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Runa and the Kichwa Bring Fair Trade Certified Guayusa to the World
Fair Trade USA's Independent Smallholder Standard in Action
Nestled deep in the Amazonian region of Ecuador, where cool rainforest canopies intermingle with the jutted rocks of the Andes, live a group of indigenous farmers whose ancient ritual of gathering around gourds of warm guayusa tea can now be shared and enjoyed by all. The Kichwa farmers in Napo, Ecuador are some of the first farming communities around the world who can now access the benefits of Fair Trade through Fair Trade USA's new Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard – aimed at achieving the nonprofit organization's mission of empowerment, social responsibility, economic development, and environmental stewardship for this group of small farmers.
What is Guayusa?
Guayusa (gwhy–you–sa) is a native Amazonian tree leaf that indigenous people in the Ecuadorian Amazon have brewed like tea for thousands of years. Drinking guayusa is essential to what makes them "Runa"— fully alive. Guayusa offers a clear, focused energy by balancing as much caffeine as one cup of coffee with twice the antioxidants of green tea. Unlike traditional teas, it contains no tannins, so it tastes surprisingly smooth and naturally sweet.
The Kichwa People
Despite a long and difficult history of colonization, the Kichwa always have been, and continue to be, a strong, vibrant, agricultural community. For thousands of years farming families have worked together to hand pick guayusa on the land of their ancestors, carefully collecting leaves and stringing them together into a wreath to dry. Until now, these farmers have never had the opportunity to sell their tea outside of local markets, and have often struggled to access things like healthcare and education for their children. Now, with Fair Trade certification and their strong relationship with Runa (an importer of Fair Trade Certified guayusa), the Kichwa are able to share their rich cultural heritage with the world.
The Creation of Runa
The idea to create Runa, the importer of the Kichwa's guayusa, came from a team of students traveling in the Ecuadorian Amazon in 2008. Founders Tyler Gage and Daniel MacCombie were inspired by the Kichwa's traditions and saw the potential impact they could make in these farmer's daily lives by helping them bring their prized guayusa tea to market. As a result, they created Runa and began working with a group of small, independent guayusa farmers to obtain Fair Trade certification.
The Road to Fair Trade
When Tyler and Daniel founded Runa, acquiring Fair Trade certification was a core element of their business plan, and key to their mission of improving the lives of the Kichwa farmers. They founded the export company "Runapartuna Exportadora" that worked with the farmers to help them qualify for Fair Trade certification against the FLO Small Producer Organization (SPO) Standard. Unfortunately, since the farmers had never commercialized their guayusa before and had no history of working together as an association, the cooperative model that the FLO standard promotes didn't work for Runa. As a result, the producers were unable to be certified in their early stage of growth.
While cooperatives are the backbone of the Fair Trade model, only a small percentage of small farmers world-wide (<10%) are part of one due to various geographic, political, cultural or business-related barriers. This is why Fair Trade USA has developed its new Independent Smallholders (ISH) Standard, to provide access to the benefits of Fair Trade for the many farmers that own small parcels of land (typically between 1 and 5 acres), but are not organized into official cooperatives or associations.
Building on the strengths of the coop model, this new standard allows more organizational flexibility while upholding the rigor for which Fair Trade certification is known. Under the ISH standards, groups of independent smallholders work with a "Market Access Partner," who in the early stages of development will own the Fair Trade certificate, help manage premium funds with the Fair Trade Committee, and bring their product to market. Once the farmers have developed the necessary skills to independently run a successful business operation, they can form their own cooperative if they choose. Runa is actively supporting the Kichwa farmers with the development and creation of their own cooperative.
As the first group to be certified under the ISH standard, the Ecuadorian Kichwa farmers are a true testament to its necessity. Years of limited educational opportunities, lack of experience with international sales, and minimal business acumen would otherwise have eliminated these guayusa farmers from participation in Fair Trade. Now, through the ISH standard, groups of independent smallholders can become certified, allowing Fair Trade to meet them at their current level of development and accompany them on their path towards increased empowerment.
Looking Ahead
Through Fair Trade certification and the direct partnership with Runa and their nonprofit partner, Fundacion Runa, the Kichwa plan to reinvest their Fair Trade premiums into various programs around environmental management and conservation, education, financial literacy and women's empowerment.
Visit http://www.runa.org/ to learn more about Runa, the Kichwa, and the incredible Fair Trade journey this new Amazonian tea has taken to get from the rainforests of Ecuador all the way to your cup.


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Fill Out Your Census Form: Millions of Dollars Are at Stake
March 17, 2010
News Highlights
More Information
As census forms arrive in mailboxes this week, Fairfax County officials are asking residents to take 10 minutes to fill out the 10-question form. Forms should be mailed by April 1.
"If the census is a snapshot of our county, it's important that everyone be part of the picture," said Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova. "I am asking everyone in our community to participate in a challenge. Let's make Fairfax County the Virginia jurisdiction with the highest response to the census. It's important that everyone fills out their census form because our community gets millions of dollars for schools, roads and other programs based on census data."
To get help answering the form, call the U.S. Census Bureau's toll-free telephone help lines:
- English: 1-866-872-6868
- Chinese: 1-866-935-2010
- Korean: 1-866-955-2010
- Spanish: 1-866-928-2010
- Vietnamese: 1-866-945-2010
Residents who do not get a form by April 12 should call the help line. To get a form in a language other than English, Braille or large print, call the help line. Some county households will automatically get a bilingual, English-Spanish form mailed to them.
One of the shortest in history, the 2010 census form only asks 10 questions:
- How many people are living in your home, apartment or mobile home?
- Are any additional people living in your home who were not reported in the first question?
- Do you own or rent the place where you live?
- What is your telephone number (in case the Census Bureau has follow-up questions)?
- What is your name?
- What is your sex?
- What is your age and date of birth?
- Are you of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?
- What is your race?
- Do you sometimes live somewhere else?
By federal law, information from census forms cannot be shared with any local, state or federal government agency, including Fairfax County. Census workers also take an oath for life to keep this information confidential. There are stiff penalties for U.S. Census Bureau employees who disclose this information, including fines of up to $250,000, up to five years in prison or both.
County officials are asking everyone to participate in the census because Fairfax County gets federal money based on census data. In Fiscal Year 2008, Fairfax County received more than $359 million in federal dollars based on census data. This money helped to fund county's schools, roads and social services. As an example, the county received more than $50 million for schools.
The U.S. Constitution requires that a census be conducted every 10 years to count everyone living in this country. Everyone must be counted — not just U.S. citizens — as stipulated by the Constitution.
Starting March 22, the Census Bureau will be reporting response rates online every day, showing the percent of people who have mailed back their forms.
For more information about the 2010 census, visit the Fairfax County Web site.
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director, Office of Public Affairs
703-324-3189, TTY 711, Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-3187, TTY 711

subset: commoncrawl


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Julianne Hough Photo 500x748
Julianne Hough
Julianne Hough ( born July 20, 1988) is an American professional ballroom dancer, country music singer and actress. She is most widely known for being a two-time winner of ABC's Dancing with the Stars.[1] She earned a Creative Arts Primetime Emmy nomination in 2007 for choreography. ABC's 20/20 called her one of the "very best dancers on the planet."
Julianne Hough & other news
Julianne Hough: new hairstyle for 'Safe Haven'
Selena Gomez Needs Help to Find Australian Boyfriend
Halle Berry is Fine after Divorce
Subscribe to our weekly celebrity newsletter and receive the week's trending celebrity photos and wallpapers.


