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I don't like leaving unnecessary messages on someone's wall for a reason that is not their fault, so I'm bringing my replies here instead.
Perhaps I was only taken on for my knowledge of wikis in general, it's not that much of a leap to understand that. I even de-sysoped myself at one point because I had serious doubts as to whether I, as someone not particularly active in the community and thus not universally trusted in the community, should even receive the tools.
Also, just because I'm not a big content editor, doesn't mean I never watch the show. I do maintenance work and discuss wiki policy on my home wiki (neither of which seem to even exist here). Take a look at Special:UnusedFiles or the non-existant Category:Candidates for deletion and the attitude of admins that make whatever changes they want without any consideration for the wants of their community. I've seen pages deleted because the deleting admin felt that such a edit should have been run past an admin beforehand. Why? One of the founding pillars of a wiki is that all editors have equal opinion and to be bold.
So yeah, I figure de-sysopping me is your way of blocking me and hoping I'll go away. I'll take the hint so do me a favour and delete all these. I don't like loose ends.
I still don't buy your excuse either. You emailed Dryuuu and instead of emailing a response directed at you, he emails back one directed at me? Your story is full of holes, regardless of what you say,
I'll be unfollowing this as soon as I hit post so don't be surprised if I don't reply again.Loading editor
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The main page just keeps getting better and better! Good job!!Loading editor
- View all 8 replies
Thank you! There is no limit to what I can improve visually! :DLoading editor
Great! I love the fact that the main page doesn't look as stuffed as before, and that it isn't as long any more either.Loading editor
Yes, but I have to admit the box at the top is an eyesore. Is there anything you can do?Loading editor
That's true! But do we even need that box? Couldn't we just display it without the box? Or perhaps you could make an image similar to those you already have made for the main page, since one of the things that definitely bothers me is that the font there is not the same as on the rest of the page.Loading editor
This reply has been removed
Well, I guess you'll have no other chance but to bring it to life and then show it to me :DLoading editor
I'll dispose of it shortly!Loading editor
Good! It's not like the light gray text is easy on my eyes. :DLoading editor
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Hya; we at the pokemon wiki not to use it yet. Bermuda may have said such a little differently. but adios.
~SlayingthehalcyonLoading editor
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cheer for (someone or something)(redirected from cheer for you)
cheer for (someone or something)
To vocally support or encourage someone or something. Who are you cheering for in this match? The whole town came out to cheer for the high school football team in the championship game.
See also: cheer

subset: commoncrawl


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Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Review by poisson
"An example of what truly intuitive controls feel like on the Wii"
I'll be honest, I never played the original game for the DS, Trauma Center: Under the Knife. Therefore, I won't be able to tell you how Second Opinion, the Wii version of the game, compares. What I will be able to tell you, however, is that this game is perfect for the Wii, making it seem like the Wii was it's original platform. It's fun, easy to pick up and play, and even features some pretty cute nurses. What more could you ask for in a game?
Gameplay (8/10)
You play as Dr. Derek Stiles, a rookie surgeon with a keen desire to help those in need. Later on, you also play as Dr. Nozomi Weaver, a Japanese surgeon with a troubled past. The game begins with some fairly routine operations such as tumor excisions and broken glass extraction but soon escalates to full blown medical terrorism. As it turns out, just because this is a virtual operating room doesn't mean it has left all the cheesy drama of prime-time ORs behind. The medical terrorism aspect becomes the main plot for the entire game, making nearly every operation to cure different patients of a deadly disease known somewhat symbolically as GUILT. To mix things up, GUILT comes in several strains, each requiring a completely different approach. You have a wide variety of surgical instruments available to you to deal with every problem.
Even with the different strains of GUILT, the game does become slightly repetitive after sometime. Occasionally a new strain is thrown in, but still each operation is just some new combination of the disease, or the disease is a little bit more difficult to fight. The game becomes fun only in small doses, if you pardon the pun. A new gameplay mechanic added roughly halfway is Derek's discovery that he has what is known as the Healing Touch, which is essentially the ability to slow down time during an operation if things become too overwhelming. Dr. Weaver also has this ability, though she always knew. To summarize the gameplay, it's fairly simple and fun, but without much variety.
Graphics (7/10)
The cutscenes aren't animated, but rather stills of the character who is speaking will slide out from off screen, and the lines will appear without voice acting. This seems perfectly alright at first, as the characters are done in a well-drawn anime style, but as the plot starts up there are long sections with just dialogue. With no animations and only two or three stills per character to show different emotions, this becomes rather silly.
During the operations the graphics are near flawless, the only problem being the lack of detail and texture in the patients.
Controls (10/10)
This is what truly sets the game apart from many other Wii launch titles. Unlike with games like Twilight Princess where the controls felt tacked on and unwieldy, Trauma Center's controls are so simple and intuitive that you scarcely have to think about what you are doing. Most of the instruments are simply used by pressing A, but the forceps require that you press both A and B, exactly as if you were holding the pair of forceps. Your instruments are displayed in a circle, and you select them by moving the analog stick in the direction of the instrument you want to use. It takes little time to have both the positions and the specific treatments memorized so that you never have to take your eyes off the patient. This is what gaming on the Wii is supposed to be like, automatic, instinctive movements instantly translated onto the screen.
Value (8/10)
It's not a particularly long game, but it was certainly longer than I expected. There are multiple difficulties and after each operation you complete you receive an overall grade. There have been many instances where I completed an operation quickly, yet my technique was so poor that I was nearly flunked. This, in a way, challenges you to repeat certain operations.
I highly recommend this game to and new Wii owner who wants a game that shows off the Wiimote on the same level as Wii Sports. But you better get it soon, for rumour has it that this game is getting difficult to find.
Reviewer's Rating: 4.0 - Great
Originally Posted: 12/01/06
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McKinleyville BB gun shooting sends one to the hospital
MCKINLEYVILLE - Humboldt County Sheriff's received a call around 3 a.m. Sunday morning of a shooting near Dows Prairie Elementary School. The call came from a local hospital where a 17-year old male was being treated for a shot to the neck.
"When the deputy got to the ER, met the young man and his mother, the young man said he'd been walking on Dows Prairie Road, southbound, near Dows Prairie Elementary School, and he heard the sound of an air rifle and at the same time, felt a pain in his neck. He reached down, grasped his neck, and saw that he'd been shot," Lt. Steve Knight with Humboldt County Sheriff's said.
The young man walked home after the shot and attempted to remove the BB himself. When that didn't work, he told his mother who took him to the hospital.
"The 17-year old male was treated and released from the local hospital. The doctor did point out to the officers that were investigating that it was very close to the young man's jugular and it could easily result in his death," Lt. Knight said.
The investigation is ongoing and no suspects have been identified. There is also no indication that this shooting should result in any issues for Dows Prairie Elementary.
"This is an isolated incident at this point. We've had no other reports of anyone shooting a pellet gun or BB gun in the area and nobody else being struck," Lt. Knight added.
The victim was shot be a BB type gun that can be purchased by anybody over the age of 18 in the state of California. Some restrictions do apply prohibiting some such as criminals, fugitives, or those ruled mentally defective by court from purchasing these guns.
This is not the first BB gun related incident on the North Coast. In November of last year, Eureka Police responded to a pellet gun shooting near Eureka High School that left two injured.
"Pellet guns and BB guns can cause serious injury and again, we'd like to remind everybody they are not a toy and they can really serious hurt or injure somebody," Lt. Knight said.
The Humboldt County Sheriff's office is asking that anyone with information about this incident contact them at 707-445-7251 or the crime tip line at 707-268-2539.


