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The Gorge-Yourself Environment
By ERICA GOODE
Published: July 22, 2003
From giant sodas to supersize burgers to all-you-can-eat buffets, America's approach to food can be summed up by one word: Big.
Plates are piled high, and few crumbs are left behind. Today's blueberry muffin could, in an earlier era, have fed a family of four.
But social norms change. Free love has given way to safe sex. Smokers have become pariahs. The gin fizz and the vodka gimlet have yielded to the mojito and the cosmopolitan.
Now many health experts are hoping that, in the service of combating an epidemic of obesity, the nation might be coaxed into a similar cultural shift in its eating habits.
Traditionally, the prescription for shedding extra pounds has been a sensible diet and increased exercise. Losing weight has been viewed as a matter of personal responsibility, a private battle between dieters and their bathroom scales.
But a growing number of studies suggests that while willpower obviously plays a role people do not gorge themselves solely because they lack self-control.
Rather, social scientists are finding, a host of environmental factors — among them, portion size, price, advertising, the availability of food and the number of food choices presented — can influence the amount the average person consumes.
"Researchers have underestimated the powerful importance of the local environment on eating," said Dr. Paul Rozin, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, who studies food preferences.
Give moviegoers an extra-large tub of popcorn instead of a container one size smaller and they will eat 45 to 50 percent more, as Dr. Brian Wansink, a professor of nutritional science and marketing at the University of Illinois, showed in one experiment. Even if the popcorn is stale, they will still eat 40 to 45 percent more.
Keep a tabletop in the office stocked with cookies and candy, and people will nibble their way through the workday, even if they are not hungry. Reduce prices or offer four-course meals instead of single tasty entrees, and diners will increase their consumption.
In a culture where serving sizes are mammoth, attractive foods are ubiquitous, bargains are abundant and variety is not just the spice but the staple of life, many researchers say, it is no surprise that waistlines are expanding. Dr. Kelly D. Brownell, a professor of psychology at Yale and an expert on eating disorders, has gone so far as to label American society a "toxic environment" when it comes to food.
Health experts and consumer advocates point to the studies of portion size and other environmental influences in arguing that fast-food chains and food manufacturers must bear some of the blame for the country's weight problem.
"The food industry has used portion sizes and value marketing as very effective tools to try to increase their sales and profits," said Margo Wootan, the director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group financed by private foundations.
Trial lawyers met in Boston last month to discuss legal approaches to obesity, including lawsuits against fast-food chains and food manufacturers on grounds like false advertising, failure to provide labeling about caloric content or even fostering food addiction.
At least seven such lawsuits have been filed, with varying success, said John F. Banzhaf III, a professor of public interest law at George Washington University. Professor Banzhaf, who led the way in litigation against tobacco companies, is now channeling similar energy into reforming fast food.
The food industry, however, dismisses such suits as a device to deposit more money in lawyers' bank accounts. The onus for eating healthfully, industry spokesmen say, rests entirely with the consumer.
"If you don't want a large hamburger in a restaurant, usually there is a smaller hamburger," said Steven Anderson, the president and chief executive of the National Restaurant Association. "You can get a grilled chicken sandwich in almost any restaurant I've ever been in. There are the options there and it's for the individual to decide."
Still, at least one company, Kraft Foods , the maker of Oreos and Lunchables, recently announced its intention to "help encourage healthy lifestyles" by reducing portion sizes for some products.
Some scientists have mixed feelings about taking the obesity issue into court. "Whenever trial lawyers get hold of an issue, I worry," said Dr. Adam Drewnowski, the director for the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington.
But none dispute that an increasing number of studies show that how food is served, presented and sold plays at least some role in what and how much people eat.
Price is a powerful influence. In a series of studies, researchers at the University of Minnesota have demonstrated that the relative cost of different products has an even more potent effect on food choice than nutritional labeling.
Dr. Simone French, an associate professor of epidemiology, and her colleagues manipulated the prices of high-fat and low-fat snacks in vending machines at 12 high schools and 12 workplaces. In some cases, the snacks were labeled to indicate their fat content.


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Tools & Resources
Tutorials & Articles on Creating Accessible Content
- Adobe: Creating Accessible PDF Documents with Adobe Acrobat 7.0 (PDF)
- Adobe: Advanced Techniques for Creating Accessible Adobe PDF Files (PDF)
- Adobe: How to Create Accessible Adobe PDF Files Booklet
- WebAIM's PDF Accessibility
- Learning about PDF Accessibility (Source: University of Wisconsin, Madison)
Course Design for Accessibility
- Adobe: Dreamweaver 8 Accessibility Overview
- WebAIM's How to Make Accessible Web Content Using Dreamweaver
- Macromedia's Accessibility Techniques for Dreamweaver MX
- Wise-Women's Achieve Accessibility with Dreamweaver
- Layers Magazine's Implementing Accessibility in Dreamweaver
- Adobe: Flash 8 Accessibility Overview
- Adobe: Flash Player 8 Accessibility Overview
- WebAIM's Creating Accessible Macromedia Flash Content
- Macromedia's Accessibility Techniques for Flash MX
- WebAIM's PowerPoint Accessibility
- How to Create Accessible PowerPoint Presentations from Scratch (Source: University of Wisconsin, Madison)
- How to Make PowerPoint Presentations Accessible to Publish on the Web (Source: University of Wisconsin, Madison)
- Microsoft: Creating Accessible Presentations
- WebAIM's Microsoft Word Techniques
- Microsoft's Word 2000 Accessibility Tutorials
- Microsoft's Word 2002 Accessibility Tutorials
Captioning Rich Media
- National Center for Accessible Media's (NCAM) Creating Captions for Rich Media
- Wired News' Web Closed Captioning Simplified
- Frequently Asked Questions: Accessibility & Audiovisual Media (Source: Harpers Ferry Center)
- WebAIM's Software for Creating Captions
- WebAIM's Media Player Accessibility
- WebAIM's Captioning for Quicktime
- WebAIM's Captioning for RealPlayer
- WebAIM's Introduction to Captioning for Windows Media
Assistive Technology
- JAWS® for Windows Screen Reader - reads information on your screen using synthesized speech.
- IBM® Home Page Reader 3.04 - IBM's talking web browser that uses the power of speech to aid users in exploring the World Wide Web.
- Zoom Text - a screen magnifier for Windows, developed by Ai Squared.
- Assistive Technology Products - Microsoft's guide in selecting assistive technology products.
- American Foundation for the Blind's Product Database - a comprehensive listing of assistive technology products used by people who are blind or visually impaired.
- EmpTech - provide information resources on assistive technologies that are designed to help those with specific difficulties or disabilities work and study more effectively.
- TechDis Technology Database - a database is intended to provide an online resource of information and products available to assist disabled students and staff.
- A Parent's Guide to Assistive Technology - Schwab Learning's guide explaining how assistive technology can help kids with learning disabilites and finding the right tools to fit the child's needs.
- CSU's Policy Manual for Contracting & Procurement
- buyaccessible.gov (a web-based 508 compliance tool for procurements)
Publications and Multimedia
- ABILITY Magazine (online magazine for the disabled)
- Disability World - a bimonthly web-zine of international disability news and views
- "From Where I Sit" Video Series
- Experiences of Students with Disabilities Video
- Introduction to the Screen Reader - a short 6 minute video demonstrating how screen readers assist people who are blind navigate the web, access the electronic page, and more.
Planning Events
- How To Plan Events That Everybody Can Attend - provides tips on planning meetings, conferences, health fairs and other events in which everyone can participate, developed by the Department of Health.
- Planning an Accessible Event - guidelines on how to plan an accessible event, developed by Stanford University.
- Accessible Events: A good practice guide for staff organising events in Higher Education - a new guide for event organisers which will support the planning, organizing, publicizing and running of events.
- Checklist for Planning an Accessible Event - consider the following checklist to ensure that your event is accessible to all your participants, adapted from the Accessible Events Guidelines.
Additional Resources
- Ensuring Access through Collaboration and Technology (EnACT) - support students with disabilities within the California State University in attaining their postsecondary educational goals.
- Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - works with organizations around the world to develop strategies, guidelines, and resources to help make the Web accessible to people with disabilities.
- Usability.org - primary government resource on usability and accessibility, including the latest usability research and training opportunities.
- Guide to Working with Students - University of Wisconsin's guidelines and helpful hints for working with students who have various kinds of disabilities.
- Disability Etiquette Handbook - a glossary of acceptable terms developed by the City of San Antonio Disability Access Office.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Patriots have doubled up in their selection of wide receivers, taking Josh Boyce of TCU with their fourth round selection, the 102nd overall.
Boyce led TCU in receiving yards in each of the last three seasons. He also led his team in receptions and receiving touchdowns each of the past two. In 2012, he piled up a school-record 66 catches for 891 yards and seven touchdowns.
He was productive in the three years he played (he came out a year early) with a total of 161 catches for 2,535 yards and 22 touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 206-pounder was listed higher on many scouting reports during the season, but suffered a foot injury which required surgery and did not allow him to take part in pro day at his school. He was a high school teammate of Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.
The Pats took another receiver, Aaron Dobson of Marshall, in the second round.
Location, ST | website.com


