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There was a provocative blog post on BlogHer recently about a parent's role in the sex life of their teenager. The author advocated tacit acquiescence, assuming that the teen is going to be sexually active and treating him or her as such, complete with education -- but discreetly. In his case, he joked that he would follow the tradition passed down to him by his mother, that sleepovers would be allowed, but only if the guest keeps up appearances by stashing his or her suitcase in a separate room.
It's an amusing metaphor for the issue of teen sex. It's that tightrope we all walk between wanting to be realistic and not wanting to alienate our children. Basically, we don't want them to have sex as a form of rebellion.
That is a good goal. Humans have been known to make many a poor decision based upon rebellion.
While I am tempted to walk a parallel journey, having read the same studies he has read about the enlightened Netherlands and their low rate of teen pregnancies, I worry that this parenting mindset cannot work in America (I'm not really sure how it works in the Netherlands). It assumes that as long as a teenager uses the proper protection, they are safe from any of the consequences of teen sex.
They are not.
First of all, birth control is never 100% effective. It is even less effective when used by novices, particularly novices with raging hormones. According to avert.org, a website aiming to educate teens regarding HIV and AIDS,
If they're used correctly, condoms are about 94% - 97% (depending on which study you look at) effective at preventing pregnancy and they're nearly 100% effective at preventing transmission of HIV.
Some people say that certain viruses can 'pass through' latex - that's not true. They won't help against crabs, though, and some sexually transmitted infections (like herpes) can be caught through oral sex with someone who is infected, so you need to use condoms for this, too.
The key here, of course, is that they must be used correctly. And even then they are not 100% effective. How many tasks involving hygiene can you claim your teenager actually does with 100% accuracy? Brushing their teeth? Keeping their hair clean? This isn't a bash on teenagers. It's a dose of reality: teenagers cut corners because they are usually in a hurry to move onto the more fun activity. No matter how many times you teach a teenager to use a condom properly, there is a good chance they will want to move onto the more fun activity in the heat of the moment.
So then there's the pill. If your child is the boy, he has to trust that his partner is doing everything necessary to make sure the pill is effective. If she is, according to the Planned Parenthood website, she has less than a 1 in 100 chance of getting pregnant. If she is not, her chances go up about 9 in 100. Unfortunately, the list of mistakes she could potentially make is pretty long and includes, but is not limited to, missing a day, taking at a different time of day, having diarrhea, and vomiting. Given a teenager's erratic schedule, just those first two alone are rather frightening.
Here is the harsh reality: it is relatively easy for a teenager to get pregnant and to contract a sexually transmitted disease. It is even easier for a teenager to regret their decision to have sex before they are ready. And, though we might want to believe that we can keep them safe by presenting all the facts, we aren't all that well-informed ourselves.
Recently, at a party, I shared a story of an old friend who became pregnant without penetration. One woman in the room was adamant that this is not possible and that my friend was telling a lie (despite me explaining that this friend was pretty open about her sex life and had no reason to lie). In fact, according to The American Pregnancy Association,
Anytime the penis comes into direct contact with the vaginal area, there is the chance of pregnancy. The probability is extremely low particularly compared to if intercourse with ejaculation took place, but there is still a risk. The transmission of STD's can also happen through any type of skin to skin contact like this.
My point is that we parents are often times only slightly more educated than our teenaged kids when it comes to sex and its risks. How many of us know, for example, that the chemistry of a young body makes them more susceptible to STD's (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) and STI's (Sexually Transmitted Infections)? This website offers some alarming facts, including this one,
Teens are also more likely to develop precancerous growths as a result of HPV infection, and these growths more likely develop into invasive cancer.
Unfortunately, according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, "About 30% of cervical cancers will not be prevented by the HPV vaccine." Are there any other activities you would be casual about with regards to your child's participation knowing that 30% of a certain type of cancer could still attack them?
Finally, let's look briefly at the emotional component. I did an informal survey of about a dozen friends who had sex during their teen years (including starting at 18-19 years old), albeit mostly women. 100% of them regret it, stating that they spent far too much time grieving the relationships, fretting over pregnancy, and dealing with their lack of emotional readiness to have really enjoyed their teenaged sex lives.
Of course, as much as I love them, my friends don't constitute science. A recent study, however, as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, does. It concludes,
Even if sexual activity seems casual, it often is not...A casual hookup on a Friday night might not feel that way a month down the road.
When a teenager adds in a lost relationship (as most teen relationships are), emotions regarding sex are compounded.
The author of the original blog post mentioned cites the Netherlands and their notoriously low rate of teen pregnancy and abortion as proof for his methodology. Here's the problem, the Netherlands also hold a great deal of societal norms that are absent here. Contraceptives are free there, for one, and are dispensed absent of medicalization or judgement. We are far from that attitude here and moving even further away. Any American teen remotely aware of the controversies of this political campaign, for example, are likely to internalize the attitudes behind them. For us to come close to the effects of the attitudes in the Netherlands with regards to teen sex, we would need to alter our attitudes as an entire country for several generations to come. The fact is that our attitudes about sex in general are pretty unhealthy and are not likely to change anytime soon.
My kids, at least, will be long finished with their teen years by the time we make any strides. I would like to arm them with the hard facts about teen sex rather than try out a variety of parenting philosophies that might or might not prove helpful and that could potentially be fraught with inaccuracies.
Here is what we have done so far (with our two elders and some with our youngest). We have educated them about sex and reproduction -- all of it -- the good, the bad, and the ugly. They know that sexual feelings are normal and healthy. They have heard that sex feels good. We've told them it is fun. We also explained how one can offer oneself those same physical feelings. We have told them that since any sexual activity can lead to pregnancy and/or an STD, we believe that a person is ready to engage in sexual activity when they are ready and able to handle the consequences of those two issues. We have told them what it takes to care for a baby, who will then become a child, and have described the physical and emotional tolls of abortion and adoption. We explained that while we look forward to taking on the grandparenting role for all of their future children, they will need to be ready to take on the parenting role themselves. They have seen pictures of various STD's and have read about the symptoms and treatment for cancers caused by HPV. We have also discussed at length the various ways that sex affects the psyche.
So no, we will not be allowing sleepovers -- because inviting a teenager's partner to come sleep with them in our home says, "Here is what we think is healthiest for you, but we are going to go ahead and make it easy for you to do exactly the opposite anyway." We will, however, continue to hold an open ear for them regarding all matters of sexuality. We will support them with love, with proper healthcare and lessons in hygiene, and without judgement. And, perhaps most importantly, we will continue to share with them what we consider to be healthy choices regarding sex.
I write. I knit. I create vegan, gluten-free food. I homeschool my three children, two of whom joined our family through adoption from Haiti. Then I write about it all on my blog, Adventures in Lakeschooling


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by dboy360 September 22, 2008