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Our Roman Gallery contains an internationally important collection of fascinating artifacts from two major Roman military bases in Wales and provides an unrivalled talking point and an ideal venue for evening drinks receptions and networking. Hire of the Gallery can be combined with use of Roman Garden for larger gatherings to entertain guests whatever the weather. Please ask our staff about hiring costumed facilitators to entertain guests and make your event truly memorable.
|From 80-120 guests
|Available daily 5-9.30pm
|Prices from £300-400 + VAT


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CODES/STARS: Cooperative Collection Development
Displaying active committee roster as of 07/01/2013. Last retrieved on 09/22/2017. Members can log in to view full contact information for committee members.
Public Posts from ALA Connect
- Cooperative Collection Development Committee Meeting (CODES/STARS)
- Cooperative Collection Development Committee Meeting (CODES/STARS)
- Cooperative Collection Development (STARS & CODES)
- Cooperative Collection Development Committee Meeting (RUSA CODES, STARS)
- Committee Update: Planned 2013 Annual Program
- Cooperative Collection Development Committee Meeting (RUSA STARS / CODES)
- 2011 Annual Conference Presentations: The Good, the Bad, and the Ambigious by Leslie Button
- Cooperative Monographic Collection Development : A Brief Bibliography
- RUSA CODES/STARS program, "Cooperative Monographic Collection Development – Recent Trends"
- Collection Assessment
See RUSA or Section Bylaws.
See Committee Charge.
Get Involved
ALA values committed and active committee members. Qualified members are welcome to volunteer to serve on [insert committee name here]. Committee members must have an interest in the work of the committee; be able to attend Annual Conferences and Midwinter Meetings to participate in the meetings and activities of the committee; and be able to work between conferences via e-mail and ALA Connect. Express your interest in serving on this or other committees by filling out an application form. Appointments take place once a year, during the spring. Committee service usually begins following Annual Conference, about July 1.
Staff Liaison
Jennifer Cross
Web Services Manager


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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/06/digital-video-game-distribution-finds-brick-and-mortar-camping/
Blame it on the economy, or simply chalk it up to a better way of earning revenue, but physical distributors of new video games are beginning to feel some major heat from the scrappy competition. While this mainstay segment still comprises the bulk of sales with $1.44 billion earned in the previous quarter, the combination of digital purchases, subscriptions, downloadable content, social network and mobile games — along with help from rentals and used purchases — now tops $1.74 billion dollars. This news comes from the NPD Group, and while we're still scratching our heads at the logic of combining second-hand purchases with electronic distribution, it provides a strong indicator of consumers' changing tastes and preferences (along with their willingness to spend). Does this industry titan simply need a new console or another Call of Duty to maintain supremacy? Perhaps a modest uptick in GDP? Or does this signal the changing of the guard for our favorite electronic pastime? There's a full PR after the break, where you're welcome to fire one off in the comments and let us know your take.
[Image courtesy bradleyolin / flickr]
Continue reading Digital video game distribution finds brick and mortar camping, moves in for win
Digital video game distribution finds brick and mortar camping, moves in for win originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Features & Benefits
- Measures breastmilk intake for infants up to 44 lbs: Know that as your baby continues to grow you can track how much milk he/she is taking in.
- Lightweight and portable: Weigh your child any place, any time
- Stable low-profile design.: Designed to take up little space in your home while providing a comfortable, sturdy and contoured space for weighing your baby.
- Easy to use push-button weight measurement and easy to read LCD display: Makes confirming your baby's weight and breastmilk intake simple.
- Compensates for a moving baby: Baby's movement won't affect the accuracy of the scale.
- Zero button accounts for blanket weight: Keep baby warm while getting an accurate weight.
- Grams only version (#0407023) helps prevent pediatric medication errors: Healthcare professionals working with the metric system and this model ensures accuracy when weighing in grams.
What's Included
- 1 - BabyWeigh II Scale
- 1 - Power supply
- Instructions
- Quickstart card
- Power: 4 AA batteries AC adapter
- Unit Weight: 10.1 lbs.
- Unit Size/Packaging: 16.1 x 23.6 x 6.2
- 1 year limited
What's New With Medela?
Customize Your Pump!
Medela accessories + your lifestyle = successful breastfeeding.
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What Others Are Saying
" I had a very rough birth and finally a c-section. My precious son was put in the NICU for a week and the stress of the surgery, separation, medication, and exhaustion caused my milk to dry up even... " More


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MIAMI - On this date, a massive storm slammed into California on this date in 1982. The system dropped up to 25 inches of rain on the San Francisco Bay Area, causing mudslides and claiming the lives of 36 people. Squaw Valley, Calif., received between 6-8 feet of snow in 24 hours, while Echo Summit set the state's 24-hour snowfall record when it received 67 inches of snow.
HIGHEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F).........................84 Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
HIGHEST HEAT INDEX (DEGREES F)..........................86 Marathon, Fla.
LOWEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)..........................-34 Alamosa, Colo.
LOWEST WIND CHILL (DEGREES F)...........................-47 Alamosa, Colo.
HIGHEST WIND GUST (MPH).................................96 Hooper Bay, Alaska
HIGHEST PRECIPITATION (INCHES)..........................0.98 Brownwood, Texas
Copyright 2013 by Local10.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Safe Working Practice: Trail Checking
This unique course covers the principles and application of checking mtb trails as part of good practice trail and land management. It includes:
- Why trail check? an understanding of responsibilities and litigation
- Recording protocols, tools and techniques
- Three methods of trail checking and how you rotate them
- What to look for on the trail: corridor; surfacing; visibility; signage
- Categorising repairs
- Identifying locations needing repairs
- Management and verification requirements
This course also leads to the Volunteer Trail Repair Co-ordinator course which looks at maintaining mtb trails and liaising between volunteers, dig days and land owners / managers.
Course outcomes
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Set up systems of work for trail checks
- Implement lone-working procedures
- Check trails for land managers
- Identify locations that need immediate and future amendment
Please contact the Courses & Training Helpline to find out if this course is available for booking: 01483 238 337
What you need
Prior to attending this course, it is recommended that you have completed either:
- Safe Working Practice: Fundamentals (for use in non-technical environments) or
- Safe Working Practice: Fundamentals and Safe Working Practice: Technical Areas (for trail checking in technical and non-technical environments)
These courses are absolute pre-requisites for organisations such as Forestry Commission.
Where you are working with other land managers, it can be possible by request to bypass these pre-requisites.
What next?
This course leads directly to the Volunteer Trail Repair Co-ordinator course which takes the information determined as a result of your trail checks and identifies the most effective way of repairing and maintaining them, liasing with both volunteer trail repair groups, dig days and land managers.
This course can be used as supporting evidence and training towards the Trail Mountain Bike Leader Award.


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Ten years ago Sunday, President George W. Bush announced that Iran, Iraq and North Korea were "the axis of evil." Now, American-Iranian relations may be at their lowest level since the Islamic Republic was born. Host Rachel Martin talks with NPR's Mike Shuster and Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
U.S. And Iran, A Decade After 'Axis' Declaration
By editor • Jan 29, 2012


