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Free Online video games are some of the speak-about gadgets for rising children and sometimes we frown at their habit of steady maneuvering with the video games as a result of we consider these games extra as disturbing components. By using a phonetic-based mostly strategy, kids be taught the different sounds concerned with reading and will have the ability to observe along with more than a hundred and fifty studying activities and stories. In this online world, kids play video games, run shops, and maintain their Neopets all in a kid pleasant atmosphere. If you do decide to purchase some educational pc games, you'll have to remember that you could be need some additional hardware or accessories that are not attached to your computer. Knowledge Adventure's online instructional video games are categorized into different groups based on the age group and grade they're meant for and the themes they deal with. The games come with notes for parents about how math or literacy is integrated into the exercise.
A registered person can embrace their very own examine lists and flash cards within the games. Gamestar Mechanic : You might help your video game-loving child to embrace tech abilities via this sport, which allows young players to design and construct their own video video games. Now that studying and writing is turning into much more essential pre-kindergatern I have been on the hunt for educational video games that will even entertain our little ones. On the other hand, there are three primary venues of children' education which get especially nourished with common play of on-line games. Magic School Bus Oceans : This is just one of many Magic School Bus games on the market, all of which can be amazing methods for young learners to have fun whereas surreptitiously being educated.
This game may be a good way to take action. It allows players to make a drawing which might be dropped at life and used to play a collection of fun and entertaining games as they battle to bring again an imperiled village. With Math Game Time, kids pre-K to seventh grade can choose from a large number of arithmetic-themed video games and be taught the fundamentals utilizing visually remarkable graphics. Work out your brain or your child's mind with cognitive games like Speed Match, Memory Matrix and more than 35 others.
What's extra is that kids can observe reading the books on the website, have a look at comics or play Mad Libs and make up their own stories. Khan Academy : Khan Academy's wealth of instructional games is even better when accessed by a pill, difficult children to study, develop, and get better in their core subjects. Games resembling Twister, which encourage guide dexterity and strengthen steadiness, help children coordinate the body with the mind and experiment with how the 2 entities cooperate. A wealth of phrase puzzle games will keep children smiling as they construct their own virtual libraries inside the game. Kids discover these enjoyable and entertaining and adults like them as a result of they train children new things and reinforce what they're studying at school.
LittleBIGPlanet 2 : LittleBIGPlanet not only boasts some wonderful graphics, however it's also an important game for getting children to develop downside fixing expertise. So a lot time is saved by making this one step and children love being rewarded with trumpets blaring, gold stars and jars of pretty fireflies. Learn Science : Filled with enjoyable mini-games, this title for the Nintendo DS is an effective way to assist youngsters observe their science information. Most kids benefit from the problem of participating in games, and the method of playing some of instructional activities may very well make them smarter and extra succesful. Learn with Homer assumes children begin using the app without figuring out learn how to learn, so the app begins instructing at square one. These online video games that produced by data journey have won a number of awards.


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Most mustachian greetings be upon ye!
With the close of my fifth Movember arriving shortly, it's time to send out the annual report. I'll begin with visual evidence demonstrating my firm commitment to the "handlebar" mo this year.
Yes. It's creepy. I know. Just ginger enough to put you off your soup. After four years of the standard fare, I had to change gear, see what she could really do.
(If you plan to read the whole post, skip this… if not, tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, consider a gift to Movember on my late father's behalf. Follow link for details.)
We all take part in this hairy caper for myriad reasons, but at the end of the day we know it's all for health and sanity. We want to keep them in our possession for as long as humanly (humanely?) possible.
It's true we sometime do what our doctors tell us not to or eat one too many donuts, but what would life be without a reason to exercise our choice… Choose to smoke, choose to drink, choose to love, choose to run, but also choose to be in charge of our facilities enough to know that we can't do everything we want forever…except love. We can do that for donkeys. It gets hard sometimes, though. A few more beers and that'd be another post.
And, of course, realize that good intentions are just a shiny pair of shoes—it's the walking that's the tough part. My #mosober ploy didn't work out as planned. I won't make excuses here. I'll just say duly noted for another walk in this long life.
More of…
I've enjoyed the time dedicated to thinking of my dear dad and only wish I had more—more time with him, more games of cribbage with him, more walks up Mt Philo. Enjoy every minute. You can never get them back and memories aren't as engaging as real conversations. Ask hard questions. Laugh. Eat. The simple times are what I miss most.
I also wish I had more time to put into this hair-raising fundraisier.
That said, I'm very happy to report I hit my initial goal of $500. Nine generous donors ponied up some hard-earned cash to show they care about the health of men around the world. I won't go into the whole numbers game.
Suffice to say the numbers on prostate cancer alone are staggering, to say nothing of testicular cancer, mental health and suicide.
The Big Dig
These mo-bros and mo-sisters at Movember Foundation are doing a good thing and I highly encourage you to put what ever disposable income you have to give on Giving Tuesday toward their noble efforts. I've got $100 of my own money to start us off. Let's see if we can't double-down on the fundraising goal. You always double down.
And with that, I'll sign off, leaving you with a rare photo of my dad with some serious mutton-chop-mustache thing going on, being a goof with flowing locks and staples in his chest hair, to whom this whole shebang is dedicated.
Big love.

