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In an attempt to justify the outrageous price for this product, Armani's marketing team has concocted a story of heroic proportions. This "cell regenerating cream" was supposedly inspired by Giorgio Armani's trips to Pantellaria, an Italian island between Sicily and Tunisia. Somehow Armani discovered that the petrified lava from this island's volcanoes contains everything needed to "nearly perfectly recapture the earth's rejuvenating secrets." (Ah, so the fountain of youth is really in Italy). So basically what they're asking you to swallow is that fossilized lava can somehow generate new skin cells and restore radiance to aging skin. According to an article in the August 2007 issue of fashion magazine W, L'Oreal (Armani's owner) researchers studied obsidian (volcanic rock) on this island and worked with experts on volcanoes at Naples's Vesuvian Observatory. The minerals sodium, potassium, silica, and iron are claimed to be collectively responsible for oxygenating skin (which by the way generates free-radicals) and helping skin to absorb water (something the top dead layers do exceptionally well all on their own if there is enough moisture in the environment). In short, those minerals or any lava are useless topically on skin and absorbing water is only a small part of what makes skin healthy.
This water- and silicone-based moisturizer does contain all of those minerals, but none of them are capable of achieving skin-perfecting results, including regenerating cells. There is a tiny amount of salicylic acid, but certainly not enough to prompt exfoliation (now that would have been really helpful for skin).
Beyond all of the nonsense claims and useless input from volcanic experts, this is a shockingly boring formula whose only redeeming value is a silky, elegant texture. The fifth ingredient is paraffin, as in paraffin wax, and the other thickening agents that make up the bulk of this product are as inexpensive as it gets. There are a few token antioxidants in here, but whatever slight benefit they may have provided is lost because of jar packaging. Armani stated that his goal was "to have one cream for a lifetime … We want one product that does everything." Lots of women feel that way, too, but there is no product that can fill that bill (who knows what new discoveries lay around the corner?) and this product doesn't even come close to making a valid attempt.
Crema Nera falls drastically short of being an all-encompassing product for anyone's skin: it does not contain sunscreen, is inappropriate for blemish-prone skin, won't be emollient enough for very dry skin, and lacks ingredients that reinforce skin's structural components. On top of all that, the fragrance and fragrance components can be problematic for sensitive skin. When all is said and done, Crema Nera is the skin-care version of a red carpet fashion faux pas.
(based on 1 review)
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(0 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Best eye cream for under eye bags
By Anonymous
from undisclosed
Comments about Giorgio Armani Crema Nera:
I have tried a lot of eye creams and this one is hands down the best for bags under your eyes.I have sensitive skin and this cream didn't make me break out or cause any issues. The fragrance is pleasant. You should be wearing moisturizer with SPF anyways so why do you need SPF in your eye cream. SPF in make up causes me to break out. Bravo Giorgio Armani!
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A unique cell regenerating cream inspired by the Italian island of Pantelleria. Containing a unique formulation of obsidian, a natural mineral compound extracted from the petrified lava on Pantelleria, Crema Nera perfectly captures the Earth's rejuvenating secrets. This exceptional, patented formula is scientifically proven to actively restore and revitalize skin's natural radiance and regenerate surface cells. The immaculate white cream helps to uncover your skin's beauty, life and youth. Boosts skin radiance. Helps refine and perfect skin texture. Nourishes and hydrates.
Water, Dimethicone, Isohexadecane, Glycerin, Paraffin, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Silica, Nylon-12, Polyethylene, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Octyldodecanol, Sodium Lactate, Potassium PCA, Methylsilanol Mannuronate, Ferrous Gluconate, Perlite, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Sodium Citrate, Propylparaben, Chlorphenesin, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Adenosine, Pentasodium Pentetate, Linalool, Fragrance
Giorgio Armani At-A-Glance
Strengths: Outstanding foundations; superb powder textures; a brilliant shimmer fluid; perfect bronzers; some excellent lip color options; a neutral palette makes this line a must-see.
Weaknesses: Expensive; the skincare is underwhelming, especially given the cost (though the claims sound good!); some of the SPF-rated products do not supply adequate broad spectrum protection; most of the mascaras aren't as impressive as they should be.
Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani is credited with giving tailored elegance, power, and sex appeal to standbys like men's suits, and turning Hollywood's A-list stars into fashion icons as they parade through countless award ceremonies adorned in his simple yet elegant creations. According to Armani, "Elegance doesn't mean being noticed, it means being remembered." That statement has been parlayed into the designer's makeup collection, where the products are replete with the textures, colors, and flawless application that assure your natural beauty will be memorable rather than masked.
Because Armani has always been passionate about textures, it's no surprise that his makeup (which is the main reason to check out this line) presents an impressive collection that features some of the smoothest, lightest textures you're likely to find. From foundations to powders, eyeshadows, and mascaras—even pencils—the makeup selection includes some truly stellar products. According to the brochure for Armani's makeup, the supreme textures and silky application are the result of Micro-fil technology. This supposedly allows for a precise blending and layering of select ingredients, offering a heightened sense of color that fits like a second skin.
Regardless of how that technology is labeled, almost all of the makeup contains standard silicone polymers along with ordinary ingredients like nylon-12. Of course, many cosmetics companies have their equivalent version of Micro-fil, but Armani seems to have taken it one step further, though not always toward desired results. For example, the eyeshadows, while very smooth and easy to blend, aren't much for intensity, a point the counter personnel made clear.
There are a few other instances where the pricey products aren't all they're made out to be, but this is the world of cosmetics, and although the fantasy is for every product to be perfect, that's hardly ever the reality. Still, there are many compelling reasons to explore this collection. Although not fully distributed across the United States, it has a presence in most major cities and the products may be purchased on Armani's Web site. Makeup is where it's at for Giorgio Armani's cosmetics line. The skin care was a blatant, exceedingly overpriced afterthought and is not worth considering.
For more information about Giorgio Armani, owned by L'Oreal, call (877) ARMANI-3 or visit www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com.
The new Beautypedia Team proudly and unequivocally maintains the commitment to help you find the best products possible for your skin. We do this by relentlessly pursuing and relying on published scientific research so you will have unbiased information on what works and what doesn't-and the sneaky ways you could be making your skin worse, not better!
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UPDATE, 5/9/13, 7:05 p.m. CDT
The family of the baby has told WBKO the cause of death did not include any foul play.
Police are waiting on an autopsy report.
They say it happened at about 2:40 on Ferry Road.
We will continue to bring you more information as it becomes available.


