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Best Of :: Arts & Entertainment
A few times a year — not often enough, in our opinion — the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, becomes one of the city's top music venues, pairing gorgeous architecture and one of the nation's finest permanent collections of art with cutting-edge music. Officially named MFAH Mixed Media Designed by IKEA, the event decks out MFAH's luxe interior with the Swedish design trendsetter's finest gear (so you know it's hip) as partygoers roam freely throughout the galleries, and bands and DJs — often local — perform in the spacious, live-oak-shaded backyard. In just a couple of all-too-short seasons, Mixed Media has quickly become one of the top can't-miss events on Houston's under-35 social calendar.
It's hard to imagine that we're less than three years removed from Robert Ellis's stint playing Whiskey Wednesdays at Mango's and then Fitzgerald's. From that small but loyal fan base — and even earlier in previous band Eyes Like Lions — Ellis has seen his star deservedly rise on the shoulders of his 2011 New West Records debut, Photographs. Along with his 2012 move to Wimberley and eventually Nashville, that year also saw Ellis nominated for an Americana Music Award for Best Emerging Artist alongside eventual winners Alabama Shakes. While all the praise being poured on Ellis is enough to make Houston proud, it's a damn shame you can't find Ellis at Fitz on a weekly basis anymore.
This past summer, the Blaffer Art Museum, nestled on the University of Houston campus, paid the hefty sum of $2.3 million for total reconstruction surgery, and the money was incredibly well spent. The facade evolved into a stunning windowed parallelogram, which both sticks out and enhances the lackluster brick buildings of UH. The interior space is now sprawling and bright, an open and airy dedication to the visual arts. Thin tubes of light cover the ceilings, making for a modern yet classy feel. On the second floor, a balcony overlooks the main gallery, which the museum is now dedicating to emerging artists. If you haven't been since the renovation, do yourself a favor and go.
Poets, novelists and essayists get rock-star receptions at Inprint's two popular reading series, the Margarett Root Brown Reading Series for adults and Cool Brains! for young readers. Authors scheduled for 2013-2014 season readings/onstage interviews and signing sessions include James McBride, George Saunders, Anne Carson and Khaled Hosseini. Past authors have ranged from internationally known Salman Rushdie to Daniel Handler, a.k.a. Lemony Snicket. Local writers aren't overlooked, with Houston talent including the city's first poet laureate, Gwendolyn Zepeda, appearing at Inprint readings.
Dedicated in 2006, this ceramic tile mosaic celebrates the rich history of Houston's Fifth Ward by featuring the faces of some truly amazing people who came from the neighborhood — Barbara Jordan, Mickey Leland and George Foreman. In a city known for bulldozing the past to make room for strip malls or townhomes, murals like this one — which reflect upon and teach about the area's cultural heritage — are all the more valuable. It's a remarkable piece of art and a reminder of a remarkable legacy.
Any dancer will tell you that there's a special connection that forms during the run of a performance; the intimacy and trust are necessary for a dance ensemble to be successful. Now put a group of dancers in the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park and make them perform in the streaming fountain, and imagine the level of confidence they must have in each other. In "Natural Acts in Artificial Water," renowned choreographer Stephan Koplowitz and his initiative TaskForce created a masterful ensemble production based on the architecture, history, culture and ecology of the park, and the result was one of the most stunning collaborative dance performance pieces this year.


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Just a reminder that the Varsity Insider Chat is at 7 p.m. tonight.
Guests will be Felicia DaCruz of Albertus Magnus and Christa Scognamiglio of Pearl River. Their teams played one huge game already, with another on the way.
Log onto this page to watch the show live and submit questions for either girl that will be answered live on the air.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tesla Motors (TSLA) is asking owners of some of its Model S electric cars to return them to the company so that a component can be reinforced.
The limited recall, affecting Model S cars made between May 10, 2013 and June 8, 2013, was prompted by an internal review that identified a potential weakness in a mounting bracket for one of the second row seat latches. In a statement on its website, Tesla said that it had decided to recall the vehicles out of an abundance of caution and had not been asked to do so by any regulatory agency.
Tesla is notifying owners of vehicles involved in the recall and will arrange the pickup and return of vehicles. Owners are not required to bring their vehicles to the company on their own. The company will provide loaner cars for Model S owners, but indicated that their cars would be returned "a few hours" after they were picked up.
The company says it hasn't received any reports of bracket failures or injuries linked to such failures. Cars included in the recall were delivered to owners in mid-to-late May and early June.
Shares of Tesla climbed more than 1% in Wednesday morning trading.


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By Clay Fowler
Killeen Daily Herald
As far as streaks go, Eric Gagne's recently deceased run of 84 saves certainly deserves praise.
The USA softball team's current tear, however, merits something approaching worship.
The U.S. National team will put their 154-game win streak in pre-Olympic competition on the line at 7 p.m. tonight in an exhibition game at the Killeen Athletic Complex.
The Texas Elite, a club team hailing from the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex will, needless to say, have their hands full.
"This is about us making strides in the right direction and not getting complacent," USA softball head coach Mike Candrea said. "We understand that we have things to work on and room for improvement."
The USA softball team is boasting a 45-0 record as it nears the end of its international 'Aiming for Athens' tour which began in February. Killeen is one of the last five stops before the squad, arguably the best team ever assembled by USA softball, embarks for Greece on July 28.
"For the city of Killeen to say we hosted the 2004 Olympic fastpitch team is unreal," said Glen Morrison, director of parks and recreation. "Americans wait four years to witness the assembly of our country's best talent and the citizens of the Killeen and greater Central Texas area have the opportunity to witness it up close and personal."
USA softball has won gold the past two Olympics. In their most recent international effort, Aug. 14 of last year, the Americans captured a fifth consecutive gold at the Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic.
Houston native Cat Osterman, the only Texan on the roster, pitched a 14-strikeout no-hitter in the title game as the Americans downed Canada 4-0.
Osterman, a University of Texas junior-to-be when she returns next season, is scheduled to start at the next USA softball tour stop in Fort Worth. Two-time Olympian Lisa Fernandez will take the mound tonight with the increasingly famous Jennie Finch slated to pitch relief.
Six of the 15 team members are Olympic veterans and four of the six have twice won gold. The 2004 edition of USA softball has outscored its opponents 400-11 this tour as they prepare for the 28th Olympic Games.
"The process of growing together is something that you can't speed up," Candrea said. "It takes time. We'll have one moment in time when we get there, because when we're in the arena in Athens, obviously you've got to be able to make decisions quickly and react in the right way or it could cost you a gold medal."
Tonight's game will mark the second USA softball exhibition Killeen has hosted, the first a similar stop preceding the 2000 Games in Sydney. A crowd approaching 1,500 is expected at the Killeen Athletic Complex.
"It speaks volumes about what the organizers of the team's tour feel about Killeen and the immediate area in regards to fastpitch softball," Morrison said. "We are working hard to put on an event that allows adults and youth alike to be proud to say they got a chance to see the Olympic softball team."
Contact Clay Fowler at email@example.com


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Hannah Dela Cruz Abrams
MFA, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Academic Interests
Hannah Dela Cruz Abrams has specific interests in contemporary and international literature, post-colonial theory, minority writers, memoir, and essay writing. Abrams is currently working on her memoir, The Following Sea.
Courses Taught
ENG 101: College Reading and Writing
Selected Publications
"Laurena." Forthcoming in Mayday Magazine. 2014.
"Songs for Ghosts." Cedars. 2013.
The Man Who Danced with Dolls. Boston: Madras Press, 2011.


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Musically I love a Multitude of different genres ranging from Punk, folk, & ska to Rap, classic rock & techno. Specifically some of my favorite Bands and artists are; Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, The Aquabats, Defiance Ohio, Andrew Jackson Jihad, The Mountain Goats, Infamous Jake & the Pinstripe Bandits, Streetlight Manifesto, CAKE, Allison Weiss, Bowling for Soup, Skrillex, Dr. Dre, NWA, and my all time #1 favorite band is Bomb the Music Industry!
My Favorite Television shows: Supernatural, Dr. Who, Firefly, Angel, Breaking Bad, South Park, How I Met Your Mother, Welcome to the NHK, and Gurren Laggan. I tend to watch more Youtube than I do television anymore.
Movies: Lo, The Man from Earth, The Avengers, Fight Club, Lord of the Rings, Audition, Paranormal Activity 1&2, The Room, Good Burger, Clerks.
Food-wise my favorite cuisine would have to be Mexican or Japanese, though I am VERY open-minded when it comes to ethnic cuisines.
2. Music
3. My Friends & Bros
4. Anime
5. Pen and Paper to brainstorm with... & 6?
6. Air I guess?


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He died at the place of his birth in 1709, in the eighty-seventh year of his age.
"eighty-seventh New York," Moses answered, without hesitation.
He died on the 9th October 1856, in his eighty-seventh year.
Dr. Thomson Reid, the eminent Scottish metaphysician, used to be found working in his garden in his eighty-seventh year.
The eighty-seventh Pennsylvania went through the city this afternoon en route for home.
She is now in her eighty-seventh year and is enjoying excellent health, while in possession of all of her faculties.
My wife died suddenly in her sleep in the eighty-seventh year of her age.
The eighty-seventh and the eighty-sixth would soon be under foot, and the sight of the new lands should give encouragement.
She was in her eighty-seventh year, and at such an age all illnesses are dangerous.
She returned in time to receive the last blessing of her father, who died in his eighty-seventh year.