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Anti-Gaming Groups Stall Yuba County Casino ConstructionConstruction of a much-anticipated Yuba County casino has been suspended, due to pending litigation.
Trucks, Small SUV Part Of Tesla's Future PlansElectric car maker Tesla Motors is working on multiple new vehicles, including heavy trucks and buses that could be unveiled as early as next year.
Netflix Facing Tougher Times Ahead As US Subscriber Growth SlowsAfter years of spectacular success, Netflix is starting to hit some potholes. The high-flying internet video service added only 160,000 U.S. subscribers from April through June, its lowest gain in the period since splitting up its video-streaming and DVD-by-mail services five years ago.
Teens Learn About Food Production At Local Farm-to-Fork CampA group of high school students is tasting their way around Sacramento as a part of the farm to fork initiative with the Sacramento Visitors bureau.
Workers, Businesses Poised For Golden 1 Center PayoffYou can hear, see, and feel the buzz about the Golden One Center. On the streets and in nearby businesses, the arena dominates conversation.
Walmart Store Opens Amid Controversy In LodiAfter 10 years of legal battles, delays, and two years of construction, the doors have finally opened for Lodi's Walmart Super-center, on Kettleman Lane and Lower Sacramento Road.
McDonald's Adds McGriddles To All-Day Breakfast MenuYou can have McGriddles with that. McDonald's plans to offer the sandwiches around the clock after testing the addition of the sandwich to its all-day breakfast menu in select markets.
Computer Glitch Reveals Starbucks' Plan To Raise PricesThe price of your prized morning cup of Starbucks is about to go up.
Deadly Tesla Crash Could Damage Sentiment On Driverless CarsIt was the crash the auto industry knew was coming but still feared.
PepsiCo Bringing Back Aspartame To Its ProductsAspartame is back in Pepsi products. PepsiCo is putting the sweetener back in its beverages less than a year after removing it over safety concerns.
State Senator Proposes Bill To Allow Advertising On Caltrans SignsA state Senator is pushing to bring much-needed funding for California roads through a public-private partnership that is set to not cost taxpayers a dime.
Home-Delivery Pot Company's Snack Pairings A Hit With Women Medical marijuana can now be delivered right to your door in a box, but you need a prescription.


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case 1
- 1 (matter) the Greene caseel caso Greenepolice are investigating several cases of fraudla policía está investigando varios casos de estafato dismiss a casesobreseer una causato hear a caseconocer de una causato lose/win a caseperder/ganar un pleito or juiciothe workers' case has been taken up by the paperslos periódicos se han hecho eco de la causa de los obrerosan open-and-shut caseun caso claroto be on somebody's case (US)
un caso que no tiene vuelta de hojaestar encima de alguienhe's been on my case ever sincedesde entonces ha estado encima de míget off my case!¡déjame tranquilo or en paz!to make a federal case out of something (US) [colloquial]hacer un drama de algo
- 2 2.1 (Medicine) two cases of meningitis, two meningitis casesdos casos de meningitisthe doctor said he was a hopeless caseel médico dijo que no tenía curaExample sentences
Example sentences2.2 [colloquial] (pitiable person) he's a mental case
- Diabetes and hypertension are the underlying causes in most cases of chronic kidney disease.
- But he said a lot of work was being done to raise awareness and combat rising cases of diseases like chlamydia in the town.
- How many cases of mumps, measles, or rubella would the lack of vaccination of this number of children produce?
está loco de remate or de atar [colloquial]don't trust her with it, she's a hopeless caseno se lo confíes a ella, es un caso perdidothe man next door's a sad caseel del vecino es un caso digno de lástima2.3 [dated] (eccentric)caso (masculine) [colloquial]my aunt's a real casemi tía es un caso [colloquial]Example sentences
- The most severe cases are medical emergencies and require the skilled care of a physician in hospital to avoid death.
- Severe cases require treatment in hospital with antibiotics.
- Less than one per cent of the substantiated cases required medical care for broken bones or head trauma.
- I checked out the whole joint, mate, and the verdict is in: you're a case.
- "He's a case," said Father Jerry.
- She's a case and a half. You love to hate her don't you?
- 3 (instance, situation) a clear case of biasun caso claro de parcialidadit was a case of love at first sightfue el clásico flechazoit was a case of doing what we were told
fue el caso típico de amor a primera vistaera cuestión de hacer lo que se nos mandarain Martin's case, in the case of Martinen el caso de Martinin her caseen su casoa case in pointun ejemplo que viene al casoin most cases
un caso puntualen la mayoría de los casosas the case may be in no case [formal]bajo or en ninguna circunstanciahe won't go — in that case, neither will Ino quiere ir — (pues) en ese caso, yo tampocothat is the caseasí esif that's the case
esa es la cuestiónsi es asíthat's not the caseno es asíthat's the case with him tooa él le pasa lo mismoin that case, I'm not interesteden ese caso, no me interesait is less common than used to be the casees menos frecuente de lo que solía ser
- 4 (in phrases) in any casede todas maneras or formasin case (as conjunction) make a note in case you forget
en cualquier caso
de cualquier modoapúntalo por si te olvidasjust in case bring a sweater just in case
apúntalo en caso de que se te olvidetráete un suéter por si acasotráete un suéter por si las moscas [colloquial]in case of in case of fire/accidenten caso de incendio/accidente
- 5 (argument)the case for the prosecution the case for the defensela defensashe has a good/strong casesus argumentos son buenos/poderososthere is a case for leniency/for doing nothinghay razones para ser indulgente/para no hacer nadato make (out) a case for something/
-ingexponer los argumentos a favor de algo/para +the case put by the banks is that … infinitivela razón que aducen los bancos es que …to put/state one's casedar/exponer sus ( or mis etc. ) razonesthere's no case to answerla acusación no tiene asidero or fundamentoI rest my caseExample sentences
- They will also argue an economic case against membership.
- He has travelled literally thousands of miles to argue the case against war and occupation.
- If disaster movies are to be the new currency of scientific debate, who will make the case against alarmism?
- 6 (Linguistics)Example sentences
- They had at least as many noun cases to contend with as Latin speakers did, as well.
- Only relatively recently did grammarians begin a debate over noun cases in English.
- Do common cases become conventionalized as new senses for the words involved?
Definition of case in:
case 2
- 1 (crate)(of wine, liquor) (caja de 12 botellas)Example sentences
Example sentences
- Many English longcase clocks had cases designed in the style of the period in which they were made.
- I explained to her that the case held a CD-R containing files for work that I wanted to take home and work on overnight.
- Among the sofas I encounter a perspex case containing a sleek-looking chair.
- Beer and milk may be sold in crates but, contrary to popular usage, wine is sold in cases.
- At Tesco in Oldham, she was sold a case of 12 bottles of Stella lager.
- A case of beer, a case of wine, and six bottles of Wild Turkey were disposed of in merciless fashion.
- 2 (hard container)(for small objects) estuche (feminine)(for large objects) caja (feminine)(soft container) funda (feminine)
transitive verb
- [slang]to case the jointreconocer el terreno (antes de cometer un delito)Example sentences
- I'd been casing this neglected place for weeks.
- If you see a guy who looks like a burglar casing the joint - that will be me!
- This individual was casing the area for a burglary that took place on the 26th.
Definition of case in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
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= trending


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Share Photo
Four people walked away from an emergency landing of a Piper single engine aircraft on I-5 southbound north of El Norte Parkway after the rental plane ran out of fuel. A pick-up clipped the wing of the plane after it landed and slightly damaged the wing tip.
— John Gibbins / John Gibbins/UT San Diego


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The Steve Jobs Health Factor & the Law: Gauging Materiality
Aside from a bunch of bankruptcy news (here and here), the big corporate stunner of the day is the revelation that Apple CEO Steve Jobs — just a week after reassuring investors and employees about his health — has a "more complex" medical condition and will take a leave of absence until the end of June.
The disclosure by Jobs, whom the Journal notes is key to Apple, sent the stock down $6 to $79.33 in after-hours trading. Charlie Wolf, a financial analyst with Needham, told the Journal that the "Steve Jobs health" factor could cause the stock to fall an additional 10% to 15%.
So what's the legal issue? You guessed it: Materiality. Did the board have a duty to disclose the info to investors?
"The board must decide if the CEO's health is considered material information, meaning that an investor would consider the information important in deciding whether to buy or sell the company's securities," said Pepper Hamilton's Steven R. London in an e-mail. London heads the firm's Shareholder Activism Team. "If the information is determined to be material, then the company must disclose the news to the public or require all of its insiders to refrain from trading in the company's securities."
London said the board must consider the "prominence of the key officer within the company and the extent of the illness. An illness that is likely to result in death or likely to incapacitate an individual who is a critical driving force in the company in the reasonably near future would be considered material. . . If Apple previously suggested that Steve Jobs was not seriously ill, and his condition changes, then Apple may have an affirmative obligation to disclose the deterioration in his health."
When reached by phone, London told us: "If you're an investor, you might have relied on last week's statement, which gave the perception that the health issue is not serious and therefore the risk of losing Jobs as CEO is not significant. Perhaps you made your investment decision of whether to buy, sell or hold based on that statement. Then, a week later, the company changes its tune. The recovery, if there is to be one, will take longer, you learn. Now the price of the stock is going down. And if you bought you're probably angry. So you sue the company, based upon last week's statement, which you'd argue was materially misleading and you traded on that."
"The flip side," added London, "is that the company has a defensible argument as to why each statement was made, and why the respective statements were truthful at the time. After all, medical science is not perfect or definitive."
A call to Apple was not immediately returned.


