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DUBLIN, Ireland, March 31 (UPI) -- Irish Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said it would take about $30 billion to cover losses in the country's banks due to soured mortgage loans.
Lenihan said Irish banks face a shortfall of about $43 billion, a fifth of the country's gross domestic product, the EUobserver reported Wednesday.
Lenihan, in a major speech, said the Bank of Ireland required $3.6 billion in fresh capital.
He called the bank's risk-taking "truly shocking," and denounced the industry for "fast and loose" lending.
Ireland has already set up an agency called the National Asset Management Agency as a so-called "bad bank" that will purchase toxic loans from banks at an average discount of 47 percent.
NAMA Chief Executive Officer Brendan McDonagh said, "All the good banking and lending principles went out the window," between 2004 and 2008, a period that included "an explosion" in lending.
Prime Minister Brian Cowen said, "It's time we actually recognized that this country couldn't be immune from those developments," referring to the financial meltdown that rocked most of Europe and the United States.


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Ammunition magazines and component parts for ammunition magazines; ammunition magazine pouches; holsters
Business in Seattle, WA

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A trio of State Street Road homes are without potable water in the Town of Batavia today, after their wells were found to be contaminated with e-coli bacteria.
Interim County Health Director Randy Garney says the homeowners complained of clouded water with a funny smell. Wells were tested for bacteria on Tuesday. Contamination was confirmed just yesterday.
Garney says the different types of bacteria found in the water are also typically found in cattle manure.
Each of the three homes is near a farm field.
Garney says the State Department of Environmental Conservation has been contacted. They will investigate whether any farmers violated the terms of their manure spreading permit.
According to Garney, this is the third time in 10 years that Genesee County wells have been contaminated with e-Coli. It is also the second time wells have been found contaminated near State Street Road.


text: I just put 8 Faital Pro 10FE200 in my Hartke XL cab so I thought I would share the outcome. I'm powering it with a Ampeg svt 4 pro in mono bridged at 4 ohms. I didn't like the lack of warmth and the chunky/awkward sound. I wanted to match the power handling of the cab to the head so the Faital Pros were perfect at 150 watts rms and 300 peak and they were affordable at 44 dollars a piece. I owned a 8x10 Ampeg svt classic at one point and thought it was total crap, made out of particle board and 160lbs of mud. I'm sure the heritage sounds much better but those are pricey. The Hartke is made out of decent plywood and built fairly well. The first time I plugged it in I was blown away by how much louder it was then with the aluminum drivers, it really felt like it had some balls. The tone was everything I was hoping for warm full bodied sparkly and gut pounding bass all at the same time and it weighs about 30-40 pounds lighter now. Needless to say I was really happy it sounded so good.


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Steve McQueen on the Moment He Saw Lupita
Steve McQueen's critically acclaimed drama, "12 Years A Slave" has not only received an endless amount of praise from industry insiders and theater-goers, it has also birthed a tremendous amount of recognition for one of the film's stars, Lupita Nyong'o.
Since appearing in McQueen's masterpiece, the 30-year-old actress has graced the covers of various magazines, and spotted rubbing elbows with the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Anna Wintour. Earlier this week McQueen appeared alongside Nyong'o during an episode of "Piers Morgan Live" where he discussed how he was blown away by her presence prior to filming the Oscar-nominated flick.
"I first saw Lupita on tape, and at first I thought it was a mirage, in a way," he recalled. "I was rubbing my eyes as I was seeing what I was seeing. I brought my daughter in, I brought my wife in and they confirmed to me that I was looking at a great actress."
"And then I got on the phone to my agent and said that we need to see this woman immediately. And it was just one of those moments where you kind of just quiver and sort of tremble because you know this is something big."


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Content Related Links
Civil Marriage and Weddings
Firstly let us congratulate you on your forthcoming wedding!
Our Registrars Service arranges Civil Marriage ceremonies at a number of locations in Aberdeen - including, on Fridays and Saturdays, in the city's historic Town House. The Registrars' offices provide guidance and forms for those interested in having a Civil Marriage ceremony.
Getting married is possibly the most important and exciting occasion in any couples life however, it can also be the most stressful time for all those involved.
We hope these pages can help to make life a little easier by providing you with information on how to book a civil marriage ceremony. Included here is information on how to go about visiting the marriage rooms, and contact details of Registrar staff who can give you further advice.
Good luck with your arrangements and thank you for visiting our pages.
Use the navigation to the right to view our various venues and other information.
You can also download our North East Registrar's Guide to Marriage Ceremonies
Converting a Registered Civil Partnership to a Marriage.
From 16th December 2014, Persons already in a Registered Civil Partnership are able to make an application to convert from Civil Partnership to Marriage.
There are 2 ways of doing this, firstly by the administrative route - visiting your local Registrar's Office with your Civil Partnership Certificate, completing the application form (which must be signed in the presence of a Registrar and also in front of each other) and producing the required photographic identification (Passport, Driver's License). The fee for the administrative conversion is now £30, and a fee of £10 is payable for the Marriage Certificate. For guidance on this please see Guidance on Changing a Civil Partnership to a Marriage.
Alternatively, civil partners can convert their civil partnership to marriage by means of a marriage ceremony (civil, religious or belief) in the normal way. Usual arrangements and fees will apply
How to Make a Booking for a Marriage Ceremony.
To make a booking, you first need to decide on a wedding date and choose a venue. Don't forget you can visit the Grant Room at Marischal College by contacting the Registrars on 01224 522616 or email firstname.lastname@example.com or contact the Town Sergeants on 01224 522544 or 522543 to view the rooms available in the Town House.
With new legislation, outwith marriage venues are no longer required to hold a civil marriage license for the Registrar to conduct your ceremony. To discuss a wedding venue, please contact the Registrar's office.
Once you have decided on where and when you would like to get married you can make a booking with a Registrar, either by calling the office on 01224 522616 or visiting our office in Marischal College.
There is a £25 non-refundable and non-transferrable deposit to pay to secure the date and time for your wedding being conducted by a Registrar. This deposit can be paid either in person or over the phone with a credit or debit card.
For more information about your Civil Marriage Ceremony, please see the Civil Marriage Ceremonies leaflet.
What forms you need to submit.
For all marriages occurring in Scotland, the Statutory Marriage Notice Form (M10) must be completed by both parties to the marriage.
Please note on the 15th October 2015, the Marriage Notice Form changed. Please ensure you have the correct form completed.
Please note that from the 1st March 2015 notice must be given not later than 29 days before the date of the marriage.
The Marriage Notice Forms must be submitted to the appropriate Registrar's Office in the district of where you are getting married, not later than 29 days before the date of the marriage.
The forms can be submitted up to 3 months before the ceremony. These forms can be obtained from any Scottish Registration Office or you can download a copy of them here Marriage Notice Form . Please note, both parties to the marriage are required to fill out one marriage notice form each.
We also require you to fill out our Marriage Registration Form, which gives us the names of your two witnesses (including any middle names) and also their home addresses. Your witnesses can be anyone, so long as they are over the age of 16 years and can fully understand and converse in English.
What other documents do I need to submit?
At the time of submitting your Marriage Notice Forms we are also required to see the following documents.
- If you were born in the UK and are unmarried - We are required to see the original of your birth certificate. You are also required to prove your nationality, anyone born after the 1st January 1983 we are also required to see your valid passport if you have one. If you do not have a valid passport we are required to see your mother's birth certificate.
- All parties must show proof of residence. This can be a utility bill, council tax statement or bank statement, this evidence must be dated within the last 3 months.
- If you were born in the UK but have been married or in a Registered Civil Partnership before we are required to see your original decree of divorce or dissolution. If you are widowed, we must see the death certificate of your late spouse.
- If were born outside the UK, we must see your valid passport and where appropriate your visa.
- If you were born outside the UK and have been permanently residing the UK for less than 2 years, you may be required to get a Certificate of No Impediment. For more information about this, please contact the Registrars on either 01224 522616 or email email@example.com .
- If you were divorced outside the UK we must see the original of the divorce and translation if not issued in English. Depending on the country the divorce was finalised you may also be required to complete a Foreign Divorce Questionnaire. For more information about this, please contact the Registrars on either 01224 522616 or email email@example.com .
If you are subject to immigration controls.
From Monday 2nd March 2015, major changes to the process for giving notice of marriage will come into effect.
If you are travelling from a non EEA country and are a non EEA national further documentation will be required to be completed. Please read the attached information carefully.
If you are subject to immigration controls please download and complete a Declaration of Immigration Status Form. Parties to a marriage, who are not British, Swiss or EEA must complete this Declaration of Immigration Status Form which should accompany the marriage notice forms. We cannot accept notice without the completed declaration form.
For advice on what documentation you may need to show please contact the Registrars office on 01224 522616.
Registrars have a statutory duty to report any marriage they suspect has been registered for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls.
What are the fees?
If you are to be married by anyone other than a Registrar the fee you pay to us is £70, this covers the fee to give notice of marriage (£30 each) and a certificate of marriage.
If your ceremony is being conducted by a Registrar, the cost will depend on where and when you are getting married. Please see our Marriage Fees for more information.
For all ceremonies you will be requested to pay the full balance of marriage fees when you complete and submit your marriage notice forms and documentation.
If your wedding is cancelled, only part of the fees are refundable. The Registrar will arrange for reimbursement to be made to you and transferred into your bank account.
If you have any questions about anything above, please do not hesitate to contact us.
- Registrars' Office: Marischal College
Aberdeen AB10 1AB
Tel: 01224 522616 (Monday -Friday 08:30-17:00)
Fax: 01224 346011
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Release Date: 2004 |
FlawedPerfection EMERITUS (3.5)A Crow Left of the Murder is another transformation for Incubus, but this time more drasti...Damrod EMERITUS (4)...deathschool (4.5)An accidental concept album....flamescranes5870 (4)Don't be too put off by this album on your first few listens. You may eventually find this...
NEDM (4.5)...EVedder27 (3.5)No Dirk, but the band survives....riobravo1023 (4.5)...incufreak411 (4.5)...
review's a bit disjointed and there's some grammatical errors, but it's your first so i won't neg.
album is decent
please let me know how my first review was...
Album Rating: 4.0"Since this album is a great overview of Incubus as awhole. I give it a 4/5 "excellent" rating
P.S. In my opinion, there only a hand full of 5/5 albums made in the last 15 years.
please let me know how my first review was..."
dont do this ever again...but i agree that this album is underrated. It's my second favorite from these guys.
Album Rating: 4.0great album
You have writing potential, but your grammar mistakes and inconsistencies make your review really hard to read. Get your reviews proofread by a friend next time, and you'll be better off.
You have some okay points but this review is incredibly disorganised and your grammar is terrible. That last bit about rock'n'roll dying and Rolling fucking Stone's top 50 is completely unnecessary too.
I won't neg because it's your first, but I suggest you take a lot more care next time. Keep at it.
Album Rating: 3.0i love the single from this but wasn't crazy about the rest of the album
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