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SANTA ANA, Calif. Two brothers accused in the slaying of their mother allegedly told police that th
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HANOVER, N.H. – On Sunday afternoon at Dartmouth, the University of Pennsylvania baseball team extended two winning streaks, and accomplished a feat that no team had done previously, in sweeping the Big Green at home, 4-0 and 7-4.
The two wins pushed Penn (15-10, 8-0 Ivy) to its 11th straight victory and an 8-0 start in the Ivy League. The consecutive wins, and perfect start in league play are the best by a Penn team in over a decade.
With the sweep of Dartmouth (5-16, 2-6 Ivy), Penn also became the first time to ever take both games of a doubleheader at Biondi Park in Hanover. Biondi Park was added to the site of Red Rolfe Field prior to the 2009 season.
Game one saw a pitching duel for the first four innings, with Penn right-handed pitcher Connor Cuff and Dartmouth's Michael Danielak, posting scoreless frames.
In the top of the fifth, the Quakers Mike Vilardo broke the scoreless streak, leading off the inning with a solo home run to left field. Penn would then load the bases on singles by Brandon Engelhardt, Ryan Mincher, and Mitch Montaldo, but would be unable to score, after a line out and a ground ball double play.
Penn would load the bases again in the sixth inning on three straight singles by Rick Brebner, Jeff McGarry, and Matt McKinnon. The Quakers again would only get one run, coming off another Engelhardt single, giving them a 2-0 lead.
Playing add-on in the seventh inning, Penn would collect two more insurance runs. Connor Betbeze led off the inning with a triple to right centerfield, followed by a RBI single to right by Brebner. Later in the inning, Brebner would come around to score on a sacrifice fly by Vilardo.
Cuff limited Dartmouth batters to just five hits in seven innings, collecting his third win of the season. The junior, allowed one walk and hit two batters, while striking out five.
After a slow start offensively to the game, Penn would wind up recording 13 hits with Brebner, McGarry, McKinnon, Vilardo, and Engelhardt all recording two hits.
Penn fell behind early in game two, with Dartmouth getting three hits in the first inning, while scoring one run on Quakers starter Jack Hartman. The freshman left-hander would give up two solo home runs in the bottom of the third inning, giving way to junior Ronnie Glenn, who would get a ground out and a strikeout to end the inning.
The Quakers would bounce right back in the top of the fourth inning on a pair of doubles that would drive in runs. Ryan Mincher doubled to left center, scoring Engelhardt and McGarry, before Mitch Montaldo doubled to right center, scoring Mincher, making it 3-3.
Dartmouth added one in the bottom half of the fourth, but Rick Brebner put Penn back on top in the fifth, hitting his league leading, seventh home run to right field.
The run in the fourth for the Big Green would be their last, as the left-hander Glenn, pitched well in 6 2/3 innings of relief, scattering five hits, allowing only one walk, while striking out four, earning his second win of the season.
In the seventh Penn would push the score to its eventual final, 7-4, off of an Austin Bossart solo home run, and Mike Vilardo double that scored Matt McKinnon and Jeff McGarry.
Up Next: Penn will have six home games in the upcoming week, beginning with Saint Joseph's in the second round of the Liberty Bell Classic on Tuesday, April 8 at 3 p.m. The Quakers will then host Saint Peter's on Wednesday beginning at 3:30 p.m., before hosting Ivy League Gehrig Division rival Cornell in four games over the weekend. Penn will be looking to extend a 7-0 home record at Meiklejohn Stadium.
Download: Game25 (04-06-14).pdf


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Beyond simply viral content, there are also more opportunities for paid video advertising online as premium media outlets such as Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal and others put more effort in their own video offerings. (The Globe and Mail is among those media organizations investing in video.) While broadcasters at first charged "prohibitive" fees for pre-roll on the TV shows they stream online, the market is beginning to even out, Mr. Davis said.
A report this month from the Interactive Advertising Bureau showed that while still a very small slice of overall media spend, online video is the fastest growing advertising category.
But it can be a hard sell for clients – especially unpaid campaigns that are designed to go viral, said Brent Choi, chief creative officer at Cundari, the agency behind the BMW videos. Clients like to know they have paid for a certain-sized audience. But that audience may not be paying attention
"It's so dangerous because if the video is not good, it's wasted," he said. "TV, it might be wasted too but at least you feel good because someone was forced to watch it … [Online video] is successful if it's good. You can't B.S. a view count."
"The dynamics have changed," Google's Mr. Self said. "We're not forcing people to watch. It's the democracy of online video – everyone has a choice …User choice is really changing advertising."
Watch these videos in a slide show: The 10 most popular Canadian-made ads on YouTube
Dove: "Evolution"
Posted: Oct. 2006 (One of only two on this list that does not appear to have been posted by the advertiser – appears to be the account of the ad's director.)
YouTube views: 15.2 million
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather
The Canadian duo of Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk helped to define the potential of online video with this campaign, which won the Grand Prix in both the Cyber and Film categories at the Cannes advertising festival in 2007.
Dermablend: "Go Beyond the Cover"
Posted: Oct., 2011
YouTube views: 10.8 million (the agency says it's more than 15-million when other sources are counted)
Agency: Tuxedo
Featuring "zombie boy" Rick Genest, the video showed just how effective the premium cover-up makeup is by making the model covered in tattoos from head to toe, look like his skin had never been touched by the needle. It then removed the makeup to show the elaborate art that the product had made completely invisible. It won a silver lion in the Cyber category at Cannes this year.
Kijiji Canada Corp.: "Eric wants to sell his stuff"
Posted: Feb., 2011
YouTube views: a bewildering 10.2 million, despite the fairly straightforward content
McDonald's Canada: "Behind the scenes at a McDonald's photo shoot"
Posted: June, 2012
YouTube views: 7.1 million
Agency: Tribal DDB Toronto
The fast food chain has been attempting to address its critics, and dubious customers, with answers to their most unflattering questions. The marketing strategy revolves around transparency and fostering trust in the brand.
Skittles: "Touch: Cat"
Posted: March, 2011
YouTube views: 6.5 million
Agency: BBDO Canada
The original goal for the campaign was to reach 800,000 views. The amount that it exceeded that number is an example of the importance of "seeding," a technique that distributes a video to a network of bloggers and other online sources that are particularly influential for the ad's target demographic. Spreading a video across the Web in this way gives it a chance to go viral. In the eight weeks after the "Touch the Rainbow" campaign launched (which "Cat" was part of), sales of the candy went up 78 per cent.
Adidas: "Star Wars Cantina 2010"
Posted: June, 2010
YouTube views: 6 million
Agency: Sid Lee
David Cornfield Melanoma Fund Canada: "Dear 16-year-old Me"
Posted: May 2011
YouTube views: 6 million
Agency: Evidently
Barbie: "Glam Vacation Jet commercial"
Posted: Nov., 2010 (Not placed by the company, but by a Barbie Collectors fan group.)
YouTube views: 5.3 million (An example of the preponderance of Internet use among younger generations; many Barbie enthusiasts have grown up with YouTube.)
BMW Canada: "Walls"
Posted: June, 2011
YouTube views: 4 million
Agency: Cundari (Which launched a follow-up this summer, "Bullet." It has already hit 4 million as well.)
Budweiser Canada: "Flash Fans"
Posted: Feb., 2012
YouTube views: 3.9 million
Agency: Anomaly
Report Typo/Error
Follow @susinskyon Twitter:


text:
January 2006 Photos
- Raquel Happy New Year Photos
- Hunter's Birthday Celebratrion
Welcome to the redesigned site. I know it has been almost 3 years since I updated it. Raquel is old enough that I feel like I can take on updating the site again. I am using some fun new web/graphics tools (DreamWeaver & Fireworks) so you will watch my skills grow as I make the monthly updates.
I plan on bringing back the "Watch Me Grow" pages. I actually hope to get them populated with monthly photos from birth to current. So watch for those in the future.
Enjoy the January Photos and see you next month.... Cheryl
|All materials copyright © Cheryl Amezquita 2006
|Last Modified: 05/01/2014


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Sat Dec 22, 2012, 07:37 AM
HiPointDem (20,729 posts)
Beware of foundations bearing gifts: hidden costs, secret stipulations
News of a $5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the Hartford School District was reported with the usual unquestioning cheerleading from the states news media. But... Close reading of the proposal reveals the grant, lauded as a gift of altruism, shares many characteristics with the Trojan Horse in terms of what it means for both the well-being of our children and for our states education budget...
(The writer then goes into detail about how the new assessment systems supposedly funded by the grant wind up costing the district way more... "By some measures, MAP® has cost our school district as much as $10 million...The yearly subscription/licensing cost for MAP® was estimated to be $500,000 per year..."
But lets not single out the Gates Foundation for bearing the Trojan Horse of the Education Reform movement. Theyve got company with the Broad Foundation. Just this week, after the Education Law Center filed an Open Public Records Act request, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christies administration was forced to reveal the terms of a $430,000 grant from the the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. One of the more disturbing terms of the grant was that it was conditional on Christie remaining the governor of the state.
According to the Star-Ledger, there were other curious provisions in the grant, including lengthy provisions about secrecy, to the point that if the Christie administration were required by law to make the document public, it was required to let the Broad Foundation know first so that TBF may contest the disclosure and or/seek a protective order.
Perhaps the Broad Foundation folks were worried New Jersey parents might not like some of their benchmarks. For example, the percent of high quality public charter schools in New Jersey, as measured by [the New Jersey Department of Educations] definition of high quality, will increase by 50 percent by 2014-15. After all, shouldnt elected legislators make such decisions, rather than foundations controlled by opinionated billionaires in deals shrouded by secrecy?
8 replies, 1205 views
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Beware of foundations bearing gifts: hidden costs, secret stipulations (Original post)
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Response to HiPointDem (Original post)
Sat Dec 22, 2012, 07:46 AM
Atman (30,536 posts)
1. Ain't no free.
Response to HiPointDem (Original post)
Sat Dec 22, 2012, 07:48 AM
xchrom (108,903 posts)
2. i wish the rich would go back to building wings on hospitals
and putting their names on them.
Response to HiPointDem (Original post)
Sat Dec 22, 2012, 09:43 AM
valerief (53,235 posts)
3. Plutocracy, plutocracy, plutocracy. nt
Response to valerief (Reply #3)
Sun Dec 23, 2012, 01:09 AM
Rex (65,616 posts)
7. I hope they are happy with the America we now have.
They created it into the 'free market paradise', predatory capitalists only dreamed of under the Reagan administration.
Response to HiPointDem (Original post)
Sat Dec 22, 2012, 10:55 AM
sulphurdunn (6,891 posts)
4. You may rest assured
that no child of Bill and Melinda Gates or any other billionaire social engineer will ever attend any public or charter school test factory they are creating for the lower orders and that absolutely none of their "reforms" will ever be imposed upon the private academies where they send their own children.
Response to sulphurdunn (Reply #4)
Sun Dec 23, 2012, 04:25 AM
friendly_iconoclast (13,984 posts)
8. Preach it, Brother/Sister sulphurdunn!
Response to HiPointDem (Original post)
Sat Dec 22, 2012, 06:59 PM
Quantess (27,630 posts)
Response to HiPointDem (Original post)
Sun Dec 23, 2012, 01:02 AM
HiPointDem (20,729 posts)
6. kick


