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Strawser & Smith
Strawser & Smith
A new Brooklyn store makes home furnishings from industrial relics of decades past
Located in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, Strawser & Smith specialize in home furnishings repurposed from America's industrial past. The newly minted shop boasts a meticulously edited collection, primarily sourced from defunct industries of the Midwest. Many pieces date back to factories in Rust Belt cities like Detroit and Youngstown, that are refurbished in Cleveland before getting shipped to Brooklyn.
Currently, you can find a range of pieces, from authentic medical and stage lights to original maps from the 1920s and employee cubbies straight from a mid-century factory floor. Throughout the collection, you'll notice a heavy reliance on cast iron and production methods no longer employed today.
The store's ethos lies in a they-don't-make-it-like-they-used-to-belief. Owners Fred Strawser and David Smith draw almost exclusively from the 19th and early 20th centuries, when American factories produced machinery and furniture of unparalleled craftsmanship and construction. Each piece has a history and a story of its own, evident in its unique wear after years of use.
And to celebrate ICFF, Strawser & Smith is throwing and in-store party tonight from 7 to 10pm. Expect music, drinks and the work of Pigeontail Design. See more images after the jump.


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In a Feb. 10 Arizona Daily Star article on the discovery of an ocelot that week in the Huachuca Mountains, the State Game and Fish Department said it had not been able to verify that a November 2009 photo that the conservation group Sky Island Alliance said was of an ocelot was indeed of an ocelot.
But now, after a federal official said that photo was "100 percent" likely to have been of an ocelot, a Game and Fish spokesman says "we concur" that the photo was most likely of an ocelot. Department spokesman Jim Paxon said on Feb. 10, after the Star article was published, that the department's concerns are about the photo's timing and location -- not the cat's identity.
The day the ocelot article appeared, the Star contacted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official Brady McGee, who had seen the Sky Island Alliance photo last year as he worked to prepare a draft recovery plan for the ocelot last. An endangered species, the ocelot has been seen recently only in Texas and Arizona in this country, although it is much more common south of the border.
McGee said he thought it is "100 percent likely" that the photo was of an ocelot. The photo is blurry, but McGee said the animal had the stripes, long tail and coloration of the endangered cat.
It also was about the size of an ocelot, he said: "bigger than a house cat, not quite as big as a full-grown bobcat."
Another wild cat expert, Northern Arizona University biologist Paul Beier, after looking at the Sky Island photo today (Thursday), said, :The CoChise photo is blurred, but it certainly looks like more like an ocelot than any other animal I can think of."
Sky Island Alliance has said that the Nov. 2009 ocelot was photographed in a remote camera of theirs in Cochise County. That's the same county where the new ocelot was seen and photographed this week.
"Yes, we concur with Brady McGee of FWS that the photo is most likely an ocelot," Paxon said.
The Game and Fish statement in Thursday's Star about the Sky Island ocelot came from a department press release two days earlier, that said, ". . . it has not been possible to fully verify the species or the animal's origin based on that photo."
Paxon said that statement should have been modified and said the department doesn't have an issue with the photo "as far as the photo goes."
"We have a process for confirming sightings, they include going to the site, looking at the trail camera to determine that it's obvious a photo was taken here," Paxon said in an interview.
Typically, the department also wants to use DNA, blood, scat and/or hair samples to confirm a sighting location. It has asked Sky Island Alliance for that information but has never received it, he said.
"Their folks and our folks have never gone out together to confirm that that sighting took place then and there," Paxon said. "We would do that with a rancher, a hiker, a birder, another land management agency official -- just like we sent our wildlife management supervisor Brad Fulk to the Huachuca Mountains this week to confirm that latest ocelot."
Alliance Director Melanie Emerson declined comment on Paxon's statement.

subset: commoncrawl


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Jay Electronica was at one point seen as that artist that was going to bring real hip-hop back to the forefront. That spot is currently filled by Compton's Kendrick Lamar, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a spot for Jay in the game. The problem with Electronica is he is another one that has time and time again disappointed fans by not releasing new music. Jay first starting making some noise on the blogs with Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), which was fifteen minutes of continuous music mixed in with a few interludes. The song that really put him on the map was his thought provoking bars on "Exhibit C." Not to mention songs like "Exhibit A" and "Exhibit B" were like a dream come true for true hip-hop fans as he was able mix lyricism with potent Just Blaze production. Since then Electronica has released a couple of songs, one entitled "Dear Moleskine" that had the blogs on fire that day. With Jay you don't really know what you're going to get. There have been a number of well known artists and producers that have confirmed that the album does exist, but one has to wonder what's the hold up. Jay Elec's fan base is a colt like following that seems to support him through thick and thin, but one has to wonder how longer can they wait for this album. This is another album that not only his fans need, but hip-hop needs.
OVERDUE: Top 7 Artists Who Need to Drop A Project
Dr. Dre has topped the Forbes' list of the highest-paid musicians, thanks to his massively successly Beats empire, which doesn't bold well for Detox. Let's really sit down and look at the timeline of the legend better know as Detox. Dre started working on this album sometime in 2001, but took a break for a while to collab with other artists which caused the release to get pushed all the way to 2005. After a bunch of bumps in the road, the album finally looked like it was coming out in 2010, with Dre releasing a single entitled "Kush" which featured Snoop Dogg and Akon. The song did well hitting as high as 34 on the Billboard Hot 100. In February of 2011, Dre released another single entitled "I Need A Doctor" which features his long time friend Eminem and Skylar Grey, and the song peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Since then we haven't recieved any new music that's supposed to be on the album. At this point fans have to wonder if there is even an album done. Numerous sources claim that Dre has had the album completed for a while, but due to the fact that he is a perfectionist, he continues to tweak the project every chance he gets. This album has been way past over due, and hip-hop needs this album to drop as soon as possible.
Nipsey Hussle is one of the artists that has helped power this West Coast movement as of late, which is as strong ever at the moment. The former XXL freshman has carved a name in the game following this prestigious award with two classic mixtapes entitled The Marathon and The Marathon Continues. We know the grind doesn't stop though as Nip continues to work and make his message heard all over the world. Nipsey can be heard recently dropping freestyles over classic beats and doing a number of different features. Nip is no slouch when it comes to collaborations and this was apparent on songs like "Fountain Of Youth" and "Black Faces." Neighborhood Nip will be releasing another new mixtape [delayed until 2013] continuing with the Marathon theme as it is entitled The Marathon 3: Victory Lap. I'm sure that at this point though fans would love to hear an album from the Slauson Avenue product though. After being named a XXL Freshman in 2010, he has seen fellow honorees J. Cole and Big Sean drop one album with Wiz just releasing his second one this week. Hopefully we can expect to hear a new album from him shortly after the release of his mixtape early next year.
Juelz Santana was once seen as one of the next big artists out of New York. Since then he hasn't capitalized, and while he still has the ability to regain his spot, he definitely a lot of making up to do to the fans. Fans were promised new material a number of different times, but due to his studio being raided he wasn't able to get the new work out to the fans. It's kind of unfortunate because at one point Juelz had two legit singles in "Back To The Crib" featuring Chris Brown, and "Homerun" featuring Lil' Wayne. Speaking of Weezy, there is still the matter of the enigma better known as the I Can't Feel My Face album, that hasn't come out and still has no release date. Santana has recently come out and assured fans that he and Tunechi will still be releasing that so hopefully that is on the way sooner rather than later. Over the years the Harlem native could be seen dropping freestyles here and there while also appearing on a few features such as "848" and "Salute." As of late Santana seems to be making a full comback as he has already released a new single of off his mixtape entitled "Bodies" which is featuring Chicago young gunner, Lil' Reese. The big news though is Juelz stated he is still working on his third studio album Born to Lose, Built to Win, and should be released sometime in 2013, but before then he will release two mixtapes entitled Reagan Era & Reagan Era Pt. 2. Hopefully fans will get that album sooner rather than later though.
Lyrically there aren't many rappers that are in the same stratosphere as Eminem, if any. Em has proven time and time again that when he is really focused, not many are able to keep up with him. This was apparent when Em single handedly destroyed the "2011 BET Cypher" with a number of vicious punch-lines and flows that had fans rewinding his verse back for months. It has been a while since we have gotten a solo project from the Detroit native as his last project, Recovery, came out in 2010. Em has been since working very closely with rap supergroup Slaughterhouse, while focusing on a number of other ventures. In between all of this he has also given fans a collaboration album with his former rival, Royce Da 5'9, which was a good album, but don't really compare to Eminem's individual work. Another classic record should be on the way as Em has promised fans a new album in 2013, but hopefully its sooner rather than later.
Andre 3000 is another artist that we as fans know we will never get a mixtape from. It does get tiresome for fans to continuously hear 3 Stacks drop jewels on verses only to not hear from him again months later though. The verse Dre gave us for "Sixteen" was simply incredible. This was a follow up to the gem he gave us on "Pink Matter." 3 Stacks has also been heard spitting heat on a new joint off of T.I.'s new album entitled "Sorry." Label issues have not only prevented 3000 from giving us a solo album, but also not being able to give us an Outkast project. Hopefully by some miracle him and the label are able to work something out and he can give us something soon. I'm sure fans won't hold their breath though.
Jay-Z is arguably the best rapper alive as he has the ability to have the hip-hop world in a frenzy with one verse. This was apparent when Rick Ross's"3 Kings" was released about week before his album dropped. It got to the point where some engineers re-released the song while removing Ross and Dr. Dre's verses. That was definitely one of the verses of the summer and left fans wanting more. Jay has recently been seen appearing on the remix to a joint off of Meek Mill's debut album entitled "Lay Up." Dropping songs like"Glory" are cool, but fans would love to hear a new album from Hov. Realistically we know we will never get a mixtape from Jay, but it has been a while since Blueprint 3, hopefully he doesn't leave us waiting much longer.
Fat Joe Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion
Fat Joe owes the government around $700k in back taxes, and has plead guilty to tax evasion.
Certain artists like to take their time in between projects to make sure it comes out as the best possible product, but here are a list of artists that seem to be taking a little bit longer than expected.
We find the winter upon us, for most sooner than expected. Looking back on both the summer and the fall, its crazy how fast time flies. During this time we've seen a bunch of artists drop some memorable projects. On the flipside we've also hoped to hear from certain artists a little bit more, but this wasn't the case. The worst part about it is some of these artists have teased us with memorable verses, but left the fans wanting more. Most fans selfishly want to hear from their favorite artists as much as possible, but that is just them being fans of hip-hop.


