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Processing Workflow at the Archives of American Art
Table of Contents
- SIRIS and Preliminary Research
- Pull the Collection
- Survey the Collection
- Processing Proposal
- Process to Approved Level
- Description
- Select Representative Images for Collection
- Review and Approval of the Finding Aid
- Adding Index Terms to the Finding Aid & Final Cataloging
- Mount on Website
1. SIRIS and Preliminary Research
- Start any processing project with a thorough SIRIS search.
- If this is a new accession, there may not be a SIRIS record yet. If this is a new accession, do not complete any processing work unless there is 1) a deed and 2) a completed DCD (Digital Collections Database) record.
- From SIRIS, note all collections that include the creator name as either a creator or primary subject. These will be described in your EAD finding aid in the Related Material element. Also review any older acquisitions that are found in SIRIS as separately cataloged collections but share the same creator to determine whether it's possible that multiple collections should be integrated into a single collection. If you feel that multiple collections should be merged, discuss this with your supervisor.
- Note any loans from the same creator/provenance; these will be listed in the EAD finding aid in the Separated Material element. Be aware that many loans come back to the Archives as gifts at a later date.
- Check out and review the accession file, noting any descriptive or biographical information found. The accession file often contains preliminary box inventories, microfilm inventories, accessioning documentation, collecting documentation and reports, as well as biographical or historical information about the creator.
- Review the processing survey record in the DCD, noting the ratings of the collection for the quality of housing and the materials, and physical and intellectual access ratings. Review the Research Value Rating.
- Review any old finding aids, lists, or inventories. These can be found in the accession file, on Sharepoint, or in the Reference Room file drawer.
- Conduct preliminary background research about the creator. A Google search is often a good way to start.
2. Pull the Collection
- Print out a new MARC SIRIS record—do not assume that the SIRIS printout in the file is the most recent. Make sure that the printout captures ALL of the 852 fields (shelf location) as these sometimes cut off in the printed version.
- Locate and pull all the containers. In addition to the cubic foot boxes, there may be pams, hols, sols, and OVs stored in another location/s.
- Update the SIRIS record 506 field: "Collection is being processed and is CLOSED to researchers" or "Collection is being processed and digitized and is CLOSED to researchers. " If this is a very long project, include the date of estimated completion. "Collection is being processed and is CLOSED to researcher until 2012. "
- Update the SIRIS 852 fields by replacing the shelf number with your last name and room number (aikens of.2220) and the word CLOSED beside the box numbers in parenthesis.
- Send an email to reference staff and registrar that you have pulled and closed the collection for processing.
3. Survey the Collection
- Begin by printing out a blank Processing Proposal [PDF].
- Conduct a box-by-box physical and written survey of the collection. The purpose of the survey is to become thoroughly familiar with the scope, content, and potential research value/strengths of the entire collection. Use the processing proposal to note the general and specific formats found during the survey.
- Pay particular attention to the existing arrangement and naturally occurring series/subseries.
- Using the processing proposal, note the various types of materials found and their extent, bulk dates. Note the numbers of important items, such as diaries and sketchbooks. Note important names and subjects, and rank the physical condition. If you are processing the records of a gallery or organization, you should also note the functions of the creating body and how the documents within the collection support those functions or major departments.
- As you go through the collection, think about how the collection could be organized and arranged into likely series, subseries, etc. Also think about whether the original order is good, logical, easy to use, or not.
- Outline the contents of each box by material type or function documented in the papers.
4. Processing Proposal
- Each collection processed must have an approved Processing Proposal [PDF] completed, except for MMS (Miscellaneous Manuscripts). Complete the Processing Proposal either in printed format or electronically and send it to the Chief of Collections Processing for review and approval, or the supervisor in New York.
- The Processing Proposal includes information about size, acquisition, previous microfilming, physical condition and/or preservation issues, types of materials found, special formats, level of proposed processing, and estimated hours and schedule for processing.
- Attach a preliminary outline of your proposed series and subseries to the Processing Proposal, and your survey inventory and/or notes. Write down any questions or concerns you have.
- The Processing Proposal does not become part of the collection file.
- Be sure to include any notifications about special preservation and conservation issues, including the possibility of using more than the usual amount of typical preservation supplies (folders, special containers, interleaving paper, etc. ).
- If the survey identified a significant amount of materials that should be disposed of, attach a cursory list of materials recommended for disposition to the Processing Proposal. Provide the box numbers and types of materials and discuss the disposition with your supervisor.
- It is likely that the original proposed arrangement will change as the collection is being processed. Significant changes should be brought to your supervisor's attention in writing.
5. Process to Approved Level
Once the Processing Proposal has been approved, processing may begin. AAA's Chief of Collections Processing will provide you with up to date written guidelines and procedures, formats, standards, etc. , and is available to assist and answer any questions you may have during processing.
You will be consulting the following documents:
- Archival Arrangement at the Archives of American Art
- Creating Finding Aids at the Archives of American Art
- AAA: EAD Finding Aid Encoding Guidelines
As you process the collection, you may weed and dispose of duplicates without your supervisor's approval. Other materials may be weeded that are non-archival, such as utility bills, homeowners and auto insurance documents, check stubs, printed materials that add little understanding about the creator or are simply voluminous and easily found elsewhere, equipment manuals, and contemporary published books that are not annotated, not written by the creator, or do not contain illustrations by the creator.
Other materials may contain sensitive personal information, such as personnel and payroll records, medical records, social security records, tax records, etc. Most of these should be disposed of as well, but discuss with your supervisor first.
If you are proposing the disposition of a large amount of material—more than the routine archival weeding of duplicates - a disposition notice must be completed and routed to the Chief of Collections Processing who will review and route to the Registrar and Curator of Manuscripts for approval.
Level 1: Accession-level or Preliminary Processing
- Upon accessioning, the collection will be minimally sorted and organized according to broad material types or groups of related materials and physically arranged into archival boxes. These groups of related materials could be preliminary series. Materials are not arranged further. If there is time, materials may be re-foldered, but this is not essential at this level unless materials are loose and/or fragile. Loose materials/documents should be foldered at this time and minimally identified.
- A box inventory may be included at this level. The inventory should identify the primary types of materials in each box and circa dates. For example:
Box 1: Correspondence, Diaries, circa 1930s.
Box 2: Project Files, circa 1920s-1950s.
Box 3: Unopened Letters, dates unknown.
- It is preferred that the archivist or collector at least try to make logical archival groupings of the materials, such as pulling all of the correspondence together, or all of the writings, etc.
- Most often, this level of work will be completed upon accessioning.
Level 2: Minimal Level Processing (MLP)
- MLP is most appropriate for new acquisitions and large unprocessed collections in the backlog. Good candidates for MLP in the backlog include organizational and gallery records, papers of art historians comprised mostly of well-organized research files, or papers of sculptors and architects that are comprised mostly of well-organized project and commission files.
- Level 2 Minimal Level Processing can also be completed upon accessioning.
- The collection should be sorted into probable series, usually according to type of material or by original order, with a minimal identification of folder headings, names, and subjects. Using circa or decade dates is acceptable.
- The collection will be re-foldered into acid-free folders, but further preservation work may not be completed, such as flattening of documents, removal of attachments, interleaving, etc. Letters, however, should be removed from envelopes.
- Folders do not have to be physically numbered; this work may set aside for an intern or volunteer to complete at a later date. However, folder numbers should be included in the EAD finding aid.
- If you are minimally processing a collection comprised of multiple accessions, merge and integrate the accessions according to the broad series established above. Any references to older separate collections are not expected to be maintained, nor should the collection be arranged according to old sets of microfilm.
- An EAD Finding Aid will be completed that includes all typical finding aid administrative information elements, very brief narrative historical/biographical note and scope and content note, and container and folder lists. Series descriptions, if provided at all, will be very brief. Folder numbers should be included in the finding aid. A sample Minimal Level EAD Finding Aid is included in the Processing Manual.
