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Conventional wisdom on Wall Street is often worth the price paid (i.e., nothing). But some hoary nuggets have value.
"Sell in May and go away," for example, is based on a true and powerful phenomenon.
As Mark Hulbert reports on MarketWatch:
Over the past 50 years, the Dow, on average, has produced a gain of 7.5% during the winter months and lost 0.1% during the summer months.
The "sell in May pattern also exists in other countries besides the US. Ben Jacobsen, a finance professor at Massey University in New Zealand, reached that conclusion after studying all available historical evidence from each of 108 separate stock markets around the world. For example, his statistical tests detected the seasonal pattern in the British stock market as far back as 1694.
Any pattern with that kind of staying power is driven by very powerful forces. That the pattern is global is further evidence it is worth paying attention to.
And in 2013, something more ominous lurks. Commodities, Treasurys and recent economic data readings are openly telegraphing deflation and the failure of central banks in the developed world to revive flagging.
You don't have to look too hard for telltale signs of deflation. Prices for crude oil and copper – two of the most growth-sensitive commodities – are falling, not rising.
Treasury bond yields are falling, not rising (despite no changes in Fed buying). Falling yields are a classic deflation omen.
In the US, recent manufacturing and jobs data have disappointed. So have retail sales and consumer confidence readings.
New fears of deflation and global slowdown also help explain gold's recent price declines.
If the world is slowing in spite of massive debt monetization by developed-world central banks... and if European leaders can strong-arm bankrupt governments in Cyprus and Portugal into selling their gold... investors are starting to question gold's value as a hedge against inflation and further fallout from the ongoing European crisis.
But to write off gold's long-term value would be myopic.
A period of price adversity, coupled with a flushing out of "weak hands and hot money holders, is a far different thing than permanently dismissing the value of gold or declaring the decade-plus gold bull market to be "over.
For that to happen, you would have to see the macroeconomic drivers behind gold's 13-year bull market change... and change significantly. And that clearly isn't the case.
Have central banks in the US, Japan and Britain stopped deliberately debasing their currencies? No. Have the deadly serious economic issues plaguing Europe, the US, China and Japan tied themselves up with a neat little bow? No. Has there been a swing from negative real interest rates in the developed world (and China) to positive real interest rates? No.
This hasn't stopped an outbreak of joy at the sharp decline of gold prices – what you might call "goldenfreude – in the mainstream press. Most of this, of course, comes from neo-Keynesians such as Paul Krugman. But it has nevertheless rattled the nerves of many individual gold investors.
If you own gold... or are thinking of buying some following recent price declines, you must first understand that gold's recent sellers fear deflation.
You must also grasp two important things about deflation:
- Modern central bankers loathe and fear deflation more than anything. They will do anything to stave off the threat of a deflationary downward spiral.
- The "first deflation, then inflation scenario still ultimately manifests inflation 100% of the time. This happens either by way of late withdrawal of monetary stimulus by central bankers in the case of a genuine recovery... or because central banks go "all out to defeat deflation and end up severely debasing fiat currencies as a result.
Understanding this allows us to foresee the endgame. One way or another, gold's status as a store in a time of central bank folly will be confirmed.
Carpe Divitiae,
Article brought to you by Inside Investing Daily. Republish without charge. Required: Author attribution, links back to original content or www.insideinvestingdaily.com. Any investment contains risk. Please see our disclaimer.


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Flu season arrives in Maine
Augusta — Influenza has officially arrived in Maine.
The first positive influenza A cases were detected by Affiliated Laboratory Inc. the week of Oct. 29-Nov. 2. These cases were in a young adult from Aroostook County, a teenager from Penobscot and an adult from Cumberland County. Neither patient was vaccinated or required hospitalization.
A long-term care facility in Penobscot County also reported an outbreak of influenza Oct. 31. Maine's Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory confirmed influenza A in an employee and a resident from the facility on Nov. 2.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends an annual flu vaccine as the first and best way to protect against influenza. Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine annually, even if they were vaccinated last year. Flu vaccine is available now and Maine CDC encourages Mainers to get vaccinated.
Every year, up to 20 percent of U.S. residents will get the flu. On average, more than 200,000 will be hospitalized for influenza-related complications. People at high risk for developing flu-related complications include: children younger than 5; adults 65 of age and older; pregnant women; American Indians; Alaskan natives; people who have underlying medical conditions (including asthma, heart disease, and weakened immune systems); and those who are morbidly obese.
"The flu is still a serious illness in the United States" said Dr. Sheila Pinette, Director of Maine CDC, in a news release. "Mainers should do all they can to protect themselves and their loved ones against this illness."
Flu vaccine is widely available in Maine. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for immune protection to begin, Pinette said.
Signs of influenza include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue.
"Anyone with these symptoms should follow the No Flu 4 You guidelines," Dr. Pinette said. "This includes hand washing, good respiratory etiquette including covering your cough, staying home while ill and getting vaccinated."
For questions regarding the vaccine please contact the Maine Immunization Program at 287-3746 or 1-800-867-4775 or by email at email@example.com.
For questions regarding the disease, or to report cases or an outbreak contact the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Program at 1-800-821-5821 or by email at email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: +7 495 531 0059
Address: Room 112, 13/4 Myasnitskaya str., Moscow 101000
Hours: 10:00-19:00, Monday-Friday
The Higher School of Economics is one of the top universities in Russia and one of the leaders in Eastern Europe and Eurasia in economics and social sciences. Since 2013, HSE has been a member of the Russian Academic Excellence Projecе 5-100, a highly selective government programme aimed at boosting the international competitiveness of Russian universities.
Our students come from all over the world to study in English or Russian in Bachelor's, Master's, and non-degree programmes. Most of our international students study at our campus in Moscow, a true global capital, and interact with some of Russia's brightest scholars in our classrooms and research labs. If your idea of learning involves combinining theory and practical experiences, HSE could be the perfect place for you.
Monday - Friday, 11:00 - 14:00


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Wicked Performance in Duwamish Head Race
Wicked Wahine Wins
CYC Member Darrin Towe's Melges 32 Wicked Wahine finished at the top of the big-boat fleet in Three Tree Point Yacht Club's Duwamish Head Race on Saturday, Jan. 6. The race is the second in the annual Southern Sound Series, which also features races hosted by Tacoma Yacht Club, Gig Harbor Yacht Club and the South Sound Sailing Society/Olympia Yacht Club. Hiking in the photo are, from left, Jen Braden, Doug Gordon, Chris Roberts, Gary Stuntz and Ben Braden. on the crew, but not in the photo, were Towe, Sarah Mars, and Jacob Lichtenberg.


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Transfer news: Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov poised for move to Monaco
Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov is due to have a medical with Monaco ahead of an expected deadline-day move to France.
Last Updated: 31/01/14 1:45pm
The Bulgarian has been linked with a return to former club Tottenham and their north London rivals Arsenal this month, but he now looks set to leave the country for the south of France.
The 33-year-old has scored five goals in 19 appearances for Fulham this season and 19 in 51 since joining on a free transfer from Manchester United on deadline day in August 2012.
Berbatov is expected to fly to the principality and undergo a medical ahead of today's 11pm deadline.


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New YorkEverything U Need 2 Know
Stanley Is Hungry For Tips, Info, Invites, And Photos!
Stanley is sad that his lazy summer days are over. He is working too hard on finding scoops and needs some help. Please toss him a bone. Tips, events, and photos are all welcome.
Stanley [at] guestofaguest [dot] com


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Molina day-to-day with back tightness
Molina day-to-day with back tightness
"Hopefully today with treatment it can better," Molina said on Wednesday afternoon. "Tomorrow, we'll see where we are."
Molina said he felt the tightness in his back during pregame work in the bullpen on Tuesday, but chose to play regardless. Molina was 0-for-3 with a walk and was not running well, prompting manager Mike Matheny to sub in backup Tony Cruz to catch the ninth inning of an 8-2 win.
Molina said he'd been dealing with soreness in his left side for nearly two weeks after he'd aggravated the area stealing third in a game against Milwaukee on Aug. 3. That injury was not serious, but Molina believes his back may have tightened because he was attempting to not put as much pressure on his side.
"He's pushing right now because he knows everybody needs to push," Matheny said. "But he's going to have to sit for at least today, and we'll have to see how he feels tomorrow."
Cruz got the start on Wednesday, hitting seventh in the Cardinals lineup. He is batting .226 with eight RBIs in 32 games (19 starts) this season.
Matheny said Molina could be available to pinch-hit or catch a few innings on Wednesday if needed. While Molina admitted his tight back limits him in his movement, swinging and running, he said he'd gladly step up if called upon.
"I put some heat on it, and let's go," Molina said.


