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by March 21, 2010
Many online retailers and service providers use website exit surveys to measure how well their site meets visitor needs. It's critical to make sure any web site survey software doesn't negatively affect a customer's online experience. To improve the success of your website usability survey campaign,...read more
by January 11, 2010
The number of simple online survey tools has enabled even the smallest organization to conduct an in-depth market research analysis for a fraction of the cost and time. But these feedback collection opportunities can still be wasted if you don't determine proper survey objectives before you begin...read more
by December 22, 2009
People love Google. Most people can't even go a full day without using their search (if not some of their other tools - gmail, Wave, Docs, etc.). The best part about Google is it's free, and everyone loves free. While free gets it done, sometimes there could be more that you're missing. Would people...read more
by November 30, 2009
Recently, I discussed ways to make sure your online questionnaires are easy to use and understand. To refresh, these online survey best practice tips you should make the language clear, use the same rating system throughout, and have multiple people proof and check all the links. All this should...read more
by November 12, 2009
Marketing departments love client testimonials and customer quotes. They're great to share with the sales team when prospects need referrals, they're helpful to put in powerpoint presentations, and can be a critical piece of any marketing website. Getting those sound bites from clients can be a...read more
by August 28, 2009
If you've ever had to plan an event, you know how much work goes into it from finding a venue, negotiating contracts, coordinating invitations, and that's just the tip of the ice burg. You may or may not know, but Cvent's more than just a web survey software company. We are also a market leader in...read more
by July 29, 2009
One type of online survey questionnaire we don't talk about a lot is website marketing research and web usability surveys for your web pages. Often times we narrow in on market surveys, customer surveys and employee surveys leaving out a wide range of other types of surveys. Web site survey tools...read more
by July 29, 2009
It's pretty frustrating when it comes time begin your survey results analysis using either the survey reports built into your online survey software, excel or another survey analysis tool and you find your survey has a high partial response rate. You spent a lot of time writing survey questions then...read more
by July 14, 2009
A lot of thought and time goes into survey design, from question creation to the graphical template to the email message and list segmentation. But, when you sit down to design your questionnaire, are you thinking about page breaks? Page breaks in an online survey is often an over looked feature...read more
by March 11, 2009
At the Cvent Survey blog, we enjoy sharing some of our best tips, tricks and tools of the online survey trade. As one of our blog readers, we can only assume you enjoy getting them too! So, we want to invite you to join Cvent for one of our brand-new best practices webinars. In just 45 minutes, we...read more


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Hi Readers,
The Cricktet TV is All About Live Cricket, through this site we want to present all the major cricket matches & tournaments to our visitors predominantly via audio & video clips.
The major advantage which we are offering to our site visitors are videos & audio clips of the cricket matches embedded in the post so that you can catch all the action here itself
But we promise, as days go by, we will also start writing our views on all the major matches played plus get videos/audios for you all as well
Sounds Good!!!
Enjoy your visit here
The Cricket TV

subset: commoncrawl


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Field of studyFinance
|Type of study
|follow-up master's
|Language of instruction
|Standard length of studies
|2,0 years
|until 31. 8. 2019
|Field of study code
|Degree programme code
|Offered by
|Faculty of Economics and Administration
Open Days
Dates and details
Students in this field are prepared to work in various functions in financial instituions and monetary systems, corporation finance, financial accounting, auditing and taxes. The organization of the field enables the students to gain knowledge of monetary systems, financial markets and international finance, banking and insurance, corporate finance, accounting, auditing and taxation. Emphasis is placed on solving financial and monetary problems. Through optional courses it is possible for the students to expand their knowledge of the area of banking, bank management, bank accounting, financial analysis and plan, contractual relations in financial affairs, financial accounting of corporations and the insurance market. Course graduates will be equipped to work in various capacities in financial institutions, especially in banks, insurance companies and trusts, as stockbrokers or private financial investors, in finance and accounting departments of companies and institutions. They will hold higher managerial positions in financial divisions of banks, insurance companies or as financial and capital market analysts, controllers, etc.
Entrance Examinations and E-Application
No open admission procedure was found.
Field of study is accredited within these programmes
- Follow-up master's, full-time
- Finance and Accounting (FEA)
- Follow-up master's, combined
- Finance and Accounting (FEA)
- Master's, full-time
- Finance and Accounting (FEA)


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Top Gear's Speed Week: Chris Harris vs VW Golf GTI Clubsport S
"It's just one of those super-extreme cars that the world needs." Watch the video here
Our latest road tests of this car...
What's this then?
This is Aston Martin at its raw, analogue best. Until now the V12 Vantage S was only offered with a...
Better than ever to drive, but falling behind the pack now.
That's "N" for "Nurburgring", and "430" for bhp. Ollie Marriage reports on the latest cosmetic upgrade from Aston
Angry Aston has excellent speed, power and handling. But it would be exhausting to use as a regular car.
AM has gone to town on the V12 S to make it the most rip-snorting, thuggish car possible. We drive it
Hardcore, 430bhp coupe swathed in trademark Aston luxury is very fast, and very good
New chassis in limited-edition Vantage results in the best-handling version yet
The smallest 'proper' Aston, the Vantage manages to fit in full-fat Aston goodness
Aston's smallest sports car, the Vantage is a similar size to Porsche's iconic 911, so not quite as wide or unwieldy as larger supercars. Gently revised since launch in 2005, it remains one of the best-looking vehicles on the road – a testament to Aston's ability to create genuinely timeless classic design. It's not exactly a cheap option, with the basic 420bhp, 0–62mph in 4.7, 4.7-litre V8 listing at over £90k, but you do get a sense that you're in a 'proper' 180mph Aston Martin, with all the pub bragging rights that entails.
The Vantage comes in several flavours, and none disappoint. Early 4.3-litre V8 cars made a glorious noise but lacked the outright pace to really go with the urgent soundtrack, but the later 4.7 variants closed the distance between aural pleasure and actual forward motion. The Vantage is a nice balance between usability and go-faster thrills, with lovely steering and very neutral, easy-to- assimilate balance. The Vantage S (more power, harder suspension) is the one to go for if you really like driving fast on the road, the N24 race-spec variant if you want to do the odd track day. The ultimate is the musclebound V12: 510bhp, 0–62mph in 4.2secs, 190mph, a manual gearbox and a whole heap of smoky-tyred excitement. Roadsters (2007-on) tend to be more for pose than go, and you'll pay about £8k extra to replace the roof with canvas
Aston's ability to inject a touch of theatre to an interior appears in the Vantage, with copious use of top-quality wood and metal, all arranged in a pleasingly pared- down fashion. There's plenty of space for two adults and luggage, making the Vantage a surprisingly practical car and an honest, usable daily driver, and various upgrades to the satellite navigation and other electrical systems mean that the baby Aston feels at least on the pace with technology. It can feel a bit dark and cave-like, but you'll forgive that every time you glance back at the car as you walk away; it really does look great.
Every new variant chips value from the previous generation, with early cars now at very reasonable money. The Vantage apparently suffered from some electrical gremlins at the start, now solved, and residual values are generally good for low-mileage, well cared-for cars. Be aware that you're talking about an Aston, though, so group 50 insurance and 35 per cent tax on everything (CO2 figures aren't the best, with the basic V8 being 320g/km), with equally wilting servicing costs.
The fastestS 2dr
The cheapestS 2dr
The greenestS 2dr Sportshift
How about something completely different?
How about an alternative?


