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4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MATHEMATICS AND NATURAL SCIENCES (ICMNS 2012): Science for Health, Food and Sustainable Energy
Front Matter for Volume 15891589 (2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/v1589.frontmatterView Description Hide Description
Preface: 4th International Conference on Mathematics and Natural Sciences (ICMNS 2012)1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868735View Description Hide Description
On the effects of solar storms to the decaying orbital space debris1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868736View Description Hide Description
Any man-made object in Earth's orbit that no longer serves a useful purpose is classified as orbital debris. Debris objects come from a variety of sources. The majority is related to satellite fragmentation. Other major sources of debris are propulsion systems, and fragmentation of spent upper stages, payload and mission related debris. Serious concern about orbital debris has been growing. Knowledge of the future debris environment is important to both satellite designers, and mission planners, who need to know what hazards a satellite might encounter during the course of its mission. Therefore, it is important to know how much debris is in orbit, where it is located, and when it will decay. The debris environment is complex and dynamically evolving. Objects of different shape and size behave differently in orbit. The geoeffectiveness space environments include solar flux at 10.7 cm, solar energetic particles flux or speed, solar wind flow pressure, electric field, and geomagnetic indices. We study the decaying orbital debris from Tracking and Impact Prediction (TIP) messages in conjuction with geoeffectiveness space environments through time epoch correlation. We found that the decaying and reentry orbital debris are triggered by space environment enhancement within at least one week before reentry. It is not necessary a transient or high energetic and severe solar storm events are needed in decaying processes. We propose that the gradual enhancement processes of space environment will cause satellite surface charging due to energetic electron and enhance drag force.
Oscillation signature from multi-wavelength analysis on solar chromosphere1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868737View Description Hide Description
In this work, we investigate how the solar chromosphere responds to the photospheric dynamics by using tomography study, implementing multiwavelength analysis observations obtained from Dutch Open Telescope. By using high resolution, high-quality, simultaneous image sequences of multi-wavelength data, we try to obtain the oscillation signature that might play important role on chromospheric dynamic by using H-alpha (Hα) as primary diagnostic tool.
Deep coronal hole associated with quiescent filament1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868738View Description Hide Description
We present a study of the morphology of quiescent filament observed by H-alpha Solar Telescope at Bosscha Observatory in association with coronal hole observed by Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument in 193 Å from Solar Dynamics Observatory. H-alpha images were processed by imaging softwares, namely Iris 5.59 and ImageJ, to enhance the signal to noise ratio and to identify the filament features associated with coronal hole. For images observed on October 12, 2011, November 14, 2011 and January 2, 2012, we identified distinct features of coronal holes above the quiescent filaments. This associated coronal holes have filament-like morphology with a thick long thread as it's 'spine', defined as Deep Coronal Hole. Because of strong magnetic field of sunspot, these filaments and coronal holes emerged far from active region and lasted for several days. It is interesting as for segmented filament, deep coronal holes above the filaments lasted for a quite long period of time and merged. This association between filament and deep coronal hole can be explained by filament magnetic loop.
Orbit of the short-lived Sun-grazing comet C/1999 X31589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868739View Description Hide Description
Sun-grazing comet C/1999 X3 was discovered by SOHO and does not belong to any known Sun-grazer group. The comet resides in near-Earth space and no cometary outgassing component constants are available. Using recent orbital data on May 2012, we numerically followed a nominal orbit of the comet and put all planets as perturbing bodies. We find that C/1999 X3 will plunge into the sun in only about 2100 yrs. This lifetime is roughly a quarter that of the known sun-grazer comet 96P/Machholz 1. Involving an adopted 96P model of cometary outgassing and relativity correction into the equations of motion of the comet will insignificantly shorten its lifetime, before impact. We generated about 3500 orbital clones of C/1999 X3 to analyze orbital variations of the comet. Results show that 95% clones will impact the Sun over the lifetime. This high solar impact probability offers a study of cometary dynamics in near-Earth space for which it may indicate a new group of Sun-grazer.
Behavior of long term interval of state a in GRS 1915+1051589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868740View Description Hide Description
We analyzed X-ray light curves of a unique black hole binary in our Galaxy, GRS 1915+105. We used Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) data between 2007-2008 observations, during which GRS 1915+105 was mostly in its low intensity state. We obtained a total of 93 data with various variability patterns. In this work, we only focused on those data (45 observation data) with low intensity (less than 10,000 counts/s) and without complex variability patterns, known as State A. Previous studies on state A were limited to those occur sporadically due to the lack of observation data since, most of the time, GRS 1915+105 stays at high intensity state. We aimed to study the behavior of long term interval of state A in GRS 1915+105. Similar to the previous studies, we used color-color diagram for our analysis after correcting for the background. We also considered the absorption effect of the interstellar medium which is dominant below 10 keV. In general, the obtained results are in good agreement with the previous studies. However, there are some data that show different behavior which need further studies.
Identifying solar wind structures related to Garuda 1 satellite anomaly by analyzing solar wind and IMF parameters1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868741View Description Hide Description
Understanding solar wind structures associated with anomalies experienced by a satellite can be useful in the prediction of satellite anomalies. This study uses solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) parameters to identify the type of solar wind disturbances associated with the reported anomaly experienced by Garuda 1 satellite on April 5, 2005. By superposed epoch analysis we conclude that the corotating interaction region (CIR) with a stream interface at 6:30 UT of 4 April 2005 was associated with the anomaly. This CIR produced a moderate intensity magnetic storm with Dst = −90 nT.
The Bosscha Observatory's BIMA project1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868742View Description Hide Description
Eclipsing Binaries' Minima (BIMA) Monitoring Project is an observational program host by Bosscha Observatory - Lembang, Indonesia. The main purpose of the program is to build an open-database based on observations conducted at Bosscha Observatory. Differential photometry method will be used and the objects that will be studied are those considered suitable for astronomical CCD observations with small telescopes (diameter of 8 inches or more). The program has officially started in June 2012, and here we present the details of the program.
Effect of initial inclination to the stability of triple star systems1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868743View Description Hide Description
A triple star system consists of a closer (inner) binary and another farther (outer) component orbiting the closer binary. The stability of such triple star systems has been of interest to many authors. In one of the studies, it is found that the instability of triple stars system is also determined by its critical period ratio (outer/inner), beside its mass ratio. In this study, they considered stars of mass 0.01 – 100 solar mass, with mass ratio range of 1 – 100. By using Mercury code, we extend their work to study the effects of initial inclination to the stability of the systems. The code validation results in an agreement with their results, i.e the bigger the period ratio of a system from its critical period ratio, the system will tend to be more stable. In this paper, we report the results of our simulations which have been performed to see how initial inclination affects the stability of a system. A grid of three initial parameters (distance, inclination, and phase) has been used to initiate the simulations. We conclude that the bigger the outer binary's inclination, the system will be more stable.
Effects of dark matter on interior and evolution of main sequence stars1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868744View Description Hide Description
In a region of very high dark matter density such as near the Galactic center, stars may capture a large amount of dark matter. The existence of dark matter in the core of a star may trigger annihilation processes which provide additional source of energy for the star while significantly alters stellar interior and evolution. We employed DarkStars code to simulate the evolution of main sequence stars under the influence of dark matter. Simulations show that energy injection by dark matter annihilation to stars causes decreasing in temperature and pressure in the stellar core. Hence, the rate of hydrogen burning drops. Stars are able to maintain hydrogen in their core for longer period and extend their lifetime in the main sequence. Lower mass stars are influenced more significantly by dark matter than higher mass stars.
On the period determination of ASAS eclipsing binaries1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868745View Description Hide Description
Variable stars, or particularly eclipsing binaries, are very essential astronomical occurrence. Surveys are the backbone of astronomy, and many discoveries of variable stars are the results of surveys. All-Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) is one of the observing projects whose ultimate goal is photometric monitoring of variable stars. Since its first light in 1997, ASAS has collected 50,099 variable stars, with 11,076 eclipsing binaries among them. In the present work we focus on the period determination of the eclipsing binaries. Since the number of data points in each ASAS eclipsing binary light curve is sparse, period determination of any system is a not straightforward process. For 30 samples of such systems we compare the implementation of Lomb-Scargle algorithm which is an Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) basis and Phase Dispersion Minimization (PDM) method which is non-FFT basis to determine their period. It is demonstrated that PDM gives better performance at handling eclipsing detached (ED) systems whose variability are non-sinusoidal. More over, using semi-automatic recipes, we get better period solution and satisfactorily improve 53% of the selected object's light curves, but failed against another 7% of selected objects. In addition, we also highlight 4 interesting objects for further investigation.