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Close friends Torrealba, Hernandez fight for one spot
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Yorvit Torrealba and Ramon Hernandez visit one another's homes in Florida during the offseason. They played winter ball together in Venezuela, where they grew up. They've passed many hours talking baseball, sharing their passion for the catcher position, and competing at dominoes.
They were together again Tuesday afternoon, with Torrealba, 34, starting for the Rockies against the Royals and Hernandez, 36, serving as backup. But this strange spring they realize they won't be together long. With second-year slugger Wilin Rosario entrenched as starter, there is room for just one of them.
Hernandez is signed for $3.2 million this year to complete a two-year contract. Torrealba is under a Minor League deal. There has been talk of the Rockies trading Hernandez, but nothing has materialized. Torrealba, who was the starting catcher on Rockies teams that went to the postseason in 2007 and '09 and is back after spending time with the Padres, Rangers and Blue Jays, could ask out of his Minor League deal and find is own big league job.
"It is a weird situation that's hard," Torrealba said. "It would be nice if they could keep all three of us on the ballclub. All I do is wish him the best, and it's the same from him. We keep working hard."
Although Torrealba's situation is more tenuous because he doesn't have a Major League deal, the lack of catching depth industry-wide suggests there is room for both, somewhere.
"He'll be a Major Leaguer and I'll be a Major Leaguer, so we're here working hard and getting ready for the season," Hernandez said. "That's the way I see it. I realize they're trying to trade me, although I'd like to be here. I know Yorvit wants to be here. We'll see how it turns out. But to be honest with you, this doesn't feel like competition at all."
Torrealba was signed as protection in case Hernandez wasn't fully healthy after a 2012 season that was marred by a hand injury early and a ruptured hamstring at the end. But Hernandez reported to camp healthy at about 13 pounds lighter than last year to take some pressure off his legs. Both have been starters for much of their careers and are transitioning to backup roles, something Torrealba struggled with in Texas and Toronto last year.
Now they appear ready to help mentor a young catcher and offer their experience to pitchers trying to advance their thought processes.
"It's a little bit stressful, to be honest with you, because it is the first time I've been in a situation where I don't really know what to expect," Torrealba said. "But overall, I know I can help the team. So I'm having fun and doing my job. So far it's working. I'm having a really good spring, I feel healthy, way better than I did last year.
"In Texas, Mike Napoli had an unbelievable year the year before and in the postseason, so they decided to go with him and I wasn't playing much. Napoli deserved to play and I knew that, but it was tough because I was playing one every five or six games, but I learned."
Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Hardball in the Rockies, and follow him on Twitter @harding_at_mlb. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
February 8, 2013
Transaction Analysis
Seattle Royale
Reportedly set to re-sign RHP Felix Hernandez to a seven-year extension worth $175 million. [2/7]
By signing Hernandez to the richest pitcher contract in history, the Mariners are taking on a staggering amount of risk. By signing Hernandez to this deal two seasons prior to his date with free agency, the Mariners are opening themselves up to relentless second-guessing. And by signing Hernandez to this deal the Mariners took the only real way out—that seems to be one of the big defenses, at least.
Hernandez means a ton to the Mariners fan base—perhaps more than any other team's most-talented player. If you know the Hernandez mythology then you know Hernandez snubbed the Yankees and additional dollars for the Mariners as an amateur. (He's since snubbed free agency twice now in order to remain in Seattle.) In return the Mariners faithful have done what people living in dire conditions throughout history have done: anoint the most powerful amongst them king and then celebrate his presence every fifth day with costumes and songs. Giving Hernandez this deal isn't just about keeping him happy, but about keeping his fans—his people—happy, too. A royal life, indeed.
Uncertainty is the other main defense point about the timing of the new deal. Picture this scenario: Hernandez compiles back-to-back Cy Young consideration-worthy campaigns in 2013 and 2014, and then hits the open market. What dollar value would he receive then? We don't know and we'll never know, unless the Mariners reveal Felix2 at some point in the future. We can get a decent idea if Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw take their stabs on the free-agent market. But otherwise this is all guesswork.
While those are understandable defenses, there are points on the other end of the spectrum worthy of consideration. The big one is that durable pitchers also break. Credit the universe's sense of timing for seeing Hernandez sign a blockbuster deal during the same week Brandon Webb retires and Chris Carpenter's playing career is put on halt. The Webb news in particular is concerning. He was, much like Hernandez, a top-three talent with a roaring streak of 200-plus inning seasons. He threw four innings in 2009 and never pitched in the majors again.
Okay, so Hernandez's career is unlikely to follow the same path. History does tell us, however, that Hernandez is unlikely to continue tossing 230 or more innings per season. Since 1990 only five other pitchers have pulled the feat in four straight seasons. Only three did it in five. None did it in six. Lower the innings threshold to 200 and 18 pitches have strung together six straight seasons of 200 innings. Maybe Hernandez will join both fraternities in due time; maybe he's Greg Maddux. But what if he's not?
Here is what both sides can agree on: Hernandez remains remarkably young; he'll turn 34 the season after this contract expires. He's been a workhorse, and he deserves all the superlatives he receives. If you had to pick a pitcher to make a lengthy commitment to then Hernandez is on your short list. Likewise, Hernandez is on your short list for the Cy Young award. Here's one more point everyone should agree on: The Mariners are taking a huge risk with this deal. They're betting on Hernandez the person, on his body, and against bad luck. Trading Hernandez, or allowing him to leave via free agency, probably never felt like feasible options to the Mariners; this extension working out might not feel like a feasible option either, depending on your perspective.
R.J. Anderson is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @r_j_anderson
21 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
One item that should also be considered, as this isn't a free agency deal: it's also partially a reward for services rendered. For his career to date, Felix has been very underpaid. I'm certain that aspect was part of the negotiations, and Seattle's management would be hard pressed to argue against that point.
Feb 08, 2013 10:30 AM
Out of curiosity, are there any studies that show that pitchers who throw a lot of innings in pitcher's parks tend to remain healthier than pitchers who throw in non-pitchers parks?
Feb 08, 2013 14:52 PM
I remember reading an article last year when Strasburg's inning limit was making news that his manager said it wasn't about pitch counts, but about how many times his arm warmed up and cooled down between innings.
Feb 09, 2013 07:36 AM
This same franchise was risk adverse when facing Randy Johnson's impending free agency and sold nine years too early, leaving the franchise's best pitcher to enter the Hall of Fame as a Diamondback. This M's fan is glad to see them not repeating that mistake again. Risk aversion is sensible but we're talking about a pitcher who will be not much older than CC Sabathia is now when his contract expires. All kinds of things are possible but this is a calculated risk worth taking.
Feb 08, 2013 18:36 PM
Randy Johnson was 33 at the time and Felix is 26. Completely different situations regarding risk.
Feb 08, 2013 20:59 PM
You are only further confirming my point that this was a risk worth taking.
Feb 09, 2013 04:47 AM
Um, you just said you're glad they're not repeating the same mistake. You said they let Johnson go nine years too early. I was highly disagreeing with your point that Johnson and Felix's situation were the same.
Feb 09, 2013 16:48 PM
Good for you. Go ahead and highly disagree. I'm glad they extended Felix and I contend this fan base needed this. It all comes back to tickets and TV deals eventually.
Feb 09, 2013 21:43 PM
"but because of Randy this fan base needed this Felix deal."
Feb 10, 2013 01:27 AM
Yes, there's been plenty of suffering to go around. Your list is silly though. Buhner retired a Mariner. Kaz never played for another MLB team. Why are you even bringing them up? Do you actually know anything about the Mariners or are you just good with Wikipedia? Why not put Dan Wilson on the list while you're at it? He played for the M's for a long time and was super popular. Hell, Jose Paniagua was good for one or two seasons too.
Feb 10, 2013 11:21 AM
I bring them up because they were fan favorites and losing them did hurt the fan base. Only having two winning seasons in the last nine years (2004-2012) hasn't helped.
Feb 11, 2013 01:21 AM
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You're not a Mariner fan, dude. If you were you wouldn't be dismissing the comparison. There are clearly differences but there are also similarities.
Feb 11, 2013 09:28 AM
First you misread my post and assumed I agreed with you.
Feb 11, 2013 10:01 AM
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Feb 11, 2013 10:17 AM
Brady Childs
I just don't see the risk. They got him through his prime, and they're not getting the later portion of his decline. He's not a man with a gimmick pitch and with the way the market works now, a bad deal doesn't look so bad 2 years down the road because the baseline gets bumped up a ridiculous amount every year. The Mariners never have been able to bid on large free agents and with the cap on the draft now, the money was just burning a hole in their pocket. It's not like the Cardinals with Pujols & Holliday when, at the time Holliday was signed, they had to choose between one or the other.
Feb 09, 2013 10:23 AM
Hold up. A rebuilding franchise far behind 3 divisional competitors pours 2 team payroll's worth of money into one player after he logged 950 innings over four season's and experienced velocity issues the year prior and you don't see the element of risk? A case can be made that its a good deal for Seattle but come on, it's clearly risky. Personally, I think they bid against themselves two year's prior to it being necessary. King doesn't have to decline much for this contract to become problematic. The history of long term expensive pitching contracts isn't exactly a thumb on the scale favoring the deal.
Feb 09, 2013 12:54 PM
As a lifelong Mariner's fan and PNW resident, and also a sabermetric geek who's watch Felix ascent since A ball, I can say no single player means more to their team than Felix Hernandez. After Arod, Randy Johnson, even Ken Griifey all left after starting their careers here(hedging Johnson's Montreal time), Felix is finally a standout figure willing to deal with our rainy Winters and wear the knight's armor in the name of building a competitor.
Feb 09, 2013 16:44 PM
Already reports are surfacing that the med exam has revealed some concern over Felix' elbow. Terms may be changed.
Feb 10, 2013 14:36 PM
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Listen to more in the Mortal Instruments series.
©2011 Cassandra Claire LLC. All rights reserved. (P)2011 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.
"The narrators!"
I don't know what they were thinking using an awful British guy to reason Simon's story. Hello! Simon is not British! You can't understand half of what the guy says. The female narrator is just as bad. Doesn't she know how to do any voices besides a little girls? Jeez she doesn't even change tones from Clarey to Jace. I've listed to tons of audiobooks but these narrators have to be two of the worse.
"HATE that female reader!"
I just CANNOT get past that female reader to get through even three chapters of this book! Pretty bad when she pronounces stele as STEELY! Bring back the original reader! She was excellent! This one sucks!! I'm sorry I ever wasted a credit on this book! I can't listen to her!!! UGH!
I was so excited for this book, but my excitement turned to disappointment when I heard the first narrator. Did anyone listen to this before it was released?? Obviously not. The voice the male narrator uses for Simon sounds sounds like a cross between a Brit with a sore throat and Marlon Brando in the Godfather. And the female sounds like a third grader giving an oral book report.
If I were not so busy, I would have just given up on this production, bought the hard copy, and read this AWESOME book the old-fashioned way.
"Great Content - Horrible Narrators"
I'm always sad when the narrator is changed mid series. You get used to the way the characters sound and know who is who. The switch here was doubling upsetting because the new narrators have no talent for audiobook narration. Ed sounds bored most of the time and Molly sounds like she is working so hard to enunciate each syllable. The worst part, however, was that Ed makes Jace sound like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky. It made me want to stop listening despite my love for the series.
The book content was great - I'm so glad Cassandra decided on doing another trilogy!
New to the audiobook thing, but I like it! I'm a huge Stephen King fan... Along with the spy/military type books by Brad Thor, Vince Flynn
"Good store....Bad narrator"
I don't know why the narrator was changed, but famous on the screen does not make them good at narrating. Ed's accent did not go with the character nor did he bring them to life. Molly used the same voice for every character and could not even pronounce most of the names in the store. I was really disappointed in the book mostly due to the narrators. I really hope the next book will go back to the prior narrator. If it's not broken don't mess with it.
Sci Fi Reader
This is a great story and a great series but these are the worst narrators ever. Bland and not even close to the character and very little differentiation.
Like many of you probably, Audible has become my best friend. I'm a huge fan of paranormal fantasies and mysteries.
"Cassandra Clare did it again!!!!"
At first the author intended this series to be a triology. So for those who read city of glass two years ago must thought it was the last book of the mortal instruments. I thought the first three books are wonderful but didn't expect much from the 4th book. I mean for Valentine and Sebastian being dead and all, how good can the story be? But just like Clockwork angel, Cassandra Clare never lets me down, not once. This book is clearly not the end of the series, so we all have to be patient.
As for the narrators, I think they are, without a doubt, Horrible!!!!!! The narrator for city of ashes and city glass is wonderful. Don't understand why they bother to change one. If you look the narrators up, you will see that they find two hot people who look just like Clary and Simon, which doesn't even matter one bit!!! I mean this is an audiobook, not a movie. I still recommend buying the book. By the way, my stars all goes to the book.
Cindy Webb
"City of Fallen Angels Writing Great/Narrators blah"
I would have given this book a five star rating just for the content alone, but I was not impressed at all with the narrators.
As always Cassandra brings us such lively characters with humor, danger, love and pain. You cannot have light without dark. I love hearing from the various perspectives and not just Clary's. Oh and for those of you who loved Clockwork Angel there are teasers in this book for the next in the series of Clockwork.
With that said, I am personally going to go out and purchase the hardback novel. Reason : Again, the narrators are horrible. Their voices do not complement one another at all. Her voice is very shrill and his voice is very baritone. I truly feel that neither of them did this book/Cassandra's characters any justice. Through the majority of the book both readers are flat and do not create individual voices for the characters, everyone sounds exactly the same unless the character has an accent. After 4 books, Clockwork included, having been brought across so well by other readers, they fall short and make the characters and Cassandras writing flat. Suddenly have Simon, Jace and a new character Kyle are made to sound as if they are Rocky Balboa, I was truly waiting for "Yo, Adrian". At times when the three are having conversations you feel like your listening to the Mob and unless Cassandra has written in "Jace said" or "Simon said" then you get lost in who is saying what because they all sound the same. I understand they are from Brooklyn, but geez, Simon sounds like he is going to hop in the boxing ring at some points.
I will not even get too far into the female narration. There were points in the book that I truly felt as if I would have to turn it off. It was like listening to a whiny version of scratching you nails down a chalkboard. She too was one dimensional, flat and downright annoying.
Narrators ruined the book!
Just a note : If I had my choice I would have called the couple who read for Shiver, by Maggie Steivatter.
Honestly, I'm not sure.
Ok, so this is like my fifth time trying to type up a review for City of Fallen Angels (so frustrated with my computer), so that might have a little bit to do with the negativity of this review. (Not all of it though)
I was not impressed with this book. It was so full of drama. Stupid drama. If two people love each other as much as Clary and Jace claim to, they don't keep stupid secrets because they think the other person won't understand. They say they believe in each other, but won't even consider that the other won't judge them based on stupid things. Like, "I'm having bad dreams, and I just can't tell Clary because it'll prove to her that I'm a bad person. So, instead, I'll treat her like dirt and ignore her." Stupid drama. I hate when a book uses alternating perspectives just to make up misunderstandings that wouldn't have been there anyway.
I'll be the first to admit that brooding can be super hot in a guy. (think Angel in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. sigh.) However, it just doesn't look good on Jace. Neither does whinyness. It probably wouldn't have been so bad had I not had to read from his perspective.
Another negative: not very much Luke. Luke became one of my favorite characters in the last book, and I was hoping to see more of him.
It also frustrates me when it seems like the author just keeps thinking, "How could I make these miserable people even more and more miserable?" "Ok, I'll write that." And it doesn't seem like that's going to end any time soon based on the ending of Fallen Angels.
Overall, I think this one burnt me out on the primary characters' storyline. However, I found the secondary characters' stories to be relatively intriguing. Simon keeps getting more and more interesting. His concerns and worries are actually legitimate, and I found myself pulled into his story. I liked Maya and Isabel more in this book too. If it weren't for Simon, I don't think I would even consider picking up the next book. (And this would have gotten a 1 star rating.)
I see all the 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon, and I wonder if maybe I just zoned out and missed the good parts. End rant.
"Disappointing Narration"
First I would like to point out that I love this book series. I think Cassandra Clare is a very talented writer and her books are filled with passion and adventure. On that note, I was very disappointed with the narration on this audio. The male narrator mumbled so much I could not understand half of what he said even when I had the volume turned up to 45 in my car. Both narrators did a terrible job distinguishing between one voice and the next. It was nearly impossible to figure out who was saying what. After the first chapter I gave up trying to listen to it and went on to another book. I don't know what the publisher was thinking, but they should have stuck with the original narrators either Natalie Moore or Ari Graynor would have been a huge improvement.
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How do I say this without a shrill Bay Area homer tinge or provoking an abundance of silly paranoia?
Can't avoid it. Sorry, just can't. But after perusing the 2013 baseball projections, I can't avoid this conclusion, either:
The A's and Giants aren't getting any respect!
OK, before it sounds like I've been hypnotized by Mike Krukow and Ray Fosse, let me point out that I am not making any accusations of East Coast Bias or anti-Bay Area conspiring.
The Las Vegas and analytical projections for the Giants and A's seem low this year, but I don't think there's anything nefarious about it.
There are reasons the consensus is for the A's (who went 94-68 and won the AL West last year) to win 83 or 84 games this year. (For Vegas, it's a betting line, but it's essentially a projection.)
And for the Giants (also 94-68 and division champions last year) to win 87 or 88 games.
My projection of those projections is that they're wrong, and let's sift through how and why I see the Giants and A's both finishing at, or above, the 90-victory mark this season and being right there for division titles once again.
Sure, World Series champions historically tend to fall back the next season, as the Giants did from 2010 to 2011 (dropping from 92 to 86 victories).
But look at 2011 another way: How in the world did the Giants go 86-76 and contend into the final weeks when Buster Posey only played 45 games after getting his ankle blown up in May?
If Bruce Bochy can patch it together well enough to contend even without Posey, I can't see how the Giants go far offline with Posey in the lineup the entire season (if he is).
But I counter: The A's played no games against Houston last year, and this year, with the Astros moving to the AL West, the A's get 19 of them.
Nineteen games against a team that lost 107 times last year, and just traded one of their best players, Jed Lowrie, to ... the A's.
Simple math: If the A's go 13-6 vs. Houston this year, they'd only have to go 71-72 in all other games to reach 84 victories.
With Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Reddick, and all those quality pitchers, I'll guess the A's go better than 71-72 in all other games.
In 33 starts, Lincecum gave up five or more earned runs in 10 of them -- and the Giants were 0-10 in those games.
If Lincecum merely turns in an NL average season and only blows up three or four times instead of 10, that might translate into four or five extra Giants victories right there.
Not coincidentally, the A's went 4-2 in his games.
If Anderson is healthy for 33-34 starts this season, it's not illogical to pencil in a 75-percent A's win rate for those games, and that could mean three or four extra A's wins.
Maybe all or some of those key players are susceptible to a performance dip in 2013.
But it's fair for the Giants to expect much better seasons out of Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence, Brandon Belt, Barry Zito, Lincecum and a few others, which should balance everything out.
But it's not like the A's were outrageously lucky in the big picture. They were 25-18 in one-run games and 11-5 in extra innings, not terribly offline with the rest of their record.
For an example of off-kilter: Baltimore was 19-9 in one-run games and 16-2 in extras last year, two outlier stats that should regress this season.
Obviously, both L.A. teams spend lavishly and have tons of talent -- the Dodgers added Zack Greinke and the Angels added Josh Hamilton.
But both teams spent big money last year, too, and the Angels won 89 and the Dodgers only 86. More money doesn't necessarily mean a spike in success.
I'll say that the A's and Giants both get to 90 wins this season and top both L.A. teams again. That might sound like a homer call, but for once, I'll embrace that.
Read Tim Kawakami's Talking Points blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami. Contact him at email@example.com.


