence to the director's most recent film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, has made a miniature replica of the Hotel completely out of Legos.Over the course of 575 hours, Ryan and a team of eight model builders designed and built... View full entry »
A new world record was broken just this week in Hungary, Budapest when LEGO architects placed the finishing Rubik's Cube ornament on the top of the massive Lego skyscraper.
Reaching 34.76 meters (114 feet), the tower was officially registered with the Guinness book of World Records as well as the LEGO Store in Budapest on May 25. — sobadsogood.com
He merely wanted to immortalize the most iconic of Berkeley's icons—the Sather Tower campanile—in a Lego kit.
"A couple of months ago I started fooling around with Legos and I made a couple of mock-ups of the Campanile," he recalls. "I knew that Lego has a suggestion site—if you submit a proposal and it gets 10,000 votes, they'll consider making a kit. I thought it would be very cool if they included the Berkeley Campanile in their architecture series." — alumni.berkeley.edu
When David Fautley takes his work home with him his children don't complain – they join in, because Fautley is a Lego modeller. "We did Dortmund football stadium in Germany last January which needed 3,000 mini-figures, so I had the boys and five of their friends come round for three nights after school to complete it. With slices of pizza going round, you can imagine they thought it was fantastic." — theguardian.com
... it is, in a special way, an architectural history. "A small interior world of color and form now came within grasp of small fingers," wrote Frank Lloyd Wright about his 9-year-old self in a 1943 autobiographical sketch. "These 'Gifts' came into the gray house" and "made something live here." These were the famous Froebel Blocks, educational wooden building blocks in systematic shapes and sizes developed in the 1840s by Friedrich Froebel, the inventor of kindergarten. — nytimes.com
LEGO and Google Chrome linked up to create "Build with Chrome", a social online building website that lets users build anything anywhere with an infinite number of Lego blocks -- virtual Lego blocks.First developed as an experiment by a LEGO-loving team in Australia, Build with Chrome was based on... View full entry »
After a freewheeling round of discussions, Snøhetta's New York office settled on a unique challenge: building a Lego structure that captured the plastic bricks' unique relationship to gravity. "A Lego building has a lightness that a real building doesn't have to contend with," says Craig Dykers, Snøhetta's co-founder. "We thought wouldn't it be interesting to capture the feeling of gravity in a Lego block, where gravity actually has very little influence in many ways on its structure..." — wired.com
Snohetta found a delicate equilibrium with this boomerang-shaped tower. Photo: Gregory Reid SOM froze its unique LEGO infrastructure in a solid block of ice. Photo: Zack Burris View full entry »
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At the moment I am running a for loop where I make a call on each element in an STL container, similar to the following.
void AddToUpdate(iterator iter, Update& Update) {...};
Update update;
for(iterator iter = container.begin(); iter != container.end(); ++iter)
AddToUpdate(iter, update);
I am looking at the for_each STL algorithm as it seems to fit my needs.
I was wondering if, given the use of a second input parameter to the function being applied to the container, whether it's possible to refactor this to use a standard STL algorithm without using member variables or other loopholes?


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It's hard not to wonder if this is a bridal fashion show or a film festival red carpetIs someone getting married and no one told us? 'Cause there are some major white gowns with humongous trains walking the red carpet at Cannes.When Eva Longoria Parker stepped out in a cascading Emilio Pucci gown last week,…Published on May 19, 2010
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Wearing velvet in March… Wearing formal velvet in March. What's the right time to switch to spring ,Quick Fix, Style Solutions In A Snap from Focus On Style by Sharon Haver- Fashion, beauty, and style tips and advice from the online fashion magazine to help you look great in an instantPublished on January 24, 2004
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Wedding Guest Jitters… How to Dress to Make It Through the Microscope Test
Wedding Guest Jitters… How to Dress to Make It Through the Microscope Test.Published on July 05, 2003
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style + for the bride with the bump This is not for those who veer to the extreme right. Some plan for their wedding before the proposal. Then there are others where the idea of planning escapes them entirely. SHOPPING GUIDE: Maternity Surprise, surprise, no expectant bride wants to look like an igloo with legs…Published on June 20, 2003
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What, You Didn't Dream About Walking Down The Aisle! WEDDING MUST-HAVES FOR THE SHY BRIDEPublished on January 01, 1998
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Residents are taxed on worldwide income, whereas non-residents are taxed on income arising or derived from Sri Lanka.