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Use this window to apply a discount or credits to the bill that you
Bill information (at the top window)
This area reflects entries that you've made elsewhere in QuickBooks. You
cannot select and change the Bill information. QuickBooks updates the
information shown here based on the amounts that you enter in the fields on the
Discount and the Credits pages.
Ref. No. The optional reference number that was entered
when you entered the original bill.
Date The date of the bill.
Original Amt. The total amount of the original bill, not
including the reduced amount that would result from any discount or credits
that you apply.
Amount Due The total amount due for the bill before
applying any current discounts and credits. This amount reflects any previous
payments on the bill. This amount changes when you pay the bill and when the
discount, credits, and amount paid are subtracted from the amount due.
Discount Used The total amount of the discount currently
applied to the payment.
Credits Used The total of all credits currently applied to
the payment.
Amt. To Pay The total amount to pay. This amount is reduced
as you apply any discount or credits.
What if all the amounts I see are zeros?
You must select a bill to see its discount and credit information. If the
amounts remain zero after selecting a bill, there are no discount or credits
for that bill.
If you think there should be a discount:
View the information for the vendor.
If you did not set up terms for that vendor, a discount can't be automatically
calculated. You can, however, enter the amount manually.
Verify the discount rates.
The available discount is based on a date; if your payment does not fall within
the dates of the discount, the discount does not apply.
Check the information for the vendor. It could be that you did not set up
terms for that vendor. Without terms, a discount can't be automatically
calculated. However, you can manually enter any amount you want. Also, the
available discount is based on a date, so your payment may be out of date, thus
negating the discount.
QuickBooks has calculated a suggested discount (and the date by which you
must use it) based on the payment terms
that you have with the vendor. You can accept the suggested discount or you
can enter a different amount.
Discount Account (If class tracking is turned on)
Discount Class
An entry in this field assigns the discount to a class you have previously
defined for tracking purposes.
Classes give you another way to categorize your financial transactions. For
example, if you had a restaurant with three locations, you might create an
Uptown, a Midtown, and a Downtown class for tracking income and expenses by
location. When you create reports, you can have QuickBooks group and subtotal
transactions by their class.
Class tracking must be turned on for this field to appear.
Open the accounting preferences.
Click the Company Preferences tab.
Select the Use class tracking checkbox.
Credits are listed in ascending order by date. If a credit exactly matches
the bill, that credit will be selected.
Amt. To Use
You can use the entire amount of the credit or you can enter a specific
amount of the credit that you want to apply to the bill. In this way, you can
use various amounts of a single credit and apply them to different bills from
the same vendor.
See also
Applying a discount to a bill
Applying a credit to a bill


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His Name Is on the Streets Where We Live
Many streets in Israel are named after Eli Cohen - Israel's "greatest spy." Cohen was 42 when he was hung in Damascus on May 18, 1965, after his cover as an Arab businessman had been blown.
That cover had allowed him to form close relationships with senior Syrian army officers and government officials. He conveyed invaluable information to Israel, warning of a planned Syrian strike on the National Water Carrier and providing information that led to Israel's defeat of the Syrian army in the Six-Day War.
Cohen's role was exposed by a sophisticated system Russia had supplied to the Syrians, which enabled them to intercept some of Cohen's transmissions to Israel. After being severely tortured, he was tried by a military tribunal and was hung in Al-Marja Square in Damascus.
In his last letter to his wife Nadia, he asked her to go on with her life, to remarry, "so our three children will have a father." But Nadia's grief lifted only 23 years later with the birth of her first two grandchildren, twin boys: Elad and Eliran.
The Cohen family has launched a commemorative Internet site, one main element of which is eucalyptus trees, to recall the trees Cohen urged the Syrians to plant on the Golan Heights, supposedly to camouflage their positions, but which actually marked them for Israeli pilots.
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You have chosen to publish your review anonymously. If You click 'OK' your review will be published under the pseudonym 'Ryland185' which has been randomly generated by us. If you would prefer your review to be published as 'Guest' please select this option.Publish as 'Guest'
Item Name: Bratz Ooh La La Dolls
Category: Dolls and Accessories


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It's an interesting week for antiques and collectibles as many auction houses are taking the week off and regrouping. But if you need a bargain-hunting fix, take a look at my Summer Blow Out Sales.
June20-25: American and English Paintings, Furniture, Silver and Decorations
Summer introduces some hot sales this week especially with the premier online auction-house sale at iGavel. Their current sale, American and English Paintings, Furniture, Silver and Decorations, features more than 400 items and includes select pieces from the collections of Mike Nichols and Diane Sawyer, and the property of Marjorie Merriweather Post's Mar-A-Lago estate.
If you are like me, you'll enjoy just looking at the extraordinary collection of American furniture, especially Lot #1062361, a Pennsylvania Maple Tall Chest, with a bid of $1,200. Prediction—if this is a Lancaster or a Berks county piece with even a sketchy provenance as to the maker, that bid is going to be blown out of the water and finish up in the five-figure range.
You can find some great examples of 19th-century "honest" American furniture in Lot #1062379-Lot #1062383. I found a sweetheart of a piece in Lot #1062390, an American Lift-Top Chest with original red paint, probably from Pennsylvania. These are run-don't-walk pieces up for sale if you want to start a collection of American furniture.
Also check out Fresh@igavel. This service offers continuous auctions with new listings posted every day that include something for everyone from beginning collector to the most elite—everything from Mohair Teddy Bears, Lot #1074869, to a Persian Terracotta Equestrian Figure, Lot #1073877, circa 400 to 1200 B.C.
Related WorthPoint videos with Lark Mason:
(Mason is the owner and founder of iGavel.com and an expert in Asian arts.)
Lark Mason on Chinese Jade
June 25-26: Jackson Rooms June Sale
If you have a passion for collectibles, this is the auction for you as it includes porcelain, jade, ivory, vintage records, Nippon, Lenox, Reed and Barton, 1970s vintage entertainment centers and everything in between. With more than 1,300 items for sale, it's also a great way to do some cross-comparison shopping.
Look at the estimates for Lot #504, Hummel collectibles; Lots #505-525, Royal Doulton collectibles—character jugs and figurines; and Lots #490-501 of Lladro figurines. Get to know what your items may be worth by comparing these starting estimates.
And if you want to start your collection of contemporary Americana furniture, look at Lot #993A, a table designed, signed, titled and dated by Rick Bachek. It's a great example of 20th-century design that shows a circular table with an abstract, acrylic, lacquered, painted top on a metal columnar base going up with an estimate of $500-$750.
June 26-29: C. Downing Warehouse Clearance Sale
C. Downing
4 Taft Street, Norwalk, Connecticut – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
C. Downing Auctions is holding an on-site warehouse sale. It is an extravaganza We're packed to the brim sale of furniture, porcelain, artwork, silver and other items. Christine Downing provides a full-service auction company that features quality antiques and collectibles, all handled with a personal touch. C. Downing specializes in auction consignment at competitive prices, outright purchases, complete liquidation, on-site auctions, consultation and appraisal services, and charity auctions.
By Christopher Kent
Director of Evaluations, WorthPoint
– Please send your antiques, art and collectibles news about auctions to email@example.com, and put "Auction News" in the subject line.


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WARSAW — The Fiat factory in Tychy, Poland, has long been considered one of the most productive auto plants in Europe, often singled out for praise by the Italian company's demanding chief executive, Sergio Marchionne.
Polish workers "always responded whenever I asked," Mr. Marchionne said at the Paris Motor Show in October. "I feel an exceptional responsibility to the people there."
So when Fiat said recently that it would lay off a third of the work force in Tychy, or about 1,500 people, it was a harsh reminder: Even with the healthiest big economy in Europe, Poland cannot escape the Continent's economic downturn.
Polish growth is expected to slow to as little as 1.5 percent next year, according to World Bank estimates, from 2.1 percent this year. That still compares favorably with the neighboring euro zone, where most countries are either in recession or just barely growing. With a gross domestic product of €369.7 billion in 2011, according to the European data agency Eurostat, Poland ranked ninth among the 27 E.U. countries, just below Belgium and a rung above Austria.
During much of the region's debt crisis so far, Poland has counted itself fortunate that the troubles began before the country had joined the euro currency union. By being part of the E.U.'s common market, but not bound by euro strictures, Poland has been one of the Continent's rare economic good-news stories. But the deceleration in Polish growth, which has prompted the central bank to begin a series of interest rate cuts to stimulate the economy, has underscored the country's exposure to slumping euro zone consumer markets.Continue reading the main story
The country's long border with Germany, and its own skilled, low-cost labor force, make Poland an attractive place to make heavy consumer goods like cars and home appliances. General Motors' Opel unit, suffering from many of the same maladies as Fiat, has a plant in Gliwice, though it has not announced job cuts there. Bosch, Whirlpool and Electrolux all make household appliances in Poland for the European market.
The country's slowing growth is likely to put pressure on Polish leaders to address some underlying problems, notably an overbearing government bureaucracy.
"Luckily, we are doing quite well so far," said Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, a former prime minister who now advises the current prime minister, Donald Tusk, on economic issues. Speaking at a recent conference co-convened by the International Herald Tribune in Warsaw, Mr. Bielecki added, "We still have some space for improvement."
Yet, despite the economy's slowing velocity, Warsaw remains a fount of optimism, with ambitions to be a regional financial center. The city somehow manages to seem cheerful, even with its legacy of drab Soviet-era architecture.
In downtown Warsaw recently, as a light snow fell, skaters pirouetted at a temporary ice rink set up in the shadow of the Palace of Culture and Science, a monstrous high-rise building built by order of Josef Stalin in the 1950s.
"I really believe Warsaw is becoming the capital of Central and Eastern Europe," said Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, mayor of the city. "In these difficult times Warsaw offers not only dynamics but stability."
Although Vienna emerged as the gateway to Eastern Europe after the end of the Cold War, Warsaw has since surpassed it by some measures — like trading volume at the stock exchange.
And economic success has translated into political prestige. When European leaders accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on Dec. 10, Mr. Tusk, the prime minister, sat next to Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, the most powerful leader in Europe.
Poland remains a source of profit for companies in Western Europe that badly need them. "For us it's really a bright spot in the European market," said Anna Wiosna, manager of strategy development for the Polish unit of Hochtief, a German construction company that has upgraded Warsaw Chopin Airport, among other large projects.
More than half of the third-quarter profit of Commerzbank, one of the largest German banks, came from BRE Bank, its Polish subsidiary. Because Commerzbank is 25 percent owned by the German government following a bailout, it could be said that Polish depositors are helping to ease the burden on German taxpayers.
The Polish economy may even still be benefiting to some extent from problems to the west, as European companies try to cut costs by moving some of their activities to Poland. The country, and in particular the university city of Krakow, has become a major outsourcing center for companies like I.B.M., Citigroup and Lufthansa. Even Infosys, the Indian company that helped invent the outsourcing industry, has a big presence in Poland, with 1,400 workers in the city of Lodz.
"The more the world and European economy are struggling, the more investment we get," said Jacek S. Levernes, an executive at Hewlett-Packard who is president of the Association of Business Service Leaders in Poland, an industry group.
With 38 million people, moreover, Poland's domestic market is big enough to be at least partly self-sustaining. The economy is not dominated by any one industry. Autos are important, but there is also a thriving food products industry and a growing energy sector focused on shale gas.
And having its own currency, the zloty, has helped buffer the shock waves emanating from the euro zone. Polish leaders say they are working to fulfill the requirements for joining the euro, which include meeting deficit and inflation targets, but they do not sound like they are in any hurry.
"The strategy of Poland is to keep our foot in the door," said Mr. Bielecki, the former prime minister.
Euro or not, though, the fate of Poland is inescapably intertwined with that of its troubled neighbors. About 55 percent of Polish exports go to the euro area, especially to Germany, where growth has slowed to nearly zero. Although Polish banks dodged the worst of the global financial crisis, most depend on their western parent companies for the funds they use for lending.
The economic pressure could require Polish leaders to deal with underlying weaknesses in the economy. The government has little room to attempt stimulus programs, because the country's finances were stretched to the limit by the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009, said Xavier Devictor, the country manager for Poland and the Baltic countries at the World Bank.
"There is very little, if no scope for the fiscal policy to support Poland's growth," Mr. Devictor said by e-mail.
At the recent conference convened by the IHT in conjunction with the Warsaw Stock Exchange and The Warsaw Voice newspaper, government bureaucracy was easily the No.1 complaint by business people.
Mr. Devictor generally gives Polish policy makers good marks, but he added, "The structural reform agenda in Poland is still far from finished."
Business leaders including Antoni F. Reczek, chairman of the British Polish Chamber of Commerce, told of arbitrary decisions by midlevel government officials that cost foreign companies millions. Administrative hurdles have prevented smaller and midsize foreign companies from investing in Poland, Mr. Reczek said.
As a result, Poland is all the more dependent on major employers like Fiat, which is why its layoff announcement was such a psychological blow.
Few foreign manufacturers have roots in Poland as deep as Fiat's. The Italian auto company made cars in Poland as early as 1922. And even during Communist times a state-owned plant in Tychy built Fiat copies under license. Fiat later acquired the plant, which it uses to build the 500, one of the company's most popular models.
But Fiat has been hit especially hard by the slump in European auto sales, because of its dependence on countries like Italy and Spain that are deep in recession. The company expects this year's production at Tychy to be only 350,000 vehicles, down sharply from 600,000 in 2009. Next year, Fiat says, production will fall below 300,000 vehicles.
But it is not only the fault of the euro zone. Within Poland itself, car sales by all makers have fallen 20 percent since 2008, the company said.
Such signals are all the more reason that officials like Ms. Gronkiewicz-Waltz, the Warsaw mayor, said that Poles must not simply wait for the euro zone to get its act together.
"Historically, the times when we counted on others was when we were not successful," she said. "Whenever we were successful, it was because we counted on ourselves."Continue reading the main story