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The votes have been tallied and all recounts completed. Congress even managed to adjourn sine die. That means it really is time to close the books on the 2014 election cycle. It also means that we are going to take some time off to recharge for the 2016 election. We'll be back the week of January 12, 2015. In the meantime, here are 40 interesting facts about the 2014 election to hold you over while we are away. Happy holidays.
1. There were two magic numbers in 2014: 86 and 1928
- Democrats now have the lowest number of U.S. House seats they have held in 86 years, or since 1928.
- Democrats are tied for the lowest number of U.S. Senate seats they have held in 86 years, or since 1928.
- Democrats now hold fewer state legislative seats than they have in 86 years, or since 1928.
2. Republicans picked up nine seats to win the majority in the U.S. Senate. The GOP hasn't won more than six Senate seats in a single cycle since 1994 when they picked up 10 seats.
3. Republicans didn't lose a single incumbent Senator in a primary or in the general election for the first time since 2004.
4. Republicans defeated five Senate incumbents; Mark Begich (AK), Mark Pryor (AR), Mark Udall (CO), Mary Landrieu (LA), and Kay Hagan (NC). The last time Republicans defeated more than two Democratic incumbents in a cycle was in 1980. Also, it was a bad year to be a Democratic Senator named Mark.
5. The 114th Congress will convene with 53 U.S. Senators who previously served in the U.S. House. This is more than in any Congress dating back to at least 1899 (courtesy University of Minnesota's SmartPolitics).
6. Despite the closing CW that Obamacare had faded as an issue, the President's healthcare law nevertheless was the #2 most-used issue in GOP-sponsored U.S. Senate general election broadcast spots, at 16.6%, after healthcare generally (20.6%, which includes anti-Obamacare spots) but well ahead of jobs (12.1%) (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
7. 58 percent of all Republican general election broadcast spots in U.S. Senate races were anti-Obama (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
8. 10 percent of all Republican general election broadcast spots in U.S. Senate races focused on immigration (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
9. The Senate race with the highest number of unique general election advertisers was Iowa, with 40 (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
10. 47 percent of all Democratic general election spots in the Colorado Senate race focused on abortion (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
11. The Senate race in which anti-Koch spots accounted for the highest percentage of Democratic spots was Michigan, at 35 percent (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
12. The three Republican outside group advertisers who were most active in Senate races (by number of races) were U.S. Chamber of Commerce (12), Americans for Prosperity (9), Crossroads GPS (9) (all elections) (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
13. The three Democratic outside group advertisers who were most active in Senate races (by number of races) were Senate Majority PAC (9), Patriot Majority USA (6), Vote Vets Action Fund (6) (all elections) (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
14. Number of Senate races with Democratic Spanish-language advertising: 5 (CO, GA, NC, NM, TX) versus the number of Senate races with Republican Spanish-language advertising: 2 (CO, TX) (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
15. Republicans won 57% of all U.S. House districts in 2014, up from 54% in 2012. But measured by land area, House Republicans will represent an astonishing 86% of the nation, up from 80% after 2012.
16. In 2010, House Republicans won 6.61% more votes than House Democrats, and won 33 more seats than Democrats. In 2014, House Republicans won just 5.71% more votes than House Democrats, but won 59 more seats than Democrats. Nationally, we estimate Democrats would have needed to win 9.73% more votes than Republicans in 2014 just to break even in the House.
17. After the 2006 election, there were 57 Democrats who sat in districts carried by George W. Bush. After the 2014 election, there are just 5 Democrats who sit in a district carried by Mitt Romney.
18. Not since Harry Truman has one party lost as many U.S. House seats in mid-term elections as have Democrats in 2010 and 2014. During Truman's two mid-term elections, Democrats lost 83 seats. Under Obama, Democrats have lost 76 House seats.
19. There are no longer any Democrats in the U.S. House who represent rural Appalachia nor are there any white Democrats from the Deep South.
20. Of the 43 Republican House freshman, 35 (81%) are white men. Of the 17 Democratic House freshmen, just six (35%) are white men. Overall, 87% of House Republicans will be white men in 2015, compared to just 43% of House Democrats.
21. Of the 118 districts where less than 50% of residents are non-Hispanic whites, Democrats will hold 98 (83%). Of the 114 districts where over 80% of residents are non-Hispanic whites, Republicans will hold 97 (85%).
22. In the 24 states with competitive Senate or gubernatorial races, votes cast in the average House race declined by 30% versus 2012. But in the 26 "orphan" states with no competitive Senate or gubernatorial election, votes cast in the average House race declined by 43%.
23. The closest House race in the country was in Arizona's 2nd CD, where Republican Martha McSally defeated Democratic Rep. Ron Barber by just 167 votes. In 2012, Barber had defeated McSally by 2,454 votes.
24. In California, there were eight House races decided by 5% or less. Democrats won all of them. Incredibly, Republicans haven't picked up a House seat in California since 1998, despite two mid-term waves in 2010 and 2014.
25. In U.S. House races, although one side may have emphasized an issue more than the other, Democrats and Republicans both leaned on budget/government spending, healthcare, and taxes, at 1-2-3, in their broadcast TV ads. Democrats' 4-point lead over Republicans in mentioning taxes no doubt was due to their charges of GOP support for tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
26. 18 percent of all Republican general election spots in U.S. House races featured Nancy Pelosi (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
27. 8 percent of all Republican general election spots in U.S. House races focused on immigration (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
28. The House race with the highest number of unique general election advertisers was CA-52, with 16 (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
29. Among competitive House races, the contest in which anti-Koch spots accounted for the highest percentage of Democratic spots was WV-03, at 33 percent with 14,607 total spots and 4,797 anti-Koch spots (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
30. The three Republican outside group advertisers who were most active in House races U.S. Chamber of Commerce (17), American Action Network (12), and Congressional Leadership Fund (11) (all elections) (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
31. The three Democratic outside group advertisers who were most active in House races (by number of races) were House Majority PAC (35), Patriot Majority USA (7), and Center Forward (6) (all elections) (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
32. And because we can't help ourselves from looking ahead … Democrats would need to pick up 30 Republican-held House seats to take back the chamber in 2016, but only 16 of 247 House Republicans won their elections by less than 10% in 2014. By contrast, in 2010, 42 of 242 House Republicans won by less than 10%.
33. Republicans now have 31 governorships, which is the most they have held since 1998.
34. Democrats now have 18 governorships, which is the least they have held since 1999.
35. Four incumbent Governors were defeated for re-election in 2014; Republicans Govs. Tom Corbett (PA) and Sean Parnell (AK), and Democratic Govs. Pat Quinn (IL) and Neil Abercrombie (HI). The last time four or more incumbent Governors lost re-election was 2002.
36. In 2014 governors' races, Democratic and Republican advertisers both emphasized budget/government spending and taxes as their #2 and #3 most-mentioned issues in broadcast TV spots, but Democrats made education #1 (by a hair) while Republicans championed jobs (courtesy Kantar Media/CMAG).
37. Republicans won 320 seats in state legislatures across the country in 2014, giving them 56.5% of all state legislative seats. This is the most the GOP has held since 1928 (courtesy NCSL.org).
38. Republicans now control 69 of 99 state legislative chambers. They control both chambers in 30 states, and control the legislature and the Governor's office in 23 states.
39. Democrats have majorities in both legislative chambers in just 11 states; the fewest in 150 years (courtesy NCSL.org).
40. Finally, because the 2016 election is just 690 short days away … Hillary Clinton is much better positioned two years out from the 2016 election than she was two years out from the 2008 campaign. A Washington Post/ABC poll of Democratic voters taken in December of 2006 found her leading the field with just 39 percent of the vote. The most recent McClatchy/Marist poll showed her ahead of the pack with a whopping 62% of the vote.
|Washington Post/ABC – 12/7-11/06
|McClatchy/Marist – 12/3-9/14
|Clinton – 39%
|Clinton – 62%
|Obama - 17%
|Biden – 11%
|Edwards – 12%
|Warren – 9%
|Gore – 10 %
In fact, the only other candidate to have as large a lead as Clinton this far out from an open presidential campaign was Al Gore. A June 1999 ABC/Washington Post poll found him with a 65-percent to 26-percent lead over Bill Bradley.
Related Articles
December 20, 201225 Interesting Facts about the 2012 Elections
July 7, 2017House: Rating Changes Favor Democrats in 10 Districts
May 5, 2017House 2018: Rating Changes in 20 Districts


