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This year's BCA 10 honorees are using the arts to meet business goals in moving ways. We are proud to recognize them with an ad in the 100th Anniversay Issue of Forbes, "100 Greatest Business Minds" (page 169, September 28).
Each attendee of this year's BCA 10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts in America gala, held on October 11 at the Central Park Boathouse in New York City, receives a copy of the issue and an opportunity to congratulate this year's honorees.
For more information, read the BCA 10 press release.


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PhD Candidate
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, member of the Web and Information Systems (WISE) research lab.
My name is Reinout Roels and I currently live and work in Brussels, Belgium. Computers and programming have always been my passion. Ever since I was 14 I have invested heavily in the related knowledge and skills and therefore I have a strong technical background. I am fluent in many of the commonly used programming languages, frameworks and API's and have worked on several large-scale projects including desktop, web and mobile applications. Thanks to my education I am also a quick learner and I can pick up new languages and technologies quite fast.
During my PhD a lot of time was spent on teaching, researching and contributing to state of the art technologies. On top of that, freelance work and hobby projects have kept me up to date with the most recent developments.
Current hobbies include poker AIs and algorithmic trading (stock, forex and cryptocurrency markets). I used to also train for running events which resulted in numerous half marathon finishes, a full marathon finish under 4 hours and a 100km hike (the infamous "Dodentocht") finish in 22 hours.
For my technical skills, please see the Technical Skills and Technical Portfolio pages.
For my academic skills, please see the Research, Teaching and Publication pages.
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, member of the Web and Information Systems (WISE) research lab.
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, teaching topics such as Programming, Databases, Web Technologies, Lambda Calculus, Propositional Calculus, Predicate Calculus and Information Systems.
Desktop, web and mobile applications.
PhD in Computer Science
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Master in Applied Computer Science (Summa Cum Laude)
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Bachelor in Computer Science
Vrije Universiteit Brussel

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Using speed-time graphs to find an equation
Imagine a graph plotted with SPEED on the vertical axis against TIME on the horizontal axis.
Constant speed
For an object moving along with constant speed v, the graph is just a horizontal line at height vabove the axis. You already know that s, the distance travelled, is speed multiplied by time, vt; but on your graph v x t is the AREA of the shaded block of height v and length t.
Constant acceleration
Sketch a graph for an object starting from rest and moving faster and faster with constant acceleration. The line must slant upwards as v increases. And if the acceleration is constant the line must be a straight slanting line.
Take a tiny period of time from T to T' on the time axis when the speed was, say, v1. Look at the pillar that sits on that and runs up to the slanting graph line (Graph III). The area of that pillar is its height v1 multiplied by the short time TT'. That area is the distance travelled in that short time.
How big is the distance travelled in the whole time, t, from rest to final v? It is the area of all the pillars from start to finish. That is the area of the triangle (in Graph IV) of height final v and base t, the total time.
The area of any triangle is 1/2 (height) x (base). So distance s is 1/2 (height, v) x (base, t) s = 1/2vt.
Suppose the object does not start from rest when the clock starts at 0 but is already moving with speed u. It accelerates to speed v in time t. Then the graph is like graph V below; and the distance travelled is given by the shaded area. That is made up of two patches, a rectangle and a triangle (Graph VI).
The rectangle's area is ut, the triangle's is 1/2(v - u)t.
Then s = ut + 1/2 (v-u)t
= ut + 1/2 vt - 1/2 ut
= 1/2vt + 1/2ut
s = (v + u / 2)t
Alternatively, since v - u = at
s = ut + 1/2 (v - u)t can be expressed as
s = ut + 1/2 (at)t
= ut + 1/2at2
These formulae are only true for constant acceleration. Look at Graph VII. Is the acceleration constant? Which part of the area for s is different now? What part of ut = 1/2at2 is no longer safe for calculating s?


