text:
Public invited to share ideas for water trails
By Sarah Wojcik
Posted September 18, 2013
UTICA — The Clinton River Watershed Council (CRWC) wants to hear residents' input to help with the new master plan for water trails along the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair.
The CRWC is hosting an open house at the Utica Public Library from 5-7 p.m. Sept. 18 to gather ideas from residents about two water trails that will be constructed, thanks to a grant.
Executive Director Anne Vaara said the federal Coastal Zone Management program awarded half the total amount on July 1, 2013, and it will be available for a year. Several agencies and volunteer donations supplied a match for the $41,000, so a total of $82,000 will fund the water trails.
Water trails are paddling routes along a river or coastline.
The two water trails are slated to run from the Clinton River's headwaters in Oakland County to its mouth in Harrison Township and along the coast of Lake St. Clair from St. Clair Shores to Anchor Bay.
The project will be developed in conjunction with the Land Information Access Association of Traverse City and will partner with municipalities all along the water routes.
Vaara said the water trails are part of a CRWC project called Water Towns, which celebrates the use of water from community to community, using their own resources and trying to find ways to explore their value as it relates to the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair.
At the open house, the public will be able to view maps, inventory data and share their thoughts pertaining to the improvement of paddling amenities along local waterways.
The CRWC is interested in identifying opportunities and challenges with the help of the public to make the new water trails a premier regional paddling destination.
"We want to hear from people that use the trails now, as well as from the ones that don't use them and why — what it would take for them to use the trails, so we can enhance them and make them more user-friendly," Vaara said.
Nina Ignaczak, the CRWC's event planner, said she is also hoping to get input from elected officials about safety issues and amenities they feel would make the water trails a better experience.
The water trails will be marked with signs with both directional and safety information so paddlers will know where they are along the 81 1/2 miles of Clinton River and Lake St. Clair coastline, Vaara said. She added that the CRWC would try to knot all of the water and land trails for a maximized user experience.
"(Municipalities) love it and (received the project) very positively," she said. "It's fun and welcoming, and people are really interested in the subject matter."
Shelby Township Parks, Recreation and Maintenance Director Joe Youngblood said he thinks the water trails are a fabulous idea, going through Shelby Township and Utica, and that the CRWC is doing a nice job of unifying the Clinton River.
Utica Mayor Jacqueline Noonan said she is 100 percent behind the initiative and also appreciates the backing that the CRWC has supplied for the joint trail projects that Shelby and Utica are working toward.
The Utica Public Library, a central location along the Clinton River watershed, is located at 7530 Auburn Road in Utica. To RSVP, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
For more information about upcoming CRWC events and water safety awareness, visit www.crwc.org.
About the author
Staff Writer Sarah Wojcik covers Shelby Township and Utica for the Shelby-Utica News. Sarah has worked for C & G Newspapers since 2013 and attended Oakland University. She has won four Excellence in Journalism awards from the Detroit chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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text: This actor is A+. Aging. Married. Has a huge fondness for strippers. I'm actually shocked he got married because it isn't like he was faithful in any of his previous relationships or marriage(s). The stripper he was with this weekend was curvy and cheap looking which is the opposite of his former actress wife. Former might be too string of a word. The former A list actress barely works now. Our actor was seen in a parking garage walking to a car with his arm around the stripper and a hand on her breast. The pair would stop every couple of feet to suck face.

