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June 5, 2011 BY Aaron Hope
We just got a look at the Larkin lowtop, so what else does the Vans OTW Collection have in store for the remainder of 2011? Have a look at the Vans OTW Bedford, pictured above in four new colorways for Q3. Each of them comes with a simple tonal upper, grey and brown pairs stretching their blocking onto the soles (the others are white). The latter of those joints the white pair in offering a multicolored plaid sockliner for just a little bit extra, and you can see images of these details and more when you click on the jump below. Leave a comment to let us know which one you feel is best and stick with Sneaker News for updates including the US release dates. via FNG
Filed under: Lifestyle Sneakers Upcoming Sneakers Vans
Tags: Vans Bedford


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Split is a unique film in many ways. It has a couple of plot twists and also a post-ending. This won't be a long review as I am going to keep it spoiler free. I'm going to give a brief summary and then some thoughts I have about the film.
As the film begins, we find ourselves at a party. A socially awkward girl has been invited by proxy as a guest of a more popular group of girls. Unable to find a ride, the outcast girl is offered a ride from the popular girls and their father. A man ambushes the father and then enters the car. This is where we meet Kevin. Or Dennis. He knocks the girls out and kidnaps them.
We don't really get a good idea of where they are trapped, but the girls wake up in a bunker of sorts. We meet the man who kidnapped them, Dennis. Later someone else enters the picture, Patricia, who is another one of Kevin's personalities along with Dennis. She apologizes for the mistreatment of the girls and says they won't be touched.
As the girls formulate a plan to get out, we meet Kevin's doctor/psychiatrist. Kevin is now Barry. He tells the doctor even though an emergency meeting was requested by e-mail, everything is fine. She is suspicious but believes him.
Back at the bunker we meet Hedwig. He is another of Kevin's personalities, a nine year old boy. The girls attempt to convince him to let them go, but it ultimately fails. He also tells them about "The Beast", a mysterious figure that is coming for them. The girls attempt to break out of the holding bunker but get caught and are separated. Eventually they all get put into separate rooms.
Who or what is The Beast? Will the girls escape alive? Which of Kevin's 24 personalities will take control? You'll have to watch to find out!
Final thoughts:
First off, I want to say that while I was always a fan of his, this film solidified my love of James McAvoy's acting. He is nothing short of brilliant in his role as Kevin (and the other personalities). He takes this film from a 2.5 to a 4/5 for me. Now if you like gore, jump scares, slashers or "traditional" horror you will not enjoy this film. It is very much a tight psychological thriller. There are a couple twists in the end (an M. Night staple) and a post end scene that you must see. The final scene proves to me that Shyamalan knew exactly what he wanted to do with this script and has me excited for future films. All in all I found it to be a fun watch with a mix of humor and suspense and a nice wrap up in the end. I rate it 4/5 if not for McAvoy's performance alone. I recommend it.
Tony Roca
Latest posts by Tony Roca (see all)
- SPLIT (2016): Review…A Brilliant Performance Elevates A Decent Film Into A Good One - January 30, 2017
- PANDORICA (2016): Review…Resetting The Future - December 12, 2016
- BLOOD HUNTERS (2016): Review…Death Is In Their Genes - November 23, 2016

subset: commoncrawl


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From Our Editors
The exterminators from Palmer Pest Management wield organic bait and chemical sprays to rid interiors and exteriors of such menaces as mosquitoes, roaches, ants, and bedbugs. Their prevention and control services commence with a detailed inspection of the entire building to uncover the spots where pests would likely be hiding, such as nests underneath floorboards. The technicians then apply a liquid or granular formulation around entry points, and, as necessary, place odorless, harmless baits and gels on the interior. Regular upkeep can help homeowners fend off an array of concerns that arise from pests, such as roach dust, diseases from rodents, and time wasted explaining that dragonflies aren't as cool as they sound.


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Careers (jobs) at rsquare media inc.
We're looking to fill the following roles:
- Sales Associate, Sales Manager, Sales Team Leader, Regional Vice President - Sales & Business Development
- Social Media Intern, Future Social Media Rockstar
What we're Looking for:
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- Highly detail oriented, high energy professional who is able to articulate thoughts clearly and succintly
- Confident, passionate professional who is looking to grow with the organization and take on a leadership role soon
- Candidate must read, write and speak English perfectly (knowledge of Spanish is desired, but not required).
- Candidate must be extremely familiar with using Social Media, Internet based applications like Email, Calendar, Skype or Google Hangout, Google Docs, DropBox, Google Drive, etc.; Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and using a Windows based computer.
- Send 1 page Resumes to firstname.lastname@example.com along with your availability for a video interview
Why you'll LOVE us:
- Flexible working hours including work from home
- Casual atmosphere
- Open workspace - no cubicles - everyone sits in the same space
- Fully paid company vacay.* Ski Trip - Hunter Mountain, NY, Florida (Orlando, Miami, KeyWest) and The Bahamas.
2 Payment Options for Sales Roles
- Commission Only
- Salary + Commission
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- 10-20% commission.
- Role & Responsibility: All you have to do is tell us WHERE the OPPORTUNITY exists + the contact details of the decision maker, so we can call & schedule a meeting. When the deal closes, you get paid. So, if you refer a deal for $10,000 – 10% ($1000) is guaranteed , with the possibility of up to 20% ($2000)
- Salary + Commission: $10/hr + 7% commission with target of 10 sales a week.
Performance Incentives:
When you perform at a higher level, your base pay increases as well - for the week of the higher performance.
- 13-18 sales/week - $12/hr for that week (at least $480+$1365= $1845) - base pay + commission = ~$7400/month
- 19-25 sales/week - $15/hr for that week (at least $600+$1995=$2585) - base pay + commission = ~$10,300/month


