text:
Online Theater
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respectively, pursuant to DFAR Section 227.7202 and FAR Section 12.212, as
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clause at FAR 52.227-19 (a) - (d); (ii) the Rights in Technical Data and
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the thereof.
Amicron warrants that the storage media for the Software (e.g. CD-ROM),
will be free from defects in materials and workmanship when you receive
it. If such a defect exists when you receive your Software, return it to
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any provision of this Agreement to be unenforceable, that provision of the
Agreement shall be enforced to the maximum extent permissible so as to
effect the intent of the parties, and the remainder of this Agreement
shall continue in full force and effect.


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Welcome to the CRG Discussion Forum!Forum registration problems: Make sure you enter your email correctly and you check your spam box first. *Then* email KurtS2@gmail for help.Classified ads are not allowed on the forum.
..photo shows Jerry Titus sitting in a Shelby GT350, which was not eligible to use in the Trans-Am series.Photo by Jerry Melton
Here are two more photos that Jerry Melton sent me which don't belong with the Green Valley Trans-Am images.I assume they are from another event at the Green Valley track.This first photo is of the Alfa GTA belonging to Hal Mayfield. This is the same car that Jochen Rindt drove to victoryin the 1966 Sebring Trans-Am. Mayfield does not show up in the entry list or results of the '66 Green Valley Trans-Am.Photo by Jerry Melton

subset: commoncrawl


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And What About Dating With HIV?
A couple of weeks ago my mentor asked me about my love life. I wasn't expecting the question but I gave an honest answer. It went something like this:
"How's your love life?"
"I don't have a love life."
"Do you want one? Or are you done?"
"Well, I want a dating life but on my terms. I seem to find men who just want causal sex and I want someone to value me. I mean, sex for sex sake just ain't cutting it anymore for me, not at 51 years of age."
"I totally understand,"
"I mean, I am going around the country talking to young women about living whole. I'm just trying to practice what I preach."
"Do you want to get married again?"
"Well, now I think I may be done with marriage," and we both laughed and continued to clean up the aftermath of Thanksgiving dinner. I've thought about that conversation a lot since Thanksgiving.
The fact of the matter I am still alive and would love some companionship. Call me idealistic but it would be great to listen to Mozart and read a book curled up under a man. I'm just not in the market for quick sex. For sure dating with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) is complicated but not impossible. Over the years, my dating life has taken so many different turns for sure. I remember those early days of HIV when I was living in secret and afraid of rejection. It was the hardest thing on the planet it seemed at the time. To disclose both of my STD's I thought was a hard bill of sale. To tell that I had herpes and HIV was harddddd and clothed with shame. You might be able to explain one mistake, but how do you explain two?
It was scary!! The thought of rejection was scary, but I knew that I couldn't live in isolation for the rest of my life. I also believed that I had a moral obligation to disclose. I just didn't see it as fair to take away a persons choice. At first I was so afraid to date and didn't for months after I was diagnosed with herpes. Then I met a guy that was all that and a bag of chips, so I finally disclosed and low and behold he had herpes also. Go figure! It was hard at first. Our sex life for sure had some road blocks. There were a couple of times when I was having an outbreak and he wasn't and vise-versa. Yet overtime it all seemed to workout. The only problem was, he was working it out with more than me and I don't share.
After him I learned to be more comfortable in my skin with the fact that I had herpes. Then came along HIV. I had never been rejected even after herpes, "But who the heck would want me now?" I thought. You have to remember this was early in the AIDS Pandemic. HIV had only been around 6 years when I was diagnosed and the HIV antibody test was also new. The HIV antibody test was developed in 1985. I donated blood the winter of 1986 and learned that I was HIV positive the spring of 1987. Back then HIV was the STD of STD's. Who was going to date me? I was afraid beyond anything logical.
Then over time, I had to sink or swim. I couldn't live in isolation for the rest of my life. I was a wonderful young woman who had a lot to offer. So I bit the bullet. After I became really comfortable with a man and was sure that I wanted to take it to the next level. I would disclose. I thought it important to disclose in a setting that was conducive to an honest discussion, like at the kitchen table with all my clothes on. I learned in those early days that people just wanted you to be honest with them.
I've come a long way since those early days. Married, divorced and dating yet again. My problem today dating with STD's isn't fear of rejection. It's finding a man who don't want to just "hit it and quit it," as the young people say, but someone who wants to share a meal and listen to Mozart with me. Someone to cheer me on as I do this work around HIV/AIDS. Someone who isn't ashamed to be dating "the woman with AIDS."
I've learned over the years that it was so much easier for my dating life when my HIV status was a well kept secret. Then a man could date me without fear of judgment. People thought for sure that my ex-husband had HIV, which of course he didn't. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with two people with a STD dating, in fact it may even be an easier conversation. Thier is even an online dating matching service called Positive Singles.
My problem is, I tend to attract men who are not infected, who want to be with me, but are afraid of the "public" me, so they cling to the private me. Anyone who knows me, knows that I declared those days over years ago. If you cant walk with me in the daylight, we can't hug in the dark. I'm just saying!!
So here I am again, thinking about dating and wondering what my future holds. I'm so comfortable in my skin. Thank God that all my therapy has made me a better woman for me. Now if a man comes along and sees my value and respects my worth, it's a date.
Read Rae's blog Rae Lewis-Thornton Speaks.


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Check the post from yesterday for the whole recipe for Chicken, Okra, and Sausage Gumbo.
2 Medium Onions, Chopped
1 Large Bell Pepper, Chopped
3 Ribs Celery Chopped
5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
½ Pound Okra, sliced
2 Bay Leaves
1 tsp. Black Pepper, ground
1 tsp. White Pepper, ground
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
½ tsp. Sage
1 tsp. Thyme
2 Quarts Chicken Stock (I had cooked the chicken and made the stock the night before.)
Meat from Chicken above, chopped
½ cup Flour, 1/2 cup Peanut Oil
In a large heavy pot, heat the oil and whisk in the flour over medium high heat.
…stirring constantly until it reaches a dark reddish-brown color (This was a little light. We wanted to have dinner before 9.)
Reduce heat, add the onions, green pepper, celery and garlic. Stir quickly. Continue to cook, stirring constantly until the vegetables are slightly browned.
Add the stock, seasonings, and sausage. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes. Add chicken. Simmer for 15 minutes, add Okra and simmer for another 15.
Make yourself a Sazerac. Savor while things simmer.
Add the chopped scallion tops and parsley, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve over rice (or potatoes) in large shallow bowls. Accompany with good beer and lots of hot, crispy french bread.