subset: commoncrawl


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Quick click by section:
Week 16 schedule | Weekly Lineup Recommendations | Daily Lineup Recommendations
Many folks have ideas about improving the NBA All-Star Game. (Start here.) But when it comes to All-Star weekend, one thing is just fine as is: timing. The NBA's mega-stars gather right after the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl and just ahead of pitchers and catchers reporting. Even though the Daytona 500 is the same day as the All-Star Game, I still think David Stern is pretty good at finding those soft spots in the calendar.
It's not just the for-real players and coaches who can use a break about now. Go back to early October, when you were boning up for draft day, and it's been a solid four months of player evaluation, trade negotiation and lineup scrutinizing. Fantasy owners likely need a breather, too. (And, just maybe, if you get a move on, you could use the coming downtime to, say, do something special for your significant other ahead of Valentine's Day?)
The point is, with Week 16's abbreviated schedule, a lot of your lineup calls are made for you. Twenty-six of the 30 NBA teams play twice in the next week. The other four clubs -- the Jazz, Magic, Nets and Timberwolves -- have just a single game. What to do? Short answer: Play your best players, and/or your healthiest players. And if that doesn't get you a complete lineup, fear not. The Forecaster never takes a week off. Read on.
On tap:
Check the grid for Week 16 schedules of each NBA team. Teams with the most games in the upcoming week are listed first.
Weekly Lineup Picks and Pans: Teams to Watch
Charlotte Bobcats (LAC, WAS): Though there are just 28 games league-wide in Week 16, some teams' schedules are as a sweet as chocolate hearts. Start with Larry Brown's Bobcats. First they draw the Clippers, who have allowed 115.5 points per night while dropping four straight to start a seven-game Eastern swing. Then it's the Wizards and their league-worst 3-point defense. If you're looking for a player to add, consider D.J. Augustin, who's available in 85 percent of ESPN.com leagues. After missing 11 games with an abdominal strain, the rookie is expected to make his return this weekend. Yes, Raymond Felton is stacking up dimes and Raja Bell is knocking down treys, but Augustin should regain enough minutes to help deep-leaguers. With Gerald Wallace down, it wouldn't be shocking to see the Cats put all three guards on the court on occasion.
Orlando Magic (DEN): Jameer Nelson's injury has thrown some uncertainty into what was one of the NBA's most predictable teams from a fantasy standpoint. How many minutes can veteran Anthony Johnson handle? How much will the newly acquired Tyronn Lue play? For this week, stick with Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis, but watch Orlando's shooting guards. Mickael Pietrus just regained his place in the starting lineup, but it was rookie Courtney Lee who put up big numbers (21 points on 9-of-10 shooting) in the blowout of the Clippers. For what it's worth, either the 35-percent-available Pietrus or the 99-percent-available Lee could get you a couple of 3s in their one game. Denver opponents make the eighth-most buckets from downtown.
San Antonio Spurs (@NJ, @TOR): One team that remains completely predictable is the Spurs. San Antonio's fantasy relevance pretty much starts and ends with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Still, it's worth noting that the Raptors and Nets opponents make the second-most 3s (Toronto is right there with Washington, in fact, allowing 8.2 treys per game). In a league with 12 or more teams, you might consider Roger Mason (71 percent available), Michael Finley (95 percent available) or Matt Bonner (99 percent available) as an end-of-the-lineup fill-in.
Daily Lineup Recommendations: Players to Watch
Some quick tips for owners in daily leagues. Recommendations -- start, sit or add -- are made for specific days of the coming week, based on the schedule.
Ryan Anderson, PF, Nets (SA): Anderson moved into the Nets' starting lineup after Yi Jianlian went down, but only recently has he started doing something with the opportunity. The rookie's topped 15 points in three of his past four games while averaging 7.5 rebounds in that span. Did I mention he can hit 3s? Or that he's 99 percent unowned? Yi should remain sidelined for at least a week out of the break, so it might be start to add Anderson now, even if you likely won't want to activate him for the one game against the Spurs.
Mike Conley, PG, Grizzlies (NO, @PHI): Conley returned to the starting lineup eight games ago, and in his past four he's averaging 13.0 points, 7.0 assists and 1.8 3s. Available in 93 percent of leagues, Conley draws a Hornets team that will likely be without Chris Paul and a 76ers team that allows the sixth-most assists.
Samuel Dalembert, C, 76ers (PHO, MEM): It isn't just Elton Brand's pending shoulder surgery that gives Dalembert renewed fantasy relevance. He finally seems healthy after dealing with knee and ankle issues. In back-to-back games this week, Dalembert went for 14 points, seven boards and three blocks against the Celtics and 18 points and 20 rebounds versus the Pacers. You don't want to make too much of that small sample, but Dalembert has been averaging more than 2.0 blocks over the past month. Of course he'll have Shaquille O'Neal to deal with, but the Grizzlies are seventh-worst in rebound differential. Though he's one of the most-added players on ESPN.com, Dalembert remains available in more than 20 percent of leagues.
JaVale McGee, PF/C, Wizards (@ATL, @CHA): The 98-percent available McGee is taking advantage of Andray Blatche's absence, averaging 13.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, a steal and a block over his past three. He's worth adding in deep leagues if you need the rejections; Charlotte opponents get the second-most blocks.
Mike Miller, SG/SF, Timberwolves (TOR): In January, Miller was as cold as, um, the dead of winter. He shot 38.9 percent while averaging just 6.0 points. But against the Hawks on Feb. 4, Miller took 10 shots and made seven of them. The former number might actually be more significant than the latter; Miller last reached double figures in attempts on Dec. 17. There are whispers that Miller simply isn't happy in Minnesota, but if you're looking for a low-risk, high-reward candidate, Miller, who's available in 20 percent of leagues, might be your guy. Again, it's only one game, but Toronto is a disaster against the 3.
Tyrus Thomas, PF, Bulls (DET, MIA): Kittens and string, fantasy hoops sportswriters and hustle cats. Same giddy reaction all around. Thomas, who's available in 85 percent of leagues, is averaging 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals in his past nine games. He also has five double-doubles (and one game of 11 points and nine boards) in that span. While this schedule doesn't suit him -- Pistons opponents are 30th in blocks and 27th in steals, while Heat opponents are 24th and 23rd, respectively -- I'd take my chances on Thomas.
Neil Tardy is a fantasy basketball analyst for ESPN.com.


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I have 2 Xbox's one modded on unmodded. I was wondering if there was any way I could take the hard drive out of my unmodded xbox, stick it in my modded xbox and then transfer some files out of it. Ive been trying but when I FTP to it. Every folder on the unmodded xbox's drive is empty. anyone know if it is possible to get the files to show up.
Is Swapping Hd Between Xbox's Possible
Started by pinkishtitan , Jun 23 2005 12:39 PM
2 replies to this topic
Posted 23 June 2005 - 12:39 PM
Posted 23 June 2005 - 01:09 PM
no u cant.
Posted 23 June 2005 - 02:17 PM
you're gonna have to mod the other one to be able to do that
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"Work great"
17 June 2015
I much prefer these to natural casings as they are thinner so when eaten taste better, but also you can keep a stash in the cupboard for whenever you want to make sausages rather than hunt natural casings down at the last minute. I use them on my Kenwood mincer attachment & yes it can be a bit fiddly to begin with, but once you get used to it & stuff them consistently (not too much!) they are perfect. Make sure you have help though, its not a one man job


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Local legislators oppose a full legalization of marijuana in Missouri, but some say they could possibly support changes to certain pot laws, particularly when it comes to how offenders are punished.
State Rep. Paul Curtman, R-Pacific, recently sat in on a panel discussion with a Kansas City, Mo., group called Show-Me Cannabis, which believes marijuana prohibition is a failed policy. Curtman said he is not a member of the group and does not support fully legalizing marijuana.
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[Watch] Here's What Happens When Your Side Chick Crashes Your Wedding
It's a scene out of a Tyler Perry movie.
Want to wish First Lady Michelle Obama happy birthday? The White House launched her new Twitter account, @FLOTUS, with a request to retweet the message and send her well wishes. The first lady turns 49 today and already has more than 16,000 followers.
Unlike President Obama, who's grown more gray as a hallmark of his job, the first lady has simply grown more fabulous as she enters the last year before the big 5-0.
The White House has not yet announced where she will celebrate. Last year, she and President Obama went to BLT Steak. In 2010, he threw her a surprise party at Restaurant Nora.
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U.S. 10-Year Note Yield Falls Below 2% on Europe's Debt
Treasury 10-year yields fell below 2 percent for the first time in almost a one month on speculation the European sovereign-debt crisis is worsening as yields on Spanish and Italian bonds rose.
U.S. debt securities declined earlier on speculation yields that slid to a four-week low will curb demand as investors prepared to bid for $66 billion of notes and bonds at three auctions starting today. The yield on Spain's 10-year note rose to 5.9 percent, the highest since November. The yield on Italy's 10-year note reached 5.58 percent, the highest since February.
"Spain is raising the prospect of an additional flight-to-safety rally," said Gary Pollack, head of fixed-income trading at Deutsche Bank AG's private wealth management unit in New York, which manages $12 billion in bonds.
Yields on 10-year notes fell six basis points, or 0.06 percentage point, to 1.98 percent at 12:36 p.m. New York time, according to Bloomberg Bond Trader prices. The 2 percent securities maturing in February 2022 rose 18/32, or $5.63 per $1,000 face amount, to 100 1/8. The yield touched the least since March 8.
The U.S. will sell $32 billion of three-year notes today, $21 billion of 10-year debt tomorrow and $13 billion of 30-year bonds on April 12. The auctions will raise $23.1 billion of new cash as maturing securities held by the public total $42.9 billion.
The three-year note to be sold today yielded 0.43 percent in pre-auction trading.
Trading Pace
Trading volume was below average yesterday, with about $166 billion of Treasuries changing hands through ICAP Plc, the world's largest interdealer broker, the lowest for a full-day since March 26. Volume reached $439 billion on March 14, the highest since August. The average in 2012 is $251 billion.
An index of U.S. financial conditions is signaling a slowdown after having crossed over toward indicating growth on March 9.
The Bloomberg U.S. Financial Conditions Index has held below zero since April 6, after the Labor Department said the economy added 120,000 jobs in March, less-than-forecast. The measure fell to minus 0.19 after rising as high as 0.24 on March 19. The index touched minus 12.7 during the financial crisis in October 2008.
U.S. Treasuries investors cut expectations that prices of the securities will drop as the percentage of so-called short positions declined in a weekly survey by JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Investor Sentiment
Net longs rose to 2 percentage points as of yesterday, after longs and shorts were equal last week, according to the survey. Outright shorts dropped to 13 percent from 17 percent in the previous week, while the level of outright longs slipped to 15 percent from 17 percent. A short position is a wager the price of a security will fall, while a long position is a bet it will rise. The percentage of neutrals increased to 72 percent from 66 percent, rising to the highest level since Feb. 13.
The gap between Spanish and German 10-year yields widened to 4.28 percentage points, the most since November, after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's unexpected announcement yesterday that he would cut an additional 10 billion-euros ($13 billion) in education and health spending failed to ease concern in the bond market that the nation may become the fourth euro member to need a bailout.
The Federal Reserve has purchased $2.3 billion of mortgage and Treasury debt in two separate rounds of asset purchases intended to stimulate the economy, known as quantitative easing.
European Issues
"There's renewed concern about Europe, there's evidence the economy may be succumbing to higher gasoline prices and a higher expectation of a Fed QE3 operation," said David Coard, head of fixed-income trading in New York at Williams Capital Group, a brokerage for institutional investors.
Crude oil for May delivery rose 45 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $102.91 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The National Federation of Independent Business's optimism index for U.S. small businesses declined for the first time in seven months to 92.5 from a one-year high of 94.3 in February, the Washington-based group said today in a statement. Nine of the measure's 10 components fell.
"Economic data has been turning a little softer, and this morning we had the NFIB" survey showing diminished confidence, Deutsche Bank's Pollack said.
Company leaders may be growing concerned that rising fuel costs will again slow the economic recovery, calling into question whether hiring will pick up after payrolls climbed less than forecast last month. The world's largest economy added 120,000 jobs in March, the fewest in five months.
The central bank on March 13 reiterated its previous statement that economic conditions would probably warrant "exceptionally low" interest rates at least through late 2014. It has kept its target rate for overnight bank loans to a range of zero to 0.25 percent since December 2008.
The gap between yields on Treasuries maturing in two and 10 years narrowed to 1.69 percentage points, the least since March 7.


