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Avail our domestic and international online delivery services to get the timely cake delivery at your desired place. We will deliver your orders on time and in pristine condition. Pumping that extra creativity that comes up with something fascinating which nobody else would have ever thought of in terms of these designer Cakes. If you want to surprise your loved ones with a cake which is going to be an absolute show stealer then these designer cakes will be the best pick for you. Celebrate your occasions like birthday, anniversary and Valentine with special designer cakes for your loved ones as valentine gifts and leave them with unforgettable memories. Special expertise has been put into cake designing that has come up with some of the striking cake designs. Order personalised cakes online to gift a perennial smile of joy and amazement for the special occasion.
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They don't make villain conferences like this any more. One of the interchangeable aliens from this season of Falling Skies grabs a lump of coal and scrunches it into a red diamond, so he can have a teleconference with another alien, in a burning hellscape lifted from a Mortal Kombat game.
Isn't that the greatest thing you've seen this week? Especially dialogue like, "Ha, ha, my mistake. Only YOU would know failure."
At this point, the aliens are doing so many experiments on humans, it's not clear at first which experiment they're referring to. There's the Nazi boarding school experiment, where they are successful enough at indoctrinating kids that they all blow their whistles when Tom Mason shows up to rescue Matt "Mad Dog" Mason. There's the harness experiment that apparently failed and was abandoned. There's the Skitterization of adult humans, which turned Dan Weaver's daughter Jeanie into a monster who still retains enough of herself to fight for her dad.
And there's the hybrid thing, where they've turned Lexi into a hippie version Daenerys Targaryen — who apparently is completely obedient and their new weapon and stuff. When Lexi's mom Anne shows up at the camp, Lexi feeds her the usual line of crap about peace and love, which works for about five minutes until Anne finds out Lexi is meeting with an Espheni — the one who's communicating by soul-diamond in the clip above.
Also in this episode: Pope gets a love interest, played by a ridiculously smiley, goofing-around Mira Sorvino. Who apparently didn't get the memo that this is a serious post-apocalyptic war show, and just wants to mug for the camera. Still, gotta love her drugging and almost killing Pope, so she can steal his truck. That's actually a good match for the Popester. (And now Pope has a new nickname.)

subset: commoncrawl


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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois taxpayers will pony up at least $130 million extra in interest payments for a bond sale this week due to lowered credit ratings because lawmakers have failed to solve the state's $97 billion pension crisis.
Two weeks after two credit-rating agencies downgraded the state's rating to an all-time low, the state sold $1.3 billion in bonds Wednesday to pay for capital projects around the state. Among them are an upgrade of Chicago's elevated rail system, improvements to highways and university campuses and the purchase of land for a suburban airport south of Chicago.
Gov. Pat Quinn's office announced the costs of the bond sale, explaining that the $130 million — to be paid over the 25-year life of the bonds — is the difference between what the state paid this week and what it would have paid when it had a better credit rating just three years ago. It now has the worst rating of any state in the nation.
"Legislative inertia has a price, and today the price for taxpayers was an extra $130 million," Quinn said in a statement. "As I've warned repeatedly, this is an emergency."
State Treasurer Dan Rutherford said his office calculated that Illinois is paying $235 million more than it would have paid when it enjoyed a high credit rating in the early 1990s. There have been 13 downgrades for Illinois over the last four years by multiple agencies, all tied to the Legislature's inaction on pension reform.
Rutherford, a Republican who has announced a challenge to Quinn in next year's election, said another ratings downgrade is likely in store if lawmakers continue to punt on the pension issue.
"We've had all sorts of (deadlines) and benchmarks," Rutherford told The Associated Press. "Each time a date has been given and there has (been inaction)…it has had a direct consequence on the bond rating."
The announcement came a day before lawmakers were scheduled to meet in downtown Chicago to again discuss finding a compromise to the state's nearly $100 billion shortfall in state employee retirement funding. Quinn has given them a new deadline of July 9 to come up with a solution.
For decades, legislators skipped or shorted payments to state retirement funds, creating the shortfall and making investors nervous year after year. Yet lawmakers in the Democrat-controlled General Assembly adjourned the spring legislative session again last month without a deal. It was the fifth time in 12 months that they left town without solving the crisis.
At a special legislative session earlier this month, lawmakers agreed to appoint a 10-member bipartisan panel to search for a compromise. The six Democrats and four Republicans were expected to meet Thursday morning in Chicago for a first public hearing. Testimony was expected from a number of key players in the discussions, including unions.
Meanwhile, the pressure mounts on lawmakers to act. On Wednesday, the influential CEO of Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc., the state's largest manufacturer, stressed the urgency of pension reform when addressing business leaders at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting in Chicago.
"When you leave here today, I want you to call your local legislators," Doug Oberhelman said. "Tell them that that you have already taken action in your own business to control costs in order to be competitive for the future, and you expect the state to make the same tough decisions that you did."
Quinn's office said this week's bond sale is slated to pay for projects at Western Illinois University's Quad City campus, the Shawnee Mass Transit District, the Madison County Mass Transit district, and school, university and road and rail projects in Galesburg, Champaign, Bloomington, Rockford and Rock Island. It also will fund land acquisition for the suburban Chicago airport and repairs to the city's Red Line transit system.
See also:


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OTYS believes very strongly that recruitment is not a process on its own: that it looks a lot like other services which bring client and customer together; that recruiting a candidate is almost the same as recruiting a client; and that a customer friendly service is a big deal in the recruitment world. OTYS creates a high quality, customer friendly and interactive program from your recruitment process. They help you to distinguish your company on the market. Guide your growth and give you solutions with which you can develop new services.
OTYS customers are not just customers, they are a part of the OTYS Community. With nearly 7,000 recruiters, HR Managers and consultants, you have a network to fall back on and the opportunity to expand your knowledge through them. Togetherness is the keyword. Whether you work for an employment agency, a temp agency, a smaller recruitment agency or in-house with a larger corporate, OTYS offers a software solution for your situation. OTYS is experienced in these markets, they know the players and know as no other how to find candidates.


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You are hereHome ›
Easy ways to stay cool, save energy
As we enter the hot days of summer with temperatures over 90 degrees, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources reminds consumers of some simple no-cost or low-cost energy-saving tips to help keep cool, conserve energy, and reduce utility bills
Check out the following 10 tips to keep cool, save money, and help prevent unnecessary power outages by easing high demand of electric power this summer:
• Close curtains and blinds and pull shades during the hottest times of the day to keep the hot sun out.
• Set your thermostat to allow your house to be warmer than normal when you are away; when you are at home and need cooling, adjust your thermostat to 78 degrees (or higher), or to the highest setting that allows you to be safe and comfortable. A programmable thermostat will make this easy.
• Keep doors and windows closed when cooling your home.
• Keep air conditioner coils clean and free of dust and dirt to increase the efficiency and life of your air conditioner; replace filters regularly.
• Use fans to produce a wind-chill effect and reduce air conditioning demand; turn the fans off when not in the room.
• Enroll in utility energy-saving programs (such as air conditioning "saver" switches) to get discounts on summer electric bills.
• Use a microwave instead of an oven to cook; ovens take longer to cook and can make your house warmer, requiring more of your AC system.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes; air dry dishes and dry clothes outside.
• Take short showers—with low-flow showerheads—instead of baths to reduce hot water use.
• Turn off lights, TVs, entertainment systems, and computers and monitors when not needed or not in use.
Getting a home energy assessment requires a fee, but it is a first step to identifying a wide range of energy-saving measures. Gas or electric utilities can arrange energy assessments and often underwrite some of the cost.
For a host of summertime energy-saving tips, check out the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Saver website. Also, the Commerce Department's Division of Energy Resources offers consumer energy guides that cover many energy-saving suggestions. Check out DER's series of Minnesota Energy Tips.


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You are here
Spotlight on VET Slovakia
Traditionally, vocational education and training (VET) has been a strong pillar of the Slovak education system. Despite growing interest in general education, participation in secondary VET is still among the highest in the EU.
While VET programmes offering access to higher education remain attractive, the share of learners completing programmes without this option has declined sharply. The resulting low supply of skilled workers and craftsmen triggered new legislation in 2015 introducing a 'dual' type of initial VET.
With a growing share of social sciences and humanities graduates, labour market mismatches are also visible at tertiary level. Employers consider this risky for industry and the open export driven Slovak economy as a whole.


