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Tikkun Magazine, September/October 2002
Why the United States Needs a Strong, Peaceful Islam
By George Vradenburg
The United States holds a position of military and political dominance unique in world history The Roman Empire surrounded the Mediterranean Sea but held no sway in the rest of the world. The British Empire was global in reach, but confronted countervailing powers in Europe and in the continents where it had outposts. Neither constraint applies to the United States at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
This "unipolar" structure of world power cannot last. Multipolarity will inevitably develop. In a process of political entropy, monopolies of global power necessarily dissipate. Even if the United States were to pursue its goals with a more collaborative style than it is today, its historically unique grip on global military and political supremacy will necessarily and ultimately recede.
This structural change may not happen overnight. Today, the United States is able to ignore politically, or suppress militarily, those who oppose its point of view. But the accelerating tide of globalization--the global connectivity in communications, transportation, and financial services and the cross-border mobility of people--are democratizing the tools of warfare as well. Soon, weapons of mass destruction coupled with the tactics of suicide bombers will make traditional means of detection and deterrence irrelevant. Population demographics, particularly among the young, are expanding. Feelings of injustice from American dominance run high. These trends suggest that efforts to defend the status quo will be expensive, dangerous, and ultimately ineffective.
Restructuring the world order to create multiple centers of economic, cultural, and political power will give more peoples and nations the incentive to oppose terrorism. The issue is whether we will aggressively seek to shape a new multipolar world order or whether a restructuring will be imposed on us by hostile forces. And if we ourselves are to effect change, will we do it peacefully or only after military victory over our enemies.
The view that the United States would be better off if its enemies were strong, not weak, is not as far afield as one might think. At the end of World War II, the United States found itself in a uniquely powerful position. What did it do with its defeated former enemies, Japan, Germany, and Italy?
It undertook a massive program of economic reconstruction and development coupled with democratic reforms that replaced Fascist European and feudal Japanese political and social structures. With remarkable vision, the United States affirmatively sought to create economic, cultural, and political powers in Europe and Japan, believing that doing so was in the interests of the United States itself. It accompanied that new, less hegemonic political and economic structure with strong institutional mechanisms for military cooperation and economic collaboration--namely NATO, SEATO, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. That new structure and those institutions have lead to a peaceful and healthy competitive international framework unaccompanied by European or Japanese rearmament.
Now is the time to consider an extension of that strategy beyond Europe and Japan. It should be the policy of the United States in this twenty-first century to encourage and promote competing economic, cultural, and political centers of power in the Islamic states of the Middle East and Central Asia as well as China and elsewhere. Existing or new global institutional arrangements should be structured to include those new centers of power as equal partners to assure that global conflicts are peacefully resolved.
Do we have to use military force to effect regime change in Iraq and other countries in the "axis of evil" in order to pursue this strategy broadly throughout the Islamic world? This depends on whether those nations have and are about to use weapons of mass destruction on us, Israel, or their Arab neighbors. But whatever the answer to that critical question, a multipolar strategy can be pursued now, at least on a selective basis, with the younger, more moderate leaders in the Arab world--in Jordan, Morocco, and the Gulf States--who, together with Israel, are ready, willing, and able to partner with the United States to demonstrate the efficacy of an economic approach to change in the Islamic world. We cannot wait to play the "economic card." Whatever our military strategy, it is critical that the Islamic world see economic opportunity and cultural independence in their future.
The existing world order will change. That is a certainty. Better that we seek to create a peaceful structure with multiple sources of economic and political power than resist until hostile forces are strong enough to restructure that world order through terror and violence.
George Vradenburg is husband to publisher Trish Vradenburg.
Source Citation
Vradenburg, George. 2002. Why the United States Needs a Strong, Peaceful Islam. Tikkun 17(5): 6.
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SUNNYVALE — A 75-year-old man who went missing Sunday morning after he boarded a bus in Sunnyvale bound for the Eastridge Shopping Center in San Jose was found at a hospital Wednesday afternoon.
The search for Robert Kitamura, who goes by Bob, was called off around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday after he was located at San Jose Regional Medical Center, according to Sunnyvale police. He was immediately reunited with his family, police said.
No further information about when or why he was admitted to the hospital was available.
According to the City of Sunnyvale Facebook page, Kitamura was found by someone who had seen his photo and the information that he was missing on Facebook.
Contact Eric Kurhi at 408-920-5852. Follow him at Twitter.com/erickurhi.

subset: commoncrawl


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Lisa O'Neal, 52
September 13th, 2013 Author: Administrator Filed Under: Obituaries
Lisa O'Neal, 52, of Bethel, died Sept. 3.
O'Neal is survived by her husband William, children Tammy (Chris) Sevier, Lora (Jeffrey) Miller, and William O'Neal Jr., four grandchildren, siblings Sandy Gibbs, Vickie Riley and Terry Lewis.
She was preceded in death by her children Judy O'Neal and Timmy O'Neal and sister Debbie Bowman.
Visitation 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. Sept. 6 at E.C. Nurre Funeral Home in Bethel. Interment at Tate Township Cemetery.


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Deadlines, Pricing, and Event Hours
Pre-registration/Cancellation Deadline:
April 10, 2009
* Includes one year of SAE membership.
Conditions of Sale:
Payment must accompany this form by April 4, 2009. Registrations received after October 24, 2008 will automatically be charged the on-site price. NO CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 16 PERMITTED. All cancellations must be received by SAE prior to April 4, 2009. A $50 processing fee will be assessed for each canceled registration that results in a refund. Refunds for special event/meal tickets will not be processed after April 4, 2009. Refunds will not be issued if cancellation occurs on or after April 4, 2009.


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Shelton to address OV Business Club
Dr. Robert N. Shelton, president of the University of Arizona, will be the spotlighted speaker at the Jan. 6 Oro Valley Business Club's luncheon and meeting.
The luncheons are designed to help local businesses grow.
The cost is $17.
The OVBC meets in the Social Hall Auditorium at Sun City Vistoso,1585 E. Rancho Vistoso Blvd. A meet, greet and exhibit hour will begin at 11 a.m., followed by lunch at noon. The program starts at 12:25 p.m.
Call 818-2761 for reservations.
Tucson Botanical Gardens offers classes
Education is an integral part of the Tucson Botanical Gardens and to emphasis this component, they are offering a variety of classes each month. A new class has been added to the January schedule.
Planting for Beginners, conducted in Spanish, is set for noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22. The cost is $20 for members and $25 for non-members.
The course discusses how to plan your garden, work the soil, select plants and how to water in order to make the prospect of planting less overwhelming. Join Miguel Gonzales, Construction Division Foreman and Irrigation Technician for REALM™, will conduct the class in Spanish. Gonzales will provide all the tools needed to create outdoor spaces, such as a list of plants that are easy to care for, detailed instructions for getting the plant from container to ground, tips on which soil amendments to add and why, and suggestions for keeping plants healthy once they have been planted.
To register by phone with a credit card or for more information, call 326-9686, ext. 19.
All classes require pre-registration. Payment must be received in advance. No refunds can be guaranteed if the cancellation is made within seven days of the class. Special cancellation fees may apply to trips.
Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter by contacting 326-9686 ext. 19. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation.
Tucson Botanical Gardens, designated as America's Best Secret Garden by Reader's Digest, features 5-1/2 acres of 17 specialty gardens in the heart of Tucson. It is located at 2150 N. Alvernon Way.
For more information, call 326-9686, ext. 10, or visit www.tucsonbotanical.org.
SACCA to display plein air paintings
En Plein Air — a painting done outside rather than in a studio — is French for "in the open air" and designates the theme for the first Visual Arts Exhibition and Competition of 2011 at Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.,1910 E. Innovation Park Dr.
Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) will host an opening reception at the gallery on Friday, Jan. 14, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. with music, free hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar serving wine or complimentary soft drinks.
Artists of the Tucson Plein Air Painters Society will exhibit more than 25 pieces of their works in a variety of mediums. The art has been made by accomplished and novice artists of all ages.
The night will also include a silent auction, which will feature works from artists in Southern Arizona. A portion of the proceeds from the silent auction will help benefit local school music and visual arts programs.
People who attend will also be the first to hear the first, second and third place winners, chosen by a jury prior to the opening. Four honorable mentions and a People's Choice Award will be presented as well.
En Plein Air works, produced or inspired while painting outdoors, will be showcased at the gallery. The public is welcome to browse or buy on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., by appointment, beginning Jan. 8 to Feb. 26.
Gallery visitors can browse a variety of acrylic, oil, pastel and watercolor works, including people, places, things, abstract inspiration and other subjects, along with a note from the artist on each piece.


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At Gemvara, we believe that the jewelry you wear should be one of a kind, like you. That's why we make each piece to order, one at a time, just the way you want it. Choose blue topaz and palladium or sapphire and platinum: it's your choice. Mix and match gems and precious metals for a look that's exactly you. It's jewelry for all life's occasions, from a wedding or Valentine's Day to your own personal milestones and celebrations. Gemvara uses only the highest quality materials to craft your round march birthstone blue gemstone jewelry design with meticulous attention to detail. Our precious metals are recycled or responsibly mined. March's birthstone is aquamarine, which has a pale beauty that will add elegance to your look. Round gemstones are the most brilliant of cuts, with angles and proportions that reflect and refract light to dazzle the eye. Our wide selection of round march birthstone blue gemstone jewelry by Damon Washington, Jeet Palavwala, Gemvara Essentials, and other talented designers means you can find jewelry that's exactly your style. You can also shop by style, choosing our Delicately Detailed, Contemporary, or Featured Collections. Gemvara's fine quality round march birthstone blue gemstone jewelry is designed to be passed down for generations to come, crafted by hand in the United States.
We can help right away. Chat with a jewelry expert now!