text:
Rain is beating down on steaming asphalt in central Havana, a hard-bitten patch of town. I am looking for a street-corner rumba and know my destination will call me by the 12/8 slap of a palm on the Cuban batá and cajones – wooden boxes – that distinctive clave sound. Finally I find Callejon de Hammel, a graffiti-plastered alley where, at noon on Sundays, Havana's Afro-Cuban community worship their gods with bewitching dance and song.
Rumba is more than music and dance – it is the expression of Cuba's creole identity. The music is a hybrid, blending Congolese percussion and flamenco-style soul-baring singing in the Yoruba language. It is rhythmic, dark, intense – one of the island's first and enduring sounds, and one that has changed little since the colonial era. I see a man and a woman doing a rooster-hen dance. Soon, other dancers join. At some point, it becomes a drum-fuelled marathon with spectators piling in. The air is thick and soupy, the beat relentless. Finally, I've had enough, and elbow my way out of the tiny corridor, the work of local painter Salvador González Escalona, who started plastering the walls of this back alley with vivid murals in 1990, bringing a sacred space to this poorest part of town.
Four centuries ago, African slaves brought to Cuba by the Spanish were forbidden to practise their native religion. They resisted by fusing African deities with Catholic saints, worshipping them like the Spanish did, but imbuing them with their own gods' characteristics. So the super-macho African God, Shango, became Santa Barbara, a woman clothed in the red colour associated with her fiery African counterpart; Oya, the undergoddess of the Niger River, became the Virgin of Candelaria.
Over time, they genuinely integrated customs and beliefs from the Spanish. Some white Creoles – native born Cubans of European descent – adopted African practices too, and continue to do so. Santería is growing in every sector of the community, more publicly so since the mid-1990s, as the government started to show a new tolerance towards religion.
In many Cuban houses, eerie, unblinking dolls form a mini altar laced with fruit and tobacco offerings, icons of saints, crosses and seemingly random objects. You might think this is a deep devotion to Catholicism. But these are in fact marks of Santería, still one of the best-kept secrets here.
You can spend weeks in Cuba, learn about the revolution, cigars, the proportion of Cadillacs to Chevrolets, and how to live on ration books – and yet learn nothing about Afro-Cuban culture. This is due not to the lotus-eating indolence of tourists, but the secrecy in which Santería is cloaked.
It was born in Nigeria, along the banks of the Niger River, among the Yoruba people who had a pantheon as rich as the Ancient Greeks. In Cuba, about 25 deities remain. Santería says the orishas need to be placated through gifts, or in extreme cases, animal sacrifice, to keep evil from the doors. There's a common phrase in Cuba: "Yo tengo que ir a Guan-abacoa"or "I have to go to Guanabacoa." But what it actually means is: "I am in trouble; only a priest can save me."
This township in eastern Havana, once a major trading centre for slaves, has a marked Afro-Cuban musical and cultural identity, strongly associated with Santería; the secret brotherhood of Abakua, and Palomonte, a nature-worship cult. It's one of those barrios where the potencia – literally, spiritual potency – is strong. I go there with Tomas, a Santería practitioner who runs grassroots Santería tours in Havana for the uninitiated.
The Museo Histórico de Guanabacoa tells a compelling story of the evolution of Afro Cuban culture. Here, clever, youthful guides will prep you on the main deities, from maternal Yemaya to firebrand Shango. My guide, José, tells me that you cannot understand Cuba until you know Santería, which is present in the way Cubans eat, dress, speak, think and act. He also tells me Santería, because of its natural-born secrec, could never be suppressed during the austere Communist years in the way Catholicism was.
Next stop is the babalawo, the high priest. Tomas takes me to the top guy in his neighborhood, Diez de Octubre. The babalawo is a tall white man in his sixties, who is quietly dignified. I ask for a consultation and I offer him some money. (He makes the sign of the cross with it before pocketing it.) He says he will consult Olorun – the divination aspect of the great divine entity – about my past, present and future, and leads me into a bare kitchen.
He begins by writing details of my name and date of birth, then embarks on a ritual of chanting in Yoruba (invoking his ancestors to clarify his mind, Tomas advises), splashing water from half a coconut shell, tapping the table, clicking his fingers and throwing a chain hung with discs of coconut rind on to the table. He keeps telling me to keep my open palms towards him. I am slightly distracted by the sound of a squealing pig somewhere in the house – Tomas tells me that there is an initiation ceremony going on as we speak, when the faithful make official their association with Santería through days of intense ritual and animal sacrifice. Then his wife bursts in and makes everyone coffee, he lights up a cigarette and starts chatting with Tomas. The famous Cuban pragmatism is not diluted by any magic at work, and it puts me at ease.
He tells me (Tomas is available to translate for anyone who cannot speak Spanish) that I am in a state of positive evaluation, that I have been blessed with great tranquillity in my relationship, gifted to me by the orisha Oya. I'm feeling quite relieved. Then he announces: "… until the point of marriage. The trouble is you are very bossy. You seem quiet now but you could change suddenly and become like a hurricane, doing something completely out of character. You are way too demanding and your husband knows this."
He leans forward: "You better watch out because you could become demented."
Later that evening, slightly perturbed by this onslaught, I read up on Oya. She is a warrior woman who raises tornadoes and hurricanes, and who guards the underworld.
Ever since meeting Tomas, I can't help noticing motifs of Santería everywhere I go. Discarded herbs on street corners; "initiated" Cubans wearing white from head to toe (even their earrings, shoes and umbrellas); strange artefacts and animal bones in the surf.
One day, crossing the Rio Almendares, I look down the lush, irridescent green vista of palm smothered banks. On a boulder at the river edge is a smiling woman about to chop a chicken's head off into the swirling emerald waters. Santería is everywhere, if you choose to see it.
Getting there
Lydia Bell travelled with Esencia Experiences (01481 714 898; esenciaexperiences.com), which offers a seven-day Santería-themed holiday to Cuba from £1,590pp, including Virgin Atlantic flights from Gatwick, B&B at the Saratoga Hotel in Havana, an expert-led half-day Santería tour with a visit to a rumba and the Museo Histórico de Guanabacoa.
More information
Cuba Tourist Board (020-7240 6655; travel2cuba.co.uk).Reuse content


text:
|Sean Neakums <sneakums@xxxxxxxx>
|Re: Oops on recovery with Linux-2.4.11-xfs on SPARC
|Anders Hammarquist <iko@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
|Thu, 11 Oct 2001 21:30:41 +0200
|Linux XFS <linux-xfs@xxxxxxxxxxx>
|Message from Sean Neakums <sneakums@xxxxxxxx> of "Thu, 11 Oct 2001 10:48:50 BST." <6ulmii5wxp.fsf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Hi, I'm also trying to get XFS going on sparc64, with some luck at least... > xfs_repair got to phase three before dying with a Bus Error, but > whatever it managed to do was enough the let the filesystems be mounted > again, until the next reboot. I traced this to an apparent alignment error. Setting BMBT_USE_64 in include/xfs_bmap_btree.h to 0 cures it, and xfs_repair runs fine (or at least appears to). I suspect that there are more issues with reading stuff from odd addresses in the XFS code, though I haven't been able to pinpoint any others. It seems kind of odd, since they say it runs on IA64 and I would guess that it too would break from unaligned accesses... /Anders -- -- Of course I'm crazy, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. Anders Hammarquist | iko@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Physics student, Chalmers University of Technology, | Hem: +46 31 88 48 50 G|teborg, Sweden. RADIO: SM6XMM and N2JGL | Mob: +46 707 27 86 87
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City signs interlocal agreement for control of ETJ
Published 1:26 pm, Wednesday, July 24, 2013
At our last City Council meeting, we approved a revised interlocal agreement with Comal County for control of subdivision platting in our extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ).
State law requires cities and counties to have such an agreement pertaining to who reviews and approves subdivision on land parcels. It would not be fair for a developer or landowner to have to deal with two sets of standards from different entities for platting.
The negotiation process lasted a full year. The city had to prove itself capable and satisfy several technical requirements of the county engineer. Our regulations differ somewhat from the counties, and we wanted to make sure both sides of concerns were addressed.
The city recently passed comprehensive-tree preservation and drainage regulations which we can extend beyond our city limits into the ETJ. The problem is that if we don't control platting it is difficult to make them enforceable.
This is a monumental moment for Bulverde in its efforts to manage growth.
News Channel
With the proper tools in place we can plan for the future and protect those of us who are already here from possible negative side effects of new development.
Now that the city has the control of our ETJ, we can make that a reality.
Bill Krawietz is mayor of Bulverde, Texas.