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Home > eBook Reader Reviews > Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-900
Editor's rating (1-5):
Discuss this product
Where to Buy
What's hot: Wireless 3G shopping and delivery of books and periodicals, larger touch screen.
What's not: Price is currently higher than the competiton (though it offers more features).
Reviewed January 5, 2010 by Lisa Gade, Editor
in Chief
Sony is the oldest player in the still young ebook reader market. Their first reader, the PRS-500 came out in 2006 and it featured the same Vizplex e-ink screen technology still used today by Sony, Barnes and Noble, Amazon and others. Amazon entered the game at the end of 2007 with their first generation Kindle and it upped the ante with a wireless connection for book shopping, periodical delivery and very (very!) rudimentary web browsing. Sony was slow to add wireless, instead focusing on adding a touch screen feature. That proved no easy task since e-ink displays don't support touch screens nor can they be backlit. Sony released the short-lived PRS-700 which added a less than sharp touch screen layer and side-lights for those who read in bed, dark closets and caves. By 2009 we started to wonder if Sony was living in a cave-- the world might not want the ugly, you can't try before you buy Kindle 1 but a significant segment wanted wireless. Not to mention the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX came out and they were certainly not ugly. In August 2009 Sony released the Sony Reader Touch Edition, washing away the murky-screened sins of the PRS-700. And they let the cat out of the 3G bag: wireless was finally coming in December 2009. So here we are with the Sony Reader Daily Edition, an ebook reader that's basically a slightly larger-screened Touch Edition with wireless courtesy of AT&T 3G HSDPA. FINALLY!
The Sony Daily Edition PRS-900 has a 7.1" e-ink display (the Kindle 2, Barnes and Noble Nook and Sony Touch Edition PRS-600 have 6" displays) that runs at 600 x 1024 resolution (vs. 600 x 800 on the 6" screens). It supports 16 shades of gray which doesn't affect text significantly but makes for better looking grayscale graphics (book covers and PDF illustrations) compared to readers with 4 or 8 shades of gray. The Daily Edition is the same width as the 6" Touch Edition but the height has increased. We like this design because the Daily Edition is still very portable and it's much easier to read shorter lines without losing your place. In contrast, the Kindle DX with its 9.7" display is not terribly portable and the longer lines do make for harder reading, especially in landscape mode. The Daily Edition works in both portrait and landscape orientations, but unlike the Kindle DX it doesn't have an accelerometer; instead you'll use a button to charge orientation. To deal with the challenges of long line length in landscape mode, Sony added a two-page per screen view that looks like a traditional print book opened up. It is indeed easy to read and the resemblance to printed books may be a comfort for those just getting started with ebook readers.
The PRS-900 released at $399, making it more expensive than the competition. In part, the 900's higher price tag has to do with the nice collection of accessories included: a charger, USB cable, leather flip cover and a separately packaged Case Logic semi-rigid zipper case. The Case Logic case is quite nice and is sturdy enough to keep the reader safe in a backpack and perhaps even a suitcase, but we wouldn't be surprised if Sony sells a version without the bundled case at some point to bring down the price. Given the weak world economy, bundled accessories are the first to go in order to bring down prices in a competitive market.
The Daily Edition supports ePUB and PDF files with and without Adobe standard DRM (Adobe Digital Editions). Digital books in ePUB format are quickly becoming a open standard (not manufacturer-dependant or proprietary) that's used by public libraries, Google for their public domain books and several online bookstores. In addition it supports Sony's original BBeB format but only for non-DRM books. If you've already bought books in their older format, you can download them again in ePUB for free via the Sony ebookstore. The ereader also handles text files, rich text (RTF) and Word documents (you must use the Sony desktop software to convert Word docs first though).
It has a music player and 3.5mm stereo jack and it can play MP3 and AAC files without DRM in the background while you read. Other applications include handwriting and notes. You can use the on screen keyboard to take notes, and you can draw, scribble and annotate pages in books with written notes and highlighting using the stylus that lives in a silo in the Sony Reader. These notes sync to the Sony desktop software and work much the same as the Sony Reader Touch Edition. The Oxford American and English dictionaries are on board and you can access these in-line when reading or just use the dictionary itself via an icon in the applications tab.
An Intro for Newbies, Sony Reader Vets and Kindle Users
If you're new to ereaders, here's a quick rundown of the technology: their biggest selling points are portability, extremely long battery life and that they're much easier on the eyes than computer and smartphone screens. E-ink readers like the Sony use very little power and with wireless off they can last up to 2 weeks on a charge. That's because they only use power to re-draw new pages and don't use any power to display a page. They are extremely readable and look something like a real book with light gray rather than white pages-- they don't look like a computer screen. They're much easier on the eyes because there's no overly bright backlighting, no constant screen refresh and little glare. Unlike many smartphone, PDA and tablet screens, they're highly viewable outdoors in sunlight (great for beach and backyard reading). There is no backlight, and that means just as with a print book, you'll need ambient light or a book light to read. Sony's touch screen readers maximize screen real estate relative to device size because they use on-screen keyboards rather than the hardware keyboard on the Kindle and the separate color LCD touch panel on the Nook.
If you're an old hand at ereaders and own an older Sony Reader, this is business as usual with one caveat: the Sony online bookstore original ebook format, BBeB or .lrx support is gone. The PRS-900 doesn't support DRM lrx files though it still supports the non-DRM .lrf version. They've recently switched over to the more open ePUB standard and you can re-download any books you'd purchased in lrf format in ePUB (free of charge). You can download the books using the Sony desktop software for Windows and Mac or download them directly to the Reader using its wireless connection. There is no charge for using the wireless connection. Full justification fans: the PRS-900 gets it right. If a book is produced with full justification, it will display that way on the Reader (no ragged right margin).
If you've been using a Kindle or other brand of reader, the Sony's attractions include a touch screen with on-screen keyboard and support for more open standards (ePUB and PDF). That means you can download and read books from your library if they offer digital services. You can also read books from Google's million public domain classics, but you must load these using the desktop software or a storage card since there's currently no way to download these directly using the Reader's wireless connection. The Sony has both an SD and Memory Stick Pro Duo slot so you can load books that way (the Kindle 2 and DX have no card slots to load books and expand storage). While the Kindle ships configured to use your Amazon account, you must enter your account information or create a new account using the Sony Reader or its desktop software before you can buy books. That makes it easier to give as a gift but adds one more step for those who want the absolute simplest way to get going. Unlike the Kindle, you don't have to use one-click buying: you can turn on cart-based shopping which helps prevent accidental purchases. While Kindle ereaders use Sprint 3G, the Sony uses AT&T 3G. The Sony Daily Edition doesn't have the Kindle's basic web browser, so that wireless connection is just for shopping, downloading books and periodicals.
The Daily
Sony calls this the Daily Edition Reader because you can subscribe to newspapers and magazines, just as with the Kindle. Sony is still adding publications but they've announced a good list of papers including the Wall Street Journal (enhanced edition), The LA Times, the New York Times and quite a few smaller local papers. If you leave wireless on in standby mode, the PRS-900 will automatically download your new subscriptions, so they'll be waiting for you each morning. The prices are the same as Amazon's, but the layout is more attractive than the Kindle's with a front page presentation that has several graphics and article links rather than Amazon's standard single article presentation.
The Sony Reader Touch Edition PRS-600 and the Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-900.
The Sony Reader Daily Edition and the Amazon Kindle DX.
The home screen shows the latest periodical delivered up top.
Icons are large and finger-friendly so there's no need for the stylus unless you writing notes and annotations.
The Video Review, and the Glare
Here's our 13.5 minute video review where we cover the design, comparisons to the PRS-600 and Kindle DX, show the store interface for shopping, the new home screen, PDFs, newspapers and lots more. Yes, like the PRS-600, the PRS-900 has more glare than a non-touchscreen device but it's nothing like the unappealing PRS-700 and it's slightly better than the PRS-600. Our video lights make the glare look worse, and the camera isn't at the viewing angle you'd be when reading, which adds to the glare. That said, if you didn't like the PRS-600 Touch Edition Reader's display, you likely won't enjoy the PRS-900. To our eyes, the glare isn't bad at all-- it's nothing like a notebook screen or the PRS-700, and it's worth it for the immense usability improvements the touch screen adds. Clarity is good with none of the murkiness of the PRS-700 but contrast isn't quite as high as the wonderful non-touch e-ink Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300 and the Kindle 2. The screen resists fingerprints mightily, and that's a good thing since no one wants to read through a smeared fog of finger goo.
The Store
The Daily Edition has direct access to Sony's digital ebook store, and that means you never have to use desktop software if you're buying books from Sony or are loading non-DRM books to an SD or Memory Stick Duo card. If you wish, you can also use their desktop software for Windows and Mac to purchase and transfer content to the Reader. If you want to download library books, you'll need to use the desktop software that works in conjunction with Adobe Digital Editions to handle DRM. Library books are a joy: no need to drive to and from the library and there are no overdue fees. The book expires, typically after 14 days. If you wish, you can check the book out again and you can return it early if you're done reading it before it's due back. I'd been using my PRS-600 with the Mac desktop software to download library books and I didn't have to do anything with Adobe Digital Editions when I added the PRS-900: the desktop software automatically authorized the 900 to my existing Adobe account.
The on-device store is intuitive and easy to use-- watch our video review to see it in action. The PRS-900 has a tabbed home screen and the store uses one of the four tabs. While neither the Kindle nor the 900 load the store super-quickly, the Sony was a bit faster in our tests though the wireless network can be a factor. Once the store is loaded and you've been logged in, viewing books and loading new store pages is quite quick (assuming you have a passable 3G connection). AT&T coverage is good in our area, as is Sprint's which is used on the Kindle, but we found that the Sony managed a stronger signal (we compare signal with phones from the same carrier) and has more aggressive power management to improve battery life.
If you want to get a taste of the store, you can visit Sony's web browser version here: ebookstore.sony.com. Thanks to pressure from Amazon, many best sellers are $9.99, but those not on the bestseller list are sometimes $1 to $3 more expensive than Amazon. For most popular books, Amazon and Sony have a similar selection, though Amazon still offers more books overall. That said, I've found that the books I'm interested in are available at both sites since publishers usually release in several formats at once. But I suggest you visit Sony's online bookstore with your web browser, so you can see if the titles and prices suit you.
Since the Sony uses standard ePUB with Adobe DRM, you can purchase ebooks from other sources like Books On Board and Kobobooks.com (formerly shortcovers.com). You can't use books sold by Amazon for the Kindle because Amazon uses a proprietary format that doesn't work on competing ebook devices nor can you use Barnes and Noble books meant for the Nook because they don't use standard Adobe DRM on their ePUBs. Alas, DRM is still a pain in the pants, just as it used to be for digital music downloads.
Downloading books over AT&T 3G is very quick and newspapers are even faster. By default the wireless connection is turned on, and it goes into standby after a few minutes of inactivity. You can still receive publications when the radio is on standby. That means your new publications will be waiting for you in the morning when you wake up, just as with the Kindle. We like Sony's status icon that lets you know signal strength and connection type and lets you know when the radio has gone into standby.
Battery Life
Oh happy day, the Sony PRS-900 has a removable battery under the back cover and it comes with a charger. Both are good ideas for a device with wireless since that means more frequent charging. The Reader ships with the battery out of the unit and the back cover removed. That's a good thing since it's quite hard to remove the back cover which is made of plastic with a faux-leather texture. While most Sony Readers are nearly all metal, the back cover has to be plastic to avoid interference with the wireless radio. The front bezel is metal and the included leather flip cover is removable but the connecting tabs are delicate so follow the instructions to avoid tearing them.
The Lithium Ion battery looks much like a cell phone battery and in our tests it's been good for 5 days on a charge with the wireless radio on. In my tests I read for at least 1.5 hours per day, had the Wall Street Journal auto-downloaded daily, perused the store for 15 minutes per day and downloaded 10 books over wireless. With the wireless radio turned off in settings, the reader should reach 1.5 to 2 weeks on a charge depending on how many hours (and page turns) you go through. The music player will shorten runtimes, but it's not a terribly power-hungry technology.
The Sony Reader Store on the PRS-900 ebook reader.
The Sony Reader Daily Edition is at the top of our favorite ebook reader list. The size and screen size make for a perfect combo of portability and reading pleasure, the wireless works well and we really enjoyed the Sony ebook store experience directly on the device. The Reader is attractive and it comes with all the goodies in the box so you won't be shelling out extra to get basic accessories. That said, the Sony PRS-900 is more expensive than the Kindle and Nook, and in this difficult economy, that puts the Sony at a disadvantage. Whether you prefer an on-screen or physical keyboard is a matter of taste, much as it is with smartphones. Thus we won't give the Kindle or Sony an advantage there, though we have one comment: removing the keyboard allows for a smaller reader. We'll take the Reader Daily Edition over the Nook any day since the Nook's color LCD doesn't really improve navigation and at times stands in the way of ease of use. We also don't like Barnes and Noble's use of proprietary DRM with ePUB, which is misleading for folks who think it's the usual, more open ePUB standard DRM. Book sellers should be in the business of selling as many books as possible rather than locking customers into a specific piece of hardware. Likewise, we're not thrilled with Amazon's proprietary ebook format and lack of ePUB support, much as we applaud the Kindle's brain-dead ease of use when it comes to buying books. Amazon is good at selling and it shows on the Kindle. But forget reading library books on the Kindle: no can do.
Pro: Excellent size to reading area ratio, and the PRS-900 is still very portable. Supports ePUB, PDF and Adobe DRM so it works with library books and Google free books among others. Attractive and sturdy design with a metal bezel. All the goodies are in the box, even the separately packaged zipper case. On-device bookstore experience is excellent and downloads are quick. Reliable daily delivery of periodicals in our tests, and the Sony has a strong wireless radio with good power management.
Con: More expensive than the competition. Sony's books sometimes cost more than Amazon's (check out booksonboard.com and Kobobooks.com to see if they offer better pricing).
Price: $399 $249
Web Site: www.sonystyle.com
Display: 7.1" Vizplex e-Ink. Resolution: 600 x 1024, supports portrait and landscape modes. 16 shades of gray.
Wireless: 3G HSDPA on AT&T (no charge for wireless use).
Size and weight: 5 x 8-1/8 x 19/31 inches. 12.75 ounces.
Supported ebook formats: ePUB (standard Adobe DRM), PDF (and standard Adobe DRM protected PDF), text, RTF and Word (Word docs require conversion using Sony desktop Reader software). Works with library books in ePUB and PDF format that use Adobe DRM (Adobe Digital Editions used by most libraries). Works with Google books (over a million free public domain ebooks). Works with non-DRM .lrf files but not DRM-protected .lrx files.
Music Player: Has a music player that supports MP3 and AAC files (not copy-protected) and has a 3.5mm stereo jack.
Storage: 2 gigs internal flash storage with approx. 1.6 gigs available.
Memory Expansion slots: 1 SDHC SD card slot and 1 Memory Stick Pro Duo slot.
Battery: Lithium Ion, user replaceable.
In the box: Reader, stylus, charger, USB cable, flip cover and bundled Case Logic semi-rigid zipper case.
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text:
There was not an exact match for the language you toggled to. You have been redirected to the nearest matching page within this section.
Plane - SAS to Molde or Kr.Sund
Plane - Wideroe to Molde or Kr.Sund
Plane - Norwegian Air Shuttle to Molde
Train - NSB Raumabanen to Åndalsnes
Hurtigruten - to Molde or Kristiansund
Hotels - A room with a view
Cabins - and holiday houses
Camping - Room to roam
Apartments - A homely holiday
Fishermen's Cabins - Watch the sun set in the sea
The Atlantic Road - from Molde
The Atlantic Road - from Kristiansund
Veiholmen - from Kristiansund
Trollstigen - from Molde
Geiranger - from Åndalsnes
Ona - from Molde
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The green corridor runs from the seafront at Reknes to the baroque Chateau villa, continuing through the Reknes Park up to the "Pavillion" at the Rekneshaugen viewpoint. The nature trail then passes through the Romsdal Museum and proceeds to the viewpoint Varden (407 m.a.s.) where you can enjoy a marvellous view of the town, the fjord and the Molde panorama.