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Download MP3
Parus ridgwayi (juniper titmouse)
This Plain (Juniper) Titmouse (Baeolophus ridgwayi) flits around a Chinaberry Tree outside the birdhouse on Becky's front porch as his wife prepares the season's nest inside. He sings his Spring "lookin' for love" song, then scolds us with his characteristic chatter when we intrude on his private moment. Recorded in Sedona, Arizona, April 5, 1998.
Douglas Von Gausig (recordist; copyright holder), Naturesongs.com
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
The Animal Diversity Web team is excited to announce ADW Pocket Guides!
Read more...
Help us improve the site by taking our survey.
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Taxon Information
Contributor Galleries
To cite this page:
Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2020. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at https://animaldiversity.org.
The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.
This material is based upon work supported by the
National Science Foundation
Grants DRL 0089283, DRL 0628151, DUE 0633095, DRL 0918590, and DUE 1122742. Additional support has come from the Marisla Foundation, UM College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Museum of Zoology, and Information and Technology Services.
The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support.


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Today Research In Motion® (RIM) introduced the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ – check out the above video for more details on the new BlackBerry tablet!
Stay tuned for future posts on the Inside BlackBerry blog family about BlackBerry PlayBook. Of course, on the Inside BlackBerry for Business blog, we'll discuss using the new BlackBerry PlayBook as an effective business tool. For now, post a comment and tell us what you think!


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Gogebic Community College Admissions Stats
Undergrad Application Fee
|AP Acceptance:
|Credit for Life Experience:
Many colleges put a great deal of weight on student ACT/SAT test scores when considering applications. College Greenlight can help you see how you rank compared to students who have been accepted to Gogebic Community College
|E4946 Jackson Rd Ironwood, MI 49938
|(906) 932-4231
|General Site:
#1) If you plan on transferring to a major university take general courses at GCC they will transfer almost anywhere! #2) Don't wait to enroll, as soon as your financial aid clears you can charge your books to your account (as a side note: none of my books were more than $150, one was $14.00. Amazing!!) #3) Look into Study abroad they have a partnership with the U of Wisconsin, and you can travel to Scotland!Read More
Get to know your professors... they will help you in many ways not just in school but in your real life too.Read More
Good choice to start out at, much cheaper than a university and education is just as good.Read More
Go to a cheap community college first and get your generals done. It saves a lot of money.Read More
Be prepared for tough winters, but at the same time it's winter that offers many fun opportunities since the school has its own ski hill. The local area is great for outdoor activities and cost of living is low with many amenities and shopping not far away. Go there with an open mind and plan a trip to Lake Superior located just 12 miles from campus.Read More


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Hey, I'm new to this forum and to programming. I am using Dev C++ 126.96.36.199 on windows vista. I installed MinGW and did all the instructions for for linking the MinGW\bin in the environment variables that the instructions told me to do. I tried the HelloWorld example, and it compiles but doesn't run. On the bottom of Dev-C++, this message is shown.
[Linker error] undefined reference to `__cpu_features_init'
ld returned 1 exit status
I assume there was something I did wrong with setting this up. If someone could help me, I'd appreciate it. Thank you.