Analysis of blackdrop effect in the transit of Venus on June 6, 20121589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868746View Description Hide Description
Transit Venus was observed in LAPAN Biak using a portable telescope with a diameter of 103 mm and recorded using ImagingSource CCD video camera. The backdrop effect was observed during the beginning of transit. This work tries to analyze this backdrop effect observed during this expedition.
Open cluster evolutions in binary system: How they dissolved1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868747View Description Hide Description
Binarity among stellar clusters in galaxy is such a reality which has been realized for a long time, but still hides several questions and problems to be solved. Some of binary star clusters are formed by close encounter, but the others are formed together from similar womb. Some of them undergo separation process, while the others are in the middle of merger toward common future. The products of merger binary star cluster have typical characteristics which differ from solo clusters, especially in their spatial distribution and their stellar members kinematics. On the other hand, these merger products still have to face dissolving processes triggered by both internal and external factors. In this study, we performed N-body simulations of merger binary clusters with different initial conditions. After merging, these clusters dissolve with greater mass-loss rate because of their angular momentum. These rotating clusters also experience more deceleration caused by external tidal field.
Speckle observation of visual double stars at Bosscha observatory1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868748View Description Hide Description
We present the result of visual double stars speckle observation in 2012, using 24 inch (60 cm) refractor at the Bosscha Observatory. The objects selected for this observation are calibration candidates, their separations range from 1–7 arc second, and they are located in both northern and southern hemisphere. Seeing effect due to the Earth atmospheric turbulence limits the resolution of ground-based telescopes. Seeing over Bosscha Observatory is generally 1–2 arc second, imposing a limit on visual double star separation below which the system cannot be resolved by long exposure imaging (longer than ∼ 50 ms). Speckle interferometry method is used to resolve double stars with separation below typical size of seeing effect. Series of images are captured in fast short-time exposures (∼ 50 ms) using CCD camera. The result of our first experiment shows that our system can be used to measure separation of 1.8 arc second, with Δm ≃ 1.
Lunar occultation observation of μ Sgr: A progress report1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868749View Description Hide Description
Lunar Occultation (LO) is an event where limb of the Moon passing over a particular heavenly bodies such as stars, asteroids, or planets. In other words, during the event, stars, asteroids and planets are occulted by the Moon. When occulted objects contact the lunar limb, there will be a diffraction fringe(s) which can be measured photometrically, until the signal vanishes into noise. This event will give us a valuable information about binarities (of stars) and/or angular diameters estimation (of stars, planets, asteroids) in milliarcsecond resolution, by fitting with theoretical LO pattern. CCDs are common for LO observation because of its fast read out, and recently are developed for sub-meter class telescope. In this paper, our LO observation attempt of μ Sgr and its progress report are presented. The observation was conducted on July 30th, 2012 at Bosscha Observatory, Indonesia, using 45cm f/12 GOTO telescope combined with ST-9 XE CCD camera and Bessel B filter. We used drift-scan method to obtain light curve of the star as it was disappearing behind Moon's dark limb. Our goal is to detect binarity (or multiplicity) of this particular object.
Search for bright stars with infrared excess1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868750View Description Hide Description
Bright stars, stars with visual magnitude smaller than 6.5, can be studied using small telescope. In general, if stars are assumed as black body radiator, then the color in infrared (IR) region is usually equal to zero. Infrared data from IRAS observations at 12 and 25μm (micron) with good flux quality are used to search for bright stars (from Bright Stars Catalogues) with infrared excess. In magnitude scale, stars with IR excess is defined as stars with IR color ; where , where F 12 and F 25 are flux density in Jansky at 12 and 25μm, respectively. Stars with similar spectral type are expected to have similar color. The existence of infrared excess in the same spectral type indicates the existence of circum-stellar dust, the origin of which is probably due to the remnant of pre main-sequence evolution during star formation or post AGB evolution or due to physical process such as the rotation of those stars.
The Hubble constant estimation using 18 gravitational lensing time delays1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868751View Description Hide Description
Gravitational lens time delay method has been used to estimate the rate of cosmological expansion, called the Hubble constant, , independently of the standard candle method. This gravitational lensing method requires a good knowledge of the lens mass distribution, reconstructed using the lens image properties. The observed positions of the images, and the redshifts of the lens and the images serve as strong constraints to the lens equations, which are then solved as a set of simultaneous linear equations. Here we made use of a non-parametric technique to reconstruct the lens mass distribution, which is manifested in a linear equations solver named PixeLens. Input for the calculation is chosen based on prior known parameters obtained from analyzed result of the lens case observations, including time-delay, position angles of the images and the lens, and their redshifts. In this project, 18 fairly well studied lens cases are further grouped according to a number of common properties to examine how each property affects the character of the data, and therefore affects the calculation of . The considered lens case properties are lens morphology, number of image, completeness of time delays, and symmetry of lens mass distribution. Analysis of simulation shows that paucity of constraints on mass distribution of a lens yields wide range value of , which reflects the uniqueness of each lens system. Nonetheless, gravitational lens method still yields within an acceptable range of value when compared to those determined by many other methods. Grouping the cases in the above manner allowed us to assess the robustness of PixeLens and thereby use it selectively. In addition, we use glafic, a parametric mass reconstruction solver, to refine the mass distribution of one lens case, as a comparison.
Volatiles in comets as probes to the early solar system1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868752View Description Hide Description
Comets are considered as the remnants of the planetesimals (building blocks of the planets) formed in the proto-planetary disk of the Sun. They have retained the information about the formation and evolutional history of the early solar system. To investigate the chemical and physical conditions of the proto-planetary disk, comets have been studied as probes to the solar system formation. In the last two decades, thanks to advances in technology, near-infrared (NIR) observations have been carried out to detect the various kinds of molecules (with and without permanent electric dipole moments) released directly from the nucleus. As the physical temperature could control chemical reactions, we expect to find chemical diversity among comets that have different dynamical origins. To investigate chemical diversity in the proto-planetary disk, we have observed several comets with NIR high-dispersion spectrometry. Although the number of samples is still small relative to the number of samples obtained by optical studies, the HCN, , , , , , and CO content in more than 10 comets have been measured. We compared our samples with other samples obtained by NIR observations and found no clear differences in the chemical compositions of the comets, even though the comets originated in different dynamical reservoirs (i.e., the Oort Cloud and the trans-Neptunian regions). Although there was a small variation in the mixing ratios among the OC comets, all the samples were consistent within error limits. This variation (if it exists) may be supporting evidence for the Nice model. The sublimation temperature of is relatively higher than that of other hyper volatiles, such as CO, , and . Thus, in the proto-planetary disk, there was a region where could exist as ice and be incorporated into the planetesimals, while other hyper volatiles were in gas phase and could not be incorporated into the planetesimals. Alternatively, the differences in the chemical composition of ices between comets and interstellar environments might be caused by some kind of nebula processing after interstellar ices fell into the solar nebula. To provide more rigid constraints on the conditions in the proto-planetary disk, we need more observational samples of comets and realistic models of chemical and dynamical evolution in the proto-planetary disk.
Pore shape characterization of Fontainebleau sandstone and its models using Fourier descriptor1589(2014); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4868753View Description Hide Description
In the last decade, reconstruction of porous rock as well as its modelling has been developed vastly, which has been possible because of the μCT scanning devices. One of a famous rock that has been a subject of many researches in the characterization of porous medium is the Fontainebleau sandstone. Its homogeneity of the pore structure has been one of the reasons of the development of computational analyses that have also been applied to characterize the rock. The characteristics include porosity, permeability, curvature, pore connectivity, and percolation. Many models have also been developed based on the properties of this rock, e.g., the Gaussian Field model, Diagenesis model, Simulated Annealing model and Continuum Geometrical model. In this paper we are interested in the characteristic of the pore geometry of Fontainebleau and its models, i.e., the quantification of pore shape. We performed analysis based on Fourier Descriptor, which utilized Complex Fourier analysis where the boundary of the 2D pore is circumnavigated in the complex plane, such as to obtain the shape boundary coordinates of an object. The analysis using Fourier Descriptors demonstrates that the complexity level can be distinguished using the extracted length characteristic of the shape signature, i.e., the higher the level of complexity, the higher the length characteristic of shape signature. From this analysis we conclude that the Continuum Geometrical model has the most similar pore geometry characteristics with the Fontainebleau sandstone.


