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One of the most important factors that hinder men from deep thought is the overload of their daily affairs.
Deep Thinking
What are the Reasons
The majority of people spend their whole lives in a rush. When they reach a certain age, they have to work and look after themselves and their families. They call this "the struggle for life" and complain that they have no time for anything as they have to rush around in this struggle. In this so-called "shortage of time", thinking is one of the things for which they cannot spare any time. Therefore, they are swept away wherever the flow of their daily lives takes them. In this way of life, the majority of people become insensitive to events taking place around them.
The aim of man, however, should not be to consume time, rushing from one place to another. The main issue is to be able to see the real face of this world and assume a way of living accordingly. No one's sole purpose in life is earning money, going to work, studying at university or purchasing a house. Surely, man may need to do those things during the course of his life, yet there is something that he should always bear in mind while doing them: the purpose of his existence in this world is to be a servant of Allah, to work for Allah's pleasure, His mercy in order to achieve Paradise. All works other than this purpose can serve only as a means to help man to attain his true purpose. Adopting the means to certain ends as the real purpose is a serious deception with which satan misleads man.
Someone who lives without thinking may easily take these means as his real purpose. We can cite an example from our daily lives. It is undoubtedly a good act for one to work and produce beneficial things for society. A person who believes in Allah performs such an act eagerly and wishes for a reward from Allah both in the world and in the Hereafter. If a person, on the other hand, does the same thing without remembering Allah and only for worldly interests such as status and people's appreciation, he is making a mistake. And he will regret this when he faces realities in the Hereafter. In a verse, Allah refers to those who indulge in this manner in the life of this world:
When people come across certain things for the first time, they may understand the extraordinary nature of them and this may spur them to further inspect what they see. After a while, however, they develop a habitual resistance to those things and they no longer impress them. In particular, an object or happening they meet everyday becomes ordinary for them.
For instance, it makes a great impression on some prospective doctors the first time they see a corpse, or the first time one of their patients dies. This makes them ponder deeply. It may be that all of a sudden they face the lifeless, almost stuff-like body of a person, who was, just a few minutes ago, full of life, laughing, making plans, talking, taking pleasure, eyes sparkling with life. The first time a cadaver is laid down in front of them for autopsy, they think over everything they see in that corpse: that the body decays so fast, that a repugnant smell comes out of it, that the hair once so pleasant to look at become so unpleasant that it is repulsive to touch, are all subjects they think about. This leads them to consider that the composition of everyone's body is the same and everyone will meet the same end, and that they too will become like this.
Yet, after seeing a few cadavers or losing some patients, these people develop a habitual resistance to certain things. They begin to treat cadavers, and even patients, as if they are objects.
Surely, this situation does not hold true for doctors alone. For the majority of people, the same situation applies in many areas of their lives. For example, when a person who lives in difficulty is granted a pleasant lifestyle, he understands that everything he possesses is a blessing for him; that his bed is more comfortable, his house has a beautiful view, he can buy everything he wants, he can heat his house in winter as he wishes, he can easily move by car, and many other things are all blessings for this person. Thinking of his old state, he rejoices at each of these new things. Yet someone who possesses these means from birth may not think so much about their worth. So, his appreciation of these blessings does not become possible unless he thinks over them.
For a man who ponders, on the other hand, it makes no difference whether he possesses these blessings from birth or whether he attained them afterwards. He never looks at his possessions in a habitual way. He knows that anything he owns has been created by Allah and Allah may take them back from him at any time if He wills. For example, believers say the following prayer when they travel by any means of transport:
In another verse, it is said that when believers enter their gardens, they remember Allah and say, "... It is as Allah wills, there is no strength but in Allah..." (Surat al-Kahf: 39). Whenever they enter their gardens, they think that Allah has created and sustains this garden. On the other hand, a man who does not think may be impressed the first time he sees a beautiful garden, but then it becomes an ordinary place for him. His admiration fades for the beauty therein. Some people do not realize these blessings at all since they do not think. They can be mistaken by taking these blessings for granted and "something that already had to exist". Therefore, they cannot derive pleasure from their beauty.
As we mentioned earlier, the fact that the majority of people do not think and live heedless of truth cannot be a sufficient excuse for one not thinking. Each person is an independent individual responsible to Allah by himself alone. It is very important to bear in mind that Allah tests people in the life of this world. The indifference of others, people who do not think, reason, and see the truth is, most of the time, a part of this test. A person who thinks sincerely does not say, "Most people do not reflect, and are unaware of all these, so why should I alone think?". On the contrary, he takes warning by thinking about the heedlessness of these people and takes refuge in Allah in order not be one of them. It is clear that the situation of these people cannot be an excuse for him. In the Qur'an, Allah informs us in many of His verses that most people are heedless and do not believe:
Alif Lam Mim Ra. Those are the signs of the Book. And what has been sent down to you from your Lord is the truth. But most people do not believe. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 1)
They swear by Allah with their most earnest oaths that Allah will not raise up those who die, when, on the contrary, it is a binding promise on Him; but most people do not know it. (Surat an-Nahl: 38)
We have variegated it for them so they might pay heed but most people begrudge aught save ingratitude. (Surat al-Furqan: 50)
In other verse, Allah announces the end of those who have gone astray by following the majority, those who failed to obey the commands of Allah by forgetting the purpose of their creation:
For this reason, every person should, by getting rid of the reasons preventing him from thinking, sincerely and honestly think over every event and creature that Allah creates and draw a lesson and warning from his reflections.
In the next chapter, we will be discussing what man may reflect on about certain events and creatures he may come across in his daily life in order to provide the reader with guidance and help them spend the rest of their lives as people who think and draw warnings from what they reflect on.


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Quick Details
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subset: commoncrawl


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The official Nozbe logo MacBook sticker.
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Apr 20, 2012
LAKELAND, Fla. – All women's semifinal matches for Friday have been suspended until Saturday due to rain across the Tampa Bay area.
Before suspension, the Lions' women were competing in doubles against No.4-ranked Lynn University. Saint Leo is currently up at the No.2 and No.3 spots, while trailing 3-2 at top flight.
The earliest matches will get underway is 8 a.m. Official start times will be releases shortly.
For more information on the nationally-ranked women's team, visit SaintLeoLions.com.


