text:
I'd appreciate if anyone familiar with the following publications could offer any recommendations on them:
-Wall Street Journal
-Financial Times
-Investor's Chronicle
-Motley Fool
-Bloomberg Businessweek
I am basically looking for a publication that is suited to someone who is a novice in investing, looking to move to it as a primary source of income, basically that is suited at tracking well performing companies and economies, and providing analysis on various economies, sectors and economies, to give an idea of where is a good focal area for investments. I don't want to overload myself though with info as I already follow other online publications more focused on economics.
I am also trying to compare the WSJ vs the FT for more generic economic analysis. Which of these two is superior these days? Can anyone also comment on Frank Shostak's website on investing, and how digestible it is? I am trying to essentially thin the list above down to two. Alternative suggestions are welcome but as I said, I'm looking to narrow it down.
I am already familiar with Bloomberg's Businessweek and I am not that impressed. I've got a line of books on investment I plan to read, but this is more for keeping up to date with the market. I tend to follow Mises.org and the Daily Capitalist (and before that, ZeroHedge) for theoretical economic analysis and EP for tidbits, but obviously this is different to what I am after.
Freedom of markets is positively correlated with the degree of evolution in any society...
Avoid Motley Fool. Several years ago they were good, but they really jumped the shark and peddle a lot of stupid crap now.
I can't recommend CXO Advisory enough. It's a serious site for serious investors that does serious analysis on a sector/style level. If I had to get all of my investment info from one source it would be that one. Their stuff is actionable immediately and pretty safe so it's good for a novice while having ridiculous amounts of great data for you to learn from. It won't help you pick individual stocks if you're into that (I'm not - too much risk for the meager payback), but it will help you make money investing.
Of the other sources you mentioned i like the WSJ the best strictly for investment info, however I think Investor's Business Daily is a better pick, especially if you want condensed info.
I had a subscription to FT for a while. I was impressed with the amount of coverage. It was very globally based. They may have a 2 week free trial offer on their website, so check that out. I haven't subscribed to WSJ, but WSJ seems more mainstream/U.S-centric/political (?)
Thanks to both of you, I'll give those a look.
WSJ is more US-centric. It is only mainstream/political in certain sections, which isn't where the investment info resides anyway.
For my yearly act of threadromancy, I hereby revive this thread.
So has anyone else been using either of CXO Advisory or IBD and if so how useful have you found them?


text:
Repair Supplies
Our line of swimming pool repair products makes it easy to repair your pool like a Pro! We have easy to use Pool Plaster Mix, Pebbletec and Pool Deck Repair, Coping Stone Repair and Pool Tile Patch & Grout. Our Full line of pool caulking products allow you to caulk your own pool expansion joints. This is one of our most popular sections in the website. Don't forget to view the videos on how to patch and repair your pool yourself.
With time your swimming pool may start to show signs of wear and may need repairs. Cracking, hollow spots, and chipped paint are common, and so are wear spots in your pool plaster, when the plaster wear away and the gunite below the plaster is showing. Pool repairs may sound daunting but with the right tools, the right materials, and a little know how, you can repair most small cracks and chips yourself. Pool Center carries a wide range of pool repair supplies that make pool repair a simple do-it-yourself project, and will not involve too much effort.
Our pool repair supplies include products for Pool Plaster Repair, Tile & Coping Repair, Pool Deck Repair, Vinyl Liner Repair, Pool Expansion Joint Caulking, Pump & Valve Repair, Pool Sealants & Pool Lubricants, Pool Plumbing Fittings, and Anderson Leak Repair products. Whether you are planning on repairing minor cracks or want to prepare your pool for a complete makeover, Pool center has repair supplies for every project-that too at prices you will love!!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Teen fights cyberbullies with kindness
Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:46:07 GMT —
The bullies of yesterday teased kids in hallways and on playgrounds, but today mean kids hide under the mask of social media.
One Minnesota high school senior had enough, when he saw classmates taunted on Twitter.
17-year-old Kevin Curwick, one of Osseo High School football team's captains, decided he could no longer sit on the sidelines when online bullying became a spectator sport in his school.
"I wasn't personally attacked but it just hit me the wrong way, these were coming out about my friends. I want them to feel welcomed, be happy about what they are and what they contribute to Osseo," he said.
So he quietly made his own Twitter account, logging on to lift spirits.
@OsseoNiceThings singles out students for their gifts.
"She is so good at dancing, she gets more scholarships than D1 athletes," he tweeted about a girl attacked on another account.
"Doesn't get enough credit for his effort, Michael Day," said Curwick, who anonymously wrote about his football teammate. "He's a genuine guy works hard on and off the field, he's just a great guy to know."
He called another student, a "great artist, but even better friend."
Unlike the bullies, Curwick decided to step out from anonymity.
"He is a dream kid to have on your team, with a 4.0, a community leader, does everything like that. To find a kid that can be strong enough to take the other angle. Very mature of Kevin to do something like that and hopefully it catches on, even if kids think it is hokey, that's ok," said his coach, Darren Lamker.
Similar pages have now popped up around Twitter, spreading to other schools around the suburbs.
@ChanhassenNice praises soccer stars and class clowns. @ChaskaNice compliments a student's freckles, and @MinnetonkaNice has more than 1,000 followers.
Curwick says since the @OsseoNiceThings page started in late July, the accounts attacking his classmates have disappeared.
Students like Michael Day just learned it was his friend Kevin who made kindness go viral.
"Made my day," said Day, who says he's inspired to post positive messages himself. "I might tweet, great character, great leader, Kevin Curwick makes the school better."
His coach agreed, saying it's another reason why he made Curwick a team captain for the upcoming season, for bravely showing his school that a nice guy can win.
(Information courtesy NBC News)


text:
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders
Hearing Loss due to Tuberculosis
Sir ,My mom is decreased her hearing capacity day by day, she was under treatment in 1989.Please tell me what can I do to stop or decrease this.Thanking you in anticipation.
Hearing loss can be caused by many things. Without knowing more about your mom, such as her age, family history, and otologic (ear) history, it is difficult to provide specific information. I suggest you have your mom seen by an ENT physician, who will do a thorough examination including a hearing test.
Allen M Seiden, MD
Professor of Otolaryngology, Director of Division of Rhinology and Sinus Disorders, Director of University Taste and Smell Center, Director of University Sinus and Allergy
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati


text:
Hello World!
Hey! I am Connor Crosby, a teenager from the United States. I enjoy long walks on the beach, wait, scratch that. I enjoy making websites and graphics as well as cinematography. I am sort of new to web development, so I am definitely not the best, but I hope to be one of the best some day .
You are more than welcome to follow me on Twitter, Forrst, and visit my website: http://ConnorCrosby.me.


text:
Bears worldwide are likely enjoying the proclivity of indie bands and their overly bearded members. It's a whole thing. From the Avett Brothers to Bon Iver, you can't throw a stick far enough across the music landscape nowadays without snagging a few whiskers.
But sometimes you have to separate the men from the boys, which local band Hello Lover does quite nicely — mostly with strapping daddy lead singer Rob Dunlap (guess which one he is). The Oak Cliff-based band describes themselves as "sex rock." We're good with that. Bears, sex and rock 'n' roll — isn't that how it goes?
Thanks to the guys at the Prophet Bar, we have three pairs of tickets to give away to Friday night's show. Email me here with "Hello Lover" in the subject line to see the scruffers up close. Hello Lover headlines with Home Wrecker, Stew, Jefferson Colby also on the bill.