- If you are processing an addition to an existing processed collection with an EAD finding aid, you do not have to physically or intellectually integrate the addition at this level, unless the addition is small and can be simply filed into existing folders. You should simply arrange and describe the addition independently as a separate series, adding the container #s to the end of the collection.
- There may be several ways to incorporate additional container listings and folder headings into an existing EAD finding aid—at the end of each series, or at the end of the collection as an additional series. You will need to consult with your supervisor about which is most appropriate, and how to update the existing finding aid to best reflect the addition.
- This level of processing should be estimated and completed at 5-10 hours per foot.
Level 3: Intermediate-Level Processing
- Most collections considered fully processed at AAA are processed at this level, except for those that will be fully digitized or are a special grant funded project, or as indicated by your supervisor.
- The collection will be sorted and arranged into series, subseries, and file units. File units can be large groupings at this level of processing.
- Items within folders do not have to be in strict order, but should be at least roughly arranged into either chronological, alphabetical, or some other logical order. At this level, it's acceptable to have broader groupings. For example, rather than a strict alpha order, one could simply group all surnames beginning with "A" into a folder— ;particularly if the names are not represented by large amounts of materials. Or, you could establish file units by name, but not order each item in strict chronological order. You may want to discuss the possibilities with your supervisor. For example, it would not be very useful to the researcher to have 10 folders entitled simply "A" surnames, so archival judgment is needed.
- The collection will be re-housed into archival acid-free containers and folders and fully identified with folder headings and dates. You do not have to write the collection title on each individual folder, just the first folder in each box. In some cases, particularly smaller collections, it is acceptable to not write the series/subseries title.
- Folders will be numbered within each container and in the EAD finding aid.
- Other preservation actions may be intermediate as well. The processing archivist may address only the most critical or fragile items. Not all staples need to be removed, perhaps only those that are visibly rusty; not all printed materials need to be unfolded and stored in OV folders, particularly newspapers, oversized magazines, etc. ; not all clippings or acidic materials need to be photocopied or interleaved, unless they are damaging surrounding items, etc.
- An EAD Finding Aid will be prepared that includes all administrative information, a brief (a few paragraphs) biographical/historical note and scope and content note, very brief series descriptions, and a simple numbered container listing with short folder headings and folder dates or circa dates. It is expected that you will follow other AAA written guidelines for both arrangement and description.
- This level of processing should be estimated and completed at 10-25 hours per foot, depending on original order, type of collection, and number of accessions.
Level 4: Full-Level Processing
- Collections processed at this level are those to be fully digitized and those that are part of grant projects, or as directed by your supervisor. See also Digitizing Entire Collections at the Archives of American Art for additional processing and description actions needed to prepare collections for full digitization.
- Collection is to be fully organized and arranged at the series, subseries, folder/file, and item level. Folder groupings that share the same file title should not be large, particularly for collections to be digitized.
- Correspondence and other series based on names will be arranged by name in alphabetical order. For collections to be digitized, indexes should be avoided.
- Items within folders are fully arranged in an acceptable manner, such as strict chronological or alphabetical order. Any items separated for storage in another container are to be referenced by either creating a dummy blank folder or a note within the folder. Material that has been removed to an oversized container or folder must be clearly referenced back to the box and folder from which it was removed.
- Folders have precise headings that include the name of the collection, the series (and subseries if appropriate), the file title, and inclusive dates.
- All materials are re-housed into acid-free folders and acid-free containers. All folders are numbered.
- Preservation actions include removal of most staples, all paper clips and rubber bands, and other fasteners. All original photographs, fragile documents, and acidic documents are interleaved with interleaving paper appropriate to the material; negatives and slides are appropriately housed; items are flattened; artwork is interleaved with the appropriate papers, including sketchbooks if possible, and provided additional support and housing if needed. Items in need of conservation action are flagged and noted in the DCD Survey Form.
- A detailed EAD Finding Aid will be completed by the Processing Archivist. This type of finding aid will generally include a longer, well-researched biographical note; a scope and content note that provides an overview of each series, lists all important names and subjects represented in the collection, and includes some information about the research strengths (or weaknesses) of the collection.
- This level of processing should average circa 25-30 hours per foot.
6. Description
- All collections processed to a level 2, 3, or 4 as defined in the Processing Proposal and above will be described an EAD formatted finding aid. Collections processed to a Level 1 may also be described in an EAD preliminary finding aid; this decision will be made on an individual collection basis.
- Generally, the processing archivist is responsible for encoding his/her own finding aid using AAA's suite of tools, templates, and stylesheets. The depth of detail of the finding aid correlates to the degree of the processing level approved and completed for the collection.
- Please see Creating Finding Aids at the Archives of American Art and AAA: EAD Finding Aid Encoding Guidelines for detailed instructions on creating and encoding AAA finding aids according to EAD Best Practices and AAA standards.
7. Select Representative Images for Collection
- Each processed collection, including those for Collections Online must have one or more "representative images" selected and removed by the processing archivist for high resolution scanning.
- At least one of the representative images should include an image of the creator if possible. If there are no images of the creator, select other documents.
- Current instructions and workflow for selecting and removing items are found in Digitizing Entire Collections at the Archives of American Art and Appendix A: Scanning Workflow Forms [PDF].
8. Review and Approval of the Finding Aid
- Once you have completed your final processing and draft finding aid, you will turn the Accession/Collection file over to your supervisor for review and approval. Please include a hard copy of the htm file of the finding aid.
- At the same time, upload your draft finding aid to the DCD Collections Online Workflow. You will receive an error message if your .xml file name does not match the DCD collection code.
- Also at the same time, update the SIRIS record.
- Change 506 restriction tag to "Use of original papers requires an appointment. " UNLESS the collection will be digitized.
- Update the 300 extent tag with the correct extent if changed during processing.
- Update the 245 title field with any new date information.
- Add a 583 action field to state: $aProcessed $l enter level of processing, 1-4 $cdate XXXX/XX/XX $kyour name as first initial and last name.
- Update 852 with number of boxes and box numbers (1 bx, #1)
- Notify Registrar that the collection is ready for barcoding and shelving OR notify the Terra team that it is ready to be scanned.
- New York final drafts of finding aids are to be copied into S://Barb/Finding Aids to be Reviewed/New York folder. Make sure that there is both an htm and xml file. Intern and contractor xml and htm files will also be filed in S://Barb/Finding Aids to be Reviewed folder.
- The finding aid will be reviewed by the Chief of Collections Processing. Note that there is a backlog and this often takes a long time. If edits are minor, the Chief of Collections Processing will simply make the changes to the xml file and generate a new htm file, and re-upload the file to the Workflow. If the changes are major or require "tweaking" the arrangement, you will be asked to do so.
9. Adding Index Terms to the Finding Aid & Final Cataloging
- The Chief of Collections Processing will notify the cataloger that the finding aid is ready for name, subject, and place index terms. If the collection is not scheduled for digitization, she will also ask the cataloger to do the final cataloging.
- The cataloger will send the processing archivist the terms in an email. The processing archivist will then check the master xml file out of the DCD via the Collections Online Workflow and enter the terms into the finding aid and re-upload the file to the Workflow. At that time, the processing archivist goes into the Collections Online Workflow Checklist and checks off that the index terms have been added. The Chief of Collections Processing then receives an automatic notification when this has been completed. Also send an email to the chief of collections processing that the finding aid is complete and ready for deploying to the website or to await full digitization.
- If this is a finding aid for a collection waiting to be digitized, the finding aid may also be reviewed by the information resources manager prior to final cataloging and deployment. Generally, any final edits are minor and will be completed by the chief of collections processing without notifying the processing archivist.
10. Mount on Website
- After final cataloging (and final approval and review by the processing archivist for Collections Online collections), the Chief of Collections Processing will deploy the finding aid or Collections Online page to the public website via the Collections Online Workflow and Teamsite. She will also notify staff of the availability of the new resource.