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You already know I'm a huge Deep Rooted fan, the crew's "Break Of Dawn" recently appeared on our "Old To The New Mixtape" and LMNO has been the hardest working man in Hip-Hop this year. "Banger Management" will serve as LMNO's 6th(!) release this year, for this effort he's linked up with the overlooked Mr. Brady. Out of all LMNO's collaborative efforts to release this year, "Banger Management" (dropping July 6th) is my most anticipated. Peep "Both Sides Spin" below:
Previous post: El-P – Everything Must Go (Demo)
Next post: Ill Poetic – Woke Up f. Jermiside
LMNO & Mr. Brady – Banger Management
Comments on this entry are closed.


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PORTLAND, Ore. – To the surprise of nobody, there were some long faces in the Portland Timbers locker room after they squandered a second-half, 4-2 lead Saturday in a 4-4 draw against Cascadia rival the Seattle Sounders.
Had Portland held on for the victory they not only would have jump started their rough start to the 2014 season, but also beaten their neighbor to the north for the fourth consecutive time.
And while head coach Caleb Porter flatly said he was "dejected" after Sounders forward Clint Dempsey netted two late goals, he also said there were some positives to take away.
"The competitor in me is dejected," Porter said in his postgame comments. "… The coach in me is very encouraged by a lot of the things I saw today."
First, the bad. Porter chalked up at least three of Seattle's goals to individual errors on the Timbers defense, including Seattle's first goal off a corner kick for an unmarked Kenny Cooper.
The Sounders' second was set up on a poor clearance by center back Norberto Paparatto, leading to a Dempsey's first goal of the day. Dempsey's second, off an 85th-minute cross that found the US national team captain in front of an open goal for the easy tap-in, was also due to the failure to mark players in the box.
"For me, the way we played was encouraging, but the mistakes we made in and around our box … that part of the team was very discouraging and concerning," Porter said. "It's one thing if your organization is leading to mistakes, and I don't think that's the case because I thought overall the way we played allowed us to score four goals and allowed us to dominate large portions of the game and dictate the game."
Goalkeeper Andrew Weber said both of Dempsey's goals could have been prevented had the marking of his runs and of the service been better. Dempsey's third came on an 87th-minute penalty, after Ben Zemanski chopped down DeAndre Yedlin in the box to help complete the comeback.
"If you can't get the cross off you can't score, and a couple times today on the goals we didn't clear the line," Weber said. "…For the most part guys were sharp, the lines were sharp. We just have to cut out the silly mistakes because I don't think teams are really creating their chances on us. We're giving them away, and we need to sort that out."
Before Seattle's heroics, there was plenty of good for the Timbers to draw from, especially considering they came into the game with just three goals scored (including one on an opponent's own goal).
With Kalif Alhassan starting for Gaston Fernandez, Portland's offensive flow that propelled them to the Western Conference championship of the MLS Cup Playoffs last year appeared to return. And Diego Valeri (who scored his first of the season) and Darlington Nagbe were perhaps the most dangerous players on the field. Even defensive midfielder Diego Chara got in on the fun with a brace, his first goals scored since the 2012 season.
"I thought for the majority of the game we defended well, we attacked very well, I thought we controlled the game, had our foot on the throat at 4-2," Porter said. "And the way the game was going at 4-2, there was no feeling with what the flow was doing and what you're feeling, that the game was going to turn. A game turns when players make mistakes around the goal."
Dan Itel covers the Timbers for MLSsoccer.com.


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A young Naperville woman had a scary moment when she came face-to-Facebook with her ex-boyfriend.
Christopher Bensfield, 19, was sentenced Friday to six months in jail after he pleaded guilty to sending his ex-girlfriend a Facebook message threatening to kill her, reports the Naperville Sun.
Bensfield had been arrested in January and was released Tuesday, having already served 93 days in jail. He was given credit for good behavior.
The young Naperville man sent threatening messages on Facebook to his ex-girlfriend, saying he would kill or do serious harm to her and her new boyfriend if she didn't resume their relationship, police told the Naperville Sun.
After several attempts at telling Bensfield to stop, the woman printed the messages and took them to police.
Bensfield, who may suffer from bipolar disorder, pleaded guilty to harassment by electronic communication device, reports the Daily Herald.
He has also been placed on 30 months of probation, must undergo counseling, and is not allowed any contact with his ex.
That includes "pokes."
Matt Bartosik is a Chicago native and a social media sovereign.


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Steamboat Springs morning roundup for Monday, Jan. 20
January 20, 2014
Good morning Steamboat Today readers.
• The Steamboat Springs 17-year-old half-pipe snowboarder is going to the Olympics, her spot becoming official Sunday. Arielle Gold earns spot on Olympic team
• South Routt School District staff and teachers are going to be switching things up a bit the next two Tuesdays, participating in wellness days in replacement of the usual staff development routine. South Routt teachers, staff trying out wellness days
• As adults continue to line up to buy their first bags of recreational marijuana here in Steamboat Springs, many teenagers in Routt County quietly are wondering how this new age of pot sales could affect them. Some Routt County teens concerned about impact of marijuana legalization
• Water service will increase from $28.60 to $32 per month, and sewer will increase from $31.60 to $33 per month, for a total monthly bill of $65. Water, sewer rates to rise in Yampa
• More than 80 competitors took to Stagecoach Reservoir on Sunday for the third annual Steamboat Great Outdoors Ice Fishing Tournament. Stagecoach ice fishing tourney draws more than 80 competitors
Recommended Stories For You
• Bryan Fletcher capped the best weekend of his season Sunday, finishing fifth in a three-part Nordic combined World Cup event in Seefeld, Austria. Bryan Fletcher skis to 5th, finishes best weekend of World Cup season
• When it comes to selecting the U.S. freestyle moguls team, it's going to be tight. The final World Cup event before the naming of the Olympic team this week only clouded the issue. Strong results cloud Olympic chances for women's moguls team
• Steamboat, Hayden and Soroco all had strong days on the mats at wrestling tournaments Saturday. Strong area wrestlers help Steamboat, Hayden place 2nd in tournaments
SSWSC Century Mark: Tommy Mewborn
Healthy Eating: Alpine baked oatmeal
Health briefs: Health insurance marketplace meetings scheduled
Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association: So what is HPV anyway?
Monday Medical: Flu is widespread in Colorado
Routt County Board of Commissioners meeting agenda for Jan. 20 and 21, 2014
Thoughtful Parenting: Take the stress out of winter travel by being prepared
Steamboat briefs: Chief Players auditions for next production start Monday


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ROME (Reuters) - Italy's government looked on the verge of collapse on Tuesday after an ally of Prime Minister Romano Prodi deserted the centre-left coalition, depriving him of a parliamentary majority.
Prodi was to address parliament at 10 a.m. (0900 GMT) in a bid to hold the government together, but his chances of survival appeared slim as he was likely to lose any confidence vote in the upper house where he now has fewer seats than the opposition.
"We'll need to see if Prodi will throw in the towel -- something that's anything but certain," said leading daily Corriere della Sera. "(But) the hypothesis that Prodi can emerge intact from such a violent blow seems unbelievable."
Prodi's government has wobbled many times since he narrowly beat his centre-right rival, the media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, at elections in April 2006.
The latest, possibly fatal, crisis followed the resignation last week of justice minister Clemente Mastella and his decision on Monday to withdraw the support of his small Catholic Udeur party from the coalition. He said he favoured snap elections.
"This majority does not exist anymore, this centre left is finished," said Mastella, whose departure with two other Udeur senators wipes out Prodi's two-seat majority in the upper house.
Mastella quit the cabinet after he and his wife came under investigation in a corruption probe. He initially said his party would vote with Prodi, a position he then unexpectedly reversed.
The defection left Prodi in a corner and prompted opposition calls for him to step down right away.
But the premier chose instead to address lawmakers and possibly coerce his allies into a last-ditch show of support with a confidence vote in both chambers of parliament, something Il Corriere compared to a captain going down with his ship.
"If I go down, I'll do it standing up. I want to look them in the eye as they vote against me," it reported him as saying.
La Stampa daily quoted him saying he believed he would lose a confidence vote -- something which would hand the future of Italy's government to state president Giorgio Napolitano.
"Let's go and see what happens in the Senate. If, as I imagine will happen, we don't have a majority, the ball will be in the court of the head of state."
Napolitano could call fresh elections or ask someone else to form an interim government -- a short-lived administration which could revamp election laws blamed for the political instability.
Such a government would need widespread, cross-party support, which is far from guaranteed. The centre-right former premier Silvio Berlusconi, who believes he has a strong chance of returning to power, is reported to favour a snap election.
Prodi has had a turbulent ride since coming to power in May 2006, after the closest election in modern Italian history.
Weakened by constant infighting in his Catholic-to-communist coalition, he briefly had to resign last year, but no major ally had previously withdrawn support altogether.
Prodi could still win votes in the upper house -- where until now he had a two-seat majority -- with the support of seven unelected lifetime senators as he has done in the past, though their vote cannot be taken for granted.
The prospect of a referendum to change the electoral law, opposed by small parties on both sides of the house because it would reduce their influence in future coalitions, might tip the balance in favour of early elections with the present system.
"For us the crisis is already happening, there's no need to fiddle around," said Natale D'Amico, a senator from a small centrist party in Prodi's coalition that often criticises him.