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Peru Village Matriarch
Category: People
Photo and caption by Stacie Segebart
While trekking in the Andes of Peru, this village woman added character to the street atmosphere of Mollepata that only Peru can portray. She caught my gaze, and it spoke of her presence and past.
Location: Mollepata, Peru
More People Entries »
By Aidas Banaitis
By Rachel Glogowski
By Sameer Masand

subset: commoncrawl


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Tawfik Hamid was born in Egypt to what he describes as a secular family. Islam was always part of life, but as he grew up he became increasingly involved with the Salafi movement. Reading the Koran regularly made him want to do Jihad and conquer infidels. He was well on his way to Shahida (martyrdom), but pulled back in the nick of time. He tells about his journey in a must read article republished in The Jerusalem Post. Selected paragraphs, dealing with the impact of the Koran on Hamid's young mind, appear below. Koran quotes are in red.
When I was nine, I learned the following Koranic verse during one of our Arabic lessons: "But do not think of those that have been slain in God's cause as dead. Nay, they are alive! With their sustainer have they their sustenance. They are very happy with the reward they received from Allah [for dying as a shahid] and they rejoice for the sake of those who have not joined them [i.e., have not yet died for Allah]" (Koran 3:169-70).
It was the first time I was exposed to the concept of shahid (martyr), and naturally, I began to dream of becoming one. The thought of entering paradise very much appealed to me. There I could eat all the lollipops and chocolates I wanted, or play all day without anyone telling me to study.
[ … ]
During my last year of high school, I began to ponder seriously the concept of God while reading about the molecular structure of DNA in a biology book.
These thoughts prompted me to learn more about Islam and to devote myself to serving Allah. I remember one particularly defining moment in an Arabic language class when I was sitting beside a Christian friend named Nagi Anton. I was reading a book entitled Alshaykhan by Taha Hussein that cited the Prophet Muhammad's words: "I have been ordered by Allah to fight and kill all people [non-Muslims] until they say, 'No God except Allah.'" Following the reading of this Hadith, I decisively turned toward Nagi and said to him, "If we are to apply Islam correctly, we should apply this Hadith to you." At that moment I suddenly started to view Nagi as an enemy rather than as a longtime friend.
What further hardened my attitude on this matter was the advice I received from many dedicated Muslim fellow students, who warned me against befriending Christians. They based their counsel on the following verse: "O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends: They are but friends to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them [for friendship] is of them [an infidel]. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust" (Koran 5:51).
[ … ]Our fear of being punished after death was exacerbated by our work in the cadaver room, where we dissected dead bodies. Seeing death regularly during anatomy and physiology courses made us feel that the life of this world was meaningless compared to "real" life after death. Jamaah Islamiyah impressed that idea on us by citing the following Koranic verse: "Those who desire the life of the present and its glitter, to them we shall pay [the price of] their deeds therein, without diminution… [yet] it is they who, in the life to come, shall have nothing but the fire – for in vain shall be all good things that they have done in this [world], and worthless all that they ever did" (Koran 11:15-16). Indeed, the preachers used a range of verses to warn those who did not follow Muhammad and Islam rigorously that they would suffer in hell forever.
[ … ]
Initially, I thought that I would experience an ordinary prayer session like those in other mosques. But before the prayers began, the participants were required to stand shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot. The leading cleric, Muhammad Omar, personally checked our arrangement for 15 minutes to make sure that there were no gaps between our shoulders or feet. The reason for this exercise became apparent when Omar recited the following verse: "Truly Allah loves those who fight in His cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure" (Koran 61:4). This militaristic attitude during prayers was the first step in preparing me for the concept of jihad against "the enemies of Allah," the non-Muslims.
[ … ]
Salafi teachings expressly forbid acting on sexual desire. They prohibit a man from touching any woman or even looking at one. Speaking to a woman on a personal level is not permitted. To be alone with a woman without relatives present, it is believed, would "invite Satan to be the third person." Women became for members of Jamaah, therefore, forbidden creatures. But while relations with women were strictly proscribed, the erotic passages in Salafi writings simultaneously aroused in us a powerful sexual desire. This dilemma led us to conclude that dying for Allah provided our only hope for satisfying our lust, because that lust could be satisfied only in paradise. It is not surprising that Osama bin Laden and other terrorist leaders sent letters to their suicide murderers that described to them the hur, or white ladies awaiting them in paradise.
Unfortunately, I followed Salafi Islam. My hatred toward non-Muslims increased dramatically, and jihadi doctrine became second nature to me. My goal of being a physician and healing the sick grew tainted, infected by my strong wish to subjugate non-Muslims and impose Shari'a.
[ … ]
One of Zawahiri's significant achievements was to personalize jihad – that is, to have transformed it from a responsibility of the umma, the Islamic collective, to a duty of Muslim individuals. His goal is to spread the empire of Islam through the actions of individual radical Muslims, each of whom is incited to wage a personal jihad. This allows young Muslims to carry out suicide bombings without the endorsement of the collective body.
Zawahiri and his fellow jihadis base their philosophy on the verse that states, "Then fight in Allah's cause – you are held responsible only for yourself – and rouse the believers [to fight]" (Koran 4:84).
[ … ]
We viewed both the Soviets and the Americans as enemies. The Soviets were considered infidels because they did not believe in the existence of God, while the Americans did not follow Islam. Although we planned to fight the Soviets first, our ultimate objective was to destroy the United States – the greatest symbol of the infidel's freedom. My personal dream was to be an Islamic warrior, to kill the enemies of Islam, to smite their necks in accordance with the Koranic verse that read, "When ye meet the unbelievers smite at their necks" (Koran 47:4).
We considered the Prophet Muhammad to be our role model. The Koran commanded us to follow in his footsteps: "Ye have indeed in the messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern [of conduct] for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the final day, and who engages much in the praise of Allah" (Koran 33:21).
[ … ]
Jihad against non-Muslims seemed to me to be a win-win situation. The following verse, commonly cited by Jamaah members, validated my duty to die for Allah: "Allah has purchased the believers, their lives and their goods. For them [in return] is the garden [of paradise]. They fight in Allah's cause, and they slay and are slain; they kill and are killed… it [paradise] is the promise of Allah to them" (Koran 9:111).
Salafi writings also helped me to suppress my conscience by holding that many activities I had considered to be immoral were, instead, halal – that is, allowed by Allah and the prophet. My conscience would normally reject polygamy, for example, because of the severe psychological pain it would cause my future wife. Salafi teaching encourages polygamy, however, permitting up to four wives as halal: "Marry women of your choice, two or three or four" (Koran 4:3). I accepted such ideas – ideas that contradicted my moral outlook – because I came to believe that we cannot negotiate with God about his commandments: "He cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned [for theirs]" (Koran 21:23).
[ … ]
Salafi indoctrination operates through written words and careful coaching. It is enormously seductive. It rapidly changed me into a jihadi. Salafi sacred texts exert a powerful influence on millions of Muslim followers throughout the world, and terrorism is only one symptom of the Salafi disease. Salafi doctrine, which is at the root of the West's confrontation with Islamism, poses an existential threat to us all – including Muslims.


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Hillary Clinton encountered a giant squirrel in Washington Tuesday just before she participated in a CNN town hall.
The mascot was actually an intern with the Republican National Committee who was wearing a T-shirt that read: "Another Clinton in the White House is nuts."
Clinton got out of her car to shake hands with the squirrel, who has followed her to a number of events.
She also gave the squirrel a copy of her book, "Hard Choices."
The views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use.blog comments powered by Disqus


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At the age of 5 my little princess is now wishing to have her own wrist watch and it should be color blue. The mom is a little bit pressured, thanks to photowrist.com for giving me some ideas what to buy for her and of course for myself. I love the designs and can't wait to have one very very soon.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
PESO Kidapawan City (Public Employment Service Office)
This is the official FB cover page of PESO Kidapawan City. It bears our purpose which is serving the people!
The Public Employment Service Office Program is established primarily to maximize the impact of various employment promotion/creation programs and services by ensuring their speedy and efficient delivery specifically it aims to:
- Provide a venue where people could explore simultaneously various employment options and actually seek assistance in pursuit of their chosen field;
- Create an information and referral center in one venue for the various services and programs of DOLE and other agencies available int the province/area;
- Provide clients with adequate information on employment and labor market situation within the area;
- Bring Services closer to the people by expanding reach of existing programs and services;
- Strengthen the concepts of devolution of functions to and empowerment of the province/city by working closely with them.
For more information about PESO you may visit our page at PESO Kidapawan City!
Posted by Bregie C at Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Labels: PESO Kidapawan City 0 comments
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
PESO sa Barangay!
In our desire to maximize our services and to reach our constituents particularly in the fur-flung barangays of Kidapawan City, the Public Employment Service Office brings its services closer to Kidapaweños through the conduct of PESO sa barangay which started June 19, 2014. Last June 27, 2014, I have a chance to joined the team in Barangay Gayola. It was fun, the feeling is great specially you're serving the least fortunate people in the locality. I love helping the grassroots specially going to the community. Our team is divided into two groups to do the barangayan alternately but am looking forward for more activity like this!
|Our team leader in red Mrs. Herminia C. Infanta. Brgy. Chairman Dominador J. Nacua in blue with the rest of the PESO Staff.
Posted by Bregie C at Tuesday, July 01, 2014
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Thursday, June 26, 2014
State of the City Address (SOCA)
This morning Hon. Joseph Arellano Evangelista delivered his 1st State of the City Address (SOCA) during the 52nd Regular Session of Sanguniang Panlungsod held at Kidapawan City Gymnasium. His SOCA focus on the four (4) pillars of his administration. The delivery is indeed very clear and understandable hence he used 90% vernacular terms on of his speech. Congratulations Sir JAE for a job well done!
Posted by Bregie C at Thursday, June 26, 2014
Labels: soca 1 comments
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Birthday Tarpaulin
This what keeps me busy today. I made a gift for the birthday boy. This is Elixther Rieuu,the son of my friend Regie Roi. He will be celebrating his birthday tomorrow June 26, 2014. He is such a cutie boy. I hope he will like it.
Posted by Bregie C at Wednesday, June 25, 2014
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Monday, June 23, 2014
Vote Straight!
My dear nephew is running for Public Information Officer (P.I.O.). As agreed, the party decided to have a tarpaulin to be used during the campaign period. This was done rush by the author as requested. So thankful they like it. The election day was done last Friday and were still waiting for the final result. I hope kuya Dei and its partymates will be declared as winners!
Posted by Bregie C at Monday, June 23, 2014
Labels: kuya dei 0 comments
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Please be sincere!
Happiness is immeasurable when you give something with all of your heart. It doesn't matter how small it is as long as it is given whole-heartedly is becomes PRICELESS! I just want to share something, I knew somebody who comes from rags to riches. She helps the poor, YES but it was not that sincere. Why? because every time she opens her hands, she also opens her mouth. I need not elaborate the meaning of this but I hope she realized that a facade personality never last and the wealth that she posses now can be vanished anytime. I'd rather be friend to those who are poor because most of them has a genuine heart. :)
Posted by Bregie C at Saturday, June 21, 2014
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Homes & Land of Haywood County & Jackson Counties, NC
Including Various Communities and Outlying Areas in Waynesville, Sylva, Maggie Valley, Cashiers, and more.
Featured on the Cover ...
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A blacksmith in
Rexford Flats, Saratoga Co., New York,
John then moved the family to Bethlehem,
Albany Co., New York where they remained
until 1875. The family then removed to
St. Augustine, St. Johns Co., Florida
where he died 05 Aug 1877, and Lucrectia
on 27 Aug 1894.
John and
Lucretia were the parents of: Alonzo, who
married Elizabeth W. Norris, the daughter
of Henry B. and Polly (Curtis); Daniel,
who married Caroline (Smith); and George,
who married Mary J. Winter.
They were
both laid to rest in Evergreen Cemetery
in St. Augustine, Florida.
Listed as No. 31 in the
Knowlton family album owned by Robert
29 Nov 2014
Web Pages Designed & Maintained by P.
Davidson-Peters © 1999