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Depending on who you ask, the R/T badge on the back of the Dodge Charger R/T stands for "Road/Track" or "Race/Technology." Most people will agree that it's the former designation, but that means that the full model and trim name of the 2012 Dodge Charger R/T Road and Track that pulled into the CNET garage recently is remarkably redundant.
Oddball naming convention aside, the Charger R/T Road and Track represents about the maximum blend of power and technology available in a Mopar vehicle this side of Dodge/Chrysler's SRT performance models. It's got a big V-8 with tons of torque, a thoughtful cabin with many grin-inducing creature comforts, and an available cabin technology package that adds quite a bit of braininess to go with the brawniness.
Not the Hemi you want, but all the Hemi you need
Under the hood of every Charger R/T breathes a version of Dodge's Hemi V-8 engine. However, it's not the 470-horsepower, 6.7-liter mill that graces the SRT version, but a smaller-displacement, lower-power version. At only 5.7 liters, the R/T's V-8 outputs a mere 370 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque. Who am I kidding, that's still a fantastic amount of power -- certainly more than the average driver could handle without the aid of the three-stage stability control system.
However, in spite of having gobs of power and torque on tap at any given time, the Charger doesn't seem terribly overpowered. That's likely because of the five-speed automatic transmission's reluctance to downshift without substantial prodding of the accelerator pedal, but even self-selecting the ratios with the R/T's standard paddle shifters didn't lead to tremendously responsive throttle feel or the same easily inducible oversteer that I felt in the Chrysler 300 SRT8.
Selecting a Sport mode hidden in the Uconnect system's touch-screen interface adds a bit of eagerness to the equation and causes the transmission to hold its gears a bit longer when in automatic mode, but I never got the impression that the Charger was comfortable with the constant acceleration and deceleration required to tackle a twisty road. However, the two areas the Charger R/T did well in were stoplight drag races and effortless freeway cruising at high speeds. Perhaps there's a bit of Dodge's Nascar and NHRA heritage shining through here?
Fuel economy was another one of the R/T's weak points. The EPA estimates the city and highway fuel economy at 16 mpg and 25 mpg respectively. We averaged a paltry 17.4 mpg combined. If you're looking to get more miles out of each gallon, consider sacrificing about 75 ponies and a pair of cylinders to step down to the Charger SXT's 3.6-liter V-6 and eight-speed automatic transmission combo, which is rated at 31 mpg on the highway and 19 mpg in the city.
Interior: Godzilla-skin dashboard
Every time I took a spin in the Charger, I found something else to like about the sedan. There are all sorts of cool creature comforts to be found around the cabin. For example, all four seating positions and the steering wheel can be heated and the front bucket seats can also be cooled. Ambient and accent lighting fill the cabin with a cool glow, but the feature that tickled me the most was the front cup holders, which not only had modes to keep my drinks warm and cool, but also featured a neat illuminated ring that glowed white but changed red or blue to indicate the respective heating or cooling modes. It's a silly little feature, but I showed it off to everyone who sat in the Charger's passenger seat.
Now, I didn't enjoy the bizarre rubbery material that covered the Charger's bulky dashboard. It wasn't bad, but its texture and appearance reminded me of the black foam-rubber material that the Godzilla monster suit was made of. Perhaps Dodge should market this as a feature, "The 2012 Charger R/T with Godzilla-skin interior." I think it'd sell like gangbusters.
Cabin tech: 'Yo dawg, I heard you like voice command...'
The technology that filled that dashboard, in the case of our fully optioned R/T Road and Track model, was Dodge/Chrysler's Uconnect infotainment system. Nearly identical to that of the Chrysler 300 that we tested recently (but with a red color scheme rather than blue), this system is based around a massive 8.4-inch color touch screen.
Audio sources include USB, iPod connectivity, an SD card slot at the base of the center stack, and Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calling and audio streaming. There's also a single-slot CD player, AM/FM radio, and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (which also provides a data connection for traffic, weather, sports scores, stocks, and so on). Audio plays back through a pretty good-sounding Alpine audio system, but an even better 552-watt Beats Audio by Dr. Dre system with 10 speakers and a powered subwoofer is available. Our vehicle lacked the good doctor's $995 premium audio option.


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Contact Us
Despite T.S. Eliot's description of April as being the "cruelest month," in Social Circle April turned out to be our kindest month in terms of citizen involvement. Social Circlites were like little daffodils, with happy faces emerging from the wetness and doldrums of winter. Four city events produced record turnouts and more volunteerism than we have seen in a long time.
Our annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 4 attracted 167 "hunters" and more than 400 attendees, counting parents, grandparents and friends. Under the auspices of the Social Circle Better Hometown Program, the Easter Egg Hunt was superbly ...
The City Council of Social Circle met on Tuesday night. Highlights of the meeting include:
The Blue Willow Village in Social Circle may soon be a thing of the past if the owners of the iconic establishment are unable to avoid a foreclosure in May.
The Social Circle Better Hometown program will be hosting its fourth city-wide cleanup day this Saturday.
Shiny and new: Five-year-old cancer survivor Ethan Potter was presented with this stylish ride at the Social Circle Kruizers show on Saturday. The car was sponsored by the City of Social Circle and Social Circle Better Hometown. The Social Circle Kruizers meet on the second Saturday of every month in Social Circle. Their next show will be on May 31 and will honor the troops.
"I was born to be a Yankee," said Danny McDevitt, former pitcher for the New York Yankees, who now resides in Social Circle.
Social Circle Mayor James Burgess spoke to the Concerned Citizens of Social Circle on Tuesday evening and explained his feelings opposing the proposed de-annexation of several properties in Newton County.
"Into the Woods" is our fifth play at the Social Circle Theatre," director of the Christian Youth Performers Angelia Bacon said as rehearsals wind down for the performances of the play, March 26-27. "We have twenty-three home schoolers in this production who auditioned last November and have been rehearsing for the past fifteen weeks."
Meeting set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Social Circle First Baptist Church.
Rep. Doug Holt (R-Social Circle) spoke to the Concerned Citizens of Social Circle on Thursday night about his proposed legislation that would de-annex land in Newton County from the city of Social Circle.
Rep. Doug Holt (R-Social Circle) spoke to the Concerned Citizens of Social Circle on Thursday night about his proposed legislation that would de-annex land in Newton County from the city of Social Circle.
Donnie Clack announced at a meeting held Wednesday night in Social Circle that he is withdrawing his request to petition for the building of a drag strip from the planning and zoning committee.
The Social Circle planning and zoning commission made a recommendation Monday night to approve the proposed changes to the city's existing ordinances.
The City of Social Circle amended their vicious dog ordinances on Tuesday after many members of the community complained about stray dogs running through their neighborhoods.
Page 12 of 19


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P M Buchan
Author, comic-book writer, PR specialist. Published in The Times Literary Supplement, Rue Morgue Magazine & Bleeding Cool – PMBuchan at hotmail.com / @PMBuchan
Archive for October, 2012
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Who is P M Buchan?
A man with a love of the macabre and misanthropic. Author of prose, comics and films about remorseful drunks, destructive relationships and the distance between dreams and reality. Specialist on the subject of comic-books and the British comic-book industry, formerly a columnist for Starburst Magazine and graphic novel reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement. Creator of BLACKOUT, La Belle Dame Sans Merci and Love Will Tear Us Apart. Based in Devon, UK.
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/8/2012 (1823 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
When the Garofalos bought a home in Crestview in the late '70s, their yard wasn't a feast for the eyes.
"When I came here there was a big lot," said Raffaele Garofalo.
More than 30 years later, every spare inch of the Italian-Canadian Winnipegger's backyard is growing something good to eat.
"It's heaven," said the retired chef who immigrated from Italy nearly 60 years ago.
These days, Garofalo is catering to hundreds of plants hung with huge zucchinis, tomatoes, peppers, beans and grapes. Thickets of oregano and basil ring the yard.
The side of his house next to the neighbour's is packed with more tomatoes. In the spring, Garofalo takes advantage of that narrow strip's southern exposure to start his plants from seed. He's designed a greenhouse using sheets of glass and Styrofoam and starts 200 to 300 plants.
Garofalo started off small in 1979, growing some Swiss chard and beets, learning as he went.
"I know a little bit from the old country," said Garofalo, who hails from Avellino near Naples. "We had a little bit of land."
His wife, Silvia, came from a farm in Abruzzi near Rome in 1954. They grew grain, corn, beans, potatoes and "things you could preserve for the winter." Money was tight, said Silvia, who grew up with seven siblings.
"We didn't have a store close by. Walking, it would take half a day to get to town."
She came to Canada for a better life. At a wrestling match in Winnipeg, mutual friends introduced her to Raffaele.
He'd come to Canada in 1953 at the age of 20 with no knowledge of English -- just $54 and some French he'd learned slaving away in coal mines in Belgium.
In Winnipeg, he got a job at CP Rail making 56 cents an hour.
Today, the Garofalos are both retired with great-grandkids.
They share a love for gardening, from spring planting to summer weeding and preserving the produce in the fall -- or sooner.
By the middle of August, they've already prepared a dozen jars of preserved beets and pickles.
"There'll be 30 to 40 jars of each, for sure," said their daughter, Anna, who dropped by for a visit on a Tuesday afternoon.
Her parents have two kitchens, two fridges and two huge freezers to fill with Swiss chard, beets, corn, peppers, leeks, potatoes and all kinds and sizes of tomatoes and beans.
They grow Roma beans for soup, green beans for supper and string beans for garden-raiding rabbits.
Rabbits snatch all their string beans and lately a lot of lettuce, Silvia said.
"That's OK. They've got to eat, too."
The Garofalos are happy to share their bounty.
The other day, a neighbour couldn't fit the zucchini they gave her in a grocery bag.
"She carried it like a baby," said Silvia, whose zucchini lasagna is the couple's favourite dish.
Clumps of Concord grapes hang from a shady, cool arbour of densely packed vines. "They're good for jelly," says Silvia.
Out in the sun amid the beanstalks and tomato stakes, the occasional cosmo flower pops up in the Italian vegetable patch.
"They're good for the garden. The bees like them," said Raffaele.
The Garofalos don't try to make their garden organic. They're just doing what they've learned the plants like.
The only fertilizer they use is manure from sheep and cows, mostly sheep, because it's better for the soil, he said.
Before the winter, Raffaele puts the garden to bed, slowly and gently turning the soil with a shovel.
They reap the benefits of their devotion.
"A garden needs a person all the time," Silvia said.
"I do it because I love it," said Raffaele.