text: Who We Are Company History Contact Us News & Events Consultants Douglas A. Conkel, CPC, QPAPrincipalDallas, TX, USTel: +1 214 8635500E-Mail | Download bio | VCardBiographyPublicationsProfessional DesignationsCertified Pension Consultant, American Society of Pension Actuaries (ASPA)Qualified Pension Administrator, ASPAEducationBS, Economics and Finance, University of Texas at DallasCurrent ResponsibilityDoug is a principal in Milliman's Dallas office. With more than 15 years experience in the employee benefits industry, he is also the senior benefits consultant for the Defined Contribution Administration group, a position that encompasses managerial and consulting responsibilities. As senior benefits consultant, Doug serves as coordinator for the Dallas office's defined contribution consultants. He also collaborates with the other Milliman offices to ensure consistent client satisfaction across the country. Doug joined the firm in 1994. In addition, Doug is an engagement manager providing service to clients who maintain defined contribution plans, nonqualified arrangements, and pension plans. Along with his relationship management responsibilities, he is a defined contribution consultant assisting clients with plan design, implementation, communication, compliance, and operational processing effectiveness.ExperienceDoug has worked in the pension industry for his entire professional career, starting as a youth in his father's pension firm. This extensive background enhances his ability to effectively assist clients with every aspect of their retirement programs.AffiliationsMember, ASPAMember, Dallas Benefit Society Work at Milliman "I was offered a chance to come in, shake things up, create something." Work at Milliman


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WS for MEN
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SaltyDog Productions on hiatus as of August 2009.
Possible song choices for '09 videos
Survivial of the Sickest - Saliva
Mark's Plane X
Its his secret plane, I wonder what it will be... lol
|SaltyDog Productions
Survivial of the Sickest - Saliva
The Funtana Live's Again!
After Crashing the Funtana in September of 2007, it lay broken waiting for a new wing set for over a year. Well thanks to chiefaircraft.com having a clearance sale on them, the Funtana will fly again. The Funtana will be tearing up the sky's again this summer. Also it is very possible that the Funtana will get a mechanical makeover, including new High Speed Digital servo's along with a YS 110. So keep an eye out for new Funtana vid's in HD has the months progress.
Its his secret plane, I wonder what it will be... lol


text:
I woke up to a horrendous display of advertisement–or really, it was a rerun clip of Access Hollywood's Shaun Robinson interviewing Taylor Lautner in the "New Moon" premiere in Westwood a couple weeks ago. Robinson is seen showing off a shirtless Mattel doll version of Lautner's character, Jacob Black, and asking him of his opinion. Lautner was embarrassed–seemed uncomfortable. The whole thing was sort of awkward. You could see it for yourself at the end of the entry. Over at Twitter, a female friend of mine joked about how she was counting down the day that Lautner turns legal. He is only 17, but in the words of Jacob Black, "Age is just a number, baby."
I have to admit, I am interested in this Taylor Lautner phenomena, mainly because of the ramifications that who he is and what he's done is steering the change of how we view masculinity and femininity today. Don't quite follow me yet? Take for example this countdown that a fan made to countdown the days that Lautner turns 18. Now let's go backwards in time–countdowns like this have been used to celebrate past "jail-baits" as Britney Spears, the Olsen Twins, and Lindsay Lohan. Grown men that counted down the days were seen as perverted and disgusting. Now, fast forward to 2009. It's the women's turn. Now, I'm all about equal opportunity, but are women getting as much flak ove their comments on Lautner and the fact that he is "jailbait?"
I don't think so–and definitely not at the same degree as men. Actually, there isn't much clatter about cougars eyeing the shirtless Lautner, except on sites like Just Mommies, a message board for moms. So apparently, it's okay that a shirtless seventeen-year-old boy can pose provocatively, but when a seventeen-year-old girl (and she doesn't have to be shirtless, i.e., Britney Spears) poses provocatively, it turns heads. Double standard?
And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I discovered that they made a more realistic Taylor Lautner-Jacob Black action figure. And yep, you guessed it, he's shirtless. I have to agree with fellow blogger, Nobody Puts Baby in a Horner, when the blogger writes:
"I'm not saying that you can't have him as your object of lust-eyes because you can do whatever you want, but I am saying it's difficult to forget how, unless you're another teenager, those lust-eyes are technically statuatory-rape-eyes. Sure, the thought police aren't throwing anyone in jail over the a few idle thoughts, but still: He's only seventeen, so YIKES!!!"
Yes, big YIKES!!! With 3 exclamation marks means extreme warning. I don't know whose bright idea it was to create such an action figure. Apparently, it was revealed in Comic Con for the Twihards (a term for die-hard Twilight fans). Poor Taylor Lautner. Poor Tay-Tay. Will he ever escape his identity of just being eye-candy instead of being an actor? I mean, that is what he wants–to be recognized for his acting talent. A Showbiz Spy article reveals Lautner's ultimate desire:
"I worked hard to get in shape for this role," Lautner explains. "My motivation was the movie and the fans, but I don't want to become known as just a body. If I had to choose, I would never take my shirt off again in a movie, but I guess that's not very realistic. I certainly won't be asking to do it, though."
Well, that's a start. I'm no fortune teller, but I predict that the next few roles you're going to get will continue to exploit you. Sex sells, eh?
Now you may be thinking, what's the big deal? Am I advocating that it's okay for older people–men and women–to lust over underage teens as long as there is equal flak on both sides? No. I'm just quite concerned that people forget that Lautner is still a boy with a man's body–well, at least until February 11, 2010. People should stop and take a look at themselves. Let me repeat again, he's 17!
Now, you might be saying for me to take a look at myself, that I'm just jealous that I don't look like him. Heck ya I'm jealous–me and every guy that doesn't look like him gets jealous. And the men of the world felt the same way when 300 came out. But that's exactly how Lautner is changing, or rather, adding to masculinity. Men are running to the gym again, and cougars are on the prowl. Now, women are the ones with the "lustful eyes" and men are the ones "lusted after." As 2009 comes to a close, we find ourselves at a changing landscape: the image of "jailbait" isn't a girl; it's a boy…a really buff boy at that.
What do you think?


