text:
Only a mother, father, brother, sister, grandparent, or spouse may obtain someone else's birth certificate with proper ID.
Certified certificates are $10.00 each.
To request certified certificates of Gaston County Births and Deaths fill out the form below and either bring or mail to the following addresses:
To request Birth Certificates from State Vital Records see information on the State website at http://vitalrecords.dhhs.state.nc.us
Gaston County Register of Deeds now offers a service for Statewide Births from 1971 forward. They are available to be purchased in the office only. The cost for this service is $24.00. (fee set by State, cash only).
Licenses are issued Monday - Friday 8:30AM-4:30PM, allow at least 20-30 minutes to process.
Click here to download a Marriage License Form or fill it out online at https://deeds.co.gaston.nc.us/marriageapplication/
Both applicants must come in person and have a valid state ID, valid driver's license, or a certified copy of birth certificate. (If foreign birth certificate, must be translated in English and certified.)
Social security card.
If previous marriage ended in Divorce or Annulment, applicant must provide a copy signed by judge.
If previous marriage ended in death, applicant must know the month and date of the death.
Licenses are issued Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30. Licenses issued in Gaston County can be used anywhere in North Carolina, but must be returned to the county where purchased. Some counties may have other requirements for purchasing licenses.
Cost of License is $60.00. Cash or money orders will be accepted.
Information regarding marriage license fee per NC General Statutes
No one under age 14 years of age can get a marriage license in North Carolina. Ages 14-16 need a court order signed by a judge. Ages 16-18 must have parent's consent along with proper ID's.
The premarital physical is no longer required.
Certified copies of Marriage licenses are available for $10.00 cash or money orders accepted. Requested by mail or in person. Fill out form below and mail to Gaston County Register of Deeds PO Box 1578 Gastonia NC 28053
Although care has been taken in preparing the information contained in these documents, Gaston County
does not guarantee the accuracy thereof. Anyone using the information does so at their own risk and shall
be deemed to indemnify Gaston County from any and all injury and/or damage arising from such use. All
pages are copyrighted by Gaston County, or by their respective authors - whether a copyright line appears
at the bottom or not. Gaston County has no control or liability for information on other web sites linked to
this page. These links are provided only as a service to the user.
Contact email@example.com with any problems, questions, or suggestions.


text:
$37.12 donated in past month
IMC Network
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay FeatureRelated Categories: San Francisco | LGBTI / Queer View other events for the week of 6/28/2009
Comments (Hide Comments)
Sunday Jun 28th, 2009 6:50 PM
I certainly sympathize with any opposition to the Zionists and I sympathize with the gay liberation movement. I DO NOT wear black if I can possibly avoid doing so as I do not like it AND ON A HOT DAY, WEARING BLACK WILL CERTAINLY MAKE YOU HOTTER! The bright rainbow colors that symoblize the gay movement, namely purple-blue-green-yellow-orange-red, are far better to wear in the hot sun and far more pleasing to the eye. White is of course the best to wear in the hot sun and is always pleasing to the eye. It was 90 degrees officially in San Francisco today, and on Market Street at noon, it was most likely 100 degrees as it is mostly cement. I have walked the gay parade on a 90 degree day when I was younger but cannot do that anymore. I do not support the funereal outlook of the black clothing mentality which seems to be increasing among the younger generation especially as they have no immediate future in this bankrupt society, and among uniformed employees in supermarkets and beauty salons. The next thing you know there will be tattoos required, an ugly, self-mutilating, always possible blood-poisoning inducing racket (making money for those who promote it) as I love my suntan and my good health, which always shows on one's skin. Cheer up because after all WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR CHAINS AND WE HAVE A WORLD TO WIN! Instead of requiring uniforms, how but just encouraging support for your politics as that should be sufficient. HISTORY IS WITH US; WE SHALL WIN!
Friday Jul 3rd, 2009 3:17 PM
A contingent of local Jews marched for pride- it was one of the largest contingents in the parade- numbering over 500.
Friday Jul 17th, 2009 1:35 AM
the will of the people
Prop 8
Proposition 8 places into the California Constitution the same language that voters already passed by 61% of the vote in 2000. This is necessary to overturn an outrageous California Supreme Court decision that overturned Proposition 22.
About Proposition 8
Proposition 8 is simple and straightforward. It contains the same 14 words that were previously approved in 2000 by over 61% of California voters: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.â€
Because four activist judges in San Francisco wrongly overturned the people's vote, we need to pass this measure as a constitutional amendment to restore the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.
Voting YES on Proposition 8 does 3 simple things:
It restores the definition of marriage to what the vast majority of California voters already approved and what Californians agree should be supported, not undermined.
It overturns the outrageous decision of four activist Supreme Court judges who ignored the will of the people.
It protects our children from being taught in public schools that "same-sex marriage†is the same as traditional marriage, and prevents other consequences to Californians who will be forced to not just be tolerant of gay lifestyles, but face mandatory compliance regardless of their personal beliefs.
yes on prop 8 = yes to same-sex marriages
transbaynessie is now a regular feture on Indybay IMC news group
I am very happy to lend my guidance and give direction to the Indybay
Transbaynessie SF Bay Area IMC
2940 16th St, Ste 216
San Francisco, CA 94103

subset: commoncrawl


text: This saw has a canted motor that makes it a good 4 inches shorter than the average inline model. That and a 4-way blade clamp make for easier tight-quarters cutting; the tool fits better between joists and with the blade turned sideways it can almost cut flush into corners—as you might need to do when cutting a bottom plate free from the floor or a wall free at a corner. While not specifically designed for one-handed cutting, the DWE357 is light enough and short enough to be used in that manner.


text:
Cruz back in action
Photo by Promociones Miguel Cotto
Puertorican prospect and USNBC featherweight champion and WBO #13 Luis "El Artesano" Cruz (15-0, 12 KOs) is moving up to the junior lightweight division to fight the Colombian warrior Hevinson Herrera (14-5-1, 9 KOs) for the vacant WBO Latino junior lightweight title on Saturday, August 28 at the Rubén Viera Coliseum of his hometown in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico. "Fighting in front of my people in Las Piedras is an honor. I am training really hard to win this fight and the WBO Latino belt for the pride of my family and my people," Luis Cruz said.
"This will be a great night for boxing in Puerto Rico. Luis Cruz is a young hungry fighter that trains really hard for all of his fights, If he wins on August 28 we will be looking for the world title next year," promoter Miguel Cotto said.
Boxeo Boricua in Las Piedras is presented by Promociones Miguel Cotto and H2 Entertainment. Tickets available in Ticketcenter (787)792-5000 or visiting www.tcpr.com. Prices: $12.00 and $20.00


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Opinion: The Questions We Should be Asking the GOP Candidates
We are now recovering from gazillionth GOP presidential debate, and there is no end in sight. The ratings show that people are enjoying watching the contenders slug it out, but they can obscure the questions the candidates should be getting grilled about.
Ron Paul wants to eliminate five federal departments. Which ones are they and how will that affect you and me?
When Newt Gingrich wants to cut the EPA does he not care that there is arsenic in Iowa water supplies and all kinds of cancer-producing toxic material that needs to be identified and mitigated across the country? Is that what voters really want?
Mitt Romney has not been scrutinized enough for what he did while running Bain. He made the mergers profitable by slashing jobs, borrowing until the companies were bloated corpses, drained out the revenue to its investors, made a ton of money, and then killed the company. Is that what Americans want from their business leaders or their politicians?
Newt Gingrich is still idling near the top but the media has not reminded voters of the Gingrich definition of "family values." For the unitiated: Gingrich cheated on his first wife Jackie Battley with a staffer named Marianne Ginther. After marrying Ginther, he cheated on her with a staff member Callista Bisek, more than 20 years his junior, to whom he is now married.
As for Herman Cain, can we really elect a president who thinks he can run the most complex political system in the world like a pizza chain? There are the small problems of a Constitution, Congress and the Supreme Court, none of which pizza chains have. And a President needs to at least be able to tell our foreign policy areas of engagement apart - illustrated by his disastrous interview about Libya with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
It's almost not worth talking about Michelle Bachmann, who has sunk to the bottom, Rick Santorum, and Jon Huntsman, who will again be part of next Obama administration if Obama gets reelected.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry's "oops!" moment, when he failed to remember the third federal agency he wants to cut, was an insightful exception because it revealed a lot about the cavalier way in which the candidates want to slash federal agencies. As someone asked me, "When he slashes Commerce does Perry also want to slash NOAA and it's hurricane forecasting center?"
All in all, we need a lot more answers - and frankly - a lot more questions for each of these candidates, ones the debates just aren't digging up.
Steffen Schmidt is professor of political science at Iowa State University, blogs for the Des Moines Register and WNYC "It's a Free Country," and is chief political correspondent for Insideriowa.com.


