text:
Nice Cruise...but Epic ?: Norwegian Epic Cruise Review by lvnthdrm
Overall Member Rating
Nice Cruise...but Epic ?
Destination: Europe - Western Mediterranean
Embarkation: Other
Thanks to Joann's organising we were picked up from our hotel by a mini bus for our transfer to Civitavecchia. Embarkation was easy, no dramas or hiccups.
Although at this point I should mention that I was very annoyed, when I discovered through my own research that not all balcony's have a cover over them...who knew! I feel that either the travel agent or NCL should warn passengers that this may be the case. When you book your cabin it's not really something you think about when picking a cabin, you just assume they are all covered. Live and learn. People above us could look down on to our balcony.
Like many passengers that embarked in Rome the restaurant bookings and spa booking I had booked and paid for pre-cruise didn't exist in the ships system.
I rang guest services about the More spa/massage I'd booked and they told me that I'd have to chase it up with the actual spa...um, no I don't, isn't that your job, guest services!!
LE Bistro - Loved it, favourite restaurant/meal on the ship.
Teppanyaki - We thought it was very ordinary, everything just cooked in Soy sauce. I think the whole experience depends on how good the chef is at not only his foodie skills but his entertaining skills as well.
Spa/ massage - Cancelled it. When you book through the NCL website the cost is $129 for a 50 min massage, extravagant but what the heck we are on holidays. Then they add on tax, then you find out that because you are sailing in Spanish waters there is another tax added on, so now the massage is $179, no thanks!
Buffet - Good, loads to choose from.
O'Sheehans - Became our local. Nice relaxed atmosphere, decent breakfast. Shared many a drink and laugh with Dave and Joann. More than just a bar, Joann learnt sooo much in O'Sheehans, including Gary's No1 recipe, Toad-in-the-hole !
Ice bar - Good fun, you should do it if you've never been in one before. Try it topless, no not me, that crazy yank Dave.
Martini tasting - Had 5 martinis in 1 hr, oh yeah and they were strong, phew. Not complaining though. The staff in the Shakers bar are lovely, especially Michael.
We found the drinks on the ship very reasonably priced.
We only did one pivate pre organised tour and that was in Florence, well done Jay.
In other ports we thought that there would be enough for us to amuse ourselves for one day rather than try and cram too much in. Tour took us through Tuscany to Pisa. Would love to say how lovely it was but most of us fell asleep due to the "Grande " beers at lunch, oops !! Loved Cannes, Marseille was picturesque around the marina, but we couldn't believe how much rubbish was in the water there. Barcelona, great, went to the Camp Nou stadium.
Naples, shopped, walked around. We were going back there post cruise.
Dis-embarkation was quite easy, only thing I didn't really like was that all your luggage had to be packed up the night before and left outside your room. On their website they say you can take your own luggage off, but on the ship they do try to discourage it.
Overall, we did have a lovely holiday, I think made all the more enjoyable by the people we met. A big thanks to Joann and Dave, really enjoyed your company,we now have new friends for life, hope we can catch up again.
Gary and Stef, so nice to meet you, loved your sense of humour.
Thank you to everyone who helped with pre booking tours and transfers, made life easier for us.
Not sure if I would cruise with NCL again, we did love the ship, easy to find your way around ect. Just the dramas with the pre booked items and the uncovered cabin ect and the way it was handled, puts me off. Less
Published 07/02/12
Cabin review: BE9277 Balcony
Actual cabin was okay, my only gripe is that the balcony was uncovered and I feel that it would of been nice if someone could of told us that when we booked. Even when I got in contact with NCL and they eventually got back to me, they weren't really concerned. Lets face it they had our money by this stage.Read All Balcony (BE) Reviews >>
Port and Shore Excursions
Read Cruise Critic's Norwegian Epic Review >>
Family vacation around the Med...
Standards have been lowered & ...
First time - not the last!
First time - not the last!
Western Med on the NCL Epic
Poor stateroom maintenance and...
Not the best, but definitely n...
1st Cruise & Last Cruise on No...
There were highs and lows.
Sponsored Links


text:
Latest Stories
Gorgeous Zelda: Twilight Princess Figurines Now Available for Pre-Order
September 27, 2016
Viz Media Obtains Publishing Rights for Mario and Zelda Comics
August 16, 2016
About This Game
- Summary
- Specifications
- Features
- Game Editions
Link, a young man raised as a wrangler in a small, rural village, is ordered by the mayor to attend the Hyrule Summit. He sets off, oblivious to the dark fate that has descended upon the kingdom. When he enters the Twilight Realm that has covered Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and is captured. A mysterious figure named Midna helps him break free, and with the aid of her magic, they set off to free the land from the shadows. Link must explore the vast land of Hyrule and uncover the mystery behind its plunge into darkness. As he does, he'll have to enlist the aid of friendly folk, solve puzzles and battle his way through dangerous dungeons. In the Twilight Realm, he'll have to use his wolf abilities and Midna's magic to bring light to the land. Besides his trusty sword and shield, Link will use his bow and arrows, fight while on horseback and use a wealth of other items, both new and old.
- Supported Functions
- Number Of Players: 1
- Memory Card
- 480p
- Dolby Pro Logic II
- When Link travels to into the darkened land of Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and must scour the land with the help of a mysterious being named Midna.
- Ride into battle against troops of foul creatures with an incredible horseback combat system, then take on massive bosses that must be seen to be believed.
- Many puzzles stand between Link and the fulfillment of his quest, so players must sharpen their wits as they hunt for weapons and items.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight PrincessRelease Date: November 24, 2006MSRP: 39.99 GBP
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight PrincessPublisher: NintendoRelease Date: December 11, 2006MSRP: 49.99 USD

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Call Egypt's Coup a CoupNoah Feldman
July 8 (Bloomberg) -- Who ousted Mohamed Mursi? It turns out that the future of Egypt -- and perhaps of regional peace -- depends on whether removing a president after popular protests counts as a military coup or not.
The Foreign Assistance Act requires the suspension of all U.S. aid to a country when the "duly elected head of government is deposed by military act or decree" -- no exceptions unless a democratic election is later held. If President Barack Obama wants to continue $1.55 billion in annual aid to Egypt, his lawyers will have to do some fancy legal footwork to explain why he gets to ignore a law designed precisely to deter an army from doing what Egypt's did.
U.S. assistance to Egypt derives from the Camp David accords, in which Anwar Sadat was rewarded by the U.S. for making peace with Israel. Sadat used the aid to sustain his unpopular rule, a strategy adopted by Hosni Mubarak after Sadat's assassination.
Any Egyptian government would have trouble ruling without the U.S. aid. Most of the money goes to the military, which, as a result, boasts state-of-the-art equipment and a whole shadow world of gated neighborhoods, clubs and stores -- not to mention the prestige of being a second-world institution in a decidedly third-world country. To take all this from the army would destabilize the institution. The military must have believed that bringing down Mursi, Egypt's first leader who could honestly be called "duly elected," wouldn't result in a suspension of aid.
Worrisome Assurances
Here is where things go squirrelly. Egypt's army has extremely close ties to its U.S. counterparts. General Abdelfatah al-Seesi wouldn't have gambled his institutional power base on the judgment of anonymous Obama administration lawyers. It seems likely that he had assurances from General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whom he reportedly spoke with before ordering Mursi removed. If they were given, such assurances would have been legally wrong, politically unwise and constitutionally worrisome.
Start with the law. Mubarak was "voted" into office in a rigged system that assured his easy victory. His removal shouldn't have led to a cessation of aid -- and it didn't. What's more, a genuine democratic election followed relatively soon after, curing any legal defect that might have existed.
Mursi was genuinely elected -- and genuinely deposed by a military that was the only force in the country that could bring him down. Sure, the protesters also wanted him out. But as he himself made clear, he wasn't going anywhere as a result of the protests. Plenty of Egyptians wanted him to stay in power. The crowds weren't about to storm his palace and lead him out Nicolae Ceausescu-style. If it were not for the army, Mursi would still be president, albeit of an embattled nation. This was a coup -- and if wasn't, then nothing is.
The precedent is clear, too. I wrote a detailed independent report with co-authors in 2011 detailing how the Honduran military removed Manuel Zelaya from power, an event that the Obama administration eventually ruled was a coup. Mursi's removal was even more clearly a coup than what happened in Honduras, where the president had violated the constitution already and the army acted with the agreement of the legislature and the courts.
In fact, the whole reason the law exists is to deter a coup like this one -- which is why it would be terrible policy to wink at its violation. If we wanted the president to decide which coups he liked, we wouldn't need the law. It is supposed to tie the president's hands, forcing the U.S. to support democratic values and to guide militaries like Egypt's that rely on U.S. aid.
Obama's lawyers have played fast and loose before, and extended executive power by denying that the air campaign in Libya represented "hostilities" and by claiming that internal deliberations before killing Americans by drone were a species of "due process." This time, they should follow the spirit and the letter of the law. If Congress wants to support the Egyptian army, it can do so -- by voting an exception to the Foreign Assistance Act, not by weakening its own constitutional power and democracy itself.
(Noah Feldman, a law professor at Harvard University and the author of "Cool War: The Future of Global Competition" and "The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State," is a Bloomberg View columnist. Follow him on Twitter at @NoahRFeldman.)
To contact the writer of this article: Noah Feldman at email@example.com.
To contact the editor responsible for this article: Nisid Hajari at email@example.com.