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Cosmetology Schools in California
Beautiful California with all its glamour and dazzle is obviously a major hub for the beauty industry - especially if you are interested in hair school and cosmetology. What better place to get your start in cosmetology, specializing in cutting, coloring and styling hair, along with makeup, nail care and other beauty services? Cosmetology schools in California are teach students to do hair, nails, makeup and some skin care services. If you are passionate about beauty and are looking for a well-rounded career path in the beauty business, then becoming a California cosmetologist might be for you. Cosmetologists in California are on the cutting edge of beauty techniques and trends, and can help clients achieve the looks they're hoping for through communication with clients, and the skills and technique learned at California cosmetology schools. In cosmetology colleges in California, students can learn to do hair styling, cutting and coloring, do manicures and pedicures, apply different makeup looks, and also a bit of esthetics and skin care. Safety and sanitation is a crucial part of cosmetology training in California.
In order to take the written and practical exams for a cosmetology license, the California board requires 1600 hours of training at an approved college for cosmetology, or 3000 hours through apprenticeship. After graduating and getting licensed, CA cosmetologists should be equipped to pursue jobs as hairstylists, hair color specialists, nail technicians, makeup artists, and so much more. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2011 data, the average salary of cosmetologists in California is around $22,080 before tips, though the range is from $17,740 to $41,240 before tips. The BLS also estimates that job demand will grow for personal appearance workers by 14% through the year 2020. Many professional cosmetologists say they enjoy the fulfillment they get from being creative and helping people look and feel their best every day. Does a career in cosmetology sound right for you? Consider one of these cosmetology colleges in California to start working toward becoming a licensed professional cosmetologist.
Look through the list below to find Cosmetology Schools in California.
(Sorted alphabetically by city.)
Map of Cosmetology Schools in CA
to get more information
Show All Schools in California


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CHAFFEE -- Ethel Louise Cannon, 91, died at 5:25 a.m. Jan. 30, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.
Born Jan. 25, 1917, in Poplar Bluff, to the late Willie Edward and Cynthia Margarite Crittenden Jeffries, she was a retired supervisor from Borg-Warner Inc. in Manchester and a member of Maplewood Baptist Church in Maplewood.
On May 4, 1935, she married Elmer Andrew Cannon who preceded her in death on May 9, 2001.
One son and one sister also preceded her in death.
Survivors include: three sons, Royce Cannon of San Antonio, W.M. "Bill" Cannon of Chaffee and Timothy Cannon of Barnhart; and nine grandchildren, 14 great-
grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Visitation is scheduled at 5 p.m. Friday at the Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee where services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Rev. Vyron Yount will officiate.
Burial will follow in the Union Park Cemetery in Chaffee.
Pallbearers will be: Wade Cannon, Travis Skidmore, Tim Stone, Alex Stone, Chris Cannon and David Ivester III.


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Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
by Robert C. O'Brien
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Chapter 28 Summary
- A few days later, Mr. FitzGibbon begins plowing.
- As predicted, the Frisby house stays safely out of the way of the plow.
- Mrs. Frisby thinks about the rats and how sad it is that she will never see them again, most likely.
- She would like to go visit them, but she doesn't know exactly where Thorn Valley is.
- The FitzGibbons do all of their planting and on a day in May, the Frisbys prepare to make the trip to their summerhouse.
- The children are so happy to be making the trip. Everything's sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows.
- A bunch of other mouse families live along the river in the same neighborhood as the Frisby's summerhouse.
- Mrs. Frisby decides to tell her children the whole story, including the parts about their Father.
- After she is done, Timothy surprises them all by admitting that he thought that both Jonathan and Mr. Ages were friends with the rats, because he had seen them hanging around the rose bush.
- Martin is curious about the rats and promises to find them and say thank you when he is a little older.
- The family goes to sleep after the story is done.


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With so many options, deciding among boot camps for teens is the second hardest decision; the hardest one is deciding you have to get help. How do you go about picking the right solution for your troubled boy?
Deciding Which Boot Camp for Your Teenage Boy is as Difficult as Deciding in the First Place that Your Teen May Need One
Do boot camps for teens really work? What do you do when your teenage boy has been acting out so much, and for so long? Can boot camps for troubled teens do any more than you do about changing his behavior? Asking for the right help brings on difficult decisions for a parent. With the variety of programs and behavior-changing styles it is often difficult to know where to ask for help, butthe first step is to begin letting go and sharing the problem.
Why would I need a boot camp for teens and do they really work?
There are no quick fixes when it comes to effective behavior modification. Those who work with troubled teens know that teens can be masters of manipulation and let you see exactly what you need to see so they can get what they want to go home. True change must come from motivation that is developed within.
The effectiveness of any program is time dependent
No one should expect permanent change to behavior to occur overnight. Real change is going to take time and it is going to cost. If the teen is returned too quickly, there is a greater risk that he will fall back into previous behavior patterns and may ultimately get returned to a corrective program. This is called recidivism. The shorter the stay, the higher the rate of recidivism.
Boot camps are not the solution for everyone
Boot camps for troubled teens do work, but any single method will not work for everyone. A military-style drill instructor may not find the level of success with an unmotivated teen who has a bad attitude that he might find with someone who has joined the military looking for a future. When that is the case, parents need to get some appropriate psychology working on their side if any behavior changes are to be expected.
Boot camps have a different basis than working ranches
The first boot camps for troubled teens started as alternative to jail and were run by the courts. Those early ones were free and the focus was on being an alternative correctional facility. Boot camps for teens were then, and are now, designed mainly as short-term, remedial facilities and teens rarely stay there long enough to effect a real, lasting change in behavior. Therefore, recidivism was too high.
Virtually all boot camps for teens are now run privately. Additionally, some teens who have suffered loud, yelling relationships do not respond well to the hazing nature of boot camps which is modeled on those of military basic training. Results are most often temporary because the child soon learns how to manipulate and modify his responses to the specific situation without lasting changes to basic behavior.
Working ranches provide for a better long-term solution than boot camps
Conditions such as Oppositional Defiant Behavior (ODD) do not respond well to the military training model as resistance is so high. ODD is rather common condition that is present in 10% of all teens and is often accompanied by other behavioral deficiencies.
Working ranches work well in these cases for several reasons:
- Psychological care—both individual and group therapies
- Responsibility for horses as part of equine therapy
- Residency is at least a full school year (10 months or more)
- Team work, essential to success, is necessary for ranch work
- Residents stay highly active but also productive
Although rigorous discipline is part of the program, both equine therapy and psychological therapy are added to get the biggest chance of effecting positive behavioral changes.
Strong parents admit when they need help and see their teen gets it
After examining the variables, and tailoring the specific needs for your son, hopefully you get a clearer picture of what must be done and when. Once you can see what the solution must be it gets much easier to know how and where to ask for help. Teen boot camps, military schools, and working ranches all work but they work differently for different people. At least now it is easier to know how to ask for help than it is sometimes to admit you need help.
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|South Carolina


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"One in three Americans -- more than 100 million people -- live in poverty or on the edge of it," according to a recent report from The Center for American Progress.
With bipartisan support, Congress recently passed the $ 1.1 trillion Omnibus Appropriation bill for fiscal year 2014. Some $572 billion, or one-half the appropriation, has been budgeted for defense.
According to House Appropriation Committee Chairman Hal Rogers: "The bill reflects careful decisions to realign the nation's funding priorities and target precious tax dollars to important programs where they are needed most."
John St.Lawrence
Location, ST | website.com


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If you've ever seen an episode of the 1960s half hour horror comedy The Munsters, you will know that every family member is horrifically creepy, except for one: Lily Munster's niece "poor Marilyn," whom the rest of the family pitied for her unfortunate lack of awfulness. The non-horror world of course found her quite attractive.
Deadline is reporting that Bryan Fuller's (Pushing Daisies) reboot of The Munsters for NBC, hour-long drama Mockingbird Lane, has now cast its "poor Marilyn", and she is appropriately lovely. Her name is Charity Wakefield (The Raven, Sense and Sensibility), and as you may have guessed from her first name, she's British. Since the actor playing Grandpa, Eddie Izzard, is also British, might we hope to hear some lovely accents? Doubtful, but we can always hope.
Her character is said to be a courteous college student who often butts heads with fedora-wearing womanizer vampire Grandpa Munster, but gets along wonderfully with Aunt Lily, Uncle Herman, and young cousin Eddie.
We'll keep you posted.


