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- TLC Summer 2016
- Ex On The Beach
- Robson Green Grand Slam Fishing
- Autumn Sponsorship Opportunity
- Crime & Investigation Primetime – Featuring all new Robbie Coltrane's Critical Evidence
Sky Media and FOX Network Group are pleased to offer a brand the opportunity to sponsor the hilarious comedy content on FOX. This is a great opportunity for a brand to build a strong association with new and existing series including, Family Guy, American Dad, Baskets, Atlanta and Adult Swim content. The sponsorship period can run from 1 – 12 months to fit with the sponsor's requirements.
American Dad – From the creator of Family Guy. Stan Smith is an American patriot, CIA agent and scourge of terrorism, always hamstrung by his odd family, Roger, a fugitive alien and Klaus, the talking goldfish. Always funny and frequently outrageous.
Family Guy – The ever popular (mis)adventures of Peter Griffin and family. Taking animated comedy to where even The Simpsons fear to tread, Family Guy has caused much controversy, great interest and ultimately the cult following it enjoys today.
Adult Swim – Hilarious titles include Rick and Morty, the irreverent animated comedy that follows the misadventures of an alcoholic scientist and his grandson; and Mr. Pickles, which features the often controversial but always comical escapades of the Goodman family and their demonic Border Collie. Other programmes to air as part the Adult Swim branded block include long-time hits Robot Chicken, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and The Venture Bros, as well as new favourites Black Jesus and Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell.
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Juste parfait, surtout à ce prix !
Tascabile,pratica, di ottima qualità ma sopratutto super economica
Very Good quality
C'est la deuxième fois que je commande ce genre d'article et je n'ai jamais été déçu !
Fonctionne très bien et le rapport qualité prix est super !
est ce que cette lampe est livré dans son emballage ? ou simplement que la lampe est livré seule ?
by melina.rachah Nov 21, 2013
Excelente! Superou minhas expectativas.. Pequena.. cabe em qualquer lugar e ilumina muuito.. Não perde pra muitas dessas lanternas maiores...
Chegou em perfeito estado e conforme previsto...
Recomendo a todos.. ótimo custo benefício! Vale a pena esperar!!
Ótimo produto com entrega dentro do prazo mencionado, site fácil de comprar e atendimento nota 10. Estou feliz e muito contente com o produto e recomendo este site para compras qual já consta em meus favoritos.
Bom dia
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Mini in the box
by manuel Oct 22, 2012
Produto bonito e bom como descrito no site. amei.
Bom dia
Queremos agradecer a sua preferência pelos produtos do nosso site e por ter partilhado a sua opinião com outros clientes.
Mini in the box
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by LUCANUDOS Aug 22, 2012
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+ Very bright almost like the ones we use in the military.
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Products come wrapped in a bubble wrap in a corrugated cardboard box.
Shipping time: ~18 days.
I recommend you to buy one of these.
What a great little flashlight. Its bright and great to keep in your car or take it camping with you.


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Edging Back Toward the UN
Reading the United Nations resolutions on the Middle East is a difficult experience for Israel. It is not pleasant to discover that your country is an occupier, an oppressor, a breaker of international law, a violator of human rights, a killer of innocents, a destroyer of infrastructures and historical sites, and that it imprisons and tortures thousands of people and carries out "colonization." It is even less pleasant to know that a vast majority of the countries of the world votes time after time in favor of these resolutions, against the isolated opposition of Israel, the United States and Micronesia, and this year with the addition of Australia.
David Ben-Gurion dismissed the UN - oum in Hebrew - as oum schmoum, and his successors followed in his footsteps. For years the governments of Israel have tried to ignore the resolutions of the General Assembly on the grounds that they reflect the "automatic majority" that supports the Palestinians and that the majority is not necessarily right. Jurists and diplomats have explained that these resolutions have only declarative validity. Only the Security Council has executive authority, and there Israel enjoys the American veto.
But it turns out that this year it isn't all just talk, and that empty words also have power. The Palestinians exploited their preferred status at the UN in order to take the Israeli security fence to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where the judges relied on the UN resolutions in order to convict Israel as a law-breaker.
Their ruling caused Israel a diplomatic defeat that forced it to change the route of the fence and delay the construction of the problematic segments around the blocs of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom understands the importance of the United Nations, and he is aiming at changing its attitude toward Israel. Under his instructions, the Foreign Ministry is fighting to amend the resolutions and to add "positive" clauses, and to enlist international legitimacy against Syria, Iran and the terror organizations.
In the existing circumstances, this is the best possible achievement: A change in the traditional voting patterns and the breaking of the huge majority that condemns Israel seems today like an impossible mission. At most it is possible to persuade the Europeans, whose vote has crucial weight, to extract a few concessions from the Palestinians.
Israel has chalked up a few points at the General Assembly this year. For the first time the resolutions state that they are "gravely concerned" about "suicide terror attacks against Israelis," without mentioning their Palestinian perpetrators, and condemn anti-Semitism. At the Foreign Ministry they are proud of the achievement. But in diplomacy there are no free lunches, and in return for a certain softening of the criticism of Israel's behavior in the territories - the "military actions" instead of the "military attacks," for example - the condemnation of the Jewish settlements in the territories has become more severe.
Now Israel is trying to initiate a special winter session of the Genera Assembly to mark 60 years since the liberation of the death camps. In January there will be an exhibit on display in the United Nations building in remembrance of the liberation of Auschwitz, a counterweight to the annual exhibit on Palestinian suffering, which is shown every November 29, the date of the UN General Assembly vote in favor of the partition of Palestine in 1947.
The problem with this approach is in its attempt to have it both ways - both to applaud the condemnation of anti-Semitism and to scorn the condemnation of the settlements. There is an implicit admission of guilt here: If the support of the members of the UN is so important to Israel - for example, their criticism of the Syrian occupation of Lebanon - perhaps they are also right in what they are saying about the Israeli occupation of the territories.
Thus a tactic of dealing with clauses and formulations is not enough. Israel needs a strategic change in its attitude toward the UN. Is it perhaps worth accepting the applicability of the Geneva Conventions to the territories, instead of opposing this and being subjected to repeated condemnations? Is it perhaps worth throwing yesterday's legal opinions and information papers into the trash and evincing a more open and creative approach to the Green Line (pre-Six-Day War borders), instead of claiming that the territories are not "occupied" but rather "disputed?"
A government that has dared to initiate an evacuation of settlements is able also to reexamine its attitude toward the international community. And just as the disengagement plan has improved Israel's international standing, it can also enjoy the fruit of a bolder diplomacy.
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Enterprises that are developing mobile applications to engage consumers and enable staff need ways to differentiate their apps in the marketplace and provide an exceptional user experience (UX). For these enterprises, leveraging emerging protocols can be a great way to provide innovative functionality and optimize UX.
One powerful example is WebSocket, which was originally developed for bi-directional streaming on the Web as part of the HTML5 specification. WebSocket enables all sorts of exciting mobile functionality such as video chat and location awareness. Similarly, the XMPP protocol makes all manner of near-real-time messaging, multimedia and Internet of Things (IoT) use cases possible.
These protocols also present a unique set of security challenges because they create completely new attack surfaces that hackers could potentially exploit. For enterprises, this is a matter of particular concern in projects where APIs are used to open backend data and application functionality for reuse in mobile apps.
Read the EBook: It's All About the App – Mobile Security That Helps Enable the Business
The new security risks created by emerging mobile streaming standards should not be underestimated. With WebSocket, for example, protecting against denial-of-service (DoS) attacks is unusually complex. Similarly, WebSocket requires a flexible security solution able to deal with non-standard message formats.
In enterprise mobile projects that leverage APIs to facilitate app development, a gateway-based API management solution can usually be deployed to secure the flow of data between apps and APIs. However, not all API management solutions are able to meet the complex requirements inherent in securing protocols like WebSocket and XMPP.
CA API Management delivers advanced security functionality for mobile protocols including WebSocket and XMPP via CA Mobile API Gateway. Furthermore, CA is dedicated to providing security solutions for the most innovative mobile projects by continuing to develop functionality for new protocols as and when they gain traction.
CA API Management has been recognized by Forrester Research, Inc. as one of the leading API management solutions on the market. At the core of this product is the CA API Gateway technology, which has achieved the industry's highest security certifications, including FIPS 140-2, DoD STIG and Common Criteria Protection Profiles for Access Control and Policy Management.
CA Mobile API Gateway is the most advanced edition of CA API Gateway yet–with a range of advanced functionality specifically designed for enterprise mobility projects. CA Mobile API Gateway makes it possible for enterprises that publish mobile APIs to:
Enrich or filter the flow of data in real time (for auditing, blacklist filtering etc.).
Make API-based information sharing safe reliable and cost-effective.
Adopt a secure API architecture to counter API-specific threats.
Enable air travel innovation via APIs.