text: Myopic Rhino 2315 Report post Posted April 1, 2005 Update (4/27)I still have a few people to respond to (in particular those who submitted for terrain or particle systems), but submissions are now closed. I got a lot of great responses and only regret that I can't have everyone write. This is going to be an excellent book. BackgroundKevin and I have been working on a book called More OpenGL Game Programming, which is a direct follow-up to Beginning OpenGL Game Programming and an indirect sequel to OpenGL Game Programming. The first part of the book will cover advanced OpenGL topics not covered in our previous books, and the second part will cover (mostly) graphics techniques that are useful to game programmers. The intent is to present the "standard" way of doing fairly common things, rather than introducing new techniques or covering niche topics. We feel that there is a big gap in the books available at this level, and hope that this will be useful to people who have a basic understanding of 3D game development and want to move to the next level. The ProblemWe've been working on this book for almost a year, and haven't been able to find much time to work on it. The problem is that many of the topics we want to cover require that the author either already have pretty extensive knowledge of it, or have at least several weeks free to dedicate to research. When you have more than 20 topics that fall into this category, it becomes pretty daunting. But rather than cancelling the book, or trying to scale back the content, we (or rather, I, since Kevin opted to drop out) decided instead to find (many) additional authors, each of which will cover a single topic (or in some cases, small number of topics), presumably which they already understand fairly well. Rather than have this be a "Gems-style" collection of unrelated articles, however, I have a table of contents that I'd like to follow, and I'll be adding "glue" to make sure all the sections flow together as naturally as possible. Where you come inSo the point of all of this is that I'm looking for authors. You'll be fully credited for your work, as well as paid (haven't worked out the exact terms yet, but it'll be on the order of $10/page, to be paid once the final draft from you is received). If you're confident in your technical knowledge and skills, but not confident in your writing ability, don't worry; I'll be acting as editor for this, and there will be additional editors as well. Table of Contents (Updated 4/8)The following is the table of contents. Any topics listed in italics have either already been written by me or are tentatively spoken for by someone. The ToC is still mostly flexible, so even if you're not planning on contributing, if you think that there are topics that need to be added - or removed - I'd appreciate the feedback. Part I – Advanced OpenGL The purpose of this part of the book is to cover advanced OpenGL topics that weren't covered in the previous books. Chapter 1 – OpenGL Potpourri 1.1 – Vertex Buffer Objects 1.2 – Pixel Buffer Objects 1.3 - Multisampling 1.4 - Occlusion Queries 1.5 – User clip planes 1.6 - Disabling VSync 1.7 – Framebuffer Objects (may be better in the texture mapping chapter under render-to-texture) [b]Chapter 2 – Introduction to Shaders Chapter 3 – Low-level Shaders Covering ARB_vertex_program and ARB_fragment_program, and possibly some of the newer vendor-specific extensions Chapter 4 – The OpenGL Shading Language Covering GLSL Chapter 5 – Advanced Texture Mapping 5.0 – Anisotropic Filtering 5.1 – Compressed textures 5.2 - NPOT textures/texture rectangles 5.3 - Floating point texture formats 5.4 - Bump Mapping 5.5 - Displacement Mapping 5.6 - Parallax Mapping 5.7 - Dynamic Light Mapping 5.8 - Detail Maps 5.9 - Projective Textures 5.10 - Splatting 5.11 - Refraction/the Fresnel effect 5.12 - Render to Texture Part II – The Elements of a Game(?) This section of the book will turn to showing how to do the types of things you'd do in a game using OpenGL Chapter 6 - Special Effects 6.1 – Billboarding 6.2 - Particle Systems 6.2.1 - point sprites 6.3 - Shadows 6.3.1 - Static Shadows 6.3.2 - Projective Shadows 6.3.3 - Shadow Mapping 6.3.4 - Shadow Volumes 6.4 - Volumetric Fog (maybe not necessary, since we already covered fog coordinates in BOGLGP) 6.5 - NPR (mainly just toon shading) 6.6 – Glow 6.7 - Reflections 6.8 - HDR lighting 6.9 – Explosions Chapter 7 – Rendering Nature 7.1 – Skies 7.1.1 – Skyboxes 7.1.2 – Skyplanes 7.1.3 – Skydomes 7.1.4 – Dynamic methods 7.2 – Terrain (probably just going to give an overview of various techniques, but focus on a brute-force method using hardware) 7.2.1 - Geomipmapping 7.2.2 - Chunked LOD 7.2.3 - Hardware based 7.3 - Clouds 7.4 - Fire 7.5 – Water 7.6 – Plants/vegetation? Chapter 8 - Working with 3D Models 8.1 – Static models (.obj?) 8.2 – Keyframe Animation (.md3?) 8.3 – Vertex Skinning (.mdl? .md5?) 8.4 - Summary Include 3ds in there somewhere? Chapter 9 – Game Engine Design Primer? This may be too big a topic to tackle in a single chapter, and we may be better off simply explaining design choices that were made for the game in the final chapter. Chapter 10 - Making a Game: Another Time to Kill (I'll probably just write this after the game is finished) Appendix A – ARB_vertex_program reference Appendix B – ARB_fragment_program reference Appendix C – GLSlang reference Additional chapter ideas: Scene management/Visibility determination? Physics/collision detection? Audio (OpenAL/SDL/fmod)? See below for my comments on the updated ToC What you'll be writingChapters 3, 4, and 9 (if we include it) will pretty much require a single author. Chapter 8 should probably be a single author as well. The rest of the chapters can be split up with different authors for each subtopic. The total length of the book is going to be 400-500 pages. That's about 30 pages per chapter (except for chapters 3 and 4, which will be longer), and about 2-8 pages per topic (depending). Whenever appropriate, you should use figures, screenshots, tables, etc., to make the book more readable. DemosEach subtopic should include at least one demo. The demo should be straightforward, clearly illustrating the material presented in your section, while still being relevant to gaming. I'll provide a basic framework that you should use so there is some commonality among all the demos. If the demo needs extensions, it should use GLee. To be consistent with the previous books, the demos should be written using Visual Studio and Win32. However, I'd like to be able to provide SDL versions of all the demos as well. DeadlinesI'll need to receive the first draft from you no later than the end of June. If any revisions are needed after I review the material, you'll need to submit a final draft by the end of July. This book is not shipping with a CD. Instead, the sample code will be made available via the book's website. So the demos won't be due until the end of August. That said, since you'll be writing at least a little about the demo and probably include a screenshot, you should at least have a working demo before you submit the first draft. Interested?If you're interested, please email me with the following: * Which of the above topics you want to cover * A paragraph or two summarizing what you're going to cover related to the topic. * A brief bio of yourself (basically, if I don't know you, I need you to tell me enough to convice me that you know what you're talking about and that you're going to be reliable) * An estimate of how many pages you'll need to cover the topic well. * A description of the demo (or demos) that you'll include. You can choose more than one topic if you want, but don't overcommit yourself. It's going to be very important that everyone does what they say they will do. I anticipate that for at least some of the topics listed above, I'll have more than one interested party. If you know people that may be interested in this, feel free to point them to this thread. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Gear up for holiday baking with Cooking Channel. Your favorite celebrities, chefs & Food People have opened their kitchens to share their best cookie recipes. From Cookie Monster's sugar cookies to Kelsey's Peppermint Meltaways, we'll keep you baking all season. Visit our All-Star Cookie Swap, then head over to FoodNetwork.com for great takes on holiday baking from Food Network chefs.
Most of you might remember Candace Cameron Bure from her days as DJ Tanner on Full House — at least that's how I remember her. These days she's a best-selling author, mother and avid philanthropist. This holiday season, she stars in The Heart of Christmas, which premiered on GMC on Saturday, Dec. 4. Her New York Times best-seller, Reshaping It All, chronicles her lifelong struggle with food and the physical and spiritual changes that she underwent to make the public transformation from chubby child star to one of the hottest moms in Hollywood . Candace is an avid supporter of many causes, such as Skip1.org, Compassion International, Sheraton House and Children's Hunger Fund, and she's also the national ambassador for National House of Hope.
She loves these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies that are both delicious and a bit healthful: "My BFF, Dilini, and I LOVE sweets and will go out of our way to find the good ones. Every time I'm in Napa, I have to get a chocolate cherry scone from Bouchon Bakery and bring one back for her. One night in, we intended to bake traditional oatmeal raisin cookies, but I was craving chocolate. She had just bought dried cherries, so we decided to make a cookie version of our favorite scone. Score! I absolutely love texture in my food, so the whole wheat flour and oatmeal along with the chocolate chips and cherries becomes a party to taste buds. Sometimes we'll even add flax seed for more texture. And, of course, being the mom that I am, I always make enough cookies and put them in my kids' school lunches the next day."
Get the Recipe: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies
What's your favorite Full House memory?
More Holiday Cookies:
All-Star Cookie Swap
Top Ten Cookie Recipes
Throw a Cookie Party