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RasGas Gets Jump on Process Safety with Leading Indicators
Demand on Safety System (DOSS) Reports Help Head Off Safety Incidents
Forewarned is forearmed. Perhaps nowhere is this old saying more true than it is in process safety.
To secure the leading indicators it needs to tell further in advance what bad actors might potentially cause safety issues, RasGas Co. in Doha, Qatar, began a demand on safety system (DOSS) program about nine months ago on the seven liquefied natural gas (LNG) production trains processing gas from the 95 kilometers of pipelines, wellhead platforms and onshore facilities serving its huge, offshore North Field in the Arabian Sea.
"Key alarms may be few in number, but it's extremely important to address them," said Navid Farooqi, safety instrumented system (SIS) engineering advisor at RasGas. Farooqi presented "Demand on Safety System (DOSS)" today at the 2013 Foxboro & Triconex Global Client Conference 2013 in San Antonio, Texas.
With about 3,500 employees, RasGas is one of the world's leading integrated LNG enterprises with total production capacity of 37.1 million metric tons of LNG per year—much of which is used by its customers to generate power. It's also one of the world's leading helium producers. The company is owned by Qatar Petroleum (70%) and ExxonMobil (30%). The North Field covers 6,000 km2 off Qatar's north coast, and has 900 trillion ft3 of recoverable reserves, or about 10% of the world's known reserves.
"DOSS is a leading indicator in the process safety pyramid, and can identify events that could lead to significant consequences," explained Farooqi. "It determines the frequency and quantity of the demands against the process parameters operating on the verge of safe operating limits (SOL), and provides an additional opportunity to identify and correct weakness in the control systems. DOSS provides a means to measure an application's activity, status and performance against goals, and decide if they're properly defined, understood and selected. It then monitors and analyzes performance, which enables a company to take appropriate and timely corrective actions."
Farooqi reported that RagGas started its DOSS program by seeking and defining initiators that were or might get triggered, and by determining the criticality of the loops where they were located. Next, it analyzed events to identify bad actors, and is addressing applicable issues to rectify any flaws in its overall loops. He added that DOSS occupies Tier 3 on the classic Process Safety Pyramid, which is labeled as Challenges to or Demands on Safety Systems, and is occupied by other events, such as SOL Exceedance (SOLE), other spills, leaks and releases and other process fires.
"We're using DOSS to determine how often there is a demand on our safety system, which we define as any process parameter that goes beyond the safe operational limit, and may lead to an action in the field to ensure equipment or personal safety. DOSS monitors the performance and flaws in process designs, instruments, DCSs with continuous control that are always in demand, and operator responses."
To secure its information for its DOSS program, Farooqi and his colleagues at RasGas developed DOSS key performance indicator (KPI) reporting procedures and scorecards. These reports include SIS process trip indicators, such as valid signals from process high-high (HH) and low-low (LL) alarms; activation of mechanical shutdown events, such as turbine over-speed trips and mechanical trips; and activation of mechanical shutdown events. Exclusions from these reports include:
- Alarms due to startups or preventive maintenance, such as PPM or calibration.
- Alarms neglected if maintenance or start-up overrides are in place.
- Initiators due to routine test, such as LNG loading tests.
- Machine monitoring system (MMS) alarms directly sent to the DCS (because shutdown alarms from the MMS are hardwired to safety systems).
- All initiations during planned shutdown windows.
- Chattering alarms that are counted as one alarm.
- Duplicate alarms like first out and normal alarms with the same tags.
- Bad I/O alarms or system alarms.
To generate DOSS reports, engineers and operators at RasGas uses a "Consequential Alarm Report" utility in the alarm management system in its Plant State Suite (PSS) software. "This utility generates a report of defined alarm tags, which have HH, LL or shutdown block names, such as UZ, as part of their tagnames," explained Farooqi. "Corresponding to every alarm, whether it's HH or LL, is a set of consequential alarms. This includes all the HH, LL or UZ alarms that appeared one minute before or one minute after any event are also reported. The same is repeated for all HH and LL alarms. We must generate reports with well-defined alarm tags to make sure we're not getting any fake data."
The DOSS reports also include:
- Database of safety integrity level SIL-1, SIL-2 or SIL-3loops, which is a complete database of SIL references generated through RasGas's SAP system. For every instrument loop there is an equipment strategy based on the SIL level it carries. This database is a reference to assign the SIL level against each of the initiators in the DOSS report.
- Segregation of initiators, which are categorized based on their asset; SIL level; number of times an initiator gets triggered; and type of initiator such as process HH or LL alarms, manual shutdown such as by pushbutton, or mechanical shutdown from over-speed or vibration.
- Filters configured in the report. For example, the initiator must have the UZ as "following" against it; all the alarms must be "state" alarms, which are valid alarms coming from the SIS system; data removed due to planned shutdown; chattering alarms removed because they appear more than three times; and data removed due to LNG loading tests offsite.
The DOSS KPI reports also summarize and present their results on scorecards with user-friendly spreadsheets, bar charts and pie charts. These scorecards also group all applicable events by number of occurrences, initiator counts and if they're at SIL-1, SIL-2 or SIL-3 levels. Farooqi says the reports and scorecards make it easy to see any bad actors.
"We also recommend building a team of subject matter experts from the process engineering, loss prevention, asset operations and control system departments, determining tasks to perform, and then assigning roles and responsibilities for every individual on the team," added Farooqi. He also suggests:
- Arranging monthly meetings on DOSS reports to analyze the bad actors
- Generating a report on the team's findings and respective actions;
- Raising and encouraging management of change (MOC) to develop consensus with other concerned parties in the organization to help obtain necessary approvals;
- Implementing each change or parking it until the next shutdown window, if an online change is a risky proposition;
- Observing the change for a few months to monitor its results; and,
- Closing the item if no issues are observed.
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MRIGlobal Awarded $63 Million Contract For National Toxicology Program
Renewed Contract Marks 42 Years of MRIGlobal Analysis of Chemicals in Consumer Products for the National Institutes of Health.
Jul 17, 2014, 16:57 ET from MRIGlobal
KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MRIGlobal has been awarded a new $63 million, 10-year contract from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to provide analytical chemistry services for the National Toxicology Program.
The initial eight-month award is for $2.4 million and is a continuation of services MRIGlobal has provided since 1972 to the National Toxicology Program. If all option years and tasks are exercised, the contract award is $63 million over 10 years.
Under the contract, MRIGlobal will provide chemical procurement, handling, and analytical services in toxicology studies as assigned by the National Toxicology Program. The program examines chemicals that are found in consumer products like ingredients in foods, personal care products, prescription drugs, nutritional supplements, household cleaners, and lawn care products.
In the program, MRIGlobal researchers examine chemicals for characteristics that could cause cancer, genetic defects, or immune system responses.
"Every year, an estimated 2,000 new chemicals are introduced into the consumer products we use daily. The National Toxicology Program provides a critical public health function in understanding the effects of these chemicals," said Thomas M. Sack, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of MRIGlobal. "MRIGlobal is honored to serve a role in safeguarding public health with the National Toxicology Program."
MRIGlobal has provided continuous support through nine contracts, seven directly with the National Toxicology Program and the Environmental Toxicology Program. Before the establishment of the National Toxicology Program in 1978, MRIGlobal provided these same services through contracts with the National Cancer Institute. Since 1972, MRIGlobal has issued nearly 6,500 technical reports on more than 2,000 study chemicals for the program.
Late in 2013, the program was downsized due to the impact of sequestration. This spring, the NIH issued a new request for proposal and led a re-competition for a new 10-year program. MRIGlobal is one of three firms supplying services to the program.
MRIGlobal will have a dedicated team of multi-disciplinary technical leaders, facilities, and state-of-the-art analytical equipment in Kansas City serving the program.
"We are excited to continue our chemistry support for the National Toxicology Program," said Roger K. Harris, Ph.D., Associate Vice President and Director of Product Development and Repository Management. "We are proud to have won a re-competition for this important work for the National Toxicology Program, one of our longest-running programs."
This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSN273201400020C.
About MRIGlobal
MRIGlobal, a not-for-profit research and development organization, delivers solutions in global health, national security and defense, and energy and the environment. The organization performs scientific research, advanced engineering, and program integration and management for clients in government, industry, and academia. Established in 1944 as Midwest Research Institute, MRIGlobal is based in Kansas City, Mo., operates in nine states and Washington, D.C. MRIGlobal employs more than 500 and manages 2,600-plus workers through management and operations programs with government clients.
MRIGlobal is one of two partners in the Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC, which manages and operates the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo., for the U.S. Department of Energy.
For more information, visit www.mriglobal.org.
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130730/DC55501LOGO-a
SOURCE MRIGlobal


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Australian Heather Day, a descendent of Sir Isaac Pitman, is spending a few weeks in Trowbridge, the town of his birth, to find out more about her illustrious ancestor.
The 60-year-old mother-of-two, from Adelaide, was born with the surname Pitman and can trace her lineage back to Benjamin Pitman, Isaac's brother, who emigrated to Australia in the 19th century.
She said: "I have done a lot of walking in the beautiful countryside and the people are very friendly."
Sir Isaac Pitman was born in Trowbridge in 1813 and is famous for inventing a system of shorthand writing.