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In an unexpected turn of events less than a month before his scheduled trial with Mayor Tony Mack on corruption charges, Joseph "JoJo" Giorgianni pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday in Trenton, admitting to handing $8,000 worth of bribe money to Mack in the spring of 2012 as part of an extortion conspiracy.
Giorgianni, a longtime campaign supporter and friend of the mayor, pleaded guilty to two counts of extortion, leaving Mack and his brother Ralphiel alone to face the public corruption case against them.
Giorgianni, 64, also pleaded guilty to one drug and one weapons charge yesterday from a separate narcotics case against him, but the remaining nine counts of a federal indictment against him in both matters will be dismissed as part of a plea deal.
Giorgianni's lawyer, Jerome Ballarotto, would not say whether Giorgianni would be testifying for the government in the Macks' upcoming trial, but said he is no longer preparing his client for a role in the trial.
Giorgianni, who once said "going to jail's my business," according to the FBI, was allegedly the point man for a parking garage scheme in which thousands of dollars in bribes were exchanged for promises of City Hall string-pulling by Mack.
In court yesterday, Giorgianni admitted to being one of Mack's "buffers," intermediaries who would handle the bribes from the project's supposed developers.
Under oath yesterday, Giorgianni answered questions about cash that came from Lemuel Blackburn and Harry Seymour, who were, in reality, not parking garage developers but FBI cooperating witnesses passing marked money to Giorgianni.
The one instance of giving Mack a cash bribe discussed yesterday happened inside JoJo's Steak House in the spring of 2012, Giorgianni testified.
"While in the back, nonpublic area of JoJo's Steak House, and in the presence of another witness, did you give Tony F. Mack approximately $8,000 in cash that you had received from Blackburn and Seymour?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Moran asked.
"Yes, sir," Giorgianni answered.
A protector no longer
Giorgianni has been at Tony Mack's side since before Mack's first run for mayor in 2006. He provided thousands of dollars in donations for Mack's campaigns and secured money for Mack when he was down and out, according to the FBI. Federal authorities also allege he served as a "buffer" to keep Mack protected from law enforcement, but yesterday the shield was gone and Giorgianni was no longer Mack's protector.
"For example, did you, Tony F. Mack, Ralphiel Mack and Charles Hall III agree that Tony F. Mack would take action as the mayor to fix the price of the East State Street lot at $100,000 in exchange for a $100,000 payment to you, Tony F. Mack and Charles Hall III?" Moran asked.
"Yes, sir, absolutely," Giorgianni said.
After the hearing, Mayor Mack's attorney Mark Davis said Giorgianni's turn was not unexpected.
"I can't even tell you I'm surprised," Davis said last night. "The only thing that surprised me is that it didn't happen sooner. The evidence against JoJo has always been overwhelming."
Davis was not at the hearing and did not find out about it until shortly before it began, he said.
After Giorgianni's indictment on seven counts related to the corruption case last December, he had pleaded not guilty, and entered a plea of not guilty again after being indicted on six counts of a drug conspiracy in March.
Yesterday, Giorgianni started off the court hearing by withdrawing those not-guilty bids and selectively pleading guilty to charges according to the terms of his plea deal. With Ballarotto's arm draped around the back of his wheelchair at the defense table, Giorgianni answered all of Moran's questions in a clear voice amplified in the chamber by a handheld microphone. He occasionally stopped to editorialize, deviating from the brief, affirmative answers Moran was expecting.
"'Uncle Remus' always meant cash," Giorgianni interjected at one point, explaining an alleged code term from wiretapped conversations.
Giorgianni also added that he told Mack the parking garage had to get built in exchange for the cash.
"I said money had to be returned if you didn't do the project," Giorgianni said. "I gave my word."
"Sir, please listen to my question," Moran said.
During Moran's questioning, Giorgianni also admitted giving money to Ralphiel Mack to be passed to Tony Mack in July of 2012, just before FBI raids on the homes of Giorgianni and the Mack brothers. The trio were arrested on Sept. 10, 2012, after a nearly two-year investigation. The parking garage for which bribes were allegedly passed was a fabrication and the developers' supposed representatives Seymour and Blackburn were working for the FBI.
While the march toward trial for the men has taken more than a year, yesterday's court hearing itself — on Friday the 13th no less — was sudden. Davis said he received no alert from the U.S. Attorney's Office or Ballarotto, and had been told a status conference scheduled for yesterday afternoon was canceled in favor of another matter. He knew something was happening when the defense investigator on the case, who happened to be inside the federal courthouse, saw reporters were waiting outside a courtroom and alerted him with a phone call, Davis said.
Giorgianni's plea deal was signed on Dec. 5, but not formally entered into the record until yesterday — the day after Judge Michael A. Shipp declared Giorgianni mentally competent to stand trial.
Deal with jail time
His deal carries the possibility of 10 years and one month or 12 years and seven months behind bars; and the incarceration would be followed by three years of supervised release. At the sentencing, scheduled for March 19, Ballarotto could ask the judge for a sentence less harsh than the one calculated by federal guidelines. The U.S. Attorney's Office reserves the right to object to a lighter sentence, Moran said in court yesterday. Giorgianni also will have to pay a fine of more than $40,000.
Any violation of his agreement means that all charges can be reinstated against Giorgianni regardless of the statute of limitations, Moran said. Giorgianni's house arrest will not change.
Pleading guilty immediately after Giorgianni was his decades-long companion Mary Manfredo. The 66-year-old Lawrence resident operates JoJo's Steak House, but did not say in court whether she was the person who allegedly witnessed Giorgianni give Mack the $8,000.
Manfredo was indicted on four counts in the drug distribution case, which alleged Giorgianni ran a prescription pill ring out of the steak shop. Yesterday, she admitted in court to holding pills for admitted members of the painkiller-dealing group, and sometimes holding onto money from those sales for Giorgianni and others.
Anthony Simonetti, Manfredo's lawyer, would not say whether Manfredo would testify against Mack as a condition of her plea deal. Manfredo could serve from four years, three months to five years, 11 months in prison, but like Giorgianni's her sentence could be a great deal shorter.
In the corruption case, Giorgianni pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct and affect interstate commerce "under color of official right" in connection with the parking garage scheme. He also pleaded guilty to a second count of extortion in connection with an inflated city contract for power-washing that earned him and co-conspirator Charles Hall III a $1,300 kickback, Giorgianni said in court. Like Giorgianni, Hall pleaded guilty earlier this year and has not been sentenced.
For the drug case, Giorgianni pleaded guilty to narcotics conspiracy and being a felon in possession of four firearms.
Davis said Giorgianni's plea will not change his preparation for the Macks' trial, which is still expected to begin Jan. 6.
"We're staying the course," he said.
Davis pointed out that Tony and Ralphiel Mack wanted Giorgianni separated from their trial anyway.
"In effect, he did us a favor," Davis said of Giorgianni.
During an interview with The Times on July 25, 2012, Giorgianni said Mack was clean of any wrongdoing because he was not getting money from Giorgianni.
"If he ain't taking it from me, he ain't taking it from nobody," Giorgianni said. "And I'll write that in blood."
Contact Alex Zdan at firstname.lastname@example.com.
On mobile or desktop:
• Like Times of Trenton on Facebook
• Follow @TimesofTrenton on Twitter


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Stories, Games, Jazzy Content
I'm a well-published, freelance game designer, author, writer, and editorial director. For hire!
I thrive on interactive storytelling (fiction or nonfiction), language geekery, science, math, engineering, puzzles, travel, world cultures, certain cats.
HOPPING FUN CREATIONS (founded: 1999) is my editorial services and content development company, creating professional quality board and card games, video game scripts, interactive stories, books (50+ titles!), and other jazzy content for publishers, game makers, and media producers.
Stories & Games
Born-Digital Products
Children's Books


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Last chapters 1 Encounter
It's Ruri's 17th birthday today. And also the day that her relationship with Jyunya begins. However, was it destiny that their love is going to be a tragic one? What will happen to them now, with their parents against their relationship...!?
- No comments posted so far, be the first one!
- Volume 1
- 8 years ago17 Sai no Real 1: Encounter
By editing this manga you will earn the editor title for this manga!


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Fun and Fruity
Floral scents are spiked with such fresh elements as black currant, pink grapefruit, and strawberry leaves. Clockwise from top: Cacharel Promesse, Anna Sui Secret Wish, Miss Dior Cherie, Valentino V, and Clarins par Amour toujours. Next, the perfect bouquet to complement these scents.
Perfumes that complement the flowers in your bouquet
Fun and Fruity


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Predatory Lending Practices: Finding Solutions
The Three Biggest Technology Mistakes
Recruiting and Retaining High Quality Staff
|"FLIP!" Not Just Another 4-Letter Word -- Illegal Flip Real Estate Transactions
by Lynn W. Wilburn
In the last two or three years but especially within the last year, illegal flip real estate transactions (FLIPS) have virtually exploded in numbers around the country. Much of the credit for this proliferation in fraudulent transactions can be attributed to "Infomercials" on how to "buy real estate with no money." If you are an insomniac,
|How Title Insurance Differs From Other
Lines of Insurance
Since title insurance is an evidence-producing /loss- prevention line of insurance, its loss expense is less and its operating expense is greater than other property and casualty lines of business. Insurance expenses can be divided into two kinds: loss prevention/underwriting expenses and loss-related expenses.
|Title News costs $5 per issue (member rate) and $8 per issue (non-member rate).