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Study: Office Trinkets Can Harm Career
A new study from the University of Michigan finds that too many personal items on your desk can hurt your professional image. The study shows if more than one in five items adorning your cubicle are personal, others may view you as unprofessional. So when looking for a promotion take a look at your desk top; you might want to tuck away those family photos, stuffed animals, football ticket stubs and replace them with company memos.


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I've Got Bugs
Elmer, OK 73539
I've Got Bugs specializes in fly fishing and family-friendly fall attractions. Before Halloween, explore the pumpkin...Learn More
I've Got Bugs specializes in fly fishing and family-friendly fall attractions. Before Halloween, explore the pumpkin...Learn More
Carmichael's Pumpkin Patch is located in Bixby and is one of the Tulsa area's most adorable fall destinations....Learn More
Imagine you're locked inside of an abandoned building where undercover operations were launched during the Cold...Learn More
Test your wits and devise on-the-fly strategies next time you find yourself trapped in a room at Top Secret Escape Games...Learn More
Head out to the River Country Family Water Park in Muskogee for a full day of fun in the sun. Kids of all ages and...Learn More
Meet adorable barn animals, pet friendly reptiles and listen to exotic birds sing during your next trip to Hochatown...Learn More
Come October, kids are invited to tour Lil Gladys' Farm & Pumpkin Patch in Stigler. Before making a decision on...Learn More
Round up your gaming group for an afternoon or evening of friendly competition at Loot & XP. This tabletop game hub...Learn More
Featuring the latest in ramp construction, this skate park offers a total of 24 different elements, including half and...Learn More
Located just south of the downtown area and the Oklahoma River, this 26,000 sq ft skate park is the largest and most...Learn More


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Tamer Husni breaks record for highest paid singer
Egyptian singer Tamer Husni has revealed that he will encounter his first acting experience in a television drama during the holy month of Ramadan in the year 2011. Tamer revealed that he finally found the perfect script for a television drama which is suitable for his encountering the silver screen and described it as the bombshell of the season.
Tamer stated that the Egyptian and Arab viewer will see him in a completely different image in the new drama different from any previous role he played on the big screen. Tamer also revealed that the drama will be the biggest television production in the year 2011 and he will be paid the highest wage given to an Egyptian artist in the history of television drama.
The singer is to begin filming the scenes for the new drama after the first Muslim holiday Eid El Fitr which coincides after the holy month of Ramadan. Until this moment the remaining cast for the drama has not been chosen.


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Join Urbane Living For Their Champagne Showroom Opening
Champagne reception celebrates Chiswick showroom bringing high-quality interiors to the high street!
October 17, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Urbane Living is inviting members of the public to join them for the grand opening of their new Chiswick showroom.
From 12pm on Thursday 18 October and Friday 19 October, interiors enthusiasts are welcome to drop by for a glass of champagne whilst they browse Urbane Living's range of unusual wood floors, carpets and wall coverings. Experts will also be on hand to discuss products and design ideas.
The flagship showroom boasts 130m2 of floor space and is conveniently located on the busy Chiswick High Road alongside cafes, restaurants and interior design boutiques.
The space has been carefully designed by local interior designer Kate Arbuthnott and each detail has been meticulously planned to create a calming and inspiring atmosphere for homeowners and interior designers.
A sophisticated colour scheme and strategic product displays ensure the showroom feels spacious, uncluttered and soothing. Different decorative wallpapers have been used throughout the showroom, including metallic wallpaper, to give a contemporary look and feel and to illustrate how these papers can be used to add warmth and
interest to a space.
No need to worry about the stresses of shopping with children either. Urbane Living has included a showroom 'Snug' which features a tree and fawn by a Dutch designer, giving the space an extra touch of fun which is sure to keep little ones entertained.
Urbane Living, which has been based in Chiswick for a number of years, is opening its new showroom to display some of its range to members of the public and businesses that are interested in wooden flooring. As well as many varieties of wood flooring, Urbane Living also specialises in eco-friendly paints, alternative flooring and
decorative wall covering.
Adam Robertson, co-founder of Urbane Living, commented, "We are thrilled with our new showroom and we warmly invite you to visit us and see it for yourself. Please do come along for a glass of champagne!"
Categories: Home Improvement and Renovations
Tags: design, home furnishings, Interior design


text: On Fri, Feb 16, 2001 at 02:27:43PM +0100, Christoph Martin wrote: > Is it our goal to get debian-mips into woody? > > Do we have major problems building packages? The autobuilder of Ryan > seams to work fine. I could restart my buildd (using the wanna-build > db on auric) to help here, but I don't have as much time analysing > problems as in the beginning. > > Any ideas how to build boot-floppies? > > Christoph I dont know If it is our goal, but I think the mips-bootfloppies is one of the hardest things to do. That's why I think the bootfloppies(for mips it is the initrd/root.img), which decides if mips is in woody or not. Becaus of my job and my sometimes laziness, I didnt get much further with it. Hm maybe this release dates give me some efforts to work really hard on it. -- Henning Heinold


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- Kristen Pugh
- A spooky wall of masks, part of the intricate decor at the Wicked Workshop.
Two weeks before Halloween, I joined little Harry Potters and Cinderellas, already in trick-or-treat mode and ready to be spooked, to traipse through the Children's Museum's Guild Wicked Workshop, which proved just as intriguing as some big-kid houses, but quite a bit less bloody. As you worked your way through the house, you entered different rooms of the witches workshops: Frankenstein's lair, the skeleton assembly room, and the black cats haunting, to name a few. The fanciful decor of each room perfectly fits the theme with fun treats for the eyes to keep patrons amused. Its just spooky enough to command a scream when a hidden ghoul in a black robe jumps out to scare.
During the day the museum keeps the lights making the attraction friendly for younger children. I almost wondered if the more well-lit tour would be even more fun, as I could have taken more time to fully explore each of the rooms, rather than rush to find my way in the dark maze like atmosphere. It doesn't take long to go through the haunted house, but the staff warned that on weekends the lines are long.
At $7 (for non-members), it's an inexpensive haunted house, but it doesn't include admission to the Children's Museum. To really make it worth the trip, parents can expect to shell out extra to take their children to see the other ongoing exhibits at the museum.