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Published: December 27, 2012
Lorraine "Carrie" Rosine, left, and Krysti Horvat stand near a bench on the campus of Youngstown State University dedicated to Rosine's 20-year-old daughter, Brandy Stevens-Rosine, who was murdered earlier this year. Benefit events and bracelet sales funded the purchase of the bench.
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Written on: 03/10/2013 by mickkkkkkkk (1 review written)
Bought a Magee jacket online. Had to exchange it for a smaller size. Staff were really helpful and exchanged it with no fuss and great service I'm very happy now with my purchase. Definitely highly recommended… Read Full Review
Written on: 03/10/2013
Swift delivery with no problems. Very professional service. I will use again… Read Full Review
Written on: 03/10/2013
Ordered the Barker Brogue Shoes on line. Easy to order and speedy delivery Excellent quality and fit Strongly recommend to friends and family… Read Full Review
Written on: 03/10/2013 by sm19 (1 review written)
Easy transaction given that it was across the Atlantic, in pounds not dollars. Exceptional service… Read Full Review
Written on: 02/10/2013 by sandraturpin (1 review written)
Fast delivery & very prompt reply when an item was sent in error. The member of staff who dealt with the query was extremely helpful & couldn't have sorted it out any faster or better. Great service, great staff - would highly recommend them… Read Full Review
Written on: 02/10/2013 by webalex (1 review written)
I bought two moleskin waistcoats and I confirm the previouses five star ratings. A really great customer service, best quality products and a free wallet to welcome. I recommend!… Read Full Review
Written on: 02/10/2013
Delivery was fast and the Blazer i bought is as wanted. 5 Stars from me… Read Full Review
Written on: 27/09/2013 by DFalkner (1 review written)
Purchased a John Smedley polo shirt from A Farley at an excellent price with even better service. Got a personal call to let me know the order was being dealt with...some real-life attention to detail. Many thanks, I'll be back… Read Full Review
Written on: 18/09/2013
I purchased a pair of Barker shoes from the creative range. I was impressed with the follow up call to say they were out of stock and good customer service later too. If it is possible to alter the online experience to show out of stock items that would make it outstanding… Read Full Review
Written on: 09/09/2013
Received impartial and helpful advice on the telephone about intended purchase which arrived within two/three days. I was very pleased with the quality and value. The company offer a free return service in case of any problem with size or fit etc. which gives peace of mind when making a purchase online. Very satisfied and will be happy to shop again with A. Farley!… Read Full Review
Written on: 07/09/2013 by HuwR (1 review written)
A lovely Magee Jacket that is tough but still smart. I was ectstatic with the jacket and was pleased that the service wiped away any problems quickly and sensibly. I will happily buy again and would recommend A. Farley. Huw R… Read Full Review
Written on: 06/09/2013
thanks Adam Farley for my crew neck jumpers. I've been searching for something like this for months. A. Farley's delivered my order within 3days.great service, great quality, and a fantastic fit. I Know were Ill be shopping for my clothes in future… Read Full Review
Written on: 06/09/2013
Great service, shoes were perfect and a free wallet to boot! Couldn't ask for more than that. Would recommend!… Read Full Review
Written on: 06/09/2013 by JGavinT (1 review written)
Very pleased with both the quality of the gilet and the service that i got from your company. Very prompt and even when I needed to exchange for a larger one this was hastle free. Sorry i can not think of anything to say that I did not like. Thank you. I will be back… Read Full Review
Written on: 06/09/2013 by davidnboyd (1 review written)
I am a big fan of Bladen menswear and also love good value for money coupled with top class customer service. That is exactly what I got right from the first day I made a purchase online from Adam Farley. The Bladen jacket was superb and the value for money was unbelievable. I checked the price I paid against other online competitors and found that Farley Country Attire was £100.00 cheaper than anyone else. Also the speed with which I received my purchase was phenomenal and the "Boss" even… Read Full Review
Written on: 05/09/2013 by OxfordPirate (1 review written)
Really good range of clothing, fantastic communication combined with a fast service. Bookmarked as my shop of choice since my first purchase. Requested delivery on a specific day with my last purchase. It turned up exactly when I'd requested… Read Full Review
Written on: 05/09/2013
Purchased a Magee tweed jacket which was priced very keenly against other merchants stocking the same garment. slight sizing issue which the vendor sorted out very quickly. Would not hesitate to use again… Read Full Review
Written on: 19/08/2013 by Munners (1 review written)
The web site is very accessible and well laid out. There is a great product range to choose from, all high quality items. I have been looking for a mcGee tweed jacket for some time and Farley offered a great service at a great price… Read Full Review
Written on: 19/08/2013 by soulmonkey_nyc (1 review written)
I ordered a John Smedley shirt and had it shipped to Brooklyn, NY with no problems or hitch what-so-ever. Thanks again! … Read Full Review
Written on: 18/08/2013
I was looking for Barker mens shoes in a half size and and a wide fitting and to match an existing pair. The other firms on the web claiming to be Barker suppliers only listed even sizes and did not give particular detail. I am very pleased with my purchase from Farley's - they even sent a quality complimentary wallet. Service as it should be !… Read Full Review
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Jan 18, 2010 11:40 AM
This demure dress is a great vacation from those skintight, flashy cocktail dresses from the holiday season. The Insight Jasper Gem Grungey Floral Dress ($55) goes great with black tights and gives us the perfect amount of coverage in these cold months. The empire waist also flatters and creates a silhouette that highlights our tasteful curves. This dress is one of those grab-and-go items that we adore!
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In her spare time, Emily Smith loves to go hiking in places such as Bryce Canyon National Park and rock climbing (photo lower left).
An elementary school experiment to identify several common household "compounds" was all it took to hook Ames Laboratory researcher Emily Smith on the field of analytical chemistry.
"It was probably fourth grade and we had several substances that we were supposed to identify, based on their properties," Smith says. "I think there was sugar and baking soda … I don't remember the rest. What I do remember is that I was fascinated by how we analyzed things like crystal structure or pH to figure out what they were."
That keen interest in finding out what makes up materials still drives Smith's career as she uses state-of-the-art instruments to analyze the various composite parts of various types of biomass in search of the best feedstocks for producing biofuels. Her work includes developing new instrumentation, such as a scanning angle total internal reflection Raman microscope which, by changing the angle of a laser directed on the sample, can provide a 3-D image of the sample's chemical content.
"When people ask what I do, I usually say I'm an instrument builder," Smith explains. "I work to solve problems and answer questions by finding new ways to measure the chemical makeup of samples. "
Like many Ames Lab researchers, Smith also holds a faculty appointment at Iowa State University. Recruited by well-known Ames Lab and ISU analytical chemist Ed Yeung in 2006, she's currently seeking tenure in addition to her regular duties in the research lab and the chemistry classroom. That academic and national laboratory duality provides the best of both worlds and was key in her decision to move to Ames, which is unique in having a national lab physically colocated on a college campus.
"You wear two hats, but you also get to take advantage of both sides," Smith says. "In academia, you're typically conducting more focused research on your own, where the national lab system requires you to be part of a collaborative team. It's built into the infrastructure and culture from the way projects are funded and the research is conducted, to the way results are published."
That also provides an advantage for students studying under Smith, giving them opportunities they would not typically have in a strictly academic setting. And training the next generation(s) of researchers is an important measure as Smith views her career.
"I don't have Nobel aspirations," she says with a chuckle. "I hope in the next 10 to 20 years, that I've built a solid reputation and helped move technology forward... and that I still enjoy coming to work every day! But I'm more interested in seeing how my students progress and the contributions they make to the field. Their success will hopefully be a reflection on me as their mentor."
~ by Kerry Gibson