subset: commoncrawl


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text:
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Fertilization and embryo development that occur in sea water are sensitive to xenobiotics from anthropogenic sources. In this work, we evaluated the influence of two antifouling biocides, tributyltin (TBT) and diuron, on the reproductive mechanisms of the marine invertebrate
Environmental pollution represents a serious hazard for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and may result in significant ecotoxicological effects. Over the last decades, diverse substances have been released into marine environment as a consequence of agricultural production, manufacturing processes and their by-products. These chemicals include herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, plasticizers, antifoulants and others [
Following this crescent alarm on the TBT toxicity, the International Maritime Organization [
As an alternative to organotin compounds, organic booster biocides were introduced in antifouling paint formulation, among which diuron (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea) is the most widely employed [
In this study, we have evaluated and compared the effects of TBT and diuron, as old and new generation antifouling biocides, on the oocyte physiology, fertilization and embryo development of
The plasma membrane conductance recorded in untreated oocyte was 203.04 ± 20.40 nS/mm2 and significantly increased after incubation in 1 µM TBT (276.09 ± 26.41 nS/mm2;
Effects of tributyltin (TBT) and diuron on plasma membrane conductance. Conductance recorded in oocytes incubated for 30 min with different concentrations of TBT (
The conductance recorded in oocytes incubated in 1–3 µM diuron were not different from the control (control 168.42 ± 14.2 nS/mm2; 170.2 ± 12.4 nS/mm2 at 1 µM; 190.5 ± 11.2 nS/mm2 at 2 µM and 191.3 ± 13.1 nS/mm2 at 3 µM), whereas at 4 µM it significantly increased (233.7 ± 15.3 nS/mm2;
I/V curves constructed from oocytes clamped at different voltage values and treated with the test concentrations of TBT showed that this biocide reduced, in concentration-dependent manner, the amplitude of Na+ current starting from the concentration of 2 µM (
Effects of TBT on Na+ current amplitude. Mean I/V curves constructed from current peak values recorded in oocytes clamped from the holding potential of −80 mV to the test potentials between −70 mV and +20 mV after incubation for 30 min with different TBT concentrations. Error bars indicating the SE were omitted for image clarity.
Effects of diuron on Na+ current amplitude. Mean I/V curves constructed from current peak values recorded in oocytes clamped from the holding potential of −80 mV to the test potentials between −70 mV and +20 mV after incubation for 30 min in different diuron concentrations. Error bars indicating the SE were omitted for image clarity.
In addition, diuron reduced the amplitude of Na+ currents in a concentration-dependent manner starting from concentration of 2 µM (
The time constants of Na+ channels were measured by fitting the current trace recording at the test potential of −40 mV with an exponential function. Activation time constants were not significantly affected by TBT or diuron incubation at all test concentrations.
In untreated oocytes, the activation time constant had an average value of 0.98 ± 0.06 ms and did not change after TBT incubation at concentration between 1–5 µM and 10 µM (respectively 1.09 ± 0.05 ms; 1.08 ± 0.05 ms; 1.15 ± 0.07 ms; 1.04 ± 0.04 ms; 1.1 ± 0.06 ms and 1.4 ± 0.04 ms).
Similarly, after incubation in diuron at the concentration between 1–5 µM and 10 µM the activation kinetics of Na+ channels resulted unmodified (respectively 1.2 ± 0.04 ms; 1.1 ± 0.05 ms; 1.11 ± 0.06 ms; 1.19 ± 0.07 ms; 1.15 ± 0.07 ms; 1.2 ± 0.05 ms) with respect to the control (1.12 ± 0.05 ms).
On the contrary, the inactivation time constants decreased after incubation in 2 µM TBT or diuron. In untreated oocytes and incubated with 1 µM TBT, the inactivation time constants did not change (20.68 ± 1.2 ms and 18.61 ± 1.2 ms, respectively). After incubation in 2 µM TBT, Na+ current inactivated more rapidly (16.2 ± 0.9 ms;
Effects of TBT and diuron Na+ channel time constants. Inactivation time constants were calculated at the test voltage of −40 mV after incubation for 30 min with different TBT (
Also incubation in 1 µM diuron (19.2 ± 1.3 ms) did not affect the inactivation time constant in comparison to the control (20.53 ± 1 ms). After incubation with 2 µM diuron, the constant decreased significantly (13.98 ± 1.2 ms;
In mature oocytes clamped at −80 mV, incubated with 1–3 µM TBT and then fertilized, the frequency of the FC significantly decreased (respectively 71 ± 2.3%; 57 ± 2.6%; 33 ± 2.7%) in comparison to the control (98 ± 2%). By increasing TBT concentration, the FC frequency did not change again (34 ± 3.1% at 4 µM; 32 ± 3.5% at 5 µM and 35 ± 3% at 10 µM) (
Effects of TBT on fertilization current (FC) frequency and amplitude. After TBT treatment, in oocyte clamped at −80 mV and fertilized the frequency of the FC was reduced in a concentration-dependent manner (
Diuron incubation at all test concentrations did not affect significantly the frequency of FC nor its amplitude (data not shown).
No significant effects on fertilization rate and percentage of normal larvae were observed after fertilization of untreated oocytes with spermatozoa incubated for 30 min with TBT or diuron at concentrations between 1–5 µM and 10 µM (data not shown).
Oocytes incubated for 30 min with TBT or diuron at concentrations between 1–5 µM and 10 µM, washed and then fertilized, did not show significant differences compared to the control for fertilization rate and normal larvae percentage (data not shown).
Significant effects on the fertilization rate and normal larvae percentage were observed when untreated oocytes were fertilized with untreated spermatozoa in TBT solution.
Fertilization rate significantly decreased in concentration-dependent manner (control 97.47 ± 1.8%; 80.35 ± 3.8% at 1 µM; 31.25 ± 3.6%; at 2 µM; 9.17 ± 2.6% at 3 µM; 5.43 ± 2.2% at 4 µM; 7.61 ± 2.5% at 5 µM and 5.27 ± 2% at 10 µM;
Effect of TBT on fertilization and larval development. Fertilization rate and percentage of normal larvae obtained by oocyte fertilized in natural seawater (NSW) containing TBT decreased in concentration-dependent manner. Data were reported as mean ± SE. a,b,c Different superscripts denote highly significant difference,
On the contrary, diuron at concentrations between 1 and 5 µM did not affect the fertilization rate (control 98.5 ± 1%; 97 ± 1.4% at 1 µM; 98.2 ± 2.1 at 2 µM; 97.6 ± 1.9% at 3 µM; 98 ± 1.8% at 4 µM and 97.6 ± 1.9 at 5 µM) and the percentage of normal larvae (control 89.1 ± 1.4%; 86.2 ± 2.2 at 1 µM; 87 ± 1.8% at 2 µM; 86.5 ± 1.5% at 3 µM; 85 ± 1.9% at 4 µM; 85.1 ± 1.7% at 5 µM), however at the highest test concentration (10 µM), even if fertilization rate was not affected (98.2 ± 1.3%), the percentage of normal larvae significantly decreased in comparison to the control (77.7 ± 1.3%;
Effects of TBT and diuron on larval development. (
Gametes of marine animals with external fertilization are exposed to water pollutants that may alter their normal physiology, which in turn may affect fertilization success. In the present study, we have shown an impact of two antifouling biocides on the physiology of the oocyte and subsequent fertilization process of the marine invertebrate
The role of ion currents in the oocyte physiology is well described [
Here, we have shown that TBT and diuron reduced the amplitude of plasma membrane Na+ currents and the time constants for channel inactivation, whereas they increased the plasma membrane conductance of the mature oocyte. On the contrary, the biocides differently acted on electrical fertilization events, in fact only TBT exerted a negative impact on the FC by reducing either its frequency or amplitude.
In marine animals, it was reported that the permeability of the oocyte plasma membrane is altered by the interaction with TBT [
Of particular interest is the significant reduction of the Na+ currents amplitude exerted by either the two biocides. Although this data are in agreement with Franchet
In this study, TBT, but not diuron, interferes with the frequency and amplitude of FC supporting a different affinity of the two biocides with the population of specific channels that generate the FC.
In other ascidians and sea urchins, the fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa resulted in being influenced by the action of TBT and diuron [
On the contrary, diuron negatively affects larval development at higher concentrations than TBT that may be attributed to different mechanisms of action.
At last, in this study, according to other authors [
If not otherwise stated, chemicals were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (Milan, Italy).
Stock solutions were prepared by dissolving TBT chloride (purity > 96%) and diuron (highest available purity, Residue Analysis-Pestanal) in ethanol and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) respectively.
Test solutions were then obtained by diluting the stock solution in NSW as follows: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 µM and 10 µM. These concentrations were chosen according to other authors [
Recordings were performed using the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique at room temperature.
To obtain nude plasma membrane for electrical recordings, the chorion and follicle cells surrounding the oocytes were removed manually using steel needles. Nude oocytes were transferred to the recording chamber containing NSW.
Recordings were performed using a List EPC-7 patch-clamp amplifier (HEKA Electronics, Cologne, Germany), filtered at 3 kHz and digitized with a Digidata 1322A. Currents were acquired and analyzed using pClamp9 software (Axon Instruments, Union City, CA, USA).
Patch pipettes were made from borosilicate glass capillaries (Warner Instruments, Hamden, CT, USA) and pulled using a Sutter P-87 (Sutter Instrument, Novato, CA, USA) with a tip of 1–2 µm in diameter showing a resistance of 3–5 megaOhms when filled with an intracellular-like solution (200 mM K2SO4; 20 mM NaCl; 200 mM sucrose; 10 mM EGTA; 10 mM HEPES, pH adjusted to 7.5).
Electrophysiological recordings were performed as follows: after formation of a cell-attached patch the application of a light negative pressure induced the rupture of the membrane patch allowing the access to oocyte cytoplasm. In this configuration, from a holding potential of −80 mV, voltage-dependent Na+ currents were elicited by applying depolarizing ramps of 10 mV to the test potential from −70 mV to +20 mV, to generate the current-voltage relationship (I/V curves). The FC was generated by adding spermatozoa to the recording bath containing an oocyte voltage clamped at −80 mV.
To evaluate the effect of the biocides on conductance, ion currents and FC the oocytes were incubated for 30 min with test solutions before the electrophysiological recording. For each treatment thirty experiments were performed.
Conductance and the amplitude of ion currents were normalized and reported per mm2 of surface area of the oocytes, which was calculated assuming a spherical shape by using the formula 4π
Spermatozoa collected from the sperm duct were suspended in NSW at final concentration of 106/mL, aliquots of this suspension were incubated for 30 min at room temperature with test solutions and then used to fertilize untreated oocytes of the same batch.
Aliquots of about 200 oocytes, collected from the same animal, were incubated for 30 min at room temperature with the test solutions. Oocytes were then washed twice and transferred into Petri dish containing NSW where they were fertilized with untreated spermatozoa.
Aliquots of about 200 oocytes, collected from the same animal, were fertilized with spermatozoa in NSW containing TBT or diuron at concentrations between 1–5 µM and 10 µM and left to develop up to the larval stage in this solution.
Fertilization rate was determined, 50 min after fertilization, by assessing the occurrence of the first cleavage (2-cell stage embryos). Then embryos were left to develop up to larval stage in a culture chamber at 18 °C. 24 h after fertilization, morphology of hatched larvae was evaluated at the inverted microscope and the percentage of normal larvae calculated. Each experiment was performed twenty times for both TBT and diuron.
Data were reported as mean ± standard error (SE). In order to test significant differences between the control group and test concentrations and among the test concentration groups we performed one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by LSD test. In the case of values expressed as percentages, we proceeded to analyze data after arcsine transformation to achieve normality. Significance level was always set at α = 0.05.
In the present study, we demonstrated that some ascidian reproductive mechanisms are sensitive to antifouling compounds.
TBT has been defined the most toxic substance that have been ever introduced in the environment by human activities [
We thank G. Gargiulo and G. Lanzotti for computer graphics; P. Cirino, A. Macina and G.L. Zazo for providing and maintaining
This article reports the studies of the Ph.D. thesis of Alessandra Gallo.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.


text:
A shaper, with much the same essential construction, moves along its work, the wood or metal operated on remaining stationary.
He also bestows offspring, is a kind of male Aphrodite, and is the shaper of all forms human and animal.
This instrument may also come in very handy when setting tools on the planer or shaper.
Fig. 1505 represents a shaper that may be driven either by hand or by belt power.
With a planer or a shaper the size and uniformity of the work depend upon the skill of the operator.
The general principles governing the use of the shaper vice having been explained, we may now select some examples in its use.
Finally we came before a machine known in machinery as a shaper.
For lathe, planer, shaper and slotter tools, this color should be a light straw.
He was in countless Indian legends as the shaper or the Trickster, sometimes friend, sometimes enemy.
Nay, oftentimes the shaper's labor is worth more than the thought he shapes.


