text:
After a relatively quiet start to the winter, the New York Cosmos have gone on an acquisition spree. Thursday morning, the team announced further reinforcements with the signing of former Toronto FC striker/midfielder Peri Marosevic and Guatemalan striker Henry Lopez.
Both players were acquired after taking part in the team's first player combine, which attracted some 500 applicants but only featured 200 trialists.
"The quality at the combine was impressive and these players showed very well over the weekend," Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese said. "They are clearly comfortable with the ball at their feet and they each have decent experience for their ages. These two strengthen us up front and give us different options."
Marosevic, 23, is the fifth signing for the Cosmos with experience at the MLS level. The U-20 standout earned a Generation Adidas contract and was picked 5th in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by FC Dallas. From there, the young striker joined the Toronto FC organization, where he made a strong impression, scoring two goals through seven league matches.
The following season, he was offered a chance to return to the team with a new contract deal. Though he treasured his time with the club, he decided to give Europe a try.
It was a decision he would regret taking. After being led towards promises with clubs that fell through (or didn't exist in the first place), the young striker went ten months desperately trying to latch on with a club.
"It was difficult being misguided," Marosevic admitted. Still, after his long journey, he found a home with Croatian second division side NK Junak Sini in October of 2012.
"Some things may not have worked the way I wanted to, some have but today here I am a member of the New York Cosmos and that is very exciting for me.
"I am not going to look into the past. I am a very positive person and look more towards the present moment and moving forward and trying to learn from everything I have been through."
He is joined by 20-year-old Guatemalan striker Henry Lopez, the scorer of the game-winning goal against the U.S. U-20 team that eliminated the United States and booked his country's trip to the 2011 U-20 World Cup. He has also made four appearances with the Guatemalan senior national team.
Both players join a budding stable of players including four former MLS players (Carlos Mendes, Hunter Freeman, Kyle Reynish and Korey Veeder), midfielder Ayoze (formerly of La Liga side Sporting Gijon) and members of the Cosmos' former PDL side (Dane Murphy and Stefan Dimitrov.
The Cosmos are set to return to action for the Fall NASL Championship, opening up at home against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on August 3rd at Hofstra University.
Freddy should join the cosmos… not even kidding… He can make some money, give them more exposure, and hopefully stay on if they become an actual team in a year or two.
He's already making more than most in mls and Philly owns him for 2 more seasons. I agree that it would make sense from a pr standpoint and playing time but only if Philly gets something in return like $$$
Can't see the Cosmos being willing to both pay Adu's full salary and a transfer fee. I doubt they'd even want to pay his salary, actually. He's probably making more than an entire NASL sides. I agree that it would be a good move for both sides, but I think it would have to be a loan deal with Philly kicking in some cash. They're desperate to get rid and have hurt their leverage by publicly stating as much.
This is actually a really good idea. Obviously, Freddy needs to establish himself all over again. If he's willing to toil in the NASL for a couple of years, he could be the marquee player the team would be looking for.
not a bad idea
Jay C
so, are the looking at running the USL table for a couple years? going to wait for their chances on getting an invite to the MLS? or just start another Men's league that folds?
keep up with the news buddy. they are hoping for MLS20 but figured starting in USL will strengthen their chances
But they're not in USL (3rd division). They're in NASL (2nd division).
joining the MLS would mean losing full ownership of the club and having to operate under MLS's strict salary rules. The Cosmos don't want to do that. They will stay in the NASL and build up the league and build their brand.
it's better for the growth of soccer in this country anyway to have a strong D2
DC Josh
I wonder how the recent momentum in Orlando alters the Cosmos efforts to join MLS as the coveted 20th team. MLS could do a double-expansion in the same year, but the Eastern Conference would need tweaking with 2 new clubs.
Pretty exciting for US soccer in general, and the NY City fanatics.
Kansas City really should be in the west anyway
Houston is first in line to move back. As for KC, where they end up probably depends on where the 22nd team is likely to be.
MLS should stop at 20 and start building up the lower divisions after that. MLS could further fund USL and NASL through some sort of partnership.
As a Houston fan, I'm hoping this doesn't happen. The budding SKC-Houston rivalry has really already overshadowed the Texas Derby.
I don't really see any other recourse, though. Moving Toronto would be cruel, and the league may want to nurture the Toronto-Montreal rivalry.
Pingback: Peri Marosevic's winding journey to the New York Cosmos
Lopez is a great signing. I was just wondering last night why I haven't read about any MLS teams going after him.
Seems like two solid signings… some of the Cosmos' previous ones have been pretty ho-hum.
ed - houston
"Booming Cosmos", yeah, ok.
So this team that doesn't actually play any games and instead just blabs about their incredibly overrated history of playing fake soccer with washed up stars in a league that folded signed a couple more rejects.
And pretty hilarious posing for this photo in Manhattan. Wonder how long it takes to get from Spring St. to Hofstra. A lot longer than it takes to get to RBA that's for sure. Clowns.
i don't understand the hate.
isn't the growth of NASL great news for American soccer?
I think most of the hate comes from:
1) Red Bulls fans. They probably aren't thrilled at the rise of another team in the area, especially after all the struggles of the MetroStars, getting Red Bull Arena in NJ after NY put up the usual bureaucratic struggles, and a lot of the flack they get for being sponsored by Red Bull. I'm also guessing that to long-term fans, it seems sort of like the area is abandoning the team for an old legend without giving the current-MLS team a chance.
I think. I'm a RBNY fan, but I'm relatively recent compared to some fans and I've never been to an actual game. Way too far. And the geography issue is in itself is a hard concept for NJ/Manhattan/Brooklyn-based fans to get. If they don't want to go to Hofstra because of the distance, how can they expect to soccer fans from Queens and Nassau to do the same for the Red Bulls, when that stadium is even farther?
2) Franchises in other cities, especially in Orlando. These fans hear talk of the Cosmos and assume, particularly with Garber's NYC-bias, that they'll be the 20th team. Now whether that will be true, I don't know. Like you said, there's plenty of reasons to support a strong D2.
3) People who don't like New York or New York-centric stuff.
4) People who are tired of hearing about the Cosmos and who wish that soccer fans here will let the legend die.
That said, I'd really love to see a strong D2! Why not use the NASL as a way to include 2nd-ary teams from big cities and overlooked smaller cities/regions?
You could have a 20-club league like (I'm including the current ones):
1. Atlanta Silverbacks
2. Carolina Railhawks
3. FC Edmonton
4. Fort Lauderdale Strikers
5. Minnesota Stars
6. New York Cosmos
7. San Antonio Scorpions
8. Tampa Bay Rowdies
9. Puerto Rico Islanders
10. Ottawa
11. Virginia Calvary FC
12. Indianapolis
(enter the hypotheticals!)
13. New Orleans
14. St. Louis
15. Memphis or Nashville
16. Tucson or Phoenix
17. Las Vegas
18. Detroit
19. Baltimore
20. I'm torn between: Austin, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Cincinnati, or Newark in the US; or Calgary or Winnipeg in Canada)
That could be a fun league to watch and maybe it will fill in some of those gaps that MLS doesn't cover.
I don't get the hate as well. Hopefully they can become successful and help build D2. Adu to the Cosmos is as no brainer to me as he would give them their biggest buzz so far. With the partnership of MLS and USLPRo, I think you're building a good foundation for American players. A strong D2 league is part of the missing link.