text:
I received the Sony Walkman as a gift and have been using it when running and cycling. I have had no problems with water from rain or sweat so for me that is a big plus.
The sound quality is decent, around what you'd expect from a £20 to £30 pair of headphones which is good considering the cost of the player. I also liked that the earbuds are soft and interchangeable so they are very comfortable in the ear.
Battery life is excellent, it has been lasting me around 10 or 11 hours on a full charge and it also charges very quickly. As i only use it for around 30 minutes a day that means I don't have to charge it very often at all.
I usually keep it on shuffle as it is too much hassle to look for a particular song. You can however organise the music into different folder using your PC and can switch between these folders.
The only problem I have had is the cable connecting the two halves is a little too long, this means if it is knocked sometimes one of the halves will fall out of your ear, I suppose this is as it is one size fits all but it is a little inconvenient.
Bought for 50 GBP from an official Sony Store in my area.
Service at the store was excellent; direct, approachable and fast.
I have used this for jogging and at the gym
Rugged, fairly water-resistant, although it has 'blacked-out' on me a couple of times after my more sweaty runs; only after laying it by the window to dry did it start working again.
No problems with battery life - easily 4-5 hours on a full charge - you can also charge to 90min capacity in a matter of 5 minutes.
Average; much like a normal 10GBP pair of earphones. The sound variability isn't great; i'm usually up to the max volume if i'm running my the roadside and listening to mellow jazz or piano. Difference between volume settings is not wide either.
Zappin - a new feature which lets you preview tracks; not too useful - i would presume this function was for those who are looking for a particular song ; but having to scroll through the large number of songs, listening clip by clip, is no replacement for a screen which lets you READ through t he song list.
Buttons are intuitive, standard issue.
Compatibility with your computer is also fairly simple - drag n drop works, as does the Sony Walkman software which is a variant of it; but slightly easier to use as you do not need to select any folder whatsoever.
WOW, that's all i can personally say.
From a review point though, they are great, very comfortable and reliable, I do alot of running, snowboarding, biking and other outdoor activites and it helps increadably not to have something in your pocket bouncing about or wires flying in your face, these have been the most reliable source of music so far,
No matter how much i shake around they stay in place very comfortably, infact i almost forget i'm wearing them most of the time, it has a very simple to use button layout in the form of a scroll wheel, 2 volume buttons + and -, and a shuffle switch, to skip threw your songs you simply just run your thumb on the wheel in the derection of the next or previous song, to play pause all you have to do is push the little scroll whele down as if pressing a little button,
The player also comes with a great feature from sony titled ZAPPIN, if hold the play button it will activate ZAPPIN and you will here a lovely voice telling you this and it will then proceed to play 5 seconds from the chorus of your next song's and once it play's a song you like just click the play button again and it will start the song from the begging, thus removing the need for a screen, excelent!
At first i was a bit weary about how they would sound and as it is an in ear set for health and safety i couldn't test them out, however i took the gamble and glad i did, the sound is great, not noise cancelling perfect however you can increase the volume enough sometimes too much, although i'd prefer it too loud than too quiet as you can always lower the volume,
Another great feature is its magnetic power saver, once you are finished listening to your music just remove the headset put the earpieces together and the device powers down, to turn it back on simply press the play button and it will continue from exactly where you left off,
The battery life is great, easilly a full days worth, and if it isn't enough for you well a few minutes plugged into a simple usb slot with sony's standard mini usb cable and your good to go again. Whilst the device is charging you can see a nice glowing light and once fully charged the light stay's solid, never takes long to charge at all,
If you have an xbox 360 or playstation 3 then you have those extra feature, you can plug it into the usb ports as you would controller with power cable and it will charge the player, but you can also go to your music folders and play the files from your wonderfull headset whilst you play your favourite games,
Getting music onto the device is just as easy, simple attach to any windows media player enabled PC and you can drag, drop and sync with your media player library, and for those that dont have media player, you can simply browse to playes location and paste/drop your files onto the player manually,
Finally, you may be thinking this may be it seems a little expensive or looks to nice i may damage it, wel you can also get a 4GB version for a few pounds extra which is just perfect for on the go shuffle music and the device also comes with a great plastic cover, so you can put it in your bag or pocket without any worry of scratches, and if your like me and like to show off your latest gadgets then it comes with a ovely usb dock as pictured above and can sit very nicely next to and usb enabled device, xbox playstation computer etc.
Note : If you have an ipod or usb charging phone you may have recieved a plug with usb support, yes that's right this device will also charge in a plug socket with a usb plug in a matter of minutes.
The new much-hyped Sony Walkman Unwired is finally here and it doesn't disappoint.It is an innovative gadget with decent sound quality.The sound quality is good with smooth highs and clear mids.Bass is disappointing as it is tight but lacks punch and depth.It includes a Zappin feature which is a boon as this player doesn;t has a screen.The main feature of this player is portability as there is no extra wires other than the headset.Its one-of-its-kind player and will be liked by people who are tired of the hassling wires and want a stylish,unique player.Battery life is good with actual running time of 11.2 hours.It will fit in nearly everybody's ear as there is 3 earbuds provided with different sizes.It is ideal for listening to Accoustic Pop,Bollywood Pop or Trance but disappoints in Rock,Hip-Hop genres.Overall a nice,unique gadget with good sound quality and stellar design.
I never had the faintest of ideas that buying a Sony product could be that mess, I had to get one replacement but even then I was not sure whether it will last a reasonable length of time. But ultimately the solution was so damn simple. But I wonder the professionals, that they are Sony's R& D should have addressed to it much earlier. Just read on, the mess and the solution to it will both unfold. For once I was very weary of Sony's customer support but all is well that ends well and I am as happy as ever.
Sony Walkman NWZ-W202 is really bereft of hi-tech features but the best part is that it's 100% wireless, nicely mobile just sits on the ear. The idea of directly building it into a set of headphones is quite ingenuous and of course works perfectly.
The design is marvelous and it looks real cool, trendy and even I might say sexy. The color choice available is black and pink. The whole idea is to attach a pair of audio models, very tiny ones at that, by flexible, twisting neckband. The audio modules are two sleek rectangles 2inch x 0.8inch x 0.4 inches. Tiniest possible mp3 player to my mind. It is just the sort of gadget one can carry to a gym, take a walk with or may be even do a jig never mind it will stay put up there. It is remarkably light weight at just a mere 1.3 oz. Let me call it an mp3 player cum headphone. The ear buds are quite comfortable and just in case you are missing out on the bright dig it inside a bit tightly.
Let us have a look at it is
No abundance of feature but capable excellent audio.
PC interface(s): supported USB
Flash memory installed: 2 GB Integrated
Digital storage: None
Weight: 1.3 oz
Dimensions (W x D x H): 7.4 in x
Color: Black
Available body colors: Pink, Black
''Included accessories:''' Stand, 3 ear tips
''Supported digital audio standards:''' AAC, MP3, WMA, Protected WMA (DRM)
Playback modes: Repeat shuffle
Response bandwidth: 20 - 20000 Hz
Audio Features
Sound output mode: Stereo
CD system type: None
Digital audio standards supported: MP3, AAC-LC, WMA, WMA-DRM
Tuner type: None
Headphones type: Binaural In-ear ear-bud (with behind-the-neck mount)
Connector type: 1 x USB
Battery / Power
Battery: Lithium ion Rechargeable Player battery Integrated
Mfr estimated: battery life 12 hour(s)
Recharge time: 90 min
System Requirements
Peripheral / Interface devices: USB port
Operating system: Microsoft Windows Vista Business SP1 , Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 , Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic SP1 , Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 , Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2 or later , Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2 or later.
There are no issues with RF, Bluetooth and FM radio. But the tiny machine performs and that it does with amazing aptness. Sony has done a wonderful job with the W-series Sony Walkman NWZ-W202. The 2GB flash memory is reliable and enough. Since the ear buds are integrated Sony has taken care to include three different sizes of silicon ear strips. So to my mind the issue of comfort has been eloquently addressed to.
I was wondering that there is no screen but then it sits on the ear how would I look at it anyway? Sony Walkman NWZ-W202 plays music in simple alphanumeric order. This is so as default with the option of activating the shuffle mode which is done by accessing the shuffle switches right inside the right hand side earpiece so that you can play your music randomly. The other two in its short list of controls are 1) a volume rocker and 2) a jog dial. The Zappin is a wonderful integration to it by Sony. Listen to the snippets of the chorus of each song and browse through the tracks. If the songs hits you just press the jog and the machines plays it from the start. The Zappin has two options first the 10 seconds long one and the other 4 second long.
It's very impressive, there is no customizable equalizer but the performance is mind-blowing through out the audio spectrum. I was singularly impressed by its performance at low volume. The bass and the treble balance is excellent, it's never too shrill neither does it sound subdued. The only problem is you got to be just that much careful to dig the ear buds enough in so the there is no dissipation of volume level. If it is securely dug into the ear the bass is good and the high frequency response is comfortable enough. It is immensely gratifying that the distortion level is negligible and the background hiss hardly exists.
A quick charge feature gives our 90 minutes playback. But the rated battery life does not impress at 12 hour. The transfer of audio is done via standard Mini-USB. It is provide with a bottom stand/docking station for transferring and song and charging the device.
The Sony Walkman NWZ W202 is basically an audio only device. Naturally it plays mp3, ACC (unprotected only) and WMA (including subscriptions) files.
*FM radio
Now when you go for a jog or to a gym, even while you take a walk one is bound to sweat. The Sony Walkman NWZ-W202 is extremely prone to water and moisture. The moment there is accumulation of sweat or water it starts misbehaving. It dose amazing jigs like the volume maxes out, the jog stops functioning properly and quite often than not the Zappin does not work. I had to get a replacement once until I realized the whole problem is with the USB mini port. My suggestion is; get rubber plug or a similar sort of thing and after removing the device from the docking station insert the plug. Once you do it the mp3 player behaves remarkably well.
At a price of £59.99 (including VAT) it is reasonable palatable. It's a good buy except the mess you might just get into.
(First published at ciao.co.uk under the same user name)
The clutter free Sony NWZ-W202, is a fresh approach to MP3 players which is ideal for the user that does not want to mess around with wires or carry around a player that is large.
Considering that the headphone is actually the player itself, it does fit quite nicely. There is just enough elasticity to make the headphone fit comfortably without being too tight. In fact, when using the player, it does look as if you are simultaneously using 2 Bluetooth headsets which might get you some odd looks from other people. The task of transferring music is rather straightforward and simple, with no complicated procedures.
The buttons are placed in what is probably the most ergonomic place, which is onto of the player, meaning that it is not that noticeable. However, the tiny buttons are not the easiest to press/use. This is true even when sitting down, let alone when jogging. But realistically, its quite a small setback for its ultra small size.
Due to the nature of the player and its size, it is not possible to house a display screen, which means that the only way of finding it out is listening to the song after you have skipped the song. The player uses a function that works by playing short clips of the individual songs, which is supposed to make it easier to scroll through many tracks. This is great when you think about it, but it does not work as well as expected.
The sound quality is reasonably good and acceptable, however this is especially crucial and vital for a player such as this one, because you can't just swap new headphones if you are not impressed with the sound quality. But thankfully, the power output and signal to noise ratio is quite good.
However, there is a fixed build in memory which limits the amount of songs that you can put onto the player. It would be useful if you could actually increase the capacity, since its not huge.
I bought my first MP3 player in 2005 when I finally had the cash to ditch my outdated CD walkman and join the white ear bud brigade with an Ipod Mini (remember them?) the predecessor to the Nano. I upgraded (or should that be downgraded?) a year later to a shuffle and thought that would the last digital music player I would ever need, that is until a month ago....
I'm a member of a forum dedicated to running (yes laugh all you want!) and one day they ran a little contest to give away a new Sony Walkman MP3 player that had been donated to them, all you had to do was write about whether music helps you when you exercise and which types of music are better than others. I gave my little contribution and week later was thrilled to learn I was the winner! I still don't see how my answer was better than anyone elses but who I am to complain?!
All I knew about the player was that it was the latest offering from Sony and that it retails at around £59. I excitedly waited delivery of said item whilst my other half started to plan what songs to put on his "new" ipod, see, we like to recycle in this family!
I was surprised when I received the MP3 player at the shape of it, it looks like a gadget from Star Trek and I struggled at first to figure out how to wear it. The ear buds rather than being separate pieces are attached to the body of the player, a short cable joins them together and also fits behind the head preventing the player from falling off when you're wearing it. To put the player on you simple detach the two pieces of the player put the cable behind your head and position the ear buds in place. It stays put really well and didn't budge an inch even when I went out for a brisk run.
The player is comfortable to wear though does look a little odd, the body pieces of the player attached to the ear buds are quite large and stick put a couple of inches across your face if you see what I mean? it's not easy to explain. I had some strange looks when I went out in public with this on.
Setting up the player was a little difficult initially, I had to read the instructions 3 times before I fully understood how to set it up on my pc and to transfer songs onto it. To do so you need to connect the player to your pc using the cable supplied, wait a few seconds until your pc recognises the player. You then need to find a folder that automatically uploads to your pc containing software called Software Transfer. Once you open this for the first time it automatically opens itself every subsequent time you connect the player.
Transferring songs to the player is slow work, you can drag and drop songs either in groups or individually direct from iTunes. Each song takes a good couple of minutes and a whole album earlier this week took a good half an hour, unfortunately the process slowed down the rest of my pc so I had to walk away and do other things whilst it thought about it. Once the songs are on the player though listening to them is a joy, the sound quality is fantastic and I think better than the Ipod, songs sound clearer and sharper plus louder as well.
The player has simple controls, a click wheel to scroll between songs and two little buttons to change the volume in addition to a switch to change to shuffle. The player doesn't have an on/off button as it simply doesn't need one. To turn the player on simply detach the two parts of the player and depress the click wheel, you'll hear a beeping noise telling you it's working. To listen to the song you want move the click wheel until you hear another beep, then the song will start. You cant unfortunately choose which song to start with but if you fill the player with songs you enjoy then what's the problem? To turn the player off just attach the body parts together again, it really as simple as that.
The player can hold around 2000 songs which is more than enough for me. It also has a little stand to sit on whilst it's charging up.
I'm thrilled with this player especially as I got it for free, but I would also be more than happy to buy one either for myself or as a gift. I prefer it now to my old ipod and wouldnt change this for the world
I was recently lucky enough to win one of these mp3 walkmans. I found that is extremely simple to use. To charge it up you simply plug it into your computer, it takes roughly 20 minutes to charge for the first time. To transfer music onto the walkman, which you can do whilst it is charging you simply open windows media player, load a cd into the computer and drag and drop the tracks that you want onto the walkman. There is no requirement to use complicatd download packages such as sonicstage. It is simple and takes seconds. The quick start instructions that come with it are easy to follow and accurate. The sound quality is awesome. The earphones sit well in the ear and are comfortable, they are much better than traditional headphones. The pack comes with two sets of replacement ear pieces, which is good as I imagine they could get mucky! I use mine whilst runing, as there are no wires with this it is great as you are not constantly getting tangled. I would recommend this to anyone.
I bought this MP3 player first day it's released from Sony Style UK website. Dispatch time was very quick (2days) and was very excited to try it on.
Here are things I have felt after using this product
Sound: sound quality is amazing. Nice base and easy to handle voice adjustment. (You can tell by touching little button on the side. Increasing volume button is more protruding.. :) ) Ear phone is snug fit as well so, it gives you almost noise cancellation effect. Zapping (playing each tune about 10sec -1min) in and out & Shuffle features are also interesting.
Design: I love the design. Everyone looks at me when I use it at the gym. Wireless design is second to none. I love it and when it's folded back with magnetic ends when it's being charged too.
Use: Very easy to use. Just drag and drop or you can synchronise with Window Media Player. Battery life is great too. Battery life for all Sony products I find is great.
Quality: Initially, I wanted to give 10 out of 10 but my first dispatch has been playing up in 10 days. Button didn't work properly and zap-in and out features went crazy. I called customer service and they sent a new one in no time. So, Sony style support team was good. Touch wood second one I got was good so far.
Price: I bought it for 59 pounds. I think it's slightly pricy for 2G player but considering groovy design without wire you will forgive this gadget.
Recommendation: I recommend this mp3 to everyone especially, gym goers, street joggers and everyone who fed up with wires being tangled up.
I love this, I really do! - The perfect device to spur you on to renew you gym membership and actually do more than 4 sessions a year...
"New 2GB Wearable WALKMAN MP3 Player with high quality secure-fit headphones, outstanding sound quality, and up to 12 hours battery life.
With the new all-in-one Wearable WALKMAN®MP3 Player from Sony you can experience total freedom. Available in 5 gorgeous colours, this unique MP3 player fits compactly around your head so you can be free to move without the constraint of headphone wires"
In the box
Sony Walkman NWZ202 (Built-in headphones)
Quick start guide
Software CD
Rechargeable li-ion battery
Charging dock (USB cable 1m)
Plastic protector case
Internet - play.com, amazon.co.uk, hmv.co.uk, comet.co.uk, currys.co.uk)
Shops - Argos, Comet, Currys, Sony Centre, HMV
First impressions
I've had my eye on this since seeing a preview image a few months ago on the internet. I own many Sony products, great build quality, reliable, high performance and innovative, with all this in mind, this made purchasing the NWZW202, or "Walkman W" for short, an easy choice.
Upon opening the box you discover what a great price this is, the unit is nice looking (I have the black and silver version) and small enough to fit in your pocket. Firstly I wrapped around my head to check it fit's, thankfully it does, my head is rather large by the way!
It's worth mentioning at this point that headphones are in ear, meaning these won't dislodge when running/jogging etc...It also comes with 2 other sized ear pieces to fit all ears.
Left in the box was some manuals, some software, a plastic dock that charges the device and is used for transferring audio and last but not least a plastic cover, this clips onto the main unit and stops it scratching when in transport.
Good start
The device clips together with the use of a magnetic strip in-between the two headphones, when the magnet is engaged, the power shut's off, a nice feature, meaning rather than using an on/off switch, you just clip the headphones together and hey presto.
I place the unit on the supplied dock and connect the USB lead to my laptop. I'm using Windows Vista; my laptop detects the device and does all the work for me! - Within 60 seconds it's installed without the need for the CD.
Transferring audio
The main reason I went for this is because you can use whatever software you like to put music onto it. Unlike an iPod where you are tied to iTunes...
You can use the supplied Sony Walkman software, this installs a small widget to your desktop and you literally click and drag the files you want added and drop them on the widget.
If you don't like this then use Windows Media Player to sync your library of music to it, surely everyone with a Windows based machine has this!?
Or even cooler, Windows recognises it as a mass storage device; you can just open my computer and drop files onto the device from there.
Best of all, music transfers very speedily...An album took around 25 seconds to put on it.
Charged already!?!?
I had the device plugged in for half an hour whilst I was messing about with transferring audio and eating a sandwich. I did not realise at first but this next feature alone warrants a purchase.
How fantastic is that!?
Picture the scene, you get back late from work, you have 10 minutes to get ready for a gym session, by the time you have put a dozen or so songs on this baby, she's ready to go for the whole of your gym session!
Sound matters
Bare in mind, this is an MP3 player. Now what is the primary use of an MP3 player? - To play music.
Most people forget about this and just by an MP3 player because, it looks nice or you can download cool applications.
Surely if the sound quality is poor, there's no reason to purchase?
Thankfully the NWZ does not disappoint. Loud enough to keep you running that extra mile, bassy enough to keep you motivated and clear enough to...clear your head...oh I don't know! From Trance to Country, Jazz to Metal, it performs surprisingly well.
How to play
The unit has 3 playback modes....
SHUFFLE - There is a shuffle switch on the device, this mode basically sets your unit to random, so your songs play in any order.
PLAYLIST - Create a playlist; listen to your songs when you want them to be played.
ZAPPIN - Plays 3 second clips of all your tracks at the chorus part of the song, you listen to what track you want to hear and tap the wheel when you like the sound of the clip to hear it in it's entirety.
Another Sony success, I had an iPod shuffle before this, that iPod is eBay bound!
Great sound quality, very easy to use and transfer songs to, stylish, practical, everything you would ever need from a gym buddy.
For the money, this is number one!