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Written on: 06/02/2011
I am the owner of a consumer oriented homeware goods in Sussex. I have a few outlets in and around the city. My business was restricted to my walk in customers at store. But then businessprodesigns contacted me and offered me there services to expand my business. I was really impressed with them and asked them to develop an E-commerce website. I was impressed with the design and the user friendliness. They are also doing Search Engine optimization for me and now i am getting more revenue online than my stores. Now i have more than a thousand visitors to my site ever week. I am really thankful to Businesspro Designs. Keep up the good work guys....... Cheers... :)


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Glenne Fucci, Regular Blog ContributorOctober 8, 2015
image via thecraftingshell.blogspot.com
The other day I was perusing social media when I came across a status posted by a so-called "friend" that left me perturbed. I'm paraphrasing here, but basically it said something along the lines of, "I'm okay with [insert sports channel] having female reporters but they shouldn't be allowed to cover [insert weekly mega- sports event], because they don't know what they are talking about."
My first reaction to this went something like, "This is just incorrect because this major network wouldn't hire an unqualified or incompetent, man or woman, for this lucrative job." Now, what I really wanted to do was comment with, "Oh, women don't play [insert male-only sport] so they are incapable of intelligently reporting on it? Last time I checked, men report and legislate on [insert women's health issues, gender discrimination issues, etc.] even though they don't personally face these issues and often times are out-of-touch with the reality of these challenges. Should men not be allowed to make these types of laws anymore either?" Alas, I didn't feel like getting into a pointless comments war and so refrained and instead pondered over this incorrect status for the next hour.
The more I thought about it though, the less I wanted to call out his blatant sexism and the more I wanted to encourage those lady reporters to keep on pursuing their goals and fighting for a seat at the table of major sports networks.
Because, here's the thing, as young girls we're told that we can be anything we want to be when we grow up. The sad reality is though, we spend many of our most formative years being told that we're not smart enough, aggressive enough, passionate enough, pretty enough, or talented enough to pursue our goals. We're told that particular career choices aren't welcoming to women or that certain industries have poor job prospects for men and women alike. People try to box us into careers that we may not be interested in just because it's easier than getting out there and making our way into a field that we love.
By the time I finished grappling with this status, it was as if I wanted to go out there and report on weekend sports just to prove to this person that women are more than competent to do so. Now, in all honesty, I am not competent to do so (I love watching sports but by no means can talk on the particulars), but that has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a girl -- it has everything to do with the fact that I am a law student and not a sports aficionado. In fact, if I had listened to all the people who had told me not to go to law school (just like plenty of people probably told these female reporters to stay away from sports broadcasting), I would be three years out of college and kicking myself for not pursuing my interest. It may have been easier to not have to fight my way into a highly diluted legal job market, but I wouldn't be as passionate as I am about my future career.
At the end of the day, we all have to shut out the haters and do what we do best: follow our dreams, passions, and hearts to the career that, on most days, makes us excited to get out of bed.
It won't always be easy. The world seems poised to be full of people who will tell you to pursue something else, something easier, but so long as you stand tall in spite of the put-downs, you'll come out loving yourself more for pursuing an industry that you are passionate about.
So, ladies, let's stand up together and say, once again, we can be whatever we want to be even though we're grown ups. Let's put aside the doubts and criticism and negativity and make the world a better place by following our hearts to the careers that we love. We're paving the path for the next generation of girls, showing them that no glass ceiling too high, no job market too poor, no industry too unwelcoming will stop us from pursuing our dreams. Let's get to work, girls!
Let's chat!
What career do you want to pursue or have been pursuing? Did anyone ever doubt you? How did you overcome this? Tell us below!
About Glenne
Glenne is a third year law student hailing from NYC, University of Michigan '13 grad and Beyonce enthusiast. Currently residing in Korea, her interests include duathlons/triathlons, traveling near and far, documentary films, consuming sugary cereal, watching mid-2000s teen dramas and singing her heart out at Betty Who concerts. You can watch her attempt to navigate Asia and beyond on Instagram @glennefucci.
Every girl is a work in progress. If you need more help, click here.
Sheila Moeschen, Senior Editor followed this page 2015-10-05 12:54:04 -0700


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USB-controlled desktop missile launcher
0 comments post a comment
The ultimate deterrent against those annoying people who lurk around your desk chatting incessantly because they've got nothing better to do.
A friend in the UK just emailed me with the URL of a really cool website called I Want One Of Those.com. These folks specialize in "Stuff you don't need . . . but you really, really want!"
For example, I don't actually need a USB-Controlled Desktop Missile Launcher (indeed, I didn't even know such a beast existed until a few moments ago), but now I find I really, really want one! (If nothing else, this goes to show that we can't accuse the folks who run this site of false advertising.)
As the site says, this is the ultimate deterrent against those annoying people who lurk around your desk because they've nothing better to do. The launcher itself consists of a base that holds three foam missiles. This base &ndash, which tilts and rotates – is controlled from your PC via a USB cable. The software running on your PC looks like a radar screen, and you use your mouse and/or keyboard to point and fire the missiles along with appropriate sound effects.
And I thought my USB-driven mini lava lamp was cool! How childish I was, but I'm older, wiser, and much more mature now. So mature, in fact, that I feel I deserve to be rewarded with one of these missile launchers!
Questions? Comments? Feel free to email me – Clive "Max" Maxfield – at email@example.com). And, of course, if you haven't already done so, don't forget to Sign Up for our weekly Programmable Logic DesignLine Newsletter.


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We need a contest to win this record. When will it be released?
Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop Festival First Ever Release Coming on double AAA Vinyl November 5th
The Miami Pop Festival co-produced by Michael Lang, who later produced Woodstock, and Ric O'Barry who had been the dolphin trainer for the TV show "Flipper" (!) was held at Hallandale, Florida's Gulfstream Race Track.
Jimi Hendrix American Masters Documentary Premiering Nationwide on PBS Tuesday, November 5, 2013 will also have an expanded version simultaneously issued on DVD and Blu-ray.
Injecting a personal note here: my parents lived within walking distance from the track but I wasn't there for this festival. However I did attend the second one, which took place during Christmas college break December 28-30th featuring Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Fleetwood Mac, Richie Havens, Chuck Berry, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, Terry Reid, The Grateful Dead, Jr. Walker and The All Stars, The Charles Lloyd Quartet (with Keith Jarrett, etc.) and I could go on!
Was it great? What do you think?


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C-3 , C-4 plants... experiment
Moderator: BioTeam
6 posts • Page 1 of 1
C-3 , C-4 plants... experiment
Hello everybody,
I was hoping somebody could give me an idea for a simple experiment that can distinguish between C-3 and C-4 plants.
Put some wheat and some corn in a room with very intense light and a temperature of up to 40 degrees celcius. Then observe the grouth rate of each plant every day
"As a biologist, I firmly believe that when you're dead, you're dead. Except for what you live behind in history. That's the only afterlife" - J. Craig Venter
Temperature would be a really great thing to use in this instance, since obviously C4 plants are much more efficient when environmental conditions are sunny and warm....so your C4 plant is going to, in theory, be more efficient in fixing CO2....BUT since your plants are going to need to be different species (?), you're going to have to grow two of the same species in another environment to actually monitor the growth from the same phase...because it'd be like feeding a baby rat and a baby human the same type of food and trying to determine which one gains weight/develops more quickly...you need the comparison. I like this question. It made me think. Was it a txt book question or something for Uni, or...? I've been working my ass off on biology questions all day. My brain actually hurts from thinking....I was reading this really cool article on the way some deep sea divers breathe deeply for a while and can stay under water without needing to breathe (or so they think because the receptors actually responsible for-well kinda- initiating breathing go by the amount of CO2...and because they'd expelled a whole lot but the oxygen level was being depleted normally...) and they can fall unconscious and...it was really cool. And I had also never heard of "Brown Fat" before yesterday either. Fascinating stuff. I'm rambling.
I was a question on last year's exam. And I agree, it is a good question - simple questions often require more thought. Good point about the reference group.
I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said, "I don't know." (Mark Twain)
Great idea... You should do that with the plants
you could do it with only on e set of plants but it would take longer for you reach concludent results
"As a biologist, I firmly believe that when you're dead, you're dead. Except for what you live behind in history. That's the only afterlife" - J. Craig Venter
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Anyone who protests against the Egyptian army on Sunday, when the country celebrates the anniversary of an attack on Israel forces during the 1973 war, will be regarded as agents of foreign countries, the presidential spokesman said on Saturday.
The spokeman, Ahmed al-Muslimani, was speaking to the state news agency in anticipation of demonstrations by the Muslim Brotherhood, which is opposed to the army-backed government. (Reuters)


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Primary Prevention of Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE) With Standard and Intensive Statin Treatment in Patients With Diabetes: Survival and Cardiovascular Event Assessments (POSITIVE)
This study has been terminated.
(With recommendation from IDMC, Steering Committee terminated this trial due to ethical concerns raised by J-ART study.)
Positive Trial Group
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First Posted: August 2, 2010
Last Update Posted: June 1, 2011
Information provided by:
Positive Trial Group
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
No Study Results Posted on ClinicalTrials.gov for this Study
|Study Status:
|This study has been terminated.
|Study Completion Date:
|No date given
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|June 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)


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Legal Question in Personal Injury in Georgia
I need help Please!!
I was at work when my boss asked me to help load some items, that my boss intented on stealing. The police where called and I was told that since I touch them that I was going to be charged with theft by recieving. The officer said since it was my boss that intructed me and they where the one stealing them that no one could prove I wasn't in on it. The airport authority took juridiction and cleared me of wrong doing since my boss wrote a statement I was not involved. Two months later after repeated phone calls to my employer by the complainant and being verbally abusive I was terminated. Then they filed an arrest warrant in one county. That was dismissed and I was not arrested. So they went to another county grossly overstated the value of the property and I was arrested in September. I was released on my siguature for 20,000 bond. Order to pre-trail services. Went to my first hearing as we were going ask if I could get the diversionary program so my record would be expunge. My file was lost so it was to be reschedule for a hearing 2 weeks later. That never happened. In the beginning of December my case was dismissed chose not to accuse by the DA. My attoreny said that rarely happens. My attoreny said that it has not be entered into the complaint dept so I'm still under pre-trail and bond restrictions. Since the case has been dismissed my attoreny said he is done with the case. That all I can do is to wait until the file is found again and put in the system. Is there anything I can do to show these charges are dismissed and be able to find employment again and work on getting my record expunged? I'm desperate as I have been told that if I ask the DA about it he will re-file charges against me. Also have been told that the complaintant can re-file these charges again or go to another county and file them. The person who has admitted to stealing this has not been charged or arrested. My attorney kept asking what I had done to piss these people off. So I'm wondering if this is malicious prosecution?
1 Answer from Attorneys
The key words are "my attorney." That is who you pay to answer your questions. It is not appropriate for us to advise you since you have a lawyer, and it makes little sense given that your lawyer knows all the facts.