text:
Chat with Mark Schlabach
Schlabach joined ESPN.com in July 2006 as a college football and basketball columnist. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Mark spent nine years at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering Georgia and the SEC, as well as the NFL and NASCAR. Before joining ESPN, Schlabach spent two years at the Washington Post covering college football and basketball, and boxing.
Send your questions now and join Schlabach in The Show at 2 p.m. ET on Monday.
Schlabach Archive: Chats | Columns
Buzzmaster (2:09 PM)
We're tracking down Mark now! Keep your questions coming!
Mark Schlabach (2:11 PM)
Sorry, crazy day, obviously, with what happened at Clemson. I was on a conference call with Texas and Colt McCoy. Here we go....
Broad Street Brian (The Keystone State)
I live in the Pa, and I just don't believe PSU is that good. Can you convince me why I'm wrong? Who's to say they aren't this years Ohio State?
Mark Schlabach (2:12 PM)
What impresses me about Penn State is they've won with offense (Illinois, Oregon State, Wisconsin) and defense (Purdue). Clark is playing very well, Royster is running the ball very well and they have weapons at wideout. Defense has played better that expected. If they beat Ohio State, I wouldn't be surprised to see them finish 12-0.
Dave (Austin)
The Texas win was against most experts' predictions -- what was the difference between the teams on paper and what happened on the field?
Mark Schlabach (2:13 PM)
I think most people just thought Texas would struggle against Oklahoma again. Colt McCoy had played well against sub-par competition, then really stepped it up against Oklahoma. I don't think anybody thought Shipley would do what he did, either, and the running game was solid.
Brian( Halifax, Canada)
If and when do you see Michigan turning things around under Rich Rodriguez?
Mark Schlabach (2:14 PM)
When Rich Rod gets the right personnel to run his offense. I thought Michigan would struggle this year, but I never thought they'd lose to Toledo at home. It's a terrible loss, regardless of the transition under Rodriguez.
Mauldin, SC
Whats your take on all the negative comments the Clemson players have towards Bowden in the wake of his firing?
Mark Schlabach (2:17 PM)
I think Bowden probably lost his players after the loss to Alabama. Just never seemed to get momentum back after that game.
Tracey- Clemson SC
Who do you as potential coaches at the top of Terry Don's list?
Mark Schlabach (2:18 PM)
My early list would include: Will Muschamp, Jim Grobe, Bobby Johnson.
Scott (Algona, Iowa)
What is wrong with Wisconsin? How do you think things will shake out in the Big Ten?
Mark Schlabach (2:24 PM)
Other than Clemson, I'd say Wisconsin is the biggest disappointment of the season. Obviously, Penn State showed Badgers still have a long way to go on defense.
Mark (Bham, AL)
Did Clemson just beat Auburn to Will Muschamp by making the move 1st?
Mark Schlabach (2:25 PM)
Maybe beat Tennessee to the punch. I think you'll see more early firings, as schools try to line up themselves for potential replacements.
David, Charleston SC
Rumors that Clemson interim football coach Dabu Swinney has fired ofensive coordinator Rob Spence.... true?
Mark Schlabach (2:30 PM)
Working it now...
Wes (Atlanta, GA)
Who do you think will be the next coach to get the chop and who will replace them??
Mark Schlabach (2:30 PM)
Look at my "On the Mark" column today...and a few names on the hot seat, including Fulmer and Greg Robinson and Willingham.
Jose (Augusta, GA)
Where do you see Tommy Bowden ending up? Down at FSU with daddy?
Mike (NYC)
First we lost Sturdivant, and now with Vince Vance gone, how realistic is it that my Dawgs can stay in the hunt for the SEC or the gaudy NC hunt we were in?
Mark Schlabach (2:32 PM)
Can't keep losing left tackles. Throw in Jeff Owens and it's hard to replace that many linemen. MIght not hurt them against Vandy, but will be tough against LSU and Florida.
Patrick (Orlando, FL)
Mark, in your opinion, which is the best job that could potentially be open at the end of the season (including roster, fan base, facilities, etc.)?
Mark Schlabach (2:34 PM)
There might be a few good ones, including Clemson, Tennessee, Syracuse, Washington. Any FBS job is a good one.
Jake (Columbia, SC)
If Clemson turns it on now and wins out, do you think they will give the head coaching job to the new interim coach?
Mark Schlabach (2:34 PM)
Swinney will be given a chance to win the job. If he gets Clemson to Tampa, I'd say he'll have a chance.
Glen, Pensacola Florida
Mark, thanks for taking this...What are your thoughts on the Defensive performance of LSU and how do you think it impacts them for their remaining games? I mean, if UF could stop the run so good then South Carolina should eat them up with their defense...right?
Mark Schlabach (2:35 PM)
Not having Ricky Jean-Francois hurt LSU, but I was really surprised how Florida was able to spread them out and run by them. LSU didn't tackle very well.
Can UNC still have a great season without Brandon Tate?
Mark Schlabach (2:37 PM)
Tar Heels are obviously very well-coached, and their defense will keep them in most games. They've won without T.J. Yates, and Cam Sexton has played well. Losing Tate hurts because now Nicks gets a lot of attention. Tate is a very dynamic player.
Travis (Jacksonville, FL
Now that Bowden is out at Clemson, is Cullen Harper still benched?
Mark Schlabach (2:38 PM)
With Bowden and Spence out, it will be interesting to see what happens. Regardless if Cullen Harper or Korn starts, the o-line has to block, which it hasn't done yet.
Chris, Myrtle Beach SC
Do you think Lane Kiffin will be a head college coach somewhere next year? If so where?
Mark Schlabach (2:39 PM)
Yes, I do think he'll be a head coach in college next year. Tennessee or Syracuse? Fulmer might be able to save his job, though.
DeShawn (Dallas, TX)
Mark, I post questions every week and never has one of my posts been chosen!! Anyway, I'm really impressed with the BYU team up in Utah. Their defense can be suspect at times, but they can score on anybody. That's right... ANYBODY! Do you see them having a legitimate shot at the title this year if the upsets keep coming??
Mark Schlabach (2:40 PM)
If the upsets keep coming, yes, they'd have a chance. But they'd have to be very impressive against TCU and Utah, their toughest two games left on the schedule. I saw them against UCLA and couldn't believe how easy it was. (I answered your question.)
Ray (Gainesville, FL)
Mark, You cant honestly be confident in claiming the Big12 is better than the SEC this year when the Big12 has just begun conference play. SEC is knocking each other off, and Tenn is the only team with a non SEC loss.
Mark Schlabach (2:40 PM)
I just think the Big 12 is deeper. Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas, Kentucky (on offense at least), Miss. State are all struggling.
Mike (Winston)
Can we keep Jim Grobe's name out of coaching change discussion until after the season at least? I mean, let us Wake fans enjoy what we have: namely the best defense and worst offense in the ACC).
Mark Schlabach (2:47 PM)
Great coach, but I think he's pretty comfortable at Wake Forest. Nebraska couldn't pry him away. Arkansas couldn't do it. I think he loves where he is right now.
Bizzy B (Biloxi,MS)
My school is Mississippi State. We just beat Vandy. Do you think we can pull off beating Tennessee this weekend?
Mark Schlabach (2:48 PM)
Have you watched Tennessee play offense? Yeah, you have a chance to win. Great defensive effort against Vandy.
Russell Witt (VA)
Mark I see your point about some of SEC's elite are down but aren't you missing the point? Look at 'Bama? They were supposed to be at least 2 years away. Vandy wow! S. Carolina is finaly getting it together and the 'D' in the SEC is better than some of the NFL's!
Mark Schlabach (2:49 PM)
It's hard to say which league is better. Big 12 has great offenses. SEC has great defenses. A lot of very good teams in the Big 12 right now.
Billy (Auburn, AL)
Now that the supposed guru of the spread offense has met the SEC defenses and been sent packing do you see Auburns offense getting better.
Mark Schlabach (2:50 PM)
Quarterbacks have to play better.
Josh (Atlanta, GA)
would Georgia Tech get ranked if they beat a Clemson team that is in shambles? What about their shot at Tampa.
Mark Schlabach (2:51 PM)
Paul Johnson has done a tremendous job at Georgia Tech. I know the top two quarterbacks were out, but they beat Gardner-Webb by a field goal. Tech is getting better week by week and might be there at the end of the season.
Mark Schlabach (2:52 PM)
Folks, sorry, but I've got to run. Crazy day and still chasing down the Clemson story. Have a great week and enjoy next week's game. I'm looking very forward to a trip to Austin on Saturday.
Use a Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Learn more.


text:
No public recommendations added yet.
F A Baker & Associates
Address: 95, Ground Floor, Ashoka Shopping Centre, L T Marg, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra,Post A Recommendation Bookmark this Business Claim this Business
how to find F A Baker & AssociatesClick To View Location
Vote For F A Baker & Associates
The voting system is a way for customers of F A Baker & Associates to change its popularity at Start Local. You may vote for or against F A Baker & Associates and your vote will affect its score on Start Local.
If you vote positively for the business you may also choose to leave a public recommendation to tell other people about your great experience with the business.
Note: A negative vote will count against this business's score but will not be displayed publicly. Read here for more info on voting.
Have you already registered with us?
We just need to know if you've already registered with Start Local? If so you should have already selected a password and validated your email address. If not, don't worry it's easy and will take less than 40 seconds.


text:
The Integrated Justice Information Systems (IJIS) Institute awarded the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Law Enforcement National Data Exchange (N-DEx) its third Annual Innovation Award in August 2011. The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in Atlanta developed the N-DEx information exchange specifications, first delivered in 2007.
N-DEx is the first program by a federal agency to receive the IJIS Institute's Innovation Award. Open to any organization providing information technology solutions to public safety, the award recognizes projects that have made significant contributions to the advancement of agency interoperability that can serve as a model to other justice and public safety agencies.
N-DEx is an automated information-sharing system created to increase collaboration and interoperability among the various law enforcement agencies crossing local, state, tribal and federal boundaries. The system allows the various agencies to search and analyze data, helping them to "connect the dots" through the diverse facets of countless cases.
The Information Exchange Architecture Division (IEAD) of GTRI's Information and Communications Laboratory (ICL) is continually developing and updating information exchange specifications—based on the Logical Entity Exchange Specification (LEXS), also developed by IEAD—used by agencies to submit records to N-DEx. The system builds upon the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) and the Global Justice XML Data Model, also developed by GTRI in 2006.
According to ICL Senior Research Scientist Jack Wallace, GTRI has developed two separate specifications for N-DEx. The first allows agencies to input data from incident and arrest reports, and the second allows the input of data regarding incarceration, booking, probation and parole. GTRI is updating the N-DEx specifications to facilitate their use beyond the N-DEx program.The FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division in West Virginia developed and maintains N-DEx. As of Aug. 28, 2011, nearly 4,000 individual agencies have logged more than 113 million records into the N-DEx program.