text:
Say hello to a whole new bra fitting experience
Try It. Wear It. Love It!™ Guarantee
If you're not totally in love with your bra, we'll exchange it so it's a perfect fit or give you a full refund—even if you've worn or washed it.
We'll hook you up
Stop in any Jockey® outlet store and one of our talented RealFit® bra fitters will fit you (for free!)FIND A STORE ›
Need more help?
Check out easy-to-follow fitting steps, bra tips and answers to all your other bra questions.SEE Q&A ›


text:
Yi Song
Yi joined the Company in 2005 and retired in March 2012.
Born: Qing Dao, China.
Trained: Beijing Dance Institute, China.
Previous Companies: Singapore Dance Theatre.
Favourite Roles: Arthur, Dracula; Aramis, The Three Musketeers; Valmont, Dangerous Liaisons, Romeo and Tybalt, Romeo & Juliet; Lysander, A Midsummer Night's Dream; Cavalier, The Nutcracker; Anthony, Swan Lake; Jiri Kylián's Forgotten Land; Nacho Duato's Jardi Tancat; Stanton Welch's Maningas; Choo-San Goh's Birds of Paradise; Lambarena; Angels in The Architecture.
Personal: Enjoys watching movies and swimming. Treasures quality time with family.


text:
Then it's a good thing that's not what the team has been doing. .636 winning percentage last year following .441 the year before.This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
EDIT: and I'd go up to 7.5 mil if we don't sign another PG, though I'd prefer to pay in the 5-6 area while getting a starting 1 like Nash or at least above-average-starter quality.


text:
Gothika actress Halle Berry – still sporting a plastic boot on her injured leg – was spotted picking up her 3-year-old daughter Nahla after her day at school on Wednesday (February 22).
The actress – who is engaged to actor Oliver Martinez – flashed the paps her award winning smile as she went to gather her precious belongings. Nahla looked adorable donning a patterned, ruffled dress, maroon tights, and a pair of white lace-up shoes. Halle dressed casually in a white cap, grayish sweater, and a pair of jeans complete with a hole in the knee.
It seems America is becoming a little too crowded for the Hollywood star.
E! News recently confirmed that the Oscar-winning actress has filed a request in family court to be able to move to France with her daughter Nahla because she is fear of her life now that two specific men are no longer behind bars. The first man is Richard Franco who was convicted of stalking Halle and sentenced to 386 days in jail, only serving 193 of those days. The second is Robert Hoskins, a man who recently escaped from a mental institution and allegedly threatened to slit Berry's throat . He also allegedly threatened to slit Madonna's throat and was shot by her bodyguard in 1995.
"This person has invaded and trampled upon the most fundamental sense of security I have and I am extremely frightened of him and what he might do to me and those I love," Halle states in her criminal complaint against the Franco.