subset: commoncrawl


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p. 122. Documents
- Steve Edwards
What do we mean by a photographic document? It is typically perceived to be a neutral, styleless, and objective record of information. How does it differ to photographic art? 'Documents' examines the business of creating photographs for documentary purposes and evaluates the objectivity of these sorts of records of events. A great deal of information about our world comes from such images. Lots of specialist professions use documentary photographs in their work. Common sense suggests that objectivity is self-evident in all forms of observation. Historical scrutiny suggest that it isnȧt so clear cut.


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Categories: Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Categories: Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
What a racist ending XD jk. Any way I see Lightning is really worried about the angel of Valhalla the chocobo must be a bird she once knew?
Wow – dammit those graphics are just amazing – especially on Snow! – dat skin texture – looks real :o
The environment looks beautiful – the view at night!
Moogles! :D – the monsters that attack their town – loves their designs!
haha – Sazh at the end "Blasted Fluff ball" xD


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It's not good when you fall behind on posting on your own blog. Here is what happened today:
The sun rose on Day 3 of the L.A. Superflu-infected Paco Tolson.
I made myself a seltzer and aloe juice drink and took some advil.
I made a list of things to work on including emailing colleagues and friends I'd lost touch with since the holidays.
I did most of it, including meditating, so there's that.
I did some editing on my comedy reel, too, most prominently featuring the Doritos Crash The Superbowl commercial I shot at the end of December.
Theraflu, tea, coffee, water, airborne...
For late lunch I made trader joe's vegetable dumplings which Kate and I call "little babies".
Last year's immensity cannot yet be handled gracefully on these pages, so for now we'll just plow ahead.