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Farmers interested in agritourism can learn about ways to decrease their liability and increase their profits by attending a special workshop.
The annual Indiana Horticulture Congress Agritourism preconference workshop will be held Jan. 22 at the Wyndham Indianapolis West Hotel at 2544 Executive Drive, Indianapolis.
Organizer Roy Ballard, Hancock County Extension educator, said the workshop is geared toward people interested in expanding the economic potential of their agritourism venture or agribusiness.
"This session provides farmers and others with an interest in providing rural educational and entertainment experiences with the opportunity to learn how to grow such ventures in a responsible and sustainable manner," Ballard said.
The daylong program will focus on regulations regarding agritourism. Topics include the process of starting an agritourism venture, land use planning, agricultural zoning, strategies for sustaining tourism and providing safe play areas for children.
Ballard said a Hancock County ordinance that provides for some forms of agritourism or agribusiness in areas zoned agricultural also will be discussed.
"The county-based ordinance has received significant attention across Indiana. It's an important step in building an infrastructure to support and facilitate agriculture-related growth," he said.
A panel of farmers will offer firsthand experiences on offering farm weddings and receptions, which Ballard said are increasing in popularity. An evening roundtable discussion will conclude the day's events and provide an opportunity for informal exchange of ideas.
The full agenda for the workshop is available at www.bit.ly/ZDcijA. To register, visit http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1127338
There is a reduced fee for anyone registering before Jan. 14. Attendees have the option to register for only the workshop by selecting one-day registration on the website.
The workshop is part of the annual Indiana Horticulture Congress and Trade Show Jan. 22-24 featuring exhibits and presentations on current agriculture topics. For more information about the three-day conference, visit http://www.inhortcongress.org