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Very light snow fall on my car.
Exif: F Number: 5.6, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/30 seconds, Flash: fired, auto mode, return light detected, ISO: 200, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 32.00 mm, Model: NIKON D90
Uploaded on 1/27/2013 7:59:22 PM
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Process Chemicals, Additives & Solutions
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ArrMaz meets or exceeds all federal, state and local environmental regulations and has multiple levels of safeguards to protect Florida's subtropical ecosystem.
Our plants operate under a "Total Safety Culture" to ensure we do everything possible to provide a safe workplace. Employees are well versed in OSHA and facility safety procedures. Chemicals are stored in bulk storage tanks protected by dikes and, as a further precaution, the plant has a secondary containment system. The majority of our manufacturing operations are under roof to minimize storm water run off and to provide a safer working environment. All new processes, materials and changes to process or materials must undergo a thorough hazard assessment before use.
Our plants operate under state wastewater permits, providing for zero discharge.


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About that burned down house — let's set the record straight
Lots of libs claiming, as Libby Spencer has, that the firefighters who watched a man's house burn down because he hadn't paid his fee is representative of the reality of a "conservative/glibertarian free market utopia" (her words, not mine) that we libertarians talk about.
As it turns out, it is nothing of the sort.
It turns out, though, that the fire department in Tennessee was not a private for-profit fire department. It was a government-run fire department. You read that right: the fire department that refused to show up and refused to name a price at which it would show up was run by the government of South Fulton.
Yes, that's right, it was a government run fire department. We libertarians are always proposing government do more, aren't we? To Spencer's credit she mentions that factoid a little further on in her post . But she's already poisoned the well by then. You're left to think this is what a "for profit" or "subscription", or to use the words the left usually spits out when saying them, "free market" form of fire service might look like.
Not really.
As David Henderson points out, in the "free market" version, it is very likely the fire service would show up and charge you appropriately:
You would think at some price, the fire department would show up. After all, a private for-profit fire company could make some good money doing so and, by charging high enough, could limit the incentive for people not to pay in advance for protection.
Standing by is not logical for a company which gains its earnings by doing that sort of work and, at the time of the fire, it's a seller's market isn't it? But you don't get paid unless you put the fire out.
And there are examples of exactly what we're talking about. Henderson links to one that provides services in rural Arizona. Here's a portion of what it says under "services":
Service Models:
There are four different models Rural/ Metro Fire uses to provide fire protection services. Descriptions are listed below. If you are unsure which service model Rural/ Metro Fire uses to protect your home or property, please call customer service so that we can let you know.
Fire Service Accounts — In select unincorporated county areas where taxes do not pay for a Fire Department, residents are responsible for setting up an account directly with Rural/ Metro Fire Department to provide fire protection services. Annual fees are based on the square footage of the enclosed property. For more information on a Fire Services Account call your area's customer service department.
Now you have a choice here, don't you? Sign up and be protected or blow it off and take your chances. And while I'm not here to defend a government run fire department in Tennessee, it's the same choice the man there had. He chose to blow it off and paid the consequences for his decision, didn't he? But we know invoking personal responsibility is simply passé, especially if the person involved in the rant thinks they can pin something on the right?
Anyway, the probable difference is in a "pay for service" libertarian situation, it is more likely that the fire service chief on the scene and home owner would have quickly reached agreement on a price to save his home. There's an incentive for the "pay for play bunch" to reach that agreement.
However, government is more about bureaucracy and rules than it is incentive. If the fire chief on the scene was a government worker he would most likely have no power to make such a decision. And the fire fighters in question would have absolutely no incentive to fight the fire and every incentive not too – after all, this guy was a deadbeat and their rules said no pay, no play and they saw no reason to break the rules and risk their lives for someone who hadn't thought enough of them or their service to subscribe.
So in reality, this wasn't some libertarian fantasy gone awry. It was a government driven decision with a pretty drastic consequence. Apparently the government had not been able to imagine a contingency where this might happen, or, if they did, they seemingly had no plan to address it. Most would call that "inept governance", not a failure of libertarianism.
Oh, and the "county mayor" of Obion County TN? A Democrat:
Benny McGuire is announcing his candidacy for re-election to the office of Obion County mayor in the May 4 Democratic primary. McGuire said the last 31⁄2 years have been very busy and have been productive for the entire county.
Hmmm … how inconvenient.
24 Responses to About that burned down house — let's set the record straight
Libby and the Libs (Mighty Keith Olbermann!) are not going to let reality stand in the way of a good story Bruce, they never do. Hey, ONLY conservatives would allow this sort of thing to happen!!!…..I mean, that's just the way it is, everyone knows liberals are compassionate and would give you
the shirt off a rich's guys backthe shirt off their very own backs in times of need.
What's important is that the story has been cast in the proper light, the right people have covered it, implying all the right things (that is, that the political RIGHT was behind the whole idea of allowing the place go up in flames).
Sweet how the immolation of a man's house and pets can be turned to useful political purpose eh? Who says liberals don't care.
Went over to the Impolitic and posted the permalink and a portion of the above post. Honestly, expecting a liberal to believe in personal responsibility is expecting a bit much.
You would think at some price, the fire department would show up. After all, a private for-profit fire company could make some good money doing so and, by charging high enough, could limit the incentive for people not to pay in advance for protection.
Their collection rates were below 50%, so it doesn't seem rational to just take the word of someone whose house is on fire.
There's some uncertainty there, but perhaps at the right price, the people who do pay make up for the people who don't.
"Frolic and detour"
That's why the fireman (from outside the jurisdiction) did nothing. If they were to get hurt, or hurt someone/something else, the cost of damages would be on the firemans' own dime (not to mention use of the city owned equipment).
The uses to which others put their tax dollars, and the risks to which service-providers subject their lives, come at a cost. If you don't pay that cost, you should not have any expectation that others will spend their money and risk their lives for your gamble. To quote the unlucky house gambler:
"I thought they'd come out and put it out, even if you hadn't paid your $75, but I was wrong," said Gene Cranick.
Yes, you were.
I wonder if Mr. Crasnick would also consider it reasonable to "forget" to make payments on his homeowner's insurance until after the fire had started, and then offered to make a quick payment to ensure that they would provide the necessary coverage for his home.
That is the way I see it, too. Fire fighting services should be looked at as part of the insurance package. The next question for Crasnick is if he told the insurance company covering his property that he had a fire department that would try to put a fire out. If he did, would not having one void his insurance? This could be the most expensive $75 he ever saved.
Oh. I hadn't seen it this way before …
Heartless government bureaucrats … and this is before the those Tea Partiers take control.
"Death Panels" for homes no less
Ah, you beat me to it!
I can see it now … one of those new "green jobs" … installing "death panels" on homes
This is EXACTLY what would happen in a pure free market system, and you rightwingnutters know it. You want the police to protect you from an intruder in Palinamerica? Hope your credit's good.
To paraphrase a mind greater than yours: "I like paying taxes. With them I buy civilization."
want the police to protect you from an intruder in Palinamerica?
In Palinamerica, we shoot them for breakfast (no police required)
What you're getting at is the concept of personal responsibility. It would appear that, in Palinamerica, people have some idea that they bear some responsibility for their own health and welfare. In the other America, they think they are purchasing "civilization" with their taxes when what they are really doing is handing over not only their responsibility but their LIBERTY to the government.
What these clowns are ultimately buying with their tax dollars isn't civilization: it's a prison.
The market is run by the profit motive. A fire department that asserts "we will not respond for any price" is not driven by the profit motive as there is some price that will make the response profitable.
See Crassus for an example.
So to not respond for any price implies a service not provisioned by the market, ergo, one should expect that such a nonresponse would be made by a government agency, not a private company.
This is EXACTLY what would happen in a pure free market system, and you rightwingnutters know it.
This is EXACTLY the response I would expect from someone who:
1. Didn't really read the article or understand the circumstances, and
2. Has a complete, blind faith in the power of government to accomplish ends that it can't accomplish, and such a bitter, unreasoning hatred of the free market system, that they must use examples of government malfunction to indict the free market.
>>>To paraphrase a mind greater than yours: "I like paying taxes. With them I buy civilization."
That "great mind" also had this to say in Buck v. Bell:
We have seen more than once that the public welfare may call upon the best citizens for their lives. It would be strange if it could not call upon those who already sap the strength of the State for these lesser sacrifices, often not felt to be such by those concerned, in order to prevent our being swamped with incompetence. It is better for all the world, if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime, or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover cutting the Fallopian tubes.
I eagerly await Jason's rejoinder…..
As a subscriber to that rural fire department (Rural Metro) here outside the Phoenix Metro area, we pay $240 a year, but if they are called to a non-subscriber's house, the fee is a MINIMUM of $8000 and RM can file a lien against the property.
AAMOF, we pay less in home insurance (proportionally) under RM than we did in the city we moved from a few miles into town.
Just before we moved in, they built a new station, but used a "mobile home" as it was adequate. The city (Gilbert, AZ) was building new fire stations at nearly a $million a pop and the" firemen" are, like all government employees, breaking the city.
Oh, and when my wife passed out in the driveway, they were there in 4 minutes (1 1/4 mile away) with a crew of five, an ambulance, and all the technical equipment they could cram into the living room.
Better Things To Do
Posted on October 4, 2010, 6:00AM
When Chantal Desrosiers accidentally locked her 15-month-old son in her car on a hot day, the owner of the daycare facility she was picking him up from called 911 for help. But the dispatcher in Laval, Canada, told her that police don't respond to locked cars and hung up. Fortunately, Desrosiers' husband showed up about 10 minutes later and knocked a window out of the car.
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Tanesha is amazing! All of my girls, including myself, looked absolutely PERFECT!...
Magnolia Plantation & Ga...
3550 Ashley River Rd
Charleston, SC, United States
Attractions/Entertainment, ...
1 rating, 1 review, 37 weddings
My planner found this beautiful place for us.
Residence Inn
1116 Isle of Palms Connector
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464, US
1 rating, 1 review, 16 weddings
Service was first class. Guests all enjoyed the stay.


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Medavie EMS is the corporate support office for a number of operating subsidiaries. These subsidiaries form the Medavie EMS Group of Companies. Medavie EMS provides these operations with information technology support, financial accountability, human resources, procurement services, as well as, strategic leadership which ensures that business activities are consistent with the vision, mission and core values. The Medavie EMS Group of Companies operates in three primary fields: Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Public Safety Delivery; EMS and Clinical Training; and Mobile and Community Health Solutions.
For immediate release
Medavie EMS is pleased to announce the expansion of its healthcare services in Western Canada with the completion of purchase of Guardian Ambulance Ltd.
For immediate release
Pour diffusion immédiate
Prairie EMS - first private ambulance operator to receive Accreditation in Alberta
Medavie EMS is pleased to announce that Prairie EMS will be expanding its healthcare services to the community of St. Paul, Alberta
(Moncton, NB) - Ambulance New Brunswick and Medavie EMS are pleased to announce that Matt Crossman has been appointed to the position of President of Ambulance New Brunswick effective November 17. As part of this new appointment, he also became the President of New Brunswick EMS, the Medavie EMS subsidiary company that manages Ambulance New Brunswick through a long-temm contract.
Some Bathurst region residents will soon be learning the skills they need to have a career as a paramedic in the region.
Medavie EMS Receives Funding for Community Paramedicine Programs in Chatham-Kent from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Ambulance New Brunswick (ANB), the provincial ambulance service in New Brunswick managed by NB EMS, has received international recognition for its CPR Public Education Program.
CHATHAM-KENT, ON September 26, 2014, Chatham-Kent EMS Paramedic, Ken Langlois was the recipient of the N.H. McNally Award for Bravery last night at the annual Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs Honours and Awards Gala in London.
Pierre-Yves Julien, CEO, Medavie and acting President, Medavie Blue Cross, and Erik Sande, President, Medavie EMS announced a significant leadership change for the two organizations with the appointment of Vice President, Human Resources for Medavie.
In this issueIntroducing the Grants Review Committee2014 Grants Program Now ClosedYMCA Alternative SuspensionAtlantic Healthcare Collaboration Workshop
The ambulance provider, which is a subsidiary of MedLife and a member of Canadian-based Medavie EMS, has been transitioning 120 hospital employees and 27 ambulances to MedCare since May 24.
Greg Bambury will be joining the Medavie Senior Leadership Team effective August 11 as Vice President, Human Resources.
Medavie EMS is pleased to announce its gold level sponsorship of the upcoming Tema Conter Memorial Trust Heroes are Human cross-Canada tour this May through July. Medavie EMS is providing funding overall as well as logistical support for 10 sessions being held in Atlantic Canada.
Baystate Health is announcing an agreement to transfer the ownership of Baystate Health Ambulance (BHA) to MedCare Emergency Health, effective in April.
Medavie EMS Ontario has been selected to provide land ambulance services in Elgin County, Ontario commencing January 1, 2014. These services will be provided through a new company called Medavie EMS Elgin Ontario (MEMSEO).
On December 26, 2013, MedWest EMS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Medavie EMS, announced its acquisition of MD Ambulance effective January 1, 2014.
In December 2012, Medavie EMS Inc. (Medavie EMS) acquired Massachusetts-based company EasCare Ambulance (EasCare LLC). The addition of EasCare to the Medavie EMS Group of Companies has allowed us to expand our scope of services internationally.
Government of Canada announces the awarding of a multi-year contract to provide Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) training to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).