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Conceived and designed the experiments: FSS ROP MD LGM RVC CD. Performed the experiments: FSS FLC NA IGB PL YA. Analyzed the data: FSS FLC NA CD. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis: MW-J. Wrote the paper: CD.
Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer (BU), is unique among human pathogens in its capacity to produce a polyketide-derived macrolide called mycolactone, making this molecule an attractive candidate target for diagnosis and disease monitoring. Whether mycolactone diffuses from ulcerated lesions in clinically accessible samples and is modulated by antibiotic therapy remained to be established.
Peripheral blood and ulcer exudates were sampled from patients at various stages of antibiotic therapy in Ghana and Ivory Coast. Total lipids were extracted from serum, white cell pellets and ulcer exudates with organic solvents. The presence of mycolactone in these extracts was then analyzed by a recently published, field-friendly method using thin layer chromatography and fluorescence detection. This approach did not allow us to detect mycolactone accurately, because of a high background due to co-extracted human lipids. We thus used a previously established approach based on high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. By this means, we could identify structurally intact mycolactone in ulcer exudates and serum of patients, and evaluate the impact of antibiotic treatment on the concentration of mycolactone.
Our study provides the proof of concept that assays based on mycolactone detection in serum and ulcer exudates can form the basis of BU diagnostic tests. However, the identification of mycolactone required a technology that is not compatible with field conditions and point-of-care assays for mycolactone detection remain to be worked out. Notably, we found mycolactone in ulcer exudates harvested at the end of antibiotic therapy, suggesting that the toxin is eliminated by BU patients at a slow rate. Our results also indicated that mycolactone titres in the serum may reflect a positive response to antibiotics, a possibility that it will be interesting to examine further through longitudinal studies.
Mycolactone is a diffusible cytotoxin produced by Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of the skin disease Buruli ulcer. In a previous study using animal models, we reported that mycolactone released by cutaneous foci of infection gains access to the peripheral blood. Here we investigated whether mycolactone circulates in human patients and is detectable in clinically accessible samples. Using a combination of solvent extraction, high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis, we found that structurally intact mycolactone was present in ulcer exudates obtained from wound swabs and in the serum of patients. Unexpectedly, high titres of mycolactone were detected in ulcer exudates after completion of antibiotic treatment. In contrast, mycolactone could only be detected in the serum of newly diagnosed patients. Our results demonstrate that mycolactone detection in serum and ulcer exudates may be used to diagnose BU. Moreover, they suggest that the kinetics of mycolactone concentration in serum may be indicative of the clinical response of patients to antibiotic therapy.
Buruli ulcer (BU), caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is the third most common mycobacterial disease after tuberculosis and leprosy and represents an emerging threat [1], [2]. Since the late 1980s, the disease has been developing throughout West and Central Africa, prompting the WHO in 1998 to initiate an awareness and control campaign (http://www.who.int/gtb-buruli). Although efficient [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], current treatment protocols recommend the daily administration of oral rifampicin and intramuscular streptomycin for 8 weeks, with additional surgical intervention when necessary. To control the emergence of BU and to improve the management of the disease, it is vital to develop new tools for early diagnosis and treatment monitoring. A distinctive feature of M. ulcerans among human pathogens is the production of mycolactone [8], a macrocyclic polyketide playing a critical role in bacterial virulence (reviewed in [9], [10]). We have recently demonstrated the presence of intact mycolactone in punch biopsies from all forms of BU disease, before and during antibiotic therapy [11]. Moreover, there is evidence from mouse studies that mycolactone may diffuse into the peripheral blood [12]. Here we used chemical approaches to determine if mycolactone is present in blood samples and ulcer exudates obtained non-invasively at various stages of antibiotic therapy.
Patients were recruited if they met the WHO clinical case definition of BU disease; were not pregnant; had no history of tuberculosis, leprosy, or liver, kidney, or hearing impairment. All subjects provided written informed consent (thumb print of parent or guardian in the case of children, depending on literacy). A cross-section of patients with BU disease were recruited which included a spectrum of patients yet to initiate antibiotic therapy, some at various stages of antibiotic treatment and few who had completed treatment. Healthy controls from the same endemic area were included. In Ghana, patients were recruited by local health workers from villages near Tepa Government Hospital in the Ahafo Ano North District of Ghana, where there is a high prevalence of BU. The study protocol was approved by the ethics review committees at the School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. In Ivory Coast, patients were either recruited from the Djekanou General Hospital or detected by a mobile medical team actively screening the district of Abidjan. The study protocol was approved by the national ethic review committee.
To confirm the clinical diagnosis, punch biopsy specimens of 4-mm diameter (Ghana) or ulcer exudates (Ivory Coast) were tested by PCR for the IS2404 repeat sequence, which is characteristic of M. ulcerans. Positive patients were treated with 10 mg/kg oral rifampicin and 15 mg/kg intramuscular streptomycin daily, administered at village health posts under direct observation, according to the WHO recommendations. Only IS2404 positive samples were considered for analysis of mycolactone presence.
Mycolactone was extracted from M. ulcerans 1615 (ATCC 35840), as previously described [12]. In brief, bacteria were cultivated in Middlebrook 7H9 broth (Difco) enriched with 10% oleic acid-albumin-dextrose-catalase (OADC, Becton Dickinson) for 4 weeks in spinner flasks at 30°C. Total lipids were extracted from bacterial cell pellets with 2/1 CHCl3/MeOH (v/v) for 20 h at 4°C. After separation from the aqueous phase following the addition of 20% H2O (w/v), the organic phase was dried. The resulting material was resuspended in ice-cold acetone and incubated for 20 h at −20°C. The acetone-soluble fraction was then dried, resuspended in ethanol, and loaded onto a silica gel TLC plate and eluted with 90/9/1 CHCl3/MeOH/H2O as the mobile phase. The yellow band corresponding to mycolactone (retention factor of 0.2) was then scraped and mycolactone eluted from silica particles using 2/1 CHCl3/MeOH (v/v). Following solvent evaporation, purified mycolactone was resuspended in ethanol. The concentration of the resulting solution was determined by UV absorption, as described [13].
As recently described [13], mycolactone or lipid extracts were applied to a silica gel TLC plate and eluted with 90/9/1 CHCl3/MeOH/H2O as the mobile phase. The eluted TLC plate was briefly warmed on a hot plate to evaporate the organic solvents, and quickly immersed into a 0.1 M acetone solution of 2-naphtalene boronic acid (Sigma), then heated to 100°C for 5~10 seconds. The TLC plate was then irradiated with a UV reader equipped with a 312 nm lamp.
Mycolactone or lipid extracts were also analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS). We used a Shimadzu HPLC fitted with a BDS Hypersil C8 column (5 µm, 4.6×250 mm), with UV detection at 360 nm. Mycolactone was eluted by a 60 min gradient from 50 to 95% acetonitrile in water after 22 min. Fractions of interest were collected in glass tubes and analysed on a QSTAR XL, AB-MDS-SCIEX mass spectrometer with an electrospray ion source and the following parameters: ion spray voltage (IS), 5200 v; curtain gas (CUR), 25; gas 1 (GS1), 5; declustering potential (DP), 50 v; focusing potential (FP), 225 v; declustering potential 2 (DP2), 15 v. Mycolactone was identified by the presence of [M+Na]+ m/z 765.5. MS-MS parameters were: ion spray voltage (IS), 6000 v; curtain gas (CUR), 25; gas 1 (GS1), 20; declustering potential (DP), 60 v; focusing potential (FP), 230 v; declustering potential 2 (DP2), 10 v; collision energy (CE), 60; collision gaz (CAD), 5. Data were collected and processed through the Analyst QS 1.1 software from AB-MDS-Sciex.
Wound swabs obtained from the undermined edges of ulcerative lesions were soaked into 1 ml ethanol immediately after sampling and stored in polypropylene collecting tubes at -20°C, protected from light, until analysis. Ethanol solutions of exudates were concentrated to a volume of 500 µl then processed to TLC-Fluo and HPLC/MS/MS analyses.
Lipids were extracted from serum samples (1 ml) by sequential addition of 4/1 MeOH (v/v), 1/1 CHCl3 (v/v), and 3/1 H2O (v/v), each step being followed by thorough mixing. The upper aqueous phase was discarded and the bottom organic phase transferred to a glass tube containing 3 ml of MeOH. The resulting solution was centrifuged to sediment insoluble particulate matter. The soluble organic phase was then dried and the resulting product re-suspended in ethanol for TLC-Fluo and HPLC/MS/MS analyses.
Mononuclear cells were isolated from 10 ml whole blood by differential sedimentation on Ficoll-Hypaque (GE Healthcare). Cell pellets were then dried and stored at −20°C until lipid analysis. Total lipids were extracted from cell pellets by addition of 1 ml 2/1 CHCl3/MeOH (v/v) for 48 h at 4°C. The organic phase was recovered by addition of 20% H2O (w/v), dried and the resulting product resuspended in ethanol for TLC-Fluo and HPLC/MS/MS analyses.
We first compared the TLC-Fluo and HPLC/MS/MS approaches for mycolactone detection in the 0–500 ng range, using purified mycolactone as a reference. Both methods were highly sensitive, yielding a detectable signal with only 10 ng mycolactone (Fig. 1A,B). However the fluorescent signal of mycolactone modified by coupling to 2-naphtalene boronic acid was not a linear function of its concentration, whereas the areas of mycolactone elution peaks in HPLC were proportional to mycolactone concentration in the 10–500 ng domain (Fig. 1C). To evaluate the efficacy of mycolactone extraction from biological samples, serum samples (1 ml) or mononuclear cell pellets (106 cells) were spiked with purified mycolactone. We then proceeded to solvent extraction as described in the Methods section, and estimated the proportion of recovered mycolactone using the above-described standard curves. The estimated yields of extraction with organic solvents were of 20% from cell pellets and 10% from serum samples (not shown). Several combinations of solvents were tried that did not improve the recovery of mycolactone.
Exudate samples were split into two equivalent parts, which were analyzed in parallel for the presence of mycolactone by HPLC/MS/MS or TLC-Fluo. We could not conclude on the presence of mycolactone by TLC-Fluo, because of the co-migration of auto-fluorescent compounds (Fig. 2A). Using HPLC determination, elution peaks corresponding to mycolactone were observed in 3/6 newly diagnosed patients and all patients undergoing or completing their course of antibiotic treatment (13/13, 4/4 respectively) (Table 1). To confirm that they effectively contained mycolactone, elution peaks were collected in three patients, and analyzed by MS/MS. In all of them, the characteristic spectrum of mycolactone parent ion (m/z 765) and products was observed [14], demonstrating the presence and structural integrity of mycolactone in ulcer exudates (Fig. 2B). Notably, the presence of mycolactone in these samples persisted during and after completion of antibiotic therapy (Fig. 3).
Since our previous experiments in experimentally infected mice demonstrated the presence of mycolactone in circulating mononuclear cells, we analyzed this biological material in BU patients. Whole blood (10 ml) was collected in patients from Ghana and Ivory Coast at various stages of the disease (Table 1) and mononuclear cells were isolated by Ficoll gradient centrifugation. However, no mycolactone could be identified in any of the samples tested (n=52) by TLC-Fluo or HPLC/MS/MS (not shown).
Total lipids were extracted from 1 ml serum samples then analyzed by TLC-Fluo (Ghana samples) or HPLC (Ivory Coast samples) (Table 1). Again, the identification of mycolactone by TLC-Fluo was difficult, because of the co-migration of auto-fluorescent compounds (Fig. 4A). Using HPLC, mycolactone detection was also hampered by the co-elution of UV-absorbing contaminants (Fig. 4B). We could nevertheless identify mycolactone-like peaks in 3/5 newly diagnosed patients, 1/8 patients undergoing treatment, and 0/4 patients completing treatment. These peaks were collected in two patients and analyzed by MS/MS. In both of them, the characteristic spectrum of mycolactone parent and product ions could be observed (Fig. 4B). The concentration of circulating mycolactone was evaluated in positive samples by measuring the area of mycolactone elution peaks and subtracting the mean signal of two healthy controls (Fig. 5). Calculated values were in the 40–200 ng/ml range.
In the present study, we investigated whether mycolactone was detectable in easily accessible samples of BU patients. We used two chemical approaches, both requiring the extraction of total lipids by organic solvents. The efficacy of this extraction step, as measured by addition of pure mycolactone to control samples, was mediocre and reduced dramatically the sensitivity of the following TLC-Fluo and HPLC determinations. An explanation for such a limited yield of extraction may be that mycolactone associates with biomolecules preventing solvent access, a possibility that we are currently testing by studying the impact of various thermal and enzymatic treatments. If the efficacy and selectivity of mycolactone extraction can be improved, the recently described and field-friendly TLC-Fluo detection method may still be an option for mycolactone-based point-of-care diagnostic tests. If not, it will be necessary to design alternative approaches that do not require this purification step.
Using HPLC/MS/MS, we could demonstrate that mycolactone gains access to the peripheral blood of human patients. In previous studies in the mouse model, we detected structurally intact mycolactone in mononuclear cell fractions of pooled blood samples harvested from mice subcutaneously injected with mycolactone, or experimentally infected with M. ulcerans [12]. In the present work, mycolactone could not be identified in blood mononuclear cells. This cell subpopulation was isolated from 10 ml whole blood, and we estimated the maximum yield of mycolactone extraction from mononuclear cell pellets to 20%. If mycolactone effectively reaches blood mononuclear cells in human patients, its cellular concentration may be too low to be detected in the accessible volume of blood. Alternatively, mycolactone may be unstable in the conditions used in the present study to isolate and store mononuclear cell pellets.
In contrast, we were able to demonstrate the presence of structurally intact mycolactone in the serum of 3/5 newly diagnosed BU patients (Table 1). This novel information provides the essential proof of concept for the design of BU diagnostic tests based on mycolactone detection in peripheral blood. Since mycolactone is extracted from serum samples with low efficacy, the number of positive samples and the calculated concentrations of circulating mycolactone are probably underestimated in this study. Whether mycolactone kinetics in serum could be employed to monitor the response to antibiotic treatment will certainly be interesting to investigate further. Our preliminary results suggest that, in spite of a sustained presence in ulcer exudates (Fig. 3), mycolactone concentration (Fig. 5) showed a tendency to decrease in the serum during antibiotic therapy. If confirmed by longitudinal studies, the decay of circulating mycolactone during antibiotic therapy would provide an explanation to the recovery of cellular immune responses during treatment [15], [16] and after surgical excision of BU lesions [17].
Here we considered patients at ulcerative stages of the disease. BU is usually diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms, as the identification of M. ulcerans by means of cultures or PCR requires dedicated facilities and specialized equipment (reviewed in [18]). Common differential diagnoses of BU include other tropical ulcers (venous, phagedenic, neurogenic), leishmaniasis, yaws and squamous cell carcinoma. The presence of biologically active mycolactone was recently demonstrated in skin biopsies of BU patients [11]. Here we show that mycolactone can be detected in ulcer exudates obtained non-invasively from wound swabs, in a structurally intact form and at concentrations in the 50–200 ng/ml range, which strongly suggests that mycolactone detection in exudates may be of interest for differential diagnosis of the ulcerative forms. Whether mycolactone is present at pre-ulcerative stages in fine-needle aspirates and in the peripheral blood is currently under investigation.
We observed significant amounts of mycolactone in exudates at the end of antibiotic therapy. In some instances, antibiotic pressure may not efficiently block, and could even enhance the production of a toxin. For instance, in patients infected with E. coli O157H7, the use of antimicrobials has been discouraged because it stimulates toxin production and augments the risk of detrimental, or even fatal complications [19]. Whether antibiotics promote the expression of mycolactone by M. ulcerans is unknown. However, their efficacy at killing M. ulcerans is not questionable with 4 weeks of treatment leading to culture negativity [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]. Although a stimulatory effect of antibiotics on mycolactone production cannot be excluded, our observation suggests that mycolactone persists in cutaneous tissues after the demise of M. ulcerans. Since mycolactone displays inherent ulcerative properties [8], this phenomenon may explain why some BU take considerable time to heal despite remaining culture negative.
The administration of antibiotics is sometimes associated with adverse reactions, excessive inflammation and pain sensation, that paradoxically make the symptoms of infection worse [20]. It is possible that in BU, like in the Jarish-Heixheimer reaction in syphilis or in relapsing fevers, efficient killing of M. ulcerans by antibiotics leads to the sudden and massive release of bacterial antigens locally that act as immuno-stimulants. Mycolactone displays potent immunosuppressive properties in vitro that are thought to contribute to the cellular response defects of BU patients [21], [22], [23], [24], [25]. The rapid decline of mycolactone from the systemic circulation during treatment may thus provoke exuberant inflammatory responses at the level of the lesions, and cause the paradoxical reactions observed in BU disease [26].
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Association Française Raoul Follereau for financial support. They also thank the Region Ile de France for granting RVC a post-doctoral fellowship "DIM Maladies Infectieuses, Parasitaires et Nosocomiales Emergentes," and the European Foundation Initiative on Neglected Tropical Diseases (EFINTD) for granting RP a post-doctoral fellowship. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
PubMed Central Canada is a service of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) working in partnership with the National Research Council's national science library in cooperation with the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. National Library of Medicine(NCBI/NLM). It includes content provided to the PubMed Central International archive by participating publishers.