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Capers '92 Featured
Posted on Friday, November 22, 2013
Cecilia T. Capers '92 was recently featured as the "Author to Know" on the "For Colored Gurls" blog. Capers recently published her first book, "To Whom Much Is Given- A Novel."
The article notes, "To cultivate her writing skills, Cecilia took a brief departure from the practice of law to write the first draft of To Whom Much Is Given - A Novel. She also performed improv at the New York Comedy Club, wrote a short film and developed sketch comedy pieces for The Actor's Project NYC. At current, she is working on the sequel to and comedic projects. Her nonfiction writing can be found in The Huffington Post and Urban Cusp where she frequently provides reviews and commentary on a diverse array of artistic, social and political subject matter."
It goes on to include an interview with Capers about her interest in writing, the book and her future goals.
Capers earned her B.A. in English from William Smith College.
The full article follows.
For Colored Gurls
Author to Know: Cecilia T. Capers
Jamie Fleming-Dixon • October 30, 2013
Cecilia T. Capers, Esq. always possessed a passion for writing. Her literary tastes were cultivated at an early age by her family members, especially her cousin Leothy Miller Owens, founder of Nkiru Books. During her undergraduate years at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, she was a columnist for the school newspaper and active in the theatre and film studies program. Cecilia received critical acclaim for writing and producing a full-length play entitled The Life and Death of the Existential Black Man. For her work, she was awarded the Cornell-Busch Scholarship for Dramatic Writing and a highly coveted paid internship with the renowned New York theatre organization, Playwrights Horizons.
Ultimately, Cecilia received her Juris Doctorate from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University, where she was active as treasurer and vice-chairperson in the Black, Asian, and Latino Law Students Association and as a member of National Association of Minorities in Communications (NAMIC) and the Communications and Media Law Committee of The Association of the Bar of the City of New York. To cultivate her writing skills, Cecilia took a brief departure from the practice of law to write the first draft of To Whom Much Is Given - A Novel. She also performed improv at the New York Comedy Club, wrote a short film and developed sketch comedy pieces for The Actor's Project NYC. At current, she is working on the sequel to and comedic projects. Her nonfiction writing can be found in The Huffington Post and Urban Cusp where she frequently provides reviews and commentary on a diverse array of artistic, social and political subject matter.
Check out our interview below to learn more about Cecilia and her debut novel:
How did you become interested in writing and becoming an author?
Writing always felt like something I had to do. I completely understand when I hear athletes talking about how natural it felt when they threw a football or walked across a balance beam for the first time.
All through grade school, I wanted to be a good writer, and I worked very hard at it. As an adult, I'll see or talk to people who tell me they remember my writing from grade school days. I'm proud when people tell me decades later that my writing left an impression. Several of them have read the book already. It's funny to think I was building a base of readers during my childhood, but I didn't know it.
Seriously, there were times I took my abilities for granted, and I regret that! Writing is one of the primary things in my life that gives me the fire of being alive.
Can you tell us more about your book, To Whom Much Is Given - A Novel?
To Whom Much Is Given - A Novel is contemporary women's fiction. The main character is Avery Benjamin, a talented, intelligent, and beautiful '30-something' New York attorney of the modern, African-American "Talented Tenth." Avery has the love and support of a multicultural mosaic of dynamic women friends who augment her life.
She is in a serious relationship with Antonio Dawson, a professional football player, four years her junior, whose family is part of Atlanta's wealthy and influential 'African-American elite.' However, like so many contemporary women, she longs for the days when she pursued big, passionate dreams. During this introspective period, her former lover from law school, Dean Everard Swithin, a British aristocrat, re-enters her world, making her a potentially life-changing offer she cannot possibly refuse.
That is when Avery's own drama begins. Scandal and deception change her heart as well as her perspective. Ultimately, Avery must take steps to confront her past, mend the wounds of her present and find strength to fulfill her destiny with the right man by her side.
What inspired you to write it?
The time finally arrived to break a 10 year dry spell. I was super busy with law school and work. I quit a very coveted job as a lobbyist at a major law firm. Three months after I quit, the story hit me like a tsunami. I was totally swept away with it. The characters gave me a full picture of their lives, and they allowed me to immerse myself into their world.
Why should people read it?
I can tell you why people shouldn't read it. If a reader is looking for a lot of sex, catfights and explicit language, then this is not the book they should buy.
To Whom Much Is Given - A Novel addresses issues of class and race among matters of generational wealth, immigrant ambition and family conflicts. At its core, the novel presents the question: What are the social, spiritual and emotional responsibilities people owe themselves and the loved ones who are a part of their journey? As the story progresses, readers quickly learn: Success has a price, and sometimes, loved ones become collateral damage.
What do you hope people take away after reading it?
I want folks to pick up the book thinking one way but be surprised at the way things unfold. I hope they will take away an experience. I love writing about intelligent and strong women. In the African-American community sometimes, the term "strong woman" can have the effect of a dual-edged sword. My goal is to paint a more realistic picture of strong women of color who don't need to knife friends or foes just to get a man or get ahead in their careers. I want people to see that strong women, especially African-American women, can have vulnerability and sensuality.
Shonda Rhimes has the opportunity to paint a refreshing portrait of an African-American woman on television. The Olivia Pope has detractors, but for the most part, women and men of diverse backgrounds like what Shonda, her writing team and Kerry Washington are doing because we are not seeing retreads of stereotypes. I hope people will look at Avery and the other characters in my book beyond racial stereotypes. Personally, I'm exhausted from seeing African-American women depicted as victims or the hypersexual vamp...that is just negative energy we give power to and we need to balance it out with some love and light. Not all of us are cowering in a corner because we've been wronged by a man or society. African-Americans have more stories to tell than just the ones about slavery, Civil Rights or living in oppressive situations. Those are important stories to tell, but some people really believe African-Americans see their lives only in the context of those three situations. It is my goal to do in books what Shonda has done in television.
Folks keep debating whether we live in a postracial America or not. I want the book and the rest of the series to be entertaining yet relevant in the dialogue about race, class and diversity.
Because of this book, I had a conversation with an Italian-American man in his early 50′s about the African-American upper class. He was surprised the book included an African-American family from the South whose wealth went back for several generations. That's a conversation we probably would never have, but the book presented an opportunity about history and social issues in a non-intimidating way. That's what I hope the book will do.
What are some of your future goals when it comes to your writing career?
I would love to share my passion for writing with students in the high school through collegiate level. Reading allows an individual to explore emotions, issues and diverse people. Visual mediums are awesome, but a book allows each reader to have a movie camera rolling in their minds. I think some young people are losing the wonder and magic that writing and reading provides. It would be fantastic to work with and watch young people exploring new worlds through writing.
Goals are a funny thing. They are great to have, but you can't let them drive you mad. Honestly, I'm a textbook Virgo personality, so I'm my own taskmaster. I'm always going to push myself hard and re-read my work and say, "I could have phrased that differently." I believe that is how you become better. I'm going to be that writer up at 2, 3 and 4 A.M., reading or analyzing a movie so that I can be better at painting the scenes in my book with words. I have at least four more books I need to write, so I pray that I will have the luxury of time to put those stories down on paper in the best way I can.
Is there anything you want to add?
I think some writers start writing because they want to be the next sensation. That's cool to aspire to be the next J.K. Rowling or have a successful series like Fifty Shades of Grey. I would love to have a lightning in the bottle, but the lawyerly side...my rational side says, "slow down and build something worth bragging about." I hope I will be that author who has a loyal and diverse fan base. I pray for longevity. The best compliment would be for a person to read my work, put it down and say, "Wow, she gave me something to think about."
In politics, there is a saying: Never forget your base. I don't want to ever forget the people who are giving me support now. I believe the best is yet to come, and I hope they will join me for the ride.
Jamie Fleming-Dixon is the founder and author of ForColoredGurls.com. Her intention is to empower readers, inspire them to live their most fabulous lives and to motivate them to reach for their dreams and goals. This is done through motivational articles and quotes, interviews with women from all walks of life, posts on topics that affect every area of women's lives and more. For more info about Jamie and FCG, email her at email@example.com.
This entry was posted on October 30, 2013 at 5:14 pm and is filed under Authors to Know. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.


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My first set of renderings/collages.
Some changes have already been decided, but you can see what I'm starting out with.
Lily's dress is drawn from a pattern I've got - I'm hoping to actually make it if I have time.
FDR's Cabinet...did you know Frances Perkins was the first female cabinet member?
Good thing I picked up Butterick's historical aprons pattern!
I love me some coveralls, and I quite like that cop coat as well.
More to come later!