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Retail power market competition with endogenous entry decision—An auction data analysis
Deregulation in the electric power industry has been aimed at promoting competition and thereby enhancing the industry's efficiency. We use the auction data of public power procurements to study the impact of the reform on the retail power market in Japan. We quantify this impact by measuring a decline in power charges, controlling for the endogeneity bias caused by the entrants' bid-submission decisions. Our results suggest that power charges would decline by about 0.48yen/kWh on average when two or more providers bid at an auction.
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Volume (Year): 26 (2012)
Issue (Month): 3 ()
Pages: 351-368
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| Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622903
References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- James J. Heckman, 1976. "The Common Structure of Statistical Models of Truncation, Sample Selection and Limited Dependent Variables and a Simple Estimator for Such Models," NBER Chapters,in: Annals of Economic and Social Measurement, Volume 5, number 4, pages 475-492 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Tong Li & Xiaoyong Zheng, 2009.
"Entry and Competition Effects in First-Price Auctions: Theory and Evidence from Procurement Auctions,"
Review of Economic Studies,
Oxford University Press, vol. 76(4), pages 1397-1429.
- Tong Li & Xiaoyong Zheng, 2006. "Entry and competition effects in first-price auctions: theory and evidence from procurement auctions," CeMMAP working papers CWP13/06, Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
- Chib, Siddhartha, 2007. "Analysis of treatment response data without the joint distribution of potential outcomes," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 140(2), pages 401-412, October.
- Chib, Siddhartha & Jeliazkov, Ivan, 2006. "Inference in Semiparametric Dynamic Models for Binary Longitudinal Data," Journal of the American Statistical Association, American Statistical Association, vol. 101, pages 685-700, June.
- Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2010. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262232588, July.
- Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, 2001. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262232197, December.
- Harry J. Paarsch & Han Hong, 2006. "An Introduction to the Structural Econometrics of Auction Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262162350, December.
- Rajeev H. Dehejia & Sadek Wahba, 2002. "Propensity Score-Matching Methods For Nonexperimental Causal Studies," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 84(1), pages 151-161, February.
- Rajeev H. Dehejia & Sadek Wahba, 1998. "Propensity Score Matching Methods for Non-experimental Causal Studies," NBER Working Papers 6829, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Hattori, Toru, 2010. "Determinants of the number of bidders in the competitive procurement of electricity supply contracts in the Japanese public sector," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 1299-1305, November.
- Siddhartha Chib & Ivan Jeliazkov, 2005. "Accept-reject Metropolis-Hastings sampling and marginal likelihood estimation," Statistica Neerlandica, Netherlands Society for Statistics and Operations Research, vol. 59(1), pages 30-44.
- James Heckman & Justin L. Tobias & Edward Vytlacil, 2003. "Simple Estimators for Treatment Parameters in a Latent-Variable Framework," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 85(3), pages 748-755, August.
- Heckman, J J & Tobias, Justin & Vytlacil, Ed, 2003. "Simple Estimators for Treatment Parameters in a Latent Variable Framework," Staff General Research Papers Archive 12012, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
- David J. Spiegelhalter & Nicola G. Best & Bradley P. Carlin & Angelika van der Linde, 2002. "Bayesian measures of model complexity and fit," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series B, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 64(4), pages 583-639.
- Watanabe, Toshiaki, 2001. "On sampling the degree-of-freedom of Student's-t disturbances," Statistics & Probability Letters, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 177-181, April.
- Estrella, Arturo, 1998. "A New Measure of Fit for Equations with Dichotomous Dependent Variables," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 16(2), pages 198-205, April.
- Arturo Estrella, 1997. "A new measure of fit for equations with dichotomous dependent variables," Research Paper 9716, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
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Whether you are a writer, a painter, or any other type of creative artist you know that your life and your art are constantly evolving. Like any other journey this one has a beginning, a middle, and an end (so to speak) and each stage comes with its own set of rewards and potential pitfalls.
At the beginning of any journey, you need to find the courage to begin.
You have to make the choice to create. No one is going to force you to write a novel, practice your instrument, or fill up that empty canvas. It's up to you to find the time and the motivation to create.
Becoming a better artist is not just about getting the right degree or knowing the right people, it's about having the courage to sit down and work on something that most people aren't going to care about it.
You may not feel like you have the time or even the skills to do what you want to accomplish–but you do it anyway because you know that it's not as much about what you create as who you become along the way.
In order to begin, however, you have to be willing to look like a bumbling idiot along the way.
Everyone makes mistakes and feels awkward at the beginning. It's simply part of the learning process where nobody is probably going to admire your work or pat you on the back for being awesome. Not surprisingly, this is when a lot of people give up their creative dreams. The reality no longer lives up to the fantasy. Suddenly the mystery and magic of the creative process starts to feel a lot more like work.
The ones who end up making it through this apprenticeship phase are the ones who have the passion and the desire to create even when nobody else seems to care. They are willing to look stupid because they understand that it's a necessary part of the creative process.
Beginnings are always filled with hope but tempered with fear
Some creative artists fall into the trap of believing that once they are out of the beginning stage of the process, their problems are behind them. They think once they've put in the time and paid their dues, the hard part is over…. If only that was true.
Once the initial excitement has worn off, however, we start to see beneath the shiny veneer of being a creative artist and realize that it's not all just book signings and gallery openings. We discover that there are some downsides and sacrifices to creating art as well. Like many other professions, there is often intense competition, unrealistic deadlines, critical colleagues, and unfair pay.
This is when expectations meet reality and hope transforms into to self-doubt.
We start to second guess ourselves and our past decisions. Maybe our art or our creative career hasn't progressed as quickly as we imagined it would. Perhaps our work has been rejected one too many times and we begin to hear that little voice inside of us changing from "When I do it!" to "Can I do it?"
We begin to wonder whether or not we actually have what it takes.
We have good days and not-so-good days and we sometimes wonder if anybody would really care if we just packed it up and went away. We find ourselves needing something to keep us going—a kind word of encouragement, a positive review, or anything that will give us the courage to keep going one more day.
Sooner or later if we last long we enough in our creative profession, we may begin to feel as if we've explored every nook and cranny of our little niche and we're now simply going through the motions.
We begin to see that mastery comes with its own price, and one day we find ourselves coasting along in the comfort of our own creative competence.
By now we've become good enough in our chosen art form to get the attention, the money, and pats on the back for a job well done. We have built up our skills and our audience to the point where it becomes all too easy to coast on our reputation or our past work.
Writers, artists, and musicians often rely on their past work to pay the bills and discover that the motivation to take new risks and potentially alienate their existing audience is not worth it. We discover that we no longer have to be vulnerable because we know exactly what our audience expects from us — predictability and consistency are how we begin to live our creative lives.
With predictability, however, comes the inevitable stagnation. Instead of branching out and trying new techniques, our work becomes predictable and formulaic because we want to protect what we have already achieved. We find ourselves more interested in recycling our past work than creating something new.
We've forgotten why we started to create our art in the first place — that sense of curiosity and exploration. That sense of not having a clue what we're doing and then trying to do it anyway. Sure it's partly the ignorance of youth, but it's also the power and energy of discovering something new — exploring some hidden crevice inside ourselves.
In order to rekindle that creative spark, we need to start over again.
This is of course much easier said than done because it forces us to leave the comfort of the familiar behind. In order to explore new worlds, we must first be willing to let the old ones go. The one advantage we have is that we've been through this journey before and we know that it can be done.
So we gather up our courage and begin again.
Which of these 3 stages are you currently at in your creative career?
Which one has been the most difficult for you to get through and why?
Do you think there is a reason not to start over and just continue to refine your art?
Writer, teacher, and head custodian of the Skinny Artist community. His book "Getting Creative: Developing Creative Habits that Work" is all about finding the time (and energy) to live a more creative life.