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Get a free shipping quote.
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This beautiful buckskin colt pictured at 5.5 months of age has both color, eye appeal and outstanding bloodlines on top and bottom. His Dam is an own daughter of Tru Rolex, the highest pointed horse ever in the APHA. His Sire "Whoa Oh Then What" has an outstanding show record. Among other accomplishments he was third at the PHBA World Show. This colt's grandsire and grand dam were multiple AQHA and PHBA World Champions. He is shedding out his foal coat.... (read more)
RBS Farms is located in Sumter County near Americus, Georgia. Raising quality APHA and AQHA horses. All of our horses except for our 2014 foals lead, load, tie, bath, stalls, stands for the farrier. This is the very first thing that we teach them when they are a weanling. They are also very easy to catch in the field. All of our horses are current on all shots and in excellent physical health.... (read more)
Avoid Scams and Fraud - Potential areas of fraud: wire transfer, moneygrams, money orders, cashier checks, shipping, escrow, "transaction protection", "guarantee". Check out the Buyer Safety section for more info.
Cross Junction, VA


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Would you like to save as your currency permanently or for this visit only?
The Hefei Shenglong Boutique Business Hotel (Hefei Shenglong Jingpin Shangwu Jiudian) is conveniently located on South Jinzhai Road in Hefei Economic Development Zone. This Hefei hotel houses different room types including standard business deluxe rooms and suites on 4-11/F. All rooms come equipped with smart LED TVs and private baths with unique designs. Business options include a function room and meeting rooms of various sizes on 12/F. For guests looking for fun a foot massage center on 2/F and chess/poker rooms on 3/F are available.


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Producers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman ("Fringe", "Hawaii Five-O", "Star Trek"), with an assist from 20th Century Fox TV and DreamWorks TV, are bringing Joe Hill's comic series "Locke & Key" to life as a pilot for Fox. It tells the story of a mother, Nina Locke, and her three children Kinsey, Bode, and Tyler. Miranda Otto ("Lord of the Rings") will play Nina, and now Deadline reports that one of the children has been cast as well. Irish actress Sarah Bolger ("The Tudors") will play the daughter Kinsey.
The family
survive[s] an unspeakable horror and attempt to rebuild their lives at Keyhouse, their family home in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. It is a mysterious New England mansion, with fantastic and transformative keys hidden inside its walls that are also being sought by a hate-filled and relentless creature with ties to the Locke family's past who will stop at nothing to accomplish his sinister goals. The athletic middle child Kinsey [Bolger] is unhappily uprooted to her dad's family home by her mom after he is brutally murdered.
IDW Publishing distributes "Locke & Key", which began its spooky run in 2008, and currently has three completed story arcs, with a third that began in August still continuing. There is no other casting news, and it remains to be seen how closely the show will follow the plot of the comic.


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Commercial Diving - Training
Custom Search
The initial training itself takes place over several weeks and covers the theoretical and practical aspects of commercial diving. Applicants with prior experience of scuba diving 'may' be able to use this to abate the cost and length of training. Though this is an advantage many Commercial Divers often view recreational divers wanting to 'cross over' with a baleful eye. There is a saying amongst the hard-hat divers that 'you can put a plumber to work under water but you can't take a dive instructor to work as a plumber'. It is this somewhat harsh view that represents the fact that most employers prefer to take on divers who have been tradesmen than former recreational dive professionals.
Training starts typically with a course in recreational scuba diving. Then you progress onto commercial scuba and finally surface supplied. Surface supplied is considered the bread and butter of commercial diving by many. It is considered safe, time proven and versatile. After this unless you are prior trained, courses in NDT, cutting and welding are given. After the training is complete the newly qualified diver is normally given a contact list of companies for work and cut loose to fend for himself.
Training for commercial divers through a dedicated training company is expensive, the price varies but in the UK it can reach in excess of £10,000! The whole concept of these training centers is a moot point among many in the commercial diving community. Many wish for an apprenticeship scheme to be introduced and the training costs to be subsidised by the diving companies. But the fact remains that there is an eager supply of applicants (tempted by often exaggerated earnings by the training organisations) willing to pay for training, which in-turn keeps the companies going.
The actual training tends to differ from country to country so it isn't fair for me to give one example of what the actual instructional methods and techniques are. We are also against the concept of paying such vast sums to commercial training organisations that cannot guarantee work at the end of it hence our slightly biased stance on the training section.
I would strongly suggest that anyone considering a career in commercial diving to think twice. Work is no longer as abundant as it once was and the industry is currently flooded with wannabe divers, many of which end up with only an expensive certificate on the wall to show for their efforts! That said no industry can last if it has no fresh blood to to fill the ranks.
Still fancy your chances? Then click on the links below and good luck! You'll need it!
Planning a career offshore or wish to know more about life working aboard an oil rig? Click the Offshore Life link below.
Training | Equip | Saturation Diving | Offshore Life