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John Dudley's Week 14 NFL Power Rankings
NFL Rankings -- Week 14
1. Seattle Seahawks (11-1; Last week: 1; beat Saints, 34-7): The Seahawks have clearly played to the level of their competition in a lot of cases this season. They needed overtime to beat both the Bucs and Texans, two of the league's worst teams. But they've trounced two elite playoff teams in the 49ers (29-3 in Week 2) and the Saints on Monday. Conclusion: They're capable of a stinker, but scary good when they're focused.
2. Denver Broncos (10-2; 4; beat Chiefs, 35-28): Generally speaking, I don't believe in splitting hairs when it comes to the rankings. But the Broncos, fourth last week, move up based on a much more impressive road win over the Chiefs than the Patriots' road win over the Texans.
3. New England Patriots (9-3; 2; beat Texans, 34-31): The Patriots' defense has allowed 797 yards the past two weeks, which would be of greater concern if New England wasn't currently in the Texans-Browns-Dolphins portion of its schedule.
4. Carolina Panthers (9-3; 6; beat Buccaneers, 27-6): After a dicey performance against the Dolphins in their previous game, the Panthers came out on Sunday and pounded the life out of the Bucs, allowing only three drives longer than 26 yards.
5. New Orleans Saints (9-3; 3; lost to Seahawks, 34-7): All of the big concerns about Drew Brees and the Saints -- playing a tough opponent on the road, playing outside the dome, playing a physical defensive team -- showed up on Monday night against the Seahawks. New Orleans looked helpless on both sides of the ball and never was in the game after Seattle took a quick 10-0 lead.
6. San Francisco 49ers (8-4; 7; beat Rams, 23-13): Alleviating any concerns that they might have been looking ahead to this week's massive showdown against Seattle, the Niners cooled off the Rams, who had scored 80 points in their previous two games. St. Louis couldn't get in the end zone until the final 18 seconds.
7. Kansas City Chiefs (9-3; 5; lost to Broncos, 35-28): After losing three straight games to drop out of the AFC West lead and into the thick of the wild card race, the schedule eases up for the Chiefs -- a little. The next two weeks bring the Redskins and Raiders, but both games are on the road.
8. Cincinnati Bengals (8-4; 9; beat Chargers, 17-10): It's going to take some real effort for the Bengals to blow the AFC North lead now. They lead the division by two games over the Ravens and three over the Steelers and get Baltimore at home in Week 17. Not saying they can't mess this up, but it will be tough.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (7-5; 10; beat Cardinals, 24-21): Even more unexpected than the fact that Nick Foles is basically lapping Michael Vick as the starting quarterback in Chip Kelly's offense is the fact that Foles is within one TD pass of tying Peyton Manning record of 20 TD passes and no interceptions to start a season. This stuff just doesn't happen in Philly.
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-5; 11; beat Raiders, 31-24): It's funny the way the NFL works sometimes. A guy you've probably never heard of, Lance Dunbar, breaks off a 45-yard run during a pivotal third-quarter drive that enables the Cowboys to shake out of a funk and tie their Thanksgiving Day game against the Raiders at 21. The 'Boys go on to score 10 of the next 13 points to get a win that might wind up saving their season, considering the fact that the Eagles won on Sunday.
11. Arizona Cardinals (7-5; 8; lost to Eagles, 24-21): Three Carson Palmer turnovers basically were the difference in Sunday's loss to the Eagles. Now the Cardinals are in a dogfight for a wild card spot, a game behind the 49ers and on the wrong side of the tiebreaker with the Eagles, and with Seattle and San Francisco in Weeks 16 and 17.
12. Baltimore Ravens (6-6; 13; beat Steelers, 22-20): It's tough to say which the Ravens would enjoy more, finishing off their second-half turnaround with a playoff berth or seeing the Steelers lose a draft pick for Mike Tomlin's sideline antics during the Thanksgiving Night game. Hmmm. Can they take a few weeks to think it over?
13. Detroit Lions (7-5; 15; beat Packers, 40-10): The Lions continue to hemorrhage turnovers. They had four more in their Thanksgiving Day win over the Packers, giving them 12 in three weeks. But the Packers chipped in with three turnovers of their own and a 24-yard rushing effort while allowing the Lions to amass 561 total yards, which made it a laugher.
14. Indianapolis Colts (8-4; 16; beat Titans, 22-14): The Colts haven't been the same since beating the Broncos 39-33 in Week 7. They've slipped past the Titans twice and the Texans and gotten blown out by the Rams and Cardinals, a pair of team that would be out of the playoffs if the postseason started today. They'll visit the Bengals this week and the Chiefs in Week 16, so two more losses isn't out of the question.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-7; 12; lost to Ravens, 22-20): The Steelers can't do anything to change the weirdness that unfolded in Baltimore on Thanksgiving night, which might or might not cost Mike Tomlin a bunch of money and the team a draft pick, but they can take out one of the team in front of them in the wild-card standings by icing the Dolphins at home Sunday. That'll have to do for now.
16. San Diego Chargers (5-7; 14; lost to Bengals, 17-10): Apparently there is a rule that says you can't have both perfect weather and a consistent NFL team.
17. Miami Dolphins (6-6; 23; beat Jets, 23-3): Ryan Tannehill had one of the best games of his career at a perfect time Sunday. Tannehill threw for 331 yards and two TDs and Jets rookie QB Geno Smith did the rest, playing badly enough to get benched in favor of Matt Simms.
18. New York Giants (5-7, 27; beat Redskins, 24-17): Can't you hear the Giants haters now -- 5-1 since their 0-6 start and now the refs are on their side, too.
19. Green Bay Packers (5-6-1; 17; lost to Lions, 40-10): Isn't there some delusional Packers fan in Green Bay willing to donate a healthy collarbone to Aaron Rodgers so the Packers can get back in the playoff race? Anyone...? Anyone...?
20. St. Louis Rams (5-7; 18; lost to 49ers, 23-13): Say this about the Rams -- they've been game for the past few weeks when it would have been pretty easy and perfectly understandable to tank the season after QB Sam Bradford went down.
21. Tennessee Titans (5-7; 19; lost to Colts, 22-14): The Titans had a chance to make a move in the AFC wild card race and maybe even stay within reach of the Colts in the South, but that went out the window in a four-turnover loss in Indy on Sunday.
22. Chicago Bears (6-6; 21; lost to Vikings, 23-20 OT): The Bears put up monster numbers and got some proof that WR Alshon Jeffery (12 catches, 249 yards, 2 TDs) is no fluke, but a strange overtime period sent them to a loss that throws a big wrench into their playoff hopes.
23. Minnesota Vikings (3-8-1; 25; beat Bears, 23-20 OT): It's the little things that continue to amaze us when it comes to Adrian Peterson, like A.P. getting 51 of his 211 rushing yards in overtime Sunday to help the Vikings stun the Bears on a Blair Walsh field goal.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-9; 30; beat Browns, 32-28): The Jags have won three of four on the heels of an 0-8 start and Chad Henne is playing a passable QB. This isn't close to being a playoff team, but it's not a joke, either.
25. Atlanta Falcons (3-9; 31; beat Bills, 34-31 OT): Steven Jackson made a difference with 84 yards and two TDs, but the biggest boost for the Falcons came because the Bills gave away a home game at frigid Ralph Wilson Stadium to play in the antiseptic warmth of the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
26. New York Jets (5-7; 20; lost to Dolphins, 23-3): It appears the Jets will keep rookie Geno Smith at QB, although it's not clear why because Smith had no TDs and eight interceptions in his last five games.
27. Cleveland Browns (4-8; 22; lost to Jaguars, 32-28): Even after a bland effort in a 27-11 loss to the Steelers a week earlier, even the most pessimistic Browns fan couldn't have seen Sunday's collapse against the Jags coming. The Browns could be down to Alex Tanney at QB. Alex Tanney.
28. Buffalo Bills (4-8; 24; lost to Falcons, 34-31 OT): Veterans Stevie Johnson and Scott Chandler both lost fumbles at critical times against Atlanta. Rookie QB EJ Manuel actually played fairly well.
29. Washington Redskins (3-9; 26; lost to Giants, 24-17): The NFL admitted a mistake by officials who failed to correctly set the chains on a late Redskins drive. You can argue that the Skins shouldn't have been in that position in the first place, but it was a huge mistake that potentially cost them the game.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-9; 28; lost to Panthers, 27-6): There wasn't much sign of the feel-good three-game winning streak once the Bucs ran up against a real quality NFC opponent in the Panthers on Sunday. Just a very solid NFL team pummeling a bad one.
31. Oakland Raiders (4-8; 29; lost to Cowboys, 31-24): Up 21-7 in the second quarter at Dallas on Thanksgiving Day, the Raiders shut it down and managed only 25, 5, 6 and 36 yards on their first four second-half drives.
32. Houston Texans (2-10; 32; lost to Patriots, 34-31): For one afternoon, the Texans were their old selves, trading shots with the Patriots in a game that produced 629 yards of offense. it took a pair of 53-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goals -- one to tie and one to win it -- to keep Houston positioned for the No. 1 pick.
-- John Dudley


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England, France and the wild bunch ride again
London: Rarely the case, there is a certain logic to the Six Nations this season. England and France, the two biggest and richest rugby countries in a sport that demands size and cherishes wealth, are in rude health. England's last game was a seismic victory over the New Zealand All Blacks and France went through the autumn undefeated, with wins over Australia, Argentina and Samoa.
England have the advantage now of three home games, starting against Scotland on Saturday (8pm UAE), while France are on the road for three games. Any notion that the first, at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Sunday, does not carry the same menace as trips to the north should be set against the last result, in 2011: Italy 22 France 21. It was the sort of game that will be held under the noses of the French players, like smelling salts.
Perhaps they are already fully alert, having combined invention, especially against Australia, and resilience, particularly against Samoa. On the side of adventure, the France coach Philippe Saint-Andre paired Maxime Mermoz in the centre with Florian Fritz, pushing Wesley Fofana, tipped to become a fixture in midfield, to the wing, and with newcomer Brice Dulin of Castres at full-back.
To prove the case for a no-nonsense approach, second-row Pascal Pap, wonderfully scratchy and blunt during the 2011 World Cup, was given the captain's armband. Pap and Yoann Maestri form a partnership that harks back to the days of frightening, um, candour in the French second row.
Dangerous crossing
But they do have to travel to Twickenham, for the third weekend. It sounds cosy but this is the dangerous crossing of the championship, the grand centrepiece featuring the pair of favourites. But will it be?
By then, England will have played Scotland at home and Ireland away. Victory in round one should be a routine affair, given the form of the Scots in Europe this season and their recent history at international level, a record so dispiriting that Andy Robinson resigned as coach after defeat in Aberdeen to Tonga. This means that Scotland go to the home of the logically fancied England under Robinson's former assistant, Scott Johnson, an Australian who has done the rounds without ever winning anything as a head coach.
But it will be harder for England to play well against Scotland than against New Zealand, who, as always, held out an invitation to play. The surprise was that England, by way of acceptance, snatched the invitation from their hand and performed with a healthy disrespect for the world champions.
Nowhere, of course, is more jumbled right now than Wales, proud winners of the grand slam in 2012 and not so proudly coming at 2013 on the back of seven straight defeats.
They open against Ireland on Saturday (5.30pm UAE). But form does not seem particularly relevant when it comes to Wales. They won a grand slam in 2008 from a state of 2007 World Cup mutiny. To go from hapless to all-consuming is a Welsh speciality. But they have lost of late and face three away games in a row: France, Italy and Scotland.
Ireland have England and France at home, which sets them up as the wrecking ball of the championship. Not that the Irish, with Sean O'Brien, Brian O'Driscoll and Rob Kearney, see themselves as mere dashers of the hopes of others. But it somehow fits into the scheme of taking reasoned argument and shredding it in the Six Nations.
The Six Nations is no place for computation and reason.
— Guardian News & Media Ltd


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ST. LOUIS -- Tom Emanski, of late-night infomercial fame, produces a well-known instructional DVD on how to play sound defensive baseball. The Mets might want to consider having a few of those shipped to their downtown hotel this week.
A trio of errors led to a sloppy 7-1 loss last night to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, a game that lost its competitive verve somewhere around the second inning. What makes it worse is how interim manager Jerry Manuel has harangued the defense for its sieve-like tendencies recently. Against proficient teams like the Cardinals -- quite capable of exploiting mistakes -- bad glovework can make for an agonizing night.
Afterward, Manuel summed up all nine innings in about two seconds: "We didn't do much of anything tonight."
Luis Castillo, David Wright and John Maine contributed to the loss with errors that helped create an insurmountable deficit against Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse, who allowed just one unearned run in seven innings. A one-time Mets target in free agency, Lohse didn't sign his one-year, $4.25 million deal with the Cardinals until March 14.
It made for a smidgen of what-could-have-been feelings, considering how easily Lohse outperformed Maine to pick up his 10th win. As the Mets starter long-tossed before the game, and felt the added weight on his right arm, he knew it would be one of those nights. He lasted just four innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and departed after only 81 pitches.
The Mets are calling it a "dead arm," and Manuel wants to re-evaluate his pitcher today. Maine, though, didn't feel there was any cause for worry. "I had no life on the ball; had nothing," Maine said. "You could tell."
The Mets began their season here at Busch last year, an uplifting three-game sweep against the opponent who tortured them in the 2006 National League Championship Series. The second half of their 2008 season starts here as well, and already it's off to an underwhelming start. Most consider this a critical series for the Mets (40-42), who linger in fourth place in the NL East, although well within striking distance of the first-place Phillies at 3½ games behind. A trip to Philly is next on the agenda this weekend, but if the Mets continue their run of defensive miscues it might not have nearly the same competitive tenor.
The Cardinals swiped a 2-0 lead in the first. The inning began ominously for Maine with a leadoff walk to Skip Schumaker, who moved to third on an Aaron Miles single to right. That left a meaty situation for Albert Pujols, who rapped another single to right to score Schumaker and give St. Louis a 1-0 lead. Maine yielded another run when Troy Glaus grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, which eventually helped him escape the inning.
During the next inning, the Mets gave a short clinic on bad defensive baseball. The Cardinals' third run crossed the plate on a error, courtesy of a room-service Schumaker groundball that scooted right between the legs of Castillo.
Before the game, Manuel pointed to Castillo's lack of range as a reason he may need to use a defensive replacement for the equally immobile Delgado. But Castillo's last two errors have come on opportunities that have bounced between his legs.
The Cards added a run in the third, when Glaus made up for RBI he lost in the first with a more convincing effort. The third baseman stroked a double to left, which scored Rick Ankiel and made the score 4-0 Cardinals.
In the fourth, more shoddy Mets play proved costly -- another error, another Cardinals run. With two outs, Wright tried to nail Miles by putting a little extra on a heave from third base. Instead, the throw sailed well over Delgado's head at first and allowed Miles to race over to second. The next hitter, Pujols, typically makes teams pay for such egregious mistakes. He did with an RBI single up the middle. Cards 5, Mets zip.
The Mets, meanwhile, struggled to put baserunners on. They didn't have a runner reach scoring position until the fourth, when Carlos Beltran moved from first to third on a two-out single from Ryan Church. Faced with an opportunity to cut into the lead, Endy Chavez instead tapped out lightly to second.
A Mets run finally came across in the fifth, this time on an error by the Cardinals. Castillo singled up the middle and Ankiel airmailed his throw to third trying to throw out Andy Phillips. The ball careened into the dugout, which allowed Phillips to score and cut the deficit to 5-1. Chris Duncan closed the scoring in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer off reliever Carlos Muniz.
At the end, the Mets had yet another flat loss on their record. Manuel wasn't sure how to qualify the effort. He blamed the offense, the defense, the managerial decisions and the work from the coaches. A nugget of credit went over to the Cardinals, but he made sure to mention that his "lethargic" club was mostly at fault.