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Print this recipe
Homemade Ginger Ale
Print this recipe
28 comments:
I'm going crazy for this! It looks so amazing. Would you please consider allowing this to be reposted on my site? (Old School) It would be a perfect fit.ReplyDelete
Hey Damsel, send me your email address. Let's chat! You have a fun site.ReplyDelete
Oh wow! this looks delicious! I'm gonna have to try it this weekend...thanks for posting it!ReplyDelete
Hi Anita, let me know how it works out for you. Enjoy.ReplyDelete
Wooooowwww ...... Looks so damn refreshing !!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous8/1/11, 7:10 AM
gonna try this now, but with agave syrup instead of sugarReplyDelete
Oh Yum! Let me know how the agave works. I'd like to know if you reduce the amount at all or if equal amounts work in the recipe.ReplyDelete
- Chrissy1/25/12, 1:03 PM
This looks awesome! If I enjoy club soda and lime juice by itself and LOVE Ginger Ale, do you think I would like it without sugar? I don't mind unsweetened stuff at all- I'm just curious if the ginger taste is too strong without it...either way, I think I'm gonna make it!ReplyDelete
I love the flavor of ginger so the unsweetened would not bother me at all. I would love it. It wouldn't hurt to try. You could always add sweetener to your taste. Let me know how this works without the sugar. I'd love to hear.ReplyDelete
- Monica2/26/12, 2:56 PM
I was gonna ask a question along the same lines as Chrissy above, but was wondering about your thoughts on adding Stevia to taste instead of sugar for less calories. Sounds delicious - someone suggested this recipe to me on Pinterest as helping with pregnancy ills.ReplyDeleteReplies
I would totally try it. Just steep the ginger in the water. Strain it then keep the ginger mixture in the refrigerator. You could just add the Stevia for sweetening to your liking. My son will chew on a piece of ginger to help with tummy troubles. I hope this helps. I so don't envy you with morning sickness. Good luck.Delete
I'm so very glad I found this recipe. I've been craving gingerale for some time and now that I've been felled by a terrible flu it is the only thing that sounds good to me. My husband is steeping the ginger as we speak. I am certain it is just the tonic to restore me to health. Too melodramatic? I think it's the fever talking.ReplyDeleteReplies
Oh you poor thing. I hope this gingerale does the trick. My son swears by ginger healing an upset stomach. This is his creation and it certainly can't help. I hope you're feeling better soon. The flu is awful. Your husband must be a Saint. I think the addition of lime just might help as well. Get well.Delete
Great recipe! I'm hoping to get some locally grown mint and ginger from the market this weekend so I can try this recipe myself! I've also featured and linked to this recipe from my blog: http://thecookssister.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/five-favourites-for-friday-15ReplyDeleteReplies
What a fun site you have. Thanks for the link! I love this stuff.Delete
Hi Janet, just wanna let you know this recipe is fantastic! I kinda want to share it so I've taken your recipe and translated it to Chinese to put it on a Chinese website. I have cited your blog. (Click here if you wanna see: http://www.xiachufang.com/recipe/1045406/) If you don't like it I'll remove it.ReplyDelete
Again, it's sooo good! Thank you!Replies
Thank you, Ivy. I appreciate the link. Who knew I'd become international? Your site is awesome.Delete
Just tried this and I must say, SO refreshing! I use quite a bit of lime (I love lime) and to me it kinda taste like a virgin mojito with a nice zing from the ginger. Plus I bet it's awesome for stomach aches!ReplyDeleteReplies
My son swears by this drink for an upset tummy. Thank you for your kind comment.Delete
This recipe is great, though I do have a bit of an issue regarding discarding the ginger after the process. One could make candied ginger, or brew a ginger tea, or bake it into ginger bread, you could find an infinite number of uses for the ginger. Its flavour will not have been spent after making this syrup.ReplyDelete
Other than that, I think its a great syrup, I have made it myself many times, using carbonated water from my Soda StreamReplies
I completely agree. It does seem like such a waste. The candied ginger is a great idea. Thanks so much.Delete
- Anonymous7/5/13, 9:46 AM
I'll be making this one! Thanks! I have made ginger beer, but this seems a whole lot easier. I wonder how long the syrup will keep in the fridge?ReplyDeleteReplies
I have kept the syrup in the refrigerator for at least a month.Delete
I bet that ginger syrup would be delicious in iced or hot tea too! Sounds great!ReplyDelete
Hi, I was just checking on uses of sparkling water when I bumped into your blog post. I would like to try your ginger ale recipe but I was just wondering if I can substitute lime with lemon. Please let me know what you think. Thanks so much!ReplyDeleteReplies
Sure, you can substitute with lemon juice. It's just a matter of preference. Use what you like and what is available to you.Delete