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"97 minton Road, in case you ever need to know," said Patricia, smiling frankly up into the brown eyes and serious face above her.
On this night, while the party were at cards, "Wild Dick" minton entered.
I could order the arrest of minton, however, on your information without orders from New York.
"Hello, Robson," sung out minton, when this was accomplished.
Of course there was a chance that minton might have left the saloon, or been turned out by the proprietor.
They were passing a saloon, and minton turned his steps towards it.
What have you been doing about sentry-go, minton, up till now?
The sanctuary was paved with minton tiles by the late Lady Dymoke.
Mr. minton has acquired a notoriety, even in that proud city, which makes his house one of the most popular resorts.
Even minton, he doubted not, could supply them with some such scenes.


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Written on: 06/10/2013
Purchased a bike. Email from them to sat it would be delivered next day. Did not come. In spite of many different assurances from TNT to Tredz and myself, they did had not delivered five days later. Can not waste my life waiting in for uncertain delivery so cancelled order (£1600).
Courier turned up the day after. Packaging looked like it had been trashed in their care over the previous week. Bike returned to Tredz.
Very dissatisfied.
Written on: 07/10/2013
Thank you for your review. We are very sorry that you did not receive the bike you ordered on this occasion.
Please accept our sincere apologies from both ourselves and TNT for our mistake and the inconvenience caused to you.
If you would like to discuss things any further, please call or email us, where one of our customer service team will be happy to assist you.
Best Regards,
As rated by our community of reviewers
" Outstanding Service " Read More
Written by lizajw
" Great Bike at a Great Price! " Read More
" Problem re bike " Read More
" Great service " Read More
" Tredz are awful " Read More


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SPAIN. Four days after beating archrival and defending champ Barcelona in league play, Real Madrid was held to an embarrassing 1-1 tie at Third Division Ecija in their first-leg game of the Spanish Cup round of 32. Real, which hosts the second leg, rested several regulars.
GERMANY. In the German Cup, two-time defending double winner Bayern Munich snuck through with
an uninspiring 1-0 win over Kaiserslautern. ... Hertha Berlin was leading Stuttgart Kickers, 2-0, when the game was abandoned in the 86th minute after a linesman was struck with something thrown
from the stands of the Stuttgart stadium. Upset in second round play were First Division teams Moenchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke 04.
ENGLAND. Struggling Premier
League club West Ham was ousted from the League Cup with a 2-1 loss at third-tier Chesterfield. ... Manchester United also struggled against a third-tier team, but overcame Crewe with a 2-1 thanks
to a last-minute overtime goal by teenager Kieran Lee, who was making his first-team debut. ... Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who suffered a skull fracture during a collision with
Reading forward Stephen Hunt, was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday after a 10-day stay that included surgery to insert metal plates in his head.
ITALY. In midweek
Serie A action, Inter Milan and Palermo kept their joint lead. Inter beat Livorno, 4-1, as Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his first of the season. Palermo beat Sicilian rival Messina,
BRAZIL: Defending champion Corinthians, one of Brazil's richest clubs since its partnership deal with London-based Media Sports Investments in late 2004, moved out of the
relegation zone with a 1-0 Sao Paulo derby win over Palmeiras on a goal by Marcelo Mattos.
HONDURAS. U.S. CONCACAF rival Honduras is courting Diego Maradona, who has
never had a successful coaching stint, for its national team coaching job. Honduras' last high-profile coach hiring, Bora Milutinovic, lasted less than a year. Milutinovic is reportedly in
negotiations for the Jamaica job.
GUATEMALA. U.S. coach Tim Hankinson's hopes of guiding Guatemala to the U-17 World Cup for the first time in that nation's history ended with
a last-place finish in the five-team Central American Zone preliminary qualifying tournament. The Chapines lost to Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama, and tied Nicaragua while getting outscored
4-11. Costa Rica and El Salvador advanced to the final round of qualifying.