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- By: C.T. Bland (Three Beers) –
- [ratings]
A lot of people have asked, "what if Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece about tangentially interlocking stories, Magnolia, was more of a holiday romantic comedy set in Britain than an existential nighmare about death and despair in Los Angeles?"
What's that? No one has ever asked that question? Wrong, jerk off (n: 1. wanker)! At least one person has asked that question and his name is Richard Curtis. He made a movie called Love, Actually, starring every British actor ever born and, despite the fact that I am an emotionally stunted Texan who likes to shoot bb guns at stacks of cans, it's a movie that I can't help but watch all the way through when I come across it on cable this time of year.
Love, Actually is a deeply flawed film that, if we take cinematic abortions with the same huge cast/holiday/romcom formula (I'm looking at you Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve), should absolutely not work. Nevertheless it hits the spot because it understands that during the Holidays all of us just want to be having at least semi-meaningful sex with somebody who doesn't steal our wallet in the morning, and because its saccharine message is delivered by some very gifted actors who know how to elevate such calculated material. The script has about a dozen plot lines, all featuring well-known performers from that Harry Potter movie you liked so much who are finding and losing love over the course of the weeks between Black Friday and New Year's Day.
"In Manchester, we call it 'Chimney Sweep Friday', Guvna."
Some of these plots are better than others, but all of them are fundamentally likeable, and all of them have that weirdly charming Englishness to them that never seems to show up in the horrifying selection of romantic comedies that is our current "Kate Hudson is a wacky career girl who needs a man" slate in America. London is imagined as a small town in which everyone is playing six degrees of Kevin Bacon with one another, from the goggly-eyed caterer to the prime minister, played by Hugh Grant (who made a deal with the devil, stipulating that his eyes will always be slightly crooked and he will never be Colin Firth).
"Colin Firth gets an Oscar for pretending to stammer. My stammer is 100% natural… because I'm so charmingly dimwitted, you see."
A Toast
Two of the plots in particular are worthy of praise. The first involves Bill Nighy, playing a lonely washout rock star who misses the attention he got during his days as a pre-mummified Mick Jagger-level icon named Billy Mack. Billy is afraid of his impending obscurity, of looking in the mirror to find that his pansexual appeal has faded in the face of pre-packaged boy pop. He is a sad old cuss, who hatches a scheme to top the charts by burning every bridge he has left and generally not giving a fuck (you know, like rock stars did before Rod Stewart became an acceptable guest on The View).
Billy succeeds, but still finds himself alone on Christmas, save for the company of his long suffering manager. There is a wonderful moment when Billy realizes that, if nothing else, he has always had this one friend he could count on. The relationship has actual texture to it and when the two finally confess their platonic love for one another, it feels incredibly honest. We all probably have that one friend who will always pick up the phone and shoot the shit. Now's a good time to call them.
Especially if they're Bill Nighy.
The other standout involves the marriage of Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman. It seems like a comfortable arrangement, made strong by the passage of time, the birth of children, and a healthy dose of mutual affection. In order to drive the story along, however, Rickman's character is written with a wandering eye and he soon acts on his urges. The moment Emma Thompson discovers the infidelity is a quiet one, set to the liquid tones of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now". It's a powerful, wordless scene that deserves better surroundings. I died a little inside watching it for the first time all those years ago. Here it is. Ignore the first 20 seconds and the fact that everyone is speaking in dubbed Italian.
The plot with Liam Neeson and his moppet stepson is also quite nice, but I'm running out of steam.
Beer Two
The title is awful.
The title is taken from a monologue at the beginning of the film that's all about September 11th. Get your own national tragedy to overuse as a metaphor for life, Great Britain.
The closing credits roll over "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys, thus making this the official weird English bizzaro twin to Boogie Nights.
Beer Three
Alan Rickman cheats on Emma Thompson with a horrible monster. Why, Snape? Why?
Release us from this Dickensian Nightmare, Spirit!
Not all of the plots hold water, but the world may be coming to an end one year from the day of this writing. Whether the culprits will be the Chinese, vengeful Mayan prophecy ghosts, or congressional Republicans remains to be seen. In the meantime, it might be wise to appreciate the fact that some British loon with a lot of money and a camera put all of his friends in a movie that is fundamentally good-natured… and that love, actually, is all around (wah waaah).
Bonus Drinking Game
Take a Drink: when you see Andrew Lincoln (currently starring as a Southern cop on AMC's The Walking Dead) speaking in his native accent.
Take a Drink: for every non-British accent used in the film (there are five or six by my count).
Drink A Shot: whenever Rowan Atkinson appears all too briefly, failing to justify his above title billing.