text:
On NFL's Greatest Games.
AFC Championship game from Jan 15, 2006.
'); var yuipath = 'clientscript/yui'; var yuicombopath = ''; var remoteyui = false; } else // Load Rest of YUI remotely (where possible) { var yuipath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/2.9.0/build'; var yuicombopath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/combo'; var remoteyui = true; if (!yuicombopath) { document.write('
On NFL's Greatest Games.
AFC Championship game from Jan 15, 2006.
Thanks but no thanks.
Saw it last summer and it hurt. Bettis fumbling at the redzone, Colts recovering the fumble, Roethlisberger making the tackle as the last player, finally advancing the ball only for Vanderjerk missing the kick.
It's always great to go back and relive the worst memories of your life........
I'd say it's the second worst Colts memory of my life. I'd put it behind the Super Bowl against the Saints. At least we came back the year after the Steelers loss and won the championship in epic fashion. But the Saints loss will forever sting because it obviously prevented us from hanging two banners in the Manning era. Plus it was really the last true big game that Manning ever played for the Colts, though no one would have known it at the time.
The January losses in Foxboro sucked, but I think deep down everyone knew we'd probably lose there. We may have talked ourselves into believing beforehand, but I don't think anyone was really all that surprised when we got our clock cleaned. But the Steelers and Saints losses were very very very tough to digest.
Last edited by Sollozzo; 12-12-2013 at 12:19 AM.
I was at that Steelers game and surrounded by Steeler fans to our left and right. They initially thought they were coming to see Bettis' last game. Instead they get treated to a win. We were headed away from our seats when the fumble happened and we quickly found new seats of fans that had already left. And then Manning threw those hero balls instead of taking a 'gimme' on at least one that would've gotten Vandershank closer or possibly extended the drive in the first place.
And then Vandershank missed....
Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.
"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, thats teamwork."
-John Wooden
That wasn't an AFC championship game though it was a divisional game.
The Championship game that year was Pittsburgh vs Denver
But yeah no need to relive that moment fortunately we won the SB the next year so it doesn't hurt as much as it could've had we never won an SB.
Because we had it all lined up and still failed it just shows how HFA is worthless if you can't defend it.
Last edited by Basketball Fan; 12-12-2013 at 12:19 PM.
No, Denver won that crazy wildcard game against Pitt two years ago with Tebow (the only time I was ever a Tebow fan).
The only Colts/Steelers game that should ever be mentioned as being rebroadcast is the MNF showdown where Peyton threw the 80 yard killshot to Marvin on the first play of the game and Bob Sanders basically DDTed a guy.
"Nobody wants to play against Tyler Hansbrough NO BODY!" ~ Frank Vogel
"And David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone and slung it. And it struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen. "


text:
Men with EarringsMath brain teasers require computations to solve.
There is a certain club which is for men only. There are 600 men who belong to this club and 5% of these men wear one earring. Of the other 95% membership, half wear two earrings and the other half wear none. How many earrings are being worn in this club?
AnswerSix hundred. We know that 5%, or 30 people of the men are wearing one earring. Of the other 95%, 570, we know that half are wearing two earrings and the other half none. This is the same as if they all wore one.
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Back to Top


text:
Finding and sharing information is easy: choose the icon and send the news of moleskine.com to your social network.
And to see what the web says about Moleskine go to the Delicious page, the updated on line review.
Ideas and projects from paper to web and from web to people.


text:
Limit feeding of heifers – a relatively new approach to dairy heifer development – involves feeding a nutrient-dense ration in a restricted quantity. Such rations are composed of higher levels of concentrate, high-quality forages, or a combination of the two. Research has shown this feeding strategy results in a decrease in fecal excretion and nitrogen waste, lower feed costs, increased feed efficiency, and effective control of average daily gain (ADG).
The challenges of limit feeding include decreased feeding and lying time, increased unrewarded time at the feedbunk (visiting the feedbunk but not receiving feed), more vocalizations and more inactive standing time. In addition, rations high in concentrates, when consumed rapidly, leave heifers susceptible to subclinical depression of rumen pH (SARA).
A team of Canadian researchers led by Trevor DeVries at the University of Guelph conducted a study to explore whether providing more ample bunk space, and/or feeding more frequently, could help alleviate some of the drawbacks of limit feeding. The research, published in the March 2013 Journal of Dairy Science, found that when limit-fed heifers were not allowed adequate bunk space for all animals to eat at the same time, the level of competition at the feed bunk increased, time spent feeding decreased, and variability of growth between heifers increased.
The trial consisted of 16 heifers of approximately six months of age, fed in four groups of four animals each. Each group was exposed to each of the following treatments:
- 1x/day feeding with 0.29 m/heifer of bunk space
- 1x/day feeding with 0.40 m/heifer of bunk space
- 2x/day feeding (delivered two hours apart) with 0.29 m/heifer bunk space
- 2x/day feeding (delivered two hours apart) with 0.40 m/heifer bunk space
The researchers concluded that, overall, providing sufficient feed bunk space to allow all limit-fed heifers to feed at the same time improves feed efficiency and average daily gain and reduces variability in feeding time. Delivering feed more frequently resulted in heifers being more consistent in the amount of time they spent feeding, but this did not translate into improved ADG. Further, delivering feed 2x/d did not alleviate all the impacts of reduced bunk space. While delivering feed 1x/day resulted in increased competition at the bunk, it also enabled heifers to gain adequate weight and spend more time feeding each day, provided they had enough bunk space to feed simultaneously.
Source: March 2013 Journal of Dairy Science


text: The Georgia state Senate has passed a bill that would allow station owners to charge higher prices for gas the moment an emergency is declared, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The bill comes less than two years after Gulf hurricanes caused a run on gas, as well as price gouging. The Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs