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WASHINGTON, DC – Cox Communications and the Healthy MEdia Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls will be honored at the 29th Annual Walter Kaitz Foundation Fundraising Dinner on Wednesday, September 12, 2012, at the Hilton New York in New York City.
Matt Blank, Chairman & CEO of Showtime Networks, and Steve Miron, CEO of Bright House Networks, will co-chair the dinner. Other industry executives joining them on the Dinner Committee include: John D. Evans, Chairman & CEO, Evans Telecommunications Company; Randy Falco, President & CEO, Univision Communications; David Haslingden, President & COO, Fox Networks Group; Alfred Liggins, III, CEO & President, Radio-One; and Pat McAdaragh, President & CEO, Midcontinent Communications.
Diversity Champion: Cox Communications
Cox Communications will be presented the 2012 Diversity Champion Award. This award is given annually to individuals or organizations that act as catalysts for diversity within their respective organizations or throughout the cable industry. These organizations or individuals motivate the cable industry to embrace and value diversity, by serving as role models, inspiring and encouraging excellence, removing barriers that hinder progress, and empowering others with opportunities.
Cox has made a strong commitment to increase diversity in its workforce, supplier base and philanthropic endeavors. Specifically, efforts led by Cox President, Pat Esser to spearhead a corporate diversity council, have consistently been recognized by a variety of organizations including Diversity, Inc., Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) and the Human Rights Campaign. Cox's corporate diversity council has ensured that diversity and inclusion receive focused attention and action, and has successfully established local diversity councils in each of the company's markets to further tailor diversity efforts.
Some of Cox's diversity activities include:
- Supplier Diversity. Cox has increased supplier diversity by implementing a supplier development program and actively seeking diverse suppliers through its membership in a number of organizations including: the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC); and the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
- Corporate Philanthropy. Cox's philanthropic efforts reach across its entire footprint, where the company's support of multicultural organizations and initiatives accounts for 48 percent of its overall philanthropic spend. Cox has been actively involved in supporting organizations within the industry including National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) and WICT. The company has also worked closely with organizations including the Human Rights Campaign, the National Urban League, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), 100 Black Men and various local community organizations in its footprint.
- Recruitment and Retention. Cox actively works to ensure that its new hires are diverse at all levels. Through various partnerships and its recruiting activities, Cox has been able to recruit higher levels of people of color with a continued focus to increase diversity in its workforce. Cox believes that various programs and initiatives work to foster high levels of retention, including: tracking, maintaining and developing high potential employees; providing work/life benefits; benefits for domestic and same sex partners; and supporting a corporate-wide mentoring program.
Diversity Advocate: Healthy MEdia Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls
The Healthy MEdia Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls will be honored as the Diversity Advocate. This award is presented annually to an individual or organization outside of the cable industry who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to diversity. Through visionary leadership, this individual or organization has directly or indirectly fostered a more embracing and inclusive diversity environment for the cable industry.
Recognizing media's role in influencing a child's growth and development, the Healthy MEdia Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls supports efforts to increase the number of female characters in the media and is working to ensure that female roles, images, and portrayals are authentic, balanced, and healthy.
The Healthy Media Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls brings together media leaders, subject experts and advocates for children to create recommendations for promoting positive media images. Spearheaded by the Girl Scouts of the USA, the Healthy MEdia Commission is co-chaired by Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning actor and Founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and Deborah Taylor Tate, former FCC Commissioner. The Commission has numerous representatives from television networks, print and online publications, media companies and industry groups. Accepting the award in September on behalf of the Girl Scouts will be Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA.
Ticket Sales and Sponsorships
The 29th Annual Walter Kaitz Foundation Fundraising Dinner is the cable industry's most prestigious fundraising event. Each year, the dinner typically raises more than $1 million to fund diversity-oriented programs and initiatives for three industry-based diversity organizations: the Emma L. Bowen Foundation; the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC); and Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT).
Sponsors for this year's event include Comcast/NBCU as the Presenting Sponsor, and Time Warner, Inc. as Dinner Host Sponsor.
Ticket sales for the dinner are now under way. For information on sponsorship opportunities or for other questions about the dinner, contact the Walter Kaitz Foundation, at (202) 222-2490, or email Michelle Ray, Senior Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives for the Walter Kaitz Foundation, at [email protected]. Full information about the dinner can be found at www.walterkaitz.org.


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Lemongrass, kaffir lime, and passion fruit are all ingredients you might associate with Cambodia. But what about chocolate? For the past six years, Griet Lorré, owner of The Shop in Phnom Penh, has been making handmade chocolates inspired by these traditional Southeast Asian flavors.
How inspired? Just look to their chocolate map of Cambodia, where each province is represented by a different flavor. One of the first chocolates I tried represented Kompong Speu, to the west of the city. The smooth milk chocolate was filled with a deep golden caramel made from a special palm sugar from that province. The special ingredient contributed a delicate warmth to the gooey filling.
Mondulkiri's flavor was an oval-shapred dark chocolate filled with layers of the region's signature honey, sesame, and dark chocolate ganache. The mild honey complemented the powerful chocolate and sesame flavors, and its floral notes were still discernible. Two of their most popular chocolates are flavored with pepper from the province of Kampot. Customers can choose from a dark chocolate tablet dusted with coarsely ground red and black pepper or a praline filled with a black pepper infused ganache. Heat lovers should reach for the tablet; the pepper topping hits your tongue with an aggressive kick. The creamy ganache filling in the praline, however, has a more nuanced but prolonged spiciness.
Lorré and her husband have lived in the Cambodian capital for over fourteen years. Originally from Belgium, they moved to Phnom Penh for his job, and a few years later Lorré opened a bakery and cafe on the quiet Street 240 near the Royal Palace. Six years later, she opened the chocolate shop in a storefront a few doors down the street.
"You can do a lot in a very small space with chocolate," says Lorré. She and her team made their products in the back of the chocolate shop for years, but making chocolates in an old building in a tropical climate caused a variety of problems with air conditioning and condensation. Now the chocolates are made in the back of their recently opened second location on Street 63, just a short tuk-tuk ride away from the original space.
With no background in chocolate making, Lorré returned to Belgium to study the process. "We visited a lot, and we tasted a lot of chocolates," she recalls. "The company who sells the machines gave us a chocolate making lesson, and so for six months we tried making our own before selling."
Some ganaches are made by infusing fresh herbs like lime basil or mint with milk, while others, like pineapple, are made from a base of a coulis made with the fresh fruit. The staff fills chocolate molds and paints on any decorations by hand. After the chocolate hardens in the refrigerator, it is filled and chilled again, and then the final layer is added. The whole process of making a batch of chocolates takes about three hours.
"We really like our product and all the girls really appreciate chocolate," explains Lorré. Very few people in Cambodia have chocolate experience, but she hires and trains local people to work at the The Shop. In fact, the dark chocolate ganache with jackfruit was developed by her employees and it's particularly popular with Cambodians. Now they've also developed a potent durian flavor with white chocolate and sesame. "It's way too strong for me, but the Cambodians like it," Lorré says with a smile.
To see more of the collection, you can check out the Shop's website.
About the author: Meredith Bethune lives in Austin by way of New York and New Orleans but grew up in Rhode Island. She has worked lots of odd jobs along the way including cheesemonger, farmers' market coordinator, and youth gardening instructor. As a writer, her work has appeared in Gastronomica, BUST, The Local Palate, Modern Farmer, Edible Austin, Austin Monthly, and others. She has also been known to smoke a pastrami or stuff a sausage from time to time. For more updates, follow her on Twitter @meredithbethune or check out her website.


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Reducers provide a smooth transition between floors of different heights.
Planning your new remodeling project?
Do you have questions about this product?
AnswerBox - Get answers from Staff Experts and real customers by clicking "Ask a question" or click here to ask our Customer Service Team
Q:Are risers available in custom lengths, such as 7.5 feet instead of 6.5 feet?
1 answer
A:Our risers come in 36 and 48 inch lengths only.


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Houston -- A report released Tuesday by research company NPD Group found that the convenience store sector experienced marked gains last year, as visits increased 4.6% in the fourth quarter and grew an average of 3.7% per month for 2012.
Traffic gains were spread among all type of c-stores, according to NPD's Convenience Store Monitor, which tracks the consumer purchasing behavior of more than 51,000 convenience store shoppers in the U.S.
Traditional c-store traffic increased 0.7%, major oil chains garnered a 3.2% growth, and small/other chains had the strongest growth in traffic at 11.5% compared to the year-ago quarter.
The afternoon daypart, between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., continues to be the most popular daypart with slightly more than 35% of c-store shoppers visiting then, a 1.7% increase over same quarter a year ago. In addition, the afternoon daypart realized a nearly 10% growth in traffic in the quarter.
Ticket averages increased as well, as consumers spent 31 cents more in fourth quarter 2012, compared to 2011.
"Although the c-store channel outlook is positive for 2013, it remains to be seen if this continues and carries on through the coming year," said David Portalatin, NPD c-store industry analyst. "2013 is starting out a bit challenging for consumers with the realization of the imposed payroll tax increase, severe weather, and rising gasoline prices all providing added stress, but we'll see how the remainder of the year shakes out."