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The Mets' past week was rather uneven. After playing very well in the first game of their road series against the Phillies, their starting pitching was poor in the other two games. Then, the Mets continued their travels to Minnesota to play the Twins. They played very well against the lowly Twins and could have swept the series if not for the last game getting postponed due to weather.
John Buck has continued his amazing first half with six home runs and 19 RBI in his first 11 games. Lucas Duda has three home runs of his own and Daniel Murphy is red hot as well, boasting a .381 average.
Down in the farm system, the Mets' top prospects have been progressing along as well. Here is an updated report on their progress.


text: You are here: UW MEDICINE PUBLIC SITE Providers Tadd T. Hsie M.D. Tadd T. Hsie M.D. Provider Overview Bio Dr. Hsie is a board-certified family medicine physician who practices at the UW Neighborhood Issaquah Clinic. Patient Care Philosophy Dr. Hsie feels privileged to participate in the healthcare of my patients. He enjoys guiding them towards positive choices that will improve their overall well-being. Personal Interests I was born in Taiwan, immigrated to the United States at age ten and grew up in Northern California. I am married with two children and have been living in the Seattle area since 1998. In my spare time I enjoy bicycling, reading, travel and foreign language films. Clinical Interests Chronic disease management, men's health, preventive health, and women's health. Education InstitutionCredentialYear Washington University SOMMedical education1991 Univ. of Calif. IrvineInternship Univ. of Calif. Los AngelesResidency DegreeDescriptionYear MD1991 Board Certifications CertificationSpecialtyYear American Board of Family MedicineFamily Medicine1994


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Total Reviews
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2002 BMW Z3 Hatchback 3.0i 2dr Hatchback (3.0L 6cyl 5M)
I really, I mean REALLY like htis
car! It is a drivers machine. It
does everything you ask of it and
more. It's FAST (expecially after
getting it chipped = then it's REALLY
REEAALLLY fast) It corners like a
dream. Gas mileage has been
outstanding - on a recent trip to Las
Vegas at an average speed of let's
just say 90+ I got 24.5mpg. Contrary
to the review above I think it is one
of the greatest looking cars around.
It has hints of some of the most
classic sports cars of all time
throughout its integrated styling
scheme. As for comfort, I can drive
the car comfortably longer than the
capacity of my bladder and gas tank.
This is a drivers car - every thing is
oriented towards performance oriented
Just a tad more leg room and a
slightly higher molster on the front
edge of the seat. Larger gas tank.
This car was extremely fast; however,
it was one of the ugliest car's I have
ever seen!!
I liked the way it was so fast!
this car is not for everybody it is a
mean fast driving machine. the cockpit
is cozy it is full with two people. it
is geared for performance I dont sugest
driving long distances. I have to get
out to streach every hour or so. I
raced a 94 corvete up a mountain and
easly out handeled the vette. tight
turns are a favorite you can throw it
around and it keeps coming back for
more. the DSC it a real life saver it
only comes into play when I am driving
at the edge I am scared to drive this
car very fast without the DSC
inguaged. if you want a fun driving
machine I highly recomend this car.
thanks for reading this rob
best handling small car i have ever
cockpit room limited need a bit more
room for the driver and passenger.
and always more horse power is a good
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Dear Reader
For the longest time I wondered about you. Were you out there? Then I added a Clustermap and saw your dots appear all over the world. I didn't hear very much from you, but I was reassured that you were there, and I was not alone.
This year I realized that I needed to do more to let you know I was here on my blog with the latest news from my classroom and young adult literature. I started with the audience close to home–students, parents and staff at our school. Instead of keeping up two websites, I started putting assignments on the blog and posted a link to the blog on our school website. I put my blog address on our team newsletters and even printed business cards to hand out to parents at open houses and conferences. I printed postcards to mail with news of great student posts. I have also flooded the school email with great news that shows up on my blog. Some fellow teachers have told me that they now spend Friday evenings reading student blogs. You know who you are.
Now that I have joined the Edublogs Teacher Challenge for the last Kick Start Your Blog Activity # 8, I know there is even more I can do to promote my blog. I've connected with teachers from around the world through this challenge. I'll keep checking in with them through Google Reader and hope they will keep dropping by here as well. I will continue to reach out by leaving comments on the blogs I read and not be shy about leaving my blog address with them.
One thing I'd love to do with my blog is open more conversation between my students and their favorite writers. Could their be guest blog posts or question/answer interviews in my blog's future? The possibilities are exciting!
I keep hearing that Twitter is a valuable resource for teachers. I just may have to check it out and make more connections that way, too. In the meantime, I have connected my blog with my Facebook account so that posts automatically show up in my notes.
So, thank you, dear reader, for visiting my blog. I hope you come back soon.


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Expert of the Month: 5 Facts About Statistics Author Jill Schmidlkofer 1
Today, we are rolling out a regular monthly feature on the blog, Five Facts About…. Each month, we'll ask an expert five questions about themselves. They will be known as our Expert of the Month. Want to be profiled? Simply shoot us an email and we'll send over a template for you to fill out. We want a chance to get to know each of you better and for each of you to have a chance to get to know how awesome everyone here is. I believe in the power of random connection, and this is just one more way we can make those connections happen for you.
Without further ado, I bring you one of our exemplary experts, Jill Schmidlkofer!


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Daytona USA
You can't be satisfied without it...Sega Model 2.
For many, Sega's AM2 and AM3 divisions defined the early/mid 90's arcade experience. The generational leap between 16-bit consoles and Sega's arcade cabinets could not have been more profound; Virtua Fighter 2, Virtual On, and Virtua Cop's appeal were limited only by quarters and closing times. Fighting game purists may beg to differ, but Daytona USA demonstrated AM2's talents better than all the rest. Daytona capitalized on the accelerating popularity of NASCAR, boasted brightly colored visuals that looked like they were from the future, pitted the player against seven other real people, and, most importantly, you got to sit in a fake car. Getting the complete Daytona experience felt incredible, and it was mind-blowing if you were eleven years old.
Eighteen (!) years later, Daytona still manages to put up a fight. Though impossible to quantify or even estimate, it's clear a lot of love and care put into translating Daytona to modern hardware. It zips along at sixty frames as second, the crude polygons actually look better than you remember, widescreen and the added resolution feel like they were there all along, the pop-in is gone, and it still actually feels like a fast game. The advancing asphalt can look a little off, like it's not rendering properly, but it's a harmless mark on an otherwise stellar port. In terms of quality, Daytona transition bears a great resemblance to Sega's 2009 Live Arcade release of Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram, rather than the careless Dreamcast ports we've seen as of late.
Driving the Hornet car in 2011 certainly felt better than expected. The beginner course, a simple oval, can feel a bit like a slot car derby. You don't really need to make use of the finicky drift mechanic, and Hornet's ridged handling is always quick to reset itself in an invisible lane. The advanced and expert courses make better use of the range of Hornet's abilities; monster elevated turns, sharp hairpins, considerable length, and those damn bridge columns add considerable challenge.
Daytona didn't have Ridge Racer's penchant for drifting or Sega Rally's precision control, but it did manage a few traces of depth. Pitting, for instance, is required on longer, tire melting races, and banging your car up will ultimately reduce its top speed. Easter eggs, like the controllable slot machine and spotting (and spinning) Virtua Fighter's Jeffry around are also delightfully intact.
Being an arcade game, Daytona wasn't constructed with depth in mind. The Saturn port addressed this concern with a few extra bells and whistles, and the most recent edition arrives with customizable laps along with adjustable AI and time difficulty. It also grants a limited about of rewinds, even though that seems sort of crazy in Daytona's world. Online racing is present as well, and while it was fairly easy to find a game my opponents seemed to be better at teleporting than racing, though I concede my Internet connection may have been to blame. The most robust bonus is a challenge mode with thirty different trials. I did find myself wishing all of the challenges, which include things like overtaking cars or not hitting walls, were all immediately selectable rather than having to beat one to unlock the next, though.
Two other new modes were short lived, but none the less impressive. Adding a survival mode to a game that was already about beating the clock seems a little odd, but it's actually handled well. You're still against the clock, but completing unspoken objectives like drifting, overtaking other drivers, crashing cones, and drifting can all add seconds to your clock. The other mode is in game Karaoke. Yeah, you read that right; karaoke. As in the words to Daytona's ridiculous(ly awesome) soundtrack flying across the screen until the race ends with the song. It's incredibly silly, but gives credence Sega actually understanding their audience, and delivering an extra fans would undoubtedly find adorable.
Fully digested, Daytona does feel a bit light on content. Two cars - manual and automatic - and three tracks don't leave a whole lot of space for extra laps. I have no idea what the hell else this port could have included, maybe a Fighters MegaMix demo with Hornet versus Hornet, so it's more the nature of reprising a relic than a fault in content.
Editor review
Top 10 Reviewer
View all my reviews (395)
Daytona USA
The good news is Daytona USA's port is actually better than you remember. The bad is, despite some inspired extras, it doesn't last that long. Those with fond memories of the 90's arcade scene will get a lot more mileage out of Daytona than newcomers, but it's appeal is still relatively universal - even as an artifact from a bygone era. The only thing it's missing is eight fake cars for you and your buddies to sit in.


