text:
Introducing the 2014 Mitsubishi-Nissan-Renault-Samsung Global, Car of the Future
Another development today in the auto industry's long path toward globally-integrated giants, as reported by the WSJ's David Pearson:
Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Tuesday said they have agreed a new, potentially far-reaching, industrial partnership to share factories and technology as well as boost sales in North America and emerging markets partly through the joint development of electric vehicles.
Expanding the Renault-Nissan alliance to a fifth partner—the French and Japanese companies have tie-ups with Germany's Daimler and Russia's AvtoVAZ—is just the latest move toward the creation of massive multibrand global automotive groups that can compete with the likes of Germany's Volkswagen and Japan's Toyota.
Renault's crosstown rival PSA Peugeot-Citroën has a broad cost-saving alliance with General Motors. Italy's Fiat is trying to complete the full takeover of the third-biggest U.S. auto maker, Chrysler.
Now is not a good time to be anything less than a giant globally-integrated carmaker, as the struggles of locally-focused operations like India's Hindustan Motors or Australia's Holden (owned by GM) show. If you can't build up a Toyota-sized global player, at least shoot for a Toyota-sized global alliance, right?
But how will such a system work? In the case of the new partnership announced today, "one of first products of the new alliance will be a full-size sedan that will be made by Renault's Renault Samsung Motors subsidiary in South Korea and will go on sale under the Mitsubishi brand in North America," Pearson reports. That's an impressively global — and complicated — way to get a car on the road.
See also:
Renault Joins Nissan-Mitsubishi Partnership – WSJ


text:
- Posted January 21, 2013 by
- jablonsky
New York City, New York
This iReport is part of an assignment:
The ups and downs of online dating
Credit Score Dating A Trend That's Here To Stay
In the week following Christmas 2012, there was a lot of buzz in the mainstream media about a new trend in online dating that used credit score rather than other metrics as a way of matching potential mates. A quick scan of the resulting press belies an initially skeptical crowd, one who views the idea of rejecting a suitor for a low score to be crass and inhumane.
Though the story seems to have peaked in the last week of December, there appears to be a burgeoning movement surrounding all of the controversy. A new site seems to take the position of digging in its heals and claiming that this new form of online dating is more than a passing fad.
According to the site's owner, known simply as Paul, "We see credit score dates on the rise and we think that this reflects a missing piece of our current discussions around dating in the modern world."
But is credit score really a foundation on which to base a relationship? The jury is still out on that one, but it should be noted that a majority of divorces list financial complications as a reason for splitting.
Creditscoredates.com went live earlier this month and seems to be riding a wave of popularity. "I think you make a great point about divorce rates and financial issues and how closely linked they are to marital success."
He continued, "We see young movers and shakers who are just too busy to waste time with the old way of courtship."
When you think about it in this light, perhaps credit score dating isn't so illogical after all. I'll be following this story as it continues to develop.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tower Hamlets Homes appoints new chair
Published by Anonymous for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Local Government
Tower Hamlets Homes appoints new chair
Tower Hamlets Homes (THH) has appointed Barry Simons as the new chair of its board.
Mr Simons has extensive public housing experience and has been the director of housing at three London boroughs: Brent, Newham and Hammersmith & Fulham. More recently he acted as Interim Chief Executive at Redbridge Homes.
He replaces Cllr Kabir Ahmed, who has acted as chair since February.
THH is an ALMO and manages around 22,000 properties on behalf of Tower Hamlets Council.
Mr Simons said: "This role feels like coming home. My mother was born and brought up in Stepney and my father worked on the London docks so I am delighted to be able to make a difference to people in the East End.
"I am looking forward to working with the Mayor, THH staff and – of course – residents to help Tower Hamlets Homes deliver the best possible housing services in the borough."
Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said: "I am delighted we have got someone of Barry's calibre to lead the THH board. This is an exciting time for housing in Tower Hamlets, with £165m being invested in improving tenants' homes, Tower Hamlets Homes delivering an improving service, as well as long-awaited improvements on Ocean and Blackwall Reach."
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text:
Marcel Khalife gets standing ovation at the Byblos International Festival
Oud virtuoso, vocalist and composer Marcel Khalife brought the Byblos International Festival audience to its feet Thursday evening.
For more than two hours, the spectators witnessed a night of outstanding instrumental solos, performed alongside mass choral and solo voice performances and orchestral compositions.
The concert began with a brief piece performed by Khalife's accompanists – the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of maestro Harout Fazlian, Al-Mayadine Ensemble and the choirs of Notre Dame and Antonine Universities. Then the oud maestro stepped onto the stage.
The energetic Fazlian hypnotized the audience with his conducting prowess, his movement oscillating slow to fast as though he controlled the tempo as much as the orchestra and choirs' scores.
Fazlian's manner on the podium resembled that of a wizard casting a spell over the assembled musicians, and the sparkling tones that arose from the choirs enchanted the audience in turn.
These first, breathtaking moments of the performance set the pace for what was to come for the balance of the evening.
The opening act was accompanied by the projection of a short documentary on Khalife's life, projected on two large screens, which enabled spectators to rediscover – or discover for the first time – the musical path the oud virtuoso has chosen.
Khalife stepped onto the stage attired in white linen and a green scarf. He first greeted his audience and reiterated how important this Byblos performance was to him, since it is his home town.
"My first lyrics were written in Byblos," he said, "and my first song was made in Byblos."
While playing, Khalife kept his eyes shut most of the time, suggesting the intensity with which he feels the music he pulls from his instrument. His playing clearly drew a lot of emotion and nostalgia from his audience over the evening.
Joining the maestro on stage were several solo vocalists, and pianist Rami Khalife and percussionist Bachar Khalife, his sons.
German soprano Felicitas Fuchs delivered a requiem for the children who had been killed in Gaza during the past days of the Israeli siege, and who continued to die as the concert continued. Staring directly into the faces of her audience, Fuchs' delivery raised goosebumps on the flesh of many of her listeners.
When Khalife announced that his next song would be "Rita," a wave of cheering and enthusiasm swept through the spectators. As the song began, audience members sang along a capella under Khalife's guidance.
Though he was the star of the show, the maestro graciously allowed both audience and soloists enjoy the limelight.
Canadian accordionist and bandoneon-player Julien Labro also delivered and absolutely hypnotizing solo. Fingers moving like the wings of a hummingbird, his eyes shut, Labro infused the evening's music with Latino grace notes.
Like many of the other soloists, Labro's playing was as trancelike as it was trance inducing.
Solo vocalist Oumeima el Khalil, who's accompanied Khalife's performance since she was 11 years old, belted out an a capella number that echoed beautifully through the outdoor venue. Waves crashed as she sang like arranged accompaniment.
Equally stunning for spectators were the solo contributions of Egyptian vocalist Mohamed Mohsen and Lebanese chanteuse Abeer Nehme, their virtuosity beautifully complemented by orchestra and chorus.
Later in the concert, Rami and Bachar Khalife collaborated with Labro in a remarkable trio number. The three played with strength, dynamism and harmony, a reminder that virtuosity can bridge widely disparate musical practices.
The two hours of allotted time passed quickly.
The combination of Khalife's oud, orchestra, chorus and instrumental and vocal soloists was welcomed with great enthusiasm.
If there was a low point in the show, it emerged from the audience, some of whom deemed it appropriate to flee the venue before the concert had actually ended – a distracting mark of disrespect to these world-class performers, and the audience members more interested in enjoying an enchanting performance than climbing into an air-conditioned car.
For those innocent of such matters, here's a tip: The show isn't finished until the orchestra stands.
The Byblos International Festival continues Saturday with Yanni. For more information, please visit www.byblosfestival.org.
Top Headlines
- Marcel Khalife Demands Barak Investigation
- Lang Lang opened Byblos Festival with a bang on Thursday
- The International Oud Festival Moved to Tatwan
- Marcel Khalife to perform at his "first love" Byblos's International Festival on Thursday
- A new and improved Marcel Khalife comes to life on stage alongside his sons