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There are 80 Marie Callender's restaurants in the United States and Mexico with more on the way. Marie's commitment to freshly prepared foods using only the highest-quality ingredients still endures. Marie Callender's serves up a wide variety of classic American foods updated with today's flavors. They started the business with legendary pies. So be sure to leave room for pie. You can choose from over 30 handmade varieties.
Apple Pie
Marie Callender's Copycat Recipe
Makes 1 Pie
6-7 Granny Smith apples
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Marie Callender's pie shell
Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Slice apples. Mix sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Add the apple slices and mix everything together gently with a spatula in a large mixing bowl. Do a taste test at this point, and add more sugar or spices as needed. Add the ingredients to the pie shell. Make a mountain in the pie shell when adding the apples. The mountain of apples will deflate when you bake the pie. Seal the edges and add a few vents to the top of the pie with a knife to ventilate the pie. Cover the edges of the pie with tin foil to prevent the crust from burning.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, then turn oven to 350 degrees and bake until apples are tender and top is brown. Keep in mind that baking times are merely guidelines. Since home oven temperatures vary, be sure to check pie 5-10 minutes before the end of the suggested bake time or until top is golden brown. Bake on the middle rack to allow maximum circulation of heat. Cool pies for 2 1/2 hours before serving. If you prefer a pie slice that spreads less on the plate-allow pie to cool for 3-4 hours or overnight at room temperature.


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Denver-based Cimarex Energy Company (XEC - Free Report) closed the acquisition of Western Oklahoma assets primarily located in the Cana-Woodford shale play. Following customary purchase price adjustments, the net amount paid at closing was $238 million.
The acquisition added about 140 billion cubic feet equivalent (bcfe) of proved developed reserves, net production of 35 million cubic feet equivalent (mmcfe) per day and 50,000 net acres.
In a separate transaction, Cimarex agreed to sell producing properties in Kansas to an undisclosed buyer for $138 million. These assets include 50 bcfe of proved reserves and 15 mmcfe per day of production. The sale is expected to close by Jul 31, 2014.
Full-year 2014 production adjusted to reflect both transactions is estimated to be 835 - 860 mmcfe per day versus 822 - 847 mmcfe per day previously.
Cimarex is an independent exploration & production company. The primary activities of the company are in the Mid-Continent and Permian Basin areas of the U.S.
The company is focused on increasing shareholder value through strategies linked to generating attractive economic returns on capital employed and profitable growth in per-share reserves, production and cash flow. It intends to profitably grow reserves and production through a balanced mix of exploration, exploitation and acquisitions. Cimarex has a diversified base of high-quality production and attractive drilling opportunities.
As is the case with other independent exploration and production companies, Cimarex's results are directly exposed to oil and gas prices, which are inherently volatile and subject to complex market forces.
Currently, Cimarex carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Meanwhile, one can consider better-ranked players from the broader energy sector such as EQT Corporation (EQT - Free Report) , QEP Resources, Inc. (QEP - Free Report) and TC PipeLines, LP (TCP - Free Report) . All these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
In-Depth Zacks Research for the Tickers Above
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
QEP Resources, Inc. (QEP) - free report >>
EQT Corporation (EQT) - free report >>
TC PipeLines, LP (TCP) - free report >>


text:
Submit your request via our online support system and receive a response within one business day1. To do so, log in to your support account, or create an account.
In order to process your support request we kindly ask you to register your Drobo prior to creating a support incident.
Phone support is available to DroboCare customers and customers who are within the first 90 days of purchase. To expedite your request, you can also create a support incident through our online support portal.
Standard warranty customers can receive support by going to our Online Support Portal which includes access to our knowledge base articles, our free community support forums, documentation and software updates. If you are still unable to find the answer you need contact our support department by creating an account, then select Submit a New Ticket. Standard Warranty is support is limited to business hours.
If your product is out of warranty we do offer DroboHelp.
Please note that you will need your serial number to create a support case.
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Smart storage that grows with you and protects what matters.


text:
Resume des rapports d'evaluation caracteristiques et Tableaux synoptiques des resultats
Les questions relatives aux evaluations de prgrammes et de projets ont ete debattues a diverses reprises dans le cadre de l'exercice "Cooperation 21". Le recueil ci-joint de quelques 70 fiches resumes de rapports d'evaluation, accopmagnees de deux tableaux synoptiques d'analyse des resultats, represente l'embryon d'une base de donnees.
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Leather Skirt - H&M
White Viscose Shirt - New Look
I wanted a leather skirt for ages but the only one i saw was this Topshop one, but for £36 I didn't feel like paying that, especially when I would only wear it the very odd time. So I got this one for £12.99.
I wore this at the weekend when I went to Maidstone, it was an amazing night, but I wouldn't wear this skirt again if I plan on dancing, you can barley move with it on!
I have my London College Of Fashion Interview tomorrow at 9:30 so I have to leave at 6am! What a killer. Its going to be very pointless really, I'm crap at maths. Oh well. Good luck to me.
♥ Joanne


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It was a parade of highly stimulating and scholastic presentations by world-class scholars at Lead City's 2-Day Research Capacity-Building Workshop (September 20 & 21, 2016) organised by the University Research Committee.
With the Vice Chancellor Prof Olufemi Onabajo blazing the trail as he opened the floor for a flurry of illustrious presentations. He harped on the true essence of research and that the university is only as relevant as its research is functional. The Vice Chancellor also applauded the University Research Committee led by Prof William Akerele for a job well done.
Highly revered Economist and Dean, Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, Prof William Akerele presented a most compact Research Policy Document Proposal for Lead City University, discussing critical areas such as ethics and funding among others. Prof Akerele reiterated that Lead City University places high premium on impactful research, adding that research and research-led teaching are primary responsibilities of the academic staff. Prof Akerele charged all participants to take closer look at the proposal and bring up other items that need revision and/or deletion.Erudite Professor of Guidance and Counselling, Prof Donald Odeleye then took the stage with specific instructions on effective Handling of Students Projects and Theses. While appreciating the unusual circumstances that lecturers found themselves nowadays with the quality of studentship, Prof Odeleye declared that much can be achieved and remedied if supervisors would be in loco parentis to their respective supervisees. Prof Odeleye stated that both supervisor and supervisee should endeavour to honour scheduled meeting periods as much as possible.
If Day 1 was pulsating, Day 2 was an exciting climax to such a wonderful cerebral adventure! Two multiple grant-award winners, Prof Oluwadayo Sonibare of Department of Chemistry, University of Ibadan and Prof Samuel Oladipo, Deputy Director, Academic Planning and Quality Assurance, Tai Solarin University of Education were a bunch of elucidation and encouragement to the participants. They both counselled on the need for mentoring and that the senior academics should deliberately seek out their junior colleagues. They severally and individually pointed out that academics can thrive on grants as long as they are willing to work hard and stay undaunted even when their proposals are rejected.
While both professors gave presentation on Writing Fundable Research Proposals (Science and Social Science Perspectives respectively), their clichés were obvious. While Prof Sonibare is a prolific scientist who knows his onions, Prof Oladipo is an out-of-the-box psychologist teacher. Both of them had superb deliveries on the nitty gritty of writing award/grant-winning proposals but advised that teamwork is the in-thing now and that academics should begin to look beyond their locality.