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Flippy sat down his couch, looking at the floor.
"So you finally got rid of that bitch." His evil side said. Flippy didn't answer. "Hello?"
Normally, he would expect his good side to yell at him, but he just sat there. Suddenly there was a pounding on his door. He got up and opened it, and saw Cuddles and Giggles.
"Hey Flippy. Can we come in?" Cuddles asked. Flippy nodded. They all sat down in the living room. There was a long awkward silence between them.
"You really hurt Flaky." Cuddles said. Flippy look's at him.
"Is she going to be all right?" Flippy asked. Cuddles look's at him as if Flippy had asked a stupid question.
"Flippy, you told her that you didn't care about her and that you never want to see her again! Of course she's not all right!" Cuddles yelled at him. Flippy averted his gaze down to the floor, guilt in his expression.
"How could you even say that to her?" Cuddles asked.
"Because I meant it." Flippy stated coldly.
"That's bullshit."
Both Cuddles and Flippy look at Giggles with surprise, they never thought she would speak so vulgarly.
"What you said to Flaky was bullshit and you know it! You do care about her." Giggles said. Cuddles looked at Flippy.
"Is that true?" He asked.
"Yes, it's true, but I only said that to protect her! When I'm around her, my evil side tries to come out and kill her, and I don't want to cause her pain anymore!" Flippy yelled.
"Even if you don't see her again, your evil side can still kill her. When you flip out, your evil side can just go to her house and do whatever he wants with her! So either way, Flaky's screwed." Giggles said. Flippy stared at the floor again, knowing that she was right. No matter what Flippy did, his evil side would try to kill Flaky one way or another.
"Listen, we're not telling you to go down to the hospital and apologize to her, were asking you to do the right thing. Flaky has had a rough life and I don't think she can handle not seeing you again." Cuddles said.
"Why can't she handle not seeing me again?" Flippy asked.
"You should ask her that yourself." Giggles replied.
"Please Flippy, do the right thing and talk to Flaky. Tell her you care about her and what you said wasn't true. Please, do it for her." Cuddles asked, practically begging. He and Giggles got up and left, leaving behind a guilt-ridden Flippy.
Flippy was lying on his bed, thinking about what Cuddles and Giggles said. It had been a week since they talked and Flippy was having a hard time on deciding on what he should do. Flaky had since returned to her home, but he was still worried for her.
"I don't know what I should do." Flippy thought. "If I stay with Flaky, he'll kill her," he said out loud, referring to his evil side. "But if I stay away from Flaky, I'll never be able to live with myself for abandoning her." Flippy got up and walked into the bathroom. He stared into the mirror.
"Come out, I need to talk to you." Flippy said. A few seconds later his evil side appeared in his reflection.
"What do you want?" His evil side demanded with a disgruntled look. Flippy took a deep breath and spoke up.
"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but what do you think I should do?" Flippy asked him out of desperation.
"Forget her!" his alter ego said. "You don't need her, while you've got me! All she ever did was cause you pain." Flippy took offence to this.
"That's a lie!" he yelled. "I love Flaky, and all you ever do is hurt, maim and kill. You are the real pain in my life!"
"Listen to yourself!" his dark side replied, you're as mad as her!" Flippy was seething.
"I hate you. I really friggin' hate you. I wish I'd never joined the army at all!" Flippy shouted, rage in his voice.
"I should've killed her when I had the chance." his evil side said smugly. "Maybe I will, if you don't shut up."
Flippy was enraged at his evil side. "Don't you ever touch her!" He yelled.
"Oh, I'm so scared!" Evil Flippy replied sarcastically. "If I could kill you, I already would've by now!"
That was it; Flippy raised his fist and struck the mirror, causing it to shatter into a thousand pieces. He looked at his hand, just like last time, it had been cut by the glass shards. Flippy felt something change in him: his eyes twitched, and his mind filled with dark thoughts. Evil Flippy had taken over.
"At last! I'm going to kill that little whore for knocking me out!" he laughed menacingly. Evil Flippy heard his good self in his head.
"Stop this now!" Good Flippy demanded. "She's just a girl, leave her alone!" Evil Flippy, like usual, laughed at this.
"Not likely! I've got a personal score to settle with that bitch!" Evil said. Flippy was frightened; his evil side had finally gotten the chance to attack Flaky.
Flaky was at home, crying her eyes out. She had just returned from the hospital, and her injuries here almost completely healed. She was lying in bed, her head buried in her pillow. Flaky's thoughts were focused on one thing and one thing only, Flippy.
"Flippy," she cried, barely able to speak, "Please come back. I love you."
She heard a sound outside, it sounded like a vehicle was pulling up in front of her house. Flaky looked up, out the window she could see Flippy's jeep.
Flaky was overjoyed to see this. She got up and rushed to the door. She opened it and saw Flippy. Flaky flung her arms around him and began to cry.
"Flippy!" she exclaimed. "You came back for me!" Suddenly, everything changed when she heard Flippy speak.
"Hello bitch!" he said. Flaky's expression at once changed to fear. She withdrew and saw Evil Flippy standing in place of her beloved. Flaky just stood there, frozen with fear. Evil Flippy grinned evilly.
"Aww, why so sad? Did you miss me?" he asked mockingly. Flaky started to cry again.
"Why are you here?" she asked. "What do you want from me?" Evil Flippy grinned.
"I want you!" he replied. "I want to kill you! I'm going to tear you apart, bitch!"
Evil Flippy grabbed Flaky, pulled out his bowie knife and held it to her throat, just like the week before. Flaky was terrified, but decided that she must do something.
"Don't hurt me!" she begged, "Do anything you want, just don't hurt me!"
"Too bad!" he growled. "For that little stunt you pulled last time, I'm going to kill you!" Evil Flippy seized Flaky by the back of her neck and forced her inside. He forced her into the bathroom and closed the door.
"Now to take what you denied me before!" Evil Flippy yelled, throwing Flaky on the ground. He crawled on top of her. Desperate to escape, Flaky spat in his face, causing Evil Flippy to fall backwards. He wiped the saliva from his face.
"You disgusting whore!" he exclaimed. Flaky scrambled to her feet and punched him in the face. Flaky ran to the door and opened it, escaping into the hall.
Evil Flippy dragged himself over to the sink to get up, but saw something that caught him off guard, which was no small feat. In the mirror, was Flippy.
"For the last time, I told you not to touch her!" Flippy yelled. Evil Flippy was annoyed.
"You! How can you still talk to me like this?" he demanded. "I'm doing you a favour, ridding you of that bitch!"
"This isn't a favour!" Flippy yelled from the mirror, "This is just sick!" Suddenly, Evil Flippy felt something strike him in the head, it was his own fist. Flippy was trying to regain control over him.
Flaky, who had heard the commotion, peeked into the bathroom to see Flippy writhing on the floor, hands clutching his head, both sides of his mind warring for dominance. Flippy looked at her.
"Run Flaky! Get away from here!" he yelled. Flaky couldn't stand it.
"I can't bear to see you like this!" she said, beginning to cry again. Flippy writhed again, and accidentally hit Flaky, making her stumble.
"Flaky!" he shouted. "Please, just run! I'm sorry, he's too strong for me to fight!" Flippy let out a long piercing scream, and went limp. Flaky took a step closer. Flippy began to stir, and opened his eyes, they were green. He slowly got up and looked at Flaky, who began to back away again.
"At last, he's gone!" Evil Flippy exclaimed. He turned to Flaky. "Now it's your turn!" He drew his knife and lunged at Flaky, toppling her to the floor once again. He sat on top of her again and held the knife to her throat.
"Any last words?" Evil Flippy asked. This was it. Flaky decided that it was now or never.
" she said, crying. "If you can hear me, there's something that I've always wanted to tell you."
"And what's that?" Evil Flippy asked, chuckling evilly.
" she stammered. She finally found the courage to tell him what she always wanted to:
"I love you."
Flaky finally did it, she told him how she felt. She was expecting Evil Flippy to slash her throat open for that remark, but it never came to pass. She looked up, and saw that Evil Flippy had doubled back. He stumbled over to the sink, and looked in the mirror. In his reflection, was Flippy.
"That does it!" he yelled. "I won't let you take me over again!" He raised his fist, striking himself in the face. Evil Flippy tried to fight against this, but to no avail. Flippy did this to himself again and again until he fell to the floor, bleeding.
Flaky slowly crawled over to him, cautious, but worried. She placed her hand on his cheek.
" she whispered, "Are you alright?" Flippy began to shift, his eyes opened, revealing that they were their usual black.
"F-Flaky?" he asked weakly.
Flaky was overjoyed, Flippy was alive! She cradled him in her arms.
"I thought I lost you!" Flaky cried. Flippy looked up at her, tears in his eyes. He placed his hand on her cheek.
"I'm sorry for everything." He said. "I'm sorry for abandoning you, I really do care for you." Flaky shook her head.
"It doesn't matter. I knew you didn't mean any of that." She said. She placed his arm over her shoulder, helping him up. "We'd best get you to hospital." The two left and went into the living room. She set Flippy down on the couch and called an ambulance, which arrived shortly thereafter.
Flippy was lying in a hospital bed. He was wearing a hospital robe, his coat and beret on the end of the bed. Around him were Cuddles, Giggles, Mime, Russell and Flaky, who was sitting next to him.
"Flippy, you're awake!" Flaky cheered.
"I'm glad to see you're alright." Cuddles said, happily.
"We were starting to worry!" Giggles said.
"Ye made it, matey!" said Russell.
Mime, as usual, didn't speak. He instead just gave Flippy a thumbs up.
"Thank you, everyone!" Flippy replied, sitting up. Flaky was ecstatic
"I missed you!" Flaky said, throwing her arms around him, drawing him into an embrace. Flippy retuned the embrace.
"I think we should these two alone." Cuddles said to Giggles, Russell and Mime. The four of them left, closing the door behind them. Flippy and Flaky broke their embrace.
"Flippy, I want to tell you something." Flaky said.
"I already know." He replied, a smile on his face.
"You do?" Flaky asked.
"Yes, I do."
Flippy placed his hand on hers, which made her blush.
"I love you, Flaky." He said. Flippy drew her closer to him and kissed her. Flaky couldn't believe it; Flippy felt the same way for her. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the moment. Soon, they broke the kiss. Flaky looked at Flippy, her eyes sparkling with tears of happiness.
"I love you too!" She replied.
"Without you, I wouldn't have been able to win against my evil side." Flippy said.
"I hope he doesn't come back!" Flaky said, worryingly. Flippy shook his head.
"You don't have to worry about him anymore." He said. "He's never going to come back."
Flaky was relieved. She pulled Flippy into a hug again. They both knew that everything was going to be alright. Flaky had found the courage to show her true feelings to Flippy, and Flippy had defeated the demons that had been plaguing him for so long. Things had finally changed for the both of them, for the better.
Courage Ch. 4 Flippy x Flaky by Bowser-The-SecondWatch
©2011-2016 Bowser-The-Second
After Flippy hurts Flaky, he takes her to his house to recover.
This is a remake of a story written by SSJ4 GOKU VS SSJ4 SONIC, over at fanfiction.net. Without him, this story would not be possible.
This is a remake of a story written by SSJ4 GOKU VS SSJ4 SONIC, over at fanfiction.net. Without him, this story would not be possible.
An awesome story
AHHHHH U HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS SHIP. 💯💯 best fanfic yet!
The best flakyxflippy fanfic i ever read!!! I thought der was gonna be sum action wid her dad or sumtin, but i sure am glad there wasn't! do more like dis one, will ya?
why you need to say "bitch" in every word that fliqpy say ?
You don't even know how hard I ship this
Kyaaah Flippy X Flaky forever!!!!!! XD
Aww, what a sweet happy ending for Flippy & Flaky I really love them both.
Great story. I know Mime isn't everybody's favorites, but if you look at one of the chapter's in Lullaby, he actually looks better and so does everybody else.
yes, Cuddles is a guy. He;s that yellow rabbit. Remember?
cuddles is a guy
woo hoo great story love it :glad:
Loved it! =3
aww evil is gone
i is soohhh saaaadddzzzzzz
still great stori tho
i is soohhh saaaadddzzzzzz
still great stori tho
is there gonna b more???
wow epic man i even keep reading it nice
that's a great story
that was a great story i love the idea of flaky having a bad father
ITS AMAZING xD. are you going to make another chapter?
I'm actually rewriting this story now. After that, I'm going to write another, much larger story set after this one, with more characters and pairings, including Flippy/Flaky.
awesome cause I was kind of hoping flippy and flaky would ya know (shake the bed)
No, that will never happen in any of my fics. My next fic will feature a large amount of Flippy/Flaky fluff, as well as other pairings like Cuddles/Giggles, Handy/Petunia and some other surprise pairings.
i lovd it!!!!!


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i am quite confused how to sell my music on the net.
i am on tunecore , jango ....and don t know so much what to do
how can i use , myspace , facebook , twitter, youtube....
can actually people without knowing me , by listening to my music , could buy it?
can i build a fanbase only in the web ?


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Our Publications
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Brushing Up
Patti Dickey | Photo: Jamie Hopper | November 16, 2012
Atlantan Anisa Telwar has made millions of makeup brushes—and about $30 million last year alone. Now, she stresses the importance of giving some of it away: 'Tis the season, after all.
On her company:
We're mainly a private label, selling cosmetic brushes and bags to various makeup lines and retailers. I also have a small brand called adesign that I'm using as a pipeline for new products. We're the industry leader, and we're bringing something new to the table all the time. It's really about making women feel good about themselves. I want women to be educated to be preventative and not have to be so corrective. We can prevent a lot of things that happen to our skin by using the right skin care and cosmetics. We want to give folks the right education and tools. It's our attitude about who we are that matters. Then, it's nice to have makeup!
On getting into brushes:
Back in '92 I was working with a guy from Korea who manufactured brushes, so I took on the marketing aspect. I started talking about cosmetic brushes [and our brand] in a new light and people really gravitated to it. There were so many beautiful brushes that just weren't working with the product—a disservice to both the brush and the product. So, I opened the dialogue.
On the importance of makeup:
It's about self-love, self-care. It's not about 'making up' for something, it's about enhancing who we are. Makeup's not meant to be a mask. You don't want, when you go to take it off, for noone to know who you are! Most men would rather women not wear makeup.
On philanthropy:
The money and time I donate has to do with all of the effort [my company and employees] are making together. I want my organization to understand that they're helping to contribute to a positive effect on the community. My primary focus here is on Families First, which benefits children and seniors, and Lifeline Animal Project, which benefits abandoned and abused animals and conducts spay/neuter and vaccinations at low or no cost.
On choosing where to give:
My whole organization knows I give back and that we, as a company give back. I want them to know what we're doing and why. With Families First, we delivered over 200 turkeys for Thanksgiving and my employees participated. I want them to feel what it's like to pack a meal for somebody who otherwise wouldn't have had a meal that day. There are ripple effects that we never see. We really don't know how we impact people through our efforts. I do know, however, that you have to feel it in your heart.


