text:
Intelligent Technology Helps Save a Plant
Take a plant that has been in existence since the turn of the century; a plant whose well-focused, small set of products has a strong demand in the marketplace; and one that has a few important, strategic advantages in the marketplace, such as a 100-MW hydroelectric plant. A natural assumption would be this is a plant that has little difficulty being profitable.
Take a plant that has been in existence since the turn of the century; a plant whose well-focused, small set of products has a strong demand in the marketplace; and one that has a few important, strategic advantages in the marketplace, such as a 100-MW hydroelectric plant. A natural assumption would be this is a plant that has little difficulty being profitable. Not quite so.
The plant is the Elkem Metals Co. Plant in Alloy, West Virginia. It produces high-quality silicon metal for various industries, including steel, iron, aluminum, silicones, and electronics. Not much has changed at this plant for many years. The assets (e.g., reactors), the availability of raw materials, and cost of raw materials have changed little. Neither has the availability of a work force nor the process used to make the product line change significantly. If anything, demand for the products increased.
So why would there be a problem in staying profitable? The answer is related to market price. Although global supply of the product did not increase substantively, availability of the product in the free world changed, as the former USSR changed and started to sell its products. The effect was a net decrease in price.
The plant's profitability hit a low, and the company's home office considered shutting the plant down. The plant manager and his team knew they had to do something effective and quick. Their solution included development of new process control systems using intelligent technologies.
The basic process
Silicon products are made from U.S.-based quartzite rock, which is basically silicon dioxide. Crushed quartzite goes by the common name of sand, like that which is found on many beaches.
The quartzite raw material is mixed with wood chips and coal. The quartzite is reduced by the coal at very high temperatures to produce the silicon metal products.
Silicon products are produced in submerged-arc furnaces that stand over three stories high. Raw materials are continuously fed into the top of the furnaces, then pass down through the furnaces' hearths where they are heated by an electric arc passing between three carbon electrodes. When the materials' temperature passes 3,000 8F, the coal reduces the silicon dioxide to silicon metal.
When the silicon metal is ready to leave the furnaces, operators open tap holes in the lower section of the furnaces. A white-hot metal stream flows from the tap hole into ladles positioned below.
As the exiting metal fills a ladle, refining techniques remove impurities found in the original raw materials. It is in this refining process that intelligent technologies were introduced.
The Silicon Refining Assistant
The Silicon Refining Assistant (SRA) was built using off-the-shelf developmental tools, and IBM personal computer (PC) standard architecture that uses Intel processors. For ease-of-use in a manufacturing environment that includes necessary use of gloves, the user system interface included a touch screen setup for both user input to the system and system output to the user.
The original SRA employs 21,000 lines of code that include over 1000 rules. Business rules and process rules relating to refining are encoded in the SRA. Process rules have the form as illustrated in the following example:
RULE process rule 123: IF weight is less than or equal to X pounds AND aluminum is less than Y pounds THEN a process change is needed now whereby Z pounds of Refining Additive A needs to be added.
SRA presents questions and answers, process checks, and process guidance for operators. The system presents questions and possible answers to operators. The operators respond to the system using the touchscreen interface. Between this question/answer communication model, data provided to the system from sensors, and data provided by laboratory tests, the system becomes familiar with the refining process as it operates in real-time. As a refining cycle progresses, the system analyzes the data it receives and determines which advice, in the form of checks and checklists, should be presented to the refining operator. When the system determines a need, it presents process guidance to the operators.
SRA includes a process database that, as refining events occur, stores, uses, and archives the process data. This historical process data provides multiple benefits, such as allowing the system to notice and react to process trends, allowing process engineers to study the data off-line, and providing process status reports to management.
The system has been subject to many changes and updates. Its use created an immediate consistency in operation. This consistency allowed the company to better see the results of its process rules. Where rules produced desired results, they were retained; where rules did not produce desired results, they were changed or deleted. Use of the system assisted the company in focusing and highlighting its continuous improvement program, which spilled over to other components of the refining process, including changing the method of introducing additives.
Dramatic quality improvement
In producing silicon metal, the company uses the adjective "in-grade" to mean the product is within the required quality specifications.
The use of the Assistant, together with other process improvements highlighted by the Assistant (e.g., method of adding refining additives) and other research and engineering, resulted in near 100% improvement of the average in-grade production of silicon metal products at the plant. Process operation became more consistent, giving metallurgists and process engineers opportunity to determine effective process improvements. When consistent processes were noted, process changes were tried one at a time. Effective changes were retained.
Permanent, effective changes were continually identified. The refining process kept improving. Today, the process is run at near 100% in-grade production.
Dramatic financial improvement
Although all products can be sold, the in-grade products sell for five times the price of the out-of-grade. Production of in-grade and out-of-grade requires the same plant assets, the same labor, and the same raw materials costs. When cost factors stay constant, and price obtained in the marketplace of a large proportion of production goes up by a factor of five, the profitability of the plant dramatically improves.
The total project cost was just under $200,000, which included multiple copies of the hardware suite and software licenses, custom development, and travel expenses for the developers. The return on investment took only two months. The system increased dollars to the bottom line. This financial effect came from increasing income, in the millions of dollars.
For more information from OXKO, visit www.controleng.com/info :
|Author Information
|Steven W. Oxman is the president of the OXKO Corp. OXKO was responsible for the development of the SRA, working with many process experts from Elkem.
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text:
GEN-MEDIEVAL-L ArchivesArchiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 2006-03 > 1142568057
From: "John H" <>
Subject: Re: Early de Fiennes
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 14:30:57 +1030
References: <email@example.com> <firstname.lastname@example.com> <email@example.com> <firstname.lastname@example.com> <firstname.lastname@example.com> <email@example.com> <firstname.lastname@example.com> <firstname.lastname@example.com> <email@example.com> <email@example.com>
Could you post the email address of the Dover museum please.
John H
"SomersetSue" <> wrote in message
An interesting development in this puzzle.
I decided that Dover Castle was a good place to start so I contacted
the museum in Dover. I've had some informative e-mails today which
might solve the problem.
This is what one of the curators had to say on the subject.
"I'm afraid the Museum does not hold much in the way of records that
would answer your queries. Fiennes appears in a lot of records but they
are all held in national repositories, mainly the National Archives
(Public Record Pffice at Kew) and the British Library.
We do have a brief biography on Fiennes which should be of interest
(attached). This was compiled from local history books which you should
be able to order on inter-library loan at your local library or find at
any good research/University library. The best two books for info on
Fiennes are;
The history of the town and port of Dover and of Dover Castle by J.
Lyon, Printed by Ledger & Shaw for the author, 1813-14 (Volume 2; Dover
The History of the Castle, Town and Port of Dover by the Rev. S.P.H.
Statham, Longmans Green & Co., 1899
Eustace of Boulogne is a central character in the Norman Invasion and
almost any good book on the Norman Conquest or on Harold I (or on
Dover) will have a chapter on him. If you are indeed related you may be
interested to know that the hated Eustace and the battle of Dover
(which left 20 Dovorians dead and 19 Normans dead) led directly to
Williams decision to invade and take the Crown of England. The entire
history of the British Empire could have been vastly different if
Eustace hadn't been such a thoroughly nasty character!"
This is the attached account..........
John de Fenes
William I appointed John de Fenes (Fiennes), a relation of his own, as
the Guard of Dover Castle in 1084 and to support him in the defence of
it he assigned him 56 knights fees. The office was made an
hereditary one, and was held by several of John de Fenes descendants.
He took over from Odo, Earl of Kent and William Is half-brother, after
he was disgraced and arrested in 1084
Fenes was the 3rd son of Eustace of Boulogne. He died in Normandy in
1084/5 and so held his post for a very short time. Nothing else is
known of him. Presumably, John must have been in the famous fight
between Eustace and his entourage and the Dover Townsmen in 1051, which
led to the banishment of Earl Godwin and Harold and then in turn to
Williams Conquest
Fenes is sometimes described as the first Lord Warden of the Cinque
Ports and Constable of Dover Castle but the office of Lord Warden dates
to the reign of Henry III. The records show Fenes was Constable only;
William dAveranche was the first to hold both appointments, from 1226,
since when the 2 posts have been continuously held together.
John was succeeded as Constable by his son James de Fenes (1048-1111)
who died at Folkestone. James son, John, took over in 1111, but sided
with Matilda during the civil war with King Stephen and on Stephens
victory in 1148 he removed John from office and the office from the
hereditary line of the Fenes family
In a later e-mail this information followed........
We have " John de Fenes, 3rd son of Eustace Earl of Boulogne by Alice,
daughter of Silvesse, Lady of Ardres, and brother of Conan de Fenes"
and "Eustace, son of Conan de Fenes, Earl of Boulogne in 1012". So that
gives you 3 generations - I don't think you had Conan as father of
Eustace father of John and Conan?
There is also a (unrelated?) Prince Eustache who was Constable of Dover
Castle, dying in office in 1153, and also described as "rough and
So it looks as if a solution could be that John de Fiennes of Dover was
the brother of Eustache I de Fiennes and that some folks have got their
descents from the wrong brother.
Any thoughts?
This thread:
|Re: Early de Fiennes by "John H" <>

subset: commoncrawl


text: Dubai boasts not a single US player in the draw. After the Aussie, this is the largest men's tournament outside of Europe or the U.S. Are they offering huge appeance fees at the less prestigious Las Vegas event? I do not believe it's good for top names to blow off big tournaments. Good neither for the ATP nor the fans worldwide. I hope US stars play the Euro claycourt season and that top Euro and South American players do not blow off the summer U.S. hardcourt season as in recent years. This is something of a crisis in my view.