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Get up to date on the latest spring 2013 makeup trends to create the look that will get you noticed. Use the ideas from the spring 2013 runway looks to shape your makeup into the trendiest style this season. From a natural look to splashes of color, models on the catwalk sported diverse looks easy to adapt for your daily makeup routine. Follow the the spring/summer 2013 makeup trends of the season and get the most of these stylish looks. Smudged Eyeliner Forget the skinny lines and go for thicker ones when it comes to eyeliner this... Read More


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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The improbable season continues as volleyball (23-15) overcame a less than stellar performance to defeat the Hawks of Roger Williams University (31-4) to earn a spot in the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament championship match Saturday afternoon at Chandler Gymnasium on the campus of Williams College.
With Saturday's victory the Beacons have secured a spot in the championship match for the fourth straight year and will have a chance to defend their 2012 crown against the winner of the Springfield College/Williams College match. The victory also improved UMB's all-time NCAA Tournament record to 11-4, while the Hawks fell to 1-5 all-time in NCAA play.
The Beacons, who were just dominant in Friday's first match, had to dig deep in Saturday's contest as they struggled to build any momentum due to more than normal amount of service and attack errors. Luckily the Hawks also struggled in the match, which gave the Beacons the opportunities they needed to earn the victory.
UMass Boston managed to edge the Hawks for the first set win, 25-23, having trailed behind until the score tied at 21-21. Roger Williams began the set strong, setting a tough front row and earning kills by Krystie Luczynski, Kristen Boyer, and Brittany McMullen.
The Hawks managed to keep their lead thanks to blocks and kills by McMullen and Andrea Gorman, but the Beacons countered with aces and kills, until the score reached 15-12, Roger Williams, and the Hawks called their first time out. UMB struggled with errors coming out of the time out, and called their own time out once the score reached 12-17, RW.
The Beacons gained momentum dramatically, showing great ball control and hitting by Julia Murphy (Canton, Mass.), Megan Pollock (Wilton, Calif.), and Bri Sousa (Swansea, Mass.). Murphy and Sousa combined for 10 kills respectively, while Pollock tallied 24 assists. Boston finally gained lead with Murphy's service ace, and took the set, 25-23, thanks to Amber Clemon's (Simi Valley, Calif.) kill.
Roger Williams kept their play strong, but Boston managed to carry their momentum to the second set, always pushing ahead three our four points above the Hawks. The tape was hot during this set, as Roger Williams' and Boston's front row battled several times at the net. Roger Williams called the first time out at 6-10, Boston, but failed to catch up as Boston raked in the points. Kills by Kirsten Morrison (North Reading, Mass.) and Corrine Porter (Huntington Beach, Calif.) won the Beacon's second set, 25-21. Morrison was once again the Beacons most consistent hitters as she recorded a .429 hitting percentage scoring 10 kills on 21 attempts with only one error. Porter's strong played continued as the senior finished with 10 kills and 10 digs. Defensively Porter looked to back row partner Elizabeth Glavan (Edina, Minn.) to help carry the load as she combined for 18 digs.
The Hawks shifted the momentum in the third set, gathering a quick 4-1 lead with the help of Boyer. The Beacons fought back, with Morrison and Murphy smashing the ball until the score was tied at 9-9. The Beacons called the first time out of the game after falling behind, 9-12, but Roger Williams remained strong with a big front row lead by McMullen, Luczynski, and Sarah McAniff. After a strategic rollshot by Porter, the score inched closer, 23-18, Roger Williams, and the Hawks called their first time out. Their comeback in the third set was sealed, and two big kills by McMullen ended the set, 25-18, RW.
The fourth set began slowly, both teams having trouble keeping their hits in, until the score was tied 5-5. Boston's Patsy Boland (Chicago, Ill.) scored two consecutive kills, giving UMB a slight lead of 9-8, quickly countered by RW Nicole Weber's two service aces. Another kill by Boland set the score at a more comfortable 15-12, forcing RW to call the first time out. A few points later, the score grew to 19-14, and RW called their second time out.
The Beacons managed to keep their momentum, and with kills by Morrison and Clemons their lead continued to grow. UMB called their first time out when the Hawks seemed to be catching up, 23-19, but succeeded in winning the fourth set 25-21.
UMass Boston returns to action tomorrow at 3 p.m. with the winner of the championship match earning the regions bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament in Holland, Michigan.
Information for this release provided by Williams College Sports Information Department


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"Always" Next wrote:xbay wrote:Mr. Crackerz wrote:xbay wrote:I created a league. So go ahead and join up. And let's start discussing changes to the settings, positions, live draft date&time, stat system and whatever else.
League ID: 56921
Password: turiafisabeast
lol xbay....u would put that as your password. lincecum is too hard to spell too.
Lol, yes I would.
X...is this a yahoo league? and is there an opening for me?
Yes it is and yes there is if you'd like.


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Oct. 5, 2007
CLAREMONT, Calif. - MIT's fifth-ranked water polo team opened its six-game California road trip with a split against a pair of Top-10 opponents, as the Engineers fell to No. 3 University of Redlands, 14-4, before bouncing back to down No. 10 Whittier College, 11-3. Thursday night's match against Redlands was played as a stand-alone contest, while Friday morning's meeting with Whittier served as the opener of the Claremont Convergence tournament.
The Engineers, who have been ranked fifth nationally in Division III for the past three weeks, moved to 8-5 with the split, though three of their losses have come at the hands of Division I opponents. The Bulldogs improved to 6-7 with their victory, while the Poets dropped to 3-10.
Less than 24 hours after stepping off of a draining cross-country flight, the Cardinal and Gray came out flat against a powerful Redlands squad and paid the price. The hosts jumped out to a 4-1 first quarter lead and never looked back, ultimately earning the 14-4 victory. As has been the case all season, Tech's offensive output was powered by youth, as junior Mike Smith-Bronstein, sophomore Devin Lewis and freshmen John Preis and Spencer Williams accounted for MIT's goals.
Despite conceding 12 of the Bulldogs' tallies, sophomore goalkeeper Nick Souza was impressive between the pipes, stopping nine shots. He was relieved by fellow sophomore Hiroshi Mendoza, who made one save while allowing the final two goals.
With a good night's rest and a full day's acclimation to the time change under their belts, the Engineers came out hard against Whittier in the opener of the Claremont Convergence on Friday morning and were rewarded with a 6-1 halftime lead. The second stanza saw much of the same, as MIT coasted to an 11-3 triumph. Senior Morgan Laidlaw, Smith-Bronstein, Lewis and Preis each contributed a pair of strikes, while Rob Kalwarowsky, Matt Perkins and Williams rounded out the scoring with a goal apiece. Preis' two tallies made him the first Engineer to reach the 40-goal plateau for the season and gave him a team-leading 41.
In addition to his goal, Perkins received praise from head coach Adam Foley for his play on the defensive end. The Dallas, Texas native made three steals against the Poets.
Souza played the full 32 minutes in net, making a season-high 12 saves.
The Engineers will return to action on Friday afternoon, when they will take on Concordia (Calif.) University at 3:40 p.m., before concluding play in the Claremont Convergence on Saturday with matches against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (1:20 p.m.) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (5:20 p.m.).


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Undergraduate Students
Requests for Readmission from Academic Suspension are considered by representatives of the Committee on Admission, Readmission, and Retention in context with the following practices:
- Committee members believe that is is generally to the student's advantage to deny readmission for a period of at least one calendar year, so that the student may become clearly aware of the educational goals and view past progress from a different perspective.
- Readmission will be approved when prospects for better academic performance can be demonstrated. Readmission is not based solely on the passage of time since the date of suspension.
- Readmission after a second suspension will be granted in very limited circumstances, and only when an applicant has clearly demonstrated that they can and is likely to continue to perform academic work that meets acceptable standards.
Important information regarding the readmission process:
- The Committee on Admission, Readmission, and Retention will only consider Applications for Readmission from Academic Suspension that are complete, including all necessary supporting documents, and have been received in the Office of the Registrar at least seven calendar days prior to the beginning of the term for which the student is seeking to enroll.
- A student must carefully complete the Application for Readmission from Academic Suspension. The student is urged to maximize their opportunity to communicate with the committee members regarding readmission by making sure that the application is accurate, detailed, and complete.
- Representatives of the Committee on Admission, Readmission, and Retention will review the student's Application for Readmission from Academic Suspension and render a decision based on the merits of the reasons that the student gives in support of possibilities that better work can be expected in the future.
- Although all students wishing to return after Academic Suspension must prepare an Application for Readmission from Academic Suspension, a student may support their application through a personal appearance before the Committee. All Applications for Readmission from Academic Suspension will be reviewed by representatives of the Committee. Students who wish to clarify or extend written information may do so during the meeting. Students who appear before the Committee must make a verbal opening statement of two or three minutes in duration providing relevant information beyond that provided in the written application. To appear in person before the Committee, the student must indicate the desire to do so when completing the Application for Readmission from Academic Suspension (see item 10).
- The student will be notified by letter of the action taken on the Application for Readmission from Academic Suspension.
- Students who are readmitted after suspension will be placed on Academic Probation following Suspension beginning with the semester immediately following their return to UNI. A student readmitted after suspension must earn a UNI semester GPA of 2.00 or higher for each semester after being readmitted until their UNI cumulative GPA reaches 2.00 or higher.
To obtain an Application for Readmission from Suspension, please navigate to the Application for Readmission from Suspension webpage.
Graduate Students
Graduate students who have been placed on Graduate Suspension must go through a different process for readmission to graduate study. If you are a graduate student, please contact the Graduate College for further information.