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Take a sneak peek at the new NIST.gov and let us know what you think!
(Please note: some content may not be complete on the beta site.).
NIST Authors in Bold
|Roger V. Bostelman;
|AGVs and Forklifts Gaining Sight for Safety
|January 10, 2013
|Forklifts and automated guided vehicles are useful tools for the manufacturing industry. With regard to safety of workers (and equipment) near industrial vehicles, there are issues when using either manned or automated powered industrial vehicles in factories and distribution facilities. There has also been recent published information about automated guided vehicle (AGV) accidents where the sensors onboard did not detect nearby workers. The Mobile Autonomous Vehicle Obstacle Detection/Avoidance (MAVODA) Project at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been researching methods to improve safety standards for AGV's, automated functions for manned powered industrial vehicles, and forklift operator visibility. The MAVODA Project has addressed specific areas of safety standards by developing test methods that could potentially lead to improving these standards and to provide safe control of manufacturing vehicles, whether manned or unmanned. This article briefly describes project activities.
|Material Handling and Logistics Magazine
|automated guided vehicle (AGV), ANSI/ITSDF B56 standards, ISO/FDIS 13564-1, forklift safety, semi-autonomous, visibility
|Research Areas:
|Metrology and Standards for Manufacturing Equipment, Robotics, Instrumentation, Sensors, Mobility, Manufacturing, Measurements
|PDF version:
|Click here to retrieve PDF version of paper (84KB)


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In Their Own Words – A Sister's Love
This "In Their Own Words" essay is written by Miranda Specht, from East Islip, N.Y. This was originally written as a college admissions essay.
When I was three years old my baby brother was born. I remember the car ride to the hospital on the day we were finally able take him home. I was so excited. I had no idea then, how much of an influence he would be.
Richie was born weighing only one pound, thirteen ounces and spent the first 95 days of his life in the intensive care unit struggling to survive. On a daily basis there were teachers and therapists that would come work with my brother. At this time our family thought this would be the biggest obstacle he would have to overcome in his life.
Eighteen months later my brother Richie was diagnosed with autism. He would cry all the time and didn't like being around other people. As he grew, his inability to communicate would cause him great frustration. When people don't understand him, Richie hits his head. Although his disability has been a tremendous challenge for my family, it has also turned out to be a great blessing. I have learned a lot from Richie about tolerance, patience, and compassion.
Having an autistic brother has changed my perspective on life and shaped the way I relate to and communicate with others. When I was younger it used to make me angry when people would stare at my brother in public. As I got older I realized that people were afraid of what they didn't understand. Now I try to educate people about autism every chance I get.
It is hard work living with a disabled child, and at times it can be very stressful, but for me it has also been an extremely rewarding experience. I learned at a very early age how to put someone else's needs in front of my own. At times it frustrated me to make these sacrifices because it didn't seem fair. When I played sports I sometimes resented the fact that all the other kids' parents were at the games. My parents would watch from the car, because my brother couldn't handle the noise and being around so many people. But as I grew up I realized Richie was the one who had been cheated. I began to feel less sorry for myself and more grateful for him. If it wasn't for him my heart wouldn't be as big as it is. He has made me a more open minded and tolerant person.
I have come to realize that everyone is different, and that you cannot judge someone simply because they are not the same as you; you should give them a chance, because you never know what might have happened in their lives or how they might end up affecting yours. Richie has helped make me a more loving, compassionate, and generally a happier person. Living with my brother has also made me understand what life is really about. We take for granted having a voice and being able to interact with each other. It's hard to understand how important these things are until you're forced to view life without them.
When you live with someone who is disabled you have a greater respect for the things you and others are capable of doing. My brother is unable to do daily tasks on his own. So many wonderful teachers and aides have helped my brother get to where he is today. Seeing these people work with my brother has inspired me to consider a career in elementary education and/or special education. Not every step in this journey has been easy, but I know my brother has made me a better person. So, now when it's five thirty in the morning and I could really use more sleep and Richie is running up and down the hall in front of my room saying "Bye, Bye, Bye" and laughing, I can smile because I know today is going to be a good day.
"In Their Own Words" is a series within the Autism Speaks blog which shares the voices of people who have autism, as well as their loved ones. If you have a story you wish to share about your personal experience with autism, please send it to firstname.lastname@example.com. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.


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Frightful Nights Haunted
I have 6 Retro Reflective sensors for sale. Only tested never used changed system last second so no longer need. They plug directly into 110v and have both N.O. and N.C. contacts. Great trigger for props, lights, and any other creation you can dream of. 10ft range. Reflectors not included but can be found at any home store near you. $75 each + shipping


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Luis Serrano came to Denver with his family from Juarez, Mexico in July 2001 when he was just 10 years old. He came with a six-month visitor visa. But when that visa expired, his parents decided to stay.
"We became permanent tourists," explained Serrano.
Ever since, he has been looking over his shoulder, afraid that a traffic stop for a broken windshield or a cracked taillight will lead to deportation.
"It's a risk; it's a gamble," says the 21-year-old Metropolitan State University of Denver psychology student. "There's a fear inside of me that I'm going to get stopped and taken into custody."
But on June 15, an announcement from President Barack Obama finally put a smile on Serrano's face. The president announced that beginning Aug. 15, undocumented immigrants who entered the country as children would be allowed to apply for "Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals," potentially allowing nearly 2 million undocumented youth to remain and work without fear of deportation for at least two years.
"We were just waiting and waiting, and he was just taking his time coming out," Serrano recalled back to June 15 when he and his friends gathered at a house to watch the president's announcement. "But he came out and started saying all the good things about the DREAMers, and as he was speaking, I was getting a smile on my face… It's the right step in the right direction."
So-called DREAMers are undocumented immigrants who came as children and dream of the day when they can attend college, or work in the United States without fear of deportation. Their dream is really that of the American Dream, which is that freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success.
Legislation offered little hope
Federal legislation known as the DREAM Act would offer temporary legal status to young undocumented immigrants who have graduated high school and intend on attending college or joining the military. But that legislation has repeatedly stalled in Congress, offering little hope until the president's executive order.
In Colorado, similar attempts at offering undocumented students in-state tuition rates have failed at the legislature, blocked by Republican opposition. Just this year, another attempt at so-called Colorado ASSET failed.
Metropolitan State University of Denver decided not to wait on the legislature to take action, and beginning Aug. 20, the university implemented a policy that allows undocumented students in Colorado to take advantage of a new reduced tuition rate. An estimated 100 students are taking advantage of the new policy.
Former Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo has threatened to file a lawsuit challenging the policy. He told The Colorado Statesman that he planned on filing the suit by Sept. 7. He believes he has been bolstered by a legal opinion from Republican Attorney General John Suthers, who opined that Metro State's policy is illegal.
"Administrators and trustees at different state colleges can have honest disagreements about tuition policies, but they must obey the law," said Tancredo. "Metro State must wait for the General Assembly to change the law, and if the law is not changed, they can't make new laws by themselves."
But Denver immigration attorney Hans Meyer says Obama's executive order could open the door for colleges and universities not only in Colorado, but also across the country to offer reduced tuition rates to undocumented students. He said the issue is still an unknown, but that legal experts are anxiously awaiting clarification.
"The interesting thing is that it calls the question of a lot of these issues… because the federal government is recognizing that people should have the ability to be employed, they're recognizing that their pursuits of higher education maybe calls the question on the state level of whether it's time to recognize that here as well," said Meyer.
Complicated process; political pressure
Meyer is assisting several young undocumented immigrants navigate the complex maze of forms and supporting documents that are needed to apply for the temporary legal status. It is believed that as many as 400 from Denver have begun the process. Each application also includes a $465 fee.
Those who are eligible are people 30 and younger who arrived in the United States before the age of 16 and pose no criminal or security threat, and were successful students or served in the military. Applicants must prove that they have been living in the United States continuously for at least five years.
Noting the complicated process involved in applying for the temporary legal status, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, joined Meyer and several applicants at his Denver law office on Aug. 30 to offer her assistance to those looking to take advantage of Obama's order.
DeGette believes that the majority of Americans agree that there should be a pathway to citizenship for many undocumented immigrants.
"Recent polling has shown that the vast majority of Americans support these dreamers; they support the idea of kids being able to apply for work permits, and to go to college to be able to fulfill the American dream," said DeGette.
The outcome of the presidential election could play a role in the debate, as Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has said that the issue needs more action than just an executive order. If Romney wins the election, he could eliminate Obama's executive order.
But DeGette says that regardless of the presidential election, she plans to work with both sides of the aisle on finding a comprehensive solution.
"I really think we need comprehensive reform, and I think it's the kind of thing we should be able to sit down, just everybody take a deep breath, take the rhetoric down a notch, and talk about how to do it on a bipartisan basis," she said.
— firstname.lastname@example.com


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The Brooklyn Cyclones will play HudsonValley on NYPD Night at MCU Park (formerly KeySpanPark) on Monday, July 29, 2013. The game starts at 7:00pm. There will also be a ceremony honoring "Community Champions" from each Brooklyn NYPD precinct that evening.
NYPD officers can buy a package with a field box seat, a Cyclones cap and a voucher for a hot dog, chips and soft drink all for $16.00.
To learn more or to order, please contact Craig Coughlin at 718-382-2601 or at email@example.com.
MCU Park
1904 Surf Avenue
Brooklyn, NY11224


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My client has one post, that no matter I do, will not display a comment box. I've check the post in the post editor and "Allow Comments" and "Allow Trackbacks" are both checked in the discussion box. Any help or advice is greatly appreciate.
WP Version: 3.5.1
Genesis Theme Engine: Version 1.9.1
Page link with issue: http://musingsfromasahm.com/2013/01/winter-crafts-for-kids/


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Maserati Reveals New Quattroporte — A Hint of Altima? (Slideshow)
Italian luxury-car maker Maserati SpA said it will unveil its new Quattroporte high-performance sedan during the 2013 North American International Auto Show. The redesigned Quattroporte is part of the company's plan to increase its worldwide sales to 50,000 vehicles a year by 2015.
The new car keeps certain design elements from the outgoing model, including the basic front grille shape, side vents and triangular C pillar. But overall its body looks more sculpted and muscular.
"The new Maserati Quattroporte is a high-performance sports luxury sedan that reinterprets the design features of classic Maseratis in a contemporary design language," said Maserati design boss Lorenzo Ramaciotti. "Its style was born out of the guiding design principles of Maserati: harmony of shapes, dynamism of lines, Italian elegance," he said.
Perhaps, but for me the Quattroporte still fails to "pop" in a way that would help it stand out in traffic. When the previous version rolled out about a decade ago, critics said it looked like a Buick Park Avenue. The new version is a blend of Nissan Altima and Honda Accord.
The new car's engines will be built in the Ferrari plant in Maranello, but we don't know much more about the car's power plant. We know from the picture it is a V8, but will have to wait until the official presentation to hear the rest.