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Checking in on… the Sun BeltPosted by Brian Goodman on January 6th, 2011
Daniel Spewak is the RTC correspondent for the Sun Belt conference.
A Look Back: News and Notes
- The hits keep coming for Western Kentucky. Never mind that the Hilltoppers are 5-8 and just lost at Arkansas State. Now, just a few weeks after the dismissal of point guard Ken Brown, WKU has learned that freshman guard Snap Peters is academically ineligible for the second semester. The good news for coach Ken McDonald is that Peters hasn't left the program for good and can return next year.
- The Sun Belt's poor performance in non-conference play has resulted in an RPI plummet for the conference. As of Thursday morning, the league ranks 25th out of the 31 D-I conferences that carry automatic NCAA Tournament bids. This fall, when the Sun Belt announced new scheduling restrictions to help bolster its overall RPI, a few coaches weren't happy with the commissioner. With this recent slip toward the bottom of Division I Basketball, though, maybe they'll come around.
Shoutout Section
There's no player more deserving of a shoutout this week than Arkansas State's Trey Finn. The sophomore is already a fan favorite because of his hard-nosed defense and all-out effort. Plus, he's got a pretty cool first name—and he lived up to that name by making seven three-pointers in a 30-point performance against Western Kentucky last weekend. And Finn wasn't one-dimensional, either, tallying four steals, 10 rebounds and three assists.
Alex Legion's college career hasn't been easy. He played six games at Kentucky as a highly-touted freshman before transferring to Illinois, where he appeared in just 33 games as a sophomore and junior. Now, Legion has landed at Florida International, and he's putting his last stop in the Sun Belt to use. Since becoming eligible at the start of the semester, Legion has scored in double figures in all four games and had 22 points against Utah Valley.
Quote of the Week
"It's easy to quit, but I'd rather die than quit."
-Western Kentucky forward Sergio Kerusch on New Year's Day, persevering through the Hilltoppers' struggles after dropping their third straight game.
Power Rankings
1. Florida Atlantic (9-6, 2-0): Thanks to Western Kentucky's continued downswing, Florida Atlantic is the new East Division favorite. The Owls didn't even need to do anything to take the top spot. Due to the apocalyptic snowstorm that cancelled a Dec. 30 date with Manhattan, they've played just one game during the past 15 days—and even that contest was with D-II Florida Memorial. With two SBC road wins under their belt, Florida Atlantic is sitting pretty, but the quiet few weeks may result in a little rust for Mike Jarvis' players.
Up Next: Jan. 6 vs. South Alabama, Jan. 8 vs. Arkansas State, Jan. 11 vs. Manhattan
2. Western Kentucky (5-8, 0-1): The dismal non-conference performance was behind them; it was a new conference season and a new year on New Year's Day, and Western Kentucky jumped out to a 17-7 lead at Arkansas State in the SBC opener. Sergio Kerusch was making everything. The threes were falling, and the Red Wolves were unable to run their offense against WKU's chaotic defense. What a story: the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers were turning the corner on the very first day of 2011! Turns out, it was all just false hope. Slowly, Trey Finn's hot hand brought ASU back into contention, and that double-digit lead turned into a one-point deficit at halftime. Arkansas State then scored the first six points in the second half and never looked back. After such a promising start, the Hilltoppers were back to their old ways. They'll have to wait at least one more game to turn that corner. That is, if the fans don't run coach Ken McDonald out of town by that point. Of 86 respondents polled on the WKU fan site Hilltopper Haven, 64 fans voted to fire the head coach immediately.
Up Next: Jan. 6 at Denver, Jan. 13 at Troy
3. South Alabama (7-6, 1-1): The Jaguars split their first two conference games, losing at Arkansas State and beating Middle Tennessee at home. It's still hard to get a read on this team, which has won five of six games mostly against inferior competition. Freshman Augustin Rubit recorded four double-doubles in December and carried that over to the Sun Belt with 16 points and 11 rebounds against ASU. He dealt with foul trouble and scored just three points against Middle Tennessee, though. Senior Tim Williams' 25 points carried the Jags to that victory, but although he's one of the league's better scorers, he needs help from players like Rubit and sophomore Martino Brock, who's enjoying a breakout year.
Up Next: Jan. 6 at Florida Atlantic, Jan. 8 at Florida International, Jan. 15 vs. Louisiana-Monroe
4. Middle Tennessee (6-9, 1-1): Score one for coach Kermit Davis. After losing at South Alabama in the Sun Belt opener, the Blue Raiders picked up their first signature victory of the season by knocking off consensus league favorite North Texas 78-71 Wednesday night at home. Middle Tennessee beat up the Mean Green on the boards by grabbing 14 offensive rebounds and rattled them defensively with 10 steals. It's just one win, but UNT had been so dominant in November and December that Wednesday's upset came out of nowhere.
Up Next: Jan. 8 at LA-Lafayette, Jan. 13 vs. Florida Atlantic, Jan. 15 at Arkansas State
5. Florida International (6-7, 1-0): Coach Isiah Thomas' recruiting prowess may pay off this winter. Alex Legion is making an immediate impact through his first four games for FIU, and freshman Dominique Ferguson scored 11 points in just 16 minutes in his first Sun Belt game against Louisiana-Monroe. Another newcomer, Central Michigan transfer Jeremy Allen, was the hero in that one-point comeback win at ULM by breaking a 67-67 tie in the final minute. It's been trendy to question Thomas' coaching ability because of his celebrity status and his poor performance with the New York Knicks. It's true that he finished with just seven wins in his first year as a collegiate coach in 2009-10, but Thomas hasn't proved hecan't coach at this level, has he? So far in Year Two, Thomas appears to have this program on the upswing.
Up Next: Jan. 6 vs. Arkansas State, Jan. 8 vs. South Alabama, Jan. 13 at North Texas
6. Troy (2-11, 0-1): Ranking teams two through five in the East was a difficult task. Ranking last, however, wasn't difficult at all. The Trojans have played the last two games without leading scorer Vernon Taylor, who was sidelined with an ankle injury. He may play Thursday night at Louisiana-Lafayette. Without Taylor, Troy lost 80-39 to Utah State on Christmas Eve. Two weeks of rest and Taylor's possible return may help Troy regroup.
Up Next: Jan. 6 at ULL, Jan. 8 at Arkansas Little-Rock, Jan. 13 vs. Western Kentucky
1. North Texas (13-3, 2-1): There's only one question to ask of Johnny Jones' team. What happened? North Texas embarrassed LSU by 20 points and then promptly demolished Arkansas-Little Rock andLouisiana-Lafayette at home to open Sun Belt competition. Then, disaster struck Wednesday night with UNT's road loss to Middle Tennessee. It's not as if the Mean Green hadn't experienced life away from Denton. North Texas went to Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence in November and finished 3-2 in non-conference road games. So, again: what happened Wednesday night? For starters, North Texas hasn't traditionally played well in Murfreesboro. More than that, though, the Mean Green were outworked by the Blue Raiders, especially up front. Middle Tennessee won the rebounding battle and pulled away late with its superior depth. Returning from a sprained ankle, George Odufuwa did his part with 10 rebounds, but his frontcourt mates didn't lend much help. Sophomore Ben Knox, who had played so well since entering the starting lineup six games ago, had four fouls and took zero shot attempts in nine minutes of action. The loss isn't crippling for North Texas, which should still win the West comfortably. It's just a sign that the Mean Green aren't so invincible after all.
Up Next: Jan. 13 vs. Florida International, Jan. 15 at Troy
2. Arkansas State (7-8, 2-0): In John Brady we trust. After a 1-6 start, is anyone surprised that Brady's team is finally winning some basketball games? ASU defended its home court last week with wins over South Alabama and Western Kentucky and is tied for first in the West. Trey Finn's getting all the attention for his 30-point outburst against WKU, but the win was a team effort. Arkansas State bullied Western Kentucky in the second half and recovered from a poor start to clamp down defensively. With each week, this team looks more and more like a John Brady team.
Up Next: Jan. 6 at FIU, Jan. 8 at FAU, Jan. 13 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
3. Denver (6-9, 2-0): In Joe Scott we trust, too. He's steadily built this program from the ground—even to the point where Denver will now upgrade to the Western Athletic Conference—and his team has won four straight games. Chase Hallam's three-point play in the final minute of overtime lifted Denver to a dramatic 72-70 win over Arkansas-Little Rock, a statement victory against one of the only Sun Belt teams that had fared well against non-league opponents. Denver has been outrebounded in its first two SBC games, but it's made up for that with hot three-point shooting. That's the beauty of Scott's style of play—and his players seem to be clicking on both ends of the floor.
Up Next: Jan. 6 at Western Kentucky, Jan. 8 at ULM, Jan. 15 vs FIU
4. Arkansas-Little Rock (8-9, 0-2): UALR didn't win a road game last year and has won only one game away from Little Rock in 2010-11. So the Trojans aren't very good on the road in the first place, and the conference didn't do them any favors by scheduling them to open SBC play with two road games: at league favorite North Texas, and at Denver in the altitude. Naturally, Arkansas-Little Rock lost both games. Then, adding to the slide, UALR lost Wednesday night at home to St. Bonaventure. Steve Shields' group hung around for a while, but fell apart in the second half. That's at least an improvement over UALR's first meeting with the Bonnies, a 13-point road loss that was never close. Arkansas-Little Rock was tough at home in the non-con and won't be an easy out in the Sun Belt, but this team has to win some road games to be taken seriously.
Up Next: Jan. 8 vs. Troy, Jan. 13 vs. ULM, Jan. 15 vs. ULL
5. Louisiana-Lafayette (2-11, 0-2): We've talked about UALR's road problems all year long, but ULL isn't faring any better. The Rajun Cajuns have lost 13 straight road contests dating back to last year and, like UALR, opened SBC play with road losses at Denver and North Texas. There might not be many wins for Bob Marlin in his first season, but there are small signs of progress. ULL competed until the last few minutes at Denver despite shooting 36 percent from the field. Guard Josh Brown, who missed part of December with a knee injury, took back his role as the leading scorer with 18 points at North Texas.
Up Next: Jan. 6 vs. Troy, Jan. 8 vs. Middle Tennessee, Jan. 13 at Arkansas State, Jan. 15 at UALR
6. Louisiana-Monroe (5-11, 0-2): Coach Keith Richard, the other new guy in this league alongside Marlin, is also having trouble winning games in his first season. He'll have to settle for small, moral victories until he can build his program. ULM has lost both of its Sun Belt games in heartbreaking fashion by a combined three points (to Florida Atlantic and Florida International at home). And hey, the Warhawks just beat NAIA Union College Wednesday night. It may not count for RPI, but Richard will have to take all the wins he can get in his inaugural year.
Up Next: Jan. 8 vs. Denver, Jan. 13 at UALR, Jan. 15 at South Alabama


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I'm kind of in awe of this Linguine with Sardines, Fennel & Tomato recipe I stumbled upon via Food52.For one thing, just about all the ingredients are CANNED: tomatoes, breadcrumbs, sardines. It also makes me wonder, what else can I be making with tinned sardines? I love how meaty they are—and cheap. As a starving student in Paris, I used to eat a tin of these for dinner.
What I love about this recipe is that you pour off the olive oil from the sardines into a skillet and sauté garlic in the olive oil until fragrant. You then add sliced fennel and red chile flakes, then some canned tomatoes and your sardines, dry vermouth and lemon juice for a little brightness and then your linguine. It's all topped with toasted breadcrumbs with lemon zest and all in takes about 15 minutes to prepare, making it our new favorite weeknight go-to. And the dish is just LOADED with flavor. Serve with a very cold glass of rosé. For the full recipe, click HERE.


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text:
Utilisez les raccourcis ci-dessous
20 juin 2017
Chicago Pneumatic launches the first real ¾'' stubby impact wrench to be used for heavy vehicle general mechanic applications in workshops or for roadside assistance.
This new compact Chicago Pneumatic impact wrench is designed to work into tight spaces and get access to confined bolts for instance within engine compartments.
Chicago Pneumatics' new CP7762 measures just 6.2" (158.7mm) in length and weighs a mere 6.6 lbs. (3.0 kg). Small but powerful, the CP7762 is equipped with a rugged steel motor that delivers a powerful 1050 ft.lbs (1420 Nm) in reverse for high productivity. Featuring a twin hammer action and an aluminum housing, the CP7762 is capable of delivering optimum performance in the toughest operating environment.
Operator comfort is an integral part of this new stubby impact wrench's design. This is evident in the fact that the CP7762 is a well-balanced tool and features an ergonomic P-handle with full teasing trigger. The controls are designed and positioned for ease of use and include a one hand forward and Reverse speed regulator button as well as a side-to-side forward and reverse system.


text:
Pre-Cal 20S Slides September 23rd
View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: pc20sf08 math)
A window through the walls of our classroom. This is an interactive learning ecology for students and parents in my Pre-Cal Math 20S class. This ongoing dialogue is as rich as YOU make it. Visit often and post your comments freely.