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Description:IBM 300-GB 10K Ultra320 Hot-Plug SCSIDrive w/Tray (as pictured)For P-Series ServersPart Number(s)
IBM Part# 03N5272
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IBM Part# 03N6357
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Overview:IBM Hot Pluggable Ultra 320 SCSI Hard Drives undergo an intense qualification process that eliminates data integrity problems firmware and O/S incompatibilities and other causes of data corruption or premature failure. IBM Ultra 320 Hard Drives are specifically designed and tested for flawless operation in your equipment. Configure your IBM server with a Genuine IBM Ultra 320 Hard Drive and you will prevent incompatibilities that can rob your system of performance or cause you to lose valuable data. Use the Genuine IBM Hard Drives that IBM recommends and enjoy our no fault lifetime warranty on this Hard Drive for as long as you own the server.


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Angry Birds
Did you ever wonder why Red, Chuck and Bomb are so angry? They started out quite peaceful until an invasion of green piggies. Here's the full story, with a voice cast that includes Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Maya Rudolph, Bill Hader, Peter Dinklage and Sean Penn. Rated PG-13.1:37. Hampton Towne Center 24
Captain America: Civil War
There's trouble among the Avengers, as Captain America and Iron Man are pitted against each other due to government interference (in the manner of a Anti-Hero Registration Act). The various heroes choose sides — for and against the act, Team Iron Man and Team Captain America. Rated PG-13. 2:26....


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Looks like that the Session List for Oracle Open World 2007 has finally been published. Did a quick check for Oracle Application Express (APEX) related sessions and found 10 so far. Check out the search result by yourself. Would have hoped that there are more, but I'm sure there are a lot of other presentations I'm interested in. 🙂
BTW, if you go to OOW 2007 and you are interested in Oracle APEX, add yourself to the Oracle OpenWorld Connect – Application Express group!


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Joe's a fantastic writer, but what struck me was a common thought expressed early in the story. It's practically a gospel among the baseball scholarly. He suggests that the postseason is a crapshoot and carries that thought to its logical conclusion:
"Perhaps I'm excessively dogmatic on this matter, but to me, the relative emphases placed on the postseason and the regular season are completely out of whack. The latter is a much stiffer test, and a much better gauge, of a baseball team than the former is. Use whatever term you like—"small sample size," "luck," "randomness," "variance," — but the statheads have this one right. Best-of-fives and best-of-sevens don't do enough to separate comparable baseball teams, and while the winner of one is more often than not the one that played better during the series, playing better over four games is a vanishingly small test."
I myself have spit out similar thoughts often, especially give the Twins postseason futility. But this time I was suddenly struck by something. Namely, that nobody other than baseball fans ever says this.
For instance, the Spurs record last year was much worse than the Mavericks, but the Spurs won the NBA championship, the Mavs went home early, and nobody doubts who was the better team. (Though, I'll admit, Phoenix was a different story.) In the NFL, if a 12-4 team beats a 14-2 team in the Super Bowl – a single game - nobody tries to claim the 12-4 team was better. And when Anaheim marched through the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, they were acclaimed by all sides as a clearly superior team to emulate, despite having the third most points in the regular season.
In other sports, it's assumed that during the grind of a regular season, guys take nights off and injuries skew records. Or that special players wait until the playoffs to turn their games up a notch. Or that some players save themselves for the playoffs, or even play a slightly different game during the regular season so as not to tip their hands to some of the better teams.
And I have trouble seeing where baseball is any different. Is 162 games that much more effective in leveling the field than 81? Is baseball's grind different than the NHL's or NBA's? Is the goal of being one of the top eight teams so much different than being one of the top sixteen? Or twelve? MLB, NHL and NBA playoffs are similar in that they have best of five or seven games series. And the NFL, whose showdowns are just single games, never talks about sample size. So why are we so anxious to write off the playoffs? Why are we tempted to ignore the results when the best play against the best?
There are three obvious answers. Either:
1) There is something inherently different about baseball OR
2) Baseball is right and all the other sports are wrong OR
3) The other sports are right and baseball is wrong.
And for the first time tonight, I started to wonder if the answer is "C". Maybe studying the stats has warped our view a bit. We look at the records and run differentials and regular season awards and feel like we know which team is best. Those facts mean something to us – we discovered them, we study them, we prove them and we take comfort in them. And from those stats, we crown a best team using 162 games of data. That is something that no other sport can really do with stats, or at least not the way baseball can.
But then that team doesn't win. And so we have a choice: we can claim small sample size, or we can go back to the drawing board and try again to measure that which seems increasingly (and suddenly) immeasurable.
It's not difficult to see why we choose the former. But tonight, it's equally not clear that it's the right choice.


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Today was a much better day. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but quickly rolled over to the right side. Thank you all for your nice words and understanding that emotional eating is in fact a form of therapy. Also, thank you for not calling me fatty to my face. I always prefer insults said behind my back.
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These are beautiful photos, and an equally gorgeous outfit! You look stunning. I gotta find me some faux-thropologie dresses, stat!
this is gorgeous! love all the colors together. i'm totally crushing on that cardigan and well, frankly your necklace too. glad today was a better day.
1. Your tights are dark purple, I'll let it slide…
2. Do you have an entourage of great photographers following your every stylish move? Where do I sign up? Those pics are amazing!
GORGEOUS dress. I'm going to run to my nearest Target to see if i can find it too! not to be a total copycat or anything…
This is so pretty! I love the colors and the floral mixed with the rich cognac boots + belt!
Ok, I always comment on your outfits but I have to take the time to say that I absolutely love your blog. It is by far my new favorite. These photos are stunning and this outfit goes together so perfectly. You always have beautiful photos (and outfits!). You are so darn lucky to have a husband who can take such amazing photos. And your style is so inspirational to me. Your outfits are always so lovely, yet practical – which is the perfect inspiration for me. Sorry for rambling…this is probably more appropriate for an e-mail. But, what can I say…I have a girl crush on you and your style.
I've been following your blog via bloglovin for a week now but have yet to leave a comment:)
Anyway, I would like to tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog, looking through your beautiful pictures and I also love your flair of writing as well!
The dress is gorgeous, I'm beginning to think you're an expert in finding faux-thropologie items:)
oh my god. I've been following you for awhile and this is by far my favorite outfit of yours! It looks gorgeousssss on you!!! The scene is perfect for what you are wearing too. I checked out your friend's photography page as well he has amazing work! Overall, great post!
that dress totally looks like its from anthropologie! i love it!!
I ALMOST bought that dress from Target the other week. I just might have to now that I've seen how well it can be styled 🙂
Nothing beats a good deal – and this dress looks amazing! The pics are so great!! Here's to happy, sunny days!!
I may be stealing this look for this weekend! Gorgeous as always!
Another great outfit! I will be making a trip to Target this weekend!
you got the dress at target? GREAT FIND! it is sooooo pretty!
Wow… you look gorgeous!! I LOVE this outfit! The photographs came out great… the lighting is so beautiful! 🙂 And I am in love with that necklace!
I really love this! I adore those boots, too, but the whole look is so pretty!
I have GOT to start scouring Target for florals – that dress is divine!
your blog is awesome & you are hysterical. i love this look from top to bottom. that dress is gorgeous and the necklace looks like something you might find in your great-aunt's jewelry box–in the best possibly way, of course!
absolutely stunning photo location… the pattern of your dress and your cardigan accent simply leap from your photos. you look absolutely radiant. fantastic post 🙂
really love this dress. Im ready for spring time!!
xo, Kim http://www.crowded-closet.com
Very pretty, makes me long for spring! I think your purple tights look really nice with your brown boots. The purple pulls out the yellow hues in the brown and reflects the color of the cardigan.
oh my, i just found your blog and love it! i love how you mix all of your colors and even though the tights are purple they completely work so well with everything else. now i'm off to spend the next few hours perusing your site! -noel
Gorgeous outfit. Love everything about it.
QUESTION: Do you curl your hair or is it just naturally wavy? I'm thinking of cutting mine and I am loving your hair!
I just discovered your blog and I'm wondering how it's possible I found it just now. I love your style–the way you mix colors, textures and prints is simply gorgeous! And I, too, am a fan of therapy by way of Girl Scout Cookies (or ice cream).
I just found your blog and I adore it, you're gorgeous! And your sense of style is amazing! I'm your newest follower 🙂
lovelove, M.
I was eyeing that dress the other day! Target is a great places to find pieces for your wardrobe. I'm also looking forward to John Paul Gaultier's collection that debuts this Sunday!
i tried to steal your look by buying this dress at target today. serves me right for not trying it on though, it runs so big for target stuff 🙁 ah well, maybe tomorrow.
This outfit is gorgeous!
of course i love the dress here. it's gorge. but what i'm loving more is the tights! most of your outfits are almost exactly how i would wear them if i were left to style them myself but you almost always add one extra thing that just makes it perfection!
I love this outfit. It's warm, and I love dark florals. Really cute.
I love this outfit and the necklace in particular. And great behind-the-scenes photos, so gorgeous!
this might be the most perfect outfit ever, I love everything about it 🙂