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DIY Cut Flower Food Recipes & Tips
I love getting flowers! The above bouquet are my Valentines Day flowers! They are 10 days old and going… Read More
I love getting flowers! The above bouquet are my Valentines Day flowers! They are 10 days old and going… Read More
I love the look of the shabby fabric strip rag garlands. And because they are so scrappy looking, I knew… Read More
Well, it's almost Mother's Day! The one day a year we get to honor mom, to show her how special… Read More
It's that time of year again! Time for proms and weddings galore! Today I am sharing with you how… Read More
I just love this! I was putting up the Christmas decor and once again I resorted to Pinterest for my… Read More
My house is wreck! It is covered in random Christmas mess! Deep in the process of putting up the Christmas… Read More
Halloween is just a week away! Woo Hoo! Here's a pic of my skeleton chandelier, it's a little unclear but… Read More
Well tonight was my final wedding floral class! Kinda glad it's over, not sure if weddings are my gig. Bride-zillas… Read More
Well I tonight I didn't make it to Floral Class, but I still made my arrangement! It came out pretty… Read More
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text:
Lead time calculation is the calculation that takes place to calculate "Expected Receipt Date" from the "Order Date" or the other way around. Similarly, sales have the calculation to calculate "Planned Delivery Date" from "Shipment Date" or the other way around as well. Here, we will be focusing on the Purchase side but this will have same explanation for the Sales.
In any case, the interesting piece I would like to cover is how determines what calendar to consider when calculating lead times. As you know, there are many different calendars in NAV:
But, how all those relate when this calculation takes place? First of all, we need to have the following NAV premise in mind: if we don't have vendor calendar defined, NAV considers location calendar. Thus, if for whatever reason you have a location calendar while vendor does not have any (7 days per week), NAV will calculate the expected receipt date based on the location calendar. Here, most of the times, we wouldn't like this since we don't want the vendor lead time to be impacted by our location/warehouse calendar. If you are aware of this premise, you will understand better the design and you will have to setup a workaround: to create a vendor calendar with all days as working days (7 days per week). Having this in mind, NAV will find the vendor calendar (all working days) and will use this together with the vendor lead time.
Now, what are the different calculations that NAV is doing with lead times and calendars? a backward calculation and a forward calculation. Lets try to explain this a bit:
Here, the main thing is the fact about location calendar being used when vendor calendar is not set. As long as you are aware of this, you will anticipate issues by setting a 7 d/week calendar for the vendor to ensure this will be considered.
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text:
But the campaign is not won yet. We urgently need your help to keep the pressure on politicians to stop this trade that has knowingly sent millions of animals to brutal fates in Indonesia and throughout the Middle East.
On 20th June, Tasmanian MP, Andrew Wilkie and SA Senator, Nick Xenophon and Greens MP Adam Bandt submitted bills to Parliament that would end all live animal exports. If passed this legislation would ensure that the images of Australian animals being tortured in foreign slaughterhouses that aired on Four Corners, and that has been exposed countless times in the Middle East, will never be repeated. These bills represent the animals' greatest chance for an end to this indefensible trade.
It is critical in the coming weeks that federal MPs and state Senators across Australia hear loud and clear that the Australian public will not settle for a band-aid solution and will not accept anything less than a total ban.
When issues fall out of the public spotlight, it is easy for politicians not to feel the pressure to act. Please help us remind politicians this issue is not going away until this trade in cruelty is stopped. Join us and thousands of Australians to take action urging MPs and Senators across Australia to ban live animal exports once and for all!
Note: If you don't live in Australia, you can still support the campaign. Click here to send a message to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, urging her to ban live animal export.
Politicians place greater importance on written letters from their constituents than they do emails. Add weight to your call for a ban:
You can really hammer home the message that Australians want an end to this cruel trade by also ringing your elected representatives' offices and urging them to support the bills to ban the trade.
The vast majority of Australians are appalled by live animal export. But not everyone will be proactive enough to let their local federal MP know how they feel. That's why we've made it as easy as possible for everyone to show their support for a ban!
The more letters you can get signed and sent in, the louder the call for a ban will be! Here are a few suggestions for how you can gather letters:


text:
Eterm is a color vt102 terminal emulator for X Window system.
It supports pixmap and pseudo-transparent background.
It also supports input and output for korean.
- Added Hangul input patch. written by <email@example.com> [aa]
- Patch theme for Hangul font set. [ab]
- Porting for FreeBSD. [ac]
You can download scale and tile. - ftp://ftp.eterm.org/pub/Eterm/
No installation instructions: this port has been deleted.
The package name of this deleted port was: ko-eterm
PKGNAME: ko-eterm
distinfo: There is no distinfo for this port.
NOTE: FreshPorts displays only information on required and default dependencies. Optional dependencies are not covered.
===> The following configuration options are available for ko-eterm-0.8.9_11:
DOCS=on: Build and/or install documentation
===> Use 'make config' to modify these settings
Number of commits found: 47
Remove expired ports:
2014-07-23 chinese/big5con: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 chinese/hztty: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 irc/solid-ircd: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 korean/eterm: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 mail/biffer: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 misc/c-hey: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 misc/wminfo: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 net/sendfile: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 net-im/centericq: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 security/chkrootkit: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 security/openfwtk: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 security/pam_alreadyloggedin: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 security/srp: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 security/sud: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 sysutils/hyperic-sigar: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 sysutils/lookupd: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 sysutils/lookupd_ldap: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 sysutils/p5-Sys-Utmp: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 sysutils/syslog-ng2: Fails to build with new utmpx
2014-07-23 sysutils/yawho: Fails to build with new utmpx
Remove NOPORTDOCS and NOPORTEXAMPLES from unstaged ports. Stage a couple while
we're here. Remove any other references to NOPORT*.
Approved by: portmgr (blanket for modernization)
Deprecate ports failing to build with new utmpx
Maintainers had more than 4 years to fix them
With hat: portmgr
Support LIBS like LDFLAGS.
- Add LIBS="${LIBS}" to MAKE_ENV and CONFIGURE_ENV.
- Add an option helper for LIBS.
- Adjust all ports that already use LIBS. Also remove references to
PTHREAD_CFLAGS and PTHREAD_LIBS while here.
- Some ports did not support having a LIBS environment variable and
required additional patches.
Somewhat simplified a linker command line looks like:
${CC} ${src_LDFLAGS} ${LDFLAGS} ${src_LIBS} ${LIBS}
where src_LDFLAGS and src_LIBS are controlled by upstream and LDFLAGS and
LIBS can be controlled by us. If possible -L and -l flags need to be
- Convert gmake to USES
Approved by: portmgr
Add NO_STAGE all over the place in preparation for the staging support (cat:
- Convert to new perl framework
- Trim Makefile header
- switch simple inline replacement from perl to sed
and remove where is no need in this anymore.
- trim Makefile header
Approved by: bapt@ (portmrg@)
Remove BROKEN now that imlib is fixed.
- Mark BROKEN: does not compile
undefined reference to `PrintGifError'
Reported by: pointyhat
- update png to 1.5.10
- Get Rid MD5 support
Sync to new bsd.autotools.mk
- update to 1.4.1
Reviewed by: exp8 run on pointyhat
Supported by: miwi
- Mark BROKEN on HEAD: fails to build with new utmpx
Reported by: pointyhat
- update to jpeg-8
For ports maintained by firstname.lastname@example.com, remove names and/or
e-mail addresses from the pkg-descr file that could reasonably
be mistaken for maintainer contact information in order to avoid
confusion on the part of users looking for support. As a pleasant
side effect this also avoids confusion and/or frustration for people
who are no longer maintaining those ports.
- Mark MAKE_JOBS_UNSAFE
Reported by: pointyhat
-Repocopy devel/libtool15 -> libtool22 and libltdl15 -> libltdl22.
-Update libtool and libltdl to 2.2.6a.
-Remove devel/libtool15 and devel/libltdl15.
-Fix ports build with libtool22/libltdl22.
-Bump ports that depend on libltdl22 due to shared library version change.
-Explain what to do update in the UPDATING.
It has been tested with GNOME2, XFCE4, KDE3, KDE4 and other many wm/desktop
and applications in the runtime.
With help: marcus and kwm
Pointyhat-exp: a few times by pav
Tested by: pgollucci, "Romain Tartière" <email@example.com>, and
a few MarcusCom CVS users. Also, I might have missed a few.
Repocopy by: marcus
Approved by: portmgr
- bump all port that indirectly depends on libjpeg and have not yet been bumped
or updated
Requested by: edwin
- s/PREFIX/LOCALBASE/ in DEPENDS
- install docs in default DOCSDIR and fix plist for -DNOPORTDOCS
- bump PORTREVISION
Prompted by: QA Tindy run
Bump portrevision due to upgrade of devel/gettext.
The affected ports are the ones with gettext as a run-dependency
according to ports/INDEX-7 (5007 of them) and the ones with USE_GETTEXT
in Makefile (29 of them).
PR: ports/124340
Submitted by: edwin@
Approved by: portmgr (pav)
- Remove unneeded dependency from gtk12/gtk20 [1]
- Remove USE_XLIB/USE_X_PREFIX/USE_XPM in favor of USE_XORG
- Remove X11BASE support in favor of LOCALBASE or PREFIX
- Use USE_LDCONFIG instead of INSTALLS_SHLIB
- Remove unneeded USE_GCC 3.4+
Thanks to all Helpers:
Dmitry Marakasov, Chess Griffin, beech@, dinoex, rafan, gahr,
ehaupt, nox, itetcu, flz, pav
Tested on: pointyhat
Approved by: portmgr (pav)
- Welcome X.org 7.2 \o/.
- Set X11BASE to ${LOCALBASE} for recent ${OSVERSION}.
- Bump PORTREVISION for ports intalling files in ${X11BASE}.
Use libtool15 port instead of included version to avoid objformat a.out botch
- Remove support for a.out format and PORTOBJFORMAT variable from individual
With hat: portmgr
Reset email@example.com due to no response to email about maintainer
Hat: portmgr
Bump PORTREVISION on glib12/gtk12 consumer ports to ease the upgrade path.
Discussed with: kris
Approved by: portmgr (implicit)
Conversion to a single libtool environment.
Approved by: portmgr (kris)
Approved by: krion@
Mass-conversion to the USE_AUTOTOOLS New World Order. The code present
in bsd.autotools.mk essentially makes this a no-op given that all the
old variables set a USE_AUTOTOOLS_COMPAT variable, which is parsed in
exactly the same way as USE_AUTOTOOLS itself.
Moreover, USE_AUTOTOOLS has already been extensively tested by the GNOME
team -- all GNOME 2.12.x ports use it.
Preliminary documentation can be found at:
which is in the process of being SGMLized before introduction into the
Porters Handbook.
Light blue touch-paper. Run.
farewell to libxpg4.
Apply a big libtool patch to allow porters to use the libtool installed by
the libtoolX ports instead of the one included with each port. Ports that
set USE_LIBTOOL_VER=X will now use the ports version of libtool instead of
the included version. To restore previous behavior, use the new macro,
USE_INC_LIBTOOL_VER. Both macros accept the same argument: a libtool version.
For example, to use the ports version of libtool-1.5, add the following to
your Makefile:
To use the included version of libtool with extra hacks provided by
libtool-1.5, add the following to your Makefile:
With this change, ports that had to add additional libtool hacks to prevent
.la files from being installed or to fix certain threading issues can now
delete those hacks (after appropriate testing, of course).
Based on work by:eik and marcus
Approved by: ade (autotools maintainer)
Tested by: kris on pointyhat
Bound to be hidden problems: You bet
SIZEify (maintainer timeout)
Whoa there, boy, that's a mighty big commit y'all have there...
Begin autotools sanitization sequence by requiring ports to explicitly
specify which version of {libtool,autoconf,automake} they need, erasing
the concept of a "system default".
For ports-in-waiting:
Ports attempting to use the old style system after June 1st 2004 will be
sorely disappointed.
Bump PORTREVISION on all ports that depend on gettext to aid with upgrading.
(Part 2)
Define USE_PERL5_BUILD, not erroneous USE_PERL.
Submitted by: Oliver Eikemeier
Define USE_PERL to make Perl available for (mostly deprecated)
"perl -pi -e" construction.
- Fix MASTER_SITES
Submitted by: Mark Linimon <email@example.com>
Fix distfiles/www locations and one maintainer.
libtool uber-patch
* kill devel/libtool and move to devel/libtool13, upgrading to 1.3.5
* upgrade repo-copied devel/libtool14 to 1.4.3
* break out libltdl into its own separate port
* move to version-numbered binaries/scripts (ie: there is *no* 'libtool'
any more -- USE_LIBTOOL and USE_LIBTOOL_VER are your friends)
Approved by: portmgr (kris) - for the bsd.port.mk hooks
Tested by: bento 4-exp builds (repeatedly)
Convert to new GNOME infrastructure.
o Fix build on 5 [1]
o Don't hardcode /usr/local in patches
Submitted by: JunSeon Oh <firstname.lastname@example.com> [1]
Remove #include <malloc.h>
Set GNU_CONFIGURE since this port uses it
Don't use an internal libtool, use the system one. Port build is still
broken on -current because of expr(1) abuse in the libtool port.
Convert category korean to new layout.
Implement WANT_IMLIB and USE_IMLIB.
Servers and bandwidth provided byNew York Internet, SuperNews, and RootBSD
No vulnerabilities have been reported in the past 14 days
* - modified, not new
All vulnerabilities