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This is a discussion on hidden pistol in car within the Concealed Carry Issues & Discussions forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; I think the "being found by a criminal" is your biggest hang up here. Other than that there a lots of good options given here. ...
I think the "being found by a criminal" is your biggest hang up here. Other than that there a lots of good options given here.
I think if there is a criminal in your car, your probably facing a good chance that the whole car could be taken. If not than its probably a quick grab and go break in, and they're probably not gonna be checking every nook and cranny looking for hidden stuff. Your gonna have to compromise somewhere man.
If not, best of luck to ya. I can't believe I wasted the time to read all of this and reply. But I bet your gonna waste alot more searching for the perfect spot/setup and still compromise something you listed.
The stupidity of some people NEVER ceases to amaze me.
There are four boxes to be used in the defense of liberty: soap - ballot - jury - ammo
The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie: deliberate, continued, and dishonest; but the myth: persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.
-- John F. Kennedy
Several folks have waved the "you have unreasonable expectations" flags; others have made good suggestions. Some have suggested a step back - the camp I'm in. Consider a two-step approach to your problem. But first, a reality check:
These were your criteria as originally posted:
- It must be out of sight of passengers and from anyone looking in the car from the outside.
- It must be in a location that is readily available (within 2 seconds).
- It must not impede me from driving the car.
- It must be located and stowed in a fashion that will not cause a problem should I get in a wreck or have to slam on the brakes.
- It must be located and stowed in a location very unlikely for a thief to find.
During the thread you've also added:
- Don't want to damage the car
- Don't want a 380
- Can't be a ceiling console/cabinet/whatever they're called
- Can't be all James Bondish (the switch on the gearshift exposes the machineguns, etc.)
- (implied) Has to be this car
- (implied) Can't be real expensive
You've asked for "good, cheap and fast": usually you can get only two - and if you get those the other variable nearly always goes sour. I'm afraid that in the real world you will need to compromise on one of your requirements in a big way, or slightly on two or more of them.
If I were in your situation (that is, had I decided I needed what you need, and wanted what you want), I would:
- Seriously consider the trunk safe and the arm/disarm-while-stowing-the-briefcase idea mentioned above;
- Buy a Taurus 380 or KelTec PF9 and ditch it in the console or in a cut-out book in the door (good idea from above) so I at least had something with me;
- Save my dough;
- Make some pals in the police department (where I live or wherever I have contacts);
- Ask my PD pals to ask my question discretely among the DEA or Border Patrol folks THEY might know - they've seen all sorts of hidey-places;
- Ask my PD pals if they know a auto customizer that they consider honest (or if they know of anyone I should stay away from);
- Take my car, my question and my cash to this auto customizer, and see what mischief he might be able to pull - I've seen the whole grillwork from one car replaced with the grillwork from another, for instance. It is possible he could (for instance) add a different console, change the shape of the gearshift boot, or remove the back pocket from the passenger seat and add a panel of vinyl with Velcro closures allowing you to peel it back in a hurry when you need to get to your weapon.
I wish you the best in your efforts.
I certiainly meant no disrespect in my earlier post. I deffinatley agree about being picky and not wanting to damage a BMW. But all of thoes expectations in one are a little ambitious, unfortunatley.
"The thing about quotes on the internet is that you can not confirm their validity."
-Abraham Lincoln
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky. dangerous animals."
-Agent K
I have it figured out and can satisfy all of my requirements. One of the above replies has really good merit. Most did not RTFQ which makes reading some replies fun (read free entertainment). For those who support thinking outside the box and chime in with reasonable input - Thanks! I hope the concept I have come up with will help others. I'll have it done by the end of the weekend and post photos for all to see. I already have a mock up of my plan and I believe it will work perfect. Everyone have a great weekend.
Goodluck. If it works out deffinatley share it with some pictures. Maybe some of us just dont have the imagination you needed lol
"The thing about quotes on the internet is that you can not confirm their validity."
-Abraham Lincoln
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky. dangerous animals."
-Agent K
I have a hard time taking no for an answer...just ask my wife
Mine would probably say the same
"The thing about quotes on the internet is that you can not confirm their validity."
-Abraham Lincoln
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky. dangerous animals."
-Agent K
Hiding is not my concern, as if it's found by another it can be taken. I have a simple solution. I steel cable and a lock beneath my seat. I secure the pistol to the cable with the lock beneath my seat when I have to leave it in the car. The lock and cable are such that the pistol will need to be destroyed to be removed (or the thief can pick a lock or remove my seat from the frame, or steal my car). When I'm in the car, the pistol is either on my person or in a fobus paddle hoster bolted into the bottom of the steering wheel column.
Looking forward to seeing your solution!
okay folks...I've been called on the carpet by one of you who was gentleman enough to write me a PM vs a reply to my thread.
I truely meant no disrespect to any of you who posted replies or ideas. I enjoy finding what people are made of in the sense of humor department and it appears my approach came across the wrong way. I appologize to the forum. I'll do my best to offer positive feedback to your posts and appreciate the input you give to mine. PC
Last edited by PEF; September 20th, 2012 at 11:07 PM. Reason: I think what I did was a forum no-no! I'll play by the rules...
I suppose a large tube of KY Jelly and a quick release back panel in your slacks wouldn't work would it? You DID say you appreciated humor didn't you!!!!!
Sometimes in life you have to stand your ground. It's a hard lesson to learn and even most adults don't get it, but in the end only I can be responsible for my life. If faced with any type of adversity, only I can overcome it. Waiting for someone else to take responsibility is a long fruitless wait.
I do and you made me laugh. Thanks. I suppose in some countries that might be a good choice. However, my head is up there now so bare with me while I pull it out. How's that for humor?


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Hi everyone! I am very short and have a pair of black pants that are technically capris but come to just about my ankle and I would like them to be a couple of inches longer to be regular pants for me. Is there an easy way to add a trim to the pants so that they will look good? Originally I was going to hem them further and make them capris but now that the weather is getting cooler I would love to wear them now. There is about another inch folded up for the original hem that I could take out. Do you recommend doing knitted lacework or a crocheted trim or sewing a lace edging on it or will it look bad no matter what? How would I attach it, just sew or handstitch? Thanks for any ideas!Kristy
Unless backed by fabric, I would think that a knitted or crocheted edging longer than 1/2" to 1" would tend to look limp or hang funny. As the bottom of pants, it's also likely to catch on things and get snagged if it's at all long.
If you add fabric to lengthen the pant, it's very important that you keep the same taper as the leg or the added fabric will pull or hang oddly. The exception to the same taper would be if someone were making boot leg or bell bottoms.
If you are after fun, funky and unique, it could be worth the effort. Otherwise, a new pair of pants or a pair from the thriftstore that are the length you want might be a wiser use of time and materials.


text:
Your Account
In this CSS3 Properties training course, expert author Ben Jaffe teaches you everything you need to know about CSS3, covering the latest improvements and new features. This course is designed for users that already have a fundamental working knowledge of CSS.You layout and user interface fundamentals, reviewing units and box-models. You will then learn about color and opacity, border effects, and background gradients. Ben will cover topics such as box-shadow, multiple backgrounds, and gradients. This video tutorial will teach you about CSS transitions and animations. You will also learn about new selectors, including direct child selectors, attribute selectors, and reviewing current selectors. Finally, Ben will show you how to tie it all together, showing you how to create Star Wars text and make circles and ellipses.Once you have completed this computer based training course, you will be fully capable of using the latest version of CSS3 to format and style your webpage. Working files are included, allowing you to follow along with the author throughout the lessons.
© 2016, O'Reilly Media, Inc.
(707) 827-7019(800) 889-8969
All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing on oreilly.com are the property of their respective owners.


text:
Huntersville Restaurant Guide & Dining Reviews
LongHorn Steakhouse
Featured Review
Featured Review
The steaks are great, as well as the rest of the menu. Have had a few visits where cleanliness was a small issue. And the hostess has on more than one occassion seemed "bothered" by having to do her job. Waitstaff is a whole other story..never a bad experience on that end.
Check out the Best Huntersville Restaurant Deals.
Recent Huntersville Restaurant Guide Reviews
Micky's Bistro
"We have gone to Micky's Bistro several times and have really enjoyed it. I've gone with and without my children and either way was a very comfortble experience. Although the menu doesn't have childrens meals shown... "
Kabuto Japanese Steak House
"Great place for the family or special celebrations. Chefs are excellent. Portions are huge so come hungry. Service has been hit and miss."


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ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
Lone Mountain Truck LeasingTifton, Georgia USA
Lone Mountain Truck Leasing Unbelievable How They Do Business Tifton Georgia
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
If you are reading this report on lone mountain then read on. These people are junk dealers. Purchased from them and spent first month in the shop and problem still unknown. Jim Greer assured me this was a good Tyson foods truck. I have nothing good to say about these people.Everyone in America just ripping people off daily. It's our way now. Have doesn't over ten thousand dollars in repairs in one month. They promised to help but when I called back repeatedly and finally got somebody. Was told person that made the promise was no longer with the company. Getting a lawyer. All my calls I recorded.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 07/07/2013 10:50 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/lone-mountain-truck-leasing/tifton-georgia/lone-mountain-truck-leasing-unbelievable-how-they-do-business-tifton-georgia-1065120. 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.
Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
Click Here to read other Ripoff Reports on Lone Mountain Truck Leasing
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#1 Author of original report
Resolution Attempt
SUBMITTED: Thursday, July 25, 2013POSTED: Thursday, July 25, 2013
Was contacted by an agent of Lone Mt. / Cressco Capital. Apparently someone saw my original post. She insisted that this has all been a misunderstanding. Long story short I emailed all of my repairs to them at their request. Got a call back thee next day at which time they agreed to credit my account on one of the repairs. Then asked if I felt this was fair. I told them being that I had spent over four thousand dollars down to purchase the truck. Over three thousand in repairs and still no one knows whats wrong with the truck and they should repair it. She said she would send an email to her superiors and call me back. Well that has been over a week ago with no further contact. I appreciate the credit to my account that they reimbursed at approximately three hundred dollars . I also appreciate that they are watching what is posted about their company. I think they may put forth an effort to go thru their equipment. However I think maybe the people they have may be lacking in their abilities to make sure their trucks are up to standard. Therefore it is my advise to seek other sellers that have more qualified techs to go over the equipment. If you do choose to buy from these folks as I did. Please I cannot stress enough. Dont let them rush you or slick talk you. Go to a shop and put the truck on a dyno. If it takes longer to achieve this task then wait untill you can do it. My truck after the down payment, travel cost and repairs. Total of over ten thousand dollars spent. Still trying to recoupe losses. Truck is only getting five miles to the gallon and dealer still throwing parts at it. Going this weekend to spend more. All in all if you got the money to buy a truck I recommend going elsewhere. I will update as needed if something changes about this situation. I am aggressively pursueing unknown issue as to why fuel mpg is so low.
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
Advertisers above have met our
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text:
Really? Or, is it possible to be circumvented and watered-down, in practice?The key words here are "strict scrutiny." This is a legal term that guarantees the highest level of protection to a constitutional right.
Seems to me that without plain lingo specifying what "no infringement" means, it'll be little different than with the countrywide 2A "protections" in practice.
I'd much prefer to see something like this: "The right of each citizen to keep and bear arms is fundamental and shall not be infringed in any manner whatsoever. No restrictions of any kind shall be allowed under any circumstances on the right of each citizen to own, carry, transport, purchase or sell any kind of firearm or ammunition." Or, something to that effect.