text:
Texas Specification No. 505-47-01B
Effective Date: July 25, 1977
Reformatted: January 29, 1996
1. SCOPE: This specification covers the minimum requirements for a powdered, nongermicidal, quaternary ammonium fabric softener for use in institutional laundries.
2. APPLICABLE SPECIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS: References to specifications, standards and test methods shall be to the issues in effect on the date of the Invitation for Bids. Copies of the referenced documents may be obtained from the issuing organizations at the addresses shown. The following documents form a part of this specification to the extent specified herein:
2.1. AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING MATERIALS, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103:
2.1.1. ASTM D 2077 -- Ash in Fatty Quaternary Ammonium Chlorides.
2.2. TEXAS SPECIFICATIONS: Texas Procurement and Support Services, P.O. Box 13186, Austin, TX 78711:
2.2.1. Texas Specification No. 180-79-03 -- Dimethyl Distearyl Ammonium Chloride.
2.2.2. Texas Specification No. 775-63-01 -- Salt, Evaporated, Sodium Chloride.
3. DEFINITIONS: Terminology used in this specification is intended to be generic in nature and consistent with meanings that have been defined through general use and/or accepted trade practices. Where variant meanings may exist, the applicable interpretation shall be determined by the Texas Procurement and Support Services (TPASS).
3.1. Commission: Texas Procurement and Support Services (TPASS).
4. REQUIREMENTS: The Fabric softener furnished under this specification shall meet or exceed the following minimum requirements:
4.1. General Requirements: The product shall be a free flowing granular solid material, white to slightly off white in color.
4.2. Materials: The fabric softener shall be compounded from diethyl distearyl ammonium chloride meeting Texas Specification No. 180-12-05 and sodium chloride meeting Texas Specification No. 775-63-01.
4.3. Test Requirements: The product shall comply with the requirements of Table 2, when tested by the methods cited in Paragraph 6.
|Test Paragraph
|1. Percent active ingredient, as quaternary ammonium chloride
|2. Ash (essentially sodium chloride), percent
5. SAMPLES: Unless otherwise specified in the Invitation for Bids, no prepurchase samples shall be required. Samples tested shall be taken from regular orders.
6. TESTING: Testing shall be done by or at the direction of, the Commission and/or the receiving State agency. Tests shall be performed on products from shipments to ordering agencies. In the event products tested fail to meet or exceed all conditions and requirements of this specification, the cost of the samples used and the cost of testing shall be borne by the supplier.
6.1. TESTS: The product furnished under this specification shall be tested by the following methods or equally applicable procedures:
6.1.1. Quaternary Ammonium Chloride: The method of test involves titration with standard dodecyl sodium sulfate (sodium lauryl sulfate) solution, prepared from reagent grade material. Alternatively, the purest grade of industrial material (recrystallized dentifrice grade) may be used.
220.127.116.11. Prepare standard .001 N dodecyl sodium sulfate by dissolving 0.5 to 0.6 g, weighed to the nearest 0.1 mg, in deionized water and diluting to 21 in a volumetric flask. Calculate normality by the expression:
N = Normality = g dodecyl sodium sulfate
184.108.40.206. Weigh out approximately one g of fabric softener to the nearest mg into a 200 ml beaker. Extract the quaternary active ingredient by stirring with successive 25 ml portions of reagent grade chloroform and decanting through a filter into a 100 ml volumetric flask. Bring the total volume up to the mark with fresh solvent.
126.96.36.199. Transfer a 5 ml aliquot to a 50 ml volumetric flask by means of a pipette. Add 5 drops dichlorofluorescein indicator (1% in alcohol), which will impart a pink color to the solution. Titrate rapidly with standard dodecyl sodium sulfate, shaking the stoppered flask vigorously after each addition, inverting the flask, and observing against a white background. the end point is indicated by disappearance of the pink color in the chloroform layer.
22.214.171.124. Repeat the titration with at least two additional aliquots, approaching the end point more cautiously, until close agreement is obtained between successive titrations.
220.127.116.11. Calculate the result by means of the expression:
Percent active quaternary = T x M x N x 2 , where
T = ml dodecyl sodium sulfate solution
N = normality of dodecyl sodium sulfate solution
M = average molecular weight of quaternary ammonium chloride (This value may be obtained from the manufacturer and should be approximately 583.)
W = g sample used in Step 220.127.116.11.
6.1.2. Ash -- Determine by the method of ASTM D 2077.
7. INSPECTION: Products furnished under this specification shall be inspected by, or at the direction of the Commission and/or the ordering State agency either at the destination or place of manufacture.
8. PACKING / PACKAGING: Packing for shipment shall be in accordance with the manufacturer's standard practice and in a manner readily accepted by common carriers engaged in interstate commerce. Within the shipping carton, units shall be packed in a manner designed to minimize damage during the shipment because of rough or improper handling.
8.1. PACKING: The fabric softener shall be packaged in the following types and sizes of new containers:
8.1.1. Plastic lined boxes, 5 pounds net, 10 per case
8.1.2. Plastic lined boxes, 50 pounds net
8.1.3. Multiwall paper bags, 50 pounds net
8.1.4. Plastic lined fiber drums, 125 pounds net.
9.1. MARKING: Each shipping container shall be clearly marked with the following:
9.1.1. Name of contents.
9.1.2. Quantity contained.
9.1.3. Name and address of the manufacturer.
The following information shall either be marked on the container or appear on the shipping documents:
9.1.4. Order number or contract number.
9.1.5. Name and address of ordering agency.
9.1.6. Agency requisition number.
9.2. LABELING: Each product container shall bear a securely affixed and durable label showing the following:
9.2.1. Name and address of the manufacturer.
9.2.2. Trade name of the product, if any.
9.2.3. Net contents in pounds.
9.2.4. Instructions for use, including recommended concentration.
10. COMPLIANCE: In order for consideration to be given to the bid on an item under this specification, the bidder must comply with the following:
10.1. PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION: The make, model number, name of the manufacturer, brand or trade name, etc., as applicable, of the item which the vendor proposes to furnish must be stated as part of the bid.
10.2. EXCEPTIONS: Notwithstanding the above, any exception taken by the bidder to the requirements and conditions of this specification must be stated and described in detail as a part of the bid. If no exceptions or deviations are identified in this manner, the items must be furnished exactly as described herein.
10.3. PROOF: The bidder shall bear the burden of proof of compliance with this specification.
11. ORDERING DATA: When ordering products conforming to this specification the requisitioning agency shall specify the following:
11.1. The number of this specification (505-47-01B).
11.2. Size container (s) desired.
11.3. Quantity of each size container desired.
12. PRODUCT INFORMATION: The nongermicidal fabric softener furnished to this specification is intended for use in the final rinse cycle of the washing operation. It may also be used in the starch or sour bath.
The recommended amount of softener is one and one half (1 1/2) ounces per 100 pounds (1 g per kg) of dry clothing. Due to different water conditions at various agencies, the used may find that the amount of fabric softener to be used per 100 pounds of dry clothing may have to be slightly increased or decreased to obtain the desired softening results.
12. AVAILABILITY OF SPECIFICATIONS: Copies of this specification may be obtained by calling or writing:
Bid Services
Texas Procurement and Support Services
P.O.Box 13186
Austin, TX 78711-3047
(512) 463-3416


text:
Virginia E. "Ginny" Keller, 89, of Palmyra, Mo., passed away Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014, at the Maple Lawn Nursing Home in Palmyra.
Funeral services will be held at 11a.m. Monday, Feb. 10, 2014, at the Lewis Brothers Funeral Chapel in Palmyra. Burial will be at the Greenwood Cemetery in Palmyra, Mo. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday at the Lewis Brothers Funeral Chapel.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
If you needed any more evidence that Rand Paul is totally indistinguishable from his father on foreign and defense policy and is a member of the Blame America First crowd, here's that evidence. On February 25th, when interviewed by the Washington Post's Robert Costa, Sen. Paul falsely accused "some Republicans" of harboring a Cold War mindset and exhorted the US ...Read More »
Home >> Tag Archives: reset in US-Russia relations
Tag Archives: reset in US-Russia relations
Democrats Already Rush To Defend Hillary's Disastrous Russia Record
Nobody except Barack Obama himself has been as responsible for the utterly failed "reset" (read: appeasement) policy towards Russia, the disastrous results of which are now available for the entire world to see. From Ukraine to Iran, to Syria, to Cuba, to the Snowden affair, Vladimir Putin's Russia has successfully defeated the US and undermined US national interests at every ...Read More »


text:
Summer is almost half over and one of the main features of a new park next to the Lithia headquarters is missing.
A splash pad feature hasn't been squirting water for children to play in since the park was completed, raising concern among members of the Medford Urban Renewal Agency board on Thursday.
"Summer is fleeting, and that is the primary feature of that park block," Board Chairman Dick Gordon said.
Gordon and other board members leaned on Lithia Motors, the general contractor for The Commons parks, to get the splash pad working and a drinking fountain installed.
— Damian Mann
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Charming Sunny Abbesses Apartment
Size38 m²
Floor No.
- Kitchen
- Internet/WiFi
|Rue Audran, 75018 Paris, France
|Property type
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
|A few months ago
The one bedroom apartment sleeps 4 guests on one double bed and a double sofa bed. Self-cater in the kitchenette, which includes a stove, microwave, and fridge. The space has been decorated in a soothing style for maximum comfort and also includes a flat-screen TV.
On foot, guests can reach the metro in just 4 minutes. From there, take a train to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées in 8 minutes. Both the Louvre Museum and the Musée d'Orsay are 20 minutes away.
Walk the charming streets past creperies and artists ready to sketch portraits. There are an innumerable number of great restaurants, cafes, and bars in the streets surrounding the apartment. The famous Moulin Rouge cabaret is just 4 minutes' walk away.
No pets.
A €150 security deposit is required.
A €20 fee is required for check-in and check-out between 10:00 pm and 8:00 am.
A €30 cleaning fee is required.
|Weekly rate
|Maximum nights
|3 months
|Check-in after
|On arrangement
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out before
|On arrangement
|Cancellation Policy
Nice modest apartment in a great location, very nice host. Recommended!
Nette bescheidene Wohnung in einer super Lage, sehr netter Gastgeber. Empfehlenswert!
Warning, this review applies to the offer 8X7D3CBG because we have been rebooked on request (this house was being renovated). Renovated apartment in the heart of Montmartre, close to Sacre Coeur. To participate in the nightlife, you have to open the window, because trendy bars / restaurants are right under / beside / opposite the apartment. Even if the window hold a lot, it is very noisy in the house. Very good kitchen equipment, cleaning agents are present. A towel per person plus another we found a little bit. For parking, the area is not suitable to 19.00 clock is the parking max. Allowed 2 hours, parking garages cost about 30, - € / day. Metro and shopping options are within walking distance.
Achtung, diese Bewertung gilt für die Offerte 8X7D3CBG, da wir nach Absprache umgebucht worden sind (diese Wohnung wurde gerade renoviert). Renovierte Wohnung im Herzen von Montmarte, in unmittelbarer Nähe zu Sacré Coeur. Um am Nachtleben teilzunehmen, muss man nur das Fenster öffnen, denn angesagte Bars/Restaurants liegen direkt unter/neben/gegenüber der Wohnung. Auch, wenn die Fenster eine Menge abhalten, ist es sehr unruhig im Haus. Sehr gute Küchenausstattung, Reinigungsmittel sind vorhanden. Pro Person ein Handtuch plus ein weiteres fanden wir etwas wenig. Zum Parken ist das Gebiet nicht geeignet, bis 19.00 Uhr ist das Parken max. 2 Stunden erlaubt, Parkhäuser kosten ca. 30,-- €/Tag. Metro und Einkaufmöglichkeiten sind zu Fuß gut zu erreichen.
A very charming apartment located in the lovely district of Montmartre. It is not big, but clean, authentic and bed linen and towels. Particularly nice hosts very helpful!
Een heel charmant appartement midden in de leuke wijk Montmartre. Het is niet groot, maar schoon, authentiek en voorzien van beddengoed en handdoeken. Bijzonder aardige hosts die heel behulpzaam zijn!
Nice, small, clean apartment - located very central. In August, free parking on the doorstep possible. The only downside: With the windows open it is - even at night - loudly.
Schöne, kleine, saubere Wohnung - super zentral gelegen.
Im August freies Parken vor der Haustür möglich.
Einziger Nachteil: Bei offenem Fenster ist es - auch nachts - laut.
We really liked the apartment. It is located in a rather quiet street and since it was about 29 degrees outside, the apartment was cool. But, when we arrived at home, we have bites from bedbugs and we can not recommend to rent this apartment until they have fixed the problem, which we can read about in other rewiews.
The luminaires in the bathroom and the little bedroom where not ok. The refrigerator was very small and the kitchen was not in the dimension of cooking food.
The host cancelled the booking, this review is automated.
Sue behaved very well. She was in contact with us all the time until we got to Paris, by email, she was very flexible with the check-in and check-out time and besides that she transferred us to a better and larger apartment, also in Montmartre, because the Studio in Place du Tertre, Sacré-Coeur that we had hired had been a serious water leak some days before and the repair work was not done for our arrival.
Claude was very kind and nice and there was no problem with our schedule for check-in and check-out time (11:00 p.m. and 05:00 a.m.) Besides he gave us a lot of information about Montmartre, the coolest neighborhood in Paris.
We had a really nice stay. The host are really sweet and helpful. The apartment were perfect for our family.
It's a very nice apartment and the area around is great! We have a lovely stay in Paris and Sue and her team are very nice and helpful!
Perfect !! the host was very helpfull and the appartement couldn´t be in a better place.
- Quality assured accommodation
- Every host is verified by telephone
- Secure payment via SSL encryption