text:
Growth provides credit unions the opportunity to take service to the next level. But what are the secrets to hitting a big bull's-eye such as $2 billion in assets?
Do-gooder site from Dakotas league seeks more feel-good stories to boost industry message.
CUAD aims to increase public awareness of the credit union difference nationwide, invites all credit unions to contribute to website.
Forget that jobless claims were revised upward, even higher than initial projections. The New Year is a time for optimism. As California CU League Economist Dwight Johnston wrote in his commentary in the Trust for Credit Unions e-newsletter, "This was the fifth year in a row of triple-digit gains on...
Resolution for 2013: Put some energy into political activity, regardless of which side of an issue you're on.
The NCUA has launched a new microsite for small credit unions, provided by the Office of Small Credit Union Initiatives.
Visit www.summitcreditunion.com, and you might forget you're perusing a financial institution's website. After deciding a simple, purely informational site just wouldn't cut it, the $1.7 billion, Madison, Wis.-based credit union called upon its web management vendor, the Barre, Vermont-based L9, to create something interesting, customizable, and most importantly, interactive.
Coopera has unveiled an improved online resource at cooperaconsulting.com to help credit unions reach the Hispanic market.
Enhancements aimed at helping credit unions reach the Hispanic market.
Credit unions are constantly looking for new, more efficient and effective ways to better connect with members.


text:
Mark Zuckerberg Says Children Under 13 Should Be Allowed On Facebook
The Facebook CEO explained his views at an education summit this week.
According to Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, children under 13 should be permitted to use Facebook. Why? Because of the potential of Facebook and other social networking sites as educational tools.
At the NewSchools Venture Funds Summit, which took place early this week in Burlingame, CA, Zuckerberg discussed how that he hopes to both to improve the education system and make the Internet more accessible. The former Harvard University student, who has donated $100 million to the Newark, New Jersey school system, said, "Education is clearly the biggest thing that will drive how the economy improves over the long term." In addition, he stated, "In the future, software and technology will enable people to learn a lot from their fellow students."
Given the importance of education, and the fact that technology can help cultivate learning, it is no surprise that Zuckerberg wants young students to be allowed in social networking sites where they could the ability to learn from and with their peers. Unfortunately, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) prohibits websites from signing up users under the age of 13. However, the CEO said that he wants to change this precautionary measure saying, "That will be a fight we take on at some point. My philosophy is that for education you need to start at a really, really young age."
Should we start rallying and protesting so that elementary schoolchildren can join Facebook so that they can learn more…? I am not sold.
When Facebook started, it was exclusively for college students. I was an undergrad at the time when it's popularity began to take off and I am sure my classmates can attest to how much classwork did not get done because of the Facebook. Sure, I have seen and participated in several spirited debates on controversial articles that have been Share-ed, and contentious Status that have been Like-ed that have undoubtedly contributed to my college experience (but have also simultaneously taken away precious time from my college studies). Most of the time, when I logged into Facebook, there was much more procrastination than education taking place.
Since I doubt (and some studies would agree) that Facebook has a positive effect on grades and academic productivity, I do not think I can get behind Zuckerberg on this issue just yet. When asked how potential Facebook users under 13 would use the site he said, "Because of the restrictions we haven't even begun this learning process. If they're lifted then we'd start to learn what works. We'd take a lot of precautions to make sure that they [younger kids] are safe."
Fair enough. If the rules change then we might see what Facebook has in store young students. But I would not call for that change if the main reason behind it would be for schoolchildren to log in and do their homework… But what do you think? Do you see academic potential in Facebook? Can schoolchildren use what has been a major procrastination tool for college students for academic good? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter.


text:
Edit Article
wikiHow to Look Better Than Everyone Else in Your Class (Girls)
Have you ever wanted to be the most beautiful person at your school? The one who turns heads? The one who everyone knows because they're beautiful? Well, you're in luck because this article will tell you everything you need to know about how to look better than the rest of the people in your class.
1Have a good personal hygiene routine. Shower every day or every other day. Wash and condition your hair as much as needed to keep it from getting oily. Brush your teeth after every meal, and wash your face twice a day. Shave your legs and underarms too.
2Hair is one of the most important parts of looking good. If your hair doesn't look good, it will take away from the rest of your appearance. Try to decide on a signature style, whether it's pin straight and neat, curly and slightly tousled, or somewhere in the middle. Try to have your hair look the same most days, but mix it up every once in a while, like you could try out a different style for only one day every week or so.
3Learn how to style your hair correctly. If you don't know how to achieve a certain style, ask a friend who knows how or look at some online videos before just wearing your style out and about. Use hair product if needed to add volume, shine, and softness and decrease frizz and breakage.
4Have clear skin. This is essential. Drink plenty of water! It's hard to drink that recommended 8 glasses of water a day, and not many people do, but try to make a smaller goal. Even 4 or 5 glasses of water, and you will see the difference! Wash your face twice daily with a skin cleanser that works for you. If you have bad acne, get a face wash to treat it or visit a dermatologist , if you have dry skin, get a moisturizing face cleanser, etc.
5Wear makeup. Makeup is supposed to accentuate your natural features, not cover them completely. Good makeup for school might be concealer to cover up blemishes and dark circles, a bit of shimmery eyeshadow to highlight the eyes, some mascara, light blush, and lip gloss. Also, mix it up. Don't wear exactly the same makeup everyday, try changing the color of your lip gloss, or line your eyes one day. Get good quality makeup so that it will look good and won't go bad as quickly.
6Have good nails. Trim your fingernails, so they are at a length that you like. Try to keep them relatively long, but not so long that you are hurting people with your fingers or having difficulties picking up things or writing. Paint them, even if they're clear, to give them extra shine, and take care of your toenails, too.
7Dress fashionably. Fashionable doesn't necessarily mean expensive, there are a ton of cheap trendy clothes for much less than higher priced places.
8Put together some outfits that you can always wear on days when you don't know what to wear! Some things that are in right now are boho dresses, strapless floral print dresses, and floral tops! Also skinny jeans with cute flats or gladiators with gems!
9Keep a healthy diet. Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables and protein. Choose to eat healthy food over junk food as much as possible. Avoiding junk food will also improve the quality of your skin and hair as well. If you really think you are overweight or underweight, ask your doctor. They will be able to tell you if you are in a healthy weight range or not.
10Exercise. Not only does this make your body look better, it induces endorphins, which can make hair grow faster and gives your skin an overall glow. Exercise based on the results you want. If you want more muscles, do strength training. If you want to lose some weight, do some form of exercise. There are many ways to exercise, whether you are out home, at the gym, or running in your neighborhood. Find which way works best for you.
11Be confident! Remember, a smile is everything!
12Remember, be beautiful on the inside too! Be nice and sweet to everyone. Be polite.
Community Q&A
Ask a Question
200 characters leftSubmit
- Don't bite your nails, it makes your nails look bad and is gross!
- Make sure to wear clothes you feel comfortable in. It will show if you don't like what you're wearing.
- A great way to find clothes is to go into the mall and go in every store that might have things in your size. You'd be surprised what you can find at the most unlikely stores!
- Be yourself!
- Find a hair stylist you really like, and stick with them!
- Get a hair trim at least every six weeks to prevent split ends.
- If it's really necessary to use foundation to cover up major blemishes, do so, just remember to blend, blend, blend!
- Make sure to get your hair dyed professionally, if at all, to avoid any amateur at-home jobs.
- Feeling comfortable in your makeup is important, so if you feel that it's too much, lessen the makeup, or go completely natural. No matter what, you're beautiful in your own way!
- Always be yourself!
- Have a little spa day on Sundays; it will keep you looking beautifully.
- Don't use heat utilities a lot on your hair! They can do damage and make your hair dry and unhealthy.
- Don't spend all your money on clothes and makeup, remember to save some too.
- Test new skin care products on the inside of your wrist before using them to make sure you're not allergic to them.
- Don't get a haircut until you're absolutely sure it's what you want. You can always cut more hair off, but growing it back takes more time.
- Don't try to be someone you're not. You will just end up feeling uncomfortable. It's most important to just act like yourself!
Article Info
Categories: Beauty and Grooming for Girls
In other languages:
Español: verte mejor que todos los demás en tu clase (chicas), Русский: стать самой красивой девочкой в классе
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 84,841 times.
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text: I had someone ask me to spray 6 acres with Speedzone Southern. I will spray it with a ride on. I know everyone prices are different due to many different things but I was just wondering what you might charge to do this job. It is fairly wide open, a few trees here and there but nothing major to get in the way. Anybody?