text:
FLORENCE---The Francis Marion University Board of Trustees unanimously approved an increase in tuition and fees and meal costs for the 2004-2005 academic year during its quarterly meeting Friday (May 28).
Tuition and fees will increase 9 percent per semester. The increase means that full-time South Carolina resident undergraduates will pay $2,770 in required tuition and fees per semester, up from the current $2,541. Full-time out-of-state students will now pay $5,472.50 per semester.
The trustees also approved a 3 percent increase in campus meal plans for next year. The 14-meal plan will increase from $1,018 to $1,049 per semester, and the 19-meal plan will go from $1,095 to $1,128 per semester.
Over the last few years, FMU's state appropriation has been has been reduced by 25 percent, a cut more than $4 million.
The fee increase will yield $1,536,095 in revenues. Those fees will allow the university to offset reductions in state appropriations; provide a pay increase for faculty and staff; annualize personal service obligations; hire new faculty and staff; cover projected hikes in employer benefit obligations; provide performance bonuses; appoint three additional faculty research scholars; and provide a contingency fund.
George McIntyre of Bennettsville, chairman of the board's finance committee, said that despite the increase in tuition and fees, the cost of an education at FMU is still one of the best educational buys in the state of South Carolina. He also pointed out that there have been increases in financial support programs for FMU students to help them with additional costs.
More than $23 million in some type of financial assistance was awarded to FMU students during the 2003-2004 year, and that number is expected to increase next fiscal year. This financial support comes in the form of federal grants and loans, state LIFE and HOPE Scholarships and Palmetto Fellowships, institutional scholarships, and student work-study programs.
In other business, the trustees:
• approved a resolution reaffirming university policies regarding calculation of grade point averages, following the legislature's passage of the 2004 Life Sciences Act which establishes a different method of determining grade point averages for LIFE scholarship eligibility.
• passed a resolution thanking the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation for its $5 million gift, authorizing the construction of a nursing building on campus, contingent on appropriate state approvals, and authorizing the creation of a Department of Nursing within the College of Liberal Arts.
The trustees also learned that the university's five-year capital campaign has reached $17.1 million, 143 percent of its $12 million goal with two years left. It was reported to the trustees that summer school enrollment is ahead of last year, that applications for fall semester are up for the fifth straight year, and the number of registered students is up 6.4 percent over last fall.
In his report to the board, FMU President Fred Carter thanked State Sen. Hugh Leatherman for helping with several university initiatives in the legislature. He also thanked outgoing faculty chair Charlene Wages who is stepping down after four years in that position.
Carter also told the trustees that he was appointing a committee to study the future of athletics at Francis Marion. He charged the committee with making recommendations on three topics: the divisional status of the athletic program, the conference affiliation and the appropriate mix of intercollegiate sports offered by FMU.
Carter named McIntyre to chair the committee with Athletic Director Murray Hartzler serving as vice chair. Alumni and former athletes Wayne Huggins and Dr. Robert Moore, and Joe Heyward, vice president of student affairs at FMU, were also appointed to the committee. Carter said that additional people would be appointed to the committee later. He asked the committee to make its recommendations sometime this fall.
The trustees will hold their summer board meeting Aug. 5-6 at Wampee.
#179 / 5-28-04


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My friend Judy Freed introduced me to a word I had never heard, but have thought about countless times throughout my 58 years on the planet. It is known as 'sonder' and is defined in this way:
"n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you'll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk."- The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a compendium of invented words written by John Koenig.
As a wordsmith, I am fascinated by the way this man's mind works that allows him to create meaning behind concept. This one echoes with the stuff of life that has compelled me. As I consider the people who surround me, some ever so briefly, others long term companions, I know that there was a time when none of them were on my radar screen until one day, they appeared before me. Some came bearing love, others lessons. The reason-season-lifetime idea that people come to enrich our lives and teach us things we might not otherwise have learned.
- Reason (a project or one-time activity, a "guardian angel" encounter when someone steps in and moves you out of a dangerous situation, a fleeting/swoop by lesson)
- Season (a short term; perhaps a few months or years, an interaction that teaches you lessons that you may not have learned otherwise.)
- Lifetime (long term connections that may begin at birth or anywhere along the timeline, that endures, perhaps despite challenges, or may even strengthen this)
When I was a child, sitting in the back seat of my parents' car at night as we were heading home from an outing, I would watch through the window, homes in which other families dwelled and wondered if I would ever know the people who lived there. As I got older and was behind the steering wheel myself and passed through towns, I would imagine having some connection to that place. I contemplated what it might take for me to do so. Often times I would actually meet someone who lived or worked there.
When I was 14 or so, I went to a Polish festival at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa with my best friend Barb and her mother. We lived in Willingboro, NJ and it was located in Doylestown, PA, a good hour and some away. It seemed like the other side of the world at the time. Fast forward to present day and I am now living 10 minutes from the shrine and visit periodically to commune with Mother Mary. The site is in tribute to The Black Madonna. I feel a sense of peace when I am there.
I encounter people on a daily basis, in my work as a therapist, as a minister, as a speaker, a FREE Hugger and as a journalist who embodies the six degrees of separation concept, that supposedly, we are separated by no more than six other people. In my life, sometimes it is zero degrees, since I often know someone who knows someone, or as my friend Greg postulates, "You who know everyone…" I wrote this article several years ago that highlights another example of the concept.
We imagine some lives as being of little consequence to us. The homeless person you pass on the street. The Syrian refugee. The woman who works on an assembly line packaging the bottles of strawberry jam for your morning toast. The child who rides down the sidewalk on her red bicycle. And yet, each of us is part of the intricate web of life. None of us might be where we are at this time without having crossed paths with certain people. They were center stage in their own lives and at first might seem like bit players for us, until they might become the stars.
This idea of connecting with others is intricately woven into the African concept of Ubuntu. The word emerges from the Bantu language and is beautifully described by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in this way, "It is the essence of being human. It speaks of the fact that my humanity is caught up and is inextricably bound up in yours. I am human because I belong. It speaks about wholeness, it speaks about compassion. A person with Ubuntu is welcoming, hospitable, warm and generous, willing to share. Such people are open and available to others, willing to be vulnerable, affirming of others, do not feel threatened that others are able and good, for they have a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that they belong in a greater whole."
We are only just one moment away from meeting someone who will change our lives in dramatic ways. May this be for the good.
Finally, I can see my way past a stye in my left eye that for the past week has impaired my vision with its stop signal red glowing lump. When it first appeared, I figured it would dissipate in a day or so. Not so, as it got alarmingly larger and filled with gunk. I researched home remedies since I had no desire to take medication if it was not needed. Warm compresses and over the counter ointment were the first round of treatment. When it worsened, I visited my friendly Physician Assistant who suggested that I continue my current regimen and add an oral and topical antibiotic. I willingly surrendered and began to notice a slight improvement. One of the other recommendations was to avoid makeup, so for that period, I complied. Not normally one to wear a whole lot of it anyway, and that which I do use is cruelty-free/not tested on animals, it wasn't too much of a challenge to my vanity. Still, I felt a need to explain the alteration in my appearance. Many people responded that they too had fallen prey to the bump that is caused by bacterial infection. I tossed my old eye makeup and mascara in anticipation of when I can wear it again. I also needed to overcome the slight fear that I would look like this forever. What I know for sure is that every ailment I have ever had has resolved.
As someone who believes that biological ailments are more than a collection of physical symptoms that are treated externally, I went inward to ask what it was about emotionally/spiritually. What I came up with is the biblical quote about focusing on the speck of dust in someone else's eye when I have a plank in mine. I also questioned what it was that I didn't want to see. The first is that there are times when I am judgmental about the ways people live. I feel justified in my discernment that people who deliberately cause harm to the planet and its inhabitants, plain and simple, shouldn't. Most powerfully, the choices our administration (and those who support it) makes fitting that description. I can feel seething (much like the bump in my eyelid) anger and a desire to call them out on their attitudes and actions. There are times when this peacemaker who intends to see people through the eyes of love, views them instead through blurred visual apparatus that feeds the fire rather than extinguishes it. I also don't want to see myself as limited in any way. In the past few years, a series of health challenges has had me slowing down even as I resist that necessity. I still work out at the gym and am training for a 5k in September and in the midst, feel the fear that my breathing will slow me down as it does when I am on the treadmill or am walking fast paced uphill. I tend to minimize my challenges since I reason that others have far more severe impediments in their way. My father used to guide me with the words, "If that's the worst thing that happens to you, you'll be okay." Mixed message, that one, since while it seems supportive, I internalized the idea that I had nothing to feel badly about…ever.
I also don't want to see myself as limited in any way. In the past few years, a series of health challenges has had me slowing down even as I resist that necessity. I still work out at the gym and am training for a 5k in September and in the midst, feel the fear that my breathing will slow me down as it does when I am on the treadmill or am walking fast paced uphill. I tend to minimize my challenges since I reason that others have far more severe impediments in their way. My father used to guide me with the words, "If that's the worst thing that happens to you, you'll be okay." Mixed message, that one, since while it seems supportive, I internalized the idea that I had nothing to feel badly about…ever.
Another revelation came courtesy of a friend yesterday. After listening to me tell her how lately I have felt overwhelmed with people calling on me for support; some with chronic issues for which they saw no resolution and some who tended to 'one up', as in 'my problems are worse than other's,' she pondered whether I had been taking on the energy until my body reacted by attempting to expel it through my eye. Made sense to me. Once I took in that wisdom, my body complied and cleared out the toxins (not wanting to get too graphic in my description, but suffice it to say that it wasn't pretty) so that the lump is considerably smaller.
As I go out into my new day, my intention is to see the world and the people in it through the crystal clear eyes of love.
I was a busy-buzzy kid; always on the move. In a day's time, I could be seen riding my bike, swimming, coloring, playing with dolls, digging in the garden, skating, hanging out in the woods, reading, and being with friends. I eschewed naps after probably four years old; not wanting to miss out on having fun. As a result, I have rarely been bored. That's the upside.
The humorously downside is that my mind is easily distractible. I can be in the midst of one activity such as writing this article and another thought pops in, like what I need to do later in the day and I make a mental note to take care of it; or an idea for an additional article dances in front of me, waving its hands. I also notice that I am pulled away from what is in front of me by Facebook, emails, a reminder to call someone or check my appointment book to make sure I get where I need to be on time. And then there is a prompt to switch the laundry, turn off the water boiling on the stove so it doesn't dry up and scorch the pot. That almost happened last year, when I forgot.
Although I was never given a formal diagnosis, I suspect that I do have some form of ADHD. If so, I come by it genetically, since my father had a hard time sitting still. He was nearly always in motion, except when he would nap, which he could do standing up. Even so, he managed to work full time as a milkman and bus driver throughout his lifetime; remember his routes and the people he would encounter along the way. He also volunteered in our community, raised my sister and me along with my mother, had a full social life and friends. He also made time to run on the junior high school track across the street a few times a week, with our dog Hukki. A master at multitasking which I have become as well. Although I might make it look easy, it really does take intense concentration at times, to remain on task and complete one thing before moving to another.
Recently, my sister Jan sent me an article to which I can relate completely Although I am not yet a senior citizen; at 58, I call these my 'middle aged moments,' and not senior moments, as the author refers to his or her 'oh, look, a squirrel!' distractions. The other difference is that I do eventually finish what I started. It is a necessity in the various lines of work in which I engage. As a writer, I have deadlines to meet. As a therapist, I have clients to see at specific times and days. As a minister, ceremonies to officiate. As a speaker places to show up on time.
A relatively new tool that purports to assist people in quelling distractibility is called a fidget spinner (pictured above). Some of my adult and child clients use them and vouch for their benefits. Seems that I don't need one since I have one in my brain that feels like it is perpetually in motion. One thing that I notice making difference is being methodical in my actions. When I empty the dishwasher, as I did this morning and put everything in its place, it has a zen-like quality. It also sets me up to have a more easily flowing day.
Yesterday also presented an opportunity to test out that dynamic. A friend had asked me to work for her food business called One Love Catering at a Philadelphia event called Reggae in the Park. People lined up all day long for the luscious Caribbean food, redolent with the flavors and aromas of Jamaica. It involved setting up, food prep and serving from steaming silver trays. In order to maintain calm, I brought myself to a sense of one thing after another, in a generally graceful dance with my co-workers. It helped that the music wafting through the air provided a sonic backdrop. Each time I would hand the meal to the person in front of me, I would silently bless the food and them. Perhaps that is a key to maintaining focus so that my mind need not spin ceaselessly.
As I am writing this article, I am listening to this music for deepened concentration.
As I am writing this, I am nursing a painful bout of plantar fasciitis in my left foot. I've had it before over the years, but not as persistently. Working out and being on my feet a lot are two of the physical causes. I have been treating it with stretching, massage, and Reiki, as well as spending less time using the elliptical and treadmill and more time on the bicycle and weights at the gym. I have been rolling a bottle of ice water underneath it, got orthotics for my sneakers and have been taking Tylenol if needed.
I know that many physical conditions have emotional components. In Louise Hay's book entitled You Can Heal Your Life, she highlights some of the root causes of bodily issues.
Feet: Represent our understanding – of ourselves, of life, of others. – Foot Problems: Fear of the future and of not stepping forward in life. (there was nothing specific for heels or plantar fasciitis).
These both resonated for me since even though I am confident most of the time and with hindsight, know that I have survived everything that has ever occurred in my life, so I know I will get through anything waiting in the future, there are times when I hold myself back. Sometimes these are internally motivated choices, born of uh oh, what if I fall or fail? fears. There are other moments when impediments show up unexpectedly. Recently, as I have become more visible with my work and words, folks have made observations based on their own life experiences and world views that have seemed to run counter to my beliefs about myself and my work in the world. My initial reaction was one of protection and defensiveness since much of what I do and hold dear are central to my claimed identity.
These in-your-face experiences have me taking my own inventory and examining my intentions and actions and see if they are in alignment.
One of the ideals I live by is the Buddhist principle of the Three Gates: Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary? The first two are pretty easy for me to follow. The third, not so much. I consciously need to ask myself why I want to express certain things. Maybe it is because I can. Maybe because I 'can't NOT' share. Perhaps it is to inform. Perhaps it is to justify, explain or just plain want to be right. The last one is not easy to admit.
That is my Achilles heel. Remember the Greek tale about the son of Thetis who took her son to the River Styx so he could be rendered invincible? She dipped him in the water, but his heel didn't get submerged. In battle, an arrow struck him in that foot and he succumbed. Mine was struck by the thoughts that I had stepped on toes and had said what I wanted to for all of the aforementioned reasons. It is also the desire to be viewed in a certain light. Most people in my life do see me as I want to be seen. A friend recently mentioned that those who question my words or actions are preparing me for greater visibility, since the greater the visibility, the more intense the scrutiny.
I admire the work of Brene' Brown whose own willingness to bare her soul allows me to bare both my soul and soles.