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Hey, what's up with your book?
Arre - read the title of this post, yaar! It is nearly done.
Over the last seven-odd month, my editor has been hard at work trying to correct the million grammatical errors that I had made in the manuscript.
I was hard at work calling producers asking for permission and high-res versions of stills from their films.
In fact, I have worked harder at sourcing pictures to go with the text than I worked at writing the damn text.
Though the consolation was that I got to speak / write to some of the biggest names of the country's film industry.
Some of the experiences were quite sad.
Some of them were very exciting.
"I have selected the stills but I have to show them to Mani-sir once before I send them."
"Mani-sir? Mani Ratnam?"
"Yes, sir. He's on a location recce. He will be back on Tuesday."
"Location? Where?"
"I can't tell you, sir..."
Like the time I wrote to the CEO of a production house if he can share photographs or storyboards from an unmade film of theirs. And he replied...
It is interesting that you are considering ***** in your chapter of 'unmade films' since it is back in development and therefore, we won't be able to share any related material. The tagline on the poster says pretty much everything we want to say at this point. I won't be able to comment on the plot right now.
These responses more than made up the frustration of having wait endlessly with some other houses.
Achha, all that is fine... but what is it going to be called?
That is a million-dollar question. The 'working title' was The Book of Bollywood Lists which - while accurate and descriptive - wasn't likely to attract too many readers.
I asked the readers of this blog for names and I had some very interesting suggestions like:
- Bolly Mera Naam
- Matinee Matters
- Cine Maa: The Mother of Bollywood Lists
- BollyListic: 50 Bollywood Lists
- BollyFan: A Fan's Handbook to Bollywood
- Hi Fi List: Trivia from Hindi Films
But the name (or part of it) that was suggested by the most number of people and because it is from a film that I just love, the name finally is (drum roll):
So, there... we have a name, we have almost fixed the designer for the cover and we are gunning for a May 2012 release - coinciding with the beginning of celebrations around 100 Years of Bollywood. (Yup, Raja Harishchandra released in May 1913 and Bollywood is gearing up to pay tribute for the entire year.)


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dr.fone - Backup & Restore (Android)
Backup data on your Android devices easily and restore backup files selectively to any device.
Your Android app backup is probably the most important tool you must set up on your Android device. With so many things happening in the background, you never know when something could go wrong. Fortunately, there are several ways to back up your Android app and app data easily.
Third-party apps have become a norm considering Android's very own iCloud-based service is not as easy to use as it should be.
Using the dr.fone - Backup & Restore (Android) is probably one of the easiest ways to back up data on your Android phone. It works well with more than 8000 devices and is simple to use.
Flexibly Backup and Restore Android Data
Step 1:
Note: Make sure all other Android management software is disabled on your computer.
Step 2. Select Files To Backup
Step 3. Restore Backed-up Content Selectively
MobileTrans Phone Transfer is a one-click phone-to-phone simple transfer process that helps users move data between the Android and iOS operating systems.
Another way of using MobileTrans is to back up your Android phone to your computer. This way, you can always restore data when the need arises.
Transfer contacts from Android to iPhone in 1 click!
Just follow these simple steps to back up your Android phone.
Step 1
Your Android Phone Is Connected To Your Computer
Initiate Wondershare MobileTrans on your computer, then click on Back Up Your Phone," that is seen within the main window. You'll see the following window when the software recognises your mobile.
The software supports all sorts of Android devices.
Step 2 Select the Backup Files
Files to backed up are displayed on the screen. Check the files you want to back up, then click on "Start Transfer". Backup is initiated. The process takes some time, after which you can view your private data resulting from the scan.
Step 3 Backup File Inspection
Once the backup process completes, a pop-up window appears. Click on the window to access data. The backup file can also be found within settings.
Follow the path and save the file as desired.
If you are upgrading to a new phone, backing up app and app data from your old phone is necessary, especially if you have to complete a factory reset on your current Android device. While apps are loaded with cloud-sync support, gaming apps lack this sync feature. Here is where Helium comes into play helping users transfer data between an Android phone and tablet, so both devices can be used simultaneously. Also, if you update the older app version, the app itself must be backed up.
Once installed, Helium will list all the applications and backup data that can be backed up. It will also display a list of apps the system does not support.
Select the app and click on Backup.
You tick mark the App Data Only option to take smaller backups consisting of data to other backup destinations including Schedule Backup, Internal Storage, Add Cloud Storage Account, and Google Drive.
Click on the desired option to complete the backup.
This is another powerful option to backup app data android. You will need to download and unzip the Ultimate Backup Tool zip file to your android device. Make sure "USB Debugging" is enabled. This is located in Settings under "Developer Options".
Follow the text-driven menu by saving files to the backup folder on the C drive the computer or any other location.
This tool functions even if your device is rooted or not. Apps as well as data can be easily transferred without knowledge of how to configure files.
For a complete backup of apps, app data, Wi-Fi nodes, and system data, Titanium Backup is a good choice. All you need is rooted android device and a copy of the Titanium Backup.
Note: If titanium backup does not get root access, restricted applications cannot be accessed. In other words, limited data will be backed up.
Launch the Titanium Backup tool.
Check to see if you have a rooted device.
Then click on the "Check" option appearing on the top of the screen. The app backup android list is displayed. (Precaution: Do not backup system data.)
Click on the apps to be downloaded.
Hit the check button on the top.
It is quite obvious Android app backup tools are here to stay. As more and more apps are introduced, tools must get simpler to use. Here is where apps like Dr. Tone from Wondersoft will score over others.
Backup data on your Android devices easily and restore backup files selectively to any device.
Recover deleted data from Android devices, SD cards and broken Android devices.