text:
Roy Hargrove Quintet in Seattle
Which is okay. The musicians in Hargrove's quintet'alto saxophonist Justin Robinson, pianist Eric Lewis, bassist Dwayne Burno, and drummer Willie Jones III'all obviously love the music they play, and they play it with integrity and conviction. I suspect that they've played it with a bit more conviction in the past than they happened to on this particular night, but that didn't take away from what was mostly an enjoyable show. Hargrove kicked off the set with an unaccompanied trumpet solo which led into a reading of 'The Gift,' a peaceful and rather conventional mid-tempo samba with a rather unconventional 7/4 vamp tacked onto the last 'A' section. Lewis wowed the crowd with an aggressive, heavily percussive piano solo, and Jones beat his kit to a pulp during his turn at bat, introducing dramatic rhythmic variations over the aforementioned 7/4 vamp (which Lewis and Burno repeated for the duration of the solo).
Next up was 'Omicron,' a Donald Byrd tune from Paul Chambers' 1956 album Whims of Chambers. This was pure bebop, and provided an interesting contrast to the previous tune. The solos'by Hargrove, Burno, and Robinson, respectively'weren't particularly remarkable, but were well-executed and demonstrated each musician's mastery of the bebop vocabulary. Props to Hargrove, too, for combing the back-catalogue and unearthing this Tune that Time Forgot.
The most interesting song selection of the night, however, was John Coltrane's 'Transition,' a bold choice considering that: 1) most jazz musicians tend not to touch Trane's later material; and 2) this group was fronted by a trumpeter and alto saxophonist. I wasn't much impressed by the reading of the melody, which sounded rather listless, but the solos were ferocious. Lewis in particular got the crowd going with a volcanic, highly syncopated solo in which he used the lower registers of the keyboard to good effect.
Vocalist Roberta Gambarini joined the group onstage for what turned out to be a 'pretty''and pretty dull'reading of 'The Nearness of You.' The group finished the set with an untitled number that had a funky groove and an interesting stop-time stanza but was otherwise pretty conventional late '90s 'hip-hop jazz.'
As I mentioned earlier, I got the impression that this quintet has had more inspired moments in the past. No doubt they will have more in the future. On this night, they played interesting songs and took some great solos, but there was an air of been-there-done-that to the whole affair. This is really the most accurate criticism I can think of to level at a show like this. I enjoyed listening to the music, but apart from a few solos (usually by Lewis), I felt curiously disaffected. This could reflect my own recent listening habits, which have found me moving slowly away from straight-ahead jazz to other, more eclectic realms. Not that Hargrove has any kind of responsibility to explore similar territory, though. He sounds comfortable where he is'and with the group he currently has with him, he could make considerable noise in the coming years. Let's hope that this version of the Roy Hargrove Quintet releases a studio album soon.
About Roy Hargrove
Live Reviews
CD/LP/Track Review
Extended Analysis
CD/LP/Track Review
- Earfood by Ian Patterson


text:
Dalmatians are pretty crazy dogs. I mean that in the best of ways, of course. They help fight fires, they can have upwards of a hundred babies in a single go, and they're practically polka dotted. Hilarious. The Adult Dalmatian Mascot Costume combines all of these endearing qualities into a single, wearable article of clothing. The Adult Dalmatian Mascot Costume is everything a would-be firehouse hound needs for Halloween. It is also imperative that if you're going to be wearing this costume on Halloween (or whenever) that you walk it every day because costumes of these dogs need their exercise. The Adult Dalmatian Mascot Costume is a one in a hundred and one look and is a perfectly huggable jumpsuit of the world's favorite Croatian dog.
Available in Sizes:
Standard - One Size
Item Includes:
One Body Piece
100% Polyester
Care Instructions:
Machine wash cold, separate from other garments, lie flat to dry
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text: [[quoteright:308:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/frankensteincurse_8527.jpg]]'''''The Curse of Frankenstein''''' is a British horror film from the year 1957. It stars Creator/PeterCushing as Baron Frankenstein and Creator/ChristopherLee as The Creature. It is Hammer's first ''Frankenstein'' film, their first colour film and it single-handedly established the Film/HammerHorror.Owing more to the Franchise/UniversalHorror films than [[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} the original novel]], this film once again tells a story of a scientist who creates life with terrible consequences.Fascinated with CreatingLife, Baron Victor von Frankenstein starts conducting experiments of such with the help of his tutor Dr. Paul Krempe. Unlike the well-meaning scientist from the Universal films, Frankenstein is depicted as an unfaithful womanizer who has no qualms against killing people for body-parts and having those who obstruct his work murdered.It was during this film when Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee met in person and struck a lifelong friendship.''The Curse'' was followed by ''The Revenge of Frankenstein'' in 1959 and Hammer remade it as ''The Horror of Frankenstein'' in 1970.----!!This film is cursed with:* AdaptationalVillainy: Victor is depicted as much less sympathetic and well-meaning than in the original book or the earlier movies.* ArrangedMarriage: Victor is arranged to marry his cousin Elizabeth, an arrangement that she doesn't mind at all. Victor couldn't care less.* BatmanGambit: Justine tells Victor that she is pregnant and that she will reveal his secrets unless he marries her like he promised. Knowing that his laboratory is the first place that she would look, Victor tells her that she'd need evidence if anyone is to believe her. His laboratory being the place where he keeps the Creature captive, this leads to her death at its hands.* BerthaInTheAttic: Victor keeps the Creature chained to the wall of his laboratory after its second revival.* ChairmanOfTheBrawl: The creature is subdued after its initial revival when Paul hits it with a chair.* ChekhovsGun: The acid pool.* CreatingLife: After discovering the means of resurrection, Victor decides to bring a human being to life.* DestinationDefenestration: The Creature meets its end when it crashes through a window and falls to the acid pool below.* DramaticUnmask: The Creature dramatically removes the shroud from its face after Victor comes face to face with it.* TheEndingChangesEverything: The film is told as a flashback story by the Baron who is in jail for murder waiting execution. The ending leaves it uncertain whether the events really happened. Especially given the Victor's personality, we can usually rely on him to be an UnreliableNarrator.* EyeScream: Not shown, but Paul remarks how the eyes of the first corpse, that he and Victor stole, is missing its eyes due to the birds getting to it first.* ForDoomTheBellTolls: Priest's arrival to the prison is underlined by the tolling of the bell.* ForScience: Paul helps Victor with his work early on, but becomes reluctant to help him after Victor ruthlessness becomes evident.* FramingDevice / HowWeGotHere: The film's story is told by Victor in prison as he awaits his execution.* FrankensteinsMonster: A more murderous example.* GorgeousPeriodDress: The main characters are mostly upper class, so their clothes are appropriately fancy.* GraveRobbing: Victor and Paul pick their material from the gallows.* HollywoodAcid: The acid pool, which can [[NoBodyLeftBehind disintegrate bodies]] completely.* HollywoodKiss: There is an intense make-out session between Baron Frankenstein and the maid Justine. It quickly becomes clear, however, that although Justine is in love, to the Baron she is just a fling.* InstantThunder: Prevalent in the night when Victor's creation comes to life.* LightningCanDoAnything: Thanks to an unplanned lightining strike, Victor's creation receives the energy it needs to come alive.* LoveTriangle: Victor's maid Justine loves him, his arranged wife Elizabeth loves him, but he cares about neither of them, as there is science to be done.* MadScientist: Guess who?* MadScientistLaboratory: Victor's laboratory is filled with colourful beakers and electric machinery.* MaidOfSexy: Justine.* ManOnFire: The Creature catches on fire when Victor throws an oil lamp at it.* MixAndMatchMan: The bodies used for Victor's experiments are in various sates of decomposition, which forces him to pick the best parts from a variety of corpses.* MoeGreeneSpecial: Paul shoots the Creature's right eye out during its first escape.* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Victor speculates that the only reason the Creature is [[AlwaysChaoticEvil homi]][[AxeCrazy cidal]] is because Paul damaged the brain before implantation, then damaged it further when he [[BoomHeadshot shot it in the head]]. If true, this would mean Paul is just as culpable (albeit indirectly) for the Creature's murders as Victor was.* NeckLift: Upon facing its creator, the Creature starts strangling Victor while lifting from the ground.* OffWithHisHead: Victor is charged to face the guillotine in the end.* OpeningScroll* PeopleJars: The resurrectable subjects are kept in a container filled with liquid.* PetTheDog: Victor gets one in the end when he saves Elizabeth from the Creature.* PimpedOutDress: Elizabeth is an heiress, and she wears a number of fancy dresses.* PreciousPuppy: When Victor is still relatively likable, he and Paul bring a dead puppy back to life.* PrettyInMink: Some of Elizabeth's outfits to help show her wealth. Two have ermine muffs, and one is a blue dress lined with brown fur.* RomanticRunnerUp: [[spoiler: Paul to Elizabeth.]]* SmugSnake: Baron Frankenstein, particularly with Justine. In the middle of making out with her, he gloats about how she will be required to wait on her rival Elizabeth.* StepfordSmiler: Elizabeth increasingly as she realizes that the Baron is obsessed with his mysterious, possibly evil experiments and cares little for her.* TheyCallMeMrTibbs: Victor insists that his mistress the maid Justine address him as Baron Frankenstein even when they are kissing.* {{Uberwald}}* VillainProtagonist: Dr. Frankenstein, whose villainy would be continued on other films.* TheVonTropeFamily: Victor von Frankenstein.* TheXOfY* YourCheatingHeart: Despite being engaged to Elizabeth, Victor has an on-going affair with Justine the maid.----