text:
Charlize Theron Stuns in Bikini Photo Shoot for Mario Testino
Mario Testino yesterday in Miami beach. The 38-year-old South African stunner donned multiple bikinis and played with her two-year-old son Jackson in her downtime.Charlize Theron showed off her flawless figure in a bikini photo shoot for legendary fashion photographer
Last week, the Snow White and the Huntsman actress was snapped making out with her beau, 53-year-old actor Sean Penn, on a Malibu beach but this week it was all about working it for the camera. Theron wore a silver bikini with white shorts, and then changed into a sexy crop top with black bikini bottoms for a boat ride.
Charlize enjoyed playing with her cute son Jackson when she wasn't being snapped by Testino. To see all the photos, launch the gallery above.
Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel


text:
A Message From The Owner
Video Tour
"Since opening our first restaurant in 1994 I have always aimed to deliver great Italian food to all our customers.
Our friendly staff will always be on hand to deal with any requests that you may have. We look forward to seeing you soon."


text:
Biographical Information:
Diane Destiny received her MFA Degree from California State University, Los Angeles. Since graduation she has taught at Mission College; California State University, Northridge; California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; and California State University, Los Angeles to name a few.
She has had eight one person exhibits, the last in 2002 at Bergamot Station, Santa Monica. Ms. Destiny has also exhibited her work in competitive and invitational annuals and group exhibitions far too many to list.
She received the Annual Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper, Brand Library Art Galleries and the Annual Westwood Art Association first place cash awards. In addition she has won other prizes and awards. She was also awarded a sculpture Commission for Southern Colorado State Universary, Pueblo, Colorado.
Her work can be found in the following publications: Feminists Who Changed America 1963-1975; The international Library of Photography, Priceless Treasures,1999; Visions Art Quarterly, 1993/94; and Guide to Artists in Southern California Art Resource Publication.
Her work is in permanent collections at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC and The Brand Library, Glendale, CA
Artist Statement:
Visionary Poetry is a give and take process where the artist, Diane Destiny, creates the vision based on a poem written by Joyce Stein OR the artist creates the vision and the poet responds by writing a poem based on the art piece. The images are created on the computer, printed on canvas, presented on brushed aluminum and finished as an encaustic painting. The encaustic adds a feeling of mystery with a balance of transparent and opaque areas.
Poetry makes the reader experience through the verse and its rhythm the thoughts and feelings of the poet. The words chosen are based on the poet's reaction to the visual impact of the art piece. Words have their own color and shape and the artist reacts to them with her individual vision of their meaning.
The art piece and the poem are designed to complement each other. Each Painting is accompanied by an audio recording for the viewer to listen to the Poem while viewing the Painting. Some viewers and readers may find their own interpretation of a specific combination and that adds even more to the viewing. Enjoy the presentation.
Solo Exhibitions:
2002 BGH Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
2001 Onion Gallery, North Hills, CA
1995 Cardini Ristorante, Los Angeles, CA
1992 Malibu Residence, Malibu, CA
1976 Floating Wall Gallery, Santa Ana, CA
1975 Sangre De Cristo Art Center, Pueblo, CO
Group Exhibitions:
2009 Abstract LA; Art Gallery at West L.A. College, Culver City, CA
2008 Women in Space; American Jewish University Platt Gallery, Brentwood, CA
2008 Visual Literacy; 2nd City Council Art Gallery, Long Beach, CA
2008 Postcard Art Show; Atrium Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Pillow Talk; Ruth Bachofner Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2007 Top Drawer; Atrium Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2006 Up Close and Personal; Curators Choice, SCWCA Gallery, Los Angeles CA
2005 Looking for Art; L.A. World Airports Exhibit, LAX, Los Angeles, CA
2005 Impressions of L.A.; SCWCA, Los Angeles, CA
2005 Snap to Grid; L.A. Center for Digital Arts
Awards & Honors:
1999 Cash Award, Annual Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper, Brand Library Art Galleries, Glendale, CA
1997 Second Prize, Fine Art Photography and Mixed Media, CA
1997 Honorable Mention, Ink and Clay, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA
1972 Cash Award, Second Prize, 1st Annual Exhibit Moorpark College, Moorpark, CA
1971 Cash Award, Second Prize, Ventura County Forum of the Arts, Ventura, CA
1971 Cash Award, First Prize, Annual Exhibition, Westwood Art Association, Westwood, CA
Council of Women Artists
Kappa Pi - Art Honorary, Gamma Tau Chapter
Women for Cal Arts
Womanspace, Los Angeles Board Member
N. O. W. Women in the Arts
Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art
Los Angeles
Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority Alumni
Woman's Caucus for Art
College Art Association
Double X
Versions & Visions
Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions
Arroyo Arts Collective
Pasadena Society of Artists
Clickers and Flickers Photography
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
Brand Library, Glendale, CA
1971 Master of Fine Arts, California State University Los Angeles
We are grateful for your donation and support of our organization. If you have made an error in making your donation or change your mind about contributing to our organization please contact us. Refunds are returned using the original method of payment. If you made your donation by credit card, your refund will be credited to that same credit card.
Ongoing support is important to enabling projects to continue their work, so we encourage donors to continue to contribute to projects over time. But if you must cancel your recurring donation, please notify us.


text:
heddy Boubaker (firstname.lastname@example.com)
09 Apr 1998 11:53:22 +0200
<> "Andrew" == Andrew Scherpbier <email@example.com> writes:
Andrew> There is actually another method that may or may not be easier to
Andrew> maintain. htdig looks for the HTML meta tag name "htdig-noindex".
Andrew> So if the documents you do not want to cover in a search contain
Andrew> "<meta name=htdig-noindex
Andrew> value=foo>", they will not be found in a search.
Andrew> Unfortunately, this only covers HTML documents.
hi Andrew,
Ok! but that not enough, lets elaborate a little: Suppose we want to have 2
database: 1 for our Intranet that will index everything that is accessible
from our local net, and the other for the `Externet' (the Internet) for
everything that is accessible from the outside only. Your solution is not
good in this case because htdig will not index the document in both cases
... The only solution we have for now is to make htdig run under IP addresses
matching the local/extern stuff (as explained in my previous msg). Maybe a
new META will help, BTW it will be nice that htdig take into account some
other few metas (it could be in the TODO list):
new: name=DISTRIBUTION content="(external|extern)|(internal|intern|intranet|local)"
Tell htdig what is the distribution of the document (htdig should know
in what mode it is running, this must be new option to add).
- these 2 following are often used by others search engines -
use: DESCRIPTION, htsearch should use what is in the description meta tag
instead of the title of the document.
use: ROBOTS - there is a patch for that I think !
Another thing that could be changed IMHO is what is displayed in long-format
when no keyword is found in the description stored for a doc: currently "none
of the keywords was found in the top of this document" is very confusing for
users, they often think that ht://Dig is buggy and that it show documents not
matching the request. We have to found a new message for that, maybe
"keywords was found in this document but no description available" should be
more clear ? What do you think of that ?
Lastly, another thing to add maybe could be the generalization of the use of
regexp instead of substring (exclude-url, limit-urls-to ...)
BTW where can we find soundex, metaphone and endings rules for French (any
other froggies out there ? ;-))
ht://Dig is a very useful and very well written tool but it still need some
very few little ameliorations to became the perfect search engine of our
dreams, thanks a lot for it Andrew - hope you'll have time again to work on
it next -.
- heddy -
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Sat Jan 02 1999 - 16:26:01 PST


text:
Disruptor's Handbook
Gavin is a digital strategist and advisor. He has led new venture startups for organisations like PwC, developed digital strategy and execution for global brands on both the agency and client sides, and spent some time as an analyst in digital transformation for award winning analyst and advisory firm, Constellation Research.
He is the founder of the Disruptor's Handbook – an un-Agency that brings startup culture to the challenge of digital transformation and works with clients to help them see opportunity in disruptive technologies and business models. In his limited spare time he serves as president of youth organisation, Vibewire.


text:
Sea Ray 38 Sundancer — By Elizabeth Ginns Britten
— January 2006
Silver Bullet
The newest Sundancer is just as fast and comfortable as she looks.
It was a picture-perfect Sunshine State day, the mid-September morning I arrived in Melbourne to test the Sea Ray 38 Sundancer. Bright blue sky, puffy white clouds, sun beating down—the kind of day Florida is famous for, the kind of day that makes you want to slow down, take a deep breath, and relax. My flight from New York City had landed early, there was nobody in line at the rental car agency, and I was en route to the company's Merritt Island facility way ahead of schedule. It was about the best Monday morning I'd had at work in weeks.
Then something on the radio caught my attention: "Governor Jeb Bush has ordered a mandatory evacuation of the Florida Keys, and the mayor of Key West said Tropical Storm Rita could potentially be a category 2 or 3 storm when she makes landfall on Tuesday."
What? This was the first I'd heard of Rita, and she's slated to be a major hurricane aimed right at the area I've just flown to? I immediately rescheduled my flight out for that night instead of the following morning. I'd be spared the wrath of Rita, but I had a lot of business to take care of in one afternoon. So much for my relaxing day in Florida.
In retrospect, my frenzied attitude was perfectly fitting for a boat that says get up and go, right down to her exterior styling. The 38 I tested had sleek lines and a low profile, plus a hull finished in the optional metallic pewter. She had plenty of places above and below to relax and, as I learned later, plenty of performance to match.
I met up with Sea Ray rep Gary McCloud, and we quickly got to work. The first order of the day was inspecting the 38's full-beam (12'6") engine room, located under the hydraulically raised cockpit sole. Inside I found a pair of standard 370-hp 8.1S MerCruiser gasoline V-drives with all routine service points accessible, despite the fact that there was only about 16 inches between the powerplants.
McCloud piloted the 38 out of the slip while I inspected her exterior. Her standard fiberglass hardtop has a three-foot Sunbrella sunshade attached to its after end, but what I really liked was the hatch in the middle of it that allows a breeze to flow through while keeping spray out.
But it was the 38's cockpit that I found most inviting. Seating abounds, especially aft, where there's U-shape seating for two to port and an L-shape settee to starboard with room for at least four more, both with stowage below. There's a wet bar on the port side of the cockpit, with a Corian countertop plus a trash receptacle and cooler beneath it, a detail that eliminates a lot of trips below. Touches like these, plus stainless steel drink holders and four stereo speakers spread around the cockpit (handy, since a six-month subscription to Sirius Satellite Radio also comes standard), make the 38 a top-notch choice for anyone who entertains aboard. If it hadn't been for the impending hurricane, I could've happily spent the rest of the day right there.
The helm, forward of the cockpit seating areas and to starboard, is almost as nice. It's accented in high-gloss cherry with stainless steel gauges neatly in a row, a single helm seat with a comfortable flip-up bolster, and a molded-in fiberglass companion seat for two to port.
Once we were out in the ICW, I ran numbers on the 38, which reinforced her sporty appearance. With her standard power, she planed quickly and reached her top speed of 37.5 mph in only about 25 seconds. With the numbers complete, I took the helm, and since the ICW was flat, I wasn't able to evaluate the 38's seakeeping. But I can tell you that she's responsive, thanks to her Sea Star hydraulic power-assisted steering, and that she made hard-over, full-speed turns in about two boat lengths, with a barely discernible drop in rpm. Sightlines all around were excellent, even for me, and I'm 5'1".
Next page > Part 2: The galley, immediately to port of the cockpit stairs, is accented in rich-looking, grain-matched cherry. > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
This article originally appeared in the December 2005 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.