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The Naughty Squirrel Backpackers Hostel
Real Reviews
Real reviews from fellow travellers
These are trusted reviews from guests who have actually stayed here. We hope you find them helpful.
Note: we only give a property a rating once it has received a minimum of 3 reviews.
- Page:1/1
- " Good atmosphere, they organize different activities through out the week, when I was there we went to a hockey game and then to a pub crwal. Showers and toilets are organized in separate cubicles so you always feel privacy. "
- 19 Oct 2016 JOSE Mexico
- " Great location, in the old town. Super comfortable rooms, with a lot of space and good pillows. Nice staff and atmosphere. Would come back! "
- 22 Aug 2016 Anonymous Italy
- " We arrived Sunday 17.7 late, around midnight and our room window was open. We didn't notice that as it was behind curtains. So from around 12 to 5 in the morning me and my girlfriend were killing mosquitoes without any sleep. That was not nice at all as it ruined one night/day from two days visit. So please close windows or do something with mosquitoes before guests are coming is my advice. Other that that hostel was nice. "
- 17 Jul 2016 Anonymous Finland
- " If you don't like party hostels, this is likely not to be your place "
- 20 May 2016 Andrea Colombia
- " We had the most wonderful time staying at the Naughty Squirrel and would definitely recommend it to anybody heading to Riga. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful and the atmosphere is very welcoming. The pub crawl arranged by the hostel was so much fun and they arrange many other trips. If I find myself back in Riga one day I will not think twice about staying in the Naughty Squirrel again, thoroughly recommended! We all miss it already. "
- 13 May 2016 Anonymous England
- " I enjoyed my stay @ Naughty Squirrel. Great staff, great atmosphere, lots of activities offered, central location in between bus & train station and the Old Town. Renovated rooms, your own towel, lamp, and double socket. Well-considered security system: you get a key-card which opens the door to the hostel, your floor and your room - so no surprises.. Can't think why I shouldn't give it a top score. P.S. Bear in mind this is more of a social type of hostel rather than a sleepy village. "
- 05 Jan 2016 Anonymous Russia
- " A cool and central place to stay at! "
- 27 Dec 2015 Anonymous Germany
- " Probably your best option in Riga. Great staff, great atmosphere. Perfect value for money. Free local drinks on arrival. Private reading light, comfortable stable beds, private socket: as it should be. Bathroom needs some renovation, but still decent. Great stay. "
- 20 Dec 2015 Anonymous Belgium


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Our final destination: Beijing
Trip Start Aug 10, 2007
12Trip End Sep 04, 2007
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The Beijing day has just started!!!
And the first difference with the smart russian girls:
As soon as we found a bar to drink some coffe and we planned the visits for the following days.Today we will walk and visit the main streets:
including the food shops:
the Beiahi park
we had luch in a restaurant in the park
and the Hutong area.
where Amaya and me visited a mansion
we made an stop to drink chinesse yogourt
To finish the day, we drank something in a terrace close the Hutongs
when we were returning to the hotel
we went into a restaurant to have dinner Hot Pot, a typical chinesse dish.
Lot of food, but good.
Saturday 1-09
From the Forbidden city, the view of the Tianmen Square is really good:
Time to tauch the dragon with my hand to ask for a wish ...
and we follow looking at the temples in the forbidden city
And in the way returning to the hotel
yes, Susana and Amaya are buying something ... we need to wait them :-)
Some european food for them and indian one for me:
Sunday 2-09
Emperors tumbs
Great wall
after going up, the difference between girls and boys ...
Amaya was exahusted and the gentlemanly Antonio helped her
Some food
And the Chinesse opera ... no comments ... headache
We need some energy
Monday 3-09
pedicure, manicure, swimming pool and sauna
Tuesday 4-09


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Could an STD cause really sharp pains in the lower part of my stomach?
I'm experiencing sharp pains in the lower part of my stomach. I'm having problems bending or taking deep breaths, and I also have very painful urination. It seems like my vagina is inflamed too. My boyfriend and I have both been tested and are negative for STDs. What could this be?
You're right to be concerned about the sharp pains you feel in your lower abdomen...symptoms like that are certainly cause for concern. First and foremost, I would urge you to get checked out by a doctor as soon as possible.
In the meantime, I'll share with you a few thoughts for your consideration:
Lower abdominal pain in women can mean many things...appendicitis, kidney stones, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or a bladder infection are a few possible causes that come to mind. Again, upon a thorough examination, a doctor will be able to identify the root cause of your discomfort.
Appendicitis is a serious problem that occurs when the appendix becomes inflamed or infected. People who have appendicitis typically have a sharp pain in the lower right side of their abdomen…if this sounds like you, it's very important that you seek immediate medical help to avoid complications.
Kidney stones, on the other hand, can develop when crystals of certain substances in the urine accumulate into a hard "stone." If you have a kidney stone, you might not notice it until it begins to move through the urinary tract, at which point it can get stuck and cause severe pain. People with kidney stones usually feel pain in the back or flank, but also in the belly or groin, and they might have differently-colored urine and flu-like symptoms.
A bladder infection can also cause symptoms of abdominal pain and discomfort during urination. You doctor can diagnose a bladder infection by analyzing your urine for certain types of bacteria. Infections of the urinary tract (which includes the bladder and the kidneys) can sometimes be caused by STDs like gonorrhea, chlamydia and herpes…as well as other bacteria, like E. coli.
PID can cause abdominal pain in women, too. PID usually happens after a chlamydia or gonorrhea infection has made its way up through the female reproductive system from the vagina through the cervix into the uterus and onto the fallopian tubes. The infection can cause internal scarring, pain and ⎼ in some cases ⎼ infertility.
Speaking of STDs, do you know which ones you and your boyfriend have been tested for? For example, do you know if you've been tested for common STDs like gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes 1 and 2, hepatitis B and C, HIV and syphilis? In our Expert Guide to STD Basics, you can learn more about STD risks, symptoms, complications and testing.
Upon prompt consultation with your doctor, I wish you a speedy resolution to your symptoms.
Related info:
- PubMed Health: Appendicitis
- National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Kidney Stones
Dr. Cunningham is a member of the Analyte Physicans Group. She's also a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians, practicing at both Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital in Illinois and at Wheaton Franciscan All Saints Medical Center in Wisconsin. An ER physician since 2000, she regularly treats patients with STDs. Dr. Cunningham was educated at Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed her Emergency Medicine residency at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL.


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GV Now
Venderbush Award nominations due February 17
Posted on February 06, 2012
Nominations for the Kenneth R. Venderbush Student Leadership Award are due no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, February 17, to the Dean of Students Office.
Faculty and staff members can nominate students who they feel have made a significant leadership contribution to the campus community and have maintained a successful academic standing. Candidates must also be a senior and enrolled in fall or winter semesters of this year.
The Kenneth R. Venderbush Student Leadership Award will be presented to a senior at the annual Grand Valley Student Awards Ceremony on Monday, April 16.
The award is named after Kenneth R. Venderbush, who came to Grand Valley in 1969 and served as associate professor, dean of William James College and vice president of Student Affairs during his time at the university. He was a strong advocate of student leadership participation as a learning tool.
To nominate a student, visit www.gvsu.edu/dos to find the criteria and nomination form.


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- Game Details
- News
- Review
- Previews
- Videos
- Images
- Cheats & Walkthroughs (3)
Kill Switch Cheats
Level select
After finishing the game under normal or hard difficulty you will unlock an option that will allow you to pick any level in the game.
Shooting enemies
The best way to kill someone is to pull the trigger when your crosshairs are red.
On any level with two enemies talking to each other, throw a grenade. They will not even look to see what it was because they will be distracted.