text:
Release Date: 1992 |
1 a day.
nah its cool if they are well-written
besides it may push off my old review so i can write another
It's really not cool regardless of quality because it still pushes other well-written (potentially) reviews off the front. He should just be patient.
Digging: Adimiron - Et Liber Eris
Bastard living up to his handle.
Digging: Midnight - Sweet Death and Ecstasy
yeah like mine... wait, nobody reads classical reviews anyways. I agree, not a good thing. Also, condense these mini paragraphs into one paragraph. Or expand on the thoughts.
Album Rating: 4.5my bad. Didn't know about the 1 a day thing. And didn't see the comment til after the last one was posted.
The first Therapy? album i listened to. At first i wasn't too impressed with the overall sound, but this is indeed a grower for me. Perhaps a tad too long for some of the songs (also proving monotonous towards the end), but i generally like it now. I haven't given their first couple of albums a try, but i guess i should.
Digging: Aosoth - V: The Inside Scriptures
Album Rating: 5.0My favourite of them.
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


text:
America's DAYS OF DESTINY
December 11-18, 2012
Due to the massive financial dangers now threatening your wealth, we are interrupting our normal editorial schedule to bring you a crucial series of articles designed to help you shore up your financial defenses before the new year begins. We will return to our regular publishing schedule on Wednesday, December 19. — The Editors
Today's world is as uncertain as any we've seen in some time. Sovereign-debt crises threaten major economies in Europe and Japan. And the fiscal state of the United States is the worst in non-wartime history!
It's no surprise, then, that investors are becoming increasingly attracted to the safety, anonymity and purchasing-power preservation that comes with bullion ownership.
Yet, one of the most-often-overlooked benefits of bullion is its ability to help you increase your wealth across currencies. So today, I'll show you how owning physical metals — and the most-precious of them all, gold in particular — can help you to boost your global net worth!
Governments Worldwide Keep
Printing Themselves into a Corner
Our politicians' solution to a mountain of debt? Add more!
Ballooning deficits and crushing debt have been the result of the financial crisis of 2008, and each year those debt loads the world over have gotten bigger and bigger.
It's not just the United States that is trying to borrow its way out of a stagnant global economy. Japan, Europe, Brazil, South Korea and many other nations are keeping interest rates ultra-low. They are also encouraging — nearly forcing — countries and individuals to borrow money.
This adds even more to the mountain of debt across the globe.
One of the only logical ways these governments will ever get out of their debt-ridden messes is to debase their respective currencies.
This might sound benign enough. But never before have we seen so many governments attempting the same thing. That is, actively depressing their currency in an attempt to boost economic activity and weasel their way out of paying back their debts.
This action by the world's largest governments has sparked the beginnings of a currency race to the bottom, or better termed a "currency war."
And if you think I'm exaggerating or being Pollyanna, then take the words of Bank of England Governor Mervyn King — he said just this week at a conference that one of the greatest threats to the global economy is this budding currency war!
The Currency Wars:
How to Pick the Winning Side
What he means is that, as governments actively devalue their currency, it's causing their trade partners to do the same thing, devalue to stay competitive.
This vicious cycle plays out over and over again until all currencies have lost a significant amount of purchasing power. Meanwhile, investors who own assets in those currencies are left holding the proverbial bag!
There are certainly ways investors can protect themselves from those occurrences, but buying stocks and bonds still leaves you exposed to an area of risk — the currency those assets are priced in.
For instance, you can own U.S. Treasuries, German Bunds and Japanese bonds. But what if all those currencies decline in purchasing power simultaneously — a very real possibility in the future?
Then, your investment would suffer because the currency is declining. Your hedging of risk has provided no real benefit.
Gold bullion, however, eliminates this risk.
Bump up Your Buying Power: Long Gold Means
Being Short Every Other Currency in the World!
Gold bullion is the answer to the currency wars, because it is the only asset you can own that simultaneously lets you short every other currency in the world — all at the same time.
While most people watch the gold price in dollars, keep in mind gold is also priced in euros, yen, won and every other currency.
In fact, most people don't realize that, while gold has had a nice run in U.S. dollar terms, gold priced in yen and euros has produced equally good returns, and at some points even-better returns than the gold price in dollars.
So, unlike insurance policies, bond holdings or other "safe" investments, gold bullion has the ability to rise in value against every currency in the world — at the same time!
Think of it this way …
Say I'm right and currency wars do erupt. It's five years from now, and exchange rates among the major currencies are roughly where they are now.
But the currency wars have been raging. So while the euro is still 1.31 to the U.S. dollar, both currencies have declined big-time against hard assets like oil, corn, copper, steel, coal and real estate.
My gold bullion, however, is much higher than it was — not only avoiding the loss, but most likely booking a profit, too.
So, while my friends and colleagues going on vacation abroad complain about how "expensive" everything is, my gold bullion has gone up in value against the euro, yen, pound, real, and very other currency in the world — making me wealthier across the globe!
How Can the Currency Wars Help YOU
Increase Your Global Net Worth?
A European vacation at a fraction of the price thanks to my gold bullion increasing its value with the real purchasing power of the euro has declined — yes, please!
And it's just as easy for you to do the same.
• Only by owning gold bullion can you simultaneously hedge yourself from the currency wars on the horizon.
• And only by being a savvy investor can you see the value of your investments rise across all currencies, turning the threat of simultaneous currency debasement (the currency wars) into an opportunity.
Adding gold bullion to your portfolio is the only way to truly protect yourself from potential currency debasement and preserve your purchasing power and standard of living.
Other investments simply don't do the trick. That's why it's imperative you own bullion — not just for the potential increase, but also to ensure your hard-earned money holds its value the world over.
Tom Essaye


text:
Lower South
March, 2012
Regional Report
Plant Warm Season Annual Flowers
Warm season flowering annuals such as petunias, Mexican sunflower, marigolds, pentas, zinnias, wishbone flower, angelonia, annual phlox, cosmos, impatiens, cleome and annual salvia can be planted out in the garden once the danger of frost is past. Fertilizer the new plants at planting with a dilute liquid fertilizer solution to get them off to a good start.
Mow Weeds and Catch Clippings
Cool season weeds are going to seed now. Use your lawnmower with a grass catcher to mow them up and gather their seeds for disposal. This will help prevent adding a million additional seeds to the lawn for future winter weeds.
Plant Tomatoes
With the last average frost date passing in the Lower South, now is the time to get tomatoes planted. Water transplants in after planting with a soluble fertilizer solution and be prepared to provide a cover over the plants when night time temperatures drop below the lower 50's to keep them warm and avoid slowing their growth.
Start Basil and Dill Transplants
Start seeds of basil and dill in small transplant containers indoors. These herbs like warm temperatures so planting now in the protected warmth of your home will help the seedlings get off to a good start while avoiding the chilly nights. Choose a very bright location for the seedlings or use grow lights to help keep them stocky and strong. In a few weeks the strong transplants can be set out in the garden for a good head start on the season.
Direct Seed Warm Season Vegetables
Warming soils mean that it is time to start planting seeds of many warm season vegetables directly out into the garden. Some of the crops to plant in the coming weeks include green beans, squash, cucumbers, and butter beans.