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We are so excited to announce the 2017 Healthy Strides Calendar in Northern California! As you know, regular exercise is a necessary part of losing weight and most importantly, maintaining weight loss. Exercise can also help prevent many chronic diseases and helps improve your overall mood. That's why we invite our clients and friends to join us for local running, walking and fitness events around the community.
Healthy Strides is over 5 years old and we are so excited to start off another amazing year! In Northern California, our centers will be joining together to participate in 2 major races — that also support great causes! Come on out and join the fun!
Getty Owl 5k Run/Walk
Sunday, February 26,2017 — 8:30 am
Crocker Park, Downtown Sacramento
Run to Remember 5k
Sunday, September 10, 2017 — 9:11 am
Capitol Mall, Downtown Sacramento
Stay tuned for updates throughout the year!


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Our walk with God is like a race that runners run; however, unlike a regular race, the objective is not to run the fastest or make it to the finish line first. The goal is to simply finish or complete the race. So this actually means we can run a little, walk a bit, crawl, or maybe even scoot some of the way-just as long as we make it to the finish line. Now this is all very important for believers to remember because we will indeed have good and bad days. Some days we will run with such skill and speed, making much progress toward our goals. Then some days we will be weak, discouraged, and literally have to drag ourselves out of bed-only to make little progress toward our goals. But so what if you're having a slow or bad day? So what if others around you are running their race a little faster than you today? You're not trying to make it to the finish line before anybody else-you're just trying to make it there. Point. Blank. Period.
Even if you're moving slower on today or barely moving at all, YOU ARE STILL MOVING! And if you're still moving, you are still in the race! So keep on fighting! The pressures of life may make your race more difficult to run, but the Word of God tells us to run our race with ENDURANCE. Now endurance is the ability to go through difficult situations without giving up, without quitting the race. Yes life may throw some punches at you that may bring you to your knees, making it hard to run at your desired speed. You might trip over a stumbling block and have to crawl for a bit. But that's ok! God just wants you to endure, to keep moving, and to stay in the race-no matter how fast or skillfully you move. So keep loving God, keep doing His good works, and keep obeying Him until your eyes close for that final time; only then will your race be successfully completed. Endure my friends, until the very end!
Hebrews 12:1 (New King James Version)
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us"
-To God be the Glory
*Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