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Aardsma signs Minor League deal with Mets
NEW YORK -- Since the final days of Spring Training, when Yankees officials told David Aardsma that he would not make the team despite pitching well enough to do so, the former closer has battled his share of frustration.
"You almost want to kick the door and just scream, 'I am ready, I'm healthy, give me a chance,'" Aardsma said by telephone on Monday after signing a Minor League deal with the Mets. "But there's hundreds of other guys out there wanting to do that, too. And so it's a matter of, how do you separate yourself? It's just going out there and doing it."
Since the Yankees granted Aardsma his unconditional release at the end of spring, he has been pitching for the Marlins' Triple-A New Orleans affiliate, posting a 2.57 ERA with 12 strikeouts and eight walks in 14 innings. But because he had not earned a promotion, he exercised the out clause in his contract last week.
Five days later, Aardsma officially became a member of the Mets. He will report to Triple-A Las Vegas, where a strong showing could earn him a quick promotion to the big leagues. The Mets entered Monday's game against the Reds ranked 29th in the Majors with a 4.77 bullpen ERA.
"You look at the roster and you see an opportunity, and you see an organization that gives opportunities," Aardsma said. "They told me that there's an opportunity here if I come in and pitch well."
Aardsma, 31, was one of the most accomplished closers in baseball from 2009-10, saving 69 games for the Mariners and recording a 2.90 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 121 innings. But hip surgery derailed his career the following winter, and he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow while rehabbing from that operation. He appeared in one game for the Yankees last summer but did not make the club this spring.
Reporting to Las Vegas and having regained most of his low- to mid-90s velocity, he could give the Mets a late-game dimension that only Bobby Parnell currently provides.
"That call is always up to the organization," Aardsma said. "But personally, I felt like I was ready coming out of Spring Training. I definitely pitched well enough to make the Yankees, and they even told me so. I was kind of in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I felt like I was ready then … and the ball is coming out great. I just need to prove myself a little bit more."
Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDicomo. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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zhòu(zhou4) // pronunciation of 㑇 in Mandarin Pinyin
Unihan definition: (a simplified form) clever; ingenious; cute; pretty
Number of strokes: 7
Examples of other characters consisting of 7 strokes: 我, 这, 来, 时, 你, 作, 里, 没, 还, 进
Radical: 人 9.5
General standard index number: 6602
Traditional variant: 㑳
Unicode code point: U+3447
This website combine data from several databases (notably: Unihan, CC-CEDICT). Please be aware that some information presented may be incorrect, especially for very rare Chinese characters. We take no responsibility for incorrect data, though we constantly try to make the website as accurate as possible.
Random character: 视. Page Generation Time: 0.013 [s]. Home - About website.


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Note: This item is more than 10 years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
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News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, email@example.com, 512-389-8030
Sept. 17, 2007
Budweiser Sharelunker Season 22 Begins Oct. 1
ATHENS, Texas—Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will begin accepting entries into the Budweiser ShareLunker program October 1, 2007.
Anyone legally catching a 13-pound or bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters, public or private, between October 1 and April 30 may submit the fish to the Budweiser ShareLunker program by calling program manager David Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or paging him at (888) 784-0600 and leaving a phone number including area code. Fish will be picked up by TPWD personnel within 12 hours.
The fish are used in a selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. Offspring from these fish are then stocked, in a limited manner, back into the water body from which the ShareLunker was caught in an attempt to increase the overall size and growth rate of largemouth bass in Texas' public waters.
As part of this project, TPWD's A. E. Wood Laboratory recently identified and described more than fifty genetic markers that will help TPWD biologists identify ShareLunker offspring and their parents following stocking. A. E. Wood geneticist Dijar Lutz-Carrillo said the new technology will be instrumental in evaluating the success of the ShareLunker program.
For the last two years, ShareLunker offspring have been raised to 6 inches at TFFC prior to stocking as part of a research study to compare their growth to the growth of wild largemouth bass in six public reservoirs. "So far, ShareLunker offspring have been bigger than wild fish of the same age in all of our study lakes," said Timothy Bister, TPWD fisheries biologist. "Even though we're waiting to see how big these fish are when they're four years old, results so far have been promising." Bister added, "This research project would not be possible without angler participation in the ShareLunker program."
Program manager David Campbell is looking forward to a good year for the program. "For the first time in many years, most lakes in Texas are full," he noted. "The 18 entries last year was below average, and our records show that years with a low number of entries are usually followed by a year with a better-than-average number."
Anglers entering fish into the ShareLunker program receive a free replica of their fish, a certificate and ShareLunker clothing and are recognized at a banquet at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens following the close of the season. In addition the Texas angler who catches the largest entry of the year receives a lifetime fishing license.
For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and a recap of last year's season, see TPWD's Budweiser ShareLunker Web site. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available. The Budweiser ShareLunker program is made possible through support from Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Since 1991, Anheuser-Busch, in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, has contributed millions of dollars in funding to support conservation causes and fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation programs in Texas.
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The Henry County Farmer's Market was founded on the principle of sharing. Producers in the county wanted to share their cropland, their hard work and the fruits of their labor with their friends and neighbors.
For the full story, see this week's Henry County Local, available on newsstands across the county.
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Sonic State has a great video review of the new SSL X-Patch. I'm seriously considering getting one of these. Like most musicians who have been making tunes for 20+ years I have countless little hardware effect boxes and pedals hanging around. Most of them are gathering dust. It's not that I don't love each toy it's more that it's a royal pain to wire it as an effect for just one synth, mic or drum machine just one time. This is why the X-Patch is a great idea. For example my Boss RE-20 Space Echo pedal could be wired to effect my Vermona DRM-1 or Roland SH3 with click instead of 20 minutes of wiring.
"X-Patch is designed to deliver the flexibility of plug-in style routing to boutique analogue processing. Developed from technology at the heart of SSL's acclaimed Matrix console, X-Patch provides a 16×16 SuperAnalogue™ routing matrix that can be Ethernet controlled remotely from a standard computer. SSL's Logictivity™ Remote Studio Browser application provides Set-up, Configuration and Preset Storage and makes the X-Patch the perfect tool to incorporate analogue processing into any production studio environment. X-Patch can function as a simple 'X-Y Router' or as a 'Matrix' to create complex processing chains. This allows for analogue processing to be built into favourite processing chains and then easily placed into signal paths, for example, favourite Mic Pre, EQ & Dynamics processors recalled as the perfect vocal chain at a single stroke." – solid-state-logic.com
For more info: solid-state-logic.com


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The other day, we received the previous month's bill from the electric and gas utility. This is our first winter in our current house.
Our electric bill was about $175, which is the highest I've ever paid. I decided to do a little research to come up with some simple ways to lower our costs. Here are six steps I took.
- Applied foam insulation. The first thing I did was to use spray-in foam insulation in gaps. There were a few gaps where we had to replace the dryer vent, so I sprayed some foam in there and it expanded and took care of the leak. I also sealed a few other spots around the area where the cement foundation meets the wood.
- Applied silicone caulk. I added a bead of silicone caulk around all of the window frames. This is a small place for the air to get into the house, but the fix was simple.
- Turned down the water heater. Lowering the temperature of the warm water in the tank causes less energy to be used keeping the water at a higher temperature.
- Added insulation behind light switches. We also decided to put in some insulation behind our light switch plates. These are simple to install. You just pop the cover off the light switch, put the piece of foam in the switch box and screw the cover back on.
- Installed window coverings. This is nothing more than a piece of plastic and some sticky-sided tape that you put over the window on the inside of the house and seal with a hair dryer. The plastic acts as a second pane of glass, and the air pocket between the plastic and the glass keeps the area warm by regulating the temperature.
- Turned down the thermostat in the house. Wearing a sweater can keep me warm.
What have you done to your house to make it more energy efficient?
Follow Jeff Fruhwirth on Twitter.