text:
Whether you already own a home, and seek to build a rental suite, or you're looking to buy your own home or office, you have certainly stumbled across the right place. We are excited you've arrived at Mint, and hope we can give you a better idea about what it means to own a tiny home, and how they can offset both environmental impacts and personal debt. We look forward to working with you!
Our tiny houses are built to the same specification as that of a traditional home and offer the same cozy, "homey" feel with regular appliances.read more
Quick Message
Did You Know?
It's a fact that there are over 95,000 one bedroom homes in BC and that the average worker in Vancouver spends 33.7% of their hard earned annual salary on rent each year.
The average rent on a one bedroom apartment in downtown vancouver is $1425 (according to rentboard.ca) and that the average income is just $50,699 per annum.


text:
Legal Question in Family Law in Florida
non-custodial parent refusing drug testing
I have resently filed a Motion for Drug Testing and Treatment against my ex-husband. He's been bringing our child home, after his weekends with her, obviously under the influence of marijuana. Child Protective Services has been called (by me)and has visited his home. He refused their attenpt to drug test him. They have recommended that he attend a drug treatment program, but could take the matter no further than that. Now I have to go into court asking for the testing and treatment with no evidence that he is actually on drugs. My question is simply, what kind of evidence, if any, do I need to convince a Judge that the Order I am seeking is in the best interest of our child?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: non-custodial parent refusing drug testing
Typically you can tell the Judge of your ex-husband's refusal to take the testing. I would follow up in the interim with Children and Families(HRS)and see if they can apply pressure. In some cases, HRS can attend the court with you and testify as to why they thought testing was needed. Talk to HRS, they may require a subpoena.
Re: non-custodial parent refusing drug testing
Yes. Florida statute 751.01 provides for temporary custody by a member of the child's extended family. As a cousin, you would qualify under the statute for gaining temporary custody.
The POA will not meet your requirement.
Good luck.


text:
There's been a renaissance of talent at Bowling Green High School in recent years. The Purple program has been home to some of Kentucky's finest football recruits the last several years and 2008 is...
Premium Content
Subscribe today to read the full article and get everything Rivals has to offer.
- Member-only message boards
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- Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series
- Breaking recruiting news


text:
Written on: 21/08/2013 by michaelP123 (1 review written)
We have had this cylinder cleaner just over a year but its only used upstairs so it has an easy life.
We have only used two bags so far to prove my point.
Now the active filter keep popping up because of a poorly designed latching system and has rendered the thing useless, i can see from the other posts here that i am far from alone.
Also from what i have seen Miele are not supportive in this poor design matter.
The machine is clearly not fit for purpose and should be avoided please fellow consumers do yourself a favour and buy a cleaner from another manufacturer.
I do have several Miele products all of which are very good, this time Miele you have let yourselves down big time, having an engineering background i can see the problem, you should do a recall / exchange deal and make good.
Written on: 23/08/2013
Bought same vacuum cleaner in May, filter now keeps popping up due to poor latch design. I agree with this review.
Written on: 23/08/2013
Hi justn
I am just going to run a bead of hotglue just to the right of the faulty clip, it should hold it and be easy to pick off when the filter needs replacing
If you want a pic post your email and I will send it later today
Written on: 23/08/2013
Yes I can see that may work - I suppose clear silicon sealant may also do the same trick. Let me know if it works...
Written on: 20/10/2013
i have the same problem with the hoover with the latch popping up.
can you please email me a picture and maybe just some instructions if you dont mind?
Written on: 21/10/2013
Ok the hot glue worked until the machine got hot, the glue then became soft and gave way.
Viewing from the front of the machine on the right hand side front corner where the filter is meant to click in you will see a square plastic tab, its about 3/8 " square, drill a small hole in that and screw a half inch long self tapping screw into that all the way, the tip of the screw will then just engage into the body of the filter and hold it in place.
Make sure you keep the filter pressed down as the screw is being driven home.
If you post your email address here i will send you a pic if it helps.
My machine is now working ok
Written on: 14/11/2013
Update, due to flexing the faulty filter latch has won the day rendering this machine not fit for purpose and ready for the bin with little more than 20 hours use
Written on: 06/05/2014
Im having same problem they fobbed me of telling me the filter was naf(over the phone) only eight months old... needs a recall or "Dont get done get Don" Help
Written on: 06/05/2014
Im having same problem they fobbed me of telling me the filter was naf(over the phone) only eight months old... needs a recall or "Dont get done get Don" Help
Written on: 10/05/2014
I feel it will be more money down the drain if you do cleRly the design is poor, my final cure is to put a large cable tie around the machine, obviously the tie has to be replaced each time you change filter / bag but hey it works
As rated by our community of reviewers
" Breaks easily " Read More
" Worst vacuum cleaner I've ever owned. " Read More
Written by Karen1960117
" Looks good but performance and reliability poor! " Read More
Written by Joff
" Waste Of Money " Read More
Written by alpacino27
" Cabbages " Read More


text:
Also known as: Amy
Formal name: Amylase
Related tests: Lipase, Trypsin, Trypsinogen
At a Glance
Why Get Tested?
Primarily to diagnose and monitor acute pancreatitis; also sometimes to diagnose and monitor chronic pancreatitis or other pancreatic diseases
When to Get Tested?
When you have symptoms of a pancreatic disorder, such as severe abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite, or nausea
Sample Required?
A blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm; sometimes a random urine sample, a 24-hour urine sample, or a sample of peritoneal fluid
Test Preparation Needed?