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Online Wedding Biz a Hit with Young Brides
The Best Wedding Gift: Quality Work, Personal Service & Lower Prices
by Jaimee Hubert
I run my entire wedding photography business online. Since I run an in-home studio and office, I don�t have a storefront. My website has become my storefront. My objective with online marketing was to increase hits and the number of inbound phone calls, and reach young, computer-savvy brides who would love a digital photography studio run by a young female.
I�ve studied the most popular wedding marketing websites and gotten to know the owners of these websites and online magazines. I tried five different wedding websites, along with search engines such as Yahoo! and Google. Google has worked the best in terms of marketing, so far. Also, www.weddingcompass.com is very affordable and gives great leads. It�s an awesome site for wedding photographers just starting out�it basically gives you your own webpage if your website is not up and running yet. When I first started, this site booked me five weddings in a matter of months.
Shooting for an online wedding marketing company and magazine, OC Bride, has also been very successful. The more you offer your services, the more people who run these companies are willing to publish you and put you on their websites. Once the brides call or email because they like my site, I offer things that are rare in the Orange County wedding business. For example, I offer full editing and full copy rights, as well as two photographers and hourly photography. This is unique for a high-end photographer in Orange County.
In my first four months of business, I booked 35 weddings with just a small amount of online marketing. My biggest challenge has been managing the fast success. I had to find some great associate photographers, and since they�re working photographers, it�s hard to keep them long term since they book their own weddings.
The workflow is enormous in the summer, since every picture is edited; I�m sometimes backed up five weddings deep and spend 12 hours at a time in front of my computer. I�ve learned to edit quickly. I�ve also learned to say no to weddings that aren�t financially beneficial.
When I started out, I wanted to accommodate every bride on every budget. But shooting two weddings a day, or three a weekend, is overwhelming. Now I try to sell my associates at a better rate and send them out to my smaller weddings. I pay them more than the industry standard to ensure I get some of the best work and best photographers.
Before running a wedding business from home, I did a lot of freelance photography and helped run the wedding division at a high-end studio. The studio did no online marketing. They relied on walk-ins from their storefront. This drove me bonkers�we weren�t getting the brides I knew we could get if we went online. Our website wasn�t attractive and I couldn�t implement the marketing strategies I wanted to. So I went out on my own and started running my wedding business out of my home.
I went from making $12,000 a year freelancing to six figures in my first year. Since I run my business from home, it�s much more personal, and I�ve made some great friends. There are a lot of wedding photographers in OC, so I chose to do something that sets me apart. Many good photographers here start at $5,000�$8,000. This is unreasonable for most brides� budgets.
By keeping my costs down, I can also offer reasonable prices for great work. My most popular package�a magazine-style flush-mount album, two photographers, full editing, and full copy rights�starts at just $2,950.
Jaimee Hubert is owner of Capturing Moments (www.capturingmoments.com), an online wedding business based in Brea, California. She�s been in the photography business for 10 years and has run her own wedding and family photography business for two years.


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[Caml-list] Alternative proposal: COAN
Benjamin C. Pierce
- Chris Hecker
Francois Rouaix
- Basile STARYNKEVITCH
Brian Hurt
- Brian Hurt
- Sven Luther
- MikhailFedotov
Eric C. Cooper
- Michal Moskal
- Jacques Garrigue
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|2003-03-02 (21:37)
|Doug Bagley <doug+ml.caml@b...>
|Re: [Caml-list] Alternative proposal: COAN
Xavier Leroy <email@example.com> writes: >> [Package management in OCaml] >> * For me the central repository should not contain the source themselves. > > I agree it should be sufficient to give a URL to the sources in the > metadata describing the package. In some cases, library authors > cannot provide a really stable URL, hence some kind of mirrorring of > the sources might be necessary. (And is a real nightmare to do: INRIA > can easily provide lots of disk space and bandwith, but making sure > that no-one uses the INRIA mirror to trade warez is the hard part :-) > But, yes, let's desing the system around the idea that sources are to > be downloaded from arbitrary URLs, like BSD ports do. Personally, I think it is much better to have the sources uploaded to a central repository. A couple times I have gone to the Hump, and the link for a package no longer exists. If that author had uploaded to a centralized server, the package is not subject to "link rot". I think this kind of problem becomes much more frustrating for the user when dependencies become involved, and one of the prerequsites needed by the package you really want to install has gone missing. A centralized archive is also a boon to those who do not have easy access to a stable server that can host their package. For some time now, I have been thinking about how nice a "COAN" for Ocaml would be ... I would like to help out. Cheers, Doug ------------------- To unsubscribe, mail email@example.com Archives: http://caml.inria.fr Bug reports: http://caml.inria.fr/bin/caml-bugs FAQ: http://caml.inria.fr/FAQ/ Beginner's list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ocaml_beginners