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Rabbi, I Have a Problem...
My son is a lifelong vegetarian but he has serious digestive problems and a doctor recommended medication which happens to contain a pork extract. My son objects to an animal product per se and he finds the idea of pork particularly repugnant, but there s
IN THE first instance, it would be helpful to establish whether your son's condition is life-threatening. If it is determined by a doctor that this is indeed the case, then not only is your son permitted to take the medication but he would be obligated to do so.
This is because Jewish law, with rare exception, puts the value of human life above other religious considerations. The rare exceptions being murder, incest and idolatry— which a Jew must avoid even on pain of death.
If your son's condition is determined to be non-life threatening it would not be permissible for him to consume pork or any other non-kosher food item for the purpose of alleviating discomfort.
However, while non-kosher food itself is prohibited, there is a strong body of opinion that holds that food which is rendered inedible loses its non-kosher status. In your son's case, the pork extract in the medicine is no longer recognisable as food. So long as it can be demonstrated that on its own it is truly inedible, it may be ingested as part of a medicine.
Yet some authorities argue that if a person eats an otherwise inedible item, he thereby demonstrates that he regards it highly enough to eat. This then brings the item back full circle, conferring upon it the status of food.
However this argument does not apply to medicine for the following two reasons.
Firstly, the logic that by eating something one confers upon it the status of food only applies if the inedible item is eaten alone. If it is mixed with edible stuff, the argument falls away. Secondly, the argument is inapplicable in relation to ingesting medicine as a cure since it is clearly not one's intention to consume it as food.
In short, I would advise your son in the first instance to try to find an alternative medicine that contains only kosher ingredients. If this proves difficult, he may use the medicine with the pork extract if that is the only way to relieve his suffering.
THE FIRST step is to double-check whether there is no alternative. If indeed there is none, then the principle of pikuach nefesh/ saving life takes precedence over the ban on pork. Some might argue that a digestive problem is thoroughly unpleasant but not life-threatening, but I think it fair to extend the principle of pikuach nefesh to sparing suffering. There is no Jewish merit to being in pain when a means of avoiding it without harming anyone else is available.
Another ruling is also relevant: if a non-kosher ingredient accidentally falls into a kosher product, then that product is still edible providing the treif element is less than one sixtieth of the overall volume. This raises the question of percentages. Although the pork extract in the medication is a deliberate addition, it is a minuscule element unrecognisable to the eye or the palate. It is still non-kosher, but it is far removed from being a public act of defiance or an attempt to cheat.
Technically, all non-kosher foods are as treif as each other, but pork does stand out in the popular mind as being much worse than anything else. This is partly because it is the most common non-kosher food in the high street (when did you last see bear or horse on sale?). It is also because persecutors have used it as a means of humiliation, trying to force Jews to eat pork, from the time of the Maccabees to the Nazi period. A Jew who voluntarily eats pork, without any coercion or medical need, is going far beyond breaking a mitzvah, but disregarding what has become a key aspect of Jewish identity fashioned by history.
As for vegetarianism, although not a Jewish obligation, it certainly has a respectable role in Jewish tradition: it is suggested that Adam and Eve were vegetarian in the Garden of Eden, and so will we be in the messianic era.
Your son, therefore, is to be commended on his principles, but in this instance, it may be appropriate to make an exception without in the least negating the rules that he still applies to all foods.
If you have a problem to put to our rabbis, please ring 020 7415 1676 or email firstname.lastname@example.com with details
Naftali Brawer is rabbi of Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue
Jonathan Romain is rabbi at Maidenhead (Reform) Synagogue


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Current Affairs – International News General Awareness – June-August 2016 – for general awareness paper of various competitive exams
The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) has officially declared India's membership, stating that as a new member India will be entitled to "full participation" in organisational activities. India had firmed up its claim to MTCR by joining The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC). MTCR membership will enable India to buy high-end missile technology and also enhance its joint ventures with Russia. MTCR aims at restricting the proliferation of missiles, complete rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles and related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogram payload for at least 300 kilometres, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
A two-day meeting of BRICS Parliamentarians on disaster management was held in Udaipur, India, in August 2016. The meeting laid bare the common thread of challenges on disaster issues faced by all the BRICS nations. The member nations agreed to move away from relief-centric to a holistic approach to disasters with a greater emphasis on prevention, mitigation and preparedness. The roadmap for implementation of three-year joint action plan (JAP) for BRICS emergency services (2016-18) was also finalized. The JAP had been agreed upon at the first meeting of BRICS ministers for disaster management at St. Petersburg in Russia.
EU-BRITAIN: on 23 June 2016, Britain voted to end its 43-year old association with the European Union in a landmark referendum. The country voted 52%-48% in favour of 'Leave' to become the first member State to exit the 28-nation European Union. Nigel Farage, leader of the euro-sceptic UK Independence Party called for June 23 "to go down in history as independence day."
TURKEY-ISRAEL: On 27 June 2016, Turkey announced the restoration of diplomatic ties with Israel after a six-year rupture and expressed regret to Russia over the downing of a warplane, seeking to mend strained alliances and ease a sense of isolation on the world stage. The deal with Israel after years of negotiation was a rare rapprochement in the divided Middle East, driven by the prospect of lucrative Mediterranean gas deals as well as mutual fears over growing security risks. Relations between Israel and what was once its principle Muslim ally had crumbled after Israeli marines stormed an activist ship in May 2010 to enforce a naval blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and killed 10 Turks on board.
India has surpassed Japan to become the world's third-largest oil consumer, with its oil demand galloping 8.1% in 2015, according to BP Statistical Review of World Energy. With demand of 4.1 million barrels per day, India is the third-largest consumer behind US (19.39 million bpd) and China (11.96 million bpd). India accounted for 4.5% of world oil consumption in 2015.
BRAZIL: On 31 August 2016, President Dilma Rousseff was stripped of her office in the culmination of a political crisis that has left Latin America's largest nation adrift. Rousseff was impeached on arcane charges having to do with violating budget laws. The 61-to-20 Senate vote closed out an extraordinary 13-year rule by the leftist Workers' Party, which boasted of lifting tens of millions of Brazilians out of poverty before the economy began to nose-dive and its political fortunes soured. Rousseff was replaced by her former Vice-President and coalition partner, Michel Temer, who had been running Brazil as interim president since she was suspended to face the impeachment trial. He belongs to the more conservative Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, or PMDB, and is trying to introduce austerity measures to right the economy. Brazil has now impeached two of the four presidents it has elected since returning to democracy in 1985 after two decades of military dictatorship.
RUSSIA: The Russian Parliament has passed the "Yarovaya law", which are anti-terrorism laws that critics allege compromise on privacy and personal freedoms. The new legislations state that telephone and internet companies must keep all communication records for six months and must also help intelligence agencies to decode encrypted messages. The laws also restrict missionary work to designated areas.


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Sorry, you cannot send any messages to this user, send a friend request, comment on his pictures or videos, or post on his wall.
(1 Video)
|Teens 33,628 videos , Blowjob 11,823 videos , Cumshot 9,526 videos , Blonde 46,735 videos , POV 13,119 videos ,
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Technical problem!
Sorry, you cannot send any messages to this user, send a friend request, comment on his pictures or videos, or post on his wall.


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Are you excited for Election Day? If you're anything like most Americans, you're at least looking forward to the end of campaign advertising.
Excessive political advertising is a mainstay of every Presidential election, but this year's candidates have spent far more on ads than presidential hopefuls in years past. In fact, The Huffington Post reports that Mitt Romney, Barack Obama and the groups that support them have aired 40 percent more ads this election season than were aired in 2008.
Since we work in marketing, many of us here at Movéo can't help but wonder whether all these ads are causing Americans to become more resistant to advertising in general. After all, most Americans decide who they are going to vote for long before an election takes place. Since they are no longer in the decision-making process during the weeks when campaign ads are being aired most frequently, it makes sense that they would learn tune out any ads that try to sway their vote one way or another, and in turn, become better at tuning out advertising all together.
What do you think? Has this election season made it even harder than it already was to reach Americans through advertising? Or are we already so resistant to advertising that campaign ads don't impact us at all?
Featured image via: WCBOE


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My Nonprofit Reviews
Review for Seward Association For The Advancement Of Marine Science, Seward, AK, USA
We are local Bed and Breakfast owners and are thrilled to have a facility of the Alaska Sealife Center in our community for guests to experience. Our grandchildren and personal family visitors put a visit to the center as a main activity when in Seward. Nothing beats the memory of my 3 year old granddaughter up past to her elbows touching the sea life - even though her sweater was still on!
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Increased business at our B&B due to the center being in Seward.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Expand where possible and continue to change some displays yearly. I really liked the year the center displayed at the Alaska State Fair - it brought the center to another large population base of Alaska.