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Achievement Description Value 100% Bull Hit 3 bullseyes in a row 25 A Tommy Gun! Acquire the Blaster and take out 10 enemies with it 15 Around the Bowl Defeat Bad Bill in Forbidden Mine 20 Blue Sevens Collect 10 000 Sheriff Stars 15 Bull's Eye! Hit a bullseye in Golden Bullet mode for the first time 10 Clatto Verata N Complete Zombie Invasion 20 Clay Pigeon Launch an enemy with an uppercut then shoot him three times 15 Crate Hate Smash open 250 crates 5 Curiouser and Curiouser Complete Nowhere & Back 20 Demolitions Lure a Jumper to land on a shotgun shell 15 Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum! Complete Land of Giants 20 Forty Niner Complete The Forbidden Mine 20 Good Air Day Launch 10 enemies off the train in Water Train 10 Gun Happy Complete a tale using only your gun 20 Hero of Dirt Complete the game in medium mode 30 Hero of the West Complete the game in hard mode 60 Homesteader Complete Jenkins Cousins' Homestead 20 Honorable Cowboy Defeat a shooter without using your gun 5 I Got a Present For Ya! Acquire the Launcher and take out 10 enemies with it 15 I Shot the Sheriff Defeat 6 zombies with one golf shot 15 It's Not Easy Being Green Complete a tale without dying 20 Legend of the West Complete hard mode and gather all unlocks & all collectibles 125 McClane Worthy Escape the exploding train in Water Train 10 Meep! Meep! Ride a roadrunner for an entire level without dying 30 Red Sevens Collect 150 000 Sheriff Stars 25 Red, White & Blue Sevens Collect 200 000 Sheriff Stars 50 Rock and Roll Cowboy Survive the crumbling canyon in The Return of Rattlesnake Jake 10 Saint Patty Complete The Return of Rattlesnake Jake 20 Snake Charmer Defeat Rattlesnake Jake in The Return of Rattlesnake Jake 20 Spread the Love Acquire the Spreadshot and take out 10 enemies with it 15 Sting Like a Bee Defeat 100 enemies with melee attacks 10 Taking Aim Defeat 20 enemies using manual aim 15 Tank Buster Defeat a huge charging rabbit using only melee attacks, without taking any damage from him 30 The Bigger They Are Defeat Lars in Land of Giants 20 The Cleaner Defeat 500 enemies 15 The Cooler King Complete Rodent Clan 20 They Got a Pill For That Shoot Bad Bill's dynamite bundle before he throws it in Water Train 5 Thirsty Work Defeat Bad Bill in Water Train 20 This is Bat Country! Ride a bat for an entire level without dying 30 Thorough Examination Defeat the Alien Probe in Alien Showdown 20 Three Sevens Collect 1000 Sheriff Stars 10 Train Surfer Complete Water Train 20 White Sevens Collect 100 000 Sheriff Stars 20 Who's Bad Now? Defeat Bad Bill in Rodent Clan 20 Why Can't We All Just Get Along? Complete Alien Showdown 20 Widow Maker Defeat 1000 enemies 25
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text:
GREEN COVE SPRINGS -- Grade it 'U' for ugly -- and still unbeaten.
The St. Augustine High School football team was buried by its offense and scorched by its special teams.
Everything was out of character for the second-ranked Yellow Jackets, except a defense that just refused to break.
A host of SAHS defenders gang-tackled Clay quarterback Blaine Shine just shy of the goal line in overtime, persevering for a 13-7 victory.
When Shine's knee hit the ground on a fourth-and-goal, it also marked the first time in three seasons that SAHS had managed to beat the Blue Devils.
Each of the last two years, Clay (4-2) has robbed the Yellow Jackets (6-0) of their unbeaten record at this exact point of the season.
It would've been three in a row had the defense not stiffened.
Clay's evening to remember, courtesy of the SAHS defense: 41 plays, 49 yards.
The Yellow Jackets' offense was a smidgen better, but not much.
SAHS had just six first downs and a paltry 171 yards of total offense. SAHS ball-handlers also coughed up four fumbles, losing three.
"I don't know if the defense could play better than it did tonight," said SAHS coach Joey Wiles.
"This was as exciting of a game as you'd want to go to."
Sputtering whenever it had the ball, the Yellow Jackets limped into overtime knotted at 7-7.
SAHS got possession to start the extra frame, getting four downs to score from the Clay 10.
The first two plays lost five yards before Taurean Johnson changed the Yellow Jackets' fortunes.
On a double-handoff, Johnson shot up the middle and fought down to the goal line.
Facing a third-and-1 at the chalk of the end zone, quarterback Willie Cooper tried to sneak in and was stuffed.
With one down left, SAHS opted to run again, this time going up the chute with fullback Ronnie McKnight, who went unscathed over the line.
But Clay blocked the point after and took over for its shot in overtime.
Robert Adams ripped a six-yard run, falling down at the SAHS 4 before a host of Yellow Jackets' pulled him down.
Questionable play-calling by the Blue Devils' staff -- something that became a trait from the outset -- saw the next two plays lose yardage.
Now on the 6-yard line and needing a score, Shine (nine carries, 14 yards) rolled to his right and faked a pass before pulling the leather down to run.
He made it inside the SAHS 3 before getting yanked down by a pair of Yellow Jackets defenders.
Game over.
"We knew we had the ability to step it up," said linebacker Jonathan Drake, who was huge in the final sequence with fellow back Chris Hayward.
"We came in knowing we had to do our best. It was exciting."
Nothing went right for SAHS on offense or special teams from the outset.
Following a sizzling 75-yard return on the opening kickoff by Johnson, the Yellow Jackets fumbled on their first play from scrimmage.
The second SAHS drive ended identically as the first, with McKnight (10 carries, 34 yards) putting the ball on the ground.
Both drives were in Blue Devils' territory.
Only a 26-yard scoring run with three seconds left to play in the opening quarter from Johnson (13 carries, 54 yards) proved positive, as SAHS took a 7-0 lead into the third.
"I think our offense got frustrated when they weren't moving it," Wiles said. "That's common at any level. But Clay is a tremendous team."
After Alex Pollard recovered a fumble with the Blue Devils driving, SAHS again managed nothing offensively.
Facing a fourth-and-16 from its own 19, punter Kyle Forson had his kick blocked.
Charles Clark scooped up the loose ball, and wobbled in from the 5 to knot the score at 7.
"That's the first blocked punt we've had in seven years," Wiles said. "Our special teams have got to get better. "You're talking about a blocked punt, a bad extra-point snap. That's not typical."
After swapping kicks until the start of the fourth, the Yellow Jackets finally began moving the ball. Lopping seven minutes off clock, SAHS used a 14-play drive to set up a 45-yard field goal attempt for kicker Micah Clukey.
But Forson had trouble with the snap, and wound up getting slung to the ground.
Clay had its biggest chance for a win waved off on the following drive.
With a sliver under two minutes to play, Clark (14 carries, minus-4 yards) snuck around the right side and went 59 yards into the end zone.
But a holding penalty erased the score.
"It was tough," said SAHS defensive back Quinton Sparrow. "But we saw how this team was. We fought through and came out."
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text: Thom's work has emerged as part of his research for his recent doctorate in modern maritime ruins. Having established himself withinthe architectural world, it was suggested early on in his studies that he should make the marks 'of an architect' in response to the experience of visiting these site of dereliction. "These images owe much to my training as an architect: they are orthogonal and driven by proportion and geometry. But they scratch away at the surface of modernist perfection and reveal that all of our works ultimately arrive at dissolution".


text:
Two Tamaqua men cited for disorderly conduct
Two men were cited following an incident in Tamaqua on June 8.
Police were dispatched to Mountain Avenue at 8 p.m., in the area of the East End Playground, for a disturbance, where they were met by Francesco Pavia, 42. Pavia told officer a gray Subaru had passed him and his children, traveling at a high rate of speed.
According to Pavia, he yelled and the driver stopped the car and then began cursing at him in front of the children. He also claimed the driver pushed him.
The Subaru was parked further along the street. When the officer approached, a younger male appeared and began screaming at Pavia, who screamed back.
After the officer ordered both men to desist, he spoke to the younger man, Christopher M. Boylan, 20, of 616 Arlington St.
Boylon said he was driving down the street and stopped when Pavia tried to flag him down. Thinking the man needed help, Boylan stopped. Pavia then began yelling at him, but he couldn't understand what he was saying "due to his strong Italian accent." He claimed the older man reached in his car, scratching his neck, then slapped at the car window.
A partial hand print was observed on the Subaru's window.
Both men were cited for disorderly conduct.


text:
Members of a property tycoon's family locked themselves in a bathroom after he fired a shotgun out of the bedroom window at his Perthshire estate house.
William Frame, 55, took the gun from a locked cupboard and discharged it through the open window and out into the garden.
Relatives - understood to include his wife and father-in-law - took refuge in the toilet and locked themselves in as Frame went on the rampage.
Loading article content
At Perth Sheriff Court, Frame - the founder of property company Braemore Estates - admitted conducting himself in a disorderly manner on June 16 last year.
Frame, from Gamefield, Ochtertyre, admitted shouting and swearing and threatening to kill himself at the family home near Crieff, Perthshire.
He admitted taking a shotgun from a locked cabinet and firing it through an open window into the garden, which caused fear and alarm to other people in the house. The charge states that they hid in a locked bathroom.
Sentencing on Frame was deferred for background reports until next month.
He had previously been banned, as a condition of bail, from contacting his wife and father-in-law after being charged with the offence.
As special conditions of bail, he was banned from approaching his wife Wendy Frame, or returning to Gamefield. He was also prohibited from visiting his father-in-law. The businessman has owned a series of property interests and has been involved as a company director with a number of businesses including Paparazzi Restaurants.


text:
Today, WTI spreads continued their blow out, making the lives of all Goldman clients who expect the spread to collapse a living hell (with ever louder rumors of pending or already transpired energy fund blow ups). The spread between April-delivery WTI futures and Brent, the basis for European and West African crudes, widened $1.63 to $15.70 a barrel at 12:16 p.m. in New York. And since in addition to Brent, there are roughly 100 other grades, here is how WTI has been trading compared to some of the more illiquid varieties: Light Louisiana Sweet premium increased 30 cents to a
record $20.10 while Heavy Louisiana Sweet premium widened 30 cents to $20. Mars Blend's
premium to WTI strengthened 40 cents to $14 a barrel, while
Poseidon increased 30 cents to $14.30 over the benchmark. Southern Green Canyon's premium widened 40 cents to $13.
Thunder Horse's premium to WTI strengthened 5 cents to $19.20.
West Texas Sour's discount narrowed 35 cents to $6.40. Syncrude's premium widened 50 cents to $8.50 a barrel.
The discount for Western Canada Select widened $1.25 a
barrel to $21 a barrel. Yet despite all these divergence dynamics, it is the WTI that is of critical importance due to its prevailing liquidity and utilization in the US. Luckily for Ben, the WTI glut just hit a record, allowing the Fed to continue pretending that the real price of oil is not well over $100. Per Bloomberg: "Stockpiles at Cushing, the delivery point for futures traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, rose in the week ended Jan. 28 to 38.3 million barrels, according to the Energy Department. That was the highest level in records begun in 2004. Last week TransCanada Corp. started deliveries to the hub from its Keystone pipeline, which connects Alberta and Cushing." What is more interesting is recent speculation that ConocoPhillips may reverse its Seaway pipeline to relieve the Cushing excess. This would make economic sense for Conoco, yet for some odd reason the company refuses to proceed.
Per Bloomberg:
ConocoPhillips isn't interested in reversing the Seaway pipeline that brings crude from the U.S. Gulf Coast to the fuel hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, where inventories of crude oil reached a record high last month.
"We don't really think that's in our interest because we need more crude in the area" to supply the company's refineries in the Midcontinent, Jim Mulva, ConocoPhillips's chief executive officer, said during a conference call hosted by ISI Group today.
"A reversal would send up to 350,000 barrels a day of crude from Cushing directly to Houston, significantly releasing pressure on the Cushing complex," said JBC Energy GmbH, a Vienna-based researcher.
The 530-mile (853-kilometer) Seaway pipeline, operated by Enterprise Products Partners LP, carries crude northbound from Freeport, Texas, to Cushing. It also supplies refineries in the Houston area and has a usable storage capacity of 3.4 million barrels, according to the company's website.
Rick Rainey, a spokesman for Enterprise, said in an e-mail that ConocoPhillips and Enterprise would have to agree to reverse the pipeline. Seaway's former operator, Teppco Partners LP, said in 2007 it would consider a reversal.
Without getting conspiratorial, there is only one entity that would benefit from a market mispricing and a supply glut keeping prices lower, thereby not spooking US drivers into seeing surging gas prices. This is certainly a story worth following: should Conoco do the right thing for its shareholders and reverse Seaway, look for the various WTI spreads to collapse overnight.
And since the US now lives in a mispriced energy world too, below is a chart of gasoline prices in the EU, where gas is about 100% more expensive than in the US to begin with. Look for transportations protests in Europe shortly, as drivers say "basta a Bernank."