text:
Homes too hot or too cold to live in, freezers full of spoiled food.
It's a nightmare many West Virginians lived not once, but twice, this year — some for weeks.
The extreme summer and winter storms that took the lives of 10 in the state and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands are The State Journal's No. 1 story for 2012.
Hurricane-force winds slammed the state without warning on June 29 and were just as quickly gone. It was a "derecho": a sudden, straight-line storm that took much of the eastern half of the nation by surprise. In West Virginia, the storm killed three, damaged property statewide and threw more than two-thirds of the state's million electric power customers into the dark.
More than 680,000 customers suffered power losses that dragged out during an oppressive heat wave. Utilities set up water and ice supply stations. Retailers couldn't stock enough generators.
As local and trucked-in crews worked day and night to repair substations and transmission lines, several smaller storms blew through and created new outages. Eleven days later, more than 50,000 customers still had no power. It was mid-July before everyone's lights were finally restored.
Telecommunications and water were knocked out too, though to fewer customers.
The derecho cost the state's largest electric utilities a combined $172 million, according to filings they made with the state Public Service Commission in August. It also cost merchants across the state — or their insurers — untallied millions in spoiled inventory, employee productivity and business lost.
Then just four months later, with insurance and disaster assessments for the derecho still under way, the state was battered on Oct. 30 with the hurricane-Nor'easter dubbed "Superstorm Sandy." Trees still in leaf fell under heavy snow, knocking out power for more than a quarter million. Families suffered this time in unseasonable cold, and some again were without power for more than two weeks. Seven West Virginians died.
The costs of that outage are not yet known.
Several big questions followed these storms.
Bury the lines?
Early and insistent among the questions was the plea, can't power lines be buried?
"The operative words are 'cost-effective,'" said Appalachian Power President and COO Charles Patton.
"Is (the cost) justified for events that are one-in-five-year events or one-in-10-year events?" he asked. "I think industry and ratepayers historically answer 'no.'"
Burying power lines costs millions per mile, experts said — typically five to 10 times what it costs to string them on poles. A North Carolina study found that burying power lines across the state would take 25 years and would more than double residential rates. And although outages are less frequent with buried lines, they take longer to resolve.
Outages unavoidable?
A second question followed on the heels of the first: Can't something be done about reliability? Anything?
As it happens, new reliability rules the PSC set in 2011 will go into effect in 2014. The commission has assigned the electric utilities targets for outage frequency and length and for system-wide reliability. Utilities will have to submit annual reliability reports that identify their 5 percent worst-performing circuits and their planned improvements.
Performance will be weighed when utilities seek rate increases, PSC Consumer Advocate Byron Harris said.
PSC engineers and the utilities said that achieving reliability targets and improving the worst circuits, along with installing measures such as rugged composite utility poles and technology that routes power around circuit faults, will reduce the number and length of outages over time.
But, bottom line, extreme storms and power lines don't mix well, experts said.
Only those who have installed their own power generation systems — primarily, solar power systems at homes and businesses, with battery energy storage — avoided the outages their neighbors suffered this year.
More weather-related outages to come?
That led directly to the big question that loomed over this year of big weather: Are extreme storms due to climate change, and are we in for more of them?
It's a perennially unanswerable question.
But a U.S. Department of Energy analysis of "major" grid disturbances in the 1990s and 2000s found that, while the number of non–weather-related disturbances remained essentially flat at around 20 per year, the number of weather-related disturbances shot up over the period: from well under 10 to near 140.
The share of disturbances related to weather rose from 20 percent to more than 70 percent.
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text:
He was so calm and reasonable-sounding, it had never occurred to me that he was completely full of shit.
It sounds like the whitest, hipster-est cliche of all time to say you met your boyfriend at Burning Man, but…I met my boyfriend at Burning Man. I was in what would turn out to be the last year of my unhappy marriage, desperately wishing for a sign, any sign, that things were going to change.
And I got it.
Burning Man lasts a week. On Wednesday, I accompanied a friend to a now-defunct event called the Great Canadian Beaver Eating Competition: competitive cunnilingus. For several hours, I jumped up and down and cheered on the contestants. When the crowds dissipated, there was a small dark-haired man standing in the middle of the room wearing a referee shirt and looking dejected.
"What's the matter?" I asked him.
"The whole tent smells like pussy, and everybody's going home to get laid except for me," he said.
I laughed and kissed him. It was intended to be a consolation kiss, but about ten minutes in, I noticed that I had somehow wrapped my legs around him. I disentangled myself with some difficulty as my friend came up and we bicycled off into the night. I was disappointed to leave the little referee behind.
Thursday, my camp mates and I came across an unmanned kissing booth and decided to stay there for awhile, kissing all comers. We'd been there for about an hour when a young dark-haired guy came along, wearing a pirate coat. He kissed each of us in turn, gently, but with great enthusiasm. I was last. It was the kind of kiss that knocks you on your ass, and it was over all too soon. It was with regret that I watched him bike away into the crowd.
We were walking back to camp after the kissing booth when the same guy in the coat came across us again and kissed us all more thoroughly on the dusty side road. He and I got so enmeshed in our kiss that the other two ladies started back to camp without me. After we disengaged, he said, "What are you doing now?""Eating dinner, what about you?"
"I have this speed dating thing, but maybe you could meet me afterwards?"
I raced through dinner, went to the camp he said he'd be at: not there. Chalking it up to the impossibility of connecting with someone at Burning Man, I shrugged it off.
Friday, I woke up in the morning thinking, "I really want to go find that guy from the kissing booth." I didn't know his name, where he was from, where he was camping, nothing. So I started walking along the Esplanade…and about five minutes later, saw him walking towards me from the other direction.
I had lunch with him at his camp and saw the referee shirt thrown over a chair…neither of us had recognized each other, but we'd somehow managed to randomly meet three days in a row, at an event that is notorious for missed connections. It was the sign I wanted. Too bad I didn't know what it was pointing to.
Matt was charismatic and had the kind of emotional self-expression that comes from years in therapy or rehab. He'd actually just completed both: released from rehab for an addiction to ketamine, sleeping pills, and anything else he could swallow or put up his nose only a month before Burning Man. He was also in post-DUI court-enforced therapy. As my marriage shattered, I was happy to be in communication with someone who was the polar opposite of my husband: where my husband was pure logic, rejecting all emotion as weakness, Matt talked about his feelings and listened to mine. My husband was a homebody and hated it when I went out or did anything with anyone; Matt was a bird-of-paradise extrovert, flitting from event to event and friend to friend. Where my husband had been open to non-monogamy when we got married, he changed his mind almost immediately thereafter; Matt, like me, was poly.
We fell head over heels, as you do when you're passionately long-distance and in recovery: he from drugs, me from marriage. We talked about the people we were dating in what felt like a very healthy, mature way. He was honest about the sex he was having, and so was I. He said he loved me before I said it to him, and he begged me to live with him in Los Angeles. I was wary, but he was so enthusiastic and told me he loved me, loved me, loved me — and I loved him too. So I said yes, after a year of four-hour phone conversations, exciting cross-country trips to Fallingwater and Santa Monica, and fantastic sex. I moved to LA, to live in a pool house next to an avocado tree.
The first sign that things were not as they should be was Andrea. Obviously we had talked about all our boundaries and rules when I moved in, as good poly couples do. He'd requested no sex in our bed; I'd wanted to make sure we both felt loved. The usual. He met Andrea at a party and before very long, they were texting each other constantly. He was in the supermarket or at dinner with me, texting Andrea. We'd never specifically made a rule about that sort of thing, because it had never been an issue.
"Do you think you could stop texting so much?" I asked him. "I feel like you're ignoring me."
"Sure," he said. Instead, he started going to the bathroom all the time when we were in restaurants. Anyone else, I would have said "coke problem", but he was on his 18 month chip from AA and wanted to text his girlfriend where I wouldn't know about it. I chalked it up to early-relationship crush and let it go.
I got back from a dance rehearsal a month or so later and kissed him. "How was your date with Andrea?" I said.
"We just came back here and had sex and dinner," he said.
I blinked. "I thought you didn't want us to have sex with other people in our bed."
"Oh. I thought you wouldn't mind."
It wasn't my rule in the first place. I didn't really feel justified in calling him out. If it was his rule, and he'd broken it, what did it really matter? I told myself.
Then a few things happened. I was going away to Europe with a friend for a few weeks, and Matt was cranky about it. He never said he was jealous, but he punished me in a thousand small ways that surprised me. We had specifically made a date to spend the evening together several days before my departure; that afternoon, in the brilliant California sunshine, he said, "You know, I'm kind of bored. Would it be all right with you if I went out with Andrea tonight?"
Of course it wasn't. I opened and closed my mouth, stunned, and he said, "Thanks!" It was too late for me to try and find alternate plans, so I spent our date night at home reading a book and drinking tea. Three hours after he left, he came back. "We just drove around in my truck for awhile and then fucked in the driveway," he reported.
It turned out that Matt's fearless self-inventory and therapy-speak just made him sound like he was communicating effectively. He thoughtfully listened when I told him how upset I was and nodded seriously and shared his feelings: that I was trying to restrict him and he didn't think that's what poly relationships were about. I'd just spent 8 years being monogamous, he offered, maybe I was rusty. I began to doubt my own anger: maybe this WAS how poly relationships worked now. He'd gone through all that therapy, he had the Big Book next to his bed. Surely he was reasonable? Besides, we trusted and loved each other. Right?
Then, came Abi. He met Abi at a business event that I was also at, schmoozing furiously to help promote his photography business. Abi was round and gorgeous, and he was immediately smitten. Just as immediately, all our boundaries went out the window. He texted her constantly, texts about how he thought he could fall in love with her if it weren't for me, and she texted back how much she wished they could really be together. How do I know what the texts said? Because she sent them to me, with a "Just thought you should know" note.
He was so calm and reasonable-sounding, it had never occurred to me that he was completely full of shit. But as he started sneaking out to see Abi and pretending he was going to business meetings, as he lied to me about how much time they spent on the phone, I became more and more confused. We were in a non-monogamous relationship: he could fuck whoever he wanted, love whoever he wanted, and I was okay with it. So why was he acting like the cheatin' guy in a cowgirl song?
Dating Matt was like EXXXTREME DATING; it came with loud rock music and bright colors and a guy in a garish ski-suit snowboarding off a mountain in slow motion. He was fun, weird, and engaging: he glued a rhinestone to his front tooth and wore hand-tailored Italian shirts, went on impromptu road trips to the Mojave desert, adored a wall-sized oil painting of a man clubbing a baby seal that we found at the Pasadena flea market. He had so many friends and people came to him for advice on everything from their career to their grandmother. He put on a great performance of knowing exactly what he wanted and being able to ask for it: such a great show that I was leading the standing ovation in his personal audience. But as soon as I sat down, stopped clapping, and asked him what the hell he thought he was up to, everything fell to pieces.
I started calling him on his boundary-pushing. He got defensive, cried, got angry with me. At some point, he showed me the Excel spreadsheet he made to keep track of his sexual partners; crammed with designations like "hooker in Reno" and "French girl 1", had more than 170 entries. I felt cold. I didn't really care how many people he'd had sex with, but this seemed like compulsivity, the kind of frenzied drive for fucking that would edge out the desire for anything else. His behavior bore this out: it was more important to him to have whatever girl he wanted at that moment than to fulfill the agreement of our relationship. Once that became obvious, I ended it. He was still protesting to the last that he couldn't understand why I had said I was okay with open relationships, then tried to tell him what to do. He just had to be free, man.
Confused and reeling, I left for Australia to study at university. Matt was my first addict; despite his key-ring full of sobriety chips, he exhibited all the classic signs of someone who's just moved his yearning from Special K to boobs. I found myself suspicious of anyone who fiddled with their phone a lot, and I was always watching for hints of uncontrollable sneaking around: was that a lie? Were you really at a business meeting? I am naturally trusting — some might say naive — and after a while, the reminders of Matt and his manipulative, erratic behavior slowly faded.
Except for one thing. Matt was a musician, with two albums produced entirely with other people's money…mostly women he'd charmed and fucked somewhere along the line. They're all love songs. When I first met him, in the throes of that post-Burning Man intensity, I believed every line of the sweet professions, the sad demands for an explanation as to why she left. By the end of our relationship, not only was I one hundred percent certain why every one of those girls had ever left him, I couldn't even listen to the songs anymore.


