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On the rabid inflation of tuition fees as a political issue…
Tuition fees. No two words in the English language drive more fear into a Lib Dem heart. It has become not only a stick for other politicos and the media to beat the party with but the electorate themselves think a stick is far too tame and keep imploring the previously stated politicos and media to turn that stick into a baseball bat, then drive in some nails to said baseball bat, coat the baseball bat in cow pats and then and only then start swinging at the Lib Dems.
As has been written about here (and on many other fine websites – and some bad ones too no doubt) this has been a lot of the Lib Dems own doing. We can go around and around in circles about the nuance of the Lib Dems were a junior partner in a coalition and did actually put a lot of their 2010 manifesto into place but no-one cares about facts, facts are for losers, we live in a post-fact era and the only things that make sense are black and white, right and wrong, Will or Gareth (ok that last one is quite an old reference) but I think it is fair to say that the simpler the better when it comes to issues these days.
I do wonder though at times how we actually got to the position where we are. On Sunday Vince Cable penned a piece about Brexit and how it hurt the chances of young people not only now but potentially for generations to come. Most economists would agree that this is an accurate statement and that Brexit will not be beneficial in terms of either jobs, opportunities or salaries going forward. Yet instead of people going 'right on Vince' 'You tell it like it is' 'fuck me that old geezer actually knows some shit' or words to that effect, social media was full of one issue, yes, tuition fees.
Apparently tuition fees is an issue that won't ever go away, it is radioactive and will still be used to bash the Lib Dems in 2197 when the aliens invade but allow humanity to have an election on whether they should be enslaved or not. The Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell will implore people to reject enslavement and embrace freedom but the hard left will go, 'well you lied about tuition fees so I can't trust you, now where do we sign up for a stint at the sulphur mines on Rigel IV?'
For you see tuition fees has very little to do with actual tuition fees. The policy is inconsequential to the emotion that people feel when talking about them. Families and young people want their children to have every opportunity going and therefore believe a free education for as long as they want it helps enhance those chances to find a path they'll enjoy and will bring them a good life.
Fair point you would say but when the country is facing an obstacle that won't just pinch financially but will actively shut down opportunities and jobs, the very same people who are desperate to keep education free are far more blasé. It is like they can't see the big picture and that put side by side, tuition fees is a grain of sand whereas Brexit is the entire beach.
This doesn't even take into consideration the actual cost to the tax payer of free education at higher institutes of learning. That is a debate that very few actually want to have but it is a legitimate one. Most people can understand and tolerate their taxes going towards health, defence, crime prevention, education up to adult years but why should someone who earns a low salary be part paying for someone they don't know to study Philosophy at the University of Central Lancashire? I'm not saying I have that opinion but what I am saying is I can see that opinion and it is perfectly justified.
When Labour introduced tuition fees and then top-up fees when they were last in government, it was a story for a day or two and then life moved on. For the Lib Dems though it is something that everyone wants to throw at them mercilessly. Labour were able to win a fourth consecutive term in government even after an extremely unpopular war because the electorate took into account the whole picture. Now though people want to find a small issue and use it to supersede the bigger one.
Tuition fees was a dark day for the Lib Dems but Brexit will be an eclipse for the whole country for generations. Yet as Jeremy Corbyn leads Labour forward and quite possibly towards government, he does so still envisioning and supporting a departure of the EU that will leave his supporters poorer and with fewer life opportunities. They know this but they don't care because they've grown to see that life (and politics) is simple. Good and bad, black and white and Jeremy Corbyn is good.
A lady called Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett wrote in the Guardian a piece entitled Brexit will be catastrophic. Yet I still support Jeremy Corbyn and it sums up everything I have said here. A devout Corbyn supporter who knows that he's happy to screw her over but yet is still highly enthusiastic towards the man. 'I felt politically homeless (because of tuition fees, I would never countenance voting Lib Dem)' she writes as once again tuition fees is clearly a much bigger issue than Brexit and that my friends (and enemies and those who are indifferent towards me) is the where we are today.
Tuition Fees 1, Brexit 0. One day future generations will look back at ours and wonder why anyone ever felt that killing off the liberals was worth it just over an issue like whether adults should all be entitled to free education. It may be important but compared to what else is going on not only in the world but also in our back yard, it isn't even in the top 25 issues yet for a great swathe of the electorate, being morally superior is vastly more important than making better lives for themselves, their loved ones and for those who come after them.
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On the top five fantasy football sleepers…
Take a look at the roster of any championship Fantasy Football team after the season is over, and inevitably you're going to see a guy or two who was drafted way lower than his production should have warranted. The key to winning your upcoming fantasy league is getting upper round production from mid to late round draft picks.
Your fantasy football draft is right around the corner, and here are five players who have a chance to make a big impact from later draft position. If you haven't set up your league yet, or if you're looking for one more league before the season starts, sites like Playdraft are easy to use and offer great options for fantasy football.
1) Jameis Winston – QB, Buccaneers
This year, Jameis Winston is getting drafted with an average draft position of early in the second round, the 8th quarterback off the board. While Marcus Mariota and Derek Carr are the young quarterbacks everyone are talking about taking the next step, Winston is the guy who might surpass them both. Last year, Winston bumped his touchdowns thrown up by 6, and there's no reason he can't take another step this year. Meanwhile, his rushing touchdowns fell from 6 to 1 from 2015 to 2016 while his rushing attempts stayed the same. If he managed to tally a few more rushing TDs while improving through the air, Winston is a top 5 QB.
2) Joe Mixon – RB, Bengals
Mixon is coming off the board as the 20th running back selected, with an ADP of the 4th round. That's too low for a guy who would have been a surefire first round pick had it not been for character concerns, and who finds himself the primary running back in a Cincinnati offense with some real weapons in the passing game. Mixon has a chance to be a top 10 running back this year.
3) Christian McCaffrey – RB, Panthers
Another rookie running back, McCaffrey is being picked as the 15th running back on average, with a 3rd round ADP. In other words, he's being picked a full round later than a guy like Jordan Howard, who's on a terrible Bears offense and will face stacked boxes all season long. McCaffrey, on the other hand, will benefit from defenses having to stop Cam Newton first and foremost, and his first round pedigree attests to formidable talent. McCaffrey has top 5 potential this year.
4) Josh Doctson – WR, Redskins
All the way down as the 64th wideout taken, with an ADP in the 14th round, Doctson is a deep sleeper who might pay big dividends in 2017. The Redskins lost Pierre Garcon and Desean Jackson to free agency, so someone's going to have to step up and catch passes from talented QB Kirk Cousins. Enter Doctson, the 2015 first round draft pick. The Redskins will give Doctson every opportunity to break out, and he could easily be a top 30 wide receiver this year.
5) John Brown – WR, Cardinals
Brown is being drafted as the 43rd wide receiver off the board with an ADP of the 9th round, which offers plenty of value for the explosive wideout. 2016 was a down year, but only a year ago Brown put up over 1,000 yards and 7 scores. Some early training camp injury woes put a bit of a damper on Brown's fantasy luster, but a strong performance in preseason game 3 showed hes ready to go this year. As the number two wide receiver in a strong Arizona offense, Brown should put up big fantasy numbers, possibly cracking the top 20 wide receivers in value.
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On putting Soccer AM out of its misery…
I remember the days when I was much younger than I am now. Back in those teenage and early 20s years I would have a pretty steady Saturday morning ritual before either heading to Fratton or St. George's Park to take in my live football. That ritual would involve enjoying Sky Sports' Soccer AM. The show fronted by Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain wasn't must-see TV but a nice relaxing route into the footballing day.
As I got older though I fell out of the habit, not just because of age (and maybe some maturity) but because when Tim Lovejoy left the show (taking a lot of the actual talent with him) it became a shell of what it once was. I know Fenners has returned and is now fronting the show but he was at his best when playing characters. Sheephead was first rate. Robbie Knox et al. They were what made the show funny.
Fans of the show will remember Hells Bells snogging Rocket for his birthday, Fixtures Man, Topless Weather is association with Gravy, ooo northern boys love gravy, Barry, Fenners punching Lovejoy, Lovejoy getting a ball to the knackers, Serge's goal in the Wembley game, naked hikers, the Dance Off, the Save chip! campaign and the like. Those were the days…
The show is back is the news today as word comes out that having fronted the show since its inception, Helen Chamberlain won't be on the famous red sofas this season. I have to admit I don't think I've watched a whole episode in a decade or so. I have seen bits here and there but when Andy Goldstein came in, it lost a lot and Max Rushden wasn't able to stem the tide (although I actually thought/think he's a solid TV presenter).
Chamberlain though has been a permanent fixture on the show. Her departure would logically have been the catalyst for Sky to finally axe the show and move forward with something new on a Saturday morning. With the new Sky Sports channel line-up, this was the perfect opportunity to put Soccer AM to bed (albeit a decade after it should have been).
Sometimes TV shows evolve and move forward with the times. Soccer AM failed to do this and when it had to change things up once Lovejoy and the gang left, it instead just tried to replicate their success but with inferior presenters/crew.
What shouldn't be overlooked is the culture of the sport itself changing. Maybe it is just because I have myself drifted away from it as a weekly staple (I've become one of those armchair fans mostly) but it does seem as though football has become more of a family outing than the blokey one it still was when I was younger. With that culture (from my PoV anyway) changing, the larks of the show don't sit with what audiences want any more.
When the time is right for a complete overhaul or an ending, TV producers shouldn't be afraid to get it done. Leave them wanting more. Fawlty Towers only ran for two season's as did The Young Ones. Soccer AM had a great run but bringing in Jimmy Bullard to replace Helen Chamberlain along with comedian Lloyd Griffith won't turn around the sinking ship that has lost around 80% of its audience in the past ten years.
So farewell Soccer AM. I had pretty much forgotten you existed (apart from the final two or three minutes when I see it as I've turned over to watch Jeff and the boys at midday and they are not getting stale). Without Tim Lovejoy and the gang you had lost your mojo but without Helen Chamberlain you'll have lost your soul. The show will be a husk of what it once was and as I end and look outside of the window here in the south, I see that it is light drizzle…
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On George Turner's must-read excellent piece on the Lib Dem campaign in Vauxhall…
Vauxhall was an opportunity for the Lib Dems in the 2017 General Election. Traditionally about as safe a Labour seat as you can get, it had a hard Brexiteer MP in an area that voted heavily to Remain. When Theresa May stepped out on to Downing Street that Monday morning to announce that she was going to the country, this was the type of seat that no doubt had a big ring around it at Lib Dem HQ. Labour would of course go on to win by over 20,000 votes but that doesn't tell half the story.
George Turner was the candidate and he expressed some of his thoughts in an article entitled Losing in Vauxhall to Brexit Kate. It is a fairly open and honest piece that seems to have hit home for many.
The main parts that are worth noting are the slow reaction of Lib Dem HQ to the moving barometer of Jeremy Corbyn's popularity. He started the campaign as an electoral liability but the moment people started to look at Theresa May with more laser like focus coupled with his populist policies, he became Nick Clegg in 2010 but unlike Clegg, he had the party with deep pockets and infrastructure in a great deal more in-play seats. This financial and infrastructure factor cannot be overlooked.
I'll start copying and pasting bits of the article with some comments…
All our data at the beginning of the campaign showed that we were significantly ahead of Labour in Vauxhall, and yet on polling day we finished 30 points behind. The data was not wrong. There was a genuine, large and late swing towards Labour. In the relatively short period of the election campaign, tens of thousands of people in Vauxhall, and millions across the country, switched their vote from Liberal Democrat to Labour.
This adds up to what the rumours were. Essentially at the start of the campaign when it was being fought on a Brexit ticket and everything else relegated to the back pages, the Lib Dems had every right to think they were set to make sweeping gains, even overturning such long odds such as downing Kate Hoey in Vauxhall. The problem was the party nationally never really had a strong Brexit message. The whole 'you know what, we'll have a second referendum on the terms of the deal' was weak, weak, weak. Most knew it then, everyone knows it now. When the accelerator should have been pressed, the party cruised along in neutral. A huge miss.
Into this mess entered Jeremy Corbyn with a leaked manifesto and public opinion started to shift dramatically. For the first time there was a major political party offering a clear and credible way out of the dismal spiral of tax cuts followed by more cuts to services.
As Labour's poll rating increased people started to believe there could be a Labour government. Voters began to think that their decision was about much more than who was going to be their local MP, it was about what kind of government they wanted.
At that point Brexit dropped off the agenda.
Ding, ding, ding and we have a winner. You win elections by giving people hope or scaring them. Jeremy Corbyn gave them hope and as national polls shifted to the possibility of a hung parliament or even a Labour majority, people weren't just thinking about who will represent them in parliament but who could actually form that government. The Lib Dems kept banging on about no coalition deals ever (no matter who with) so that told people that to get rid of the Tories and Theresa May, you had to vote Labour.
I know the party are still salty about coalitions but by telling the electorate that, it didn't calm down those who were worried about them propping up the Tories again but scared the Anti-Tory voters that they only had one way to get rid of May…and it wasn't by lending the Lib Dems a vote.
The moment Brexit dropped off the top line of the ticket it opened up opportunities for a handful of Lib Dems, the Norman Lamb's of the world but it also opened up the door to Labour for their extremely appealing domestic policies. People didn't care whether they could afford them or not, they were fed up of the deficit and less money for public services.
When people are fed up they just do something they shouldn't anyway. If you are in a foul mood and it is still a few days until payday, do you look at the Chinese takeaway menu and say, 'No, maybe when I've been paid…' or do you say, 'fuck it, can I please have Set Menu B?' I know that is a pretty simplistic analogy but the electorate weren't thinking about the small print, they only wanted the headlines and the Labour headlines were very enticing.
Part of the national campaign was to flood each target constituency in direct mail, produced by Lib Dem HQ on behalf of the national campaign. On day one we told Great George Street in no uncertain terms that the last thing we needed was anti-Corbyn literature going though the doors of voters in Vauxhall. In order to win Vauxhall we needed to convince tens of thousands of Labour voters to change their vote to us in a one-time deal to kick out Kate Hoey. That would just be made harder if we were perceived to be anti-Labour.
Our advice was almost completely ignored. Voters in Vauxhall received a stream of literature, sent out by Lib Dem HQ featuring Comrade Corbyn in a silly hat. As the polls swung towards Labour that message became more and more damaging. The vilification of the Labour leader cost us volunteers and voters. When we complained we were told there was nothing we could do about it.
This seems to have been a big problem that the party needs to address. This wasn't a one-size fits all election, not for the Lib Dems and nor will it ever be for us. The party have to look closely at every seat and listen to what the people on the ground are saying. If you are in an office in London with focus groups, are what they tell you going to be the same that people are thinking in Leeds North West or Ceredigion for example? I highly doubt it.
Even if going into the campaign HQ thought they had put in place a smart tactic, they certainly were not flexible enough to adapt to the changing face of what was going on. As we went from an easy Tory landslide to an election where the keys to number ten downing street were genuinely up for grabs, the party didn't seem to change course. The mind boggles. This is not an indictment at all on how hard people worked but sometimes you have to realise that working hard isn't the only key to success, if it was the party would probably have won at least 50 seats on June 8.
If you are planning on an insurgency campaign then it has to be just that. In Vauxhall that seemed to be the plan and everyone was on board. This was about removing Kate Hoey, not for being in favour of Brexit but about how adamant she was about it and how how of step she was with her electorate. If that is the plan (and the seat was given target seat status) then you have to leave those who are in charge of the campaign locally to run the operation. By flooding the area with national literature, all it did was muddy the waters. This happened in several other seats too so I've been told, where the candidate's views were overridden by HQ who wouldn't listen.
What must be learned from this fiasco is two-fold. First of all, all plans must be adaptable. You must be able to change course to some degree during a campaign. If things outside of your control change then you shouldn't stay on the same course. The world around us is very volatile and momentum can stall or change a campaign, even if you don't have anything to do with it, another party's rise or fall can and will affect how the electorate see you.
Secondly, more power should be given to campaign manager's in target seats. If you have employed someone to run the campaign then let them do so at a local level. Candidates should be able to opt-in and opt-out of certain targeted mailings as they see fit. They have the people on the ground to see how the message is going across on their particular patch and why people don't listen to these expertise and insight I'll never know. The more data and knowledge you have, the more informed you are and you have a better chance of reaching the best decision. If you ignore that data and knowledge then you are setting yourself up to fail.
I have written on multiple occasions about the campaign. It was piss poor. I think most now know this and have taken it on the chin. I've heard on the grapevine that some at HQ prefer to point the finger at bad local campaigns than look inwards in the immediate aftermath. This now has surely evaporated to some degree. If it hasn't then oh boy.
I know betting markets are just that but at the start of the campaign the spread on Lib Dem seats was around the 30 mark. Not all these local parties put together poor campaigns and fuck ups at local level. The sad truth is Tim Farron made little impact apart from having gay sex related issues and HQ's plan was to target the soft Con vote only as they thought the majority Labour Remainers would come over without too much fuss. When all is said and done the party actually got fewer votes in 2017 than it did in 2015. That is just a damning statistic.
The Labour Remain vote stayed where it was because they fell for Corbyn's magical charms on where he stood on the issue and whilst the party did see moderate success in LD/Con battles primarily in heavy Remain areas, the fact the party had Twickenham pretty much sown up weeks in advance and allowed Sarah Olney to lose Richmond Park by 45 votes to a man like Zac Goldsmith is a fitting epitaph to the 2017 Liberal Democrat General Election campaign.
I don't know George Turner but he comes across as a highly intelligent and articulate individual. The party needs to nurture this type of candidate and listen to what they have to say. If they continue to stick fingers in their ears and say it wasn't their fault, no progress will ever be made. Also where is the survey we were all promised on how the campaign went? I suspect quite a few activists have quite a fair bit to say…
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On legality of online gambling in Canada…
When you are talking about the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, one of the important things regarding getting licensed with them is that the casino platform must be hosted on secure servers based in the land of Kahnawake itself and nowhere else. Although many have raised questions about the legality I often indulge in Royal Vegas online casino games in Canada, but of late have been wondering if online gambling is actually illegal or legal in Canada?!