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A new map of human cortex combines data from multiple imaging modalities and comprises 180 distinct regions.
September 17, 2014|
Researchers find a way to zap emerald ash borers using female decoys.
September 17, 2014|
Researchers find a way to zap emerald ash borers using female decoys.
September 11, 2014|
Farms support less phylogenetically diverse bird populations than forests, but some farms are better than others.
September 9, 2014|
A report from the National Audubon Society suggests that more than half of US bird species are under threat of displacement or extinction in the face of climate change.
August 20, 2014|
Tens of thousands of African elephants have been illegally killed in the last four years, a report shows.
May 1, 2014|
An organization hopes to restore natural ecological processes by reintroducing large herbivores to the continent.
May 1, 2014|
Conservationists are reintroducing large animals to areas they once roamed, providing ecologists with the chance to assess whether such "rewilding" efforts can restore lost ecosystems.
April 11, 2014|
Researchers collate a list of the 100 most rare and unique avian species facing extinction.
January 23, 2014|
A new report finds that about a quarter of the world's cartilaginous fish species are at risk of extinction.
January 20, 2014|
Mature trees soak up more CO2 than younger ones, a study shows, overturning a bit of botanical dogma.
January 13, 2014|
As populations of top predators decline in ecosystems the world over, researchers chart the widespread effects.


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The Briton was one of several drivers who opted to pit under the safety car just before mid-distance, rising to third when the frontrunners belatedly made their pitstops.
Despite his best efforts to fend off Kimi Raikkonen - who pitted for medium compound tyres at the same time as the McLaren driver - Button eventually succumbed to the Lotus with seven laps remaining and tumbled to seventh in the final few laps.
Button reckons that although the Finn - who went on to complete the podium alongside race-winner Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso - was able to pull off a 35-lap stint on the medium compound Pirellis, McLaren's performance deficit means the rostrum finish was always unlikely.
"It's amazing how close you think you are to the podium but we were so far from it today," he conceded. "It was good fun trying, and we've got to take those sort of risks if we're going to get on the podium this year.
"We took a punt - I'm not sure how we thought we were going to do 35 laps on a set of tyres. How Kimi did that I really don't know.
"I didn't want to let him past. Maybe the best thing to do would have been to let him go, but how do you that? That's just not racing.
"We wouldn't have done any better if I'd done anything differently against Kimi, or had we changed the strategy in any way."
His McLaren team-mate Sergio Perez was equally philosophical about his own slide down the order, dropping from fifth to eighth in the latter stages of the race.
Having dealt with speculation surrounding his future with the team throughout the Singapore weekend, the Mexican believes he did the best job he could in the race.
"I think we can be very happy with the performance," he said. "I think it was the best result we could get.
"It was a difficult strategy, the safety car came out at the wrong time for us. It meant we had to risk everything to get to the end."
- Sports & Recreation
- Motor Racing
- Kimi Raikkonen
- Sebastian Vettel
- Fernando Alonso


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I'm trying to hop on a torrent that I know has activity, because different websites show that there are seeders and leechers. However, in utorrent I can't download anything or connect to anyone. Under the Trackers tab it has the following message:
Failure: This torrent is not registered with this tracker
How can I connect to other people on this torrent so I can start downloading?


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185 The number of 13-plus pound largemouth bass entered into the ShareLunker program in March, approximately 43 percent of the total (428). Only 37 fish (8.6 percent) have been caught on live or natural bait and entered into the program. For information on the program, which runs from the beginning of October to the end of April, and is in its 21st season, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/budsharelunker.
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Windows 8 Metro desktop switching program
This project received 6 bids from talented freelancers with an average bid price of $283 USD.Get free quotes for a project like this
Skills Required
Project Budget$30 - $250 USD
Total Bids6
Project Description
I need a program that will run in Windows 8 and monitor as soon as it detects that metro or a metro app has focus. When it does, it should automatically switch to the desktop. The program should loop every 500 milliseconds.
I will be running this app from my app only when I need the desktop to always have focus. I will close your app when I know longer need this to occur.
Your program should write two DWORD values to the registry on startup. The key is "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Olien"
1. the process id (handle) of the application should be written to the value name "hMetroApp"
2. the main window handle should be written to the value name "hMetroWin"
3. the registry should be the same key for 32 or 64 bit Windows. In other words, I shouldn't need to specify "\WOW6432Node" in my app when I'm trying to read the two values above.
My preferred language for this program are (in order):
PowerBuilder 10.5
VB Script
Visual Basic
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- The New York Times
- Time
- Wall Street Journal
- Times Online


text:
A flawless face starts with a smooth canvas for makeup application and this futuristic cream/gel primer repairs and perfects your complexion to deliver a visibly smoother finish. Extending our family of primers, this exclusive patented technology and an active compound extracted from Tomato Stem Cells protects skin from pollution, helps repair DNA and collagen, increases cell vitality and skin brightness. Infused with Peruvian Rhatany Extract to effectively calm skin with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that minimize and tighten pores for an even complexion. This weightless primer blends easily for ultimate comfort, adds youthful radiance and dramatically enhances the performance, vibrancy and longevity of makeup.
Product Form: cream
For Use On: Face
Beauty Purpose: Skin Tone Improvement
Color Palette: Light Tones
Color Family: Clear
Travel Size: No
other Info.
- Online Item #: 14425136
- Store Item Number (DPCI): 052-11-1018
- Imported