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Vianca Borrero
Feels Like It Was Yesterday - Poem by Vianca Borrero
As the wind blows i feel ur presence against my face
I close my eyes and hope that your by my side
I can feel your hand caressing my cheek
I can feel your cheek brushing against mine
I feel your sweet breath against the nape of my neck
You feel so real as if your really there beside me
Yet when i open my eyes
All i see is the wind blowing through the trees
It feels like yesterday when you were sitting by my side
Now your gone yet i still feel your presence beside me still
I can still see your eyes
Those eyes that roped me in
Those eyes that ravaged my heart with every look
Those eyes that became my anchor through all the pain
Those eyes that were my light
Now your gone yet i still see your eyes
All i have to do is look up and i can see
I can see you looking down at me and smiling
With every breeze
Everytime the wind blows thru the trees
I feel you
And i know you are still here
For you promised to be with me always
And you are keeping that promise
For I still feel you as if it was yesterday...
Comments about Feels Like It Was Yesterday by Vianca Borrero
Jorge Lopez (3/20/2012 10:25:00 PM)
I really felt the presence of someone close to your heart in this one. (Report) Reply
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Vianca Borrero's Other Poems
Famous Poems
Phenomenal Woman
Maya Angelou
Still I Rise
Maya Angelou
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
If You Forget Me
Pablo Neruda
Langston Hughes
Annabel Lee
Edgar Allan Poe
Caged Bird
Maya Angelou
Rudyard Kipling
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Robert Frost
A Dream Within A Dream
Edgar Allan Poe


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OnMedia: An argument for Al Jazeera
The best argument for getting Al Jazeera's English-language news channel on cable and satellite outlets has been its coverage of unrest that appears to have toppled the regime of President Hosni Mubarak.
There have been some bright spots in U.S. TV coverage, notably Anderson Cooper's courageous anchoring for CNN, along with an experienced team of reporters in Cairo, like veteran Ben Wedeman. ABC's Christiane Amanpour is the best foreign correspondent, and she took her skills to Cairo. NBC is also luck to have kept its own skilled foreign correspondent, Richard Engel, on the ground in Egypt.
But the news operation based in Qatar in the Persian Gulf is well sourced and, thanks to its Arabic-speaking staff, perfectly positioned to cover what's been unfolding over the past few weeks -- along with other developments across a region that's crucial to the U.S.
It's thorough and has been wall-to-wall with Egyptian coverage even when the American cable channels turned to stories like the Super Bowl and the weather across the country. I'm not saying those stories weren't worthwhile, but with Al Jazeera you know that you'll be able to get the latest from Egypt no matter what's happening here.
I've spent a lot of time watching it on my iPhone, where the channel's English-language service is available on an app. You can also watch it live online, both at the Al Jazeera site and at its YouTube channel.
But it has limited distribution on cable and satellite and the channel's website is actively pushing its Internet viewers to start demanding it.
And the Egyptian revolution is as good as any reason to start watching Al Jazeera and seeing the news from a different perspective.
Here's a sample of Al Jazeera's coverage from Cairo:
On TV: Groupon has finally pulled the ad campaign it launched on Super Bowl Sunday with a distasteful attempt to get comedy out of the Chinese oppression of Tibet. Blogs founder Andrew Mason: "We hate that we offended people, and we're very sorry that we did – it's the last thing we wanted. We've listened to your feedback, and since we don't see the point in continuing to anger people, we're pulling the ads."
- The Super Bowl edition of "Inside the Huddle" airs at 6:30 and 10:30 p.m. Saturday on Channel 12. Taped Wednesday, it features Packers Donald Driver and James Jones, with host Drew Smith, sports director of Green Bay's WLUK-TV.
- "The Office" co-creator Ricky Gervais blogs that NBC should make Will Arnett a regular on the post-Steve Carell sitcom. He writes: "Had a little meeting with NBC about various things and recommended Will Arnett for a regular in The Office. Thoughts? I think he's amazing."
- Howard Kurtz reports at the Daily Beast that CBS wants to keep Katie Couric through the 2012 elections -- but wants to cut her $15 million annual salary.
- History Channel has ordered a second season of "Top Gear."
- Starting Monday at 6 p.m. on Channel 58. "Jeopardy" pits its two most successful contestants, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, againt the IBM computer system known as "Watson."
- Me-TV celebrates Valentine's Day starting at noon Sunday with a dozen episodes of "Love American Style." Me-TV is Channel 49.1 over the air, and Channel 19 on Time Warner and Charter cable systems.
The big TV event of the weekend: That would be the Grammy Awards, at 7 p.m. Sunday on Channel 58, which may or may not pull you in. It may get some additional Wisconsin viewers because Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews will be presenting an award with Will.i.am.
In the meantime, here's an interesting look back 40 years to the 1971 Grammys, in which presenter John Wayne gives a Grammy to Paul McCartney:
tommcmahon | Feb. 12, 2011 at 9:51 a.m. (report)
Al Jazeera is a Roku private channel, meaning it does not show up in their Channel Store. Roku owners can still add it to their lineup by going to https://owner.roku.com/add/EA7NG (you'll need to log in). It sounds geeky but it's really easy to do. Another alternative is MHz Networks On Demand, which is in the Roku Channel Store. They carry a wide variety of international programming, including Al Jazeera.
|Rate this:
joe | Feb. 11, 2011 at 2:16 p.m. (report)
I'm sure there are a lot of other places you can go to get islamic propaganda and hate speech besides Al Jazeera. But if that's what you want, go with the best!
|Rate this:
johninmke | Feb. 11, 2011 at 1:26 p.m. (report)
Will Arnett could be great. His work on Arrested Development and 30 Rock prove he can do sitcoms. The key to him is small does - which would work well with The Office format. Jason Bateman would be a great addition as well to The Office. I don't think they'll keep Ed Helms from quitting to do movies very much longer.
|Rate this:
mkemxp | Feb. 11, 2011 at 11:10 a.m. (report)
Al Jazeera also available if you have a Roku player.
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Rich, mellow, old-fashioned marigold orange. This is an orange with richness and depth but without overwhelming brightness.
Mulberry Silk
A plied cultivated silk laceweight, Mulberry Silk is not only wonderful for knitted or crocheted shawls, but is also good for weaving. Incredible for a special project, shiny and drapy. Nm 20/2.
Size: 1250 yd / 4 oz (1143 m / 113g) skeins
Content: 100% cultivated silk
Gauge: Lace weight. Dependent on pattern.
Care Instructions: Hand wash, dry flat.