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This deal has ended.
The price on these Blue Topaz Stud Earrings in 14K White Gold, which have a combined weight of 3 carats, drops from $129.20 to $69 at Jewelry.com. These earrings, set in solid 14K white gold, have a friction back closure. There's no sales tax (except NY).No longer available


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This article was first published in the March 2012 UK edition of Accounting and Business magazine.
Walking through the Shell headquarters in The Hague is like taking a tour through the company's 200-year history. Cleaving the building is a grand staircase, which divides a modern 1980s structure from the original Renaissance-style edifice built in 1915. An old diesel pump stands guard by the main entrance, belying the company's beginnings as a one-man antiques and oriental seashell dealership in London's East End.
The thriving oil and gas business now employs 93,000 people in more than 90 countries, is active in 36 different industries and made a profit of US$31.185bn (around £20bn) in 2011. The Dutch royal family owns a small shareholding – less than 1% – a throwback to the 1907 merger between the London-based Samuel family's Shell Transport and Trading Company, which had grown from that seashell dealership into a flourishing oil exporting business, and the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, its main competitor at the time.
Shell's operations are twofold: the exploration and extraction of crude oil and natural gas, and the refining business. The latter converts crude oil into fuels, lubricants and bitumen. Shell also produces biofuels and invests in solar and wind energy, as well as carbon capture and storage. With projects in countries as far afield as Oman, Iraq, Nigeria, Canada and Australia, it has a complicated web of interests to manage.
'Shell operates worldwide, and oil and gas is an extremely risky and complex business, so you've got to understand the dynamics of the external environment, be it political, regulatory, economic and technical,' explains Calvin Chiu, a governance, risk and controls (GRC) adviser in Shell's central finance section.
Originally from Shanghai, Chiu works in a team of 12 in Shell's corporate HQ in The Hague, which he describes as 'the centre of risk management' for the company. 'We're the custodians of the financial part of the Shell control framework and we actively interact with internal audit, external audit, the IT community, financial controllers, community financing and business financing projects,' he says. 'I usually deal with a network of governance, risk and control managers and deliver results through them.'
Chiu has helped steer a major overhaul of Shell's controls framework in his five years at the company. The project was spurred by the introduction of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the US, which set strict new standards for corporate governance in the wake of the Enron, Tyco and WorldCom financial scandals.
'We looked at our control framework to streamline it, make it leaner and meaner,' he says. 'We managed to reduce the number of controls from 46,000 five years ago to about 13,000 today, with a core of less than 2,000 – for a company the size of Shell this is a very impressive achievement.' He is proud of the project, which he says has created a sort of 'Enterprise One' mentality. He adds: 'We have upstream business, downstream business, and all these businesses organise themselves as if they're independent companies, but by implementing this control framework we managed to glue these different organisations together.'
The evolution of the control framework coincided with the creation of centres in Kuala Lumpur, Chennai, Manila, Glasgow and Krakow, effectively migrating and centralising large parts of the finance function to Shell locations worldwide. The centres provide an array of services, such as accounting, reporting, management information and inventory management, to Shell companies across the globe. The effort to 'standardise and simplify the financial control framework' is part of the migration, Chiu says. 'However, when you operate all these controls in an offshore environment, then you talk about very different risk profiles.'
Rui Bastos, Shell's head of corporate and IT audit, enumerates some of the challenges faced by a company that spans multiple continents, time zones and sectors: 'The variety of topics crossing my desk is phenomenal. One day it's cloud computing security concerns, the next how to manage controls in the shared service centre or how we deal with physical security in high-risk locations. We also operate in more than 30 different industry sectors, so we are impacted by most major pieces of financial or regulatory legislation around the world.'
Bastos, who is Portuguese and South African, came to Shell from auditor Ernst & Young. He also oversees the operational logistics of Shell's almost 400 audits a year, conducted with the help of more than 200 Shell internal auditors all over the world. Shell's internal audit function operates out of four main hubs in Kuala Lumpur, Houston, London and Nigeria.
Working together
'We're a microcosm of the entire Shell organisation,' says Bastos. 'We work with integrated audit teams of finance, IT, upstream, downstream, and the other specialty skills required to deliver a specific audit. We have a specialised data analytics team that support internal audits, investigations, regulatory compliance and our continuous auditing activities.
'We're also asked to play an advisory role on a variety of topics, given our broad exposure to Shell through our audits. The broad audit coverage allows us to provide very good insights into how a variety of activities are happening on the ground.'
He says that this kind of knowledge is crucial for internal audit to add value: 'You are called on to discuss a variety of topics with Shell senior management and the audit committee, which requires good insights on what is happening in all levels of the organisation. These insights are key to understanding the consequences of the issue for the rest of the organisation, but also to help shape how the organisation moves forward. From an internal audit perspective, it is both extremely impactful, but also personally very rewarding.'
Spreading these kinds of insights and know-how around the business is part of Shell's ethos, Chiu says. He transfers the skills he has gleaned from working in corporate HQ to young professionals in the new business service centres, although anyone in the finance function can apply for extra training at any point in their careers. Chiu, in fact, went on a four-month stint to the Dubai office to write the 2012 regional business plan. 'Shell very much encourages people to move on – almost demands that people move on once every four years to take on different challenges,' he says.
Finance professionals can hone their skills in Shell's 'open university', which offers classroom and remote learning. Bastos adds that internal audit adds to the available finance training with targeted audit and leadership skills training via individual development plans. 'You're rotating through a variety of audits every year, in essence accelerating your exposure to very different parts of the organisation,' he says. 'This exposure gives you a better appreciation of the link between risk and control and what it takes to make a large company like Shell succeed.'
And training is becoming even more important given the radical changes afoot for audit and governance, and the finance function in general. 'The classical audit approach is changing radically,' says Bastos. 'We're dealing with new realities today; we're far more information-intensive than we've ever been. Our position within the organisation and wider society is changing as well – the concept of risk is no longer just economic risk.'
After Enron, WorldCom and Tyco, GRC professionals have to 'make risk part of the top agenda of senior management', Chiu says. 'Risk and compliance is not a bureaucracy; it contributes to your bottom line. BP's market value was wiped out by a third immediately following the Gulf of Mexico spill.'
Contrasting roles
He draws a contrast between his role in governance, risk and control with the internal audit function: 'Internal audit looks at the events that have already taken place in the past, whereas GRC – and Rui may dispute this – is more forward-looking.'
And Bastos does indeed disagree. He says that internal audit in Shell has 'been at the forefront of identifying many of the emerging risks and helped trigger the necessary changes in Shell to manage these risks'.
It's an aspect of the role that will be even more central to internal audit in the future. 'When you look at the way internal audit is moving, it's increasingly having to predict the impacts of emerging internal and external challenges, and to assess how formal corporate control frameworks but also softer controls (such as corporate culture) will cope, and how the organisation responds.
'Audit skills will need to continue evolving in this direction. Providing this level of insight will require a higher level of business expertise and knowledge, being able to translate risk and control issues in terms not only of financial but also of social, political and environmental implications.'
Chiu agrees, adding that finance professionals are becoming more integral to business. 'They are or they should be trusted business partners in the organisation,' he says.
Sarah Collins, journalist
The CV
2007: Head of corporate and IT audit, Shell.
2006: Partner, technology and security risk services, at Ernst & Young, subsequently assurance and advisory business services partner.
1992: Chief financial officer at PA Cargo.
Education: FCCA with honours degrees in finance, accounting and IT audit, and an MBA from Insead.
2006: Adviser on governance, risk and controls at Shell. In 2011 spent six months in Dubai, dealing with planning, economics and reporting for Middle East and North Africa. Due to move to group strategy and planning as financial planning analyst.
2000: Various finance roles at Cisco Systems, including financial reporting, processes, systems and Sarbanes-Oxley audit and compliance.
1996: Business planning and marketing at China Eastern Airlines.
Education: BSc in environmental science and engineering, and an MBA from Bradford University. Qualified as ACCA in 2010.