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Sugar's Sweet Spot Needs Emerging Market Support
News that sugar prices have risen to 30-year highs will come as little surprise to those in the industry.
A prolonged dry spell in Brazil's cane producing regions has sparked fears that output from the world's largest sugar producer will at best remain constant next year and may even fall for the first time in over a decade.
Coupled with weather problems in other producers, including devastating floods in Pakistan and drought in Russia, and uncertainty over output from the market's wildcard India, this season's previously forecast surplus seems increasingly elusive.
But now it seems this season's high and volatile prices may be the shape of things to come. In a recent report, one of the U.K.'s oldest sugar trade houses predicts the world will become more reliant on Brazil to meet rapidly-expanding sugar demand in the coming decades, leaving the market increasingly vulnerable to supply shocks.
Driven by a growing sweet tooth in Asia's middle class, Czarnikow expects world demand to rise by 50% in the next twenty years. Trade will shift to a West-to-East pattern in response as Brazil ramps up production to meet up to half of the 90 million extra tons of sugar the world will consume each year, doubling the size of the world market by 2030.
"Brazil is set to remain the key determinant in shaping the long run outlook for world sugar prices over the next 20 years," said the report.
But if this season heralds the shape of things to come, logistical problems may be a limiting factor to Brazil's success. The country's ports saw ship lineups of more than 100 vessels last month as exporters struggled to keep pace with export demand, causing a squeeze that pushed up prices due to fears of short-term supply problems.
Brazil's rail network—currently only about 10% of the size of its U.S. counterpart despite having a similar land mass—will also need to upgrade if the country is to expand the area under cane from the current 8 million hectares to the predicted 60 million hectares required.
But, most importantly, if world sugar production is to keep pace with demand, it will also face growing competition for acreage from other crops in a world increasingly preoccupied with food security in the face of volatile world markets.
With the world's population expected to increase to 9.1 billion by 2050, up from 6.8 billion now, demand for staples such as rice, wheat and corn is likely to rise significantly in the coming decades and grain prices are expected to rise by 15% to 40% in coming years.
If sugar production is going to rise to meet growing demand, prices are going to have to stay sweet enough to encourage investment.


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Sean Bonner
Sean Bonner is a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, journalist and activist. He has been featured in Cool Hunting, GOOD, Wired, Playboy, Salon, Forbes, The Associated Press, and has been included in Yahoo's Best of the Web. As cofounder and global director of Safecast(an open global sensor network monitoring radiation levels in Japan), Bonner spends a lot of time thinking about maps and data. He cofounded Coffee Common (a customer-education brand collaboration launched at TED 2011) and Crash Space (a Los Angeles hacker-space). He has been a regular contributor to BoingBoing and has written editorials for MAKE, Al Jazeera and others.


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Efforts to Assist the Homeless in Seattle
RCED-94-237R: Published: Jul 11, 1994. Publicly Released: Jul 11, 1994.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
(202) 512-4800
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the role of McKinney Act programs in assisting the homeless in Seattle. GAO noted that: (1) homeless social service programs and emergency services have been available in Seattle for many years and are funded by local and state governments and private sources; (2) McKinney program funding has played an important role in Seattle's homeless assistance efforts since 1987; (3) McKinney programs have supplemented existing food and emergency shelter services, expanded employment and education programs, and funded transitional housing, health care services shelters, and mentally ill outreach programs; (4) although McKinney funds are provided to cities for food, shelter, health care, education, and employment programs targeted to the homeless, the current resources available are not meeting service demands; (5) service providers believe that without McKinney program funds, health care outreach services, transitional housing, and education programs would be greatly reduced or discontinued; (6) local service providers believe that Seattle needs to increase the amount of affordable housing for low-income persons, funds for substance abuse programs, services targeted to youths, and its employment training, education, and homeless prevention efforts; and (7) Seattle should seek new and creative ways to provide low-income housing, since affordable housing shortages contribute to homelessness in Seattle.
Aug 24, 2016
Flood Insurance:Review of FEMA Study and Report on Community-Based OptionsGAO-16-766: Published: Aug 24, 2016. Publicly Released: Aug 24, 2016.
May 26, 2016
Disaster Recovery:FEMA Needs to Assess Its Effectiveness in Implementing the National Disaster Recovery FrameworkGAO-16-476: Published: May 26, 2016. Publicly Released: May 26, 2016.
Apr 18, 2016
National Flood Insurance Program:Continued Progress Needed to Fully Address Prior GAO Recommendations on Rate-Setting MethodsGAO-16-59: Published: Mar 17, 2016. Publicly Released: Apr 18, 2016.
Mar 24, 2016
HUBZone Program:Actions Taken on February 2015 GAO RecommendationsGAO-16-423R: Published: Mar 24, 2016. Publicly Released: Mar 24, 2016.
Mar 10, 2016
National Flood Insurance Program:Options for Providing Affordability AssistanceGAO-16-190: Published: Feb 10, 2016. Publicly Released: Mar 10, 2016.
Feb 4, 2016
Innovative Manufacturing:Commerce Should Target Program Outreach to Address Capital Access GapsGAO-16-271: Published: Feb 4, 2016. Publicly Released: Feb 4, 2016.
Sep 29, 2015
Disaster Contracting:FEMA Needs to Cohesively Manage Its Workforce and Fully Address Post-Katrina ReformsGAO-15-783: Published: Sep 29, 2015. Publicly Released: Sep 29, 2015.
Mar 25, 2015
Denali Commission:Options Exist to Address Management ChallengesGAO-15-72: Published: Mar 25, 2015. Publicly Released: Mar 25, 2015.
Feb 19, 2015
Flood Insurance:Status of FEMA's Implementation of the Biggert-Waters Act, as AmendedGAO-15-178: Published: Feb 19, 2015. Publicly Released: Feb 19, 2015.
Feb 12, 2015
African Growth and Opportunity Act:Eligibility Process and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan AfricaGAO-15-300: Published: Feb 12, 2015. Publicly Released: Feb 12, 2015.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here


text:
Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson Introduction
What Emily Dickinson did... and why you should care
Here are two ways to look at Emily Dickinson's life:
Old thinking: Emily Dickinson was a shy crazy lady who dressed all in white, never left the house, and secretly wrote nearly two thousand poems that nobody saw until she died.
New thinking: Emily Dickinson was a gifted poet who chose—for reasons she kept private—to stay at home, write quietly and yes, wear white.
What's the difference between these two narratives, whose facts are pretty much the same? For the first ninety years after Dickinson's death in 1886, the public perception of her was closer to the first version. Poor Emily Dickinson, the story used to go. Such a great poet; too bad she couldn't get along like a normal person.
Sometime in the 1970s, though (thanks largely to a fantastic biography by Dickinson scholar Richard B. Sewall), views on Dickinson's life started to change. Maybe it wasn't that the secret bard of Amherst didn't know how to act like a normal person. Maybe she just didn't want to. People who knew Emily Dickinson well during her lifetime recalled her as warm and funny, with an impish streak. The more this picture emerges, the less Dickinson seems like a victim of pathological shyness. Could Emily Dickinson have been . . . a rebel, living her life exactly the way she wanted to, no matter what anybody else thought?
From the moment her collected poems were published for the first time after her death, Dickinson has been hailed as one of the great American poets. Her language, rhythm, and punctuation are totally unique, as was her lifestyle. And what's more American than a person unafraid to go her own way?