text:
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
EverAfter Romance
322 oldal
Fülszöveg: They call me Rage.My real name is like a shadow, always close behind, but never quite able to catch up.
I fly under the radar because no one ever suspects I'm capable of the kind of brutal violence I commit each and every day.
You see, I'm a girl. I'm nineteen.
And I'm a killer.
This life is all I know. It's all I want to know. It keeps the s**t buried that I need kept buried. It allows me to live without thinking too much.
Without dwelling on the past.
Until him.
It all changes when an ordinary boy becomes my next target.
And my first love.
I have to choose.
The only life I've ever known has to die, or he does.
Either way, I'll be the one pulling the trigger...
All the Rage is a STANDALONE.
2016. július 31., vasárnap
Megjelenések - augusztus
2016. július 30., szombat
Katy Regnery: Dark Sexy Knight (A Modern Fairytale #4)
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
290 oldal
Sorozat: A Modern Fairytale
Fülszöveg: From New York Times bestseller Katy Regnery comes another timeless tale of love everlasting!
Loosely inspired by the legend of Camelot, Dark Sexy Knight tells the story of dinner theater knight Colt Lane, who meets down-on-her-luck Verity Gwynn on the worst day of her life. Evicted from their home, Verity and her special-needs brother, Ryan, must find jobs or risk being separated. Colt, who is the furthest-possible thing from a white knight in real life, comes to their unlikely rescue, quickly cementing his place in Verity's heart.
Colt has dark, deeply buried secrets that keep his smile hidden and his eyes down, which has kept people away . . . until he meets Verity, who seems immune to his gruff manners and taciturn ways. The more time Colt spends with her, the more he longs for her sweetness in his life and yearns to be the knight in shining armor she so desperately needs. Certain he will lose her if she learns the truth about his past, he must decide if he can trust her with his yesterday in order to build a beautiful tomorrow.
**Contemporary Romance. Due to profanity, mild violence and very strong sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.**
All novels in the ~a modern fairytale~ collection are written as fundraisers.
Book Haul - Július
Megmutatom júliusi szerzeményeimet.
Megmutatom júliusi szerzeményeimet.
2016. július 28., csütörtök
Cover Reveal - Lauren Blakely: The Sexy One
Igazi ínyencséget hoztam, elsősorban a hölgyek számára lesz ellenállhatatlan a bejegyzés.
Igazi ínyencséget hoztam, elsősorban a hölgyek számára lesz ellenállhatatlan a bejegyzés.
2016. július 27., szerda
Lauren Rowe: Ball Peen Hammer + Blog Tour
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
SoCoRo Publishing
Fülszöveg: Keane Morgan wouldn't return any of my calls or texts, and I was pissed as hell about it. I didn't want to drive from Seattle to L.A. with the guy any more than he wanted to drive with me, but I had no frickin' choice in the matter--at least, not if I wanted to use his brother Dax's coveted parking spot at UCLA.
Okay, so it turned out Keane was objectively gorgeous, and, fine, pretty funny, too. But did he have to be so damned in love with himself? I mean, jeez, the cocky way he flashed those dimples was just so orchestrated. And, honestly, what kind of guy uses the phrase "baby doll" with a straight face? Oh, that's right: the kind of guy who's a male stripper.
Yup, the cocky jerk turned out to be Seattle's answer to Magic Mike, a stripper known as "Ball Peen Hammer"--which meant Keane Morgan was emphatically not the kind of guy I'd ever fall for.
Not. At. All.
No freakin' way.
Well, until Keane convinced me to fall for him, that is.
Which I did.
Ball Peen Hammer is a full-length, standalone sexy romantic comedy about Keane Morgan (one of four Morgan brothers introduced in The Club Series) and Maddy Milliken (the little sister of Hannah Banana Montana Milliken).
Although Keane and Maddy's love story is set in the universe of The Club Series, it is a standalone novel with no cliffhanger and no prior reading required. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
Chelle Bliss - Brenda Rothert: Dirty Work
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
Fülszöveg: After serving his country with distinction on the battlefield, there's only one place left for Jude Titan to fight – Washington, DC. The people of the great state of Illinois welcomed home their hero, and it's because of them that he's running for Congress. #TrustTitan
But there's a problem. His opponent, Reagan Preston, is a temptation he can't afford.
Reagan Preston grew up in politics, groomed from an early age to carry on the family tradition. She's in the biggest fight of her life against the golden boy, Jude Titan. It's an uphill battle against one of the most eligible bachelors in Chicago, but she's ready. With the backing of her family and friends, her campaign is a force to be reckoned with. #PurePreston
What starts out as a fight for the ages turns into an attraction so intense they'll both risk ruin for it. #PoliticsIsFilthy #DirtyWork
2016. július 26., kedd
L.J. Shen: Blood to Dust
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
309 oldal
Fülszöveg: His name is Beat, and I should hate him.
Bound, blindfolded and bruised, I'm tied in his basement, waiting for the men who stripped me from clothes and humanity to collect his debt to them. Me.
His name is Nate and I should hate him, but I don't.
I'm not supposed to know his real name, even worse, I'm not supposed to care. He is nothing to me but means to an end. The plan is simple: break free, collect the pieces of my broken soul, kill the bastards and run away.
His name is Nathaniel Thomas Vela, and I've never seen his face, though I hear that it's beautiful.
Behind the rugged and handsome exterior, there's a quiet murderer, a killer who thinks guns are for pussies and ends people with his bare hands.
His name doesn't matter, neither does his face, but what does matter is my heart. And right now, sadly, it's his.
Blood to Dust is a standalone, full-length novel. It contains graphic violence and adult situations some may find offensive.
Release Day Blitz: Chelle Bliss & Brenda Rothert: Dirty Work
Release Day Blitz - K.Webster: Untimely You
Megjelent K.Webster legújabb regénye, ami most egy romantikus, szívfacsaró történetet hozott magával.
2016. július 25., hétfő
Release Blitz - Lauren Rowe: Ball Peen Hammer
Nagy örömmel tudatom a világgal, hogy megjelent ez a brutálisan humoros könyv, méghozzá egy hozzám nagyon közel álló író tollából! Jupi!
2016. július 24., vasárnap
Lily Blackwood: The Beast of Clan Kincaid (Highland Warrior #1)
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
St. Martin's Paperback
291 oldal
Sorozat: Highland Warrior
Fülszöveg: A Highland warrior battles to reclaim his birthright in the first of a new series filled with seduction, revenge, and soul-stirring passion…
They call him the Beast—a hardened mercenary whose heart seems as cold as his icy blue gaze. They do not know his true name: Niall Braewick, son of the Laird of Kincaid. It has been years since he escaped into the forest the night his father was murdered. Now he has returned, ablaze with a vengeful hunger. He will gain the MacClaren chief's trust, gather his clan, and take back his lands. And take the MacClaren's daughter as well…
Though he pulled her from the river, saving her life, Elspeth has been warned to keep her distance from her father's hired warrior. He is a barbarian—a shame, as he is far more compelling than the lechers and fools competing for her dowry. Little does she know that, like the castle itself, she is a prize Niall intends to claim…but will he extract blood for blood and possess what is his, or will his enemy's beautiful, innocent daughter tempt him to forsake his dream of conquest?
2016. július 22., péntek
Release Boost - Bella Jewel: Fleeting Moments
A Fleeting Moments 19.-én jelent meg, de hogy ne felejtsétek el megrendelni, aztán jól elolvasni, hoztam egy kis emlékeztetőt.
A.M. Johnson: Sacred Hart
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
Fülszöveg: Sleep, it was luxury I didn't have.I could hear it then, in the dark light of night, in the dusky morning…
The click of the trigger, the smell of her blood, the sound of the rain.
I never thought I would see her again.
She was a ghost.
She was dead.
When Maggie Wright pushed her way into my life, she brought the phantom with her, and I was helpless to her pull.
Everything I had, all of it, had been taken from me ten years ago. I had nothing but the shirt on my back, the memories that still burned through my veins, and the regret I drowned in every day.
I am Ryan Hartford...and I have nothing left to lose.
2016. július 20., szerda
Pepper Winters: Pennies (Dollar #1) + Blog Tour
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
Sorozat: Dollar
Fülszöveg: "At 18 I had pennies, but money didn't make me bold. At 19 I had dollars, but it didn't dull the pain of being sold. At 20 I had hundreds, but then I met him and was found. At 21 I had thousands, but all I wanted was to be bound."
"At 23 I had dollars, but life changed and made me rich. At 25 I had hundreds, but it wasn't enough to stop my killing itch. At 27 I had thousands, but my reputation didn't set me free. At 29 I had millions, but I met her and could finally see."
Tasmin was killed on her 18th birthday. She had everything planned out. A psychology degree, a mother who pushed her to greatness, and a future anyone would die for. But then her murderer saved her life, only to sell her into a totally different existence.
Elder went from penniless to stinking rich with one twist of fate. His lifetime of crime and shadows of thievery are behind him but no matter the power he now wields, it's not enough. He has an agenda to fulfill and he won't stop until it's complete.
But then they meet.
A beaten slave and a richly dressed thief. Money is what guided their separate fates. Money is what brought them together. And money is ultimately what destroys them.
She was poor.
He was rich.
Together…they were bankrupt.
Release Day Blitz - KC Lynn: An Act of Obsession
Birmingham-ben jártam, jó sok könyvet dedikáltattam… - Vendégposzt @EstrellaPolar-tól
@EstrellaPolar - Murvai Mariann, mert akkor is megmondom a neved, te she-devil - volt olyan tündérmókus, hogy leírta birminghami élményeit. Olvassátok hozzám hasonló imádattal!
@EstrellaPolar - Murvai Mariann, mert akkor is megmondom a neved, te she-devil - volt olyan tündérmókus, hogy leírta birminghami élményeit. Olvassátok hozzám hasonló imádattal!
2016. július 19., kedd
RELEASE BOOST - Magan Vernon : Edge of Glory
Hoztam egy kis reklámot az Edge of Glory-hoz. Nekem nem igazán jött be a könyv, de bízom benne, hogy ennek ellenére sokatoknak más lesz a véleménye.
Release Day Launch - Jennifer L. Armentrout: Torn
Release Day Blitz - Kendall Ryan - Hitched Vol. 2.
Ma jelent meg a nálam hatalmas sikert aratott Hitched második felvonása!
Ma jelent meg a nálam hatalmas sikert aratott Hitched második felvonása!
Bella Jewel: Fleeting Moments + Release Day Blitz
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
Fülszöveg: One single moment changes everythingIn one breath, you can have it all
A split-second later, it can all disappear
Vanished forever
That was me
I had it all
Then in a cruel twist of fate, it was taken from me
A beautiful life gone in a flash
But he was there
He was there to pick me up when I fell
To protect me
My savior. My rock.
He was just a stranger
Just a selfless stranger with a face I'll never forget
Can't forget
Won't forget
And like everything else, he just disappeared
As if he never existed
I have to find him
I need to find him
He has to know that he saved me
He has to know that in that one fleeting moment, he was all I could see
Vi Keeland: Bossman (Dirty Office Romance #1) + Blog Tour
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
Everafter Romance
326 oldal
Sorozat: Dirty Office Romance
Fülszöveg: From New York Times Bestseller, Vi Keeland, comes a sexy newstandalone novel. The first time I met Chase Parker, I didn t exactly make a good impression.
I was hiding in the bathroom hallway of a restaurant, leaving a message for my best friend to save me from my awful date.
He overheard and told me I was a bitch, then proceeded to offer me some dating advice.
So I told him to mind his own damn business his own tall, gorgeous, full-of-himself damn business and went back to my miserable date.
When he walked by my table, he smirked, and I watched his arrogant, sexy ass walk back to his date.
I couldn t help but sneak hidden glances at the condescending jerk on the other side of the room. Of course, he caught me on more than one occasion, and winked.
When the gorgeous stranger and his equally hot date suddenly appeared at our table, I thought he was going to rat me out.
But instead, he pretended we knew each other and joined us telling elaborate, embarrassing stories about our fake childhood.
My date suddenly went from boring to bizarrely exciting.
When it was over and we parted ways, I thought about him more than I would ever admit, even though I knew I d never see him again.
I mean, what were the chances I d run into him again in a city with eight million people? Then again
What were the chances a month later he d wind up being my new sexy boss?"
2016. július 18., hétfő
Release Day Blitz - Vi Keeland: Bossman
Tegnap jelent meg Vi Keeland legújabb regénye, ami egy tüzes irodai románcocska. Itt minden infót megtaláltok róla.
2016. július 13., szerda
Lauren Blakely: The Sapphire Affair (Jewel #1)
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
Montlake Romance
222 oldal
Sorozat: Jewel
Fülszöveg: Bounty hunter Jake Harlowe knows how to track a criminal. So when a group of swindled shareholders hires him to trail their former CEO, Jake expects a quick trip to the Cayman Islands to close another case. Until a devastatingly beautiful woman gets in the way.
Steph Anderson is visiting the Caymans for a rock climbing and dive trip—or so she tells Jake. She's really trying to find out whether or not her stepfather embezzled money from his company. The last thing Steph needs is the distraction of a sexy, charming man whose kisses drive her wild.
Soon, the pair discover they're after the same target—and millions in jewels. While Jake can't be certain Steph isn't working for her stepfather, and Steph can't be certain Jake isn't after the diamonds for himself, they can agree the heat between them is intense, and neither can deny the passion for long.
But the morning after, Steph discovers that she just might have slept with the enemy, and now she'll have to outwit him to get everything she needs…
2016. július 12., kedd
COVER & Blurb REVEAL - T.M. Frazier: Preppy, The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater, Part One
A várva várt pillanat elérkezet, hölgyeim! Preppy visszatért!
A várva várt pillanat elérkezet, hölgyeim! Preppy visszatért!
Ilsa Madden-Mills: Filthy English (English #2)
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
Sorozat: English
Fülszöveg: A smokin' hot British player…
A jilted girl…
One night of mistaken identity…
Two weeks before her wedding, Remi Montague's fiancé drops her faster than a drunken sorority girl in stilettos. Armed with her best friend and a bottle of tequila, she hops a plane to London to drown her sorrows before fall semester begins at Whitman University.
She didn't plan on attending a masquerade party.
She sure didn't plan on waking up next to the British bad boy who broke her heart three years ago—the devastatingly handsome and naked Dax Blay. Furthermore, she has no clue how they acquired matching tattoos.
Once back at Whitman together, they endeavor to pretend they never had their night of unbridled passion in London.
But that's damn hard to do when you live in the same house…
One night. Two damaged hearts. The passion of a lifetime.
*A modern love story inspired by Romeo and Juliet*
Sorozat: English
Fülszöveg: A smokin' hot British player…
A jilted girl…
One night of mistaken identity…
Two weeks before her wedding, Remi Montague's fiancé drops her faster than a drunken sorority girl in stilettos. Armed with her best friend and a bottle of tequila, she hops a plane to London to drown her sorrows before fall semester begins at Whitman University.
She didn't plan on attending a masquerade party.
She sure didn't plan on waking up next to the British bad boy who broke her heart three years ago—the devastatingly handsome and naked Dax Blay. Furthermore, she has no clue how they acquired matching tattoos.
Once back at Whitman together, they endeavor to pretend they never had their night of unbridled passion in London.
But that's damn hard to do when you live in the same house…
One night. Two damaged hearts. The passion of a lifetime.
*A modern love story inspired by Romeo and Juliet*
RELEASE BLITZ - Magan Vernon:Edge of Glory
Megjelent Magan Vernon legújabb regénye, amiben egy cuki úszósráccal hoz össze minket a sors.
COVER REVEAL - Bella Jewel: Fleeting Moments
Bella Jewel új regénnyel jelentkezik, most a fülszövegről és a borítóról rántjuk le a leplet!
2016. július 11., hétfő
RELEASE BLITZ - Ilsa Madden-Mills: Filthy English
Megjelent Ilsa Madden-Mills legújabb, igazán tüzes regénye. Hoztam mindenfajta finomságot és információt!
Tillie Cole: Deep Redemption (Hades Hangmen, #4)
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
Sorozat: Hades Hangmen
Fülszöveg: ONLY THROUGH BLOOD CAN THE DEEPEST REDEMPTION BE FOUND…
He was born to ascend.
He was destined to lead.
He was never meant to fail.
Prophet Cain lies broken and defeated on the floor of his cell. A cell he has been thrown into by the one person who was supposed to stand by his side until the end. His flesh and blood, his only companion. His beloved twin brother.
Cain has sacrificed everything for his people. He left the safety and security of his life of study to infiltrate the infamous Hades Hangmen. He lived with them, rode with them, and then betrayed them. All in the name of a faith he can now feel slipping away from him. Like everything else he once held dear…
But then his isolation is broken. Another prisoner is brought to the cell next to his. A woman fighting her own demons and fears. A woman who Cain understands needs him, as he needs her.
As the connection between them grows, so does Cain's resolve. He will right the wrongs he has done. He will atone for the evil acts carried out in his name. He will save the one he loves…
… Even if the battle takes him to the gates of hell itself.
Contemporary Dark Romance. Contains explicit sexual situations, violence, sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language, and mature topics. Recommended for age 18 years and up.
Bethany-Kris: Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines #2)
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
Sorozat: Donati Bloodlines
Fülszöveg: Calisto Donati
Calisto had never been a fan of pain, but he found it provided a certain relief.
It was a high that couldn't compete with anything else he experienced. That was why he fought bare-knuckled, why he drove fast, despite knowing he might crash, and why he still enjoyed looking at Emma Donati—no matter her current status.
Pain felt good.
He might have been a fool for doing so, but as long as he got what he wanted from it, he didn't really care.
When he fought, he was given release. When he drove, he was given freedom. When he looked at Emma, he was given memories.
All of them brought a certain level of pain. All three might kill him someday.
Calisto glanced at Emma, taking her in again when she didn't know he was looking.
He realized then that only one might actually be worth dying for.
Emma Donati
Emma kept her gaze on the book in her lap, pretending like there wasn't an argument going on across the room. She had become terribly good at acting like she didn't hear.
Calisto watched her out of the corner of his eye while he argued on with Affonso.
She was too focused on Calisto to care about their fight.
His anger. The tightness of his jaw. Searing soul-black eyes.
The two men were not the same. They might have shared blood, but their hearts were entirely different. One man never let her out of his sight when he was nearby. The other acted like she didn't exist.
This was what it was like, she realized, to be in love with someone she couldn't have.
Calisto Donati would never be hers.
This wasn't a fairy tale that would end happily.
They weren't star-crossed. They were impossible.
2016. július 8., péntek
Cover Reveal - K.Webster: Untimely You
2016. július 6., szerda
Cover Reveal - Katie McGarry: Long Way Home
2016. július 5., kedd
Release Day Blitz + Review - Lauren Stewart: Virtually Impossible (Once and Forever #2)
Megjelenés: 2016.
Sorozat: Once and Forever
Fülszöveg: Fairy tales aren't real…but love is.
Sara has a kick-ass life—loyal friends, a house in San Francisco, and an amazing job as a virtual assistant. It's perfect…except that Sara doesn't actually exist. She's just a borrowed name that Andi Clark hides behind. Using a fake identity lets Andi stay safely shielded behind the screen of her computer and concealed from the real world. With her history, pretending to be someone she's not is the only way Andi can make up for the mistakes of her past. Not exactly ideal, but hey, no one's life is perfect.
Hayden Bennett's life is pretty damn perfect. He's married to a beautiful woman, lives in a luxury apartment, and is prepped to take over the multi-million dollar company his father built. Perfect...except that his wife is madly in love with someone else, his career is meaningless, and he's forgotten how to live, let alone be happy. But when Hayden hires a new virtual assistant named Sara, her sharp wit and intelligence leaves him wanting something more. Something real. Something incredible.
Two people need to wake up to understand how perfect they are...for each other. If they can't, any chance either of them have of finding a happily ever after will be virtually impossible.
This highly-anticipated sequel to DARKER WATER is Hayden and Andi's story, and this is how their fairytale begins:
Once upon a time there was a woman who made the mistake of trusting the wrong man. And that mistake led to another. And another and another, each more damaging than the last. But the woman was as ignorant of her mistakes as she was of the damage they caused. Until she was punished for them.
Around the same time, but in a totally separate part of the city, lived a noble man and his beautiful wife. Though their castle was the envy of all, its empty halls echoed of loneliness and regret. For the man had lived his entire life asleep, and both of them remained silent of who they truly were and what they truly wanted.
And then one day, the woman entered the man's life and forced him to awaken...
Look for Virtually Impossible's pre-order information really soon, and sign up for my newsletter for FREE extras and peeks into this series.
Hitched: Volume One (Imperfect Love #1)
Megjelenés éve: 2016.
Everafter Romance
220 oldal
Sorozat: Imperfect Love
Fülszöveg: Marry the girl I've had a crush on my whole life? Check.
Inherit a hundred-billion-dollar company? Check.
Produce an heir… Wait, what?
I have ninety days to knock up my brand-new fake wife. There's only one problem—she hates my guts.
And in the fine print of the contract? The requirement that we produce an heir.
She can't stand to be in the same room with me. Says she'll never be in my bed.
But I've never backed down from a challenge and I'm not about to start now.
Mark my words—I'll have her begging for me, and it won't take ninety days.
On the heels of her smash hit and New York Times bestselling SCREWED series, Kendall Ryan brings you HITCHED, a romantic comedy that delivers heart and heat. A NYC playboy turned business mogul has ninety days to win over the woman he's always desired in order to save his father's company. One tiny problem: She hates his guts.
2016. július 4., hétfő
Havi fejadag - június
Hát, hogy is mondjam...Igencsak megszaporodott ebben a hónapban az olvasmánylistám. Elértem az 1000. elolvasott könyvet. És nem kevés jó könyvet olvastam júniusban is, ráadásul az 1000. egy számomra nagyon kedves regény volt (Virtually Impossible)
És akkor a felvágós dolog, mert néha nekem is lehet, ugye? :D
Voltak számomra szívhezszóló pillanatok is. Nem nagy dolgok, de mégis megmosolyolgtattak. Emma Scott, Sawyer Bennett a FB oldalukon osztották meg az értékeléseimet, T.M. Frazier az én eléggé kótyagos értékelésemből kiragadva ajánlotta friss könyvét, Cambria Hebert immár másodjára is repostolt Instagramon, Bethany-Kris-től könyvet nyertem, no meg ott volt a kis tweet-párbaj London Miller-rel és BK-val. Hihetetlen, milyen édesek ezek a világklasszis szerzők. Eszméletlenül imádom, hogy ilyen dolgok részese lehetek.
Ennyit rólam, átadom a szerepet a júniusi könyveknek.
2016. július 3., vasárnap
Viven Holloway: Winie Langton történetek (1-4.)
Ismét egy rendhagyó bejegyzés, hisz megint egy egész sorozatról írok egyszerre véleményt. Ezúttal a hazai steampunk királynőjének imádnivaló sorozatát hoztam el.
Ismét egy rendhagyó bejegyzés, hisz megint egy egész sorozatról írok egyszerre véleményt. Ezúttal a hazai steampunk királynőjének imádnivaló sorozatát hoztam el.
Book Haul - Június
Nos, a június keményen mélyre kotort a pénztálcámban. De...oké, nincsenek kifogások, könyvmoly vagyok!
Nos, a június keményen mélyre kotort a pénztálcámban. De...oké, nincsenek kifogások, könyvmoly vagyok!
2016. július 1., péntek
Nyereményjáték! - დდდდ 2 polc, 2 nyertes, 2 könyv. #Shelfie დდდდ
Mivel nyár van, olyan napos a kedvem, gondoltam, összedobok egy kis nyereményjátékot.
Mert kíváncsi vagyok a Ti könyvespolcaitokra is. Jöhetnek a #Shelfie-k!
Feliratkozás: Bejegyzések (Atom)