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Have a Tax Question? Ask a Tax Expert
Hello! I am a CPA here to assist you with your tax questions. My goal is to provide you with excellent service today.
Typically when you file estimated tax return, you pay for the tax on the gain in the year of the actual gain
So does the 15% on the amount just get added to the amount of tax I estimate I will owe for the year, and I can spread that across the remaining quarters?
(which in this case is 2, Sep 15 and Jan 15)
Yes, the 15% adds for the year, but you pay the 15% in the quarter of the sale
you don't spread it
Is it the same for the state of New Jersey? 1 payment of the tax added from the sale in the quarter that I sold?
That is correct
Federal and state are the same
1 more extension - I know it would be easy and great to have the same quarterly payment each quarter
but my wife's income is variable (self employed), so I end up changing the estimate of how much she will make, and therefore how much we pay each quarter.
This is okay, right?
That is perfectly fine
that's why it's called "estimated' tax payments
Excellent. You have answered my question.
Thank you !
You're welcome. If you would, please rate my response as "excellent" so that I may receive credit for assisting you today
I was just making sure, since the form they provide always assume equal payments..


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I've had a few questions on how I organized all of my Letter of the Week and K4 Kindergarten Curriculum, so I thought I'd show you all some pictures!
Since I've printed ALL of my printables, I had to come up with some way to store them all! I decided binders full of page protectors was my best bet. Along the top of my Ikea Expedit Shelving unit, you will find binders…lots of binders! (They are cheap 1" binders from Wal-m*rt)
Each binder has a spine label on it indicating the letter, then inside are page protectors housing all of the games for that letter. (The spine labels are part of my Letter of the Week Curriculum in the "extras" folder and K4 Curriculum as well.)
I store small game pieces in snack size Zip-loc baggies, then put them inside the page protectors for safe keeping.
I also put several pages into one page protector, for example all of the Large Floor Numbers for Letter A are in one page protector.
If you aren't feeling like laminating everything, page protectors are also a great way to be able to re-use the items that are to be traced like the pre-writing pages.
As you can see, I've put more than one game in each page protector just to make the most out of my space.
And that's it! Lots of binders, and lots of page protectors! Just because I know you'll ask, I think I purchased 1 box of 100 page protectors.
NOTE: You may not need to purchase 26 binders like I did, it will depend on how many games and such you have printed from the curriculum. I've had other readers say they've fit a few letters in each binder, so you'll want to figure out about how much you think you can fit before going crazy in the binder isle ;o)
For the K4 Curriculum, I used 4 binders.
So, for what it's worth, I hope that helps some of you on the organization side of things!
For more information on Letter of the Week and K4 Curriculum, click the buttons below:


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Proxama PLC (AIM: PROX) is an international mobile commerce company operating across two divisions specialising in proximity marketing via mobile and providing end-to-end solutions for card issuers to migrate customers from magnetic stripe credit and debit cards to contactless mobile payments.
We've been at the forefront of this market for the last 10 years. Today, our solutions are used by banks, financial institutions, loyalty companies, media owners, stadium owners, retailers and brands.
We provide end-to-end digital solutions to banks and card issuers to securely transition their card portfolio onto mobile for Near Field Communication (NFC) contactless payments as well as solutions for EMV enablement, Electronic PIN Delivery, tokenisation and card issuance management.
Our award-winning mobile proximity marketing platform, TapPoint®, enables brands to connect physical and digital assets via mobile to increase consumer engagement, retail sales and loyalty across a network of high footfall locations.
Our customers deploy our award-winning platforms and app technologies in the following ways:
Brands use TapPoint® to engage with consumers on mobile to increase sales, loyalty and to provide an immersive digital engagement experience.
Media Network Owners: Shopping malls, outdoor media owners, airports and stadia owners deploy our mobile proximity network capabilities to unlock new streams of revenue and to add value to their brand partners.
Financial institutions: Banks, card issuer and processors use our EMV Enablement solutions to manage hundreds of millions of EMV cards around the world, and our Digital Enablement Platform™ to transition their card portfolios onto mobile for NFC contactless payments.


text:
As this issue of Staff Notes Monthly went to press, UCAR president Rick Anthes made two major announcements.
First came the news that UCAR, in its effort to provide more office and lab
space, may purchase three buildings (totaling about 100,000 square feet) on
the north end of Center Green Drive. The 5.6-acre campus faces Foothills Parkway
just north of Valmont Road and just southwest of the Foothills campus. This
purchase would be in lieu of constructing a new Foothills building (see "UCAR
draws up plans for new Foothills building" in the September issue at http://www.ucar.edu/communications/staffnotes/0109).
|(Photo by Carlye Calvin.)
Second, Rick announced that a much-debated plan to change UCARs vacation and sick leave policy would be deferred until 1 July. The announcement came after staff members raised concerns over the proposed changes.
Stay tuned for SN Monthly updates about the new buildings and UCARs leave policy.
Edited by David Hosansky, email@example.com
Prepared for the Web by Carlye Calvin
Last revised: Fri Feb 22 17:08:40 MST 2001


text:
Cost: ~$34 per share
While my colleague uses Verizon (NYSE:VZ) for her Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone, AT&T (NYSE:T) — with a price of $34 per share and a dividend yield north of 5% — looks like the better of the two telecom giants for this portfolio.
The company has plenty of cash in the vault, plus it generates more than $10 billion in free cash flow, so you won't lose a wink over this dividend.
Yes, recent earnings were a little short of expectations, and new subscribers fell off, but considering what AT&T has weathered in the past, there's little reason to worry. AT&T isn't going anywhere anytime soon.