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15 East Brent Lane, Pensacola, FL 32503Request info Add to list
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Metro riders soon will be able to go online to recharge their SmarTrip cards. Soon, students will be able to do the same with their D.C. One Cards.
The District of Columbia is changing its multi-purpose ID card to make it easier for students to use discounted fare cards on Metro's buses and trains.
Officials said students from kindergarten through 12th grade will soon be able to enroll for fare cards online and renew their passes at a Metro station. Previously, students were required to get an application from their school, take it to a division of the District's Department of Transportation and then go to a Metro sales office.
The D.C. One Card already gives students access to D.C. government programs, facilities, recreation centers and libraries. The new process for getting reduced fares will be rolled out to schools in phases beginning in the fall.


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Fri 15th Aug 2014 10:20amGwithian Academy of Surfing's Godrevy Surf Report
Waisthigh waves with light to moderate onshore winds. It's surfable and looks fun if you're keen. Get in there - winters just around the corner. You'll regret it if you don't!
View the Godrevy Surf Report and Forecast. Gwithian Academy of Surfing's Reports have received a total of 315901 views.
This report has received 161 views since 15/8/14.


text: As I was getting ready for our first winter in new house I decided that I should do what I could to make sure i had my crawl space ready. Crawling around in the space I found a Hole in part of a old brick wall...so I grabbed a flash light and stuck my head inside only to find a well! I do not belive that it is the well currently in use because there is a pipe capped off in the full basement that comes from crawl space area. What are the issues having this in the crawl space, I am worried that it could be a source for rats, mice, to get water,,ect...and possibaly mold..How can i keep the moisture from attacking the house..This part of the house was built in approx 1860's and the newer side is around 1910.


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Online Data Solution
Utilismart Corporation has created and operates our own secure, cloud-based MDM along with a wide range of AMI software solutions and data services for Utilities, Municipalities, Industrial, Commercial and Residential consumers. Utilismart provides information needed to make informed business decisions about electricity, water and gas in the SmartGrid marketplace. Utilismart collects, validates, securely stores and presents SmartGrid data. The Utilismart Software As A Service (SaaS) delivery model helps our customers save money by lowering the initial application costs for both software and hardware, providing painless upgrades, offering seamless integration and increasing the adoption rate due to the ease of using the browser based cloud solution.
Utilismart is the turnkey, single point of contact, meter data management (MDM) Online Data Solution Company. We provide end-to-end managed AMI operations, CIS integration (meter-to-cash), voltage monitoring, transformer overloading, outage management and theft detection. From Wholesale, Commercial & Industrial meters to AMI and Smart Grid deployments, Utilismart's multiple hosted, managed MDM offerings meet all customer requirements ranging from the simple to the complex, without the use of any special hardware or software licenses.


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Ski holidays for the over 50's
Recreational 50+ skiers
For skiers looking for a fun, action-packed holiday at any pace, choose from the 'Action' section including weeks to Arabba in Italy, Lech in Austria or Vail in North America. Prices from £795. Skiers wanting some instruction on their holiday can book the 'Austrian Achievement' week with a week's instruction from the Arlberg Skischule also including 4*hotel half board and scheduled flights 29 March – 5 April for £1050.
Fit and 50+
For keener skiers Ski Freshtracks have off piste ski weeks using fully qualified UIAGM mountain guides in Argentiere, France, Obergurgl, Austria and Engelberg, Switzerland. Prices from £795, course only in Argentiere just £335.
Single and 50+
Skiers who do not have partners that ski or simply nobody to take a holiday with can join Ski Freshtrack's 'Singular Skiers' week to Grindelwald, 1-8 March. Staying at the 4* Sunstar Hotel half board with NO single supplements. Priced at £675 for single room (flights not included).
50+ Learn to Ski Powder
Take an 'introduction to off piste' week in the Italian resort of Gressoney-la-Trinite, with instruction provided by the Monte Rosa Alpina Ski School. £950 including flights, transfers and 3* half board hotel, 8-15 March. Or to brush up on novice powder skills, March 22-29 Improving in Powder course in Flaine, France is priced at £650 including instruction and half board 2* hotel.
"Skiers of this age are often as fit, if not fitter than many of our younger skiers. They are keen to get on the pistes, or off piste, straight after breakfast and often ski until the last lifts of the day. We are seeing this category of holidays increasing in popularity and we will continue to provide a huge range of exciting holidays for our Peak Experience members for as long as there is the demand. They are a loyal, dedicated bunch of skiers!" said Caroline Stuart Taylor, CEO of the Ski Club of Great Britain.
Ski Freshtracks 'Peak Experience' holidays, are for skiers age 50+ looking for adventure.
For full information see Skifreshtracks.co.uk.


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Luis Martínez0000-0003-4245-8813
Luis Martínez received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in computer sciences from the University of Granada, Granada, Spain, in 1993 and 1999, respectively. He is currently a Full Professor in the Department of Computer Science and the Director of the Advanced Research Center in IT, the University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain. He has been a Supervisor of seven Ph.D. students and has published more than 60 papers in international journals. He is currently an Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Computational Intelligence Systems and an Associated Editor of the International Journal of Fuzzy Systems, and he serves as Associate Editor for International Journal of Fuzzy Systems and Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Universal Computer Sciences and the Scientific World Journal. He received the IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems Outstanding Paper Award 2008 (bestowed in 2011). And he is Guest Professor in the Southwest Jiaotong University and Honorable Professor in Xihua University both in Chengdu, China. His current research interests include computing with words and decision making, fuzzy logic-based systems, multiagent systems, computer-aided learning, sensory evaluation, recommender systems, and e-commerce.
Biography Updated on 6 November 2013