As more and more people start to use the internet and online world every day, this is something I felt was worth clarifying. I looked up the length and breadth of the Internet, but couldn't find a conclusive answer to that question! Some people say yes, some say no; eventually what I figured is that you can gamble legally in Canada only at places licensed by the government of Canada. Technically, that would mean gambling on the Internet is illegal in Canada, unless of course you play at Provincial casinos running on the Internet. Although majority of provinces in Canada are actively launching their own online casinos, they're limiting their usage only to the residents of those provinces. Gambling on the whole falls in a fairly grey area in Canada as no specific law, allowing or disallowing has been written so far.
Can you get prosecuted?
Regardless, there is a very old Canadian law as per which its considered unlawful for a person to be present inside a 'common betting house!' This could possibly be used against anyone who indulges in gambling on the Internet, but no one in Canada has been prosecuted so far. If we talk about prosecution, even in the United States, where there are clear laws against online gambling, it's pretty rare for a person to get charged. One of the cases to have come to light in that regard is that of a person who had to pay $500 in fine as he had won $100,000 playing poker on the Internet in US. US authorities have for long been targeting only companies and banks that facilitate online gambling transactions for the players from United States, instead of going after individuals.
Here in Canada, the attitude is comparatively relaxed. Apparently, provinces are taking things as they come and have opened their own Internet casino establishments to compete with others. There has only been one case of an online casino getting charged in Canada, which was way back in year 2001; and that's the only one so far to do with online gambling.
About Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Quebec
Another interesting fact not many casino players are aware of is that a good number of online casinos are actually regulated and licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission based in Quebec, Canada. This commission has been involved in such regulation and licensing business for online gaming industry since 1999, much longer compared to any other gambling jurisdiction in the world. An important restriction placed by them on any casino of this gaming commission operating out of Canada, for so many years now, no action has been taken against it as yet.
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On Cherry Bakewell scented shower gel…
Here at The Rambles of Neil Monnery sometimes we tackle frivolous subjects like progressive alliances, where the Lib Dems went wrong this time, how funny it was that Senator John McCain proper screwed President Trump and how Sol Campbell is not a sympathetic human being. Yet sometimes we go all important and this is one of those types of blog posts people, yes it is the review you were all waiting for and the world needs, an entry all about the Cherry Bakewell shower gel I purchased last week.
Yeah you are probably regretting clicking on this post already. I can feel it.
Well lets go back to the start, on Friday night we were doing the weekly food shop (yay – adulting) and my usual preferred shower gel wasn't on offer. My heart sunk. Crestfallen would be a good word to use (a nod back to my Fubra days there) but as I stood there perusing the other available bottles, the other half chirped up and pointed out the Cherry Bakewell scented shower gel that was a few along from where I was looking. For one English pound I had to try it for you see, I loves me some Cherry Bakewells. Loves it.
So Saturday was the big day. I had a shower and poured some of the gel on to my exfoliating sponge (yes I have one of those – they are amazing) and lathered up before starting to wash myself with it and bloody hell, it really smells of cherry bakewells. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought a nice six-pack of Mr. Kipling's finest were waiting for me just outside of the shower awaiting me to take them down in a five-minute frenzy. Yet no pastries were waiting for me, just the scent of them smothering and cleansing my skin.
Once washed off though the smell doesn't really stay on you at all. The cherry bakewell-ness of the shower gel is very much short-term. Still, it provides a swift reminder of how delicious cherry bakewells are and gives you the urge to go and buy yourself a pack. I managed to resist (for now) but as a novelty purchase it wasn't the worst one I've ever made (I once had cola bottles scented hand soap and now have a bubblegum scented one) but if you are hoping to use it and spend the day wandering around the office making everyone crave some of Mr. Kipling's finest, you'll need to come up with another idea I'm afraid.
I'll get back to pointless politics type stuff soon I'm sure…
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On Senator John McCain's stone cold revenge on President Trump…
The dramatic scenes on the Senate floor in the early hours of this morning are ones that Democrats and all those that believe in health care will play over and over again on YouTube. With a majority of just two, the Republicans could absorb the two rebels who had already made themselves known, Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. The Vice President was lurking in case of a tied vote to cast the deciding ballot. So it was all eyes on Senator John McCain whose vote had been on a knife-edge seemingly all day.
What happened next changed the course of the Trump presidency. That is not over-egging what happened last night. The fact that after yet another run at getting rid of Obamacare, the President was unable to get anything done. As the senator from Arizona strode in to vote, all eyes were on him. He outstretched his arm and then paused for what seemed like an entirely but was in reality barely two seconds before saying 'No' and putting his thumb down. It was over.
This wasn't just about ObamaCare. This was also about stone cold revenge and a message to all that people have long memories. The President had been absolutely vile towards the former Republican Presidential nominee. You can not like someone and speak about it openly if you want to but actions also have consequences. Trump may have ascended to the top job in the land but McCain was still one of just 100 senators who have the power to hold him to account and subsequently scuttle his legislative agenda. With a majority of just two, you can't afford to alienate people and this is where Trump's lack of knowledge of politics comes to bite him in the butt.
In the business world if you don't like someone you don't necessarily have to deal with them. You can get your bricks from another supplier. You can get your concrete from another supplier. You can get your windows from another supplier and so on. In politics you have to deal with the same people for a finite amount of time until their term is up and they go for reelection. This means you have far less wriggle room and if you shaft someone, they will remember and wait until the time is right to put one back over on you.
Whether Senator McCain was thinking about this during proceedings this week, who knows? He was the deciding vote that kept this debate going throughout the week, dramatically flying back to vote for further discussions on the bill. Could he have simply been wanting to up the drama knowing all the while that the longer it continued, the more likely it was to succeed and Trump's confidence would've grown, all the while knowing he was set to scuttle it? Makes for an interesting theory doesn't it?
The long and short of it though is that McCain, along with his two Republican colleagues in the early hours of Friday morning voted to essentially torpedo what was arguably the top line of President Trump's campaign.
The Senate had already voted not to repeal and replace ObamaCare but to repeal it and kick it into the weeds for two years was on the table, which would essentially allow the President to claim victory and take 15 million people out of health insurance next year with another 16 million by 2026 and up premiums by 20% according to a Congressional Budget Office report. It stunk and was all about 'winning' and not about doing anything that was good for people who need ObamaCare.
At the start of the week Senator McCain was vilified by the liberal media as the person who was ready to bring down ObamaCare. Before the week was out, he was the person who cast the deciding vote to keep it. As they say a week is a long time in politics and revenge is a dish served stone cold.
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On a (very) small example of why the British written media is a cesspool of lazy propaganda…
Who would have thought that a footballers religious views would be noteworthy of a story? Well today four of our newspapers decided that it was. The Sun, the Daily Mirror, the Daily Express and the Daily Mail all wrote articles about how new Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku couldn't accept a Man of the Match award because of his religion. You see the Belgian is a 'devout Muslim' and therefore 'unable to pose with alcoholic gifts'.
Two things. Firstly, why would this ever be a news story of any interest to anyone let alone worth all four newspapers written specific articles on it. Maybe they know any story on Manchester United and football will get a few clicks, which is always good for advertising and those all important ad rates. Maybe they felt it was important to educate their readers on why this happened as many had been confused. Maybe they just thought it was time for someone to tell it how it is and make a noble point about religion and how it ruins everything. Or maybe, just maybe, they are lazy fuckwits who want to inflame religious tension. Who knows eh?
Secondly, one teeny tiny issue with the story. It is a load of bollocks. Lukaku is actually a devout Catholic. The Sun themselves actually wrote a story about it in 2014 when the striker went on a trip to Lourdes and posted about it on Instagram. The article entitled Luk-ing to God is still available for all to read on the world wide interweb. Anyone who has ever watched the front man score will have seen he does the Christian symbol of the cross when celebrating. So why on Earth did these newspapers all write inaccurate articles about his religious faith?
It is either a genuine case of someone informed a journalist inaccurately of what happened and a case of Chinese whispers spread like wild fire throughout the media covering the event and no-one thought about fact-checking. Either that or someone heard the story, thought it would play into the readership of said publications and they all ran with it thinking it would be a nice little story about religion and football that wouldn't ever make them look like idiots.
At the time of writing the articles are still live on three of the four websites. The Sun have already removed it and 301ed the article with the new URL including the words 'legal removal' but the Daily Mirror, Daily Express and Daily Mail are all still happily living with their respective pieces even despite the quite scathing story in the Independent showing up the four newspapers for writing outright lies. This isn't fake news because that term has been watered down and is now a punchline. This is just an outright lie that isn't even a story if it were true but the lie interest some of the readers and further inflame religious tensions to a small degree.
I know this is only a tiny story and not really of any importance but it is a great example of how spreading a small lie can go unchecked unless more vigilant journalists and media publications call them out of it. The fact The Sun have already removed the offending piece says a lot. Unless people call bullshit when bullshit is spread then it leaves us in a state where the media can control the news and that is not somewhere we'd ever want to be.
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On Caroline Lucas and her vision of a progressive alliance…
Many things hacked me off during the 2017 General Election campaign but I suspect none of them come close to the anger I felt towards the intense and non-stop chatter about progressive alliances. Every single day I saw people talking about how best to work together between parties such as Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens. Instead of finding real ground to take it to the Tories though, activists, local and national parties found more that divided us than uniting us.
For this blog post I want to concentrate on Caroline Lucas. She is number one is my crosshairs for people who pissed me off on this front. The Green Party went into the campaign with one MP and one realistic target seat. That was Bristol West where they opened as odds against favourites to unseat the incumbent Labour MP. As the Labour momentum got going though this became a safe Labour hold and as her own seat was safe, the Green party had no potential to gain any extra seats, All they could realistically do was become a spoiler to help the Tories.
Coming into the debates she had a choice to make, either she wanted to get as many votes as possible for her party (which is a perfectly fair position to take for a leader of a political party) or know who her main political enemies were and go after them. She chose the former and that is all fine and dandy unless she was banging on about working together. Lets look at what she said on her own website after the 2015 General Election…
"The election results have served as a stark reminder that our political system is broken. The time for electoral reform is long overdue. Only proportional representation will deliver a parliament that is truly legitimate, and that better reflects the views of the people it's meant to represent."
SHE ADDED: "But we must move forward today. While the campaign for electoral reform gathers momentum, THOSE OF US WANTING TO SEE A FAIRER, MORE COMPASSIONATE AND PROGRESSIVE POLITICS MUST FIND NEW WAYS OF WORKING TOGETHER, A NEW WAY TO DO POLITICS – AND PUT THAT INTO PRACTICE NOW.
"Unless we break free of tribal politics and work together to fight austerity, and promote crucial, common-sense climate policies, we're faced with an incredibly bleak political future. For the sake of all those who'll suffer most at the hands of the Tories, we must rethink our relations and recognise the importance of our common ground.
"That should include shared platforms and case-by-case electoral pacts, to build a strong progressive alliance to challenge the Tories over the next five years. Clearly in Wales and Scotland, where there are PR elections for the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament, this doesn't apply, but where First Past the Post continues to distort election results, it should surely be considered."
I have left in her own emphasis.
During this campaign she tweeted this:
Lib Dems focussing on young people after trebling the cost of university. 🤔https://t.co/LeDhRlsIt8
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) May 17, 2017
During the debates she went after the Lib Dems hard on tuition fees. Arguably going after the party more than any other apart from UKIP. She knows that her party's vote won't come from the Tories and with the Corbyn momentum kicking in during the final three weeks of the campaign, the best way to get more Green votes was to hit the Lib Dems hard. Heck hitting the Lib Dems hard may not have converted some soft LDs to Green but may have converted them to Labour or convinced them to stay at home. Smart if she wanted to damage the Lib Dems but not smart if her number one priority was to stop another Conservative government.
She doesn't want to end tribal politics because if she did then she wouldn't have campaigned in the manner that she did. It was seemingly mere lip-service to the idea of progressive politics. If only say 10% of the population would consider voting for you and you are fighting with the Lib Dems and Labour for those voters, do you curl up and let those voters choose freely which way to go or do you fight tooth and nail for them? You do the latter.
This is a great example of why a progressive alliance in our parliamentary system just doesn't work. The voters have shown us that they don't like coalition politics and are at the stage where they want something more black and white. Good and bad if you like. Right or wrong. It won't always be that way and as a member and firm believer that the radical centre is the best place politically, I have to believe that.
Yet today people are happy to vote for Jeremy Corbyn even if they don't agree with his top line Brexit policies because he is the most likely to stop the Tories and as it stands the majority of the electorate identify as Tory or Anti-Tory. This means they'll vote for the Tories or whoever is most likely to stop them. Even if that means by proxy getting more Tory MPs because they don't look at the local situation.
The progressive alliance can only work when everyone is genuinely willing to work together. If they are all fighting over the same voters then it was always a fallacy and the way Caroline Lucas acted throughout the 2017 General Election campaign showed us all that progressive alliances are great in theory but in reality it had zero chance of succeeding and the amount of column inches and talking head minutes were dedicated to it was all one giant waste of time.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Please leave any comments or contact me directly via the E-Mail Me link on the Right Hand Nav. You can stay in touch with the blog following me on Twitter or by liking the blog on Facebook. Please share this content via the Social Media links below if you think anyone else would enjoy reading.
On living with a jealous cat…
One month ago today I made the big move to move in with my girlfriend. Had you told me I'd be doing such a thing a year ago, I'd be calling you loopy and calling the men (or women – I'm all about equality) in straitjackets to come and take you away. Yet here we are. This blog post isn't about that part of the equation. One month in and everything is going great in that regard. This blog post is about the second part of the equation. I didn't just move in with her, I also moved in with her cat and that part is still on a learning curve.
I first met the cat several months ago now and whenever I was here before I moved in, she had showed no jealously towards me apart from one stay where she just seemed in a permanent sulk with the situation. Apparently one night I went to take a phone call and the moment I left the room, she opened up for belly rubs and started purring away and was happy as larry. She was fine the next time I came down and then of course I moved in.
Since then she's been generally fine but has clear moments where she is super jealous and seemingly unsure about where she fits in with the new dynamic. As I work from home, I am around the cat a lot of the time whereas my partner goes off to work during the day. When it is just us two here, the cat is far more willing to be around me. She enjoys the attention but more than that, she is clearly a homebody cat who just likes to be near people. She doesn't like to be on them per se butsleeping with a human in the room is often her preferred choice.
For example as I'm writing this, she is curled up asleep on my bed next to my desk. The meower followed me in here after I made a sandwich and once she realised I was settling down to do some stuff on the PC, walked over to my bed happily enough, jumped up and curled up there. She often does this during the day. Yet when my partner comes home from work she often looks either confused or sad and won't sit with us in the evening. Recently she has been moving closer by sleeping on the footstool but if we are both on the sofa, she'll just look at us.
Last night the other half was watching Game of Thrones and I'm not a fan. So I came to my PC to watch Around the Horn and PTI online and the cat jumped up to sit on the sofa with the girlfriend to have licks and cuddles (she is a very licky cat). In our one month of living together she has yet to jump up of her own free will if we are both on the sofa and settled down. Once or twice she has jumped up and jumped down again pretty quickly. We've also picked her up a few times and put her on the sofa with us but she's quickly jumped back down and just sat there on the floor staring at us.
Before I moved in, she would regularly sleep with us on the sofa, not between us but on the arm or on the far end. Since I've been around permanently though, this has yet to happen. She clearly has some jealously issues and it is sad to see as she has absolutely nothing to be jealous about. I won't go as far to say that she is the centre of our world but we both consider the cat as a massive part of our little family.
This morning though we had a little breakthrough. After hanging the laundry on the line (I'm so domesticated) the cat came in and sat on the footstool opposite me where my feet where. After a couple of fake jumps to join me on the sofa, she walked along my outstretched leg and sat on my lap for around ten minutes whilst having strokes and purring away. She didn't settle but did go to sleep next to me on the sofa. This is the first time since moving in that she's sat on my lap or come and curled up next to me on the sofa (she has done it on the bed many times). It might not seem like a big deal but I sat there quietly smiling to myself.
In time she'll learn that she has nothing to be jealous of with me being around 24/7. Life will be better for her not because I'm all that but because she'll have far more human company as I'm around during the day and that my partner won't be spending as much time away from her, so she'll also be about more, thus giving the cat far more stability and that is something we are both sure will make her happier.
If you are in a similar situation and a cat is jealous of a new partner, I'm afraid I don't think that there is a quick fix. Just spend time around the cat and if he/she wants attention then give it to them on their terms. I usually feed her in the evening whereas the girlfriend feeds her in the mornings, so she's learning that I'm not just an interloper impinging on her world, I'm also the provider of food and therefore am worthwhile to her in some capacity. This is a good one as if cats think you are giving them something, they are more likely to at least tolerate you.
As you've read a blog post about her, here is a picture of the cat from yesterday evening and you can follow Misha's adventures on her own Instagram page.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Please leave any comments or contact me directly via the E-Mail Me link on the Right Hand Nav. You can stay in touch with the blog following me on Twitter or by liking the blog on Facebook. Please share this content via the Social Media links below if you think anyone else would enjoy reading.