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Children take part at YMCA summer camp
By BOB COUPLAND
Tribune Chronicle
WARREN – Basketball, swimming, and gardening are among the varied activities local youths are taking part in at the YMCA's Kids Club Camp, which is being held through August.
Paulette Edington, youth program director, said they have already had more than 100 children participating in the all-day event with a waiting list.
She said the program, for children in kindergarten to eighth grade, provides summer enrichment for YMCA youth members while focusing on physical, mental and spiritual health.
Eleven high-schoolers help with the program as volunteers through the summer JOBS program.
While most activities are at the YMCA building, there are field trips to the Cleveland Zoo, Camp Fitch, Noon in the Park and Perkins Park, she said. The group recently went to see quilts made by women at Tod Avenue United Methodist Church as part of Project Linus.
The YMCA is partnered with the Ohio State University Extension Office, Community Solutions, Jobs and Family Services and Trumbull County Public Library to offer various activities. Activities focus on leadership and working with others, she said.
Chase Persing, a junior at Harding High School, said he used to come to the YMCA in the summer when he was younger.
"I wanted to come back now that I am older and help work with the younger kids," Persing said.
Ed Bauer, a retired YMCA director, said swimming is part of the Kids Club program and also for two weeks in June part of the Howland Recreation summer program.
Children indicate they enjoy the swimming, using the computers and going on fieldtrips.
Samuel Mastorides, 10, said this is his second year at the camp enjoying the field trips and swimming.
"I wanted to come back because I got to meet new friends and play different activities," he said.


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Johann Sebastian Bach was a great musician who searched his heart to find his
own understanding of this art that had played a large, significant role in his whole family.
Throughout his life he sought out for music cantatas and other musical sequences to fit
his personality, goals, dreams, and furthermore, music that fit his efforts to this art.
While conducting his lifelong search, he was able to meet and play for many other great
musicians of his time. He also had opportunities to play with some of these other fine
musicians. Johann Sebastian Bach became a virtuosic instrumentalist as well as a
masterful composer. One great characteristic of this man was that he never had to be
pushed to excel in his gifts. He always wanted and longed for perfection. This powerful
mental factor was born with him and allowed Johann Sebastian Bach to be the one Bach
that will be remembered until the end of time. If this one man had not followed his
heart, then the musical world would have lost much more than his creations. The world
would have lost those emotional ties that Bach brings to each individual through this art
Johann Sebastian Bach was born on Saturday March 21st 1685 in the town of
Eisencach, Germany. He was then baptized in St. George's Cathedral, also known as St.
Georgen Kirche. This was the main church of Eisenach where many great people had
been and where many great things were done. The ceremony took place at the foot of the
Wartburg, a historical medieval hilltop castle overlooking Eisenach. Nagel, his
godfather, from whom Johann was to get his middle name, Sebastian, held him as he was
Johann Sebastian Bach was born into a family who had been very well known for
many generations for their musical talent, a family of over fifty-three musicians.
Sebastian's father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was the court trumpeter for the Duke of


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9 posts tagged with taxes and us.
Displaying 1 through 9 of 9. Subscribe:
have taxes your way
"International fast food behemoth Burger King Worldwide Inc. confirmed Tuesday that it will pay about $11 billion to buy Canadian chain Tim Hortons Inc., which sells coffee, donuts, and other breakfast food fare. The deal would merge America's second-largest burger chain, which is valued at nearly $10 billion, with the Canadian equivalent to Dunkin' Donuts, which is valued at more than $8 billion. It would also move the new company's headquarters to Canada, where corporate taxes are significantly lower." [more inside]
Sick Costs.
John Green: "Why Are Americans Health Care Costs So High?" A quick, handy little overview of common misconceptions on the US healthcare system. (SLYT)
The New York Times - Complaints Aside, Most Face Lower Tax Burden Than in 1980
The New York Times examines how American taxes have changed since 1980
The iEconomy
The iEconomy: Apple and Technology Manufacturing. Since January, the New York Times has been running a series of articles "examining the challenges posed by increasingly globalized high-tech industries," with a focus on Apple's business practices. The seventh article in the series was published today: In Technology Wars, Using the Patent as a Sword. Related: For Software, Cracks in the Patent System and Fighters in the Patent War. [more inside]
Paul Ryan as Romney's running-mate
Paul Ryan. Seven-term congressman for Wisconsin's 1st District. Chairman of the powerful House Budget Committee. Architect of the controversial Ryan Budget -- a "Path to Prosperity" [PDF - video - CBO] that would slash trillions from the federal budget, sharply curtail taxes on the wealthy, and transform Medicare into a private voucher system. Proponent (vid) -- and renouncer -- of Ayn Rand 's Objectivism. Social Security beneficiary. Hunter. Weinermobile driver. And as of this morning, the 2012 Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States of America. [more inside]
No Country For Old Men
On January 1st, the U.S. estate tax will disappear. For exactly one year. Then it will come back higher on Jan. 1, 2011. Will lots of old rich people die? [more inside]
July 4 might be Independence Day in another way, too
Cost of Government Day - "n. the date of the calendar year, counting from January 1, on which the average American has earned enough in cumulative gross income to pay for his or her share of government spending (total federal, state, and local) plus the cost of regulation."
The view is nice from the yacht
The bait and switch. A last-minute revision by House and Senate leaders in the tax bill that President Bush signed today will prevent millions of minimum-wage families from receiving the increased child credit that is in the measure.
Funding Faith-Based Organizations
75% of Americans favor Government funding of faith-based organizations. However, when asked about specific faiths, that number drops dramatically to 38% for Buddhist Temples and 29% for the Nation of Islam. So what did they expect, their own religion should get funds, but no others?
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Lost Planet 2
Lost Planet 2
Please note that this cd-key doesn´t allow you to download online the game. The key cannot be activated via Steam but only through the game integrated multiplayer. You may have the CD or DVD of the game because this cd-key´s won´t allow you to activate it on Steam or other system and download the game.
- You will have to install the game from your DVD or other.
- When you enter to the game and it asks for the cd-key, insert the cd-key we gave you.
Once we get your payment, we will send your game (cd-key) to your email in approximatively three or four hours. Maximum delay is 24 hours. If we hadn´t sent your key in that time you will have the right to ask for a full refund.
About the Game
The larger than life action of Lost Planet 2, comes to PC! Lost Planet 2 is the sequel to Lost Planet™: Extreme Condition, the landmark third-person shooter which debuted on Xbox 360 and went on to sell over 2.3 million units worldwide after its release. Lost Planet 2 offers deeper insight into the world of E.D.N III and the uncertain fate of future mankind.
Already acclaimed for its visual accomplishments from the console versions, Lost Planet 2 will define the 3D experience on the PC. Stunning environments will immerse the player in NVIDIA Vision Surround technology, and the rebalanced gameplay and streamlined control mechanics make Lost Planet 2 PC the ultimate Lost Planet experience.
A decade has passed since the events of the first game, and the face of E.D.N. III has changed dramatically. Terraforming efforts have been successful and the ice has begun to melt, giving way to lush tropical jungles and harsh unforgiving deserts. Mankind has engaged in a civil war to take control of the precious Thermal Energy that powers weapons and vehicles on E.D.N. III and resulted in a separation into various factions.
Players will control heroes from each faction across 6 interconnected episodes, viewing the war from the perspective of each, creating a truly unique interactive experience. With this concept, players will have the opportunity to engage in the story in a much more dynamic way as plot threads evolve from different players' perspectives.
The intense and action-packed campaign mode comes with the ability to form teams of up to 4 players online. Beyond the deep single-player and co-op modes, Lost Planet 2 is loaded with extensive multiplayer modes allowing up to 16 players to compete online, each with their own customizable avatar.
No action game would be complete without an arsenal of weaponry, and Lost Planet 2 has a huge variety of hardware for players to unleash on unsuspecting enemies. Machine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers, lasers, sniper rifles, grenades and a host of other weapons are scattered across the game. The grappling hooks that made the gameplay in Lost Planet a true 3-D experience are back, allowing gamers to gain tactical advantage by moving to elevated locations quickly.
Lost Planet 2's biggest weapons come on two legs: the heavily armed and armored robotic Vital Suits return in greater numbers and variety than the first game. There are VS that transform into other vehicles, hold up to three players and some that even take multiple players to operate.
Key Features:
- Co-op action: Team up to battle the giant Akrid in explosive 4 player online co-operative play. Teamwork is the player's key to victory as the team is dependent on each other to succeed and survive.
- Massive scale of enemies: Players skill on the battlefield and ability to work as a team will be tested like never before against the giant Akrid. Players will utilize teamwork tactics, new weapons and a variety of vital suits (VS) to fight these larger-than-life bosses.
- Beautiful massive environments: Capcom's advanced graphics engine, MT Framework 2.0, and DirectX 11 support will bring the game to life with the next step in 3D fidelity and performance. See Lost Planet 2's world through new eyes, with support for hardware tessellation and compute shader.
- Deep level of character customization: Players will have hundreds of different ways to customize their look, nom de guerre, emotes, and weapons to truly help them define their character on the battlefield. A wide array of customizable abilities range from taking less damage, to running faster to operating data posts quicker
- Rewards System: Players will receive rewards for assisting teammates and contributing to the team's success
- Multiplayer: Compete in 16-player multiplayer matches with nine different maps and 5 different game modes including Data Post Battle, Akrid Egg Battle, Fugitive, Elimination and Team Elimination. Additional maps will be available as downloadable content after the game's release.
- Exciting new VS features: Based on fan feedback, the team has implemented an unbelievable variety of Vital Suits and new ways to combat VS's. The new VS system will have a powerful impact on the way the player takes to the war zone in Lost Planet 2.
System Requirements
- OS: Windows XP, Vista
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon X2, or faster
- Memory: 1GB+ (Windows XP); 2GB+ (Vista)
- Graphics: Shader Model 3.0 or higher; NVIDIA GeForce 7800 Series, ATI Radeon HD 2400 Pro, or higher
- VRAM: 256MB or more (Not guaranteed to run when shared with main memory)
- DirectX®: DirectX 9.0c or higher
- Hard Drive: 13.0GB free space
- Sound: DirectSound Support (DirectX 9.0c or higher)
- Other Requirements: Internet connectivity
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4-10 pm Wednesday-Sunday. $$ Moderate.
[PERUVIAN] Ignacio and Erin del Solar's Northeast Alberta Street Peruvian restaurant—a vibrant mashup of South American, Asian and Northwestern flavors—is like sunshine on a plate. And with a Lima-born boy in the kitchen, you better believe the ceviche is something to shout about: big firm hunks of octopus, yam and shrimp luxuriate in a puckery "leche de tigre" marinating liquid of citrus, red onion and chile; another take adds pickled carrots, mango and sesame. The entrees, a lineup of stuffed peppers, steaks and chops, are hearty and satisfying, but a mix-and-match meal of smaller plates is far more fun. Nibble on crisp yuca sticks with spicy cheese sauce or sweet asparagus- and potato-packed empanadas and gobble stewed pork belly with Manila clams. And when the menu presents you the chance to brave beef heart, take it. Del Inti serves its organs charcoal-grilled on skewers, creating meaty, tender nibblets made perfect by a dunk in creamy, green chile-cheese-peanut ocopa sauce. KELLY CLARKE.
Ideal meal: Multiple ceviches, beef heart skewers, strawberry arugula salad with tamarind vinaigrette, clams and a big pitcher of fruity white sangria.
Best deal: Take a dollar off the bar menu at happy hour (4-7 pm), which means you can gorge on the best avocado sauce in town, served with fried won tons filled with queso fresco as a delivery system. Get the lomo saltado sandwich too.
Chef's choice: Ceviche. "The fresh fish (if you serve frozen or not really fresh fish in Peru you go out of business), aji, lime, red onion, cilantro, ginger, celery, corn and sweet potato together make me happy!" (Ignacio del Solar)
4-10 pm Wednesday-Sunday. $$ Moderate.