text:
Group Dynamics
/Wall of Text On:
Over the course of the last expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, Blizzard has made a point to focus on simplifying content to the extent that you don't have to have x amount of paladins, y amount of druids, etc to down boss z. This is a huge positive! This mens that casual guilds can do alot of the content they couldn't reach in previous iterations of the game. Beyond this, the thought of group dynamics hasn't gotten much attention.
I want to step back and take a look at the people I game with. I'm not going to lie, this thought pattern I am having right now stems from a post I did at World of Sylus, my other personal blog(I'm not purposely pimping this one all the time, I swear!!!). That post was about a personality test I had to take for a class. I asked some of my guildies in Ashes of Tirisfal to take this test, and a few followed through. Some were close to my personality type, others the exact opposite. That's fine, it takes all kinds of people to make the world run smooth and such. I then began thinking about how this affects us as a collective of diverse and dynamic personalities. What makes us click as a group? What is the driving force to make me want to log into a virtual world and play with people who in most cases, I have never met(and most likely won't meet most of them)?
As I was driving home today, listening to the final episode of How I Wow with Shawn Basic and Patric Beja, they were talking about how this show spun out from their friendships and ties to The Instance podcast. The episode was interesting from the standpoint that their guest, Scott Johnson, went into the make up of the guild Alea Iacta Est. It's the largest guild in North America, and very rarely has problems. How is this? Yes, they get the occasional idiot, and that idiot gets dealt with. As a whole however, the guild attracts like minded individuals that share common goals, thus avoiding the problems in the first place.
Back to Ashes of Tirisfal. Lets face it, the majority of the guildies, and friends I have run around with online have either A, come from real life: Nimrock, Spiffie, Rayha, Thorarin , or B, come from contacts through world of warcraft or the community of bloggers and internet persons: Fikkle, Thibor, Slig, Grubs, Pie, Rozjin, Jaarka, and most recently the gang at Crits and Giggles. If you know several of the listed people, you know we are a very eclectic bunch. Our personalities can be far from compatable at times, and even hostile at times. We know that there are times when we just need our space. We know some people can't handle PVP, and so when they are on vent you avoid them if you don't want to hear the F-bomb! (I'm looking at you Fik and Roz!) Yet, in the end, this group somehow manages to work well together on many levels. We may never be a top end raiding guild, heck, we may never be a raiding guild! One thing has always held through to the end, we have fun together. One week we may be gearing up twinks we may never play, the next talking about trying to get ten people together on any given night to try out nax. We, for the most part, live lives filled to the brim with jobs, family, hobbies, school, even other games, and yet we can all log into vent, even if for twenty minutes and exchange a quick story and move on. The majority of our daily interaction rarely takes place in game, but rather in our daily emails, or as we prefer to call them, "daily Shenanigans." They are awesome little distractions throughout our crazy days.
Looking back through this post, I'm trying to find a way to sum it all up, give you, the loyal readers, a point to this madness. I guess if I had to say one thing it would be directed at you, the guildies and internet people I have come to think of as a family at times, and as royal pains in my butt at others. That point would be this: I don't care what personality type you are, I don't care that you've had a bad day and want to yell at someone on vent, or had a great day and want to share it with others! Know that Uncle Sy is always here for you. I know we goof around alot, I know we shenanigans around, that is great, but lets not forget that we are here to have fun and play a game. If someone wants to run around naked for twenty levels, fine, but remember to not ride that other guy for doing less. We have an effect on those around us, virtually, or in real life. You guys are great.
/Wall of Text Off:
Shenanigans and tomfoolery,
~Uncle Sy
3 Responses to "Group Dynamics"
[…] the car is fixed, it's sitting in the driveway, I've had time to unwind, write a few posts, and I'm able to look back on this morning and laugh…yay. Who fixed my car? Who else, […]


text:
DIY Craft Show
- This event has passed.
|Come check out SCRAP TC's 1st Craft Show!
Venders will include 15 local artists with creations including knit boot cuffs, glass beads, feather earrings, fused glass pedants, hand dyed yarn, and more…. just in time for Valentine's Day!
821 Garfield, Traverse City, MI is near the UPS store and Edison Farms.
SCRAP is a non-profit committed to diverting usable materials from landfills that have some type creative re-purposing use. The items recovered are then redistributed to local artist, teachers, community members, etc. through our store. Come see what we have to fuel your creative endeavors this year!!


text:
US Editor
07.08.2013 / 00:00
This October, Americans finally will start confronting the 2010
Affordable Care Act (ACA), or vice versa. They've heard a lot about
it, both good and bad, but due to a nearly 5:1 ad spend advantage
by critics of the law, they've heard mostly bad. The rallying cry
among critics: that it's big government at its worst, hijacked by a
liberal, spendthrift President. The so far muted response from
supporters: that it's the US government at its best in the
safety-net tradition of Social Security and Medicare.
The law both parties now call "Obamacare" seems due to join
Social Security and Medicare in one respect: as a public policy
advertising phenom, a program that is reviled and perhaps
eventually revered in political advertising for billions of dollars
in ad spend to come. Yet while Social Security and Medicare have
been litigated on the airwaves for more than 40 years, Kantar Media
CMAG expects the ACA to break the $1 billion mark at an
astonishingly young age, by its fifth birthday in 2015.
That being said, it's one thing for a law to be the focus of
historic levels of ad spending and another thing to drive it. The
ultimate size of the incremental TV advertising gains driven by the
ACA, both political and consumer, is difficult to project.
CMAG's $1 billion estimate is based on the following
We're already halfway there. CMAG tracked more
than $500 million in advocacy and campaign advertising referencing
the health care reforms from the very first spots to air about the
prospect of a law in 2009 up through Q2 2013. Some of these ad
sponsors were unique to the ACA, particularly the early advocacy
advertisers, but much of this spend would have happened in the
course of regular campaigning.
During this phase, critics outspent supporters on the air by
more than 5:1. The issue achieved remarkable depth on the ballot.
Swipes at "Obamacare" pervaded Republican election ads in 2010 and
2012 races from president and Congress, to governor and state
attorney general, on down to local offices with no real role in its
The impact of the onslaught to date has been uncertain. Kaiser
Family Foundation polling shows that public opinion about the ACA,
while consistently more unfavorable than favorable, has remained
relatively static. The Kaiser June 2013 tracking poll found a
fav/unfav rating of 35%/43%; in May 2012, the rating was 37%/44%.
Republican pollster Jan van Lohuizen, who worked for President
George W. Bush, recently wrote to clients, "Our tracking of voter
attitudes towards the ACA suggests that the public has not focused
on it since it was adopted in 2010."
Implementation and the midterms. That's about
to change. Large segments of the US population are about to be
affected by ACA implementation while at the same time, they'll be
making up their minds about how to vote in 2014. The Cook Political
Report considers public sentiment about the ACA as one of its
five key election factors to watch. Again, some of these ad
sponsors will be unique to the ACA, but much of this spend will
occur in the course of regular campaigning.
More races: As a midterm election, 2014 will bring more races,
including races for most US governorships and other statewide
offices that can claim some role in either implementing or
blocking-and-tackling the ACA.
More Democratic ad spend: CMAG expects Democrats on the ballot
in 2014 to embrace the individual mandate in TV advertising after
basically forfeiting the airwaves to Republicans and other critics
for the past three years. Even President Obama largely avoided
mentioning his signature legislative accomplishment in his own
campaign advertising in 2012.
Continuing Republican ad spend: The one-year delay of the
employer mandate means we may not see TV ads featuring people who
lost jobs or critical income because their employers tried to
squeak below 50 full-timers, but the absence of direct impact for
voters hasn't exactly stopped the ACA's critics from advertising
before (see #1). The delay might just embolden critics. "'The ads
in swing races are being written as we speak,'" one GOP strategist
said in the July 4 Washington Post.
Fresh angles for advertising: Even with the postponement of the
employer mandate, some premium increases for employers already have
kicked in. Some tax increases also will start to kick in, including
the half-point increase in Medicare withholding and the 3.8% tax on
"unearned" income for higher income taxpayers.
One Democratic health care lobbyist points out that the overlap
between the individual mandate and the 2014 midterm elections will
make for some interesting decisions on timing. The ACA's political
critics may hold off during the expected promotional push and wait
for early 2014 to pounce. "That would increase the odds that when
Democrats embrace ACA as pollster Stan Greenberg (D) suggests, they
are also embracing the tax increases."
The coming PR push. We're about to see a swell
of advocacy advertising by government, nonprofits and the state
exchanges seeking to educate people about the process and the
benefits of the law in advance of open enrollment starting on
January 1. This advertising will be original to the ACA, i.e.,
driven by the law.
The promotional effort will account for the bulk of the
incremental gain in ACA-related political TV advertising. The US
Department of Health and Human Services already has pumped an
estimated $50 million into TV since the law was enacted in 2010.
Nearly all that spend has gone to national network and cable.
The US government also has given states about $3.7 billion in
grants to start up and promote their respective exchanges. Any of
these funds that wind up on TV will get there via local spot and/or
local cable. According to Spots n Dots, Covered California, that
state's exchange, will spend $86 million on an ad campaign to
enroll eligible residents.
Any state-specific nonprofit TV advertising around the ACA and
the exchanges-for example, the California Endowment private health
foundation was a big early promoter, spending more than $6.5
million according to CMAG-also will wind up on local TV.
One X factor is how much money will be raised and spent by the
new national nonprofits with roots in the Obama 2012 campaign, such
as Enroll America and Organizing for Action. OFA's new TV ad
campaign so far has spent a little over $100,000 on national
The Hispanic opportunity. Per the June 29 New
York Times, the ACA provides 10 million uninsured Hispanics with
the chance to get affordable coverage-40% of the total uninsured
who are expected to gain coverage under the law. The 2012 Obama
campaign repeatedly promoted the law in Spanish TV ads. One of the
first awareness campaigns about a state exchange captured by CMAG
recently hit in Denver, in Spanish.
The ACA gives politicians a means to curry favor with a critical
growing demographic and gives Spanish-language broadcasters the
chance to make up some ground. CMAG found in a 2012 study that political ad spend on
Spanish-language TV has lagged far behind where it should be
whether compared with consumer Spanish-language ad spend, or
compared with the growing Hispanic percentage of the
Consumer. Absent the ACA, health insurers
typically would be spending $250 million in Q4 2013 and Q1 2014 to
target people who aren't covered by Medicare. Kantar Media
Intelligence Chief Research Officer Jon Swallen expects a
short-term spike in consumer and corporate promotion TV advertising
by insurers competing for the millions of new customers the ACA is
expected to bring into the market. This advertising, mainly local
spot, will focus on markets that are home to uninsured Americans
who are especially healthy, with a possible secondary focus on
markets that are home to uninsured who are unhealthy.
After the spike, Swallen expects the ad spending to shift to
direct mail and other forms of follow-up media to complete the
process of signing people up-similar to how advertising unfolded
earlier this century during the implementation of Medicare Part
Other product makers and service providers that stand to profit
either directly or indirectly from the ACA also will advertise. Tax
prep chain H&R Block already promoted its familiarity with the
tax implications of the ACA in ads this past spring.
As with political, many of these ad dollars would be spent,
anyway, though some major advertisers may shift considerable
portions of their national TV budgets to local.
Radio and digital. Finally, incremental gains
in ad sales for highly targetable media such as terrestrial radio
and digital may be even larger than for TV given their potential
role in enrollment. Terrestrial radio's ability to target
geographically and demographically defined populations-e.g., rural
and urban areas, Hispanics and African-Americans, etc.-will make it
a valued component of pro-ACA promotional ad campaigns. The same
holds for digital advertising (including online radio),
particularly with younger uninsured.
Source: Kantar Media
Editor's Notes
Journalists interested in political advertising focused on the
Affordable Care Act should please contact
In 2017, Black Friday will complete its conquest of November.
The U.S. Top 100 brand value totaled $3.16 trillion
Those with health conditions turn to social media for emotional support.
Tmall, Taobao and JD.com are most mentioned e-commerce brands ahead of China's Singles Day.
Apple shows signs of strength in key global markets.