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S900H: All in one Movie Cube
EMTEC, the multimedia appliances and storage solutions specialist, reveals its brand new Movie Cube: the S900H. Enjoy a complete line-up of entertainment thanks to this Full HD multimedia player and recorder with dual DVB-T HD tuner.
No more « back-and-forth »!
Don't worry about choosing between two TV shows airing at the same time… EMTEC allows you to watch your favorite program while recording another one thanks to the S900H dual DVB-T HD tuner function. No need to flip back and forth between channels to watch your favorite shows!
A trendy HD « video recorder »
This HD « video recorder » allows you to record your favorite program, pausing it any time with the « Time Shift » function, and also captures your favorite older videos (VHS, DVD and set-top boxes…).
Share and store your best memories…
Share your memories in an easy way with a simple connection to your television and enjoy your multimedia content: photos, videos or music with your friends and family.
Store your data and back up all your files on the Movie Cube S900H internal hard drive from 1TB to 2TB or with a flash drive or USB peripheral.
Advanced network features!
Easily manage and watch your multimedia content with the included NAS features and access to web-based content including bookmarks and internet radio!
A stylish design!
Able to stand vertically or horizontally, you have the option of selecting the Movie Cube S900H position that suits you the most, thanks to its automatically rotating LCD screen.
This sleek design will perfectly match your living-room!
- Video: AVI, DAT, IFO, ISO, MKV, MOV, MPG, MP4, RM, RMVB, TS, VOB, WMV
- Audio: FLAC, OGG, MP3, WAV, WMA
- Photo: HD JPG, BMP