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Monday, May 17, 2010
Surprise Proposal
15 comments:
Not gonna lie... I started tearing up at work. That is one of the sweetest proposal ideas of all time. SiiiighReplyDelete
i almost just cried. that is the cutest thing ever!ReplyDelete
oooh MYYYY GOOOOsh!! imagine having it documented FOR LIFE!?!?! how amazing!ReplyDelete
I know!! What a special moment to have captured forever!!ReplyDelete
Awww that's so sweet!!! :) I keep whispering to my boyfriend that if he should propose to hire a photographer...hehehe :)ReplyDelete
I am obsessed. I think that is every girls dream - to have such a beautiful moment captured on film. Amazing.ReplyDelete
that's so sweet...and to think they have it captured for the rest of their lives. so cute :)ReplyDelete
xoxo, jamie
Oh, that made my cynical old heart melt. So so sweet!ReplyDelete
omg how adorable and what an amazing way to capture that moment!ReplyDelete
Anna Katrina
that is my brother! love it! thanks for featuring him!!! my sister did such a good job! and your blog is adorable!!!ReplyDelete
wow how sweet! I mean wow!ReplyDelete
aw, i'm so honored you featured my shoot! what a lovely surprise :) thank you so much for the kind words!ReplyDelete
Brilliant! And so sweet! I love!ReplyDelete
that is SOO sweet!! and these photos are beautiful!ReplyDelete


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Hurricane Preparedness Center - Cleveland, TN
- WebMD Physician Directory of Cleveland Doctors
- Related Hurricane Preparedness Articles
- Cleveland Emergency Contacts
- Nearby Cleveland Hospitals
- Find a Local Pharmacy on RxList - Cleveland
Cleveland Doctors and Specialists for Hurricane Preparedness
Hurricane Preparedness
Introduction to preparing for a hurricane
All Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal areas are subject to hurricanes. A reliable estimate of expected annual property loss due to hurricanes is $5 billion. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts ...
Other Related Hurricane Preparedness Articles
Emergency Contact for Cleveland
- In case of Emergency, call 911
Nearby Cleveland Hospitals results
- 1Skyridge Medical Center
2305 Chambliss Ave NW
Cleveland, Tennessee 37311
(423) 559-600
- 2Skyridge Medical Center
2800 Westside Dr NW
Cleveland, Tennessee 37312
(423) 559-600
- 3Park Ridge Valley Hospital
2200 Morris Hill Rd
Cleveland, Tennessee 37421
(423) 894-422
- 4Erlanger East Campus
1751 Gunbarrel Rd
Cleveland, Tennessee 37421
(423) 778-870
- 5Memorial Hixson Hospital
2051 Hamill Rd
Cleveland, Tennessee 37343
(423) 495-710
- 6Parkridge East Hospital
941 Spring Creek Rd
Cleveland, Tennessee 37412
(423) 894-787
- 7Memorial Hospital
2525 Desales Ave
Cleveland, Tennessee 37404
(423) 495-252
- 8Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hosp
2412 McCallie Ave
Cleveland, Tennessee 37404
(423) 698-022
- 9Parkridge Medical Center
2333 McCallie Ave
Cleveland, Tennessee 37404
(423) 698-606
- 10Woods Memorial Hospital
886 Highway 411 N
Cleveland, Tennessee 37331
(423) 263-360
- 11Athens Regional Medical Center
1114 W Madison Ave
Cleveland, Tennessee 37303
(423) 745-141
- 12Erlanger North Hospital
632 Morrison Springs Rd Ste 202
Cleveland, Tennessee 37415
(423) 778-330
- 13Erlanger Medical Ctr Baroness
975 E 3rd St
Cleveland, Tennessee 37403
(423) 778-700
- 14T C Thompson Children's Hosp
910 Blackford St
Cleveland, Tennessee 37403
(423) 778-700
- 15Willie D Miller Eye Center
975 E 3rd St
Cleveland, Tennessee 37403
(423) 778-624
- 16Siskin Hospital Physical Rehab
1 Siskin Plz
Cleveland, Tennessee 37403
(423) 634-120
- 17Johnson Mental Health Center
420 W Bell Ave
Cleveland, Tennessee 37405
(423) 870-903
- 18Kindred Hospital-Chattanooga
709 Walnut St
Cleveland, Tennessee 37402
(423) 266-772
- 19Hutcheson Medical Center
100 Gross Crescent Cir
Cleveland, Tennessee 30742
(706) 858-200
- 20Rhea Medical Center
9400 Rhea County Hwy
Cleveland, Tennessee 37321
(423) 775-112
- 21Hamilton Medical Center
1200 Memorial Dr
Cleveland, Tennessee 30720
(706) 272-600
- 22Murray Medical Center
707 Old Dalton Ellijay Rd
Cleveland, Tennessee 30705
(706) 695-456
- 23Moccasin Bend Mental Hlth Inst
100 Moccasin Bend Rd
Cleveland, Tennessee 37405
(423) 265-227
- 24Copper Basin Medical Center
144 Medical Center Dr
Cleveland, Tennessee 37317
(423) 496-551
- 25Fannin Regional Hospital
2855 Old Highway 5
Cleveland, Tennessee 30513
(706) 632-371
* Provider Directory Terms of Use:
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By using the WebMD Provider Directory, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.


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Looking for something to do this weekend? Here is what is going on around the county.
Youth ministry yard sale
LAKE PLACID — STR8 UP Youth Ministry will host a Mega Fundraiser Yard Sale 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. today and Saturday at 113 S. Main Ave.
For more information, call 699-1480.
Fundraiser set for vandalized clown house
LAKE PLACID — Toby the Clown Foundation will hold a fundraiser for its vandalized clown house at 11 a.m. today with hot dogs, drinks and a cookie for just $2.
The fundraiser will be held at MidFlorida Credit Union South Sebring branch.
For more information, call 214-8462.
Summer Splash to benefit nonprofit
AVON PARK — Heartland Horses and Handicapped, 118 W. College Drive, will host Summer Splash for kids with water slides, pony rides, activities, food and snow cones 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Cost is a $10 donation for the first child and $5 for each additional child. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit organization that provides horseback riding services and interaction free of charge to individuals with special needs.
For details, call 452-0006 or 991-1184.
Emergency preparedness fair
SEBRING — The public is invited to a free Emergency Preparedness Fair will be held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3235 Grand Prix Drive.
For more information, call 382-1822.


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Entertainment Photos
Faces of the State Fair of Texas
Photo: G.J. McCarthy/Staff Photographer
Jerry Vessel of Campbell said he has been visiting the Fair yearly for more than four decades, and as a teenager showed livestock at the event.
To post a comment, log into your chosen social network and then add your comment below. Your comments are subject to our Terms of Service and the privacy policy and terms of service of your social network. If you do not want to comment with a social network, please consider writing a letter to the editor.


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Jacksonville Towing
Towing Jax provides fast, dependable, affordable and reliable Jacksonville towing services.
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For over 10 years, Towing Jax has offered a variety of Jacksonville towing services in Jacksonville. Whether you need roadside assistance, need to tow your car to the dealer for service or have locked your keys in your car, we are the company for you! When you choose Towing Jax, you are choosing the best towing company in Jacksonvillle! Each one of our technicians is experienced and capable of handling ANY situation. Towing Jax provides Jacksonville residents with prompt and professional 24/7 Jacksonville Towing Services.
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The proposed joint offer by Vodacom South Africa and UK's Virgin Mobile to take over a majority stake in the Nigerian mobile firm, Vee Mobile (formerly Econet Wireless), may face further hurdles in addition to the legal challenge by Econet.
This follows reports that some shareholders are beginning to question the motive behind the proposed purchase of the company by the two investors.
Media reports in Nigeria on Wednesday said some shareholders of Vee Mobile, set up by Econet in August 2001, feel that the bid by Virgin and Vodacom may not be in the best interests of the company in which Econet Wireless Limited is claiming pre-emptive rights to increase its stake in Vee Mobile.
One of the shareholders, who was not named, was quoted as saying that the joint bid by the "two strange bedfellows smells of conspiracy which may not be in our interest to move the company forward".
The shareholders believe that there is considerable value in the business and that shareholders should explore other opportunities to realise maximum benefit from any investment by an outside investor. Vodacom and Virgin announced late last week that they had formed a consortium to bid for US$750 million to buy a 51 percent stake in Vee Mobile, departing from their original separate bids to acquire the company currently embroiled in a shareholder dispute with Econet.
The dispute, which was originally referred to the Paris-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PAC), has since been referred back to the Federal High Court of Nigeria, which is expected to convene an arbitration panel to hear the case.
Through its founder, Strive Masiyiwa, Econet is arguing that it has pre-emptive rights to acquire a larger stake in the firm. The company is also arguing that it owns 5 percent of the company and is contesting the decision by the shareholders and directors to allow outside investors to take a larger stake in the company without giving it first choice of refusal.
Econet this week issued a statement saying that its lawyers have already sent the directors of Vee Mobile formal notification that they would be cited for contempt of court if they attempt to sell any shares in the company before the arbitration process has been completed.
A spokesman said any reported negotiation or offer to sell shares was a flagrant violation of a court injunction issued on January 10 2005, which ordered Vee Mobile to refrain from taking any measures that would prejudice the rights of Econet.
He said the formal notification served on the Nigerian directors of Vee Mobile, known as "Form 48", was sent following media reports that the company was negotiating with Virgin and Vodacom to sell shares in the company, a spokesman said in a statement from Johannesburg.
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I dabbled at the One of a Kind Show this weekend, in Toronto. Surprisingly, it was my first time ever going, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I'm not going to lie, there were some pretty questionable things. But there were also a few booths that I absolutely fell in love with, that definitely made my experience worth while. Although the show is over, their products are still available online and would make for perfect Christmas presents. Here they are.
I really liked these screen printed textiles, especially the throw pillows and the dish towels. Each design is hand drawn from daily inspiration and they translate so well into prints. Very sweet.
Absolutely lovely ceramics. Simple, organic and soft to the touch bowls, plates, cups and much more. Each object, is coloured in a perfect hue of natural beiges and greys, which I love. And, they are perfectly suitable for dishwashers and microwaves, despite their fragile demeanour.
Really cute handmade objects for your home. Everything made me smile. From the pillows, notebooks and pencil cases that look like lined paper, the alphabets printed on throw pillows and wall art, and lovely canvases with little 3D objects on them. Perfect for a children's bedroom.
My camera decided to put up a fight towards the end of my OOAK journey, so the picture-taking had to stop. But I highly recommend you check out these next few links too!