text:
3:53 : JT: Guimond: you were told that they would help you find info on gov't funding? however they could also open certain doors for you in gov't
3:53 Jill Mahoney: Gillani: That would be something they would do on their own. There is no underhandedness or undue influence. It was based on the fact they knew government.
3:54 : JT: Guimond: you knew that Mr Jaffer had good relationship with Mr Harper?
3:54 Jill Mahoney: Gillani: I knew he was a former caucus member, or head of the caucus. I knew he had a 12-year career as an MP. I wanted an intermediary who understood gov't, who could take an application to the right place and get it accessed.
3:54 : JT Guimond: What did you need to know about gov't maze?
3:55 Jill Mahoney: Gillani: I've lost my wallet and citizenship card. I had to go to the government website and get it back is my example of a gov't maze.
3:55 : JT: Guimond -- after Sept 10 meeting you sent famous "open doors" to PMO email. you said that you were over enthusiastic. at time you believed he could open doors
3:56 Jill Mahoney: Gillani: I've said I was way over enthusiastic. I've said sorry, it was my fault. It was an awful choice of words. I got carried away. He's a former caucus member. The PM is Conservative. I'm taking responsibility for it. THere was no wrongdoing on Mr. Jaffer's part.
3:56 : JT: Guimond: in your email you talked about "repeated commitment on the part of Rahim Jaffer"
3:56 Jill Mahoney: Gillani: Where did I say repeated commitment?
3:57 Jill Mahoney: Gillani: I have the email, I don't remember reading that anywhere. Can someone point it out to me?
3:57 : JT: Guimond: i'll come back to that - when you said overly enthusiastic. ewhat do you mean by that? excited to have someone guide you to PMO??
3:58 Jill Mahoney: Gillani: I said that someone who could work through the government maze. It was my fault on saying opening the PM's office.
3:58 Jill Mahoney: Gillani: I've said I would provide this committee with every single document from the day I met him.
3:58 : JT: Guimond. you signed contract with Jaffer? provide us with documents? concrete things? what did Mr. Jaffer do for you?
3:58 Jill Mahoney: Gillani: I go back to the contract that was signed. They would take contracts to the right gov't body to assess whether they were viable.
3:59 : JT: Jacques gourde -- Tory MP. did you turn to other companies? other than Mr Jaffer's
4:00 Jill Mahoney: Gillani: I can give you some background. My father founded a company, one of the largest underwritings by RBC. I grew up around my father, he taught me a lots about gov't funding. He didn't need an intermediary. I'm familiar with standard programs. But it's not my cup of tea. I don't want to spend my time on the nuts and bolts of how a company works and submit to the gov't. I'd rather find an intermediary. ISI -- his company -- has never applied to the govt' for funding. It's too cumbersome.
4:01 : JT. Gourde -- you said that in course of last five years you didn't go after gov't funding but before that did you use other consultants? deal with Cdn consultants?
4:01 Jill Mahoney: Gillani: I've probably used U.S. consultants. Most companies I dela with are U.S. companies. The majority of my work was in the US up until 2 years ago.
4:01 : JT: gourde-- are you aware of accountability act and sponsorship scandal?
4:02 : JT: marcel Proulx- lib Mp intervenes when gourde asks about lib sponsorship scandal
4:02 Jill Mahoney: Here's a link to a Globe story on documents from Mr. Gillani.
4:03 : JT: gourde -- asks silly queston about supporting the acct act -- after witness says he is not really aware of it
4:04 Jill Mahoney: Gillani: I haven't followed the lobbying act up until about 3 weeks ago. I've heard lots since. To be honest with you, I was completely unaware of the lobbying or accountability acts until this happened.Report Typo/Error

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Benefits of being a DSAP member
DSA membership signifies the highest possible standard of business ethics. It is governed by the World Code of Ethics set by the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations.
DSAP members may have access to global programs, activities and publications. CEOs of direct selling companies that operate in more than 2 markets are qualified to be part of the WFDSA CEO Council.
Member companies are updated with the latest issues and trends through General Membership Meetings, Newsletters, Conferences, and Seminars. DSAPs services also include offerings to meet the specific needs of the member companies, employees and distributors through learning and recognition opportunities, as well as government representation on issues concerning the industry.


text:
Comcast (CMCSA) says it plans to hike capital spending on both its cable TV and entertainment businesses in 2013, after announcing late Tuesday that it had agreed to buy General Electric's (GE) remaining stake in NBC Universal for $16.7 billion.
Philadelphia-based Comcast bought 51% of NBCU from GE in early 2011.
In a conference call with analysts early Wednesday, however, Comcast did not provide EPS or revenue guidance.
Shares of Comcast were up 6% in midday trading on Wednesday, following its earnings call with analysts, pulling back from nearly a 9% gain in after-hours trading Tuesday, after it announced the NBC deal and its Q4 earnings results.
GE shares were up 3% midday Wednesday.
"Investors have been eager to see GE complete the NBCU divestiture, and accelerated buybacks and restructurings will be welcomed news," Citigroup analyst Deane Dray said in a report.
Comcast late Tuesday reported Q4 EPS of 52 cents, excluding a 4-cent favorable tax adjustment, a penny below views, as IBD reported.
Comcast announced a 20% dividend hike in 2013 and a $2 billion stock buyback. Both moves were below most analysts' expectations for shareholder cash returns.
The NBCU deal is expected to close early this year. Comcast also will purchase properties used by NBCU in mid-Manhattan and New Jersey for $1.4 billion.
"We estimate full ownership of NBCU will more than offset higher interest expenses and taxes, resulting in at least 10% accretion to EPS," UBS analyst John Hodulik said in a report.
In 2013, Comcast said it plans to hike spending on the cable TV business by 10%, while NBCU's spending will rise about 25%, mainly on theme parks.
In 2012, capital spending at the cable TV business rose 2.4% to $4.92 billion, while NBCU's capital spending jumped 75% to $763 million.