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T.D. Jakes
One of the main reasons women doesn't share their problems is this: they are told they shouldn't have problems-especially after they are save!
In Hebrews 11, we find a list of people who are often called the heroes of the faith. On that list you'll see Noah Abraham and Sarah and Moses' and Rahab and Gideon and David and Samuel and all the prophets. The amazing thing is that every one of these giant of faith had a problem.
The bible says that some of these heroes were tortured and mocked and scourged and imprisoned and stoned and swan asunder. It says they were afflicted and tormented, and that some of them wandered in deserts and lived in caves.
God's people have problem was a private problem. It was a public problem. It was a problem that could be in meeting where the women were wearing silk dresses and diamond jewelry and sequined jackets. They were looking good. But I wasn't fooled. I knew that every imaginable secret was present in that room. That room was filled with private problems.
Sister Rape was present. Sis Child Abuse came along sister Crack Cocaine was there. Sis Battered Wife Depress was sitting right by her side. All the girls were there that night. They are present in any large gathering of women any where in our nation at any time. The fact that you have a problem is not what matters. What matters is what you choose to do about it.
This woman made the right choice about were to take her problem. Now, she didn't make the right choice immediately, but she made it ultimately. She had suffered for twelve years and had spent all her money on doctors.
Be careful who you allow to help you. That person who is so eager to treat you may be after your money. Be careful whom you trust with your problem. That person may not be worthy of your trust.
Be careful whom you invited into your confidence. That person may gossip about you behind your back. Beware of the counsel of the ungodly. They'll give you plenty of advice, but they can give you any lasting help.
If you are going to seek out someone to help you, seek out someone who knows the Answer. Find someone who will say to you Jesus is on the way. Jesus is coming Jesus is the Healer. Jesus is the Problem-Solver. Jesus is the one who can plug the problem that is draining you dry. Reach out and touch Him by faith!


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Definition of foxtrot in English:
1A ballroom dance having an uneven rhythm with alternation of slow and quick steps.
Example sentences
- Some of the better dancers among the youngsters are experts not only in folk and traditional dances, but also in ballroom dances like foxtrot, quickstep, waltz and tango, to say nothing of Latin dances such as rumba, samba, jive and salsa.
- The ballroom competition consists of the waltz, quickstep, slow foxtrot, Viennese waltz and tango.
- She made it to the show's semi-finals with her professional dance partner, having learnt to dance the waltz, foxtrot, samba, rumba, jive and quickstep among others.
1.1A piece of music written for a foxtrot.
Example sentences
- Alternatively, you might like a soul wedding band that can play all the classic soul songs from the 60's, 70's and 80's or a more old fashioned wedding band who can play foxtrots and waltz etc.
- During the Twenties many bands played the foxtrot too fast and some couples couldn't keep up.
2A code word representing the letter F, used in radio communication.
Example sentences
- I whispered in his ear to foxtrot oscar and not use such language around my client; he walked away, his shoulders sagging as he realised my client was not impressed.
verb (foxtrots, foxtrotting, foxtrotted)[no object]
Perform a foxtrot.
Example sentences
- Mention ballroom dancing and most people think of smiling couples dressed in designer suits and glitzy dresses waltzing, quickstepping and foxtrotting across the hardwood.
- Fifty years ago, most British towns had their own dance hall, where couples could foxtrot, dine or watch cabaret.
- Space on the night will be limited to leave room for the brave to foxtrot and quickstep.
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: fox|trot
Definition of foxtrot in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending


text:
First off... this plugin is very well developed. I was looking at the code and wondering how the heck you organized it so nicely.
My question is this: How can I create a Social Locker with the Twitter capability to "Follow" my Twitter account. Rather than Tweet the URL out, I'd like to increase my follower count. This would be a great tool to do that. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I have the premium version of the plugin.


text:
Hey everybody, long time lurker first time poster. I have finallly taken some photos of my piratey stuff.
A lot of this is additions to sets, like beefing up stercastles and such.
I raised the stern( i do not think it is quit a castle yet) on the Crossbone Clipper and made a new sail that was not shreaded.
I rasied the stern on the Renegade runer too, this ship is about 75% original and 25% changed around, biggest diff is the stern area.
I made a deck for the BSB
and added length to the deck up top
It gives the Ship a few more plyable area. I also changed the cannons around a little, but no pics of that.
Extended Dock at El Dorado
Here are some MOCs
my Harbour
Pirate Warning
Pirate hideout
Governors Mansion
There are more pics and some little boats when the gallery is public.
Let me know what everybody thinks about my stuff.
Edited by SlyOwl, 20 September 2009 - 07:27 PM.
by Phred, Added thumbs to links.


text:
Fancy Collection Mother's Day Seed Card
A flower on the card, and flowers inside this Mother's Day seed card from the Fancy Collection. Give mom a greeting that's also a gift with these plantable cards will grow wildflowers when they are planted. Plantable seed cards are printed on seed paper that is made from post-consumer materials, and embedded with a blend of wildflower seeds, making it easy to be eco-friendly. Read about how plantable paper works.
Plantable card size: 4 1/2 x 6 1/4 inches
Matching pewter grey envelope included with seed cards.
Planting Instructions
Plant seed paper under 1/8" of soil. Water thoroughly. Place in a sunny corner and keep moist during germination.
There are no reviews for this product.


text:
Are you a true classic Dallasite? Have you done these 15 must-do Dallas activities?
Photo: Jay Jones
DALLAS FILMING SPOT -- Southfork in Parker. This iconic spot is actually about 25 miles north of downtown. Tour theranch house and see artifacts such as Jock Ewing's 23-foot-long 1973 Lincoln Continental.
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.


text:
If you come to Doonya NYC for the Bollywood Workout, The Sa Dance Company is where you go for elevated Bollywood and beyond performance.
We've had the privilege of sitting in on some of their rehearsals and can confidently say, this show will be amazing. The complex, layered choreography to innovative South Asian music performed by dancers of diverse backgrounds is awe-inspired.
Headed by Payal Kadakia (a Doonya regular), The Sa Dance Company's 2013 Showcase is a one-hour, five-piece journey of life through dance. The strong women of Sa tackle the ups and downs that we all face and the power that lies within all of us to find the beauty through any circumstance.
Sa will present their showcase on Thursday January 31st and Friday February 1st at Alvin Ailey Studios. Doors will open at 8:30pm.
Click for tickets.


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Help available for advance care planningThursday, January 10th, 2013
Upstate's Director of Social Work Mark Buttiglieri reinforces the importance of advance care planning, in the event that you are no longer able to make your wishes known to your loved ones or caregivers. Upstate's Social Work department is available to assist with conversations and decision making regarding health care proxies, living wills, MOLST, DNR, and Assuring Your Wishes. For more information, call 315-464-4345.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