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Pajhwok07/21/2012By Muhammad Hassan Khetab[Printer Friendly Version]
KABUL - Residents on Thursday said several security operations by Afghan forces had failed to stem insurgent activities in Kamdesh and Barg-i-Matal districts of eastern Nuristan province.
They voiced deep concerned over increasing activities of Afghan and Pakistani Taliban in the areas, fearing insecurity could spread to other parts of the restive province.
Blaming the government for being unable to find a permanent solution to the insecurity that challenged its writ, the dwellers said the insurgents easily returned to their safe havens across the border into Pakistan to escape operations.
A Pajhwok reporter, who met influential figures and residents, said residents of the districts were concerned over the situation and wanted the government to take firm action against the escalating militant-linked violence.
Deputy provincial council head, Mir Mohammad Khan, said: "Terrorists backed by Pakistani intelligence agents have been active in the province over the past few years and have been in control of some districts.''
He added the guerrillas, both Afghan and Pakistani, continued to hold sway in Barg-i-Matal and Kamdesh despite recent security operations. Afghan troops were deployed to the districts two months ago, but roads linking the towns to the rest of the province remained closed.
The 201st Selab Military Corps commander for eastern zone, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Zaman Waziri, however, said Afghan National Army (ANA) troops deployed to the province had been able to drive rebels from the two towns. He asked people to help security forces ensure security for the entire province.
A tribal elder, Mir Mohammad Khan, said they had witnessed in the past two years that the two districts were overrun by insurgents, who fled to Pakistan after when Afghan forces launched operations against them.
Referring to recent rebels attack in Kamdesh, he said a large number of armed insurgents led by Pakistani generals attacked the town a few days ago and as a result many civilians were killed and wounded.
He claimed most of the militants who attacked the district were Urdu speakers and Pakistani Pashtu accent.
An influential figure from Kamdesh Malik Zarin said the Taliban used to attack in compliance with decrees issued by scholars in Pakistan and then returned back to their safe heavens across the border. Pakistan supports and sends terrorists to Nuristan to enslave Afghanistan once again, he said.
Resident Abdul Ghayas claimed the Taliban controlled Kamdesh and Barg-i-Matal district more than the security forces, with the Afghan government taking no concrete steps to block militant infiltration into the province.
The 201st Selab Military Corps 2nd brigade commander, Col. Hayatullah Aqtash, said Afghan forces had the ability to eliminate insurgents, who, he said had no courage to enter a face-to-face engagement with security forces.
He added the Taliban were being trained, equipped across the border, where they enjoyed safe heavens. The rebels flee to Pakistan when they come under pressure from security forces, he said.


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Artist biography
American sculptor and installation artist. He studied Fine Art. From 1986 to 1990 he worked as a studio assistant for Ashley Bickerton. Dion established his reputation with installations in Europe and the USA, in which he applies interests in archaeology, ecology and zoology to works that explore cultural representations of nature. His art uncovers the structures that govern the natural world, dissolving the boundary between nature and culture; in his view, 'nature is one of the most sophisticated arenas for the production of ideology'. In 1990, in collaboration with William Schefferine, he made the installation Wheelbarrows of Progress (1990; New York, Amer. F. A.). In this four wheelbarrows formed a train, each containing objects commenting on contemporary 'green' politics; the leading barrow contained stuffed toy animals and was titled Survival of the Cutest (Who Gets on the Ark?). His work often takes the form of tableaux-like arrangements of objects, based on historical cabinets of curiosities. These installations comment on power structures behind taxonomical definitions. During the 1990s his work combined a focus on ecology, often based on extensive fieldwork, and an examination of museum ideology, particularly that of natural history museums. Although the collaborative approach involved with fieldworking resulted in upbeat educational projects, in other, often more private works, Dion expressed dismay about ineffectual environmentalism and ignorance of the ecosystem.
True Stories (exh. cat., essay I. Blazwick and E. Dexter, London, ICA, 1992)
L. G. Corrin, M. Kwon and N. Bryson: Mark Dion (London, 1997) [includes selection of artist's writings]
Mark Dion: Tate Thames Dig, 26 October 1999–27 February 2000 (exh. cat., London, Tate, 1999)
10 December 2000
Article provided by Grove Art Online www.groveart.com


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Definition of tinplate in English:
(also tin plate)
Sheet steel or iron coated with tin.
Example sentences
- Coal and coke transformed the industry and a specialization developed in coated steel plate, tinplate, and galvanized sheet.
- On the other hand, the pine, ash, iron, tinplate, metal type, and tools with which we worked at Eastfield seemed very real indeed.
- Nominal coating thickness for equally coated tinplate range from 0.38 to 1.54 m on each surface.
verb[with object] (often as adjective tinplated or tin-plated)
Coat (an object) with tin.
Example sentences
- Containers used for aerosols are typically made of either tinplated steel or aluminum because of their superior strength.
- The original flat sheet of tinplated steel can be coated with a protective lacquer on the inside.
- By its design, the traditional failure mode in tinplated connections, fretting corrosion, is prevented.
For editors and proofreaders
Syllabification: tin·plate
Definition of tinplate in:
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Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending


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Show your support for Notre Dame while supporting Fighting Irish students with The Shirt! With a purchase of The Shirt 2013, the proceeds will help student clubs, organizations, students experiencing extraordinary medical costs and other students who can't afford to participate in campus-life activities. You'll also show off your ND pride with its bold graphics on the front, left sleeve and on the back. You'll feel great about cheering your team to victory in The Shirt!
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Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


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|The number of babies being born in England and Wales has reached its highest since 1973, new figures reveal.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) last year increased for the seventh year in a row, reaching 1.95 children per woman.
In 2008, there were 708,708 live births in England and Wales - the highest figure in over three decades - compared to 690,013 recorded in 2007.
If you have a question about this article or something else, visit our friendly forums & ask the AskBaby community.
|Chat about uk birth rate continues to rise with our friendly community...
We'd love to hear your comments on this article...
Login to add your comment:
|This is amazing!! i new the birth rates where high but wow this is crazy!
|by MrsJohnson22
|5th Jan 2010, 3:49pm
|is this due to a rise in UK immigration? although, it seems that alot of friends of mine are expecting
|by hungrymum09
|26th May 2009, 12:45pm


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Our e-mail newsletter, In The Flow, focuses on educational use of the Atlas and resources for students and teachers. It is distributed during the school year. There are also periodic updates, What's New on the Atlas, with links to new material on the site.
Type your e-mail address into the box to be added to the newsletter.
We respect your privacy and won't share your e-mail address with anyone. Read our Privacy Policy.


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Related Stories
- Nov 3:
- Oakland Raiders' Terrelle Pryor, Darren McFadden suffer injuries
- Raiders' top pick D.J. Hayden has a long day
- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles joins select company
- Kawakami: Coach Dennis Allen expects Raiders to bounce back
- Nick Foles' record-setting day helps Eagles soar past Raiders
- Oakland Raiders give up seven TD passes, routed by Philadelphia Eagles
Here are some numbers from the Raiders' 49-20 loss to the Eagles:
Touchdown passes and interceptions thrown by Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor over his last three games.
Incomplete passes thrown by Eagles' quaterback Nick Foles, who completed 22 of 28 passes for 406 yards.
Touchdown passes thrown by Foles, tying an NFL single-game record.
Time of possession for the Eagles, who still rolled up 542 yards of total offense.
Total plays run and total yards gained by the Raiders.
Yards rushing on 15 attempts for Raiders running back Rashad Jennings.
Perfect passing rating for Foles.