text:
SET 1: Intro, Ghosts of the Forest, Drift While You're Sleeping, Friend, Sightless Escape, Halfway Home > If Again, In Long Lines, There's a Path Above, About to Run, The Green Truth, Beneath a Sea of Stars Parts 1 & 2 > Mint Siren Dream, Stumble Into Flight, Ruby Waves, Shadows Thrown By Fire, Wider, A Life Beyond The Dream, In This Bubble > Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 3 (blue)
ENCORE: Brief Time, Pieces in the Machine
Add a Review
March 27, 1993
25 years ago
Warfield Theatre
Set 1: Llama, Guelah Papyrus, Rift, Stash, Reba, My Friend, My Friend[1], Uncle Pen, Sample in a Jar, I Didn't Know[2], David Bowie[3]
Set 2: Buried Alive > Halley's Comet > It's Ice > Bouncing Around the Room, Chalk Dust Torture, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Hold Your Head Up > Cracklin' Rosie > Hold Your Head Up, Poor Heart > Golgi Apparatus
Encore: The Squirming Coil, Carolina
[1] Beginning featured Trey on acoustic guitar.
[2] Fish on trombone.
[3] All Fall Down signal in intro.
Phish.net is a non-commercial project run by Phish fans and for Phish fans under the auspices of the all-volunteer, non-profit Mockingbird Foundation.
This project serves to compile, preserve, and protect encyclopedic information about Phish and their music.
Credits | Terms Of Use | Legal | DMCA
The Mockingbird Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Phish fans in 1996 to generate charitable proceeds from the Phish community.
And since we're entirely volunteer – with no office, salaries, or paid staff – administrative costs are less than 2% of revenues! So far, we've distributed just about $1,500,000 to support music education for children – hundreds of grants in all 50 states, with more on the way.


text:
FERPA for Faculty
Can I access student information?
As a member of the faculty, you are permitted to access student information if you have "a legitimate educational interest," as defined by the Department of Education. The information must be necessary for you to perform your normal job duties. If it is not, there is no legitimate educational interest.
Can I post student grades publicly?
Student grades cannot be posted publicly either by the student's name, the NMU IN, or social security number. The only way student grades can be posted publicly is if the student is given a temporary identifier which only applies to the current class they are enrolled in, is not tied in any way to their academic record, and is issued to them in a confidential manner.
Can students see one another's graded assignment?
Students should not be able to see one another's assignments if there is any "personally identifiable" information on the assignment. For example, students going through a stack of graded assignments in search of their own is a violation of FERPA.
If a student sends me an e-mail asking what their grade is, can I provide this information via e-mail?
You can, as long as it is to the student's NMU e-mail address. If the student e-mails you from a different e-mail address, you can let them know that you sent the information to them through their NMU e-mail and they should check that.
What if a parent contacts me and wants to know how their son or daughter is doing?
Such things as progress in a course, deficiencies in a subject area, scores and grades on papers or exams, and missing work are all part of the student's educational record. You cannot share this information with a parent unless you have written authorization from the student to do so. Even then, the authorization must specifically state what information may be released to the parent(s). It is recommended that you tell the parent that although you are unable to share that information with them due to federal regulations, you would be happy to discuss it with their son/daughter.
What if another faculty or staff member asks for information regarding one of my students?
In general, you may share information internally with other faculty and staff if the person you are sharing the information with has an educational need to know (they need the information to perform their normal job duties). If the information does not relate to the person's job duties, it should not be shared. Examples of people who may need such information from you and have an "educational need to know" are staff from the Dean of Students office, the athletic department, Student Support Services staff, etc.
What if I'm concerned that a student might harm him/herself or others?
If there is any perceived threat to the health or safety of the student or others, you may (and should) express your concern to the appropriate person(s) at the University. That may include your academic dean, the Dean of Students, or Public Safety, depending on the situation and the immediacy of it. If you are in a situation where you are unsure as to whether or not to disclose such information, it is better to let someone know than to "wait and see."
What kind of information can I include in a letter of recommendation?
If you are writing a recommendation that includes anything from the student's educational record (grades, attendance, etc.) you need written permission from the student to do so. If you are just writing general observations about the person (things that can't be found in a file or on a computer system), you do not need written permission.
Who should I contact with specific questions or concerns?
For more information, review the University's FERPA policy. General questions regarding FERPA or the release of information may be directed to the Office of the Registrar (email@example.com; 227-2278).


text:
PHONE: 519.734.7844• TOLL FREE: 1.866.558.5099• email@example.com • firstname.lastname@example.com
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Guest Accommodation Room Tax Form
Form RT01 - Guest Accommodation Room Tax
Who files: This form is to completed and submitted monthly by operators of guest accommodations such as hotels, villas, guest houses. The form is due on or before the last day of the following month of the return period.
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What Everyone's Reading Now


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Wednesday, July 9
What Kenny Perry and I Have in Common
Ba-da-bum. (I'm glad you can't throw tomatoes at me.)
But seriously, Kenny is taking more heat than Phoenix asphalt. Why? What am I missing? Somebody tell me.
It's Kenny Perry skipping the British, not Phil Mickelson or some other marquee player. I understand Perry might have a good chance to win at Royal Birkdale –- he's playing great –- but so what?
It's his schedule, and he committed to Milwaukee and racking up Ryder Cup points. He's sticking to his goal and his word. Did anyone care before he won a couple of events? I say let him be.
Here's one more thing Kenny and I have in common: We're both going to the Ryder Cup. I'll be there as a spectator. And I'll be rooting him on.
Get 'em, Kenny!
−The Armchair Golfer
7 comments:
- Tom Blogical said...
"Ba-da-bum. (I'm glad you can't throw tomatoes at me.)"
I wouldn't waste good tomatoes. ;-)
Seriously, I don't think Kenny Perry has the kind of game that can win a British Open, and I think he knows it.
- The Armchair Golfer said...
I was reading today that his record in the Open isn't bad, and after checking it he does have three top 15s in recent years. But that's not really the point. He made his schedule and he's keeping it. I think that's OK.
- Tom Blogical said...
Not bad, but he hasn't ever been a serious contender. I think it has a something to do with it, because if he thought he had a chance to win, he'd be over there in a heartbeat. A major win is a major win. In addition, with a lot of the top players in Great Britain, he can take advantage and pile up some more Ryder Cup and FedEx Cup points.
I don't mean to imply I have a problem with him sticking to his schedule, however.
- Miranda said...
You know, this is the third blog I've seen (mine being one of them) that has said that Kenny should stick to his word and keep his schedule. I think the media who's dogging Perry really need to take a good look at themselves because it seems to me that they might be out of touch with the rest of the golf viewing public. Too busy trying to create the news instead of reporting it.
Not that Mr. Perry cares, but I think he's making a mistake. He's playing well enough to win, and there's no Tiger--the opportunity of a lifetime. In no way does this take away from him as a great golfer and from what I've read, a stand-up guy who has helped others through his success. Golf is however a competition, and if I were his opponent at the Ryder Cup, I'd be a litlle motivated by the knowledge that he's skipped the majors where the pressure is almost unbearable.
With no Tiger I think he's got a great chance. I'm really looking forward to watching him play and the Open in general. Should be a fantastic tournament as it's wide open IMO.
- rick said...
He should have played. I admire him and all he has done, but he is hot and has a good track record at the Open and is already a shoo in for the Ryder Cup. Johnson Wagner probably was planing on playing the Deposit Guaranty or whatever is opposite the Masters too until he won Houston. The majors are what it is all about.....He won't be able to handle the pressure at Valhalla.


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Rindge woman charged in crash that killed passenger
JAFFREY, N.H. (AP) � A New Hampshire woman has been accused of driving under the influence in a crash that killed a passenger in her truck.
Police said Nichole Oates' truck went off a road in Jaffrey and hit a tree on Saturday night.
The crash killed 34-year-old Daniel Peard, a passenger.
Oates, of Rindge, was expected to face a judge Monday.