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Posted: May 29 2012, 04:32 PM
Group: Members
Posts: 420
Member No.: 1,452
Joined: 16-December 10
Hey gang, I bid you welcome! You've heard me go on about few things regarding minis so now it is time to knuckle up and start posting. With this thread I want to chronicle the building and painting of both the Iron Warriors and the Astral Claws together. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will even do that nod that says �I understand everything�, so let me share a few more words and then onto pictures (or just skip to the pictures, I am not forcing you to read. Lord knows I have been pretending to know how to read since the 1st grade).
So with my interest focused on 40k once again I am happy to be building, painting, and actually playing Chaos Space Marines and soon their somewhat-loyal counterparts. With the possibility of new Chaos Glory being released in the �kind of� near future I eventually started using the CSM Codex (amongst all the crazy codices out there), where I intend properly to represent the IV Legion. Currently, most of my army is bare plastic in need of time and glue. So in an unorthodox fashion I will be starting this project log with my future secondary army, the Astral Claws.
Over a year ago I had started the Astral Claws after enjoying their fluff and liking their silver and blue scheme. I did not get too far and had sold off those marines and most of my 40k stuff, so now I am starting from scratch. The marines shown here are mostly cobbled from left over bitz I salvaged from my once glorious bitz box.
To begin, the Demi-Cohort I assembled:
They�re going to need friends. There are actually two more I forgot to post now that I think about it.
Leading from the front is Centurion Victrus Hellstrom:
�We had grown unaccustomed to defeat.�
I like him but I eagerly anticipate making a Mk. 2 version one day. There are a lot of other bitz I would like to use for an ideal kit-bash/conversion.
And now one of the earlier marines you saw whom I painted last night:
I�m pretty satisfied with him except having taken this picture I now see hideous mold lines. OCD compels me to get rid of this right after I post this. He�s got Table Top Quality written on him but I am always looking to improve. I just need to finish the bolter and attempt to do even better on the next marine.
So far I plan to build a 500pt force while my friend figures out where to start his future Blood Angels army at the same point value. My list:
SM Capt (Centurion): Artificer Armor, Power Weapon
Dreadnought:Exchange Multi-Melta for Twin-link Autocannon
Tactical Squad (Cohort): 10 Astartes, Meltagun, Plasma Cannon
Scout Squad Sniper Rifles
So a few more minis and I will have this in the bag. I do plan on expanding this force and I am even tempted to make a proper Tyrant�s Legion one day�depending on how awesome any new Chaos stuff is. Also, if I get back into BFG I would like to make a small fleet for this army as well.
That is it for now. On Friday I will have my big Iron Warrior update so stay tuned. I am waiting for the painting and conversion competition to come to close before I post anything related to the IVth Legion. In the meantime I will be trying to paint more Astral Claws. Thanks for stopping by and know that C&C is always welcomed!
Posted: May 29 2012, 06:23 PM
Iron Lord
Group: Admin
Posts: 3,124
Member No.: 16
Joined: 31-August 04
I am liking Hellstrom!
Posted: May 29 2012, 07:16 PM
Group: Members
Posts: 420
Member No.: 1,452
Joined: 16-December 10
Thanks blackcell, I am really hoping to do a newer version soon. I wanted him to look more armored but didn't have all the bits.
|PassionFruit Power
Posted: May 30 2012, 08:18 AM
Group: Members
Posts: 177
Member No.: 1,523
Joined: 16-January 12
they are the best Astral Claws i have seen since last week(i saw them on Warseer)
The Obliterator of Soul has arrived run for your life weak mortals...
Posted: May 30 2012, 10:21 PM
Group: Members
Posts: 420
Member No.: 1,452
Joined: 16-December 10
Thank's bud. I actually need to step my game up and try again. I think tomorrow night I will paint another one using Runefang Steel and Nuln Oil. I actually might test those new paints on a test mini...then actually paint another Astral Claw.
I also picked up the DA Veteran box (5 marines, a good number of DA bitz, and some terminator parts) so my Iron Warriors will have their Fallen Allies soon. I also have a new MK VIII torso...so a few more bitz and I will be making a new Hellstrom.
Posted: Jun 1 2012, 03:39 PM
Group: Members
Posts: 420
Member No.: 1,452
Joined: 16-December 10
More Astral Claws and my dillemma with some of the new paints.
Here's one old AC and four more I have worked on since my last post:
I had a rough patch using the new paints, namely Runefang Steel, Leadbelcher, and Nuln oil. They actually look decent in these pics.
Some more pics of the Troops:
When/if the time comes these boys will be getting a simple green bath followed by a better paint job.
And work done to Hellstrom:
After shaking the proverbial hell out of my new paints and the new glaze I got it all working a lot better (I feel super dumb for not having done that in the first place). This is just Leadbelcher with Nuln Oil (I forgot to highlight the edges with Runefang Steel before the wash).
*I also apologize for the large pics. Photoshop isn't cropping my photos for some reason.
Posted: Jun 3 2012, 03:10 AM
Group: Members
Posts: 420
Member No.: 1,452
Joined: 16-December 10
Now our contest entries are posted I want to present the rebuild of my Iron Warriors.
First up are the Traitor Marines themselves. I plan to have three full squads built forming a backbone for the whole army. I still have some Berzerkers�but as I do not like the current GW kit those will serve as back up and conversion bits.
This venerable piece of plastic was gifted to me by my friend that I have tried my best to get functional. It was a Baal Predator (I have the metal side sponsons too) that I tore apart and rebuilt. I have some of the pieces to make it into a standard rhino but I would risk breaking the plastic trying to remove some parts. This Blood Angel beauty was captured and repurposed during the Siege of Terra. It needs a bit more work and defilement.
Here�s my Termicide squad. I hate this squad so incredibly much. They have laid waste and crippled enemy armor with great pride and fury but they have a greater habit of deep striking right into rock formations, buildings, and even their intended targets. They are ancient, venerable, and malevolent but they deep strike like they�re cross-eyed.
This here is my Obliterator. I saw the cover for Siege of Castellax and despite the work itself being weird I could not help but love how the IWs looked, especially one bare-headed, gapping maw Obliterator. This is as far as I have gotten:
He looks familiar right? He was built as the beginning of a Sons of Malice berzerker army but has found a place among the Iron Warriors. This mini marks a special occasion for me as he is the first mini I have painted 100%.
Here are pics of him from different angles:Left Side, Back, and Right Side.
For kicks and giggles I present my Count-As Kharn, who also looks familiar huh? He is Laborys of the Grand Company of the Thrice-Cursed (that�s a mouthful). *Definitely check out the links since I couldn't show off all the work I put into him.
An check out the Right Side and Left Side of this guy for some of the work done to make him stand out a little bit.
I still have a few minis I need to get and the rest needs to be built. In fact I have just built some Fallen to be added to the army. Also, I have a Night Lords Chaos Fleet for BFG that will be getting a new Legion paint job.
Well brothers, thanks for stopping by!
|PassionFruit Power
Posted: Jun 4 2012, 07:12 AM
Group: Members
Posts: 177
Member No.: 1,523
Joined: 16-January 12
nice vey nice
The Obliterator of Soul has arrived run for your life weak mortals...
Posted: Jun 5 2012, 10:19 PM
Group: Members
Posts: 420
Member No.: 1,452
Joined: 16-December 10
Thanks PassionFruit!
Now for some pictures:
Centurion Victrus Hellstrom:
Next up is my Cohort Veteran Sgt, Mordecai:
Really happy with how the metal came out, though I did go overboard with trying to highlight before washing him.
Now for an Iron Warrior Aspiring Champion.
I built Mordecai and some of those Astral Claws quite some time ago and I used to the banner to help identify the Sgt. I never really used or liked banners but that opinion has changed. So I wanted to do something similar for my Chaos Champs. I decided to use extra bitz of other races as defeated opponents on the base to mark out my champs. In this case, some poor space elf became the victim.
That's it for now. I need to build some Traitors and I'm going to keep trying to improve my painting. Thanks for stopping by.
*Any want to help me out with why Photobucket does not crop any of my images? I crop them using their tools and its fine on their site, but when I post them elsewhere they pictures are still huge and un-cropped.
Posted: Jun 6 2012, 06:21 AM
Battle Brother
Group: Members
Posts: 41
Member No.: 1,507
Joined: 21-November 11
I love your miniatures, it seems that every single character has is own, strong personality (I mean, no standard GW poses, do you understand what I mean?). And paintjob on your Astral Claws is very good!
Posted: Jun 6 2012, 04:37 PM
Group: Members
Posts: 420
Member No.: 1,452
Joined: 16-December 10
Thanks anbert! Right now I like Aspiring Champion "McStabberson" and the IW with the top knot (dead center of my earlier pic). My main goal when building the troops is that they don't look boring (why they all have one leg up like Capt. Morgan ) and can fit in a foam tray with no fuss.
As for the Astral Claws, I think I have the painting almost down (which will transfer over to the IW too). For tabletop quality I think they pass. I just have to work on a better gold and practice hazard marks. Then...make a worthy sacrifice to get decent at freehanding.
Posted: Jun 11 2012, 09:32 PM
Group: Members
Posts: 420
Member No.: 1,452
Joined: 16-December 10
Time for an update so...Picture time!
Started up another marine and trying to work on painting metallic. So far I like him.
Still more work to be done.
Also, the buildup of the Grand Company is coming along, slowly. I got a rhino built up but in need of touch ups to make it uniquely chaos without having to resort to sticking spikes everywhere. I also got my first two squads built.
15 Iron Warriors and 5 Fallen allies. I never gave much thought to the Fallen before but having gotten really into them lately I think they are very fitting alongside Iron Warriors. Especially fs you venture with the idea that both parties feel very betrayed and are hell-bent on some retribution.
Leading my second Squad is another Aspiring Champion.
You can guess what chapter colors that marine is going to be painted as.
Overall I feel he is a bit more boring than my previous champ but he�ll do. I have ten more marines to make. This upcoming squad will be a �foreign legion� squad made up of Red Corsairs, Black Legionnaires, Emperor�s Children, and Flawless Host. They will be led by a Legionary Marshal *the link leads to a forum discussing the idea.
That's it for now. Hopefully I will have some more painted things to show later. Thanks for stopping by.
Posted: Jun 12 2012, 05:43 AM
Group: Members
Posts: 317
Member No.: 1,528
Joined: 19-March 12
Theme some odd looking orks haha!! HEY BROTHER!!! Looks good man. I need to update my own but its all packed away preparing for my move. I like the astral claws.
i gots da cookies!!!!
Posted: Jun 12 2012, 10:45 PM
Group: Members
Posts: 420
Member No.: 1,452
Joined: 16-December 10
You wound me brother with your jests haha! So you've been busy with a move? keep us notified with the couch-box!
Posted: Jul 14 2012, 07:08 PM
Group: Members
Posts: 420
Member No.: 1,452
Joined: 16-December 10
Hey gang! Things have been really busy but I just landed a great job and I am now settled well into it. So I now have a bit of time to dedicate to the hobby.
So I�ve only played one game of 6th ed at 500pts of my AC vs. BA. I quite like a number of the changes, some seem silly, and the rest I have yet to come across or understand. The one golden thing that does have my interest is the addition of allies (while not having to play apocalypse sized games). I can now buy and field things that I like alongside a main army I am building up. I like this as I do not have to build another whole army just to play Dark Eldar, or Imperial Guard, or something else that catches my eyes at some point in time.
So my AC will be getting allies in the form of the Imperial Guard marauding as Tyrant Legion Auxilia. I also plan to do some BA down the road painted in the livery of the Lamenters chapter. These are two very fluffy allies to go alongside the Astral Claws. The Iron Warriors will definitely be receiving Dark Eldar allies. Still coming up with good fluff/reasoning for it but it will happen as I have always wanted to try out those sinister xenos. IW may get IG allies (for that sweet, sweet looking artillery and slave soldiers)�but we will see what any new codex may hold for them. Either way, expect to see some allies sooner or later.
Anyway�some pics of the little bit of work I have done and something I am trying to do:
Here is mostly painted and still in need of more work. I will also have to scout out Forgeworld�s website and see about getting some TL Autocannons.
In regards to my AC I want to try to buy & paint my 500pt force before moving on to other projects. I still need to get a few more marines, my friend is supplying me with a plasma cannon for one of those marines, and then some sniper scouts. From there I think I will add my IG allies and some Assault Marines for a 1000pt army. Just need to see how the points add up.
Then there�s this bugger, a Space Marine Strike Cruiser.
This is my first ship of a future Secessionist Fleet that will be comprised of the Astral Claws, their Maelstrom Warder Allies, and Battlefleet Maelstrom. This vessel is the Astral Claws Strike Cruiser Talon of the Tyrant. Right now I have to figure out a way to get this precious onto a flying stand as the peg-hole (proper terminology?) is too big for the peg.
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American English: /ˈkɑmpədəns/ British English: /ˈkɒmpɪt(ə)ns/
Translation of competence in Spanish:
- 1 (ability) I don't doubt his competence as a teacher, but …no dudo de su competencia como profesor, pero …a certain level of competence in Frenchun cierto nivel (de conocimientos) de francésExample sentences
- Some employees are enthusiastic about their supervisor's competence and skills.
- She had many friends and related openly and well to me, implying skills in social competence.
- In our experience, the competence and skills of traditional birth attendants may vary widely across settings.
- 2 (jurisdiction) (Law) to be within/beyond the competence of the courtser/no ser (de la) competencia del tribunalExample sentences
- A court's competence to grant an anti-suit injunction seems to derive from its jurisdiction to adjudicate.
- But the courts have no competence to nullify, repeal or amend the legislation in question.
- The Assembly is given competence to exercise legislative authority in respect of those matters falling under the responsibility of the six Northern Ireland Government Departments.
Definition of competence in:
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= trending