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A Study to Assess Cardiovascular Outcomes Following Treatment With Omarigliptin (MK-3102) in Participants With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (MK-3102-018)
This study has been terminated.
(The study was terminated for business reasons and not due to any safety or efficacy concerns related to omarigliptin)
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: October 5, 2012
Last updated: April 5, 2017
Last verified: April 2017
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
No Study Results Posted on ClinicalTrials.gov for this Study
|Study Status:
|This study has been terminated.
|Study Completion Date:
|March 22, 2017
|Primary Completion Date:
|March 22, 2017 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)


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MORTGAGE holders are being urged to ''vote with their feet'' and switch lenders as three of the big four banks held back part of the Reserve Bank of Australia's latest rate cut.
The Commonwealth Bank joined Westpac and the National Australia Bank in cutting its standard variable rates 20 basis points, just shy of the RBA's cut of 25 basis points.
ANZ is sticking with its tradition of announcing its decision on the second Friday of the month, which will be December 14.
But the banks' caution in passing on full rate cuts contrast with their eagerness to cut the interest paid on savings accounts, data from financial researcher Canstar showed.
Between May and November, the average interest collected on a five-year term deposit with one of the big banks shrank more than 1 per cent - from 5.65 per cent to 4.60 per cent. Despite this, the average interest collected on home loans over the same period fell more conservatively, by just 0.78 per cent.
Canstar senior financial analyst Mitchell Watson said the banks were finding opportunistic ways to minimise their costs.
"The more they pass on to deposit holders and the less they pass on to home loan customers, the more they can ease their costs," he said.
The federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan, said banks did not have any justification for holding back interest rate cuts. He said his government's reforms meant it was easier for customers to switch banks if they were unhappy.
Mr Swan also heaped praise on online bank ING Direct for passing on the RBA's cut in full while criticising the big banks for failing to do the same.
Financial products comparison company RateCity said the slower lending market for home loans meant customer attention was even more important for lenders. Borrowers could be receiving more discounts above an average of 0.8 percentage points that they were already receiving off their standard variable rate, spokeswoman Michelle Hutchinson said.
"If you call up and ask a lender to match a home loan that you saw and you tell them you are thinking about switching or if you call their bluff, the worst they could say is 'no'. You could end up with even a 10 basis point discount without having to do any more paperwork or fees," Ms Hutchison said. "We are seeing a lot of lenders willingly offering to renegotiate with individual borrowers to keep them as a customer."
with Georgia Wilkins


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Location: Application Technology Research
Project Number: 3607-21000-015-14-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: May 13, 2008
End Date: May 12, 2013
The objectives of this cooperative project are to conserve, distribute, and characterize ornamental plant germplasm, and incorporate new or existing technologies for conserving primarily seed and secondarily clonally propagated germplasm for effective utilization in ornamental horticulture.
The Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center was established in 1999 and since then, it has become a fully operational repository for herbaceous ornamental plants and an integral part of the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System. The core mission of the OPGC is "to furnish genetic raw materials and associated information to enhance American floricultural productivity to ensure a high-quality supply of herbaceous ornamentals." To accomplish this mission, priority genera have been identified to most effectively accomplish its mission including Begonia, Coreopsis, Lilium, Phlox, Rudbeckia, and Viola. Three components inherent within the core OPGC mission include; conservation of genetic resources, characterization of those resources, and education and outreach including distribution of OPGC germplasm to appropriate users. Conservation -- The priority genera collection will continue and include representatives of selected priority species within the genera. Priority species will be identified in collaboration with stakeholders including seed companies, commercial nurseries, and genera-specific technical working groups. Species will be collected primarily through donations and collection trips. Characterization -- Collected material must be adequately characterized to ensure that the germplasm captures genera diversity and that the germplasm is used correctly. Characterization will include genetic "fingerprinting" or mapping as well as phenotypic descriptions based on approved descriptor lists. This information will be entered into the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) database to increase the accessibility and value of the collection to the industry. Education and Outreach -- Distribution of germplasm to bona fide users will continue to fulfill a need for the industry and establish OPGC as a leading herbaceous ornamental plant repository. By hosting workshops and distributing newsletters, OPGC can educate the industry regarding technologies created, used, and refined through its efforts. OPGC will also maintain its linkage to the industry and professional organizations through participation and memberships in appropriate scientific societies and working groups.


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16 Celeb Couples Where She Is Taller Than He Is
Sum 41's Deryck Whibley is 5'5″ and his lady Ari Cooper is 6 feet tall (without giant platform shoes). These two are, what Michelle Collins of Best Week Ever refers to as a "tally-smally couple." Go tally-smallys! We respect tall ladies who aren't afraid to own their stature. And we praise vertically challenged men for not being intimidated by them. We wish more people had the necessary confidence tackle a height difference. Click through to see more tall women/short men couples. [Best Week Ever]


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The Canfax average steer and heifer price closed the week at $119.25/cwt and $118.25/cwt respectively, fully steady with the previous week. The bulk of dressed trade was reported from $200.00-201.00/cwt delivered. Local and US packer interest in the cash market was supportive last week. Showlist volumes were cleaned up, accumulated sale volumes totaled 16,400 head. Last week's Alberta fed cash futures basis strengthened to close at -1.26. Canadian fed exports to the US for the week ending April 27th totaled 9,675 head.
The Canfax average steer price was $0.40 higher while heifers eased $0.81/cwt lower. Feeder heifers from 400-600 lbs trended $1.75/cwt lower while 6-800 lb steers strengthened $0.50. The Western Canadian calf index was reported at $146.28/cwt, virtually unchanged from the previous week. Alberta auction volumes last week totaled 30,000 head. Auction volumes still remain seasonally larger for this time of year. Canadian feeder exports to the US for the week ending April 27th totaled 10,974 head.
Despite somewhat ample supplies, non-fed prices tracked higher. D1, D2 cows strengthened $1.50 with live trade reported from $74.00-85.00/cwt. Last week D3 cows averaged $70.00/cwt. Rail bids were reported generally $2.00 higher than the previous week. Butcher bulls averaged $89.00/cwt, up $1.00 and live trade was reported from $80.00-99.00/cwt. Canadian non-fed exports to the US for the week ending April 27th totaled 6,995 head.
Bull factors
Drop credit/by-product values remain strong
Choice cutout values surged and remain at historically high levels
Cash to futures basis is the strongest since May 2011
Bear factors
North American market ready supplies will start to increase
May 1st Alberta/Saskatchewan cattle on feed indicated a sharp increase in placements
US fed values have likely peaked for the spring
For more detailed information on markets this week please visit the Canfax website www.canfax.ca.


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San Diego california Solar Grove projects Archives
Solar Trees: Growing Green
We've all heard that money doesn't grow on trees. Does it grow on solar trees? One of the latest solar inventions, the Solar Tree, is digging its roots into the business world and residential communities. The idea of the solar tree first sprouted on the streets of Vienna. The concept was a little different, but… Read More →