text:
Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Texas
Theft of Services?
We own a small moving company. A few months ago, we were contacted by a man claiming to be a minister in our area. He said he was moving and the church was paying for it. We got the name of the church and his information, etc. We were also contacted by some ''deacons'' from the church about the move. We agreed to bill the ''church'' even though we normally ask for payment when services are rendered. We were told the ''church'' paid bills at the end of the month. Well we moved him and turned in the invoice to him to pay and never received anything. We called and nobody answered, we e-mailed and no answer. We started investigating the church and found out the address was the ''minister's'' old apartment. We went to the new address once and knocked on the door and talked to his wife. She said she would talk to him. We haven't heard anything. What do we do?
We have another man we did a move for. He agreed to pay our hourly rate but when the movers got through he was $200.00 short.
He called us and promised to get it to us the next day. He signed the invoice saying everything was delivered in good order and he was satisfied with the job. Now he refuses to pay the rest. What do we do?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Theft of Services?
go to justice of the peace small claims court..and perhaps the district attorney for theft of services
Re: Theft of Services?
You need to have a creditors' rights attorney write a demand letter to both of them demanding prompt payment first thing. You may end up having to file a lawsuit against the pastor if he does not pay. The other guy that owes you $200, its not worth filing a lawsuit about because that amount of money is too small to warrant it.


text:
Photographer's Note
After almost five years living in Nebraska, USA, I came back to Brazil last month. I took this shot when landing in Sao Paulo. Now, I am living again in Londrina, state of Parana. Last year I spent few months here in Brazil but I went back to US again to finish some work there.
See in the WS a picture on another flight.
weswang, riclopes, josepmarin, Buin, pierrefonds, pranab, lucasgalodoido, jmdaoudal, john_c, wgreis, turkamerikali has marked this note useful
Critiques | Translate
devimeuxbe (58557) 2006-04-29 17:53
Hi Ricardo
Interesting picture with the shadow of the aircraft on the road.
Excellent contrast.
Well done
weswang (18223) 2006-04-30 0:33
Hi Ricardo, A fun shot to see the shadow of your own airplane. It is interesting to see the scale comparison between the car and the airplane shadow. I enjoy the dynamics feeling captured in this picture.
riclopes (35577) 2006-04-30 6:14
Olá Ricardo,
Very interesting and original capture from the plane, with its one shadow passing by downthere. It's nice to see the contrast with the roads and cars and the inclusion of the round window works well in the composition. Very well done!
josepmarin (58359) 2006-04-30 6:55
Olá Ricardo,
Interesante foto antes del aterrizaje, que yo no me he atrevido nunca a hacer. Buena definición y enfoque a pesar del movimiento del avión, se ve perfectamente el cartel publicitario al lado de la autopista, y la sombra del aparato en el suelo, que me gusta mucho y nos da referencia de la altura.
Bien hecha.
Un saludo,
Buin (42532) 2006-04-30 7:23
Hallo Ricardo!
Along with your note I like this photo very much! Coming home after a long time of absence is one of the strongest feelings I know. You show it in an impressing and interesting way...
Greetings from Germany!
pierrefonds (76285) 2006-04-30 11:41
Hi Ricardo,
A good POV of the shadow of the plane, the photo has a good composition and nice colors.
Isabelle (9046) 2006-04-30 11:53
Bem-vindo à casa de volta, Ricardo!
Adorei ver que os aviões vão em direções distintas.
Por coincidência, na leitura escrita que nós ocidentais fazemos, o lado esquerdo significa o passado, e o direito o futuro, dizem que é por isso que nossa escrita progride para a direita. Será que o avião que volta significa a volta às raízes? Ou será apenas que Londrina fica à esquerda e o Texas à direita? ;)
De qualquer maneira, adorei a claridade, o aspecto gráfico da imagem. imagino que ficaria muito boa em p&b tb.
pranab (5354) 2006-05-01 3:30
good clarity and color in this shot, despite the height.
keeping the shadow of the plane in the frame adds another perspective in this shot.
feather (51130) 2006-05-01 6:29
Very good shot of your plane's shadow. The detail on the ground below is very sharp. Well done
jbweasle (9395) 2006-05-01 11:52
Hello Ricardo, this has to be one of the most interesting photos I have seen taken from an aircraft window. The shadow of the plane immediately grabbed my attention, then the details of the vehicles and the sign add to the pleasure. It's all well framed by the window and I love the distortion produced by the curvature of the glass warping the lines of the road.
lucasgalodoido (24241) 2006-05-01 18:54
Legal essa imagem desse Fokker 100 da TAM Ricaro, nunca tinha visto este aviao por esse angulo, ficou muito bem baida a foto! Original!
Mishe (3533) 2006-05-01 20:42
Ola Ricardo!
Very interesting and beautiful picture.
Parabens and thanks.
With best wishes Ricardo,
Angshu (56760) 2006-05-02 0:21
Hi Ricardo
Very original capture from the plane window, The variance in sizes of the plane's shadow with the roads and cars works very well
Very well done!
jmdaoudal (82) 2006-05-02 12:09
So you remark there is another plane foloowing you on the way back :-))
That well partitionned as a picture there is also an effect around the window..
I like it
jean Michel
Might be a nice feeling to be back home !
bubujuju (1160) 2006-05-02 12:13 [Comment]
Nous avons pris la même image, mais d'un appareil différent.Bravo car je sais que le cadrage est difficile dans ces moments là !
Bonne soirée
(je suis à sec)
Vesela (967) 2006-05-02 16:05
Hi Ricardo!
Nice contrast of the shot and colors.
I like the idea too.
robiuk (10807) 2006-05-02 18:33
Hi Ricardo,
Are you specializing in plane shadows?
I like this one as it reminds me of that fine feeling when going on holidays,
john_c (24666) 2006-05-02 20:59
Hi Ricardo,
A very cool photo. The shadow of the plane is so perfectly positioned and I like how, rather than hiding the plane's window casing, you have used its rounded arc to make this artistically pleasing. The distorted roadway below adds to the artistry. A very fine capture, Ricardo. Well done.
capthaddock (28790) 2006-05-03 17:03
Hi Ricardo - interesting and original, actually it could have been taken in Nebraska with the highway and the advertisement, I like the shadow of the plane, and the windoiw makes a nice curve at the bottom, welcome home.
wgreis (8267) 2006-05-03 20:42
Olá Ricardo,
boa captura. O Focker 100 da TAM não é???
Gostei da composição e o tema incomum e criativo.
pastadog (13111) 2006-05-04 6:18
Hi Ricardo - a decisive moment, as the airplane begins to "cross the street"! A very good photo from the plane, I like the way you chose to show the window. Regards, Daniel
sayan (2617) 2006-05-15 1:49
Hi Ricardo,
A very interesting pic you have captured. I like the idea. Very nice contrast. I also ilke how you have captured the shadow of the plane through the window frame. Nice composition.
turkamerikali (3291) 2006-05-18 18:12
Ola my Brasilian Friend,
Great going home photo with airplane shadow.
I like your pov,cool shadow,details,note and frame.TFS
Waylim (25436) 2012-04-28 10:47
Hi Ricardo,
I like seeing this scene, it means I'm almost there. Two type of transportation, car and Plain, you just need a train in there somewhere. I like the inclusion of the window frame to make teh composition more interesting.
Photo Information
- Copyright: Ricardo Abdelnoor (rabdelnoor) (3423)
- Genre: Places
- Medium: Color
- Date Taken: 2006-03-08
- Categories: Transportation
- Camera: Canon PowerShot S2 IS
- Exposure: f/4.5, 1/640 seconds
- Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
- Date Submitted: 2006-04-29 17:46
- To Isabelle: Thanks (1)
by rabdelnoor, last updated 2006-05-02 08:05
- To wgreis: Olá Wagner (1)
by rabdelnoor, last updated 2006-05-04 09:00