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This was great fun to take. The SteadyPix iPhone adapter worked like a champ. I was really impressed with how easy everything worked. Just as importantly (considering how bad my viewing conditions are) all the images I shot that evening turned out MUCH BETTER than expected.
Astro-images taken through a telescope on a tracking mount provide breathtaking color and detail that you just can't see with your eyes alone. The astro-images on our web site demonstrate the imaging capabilities of the products used and are not intended to represent what you will see when you look through a telescope. Learn More
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Jones flashes some leather in Oakland
OAKLAND -- Adam Jones is harder on himself than Orioles manager Buck Showalter could ever be on him.
"Well, maybe that's a tossup," Showalter said.
Oakland can be a nightmare for visiting outfielders, and Jones has had his problems there. On Friday, as the O's beat the A's, 3-0, he also had the solutions.
He made several plays that helped keep the A's off the scoreboard. He thought he should have gotten to another one Thursday night.
"He wants to bring what he brings," Showalter said. "He takes pride in his defense and works at it. He doesn't take himself so seriously that he can't have fun. He's going to rob somebody of a hit."
Rick Eymer is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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New! Powerful Powdered Lip Color
These new revolutionary lip powders glide on like a lipstick, yet they come packaged in the form of a powder. Just swipe a lip brush across one or all four colors to create a smooth, velvety finish. I was definitely wary at first, but after trying them, they actually feel very cool on your lips. I can't wait to hear what you think.
Laura Mercier Evolution of Colour for Lips, $28, is four different moist powders (if you can believe that!) in one chic palette. The premise behind the palette is to make your makeup transition from day to night super easy!
The lip powders are made from: castor seed oil and vitamins E and C to moisturize your lips and ensure they are long lasting. They also won't cake or feather in the corners of the mouth (ew) and they all come with a mini lip brush and mirror inside the compact. I've tried the rosebud palette and I'm hooked! Available in five different color spectrums.
For one more powdered lip color,
Jay Manuel's Manual Override Lip Boost Compact, $29.50, is a quad of powdered lip colors that can be worn on top of lipstick to enhance the color, or they can be worn alone and blended together until you find your own favorite shade!
This new, cool lip formula comes in a mirrored compact that also includes a clear sealant to add extra shine.


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The bad news was that the market took a hit on the fiscal-cliff news. The good news was that the market held steady after the initial hit, and there was no rush to unload more inventory before the holidays. Although the political battle is obviously causing some uncertainty, the market is continuing to act like it's confident the issue will be resolved before any major damage is done to the economy.
Although it's never pleasant to experience a gap-down open like that from Friday morning, if you're holding long positions I wouldn't be all that worried about it. The market needed a good shake to reset some charts. We've seen this slow upward drift for a while, and it has left a lot of stocks extended and lacking good foundations. This shake-out gives us a chance for some better entries.
The big challenge next week is that trading will be very thin, and stocks will remain highly sensitive to the headlines about the fiscal cliff. The indices can easily spike one way or the other, and in the thin holiday environment you can expect some quick whipsaw.
Oftentimes, during the thin holiday trading we will see some good speculative action in select small-cap names, but I'm seeing no signs of that at all today. I suspect this fiscal-cliff debate has scared away some of the hot money that doesn't like being jerked around by the macroeconomic news every day. We'll see if some "hot pockets" develop, but I don't expect too much.
I want to wish everyone Merry Christmas and happy holidays. It is a good time to forget about the market for a while and focus on time with family and friends. I have to head out for some festivities, but Monday will be a half-day of trading, and I'll be here to see if we can find a little action.


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EDITOR'S NOTE: Daniel Shewmaker, Caffe Vita's green bean buyer, has been on a wild adventure to Papua New Guinea (PNG) for most of this month. He traveled there with members of the Woodland Park Zoo's Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP). Daniel is on his way back to Seattle now, but he has sent ahead some photos and updates for us. As you will read more about below, Caffe Vita has partnered with the Zoo to support their conservation work in the YUS Conservation Area — PNG's first national conservation area. Also, to help the TKCP meet their June 30 fundraising goal, here are the instructions to text a $5 donation. Another way to help and also enjoy coffee is to purchase Zoo Special Reserve. Caffe Vita donates $1 to the Zoo for every bag of this coffee sold in our cafes or online.
Update 6/6/2011
I arrived at the Nadzab airport last night and followed a kid with a sign that said "Daniel Somika" onto a bus. After about an hour of riding through the bumpy night, dropping off other patrons in the town of Lae, I found myself at the Melanesian hotel and met up with members of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program and Conservation International.
Lae is not a safe place. It turned out that I would be staying in different hotel about two blocks away, but I was not allowed to walk there. I had to hire an armed vehicle called "Guard Dog" to drive me the short distance. There is definitely something unsettling about this.
Today, after my first night of sleep in what seems like a very long time, I met up with Lisa and Hilary from the Zoo, and we talked a little bit about our flight into the village of Sapmanga tomorrow, and our time trekking around and helping with coffee harvesting and processing. Today, we are gathering supplies and packing for the 11 days that we will be off the grid. There are a few different groups of people that will also be in the area, including members of Conservation International and researchers from James Cook University in Australia. They are doing various studies on wildlife populations and such.
I am excited to be going to the interior rather than staying here, as we are pretty much on lockdown while in Lae. I won't be able to touch base again until I get back, which I believe is on the 18th or 19th. I leave early tomorrow morning, and I am really not encouraged to go wandering around, but I will attach a photo I took on my way to the TKCP office — the tallest building in Lae!
Update 6/20/2011
Hello from Yawan Village. As I write this the rain is pouring and my spirits are dampened. The scheduled flight for this morning back to Nadzab decided to forgo its pickup at the Yawan airstrip due to poor visibility, and my hope for making the connecting flight back to the United States all depends on the weather tomorrow morning. If I wake to clear skies, a hectic and stressful day awaits: a ride on the guard dog security transport into Lae where I hope to shower, clean, pack, meet with the Coffee Industry Corporation, gather green coffee samples, and prepare for the long journey home. If the rain and mist continue, I will remain here. I've come to understand that this is just the way things are in Papua New Guinea — the best laid plans, effort, and will are all too often subject to the whims of nature or others. Well enough about the joys of travel on this majestic island; here is what I came for, the coffee.
For the past two weeks I've been walking through the Uruwa region, visiting villages, and meeting as many coffee growers as possible. A small revolution has been taking place. Coffee gardens which had been abandoned for decades have now been pruned and maintained. Raised beds have been constructed and hope is high that the remarkable coffee of this region will find its way to a market. This is the goal that Caffe Vita has come here to help achieve.
This possibility first came to our attention over a year ago when we were approached by the Woodland Park Zoo's Tree Kangaroo Conservation Project. We were told of a people who had decided to set aside large portions of their land as a conservation area; the first of its kind in Papua New Guinea. They also happened to grow a lot of coffee, but have never received a good price due to the remoteness of their location. One of the only options was to make the three-day journey to the nearest road and hope that someone would come along and purchase their coffee — often a middle man who would take advantage and offer a low price. Coffee is one of the only means of income for most of the villagers, and for years now, these people have struggled to pay for basic necessities such as school fees and health care. Caffe Vita is commited to help change this situation by aiding in the improvement of coffee quality and beginning to purchase coffee from them at a price which will enable them to improve their livelihoods.
I believe that the potential for coffee cultivation in this region is tremendous. The soil is rich, dense chocolate-cake-like humus, fed by numerous nitrogen-fixing shade trees, such as the native Casarina. The elevation is prime, ranging from about 1400 – 2000 meters above sea level, and I've seen nothing but Bourbon, Typica, Mundo Novo, and Arusha trees in the gardens. The coffee is organic, grown in harmony with its surroundings, interspersed among numerous other species such as breadfruit, betelnut, citrus, banana, taro, and lusina. From a distance it is often difficult to determine where the coffee is growing, as it blends into the thick flora and fauna.
Like much of the Asia-Pacific coffee growing region, drying has proved to be a challenge, but the ingenuity and hard work of some of the more diligent coffee growers has led to the construction of raised beds and solar driers which I imagine will drastically improve the cup quality. I have been collecting a backpack full of samples, and I am eager to fire up the sample roaster back at Vita and begin work on the collection and export of this coffee to Seattle. Now, if only the rain would let up.
Update 6/21/2011
The rain did not let up, but a brave (crazy?) young pilot decided to land on the airstrip anyhow. Unfortunately, the mud and water caused his plane to skid and slide all over the place. He wisely decided to only take a few passengers back to Nadzab, so that he could lift off before hitting the muck (and the subsequent cliff). Due to my imminent connection to international flights I was chosen to board and feel fortunate to have survived the flight back to Nadzab. Please have in your thoughts Ryan and Lisa from the Woodland Park Zoo. To my knowledge they are still stranded in Yawan awaiting another flight.