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There are as many expert opinions on how to get stuff done as there is sand on the ocean beaches.
No matter how you slice it — from productivity coaches, to time management consultants, to goal-setting gurus — everyone seems to have an opinion about how to get stuff done more efficiently and effectively.
At the end of the day, I believe it boils down to using the methods that work best for you and your team.
Here's an example using spiritual gurus.
The best spiritual gurus always lead you back to yourself. They guide you to find your own answers. They empower you to listen to your inner voice and embrace it to create a life of meaning and fulfillment.
The bad ones tell you to follow them blindly and not question anything.
Like spiritual gurus, there are many productivity apps to choose from. Some good, some not so good.
As with a spiritual guru, you need to choose the ones that resonate with you and empower you to be and do your best.
Personally, I like to tweak my processes for getting things done. I am always fine-tuning my methods for improving my workflow.
I actually do this in all areas of my life where I am conscious about it. Whether it is in enhancing how I communicate to move a negotiation forward, or how I develop better habits for living, I am always exploring ways to refine and sharpen my performance.
That's actually how the idea for Actionplanr came to be.
A True Story On The Idea For Actionplanr
A few years ago I came up with an idea for a fundraising event for a children's non-profit. My goal was to raise $100K. I then proceeded to organize a live and silent auction offering gourmet food and wine tasting.
My vision for the epicurean event was to not only bring awareness and raise funds for kids living in the foster care system, but to help them find permanent homes.
It was a daunting task (especially since I had never done anything like it in my life) with over one hundred volunteers, forty restaurants and wineries and over six hundred guests. I had to build my team of co-leaders, solicit donation packages to be auctioned off on the day of the event, hire vendors, and recruit sponsors and donors.
My Rude Awakening
Once I began to roll up my sleeves and get to work, I immediately realized there were no useful project management or project planning software tools to organize the fundraiser. Most of the available tools were designed for professional project managers, which were much too complex for our needs.
We were just a small team of volunteers from various professional backgrounds eager to put on a fundraiser for kids in the foster care system. But instead, what we found were limited choices that did little to empower us to implement our plan of action.
Back then, Google docs was still in its infancy and no one on my fundraising team really understood how to use it, including me.
In addition, many of the online productivity tools were just not powerful enough to collaborate and track our progress. I was flabbergasted at how many of the so-called task management tools were useless.
The Business Partner
During that time, my business partner, Chuck Horton had previously built a successful career as a business management and technology consultant. From his experience, he too saw there was a lot of room for improvement in project management, project planning, and task management tools.
His consulting work had given him many opportunities to go deep with his clients helping them create plans for their companies. From Fortune 500 corporations, to nonprofits, to small businesses, he had coached, mentored, and advised many different types of organizations on strategic and business planning, and technology.
He recognized that company plans were often fragmented and disorganized.
For example; business, strategic, marketing, or in my case, fundraising plans are often stored in folders, files, and documents that, until Dropbox came along, were not easy to share. Or they are kept in Google docs where neither system integrates with project management or project planning software tools.
Now let's just take a step back and let that sink in for a moment.
Imagine spending a lot of time — days and sometimes weeks working on a business plan for your company. The next step is to implement that plan, right? But how do you get everyone on board and on the same page to execute that plan if you don't have the tools to get organized and collaborate?
Do you see the problem?
Projects, goals, and action plans are often derived from business, strategic, or marketing planning sessions. However, many of the project planning and project management tools do not integrate at all with the plans created from these planning sessions.
Enter Actionplanr.
Actionplanr Web & Mobile Version
Actionplanr Web and Mobile version is where plans meet projects all in one place. Accessible anywhere, anytime.
I had a vision to fundraise $100K for those kids in foster care. And while I had no useful system to empower me and my team to make it happen, we were nevertheless able to fundraise $350K with our fundraising event, which we organized and executed twice over a couple of years.
I believe systems separate the amateurs from the professionals. Amateurs don't have systems in place. They are the bottleneck to their business. Professionals use systems to help them improve their business and life.
Actionplanr Web & Mobile version is a system to help you take your vision and turn it into a reality by turning your plans into projects.
My team and I had to brute force the implementation of our plan for the fundraising event. It was a painful, yet worthwhile experience. It no longer has to be that way.
Our mission is to pave a better way for you to get things done, a better system.
We are excited about the upcoming release of the next version of Actionplanr —-Web, Mobile, and Team.
Get your beta invitation here.
In the meantime, we'd love to learn what your favorite productivity apps are to help you get things done.