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Mitt Romney Is Not The OneWednesday, October 12th, 2011
I've disagreed with voters, both GOP, Dem, and Independent a lot recently. There's kind of an axiom that the voter, like the consumer, is always right. Give him what he wants. What the voter wanted was John McCain and then, Barack Obama. We can see how that worked out. Can we admit those voters were wrong?
Right now, a chunk of the GOP primary voters want Mitt Romney. Like John McCain, nobody really wants wants Mitt Romney, they just fear that the media is right and that he would be electable.
In 2008, I felt that John McCain was wholly unelectable, that it would be a laborious, futile, uphill slog. Many of my DC friends vehemently disagreed with me. I feel the same about Mitt Romney. Yes, even against the Carteresque Obama, Romney would be weak.
At the GOP Fox/Google debate, I had an eerily reminiscent discussion with another DC GOP friend about Mitt Romney. What's wrong with him? Well, nothing, if you're a DC, big-government Republican. Mitt Romney is awesome if you secretly buy all the media's premises about Republicans: That they're heartless, gun-crazy, Bible-thumping, science-hating, economically stupid cretins who can barely find their way out of their sad middle-class existence to get to their sad middle-class jobs doing sad middle-class tasks. Ew. I mean, like, really.
The Meghan McCain incoherent diatribes about her fellow Republicans are really repackaged versions of what Peggy Noonan, and often, Charles Krauthammer think. Those conservatives! So gauche! (Except Meghan McCain doesn't know what the word gauche means.)
These are also the same people who couldn't find a bad words to say about Barack Obama. The media, the left, the independents and the big government Republicans loved Barack Obama. Meanwhile, conservatives saw an incompetent. But he was clean and articulate!
So now, the people who were wrong all ways in the last election are trying to push the GOP cart in the Mitt Romney direction.
Mitt Romney neutralizes every Obama criticism. TARP? Both for it. Gun control? Both for it. Stimulus? Both for it. Obamacare? Romney's staff helped Obama's staff to craft the legislation based on the Massachusetts model. How, pray tell, is Mitt Romney, silver-tongued as he is, going to debate Barack Obama and not sound completely inauthentic. Remember the flaccid McCain responses to Obama? Expect those.
Ironically, I felt that Romney would have had more of a chance in 2008 than now. He would have been a better candidate against the untested Obama. Not now. The Republican party has changed. America has changed. Massachusetts and the country struggles under the weight of big government "solutions" that have done nothing so much as added debt to the next generation. When looking back and forth between Obama and Romney, it's a matter of worse and worser.
Here's something I find distressing, too, while we're on the subject. Commentators on the left are clearly riding on the Obama bandwagon. They chose him over Hillary. They enthused about him. On the right, commentators try to be value neutral, as though any candidate would be great. Some seem to just want to be able to say when the Republican fails (and since they're human they all will), "I told you so."
We're not in "I told you so" territory here. We're in "America is about to go off a cliff" territory. This is no time to enjoying the sport of politics. Or is cynicism called for? Do some on my side believe we're so far gone that it won't matter who gets elected? They're all so bad that the best we can do is criticize the descent?
Well, I'm not to that point which is why I won't concede to Mitt Romney. Someone told me that Rudy Giuliani was way ahead at this point in 2008. There is still time. And that gives me hope. Because Mitt Romney is a flawed, weak candidate. The GOP can do better.
The country needs better.