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We continue our countdown today with another fairly famous ass in the world of videogames. Any ideas? Well, it wouldn't surprise me if you didn't instantly recognize it as the girl in question usually covers it up. Not here, though. Read on to see our number 6 pick, but remember: some content may be considered 'Not Safe For Work'.
Click images for a larger view.
#6 – Samus Aran (Metroid)
Metroid surprised the gaming world way back in the heyday of the NES by revealing that beneath all the armor, Samus is all woman. Break through that hard exterior and you'll find a beautiful person inside — kind of like a metaphor for… something. Nintendo is teaching us that it's what's on the inside that counts, especially if what's on the inside is a hot babe.
Surprisingly, Nintendo has actually sexed up Samus in recent years, going so far as to feature her in her painted-on Zero Suit in games like Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Of course, some people out there have different ideas for what the 'Zero Suit' really means, and it's relatively easy to find pictures of a naked Samus. I honestly don't feel the need to even link to them because the Zero Suit is practically already a naked Samus, she's just blue.
I'm going to just stop there a give you this nice collection of pictures:
Curious what some Samus cosplay would look like? We've seen Samus in her armor before, but I found a pretty nice Zero Suit pic as well:
Funny thing is, Samus can be found in SSBB with her male ass counterpart, Solid Snake. Anyone who's seen Metal Gear Solid 4 in action knows that Snake has some tight glutes, and pretty much any of these pictures could be him if you paste his face on there and get rid of the boobs. Unfortunately, I just couldn't bring myself to type "Solid Snake's ass" into google, but I found a humorous little sexcapade with Snake and the girls from Smash Bros.
I think we've proven beyond any doubt that Samus, despite her unwillingness to show it off in the past, has a sweet ass. Okay, she's being practical and actually wearing a full protective suit to fight aliens, but that's not gonna land her a boyfriend. Strangely, though, I've seen more pics than I care to have seen of an incredibly pregnant Samus, so I don't know what that's about. Maybe Samus is more of a freak than I thought…
Anyway, don't forget to check back tomorrow to find out the number 5 pick on our Top 10 Nicest Asses in Videogames countdown.
Jump to #5: click here


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|08.04.2014 - Biggest wealth fund put on review for move to new asset classes
|Norway will wait to see whether real estate investments by its $850 billion sovereign wealth fund pay off before considering new asset classes including infrastructure and private equity. Whether we do it next year or the year after, that hasnt been decided, Paal Bjoernestad, state secretary in charge of the fund at the Finance Ministry, said in an April 4 interview. We will come back to it -- its not off the table...............................................Full Article: Source


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The video below is a quick introduction to the Tao language:
The source code is accessible on GitHub. You can download Tao Presentations from the Taodyne web site if you want to try it yourself.
The video below is a quick introduction to the Tao language:
The source code is accessible on GitHub. You can download Tao Presentations from the Taodyne web site if you want to try it yourself.
In Animation and 3D: the web is doing it wrong, I argue that the way the web does animation and 3D is completely bogus and deserves to die. With Tao Presentations, we offer a dynamic document description language that lets us write shorter code that is much closer to storytelling. We'd like to bring this to the web.
Have you ever created a dynamic animation on a web site, or displayed a 3D object? Really, why is it so complicated? Why should I learn how to use half a dozen libraries, write dozens of line of boilerplate HTML, WebGL and CSS code, just to rotate some text on the screen or display a 3D object? Why do I need three (or four, or five) languages, libraries or frameworks to design a single animated web page?
In the realm of business presentations, Tao Presentations solved this problem with a 3D dynamic document description language, letting you easily create sophisticated interactive 3D animations and presentations. What if we brought this very innovative platform to the web? What kind of applications would become possible if we improved web browsers in the areas of storytelling, interactivity, 3D or multimedia?
In this screencast, I show how you can build a dynamic, real-time clock in less than 10 minutes with Tao Presentations.
In this live coding session, we demonstrate how to quickly create a DNA strand in 3D:
The whole code is below:
import LuckyStarsTheme theme "LuckyStars" picture_slide "Did DNA come from outer space?", light 0 light_position 1000, 1000, 1000 translate -300, 0, -300 rotatey mouse_x random_seed 12345 dna_strand with -30 .. 30 slide "Arguments in favor", * "Tardigrades can live in space" dna_strand N:integer -> locally translatey 50 * N rotatey 10 * N locally rotatey 90 color "#BBB" cylinder 0, 0, 0, 10, 10, 200 dna_base_pair random (0, 3) dna_base_pair N:integer -> dna_base_color N mod 4 sphere 100, 0, 0, 40 dna_base_color (N + 2) mod 4 sphere -100, 0, 0, 40 dna_base_name 140, N mod 4 dna_base_name -140, (N + 2) mod 4 dna_base_color 0 -> color "red" dna_base_color 1 -> color "blue" dna_base_color 2 -> color "green" dna_base_color 3 -> color "grey" dna_base_name X:integer, N:integer -> text_box X, 0, 40, 40, font "Arial", 30 color "white" align 0.5 vertical_align 0.5 dna_base_text N dna_base_text 0 -> text "C" dna_base_text 1 -> text "A" dna_base_text 2 -> text "G" dna_base_text 3 -> text "T"
Recently, a user of Tao Presentations informed us that Google Chrome displayed a dire warning after he downloaded our software: "Tao Presentations may be malicious software". Uh oh, for the average Joe, that's a big no-no.
It's not just us. Recently, I tried to download some of the amazing demos created by Iñigo Quilez. Same thing. Seriously, a 4K exe that manages to display a complete mountain? And Google Chrome would have me believe that there's room in there for "malicious software"? Get real.
Now, it took me quite a while to find a solution to this problem. Apparently, you just need to record your site in Google's Webmaster tools, and after scanning your site and ensuring (I assume) that there's no known virus signature in the files, things should improve.
I still find this really annoying that a browser vendor would, by default, tag unknown files as "malicious". Who are they to make this judgment call?
Shouldn't they instead have something a little more sophisticated, that actually detects malicious signatures? You know, like a real anti-virus? Don't tell me that Google doesn't have smart enough engineers to write an in-browser anti-virus that doesn't completely suck.
Nah, instead they went the easy route: anything that we don't know is malicious. And we tell your users so.
I used to be a big fan of Chrome. Not anymore. Because of this single issue. I think this demonstrate an incredibly stupid arrogance and lack of technical diligence on Google's part.
Google overstepped its authority and took advantage of their weight. Let's not get used to it.
Please show your support for Taodyne by voting for us at the CeBIT Start Me Up competition.
This article explains how Tao Presentations proceeds to transform a document (.ddd) into images on the screen. It describes an interesting mechanism making it easy to create dynamic documents that depend on events such as time or mouse movements. Moreover, this technique also allows Tao Presntations to optimize the rendering of graphic elements, enabling smooth 60Hz drawings even with complex contents.
Taodyne – Tao Presentations documents: execution and drawing model.


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Select your desired product options and we will notify you when it is back in stock.
Straight from Spain, Pikolinos strive for product development based on design, quality and originality. Through the application of the highest technologies Pikolinos have attained ISO 9001 certifications (Quality Management Systems) as well as ISO 14001 certifications (Environmental Management Systems) benefitting not only the products they produce but the world we live in.
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Since our very first taste with Wii Sports, it would appear that tennis is a sport that's a perfect match for Nintendo's quirky console. Now with the release of Wii MotionPlus, the promise of a more realistic tennis experience should be fulfilled, right? And it's not like Virtua Tennis doesn't have the pedigree to meet our expectations. So, my question is, what the hell happened here?
The Pros
- Solid career mode
- Online play
- Looks nice
The Cons
- Controls are merely adequate
- Poor Wii MotionPlus support
Since Wii Sports gave us our first taste, it would appear that tennis is a sport that's a perfect match for Nintendo's quirky console. Now with the release of Wii MotionPlus, the promise of a more realistic tennis experience should be fulfilled, right? And it's not like Virtua Tennis doesn't have the pedigree to meet our expectations. So, my question is, what the hell happened with Virtua Tennis 2009 for the Wii?
Tennis Anyone?
First, let's get the basics out of the way. If you've played any of the recent Virtua Tennis titles, you'll know what to expect feature-wise in this Wii version. And truth be told, there's a lot of nice content here with the focus placed squarely on the Career Mode.
This is where you create your very own tennis pro and try to take him or her to the top of the rankings. There's a fair amount of visual customization to be had, although I had to settle for a much more athletic-looking version of my normally sedentary self. Turns out I look pretty good in tennis whites.
Once in the Career Mode proper, you can take part in any number of events with each event taking up a week's time. Throughout the calendar year, tournaments (Singles and Doubles) are scheduled, as are practice matches, training, and participation in silly little mini-games. Doing any of these will wear down your stamina, so you'll have to remember to rest up from time to time; or down a couple of pricey sports drinks.
Singles. Doubles. I'm the guy with the racket.
Virtua Tennis 2009 supports full online play complete with friends roster, match creation and joining options, and official online rankings. Straight-up single and multiplayer features are what you might expect. You can do singles and doubles matches or tournaments with any configuration of real or AI players. Game and Set numbers are adjustable as well as court locations. All of this is the roundabout way of saying that what we have here is a full-featured tennis game.
Special mention must be given to the 12 arcade-style court games which you can play both in career or from the main menu. These are silly little diversions and vary in quality, but are certainly worth a look. They're clearly designed to help you improve your speed, accuracy, and power. Some, like Pirate Battle, in which you try to sink ships while avoiding cannon balls, or Alien Attack, in which you knock down extraterrestrial invaders, are pretty fun. Some, like the curling and pool games are entertaining because they're so weird. Others, like shopping dash, which is designed to help you with your footwork, are pretty dull.
Backhanded Compliment
There are lots of different control options in Virtua Tennis 2009. The best of them are merely adequate. The game works well enough when played with the standard Wii Remote and Nunchuk, but it offers no real surprises. The controller tracks your forehand and backhand swings as well as the general angle of your shot. Adjusting your angle and swing can also produce slices and drops. Lobs are performed by holding down the A button with your swing. The nunchuk is used to move your player around the court.
Forgo the nunchuk and the game will attempt to move your player into the right position for you. Unfortunately, playing without the nunchuck makes the game far too confusing, as it's nearly impossible to tell whether you're being set up for a forehand or backhand swing. And as you frantically try to adjust your swing, the game attempts to compensate further by repositioning the player to where it thinks you want it to be. Of course, it doesn't always work, which makes your Remote motions and the onscreen action come out as two very different things.
Enter Wii MotionPlus, a device designed to give the player greater, more nuanced control over the action. It's pretty clear from the outset that MotionPlus control was an afterthought in Virtua Tennis 2009. Aside from a flimsy paragraph in the manual, there's very little in the way of direction on how you're supposed to play the game using the MotionPlus.
The in-game training tool is next to useless here. Basic swings are pretty much as you'd expect, but once to attempt to do anything more complex, the controller simply isn't up to the task. Instructions on how to tilt the remote and how to swing to do a slice, drop, or even a lob are vague at best. During training, there is no on-screen indicator to tell you you're using the controls correctly.
Double Fault
In fact, it's hard to tell if the MotionPlus controller is doing much of anything at all, as there is no visual feedback in the game. All of the swings are canned animations that sometimes begin well after you have made your gesture. Compared to EA's Grand Slam Tennis, which offers a more accurate one-to-one experience, the MotionPlus controls for Virtua Tennis 2009 are a complete trainwreck. It's no wonder the game didn't ship with a MotionPlus controller. The game is actually a better experience with the plain old Wii Remote.
WiiMotionally Stunted
As a title launching at the same time as Nintendo's Wii MotionPlus, Virtua Tennis 2009 is a disappointment. If you pretend that MotionPlus doesn't exist, you'll get some enjoyment out of Virtua Tennis 2009. It's solid enough, but hardly groundbreaking.