text:
Coffee Service
Music & Games
Bulk Vending
ATMs & Kiosks
Meetings & Events
Names in the News
Vend Product News
Bulk Vending and Crane Products
Small Business News
Video Content
Press Releases
Classified Ads
Buy a Classified Ad
e-Newsletter Signup
Bookstore Sales
About Vending Times
Media Kits
Editorial Calendars
Circulation Data
Contact Us
The continuing flow of innovative technology into the vending industry was sampled at a business session during the National Automatic Merchandising Association's recent OneShow in Chicago. Dr. Michael Kasavana, NAMA Endowed Professor at Michigan State University's School for Hospitality Business (E. Lansing, MI), moderated the two-part series of presentations.
Leading off the review and update was Mike Gron of Rougo Vending Management Software (Calgary, AB), who described the applicability of "cloud computing" to the vending industry.
Gron defined cloud computing as "the delivery of computational resources on demand," explaining that those resources can include not only software, but also infrastructure (including hardware) and a platform, e.g. for custom software development. The key is that the user of these services does not need to buy anything, nor expend time and labor in installation. "It offers total loss of ownership," Gron summed up.
Under the traditional model, an operator who sets out to computerize a business confronts the tasks of purchasing, installing and learning to use the computers and a suite of management software. As software upgrades become available, the user must download them and verify that they are working properly.
The "cloud" concept puts the hardware and software in a remote data center; the subscriber simply logs onto a secure website to use the system. Equipment maintenance and software upgrades and enhancements are the job of the host service provider.
Gron observed that "cloud computing" popularly refers to software as a service (SaaS), but this is only one implementation. The others include "infrastructure as a service," under which the user pays for access to whatever hardware is needed for local use, and relies on the host for the required resources and support; and "platform as a service," the development, maintenance and licensing of application software by a remote service provider.
Cloud computing services are widely available, Gron pointed out, and are finding favor with individuals as well as businesses. For example, there are many providers offering secure remote storage of data, including Rackspace Hosting, Amazon Web Services' Simple Storage Service and Dropbox. Platform-as-a-Service offerings include Google's AppEngine and Microsoft's Windows Azure. Popular proÂviders of software as a service include Campaign Monitor (for email marketing), Salesforce's customer relations management programs, the Zendesk help desk service and Capsule's sales management tools, among others.
In the vending and coffee service industry, he continued, an increasing number of software developers are offering SaaS products. These include Cantaloupe Systems, MEI, Rougo and USA Technologies.
Next to speak was Ming Jung Tavella of The Kellogg Co. She discussed "relationship marketing," a subject that continues to gain traction as social networks become more prominent and widespread.
Tavella summarized the objective of relationship marketing as fostering customer loyalty and retention by focusing on needs. The approach works through methods for establishing two-way communications from the supplier to the consumer (B2C), and from the consumer to the retailer client (C2B).
As an example, the speaker explained that the company's consumer website at kellogg.com is a vehicle for providing coupons and other promotional offers. Customers are informed of these offers by a custom newsletter, tailored to the recipient based on behavior -- "you don't sell through email," the speaker emphasized.
She contrasted the traditional mass-market media approach, which passively displays messages to everyone, with the interactive possibilities offered by the Internet. As an example, she instanced Kellogg's text-to-win promotion, in which a code is imprinted on each package of Pop-Tarts; vending patrons can send the code as a text message to the game's website for a chance to win prizes, such as movie tickets. Kellogg also maintains a YouTube channel and a Facebook page. It runs specific websites for different categories of customer, including teens, moms and "superfans." Similarly, the Sunshine Cheez-It brand is supported by text-to-win games for vending patrons -- prizes are themed to Nascar, tailgating and other automotive interests -- and by a "fan of the month" contest. Cheez-It Colby crackers were launched after placing first in an online "Next Big Flavor" vote.
On-pack promotions involving patrons' sending text messages to the brand website are very well suited to vending, Tavella pointed out, since their execution is turnkey, requiring no expenditure of time by route drivers and involving no administration by operators. "This approach turns passive consumers into active ones," she explained.
The potential of the new self-service micromarket system was explored by Scott Phillips of Avanti Markets. This approach is based on a checkout terminal resembling the self-serve express lines in some supermarkets; any sort of merchandise can be sold from appropriate display merchandisers, as long as it carries an identifying code that can be read by the terminal's scanner.
The micromarket was devised to counter the ongoing erosion of vend revenues, Phillips explained. "Product manufacturers expect growth, and vending clients want innovation by operators," he said.
With that in mind, Freedom Shopping was introduced about seven years ago. Its checkout terminals read RFID tags affixed to the products, which allowed the sale of everything from bagged snacks to fresh melons. Today's systems use these RFID labels or conventional UPC barcodes, Phillips noted. In either case, product selection is virtually unlimited, as there are no constraints on package size or shape. "There are no more 'refund kitties' left with office managers," the speaker noted, "because there are no more machine malfunctions. Out-of-stocks decrease, because inventory is maintained in real time. Locations recognize that the service keeps people on site, and the operator enjoys increased sales. Price changes are dynamic, the payment system is flexible, and sales taxes and container deposits can be passed along directly to the consumer. It's energy-efficient, and customers like it."
Phillips reported that experience has shown the system to be practical in both blue-collar and white-collar workplaces; it works best in locations with populations of 150 or more and limited public access. It can be implemented in any available space.
"Over the past 18 months, more than 75 vending operators have adopted micromarkets," the speaker said. "On average, profitability is up 15%." Theft is manageable, he added, averaging about 1.3%."
Brent Garson of Vendors Exchange International Inc. then took the rostrum to describe a new vending machine accessory that can identify every facing by shelf and column. "In vending, implementing a planogram is tough," he noted. "Operators typically know the category, but not the specific item. How can you tell exactly what's in the machine?"
To answer this question, Vendors Exchange mounted a small digital camera on a mechanism that travels vertically to each shelf, then transports the camera horizontally to image every product in vend position. The images are analyzed by pattern recognition software that matches them against a database; the system can identify a product regardless of its orientation.
This technology holds great promise for operators, Garson emphasized. For one thing, it makes possible automatic price adjustment; each facing can be recognized, the appropriate price retrieved from the database and the controller adjusted accordingly.
"Operators need to know more than 'turns' -- they need to know what was vended," the speaker pointed out. The system also facilitates remote servicing by flagging product jams or hang-ups, and insures compliance with the planogram.
Consumers benefit, too, Garson continued. "It does away with 'line' pricing, in which the price of an item is dictated by the slot it's in," he explained. "And it assures accurate product data -- for example, the nutrition data for each facing can be displayed."
Automatic product recognition also can strengthen suppliers' relationships with the vending industry by providing a detailed record of the number of facings, the locations in which they're vended and the "end-of-the-line" price, the VEII executive summed up.
The second session of the workshop offered updates on the progress of cashless vending. First to speak was Gene Ostendorf, founder of InOne Technology, who now heads up the Arrow product line for Coin Acceptors.
"'Cashless' is a terrible term," Ostendorf said. "We need a better one." But the concept itself is making swift progress, he said, noting that a large bottler experienced a 19% increase in sales by adding this payment option. The ease with which a patron can make one or several purchases builds loyalty, the speaker noted, and the ability to make purchases without expending bills or coins makes vending more attractive to markets like colleges and hospitals.
The Arrow system combines cashless transaction handling and telemetry, Ostendorf explained. The remote monitoring features include "Arrow Alerts" to flag functional problems and to provide accurate inventory information. This allows one driver to take care of many more machines every day by only visiting the ones that need service. One bottler was able to add 60% more machines on the same number of routes, the speaker reported. Service becomes proactive, not reactive.
And it enables whole new ways of doing business, the industry veteran emphasized. One operator offers an entirely cashless meal vending program; purchases may be made with debit and credit cards, and prepaid cards are issued for promotions. The average vend price is $7. Detailed reports, right down to hour-by-hour sales for every day of the week, are available; and "e-receipts" are issued for employer meal reimbursement, when required. "And there's no cash handling," Ostendorf concluded.
Stacey Finley Tappin of Apriva reported that Apriva Vend has been producing impressive results for operators. Apriva, working with MEI, offers "cashless coaches" to help operators get their machines online with minimum effort, and supports the National Automatic Merchandising Association's Cashless Solution program.
She reported that an operation in North Carolina, running about 600 machines on a traditional cash-only basis, concluded that this payment limitation was impairing profitability. The company was concerned about the cost of converting to cashless payment acceptance, and the possibility that cashless sales simply would cannibalize existing business. Working with Apriva, it devised a trial.
"We tested 50 machines in Charlotte, NC, and increased the vend prices in each by 5¢," Tappin explained. "Those machines registered a 40% increase in sales -- and the nickel price increase paid for the upgrade."
The company discovered additional benefits, she concluded: the machines required little maintenance, incurred lower operating costs while producing more revenue, and sales volume went up.
Brett Powell of Cantaloupe Systems reported that Cantaloupe, too, has dealt successfully with operator concerns: the expense of converting, the fear that the effort will not improve profitability (if it results in winning more accounts without increasing revenue in proportion) and the suspicion that the majority of cashless sales would have been made anyway, without the extra expense. Other such barriers include worry over the complexity of cash-and-cashless accounting and reconciliation reporting, of integrating cashless with remote monitoring and, in general, the sense that it is dangerous to get into cashless too early.
Cantaloupe has been addressing these concerns by identifying "cashless catalysts," steps that have been proven to get cashless vending off to a strong start, Powell explained. These include analyzing return on investment at the machine level, monitoring performance continually, and deploying an open solution with reconciliation and accountability functions already built in.
As cashless vending becomes more popular, it creates the conditions for ever wider adoption, the Cantaloupe executive observed. Greater interest lowers hardware costs, the expense of gateway access and processing, and interchange fees: "Competition drives down costs," he emphasized.
Cantaloupe, developer of the well-proven Seed remote machine monitoring system, offers a "Cashless Calculator for Profit Maximization" that uses Seed data to identify the profit-and-loss opportunity for each machine, in real time. "This can predict the profitability of a machine, so you can decide whether to add cashless," he explained. And, as the base of information increases, operators can plan in greater detail for enhancing their present eligible accounts or pursuing new business.
Cost considerations include the expense of hardware and wireless activation, and fees charged for services and processing, the Cantaloupe executive summarized. In selecting a product, he emphasized the importance of compliance with the requirements specified by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI) and of open architecture to assure interoperability with the widest possible variety of hardware and software. Other key features, Powell concluded, are integrated cash-and-cashless accountability.
Mike Lawlor of USA Technologies reported that 2010 was a big year for the company, and by the first quarter of 2011, its ePort-equipped machines were handling more than 4,230,000 transactions a year, representing annual cashless sales in excess of $6,283,000. As of August 2010, 27% of sales made by cash-and-card-equipped machines were cashless, he added -- an 80.6% increase over the 15% recorded three years ago.
Moreover, the speaker explained, the "average spend" per cashless transaction is 29% higher than that for cash purchases. He attributes this to the greater appeal of the cashless option for higher-priced merchandise, and to the ease with which multiple purchases can be made from a machine with a single cashless payment. For example, USAT's database shows that 20.1% of cashless sales were items priced at $1 or less, while 34.4% were products that sold for $2 or more.
And this is important to keep in mind, given current economic trends, Lawlor emphasized: "Costs are going to keep on rising, and you will need to raise prices."
For these reasons, more and more operators are adopting cashless vending. "It's gaining ground rapidly," the USAT executive said. "In general, if adding the cashless option increases a machine's sales by $1,000 a year, it's profitable. Cashless payment is boosting sales and profits and, as prices increase, its value grows. Consumers want it."
And operators need it, Lawlor summed up. "Between 2000 and 2011, vending's average net operating profit declined from 7.5% to 1.4%," he said. "That's an 81% reduction."
Brian Voigt of Bank of America Merchant Services agreed that market forces are driving vending's adoption of cashless payments. As Generation Y supplants Generation X and the Boomers, the demand by consumers for the cashless option becomes stronger and stronger. Operators must accept noncash payments sooner or later, since their customers want this amenity, he said. There are more and more options for doing this -- and for deciding what to do in the meantime.
"This is the time for making business decisions and forming strategic partnerships," Voigt emphasized. "Your choices today should prepare you for tomorrow."
Some trends to watch include the growth in "multifunction" cards -- which provide access to debit and credit accounts, or to a personal and a business account -- and mobile payments, the speaker advised; "this is coming very soon, and you want to be ready." Contactless cards are here already; waiting in the wings is the "near field communication" medium, already popular as a cellular telephone option in some parts of the world. Also assuming greater and greater importance is fraud protection.
The BAMS executive noted that retail employment of cards for promotional purposes, not just for payment, is growing rapidly. Applications range from "closed-loop" product like retail gift cards to "open-loop" incentive and rebate programs. Both concepts also can be used for loyalty programs.
Government also will have an impact on the cashless transaction field, the speaker added; the Durbin Amendment, which requires the Federal Reserve to establish rules governing card fees, still is under study by the banks. For all these reasons, Voigt said, operators should seek strategic partners able to offer guidance during an interesting and unpredictable future.
Following a brief question and answer session, Chris Lilly of Best Vendors Management, chairman of NAMA's Vending Data Interchange Task Force, offered a progress report on his group's campaign to insure interoperability among services and products from different suppliers as local and remote machine-to-machine data communication becomes more and more widespread in vending.
The taskforce was formed by NAMA to work against the possible emergence of closed systems, each able to communicate only within a limited family of host and client equipment. "Interoperability protects your investment in new technology," Lilly pointed out.
The first step was to develop a standard format for data received from a variety of new devices, so it can be read by present vending management information software without conversion. This task has been completed, Lilly reported. The second stage is the establishment of a device-to-server standard, so peripherals and machines from many manufacturers will be able to communicate with one another -- again, without conversion -- and with servers, including remote ones that host Internet "cloud"-based services.
Finally, the Best Vendors information technology expert said, the taskforce plans to work toward interoperability among cashless vending systems. "We've had preliminary discussions to define the problems," he said.
Connect With Us!