text:
hi everyone!
for all of you guys who have stuck with me even though i haven't shown up in such a long time, thanks! for everyone new, welcome!
my sincerest apologies for not updating earlier. i have millions of excuses, but it really just boiled down to crappy time management on my part and being swept up into college life.
probably the most relevant issue: chasing fire (peeta's story part 2)
i'm sorry for disappointing, but i will probably not be updating for awhile. i have to reread the series to get acquainted with everything again, and then i also have to rebuy catching fire because my sister lost it haha. no promises on whether or not i will finish it, but i will try my best to at least update it a few times this summer. in the meantime, i suggest you check out some other fan fics- i heard there's some great ones out there!
sorry again guys! love ya x.x
another thing that might be relevant: i love all of you and i wish i could have time to read your books, but as it stands, i barely have time to even write my stories now. i apologize for not getting to read and review your works!
ps if anyone here plays league or dawngate or blizzard games, PM me your in game name! i'd love to play with you ;)
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amandagrace Jun 07, 2014 04:57AM
@Peace_Peach hello! I have just started coming on again, if you need anything, PM me!View all Conversations
Stories by amanda grace
- 10 Published Stories
The Mirror of Erised Fanfiction
Just a series (hopefully) of one-shots about people's encounters with the Mirror of Erised. Sometimes their deepest, darkest desires aren't so surprising, but at other times...? I'm setting this story as "Comp...
To Hell and Back Short Story
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Luciano Perdido has killed and man and now he has to pay. Short story in three parts.
Peeta's Story: Chasing Fire Fanfiction
Peeta's Story Book Two. Katniss, the girl on fire, and Peeta, the boy who would die to save her. Katniss, the girl catching fire, and Peeta, the boy chasing her flames. This is his story.
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ED Magedson – Founder
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surfcitysportscards.netInternet USA
surfcitysportscards.net sports magic cards scammer Internet
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He claimed that the order would arrive within three days which is odd. On the third day he claimed that it should arrive by the 4th or 5th. It never did. He called me and gave me this sob story about people on the internet persecuting him because of some issue with his payment processor. I told him that other people were reporting him as a scam and he tried to reassure me that Surf City Sports Cards is a real business. He talked on and on for 45 minutes. I requested a tracking number from him 3 times. He finally sent one that was FAKE. I confirmed it was fake with UPS. Nedless to say by the 10th day after placing my order I requested a refund. He immediatley said he would refund my money, but it would take 5-7 business days. Who the h**l refunds the buyers money if the order is actually still on its way? Nobody.
It's been 8 business days and still no refund. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SITE NO MATTER HOW TEMPTING! The prices for some things are too good and there's a reason why!
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 06/19/2013 10:13 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/surfcitysportscardsnet/internet/surfcitysportscardsnet-sports-magic-cards-scammer-internet-1060359. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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Fair Game isn't your typical board game store. No Monopoly, no
Trivial Pursuit. Instead, it looks for novelty ways to bring
families together for game night. We asked owner Josh Stein for the
five best games you've never played:
If your kid's stuck in the poop stage, where just the mention of
the word sends him into uncontrollable spasms of giggles, the
first-ever Poo tournament is the place to be.
Fair Game, a new board game store in Downers Grove, is hosting
the tournament, built around a popular card game that celebrates
everything to do with that giggle-inducing bodily function.
In the game, players take on the role of a monkey whose sole
goal is to throw as much "poo" on the other monkeys and be the
cleanest one left at the end of the game. But don't worry, parents,
there's no actual poop being thrown around-everything is on the
The game is easy to learn in just minutes and a round lasts
about 15 minutes-short enough for even younger kids to play.
Getting families together to play board games is what Fair Game
is all about, says owner Josh Stein. The newly opened store
features what he calls "hobby games," ones not found at big-name
retailers. So you won't see Monopoly here, but you will find the
German game Der Schwarze Pirat ("The Black Pirate" in English), in
which players squeeze a little hand-held device to blow their ships
around the board.
"We have a kids' game section for kids age 3 and up. We also
have group games for parties," says Stein. "And we have
role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons and heavy-duty war
games that can go on for hours."
The store also has a library of about 80 games visitors can
check out and play before purchasing. "I encourage people, if you
come in here and see an open table, to sit down and start playing,"
Stein says. Or visit during scheduled tournaments or open play
nights on Fridays for a chance to play a wide variety of board
"It's about connecting with friends and the family," Stein says.
"The game is an excuse to sit at the table and talk."
Fair Game is located at 5150 Main St., Suite C, Downers
Grove, IL 60515. (630) 963-0640. Online at fairgamestore.com. The Poo tournament will take
place Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. and costs $1 per person.
Liz DeCarlo is the former senior editor at Chicago Parent.
See more of Liz's stories here.
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text:
The Road Beyond St. Peter's - Robert
A pyre of mystical fire . . . an angel materializing from out of the crowd . . . her soft hand taking his and leading him into the night . . . guiding his exhausted, battered body through the streets . . . leading him here . . . to this suite . . . propping him half-sleeping in a scalding hot shower . . . leading him to this bed . . . and watching over him as he fell asleep like the dead. – From Angels and Demons, Dan Brown
Robert Langdon couldn't tear his eyes away. The sight was horrific. The Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca, apparently, although it was difficult to tell exactly what happened, had just somehow set himself on fire. Robert had no idea what fuel he used, as the conflagration was obviously incendiary, where he got it, or why he did it. All he knew was that the bright light from the flame was now searing his eyes, the image burning into his mind. For a brief moment, Robert actually wondered if the flames were holy - from God - not of this earth. But then, the memories of the entire evening washed over him anew.
No, not holy. Not holy in the least. How ironic that this completely unholy man was now burning in what the rest of this crowd thought was a pillar of fire from God. Robert searched the crowd momentarily. Let them think it. Let them have it. They know nothing of Carlo Ventresca's murderous, hateful, vengeful deeds this night. Mortati's right, let them have their God. Let them think this man is a saint. I don't care any more.
If it had been earlier that evening, Robert would have dashed inside the Basilica and made some heroic attempt to save the Camerlengo, or to show the world that the holy fire burning now before them was purely false. But his job, his work, however unwanted it was, was now over. He was finished. Robert Langdon failed in part of it, succeeded in another. He knew that the Preferitti, the four Cardinals in line for the Papacy, were all dead. Robert couldn't escape a feeling of guilt knowing that he could have stopped each and every one of those deaths – but he didn't. Each time, he was too late, or too incompetent to prevent the Hassassin from carrying out his murderous tasks. He also knew that his success – bringing Ventresca's treachery to light – would go untold to the Catholic world, and would likely remain a secret forever.
As the illumination from the pillar of fire died out, all that was left to remind Robert of Ventresca's presence was a trail of gray smoke, whisping in curling waves over St. Peter's, and the beginnings of a horrible, acrid smell that Robert had experienced only hours before – that of roasting human skin, bone, and muscle. Surprisingly, the odor did not offend Robert in the least.
Let him burn, let the God damn traitor burn. Ventresca was a sick man, Robert thought, and he deserved much worse than to die at his own hands. Coward.
Robert didn't know what to feel. In fact, as he surveyed his body and his emotions, he realized that he was completely and utterly numb. His eyes were cast heavenward, toward and beyond the Basilica's balustrade, and he couldn't tear them away. He imagined that, if no one had bothered him, he could stand there forever – wondering what could have been, or what he could have done differently. He had not even noticed Vittoria Vetra at his side. He was an island unto himself - exhausted, weary, worn, and utterly emotionless. There was nothing left to do, nothing left to feel – other than possibly relief – relief that this whole surreal fiasco was finally over, and of course, that Vittoria was whole, healthy, and untouched by the Hassassin.
As the images of the unconscious Vittoria brutally tied to the divan re-entered his mind, it made him shiver slightly. He blinked fiercely, holding back emotionless tears. At that very moment, he felt a soft hand take his and pull him slightly westward. He didn't look down yet, wondering in his stupor if, perhaps, an angel had come to rescue him.
If I look at her, will her light burn me like Ventresca?
Robert Langdon didn't believe in angels, but in his present state, and recalling the things he saw that night, he would have believed anything. He thought he heard the angel's voice, heard her ask him if he was okay, but he was too numb to respond. She spoke again, her voice musical and sweet, like a Mozart concerto.
"Robert, let's go. We need to leave, now."
With more gentle pressure on his hand, the angel pulled him in a direction away from St. Peter's Square. Robert didn't argue.
What use is there in arguing with an angel?
In fact, Robert was glad for the distraction – something to finally pull him away from the horrific vision now ingrained in his mind – something to bring him back to life, restore feeling to his battered body. He followed the angel willingly, dutifully, knowing well that she was going to lead him to salvation – salvation in the form, hopefully, of a shower, some food, and a soft bed.
Robert had no idea where she was taking him, where they were going, or how long it would take to get there. Images and emotions now overtook the numbness, the bliss. Robert fought it. He didn't want to know, he didn't want to remember, he didn't want to feel, but there it was – all coming back to him. Among all of the deeds of that night, surprisingly, Robert's first thought was of the…
"Diagramma," Robert heard himself mumble.
"What was that? What did you say?"
"Diagramma." The voice Robert heard was not his own baritone. It was hoarse and chalky, the words catching dry in his mouth. The Diagramma. He had destroyed it. The only copy of Galileo's major work left in the entire world - in the entire universe - was now gone – disintegrated into shards of wet tissue. The kicker was, it was completely and utterly Robert Langdon's doing.
"What about Diagramma, Robert?"
Robert snapped to attention suddenly, Vittoria's voice bringing him out of his reverie. It was now that Robert was able to look down at the woman beside him and realize, she was not an angel from God, she was Vittoria, an angel unto herself. Despite this, he could not stop thinking of the archival sacrilege he had performed. The guilt weighed heavily on him.
"Got wet. Gone. I ruined it. Last copy, gone. Dissolved."
"That's the least of our worries, now isn't it?"
Robert thought for a moment. She's right. Diagramma is lost forever, I can do nothing about that. But the Cardinals, the Preferitti, the Hassassin, the brands, Ventresca, the Pope…the tape. That damn tape. Carlo Ventresca's confession. That, Robert knew, that he could do something about – the question was, what would he do about it? More importantly, what would Vittoria - who had an obvious vendetta against Ventresca – what would she do about it?
"What do we do about the tape?" Robert slurred, "About Ventresca's confession?" He had to know if Vittoria still intended somehow to tell the world about Ventresca's treachery.
"Let's not talk about that right now, Robert," Vittoria chided as she led Robert through a set of unfamiliar, heavy oak doors. "We can…"
"No, now." Gaining a modicum of energy, Robert stopped abruptly just inside the lobby and pulled Vittoria back toward him. He had to know. "What do we do?"
"What do you want to do, Robert?" Robert saw a hint of impatience in her eyes – a look he had seen frequently in the twelve hours he had known her. "I think Cardinal Mortati made it clear that he wanted to be the one to break the news to the world about Ventresca's…Ventresca's…ooh, I can't even say it, but I don't think it's our - yours or my - place to go blabbing to the press about…"
Relieved, Robert pulled his mouth into a weak smile, but he couldn't force his eyes to mirror it. "I hoped that was what you'd say."
Robert's right hand felt empty and cold without Vittoria's attached to it. He sought it out and clasped her tightly, again letting angel Vittoria lead him. Robert looked around, taking in his surroundings. The building was expansive, and Robert figured that they were in a large lobby in a rather posh Italian hotel. Robert's tired brain would not allow him to soak up any more information, would not allow him to, as he would normally do, appreciate the architecture or decoration. His brain, the limbic system taking over, merely wanted to know where he was and how close was he to a bed. He let Vittoria lead him to what appeared to be the hotel's front desk. After ensuring that Robert was solidly slumped against the wood and marble desk, Vittoria let go of his hand, and leaned over the counter.
She spoke something in Italian, and then called out, "Hello?"
A very dapper young man appeared from behind a partition wall, and said something back to Vittoria, again in Italian that Robert did not. He looked around, trying to focus the conversation out. He was drawn back again when the man addressed him directly.
"Dio mio, Signore! You are the…you are the man from the television…in the elicottero…Il Camerlengo…"
Elicottero…helicopter? Great, just great. Just what I want out of this whole thing - notoriety. I don't want fame, I just want to get this crap out of my hair, get out of this damnable itchy jumpsuit, and get into a bed.
Robert sighed, blowing a breath deliberately through his pursed lips, and sank his head into his chest. Robert lifted his face, licked his lips and smiled weakly. "Yes, signore, I am, and I'm exhausted. I need a shower. I need a bed, and I need those things right now, please, so the sooner you can give Ms. Vetra here a key to a huge, luxurious suite, the sooner I'll be a happy man."
The man behind the counter contemplated for a moment. "Si, signore," he said, smiling genuinely this time. "I have just the room for you two." He swiped a card through a reader, placed it in an envelope, and pushed it across the counter toward Vittoria. "Room 443, Signorina Vetra, Signore Langdon."
Robert watched as Vittoria rummaged through her pockets, trying desperately to remember which zippered compartment contained her credit cards. She pulled out a silver and blue Visa card with the CERN logo imprinted on it, and pushed it in the opposite direction toward the attendant. "Here, put everything on this card. Just take it. I'll pick it up tomorrow morning."
The attendant smiled again, placed two fingers on the credit card and slid it back toward Vittoria. "Your card is no good here, Signorina Vetra."
"Excuse me?" She blinked impatiently, her chin jutting forward with increasing annoyance. Robert again recognized this attitude, and it wasn't good. Vittoria would explode at any moment. "That card is perfectly good! It has a limit of over…"
He tilted his head and his eyes twinkled. "I do not question your credit limit, Signorina Vetra, and I do not question the validity of your credit card."
Vittoria let out a breath and rolled her eyes. Here it comes… "Then what, pray tell, is the problem?"
The man raised his hands in a gesture of submission. "There is no problem. None whatsoever. The room, and dinner this evening, Signorina Vetra, are gratis," he looked at Robert, "on the house, as you Americans say. Whatever you wish, we will provide. Now, the elevator is behind this counter to the left. Take it to the fourth floor, and turn right. Your room is on the left side. Enjoy your stay, and sleep well."
Robert was flabbergasted. The room, from the looks of the lobby, was probably a 700 a night job. Before he could say anything, Vittoria cut in. "Grazie, signore. Grazie."
Robert felt Vittoria's hand fill his once again, and she pulled him toward the elevators. She suddenly stopped and Robert nearly ran into her. She addressed the attendant again, handing him her credit card. "Oh, one more thing."
"Si, signorina?"
"You have a concierge, correct?"
"Please ask him to purchase some clothing and sundries for myself and Mr. Langdon. I can't quite wear these shorts and tank anymore, and Mr. Langdon certainly cannot travel back to the States wearing a medical jumpsuit. I wear an American size four, and Mr. Langdon looks to be your size exactly."
Brilliant, brilliant woman, that Vittoria Vetra. Brilliant.
"Sara un paciere, Signorina. I will personally ensure it is done. They will be delivered to your room later this evening – after you two have had time to rest." He picked up the card and placed it into a small file folder under the desk. "Should you need anything else, just call. My name is Ettore, and I am the hotel manager."
Robert Langdon generally hated elevators, especially the smaller, European ones, where he could feel every bump, every movement as the carriage was pulled up the shaft. This time, the ride didn't phase him. He was too sleepy to care.
I should be this tired more often. It may cure me of my claustrophobia.
Moments later, Robert heard a tinny "ding," and felt Vittoria wrap herself under his left arm. She supported his failing weight and ushered him out of the elevator, down a thin hallway, and to an ornate, white and gold door. Robert watched as she deftly slid the keycard into the lock, the door opening with a slight "whoosh." Just as the lobby downstairs, Robert knew, upon seeing the entryway, that if he was in his right mind, he would have had a field day with the luxury and décor of the room. But now, there were more important things to tend to.
Robert followed as Vittoria guided him in a sharp right turn, and sat him unceremoniously onto a closed toilet seat. It was cold, and he could feel the chill through the cotton jumpsuit. "Okay, Langdon, get your bulky body off me. Time for a clean-up, you smell like…like I don't know, but it's horrible."
"Silt… from the Tiber," Robert garbled. He was growing annoyed at his inability to make his mouth do what his brain wanted.
"You fell in the river?"
Robert felt his eyes involuntarily flicker open and closed, and his head bobbled as he waxed and waned into consciousness. "Uh-huh."
"How did you get out?"
How did I get out? He strained with the memory for a moment. Island. Hospital. Wet. White coats. Doctors. "Fell…by…hospital…pulled…me out."
"You are one lucky bastard, you know that?"
Lucky? "Tell…me…'bout…it." He curled the right side of his mouth in an exhausted grin, and chuckled slightly. "Don't…feel…lucky."
"You don't smell lucky, either, let's get you in the shower."
Robert heard a distinct "shussh" as Vittoria was apparently opening the shower door. He then heard a squeak and a "whoosh" as she turned on the water. Within seconds, steam began filling the bathroom. Robert breathed it in. The steam itself was soothing, as in a sauna.
"Do you have anything on under that jumpsuit?"
Do I? "No."
"Can you stand up?"
I'd damn well better be able to stand up…
Robert pushed off from the now slick seat and stood, feeling his legs wobble slightly. Before Robert could react, Vittoria's fingers started working on the button at the collar of his jumpsuit. Robert looked down as she grasped the large pull and began undoing the zipper, moving it down to where it stopped just below Robert's mid-section.
My God, she's stripping me naked, Robert thought, but am I going to stop her? No way.
He felt the scratchy fabric of the jumpsuit as she pushed it off of his shoulders. The chilled air hit his skin, and sent a slight shiver through him. Vittoria twisted his shoulders, turning him around, away from her.
This one has decency. But do I want decency? Either that, or she's just… "You…shy?" Robert felt a single chuckle bubble up and escape his slack lips
"No, just respectful," she laughed. Vittoria continued to remove the garment, pulling it down off of his arms. Despite his fatigue, her touch on his now bared skin sent waves of…Robert didn't know what…desire, possibly…through his battered body. Something inside him desperately wanted her to continue downward, to keep removing the garment…
"You want to do the rest?" He felt Vittoria back away slightly.
He took a cleansing breath in through his nose. "Yes, please." He was vaguely aware that Vittoria had turned her back to him, and he clumsily removed the rest of the jumpsuit, nearly slipping on the wet terrazzo floor. Once he was completely bare, the shower looked even more inviting. Without even a word to Vittoria, he grasped onto the edge of the shower door, and stepped into the marble bathtub, groaning as the scalding hot water hit his chest and trickled down his abdomen and legs.
The feeling of the water on his body was intense. Pure heat. He felt each and every one of his tensed muscles giving in to relaxation. He swayed rather drunkenly in the center of the bathtub, and contemplated for a moment leaning against a wall. The shower was so immense, however, that if he did so, he would have sacrificed the cascade of water against his skin.
Thankfully, and like the angel she was, Vittoria entered the shower behind Robert. He didn't look at her, but heard the sound of her feet hitting the pooled up water, felt her presence behind him, and then felt as she laid her hands gently on his upper back. Now, more than before, her mere touch made him feel incredibly relaxed. She was there. She was there with him. She was there for him. Robert thought for a moment that he could stand in this hot shower with her forever.
After a moment, Robert felt Vittoria reach over his shoulder. She moved her arm rhythmically as she pumped some kind of soap from a wall dispenser into her hand. Next, Robert felt a paroxysm of pleasure as she began working her hands through his mud-encrusted hair. His legs gave way from underneath him, and he, quite involuntarily, sank to the floor of the bathtub. He felt her kneel behind him, her hands still enmeshed in his hair. Robert didn't know how long she worked on his head, and was barely aware when she used the hand-held shower head to rinse the soapy stuff out. All he knew was that he didn't want her to stop – didn't want her to stop touching him. It was if she was washing away all of the fear, all of the hatred, adrenaline, horror, terror, and outrage of that night. The sensation of her fingers on his scalp, mixed with the hot water dripping down his face and neck, was pure bliss, and he never wanted it to end.
But it did end – Vittoria summarily stopped both the massage and the shower. "There. Finished. Clean as a whistle."
Oh, come on, now, that's not fair…not fair at all.
"Do you have to stop?"
Vittoria laughed, and Robert felt a slight chill as she stepped out of the bathtub. "The mud's all gone - down the drain."
"Yeah," Robert groaned, tilting his wet head to one side, "but do you have to stop?"
Maybe? Maybe she'll come back?
"Yes, I do," Vittoria chided, her tone of voice strangely suggestive, "however, Signore Langdon, we can pick it up later, after at least eight hours' sleep. Of course, only if you want to."
Yes. "I'd…I'd…like that."
After he exited the shower, he was barely aware of Vittoria scrubbing his hair dry, barely aware of Vittoria leaving the bathroom, barely aware of him toweling off his own body, and slipping into a bathrobe. He pulled at the handle of the bathroom door, and emerged into the bedroom of the suite. His goal, his number one desire at that moment lay before him in a cover of stark white goose down comforters, Egyptian cotton sheets, and fluffy pillows. The thing he most wanted in the world was waiting for him.
No, it was not Vittoria. That would have to come later. It was the bed. The tall, four-poster, queen-sized bed that lay before him. He was desperate for sleep. He smiled as he saw Vittoria pull up the covers for him. He padded around her, sank onto the bed, and pulled his legs up under the covers in one swift move. He felt like he could fall asleep immediately, but there was a slight interruption.
"You shouldn't sleep in that," Vittoria pointed to Robert's bathrobe, "it's too thick, the knot will drive you nuts and you'll get overheated."
Yeah, whatever she says. Take off the robe, okay.
Without a word, Robert reached his hands down and tugged at the loosely tied sash. He dropped the robe to the floor, satisfied with the "thud" noise it made. He then felt Vittoria lay the covers gently over him and tuck them under his torso. He could feel her wet hair trail over his shoulder. The softness of the sheets against his freshly-cleaned bare skin, combined with Vittoria's warmth, was comforting – perhaps one of the most comforting things he had felt in a long time.
He wondered, for a moment, if his bed would bounce as Vittoria climbed in next to him. The wonder became a wish. Despite his exhaustion, he, for some reason, craved the feeling of her next to him. He had only known her for twelve hours, yet, he, his body, his very soul, somehow needed her. When the characteristic bounce didn't come, he opened his eyes slightly, and saw Vittoria perched on the end of the bed opposite his. She was still in her bathrobe, and she was systematically pulling her hands through her hair, trying to loosen a number of tangles. He closed his eyes again, wholly unable to keep them open, wholly unable to stay awake.
Tomorrow, maybe. After some rest. After…some…
As Robert Langdon allowed his body to succumb to slumber, he felt the unmistakable sensation of a pair of eyes on him. She, Vittoria, was watching over him, watching him fall asleep, ensuring to his safety and comfort – just like a guardian angel does her charge.
He fell into peaceful sleep with the image of the angel in his mind – the image of Vittoria Vetra tending to and caring for him.
Angel. Vittoria is an angel…