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FilterSupplier Quality
Work Life Balance is great, its really a great place to work (in 88 reviews)
Stable work environment (lots of 25 year-ers) there (in 58 reviews)
Work/Life balance was a joke as I was on travel for as much as 8 months at a time with only a few trips allowed back home (in 15 reviews)
Hidebound in some of its processes; some senior management slightly too in thrall to external consultants (in 23 reviews)
Helpful (3)
I worked at Rolls-Royce full-time (More than a year)
The Rolls-Royce Takover Target submitter hit it right. Training is great - they basically have a university with great classes and instructors. The benefits are pretty good. Starting salaries are competitive. They have an interesting product - if you are "into" jet engines. They have a great library and a museum.
Forget about getting a raise. They are continuing to cut benefits ( the company is bleeding cash - it costs R-R more $$ to make a jet engine than what they sell for). Their suppliers tell R-R what to do. They tell R-R to change their quality specifications (in the supplier's favor) or the supplier will raise their prices. Management beats the heck out of their "underlings" come performance review time (management sets expectations that can't be met - therefore, they have a reason to fire you - in case they want). And the owners, R-R U K, is just look only at the numbers R-R N/A is producing and not the whole picture of what is going on. Very difficult to advance or transfer positions. Cumbersome systems to work with.
Advice to Management
Back off your employees, if they are not producing what you want, help them.
Gain technical knowlegde along with Six Sigma problem solving skills / lean manufacturing.
In need of more advanced MRP / ERP systems. Siloed organization
Advice to Management
It takes time to develop an organization. Rolls-Royce is working hard to become the industry leader in Energy as they dilligently make the changes within the organization to become successful. The employee base on hand is the right team but there needs to be more of a collaberative effort among each department to develop the company eliminating the silos it has been accustomed to working under
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subset: commoncrawl