text:
Student news
Date published: 9 July 2010
For Immediate Release
OUA announces new General Manager among senior appointments
Michelle Beveridge, General manager operations for Open Universities Australia
Open Universities Australia (OUA) today announced the appointment of Michelle Beveridge to General Manager Operations, increasing the organisation's Senior Management Team to five.
OUA CEO Stuart Hamilton said, "We are delighted that Michelle has joined the team. Her Information and Communications Technology (ICT) expertise, strategic leadership and education experience provide the specialisation required to help manage our continued growth."
"OUA has grown 30% on average each year over the last five years, ahead of the online education industry average of 27%* and overall education sector rate of 3.5%."**
Prior to joining OUA, Michelle was Chief Information Officer at IDP Education Pty Ltd for three years and General Manager Information Services at OAMPS Insurance Brokers Ltd for two years. Her experience includes more than 15 years in ICT and business leadership in both the Private and Government sectors.
Michelle is also the Chairman of the Victorian ICT for Women Network, Treasurer of Australian Computer Society (Vic), a Trustee for the Queen Victoria Women's Centre and an Advisory Board member for the CIO Executive Council (APAC).
OUA former General Manager Operations, David Masters, has taken on the role of General Manager Finance and Strategy. Mr. Hamilton said, "In addition to continuing our strong fiscal management, David will provide a focus on cross-company strategy evaluation to increase OUA's efficiency and capacity to meet future strategic initiatives."
The leadership additions follow the recent senior appointments of Dr. Darien Rossiter to Manager Academic Products, Dr. Nick Foster to Manager Academic Services, Ms. Sally Ling to Marketing Strategist and the addition of a Digital Strategist function with the appointment of Jose Herrera Perea.
Dr. Rossiter brings more than 25 years experience in the education sector in Australia and internationally to OUA. Previously, Dr Rossiter spent five years at Cranfield University Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, as Director of Knowledge Services and Deputy Director Information Services and four years as Manager Strategic Initiatives Information Services at Griffith University.
Dr. Nick Foster and Dr. Rossiter will manage OUA's academic partner and provider relationships. Dr. Foster will also manage major sponsored projects in his role as Manager Academic Services. Dr. Foster joins OUA from Crisis Support Services where he was Partnership Development Manager. Sally Ling has been promoted to Marketing Strategist from Marketing Manager to focus on strategic cross-company marketing.
In the newly created Digital Strategist role, Jose Herrera Perea will lead OUA's integrated online business strategy, evolve its digital channel to support greater business operational capability and optimise search strategy and analytics.
Mr. Herrera Perea brings 12 years business and e-business management in Australia and Europe to OUA, including five years in online and digital business strategy at IDP Education Pty Ltd (IDP) as Online and Digital Business Strategy Manager, SEEK Ltd as Analytics Executive and Google as Senior Account Associate.
Mr. Hamilton said, "OUA is going through a tremendous period of development as we evolve to unlock the full potential of online education. Our digital capability and online presence are critical to this and the appointment of Jose Herrera Perea as Digital Strategist, along with our other recent senior recruitment, shows our determination to grow the OUA offer and maintain our position as Australia's leading provider of open and flexible access to quality tertiary education."
About Open Universities Australia
Open Universities Australia (OUA) is the national leader in providing open and flexible access to quality tertiary education, enrolling over 120,000 students since 1993. We provide access to over 1000 units and 90 qualifications taught by 18 leading universities and other tertiary education providers around the country in: Arts & Humanities, Business, Education, Health, Law & Justice, Information Technology, and Science & Engineering. For more information on Open Universities Australia, please visit www.open.edu.au.
* IBIS World Online Education in Australia, 19th May 2009
** IBIS World Education Report Card Press Release, 11th June 2009


text:
Peter Joneswrote a review of Petzl Spirit Express Quickdraw on December 10, 2009
Best sport draws
Ok, so they are a tad heavy when considering some of the newer wiregate biners, but no others FEEL as good as these. For sport climbing, especially if you are going to be working a route, the Spirit is still the standard. Color coordinated, keylocking, and super strong I use these on anything other then alpine or long trad routes.


text:
I was just wondering if the voodoo 5 5500 takes over the role of the main video card??
And does the PCI lack some performance over the AGP???
Is $185 a good price
Lord Dragoon
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text:
News - The Karel van Miert/Etienne Davignon prizes for journalists
BRUSSELS - The Representation of the European Commission in Belgium and the Belgian section of the Association of European Journalists organise for the third time the Karel Van Miert/Etienne Davignon prizes.
News - Turkish Raids in Search of Unpublished Book by Journalist Ahmet Sik
VIENNA - The International Press Institute (IPI) on Friday condemned raids by Turkish police last week in search of draft copies of an unpublished book by imprisoned journalist Ahmet Sik that reportedly focuses on the influence of an alleged Islamic group within the country's police force.
News - EU: Court rules citizens have a right to know
BRUSSELS - The public has a right to know the arguments when the EU makes the laws and who is behind them, says the General Court of the EU in a pro-transparent ruling.
News - Wobbing Europe relaunched
BRUSSELS - The Pascal Decroos Fund is proud to present the relaunch of Wobbing Europe. Wobbing.eu inspires and supports journalists to use their right to freedom of information.
News - SEEMO Launches an Electronic Version of its Flagship Publication South, East and Central Europe Media Handbook
VIENNA - SEEMO Launches an Electronic Version of its Flagship Publication South, East and Central Europe Media Handbook.
News - 16 EU Member States refuse to provide information on EU transparency negotiations
BRUSSELS/MADRID - European citizens can't find out from either Brussels or from national governments which countries are lobbying against EU transparency, according to a report launched by the NGO Access Info Europe this week.
News - Magnum Foundation grants FPD photographer
NY - The Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund supports photographer Teun Voeten for his Mexico project that was initialized with an FPD grant: The Hell of Juarez.
News - Deutsche Welle blog awards
BERLIN - German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle launched its seventh annual blogging competition in 11 languages to reward online journalists who don't get the credit they deserve.
News - 'Toxic Europe' seeks crowdfunding
BRUSSELS - The documentary movie project 'Toxic Europe' investigates the trafficking of hazardous waste within Europe. The production team seeks support via co-producers and crowdfunding.
News - Rosental Calmon Alves to be honored at the 6th Abraji's International Congress
SAO PAULO - Journalist and professor Rosental Calmon Alves, Knight Center for Investigative Journalism in the Americas' founder, will be honored during the 6th International Congress for Investigative Journalism.
News - Quoted all over Europe
BRUSSELS - Two journalists, one story – but how to achieve impact? In the story about the Latvian Brides, cooperation of journalists from two countries led to research so impressive, that the story was quoted all over Europe.
News - Evens Prize for Media Education 2011: Apply for nomination!
ANTWERP - With the second Evens Prize for Media Education, to be awarded in 2011, the Evens Foundation continues to highlight the importance of Media Education and to support sustainable projects in this field in Europe.
News - Pirates, smugglers and corrupt tycoons: Africa's 'social bandits'
SOUTH AFRICA - FAIR has launched its new Transnational Investigation report, 'Africa's social bandits', in partnership with 14 media houses worldwide.
News - Call to protect EU transparency
BRUSSELS/LONDON/MADRID - Over 180 organisations, journalists and campaigners call on MEPs to reject measures to limit access to documents.
News - Campaign against narrowing of EU Access to Documents Rules
MADRID - Access Info Europe this week called for signatures for an open letter to Members of the European Parliament as part of its campaign to stop narrowing of the EU's rules on access to documents, Regulation 1049/2001.
News - World Press Photo launches multimedia contest
A'DAM - World Press Photo is announcing its first contest for multimedia productions in visual journalism.The contest is divided into two sections, for linear and for interactive multimedia.
News - UN Special Rapporteur/OAS Statement on Wikileaks
WASHINGTON/GENEVA - In light of ongoing developments related to the release of diplomatic cables by the organization Wikileaks, and the publication of information contained in those cables by mainstream news organizations, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression see fit to recall a number of international legal principles. The rapporteurs call upon States and other relevant actors to keep these principles in mind when responding to the aforementioned developments
News - Global protest against proposed controls on who uses French Government information
MADRID/PARIS 1- 35 civil society organizations and many international experts on freedom of expression from 25 countries today sent a letter to the French Minister of Interior Brice Hortefeux and members of the French parliament calling for the withdrawal of a proposed law allowing the authorities to carry out "behaviour checks" on members of the public and organisations wanting to reuse information obtained from public bodies.
News - € 1.5 million postponed
BRUSSELS - The European Parliament allocated € 1,5 million to investigative journalism research grants in 2010 and 2011. However last week the money has been withdrawn following a long struggle about editorial independence and editorial confidentiality. But the MEPs behind the project vow to continue the work in 2011.
News - TEDMED Visualization Challenge
NEW YORK - How does our neighborhood affect our health? Create a visualization showing the relationship between green space and public health, enter it by 11:59PM EST on December 31, and win a prize valued at $8,000.
News - FPD applies for Knight News Challenge
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WORLD - Journalists from every region of the world have joined together to support the whistle-blowing organization Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange who, they say, have provided an extraordinary resource for journalists around the world and made "an outstanding contribution to transparency and accountability on the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars".
News - Google gives $5 million to journalism
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News - 1,1 million euro for journalistic research grants
BRUSSELS - Journalists with a good idea for an investigative story with a European angle can now apply for research grants from the European Union. 1,1 million Euro will be distributed in two rounds of applications. The first deadline is on January 15th 2011. >>
News - Latvian Brides - a new European story with support from Journalismfund.eu
BRUSSELS - In the far East and far West of the EU two journalists work on the same story about scam marriages. Thanks to a grant from Journalismfund.eu they could cooperate and uncovered a world where fraud, sexual exploitation and rape are commonplace. The scam bases the EU rules on free movement and legal loopholes. >>
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BRUSSELS - In a recent article featured on journalismfund.eu, Ides Debruyne, director of the Pascal Decroos Fund, argues that journalists should be emancipated from their media organizations and become entrepreneurs. Debruyne argues this in light of the changing climate of the news media and the public political movements in Western Europe.
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News - European judgment on protection of sources a 'victory for press freedom'
AMSTERDAM - The right of journalists to protect their sources will be strengthened throughout Europe, after a judgment from the European Court of Human Rights Tuesday. In a ruling strongly reaffirming the "vital importance" protection of sources plays to press freedom, the court overturned a ruling that had compelled Dutch journalists to reveal the names of participants in illegal car races.
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News - Observer Passes for Good Pitch Europe available
Good Pitch Europe brings together specially selected foundations, NGOs, social entrepreneurs, broadcasters, policy makers and potential corporate and brand partners to form alliances around groundbreaking films. This year it will take place on June 25th at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London.
News - EU Journalist Award 2010 - Together against discrimination
BRUSSELS - The European Commission is pleased to invite you to take part in the EU Journalist Award 2010 – Together against discrimination! Organised in the framework of the EC's anti-discrimination campaign, the award celebrates online and print journalists who write on issues of discrimination and diversity in the EU.
News - Journalist murdered
ATHENS - Journalist Socrates Giolias was shot at his house's entrance in the district of Ilioupolis. It is reported that police collected from this point minimum 15 shells from a 9mm firearm.
News - The untold Yugoslavian arms trade scandal
Journalists Matej Šurc and Blaž Zgaga investigated the illegal trade of arms in Slovenia during the early 1990s and chronicled their findings in the trilogy In the Name of the State. The first volume of the trilogy, Sell, published in June 2011, focused on the sale of arms and ammunition. The second volume, Resell, appeared in October 2011 and dealt with the purchase of arms abroad and subsequent resale to Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina during the UN arms embargo. The third volume, Cover-up, describes how the arms smugglers managed to keep their activities largely concealed for the last twenty years and was published in April 2012. Time for an interview with the authors, Matej Šurc and Blaž Zgaga.
News - WikiLeaks 'blackmailed' over Bank of America leaks
Whistleblower website WikiLeaks is under a "kind of blackmail" over leaked Bank of America documents, according to the organisation's editor-in-chief, Julian Assange.
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News - Marilo Fund grant for project on Japanese society
The Marilo Fund awards a grant of €5,000 to a journalist working in Belgium for story that increases understanding of Japanese society and entrepreneurship in Belgium.
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BRUSSELS — A money laundering scheme could only be revealed through cross-border cooperation, says the team behind the latest story supported by Journalismfund.eu. An Estonian team started out and in cooperation with Bulgarian colleague revealed several stories including party funding and a pyramid-style investment scheme. By Brigitte Alfter
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The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism published an extensive article on its website on how newspapers are faring trying to build digital revenue.
News - The Third Way: Towards Foundation-Based Media
"There is one thing that an orientation of journalism toward the purely commercial cravings and preferences of media consumers seldom has as a result: journalism." German journalism professor and media researcher Stephan Weichert has strong views on the workings of the media in today's market-dominated media landscape in Germany, a landscape the country has in common with many other European countries. Weichert says we should move to a more foundation-based media system. Here is why.
News - 'Budrus' wins 2012 PUMA.Creative Impact Award
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News - 2012 PUMA.Creative Impact Award Finalists Announced
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News - EU Health Prize for Journalists 2010
BRUSSELS - The EU Health Prize for Journalists 2010 will be awarded to stimulate high-quality journalism that raises awareness of issues related to healthcare and patients' rights.
News - EU Health Prize for Journalists 2012
The European Commission is proud to present the fourth edition of the EU Health Prize for Journalists. It is awarded to stimulate high-quality journalism that raises awareness of issues related to healthcare and patients' rights. The prize highlights health policy initiatives contained in the "Europe for Patients" campaign.
News - EU Health Prize for Journalists 2013
The European Commission is proud to present the fifth edition of the EU Health Prize for Journalists. It is awarded to stimulate high-quality journalism that raises awareness of issues related to healthcare and citizen's rights.
News - #dataharvest13
One of the most relevant networking events for investigative and data journalists covering Europe is up to its third edition this year. Journalismfund.eu's Data Harvest Conference brings together committed journalists from all over Europe to pass on their skills and share their stories and inspiration. #dataharvest13 will take place on 3 and 4 May in Brussels.
News - A look back at the Data Harvest Conference 2012
From the 6th till the 8th of May 2012 the European Data Harvest Conference brought together the cream of European data journalism in Brussels.
News - Better Journalism in the Digital Age
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News - Call for Participants to New Media Summer School in Belgrade 27 May - 1 June 2011
BELGRADE - Web 3.0 - where is the internet heading? Who will decide which content you'll be able to find online? And how will the web help in strengthening democracy and human rights?
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The "Creative Funding for Creative Media" conference brought together leading US and European pioneers of crowd- and philanthropically-funded journalism for the first time in a European forum. The post-conference report has now been published.
News - Cross-border research grant application call from Journalismfund.eu
Do you have an idea for a European story? Do you have an idea for a story that goes across borders? Then maybe Journalismfund.eu can help you with a research grant.
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Journalism.co.uk talks with pioneers of crowdfunded reporting.
News - Data Harvest Conference 2012
Come to the Data Harvest conference in Brussels from May 6th-8th 2012. Get freshly harvested Farmsubsidy.org data, meet the most interesting journalists in the field of data journalism and visualisation, freedom of information, visualisation and cross-border reporting.
News - Data Harvest: 6-8 May, Brussels
Come to the Data Harvest conference in Brussels on May 6th-8th 2012. Get freshly harvested Farmsubsidy.org data, meet the most interesting journalists in the field of data journalism and visualisation, freedom of information, visualisation and cross-border reporting.
News - Data Journalism Awards winners announced
The six winners of the first edition of the Data Journalism Awards were announced on 31 May at the News World Summit in Paris.
News - Dataharvest+
Investigative journalists, data specialists and coding whiz kids will once again gather in Brussels this year for the fourth edition of Journalismfund.eu's Dataharvest Conference. Dataharvest+ takes place on Friday 9, Saturday 10 and Sunday morning 11 May 2014.
News - Dataharvest+, The European Investigative and Data Journalism Conference
Investigative journalists, data specialists and coding whizz-kids will once again gather in Brussels this year for the fourth edition of Journalismfund.eu's Dataharvest Conference, renamed Dataharvest+. It takes place on Friday 9, Saturday 10 and Sunday morning 11 May 2014.