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Three Things Conservatives Wrote This Week That Are Really Good
CREDIT: Flickr/Rimantux
Today, we're launching a new TP Ideas feature — you can guess the name from this post's title. Every Friday, I'm going to pick three articles written by avowed conservatives that demonstrate a particularly interesting element of the broader conservative worldview and do so in a clever, engaging way. The goal isn't to pick conservatives who flatter progressives by tearing down their own side, but rather to find the most interesting exemplars of a distinctively right-of-center worldview.
It's very easy for progressives, especially who ones who read sites like ours, to fall into a trap of assuming that the most anti-intellectual conservatives speak for the movement in one voice. That's both false and harmful: false, because there's a lot of interesting conservative thought out there challenging progressive shibboleths; harmful, because progressives who reduce conservatism to Steve Stockman-ism live in an intellectually impoverished world.
So, throat clearing aside, let's review the best in conservative writing this week.
1) "The End Of Sex" — Kevin Williamson, National Review
A lot of progressives seem to believe conservatives are terrified of sex, but National Review gave the lie to the stereotype by sending "roving reporter" Kevin Williamson to the Oscars of porn in Las Vegas. Williamson's dispatch is beautifully written, an excellent representative of conservative narrative journalism. Though "The End of Sex" occasionally pokes fun at its subjects, the point is less to garner cheap laughs at porn afficionados' expense than to explore the porn industry as a microcosm of broader disturbing trends in human sexuality.
Williamson's concern is that the pitiless market logic on display during the Adult Video News Awards is having a corrosive effect on human sexuality in the modern era more broadly. His interviews with porn stars and brothel proprietors illustrate the dark side of the sexual revolution — as sex becomes liberated, it also becomes commodified, to the detriment of men and women alike:
The awards show itself is almost an afterthought on the agenda of this multi-day pornopalooza, which is one part serious insider trade show for the nation's increasingly specialized pornographers and sex-toy peddlers — Doctor Clockwork's Home for Electrical and Medical Oddities draws a curious crowd, as do the live product demonstrations including one of a "sexercise" device that is basically one of those Sit N Bounce balls we all had as kids, but with one or two additions — and one part fan-fest for the world's most dedicated consumers of smut, men who travel great distances and shell out hundreds of dollars in order to pack sweatily into crowded rooms and wait in line for autographs from their favorite performers, representing such powerhouses of porn as Evil Angel, Morally Corrupt, Brazzers, and dozens of others, while manufacturers of sundry sexual devices and what one entrepreneur refers to bluntly as "d**k pills" hawk their latest wares and potions at cheery display booths. It is raw consumerism, and there's a kind of eerie symmetry at work: sex toys laid out in glass cases like jewelry at Tiffany's, women displayed like flank steaks at Safeway. Bateman's principle predicts that among primates like us, males will have a more lopsided distribution of sexual outcomes than will females: Basically all of the healthy females who survive to adulthood will have the opportunity to mate, but some of the males will be crowded out of the marketplace by a relatively small number of highly successful competitors — they just don't have the biological capital to compete in the Hobbesian sexual war of all against all. The guys buying VIP passes here at the Porn Oscars, sitting slack-jawed at Sapphires Gentlemen's Club as the performers swan through the crowd performing what is no doubt contractually required fan stroking, and then perhaps making a furtive or not-so-furtive trip down the highway to one of Nevada's legal brothels: These frustrated, cow-eyed men are Bateman's losers, and they are legion. The unkind industry term for them: trenchcoats.
Williamson's dispatch is not a jeremiad. "To condemn what the porn expo is offering is to miss the point: It is an inevitability," he concludes. Rather, in the best conservative spirit, Williamson offers evidence of progressive change's unintended consequences and invites its champions to reckon with what they have wrought.
2) "Why Is Janet Yellen So Concerned And Disturbed About Income Inequality?" — Jim Pethokoukis, AEI Ideas
Switching gears from reporting to wonkery, the American Enterprise Institute's economics blogger took a data-driven swing at our new Fed Chair Friday morning. Like President Obama and almost all progressives, Janet Yellen believes inequality is "one of the most disturbing trends facing the nation at the present time." Pethokoukis thinks that's rubbish, and assembles a list of studies that aim to demonstrate why.
His post is a short, easy-to-read listicle, but each bullet point neatly summarizes a more sophisticated economic argument against conclusions that most progressives take for granted. Take the first point:
1.) If you buy the thesis that a big jump in high-end inequality has been mostly driven by technology and globalization, then the alternative is more equality, perhaps, but less innovation here and more extreme poverty abroad. Now that's a disturbing scenario.
The link takes you to another Pethokoukis post breaking down a study by Stanford and UChicago economists arguing that inequality is buoyed by the same forces that have massively improved the lives of the world's poorest in the last 50 years. This sort of argument is useful not only because it forces progressives to confront potential conflicts inside their worldviews (reducing inequality and poverty may be goals at odds with each other), but also because it points out that progressives don't have a lock on wonky academic research. What "science" says about public policy is more complicated than we sometimes like to admit, and challenges like Pethokoukis' force us to reckon with that reality.
3) "Everything Is Politics to the Right, Even Philip Seymour Hoffman's Death" — James Poulos, The Daily Beast
Poulous, a former political theory grad student who also fronts a glam rock band, is one of my favorite conservative writers. His "anthropological" libertarianism draws as much from Derrida and Foucault as it does from conservative stalwarts like Tocqueville, and illustrates a way forward for the 21st century conservative intelligentsia that doesn't get mired in staid paeans to Ronald Reagan.
Poulos' piece is nominally a criticism of Ben Shapiro's idiotic claim that Hollywood's "broken leftist culture" was responsible for the famed actor's overdose, but it's really an attempt to defend a distinctively conservative approach to mass culture. His problem with Shapiro's piece was that it was a mirror-image of a "leftist" approach to culture wherein all cultural phenomena are extensions of political ones: if something is wrong with entertainment or literary culture, it must be a fault of some malign political influence in the cultural realm.
Rather, in Poulos' mind, conservatives should approach society using insights mined from millenia of philosophical and religious thought. Reducing the broader world to the clash of left and right, Poulos argues forcefully, cheapens a much richer landscape illuminated by more traditional modes of thinking:
Political questions cannot be answered well without reference to spiritual ones. For over two thousand years, this was the commanding precept of Western civilization—whether we spoke of the soul like Socrates or Jesus, or of the spirit like Hegel, or of the psyche like Freud.
And for several decades, this was the dominant view in mainstream, "movement" conservatism, too…Yet somehow, today, some of the most prominent voices in the conservative media are abandoning the most venerable and important tradition to which they have ever subscribed. Where conservative journalism once stood athwart the impulse to analyze everything first as politics, invoking the primacy of philosophy and religion, today we see analysts on the right confidently assaulting "liberal culture" on reflexively ideological grounds—casting aside their most, and perhaps only, legitimate way of viewing the world.
The results are not just ugly or incorrect; they lead conservatives astray from the kind of ennobling wisdom that once kept them, and humanity, afloat.
The resulting argument — which also includes an extended discussion of The Lego Movie's ideology — is a very smart way of showing that the conservative veneration of tradition need not be a nostalgia for oppressive social orders lost, but a source of insight into our shared social present.
An earlier version of this article originally referred to Phillip Seymour Hoffman's death as a "suicide." The word choice implies that his fatal overdose was an intentional attempt to end his life, but there is no evidence to support the idea that the overdose was anything but accidental. Consequently, the word has been changed to "overdose." We regret the error.


text:
Definition of nitro in English:
Short for nitroglycerine.
Example sentences
- Crash still runs around, collecting fruit for extra men, spin kicking enemies and butt stomping certain crates while avoiding those packed with nitro or TNT.
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= trending


text:
Sugared Wonton Strips
Plus: More Dessert Recipes and Tips
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more
- 1 tablespoon water
- Wonton skins
How to make this recipe
- Mix the confectioners' sugar with the water and brush on 1 side of the wonton skins. Cut them into thin strips and spread them, sugared sides up, on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 8 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Toss in confectioners' sugar when cool.


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Lion Group's first Airbus aircraft rolls out of paintshop
- A320 for Lion GroupaEUR(tm)s full service unit Batik Air revealed in its full livery
The first Airbus aircraft for Indonesia's Lion Group has rolled out of the paint shop hangar in Toulouse, France. With the airline's colourful livery, the aircraft will be delivered in Q3 2014 and will be operated by Lion Group's full service unit Batik Air on its growing domestic and regional network.
The aircraft is the first from a major order placed by the Lion Group in March 2013 for a total of 234 A320 Family aircraft (109 A320neo, 65 A321neo and 60 A320ceo).
Global Commercial Aircraft Cabin Interiors Market: Forecast Until 2019
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Source : Airbus, an EADS N.V. company (Paris: EAD.PA)
Sep 19, 2016 - London, United Kingdom


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Estimating monetary policy reaction functions : A discrete choice approach
I propose a discrete choice method for estimating monetary policy reaction functions based on research by Hu and Phillips (2004). This method distinguishes between determining the underlying desired rate which drives policy rate changes and actually implementing interest rate changes. The method is applied to ECB rate setting between 1999 and 2010 by estimating a forward-looking Taylor rule on a monthly basis using real-time data drawn from the Survey of Professional Forecasters. All parameters are estimated significantly and with the expected sign. Including the period of financial turmoil in the sample delivers a less aggressive policy rule as the ECB was constrained by the lower bound on nominal interest rates. The ECB's non-standard measures helped to circumvent that constraint on monetary policy, however. For the pre-turmoil sample, the discrete choice model's estimated desired policy rate is more aggressive and less gradual than least squares estimates of the same rule specification. This is explained by the fact that the discrete choice model takes account of the fact that central banks change interest rates by discrete amounts. An advantage of using discrete choice models is that probabilities are attached to the different outcomes of every interest rate setting meeting. These probabilities correlate fairly well with the probabilities derived from surveys among commercial bank economists.
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text: I flew two weeks ago and the airport security guard chose me to walk through the full body scan (millimeter screening maching) He said it was safe for pregnant women so I took his word and walked through it. Upon researching it, I have found several other opinions. Many say that these machines have not been around long enough to truly know the side effects. Has anyone gone through these machines and what are your thoughts. I am silently freaking out and am scared that I exposed my unborn baby to harm.