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"Big Brother" Season 5 Episode 6
Pictured: Eric Christian Olsen (LAPD Liaison Marty Deeks). Callen goes undercover at a prestigious high school after a 15-year-old hacker compromises terrorist missions, on NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Tuesday, Oct. 29 (9:00-10:01 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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I love pomegranates! Somehow, I'd managed to misplace this one for a few weeks in my desk draw and although I prefer them more aged – this was too bitter for me today. Due to its 'aging' it became pretty shrivelled and the top part formed quite a good start of a heart shape, so I cut it in half and pinched n squish the bottom to force a more hearty shape.
I've played in pshop with the curves/levels and added inner shadow to the background. Happy friday geeks! x


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Sales of Google's Nexus One smartphone are still slower than the search giant might well like it to be, with reports indicating that Google has managed to sell somewhere in the region of 80,000 devices.
Initial reports had indicated that Google's Nexus One had had a very slow opening week indeed, and it seems that things haven't improved much. According to the mobile analysts over at Flurry, the first week of sales for Google's self-described "superphone" saw the search giant shift the fairly unimpressive number of 20,000 Nexus One devices. Now that we're at the first month of sales, things are looking no more impressive.


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BEIJING (AP) — A half-day before a young gunman committed one of the deadliest school attacks in U.S. history, a Chinese farmer took a kitchen knife and hacked at more than 20 children as they entered their rural elementary school.
Though the outcomes are different — 28 dead in Connecticut, and 23 injured in China — the Friday attacks show how disturbingly frequent rampages against children and schools are. Attackers often seek out the vulnerable, hoping to amplify their outrage before they themselves often commit suicide. News of one mass killing often serves as inspiration and blueprint to other potential mass killers.
"It's these disaffected people who are angry at the world, who plan to take out as many people as they can, and there's some element there of notoriety," said forensic psychologist James Ogloff of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. "It's a way of becoming infamous."
Mass killings, when an individual tries to kill as many people at one time as possible, have occurred in places as far away as Switzerland, where 14 people died in a shooting spree by an unemployed man who then killed himself in 2001, to South Korea, where a police officer killed 56 people before he blew himself up in 1982. Distinct from acts of terror that have political or collective aims, other mass killers act out of personal grievances.
Attacks against schools are a bleak subset, offering easy targets for taking down large numbers of victims. Shootings at schools have periodically occurred in Finland and Germany as well as the U.S., though the American attacks have been more frequent.
China has seen more than a half-dozen school attacks in less than three years, though the death tolls have been mostly in single digits, largely because knives have been the most-used weapon. China largely prohibits private ownership of guns.
"They choose to attack school students who are weak in defending themselves and are easily assaulted," said Zhu Zhuohong, an associate researcher in psychology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Ogloff, the forensic psychologist who has studied both spree and serial killers in the U.S., Canada and Australia, said that a break-down in a relationship or a humiliating experience often acts as a triggering event for mass shooters. After Thomas Hamilton killed 16 kindergarteners and a teacher at an elementary school in Dunblane, Scotland, in 1996, reports said that he had been suspected of inappropriate behavior with boys he oversaw in a youth group and that letters he wrote talked of persecution by police and authorities for forcing him from taking part in boys clubs and for causing a business he ran to fail.
While police in Connecticut and in China have so far not given motives for Friday's attacks, both began with single assaults. Twenty-year-old Adam Lanza first shot his mother in their home in the New England town of Newtown before driving to the nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School; armed with two handguns, he shot into two classrooms, killing 20 people and six adults and then apparently shooting himself.
Min Yingjun, a 36-year-old resident of Guangshan, an area of tea and rice farms in central China, burst into the home of an elderly woman and stabbed her with a kitchen knife, the government's Xinhua News Agency reported. Min then went to the Chenpeng Village Primary School, slashing at 22 students, ages 6 to 12, as they arrived for class. Seven of the students, some with severed fingers and ears, required hospitalization, Xinhua said.
Though Min did not die — he was grabbed by police at the scene and is under arrest — Zhu, the psychologist, said many mass attacks should be seen as "expanded suicide." The attackers, often in a state of depression, believe society is malicious or unsafe and wants others to die with them, said Zhu.
Police described Min as possibly being "mentally ill," Xinhua said, and a law enforcement official briefed on the Connecticut shooting told The Associated Press that Lanza was believed to suffer from a personality disorder. But overall, said Ogloff, very few mass shooters are mentally ill.
Most perpetrators are young men, and their common traits — an interest in the military or violence — are so widespread as to make it impossible to identify potential killers, said Ogloff. Spree shootings, he said, are increasing and becoming deadlier because each killing leaves a blueprint for others to follow.
"Imagine you're a kid and you're 20 years old, and you're angry at the world and you're fascinated with the military and you're in a situation where you want to end your life. … You're influenced by all the ones who've gone before you," said Ogloff, who has overseen the treatment of Martin Bryant, who shot 35 people at Port Arthur, a former penal colony and tourist site, in Tasmania in 1996.
The spate of school attacks in China — six in a seven-month period in 2010 — have raised concerns about copycats. News media in China, all of which are state-controlled, gave wide coverage to the Connecticut attack. But they ran the same brief Xinhua report about Friday's knifings in Guangshan, and local officials refused to provide more information, signs that authorities want to restrict the news either to prevent encouraging others or to play down the crime to keep blame off the government.
If identifying possible perpetrators is difficult, providing better access to mental health services and restricting the availability of firearms are key to reducing the numbers of victims, experts said.
"It's interesting that you have two individuals entering schools but because of the means of their attacks — one with firearms, one with a knife — there's an extreme disparity in the casualties," said Christian Chan, a professor of psychology at Hong Kong University. "It's the means that we can control, not necessarily the psychology of people. Throughout history there will always be people who might lose it."
Tight controls mean that gun crimes are rare in China and make knives and sometimes explosives the weapons used in mass attacks in China. Even so, violence is on the rise as people grow frustrated with a corrupt and often indifferent officialdom and seek other means to address grievances.
"The social environment is a factor behind attacks in China," said Ku Jianhui, a lawyer with the Beijing Xindong law firm. "A person who chooses extreme acts to voice his or her grievances usually believes that his or her cases were unable to be handled fairly through normal channels or legal procedures."