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Heidi Fleiss
February 11, 2012 by staff
Heidi Fleiss, Heidi Lynne Fleiss (born December 30, 1965) is an American former madam, and also a columnist and television personality regularly featured in the 1990s in American media. She is often referred to as the "Hollywood Madam".
Fleiss was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her parents, Paul M. Fleiss and Elissa (née Ash), are divorced. Her parents adopted Elissa's sister's baby daughter Kim, then adopted Paul's sister's baby daughter Amy (born 1965).
Heidi was born later the same year. Paul and Elissa then had Shana (born 1967), Jason (1968-2009) and Jesse (born 1977). On December 28, 2009, 41-year-old Jason drowned in the sea off Hawaii.
In 1995, Nick Broomfield made a documentary about her prostitution ring called Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam. In 2004, a made-for-TV movie was produced called Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss, in which Fleiss was portrayed by actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler.
Fleiss and reality TV personality Victoria Sellers (a friend of Fleiss since their teens, although their relationship had hit the rocks during the period Sellers was interviewed for Broomfield's documentary) hosted and produced an instructional DVD titled Sex Tips with Heidi Fleiss and Victoria Sellers in 2001. She is a periodic guest on Fox News programs and is currently[when?] featured in Maxim Magazine's "Ask Heidi" column.
In January 2010, Fleiss was the third housemate to enter the final Channel 4 series of Celebrity Big Brother in the UK; she was the second to be evicted. During her appearance on Big Brother, she stated that she does not want children, as she would be a poor mother, and would respond to an unplanned pregnancy by terminating it-her exact words were "Thank God for abortion!"–this comment elicited angry responses from viewers. She did not return for the finale; Davina McCall said Fleiss had to look after some exotic birds.
Please feel free to send if you have any questions regarding this post , you can contact on
Disclaimer: The views expressed on this site are that of the authors and not necessarily that of U.S.S.POST.