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Welcome to Local 6 Theme World
February 6, 2013
State of the Disney World.
Well, Wall St. seems like it is all smiles today. As I write this, Disney's stock price is up more than 1% to an all time high, amid an earnings report that, while down slightly over last year, was once again above what analysts expected.
But let's take stock of the company in a different way today. While seemingly every news outlet is talking about a plan for more even more Star Wars movies, many aren't paying as much attention to what is happening at our area's largest employer: Walt Disney World.
Bear with me for a moment, to make my point I need to talk a little about some financial numbers released yesterday about the last 3 months.
While profit overall was up 4% ($577 million for three months!!) at all Disney Parks & Resorts, Disney CEO Robert Iger was quick to tout the Cars Land addition to Disney California Adventure park for a large increase in attendance, as well as the popularity of the new Disney Fantasy cruise ship.
While spending was higher at both US Resorts (Thanks to ever-higher ticket prices)
and hotel spending rose for the same reason, the number of rooms filled dropped 4% to an average of 81% due to the opening of the vast, though popular, Art of Animation resort with its family suites.
Okay -- enough numbers. What WASN'T mentioned here? Disney World's four theme parks. When pressed, Disney's CFO, Jay Rasulo, says attendance here was actually "up a hair." What does " a hair" mean? Who knows? Disney doesn't release numbers. But keep in mind what happened in last three months: Disney formally opened most of the Magic Kingdom's New Fantasyland to fanfare and a significant ad campaign.
While it is admittedly very early, it seems that despite the popularity of the Beast's Castle restaurant & the Little Mermaid ride, New Fantasyland doesn't appear to be drawing more people to the parks.
Longtime Disney gadfly & blogger Al Lutz claims in his newest rant, errr, report:
"over the Christmas break a fire was l it under a few key Burbank executives when it was realized WDW's New Fantasyland project wasn't pulling in the numbers or customer satisfaction ratings that had been hoped for."
However Lutz also claims, because of Fantasyland, the crowd pleasing Cars Land will now be on the way to Hollywood Studios.
Lutz writes: "WDI (Imagineering) execs returned from their Christmas break to quickly huddle and then directed their teams to figure out how to clone as much of Cars Land as possible so that it could open at Disney's Hollywood Studios park as quickly as possible, aiming for a late 2015 debut."
Lutz's sources are extremely good, and his full report is well worth a read. Keep in mind, he is very pro-Disneyland and anti-Walt Disney World management.
My sources have NOT heard anything has been approved yet, just that a lot is being discussed for Hollywood Studios, and decisions could come very soon.
Numerous reliable sources online claim we finally will hear about new plans to replace Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney within weeks.
I'll keep you posted as I hear more. But at this point, any new attractions from Disney would be welcome news.
As of right now, the ONLY new projects under construction in all four theme parks are the Tangled restrooms (opening in weeks), a Princess Meet & Greet (later this year) & the Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster (gotta wait until 2014).
That's it. Nothing at Epcot, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom. The last attraction added to Epcot - the return of 1986's Captain EO came in 2010. I guess you could also count last year's conversion of the Kim Possible game into "Agent P's World Showcase Adventure."
At Hollywood Studios, the last big thing, the Star Tours revamp, opened in 2011. Late last year did see the opening of "The Legend of Capt. Jack Sparow" -- but that is a minor experience.
Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest opened in 2006. The Nemo musical opened in 2007.
And Lord knows when, or if, AvatarLand will every get off the ground.
Meanwhile, as we have mentioned, Universal and SeaWorld are going forward with large-scale groundbreaking new attractions.
I'll have an update for you tomorrow on SeaWorld's Antarctica. It's looking good!
'Til then, see you in the parks.
Here's a link to our most recent Theme World blog entries.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Topic: Update on NIH trial
Hi everyone!
I am so sorry it has been so long since I have posted.....no good excuse. I will do my best to catch you all up on what has been happening.
I believe the last I posted was that my tumors were just starting to grow after a great year on this trial.....last August when I went in for my checkup the team of doctors deemed progression and became urgent to repeat the TIL protocol for me. They explained that my DNA mutates somewhere around 20 times before it turns to cancer and that they had identified a specific T cell of mine that recognized a specific mutation. I am sure that I am probably not explaining this exactly as they did, but this is how my simple mind understood it. This was discovered after my first treatment. They wanted to retreat me as soon as possible and I was all for it!!!
In September 2013, they removed 3 of the larger tumors from my right lung this time....now I have matching scars on each side:) They harvested the lymphocytes and grew them in the lab again for 3 weeks, specifically growing the cell that is reactive to my tumor.
In October my husband and I returned to NIH for treatment. I felt stronger going into this treatment than the first but I have to admit it was harder this time around.....the week of chemo to suppress my immune system sucked as usual but was tolerable. This time I received 127 BILLION cells back into me with about 90-95% of them being that "special T cell".....compared to the 42 Billion the first time with only about 25% of them being that " special cell". I again only made it through 4 doses of IL2, which hit me harder this time around. IL2 helps to facilitate the cells to be active or something like that, all I know is it gave me some pretty comical hallucinations and sent my creatinine through the roof. It also was harder this time just because of the number of cells infused. It was a huge immune response...which is what makes you feel yucky when you are sick. I made it, and my counts came back enough to go home on November 8th. Recovery was a bit harder this time but within 2 weeks I was up and at it and each day got a little better.
My first checkup was December 5th, 2013....with GREAT results. My liver tumors had shrunk and most of my lung tumors as well....they estimated about a 15% overall shrinkage in the first month. I am due to head back to NIH in the morning and I will have results of my second checkup on Thursday. I am expecting great results again. I have felt awesome, even skied on Christmas day and kept up with the kids!
I invite you all to look at my caring bridge site www.caringbridge.org/visit/melindabachini ....I tried to document this treatment as best I could this time around.
I will update with results this week....you are all always in my thoughts and prayers .....hugs, Melinda


text: Micralite the UK pushchair design company have evolved their original Fastfold concept into a versatile all in one system. The Toro. Without losing any of the benefits of their original three dimensional fold a cleverly designed sliding seat unit allows a full recline for comfort which is perfectly balanced for ease of use. A new design of bumper bar and hood unit can be simply removed to convert the pushchair to accommodate the Toro Newborn carrycot and optional GRACO infant car seats (SNUG RIDE or SAFE FIT).Available in a range of vibrant contemporary colours with interchangeable washable liners the new system maintains a single folding action and stands alone when folded.Micralite has not compromised in the quality of materials used ensuring a lightÂ-weight yet robust product. Recognized for its ability to cover all terrains the TORO's inflated tires soak up the bumps and ensure the passenger a comfortable ride. Precise in maneuvering tight spots in the city the TORO Stroller handles public transport or busy shopping centers with ease.The Toro weighs only 18 pounds and Carrycot weighs 10 Pounds. Suitable for newborns when purchased as newborn system. The Toro comes with color coordinated foot boot zip on raincover and airpump.Features - Easy Action Multi-position Seat with fully Lie Back Mode Patented Fastfold Action Integral Bumper Bar All Weather Hood with Zip on Rain cover All Weather Foot Boot Interchangeable Color ways Shopping Basket Unrivalled Maneuverability 11.8 inch Rear Wheel with Pneumatic Tires Lockable Front Swivel Wheels 5 Point Safety Harness Complete Aluminum Frame STANDS ALONE WHEN FOLDED Adjustable Handlebar Air Pump Specifications - Weight—18 lbs Folded Size — 39.5 x 16 x 16 inches Open Size— 38 x 29 x 24 inches Carton Size 14.57 x 4.72 x 19.69 inches Weight of Carrycot 9.92 lbs Recommended Age - Can be birthed with car seat adaptor. Up to 4 years of age and or 40lbs.


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Place the cherries, juice and sea salt in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn off the flame and let the cherries soak for 1 hour. After soaking, bring to a boil again without a cover. Slowly add the dissolved kuzu root starch, stirring constantly to prevent lumping. When thick, turn off the flame. The filling is now ready.
For a slightly sweeter flavor you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons organic maple syrup, if desired.
Per serving - 186 calories, 0 gram fat (0% calories from fat), 1 gram protein, 48 gram carbohydrate, 4 gram fiber, 0 milligram cholesterol, 85 milligram sodium


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Centura Health has more experts in more places throughout the region. Start your health journey by finding the right one for you.
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The information and links provided are meant to support the function of our physicians and health professional, and their offices in interacting with Mercy Regional Medical Center.
Our search tools require a zip code to match the location nearest you.


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LAKELAND, Fla. –The Saint Leo women's golf team opened its spring season today with 36 holes at the Lady Moc Classic held at The Club at Eaglebrooke in Lakeland, Fla. In a field of loaded competition, the team is currently in 10th place overall after firing a 307-315—622 in day one.
"We executed our game plan today and I thought our girls played well out of the gate this spring," Head Coach Erika Brennan said after the round. "There are certainly areas we can tidy up but overall I am pleased with their scores. Tomorrow the message is to play without expectations and to take it one shot at a time. I know that we are capable of taking it low."
The Lions were led by sophomore Clare Connolly who carded a 152 on the day. Connolly fired two rounds of 76 each to put herself tied for 16th on the individual leader board going into tomorrow's final round. A stroke behind Connolly was Lauren Petty with a 76-77—153, and two strokes behind her was Lauren Shuford who shot a 76 and 79 in the first two rounds. Rounding out the Lions in the fifth spot was Heather Petronis who shot a 79-83—162 in day one.
Saint Leo is five strokes behind Florida Tech and Seminole State—who are both currently tied for eighth place with a team score of 617.
Atop the team leaderboard going into tomorrow's final round is No. 1 ranked Nova Southeastern. The Sharks shot 590 as a team and are six strokes ahead of second-place Lynn University.
The Lions will get right back in action tomorrow for the final 18 holes of the tournament.
For more information on the women's golf team—be sure to 'like' us on Facebook here.