text:
Hey guys,
Not new to the forum scene, just this one,
you can catch me on MNHONDAS, PRELUDEZONE,
and FIVEZEROSEVEN.NET, as you've probably guessed
i used to own a Honda Prelude. Sold it last week for
5k now i have a little money to work with (more then
5k) and im looking to buy a WRX, love the AWD since i
live in Minnesota, friends are all getting into them so
i figured **** it why not, i mean ive always wanted
one so here we go.
The prelude


text:
STELLA'S NEW YORK SCHEDULE: Stella McCartney is hitting several birds with one stone today, maximizing her visit to New York to show her resort collection this evening, but also hosting an afternoon tea party in her Greene Street store to benefit the Women's Leadership Council of the Lincoln Center Corporate Fund and the 10 residential art programs at Lincoln Center. Students from Juilliard will perform. McCartney is being honored by Lincoln Center Nov. 13 at an event similar to last year's featuring Karl Lagerfeld as the honoree, in conversation with Jessica Chastain.
The cochairs for McCartney's evening include Glenda Bailey, Olivia Harrison, Gabriela Perezutti, Austin Hearst and Dolly Lenz, while the host committee is a list of McCartney's famous friends: Alec Baldwin, Iman and David Bowie and Cameron Diaz, to name a few.
This story first appeared in the June 5, 2014 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
"It feels so unreal and extraordinary to be honored at Lincoln Center," said McCartney. "It's the home of such amazing creativity. I'm so humbled and thankful, especially having been surrounded with the arts since Day One of my life. I am so proud because my mum grew up in New York and it's always been a second home to me."


text:
For pure entertainment, for the overwhelming bliss of wonder, understanding and relieved optimism, nothing geekish can beat being in the middle of a big crowd at a huge new product introduction with all the stops pulled out, all the show-dogs and –ponies on display, bells and whistles sounding and crowd raving to overamp'd music from the days of our youth (or someone's).
Crowds make hall fill with phosphorescent smoke and bright blue light as giants of innovation walk out on the stage – leaders of armies of technologists who will wave the rest of us toward the right path into the future, light our way with their godlike vision and promise wonders no politician would have the guts to consider.
In the dark, in the smoke in the crowd and the noise, an ancient ape brain – buried but much closer to the surface than the rational skeptical parts of our minds believe – shrieks with a toddler's joy, bathing us in adrenaline, oxytocin and phenylethylamine, washing our pleasure centers in dopamine and the sense that whatever desperate need we felt before walking in, whatever hole that exists in our lives, our disappointments, failures and disillusionment was all an illusion waiting to be penetrated, deflated and dismissed by whatever miracle we're about, to see performed before our very eyes.
That feeling is why people throw themselves into frenzies of adoration, elation and despair in the stands at a Big Game, a self-righteous protest, political rally, cheerleading sales meeting or religious revival.
Playing on our need for joy and hope
We lose our minds for just a moment; we put aside the rational being that dissects the stagecraft, wonders at the toxicity of the smoke, sees the godlike visionaries as the same empty suits filled with expensive aphorisms as the time we spoke to them last and will be again as soon as the music fades and they begin to speak.
For just a moment every flash and polish modern marketing can generate gilds a lily that was a pig's ear before the tweezing, makeup and wardrobe.
We love it. And we keep loving it, especially if we're given lavish gifts – as 5,000 developers at Microsoft's Build conference discovered this morning as they gently stroked the sleek, black, powerful $1,100 Samsung Series 7 Slate each was given early on the day Windows 8 would be formally unveiled, using the need to demonstrate Windows 8's beta edition running on a tablet just like that one in your hands, which you can keep as a
bribe; souvenir.
No one implies a new operating system creates new firmament on which the world can begin anew the way Microsoft does.
No one really pays that much attention to their operating system, if it's working correctly, in fact. They just move around, tell applications to launch and connect to networks and storage and each other.
Operating systems make that harder or easier, but they don't change the way we live our lives.
The biggest choice users make to enrich someone else.
They change the fortunes of computer companies, though.
They change a developer's mind so what turns out to be an important app runs on Windows instead of iOS or OS X or Android.
They attract companies and consumers to try a few copies or a whole department on the new operating system, then lead them to buy more of particular brands of hardware that ring and whistle best with the new operating system.
New operating systems get everyone's customers to buy new things to make the new operating system more comfortable in its shabby, legacy-tastic new environment; all the new stuff makes the paint look dingy and the rug look dirty so pretty soon those have to go and in come more companies to replace paint with Paint! And clean the carpet by converting it to FLOoR and to make the rest of the company's employees jealous of the ones running a new OS with cool new hardware and excellent new Pant! And FLOoR, so the company buys more operating system.
When Windows 95 came out I combed my hair and picked all the spinach out of my teeth and drove to a studio to be interviewed remotely on CNN about Windows95, that was coming out that day.
Making a choice without guidance from a monopoly
"So what do you think?" the anchor asked after she took the feedback from a pre-taped story about how much better Win95 was than Windows 3.5 (so was cuneiform).
"Should we all rush out to buy Windows 95?"
I took her at her literal word instead of the implied one, and explained in what circumstances and for whom Win95 would be a better option than Windows 3.5.
The truth was it didn't matter whether Win95 was better or worse than 3.5; people were going to buy it anyway, or get it when they got their next computer because they didn't have a choice.
Microsoft owned the OS market except for a few arty types running Macintoshes and a few ultra geeks running Unix on their desktops and some luddites sticking with DOS.
That's still true, mostly. You have to go out of your way to avoid Windows on a new PC. Even if you buy PCs by the skid-load and get to specify component that goes into them, you still have to write into the contract that you don't want Windows and that you'll be responsible for the licenses of whatever OS you end up loading because PCs are no good without operating systems.
If Windows is a choice, remember there's more than one answer
Microsoft is nervous because you're more likely to buy a Mac than you have been in decades, more likely to buy a phone or tablet than a laptop than you have ever been, and more likely to put something other than the latest version of Windows on any kind of PC – whether that means Linux or XP or exist licenses for Windows 7 or Android or iOS or even WebOS.
Because Windows is no longer the only game in town. OS X Android and iOS and VMware and Citrix haven't run it out of town on a rail, but the next campaign for mayor isn't going to be a cakewalk, either.
So Microsoft is really, really concerned that everything go well at the Win8 rollout today and that everyone likes Win8 and we all buy it and put it on our computers and then forget about it until the next time we have to buy an operating system.
Because there's nothing exciting or entertaining about an operating system, but there is quite a lot that is profitable about one.
If a company can get you excited about a boring product, make you feel as if the future depends on your running it then makes you forget it's there until it's time to come watch the dogs and ponies perform and smell the dry ice smoke and see the blue lights and listen the the thumpity-thump of music and marketing and the same idea being driven into your head again and again when it's time to buy another operating system, then it's done its job really well and it's going to make a lot of money.
Because you're going to buy that operating system even if what you want to do you could to do you could do just as easily with the current operating system, or with a handheld or a tablet or a flat of cuneiform clay and a little stick.
You're going to buy it because it's new and it's flashy and you have an expensive gift in your hand and no one will criticize you for "keeping the platform up to date" and the monkey that keeps its head just below the level of your consciousness will rub the happy parts of your brain and grin that big grin when it gets something new, even if it doesn't like what the new thing is. It will shriek with joy and chew up all the tchatchke swag you pickthe trade-show floor and eat the free food and you'll both go to bed satisfied.
Try to sleep on the plane home, though. Because that's when the questions really start popping up about whether this whole new OS is a good idea and whether it's worth investigating going a whole different direction than you have in the past with desktop OSes and you may have just missed your chance to ask the questions that would have made the decision clear.
Because the smoke and noise and lights and monkey were all happy to help you think over and over how exciting it is that the new OS is so wonderful and beneficial and worth the cost of switching instead of sticking on that last thing and wondering that, just maybe, it's not.
Read more of Kevin Fogarty's CoreIT blog and follow the latest IT news at ITworld. Follow Kevin on Twitter at @KevinFogarty. For the latest IT news, analysis and how-tos, follow ITworld on Twitter and Facebook.