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First, and probably the most serious in the long term, is the government's insistence on going ahead with its draconian reforms of civil legal aid, unashamedly aimed at controlling expenditure. There are many complex aspects to the changes envisaged, but they will be based on solicitors' firms competing for the right to do legal aid work; there is a current transitional stage during which they are being paid fixed fees, which, firms complain, are totally inadequate. The outcome of the tightening of the legal aid purse - which is already becoming evident and is likely to worsen - is that fewer and fewer solicitors will be able to afford to carry on offering legal aid, including a disproportionately high number of firms catering for ethnic minorities, and more and more people with legal problems but modest incomes will be unable to get the professional help they badly need.
Then there is the Hips fiasco. The original idea, which has been around for decades, was to improve and shorten the legal procedure involved in buying property, and prevent gazumping. There would be a "seller's pack", like a motor vehicle log book, which contains essential information about the car and its owner, and is complemented by an MoT certificate for older vehicles, testifying that it is in good nick. But houses are not cars. The system of compulsory home information packs (Hips), planned to come into effect on June 1, has attracted near unanimous condemnation - most recently, last week, by a House of Lords committee - on several grounds. The seller will have to pay at least £600 for a Hip, and yet it will not contain enough information about the state of the property to satisfy most buyers, who will still need to pay for more detailed surveys. That immediately removes one of the advantages claimed for Hips - that they will lead to greater efficiency and fewer delays in the house-buying process. There are also not enough inspectors trained and entitled to issue Hips, which will mean long delays and a destabilised housing market.
Criticism of the third arm of the troubled trio is based not on the principle behind the reform but on the way it is being carried out. The creation of a Ministry of Justice is long overdue and, in theory, is to be welcomed. But it is being done in an unnecessary hurry, with insufficient time to have thought properly about its practical, administrative, legal and constitutional consequences.
The new department, part of outgoing home secretary John Reid's plan to streamline the Home Office by getting rid of its control of prisons and probation, was announced less than six weeks ago. It is to open for business on Wednesday. That is a ridiculously short time in which to implement such a major transfer of responsibilities and employees. Important issues are still unresolved, not least the protection of the independence of the judiciary, the threat that the ever-rising financial demands of prisons will lead to courts and the judiciary being deprived of funding, and the unclear boundaries between the new department and the Home Office on matters to do with the law on terrorism.