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Apr 21, 2011 10:00 AM
Gifts - Sure, we expect them on anniversaries, birthdays, etc. - but those are the easy ones. Don't you love when you get a "just because" bouquet or naughty piece of lingerie? Well, it works both ways, sister - you gotta give a little to get a little. With this in mind, we'll be finding kick-ass "just because" gifts for your guy every now and then - possibly scoring you some brownie points and making you...a Golden Girl!
When Tom Colicchio of Top Chef fame, and Ryan D'Agostino, food editor at Esquire, say they're gonna teach the men a thing or two about how to cook a proper meal... we believe! Eat Like a Man: The Only Cookbook a Man Will Ever Need ($18) teaches how to make real food that men love to eat, and wish they could cook. This choice collection of 75 recipes, also features useful pointers every man should know. Recipes for Sunday mornings with the fam, end-of-the-week dinners with the lady, Saturday nights for showing-off, game days and poker nights - he's covered for all occasions!
It is known that cash makes us free. But how to act when one has no money? The only one way is to receive the personal loans or just small business loan.
If you've got a product or service that you'd like to promote on Outblush, click here to find out about our advertising opportunities.
Outblush is a blog for girls who love to shop. Our staff digs up the best clothes, home stuff, beauty items, and more. New items are posted every day — bookmark us and check out:


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225 Old Englewood RdEnglewood, FL, 34223 United States(941) 544-7676
Hoover's Inc., a Dun & Bradstreet Company puts you on the fastest path to business. Hoover's offers proprietary business information through the Internet, data feeds, wireless devices, and co-branding agreements with other online services.
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MOR Monday ~ Choices
Since becoming a mother I have noticed an interesting phenomenon. We Mom's, we take things personally. If I am talking to another Mom and say something like "My daughter just loves Dora!" (that's a TV show character for those without toddlers.), and this other Mom responds with something like "Oh, my kids don't watch any TV.". I feel deflated. I feel judged. I feel like a loser mom. Now, this "Other Mom" didn't say "Wow! That's horrible! I can't believe you let your daughter watch TV! You're rotting her brain!", she simply stated a fact. And it's a very appropriate thing to say since it explains why her child wouldn't know who Dora is, right?
And it works both ways. My husband & I chose not to circumcise our son. This decision was based on our own research and discussion that this was the best thing for him. It was difficult for some friends & family to understand and at first I wasn't sure why. Then I realized that it is a lot like the TV incident. The logic goes like this:
I did not circumcise my son -àI believe circumcision to be unnecessary and possibly even wrong -àYou did circumcise your son à I believe YOU ARE WRONG.
And this is why it's hard to be friends with parents if your parenting choices are really different. The same thing goes for choices about vaccines (we do), spanking (we don't), organic food (a little), and all of the other difficult choices parents have to make every single day. There is a part of me that believes we should live and let live. As long as you are making these choices based on your love for your kids and what you believe to be the best thing for your family then it's none of my business.
Now I might still think that there is an ideal, or that the way I am choosing to do something is better than what another Mom has chosen. But I might be wrong. The reality though is that as much as I don't want the choices I make for my family to be a judgment of anyone else, it kind of is. That "Other Mom" doesn't let her kids watch TV because she believes it's bad, or a waste of time, or harmful to them…so she disagrees with my choice. What I am working on, what I think we all need to work on, is separating our choices as parents from who we are as people. It is possible that I am making a bad choice. That does not define me as mother, or a woman.
My hope is that I can convey that to my mommy friends. That I would be a friend who is compassionate, encouraging, and willing to hash things out when big decisions need to be made, even if we don't agree in the end. And it's okay to disagree, because it needs to be okay for me to think your choice to spank is wrong and it needs to be okay for you to think my choice to let my kids watch TV is wrong. Because this is my new motto:
I am more than sum total of the choices I make. I am wonderfully & fearfully made, and am grateful that my children have a heavenly Father who loves them more dearly than I ever could.


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DMO Galleries Chicago Photography is nearing its fifth birthday, and the 168 photos in "THIS is Chicago." encapsulate the Chicago experience that photographer Doug Oldham has sought to capture during that time. Every aspect of the city, from its prominent landmarks to its humble back alleys, is here. "THIS is Chicago." is a complete DMO Galleries Chicago Photography retrospective and includes photos from both "Chicago: Architecture and Skyline" and "sidewalks and back alleys: the streets of chicago," plus many brand new photos taken since those editions went to print.
Printed on luxurious premium paper, this edition is available in either hardcover or budget paperback and is in 8"x10" landscape format.
DMO Galleries Chicago Photography, a venture by photographer Doug Oldham, attempts to showcase the beautiful, diverse, and interesting sights of Chicago, from the most famous landmarks to the most obsure back alleys.
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sidewalks and back alleys:the streets of chicago Published March 08, 2008
Chicago: Architecture and Skyline Published March 07, 2008


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"True Blood" is getting ready for a huge final season, and fans are now being teased about the events to come during season seven by a member of the cast. On March 4, True Blood Online shared the latest comments made by Ryan Kwanten. He stars as Jason Stackhouse on the HBO series.
This series is pulling out all the stops for the final season. "True Blood" has not shied away from killing major characters in the past, and fans should expect to see some major character deaths during the season ahead. Kwanten teased the following in an interview, according to True Blood Online:
People are going to be dying. Some of your favorites are going to be not lasting the season, unfortunately.
Fans thought they had lost one series favorite at the end of season six when Eric Northman was shown naked on a mountain top when his ability to withstand the sunlight wore off during daylight hours. He will return to the series for season seven though. However, Eric Northman could be one of the characters to see the true death before the final credits role.
What do you think? Who will die next on this HBO series? "True Blood" will return to HBO this summer.
For the latest in entertainment and celebrity news, find me on Facebook and Twitter.
Suggested Links
- 'Scandal' 3x12 clip: Awkward moments and more crazy drama teased
- 'The Bachelor': Sean Lowe pokes fun at Catherine Giudici comments
- 'The Vampire Diaries' 5x15 sneak peeks explain the Katherine switch
- 'Once Upon A Time' set video and spoilers tease Emma's new man
- 'Castle' spoilers: Andrew Marlowe talks return shocker and what's next


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The more I read, and the more I go and get involved with digital photography, the more I am sure that Image Quality is readily available to everyone cheaply and easily now, but the nuances, the very refined 'best of' for the pro's also requires the right kit.
These are just some random Sunday thoughts, but if someone starting out asked me what they needed to do to produce top flight images I'd say, in order...
Get a camera with AT LEAST an APC sized sensor. The Mp argument is less clear, but sensor size matters.
Learn to use the camera properly, right from the very basics up. So many pics are spoilt by people who don't understand their tools.
Buy good quality lenses. That is, make sure your glass will out resolve your sensor, or equal it.
Love your subject and find time for it, not only on site, but in the 'darkroom' later.
Learn post processing. At least get Lightroom or similar, but preferably get full photoshop and learn to use it.
Shoot Raw.
I'm talking here about aiming to exhibit your work in a gallery for example. I think there is a good arguement for saying bollox to most of the above and just taking snaps with a camera phone IF you are a goddam artistic genius.
I'm not, so the above would be my route.


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Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age : Universal Design for Learning
ISBN13:by Rose, David H.; Meyer, Anne
Assn for Supervision & Curriculum
Questions About This Book?
Why should I rent this book?
Renting is easy, fast, and cheap! Renting from eCampus.com can save you hundreds of dollars compared to the cost of new or used books each semester. At the end of the semester, simply ship the book back to us with a free UPS shipping label! No need to worry about selling it back.
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Returning books is as easy as possible. As your rental due date approaches, we will email you several courtesy reminders. When you are ready to return, you can print a free UPS shipping label from our website at any time. Then, just return the book to your UPS driver or any staffed UPS location. You can even use the same box we shipped it in!
What version or edition is this?
This is the edition with a publication date of 5/1/2002.
What is included with this book?
- The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any CDs, lab manuals, study guides, etc.
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Author Biography
David H. Rose and Anne Meyer are the founders and co-directors of the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), a not-for-profit organization
Table of Contents
|p. iv
|p. v
|Universal Design for Learning: The Concept
|Education in the Digital Age
|p. 3
|What Brain Research Tells Us About Learner Differences
|p. 11
|Why We Need Flexible Instructional Media
|p. 41
|What Is Universal Design for Learning?
|p. 69
|Universal Design for Learning: Practical Applications
|Using UDL to Set Clear Goals
|p. 87
|Using UDL to Support Every Student's Learning
|p. 107
|Using UDL to Accurately Assess Student Progress
|p. 137
|Making Universal Design for Learning a Reality
|p. 157
|Classroom Templates
|Class Learning Profile
|p. 178
|Curriculum Barriers
|p. 184
|UDL Solutions
|p. 189
|Creating Systemic Change
|p. 195
|References and Resources
|p. 200
|p. 210
|About the Authors
|p. 215
|Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.