text:
Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
Anode|ION|JOKERi|MD2|FD|TD|PD|LEGENDaParks wrote:If the posts on this forum are any indication, the PD is like a Teebird with sunshine coming out of its butthole so hard that it flies faster.
InvaderMirO wrote:i had an issue similar to what i think your doing when i started.
i would throw my putters and midrange very clean ( because i didn't need full power and you will know INSTANTLY when your form sucks if you try to drive with a putter )
i would however throw my drives with terrible form , mostly because i was trying to use 120% of my power and also because i used very overstable discs for a long time which masked the errors in my throw.
i remedied this issue by simply playing with just putters and midrange for a week. you will quickly learn that if you want max distance out of that buzz that you can't exactly put 100% of your strength behind it, and not because the disc can't handle it but because you will likely have errors in your form. However, if you keep with it eventually you will be able to get that buzz out over 250-300 and have it fly smoothly from start to finish. at this point you pull your drivers back out, repeat the same throw and then bask in the awesomeness of your new sexy drives.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


text:
Maddy O'Reilly – Babe of the Day
Today's Babe of the Day is an adult film actress known as Maddy O'Reilly. If you don't know of her yet, then you'll probably want to do some research. Ya know — for science.
Miss O'Reilly is seriously one of the hottest girls on the planet. The 24-year-old adult film star played Dorothy Gale in 'Not The Wizard of Oz XXX,' the pornographic parody of 'The Wizard of Oz.' Her seductive looks and sexy body are a dangerous combination and helped her become nominated for plenty of awards and even helped her win an AVN Award for the "Best Solo Sex Scene." She's beautiful and talented.
Check out her gallery below and become a fan of hers on Instagram and Twitter, both of which are pretty NSFW.


text:
Lupus Research Institute Awards $3 Million to Leading Innovators in Lupus Research
2014 Novel Research Grant Recipients Advance Cutting-edge Paths to Transform Lupus Treatments and Advance Patient Care
|Dr. Ralph Budd
|Dr. Jin Wang
|Dr. Amy Major
|Dr. Hans Haecker
|Dr. Shiaoching Gong
|Dr. Betty Diamond
|Dr. Josh Thurman
|Dr. Chaim Putterman
|Dr. Lijun Yang
|Dr. Keith Elkon
Ten new Novel Research Grants are now poised to take high-risk, high-reward research in lupus to new levels. The Lupus Research Institute's novel research platform, the cornerstone of a decade of unprecedented scientific success in lupus, is the proven source of breakthroughs that advance new treatments while pushing toward prevention and a cure. Generating over $170 million for novel investigations in lupus over the past decade, the LRI continues to demonstrate the power of innovation to achieve unsurpassed progress, delivering the solid and documented results that directly impact patient care.
10 Diverse New Projects Drive the Next Wave of Invention
Novel investigations continue to define the scope and set the pace for discovery and growth in lupus research. The LRI Novel Research Grant Recipients Class of 2014 is working from Florida to Seattle, from genetics to the human biology of lupus, to tackle lupus with new eyes, new questions, and creative new thinking.
More than half of this year's investigators bring new concepts from the frontiers of biology to bear on the problem of why the lupus immune system switches sides and begins attacking the body it is supposed to protect.
- Dr. Ralph Budd will investigate if damaged mitochondria (the cell's energy factories) promote inflammation in lupus, which could lead to new treatment approaches.
- Dr. Jin Wang is studying if a failure of white blood cells to recycle and renew their mitochondria (a process known as autophagy) is involved in the development of lupus, which will establish if therapies aimed at correcting these defects have potential benefit.
- Dr. Amy Major is asking whether a breakdown in communication between cells of the immune system involving a new cell-to-cell messenger molecule is to blame.
- Dr. Hans Haecker is using genetically engineered mice to identify immune system processes that cause disease, allowing for the development of novel targeted therapies for lupus.
- Dr. Shiaoching Gong is using innovative technology to study how changes in the TNFAIP3 gene contribute to the development of lupus.
- Dr. Betty Diamond is testing if lupus autoantibodies drive up levels of the hormone prolactin and increase the severity of lupus. If so, existing drugs that decrease prolactin levels may be able to limit the extent of the disease.
Several other investigators are advancing new treatments for the most dangerous and debilitating complications of lupus.
- Dr. Josh Thurman will develop and test new experimental treatments that block lupus kidney damage directly where it happens, without causing widespread suppression of the immune system.
- A new targeted treatment to prevent lupus damage of the central nervous system will be tested by Dr. Chaim Putterman.
- Dr. Lijun Yang is asking whether low blood cell count (anemia) in lupus can be reversed by an arthritis drug that prevents damage to essential blood-cell producing stem cells in the bone marrow.
- Dr. Keith Elkon's study of how sunlight impacts lupus is expected to provide opportunities to test therapies to treat skin lupus and prevent disease flares.
Contributing new findings to the growing body of LRI's cutting-edge work, these 10 projects promise to build on breakthroughs with imagination and creative new science.
Thanks to our Lupus Community
Fostering innovation is only possible with the support of the lupus community – the involvement and collaborative spirit of patients, families, scientists, physicians and biopharmaceutical companies sustain the momentum that is Turning Lupus Research Upside Down and Patients' Lives Around.


text:
Dear DW forum members... I need your advice in how to set up a shrine in a way that only I will know the significance of each item in the shrine. You see, I live with my cousin and her family. They are non-denominational bible Christians and don't want me to have any images or statues in their house. I had Catholic statues that were my deceased mother's set up in the room I am staying in and my cousin told me that she was not comfortable with them and to put them away.
Do you have any suggestions in how I can set up a Buddhist shrine in my room with items only I will know the significance of. For example, I was thinking of getting Buddha's footprint or an image of a Bodhi tree set up in my shrine but am stumped at what else I can put in my shrine that won't set off my cousin's alarms in that I am bringing things that are evil into her home.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


text:
Phil Lesh signs exclusive tour deal
Former Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh has signed a new deal to perform a 45-show residency at New York's Capitol Theater in 2014 to avoid the rigorous schedule of touring. The 73 year old tells the New York Times he's "done with one-nighters" and he's looking forward to a more stable performing experience.
He says, "I've been on the road for 46 years, and I've gotten to a point where I'm jealous of all the time that I waste on buses and sitting around waiting to go on."
Lesh will perform a kick-off show on 14 November (13) and the series will officially start in April (14) at the venue which once hosted the Grateful Dead for 18 shows in 1970 and 1971.
He continues, "I'm not retiring, and I'm not slowing down. I'm pretty sure I want to make music till I can't breathe anymore. I just want to do it within the most focused possible way. The future looks really exciting."


text:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jimmie Johnson likes Brad Keselowski, but the five-time Sprint Cup champion thinks that NASCAR's newest champ needs to mature a little.
The 37-year-old Johnson looks at the 29-year-old Keselowski and doesn't think he will be able to get away with the brashness and colorful antics that he has been lauded for, such as being tipsy while doing a SportsCenter interview after winning the title last year.
"Watching him on SportsCenter following the race trying to drink a beer, (I) was not sure that was the best thing for our sport and how he handled that," Johnson said Thursday during NASCAR Media Day.
MORE: Busch-Kenseth wreck | Media Day Photos | Danica-Ricky | Jr.s 'Dirty Mo Radio'
While Keselowski is outspoken and opinionated and often provides interesting perspective on the sport, Johnson said that he doesn't always deliver those opinions the best way.
Keselowski is known to use some colorful language at times, as he did during a tirade last year when Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer clashed at Phoenix.
"Brad, as mature as he wants to portray himself as, he has some growing to
do," Johnson said. "Now he is in the spotlight as the champion, and I think we all sit back and chuckle at times at some of the things he says and does.
"He is a great guy. He has the best of intentions for our sport, for his sponsor, for his team. He just needs to mature a little."
Keselowski has said often that he plans to be his own person and stay true to himself, no matter how outlandish some of his actions or words might seem. He reiterated that during Media Day Thursday.
"There is nothing wrong with a little style is there? Everyone likes a little style. I feel like I have a little style," he said.
"I don't put that much thought into it. I am going to do my own thing. If it works, great, and if not then whatever. I am going to be my own person and look out for what is best for the sport. I have always felt that way, whether I was a champion or not."
Johnson said he is sure people could look at him when he won his first championship in 2006 and see plenty of things he did that weren't the most mature or thought-out.
"He will be more aware of his voice (as the champ)," Johnson said. "Once you are the champion, your voice carries much further. The more success you have in the sport, the voice will carry further and further.
"I had my own experiences where I would just casually mention something, and I didn't realize how far it went, and maybe I wasn't as accurate as I needed to be. So, I think he'll have a few moments like that which will rein him back in some, and make him think about what he says and be more calculated."
Keselowski said he has always considered what is best for the sport.
"I feel like every driver has a responsibility to make the sport better and all it can be," he said. "I might have a louder voice now, but I took it seriously before I was a champion."


text:
Eat, Drink, Play: A-Basin pairs summer fun with winter sports
April 7, 2012
The balmy weather and longer days that mark early spring have the same affect in the High Country that they do everywhere else.
So locals and visitors must be forgiven for being unable to resist the temptation to turn the parking lot of a local ski area, normally a sacred stronghold of winter-sports culture, into a combination beach/tailgate party in the spring.
Beachin' at the Basin is as reliable as it is unofficial. Without any prompting from ski area management, skiers and snowboarders regularly claim parking spaces along the slope-front property of Arapahoe Basin's Early Riser parking lot for summer-style parties.
"It's like being on the beach, without an actual body of water, and the snow is the sand," A-Basin spokeswoman Leigh Hierholzer said. "It's nothing we have created. It's just something that has happened since A-Basin's been open."
Skiers and snowboarders park along the snow-sand beach, crank up their car stereos, set up tents and grills and enjoy a day of picnicking, tailgating, drinking, Frisbee, volleyball, tanning and, paradoxically, skiing and riding.
Dogs are welcome as well, as long as they're leashed, A-Basin representatives say.
Recommended Stories For You
"There's no particular day," Hierholzer said. "It could happen any day, but most people come up on the weekends and spend the whole day just hanging out on the beach."
The most dedicated tailgaters sometimes arrive as early as 6 or 6:30 a.m., when the parking lot gates open, to grab the best beach-side real estate. Those who plan ahead can reserve most sought-after parking spaces closest to the base area, with the ski area for parties.
Food is available on site from the nearby A-Frame.
The Legend once allowed overnight camping, but these days beach-goers and tailgaters have to vacate the property at 6 p.m.
This weekend A-Basin's beach party will, of course, have an Easter theme, with visits from the Easter Bunny and an egg hunt for children on the snow, on Molly Hogan at noon for kids who are not skiing and on Wrangler at 1 p.m. for those who are. Approximately 2,000 eggs will be filled with candy and toys.
The beach is a ski in, ski out area, adding to its appeal. While it's not an official slow zone, the ski area does have a banner up warning skiers and snowboarders there are "kids at play," Hierholzer said.