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An eastern Kentucky hospital receives high honors as one of the top one-hundred in the nation.
This begins our look at news affecting your health.
The Harlan ARH is named one of the nation's one-hundred top hospitals by Thomson Healthcare.
The award is based on statistics of quality, efficiency, and financial stability from more than three-thousand hospitals across the nation.
"The patients that I see are not just patients, or number, or diseases, they are friends and acquaintances and neighbors and so we take care of each other, not just as sick people but as a big family that always sticks together," Dr. Abdul Dahhan said.
Harlan ARH was on the top one-hundred list in 1998 and hospital officials say they hope to make it an annual occurrence from now on.
King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland is the only other hospital in eastern Kentucky to make it on the list.


text: Visit our Kitchen In every Fuller's Kitchen, we really do take taste personally. Reserve your table now and discover a unique menu, crafted by Head Chef, Marian Ciubotar. Book a table Twelfth Night Experience Shakespeare as the Bard intended – interactive, outdoors and with a pint in hand Book Now How did we do? Because we value feedback, take a couple of minutes to fill-in our online feedback survey and we'll enter you into a prize draw to win £250 to spend with Fuller's Find out more


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Orders of Service from the BCP 2004
Downloadable Orders of Service
> PRISM Adult Education - "Celebrating Communion"
> Seasonal Kyries, Introduction to Peace, Preface and Blessings
Click here for the first service for this day.
The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany Year A
Collect One
O God,
who knowest us to be set
in the midst of so many and great dangers,
that by reason of the frailty of our nature
we cannot always stand upright;
Grant to us such strength and protection,
as may support us in all dangers,
and carry us through all temptations;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Collect Two
Creator God,
who in the beginning
commanded the light to shine out of darkness:
We pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief,
shine into the hearts of all your people,
and reveal the knowledge of your glory
in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Post Communion Prayer
Generous Lord,
in word and eucharist we have proclaimed
the mystery of your love.
Help us so to live out our days
that we may be signs of your wonders in the world;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple Year A
Collect One
Almighty and everliving God,
we humbly beseech thy Majesty,
that, as thy only-begotten Son was this day
presented in the temple in substance of our flesh,
so we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts,
by the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Collect Two
Almighty and everliving God,
clothed in majesty,
whose beloved Son was this day presented in the temple
in the substance of our mortal nature:
May we be presented to you with pure and clean hearts,
by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
The First Reading - Haggai 2: 1-9
The Psalm - Psalms 48, 146
The Second Reading - John 2: 18-22
Click here to view the readings
Post Communion Prayer
God, for whom we wait,
you fulfilled the hopes of Simeon and Anna,
who lived to welcome the Messiah.
Complete in us your perfect will,
that in Christ we may see your salvation,
for he is Lord for ever and ever.


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On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 23:41:30 GMT, Joe Zeff
>Does anybody know how
>to back out of this oopsie?
Found it, after way too much mucking around: it's in
..gnome2/session-manual. Removing the line cleared it.
Joe Zeff
The Guy With the Sideburns
Computers work in strange and wonderful ways,
Their marvels to avoid performing.
http://www.lasfs.org http://home.earthlink.net/~sidebrnz


text:
New Articles
All-Star Celebrity Game
Photo: Tom Fox
Los Angeles Lakers player Pau Gasol isn't quite sure how he's going to throw a a lasso around a moving mechanical calf during a time out in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.
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Kaplan CIO: Cloudy With a Chance of Chromebooks
Business customers have been hesitant to buy Google Chromebooks, computers designed to run software delivered via a web browser. But Edward Hanapole, CIO for diversified education services company Kaplan, is taking a more aggressive approach to the computers–which boot up faster and cost less than traditional laptops. He's testing dozens of new Chromebook notebooks and Chromebox desktop machines in Kaplan's call centers.
"[Chromebooks] can be hugely disruptive for the enterprise, as well as in many of our facilities," Hanapole told CIO Journal during a meeting in Google's New York City office May 31. Hanapole, who was in town to participate on a panel at Google's cloud computing event May 31, said the Chromebook initiative is one of several efforts to move the company's 30,000 worldwide employees into the cloud. This is part of a broader process the company embarked on a few years ago to simplify IT operations amid declining financial performance.
Kaplan, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Washington Post Company, has long been known as the company people turn to for help preparing for various exams. But the company is also trying to help itself after its revenues declined over the last few years. In May, the Washington Post said revenue for its education division — Kaplan – totaled $553.4 million for the first quarter of 2012, an 11% decline from revenue of $618.9 million for the first quarter of 2011. For the quarter, Kaplan reported an operating loss of $13.2 million, compared to operating income of $20 million for the year-ago quarter.
Part of Kaplan's financial challenge is its business line diversification, culled from two decades of acquisitions. Kaplan has four major subdivisions, including Kaplan Higher Education, which includes Kaplan University, Kaplan Professional, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, and Kaplan Kids and Schools. These units all run custom business systems, operations systems and learning platforms. Over time, managing the business software and infrastructure for these divisions, which included 16 Microsoft Exchange domains, grew cumbersome and unwieldy, Hanapole said.
Such inefficiency is not a recipe for success for a company that competes on a handful of fronts with dozens of rivals that include Princeton Review in test preparation and Devry University and the University of Phoenix in higher education. Kaplan CEO Andy Rosen, who in 2009 started an IT transformation process to cut costs and make the company run more efficiently, decided to do something about Kaplan's tangled infrastructure.
In January 2010, he hired Hanapole, who integrated disparate systems and streamlined IT during stints at News Corp. and IBM. Hanapole began migrating Kaplan from Microsoft Office productivity software to Google Apps last year. Roughly 23,000 North American employees are now on Google; the company is still moving its 7,000 international employees to Google's software, Hanapole said. He pays $50 per user, per year for the Google Apps software. "Google Apps is a starting point for IT automation and efficiency," he said.
Lots of CIOs share similar stories. They join a company, see inefficiency in e-mail and move to Google Apps, or maybe move to Salesforce.com for customer software. Cloud adoption for some IT leaders often ends there. Not for Hanapole, who insists on bringing more and more software originally developed for consumers into the workplace. For example, he and roughly 200 technology workers at Kaplan conduct video chats via Google+ Hangouts.
But Hanapole's Chromebook and Chromebox tests, another step in Kaplan's move to the cloud, rank among the boldest cloud moves yet for a CIO. Chrome machines, in conjunction with communications software from Genesys, allow contact agents to field, transfer, hold, and release customer calls right through the computers. Such a move is progressive at a time when businesses have been reluctant to use Chromebooks because they have limited local storage. It's also cost-effective compared to the thousands of dollars a year Hanapole pays to license and manage Microsoft desktops in the call centers; he expects using Chrome machines could cut Kaplan's computing costs in half. If all goes well with the Chrome machine tests, Hanapole hopes to switch all 3,000 contact center agents, and eventually all of the company's 20,000-plus knowledge workers, to Chrome-based machines.
Some CIOs might be leery of using so much Google software, but Hanapole said he's comfortable with Google's security controls. "The concerns that I have as a CIO is that you're either going to provide certain tools and technologies to employees or you're not, and they will actually go and do it on their own," he said. Hanapole believes it's important to give employees access to technology that they want to use at home.
This attitude also could help Kaplan better compete in an education services field where rivals have proven savvy in using consumer technology for business. The University of Phoenix, a subsidiary of the Apollo Group, also supports Gmail and Google Apps. The company also offers mobile applications for Apple's iOS and Google's Android software that allow students to access their coursework from smartphones and tablet computers.
Hanapole attributes his love for consumer technology to his 20 year career in media, which includes roles at Standard & Poor's, Simon & Schuster and New York Times Digital. Over time, Hanapole realized that the technology he employed to help consumers access content also could be used to empower employees. And when people have the opportunity to feel empowered, they want to come work for you, said Hanapole.
"What I'm trying to do is flip it so that we're formally sponsoring a program that is giving our employees who have expectations of how they want to use tools and technology to communicate and replicate that in a corporate environment," Hanapole said. "Nobody goes home and works in Outlook."