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Pups on Parade
The 10th annual Pups on Parade event was held at the Village Faire shopping center in Carlsbad Sunday, 12/09/2012. About 100 dogs participated in the short parade and the event raised money for SPOT, Saving Pets One at a Time, an all volunteer animal rescue group that works to save abandoned dogs and cats mainly in North San Diego County. Photography by Bill Wechter/U-T San Diego


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Dear IxDA community,Bogota
is currently in need of a very active and dynamic local leader; the local
group´s been quiet for a while, but it´s now time to bring it back. Drop
me a line if you´re interested.*You know what? Let´s meet up and make it happen. Looking forward to hearing from you!Best regards, Leonardo Parra M.F.A.Profesor Asistente
Departamento de DiseñoUniversidad de los Andes
Hi Folks,


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|2016-2017 Tuition
|$850/credit hour
|Application Fee
|Enrollment Deposit
|Nonrefundable Residency Fee
|Technology Fee
** Includes lunch and dinner daily and special events - mandatory for students attending the residency
Incoming students may apply to transfer up to 9 credits from approved graduate-level program or related courses successfully completed at accredited colleges or universities with the approval of the program director and a fee of $125 per credit. The course content must be similar to that offered by the Master of Arts Adminstration program.
All student accounts must be current before enrollment is allowed for subsequent semesters. A late fee will be assessed if payment has not been received by the due date.
In order to participate in commencement exercises, a student must have completed all academic requirements for the degree and have settled all college accounts.
A monthly payment plan is available from Sallie Mae (TuitionPay Payment Plan) at 1-800-635-0120 which may be helpful for students who do not qualify for or do not wish to take advantage of the Federal loan program. Payments may be made by check, Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
Course and Research Materials
Students may purchase course texts and course packets from MBS Textbook Exchange, or from other vendors. Students are responsible for securing all research and other materials necessary for courses. During the residencies, computer research access as well as training is provided.
Minimum Technology Requirements for Online Courses
Computer Requirements
- Windows XP or later, Mac OS 104 or later
- Minimum 2 GB of memory (RAM)
- The latest version of Java available from: http://www.java.com/en
- The latest version of QuickTime available from: http://www.apple.com/quicktime
- A current word processing software
- Headset with microphone
Internet Access
- Broadband Internet connection is required. Examples of broadband internet connection are high-speed DSL or a Cable modem.
- Use of Goucher e-mail is highly recommended
Refund or Credit Allowance
You will receive a refund of your tuition based on when you withdraw from a course.
A partial refund of payments may be made to students who withdraw from courses of their own accord. Any credit balance remaining after these adjustments to the student's account will be refunded. Institutional and federal aid as well as tuition and fees will be adjusted in accordance with the Federal Return of Title IV calculation. The Title IV calculation is based on the day of attendance as a percentage of total days in the semester up until 60%. For example, if a student drops a class after completing 20% of the semester, the student would be eligible for all but 20% of the tuition (or an 80% refund). After 60% of the semester has been completed, no refunds are awarded.Refund/Credit Allowed
Before classes begin: 100% refund
Up until 60% of the semester: Prorated refund based on Title IV refund policy
After 60% of the semester: No refund


text:
Non-invasive DNA analyses involve DNA collected without capturing or usually even touching an animal. It means collecting DNA from items that animals leave behind, including feces (scat, dung), hair, feathers, saliva, or shed skin. These items aren't the same as more traditional and richer sources of DNA (blood, tissue), and DNA yield and quality tend to be lower. So, scientists have to be very careful in the handling, DNA isolation methods, and subsequent analysis of non-invasive samples.
Standard DNA methods, such as mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequencing, microsatellite analyses, sex identification, and pathogen diagnosis, can be applied to these samples. The microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA markers are usually variable enough such that individuals (except for identical twins) can be identified from use of only a few markers. The non-invasive DNA approach is extremely useful for estimating population sizes and densities of species that might otherwise be difficult to detect and count.
Besides helping conservationists find and count endangered species, these genetic methods can help identify appropriate conservation and management units, and provide data on an individual animal's sex, movements, mating patterns, and relatedness to other individuals. The benefits of this approach include eliminating the need to observe, capture, and handle individuals.
CCEG's program is one of only a few in the world with the necessary field and laboratory expertise to do this, and our scientists have conducted extensive studies on San Joaquin kit foxes, African wild dogs, maned wolves, coyotes, Assateague Island wild horses, tigers, and African elephants, among other species.
|CCEG non-invasively monitors African elephant populations through their dung and uses this information to determine their kinship for studies of inbreeding and behavior.
Photo credits: Beth Archie (elephants) and Marissa Ahlering (dung).


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Location: Food and Feed Safety Research
Project Number: 6054-41420-008-02
Start Date: Nov 15, 2012
End Date: Sep 30, 2017
The Post-doctor Training Center will recommend their top candidates for selection by USDA-ARS to work at either ARS facility or Cooperator facility within the scope of USDA-ARS research project plan. Screening, testing, and biological analysis can be performed at locations of either party. Molecular genetics and genomics studies will mostly be performed at USDA-ARS facility.


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Top Definition
A person who is a whore and enjoys spreading their legs wide open for men to have sex. By spreading their legs it creates easier access for the men to inject their dicks into their ass.
Helen is a spreader.
by peek-a-boo August 04, 2004
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
A little bit like an advanced-level moon, whereby the person doing the spreading drops his or her kecks and gently pulls apart their buttocks, exposing their anus to shocked onlookers.
I'm telling you, it was rank. There we were in McD's, and in came Matt Buckley and dropped his pants, pulling a spreader at us. Two things became obvious - 1, that he'd recently eaten sweetcorn, and 2, that he needed to practice wiping a bit more thoroughly.
by Matt Hindle January 22, 2004
Means that you would spread your legs (allow someone to have intercourse with you) in exchange for something.
Danielle: I would sooo spread my legs for some cider
Emma: Don't be such a spreader!
Emma: Don't be such a spreader!
by Tappey May 17, 2010
A person who supplies drugs to a crowd.
Do you think there will be a spreader at the rave?
by Jay November 17, 2003
Spec. south london ghetto slang
n. Homies or friends that big you up in any way
from. Spreading the word
n. Homies or friends that big you up in any way
from. Spreading the word
"My spreaders got me a rep up in Soho."
by McKenzie January 22, 2005
One who engages in the distribution of semen over their own face after reception of a facial.
Don't kiss Adrian's face, he's a spreader!
by Justinian the great August 22, 2007
to spread your ass cheeks and sit on someones face
I fell like giving Watts a spreader once i am done drinking this exlax.
by TearDrop February 17, 2004


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The Pros:Extremely replayable online multiplayer. Syncing of storylines.
The Cons:Graphics becoming outdated. Online multiplayer has become laggy due to server cutbacks.
A compliation of Blizzard's Starcraft games, including Starcraft, Starcraft:Brood War, and strategy guides for both the games by Prima Publishing.
The three races, Terran (humans), Protoss (technological aliens), and Zerg (biological aliens), are at war with each other.
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The player chooses one of the three races to fight with. Each race provides a vastly different play style than its other two counterparts. The Terrans have access to advanced combat technology, including tanks and nuclear missles. The Protoss have the advantage of powerful energy weapons and energy shields. The Zerg prefer to use teeth and claw to fight their battles. While the races may be very different, no race is better than the other. Starcraft has a campagin mode for each race, quick games for custom battles, and a multiplayer mode (BattleNet) that has numerous challenges to compete in.
Starcraft: Brood Wars
The expansion pack to Starcraft offers a wide vareity of new content. Each of the three races campagins are entirely new, expanding on the story in the first game. Each race gains new units as well. The Protoss now have Dark Templars and Dark Archons (previously seen in Starcraft, but could not be controlled). The Dark Archons cannot fight directly, but are able to take control of the minds of the enemies troops, turning them against their former masters. The Terrans now have the Medic, an infantry healing unit that augments the main fighting force. The Zerg get the Lurker, Gurdian, and Devourer. The lurker is an evolved form of a Hydralisk that cannot attack above ground, but when it burrows it shoots a trail of spikes across the ground at enemies. Gurdians and Devourers are evolved from Mutalisks. Gurdians specialize in air to ground combat while Devourers attack units in the air. In addition to the new units, there are also new technologies to research.
Extremely replayable online multiplayer.
Syncing of storylines
Graphics becoming outdated.
Online multiplayer has become laggy due to server cutbacks.
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Figure Tied to Anti-Islam Film Has Criminal Fraud Record
The California man identified by the Associated Press as a key figure in the online movie clip that sparked protests across the Middle East has a criminal history of bank fraud and drug convictions, and isn't allowed to use the Internet without permission.
Federal authorities have determined that Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, was behind the film, "Innocence of the Muslims," the AP reported yesterday, citing an unidentified U.S. law enforcement official.
Nakoula, who was released from prison in 2010, is barred from using the Internet without his probation officer's approval, according to terms of his supervised release. Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles, said he couldn't confirm Nakoula is the same person who identified himself as the director, Sam Bacile, in interviews this week.
The 14-minute trailer, posted on Google Inc.'s YouTube, shows a fictional attack by Muslims on a Christian family, followed by an account of the origins of Islam depicting Muhammad as a womanizer. YouTube blocked access to the clip in Egypt and Libya following attacks on the U.S. missions in those countries. It isn't clear whether a full-length movie exists.
A four-hour assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi on Sept. 11 killed Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, and three embassy employees. In Egypt and Iran, demonstrators rallied against the film. Protestors in Yemen tried to storm the U.S. embassy in the capital city of Sana'a.
Mystery Film
Details of the movie's origins remain a mystery. A man calling himself Sam Bacile gave interviews this week to the Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal claiming he was the filmmaker. He said he was an Israeli-American real estate developer.
Following press reports that the name was a pseudonym, the AP in a follow-up story traced the mobile-phone number it had for Bacile to Nakoula, a Coptic Christian living in suburban Los Angeles. In an interview, Nakoula told the news agency he managed logistics for the company that made the movie. He said he wasn't the director, according to the AP.
Nakoula was sentenced to one year in jail in 1997 for intent to manufacture methamphetamine, according to Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley. He was given another year for violating probation in 2002.
Nakoula pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered to pay $794,700 in restitution, according to the June 24, 2010, sentencing document by U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder in Los Angeles.
Computer Restrictions
Accused of fraudulently opening bank and credit-card accounts with a combination of real and fictitious information, he spent time in federal prison before being released from a halfway house in December 2010, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons. He had been in detention from the time of his arrest in June 2009.
During a five-year probation period, Nakoula is only allowed to use identification with his true legal name; can't have a device with online access without prior approval; can only use computers, screen or user names, passwords and e-mail accounts that have been approved by his probation officer; and can only use approved computers for his work, according to court records.
James Henderson, the lawyer who represented Nakoula in the federal case, didn't immediately return a call for comment. Attempts by Bloomberg News to reach Nakoula directly were unsuccessful.
Film Permit
"Innocence of Muslims" was shot in August 2011 at Blue Cloud Movie Ranch in Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles, according to Paul Audley, president of Film LA, which assists movie makers. Permits to make the movie, then called "Desert Warrior," were taken out by a group called Media for Christ, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Duarte, Audley said. A man named Sam Bossil was identified at the producer.
The film permit was removed from a Los Angeles County online database temporarily due to public-safety concerns raised by the U.S. State Department and the FBI, Ryan J. Alsop, assistant to county Chief Executive Officer William T. Fujioka, said in a statement.
Actors were duped into making a movie that attacked Islam and inflammatory dialogue was dubbed in later, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"The entire cast and crew are extremely upset and feel taken advantage of by the producer," the Times reported, citing a statement issued on behalf of the crew members. "We are 100 percent not behind this film and were grossly misled about its intent and purpose."
Calls to the Media for Christ office weren't returned.
'Gone Underground'
Bacile was a pseudonym, according to Steve Klein, a Southern California insurance salesman and anti-Islamic activist who said he advised the filmmaker on finding actors. "This guy's terrified," Klein said in a telephone interview from his office in Hemet this week. "He's gone underground."
Klein's involvement with the picture couldn't be independently verified by Bloomberg News.
Klein, 62, heads the group Concerned Citizens for the First Amendment, which stages rallies and educational events, contending Islam is a threat to U.S. democracy and freedom.
He said he read the script before the movie was shot and advised the filmmaker to recruit actors through a Hollywood talent agency. Klein said he didn't know the name of the agency.
Al-Qaeda Opening
The violence in Libya may have been orchestrated by groups tied to al-Qaeda, lawmakers said as U.S. officials began to investigate the incident.
The attack bore the hallmarks of an al-Qaeda operation and may have been carried out by the group's North Africa affiliate to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., said Representative Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican who is chairman of the House intelligence committee.
The movie had one theatrical showing at a cinema on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Klein said.
"I got there about a half hour before the movie started and stayed a half hour after it started and I saw zero -- nada, none, no people -- go inside," Klein said.