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Today we announced Acrobat 8. Lots of other material goes over general features – here's the official announcement page, and here's Lori De Furio's excellent blog. For my entry here I'm just going to talk about Acrobat 8 and the PDF format.
As with every major release of Acrobat, we've done an update to the PDF version with this one. The new latest version of PDF is 1.7. Compared to past revisions, 1.7 is a pretty minor update to the spec – most users won't notice that anything has changed. The revisions are mostly in the areas of 3D, advanced commenting features, and security. Because the update is pretty minor we decided to make a radical break with the past in how Acrobat handles version numbers – even though the latest version is 1.7, Acrobat 8 will default to saving out files as 1.6. It will only write out the 1.7 version number if the user asks for it, or if 1.7-specific features are used.
The benefit of this change is that users with Acrobat or Reader version 7 can open files saved from Acrobat 8 without getting the warning that the file comes from a newer version and "might' (who knows?) have features that don't work properly. We hope you like this!
Another change is that it has become easier to use Acrobat to Save a PDF to an older version number. In Acrobat 7 it was possible to reduce the version number by using Reduce File Size or PDF Optimizer. Access to this has been made little more intuitive in Acrobat 8 – you can now get to this functionality through the Save As menu. Under "File, Save As" the default option is still "Adobe PDF Files (.pdf)" but right under that is "Adobe PDF Files, Optimized (.pdf)". Making this selection enables the Settings… button in the Save As dialog. Clicking on that brings up the Optimizer dialog. If you just want to change the compatibility level of the file, uncheck all the options in the left panel (Images, Fonts, etc.) and set the Make Compatible option to the Acrobat version you want. Note that Acrobat 4 corresponds to PDF 1.3, Acrobat 5 to PDF 1.4, etc.
Looking further down the format choices for "Save As" you will find options to save as PDF/A (PDF for Archive) and PDF/X (PDF for Print Exchange). These options allow you to take the PDF you currently have open and save it in one of those ISO standard PDF subsets. Please be aware that these options only work if your PDF is pretty close to compliant already – you must have fonts embedded for both standards, for example. And unfortunately the product doesn't give much feedback in this path if it is unable to complete the conversion – you have to go to the Preflight tool to diagnose why the file couldn't be converted.
All for now – I've got to get back to finishing the product. I hope to blog about some of the other features I've been involved with soon.


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Las Vegas is one hot city…like really hot. And when I know I'm traveling to a city with warmer weather, I always make sure to pack a maxi dress. They're easy to pack and easy to dress up and down. Very versatile. And thanks to Torrid, I was able to take this Blue and White Mitered Striped Maxi ($54.50) dress with me to Sin City.
I wore this dress out to lunch and it was really comfortable. As you can tell, it does show a little cleavage. So, you might want to add a tank underneath if you don't want to show as much. But, you should know the back is almost as low as the front of the dress. My bra strap kept showing. A low back bra would have helped. And I don't know if you can tell, but there is a silver stitching that goes along with the stripes.
My favorite part of the dress is the length. I can't stand a short maxi dress! I'm 5'6 and it barely skimmed the floor while wearing sandals. I know this maxi is going to get a lot of wear out of it! My necklace is Juicy Couture and it's on sale now!
Disclosure: As a "Torrid Insider," this item was compliments of Torrid and for review purposes only. All opinions in this post are 100% mine. I was NOT paid for this post.


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Topic: My Surgical Report
Just a note after the doctor's follow-up this afternoon:
He walked in and said do you realize what a major surgery you had? I said no, I felt quite good.
1. On the right side of the large intestine a resection was done along with
the removal of 12 lymph nodes. All was benign.
2. On the left side of the small colon was a Gastrointestinal stromal tumor.
It was 10 X 9 cm and was sitting at the curved segment of the small
bowel, slightly puckering the bowel. It is called a Messenteric Mass or GI
stromal tumor. Very rare with only about 5,000 a year getting this type
of cancer.
He is going to contact Teddy's Oncologist (might as well stick to the best
with our rare cancers) and we will set up an appointment. He feels that
Dr. Cavalcant may order a chemo pill, the 2 of them will decide. The
possibilities of a return are high, and will probably order a Scan in 6
months. A colonoscopy in a year....are we a pair or what????????????


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Holiday Inn Corpus Christi-N Padre Island
Holiday Inn Corpus Christi-N Padre Island
15202 Windward Dr.
15202 Windward Dr.
Corpus Christi, Texas
United States
Check In: 4PM
Check Out: 11AM
Check-in Age: 21
Distance from Airport
Corpus Christi International Airprt 25 MI/ 40.23 KM
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Welcome to Holiday Inn Corpus Christi-N Padre Island
Corpus Christi Beach Hotel's Location is on North Padre Island
As North Padre Island's only full-service hotel located on the Gulf of Mexico, our accommodations are well-suited for leisure and business travelers. Get a taste of the island or relax by the outdoor Sand Bar with a cold cocktail at our Holiday Inn® Corpus Christi - North Padre Island hotel.
When it comes to Corpus Christi hotels, our accommodations on the beach rank at the top with live entertainment all year long (weather permitting) and just steps away from natural beaches and white-top waves. Outdoor enthusiasts on North Padre Island can fish from Bob Hall pier, kayak around Packery Channel, surf at J. P. Luby Park or boat around Bird Island.
Planning your next event has never been easier than when you reserve our spacious 1600-square-foot meeting room, complete with A/V equipment and banquet services.
It's hard to compete with our Corpus Christi hotel's location on the beaches of North Padre Island, along with two outdoor pools, and a hot tub, all with ocean views. Watch the sun rise over the ocean waves from your ocean view room or at the outdoor gazebo every morning. We have a gift shop on site filled with all your necessities and trinkets for memories! Looking for a golf cart to take a ride around the island and on the beach? Visit the gift shop and rent yours today!
Kids Stay and Eat Free
Kids ages 18 and under stay for free when sharing their parents' room. Up to four kids ages 11 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn® on-site restaurant.
|Kids Stay Free
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|18 and Under
|11 and Under
Free High-Speed Internet
Standard Wireless Internet service is included for all guests.
Shuttle/ Parking
- Car Parking Available
- Complimentary Daily Self-Parking is available
- Parking is free. Parking space is limited during peak season (March through Labor Day)by 1 car per room. Security company patrols parking lot from 10pm - 6am
Pet Policy
- No pets allowed
- Service Animals Allowed
- Pets are not allowed on this property unless the purpose is a service animal. There is a kennel service on the Island approximately 5 minutes from the hotel. Please contact the hotel for more information.
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- Smoke-Free Facility
- Number of Floors: 6
- Total Number of Rooms: 149
- Number of Suites: 4
- Number of Non-Smoking Rooms: 139
- Number of Accessible Rooms: 5
- Connecting Rooms Available
- Current Renovation: 2017 To 2017
- We are currently renovating our guestrooms, Thank you for your patience.
- Public Spaces Renovated in: 2016
- Guest Rooms Renovated in: 2016
- Public Entrance
- Guest Rooms
- Elevators
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- Registration Desk
- Business Center
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- Number of Accessible Meeting Rooms: 2
Accessible Hotel Areas
- Registration Area
- Accessible Guest Rooms
- Business Center
- Meeting Room
- Pool
Hotel Areas with Accessible Routes from Accessible Public Entrance
- Accessible Self-Parking
- Van Accessible Self Parking
- Ramp Access
- Portable Bathtub Seats
- Closed Caption TVs
- Telephone with TDD
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Guest Rooms
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Public Spaces
- Communication Kits with Visual Alarms
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