text:
Reynoldsburg classes canceled Thursday evening due to power outage More
Tutoring Services
Department of Humanities
408 Nestor Hall
550 East Spring Street
Columbus, OH 43215
The study of History at the college level involves more than just memorizing names and dates. Your history classes at CSCC emphasize critical thinking, analytical writing, and synthesizing vast amounts of information. If you are struggling with these aspects of History, Humanities Tutoring Services can help you!
Beginning Summer Session 2011, the Humanities Department will offer regular tutoring sessions for the history class sequences, including Humanities 111, 112, and 113 (Western Civilization), and Humanities 151 and 152 (American Civilization). The Tutoring Services will offer open office hours each week in the Humanities Department, located in 408 Nestor Hall. These tutoring sessions will be full-time faculty members who are here to help you improve your performance in class. Walk-ins are encouraged and welcome!
Tutoring Services can assist students with the following:
- General study skills needed for History courses
- Note-taking techniques
- Test preparation for History exams
- Writing assignments for History courses
- Basic research skills
- Citing historical sources properly
NOTE: You should give yourself ample time to finish your course assignments (you should not expect any tutor to work on your assignment the night before it's due). Come with specific questions in mind.
The departmental Tutoring Services is not a replacement for class lecture, and you will not be given "the answers." We will, however, help you think critically about what you are learning in your lectures and reading.
The Tutoring Services faculty will also offer public workshops throughout the quarter in an effort to help students with some of the broad challenges of studying history, such as:
Improving your note-taking and study skills:
- Taking useful notes while still paying attention to lecture
- Determining what is important about power point slides
- Taking useful notes from your textbook and other sources
Primary and Secondary Sources:
- Distinguishing between a primary and secondary source
- How to make sense of a really old document written in weird and complicated language
- Writing an analytical essay based on primary sources
- How to read your history textbook in the context of your class work
- How to properly cite sources in your writing
The Vocabulary of History:
- What your instructor means when he or she says stuff like: historiography, contextualize, metallurgy, public history, periodization, religiosity, and structuralism
- The different approaches to the study of history
- Thinking about how the history you study is created and interpreted (even by you!)
- Humanities Department
- Humanities (The Courses)
- Philosophy
- Tutoring
- Faculty
- Music Courses
- Art Courses
- Dance Classes
- Theatre (part of the Communications Department)
See also


text:
|19 Oct 2010
win7pro 64bit
Avoid popup "Save changes?" when nothing was changed in Excel doc?
Whenever I open some Excel docs to have a look at the content table and want to close it afterwards WITHOUT CHANGING ANYTHING then Excel (2003/2007) asks me
if I want to save the changes.
I think Excel automatically re-calculates embedded formulas even if I did not type in manually stuff.
So Excel thinks I made some changes.
How can I tell Excel to NOT prompt me any more to save changes if the changes are only based on formula re-calculations ?
If this is not possible: How can I tell Excel to automatically save all changes without prompting me?
Is it possible to setup this preference for ALL excel docs at once rather than for each Excel doc individually ?
|My System Specs
|19 Oct 2010
Windows 7 Ultimate x64 RTM + SP1
I don't believe this is possible.
And plus, yes its annoying but without it, there will almost certainly be a time when you will close a document and you will lose everything if you forgot to hit the 'save' button.
Best thing i would say is live with it, it only gives you three option anyway and it only takes two seconds too choose 'yes' or 'no'
|My System Specs
|21 Oct 2010
Win7 Pro x64
Happens all the time in practically any MS Office app. Like I open a Word doc to print, then try to close it. "Save (Y/N)?" even though I didn't edit anything. Ditto Excel. Ditto PowerPoint.
I fully expect that on one fine day I'll hit N out of sheer reflex - and then realize a split second later I just nailed my ass to the wall.
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text: Eileen Terese Callahan, nee Brady, age 35, beloved wife of James E.; loving mother of Liam, Jimm and Siobhan; dear daughter of Thomas and the late Breda Brady; fond sister of Mary Catherine (Daniel) Sheehan, Margaret (Glenn) Freiburger and Thomas (Judy) Brady; dear daughter-in-law of Eugene R. and Joanne Callahan and sister-in-law of Nancy (Daniel) Lohr, David M. Callahan, Margaret (Robert) Nighswander and Mary Jo Callahan; devoted aunt of many nieces and nephews. Visitation Friday 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. until time of funeral 8:45 a.m. at Gibbons Funeral Home, 134 S. York Road (1/2 mi. N of St. Charles Rd.), Elmhurst. Mass of Christian Burial 9:30 a.m. at Saint Mary of Gostyn Catholic Church, Downers Grove. Interment Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery, Hillside. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Johns Hopkins Pancreatic Cancer Fund, Baltimore, Maryland. For funeral info please call 630-832-0018 ; www.gibbonsfuneralhome.com


text: Ok, I don't know if this message is spam or not, sorry if it is, but I just would like to say I am back. I now have 8 hermit crabs, and they are doing very well I might add. In addition I have gotten better with graphics. I now use Adobe Photoshop, and even though for economic reasons these past few days I can't open it anymore, I'm saving up to get a full version soon. These are a few of my recent works: And for the rest here is a link to my signature shop at another message board. Sorry to be such a show off, I'm just really glad to be back. So why have I returned? Recently I've taken up a fresh interest in octopuses, and while I don't plan on caring for any in the near future, I've become very interested in the biology of it all. Looking forward to another great time here!


text:
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Video: Mr. Cee & Diddy at The Lab in Bed-Stuy for the Biggie Anniversary Party
The passing of the anniversary of Biggie's passing don't stop us reminiscing about the GOAT MC: #RIPBIG
Read B.I.G.'s ego trip magazine interview HERE. [Rap Radar]
More B.I.G. vintage magazine goodness: see B.I.G.'s 4080 magazine cover HERE. [shout to Aqua Boogie!]
[video spotted via Miss Info]
Labels: Diddy, DJ Mr. Cee, Notorious B.I.G.