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Fettuccini Primavera
How to Make It
Step 1
Microwave Fettuccini Alfredo according to package directions. Sauté prosciutto and fresh mushrooms in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Add wine, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Add 1/2 pound fresh asparagus and baby green peas. Cook, stirring often, 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the hot Fettuccini Alfredo and 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately.
Step 2
Note: 3 ounces baked ham and 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth may be substituted for the prosciutto and white wine.


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Tag: Arab Spring
Feb. 27, 2015
Arab Spring brings success, failures
The story of Mohammed Bouazizi provides deep insight into the contemporary politics of the Middle East. A vegetable vendor and the breadwinner for his family of eight, Bouazizi hoped to save enough money to buy a pickup truck that would simplify his work.
Jul. 26, 2013
Egypt, coups and Islam
Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood were bad for Egypt. The military's coup, however, is even worse.
Apr. 13, 2012
Diplomat discusses Arabian revolution
The former deputy prime minister of Jordan referenced last year's wave of revolutions in the Middle East during a discussion held April 10 at Drexel University and hosted by the Student Alliance of the United Nations Association of the USA.
Apr. 6, 2012
Occupy Wall Street dying down
Justin Roczniak
Mar. 9, 2012
Occupy Wall Street's next steps
Roger McCain
Jan. 13, 2012
Vital time for occupy movement
Robert Zaller
Nov. 11, 2011
Anarchists and their black bloc
Roger McCain