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Posted by Jeffrey Brewer
Asked me of goal, connections in case against rude doctors, but would like to consult with him more about on assault on me 2 years, 4.75 months ago from which I have a bad injury, as well as help for 2 under 18 years of age witnesses who even tried to intervene in fight and who I know have trauma from it. Talking to Paul was discouraging and I thought lawyers could do more. Talking to him was challenging and stressful while he was cordial and talkative more than other lawyers.
Thank you.
Posted by anonymous
We have never been involved in a lawsuit. We absolutely had no idea what to expect when hiring an attorney for our toddler's medical malpractice case. When our son was seriously injured sustaining from negligent surgeries performed by a surgeon who allegedly concocted lies about our son's medical records to substantiate for unnecessary surgeries and excessive billing, we cautiously browsed the web and then the Arizona State Bar for information. We interviewed several so-called "personal injury specialists" from renown law firms but none was interested in taking our son's case. All suggested we should find a different lawyer before the statue of limitations runs out, hinting not because our son's case was complex; it simply was frivolous that there was no merit to it. One law firm actually had us waited over 2 months then figuratively told us to go pound sand since their paralegal nurses found no merit to the case. Paul Friedman, JD, PhD with an additional degree in ethics was quite different. He saw our son's case thru different lenses. He patiently listened to our side of the story. He took time review our son's 2000 plus-page medical records and our photographic documents. When Paul finally agreed to consider our son's case we felt much relieved. It actually was leaps and bounds for us. From the get go Paul was professional and accessible. He remained so throughout. He took his time to educate and inform us what transpired in the case. No phone calls went unanswered. No emails were un-replied. Paul was very knowledgeable and had the resources to make the right connections to successfully fight against one the renown pioneers who originally wrote the malpractice laws in Arizona. Paul hired the best expert witnesses. He's well versed and could easily navigate the legal landscape with his savant legal mind. After a lengthy legal course Paul successfully resolved our son's case. He even generously reduced 20% of his fees. We were astounded at Paul's service and generosity. They far exceeded our expectations. We owe a deep gratitude to his involvement and his staff, Ms. Anita who never once made us feel insignificant. All and all we highly recommend Paul. We wholeheartedly believe you are in good hands if Paul agrees to take your case.
Posted by anonymous
I was uncertain if I required a lawyer or even if I should pursuit legal action in my workplace. I have known Dr. Friedman for many years however never in a client-attorney relationship. I asked him for input mainly because I respect him and trust him. I do not normally like lawyers. Dr. Friedman was very patient and listened to me which was at the time what I needed the most. He validated my concerns and at the same time gave me knowledgeable and practical advice on how to achieve the best results without litigation. I felt at ease that he made my claim resonate louder than if I would have done this on my own. And he helped me achieve the best results in the least amount of time and without me emotionally investing my sanity. And I know, that I can count on him representing me should the need arise. I feel very priviledge to have him as my lawyer.
Posted by Scott
I have retained Paul Friedman twice in two separate professional breach of contract actions. Dr. Friedman was conservative with his billing practices and the results were better than expected which was much appreciated and the reason I will continue to utilize his services if needed. He was very responsive to my questions or comments and handled my cases with diligence and respect.
Posted by Marsia
Dr. Friedman helped me on a healthcare matter. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable but he was also very caring and empathetic to my needs. I have also been involved with Dr. Friedman's teaching and he is a dynamic and entertaining facilitator. I would highly recommend Dr. Friedman in the healthcare field.
Posted by Kate
Dr. Friedman was interviewed, initially, because of the impression he made on a trusted advisor. Following a meeting in which Dr. Friedman exuded strong personal integrity, professional decorum, and commanding-intelligence, a search was conducted on his academic and career-defining pursuits. At the time, Dr. Friedman was both teaching and studying Ethics. This discipline, which Dr. Friedman appeared to engage in with rigor, was the over-arching reason for the trust I subsequently placed in him. He has since delivered a mounting case to affirm my respect for his legal acumen and above-board professional practices. He carries out his responsibilities with admirable aplomb and applies himself-- in my observation-- constructively, methodically, and deliberately in assuring the protection of his legal charges. Dr. Friedman spurs my enthusiastic recommendation for the full measure of his talent and perspicacity as it relates to the ethical and propitiously-demanding practice of law.
Posted by anonymous
Dr. Friedman handled my case in an ethical and professional manner. He was friendly and cared about my case. I am glad he was on my side and was a strong advocate. I would highly recommend him.
Posted by anonymous
Paul Friedman tried a case on behal of my sister and myself regarding the medical malpractice which caused our father's wrongful death. He was diligent in his preparation and was a strong advocate at trial. We had a nice result in the case and are most appreciative of all of his hard work.
Posted by anonymous
I used Dr. Friedman for a health insurance issue. He was expedient and resonsive to my questions. He handled the case professionally and we resolved the situation to my satisfaction with minimal expenses.


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T. R. Uthco and Ant Farm - The Eternal Frame
- Part of...Nothing Special
- Gallery 2
The Eternal Frame is an examination of the role that the media plays in the creation of (post) modern historical myths. For T.R. Uthco and Ant Farm, the event that signified the ultimate collusion of historical spectacle and media image was the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. The work begins with an excerpt from the Super-8 footage of the assassination shot by Abraham Zapruder, a bystander on the parade route.
Using those infamous few frames of film as their starting point, T.R. Uthco and Ant Farm
construct a multi-levelled event that is a live performance spectacle, a taped re-enactment of the assassination, a mock documentary, and, perhaps most insidiously, a simulation of the Zapruder film itself.
Performed in Dealey Plaza in Dallas, the site of the assassination, the re-enactment elicits bizarre responses from the spectators, who react to the simulation as though it were the original event.
1975, duration 23'50", courtesy the artists and Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI) New York
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An up-to-date look at free software and its makers
In this month's Projects on the Move, we observe the battle between man and (chess) machine and check out the free Colonization clone. Also in this issue, tools for Linux users who find themselves facing the Windows prompt.
It is hard to recall a game of chess that has seen as much publicity as did the game between world chess champion Wladimir Borissowitsch Kramnik and the computer Deep Fritz, a multiple CPU machine running the Fritz chess program. Although this world champion software is a commercial Windows program, players who need something less challenging than Kramnik may appreciate free chess engines such as GNU Chess or Crafty.
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Red Hat Announces OpenShift.io
Red Hat takes its IDE online.
Microsoft Bakes Linux into Windows Server
Microsoft is slowly becoming a Linux vendor.
Fearless Coyote, Linux Kernel 4.11 is Out
The new kernel makes swap implementation more scalable, which will help cloud providers.
Docker Appoints Steve Singh CEO
The new CEO comes from a very strong SaaS background.
Docker Announces Linux Kit and Moby Project
Both projects help organizations build their own containerized systems.
Ubuntu Returns to Gnome as Its Mobile Plans Shatter
Mark Shuttleworth has resumed the position of CEO of Canonical.
Microsoft is Shutting Down CodePlex
Microsoft's open source code hosting platform CodePlex will come to an end after a more than 10-year stint.
Fedora 26 Alpha Released
Comes with Gnome 3.24
Old Linux Kernel Bug Discovered
The bug was introduced back in 2009 and has been lurking around all this time.
OpenSSH 7.5 Released
The new release deprecates the sshd_config UsePrivilegeSeparation option.