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$50 million worth of Clinton attack adds have bounced off Trump like pingpong balls. The most recent LA Times/USC tracking poll now has him ahead of the dragon lady by 7 points.
"What scandal can Clinton use to dissuade his voters from crawling over broken glass and going to the polls this fall? Divorce? He's had two. Bankruptcy? Four. DUI? He doesn't drink and besides, he has a chauffeur. He gave money to a crooked politician? Yes, and her name is Clinton….
"Trump's voters are fed up with the system. It's rigged. She's one of the biggest riggers. Not indicted. And the [DNC] emails show the skids were greased for her in the primaries.
"Not so Trump. They threw the kitchen sink at him. He didn't duck it, but caught it, stood on it, and shouted, 'What else do you have?'"
Heh. A Trump presidency is going to be very entertaining. And for my money pols are no use whatsoever unless they're entertaining. It will be fun just watching all the PC heads explode in the Democrat news media.
Via Don Suber
UPDATE: The Dem news media and various Dem bigwigs frothing over Trump's asking Putin to find the dragon lady's missing 33,000 emails shows they know she lied about them. They really aren't about Yoga lessons and wedding plans.


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I was fortunate to be selected for the witness theme Moth Story Slam event, hosted by WDET-Detroit on March 3, 2016. I adapted a story I had blogged about earlier, but focused this time on the actual trial. Here is the written version.
It was surreal, Kafkaesque. In my best suit, with my briefcase and exhibits under my arm, I climbed the steps to the menacing, courthouse tower before me.
Behind me, in the streets of Gotham, Batman and Superman were doing battle. Now in the elevator, I ascended to my faceoff with Luke Skywalker, Attorney at Law.
It was Detroit in 2014, and I found myself caught between a Hollywood film crew and an assistant prosecutor with an absurd name. Yes, we really do have an Attorney Skywalker in Detroit. He legally changed his name in the 1980's.
My client was facing 15 years in prison for armed robbery.
Two phrases were repeating in my head: "Black man with a gun" and "Is it hard to represent guilty people?"
You may be innocent until proven guilty. But there is a specter over every criminal case from the start. In ours, the judge knew we had rejected a plea deal. We were reminded if we lost the trial and wasted the court's time, the most severe penalties would be imposed at sentencing. My client's wife, his mother and sister nervously watched me make opening statements in the courtroom, while his 5 children attended school.
Months earlier, my client, a black man, went to a gas station in a white suburb to purchase a $2.00 can of beer. There were two workers, multiple surveillance cameras and several customers. Not ideal circumstances for a $2.00 heist.
The video (there was no audio) shows the cashier shaking the first beer and arguing with my client. A second beer, more arguing, and then a bag handed to my client. He walks outside to his van.
But in the confusion, he hadn't paid. And the workers hadn't realized it. When the cashier did, he ran out of the store. A fight ensues. On camera, off camera. A car enters the lot. You see a large, black man fighting with a smaller, Middle Eastern guy in a gas station uniform. What is it that you think you have seen?
The little guy runs back inside. The larger man drives off. Inside the store, the police are called and that code is spoken. It was a "black man with a gun."
As the trial begins, the first witness tells the courtroom about being threatened with a gun that can't be seen in the video. Another about the harsh beating he saw in the parking lot. But one person from the prosecution's witness list is missing at trial.
We found the missing witness, the second worker that inexplicably no longer worked for the gas station and who did not respond to the prosecutor's subpoena sent to his last known address.
We found him with a bench warrant I got the judge to issue for his arrest. I wanted my client to have a fair trial. But had I just alienated the last identified witness by sending him to the worst jail in the state for a weekend?
If this were a Hollywood film like the one being made outside the courthouse, as a movie lawyer you would get an in-depth interview of each witness in the comfort of your luxurious law office. In reality, I was escorted by the bailiff through the cinder block hallways to a tiny holding cell. With the prosecutor beside me, I was given one minute to interview this witness, who stood on the other side of a metal door with a window the size of an iPhone.
A worse deal than the first is offered if I will instruct my client to plead guilty now and conclude the trial. We reject it. The prosecution's last witness takes the stand, and I have no certainty of what he is going to say.
"I didn't see anything." My heart leaps. The prosecutor looks like he's going to throw up. "Isn't that you in this video, by the window, looking out at the fight in the parking lot?"
"Oh yes. I remember now." The prosecutor turns to me with a smug grin. "That black guy was cool. My coworker started the fight. There wasn't any gun. He made that up."
Four witnesses, three video cameras, two weeks without sleep, and one verdict. My client was a free man.
Is it hard to represent a guilty criminal defendant? No, that's easy. It's hard to represent an innocent one.


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From Steve Gillmor @ TechCrunch on FriendFeed redesign… and is only the beginning:
"… what FriendFeed 2.0 suggests is the capture of the sense of the moment. Like a Kennedy press conference or the incredible rhythm trills of Lennon on the roof in Get Back, we're seeing something electric and tangible appearing out of nothing. I dive in and swim in the current, swooping from swirl to eddy, then into direct communication and back to the world I've left behind for a moment. It still takes several moves to accomplish a single task, but the handwriting is on the wall and the time is near when we can pick up where we left off months ago."
Dive in and swim in the flow from swirl to eddy… jump to direct communications…and later… pick up where we left off months ago. This hints toward an interesting way to intelligently filter and manage near-real-time flows in terms of relevance, context… AND … time.
Remember Clay Shirky's hypothesis that it may be that we're not suffering from information overload but rather filter failure.
Friendfeed seems poised to help us filter and manage the flow… at least for the consumer.


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2 Challenges You Do Definitely Not Have Information In Respect To LASIK Eye Medical ProceduresThe eye can be taken a look at with relative ease regarding both its function and its structure. A practical examination consists of the ability to move in the orbit and the reaction of the pupil to light and accommodation.
The function of the eye may be tested in a number of ways. The patient may be asked to determine illuminated letter or items of varying sizes on what is known as the Snellen chart.
Conversely, the examination of the structural part of the eye may be made in numerous ways. Tension within the eyeball is determined by a "tonometer." In particular illness, especially in glaucoma, the stress in the eyeball is increased markedly.
It must be well remembered that a patient with an eye issue might have other issues. Frequently other physical conditions are primary and impact the eye as a repercussion. The look of the eye can inform the patient and the doctor to problems in some disturbances of other parts of the body even prior to other symptoms provide themselves.
One's reliance on sight is emphasized when one deals with a short-term or possible permanent loss of this essential sense. When restorative steps are sought, certain types of vision correction such as contact lenses or spectacles are prescribed.
On the other hand, some individuals are troubled with the truth that they have actually some framed lenses or contact lenses in front of their eyes.
For this factor, advanced surgeries were established to motivate decreased utilization of contact lenses or glasses. Among which is the now popular LASIK eye surgical treatment.
Generally, LASIK eye surgical treatment is the brief term for "Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis." Like its tangible counterpart, LASIK eye surgical treatment is another kind of vision correction. The only difference is that with this kind of surgical treatment, one's vision is corrected completely.
With LASIK eye surgery, the refractive mistakes in the cornea are completely transformed. This can be done utilizing an "excimer laser."
The main function of this surgery is to create a threadlike, rounded "flap" in the cornea using a blade known as "microkeratome." In a series of unfolding and laser processing, the cornea is lastly reformed, enabling much better the eye to direct more light into the retina.
Popularity vs. Disadvantages
Amidst the growing appeal of LASIK eye surgical treatment, there are still disadvantages that people need to understand. Probably, the main reason that this kind of eye surgical treatment has become well accepted is due to the fact that the majority of its cases had actually been effective.
However, in spite of its success, there are still some downsides. Here is moved here the list:
1. It is an operation applied to the most delicate part of the eye
Since LASIK eye surgical treatment includes the operation of the retina, which is one of the most delicate portions of the eye, the majority of people state that the operation can be really risky.
In other words, a easy mistake might nearly trigger an individual's lifetime loss of sight. It is important to consider lots of elements before choosing whether LASIK eye surgery is the best restorative measure one has to go through.
2. It is not a ideal procedure
LASIK eye surgery may remedy your vision however it does not necessarily mean that it can give you a perfect vision. Even if analytical reports show that 70% of the clients may have 20/20 vision, this does not always suggest they have perfect vision.
Provided all these things, it can be deduced that, in spite of the popularity of the operation, LASIK may not constantly be the ideal eye surgery the way many people see it
On the other hand, the assessment of the structural part of the eye may be made in several ways. It needs to be well kept in mind that a patient with an eye problem may have other problems. Often other physical conditions are primary and impact the eye as a repercussion. The appearance of the eye can signal the physician and the patient to difficulties in some disturbances of other parts of the body even prior to other signs present themselves.
Like its tangible counterpart, LASIK eye surgical treatment is another kind of vision correction.