text:
August 15th, 2013
Raising a child: Is it priceless or pricey?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the cost of raising a child averages around $217,000 until age 18, and can reach as high as half a million. Mom and Dad better start saving now, because the estimate does not include the cost of college.


text:
*image shown is 5 x 8 or larger rug
*smaller sizes will not show complete pattern, will be scaled down to fit.
Additional 20% discount will be applied in cart once discount code is entered. Please note discount code does not apply to Dalyn, Loloi, Capel, Milliken, select Nourison rugs, clearance rugs and rug pads.
Name: Swing 381
Manufacturer: Rizzy Rugs
Collection: Swing
Material: Wool
, New Zealand Wool
Construction: Hand Woven
Colors: Tans/Browns/Rusts
Made in: India
Description: Flat-woven rugs have been a favorite for centuries. The Swing collection offers a variety of patterns and stripes that range from casual to contemporary. Each dhurrie is hand-woven with 100% blended New Zealand wool to insure years of durability. (Swing 381 - Hand Woven New Zealand Wool Rugs from Rizzy)
Please note: Image shown is for 5 x 8 or larger rug. Smaller sizes will not show complete pattern, and will be scaled down to fit.
Ships within 2 to 3 business days*
* Estimated business days to ship within continental US. Expect longer delivery times for remote locations and oversized rugs (longer than 9'). Custom & braided rugs take longer (up to 4-5 weeks).
Other Related Patterns You Will
Related products are usually selected because they employ the same materials and colours of the product featured above but in different patterns and therefore are often perfect for use in the same or adjacent rooms.


text:
Group appeals decision allowing Consol to mine under streams in Greene Co.
An environmental group on Friday asked the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board to halt Consol Energy's plans to mine more than 3,000 acres in Greene County that could harm streams and other waterways in and near Ryerson Station State Park.
The Center for Coalfield Justice, based in Washington, Pa., filed an appeal objecting to a permit issued by the Department of Environmental Protection. The appeal notes, among other things, that Consol wants to expand its Bailey Mine operation to longwall mine under 3,175 subsidence control plan acres that include 14 streams — four of which are predicted to incur flow loss or reduction.
"That is from their own application," said Patrick Grenter, executive director of the center. "And that's if everything goes well."
The DEP declined to comment.
Cecil-based Consol Energy issued a statement touting its Bailey complex and 5,000 employees who work there as being industry leaders in safety, compliance and productivity.
"The Center for Coalfield Justice's actions continue to ignore the facts and clearly reveal their anti-jobs, anti-energy, anti-prosperity agenda that only serves to weaken our region's competitiveness," spokeswoman Kate O'Donovan wrote.
The center learned of Consol Energy's application through an email from DEP, Grenter said.
"We didn't think the state would approve this," he said.
In April, Consol Energy officials agreed to pay $36 million to rebuild a dam in Ryerson Station State Park that was damaged in 2005 and caused the 62-acre Duke Lake to be drained.
The state blamed drilling and longwall mining done by Consol Energy. The company admitted no guilt in reaching the settlement, which included Consol donating 506 acres to the 1,164-acre park and the company receiving the park's gas rights — though wells are to be kept outside the property and no mining is to occur under the lake.
One of the waterways the center fears will be in danger is North Fork Dunkard Fork, the stream that crosses the drained Duke Lake.
Jason Cato is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7936 or email@example.com.


text:
Thank you!
The meeting brought together physicists, scientists, and students from all over the world to share groundbreaking research from industry, universities, and major labs. With 64 invited sessions, 1,160 total abstracts, and 19 participating units, this meeting in the heart of Washington, D.C. was a great success.
Code of Conduct
Creating a supportive environment to enable scientific discourse at APS meetings.
View the Policy
Registration Receipt
Print out your meeting registration receipt.
View Registration Receipt
Scientific Sessions
View abstracts, presentations, and video of your favorite sessions or catch up on the ones you missed.
View Sessions


text:
Vancouver tells Torts to hit the bricks
Started by
Bartholomew Hunt,
17 posts in this topic
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new account
Sign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now


text:
About the Book
Anna Smykowska and David Toohey
became engaged on 26 February 2011.
Having met each other in Manchester,
England in January 2005 these two fell in love
and began their lives together.
They married on 2 September 2011 in
Wągrowiec, Poland. The wedding had been
planned to be held in the Kościół Farny
Church where several of Anna's family had
been married before, including her parents.
Unfortunately the Church had archaelogical
work underway at the time so the wedding
was moved to the nearby and beautiful
Klasztor Church.
The Reception was then held at the Hotel
Pietrak, scenicly set on the Durowski Lake.
Being a multicultural couple, wedding guests
came from Poland, Australia, England,
Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, and
This album represents this event in their lives.
Features & Details
- Category Wedding
Standard Landscape, 10×8 in, 25×20 cm
40 Pages
- Publish Date Nov 29, 2011
Log in or create an account to post a comment.


text:
Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations
AFP Advanced Food Products Llc 12/13/13
Department of Health and Human Services
|Public Health Service
Food and Drug Administration
Minneapolis District Office
Central Region
250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 600
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Telephone: (612) 334-4100
December 13, 2013
via UPS Overnight Delivery
Refer to MIN 14 – 04
Miroslav Hosek
AFP Advanced Food Products LLC
158 West Jackson Street
New Holland, Pennsylvania 17557
Dear Mr. Hosek:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an inspection of your aseptic manufacturing facility located at 600 First Avenue West, Clear Lake, Wisconsin, on June 24-28 and July 11, 2013. The inspection found that your firm aseptically processes and packages nutritional drinks, puddings, cheese sauces, chilis, dips, and salsas packaged in various can sizes, as well as acidified products including cheese sauces, cream cheeses, dips and salsa packaged in plastic cups and flexible pouches. The inspection revealed that you have significant deviations from the Low-Acid Canned Foods (LACF) regulations, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 113 (21 CFR 113).
As a manufacturer of low-acid canned food products, you are required to comply with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) and the federal regulations relating to the processing of acidified food and low-acid canned food products. These regulations are described in 21 CFR 108, Emergency Permit Control, and 21 CFR 113, Thermally Processed Low-Acid Foods Packaged in Hermetically Sealed Containers. The Emergency Permit Control regulations were issued, in part, pursuant to section 404 of the Act, Emergency Permit Control, 21 U.S.C. § 344. A temporary emergency permit may be required for low-acid canned foods whenever a processor has failed to fulfill the requirements of 21 CFR 108.35, including registration and filing of process information, and the mandatory requirements in 21 CFR 113.
Based upon certain criteria in 21 CFR 113, low-acid canned foods may be adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(4), 21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(4), in that they have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they have become contaminated with filth, or whereby they may have been rendered injurious to health. You can find the Act and the acidified and low-acid food regulations through links on FDA's Internet home page at www.fda.gov.
We received your letter dated July 23, 2013; our comments follow. Your firm's significant deviations from the Low-Acid Canned Foods regulations, 21 CFR 113, include:
1. Your firm failed to equip each product sterilizer with a temperature-indicating device that is accurate to 1°F or 0.5°C as required by 21 CFR 113.40(g)(1)(i)(A)(4).
Specifically, the (b)(4) digital temperature-indicating device that was used as the reference thermometer for the aseptic processors for the 5 oz. (b)(4) filler, 9 oz. (b)(4) filler, 11 oz. (b)(4) filler, 1 gal. (b)(4) filler, and (b)(4) Filler between April 4, 2010, and June 24, 2013, has an accuracy of (b)(4)°F. Further, the (b)(4) thermocouple, which is utilized to feed the temperature-indicating devices currently in use, has standard limits of error (b)(4)°F) or (b)(4)%, whichever is greater.
Your response is inadequate in that you have identified the (b)(4) Circular Chart as the reference device and the (b)(4) digital display as the indicating device. The temperature-indicating device is the "official thermometer" for indicating the processing temperature and the chart is adjusted to it and must not read higher during processing. The response you have provided mirrors the answer you submitted on October 9, 2012, in response to this same observation noted at the conclusion of the September 2012 inspection of your facility. Your proposed corrective action at that time included discontinuing the use of the (b)(4) digital indicating thermometers because of temperature fluctuations between the device and the (b)(4) Circular Chart. We are concerned with your continued lack of compliance with this requirement in 21 CFR 113.40(g)(1)(i)(A)(4). We remind you that it is your responsibility to fully understand your process and that you are expected to achieve and maintain compliance with applicable regulations. Additionally, you need to ensure that your products were processed at or above the minimum filed scheduled processing temperatures.
2. Your firm failed to ensure that the temperature recording chart is adjusted to agree as nearly as possible with, but in no event higher than, the temperature-indicating device as required by 21 CFR 113.40(g)(1)(i)(B)(3).
Specifically, the readings for the temperature recording device recorded 1°F higher than the corresponding temperature-indicating device reading from 21:23 on June 25, 2013, through 11:05 on June 26, 2013. On June 25, 2013, your firm was aseptically processing and packaging Nacho Cheese Sauce in #10 cans, and on June 26, 2013, your firm was aseptically processing and packaging Sharp Cheddar Cheese Sauce in #10 cans.
Your response indicates the Controls Technician made the necessary adjustments to bring the system into compliance, assuring adjustments were not made while the system was on product. Your response is inadequate in that it does not address the cause of the deviation.
This letter is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of deficiencies. It is your responsibility to ensure that all of your products comply with the Act, the low-acid canned food regulations (21 CFR 108 and 113), the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation (21 CFR 110), and other applicable regulations. As a result of your previous inspectional findings and your continued non-compliance with FDA regulations we find it necessary to put you on notice that continued non-compliance with FDA regulations may result in further regulatory action including seizure and/or injunction.
Please respond in writing within 15 working days from your receipt of this letter. Your response should outline the specific actions you are taking to correct these violations and to prevent similar violations. If you cannot complete all corrections before you respond, we expect that you will explain the reason for the delay and state when you will correct any remaining violations.
Section 743 of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 379j-31, authorizes FDA to assess and collect fees to cover FDA's costs for certain activities, including re-inspection-related costs. A re-inspection is one or more inspections conducted subsequent to an inspection that identified non-compliance materially related to a food safety requirement of the Act, specifically to determine whether compliance has been achieved. Re-inspection-related costs means all expenses, including administrative expenses incurred in connection with FDA's arranging, conducting, and evaluating the results of the re-inspection and assessing and collecting the re-inspection fees, 21 U.S.C. § 379j-31(a)(2)(B). For a domestic facility, FDA will assess and collect fees for re-inspection-related costs from the responsible party for the domestic facility. The inspection noted in this letter identified non-compliance materially related to a food safety requirement of the Act. Accordingly, FDA may assess fees to cover any re-inspection-related costs.
Your response should be sent to the Food and Drug Administration, Attention: Demetria L. Lueneburg, Compliance Officer, at the address listed on this letterhead. If you have any questions with regard to this letter, you may contact Ms. Lueneburg at (612) 758-7210.
Michael Dutcher, DVM
Minneapolis District
Close Out Letter