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EDITORIALS>>He's chasing Huckabucks
Or else have tons of money. The governor did not ask and he decided that the second path is more likely to get him elected. He is skating as close to the edge of law-breaking as humanly possible. The Federal Election Commission will need to give him every benefit of doubt. When people explore the idea of running for president, they are expected to form what else? an exploratory committee. That subjects their fund-raising to the federal rules that are designed to forestall undue influence and corruption.
Although he has been campaigning in the early presidential primary and caucus states for a year and talking openly about running, Huckabee has not created an exploratory committee. In that, he is not alone among the potential candidates. But he did take one deceptive step down that path. He created a political action committee and registered it in Virginia, which has the weakest campaign-finance rules in America. He called it the Hope for America PAC. It was to be used by the governor to help conservative candidates for political office and help Americans adopt healthy lifestyles. In truth, it is a vehicle for financing his early presidential campaigning. His campaign gifts have been to local Republican candidates in Iowa and New Hampshire the bellwether presidential states and to two losing Republican candidates in Arkansas. The PAC has paid his national political consultants and for flights and other expenses of Huckabee and aides to political events in the early primary and caucus states.
But the PACs Web site carefully avoids explicitly mentioning the presidential race and so do his solicitations. Saturday, Huckabee will throw a gala at the Little Rock Convention Center to raise money for his Hope for America PAC. His invitation said the contributions will be the seed money I need to travel to critical 2008 states and see if my message for our country resonates with our fellow Americans. Notice that nowhere did he say president or explicitly why he would be traveling to critical 2008 states. It could be to encourage people in those states to lose weight, right?
What is different about this fund-raiser and the rest of the gifts to the Hope for America PAC is that there are no limitations on the gifts, either in amounts or the source. Unlike Arkansas and 47 other states, Virginia doesnt impose any limits. As the invitations note, corporations and partnerships are free to give him any sum. Corporate contributions are forbidden in all federal campaigns and in other elections as well in most states. Campaign gifts also cannot exceed $2,100, but none of those restrictions apply to Huckabee because officially, you see, he is not running for anything or even thinking about it.
Corporations, partnerships and individuals are urged to give Huckabee at least $100,000 at the event, for which they will get virtually exclusive access to the future president for a spell during the evening, a good table at the dinner and several free autographed copies of his book about losing weight and living healthily. Gifts of $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000 will get donors lesser sets of benefits but all better than what the run-of-the-mill guest receives for his or her $500. Money is the fuel of politics, and if Huckabee cannot generate it in sizable sums he will go nowhere in the presidential race. We understand that basic political dictum. But his opponents will see to it that one day he will pay a price for how he raised it.


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iTunes: 12 Days of Free Christmas Gifts
Starting tomorrow, iTunes is having their 12 days of free Christmas Gifts! Each day you can check out the following website and get a free gift of either music, movies, music videos, and who knows what else! Sometimes it is one song, sometimes it is a bunch! Either way, it is 12 days of great freebies!
So from December 26 through January 6, download free music, TV episodes, movies, apps, or books from some of the biggest stars on iTunes! Each free download is available for 24 hours only.
You can download the free app through the link above to make getting your freebie each day easier.
Last year i got several iTunes EPs and some TV shows. I can't remember what else - but they were from some great bands like Coldplay and Johnny Reid.
Expiry: 6th January 2012
1 comment
- Eva W.Sweet!


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Is The Market Sentiment Around Disney Stock Finally Changing? Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS)
- Disney experienced heavy losses in ESPN again this quarter but the stock price hasn't followed suit and has actually rallied.
- I still like Disney as a long due to its numerous competitive advantages that protect the downside.
- Risk management is key. Buying "in-the-money" calls or call spreads significantly reduces one's risk while waiting for the stock to rise.
Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) announced its fiscal Q4 earnings on the 10th of November and the company missed on both the top and bottom lines. The company brought in adjusted earnings of $1.10 on revenues of $13.14 billion which were around 5% and 3% below what analysts had expected for the quarter. However, the stock didn't sell off in the after-market like many had expected and actually finished up 3%. This is interesting, as the Street always has valued this stock mainly off its media division which again declined in the fourth quarter (3%). However, the stock seemed to form a hard bottom last month and those lows at just above $90 a share is still holding.
Long term Disney investors will know that the studios and parks side of its business is cyclical. 2016 has been a bumper year with films such as Star Wars : The Force Awakens and Finding Dory but Disney has cautioned shareholders that 2017 will be lean in comparison. In fact, it won't be just a leaner film lineup but also higher ESPN fees (NBA Contract) that will eat into profits in 2017. Could this have been another reason why the market was keeping a lid on the share price this year? Long-term investors won't be distracted by temporary earnings adjustments. It's all about the fundamentals and buying at the cheapest valuation possible and we just may have that set up right here.
Also Read: Can Theme Parks Drive Walt Disney Co Stock Higher?
Disney's Losses In ESPN Will Eventually Subside
When I analyze an investment, I always look at the fundamentals first. I have written recently that when you take into account earnings growth, valuation, margin growth and strong competitive advantages, Disney as a long term play really stacks up. The "fear" is that its ESPN subscriber base is going to fall off a cliff which I can't see happening. In fact, Disney has already pivoted by buying Bamtech which will stream the new "ESPN" over the top which will be the future. Rights fees are going nowhere. The underlying issue is, in the way this content will be consumed in years to come, and I believe Disney will get a handle on how this part of its business is changing at present.
Disney's Downside Is Protected Due To Numerous Competitive Advantages
Nevertheless, for argument's sake, let's say Disney doesn't get a handle on its ESPN losses and continues to report losses in subscriber numbers over time. What an investor should do then? That very question usually is the wake-up call needed (the what if question) to thoroughly research the stock before pulling the trigger. In my opinion, here is what Disney has currently going for it from a fundamental perspective. The more competitive advantages a company has, the harder it is to see a huge sell-off in the stock. Investors will always by nature hold onto their perceived strongest positions and Disney, in my opinion, has an array of competitive advantages.
|Competitive Advantage
|Why Is This Important?
|Sustained Increase In Margins
|Disney has more than tripled its gross margins over the past 10 years. This illustrates the pricing power it is able to garner in the market place. With present gross margins now approaching 50%, this states to me that charging premium prices especially at its parks (for example) will remain highly probable.
|More Blockbuster Films Will lead To More Long Term Value
|Many analysts simply look at what the studios division brings in every quarter from each individual film. However, the real value here is on the back-end as Disney can leverage its front end work by creating as many products and experiences from the franchises it works with. This is where again the parks come in. Therefore, the bumper revenues in studios this year will eventually be seen as meaningful gains at its parks and resorts.
|Payout ratio is only 25%. Debt to equity ratio is only 0.34 and projected long-term annual earnings growth of 9% a year. These are the type of numbers that really interest value investors especially as the company has a current earnings multiple of 17 which is well below its historic averages.
Risk Management Is Key
The final piece of the jigsaw is risk management. Many sophisticated investors buy call options and call spreads to give themselves a better risk reward setup for the capital they put to work. For example, buying 100 shares of Disney presently costs well over $9,000 but simply buying the Jan19-$50 call costs half this amount although the investor still controls the same number of shares. Furthermore, this call option has a delta of 1 meaning its price will move at the exact same rate as the stock plus the share price has, more than 2 years to make its move. The end result is that one has less capital at risk here and a better risk/reward set-up which is advantageous for long term gains.
Also Read: Is Netflix Inc (NFLX) Too Big To Acquire For Walt Disney Co (DIS)?
Disney ticks all the boxes when it comes to being an undervalued established company which is growing its earnings. The stock has numerous competitive advantages which include projected margin and earnings growth over the next few years. The risk/reward setup here is definitely bullish in my opinion and investors can skew this bullish setup even more in their favor by buying deep in the money call options which requires far less capital.
Looking to invest in technology stocks? Here are our latest Top Tech Picks.


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Type of Document Dissertation Author Wu, Yaru URN etd-12212011-230142 Title The role of Toll-like Receptor 4 in the Modulation in Skeletal Muscle Metabolism Degree PhD Department Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Hulver, Matthew W. Committee Chair Davy, Kevin P. Committee Member Frisard, Madlyn I. Committee Member Grange, Robert W. Committee Member Li, Liwu Committee Member Schmelz, Eva M. Committee Member Keywords
- mitochondria
- toll-like receptor 4
- skeletal muscle
- inflammation
Date of Defense 2011-12-15 Availability unrestricted AbstractToll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a transmembrane receptor, which upon activation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria, plays an important role in the induction of the innate immune response. Our lab has previously demonstrated that activation of TLR4 in skeletal muscle results in the preferential oxidation of glucose for ATP production over that of fatty acids. Currently, the exact mechanism(s) for TLR4-induced modulation of metabolism are not known. The purpose of this project was to test the hypothesis that activation of TLR4 pathway causes increased ROS production, which contributes to deceased fatty acid oxidation and altered mitochondrial respiration in skeletal muscle. To this end, skeletal muscle cells were studied following acute and chronic treatments with LPS, and a mouse model with muscle-specific over expression of TLR4 (mTLR4) was studied under chow fed conditions and following 16 weeks of high fat feeding.
Acute LPS treatment of C2C12 cells resulted in mitochondrial uncoupling as evidenced by higher levels of state IV respiration, reduced maximally simulated respiration, and a robust induction of uncoupling protein 3. These observations occurred in conjunction with increased pyruvate dehydrogenase activity. The LPS-induced changes in substrate preferences and maximally-stimulated mitochondrial respiration were prevented in the presence of the antioxidants, N-acetyl-L-cyteine (NAC) and catalase. Using isolated flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) muscle fibers from C57BL/6J mice, we showed that LPS treatment results in significant increases in ROS production that are evident at 15 min and still increasing at 45 min following the addition of LPS to incubation media. Hyperpolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential was also evident at 15 min post LPS treatment in FDB fibers. Fatty acid oxidation measured in skeletal muscle whole homogenates from the mTLR4 mice was significantly reduced compared to wild-type littermates on a standard chow diet. Following a 16 week high fat diet, the mTLR4, compared to wild-type mice, gained more weight and fat mass, were glucose intolerant, and displayed elevated production of mitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) from complex III.
In conclusion, these data show that TLR4 activation elicits a change in mitochondrial substrate preference in that acetyl-CoA derived from pyruvate oxidation is the preferred substrate for the TCA cycle over that derived from β-oxidation of fatty acids. These data also lend strong support to the idea that the TLR4-mediated change in substrate preference is dependent on the production of ROS.
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28.8 Modem 56K Modem ISDN (64 Kb) ISDN (128 Kb) Higher-speed Access Wu_Yaru_D_2011.pdf 1.03 Mb 00:04:45 00:02:26 00:02:08 00:01:04 00:00:05
If you have questions or technical problems, please Contact DLA.