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Feminism | Posted by Valentina V. on 06/22/2010
Is This A Problem of Education?
I know this is a common topic of feminist conversations, but the problem comes back very often in my daily life: jealous (I should say almost mad) boyfriends who alienate their naive girlfriends.
Granted that I'm not referring to my personal case (I have a boyfriend who's not even faintly allowed to tell me the things I can or can't do), I'd like to hear what you think about it.
One of my best friends got involved 3 months ago with a boy who's been chasing after her for almost 6 months. The situation is widespread: the nerd guy who runs after a pretty girl telling her he's fallen in love with everything she does and at first courts her like medieval knights did to their ladies. But then, hell on earth came, and the worst thing is that she is now used to it.
Granted, she's never liked a singular detail of the physical/personality/soul/character of this boy (she almost hated him at first, because he acted like a shadow – too pressing), after a long chase she surrendered and got engaged to him. The story is sad since the start: he gives her total love, she's spoiled by all his attentions and never returns his love in any way. She just stays with him because her life seems now more comfortable: she has someone who calls her, someone who gives her gifts, someone who drives her home at night, someone who tells her "you're beautiful". And she seems to enjoy it. Maybe she has persuaded herself to be satisfied. But he is at the same time heaven and hell: he gives her his love, but wants her freedom. So he doesn't let her do anything a common girl would do: no more parties without him, no more nights in the clubs with her friends, no more trips without him, she can't even chat or laugh with the boy of the desk next to her at school.
For me, this is pure madness. And when she tells me all this shit, I always answer:" But that's unbelievable. This is total madness." And she usually replies:" Why? I think it's normal, surely I completely understand my boyfriend. It's normal that he doesn't let me go out with my friends without him, expecially if the friends are boys."
I think the problem isn't if he LETS her do or not do something, but the conviction that he's allowed to tell her what to do. I can't persuade myself that this situation can suit a woman, but telling those things, my friend signs automatically her death's sentence. Where's the respect between a man and a woman?
That's the way society (I'm talking about mine, the Italian one) turns out submissive wives who say:" I like staying at home, cooking, looking after my sons, doing the dishwashing and cleaning the house without my husband's help, because that's what I was born for." Because that's the reality. Many women here convince themselves that this is the right situation, and once again many of us are subdued to men. That's what making our society grow sick. I still think this is a problem concerned with our upbringing: if we grow up with a wrong education, we'll believe that everything's due to men.
Fortunately I'm not, but many of us are.
Read other posts about: abusive relationships, feminism and abusive relationships, gender roles, Italian feminism, Italy, teen dating violence
Post Your Comment
Madelaine @ at 12:11 pm, June 22nd, 2010
A friend of my mom's once told her about an abusive relationship one of their women friends was in, that ended up costing the life of the woman's child. After the man murdered her child, the woman still stood by him.
When my mom heard this story, she said, "That doesn't make any sense to me."
Her friend said, "Of course you don't understand it, because you would never put a man before your child, or yourself. And neither would your daughter."
Maybe your friend's situation does not make sense to you, because you are so far from ever being in a relationship like that. Maybe you can make a difference to her through your example, through showing what an equal relationship can be like.
Valentine @ at 3:33 pm, June 22nd, 2010
You see, I'm trying in any possible way to show her that her relationship isn't very equal, for example by telling her how I behave with my boyfriend and how he acts with me, but she still believe that her situation is the best on earth. She seems to be not conscious that a normal girl should be more free than her. I think that getting into a love affair does not mean PRIVATION. Maybe with the time she'll be able to understand what I mean, and by looking around her, she'll find out other better ways to live a relationship, with the full respect of her dignity.
scary joann @ at 6:18 pm, June 22nd, 2010
As a female nerd, I've encountered this situation personally multiple times. The thing is, she may not see it as controlling. She may just see it as trying to stay close to each other by putting up a wall against most other people. She might see it as a normal part of any relationship and maybe thinks yours is the weird one. She might just be in a part of life where a really solid feeling relationship is everything and will do anything to keep that. Maybe (and I hate to say this) she's someone who enjoys being controlled. Some girls grow up at home then just go from relying on and obeying parents to relying on and obeying men. My mom did. Didn't work out in the long run.
I second the idea that the best thing you can do is continue to support her as an individual but not necessarily support her relationship with him. She might feel attached to the point where imagining life without him is hard. Continue to remind her she she's her, not an extension of him, and do your best to remain loving and patient throughout. Many of my friends ended up hating each other as a result of bad boyfriends.
Sarah @ at 11:14 am, June 23rd, 2010
This is wrong, no doubt about it. A man shouldn't be able to dictate the actions of his girlfriend. And maybe this kind of relationship before marriage does lead to a submissive, restless, unhappy wife.
But at the same time, I feel that I've seen this kind of behavior with more women than men. It's still not right, but I think it's a problem that is less about gender and more about relationships in general, the power one person has over another and the use of that power. I think where gender comes in is the way these relationships are viewed. When the woman's the one doing hte controlling, she might be seen as a nag; when the man's doing it, it might be seen as normal or, like here, emotionally abusive.
I definitely don't have a solution to any of these problems. But I do think that both women and men need an education in equality in relationships.
Nyxelestia @ at 5:41 pm, June 24th, 2010
Something else you might want to address is the guy, and his friends.
A long time ago, I had a very chill boyfriend, who never minded the way I related to other boys, or the fact I was bisexual and how I related to other girls. I'd walk arm in arm with guy-friends, kiss lots of people on cheek, hug people, chat with EVERYONE (I talk. A lot. :D), even sat in some friends' laps during crowded lunch times – and he never had a problem with it. Ever. But a lot of his guyfriends did – they kept telling him that as I was "his girl", he shouldn't "share me" so easily. One actually told him to keep me on a shorter leash! Not to mention a few conservative girls even said I should tone it down a little, at least when he was around.
Luckily, my boyfriend was pretty much immune to peer pressure. He even got a little dialogue among those guys started with his usual response: "Just because you distrust your girlfriend doesn't mean I distrust mine." He never developed a problem with it, either.
tl;dr: the guy may also be trying to prove his own masculinity – especially if he's a nerd, as they get picked on the most for reasons relating to (lack of) masculinity. In this relationship and in society in general, this is also something that needs to be addressed.
jackie @ at 7:20 pm, June 24th, 2010
I think there is more going on here than just a jealous boyfriend. Did I read that right? She didn't like him but he pursued her for 6 months, and she gave him a chance and got engaged – But she doesn't really like him?
Valentine @ at 1:46 pm, June 30th, 2010
Yes, that's exactly, she says she never liked him, and neither now she would never tell him "I fancy you, I like the way you are, or I love you". And that's why I can't understand why she has resigned herself to get with him. I couldn't stand a relationship I'm not interested in taking it on, expecially if the boyfriend is jealous and if he tries to put me in a cage. So i've started to think that she stays with him because beside all the jealousy, he's always ready to spoil her with all his attention. But he's still convinced that she has to give him back her freedom.
Matt @ at 5:30 pm, June 30th, 2010
This is absolute horse shit. She just gave up and got engaged to a guy she didn't like? GAVE UP???
You act like she is the victim of human trafficking. Shes a moron, and if she has that little self respect, than she deserves no better than what she is getting.
This happens to nerdy guys A LOT by the way, this is in no way a purely feminist issue.
Matt SS @ at 12:42 pm, December 22nd, 2011
We were talking about Twilight on a forum I visit, cause one dude really likes it and we make fun of him, and we were talking about the abusive relationships it models and one guy from the netherlands was like, thats not weird, lots of girls love that, they want to do everything for their boyfriend and make him happy. And he claimed that the abusive relationship I was describing from Twilight was just romantic love. It kinda skeeved me out that he thought that, except that its true. The way people relate to others is based on culture and a little bit of randomness. People aren't born with goals and then manipulated away from them. Their goals are intrinsically external. So although I think its a little weird, a lot of girls, and guys, really are happy with that kind of relationship. They like it that way. Trading consistent and excessive attention for freedom makes them feel stable and safe and adored. The fact is that your view of relationships is no more true to yourself than theirs.


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TechnologyI spent a while pulling apart my brothers laser levels, and was trying to figure out if it has a Red laser diodes that are almost certainly the most typical forms of diodes used in the lower end outdoor laser levels or a 630nm Helium-neon laser It looks like the wavelenth they work at either 650nm or 630 - 635nm not sure which one. I though it will be an open diode but it really seems like it's closed because it has some sort of casing around the diode which suggests at the very least it has some protection.
The beam of light is really small and intense Possibly its a diode pumped solid state laser (DPSS) - I think these laser beams work on about 670nm or 680nm. They've got a higher beam feature and lower spectral bandwidth. Generally the standard and brightness is a lot more finer than the lower nm beams.Laser levels throw a beam of light that can be used as a visible chalk line every time a straight and even location point is needed.
The dimensions of the beam of light will depend on the scale of the diode. In this instance, smaller is much better a slighter beam of light is more precise. Using a wider beam of light, the actual point of "level" may be set anywhere in the width of the ray. So I think that is why the laser level line is so tiny and presice so as to have a really precise measurement.
Now I've the laser out of the level I just need to choose what I'm going to do with it now I have it, I would like think of a cool project to get my teeth into, has anybody made some amusing and entertaining things with a spare building laser level beam
Posted 09-30-2011 at 07:37 PM by pwilson2011
TechnologyI am that old. LOL. Can remember the first hand held calculators in the early 70`s. The rich guys had ones with memory functions. Mine could add, subtract,divide and total. WooHah.
Posted 04-03-2010 at 07:32 AM by yuri