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He didn't look a bit like a preacher, and he said his name was Algernon.
"Yes, there can be no objection to your going," answered Algernon.
Algernon was at liberty for a moment, and came over to the group.
A fit of coughing prevented Algernon from continuing his remarks.
Algernon Feverel treated his nephew with a sort of rough commiseration, as a young fellow who had run off the road.
"But I want to be satisfied that you never will marry him," exclaimed Algernon.
Just then the storm which had overtaken Algernon and Harry burst above Texford.
He and Algernon Sydney are remembered as single-minded and high-souled men.
Subsequent to this publication appeared a voluminous critical essay on his genius by Mr. Algernon Charles Swinburne.
Presently Sir Algernon ceased to kick, his struggles grew fainter.
masc. proper name, literally "with mustaches," from Old French als gernons, from a les "to the, with the" + gernon, variant of grenon "mustache," from Vulgar Latin *granonem, from a Germanic source (cf. Old English granu "mustache").


text: Visit this wonderful travelling exhibit from the Minnesota Children's Museum! The exhibit is a hands-on learning experience that features famous storybook characters. This limited time exhibit is included in the regular museum ticket price along with all the other fantastic museum exhibits (including the Kensington Runestone!). Children 1-8 are FREE! Adults: $7, Seniors: $6, Students: […]Find out more »


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Not Accepting Guests
- Last login over 2 years ago
Join Couchsurfing to see Pablo's full profile. It's free!
About Me
coming back to south america, my land, the future
Hi I'm Pablo from La Plata, Buenos Aires. I'm almost 28 years old, I don't like football and I prefer arts and politics. Currently I have dreads, long dreads. I'm a friendly vegan. I'm an arts student, especifically drawing. Im married with Antonella a wonderfull girl from my city, i got married 4 years ago.I have been working with handicaps in hydrotherapy ( terapy in warm water) for 4 years thats made me a really patient and tolerant
Anartist. Something between anarchist and artist. Not violent anarchist, but of mutual respect and tolerance towards others, with love, peace and artistic expression.
Why I'm on Couchsurfing
Things like this can generate good energy. It's the most pure globalization, cultural globalisation, not marketized or dolarized. Only people exchanging ideas, life experiences, laughs, some discussion, and then back to life. This is why I take part in this community.
i have some experience here, i started almost 6 years ago!
Traveling, knowing, learning, teaching, living.
- arts
- vegan
- politics
- traveling
- drawing
- soccer
Music, Movies, and Books
Tarantino, Wes Anderson, Miyasaki,katsushiro otomo (páprika, perfect blue)
books... Papillon, mi planta de Naranja lima, otros.
Reggae, rap,electro ,jazz acid jazz, led zepelin, others
One Amazing Thing I've Done
The Iguazu Falls
Teach, Learn, Share
I hope to learn all kinds of things. The same with teaching and sharing.
Countries I've Visited
Germany, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland
Countries I've Lived In
Argentina, France


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Southwestern Lacrosse heads into Spring Break on a roll!!!
|MAR 4, 2001 - On Sunday, March 4, Southwestern hosted UT-Arlington in front of a good crowd. The day was a perfect day to play lacrosse. UTA is a newly formed team hoping to enter the league next year. Again, the Bucs had several players out with injuries, and were able to field only 15 guys. Hopefully the two and a half weeks the guys have off for Spring Break will give them a chance to rest.
Southwestern controlled the game from the beginning. With a final score of 14-3, the game was never in doubt. Several players stepped up and played well individually. David Caldwell again played attack as John Jenkins was needed to fill in for a still depleted defense. Caldwell had one goal and several other shots that just missed.
Zan Smith, on and off this season because of injuries, was out and scored a couple of goals, including a run down the middle of the field in which he passed up everyone and scored on a one on one with the goalie. Zan is one of the fasted guys on the team and he used it to his advantage in this game.
Pete Banzhaf had his usual good game with several assists and a couple of goals. Pete worked well with Jamin Welch who filled in at attack for injured Marc Harrison. Jamin received the game ball for his effort which included a season high 6 goals.
Sentimental favorite Zach Beaty, who may have played his last lacrosse game for Southwestern added 3 goals, including one spectacular put away from behind his back in front of the crease. We are hoping that Zach will play one or two more games for us before he graduates, but if not, he has definitely been a big part of our success over the past couple of years and we will sorely miss his contributions on and off the field.
Finally, Kent Sholars, a D-stick in hand for only three weeks, and a new player to the game this year, had a solid game, filling in admirably on the Defensive line.
This game was what we needed in preparation for our final three games as we prepare for Rice in Houston the week after Spring Break. Rice has been a very good team in the league the last few years. Southwestern has played them close in every game. If everyone is healthy, and all players are able to travel with the team, this should be one of the best games to see this year. Rice would be a huge win for the Bucs as they prepare for TCU at home the following week, and finish the season against UT in Austin.
In order for Southwestern to make the playoffs, they must win all of their remaining games, and hope for a little help. However, a win against both Rice and TCU would ensure a winning season and post wins against teams that most of the players on the roster have never beat before.
Have a great Spring Break and hope we will see you at Rice!!!


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Wyless, a global M2M managed services provider, on Tuesday announced an agreement with Clearwire to offer the first machine-to-machine (M2M) 4G products available on the Clearwire network. The agreement will provide 4G connectivity to Wyless customers and partners in more than 80 markets across the United States.
Clearwire [2]'s 4G [3]network offers a high-capacity wireless broadband service that can support digital signage, wireless backup, ATMs, surveillance, point-of-sale and interactive kiosk connectivity. Data intensive applications are becoming more prevalent in the M2M market space and managing capacity and cost are primary concerns in an M2M deployment, says Wyless.
Wyless [4]will be offering pooled price plans starting at under $10 in the U.S.
Clearwire's 4G [3]technology can support a wide range of M2M devices and Wyless will be leveraging their partnership with Clearwire to deliver devices to their customers and partners as they become available this spring.
"The Clearwire 4G [3]network will enable us to offer a completely new service to our customers and partners," said Peter Dunn, Director of Product Development for Wyless. "We are now able to fill a specific need in our portfolio of carrier services that had been unmet by our previous product offerings."
"Expanding our product portfolio to serve the rapidly growing demand for machine to machine connectivity is a natural extension of the quality broadband service our 4G [3]network offers," said Dow Draper, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Retail for Clearwire.


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While it acknowledges that rounding up traffickers doesn�t necessarily eliminate the flow of narcotics into the U.S., the DEA is hoping to degrade the effectiveness of the traffickers. "They�re hoping that successive waves of arrests drain the talent pool available to the cartels, eliminating their smartest and most innovative operatives and making it easier to take them down," says Shannon. At the same time, the Colombians are also urging the U.S. to curb drug consumption here. "They�re telling Americans that drug money spent here is paying for a lot of violence down there," says Shannon. "And fighting the traffickers is among the government�s top priorities, because the cartels are rich enough and powerful enough to pose a threat to national security." Rounding up cocaine kings is definitely one way to make Congress amenable to helping out.
We Give You Drug Lords, You Give Us Aid
Colombia�s biggest drug bust in four years is good news for President Andres Pastrana and for President Clinton�s efforts to persuade Congress to part with $1.5 billion in aid to Pastrana�s government. Colombian authorities on Wednesday arrested 30 people on drug trafficking charges, including leaders of a cartel that claims to export 30 tons of cocaine a month into the U.S. "This looks like a very important bust," says TIME correspondent Elaine Shannon. "They�ve arrested some of the key figures in the international drug trade the Miami DA called it a who�s who of kingpins. And that�s a happy coincidence for President Pastrana, coming just weeks after he asked for substantial U.S. aid to fight the narco traffickers." Colombia has asked for the aid, over three years, as part of an ambitious program to rebuild civil society in a country that has been savaged by drug and political violence.