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AI abbr.
artificial insemination
|artificial intelligence
The ability of a computer or other machine to perform actions thought to require intelligence. Among these actions are logical deduction and inference, creativity, the ability to make decisions based on past experience or insufficient or conflicting information, and the ability to understand spoken language.
Our Living Language : The goal of research on artificial intelligence is to understand the nature of thought and intelligent behavior and to design intelligent systems. A computer is not really intelligent; it just follows directions very quickly. At the same time, it is the speed and memory of modern computers that allows researchers to manage the huge quantities of data necessary to model human thought and behavior. An intelligent machine would be more flexible than a computer and would engage in the kind of "thinking" that people actually do. An example is vision. In theory, a network of sensors combined with systems for interpreting the data could produce the kind of pattern recognition that we take for granted as seeing and understanding what we see. In fact, developing software that can recognize subtle differences in objects (such as those we use to recognize human faces) is very difficult. The recognition of differences that we can perceive without deliberate effort would require massive amounts of data and elaborate guidelines to be recognized by an artificial intelligence system. According to the famous Turing Test, proposed in 1950 by British mathematician and logician Alan Turing, a machine would be considered intelligent if it could convince human observers that another human, rather than a machine, was answering their questions in conversation.
An international organization that works for the release of political prisoners who have neither committed nor advocated violence. It also strives to improve the standards of treatment for prisoners and detainees.
The means of duplicating or imitating intelligence in computers, robots, or other devices, which allows them to solve problems, discriminate among objects, and respond to voice commands.


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'Tis the season for Christmas cooking specials, so expect plenty of seasonal fare to be dished up on your television screens during the next fortnight.
Lyndey Milan will be leading the charge among Australia's finest foodies, with two new specials airing on Foxtel during the build-up to Christmas Day.
Milan has created one show based on traditional cooking, the other on contemporary, so viewers can pick and choose which elements will suit their family table the best.
She says rather than being showy and gratuitous, the programs are designed to reduce some of the pressure at Christmas.
''The thing is, we all think about Christmas and we look forward to it and we think it's going to be wonderful, but then people get really stressed,'' Milan says. ''A lot of people find Christmas is a really difficult time of year.''
She is convinced there are such high expectations these days surrounding food (blame it on the MasterChef effect) that it can cause tension. ''A lot of families get together at Christmas and it's a bit of a hot box and I think what happens is they get really stressed about the food,'' she says.
''They are a lot more ambitious than what they might normally be. Suddenly the expectations are so different.''
Milan doesn't like to make comparisons with some of the other leading chefs on television (everyone has a Christmas special these days, from Rick Stein to Jamie Oliver) because she can genuinely relate to home cooks.
''I have to say I like to think I'm the hero of the home cook, really; the thing is, you can cook like me if you watch the show,'' she says.
''The things I'm wanting to do are 'high impress, low stress'.''
''I wanted everyone to enjoy Christmas as much as I always have,'' she adds.
Despite her well-known role on television, Milan says she goes down to the supermarket just like everybody else.
''I'm not a chef in a restaurant with apprentices; you know, I'm someone who goes shopping and has to carry the shopping home and cook it, then wash up,'' she says. ''So I'm like everybody else, I think.''
Milan filmed the specials at her purpose-built kitchen in Artarmon and says she still feels very comfortable in front of the television cameras.
''I love it … I mean, I'm a frustrated performer; I wanted to be an actor,'' she says with a laugh. ''But I had to go to university and be sensible.
''To me, TV really is very much a teaching thing, especially a show like this.''
Milan, who is still feeling the devastation after the death of her son Blair last year, says she hopes her food can provide some comfort to others who are feeling sadness at Christmas time.
The menu items included in the first half-hour special, screening Monday night, include smoked trout mousse, a turkey cooked to Milan's own special recipe, plus Christmas cakes and steamed sago pudding.
Milan's is just one of a range of cooking specials airing on television screens in the next week. Look out for the annual screening of Christmas with the Australian Women's Weekly, Sunday on Nine, and also upcoming specials on Foxtel from cook Sophie Grigson and renowned chef Raymond Blanc.
Lyndey's Cracking Christmas screens on December 10 at 8.30pm on the LifeStyle Food Channel on Foxtel. The second episode airs on December 17.
Commercial interests
Could it possibly be true that the host of The Gruen Transfer may be wooed away from the ABC to another network?
A television insider has revealed Wil Anderson is considered such hot property among commercial execs he is receiving lucrative offers to jump ship.
With the move of Gruen panel member Russell Howcroft into a senior executive role at Ten, there is talk he may be involved behind the scenes in trying to tempt his co-stars away from the ABC.
But it's not just Ten making offers; speculation has it more than one station is keen for Anderson to join their line-up.
Although he is believed only to be considering offers at this stage, Anderson is facing the same dilemma previously encountered by other ABC stars - Jane Turner and Gina Riley (Kath & Kim) as well as The Chaser boys - about whether or not to move to a commercial network.
The Gruen Transfer, which is produced by Andrew Denton's company Zapruder's Other Films, has proved one of the stand-out hits on the ABC.
The format, created by Denton and Jon Casimir, has been sold to a number of international territories, and local panelists including Howcroft, Todd Sampson and regular guest Jane Caro have become household names.
But it is holding on to the wonderful host Anderson that might eventually prove difficult. Denton himself has described Anderson as one of the most underrated stars on television, declaring his astonishment that Anderson has not been nominated for a Gold Logie, given his popularity.
A spokeswoman for the ABC was unavailable for comment, while the show's production company, Zapruder's Other Films, referred Fairfax to Anderson's management, Token Artists.
A spokeswoman for the agency says she is unaware of any other plans for Anderson at this stage. She adds he has several commitments overseas and returns to Australia for only part of the year for filming duties.
''He lives only half his life in Australia; he's heading off to LA again,'' she says.
Deja view
There's no denying it's not only Christmas season, but also rerun season, and if you're happy to view with a sense of deja vu, there can be plenty of enjoyment on offer.
The best reruns on television at the moment are the repeat episodes of Modern Family on Ten.
(The age of Lily, the baby, always gives them away as early episodes of the show).
Then there's the perennial favourite The Simpsons, also on Ten, which is always a fail-safe choice.
But check out some of the programming on Nine, which includes a rerun of Hamish and Andy's Gap Year on Tuesday night (well worth it for a laugh if you didn't see it the first time around) and also another innings for Howzat! Kerry Packer's War on Wednesday night.