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Seattle will always have its Sonics — even though it no longer has its Sonics.
Between the two sports markets emotionally involved in Super Bowl XLVIII this evening in New Jersey, Denver has given its fans more of a payoff through the years. A pair of Lombardi Trophies (XXXII and XXXIII) for the Broncos as led by John Elway. A couple of laps around the ice (1996, 2001) by the Colorado Avalanche, with the NHL's Stanley Cup held high by goaltender Patrick Roy. At least an appearance in the 2007 World Series by the Colorado Rockies before Boston's sweep that fall.
But Seattle? Folks in that market have to go back to the 1979 SuperSonics to find the city's lone championship (Big Four, North-American team category).
The Larry O'Brien trophy wasn't even called that then. The NBA commissionership wasn't even a glimmer in David Stern's eye. Michael Jordan? Heck, Larry and Magic weren't even in the league yet.
Thirty-five years is a long time. How many Seattle sports fans are too young to remember that special spring? How many who lived it aren't around anymore?
But Jack Sikma was front and center, making it happen, recalling it fondly ever since and basking a little in the glow and nostalgia during this Seahawks team's push to the Bowl.
Sikma was the 6-foot-11 center on that Sonics title team, a sleeper out of Illinois Wesleyan in the 1977 draft widely remembered for his blond locks and signature "reverse pivot" move. As an obvious link to the city's crowning sports achievement and a resident who makes his permanent home there, Sikma was a natural to be invited to participate in the Seahawks' traditional "12th Man" ceremony earlier this NFL season.
"My niece works for the Seahawks," said Sikma by phone Friday, taking a break from his NBA day job as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves. "They asked if I'd be interested and I told 'em, 'Of course.' My only qualifier was that it had to happen really early in the season, because we were going to start ours up."
So on Sept. 22, with Jacksonville in town, Sikma made the trek up to the upper rim of CenturyLink Field as guest hoister of the team's "12th Man" flag honoring the fans. "You're at one end of the stadium, way up top," he said. "The whole stadium is turned toward the flag pole just before kickoff, and the crescendo starts. You're waving the flag and whipping up the crowd, and that goes right through the kickoff. It was pretty cool."
The 1978-79 Sonics qualified as cool, too, getting all the way back to The Finals after a seventh-game loss to Washington the year before and then beating that same Bullets team in five games. Seattle had all its pieces in place that season: Sikma in the middle, a dynamic backcourt led by Gus Williams, Dennis Johnson and (Downtown) Freddie Brown, Lonnie Shelton and John Johnson up front, a rotation that included Paul Silas, Wally Walker and Tom LaGarde and head coach Lenny Wilkens.
The biggest change from the previous squad was Shelton, arriving as compensation from New York after the Knicks signed free-agent center Marvin (Human Eraser) Webster. Sikma had played power forward as a rookie but shifted over, with the burly Shelton slotting alongside him.
The Sonics had the NBA's top defense (100.1 rating) and ranked 14th of the 22 teams offensively (102.7). They won the Pacific Division with a 52-30 record, beat the pre-Magic Lakers in five games and came back from a 3-2 deficit to get past Phoenix. Williams (19.2 ppg) led them in scoring, John Johnson (4.4) in assists, Dennis Johnson chipped in 15.9 ppg and Shelton, Silas and LaGarde combined for 30.1 points and 21.5 rebounds a night. Brown was the deep threat and instant offense off the bench, while Sikma averaged 15.6 points and 12.4 rebounds.
"The pressure was really to give ourselves another chance at The Finals," Sikma recalled, "especially since we were so close and lost the seventh game at home – it wore on you. We got there and we actually played our best basketball probably all year long. We got up and down [the floor]. Defensively we really closed down the paint. It happened, and the town went nuts. And I'm sure if the Seahawks win, it will be bedlam."
Seattle's small-town feel, particularly 35 years ago, meant that many of the team's sports stars cross-pollinated, attending each others' games. The Seahawks were an expansion team in 1976, the Mariners began the following spring – and Sikma was pretty young himself. He was single, with time on his hands, and mingled with fans constantly, security far less prevalent than now.
He also learned that team success wouldn't always come so readily. Sikma played 12 more NBA seasons (another seven with the Sonics, then five with Milwaukee) but never made it back to The Finals.
"I wouldn't say I didn't appreciate how lucky I was and try to understand how hard it was to do what we did," he said. "But the guys who had been there – Fred Brown had been in Seattle [since 1971] and really didn't have a team that ever challenged. John Johnson hadn't had that opportunity or Dennis Awtrey. They were later-on in their careers. I'm sure it meant a little more to them."
While not getting back stung, getting there early actually helped him, Sikma said. "I got my money's worth in those two years," he said. "My experience under the pressure of it, and just the focus and the preparation, boded well for me for the rest of my career. The confidence that came from that, I couldn't imagine any other way to gain it."
Sikma was a seven-time All-Star. He retired having averaged 15.6 points and 9.8 rebounds, and ranks 30th in rebounds (10,816). In fact, as one of just nine players to have at least 17,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 1,000 blocks and 1,000 steals (since blocks and steals began being tracked in 1973), Sikma has a decent case for Hall of Fame consideration. Seven are in (Abdul-Jabbar, K. Malone, M. Malone, Olajuwon, Ewing, Parish, D. Robinson) and one (Kevin Garnett) is active.
Sikma, however, always will have that 1979 championship. He's rooting for the Seahawks to join the Sonics as ring-bearers – rooting so hard, he'll watch the game at home alone, he said, to avoid the distractions of a party. "I really respect that organization," Sikma said. "[Owner] Paul Allen has built a great stadium. They have a rabid fan base and they have solid people like John Schneider running their organization. When you put those things together, usually, you have a high level of success."
Sikma also would like to see another NBA contender in Seattle some day. The league's power brokers know all about demographics, disposable incomes and TV market size; Sikma knows the people there.
"It's a crime there's not a basketball team there anymore," he said. "People come out and they root. They're participating in the game as a fan. There are a lot of young professionals that kind of fit the NBA's fan mold who live in Seattle. It's become a very urban city, both Seattle and across the way in Bellevue.
"I sure hope it happens and, if it does, it would be great."
Funny, but he said exactly the same thing about Seahawks vs. Broncos.


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macOS High Sierra and macOS Mojave upgrade solid-state drives to Apple File System (APFS), which requires Startup Manager to switch between Windows and macOS.
If you choose "Restart in OS X" from the Windows Boot Camp menu, this message might appear: "Could not locate the OS X boot volume."
Follow these steps to boot into macOS or Windows:
- Restart your Mac, then immediately hold down the Option key.
- Release the Option key when you see the Startup Manager window.
- Select your macOS or Windows startup disk, then click the arrow or press Return.
Repeat these steps any time you need to switch between operating systems.
If you use a screen reader
If you use VoiceOver or another screen reader and you need further help switching between Windows and macOS, please contact Apple Support.