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Should I Use HDMI or Component?
When you want to watch HD material on your TV, typically you need to choose between two different connections: HDMI or component.
HDMI is a single cable that connects from the video source to the television. It allows both video and audio to travel through the cable, making it appealing from a space-saving perspective.
Component, on the other hand, uses five cables--three for video and two for audio.
In the vast majority of cases, component is just fine for HD content. If you're watching programming from your cable or satellite provider, or if you have an Apple TV hooked up to your television, component is perfect, since it transmits up to 720p or 1080i video to your HDTV.
However, if you plan on gaming in 1080p or watching Blu-ray films, you have to use an HDMI cable. HDMI supports full 1080p resolution, making it the only suitable option for such high-quality content. It also works with any resolution under 1080p, including 720p, 1080i, and 480p.
So, which one should you choose? As long as you have enough open ports, you should probably opt for an HDMI cable, regardless of whether it's connected to a Blu-ray player or a cable box. With HDMI, you'll save space in the back of your entertainment center, and you'll be sure to get the best picture quality.
Before you head down to pick up an HDMI cable, however, keep one thing in mind: They're all the same. No matter what a salesperson might say to you, find the cheapest HDMI cable in the store and buy that--you won't encounter any issues with picture quality if you choose a cheap HDMI cable over the $100 option sitting next to it.
How Do I Get Channels Without a Cable Box?
If you're hoping to watch television without adding a cable or satellite box to the mix, you have some alternatives.
For starters, be sure to buy a television that has a built-in tuner. With such a tuner, the TV can capture and display channels sent over the air. And since many over-the-air channels come in HD, you'll be able to take full advantage of your set's capabilities.
To activate the tuner, simply choose that input on your television. From there, you should see an option to search for over-the-air channels; once you select it, your HDTV will find all the channels within range. In most cases it will find all of your local channels and even some others you might not anticipate. Don't expect to get all of the channels that a cable provider offers through a box, however; the options will be somewhat limited.
If you want to supplement those channels with more viewing choices, consider buying a set-top box such as the Apple TV, or a gaming console such as the Sony PlayStation 3. Both devices offer access to Netflix, so you can see some recent TV series. The PlayStation 3 also gives access to Hulu Plus, which allows you to watch current TV programming from several networks, including NBC and Fox, for $8 per month.
Alternatively, you can connect your PC to your HDTV and use that as your media center.
How Can I Calibrate My TV in 5 Minutes?
You can find a host of hardware and software tools that promise to help you calibrate your HDTV--but since your goal is to save time, the following 5-minute calibration should be all you need.
First, be sure to calibrate your HDTV at the time of day when you're most likely to watch programming or movies. Depending on the time and on how much light is in the room, the picture might not look ideal. If you calibrate the TV in the same conditions as when you're most likely to watch, you'll be far more pleased with the results.
Next, put on a movie or TV show that you're familiar with, and pause the playback on a scene that you know particularly well, so you can ensure that skin tones and colors are accurate as you calibrate.
Browse to your HDTV's video settings and choose either 'movie' or 'film' mode. In most instances that option provides you with the closest-to-optimal setting for your HDTV. If you like the way that setting looks, keep it there and don't make any tweaks. But if you think it needs a little something, start modifying some of the individual picture settings, such as brightness, sharpness, and contrast.
Brightness is perhaps better described as "black level." You'll want to adjust the brightness on your set until something black on your display has a nice, deep, inky look to it.
Sharpness tends to create odd halos around objects that aren't coming from the video source. Since you want to create an accurate picture as quickly as possible, it's generally best to turn sharpness down to zero.
Then, go to the contrast settings (sometimes called "picture") and turn it down so that white objects on the screen look sharp, have detail, and don't appear odd. At this point you might also have to return to the brightness setting to ensure that blacks aren't too dark and you haven't lost some detail along the way.
You may also find a 'color' setting on your HDTV. Since you're not using any calibration aids, it's best for now to leave that alone, since most HDTVs deliver relatively accurate color out of the box.
If after this quick adjustment you're not quite happy with what you've found, feel free to go back and adjust the settings until you've set up the right look for your eye.
This story, "Five Common HDTV Questions, Answered" was originally published by PCWorld.


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So who am I? It's a reasonable question. IRL I did the practical thing, spent a very long time in school, and am supposed to be a responsible professional. Well, I am a responsible professional, but this nagging urge to write just Will Not Leave Me Alone.
So I've finally decided to stop fighting the urge and go with it. Going with the flow isn't something I typically do very well (why go with the flow when you can try to control it?), but this time, I'm going to do it.
I learned about this new category called New Adult and knew it was time. Trying to make that transition into becoming a full-fledged adult is exciting, terrifying, crazy, exhilarating… what's not to like? That is exactly the type of character that keeps speaking to me, and it's time I gave them voices. I hope you enjoy these characters and their stories as much as I do.
If you want to hear about new releases coming up, then join my Mailing List! I won't share or sell the list with anyone and will only send out an email when there's a new release. I know we all get more than enough email these days.
You can also check me out on Facebook, twitter, and tumblr.Leave a comment


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From time-to-time we often hear there is a need for change in the country. Someone calls in on a radio programme. Another person in your neighbourhood, maybe a friend, makes a comment about how the politicians are 'wicked' or 'corrupt'. You know how it goes. Election time comes and the politicians begin campaigning with promises of 'change'. Yet, somehow, after all of these calls and decisions made in hope of change things, today, seem so much like the same.
From election cycle to election cycle in countries around the world the calls of change are made. Outside of election time, committees and organization, local, regional and international, are created with the purpose of making some change in some place in this world. Where is the change?
I will list some questions for you. You can take the time to think about them when you have a chance. I have some responses but I will keep them to myself at least for now. Here they are:
- If the world is supposed to be such a loving place why is there so much poverty?
- If certain doctrines, religious and legal, label us all as created equal then why are we making a world that is not?
- Why is it that that in many parts of the world people have the right to live in poverty but are barred by lay from ending their lives?
- Is there really a way to end poverty?
- Is political correctness the way to conduct public discourse? Maybe there is room for the not-so-nice-talk.
- Are safe spaces necessary?
- Why is it important to have Black people represented at awards shows?
- Is atheism the answer? One may ask the answer to what?
- Do we need governments?
- What would the world look like without money?
It seems as though we have a lot of the wrong change in this world. People doing little things with little effect. Pocket change maybe?


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Chapter 7. Mother Theresa vs. Hitler In this chapter, G&T present a version of the moral argument for God's existence which I call the "Moral Laws Require a Moral Lawgiver Argument," which they formulate as follows. 1. Every law has a law giver. 2. There is a Moral Law.3. Therefore, there is a Moral Law Giver. Like the earlier arguments, this argument is deductively valid. Like the earlier chapters about this argument, I plan to briefly summarize G&T's defense of … [Read more...]
Brigham Young: Racist Prophet of the Mormons – Part 3
In January of 1852, Brigham Young encouraged the Utah territorial legislature to pass a law that prohibitted sex between white people and black people, and publically declared that black people (or people with a black grandparent or great grandparent) "Cannot hold the priesthood": ======================================= Mormon Anti-Miscegenation in Utah Law Brigham Young addressed the Utah territorial legislature on January 6, 1852 to push through a law that not only legalized slavery in the … [Read more...]
Brigham Young: Racist Prophet of the Mormons – Part 2
It is not clear why Brigham Young followed the racist pro-slavery views of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery from 1836 instead of the more liberal-minded abolitionist views of Joseph Smith from 1842 to 1844. However, confronting the reality of mixed-race marriages and sex between black men and white women appears to have pushed Young further in the direction of racist beliefs and practices: ================================= One of the most significant, and simultaneously most obscure marriages … [Read more...]
Brigham Young: Racist Prophet of the Mormons – Part 1
Brigham Young was a racist white man who initiated racial discrimination into the official policies and practices of the Mormon church (more specifically: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement).One key racist policy of the Mormons was to exclude blacks from "the priesthood". In the Mormon faith "priesthood" was not limited to just a few select members of the church (as in the Catholic faith). Any adult male or boy who is … [Read more...]


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Skip navigation.
ALVA, Okla. – The Rangers softball team came away with a split on Thursday afternoon, winning the opener 4-2 against No. 7 St. Gregory's University and falling 11-2 in game two. The split put Northwestern at 14-18 overall and at 7-14 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
St. Gregory's scored a solo run in the first inning of game one to take an early 1-0 lead, but the Rangers countered in the bottom half of the inning as Natalie Vasquez doubled in Therese Beeler who reached base via an SGU error.
Both teams were held scoreless until Ashley Lovelady hit her fifth home run of the year, a solo shot, to give the Rangers a 2-1 advantage after five innings of play.
The Cavaliers tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth using three singles.
Northwestern blew the game open in the top of the seventh as Jacey Juden scored on a passed ball, after starting the inning off with a single. A Katie Thomas double to left field scored the Rangers second unearned run of the inning as Vasquez scored after reaching on an error.
Juden advanced to 8-9 on the season as she mowed down the Cavaliers in order in the bottom of the seventh to secure the 4-2 upset of the seventh-ranked Cavaliers. Juden struck out five batters in the complete-game win, allowed six hits and two runs.
Northwestern picked up five hits in the opener, as Lovelady led the way with a home run and single for a 2-for-3 performance.
St. Gregory's outhit the Rangers 13-5 in game two and did all of its scoring in three innings. SGU scored three runs in both the first and fifth innings and added five runs in the top of the seventh.
The Rangers scored a run in the sixth as Juden lined a sacrifice fly to left field to score an unearned run when Lovelady scored. Northwestern's other run came in the seventh inning when the Rangers grounded out into a double play.
Allison Widener led NWOSU with two of the team's five singles.
Juden started in the circle and went five innings, before Meagan Lack pitched the final two.
The Rangers (14-18, 7-14) will take on Mid-America Christian in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, April 6 at 2 p.m.
MISSION STATEMENT: Northwestern Oklahoma State University provides quality educational and cultural opportunities to learners with diverse needs by cultivating ethical leadership and service, critical thinking and fiscal responsibility.