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Jul 02, 2013 | ISBN 9780345540874
"A wonderful, touching story that reminds us to live life to its fullest."—Cecelia Ahern, New York Times bestselling author of P.S., I Love You
"Spielman's debut charms."—Kirkus Reviews
"You won't want to miss Lori Nelson Spielman's remarkable debut, an intensely emotional novel of transformation and trust. It's about how we let go, and how we never let go. The Life List has great heart, and even greater soul."─Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author of The Peach Keeper
"Irresistible! Everything I love and look for in women's fiction. A clever, funny, moving page-turner."─Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times bestselling author of The Great Escape


text:
Like many Lord of the Rings aficionados, I think Peter Jackson's greatest travesty was swapping Glorfindel's role in Frodo's rescue to Arwen??? (Yes indeed, a full three question marks of horrification.) I'm not sure if the offence was downgrading the greatest living elven warrior to a mincing monosyllabic snob, or the clumsy attempt to hammer character into the vaguely drawn princess.
As a fantasy-reading British male, raised on a diet of dragons, elves and dwarves (Tolkien spelling,) I should only consider women as the romantic interest to hang on the arm of the real hero. The fact is that for me, strong women make great central characters.
It's a long time since the first female hero slapped me into paying attention - Cirocco Jones from John Varley's Titan, Wizard, Demon series. Bi-sexual, Rocky staggered from substance abuse to demi-godhood. Starting life as the child of a rape victim, she's described as hawk-nosed, wiry haired and standing over six feet tall. I found her powerful both physically and mentally, always teetering on the edge of magnificence or failure.
Although not a lead, William Gibson's fabulous Molly Millions cropped up in many of his stories. Paying for her physical enhancements by prostitution, she is portrayed as an emotionally cold, efficient killer. Rarely exposing vulnerability, her history hints at a trail of abuse. When she loves, it is cautious, expecting to be let down.
As a secondary character, we initially meet Molly as a leather clad street-ninja. Off-screen she ages. The last sight of her is slightly more 'matronly,' but still with the physical enhancements - a middle-aged ninja with razors claws retracted under her fingernails. Maybe because I grew older, I still adore her.
These examples are now over thirty years old. Fast forward along my bookshelf, David Weber - Honor Harrington, Trudi Canavan – Sonea, all the way up to Suzanne Collins - Caitlin of the Hunger Games. These are female leads I can (and do) read over. None of them decided to be magnificent, but circumstance thrust it upon them.
Studying what works for me as a reader, it isn't the physical prowess, or dominance that brings the character to life. It is the flaws. Of course, I enjoy the physical descriptions of action, adventure and love, but it's the breath taking anticipation of whether they can they overcome their inner struggle that keeps me coming back.
As a writer, my first female hero was Amara, the Ultimate Warrior. She hacked through my parody of high fantasy like a female Conan. When I reviewed her as a role model, her daughter struck me as much more interesting. Most people can identify with the fears of adolescence. Our body isn't as developed as our friends, our weight is wrong. Height, hair colour and suspicions regarding our intelligence all eat into our self-esteem. Add on top of this a high-achieving parent to finish the ego-battering.
When the ultimate warrior's daughter can't hold a sword, we have the start of a flawed person.
Where my first-loves, Rocky and Molly arrive on stage fully created, I wanted to take Amara's Daughter, Maryan, through the forging process. The intended audience dictated this decision. From the first word hitting the page, Amara's Daughter was aimed at a 16-20 year old female. She was going to demonstrate her growth from adolescent uncertainty into a powerful maturity.
The core theme for Amara's Daughter was that good and evil are not dictated by gender, skin colour, or orientation. These are important principles for me. That said, I didn't want a 'moral-fest' it had to be wrapped in a fast-moving, single volume of good, old-fashioned sword swinging fantasy.
Each of the planned volumes stays true to the theme and each presents a different female character, possibly capable of facing what life is throwing at her.


text:
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text:
Edgewater ParkHydrocephelitis Walk
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No images are within public domain. Use as the basis for another photographic concept or illustration is a violation of copyright. David Schwartz Photography vigorously protects copyright interests. In the event that an infringement is discovered, you will be notified and invoiced at the minimum of 10 times the standard fee for unauthorized usage and/or prosecuted for copyright infringement in US Federal Court where you will be subject to a fine of $150,000 US Dollars statutory damages as well as all the court costs and attorney's fees. By entering this site you are agreeing to be bound by the terms of this agreement. Entrance to this site is expressly on these conditions which embodies all of the understandings and obligations between the parties hereto.


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Gassho, J
Gassho, J
Thx jundo and shigantazen. So without the z its dogen and with the z its last on the list. 😊
Kind regards. /\
無 (MU, Emptiness) and 氷 (HYO, Ice) ... Emptiness Ice ...
I may be wrong and not knowing is acceptable
Task: Simply sit. Implement this task before you read further. There are two different ways to implement this task:
- You »practice« simply sitting. This is synonymouse to »conceptual reification«.
- You simply sit. This is synonymouse to »primordial unfabricated looseness«.
Extended: Simply sit. Implement this task – but don't meditate. How? Whenever you catch yourself »practicing« simply sitting instead of simply to sit, recognize how »an« subjectively »simply sitting« permeates the experience due to your »practiced implementation«. So whenever you catch yourself »practicing« simply sitting instead of simply to sit, interrupt this »meditation« and simply sit. Did you recognize the difference between your fabricated and the factual task? Great. If you are naturally able to implement the task »de facto« instead of practicing resp. conceptually reify it again, this is already synonymouse to »primordial unfabricated looseness«. Since »primordial looseness« is completely unfabricated, there is immediate-obvious no need to practice resp. conceptually reify the task again.
Excursus: Doctrines
Do nothing. Leave everything as it is. Act normal. Simply sit. Simply rest. Look at the sky. Be aware. Don't focus. Leave your consciousness alone. These are all tasks that need to be »implemented« actually, which would be equivalent to »knowledge«. From each of these tasks you can potentially build an own doctrine and tradition. If such tasks are conceptually reified and therefore »practiced«, then this is only consistent. But every actually implemented task is equivalent to any other actually implemented task. Therefore »tradition« as »religion« and the associated spectacle doesn't matter.
Mnemonic: Every »actual implementation« is primordial-unfabricated respectively primordial-uncontrived. But don't think in consequence, »..so there is nothing to do« or »..so I behave myself completely natural« or »..so I simply sit and drink my tea« or »..so I'm already liberated« or »..so I stop trying to meditate«. This is just »thinking about« resp. just speculation from the standpoint of ignorance. The tasks must be »implemented« and there are only two ways to implement them: as unfabricated fact or fabricated practice; actually or seemingly. Based on a complete understanding of the difference between the actual and the seemingly, the process of »conceptual reification» can be stopped resp. interrupted. This »can be« the beginning of »primordial unfabricated looseness».
Last edited by thigle; 10-18-2014 at 08:14 PM.
» Neither focus .. nor practice «
Schon wieder? - Do we have to hash through this again?
We don't really have tasks here.
We sit.
PS the post reminds me of Gertrude Stein:
"A noun is a name of anything, why after a thing is named write about it. A name is adequate or it is not ... things once they are named does not go on doing anything to them and so why write in nouns. Nouns are the name of anything and just naming names is alright when you want to call a roll but is it good for anything else."
(from "Poetry and Grammar")
As I was saying loving repeating being is in a way earthly being. In some it is repeating that gives to them always a solid feeling of being. In some children there is more feeling and in repeating eating and playing, in some in story-telling and their feeling. More and more in living as growing young men and women and grown men and women and men and women in their middle living, more and more there comes to be in them differences in loving repeating in different kinds of men and women, there comes to be in some more and in some less loving repeating. Loving repeating in some is a going on always in them of earthly being, in some it is the way to completed understanding. Loving repeating then in some is their natural way of complete being. This is now some description of one.
(from The Making of Americans)
Last edited by Nindo; 10-19-2014 at 03:54 AM.
Hi Thigle,
Yes, I have read what you wrote a oouple of times and pretty sure that I don't get it. As Nindo said. Good sitting to you.
Gassho, Jundo
Last edited by thigle; 10-19-2014 at 01:09 PM.
» Neither focus .. nor practice «
Hello Thigle,
in case you hadn't noticed, this forum is a manifestation of a real Sangha, where people want to share and care for one another, not just one of those countless internet forums where people come to talk talk talk without a community context.
Nothing you have written in this forum indicates that you have any interest in practising and sharing the Dharma outside of wanting to make yourself seem like Buddha's gift to Buddhism.
If you think Dharma is only about Manjusri's sword of understanding you are not even half right.
Hans Chudo Mongen
Gee, Mongen ... I am going to make you our official bouncer!
Gassho, J
I'm more of a Martin Luther, werter Hans. Your sectarian ignorance stinks to heaven.
» Neither focus .. nor practice «
Hi Thigle,Task: Simply sit. Implement this task before you read further.
As I expect it may take me many lifetimes to fully implement this task, I probably will not get to reading the remainder of your post for a while, but appreciate that it will be waiting for me at that time.
Wishing you peace.
Last edited by Byokan; 10-19-2014 at 01:53 PM.
Hi Thigle,
The problem for us is that it is hard to understand what you are writing about. I know you understand, but it is impenetrable to me. So, if it seems to be working for you, I wish you well to do so. Unfortunately, i cannot comment because I do not understand.
If you would like to Practice as we do here, then you are most welcome here. If you do not Practice as we do here in this Dojo, then I think you are in the wrong Dojo for you.
Gassho, Jundo
Metta to all.*
*All is just as it is
"Recognize suffering, remove suffering." - Shakyamuni Buddha when asked, "Uhm . . .what?"
Hello Thigle,
believe it or not, I get what you are trying to communicate. The point for me personally is that there is no Dharma practise devoid of compassionate Sangha practise. I just don't feel any warmth anywhere in your posts or any indication you want to really get to know any of us. We all have good days and bad days, but I just don't understand what you want us to do...
So if your method of expressing Dzogchen/Shikantaza means you can fully awaken in record time, go for it. I really mean this from the bottom of myheart. This world needs all the Bodhisattva power it can get.
The thing is that there are even multiple ways of teaching Shikantaza, so even if we all told you "nicely epressed", what would we do afterwards?
I wish you well.
Hans Chudo Mongen
John, much metta to you and your wife. I wish you well, and do hope everything went fine with the surgery.
I spent many years in my practice thirsty and diving face first down a well that had no water in it. Reading a lot in this thread reminds me of that time.
There is nothing wrong with the opinions, teachings and practices that have been spoken here, but it wasn't the flavor for me. What I quoted from Jundo above sums it up for me. And as many have said, we have a certain practice here and this is a living breathing Sangha.
When I first found Buddhism as a teenager I studied anything and everything I could get my thirsty little hands on. For so many years I mixed and matched and practiced everything I could trying to find "my" practice that was right for "me." One of the many things I studied was Dzogchen.
I must say it took me many years after all that study and practice of all those different things to burn it all away and to move "the furniture out of the attic" so to speak. And I had found that this dropping away of all these things I had studied and dropping away of everything was coming from "just sitting." I started to simplify practice (perhaps to a bit of an extreme) in all ways. Then I searched for a teacher, community and Buddhist practice to further deepen my practice for the benefit of all sentient beings.
So here I am at Treeleaf practicing our flavor. I practice and I practice simply. I tend to practice very simply and even when explaining our practice to others I explain it very simply. Mostly because I find we can become easily attached to some of the "furniture in the attic" and it is best to just sit.
I am not agreeing or disagreeing with any of the practices or teachings in this thread, I am simply explaining some experiences on a winding path that has become a bit more simple, straight, narrow...and drops away.
Am I saying the initial "thirst" is wrong? No, I am saying it is time to sit.
My deepest respect to all of you.
"When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself."
―Shunryu Suzuki
Nice post, Bobby. Gassho
求道芸化 Kyudo Geika
I am just a priest-in-training, please do not take anything I say as a teaching.
Hi, still hovering in here.
I had to giggle...for those who were struggling with what this chap is trying to articulate.....now you know how it feels!!!
When I have asked about the 'Mechanics of Shikantaza' the responses, tho well meant and received, were just as ambiguous and unclear to me as this chaps posts are to you.
Best wishes,