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You may have noticed that galaxy nails are making quite a resurgence, and I love this because I've always been a huge fan--they're super easy to make, the only hard part is picking the right polishes that work well together. And Spellbound Nails has put together a collection of polishes designed just for that purpose.
|Spellbound Nails Galaxy Nails collection
So what I'm going to do is show you each polish, and as I go, I'm going to show you some galaxy art done with each polish. But before I start, I just can't resist mentioning the totally adorable packaging this collection came in:
|Spellbound Nails Galaxy Nails collection
How adorable is that spaceship card that describes the polishes?!! And that galaxy tissue paper! I love it when a maker goes the extra mile to make your experience awesome from the very moment you open the box.
Let's get down to it, starting with Black Eye, since most galaxy nail art uses a black background. This is a beautiful black creme:
|Spellbound Nails Black Eye
|Spellbound Nails Black Eye
|Spellbound Nails Black Eye
The formula on this was excellent and it applied like butter. This is two coats wit topcoat--easy peasy. Galaxy nails or no, this is a sexy, vampy black creme. Mee-rowr.
Here's the galaxy design I did with this polish:
|Galaxy nails with Spellbound Nails Galaxy Nails collection
Somebody on YouTube said this looks more like the northern lights than a night sky, and I'm totally okay with that! Normally I do prefer to have a more blended look but I was doing this on video and make it brighter than I normally would--but I love how it came out so that was a happy accident! And it also makes a very important point--it's nearly impossible to go wrong with galaxy nails. Just about anything you do is gonna come out looking great in the end.
And speaking of the video tutorial, here it is if you want to check it out:
The basic techniqe for all the nails is pretty darn easy:
(1) Pick your base polish
(2) Sponge the polishes one at a time overlapping one another until you get the effect you want
(3) Put on your glitter topper
(4) Draw on any stars or planets you want
(5) Add topcoat if you so desire.
Here's a graphic to show you how easy it is:
Okay, let's move on to the next polish. Milky Way, a white creme:
|Spellbound Nails Milky Way
|Spellbound Nails Milky Way
This is three thin coats; as with most white cremes, this was a little patchy on the first two coats, so I kept the coats thin and went with three--that evened things out well, and you may be able to do this in two coats. The polish dries quickly, so this wasn't a problem.
Here's the galaxy art I created with this polish:
|Galaxy nails with Spellbound Nails Galaxy Nails collection
To my eyes, this doesn't look so much like a galaxy as what I hope heaven looks like! Since the background is white, I pulled out some silver polish for the stars--next time I might stamp some angels. :)
Next up is Pinwheel, a pink crelly that dries to a waxy finish:
|Spellbound Nails Pinwheel
|Spellbound Nails Pinwheel
Because this collection is designed for nail art, the polishes are opaque and fast-drying. That means they dry fast when you're applying, too, and with the colored polishes in this collection I found I got best results when I applied three thin coats, working quickly so I didn't have to go back over the same spot too much, otherwise I got too much pulling. I still got a little unevenness, but it evened out well as it dried. I'm a huge fan of wax finishes, so for me the extra care was well worth it.
This is such a pretty cotton candy color in this finish! But if you prefer your polish glossy, here's what it looks like with topcoat:
|Spellbound Nails Pinwheel with topcoat
I used Pinwheel as a base to show you Comet, a glitter topcoat with teeny holo glitter and teeny holo shards that are perfect for creating stars in your galaxy art:
|Spellbound Comet over Pinwheel
This is one coat of Comet over Pinwheel, and I also show one coat of Comet in all of the galaxy artwork you're seeing here. For this mani I wanted to show you how just one galaxy accent nail looks, and in honor of the name of this polish, I made a sort-of pinwheel galaxy.
Next up is Whirlpool, a robin's-egg blue crelly with a waxy finish:
|Spellbound Whirlpool
|Spellbound Whirlpool
And if you prefer the glossy look:
|Spellbound Whirlpool with topcoat
For the art on this one I wanted to do a little more of a background effect:
|Galaxy nails with Spellbound Nails Galaxy Nails collection
The last polish in the collection is Cosmos, a smoky lilac crelly with a waxy finish:
|Spellbound Cosmos
|Spellbound Cosmos
And here's the glossy version:
|Spellbound Cosmos with topcoat
|Spellbound Cosmos with topcoat
For the art on this one, I wanted to focus the galaxy portion closer to the tips, with a little hint of them at the cuticle:
|Galaxy nails with Spellbound Nails Galaxy Nails collection
This one is without a doubt my favorite!! It's sort of like I dipped my fingers into the edge of a galaxy, and something about the purple just gives it a little extra oomph. I did this one last and I'm glad I did because I couldn't bear to take it off until I'd worn it for a few days. Even then it was hard!
To wrap up, here are the different looks I made with the collection:
|Galaxy nails with Spellbound Nails Galaxy Nails collection
What do you think, do you have a favorite? You already know mine...
I think this is a great idea for a collection that's ready made for nail art--the polishes work very well together, they blend easily but keep their colors distinct, and that's not always the case when you work with polishes from a bunch of different collections or makers. So if you like galaxy nail art, this makes the process extremely easy, and I'm very happy with the results.
You can buy these polishes individually or together as a collection in the Spellbound Nails shop; she has them in both full-sized an mini-sized bottles. And don't forget to follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
Happy galaxy surfing!


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961 Temple S.E. Grand Rapids, MI 49507 616.452.5764
(find us) A Christian Reformed Church
Social Justice
Oakdale Park CRC is committed to the biblical value of social justice. Social justice is about seeking human flourishing. It involves working to eliminate barriers to human flourishing--barriers evident in poverty and oppression--and advocating for human laws that align with the law of God. God commands us to look out for widows (James 1:27), to take up the cause of orphans (Isaiah 1:17), to provide for the needs of the poor (James 2:15-16), to defend the oppressed (Isaiah 1:17), to remember those who are in prison (Hebrews 13:3), to welcome immigrants (Deuteronomy 10:19), and to engage in the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). We are called to demonstrate our love for God with actions and in truth (1 John 3:17).
Oakdale Park Church looks for ways to develop ministries of mercy, service, and justice to respond to the needs within our church and the needs of persons living in the broader community and around the world. Those ministries change and grow according to the gifts of our members.
Learn more about the social justice efforts of our denomination, and sign up to receive action alerts, newsletters, and prayer updates at Office of Social Justice - Christian Reformed Church.
Justice and mercy go hand in hand. Here is a list of additional local organizations committed to human flourishing by loving mercy and seeking justice. We would encourage you to join their mailing lists, serve as a volunteer with one of them, or utilize their services.
African Resource Center of West Michigan theafricancenter.com
The ARC is a non-profit organization that seeks to build healthy African communities in West Michigan by connecting African immigrants with communities and equipping African immigrants with the skills to be responsible, American citizens.
Celebration Fellowship celebrationfellowshipcrc.com
Celebration Fellowship is a multi-site prison congregation of the Christian Reformed Church pastored by our own Andy Hansen. Currently church services are held with 125-150 members at Ionia Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility, Handlon Correctional Facility, and Bellamy Creek Level I. Overall, the churches are flourishing and, according to the warden's at of these facilities, have had a very positive impact on the culture of the prisons themselves. Many former members are now reestablishing their lives in the West Michigan area where we assist them in finding a home church, housing, jobs, and other support systems that facilitate their reintegration into this community.
Our own Ralph Mason founded the Coalition, Leadership, Education, Advice Rehabilitation program called CEAR which meets every Thursday with former prisoners. The organization was formed to help ex-offenders stay out of prison and adapt to civilian life.
Criminal Justice Chaplaincy cjcministry.org
CJC works so that people whose lives are affected by crime may experience justice, mercy, and healing. In partnership with CJC, Oakdale Park CRC hosts monthly community reentry fellowship lunches for returning citizens and the families of returning citizens to connect with church folks and mentors.
Disability Advocates of Kent County dakc.us
Disability Advocates' mission is to advocate for, and facilitate action by, persons living with disabilities and our community in order to achieve equal access for all.
Family Haven iccf.org/fh/get-involved-family-haven
Family Haven helps West Michigan families transition from homelessness to permanent housing. It is a ministry of Inner City Christian Federation in Grand Rapids, which provides housing opportunities and services that encourage family responsibility and independence for the purpose of building stable communities. Oakdale supports Family Haven financially and by sending groups to volunteer at the shelter.
Immigration Legal Services dioceseofgrandrapids.org
ILS provides low-cost, legal representation in legal matters to those in our community whose household income falls below 200% of the poverty line, helping clients reunite with family abroad, obtain U.S. citizenship or legal permanent status, and assisting immigrants who have been victims of crimes.
Inner City Christian Federation iccf.org
ICCF provides housing opportunities and services that encourage family responsibility and independence for the purpose of building stable communities.
LINC lincrev.org
LINC is a community development corporation that provides services to Kent County, revitalizing neighborhoods through authentic engagement, stimulating economic development, expanding housing opportunities, creating affordable housing, and developing leadership and capacity of residents and grassroots organizations.
The Micah Center themicahcenter.org
The Micah Center exists to educate people about the biblical call to do justice and how they can respond to that call in their local community. It accomplishes this work by hosting a monthly lecture series on current issues and by facilitating eight advocacy groups. These groups advocate for policies that advance the cause of justice in areas such as poverty, the environment, health care, worker justice, and criminal justice. Oakdale is one of 40 churches that send members to participate in the powerful work of the Micah Center in Grand Rapids.
Partners for a Racism-Free Community prfc-gr.org
PFRC works to educate members about racism and train them for the purpose of fostering inclusiveness and welcome in work place environments.
Plaster Creek Stewards calvin.edu
PCS seek to educate the community about watershed ecology, performs ongoing research, and does on-the-ground work for restoration like installing rain gardens and planting trees. Oakdale Park CRC is in the Plaster Creek watershed.
Pregnancy Resource Center prcforlife.org
The PRC is a non-profit ministry that offers education, family support services, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and STD/STI testing and treatment that affirm the gift of all human life.
Pictures on flickr. Once you click this link and are on Flickr you have 3 options to view pictures. The 1st is to click the "Albums" top link. The 2nd is to click (by the right side of the page) the "more" dropdown, and then click the "Tags" link. The 3rd is to stay on the Photostream and scroll down.
© Oakdale Park Church 2017 | Contact Oakdale Park Church | 961 Temple SE Grand Rapids Michigan 49507 | Phone 616.452.5764