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never mind got it working
Type: Posts; User: cslx99
never mind got it working
so i took out the "getX();" line from the shape constructor:
public Shape(int x, int y){
public int getX(){
quite honestly i have no idea why the "x=getX();" line is there, it was just my last effort in trying to get this to work. from my understanding, setX(); is supposed to set the new value for x. when...
so i got rid of the void. not sure why i had it there in the first place cuz i dont have it it any of my other constructors within my project. but i still cant seem to get the program to verify that...
so i have a book for java and a professor that say that the following are constructors:
public Shape(){
public void Shape(int x, int y){
how bout this:
public class Project6 extends JFrame{
private static Shape [] thearray = new Shape[100]; // 100 Shapes, circle's, tri's and rects
static MyPanel panel;
can you please clarify?
I have to do the following steps:
1) Project6 class will have to extend the JFrame class
2) Project6 constructor will have to set up the GUI window.
3) A new abstract method: public void...
i am coding a project that has "Shape" as the parent with various shapes (ie rectangle, triangle, etc.) as sub-classes using inheritance. i am supposed "Modify the constructor and set methods of the...
I'm not sure what you mean by GUI builder but I hard coded everything. The screen in the picture is what popped up after I ran the code.
Sorry, I'm fairly new with Java. I created a new project in NetBeans by selecting New Project --> Java Desktop Application. This is what NetBeans produced for me:...


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Markets |
* Soy at 3-week high, corn hits 5-week peak before retracing * Platinum up for 7th straight day * Sugar dips on Brazil crop; cocoa down ahead of grind data By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK, Jan 16 Fear of dry weather drove soybean and corn prices to multi-week highs on Wednesday, setting up what could be another prolonged rally in U.S. agricultural markets after last summer's bumper run. Platinum extended gains too, running up for a seventh day and deep into overbought territory. Most soft commodities fell, bucking the broadly higher trend. Improving sugar crops in top producer Brazil prompted farmers to sell, while cocoa dipped on expectations of bearish grind data out of North America. The dollar was flat against a basket of major currencies , holding little sway over commodities for a second session in a row. The 19-commodity Thomson Reuters-Jefferies CRB index settled slightly higher after the run-up in soybeans, cotton crude oil and gasoline were offset by losses in live cattle, cocoa, natural gas , nickel and copper. DRY WEATHER UNDERPINS GRAINS Soybeans rose by 1.7 percent on the Chicago Board of Trade, closing up for the third time in four sessions, as dry weather in South America and the United States stoked fears that the slimmest grain stocks in six years could tighten further. "Let's face it, we need some rain," said Jack Scoville, grains analyst at The Price Group in Chicago. CBOT soybeans for March settled up 23 cents at $14.36-1/2 a bushel, after racing to $14.39 -- the highest price since Dec. 26 for a front-month soy contract. The rally in soybeans propelled corn to a 5-week high. Corn's benchmark contract on the CBOT rose 4.5 cents to $7.35 a bushel before closing just 3/4 cent higher at $7.31-1/4 as a bearish report on ethanol pared gains. The U.S. Energy Information Administration pegged the ethanol grind last week at 784,000 bushels per day, the lowest level since the agency started releasing weekly data in June 2010. Corn is the feedstock for ethanol. Corn has rallied on the USDA's forecast for the tightest global ending corn stocks since the 2006/07 marketing season. Front-month wheat settled up 2-1/4 cents at $7.82 per bushel. The market expects the smallest global wheat supplies in four years, and forecasts call for continued dry conditions in the U.S. Plains states that grow most of the country's wheat. "The dry weather is a worry in the U.S. Plains and in South America, particularly Argentina, where delays to plantings could have a negative impact on both corn and soybean production," said Rabobank analyst Erin FitzPatrick. Soybeans and wheat were the biggest gainers among commodities in 2012, rising 18 percent or more, after the worst U.S. drought in half a century wiped out a huge swathe of crops during the summer. Inclement weather in major wheat exporters from Russia to Argentina also created supply tensions. SHORTAGE FEARS DRIVE PLATINUM Platinum rose for a seventh straight session, as hedge funds bought aggressively, fearing tight supplies after a mine labor crisis at the world's largest platinum producer in South Africa. The price of platinum stayed above that of gold for a second straight day when Anglo American Platinum in South Africa said it would shut two mines and cut 14,000 jobs. The move is expected to widen the platinum market's deficit in 2013 in an already tight market due to strong autocatalyst demand. Buying by momentum-driven hedge funds and money managers has fueled platinum's 9 percent rally in the past seven sessions, sending the market deeper into an overbought territory. The U.S. EFTS Platinum Trust also posted an increase in its platinum holdings so far in January. Spot platinum rose 0.4 percent to $1,685.52 an ounce by 2:02 p.m. EST (1902 GMT), hovering near a three-month high of $1,699.50 set on Tuesday. Prices at 6:01 p.m. EST (2301 GMT) LAST/ NET PCT YTD CLOSE CHG CHG CHG US crude 94.15 -0.09 -0.1% 2.5% Brent crude 110.60 0.30 0.3% -0.5% Natural gas 3.435 0.000 0.0% 2.5% US gold 1683.20 -0.70 0.0% 0.4% Gold 1679.59 0.70 0.0% 0.3% US Copper 360.65 -3.10 -0.9% -1.3% LME Copper 7946.00 -48.00 -0.6% 0.2% Dollar 79.809 0.030 0.0% 4.0% US corn 731.25 0.75 0.1% 4.7% US soybeans 1436.50 23.00 1.6% 1.3% US wheat 785.00 2.25 0.3% 0.9% US Coffee 153.00 0.50 0.3% 6.4% US Cocoa 2256.00 -14.00 -0.6% 0.9% US Sugar 18.45 -0.17 -0.9% -5.4% US silver 31.542 0.013 0.0% 4.4% US platinum 1692.20 4.20 0.2% 10.0% US palladium 726.45 13.10 1.8% 3.3%
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text:
Suburban loggers appreciate the plug-in convenience of electric chain saws, which are lighter, quieter, smoother, and easier to start and maintain than gas models. The chain runs about 70 percent slower, though, so cuts take longer. Milwaukee 6216 (16-inch bar, 9 pounds, 2 1/4 horsepower), $275; milwaukeetool.com
Ask TOH users about Yard and Garden Tools