text:
Site created 12/15/97.
review added: 10/17/02
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Special Collector's Edition
- 1984 (2002) - Paramount
review by Bill Hunt, editor of
The Digital Bits
Film Rating: C
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): A-/B+/C+
Specs and Features
Disc One: The Film
105 mins, PG, letterboxed widescreen (2.35:1), 16x9 enhanced, single-sided, RSDL dual-layered (layer switch at ??), dual keep case packaging, audio commentary (with director Leonard Nimoy, writer/producer Harve Bennett, DP Charles Correll and actress Robin Curtis), subtitle text commentary by Michael Okuda (co-author of
The Star Trek Encyclopedia
), booklet, animated film-themed menus with sound and music, scene access (11 chapters), languages: English (DD 5.1 & 2.0 Surround) and French (DD 2.0 Surround), subtitles: English (for the hearing impaired), Closed Captioned
Disc Two: Supplemental Material
5 documentaries:
Captain's Log
(26 mins - 16x9, DD 2.0),
Terraforming and the Prime Directive
(26 mins - 16x9, DD 2.0),
Spacedocks and Birds of Prey
(28 mins - 16x9, DD 2.0),
Speaking Klingon
(21 mins - 16x9, DD 2.0) and
Klingon and Vulcan Costumes
(12 mins - 16x9, DD 2.0), theatrical trailer (16x9, DD 2.0),
Star Trek: Nemesis
teaser trailer (4x3, DD 2.0), Easter egg (featurette on creature effects - 7 mins, 16x9, DD 2.0), storyboard archive (for 10 scenes - 16x9), production photo gallery, animated film-themes menus with sound and music, subtitles: English
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
Okay, that's not a quote from
Star Trek III
fans out there know that it's actually a Dickens line (from
A Tale of Two Cities
) used in
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
. But I think it applies to this film very well.
The Search for Spock
is alternately a moving and gripping sci-fi adventure film... and a completely hokey and frustrating bore.
The story picks up where the events in
Star Trek II
left off. Kirk and company have defeated Khan, and are limping home aboard a badly damaged Enterprise. But Spock is gone, having given his life to save the ship from Khan's last gasp - the stolen Genesis device. Per Starfleet custom, Spock was "buried in space", his body fired in a casket (fashioned from a photon torpedo) into the atmosphere of the newly-formed Genesis planet. As if the loss of their friend wasn't bad enough, upon their return to Earth, our heroes are informed that the Enterprise is to be decommissioned and the crew disbanded.
But in Captain Kirk's darkest hour, comes a glimmer of hope - Spock's father, Sarek (Mark Leonard), informs him that Spock may not truly be gone after all. Just before his death, Spock managed to transfer his soul to Dr. McCoy in a Vulcan mind-meld. If Kirk can retrieve his body from the Genesis planet, the Vulcans may be able to reunite body and soul... and Spock may live again. But there's a problem - Starfleet has quarantined the Genesis planet, and has denied Kirk's request to take the Enterprise on one final mission. Kirk and crew are therefore forced to make a choice - steal the Enterprise and destroy their careers... or lose their friend forever. To make matters worse, they'll also have to face a rogue Klingon captain (Christopher Lloyd), who is determined to steal the secret of the Genesis device for the Klingon Empire.
This third installment in the
Star Trek
feature film series is extremely frustrating. As written and produced by Harve Bennett and directed by Leonard Nimoy (no less than Spock himself), the film starts off well, with our victorious (but emotionally-beaten) heroes licking their wounds. Sarek's appearance adds a measure of mystery and hope, and the Klingons enter the picture for a dash of danger and drama. And once the action kicks in, it's pretty good - the sequence where Kirk and company steal the Enterprise is first-rate. But then the film hits the skids hard, with a really poorly-written subplot involving Kirk's son David and Lt. Saavik exploring the Genesis planet and finding Spock's body, now regenerated into a rapidly aging boy. Some of their dialogue is really terrible. Try this on for size:
Saavik: "It is time for total truth between us. This planet is not what you hoped."
David: "No."
Saavik: "Why?"
David: "I used proto-matter in the Genesis matrix."
Saavik: "Proto-matter... an unstable substance which every ethical scientist in the galaxy has denounced as dangerously unpredictable."
Boy, that's some riveting exposition there, huh? It doesn't help matters that Robin Curtis, the actress who took over the role of Saavik from Kirstie Alley (when the latter asked for more money than Shatner to reprise the part) is simply terrible. In addition, due to budget limitations, most of the Genesis planet scenes were filmed on a soundstage and they look like it - the middle of this film sometimes feels like a bad episode of
Lost in Space
. Add to that another lame subplot about Spock's body going through the Vulcan equivalent of puberty, and you've got more than enough to kill this film (or ANY film for that matter).
But there are still bright spots. Christopher Lloyd is terrific as Kruge, the Klingon captain who pits his tiny Bird-of-Prey against Kirk's Enterprise. Their head-to-head conflict in this film is outstanding, and results in some serious repercussions for both Kirk and
fans in general. And there are some very endearing moments of humor with
familiar supporting cast - McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov and Uhura. These elements almost, but not quite, make up for the film's deficiencies. And that's what makes
Star Trek III
so frustrating in the end - you find yourself alternately enjoying and hating it at the same time.
As is the trend with all the films in the
Star Trek
franchise, Paramount previously released a bare-bones version of this film on DVD, and has now created a 2-disc special edition to make fans happier. The anamorphic widescreen film transfer on this new DVD is the same one that was featured on the previous edition, simply spread over 2 layers of a disc rather than one. The video is generally very nice looking, but the print is occasionally a bit lacking. It starts off showing a lot of rough grain, and there are plenty of bits of dust and dirt that could have (and should have) been removed. On the other hand, the print does get better, and the color exhibited here is gorgeous - vibrant and true at all times. Better still, the contrast is outstanding, with deep blacks and terrific shadow detail. A touch of edge-enhancement is visible, but it's not at all distracting. On the whole, the disc is quite nice looking for a 1984 film released on DVD.
As with the previous DVD, this disc's audio also doesn't disappoint. All of the
films on DVD thus far have featured very active Dolby Digital 5.1 sound fields, and this one is no exception. There's plenty of nifty panning and directional effects in the mix, and the bass is simply thunderous. Just listen to the sound of the Klingon ship decloaking in chapter 1 (about 9 minutes into the film) - it's just outstanding. Thankfully, the dialogue level problem seems to have been fixed from the 5.1 mix on the previous release. On the old version, dialogue was a little lacking in the mix - now it seems to have better presence.
As expected, Paramount has produced a substantial batch of bonus material for this re-release. Disc One includes a decent audio commentary track by director Leonard Nimoy, joined often by writer/producer Harve Bennett, and less often by cinematographer Charles Correll and actress Robin Curtis. Nimoy is fun to listen to, and chimes in with lots of interesting insights and anecdotes. This film was his first foray into directing, and the story he tells on how he got the job is quite entertaining all by itself. Let me just say that there are several references (both here and in the featurettes) to then Paramount head Michael Eisner that, while polite, really make the guy seem like a buffoon (anyone surprised? No? I thought so.). I'll let you enjoy them in greater detail yourself.
As with the previous
special editions, in addition to the audio commentary, there's also another great text commentary on Disc One by authors (and
consultants) Michael and Denise Okuda. There are enough interesting factoids here for even the most ravenous Trekkie/Trekker (for example, did you know that the Klingon Bird of Prey is roughly the same length as the Saturn V rocket that launched astronauts to the Moon? No? I thought so.).
Sadly, while Disc One doesn't disappoint, Disc Two once again features the same kind of uninspired, "talking heads" featurettes we saw on the
Star Trek II: CE
. Don't get me wrong - there's still interesting stuff to be found here, and the interview subjects are all fairly interesting. They're also all presented in 16x9, which I appreciate. But the production quality of these featurettes again shows a real lack of both enthusiasm and basic camera skills. Once again, the camera is zoomed in too tightly on people's faces, you have shaky hand-held footage, interviews are staged with people sitting in shade against a brightly lit sky, the footage is washed out looking... etc. I could go on, but it would frankly take more energy that I care to apply to the task. Given the high quality of the documentary work we're seeing on most other DVDs these days, this kind of lackluster effort really sticks out like a sore thumb. I'm hoping Paramount makes some badly needed production team changes for future
special editions.
But... let's deal with what we have.
Captain's Log
takes a general look back at the production, featuring mostly talking heads intercut with a little film footage and production stills. Interviewed are Nimoy, Shatner, Bennett, Curtis, Christopher Lloyd and other production team members. And yes, Shatner still is a ham (ya gotta love him).
Terraforming and the Prime Directive
features talking head interviews with JPL scientists and sci-fi author David Brin. I'm a real space exploration buff, and so all of the stuff discussed here is Space Science 101 to me. But this could have been a really interesting look at the real science behind the ideas in the film for the uninitiated. Unfortunately, this featurette makes it all seem about as exciting as watching paint dry. I had more hope for
Spacedocks and Birds of Prey
Speaking Klingon
Klingon and Vulcan Costumes
(which take a look at the ILM special effects, the development of the languages seen in the film and the costumes, respectively). I mean, here's a cool chance to visit the achives, crack open a few dusty crates and get an up-close look at some of the amazing models, props and costumes from the film, right? Wrong. Other than a few small study models, sketches and production photos, you don't get to see much here. Once again, it's mostly talking heads. Frankly, the best extra on Disc Two is a gallery of the storyboard art for every major scene in the film (10 in all). You also get a gallery of photos (broken into behind-the-scenes production shots and film images), an anamorphic trailer for this film and a non-anamorphic preview trailer for
Star Trek: Nemesis
(a non-anamorphic trailer for the newest film?! Doh!). Finally, there's an Easter egg on Disc Two, that lets you view a featurette on the film's creature effects.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
isn't the best film in the series, but it's far from being the worst either. If nothing else, it serves as an adequate bridge between two of the best
installments, and is notable as Nimoy's first turn behind the camera. Given that, it deserved a little more effort in terms of the special edition materials on this DVD. The picture and sound are nice, and the commentaries are welcome. But Paramount really needs to get someone who knows how to produce decent documentary material (and who actually has an emotional investment in it) for the
Star Trek IV
disc and other future
special editions. Phoning it home might have been okay for good old E.T., but in the
universe, it's likely to result in a squad of pissed off Klingons banging down your door.
Bill Hunt
[email protected]
Site designed for 800 x 600 resolution, using 16M colors and .gif 89a animation.
© 1997-2015 The Digital Bits, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
[email protected]