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Kimber Pair Covers Both Bets – With Style.
There's two things here, two things looking very much alike at many levels, but which are also very different — apples and oranges different maybe. They're both 1911 models, but at many levels the resemblance essentially stops there. Both are Kimbers, both made in their custom shop, both are .45 ACP's and both use tried and true design elements. Yet, as the saying goes — "One of these is not like the other."
Kimber's history is well known enough to not require delving into much. Suffice to say, they pretty much single-handedly caused Colt to sit-up and realize they had competition 15 or more years ago.
Kimber went back to 1911 basics when they started, re-tooled, added design upgrades, honed functionality, then proceeded to build the best factory-made 1911's available then. They arguably created the 1911 boom market, and were — and still are — the one to "catch" in the market place.
But few things come easy or remain that way, so Kimber's design staff has continued to upgrade, improve, create and craft a long-line of everything from basic fighting pistols, to fine 1911's of heirloom-quality. What we have here is a little bit of everything they do — in two guns. A "I carry this every day to protect my family" Ultra+ CDP II small gun, and a "Hey, ain't this a beauty!" Classic Carry Pro.
Both can, would and do a great job protecting anyone with the sense to carry one. But just as a GTO (think: Ultra+ CDP II) is a road car with some muscle (at least in the old days, eh?), a Mercedes (think: Classic Carry Pro) might also have muscle, but is more refined, dare we say elegant — and simply makes you want to stare at it and be amazed you own it.
That's what we have here. I tend to think of them as one to work with — and one to play with. Although I can't stress enough, the Classic Carry Pro can work as well and as hard as either of them (as any Kimber might), yet still … would you take the trash out in the trunk of your Lexus?
Am I painting a picture here?
The Tough Guy
Kimber did a smart thing with the Ultra+ CDP II — they gave it a short slide and a full-length grip. You can use full-length magazines, get a full, firm firing grip (no pinkies looking for a home) and yet have the concealability and convenience of a shorter slide. The barrel length is 3″, with the total slide length being a bit more than 5.5″. Even though it has an aluminum frame, the full grip puts the weight in the hand, rather than out front along the slide. It's as if the gun is part of the hand and you can move it very fast when working in-close. Also, the full grip means you can really apply a firm firing platform, which these short slides need to work right. This one ran fine.
Built in the Custom Shop, several custom features are automatically added to it there, helping to keep the cost down by about $500 (if you wanted to add them later). Things like an ambi-safety, night sights, 30 LPI checkering, etc. are all part of the package right off the bat. They've even checkered under the triggerguard, which I like, as you can sort of wedge your weak-hand pointer finger against it with a two-hand hold.
The additional length of the grip only ads about two ounces, so the stainless steel slide and alloy frame only weigh about 27 ounces total. That's only a couple more ounces than a Walther PPK/S, but with much more authority in place. The frame is finished in Kimber's "KimPro II", which I can't quite tell if it's a hard, bake-on type finish or some kind of anodizing. Either way it appears to be very durable, and shows good attention to detail during its application. It's also self-lubricating. The slide, along with the other metal bits showing, is finished in a pleasing satin.
The stainless steel, match-grade barrel is bushingless and recoil is handled with a full-length guide rod assembly. The nicely fitted grip safety has a "bump" to help with high thumb operation, and the trigger is the de rigueur lightweight trigger with an over-travel stop. This model is also fitted with Kimber's passive firing pin safety system. The grip safety needs to be fully depressed in a firing grip before a plunger will clear the firing pin, allowing a hammer strike to fire a chambered round. It works fine.
The barrel is ramped and shows excellent lock-up at battery. Frankly, this entire gun acted and looked more like a custom build than a factory model, and the Custom Shop attention to detail was obvious. I will say the plastic mainspring housing remains a strange notion to me, but I have never seen one cause any issues in any gun I've tested. And, they do offer added weight savings and a certain natural lubricity for the bits moving inside.
The fit, finish, gentle "melting" and great trigger pull made this gun fun to shoot and handle. At about $1,331 at full retail (try to find a Kimber not at full retail!), this is a lot of gun for the money.
Classic Carry Pro
Even the name of this model makes sense. It's a very classic look (blued steel, solid bone grips, all-steel), it's eminently carryable and is certainly professional in every category — from build quality to custom touches. It reminds me of the sort of custom 1911 done by a master 'smith who specializes in minimalist work. What's there is just what's needed, no bells and whistles for the sake of bells and whistles, and the work done is done "just-so" with flats being flat and curves remaining correct and in proportion. It pleases the eye, as it were.
The reason the finish looks the way it does is because it's crafted by Turnbull Manufacturing Co., those miraculous mad scientists who have mastered bluing of all sorts, color case hardening — and more. Called Charcoal Blue, it offers a depth and specifity of color you simply can't find in bulk bluing tanks. Paired with the light bone handles, it's an eye-turning package. Something General Patton might have carried, if you get my drift.
Built in the Kimber Custom Shop, a frame and slide are matched early in the process, then remain a pair throughout the build. There's no "parts bins" assembly here, each gun is hand-assembled from scratch. And it shows. Small touches like the recessed and flattened offside slide release pin (on the starboard side of the frame) catch your eye and make you take note of details.
Right off the bat, the Round-Heel Frame (Kimber's name for it) makes the Pro feel very comfortable in-hand. It also really enhances carryability, and frankly, just looks good too. The 4″ bushingless match-grade barrel is a tad shorter than a Commander-style, and it's a match-style barrel, with standard feed ramp since the frame is steel. Weight is about 35 ounces but the round-butt and shorter slide makes it feel lighter. With the right holster, you could definitely carry this all day, and feel just a bit smug while you do it. Something about being "Unseen in the best of places?"
The rear sight has a "cocking shoulder" built-in so you can run the slide against a belt or heel if needed. Both front and rear have tritium inserts, and are fixed. The slide top has been flattened slightly and has longitudal serrations adding a streamlining effect. I suppose they could reduce glare too, but it's something I've never really had an issue with on a 1911 in the real world. I think they just look good — and that's why they're there.
Note the "French Shoulders" on the slide-to-frame junction. It's that slightly beveled edge at the lower slide rail, tending to ease the eye over the break between the two. It helps to create one package where there is often a distinct separation of top-to-bottom. I like it. The ambi-safety is of modest proportions and makes satisfying "snicky-snicky" sounds when moved up and down.
The front strap has 24 LPI checkering, nicely done, the main spring housing is all-steel, the grip safety (without the firing pin block, as far as I can tell) has a bump to help with high-thumb grips, and the trigger is solid. Interestingly, the hammer is the same as that on the special Kimber SIS models they build for the LAPD fugitive unit, and has enhanced cocking serrations to make it easy to manipulate. The recoil spring is a 22-pound unit attached to a full-length guide rod, and keeps things moving along with some snap.
Keep in mind, this gun is a "production" model for the Custom Shop, so is actually available and shipping now. The really remarkable thing about the Classic Carry Pro is the price — $2,056. I honestly thought this was going to be a $2,800 gun and was amazed when Kimber told me the MSRP on it. This is a lot of gun for what is essentially what you might pay a custom pistolsmith to turn your existing gun into a custom gun. Here you get it all, at once, engineered to work together from the start, and for only the cost of a business lunch past $2,000.
Yes, I shot them both. And yes, they ran like you'd hope they would run. But, a word here on that. I did take the time to clean each one, lubed them correctly and shot Federal, AYSM, Winchester and Black Hills from them, using a solid firing stance. In other words, I did it right, and didn't expect them to run with junk reloads, without proper lube and shooting them all limp-wristy and such.
Would they run that way? I'd imagine so. And your car might run on seven cylinders rather than eight in a pinch, but why do it? Give these guns (or any gun) a chance, and they almost always run fine. It's why our test guns here at Handgunner usually run … well … fine. And this pair was no exception.
The Ultra+ CDP II likes a very firm firing grip, and it not only ran well for me, but delivered groups in the "about 1.75″ to 2.5″ at 20 yards" range during my investigation of these interesting guns. I'll tell you it may shoot better than that, likely even at 25 yards, but it was about 30 degrees outside and I was cold, so this will have to do. Brrr …
I liked the "handiness" of the Ultra+ CDP II, and it's something you could live with all day, every day, without tiring of it. It's light, works and is confidence-inspiring. I really like the full-sized grip and the fact you can use full-sized magazines, which always seem to work better than shorty ones. A perfect daily carry gun for anyone with any sense.
The Classic Carry Pro is something else entirely. It ran fine, shot well (more like 1.5″ on average at the very cold 20 yard line, and I'd think I could beat that if I was more relaxed!), and I found I kept just looking at it while I reloaded magazines. Functional art comes to mind. I'm a die-hard minimalist guy usually, and this really appealed to that side of things with me. Just for fun, I put some nice wood grips on it. Nope, didn't work. Those bone handles are "just right" so my hat's off to whoever thought of that.
It's a bit heavy for daily carry in this age of "Unobtanium" weight guns, but if you're used to carrying "real" guns, the compact round-butt modification and short slide work wonders for comfort. A quality IWB rig would be the ticket for sure. Oh, and Kimber, if you're listening, can I have one in 9mm and/or even .38 Super too? Doesn't hurt to ask, eh?
Now What?
The Ultra+ CDP II is for fighting, for getting sweaty with, for riding at home on your hip for weeks at a time and for collecting dust bunnies but still delivering the goods when called upon.
The Classic Carry Pro is for enjoying, admiring, showing off, for shooting in a match now and again, for sitting on your desk while you write letters (just to the right, under the light, just-so, of course, and you can't help glancing at it now and again … right?). It's for wearing to brunch (discretely carried, of course), but the all-steel weight nonetheless reminding — all the time — you have company.
Neither are guns for a novice, but either helps to make any experienced shooter — a better shooter. If you use Snap-On tools, are you a better mechanic? I say: You're likely a better mechanic not because you have Snap-On Tools, but because you knew to buy good tools.
So there you go. Listen to the better mechanic. If you're wise enough to invest in good tools, you're likely either already an accomplished shooter, or getting there.
And these are — trust me on this, now — good tools. Form or function? How about both?
By Roy Huntington
Photos By Chuck Pittman
For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/index and click on the company name.
Order Your Printed Copy Of American Handgunner May/June 2014 Issue Today!
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Jennifer Lopez Apologizes for Performing at Turkmenistan Dictator's Birthday Party
Jennifer Lopez is wiping some egg off of her perfectly bronzed face. La Lopez delivered what we bet was a killer performance at the birthday bash for the Turkmenistan dictator, but quickly apologized for it once she realized just what sort of a leader he is -- and when she received a slew of backlash.
Katy Perry Reportedly Torn Between John Mayer + Robert Pattinson
In the battle for Katy Perry's heart, right now there are rumors of a Robert Pattinson romance as well as a John Mayer reunion in the works. But Perry's pals are rooting for only one of those guys. Which one?
Miley Cyrus Tweets Dad Billy Ray + Posts Pics With Mom Tish on Father's Day [Pics]
Miley Cyrus initially appeared to be taking mom Tish's side in her parents' split, but her Twitter feed on Father's Day (June 16) implies that she may be a little more neutral than the world initially realized.
2013 MuchMusic Video Awards Performances [Video]
The 2013 MuchMusic Video Awards were rife with pop performances and huge names. Stars like Demi Lovato, Avril Lavigne, Phillip Phillips and Ed Sheeran all joined forces with co-host Psy to rock the stage in Toronto, Canada.
Phillip Phillips Brings the 2013 MuchMusic Video Awards 'Home' [Video]
Psy suggested that the 2013 MuchMusic Video Awards crowd take pictures of Phillip Phillips, and we don't blame him. What a beautiful, rugged Southern charmer he is!
One Direction Form a Twerk Team
If you ever wanted to see twerking more awkward (or possibly more false) than the kind Miley Cyrus is so proud of, look no further than One Direction.
Tish Cyrus Files For Divorce From Billy Ray
Billy Ray Cyrus is about to have an achy breaky heart again.
Tish Cyrus, Billy Ray's wife of 19 years, filed for divorce from the recovered mullet fan and father to one Miley Cyrus.
Taylor Swift + Ed Sheeran Perform 'Everything Has Changed' on 'Britain's Got Talent'
Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran brought their adorable duet, 'Everything Has Changed,' to 'Britain's Got Talent.' And, as you might guess, it was, well, adorable.
Jennifer Lopez in Talks With Ryan Seacrest to Return to 'American Idol'
Sounds like there may be two Jennifers on the 'American Idol' panel this fall. Jennifer Hudson reportedly signed on to judge the somewhat struggling Fox juggernaut, and now former judge Jennifer Lopez may be rejoining the judges' table.
Jean Stapleton Dead at 90
The legendary character actress Jean Stapleton has passed away.
Bruno Mars' Mother Dies
Our thoughts are with Bruno Mars. His beloved mother, Bernadette Hernandez, has died.
Jennifer Lopez + Mary J. Blige 'Come Together' at Chime For Change [Video]
Bronx natives Jennifer Lopez and Mary J. Blige joined forces at Beyonce's Chime for Change concert. It was Jenny and Mary from the Block!