text:
Courtyard by Marriott Washington Convention Center
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Historical Traveler Reviews Courtyard by Marriott Washington Convention Center Washington DC
Good value, good location
My husband and I stayed here while on a weekend getaway. I found the price for a downtown hotel reasonable and the accomodations clean and neat. The valet staff, your first point of contact, were friendly and professional. The front desk staff was likewise friendly. The one and only problem was that we got a smoking room and I can't STAND the smell of smoke...which you can't get out of a smoking room even with cleaning. (I know that non-smoking vs. smoking rooms are only requested but not guaranteed...but I always wonder, "why?") The location was awesome...out the door and across the street and we were on the Metro going anywhere we couldn't walk. Several blocks easy walk and we were at all the Smithsonians. We didn't really notice any excess noise (and, after all, what do you expect when your windows face downtown D.C.?).
All in all, a good value. My boss and his family stayed this spring and also had a good experience.
Great location, noisy neighbors
The hotel's location is great, a few blocks from the Mall and Chinatown, with plenty of restaurants, museums and stores nearby. The hotel itself is nice, clean and pleasant with a great little pool in the basement and a fantastic $10 breakfast buffet. Room service is very limited, and the clubs on F Street are hard on the ears if you've got a room on that side of the building. The crowds that sprawl across the sidewalk on that side of the street are also a little disturbing. All in all, however, it's a very good choice for lodgings.
This hotel was an amazing find. I just got back after staying there for 3 nights with my ten year old. The room with very nice, above average in size, clean, quiet (we requested the quiet side of the hotel), the staff VERY friendly and attentive. When I asked for a mini fridge, it was in my room ten minutes later at no extra charge. Best of all the hotel is a half block from the Gallery-Chinatown. It is across the street from the Spy Museum, one block from Ford's Theatre, and a fifteen minute walk to the Mall. The area felt VERY safe (and I'm travelling with a ten year old so "safe" was an issue). There is a fair bit of construction going on down the block but I never heard it or was bothered by it in the least. The pool was small and too warm for my liking but with all the sightseeing, we didn't have enough time for that to be an issue.
I would book here again without any misgivings.
2 gals and a Courtyard
This was a great experience!!!! Staff was courteous, friendly, helpful and PROFESSIONAL!!! Location is GREAT!!!! The hotel is an old bank transformed into a lovely Courtyard- the vault is still visible in the restaurant. Food was delicious, security at door was outstanding- had to use your key to access the elevator- doorman got taxis for us, though we walked everywhere- and I mean EVERYWHERE!!!! Excellent location- close to all we did! Rooms are comfortable, clean, just what you expect from Marriott- can't wait to come back! Price was great, too. Several wonderful restaurants within walking distance-
Great location
This place is in a terrific spot if you have an event at MCI center. Great for sight seeing to. I read about all the noise from the clubs across the street, but it was not a factor. Basement pool was small but surprisingly heated. There is a Jaccuzi adjacent to it. Rooms were ok. Nothing better than your average Holiday Inn. The Gordon Biersch restaurant that is part of this Hotel is good and seems to be a happening spot.
Great location. Great value.
I stayed here in May and was very happy with our accomodations. It was definately a "no thrills" hotel, but we were there to enjoy the city, not the room. We noticed long lines at the clubs across the street on weekend nights (none during the week); however, we didn't experience the noise problems others have mentioned. The best thing I could say about this property is that you couldn't ask for a better location - walking distance to most attractions (Spy museum, National Mall, White House, Capital, Washington Monument, etc) and there was a metro station about a half block from the front door. We didn't take advantage, but it would really be nice if you wanted to go clubbing, because some of the nicest clubs are just across the street. I'd definately stay there again.
Bad A/C
This hotel is a well-located inexpensive hotel with good access to many popular attractions. The accomodations are adequate however the first room we were given had an air-conditioning unit that was inoperative because it had frozen over. We were moved to another room, and when we arrived the a/c worked fine but it too froze up in the middle of the night and became inoperative. This was the first weekend in May, so I can only imagine what the summer will bring.
Noisy hotel
We stayed at the Courtyard recently and thought it was a great location and loved the restoration of what was once an old bank building.However, we too, were kept awake until the wee hours by the booming sound of the bass from the clubs on the same block and were bummed out at the massive crowds that gathered on the sidewalks and on the streets after about 10 at night every night.We had to change rooms and get an inside room, which was much better.It's a good bargain hotel, but ask for an inside room, if you stay there and want to get any sleep.
Noise near the Marriot
I stayed at the Courtyard Marriot Convention Center because it was close to the MCI Center.Everything about the hotel was great, but on Saturday night, the club across the street or next door (hard to tell which one) started up...which is great if you love clubs but the bass boomed throughout my room. Would recommend but if you are staying on a weekend, I'd ask about the noise concern.
Good Value
This hotel was a great value. We paid $99 per night in the off-season. It's a standard Courtyard Marriott, nothing fancy but clean and comfortable. Rooms were a little on the small side but were clean and adequate. About 5 blocks from the Mall and attractions and about 1/2 a block to the Metro station. Pool and whirlpool were small but sufficed, workout room was good. If you're looking for a "no frills" hotel (no concierge, limited room service, no lobby, little bellman help) at a great price, with a great location this is it!
TripAdvisor Reviews Courtyard by Marriott Washington Convention Center Washington DC
Travel Blogs from Washington DC
Got some miles up today
... diner type of place, and who says you can't have pizza for breakfast, shut up. After breakfast we found the Trolley Tour desk and got our tickets from a totally disinterested young lady. I think we interrupted a private phone conversation, however tickets in hand we jumped on a bus disguised as a tram and headed off. There are all sorts of gimmicks with the hop-on hop-off tours here, there are double decker buses, open top buses and even old Army ...
Travel Day
... time to get off after we got off we didn't get to meet each other !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!! So we just had to go to our hotel and forget about it. After that we went out for lunch I got a salad. Then we went back to our hotel and read our books then we got room service I got chicken and potatoes then we went to ...
Sooooooooo cold.......
... first view was the North view which was unfortunate because it's not the most impressive. We walked a little further & found the classic, south view overlooking Lafayette Park. Worth the walk, worth the wait. We went to the White House Visitor Centre (had to go through security to get in?!) which was a small but informative display. We had some lunch about 2pm - vegetable soup, quiche & salad - just love soup. Something I'll miss coming home to ...
The adventure begins
... his Epicurean side.
When we have flown on long trips in the past, we find it difficult to obtain reasonably priced airfare from Charlottesville, our closest airport. Small airports generally translate into high fares. Further, this being a one way flight, adds significant cost to a ticket. The cost for a single, one way ticket from CHO to ATH is $3,210. Instead, we each paid $42 and 30,000 miles. We earned 60,000 miles by applying for a ...
Roadtrip With the One and Only!
... an hour up the Top of the rock, admiring the beauty of the city that seemed to be so calm from up there. After a well deserved lunch and tan break in Grand Central Park we took the train to the 9/11 memorial. We wandered around the beautiful waterfalls for a while and gave a moment's thought to what happened on that terrible day all those years ago. With a well-deserved Fro-Yo (frozen yogurt) in our hands, we then strolled down Wall Street, through the financial district, so that ...


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My PC is normally connected to the internet via a modem. PC is upstairs, phone socket downstairs. All works well.
Now I've bought a router so that I can use a laptop in various rooms but I want to stay with the wired connection between the PC and router. There is no socket on the back of my PC so how do I connect? I've tried using one of the sockets on the back of the router through the modem but this does not work.
I've also searched the web but the solutions seem to be beyond my limited experience.


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No microplastic was found in the majority of samples taken for testing during 1972 to 1987. But over the last 40 years,plastic waste floating in the North Pacific has grown 100-fold.
Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on themoneytimes.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. TheMoneyTimes advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decision.
©2004-2010 All Rights Reserved


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UConn Outlasts Army, 22-17
QB Shirreffs led the team with 270 passing yards in win over the Black Knights.
Husky Football Awards Show Held On Friday
The 2014 team built a solid foundation for the future of the program.
UConn Places 15 On American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team
Fifteen Huskies were honored for their achievements in the classroom
Huskies To Shuffle Off To Buffalo
UConn looking for first win of the season on first road trip.
Connecticut falls to Towson in Season Opener, 33-18
Shakim Phillips had two touchdown catches for Connecticut
Marshall 16, UConn 10
Marshall 16, UConn 10 St. Petersburg Bowl December 26, 2015
UConn vs Houston
UConn vs Houston (photo by Stephen Slade)
UConn Vs. Tulane
The Huskies are on the road against Tulane, on November 6, 2015.
UConn vs Navy
UConn vs Navy (photo by Stephen Slade)
UConn vs. Navy
UConn vs. Navy
2015: Played in all 13 games and started 12 of them...has started 35 games over the past three seasons..was third on the team in tackles with 88 and also registered two tackles for a loss and two interceptions...had a career-high 13 tackles vs. Cincinnati (Oct. 24) and 12 vs. Navy (Sept. 26)...the interceptions came in a pair of wins -- vs. UCF (Oct. 10) and East Carolina (Oct. 30)...had nine tackles vs. Marshall in St. Petersburg Bowl (Dec. 26)... was second on the team with five pass break-ups.
2014: Started the first 11 games of the season at safety...placed fourth on the team with 75 tackles...added 3.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups...recorded 10 tackles vs. Boise State (Sept. 13) and at Army (Nov. 8)...had five tackles, including one for loss, at USF (Sept. 19)...notched eight tackles with one for loss at Memphis (Nov. 29).
2013: Started all 12 games at free safety...finished second on the team with 70 tackles, adding 3.0 TFL, two forced fumbles and two interceptions...named a Freshman All-America Honorable Mention by Scout.com...opened the year with an 11-tackle, 1.5-TFL, INT performance against Towson (Aug. 29)...had seven tackles, one for loss, and a fumble recovery vs. No. 14 Michigan (Sept. 21)...had four tackles and an interception at Buffalo (Sept. 28)...recorded six tackles at No. 21 UCF (Oct. 26)...posted nine tackles at SMU (Nov. 16)...recorded six tackles and forced a fumble vs. Rutgers (Nov. 30)...ended the year with nine tackles and a forced fumble vs. Memphis (Dec. 7)...named to the 2013 American Athletic Conference All-Academic team.
2012: Redshirted.
High School: Played both running back and defensive back in high school ... rushed for 1,394 yards in senior year with 17 touchdowns ... made 14 tackles on defense and had three interceptions..also had ten two-point conversions ... named to the ESPN Boston All-State team ..rushed for 320 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Leichester in 2011..was also a long jumper and triple jumper on the track team.
Personal Profile: Henry William O. Melifonwu ... born April 5, 1994...a sociology major.