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MP praises social landlord's support for teenage mums
Published by Anonymous for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Communities
Liz Kendall Liberty House
An MP has praised East Midlands Housing Association's (EMHA) support for teenage mums.
During her visit to EMHA's Liberty House scheme, Liz Kendall, MP for Leicester West, spoke with a number of the young mothers currently living there.
The project in Braunstone Frith provides affordable self-contained flats for teenage mothers and their children.
EMHA staff also work with the tenants on a one-to-one basis to give them emotional support and equip them with life skills, such as cooking, cleaning and budgeting.
The mums have access to an adjoining nursery, which gives them the opportunity to attend college and to start careers.
Liz Kendall MP said: "After listening to the young mums at Liberty House, I am even more determined to speak to the mayor about the proposed cut. Money spent here is money saved in the future. This is clearly a much-needed service in the city, and we need to have a proper discussion with the council and East Midlands Housing Association about how best to deliver it."
Liberty House is one of three teenage parent services supported by EMHA, with a total of 29 places in Leicester.
However, the landlord says that the service is under threat after the Government chose to cut the national Early Intervention Grant by a third.
Proposed Leicester City Council changes to the provisions for homeless people, which are currently being consulted on, state that there will be only 10 units of accommodation for teenage parents across the city.
"This is a vital service that meets the prevention agenda set by the Government. These places were specifically developed for vulnerable people, and provide value for money because of the positive outcomes that are achieved with teenage parents with often very complex needs," said Sally Taylor, EMHA's Head of Supported Housing.
One of Liberty House's tenants, 19-year-old Shannon Taylor, who lives in one of the flats with her eight-month-old daughter, Tavia, said: "I've learned so much since I've been here. Not just from the staff but from the other girls too, including some who have moved out. I feel more confident looking after my daughter now, and looking forward to the future."
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Learn how to protect yourself from Internet scams. Read our online fraud prevention tips
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2014 Sun Seeker Motor Home, Fully Loaded, Used 3 times 2466 Miles 985-867-5104
Published in The Times-Picayune 8/27. Updated 8/29.
2005 Jayco Jay Flight 31 B.H.D.S. (bunk house double slide). Very clean, low hours. Two slide outs, AC, awning, sleeps 8. Full Kitchen. Full Bath. Please call 504-583-3432.
Web Id: NOO15584478
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Exceptional condition, only used twice!2016 Nitro Xlr toy hauler. Three new smart TV's, brand new memory foam mattress; 31 feet of living space; 36 feet total; 2 slide outs; custom rims and tires; LED lighting.Plenty of room to store.This won't last long at this price.
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2003 Bennington pontoon boat 60hp 4 stroke motor. Trolling motor, trailer, Fishfinder, new Bimini top included. Any reasonable offer considered.Bill-601-818-1666
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500 HP Cummins, 4 slides, custom kingsize master, 2 lavs, 3 TV, surround sound, 3 stereos, grill, satelite tracking, gorgeous live aboard or travel in style, located Ft. Walton Beach, FL. Silver with grey leather. Too many extras to list. Excellent condition, 35K miles.Serious inquiries only - please. 850-259-3175
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32' 2006 Explorer TT w/slideout, sleeps 8, Lightly Used. $6500 504-912-5137
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20ft CC 2012 Xpress 115 Yamaha 4 stroke $19,500 504-912-6667 after 5pm
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LIKE NEW! 30' 2015 Forest River Catalina Trl. Qn bed ft,, back bunks w/dr., pwr hitch, Outside kitchen, Elec. Awning, slide out. call after 2:00pm 417-342-0034 USED ONCE.
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2006 HD Dyna Glide Custom 15kmi Excellent Condition $6500 obo 985-860-6055
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2004 Coachman Concord Motorhome for sale. Totally self contained with Onan generator. V 10 engine runs great with lots of power. Excellent condition, full bath, dinette and couch make beds, good cold air and fridge. Asking $28,000 but will consider reasonable offers. Can text photos on request. Call or text 985 514-0998. Located in Kentwood, La. No flood problems at our location.
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Tier 4 Visa for International Students
Call the London Office for a consultation or an appointment.
Tier 4 Student Visa Overview
The United Kingdom's points based immigration system, broken into five tiers; A very small number of highly skilled migrants who come under the Exceptional Talent visa, entrepreneurs, investors, Tier 4 students and a few other categories of people.
Students coming to the UK under a Tier 4 student visa require a university or other UK educational institution on the register of sponsors to sponsor them. They also need to score enough points to be accepted as an international student in the UK.
The following table is how the points system works for Tier 4:
|Having a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies from a Tier 4 sponsor
|Funds to cover course fees and cost of living
The current system grants student visas for an initial period which varies depending on the length of the course. In general, a Tier 4 student can stay in the UK for the length of the course plus 4 months (for courses lasting one year or more) or one or two months (for courses between six months and a year). For shorter courses, international students are only granted a week to stay in the UK once the course has finished.
Students who are in a course at or above NQF 6/QCF 6/SCQF 9 at a UK higher education institution are allowed to:
- work for up to 20 hours per week during term time;
- work full-time during vacations;
- do a work placement as part of your course;
- work as a postgraduate doctor or dentist on a recognised Foundation Programme.
If you are on a course below this level at a UK higher education institution, you are allowed to:
- work for up to 10 hours per week during term time;
- do a work placement as part of your course;
- work full-time during vacations.
If you are on a course at any level at a publicly funded further education college, you are allowed to:
- work for up to 10 hours per week during term time;
- work full-time during vacations;
- do a work placement as part of your course, provided your education provider is a Highly Trusted sponsor or the course is at or above NQF 6/QCF 6/SCQF 9.
After your course is completed, you can use the remainder of your visa time to look for work in the UK so you can transition into another visa category if they wish. Otherwise, you must leave the UK once their visa period ends.
In some cases, you can bring your partner or children (under dependent visas) with you during your studies but you must show that you have sufficient funds to provide for them. They will be able to apply under the Tier 4 student visa as a dependent. From 4 July 2011, you cannot bring your dependents to the UK unless:
- you are sponsored by a higher education institution on a course at NQF level 7 or above which lasts 12 months or more or;
- a new government-sponsored student following a course which lasts longer than 6 months.
Please also note that Tier 4 student visa applicants may be required to complete an English test if they are not nationals of an English-speaking country or have not completed any academic courses in English.
Eligible Tier 4 student visa applicants can qualify for an exception because they are considered to be "low risk" and will normally be required to provide fewer evidential documents.
A Tier 4 student visa applicant qualifies for this exception if they are:
- sponsored by a Highly Trusted Sponsor; and
- applying for entry clearance in his/her country of nationality or for leave to remain in the UK; and
- a national of:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Croatia
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United States of America
- British Nationals living oversea
Switching into another UK visa category
You may be eligible to switch into another visa category once you graduate. Check here to see the other visas the UK has to offer.
If you would like to apply for a UK visa, WorkPermit.com works together with OISC registered advisers. WorkPermit.com is a specialist visa consultancy with over twenty years of experience dealing with visa applications. We can help with a wide range of visa applications to your country of choice. Please feel free to contact us for further details.


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Location: Crop Improvement and Protection Research
Project Number: 2038-22000-015-09
Start Date: Oct 01, 2012
End Date: Jun 30, 2015
Both genus and species specific diagnostic markers for Phytophthora spp. have been developed using a TaqMan real time PCR assay based on mitochondrial gene order differences. This project will expand the scope of the prior work by developing additional species specific markers and exploring isothermal amplification procedures to simplify use of the diagnostic assays. The collaborator in this proposal used to work in the PI's lab on the initial phases of this project.