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Mastering Inventory Management Certification $99
NOTE- You will be given a reference e-book to read which has 255 pages And the test will be based on that e-book , you can take the test after 10 days Of purchase.
Course for Mastering Inventory Management Certification
When it comes to online certification and course, one thing that you need to keep in your mind is the service from Brainmeasures. Our service is the most trustable one in such field. We have helped so many people to make their dreams come true. They can get the great and wealthy life like what they desire. How can they get it? Of course, by joining the course and make sure that they can be certified so they can get their amazing path of career. Thus, if you want to get the great success in your career, there should not be any hesitation to make us as your partner.
A Brief about Mastering Inventory Management Certification Course
If you are wondering about what kind of course that you can take in supporting your career from us, well, actually there are so many kinds of it. One of the recommended courses that you should take is the mastering inventory management certification course. This 255-page course is aimed to help the people to be able in giving certification to their own selves so they can become the professional in this kind of field. It is true that you can increase your skill in dealing with inventory management which will mean that you will be able to find that your value in working world can be even greater than it currently is. As the result, there will be a lot of benefits that you can get which will be mentioned later on.
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The Greatnesses of The Course
take this course means that you will be able to stand up and win the competition among the job seekers and among the people in the company. As for the job seekers, you will find that by having the certification in this field through passing inventory management exam, you can apply for the great position in this field such as the inventory manager instead of a mere staff and you can have greater chance to be employed. For addition, your income can be ranging from $10,000 to $30,000. For the ones who have been employed, this course will definitely boost their capabilities so they can get promotion easily.
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Up to this point, you should not have any hesitation left in you in taking this course. You need to believe that Brainmeasures is the number one provider of high quality course and online certifications. It is not only convenient for you to take the course but you will also find that it is also affordable. The explanation mentioned above should be enough in convincing your own self to click on register button to take the course right away. Do it and you will never regret it!
We Guarantee Brainmeasures Certifications Are Just Worth
Brainmeasures is an ISO 9001-2008 certified company, Brainmeasures is a leading online skill testing company. Our certifications are acknowledged by employers worldwide. Reason behind this trust is our world class testing standards. Brainmeasures offers skills tests in over 1200 varied fields and over 100 professionally developed courses and certification programs.
What will you Receive from Enrolling in the Online Courses Offered by Brainmeasures?
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You will receive course material in a format of an e-book and final certification
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through e-mail.


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If you need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in a program or event and cannot find an event contact listed, please contact MT Hudson at (217) 333-0885 or email@example.com. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
El Zapatazo Limpio took on flesh in a flash, like so many hashtagged movements in a social-networking age. Fifty young people arrived to fling shoes at El Salvador's Legislative Assembly building—their fury sparked by a hasty vote to raise politicians' salaries. But another, older crowd soon arrived. At first they seemed to share the retweeted outrage. The two crowds chanted back and forth: "The people! United! Will never be defeated!" But then the older marchers suddenly turned. They had come not to protest the government—now controlled by former FMLN revolutionaries turned political party—but to oppose what they saw as a cyber -"bourgeoisie." Shoving, lighting firecrackers, they pushed the younger protestors out of the public plaza. The shoe-throwing Zapatazeros, mostly too young to remember the country's civil war, were shocked. They saw themselves as citizens' movement in liberal democratic tradition. Which group was the unruly mob? Which represented "civil society"? Who was duped into protest? This paper, based on interviews carried out over the past year, takes this April 2012 moment as emblematic of changing modes of doing politics and shifting forms of citizen action. It aspires to unravel a moment of late liberalism, Salvadoran style, in which ideologies of left, right and center come undone.
Ellen Moodie is Associate Prof of Anthropology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is the author of El Salvador in the Aftermath of Peace: Crime, Uncertainty and the Transition to Democracy. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010, among other publications.


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President George W. Bush last night asked Congress to make the expiring tax cuts permanent. This is the good news. Tax cuts enacted in Bush's first term, especially the marginal tax rate reductions on work, saving, and investment that were part of the 2003 tax cuts, have played a key role in boosting growth and improving competitiveness. Failure to extend these pro-growth provisions will mean higher tax rates on personal income and an increase in the double-taxation of dividends and capital gains.
The bad news is that the President was silent on the issue of fundamental tax reform. This does not preclude Administration action, of course, but it certainly suggests that the White House is not planning a major effort to fix the internal revenue code. This is unfortunate. In a competitive global economy, America no longer can afford a tax system that combines the worst features of special-interest deal-making with class-warfare redistribution.
But the perfect should not be the enemy of the good. While it would be nice to replace the IRS with a simple and fair flat tax, many incremental changes would move the tax system in the right direction. Indeed, many of the tax cuts adopted in 2001 and 2003 can be considered small steps on a long journey to tax reform.
One key feature of tax reform, for instance, is low tax rates so that the penalty for engaging in additional productive activity is as small as possible. The 2001 legislation lowered marginal tax rates (although the lion's share of those lower rates were postponed until 2004 and 2006-a mistake that lawmakers rectified in 2003 when the lower rates were made effective immediately).
Another key feature of tax reform is that there is no double-taxation of income that is saved and invested. This approach would eliminate the bias against capital in the current system and therefore boost investment, productivity, and wages. The 2001 legislation took an important step in this direction by beginning the gradual phase-out of the death tax. The 2003 tax bill went even further, reducing the double-taxation of dividends and capital gains to 15 percent. This does not eliminate the tax bias against capital income, to be sure, but it was a big step in the right direction.
Unfortunately, all of these pro-growth tax cuts will soon expire. The tax rate on dividends and capital gains, for instance, will increase substantially beginning in 2009 if the 2003 law is not made permanent. Similarly, income tax rates will increase in 2011 if the 2001 law is not made permanent. Even the death tax will be back in full force in 2011 if the 2001 law is not made permanent.
These tax rate increases would have an adverse impact on economic performance. It is particularly shocking that Congress has failed to make permanent the lower 15 percent tax rates on dividends and capital gains. These policies have been remarkably effective, boosting financial markets, increasing investment, and improving corporate governance.
Indeed, there is an important economic lesson to be learned. Tax cuts do not help the economy by giving people more money to spend. Any money "injected" into the economy with tax cuts is offset by the money "withdrawn" from the economy as the government either reduces its surplus or increases its deficit. Instead, certain types of tax cuts can help the economy by changing the "price" of productive activity. For example, lower income tax rates mean that the relative price of working has declined. Lower tax rates on dividends and capital gains mean that the relative price of investing has declined.
But other types of tax cuts have little or no impact on economic decision-making. Child credits and tax rebates, for instance, do not have any measurable impact on growth because they do not alter incentives to work, save, and invest. Indeed, this is why the 2003 tax legislation worked so much better than the 2001 tax legislation. The first bill was dominated by child credits and rebates, whereas the 2003 legislation lowered marginal tax rates on dividends and capital gains while also accelerating the lower income tax rates promised in the 2001 law. This is why the economy's performance has been so much stronger since the 2003 law.
It also is worth noting that pro-growth tax cuts have much less impact on tax revenues than rebates, credits, deductions, and other preferences. When tax rates are lowered and people have more reason to engage in productive activity, the results is more taxable income. Depending on the increase in taxable income and the change in the tax rate, the actual reduction in tax revenue will be lower than forecast by "static scoring." And in a few instances-such as lowering the capital gains tax rate-it is even possible that a tax rate reduction can increase tax revenue. But if the government offers a tax credit, the "static" estimate of the revenue loss will be very close to the actual revenue loss.
The real goal of tax policy should be faster growth. This is why permanent tax cuts are important, especially the tax rate reductions that increase incentives to work, save, and invest. The President presumably wants all his tax cuts made permanent, but some tax cuts generate more bang-for-the-buck than others. Capital gains and dividends should be the first priority, quickly followed by an initiative to make permanent lower income tax rates and death tax repeal.
Daniel J. Mitchell, Ph.D., is McKenna Senior Research Fellow in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.


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Marcus McMaryion worked out at Oregon State on Wednesday and the Dinuba, Calif., three-star quarterback is hopeful an offer could be coming.
The 6-foot-1, 178-pound prospect said he had a great time talking with the coaching staff, touring the campus and he has a good feel about Oregon State, which might make a decision on a second quarterback in this class soon.
Snoqualmie (Wash.) Mount Si three-star quarterback Nick Mitchell has been committed to the Beavers since early April.
Article Continues Below
"I really liked the campus first of all," McMaryion said. "The coaching staff was great. It's just a really good atmosphere up there. I like it up there a lot. It's a small town kind of like where I come from. I really liked it up there a lot.
"It was like a mini-camp. There were maybe six or seven guys there that were on a visit at the same time. They showed us the facilities, they gave us a campus tour and I talked to the coaches a little bit after."
The message McMaryion, who threw for 3,477 yards with 43 touchdowns and three interceptions in his junior season, received from Oregon State coach Mike Riley was especially positive.
"Coach Riley said he could really see me playing there," McMaryion said. "He really likes me a lot, he spoke highly of me but before they pull any trigger they're going to have a meeting to talk about their offer. I need to call them soon to see if they're going to offer.
"It's an ideal school. You can't beat the Pac-12 on the West Coast. It would definitely be one of my top schools that I would have to consider."
McMaryion, who has been offered by Arizona, recently visited Tucson and said it was a great environment. It sounds like, though, that the Wildcats are going to wait to accept a commitment from a quarterback and that might go through the summer.
San Jose State, Fresno State and others are also showing interest.
"Arizona is a great school," McMaryion said.
"I really liked the campus as well. They're kind of in the situation where they're going to take one in the class. They're taking the process a little bit slower for a quarterback to commit. They don't want to make the wrong decision so they're waiting until closer to the season."