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If you're gearing up to watch some TV tonight, you may want to turn on the series premiere of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC's new superhero action-adventure show. We've got some insight on the mysterious new show, including why it's so buzzy, what it's about, and whether we'll see any of the big-screen stars on the small screen.
Join The Conversation
so excited i might twerk
Like us on Facebook
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« July 2005 | Main | September 2005 »
August 19, 2005
Trial of IRWI: Info Research Watch Int'l
The LIS Library has initiated a trial of the IRWI database (Information Research Watch International). Members of the UIUC community may access it until September 2, 2005 via the Online Research Resources search page:
or directly at this link:
Please take a moment to explore IRWI and advise me on its relevance to your work and scholarship, to assist me in deciding whether to subscribe. IRWI is available as a combined print + web subscription for $625/year.
Its publisher, CSA/Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, describes IRWI as follows:
"IRWI: Information Research Watch International reports new, ongoing and completed research in information and library science and related fields from around the world. Compiled from records supplied by the researchers themselves, the database gives access to information about current research prior to its appearance in the published literature, with details of researcher affiliation, research funding and funding bodies, duration, status of project and researcher contact information. The database currently contains over 8,500 records from more than 70 countries stretching back over 20 years."
"The database is compiled by the Editor, Pirkko Elliott, from unpublished reports of research into library and information science (LIS) and related fields such as museums, archives and records management; print and broadcasting media, publishing and book selling; information and communications technologies and telecommunications associated with information storage, preservation, retrieval and dissemination. Project entries are accepted in any major European language, but English is preferred."
"Major areas of coverage include:
o Archives and records management
o Bibliographic records
o Digital, virtual and hybrid libraries
o Document delivery technologies
o Information and communications technologies
o Information and knowledge management
o Information science theory and practice
o Information storage and retrieval
o Information work
o Internet and World Wide Web
o Knowledge and learning
o Libraries and resource centres
o Library and Information science profession
o Library collections and information resources
o Library technology
o Library use and users
o Media, publishing and book selling
o Reading and literacy
o Technical services"
"Dates of Coverage: 1980 – current.
Update Frequency: Monthly, with approximately 50 records added per update."
More details are available at: http://www.csa.com/factsheets/irwi-set-c.php
Please send feedback to Sue Searing (email@example.com) or click on "Comments" below to leave a comment here. Thank you!
Posted by at 9:52 AM | Comments (3)
August 11, 2005
New LIS Library Website
On August 18-19, the LIS Library will be installing a new version of our web
site: http://www.library.uiuc.edu/lsx
During the switchover, parts of the web site may be temporarily unavailable.
Our new look is based on the current design of the Education & Social Science
Library's site. It incorporates Cascading Style Sheets and other user-tested
features. In addition, we are enriching the content of the LIS Library site.
For example, we're adding many annotated links to external web-based
information sources. Kudos to Graduate Assistant Lauren McDermott, who (with
help from Erik Kraft) built the new site.
We look forward to feedback from you. Please help us make the web site even
more useful and aesthetically pleasing. Send your comments and suggestions to
Posted by at 2:11 PM | Comments (1)


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Home > Services > Radiology > Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) > Brain MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce clear, detailed images of your internal organs, tissues, and joints. A brain MRI can help your physician diagnose and evaluate many brain-related conditions.
Your physician may call for a brain MRI to diagnose, assess, and/or monitor a variety of conditions, including:
Some metals interfere with MRI equipment. Be certain your physician knows if you have:
Disclaimer | Notice of Privacy Practices


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Need a few cheap toothbrushes? This is a great deal for your friends that don't like to clip coupons. Through 12/24, most stores have the single Reach Ultra Clean Toothbrushes on sale BOGO and priced at $0.96. That means you should be able to grab two for only $0.48 each without clipping any coupons.
At Target through 12/24:
BUY TWO REACH ULTRA CLEAN TOOTHBRUSHES, on sale BOGO $0.96
No coupons used
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $0.96 (or 48 cents each!)
Thanks Totally Target.Extreme Couponing Tip: You can usually get two prints of most internet coupons. To find them in the easiest possible way, use our preclipped links that take you right to the coupon. Then come back and click the same link to get your 2nd print. This will save you the time spent searching for the coupon.
Never miss another hot coupon, deal or freebie again! "Like" Couponaholic .NET on Facebook, Follow us on Pinterest, Follow us on Twitter, Follow us on Instagram or Subscribe to our Daily Email Newsletter!


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Abstract Birds Sugar & Milk
Shaped as abstract birds, this sugar and milk set is truly modern.
Ah, charming indeed.Added 8 Years Ago from MoMA Store
These mugs have the same sign that's in neon on the museum's facade.Added 9 Years Ago from Newmuseumstore
When filled, the mug color changes to white and says ON. On/Off is perfect in our house with one tea addict and the other a coffee addict. I may have to purchase.Tags: home, gifts, tea, food, kitchen, accessories, office, kitchen tools, coffeeAdded 9 Years Ago from Charles and Marie


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Go Santa Go - Indianapolis
MIlitary Park at White River State Park
Sat 11/30/2013
5K, Other
Join THOUSANDS of Santas & Elves as we hit the streets, in a city near you! Get your family and friends and choose to be Santa or one of his minions, I mean, Elves and join us for our Go Santa Go 5Ks. Every participant will receive their choice of a Santa shirt, hat and beard or an Elf shirt and hat to wear while running. Enjoy holiday music, candy, and cookies along the course. Spread the holiday joy by bringing a $10 unopened / unwrapped child's toy, and we'll forward them to a "Toys for Tots" drop location in your area. Participating in our event is a great way to get into the "Holiday Spirit" as we support Best Buddies of Wisconsin and remind everyone that you can still be active & healthy even during the holiday / chilly season. Join our gaggle, herd, flock, mob, swarm of RED & GREEN runners as we hit the streets and celebrate the season!Event schedule and timesEarly Packet Pickup - TBA Gear Check available beginning 2 hr before race kick-off. Our RED & GREEN Santas and Elfs will hit the street at 9 AM.
- Address:801 West Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204


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3k wire was a small component necessary for the operation of a transport pod.
When John Crichton, Ka D'Argo, Jool, and Chiana were aboard a damaged transport pod that docked with the leviathan Rovhu, D'Argo noted that they would need to find 3k wiring and narium coils to get the pod operational again. Shortly after discovering the wiring, they discovered that the ship was diseased. ("Eat Me")


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If you are conducting some Abbott family history research then you can view the Abbott coat of arms and the name meaning and origin of the name as well as the meaning of symbols below. This is a great place to start when tracing your genealogy and Abbott surname history and will help you answer the question 'what is the meaning of my name?'
The name Abbott in Ireland is
usually of immigrant origin having
been brought to the country by
settlers from England, especially
during the seventeenth century,
although it has been recorded as
early as the fourteenth century.
The Gaelic form of the name is
'Aboid' and the name is now most
often found in County Dublin.
A Sept is an ancient form of a Clan and is a group of people whose ancestors all bore the same surname and inhabited the same locality.
|'The Martyr's colour', signifies Military Fortitude and Magnanimity.
|Represents Generosity.
|The Chevron
|Denotes Protection. Often granted as a reward to one who has achieved some Notable Enterprise
|Apples/Pears/Other Fruit
|Symbol of Liberality, Felicity, and Peace
Click Here for Wonderful Abbott
Christmas, Wedding & Birthday Gifts from Ireland. FREE Worldwide Delivery!
Get the Abbott custom-made
Plaque or Shield with the Abbott Family Crest and get a FREE GIFT
Get Abbott Coat of Arms Flag. Different styles available and free worldwide delivery.
Get the discounted Abbott High Quality Print and get FREE DELIVERY (limited time offer)


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WINDHAM, Maine — The Windham Athletic Boosters Club is sponsoring its 18th Annual Holiday craft fair 9 a.m. -3 p.m. Saturday Nov. 10 and Sunday, Nov. 11, at the Windham High School, 409 Gray Rd.
More than 150 crafters, refreshments, door prizes, kiddie craft table and more. Santa will be there.


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Despite comeback efforts in both games, the Milaca legion baseball team lost their first two games of the season.
Milaca was no-hit by Princeton in a 2-0 loss on Monday, June 9 to start the season at home. On June 10, Milaca fell in front of the home crowd again, this time 9-2 to Mora.
Against Princeton, Milaca starter Brian Kiel had a solid game as he struck out eight, and allowed only two runs on six hits. However, he was out-dueled by Princeton's pitcher, who did not allow a it.
However, Milaca did get batters on base thanks to five drawn walks, but they left runners stranded on three occasions, unable to scratch across any runs.
"Brian pitched a great game, but we didn't give him any run support," said Milaca Legion coach Bart Naumann. "Defensively we were strong." The second game did not go any better for Milaca as they fell 9-2 to Mora.
Milaca put goose eggs on the board in the first five innings as Mora built up a lead with two runs in the first, five more in the second and three in the third.
Things settled for Milaca after that, but they weren't able to mount a full comeback.
"It's tough to start out in a big hole," Naumann said. "We finally started to get some guys on in the third, but we left six in scoring position and couldn't push them across."
Offensively Milaca was led by Mason Hoskins, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. Mike Garber and Nathan Hass each also had a pair of singles.
Matt VanSomeren started on the mound for Milaca and took the loss after allowing eight runs on four hits, four walks in 2.1 innings. Justin Fransen relieved him and tossed 3.2 innings. Ian Carpenter closed out the game with a perfect one, two, three seventh inning.
The losses dropped Milaca's Legion team to 0-2 to start the season. They played in North Branch on June 16 and at home against Chisago Lakes on June 17, but scores and stats were unavailable by press time.


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''IT'S glamorous and pretentious and billions of years old,'' says a giddy Michael Neuman, co-director of jeweller Mondial Pink Diamond Atelier. ''Everything you want in a diamond.''
Pink diamonds are extraordinarily rare - about three out of 10,000 diamonds are pink - and rarely found outside Australia. And the Argyle Pink Jubilee is huge - at 8.01 carats, the largest found in Australia.
Each carat, the unit of weight used for precious stones, is equivalent to 200 milligrams. Only five or six pink diamonds larger than a carat are found in Australia each year, according to Rio Tinto Australia managing director David Peever.
Rio Tinto has donated the Argyle Pink Jubilee to the Melbourne Museum, where it has gone on permanent display. After being unearthed in Rio Tinto's Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia last August, the diamond was originally destined for sale at an annual invitation-only tender.
But it was only capable of being partially cut and polished and was cut down to 8.01 carats, weighing 1.602 grams.
The diamond is the largest found in the 26-year operation at the Argyle mine, which produces virtually the entire supply of the world's pink diamonds. It's the Argyle Pink Jubilee's size as well as its colour that makes it so much more exceptional.
''We will find a handful of pink diamonds every year and of that handful, five or six will be more than one carat,'' said Mr Peever.
About 75 per cent of Argyle pink diamonds are less than a quarter of a carat and can fetch roughly $100,000 to $200,000 each.
But there's no putting a price tag on the Pink Jubilee. It's simply priceless, Mr Peever said.