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This thing is almost over and I've been mourning the end for about two weeks now. I really wish I had been able to write each week since my last post, but all that really needs to be said is that we were on that grind. That hustle. That game.
My involvement with Techstars has been probably the best work experience I've ever had, and I've had a lot of work experiences. I've met and worked closely with some of the smartest people I've ever been around, many of whom I expect I'll be friends with for quite some time. In the span of three months, I've learned tons about the business of startups, funding, and even more about the interpersonal dynamics of good teams. All of these teams have been forged in fire over the last three months. I've been witness to mad awkward and emotional meetings, heated arguments, moments of elation, ill-kept facial hair, and paintball bruises. It's been a roller coaster, bruh.
Real talk? I have made very little money for my time. At the worst moments for me during this program, I thought about telling people to fuck off, especially considering the amount of time and effort I was putting into helping some of the teams. Here's the thing though, there were like three of those moments over three months and they were literally just moments—fleeting instances of thoughts like, "This is bullshit. I've spent more time on this single project for this one team than the whole three month commitment is worth." That's real, financially speaking. The big deal though, and why I didn't tell anyone to fuck off, was that I loved almost every minute of it. Even while it was happening. I loved it.
Over the last few years, I've redefined for myself what success looks and feels like. Probably due to my longstanding outlook on life, my previous shitty work environments, and my penchant for dressing like I'm retired, I don't go in for the bullshit anymore. I want to do good work for people who don't suck. Techstars has enabled me to do that over the last three months. It was stressful a lot of the time. I lost sleep. I likely lost a little more hair. I smoked too many cigarettes and probably drank too much. I could've been doing all that working somewhere stupid though. Truth be told, I would do what I do for free. Getting money for my work is icing.
Being part of Techstars has been awesome. That's my main point here. Given the amount of work and stress, would I do it again? I say hell yeah, fucking right. I consider some of these people core bros now. Many of the people I've been spending days with are painfully awkward, likely mildly autistic, potty-mouthed, argumentative, strangely-dressed, outright nerds, but core bros nonetheless. Birds of a feather and such.
We've got a few days left before demo-day, and then most of the teams go back to wherever. These folks from California, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Israel, England, Washington D.C., and here in Texas, all have a place to stay with me if ever they need one. If I'm ever out their way, they should expect to put me up and take me out for dinner. As far as I can tell from seeing and talking to alumi of previous Techstars programs, this shit is for life. You meet super smart people with similar talents and goals, get to know them in a stressful environment, share trials, triumphs, donuts, air mattresses, and kegs, and then the program is over. Obviously, you're going to stay in touch; shit got real for a while and friendships were forged. Techstars knows what it's doing. Seats, the managing director here, knows how to pick smart people. I'm one of those people. No big swig.


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A Year-long Series on Education, Sponsored by The Aligarh Forum : – A Mirror on our Efforts, our Successes & our Shortcomings ; Stories of triumphs, tribulations and struggles of the Indian Muslims in improving their educational status, in illiteracy alleviation, and in their professional and social uplift.
By Zaidul Haque, Twocircles.net
Kolkata: Academic excellence with a religious atmosphere, this has been the mission of Al Ameen Mission, the pioneer Muslim ducational institution in West Bengal since 1987. Its main campus is situated at Khalatpur, Howrah district, at least 70 km from Kolkata.
Al-Ameen Mission has tried to achieve quality and excellence in the field of education following the principles of fairness, equity, equality and transparency with preferences to the poor and meritorious students. Al-Ameen defines its objectives as promoting quality education among the poor and backward class minorities of the society and developing the socio-economic condition of the Muslims.
Al-Ameen Mission Girls Campus at Khalatpur. [TCN Photo]
Every parent wants to send their children to school to get quality education, thorough knowledge, develop honesty, confidence and life long effective learning, with a passion to excel at home, school and in the society, and for Muslims an Islamic environment. This has been the philosophy of Al Ameen Mission, and the brain working behind its implementation is M. Nurul Islam, Founder Secretary of the Institution. M. Nurul Islam, who is a school teacher by profession, told TwooCircles.net that all my dreams have centralized around the Al Ameen Mission.
After the partition the cream of the society, elite Muslim settled in Bangladesh. Rest of the Muslim potentially lagged behind in education from that period due to poor condition as a whole. But gradually they revived their situation and tried to compete in the education field. In the eighties, a new renaissance was generated in West Bengal to develop the traditional education for the Muslim children. Al Ameen Mission started in the eighties has now become a big tree with many branches.
Side view of the Al-Ameen Campus at Khalatpur, Howrah. [TCN Photo]
Al Ameen Mission has bagged many awards for their excellent work in field of education field in West Bengal. They have been winners of The Telegraph School Award for Excellence in 2002 & 2009. The Mission has also been awarded The Telegraph School Award for the best academic performance in competitive examinations in the year 2004 and the Certificate of the Honour in the year 2005, 2006 & 2008. Begum Rokeya Puraskar of West Bengal Board of Madrasa Education was also added on their crown in 2010 for its contribution to the socio-academic upliftment of the minority community in West Bengal. Al-Ameen Mission's student Mohammar Arif topped the Secondary Examination (Madhyamik) in 2007. Beside the formal education students of Al Ameen Mission achieve excellence in Joint Entrance Examination in Medical & Engineering every year. Now more than 3000 students in their Institution are accommodated in hostels, both girls and boys.
The Telegraph Award for Excellence in Academics(HS & Madhyamik) to Al-Ameen Mission. [Photo: The Telegraph]
Beginning of the Mission:
To spread Islamic education in Khalatpur village of Howrah district Khalatpur Junior High Madrasa started on February 21, 1976. Foundation stone of the Madrasah Building was laid on August 20, 1978. Local body decided to take government recognition form Government of West Bengal. Recognition came on January 1, 1982.
Al-Ameen Mission boys campus at Khalatpur, Howrah. [TCN Photo]
After getting the Government recognition, key person of that Madrasa and teacher M Nurul Islam took the initiative to teach modern education along with religious instructions in an Islamic environment. They formed another Institute `Institute of Islamic Culture' on May 6, 1984. On January 1, 1987 the management of Institution of Islamic Culture decided to rename the Institution to `Al Ameen Mission'.
Founder Secretary Nurul Islam recalled the services of the first President of Khalatpur High Madrasa Shaikh Md. Hanif, Institute of Islamic Culture's first President Dr Khondakar Golam Hafiz, First President of Al-Ameen Mission Dr. Moazzem Hossain. Nurul Islam aslo acknowledged Mr Nurul Haque, IAS, who given the mission his valuable advice and enrich the education system from the beginning of the Mission. Most of the contribution for the school was made by Chairman of the Mission and Pataka Group of Industries owner & Chairman of G D Charitable Society Mostak Hossain. Mission acknowledged the Director & Ex MP Mrinal Sen, Educationalist A K Jalaluddin, Industrialist Sajahan Biswas, M.A Rashid, Muhammad Ali, Haji Md Khalil and others who continue to help the Mission.
Girls students playing at Khalatpur Campus. [TCN Photo]
Schooling & Hostel: from past to present
The boys' residential school started first. With a library & labs began education at Al-Ameen Mission in 1987. A Joint Entrance Coaching Centre started soon after, in 1999 it was renamed Al-Ameen Mission Study Circle.
Beside this they first reached Kolkata to open a city office cum students hostel in 1992. In this year they laid down foundation stone of a boy's school building. Another boy's building was also constructed in 1998. Al-Ameen Mission gets assistance from the Central Government. They got Rs 35-lakh donation from the Maulana Azad Education Foundation, New Delhi, for similar school for girls in 1999 and started girls section the next year with Class V-VII. Gradually they increased the number of Boys & Girls hostel inside the same premises but in separate campus.
Founder Secretary of the Al-Ameen Mission Nurul Islam told Twocircles that, the main campus of Mission, Al-Ameen Mission for Boys, is located at Khalatpur, Howrah. It comprises about 45 bighas of land. It consists of a five-storey boys' hostel building, a three-storey school building and a three-storey administrative building with a guest house and health centre. There is a mosque inside the hostel building. It now has about 1336 students, with a residential staff of 200, and a part-time and non-residential staff of 50. These residential schools cater to students from class V to class XII, with separate facilities for girls & boys. Nearly 1500 students are staying and studying in the main campus at Khalatpur.
Another 18 residential campuses of Al-Ameen Mission are located in the towns & remote areas in 12 districts of West Bengal. But not all are able to accommodate both boys & girls. The campus are in: Belpukur in South Dinajpur, Patharchapri in Birbhum, Panchur in Metiaburuj of Kolkata, Malda, Dhuliyan in Murshidabad, Midnapour, Hasnecha in South 24 Parganas, Memari in Burdwan and Rampurhat in Birbhum. Total number of students in all these campuses are more than 5000, said Al-Ameen Mission Secretary.
M Nurul Islam, Founder Secretary of Al-Ameen Mission.
Al-Ameen Mission follows curriculum of West Board of Secondary Education for secondary section & West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education for Senior Secondary. They also have a section for High Madrasa Examination (Secondary).
Al-Ameen Mission also spread its branches at the primary level. They introduced so many school named under the `Al-Ameen Mission Academy' in several districts of West Bengal with hostel accommodation. Their aim is to acquire poor meritorious Muslim Students under one umbrella. If Mission could provide quality teaching then, meritorious but poor students will get required resources required for their success. Mission always gives more importance to the poor, but meritorious students, Mr Islam said.
Al-Ameen Campus at Khalatpur, Howrah. [TCN Photo]
Performance in Education:
The best achievement in the education field of Al-Ameen Mission was when their student Muhammed Arif, topped the Madhyamik (secondary) examination in 2007. He scored 99.4 percent marks to top the list.
361 sudents appeared in the Madhyamik (Secondary Examination) in 2011. Among them 100 students scored above 85% and 293 students scored above 75%. In Higher secondary examination appeared 625, out of which 428 students scored above 75%, 257 students greater than 80% and 8 scored more than 90%.
Not only formal education, students of Al-Ameen Mission also making their mark in Medical & Engineering Entrance Examination in West Bengal. Last five years more 1365 students have qualified in WBJEE. The number of successful Al-Ameen students increases every year. Whereas in 2007 only 68 Muslims qualified in medical entrance, in 2011 that number jumped to 132. In Engineering qualified students were 198. But in 2011 that number is 237. Al-Ameen's best rank in WBJJE in Medical last year was 12 and 132 in Engineering. In 2008 a student was ranked 8th in medical and another students get rank 12th in 2010.
Coaching of professional Courses:
Al-Ameen Mission provides professional coaching through Al-Ameen Mission Study Circles. Al-Ameen Mission Study Cirlces conducts coaching for all the professional entrance exams like Medical, Engineering, West Bengal Civil Services etc. They also conduct free coaching for School Service Commission & Madrasa Service Commission Exams. They have been envisaged upon by the West Bengal Minorities Development & Finance Corporation the responsibility of conducting free coaching in the districts of Kolkata, Birbhum and Malda. Study Circle provides the coaching with modern facilities & using latest technology of audio-visual.
Al-Ameen Mission Girls student at Khalatpur. [TCN Photo]
Future Plan & Vision:
Vision 2020, the target of the Al-Ameen Mission is inspired by Industrialist Mostak Hossain. Secretary of Al-Ameen Mission hopes, within 2020 they will cross the number of students to 40 thousand. Al-Ameen Mission will open an institution on their Rajarhat-Newtown, Kolkata campus as `Centre of Excellence for Higher Studies and Research', where coaching will be given for Medical, Engg, IIT, IIM and many post-graduate courses and also research of comparative religion. The land of Al-Ameen Mission at Rajarhat Campus was allocated by previous Left Front Govt for nearly Rs 3 cr.
Their second aim to make a charitable organisation `Al-Ameen Mission Medical research Centre' where poor to rich all people will get equal health-care services.
It is the dream of Nurul Islam, Secretary of Al-Ameen Mission to make a world class university in the name of Holy Prophet- `Al-Ameen University'
More than 25 percent of students that are poor but meritorious are studying here absolutely free. 35% pay half the fee and only 40% for financially sound students. More than 15000 students take part in the admission test, said Nurul islam.
Al-Ameen Mission Trust introduced Scholarship with the support of some social, charitable & business organization. M Nurul Islam told TCN that Mission already enjoying exemption under section 80G of I.T. Act. So, kind hearted Muslims are coming forward to help us. Though that is not enough, he added.
Celebrated 25 years:
Al-Ameen Mission celebrated its Silver Jubilee on January 28-29th, 2012 at its main campus in Khalatpur of Howrah district. State Minister of Urban Development & Municipal Affairs Mr Firhad Hakim, Vice Chancellor of Aliah University Dr Syed Shamsul Alam, Libya-based businessman Er. Akbar Hossain, Chairman of State Madarsa Service Commission Professor Abdur Rauf, State Bar Council Secretary Ansar Ali Mondal, Prof Habibur Rahman of Islamic University at Kustia, Bangladesh were also present at the ceremony and delivered their speech.
Website: http://alameenmission.org
Secretary of Al-Ameen Mission can be contacted at this number no: 9433011730