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Campechana is icy cold seafood soup. The variety they serve at Cinco has some abalone, some shrimp, a little onion and avocado, and octopus! Despite the fact that it tasted pretty alright, I still had a bit of a hard time eating it. I've come up with a few theories about why.
- I have tremendous respect for octopuses. They are actually very intelligent creatures who are capable of disguises and trickery, and when they are kept as pets they recognize their owners and will often swim to the glass to greet them. Maybe I felt bad eating an oceanic friend?
- I like soup, but I want it to be warm and comforting. Campechana is cold. Maybe icy cold seafood soup just isn't for me?
- Or it could be the episode of CSI: NY I saw where a party guest was killed when an improperly prepared baby octopus on a stick (a food item) came unwrapped while being eaten, attached its suction cups to the person's throat, and asphyxiated them.
Tonight's menu: the number 78 – campechana.


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Formosa Fire
From Formosa Plastic Corporation
At approximately 3:00 AM Friday, December 22, 2017, Formosa Plastics Corporation Texas
experienced a localized process upset in the Olefins I production unit.
The upset resulted in a large initial flame. The unit was immediately shut down, a section
alarm was sounded and the Formosa Emergency Response Team secured the incident location.
The affected area has been isolated and depressurized to both allow removal of hydrocarbon
inventory and to ensure that the affected area would not receive additional inventory.
There were no injuries associated with this incident. As a precautionary measure, Formosa
Plastics nonessential and contract personnel were notified to not report to work due to the
location of the incident and the staging of emergency response assets on nearby facility roads.


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Kindadukish's Blog - I am not a number, I am a free man (The Prisoner)
There is little evidence that expensive over-the-counter cough medicines actually work, doctors said today But the NHS Choices website advises: 'There's little evidence to suggest cough medicines actually work, although some ingredients may help treat symptoms associated with a cough, such as a blocked nose or fever.'
The webpage adds that the 'simplest and cheapest' treatment for a 'short-term cough' may be a homemade remedy containing lemon and honey. It continues: 'There's no quick way of getting rid of a cough caused by a viral infection. It will usually clear up after your immune system has fought off the virus.' Dr Tim Ballard, vice chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, today backed up the NHS claim He said: 'The medical evidence behind cough medicines is weak and there is no evidence to say that they will reduce the duration of illnesses – as such, GPs are unlikely to…
View original post 422 more words


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C-Span founder Brian Lamb is one of the recipients of this year's Presidential Medal of Freedom award. Besides helming C-Span, which proved ridiculously addictive to political junkies like me during the 1990s, Lamb has always been one of the best interviewers on television, especially in the now-retired C-Span series "Booknotes." During a 1999 interview with Michael Ebner, Lamb discussed his semi-Socratic interviewing style:
ME: Your interviewing style on Booknotes is distinctive. Now, I believe that it's carefully designed to achieve a special effect. I wonder if you would be willing to elaborate on your interviewing style?
BL: Well first of all, not to disappoint you, but it's not carefully designed. It's kind of an evolutionary thing that again came out of my early days of not liking the fact that so many interviewers get in my way when I watch television. They are giving me their views, and I don't want their views. They are also either confronting the guest in a negative way or agreeing with them in a positive way, and what I'm trying to do is not have you look at me when I'm doing the interview. I don't care that you notice that I'm there, but I don't want you to keep saying to yourself, "Why won't he get out of my way" I want to get a chance to watch the author talk about the book, discuss why they wrote the book, all the little questions that I've asked over the last ten years. I've just finished two years of book tours with two different books and have been in over fifty bookstores and done 200 interviews and basically been out in the country. Most people that I come in contact with have the same questions–where do you write, when do you write, how do you write–because there's a mystery about it. People who read books generally admire writers.
Sadly, "getting out of the way" is something few television interviewers seem capable of doing, which is one of the reasons I don't miss Fox and the other networks and their slate of infotainers who make a living talking down down to people. Though he found a niche almost thirty years ago, Lamb's straightforward, calm, and nonpartisan demeanor would get him nowhere in television today, which speaks volumes about the decline of the modern media. (Upon reflection, this paragraph is pretty ranty, isn't it?)
For people interested in reading more about Brian Lamb, ABC made him their Person of the Week in December 2004.


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'Nature is our teacher and the parks are our classroom'
How The Kids Saved The Parks from Plus M Productions on Vimeo.
Some people might be able resist to a story about a group of smart brave kids banding together to help save their beloved local state park from budget cuts. I am not one of those people. This documentary, "How the Kids Saved the Parks," follows students from Grass Valley Charter School in California on their quest to save the gorgeous South Yuba River State Park. According to Grist:
The kids put together a Mobile Media Action Team, and met with John Laird, the California Secretary for Natural Resources. They explained to Laird why they thought South Yuba Park should not close, and also gathered more than 10,000 signatures urging the state to keep the park open. In short, they did a lot of difficult, adult stuff, and because of their efforts, the community managed to find a way to keep the park open (with a $3 to $5 entry fee, but still)…..The entry fee alone won't generate enough revenue to keep the park open, but officials say that the groundswell of support insures it will not close.
Even though California is making something of a comeback, it's no secret that its state parks are in deep financial trouble. The Wall Street Journal reports: "California lawmakers should outsource management of some state parks to cope with chronic under funding, advised an influential state commission, which found that the state had expanded its park system without providing adequate income to support it."
Last week the state's Little Hoover Commission released a report entitled "Beyond Crisis: Recapturing Excellence in California's State Park System." In it, member Virginia Ellis advocates a major overhaul. "Without a bold, new course equal to the vision that created the state park system, California risks a replay of closing parks that the state can no longer afford to operate," she says.
Solutions will require creativity, perseverance and guts. Maybe California could put the Grass Valley Charter School kids on retainer.


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Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine
Volume 8, Issue 3, Pages 153-164
Media/Psychological Impact on Multiple Outbreaks of Emerging Infectious Diseases
1Department of Mathematics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2067, USA
2LAMPS/LIAM, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3, Canada
Received 20 May 2004; Revised 2 November 2006; Accepted 1 May 2007
Copyright © 2007 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
We use a compartmental model to illustrate a possible mechanism for multiple outbreaks or even sustained periodic oscillations of emerging infectious diseases due to the psychological impact of the reported numbers of infectious and hospitalized individuals. This impact leads to the change of avoidance and contact patterns at both individual and community levels, and incorporating this impact using a simple nonlinear incidence function into the model shows qualitative differences of the transmission dynamics.


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The Innovation Center has been helping entrepreneurs turn their promising ideas into flourishing businesses since 1983. Just a few of the many Success Stories can be viewed here and take a look at the Innovation Center's 2016 Economic Impact Report here and the 2017 Economic Impact Report here.
Many of the businesses affiliated with the Innovation Center go on to great things—even when they start small. By partnering with the Innovation Center, your business can become more stable, more visible, and better equipped for success while also adding a network of industry and business experts to your team. Connections, expertise, and advice will be right at your fingertips.
Call Erin Rennich, Client Services Manager & Executive Coach, at 740-593-9401 or email firstname.lastname@example.com to get started.