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Moore Street, Dublin already had a long history before April 1916. The area was developed on land which originally was part of a 12th century Cistercian monastery, and during the 18th century, the Moore Street Terrace, currently Nos. 10 to 25, was built to provide housing for tradesmen and professionals who served the grand houses which lined what was then called Sackville Mall and is now O'Connell Street, just one block away, according to history provided by Mr. Heron.
As time passed, storefronts replaced the homes and the area developed into a market street, where Dubliners shopped for fresh meat and poultry.
Helen Litton, the grand-niece of executed Rising leaders Thomas Clarke, who was a member of the Provisional Government and Ned Daly, who commanded the Four Courts Garrison, and the granddaughter of a Volunteer who made a charge up Moore Street to clear the way for the evacuation, recalls shopping at the outdoor market stalls with her granny and as a young housewife. She believes that an important part of the preservation effort on Moore Street is maintaining the character of the area by providing for a street market.
In 1916, the shops of Moore Street were diverse, and included T.F. Cogan provision dealer at No. 10; Mrs. Norton's china and glass at No. 14; Miss O'Gorman's clothes dealer at No. 15; Patrick Plunkett's poultry and fish at No. 16 and R.J. Gore druggist at No. 17. These shops and the gardens behind them bore witness to the final hours of the struggle of the Provisional Government after it evacuated the burning GPO until its leaders made the heart-wrenching decision to surrender.
Stories from Moore Street demonstrate the bravery, love of country and love of family exhibited by the Volunteers in the waning days and hours of the Rising.
Honor O Brolchain recalls the letter written by her great-uncle, Joseph Plunkett "somewhere in Moore Street" on the day of the surrender, to his fiancée Grace Gifford, in which he wrote that he had tried to arrange for them to meet and get married but had been unable to do so. He went on to say," my other actions have been as right as I could see and make them and I cannot wish them undone."
Another Plunkett brother, George, and two Volunteer friends, while erecting a barricade near No. 10 heard moaning across the street, and George rushed across, under fire, and retrieved the injured man, a British soldier, who was well-cared for by the Volunteers until the end.
And it was in No. 16 that the leaders of the provisional Government, including Padraig Pearse, Tom Clarke, Sean MacDermott, Joseph Plunkett and the badly wounded James Connolly met in a Council of War on April 29th to consider surrender after observing civilian
casualties occurring on Moore Street, as British guns continued to strike at the Volunteers.
Elizabeth O'Farrell left No. 15, under a white flag of truce, and walked up Moore Street to arrange the terms of surrender with the British commander on the afternoon of April 29th and Patrick Pearse signed the Decision to Surrender here on Moore Street.
It was in the yard behind Nos. 20 and 21, O'Hanlon's Fishmongers that the members of the GPO Garrison were addressed by Sean McDermott, and informed of the surrender.
And, finally, as Ms. O Brolchain stated, recalling the bravery of her great-uncles and their comrades, "To make the decision to surrender for humanitarian reasons and not know what the outcome would be must have left them desolate and yet they were courageous to the end and, with Plunkett, already dying of tuberculosis, and Willie Pearse leading and Clarke and McDermott bringing up the rear, they marched out in such style as to take the British military aback."
Moore Street, Dublin…an important market area for generations of Dublin families…Once filled with market stalls and provisioners, it now bears the scars of urban blight and decay, but almost 100 years ago, that area witnessed the agony of the Irish nation at war, as it struggled to free itself of the yoke of British colonial power.
But now… The relatives of the 1916 heroes have been in the forefront of the movement to create a living monument to the men and women who fought and died to reawaken the spirit of freedom among the Irish people. And they hope to create a living memorial that honors Moore Street's past…her market roots, her heroic deeds, the brave men and women who struggled there for the ideals of freedom…and focuses on her future…as a dynamic part of Dublin.
If you believe that Moore Street should be preserved as a historical and cultural memorial to Ireland's heroic age, and the men and women who fought for its freedom, let the Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar (email@example.com ) know how you feel or write to the Board of Fáilte Ireland, 88 – 95 Amiens Street, Dublin 1, Ireland, email@example.com, and let them know that heritage tourism interests you.


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a1 Cardiff University
The study of gene–environment interaction (G × E) constitutes an area of significant social and clinical significance. Different types of research study designs are being used to investigate the contribution of G × E to psychopathology, although the term G × E has also been used and interpreted in different ways. Despite mixed evidence that G × E contributes to psychopathology, some promising and consistent findings are emerging. Evidence is reviewed in relation to depression, antisocial behavior, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Although findings from various research designs have different meaning, interestingly much of the evidence with regard to the contribution of G × E that has arisen from twin and adoption studies has been for antisocial behavior and depression. It is for these same forms of psychopathology that molecular genetic evidence of G × E has also been most convincing. Finally, current and anticipated methodological challenges and implications for future research in this area are considered.
c1 Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Anita Thapar, Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK; E-mail: email@example.com.
Grant funding was provided by the Wellcome Trust. We are grateful to Katherine Shelton and Sasha Walters for assistance with manuscript preparation.


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Lawmakers Want Probe of Amtrak's Legal Billings
Two congressmen have asked the DOJ to look into Amtrak's use of outside legal counsel. In a Dec. 4 letter to AG Gonzales, Rep. Don Young (R., Alaska) and Rep. John Mica (R., Fla.) complain that the federally subsidized railroad hasn't received fair and reasonable value for fees it has paid to law firms.
"We urge you to conduct an investigation…and take appropriate action," they wrote. The letter follows two recent public reports that concluded some of Amtrak's outside law firms engaged in sloppy billing practices, in violation of the railroad's internal billing guidelines.
Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said: "We don't believe the allegations related to Amtrak's use of outside counsel have merit or that they warrant review by the Justice Department, but we stand ready to cooperate and provide information as it is requested." Earlier this year, Amtrak indicated that it had worked to improve its oversight of legal fees.
An October report, issued jointly by Amtrak's Office of Inspector General and the Department of Transportation's inspector general, concluded that law firms had, among other things, engaged in "block billing" in which they lumped tasks under one entry of an invoice, rather than itemizing the cost of each task. Block billing is prohibited by Amtrak, according to the report. According to the October report, from 2002 to 2005, Amtrak spent more than $100 million on outside lawyers.
Separately, in a Nov. 17 letter to Amtrak's inspector general, Young and Mica raised concern about Amtrak bills submitted by the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. A Manatt spokesman said: "The billing was entirely proper. The client understands that some time entries were subdivided to facilitate accuracy and review."


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Definition of clouded leopard in English:
clouded leopard
A large spotted cat that hunts in trees at twilight and is found in forests in Southeast Asia.
- Neofelis nebulosa, family Felidae.
Example sentences
- From this common ancestor all the big cats emerged 6.4 million years ago - lions, jaguars, leopards, tigers, and snow and clouded leopards.
- Looking far to the west, the primeval forest is said to be home for hundreds of animals such as black bears, clouded leopards and rhesus monkeys.
- Tigers, clouded leopards, rare bird species, and countless other exotic species enjoyed a relatively unmolested existence.
For editors and proofreaders
Syllabification: cloud·ed leop·ard
Definition of clouded leopard in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
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= trending


text:
E. Customer Relations Marketing
23. TV Spot or Promo or Other Video
Bronze Winner
Customer Communications Wave 1
D4 Creative Group
Submitted by: Jill Isherwood - Account Manager - D4 Creative Group
Marketing Team: Steven Eliasof - VP, Marketing - Insight Communications; Pam Halling - Senior VP, Brand - Insight Communications; Dinni Jain - President, COO - Insight Communications; Robert Schwartz - Consultant -; Denise Mast - Senior Manager, Customer Communications - Insight Communications
Creative Team: Dave Lesser - Creative Director - D4 Creative Group; Angela Mancini - Agency Producer - D4 Creative Group; Mike Cardeiro - Animator/Affer Effects - D4 Creative Group; Sara Stuard - VP, Account Services - D4 Creative Group; Wicky Lee/Dennis Beerley - VP, Graphic Design - D4 Creative Group
Marketing Summary
Situation Analysis
Customers kept calling Call Centers with specific questions on how to use products. Also people not being aware of how to use advanced products lead Insight/D4 to develop these spots.
Insight wanted to provide an informational spot that easily demonstrated what their current services offered, as well as benefits to the consumer.
To reach current Insight subscribers, Cross-Channel TV was the medium that was chosen.


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Words and Pictures, starring Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche, is a middle-aged romantic comedy masquerading as a war between literature and art.
The battleground is a Maine prep school set in a small town somewhere along the state's bucolic coastline. Owen plays Jack Marcus, the resident English teacher. Brash, unconventional, Marcus has a love of language, his students and the vodka in his thermos. Dina Delsanto (Binoche) is the new art teacher. An acclaimed abstract painter, she is aloof, unattached and being crippled by rheumatoid arthritis.
In the prep school, adult and teenage angst and intellectual jockeying fill the corridors, the classrooms and the teachers lounge. There are contrivances around every corner, too. One is a word game Marcus plays that may soon irritate you as much as it does his fellow teachers. But for the most part, the florid flourishes are so lightly played by Owen and Binoche, screenwriter Gerald Di Pego's melodrama can almost be forgiven.
It helps to have director Fred Schepisi's hand on the rom-com wheel. He brings a kind of ease to the screen so that actors flourish even when the material doesn't quite measure up.
One of the film's themes is the idea of inspiration — what inspires an artist to paint, a writer to write and students to think. What focuses the Words and Pictures discussion — and there is a lot in this very talky film — is a showdown Marcus devises in part to save his job, which his drinking has put in jeopardy.
The movie, from producers including former WFAA-TV critic Gary Cogill, is far more interesting when it leaves the classroom. The coastal town, with spots in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, subbing for Maine, is beautifully rustic and becomes a lovely backdrop for romance.
The actors make a lovely pair as well in all their flirting and fighting through very grown-up problems. Owen is deft at shifting Marcus through various highs and lows, moving easily through dialogue laced with literary allusions, self-deprecating romantic gestures and destructive alcoholic rages.
Binoche is a surprise. Not so much for what she says as for the painting she does. All of Delsanto's art that we see in the film has been created by Binoche, some from her earlier work, some for the film. It is fascinating to watch as the actress in character paints a piece right in front of us.
As Words and Pictures moves toward its final chapter, you may find yourself liking Marcus and Delsanto. That the couple have any charm is thanks to Owen and Binoche. In fact, it is hard not to hope that they'll get another chance at romance someday — the actors, that is.
Directed by Fred Schepisi. PG-13 (sexual material including nude sketches, language and some mature thematic material). 116 mins. At the Magnolia and Cinemark West Plano.