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Climbing Rose Vine Turtleneck Scarf
Buy 4 patterns - Get 1 FREE! - No coupon code needed! Simply add 5 patterns to your cart and only pay for 4.
This scarf is made with a very old, but not often used, lace stitch. Each panel is the same as the other, with the rose vine climbing up in the same direction. As a result of the type of lace stitch used, the center two stitches will appear to be swaying as they travel up the scarf. In addition, the placement of the stitches causes the rose vine to stand out nicely from the background stitches. A yarn with a good stitch definition is recommended for this scarf.
The scarf in the picture is finished with 2 rounds of crochet (single and crab stitches). The edging is optional, but instructions are included with the pattern, should you want to finish it this way.
Skill Level: Intermediate - Intermediate + (assuming a good working knowledge of knitting, purling and lace knitting)
This pattern was professionally tested by Lori Veteto who can be contacted at:
firstname.lastname@example.com, and is known on Ravelry as hooknneedler
This pattern is no longer for sale.


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I'm a musician (kind of) and have played in ensemble settings long enough to know that music can be made a lot more effective by knowing when NOT to play as well as when actually making some sound. Skillful musicians and composers use the silences in the song to lend more power to song's content. … Continue reading »
Don't Be A Victim
I'm not going to sugarcoat the state of things right now. We're in volatile times as the manufacturing economy we've enjoyed for the past hundred years or so gradually recedes into the past. There's been a lot of people left out in the cold by these changes, myself included. Baby-boomers grew up in the jobs-for-life paradigm. If… Continue reading »
Graphic Design 101: Alignment
In the last instalment I wrote about proximity of graphic elements in design. Again, for further exploration of today's topic, I refer you to Robin Williams' book The Non-Designer's Design Book. It's an excellent resource for design basics! Today we'll talk about alignment. When I talked about proximity, I did sneak in a little about… Continue reading »
Graphic Design 101: Proximity
An important part of your company's brand is the image of professionalism you want to convey, and good looking, brand-consistent stationary is a vital part of that. When it comes to image, what is it that separates the professionals from the wannabe's? There are some basic principles to good looking design that Robin Williams (not… Continue reading »
Effective Writing for Business
Do we write effectively? We want to get our message across with as little fuss as possible; clear, concise writing that doesn't want to impress with big words jargon. Less really is more. A good resume is a study in efficiency. Employers have hundreds to wade through, and long ones are likely to get deep-sixed… Continue reading »
QR Codes
When I was a kid, I remember watching the girls at the checkout ring up groceries. She had to read and input every price into a mechanical cash register. In hindsight, I imagine repetitive stress disorder was an occupational hazard, and I'm sure that (experience notwithstanding) mistakes happened. Then came bar codes. I can just… Continue reading »
Cross-Border Shipping
Do you have products shipped from the United States into Canada? There are some possible pitfalls and complications you should be aware of. I talked to Keith Alton of White Rock Courier, who offers this advice: It's really easy as 1, 2, 3. 1. Be prepared by taking the time to establish the necessary infrastructure of setting up… Continue reading »
Twitter for Business
Are you tweeting? Twitter is an online free "micro-blog" that helps you get the word out. It's a great way to connect with people, to become an online citizen and trust agent in your particular field. But you have to engage. You can' t just sign in and expect business to pour in. You need to… Continue reading »


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Have you heard the news about the relaunched of ICIS Chemical Business? (that's the magazine I worked for). It will now have new weekly columns on Petrochemicals, Polymers, Intermediates and Inorganics/Oleochemicals/Biofuels.
The green blogger will handle the last section (inorganics/oleo/biofuels) and that might take some time away from the blog — I hope not but it remains to be seen. Still, all of us are excited with the new focus as we will be able to provide essential pricing information and market analysis to help buyers and sellers in key chemical markets that ICIS focuses on.
You can access the online version of the magazine (for free!) in here:
And of course, here is the blog's news roundup for this week:
Petrobras biofuel partnership
Petrobras has partnered with Dutch firm BIOeCON to develop a new process for enhanced conversion of biomass lignocelluloses into chemicals or advanced biofuels. The companies plan to establish proof of concept on pilot scale in the Netherlands and to build a demonstration facility in Brazil.
Air Products builds a solar farm
Air Products will build a 12-acre solar farm at its corporate headquarters in Allentown, Pa., capable of generating 1.5 MW of electricity. The 1.5MW will serve the energy needs of nearly half of Air Products' administration buildings. The project is expected to begin construction this fall and be onstream in the spring of 2011.
Cereplast's bioplastic in pen
Cereplast has inked a production contract with Brazil-based S.R. Promocionais, Ltda, to introduce Eko BIO, a compostable, biodegradable pen. The pen uses Cereplast's Compostable 1001 injection molding grade resin.
Panasonic and Teijin in PLA
Panasonic Electric Works Co. and Teijin Limited have jointly develop a highly
heat-resistant polylactide (PLA) molding compound made from 80% plant-based renewable feedstock. Panasonic will sell the new material under MBA900H PLA molding compound for use in the housings of cell phones and other mobile devices and digital consumer electronics. The companies' goal is to initially produce 1,000 tons/year of the resin in 2012.
Phase 2 of cellulosic ethanol project
The US Department of Energy has approved BlueFire Ethanol's $250m request for phase 2 of their Fulton, MS, cellulosic ethanol project. The Fulton facility will produce 19m gal/year of ethanol from woody biomass, mill residue, and other cellulosic waste.
Castor oil for biojet feedstock
Evogene Ltd. said that biojet produced from castor varieties under development by the company meets the key international standards for alternative aviation fuels. Evogene is currently testing its castor varieties in field trials in the southern U.S. and northeastern Brazil.
And in ICIS News (requires subscription):
A new US law, the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, was signed last week by President Barack Obama. The legislation calls for particleboard, hardwood plywood, medium-density fibreboard (MDF) and other products made or sold in the US to meet the formaldehyde emission ceilings in California's emission standard by June 2013.
The Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) voiced strong opposition to a bid by Congress to impose an inherently safer technology (IST) mandate on producers, warning that it would kill jobs and force more manufacturing overseas.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered its 2011 blending target for cellulosic-based biofuel as production of the fuel lagged initial estimates.