text:
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text:
SAO PAULO — Fiat SpA is creating a business unit specifically for sales of its light-duty trucks. The focus of the new unit will be the Ducato, a van to be produced by Iveco Fiat in Sete Lagoas beginning in July. "The segment for light pickups and vans is requiring more refinements," says Lelio Salles Ramos, sales director of Fiat Automoveis. The new business unit plans to begin operations this month with a budget of US$4.2 million. Despite a 30% drop in vehicle production in Brazil last ...
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text:
Simple I know...but it is a start.
Printable View
Simple I know...but it is a start.
Ugh. Use a window (or a real GUI), if you can.
What do you mean by real GUI? (wxWidgets, Qt) those take experience to use. I dont have MSVC++ Standard so I cant use MFC.
A window. The typical thing you see everywhere in your OS. It doesn't matter what you use, be it wxWidgets, Qt or MFC. Just don't use a dos prompt - because the results are, as you see... ugly, to say the least.
Real professionals (or games designers) tend to use DirectX (or Direct3D) to do graphics, but that's probably overcourse...
oops...forgot the disclaimer
* I am not a real professional nor a games*
*programmer. I am just a novice learning *
* how to program*/
Actually I think I will stick to a console window. I am not planning any graphics, so I believe a graphics api is a little overkill.
But you are using graphics. And it doesn't look pretty.
Everything will look better outside the dos prompt. It wasn't designed for graphics.
Granted the graphics suck...But I would really like to steer away from real graphics and focus on the programming part.
The console is fine, but I'm not a big fan of the green background. Perhaps a different colour?
I could...there arent a whole lot of options though.
After a little more effort...
It's quite well done, for a console program. You can't get much better than that. :)
Something you might consider is something like T.O.M.E. does. You use a graphics window, so you can have graphics if you need them -- but most of the time you just use text. Use a bitmap font, and it probably wouldn't be much more complicated than ordinary console programming.
Have you read the book Epic by Conor Kostick by any chance? http://www.amazon.com/Epic-Conor-Kos...7579537&sr=1-2
It's about an RPG called Epic . . . not that it's an uncommon name or anything. :)
Looks better, but still looks very poor. But that's what I guess you get for using a dos prompt.
No I havent. Though I should probably read an RPG book. The title for my game is Soldier of Fortune...but thats too big to put in the window. I needed an easy four letter word.Quote:
Have you read the book Epic by Conor Kostick by any chance? http://www.amazon.com/Epic-Conor-Kos...7579537&sr=1-2
It's about an RPG called Epic . . . not that it's an uncommon name or anything.
I was thinking of using bitmaps and may do so later...there are plenty of resources on the internet in that regard. Right now I want to focus more on collison detection (using an ASCII map) and AI. Thats why I decided on a RPG...simple and fun to create.
BTW can I load a bitmap in a console window or do I need a REAL Window for that.:)
FWIW that large blank gray space on the left is where the ASCII map will go. I just havent got that far yet.


text:
Mr. Bella and I are headed to the wedding of his best friend, Dave, and his fiancée, Liz, in just a few short weeks. Boston, here we come for some wicked awesome times. After snooping around on Liz's Facebook page, I spotted these convivial photos, along with some well-applied makeup and perfectly waved hair on the bride-to-be.
If you're getting married, ask your hairdresser for a makeup artist recommendation. That's how Liz found Shauna Shay, the makeup artist who used MAC products in these photos for Liz's soft bridal palette. Find out how the future Mrs. Dave used her trial run makeup appointment — along with an antique Boston trolley — to create a fun pre-wedding photo shoot when you
Liz said,
A lot of people schedule their hair and/or makeup trial for the day of their shower or some other event they want to look good for. Our photographer includes an engagement shoot with his package, but we had already sent our engagement announcement in to papers and everything, so this shoot was pretty much a freebie, and I used it to see how the makeup would photograph. My cousin helped us get a permit for a trolley line in Boston that has antique cars, and we just had fun taking pics. It was good to work with our photographer before the big day and get comfortable, too.
Looking for some more wedding planning inspiration? Check out my wedding coverage for other beauty-themed posts.
Photos courtesy of Charles Bandes Photography


text:
Wis. lieutenant battles rare Stage 4 cancer
Lt. Chris Blaszak has been diagnosed with a life-threatening form of cancer
By Jeremy Ross
Fox 6
MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee police lieutenant has seen hundreds of homicide cases and has seen danger while serving overseas — but now, he's facing death in a way he never imagined. MPD Lt. Chris Blaszak has been diagnosed with a life-threatening form of cancer.
Blaszak has been on sick leave for weeks now — recovering from surgeries to his face, after what Blaszak thought was an infected wisdom tooth turned out to be Stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the mandible.
"It's a shock to everybody," Blaszak's cousin, Delanie Ford set up a fundraising webpage to help the family deal with the costs insurance won't cover and the income cancer has taken away from Blaszak's family. Blaszak is in the process of considering chemo and radiation therapy.
Full Story: MPD Lieutenant, veteran faces rare Stage 4 cancer diagnosis


text:
This script is Copyright (C) 2013 Tenable Network Security, Inc.
Synopsis :
The remote Scientific Linux host is missing one or more security
Description :
This update fixes the following security issue :
It was found that a deadlock could occur in the Out of Memory (OOM)
killer. A process could trigger this deadlock by consuming a large
amount of memory, and then causing request_module() to be called. A
local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to cause a denial of
service (excessive memory consumption). (CVE-2012-4398, Moderate)
The system must be rebooted for this update to take effect.
See also :
Solution :
Update the affected packages.
Risk factor :
Medium / CVSS Base Score : 4.9
Family: Scientific Linux Local Security Checks
Nessus Plugin ID: 70467 ()
Get Nessus Professional to scan unlimited IPs, run compliance checks & moreBuy Nessus Professional Now


text:
Hardy Storage Company, LLC
Original Volume No. 1
Contents / Previous / Next / Main Tariff Index
Effective Date: 04/01/2007, Docket: CP05-150-003, Status: Effective
Original Sheet No. 133 Original Sheet No. 133 : Effective
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS (Cont'd)
17.2 System Specific Operational Standards for Issuance of OFOs.
(a) Proper utilization of Seller's storage facilities is crucial to
Seller's ability to provide firm services to Customers. Therefore, in the
event Seller determines that action is necessary to prevent damage to the
integrity of its storage field(s) or to ensure the operating performance of
Seller's system, including its storage field(s), Seller may issue an OFO
Order as follows to preserve its ability to provide firm service to
(1) Seller may issue an OFO limiting or prohibiting transfers
of injection rights, withdrawal rights, or storage inventory by
(2) Seller may issue an OFO directing a Customer to adjust HSCQ
balances or operate within the limitations on storage injections or
withdrawals as set forth in the Customer's Service Agreement or the
applicable Rate Schedule.


text:
OTTAWA -- Jason Spezza gladly will fly to Turin and then become part of a taxi squad if that's what it takes to be a part of Team Canada.
The same goes for Bryan McCabe.
Neither Spezza, the Ottawa Senators' fine young centre, nor McCabe, the Maple Leafs' high-scoring defenceman, are expected to be a part of the 23-man roster Canada will announce Wednesday for the 2006 Winter Olympics. But now there could be a stronger chance they will spend a few weeks in Italy in February with the revelation the IIHF has given the hockey teams the go-ahead for a three-man taxi squad to be used in emergency situations.
"Definitely, I would go in any role," said the 22-year-old Spezza, who entered last night's game against the Leafs seventh in NHL scoring with 43 points. "First and foremost I would like to go over and play, and if they are bringing more guys over, it increases the chances of going."
Of the three young forwards for Canada to consider -- Spezza, Sidney Crosby and Eric Staal -- the consensus is Crosby has the inside spot to being named to the initial roster.
McCabe led NHL defencemen in scoring prior to last night with 38 points, and was nine ahead of the second-highest scoring blueliner, Lubomir Visnovsky of the Los Angeles Kings. Other defencemen who could be named to the taxi squad include Dan Boyle of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dion Phaneuf of the Calgary Flames.
"(A spot as a reserve) would be fine for anyone," McCabe said. "Everyone wants to go, but there is only a certain amount of spots. We'll see what happens."
Leafs coach Pat Quinn will be behind Canada's bench after guiding the club to a gold medal in Salt Lake City in 2002 and is in complete favour of taking three more players. Hockey Canada brass has not yet decided whether the three-man group will be named on Wednesday. The taxi squad does not have to be identified until 24 hours before the hockey games start at the Olympics.
"It provides us three more guys in case of an injury and there is some chance (injuries)will happen," Quinn said. "We play a lot of games in a short time, so this is pretty good foresight. It's wise that all teams are allowed to have three extra guys."
A final conference call will be held on Wednesday morning in the hours prior to the announcement.