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Museums bring history alive, like a skeleton found underneath your house. Dig up the past with this Groupon.
Choose Between Two Options
- $10 for admission for two adults (a $20 value)
- $15 for admission for two adults and two kids (a $30 value)
Visitors explore the history of a single night of carnage in the Civil War and the family who weathered it together within the walls of their house. Exhibits range from carefully preserved antiques of the age—some possibly used in the battle—to bloodstains indelibly sealed into the wood by a stray cannonball. Tying together objects and venue is the story of the Lotzes themselves, whose lives forever were altered by the war.
Lotz House Museum
J.T. Thompson gets pretty excited about his own little slice of American history. He serves as the executive director of the Lotz House Museum, a commemorative collection of memorabilia and actual damage from the Battle of Franklin, a Civil War conflict that raged on November 30, 1864. At his museum, the history hardly stays confined to display cases. Instead, it is in the very woodwork. "Today, visitors can still see the bloodstains on the floors from where cannonballs hitting the house came to rest," Mr. Thompson says, in the same breath as mentioning "what many in the antique world describe as the finest collection of American-made 1820-to-1860 antiques… in the Southeast!"
Perhaps more compelling than the gruesome imagery or literal relics of the era, however, is the story of the Lotz family themselves, a mother, father, and three children younger than 9. They survived the battle based on their wits, turning their home into a hospital in the wake of the conflict. While their house stands virtually unchanged to this day, their personal lives altered course in astounding ways, most noticeable in the well-documented journeys of the Lotz children.


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A Scheduler for a Television Transmission System
Prepared by
Elena Volynskaya (Icon Solutions)
Scheduler Application
Use Cases
The television broadcasting companies or "networks" own and lease equipment for composing, transmitting and receiving shows and non-show material. Such equipment includes studios and tape devices for composing shows and playing them back; transmitters, antennae and transponders for distributing the programs; receivers for receiving at the affiliate stations and monitoring the transmissions at the Master Earth stations where the programs are composed and where they are distributed from. Sometimes, because of the weather conditions the programs cannot be distributed over the satellites and then the network leases or uses its own phone or fiber lines that can be used to transmit the signal terrestrially.
The network has to use this equipment efficiently, as well as make sure that there are no conflicts between different programs in using it and therefore there are no outages on the air, which is not only embarrassing, but may also cost a lot of money. Therefore, there is a need to schedule and manage the use of various network and non-network composition and distribution facilities as well as affiliate station facilities, required to play back and distribute program feeds to the destination affiliate stations.
Fundamentally, scheduling refers to the decision making process of assigning resources to activities over time. In this design we will be concerned with resource allocation, i.e. identifying and allocating the resource(s) required to handle an activity and manage the on-going availability of the resource(s) over time.
We would like you to design an object-oriented scheduling module that provides a basic scheduling algorithm that can be extended to support the specific resource allocation requirements outlined in this document. These requirements are simplified for the purposes of this design problem.
There are two major groups of facilities in a network inventory: the ones needed for the composition of shows and the ones needed for show distribution.
In order to create a transmission that will be executed in production, a facility order has to be composed which will provide information on how and in what combination those facilities will be used, at what time, etc. However, to design a facility order module would constitute its own problem, so for our purposes you can consider a facility order to be a separate module that will have an interface to the Scheduler application.
The important types of facility orders you will need to know about are (1) reservation orders and (2) air date orders. Reservation orders are created to tentatively schedule a group of transmissions to happen at a certain time on certain days of the week for a range of dates, for example, schedule a transmission to happen from April 1 to June 15 from 9am till 9:30am on Mondays. Air date orders are either created from reservation orders or independently for a certain date.
A scheduled usage of a facility is also called a "booking".
Constraints can be existing scheduled activities, or they can denote general unavailability of a facility such as when a facility is scheduled for maintenance or a particular user group has no rights to use it. However, the right to use a facility can be granted to the group of users for a period of time. Recurring constraint means that a facility will be unavailable for the specified period of time on the specified days of the week for a range of dates.
A recurring booking means that a facility has been reserved to be used in a transmission for the specified period of time, although it does not mean that it will actually be used in production. These bookings are requested by reservation orders and are converted into production bookings at the time an air date order is created.
OTO booking means that a facility is going to be used in production for the specified time period. It can also be referred to as a "production booking".
A conflict will occur if a booking or a constraint for a facility is requested that overlaps in time with an existing booking or constraint. A conflict also occurs if two bookings are scheduled so that no ample time is available for the guardband adjustments.
However, if a booking for an air date order is requested that overlaps with a recurring booking created for the corresponding reservation order, this situation is not considered a conflict and has to be resolved by translating existing reservation into a production booking.
The Scheduler application should implement resource allocation for the transmission scheduling. It should have an interface to the Facilities Inventory and the Facility Order modules. The major requirements to the application are:
Booking is accepted.
Booking is rejected.
Booking is accepted.
Booking is rejected.
Booking is rejected.
Booking is accepted.
Bookings are created for all the facilities.
Bookings are created for facilities aFac1 and aFac2, booking is rejected for aFac3.
Booking is accepted.
Booking is rejected.
Booking is rejected.
Booking as accepted.
|a process of carrying electromagnetic waves (e.g. a video signal) through space from one point to another
|a resource used to generate or carry a video transmission
|a facility where a TV program is filmed
|a facility that is a video cable connecting two points
|a facility that is capable of beaming a video signal into space
|a facility that resides on a satellite and is able to receive video signal from the transmitter on Earth convert it to another signal and retransmit it back to Earth
|a facility that is capable of receiving a video signal from space
|a facility that serves as an aiming device in transmission of the video signal from the transmitter to the satellite


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Hey there,
At work, we've experienced something really weird! On every Envato website the images are gone – it's only when we're on the network at work, because when we try from a mobile device (without wifi) it works fine.
It's NOT a problem on any other site. The problem appears in any browser, on any computer connected to the wifi at work.
I have never seen anything like that before – Can anyone help us?
It seems to be all images hosted at: https://0.s3.envato.com/
Hi Trykkeriet,
The issue you are describing, particularly given the context of it not being identical from all your local internet access sources, is most likely related to the ISP set up at work. There is not much that can be done about it, aside from contacting the provider and asking them if they're currently experiencing some DNS issues or have a specific block for that link set up.
That being said, I encourage you to open a ticket with us via http://support.envato.com so that this can be assigned to the appropriate staff for further investigation. Please be sure to mention Browser, OS, IP and any information that you deem relevant to the issue at hand, and someone will be in touch shortly.
Thank you!
Thank you for your answer I contacted our Internet partner and asked them to check the DNS, and I hope for the best.
No problem! Let's hope it gets sorted
Hey Trykkeriet,
We finally managed to locate the problem causing this issue and it is now fixed.
Thanks, Rowan