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CiCi's Pizza CEO Mike Shumsky sat down with Nation's Restaurant News to discuss how the economy impacted chain's customer base, and in what ways the company has responded.
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Pawsitively Meow-Worthy
Thank mew!!! that was EGGSCELLENT! MOLApril 9th 2012 5:36 pm
[ View A Comments (20) ]
Thanks to everyone for filling up all 3 of our pages with awesome pawsome colorful big eggies. They are beautiful and OMC look how many furriends we have. Again, thank you to Miss Mittens for splainin' to us how to do the gifties all at once. Next time I think we'll do a diary right before the free prezzies and repeat her instructions for everyone so you all can do it that way. Hope you don't mind Miss M! It'll be a great time saver and of course you'll get the credit.
oh please do share how to send all prezzies at once......my paws got so tired and I apologize if I missed anyone which I know I did...tell your mom to take care of herself.....Earth Day have noted on my pawlender heheheh
Don't worry, we will Harley. It's crazy that HQ doesn't show you that but whatever!!
Check out our new pages Harley! They are all decorated for earth day 2012!!!
luv your homepage Lacey
Thanks Harley! It was hard to find the right backgrounds. They'll probably change between now and Earth Day. We seem to be the only ones around tonight. What's up with that? Everyone too stuffed with ham?
Lacey, yews has such a puurrrdy page! So pawsome!
Thanks Linus! I love that picture of you and your momcat on the window ledge. So sweet.
Yeah, mom tried to get a video cause our tails was goin' back and forth like windshield wipers, but just as she got the video goin' we stopped. Wez is tricky like dat!
her brains are rolling down the driveway- heehee mom loves that. Paw hug for you, Lacey my dear
Meowmy just got home from work...yes later than usual...UGH...and she says she must have left her brains in some wheelchair beside a resident's brain...imagine if someone sits on them in the morning! MOL!
And W/C's can be efficient rollers too...maybe your mom and ours should have a roller derby...see how fried she is, she is just full of nonsense!
Linus that happens to us all the time. Mommy goes "awwwww, why did you move!!??"" MOL
Toki how are you? love that picture of you eating your birfday cake. Pipo that's funny. And that sounds like it would make a great show, your meowmy and mine in a roller derby.
Right now meowmy feels like those funny looking boneless peeps that you see in some commercials,,,all slithery and unable to walk, sit or do anything other than nothing!
Meowmy is going to bed...yawn...no wait she has to cover up the garden first, needs frost protection, 29F tonight...sigh.
Is there some kind of quicker way to do the presents all at once? My typist says clicking on everyone of my friends takes a while!
Alex just wrote a brand new diary about it. She's got the instructions there if you want to read it.
OMC we are going to check it out we really need to know how to do this! we spent lots of time working to get Easter wishes out to all our friends. Thanks to all of yall and Miss mittens.
Kewl Earth Day page, Lacey! And we need to go read the diary, too about posting all at once in case it's a quicker way than the one someone told us about - which is still not all that quick - MOL!
Congrats on your DDP!
Love your Earth Day page!
Miss Mittens
Thanks everyone!!! We didn't do Earth Day pages last year and figured we should do it since Mother Nature is so moody these days. MOL Thank you for the DDP concats too!
Concats on being a DDP!
Yes, the earth seems to be having some kind of a temper tantrum...
Can't blame her really.
Congrats Lacey on being a DDP today!
Family Pets


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Chan Lowe by Chan Lowe
- September 28, 2013
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Comments (18) (Please sign in to comment)
Exactly, why would this heartless creature need a cardiologist?
I don't know about Florida, but politicians who serve in DC get some amazing benefits and exclusions from laws that, depending on how long they stay in office, can follow them long after they leave office to work for the very people whose donations kept them in office.
We need congress to work on the ACA and make it a product that will have long lasting positive impact on our nation. It can be done if politicians will care more about their oaths of office than their access to campaign dollars and making the "other party " look bad.
Could the righties on here explain these things for me, so I can understand your position better?
1. Why do you want insurance companies to be able to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions?
2. Why is it bad to require insurance companies to spend at least 80% of insurance premiums on actual health care, as opposed to executive salaries and bonuses?
3. Why is it bad for dependents to be able to stay on their parents' policy until age 26, instead of making them get more expensive care at a younger age?
4. Why do you like lifetime insurance caps?
5. Why is it better to have millions of people uninsured who then use emergency rooms for routine care, costing far more?
Thanks in advance for explaining these things, so we can understand why you hate Obamacare so much.
Good people do not get sick, only welfare scum.
Giving them the same care as I get diminishes me.
If it all was equal how could folks tell I am superior? The sores and ill health are their badge, it keeps them in their place.
Golly, NeoconMan, I liked your old username and avatar more betterer.
Good questions Anthony,
I look forward to see if anyone answers.
good luck and keep asking questions.
I don't have much hope, R. Troll. At the risk of spamming this is the third health care thread I've posted them on, and not one of the usual gang of righties has responded.
On the other hand, how could they?
Nevertheless, I'll keep monitoring all three threads just in case.
Next time, include a question on whether Ted Cruz is constitutionally eligible to be president.
You'll get the same deafening silence.
Republicans/Fox "news" viewers will not answer because their answers are embarrassing:
They do not want our health care system to be improved. Their own health care is just fine and they do not care if the health of the citizenry as a whole improves.
Their only proposed 'improvements' are to allowed insurance companies to sell across state lines, (which will result in them all moving to one state with no regulations, like the credit card industry), and to eliminate medical liability lawsuits, which at least sometimes holds medical malpracticers accountable.
And besides, hatred of Obama is more important than the interests of the country and its citizens.
I read today that Ted Cruz gets his health care coverage on his wife's policy with her employer, Goldman Sachs, who pay about $40,000 a year for their coverage.
Living in Ohio must really be bad then. Here in the conservative hated California my wife and I have both been on Medicare now for the last 5 years, and so far the only thing we have needed to pay for is some very reasonable copay on our prescription medications. I must admit that Medicare does not pay dental, and that we have a somewhat higher copay for glasses, but over all here in California we seniors have it pretty good as far as health care goes. concerned on Medicare. But then, the average senior has paid into the system for some 40 to 50 years or more, so it is NOT welfare at all!!
After reading Anthony's statement about Ted Cruz's wife working for Goldman Sachs, I finally had some time to confirm and she does.
Because of what I've learned about Goldman Sachs since 2008, I find this relationship between Mr. Cruz and Goldmans Sachs, the provider of his healthcare, disturbing. Despite evidence of mismanagement by people in G-S OTHER than Ms. Cruz, no one in that company has been punished and efforts by the President to more tightly regulate Goldman and other financial companies has been blocked by Republicans as well as a few Dems.
In addition, Goldman is manipulating aluminum prices, a metal precious to our military, our corporations, and home builders.
I am not making accusations of culpability. I congratulate Ms. Cruz on her success in an industry wherein men dominate. I do believe that Mr. Cruz has a vested interest in Goldman's continued success that makes some of his actions in the senate suspect. When Clarence Thomas's wife was working for the Heritage foundation on issues that Justice Thomas failed to recluse himself and on which he voted, I was equally concerned about her 400k salary and Mr. Thomas's objectivity.
This revelation is disturbing to me. While I do not have time to research it at the moment, I welcome my conservative friends to provide equal citations of similar appearances of conflict among the Democrats. I know some exist, I just don't have time to do the research.
Too many are warning the "Too big to fail or prosecute" financial institutions have slipped into the same behaviors that created the last financial crisis and one can only wonder how many legislators are helping set these dominos up for another fall.
I have not seen NeoconMan for a while.
If I make him wince hard enough with poor imitation maybe he will come back.
Or have the extremists gone past what even he can stomach?
"All those things sound so wonderful."
So why are Republicans against them? Please answer the questions.
"But they are all reasons that make insurance expensive."
How does requiring insurance companies to pay at least 80% of premium income on health care make insurance more expensive? Or keeping children on their parents policy to age 26? Or keeping millions uninsured and in the emergency rooms???
If you and other Republicans are against making insurance expensive, why do you fight so hard against single payer?
"If you and other Republicans are against making insurance expensive, why do you fight so hard against single payer?"
2. They don't want our health care system to be improved.
1. They hate Obama. They hate Obamacare. They hate his wife. They hate his kids. They hate his dog, his canary, his turtle, and the White House garden.
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If you need to stay in Barcelona for medical reasons, or attend one of the many hospitals and clinics in Barcelona, then you must consider Aparthotel Bonanova for your accommodation. We offer apartments near Hospital Clinic Barcelona, the University Hospital.
Bonanova Aparthotel features spacious apartments in a quite area surrounded by clinics, very close to the most prestigious medical centers of the city such as Teknon, IMO or Quirón. In the nearby area you will also find the IVI, Clinic Barcelona IVF, Fertilab or Eugin, among others.
The hotel is ideal for visits due to medical reasons not only for its location, but also for the service and facilities offered.
First of all you will find wide spaces and comfort in all the apartments which have a fully equipped kitchen where you can cook your meals at any time of the day.
Then you will experience the quietness of a small independent hotel with a familiar touch, where the customer is not a number and the staff of the reception will be always happy to help, 24 hours a day.
Finally we highlight the special prices that we offer to the patients and their families coming to the following clinics: Teknon, IVI, IMO, Fertilab, Clinic Barcelona IVF, Barraquer, ITA, Eugin, Clínica Nuestra Señora del Remei and Clínica de Método Essentis.
If you are looking for a hotel in Barcelona for medical reasons, this is your place. You won´t regret it.