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E-Certs (Electronic Certificates) are limited time, virtual discounts and special offers that can only be used when booking on radissonblu.com, radisson.com, radissonblu-edwardian.com, parkplaza.com, parkinn.com, countryinns.com, artotels.com and clubcarlson.com using your personal E-Cert code.
E-Certs are issued to a specific customer, typically via email. How do guests get E-Certs? Join Club CarlsonSM. When joining, guests can sign up to receive special offers from Club Carlson and Carlson Rezidor hotels. Already a member? Sign up for special offers.E-Cert offers vary and are sent to eligible guests. More E-Cert information.


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Swipe to the left
Posts tagged 'how to decorate for halloween'
By Blogger October 18, 2012
"This is Halloween, this is Halloween." I'm getting so pumped for Halloween and the fall festivities! I've almost filled my DVR with scary movies, I won't watch them but my roommate Ryli will. I'm more of a Tim Burton/ABC Family Halloween Movie fan, like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and Hocus Pocus, so there are plenty of those on there as well.


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Following on from Saturday's run down of the top Saints shirts from 10-6, Jon Carney of Classic Football Shirts give's us his top 5!
5. 1987-89 Home Shirt
'Rare shirt produced by German manufacturers Hummel with an added classic Draper Tools sponsor as worn when the side finished 12th & 13th in the First Division under boss Chris Nicholl. The shirt mirrors the exact design of the Denmark shirt worn in Mexico at World Cup '86.'
4. 1993-95 Home Shirt
'This bold Pony number with its interesting named Dimplex sponsor was controversial at the time of its release for abandoning simple stripes for the huge geometric Pony logo on the upper front which dominated the design. Today however, bold shirts; whether it be with a huge geometric logo or an acid-house inspired pattern, are enjoying something of a renaissance – perhaps in response to the simplicity of modern day designs. This Pony template was also followed in claret and blue by West Ham in 1993.'
3. 1991-93 Third Shirt
'Rare third shirt donned by Premier League legends Le Tissier and Shearer as the side narrowly avoided relegation by just one point during the inaugural 1992-93 Premier League campaign. With a bold pattern throughout this shirt forms part of a brilliant era of football shirts between the late 80's and early 90's when designs brazenly toed the line between future classic and garish monstrosity (see 1991 away shirt!) in a reflection of music and fashion. The shirt also gives a nod to the club's tradition of donning yellow and blue away/third shirts introduced in the 1970's as part of a wider trend of clubs wanting to emulate Brazil (seriously). On the Wembley turf in May 1976, they did just that.'
2. 2010-11 Home Shirt
'The club returned to its roots with this classic sash design which marked their 125th anniversary, with subtle touches including 1885-2010 detail to the crest and a sponsor-less front. The shirt helped inspire them to win promotion from League One with the side boasting an incredible array of talents for the level, including future internationals Lambert, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Schneiderlin, and Jose Fonte (plus Jason Puncheon)!'
Editor's Note:- This is my personal favourite, for this simple, classy design, the lack of sponsor and the team that played in it! – Chris
1. 1980-83 Home Shirt
'Extremely rare home shirt with great vintage design and famous Rank Xerox sponsor as worn when the side achieved consecutive top seven finishes in the First Division under boss Lawrie McMenemy. The Saints were helped by the goals of '78 and '79 Ballon D'Or winner Kevin Keegan who joined from Hamburg and enjoyed a stunning campaign in 81-82 scoring 30 goals in all competitions. With its tailored look and collar detail, the design remains a firm favourite with fans who ask for it to be adapted for the new season shirt most summers.'
So there it is, an outsider's point of view on the best Saints kits so far. Feel differently? Let us know!
Check out some classic Southampton shirts here bit.ly/1NGtSxI and tell us which is your favourite?


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Breakfast Potatoes
Quick Facts
Servings: 4
Hash browns for breakfast!
- 4 medium baking potatoes
- 2 Tbs canola oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 tsp salt (sea salt if on a corn-free diet*)
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 chopped tomato, optional
- Scrub potatoes well and chop into 1-inch (3cm) pieces. Boil potatoes for 5 minutes, until just tender and drain.
- Heat oil in a heavy, non-stick skillet. Add onions and cook for about 2 minutes, until they just start to turn brown. Add green peppers and mushrooms, and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, stirring the pan occasionally.
- Add drained potatoes and cook over medium heat until potatoes are crispy and brown. Sprinkle with paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped tomato if desired and stir to blend and warm the tomatoes.
- Serve with toast and fruit.
- Makes 4 servings.
* Allergy notes: People following a corn-free diet should avoid iodized salt since it contains dextrose, which should be avoided by those allergic to corn.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 212
Calories from Fat 63 (30%)
(11%)Total Fat 7g
(3%)Saturated Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
(0%)Cholesterol 0mg
(10%)Sodium 246mg
(29%)Potassium 1019mg
Total Carbohydrate 35g
(14%)Dietary Fiber 3g
Sugars 3g
Sugar Alcohols 0g
(8%)Protein 4g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Nutrition facts are calculated by a food expert using nutritional values provided by the USDA for common products used as recipe ingredients. Actual nutritional values may differ depending on the amounts or products used and can be affected by cooking methods.
Copyright © 2019 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. www.healthnotes.com
Read our healthy recipe definitions.
Learn more about Healthnotes, the company.
The information presented here is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2019.


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You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 2:1
What is grace? It is God's unmerited favor. So what does that mean to you and me?
It means that the God of creation, who spoke the universe into existence, who measures heaven with the width of his hand (Isa. 40:12), who owns the cattle on 1,000 hills (Ps 50:10), who alone is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient (all powerful, all places, all knowing), that this God has bestowed His favor upon me!
"Well," you think to yourself, "and why not? After all, I am a pretty swell person! I go to church almost every Sunday, and I toss a couple bucks into the offering plate occasionally. I hardly ever yell at my wife…all in all I am doing pretty well. Of course God would bestow His favor on me!".
Actually, friend, that is exactly what makes this grace so amazing! NONE OF US DESERVE IT! That is why it is "unmerited" favor. Do you not know that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rm 3:12), that our hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9)?
Unfortunately, many folks try to bestow favor upon themselves. They have an over-inflated sense of self-worth, like our friend in the earlier example. Honestly, that attitude may make you feel better, but that and 2 bucks will get you half a cup of coffee!
God's grace poured out on His children has power! We can count on it, not only for salvation (Eph 2:8), but also for obedience (Rm 1:5), sufficiency (2 Cor 12:9), edification (Eph 4:29), everlasting consolation and hope (2 Thess 2:16); I could go on and on!
Just remember, my brothers and sisters in Christ, grace is amazing not just because it is "unmerited favor", but because it has the power of our almighty God behind it!