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Home Improvement
Home Improvement Questions? Ask a Handyman for Answers
Thank you for your time first of all. Yesterday I started having problems with the website, one of the home improvement experts was actually ready to answer my question, next thing I know the website said I had read your answer when I just actually just read it today to try and get you this message. also I've been waiting on customer support to help with the issue but they haven't responded. I know I could ask you to pass the question along, but is it too late for that? And of course i could still rate you kindly.
thank you!
How are you doing with your claim, Fransisco? Anything else I can help you with?
Hello, Smithy
I still need to file, but I've been so busy and still not sure what to do. I think I will do some of the work myself if I have too.
The claim I will file is for a leak I had in the shower, it caused my floor and wall to rot in the restroom and another bedroom. BUT I already fixed the leak myself last year. I have slow drain lines also which has lead to a gnat infestations during the last 2 summers. I have trying snaking them myself and believe there are several broken sections in the lines. The natural gas line being in a bind and the house being unlevel are the other issues too...but I still do not know if those are covered. Also want to get a few windows replaced because of broken glass which is covered. My goal is to just file one claim, can all this be done at once?? Or what should be priority??
Thank you, Francisco
Francisco, what you can do is just file for everything and the insurance company will tell you what they will not cover. Any way you approach this the insurance company is going to have the final say in the matter.
I strongly suggest you read and understand your complete policy before you file. You will have a better understanding about what they will cover and what they will not, as well as the filing procedures. Please let me know if you have any other immediate concerns.If not please select a positive rating at this time. Doing so will not close your question, and after you rate my service you may ask any followup questions you like. All at no additional charge.Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Best, Smitty**How to rate your expert**


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|Nazotchi (なぞっち)
|Genders and Releases:
Nazotchi (なぞっち Nazotchi) is a "replacement" Tamagotchi character that appears on all editions of Tamagotchi virtual pets since 2004.
Nazotchi serves as a placeholder character between different Tamagotchi releases; if the character on one does not exist on another or there is a difference in the programming between the two of them, Nazotchi may appear instead of the original character during events such as infrared connection. Nazotchi cannot be directly raised by the user, though it can be obtained indirectly on the Tamagotchi Connection Version 5 and Tamagotchi Music Star as a secondary character by marriage, as the Version 5 and Music Star do not contain the appropriate sprites to display each others' characters properly. This doesn't apply to the color Tamagotchis starting with the Tamagotchi iD unless it were to connect with a Tamagotchi Plus Color.
Nazotchi appears as a big black ball wearing a wide, red hat, and two eyes visible from under the brim. It has two arms and legs, and is often depicted carrying a bindle. Nazotchi has neither a specific gender nor an Ura counterpart.
Since Nazotchi is an "unknown" character, it can have any forms of personality and age, but is is usually described as a quiet and elusive Tamagotchi. One of the many Nazotchis is the postman of Tamagotchi Town, delivering mail, paychecks, newspapers, presents, and fortunes to Tamagotchis daily.
In Tamagotchi Corner Shop 3, it is stated that Nazotchi is good with riddles.
Name Origin
Nazotchi's name is derived from 謎 nazo, meaning "puzzle", "riddle", "mystery", or "enigma".
On Specific Releases
Entama / UraTama Releases
On the Chou Jinsei Enjoi Tamagotchi Plus and Ura Jinsei Enjoy Tamagotchi Plus, one Nazotchi will appear a few times a day to deliver newspaper and mail. On occasion, it will also deliver important mail, such as enrollment letters for school and paychecks.
Version 4 / V4.5 Releases
On the Tamagotchi Connection Version 4 and Tamagotchi Connection Version 4.5, one Nazotchi will appear many times a day to deliver mail and fortunes. On occasion, it will also deliver important mail, such as enrollment letters for school and paychecks.
Family Releases
Nazotchi appears when connecting a Tamagotchi Connection Version 5 (English or Japanese edition) to a later release, such as the Royal Dream Family Tamagotchi Plus or Tamagotchi Connection Version 5 Celebrity. If the two breed, Nazotchi will take the place of the character being "sent", and will not evolve into a Parent form.
Tamagotchi Music Star
One of the Nazotchi's primary function on the Music Star is its original interpretation of being a postman, appearing at the door several times a day to deliver presents from the Gotchi King (or a parent from the previous generation, from the second generation onward) and letters from fans, which may either be a heart, star, or poop. It also appears as the store's shopkeeper.
As the Tamagotchi Music Star is compatable with the Family pets, Nazotchi appears as a character placeholder. The two can breed by sending one Family character over to the Music Star; the character will be rendered as Nazotchi.
Tamagotchi Tama-Go
Nazotchi appears on the Tama-Go as the shopkeeper.
Tamagotchi Plus Color
Nazotchi appears as a replacement character when connecting to either a Hexagontchi, iD or iD L.
In Video Games
Tamagotchi: Party On!
If a player lands on Nazotchi's space, one Nazotchi will appear and redirect that player to another town.
Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop
Nazotchi appears in all three Tamagotchi Corner Shop game series for the DS as a customer who visits the player's shops.
- In Music City, guests (users who had not used a code to transform their avatar) wore hats similar to Nazotchi's hat.
- While Nazotchi only had three frames of animation on the Tamagotchi Plus, it was given additional frames on the Tamagotchi Connection. From the Version 5 onward, Nazotchi has a full set of animations, due to being obtainable as a secondary character.
- Nazotchi has a full animation set on the Tamagotchi Friends, despite the release not being compatible with previous Tamagotchi toys.
- Nazotchi mentions in Corner Shop 3 that he has to talk, or else he'll forget how to.


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Aveline has a unique ability to change her appearance and, thus, how people react to her. She has three available disguises, or personas: the Assassin, the Lady, and the Slave. Each changes her navigational skills, strength, speed, and blending options.
Aveline can normally change personas at any time at her home, the Assassin's headquarters, or any unlocked dressing chamber. However, certain missions may require specific personas.
Top Wiki Contributors
Need assistance with editing this wiki? Check out these resources:


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Last night, Drake played host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live. It also marked the debut of new cast member Sasheer Zamata.
Drake opened Saturday Night Live with a monologue which included a hilarious flashback to his 1999 Bar Mitzvah where his half Jewish and half black family listened to one of his rap verses. Check out that sketch below:
The news spoofs continued with Nancy Grace where she focused on the recent law that permits marijuana in Colorado. Check out the sketch where Drake plays Kat Williams:
In another sketch Aidy Bryant played an overly hormonal middle school student who flirts with her friend's father at a slumber party. Shortly after this sketch, "Aidy Bryant" was a worldwide trending topic on Twitter! Check it out:
On Weekend Update with Seth Meyers and Cecily Strong, Vanessa Bayer spoofed Jacqueline Bisset's Golden Globes moment where she took a while to get to the stage and wasn't really able to say anything once she was there!
Drake played a Disney World Indiana Jones guide where a woman was chosen to come on stage who clearly had no idea what was going on.
Drake also performed a couple of his hits "Started From the Bottom / Trophies" and "Hold On We're Going Home / From Time." Check out the sensual performances below:
Overall, Drake did a fantastic job as host and musical guest. This episode also featured newcomer Sasheer Zamata who was hired as a featured player after SNL was criticized for rebooting its cast this season without any new African-American cast members. Though her part was minimal on last night's episode, there seems to be a lot of potential this season. Saturday Night Live returns next week with host Jonah Hill and musical guest Bastille.
What were your thoughts about last night's episode of SNL with Drake?