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Stupid Cats
Stupid cats, Felinus Lentementus, (not to be confused with other animals that are also stupid) are cats that are different from normal cats beause they have a strong disliking of free market economics. They also distinguish themselves from other cats by their sheer monumental stupidity.
- 1 Stupid Cat metaphysics
- 2 The after life
- 3 The hard facts
- 4 Stupid cats in tandem
- 5 How can someone not realise they have a stupid cat?
- 6 Physiology
- 7 Natural Habitat
- 8 Unravel a ball of yarn infront of your cat
- 9 Advanced techniques in testing for stupid cats
- 10 Drastic Testing
- 11 The future of Stupid Cats
- 12 References
- 13 See also
Stupid Cat metaphysics[edit]
Doing lots of stupid things is fairly common amongst stupid kittens and thus very few stupid kittens make it to adulthood. Stupid kittens are usually still-born though the lucky ones survive and grow up. Those stupid kitties that manage to stand up and flee from broom wielding terrified humans will grow up to be a stupid cat. Stupid cats are unaware how lucky they are to be alive as only one in ten thousand ever celebrate their second brithday. Once they reach their second birthday, stupid cats begin to distinguish the liberal market and the state controlled market. Understanding the complexities of both theories is essential to choosing a prefered system. It isn't entirely clear if they choose their prefered financial system through logic (as they are stupid) or if it is encoded in their DNA (though no DNA has ever been localised in any stupid cat).
The after life[edit]
The prefered after life for a stupid cat would be a mixture of day dreams situated in North Korea and running and chasing after Trotsky all around the world. Stupid cats unfortunately never get to realise this prefered afterlife. Stupid cats do not go do heaven when they die. All stupid cats once dead, are immediately reincarnated as another stupid cat. Most stupid cat souls spend the majority of its existence in the wombs of mother cats and usually live for a minute or two once born and are then reincarnated instantly as a new stupid cat in a new mothers womb. In a scary sense, this means that stupid cats usually spend most of their time in a warm, loving and caring uteris before its quick, painful and terminal birth process. This might lend some understanding as to why stupid cats prefer controlled phenomena over the luck of the market. Stupid cats simply never seem to have any luck at all.
The hard facts[edit]
If you can say only one thing about stupid cats, its that getting worse on a daily basis is their only aspiration. Their second aspiration is to serve in the politburo of any current democratic peoples republic and own a dacha or a bullet proof train. No cat has ever been recorded as serving in any politburo, let alone a stupid cat.
Stupid cats in tandem[edit]
While stupid cats are rather stupid, as a collective they are quite very much stupid, though deep inside that mass stupidity lies a sort of mass cleverness. When stupid cats mingle (which should be stopped at all costs) they naturally collectivise themselves. Theirs is a well planned out stupid cat society with fixed factory quotas and minimal labour including job security and a public health system and benifits for life. Their creed is "the less competition, the more stuff there is" or some uninteligible variation of that. It's all very curious and slightly funny but most of all confusing for anyone who tries to follow it all. Don't forget, after all, they are really really really stupid.
How can someone not realise they have a stupid cat?[edit]
If you live your life on welfare cheques or money from your rich parents, you are 12 times more likely to own a stupid cat. If you are a quadrepeligic who lives off of government subsidies and benifis, it is guarenteed you have a stupid cat, giving us two reasons to feel sorry for you. If you are a self made man who plowed himself from rags to riches and now entertain friends and girls on mediteranean yachts, you won't find a stupid cat anywhere near you, though there could always be some non-stupid cats in the vacinity. George Soros was famous for owning hundreds of cats. None of them were stupid. Fidel Castro is famous for having owned several kittens. They were all severely stupid and lived an average of twenty seconds each.
The brain[edit]
The stupid cat brain is made of millions and billions of neurons and synapses. Not a single neuron is connected to another and no synapses are connected to any neurons. These cats have no brain activity as we know it. How is it that stupid cats can perform any body function is a question no one bothers to answer. Yet somehow, they seem animated, do things that seem like complex processes such as flexing muscles to move their legs or breathe in oxygen to keep living for one more minute or plan ways to denounce their teachers and parents to the state for a quick chance to climb the party ladder.
Comparison to inanimate life[edit]
Stupid cats arent the most stupid creatures in the world. Stupid cats are not quite as stupid as house plants or starfish. Stupid cats love star fish and usually think that they are their brothers or sisters. Stupid cats often drown themselves while trying to reuinite with their long lost family (of star fish).
Vietnamese Wisdom[edit]
In Vietnam there is a famous saying "The more dumb is you cat the better it taste". Stupid cats are a divine delicacy coveted by Asians. Even autistic cats don't taste quite as good as stupid cats. Its no coincidence that the majority of stupid cats live in North Korea. How could they resist living in the head quarters of post-communist communism. North Korea is like stupid cat heaven on Earth. North Korea is where stupid cats can live out their socialist dreams and avoid all forms of capital and liquidity.
The clash of civilizations[edit]
Western cooks who prepare stupid cat (mainly in French bistrots and Italian tratorias) are shocked to discover how Koreans consume stupid cats. Koreans in popular restaurants are presented with a stupid cat tied down onto a chopping board and is the chopped in half by the waiter using a butcher knife. The clients then grab as many parts as they can before the cats heart stops beating, and consume it while its still warm and hopefully animate.
Some western cooks have been so disgusted by the Asian manner of consumption that they have sworn off all Asian food. "Stupid cats are still creatures with some sense of feeling or at least pain receptors, at least we assume so...I don't know. In any case...the humane way (and most delicious way) is to throw the cat into a boiling pot of water.
Stupid cat or stupid owner?[edit]
"Hey Carl, look at that cat, its so helpless and alone, and blind and hey, is it meowing...or possibly chewing on empty space? The moral of this sentence: Stupid cats live with stupid people. Oh Carl, lets bring it home!"
Natural Habitat[edit]
Stupid cats hang out with stupid people though not always. That cat in your mentally retarded brother's Back Street Boys back pack might be a stupid cat but then it might just be intelligent and very unlucky.
Stupid cats often seek out hippy like people or bohemians who are most likely to avoid capitalistic society or open markets. Even in Hong Kong, the most open economy of the world, is not free of drum circles and vegan lunches. Take a look at any picture of their protests or demonstrations and you'll find a stupid cat in the background. {
Confusion with abused cats[edit]
Stupid cats may be confused with cats who have been bashed over the head by drunken owners. These mentaly destroyed cats spend the rest of their lives trying to cope with a damaged brain. Stupid cats on the other hand act through sheer randomness and self-destruction.
The stupid cat originates from the womb of its mother who is never a stupid cat herself. The stupid kitten is immediately abandoned (if not having been eaten by its mother for its delicious and tender meat). Simply lifting their twisted and deformed body up on its near broken legs takes a few days. How a stupid kitten can grow into a cat without help from anyone is one of the worlds mysterious seven mystical mysteries.
Unravel a ball of yarn infront of your cat[edit]
If the cat plays with the yarn but then tires quickly of the banality of string and then logs onto the internet and begins to diversify your day trading portfolio spreading your risk leverage, then you have a cat that is simply a cat.
But if the cat stares at the wall, fails to sense any change in time and space and then falls down collapsing into a puddle of its own urine while reciting party dogma, then you have a cat which is a stupid cat.
Advanced techniques in testing for stupid cats[edit]
Every time a stupid cat defecates it believes it has given birth to a kitten, and will usually nurture the excrement. Its also a great way to find out if you have a stupid cat, though not a very pleasant one. Once it is discovered that you have a stupid cat you should asfixiate it and cook it or sell it on the Chicago commodities market to maximise your gains.
Drastic Testing[edit]
See main articles: Cooking Stupid Cats and Kitten Cookbook
Sharpen your knives and pick some spices from your garden. Also buy some lemons as its best to maranade them in an acidy solution for a week or so. Make sure it is a stupid cat. If it is a stupid cat and prepared well, it tastes like chicken and gives you good regularity for a few days. If the cat you cooked screamed throughout the preparation in blazing terror, tasted like goat, and made you violently ill, the cat was not stupid and you cruelly tortured your pet. You won't sleep for a few days.
Ultimately eating stupid cats is the best plan of action if you come across a stupid cat or realise you own one. In the end you will be doing the stupid cat a favour as their lives serve only one purpose, which is to sabotage everything until it sabotages itself. It also tastes really good allong with a strong sherry and melba toast.
The future of Stupid Cats[edit]
Stupid cats will continue to seek out totalitarian communities and wasteful countries to satisfy their need for government control and weekly food rationing. Sending three atom-bombs to North Korea, Cuba and Burma would result in the near total extinction of stupid cats (and perhaps a modest collateral damage of one hundred million people). Not doing so will lead to the deaths of far more people as stupid cats will some how make that happen, without even trying, as stupid cats are too stupid to ever do anything on purpose.
- ↑ The terror of bad stupid cat stew cannot be under-exaggerated. Past tragedies include people vomiting uncontrollably, losing the ability to walk, and urinating painful discharges for the remainder of ones life. As there is a very small but potential deadly danger if things go wrong, it is recommended one doesn't eat anything for 24-hours before eating a stupid cat.