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Russian security services detained an alleged American CIA agent working in Moscow before handing him back to the US embassy, Russia's Federal Security Service (ex-KGB) said.
The alleged agent, identified as Ryan C. Fogle and said to be working under cover as embassy third secretary, was carrying "special technical equipment and written instructions for recruiting a Russian citizen" when he was detained overnight Monday, Russian news agencies quoted an FSB statement as saying.
"FSB counter-intelligence agents detained a CIA staff member who had been working under the cover of third political secretary of the US embassy in Moscow," Russia's Federal Security Service said.
"At the moment of detention, special technical equipment was discovered, written instructions for the Russian citizen being recruited, as well as a large sum of money and means for altering appearance."


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A GRADUATE'S legal victory over a "slave labour" work experience scheme is an
an insult to real slaves, welfare chief Iain Duncan Smith declares today.
Cait Reilly, 24, argued that having to stack shelves in Poundland or lose £52
Jobseeker's Allowance breached her human rights.
The Work and Pensions Secretary was "astounded" after judges ruled the scheme
Writing in today's Sun, below, Mr Duncan Smith says: "Back-to-work schemes are
successful and not slave labour. To compare work experience to slave labour,
as this case did, is hugely insulting to people living in oppression and
sneers at hard-working taxpayers who pay for benefits."
The Appeal Court ruling claimed the scheme's rules were unclear — and could
now let thousands sue after losing benefits for refusing to work.
Government sources vowed that would happen "over ministers' dead bodies'" and
added: "The judges' decision is petty nitpicking."
A benefits spokesman added: "We've no intention of giving back money."
Lottie Dexter, head of the Million Jobs crusade for jobless youngsters, said:
"These schemes can provide important opportunities."
But TUC boss Frances O'Grady said: "It's pointless forcing people to work for
no pay in jobs that do nothing to help them." Ms Reilly, of Birmingham — who
now has a job in a store — said: "I expect to get paid for working."
By IAIN DUNCAN SMITH, Work & Pensions Secretary
LET me be very clear — our back to work schemes are successful and are not
slave labour.
Nobody works for free on these placements because the Government continues to
pay their benefits. So nobody is working for nothing, are they?
I disagree with the part of the ruling that found against our regulations and
we will appeal against that, but crucially the court did not find that
anyone's human rights have been breached because we asked them to do a work
placement in return for Jobseeker's Allowance.
The court said our technical regulations should be clearer and we have
rectified that.
People who are fit to work should no longer expect to receive benefits if they
do not do everything they can to get a job.
To compare work experience to "slave labour" is hugely insulting to people
living in oppression around the world and sneers at hard-working taxpayers
who pay for benefits.


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Alive Showcases Kutless' Most Aggressive Sound Yet
- Andrew Greer CMCentral.com
- 2008 16 Jun
Artist: Kutless
Title: To Know That You're Alive
Label: BEC Recordings
Dynamic rockers mature, push bold message with aggressive new disc …
Over five years have passed since Kutless surfaced as one of Christian music's premier rock bands. Catapulted by the sudden success of the quintet's self-titled debut and paramount single "Run," the longest charting song in the history of R&R's CHR chart, the Portland-based crew capitalized on its overnight popularity touring extensively and releasing two best-sellers: 2004's Sea of Faces and 2005's Strong Tower, a modern worship collection.
Now, 1.5 million units later, Kutless resumes the harder edge of 2006's Hearts of the Innocent with the band's fifth full-length CD, To Know That You're Alive. Showcasing its most aggressive sound yet, unlikely producer candidate Pete Kipley (MercyMe, Phil Wickham) pushes the alternative rockers to new sonic heights while expanding the band's growing repertoire of anthemic rock.
"The Feeling" and the title track are hot from the top, releasing strain after strain of pure alt-rock energy and hooky choruses. "Dying to Become" is Kutless' most experimental expression to date segueing beautifully into "You," the album's closing chorus of simple praise—a perfect showcase for lead singer Jon Micah Sumrall's clear-cutting vocal.
Acoustic guitar-based "Complete" and "Guiding Me Home" are surprisingly soft, but especially appropriate following the band's acoustic tour this spring, and will wisely perpetuate the band's good graces at Adult Contemporary radio. In fact, it is Kutless' impressive balance of hard-hitting wall-to-wall sound and keen pop sensibility that generates access for a broader base of music fans and achieves its multi-format radio success.
The major disappointment is Kutless' lack of originality. The band's efforts are hardly cutting edge, and the record's musical themes have been explored before. However, To Know That You're Alive is growth nonetheless. And for this industry, it is the band's unashamed lyrical focus and spiritual awareness that endears them to hundreds of thousands of young music lovers, admonishing them with a message that is both relevant and timeless.
Visit CMCentral.com now and join the single largest online community of Christian music fans on the internet. CMCentral features daily music news, exclusive interviews, album reviews, weekly devotions and feature articles written by some of your favorite Christian artists, and much more. CMCentral is also the home of the most popular Forum for Christian music fans that you'll find anywhere on the Internet. Come see what all the buzz is about!
**This review first published on June 16, 2008.


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Campus Crime Statistics (Clery Act)
Congress enacted the Crime Awareness and Campus Safety Act of 1990 under Public Law 101-542, Title II. This act requires that institutions of higher education receiving federal funding collect information with respect to crime statistics and campus Safety policies and, beginning September 1992, prepare, publish and distribute an annual Safety report. This act is now known as The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Safety Policy and Campus Crimes Statistics Act ("Clery Act"). In 2009, federal regulations issued by the Department of Education require additional reporting on campus safety policies and procedures.
Northern Essex Community College, in accordance with these requirements, publishes an annual Campus Safety & Security Report (Clery Report) and makes this report available to the campus community each September. The report includes important safety information and detailed crime statistics for the previous three years.
2017 Clery Report
Download and /or print the report (PDF 3 MB)


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MillerCoors, NASCAR Yet To Reach Extension Duracell, SoFi Buying Six-Second Ads On Fox Miami Football Team Fueling Merchandise Sales UAB Apparel Sales Skyrocket With Football Back Serena Williams Stars In New Gatorade Ad Marshawn Lynch Backs Bikeshare Company Nissan To Sponsor USL's Nashville SC Jerseys Fanatics Continues Success As Online Sports Retailer Marketplace Roundup MLB To Debut Lighter Cap For BP, Spring Training
Upcoming Conferences and Events
Nov 29
Dec 6-7
Apr 17-18
Apr 18
May 23
SBD/July 15, 2014/Marketing and Sponsorship
Marketplace Roundup
Published July 15, 2014
ALL NATURAL: In San Diego, Tod Leonard reports Callaway after 13 years will "end its sponsorship" of the Junior World Golf Championships after this week's tournament, with IMG Academy "becoming the title sponsor beginning next year." The company has been a "presenting sponsor for Junior World for several years." San Diego Junior Golf Exec Dir Megan Mahoney said that the transition is a "natural one." She added that IMG was "willing to put in more sponsorship dollars" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 7/15).
BANG FOR THE BUCK: In Portland, Allan Brettman notes adidas yesterday announced it will pay about $1.28B over 10 years for the "right to design" EPL club Manchester United jerseys. Chicago-based Morningstar analyst Paul Swinand in an e-mail assessment of the deal wrote, "I think (Adidas) did pay too much. But time will tell; if ManU performs like in the last season, [adidas] would have been better off finding 'the next big team.' Adidas is thinking of the prestige for their soccer business, but it's a big price tag. ... Man U isn't what it used to be, and I don't just mean because they had a bad season" (Portland OREGONIAN, 7/15).
NEW RIDE: In Grand Rapids, Peter Wallner reported the NBA D-League Grand Rapids Drive will "hold an open house" on Thursday at the DeltaPlex Arena and "move into its downtown offices." The franchise also expects to receive $40,000 of adidas merchandise "that will be available." The apparel "includes T-shirts, hats, polo shirts, pants, golf-related items." The "free open house" will give fans a "chance to see the arena setup for basketball as well as scout out and purchase seats for the season" (MLIVE.com, 7/14).