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In black marker, Muwafak Ali outlined the anatomy of his patient's knee, wrapping gauze and plaster to make a cast for a prosthetic leg. • The Iraqi technician worked quickly, feeling his way with materials unavailable at his clinic in the country's southern Basra region. • "You've done this before," observed the mock patient, John Scarfi of Seminole, an amputee who helps to train students in the prosthetics and orthotics program at St. Petersburg College.
"If you don't make a mess, you didn't do a good job,'' instructor Tim Fair told an examining room packed with Iraqi health care workers and their American hosts.
As Ali wiped bits of plaster from his beard, the unlikely international classroom erupted in laughter that needed no translation. For three weeks, SPC is hosting a training program for two doctors and two technicians from the Basra Prosthetic and Rehabilitation Center.
Thursday marked Day Four of their whirlwind seminar. The Iraqi students, who speak English well but also have a translator, came to class with spiral notebooks, hand-held video cameras and scores of questions.
"We're hoping in our training to update our knowledge," said Kamal Y. Yousif, a physician who directs the Basra clinic that designs prosthetics for 45 to 50 patients every month. "We get from this as much as we can to help our people. We have a lot of amputees in our country."
Years of warfare in Iraq have created as many as 80,000 amputees, said Linda Smythe, chair and founder of a Rotary clubs project sponsoring the training mission. She said the Basra region is home to at least 7,000 to 8,000 amputees.
Iraq's medical system, already outdated and needing development, has been further derailed by years of war and neglect. For instance, reports show that rates of immunization against key diseases, such as polio and measles, have fallen during recent years.
Meanwhile, violence has created horrific injuries and scores of new medical needs. Many of the amputees are women and children injured by land mines that exploded when they were playing ball or gardening. Once a child can't walk up stairs, Smythe said, she may have to leave school.
"Mobility is very difficult. It's not a wheelchair friendly environment,'' she said. "There is a small clinic and a large territory. If you can, imagine (people from) four counties in Florida trying to get to one little clinic."
With so much need and limited resources, Iraqi patients can wait for six to eight months to see a doctor after an amputation to start the process of getting a prosthesis, she said.
The situation prompted Smythe, a former Greek diplomat now living in the Washington, D.C., area, to create B.A.S.R.A. (Bringing Assistance and Support to Recovering Amputees) Prosthetics for Life Inc. A volunteer project involving Rotary clubs, it has received $1.7 million from the U.S. State Department to help supply prosthetic components, equipment and training.
This month, organizers embarked on their first U.S.-based training mission in partnership with SPC, which has the only orthotics and prosthetics bachelor's program in the Southeast. It's one of just four in the nation.
During their stay, the Iraqi team will study the latest prosthetics for upper and lower extremities. They will also receive training in orthotics, such as braces to help people with certain birth defects.
The Iraqis "are definitely experienced professionals, but their educational background is dated," said Fair, the SPC instructor. "We get to play around with what we can put on an amputee — what works and what doesn't. They don't have that luxury."
The Iraqi doctors welcomed the exposure to new technology, materials and methods to take home to their state-run clinic.
Kamal Yousif, the clinic director, eventually hopes to create a training program for technicians in Basra, which has none. And he would like to open smaller clinics in remote communities. "It's difficult for patients to come 200 kilometers to our center," he said.
And along with detailed diagrams in their notebooks, the Iraqi medical team plans to return home with stories about the famous Pinellas beaches, and the people they're meeting.
"Everything is amazing," said Muslim A. Yousuf, a physician from the Basra clinic.
"Everything," echoed Yousif. "The people. The water. Especially the food."
Times researcher Shirl Kennedy contributed to this report. Letitia Stein can be reached at email@example.com or (813) 226-3322. For more health news, visit www.tampabay.com/health.


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An Obama-Romney Meeting Ahead?
A few post-election notes:
President Obama says he has not yet scheduled a meeting with the man he defeated on Election Day.
But he says he does want to meet with Mitt Romney before the year is out.
We can only imagine what they would talk about, but I'm guessing gloating or being a sore loser would not be on the meeting agenda.
Meanwhile, Mr. Obama's Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar is voicing regret after he reportedly threatened to punch a newspaper reporter in Colorado.
Seems the reporter asked about wild horses, and the Secretary thought the reporter was trying to set him up.
At least he didn't take a page out of David Petraeus's book and say he used bad judgment, or some such thing.
And on to Arizona, where a woman drove over her husband with an SUV.
Police say Holly Solomon of Mesa didn't want President Obama to be re-elected, and she was angry at the mister because he didn't vote.


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Three years ago, Toronto handbag designer Jessica Jensen, owner of Jessica Jensen Inc., first placed her products in the Tastemakers Lounge at the Toronto International Film Festival, where celebrity visitors drop by to choose free gifts, or 'swag.'
Such placements don't come cheap: The top-tier fee for this year's Tastemakers Lounge was $12,000, as well as 200-plus products to give away, says Debra Goldblatt-Sadowski, president of Toronto-based public relations agency Rock-It Promotions, and owner of the TIFF Tastemakers Lounge, with lesser packages also available.
Though Ms. Jensen didn't pay that much, her fees still ran into the thousands, and it would have been cost-prohibitive for her to supply 200 or more of her high-end handbags. So she put up small leather items and gift cards, and brought along about a dozen purses for display – some of which were given away to A-list celebrities.
Since then, her handbags have been photographed on the arms of actresses including Freida Pinto, Emily Hampshire and Kristin Booth, and singers Sarah McLachlan and Fefe Dobson. Last year, Academy Award winner Helen Mirren appeared at a British preview screening grasping a Jessica Jensen Collection envelope clutch she received at TIFF.
Though she moved into a different gift lounge this year, TIFF has become an annual marketing investment for Ms. Jensen, and, while she can't quantify how much the swag supply has translated into sales, she believes it is money well spent.
"When a celebrity is wearing our bag, we can use the images on our website or for promotion," Ms. Jensen says. "It helps other customers to justify the purchase. If a celebrity approves a brand, others perceive that it's quality and it's something they'd want to invest in, not just a bag with a high purchase price."
Many small business owners might drool at the publicity of a big celebrity snapped with their wares. But while supplying swag to marquee events ranging from film festivals to award ceremonies to big sporting events might seem like a dream investment for promotion and exposure, such high-profile events are not all that easy to get into, and can come at a cost that might be too steep to afford or pay off for many businesses.
Even supplying swag at lesser events might not be the right promotional strategy for all businesses, marketing experts say.
It was at Ms. Goldblatt-Sadowski's suggestion that Ms. Jensen took her products to the film festival.
But that doesn't mean it's an open door. "Sometimes we receive many, many calls" from businesses wanting to participate in the gifting lounge, Ms. Goldblatt-Sadowski says, but only about 15 companies were accepted this year.
"We're particular about the brands we take in," she says. "Because we're working with talent, only certain things will be received well. You are not going to give a coffee maker or something else that's difficult to take home. And we really like to bring in a few Canadian brands."
Andrew Au, president of Toronto marketing company Intercept Group, has helped clients get into gift lounges or swag bags at a range of events, from TIFF and the Much Music Video Awards to sporting events, consumer and trade shows, exhibitions and conferences.
He says it can be very competitive to get products into swag bags or gift lounges, as well as expensive, with fees ranging up to $100,000, not to mention the products that must also be supplied.
"Event organizers have the final say about what products are included, the process is very competitive and everybody wants their product in that bag (or gifting lounge), " he says.
While businesses can contact event organizers or swag lounge operators directly, marketing or public relations agencies often have existing relationships and may be able to negotiate an entree, as well as a lower rate, Mr. Au says. For instance, "we may have 10 or 15 brands at the same event and due to economies of scale, we might be able to get a $15,000 sponsorship for $5,000."
Ms. Goldblatt-Sadowski says small businesses have to determine whether they have the budget to participate.
"The bottom line is that anybody looking for a reputable gifting suite should know that there is an investment – it can range from a few thousand dollars for some lounges to over $20,000 for others," Ms. Goldblatt-Sadowski says.
"You don't want it to kill you financially. If all you have is $20,000 a year for public relations, it might not be the right way to go."
She also cautions that just because you place products, there's no guarantee they will actually get into what you would consider the right hands.
Businesses also have to consider whether an event attracts their target demographic, and should be "contextual," or fit the event, Mr. Au says. For instance, a music-themed app would be a good fit at the MMVAs, while TIFF "is a lot about accessible luxury items."
Small businesses may also want to look at trade shows or conferences, but even those pens, lanyards or stress balls branded with your logo can add up, if they cost $1.50 to $5 apiece to produce, Mr. Au says.
Moreover, Mr. Au says that some shows require companies to be sponsors before they have the right to place items in gift bags; sponsorship fees can run up to $60,000, before adding in the costs of the swag itself.
Events such as consumer shows or wellness fairs may be better places to give out food or beauty samples than a film festival or music awards show, he adds.
Lisa Spodek, director of marketing for National Event Management, which operates the National Women's Shows across Canada, says businesses pay 15 cents a sample to place items, from snack food to skincare products, in gift bags given out. Samples have to be light, non-perishable and the number of items per category is limited to offer some exclusivity.
"It's a very targeted audience," she says. "A lot of companies launching new products want to give in-hand samples. You know you are getting them to the person you want it to get to. If they take it home, there's a 99-per-cent chance they'll try out your product."
Mr. Au says that many small businesses might find it more productive and cost-effective to lease a booth at a trade show. "Talking to people often can deliver the most results...one product in a bag is not going to drive significant value. For a small business, you need to drive to the bottom line and get leads."
Jenny Hughes, founder of Me & You Manufacturing Co ., a small Vancouver-based company that designs and sells reusable, fashionable shopping bags made from recycled fabrics, organic cotton and vegan leather, has supplied the Tastemakers Lounge at TIFF with 200 bags for the past six years, and spends most of her marketing budget on that one event. Celebrities, including Corner Gas actress Tara Spencer-Nairn, have also been snapped with her bags.
"There is always a need for a bag for celebrities to fill up with their stuff and it's a Canadian-made product. It's a perfect swag bag," she says.
"When I get the pictures of celebrities with my bags, I use them on social media and my website. It's a great marketing tool."
Ms. Jensen agrees, but says businesses should not expect measurable results nor an immediate surge in sales. To help give a boost, she not only hopes the celebrity factor will pay off, but includes gift cards that offer a generous discount on website sales of her bags, as well as 'share' cards that can be given out to those who admire her products.
"You can't say that X amount of orders came through this, it's an incremental thing," Ms. Jensen says.
"We use several different strategies at our company.… It is just one small aspect of our overall strategy."
Ms. Goldblatt-Sadowski agrees.
"It's like public relations marketing in general," she says. "One ad, one great story may have an impact, but it's more about building word of mouth over time and great brand association. You are not going to see instant gratification."
- As enticing as it might be, ensure you have the budget to cover fees and free product giveaways.
- Consult with a PR or marketing consultant. If it represents several clients at a particular event, it may be able to negotiate a lower rate to participate.
- Look into spin-off events or parties associated with big-name events that may have lower fees yet attract the same crowd.
- Give away items that are lightweight and non-perishable.
- Consider how you might fulfil event organizers' needs and see if you can work a deal, for instance, to supply free uniforms to staff that bear your logo.
- Think of visibility. A reusable shopping bag with your logo that people can use to gather other samples showcases your brand more than a pen at the bottom of a gift bag.
- Target: Pick events that connect well with your product or service, and appeal to the audience you are trying to reach.
- Determine whether renting a booth at a consumer or industry trade show or conference and networking with possible customers might yield better results than supplying swag.
- Make swag part of your overall, not your only, marketing strategy.
Follow us on Twitter: @GlobeSmallBiz