Tax exemption for non-citizens/citizens
The extent of an individual's liability for Sri Lankan tax on the individual's earnings depends on the individual's residence status in Sri Lanka. Profits and income derived from outside Sri Lanka by a dual citizen or a non-citizen employed in Sri Lanka will be exempt from income tax in Sri Lanka. The exemption is available to any citizen of Sri Lanka who holds a permanent residency status in a foreign country effective year of assessment 2013/14.
Commencing April 1, 2013, the profits from employment arising in Sri Lanka to any non-citizen expert brought to Sri Lanka by a Board of Investment (BOI) registered company enjoying a tax holiday (subject to certain preconditions), is exempt from income tax in Sri Lanka.
The maximum rate of tax in Sri Lanka is currently 24 percent effective from the year of assessment 2011/12 (i.e., April 1, 2011).
Chargeability of income tax in Sri Lanka on expatriate employees is limited to Sri Lanka–source income.
Liability for income tax
A person's liability for Sri Lankan tax is determined by residency status. An individual who is physically present in Sri Lanka for 183 days or more during any year of assessment is deemed to be resident in Sri Lanka throughout that year of assessment.
Residents are assessable on their worldwide income, whereas non-residents are liable only on their income arising in or derived from Sri Lanka. A non-citizen employed in Sri Lanka whether or not resident is exempt from income tax on income arising in/derived from outside Sri Lanka. Effective from year of assessment 2013/14, the exemption is extended to resident citizens of Sri Lanka provided the offshore income is remitted to Sri Lanka through a bank in Sri Lanka.
Commencing April 1, 2009, foreign currency earned by a resident individual for any service rendered to a person outside Sri Lanka, whether the service itself was performed in or outside of Sri Lanka, is exempt from income tax.
Effective April 1, 2009, any profits earned in foreign currency from employment under any "qualified person" (relevant profits) and included in the taxable income of a "qualified individual" are taxable at a maximum of 20 percent. This maximum is reduced to 16 percent effective from year of assessment 2013/14.
Definition of source
Employment income is generally treated as Sri Lankan-sourced compensation where the individual performs the services while physically located in Sri Lanka.
Tax trigger points
Technically, there is no threshold/minimum number of days that exempts the employee from the requirements to file and pay tax in Sri Lanka. To the extent that the individual qualifies for relief in terms of the dependent personal services article of the applicable double tax treaty, there will be no tax liability.
Tax rates for residents and non-residents are the same.
Types of taxable income
In general, all remuneration and benefits received by an employee who is resident in Sri Lanka or for services rendered in Sri Lanka are taxable. Taxable remuneration and benefits includes salary, bonuses, commissions, accommodation allowances, education, allowances for children, employer-provided domestic assistance, and contributions to medical, dental sickness, and disability plans.
Tax rates
Effective April 1, 2011, net taxable income is taxed based on progressive income tax rates ranging from 4 percent to 24 percent. The proposal widens the slabs and reduces income liable for tax at the higher rates significantly.
Liability for social security
The Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees' Trust Fund (ETF) provide superannuation benefits to employees. Both employers and employees are required to contribute to the EPF. Employees are not required to contribute to the ETF.
The regulations regarding the EPF, which provides for the payment of superannuation benefits to employees, prescribes that employers make a minimum contribution of 12 percent of an employee's total earnings into the EPF. Employees are also required to contribute a minimum of 8 percent of their total earnings into the EPF. The EPF contribution rules, however, may not apply to expatriate employees who are employed in a managerial, executive, or technical employment and who are members of a pension scheme or any other fund or scheme established or administered outside Sri Lanka.
The regulations for the ETF, which also provides for the payment of superannuation benefits to employees, require employers (but not employees) to contribute 3 percent of their employees' total earnings to the fund. This requirement, if applicable, may be waived for an employer with regard to its expatriate employees if such expatriates contribute towards a foreign superannuation fund and do not contribute towards a provident fund in Sri Lanka.
Employee compliance obligations
Tax returns are due by November 30 following the tax year-end, which is March 31.
The requirement to file tax returns would be withdrawn on individuals if the individual's income consists solely of one or more of the following income sources and tax from each has been deducted at the source:
If an employee is not within the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) scheme, tax payments can be made in quarterly installments on a self-assessment basis.
Employer reporting and withholding requirements
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Work permit/visa requirements
A visa must be applied for before the individual enters Sri Lanka. The type of visa required will depend on the purpose of the individual's entry into Sri Lanka.