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The Avengers has again made U.S. box office history after becoming the first film to rake in $100 million (£62.5 million) during its second weekend.
The Marvel action epic, which boasts an all-star cast of Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Scarlett Johansson, smashed records after hauling in a massive $200.3 million (£125.2 million) in its first three days of release, besting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which grossed $169 million (£105.6 million) when it hit theatres in July (11).
And the superhero blockbuster continued to impress for the second week in a row with earnings of $103.2 million (£64.5 million), fending off competition from Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's vampire horror comedy Dark Shadows, which had takings of $28.8 million (£18 million).
In third was Tyler Perry's Think Like a Man, which brought in $6.3 million (£3.9 million), and in fourth and fifth place respectively were Jennifer Lawrence's The Hunger Games ($4.4 million/£2.8 million) and Zac Efron's The Lucky One ($4.1 million/£2.6 million).


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Though he had been absent from council meetings for five months, former mayoral candidate Michael Kelly was still officially one of the two city councilors representing Ward 3 until last week. Kelly, who moved with his fiance to Nova Scotia, Canada, last fall, informed the city via written letter several weeks ago that he was resigning his seat, and that the resignation would be effective Friday, Feb. 7.
With that date passed, Ward 3 is down to a single representative on the council, Andrew Wang. And mayor Ron Shaffer indicated last week that he had no intention of seating a replacement prior to the April election.
As such, current Parks and Recreation committee member and Stinson Leonard Street partner Eric Mikkelson —
the only candidate whose name will appear on the Ward 3 ballot — is all but assured to be Kelly's replacement.
UPDATED: Although Lauren Wolf announced she wouldn't be seeking the office and that she was supporting Mikkelson in the April election, her name will still appear on the ballot.


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Rings are potent symbols of power, the circle of life, and promises to keep. At Gemvara, we believe that the rings you wear should be one of a kind, like you. That's why all our rings are made from scratch in your choice of gems and precious metals. Choose aquamarine and rose gold or black onyx and sterling silver: it's your choice. Mix and match gems and precious metals for a look that's exactly you. It's jewelry for all life's occasions, from a wedding or holiday to your own personal milestones and celebrations. Our impressive selection of sterling silver two stone white gemstone band rings by Carl Ansley, Ruzanna Davtian, Jessica Behzad, and many other jewelry designers means you can find a style that's perfect for you. It takes two to fall in love and it takes two gems to add final polish to our two-stone jewelry styles. Because all Gemvara sterling silver two stone white gemstone band rings are made to order, we can hand-select the finest quality materials to perfectly suit your design. Sterling silver is 92.5 percent silver. Gemvara's silver is more pure: we use Argentium 960, which naturally resists tarnish better than any other silver. Be careful when washing your hands: rings can easily slip down the drain! Clean sterling silver two stone white gemstone band rings in a bowl of water with a little mild dish soap. You can use a soft brush where dust collects. Gemvara's fine quality sterling silver two stone white gemstone band rings are designed to be passed down for generations, hand-crafted by skilled craftspeople in the United States.
We can help right away. Chat with a jewelry expert now!


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Salad (short for Letter Salad) is an efficient and flexible implementation of the well-known anomaly detection method Anagram by Wang et al. (RAID 2006). Salad is based on n-gram models, that is, data is represented as all of its substrings of length n. During training these n-grams are stored in a Bloom filter. This enables the detector to represent a large number of n-grams in little memory and still being able to efficiently access the data. Salad extends Anagram by allowing various n-gram types, a 2-class version of the detector for classification, and various model analysis modes.
GoAnywhere OpenPGP Studio is a desktop tool that allows you to protect sensitive files using the Open PGP encryption standard. Documents can be encrypted, decrypted, signed, and verified from your PC or workstation. An integrated key manager allows you to create, import, export, and manage Open PGP keys needed to encrypt and decrypt files.
Erudite is an application for training and testing back propogation neural networks using the ANNeML (Artifical Neural Network Markup Language) XML format. It supports testing and training neural nets with CSV files and has support for randomized training sets, optional adapting learning rate, sigmoid or hyperbolic tangent transfer functions, optional bias and weight adjustment locking, and more.
The Arakhn�.org Foundation Classes (AFC) is a collection of Java libraries (based on Maven) that provides a collection of utilities that are not provided in the standard Java API. Many utility classes are provided: file filters, progress indicators, arrays, collections, VM utilities, text utilities, math tools (point, vector, matrix, shape, etc.), widgets for AWT, Swing, and Android, a platform-independent graphical API, and more.
WhiteDB is a fast, lightweight graph/N-tuples shared memory database library with a focus on speed, portability, and ease of use. There is no server process. Data is read and written directly from/to shared memory. No sockets are used between WhiteDB and the application program. It supports indexes (T-tree), persistence through logging and memory dumps, concurrency through locking, limited queries (conjunctive only), JSON, CSV and RDF support, Python bindings, command line utility tools, and JSON REST tools.
Project shyknight is a classic-style platforms game like Manic Miner and some others from early 80s. It has very nice and polished, colorful retro graphics, and simple but addictive gameplay. Eric is in love with a greedy girl named Martina. He must collect all the items she wants to make her happy.
A company administration manager.
A Magento script for online bookings.


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The economy at risk, President Barack Obama accused Republicans on Friday of pursuing policies that would weaken the U.S. recovery and simultaneously urged European leaders to prevent a looming overseas debt crisis from dragging down the rest of the world.
In a brief White House news conference, Obama urged passage of legislation that he says would create jobs -- proposals that Republicans have long blocked.
Are the President and Congress doing enough to solve the country's economic woes? Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @nbcsandiego or add your comment to our Facebook page.
Published at 8:37 AM PDT on Jun 8, 2012


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Both were too wary of what might occur to start making any predictions about gaining the upper hand.
However, with England having won the series, and Australia showing at the Oval that the gap between the two sides is very narrow indeed, the guard has dropped.
Michael Clarke, the Australia vice-captain, has admitted England's performances in the Natwest Series, and beating Australia to win the World Twenty20 in May, has changed a few perceptions.
"England are playing good cricket at the moment in all three forms of the game by the looks of things," he said. "They obviously beat us in the Twenty20 World Cup, and this one day series, so I guess for us it is another warning sign to know we have to be at our best come the Australian summer.
"They have always had a lot of talent but they are playing well as a team at the moment. I know one thing about this game - things change very quickly, so it is about confidence and momentum. We are pretty lucky with what we have got between now and the first Test in Brisbane. Our preparation will be spot on."
First is the final one-day match against England at Lord's on Saturday. Andrew Strauss was quick to agree in the aftermath of his side's defeat at the Oval that somehow 4-1 sounds an awful lot better than 3-2.
"I thought we probably did not play as well as we would have liked in the first three games, but got close, and there was relief, and we can certainly take confidence from the victory," said Clarke.
"We played much better cricket with bat and ball and our attitude in the field was a lot better.
"There is still a lot for us to play for. We have a huge summer back in Australia with both the Ashes and one day cricket so every opportunity we get to play against England we need to be playing well and showing the form that we showed at the Oval.
"Three-two we would still be a disappointed but we take something out of it. We are trying to build as much momentum as we can leading into the Australian summer.
"It is going to be a huge few months in Australia against England. Every chance you get to play against England you want to do well."
Clarke has long been viewed as Ricky Ponting's heir apparent in the Australian set up but, despite guiding Australia to the final of the World Twenty20, was close to losing his job as captain in the game's shortest format.
His lack of runs - Clarke has too much class to slog - weighed against him and he knows the pressure will be on him to perform when Ponting takes a break for two T20 internationals against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Monday and Tuesday, a precursor to a two-match Test series.
"Hopefully my form from the games here can be taken into the Twenty20s against Pakistan, but we are playing some good Twenty20 cricket," said Clarke, who was coaching at Lord's on Thursday as part of the Chance to Shine charity project.
"We showed that in the West Indies. I'm not going to become a batter that walks out there and slogs. I am never going to do that. It is not my role in the team.
"But Pakistan have a good squad. They have a good bowling attack, especially if it is a bit overcast. They all swing the ball. It is going to be very good for us.
"Our success in Test cricket over in England of late has not been very good. We lost both Ashes series here in my time so the more Test cricket we can get in this country the better for us."
Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke endorses the V12 Slazenger bat and uses Pro Armour batting protection, for more information visit www.slazenger.com


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Our area could gets it first taste of snow later this week and the State Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to be safe on the roadway since its the holiday season.
Between December 2011 and March 2012 there were over 15,000 traffic crashes in Ohio, twenty-seven of which were fatal and over 4,000 injuries. Sergeant Clark Felix of the Zanesville Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol says the common factor in all those crashes was speed.
"The snow, ice, slushy roadways people just have to remember to slow down, if you're going somewhere to leave early to allow yourself that extra time," said Felix.
Sergeant Felix also reminds motorists to have a plan when hitting the highway and to always be on the lookout for accidents that have already occurred to avoid becoming involved.
"Always look for people outside their cars, people do get out just to survey the damage or just to see what's going on. If you're involved in one of those crashes you should remain in your car just for safety purposes because if you are sliding then usually the traffic behind you will be sliding too," said Felix.
The interstate usually has the most crashes in the area due to the bulk of traffic and speed.