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Play Slideshow >>
Locked Out
Photo: Sandia National Laboratory
Bill Hart leads a team of federal and academic researchers that's developing a system for monitoring contaminants in real time. The "Canary" data analysis software for detecting contamination, as well as a Sensor Placement Optimization Toolkit (TEVA-SPOT) for pinpointing key sensor locations, is being tested by Tucson Water in Arizona.
Photo: Wirewall by Riverdale
Fencing is the first line of security for water treatment plants like this one in Houston. Note that the grid pattern is too small to allow a toehold for climbing.
Sources: American Society of Civil Engineers, American Water Works Association, and Water Environment Federation
The cost of risk reductionA cost-risk reduction curve can be a useful tool in determining which security measures to use—and at which point implementing additional security measures would lead to marginal risk reduction. The below graph is an example of a typical cost-to-risk curve.
Almost half of funding has been returned to federal coffers.
Federal funding for security enhancements is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP). As the lead agency for the Sector-Specific Plan for water and wastewater security, the EPA also provides some funding.
Under the HSGP, some specific urban areas and cities can apply directly to the federal government under the Urban Areas Security Initiative. All other grants, such as from the State Homeland Security Program, must go through the states.
Another DHS grant program, the Infrastructure Protection Program (IPP), also funnels money to the states, primarily for transportation-related projects.
Water infrastructure managers can look to the EPA for help, although the funds allocated to states and cities are small. State and Tribal Assistance Grants, for example, awarded $5 million for water infrastructure last year. State Revolving Funds can be a good resource, especially for smaller and disadvantaged communities, but appropriations to this federal program have consistently declined.
Most DHS money comes in the form of grants. DHS allocates this money based on risk, which is defined as the product of three variables:
Some grants require matching funds. In the agencies' capacity as response/recovery agencies, funding through DHS and the EPA may be distributed as low-interest loans.
Total HSGP funding rose to a high of $2.9 billion in 2004, but is down to $1.7 billion this year. Although the EPA's FY 2009 budget tags $170 million for water infrastructure security, little of that is for direct grants to cities.
From the HSGP's creation in 2002 to fiscal year 2007, about 30%—or $5 billion of $16 billion—of all the federal money approved by Congress for distribution to individual state anti-terrorist and natural disaster response agencies such as police, fire, and other emergency workers hasn't been spent.
Unspent EPA funds are generally closed out.
Reasons given for unspent funds include:
Association Renames Conference to Reflect Changes in the Workforce.
Infrastructure Projects
Public works agencies among the many that want national leaders to recognize the...
Lead-Safe Practices
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Cloud-based solution for monitoring roadways, jobsites, and other remote facilities.
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William D. Palmer Jr.
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Did you know that May 12 belongs to us? Lots of us are aware of this. We share the buzz on it amongst ourselves. We add blue ribbons to profile pictures. We raise our voices, join our hands, mount the few podiums available to us and tug at the sleeve of the rest of the world.
Discuss the article on the Forums.
Letter from Dr Mikovits to the editor of the IACFS Bulletin
Discussion in 'Media, Interviews, Blogs, Talks, Events about XMRV' started by fred, May 6, 2010.
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Page 2 of 5


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I have two Linux Active/Passive nodes on which i have the same simple processing application(not webapp). I just need to have a HA cluster when one machine is down the application on the second takes the job. I don't want that both application runs at the same time. I need someting like Node A is down, Node P notices that, the P becomes the A then begins to process.
How can i do it ?


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Deadline Hollywood noted on Sunday the passing of Lord Richard Attenborough, the great British actor and director whose career spanned many decades. He was 90 years old and is best known for directing the sweeping epic film "Gandhi" which starred Ben Kinsley about the nationalist leader whose non-violent tactics brought an end to British rule in India soon after World War II. But most modern audiences remember him as John Hammond, the affable creator of "Jurassic Park," which brought dinosaurs to life.
Attenborough's directorial efforts tended toward the historical drama. In "A Bridge too Far" he depicted Operation Market Garden, the doomed effort to seize a number of bridges in Holland and open the road to Germany in World War II. In "Shadowlands" he directed Anthony Hopkins in an intimate portrait of the great writer, teacher, and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis. In "Young Winston," he told the story of the early life of Winston Churchill and, incidentally, a different view of the British Empire than was later depicted in "Gandhi."
Besides the first two "Jurassic Park" films, Attenborough appeared in films ranging from "I'm All Right Jack," a satire about British labor unions to "Elizabeth" the story of the early years of the reign of Elizabeth I. In the latter film he played the Queen's chief minister, William Cecil, a figure who was actually much younger than the actor who portrayed him. Other films he appeared in included "Dr. Doolittle," "The Sand Pebbles," and a remake of "Miracle on 34th Street" and Kris Kringle, of course.
If should be noted that Attenborough, as so many actors of his generation, was obliged to interrupt his career to serve in World War II in which he served with distinction in the Royal Air Force. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including a best director and best picture for "Gandhi/" He was also married to the same woman for nearly 60 years, his wife Sheila, whom he leaves behind along with children, friends, and uncounted film fans.


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How is the Plane of the Solar System oriented to the Sun's motion through space: parallel, perpendicular, or some other angle?
Surprisingly it's quite easy to answer this because we can use the cosmic microwave background as a reference. The CMB gives us an average inertial frame for the universe so our motion relative to it is the closest we can come to defining the Solar System's motion through space.
The CMB is isotropic, but because we are moving relative to it the radiation is blue shifted in our direction of motion and red shifted in the opposite direction. This creates the CMB dipole anisotropy - for more detail see this paper on the Arxiv.
So we just need to find the angle relative to the ecliptic where the CMB is hottest. After much scribbling and head-scratching I gave up and resorted to Google, which immediately found this article (NB it's a PDF) that does the calculation for me. The result is that we are moving at about 10° to the plane of the Solar System.
Chris White points out the question The Galactic Plane that points out the tilt of the ecliptic relative to the Milky Way is 60°. The paper by Kogut et al gives the direction of the CMB dipole maximum relative to the Milky Way, so if you know the galactic longitude of the Solar System you should be able to calculate the angle of the dipole maximum from Earth (i.e. the 10° angle mentioned above). It was after trying and failing to do this I resorted to Google :-)


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Semiautomation of platelet HPA-1a phenotyping by SPRCA and ELISA
L.A. Mohabir and L. Porter
A clinically significant anti-HLA-A2 detectable by extended incubation cytotoxicity and flow cytometric techniques but not by a standard NIH lymphocytotoxicity test
S.F. Garner, J. Petrochilos, C.J. Brown, S. Cavanna, I. Chanarin, and C. Navarrete
Delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction and paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria: an unusual association
M.A. Wodzinski, R.C. Collin, D.J. Booker, F. Stamps, J.D Bellamy, and R.J Sokol
Case report: reporting anti-G as anti-C+D may have misleading clinical implications
A.L. Mosley, M.B. Trich, N.C. Thomas, and S.G.Sandler
A case of hemolytic disease of the newborn due to anti-Kpa
L. Costamagna, M. Barbarini, G.L. Viarengo, A. Pagani, D. Isernia, and L. Salvaneschi
Back to Top
L.A. Mohabir and L. Porter
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and solid phase red cell adherence assay (SPRCA) were assessed for platelet HPA-1a typing in U well microplates. Both methods were partially automated by the use of the Tecan RSP 8051ID robotic sampler and the SLT 400 ATC plate reader with Soft2000 software. Pretreatment of the adherent platelets with chloroquine diphosphate or citric acid enabled anti-HPA-1a, even when contaminated with HLA class 1 antibodies, to be used for typing. Of 675 antenatal samples, 13 were identified as HPA-1a negative. A further 36 known donor HPA-1a negative samples were correctly typed by both methods. Concordant results were obtained for the ELISA and SPRCA. All presumed HPA-1a negatives were confirmed by either polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) or by monoclonal antibody-specific immobilization of platelet antigens (MAIPA). The two semiautomated systems provide simple, accurate, reproducible, and secure ways for large scale HPA-1a phenotyping. The SPRCA can also be performed as a manual technique for small batches of samples.
S.F. Garner, J. Petrochilos, C.J. Brown, S. Cavanna, I. Chanarin, and C. Navarrete
A previously transfused female patient, known to have a platelet defect, was transfused with platelets prior to surgery. After the 18th unit she felt unwell, developed fever, rigor, became nauseous, and vomited. Her blood pressure decreased from 140/90 to 80/50mm Hg. Passive transfer of donor granulocytes or red cell antibodies were excluded as a cause. Therefore, a serum sample from the patient was investigated for the presence of antibodies to human leukocyte antigens (HLA) using a standard National Institutes of Health (NIH) lymphocytotoxicity test, but antibodies were not detected. However, an extended incubation cytotoxicity test demonstrated the presence of an anti-HLA-A2, and indirect immunofluorescence flow cytometry showed the presence of an IgG1 antibody reacting with 50 percent of cells in a random pool of lymphocytes. One week later, multispecific HLA antibodies were detectable by both NIH and extended incubation cytotoxicity tests. Flow cytometry showed a 16-fold increase in the amount of IgG antibodies and the appearance of an IgM component. Such clinically important HLA antibodies can be detected by extended incubation cytotoxicity and flow cytometric assays prior to becoming reactive in a standard NIH cytotoxicity technique.
M.A. Wodzinski, R.C. Collin, D.J. Booker, R. Stamps, J.D. Bellamy, and R.J. Sokol
An 80-year-old female presented with melena and anemia due to bleeding from a benign gastric ulcer. Her blood group was O, D+. The serum contained anti-B and a weak anti-A (titer 2 at 18°C). She was inadvertently transfused with approximately 3.5 units of group A red blood cells with no initial ill effects. One week later, the anti-A titer increased to 8 and the direct antiglobulin test (DAT) was weakly positive (IgG and C3d). The next day, intravascular hemolysis became evident. The DAT was still weakly positive and the serum contained a weak cold autoagglutinin, which did not correlate with the severity of the hemolysis. A Donath-Landsteiner test was performed and found to be strongly positive. The antibody showed P specificity, confirming a diagnosis of paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (PCH). Exchange transfusion was followed by rapid recovery even though the Donath-Landsteiner test remained positive for at least a month. The patient was well when last seen 11 months after presentation. It was thought that the original low titer of anti-A reflected compromised immune homeostasis in an elderly patient and that stimulation by incompatible blood in those circumstances resulted in a delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction that triggered, exacerbated, or was accompanied by an autoimmune response manifesting as PCH.
A.L. Mosley, M.B. Trich, N.C. Thomas, and S.G. Sandler
Four months after a D male was transfused with four units of D red blood cells (RBCs), the results of a standard pretransfusion antibody screen and alloantibody identification panel detected anti-C+D in his serum. This report was interpreted by his physician to be evidence of alloimmunization to the D antigen, which triggered concern that the patient had been transfused previously with D+ RBCs as the result of an error in blood typing or personal identification. After a review of hospital records failed to identify such an error, consultation with a reference laboratory technologist confirmed that the serologic reactions resembled those of anti-C+D but were also consistent with anti-C + anti-G. Additional testing confirmed that the reactions were due to anti-G, not anti-C+D. One of the four donors was identified to have the C+D RBC phenotype, which is typically G+, thus identifying the stimulus for anti-G. Routine reporting of the detection of anti-C+D in the serum of D people, without confirmatory testing or commentary about the possibility that anti-G may resemble anti-C+D, may mislead health care providers who are not familiar with the pertinent blood group serology.
L. Costamagna, M. Barbarini, G.L. Viarengo, A. Pagani, D. Isernia, and L. Salvaneschi
A patient with hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) due to maternal anti-Kpa alloimmunization is described. Although there are few reports in the literature, it appears that HDN due to anti-Kpa is often mild and transfusion therapy is rarely required. However, in this case, the baby's hemoglobin progressively decreased and on day 18 a blood transfusion was administered, but jaundice was not severe enough for exchange transfusion.