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American rapper Bow Wow is set to be in Ghana to pair up with Keri Hilson.
According to Imajin Advertisers, the "Fresh Azimiz" hit-maker has been replaced by Sean Kingston and that they have confirmed it that Bow Wow and Keri Hilson will be rocking The Dome on 26th May, 2012.
Imajin Advertiser have promised a good show this May and will be revealing the full details of the whole concert soon.
Born Shad Gregory Moss the Columbus, Ohio native, who released his latest album New Jack City 2 in August, made his official music industry debut as Lil' Bow Wow at the age of 13 with Beware of Dogan.
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Fast 50 is indicator of economic progress
The Fast 50 is among the first special events that Business First started — back in 2000 — and it has remained among the most popular.
Each year, Louisville-area businesspeople celebrate their successes during the Fast 50 luncheon.
And, suspense mounts in the room as the rankings of the 50 companies are announced, starting with No. 50, and winding up with the announcement of the No. 1 company.
During the recession, there were a few times when we wondered whether enough companies would qualify to even have a Fast 50 competition. The Fast 50 companies are ranked according to revenue growth for the prior two years. But, each year, Louisville businesses turned in their financial reports to our accounting firm partner for the program, Dean Dorton Allen Ford, and more than enough companies qualified for the list.
The revenue increases were not always startling. For some years, many companies were happy that revenue was at least stable.
Here's an example of how the recession affected our Fast 50 companies. For the 2009 Fast 50, the companies with the smallest increases still posted growth in the range of 25 percent to 49 percent. But in 2010, it took revenue growth of just 10 percent in the previous two years to make the Fast 50.
Last year, the minimum required was 15 percent.
Click here or on "View photo gallery" at right above to see this year's Fast 50.
But this year, to get on the Fast 50, companies needed to achieve more than 25 percent growth in revenue.
This is a sign that the momentum has shifted and our local companies are seeing business return to pre-recession levels.
In addition to revenue growth, to be on the Fast 50, companies must be independent, for-profit and privately held; have a three-year operating sales history; and have an average of $1 million in annual revenue for the three most recent fiscal year.
Congratulations to all the 2012 Fast 50 companies.
They will be honored at a luncheon Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 11:50 a.m. at the Kentucky International Convention Center.
For more information, click here.


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Custom Cutouts
Photo Booth
Large Party Props
- Hanging Decorations
- Wall Decorations
- Yard Signs
- Lights
- Chandeliers
- Float Decorating Kits
- Decorating Accessories
- Lanterns
- Shop All
Availability :
In Stock
Product Code : KSRSTG
The Guitar Player Standee has the look of a band's lead guitarist with his pink mohawk, purple goatee, ripped jeans and Explorer guitar. Each cardboard guitar player cutout measures 6' high x 4' wide and is printed on one side. The free-standing Guitar Player Standee is quick and easy to assemble, just attach it's pre-cut stand and you're done. Decorate any rock star themed party or add it to your aspiring guitar player's bedroom. The possibilities are endless! Easy assembly.WARNING
Please allow ample time for delivery. Our estimated delivery date for this product is noted in checkout. Many items are shipped separately, so please allow extra time for these items to arrive. Shipping charges are based on the value of the merchandise and not the number of shipments. For additional shipping information, please contact our Customer Service Department at (email@example.com or 1-800-314-8794).
Reviewed by 1 customer
Best Uses
Good for our event. We did not use the adhesive but duct taped it. It worked well for our event which was one use and done.


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Well Being
Live In A City? Exercising Outdoors Is Bad For Your Brain
Men's Health reports on a new study that says exercising in urban areas is worse for you than exercising in rural ones. Apparently people who live in a city and exercise outdoors regularly scored lower on cognitive tests than people who live in less urban areas. The culprit? Air pollution. Yuck.
The study, conducted by researchers in Belgium, looked at people in two different groups: 15 in an urban environment and nine in a rural environment. Both groups alternated walking and running three days a week over a 12 week period.
Researchers then tested the participants on their response time and attention span. The urban exercisers scored lower; apparently, high levels of air pollution in cities prevented the city-dwellers from getting some of the cognitive benefits of regular exercise, like brain plasticity, comprehension and mental health. The urban exercisers also had higher levels of inflammation markers in the blood.
Inflammation in the brain may cause mental problems, say the researchers involved in this study. I'm interested to know what prompted researchers to want to connect environment, exercise and cognitive ability. That correlation doesn't seem obvious to me, but I guess the evidence speaks for itself. Still, I don't think you should take this to mean you should hang out on your couch rather than head outside to work out, especially if you live in a large urban center. The overall health benefits of exercise are huge, and not worth missing out on. So don't stop your city running just yet.
Romain Meeusen, one of the Belgian researchers, gave these tips to lessen your risk of air pollution when exercising outdoors in a city:
1. Brave rain and wind. These climates blow the fine particles away so you're not left inhaling them.
2. Avoid rush hour. The more cars, the more pollution from exhaust fumes.
3. Head to the park. The more trees between you and the road, the better.
Photo: Shutterstock