text:
Obama Praises Teachers and Calls for Mandatory Attendance
Should students be required to remain in school until age 18? That was the one concrete proposal for K-12 students in President Obama's State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.
The president, who focused his speech on "leveling the playing field" when it comes to taxes and economic policy, also had high praise for teachers and expressed his support for local authority in public education.
In fact, the president seemed to go out of his way to acknowledge the role of teachers, citing their influence in students' lives and the climate in the country that often fails to acknowledge that. He said:
Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let's offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones.
Of course, that also means the establishment of teacher evaluation systems, one of the tenets of his administration under the education secretary, Arne Duncan. And as New York is finding out, that's a goal that is easy to articulate and tough to negotiate.
The president also called for an end to teaching to the test -- something that teachers' unions say is the inevitable result of teacher evaluation systems that place a heavy emphasis on students' improvement on standardized tests.
And in return, grant schools flexibility: to teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren't helping kids learn. That's a bargain worth making.
But the president's defense of teachers, like much of the rest of the speech, had clear political goals, and was both a response to the anti-teacher rhetoric and policies in many states, and an attempt to elicit the support and get-out-the-vote efforts of labor unions -- particularly the teachers' unions -- when he seeks re-election this year.
The president's biggest education initiatives in the speech were in the area of higher education and affordability. As for his call on states to mandate school attendance until age 18, commentators were already saying after the speech that it is D.I.T.W. -- dead in the water.
You can watch and read the entire speech, and see the fact checking by New York Times reporters, in a neat interactive video transcript on nytimes.com.
Also in the news on Wednesday: Eva Moskowitz is on the move, The Daily News reports.
Ms. Moskowitz, a former city councilwoman who heads the Success Academy charter schools, may open six more schools in 2013, and The News says that two of them may be slated for the Upper East Side, in District 2.
Ms. Moskowitz is now opening two more schools in Brooklyn, one in middle-class Cobble Hill.
Some critics say this shift is an effort by Moskowitz to shore up political support for charter schools among middle class families.
But Moskowitz says she is focused on providing more options to neighborhoods around the city, noting District 2 serves a mix of students, since 60% are poor enough to qualify for free and reduced school lunch.
"When you have a zoned school, you are really drawing a very small line around a school. Charter schools are not that way. When you serve the district, it's way more diverse," she said.
Also in The News, Juan Gonzalez reports in his column on a new audit by the city comptroller, John C. Liu, which found that children who are entitled to special education services are not getting them.
Speech, occupational and physical therapy, vision and hearing services were not made available to 72,306 of 285,736 students referred for such help, Liu found in his review of an $839-million program also known as Direct Student Services.
The audit found, he says, that:
Pre-schoolers were especially shut out. Only 34% of the city's 43,000 pre-schoolers received the help they were entitled to, and those in the poorest school districts were the most neglected.
Has your child in the New York City public school system received the special education services to which he or she is entitled? You can respond in the query below.
The Local news blog in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, Brooklyn -- a collaboration of The New York Times and the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism -- has an interview on Wednesday with the new superintendent of District 13, Barbara Freeman.
In the interview, conducted by Nancy Bruni, who is active in education in Brooklyn, Ms. Freeman throws her support behind a plan by Public School 287 Bailey K. Ashford to expand into a middle school, "part of an effort to boost middle schools across Fort Greene and Clinton Hill."
Ms. Freeman comes to the district with a solid reputation, Ms. Bruni reports:
Ms. Freeman is best known for her leadership of P.S./M.S. 161 in Harlem, which was on a state closure list when she took over in 1999. Within a year, the city proposed to shut it down in favor of an Edison charter school, but parents fought off the takeover — and Ms. Freeman subsequently led the school to higher test scores and attendance rates, while also increasing accountability.
On this Wednesday, Maria Newman, the community editor for SchoolBook, will be following along as Vasiliy Bogin, the director of a school in Russia, visits two of the city's public schools attended by two of his former students.
Mr. Boglin is the head of The New Humanitarian School in Moscow, which some Times readers will remember as the private school attended by the children of Clifford Levy, who was then The New York Times Moscow bureau chief. Mr. Levy wrote in the Times Magazine in September about his and his wife's decision to send their children to a Russian school where all instruction was in the native language, rather than to an international school where English would be the dominant language and most of their classmates would be foreigners like them.
Mr. Bogin founded his progressive, experimental school shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. He has come to New York to visit schools to see how they differ from, and how they are like, his school. Like many of his counterparts at New York City schools, Mr. Bogin emphasizes critical thinking. He also spends a lot of time evaluating teachers and their methods, at a time when teacher evaluations are a contentious topic in American schools.
He will be visiting P.S. 321 William Penn in Park Slope, and Bard High School Early College.
Hearings and demonstrations on school closings and revampings continue on Wednesday. A closing hearing will be held at P.S. 14 Cornelius Vanderbilt on Staten Island at 6 p.m.
Also at 6 p.m., parents, teachers, students and community members are being asked to gather at Herbert H. Lehman High School to discuss the city's plan to close the school, fire as many as half the staff members, give the school a new name and reopen it. It is one of 33 city schools facing that fate.
The Learning Network is calling for student reactions to the State of the Union and the rebuttal by Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican of Indiana.