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Who is it we mean when we refer to this man, this Coach, Paul Wade? There are no verifiable reported sightings of him anywhere, but in the rapidly growing Calisthenics Community, his storied footprints are everywhere. Some speculate, others debate, but the only certainty we have is that Coach Paul Wade and his book, Convict Conditioning, was and remains enormous in scope, hope, ambition & mission for fans & converts of bodyweight conditioning.
Now, a new book has been conceived & released with the same authorial credentials, and it focuses on gaining mass through bodyweight exercises & calisthenics, alone. C-Mass (Calisthenics Mass: How to Maximize Muscle Growth Using Bodyweight-Only Training) is now available through Dragon Door.
There continues to be discussion inside & out of the Endurance Community as to whether muscle mass is a help or hinderance to endurance sport performance. Certainly, too much or too little can cause problems along the lines of injuries, as well as failure to recover sufficiently. That said, there is an amount of musculature & mass that is beneficial to preventing injuries and speeding along recovery times. This amount varies from athlete to athlete, but as we continue to explore the muscle mass ratio that works best for us through our races & goals, a resource such as Coach Paul Wade's newest book is infinitely invaluable.
Bodyweight Training and Calisthenics are ideal for Endurance Athletes and other busy professionals. Being equipped with the knowledge of how to use your own body while on the road for work, or en route to your next race is essential for keeping fit and staying healthy where gyms, treadmills, and traditional means of modern exercise aren't readily available, accessible or convenient. You've worked hard for your strength, sacrificed for your gains, so why would you let them suffer because a gym was out of reach, or time was a formidable foe?
Weighing in at seven chapters, and 136 pages, this e-book, currently available for a discounted deal of $6.95 from Dragon Door Publications (only until Friday, June 6, 2014), is packed full with the knowledge & experience necessary to reach your musculature goals while using only your own body weight. Get your copy of C-Mass (Calisthenics Mass: How to Maximize Muscle Growth Using Bodyweight-Only Training), and develop the natural mass you need to fight, win, repeat.


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Rocking the Drop in support of Teen Lit Day yesterday was so much fun. I can't wait to do it again next year. Once again, I'd like to thank HarperTeen for providing the amazing books. They're incredible!!!
I leave you with some pictures of the books my minions and I dropped around Philly.
Forbidden, Syrie James & Ryan M. James
Near Frankford & Cottman
Never Fall Down, Patricia McCormick
Jardel Rec Center, Cottman & Whitaker
Social Suicide, Gemma Halliday
Al's Corner Deli, Torresdale & Rhawn
The Last Echo, Kimberly Derting
Twistee Treat, Frankford & Longshore
The Last Little Blue Envelope, Maureen Johnson
Roosevelt Mall, Cottman Avenue
The Selection, Kiera Cass
Rita's Water Ice, Frankford Avenue
The Selection, Kiera Cass
Christa Lewis Memorial Tot Lot, Torresdale Avenue
Unraveling, Elizabeth Norris
By the River, Delaware Avenue & Ardenell Avenue
For more information on Teen Lit Day or to find out how you can get involved, visit the lovely people at Readergirlz.


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College Hockey:Aucoin Named D-III POTY; All-Americans Announced
Senior forward Keith Aucoin of Norwich was announced today as the College Division Player of the Year by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA).
Aucoin scored 114 goals and 122 assists in his four-year career at Norwich. During the 2000-2001 season, Aucoin notched 26 goals and 30 assists.
"Keith Aucoin has been one of the most dominant players in Division III for the past four years. What is most special about Keith is how his personality and work ethic has carried over to the other members of the team," said Norwich head coach Mike McShane.
Among the Division III All-Americans, also announced today, Aucoin was the lone repeater on the East First Team. Senior goalie Bryan Howard of Concordia was the lone repeater on the West First Team.
NCAA Division III semifinalists accounted for more than half of this year's JOFA Division III Hockey All-Americans.
RIT, which is hosting the NCAA Division III "Frozen Four" this weekend, led the way with four East First Team selections.
Wisconsin-Superior, another semifinalist, also had four honorees, two on the West First Team and two on the West Second Team.
All-Americans are chosen by members of the AHCA. Two six man teams are chosen in the East and two in the West. Of the 24 players earning Division III All-American status this year, 15 are seniors, five are juniors, and four are sophomores.
Six different schools are represented on the East squads and six schools provide the 12 West All-Americans.
First Team — East
G, Tyler Euverman, RIT, SO
D, Jerry Galway, RIT, JR
D, Jim Smith, Amherst, SR
F, Keith Aucoin, Norwich, SR
F, Peter Bournazakis, RIT, SR
F, Derek Hahn, RIT, JR
First Team — West
G, Brian Howard, Concordia, SR
D, Eliot Komar, Wis.-River Falls, SR
D, Adam Kragthorpe, Wis.-River Falls, SO
F, Jeff Glowa, Wis.-Superior, SR
F, Ivan Prokic, Wis.-Superior, SR
F, Adam Sedgwick, St. Norbert, SR
Second Team — East
G, Niklas Sundberg, Plattsburgh, JR
D, Matt Skoglund, Middlebury, SR
D, Bryan Murray, Plattsburgh, SR
F, Ralph Aiello, N.E. College, SR
F, Scott Goldman, Middlebury, SR
F, Brendon Hodge, Plattsburgh, SO
Second Team — West
G, Nathan Ziemski, Wis.-Superior, SO
D, Mike McMahon, St. Thomas, SR
D, Milan Thomaska, Wis.-Superior, JR
F, Jeff Bernard, Wis.-River Fals, SR
F, Jared Gustafson, Bethel, SR
F, Tony Lawrence, St. Thomas, JR
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ISS Expedition 8 Commander and NASA ISS Science Officer Mike Foale and Expedition 8 Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri are accompanied by European Space Agency Astronaut Pedro Duque aboard the ISS Soyuz 8 spacecraft. The trio plan to dock Soyuz 8 to the Station at about 2:17 a.m. CDT on Monday, Oct. 20, and hatches between the Station and Soyuz 8 are to be opened at about 5:14 a.m. CDT. Foale and Kaleri are bound for a six-month stay aboard the international research complex. Duque, flying under a commercial agreement between Rosaviakosmos and the European Space Agency, will spend a week aboard the Station conducting a series of scientific studies.
Foale and Kaleri will relieve Expedition 7 Commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu, who have flown aboard the Station since late April. Malenchenko, Lu and Duque will depart the station on Oct. 27 aboard the ISS Soyuz 7 craft en route to a landing hours afterward in Kazakhstan.
The week ahead will include a variety of joint activities for the five station crew members as they hand over activities onboard. The plans include an interview by ABC News and the Houston Chronicle at 8:45 a.m. CDT Tuesday, Oct. 21; an interview by CNN and CBS News at 9:25 a.m. CDT Wednesday, Oct. 22; a crew news conference at 10 a.m. CDT Thursday, Oct. 23; and a formal change of command ceremony at 1:20 p.m. CDT Friday, Oct. 24. Undocking of the Soyuz 7 carrying Duque and the Expedition 7 crew home is planned for 5:20 p.m. CST on Oct. 27 leading to a touchdown in Kazakhstan at 8:36 p.m. CST.