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text: MISS PUNCTUALITY: Rag & Bone's runway show Friday night proved to be the first stop on many celebrities' fashion week itineraries. Those in the front row included Jimmy Fallon, Lake Bell, Elijah Wood and Fonzworth Bentley. Rachel Zoe was excited to see Rag & Bone, but confessed her partiality to Marc Jacobs. "I'm biased," said Zoe. Asked if she knew whether she was actually getting into the Jacobs show, Zoe paused, then decided punctuality would be the key. "I don't know yet. I hope, hopefully yes. He started on time last year. I'm going to actually be early, from now on I'll be early."ing the ivories.


text:
Denis Martindale
Father, Son And Holy Spirit - Poem by Denis Martindale
You bless the Church worldwide,
Our every prayer, You hear it,
Since Christ was crucified...
That's why disciples preach Good News,
With miracles and signs,
With words of knowledge for the Jews
To serve as their guidelines...
Beyond the apple of Your eye,
Beyond Israel's domain,
You gave the Gentiles reasons why,
They, too, Your love could gain...
That's why a wondrous multitude
From every worldly tribe,
Still reads God's word that was first viewed
By every holy scribe...
Translations scattered everywhere,
Still sharing all God's best,
With prophecies we're meant to share
To north, south, east and west...
A billion souls could yet be saved,
Like ripples spreading out,
Disciples baptised, fully bathed
And cleansed beyond all doubt...
Consider, then, what's left undone,
Be patient, if You can,
For lost souls distant from God's Son,
Yet still within Your plan...
Draw such as these close to Christ's Cross,
Your saving grace to learn,
In Jesus' Name, we ask because,
Time helps them to discern...
This world will share a Golden Age,
A thousand years of grace,
When Jesus Christ rules centre stage,
Such that we see His face...
Yet faith grants now a foretaste here,
Eternal life and more,
When perfect love casts out our fear
And pardon makes us pure...
Without the Saviour's precious love,
This world is lost, indeed,
Upon His Cross, when nailed above,
He chose to stay and bleed...
And then to die, atoning, Lord,
So that God could forgive,
So that this mustn't be ignored,
If we, in Christ, would live...
So many souls we're preaching to,
Good feedback all the time,
With praises rising up to You,
So humble, yet sublime...
The battle is the Lord's, we know,
We merely point the way,
Yet help us, Lord, as on we go,
While on this world we stay...
Denis Martindale, copyright, July 2013.
Hear the word of the Lord on GOD TV,
on Sky, Freeview HD, or the Roku box, or
visit the website for updates on god-dot-tv
GOD TV's prophecy is to save a billion souls!
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text:
I like to think I'm serious about food, but every so often, someone or something comes along to make me question the extent of my devotion. Like when a friend returned to the States from a trip home to Singapore, toting three pounds of bak kwa (Chinese barbeque pork). Stopped at customs and threatened with confiscation and destruction, he said, "I need a minute," before proceeding to eat his entire booty of pig.
If you're wondering what the challenge is in downing grilled meat, well, it ain't just any grilled meat, buddy. It's pig candythe same candied bacon pork lovers have been aflutter about. That's three pounds of charred, caramelized pig, my friends. Singaporeans use the word jelat to refer to the sickening sense of overindulgence one gets from eating too much of a good thing. By the time said friend was done, he was, in local slang, "jelat until can die" and looked it.
Which was a shame, as there was a group of homesick students eagerly awaiting a share of his stash. What's interesting though, is thatsweet as it isnot one of us had ever thought of bak kwa as candy. Despite the fact that bak kwa rotia popular snack of bak kwa and sweet buttercream stuffed in a soft roll and crowned with fluffy pork flosssounds mightily dessertlike in hindsight.
Traditionally, bak kwa is made from minced meat marinated with nam pla, soy sauce, cooking wine, and sugar. The raw mix is flattened into sheets and dried in the sun before being grilled over a charcoal fire. These days, you can opt for "gourmet" bak kwa made from strips of bacon, and the process of sunning is skipped in favor of a before-your-very-eyes grill on an electric barbeque. Bak kwa is big business year-round in Singapore, but driven by Chinese New Year-gifting, its sales peak in February, despite hour-long lines and cut-throat price hikes.
Besides regular bak kwa, there are fragrant bak kwa pies encased in pâte brisée and studded with sesame seeds, cheesy bak kwa bites individually vacuum-packed for emergency sustenance, and, if your palate is still left wanting, Bee Cheng Hiang (one of the local bak kwa heavyweights) distributes recipe cards for dishes such as bak kwa fajitas and bak kwa fried rice. Our Muslim friends aren't left out of the festivities, of coursethere are halal chicken and beef bak kwa versions called dendeng, which taste remarkably similar to the original.
About the author: Wan Yan Ling is an impoverished grad student and sourdough finger-crosser living in Rhode Island. She can usually be found in the kitchen procrastinating on "real work" or online tracking down obscure recipes. Ling thinks eating alone is no fun, and she still believes in hand-mixing.