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Man City and Spain striker Nolito: This is the reason why I turned down Barcelona
MANCHESTER CITY new boy Nolito has revealed he turned down the chance to re-join Barcelona because he wanted to play for Pep Guardiola.Daily Express » 1m
MANCHESTER CITY new boy Nolito has revealed he turned down the chance to re-join Barcelona because he wanted to play for Pep Guardiola.Daily Express » 1m
EXPRESS SPORT brings you the latest transfer news from Anfield.Daily Express » 6h
Lionel Messi will join Barcelona's training camp at St George's Park next week after cutting short his holidays.SkySports.com » 23h
Cristiano Ronaldo said he plans to hold talks over a new Real Madrid contract when he returns from holiday.SkySports.com » 1d
James Rodriguez insists he is determined to stay and fight for his place at Real Madrid after revealing the club received a huge offer for him.SkySports.com » 2d
EXPRESS SPORT takes a look at how the Manchester United players rated in their sobering 4-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund as they started their International Champions Cup campaign.Daily Express » 2d
JAMES RODRIGUEZ has revealed he plans to stay at Real Madrid and fight for his place.Daily Express » 2d
Today: Still Bernard Cribbins, Big Sam, Norwich and universal enjoyment Sport has seen a good number of dream teams. There was the USA! USA!! USA!!! basketball team at the 1992 Big Sports Day. There was Johan Cruyff's Barcelona of the early 1990s. There was Harchester United, circa 1998. Are we…Guardian » 2d
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976. RitaEvac
Tropical cyclone developing in the SE Gulf of Mexico a threat to the Texas coast.
Advisories will likely be started at 400pm on either tropical depression or tropical storm Don. Visible satellite images shows a well defined low level cloud swirl on the northern edge of deep convection just north of the Yucatan Peninsula and the system is likely already a tropical cyclone. The aircraft mission was delayed this morning, but the plane is now en-route and depending on what it finds the system may be upgraded directly to a tropical storm.
Since we are already close to 60 hours out from landfall, tropical storm or hurricane watches may be issued for the TX coast with either the 400pm or 1000pm NHC advisory package assuming the plane finds a closed low level circulation. Onset of tropical storm force winds along the TX coast would be sometime in the late afternoon or early evening hours on Friday with increasing rainbands during the day on Friday spreading inland. Still a bit early to try and nail down the greatest area for impact, but the region between roughly Galveston Island to Corpus Christi appears in the greatest threat zone.
Will get detailed TX impacts out by 600pm this evening after a suite of conference calls and the NHC package around 400pm. Main threat right now appears to be rainfall and strong winds with storm surge a distance 3rd due to the small size of the system. Will address all impacts later this afternoon.
Residents along the Texas coast should review their hurricane preparation plans and be prepared to enact these plans on Thursday.
Member Since: July 14, 2008 Posts: 2 Comments: 10363


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On my STC config screen, I see only these three fields:
* Consumer key (filled in)
* Consumer secret (filled in)
* Twitter default button
I assume there should be a list of modules like with Simple Facebook Connect but that is not a case. Maybe this plugin is not compatible with 3.3.1? Or am I doing something wrong?
One thing to note: in the instructions, there is this step: "Use Twitter for login must be checked (enabled)." Where do I enable this? Haven't found anything like that on dev.twitter.com settings page so maybe that's the problem?


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COCOA BEACH (AP) -- Most of the state's severely eroded beaches won't be repaired until the peak of hurricane season.
Only about a third of Florida's 13 emergency restoration projects being supervised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be finished by the start of the season, said Rick McMillen, project coordinator for the emergency beach-restoration effort. The rest won't be done until September.
Experts said the beaches waiting for workers to widen shorelines and rebuild dunes are at risk for more damage if another hurricane hits.
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Kim Kardashian on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno "Kim Kardashian made history last night as she was invited to take part in Jay Leno's final Tonight Show episode, and she chose a perfect look for the occasion. I liked the form-fitting white dress on her (which is clearly her color of choice lately) and was happy to see her not in a crop top for a change." —Haley, Entertainment Editor
Ellie Kemper on Conan "Sometimes the simplest dresses are the sexiest. Ellie Kemper's green shift was tailored to perfection and went fabulous against her signature red locks. It also helps that she was talking about Soul Cycle. I've got a sweet spot for that class, too." —Victoria, Editorial Assistant
Connie Britton on Nashville "Rayna James is back! I loved the red lace dress that she wore to film her new music video—the lace reminds us she's sweet but the deep red says 'Don't mess with me!'" —Emily, Social Media Manager
Comedy Central
Ilana on Broad City "Ok. I honestly love this outfit. Like, if I was going to be in a music video, this is what I would wear. This week's episode of Broad City on Comedy Central was a true gem, and Ilana's outfit makes me laugh and jealous at the same time. I don't know why. I just wish I got to wear it." —Lea, Video Editor


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Justin Theroux (accurately) made bae his #wcw.
This is beauty overload.
2015 has certainly rang in a number of star studded weddings with tropical destinations, hand made gowns, and A-list guests.
Nikki Reed plans to grow very old with Ian Somerhalder. …
We've rounded up some of the best stories of the day, featuring news items that you may have missed with Justin Bieber, Sandra Bullock, Miley Cyrus and other celebrity news stories. …
Ian Somerhalder is counting down the days until fatherhood. The Vampire Diaries hunk gushed about wanting to start a family with his wife, Nikki Reed, during a Words With Friends event on Thursday, Sept. 10.
Summer may be over, but it's still hot outside! Don't let yourself get too thirsty.
If you haven't heard: Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed are madly enough — so much so that they're now sharing their gorgeous wedding photos with the world.
History lovers, rejoice. Betsy Ross will be making her television debut soon!
Rather, Nikki Reed will be playing our nation's historic first flag maker in the upcoming season of Fox's Sleepy Hollow.
From classic female friendships (Tina Fey and Amy Poehler) and bromances (George Clooney and Brad Pitt) to unexpected union between one famous person and another (Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow), Hollywood is home to some amazing pairs of best friends.
Kat Graham is one multifaceted, empowering and downright real woman.
Celebs have really hot siblings, and we think you should know about them! …
No one ever said being a celebrity was easy. Nor is being a fan, apparently.
Ian Somerhalder, who was with his new wife Nikki Reed, was caught on video refusing to take photos with fans in Paris, leaving one girl in tears, and asking that they not follow him and Reed…
Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder are the definition of #RelationshipGoals. …
Beautiful people Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder made their first red carpet debut as a married couple, and jeez, they are simply stunning.
You know what they say? Couples who wear matching hats…Okay not really, but Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed sure are cute when they do it. …
We've rounded up some of the cutest, raciest and fun celebrity Instagram and Twitter pics from the past 24 hours featuring newlyweds Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed, Taylor Swift, Kris Jenner more.
There's no bad blood between Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder.
Yesterday (May. 04, 2015), Ian Somerhalder and his new bride Nikki Reed could not keep their hands off one another, which you can witness in the gallery above.


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Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the book | Readalikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
(originally published in hardcover in USA as Where the Moon Isn't)
by Nathan Filer
With an average rating of 4.5 out of 5, this debut novel won high marks with many BookBrowse readers.
Many readers gave it a thumbs up for an arresting plotline:
This powerful novel by Nathan Filer tells nineteen-year-old Matthew Homes' harrowing story. As Matt battles schizophrenia - and all the ensuing humiliations, setbacks, and attitudes surrounding mental illness - he is on a quest to discover what actually happened on a holiday night at the beach in Ocean Cove Park nine years earlier. On this night Matt's older brother Simon, a Down syndrome child with "a beautiful smiling face that looked like the moon," dies. For the next ten years, guilt-ridden Matt fights his way through the past to understanding and redemption (Carole C).
Sensitive topics are beautifully handled:
The way the author takes you inside the mind of a mentally ill Matthew to experience his troubles firsthand...
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BookBrowse seeks out and recommends books that we believe to be best in class. Books that will whisk you to faraway places and times, that will expand your mind and challenge you -- the kinds of books you just can't wait to tell your friends about.


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What does the phrase "(to) squeeze water from a stone" mean?
Have you ever squeezed water from a stone?
The normal expression is like getting blood from a stone, used to convey the difficulty of extracting something from someone or something that is reluctant to yield it.
I agree with Barrie (+1) that the most usual idiom is blood from a stone. Water from a stone is likely a malformation of the standard idiom. There may also be regional differences. For example, I've also heard "blood from a turnip".
There is also a fairytale about a giant slayer who challenges a giant in a feat of strength — to squeeze water from a stone. The giant picks up a boulder and squeezes with all his might but cannot produce water. The 'giant slayer' (I believe he was just an unfortunate shoemaker who was elected to confront the giant) produces a yellow stone and squeezes it with visible effort, and at last a few drops of water drop to the floor. The giant concedes and leaves the town alone, the 'slayer' returning to a heroes welcome.
The yellow stone is, in fact, the cheese he packed for lunch.
An idiom similar to many others like "struggling to make (both) ends meet" but with a sense of exasperation, or resignation.
Depending on the author's creativity and the context, the expression generally means:
See also:
Exodus chapter 17, verse 6 reads- "I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
The idea of getting water from a stone is an unreasonable idea. I think the meaning behind this verse is that it is such a tremendous feat, and yet God could accomplish it with a single strike.
This may not be exactly the meaning you were looking for, but nobody else mentioned it, and I do believe it is supporting evidence of the phrases true meaning.