text:
Don't worry, this entry is spoiler-free.
If you own a DS and you have not played 999, it is now your civic duty to go buy it. It's one of the best-written games I've ever played, with an excellent cast, a suspenseful atmosphere, and gameplay that really respects the intelligence of the person playing it. The game's little-known, but it's easily worth the $35 price tag. If you've played Ace Attorney, Professor Layton, or Hotel Dusk, you'll have a good idea what you're getting into. It's point-and-click adventure, with lots of dialogue and puzzles to solve. While I was initially skeptical, it earns its 'M' rating, a rarity for the DS. Off the top of my head, the only other M-rated DS game is Grand Theft Auto, which has nothing in common with 999. The story is a little tough and hard to follow, and some of the math in the game really requires that the player know how to think, but I still feel this is a game that everyone who considers themselves gamers should pick up.
That said, it's difficult to discuss the game without blowing all the major plot points. Everything in the story just fits together so damn well. However, there is one aspect of the game that I haven't seen done in a game before, and that's the way 999 handles multiple game endings. They aren't that uncommon in games...Heavy Rain comes to mind first, and I know the Shin Megami Tensei series loves to do it. But in Heavy Rain, I still felt that one ending was enough for me. I beat the game, and it was my own personal experience. Sure, it's interesting to see what happens to other people, and it's fun to read up on how all the different choices you make effect the game...but in the end it's still the same experience for me. In SMT, multiple endings are more of a gimmick. You play the game this way, it ends a certain way. That's all there is to it.
However, the multiple paths in 999 serve a very different purpose. Instead of each ending being a definite stopping point for the player, they serve instead as instruction. The different paths you take reveal different facts about the characters, and depending on what conversations you've had previously, your next encounter may go a lot differently. There are really only two substantial endings, and one only serves as a bridge to the final, true ending (which I somehow managed to get through on my first playthrough, but I lacked the necessary information to actually finish the game). The other endings are basically glorified "game overs", though one in particular is genuinely creepy and unnerving, and worth playing through just to see it for yourself.
It really says a lot that breaking up the narrative structure like this can have such an impact on the game's experience. I felt bored with games like Red Dead Redemption or Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood thanks to that simple "seen it all before" feeling, even if the game is in the wild west. But when was the last time that getting multiple endings told you more about the world? Shadow the Hedgehog? (not recommended you play that one) My biggest complaint with games like Ace Attorney or Hotel Dusk is that they're ridiculously linear, but 999 tells a compelling story despite, and because of its branching paths. Otherwise it'd just be a well-written, but unremarkable adventure game. Pursuing multiple scenarios as if they were all equally important as the last just strengthened my bond with the characters, including seeing what would happen if I decided to just screw everybody over.
Oddly enough, my only complaint about 999 is that I wanted to see even more of it. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but the potential for a sequel is there, and the director is fully ready to make another one, possibly for the 3DS. I read a long interview with him, and it pleases me to know that there are people like him who take video game writing seriously. He openly discusses his thought process and discussions, which make me all the more excited to become a writer myself. The thing is, he'll only make a sequel depending on how well-received this game is. So go purchase Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors right now!
Don't worry, this entry is spoiler-free.


text:
Project DescriptionFROM THE ARCHITECT:
The Wyckoff Exchange is an economical and adaptive re-use of two abandoned warehouses to create 10,000 square feet of retail and cultural space in Bushwick, Brooklyn. This place is marked by the strong traces of a gritty industrial past, and is rapidly transforming into a center of art and creativity.
Our design solution offers an innovative response of what a modest retail building could be. We designed a trademark façade that responds to the place and purpose of this commission, paying careful attention to the resolution of formal and technical issues with extremely modest means. The choice of materials and technologies in this project is highly considered.
The design relies upon five pairs of motorized scissor doors/panels, whose technology is adapted from warehouses. The position of the façade panels creates a dynamic expression of purpose within: by day the panels fold up to create awnings for the stores and to shelter pedestrians; by night they fold down to secure the shops.
The panels consist of a steel frame that is clad in a double layered skin. The outer layer is textured Cor-Ten steel. The inner layer is shimmering light-gauge stainless steel. Each layer is laser cut with a different gradient pattern. And each double-layer panel is internally illuminated by LEDs.
While industrial in nature, the texture of the Cor-Ten steel responds to the modulation of daylight. The sun set transforms the richly oxidized surface into a Rothko-like canvas. At night these simple materials and technologies create a contemporary glowing mural of light, 100 feet long, eighteen feet tall, and only two inches deep.
The Wyckoff Exchange is dramatic and highly tactile. At once both simple and complex, the design uses a modest kit of parts of technology, material and light to create a sophisticated yet playful building, offering a fresh, bold, and different understanding of a retail venue.


text:
Welcome to the Bound by Veterans project home page.
Bound by Veterans (also known as The Wiltshire Barn Project) is a social enterprise charity for Veterans of all three Services. It uses the therapeutic qualities of craft bookbinding to assist casualty rehabilitation and to develop employment opportunities. The Project is a registered charity and is based in the Daffodil Barn, Woodborough, near Pewsey, Wiltshire.
Please use the menu bar above to navigate through the website.
What We Do
Bound by Veterans supports Wounded, Injured and Sick (WIS) Veterans. It is based in a delightful thatched barn just outside Pewsey, Wiltshire, in an attractive rural setting, and shares the Barn with a very active bookbinding workshop run by a well-established London craft bookbinding firm (Shepherds Ltd). The Project is sponsored by the Stationers Foundation, a trust managed by the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers.
The project offers City & Guilds instruction on Level 1 and Level 2 courses in craft bookbinding. Each course will lead to an award, and successful completion of the two Levels leads to a nationally recognised City & Guilds certificate.
Social Enterprise
Veterans training with the project are able to practise their skills by manufacturing luxury notebooks and stationery items for retail. All profits from the sale of these items go directly to the charity to sustain further training.