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Accelrys Inc.
Accelrys Inc.
Dai M.,Rutgers University |
Kwon J.,University of Texas at Dallas |
Halls M.D.,Accelrys Inc. |
Gordon R.G.,Harvard University |
Chabal Y.J.,University of Texas at Dallas
Langmuir | Year: 2010
The initial surface chemistry and growth mechanisms of the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of metallic copper on SiO2 surfaces are investigated using an amidinate precursor (copper(I) di-sec-butylacetamidinate, [Cu( sBu-amd)]2) and molecular hydrogen. Using in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy together with calculations based on density functional theory, we show that the initial surface reaction of [Cu( sBu-amd)]2 with hydroxylated SiO2 takes place by displacement of one of the sec-butylacetamidinate ligands at a surface -OH site, thus forming a Si-O-Cu-(sBu-amd) surface species, evident by the stretching vibrations of Si-O-Cu and the chelating -NCN- bonds. Molecular hydrogen exposure during a subsequent pulse dissociates most of the sec-butylacetamidinate ligands bound to surface Cu, which releases free amidine vapor, leaving Cu atoms free to agglomerate on the surface and thus opening more reactive sites for the next [Cu(sBu-amd)]2 pulse. Copper agglomeration is evident in the IR absorbance spectra through the partial recovery of the intensity of SiO2 optical phonon modes upon H 2 reduction, which was lost after the reaction of [Cu( sBu-amd)]2 with the initial SiO2 surface. The thermally activated ligand rearrangement from a bridging to a monodentate structure occurs above 220 °C through hydrogenation of the ligand by surface hydroxyl groups after exposure to a [Cu(sBu-amd)]2 pulse. As Cu particles grow with furtherALDcycles, the activation temperature is lowered to 185 °C, and hydrogenation of the ligand takes place after H 2 pulses, catalyzed by Cu particles on the surface. The surface ligand rearranged into a monodentate structure can be removed during subsequent Cu precursor or H2 pulses. Finally, we postulate that the attachment of dissociated ligands to the SiO2 surface during the [Cu( sBu-amd)]2 pulse can be responsible for carbon contamination at the surface during the initial cycles of growth, where the SiO2 surface is not yet completely covered by copper metal. © 2010 American Chemical Society.
Halls M.D.,Accelrys Inc. |
Tasaki K.,Mitsubishi Group
Journal of Power Sources | Year: 2010
Advances in the stability and efficiency of electronic structure codes along with the increased performance of commodity computing resources has enabled the automated high-throughput quantum chemical analysis of materials structure libraries containing thousands of structures. This allows the computational screening of a materials design space to identify lead systems and estimate critical structure-property limits which should prove an invaluable tool in informing experimental discovery and development efforts. Here this approach is illustrated for lithium ion battery additives. An additive library consisting of 7381 structures was generated, based on fluoro- and alkyl-derivatized ethylene carbonate (EC). Molecular properties (e.g. LUMO, EA, μ and η) were computed for each structure using the PM3 semiempirical method. The resulting lithium battery additive library was then analyzed and screened to determine the suitability of the additives, based on properties correlated with performance as a reductive additive for battery electrolyte formulations. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Avramopoulos A.,National Hellenic Research Foundation |
Avramopoulos A.,Lamia Institute of Technology |
Serrano-Andres L.,University of Valencia |
Li J.,Accelrys Inc. |
Papadopoulos M.G.,National Hellenic Research Foundation
Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation | Year: 2010
The electronic ground state of H-Ng-Ng-F (Ng = Ar, Kr, Xe) has been studied theoretically by employing the ab initio complete active space valence bond (CASVB) and multi-state complete active space perturbation theory (MS-CASPT2) methods. Both levels of theory confirm the diradicaloid character (DC) of the HNg2F ground state, increasing in the order Ar > Kr > Xe. The very significant effect of the first and, even more, the second Xe atom on the (hyper)polarizabilities has been shown and interpreted. Thus, the present results demonstrate a mechanism for producing very large (hyper) polarizabilities. © 2010 American Chemical Society.
Schatschneider B.,Pennsylvania State University |
Liang J.-J.,Accelrys Inc. |
Reilly A.M.,Fritz Haber Institute |
Marom N.,University of Texas at Austin |
And 2 more authors.
Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics | Year: 2013
We show that electrodynamic dipolar interactions, responsible for long-range fluctuations in matter, play a significant role in the stability of molecular crystals. Density functional theory calculations with van der Waals interactions determined from a semilocal "atom-in-a-molecule" model result in a large overestimation of the dielectric constants and sublimation enthalpies for polyacene crystals from naphthalene to pentacene, whereas an accurate treatment of nonlocal electrodynamic response leads to an agreement with the measured values for both quantities. Our findings suggest that collective response effects play a substantial role not only for optical excitations, but also for cohesive properties of noncovalently bound molecular crystals. © 2013 American Physical Society.
Yuan Q.H.,Chinese University of Hong Kong |
Li J.,Accelrys Inc. |
Liu Z.-F.,Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics | Year: 2011
The icosahedral Al-13 is a "magic" cluster with remarkable stability due to its high symmetry and closed valence shells. Its reactivity has provided a molecular model for understanding oxidation and dissolution processes in bulk metals. By first principles calculations, we demonstrated the importance of dynamic factors in the Al-13 + HX reactions, with HX being either HCl or HI. There was a barrier to the dissociative adsorption of HX on the surface of an Al-13 cluster, which involved charge transfer from Al-13. Furthermore, the H atom could be bonded to the cluster in multiple ways, similar to the top, bridge and hollow adsorption sites on Al(111) surface. With a large amount of energy (∼40 kcal mol-1) deposited during the formation of Al13HX-, the H atom could easily migrate among these sites, similar to the diffusion of hydrogen on metal surfaces. These factors were therefore important considerations in the formation and dissociation of Al13HX-, and more generally in reactions involving other metal clusters. © 2011 the Owner Societies.
Schatschneider B.,Pennsylvania State University |
Monaco S.,Pennsylvania State University |
Liang J.-J.,Accelrys Inc. |
Tkatchenko A.,Fritz Haber Institute
Journal of Physical Chemistry C | Year: 2014
The quest for cheap, light, flexible materials for use in electronics applications has resulted in the exploration of soft organic materials as possible candidates, and several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been shown to be versatile (semi)conductors. In this investigation, dispersion inclusive density functional theory is used to explore all of the current crystalline PAHs within the Cambridge Structure Database (CSD) from both structural and electronic standpoints. Agreement is achieved between the experimental and calculated crystalline structures, as well as the electronic properties. Specifically, variation between the mass densities, unit cell parameters, and intermolecular close contact fractions were within +5%, ±2%, and ±1% of experiment, respectively. It is found that a simple addition of a ∼1 eV constant to the DFT-PBE gaps provides good agreement with the experimental optical gaps of both gas phase (within ±2.6%) and crystalline (within ±3.5%) PAHs. Structural and electronic analysis revealed several correlations/trends, where ultimately limits in the band gaps as a function of structure are established. Finally, analysis of the difference between band gaps of the isolated molecules and crystals (ΔEgXtal-Mol) demonstrates that ΔEgXtal-Mol can be captured qualitatively by PBE and PBE0 functionals, yet significant quantitative deviations remain between these functionals and experiment. © 2014 American Chemical Society.
Chen W.L.,Accelrys Inc. |
Chen D.Z.,Yale University |
Taylor K.T.,Accelrys Inc.
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Computational Molecular Science | Year: 2013
A reaction center is the part of a chemical reaction that undergoes changes, the heart of the chemical reaction. The reaction atom-atom mapping indicates which reactant atom becomes which product atom during the reaction. Automatic reaction mapping and reaction center detection are of great importance in many applications, such as developing chemical and biochemical reaction databases and studying reaction mechanisms. Traditional reaction mapping algorithms are either based on extended-connectivity or maximum common substructure (MCS) algorithms. With the development of several biochemical reaction databases (such as KEGG database) and increasing interest in studying metabolic pathways in recent years, several novel reaction mapping algorithms have been developed to serve the new needs. Most of the new algorithms are optimization based, designed to find optimal mappings with the minimum number of broken and formed bonds. Some algorithms also incorporate the chemical knowledge into the searching process in the form of bond weights. Some new algorithms showed better accuracy and performance than the MCS-based method. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sahini L.,ChimericBio Incorporated |
Tempczyk-Russell A.,Accelrys Inc. |
Agarwal R.,ChimericBio Incorporated
PLoS ONE | Year: 2010
Background: Influenza A viral surface protein, hemagglutinin, is the major target of neutralizing antibody response and hence a main constituent of all vaccine formulations. But due to its marked evolutionary variability, vaccines have to be reformulated so as to include the hemagglutinin protein from the emerging new viral strain. With the constant fear of a pandemic, there is critical need for the development of anti-viral strategies that can provide wider protection against any Influenza A pathogen. An anti-viral approach that is directed against the conserved regions of the hemaggutinin protein has a potential to protect against any current and new Influenza A virus and provide a solution to this ever-present threat to public health. Methodology/Principal Findings: Influenza A human hemagglutinin protein sequences available in the NCBI database, corresponding to H1, H2, H3 and H5 subtypes, were used to identify highly invariable regions of the protein. Nine such regions were identified and analyzed for structural properties like surface exposure, hydrophilicity and residue type to evaluate their suitability for targeting an anti-peptide antibody/anti-viral response. Conclusion/Significance: This study has identified nine conserved regions in the hemagglutinin protein, five of which have the structural characteristics suitable for an anti-viral/anti- peptide response. This is a critical step in the design of efficient anti-peptide antibodies as novel anti-viral agents against any Influenza A pathogen. In addition, these anti-peptide antibodies will provide broadly cross-reactive immunological reagents and aid the rapid development of vaccines against new and emerging Influenza A strains. © 2010 Sahini et al.
Green N.J.B.,University of Oxford |
Robertson S.H.,Accelrys Inc.
Chemical Physics Letters | Year: 2014
A formulation of the master equation for reversible association/ dissociation reactions where one of the reactants is not in thermal equilibrium is presented and its detailed balance properties are discussed. This formulation incorporates the distribution of states immediately following a dissociation reaction and generalizes some earlier specific results. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Accelrys Inc. | Date: 2010-03-31
The disclosed embodiments contemplate an electronic storage system able to be rapidly deployed and subsequently used to receive and organize data entries. The system comprises a knowledge schema able to organize entries into a coherent form facilitating revision and review. The system may be implemented across a computer network such that users from a variety of locations may asynchronously review and update the database.