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This is gonna hurt a bit, so let's get it over with quick (squeamish audiophiles should probably turn the page now): What the mass market selects, audiophiles perfect. That's the golden rule. And what the mass market is on the verge of choosing as the "next big thing" are downloaded digital audio files and hard-disk-based playback and networking devices.
Whenever a great idea comes along, it creates a huge vacuum that inexorably sucks everything toward it. Nobody planned it this way, but unhinged digital audio files, combined with a network and a hard disk, really sucks. Just ask the record labels.
Audiophiles continue to wrestle with vinyl, and have spent the last decade putting CD through finishing school. Both of these formats suck. A lot. We'd like to see SACD or DVD-Audio, or both, take over from there, but they suck only a little. If we're in it for the music, we've got to face reality: discs are losing suction these days, and those measly little downloaded audio files—whose contents are mere shadows of their former musical selves—are part of a mighty sucking wind.
Here's the top-secret formula for creating great suck: Come up with a key benefit whose advantages over what already sucks are so honkin' big and obvious to almost everyone across the board that people see it once and want it as soon as they can afford it. Goosing the digital resolution on the 20-year-old 5" polycarbonate disc is a subtle point for the typical listener, who will quickly figure out that, with SACD or DVD-A, they're being asked to trade CD's portability (footnote 1) and ease of use (these are big suckers) for maybe better sound (a little sucker, as far as most music-lovers are concerned).
The developers of DVD-Audio and SACD knew that just adding a few bits for the audiophiles while taking away fair-use rights wouldn't cut it with the hordes, so they included surround sound (lovingly referred to by some audiophiles as "Surround-a-Clown") to make their formats suck even more. Enthusiasts of multichannel audio aside, will the masses be swept off their feet? If multichannel could spontaneously ignite the public imagination (and pocketbook), wouldn't we all be listening to quadraphonic CDs or DTS 5.1 music discs today? As we know, quad sucked a little in the 1970s (but when disco hit, it sure sucked), and most folks didn't care enough about the quad effect to go through the trouble of setting it up, and vacuous software was hard to come by. Oh, and there was a format war then, too (footnote 2).
Convenience, price, and selection are what draw the mass audio market. To go from relatively bulky, expensive physical objects such as the plastic discs of yore, into the realm of tens of thousands of tiny little audio phantoms that can flit in seconds from music service to desktop to portable, all packed into a hard disk smaller than a deck of cards, is irresistible suck.
The proof is now unassailable. Apple's iTunes is sucking big time, cranking numbers every day that the proponents of SACD and DVD-A can only dream of. But those iTunes sales are a drop in the bucket compared to what's in store for downloading when one realizes that these initial customers are so far only US-based Apple OSX users—less than 3% of the computer market.
Here's the kicker: Apple's slick Hoover Deluxe switched on literally overnight. SACD and DVD-A are still struggling to come up with a way to easily connect their players to the rest of your stuff, let alone some clue of how to sell the masses on two confusing disc formats that are more restrictive to use than the last. In other words, after more than three years on the carpet, they've got two little minivacs on their hands that aren't even plugged in yet. They'll need to spend some serious suckin' money to compete with that 20hp shop vac of the audio world: audio downloading.
Issues inhibiting iTunes suckage so far? The limited size of the store's catalog, its digital-rights management scheme, its unavailability to international and Windows users, and its high price of 99 cents a track. Audiophiles are still quick to complain about the sound quality (footnote 3), but the average user thinks iTunes' AAC-encoded files are a step up from MP3, and hasn't been resisting how much they suck.
Online at this website, we've regularly covered downloading news and hard-disk/networked audio systems. In this issue of the print mag, Wes Phillips gets suckered into reviewing—horrors!—the Apple iPod, which he and millions of others find so seductive and fun to use. In a recent online poll of Stereophile readers, almost 60% of you are already listening to downloaded files. Of those who so indulge, almost half use an iPod to do it. As reader Dave Sheehan put it, "As toys go, it's a lot cooler than a stinking tube amp!"
So are we to be condemned as audiophile reprobates for discussing downloaded audio files and playback devices in these pages? It's time to recognize that downloading compressed-audio files really sucks, and that it's our job to make the process sound better. A lot of our readers are ready to go: In another of our polls, Paul McCarroll writes that he's thinking about a state-of-the-art music server for his home. Woody Battle says he'll bite when they offer a 250GB model that can store plenty of tunes at high sampling rates.
The mass market chooses, audiophiles improve. Our job is to fulfill the promise made by those audio tinkerers who find new and more compelling ways to make the reproduction and distribution of music suck. Downloaded music is not a format, it's a distribution channel. Apple's iPod is not a format, it's a storage device. As such, both are open-ended and can be continually improved. The mainstream has chosen the new way forward. There's that sucking sound again. Let's get to work.
Footnote 1: By "portability" I mean not only easy to pick up and carry with you, but also audio files that are easily transferable from format to format and from device to device. CD meets this crucial definition better than any of the new disc formats.
Footnote 2: For our younger readers: In the 1970s, first there were quad 8-track and reel-to-reel tapes, then two competing vinyl four-channel formats: JVC's CD-4 system, which worked a lot like FM transmission (45kHz recorded on a vinyl record), and Sansui's QS system (based on the CBS SQ system from 1969 and also recorded on an LP. Google "quad audio formats 70s" to learn more.
Footnote 3: Anti-audio-download passions run high among audiophiles: "Another backward step in sound quality? Go and wash your mouths out with soap!" says reader Terry M. Or, as reader Bill Contreras put it, "iPods and similar devices quite frankly represent all that I, as an audiophile, have come to despise. In the end, I would rather listen to no music at all than resort to listening to playback from a compressed-audio device."


text:
Seven battleground states: Does economy help Obama or Romney?
Seven states have emerged as battlegrounds that may well determine the 2012 presidential election. President Obama won all seven in 2008, but the Great Recession and the slow and difficult recovery have changed all that – in sometimes surprising ways. The five states that have added the most jobs in the past year are solidly behind Mitt Romney, even though he's calling for change. Of the five states at the bottom of the heap, two are for Mr. Obama and one's a toss-up. Here's a look at seven battleground states and how their economic situation is shaping the presidential election:
1. Colorado
If elections were purely a matter of economics, Colorado would be leaning toward President Obama. It ranks No. 13 among the states in year-over-year job growth. It's had one of the most balanced recoveries in the United States, and it's one of only three states (Washington and Arizona are the other two) to see employment grow in eight broad sections of the economy.
Farmers have benefited from high crop prices. The oil and gas industry is thriving. Tourism posted a record last year. As a result, home sales are booming in the Denver area. By July, home prices were within 7 percent of their all-time high set in 2006, according to the S&P Case-Shiller home price index. Only Dallas is closer to its peak among the 20 US metros followed in the index.
So why is Colorado a battleground state? One reason may be recovery fatigue among voters. While Colorado's rise has been broad, it has also been abnormally slow. When the US unemployment rate peaked in October 2009 at 10.0 percent, Colorado had a much better 8.4 percent rate. But since that time, the national rate has dropped more than 2 percentage points and now stands at 7.8 percent. Colorado's rate has dropped less than half a percentage point, to 8.0 percent. For two months running, unemployment in Colorado has been above the national average. Housing prices, though booming now, languished and went nowhere for 2-1/2 years.
Given such sluggishness, Colorado voters might be looking for a change.
Advantage: a statistical tie, according to the latest polls.
1 of 7


text:
London, 1783. Orphan Cirrus Flux is being watched. Merciless villains are conniving to steal the world's most divine power - The Breath of God, which they believe Cirrus has inherited. Now he faces a perilous journey through the dirty backstreets of the city as a sinister mesmerist, a tiny man with an all-seeing eye, and a skull-collecting scoundrel pursue him. Cirrus must escape them, but he'll need to trust some unlikely allies if he hopes to thwart his foes...and survive a grand and terrifying showdown.
©2010 Matthew Skelton (P)2010 Listening Library
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text:
Mesquite Police need your help identifying a violet robber whose crime was caught on camera.
The robbery happened just after 6 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 17 at the Carl's Jr. in the 2100 block of North Galloway in Mesquite.
Surveillance video shows the man wearing a blue bandanna over his face and carrying a gun.
The man finds one employee and pushes her into the freezer.
He then finds the manager and uses her to open up two cash registers.
The suspect can be seen jamming the gun into the woman's back and pointing the weapon at the back of her head.
When he's finished taking the money, he pistol-whips the manager before shoving her into the freezer.
"He's not afraid to come in, be very aggressive, brandish that gun," said Mesquite Police Lt. Bill Hedgpeth. "In fact, he puts it to the back of one of the girl's heads, the fact he's locking them in the freezer, these are all indicators to us that the potential for violence with this suspect is very, very real."
The woman he held at gunpoint told NBC 5 she's recovering from the blow she took to the head and that she no longer works at the restaurant.
Watch the raw video from the surveillance cameras below:
Mesquite Police ask anyone with information about this crime to call the Mesquite Police Department at 972-285-6336 or Detective B. Davenport at telephone at 972-216-6254 or email email@example.com.


text:
OGDENSBURG -- The Frederic Remington Kids Place, 423 Washington St., will host a tea party on July 17 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Participating kids will get to have snacks and make a craft.
This event is free and open to the public.
©North Country This Week P.O. Box 975, 19 Depot St., Potsdam, NY 13676 315-265-1000 [email protected]