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Victoria Davidsdavids.victoria AT blvs DOT org
Guided Reading Book list organized by level
These books are very easy for young children to read. Many of these books focus on a single idea or have a simple story line. Children can relate to the story topics to their personal experience. Books have one line of words on a page. The print is clearly separated from the pictures with lots of space between words. Teachers can use these books to introduce children to word-to-word match and locating known words. The following titles are examples of books that might be available in a public library. Your public librarian could be another resource in locating additional titles. When looking for other titles take this description of Level A books as a reference.
Wildsmith, Brian
At the Zoo
Kloes, Carol
Kaeden Books
Pienkowski, Jan
Count and See
Hoban, Tana
Look What I Can Do
Aruego, Jose
My Book
Maris, Ron
My Class
Stewart, J. & Salem, L.
One Hunter
Hutchins, Pat
Royal Family, The
Book titles organized by level were taken from:
Fountas, I., and G. Pinnell. 1996. Guided Reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
These Emergent Readers are in the Prealphabetic Phase of their reading development. If you want to see to what grade this level might occur please check the Text Gradient Chart or To see how reading develops go to Readers and how they change over time.


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« Previous · Tax Update Blog Home · Next »
But not if you sell pumpkins in Iowa.
The Department of Revenue has cracked down on jack-o-lantern scofflaws:
The Iowa Department of Revenue is taxing jack-o'-lanterns this Halloween. The new department policy was implemented after officials decided that pumpkins are used primarily for Halloween decorations, not food, and should be taxed, said Renee Mulvey, the department's spokeswoman.
"We made the change because we wanted the sales tax law to match what we thought the predominant use was," Mulvey said. "We thought the predominant use was for decorations or jack-o'-lanterns."
Previously, pumpkins had been considered an edible squash and exempted from the tax. The department ruled this year that pumpkins are taxable — with some exceptions — if they are advertised for use as jack-'o-lanterns or decorations.
Iowans planning to eat pumpkins can still get a tax exemption if they fill out a form.
And speaking of scary, today is the last day to apply for the Iowa Tax Amnesty.
• Iowa Tax Law Bookmark: del.icio.us • Digg • reddit
The items included in the Tax Update Blog are informational only and are not meant as tax advice. Consult with your tax advisor to determine how any item applies to your situation.
Joe Kristan writes the Tax Update items, and any opinions expressed or implied are not necessarily shared by anyone else at Roth & Company, P.C. Address questions or comments on Tax Updates to


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Roky's Birthday Cake (7/15/09) Photo by G. E. Light
F. Scott Fitzgerald was wrong. Nowhere was this more self-evident than the night of Wednesday July 15th at Antone's in Austin Texas, around 10:30 pm when headliner and birthday boy Roky Erickson strode to the stage and burned through a pounding 90-minute set of rock and psychedelia, necessarily concluding with his first big hit: The 13th Floor Elevator's "You're Gonna Miss Me":
Roky launches into "You're Gonna Miss Me" Photo by G.E. Light


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CARMARTHENSHIRE-L ArchivesArchiver > CARMARTHENSHIRE > 2006-05 > 1146843522
From: "Ronald Rees" <>
Subject: Rees, Llandeilo Fawr parrish
Date: Fri, 05 May 2006 11:38:42 -0400
Hello Pauline,
You found Elizabeth Rees, baptised July 15, 1842 and her sister Eliza Rees baptised October 19, 1843, both born to John and Jane Rees, Llsendy. Neither of these children show up in the 1851 census, so I'm assuming they died as infants. Could you please check to see if they died the same years they were born? Thanks again for all your help.
Ron Rees
This thread:
|Rees, Llandeilo Fawr parrish by "Ronald Rees" <>


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Horsepowerfreaks Ethanol Z4M build
View Single Post
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Turkey
Posts: 490
My Ride: Z4M, R8, 525xd, STI
View My Garage
Originally Posted by
Basar, nice project. You have that huge wing in the back (as do I). Why havent you balanced the car with a large front splitter? You are getting hundreds of pounds of downforce, but mostly over the rear wheels. Ask anyone about areo mods and they will tell you such a large wing in the back necessitates a large splitter in the front. A couple canards/dive planes would not hurt either.
Hope you will be able to fit adequate rubber to be able to use all that HP. If not most of it will be just wasted. You are going to need VERY sticky track or strip type tires to allow this to hook up. Making rear fender flares is one way to at least get some more width.
If you set this car up properly, very few will be able to touch it. It should smoke almost anything on the road or the track.
Thank you, i have currently removed the wing. I am going for more stock look. I am thinking about having the hardtop painted in car's color.
As for traction i will see and then buy a wider tire.
I dont want traction at 1st gear i dont want to hurt my drivetrain
I think my current conti 5p 255 35 18 could hook in second gear at 500 hp
Cant wait to test it
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Looks like Alara Greenwood Village is no longer available on Rent.com which means this information is likely out of date.
Where You Live... Expansive nine-foot ceilings...beautiful ceramic tile...luxurious master suites with fireplaces...attached garages with openers--features typically found in expansive, single-family homes. You'll also find a spectacular clubhouse, fully equipped with amenities that rival many health clubs. Don't you deserve to live like this? Where You Work... Important presentations...budget crunching...late nights at the office-thankfully, you live less than five minutes away. Which gives you more time at home and less time in traffic. That's why Alara Greenwood Village is the ideal community. The tranquil setting, overlooking natural wetlands in Denver's Tech Center, provides the perfect retreat after a long day. And for those whose work is never done, the community conference center is equipped with computers/WiFi and easy access to a copier and fax machine. Please call for an appointment today.
Our lease terms are: 6-13 based on availability (Please note that lease terms may vary, are subject to change without notice, and are based on availability. Inquire with property staff for complete details)
Pet Policy: Restricted breeds, please call for details.
Dogs Allowed. Cats Allowed. Pets Accepted. Call for service animal policy.
304 units
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text:
by Staff Writers
Woods Hole MA (SPX) Jul 03, 2014
An international team of scientists studying Emperor penguin populations across Antarctica finds the iconic animals in danger of dramatic declines by the end of the century due to climate change. Their study, published in Nature Climate Change, finds the Emperor penguin "fully deserving of endangered status due to climate change."
The Emperor penguin is currently under consideration for inclusion under the US Endangered Species Act. Criteria to classify species by their extinction risk are based on the global population dynamics.
The study was conducted by lead author Stephanie Jenouvrier, a biologist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and colleagues at the Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chize (French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, and the University of Amsterdam.
Emperor penguins are heavily dependent on sea ice for their livelihoods, and, therefore, are sensitive to changes in sea ice concentration (SIC). The researchers' analysis of the global, continent-wide Emperor penguin population incorporates current and projected future SIC declines, and determined that all of the colonies would be in decline - many by more than 50 percent - by the end of the century, due to future climate change.
"If sea ice declines at the rates projected by the IPCC climate models, and continues to influence Emperor penguins as it did in the second half of the 20th century in Terre Adelie, at least two-thirds of the colonies are projected to have declined by greater than 50 percent from their current size by 2100," said Jenouvrier.
"None of the colonies, even the southern-most locations in the Ross Sea, will provide a viable refuge by the end of 21st century."
The foundation for the research is a 50-year intensive study of the Emperor penguin colony in Terre Adelie, in eastern Antarctica, supported by the French Polar Institute (IPEV) and Zone Atelier Antarctique (LTER France).
Researchers have been returning to Terre Adelie every year to collect biological measurements of the penguins there, charting the population's growth (and decline), and observing their mating, foraging, chick-rearing patterns, and following marked individuals from year to year.
"Long-term studies like this are invaluable for measuring the response of survival and breeding to changes in sea ice. They provide our understanding of the role sea ice plays in the emperor penguin's life cycle," said Hal Caswell, a scientist emeritus at WHOI and professor at the University of Amsterdam.
"The role of sea ice is complicated," added Jenouvrier.
"Too much ice requires longer trips for penguin parents to travel to the ocean to hunt and bring back food for their chicks. But too little ice reduces the habitat for krill, a critical food source for emperor penguins. Our models take into account both the effects of too much and too little sea ice in the colony area."
The data from Terre Adelie were an essential component of two earlier studies by Jenouvrier, Caswell, and their team: a 2009 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science and a more detailed 2012 study in Global Change Biology that showed the Terre Adelie population was likely to decline by 80 percent by the end of the century.
The new study expands on that work, by using the previous population models to project how all of Antarctica's 45 known colonies will respond to future climate change. Those projections are based on the current SIC at each location and on changes in SIC at each location, projected by the best available climate models. Those models, part of the IPCC effort, incorporate the physical processes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and land surfaces.
The researchers found that, while some colonies will increase for a while, this growth is short-lived. By the end of the century at least two-thirds of them will have declined by more than half. Of even more concern, all of the colonies are projected to be declining by that time. Although current climate models do not look further into the future than that, a dramatic change would be required to reverse these declines.
Based on their research, the study's authors state: "We propose that the Emperor penguin is fully deserving of endangered status due to climate change, and can act as an iconic example of a new global conservation paradigm for species threatened by future climate change."
The team's study acknowledges the special problems of defining conservation criteria for species endangered by future climate change, because the negative effects of climate change may build up over time.
"Listing the Emperor penguin as an endangered species would reflect the scientific assessment of the threats facing an important part of the Antarctic ecosystem under climate change," said Caswell.
"When a species is at risk due to one factor - in this case, climate change - it can be helped, sometimes greatly, by amelioration of other factors. That's why the Endangered Species Act is written to protect an endangered species in a number of ways - exploitation, habitat, disturbance, etc. - even if those factors are not the cause of its current predicament."
"Listing the emperor penguin will provide some tools to improve fishing practices of US vessels in the Southern Ocean, and gives a potential tool to help reduce CO2 emissions in the US under the Clear Air and Clean Water Acts," Jenouvrier said.
The authors offer recommendations and considerations for new international conservation paradigms, including the identification of potential refuges for preserving populations. They point out that Ross Sea will be the last place impacted by climate change, and that conservation management strategies should focus there.
Related Links
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)
Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com
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Docket Management
Docket: 02N-0276 - Bioterrorism Preparedness; Registration of Food Facilities, Section 305
Comment Number: EC -11
Accepted - Volume 2
Comment Record
Mr. Andrew Schumacher
2002-08-30 01:13:13
All Pure Industries USA, Inc.
Comments for FDA General
1. General Comments
As a member of Canada's large export community, with a growing customer base in the US, we are as concerned with the security of the delivery of our product as our recipient customers in the states. While it is implicitly understood that the requirement for registration of food facilities has been necessitated by unfortunate recent events, we hope that this requirement may be implemented with the assistance of some of the latest technology, so as to assist both up and downstream. By allowing on-line registration, with perhaps a second-stage verification by local authorities, not only would it expedite what is doubtless a daunting process, but also allow for a more manageable processing of said registrations for the FDA. This could be logically extended to the notification requirements as well, thus allowing for a more logical and expedient means to track shipping information from the multitudinous exporters. If the varied categories of exporter were tied into their own home-page within the system, bi-directional communication would therefore be rendered far more efficient, as a configuration engine could be applied to make communicating new regulations/procedures to specific industry segments more effective. We hope that these suggestions prove useful in determining the best approach toward implementing the upcoming regulations. Though we realize that not all organizations engaged in enterprises exporting food stuffs to the US marketplace are sufficiently proficient in the new technologies to fully capitalize on the recommendations, we are very confident that many organiztions affected by the new standards and regulations would welcome the opportunity to utilize technology to aid in compliance.