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Mary Peters fires Simon Ferguson's Commonwealth Games ambition
Sharpshooter Simon Ferguson, a 21 year old Queen's University student with his sights on the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, is the latest recipient of the Rainbow Communications sports funding award, in partnership with the Mary Peters Trust.
Simon from Dungannon, who started shooting at the age of 15, said: "I first started the sport as part of the skill section of my Duke of Edinburgh Award and decided to keep it up after I completed the Award as I really enjoyed it. I usually practise every Saturday and more often when I'm not in university where I am studying Applied Maths and Physics.
"I enjoy the challenge of the sport, when you get a bull you know that you have done everything perfectly. To date, my biggest achievement was coming first in the NSRA Inter-Regional Rifle Match, where I also achieved a new personal best of 595 out of a possible 600. I was also part of the Northern Ireland team which won the team event.
"Going forward, I will be concentrating on improving my technique to build a better, more consistent performance with the ultimate aim of qualifying for the next Commonwealth Games. "
Stuart Carson, of Rainbow Communications, which is Northern Ireland's largest independent business telecoms company, said: "It is great to see a young sportsperson like Simon excelling and aiming high with the Commonwealth Games in his sights for the future.
"Rainbow Communications is delighted to continue to work with the Mary Peters Trust to support the next generation of sports stars and I wish Simon all the very best in his future endeavours."
Dame Mary added: "I am delighted that Rainbow Communications continue to support young athletes in Northern Ireland.
"Simon is a perfect example of someone who has both ability and potential and with a little help from both Rainbow Communications and The Mary Peters Trust, he should progress to representing Northern Ireland in the future."
Belfast Telegraph


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Made For Each Other Trailer (2009)
25 April 2009 Comedy, Romance 96 mins
The best part of any marriage is consummating it. However after 3 months of a sexless marriage Dan, in a moment of weakness, finds himself in the throws of casual sex with another woman. Dan decides the only way to morally rectify this is of course to get his wife to cheat on him and thus he sets out to find the right man to put the hurt on his old lady.
Watch the official Made For Each Other 2009 trailer in HD below or find more Made For Each Other videos on Vidimovie.


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Tag Archives: goodie mob
Big Gipp – "Mr. Get Down" (mixtape)
Big Gipp droppped his first ever (and what he promises will be his last) mixtape on Thanksgiving. I hosted the listening party for it this past Monday at the #PLAYLISTPARTY and it's jamming. Only song I can probably absolutely do … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged big gipp, dungeon family, goodie mob, Mr. Get Down Leave a comment
Day 1 Radio Interviews Big Gipp of Goodie Mob
As 1/4th of Goodie Mob and a member of Dungeon Family, Big Gipp has always been one of the most outspoken emcee's in the game. He was extremely candid about social issues, politics and the music industry during our conversation. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged abl radio, big gipp, day 1 radio, goodie mob, outkast 2 Comments


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Kesintinin ardından metrodan ilk görüntü
Description:Türkiye genelinde meydana gelen elektrik kesintisi pekçok alanda hayatı olumsuz etkiliyor. Kesintinin ardından metroda çekilen ilk görüntü.
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CenterFire Training © 2013 | Privacy Policy
CCW Class
There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men.
----Edmund Burke
CHP Course Loveland Colorado
Our Colorado Concealed Handgun course is an introduction to the specific laws, street threats and the unique responsibilities that govern the use of non-lethal and deadly force as a CHP permit holder.
It also covers shooting fundamentals, safety issues of owning, operating, and maintaining a firearm.
This CCW course meets and exceeds all the state requirements necessary to receive a Colorado Concealed Handgun permit.
Upon completing this CHP course you will receive a certificate that you will take to your local Sheriff's office when you apply for your permit.
THIS CHP Class has been CANCELED
Contact Hershell22 @gmail.com for information and Location.
Minimum Class Size 5 students.
$100 CCW that includes Range Time
you will need a handgun & 50 rounds of ammo