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Industry Comment – with Emily Oak
Who decides what the customer wants?
What does a customer remember about a coffee they drink? Is it the latte art, the café atmosphere, the conversation they shared with the barista or the origin and farm the coffee came from? Chances are it's one of the aforementioned, but what a barista is trying to share and what a customer takes away is probably rarely the same thing.
The experience that a customer treasures from going for coffee or visiting a cafe is often the same reason they were attracted to go there in the first place – and it is different for everyone. Of course there is no right and wrong when it comes to defining this interaction although for the most part a feeling of trust and respect between the customer and the café must exist.
Specialty coffee baristas love what they do. We're passionate, dedicated and in most instances educated quite thoroughly and specifically about the coffees we roast, dial in, pour and serve every day. We know the region and district it was grown, in some instances we've met the farmers and workers and touched the trees that produce the cherries. We care about the supply chain and the integrity of our product, and, we want you to understand it's true value. Despite our competing businesses, as a collective this is our common goal.
So why is this a topic worth discussing? As I mentioned earlier, the problem occurs when the goals and the outcomes don't line up.
The biggest question currently facing the specialty coffee retailer is how to better engage customers to share our passion. Because more often than not, it seems, that customers just aren't that into it. We have, I believe, as an industry, accepted that in the past that sometimes our interactions have been less than ideal. In the push to share our cause we've come across as patronising, soap-boxy and preachy, and not actually stopped to find out what people are looking for. Customers end up dissatisfied and then disengage, no longer paying attention to what we're trying to share. What we need to do as an industry is recognise that not every person who walks through the door is looking to know the whole story…. (yet!) Equally, customers need to recognise that coffee isn't just coffee, hopefully through the quality of experience and relationships that can be developed between a café and its patrons.
As an industry we're in a unique position. Our clients visit regularly (daily in most instances) and the frequency of interaction we are offered is far greater than that of most other hospitality industries. Specialty coffee needs to share with customers our product and our story, because the coffee we serve is undervalued by the general public. Because of this, people are not willing to pay what coffee is worth, or understand why in fact, we actually need to pay more.
How we better spread this message is still being debated, but at the very least communication needs to be improved. Baristas need to adapt to respect the needs and wishes of their customers and understand that everyone is looking for a different outcome from their interaction. Hopefully from this basis, a new dialogue can open up. Equally, customers need to be willing to engage a little more and begin to understand that when it comes to coffee, things can only get better.
Emily Oak is Division Manager for St Ali and Sensory Lab in NSW and a former member of the WCE Board of Directors.


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Third Rock Digital chooses Splash™ to Power its Growing Outdoor Digital Billboard business
By Daniel Fleischer, Las Vegas, NV
Feb 27, 2013
Ayuda Media Systems announced at the 2013 Digital Signage Expo today that new outdoor billboard company Third Rock Digital has selected the Ayuda Platform to power all of its outdoor LED billboards, beginning in Baton Rouge, LA. Kirk McNabb, owner of Incite LED Media Group and co-developer/operator for Third Rock Digital sites, commented: "Our operating group is very pleased with the robust and feature rich software that is being offered by Ayuda. After our initial test launch a few weeks ago, we became quickly convinced that Ayuda has one of the best platforms available for LED board programming, back-end management, and POP. We intend to use Ayuda on all future launches."
The Ayuda Platform, makers of the Splash™ CMS that is being used in conjunction with the OpenSplash player at each billboard site, seamlessly integrates the digital content management with all other back-office and client facing elements of the media sales workflow. This means that in addition to powering the digital billboards today, operators like Third Rock can also use the same single platform to check avails, create proposals, generate POP, invoice campaigns, and automatically calculate and distribute any shared ad revenue lease payments.
"We've lit up our first Ayuda powered billboard in Baton Rouge on February 13, 2013, and are already planning to go live on another 2 sites in BR in a matter of weeks," McNabb continued. "Third Rock digital combined forces with multiple outdoor vendors in a variety of ways, from operating to sales relationships. What I love about the Ayuda platform is that the cloud based infrastructure, along with Ayuda's working relationships with the main outdoor hardware manufacturers, means that Splash™ just works regardless of what hardware is deployed at each site. What's more, I know that as I grow my business, I will eventually be able to offer all sales personnel the Ayuda Platform to check avails and create proposals that will easily and automatically transmit campaign information to the appropriate board. I could use the Ayuda platform for billing and payouts if need be. There is just no other company out there in this space that can give me all of this in one seamless package, with the kind of user experience that Ayuda offers."
Daniel Fleischer, Ayuda's Director of Business Development remarked: "I am thrilled that Third Rock has chosen to partner with Ayuda. In just a few weeks, we tested, deployed and went live. We are excited about the prospect of providing a uniform, seamless experience to Third Rock as well as any operating and sales partners with whom they do business. Ayuda provides a simple, unified, and efficient experience that just works. I look forward to helping Kirk and Third Rock achieve all of the benefits associated with having the entirety of their outdoor software needs serviced by a single vendor. It's what we do best, as we have been doing for the past 10 years".
About Third Rock Digital
Third Rock Digital has partnered with LED equipment manufacturer Quality Systems Technology (QSTLED) – with North American headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT. Third Rock has partnered with Sky Outdoor and Incite LED Media Group, (Sky/ Incite) to develop and operate LED billboard networks. The group has also partnered with a local Baton Rouge operator Triangle Ventures to handle local sales.
About Ayuda
Ayuda Media Systems (Ayuda) has been providing the D/OOH industry with the world's most sophisticated media management platform for over 10 years. As the developers of the Ayuda Platform (which notably includes Juice™, Splash™, BMS™, Zest™ Rewind™, Cerebro™, and now, Alto™), Ayuda's products have invoiced over two billion dollars in OOH billing and provided media management functions for more than 500,000 advertising faces globally. The Ayuda Platform is cloud-based, and includes functionality for D/OOH networks such as avails and proposal generation, invoicing, lease payouts, financial reporting, inventory management, scheduling, content management, mapping, network monitoring, business intelligence, a free software player, real-time annotated proof of play, and the world's only D/OOH vendor focused CRM. Ayuda was founded in 2003 by ex-Microsoft employees with the mission of empowering the D/OOH industry with state-of-the-art tools that make D/OOH easier to manage and buy. In November 2012, Microsoft presented Ayuda's Splash™ product with the highly coveted Windows Azure Application – Partner of the Year Award for its use of the Microsoft Azure Cloud. For more information about Ayuda, visit www.ayudasystems.com
Daniel Fleischer
Director of Business Development
Ayuda Media Systems
+1 (514) 845-0824