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Purchasing Tickets in Advance Provides $2 Savings on Day-of-Game Pricing for Adult Tickets
By Nate March / Bradenton Marauders | January 27, 2014 2:38 PM ET
Bradenton, Fla. - The Bradenton Marauders today announced the 2014 promotional schedule for weekly and daily promotions. Single game tickets for the 2014 Bradenton Marauders season and the 2014 Florida State League All-Star Game will go on sale on Saturday, February 1 at 10:00 a.m. Purchasing tickets in advance provides a $2 savings on day-of-game pricing for adult tickets. The Marauders open the 2014 regular season on Saturday, April 5 at 6:30 p.m. The Florida State League All-Star Game sponsored by the Bradenton Area Convention Center and Visitors Bureau will be played at McKechnie Field on Saturday, June 14 at 7:05 p.m.
Weekly Promos
Marauders fans can stretch a dollar on Sundays at McKechnie Field. Every Sunday home game is a Family Fun Sunday, featuring $1 tickets and $1 hot dogs. After the game, all kids 12 and younger will get to run the bases during the Kids Fun Run presented by Mosaic.
Tuesdays, the First Mates Kids Club takes over the ballpark. Kids 12 and under can join the club for $15 to receive a free game ticket, meal voucher, and a special giveaway or experience at every Tuesday game. Also on Tuesdays, the Bradenton Herald is giving fans two tickets for the price of one. The Sunday edition of the Bradenton Herald will contain a coupon for the two-for-one deal prior to each Tuesday home. Baseball Bingo presented by Jersey Mike's Subs and PLS Print will take place on Tuesday nights. After Tuesday games there will be a Kids Fun Run presented by Mosaic for all kids 12 and younger to circle the bases.
Thirsty Thursdays presented by Budweiser and Ticket Sarasota gives fans a chance to fill up their cups without emptying out their wallets. Sodas and select draft beers will cost just $1. Join the Thirsty Thursday Club, your Ticket to Thirsty Thursdays, for only $60 to receive a club t-shirt, a ticket to every Thursday game, and the opportunity to earn great rewards all season. Each club member gets to start their Thursday night off right with one free 12 ounce beverage at each Thursday home game. Marauders season ticket holders can join the Thirsty Thursday Club for just $10.
Happy Hour Fridays presented by Pier 22 Restaurant kick the weekend off right. The first 500 hot dogs are free and there will be outstanding drink specials provided by Kayem and Cheney Brothers from 5:30-6:30pm. New in 2014 are Marauders Free Shirt Fridays. The first 500 fans receive a free Marauders t-shirt. Each shirt will have a different theme. Be sure to collect all 11.
Saturday nights are now Silverauders Night presented by Humana. Fans age 60 and older can join the Silverauders club for $30 and receive a free game ticket, free meal voucher, and a postgame Seniors Stroll around the bases at every Saturday game. Saturday night will also feature Baseball Bingo presented by Jersey Mike's Subs and PLS Print.
Daily Promos
The Marauders 2014 home opener is Saturday, April 5 at 6:30 p.m. against the Charlotte Stone Crabs. The game will be Pirates and Princesses Night featuring horse and carriage rides. The first 500 fans will receive a Marauders Schedule Mousepad courtesy of Pepsi. Bright House Networks and Budweiser present postgame fireworks on opening night and after three additional games (July 3, August 1, and August 30). The Florida State League All-Star Game will also feature post-game fireworks provided by Zambelli Fireworks.
The 2014 Bark in the Park series presented by ABC 7 will be held on April 6, May 13, June 26, July 12, and August 17. Pooch passes will cost an additional $2 on the price of admission with the proceeds benefitting the Humane Society of Manatee County.
Popular annual promotions returning in 2014 include the pre-game Easter Egg Hunt on April 19, A/C Warehouse Buyout Night on April 21, Halfway to Halloween on May 13, Military Appreciation Night presented by Miller High Life on July 11, and the Fourth Annual Condiment Duel presented by Keeton's Office & Art Supply on July 18. Intriguing new promotions for 2014 include Indian Heritage Night featuring a Rinku Singh bobble head giveaway on May 17, "Go Fly a Kite!" Night on July 12 featuring a free kite giveaway for the first 500 fans and the opportunity to fly a kite on the field postgame, and Star Wars Night featuring a Star Wars jersey auction and appearances for your favorite Star Wars characters provided by the 501st Legion.
Ticket Information
When purchased in advance, tickets for the regular season Marauders games cost $8 per seat for adult tickets in infield box, infield reserve, baseline box, and grandstand seats. Left field bleacher seats cost $6 per adult ticket. Tickets for children 12 and younger cost $7 in infield box, infield reserve, baseline box, and grandstand sections, and $5 per ticket in the left field bleachers. There is no change in day-of-game pricing for children's tickets. The Marauders will offer a $1 military discount to anyone presenting a valid military ID at the McKechnie Field box office when purchasing tickets.
Advance sale pricing for Florida State League All-Star Game adult tickets is $10 per seat for infield box, infield reserve, baseline box, and grandstand seats. Left field bleacher seating costs $8 per ticket. Tickets for children 12 and younger cost $8 in infield box, infield reserve, baseline box, and grandstand sections, and $6 per ticket in the left field bleachers. There is no change in day-of-game pricing for children's tickets.
Marauders season and group ticket packages are on sale now. Marauders season tickets cost $310 for all 70 regular season home games and include a ticket to the All-Star Game. Season ticket holders receive numerous great benefits, including the ability to exchange unused past or future tickets to any future 2014 Marauders regular season game. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets in any section for just $5 per ticket if booked at least five days in advance.
Group tickets for the All-Star Game are available to groups of 10 or more. Group tickets for the All-Star Game will cost $7 per ticket in all sections. Each group member will receive a commemorative All-Star Game tumbler while supplies last.
National Anthem auditions for Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training will also be held at McKechnie Field on February 1 from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Registration for singers will close at noon. Auditions must be conducted a cappella and must be no longer than two minutes in length.
The McKechnie Field box office hours from January 25-March 27 will be 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on week days when there is not a Pirates Spring Training home game. On weekends, the box office will be open from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. when there is not a home game. Spring Training day-of-game box office hours will be 9:00 a.m. until 30 minutes after the final out.
More Information
For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, the Florida State League All-Star Game, or National Anthem auditions for Pirates Spring Training, please call 941-747-3031 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.View More


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This collection consists of 186 2-inch quadruplex videotapes.
Selected material in this collection has been digitized and is available in our digital collections.
Original audiovisual materials are closed to patron use. Limited titles have been digitized.
The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Received in 2002.
[Identification of item], Reflections on Texas Video Collection, MS 386, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.
Descriptions of 144 of the commercials were included in the book component of the series, which was published in 1979 by UTSA's Institute of Texan Cultures. A digitzed version of the publication can be found in UTSA Libraries Special Collections digital repository -


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What better way to show your dog how much they mean to you than with their very own cake! A great way to celebrate Birthdays, Obedience Graduations, Canine Good Citizens, Holidays or just being a Good Dog!
All of our cakes & pup-cakes are baked fresh, please place your order at least 1 day in advance.
It is our mission to help make the world a better place for dogs, one step at a time, as part of this effort, $2.00 of every cake purchased will be donated to a local dog charity.
We love fundraisers! If you have a dog non-profit we'd be happy to help raise some money please contact us!
8" Double layer cake $45.00
13" Bone Shaped Cake $30.00
10" Paw Print Cake $28.00
8" Round Cake $18.00
5" Personal Cake $10.00
(5" cake iced in yogurt, doesn't need refrigerated,
Get Well Sheldon example above)
Batter: Peanut Butter Crunch or Carob Delight
Frosting: Very Vanilla or Crazy for Carob
Cakes must be kept refrigerated
Add a special gift for your pooch!
8' Happy Birthday Banner with Paw Prints $5
Tennis Ball Cake Topper $4
Squeak Toy Topper (cupcake) $4
Bone Shaped Birthday Candle $2
Cakes may contain some or all of these ingredients:
whole wheat flour, unbleached all purpose flour, organic all natural peanut butter, all natural honey, egg, vegetable oil, carob, all natural vanilla, baking powder, low-fat cream cheese, low-fat vanilla yogurt, yogurt chips, food coloring, gum arabic
Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein: 10% (min) Crude Fat: 24% (min) Crude Fiber: 2% (max) Moisture: 15% (max)
'Like' us on Facebook www.facebook.com/doggiedelightsonline
Licensed with the PA Department of Agriculture