text:
The year 2008 marked the end of a growth cycle in international investment that started in 2004 and saw world foreign direct investment (FDI) flows reach a historic record of $1.8 trillion in 2007.
Due to the impact of the on-going worldwide financial and economic crisis, FDI flows could decline by more than 20% in 2008. A further decrease in FDI flows can be expected in 2009.
The fall in global FDI in 2008-2009 is the result of two major factors.
In addition, a very high level of risk perception is leading companies to extensively curtail their investment plans.
The set-back in FDI is also a fall in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As). It has also taken the form of a rising wave of divestments and restructurings. International greenfield investments have been less impacted to this point, but could be increasingly affected in 2009 as a large number of projects are presently being cancelled or postponed.
Developed countries have so far been the most affected, with a decline in FDI inflows in 2008, due mainly to sluggish market prospects. Flows into developing economies continued to grow in 2008, but at a much lower rate than the year before. An outright decline in FDI inflows to those countries is possible in 2009, due to a pull-back both in efficiency and resource-seeking FDI aimed at exporting to advanced economies, and in market-seeking FDI aimed at servicing local markets with growth prospects that, although still positive, have receded.
Medium-term FDI prospects are made especially difficult to assess, due to the exceptional magnitude of the present crisis and to the fact that it could lead to major structural changes in the world economy.
To illustrate uncertainties and provide a framework for further discussion and analysis, this paper presents a set of three scenarios:
Adequate public policies will obviously play a major role in the implementation of favourable conditions for a quick recovery in FDI flows. Structural reforms aimed at ensuring more stability in the world financial system, renewed commitment to an open environment for FDI, the implementation of policies aimed at favouring investment and innovation are key issues in this respect.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
Connect with us
Signup for our Newsletter


text:
MIAMI - Florida Grand Opera is kicking off its 72nd season with "La Boheme" and two performers who are part of the opera's Young Artist Program.
The story focuses on four young artists, and this production features opera singers who were trained in South Florida.
Brittany Robinson, who plays Musetta, grew up in Minnesota where she sang in the church choir and listened to jazz. Then, she heard another siren's call.
"I didn't get introduced to opera until later and so, when I did, it opened up this whole new world that I just fell in love with," said Robinson.
Now, she is a rising voice on the opera scene. Her character is a high-class Parisian girl.
"I want to say my sass. I don't know, everyone keeps telling me I have all this, like, sassiness," said Robinson.
Robinson and Craig Colclough trained in Florida Grand Opera's Young Artist Program and are now back playing major roles.
Colclough has two parts: a statesman and a landlord.
"It's really nice to come back as a comedic person, as a character actor which is more what I am as an artist," said Colclough.
"It's, I think, very exciting when you've created this program for young artists and the hope is that they will all go to have wonderful careers and to see it happen is great," said stage director David Gately.
The young artists' are happy with their success, but if it weren't so, Colclough has another passion: teaching kindergarten.
"I do a lot of puppets with my kids, and creating all the different characters and having the different puppets and what not and they just light up," said Colclough.
When the house lights go down opening night, Robinson's parents will be in the audience, and her mom has already given Robinson some advice.
"Just to have fun, enjoy the moment. God blessed me with this talent and just to be able to share it with everybody. Just to love the moment and have fun with it," said Robinson.
Robinson and the rest of "La Boheme" open Saturday night at the Adrienne Arsht Center and move on to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on December 6th.
The opera is sung in Italian, but there are English and Spanish subtitles.
Check out the Florida Grand Opera website for more information.
Copyright 2012 by Post Newsweek. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
KELSEYVILLE -- Authorities learned that a dark-colored, extended-cab truck was seen near a Kelseyville gas station and convenience store around the time of a fatal armed robbery Friday.
The pickup was described as a two-door Dodge Dakota, likely produced between 1994 and 2004, Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Steve Brooks stated Thursday.
"Detectives are seeking assistance with identifying and locating the person or people associated with this vehicle as a possible witness to the crime," Brooks added.
Authorities continue to search for the masked man who shot Forrest Seagrave, 33, while trying to rob the Mt. Konocti 76 Station, Store 24 in Kelseyville late Friday night.
Seagrave, a store employee, died at Sutter Lakeside Hospital early Saturday.
The shooter was described as thinly built, between 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 11 inches tall. He wore a mask, black-hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and gloves the night of the incident.
There is currently a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter. Anyone with information should contact the Lake County Sheriff's Office at 263-2690.
(Photo courtesy of the sheriff's office. It depicts a generic 1998 Dodge Dakota, not the actual vehicle reportedly seen in the area the night of the shooting.)


text:
15024415, Shaft
Please help our community — upload your photos of 15024415.
This is a shaft for Chevrolet Trucks and GMC Trucks cars. This shaft fits 44 General Motors car models which have been manufactured for US market since 2001 till 2006. This part is genuine General Motors part with GM OEM part number 15024415 and belongs to group #05.544.
Whole package with shaft weighs 46.60 pounds.
This shaft has manufacturer's warranty and 100% fits for General Motors cars. Shaft is made of top quality materials, it passed not only all manufacturer's tests but also General Motors quality control and, has to endure rough road conditions over a long time.
In spite of higher price of genuine parts buying GM genuine shaft will be a smart decision, because you will be absolutely sure that GM genuine shaft will serve you longer and will provide maximum safety and performance.
Front & rear propeller
Shops selling GM 15024415 Shaft
|$78.19 Buy
|GM Parts Giant
Northridge, CA
Browse to find other vehicles 15024415 shaft fits
Parts related to 15024415 shaft:
Share this page with your friends
URL for EMail, IM etc.:
For blogs and web-sites:
BB-code for web-boards and forums:


text:
Locksmith in JLT Jumeirah Lake Towers
We are your Dubai local locksmith and we know that your home holds some of your most valuable possessions. Locksmith Dubai JLT - Jumeirah Lake Towers can provide you with the piece of mind that you need. We provides a variety of services and a large variety of locking hardware in Dubai that can keep your home both safe and secure.
If your home is old or you have recently undertaken the task of remodeling an old home more often than you you may find yourself with the need to RE-KEY old locks. Locksmith Dubai JLT - Jumeirah Lake Towers can help to maintain the integrity and full functionality for old locks. Locksmith Dubai JLT - Jumeirah Lake Towers can also provide lock repair services in Dubai for any broken or damaged lock. If the lock cannot be repaired then we can help you our with the installation of new locks. Locksmith Dubai JLT can help you make the right choice and make certain that the hardware is properly installed and provides a locksmith solution for all your locksmith needs.
Dubai JLT Jumeirah Lake Towers Locksmith
Other type of residential services provided by Locksmith Dubai JLT - Jumeirah Lake Towers includes the set up and drilling for installation of other kind of locks. We can handle From normal door locks to fence locks just about any type of lock installation, including repairing and unlocking and rolling door or garage door locks. Locksmith Dubai JLT - Jumeirah Lake Towers can also fix and repair most sliding door locks for all major makes of sliding doors. If you have a storage unit lock in your home locksmith dubai
can help you out to get entry due lost or broken keys.
Contact Us
- Phone +971 4 3440689
- Fax +971 4 3317176
- Mobile +971 55 768 9003
- E-Mail email@example.com
- Location Satwa, Dubai - UAE
Service Areas
- Dubai Marina
- JLT Jumeirah Lake Towers
- Jumeirah Beach Residence
- Palm Jumeirah
- Jebel Ali
- Down Town Burj Dubai
- Springs
- Meadows
- Discovery Garden
- Emirates Hill
- Al Quoz
- Al Barsha
- Sheikh Zayed Road
- Business Bay
- Dubai Sports City
- Elite Residence
- Jumeirah Village Circle
- Jumeirah Village Triangle
- Jumeirah Park
- International City
- Arabian Ranches
- International Media Production Zone (IMPZ)
- Deira
- Bur Dubai
- Umm- Squeim
- The Greens
- Motor City
- Media City
- Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO)
- Dubai Academic City
- Al Warqa
- Rashdiya
- Mirdiff
- Al Garhoud
- Dubai Festival City
- Al quasis
- Zabeel
- Dubai Health Care City (DHCC)
- Madinat Jumeirah
- Knowledge Village
- Dubai Media City
- Dubai Internet City
- Al Sufouh
- Jumeriah Island
- Dubai Investment Park (DIP)
- Green Community
- Dubai International Financial Center DIFC
- Satwa


text:
So, you want to listen to WQAQ? Well, there's a couple of things you can do.
First, you can click the Flash Player in the header. That's a live stream of WQAQ 98.1 fm, broadcasting 24/7. You can see what show is playing, and pause and start the stream whenever you want!
If you want to listen on your smartphone or tablet, or just have a grudge against Flash, you can go to www.tuneIn.com and download their free app. You can search us up there, we're listed as WQAQ.
If that's not your cup of tea either, a Flash-based computer program is in development, for you to download and have access to WQAQ right at your desktop, on both the Mac and PC (sorry Chromebooks)
And of course, you can find us at 98.1 fm on your radio in the local Hamden/Cheshire/Wallingford area.