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http://www.phillyphotoday.com/ (Event Finished)
http://www.hyunkyu.com/ppac - saved (functioning) site
Making a mobile site + forms exciting. They're usually bland and use default visuals from its parent Operating System.
This mobile website / application was done for Philly Photo Day by Philadelphia Photo Arts Center.
I coded + designed the app for Android and iOS6+ Devices, as well as desktop browsers.
Purpose of Philly Photo Day was to people take a picture in Philadelphia and upload it. One picture, one day.
Taking advantage of iOS 6's ability to upload photos, and Android's default ability to upload files, it made it easier to cater to majority of smartphone owners for this app.
For more traffic, I proposed a mobile version of Philly Photo Day, which came out quite successful albeit the limited device compatibility. Submissions are still being accepted; in less than 24 hours, the product processed more than 1000 submissions successfully without a single malfunction.
I coded this with your run of the mill HTML/CSS with Jquery, PHP and MySQL for database management.
In the mobile version it detects the devices + browsers to give proper feedback. iOS <6 prompts the user to use a desktop, same with other devices that aren't compatible. For iOS6 + Android platforms, it functions as normal.
In the desktop version for IE; the placeholder information in the textboxes "REQUIRED" doesn't come up. So I have implemented a little trick that if the browser is IE, the textfields are actually PREFILLED with "REQUIRED" on them. It sucks because the user has to delete "REQUIRED" to input their info; but it's a small sacrifice to keep the visuals universal. Also in the index/home page, a different method of background image is implemented compared to Chrome / FF / Safari, etc. (-filter in CSS).
The challenge for the mobile device was to overcome the "standard" or rather; boring look of website forms and its functionality. I tried to stylize the entire site/app so it looks more like a "traditional" downloaded app. I also wanted to replace "default" visual elements such as buttons, etc for a custom one so the visuals stay universal and intact regardless of platform.
The main visual / flow changes are:
1. Default browser buttons are minimal (Only one is the "Browse" button to change/upload your photo).
2. Check boxes are replaced with "on/off" style toggle switches that animate.
3. Buttons react by displaying a shadow when pressed, and disappears when let go (Which a lot of people do not implement; a lot of times, the shadow is stuck).
4. Contact / E-mail form is actually a pop-up with "close" functionality. The user can e-mail directly to the organization without opening a separate e-mail app.
5. For iOS, a notification pops up when using Safari (iPad and iPhone) so the user can add it to the homepage; furthering the app-like experience. It also has a launcher/splash image when the app is launched (for both iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch 3.5 + 4" screens)
6. The layout is 100% functional regardless of orientation.
7. In the form to fill out their information, when they have tapped/clicked to fill out that particular area, a shadow surrounds the box they're focused in. Triggering more focus.
8. Of course the basic keyboard switches are implemented. So when they're in ZIP, the number keyboard comes up. In e-mail the keyboard with @ in the keys, etc.
9. They're prompted / Alerted when there aren't sufficient information to submit.
Another experimental layer I have added are these elements:
1. I made it unable to "highlight" any text that is rendered by the browser in the page. Preventing accidental "blue" boxes when things are high-lighted.
2. The default highlight of gray/blue box when a clickable/tappable element is tapped.
3. The default yellow/blue glow when Text input is highlighted.
4. No "zooming" function. The design is simple enough to be used without any zooming.
5. Added proper "loading" and other feedbacks when the user interacts with the site.
The above elements although small, even minimal, in my belief extends the user experience.
I believe default text boxes, buttons, typefaces, and especially the ability to zoom, and highlight text; brings the notion of the product to the user as a WEBSITE. Not an app/program.
As for the process of actually entering the Philly Photo Day Submission; I have made 2 different versions for the mobile and desktop.
For the mobile:
1. The user taps on "TAP TO CHOOSE" Button, which will bring up a menu in iOS and Android to upload a photo by taking a picture on the device or choosing an existing image.
2. When the user has an image selected, the website views a "Loading Image" with a spinning loading circle until loaded(to downscale the image to preview); then shows a preview of the image before continuing.
3. The user fills out necessary information to enter. (The user can change the image at this stage as well)
4. When the user agrees to the ToS and taps on "SEND" a preview window of their relatively important logistics input is previewed. Which at that point, they can either cancel to edit for mistakes/changes, or continue.
5. They will receive an confirmation e-mail which includes their image, and their address. They are landed on a "Thank you page" after.
6. At the Thank You page, they can choose to tweet their photo. Which says "Just submitted a photo to phillyphotoday! Submit yours athttp://philaphotoarts.org/phillyphotoday . View mine here - with link to their image"
For the desktop, the process is same. Except #1/#2 is does not exist. They land straight to #3; the form to add/change photo (Not just change, like the Mobile).
All of the submissions are uploaded on to a server as well as its logistics information in a database.
Each user is assigned a Submission ID in case of problems. (They can just refer to the submission ID and their submissions can be pin pointed precisely in the database in a very short amount of time).
Thank You!


text:
Compiled and edited by Charles J. Kappler. Washington : Government Printing Office, 1929.
|Chap. 91
|Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, S. Dak.
Selection by South Dakota in lieu of designated tract on.
|Chap. 91
|Chap. 91
|Surrendered lands made part of reservation.
Page 290
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the State of South Dakota, acting through its proper officials, is hereby authorized to select one hundred and sixty acres of unappropriated, unreserved, nonmineral lands within the boundaries of the former Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota, or an equal area of public land of like character within the boundaries of the said State, in lieu of the northeast quarter of section sixteen, township thirty-eight north, range forty west, sixth principal meridian, in South Dakota, upon due and proper showing that the lands authorized herein to be surrendered by the State have not been sold or otherwise encumbered by it, and that the selection of such lieu lands by the said State shall be a waiver of its right, title, and claim in and to the one hundred
Page 291
and sixty-acre tract in section sixteen above described: Provided, That in case the exchange herein contemplated shall be perfected the lands so surrendered by the State shall be held to be a part of the present Pine Ridge Reservation and subject to the laws enacted for or applicable to the said reservation.
Approved, March 1, 1921.


text:
Premium Peanut Butter Cup
Love peanut butter? You may have never tasted anything made with peanut butter that is this good. We start with peanut better ice cream as only Braum's can do it, and then we add pieces of mini chocolate covered peanut butter cups. Introduced in 1998, reviews began at fabulous and worked their way upward!
INGREDIENTS: Fresh Grade 'A' whole milk, peanut butter variegate (sugar, peanuts, corn oil, coconut oil, salt, soy lecithin), sugar, peanut butter cups (chocolate coating {sugar, coconut oil, cocoa processed with alkali, milk, hydrogenated palm oil, soy lecithin, natrual flavors}, peanuts, salt), cream, peanut butter flavor (peanuts, corn oil, salt), stabilizer blend (monoglycerides, cellulose gel, cellulose gum, carrageenan).