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Walter Trout's journey began in 1965. His soaring warm Stratocaster guitar unites the worlds of blues, rock and pure sonic adventurism, where inspiration and technique meet to create a unique, soulful language. This New Jersey native placed 6th in the United Kingdom's BBC Radio One list of the top 20 guitarists of all time! He feels music gives him an opportunity to speak directly into people's hearts. With over 20 albums released, Trout continues to dazzle his audiences, making his six-string speak with the eloquence of a traveling tent revival preacher.
WHYY thanks our sponsors — Become a sponsor »
On Tour is an Emmy Award winning music and performance program recorded live on location at local venues in and around Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. The On Tour series features regional, national and international artists performing a wide range of musical styles including rock n' roll, R&B, country, jazz, blues, alternative rock, indie, folk and classical. The hallmark of On Tour is the seamless weaving of intimate artist interviews with great performances.
On Tour airs on WHYY-TV Thursdays at 9 p.m. and Sundays at noon.
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About "Defeated by Love" by harpo25
Defeated by Love
Design by harpo25
cool design! I like it! 5$! :D
I love this! I would like it a tad bigger so when I'm wearing it others could enjoy it too.
Nice, but there might be a clever way to put these designs onto one shirt.
Did you get this idea from Dragon Heart?
Absolutely beautiful $5
This reminds me of the song "Under the Milky Way Tonight" by the Church:
And its something quite peculiar,
Something thats shimmering and white.
Leads you here despite your destination,
Under the milky way tonight
Bravo -- another hit on my gots-to-have-it list!
i liked your newest version the best, but the concept is still awesome. i would buy this!
This is your best, I will totally buy this! $5
I love this concept and drawing, but i LOVED the critique version that had the entire bottom of the shirt as the grassy hill, effectively giving the tee a green stripe until you look closer and realize what it is! Oh well....it's still getting a 4$ because i really love the concept and your drawing.
glad you went with the version you did
wow! love it
nice man $5
awesome illustration and style, very serene $5
love! but make the knight more distinguishable from the dragon
o i like this....lol reminds me of like that song "puff the magic dragon" haha =D
DRAGONS!!!! This dragon is such a character! And it look sso relaxed how those two are lying under the stars on the green hill in the middle of nowhere - wish I was there, too!
$5 of course!! PRINT!
nice score harpo!
I agree, very nice work harpo25
You have made some sweet score making on this one Bart...good job my man!
dam I'm behind in the congrats:) nice job! congrats!


text: Construction, qualification and validation of the manufacturing suite will start in Q3 2013 and should be completed in Q1 2015. First batches of commercial grade products from the suite are expected in 2015. Transgene expects to file its first BLA 2 in 2016.About Sanofi Sanofi, a global and diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and the new Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY). About Transgene Transgene (NYSE-Euronext: TNG), a member of the Institut Mérieux Group, is a biopharmaceutical company. It creates, develops and manufactures targeted immunotherapeutics for the treatment of cancers and infectious diseases. Transgene's products are major technological breakthroughs. They use well tolerated viruses to indirectly or directly kill infected or cancerous cells. Its four most advanced products have generated proof of concept data in randomized clinical studies: in lung cancer (TG4010), liver cancer (Pexa-Vec), hepatitis C (TG4040) and HPV-related cervical lesions (TG4001). Transgene has concluded strategic agreements for the development of three of these products: an option agreement with Novartis for the development of TG4010, an in-licensing agreement with US-based Jennerex, Inc. to develop and market Pexa-Vec and a strategic collaboration with EORTC to develop TG4001 in cancer of the oropharynx. With 280 employees, it is based in Strasbourg, France, and has operations in Lyon, China and the USA. Additional information about Transgene is available at www.transgene.fr. Sanofi Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to future financial results, events, operations, services, product development and potential, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans" and similar expressions. Although Sanofi's management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Sanofi, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, future clinical data and analysis, including post marketing, decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or the EMA, regarding whether and when to approve any drug, device or biological application that may be filed for any such product candidates as well as their decisions regarding labelling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of such product candidates, the absence of guarantee that the product candidates if approved will be commercially successful, the future approval and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives, the Group's ability to benefit from external growth opportunities, trends in exchange rates and prevailing interest rates, the impact of cost containment policies and subsequent changes thereto, the average number of shares outstanding as well as those discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by Sanofi, including those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in Sanofi's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2012. Other than as required by applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements. Transgene Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements notably referring to an anticipated future BLA filing date by Transgene. Such anticipated future BLA filing date is based on the current plan of product development and testing. This plan may change in the future and, as such, Transgene could be in a position not to meet the currently anticipated development milestones, including such BLA filing. For further information on the risks and uncertainties involved in the testing and development of Transgene's product candidates, see Trangene's Document de Référence on file with the French Autorité des marchés financiers on its website at http://www.amffrance.org and on Transgene's website at www.transgene.fr . 1 Modified Vaccinia Ankara. MVA virus is one the vaccinia viruses re-engineered used as vectors for production of recombinant proteins. It is widely considered as the vaccinia virus strain of choice for clinical investigation because of its high safety profile. 2 Biological Licence Application, or filing of registrational dossier.


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There's a new restaurant in town, and it's getting plenty of buzz.
"Rosso is just what Kansas City needed," sighs Eddie Michael Sandridge, a well-traveled friend. "A place to hang out with friends over cocktails or enjoy dinner in a sophisticated, upscale place. It looks like it could be in New York, Chicago or San Francisco."
Or perhaps a cosmopolitan city in Italy? After all, Rosso means "red" in Italian. Executive Chef Brian Archibald explains: "The name hints to the restaurant's concept, a sleek and sexy design, filled with passion.
Seems like Sandridge isn't the only one sighing. "We're creating a playful twist on Italian cuisine using a modern approach while celebrating local farmers and food artisans," Chef Archibald continues. Not only is the food menu a chef-driven concept, but the craft cocktail list is bartender-driven, using the same approach. House-made infusions and bitters, and hand-pressed juices dot the cocktail list.
Rosso, located in the Country Club Plaza's new Hotel Sorella, has already made a glowing first impression on the community; one of its soft-opening nights helped raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City.