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At the stroke of midnight tonight, director-star Tommy Wiseau and co-star Greg Sestero will be at the first of two special weekend showings of The Room at Landmark's Regent Theatre in Westwood. To goose the crowd and to celebrate ten years of baffling cinematic triumph.
The Room regularly screens at the Regent, but tonight and Saturday's showing will be extra special. If you had told the movie's earliest reviewers and fans back in 2003 that the film would become a west coast 21st century equivalent to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, they would have laughed heartily.
Just how much of a cottage industry has The Room become? Well, around the ten-and-a-half-year mark, Sestero will be releasing a book about his experiences titled The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made. He co-wrote the tome with veteran LA journalist Tom Bissell.
The latest LA screenings are part of a celebratory tour that recently landed Wiseau and Sestero in Toronto. Ed Wood must be clapping in his grave.


text: At first glance this concert poster for Japan's garage-punks Guitar Wolf looks like the Japanese flag; the rising sun filled with lettering reminiscent of Japanese woodcuts. But when the lights go out, the poster explodes in a glow-in-the-dark collage of various rock and roll imagery reflecting the band's music and lifestyle. Official Selection, Communication Arts Design Annual


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ANDY FLOWER will help mould England's long-term succession policy for players of the future, in his new role as technical director of elite coaching.
Flower's hugely successful tenure as team director ended on a major low point in this winter's Ashes whitewash, after which he resigned.
But the England and Wales Cricket Board, and Flower himself, made it clear when he left the post he had held for five years that the intention was to return in a different position.
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It has taken little more than a month to identify and agree a role to the satisfaction of both parties, in which Flower will be based at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough where he will oversee the development of prospective internationals.
It is hoped the 45-year-old can enhance a programme which has already helped to deliver current England players such as Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes – among many others.
Flower was a triple Asheswinner before the one tour too many, which resulted in the need for a 'new era' following not only his resignation but then the controversial axing of record runscorer Kevin Pietersen.
He is enthused by his new job, however.
''I see this as a great opportunity for me as I start a new phase of my career,'' he said.
''This role offers me a chance to make a real contribution to the ability and character of England players and coaches in the years to come.'' ECB managing director Paul Downton added: ''The ECB is delighted (to be) able to retain a man of Andy Flower's experience and quality.
''His record over the last five years speaks for itself, and the ECB and Andy are excited about the future.'' As the present England team seek to put a miserable winter to date behind them, their series-levelling one-day international win over West Indies on Sunday featured a debut man-of-the-match performance from a player indicative of the development programme.
At 28, Stephen Parry is a relative late starter in England colours.
But the Lancashire slow left-armer wasted no time making an impact, taking three for 32 as England bowled West Indies out for 159.
''It's an amazing start,'' he said.
''I was just interested in us winning the game, but to influence it and put in a good performance and get man-ofthe- match tops it off.
''I was in a bit of shock. But it's a great moment for me, and I hope there will be more like that over the coming weeks.'' Parry is also in England's squad to travel to Bangladesh for the ICC World Twenty20, via Barbados for three shortformat matches against the Windies.
After being named in the provisional 30-man squad for the global tournament, he hardly dare hope he might make the final cut.
''My heart was saying 'come on, let's get picked', but my head was telling me it wasn't realistic,'' he said.
Parry has made gradual progress into the England reckoning, despite playing only six first-class matches in six seasons thanks to the competition at Old Trafford from veteran Gary Keedy and more recently Simon Kerrigan.
But last year, he was stopped in his tracks when a wayward throw-down from Lancashire coach Peter Moores broke his arm.
''When something like that happens, you worry and wonder if it will set right,'' he said.
''I've got a plate in my arm now, but it's fine.
''I was batting in practice coming towards the end of a session and Mooresey tried to bowl me a yorker and it was a 'flat one' – and it just hit me straight on the arm.'' Eight months on, Parry can reflect on a debut significantly more successful than Kerrigan's torrid experience in his first international match - last August's Ashes Test at The Oval.
- Australia took complete control of the deciding third Test against South Africa on an elongated third day in Cape Town.
Replying to Australia's 494 for seven declared, the Proteas were bowled out for 287 as Mitchell Johnson took four for 42 and Ryan Harris three for 63.
Australia closed on 27 without loss in their second innings for a lead of 234.