text:
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Birds flock to a grove of rain trees dripping into a pond in the entry courtyard. Bainbridge artists Little and Lewis made the trees of concrete and planted them in moss and ferns.
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Hollywood Legend Shirley Temple Dies at 85
Subscribe to 92 Moose on
Shirley Temple has died at her home in California. She was 85.
According to USA Today, the movie and television actress and former child star with the iconic curly hair, died Monday (Feb. 10) surrounded by family at her home near San Francisco.
Temple was America's top box-office draw as a child star. As a matter of fact, from 1935, when she was 7, until 1938 she was the number 1 box office attraction. Her films include such classics as 'Curly Top' and 'The Littlest Rebel.'
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Mythic unveiled a series of "Account Entitlements" for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning today. These Entitlements are convenience items that can be purchased for real world money.
There are some MMO's that have no subscriptions and are completely funded by these sorts of payments (referred to as "microtransactions"). In fact, Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons and Dragons Online have both been rejuvenated by moving to such a revenue model. For now, it looks like Warhammer is keeping subscriptions but it wouldn't be hard to imagine them being removed in the future if these microtransactions are received well.
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text:
I recently sat in a meeting at a mega church preparing with the leadership team for the service. Instead of simply introducing me as the speaker and providing a quick bio or short story, they wanted to interview me so the church members could get to know me better.
Most of the questions were easy-peasy. Where are you from? What's your favorite pastime? Tell us about Hershey.
Then the interviewer asked, "If you could swim in a huge pool of anything, what would it be?"
Most of you probably already know your answer to that question.
I was completely stumped. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"Like a pool of jellybeans," she explained.
Oh. I'd like to swim in a pool of water.
Can you hear the thunderous gong? How about the loud buzzer? Can you see the crane pulling me off stage?
For those of us who aren't good on our feet, someone will say something snappy, and we'll have a witty comeback . . . three days later. Sometimes the simplest questions, comments, and interactions throw us for a loop.
Ask me to "wing it" and I splat on the ground. Guts everywhere.
Here are six tips for those who struggle with being put on the spot:
1. Ask for the questions and topic ahead of time. Whether you're meeting with a school board, business client, community leader, or Sunday school class, if you know you're going to be asked questions publicly, ask for the questions and topics ahead of time. Sometimes you're going to need to be firm.
Then carve out time to reflect on them while you're driving or taking a walk. In a free moment, jot down notes on a piece of paper as talking or discussion points. There will always be things you can't prepare for, but the least you can do is be ready for those you can!
2. Be honest with others. Because of your personality, job title, or role, people may assume you're great on your feet. They may think you're quick witted or naturally gifted at developing a fast but thoughtful response. Graciously explain that in order to best serve the person and all those involved you need time to think, reflect, and fashion your responses. Your honesty will help those involved get you what you need to set yourself—and everyone—up for success.
3. Study those who are quick witted. Take notes whenever you watch television shows with quick-witted characters. Watch how comedians interact and handle live audiences—including the heckler. Adapt some of their responses, when appropriate, as your own.
But don't only watch from afar. Make a list of 3 to 5 people in your life who are naturally good on their feet. A lot of times you can easily identify these people, but have you ever studied what exactly makes them so good? While some people have a different response for every situation, most have a collection of well-crafted responses that cover a myriad of situations.
For example, how do you respond to someone that catches you off guard about a fiery, hot button issue in front of others? As I began watching those who seem so quick-witted, I began to notice a pattern. They all responded by affirming the person's concern, thanking them for raising the issue, then asked a follow up question. This bought time not only to think but also to better understand the underlying issue. This is when I discovered one of the great secrets of the quick-witted: they find ways not to be put on the spot.
4. Don't be afraid to say you don't know. Rather than try to steal the show with the snappy comeback you don't have, choose to compliment the other person. A simple reply of "You're the best!" can often diffuse a potentially awkward situation. Depending on the situation, you may be able to endear yourself by being honest. "You are so clever you've caught me completely off guard. Can I get back to you. . . in three days?"
5. Deflect by posing the comment or question to the other person. If you're stumped by a comment or question, you may find yourself in a situation where deflecting is appropriate and ask, "What would you say if you were me?" or "I think I'm going to need your help getting out of this one!"
6. Practice. Practice. Practice. One of the best ways to get better at being put on the spot is to be put on the spot more often. I know. Brutal. Murderous. Terrible. But with time and practice, we start adding to our collection of quick responses and learn how to more gracefully survive those potentially awkward moments.
Oh, and if I could swim in a huge pool of anything today, I'd dive into a pool of thin mint cookies with a hot tub of hot chocolate nearby by to dip them in. Yum. Yum.
And you? What would you swim in? And more importantly, what tips do you have for those who aren't good at being put on the spot?
*Photo courtesy of here


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|November 7, 2009, 11:43 PM
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What is the proper forend technique before/when firing a pump shotgun?
What is the proper forend technique before/when firing a pump shotgun?
I've only fired a pump shotgun like a bolt action rifle ... one shot ... either the deer is down or gone after that.
I usually pull in more with my stock hand, and just use the front hand to stabilize (holding it up).
I went to shoot sporting clays for the first time and confused myself using my pump shotgun. I know, I know ... get a semi-auto or a side-by-side. I'm sure that's in my future but ...
Should I have considerable tension pulling the forend toward me before firing. Then the gun will fire and the pump action will initiate simultaneously. Or is this risky, possibly not firing the shell at times because the pump action might release first. Should I stick with firing the gun, then pulling back the forend.
I can't help to think that I should know this already. This also has implications using a pump shotgun for home defense.
|November 8, 2009, 12:03 AM
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Join Date: September 7, 2004
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There are about as many techniques as there are shooters, and it's hard to say what's 'proper'. I prefer to pull back with the shooting hand while pushing forward on the forearm with the support hand. That puts a certain amount of dynamic tension on the gun and helps control recoil and muzzle rise IMHO.
In some pump shotgun designs the forearm will not unlock to be reciprocated if there is back pressure on it it when the hammer falls. The forearm must move forward a fraction of an inch to unlock the action. The Remington 870 is designed that way.
Others like the Wnchester 1200/1300 do release when the hammer falls and will almost pump themselves to the rear under the recoil of moderate to heavy loads.
Within the limits of safety and efficiency, whatever works best for you is what you should do. Pumping a shotgun should be a reflex action as soon as the shot breaks and follow-through is done. Yes, follow-through is necessary with a shotgun too, if you want to hit with it. Finish the first shot before you worry about getting to the next one... 8^). You just have to learn to take your time in a hurry.
Mindset - Skillset - Toolset. In that order!
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|November 8, 2009, 12:11 AM
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I don't know what kind of shotgun you have, but the mossberg 500 is designed in a way that you can pull it into your shoulder as hard as you want and it will not cycle until you release that pressure, even after it has been fired.
This is for when you are shooting slugs or buck shot you can really hold it firm against your shoulder. The problem that i have is that i usually shoot 2 or 3 shots very rapidly, usually in less than 2 seconds when im shooting clays. Therefore, i have learned not to pull it into my shoulder with my forearm, but with my right hand/trigger hand, that way i can pump a lot faster.
Is this the proper way? no, but it works well for me.
If your shotgun doesn't stay locked after you fire, thats ok. if you pull it into your shoulder and when you fire it automatically drives the bolt back, good, you can cycle faster. its not going to hurt anything. The projectile(s) is/are going to be out of the barrel before the bolt unlocks, it just happens so fast you don't notice.
|November 8, 2009, 12:29 AM
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I kind of keep a bit of forward or neutral pressure so as not to have it go half shucked since my left hand is not what it was since a crash. I am firing mossberg 500.
|November 8, 2009, 12:44 AM
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Join Date: February 13, 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 8,542
"...get a semi-auto or..." Nope. Dry fire practice cycling the action. Got so I could fire 7(mag extension) aimed shots, at plates and pins, out of my 870, in under 5 seconds. That's slow too. The winners were doing it in under 3 seconds. Cheaters were using target loads. snicker.
Mind you, Sporting Clays isn't a speed shoot. Dry fire practice does make you far more familiar with your shotgun just the same.
"...Should I have considerable tension pulling..." Nope. Firm grip, but not tight and cycle the action under recoil. Takes dry fire practice to get quick. Dry firing will not hurt your shotgun.
"...it will not cycle until you release that pressure, even after it has been fired..." Nonsense. How hard you pull a 500 into your shoulder with the trigger hand(definitely not the fore hand) has nothing to do with cycling the action.
"...Winchester 1200/1300..." Slightly longer stroke than an 870 too. Had one or the other loaned to me after my 870's barrel split(plain barrel cut to 18 3/8") at a plate shoot. Fortunately, I noticed the split before I shot again. Bang, stroke, nothing. Short stroked it. DOH!
Spelling and grammar count!
|November 8, 2009, 11:23 AM
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Join Date: May 3, 2009
Posts: 5
Thanks for the info guys.
Thank you for your help. I've search the internet before posting with no luck. The experiences you guys shared is excellent.
I love the "time your time in a hurry" comment.
|November 9, 2009, 03:11 PM
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Join Date: February 23, 2005
Posts: 12,922
A pump gun isn't my primary gun anymore ....but I still like shooting it once in a while.
My pump gun techinque - in the field, for Skeet, Sporting Clays, etc is always the same. I hold the forend in my palm / with the index finger pointing down the barrel - under the forend. As I pull the trigger - and follow thru - I keep the gun in my shoulder - and my face on the comb - and as I follow thru, then I cycle the pump. Then I shift my eyes ( do not move the gun ) to find the 2nd target - and then move the gun and execute my 2nd shot and follow thru.
It takes a little practice / and confidence ... but make the moves as smooth as you can -- keep your shoulders level with the flight path of the bird ...and don't get in a hurry. You probably have way more time than you think even on a True Pair.
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BOSTON (AP) — A North Carolina man who authorities say became disoriented and tried to open a cabin door on a US Airways Express commuter jet from Maine to Philadelphia has been released on $500 bail at his arraignment.
Prosecutors had requested $1,500 bail at the arraignment Friday of 40-year-old Michael J. Ensalaco, of Mooresville.
Massachusetts State Police held Ensalaco overnight on a charge of interfering with a flight crew after the pilot diverted the flight to Boston on Thursday.
His lawyer said at the arraignment in East Boston District Court that his client suffers from a neurological disorder that causes disassociation and confusion. The lawyer says he expects charges to eventually be dropped because of the medical condition.
Friends and family members say Ensalaco is a married father of five.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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Copyright Information: All images are in the public domain and available for free. If you use this image, credit NOAA/NGDC, NOAA National Geophysical Data Center.
Vertical offset in road on top of dam northeast of Fengyuan. Offset is eight to ten meters. Compare height of offset with height of people.
Image Credit: NOAA National Geophysical Data Center
September 20, 1999 Nantou Taiwan earthquake
At least 2,297 people killed, 8,700 injured, 600,000 people left homeless and about 82,000 housing units damaged by the earthquake and larger aftershocks. Damage estimated at 14 billion U.S. dollars. Maximum intensity (VI JMA) in Nan-touand Tai-chung Counties. Half of a village was lost by subsidence into the Ta-an Hsi and landslides blocked the Ching-shui Hsi, creating a large lake. Two other lakes were created by substantial ground deformation near the epicenter. Surface faulting occurred along 75 km of the Chelungpu Fault. Felt (V JMA) at Chia-i and I-lan; (IV JMA) at Kao-hsiung, Taipei and Tai-tung; (IV JMA) on Lan Yu and Peng-hu Tao; (III JMA) at Hua-lien. Felt strongly in Fujian, Guangdong and Zhejiang Provinces. Felt (IV) in Hong Kong. Also felt (II JMA) on Iriomote-jima and Yonaguni- jima; (I JMA) on Ishigaki-jima and Miyako-jima, Ryukyu Islands.
Event Data:


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Upcoming Classes
Below is a chronological listing of classes. The class titles are hyperlinked, so click on the class name to go directly to its individual page to register. To enter a search for a particular class or to peruse classes by subject areas please visit the Classes Homepage.
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The sixth annual Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation Celebration and Pro-Am begins Friday with the arrival in Tyler of 30 U.S. military personnel who have been seriously injured in Afghanistan or Iraq combat operations, Dick Goetz, chairman of the Tyler-based Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation, announced.
Wounded warriors are scheduled to arrive at 9:30 a.m. in two airplanes at the Jet Center of Tyler on the grounds of Tyler Pounds Regional Airport. The public is invited to attend and participate in the official welcome.
Festivities will continue with students welcoming the warriors with flag-waving patriotic ceremonies at All Saints Episcopal School (2695 SSW Loop 323) at 10:30 a.m., then at The Brook Hill School at 1:30 p.m. in Bullard (1051 N. Houston St.). Warriors then will have an opportunity to tour the American Freedom Museum on the Brook Hill campus.
The four-day celebration will conclude with a Pro-Am golf tournament at Willow Brook Country Club on Monday, Sept. 30.
Many of the warriors who participate will come from Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and other facilities in Texas that support veterans. Most have suffered severe burns, post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. Many are amputees. Some have lost multiple limbs.
"Texas has many wounded service men and women who have sacrificed a great deal for all of us," Goetz said. "Whether they were born in Texas or were transferred here for rehabilitation, we thank them for their sacrifices and want them to know that we are here to support their needs.
"We're excited to host this celebration again this year, and we thank the Tyler community for the hospitality and continued enthusiastic support it shows our wounded warriors."
Before the golf Pro-Am on Sept. 30, warriors will have opportunities for R&R at private parties on Friday and Sunday, Sept. 29 and a casino party Saturday at KE Bushman's near Bullard.
They will be treated to a golf exhibition by handicapped golfer Dennis Walters at noon Saturday at The Cascades Golf Club. About 60 junior golfers from The First Tee programs in Tyler and Longview will be special guests.
On Sept. 29 at Eagle's Bluff Country Club in Bullard, several professional golfers are expected to be on hand to help warriors with their golf swings and basic fundamentals of the game.
Other visiting dignitaries during the four days will include generals and other high-ranking military officials. Several professional performers will volunteer their time as they entertain the warriors.
Since the first Tyler Wounded Warrior event in 2008, the Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation and local businesses and other organizations have raised about $1 million for wounded warriors and have helped other support organizations such as Hope for the Warriors and Purple Heart Homes, Goetz said.
The mission of the Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation ( www.txwoundedwarrior.com ), a 501(c)(3) organization, is to honor and empower wounded warriors and to raise awareness of their continuing post-combat needs.


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Talking it Over
It is a heart-warming sight to see a "first" robin hopping on the lawn or sounding off a "hello" as it hops and chirps from branch to branch. Spotting a robin means spring is not far behind.
This year people started calling me about a month ago that they were seeing robins in their backyard. I began to hope that spring would soon be here but evidently the robins just don't care if it is still snowing, they still chirp away.
A legend about the robin has a connection to Easter. The story tells us that the "pios robin with scarlet breast" mercifully picked a thorn from the crown of Christ as He was on His way to Calvary before His crucifixion. As the bird carried the thorn, a drop of blood from the thorn fell to its breast, dyeing it red. So to this day robins have red breasts.
Robins are friendly and gay and like to live near people. Their bright reddish orange breasts, dark gray backs and tails tipped with white make them easy to recognize.
The female lays from three to six light blue eggs and raises two or three broods from spring through summer. Baby robins are often the first young birds to be seen hopping and following the parents about the lawns taking lessons on flying and how to fend for themselves.
Male robins do most of the singing, especially during mating time. He also helps to raise the young. In late afternoon and evening, the male perches on an upper tree branch and sings his heart out. Some may associate this with rain because in earlier days people believed that when the robin kept on singing, it was a sign of rain to come. The longer and louder he sings, the more rain.
It is wonderful to see the robins return because we know that spring is not too far behind. It will be even better to be able to open our windows and listen to the robins sing. Their song joined with those of other song-birds is the symphony of springtime! Songs to warm the heart as the temperatures warm the body.


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Financial institutions should develop programs based on the new guidelines, Continuity says.
New standards, which Marvin Umholtz calls wrong-headed, help regulated entities strengthen diversity.
Millenial women have advanced gender equality not only by abolishing the gender pay gap, but by inverting it.
When the baby boomers retire, we may see the gender wage gap disappear.
Agency also seeks new diversity director and plans to pay up to $240,000 annually.
Strategic consultant says the interagency OMWI diversity rule likely violates the important Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause.
Diversity must be more than just cliché. True diversity must be substantive and participatory.
Find out who the NCUA's top earners were in 2013, and how much they made.
The NCUA's online advertisement fill its Office of Minority and Women Inclusion director's position lists an annual salary range between $175K and $240K.
The federal regulator is honored by a human resources research firm.