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Originally posted on Fox Sports Detroit | Last updated 6/11/13
Max Scherzer has always had incredible talent, but now he's using it to achieve things even Justin Verlander hasn't accomplished. By holding the Kansas City Royals to two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out six in seven innings, Scherzer led the Detroit Tigers to a 3-2 victory and snapped the Royals' six-game winning streak. Both of Scherzer's walks came in the first inning, prompting a visit from pitching coach Jeff Jones. "I think he was not really smooth real early and then Jonesy got to him, talked to him, reminded him of a couple things and Max has done very good at making adjustments on the fly," Tigers manager Jim Leyland told FOX Sports Detroit's Trevor Thompson. "That's one of the things he's really improved at and he went on to pitch a great game." Scherzer improved to 9-0, the longest winning streak by a Tigers pitcher to open the season since Vern Kennedy in 1938. George Uhle also accomplished that in 1929. Scherzer did not win his ninth game until July 19 last season. Although Scherzer had some family members in town that witnessed his entry into the Tigers' record books, Scherzer himself wasn't quite jumping up and down about it. "Don't get me wrong, I love being 9-0 but it's more important that we won," Scherzer said. "For me, it's all about going out there and pitching deep in the game and being effective. If we scored in the ninth, I don't get the win. So it's kind of fluky how sometimes that stat can relate to pitching, so for me, the way I look at success is how well I pitch." Scherzer has pitched very well all season. He has gone seven or eight innings in eight of his last nine starts and has allowed just 28 hits in 59 innings. For a while it seemed as though Scherzer might suffer the same fate that Doug Fister has had in his last several starts -- pitch well enough to win but lose. It wasn't like the Tigers were smacking Royals starter Wade Davis around. They managed to scratch across one run in the second on Don Kelly's RBI single and another in the fifth on Andy Dirks' RBI groundout. The winning run came in the eighth when Victor Martinez hit a sacrifice fly off of reliever Aaron Crow to score Miguel Cabrera. "Max has been locked in," Prince Fielder told Thompson. "Very happy for him, he's having an excellent year. I"m just glad we're able to get enough runs for him to get the win." Said Matt Tuiasosopo: "He's outstanding. He's got nasty stuff and every time he's out there, it's like he impresses us even more. It's just fun to watch." Of course, there had to be controversy and it had to involve closer Jose Valverde. With nobody out and a runner on second in the ninth, Billy Butler was called out on strikes on a pitch that appeared inside. Needless to say, Butler did not agree with the call and was eventually ejected for arguing from the dugout. "I didn't think it was close when it got called, I went and looked at it on video and it was even more in than I thought it was," Butler said on the postgame show. "He told me it was on the plate. "In that situation, I just don't think that can happen. First and second, no outs, we have a pretty good chance of winning that ballgame and that happens. So I'm not saying there's anything guaranteed. Ninth inning, emotions are high, everything's on the line, had a heck of an at-bat, just trying to get hm over, trying to drive him in and then that happens. So of course you know I'm going to be pretty chapped." Valverde was happy to take the out and the save. "I was a little nervous because the other night in Baltimore, when I do the blown save for Max," Valverde told Thompson on the field after the game. "I think it's a good pitch. You have to be careful with this guy, good hitter. Other times he kill the Tigers. But today I do my job and that's why we won." That's why Scherzer is now 9-0, in the record books and a virtual lock for the All-Star Game next month.
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Inserting LOB data might be very slow
Technote (troubleshooting)
Inserting LOB data might be very slow
The cause might be that the network communication bandwidth between the client application machine and the database server machine is too limited.
The larger the LOB data that you are trying to insert, the more likely the performance is to be restricted by limited network communication bandwidth.
Diagnosing the problem
Try running the client application on the database server machine, or on a machine that has a greater bandwidth connection to the database server machine.
If that makes it go faster, then that is a sign that what was causing the inserts to be slow is limited network communication bandwidth.
Use a tool such as iperf to measure the network communication bandwidth.
Resolving the problem
Increase the network communication bandwidth between the client application and the database server.
Related information
iperf - tool for measuring maximum TCP and UDP bandwidt
Document information
More support for:
DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows
Performance - General/Tuning
Software version: 8, 9.1, 9.5, 9.7
Operating system(s): AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Solaris, Windows
Software edition: Enterprise Server, Express, Personal, Personal Developer's, Workgroup Server
Reference #: 1424333
Modified date: 14 April 2010
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watch the video
- Games PS4
FIFA 17 Deluxe Edition
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Xbox One S 500GB Console - Includes ...
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© 2016 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, EA SPORTS, the EA SPORTS logo, Frostbite, and the Frostbite logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. or its subsidiaries. Official FIFA licensed product. © FIFA and FIFA's Official Licensed Product Logo are copyrights and/or trademarks of FIFA. All rights reserved. Manufactured under license by Electronic Arts Inc. The Premier League Logo ©The Football Association Premier League Limited 2016. The Premier League Logo is a trade mark of the Football Association Premier League Limited which is registered in the UK and other jurisdictions. The Premier League Club logos are copyright works and registered trademarks of the respective Clubs. All are used with the kind permission of their respective owners. Manufactured under licence from the Football Association Premier League Limited. No association with nor endorsement of this product by any player is intended or implied by the licence granted by the Football Association Premier League Limited to Electronic Arts. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The famous game series by EA Sports has been around since late 1993 and is one of the most popular and longest serving game franchises in the world. The principle of the game is simple: play as your favourite football team and take part in exclusively-licensed leagues, tournaments and friendly matches. The power of the football franchise lies in its ability to renew itself every year and to always stay on top of the latest technology. Game mode options are altered and expanded in every edition, delivering a unique and authentic experience each time.
Don't forget, Zavvi offers a free UK delivery. There's no better place to grab your copy. Don't be left behind in the changing room, order yours today.
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Zavvi - Part of The Hut Group


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Serpent S120 LTR 2mm Carbon Chassis
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Serpent S120 LTR 2mm Carbon Chassis. This is the stock replacement S120 LTR chassis. Serpent recommends you sand and seal the edges with CA glue prior to installation.
This product was added to our catalog on November 27, 2015.


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Seasons are lovely.
The ground sparkles bright.
Chilly air, visable breath.
And it is all white.
The smell in the air.
Rain falls and falls out of clouds.
The smell of the rain.
The fierce sun beats down.
Sweat drips from all the people.
Outside on those days.
Everchanging leaves.
Through the tunnel of color.
Cherish the beauty.


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1 Special Needs Job Found
Part-time/Occasional Babysitter
Posted by Kenneth O. on 5/22/2017
- Start date:
- 6/01
- 11 miles away (Boise, ID)
- $10–12/hr
- 1 child
We are looking for a part-time/occasional sitter for our 13-year old son, Sam. Sam was a micro-preemie and has cerebral palsy. Sam is non-verbal and walks with an impaired gait. He uses sign language and a computer to talk. Sam is just completing the 8th grade. Sam has a skilled companion dog. ... More


text: Extreme Jewellery: Bentley and Skinner tiara 18th June 2013 Officially known as: Item No.22487M at Bentley & SkinnerWe know it as: Let's call her 'Bertha'.Equivalent value*: 76,400 strawberry Cornettos OR 2,375 Christian Dior Ambre Nuit candles OR seven Fiat 500s.Victoriana: She may not look it but this dame is 123 years old. Splendid since 1890.How does your garden grow? With floral scrolls and flower drops and rose-cut diamonds all in a row.Party trick: Hey presto it's a necklace too! With the flick of a catch or two, it's ready to drape around one's décolletage.Cherry on top: Pearl-set clasp.* In the world of watches and jewellery, one doesn't talk about money, darling. But we've quizzed the professionals to give you these equivalent values - like a very sparkly price-comparison site. IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU'LL LOVE: Extreme Jewellery - Sybarite Merry Go Round Ring Extreme Jewellery - Adler necklace Extreme Jewellery - Jaeger-LeCoultre watch Extreme Jewellery - Bulgari necklace Extreme Jewellery - Tiffany Great Gatsby Collection Extreme Jewellery - David Morris necklace Extreme Jewellery - Harry Winston Watch Extreme Jewellery - Van Cleef & Arpels for Princess Charlene Extreme Jewellery - Diamond on auction at Christie's Extreme Jewellery - Gemfields handbag Extreme Jewellery - Lange & Söhne Watch


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There are many joys waiting in the Spring garden. The most important one for me is sitting on a log watching it all go by. There is Zen somewhere between chickens scratching at the ground and the hum of a city carried by the wind. Nectar feeding birds fight for the highest branches of the Banksia tree, while … Continue reading
Author Archives: shanegenziuk
Chicken Hunting Party
This is an Earwig. They seem to have this habit of getting into anything in the garden made from wood, where they set-up little colonies. Then they become large colonies. At night they move en masse to the closest growing thing and start chewing it to the stump. Bastards!! But you see, there is a … Continue reading
The Unravelling of Grapes in Spring
I always worry about grape vines in the Winter. They look dead for months, just until those leaves burst open into Spring sunshine. In preparation for the demands of the new season, the soil has been improved with basalt dust and vermicast made from coffee grounds and chicken manure. A good dose of fish emulsion just … Continue reading
Tamarillo Tree Following – August 2014
Way back in May we had a single Tamarillo fruit left on the tree – and then there was Winter! The Sun is returning to high arcs through the sky, and the wind has become less bitter. Spring and her promise of rebirth has arrived 🙂 So it seems for the Tamarillo, with rapid new growth in … Continue reading
Mulch on a Vegetable Garden
There was a time when I thought adding lots of mulch to poor quality soil would make for good quality soil. But it didn't work out that way… What happened was that the 2 inch layer of mulch was cooking in the Summer sun, below which a thick layer of poor quality soil remained, impervious to … Continue reading
Reading Coffee Grounds
Tasseography – reading your future with coffee grounds! Continue reading
Bad Coffee is a Crime Against Happiness
There is a saying – 'You never know how good you got something till it's gone'. I got a taste for that myself a few weeks back; a full size Long Black, boiling hot in a thin single cup. So hot the plastic lid started to buckle. The pain in my hand was only matched … Continue reading


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Author has written 1 story for Alichino.
Any current quotes at the beginning of my fics are Kazuya Minekura's.
Reviews, especially constructive criticism, is muchly appreciated.
Heaven's Not Enough: a Kusabi's thoughts containing a short explenation considered. ( And I would now like to say that I do believe in God, I do have the upmost faith in him, I love him more than any physical being, including my imaginary friends, and would like to point out that that summery is not based upon my perspective, and as though it may seem alittle over the top to whoever just went to the trouble of reading this, I do feel a bit guilty... I really couldn't come up with a summery and I kinda like the way it sounds - selfish? yeah, I'm human...)
Heaven's Not Enough: now a in-progress series of incredably short, unfinsihed, flawed poems, that I don't at the moment plan on leaving the way they are - but in writing them is where my writing is currently at.