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The Drakh are an alien race in the Babylon 5 universe. They were dark servants for the race of First Ones known as the Shadows. Though most other races assume the Drakh arose on some other world, they are actually the result of bio-genetic weaponry used on the Shadow Homeworld by the Vorlons during some ancient and forgotten Great War.
The Drakh species started out its existence as barely sentient reptiloids which eked out a sparse existence outside the great cities of the Shadows on Z'Ha'Dum. Approximately 750,000 years ago the Shadows were driven from Z'Ha'Dum once again, this time by the release of many bio-genetic weapons which wreaked havoc on the planet's environment. Many species died out completely and many more were mutated in strange and unusual ways. One of the few species to mutate in a beneficial manner were the creatures which would become the Drakh. Originally a mid-sized reptilian predator filling about the same ecological niche that the Velociraptor served on Earth during the Mesozoic Era, the pre-Drakh reptiloids were fierce creatures with relatively large brains, sharp teeth, lightning reflexes, and keen hunting instincts. In addition to these familiar predatorial traits, the pre-Drakh had something more. They possessed a rudimentary form of empathy which allowed them to predict how their prey would react to an attack just prior to the actual reaction. This allowed the pre-Drakh to counter the defensive tactics of their prey and, together with pack tactics reminiscent of Earth wolves, become the dominant non-sentient predator on Z'Ha'Dum.
The Shadows, with their constant wars and schemes to advance their cause rarely noticed the goings on of the life forms on their own world. Thus when the Vorlons finally roused themselves from their orderly intellectual coffins and struck at the Shadows in one of their great Millennial Wars no one paid the slightest bit of attention to the plight of the other indigenous species of Z'Ha'Dum.
The Vorlon assault was a particularly vicious one, utilizing a variety of bio-genetic plagues and diseases meant to shatter the genetic structure of the Shadows. Tailored specifically for the Shadow physiology these horrible bio-constructs had unpredictable effects on other life forms. Most died out-right. Some were altered into forms which could not survive but still lived, dooming them to slow and agonizing extinction. A very, very few were changed for the better. The species that would become the Drakh was one of these.
In the space of a few months 90% of the pre-Drakh population was wiped out by the runaway changes being wrought upon them. The 10% which survived were forever changed. Their already impressive predator's minds gained true sentience. Their sharp teeth and lightning reflexes became augmented to unprecedented levels. Their hunting instincts and empathic abilities were enhanced to the point that the surviving pre-Drakh established a group mind. In the absence of the Shadows, this new creature became the undisputed masters of Z'Ha'Dum within a century. Within a mere 1,500 years the Drakh civilization had advanced to the point of near-total control of the planet. Of course, the Drakh could not even begin to comprehend the great domed citadels of the Shadows. These they assumed to be the work of some long-gone precursor race. In a sense, they were right. They were left to their own devices for nearly 5,000 years during which time they developed technology on par with the cutting edge of Minbari technology. Their powerful intellects and inquisitive nature led them to incredible strides in technology and culture which would have eventually allowed them to become great powers if they had been left alone.
Then the Shadows began to return. At first annoyed with the new tenants on their homeworld, the Shadows soon decided that these reptilian creatures had potential as servants. Shattering the grand culture the Drakh had built themselves, the Shadows ruthlessly crushed the Drakh. Having little interest outside their own group mind, the Drakh had never gone beyond their home system. Their space fleet was negligible in size and was easily overwhelmed by the returning Shadow Battlecrabs. Effectively bombing the Drakh back to the stone age the Shadows set about the task of re-molding the Drakh into the useful and obedient tools the Shadows wanted. Setting themselves up as God-Kings to the Drakh, the Shadows neglected their schemes and wars for the next ten thousand years. During this time they molded the creatures into the perfect servant-warriors. Dispensing with the predator's teeth and claws of the creature's brute animal past, the Shadows enhanced their intellects still further.
Seeing their group mind as an unnecessary barrier to further psionic enhancement, the Shadows sundered the Drakh's group consciousness. Instead of having one another as a mental focus, the Drakh were genetically modified to rely on the Shadows for their selfworth and direction. They became perfectly pliable slaves to the Shadows, willing to follow any order up to and including instant voluntary suicide. Their incredible reflexes suffered as a result of this loss of initiative, however, leaving them no faster than their pre-sentient ancestors. Still, this was superior to most other early sentient species and was deemed acceptable by the Shadows.
The psionic abilities of the Drakh were increased tremendously, giving them the ability to cast mental illusions into the minds of other races, take physical control of another's body, communicate across great distances, read the mind of another like a book, and if necessary, shred the psyche of a foe leaving him a mindless vegetable. Added to this were impressive telekinetic abilities which, while limited in raw strength, had an extremely fine level of control. A Drakh could not pick up a 200 kilogram boulder and hurl it at a foe, but he could reach behind an opponent's armor, inside his skull, and squeeze his brain into pulp. Alternately, weights up to approximately 50 kilograms could be lifted and moved with incredible skill and accuracy. A Drakh swordmaster could wield his blade as well with his mind as with his hand and a well-trained warrior could present a field of telekinetic force around himself which would deflect many physical attacks. The Shadows created a caste system society for the Drakh which placed the Shadows themselves at the pinnacle of existence.
In the mythology created by the Shadows to explain the origins of the Drakh the Vorlons were cast as thought-stealing and soul-shattering demons who would twist the very fabric of life itself to achieve their ends. It was only a happy accident by these vile creatures that had allowed the Drakh to come into existence and act as servitors to the just and wise Shadows. The Shadows instilled a simultaneous loathing and fascination for bio-genetic weapons in the Drakh which has stayed with them to this day. While on the one hand the Drakh despise such weapons for warping them into things they were never meant to become, they are also drawn to such things as means to strike at their enemies in a kind of twisted retribution upon the entire Universe for what was once done to them. Oddly enough, it never occurs to them to question the fact that their masters, the Shadows, use such weapons themselves. This is likely due to the mental and genetic tailoring which renders the Drakh totally subservient to the Shadows.
Culturally the Drakh have an artificial society constructed by and for the advancement of the Shadows. Before the Shadows left for the Rim, every facet of Drakh society revolved around service to their dark gods. With the departure of the Shadows, many Drakh committed suicide, having lost their reason to live. Others rallied behind the Drakh leadership who claimed that if the Drakh continued the work of the Shadows and did not falter in their tasks that some day the Shadows would return to them and raise them up to godhood to stand alongside them. A tiny few, less than .001% of the population, went renegade. These sad souls search the universe for a new cause to serve. They do not wish to surrender to oblivion like their brethren who killed themselves, but feel betrayed and abandoned by their gods, the Shadows. As a result these few Drakh search for a new meaning for their lives. Lives which can be very long, indeed.
Within the Drakh species there are four major subspecies variants. The Priest Caste wields the most formidable psychic abilities, but are weaker than the other two subspecies. The Priests are also the only caste which can produce the dreaded Keepers. The second caste of Drakh are the Warriors. Large and swift, the Warriors possess limited psychic abilities, concentrating mainly on empathic combat predictions similar to what their pre-sentient ancestors used. They are also able to produce the most powerful telekinetic effects, being able to propel a 20 kilogram object at up to 500 kilometers per hour. Below the Warrior Castee are the Laborers which are the most creative of the Drakh, but the weakest psychically. This was a protective measure instilled by the Shadows to insure that they could never effectively revolt against the telekinetically more powerful Warriors or shield their thoughts from the telepathic powers of the Priests. At the very bottom of the Drakh hierarchy, are the Keepers. Totally non-sentient, the Keepers are little more than parasitic organic robots meant to render a victim completely subservient to the Drakh, and through them, to the Shadows. With the exception of the Keepers, all Drakh have a lifespan measured in tens of thousands of years. An average Drakh may expect to live to be 20,000 Earth Years old. A few rare Drakh have lived to be as much as 25,000 years old and one legendary Grand Inquisitor lived to be over 35,000 years old. Keepers, on the other hand, never live more than one century from the time of their attachment to a host until death. Death of a Keeper always means the death of its host.
Physically the Drakh are humanoid reptilians with three-fingered hands and an opposable thumb. They have heavy scales over their entire bodies, some of which are really larval Keepers on the Priest caste. They are uniformly stronger and faster than most of the younger races, though this varies by specific subspecies. When meeting a new species for the first time, the Drakh will often feign slow reflexes to lull the new race into a false sense of security. Though blindingly fast when necessary, Drakh usually restrain themselves and if captured, never exhibit their superior strength or reflexes so as not to tip the hand of the rest of their people. They are a warm-blooded species despite their reptilian forms, being comfortable in roughly the same temperature ranges as Humanity. The Drakh see further into the infrared portion of the EM spectrum than humans do, having "heat vision" roughly equivalent to a human utilizing thermal imaging goggles. Drakh bear live young and despite their tremendously long life span will grow to sexual maturity in a mere 75 to 80 years. Emotional and mental maturity follows soon after, with the average Drakh being considered a full adult by his 110th birthday. Intelligence varies by caste. An Average Priest will have a human-equivalent I.Q. of approximately 165-175. A typical warrior is slightly above human-average intelligence with the equivalent of an I.Q. of 120-130. All Laborers are geniuses, even among Drakh, having a human-equivalent 195 I.Q. At minimum. Laborer Drakh frequently go off the I.Q. scale altogether, with theoretical upper ranges of I.Q. 235 (The standard Intelligence Quotient scale only goes to 200 maximum).
The technology of the Drakh is, in many ways, the technology of the Shadows. While they do not understand many facets of Shadow technology, their Laborers have cracked the secrets of several of the lesser aspects of Shadow-Tech. These include highend cybernetics, bio-armored warships, and advanced weaponry centuries ahead of even the best Minbari weapons. Their infantry weapons have incredible ranges and have been observed completely destroying Earth Alliance shuttlecraft with only a few shots. Their ship-mounted weaponry is usually restricted to advanced fusion weaponry, though the Drakh did have a new class of super-dreadnought being designed before the last Great War which would have been significantly more powerful than even the Shadow Battlecrab. This was allowed by the Shadows since after over three-quarters of a million years of faithful servitude the Shadows were preparing to make the Drakh the vanguard of their future wars. Construction on this mighty warship never began, and its plans were stolen recently by a renegade Drakh.
The Government of the Drakh has changed little since the Shadows left for the Rim. They have been, and likely always will be, a militant theocracy which reveres the Shadows as gods. Every facet of Drakh life centers around the advancement of their god's agendas and the destruction of their god's foes. The few renegade Drakh have no unified government and are very much loners in the galaxy.
In many ways the military of the Drakh and the government of the Drakh are one and the same. Since their gods were so enamored with conflict and chaos, the Drakh culture was centered around their war fleets. To date the largest concentration of Drakh ships seen (by anyone who survived the experience) numbered slightly over fifty Raider ships with a trio of their immense two-mile long carrier ships in attendance. No one is certain where the Drakh base themselves or how large their fleets might actually be. Few of the renegade Drakh have volunteered such information, though the ones who have given estimates to the Allied Races have given truly terrifying numbers. If these renegades are to be believed the Drakh have a fleet fully one-third the size of the combined fleets of all the known races. If this is true, then it is only a matter of time before the Drakh launch a retributive strike against the races who caused their gods to leave them.
Special AbilitiesEdit
All Drakh are telepaths and telekinetics. The extent to which these abilities exist varies by subspecies. Priest Drakh are approximately equivalent to a P-12 telepath by the Psi Corp rating system. Due to their long lives, the average adult Drakh has a much greater level of skill and finesse than any human telepath could ever achieve. Telekinetically the Drakh Priest is much less powerful, being able to manipulate a maximum of 25 kilograms with any significant degree of control and being limited to no more than 10 kilograms of mass for fine manipulation. The telekinetic barrier that can be erected by a Drakh Priest would be sufficient to stop forces up to a heavy sword or axe blow or a low to mid caliber slugthrowing pistol. Drakh Warriors are much less capable telepathically, being roughly equivalent to a P-5 or P-6 in actual power. Again, due to their long lives they have the ability to acquire a level of skill and finesse with this ability far outstripping anything a human might achieve.
Telekinetically the Warriors can be terrifying foes. They can manipulate up to 50 kilograms and exert fine control over up to 20 kilograms. The telekinetic barrier of a Warrior is strong enough to deflect projectiles with the same force as a .50 caliber machinegun round. Unfortunately this does little good against PPG fire since the majority of the damage caused by a PPG is thermal, rather than kinetic. Laborers are the weakest of the Drakh subspecies in terms of telepathic and telekinetic ability. Their telepathic powers are roughly equivalent to a human P-3 or P-4 telepath, again with much greater skill and control. Their telekinetic abilities are similarly weak, being able to manipulate a maximum of a mere 10 kilograms and no more than 2 kilograms with fine control. This is of little concern to Laborers since this still allows them to manipulate small objects such as fiber optic cables with a delicacy and precision that no pair of hands could ever hope to match. Their telekinetic barriers are weak and ineffectual, being good for little more than keeping them dry in a heavy downpour or warding off annoying insects. Again, this is of little concern to the Laborers since they are almost never called upon to engage in combat and are rarely seen by anyone other than other Drakh.
Keepers are powerful telepathically, but in a very limited way. They are able to make themselves invisible by convincing all minds within visual range that they simply aren't there. This includes their current host who can only see them for brief instances upon waking or when stone-drunk. Keepers are unable to metabolize alcohol well and are thus easily put to sleep by strong drink. While asleep the Keeper has no control over its host, though this does the host little good since to kill the keeper one must also kill oneself. The other notable telepathic power Keepers have is that of acting as a telekinetic conduit between Priest-Caste Drakh and Keeper hosts. Through this conduit a Drakh Priest may exert its wishes upon the Keeper-Host as well as communicate with the Keeper-Host over great distances. In many ways, a Keeper is little more than an independent biological extension of the Priest. Keepers use their telekinetic abilities to attach themselves to their host, their limbs being much too frail to move their bodies without aid. Once attached the Keeper will use its powers to defend itself from harm as best it can, but being of limited intellect, rarely extends this protection to its host.