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" Genre: Junior Books / Board book / 12 Pages / Book is published 2003-03-21 by Macmillan Children's Books "
* Prices may differ from that shown
I always find it interesting when we visit the library to see which books my two year old picks, I let her pick one or two books and select a couple more myself. Interestingly, on our last visit, a tatty copy of "Goodnight Poppy Cat" by Lara Jones was the book she selected.
On the cover o f the book are some sparkly holographic stars which are indented and make the book cover look quite interesting and a bit 3D. It is a board book which promises touch and feel inside. The first two pages feature Poppy Cat at bath time with some great shiny fabric bubbles to touch floating across the page. The next page features the cat's bear with a furry tummy and then the next page has a reading time with a flip the flap book page and finally is the page with some holographic stars to represent night time.
My thoughts
I wouldn't have picked this book for our daughter as it looked a bit young for her now I am trying to move her on to books with more of a story line but to be fair it is the one she has gravitated towards most at home so there is something about this book which really appeals to her. I do think this is a good bed time book though and there is something nice and relaxing about the book as you read it.
The back of the book is priced £3.99 which I think is a good price for a board book with the touchy feely bits inside.
Final word
I think this is a nice book for babies but it has a very limited story line. The textures are all different though and so a great touchy feely book. I am surprised at how much my daughter has played with this book as she has other similar ones at home that she is not bothered with but it may appeal because it's a cat and she loves cats. I am happy to recommend this book to others as a nice basic read with a few sensory textures.
My sister was recently doing a clear out of some of her childrens baby books and passed them on to me to read to my baby girl. One of the books that my daughter currently loves is this one 'Goodnight PoppyCat' which my sister actually originally received as a part of the Bookstart scheme, although you do seem to be able to purchase this book online. This book is part of a range of books about PoppyCat, all of which are wrote by Lara Jones and based on her own childhood orange cat.
Goodnight PoppyCat is a particularly good book to read to little ones at night as it is based around the bedtime routine that many babies have and so it makes it easier to talk about the pictures with them as you read. Obviously at six months old, my daughter doesn't have the longest attention span, but with only a line or two per page this is ideal in length for her. Most importantly however, is that the pictures are colourful, big and bright which keeps her attention throughout and the book is a short enough so she doesn't tire before the end.
This is a hardback book, and when my daughter gets a chance she also likes to give the ends a chew! On the front of the book, there is a picture of this orange striped cat called PoppyCat snuggling up to her teddy bed under a crescent moon and twinkly stars.
The book then follows PoppyCat as she gets ready for bed. First she has bathtime which she likes, and there is a double page with a large picture of PoppyCat in the bath, with her rubber duck etc. This is then followed by a page showing Poppy Cat cuddling her teddy bear. The next double page shows PoppyCat in the big chair with her mummy reading bedtime stories before the next page where she likes to look at the twinkly stars at night. The very last page shows PoppyCat in her 'soft soft bed' with teddy. There is also an added extra where on the last page, babies can also touch the top of PoppyCat's quilt where is it soft and textured. My little girl doesn't do this herself yet, but she likes to watch me as I feel the textured quilt on the page.
As well as a story at bedtime, I also use this book for naptime when I usually read my little girl a story to wind her down before a nap. It is short enough before a nap to not distract her, but get her starting to get sleepy.
All in all, this is a fabulous book, the perfect length for babies with great illustrations. This book is something that babies will relate to as many of the activities mentioned in this book are those that are used in babies bedtime routines and they should therefore be already familiar with them. This is just the perfect length for a baby to concentrate on as well. A great book from a great series.
I adore the poppy cat collection for little ones, in fact i could probably recite one or two of them front cover to back lol Our first one was a free book from our baby clinic and although it was given when my son was too young it soon become one of his favourites and still digs them out of his book case, they are beautifully rhythmic have touchy feely bits all through them and all the toddlers in my sons reading group adore them, they are cheap enough to buy a few as a gift for nieces nephews etc they are thick enough to bounce around and as i have a boistrous three year old i appreciate that, great buy a great collection kids both boys and girls will love them, i dont see any disadvatages of these apart from they will always stick in your mind, happy reading, these are perfect for bedtime short enough to hold their attention.
My son recieved this book as part of the 'bookstart' package when he was a baby.Upto this day-despite the condition of the book worsening,this book has remained a favourite for bedtime.
The book tells the story of Poppy cat and her activities and likes just before bedtime. Each page is colourfully illustrated with in an easy to understand format.Young children (including babies) quickly pick up the concept of the story due to it being well written and because of the simplicity and brightness of the book.
At the end there is a touch and feel page,which kids just love. My boy would have me reading this book atleast three times before bed!Kids will often pick up on the small items laying around poppy cats house.I think this has been cleverly done as it really keeps a child focused on the book and the concept of sleep etc.
I would highly recommend parents to keep this book at hand during bedtimes.Really calms youngsters.Its still a favourite with my boy.
Poppy Cat's Dream is the sort of book that makes you wish you were three years old again. Then again, it could be that I just haven't grown up yet! My son received this book as a Christmas present and it really has been a favourite of his (and mine). Not only is it a lovely story for getting your little bundle of joy off to sleep at night with its rhyming verses and vivid illustrations, it also brings to life Poppy Cat's dreamtime adventures in the form of colourful pop-up pictures.
I would normally refrain from spoiling a book review by giving away the plot, but given that Poppy Cat's Dream is written for very young children, I anticipate that it will be the mummies and daddies who will potentially be reading the review, so I hope no one minds if I cover the book in greater detail.
***The Story***
Poppy Cat is a very cute little pussy cat who is the proud owner of a sweet little teddy bear called....'Bear'. Poppy Cat always likes Bear to sleep next to her in bed, but one night, Bear goes missing. Poppy Cat embarks on some exciting adventures through the night in search of Bear - OR DOES SHE?
As the title of the book suggests, the story is all about Poppy Cat's dream, and in my opinion, is the perfect way to help get your little ones off to sleep at night.
***Page 1***
"Sleep time Poppy Cat
Snuggle down there
But somebody is missing
Oh where oh where is Bear?"
Page 1 is where we meet Poppy Cat for the first time. As she lies in bed waiting for her bedtime story, Poppy Cat realises that Bear is nowhere to be found. At the same time however, we can see that she is surrounded by all her toys including a small bus, a picture of a hot air balloon, a toy car, a submarine, a small boat and a toy cube with drawings of the moon and stars on it. All of these toys feature throughout the story.
***Page 2***
"Oh dear Poppy Cat
Bear is lost it seems
But cuddle up all cosy tight
You'll find him in your dreams"
On page 2, we see Poppy Cat's mummy standing at the door, story book in hand, having told Poppy Cat to go to sleep and not to worry about Bear.
***Page 3***
"All aboard Poppy Cat
Wherever can Bear be
Alma, Zuzu Mo and Owl
Are coming along to see"
Page 3 is where Poppy Cat's adventures really begin. The toy bus has come to life and Poppy Cat climbs aboard with her friends in search of her beloved Bear. By opening and closing the book slightly, the animals on the bus appear to be waving through the windows.
***Page 4***
"Whoosh whoosh Poppy Cat
Drifting up so high
Floating in a big balloon
Is Bear lost in the sky?"
On opening page 4, a brightly coloured hot air balloon comes out to meet you with Poppy Cat sitting inside the basket. As you can imagine, Bear is nowhere to be seen in the sky.
***Page 5***
"Brum brum Poppy Cat
Chugging up and down
Zoom zoom beep beep
Is Bear lost in the town?"
Yes, that toy car can really go. On opening page 5, the car drives out towards you via the pop-up, with Poppy Cat and all her friends inside.
***Page 6***
"Splish splosh Poppy Cat
Bubble bubble wheeee
Deep down below the waves
Is Bear under the sea?"
Poppy Cat has searched the sky, she has searched the town, and now she is searching below the sea in her own little submarine - or could it be her toy submarine from her bedroom? Amongst the fish and the octopus, the submarine bobs through the ocean in search of Bear, but again, Bear remains missing.
***Page 7***
"Whizz whizz Poppy Cat
Around the moon and stars
The rocket ship zips up and down
Is Bear up there on Mars?"
Remember that little toy cube with the pictures of the moon and stars? Well, Poppy Cat now has her own rocket ship in which she can fly through space in search of Bear. On opening the page, a rocket, complete with roaring red and yellow flames, takes off into space.
***Page 8***
"Hush rush Poppy Cat
The sea swishes round
The pirate crew are sailing fast
Ahoy can Bear be found?"
The toy boat is now very real and Poppy Cat sets sail across the ocean with her friends. The boat now has a little flag that you can wave from side to side.
***Page 9***
"Fly fly Poppy Cat
Faster through the night
Swoop whoop loop the loop
To look for Bear tonight"
Poppy Cat's final adventure takes her on her very own aeroplane in search of Bear. Again, on opening the page, the plane flies out towards you.
***Page 10***
"Sleepy time Poppy Cat
Snuggle down there
Underneath the bed oh!
That's where you went to Bear."
So, after all those exciting adventures, Poppy Cat finally realises that Bear had fallen under the bed and was never lost at all!
Having checked with Amazon, the book is currently on sale at £3.99 which is a fantastic bargain for what you get.
***My Opinion***
This book is excellent for young children for two reasons:
Firstly, the story is very simple and, and being in rhyme format, is easy to read and quite short so as not to cause the child to lose interest.
Secondly, and I think this is a major factor in the popularity of this book, the pop ups and illustrations are second to none. Designed by former fashion designer Jo Lodge, the graphics are rich in colour and are very appealing to the eye, especially that of a young child.
I would certainly recommend this book to anyone looking for a nice present for a youngster, or even as a special treat for your own child.
Thanks for reading.
(also on Ciao)
My eldest daughter was given this book as part of the Bookstart pack she received from the Health Visitor when she was around 6 months old. She has been a huge book fan since she was very young and this soon became one of her favourites! Unfortunately, as the edition we have was printed a promotional version for Bookstart, it doesn't have the extra feely bits and flaps that it normally would. The book is lovely though and has a beautiful text and is charmingly illustrated.
The book is a board book so it has nice chunky pages for little fingers to easily grip. The book basically tells you about Poppy Cat getting ready for bed with each page having one sentence begining 'Poppy Cat loves...' The first being 'Poppy Cat loves bathtime' then 'Poppy Cat loves bear' and so on until Poppy Cat goes to bed. The text is very simple but has a gentle rhythmn and plesant rhyme that even very young babies will enjoy. The illustrations are also lovely. They're a little rough looking and almost child like but this is intentional and delightful.
Our daughter is now 3 and still loves this book, as does her little sister (14 months). We have therefore extended our Poppy Cat collection and now have quite a few titles!
The Poppy Cat range is actually huge so if you like this one you might like to try some of the others. There are other small board books like this one but also pop-up books, larger board books and even books for the bath. They start at around £4.99 for the small board books.
I bought Goodnight Poppy Cat! for my granddaughters first birthday in June and suddenly it has became her favourite book.
It is a board book but has lots of things for my granddaughter to touch and feel, helping her to learn about different contrasting textures and giving her something a little more interesting than just smooth board pages.
It's bedtime for Poppy Cat and this is the theme for the book. She cuddles her teddy and looks at the stars, has a bubble bath and snuggles up with her soft quilt. All of these things are textured so my granddaughter will sit and stroke the little teddy bear and try to squish the bouncy bubbles in Poppy Cats bath. Her favourite is the tiny book that really opens and closes, we'll get past this page and she'll suddenly remember and frantically go back to it to have another play with the book.
She also loves to touch the shiny material that has been used to make the stars and she will quite deliberately touch the shiny star and then move her finger to the duller finish of the page. It's little movements like this that shows me Goodnight Poppy Cat! is definitely helping her to make sense of the world around her.
The few words in the book are written to form a lovely rhyme that is perfect for a gentle bedtime story for my granddaughter and she'll snuggle on my lap while I read all of the text to her, pausing so she can make use of the touchy feely aspect of the book.
The colours used in this book are bright and colourful which means my granddaughters attention is held for much longer than it would have been if more pastel and traditional bedtime colours had been used. She beams whenever she sees Poppy Cat on the page and she is such a gentle and sweet looking animal that I can definitely see why she would appeal to babies and toddlers. The illustrations are simply drawn and I am grateful for this because young children can associate more with childlike drawings than if the illustrator were going for an artwork prize, a good example of this is a book I bought my granddaughter at the same time which is exquisitely drawn but ultimately does not hold her attention at all.
There are twelve pages in Goodnight Poppy Cat! and I think this is the perfect length for a book aimed at young babies and children, any longer and they will get bored while shorter books tend to get overlooked when my granddaughter is sorting through her toybox possibly because she has realised that these result in a shorter bedtime story! Reasonably priced at about £3.69 you cannot go wrong with this lovely book, there's a series of Poppy Cat books so I'll be scouring Ebay now for more as they are currently selling at just 99p in 'as new' condition.