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Dangerous mix
Sadly, it is well known that with holiday cheer comes an increase in rates of impaired driving. Recent high profile crashes connected to alcohol have not only devastated lives but, this time, have also become a catalyst for change.
In efforts to make our roads safer, lawmakers in Olympia recently increased consequences for driving under the influence (DUI). Drunk drivers now face additional penalties such as mandatory ignition interlock devices and automatic vehicle impound. Complicating things, however, has been the legalization of marijuana, which has corresponded to nearly a 50% increase in "stoned" drivers on our roads since January.
Increasing DUI penalties to better fit the crime can help deter would-be drunk drivers. Now, it is not only important that Washingtonians understand these rules also apply to marijuana , but to acknowledge that drugged driving is a problem that needs to be better understood.
The jump in drugged driving rates in Washington is troubling. Of additional concern is that one quarter of those cases are for minors under age 21. While years of public health messaging and focused police enforcement have made it clear to youth and adults alike that, "drinking and driving don't mix" and, "you don't have to be buzzed to be busted," driving under the influence of marijuana now must be given the same attention.
Although it can have the same negative outcomes as drunk driving, marijuana impaired driving is more challenging to educate about than alcohol. The law states that five nanograms of active delta-9-THC per liter of whole blood is the standard for determining impaired driving. However, this level is somewhat arbitrary because every individual is affected by marijuana differently. Chronic users may be less impaired than first time users even after smoking the same amount. The science remains unclear.
What is clear, however, is that marijuana use impairs motor coordination and decision-making. If a driver is stopped for suspicious driving behavior (as with alcohol) and suspected of being under the influence of marijuana, they will be taken to a hospital for a blood draw because there is not yet a marijuana equivalent to a breathalizer.
It is important to understand that mixing marijuana with alcohol or other drugs more than doubles impairment. Youth face a zero tolerance policy and are legally impaired for having any amount marijuana in their system. Marijuana edibles can take hours to create impairment, sometimes fooling users into thinking they are safe to drive immediately after ingestion. The situation might become more challenging when marijuana retail stores open and introduce higher THC concentration marijuana, butane hash oil for discreet vaporizing, and marijuana-infused candies which can make overdose (not death, but excessive ingestion) easier and attract more youth.
In the first half of 2013, 27% of all impaired driving cases in Washington tested positive for THC (up from 19% in 2012). Although waiting at least four hours to drive after smoking marijuana (longer for edibles) is recommended by some, the best advice this holiday season may be to simply not drink or smoke and drive.
Mercer Island Police Chief, Ed Holmes
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The Private Life of Henry VIII
Release Date: September 21st, 1933
Not Yet Rated|1 hr. 32 min.
Plot Summary
Renowned for his excess, King Henry VIII (Charles Laughton) goes through a series of wives during his rule. With Anne Boleyn (Merle Oberon), his second wife, executed on charges of treason, King Henry weds maid Jane Seymour (Wendy Barrie), but that marriage also ends in tragedy. Not one to be single for long, the king picks German-born Anne of Cleves (Elsa Lanchester) as his bride, but their union lasts only months before an annulment is granted, and King Henry continues his string of spouses.
Cast: Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, Binnie Barnes, Robert Donat, Merle Oberon, Miles Mander, Wendy Barrie, John Loder
Director: Alexander Korda
Genres: Historical drama
Distributor: United Artists


text:
A swarm of Enumclaw High Hornets found themselves on the all-conference list after South Puget Sound League 3A coaches did their voting.
• Chandler Streuli, junior: first team offensive line, second team defensive line.
• Mauricio Portillo, junior: second team running back, second team linebacker.
• Bryson Grant, senior: second team wide receiver, second team linebacker, honorable mention kick returner.
• Sam Fisher, junior: second team offensive line, honorable mention defensive line.
• Cameron Strecker, junior: second team defensive back, honorable mention running back.
• Perry Rockwood, senior: first team kick returner, honorable mention wide receiver, honorable mention defensive back.
• Adam Cosgrove, senior: honorable mention tight end.
• Nathan Pigott, senior: honorable mention offensive line, honorable mention defensive line.
• Tyler Osborn, senior: honorable mention linebacker.
• Zack Mason, senior: honorable mention defensive back.
• Caleb Gwerder, senior: honorable mention kicker.
• David Pugh, senior: honorable mention punter.
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text: SKOGSHARE Soft toy - IKEA All soft toys are good at hugging, comforting and listening and are fond of play and mischief. In addition, they are reliable and tested for safety. Flag this deal What's the matter? Choose a reason Dead deal Duplicate Bad link Spam Inaccurate No value Alive again Edit deal


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SYDNEY — Cape Breton regional council unanimously approved Mayor Cecil Clarke's policy document outlining priorities from his election platform at a special meeting Monday evening.
Councillors scrutinized the report for the first time in public, posing questions and concerns to Clarke during the 90-minute session.
Highlighting the discussion was the appointment of a senior policy adviser to work with Clarke, and a communications adviser to speak on behalf of mayor and council.
The mayor said a senior adviser would work to communicate council's message to provincial and federal politicians and bureaucrats, but would also confer with business on confidential matters and help Clarke deliver many of the policy initiatives outlined in the report approved by council Monday.
Those councillors who spoke on the issue were open to the idea.
"This is the first time in my time that I have seen a post like this. It's new and I think that planning for the future is something that maybe we should have been doing the whole time," Dist. 12 Coun. Jim MacLeod said.
Newly elected Dist. 5 Coun. Eldon MacDonald said he'd like to see a broad search for the position of senior policy adviser.
"It could be someone who has moved away from here that holds a position such as that. We should look outside to fill that position with the best person that's available," he said.
The two positions would fall outside the Cape Breton Regional Municipality's hiring policy, and would be political contract jobs, Clarke said.
If the mayor was to leave office, so would they, he added.
"They're meant to be the legislative support. And it becomes a position of trust, a position of confidentiality, and becomes one that is separate from the day-to-day administration of the municipality," he said.
"A role like that ultimately would be the choice of, in this case, myself. But the person that's accountable is reflective of me and if there's anything that comes forward as a concern, I have to account for that directly. The buck doesn't stop with administration ... the buck would stop with me."
He said financing these two new positions would have to be found within the municipality's existing legislative budget, which is currently $1.25 million in this fiscal year.
Following the meeting, Clarke told reporters there's a need for communications staff on the administrative side, as well, to handle daily requests from the media and the general public on issues coming from the various municipal departments.
"This would be something, again, that has to come forward in a formalized process within the budget capacity to have those positions. So, it's not immediate on the (creation) of those roles."
He said he also wants to formalize the position of deputy mayor, held by Dist. 8 Coun. Kevin Saccary, to give more clout to the job with an active role in consulting the chairs of municipal committees.
No dollar figure has been assigned to the overall cost of Clarke's policy document entitled, Shaping our future in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
Only one dollar amount — $25,000, an annual grant to support Cape Breton Search and Rescue's activities — was outlined by Clarke.
The document, which identified immediate, short-term and long-term actions, was posted to the CBRM's website several days ago. It was initially brought before council during its monthly meeting Nov. 22.
It didn't outline specific initiatives, but larger overarching themes, including how to deal with the CBRM's debt burden, economic development, infrastructure, reforming the budgetary process, and the retention of the municipality's youth.
Clarke said he has received just one email on it to date. It was a message from a resident informing him of an inconsequential typo in the report.
The topic of port development was also raised during the meeting. Clarke, who initially expected a two-day port summit would take place this month as a "standalone" event separate from council's work, said it will likely be held in December or January.
He said it was important for council to have a say on an issue that's integral to the municipality's economic development.