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10455 NE 53rd St,
Directions Vancouver, WA 98662
|Vancouver-Portland Rent a Car Try Before You Buy Program
Serving & servicing Toyota's Vancouver (Battle Ground, Camas, Ridgefield, Salmon Creek, Washougal, Woodland), WA - Portland, OR areas
|For drivers thinking about buying a vehicle, a Toyota rent a car can make the decision easier. In most cases, for less than $30 a day, drivers can rent a Toyota rent a car.
Renting a Toyota lets drivers evaluate the:
Performance | Gas mileage | Comfort & Visibility | Style | Size
Extended Test Drive: Rent one for several days or longer! What better way to truly test the vehicle you are looking to buy or lease? Opportunities like this don't come very often.
|It's nearly impossible to evaluate a Toyota with a 15-minute test drive. By renting a Toyota before purchase, drivers can find out how the vehicle will operate for their purposes, in the type of driving they do every day. The per diem costs of a Toyota rent a car are very small compared to the monthly payments to buy or lease a new car. This small investment can save money and hassle in the future.
It makes sense to keep the vehicle for at least 3 days - a week (7 days) is even better. Drivers want to try out the vehicle during their typical daily commute as well as for weekend errands.Since Vancouver Toyota Rent a Car offers weekend discount deals, a Friday through Sunday rental may provide the best value and an opportunity to use the vehicle under different circumstances.
Drivers may want to keep the five-day weather forecast in mind, to have the opportunity to test the vehicle under different road and weather conditions. Drive the car during rush hour traffic as well as on the open road to see how it runs in both circumstances. That way, drivers can decide if they enjoy the driving experience at all before buying their own.
|TRY IT: Take one for a spin. Is a drive around the block really enough? Rent a Toyota for the day or weekend. See how it looks in your driveway or check out how it feels on your favorite road. Does it fit your garage... kids... or goods from the store like Costco?
BUY IT: If you like it & decide to buy ANY new, certified or pre-owned vehicle from Vancouver Toyota, we'll credit your rental car bill up to $300 - max $100 for Scion purchases. Whatdya got to lose?
The fine print: Total bill deducted from best negotiated price on new, certified or pre-owned vehicles - ($300 max credit - not to be below dealer invoice, up to $100 credit for Scion purchases). Offer good for 1 year from rental date. Note: You can combine multiple rentals during a 1 year time period to reach the max credit. Valid on any & all vehicles & on any & all daily and/or weekly rental periods.
|Try Before you Buy - Sometimes a Test Drive isn't enough. Want to try it before you buy it? Vancouver Toyota Rent a Car offers you the perfect opportunity to see how a new Toyota fits into your life. Rent it. Like it. Buy it!
One gimmick that we've been waiting for is for when dealerships start renting out their cars for extended test drives or just a weekend trip. Well, the wait is now over, as Toyota has done just that. From the looks of things, about 85 percent of Toyota and Scion dealers across the U.S. participate in this program and Toyota claims that its rental rates are competitive with local car-rental companies. According to the Toyota Rent a Car website, you can rent cars, trucks, SUVs, Hybrids for a day, week or even months.
Try an SUV Rental Before You Buy. For drivers thinking about buying an SUV, an SUV rental can make the decision easier. For less than $30 a day in most cases, drivers can rent an SUV. Renting an SUV lets drivers evaluate the: Performance, Gas mileage, Comfort & Visibility & Style.
It's nearly impossible to evaluate an SUV, or any car for that matter, with a 15-minute test drive. By renting a vehicle before purchase, drivers can find how the vehicle operates for their purposes, in the type of driving they do every day. Per diem costs of a rental are very small compared to the monthly payments to buy or lease a new car. This small investment can save future money & hassle.
Rental car agencies provide three different types of SUVs to rent, allowing drivers to narrow down their decision about the type of vehicle they eventually want to buy. Since different agencies offer different makes and models of equivalent vehicles, a driver may want to rent from several different chains before making a decision.
It makes sense to keep the vehicle for at least three days - a week is even better. Drivers want to try out the vehicle during their typical daily commute as well as for weekend errands.
Since many car rental agencies offer weekend discount deals, a Fri - Sun or Sat - Mon SUV rental may provide the best value & an opportunity to use the vehicle under different circumstances.
Drivers may want to keep the five-day weather forecast in mind, to have the opportunity to test the vehicle under different road and weather conditions. Drive the car during rush hour traffic as well as on the open road to see how it runs in both circumstances. Since SUVs handle differently than regular cars, drivers can decide if they enjoy the driving experience at all before buying their own.
Sport Utility Vehicles are available in four basic classes, each offering different seating options and similar amenities in most cases. Smaller SUVs provide better gas mileage, while larger SUVs hold more passengers and cargo. The three main sizes or types of SUVs are: Mini/Compact or Small SUV, Midsize SUV & Large SUV.
Mini/Compact or Small SUV - SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 fall into this category. Most small SUVs seat 5 passengers with roomy cargo space in the rear. The most economical selection for a driver seeking off-road capabilities, most of these vehicles have 4 cylinders & get around 25 miles per gallon. Some of the larger "small" SUVs offer 6 cylinders for greater acceleration power.
Midsize SUV - A midsize SUV like the Toyota 4 Runner or Toyota Highlander, fall into this category. usually has six cylinders, but sometimes comes with a V8 engine. Ask the Vancouver Toyota Rent a Car Representative about the size engine when you rent in order to make educated comparisons. Most vehicles in this class hold up to seven adults and cargo, with comfortable third row seating.
Large SUV - like the Toyota Sequoia fall into this category. With eight cylinder engines, these vehicles offer enough power to tow boats and smaller vehicles. With so much power, these cars suffer in the fuel economy area, getting mileage in the teens. However, they are perfect for large families and frequent vacationers.
Whether a driver's looking for luxury, a rugged ride for off-road adventures, towing capacity or storage space, an SUV rental lets them evaluate exactly what they need before spending $20,000 or more.
Vancouver Toyota Try Before You Buy Program. Vancouver Toyota Rent A Car utilizes the latest model Toyota vehicles, making it a superior rental experience. We offer complimentary 24-Hour Roadside Assistance, unlimited mileage, and special daily, weekly or monthly rates. Whether your rental needs are for business or pleasure, Toyota Rent A Car provides the legendary quality only available at Vancouver Toyota. Go online, call or come in to reserve yours today!
Try Before You Buy. Take your time with the Ultimate Test Drive. Drive to work. Cruise around town. Enjoy a 3-day road trip at a nominal rental rate. And get a good feel for your next car.
Rent It! Love It! Buy It! Want to try it before you buy it? Vancouver Toyota Rent a Car offers you the perfect opportunity to see how a new Toyota fits into your life!
TRY IT: Take your time?..is a test drive around the block really enough? Rent a Toyota with Vancouver Toyota Rent a Car for the day or the weekend! See how it looks in your driveway, and check out your neighbors' reactions! Try it on your favorite road. Does it fit your garage, your kids or your favorite hobby items? Will all of your groceries fit? We understand buying a new vehicle is a big decision, so this is a great way to make sure you make the right one.
BUY IT: If you decide you would like to purchase a New or Certified Pre-Owned Toyota from us, you can select from our huge inventory of New & Certified Pre-Owned Toyota vehicles. And a an added thank you, if you do purchase a vehicle from us, we will refund up to $300 ($100 for Scion) of your rental charge (within 1 year of the rental contract's end date).
At Vancouver Toyota Rent a Car, we believe that a 15-minute test drive is not always the best way to evaluate a new car. That's why we created Vancouver Toyota Rent a Car's Try Before You Buy Program, the first car buying experience that allows you to live with your purchase before you buy it. Since you're renting the car, you can show it off to your family and friends and picture your life in the car - you can fully experience it!
Don't just rent a car, rent a reliable new Toyota from Vancouver Toyota. Try Before you Buy - Test-drive a new Toyota model before your next lease or purchase.
What we offer is Try Before You Buy rental to test drive your chosen vehicle before making the decision to buy. If you do decide to buy, then up to $300 ($100 for Scion) of the basic rental fees are waived.Try Before You Buy - Toyota Rent A Car Program. It's not just a rental, it's a Toyota! Rent locally - rent quality.
As I was driving back from lunch today, I heard a radio spot for a program Vancouver Toyota is offering called TRAC - Toyota Rent A Car. The gist is that you can go to Vancouver Toyota to rent one of several models either for traditional reasons (say, you're going on a trip and need a minivan to haul your gear), for a short time if your car is in for repairs, or most interestingly, to try before you buy. In the last scenario, they're offering terms as short as a few days or up to one month to be well and sure it's the car for you.
A quick Google search brought me the information. It appears you may choose from the entire Toyota/Scion lineup, including hybrids which may help those who are on the fence about purchasing one, or would like maximum MPGs when taking their upcoming summer road trips. It is immediately clear from the VancouverToyota.com that there are different trims available for the different models. You can reserve your rental car via the online form to contact them for more information.
I think this is a brilliant marketing move Vancouver Toyota has made. How often have you wanted to try out a car for longer than it takes to jaunt around the block on a typical test drive? Maybe see how it performs in the rain or at night? See if it's a monster to park or check out what the real world gas mileage is? Obviously, it could get to be costly the longer you keep the car but if you're the type who wants to know every detail before committing it may be money well-spent.
How about the thought of getting into a smelly, torn up, typical rental? Not very appealing right? Vancouver Toyota keeps their vehicles more well-maintained than your mainstream outlets because, after all, we want you to eventually buy one. Vancouver Toyota rates are competitive with traditional rental agencies but note that you must return the car to the original dealership (in other words, no one-way trips). If it turns out that you absolutely love the exact vehicle you rented, you have the option to purchase it as well.
TRY IT: Take one for a spin?..is a drive around the block really enough? Rent a Toyota with Findlay Toyota Rent A Car for the day or the weekend! See how is looks in your driveway, and check out your neighbors reactions! Try it on your favorite road. Does it fit your garage, your kids or your favorite hobby items? Will all of your groceries fit?
BUY IT: If you like it and decide to purchase ANY vehicle (new, certified used or pre-owned) from Findlay Toyota, we will credit your rental car bill up to $200.00 ($100.00 for Scion Purchases). What have you got to lose? You get a quality new model Toyota for a day or a weekend at a great rate without any pressure or commitment!!! Who wouldn't love that?
The Fine Print: Total rental bill deducted from your best negotiated price on new, certified used or pre-owned vehicle ($300.00 maximum credit - not to be below dealer invoice ($100.00 credit for Scion purchases). Vehicle must be purchased within 1-year of rental.
Note: You can combine multiple rentals during the period to reach the maximum credit described above. Try a Camry today and a Corolla tomorrow!
Renting Through Toyota Rent a Car Means You Can: Try Before you Buy - Take an extended (salesperson free) test-drive of a new Toyota model before your next lease or purchase.