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It's very easy to massage the superior laryngeal artery once you learn how, then practice and get used to it. Review the photos below for an visual guide on how to complete this process, and follow these steps which further explain the mechanics as well as names of each muscle:
Let's begin with locating the thyroid foramen (the superior laryngeal artery gains entrance to this hole), which is between the hyoid bone and the thyroid cartilage.
Most people have uneven location (not directly center) of where the thyroid foramen is between the right and left.
Make a scissors sign (like rock, paper, scissors) with your fingers. Put your middle finger on the lower end of the hyoid bone and your first finger on the upper edge of the thyroid cartilage.
Open the scissors sign slowly (totaling 3 seconds) and apply light pressure to the skin. Stop applying pressure when the opening is about half an inch. Please do not close your fingers at the end. Just remove your fingers after opening and the repeat that motion again 10 times on both sides.
If you do this properly it will heal a hoarse voice, a dry throat, prevent influenza and colds, and also assist in the daily care of your voice.
Additionally, this massage will help you warm up your voice before singing.
Please try it.
★★★Key Point★★★
This massage will not work if you don't put your fingers on the exact and correct location of the thyroid foramen. Please make an appointment at the Voice Care Salon to inquire, if you want to know the exact position of the thyroid foramen. I'll find it using precise palpation techniques.


text: Frustum Of A Rectangular Pyramid Small 318×320 Medium 636×640 Large 1017×1024 Download TIFF Original 2980×3000 | (198.6 KB) Download EPS Vector 344.1 KB Description Illustration of a right hollow rectangular pyramid that has been cut by a plane parallel to the base. The top section has been removed and the remaining section has been turned upside down. It is known as the frustum of the pyramid. Hidden edges are shown in this drawing. Keywords container, frusta, frustum, frustums, geometric solid, plane, pyramid, pyramids, quadrilateral, rectangle, right rectangular, truncated Galleries Frusta Source: Florida Center for Instructional Technology Clipart ETC (Tampa: University of South Florida, 2007)


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Included with this zip file are several .cab, .reg and .xml files that will automatically configure your NRGZ28 energy rom when XDA_UC runs upon first boot after flashing.
Included are the following configuration files
This will configure your MS Exchange settings. Editing with your personal settings is required. Look for the username, server, domain and password tags at the start of the file
Enables aGPS
Sets backlight to auto. There are some other settings included for dim and light off times when on battery and AC power aswell
Sets the Bluetooth Identity. Edit the deviceid line to suit
Copies files from the copy2root folder to the matching location in device storage. A My Documents folder with My Ringtones and My Wallpapers sub folders have been created already. Place you ringtones and wallpapers in these folders. There is also an application data folder which contains a coreplayer config.xml and a program files folder which contains a myPlayer options.ini. Feel free to create more. Thanks to nrfitchett4 for providing this script.
This file will remove all unwanted ringtones, wallpapers and any other files you decided to add. Edit as you need to. N.B any readonly files will need attributes changed before they can be deleted.
Disables Vsync in sense increasing the framerate thus making it faster
Increase's glyphcache size past the bsb tweaks and advanced config defaults, incrases filesystem cache size and a few other bits. This cab file is optional. Delete it if you don't want it. Thanks go out to g.lewarne for documenting the tweaks
Stops the sense music player playing ringtone files from \My Documents\My Ringtones\ and \storage card\ringtones. Copy the examples
if you want to add to it.
M3PH HTC Location Service Enable.cab
Enables HTC location Service and automatically excepts the TOS
Changes the phones identity at first boot. If NRGZ28 won't make it sensible i'll make it so we can customise it . Editing required. this one is pretty obvious
Sets up palringo, sorta, change [email protected] to your user name and it should show up at sign in. All you need to do is enter your password
Enables and configures QuickGPS with the defaults
Configures the ringtone, sms tone and email tone. Needs some editing but you only need to change the file name for each entry, not the
path. The Ringtone2 entry allows for second ringtone to be added to the list of usable ones so you change them with too much fuss.
Also enables flashing light on sms reception for 5 minutes.
wifi settings. Edit required. This link should help you set it up (see post 3 for details on how to edit)
M3PH Enable Time Auto Update.cab
Enables NTP
Sets the volume levels. You can use this one or export your own from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ControlPanel\Volume
Windows live.reg
Pretty much configures windows live. You do still need to enter your password and you will also need to do atleast one manual sync before Sense will create the mailbox on the email tab but otherwise it works
Opera User Agent String folder
See the readme.txt in that folder
Sense Folder
If you put your wallpaper in this folder it will be installed as the sense default. Just rename it to sense_wallpaper.png.
Start Menu folder
Copy Start Menu shortcuts here
If you like this or any of my other work click the "donate to me" link above my avatar
REMEMBER THIS COLLECTION OF FILES IS PRESENTED AS IS UNDER THE GNU GPLv2. IT IS BETA SOFTWARE AND COMES WITH NO WARRANTY OR ANY FORM OF OFFICIAL SUPPORT. I, M3PH, SHALL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE OR DATA LOSE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT OCCUR TO YOUR DEVICE.


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And you thought all us old white guys were complete morons. Whereas only most of us are:
Roughly 5 percent of respondents in Reuters/Ipsos polls said they chose the Republican contender in 2008 and will switch to Obama in 2012. This number peaked at around 9 percent two separate times over the summer, according to data collected since January.
Who are these defectors?
Jeff Waltrip, 56, is a retired electrician and retail worker who has voted Republican all his life. But in his view Obama has done a good job with what he was left with, and I truly believe that allowing Mitt Romney in there is going to make the world a whole lot worse than it is now. Waltrip said he liked the Republican ticket in 2008 because McCain is a veteran and because Sarah Palin made me laugh.
The McCain-to-Obama switchers are 55 percent male, and 34 percent of them are 55 or older. (Overall, Obama trails Romney 34 percent to 52 percent among white men over 50.) About 72 percent of them are white.
I believe it because I actually know one of those older white men on the Eastern Seaboard who's switching from McCain to Obama. His decision took me by surprise because he's been a GOP fund-raiser for a long time.Posted by: JoyfulA on October 24, 2012 9:55 PM


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- PDE Linky Party - #137 Cards Only
- Not Just Cards - #35 Anything Goes
- Inspiration Destination - #102 Anything Goes
The home of The Royal Pumpkin, Lisa's personal art blog for all things crafty. Partnering with my Etsy shop, this blog will feature my crafty creations and the things that inspire them.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
**FOR THE HOME** New Challenge with Crafty Creations!!!!!!!!
Hi everyone! It's a new challenge at Crafty Creations and our theme this fortnight is For The Home!!
Be sure to visit the blog to see what the rest of the DT created! Thanks so much for looking and happy crafting. Laters!!
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FOTD | Winged Neutral Eye [Naked 1]
I finally did it. I jumped on the bandwagon and bought the Naked 1 Palette as a present to me, from me after my exams. At £37 they're hardly cheap but I have wanted this palette for so long, I remember being fifteen, sat in my bedroom - my eyes fixed to Youtube - thinking wow, they're so pretty!
A neutral eye is pretty much my go-to so I'll definitely get the wear out of this little beauty with its range of shimmery and matte shades. This is the very first look I created with it using the colours Sin (inner corner), Half Baked (mid lid), Smog (outer lid) and Hustle and Darkhorse for the crease. Albeit a bit excessive but I was experimenting! You can easily recreate this look by working from light to dark in the order above using a larger flat shader brush for the lid and a fluffy blending brush for the crease. My go-to eye brushes at the moment are from Nanshy* I keep picking them up at various blogger meets but boy are they good.
Let me know what you think in the comments below - would you like to see some tutorials up on the blog? Obviously this is a little bit glam for every day but for events makeup is absolutely perfect! Or maybe I'm still just in the prom mood from Meadowhall!


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Over 5 Kitchenaid stand mixers on sale for Cyber Monday, see them all below
Cyber monday is here and I found a great Kitchenaid mixer cyber monday deal. This one is for the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer which is normally $500, with this cyber monday deal and the $50 kitchenaid mail in rebate you will be getting it for just over $300 which is quite a savings. To get the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series just visit this link don't forget to use the $50 mail in rebate.
If that is still too expensive then check out these other great kitchenaid cyber monday deals.
More Cyber Monday 2011 Kitchenaid Deals
List Price: $349.99
Price: $269.00
You Save: $80.99 (23%)
Rebate: $30.00
Price After Rebate: $239.00
List Price: $269.99
Price: $199.99
You Save: $70.00 (26%)
List Price: $350.00
Price: $288.99
You Save: $61.01 (17%)
Price After Rebate: $258.99
If you were thinking of buying a Kitchenaid mixer this year then right now is a great time to get them. Kitchenaid does not always offer their rebate and right now you can get a $30 or $50 rebate on almost all of their stand mixers. I think that this is a very good offer from Kitchenaid so it is great if you can take advantage of it now. If you are looking for a some reviews of the more popular kitchenaid mixers check out our Kitchenaid reviews section.
On this blog we have reviewed most of the kitchen aid stand mixers so that you can get a great deal and get the right stand mixer for your kitchen. I have linked to the best selling mixers above, and the great thing is that they are all on sale which means you get a great deal on the best selling kitchenaid stand mixers.