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Los Gatos CA (SPX) May 12, 2008
The world's first home ethanol system, which allows consumers to create their own ethanol and pump it directly into their cars, was unveiled today by E-Fuel. The revolutionary EFuel100 MicroFueler is the first product that allows anyone to reduce their dependency on oil, greatly diminish their carbon footprint and produce fuel for under $1.00 per gallon.
The MicroFueler is a leading edge product that allows consumers to create ethanol, simply and safely, with the readily available ingredients of sugar, yeast and water, and a standard household 110-220 AC power supply. Cars running on sugar-based ethanol produce 85% fewer carbon emissions than gasoline. Businesses, such as breweries, bars and restaurants can even use discarded alcohol beverages to create ethanol, for as little as $0.10 per gallon.
"E-Fuel will have a profound impact on the way we obtain and consume fuel, not unlike the paradigm shift that occurred in the 80s from the mainframe computer to the PC," said Tom Quinn, E-Fuel Founder and CEO.
"Just as the PC brought desktop computing to the home, E-Fuel will bring the filling station to the home. Making local sugar-based ethanol fuel production possible, E-Fuel can solve the commercial ethanol transportation and pump station problems while providing consumers lower cost fuel due to micro efficiencies."
The portable MicroFueler unit houses the same consumer-friendly LCD touch screen interface and hose pumping system found at the corner gas station, so consumers can produce where they consume, eliminating energy waste and saving dollars. The retractable pumping hose extends up to 50 feet, eliminating the need to situate the unit directly beside the household vehicle.
With its breakthrough membrane technology, E-Fuel has made an industrial process possible on a much smaller scale, and without dangerous combustion processes. Additionally, the MicroFueler has achieved an 80% power improvement over commercial ethanol manufacturers, thus raising the bar of the renewable fuel standard for carbon reduction.
"Henry Ford started the automobile revolution using ethanol, predicting that this renewable and accessible fuel it would become the 'fuel of the future,'" said Mr. Quinn. "If not for the Prohibition laws in the 1920s and the subsequent rise of the oil industry, ethanol may never have lost its public appeal. E-Fuel will deliver on Ford's prediction, and enable consumers to bypass the costly oil infrastructure and their reliance on fossil fuels," said Mr. Quinn.
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Biofuels backlash in US as food costs hit home
Washington (AFP) May 9, 2008
A biofuels backlash has erupted in major ethanol producer the United States, as lawmakers and experts debate the merits of converting food to fuel to support America's age-old love affair with the automobile.
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(Page 2 of 3)
to make these sorts of laws?
It seems that the origin of these limitations has to do with some notion of the public interest being served by making inventions freely available to the public after some period of time. Somehow, intellectual property is judged as being so important to the public good that society cannot allow it to be owned in perpetuity, like tangible property.
While the intent of this "public policy" probably seemed rational when instituted, the logic that underlies these arguments is both faulty and fails to serve the public good as originally intended.
In fact, the greatest public (and private) good would be created by allowing patents to protect intellectual property indefinitely.
I can hear the gears grinding in your heads right now. What is he talking about? Doing that would create monopolies! Monopolies are bad and unfairly burden society by extracting usurious prices for products that should serve the public good! Your outrage is almost palpable. But your conclusions are flawed.
Let's take the specific case of a novel drug.
First, will a perpetual patent protecting that drug's composition of matter create a monopoly? Clearly not. Let's take a look at a couple of examples: cholesterol and blood pressure medications. The single best selling drug in the world is Pfizer's atorvastatin (Lipitor), a member of a class of drugs called statins. Is it the only cholesterol lowering drug? No. Is it even the only statin for lowering cholesterol? No. There are at least seven other statins on the market (all also covered at some level by patents), including such well known drugs as rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor). The same is true in the area of blood pressure medications – even more so in fact. There are several classes of drugs for lowering blood pressure, including beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, and angiotensin II inhibitors. Just within the ACE inhibitors, there are no fewer than nine marketed drugs all of which have or had patent protection, including drugs like fosinopril (Monopril) and quinapril (Accupril). Cholesterol and blood pressure are but two examples, and prove definitively that patents do not necessarily create monopolies or eliminate competition. If patents do not necessarily create monopolies, it follows that perpetual patents would go no further in the creation of monopolies. They would only preserve the right of an individual or entity not to be stripped of ownership of their own invention at the arbitrary whim of arcane laws.
Second, would a perpetual patent lead to artificially higher prices, and even "price gouging?" Absolutely not. … Next Page »
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Complaint Review: USr Healthcare
- USr Healthcare
5409 Maryland Way,Suite 202
Brentwood, Tennessee
United States of America
- Phone: 800-826-8127
- Web: www.usrhealthcare.com
- Category: Health Care Education
USr Healthcare W. Mark Dixon USr Healthcare staffing scam, USr Healthcare will take your money and will skip phone calls, USr Healthcare biggest healthcare staffing scam company Brentwood, Tennessee
The website for USr Healthcare http://www.usrhealthcare.com (which stands for healthcare Recruiting Partners) appears fairly convincing, with links to articles related to employment in medical staffing.
If youre going by the reports on multiple websites, the company appears to be recruiting for recruiters, using email marketing to inform each recipient that USr Healthcare has chosen to extend you an offer to interview with us.
The same email contains a list of interview times with links that job seekers can use to schedule themselves.
The interviews take place via webinar. One person who attended the webinar reported that its a one-way affair; the only way to communicate is to type questions into a box and you are not allowed to see who else is attending. Another person says that he could see about 230 people who were also attending the interview.
Here is the big tipoff: In order to get the job, you have to pay USr Healthcare a fee for online training, or just to cover its costs. The fees range anywhere from $250 to $550, at least among the job seekers who have shared what fees they were quoted.
In general, if you have to pay someone in order to work there, youre being scammed.
However, on the Terms and Conditions page of the USr Healthcare site, the payment is mentioned as a Membership Fee which allows the user to download educational materials from the site and use HRP software to control and organize information.
Presumably, this is do-it-yourself recruiting on behalf of USr Healthcare. The company collects the fee in exchange for access to its online recruiting tools.
Several job seekers have noticed that the address on the home page is actually a P.O. Box; however, the physical address,5409 Maryland Way,Suite 202, Brentwood Tn 37027 , appears in the website Terms and Conditions.
They answered the phone right away when we called the listed number, which we did after reading all the scathing reviews.
We asked the person who answered, who said his name was Mark Dixon,president, what was up with these attacks.
Mark Dixon told us that USr Healthcare discovered that some of the online complaint boards are basically discriminating against positive reviews, and he also says that they are dealing with the attorney general concerning a couple of these sites.
Theyre actually the scam, he said. Go on and post any[thing] great, then try to find it on that website.
he added many of these sites also run pay-per-click display ads, suggesting that the more outrageous the comments, the more revenue the site can make. USr Healthcare is also in good standing with the NH Secretary of State Corporation Division, which businesses must go through if they arent listed under the owners name. With the amount of companies out there that DO falsely advertise, Mark Dixon said he understands why people might be leery of HRP.
I dont blame people, he told Staffing Talk. Youve got to be careful.
Mark Dixon sounded delighted when we asked him to tell us about a positive experience with USr Healthcare for publication. He promised to put us in touch with a company executive. After a week, we tried calling again. A different person answered the phone, also sounded thrilled at the opportunity and directed us to an email; so we sent our request straight to the executives.
Its been two weeks and we havent heard anything. The offer still stands, though.
USr Healthcare staffing solution is totally scam. Be careful while dealing with this company. USr Healthcare is fraud.
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Maille mustard introduces posh packaging for Easter
Unilever is wishing shoppers a happy Easter with speciality mustard. The company's Maille brand has launched limited-edition packaging for its Dijon Originale and Wholegrain variants.
Available from 29 February, the labels for the two jars (rsp: £1.79) have been designed with the intention of emphasising Maille's premium credentials and to encourage consumers to trade up from other mustards to have with their Easter roast dinners.
"The launch of our new limited edition jars should help create buzz around the brand during the Easter period and provide greater standout on shelf," said brand manager Hannah Webb. "2016 is set to be a big year for Maille, and our Easter-themed jars will be a great way to kick this off."
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Those looks excellent and definitely will attract the attention of foodies and families.
Wish some domestic Greek enterprises (like EKMA mustard, which is amazing, but doesn't even have a website!) would do something similar to promote their products.
Even smaller companies (we like the Belgian Brewer's mustard) could benefit from similar moves.
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Amorous Lion In Winter
Derrell Hand, left. Marques Slocum, right.
This is the worst kept secret on the internet: Marques Slocum is not expected back this fall due to academic problems. It's not official, but both premium sites are dropping dark hints and Doug Karsch has broached the topic on the radio. It's pretty close. And I wonder what the point is.