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Bands like Moby Dick, Love Gun or Chango are strictly cover acts, but there is no shortage of cover songs creeping into the sets of just about every other Santa Fe band. Hell, covers are fun to play and fun to hear (at least when they're not subpar, note-for-note renditions that we could just as easily hear on the record) and generally a great way to suck in a crowd.
Yet, despite the lack of serious income generated at most local shows across the globe, there is the constant looming threat of companies like ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) casting a shadow on these clubs and bands.
These licensing companies represent artists both large and small in the public space. That is, they look out for live performances and broadcasts that feature songs owned by represented artists and work to ensure they are properly compensated for their intellectual property.
At face value, this doesn't seem crazy; composers own songs and should therefore be paid. However, when we look at issues such as a BMI lawsuit from March of this year levied against Medina, Ohio, bar, 69 Taps, which seeks damages up to $1.5 million because some cover band played tunes by bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival and Poison, we begin to notice a disturbing trend that can ultimately be labeled as needless gouging of smaller-time clubs and bands.
The band in question wasn't named in the suit, which presumably means they won't be on the hook as well, but to seek over a million bucks from a mid-sized venue for something so trivial casts BMI in a negative light and sets a dangerous precedent, especially in a town as cover-happy as Santa Fe. It boils down to what is, in most cases, an unnecessary cost for any number of businesses types.
Did you know that restaurants, nightclubs, etc. aren't supposed to play music via radio or television without paying licensing fees? It's true and it's kind of ridiculous, but these companies are hard at work making damn sure they're squeezing out every last dime they can. On top of that, venues and restaurants are expected to self-monitor and provide these companies with numbers on capacity, projected earnings and so forth, all of which seems like a fairly unreasonable set of roadblocks.
Y'see, according to ASCAP's website, licensing fees are necessary because, "while we may have emotionally adopted the song, it still legally belongs to the songwriter who created it and the music publisher who markets it." Though true enough, this statement reads like anyone who dares to switch on a radio or cover a song is governed by irrational attachments to music and might just feel like they somehow own "Jessie's Girl" despite not having written the thing. It also makes one wonder what happens to all the money. ASCAP states that all income after operating costs of 11.3 percent are paid in royalties to members. Information on BMI's operating costs weren't readily available, but both entities require a one-time fee for representation, and neither charge annual dues. This sounds objectively reasonable, but some local musicians say they rarely, if ever, receive payment.
"It isn't fair to have a big company bring in a team of lawyers to a small bar somewhere to set an
"I signed up with BMI when we started the band and released the Heavy Rescue EP," Broomdust Caravan's Johny Broomdust says. "I haven't ever received a check."
D Numbers' Paul Feathericci tells a similar tale and describes royalties as "nominal."
Neither Broomdust nor Feathericci condemn ASCAP or BMI, and some local artists and venue officials find the fees reasonable.
"I think ASCAP or BMI have the approach that people should always pay for music, which of course, artists need," says Brian Mayhall, also of D Numbers. "But it isn't fair to have a big company bring in a team of lawyers to a small bar somewhere to set an example."
Besides, few or no royalties for lesser-known artists points to one hard-to-ignore issue: It may not be entirely worth it for bands to align with these companies unless they're pretty huge.
Of course, it's probably safe to say that even though bands operating on the level of Broomdust Caravan may enjoy notoriety in various markets, they probably aren't being played on the radio or covered enough for any kind of significant royalty income. Either way, with record sales designed to take care of labels and touring/merch sales earning the bucks for the artists, companies like ASCAP and BMI look to be little more than the means for third-party sticklers to wring money out of every conceivable situation.
How much is enough?
Moby Dick
9 pm Saturday, Sept. 6. $5
200 W San Francisco St.


text: The bank is formally independent, along the lines of the German Bundesbank. When taking decision on monetary policy, neither the European Central Bank nor the national central banks are allowed to take instructions from EU institutions or member states. The ECB's own foreign reserve assets amount to 40 billion euros


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Travel can be expensive
InFocus Bingo 20 (M425) smartphone was launched in March 2016. The phone comes with a 4.50-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 850 pixels by 480 pixels. InFocus Bingo 20 (M425) price in India starts from Rs. 4,750.
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TEL AVIV (Aug. 28)
The Israeli Navy, on a routine patrol, intercepted Saturday night two armed terrorists heading toward Israel in a small boat, a military spokesman disclosed today. According to the spokesman, the terrorists were carrying explosives and other sabotage equipment when they were stopped near Rosh Hanikra on the Lebanese border, inside Israel's territorial waters. The terrorists, the spokesman said, were taken ashore for interrogation.