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ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
Angela At Sarl Atoll - Astro firstname.lastname@example.com & firstname.lastname@example.com Internet U.S.A.
Does your business have a bad reputation?
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Corporate Advocacy Program™
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 10/02/2005 04:30 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/angela-at-sarl-atoll-astro-group/internet/angela-at-sarl-atoll-or-astro-group-ripoff-promising-to-send-horoscope-after-sending-a-fir-159215. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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SailNet Community (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/)
- Introduce Yourself (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/introduce-yourself/)
- - Just bought a Tartan 33R (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/introduce-yourself/94322-just-bought-tartan-33r.html)
Just bought a Tartan 33R
I need a good fiberglass person in the New Orleans or Mobile, Al. area to repair the keel to hull connection. The boat is in New Orleans but I am moving it to Mobile where I live. Thanks
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text:
Published: 5th Dec 2012
The coming years are likely to see the Internet of Things becoming more of a reality as poor ADSL connections are replaced by superfast ones and the web takes over more services, according to an expert.
Justin McKeown , senior lecturer in fine art at York St John University and member of the Internet of Things Council think tank, told the Metro that the process is going to result in significant technological changes.
He suggested that it will have broad applications across different fields, with one example being the ability of smartphones to monitor the health of their owner.
"Imagine trying to explain a microwave oven to someone who has just discovered fire. That's how significant a change we're facing," Mr McKeown concluded.
Richard Houston, strategy director at Wolff Olins, recently suggested that the UK's ongoing rollout of 4G connections could lead to a revolutionary change in how the internet is accessed.
Posted by Justin McKenzie
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Days of Azerbaijani Culture was launched in Athens, September 27.
Within the framework of the Days of Azerbaijani Culture, Azerbaijan's First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva met and dined together with Dora Bakoyanni, the representative of Greece at the European Council's Parliament Assembly, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Marianna Vardinoyannis and President of the Greek Olympic Committee Spiros Kapralos.
The Days of Azerbaijani Culture started with a charitable concert held at 5 thousand-seat Irodio Theatre of Athens with the joint organizational support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Greece and the Marianna Vardinoyannis Foundation of Greece.
The concert was attended by Mehriban Aliyeva, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Marianna Vardinoyannis, influential persons of Greece's public, political and cultural spheres, residents of Athens and tourists.
The host of the event gave information about the activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and its president Mehriban Aliyeva. He said the Foundation, with its big influence on the international arena, has been implementing various projects in a number of world countries, and culture has its special place in these projects. The host said the event aims to support education in Greece.
Azerbaijan's ambassador to Greece Rahman Mustafayev talked about the relations between the two countries. The ambassador noted that this event played a significant part in terms of Azerbaijan's promotion in Greece, and thanked Mehriban Aliyeva for the support she has provided to this work.
After the speeches, a concert took place. The Uzeir Hajibeyli State Symphonic Orchestra of Azerbaijan conducted by Honoured Person of Art Fakhraddin Karimov and the State Dance Ensemble performed before the Athens' audience. Mugham was also performed at the concert.


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|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
|« Date » · « Thread »
|"Jukka Zitting (Commented) (JIRA)" <j...@apache.org>
|[jira] [Commented] (OAK-10) Impedance mismatch between signatures of NodeState#getChildeNodeEntries and MicroKernel#getNodes
|Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:57:38 GMT
[ https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/OAK-10?page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels:comment-tabpanel&focusedCommentId=13227683#comment-13227683 ] Jukka Zitting commented on OAK-10: ---------------------------------- I set the parameter type to long for consistency with the offset parameter, but as you said, it could just as well be an int. I'm fine also with renaming the parameter. > Impedance mismatch between signatures of NodeState#getChildeNodeEntries and MicroKernel#getNodes > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Key: OAK-10 > URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/OAK-10 > Project: Jackrabbit Oak > Issue Type: Improvement > Reporter: Michael Dürig > Fix For: 0.1 > > > NodeState#getChildeNodeEntries uses long for its lenght parameter while MicroKernel#getNodes uses int. In order to implement the NodeState interface on top of the Microkernel, it would be favourable if the type would be the same. > I suggest we change it to int for both methods since a length bigger than Integer.MAX_VALUE is not realistic anyway. On a related note, I'd rename the parameter from length to count. -- This message is automatically generated by JIRA. If you think it was sent incorrectly, please contact your JIRA administrators: https://issues.apache.org/jira/secure/ContactAdministrators!default.jspa For more information on JIRA, see: http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira
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Google Business View is the ideal way to bring your business to life like never before. A combination of interactive elements including 360 degree videography and a virtual walkthrough of your business enables your potential customers to experience and explore what your business has to offer just as though they were right there!
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text: "When your in love you cant fall asleep because reality is better then your dreams" Hey, Well im 13 (going on 30) i like writing and trying things out. I like hearing honest opions about what people think of me and waht i do (so be brutally honest). I truethfully cannot spell to save my life so i will spell check first but something might slip...I work at Tim Hortans (what a joy) working 26+ hours a week. I definatly aint the brightest crayon in the box dureing school. But iv learnt life leasons that others my age have know clue about. Im pretty random and loud. I love being around people or just in my room. I love acting, reading,talking, oddly enough work and history.


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For bachelor students we offer German lectures on database systems in addition with paper- or project-oriented seminars. Within a one-year bachelor project students finalize their studies in cooperation with external partners. For master students we offer courses on information integration, data profiling, search engines and information retrieval enhanced by specialized seminars, master projects and advised master theses.
The Web Science group focuses on various topics related to the Web, such as Information Retrieval, Natural Language Processing, Data Mining, Knowledge Discovery, Social Network Analysis, Entity Linking, and Recommender Systems. The group is particularly interested in Text Mining to deal with the vast amount of unstructured and semi-structured information available on the Web.
Most of our research is conducted in the context of larger research projects, in collaboration across students, across groups, and across universities. We strive to make available most of our data sets and source code.
We publish our research mostly at DB and IR-related journals and conferences. Many of our publications are available as downloads. If you cannot find one, please contact one of the authors.
Our group includes PostDocs, PhD students, and student assistants, and is headed by Prof. Felix Naumann. If you are interested in joining our team, please contact Felix Naumann.
Former PhD student
Email: Arvid Heise
The discovery of all unique (and non-unique) column combinations in a given dataset is at the core of any data profiling effort. The results are useful for a large number of areas of data management, such as anomaly detection, data integration, data modeling, duplicate detection, indexing, and query optimization. However, discovering all unique and non-unique column combinations is an NP-hard problem, which in principle requires to verify an exponential number of column combinations for uniqueness on all data values. Thus, achieving efficiency and scalability in this context is a tremendous challenge by itself.
In this paper, we devise DUCC, a scalable and efficient approach to the problem of finding all unique and non-unique column combinations in big datasets. We first model the problem as a graph coloring problem and analyze the pruning effect of individual combinations. We then present our hybrid column-based pruning technique, which traverses the lattice in a depth-first and random walk combination. This strategy allows DUCC to typically depend on the solution set size and hence to prune large swaths of the lattice. DUCC also incorporates row-based pruning to run uniqueness checks in just few milliseconds. To achieve even higher scalability, DUCC runs on several CPU cores (scale-up) and compute nodes (scale-out) with a very low overhead. We exhaustively evaluate DUCC using three datasets (two real and one synthetic) with several millions rows and hundreds of attributes. We compare DUCC with related work: Gordian and HCA. The results show that DUCC is up to more than 2 orders of magnitude faster than Gordian and HCA (631x faster than Gordian and 398x faster than HCA). Finally, a series of scalability experiments shows the efficiency of DUCC to scale up and out.
This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. In most cases, these works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.
last change: Wed, 17 Feb 2016 08:29:47 +0100
Prof. Dr. Felix Naumann
Information Systems
E-Mail: felix.naumann(at)hpi.de
Assistant: Diana Stephan
Office: Campus III, House G, G-3.1.08Tel.: +49 (0)331 5509-280Fax: +49 (0)331 5509-287E-Mail: office-naumann(at)hpi.de
To visit us, please see these directions.
Tim Repke, Michael Loster, Ralf Krestel
Our paper "Comparing Features for Ranking Relationships … > more
Tobias Bleifuß, Theodore Johnson, Dmitri V. Kalashnikov, Felix Naumann, Vladislav Shkapenyuk and … > more
Rheem has been selected for presentation at the Spark Summit 2017. Located in the Bay Area, the … > more
Our tutorial "Data Profiling" will be held at the 2017 SIGMOD conference in Chicago. It is an … > more
The paper titled 'What was Hillary Clinton doing in Katy, Texas?' by Toni Gruetze, Konstantina … > more
Metanome: Big Data Profiling
Metacrate: Database for Data Profiles
ProLOD++: Profiling Linked Open Data
Stratosphere: Big Data Analytics


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Canvas Print
She tried, but all she could see was the missing pictureby Triplea
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Fine art print on bright white, fine poly-cotton blend, matte canvas using latest generation Epson archival inks. Individually trimmed and hand stretched museum wrap over 1-1/2" deep wood stretcher bars. Includes wall hanging hardware.


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Vinny Guadagnino Shares Details On New MTV Talk Show
"Jersey Shore" star Vinny Guadagnino chats with Access at the "Restore the Shore" fundraiser about his new MTV talk show. What will the show be about? And, how will his family take part? Plus, what do his "Jersey Shore" castmates think about Vinny's new show?


text:
Mortarboard blog + Art
Many arts courses require students to submit a portfolio: here's how to make yours stand out
What art students need to know is: can I make a living from being creative? The answer is more complex than you might think
For too long the study of art has been dismissed as a pastime for the well-heeled. This stereotype is unfair and outdated
Everyone tries to show what a great time they're having at uni. But lots of people aren't happy at all – especially fashion students
Over a thousand young people took up a challenge to produce images that defined their identity for an art competition. Angela Neustatter was one of the judges
Step away from the unhelpful paintbrush and the terrifying blank canvas and let your imagination run riot, urges Quin Parker