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The Real Housewives of New York City
"L.O.V.E. Duel"
July 22, 2011
It's the season finale, Darlings, and the ladies have decided to go out in a full blaze of crazy. There are dumb parties and fights in flower stores and pregnancy "scares" and Natalie Coles and "modeling" and God help me, but I'm going to miss these awful, awful women when they're gone. I'm pretty sure I've been Stockholm Syndromed.
You might want to have some tissue handy for any potential bloody noses, as we are beginning this episode with a little time travel. (LOST NERD 4EVA! AND 8-15-16-23-42EVA, TOO!) The Countess, who just filmed her music video last week, meets with her "music" producer to go discuss the final mastering of the song. Which I'm pretty sure would have happened before they filmed the video. STORY TELLING LICENSE, I KNOW, SHUT UP. The point of this whole scene is not to create grandfather paradoxes in which The Countess becomes her own father, but rather to introduce The Countess to Natalie Cole who happens to be in the studio recording more songs with ghosts. Natalie Cole has heard of The Countess, of course, duh, and even sings a couple bars of "Money Can't Buy You Class" which Natalie Cole thinks is "hilarious." Which it totally, totally is. The Countess then invites Natalie Cole to an anniversary party she's throwing for herself and her Petit Nez, Jacques. Because that's what you do when you first meet celebrities: invite them to completely ridiculous parties that you are throwing to celebrate dating someone for a year, right before you ask if they'll take a picture with you and/or sign your chest. Natalie Cole not only agrees to come to the party, she offers to sing at it, on the condition that The Countess sing with her. Because Natalie Cole thinks it would be hilarious. Which it totally, totally will be.
Ramona and Mario invite Sonja and Mr. Clean and the Lunchbox Heads over to dinner, where, completely unprompted and certainly not at the suggestion of the producers, why would you even go there? Ramona begins lamenting never having had that second child. When Mario points out that Avery thinks it's terrible when people in their 70s have kids, Ramona counters that Avery always wanted a sibling. Because Avery is in complete control over all of their lives, clearly. Avery confirms to her father that yes, indeed, she always wanted a brother or sister, mostly to relieve some of the pressure of always having to be in charge, always. And then she announces to the assembled that Ramona still has her period, because Avery's one purpose in this life is to humiliate her mother on national television whenever possible. Not that Ramona is actually humiliated: she is quite proud of her menses (gross) and announces that she is wrinkle-free because she still has her period (gross), and her constant visits to the plastic surgeon WHICH HAVE BEEN TAPED FOR THIS SHOW have nothing to do with anything. Now let us never speak of Ramona Singer's period ever again, thank you.
At dinner, Alex receives and takes a phone call from The Countess, inviting The Lunchbox Heads to her weird anniversary party. Has Alex learned nothing from Sonja's toaster oven breakfast? Just rude. Also, there is a confusing revelation by Mario that he has no idea what what his wife's middle name is, perhaps because he stopped paying attention some 18 years ago.
Hey, remember how Lunchbox Head has a "modeling career?" Because she is so, so pretty? She books an editorial shoot with The Block, a "very edgy" magazine which she worries she is not nearly cool enough to be in. She said it, not me. She explains to the creative director that she walked in 7 shows during Fashion Week, and then proceeds to forget for whom, exactly. Andohbytheway, this is her very first editorial shoot. Creative Director's eyes flash alarm, and he keeps saying this is "perfect, then" when it is clearly anything but.
Before the photographs have even been taken, Mr. Lunchbox Head arrives to collect Alex. When he realizes that she is not even close to being done with the shoot, he begins loudly and ceaselessly complaining, and bragging to anyone who will listen that Lunchbox Head has recently been voted third worst dressed (behind Gaga and Rhianna) by US Weekly. Lunchbox Head then earnestly explains to us that Mr. Lunchbox Head is just so supportive and is just SO EXCITED to see her look like a model. Clearly.
FACT: Flower stores are the perfect place to meet an acquaintance so as to unload on them how rude and inappropriate you think they are. In fact, I think that's why flower stores were invented by the Phoenicians: they needed a place to settle scores. So it just makes sense that Sonja and Cindy meet in the back of a flower store first thing in the morning so that Sonja can shriek some more at Cindy about how rude it was for her to take a call while Sonja was slaving over Cindy's toaster oven breakfast. I thought this was covered that morning, but Sonja still has more to say on the matter, including outrage that Cindy would dare shush her — NOT EVEN THE CHURCHILLS WOULD SPEAK TO HER THAT WAY. Neither Cindy nor I know what, exactly, Sonja wants from Cindy, since she's already apologized. Eventually, Sonja exhausts herself, and Cindy, clearly having had perfectly enough of Sonja, Ramona, the whole dog and pony show, decides to just go all in and argues that she thought by taking the conference call in Sonja's kitchen she was teaching Sonja something about business, which, from what she understands, Sonja could use a little help with. They then accuse each other of mistreating assistants — which is awesome because between Sonja's House of Unpaid Interns and Cindy's refusing to feed her assistants and always using them for free babysitting, everybody, housewife and assistant alike, is a loser in this fight — and Cindy storms out of the
series flower store once and for all.
Ramona, carefully shoved into a great push-up bra, shows up at Sonja's house, where she refuses a glass of pinot grigio and starts making a bunch of noises about her lack of energy, HINT HINT. Sonja finally catches on that Ramona thinks she might be pregnant, mostly because of her boobs, which are just so alarmingly
crammed into a WonderBra huge. Furthermore, Ramona is late AND I THOUGHT WE AGREED WE WEREN'T GOING TO TALK ABOUT HER PERIOD ANYMORE. So, between being a few hours late and wearing a low-cut blouse, Ramona has decided that she is most definitely pregnant. Despite the fact that your breasts don't become larger at the moment of implantation and the fact that Ramona is a couple years younger than my mother. (I am not exaggerating.) But whatever, Sonja's dogs are trying to sniff Ramona's crotch; ergo, totally pregnant.
Finally, the "anniversary" party. The Countess has hired out a yacht for the event, not that Jill approves. She and I are actually on the same page on this one, that it is dumb to throw oneself a party for dating someone for a year, just as it's dumb to throw an anniversary party for being married for 17 years. Who does that? Dumb-dumb egomaniacs, that's who.
Ramona focuses her criticism on the fact that The Countess is celebrating her anniversary with her boyfriend by boating around the Statue of Liberty, which her ex-husband's family gave to the United States, and what? Really? WELL, NO, NOT REALLY. The Count's ancestor gave a speech at the dedication, but it's not like his family paid for it and gift-wrapped it and sent it to New York in a big Tiffany box or anything. AND, THANKS A LOT, RAMONA, FOR SENDING ME ON THAT WILD GOOSE CHASE. GAH.
Let's talk about Lunchbox Head's outfit:
I'm not saying that Ramona and Sonja aren't ridiculous in those matching leopard print dresses, but where does one even buy pink satin hot pants if one wanted to do so (after one suffered some sort of head injury, obviously)? Does Miss Piggy have a collection?
Here's how we know Ramona is very serious about this whole pregnancy business: she waits to tell her husband she might be pregnant until she is on a crowded yacht, in front of television cameras. She explains that no, she has not taken a test yet, but she's late and just look at her boobs! YOUR BOOBS ARE NOT AN EPT, RAMONA.
There is a hilarious interlude wherein Kelly has to explain to Jill what a key party is, because Jill's never seen The Ice Storm, which is really a very good movie.
Mario and Ramona and Sonja freak out all over the place, eventually catching Jill and Cindy's attention, who follow the blondes to a bathroom and shriek at them to tell them what they are doing in there. What are they doing? Not taking a pregnancy test, because Ramona's
clearly NOT PREGNANT just "too nervous to pee," that's what.
Jill tattles to The Countess about Ramona's behavior, but The Countess will not allow Ramona to steal her evening. Except that she totally, totally has. Eventually, Jill comes to the realization that Ramona thinks she's pregnant, and she sensibly announces that when you are 78 years old and you miss your period, it's because of menopause, not because you're pregnant, no matter what your boobs are telling you. The Countess adds that Blanche on The Golden Girls has a better chance of being pregnant than Ramona. GOLDEN GIRLS REFERENCE FTW! And ZING!
Finally, The Countess reveals her big surprise: The Natalie Cole is here! And she's going to sing with The Countess! For some reason! The whole thing gets off to a lovely enough start, but then The Countess joins in and grunts all over the nice song that Natalie Cole was singing and The Countess is so off-key and terrible that I'm not sure how anyone in the room is able to keep a straight face.
After her performance, The Lunchbox Heads agree that The Countess is really good at show tunes, but needs to stay away from electronica and auto-tune. O RLY?
Finally, Ramona, fully hydrated, rushes to the bathroom to finally take the stupid pregnancy test for the stupid non-story, and we leave with her exclaiming OH MY GAWD from behind a closed door. Oh, I wonder whatever could the result be. I am on pins and needles. Quick. Someone tell me the result.
We close the episode with "funny" epilogues for each of the ladies:
Jill has changed. So has Ally … to a new school down South. Can this mom attend to new businesses, Bobby and still "skweez" in surprise visits to her offspring?
Alex stays firm to her conviction that "class" is the original "C" word. Her husband, Simon, has rethought his conviction about "autotune."
With a $7 million judgement against her, Sonja may have lost the shirt off her back, but she's managed to find her missing panties and remains optimistic.
Between running her company and raising her one-and-a-half year old twin girls, Cindy's pecking order is full.
Even though Santa couldn't fix Kelly's henna tattoo, she's hoping he'll bring her a real, authentic and non-demonic boyfriend this year.
Ramona found out she wasn't pregnant after all and has been coming to terms with the looking change that's happening to her… Avery leaving for college in two years.
The Countess's future looks bright with Jacques. Could there be a title change on the horizon? Or will their duet remain off the charts?
And that is it, Darlings! Pop some champagne, because I am DONE WITH THESE HARRIDANS! Wait, what? A two-part reunion special? BEGINNING TONIGHT?! Oh, Lawd, put that champagne away and pour mommy something brown. Hold the ice.
The Real Housewives of New York airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.
Therese is also watching The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Torchwood, The Bachelorette and America's Got Talent.