Most outside the Michigan fan tribe will remember Slocum for his answer to the question "do you have any pets, and if so what do you have?" Slocum replied "i got a fuck lion now come fuck wit me," EDSBS posted it up, and the internet ran away with it. After that he was either awesome or just another "sterotypical person," as the last comment on that EDSBS post declares:
What a stereotypical person….now people will feel sorry for him for absolutely no reason. We are all that much more dumb after reading his slow minded retarded azz response.YO…Im da Shiznit homey…bow down or get rolled up…Holla..what an idiot.
("Josh W" left a web address where he could be found: http://faebook/. Holla, idiot.) His departure will no doubt be memorialized unkindly by those with an axe to grind against Michigan's efforts to walk the tightrope between Duke football and Mississippi State academics.
To Michigan fans, Slocum was the big, affable recruit who tore up the Army All-American bowl and wanted to come to Michigan so badly he wandered in the wilderness for two years to do so. This is was a unique occurence. The occasional Michigan recruit will fail to qualify, and once in a very long while Michigan will follow the kid through a prep school year. Slocum and Arizona cornerback Quinton McCoy are the only ones I can remember. "Draft and follow" -- where a school signs a guy with almost no chance of qualifying in the hopes of building up some sort of loyalty for when the kid exits JUCO -- as practiced by much of the SEC is right out. Michigan's admissions department is legendarily strict about transfer credits. Except in very rare cases, JUCOs need not apply.
So when Slocum went to Milford Prep for a year and still didn't qualify, that should have been the end of him. Instead, Slocum enrolled without a scholarship, spent a year getting eligible, and finally managed to get on the field in 2007. This was truly dedication to an idea. He's gone now, a few tackles and the occasional UFR +1 the product of two years effort.
Effort of a sort, anyway. The penultimate comment on the "fuck lion" interview paints a tableau of a lighthearted kid caught in a place he has no use for and has no use for him. A table setter is included:
I had a class with this kid for one day - greatest experience of my life. He now has a drew gooden beard. Oh god. Awesome.
Comment by umich1 - February 19, 2008 @ 4:33 pm
Re: last comment
I, too, had a class with Marques Slocum my senior year of undergrad. It was actually one of professor Hagen's classes, one day, we split into groups to do survey work. When one of the group members called on Mr. Slocum to answer a question, he said, "Aw, shit, I don't know - I'm not used to standing up in class. I'm used to standing up to get awards and shit." And then he left the room.
Comment by Shane - April 21, 2008 @ 9:17 pm
Like much about Marques Slocum, this awesome and sad at the same time.
The NCAA has created an underclass of physically talented players toiling in junior colleges or small I-AA schools, robbed of the opportunity to ply their wares in the place most likely to turn their talents into a career. Slocum now joins them. I am trying to figure out whether or not APRs and entrance requirements and so forth and so on are forces for good. They certainly seem virtuous, but I think Slocum would have been a lot better off in a system that let him major in something like "Athletic Performance" and take his shot at the NFL. I also think that the existence of "Athletic Performance" across Division 1 would provide a drag on academic achievement by would-be athletic performers, the vast majority of whom won't even start in college, let alone make a dime in their chosen sport.
But many, if not most, of these guys already assume they're going to the show and screw off anyway. One thing I definitely think: Division 1 schools should be given the option to extend a player's scholarship after his eligibility expires without it counting against the cap. This funnels some of the pots of money currently being spent on athletes to the athletes themselves and provides them an opportunity to actually focus on the classes they're taking after they've been disabused of the notion they are destined to be the next multi-millionaire.
That wouldn't help Slocum, but it might help out a range of kids who spend their time and their bodies chasing a dream that is, for them, unattainable.
(via I Love Kiki)
As for Marques, well... he's left the room. Shit.
If you're on a full ride scholarship to the Business School, then that's your only priority and other than a part time job to make some pocket money, you're probably not working during the year. You should finish in four years.
If you're not on a full ride scholarship, then I'm pretty sure you can take more than four years to graduate.
If you graduate from the B-School and head out to the working world and don't make it, then you wouldn't be coming back to the B-School for more courses.
I don't know where I stand on Brian's proposals, but I don't think those analogies work.
I am not sure what the point/gain is in Brian's proposal. To graduate in 4 yrs a player would have to take 12 cr in fall/winter and 4 cr in the summer. In 5 yrs the summer cr would be unnecessary. Are we to believe that is too taxing? I understand the difficulty of the fall semester due to practice/away games. I don't think it is asking too much of the players to stay eligible, though. If they really want to play football they will make sacrifices to keep their grades up and stay eligible. It is surprising in Slocum's situation, given what it took to get him on the field last fall, that this was the ultimate result.
The other issue w/ this proposal is where would the $ come from? UM is in the minority of ADs running in the black. So all of the other schools already losing $ are supposed to shell out more $ so players can take classes at an even slower pace? What will most likely happen is that schools will be forced to cut smaller sports to pay for this extra schooling, and I do not think that is an overall positive for college athletics.
MRG covered the issues with your analogy. I have a problem with your base assumption that it would be undesirable for athletes to concentrate less on their classes. I know the official line is that they're students first and athletes second, but I don't think that squares with reality. Few, if any, of them would be at Michigan if they weren't football players. As Brian has posted elsewhere, football alone takes up more time than a full-time job. And at schools like Michigan those hours of work are generating serious revenue, a lot of which supports other athletic programs and stratospheric coach's salaries. The scholarships are their compensation, and for the majority who won't go on to the NFL, the degree and education it supposedly represents is another form of compensation.
I think the programs owe it to the players to give them a chance to finish the degree when they aren't working 40+ hrs/week and, as Brian suggests, after they've been disabused of the notion that they're going to make a living as an athlete. I do think it's too much to ask of some of them to "keep their grades up" and finish a degree in four years. Lots of people who aren't working 40+ hrs/wk and have substantially greater academic skills take longer.
I don't know what non-revenue-generating programs should do, but I think making sure players graduate is a better use of money than college volleyball.
I don't think Slocum's academic issues are due to the rigors of General Studies + Football. Slocum just isn't a good student. The staff took a chance on a non-qualifier and rolled craps. That's why there aren't a lot of non-qualifiers eventually making their way into the university.
As mentioned above (and I haven't done the math to verify), if the student athlete takes a summer course or two, the workload in the season could be minimized. Perhaps even 10 credit hours if that's allowed. Plenty of football/basketball/whatever players make it through that aren't exceptionally intelligent.
I wouldn't have a huge problem with an Athletic Prowess degree, but I think General Studies, at least as it's structured for althetes, is nearly there already.
And nothing, I mean nothing, is a better use of money than volleyball shorts on co-eds. Females, I mean. Or males too, if you're down with that.
I stand corrected about volleyball. I'm also suddenly confused why it's not a revenue-generating sport.
As for credit hours, I assume they have to be enrolled as full-time students, which means 12 credits min. I wouldn't be against the NCAA relaxing that requirement, but I doubt that's going to happen. Students first, etc. Slocum wouldn't be helped by the extension in any case.
Again, lots of people who aren't working a full-time job and are likely to be better prepared to deal with college classes, blow-off or otherwise, take longer than 4 years to finish with or without summer classes. And the blow-off classes aren't always easy for athletes. I was a GSI for the History of Popular Music, which is basically the quintessential blow-off class, and the football players in my sections worked really hard for pretty unimpressive grades. I've also been a GSI for the writing requirement, which no one gets out of and that class is hard. The student-athlete I had in that class was on the verge of deconstructing the entire semester, and the poor kid wasn't even on full scholarship. For the most part, their talents lie elsewhere. I feel bad for them that anyone cares if they can get Cs in the History of Popular Music. Really, what's the point?
But I think if they're going to get paid in degrees (the wisdom of which I'm pretty skeptical about), programs should give them as good of a shot at getting those degrees as possible.
It's a shame. He tried to become academically eligible for two years but he couldn't cut it. It's sad that it had to be this way, but it seems like he couldn't handle UM. There's only so much that could be done.
It's nuts. Of the 5 d-line players recruited in 2005, only 2 are still with the team--Terrance Taylor and Carson Butler (recruited as DE). That year has had some crazy attrition, and Grady could become one more member of that class to leave. Oh well, at least we still have Zoltan.
I don't think there should be a "football" (or any other sport) major. What's the point? These guys don't need one to play pro sports as it is, and most of these guys can end up getting coaching jobs (at least at the high school level) if they want afterward. The point of having them major in non-sports subjects is to give them a Plan B if sports doesn't work out. If there were a football major, that would just cause more guys to put all their eggs in one basket.
As for the guys toiling at I-AA, if they're NFL material, they'll still land in the pros. There are quite a few NFL players from small-college backgrounds.