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- + Follow
Mark Olesak
Graphic Designer
New York, NY
New York, NY
I'm a New York based creative professional with seven years of design and marketing experience. My proficiencies include print, web and multimedia. I'm a graduate of Pratt Institute.
Magazine Feature Story 1
Annual Report
NYSC Holiday Open House Flyer
Aquent - New York, NY July 2010–April 2015 • Design and produce print, web and video projects • Develop customized branding and collateral • Manage print and web production Town Sports International - New York, NY Graphic Designer : June 2007–May 2010 • Designed print and web marketing for New York Sports Clubs • Created collateral for Susan G. Komen, Avon Walk and the NY Jets • Produced point-of-purchase video advertising • Work featured in Time Out NY, Improper Bostonian, AM New York Pratt Institute - New York, NY Receptionist and Campus Tour Guide : Aug 2005–May 2007 • Answered phones and scheduled counselor appointments • Performed data entry of incoming student information • Directed campus tours for prospective students MZI Marketing - New York, NY Marketing Design Intern : May–Aug 2006 • Designed print and web marketing materials • Presented design work at client meetings Arcadia Publishing - North Adams, MA Assistant Photo Editor and Caption Author : Aug 2002–April 2004 • Selected photos and wrote captions for Images of America: Randy Trabold's Northern Berkshire County, Published April 2003 • Reserched and organized archive photos
• President's List 2006 & 2007


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Students in Sheridan High School's WATCH program are celebrating Red Ribbon Week, raising awareness in fellow students about the harmful effects of drug and alcohol use.
"We Are the Change" is a group of students at SHS that pledge to be drug- and alcohol-free.
Tracey Hewitt-Adams, Career Center Coordinator and WATCH Facilitator at SHS, explains a few of the things they are doing this week.
WATCH students visited Woodland Park Elementary on Tuesday to put on skits for elementary students.
Students also visited with students at Sheridan Junior High School last week, where the students took home pledges and signed them with their parents.
Hewitt-Adams has coordinated the program for two years. They've collected more than 200 signatures on pledges this year, and she hopes that some of those students will become regular WATCH members.
"We have a huge number of kids that are making the right choices," Hewitt-Adams said.
WATCH will hold a big pledge signing this Friday for students at the high school during lunch.
Held during the last week in October, Red Ribbon Week began in 1988 as an extension of the DEA's drug use prevention efforts through education.


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Health Connection announces the release of an innovative, hand-held horse massage technology, the Horse Massager.
This unique device allows the rider or trainer to manually reach all areas of the horse with ease. The Horse Massager helps relieve areas of discomfort, in turn allowing the horse or rider to move more naturally and pain free.
The massager can lead to an increase in circulation, which helps remove toxin and lactic acid buildup. Because of this, it can improve recovery rates and can be highly effective in post operative care. An additional benefit of using the massager is that it allows the horse to become more comfortable with day-to-day handling.
The Horse Massager will be showcased at the Dublin Horse Show on August 5-9, 2009.
For more information, contact: Health Connection, Home Farm, Reading Room Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire S032 2HE, England, +44 (0)800 999 9091, http://www.health-connection.co.uk/view/equine-body-massager/1399.
Disclaimer: Seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy.


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North Korea in the year 2002 saw its domestic economy improve slightly, while on the international scene its standing rose and fell sharply in a series of dramatic events in relations with South Korea, Japan, and the U.S.
For several years the highly secretive state had had a severe problem producing enough food for its people. In 2002 the economy grew at a rate reported to be about 3.7%, but another disastrous season of floods in August ruined crops and threatened continued food shortages. The floods also killed several dozen people. The regime had relied on external food aid provided by South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, but Japan halted its donations after a diplomatic breakdown. Early in the year North Korea announced reforms of the economy that would permit some market transactions, and by the end of the year, it had been announced that an economic free zone, where capitalist enterprises would be welcome, would open in Kaesong, near the South Korean border.
Relations with Japan took a dramatic turn in September when, on the heels of a historic visit to Pyongyang by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, North Korea admitted that it had abducted as many as 13 Japanese during the 1970s and '80s. The abductions were apparently for the purpose of stealing identities for espionage purposes in some cases and for obtaining Japanese-language instructors in others. In admitting the crime, chief of state Kim Jung Il said that misguided elements within the government had carried out the scheme and that they would be punished.
North Korea's relations with China were dominated by the issue of Korean refugees' asylum in foreign embassies in Beijing and eventually passage to South Korea. In March, 25 North Koreans who had slipped into China stormed into the Spanish embassy, while smaller groups rushed into other embassies in Beijing. Relations with South Korea were marred when on June 29 a naval firefight broke out on the Yellow Sea. A North Korean ship fired first, leaving four South Korean sailors dead; 13 North Koreans were killed when South Korean forces returned fire. The incident was quickly defused, however, after North Korea issued a statement of regret and South Korea accepted the statement as an apology.
North Korea vigorously protested U.S. Pres. George W. Bush's characterization of the regime as part of an "axis of evil," along with Iran and Iraq, and announced that planned talks with the U.S. would be called off until the criticism was withdrawn. This was followed later in the year by a threat to deal the U.S. "merciless blows" should armed forces ever land in North Korea. Nonetheless, an American delegation visited Pyongyang in October. Any hopes of improved relations between the two countries were dashed when North Korea admitted that it was still attempting to develop nuclear weapons. Some analysts believed that the cash-strapped country was placing nuclear weapons on the bargaining table in hopes of getting economic aid in exchange for abandoning the project.
|Quick Facts
|122,762 sq km (47,399 sq mi)
|(2002 est.): 22,224,000
|Chief of state:
|Chairman of the National Defense Commission Kim Jong Il
|Head of government:
|Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier) Hong Sang Nam


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The UK has a strong tradition of attracting international businesses which are expanding their operations or want a footprint in Europe. The UK has the most extensive tax treaty network in the world. Over recent years, the main corporate tax rate has been reduced significantly.
The UK holds a number of other key attractions for those who wish to establish businesses, among them:
- No withholding tax on dividends, irrespective of where the shareholder is resident;
- UK tax exemption on qualifying foreign dividends;
- Capital gains exemption where a UK resident company sells shares, if certain conditions apply;
- A corporation tax rate of 20% with further rate reductions scheduled;
- Double tax relief for foreign tax paid on dividends.
UK - Resources
- UK Holding Companies whitepaper
- UK Limited Liability Partnerships whitepaper


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Small Industries and Institutional Framework: A Transaction Costs Approach
There has been a revival of interest in small industries and their linkages with a nation's institutional arrangements, among both academicians and policy makers. Extending the definition of institutions to include formal and informal rules, this paper attempts to identify these linkages using the technique of transaction costs. Applying this to the economic environment of small firms in Taiwan and India it is found that transaction costs have been lower among Taiwanese small firms when compared to their Indian counterparts owing to certain institutional factors which have shaped its developmental history, the most important ones being the indirect intervention of the government, strong vertical linkages and a high level of human capital endowment. It is argued that the protectionist policy and other institutional factors in India perpetuated an institutional rigidity that worked to raise transaction costs for the small firm.
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|Nov 1995
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| Postal: The Economic Research Institute, Stockholm School of Economics, P.O. Box 6501, 113 83 Stockholm, Sweden
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Xdream Bike: Who Needs Fresh Air?
Love riding your bike outside but hate dealing with traffic, inclement weather, and bugs in your teeth? Don't worry. The Xdream is the "first indoor fitness product that accurately simulates the experience of riding outdoors." That means you have real gears, brakes, handlebars, pedals, cranks and seat sensors that enable each move you make to be accurately portrayed on the screen in front of you. Whatever terrain and conditions of the road you see on the screen, the bike will mimic the resistance you feel as if you were actually experiencing it for real. It's kind of like a video game, but much better because at least you're off the couch.
It's great if you live in a busy city, in a bad neighborhood, or the streets are covered in two feet of snow. For most of us though, I'm sure we'll just opt to slap on a helmet and actually ride our bikes outside.
If you want to buy this bike, you'll definitely be breaking the piggy bank for this one. To find out how much it costs and see some great pictures of the Xdream bike then
This bad boy costs a whopping $8,999, but just to make you feel better, delivery, installation, and product training for the customer are included. The price also includes a two year warranty. Unless you're rolling in moolah, I'm sure this bike would be better suited for a gym. Check out the pics.
Fit's Tips: If you have a bike and want to ride it inside because it's not warm enough to hit the roads yet, you can get a cycle trainer or cycling roller.