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Halloween - Spider Apron
H a p p y H a l l o w e e n ! I made a vintage-style apron with ghosts, spiders and goblins. I'm wearing this Halloween night to give out treats (or tricks)! The neighborhood kids know me as the "spider lady" on Halloween. I have spiders... Read more →


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Nogales, AZ: volunteer training Sat, April 7
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- Nogales, AZ: volunteer training Sat, April 7From: nomoredeathsphx@...Greetings!Anyone from Phoenix interested in attending this training in Nogales and would like to carpool from here, please contact Miguel at mpickard0806@... for carpooling.--This coming Saturday, there will be a training session for local southern Arizona volunteers interested in participating in No More Deaths work in Nogales, Sonora. Please come! The purposes of this session are:(1) Give you an introduction to what No More Deaths volunteers do in Nogales and the context in which we do it, preparing you for "hands-on" training (a rather offensive concept when we're talking about working with human beings, hence the scare quotes) in one or more specific services. The attached documents give some concrete details about those services.(2) Give you an opportunity to connect with the work you want to do.The session will be from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Apr. 7 at 385 W. Crawford St., Apt. 2, Nogales, Arizona (one block west of McDonald's). A walking excursion to Nogales, Sonora, will be included, so please bring your passport (or other documents necessary for returning to the U.S.) as well as drinking water, comfortable walking shoes, and a hat. Lunch will be provided at the apartment. Spanish translation will be arranged for those more comfortable learning in Spanish.Carpooling from Tucson: 9 a.m. from Southside Presbyterian Church, 317 W. 23rd St.Carpooling from Phoenix: Contact Miguel at mpickard0806@....The Nogales working group of No More Deaths has a consensus that anyone who is going to be volunteering in Nogales in any sustained way needs this training. So again, please come! If you have any questions, please feel free to reply directly to me (David Hill) or to Vicki Kline (victoria.kline@...).DavidDavid Hill, 520-270-5100,
Laura Ilardo
No More Deaths-Phoenix
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Fewer screws. Smaller exposure. Respect for the anatomy.
Conventional "open" lumbar surgery utilizes pedicle screws and rods.
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s1e23 Goode Angel
May 19, 1997
In this final series episode, the bank threatens to foreclose on Willie's Chilli restaurant, so Willie cooks up a scheme to come up with some money so the bank won't foreclose.
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s1e1 Goode Book
August 26, 1996
College professor Franklin Goode is living the good life: his long-awaited ""study"" is almost complete, and he's on the short list for the position of Dean of Humanities at his university. But when the delivery at his door turns out to be his newly-parol
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February 17, 1997
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It was so nice to do a one year session and a cake smash with this happy little guy. I photographed him for his 6 month milestone and he smiled the entire time, and he was almost as happy for his first year photo session again. Look at all those big smiles.
One {Winnipeg child photographer}
8 days new {Winnipeg newborn photographer}
A couple of weeks ago I met this sweet little 8 day old, her big sister and her lovely parents. She did such a great job posing so easily and letting us dress her up in cute hats and headbands. Big Sister O even cooperated long enough to get a few pictures (which doesn't always happen with 2 year olds ). It was a pleasure to document these early days for this family. Little Miss A smiled a few times during the session and I managed to catch the tail end of one of them – oh the dimple that came with it melted my heart. So cute
Sibling session {Winnipeg child photographer}
It was nice to see these two girls again after photographing their youngest as a newborn. We did a 6 month milestone and added on a few Christmas themed images. Little Miss M wasn't in the best of moods so we rescheduled the first session and tried again a week later – those darn teeth can definitely cause discomfort for the little ones. She was in a much better mood the second time around.
One year session {Winnipeg family photographer}
I've photographed this family a few times now and it was nice to see them for updated family photos and to capture their two boys at this stage in their life. Mr H was not too impressed with his photos session and really made us work to get a smile – I still love the serious shots — fun to capture that side of them too.


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I used to be one of the people who never say what they mean. If I want something, I say I don't want it; when I don't want to do something, I say "okay"; when people ask me a question, I say what I know they want to hear. One day I just decided that not being honest to myself is simply too tiring to waste my life on. I don't want to do this shit anymore. I don't want to willingly be bound by someone else's leash anymore. I'm DONE. The saying is true: stubborn people only acknowledge their crisis when they reach their lowest, when they can no longer make up any excuses to justify their behavior. I made it my mission to—either in a pretty or frank way—express my honest thoughts, and because it was a mission instead of an obligation, I didn't care if people criticize or disagree with me. Because it's only natural that there will be people who will oppose me, but it's a mission, so I can't abort my mission to fulfill some … nagging human, can I? Mind you, I'm still open to suggestions and advice, which are completely different from imposing values on others.
Drinking a gallon(3.78541 liters) of water a day has many health benefits. Ulcers and pimples are practically non-existent in your life, and you pee as fast as you drink water. In this video I discuss what changed for me personally after drinking a gallon of water a day for a year:
You might feel bloated at first, so build your water consumption gradually, and eventually you'll be downing water as if you're a water tank. As the habit of drinking water sets in, your hands will unconsciously reach for your bottle every five minutes for a sip—a gallon will be no problem for you. Some afternoons, I look at my water bottle and think about when and how I almost finished 2 liters in half a day. This will be you when you start drinking a gallon of water a day, every day. It's gonna' be effortless, so don't be scared to start!
Bringing a big bottle with you might even be an awesome conversation starter. I cannot count the amount of people who've asked me, "Wow. You drink a bottle of that a day?" And I'd reply with a smile, "No. I drink TWO bottles a day." And then you'll see their face go WTF.
So? Have you decided on what color you want your new big bottle to be?
If you enjoyed this post, consider subscribing to my mailing list for updates! I promise on my brows I won't spam you.
Stop Being Scared of Failing!
Here are some stories of REAL, unexaggerated perfectionists in my life, and not only do they restrict themselves creatively, they try to IMPOSE their values on their less-perfectionist peers.
Perfectionist #1:
My friend—let's call her Milly—invites me to bake with her. Milly wants to bake a cake, and her recipe asks for some vanilla essence. Her mom did the groceries for her and bought vanilla paste instead.
Nightmare of a Teacher
I grew up in a completely Asian country, and went to a completely Asian elementary and middle school. Here teachers reign, and I remember myself being pretty arrogant in kindergarten, but elementary school completely crushed my self esteem. I became this quiet girl of few words, and people/classmates would say they know my name but don't know what my voice is like. Eventually, an illusioned inferiority complex and impostor syndrome pluck my roots out of the soil, and there they stay floated, turning me into an ever-wavering "fraud".
I consider myself patient, quite calm, but there are times when even the most patient of people get angry. When you're pissed, people always say stuff like "let it go" and "it won't matter in a month so why would it matter now?". For some people like myself, these suggestions are just not feasible. Of course I know I should let go; of course I know I should look at the big picture! But at this moment of infuriation, how does one expect me to even want to let go? At this point I'm just holding on to as much fury as I can, so that I can react upon it, so that I can unleash it upon the "villain". Not all of us can be the Dalai Lama, and even the Dalai Lama admits it himself: he gets angry too, because he's human too! It's exactly because it won't matter in another few hours, a week, or even a month, that it matters now! Because you get irritated by the small things, that you have a chance to forgive and forget. Or is it just an excuse for people like me who can't move on in a minute and who doesn't have a heart of gold? "Your positive energy can be regenerated. You have infinite positivity in you. It doesn't matter who sucks away your positive charge," and whatnot, I hope I can achieve that kind of "enlightenment" one day soon, but now, I'm not at that monk-ish level. Yet.
I feel lost! In a slump! Comparing myself to others, unsure of myself, WHO AM I? A journey of self discovery.
The restless feeling of a breakdown
I recently had the biggest burnout of my life (up till now). I don't know if it should be considered a burnout, but I know for sure it's a huge, huge slump. I can definitely understand how people get depression attacks now. In fact, I believe the experience I went through is called an existential crisis, or existential depression. I felt stressed out and lost the motivation to do things, things like homework, draw, write, things I usually can't stop doing, things that I won't want to waste a second not doing … I even felt burdened when I talk to my friends! It's like I was disconnected from the world. My mood turned rotten and no, I wasn't on my period. This plagued me for a week, before it started to get so pressuring that I had to do something about it. To convey my condition in visual terms: I felt like my brain was tugged from all sides, even when I slept, it churned relentlessly. Something was poking at the back of my mind but wouldn't show itself. And I didn't understand myself enough to comprehend what that thing was! I felt it but I didn't know what it was and how I need to get rid of it. I know that I had to get rid of it if I want to move on!
I'm no psychologist, but this one thing helped me to overcome my hesitation of socializing, and it may be the very thing you need to be more social in life. Notice I didn't say fear, but hesitation. There are things in life that you are afraid of doing, but do anyway. Networking is one of those things (at least for people who don't necessarily enjoy socializing).
Most if not all of us have experienced toxic relationships in one way or another. A lot of us blame it on the other party. We believe that they're the ones that have caused this relationship to deteriorate. However, this post is not entirely about toxic relationships. It's about overcoming fears and insecurities that will crumble one. I will share with you a case study/story that I had first hand experience in. This incident had a huge impact on my life and shrouded a phase of it in shadows. It took me quite some times (2 years) to accept things that has happened, and truly believe that this experience was crucial for my self-improvement. It has taught me to respect myself, fight for my rights, and face my fears.