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GNGWC 2010 Round-Up!
View Single Post
Squirtle Squirtle
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Michigan, USA
Posts: 1,377
iTrader: (
IGN: Boomsticky
Class: Guardian
Level: 80
GNGWC 2010 Round-Up!
Greetings Atlantians,
As most of you know, GNGWC 2010 North American Regional took place Saturday, July 31st 2010 at Howie's Game Shack in Buena Park, California. The experience was amazing and I'm sure it was for all of those that participated and joined us. Players began to arrive at 10:00 am to sign in, and were greeted with some awesome Atlantica Online gear! Players received An exclusive red Atlantica Troy t-shirt along with some GNGWC Goodies. The red Atlantica Troy shirt can be seen being worn by Atlantica Staff and a few players in our
GNGWC 2010 album
As soon as all the players got settled into their divisions and rules were explained to them, it was time to battle! The matches were intense as players fought to come out on top of their division. In the end four players made it to the top of their divisions, VirusBlade of Macedon, RobinSwan of Sikyon, Sarduarkar of Argos, and Bograt of Mycenae. After a quick lunch break, it was time for the 4 finalists to face off! VirusBlade vs. RobinSwan and Sarduarkar vs. Bograt. All players fought well but in the end, it was RobinSwan and Sarduarkar who lead the pack.
Since RobinSawn and Sarduarkar earned their spot to fight in the finals, VirusBlade and Bograt had to compete to see who would take home 3rd place in the GNGWC 2010 North American Regional. In a valiant best out of 5 match, VirusBlade overcame is opponent taking the 3rd place spot. And though Bograt, Krullgar, Timb3r, Jeisa, Joker758, Elissis, xThugx, Voldermost, Feelmyrifle, and Kerelious did not place they still had an awesome time at GNGWC!
Before the final match to determine first place could occur we had a special and exclusive preview of our new TBS system for all the participants and spectators at GNGWC to enjoy. Players Timb3r, VirusBlade, Jeisa and Elissis were lucky enough to test it out then supply their feedback of our new battle system. For being so awesome, all players that tested TBS were rewarded with three Atlantica shirts which showcase mercenaries, two of which have not been released to market yet.
Finally it was time for RobinSawn and Sarduarkar to face off, though the two of them already secured seats to Korea, only one of them could take the 1st place title at GNGWC 2010 North America Regional.
The battles were intense and many of the matches were close, it was hard to guess who would win each Battle! However, with a three win streak, RobinSwan proved to be the best of the best and placed 1st.
At the closing ceremonies we presented our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners with an incredible gift bag! The top 3 winners received:
- Atlantica Online T-Shirt
- Exclusive Atlantica Online Flash Drive
- Atlantica Online Hat
- Atlantica Online 2010 Calender
- Exclusive Atlantica Online Chibi-Mercenary Mug
- 2 unique Atlantica Online Mousepads
- 1 Wonderking Mousepad
- 1 Wonderking Cellphone charm and screen cleaner
- Atlantica Online Poster featuring the Prophet Mercenary
- And a brand new Sony PSP!
Our other players did not go home empty handed either. They received the exact same prizes as our winners, except for the PSP. Instead of the PSP the Runner-Ups received a Belkin laptop bag to carry all their prizes in. Congratulations to the winners and a heartfelt thank you to all who joined us at GNGWC 2010! Good luck to RobinSwan and Sarduarkar at the World Finals in Korea!
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text:
Mustafa Lawrence drained six 3-pointers in a 31-point effort as Newark Tech defeated Shabazz, 83-58, in Newark.
Tyree Sykes had 13 points and 18 rebounds and RJ Cole added 15 points and six assists for Newark Tech, which erupted to a 49-33 halftime lead. Al-Tariq Halsey chipped in with nine points and six assists. Shabazz's Eric Moore scored 17 points, Malik Toppin had 13 points and Najee Travis added nine points.


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HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - The curtain will rise tonight on Lee High School's production of "The Wiz."
The play, a retelling of the classic "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," will be performed at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Saturday, with a matinee at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, at Lee's Lyric Theater. There will also be performances at 7:30 p.m. on April 18, 19 and 20.
Adult tickets are $15. Tickets for students, military members with identification and people 60 and older will be $10.
Lee High School is located at 2500 Meridian St.
To purchase tickets, visit showtix4u.com or reserve seats by contacting Carol Fandre at 256-859-9991 or at firstname.lastname@example.com Bonvillian can be reached at 256-532-2630 or at email@example.com.
Follow @c_bonvillian


text:
Previous coverage:
By ART AISNER
The Ann Arbor News
A former mentor with Washtenaw Big Brothers Big Sisters was ordered to stand trial on charges that he sexually abused three boys he met through his volunteer work.
Michael John Brooks, 46, was bound over to Washtenaw County Circuit Court Tuesday on 14 charges, including eight counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, at the conclusion of his preliminary hearing, court records show.
The former financial executive is accused of assaulting boys between the ages of 8 and 16 during a 12-year span dating back to 1995, police said.
His three accusers - now ages 24, 20 and 18 - approached police in October to report that Brooks improperly touched them when they were children at his Ann Arbor Township home and during short trips, said Washtenaw County Sheriff's Cmdr. Dave Egeler.
Prosecutors added four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct based on the accusers' testimony at the hearing, which began last week, Egeler said. They also merged a separate case charging Brooks with five counts of possessing child pornography, which investigators said they found on his computer during the sexual assault investigation.
Mark Bilkovic, Brooks' Farmington Hills-based attorney, said Wednesday that the testimony from two accusers was light on specifics and heavy on inconsistencies. He denied the charges and said he knew from the beginning that the case would have to go to trial.
Bilkovic declined to discuss the new charges of possession of child pornography.
"If you're confident in your case, you leave it alone," Bilkovic said. "And if you're not confident, you throw as much stuff to the wall as you can and hope something sticks."
Brooks was a long-time volunteer mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County and hosted athletes involved in USA Hockey tournaments, Egeler said.
Brooks was a vice president and chief compliance officer for Ann Arbor-based Sigma Financial Corp., but is no longer with the company, officials said.
Art Aisner can be reached at email@example.com or 734-994-6823.


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Loise L. Haubert
MIFFLINTOWN – Loise L. Haubert, 95, of Bridges at Brookline, Mifflintown, and formerly of East Salem, died at 4 p.m. on Aug. 8, 2013, at Lewistown Hospital.
Born on Sept. 5, 1917, in Delaware Township, Juniata County, she was a daughter of the late Harry J. and H. Pearl (Roper) Haubert.
Surviving are many nieces and nephews.
She is the last of her generation, having been preceded in death by three brothers, Clair Jordan, Harry K. Haubert and Max R. Haubert, and four sisters, Mary E. Frymoyer, Pauline Sweigart, Phyllis Nace and Maude Mengel.
Miss Haubert was a member of East Salem United Methodist Church, East Salem.
Loise was employed as a seamstress by the East Salem Shirt Factory.
A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2013, at East Salem United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Joseph Yorks officiating. Interment will follow in the East Salem Cemetery.
A viewing will be held from 1 p.m. until the time of service at the church.
The family will provide all funeral flowers and kindly asks that memorial donations in Miss Haubert's memory be made to East Salem United Methodist Church, 7398 Route 235, Mifflintown, PA 17059.
Online tributes and condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www. brownfuneralhomes inc.com.
Loise L. Haubert
MIFFLINTOWN – Loise L. Haubert, 95, of the Bridges at Brookline, Mifflintown, and formerly of East Salem, died at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013, at the Lewistown Hospital.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Brown Funeral Homes Inc., 111 Westfall St., McAlisterville, and will be announced at a later date.


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Kids clothing retailer Gymboree Corp. has agreed to be bought by Bain Capital LLC for $1.8 billion, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The private equity firm agreed to pay top dollar for the retailer that was able to cut costs during the downtown and come out with $109.4 million on sales of $1.04 billion in its fiscal year that ended in July.
Last week, several news sources had reported Gymboree would be auctioned off and many had predicted it would go for more than $1 billion.
The San Francisco-based company, which operates stores at each of the Portland area's largest malls, runs 1,019 stores, including Gymboree, Janie and Jack and Crazy 8.
-- Laura Gunderson, The Oregonian; 503-221-8378


text:
The Local · 2 May 2013, 17:12
Published: 02 May 2013 17:12 GMT+02:00
- Sex 'a great cure for migraines' (14 Mar 13)
- RTL cancels sex segment over incest (09 Mar 13)
- Most German women still feel disadvantaged (08 Mar 13)
Of the more than 1,000 people surveyed for a television show, 17 percent said they liked getting down and dirty in the bathroom best.
Most people were more straightforward, with 77 percent choosing the comforts of the bedroom for sex.
The survey, conducted for Kabel-1 broadcaster's "Adventure Life" show, asked more than 1,000 people about their sex lives.
Nine percent said the traditional German passion for cars was quite literal for them, with the auto their favourite place for erotic adventures.
The work place seemed to be something of a turn-off though, with just one percent saying they liked getting it on at work.
Germans generally have sex more than once a week, with the average rate being 6.4 times a month.
Most - 66 percent - were not fussy about what day of the week was sex-day, but 18 percent said they liked to kick off their weekends with nookie, naming Saturday as their favourite time for it.
An equal share of men and women admitted to having had at least one affair, with 37 percent saying they had played away at some point.
The Local/hc


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Audio: Mary Schmitt Boyer podcast - 1/24/13
Cavs beat writer Mary Schmitt Boyer talks Cavs basketball with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore.
How did the Cavs pull off their trade with the Grizzlies? Will Tristan Thompson keep his current high level of play up?
Plain Dealer Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer Mary Schmitt Boyer answered those questions and more in her weekly podcast with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore.
Among other topics discussed:
• Anderson Varejao's injury.
• Kyrie's performance against Celtics.
• Will the Cavaliers make another big trade?
You can download the mp3 or listen with the player to the right.


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CiAN File Splitter Pro 3.85
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