text:
|You are in: UK: England
Sunday, 19 May, 2002, 10:57 GMT 11:57 UK
Dog attack girl 'stable' after surgery
A girl badly mauled by two dogs in Wolverhampton is in a stable condition after undergoing surgery.
Five-year-old Leah Preston remains at Birmingham children's hospital where she underwent a second explorative operation on wounds suffered during the attack.
Leah was playing in her front garden in Hawsford Crescent, Low Hill, when she was attacked by the bull terriers on Thursday.
The two dogs then turned on their owner, next-door neighbour Jean Harvey, and her two young children.
Leah suffered bite wounds to her legs, arms and scalp.
"She was fine overnight and today she is in a stable condition," a spokeswoman for the hospital said.
Surgeons say Leah has lost tissue and will need extensive reconstructive plastic surgery in the future.
Dangerous animals
West Midlands police officers are investigating the incident on Thursday in which the two dogs are thought to have escaped from a metal cage.
Chief Superintendent Tom Duffin said arrests were possible.
"Whilst our emotions are initially around the anxiety and trauma caused, it is clear to everyone that these animals were dangerous.
"We need to inquire into what happened to see if any criminal offences have been disclosed," he said.
Family friend Carol Read arrived in the middle of the attack.
She said: "At first I thought they'd got a rag doll.
Dogs destroyed
"Then I saw there was one dog going for Leah's throat.
"That child looked like the victim of a shark attack."
Police wearing bullet-proof vests were called to the houses and the dogs were destroyed after being captured by vets.
Ms Harvey and her two children were treated for dog bites at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.
See also:
12 Apr 02 | Scotland
Payout for dog attack boy
01 Jun 99 | UK
Dangerous dogs threaten a comeback
02 Jun 00 | Europe
Dog pack kills elderly woman
Internet links:
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Top England stories now:
Links to more England stories are at the foot of the page.
Links to more England stories
|^^ Back to top
News Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | In Depth | AudioVideo
To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>>
© MMIII | News Sources | Privacy


text: hi fellow Torque users: I am a new user to torque. (but I used PBS before) the Overview page of Torque says one of the features is better Fault Tolerance. does this mean that the main daemon pbs_server has a primary-backup setup ? but I can't seem to find configurations for such things in the admin manual .... Thanks a lot. Yang


text:
[Comic-Con mockup; see retail box on Flickr]
The stick may be included in a special bundle for the game, as well. One Shoryuken forum user claims to have found both a normal and arcade stick bundle SKU in the GameStop database. We've contacted Capcom and MadCatz to find out just how we'll be controlling a giant lighter in a fight against Mega Man.
[Via NeoGAF]


text:
Call us at (800) 426-8434
On-site wiring time is dramatically reduced due to the true plug and play nature of
StudioHub+. Every system component quick connects with RJ-45 jacks, and all peripheral products are phantom powered with the built in DC-link system.
This convenient and economically priced console kit boasts all the CAT-5 cable and adapters you'll need for a large (18-channel) analog or digital console.
Radio Systems StudioHub+ CONSOLE-KITLG Features:
• (10) XLR Female Adapters
• (6) XLR Male Adapters
• (3) 1/4" TRS Adapters
• (3) Pigtail Adapters
• (8) 7' CAT-5 Shielded Patch Cords
• (12) 10' CAT-5 Shielded Patch Cords
• (11) 12' CAT-5 Shielded Patch Cords
• (7) 15' CAT-5 Shielded Patch Cords
$625.00Free Shipping!In Stock
View ALL Studio Hub Products


text:
LOS ANGELES Ś ABC says Isaiah Washington will return to ōGreyÆs Anatomyö for a guest appearance in May, seven years after he was fired from the medical drama.
Washington exited the series in 2007 after an on-set clash the year before, in which an anti-gay epithet was directed at another cast member at the time, T.R. Knight.
WashingtonÆs return as Dr. Preston Burke coincides with the announced departure of series star Sandra Oh at the seasonÆs end in May. Her character, Dr. Cristina Yang, was engaged to WashingtonÆs Burke at one point in the long-running drama.
The date of WashingtonÆs episode was not announced.
During the controversy involving him, Washington also used the epithet backstage at the 2007 Golden Globe awards. He publicly apologized and tried to make amends by meeting with gay-rights organizations.


text:
So South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is not facing a tax indictment after all. The TaxProf rounds up the retractions.
I'm sure they can settle it for pennies on the dollar: "TaxMasters slapped with $195M fraud judgment"
What is an IRA? Courtney Todd Strutt explains at the Davis Law Tax Blog.
Iowa says same-sex couples can marry, but IRS says they can't file joint returns. What are Iowa rules? Jason Diensen looks at the question "Must Same-Sex Married Couples in Iowa File Iowa Taxes as Married? "
Bonus! Martin Sullivan asks, "If Mandate Is Struck Down, Are Tax Incentives Next?" Via the TaxProf.
Congratulations! You won the Mega-Million jackpot, and some free tax help from Janet Novack and Anthony Nitti.


text:
Dear Watson #1Riddles are little poems or phrases that pose a question that needs answering. Riddles frequently rhyme, but this is not a requirement.
If you like your Physics and you like your Chemistry,
You will find this puzzle, as easy as can be.
Firstly, from a glass of milk, take what is good for bones.
Second take the metal used to glaze pottery with pretty tones.
Thirdly you might eat me to get your innards on a slide;
Last I am a diode in a "crystal-set" just look inside.
Now put us all together, and thus what can be seen?
A great big head? ; A large white moth? ; A vegetable that's green?
What am I?
HintThe rest of the quote in the title is from Sherlock Holmes "Elementary my dear Watson."
AnswerHere are the elements with their symbols.
Calcium in milk is good for bones (Ca)
Boron in Borax is used to glaze pottery (B)
A "Barium Meal" is eaten to facilitate an X-Ray of the intestines (Ba)
A diode used in crystal sets was often made from Germanium (Ge)
Ca B Ba Ge
A head of cabbage.
A cabbage moth.
I am a Cabbage!
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this riddle, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Back to Top


text:
Are there blemishes on your pictures? Or spots caused by dust on your camera's sensor? No need to rush to Photoshop. The work can often be done in Lightroom – a very convenient software that has a Clone and a Heal tool available for fixing blemishes and removing problems such as spots caused by dust.
To see how to use these tools in Lightroom, start by selecting an image to fix and select the Lightroom Develop module. Then follow these steps.
First, you find the Spot Removal tool which can be found below the Histogram, located to the immediate right of the Crop tool. Or you can simply press the shortcut key N to activate it.
If you wish to use the brush options, all you have to do is choose the Clone or Heal option. The clone option is similar to the Clone Stamp tool in Photoshop which is commonly used for fixing an image. To use this tool, you first have to select the portion of the image that requires a fix and then select the replacement portion. Lightroom also enables you to choose the size of the brush and the opacity. These two options replace one area of the image with another portion without making blending the two portions.
The heal tool in Lightroom, first samples the area you wish to fix and then it blends it with the replacement area in such a way that the fix is not apparent. After that, you may select the Clone or Heal options in order to adjust the size of the image. This can be easily achieved by using the slider or which appear as square brackets. However, note that your brush size is large enough to cover the area that requires a fix.
To use these tools, you may click on the area to fix and then allow Lightroom to pick the source image data. You may also click on the part of the image that requires the fix and then continue to hold the left mouse button as you drag to locate a usable area for the fix. And that's not all; you will also be able to preview the fix as Lightroom will assist you in determining the best part of the image to use. It is advisable that you let go off the left mouse button only when you're satisfied with your selection, and when you have it right where you want it to be.
After you have applied the fix, you will notice two circles on your image. The circles will appear when you hold the Spot Removal Tool over the image. The circle with the thickest edge is usually the selected arc, while the circle with the + symbol on the inside defines the area you wish to fix. If you aren't completely satisfied with the fix you've made, then you can click inside either of the circles and then drag the selected circle to a different position.
You can even select a circle and then position your mouse over its edge till it turns into a double headed arrow after which you drag it for resizing. Furthermore, you can even change a fix applied by using the Heal option to a Clone fix or vice versa. To do this, you either select the two circular marker and click Heal or you may opt for the Clone in the Develop tools panel to change the fix type. This, in fact, allows you to experiment with the image or rather the fix, in order to find the best results.
In the given example, the Heal tool worked wonders on Beyonce's nose. And the Clone tool evidently worked marvelously along the top edge of the nose where the fix markers littered part of the nose and part of the background behind as well.
If you wish to view the image without the circular markers, all you need to do is press H. If you happen to press the H button again, you will see the circular markers again.
For viewing the Before or After results so as to reflect only the effect of the application of the Spot Removal Tool, you need to click the On/Off switch in the Spot Removal tool area on the Develop panel. This option is preferable than the backslash key, which often toggles on/off all the fixes you would have made to the image and not just the most recent one. If you encounter problems such as sensor dust that may appear in the same position in a series of images, you'll admire the ability to copy the Spot Removal tool fix from one image to many others. If you right-click the fixed image, and then choose Settings from the Copy Settings dialog you will enable the Spot Removal checkbox to disable all the other options that you may not wish to copy.
Finally, all you need to do is click Copy to copy the effect and then paste it onto the other images that have the same problem. Though this may not be the ideal fix for all of them, it will however give you a head start on fixing to a certain extent.
~Zahid Javali


text:
Climate Scientists Michael Mann, author of The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars: Dispatches from the Front Lines, interviewed on Democracy Now:
Climate Scientist Mann on 400 ppm CO2
#1 AmoebaThird RockMay 14, 2013
Professor Mann Rocks. The threats and false accusations levelled at Prof. Mann and his colleagues are a true sign of the bankrupt nature of the pseudo-sceptics' deceitful and wholly bogus arguments. There has been a concerted effort to discredit Professor Mann, the perpetrators need to be caught and punished.
Prof. Mann's and his colleagues' 'Hockey-stick' has been amply validated, confirmed and extended by numerous subsequent studies.
For instance: http://www.skepticblog.org/2013/04/17/the-hockey-stick-slaps-back/
Dr. Mann is precisely correct that the Keystone XL pipeline must not be approved and that for it to be approved sends the wrong signal. The US is falling behind China in terms of renewable energy and that should be a cause for embarrassment. Renewable energy is desirable for many reasons including energy independence and not supporting objectionable foreign regimes.
As a species we need to reduce our impact, by numerous means, energy-efficiency, insulation, renewable energy, nuclear. All fossil carbon needs to remain in the ground.
#2 Beyond 400 PPM – Page 3.14 November 30, 2014
[…] dioxide molecules per million molecules of Earth's atmosphere is an arbitrary but still significant milestone, reflecting a near 50% increase in the concentration of the greenhouse gas since humanity first […]


text:
Have Parenting Questions? Ask a Parenting Counselor for Answers
Your son is an adult and must be held accountable for his actions. It is your house and your son, even as an adult, must abide by the rules of your house. The main factor here is that he is unemployed. Once he does find a job, he needs to find another place to live or move into his rented house. You cannot allow him to "free load" off of you. He is too grown for that. You must continue to be proactive and not reactive. He is your son and continue to care and love him deeply. If you feel that you need additional help and the situation is only worsening, I would suggest that you seek professional help from a psychologist or a counselor so that you can receive coping and intervention strategies on how to best deal with your son. If you have health insurance, contact the customer service representatives and they will steer you in the correct direction.
If this has at all helped, please ACCEPT. I know as mothers sometimes we feel like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders. Hang in there though. This will one day be a distant memory.
Attachments are only available to registered users.