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Totalmusik is a NY sales rep for Metasonix and Eowave gear. They seems to also record the equipment and make sample libraries with the blessings of the manufacturers. They have released a Kontakt Polyphonic Wretch Machine sample pack. The samples were recorded to tape and they also included some Impulse Responses. The pack is 2GB and will run you $65. It's on sale now for $50.
"For this library, no attention to detail was spared in capturing the true essence of this instrument. The Wretch Machine features a dual gas-tube oscillator configuration – each oscillator is switchable between three waveforms: Saw, Squarer and Subosc (squarer with suboctave). Realizing that everything sounds better through tape, and our personal philosophy that "Old is Good, Old and Broken is BetterTM" – we enlisted the assistance of our TEAC Reel to Reel to handle our tape transfer needs." – totalmusik.com
For more info: totalmusik.com


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|April 27, 2011
Volume 13, Issue 9
|Midwifery Today E-News
"Non-profit Work"
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In This Week's Issue
Quote of the Week
Do something for somebody every day in which you do not get paid.
— Albert Schweitzer
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The Art of Midwifery
I have reintroduced the ancient practice of cord burning in disaster situations in Sumatra, Cambodia and Haiti. I have brought it to homebirths all over the US and Canada. Each time it has been received with open minds and thankful families when baby's cord falls off quickly and easily without infection. I have had many discussions and sharing forums with traditional midwives all over the world and each time the midwives' eyes light up; they feel like they have learned something that they can use with the resources available in their own communities.
— Kelly Dunn
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Jan's Corner
Notes from the Eugene Conference
Our recent "national" midwifery conference held in Eugene, Oregon, "Gentle Birth Is a Human Rights Issue," felt more like an international conference than a domestic one. The participants, from many countries, helped remind me that we are truly on a global mission. That mission is to change abusive birth practices all around the world by instituting good ones. When we were in Russia, we started the Global Midwifery Council (GMC) to address the needs of countries who want help changing the birth paradigm in their countries. We had many meetings in Eugene to figure out possible strategies for our approach to this change. It is still true that we (mostly the US) ruined most of the world's birth practices with the waves of medical imperialism that overtook other countries' practices. Those who understand birth need to add their efforts to this new paradigm. Many of you are doing that right now.
One thing I realize that Midwifery Today conferences do is plant amazing seeds, through conference classes, and through the education, networking, discussion, love and hugs that are exchanged throughout the conferences. In Eugene we had midwives from Oman, Ghana, Rwanda, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Denmark and many other places who will take the ideas, knowledge and insights they received and share them with their countries' midwives. Changes will come because of all of the fine work and attention each one of you gives to birth, spreading good birth to your sphere of influence.
I really like the way CIMS (Coalition for Improving Maternity Services) works. It is egalitarian rather than hierarchical, one of the goals of the GMC. This makes it very fluid. As an organization, CIMS is able to use very talented and diverse people who show up at each meeting. Midwifery Today was privileged to have hosted their international meeting, IMBCI (International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative) before our Wildbad, Germany conference. We hosted one at our conference in Strasbourg, as well.
My overall goal is to have good—no, great—birth practices all over the world by the time God takes me home. I want great practices to be approved by the World Health Organization and other important international organizations. The IMBCI document is the starting point for human rights in the birth room (http://www.imbci.org/ShowPage.asp?id=174). Even something like decent hospital architecture can help changes things. One of our wonderful conference teachers, Vicki Penwell, sent me this link right after the conference: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chi-mgbako/maternal-death_b_844188.html.
My prayer is that Midwifery Today's efforts through our conferences, Web site and print materials, plant seeds of change and that all of you water and tend those new plants. We will reach critical mass together.
— Jan Tritten, mother of Midwifery Today
Jan Tritten is the founder, editor-in-chief and mother of Midwifery Today magazine. She became a midwife in 1977 after the amazing homebirth of her second daughter. Her mission is to make loving midwifery care the norm for birthing women and their babies throughout the world. Meet Jan at our conferences around the world, or join her online, as she works to transform birth practices around the world.
Jan on Twitter: twitter.com/jantritten
Complementary and Alternative Therapies Review
The Network of Researchers in the Public Health of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NORPHCAM) recently reviewed 19 studies published between 1999 and 2009 covering the views of more than 3,000 maternity professionals in seven countries. The review lead NORPHCAM to conclude that the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) in maternity care, while steadily increasing in popularity, is still received more positively among midwives than among obstetricians.
However, "a study of 401 American obstetricians found that 98% routinely endorsed, provided or referred patients for at least one CAM treatment" while a similar study reported just 89% of American midwives who answered study surveys said they'd refer a patient to a CAM provider. In the studies mentioned, obstetricians most preferred CAM's included movement therapies, biofeedback and acupuncture. The midwives most preferred CAM's included herbal preparations, pharmacologic/biologic treatments and mind-body interventions.
The review findings emphasized the need for an evidence base that would provide more insight for maternity care professionals on the use of complementary and alternative medicines. Some professional organizations, including The Royal College of Midwives have echoed these findings by endorsing CAM training for midwives.
— "Review highlights need for more education and guidance on complementary and alternative medicine use in midwifery." Medical News Today. February 24, 2011.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7348448
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The Same in Any Language
I had been in the Philippines for three days. I was still a little jet-lagged, still a little overwhelmed, but getting there. Definitely getting there. I was there for a month, interning at a Mercy Maternity Center in Davao, brushing up on my skills and generally having a working vacation. I was lucky in that I didn't need catches, didn't need paperwork filled out. I was there not for the NARM or for numbers. I was there for me, in a sort of self-guided quest to learn more about myself as a midwife and as a person. Perhaps it was a mini-midlife crisis but, whatever the motivation, I was looking forward to some serious introspection—right after I figured out where, in this huge city, I could get some decent coffee and find air-conditioned rooms.
It was my first day working in the prenatal clinic. I love clinic, always have. I think so many young students come into this profession enamored with the births. Me? I loved the interaction and relationship that comes from seeing the same woman, week after week, hour after hour. I love building her trust in her body and in herself, and seeing how I changed too, as I draped the midwifery model of care around each of my families.
It was different here, of course, but different was what I wanted.
How do you apply the midwifery model of care, with its emphasis on personal empowerment, female solidarity and choice in a place where individualism is decidedly not valued? It's not that these women don't have minds of their own. They certainly do. It's just that their heads and hearts are centered on and in a large, strong community, one that is necessary to survive in this place. It's the old Vulcan "needs of the many" philosophy.
For instance, we had a mother who had to be transported to the Davao Medical Center soon after birth when she developed a large anal hematoma that needed care. The baby was not allowed to come along with his mother, but her husband went with her and that left us with a little mascot for the night.
Now, holding and loving on a newborn is not a problem for a bunch of midwives, but sooner or later that baby is going to get hungry and vocal. The obvious solution in the US would be to rustle up some Enfamil and call it good. Here? Three newly postpartum mothers volunteered to nurse this baby as well as their own. Can you imagine that happening in the States? Breastfeeding a stranger's child? Without knowing the mother's or baby's disease status? What about AIDS? Hepatitis? Isn't that just plain gross? But here it's called community, and is seen as a lovely thing, not a reckless death wish. My Seattle clients might do this if the chance arose, but I'm sure that they would have questions for me regarding the other mother's health. My clients also know that I deal with a low-risk population, and that is not necessarily the case in the Philippines. It's just a different way of looking at the world, and your place in it.
Prenatal care also is very different here. Women in the Philippines are given a prenatal day, rather than a prenatal time. Time is a different concept here, and everyone has his or her own interpretation of it. At 8:00 am, women start arriving for their prenatal day. They gather in a room, where the administrative personnel check them in and get a set of vitals. Then there is a health teaching, which includes singing. So much singing! I love this place! Usually it's something about the dangers of STDs, or about how important it is to eat vegetables, or something along those lines. Of course, the singing is all in Visayan, the dialect most of the clients speak, so I can't be sure what the lyrics are, but they scan beautifully and it sounds great.
My room is next door to the prenatal clinic, and I love waking up to the music. After the teaching, each woman is called on a first-come, first-served basis. The prenatal exams are done in one big room with six exam tables separated by the ever-present moveable curtains. There are six midwives working at one time, and the client sees whichever midwife is available at that time.
— Jane Drichta
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Birth Wisdom from the Web
Editor's Note: From the pages of Facebook to our favorite blogs, news bits and videos, this new E-News column brings you the best bits from the birth-related Web.
The White Ribbon Alliance is an international coalition working to ensure safe pregnancy and childbirth for all women and babies. Read the inspiring stories the alliance has gathered of midwives volunteering around the world: http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/storiesofmidwives/
April is Caesarean Awareness Month: theunnecesarean.com has a number of informative and educational resources. Their page on avoiding a caesarean is one expectant mothers will find especially useful: http://www.theunnecesarean.com/avoid-an-unnecesarean/
If you'd like to share a bit of wisdom from the Web, please send a 4–5 sentence excerpt, accompanied by a link, to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Think about It
Sometimes we have personal epiphanies or collective euphoria, declaring to the world that our power cannot be named, or tamed, even by ourselves. The current carries us, willingly or unwillingly, and in the end, it is us, and not the other, who has filled our river with tears of sorrow and bliss.
— Sister MorningStar
Dear Midwifery Today Readers,
We are in the process of undertaking scoping work around initial midwifery education and practice placements in midwifery worldwide.
We would be grateful if you could complete an online questionnaire for us by going to this link: http://www.impressity.com/Survey/sl.aspx?SurveyLinkId=vnifvlikcgsyzdcxuqfo
As we hope to inform you of the results of this scoping work in the summer, we would appreciate it if you could complete the questionnaire by the end of April 2011. However, responses after this date will also be accepted. It is anticipated that the completion of the survey will take no longer than 30 minutes of your time.
We also encourage you to forward the questionnaire link to any contacts you may have within the midwifery community so that we can collect results from midwifery educators in as many countries as possible. In this way we can ensure the scoping exercise is truly global.
We acknowledge that you are busy and take this opportunity to thank you for your valuable contribution.
Warm regards,
— Tina Harris Lead Midwife for Education/Midwifery Division Lead, De Montfort University, UK
— Kuldip Bharj Senior Lecturer/Lead Midwife for Education, The University of Leeds, UK
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Midwifery Today: Each One Teach One!