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The preride showed that the course was a bit more technical, but even more painful than before. This time around the descent was straight down the fall line, so all your suffering on false-flats and log-runups was erased in a few seconds flying downhill. It was the epitome of "nowhere to rest."
The combination of high aspirations and a serious bottleneck 60 seconds into the course made me decide on a plan that went against everything I stand for -- the reverse reverse-holeshot. I lined up one place uphill of yesterday's winner James Tosca on the front row, remembered how to clip in, and crushed it off the start line. It didn't matter that almost every bad mountain bike race I have start with going out too fast -- it's a Verge B race and I'm on the front row, there is no other choice.
Soon everyone had faded from my peripheral vision and I had the holeshot. I leaned into the first uphill turn to hear a terrible sound -- "pbbbpbbbbpbpbpbpb." That's onomatopoeia for my tire folding over, in case you aren't familiar with it. Luckily I have uber-glued gewilli tubulars so there was no chance of it rolling, just chattering horribly and sending me incredibly wide on what should have been a slow, uphill turn.
I'm not actually a complete idiot, or maybe I am. My tire had slow-leaked down to 20psi during staging (it should have been 28) which is apparently well below the holding point of a Grifo sidewall. Desperate to hold onto my holeshot, I went even harder to come back off the outside of the corner and stay in the lead.
I chattered across the long off camber, riding almost down into the grass. Went harder again to stay in the lead. Dropped into the down-hairpin-up, dropping a foot as the tire folds at the apex, killing it back up the hill because I don't know what else to do.
Putting some hearts in the microwave, primarily my own
The first short descent finally got me to snap back to reality, because my heart rate was maxing out and I had to drop a foot on every corner as the tire let go.
"What the hell am I going to do??" my brain asked me. I did not have an answer. I did, however, start dropping places. Two more tiptoed corners and it was time to ride the runup, my front tire making a nice "clunk" every time I dropped it on a log. At the top Linnea was spectating so it was time to call in the cavalry.
"IHaveASlowLeakINeedAFrontWheel" I gasped as I went by. See, we don't have pit bikes, or pit wheels, but we both ride 54cm frames with SPDs. Her bike is my bike, and vice versa, when necessary. She ran for the pit, which I'm sure is exactly what she was hoping for as a warmup.
I nursed the tire for the rest of the lap, hemorrhaging places on the corners because I couldn't turn and on the straights because my legs were blowing up due to the excitement. On one of the straightaways I looked down to check on something, and when I look up there is a gnarly crash happening -- somehow, while riding in a straight line, someone got caught in the groove worn into the trail and put a foot down, then got t-boned by Ryan Rumsey, and I had just enough time after looking up to try to swerve by. No luck. My shoulder slammed right into Ryan's back, taking his number off and bruising both of us. Ouch. I stayed upright and managed to pick up a place, at least.
After one lap I rolled into the pit to do the bike change. Linnea is trying to say something but I can't hear her over my own gasping -- just dump the bike and run to the new one, right? Except there is no new one.
"WheresTheBike?!" I panic.
"MattsGettingIt" she says. Turns out that first her and Matt were going to do a wheel change, but then decided to do the whole bike -- so he was putting the wheel back on as we spoke. Adrenaline trumped patience -- I grabbed my previous bike and was back on course ten seconds and ten places later. Hmm -- is that legal?
Probably not, knowing UCI/UCSF. But no one caught that I actually left with all the same equipment I came in with.
Panicked and tiring I rode another ugly half-lap. This time the bike was there, at the secondary pit. It was a non UCI-legal (OMG) right-sided pit so the exchange was hardly a thing of beauty, in fact, my awkward remount got a passing Rosey to comment "too big! too big!" as I apparently struggled to get on top of her saddle.
Once on the bike things weren't exactly great -- I've been experimenting with the crazy-upright hoods a la Adam Myerson and now that I'm used to it, normal hoods feel like they're pointing at the ground. I rode another shaky lap feeling like it was my first time steering a cross bike, and was rewarded with some back pain thanks to my unease.
By now I was back to around 20th. After a lap (and a half?) I got my bike back with a new wheel. "Same tread, 32 psi" was the word from Matt at the exchange -- jeez that sounds pro, huh?
Back on a familiar ride, I was committed to making the pit crew's efforts not be in vain. I settled in and starting passing people back, and soon got word I was in 17th. Somehow this race might actually be salvageable.
Into the twisty little downhill I flew, zigzagging like Alberto Tomba. Unfortunately the wooden stakes were not as forgiving as slalom gates -- I pitched the bike wildly around a left turn and the stake hit my chainstay, hard.
I fell forward and left, clipping a foot out but pushing my bike harder against the stake and lifting it up. It hooked agaist my rear skewer, anchoring me nicely. I fell further forward -- something had to give.
"Something" turned out to be my quick release. It flipped open and, free of the stake, the bike returned to earth. I lifted my foot to clip back in -- but a wheel out of a dropout doesn't roll so well. I fell onto the handlebars.
Then over the handlebars.
And finished it off by having my still-clipped-in foot fling the bike over my tumbling body for good measure.
A passing Chris Bailey was suitable impressed by my wicked wreck.
It took a while to get sorted out after that. Back down to 20th. Less than two laps to go, but a steady line of people ahead -- there was no excuse not to go back in the hurtbox.
I passed Bailey back, who later described my pass-crash-pass stylings as "Jamneresque." Who should be more insulted by that?
One by one I moved up. With half a lap to go I was back in 16th -- ahead of me was Colin Murphy and yesterday's third place finisher. I was closing on them at the exact rate as we were approaching the finish. I feel like I've done this before.
Colin and Sheldon were too preoccupied by one another to notice me closing, but they were too motivated by each other to slow down. I was still 10 yards behind Colin when we hit the finishing straight -- and unlike last year, he went full gas at this point. It's a really long uphill finish on grass, but if they were going this early I had to go too. So I went all out.
Colin pulled alongside Sheldon and I fought my way slowly into their draft... 10 yards became 6 yards which became 3 yards. We were running out of course as fast as we were running out of gas.
Colin edged about half a bike length ahead, and Sheldon started to give up, just a tad. Colin's lead got a little bigger and he might have backed off just a little. Neither one knew I was there.
It was almost an amazing repeat of last year's sneak attack, but this time I came up just short, throwing the bike in vain about a wheel behind Colin and passing him after line. Then I lay down and dramatically flopped about trying to get oxygen for a bit, because that's my M.O, learned from xc ski sprinting. Guaranteed to get attention, or your money back.
So I ended up pulling out a 15th despite three trips to the pit and the awesomest crash I've ever had on a cross bike -- that's not really too bad. I'm looking at a front row callup for the big show in Gloucester, which makes me nervous and should scare you too.
As for my better half, how did she fare after missing most of her warmup running from pit to pit for me? Good enough to snag the last UCI point, in 10th, by half a wheel over Sally Annis... she should run between pits more often!


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Handcrafted by me in New Hampshire. Tiny 3x4 Quilled Hummingbird, matted and custom framed under glass in a black wood frame. These are nice little collectibles and look really nice on a small easel in the bookcase, or grouped together on the wall. Quilling is the art of rolling narrow strips of paper, forming the rolls into shapes and using those shapes to form delicate designs -- quilling, my way, includes adding a cut out over the quilling to produce beautiful wildlife art. This is one of my "Little Ones" collectible series. It is my original design of 3" x 4" quilled and custom framed "Little Ones". All are matted and custom framed in a black oak frame as shown. These "Little Ones" are favorites with a lot of people. What is Quilling? Quilling is a very old craft. Its name comes of the old practice of trimming the gold edges from books, and then winding the narrow strips of paper around feather quills, using the quill for the tool. Once rolled into circles and pinched into various shapes, the paper is used as texture and detail in pictures. My own technique uses the quill work as a background and details to cut-outs of wildlife. The quill work simulates the feathers in the duck and birds, the scales on the fish, the veins in the wildflowers, and the fur on the moose.
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Results 1 to 11 of 11
Thread: Pain a year after birth.
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12th June 2014 11:23 PM #1
- Join Date
- Jun 2014
- Posts
- 11
Pain a year after birth.
I had my twins 16 months ago, I still get pain often where I tore after sex. Is it something that will fade or is it just because it is the same spot from my daughter as well. The scar tissue is fairly bad. It's not always painful, but when it is it's pretty bad. I hope this is the right place to ask. It's fairly embarrassing.


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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Coming off arguably its best season in program history last fall, the Merrimack men's soccer team saw that success pay off in the form of nationwide respect on Tuesday after the first iteration of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Continental Tire National Rankings were unveiled, with the Warriors slotted 17th out of 25 teams nationwide.
After finishing the fall of 2012 with a 15-4-2 overall mark, the Warriors are certainly projected to remain a force to be reckoned with according to the panel of voters from across the country.
Merrimack was one of just two Northeast-10 Conference schools pitted in the nation's top-25 to start the season; Southern New Hampshire, a team that handed Merrimack two of those four losses last fall, begins the year ranked seventh.
Defending national champion Lynn sat atop the poll in front of second-ranked Saginaw Valley State. Atlantic Region foe Mercyhurst was slotted fourth, with SNHU representing the highest-ranked East Region school in the No. 7 spot, one ahead of eighth-ranked LIU Post.
Last fall, Merrimack made school history with the program's first-ever berth in the Division II NCAA Tournament. That came after claiming the NE-10 regular season crown on the last day of the season en route to an appearance in the NE-10 Championship Final. The Warriors also won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game in the First Round against Franklin Pierce before bowing out to the Penmen in the Second Round.
Despite graduating a bulk of last year's historic squad, Merrimack returns several key components to the pitch this fall, highlighted by Northeast-10 Goalkeeper of the Year Jose Silva (Northborough, Mass.). He, along with fellow all-conference honoree Ronald Ried (Schwendi, Germany) helped set a program record with 12 goals allowed all season – the fewest in single-season history.
The 2013 campaign begins Thursday, Sept. 5, when the Warriors battle Dominican to open up the Marriott Kickoff Classic hosted by Merrimack on campus.
For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.


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Furnace replacement and conversion from propane to NG.
I have a property with a 35 year old GFA furnace that needs replacing. I have been offered a cheap used Bryant 95% efficiency furnace that was used for two years and then replaced with a geothermal system. The Byant unit was converted to propane and the owner does not have the original natural gas parts.
How easy would the conversion back from propane to natural gas be and how much would you expect the conversion and installtion to be from a HVAC shop? Is this worth undertaking?
You may find a company to convert & install it for you.i would't from past experence I have had installing someone elses equipment.I just will not do it anymore. Too much trouble getting cust to pay when the equip. doesn't work after the install
Good luck though
It can be as simple as springs and orifices, or orifices and a new gas valve, depending on the model of furnace. Probably the former, but make sure and have a pro involved to set the pressure correctly.
You got a cheap furnace, don't make the mistake of being cheap to get it to operate in your home. Think safety first, comfort second and economy last. (in this case anyway).
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