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The Holy Quran, the Ultimate Complete Software of Your Life
The Holy Quran is the last and final Revelation from Allah which is the Ultimate software that functions as an operating software and Anti-virus software that not only brings our dead hearts to life but also cleanse all our internal and external viruses like, Hate, Jealousy, Anger,Greed and etc from our system. Brings us back in contact with our Creator and tells us of our purpose of existence and our mission on this Earth. And it also guides and tells us what happens after we depart from this Earth and what will be the outcome of every single action we did on this Earth.
So you better Read it, Ponder over it, Understand it, and finally apply it in your life, because we have only one Chance.
So you better Read it, Ponder over it, Understand it, and finally apply it in your life, because we have only one Chance.
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Seniors, employers worry about costs of raising Medicare age
Sam Lewis turned 65 in the nick of time. For a year, he'd been broke. His Brentwood, Calif., general contracting business had gone bust. He couldn't make payments on his home, and he lost it. He couldn't pay his health insurance premiums, so he let it lapse.
The day after his birthday in October, when he qualified for Medicare, Lewis got a checkup. Days later, he went under the knife: open-heart surgery, a triple bypass, three arteries blocked with plaque, one of them 99 percent. "If I'd had to wait until 67 for Medicare," Lewis said, "I'd be dead."
A proposal to raise the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 to ratchet down federal spending is one of the more explosive ideas in the fiscal talks between House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and the White House. The negotiations are aimed at a deal to avert automatic tax increases and spending cuts that are slated to take effect Jan. 1. Liberal Democrats say they loathe the Medicare proposal, but the White House hasn't ruled it out publicly.
President Barack Obama was open to a similar proposal last year during his failed effort to reach a "grand bargain" with Republicans. Many expect it to pop up again in next year's discussions about curbing entitlement costs if it isn't in this year's deal.
Whatever the politics, those approaching retirement are responding with anger and fear, while employers see themselves stuck holding the bag on long-ago social commitments made by the federal government.
"All they're doing is shoving the cost onto the backs of business," said Don Marks, the president of Uesco Industries in Alsip, Ill., a family-owned company that assembles overhead cranes and hoists used in manufacturing plants.
Uesco employs 45 people and pays some medical expenses for retirees that Medicare doesn't pick up. With no set retirement age, the company would pay the health insurance costs of older, probably sicker workers who might no longer retire at 65 because they wouldn't yet be eligible for Medicare.
In his business, Marks sees little good coming from that. "We are a heavy metal manufacturer," he said. "It's big and heavy pieces of steel that we move around, that we grind, that we weld, that we cut with torches. It's heavy labor. The older (the workers) get, the more it costs for health insurance. And we have an aging workforce."
Proponents of the idea – such as Gail Wilensky, who oversaw Medicare and Medicaid for President George H.W. Bush – say people are living longer than they were when the program was enacted in 1965 and that it's important to raise the eligibility age gradually to change younger Americans' perceptions about what they can expect from entitlement programs.
"What we need is to try to find ways to try to encourage people to participate in the labor force longer, and not only for our sake but for their sake as well," Wilensky said at a forum this week, noting that the number of beneficiaries is expected to double over the next two decades as baby boomers retire.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the potential net savings to the federal government from gradually raising the eligibility age to 67 beginning in 2014 at about $113 billion over 10 years, as older workers remain in the workforce longer and pay Medicare taxes while forgoing benefits for two more years.
But shifting costs to workers and employers would increase out-of-pocket costs for 65- and 66-year-olds by $3.7 billion a year and boost employers' health care costs by $4.5 billion, according to a 2011 analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation (Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the foundation).
The potential human toll is harder to figure. As Lewis said, many in their early 60s who lack insurance are "crossing fingers, walking on tiptoes and making sure not to break any eggs," until they turn 65. Some may not be as lucky as he was.
The left-leaning Center for American Progress projects that raising the Medicare age might put up to 435,000 older people at risk of having no insurance at all, even with the protections afforded by the new health care law, although the CBO's estimate is far lower.
The health law changes the equation after 2014, since insurers no longer will be able to refuse applicants because of pre-existing health conditions or to charge older people more than three times what they charge young ones.
In addition, the state and federal health insurance marketplaces planned for 2014 will offer subsidies to help those with low incomes buy coverage, and states that expand Medicaid will cover single adults.
But will it be enough to tide people over until they qualify for Medicare, especially since some governors say they won't expand Medicaid and the effect of the exchanges on insurance affordability remains untested?
Realtor Mary Nishiyama, 57, a friend of Lewis', isn't confident.
"There is going to be a big wave of us," she warned. "Don't they know our parts aren't working as well as they used to?"
Nishiyama pays $800 a month for coverage that she buys at group rates through her former employer, Chevron, and she's recently started saving in case she has to wait another two years before qualifying for Medicare benefits. "If you don't have money to put away, how are you going to pay for your health care?" she asked.
Even some who consider themselves physically and financially healthy say they're furious about upending a social contract they've spent a lifetime paying into – and expecting to be there for them.
"They'd be pulling the rug out from under us," said Chuck Hinkle, 56, a gas pipeline electrician in Oak Forest, Ill.
The fact that increasing health costs are threatening to consume the federal budget, especially as people live longer and millions of baby boomers retire, is an abstraction. "I'm still planning to retire at 65," Hinkle said. "I'm hoping to be in a financial position where I can just cough up the money for those two years."