text:
Marshmallow-Cream Nut Fudge
Recipe by Kittencalrecipezazz
No candy thermometer for this! ;-)
Top Review by txgammi
Hey Kittencal, this was terrific and got many compliments...even from a sis-in-law that doesn't care for fudge! (i noticed her munching on more than one piece..lol) I made a double batch for the holidays, and the only thing I changed was to use choc chips instead of the vanilla chips. It was even better a day or two later. Your recipe saved the day since I couldn't find my old one and sooo easy to make. Thanks, my friend!
Ingredients Nutrition
- 1 (10 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
- 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
- 2⁄3 cup evaporated milk
- 1⁄4 cup butter or 1⁄4 cup margarine
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups vanilla baking chips
- 1⁄2 cup chopped nuts (any kind)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions See How It's Made
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan combine marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk, butter OR margarine and salt; bring to a full boil, stirring constantly, over medium heat.
- Boil for 5 minutes (this must be timed; start timing when mixture is at full boil).
- Remove from heat; add the vanilla chips and 1 tsp vanilla extract; stir rapidly until the vanilla chips are completely melted.
- Add in nuts.
- Pour into an 8" x 8" square baking pan lined with foil (make sure that the foil is overlapping sides of pan for easy removal).
- Chill in refrigerator until firm (about 2 hours).
- remove from fridge, lift out of pan by the ends of foil; remove foil, cut into small squares.


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Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement on the Census numbers released today:
(WASHINGTON, DC) "I am greatly disappointed to see that once again millions of Americans have gone without health insurance and incomes have failed to rise. What's even more frustrating is that the Republican Congress has done nothing to address these crises. With 46 million Americans without health coverage, incomes continuing to fall and over a million more in poverty, millions of working Americans are facing difficult economic times and are tired of seeing the Republican Congress pursuing partisan interests over their own.
"Even more troubling is that just as the President and his Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill are trying to slash Medicaid, today's report demonstrates that fewer Americans can rely on employer-based health care coverage and Medicaid is growing in importance for millions of working Americans. We should be working to address the rising cost of health care, not cutting the bottom out from under our families.
"I believe we can and must do better. Senate Democrats have been working to focus the Congress's attention on the urgent needs of working Americans to make quality health care more affordable and more available and to create new high-quality, high-paying jobs. We must do more to address the real concerns of American families and to ensure that all working Americans are able to provide for their own. I hope that in the coming weeks, my Republican colleagues will join us to address these urgent needs."
46 Million Americans Go Uninsured. According to today's Census Bureau's numbers, nearly 46 million Americans went without health insurance coverage last year. This is an increase of over 850,000 from last year and over six million since President Bush took office. [Census Bureau]
Over One Million More Americans in Poverty. According to today's Census Bureau's numbers, over one million more Americans were in poverty last year. The poverty rate increased from 12.5% to 12.7% just last year. When the President Bush took office the rate stood at 11.3% and since then, over five million more Americans have fallen into poverty. [Census Bureau]
Incomes Continue to Fall. According to today's Census Bureau's numbers, median household income continued to remain stagnant last year with median household income dipping from $44,482 to $44,389. This decrease follows steady decreases since Bush took office, with income having dropped from $46,058 in 2000, a $1,669 decrease. [Census Bureau]


text:
Jia You
Jia You is an interactive graphics editor at Science. She studied journalism at Northwestern University, and jumped into science writing while interning at Chicago Ideas Week. Her work has appeared in Popular Science, Chicago Tribune's Blue Sky Innovation website, Women's eNews and other outlets. When not scanning scientific papers, Jia enjoys coding and fusion cooking.