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Busy IPO Week Ahead, But Uncertainty May Linger
Will the market's recent weakness curb initial public offering activity? A large slate of deals slated for this week may leave that question unanswered.
Eleven U.S. IPOs are on deck to price this week, according to capital-markets data provider Ipreo, on the heels of a busy January for such offerings. But most of those are relatively small deals expected to raise less than $100 million apiece. Such offerings are often directed at a small audience of specialized fund managers.
Meanwhile, this week's schedule lacks the balance evident in last year's deal calendar, when IPOs from a wide range of industries demonstrated broad-based investor demand. The vast bulk of the IPOs slated for this week are from drug-developing startups, the industry that accounted for the largest share of last year's corporate debuts.
A big sale of shares in an already-public company, medical-services firm Envision Healthcare Holdings, may offer some insight in to investor demand for big stock offerings. Envision held a $1.1 billion IPO in August and now its private-equity backer, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice LLC, and other insiders are taking some chips off the table. Envision's shares have rallied 37% through Monday, valuing the upcoming deal at around $870 million as of the latest close.
But that offering, slated to price late Wednesday, also carries the caveat that CD&R alone owns nearly 72% of Envision. The tight supply of the company's shares stands to improve its chances for a well-received offering.
To be sure, each of these deals will reveal something about investor demand for large stock offerings, but market participants may have a wait a while longer for broader takeaways on the state of the market.


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Regularly Scheduled Events
Coloring for Adults
Looking for some stress relief in the New Year?
We meet at the Ambler Library every other Wednesday at 3 pm.
Comics Unraveled
Do you like or love comics? Do you want to know more about comics? Always wanted to start reading but didn't know where to begin?
Meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm.
Suggested for teens 16 & older and adults!
Need a copy of the book? Visit the library or follow the links below.
Family History Research
Family History Research with Connie Briggs, Family History Researcher.
Using Connie's laptop, the Internet, and some great online resources, she will show you how to trace your family tree back in time. Maybe you will find some lost family secrets! CLICK HERE to send an E-Mail to Connie or call 267-626-4437 to make an appointment for her to meet you at the Ambler Branch or the Main Library in Blue Bell for a private family history session.
Family Movie Matinees
The Main Library in Blue Bell shows a new release or classic family friendly movie at 2 PM on the second Saturday of the month in the Community Room. Bring snacks, a blanket or pillow, and enjoy a movie on the library big screen.
January - Aladdin
Friends Used Book Sale
Next Sale: Fall Used Book Sale October 21 - 25, 2016
Used Book Sale Hours:
Hatha Yoga Class
NEW Instructor! Join Matthew Mitlas for weekly classes. Beginners encouraged to attend.
Homework Help
Dr. Midey Chang-Mateu is providing free tutoring in science and math for high school and middle school students. She is also tutoring students taking the GED. Tutoring is being offered at the Ambler Library. Leave your name and the student's name with the Staff at the Ambler Library, 215-643-7775 and Dr. Chang-Mateu will contact you. Due to the high demand for Dr. Chang-Mateu's skills, this service is offered only to WVPL patrons. This program will resume in September.
Knitting & Crocheting
Love to knit and want to share your skills?
Mah Jongg
Play Mah Jongg with Claire Erbacher at the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, Blue Bell.
Miss Michelle's Story - Guitar Time
Miss Michelle's Story Guitar Times is about 30 minutes with stories and songs. For all ages.
For more information please call us!
Blue Bell Branch
Ambler Branch
Please watch the calendar for the latest on Miss Michelle's Story-Guitar Time.


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When it comes to recalling the events that pioneered the civil rights movement, the most common examples include protest marches, public sit-ins, school desegregation and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
But there was one image that symbolized the heinous injustices and inequities plaguing African-Americans, especially those residing in the Deep South.
It belonged to Emmett Till.
What began as a summer vacation became a tragic event of epic proportions in late August of 1955, when the 14-year-old went to a store with some cousins and dared to flirt playfully with a 21-year-old white woman, Carolyn Bryant.
Instead of offering a lecture on manners or allowing Till's great-uncle to discipline the teen, Carolyn's husband Roy (along with two other men) went to the uncle's home days later, kidnapped Till by gunpoint and "made an example" out him with an eye gouging, a bludgeoning and a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Days later, his body was found in the Tallahatchie River and returned to his mother in Chicago. After seeing the swollen remains, Mamie Till Bradley bravely declared that she "wanted the world to see" what cruelties had been inflicted upon her only child. She held an open-casket funeral, and the heart-stopping photo of his corpse stunned the world.
The racially motivated bigotry that led to Till's kidnapping and murder, as well as the acquittal of his assailants by an all-white jury, sparked a firestorm of outrage that was an early catalyst for the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Although the incident occurred more than 50 years ago, the mere mention of Emmett Till recalls the loss of an innocent life and the miscarriage of justice that haunts the nation to this day.
This is why Lil Wayne's decision to name-drop the deceased for shock value earned the popular rapper some well-deserved backlash and public condemnation from relatives of Till.
Since this is family newspaper, I can't repeat the rhyme that Lil Wayne added to the infamous "Karate Chop" remix. But what can be said is that the lyrics savagely compare Till's battered body to a sex organ and trivializes the victim's suffering in the process.
No one except Future, the rapper who originated the song, is defending this outrageous offense.
Even Stevie Wonder, the iconic musician and lifelong champion of civil rights, immediately expressed disdain. "Sometimes people have to put themselves in the place of people who they are talking about," Wonder said. "Imagine if that happened to your mother, brother, daughter or your son. How would you feel? Have some discernment before we say certain things."
As of the writing of this column, Lil Wayne has remained mum about the tacky verse. And Epic Records, weeks into the fervor, finally issued a public apology and vowed to stop their distribution of the song.
But the damage is already done. Not only has this 30-year-old transgressed all boundaries of human decency and common sense, he's cheapened the supreme sacrifices that civil rights activists have made in society that allowed him the wealth and mainstream success he exploits.
What I hope Lil Wayne learns from this controversy is that Black History Month may end soon, but the obscene inferences will malign them both in perpetuity.
And when a contemptible crime of the past is marginalized in the present, it doesn't bode well for anyone's future.
Lorrie Irby Jackson is a Briefing columnist. Email her at email@example.com and follow her at motherofcolor.com.