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Eastern Florida State College advanced placement credit
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Find info concerning Eastern Florida State College advanced placement credit, and registering for elective seminars and discussion sections. As a student, your first stop should be the registrar's office, where you can pick up a free copy of both the academic calendar and course catalog, in order to find available credit classes that you may be interested in taking. Consult with an academic advisor, to ensure that your chosen classes constitute a full-time course load, and fulfills major requirements. Finally, check with the admissions office for assistance with prerequisites, tuition payment deadlines, and Eastern Florida State College advanced placement exam information. Please use the form above to request admissions info for Eastern Florida State College.
As the admission's office must sift through many applications, your goal is to stand out in a good way. If you already have top grades and high SAT or ACT scores, you can still improve your application, given other factors such as talent in sports, the quality of your essay, and extracurricular activities. The admissions essay is gaining weight at selective colleges, but please be aware that on average, a typical college application only receives 25 minutes of reading time. Therefore, keep your application brief, and stick to the point when answering questions.
Admissions officers seek to learn how a given applicant thinks, what kind of person they are, and their level of intellectual promise. Many colleges are paying greater attention to a student's grades not only in core courses, but in AP classes and in honors courses as well. In fact, an ideal academic record is one of progressively better grades, in classes of increasing difficulty. It is optimal to try taking advanced placement (AP) courses if they are offered, and the worst thing you can do in terms of getting into college is to drop a hard course just because you fear getting a low grade. Beyond degree requirements such as Eastern Florida State College test preparation, you may consider East Central College SAT scores 2017 for complementary electives to your primary course of study.
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A recent trend in American culture is to try to make every child feel special. The so-called self-esteem movement has placed great emphasis on praising children for no other reason than simply participating in an activity. This is especially apparent in youth sports, where winners and losers are sometimes replaced with participants' awards. Your 8-year-old's soccer team did not win a single game this season? No problem. Here is his trophy for participating. Your 15-year-old daughter came in 7th place in the 800 m? It's ok, she still gets a medal for her efforts.
The advocates for this trend argue that it helps to build positive self-esteem, promoting a sense of pride and acceptance. The critics say that it shields youngsters from failure, rejection, and loss, distancing them from the truth that excellence is not innate and that hard work is required to succeed. Does rewarding kids for simply participating have a hand in producing a self-obsessed, unmotivated generation? Many would argue that it does.
Perhaps instead of focusing on winning, losing, or even participating, a better focus for today's youth would be on learning the different ways of playing a game—on strategizing and attempting to maintain one's competitive edge.
The contributors to this month's cover focus understand the importance of learning different strategies, and they have no problem admitting that not every case goes according to plan. In the following articles, six fearless all-star surgeons ask mystery contestants for advice on how they would have handled cases in which the refractive correction did not go as planned.
And guess what? Each all-star selects a winning contestant.
Many times, more can be learned from losing than from winning. Hopefully all of you will learn a few valuable lessons after reading about the following sticky situations in refractive correction.
—Laura Straub, Editor-in-Chief


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Ottawa Watch
Mark Bourrie's Canadian politics news blog.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The story you won't see in Ottawa
The Ottawa Senators are up 3-0 in the Stanley Cup finals, meaning they need to win just five of their next eleven games -- less than 50% of them -- to win it all. That's the good news about Eugene Melnyk's investments that's in all the papers and on the radio stations here. The
bad news
will be buried far and deep today, if it's published at all. The U.S. securities regulators have come calling, and it's never good news.
Posted by
Mark Bourrie
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Are you looking for GED testing in Pickens OK? The General Education Development (GED) test is only given in person and not online. Usually in order to sit for the General Education Development exam the test taker must be older than 17 years old. The General Education Development (GED) testing fee in the state of Oklahoma varies from $40-$90.
The GED exam consists of five tests: reading, writing, math, science and social studies. Each section awards a score between 200 and 800. Most states require test takers to receive a score of 410 on each of the five sections and an overall average of 450 for the GED exam to pass.
Most GED testing in Pickens OK is offered at:
- Pickens Independent School District
- Pickens Community Colleges
- Pickens High Schools
- Pickens Adult Learning Centers


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To try the thousands of add-ons available here, download Mozilla Firefox, a fast, free way to surf the Web!Close
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Choose from thousands of extra features and styles to make Firefox your own.Close
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New metroTab
Really Good Extension Rated 5 out of 5 stars
I absolutely love this extension. There are many possible customizations. It looks nice, has smooth animations.
wrong with restore Rated 4 out of 5 stars
It's pretty good at backing up, but restore doesn't work on Mac on FF version 24.0.
Verified with an empty FF profile.
Apart from this, it's not bad.
works great but Rated 4 out of 5 stars
It works great as usual, but i removed a star because of the promotion of scareware.This review is for a previous version of the add-on (22.214.171.124.1-signed).
strange thing happens Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Puts a pretty button on firefox that links to a blank page...... one star... could not ever create an account..This review is for a previous version of the add-on (7.1.1-signed). This user has a previous review of this add-on.
great! Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Nice extension. thanks for developmentThis review is for a previous version of the add-on (7.1.1-signed).
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List all words ending with indq
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Some random words: aorist rook huddle ibogaine adularia phoronid stab
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Located in Rosemont, Aloft Chicago O'Hare is minutes from Fashion Outlets of Chicago and MB Financial Park at Rosemont.
This hotel is within close proximity of Rosemont Theatre and Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
Make yourself at home in one of the 247 air-conditioned guestrooms. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and premium TV channels provides entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature designer toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as laptop-compatible safes and desks.
Be sure to enjoy recreational amenities including an indoor pool and a 24-hour fitness center.
Satisfy your appetite at a coffee shop/café serving guests of Aloft Chicago O'Hare. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge.
Featured amenities include complimentary wired Internet access, a 24-hour business center, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. Event facilities at this hotel consist of conference space and meeting rooms. A roundtrip airport shuttle is complimentary (available 24 hours).
About the Aloft Chicago O'Hare
Property Features
Aloft Chicago O'Hare offers its guests an indoor pool and a 24-hour fitness center. There's a coffee shop/café on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. Public spaces have free WiFi and wired Internet.
Business amenities include a 24-hour business center and meeting rooms. The business-friendly Aloft Chicago O'Hare also features complimentary newspapers in the lobby, a safe deposit box at the front desk, and an elevator (lift). A roundtrip airport shuttle is free (available 24 hours). Parking is available for a fee.
This 3-star Rosemont hotel is smoke free.
- 247 guestrooms or units
- 6 levels
- 5 conference rooms
- Bar or lounge
- Coffee shop
- Business center (24 hours)
- Conference facilities
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Front desk (24 hours)
- Front-desk safe
- Newspapers in lobby (free)
- Elevator
- No smoking on site
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Self parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
Aloft Chicago O'Hare offers 247 air-conditioned accommodations with laptop-compatible safes and complimentary bottled water. Beds feature premium bedding. Televisions come with pay movies. Bathrooms include showers, designer toiletries, and hair dryers.
Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wired and wireless Internet access. Business-friendly amenities include desks and phones. Additionally, rooms include coffee/tea makers and irons/ironing boards. Housekeeping is provided daily. Renovation of all guestrooms was completed in April 2016.
- Television
- Premium channels
- Movies for purchase
- Coffee maker
- Luxury bedding
- Shower
- Housekeeping (daily)
- Hair dryer
- Laptop safe
- Designer toiletries
- Telephone
- Iron and ironing board
- Desk
- Air conditioning
- Ensuite bathroom
- Connecting rooms available
Nearby Things to Do
Recreational amenities at the hotel include an indoor pool and a 24-hour fitness center.
If you need to make special requests for accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when booking your stay.
- Accessible bathroom
- Roll-in shower
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time ends at midnight
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 21
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are not available.
- Pets are welcome and stay free
- Only dogs are allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Hotel Name
- aloft Chicago O'Hare
- aloft Hotel Chicago O'Hare
- Aloft Chicago o`Hare Hotel Rosemont
- Aloft Hotel Rosemont


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Open 5 days a week!
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The Four Corners leader in oral sublingual allergy therapy. Conventional injection therapy also provided.
Total Listening Care (TLC)
Much more than free batteries.
Tonsillectomy, PE tubes, Sinus Surgery, Thyroid, Salivary gland, Cancer of the head and neck


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Interests: Writing, reading, the occasional dabbling in outlandish arts like sculpting scientist's busts out of mashed potatoes, hiking, laying around listening to music whilst infused with whiskey.
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EFL Sensei should be an essential resource for teachers needing activities to liven up their classes. Just the other day I tried out the "What Are They Talking About?" game in a class of grade five and sixes. Here's the link: What are you talking about?
Essentially, the teacher writes the final sentence of a dialogue, something the students don't understand the context of, and students have to construct what comes before it.
It was fun. There was a bit of groaning at the beginning, but that might have been more to do with my choice for the out of context sentence.
Here is a sample conversation produced by my students:
A: Tomorrow is my birthday! Oh, the phone is ringing…
B: Hello. This is the zoo. Would you like a free animal?
A: Yes, I would!
B: We have some lovely gorillas.
A: Um…I'm not sure.
B: We will send them to you today.
A: I don't want any gorillas! (this last one was the out of context sentence I wrote on the board.)