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Bobby Petrino joined Nick Saban and Gary Pinkel in a club that he didn't know he was joining.
The Motorcycle Crash Club.
Arkansas' Petrino crashed his motorcycle earlier this week and ended up with cracked vertebrae, broken ribs and a neck brace as he stood at the podium addressing the media yesterday. Petrino was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Here are two new stories of NCAA DI football coaches who hopped on a two-wheeler and crashed.
Missouri's head coach Pinkel confirmed that he has ridden a motorcycle and crashed. His bike of choice: Harley Davidson.
Then there's Alabama's head coach on a trip he took in his youth in West Virginia:
"My best friend Charlie Anderson had a Triumph, and I mean that thing was hot," Saban said. "Every time no one was looking, I'd get on Charlie's Triumph. I took it to my girlfriend's house, and she lived on the side of the mountain, and there was a curve, and the water was running across the street, and a dog was chasing me down the street."
"I didn't get hurt, didn't hurt the bike, just slid out," Saban said. "My dad found out about that, and that's the last time I've been on a motorcycle."
But that hasn't stopped him in his adult years from waterskiing or jetskiing. To take a phrase from Talladega Nights, Nick Saban "wants to go fast."
"I try to enjoy life," he said. "I still water ski. I ride them jet skis as fast as they'll go, and every two years I get the fastest ones they make to replace the last ones ... There's not very many things that I like to do, so ... I try not to be stupid, but I'm not going to not do things that I enjoy doing."
(h/t Eye On College Football)
First-place votes in parentheses.
Football coaches' poll
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Show 023: September 2009
Download and subscribe using iTunes.
Most of my energy has been taken up with writing my novel but I've a also been thinking about a commission I've received for National Holocaust Memorial Day in January 2010, where I will be writing a poem an event at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax. It is a great honour to be asked to do this.
Check out what fabulous writer Joolz Denby is currently writing on her MySpace page.
Book reviewThis month's book is 'Blade Runner' under its original title of 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep' by Philip K Dick, which I read as part of my monthly book group in Headingley where I live. The group read it almost to take us out of our usual reading 'comfort' zone.
I read it with great interest. It's full of ideas about what it means to be human, what we need in our lives to offer us comfort. It's quite short and made me ask myself some very interesting questions.
I've grown up with writing, and we did it for fun as children. When I was sixteen I started to think that this is something I could seriously. I want to write about the everyday, normal people and things which seem unpoetic on the surface but need the poetry to be drawn out of them.
A lot of my earlier poetry was the bad teenage angst kind, or mediocre coming out poems. But now I try to make it more universal. Maybe I didn't have that at sixteen.
Everyone has a story to tell, and now I'm sharing mine, and other people's. Writing poetry is how I enter and relate to the world. If I see something interesting on a bus or train I write it as a poem. Poetry is my life; sorry if that sounds pretentious.
For the majority of the poems I write a line will just come to me which I'll write down. Lines then may often come one by one and they grow organically and build themselves. Then I try to work out what I'm trying to say. I tend to write in free verse.
I read everything that I can get my hands on. Poets that I read seriously are Philip Larkin and Thom Gunn and Thom Gunn is the one that sticks with me. It was startling to me that he could write like that. I then progressed to the Beat Poets. These writers told me It doesn't have to be grand, it can be normal and urban.
For my new collection I started pulling together the strongest poems. They all seem to be about transiency and trying to find love and the beauty of normality. I've got a great editor from the publisher; it's been a scary experience as I've not been used to objective views and suggestions for change in my poems. There are about twenty poems altogether in the collection.
I've been lucky getting published in poetry magazines. The first were accepted by Cadaverine and The North, and I have poems coming out in London Magazine and Dreamcatcher. But you have to learn to live with rejection, and to celebrate acceptance.
It seems false to declare yourself a poet, but perhaps I should start being 'out' about it.
My advice to new writers is to have confidence in your own work, but take criticism. Read any poetry you can get your hands on. Read three times as much as you write.
Poem of the Month
Sarah Corbett's 'Watching the Company of Wolves' from her collection Other Beasts published by Seren Press.


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Almost six months after becoming the first and only footballer to be banned in the drugs-in-sport probe, Sandor Earl has vented his frustration at ASADA's delay in formulating his suspension.
Earl broke his silence on the one-year anniversary of the investigation's infamous announcement, whose first-up shock waves dissipated into a tide of cynicism and uncertainty as the tough rhetoric failed to deliver a flood of infraction notices.
The lone scalp thus far, Earl confessed to attempted use and trafficking of banned peptide CJC-1295 last August but is still waiting to learn his final penalty. The 24-year-old has since made three separate trips to Thailand, where he's opened a health food bar with a fellow Australian.
Speaking from Phuket yesterday, the former Panthers and Raiders winger revealed that he was initially told a suspension be finalised within a month. Earl is appealing for a substantial assistance discount of his mandatory four-year ban, which would see him cleared to return to competition on 28 August this year if successful.
But with ASADA giving his lawyer the silent treatment since Christmas, Earl has become increasingly agitated and resentful.
"I'm struggling to accept the way I've been treated by the people in charge of all this," he said.
"Since the day I got on the plane and left Australia, not one of them have contacted me. I'm not saying I need welfare or anything like that, but you've got to remember that I put my hand up and accepted my medicine.
"As part of that they said it would all be sorted behind the scenes in a month, but then it was announced to the media and I had only 24 hours to tell my family and prepare.
"I came forward and I've been used up as the face of this whole thing, because I'm the only one who's been banned.
"Now it's starting to look like no-one else will be banned, and I'll be left as the face of it all.
"That's something I've had long enough to know how to deal with. If I'm the face, then so be it. That's the burden I'll carry. It might even be a good thing so something like this doesn't happen to someone else.
"All I ask is that they let me get on with my life and come back with a decision as soon as possible."
Earl has provided ASADA with evidence about sports scientist Stephen Dank, the investigation's central figure, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing. He suspects ASADA also want evidence about other NRL players, explaining the delay in learning his fate.
"All I hear is rumours that it's taking so long because they (ASADA) think I'm holding out on evidence about other players," Earl said.
"I don't know anything about other players, but in any case they haven't even asked me. I've told them everything I know about Stephen Dank, and that's all I've got to give.
"I just don't understand how this is fair, when I was given the impression that it would be sorted within a month. I seriously can't believe that, almost six months later, I'm still waiting to hear back. I came forward, I received my punishment, I lost my football career. All I ask is that I know what's going to happen next.
While his public profile had softened since the ban was announced, Earl has no plans to return home until ASADA get back to him.
"I came back at Christmas and things were a lot better compared to straight after it all happened," Earl said.
"I suppose there's still a slight bitterness there in coming home, and I feel there's nothing for me in Australia at the moment.
"I'm in a good environment (in Thailand) - no one here is going to come up and have a crack. I've been recognised a few times, and there's people that even say, 'You look a bit like Sandor Earl'. I have no problems sitting down and explaining it.
"As time has passed, people understand the situation better and have gotten over the initial shock of all the drugs stuff. In terms of the public, it's come full circle."


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It is a procedure performed in non accredited facilities and the availability of intraoperative diabetic monitoring is probably not possible. See my video
Is Lifestyle Lift Safe for Diabetics?
Doctor Answers 5
Is lifestyle lift safe?
Learn more: http://youtu.be/zxqy1ZTBXQc
Lifestyle Lift is a Company That Operates in Non-Accredited Facilities
As stated by Dr. Kabaker (a highly respected Surgeon on the West coast), having a procedure performed in a non-accredited facility may be more risky for anybody, let alone a diabetic. The reason you have probably heard about Lifestyle Lift is because of the phenomenal marketing campaign. However, if you read this website, you won't find very many Surgeons with positive reactions toward this "procedure". Lifestyle Lift is not as impressive a procedure as the advertising might lead you to believe, and of course it does not offer zero downtime (no procedure does). One obvious omission in the LSL advertising is the fact that their facilities are not accredited. Another point anyone should know is the fact that the company has already been fined by the Attorney General in New York (Andrew Cuomo) and is facing a second Attorney General's investigation in Florida. Any prospective patient ought to search the "Google Sand Box" a little bit more.
Face lifts in diabetics
You might also like...
Is Lifestyle Lift Safe Diabetics
In my hands, I have performed the Lifestyle Lift on many diabetics with excellent results. While diabetes can be a factor in slow wound healing, I have used the Hgb A1c as a measure of helping insure we perform these surgeries on patients at a time when their sugars are optimally controlled. Through the Lifestyle Lift Medical Clearance Process, I often communicate with the Primary Care Doctors, to help understand any other medical issues that might impact, or sometimes preclude the Lift. FInally, I help patients make sure they check their sugars post-procedure, and again work with the patients and PCP's if any issues arise.
Lifestyle Lift and diabetics
A lifestyle lift is a lower third facelift that is performed under local anesthetic in an office setting. Uncontrolled diabetics are at an increased risk for complications. Infection, wound breakdown, and scarring can occur in patients who have high blood sugar. Patients with diabetes are also at increased risk for intra-operative complications such as bleeding.
I will do facial rejuvination surgery for diabetics but I always require their Hemoglobin A1C levels to be below 6.5 and a journal of their daily blood sugars for two weeks before surgery to ensure that they are committed to optimizing their healing conditions. I also require medical clearance from the patient's primary care physician to ensure that there are no other medical conditions that may put the patient at risk.
I think that it is reasonable to do the surgery in an office based setting as long as all of the preoperative workup has been done. Doing the procedure under local anesthetic does eliminate many of the risks of general anesthesia. I would do multiple consults with qualified and experienced surgeons. Many surgeons can provide a much better experience for you with much more individual attention than lifestyle lift can. Good Luck!
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.