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Bradley Cooper will be attending the the 24th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards next month, where he will be honored with the Desert Palm Achievement Award for acting.
Festival chairman Harold Matzner said in a statement, "Bradley Cooper is just one of the many silver linings in David O. Russell's enjoyable film 'Silver Linings Playbook.'" He continued, "Cooper's portrayal of Pat Solitano is a career-best performance that has created Oscar buzz and has audiences rooting for him despite the challenges he faces throughout the film."
Cooper has received strong accolades for his portrayal of a man diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is considered a strong contender for the upcoming Academy Award nominations. While it's not typical for the lead in a romantic comedy to receive so much love during awards season, "Silver Linings Playbook" isn't your typical romantic comedy either. The film co-stars Jennifer Lawrence as a young widow who is struggling to put back together the pieces of her life.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards will be held on Jan. 5 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.


text:
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/1/2012 (2002 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland - Andreas and Wolfgang Linger won a men's doubles luge World Cup event before Tatjana Huefner won the women's race, with Saturday's victors both leading the overall standings.
The Austrian brothers had a combined two-run time of 1 minute 46.691 seconds, edging Germans Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken by 0.040. Germany's Tobias Wendel and Tobias Arlt were third.
The Lingers, two-time Olympic champions, got 100 World Cup points to lead defending champions Wendel and Arlt by 15 overall.
Olympic and world champion Huefner timed 1:46.933 to head a German podium sweep from Natalie Geisenberger and Anke Wischnewski.
Huefner, seeking her fifth World Cup title, leads by 90 from Geisenberger.


text:
Niagara County seeks to trim health benefits for nonunion retirees
LOCKPORT – Niagara County Manager Jeffrey M. Glatz said Friday that a proposal to make nonunion county employees and retirees pay part of their health insurance premiums is an attempt to set an example for county unions.
Glatz said the plan, expected to be voted upon Tuesday by the County Legislature, mirrors the proposal the county has made to its unions, which so far have balked at it.
Glatz said if the unions want pay raises – the county is entering its third year of barring annual "step increases" for union workers – they have to agree to health givebacks.
Legislator Anthony J. Nemi, chairman of the Administration Committee, said he expects the measure to pass.
Nemi, I-Lockport, said it was withdrawn from his committee's agenda this week after Minority Leader Dennis F. Virtuoso, D-Niagara Falls, objected that he hadn't been given a chance to read it before the meeting.
But Nemi said the financial impact of the measure already is built into the 2014 county budget, which the legislators also are to vote on Tuesday, so the health insurance resolution will be revived as a late addition to that meeting's agenda.
"I don't see why [the Legislature] won't go for it," Nemi said.
Most nonunion employees who take county benefits will begin paying 10 percent of their health insurance premiums as of July 1.
The primary exceptions are assistant district attorneys, who must begin paying 10 percent on Jan. 1, and a few department heads, who don't have to pay health premiums until 2015.
Glatz said those exceptions are pegged to salary moves. The prosecutors are receiving raises with the new year because the pay scale for their office has been increased.
The department heads who are being given a one-year break from health premiums are going without pay increases in 2014. They are Economic Development Commissioner Samuel M. Ferraro; Real Property Services Director John E. Shoemaker; and Election Commissioners Mary Ann L. Casamento and Lora A. Allen.
County elected officials will contribute 10 percent at the start of their next term. Legislators voted in 2011 to begin paying 20 percent of their premiums.
Tuesday's resolution also is expected to eliminate the most expensive of the county's three health plans from enrollment by nonunion retirees, starting in 2015.
Nonunion retirees who began working for the county before 2009 would still be allowed fully county-paid health insurance, but only if they worked 20 years or more for the county. Those who worked 15 to 19 years would pay 25 percent of the premium. Those who worked 10 to 14 years would pay 50 percent. And those who worked less than 10 years would pay the entire cost if they want county health coverage.
Nonunion workers who started with the county in 2009 or later would never have fully-paid county health insurance when they retire. Even those who work 20 years or more in county government would have to pay 25 percent.
Those recent hires who eventually work 15 to 19 years would pay 50 percent of the premium, and those with less than 15 years' service would have to pay the full premium themselves.
email: email@example.com


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(4 reviews)
Estimated Delivery: 5-7 Days
Shipping Included
Your order will be held for 48hrs.
* We do our best to update club pricing and inventory amounts as they change. However, there may be slight differences in actual club pricing and inventory levels. Therefore, the price reflected and the inventory is estimated as of {{currentDate}} and does not include taxes or application of in-Club coupons. In-Club coupons must be printed and presented at checkout and are subject to valid dates and the terms of the coupon offer.In-Club Coupons, In-Club Clipless Coupons and Online Instant Savings are supported by manufacturer funding. State and local laws may require sales tax to be charged on BJ's pre-discounted price if the product is subject to sales tax. Orders placed within 2 hours of closing will be ready tomorrow at opening.
This lovely ring sports 43 diamond accents and a marquise-shaped design as its focal point. A split metal shank adds a touch of elegance to the already beautiful 14k white gold ring.
(based on 4 reviews)
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Reviewed by 4 customers
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(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Pretty but small
By Jen of the jungle
from Roundwood
Comments about BJs Wholesale Club .25 ct. t.w. Diamond Ring in 14k White Gold:
It's a pretty ring with lots of shine. It's just a little too small.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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By Blondie
from Salem,Nh
Best Uses
This is a really beautiful ring, it actually looks better in person. It sparkles and it's a good size, not too big. It can easily be worn every day.
Stunning !
from Salem,N.H.
This is a beautiful ring!! It has an antique look with great quality. It's much moe impressive in person. It sparkles and it's just the right size, not to big.
(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)
Really Gorgeous in Person
By EmmieK
from NC
This ring looks much more expensive in person. It's very sparkly, beautifully shaped, and is quite a large ring (really makes a statement). I don't actually own it, but saw it at a BJ's and it's really beautiful. I wanted to show my husband so I got on the website and saw no reviews! I just have to say, if my husband is smart, this will be in a box for me at some point this year!
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* Shipping information is always approximate and may be based on information given to us by manufacturers and vendors.
Orders placed via these shipping options are not guaranteed to be delivered within a certain time frame. Standard Ground is generally the least expensive option.
Standard Ground: Standard Ground includes delivery via U.S. Priority Mail®, United States Postal Service®, UPS® Ground and FedEx® Ground.
Expedited Ground: Items upgraded to Expedited Ground will ship via UPS®, FedEx® Ground or a similar carrier. Expedited Ground is not available for all items.
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Priority Overnight: Items upgraded to Priority Overnight will ship via UPS®, FedEx Ground® or a similar carrier. Priority Overnight is not available for all items.
BJ's selects the highest quality Merchandise for our Members and stands behind the products we sell. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, you are entitled to a refund or exchange subject to the following guidelines. Please return your product to the nearest BJ's Club location or by following the instructions here.
Proper Conditions for Return and Credit
Returned merchandise must be in new condition with its original packing and accessories intact. Items purchased over 1 year ago will not be considered in new condition. If you are returning a product please check to make sure your return meets the following conditions:
We regret that BJ's cannot cover the cost of shipping for products returned due to buyer's remorse.
*Bulk online sales are final and cannot be returned; reference Terms of Use available on BJs.com by clicking here, or contact your BJ's business partner with questions.
If you have ordered one of these non-returnable items, please inspect the item carefully and if possible, refuse delivery of incorrect or damaged products. Once the item has been accepted it will be deemed to be the correct item and in good working condition. Any issues that arise after the item is signed for must be resolved through the manufacturer's warranty.
Please see BJs.com's return policy before initiating a return.
You may return your item at any BJ's Club location or by following the instructions below.
PLEASE NOTE: you will not be allowed to initiate a return beyond 30 days from your date of shipping. After 30 days, please contact member care for return instructions.
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If a signature is required please inspect your package carefully before signing for it. If after accepting the package you determine that there are damaged or defective parts, please contact the manufacturer for replacement parts. For further assistance, contact BJ's Member Care. Do not discard the boxes or packing materials, as they may be needed to ship the item back.
Shipping Error
If you receive an incorrect product, please review your order information to be certain that there were no errors in the order process. If you determine that you received an item you did not order, please return your product to the nearest BJ's Club location or initiate a return online (see "Returning an Item" above for instructions).
Return Shipping Costs
If you refuse your delivery without inspection, miss your delivery appointment(s) or return a non-defective or undamaged product, you will incur original shipping charges along with actual return shipping fees. In the event that your returned merchandise was mis-shipped, damaged or defective, BJ's Member Care team will be happy to reimburse you for return shipping costs. Please contact BJ's Member Care and we will be able to assist you.
Item: 121812442 |


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