text:
A poor GDP report, a mediocre ADP jobs report and anticipation of what the Fed might say later today have slowed the bulls down today. Research In Motion (RIMM) is seeing a sell-the-news reaction and is a source of hilarity on Twitter. Amazon (AMZN) is fading after a big gap-up open. Breadth is running 1700 gainers to 3300 decliners, which is the worst in a while. Gold and silver are leading, primarily due to the weak GDP reading. Small-caps are the primary laggard.
As I discussed in my opening post, this market has become challenging even for the bulls because there has been so little rest. We haven't had much of an opportunity to buy pullbacks or bases, so I can't say that this action is not welcomed to some degree.
I've made no new buys today and have sold down more positions. My cash level is becoming quite high, even though I still maintain a mostly bullish bias.
The Fed is going to be particularly interesting this afternoon. In some ways the weak fourth-quarter GDP may be a market positive as it keeps the Fed in the "accommodative policy" business; however, there are whispers that inflation may not be completely dead.
I'm going to stay a bit defensive for now and watch for better setups to develop.


text:
Review Roundup: Atlantis Productions' NINE, Now thru Oct 7
Manila, Philippines, September 24, 2012 - Prolific theater company Atlantis Productions Inc.'s VIPs, Bobby Garcia and Chari Arespacochaga, have been running in the fast lane lately: Both had to fly out to Singapore to direct and prepare to open Tony-winning musical "Avenue Q" at Marina Bay Sands over the weekend, just a few days after they premiered another Tony-winning musical, "Nine," last Friday night at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium.
Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, "Nine," features music and lyrics by Maury Yeston - "Be Italian," "Unusual Way" are the most familiar songs from the show - and book by Arthur Kopit.
"Nine" was inspired by the life and times of one of Italy's most celebrated filmmakers, Federico Fellini (1920-1983), and his semi-autobiographical, comedy-drama film, "8 ½."
In the musical, Guido Contini, an Italian movie director, is facing a mid-life crisis, some pressure to score a new hit movie (after several box office flops), and numerous demands of the many women in his life.
Jett Pangan plays Contini; Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo plays Contini's devoted wife, Luisa; Cherie Gil plays the filmmaker's producer, Liliane Le Fleur; Eula Valdez plays the movie director's favorite leading lady and muse, Claudia Nardi; Carla Guevara-Laforteza plays Contini's psycho-neurotic mistress Carla Albanese; Ima Castro plays prostitute Sarraghina; Sitti Navarro plays the Lady of the Spa; Yanah Laurel plays film critic, Stephanie Necrophorus; Joy Glorioso plays Contini's deceased mother; Mikkie Bradshaw, Reg Claraval, Princess Virtudazo, and Japs Treopaldo play Contini's avid fans; and Warren David Saga and Ethan Paras alternate as nine-year-old Contini.
The local production takes pride in flying in Tony Award-winning scenic designer David Gallo ("Memphis" "Mountaintop") to work on the show's scenic design, which early reviews refer to as "vast, grandiose, and elaborate."
Read what theater critics have been writing about Atlantis Productions' "Nine" below.
Vladimir Bunoan, AbsCbnNews.com: Indeed, watching film and TV actress Cherie Gil steal the show with her bombastic number "Follies Bergere" may be already worth the price of admission. Playing a demanding film producer who insists on coming up with a movie musical, Gil's powerful stage presence, with a French accent to boot, could have easily put the production off balance, particularly when she emerged in sexy showgirl outfit, showing off her fine form. Her husky voice provided an earthy contrast to the glorious sopranos of her co-actresses.
But the magic of Atlantis' "Nine" is that despite Gil's show-stopping number, the others all managed to shine.
TV and film actress Eula Valdez, who cut short her stint on the top-rating soap "Walang Hanggan" to do "Nine," was the evening's revelation as the film star Claudia, Contini's muse. Valdez's beauty and presence were also immediately felt, even when performing in the ensemble numbers. Taking on the musical's hauntingly beautiful "Unusual Way," Valdez hit notes you never thought she was capable of, showing studied technique and control. Her recitation of her goodbye letter to Contini was heartbreaking in its sincerity.
Musical theater veteran Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Contini's wife gave the role inner strength, which erupts in the defiant "Be On Your Own." But it's her rendition of "My Husband Makes Movies" that truly captured her range as an actress, conveying the many emotions inside her for Contini from admiration to insecurity and even resignation, while maintaining a happy façade…
Despite his inconsistent accent and some goofy moments, Jett Pangan impressed mainly because of his outstanding vocals and the clarity he brought to his lines. In the showpiece soliloquy "Guido's Song," which conveys the many contradictions of his character, Pangan brought back the awe of his highly praised number in "Jekyll and Hyde." And he got even better in "The Bells of St. Sebastian," his guilt-ridden cries of "Kyrie" was stirring, hitting each individual note in the runs with precision.
For director [Bobby] Garcia, all he really needed to do was to allow this overflowing of talent to gush forth. He could have given us a bare stage and you know these stars would still deliver.
But Garcia placed his cast on a grand set which took up the entire stage, length and height. Tony-winning set designer David Gallo assembled a series of risers and steps to resemble a marble fountain to give the musical a sense of grandeur and worthy of those who are on it.
Francis Christian Lubag, ClickTheCity.com: Excess and grandiosity seems to be the overarching philosophy of the production. From the powerhouse cast that includes theater veterans and commercial artists, the detailed and flamboyant costumes, to the staggering and elaborate stage design, Bobby Garcia heads a calculated, disciplined and almost cerebral execution. All of which justifiably evokes the grand scale and depth of the complexities in a troubled artist's mind.
The production takes pride in flying in multi-awarded stage, scenic and projection designer David Gallo to create the environment where "Nine" takes place. His design successfully takes on Venice while juxtaposing the intricacies of Guido's psyche. This technique often brings the audience in to the confusion of the artist between reality and personal perception. The masterful and efficient management of space on stage in consideration to the dynamics among the characters was also noteworthy…
The scale of the production goes beyond its grandiose performances within the stage. It often breaks the fourth wall to involve the audience, which shatters the barrier that makes the audience passive viewers to, at most, intrusive peeping toms on the lives and psyche of the characters. Moreover, "Nine" latently provides a cerebral sense of irony in its production and story: the emptiness from trying to capture and recapture everything, the philosophy of excess in the discourse of creative block, and the homage to its cinematic roots.
Fred Hawson, Rappler.com: I remember being disappointed when I saw the film version of the Broadway musical "Nine" shown a couple of years back. The film, a glamour project which featured renowned film stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren, Penelope Cruz and Kate Hudson, seemed too disjointed to be good and even memorable. I don't remember much of the film frankly…
The stage design is the most elaborate and wondrous I have ever seen for an Atlantis production. The whole RCBC theater stage was converted into a marble spa with multiple pedestals, stairs and doors where the actors performed on its multiple levels. This is definitely an award-winning stage design, in both its look and functionality. When an actor was performing on the top most tier, it looked absolutely breathtaking.
I am glad I did not let my disappointment in the film version stop me from watching this play. This play is for adults only because of its mature theme. There will be some potentially scandalous scenes for some conservative audiences. However, overall, it is an excellent production. It is definitely going to impact the most on the middle age group, who could easily identify with Guido's midlife crisis portrayed. There is an important life message in there somewhere which each member of the audience would have to figure out for himself.
Congratulations to Director Bobby Garcia and the rest of the Atlantis cast and crew for another thought-provoking and very entertaining show!
Photos by GA Fallame, Jaime Unson.


text:
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Wellness Center
Ginkgo Biloba
Would you please give me your thoughts on Ginkgo Biloba? I don`t take this myself, but my boyfriend was asking me about it. I have read some negative things about this supplement and would like your input on it. Thank you.
This works well for some in the areas of:
- altitude sickness prevention
- mild memory improvements
- dizziness (not medically related)
- leg cramps (not medically related)
- and sexual dysfunction (not medically related).
Glen F Aukerman, MD, DABFP
Professor of Family Medicine
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University


text:
Thought you might get a laugh or two out of this.
'); var yuipath = 'clientscript/yui'; var yuicombopath = ''; var remoteyui = false; } else // Load Rest of YUI remotely (where possible) { var yuipath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/2.9.0/build'; var yuicombopath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/combo'; var remoteyui = true; if (!yuicombopath) { document.write('
Thought you might get a laugh or two out of this.
Warning: The above page is very irreverent, possibly even racist, and definitely should be enjoyed in the privacy of your own home rather than, say, your workplace. Oh and most of it is laugh out loud funny.
In other words ***NSFW***
Yeah I gotta tell you I was wondering whether or not to post it. Everything was pretty much OK except that comment about KG.
That site is a little iffy.
I read an article where the author was pissed because no one chastizes Kevin McHale or Danny Ainge for their jobs as GMs. Say what? Who doesn't make fun of them?
The Miller Time Podcast on 8 Points, 9 Seconds:
RSS Feed
Subscribe via iTunes
"Did NASA build this team? Because they have imploded and fallen back to Earth in a hurry"
Absolutely despicable...good writing though.
I love what the guy said about Antoine in another post of his concerning the NBA's crackdown on complaining and ****:
"7. Jiggles Walker
His face might as well be a question mark. He never understands anything."


text:
What are the keys to improved starting pitching by the Reds this coming season?
Obviously, everyone needs to pitch well, but which pitcher or pitchers should be monitored most closely.
To me, the answer is undoubtedly Bronson Arroyo. Thing is, he pitches so many innings that a bad season has a huge impact on the ballclub. Last year he did poorly but pitched, as I recall, 199 innings.
If Bailey pitches poorly the Reds won't likely leave him out there every fifth day. I think it would be an upset if Cueto, Latos, or Leake bombs out this season. Bronson remains a key.
Arroyo's contract is a factor. The Reds have seemed unwilling to remove from the rotation pitchers, like Harang in the past, and Arroyo, even when not performing.
There is of course reason to expect Arroyo to do better this year, most notably his health, which should be better.
But, even after all the changes, the Reds need a decent season from Bronson to succeed. They can't afford 200 innings of pitching like Arroyo's of last season.