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On "The Fappening" & 4chan's Violent Attitude Towards Women
Here's what I've learned about men on the internet who are annoying at best and abusive at worst: They think they know the women they harass. They have access to our ideas and our creative output (i.e. writing, videos, etc.), to our faces, to basic information about us, to a few scant personal details, and from that they concoct for us fictional life stories, fictional personalities, and fictional motivations. It can be terrifying on this end of that interaction, because we don't know who these men are at all, but they believe they know us and interact with us, talk with us, as if they do.
It's worse for celebrities, because it's not just compulsive internet commenters who do this — it's everyone. We want to be able to relate to celebrities. So we take their movies, videos, music, writing, interviews, press releases, and Instagram and Twitter accounts, and we create a fiction about who they are, or who they would be if we knew them personally. To some extent, that fictional personality is something that they curate and cultivate in order both to create demand and to create distance.
When I told my boyfriend that I was going to be writing about the leaked nudes of Jennifer Lawrence and so many other female celebrities, he said that it was a pornographic impulse, it was merely an issue of wanting to see them naked; that it's not as interesting to look at porn stars because it's their job to be naked in front of people. But if that's the case, then what's really pornographic about the leaked nudes of celebrities isn't the naked bodies themselves.
It's the attempt to continue to cultivate that fictional personality for those women. The 4chan-ers who released the photos want these women's naked bodies to be part of their public persona, and the celebrities have failed to grant the public access to their private sex lives as part of the fictions they cultivate. They fail to grant us that access because they want some semblance of privacy, because the fictions they create with us are not actually who they are, and they would like to be able to live part of their lives as the complicated and whole human beings they really are and not the personas they create to give themselves distance from the incessant attention they receive. And they fail to grant us that access because they want to be those whole, vulnerable, complicated human beings with the people who they choose to trust, not with random strangers.
I was going to write about this from the perspective of a woman who puts nude pictures of herself on the Internet with some amount of regularity without getting paid for it in any economic way. I don't think nudity is scandalous or damaging or in any way a big deal. My nudity is absolutely meaningless to me. But in the last day or so, the best (if, unfortunately, not the most voluminous) writing on this subject has treated the pictures that way, anyway — meaningless as far as the celebrities' characters and careers go, and, rather, violent on the part of the 4chan-ers who released the photos.
And it is violent. Because in real life, when you deny someone access to your naked, sexualized body and they take it anyway, it's called rape. In real life, when someone digs through your personal belongings because they're obsessed with you and without your knowledge, it's called stalking. In real life, when someone takes your property without your permission, it's called theft.
No one's going to "leak" nude photos of someone like me, or, if we're going to talk about celebrities, someone like Amanda Palmer — people who offer up images of our nude bodies freely. It's not to say that more graphic photos of me (or, I'm sure, Amanda Palmer) don't exist, but what's the point of "leaking" photos if it's not going to be emotionally upsetting to us to be seen naked, or if it's not a way of altering the way we're perceived publicly? If this is pornography, if this is a means of sexual gratification, then it's based on the impulse and the entitlement to violate women.
I'm getting exhausted with 4chan, with /b in particular, with their transparent, childish schemes to take women down a notch, with their blatant and violent misogyny that they continue to claim is not blatant, violent, or misogyny; with the fact that they complain that feminists all have victim complexes but that they seem to be the ones who whine about how the world is so mean to them, how feminists are so mean to them, how the Internet is too overrun with the "politically correct." It's not that we're politically correct, guys. It's that we're morally correct, and that we're legally correct.
Rebecca Vipond Brink is a writer, photographer, and traveler. You can follow her at @rebeccavbrink or on her blog, Flare and Fade.


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LEFT = Global paleogeography during the Late Neoproterozoic, about 750 my
RIGHT = Global paleogeography during the Cambrian Period, about 520 my
Compare the Cambrian paleogeography with that of the Neoproterozoic.
Note that by the Cambrian, the continents have moved off the South Pole, and some are
sitting on the equator.
(We don't expect glaciations in the Cambrian.)
Because the glaciers are melting (or have melted), sea levels are rising, and shallow epicontinental seas flood the continents.
Global temperatures were probably warm, because tropical waters could not flow far before running into a continent, and being deflected N or S, and spreading warm waters toward the poles.
Note that some of the continents are separating. Laurentia and Baltica have moved away from South America.
The Iapetus Ocean (or Proto-Atlantic Ocean) formed as Laurentia drifted away from South America.
Note the Ouachita trough segment (green on the map above), which separates off as a microcontinent.
Another map of the global distribution of continents during the Cambrian.
This map shows water depths and presence of evaporite deposits (E), which indicate arid (dry) paleoclimates during the Cambrian.
Shallow seas cover many of the continents. The evaporite deposits are clustered within about 30 degrees north and south of the equator. This is the latitude at which the great deserts of the world occur today.
The paleogeographic and tectonic map of North America in the Cambrian shows the distribution of seas and sediment types.
North America during the Cambrian Period. Note: The outlines of the continents and Great Lakes are shown for reference only. They did not exist at the time.
Laurentia (North America) is nearly covered by shallow epicontinental seas.
Because North America is sitting on the equator (see it running north or south through the center of the map), we expect the waters to be warm.
The deposition of carbonate sediments in the central US during the Cambrian is exactly what would be expected. The presence of stromatolites and mudcracks in these carbonate rocks indicate deposition in shallow water.
The water deepens toward the edges of the continent, where deep water shale is deposited (blue-green). Sand is deposited along the edge of the exposed land mass (yellow).
November 11, 2005


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Plastic surgery isn't all breast implants and facelifts, according to Dr. Nathan Kludt, a Lodi native who just finished his residency at UC Davis Medical Center. He works in repairing defects and performing precision surgeries on tendons and blood vessels.
Kludt is heading back to the Lodi area to provide plastic surgery services for the community, where he believes there is a need. He has a deep appreciation for his hometown and California.


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However, player-versus-player has always been hugely important to Guild Wars - guilds regularly compete for thousands in cash prizes - and ArenaNet is obviously keen to keep the attention of its hardcore players, offering the same jump-right-in PvP system where everyone has access to the same skills and equipment, and success is determined by strategy. "We wanted to give our competitive players, who were a really important part of our GW1 audience, what they want," says Flannum. "Those people don't want to lose to someone who's just played more time than them. They want access to all the same skills as the other person, and they want it to be their skill in making and executing a character build to be what wins them the day."
In addition, there's also a new World PvP system, which lets you use your PvE character and equipment to play against other people on a more open battlefield, the Mists. "It's very casual PvP where you can gain levels and have ten-on-one fights or 100-on-20 fights or whatever, where everything flows naturally on the battlefield and there's no limits to how many players can be involved," elaborates Flannum, though the team can't go into specifics about exactly how players will gain access to the Mists.
Splitting the PvP into two modes, Flannum believes, is the best way to accommodate the broadest possible range of players. "We gained a lot of experience with a lot of different types of PvP from GW1, and we grew to recognise that there were really hardcore PvP players, but there were also people who wanted that more casual, in-world type of PvP. And so we decided to give both groups what they want."
It's clear that lessons have been learned from the first game, and that goes for the professions and skills too, although ArenaNet can't tell us specifics about how they will work. "I think that we allowed GW1 to get too complex, and with GW2 we have a new opportunity to make it a game that's easy to get into but which has the depth of mechanics that keeps people interested over a long time," says O'Brien.
"To give a simple example, we eventually had 1200 skills in the game. And I think that through adding three campaigns and an expansion and having ten professions and the number of skills that it did, Guild Wars grew unwieldy. We've come to realise, through developing Guild Wars, that what makes it such a fantastic game is not quantity - it's quality. This time around I think that we can really focus on the parts of the game we want to focus on, make a clean break, make sure that it stays true to the original intentions of Guild Wars, and make it the game that we always wanted it to be."
As for whether it's the game that Guild Wars players will want it to be, O'Brien is confident. "Guild Wars was a very unique game. It takes a different approach to role-playing. Looking at our competitors, it has its genesis in the Magic the Gathering tradition rather than a straight Dungeons and Dragons tradition, and I think players really appreciate that breadth. Because it was so different, I think we got a lot right, but we also got stuff wrong. Guild Wars 2 is the ultimate game for Guild Wars players."
Guild Wars 2 won't be going into beta testing until much nearer its release; ArenaNet is keen to conduct most of the testing within its own, fast-growing team. The trailer, though, and the team's enthusiasm, have redirected our attention to this potentially landmark sequel after two years of silence. If it retains the accessible values of its predecessor across a bigger, persistent, more interactive world - without forcing us to pay a monthly fee for the privilege - it could really shake things up for MMOs.


text: When a die punches a piece from a strip of steel it leaves a sharp burr on the edge. Burrs are removed by putting the pieces into a tumbler filled with ceramic pellets and a slurry of grit and water. The tumbler vibrates violently, churning the contents together and wearing the burrs off and putting a polish onto the pieces. Click here for the rest of the story:http://tinyurl.com/leatherman-tour