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Composition by Vincent Bergeron and collaborators. Everything was essentially composed during the first 6 month of 2009 and is protected by SOCAN.
Viveka Eriksson composed a part of the vocal melodies, made some of the lyrics better, singed them, except on the piece # 2 where she doesn't appear. Jörg Fischer prefered the drums on #1 (like voices from elsewhere, #3 and #4 ; he also added insect voices or my album Philosophie Fantasmagorique (2006-07). Frédéric Szymanski composed in part and played of almost everything on #1 (acoustic guitars with 12 steel strings, nylon strings and other acoustic instruments of bass frequencies). Dan Stearns plays a ukulele on #2 and a texture sounding as much like a sitar than a submarine on #3. Amy Kohn composed and performed a vocal part on #1 ("Universal Ideas are clichés ! We refuse to call this way.") Bob Marsh played an invented acoustic instrument on #1 (introduction and before the end). Philippe Bergeron plays a digital bass on #6 (introduction). Carlo Serafini added some textures on #4 and #6 (like a wind of digital data).


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If you turn on the news and hear that some city is being devastated by its fourth flood in 20 years, or that a village at the foot of some volcano has just been buried under lava, there is a 100 percent chance that someone in the room will ask, Why don't those people just move?
It's a good question, and the answer gives us a nice insight into mankind's absolute refusal to back down from nature, even if it means certain destruction.
Brave? Stupid? You be the judge. All we know is that a whole lot of us are in the same boat.
5San Francisco, USA -- Earthquake
Back in 2001, before 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced a short list of the three most likely disasters to hit America over the coming years. One was a terrorist attack on New York, another was a hurricane in New Orleans, and the third was an earthquake in San Francisco. Note that this was shortly before two of those things actually goddamn happened.
"FEMA: Using our powers for good, and occasionally the lottery."
Withholding speculation as to whether FEMA are in fact wizards, that's a pretty "oh shit" moment right there if you live in San Francisco. It also emphasizes the fact that the continued existence of San Francisco is a testament to mankind's ongoing desire to engage in a staring contest against horrible catastrophe.
And let's be clear, this isn't some sensationalist scare tactic -- at some point, an earthquake is going to devastate the city. The United States Geological Survey says that the chances of a quake of at least 6.7 on the Richter scale hitting San Fran in the next 30 years sits at a cozy 99 percent.
And there is nothing we can do about it. It happened in 1906, and in 1989 it gave everyone a preview of what was coming.
Yeah, nature, 45 degrees is OK, too, we guess. Whatever you say.
Holy Shit! What Can We Do?
Of course, San Franciscans are more than ready for this kind of thing, right? When you know that your city is prone to devastating earthquakes, then you're going to make sure that earthquakes factor into your building ordinances. Well, it's true that the state of California did decide to start earthquake-proofing all their new buildings ... in 1980. So if you're wondering whether your highrise office is going to withstand the inevitable Big One, you'd just better hope that the building doesn't outdate hair metal.
"Your threat level is Motley Crue but could rise to above Kiss at any time."
The problem is the fact that most of the Bay Area is built upon a foundation of soft mud that, during an earthquake, is prone to something frighteningly referred to as liquefaction, which is exactly what it sounds like. Estimates say that a quake in the range of a 7.8 on the Richter scale (which is right in the range of what we'd expect -- the 1906 quake was an 8.0) would topple 1,500 buildings and badly damage another 300,000. The government has just started rushing against time to brace the Golden Gate Bridge after reports showed a quake would cause it to utterly collapse.
Like this, but with a billion-dollar special effects budget.
But what's really standing between San Francisco and avoiding total annihilation is money. With a $25.4 billion budget deficit, the California government wants property owners to retrofit their own damn buildings if they're so scared of earthquakes, a cost that no average person can afford, forcing them into a much cheaper but less effective form of earthquake insurance -- prayer. Never mind that the cost of earthquake-proofing San Francisco would only be around $260 million, compared to the estimated cost of rebuilding after a quake -- $200 billion. But, hey, we're not economists.
Although we have left plenty of them in San Francisco. Underneath the rubble.
4Venice, Italy -- Sinking
Likely the only things you know about Venice is that it has water in the streets, that people get around in gondolas, and that it is all very romantic. There's a good chance you've never asked yourself why it has water in the streets, and, in fact, you might think that they did that on purpose, just for the tourists.
The reality is that the city is sinking into the Mediterranean Sea at a horrifying rate.
"Crap. I forgot to pack my rush-hour snorkel."
It turns out Venice, built practically on top of a body of water, is not exactly the best-planned city. Back in the 12th century when Venice went through a population explosion, the city used up all of its available land and was forced to build upon acres of really shitty mud. Since these were the Dark Ages and everyone was an idiot, the rulers decided to just cover the ground with millions of wooden planks and build on top of that. Unsurprisingly, the whole thing has been very slowly sliding into the ocean ever since.
It didn't help that, in the early 1900s, city officials began pumping water out of the bedrock underneath the city for some reason, which is kind of like playing a game of Jenga by taking all the blocks out from the bottom first.
Fuck over the next guy and hope everyone forgets your mistakes.
Politics Jenga.
Because Venice smartly sits right at sea level, it already floods basically every Tuesday. The Acqua Alta is the name the locals give to the regular flooding that turns the morning work commute into a 3-mile breaststroke. The thing is, back in 1900, the Acqua Alta came 10 times a year, while these days it's closer to 100, because the city sank 20 centimeters over that time.
Gwenael Piaser
"If we're quick, we can eat lunch here and blublublublublublub."
And now we have global warming.
As in, the thing that causes the sea levels to rise thanks to melting ice and thermal expansion of ocean water. Scientists say that the combined threat means that Venetians will need to evolve gills by 2100.
As long as they're designer gills.
Holy Shit! What Can We Do?
The Venetian government is making plans to offset the rapidly encroaching Atlantisification of their city, though it sounds more like something Mr. Burns would propose than anything practical. The Moses Project is a plan to surround Venice with a series of gigantic, ridiculously expensive moving barriers that are supposed to hold back the ocean if it starts acting like a mean drunk.
"You guys killed all the whales, and now there's no one to drink with!"
But Italy is under constant pressure to scrap the project with concerns that it simply won't do shit, though nobody has proposed a better solution that doesn't involve retrofitting the entire city with giant inflatable balloons.
"... bit inappropriate, don't you think?"


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Kona Grill Inc. plans to expand its happy hour and menu initiatives, which contributed to strong profit in the second quarter, and has a restaurant remodel program on the horizon, executives said Monday. Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Kona Grill on Monday reported that profit in its second quarter, which ended June 30, rose 126 percent to $1.8 million, or 20 cents a share, compared with $800,000, or 8 cents a share, in the prior-year period. Restaurant sales increased 2 percent to $25 ...
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