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It's no longer a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when". As in when will HTC make One's successor official and when will the so-called M8 start selling? Our best guesses right now are during or before February's Mobile World Congress, and in March or April respectively.
However, maybe the bigger question is not "when" after all. Instead, it might be this: is it worth it? Worth the wait, the hoopla, the buzz? The short answer: probably not.
Assuming notorious Twitter tipster @evleaks is correct with his latest round of speculation (as he so often is), the M8, aka One Two, or just Two, may land with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 power beneath its hood, 2 GB RAM and a 5-inch 1,080p display.
Not bad… for a late 2013 flagship device, but pretty bad for 2014, as the much more impressive [easyazon-link asin="B00BV1MVJ0″ locale="us"]Samsung Galaxy S5[/easyazon-link], Sony Xperia Z2 and LG G3 are looming large on the horizon. What's worse is HTC apparently plans to intro the M8 with another meager UltraPixel cam slapped on its back.
On the bright side, Android 4.4 KitKat and a fresh version of the Sense UI, 6.0, are tipped to run the software show. Too bad that's too little, too late. Then again, to end today's piece on a somewhat cheerful note, we have to stress the above specs are dubbed "preliminary" by @evleaks, so a few last-minute changes could still occur. Sounds unlikely, but not impossible.
Via [Twitter]


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I had a severe asthma attack and had to go to the ER. When I was being checked in, I was coughing severely,SOB, and sweating but my O2 level was 98%. After about an hour the tech came in to give me my second breathing treatment and he saw that my O2 level had dropped to 86%. He started me on oxygen right away. I was a bit surprised because my symptoms had abated and I was feeling better. After a couple of hours of oxygen and my final breathing treatments, I was taken off oxygen and observed for about an hour. In that time my O2 fluctuated between 88-92%. This satisfied their requirement of 90% so I was able to go home. I was just wondering why it dropped so quickly, particularly when I was feeling better? And are there any symptoms because I didn't feel any?READ MORE
Hi there...
Of course, it's impossible to know for sure after the fact what happened to you exactly, especially without being able to examine you. But if they checked your oxygen level using a pulse oximeter, then it's been my observation watching my mom over the past year or two (who has COPD) that oximetry is not always 100% accurate. At least not as accurate as arterial blood gases (a blood test requiring a lab draw) would be.
I've seen oximetry affected by hand temperature, position of the sensor on the fingertip and also by the technician. I suspect your initial reading was not quite as good as they measured it. 98% is darn good for someone who is coughing severely and gasping for breath.
Of course, your best bet would be to pose this question to your doctor, who can examine your hospital records and perhaps pick up on something else that was going on that would have affected it.
To your health,
Possibly a condition known as V/Q Mismatch which is not uncommonREAD MORE


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Want to know how you can attend an early screening of 'The Conjuring' in LA?
One of the panels I moderated at WonderCon this year was for James Wan's new film "The Conjuring." It was a treat to have Lorraine Warren, one of the real-life inspirations for the film, and we spoke with her a bit after the panel. I got to meet several of the daughters of the family depicted in the film, and by the end of the day, I'd been able to have fascinating conversations with all of them.
Before I moderated the panel, they showed me the film so I could see what I'd be talking about. That's not always the case, but they seemed very confident that they had something special, and while I'm still not reviewing the film (we'll do that closer to release), I can tell you that I agree. I think Wan's getting better from film to film right now, and it's exciting to watch what he's doing. He has a knack for a particular type of haunted-house experience, and this is a particularly character-driven version of this type of film.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga star as Ed and Lorraine Warren, and this feels like a chapter in a much larger story about them. They worked as parapsychologists for years, and in the '70s, when it seemed like there was a cultural moment of accepting all the fringiest supernatural ideas as possible, they were involved in several high-profile events, including The Amityville Horror. In this case, they become involved with a family who has moved into a house that seems to be pushing them towards some sort of awful tragedy.
Lili Taylor, one of my favorite working actors, does a tremendous job of grounding the film's terrors, and Ron Livingston is very good as her husband, unsure how to handle what appears to be happening to his family.
If this sounds like it might be your cup of tea, and you're here in LA, I have a really fun announcement just for you: we're showing the film.
Next Monday, June 24th, we're taking over the Vista Theater*, and we're going to do a 7:30 PM screening of the movie. We may even have some special guests there. We'll have more details as we get closer to the actual event, but for now, please use the following link --
-- and I look forward to watching several hundred of you lose your collective cool when James Wan gets a hold of you. It's gonna be a blast.
*[Editor's note: If you live in Southern California and have never been to the Vista Theater, you must come to this screening. One of the true gems of Los Angeles movie theaters with one of the best screens in town and it even has extra leg room!]
"The Conjuring" opens in theaters nationwide on July 19, 2013.


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Column: Sky is the limit for Women's rugby
Updated: Thursday, 20 Feb 2014 17:11 | Comments
By Rosie Foley
I will be an immensely proud and excited Irish woman when the team takes the field to defend their Grand Slam against one of the strongest sides in the world on Saturday evening (6.20pm).
England won seven titles in a row before Ireland took the Grand Slam last year, so the scale of the challenge should not be underestimated.
Personally, there will be a lot of nervous anxiety, but I will also feel privileged to have been part of the story.
From small beginnings in UCD and Trinity in the 1970s, Irish women's rugby has come a long way over the last 40 years.
The formation of the Irish Women's Rugby Football Union in 1992, the first ever international match against Scotland a year later, the start of the Women's championship, and our Grand Slam success in 2013 have all been hugely significant milestones along the way.
The future also looks bright with Rugby World Cup qualification, the formation of a new Sevens squad and ever increasing interest in the game indicating that it is only going to get bigger.
Personally, what has happened over the last few years has been a dream come true.
Rugby has played a huge role in my life and my family's life. I come from a sporting family with my dad Brendan playing for Shannon, Munster and Ireland after starting out with St Mary's RFC in Limerick. He was capped 11 times by Ireland and was on the Munster team that beat the All Blacks in 1978.
'From the first time I saw rugby, I wanted to play'
My brother Anthony also played from a young age, starting with Killaloe/Ballina RFC and going on to represent St Munchin's, Shannon, Munster and Ireland. We played on the same day and at the same venue twice during our international careers.
GAA was huge for us as well. I played for Smith O'Brien's in camogie, Meelick in Ladies' Football and the Clare Junior Ladies football team and was lucky enough to have plenty of success with those teams along the way. I also qualified as an Irish Water Safety Examiner and Instructor and swimming teacher.
But from the first time I saw rugby, at a mixed charity game my father was involved in, I wanted to play. I was about seven or eight years old at the time.
I finally got the opportunity when I went to UL as a Physical Education student in 1996. With the help of the college sports officer Dave Conway, we set up the UL Ladies' Rugby Team and played our first game in 1997, taking on DCU. I played at number eight (we won!). Ian Costello, who now works with the Munster squad, coached us with my dad helping out on the sideline.
"Athletes on the pitch, ladies off it"
From then on, I was well and truly hooked and went on to play with Shannon, Munster and Ireland over the coming years.
There was a certain amount of opposition to be overcome at various stages but while we made sure our views were heard, the teams I was involved with also took pride in conducting ourselves with dignity at all times: "athletes on the pitch, ladies off it".
It wasn't always easy but nothing worthwhile ever is. I can say with certainty that it was definitely worth it in the long run.
And as well as the occasional obstacle, rugby gave us great opportunities. At UL, it took us to three All-Ireland College's Cup victories and also to Paris for a Universities competition. We were also often invited to university events by the then President Roger Downer.
With Shannon, we travelled the country and won the All-Ireland Plate and the All-Ireland League in quick succession. Shannon also brought women's rugby onto the games committee and gave us great support. With Munster, came next and I was lucky enough to win five interprovincial titles in a row and have the privilege of captaining Munster to win some of those titles. Munster Rugby also gave great support.
My first international cap came against Spain in 2001 on a day when Anthony played against Italy in Rome. That was the first of 39 internationals taking in the Six Nations, European Championships and two Rugby World Cups. Myself and Anthony played for Ireland at the same venue on two occasions.
The Irish Sports Council, the International Rugby Board and the IRFU also gave crucial help to women's rugby along the way.
Olympic Sevens - fresh impetus for Women's Rugby
I now teach second level Physical Education at St Anne's Community College in Killaloe, coaching rugby and camogie. My kids play rugby with Killaloe/Ballina RFC, GAA with Smith O'Brien's and also do running with Derg Athletics Club, along with Anthony's and Keith Wood's children.
So the cycle begins again, only now the option of rugby is there for more young kids than ever.
My only hope is that the story will continue to develop and that there will be more success over the next few years.
The ingredients to make that happen are there. We have already seen a surge of interest and numbers playing in this country. Globally, there are over 1.5 million women's rugby players with 112 Unions involved in the game. The addition of sevens to the Olympics should add even more impetus to that growth while the enhanced profile women's rugby has gotten in media will also add to the appeal of the game for young female players.
Could Ireland be world champions, win another Grand Slam or become Olympic medallists in Rio?
If the support continues, the sky is the limit.
Rosie Foley was capped 39 times for Ireland during her international career. She will be an RTÉ analyst for Women's Six Nations: England v Ireland on Saturday from 6.15pm on RTÉ Two and RTÉ.ie/sport.
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