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The abduction of Libya's Prime Minister Ali Zeidan yesterday shows that Libya is unlikely to emerge from anarchy without outside help. NATO should train government security forces. The UN or EU should sponsor a disarmament conference with the militias destabilizing the country.
Investing in the education and health of girls pays huge dividends. Now is the time to recommit to empowering girls and ending child marriage and human trafficking, not just because it is morally right but because it is the smartest way to build a more peaceful and prosperous world.
House Speaker John Boehner has spent much of his speakership placating tea party conservatives. Now, he should worry more about the 23 mainstream Republicans who hate debt-ceiling brinkmanship and government shutdown. They could join with Democrats to oust Boehner.
Bashar al-Assad's recent track record shows it is likely the regime will not live up to agreements on Syria's chemical weapons with the UN, Russia, and the US unless there are repercussions for stonewalling. For Obama, that means keeping the threat of military force alive.
Whatever success Republicans might achieve with the government shutdown and debt strategy, political dysfunction in Washington is not cost-free internationally. Nowhere are the risks to US interests greater than in Asia, where President Obama was supposed to be this week.
In cases on campaign finance (McCutcheon v. FEC) and affirmative action, the US Supreme Court will again consider how best to ensure 'a level playing field.' The Roberts court should be careful not to favor an idealized principle of equal treatment that ignores social realities.
The Stimson Center's Russell Sticklor argues in a recent op-ed for the Monitor that more attention must be paid to a looming water crisis in the Middle East and North Africa. Here, Sticklor offers four ways that individuals can learn about and help combat water scarcity.
The government shutdown and looming debt-ceiling debate shouldn't prevent House Republicans from tackling comprehensive immigration reform. A practical, common-ground solution could improve America's fiscal health and it's what the majority of voters are calling for.
In light of the US government shutdown and looming debt ceiling deadline, Wall Street should shift its traditional GOP alliance to Democrats. Republican extremism is threatening US credibility and markets. Wall Street's clout can help reshape America's fiscal future.
Conservatives in Congress do believe in funding the government, but also want to save the American people from Obamacare's harmful effects. Unfortunately, Democrats have insisted that the only way they will keep the government open is if Congress funds every last word of that law.
By pretending that the Affordable Care Act poses such an existential risk to the republic that it merits dragging our national character through the mud of a government shutdown, tea party Republicans are belittling the very real crises America soon may face.
The Middle East and North Africa – the world's most water-scarce region – will soon face a severe water crisis. That could create an even greater challenge than today's upheavals. More attention must be paid to the problem. Conservation, communication, education, and technology can help.
During the past 4-1/2 years, and on my recent bus tour of the Southwest, I saw great principals and teachers; courageous leaders from the business, faith, and nonprofit sectors; engaged parents; and communities pulling together to serve students. Education is a shared responsibility.
On Sept. 25, US Secretary of State John Kerry signed the Arms Trade Treaty, which has the potential to make a real difference in reducing the deadly consequences of the irresponsible global arms trade and protect innocent civilians. It deserves the world's full support.
Critics who say Obama lost foreign-policy ground to Russia, Assad, and Putin on the Syria crisis have it just plain wrong. Here are four reasons why the critics are mistaken.
Teen suicide and school shootings are blamed on bullying. Mental illness is the far more likely culprit. We need to expand mental-health services in schools and in society, not hamstring our educators with complicated and draconian 'bullying' laws.
Iranians and Westerners see hope in President Rouhani's UN visit today. But even with the backing of the supreme leader, reforming Iran's economy will be a difficult task for Rouhani, especially as he must challenge the power of the Revolutionary Guard and intelligence services.
America's usual tack on Iran's nuclear program hasn't worked. The US should test the intentions of Iran's new President Hasan Rouhani, who visits the UN today, by trying a new approach: capitalizing on areas where US and Iranian interests align, such as Afghanistan, or even Iraq.
On the doorstep of extremist-led instability in West Africa, Liberia may be the most remarkable post-conflict success story of the modern era. But a paradox threatens to unravel the country's hard-won gains: Despite progress, central drivers of violence remain.
Blasphemy and other religious-defamation laws in Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and even Russia put people behind bars and on death row. As the UN General Assembly begins, these countries must be put under intense pressure to conform to global human rights standards.


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I have sworn loyalty to the Aldmeri Dominion… The very first Elder Scrolls installment that I played was Daggerfall… (circa 1996?) and have played through every installment since then. Morrowind is my favorite of the last 3. Oblivion's leveling system was awful. Skyrim provided more enjoyable game play but overall I had the most fun with Morrowind. I'm not a huge gaming nut but usually find time to play several times a week. Computers & tech have been a steady hobby ever since my father brought home our first computer which at the time was about the size of a modern, commercial copy machine.
My MMO playing style is casual. I will participate in group pvp but I'm not a hardcore pvp'er. I simply don't have the time to put into practicing key-bound attack sequences. I am very efficient however with my mouse & keypad so I could be a borderline hardcore pve player. Leveling is never a problem. I currently play Aion and Vindictus, usually solo since I don't have many rl friends who mmo… and those that do, aren't playing what I am playing. That may change with TESO.
Irl, I am a self employed residential builder & general contractor in Michigan, US.


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The best part of Vincenzo Natali's "Cypher" was trying to guess the plot twists of Brian King's screenplay before they were revealed. I will admit that the script fooled me a number of times, including the final twist, which I thought I had uncovered 30 minutes before the final credits, only to be proven wrong. Nice work. I'm always happily surprised when a movie is able to fool me.
"Cypher" (which actually had a better title in "Company Man") is the second full-length feature of Canadian director Natali, who rose to fame with the wildly creative "Cube" in 1997. Despite the movie's limited resources, Natali and company transformed a single set piece into a whole movie. It's to Natali's credit that "Cube's" sequel, "Hypercube" — despite a bigger budget and more resources — failed to measure up to the original.
"Cypher" stars Jeremy Northam ("Enigma") as Morgan Sullivan, an out-of-work executive who decides he wants to be a corporate spy. As the movie opens, Sullivan is put through a battery of tests conducted by a high-tech company (think Microsoft). Movie Microsoft needs a spy to infiltrate their competitor, an equally high-tech company (think Sun Microsystems). Sullivan is hired and sent on what appears to be mundane missions. (They have him recording lectures on cheese production and the like.) Things get strange when a beautiful woman (Lucy Liu) begins appearing at Sullivan's "spy missions"; she informs him that something sinister is afoot, and that he's a guinea pig in a bigger scheme that can get him killed if he's not careful.
For its first 30 minutes, "Cypher" is a retread of "The Matrix", with Trinity offering clues to help a weary Neo escape the fake machine world. Here, Rita (Liu) offers aid for Sullivan to help him realize that Movie Microsoft is using him in their neverending battle against Movie Sun. Of course with so many convoluted plots running parallel to one another, it's a bit hard to figure out who is who and why they're doing what they're doing and how. But the viewer needn't care, because the purpose of various factions' schemes is irrelevant. Even if you forgot who Sullivan is a spy for at any given moment, it wouldn't matter a bit.
The fact is, director Natali is more concern about creating a visually stunning environment for his movie than stringing together a feasible storyline. The world of "Cypher" is obviously the "near future", but because there's no time frame the only presence of "advance technology" is confined to the inner offices of the dueling high-tech companies. (Curiously enough, the script throws in a super duper helicopter that seems to undermine the movie's "not so far into the future that cars are flying" vibe that was being attempted.) Visually speaking, "Cypher" is a good looking film.
For the film's first act, Natali and cinematographer Derek Rogers drowns most of the scenes out in bright lights, so that every lifeless pore on every character's skin shines through. In the second act color returns, albeit in stages, thus signaling the end of the first act's surreal state. For much of its first hour, "Cypher" looks and feels like a maze, with Sullivan being the mice caught up in the maze trying to find a way out. The final 30 minutes fall a bit flat, and even the film's big McGuffin (involving a CD disk, of course) ends up being irrelevant — as, I suppose, was the point of calling it a McGuffin in the first place, natch.
Despite all of the above, "Cypher" is an entertaining film, with a number of clever plot twists that, as previously mentioned, I didn't see coming. Some viewers may be inclined to point out the movie's lack of ambiguity by film's end, pointing to Natali's ambiguous ending for "Cube". True, there's no obvious nihilism present in "Cypher", and the movie itself ends on a rather bright note, which is definitely a detour for Natali, whose last movie ended with wholesale slaughter that seemed to defy logic, much like the movie itself. But since Natali is only directing "Cypher", and has no writing credits, perhaps calling this "a Natali movie" is a bit overreaching.
Leading man Jeremy Northam turns in a good performance. His character, when we first meet him, doesn't seem ready for the spy world at all, and we wonder why Movie Microsoft hired him in the first place. (As it turns out, there's a reason for his hiring.) Northam plays the nervous and unsure Sullivan with the right combination of neurosis and faux charm. Lucy Liu ("Charlie's Angels") provides a decent femme fatale to tempt Northam, even though she had moments where she sounded like an automaton. In any case, this is a role Liu seems to be typecast in lately, from "Payback" to the recent "Ballistic".
The script by Brian King, while being heavily inspired by Terry Gilliam's "Brazil", is perhaps just a bit too orderly for its own good. The film could have used some bleak atmosphere and a healthy dose of unanswered questions at the end, as well as a lot more uncontrolled chaos throughout. As a result, "Cypher" sometimes comes across as too…controlled.
Vincenzo Natali (director) / Brian King (screenplay)
CAST: Jeremy Northam …. Morgan Sullivan
Lucy Liu …. Rita
Nigel Bennett …. Finster
Timothy Webber …. Calloway
David Hewlett …. Vergil Dunn
Kari Matchett …. Diane Thursby


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The suit was all wrong. It was stylish, bought just two months before, and tailored to fit a lanky 6-foot-10 frame. But Ed Davis hated wearing it.
"I wish I was in uniform," the Raptor rookie said on Thursday.
The navy blue suit, not a red and black Raptors uniform bearing No. 32, was what the 21-year-old wore at Wednesday night's season opener against the New York Knicks. It should have been the first-round draft pick's debut in the NBA. It was supposed to be his chance to revel in achieving something great, like his father, Terry Davis, who spent a decade playing pro basketball.
Instead, he sat on the bench looking like a dapper (unhappy) young coach, all because of the meniscus tear he suffered in his right knee on Sept. 15 while playing in a pickup game in Mississauga. He had arthroscopic surgery a few days later.
Thursday's practice was the first time Davis was able to participate in game-situation drills with the team, although he was shut out of the ones involving contact. Then he remained long after his teammates had left, practising 15-foot jumpers with assistant coach Alex English, the sweat pooling down Davis's back, dripping past the black plastic brace hugging his knee. After that, he hit the weight room.
The Raptors' coaches aren't saying when they expect their new forward to return, although Davis has said he could be playing in a matter of weeks.
Until then, the soft-spoken Virginia native will have to stick to being a "student of the game." Rather than learning new systems by doing them, he listens. Instead of hoping to be called off the bench, he watches closely, learning from experts like Knicks all-star Amar'e Stoudemire.
"When you're on the sidelines, you really can see exactly what coach is talking about," Davis said. "Like, if a guy doesn't sprint back and he might think he did but he really didn't, just little things like that."
Asked on Thursday if it felt good to see his dream realized on Wednesday, he hedged.
"Like I said, I would have loved to be in uniform and help the team win. It kind of felt good, but not really."Report Typo/Error
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