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Shantiniketan Benedictine Retreat Centre was constructed to meet the growing demands for retreats from the lay people. The monastery guest rooms were insufficient to provide facilities for the larger groups and so now the new centre has the facilities for 300 people to stay and make their retreat at a time. The constructions are still underway.
Services Overview
All through history, Benedictine Monasteries have been known to be centres of spiritual enrichment and intellectual pursuit.
Contact Us
Address: St. Joseph's Benedictine Monastery, Makkiyad, Makkiyad P.O., 670 731
Wayanad Dt., Kerala, India.
Telephone: 04935 - 235226, 04935-235426
E-mail : email@example.com
E-mail Prior : firstname.lastname@example.com
osbsilv : osbsilv.org


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MediaTek plans to ship 200 million smartphone chipsets this year, dedicated tablet CPU coming in Q3
No wonder Qualcomm's trying hard to get a foothold in China, and it's using every advantage it can think of in the process. All of the 'big guys' in the mobile chipset space are surely a bit uneasy looking East and seeing MediaTek's incredible rise. Which isn't going to slow down, by the way, since the company is looking forward to selling more than 200 million smartphone chipsets in 2013.
In case you've been living under a rock, MediaTek is the Taiwanese company that makes the smartphone chipsets that almost all of the so-called Chinese 'white-box' vendors use. These 'white boxes' are sold with various brands applied to them in Chinese stores, and they make up a pretty big portion of the overall smartphone market in China. And, by some measures, that's already become the biggest smartphone market in the world.
So you can obviously understand why MediaTek went from 10 million chipsets sold in 2011 to 110 million sold last year. And no, that's not a typo. For a long part of its existence, MediaTek focused solely on chipsets with 2G connectivity only – because 3G took a while to become ubiquitous in China. And it was able to offer significantly better deals on 2G technology compared to its rivals. Things have changed, and MediaTek now makes a lot of 3G-capable chips, which then end up in Android-powered smartphones across China.
Which brings us to Android. It's pretty clear that the openness of this platform has enabled most of those white-box vendors to exist in the first place, since the price for the operating system they use is essentially zero. Sure, in the past some had used Windows Mobile without any license from Microsoft, but in Android's case there's absolutely no fear of any possible lawsuits in the future. Android enabled the white-box industry, which is supplied almost exclusively by MediaTek.
So, in a way, MediaTek's rise is closely linked to Android. That's an interesting side effect of the popularity of Google's mobile operating system.
Anyway, MediaTek expects TD-SCDMA chipsets to account for 20-25% of its projected sales volume for this year, WCDMA units to be around 40-50%, and EDGE chips from 20 to 25%. TD-SCDMA is the 3G flavor used exclusively by China Mobile, the world's biggest carrier in terms of subscriber count. WCDMA is what's internationally known as 3G (HSPA too), and EDGE is the 2G tech that still sells in some places (China included).
So you can see from this breakdown that MediaTek managed to very quickly turn itself from a 2G-focused entity into one that pretty much depends on the sales of its 3G-capable chips.
MediaTek expects its market share in China this year to be 30-40% in TD-SCDMA solutions, 50-60% in WCDMA/HSPA, and 70-80% in terms of EDGE chips. So, effectively one out of every two HSPA devices that will be sold in China this year will have a MediaTek processor and baseband chip inside. And about a third of the TD-SCDMA units, and the majority of 2G phones. That's quite an accomplishment for a company that just 2-3 years ago was a serious underdog in this industry.
Let's not forget that MediaTek's first quad-core processor, the MT6589, is launching as we speak in many Chinese brand devices. The lack of a quad-core unit so far in its portfolio may have prevented some possible additional sales last year, but now that this hurdle has been cleared, the road to over 200 million parts sold has become pretty straight. And to help it get there fast, the company will also release a dedicated processor for tablets, which is expected to launch in the third quarter.
Via Sina


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POP QUIZ: Who Are These Authors?
Can you identify these authors solely from the dust jacket photos of their recent novels? The answers are included in "invisible ink" at the bottom — just highlight the section to see how many you got correct, and post your score at the bottom. (If you get 'em all without cheating, you might be my reading soulmate.)
1. A.M. Homes, author of May We Be Forgiven.
2. Tom McCarthy, author of C (and a mean Dwight Schrute impersonator!)
3. Jennifer Haigh, author of Faith
4. James Meek, author of The Heart Broke In
5. Robin Sloan, author of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
The bonus: Ida Hattemer-Higgins, author of The History of History (one of my favorite novels of the last five years)
We have a $100 Visa gift card to giveaway. Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the image below:


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An experienced pair of Atlanta Falcons receivers headlines what has been the top receiver corp in the NFC South in recent seasons. But the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers all selected receivers in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.
Here is the latest in our NFC South rankings by position group.
July 7: Receivers
1. Atlanta Falcons
Julio Jones and Roddy White a year ago were coming off a 2012 season in which they combined for more than 2,500 yards and 17 touchdowns. The 2013 season wasn't nearly as successful, as Jones missed most of the season with a foot injury and White saw his numbers decline for a third straight season.
Much of the Falcons' success in 2014 will depend on the health of this duo, along with continued production from Harry Douglas, whose role in the offense expanded even before Jones' injury. The Falcons also added return specialist Devin Hester, who caught 23 passes with the Chicago Bears last season.
The team also recently signed former New Orleans Saints receiver and special teams standout Courtney Roby. He played for the Saints from 2008 to '12, including the 2009 Super Bowl team.
2. New Orleans Saints
The release of Lance Moore and the selection of a receiver in the last three NFL drafts -- including 2014 first-round pick Brandin Cooks -- helped the Saints get younger at this position in 2014.
Productive veteran Marques Colston, 31, remains with the team after he led Saints wide receivers in catches for a seventh time in his eight seasons, including the last five. His 75 catches for 943 yards and five touchdowns in 2013 paced a unit that included 2012 fourth-round pick Nick Toon and 2013 fifth-rounder Kenny Stills.
Stills caught 32 passes for 641 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie, and Toon seeks an expanded role with only four catches in 2013. Cooks, timed as the fastest receiver at the 2014 NFL scouting combine before the Saints traded up to take him at No. 20 overall, has strong play-making potential.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
First-round pick Mike Evans arrives from Texas A&M to complement veteran Vincent Jackson, who has topped 70 catches and 1,200 yards in both of his two seasons since he left the San Diego Chargers.
Evans, selected No. 7 overall, headlined a draft in which the Bucs used all six of their picks on offensive players, including one on former Wyoming receiver Robert Herron on the sixth round.
Tim Wright, an undrafted rookie from Rutgers in 2013, caught 54 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns, as the Bucs played most of the season without Mike Williams (now with the Buffalo Bills) due to a hamstring injury. Former LSU receiver Russell Shepard played 14 games for Tampa Bay in 2013 but did not register a catch.
4. Carolina Panthers
None of the 12 receivers currently on the roster caught as much as a single pass from Cam Newton in 2013, after veterans Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell and Ted Ginn Jr. left for other teams. Only one current receiver has caught a pass in a Panthers uniform, and that's Kealoha Pilares, whose two catches in 2012 went for 42 yards and a touchdown.
The Panthers' overhauled receiver corps now includes first-round pick Kelvin Benjamin from Florida State, who was picked No. 28 overall; and veteran free agents Jason Avant from, who played all eight of his NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles; Jerricho Cotchery, an 11th-year veteran who caught 10 touchdowns in 2013 with the Pittsburgh Steelers; and Tiquan Underwood, a sixth-year player on his fourth team.


text: Sep 12, 2014 18:48 About Town for Aug. 31, 2014 About Town for Aug. 31, 2014 Advocate story Aug. 30, 2014; 5:16 p.m. Comments LET'S BOWL WHAT: 9-Pin Bowling Tournament fundraiser for the Robert A. Bogan Fire Museum WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6 WHERE: Circle Bowl, 8878 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge TICKETS: $110 per four-person team or $27.50 per person. Call Mike Paternostro, (225) 892-6891, or email email@example.com. DETAILS: Money raised will be dedicated to restore and refurbish the museum, a nonprofit organization. In addition to bowling, there will be prizes, a 50/50 raffle, music, food and a cash bar. Trophies will be awarded for Most Spirited, Best Themed, Last Place and Best Overall among others. The fire station, first named the Central Fire Station, was renamed for Robert A. Bogan, who was the first paid fire chief and is considered the father of Baton Rouge fire fighting. The building was constructed as the department headquarters in 1924. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. AUDUBON DAYS WHAT: Jane Austen Days WHEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6 WHERE: Audubon State Historic Site, La. 965, West Feliciana Parish ADMISSION: $8 for ages 18-61; $6 for ages 62 and older; $4 for ages 6-17; free for ages 5 and younger. Come dressed in your Jane Austen-era finery and get in free. INFORMATION: firstname.lastname@example.com or call (888) 677-2838 toll free or (225) 635.3739 DETAILS: REVISIT THE TIME OF AUTHOR JANE AUSTEN, AS YOU TOUR OAKLEY HOUSE, WHERE EACH ROOM WILL EXPLORE THE LAST DAYS OF SPANISH WEST FLORIDA AND SOCIAL LIFE IN THE REGENCY PERIOD. VISITORS MAY BRUSH UP ON SOCIAL ETIQUETTE AT A TEA, AND, LATER IN THE DAY, ENJOY A PERIOD DANCE AS 1810-STYLE MUSIC FILLS THE AIR. AUDUBON STATE HISTORIC SITE IS THE SETTING FOR THE 200-YEAR-OLD OAKLEY HOUSE, TEMPORARY HOME AND INSPIRATION TO JOHN JAMES AUDUBON IN THE 1800S. THE PARK INCLUDES A MUSEUM, PICNIC AREAS, HISTORIC BUILDINGS, PAVILION AND NATURE TRAIL. WINE & FOOD WHAT: The Baton Rouge Irish Club's annual Wine and Food Experience WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12 WHERE: Celtic Media Centre, 10000 Celtic Drive, Baton Rouge TICKETS: $30 for club members, $35 for non-members, $40 at the door. Tickets at the Elizabethan Gallery, 680 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge. (225) 924-6437. Ticket includes a commemorative wine glass. INFORMATION: bririshclub.com DETAILS: Hosted by WBRZ's Whitney Vann, there will wine tasting and delicious food prepared and presented by popular restaurants, chefs, food vendors and vintners in the greater Baton Rouge area. The Jig Is Up, a Houston-based band, will play Irish music. Both a silent and a live auction, including jewelry from Jack Hood Jewelers, will be held. Get The Advocate in your inbox Subscribe