Double taxation treaties
Sri Lanka has entered into double taxation treaties with36 countries. A foreign tax credit is available where Sri Lanka taxes foreign-sourced income if it is provided for in the relevant double tax treaty. In the absence of a treaty, income net of tax is subject to Sri Lankan tax.
Permanent establishment implications
There is the potential that a permanent establishment (PE) could be created as a result of extended business travel, but this would be dependent on the type of services performed and the level of authority the employee has.
Indirect taxes
There are two tiers of value-added tax (VAT) rates. VAT is levied on the importation of goods into Sri Lanka and the making of taxable supplies in the course of carrying out a taxable activity. The VAT rate levied would be at the standard rate of 12 percent or 0 percent, depending on the nature of the taxable supply.
General Deductions from Income
Commencing April 1, 2012, a deduction not in excess of 1million Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) is available with respect to an expenditure on a community development project carried out in areas identified by the Government of Sri Lanka.
Any individual who returns from foreign employment and invests their savings to commence new business is exempt on the turnover and profits from the business for a period of 5 years effective from year of assessment 2013/14.
Transfer pricing
Sri Lanka has a transfer pricing regime. Sri Lanka's transfer pricing regulations, however, do not cover employment benefits.
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Exchange control
The Exchange Control Act specifies that foreign personnel engaged in contracts with the government or private organizations in Sri Lanka are permitted to maintain resident current accounts that may be credited with inward remittance and payments made on such contracts. It has also been the practice to permit expatriate employee earnings to be remitted offshore without exchange control permission or restriction.
Non-deductible costs for assignees
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Interest Income and Royalty
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Effective April 1, 2013, interest income on investments in bonds, debentures and corporate debt securities (after 1.1.2013) listed in the Sri Lanka stock exchange are exempt from income tax in Sri Lanka.
Interest income on municipal bonds issued with the approval of the General Treasury will also be exempt from income tax in Sri Lanka.
Commencing April 1, 2012, offshore royalty received by a resident to Sri Lanka through a bank is exempt from income tax in Sri Lanka.
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text:
Thanks, Chris.
Thanks, Chris.
Upcoming shows
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Coachella: 04,06,07,09,10,11,12(1&2),13(1&2),14(1&2),15(1&2)
The Jesus and Mary Chain 5/16, Spoon 5/28, Neutral Milk Hotel 6/1, Sufjan Stevens 6/5&6, Charli XCX & Bleachers 7/23, Death Grips 7/25, Taylor Swift 8/14
SDCC 7/9-12/2015, Outside Lands 8/7-9/2015
I'm really digging this essential mix. Pulls from some interesting genres as I would expect from Thom and Nigel. Gotta love when Thom's voice comes drifting through on certain tracks of course.
B-side: S.A.D download link:
New date: 7/19 Poznan Trade Fair Square Poznan Poland
Thanks Dude. Didn't want to wait for this. Awesome song.
So happy they're doing this at LPR tonight
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...iting-20130314When Thom Yorke announced that he and producer/bandmate Nigel Godrich would be celebrating the release of Atoms for Peace's debut LP with three special DJ sets in New York, London and Berlin, he described it as "me & Nigel out & about with two turntables & a microphone." But that's not the half of it. "Originally, we were just going to DJ and not play any of our shit," the singer tells Rolling Stone. "Then we got carried away."
Tonight at Le Poisson Rouge in downtown Manhattan, Yorke and Godrich will spend about two hours bringing songs from Atoms for Peace's Amok and Yorke's 2006 album The Eraser to vivid life, using a cutting-edge tech set-up to remix and reinterpret the tracks in real time. "It's something we've talked about doing for ages, and we finally got our shit together," explains Yorke. "We've basically just cut everything up into its constituent parts. We'll try to re-cut the tunes live, mixing in loads of other bits and pieces and collaging stuff together."
At the same time as manning the machinery, Yorke will be adding his own live vocals and guitar to the mix. "I sing – but I felt kind of weird about that to begin with, because it's quite this weird mixture," he says. "It's like fucking karaoke or something! But it's not, because it's all this other stuff as well, and I have my own machines, like a drum machine and a vocal looper. It's interesting – singing, trying to remember words and programming a drum machine at the same exact time. It's kind of tricky."
The performance will also feature dynamic visuals designed by German artist Tarik Barri. "That's fucking bonkers," says Yorke. "It's not like anything else."