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Our Teen Shattered doll Costume comes complete with the Grey, Blue and Black gingham Patterned Dress with the Buttons on the Chest and Polkadot Sleeves along with the attached Frilly Apron and Bow. The Doll Costume also includes the Matching Spotty Headband, Cracked Half Face Mask and Matching White Stitch Print Gloves and Footless Tights.
Outfit Includes:
Teen Sassy Skeleton Costume [J48067]
Teen Broken Doll Costume [124073]
Teen Monster Bride Costume [121323]
Teen Deluxe Dark Red Queen Costume [44335]
Teen Rag Doll Costume [124752]


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Ivan Kaufman
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Ivan Kaufman has extensive experience operating a diverse array of real estate finance companies that spans four decades and numerous real estate cycles. He is currently the Founder, Chairman, President and CEO of Arbor Realty Trust (NYSE:ABR), a leading multifamily and commercial real estate lender and real estate investment trust that became publicly traded in April 2004.
Mr. Kaufman has been instrumental in the performance of Arbor and its companies given his significant involvement in the day-to-day origination of loans as well as his strong commercial real estate knowledge and industry relationships. Mr. Kaufman's leadership has helped shape Arbor's overall identity, brand and strategic direction across all business units, with a focus on, above all, building relationships that yield a loyal and repeat client base.
The foundation for the present-day Arbor was established in 1983, when Mr. Kaufman founded Arbor National Holdings, Inc. to initially focus on the origination and servicing of residential mortgage loans. Arbor National Holdings expanded its focus over time and ultimately grew to operate as a fully integrated real estate financing services company providing financing solutions through not only residential mortgage loans, but commercial real estate mezzanine loans, bridge loans and other customized financing structures.
Arbor National Holdings grew rapidly to 25 branches in 11 states with approximately 1,000 employees and an annual origination volume of $4 billion. In doing so, the company became the leading provider of residential mortgage loans in the New York tri-state region. This growth soon attracted institutional investors and, in 1992, the company went public at $9 per share.
In 1995, the company was sold to Bank of America for $17.50 per share. However, in connection with the sale of Arbor National Holdings, Mr. Kaufman retained the commercial side of the business and the Arbor name, creating the platform for Arbor Commercial Mortgage and, eventually, Arbor Realty Trust. Mr. Kaufman would subsequently serve as Arbor Commercial Mortgage's CEO and be the controlling equity owner.
With Mr. Kaufman playing an instrumental role in their historical as well as current growth, Arbor Commercial Mortgage and Arbor Realty Trust evolved to become leading full-service providers of real estate financial services to owners and developers of commercial and multifamily real estate properties. In 2016, Arbor Realty Trust formally acquired the agency lending platform of Arbor Commercial Mortgage, effectively merging the two companies as one.
Mr. Kaufman oversees all aspects of Arbor's lending operations. He has carved a unique niche in the financing of commercial real estate, combining the best of traditional mortgage lending with the innovation of an investment bank, while leveraging his expertise in origination, servicing and the structuring of complex mortgage-backed securities.
Today, Arbor is a leading provider of direct financing for Multifamily and other commercial real estate properties. Arbor is a Top 10 Fannie Mae DUS® Multifamily Lender by volume and a Top Fannie Mae Small Loan lender, a Freddie Mac Program Plus® Seller/Servicer and the Top Freddie Mac Small Balance Loan Lender, a Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Seniors Housing Lender, an FHA Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP)/LEAN Lender, a HUD-approved LIHTC Lender as well as a CMBS, Bridge, Mezzanine and Preferred Equity lender, consistently building on its reputation for service, quality and flexibility. Arbor also offers Arbor LoanExpress, an online loan origination and processing platform designed to make multifamily financing easier and quicker for borrowers, brokers and correspondent lenders. With a multibillion dollar servicing portfolio, Arbor is a primary commercial loan servicer and special servicer rated by Standard & Poor's with an Above Average rating. Arbor is also on the Standard & Poor's Select Servicer List and is a primary commercial loan servicer and loan level special servicer rated by Fitch Ratings.
Mr. Kaufman has previously served as the Chair of the Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission for the 10th Judicial District of New York, an appointed position that oversees the screening process for candidates seeking elective judicial office. He has also served on the National and Regional Advisory Boards of Fannie Mae and on the Board of Directors of the Empire State Mortgage Bankers Association.
He was previously named regional "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Inc. Magazine for his outstanding achievements in financial services. Mr. Kaufman also served as a regional spokesperson for Global ReLeaf, a program of the American Forestry Association, which led to his appointment as delegate of the International Arid Lands Consortium. He has guest lectured at Harvard Business School's Real Estate Club and is a featured presenter at Columbia University and Wharton Business School.
Mr. Kaufman is a dedicated community leader, serving as Founder and President of the North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, a state-of-the-art, 11-acre academy now regarded as one of the premier college preparatory schools in the Northeast. In addition, he formerly served on the Board of Trustees of The Birthright Israel Foundation.
Mr. Kaufman earned a J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law and a B.A. in Business Administration from Boston University.
Website: ivankaufman.com


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Katy, Texas (PressExposure) April 12, 2012 -- Katy summer camps have boomed over the past few years.
More and more citizens in this part of Texas have sought a Katy summer camp that is educational, engaging and challenging for their young ones, and there has sometimes seemed to be a bewildering choice available.
However, for Katy summer camps that check all of these boxes, and more, it would be hard to look much further than the camps offered by Dr. Layne Spitzenberger and her team at the Circle Lake Ranch.
Let's invite Dr. Spitzenberger to take up the story: "We've been operating Katy summer camps for long time now, so it's fair to say that we know this business inside out. Over the years, we've seen a lot of competition, and every new rival has brought something new to the Katy summer camps environment, even those that didn't hang around for long!"
"From our perspective, this has been good news on two fronts. First, more competition inevitably means that we have to step up our game to stay ahead of the pack, and I'm delighted that we've managed to do so to date. Secondly, I don't mind admitting that we're always on the lookout for fresh new ideas, so we naturally take a look at what others are doing to see whether they might work for us".
Dr. Spitzenberger continues; "Actually, one of the things that has stood out for me over the years is the fact that in the Summer Camps in Katy [http://www.circlelakeranch.com/katy-summer-camps.htm] 'market', we're kind of in a unique position. We've been around for a long time so we have vast experience of piloting Katy summer camps and yet we make sure that we never stop learning!"
She adds that "The great thing about experience is that you can always say, hand on heart, 'been there, done that' which is a completely different thing to talking about what you will do or what you plan to do."
"For instance, we've been running Katy summer camps since 1998 and we've managed to maintain an outstanding safety record. Not many of our rivals - if any - can say the same!'
Dr. Spitzenberger concludes by stressing that "For all the staff at the Circle Lake Ranch summer camp, maintaining the quality of the Katy summer camp experience we offer is always our number one priority. As a result, we ensure that our young guests enjoy the most engaging and challenging time available in any of the available Katy summer camps".


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(Discrete Mathematics Techniques I)
We motivate an approach that uses recurrence relations to find closed form solutions to the finite-summation-of-integer-powers problem for any individual . The approach is illustrated for small : . Maxima, an open-source (free) software package, is used to demonstrate how a symbolic computation platform can speed up the accurate derivation of messy algebraic expressions.
A recurrence solution to the general case (arbitrary ) is developed in Part 2 along with Maxima source code. A direct (non-iterative) matrix method for solving the general case is given in Part 3 along with Maxima and Octave/Matlab source code.