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Coaching Derbyshire Funding
There are several funding streams open to coaches.
Supporting Development
Coaching Derbyshire provides funding among many other things, to support Coaches and activators across Derbyshire in their development.
If you wish to find out more about what else it has to offer please head over to the Coaching Derbyshire pages. You can also sign up now to become a Coaching Derbyshire member for free.
Below are detailed some of our bursary schemes that coaches and organisations may wish to apply for, namely the Coaching Derbyshire Bursary and the NEW Get going fund!
Coaching Derbyshire Bursary
One of the main barriers coaches face in their on-going development is the cost of courses and training to continually learn and develop themselves in their chosen sport(s).
Coaching Derbyshire is pleased to be able to offer financial support for coaches and activators who meet one or more of the application criteria below:
- Coaching within a community sports club
- Coaching females
- Coaching young people (5-18 years)
- Coaching in deprived areas
- Setting up an activity or group to get people active
Round End Dates
Round 39 - Opens April 1st 2017 – May 14th 2017
Round 40 – May 15th 2017 – September 3th 2017
Round 41 – September 4th – February 4th 2018
For more information on the Coach Bursary please read our Guidance Notes attached below. To apply you will first need to sign up as a Coaching Derbyshire member, this will only take a few minutes and is completely free. When you've registered, head over to the Bursary Application page to apply.
NEW!!!!!Get Going Fund
The Get Going Fund is designed to help people who are looking to get some sort of physical activity or sport going in their local community. The fund can be used to pay for up to £100 towards a course or qualification such as an activator course or some specific training required to start and activity. It is expected that you are or will be doing at least 10 hours voluntary coaching/activating to be eligible for this fund.
PLEASE NOTE: It is not intended that the Get Going Fund is to be use to support level 1, 2 or 3 qualifications if you need support to complete these qualifications please apply to the Coaching Derbyshire Bursary Fund (above).
To apply for this fund please complete the short survey click here.
Please note that the round end dates for this fund are the same as the bursary fund with the same notification periods.
Coaching Derbyshire financially supports coaches and leaders.


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A major capital investment in Dungannon's only Irish medium primary school - Gaelscoil Aodha Rua - for a brand new building, will "completely change the landscape" of the school, its Principal has told the TIMES.
Education Minister, John O'Dowd, pledged £40 million to ten schools across the north, with St Peter's PS in Collegelands also included, for "new state of the art facilities".
Gaelscoil Aodha Rua Principal, Móna Uí Dhochartaigh, said the entire school community was looking forward to having an enhanced learning area, alongside new dining, sports, library and outdoor play facilities.
"Minister O'Dowd's announcement of Capital Investment in our new build project marks the beginning of an exciting stage in the development of Gaelscoil Aodha Rua and of Irish Medium Education in our local area", said Mrs Uí Dhochartaigh. "This investment will completely change the landscape of our school and will offer our pupils the opportunity to learn and to grow in a spacious, modern, custom-built permanent brick building."
Welcoming the countless messages of support and congratulations from not only parents, pupils and staff, but other schools and organisations from within the wider local community, Móna continued: "Our school is a community school and since our establishment we have had the privilige of working in partnership with a wide range of Irish language, cultural and sporting organisations, all of whom will also benefit from this announcement and from the enhanced facilities, which will continue to be used by the local community after school hours. I pay tribute to our 88 pupils, whose enthusiasm for learning has provided constant encouragement to the school management team to strive towards this day. I thank our parents whole-heartedly for their patience and committment and for believing that this day would actually come and I commend the staff and Board of Governors of the school who have worked tirelessly to bring this dream to fruition. I also pay tribute to those who have played their part in the development of Irish Medium Education in the Dungannon area for many years now and who paved the way towards the success and prosperity that we now enjoy. I am privilged to be part of the community that is Gaelscoil Aodha Rua and I look forward to bringing the new-build project to fruition for the good of our current pupils and for generations of children to come who will receive their education through the medium of Irish in our town. Tá Gaelscoil Aodha Rua ag dul ó neart go neart agus tá todhchaí geal romhainn sna blianta atá le teacht.


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Food, refreshments available 1 1/2 hours before each game
Link here to OVC Tournament Central on OVCsports.com
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Tech fans and alumni attending the games at the Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Tournament in Jackson, Tenn., later this week are invited to a hospitality tent, hosted by Tech Athletics, at The Ballpark in Jackson.
The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagle baseball team will be in Jackson attempting to capture another OVC Tournament title and send coach Matt Bragga's team back to the NCAA Regionals. The 2013 OVC regular season champion, the Golden Eagles head to Jackson as the tournament's No. 1 seed.
As the No. 1 seed, the Golden Eagles have a bye on the first day of action Wednesday. Tech's first game is Thursday at 7 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.
Tech Athletics will host a hospitality tent before each Golden Eagle game in the tourney, opening one-and-a-half hours before each contest. The tent is open to all Tech fans including alumni, parents of the team and friends. A purple tent and TTU trailer will be located at the edge of the parking lot at the Ballpark.
Meanwhile, fans who are not able to get to the games can watch LIVE STATS to keep up with the action, or watch a live webstream of the action provided by the OVC Digital Network.
Fans, friends invited to Hospitality Tent during Tech games at OVC Tournament
May 20, 2013


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Matt Griffin YMCA Ready to Create a 'Summer of Fun' for Kids of All Ages
Advertiser and longtime friend of the blog Matt Griffin YMCA wants our Readers to know that they're welcoming members of all ages to their 46,000 square feet of Health and Wellness facilities, set to ensure that "you and your kids have the time of your lives this summer!"
The Y's sparkling aquatics facilities include a 25-yard lap pool and a special activity pool with slide and water features. You can enroll your child in swim lessons today, preparing your family for a safe and fun summer! Water babies from 6-months and older can build skills that will last forever, with age appropriate lessons.
Additional programs for kids include the ever-popular Discovery camp, Summer Learning Programs and TREK.
TREK is the Y's version of day camp for youth ages 10-14. Each day participants will travel to exciting program activities all over the Seattle area. The participants will also have the opportunity to engage in a service learning project each week.
To register for TREK, click here.
Birthdays are also more memorable at the Y any season of the year, thanks to the Y's Adventure Zone, Huling Climbing Tower and that amazing pool.
Packages range from $125.00 to $200.
"We are so proud to provide a safe and fun facility where all kinds of kids can enjoy, wholesome and enriching Summer fun," said Member Experience director Shelly Skaro. "The only down-side is how quickly popular programs can fill-up. Parents shouldn't wait too long to register!"
Visit mattgriffinymca.org for more information, or to register for any of their programs.
[Would you like to have a Blogvertorial story, Ad and/or Event Listing like this on a popular, fast-growing website seen by over 80,000 interested Local Readers every month? Email us for more info, or check out our Advertise page!]


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Florence Manasco of Marianna passed away on July 24, 2012 at age 82.She was born on October 31, 1929 in Oak Forest, Arkansas to the late Andrew J. and Dora Hudspeth Key.She married Columbus L. Manasco in 1946, and they made their home in Harlan, Kentucky until his death. She later moved the family to the Marianna area, where she provided for them by working at Sanyo. Florence loved to quilt, and made many beautiful quilts for her children and grandchildren. She also greatly enjoyed spending time with her family, as well as her friends at the Baptist Church.Family left to remember and celebrate her life include sons Roger Manasco (Debbie), and Terry Manasco of Marianna; daughter Kathy Durbin (Dennis) of Chesapeake, OH; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; sisters Margaret Mahan and Betty Nossaman of Oklahoma, and Aline Dickerson of Texas; many nieces and nephews; and friends.Florence was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; brothers Sidney, A.J. Jr., and Wesley Key; and sisters Bertha McNair, Ruth Rigsby, Mildred Wilson, Hester Bates, Helen Reese, and Juanita Lambert.Services will be held Saturday, July 28, at 1:00 p.m. at Roller-Citizens Funeral Home in Marianna. Burial will follow in Marianna Memorial Park.Visitation will be Friday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Funeral Home.
Florence Manasco
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