Yorke recently scheduled a string of European dates with the full Atoms for Peace line-up – himself, Godrich, bassist Flea, drummer Joey Waronker and percussionist Mauro Refosco – kicking off on July 6th in Paris. Further tour plans have yet to be announced.
In London last month, at the first of his three shows with Godrich, Yorke was slightly disappointed by the sound quality. The second night, in Berlin last week, went considerably better. "The church of techno, they call it – and it really does feel like a church," he says of the Berghain nightclub where they played. "It's this old power station, and it had an amazing sound system. Fucking hell! They have this no-cameras policy, no cameras at all, so that's kind of mad. Haven't done a show like that in ages."
Clips from the London and Berlin shows are all over YouTube, but even if you've already memorized them, expect an entirely new show tonight. "Every time we do it, it's going to be different," says Godrich. "There's a sort of flow chart, if you like, but then it can cross-pollinate and go somewhere else. There are so many ways it can happen and surprise us. "
"It's just really exciting," adds Yorke. "I have so many half-formed beats and stuff like that, and you can just throw it all together. It's a really creative thing, and we're still trying to figure it out. It's quite free-form."
May 15-17 - Psycho California
June 6 - The Rolling Stones
June 10 - Melvins
June 20 - Blur
June 24-28 - Glastonbury
July 18 - Death Grips?
July 26 - Faith No More
September 25 - Kraftwerk
Anyone know why the album cover is based on LA? If it has anything to do with the name AMOK, I guess it makes sense. Just wondering otherwise.
It was the most recent artwork Donwood had created for his Lost Angeles show.
5/15-17/15 - Psycho CA @ Observatory // 5/22/15 - Laura Jane Grace @ Hollywood Forever Cemetary // 5/27/15 - Neutral Milk Hotel @ Warner Grand Theater
6/3/15 - Sufjan Stevens @ Dorothy Chandler // 7/15/15 - Shellac @ Regent // 7/31/15 - Melt Banana w/Torche @ Roxy
Thanks! I love the gif.
because LA is just so corporate maaaaaaaaaaaannn
May 15-17 - Psycho California
June 6 - The Rolling Stones
June 10 - Melvins
June 20 - Blur
June 24-28 - Glastonbury
July 18 - Death Grips?
July 26 - Faith No More
September 25 - Kraftwerk
lol oh geez...
Emergency!!! Does anyone in NYC have an Elektron Machine Drum they could lend us ASAP for our gig tonight??? RSVP !!
My order from Amazon of the limited LP release has not arrived yet .
Did you choose media mail?
And Japan dates have been announced.
Nov 18 Zepp Namba, Osaka
Nov 19 Zepp Namba, Osaka
Nov 21 Studio Coast, Tokyo
Nov 22 Studio Coast, Tokyo
Nov 23 Studio Coast, Tokyo
Atoms For Peace
More dates to announce for Atoms For Peace:
24th Sept Liacouras Center Philadelphia PA. USA
27th Sept Barclays Center New York NY. USA
30th Sept Patriot Center Fairfax VA. USA
2nd Oct UIC Pavilion Chicago, IL. USA
16th Oct Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles. USA
17th Oct Santa Barbara Bowl Santa Barbara, CA. USA
18th Nov Zep, Osaka. Japan
19th Nov Zep, Osaka. Japan
21st Nov Studio Coast, Tokyo. Japan
22nd Nov Studio Coast, Tokyo. Japan
23rd Nov Studio Coast, Tokyo. Japan
Coachella '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12
Upcoming Shows:
7/26-28: Fuji Rock Festival
8/3-4: HARD Summer
8/9: Grizzly Bear @ Hollywood Forever - Pryda Friends @ Create
8/24-25: FYF Fest
Surprised Toronto is missing
I'm hoping no SF date means they eventually come here or at least headline Treasure Island since its 10/19-20
so excited for the SB Bowl show. I always wish i didnt miss them when they played during Coachella there. I won't make the same mistake again!
July 7 - Heineken Music Hall - Amsterdam, NL
Barca will be fun
New Thom and Nigel dates
Wednesday 17th April: Spain - Barcelona, Razzmatazz
Friday 19th April: France - Paris, Gaité Lyrique
I'm a big RH fan and i liked the Eraser too but AMOK is like KOL to me -- it's nice, it's pleasant, it's admirable, but really it's kind of boring. Easy listening for the beats set.
Guess they filmed it..