text:
The creation of the largest pure-play retirement company on the ASX would finally resolve a costly saga that has dogged some of the country's biggest industry superannuation funds as well as a syndicate of domestic and international banks for years.
As flagged by The Australian Financial Review, the new entity would be formed out of a merger between two funds managed by FKP: the $553 million Retirement Village Group (RVG), a wholesale vehicle which owns aged-care properties in some of Australia's wealthiest suburbs, including Melbourne's Toorak and Mosman in Sydney; and the listed minnow
Sources said several international investors had already expressed interest in the enlarged entity.
However RVG's stake holders could still scupper any flotation.
The fund is owned by 12 blue-chip industry supers, including Rest, which has sunk $200 million into the venture, and HostPlus, the hospitality and tourism industry fund. A Dutch pension vehicle for doctors also holds a stake. Manager FKP owns 22 per cent.
RVG has been beset by controversy since 2007 when its value was savaged by the entirely debt-funded $641 million acquisition of the Zig Inge retirement portfolio.
Although RVG's future has ben debated for many years, its syndicate of lenders, which includes ANZ, National Australia Bank, Lloyds and Suncorp, appears to be running out of patience.
RVG is in breach of its loan covenants, triggering a dramatic recent jump in its borrowing costs.
It is understood the fund has until the end of next month to restructure a $186 million facility or pay down a substantial chunk of the outstanding debt.
Sources said the banks had in the past backed away from these ultimatums and simply extended the deadline.
The super funds are also betting on a possible lifeline at the end of the year. RVG holds a 43 per cent slice of Metlife Care, a listed retirement vehicle in New Zealand, and its investors hope the sale of that stake may cover the outstanding debt.
However those close to the fund's board say if no action is taken RVG will soon struggle to pay its interest rate bill. Financial sources argue RVG may have to stomach a deep discount on the Metlife share trade.
FKP, which is majority-owned by Malaysia's Mulpha Group, will deliver a written proposal on a merger to RVG's investors on February 11.
A source close to one of the super fund investors said a flotation was "just one of a number of alternatives for RVG".
While the new company is widely expected to trade at a 20 to 30 per cent discount to its NTA, its scale and sole focus on the retirement sector may tempt institutional and retail investors.
Listed retirement vehicles trade well in New Zealand, the US and Japan but in Australia the sector has fallen out of favour, primarily due to the residential housing slump.
The Australian Financial Review


text:
A former adviser to now-Cardinal Timothy Dolan has written to defend the prelate's actions when he served as archbishop of Milwaukee, saying the shifting of some $57 million from the archdiocese's treasury to a cemetery trust fund in 2007 was not an attempt to protect the money from lawsuits by sexual abuse survivors.
Instead, the head of the archdiocese's finance council wrote Thursday, the decision was made following the unanimous recommendation of the council in order to "preserve and maintain cemeteries as sacred places forever."
Shifting of the money has been a key point of discussion following the release July 1 of thousands of pages of records from the Milwaukee diocese regarding its handling of cases of sexual abuse by clergy. Abuse survivors have alleged that the transfer of the funds was done to protect the money from lawsuits of victims and impending bankruptcy proceedings.
Dolan, who was Milwaukee's archbishop from 2002 to 2009 but now serves as the archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. bishops' conference, has repeatedly denied that claim. The Milwaukee archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in January 2011.
In an opinion piece Thursday in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Mark Doll, who in 2007 was the chair of the archdiocesan finance council, said the transfer was a "reflection of now New York Cardinal Dolan's ongoing devotion to the Catholic faith and its teachings on the resurrection of the body.
The entire finance council, Doll writes, recommended that funds existing previous to 2007 be moved to a "new formal trust."
"Our committee made this recommendation to help ensure that the church honored the fundamental promise that all Catholic cemeteries make to our deceased loved ones and their families -- that the church will preserve and maintain cemeteries as sacred places forever," Doll continues.
Among the files released July 1 in the cache of Milwaukee documents was a 2007 letter written by Dolan to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith asking for permission to make the transfer.
"I foresee an improved protection of these funds from any legal claim and liability," Dolan wrote as reason for the move in that letter.
Doll says in his column that "it is impossible and wrong to not recognize the hurt and pain of abuse survivors and the evil done to them."
"It is understandable that there is a focus on the real suffering and legitimate hurt in cases such as this, but a fair and balanced look at the facts shows that for the cemeteries and the families of those buried there, the archdiocese did the right thing the right way for the right reasons," he continues.
"The families of those resting in the Catholic cemeteries should not become new victims in the cause of trying to fairly address abuse victims and help heal their pain."
NCR Comment code: (Comments can be found below)
Before you can post a comment, you must verify your email address at Disqus.com/verify.
Comments from unverified email addresses will be deleted.
- Be respectful. Do not attack the writer. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
- Don't use obscene, profane or vulgar language.
- Stay on point. Comments that stray from the original idea will be deleted. NCR reserves the right to close comment threads when discussions are no longer productive.
We are not able to monitor every comment that comes through. If you see something objectionable, please click the "Report abuse" button. Once a comment has been flagged, an NCR staff member will investigate.
For more detailed guidelines, visit our User Guidelines page.
For help on how to post a comment, visit our reference page.
Commenting is available during business hours, Central time, USA. Commenting is not available in the evenings, over weekends and on holidays. More details are available here. Comments are open on NCR's Facebook page.


text:
202 South Allen Street
State College, PA 16801
Store Local: 814-237-3655
Store Toll-Free: 800-993-8697
Online Customer Support: 800-372-9982
holland patent ny
Grandmother of two beautiful children ages 3 and nearly 2!!!!
Love these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 18, 2011
Connie from holland patent ny
Purchased for:
My Grandchild
Child's Age:
2 Years Old
Describe Yourself:
Grandmother of two beautiful children ages 3 and nearly 2!!!!
Would you recommend?
My grandkids live in Florida and since I live in NY to get them something to have fun with. They sent me an email w/a picture. I have to say that I have to give this the highest star rating for they are good quality and fun to play with. Thank you!!!!!
(1 of 1 people found this review helpful.)
Site Map © 2017 GROWING TREE TOYS


text:
Ask Experts & Get Answers to Your Questions - ASAP
Hi Joseph,
After doing some research I found that in 1942 while in route from Algiers to Gibraltar off Oran the Maron was torpedoed and sank by a U-81. The survivors were picked up by HMS Marigold and landed at Gibraltar the following day. Would you know if your grandfather was on a different vessel in 1951?
Thanks for the additional information! I have a couple of sites I am working on. I'm going to recheck for another SS Maron.I went through the entire Blue Funnel site with the ship lists but will check again. While I am perusing that stuff you may want to look at the following site. It contains a good deal of info. on the Blue Funnel Ships, families, photos etc.and even though of Celtic background you may be able to find something recognizable within it's pages.
Blue Funnel Line, Collection, Home Page. Rhiw.com
A bit more Joseph....The first site is the UK/Ireland site that list all the records, medals, ships, coastguard records etc for the Merchant Marines.
GENUKI: UK and Ireland Topics - Merchant Marine
If you have not done and online researching or have not found the next site I think you're going to find it to be a positive step in possibly locating a picture of your grandfather. It the British Merchant Site. Joseph there are men listed with email addresses with whom you can contact and may have pictures of your grandfather or have known him and can give you more information on how to obtain a photo. When you get to the site, scroll down and click on the list of ships. I don't see the Bosnia listed but the Maron is listed. Click on the ship Maron. You'll then get a list of men that served on the ships, the Maron is listed, which area they served as well as the dates served. If you click on any of the names you'll be brought to an open email where you can contact that Marine and ask him if he knew your grandfather as well as anything else. Even though some of the fellows served a bit later he may have been there when your grandfather was.
And...there is also an area on the front page titled "Looking for a shipmate" You can then post a message in regard to information/pictures etc about your grandfather.
I hope this is a good start and I will continue to see if there is anything further I can find.
And lastly for this evening....a wonderful compliment of the archives of the BBC and the Royal Navy including pictures, diaries, archives...
BBC - WW2 People's War - Photo Gallery: Royal Navy
Enjoy! Have a good night. If you need anything more let me know and I will continue my search in the morning.


text:
Danielle Brower and Travis Vis were married Sept. 22, 2012, at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Worthington, with the Rev. Tom Braun officiating.
Parents of the couple are Diane and Gary Larson, Round Lake, Howard Brower, Worthington, Renee Vis, Rushmore, and the late Jim Vis.
Maid of honor was Brittany Berger. Bridesmaids were Kylie Vis, Kelly Nickel and Brittany Westendorf. Junior bridesmaids were Brooklyn Weidler and Isabella Larson. Personal attendents were Tyann Prins, Casey Weidler and Aimee Larson. Flower girls were Hannah Weidler and Ellie Vis.
Best man was Casey Vis. Groomsmen were Jeremy Prins, Tyler Engelkes and Jordan Balster. Junior groomsmen were D.J. Zielen and Blaise Bockholt. Ring bearer was Jack Larson. Ushers were Chad Larson and Adam Fuchs.
The bride is a 2007 graduate of Round Lake-Brewster High School. She plans to graduate college in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in accounting. She is currently employed as a media-events coordinator at Ellenbecker Communications, Round Lake.
The groom is a 2005 graduate of Worthington High School and a 2007 graduate of Ridgewater College with a degree in welding. He is currently employed at Worthington Excavating.
They live in rural Reading.


text:
Kyle Orton Lets Denver Broncos Know How He Really Feels [VIDEO]
Kyle Orton has been waived by the Denver Broncos. For a guy that's been around for awhile, he knows what it's like in the NFL, here today and if you don't produce, you're gone tomorrow. In this case, by rookie Tim Tebow, who the Broncos hope isn't just the flavor of the month. I like Tebow, he's pretty exciting to watch. So, how do you think Kyle Orton felt about the move, especially after he's had a few beers? Check out this little video he made for the team below.
Okay, so it's actually actor David Lewis, but it's still pretty damn funny!
You Tube