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And now, the thrilling conclusion to 'Book spree'! For the previous instalment, click here.
17 May 2012Title: The vampire in Slavic cultures, rev. edn (San Diego: Cognella, 2010)Author: Thomas J. GarzaDate ordered: 6 May 2012Price: £27.75Why'd I buy it? I've had my eye on this book for a while, but copies are prohibitively expensive. So, when I saw this version for a much cheaper price, I snapped it up. However, I wasn't expecting it to be a revised edition—because that wasn't mentioned in its description or stock cover photo. I was going to try and get a partial refund on it, but on account of how much buggering about there would've been to do so—involving sending the book back, I figured I'd keep it, instead.This work is a big book of leads to me, as it's actually an anthology. It began life as a university reader, after all.
Title: Interdisciplinary approaches to Twilight: studies in fiction, media, and a contemporary cultural experience (Lund, Sweden: Nordic Academic Press, 2011)
Nordic Academic PressAuthor: Mariah Larsson & Ann Steiner (eds)Date ordered: 1 May 2012Price: £24.92Why'd I buy it? Apart from the cover (left), the 'Interdisciplinary approaches' caught my attention. Vampirology, itself, is a combination of various disciplines; as is vampire studies in general. Think back to David Lowery's division of Buffy studies into fifty 'disciplines, methods, and/or approaches'. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but Twilight doesn't interest me so much as its success does. It'll be interesting to see what these diverse disciplines drum out of the phenomena.Title: Ken Russell's Dracula (Cambridge, U.K.: Bear Claw Publishing, 2012)Author: Ken RussellDate ordered: 6 May 2012Price: £7.88Why'd I buy it? I've been intrigued by Russell's take on the story ever since I read a snippet about it in David J. Skal's V is for vampire (1996). The scene where Jonathan Harker uses a rosary as a knuckleduster against the undead? Yep, that's in there. So what stopped the film getting made? Drac-saturation. It was ready for 1979; the same year that saw the release of Badham's Dracula, Herzog's Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht and Dragoti's Love at first bite. A shame it never went into production, as I'm convinced it would've been the best of the lot.Title: Prima di Dracula: archeologia del vampiro (Bologna, Italy: Il Mulino, 2011)Author: Tommaso BracciniDate ordered: 1 May 2012Price: £15.08Why'd I buy it? Blame Niels. He discussed the book in two posts (this one and this one). The archaeological angle perked my interest. Makes me wish I paid greater attention in Italian class—instead of looking up swear words in the dictionary. Merda!Title: Write of the living dead: a writing guide for your dark side (Largo, Fla.: Dark Moon, 2012)Author: Araminta Star Matthews, Rachel Lee & Stan SwansonDate ordered: 6 May 2012Price: £14.46Why'd I buy it? I enjoy writing guides. Richard Laymon's A writer's tale (1998) is one of my favourite books. Period. What sold me on this one, apart from its genre-theme, was this: 'Each chapter of the handbook is devoted to a different genre of writing--everything from academic writing (complete with MLA and APA sample essays), business writing, and even poetry and fiction--all of it with a dark and undead twist.' How many horror-specific writing guides can you name that cover academia? Sign me up.
21 May 2012Title: Entities: angels, spirits, demons, and other alien beings (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1995)Author: Joe NickellDate ordered: 1 May 2012Price: £1.80 + £5.84 postageWhy'd I buy it? Nickell is fast turning into one of my favourite writers. I love the way he applies serious research methods to paranormal topics. His 2011 book, Tracking the man-beasts, cited this one in conjunction with vampy stuff—so I figured I'd reacquaint myself with it. Haven't read it in over 15 years. I'm much more comfortable with its skeptical tone than I was back then. The vampire references are very sparse, but I'm not bothered as I enjoy the book as a whole.
And that's a wrap. Not sure when I'll go on my next spree, but it won't be for a while. Went a little overboard there. That said, I've had my eye on a few books—upcoming ones, too—so I'll be probably hitting the shopping cart soon enough.


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Media Tagged With: Cats
This is freaking hilarious. Real cats with voices dubbed over. Really good job.
Stupid cats are so stupid that they manage to get themselves caught on video while doing stupid stuff. Yet another reason why dogs rule and cats drool.
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Snapchats from Classic Literature
Don't pretend you're too good for Snapchat. The truth is, nobody is too good for the dog filter—not you, not I, and not even classic literature. We've done a few of these things before, so I'm guessing by now you know the drill. I make the slideshow, you chuckle. You go back to studying for your English test, I go back to the haunted witch-hovel that is my house so that I can cry watching reality cooking shows. Let's just get to the good stuff, shall we?