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Tatiana Anderson
Spokesmodel; Co-Host, ESPN2; Former Ms. National Fitness; Author
Height: 5'4" Weight: 112 lbs.
Marina Del Rey, CA
I take vitamins and sports supplements to increase my energy levels, build and maintain muscle mass, and lower body fat.
With my hectic schedule, I like the convenience of meal replacement drinks. My favorite is Labrada Lean Body.
I also use a complete diet formula to increase my energy and metabolism. Plus, I take a multi-vitamin.
I try to avoid fried and fast foods, so I eat foods that are grilled or steamed. For me, a typical breakfast includes oatmeal with whey powder. For lunch I'll have grilled chicken with rice and veggies, and for dinner I'll eat sushi or grilled fish with a salad. A protein drink makes a great snack.
My 5-day-a-week workouts include rollerblading, biking, hiking and dance classes. When I work out, I try to maintain a high level of health, and increase my energy and mental clarity. Thanks to my workouts and supplements, I look and feel my best!


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— Sporting News selects the most beloved player ever for each MLB team
Saturday's intense games set up an interesting Sunday for the three American League teams currently chasing two wild-card playoff berths.
The Cleveland Indians lead the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays by one game. Any number of situations could happen that would result in a playoff game on Monday before the wild card even begins. It's best to read this story by SN's Ryan Fagan just to get yourself up to speed.
FOLLOW LIVE: AL wild-card race: Scores, updates from Sunday's key games
American League wild card
Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers: A game behind the Rays at Indians, the Rangers must win out to secure its position in the playoff game. The rest was out of their hands.
Despite a stumble to start, the Rangers fulfilled their need by knocking off the Angels 7-4. It was their sixth consecutive victory. But if the Indians and Rays win, the Rangers are out of luck.
The Angels made five errors for a game, showing the ineptitude that led their high-priced, high-expectation roster to collapse in the AL West. Maybe it was the early start; the game was moved up eight hours to avoid inclement weather.
Yu Darvish (13-9, 2.82 ERA), the major league leader in strikeouts, starts the finale for Texas. Sunday's game is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET. The Rays start two hours earlier, the Indians one. Check Sunday's full schedule.
FOLLOW LIVE: AL wild-card race: Scores, updates from Sunday's key games
Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins: The Cleveland Indians moved into sole possession of the AL wild-card lead on the next-to-last scheduled day of the regular season, beating the Minnesota Twins 5-1behind Scott Kazmir's strong start to extend their winning streak to nine.
Seeking their first postseason appearance since 2007, the Indians (91-70) took a one-game lead over Tampa Bay and Texas (both 90-71).
Cleveland is assured of at least a tie for the AL wild card. With three teams seeking the two wild cards, Sunday's results could decide the matter or lead to one or two tiebreaker games at the start of next week.
On Sunday, Ubaldo Jiminez is the scheduled starter for Cleveland. Game time is 2:10 p.m. ET.
Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays: The Rays gagged on a chance to clinch at least a tie for the top wild-card card position and fell into a tie with the Rangers. J.A. Happ allowed five hits and a run over 7 1/2 innings and got support from Ryan Goins, who uncorked a two-run homer. Kevin Pillar also had a dinger for the Jays, who won 7-2.
Expected starters for Sunday's 1:07 p.m. ET start: Matt Moore for the Rays, Todd Redmond for the Jays.
FOLLOW LIVE: AL wild-card race: Scores, updates from Sunday's key games
National League wild card
Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds: These teams are going to Pittsburgh, because Tuesday's NL wild-card game will be played in Steel City. Pedro Alvarez, Andrew McCutcheon and Neil Walker (twice) homered staked the Pirates to a lead that ended in a 8-3 win. Cincinnati stranded 11 runners.
The Reds have gone into a deep slump at a very bad time. They've lost four in a row since clinching a playoff spot with a 3-2 win over the Mets on Monday night, scoring a total of six runs.
FOLLOW LIVE: AL wild-card race: Scores, updates from Sunday's key games
Home-field advantage
The Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals both open the NL division series at home on Thursday, and the Los Angeles Dodgers will be on the road. In the AL, the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics will open the AL division series at home on Friday, and Detroit will be away. Opponents for all are still to be determined.
The NL's best record also is on the line, with the Cardinals and Braves. The Cardinals beat the Cubs 6-2 to take a one game lead in that category after the Braves lost to the Phillies 5-4.


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I'm trying to find more information on this term and how it came about. Does it appear in Abhidhamma literature? Or is it a definitely later Mahayana term? Is there a similar idea in Abhidhamma? This idea interests me because it has several parallels in western philosophy in the form of higher order thought theories. I would like to know how the Abhidhamma views self aware consciousness, ie consciousness aware of itself being aware of something.
From what I have seen svasamvedana is usually translated as something like reflexive awareness or self awareness. In Tibetan it is Ranggi rig pa (I think) and is related to metaphors such as 'luminosity' (gsal ba) or 'clear light' ('od gsal). The most common image is that of a lamp. The lamp is reflexive, it illuminates itself in the very act of illuminating others. It is a very contentious issue in Tibetan philosophy because it is key for some schools but is thoroughly denied by the gelugs.
I've also seen the term svasamvitti used interchangeably.


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Posted 7 years ago
(1 item)
Hello all. Have had this watch as long as I can remember and "rediscovered" it in my closet while looking for a totally different thing. Anyway, I opened the box and saw that the crystal fell off, or came loose or popped out. Was wondering if anybody out there would know what happened or how this can be fixed as I am -to put it lightly- mechanically stupid. Thank you much (isn't Mickey cute???!!!)