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Flying High With Legendary Air Hostess Pam Ann
Caroline Reid, also known as her alter ego, Pam Ann, made an emergency landing in the "ultra-glamorous" deli shop below her Manhattan apartment in Hells Kitchen to chat about her love for the gays, air travel, and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, where she'll perform two shows in late February. She was surprisingly candid — and hilarious — with no regrets for anything she spit out of her mouth. I was able to woo her from the start by sporting my original Pan Am Airlines luggage tag on my super-gay man purse. I quickly confessed that I once was a flight attendant for American Airlines, and the jokes immediately began. Secretly I was hoping that her character, Valerie, an aged AA veteran airhostess with big hair and a big voice from Texas, would make an appearance, but alas, my dreams of seeing her would have to wait until later this month in Sydney.
OutTraveler: So let's jump right into it. What's Mardi Gras like?
Pam Ann: It's such a different energy. All the gays come to town. Make sure you have some fun outfits for sure. You have to dress up. Take your drag bag. Bring your old AA uniform and dress it up. It's just such a beautiful vibe and the best time for me to perform. It's like a gay mecca and all my sistas are there.
I've been looking up at the photos of past parties and they are massive!
I've been going for years. Back in the day it use to be in a small field. Imagine all the gays on ecstasy in the late '90s, drag queens in heels, in a field. It's all changed. It's like the Grove in L.A. now, just put Mardi Gras in it. The parties are huge! They have surprise guests and performers, but the gays usually find out way in advance who they are. There are no secrets with you gays. They might drag a Minogue out this year, who knows. When in doubt, get a Minogue.
Do you remember much from the first celebrations?
In the '90s I had to get a letter from gay friends inviting me to Mardi Gras. I'm pretty sure that's how it was. You had to be invited if you were straight. It was hard to get a ticket. Straight people by invite only. You all should do that again, it's a good policy.
But now that anyone can go. Any tips for any possible straight readers that we many have? Or maybe some tips that we can tell our friends who are joining us?
Women, if you are going, make sure not to wear open toed shoes. They have that policy and are strict about it. Once, I was with this leather queen and was trying to get into a party in flip-flops, and was denied. My queen came to my rescue and saved me with these massive leather boots. Once I made it past security, I changed back to my flip-flops. My queens are always looking out for me.
Australian men are off the charts gorgeous, at least for us. Any thoughts?
I totally get exactly what you are saying about them. I say the same about black men in NYC. For me, the chocolate here is off the charts. For Mardi Gras, there are some really hot country boys that do come down…you will be in heaven. I'm just not into Australian men…I do discriminate. Maybe if a really hot Australian that could speak a full sentence approached me…I'm such a bitch.
I am sure you have a big homecoming waiting for you. When's the last time you were home?
It's been two years since I've been home to Australia. I honestly have no idea where years start and stop. I've been caught up with my European and American tours, and moving to New York. The Australian audience can only take one dose of me every two years. That's enough. They are craving people though. Big acts always seem to cancel their Australian legs of their tours at the last minute. I think Selena Gomez just canceled on them. I'm pretty sure Pink is the only one that has actually made it out there recently, and she killed it.
I can't image your hometown gays only want to see you once every couple of years. What about your other Australian fans? The non-gay kind.
I have no desire to reach a larger demographic. They all find out about me from the gays anyways. I speak gay. I tell the straights that they need to Google "felching." The straights are always the ones causing trouble at the shows. I just feel so comfortable with my gays.
For those attending the now mostly sold out shows down under on this new tour, what's to be expected?
They can expect lots of new videos. I am so excited to be showing those. It feels a bit different with the energy of the videos. The shows are very tailored to each city. Oh, this is the first year with an interval. I never had those before because getting gays out and back within 15 minutes is impossible. But now, with Grindr, I figure they can look up guys during the first half, hook up during interval and break up by the end of the second act. Oh, the show has got cute boys for the boys when they are sick of seeing my fat ass. There are lots of costume changes and glitter cannons and dancing. What more could a gay want?
Ok, so I have to ask, what are some of your horror stories with US airline carriers?
My worst airline experience was on an AirTran flight from LaGuardia to Milwaukee, home of Jeffrey Dahmer. I was doing a show with Salt n' Pepa, as well as Monique for gay pride. Imagine me and Salt n' Pepa on an AirTran flight. I was on this flight and surrounded by bare feet and 300 pound women. Did you look in the mirror today, ma'am? I also hated being dragged out on the tarmac with no wheels. The screeching noise was awful.
I'm still trying to get the image of Milwaukee Pride out of my head.
And then there was this one time when I was in Cancun on a US Airways flight and something was wrong with the wing. I'm not racist, but you know how Mexicans are packed in the back of a truck sometimes? Well, one of those trucks came up to fix the wing and I was questioning why we weren't being taken to the airplane hanger. We got off the plane and I never got back on that one.
What about the best airline in the US?
I love JetBlue. Good service, branding, and value. Gosh, you'd think I was a paid spokesperson. The crew is always so excited and happy to be on the PA. JetBlue is just good value for what you get… and all the seats with the televisions too. On the other hand, Delta still uses their museum pieces. When I get on and see an ashtray, I smoke. They need to update their fleet and crew. When you fly with them, one of the crew usually dies. "We lost one", but that's normal for them.
You are headed to L.A. next and then New Zealand to begin your tour. What airline are you flying?
I'm flying Virgin America to L.A. this week. It's like arriving to a fuck club. It's sunny outside and all dark and club like inside. Afterwards I have to fly Air New Zealand. That audience will have a lot to answer to regarding the Air New Zealand uniforms.
And what's with the new app? I downloaded it, and it's fun!
Oh, be sure to alert the gays that I have a new free app for your phone and iPad. If they are bored at the airport or Mardi Gras, they can whip the app out. There are videos and oh, there's a chat on there so they can chat with each other during my shows.
I know you have to run off and get your hair done before taking off. Any last minute Mardi Gras tips?
I've done the floats and parade before. I crashed one once. This year I will just be watching, but here's a tip if you want in: If you want to get in the parade, dress up like an airhostess and tell security you are with the gayviation float. That is a guaranteed entrance.
Click here for more info on Pam's upcoming tour. Read more about former stew David Duran here and follow him on Twitter at @Theemuki.


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ODT Online
ODT /directory
The passengers, Noel Eparaima and another understood to have
the christian name TeRangi, were taken to Hawke's Bay
Hospital with life-threatening injuries after the BMW they
were in "catapulted into the air" and crashed on Racecourse
Rd, 70km south of Napier, late on Thursday night.
The Herald on Sunday understands the boys - aged 16
and 17 - had earlier left a party with two others, Menassah
Fraser, 19, and Hope Pere, 18, in the car.
The crash left a wreck one police officer described as the
most "graphic" he had seen in 16 years.
"We know one of them died and was revived," said Hastings
police Senior Constable Tim Rowe.
Hawke's Bay Hospital spokeswoman Anna Kirk said one of the
pair, understood to be TeRangi, received serious brain
injuries and had been transferred to Wellington Hospital on
Friday night for further treatment. He remains in a critical
The Hawke's Bay Today reported party-goers had earlier
that evening attempted to take the keys from someone wanting
to drive the BMW.
Police said they believed the car was racing another vehicle
which fled the scene after the crash. Police have not spoken
to the driver of that vehicle but have appealed for them to
come forward.
Eparaima's mother, Tamara Stewart, said she didn't care about
the fleeing driver and was focused on her son.
"I'm just worried about my son, I don't care what anyone else
thinks," Stewart said. "My son is fighting for his life,
there is nothing to talk about."
Messages of grief and support were posted on Facebook
Fraser's twin sister Memphis wrote: "Menassah Fraser you are
my other half, there's no me without you, I'm not leaving
your side, we going to get through this together however many
sleepless nights." She posted an emotional photo of her and
Menassah holding hands in the hospital, saying: "Hand in hand
sis, I've got you."
A friend who had visited Hope Pere in hospital said she
suffered from a fractured spine, a broken collarbone and
broken leg.
Rowe said the car hit a drain and a concrete abutment before
flying 30-40m in the air, where it "disintegrated" and came
to a halt.
"We expected to see three or four fatals. How anyone survived
is a miracle, it's pretty horrific," he said.
Police believed the crash was fuelled by speed and alcohol.
Not all passengers were wearing their seatbelts.
"Bloods were taken from the driver because it was suspected
she had... been drinking. The front-left passenger was
wearing a seatbelt and that side got the worst impact, but we
don't think they were all restrained."
- Chloe Johnson of Herald on
Sunday/Additional reporting Hawke's Bay Today
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