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Welcome to wonderful world of Flip-Mats! A place where your RPG miniatures can call home. The Pathfinder Flip-Mat: City Gates will get you right into the action. No time wasted sketching rooms and dungeons, Flip-Mats are pre-printed on both sides with detailed fantasy set-pieces. Game Masters and players alike will be thrown into a rich environment to play out their adventures.
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text: For 2019 I see myself being in a holding pattern. Maybe a purchase of new pair of AE shoes/boots if the mood strikes. But no really huge investments. I'm in a good space with my wardrobe now. I WILL replace a lot of my socks and underwear though. Per an earlier thread, out with the boxers, in with sport boxers.


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Sage Mode is the result of using natural energy along with a ninja's normal chakra to drastically empower all their abilities.
Main article: Senjutsu Senjutsu (仙術, English TV: Sage Jutsu, Literally meaning: Sage Techniques) are a specialised field of jutsu that involve the use of natural energy. Senjutsu practitioners, known as sages, learn to draw natural energy inside their bodies, blending it with their own chakra to create senjutsu chakra (仙術チャクラ, senjutsu chakura, English TV: Sage Jutsu Chakra). This chakra adds a new dimension of power to the user's techniques, while also allowing for the use of techniques that would not otherwise be possible. A prerequisite to being able to use senjutsu is that the user must have a large reservoir of chakra themselves in order to manipulate the natural energy.[2]
Toad Sage Mode
There are numerous advantages while using toad Sage Mode. These include:
- The user's physical strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, and durability dramatically increase.
- The user's ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu become more powerful.
- The user can harness the natural energy surrounding them, turning it into an extension of their body, which increases the reach of their attacks.
- The user gains the ability to sense chakra around them.
There are a few disadvantages while using toad Sage Mode. These include:
- If the user draws in too much natural energy in the attempt to initiate Sage Mode, they run the risk of transforming into a toad, then into stone. If the transformation is completed, it cannot be reversed.
- In order to gather enough natural energy to initiate the transformation into Sage Mode, the user must remain perfectly still. Because of that, the user can be an easy target for an opponent.
- Because the user needs to move during combat, the senjutsu chakra cannot be replenished, which means the user can't stay within this state for extended periods of time.
- The second and third weaknesses mentioned above can be bypassed through the Sage Art: Amphibian Technique, where one Sage gathers chakra for another or as in Naruto's case, shadow clones can be used for the same purpose.
- After Sage Mode has ended, the user appears to experience exhaustion.
Imperfect Toad Sage Mode
Jiraiya was not able to properly balance his own chakra with natural energy, resulting in him using an imperfect form of Sage Mode. As a result of the imbalance (and the imperfect nature of his transformation), Jiraiya took a number of toad-like traits when using Sage Mode. His appearance was altered: his nose grows bigger and gains warts, he gains excess hair (his goatee), and toad-like eyes. Further transformational attributes includes him taking on a toad-like stature and the lines on his face become much thicker, taking over each side of his face. Because of these traits, Jiraiya didn't like to use Sage Mode as it "displeases the ladies". He also showed the ability to transform his limbs (e.g. his hands and feet) into those of frogs so as to aid in manoeuvrability.
In order to get around the danger of remaining stationary during a battle to re-enter Sage Mode, Jiraiya would summon Shima and Fukasaku by drawing a blood contract on his face.[3] The Two Great Sage Toads would fuse to Jiraiya's shoulders with the Sage Art: Amphibian Technique, gathering natural energy from their stationary positions on Jiraiya's shoulders for him to use.
Perfect Toad Sage Mode
Unlike Jiraiya, Naruto Uzumaki is able to perfectly balance the natural energy with his own chakra. This allows him to use Sage Mode in perfect balance, which allows him to retain all of his normal physical characteristics except for toad-like eyes: yellow irides, horizontal bar-like pupils, and reddish-orange pigmentation around the eyes; the mark of a true sage on each eye. A true sage would still suffer from the weaknesses of Sage Mode, requiring that they use Sage Art: Amphibian Technique in a battle situation. Because of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox sealed within Naruto, however, Fukasaku was rejected whenever he tried to fuse with him.
As a workaround, Naruto has some of his shadow clones gather natural energy elsewhere while he fights. Once he has run out of his own senjutsu chakra, he reverse summons the clone and has them disperse, giving him the clone's natural energy and allowing him to enter Sage Mode again. This method limits the maximum number of shadow clones that Naruto can create to five for as long as the clones are gathering natural energy, as anything more would interfere with their focus. To make sure he has enough shadow clones for use in battle, Naruto has only two shadow clones gather senjutsu chakra, allowing him to enter Sage Mode a total of three times. Naruto also stated that it is possible to lengthen the time he is in Sage Mode. He now can enter Sage Mode in a shorter span of time.[4][5][6]
During his meeting with Nagato, Naruto was stabbed in the gut with Nagato's chakra disruption blade. Nagato thought that he would be able to control Naruto with his own chakra, but Naruto revealed a fusion of his initial jinchūriki form and Sage Mode characteristics. The exact capabilities of this form are unknown, but it was strong enough to completely resist Nagato's control at a close proximity. The irides turn red and his pupil resembles that of both the fox's and his own when in Sage Mode, like a cross.
Snake Sage Mode
There are numerous advantages granted while using snake Sage Mode. These include:
- The user's perception abilities, reflexes and speed dramatically increase.
- The user's ninjutsu becomes more powerful.
- The user gains further access to snake anatomy, such as their brille, which can be used to lock out light as well as stop visual-based genjutsu from affecting them.[7] They are also able to perform abilities that are characteristic of snakes, such as dislocating their jaw, although this is not exclusive to this mode.[8]
Like Toad Sage Mode, Snake Sage Mode has similar flaws in that moving too much would disable the user from drawing in natural energy and that remaining still to gather the needed energy leaves the user open to attack. However, for his Sage Mode, Kabuto assimilated the DNA of Jūgo to replicate his clan's ability to passively absorb natural energy, thus allowing him to continuously collect the energy even while moving.
While retaining most of his normal physical characteristics in Sage Mode, Kabuto Yakushi did display greater areas of darkened pigmentation of the markings around his eyes which tapered off rafter reaching his shoulder blades. More noticeably, he gained four horns growing out from the back of his head as well as darkened sclerae.[9]
- In the film Naruto 5: Blood Prison, the red coat Naruto wore during his return in the Invasion of Pain would appear when he enters Sage Mode. Like every other physical change with the form, it would disappear when he turned back to normal.