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Inshah Allah (Allah- So- Willing) —The Islamic Metaphysics of the Future
In the life of devout Muslims, a day never passes without using the Arabic phrase, Insha Allah (God So Willing) at the end of any conversation about future events. Without an understanding of the meaning of this phrase, we cannot begin to comprehend God's relationship with His creatures, the concept of Creation, and the role of free will. Nor we can offer a rational, internally consistent argument against the materialist's exclusion of God in the evolution of life and the universe.
Materialist scientists argue that biological evolution is an "inherently mindless purposeless process." They preach that impersonal laws rule the universe, and atoms are at work in the operation of life. Biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins insists that contingency and natural selection, operating over a long period of time, account for evolution. Dawkins assumes that blind forces of physics, chemistry, and natural selection are sufficient to explain the origin and expansion of life. He asserts that the unfolding of life is the result of selfish desires of genes to increase their opportunities for survival and reproduction.
Similar opinions prevail among other practitioners and admirers of science who argue that there is no reason to include God in the evolution of life. One extremist states, "…materialism is absolute [and] we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door."
Such fervency stems from an unshakable, unwavering faith in the Law of Causality, which most people acknowledge and which states that a given cause always produces the same effect. Gravity always pulls an apple down to the earth; spring season melts snow; drought brings destruction of crops. Chemical reactions in any organism, amoeba or human, are explainable by the same laws of physics and chemistry that govern the universe.
Based on causality, scientists maintain that the future is predetermined and can be predictable through accurate knowledge of past causes. The laws of nature, they argue, are invariant, and scientific observation reveals the past as the product of those laws. Any natural event that departs from the anticipated effect of a uniform cause is classified as an "accident." However, scientists' predictions based on observation of matter and invariant laws of nature are limited by their own earlier conclusions and experiences.
To gather data, scientists peer into nature, from atoms to stars, amoebas to humankind, fungi to maple trees, from any other phenomena of our universe. Science has categorized the collected data, defining disciplines such as paleontology, comparative anatomy, biogeography, embryology, molecular genetics, and so on. The materialists' claim that the unfolding of life is a "purposeless mindless process" is based upon inferences from separately catalogued extrapolations of past experiences. John F. Haught, professor of Theology at Georgetown University, calls such materialistic metaphysics "metaphysics of the past."
With unflinching and, on the surface, contradictory faith that God created everything, many Muslims also believe that the past determines the future. In the Islamic universe, unlike that catalogued by materialist science, the past and the present are not the creators of the future, nor are humans or any other creatures, because "…Allah is the creator of everything. ..."(Qur'an 13:16) Even creations that we claim as our own emanate from Allah. The Qur'an states, "And God created you and what you make." (Qur'an 37:96) Allah created everything—computers, airplanes, cars, and even the atom.
A few important questions Muslims might ask are: If God is the creator of what humans make, is God not also the creator of our good and bad deeds? Why should there be reward for the pious and retribution for the impious if Allah is the source of our actions? If Allah has sealed the heart of disbelievers from receiving divine guidance (Qur'an 2:7), why does God hold us accountable for our actions on the Day of Judgment? The answer to these questions lies in Islamic metaphysics of the future.
The experienced past is irretrievable; the present is only a fleeting moment that we cannot hold. On the other hand, we experience the continuous coming of the future. Future does not exist until it is created. Future is not simply the birth of a moment. Future means the yet-to-be-born or -created moment packed with contrasting or diametrically opposite possibilities as information. Each moment brings each of us hope or fear, success or failure, pain or pleasure, routine or surprise events. Each moment presents itself to us as different kinds of information simultaneously. Islamic faith decrees that Allah is the source of all information. Therefore, Muslims pray, "My Lord, augment me in knowledge." (Qur'an 20:114)
The Qur'anic teachings regarding the coming of future events are grounded in the phrase Insha Allah (God so willing) and the verse, "And never say about anything, 'Behold, I shall do this tomorrow,' without [adding] 'if God so wills.'" (Qur'an 18:23) Muslims say Insha Allah after every statement pertaining to the future, even for simple tasks such as meeting a friend at 4 P.M. tomorrow. Muslims must believe that the future is not simply born without cause. It occurs only when and if Allah creates it as information within arriving moments and if His creatures act upon the information to actualize it into visible realities in their material world. Our planning and our desires may or may not be what Allah is going to present to us in our future. Allah states regarding Jewish scheme: "…and they contrived, and God contrived, but God is the greatest of contrivers." (Qur'an 3: 54)
All creatures participate in actualizing the possibilities contained within future moments into visible monuments of God. All creatures live in the present. The present is the pivotal moment between past and future. Allah tests us by asking us to make moral choices of possibilities—the good, bad, and neutral, the moral and immoral—that are contained in each approaching moment only as information. These choices have no negative or positive charge in the material world until creatures actualize the possibilities into material world realities. Thus we are necessary participants in the ongoing process of creation. Otherwise the stream of future moments would remain only as idle information and possibilities. Allah calls humans to account for our act of choosing from the alternatives within the arriving future moments.
Each moment is different for each individual, and the lessons of the past and present are tools that can help us make the right choices. Allah revealed His words to the prophets and provided holy books to both humans and jinns (beings who inhabit the different plane of existence). These scriptures explain what is right or wrong, moral or immoral, preferred or not preferred, and rewarding or punishable. Allah narrates stories of the past in the Qur'an in order to help humans and jinn—both of whom He has graced with limited free will—use lessons from history in conjunction with revelations to make the right choices.
Living creatures have the freedom to actualize only possibilities contained as information in each moment of future arriving from God. To label the above belief, we shall borrow John F. Haught's phrase "metaphysics of the future" and modify it to read "Islamic metaphysics of the future." If a future moment arrives lacking in novel possibilities, humans and other creatures cannot change their present condition, which then becomes stagnant and may remain so for an unlimited period of time. Even when Allah sends our way moments with novel possibilities, we will remain unchanged if we do not accept His offerings and revelations.
In Islamic metaphysics of the future, the universe is always within Allah's providence. Therefore, Allah is the creator of all things and the one who brings the possibilities of each moment in the form of information. Nothing comes into existence without the information about it being initially available. Similarly, inventors and technicians provide the information they receive to various sectors of society—such as politicians, heads of corporations, and others—guiding them to the scientific basis for managing their vocations. Those who understand the information can then actualize it into cars, airplanes, nations, and so on.
I like to use the metaphor of the factory worker to illustrate our relationship to God. While the ordinary assembly-line worker can choose the manufacturing plant in which he wishes to be employed, factory workers have no freedom to manufacture any products of their choice; they must assemble a product using components coming through the conveyer belt of the factory.
The physical and spiritual universe is the manufacturing plant of Islam owned by Allah, the supreme Scientist and Technician. Here creatures at large, and humans in particular, are like assembly-line workers. The chain of flowing moments of the coming future is the conveyer belt, which delivers the raw materials (possibilities as information) necessary for the making of many products. In this factory the worker is free to select any of the components (possibilities) from the conveyer belt (arriving future) and actualize those possibilities into visible monuments of Allah's creation. If there is no flow of information from scientists and technicians, the assembly-line worker is unable to produce anything. Even the factory would not exist. Likewise, human or any other creatures cannot produce or act upon the world until the future moment arrives with possibilities as information from Allah.
Belief and disbelief in God also come as possibilities in the flow of moments from the future. If human beings choose and accept disbelief in God, their minds become unreceptive to divine revelations until they are willing to give up their disbelief. Consequently individuals opt to receive reward or retribution in the hereafter universe (al-Akhirah) based upon their earthy choices.
The universe from Big Bang to Big Crunch is maize. On both ends there is singularity where all matter is condensed into a mathematical point. The maize is made out of allies, roads, highways and byways that lead to different futures for the universe and its components. Allah has already mapped out (created) all the possible and available futures that we can choose, but it is still up to humans and other components of the universe, day by day, to decide which allies or roads or highways to step into. Allah, the Merciful and Benevolent, does not interfere or force us into making choices by voluntarily limiting His Absolute Power as stated in the Qur'anic verses: "…Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls)…"(13:11). "And had your Lord willed, whoever in the earth would have believed altogether. Will you then coerce the people to become believers?" (Qur'an 10:99).
These verses convey the message that Allah voluntarily limits His Omniscience also. He knows that free will would be non-existent for His creatures without limitation of His omnipotence and omniscience. Creatures would not be able to choose when future arrives with possibilities from God without voluntary self-control of His power and absolute knowledge. Therefore, Al-Rahman (The Beneficient) and Al-Rahim (The Merciful) God set a voluntarily self-imposed limitation on His omniscience and omnipotence to create free will for His creatures. Because the self-imposed limitation is voluntary it does not imply any inherent limitation in Allah's ultimate power and omniscience. At the same time, even though we are free to choose and actualize any of the worldly possibilities available to us—atomic power, computer technology, biological engineering—our future is limited by possibilities that Allah has in store for us. In another words, Allah knows the available futures for creatures, but Allah, being the Most Merciful and Most Benevolent, voluntarily opted not to know which path His creatures would choose to step into until it is done to establish free will. Furthermore, His omniscience is maintained by Allah being origin of all messenger moments with possibilities and by His knowledge about the maize that the universe and its components could travel between the Big Bang and the Big Crunch.
In mandatory daily prayers, Muslims recite the opening chapter of the Qur'an, al-Fatihah: "Guide us (O Lord) to the path that is straight, the path of those You have blessed, not of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who have gone astray." These verses imply to many Muslim and non-Muslim minds that Allah does lead some of us astray. Based upon the Islamic metaphysics of the future, Allah presents contrasting and diametrically opposite possibilities within arriving moments of future, and He also states in his revealed books which possibilities please Him or draw His anger. We are thus graced with guidance as to how to travel in the righteous path, by choosing righteous possibilities from the arriving moments of future. Similarly we are offered guidance about which creaturely choices from the possibilities in the arriving moments of future lead us astray.
Even though Allah is the source for the good and sinful possibilities as well as the guidance for selection or rejection of possibilities that are righteous or evil respectively, the possibilities remain as idle information until we actualize any of the information from the arriving future into the reality of the material world. Allah does not interfere in the free choice of His creatures from among the available possibilities within arriving future moments.
The sinners' own confession, as repeatedly mentioned in the Qur'an, is that their great leaders or the Devil misled them. Not once do they put forward the excuse that God Himself misled them: "And they (shall) say, 'Our Lord, we obeyed our masters and our notables, but they led us astray from the path.'" (Qur'an 33:67) "And those who disbelieved shall say, 'Our Lord, show us those who led us perverse of men and jinn, and we shall put them under our feet that they may be at the bottom.'" (Qur'an 41:29)
If God had really led them astray, the sinners' best excuse on the Day of Judgment would have been that they did not deserve to be punished because God Himself led them astray. Therefore, based upon the Islamic metaphysics of the future, the phrase "God misled" means that God simultaneously creates opposite possibilities as information within the arriving future and gives guidance that instructs His creatures what choice draws His anger or blessing.
Based upon the far-reaching meaning of the phrase Insha Allah and the concept of "metaphysics of the future," accidents or contingencies are novelties coming from Allah, even though these novelties appear random to a human mind fixed in the materialist "metaphysics of the past." For example, God created for Hind d. Utba, one of the foremost enemies of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), the possibility of joining the distinguished company of the Prophet (pbuh), as Hamzah did, or the decision to kill and mutilate Hamzah. Allah did not compel Hind to choose any one of the paths. Allah created good and bad choices in Hind's arriving future, and she decided to actualize the bad choice to kill and cannibalize.
The Qur'an supports the above when it states: "Surely God does not wrong anyone, they wrong themselves." (Qur'an 10:44) No conflict arises, therefore, between the belief that Allah is the creator of the world and all its creatures and the belief that human beings and other creatures are endowed with limited free will within the bounds of possibilities that come through the flow of moments from the future. Each arriving moment of time is a messenger carrying information from Allah.
Such a construction of the universe and limited free will for His creatures along with merciful voluntary limitation of His power and omniscience distances God as a tyrant. If we take a global picture of all earthly creatures, we witness a universe filled with a mixture of pain and suffering as well as happiness and peace. A western theologian and biochemist Arthur Peacocke describes the universe as a musical play wherein actors (God's creatures), at their individual hierarchical ranks, freely choose their roles from possible scenarios presented to them by the choreographer (Allah). Chance and unpredictability are inevitable and are, in fact, built in to such an atmosphere. There is no free will without chance and unpredictability. In real life, however, the pain and suffering we experience as a result of the free choices of all creatures for their selfish benefits are God's way of testing, perfecting, and preparing us for the eternal world of absolute happiness and peace.
Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi describes this universe as a battlefield where atom struggles with atom like faith against infidelity. In this struggle some benefit and others suffer. The Islamic metaphysics of the future blends chance, unpredictability, and creatures with limited free will to form our universe within the context of the existence of a Most Compassionate, Most Just, Omnipotent, Islamic God known as Allah. In this universe Allah proposes and humankind and other creatures together dispose. Allah's rewards or retribution in the Hereafter world is based upon our intention and choice of the beneficial or the evil information within the arriving messenger moments from God and its actualization into visible monuments God's creation in the material world.
Wallahu Ahlam (Allah know best).