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The Rahlves' Banzai Tour begins this weekend (Feb. 22-23) at Kirkwood Mountain Resort.
Due to low snow totals, the Banzai was delayed this year. But the wait was worth it. Kirkwood now has 9 feet of fresh snow.
"Mother Nature has been incredibly kind to Kirkwood over the past two weeks – 9 feet of new snow has filled in the Wall and we are ready to run this amazing event," Kirkwood spokesperson Kevin "Coop" Cooper said. "The Banzai is pure, fast, and furious, and Kirkwood's Wall is the perfect venue and course for these world class adrenaline athletes, where four men enter and (only) two men leave! If you're not rubbing you aren't racing."
The 2014 Rahlves' Banzai Tour, presented by Bank of the West, will span four weekends at Lake Tahoe resorts – Feb. 8 through March 16. The ski venues will be Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows and the Finals and Super Finals at Sugar Bowl Resort on March 15-16.
Banzai founder Olympian Daron Rahlves
The race founder and still a dynamic skier is former World Champion, X-Games Champ, four-time Olympian, Daron Rahlves, a Sugar Bowl Resort Ambassador and Super Final competitor.
"There is no other race like this in the world," Rahlves said. "What's so unique about the Banzai is that every-day rippers line up against pro-level athletes to find out what they're made of, battle for Rahlves' Banzai titles and an $80,000 purse. When the gate drops, it's on as four competitors go head-to-head in a top to bottom race over natural terrain."
Banzai Tour Schedule
• Feb. 22-23: Kirkwood Mountain Resort
• March 1-2: Squaw Valley
• March 8-9: Alpine Meadows
• March 15-16: Sugar Bowl Resort
A look back at last year's Banzai
The 2013 Banzai tour was filled with as many highlights as the challenging Banzai races. The tour kicked off with an amazing start dropping into the Wall at Kirkwood, followed by a Men's Ski Final win by inches at Alpine Meadows.
The Squaw Valley tour stop tested the Banzai spirit when the Sunday finals were eliminated by weather, but rebounded strong with new snow and bluebird conditions at Sugar Bowl, culminating in a spirited weekend of competition on a technically challenging course.
This year's Banzai honors Chelone Miller
Chelone "Chilly" Miller from Franconia, NH won the Overall Men's Snowboard title as spectators witnessed his "live free and send it" approach that produced an exciting wrap up to his notorious come from behind wins on the 2013 tour.
Miller, a competitive snowboarder known for his progressive style, was found dead in his van from a seizure in April 2013, the cause thought to be long-term damage from a motorcycle accident in 2005 that had left him in a coma for 11 days.
Chilly, the younger brother of Olympic Gold Medalist Bode Miller, had hopes of making the Olympic team, with a recent fourth place finish at the 2013 Spring U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix at Canyons, Utah, and an overall victory in the Rahlves Banzai Tour.
This year Rahlves has chosen to honor the competitive spirit of Miller by introducing the "Live Free and Send It" award.
"The award will go to the competitor who embodies the free-spirit, skill and love of competition Chilly brought to the Banzai. It will be a yearly tribute passed on at the finals of the RBT," Rahlves said.
Tough field once again
This year's tour promises to be one of the most exciting thus far. 2013 Overall Champs Johnny Bochenek, Shannon Rahlves, Casey Lucas and $5,000 Super Final winner Kyle Coxon will have tough competition in defending their titles.
It's quite a mixture of skiers and riders of all levels, including every-day rippers representing their home resorts, to skiers/boarders of all levels coming out for a fun and competitive experience, to competitors making a name for themselves on other tours in racing, ski cross and big mountain.
New addition for 2014 are tour sponsors GoPro and Alaska Airlines along with adding a Men's Snowboard Super Final with Nate Holland for same Super Final as Men's Ski of a winner takes all $5,000 purse. Holland is a seven-time X-Games Champ and U.S. Olympic Snowboarder, who signed on as Rahlves' Banzai Tour Snowboard Ambassador.
GoPro capturing all the action and Alaska Airlines awarding four round-trip flights to any Alaska Airlines destination to each of the four overall Tour winners. They will also offer the "Alaska Airlines Long Flight Award" of $100 Alaska Airlines bucks for best air during the Sunday finals at each Tour stop.
Rahlves' Banzai Tour Presented by Bank of the West is proud to be associated with Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Sugar Bowl Resort, Red Bull, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., CEP Compression, Wend Wax, Lake Tahoe North, Tahoe Center for Orthopedics, Jagermeister and our newest partners Alaska Airlines and GoPro.
Banzai Tour broadcast live
The 2014 Tour will once again be broadcast live on Truckee and Lake Tahoe's own radio 101.5 FM, which has also partnered with Alaska Airlines to send two winners with round-trip airfare to Cordova as part of station's annual Points North Heli Ski Giveaway.
If you're wondering about the tour's name, Banzai is a Japanese term expressed as an exuberant cheer meaning, "Long Life!" or "Hurray!"
Banzai has historic background
An apt name for a high-spirited downhill ski and snowboard competition, the Silver Belt Race first took place in the 1940s at Sugar Bowl ski resort, ran strong through the 1970s, and was re-introduced with the head-to-head action by Daron Rahlves and Sugar Bowl in 2009.
The race continued with one event for another year, and then Rahlves decided to take the show on the road, officially launching Rahlves' Banzai Tour and expanding to stops at four of Lake Tahoe's premier resorts, finishing the tour where it all began at Sugar Bowl.
For more information, check out previous race results, videos and register for events, at www.rahlvesbanzai.com.


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It has been an incredibly successful start to the PS4's life-cycle and it's due in large part to Sony's relationship with developers and consumers. There were many things Sony had to learn from their work on the PS3, and the PS4 has shown just how much the company has learned from their past.
The PS4 is more accessible to indie and AAA developers, thanks in large part to the feedback Sony took from the development community as they were creating the console. PlayStation Europe boss Jim Ryan talked about Sony's approach to the PS4 and some of the things they wanted to do better than they did with the PS3.
"We worked really hard this time around just to make the platform accessible to smaller developers - it's not having silly rules and procedures and bureaucracy, keeping the paperwork to a minimum, facilitating access to development kits, having a development environment that's fundamentally a whole lot easier to work with than it was last time around," Ryan said.
Since launching the PS4 back in November of last year, Sony has been very vocal about how they wanted to learn from some of the shortcomings they experienced with the PS3. When you look at the moves Sony has made this generation versus last, it's night and day different and the overall sales of the PS4 reflect that.
Independent developers have been a major emphasis for the PS4 in its first year. Indie games have helped bridge the gap in between AAA launches, as 2014 hasn't been as full of AAA releases as we initially thought it would be. Just wait until this fall and 2015 come around, PS4 will really start to take off even more.
Ryan spoke further about the process they take when it comes to working with indie developers, and getting their games on the PS4 exclusively or at least first on PS4.
"It's that approach, which makes us friendlier to indie [developers], and on top of that, the icing on the cake is that we will go out and look at a small number of games and seek to help the developer make those games as successful as they possibly can, and that support can take a whole range of forms.
"It can take the form of financial support, it can take the form of having Sean Murray from Hello Games on the stage at E3, there are many ways to do it and we try not to be prescriptive and say 'this is the template you have to follow, this is the path.' We just talk to each of the indies that we really want to work closely with and find out what presses their hot button and see what we can do to help them. Sometimes we can, and sometimes we can't," Ryan said.
The PS4 has surpassed the 10 million mark in total sales to consumers and we haven't even ended the first full year in the system's life-cycle. It's safe to say the system is off to a great start and has a bright future ahead. Holiday 2014 is going to be a great season for some amazing, new PS4 games to launch, and we'll have all of the reviews when that time comes around.
Thanks, CVG!


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Billionaire Warren Buffet is looking to make someone else have a lot of money as well. Business Insider reported on Jan. 21, 2014, that Buffet's company, Berkshire Hathaway, has partnered with Cleveland Cavaliers owner and Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert to offer $1 billion to a fan that can put together a perfect March Madness 2014 bracket.
It's a simple process. Fill out a perfect NCAA men's basketball March Madness bracket and Warren Buffet and Dan Gilbert will pay you $1 billion to be "paid out in 40 annual installments of $25 million."
Some stipulations are in place, but this adds a whole new level of excitement to the annual "filling out of the brackets" and hopes that yours doesn't get busted.
The chances of filling out a perfect March Madness bracket is one in 9.2 quintillion (that's nine zeroes, if you're wondering). If that is accomplished, the winner will be paid the installments or they can choose to select a $500 million lump sum prize.
If there are two winners, the prize money will be split down the middle.
"It is our mission to create amazing experiences for our clients," Jay Farner, Quicken Loans president and chief marketing officer, said. "This contest, with the possibility of creating a billionaire, definitely fits that bill."
Don't worry if you can't get a perfect March Madness 2014 bracket though because there are other prizes.
$100,000 will be paid out, by Quicken Loans, to each of the 20 contestants that have the closest imperfect brackets. This money though, must be put toward buying, remodeling, or refinancing a home.
Warren Buffet's March Madness 2014 $1 billion challenge begins on March 3, 2014, and it is free to play. Quicken Loans has not revealed a website yet, but they want everyone to check out their Facebook page and Twitter for more information as March approaches.
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