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XmlBlaster is XML based MOM (Message oriented Middleware) with a lot of features. It is a publish/subscribe and point-to-point MOM server which exchanges XML-encoded messages. Communication with the server is based on CORBA (using JacORB), RMI, XML-RPC, native socket, or a persistent HTTP plugin. Subscribers can use XPath expressions to filter the messages they wish to receive and add their own MIME-based filter plugins. C/C++, Java, Perl, Python, VisualBasic.net, C#, and PHP client demos are included in the xmlBlaster test suite, and Tcl and Python demo clients are scheduled. XmlBlaster also provides a browser callback framework, allowing browsers (Netscape, Mozilla, MSIE) to receive instant callbacks over a persistent http connection. A security plugin framework allows authentication/authorization in many ways. Currently there are LDAP- and passwd-based plugins available.
TAO is a standards-compliant, real-time implementation of CORBA that provides efficient, predictable, and scalable quality of service (QoS) end-to-end. Unlike conventional implementations of CORBA, which are inefficient, unpredictable, non-scalable, and often non-portable, TAO applies the best software practices and patterns to automate the delivery of high-performance and real-time QoS to distributed applications.
omniORB is an Object Request Broker (ORB) which implements version 2.6 of the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA). It supports the C++ and Python language bindings, is fully multithreaded, uses IIOP as the native transport, and comes complete with a COS Naming Service. omniORB is one of the fastest available C++ ORBs.
OpenEJB is a simple, lightweight Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) container and server. You can embed OpenEJB in your own applications, or in a Web application server like Tomcat, or run it as a standalone EJB server. It supports EJB 3.0, 2.1, 2.0, and 1.1, and has partial support for EJB 3.1.
PyORBit is a Python binding for the ORBit2 CORBA ORB. It was developped to suit the needs of the bonobo bindings in GNOME-Python, but is usable for other purposes as well. It aims to follow the standard Python language mapping for CORBA. It can generate stubs at runtime from typelibs, IDL files, or by introspecting remote objects using ORBit2's IModule typelib capabilities.
SDE for NetBeans is a UML modeling environment tightly integrated with NetBeans. It lets you draw all types of UML diagrams (use case diagram, class diagram, sequence diagram, activity diagram, etc.) in NetBeans, reverse source code (Java, C++, XML, XML Schema, CORBA IDL, etc.) to UML models, and generate Java source from UML diagrams. It features a Rational Rose importer, an XMI importer, HTML/PDF documentation generators, and plug-in and template support.
TAO (The ACE ORB) is an advanced, CORBA-compliant, real-time Object Request Broker (ORB). It is designed to meet the stringent Quality of Service (QoS) requirements of real-time applications, resulting in superior end-to-end predictability, efficiency, and scalable performance. It implements the latest CORBA specifications from the OMG. It is built with components from the ADAPTIVE Communication Environment (ACE) C++ framework, resulting in a highly extensible architecture, adaptability to a wide variety of situations, and portability across a broad range of platforms. Although TAO was designed to meet the demanding requirements of real-time applications, it is also well-suited for general-purpose CORBA applications.
A GUI client for Git, Mercurial, and SVN.
A C/C++ configuration file manipulation library.


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Fortunately, it appears the tide has turned, and there's a lot to look forward to this time around.
The last two weeks haven't been very kind to the local restaurant scene, with an unusually large handful of closings to report on. Fortunately, it appears the tide has turned, and there's a lot to look forward to this time around.
Liberty Tavern
Not exactly a restaurant, but so much more than a bar, Dan D'Alessandro's soon-to-open Liberty Tavern might be best described as a neighborhood playground for grown-ups.
Two buildings sit on a large parcel of land at 7976 Market St. near Porters Neck that D'Alessandro began outfitting almost three years ago. Initial plans for an on-site restaurant were scuttled amid water and sewer conflicts, but he's moved ahead in developing the units that formerly housed the Liberty Green Antique Shops. One serves as a two-bar watering hole with a dark wood interior and covered outdoor seating around a second counter. The other building is envisioned as a space for fundraisers, art exhibits, wedding rehearsals and other events.
A superbly landscaped courtyard divides the structures, with most of the work designed and executed by D'Alessandro, who also built downtown's Reel Cafe in 1998. A wooded trail provides Marsh Oaks residents a peaceful stroll through mature trees to the backside of the roughly three-acre property, and about 40 newly paved parking spots encircle the grounds for visitors who come by car.
General manager Julie Smith-Schober is planning a number of events including oyster roasts, pig pickin's, cigar pairings and wine events built around a selection of bottles difficult to find outside specialty shops. Live music and tailgate-style parties are also in the works, D'Alessandro said. Hours will be 3 p.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday and noon-midnight Friday-Sunday when the business opens sometime in the coming weeks.
There isn't a kitchen on site, but Liberty Tavern will have nibbles to offer guests. Well-known area eateries like Catch, Milner's Cafe and Pine Valley Market will be among the caterers providing fare, and a slate of events like a beef and bourbon night are being worked out to showcase the bar's selection.
Liberty Tavern is a private establishment that encourages guests to become members through a free sign-up system. Benefits include discounts, VIP treatment and monthly drawings. Visit LibertyTavernNC.com or follow them on Facebook for more details.
Paradise Donuts
More than a few years have passed since the restaurant space at 1725 Dawson St. last served hungry customers. The coming months, however, should see the drive-through fired up yet again.
Martin Gallan is preparing to open a locally owned Paradise Donuts franchise in the former Hardee's spot that was most recently occupied by convenience and consignment shops. Gallan has a long list of upgrades to complete before any dough gets fried, but said he intends to be operational within four months.
Paradise Donuts is a popular chain of breakfast and lunch spots primarily based in the Midwest and known for yeast-risen, cake and filled doughnuts. Gallan said the local outpost would also serve bagels and biscuits in the morning and a range of subs for the lunch crowd. Hours will be 6 a.m.-6 p.m.
Originally rooted in a small Missouri bakery during the great depression, the recipe for Paradise Donuts' signature product has taken a winding path through the hands of several owners. The brand is expanding rapidly nationally, and the company's website (ParadiseDonuts.com) indicates plans of opening 500 new locations in the coming decade.
Fulton Ave.
Stoves are firing up in the area of North Fourth and Red Cross streets with the former Mike's Grill, which has long sat idle, hosting a new tenant. Mike Fulton said renovations are underway in the space, which he intends to open as Fulton Ave. in early January.
The new spot will serve from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, with Fulton closing the shop to operate a catering truck on Sunday and Monday. A menu of modestly priced fried and grilled items like shrimp burgers ($7) and a grilled chicken breast ($5.50) form the lunch menu, with beef, turkey or pork breakfast bowls ($5.50) or an order of shrimp or fish with grits ($7) for the morning customers.
In the spirit of full disclosure, we have unprecedented access to Fulton for information about his new eatery. He happens to work here at the StarNews as the night shift supervisor; he stopped by my desk as his shift was ending late one recent morning.
Fulton is completely renovating the building's interior, which occupies a corner lot in the Brooklyn neighborhood. Stripped to the studs, the location was briefly slated to host Saffo's Grill in 2008, but that project never came together.
Fulton has already begun catering, and is taking Thanksgiving orders. Call 431-0242 for more information.
In other dining news, a pair of restaurants we've previously mentioned are now open.
Perkeo Wine Bistro, 114 Market St., seated its first customers last week. Owners Lynn Adkins and Malissa Mashburn have just launched a Facebook page, where they've posted food and drink menus.
Pembroke's, the anticipated new restaurant from James Doss and Josh Novicki of Rx fame, held a semi-private soft opening over the weekend and will begin regular service this week. They took over the former Ash Aziz restaurant The Kitchen at 1125 Military Cutoff Road over the summer, and have just finished reconfiguring the space to suit their needs.
Contact Paul Stephen at 343-2041 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Find him on Twitter @pauljstephen, or drop a note at the Port City Foodies' Facebook page.