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Egypt, Israel and Ancient Worlds: Nautica Cruise Review by Bruin Steve
Overall Member Rating
Egypt, Israel and Ancient Worlds
Destination: Middle East
Embarkation: Barcelona
I will try to be as complete, candid and unbiased as possible. I will not tell you everything is perfect or that everything is terrible. All cruises have good points and bad points. Hopefully, the good far outweighs the bad.
The Hotel Continental is both incredible AND disappointing. The incredible: The location. There could not be a better location in all of
There was free internet and a public computer down in the main lobby area. The 24 hour buffet was well stocked including free 24 hour beer and wine. Of course, it wasn't exactly Napa Valley Cabernet they were servingbut free is free.
Embarkation: We checked out of the hotel around 11 am and took a taxi right to the ship. Embarkation was well run and easy and we were on the ship in minutes enjoying a nice lunch at the buffet. First, of course, we stopped by Polo and made our reservations for our nights in Polo and Toscana.
The Nautica: This was our second cruise on the Nautica. We were on it in 2006, just after
Dining: This cruise confirmed for me that this is one of the really strong points for
Entertainment: As much as Dining is a strong point, entertainment is
Activities, night life and at-sea days: More noticeable to us than the entertainment deficiencies is the relative lack of activitiesas much a result of ship size and passenger demographic as it is any fault of
Trivia: Okay, for me, this is a BIG item. I love triviaand never miss a session on an at-sea day or when returning from port on time. We had a team comprised of members of our CruiseCritic.com Roll Call and won virtually every trivia session, even trouncing the competition, including a team made up of Cruise Director Dottie and the Crew the one day she turned the quiz over to one of our members to host (thus taking a valuable member off of our team). All lots of fun. But, here is the "downer": All cruise long, they were hyping the "Collect 'Big O' points". On other cruise lines, there is "instant gratification" for winning a trivia sessiona key chain, a t-shirt, a water wallet, a hat, a luggage tag, a ball point pen or some other meaningless logo trinket. I do have a drawer at home filled with these itemssouvenirs of a sort from many wonderful cruises. Most sort of worthless, but occasionally a really nice prize like a t-shirt or a tote bag. Now, last time on Nautica, we had this "points" thing and, at the end of the cruise, they put out a table with a variety of items. We were sort of expecting the same this time. I figured I'd walk away with maybe a hat and a t-shirt or something of the sort based on how many Big O points I had collected. Imagine our surprise at the end of the cruise when the ONLY items offered in exchange for all those Big O points (in my case, over a hundred) were Oceania Mouse Pads or plastic screwdriver/penlight combos. Who even uses a mouse pad nowadays?
Here's the thing,
The funniest part was the night AFTER they had the Big O point redemption, they had the "Game Show" titled "Brain of the Nautica"sort of a 15 person trivia challenge where contestants were knocked out of the running after missing their third random question. I won. My prize??? Three more "Big O points"!!!
The ports: Actually, the biggest attraction on this cruise was the itinerary. The ports were sensational. Of course, some better than others. If I were to tweak this itinerary, I'd actually do it by removing two portsCrete and
We also really enjoyed
Crete: We took an Oceania Shorex to the Palace at
Kusadasi: We did a private tour for four of
Another day, we did a tour of the Dolambache Palace and visited the Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaarthen vegged out the rest of the timewe were there four nights total including the overnight on the ship. On the day of the overnight, we just hung out onboardnever left the shippretty quiet though.
Post-cruise: By the end of the cruise, we were really exhausted. So many full days of touringin hot weatherlots of walking and steps and dust and dirt. We were ready to just relax and wind down. Last time on Nautica, we stayed pre-cruise at the modern 5-star Conrad, so, this time, we wanted something completely different. We checked into the small 17-room Sari Konak. Room was very small, but nice. I walked out onto our balcony and realized we had the most incredible, completely unobstructed close-up view of the Blue Mosque. we stayed three additional nights post cruise and toured the Dolambache Palace, the Cisterns, the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar and other sites at a very leisurely pacea really nice wind-down from the cruise. Ate at the Orient House for the Dinner show one night, ate a lunch at the "Pudding Shop"as we had done three years ago (I like the place). Otherwise, ate in small restaurants in the Sultanhamet. One night, we ate with some of our cruisemates at the "Family Restaurant"Great misprint on their business cards says "She does the cook" (sic)!!
Assorted comments re dining:
1) Whenever we asked to sit with other people (We're sort of "social" and like to meet and talk to people), the Maitre d' would tell us it was "slow" and they'd seat us at a table for twoeven when it clearly wasn't "slow". This was a big deal to my wife and at one point she suggested it might keep her from wanting to go back to
2) They never ask if you might want some Iced Tea and even when you ask for it, it tends to take a LONG time to get it, then they rarely refill it. I drink LOTS of Iced Tea and this one is a big deal with me.
3) I am "Type 2" Diabetic and should not be eating sugar. So, I go out of my way to order "SUGAR FREE" jam for my toast and "SUGAR FREE" syrup for my pancakes. Somehow,
Crew: I used to think that
Sickness: Though I never got sick on this cruise, we kept hearing from a lot of our fellow passengers that something was going around. There seemed to be a much higher incidence of this on this cruise than any other I've been on. We had tourmates who had to miss multiple ports. I can't really blame
Overall: Despite my nitpicks (Don't get the wrong ideaI am not bringing up those negatives to put down the cruise line or the experienceonly to be thorough and honest), the cruise was and overall very positive experience.
Published 07/27/09
Cabin review: A17051 Concierge Level Veranda Stateroom
Midship, convenient to both elevators...ideal location. Ample interior with decent storage area. Comfortable bed. Standard balcony. Nicely furnished.Read All Concierge Level Veranda Stateroom (A1) Reviews >>
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/2/2013 (1640 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
CHICAGO -- In the spring of 1986, a grassroots organizer named Barack Obama was walking through a trash-strewn playground on Chicago's South Side when the sound of gunshots pierced the air.
Obama ducked and glanced nervously at John Owens, an activist working for a local nonprofit, who was giving him a tour of the neighbourhood's parks. "He said: 'You hear that? Whoa'," Owens, recalled. "I remember thinking, 'Well, he hasn't been around here very long'."
The president's three-year stretch as a community organizer in an impoverished section of Chicago gave him a first-hand look at how gun violence affects a community. He's now drawing upon that experience, and the solutions he saw then, as he crafts a second-term agenda in which gun control finally has political momentum after the Dec. 14 shootings at a Connecticut school.
As was the case in Chicago almost three decades ago, the president is seeking a holistic response to urban violence that goes beyond curbing gun use. The echoes of his early approach are evident in the "promise zones" he unveiled last week after his State of the Union address.
The proposal designates 20 communities as laboratories for better coordination of government, private and nonprofit investments. Obama is seeking tax breaks in those areas for employers who hire jobless residents and federal funds to increase law enforcement, expand after-school programs and build housing.
"This is not just a gun issue," Obama said on Feb. 15, when he returned to Chicago to promote his agenda. "It's also an issue of the kinds of communities that we're building."
During his time as an Illinois activist, organizing around the issue of gun control wasn't a priority because there was already wide agreement in Chicago that the weapons had to be curtailed. Instead, Obama worked to establish a broad base of support for children and families to make the streets safer.
"Barack was a middle-class kid; the level of social problems was eye-opening for him," said Gerald Kellman, a local activist who brought Obama to Chicago in 1985. "The way that he responded to the youth violence was to try to do something about poverty."
Working out of a small office that often smelled of cigarette smoke, Obama, then 24, would lean back in his chair, cross his legs and quiz pastors, teachers and parents about their concerns, recalled Loretta Augustine-Herron, who worked with him.
The parks were unsafe and underfunded, Augustine-Herron and others told him, making it dangerous for their children to play and limiting the reach of after-school athletic programs. Looking across the street from his office to rundown Palmer Park, Obama concluded that city officials weren't giving facilities on the South Side the same resources as the more affluent neighborhoods to the north, Owens recalled.
There was evidence he was right. The city had lost a discrimination lawsuit over park conditions, and Harold Washington, the city's first black mayor, that year had wrested control of the system from a political appointee who ran the department by patronage.
Obama reached out to Owens, then a 24-year-old working at Friends of the Parks, an organization trying to improve recreational areas, to gauge the extent of the problem. A South Side native, Owens was happy to spend a spring afternoon showing Obama around. The two men were examining broken glass scattered across a section of Palmer Park when they heard the gunshots.
"What made us sort of flinch on it was the fact that it was in such close proximity," said Owens. "But you would hear that kind of shooting fairly regularly."
Obama recounted the incident differently in his 1995 memoir, Dreams from My Father. In his book, he describes hearing "a small pop, compact and brief like a balloon bursting." The two men dropped flat on the ground, he wrote, and watched several teenage boys run past, one shooting a small pistol.
"Something different was going on with the children of the South Side that spring," he wrote. An "invisible line had been crossed, a blind and ugly corner turned."
Obama recruited Owens to his organization, Developing Communities Project, and began working to build a network of after-school events, summer job programs, high school equivalency courses, and employment training for teenagers and young adults. The project took him across the South Side and occasionally into neighbourhoods marked by gang violence.
"We were so protective of him. We were like, 'Don't go into this neighbourhood. This is a bad corner'," said Augustine- Herron. "But he would always go anyway."
Months later, when Obama went to Los Angeles with Owens for an organizing training session, he requested a tour of the neighbourhoods most overrun by warring gangs. The group went at night and saw young men darting across streets and into alleyways, Owens recalled.
"It was a real experience," said Owens, in an interview in Roseland, the Chicago neighborhood that was the focus of Obama's effort. "I was freaked out, and I'm from here."
Obama raised $125,000 for his program, falling short of his $500,000 goal, according to Owens, before leaving for Harvard Law School. That wasn't enough to fund the salaries of counselors and pay the rent, he recalled.
"I'm quite certain the impact of those years on Obama was bigger than on the community," Owens said.
While Obama's organizing experience in Chicago became a prominent piece of his political narrative, his inaction on guns has haunted his career. He was a reliable vote for gun control as a state senator representing Chicago, yet a missed vote on a package of weapons-safety bills contributed to his 2000 loss to U.S. Representative Bobby Rush -- his first and only defeat.
During his first presidential term, Obama also passed up opportunities to address gun control, even with mass shootings in an Aurora, Colo., movie theatre, a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., and at an event for then-Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Arz. Instead, he signed laws allowing the public to carry guns into national parks and passengers on Amtrak to pack weapons in their luggage.
That record drew protests from Obama's old friends and coworkers in Chicago. Posters on the wall of the Effie O. Ellis Early Care & Youth Center, a new community center on the South Side, evaluating the president and Congress on youth violence prevention display a series of 'F' grades.
Chicago had become a killing zone, reaching a four-year high of 506 homicides in 2012. The 9th ward, which includes Roseland, saw the number of homicides almost double in the first half of last year.
One victim was Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old drum majorette gunned down in a South Side park just days after she performed at the president's inauguration. Michelle Obama attended Hadiya's funeral and her parents sat with the first lady during the Feb. 12 State of the Union address, during which Obama memorialized her death.
In the speech, the president described the teenager as a girl who loved "Fig Newtons and lip gloss" and was killed in a park just a mile away from his home. Her death became part of the dramatic refrain of the president's call for stricter laws. "They deserve a vote," he chanted to rising applause.
"We've been trying to get him to add his voice to the chorus for safe communities that has been around for a while now," said Rush, a Democrat who still represents the South Side in the House and whose son was killed by gunfire in that community in 1999.
Yet it was the national outcry after 20 children and six adults were killed in a Newtown, Conn., elementary school that ultimately moved Obama to action.
In Palmer Park, the playground today is strewn with broken beer bottles, candy wrappers and plastic bags. The windows of the historic stone recreation center are covered with plywood. And last May, a 15-year-old boy was shot in the head by a man who approached him in the park on a Thursday evening.
"The terrible truth about the gun violence in Chicago is it's almost all black and brown people who are dying," said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. "The difference in Newtown is that it was comfortable white kids. I find it profoundly disturbing to have black and brown kids murdered on a regular basis as well."
-- Bloomberg News