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Cargo Belt/Fanny Pack and Handwarmer, up to a Big Man 6XLSKU: mis
$27.40 On Sale!
First - it's big, and fits waists up to 64". It measures 16" by 9". Next, it's got 200 grams of Thinsulate, and a shearling fleece handwarmer pocket inside two inner knit cuffs. The V-Shape and cuffs allow you to carry items in the hand compartment even if it's not cold. The pack also features a flapped velcro-closure pleated utility pocket. A WATERPROOF, briar proof Saddlecloth outer keeps your valuables dry and safe. Elastic stretch tabs on the belt webbing for comfort round out the features of this super accessory. Add one to your arsenal, and use it year round.


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Really loving the build so far. I started moving up the left side first till I hit the Purity of Flesh circle, now going up the right side for EB. I'm using Spectral Throw to level for now, so instead of getting the first four passives to increase spell damage, I went for the attack speed and plan on using some refund points later on when I make the switch to EK.
Something I noticed though is there really isn't too many passive points invested that really boost EK. This build is just an overall great build for a very tanky character when coupled with your auras and AA.
Because this build can be so versatile with a very minimal (if any) skill tree redesign, what made you choose EK as your main skill instead of say ST or something else?


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Rihanna Sues Former Accountants
Pop star Rihanna is suing her former accountants, saying they spent years mismanaging her finances and cost her millions of dollars during a recent tour.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, accuses the singer's former accounting firm, Berdon LLP, and two accountants of causing "significant financial losses." In addition, "gross mismanagement" of the singer's finances cost her millions of dollars during her 2010 "Last Girl on Earth" tour.
"Between 2005 and 2010, Tourihanna suffered significant financial losses due to Defendants' financial mismanagement and other acts and omissions," the lawsuit states. Tourihanna was the concert touring company established by Berdon on Rihanna's behalf, according to the suit.
Rihanna, who goes by her real name, Robyn Fenty, in the lawsuit, seeks unspecified damages from the firm and the two accountants. A spokeswoman for New York-based Berdon did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
The lawsuit lays out Rihanna's musical career, which took off at the age of 16 when she signed with Island Def Jam Music Group and moved from her native Barbados to the U.S. The lawsuit portrays the singer—known for pop staples like "Umbrella"—as a financial amateur who placed a great deal of trust in her accountants as she rose to fame and wealth.
"In 2005, when Fenty was 16 years old, Berdon was hired to provide her with accounting, business and financial management services for all aspects of her rapidly growing music career," the lawsuit states. "Because she was a minor with no knowledge of the music industry or financial matters generally, Fenty placed Berdon in a position of trust and loyalty."
Among other allegations, Rihanna said the firm and the two accountants hired to manage her finances earned "commissions" based on the singer's gross receipts. However, such an arrangement isn't standard for the accounting industry, according to the lawsuit, which called the commissions "exorbitant and excessive."
The arrangement led the accountants to conceal certain facts about Rihanna's finances from her, the lawsuit said. Had she known these facts, she would have terminated the accountants, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit also said the defendants failed to create a proper budget for the Last Girl on Earth tour, which traveled to 25 cities across North America during the summer of 2010, according to news reports. As a result, Tourihanna lost millions of dollars on the tour.
The lawsuit also accuses the accountants of poor recordkeeping that failed to account for Rihanna's revenue and expenses and failed to maximize her "personal net worth and long-term wealth."


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Windows has always been pretty good when it comes to accessibility options, and Microsoft are looking to develop these helpful tools even further in Windows 8. We've always had the built in Narrator that can read text aloud and the magnifier which is used to zoom in and display content for those with trouble seeing. Not to mention the array of Voice Recognition commands that Windows has built into it. However Microsoft claim they've improved all of this in Windows 8.
In their latest post over at Building Windows 8 Microsoft have gone into great detail on how they're adding new accessibility options and improving existing ones in Windows 8.
For a start the Narrator will help you with the installation of Windows 8, something that's already integrated into the developer preview of Windows 8. There is also a redesigned built-in screen reader, improving performance speed while adding more languages and voices. The screen reader will now have the ability to read output from applications which aren't actually part of Windows.
The voice assistant has also been beefed up and has improved processing speed as well as keyboard shortcuts to navigate during narration. You'll even be able to create your own customizable voice commands.
And of course since Microsoft are focusing a lot on touch screen devices, Windows 8 has several new accessibility features which can be activated by touch. To start off you'll be able to enable the narrator at any time by simply pressing the Windows key and Volume up. Then by tapping a certain part of the screen the Narrator will read out whatever text is underneath your finger.
You'll also be able to pinch the screen with two fingers to zoom in at any time. Tapping the left and right borders at the same time will quickly zoom out to full screen and then you'll be able to drag a small rectangle to the area you want to zoom in on.
And finally, Microsoft is also going to include a whole load of developer tools so that developers can easily integrate all these features into their programs as well.
"If you are a developer, build an accessible app and reach a larger spectrum of users! If you are an AT (assistive technologies) vendor, come work with us and refresh your applications using our platform. This is an exciting and compelling release that will change how people of all abilities interact with PCs."
The majority of these new features are based around touch input, but then again that's certainly much more accessible for those who find it difficult to navigate with a mouse or type on a keyboard.
Check out the full post for more detail and there's also a video below you can watch


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Beechcraft Sues Over Lost Air Force Contract
Published: Friday, March 22, 2013 at 3:44 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, March 22, 2013 at 3:44 a.m.
Aircraft manufacturer Beechcraft announced Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit to contest the U.S. Air Force's decision to award a contract for a light air support plane to Sierra Nevada Corp. The suit, filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C., is the latest development in a bitter, high-stakes competition that has taken nearly three years with legal challenges from both sides. The contract for 20 planes for use in Afghanistan is worth more than $427 million. It could be worth as much as $1 billion, depending on future orders.
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