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Photosynthesis: The Process That Invalidates Evolutionist Ideas of Coincidence
The reduction in size of any device shows that the technology employed for that device has reached a more advanced stage. The size of cameras past and present is one example of this. The process of photosynthesis, which human beings cannot perform even in laboratories, is compressed into such a microscopic structure as a cell—one of the manifestations of Allah's infinite might and the sublimity in His creation.
The theory of evolution, as you know, claims that living things and the complex structures and systems within them came into being spontaneously, under natural conditions. Yet as we have clearly shown up to now, the photosynthetic systems inside even a single plant leaf possess an exceedingly complex design. It is therefore impossible for coincidences to bring these into being, as evolutionists would have us believe.
To show this system could not have come about by chance, let us ask some questions of those who insist on defending the theory of evolution. Who designed this incomparable mechanism established in a microscopically small area? Can we assume that unconscious plant cells, in other words plants, planned such a system themselves? We cannot, of course, hypothesize any such thing, because there is no question of plant cells reasoning or designing anything. It is not the cell itself that makes the flawless system we see when we examine it under a microscope. Then is this system the product of human intelligence, of the only entity capable of rational thought? No human being has constructed the world's most complex facilities in a space one thousandth of a cubic millimeter. Human beings cannot even observe what goes on inside these microscopic facilities.
The theory of evolution maintains that all living things developed in progressive stages, from the simple to the complex. To consider whether that claim is true, assume that we can impose a specific number on the components in the photosynthesis process. Assume that the number of components necessary for photosynthesis to take place is 100 (though the actual number is very much larger). Also, assume that one or two of these components did arise spontaneously, in the way that evolutionists claim, ignoring that such an event is quite impossible. There will be a necessary wait of several billions of years for the remaining components to emerge. Yet even if the components that finally emerge remain together, they can still serve no purpose in the absence of all the other parts. It is impossible for this system to emerge in stages, since its components will serve no purpose if any one is absent. Like the systems belonging to all living things, therefore, the idea that a complex system like photosynthesis came into being over time, with the gradual addition of its component parts, is incompatible with reason and logic.
To see how hopeless this claim is, recall just some of the stages that take place in order for photosynthesis to occur. All the existing enzymes and systems have to be present in the plant cell at the same time. The duration of each process and the quantity of enzymes have to be regulated in the correct manner from the beginning. That is because if the slightest error takes place—for example, the duration of the reaction, or the slightest alteration in the amount of light or raw material entering the reaction—products resulting from that reaction will be damaged and rendered useless. In the absence of any one of these elements, the system will cease to function.
That being the case, how did these functionless components survived until the emergence of the system as a whole came into being? Moreover, the smaller the dimensions involved, the greater the quality of the intelligence and engineering that system requires. As with laptops and cell phones, the shrinking of a mechanism's dimensions shows the sophistication of the technology used to create that structure. Comparing the bulky cameras used in the 19th century with today's cameras only enhances the importance of the immaculate structure in leaves. How is it that, human beings cannot perform photosynthesis in large factories, but plants have been carrying it out in microscopic ones for millions of years?
Evolutionists can give no coherent answers to these and similar questions, but come up with imaginary scenarios instead. They resort to the common tactic of drowning their scenarios in baffling technical descriptions. Using the most opaque terminology possible, they seek to evade the Fact of Creation, which is plain to see in all living things. Instead of responding to such questions as "How?" and "Why?" they hide behind detailed information and technical concepts and then hastily add that all this is a result of evolution.
However, even many of the determined proponents of evolution cannot conceal their amazement in the face of the miraculous systems in plants. By emphasizing the miraculous processes in photosynthesis, the Turkish evolutionist professor Ali Demirsoy makes the following admission:
Photosynthesis is a quite complex mechanism, and it seems impossible to occur in an organelle in the cell. Because the formation of all the phases altogether is impossible, and it is meaningless for them to emerge one by one. 85
Flawless mechanisms in the photosynthesis process have existed in all the plant cells there have ever existed. Even the most ordinary pond scum makes photosynthesis. The same proportions of carbon dioxide and water always enters the reaction and the products emerging are also always the same. Also, the sequence and speed of the reaction never vary. This applies, without exception, to all plants that employ photosynthesis.
It is of course illogical to seek to ascribe reason and decision-making to plants. It is equally illogical to say that this system, which exists in all green plants and works so flawlessly, came into being as the result of a chain of coincidences.
We are therefore faced with a manifest truth: The extraordinarily complex mechanics of photosynthesis have existed since plants first appeared. These immaculate systems inside such a tiny space show the knowledge and might of Almighty Allah, Who created them.
The Oxygen-Producing Photosynthesis of Bacteria
Evolutionists' claims that single-celled bacteria, are primitive organisms are completely imaginary. Bacteria that achieve photosynthesis are one of the most important refutations of this claim. The cyanobacterium has been performing photosynthesis for 3 billion years, and there are systems in that bacterium whose workings are still not fully understood.
Various species of bacteria don't use water for photosynthesis; instead they oxidize the organic and inorganic molecules around them. Photosynthesis without oxygen remains a great mystery too, for scientists who have yet fully understood photosynthesis with oxygen.
There is also great wisdom appointed by Allah in creating such different varieties of photosynthesis. Oxygen is indispensable for marine and terrestrial creatures, and He has instituted matchless systems for the production of oxygen in all environments. Moreover, these systems possess such advanced technology that their workings remain a mystery even in the 21st century.
When we examine the other characteristics of bacteria we also witness the fact that Allah has created the world with billions of indispensable interconnected balances. Bacteria constitute the basis of the ecological system and permit the level of gasses in the atmosphere to remain stable. They are one of the first links in the food chain of countless organisms. With their features and functions, living things from the greatest to the smallest, prove the existence of an Almighty Creator.
Algae are also capable of photosynthesis and are found everywhere on Earth, from the seas to fresh water, from the desert sands to hot springs, even under Antarctic snow and ice. Dispersed all over the world, they come in different forms, from single-celled varieties to giant kelp that can be 60 meters (197 feet) long. In addition to their complex structures, algae have different ways of reproducing and share lifestyles in common with other plants. They also contribute a large part of the oxygen in the atmosphere by means of their photosynthesis.
According to the evolutionist perspective, single-celled organisms are more primitive than multi-celled ones—which they present as evidence that multi-celled creatures evolved from single-celled ones. But as with other evolutionary scenarios, there is no scientific basis for that view. On the contrary, some forms of single-celled creatures exhibit a very complex cell structure. Algae that photosynthesize possess this complex cell structure—and also some of the most delightful geometrical shapes in nature—and provide a large part of the oxygen in the atmosphere. Single-celled algae, too small to be seen with the naked eye, are an average of 0.5 micrometer in diameter. (One micrometer is 1 millionth of a meter.).86
Despite their tiny size, there are unimaginably large numbers of them in Earth. They represent 90% of the living organisms in the oceans. Together with other organisms such as plankton that use photosynthesis, they form the basis of the world's food chain by producing some 130 million tons of organic carbon each year.87 Each of these creatures is a micro-machine working to provide the world with food and oxygen.
In images obtained by an electron microscope, the stunning beauty of these creatures and their perfect symmetry using all types of geometrical shapes reveal that each one is the work of a supreme Creator. The fact these creatures, each of which consists of only a single cell, and of which there are more than 10,000 species, possess very different shapes from one another, and the way that each cell imparts a shape to this silica structure has only an aesthetic purpose, all leave those who seek to account for these events in terms of coincidence facing a major impasse.88 In addition, when one examines the structures that these creatures—which evolutionists describe as "primitive and simple"—employ to form the cell wall, we can see that they are by no means simple or primitive at all.
Organic polyamine, used for tissue production, is a complicated chemical substance employed by many living things. And in constructing their cell walls, these organisms use the longest polyamine chains in nature.
The creatures' complexity does not end here. In addition to complex chlorophyll pigments that enable photosynthesis, these organisms also possess the pigment xanthophyll, which imparts a yellowish color. These single-celled creatures, from which fish derive their greatest source of Vitamin D, have complex structures designed for a specific purpose.89 They are part of a specially created system that could not have come into existence by coincidence.
Throughout this book, we have examined two of the most important features of plants, photosynthesis and the extraordinary properties of leaves. The aim behind providing this information is to show that these living things and the features they possess could not have emerged as the result of coincidences.
Plants are organisms without any traces of consciousness and reason such as decision-making or free will. But as you can see from the information provided this far, the processes carried out by plants do require considerable consciousness and reason. Indeed, plants succeed in performing activities that human beings cannot replicate with their conscious knowledge and advanced technology, and in spaces of time as brief as a millionth of a second. So to whom does this intelligence—which human beings come nowhere near approaching—belong?
Since the day they were first created, plants have been behaving in the manner inspired in them by Allah, with His infinite knowledge and intelligence. Every one of the plant's cells, and even every atom, is told how to behave at every moment. This is revealed in a verse from the Qur'an:
It is Allah Who created the seven heavens and of the Earth the same number, the Command descending down through all of them, so that you might know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah encompasses all things in His knowledge. (Surat at-Talaq:12)
All these miracles we encounter in plants show us that with their design, the actions they perform and the systems they possess, all plants have been created for a specific purpose by Almighty Allah. Infinite knowledge and enormous artistry have been employed in His creation. These belong to Allah, the creator of the worlds. Another verse states:
In the creation of the heavens and Earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people's benefit, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky–by which He brings the earth to life when it was dead and scatters about in it creatures of every kind—and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds subservient between heaven and Earth, there are Signs for people who use their intellect. (Surat al-Baqara:164)
85. Ali Demirsoy, Kalitim ve Evrim ("Inheritance and Evolution"), Ankara, Meteksan Publishing, 1995, p. 80.
86. Kingsley R. Stern, Op. cit., p. 32.
87. Mark Armitage, "Microgeometric Design of Diatoms: Jewels of the Sea," http://www.icr.org/article/395/
88. Ibid.
89. Ibid.


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About Wave Music
Wave Music was started in 1995 by its owner François K. as a means to release cutting-edge but timeless music that doesn't necessarily fit the norm of what most people come to expect of a New York 'dance' indie label. Rather than concentrating on a specific style, the label's mission has been to bring out an eclectic and musically varied selection of music. Through its association with some of dance music's finest artists, producers and DJ's, Wave has in the span of a short few years achieved a reputation for excellence and innovation in this crowded field.
Its sister labels, StreetWave Music, Wave Classics and Clicktracks have a slightly more defined orientation. StreetWave will release material that is more urban, such as hip-hop, jazz and r&b; Wave Classics specializes in bringing out some of the most enduring and influential out-of-print records of previous decades; Clicktracks delivers minimal techno and tribal grooves for the new millenium.
As well, Wave is distributing some other quality imprints, such as Chez Music, Bombay Records and Tribal Winds.
Look for some of our music in the most unlikely places.........
Wave Music Releases